The Harp of God: Proof Conclusive That Millions Now Living Will Never Die

by J. F. Rutherford

[153]When these wise men came into the presence of Herod, he was troubled, because he feared the new king would interfere with his reign; and he "gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people [the seed of Satan and also his representatives—John 8:44] together and demanded of them where Christ should be born"—in other words he demanded to know where the babe Jesus could be found. Then Herod, in furtherance of the conspiracy, privately consulted with these wise men. We now see Herod manifesting one of the characteristics of Satan, viz., deception, in this, that he pretended to desire himself to find the babe Jesus, that he might go and worship him; whereas all the facts and circumstances show that his real purpose was that he might find the babe in order to destroy him. "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was."

[154]We cannot for a moment believe that the heavenly Father would use a wicked one like Herod and aid him in carrying out his wicked purpose by having a star to direct these three wise men to the place of Jesus' birth, in view of the fact that the king had demanded that they should return and report to him, and when it was King Herod's purpose to destroy the babe. The fact is that the devil and his instruments, Herod and others, would have succeeded in this wicked conspiracy and have caused the death of the babe Jesus had not God intervened to save the child.

[155]The wise men reaching Bethlehem found the babe and brought their presents and worshiped. Without a doubt it was their intention to return and report to Herod. And the result of such a return would have been the death of the child. But God here intervened and warned them in a dream. These wise magicians relied upon dreams. "Being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way." Satan again was thwarted in his wicked purpose.

[156]The real intent of Herod in sending these wise men is disclosed by what subsequently happened. "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men." (Matthew 2:16) Determined not to be thwarted in his purpose, Satan and his instrument Herod were willing to destroy all the babes in and about Bethlehem, with the hope of destroying the one that was to be the King and Savior of the world. Jehovah saved the babe Jesus from this slaughter by directing his mother and Joseph to take the young child and flee into Egypt, which they did.—Matthew 2:13.

[157]We would not be justified, then, in presuming that God was using these devil worshipers, the "wise men"—"Magians," Magicians—for the purpose of being his witnesses to the birth of his beloved Son. But on the contrary, the facts show that it pleased him to reveal this great truth to the shepherds and to use them as his witnesses.—Luke 2:8-18.

[158]There is nothing whatsoever in the account of this experience of the wise men to indicate that their mission was in any wise beneficial to mankind; but the most charitable view we can take of it is that they were dupes of a deep-laid plot by Satan, the arch conspirator, to destroy the seed of promise; and that Jehovah let the conspiracy proceed to the point where it would fully demonstrate the wickedness on the part of Satan and his instrument, and then demonstrated his great protecting power. Without a doubt Satan has attempted to deceive and has deceived multitudes of honest people into believing that these wise men were the witnesses of the Lord, and hid from their minds the fact that they in truth and in fact represented Satan.

[159]All the wicked persecution that came upon the Lord Jesus afterward, and upon his followers to this day, has been because of the influence of Satan the devil. And yet at all times the Lord has protected his own at the very critical moment, just as promised: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear [reverence] him, and delivereth them".—Psalm 34:7.

HOW UNDEFILED?

[160]St. Paul says: "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned". (Romans 5:12) "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalm 14:3) These Scriptures being true, and since Jesus was born of a woman, was he not born like other children? And if so, was he not a sinner like others?

[161]Jesus was not a sinner. He was born pure, holy, sinless, without spot or blemish. He was not begotten and born like other children. While he was born of the woman Mary, Joseph was not his father. Joseph was espoused to Mary, Jesus' mother, and before they were married she was found to be with child. (Matthew 1:18) Mary was a virgin, yet she was about to give birth and did give birth to the babe Jesus. (Matthew 1:20,23) The holy child that was born of the virgin Mary was and is the Son of God.—Luke 1:35.