THE TIME OF HARVEST.
AUTHOR of MILLENNIAL DAWN and Editor of ZION’S WATCH TOWER:-
Dear Sir,-Since you have changed your
views respecting Gentile Times let me suggest the possibility of still another
error. You count the seventy years Babylonian
captivity of the Jews as beginning with the overthrow of Zedekiah, Judah’s last
king, but I notice that “Bishop Usher’s Chronology,” given in the margins of
our Common Version Bibles and based on “Ptolemy’s Canon,” begins that
seventy-year period nineteen years earlier-namely, in the first year of
Nebuchadnezzar, when he took captive Daniel and other prominent Jews and laid
the Jews’ country under tribute. Now if this, the common reckoning, be correct,
it would make the Times of the Gentiles to begin nineteen years later than you
estimate, namely, in BC 587, instead of BC 606;-and this in turn would make
those times end nineteen years later than you have reckoned,-in October, AD
1933, instead of October, 1914. What do
you say to this? Are you humble enough
to acknowledge that I have struck some new light, and that you and all DAWN
readers have been “all wrong,” walking in darkness?
* *
*
We reply that there are too many ifs
in the proposition, and that they are all abundantly contradicted by facts and
Scripture, and are therefore not worthy the slightest consideration.
(1) The brother errs in supposing
that we have changed our view of “Gentile Times.” Those “times” or years are 2520, with a
definite beginning in BC 606, and a definite ending, AD 1914. We know of no reason for changing a figure:
to do so would spoil the harmonies and parallels so conspicuous between the
Jewish and Gospel ages. The only “change”
in view is that the anarchy to follow the ending of those “times” will not shorten
them; and that the forty years “harvest” of the Church will be complete and not
be interfered with by the world-wide anarchy to follow it. This, as we have shown, makes the parallel
with the Jewish age still more accurate; for the Jewish harvest of forty years
ended in AD 69-prior to the complete anarchy amongst the Jews which came the
year following.
The brother seems to further
misunderstand us to teach that no great trouble will come before October, 1914
AD. This is incorrect: we expect the
great trouble of Rev. 13:15-17 before that date; but it will not be the world’s
trouble, the anarchy which will cause the “earth,” society, to melt with
fervent heat. It will be a trouble peculiar to the Lord’s consecrated ones. In the past these two distinctly separate
troubles were less clearly discerned than now.
And this is just what we should expect-that the light shining more and
more unto the perfect day would not be contradictory, but establish and
clarify the truths already shown us, including the times and seasons.-Dan.
12:4,10; I Thes. 5:1-4.
THE ERROR LONG SINCE EXPOSED.
(2) In MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol. II., pp.
36,37, we were careful to note the unreliability of all ancient histories, and,
after quoting various authorities conceding this, we added, last paragraph:-
“The Bible, our God-provided history
of the first three thousand years, is the only work in the world
which-beginning with Adam, the first man mentioned in history, monument or
inscription, whose name, the time of whose creation and death, are recorded,
and from whom his descendants can be traced by name and age in successive links
for nearly four thousand years-furnishes us a clear and connected history down
to a period where secular history is well authenticated. As we shall see, the Bible record extends to
the first year of Cyrus, BC 536, a well-established and generally accepted
date. There the thread of Bible
chronology is dropped-at a point where secular history is reliable. God has thus provided for his children a
clear and connected record down to the present time....The Bible, therefore, is
the chart of all history. Without it, as
has been truly said, history would be like rivers flowing from unknown sources
to unknown seas.”
On page 52 of the same volume we
said: “Usher dates the seventy years’ desolation eighteen years earlier than is
shown above-that is, before the dethronement of Zedekiah, Judah’s last
king-because the king of Babylon took many of the people captive at that time.
(2 Chron. 36:9,10,21; 2 Kings 24:8-16.) He evidently makes the not uncommon
mistake of regarding those seventy years as the period of captivity,
whereas the Lord expressly declares them to be seventy years of desolation
of the land, that the land should lie ‘desolate, without an inhabitant.’ (Dan.
9:2; Jer. 26:9.) Such was not the case
prior to Zedekiah’s dethronement. (2 Kings 24:14.) But the desolation which followed Zedekiah’s
overthrow was complete; for, though some of the poor of the land were left to
be vine dressers and husbandmen (2 Kings 25:12), shortly even these-’all
people, both small and great’-fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldees. (Verse
26.) There can be no doubt here; and therefore in reckoning the time to the
desolation of the land, all periods up to the close of Zedekiah’s reign should
be counted in, as we have done.”
From the foregoing it is evident that
at the time of writing DAWN II. we were fully aware that “Ptolemy’s Canon” and
“Usher’s Chronology” cut short the “seventy years” “desolation of the
land,” and counted them as but fifty-one years, Usher endeavoring to
make the Bible account agree with “Ptolemy’s Canon.” We, however, have followed the Bible record
exactly and persistently, and took secular history only where Bible history
ended. We cannot make seventy years’ desolation
of the land into fifty-one years’ desolation for the sake of harmony with
Ptolemy. (Dan. 9:2; 2 Chron. 36:21.)
Indeed we reject all of Ptolemy’s Canon back of the first year of Cyrus,
536 AD-the farther back it goes, the greater its errors.
“WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE?”
(2 PETER 3:4.)
(3) Note the confusion that would
result all along the line from the one change above suggested. It would extend the Jubilee antitype nineteen
years, making the Lord’s presence and “times of restitution” not due in
any sense until AD 1874 plus 19-1893 AD.
On the contrary, it would shorten the Jewish age nineteen years, and
thus, according to the parallels (MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol. II., Chap. vii.), would
shorten the Gospel age also, and show the harvest as due (19 plus 19) 38 years
before October, 1874,-that is to say, it would involve the idea of the Gospel
“harvest” beginning 1836 AD and ending 40 years later, in 1876 AD And this would involve the thought of the
Lord’s presence in AD 1836, instead of 1874, the gathering of the
sleeping saints in 1840, instead of 1878, and the end of the harvesting
of the “wheat” in 1876, instead of 1914 AD, as the time when the burning
of the “tares” in the world’s “time of trouble” would have been due.
All this confusion would result from
an abandonment of the Bible narrative in favor of Ptolemy’s Canon. Let those who want the darkness take it. Let
those of us who have had our eyes of understanding opened rejoice in the true
light more and more. As we have already seen, the
“harvest” is a time for winnowing the “wheat”-a sifting, a separating time, and
it is for each of us to prove our characters: “Having done all, stand!”
The
tests of this “harvest” must be like those of the Jewish or typical
“harvest”. One of them is the cross,
another is the presence of Christ, another is humility, another
is love. The Jews were reproved
because they “knew not the time of their visitation.”
(Luke 19:44.) The
matter is doubly distressing for those who have once seen the light of present
Truth, and afterward go into the “outer darkness” of the world. It implies unfaithfulness. “If the
light that is in thee be(come) darkness, how great is that
darkness.”-Matt. 6:23.
Remember, dear brother, our Lord’s
words in the context: “If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of
darkness.” An “evil eye” represents a
mind perverted by anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife, ambition, etc. Such a mind’s eye is sure to mislead the
judgment which seeks to be guided by it.
Those who have such an “eye” never would be drawn to the Truth. But some drawn to the Truth with a true eye-a
true, honest, guileless heart-may become perverted through the cultivation of a
wrong spirit, through selfishness, ambition or what not, and lose the true eye
and soon lose the beautiful vision which enchanted them previously. The Lord explains the philosophy of the thing
in the words, “Light was sown for the righteous, Truth for the upright in
heart.”
HOW TO TEST THESE THINGS.
First of all, go to the Lord in
prayer, desirous of knowing the Truth.
Ask for the pure heart, for humility, for the wisdom which cometh from
above, which is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (Jas. 3:17.) Next take up your DAWNS-the medium through
which God has already blessed your study of his Word-with the Scriptures, and
afresh prove all its teachings. In such
an attitude of study we feel sure that you will be more firmly convinced than
ever that the Lord’s providence has specially guided in the preparation of
those books for the present time-for the Israelites indeed, in whom is no
guile.
Coming to Chapter vii. of Vol.II., on
the “The Parallel Dispensations,” you will find it one of the most
convincing proofs of the whole presentation. This is one of the tenfold cords
of evidence which your suggested change, or any change whatever, would render
useless, nonsensical.
Turn to page 232 of DAWN II. There you will see the reckoning showing the
period of Israel’s history from the death of Jacob to the death of Christ to be
1845 years. You will perceive that the
seventy years’ desolation are counted in the calculation. But if we were to accept “your theory,” or
rather the common theory built upon Ptolemy’s and Usher’s chronology, it would
reduce this 19 years, and instead of 70 make it 51 years’ desolation. This would reduce the result so that the
entire length of Israel’s history, being 1845 years, would be 19 years less,
namely, 1826 years from Jacob’s death to Christ’s death in AD 32, where their
“house” was left desolate, and forty days later at Pentecost, when the “house
of sons” was instituted.
Now, then, notice that if the Jewish
age was a type or pattern of the Gospel age the latter would be 1826 years long
(1845 less 19) to the point corresponding to Christ’s death, the point where
Israel’s “Mishneh” began to count, as pointed out by the Prophet, “Even
today do I declare I will render double unto thee”-that “day” being clearly
marked by the prophecy of the riding on the ass and the “shout.” Now count 1826
years since AD 32 to find the Gospel age parallel. It would be 1858 AD What occurred then to correspond to the
rejection of nominal Israel? Nothing!
Three and a half years prior (1854)
would in this calculation correspond to or be the parallel to the beginning of
our Lord’s ministry, and should here represent the Lord’s presence and
the harvesting time for gathering the elect “wheat” into the
“barn.” What occurred in 1854 to meet
these requirements of the parallels?
Nothing!
Forty years from the beginning of our
Lord’s ministry saw the full end of the Jewish harvest in AD 69-followed by
anarchy and destruction in AD 70. So the
parallels demand that forty years from the beginning of the harvest and parousia
here, the Gospel age should be fulfilled and the “wrath” be poured upon the
nations. This would in this argument be
40 years from 1854, namely in 1894 AD What occurred at or before or since that
date that would parallel the awful calamities that befell natural Israel, and
what evidence is there that “the harvest is past, the summer ended and we are
not saved?” None whatever!
On the contrary, how grandly all the
prophetic periods agree with these parallels, and how irresistible is their
“voice” to those who have “ears to hear.” Frequent restudies of these
testimonies of the Lord’s Word will be profitable to us all; and none is
grander, more faith-inspiring, more convincing than this Chapter vii. of Vol.
II. on Parallel Dispensations. At best,
as the Scriptures declare, we are leaky vessels, and the multitudes of cares of
this life tend to crowd out the “Wonderful Words of Life” to such an extent
that many on re-reading declare that they received as great, if not greater
blessing than the first time. The DAWNS
are merely the Scriptures in rearrangement, with connecting comments; and hence
it is no wonder that some write to us that they have read them as much as a
dozen times and appreciated their lessons more each time. God’s Word is new every morning and fresh
every evening to those whose hearts are attuned to it, in the song of Moses and
the Lamb.
“OH, THE BLESSEDNESS-THE 1335 DAYS.”
A move of nineteen years, as the
brother suggests above-or for that matter a change of even one year-would
affect all the time prophecies of Vol. III. of the DAWN. The 1260 days, the 1290 days, the 1335 days,
the 2300 days of Daniel, would all be thrown out of gear, out of the beautiful
relationship shown in the Parallel Dispensations.
We all remember how we were thrilled
when first studying we found that the parallels of dispensation showed that our
Lord was due to be present in October, 1874, as the exact parallel of
the beginning of his ministry and the “harvest” of the Jewish age; and how this
thrill was intensified when we found the same date exactly marked by the
Jubilee type; and how we almost shouted for joy when we found that Daniel’s
“1335 days” ended at precisely the same date; and, finally, how we repeated
over and over the Prophet’s words, “Oh, the blessedness of him that waiteth and
cometh unto the 1335 days.”
What a blessedness indeed! As the Apostle intimated it would be, so we
have found it, “Times of refreshing!” Take away these parallels, disjoint this
testimony by changing any part of the chronology, and you have a still mightier
work before you;-the work of accounting for the rich spiritual food the Lord
has been supplying to us since October, 1874-since the time of his presence,
and in full accord with his promise that he would gird himself and become the
servant of his true ones at his second presence and serve them “meat in
due season,” sending it at the hands of his faithful servants. We have dealt with this subject at greater
length than it may seem to deserve, believing that it may stimulate some to
follow the Apostle’s exhortation, “Let us give the more earnest heed to the
things which we have heard, lest we let them slip.”-Heb. 2:1.