Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1912 — BROOKLYN TABERNACIE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BROOKLYN TABERNACIE

“UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN* Isaiah ix, 1-7—Dec. 22. "Onto us a Child is bom; unto us a Son is • given."—V. 6. CODAY’S study relates to a subject which has thrilled the civilized world for centuries —a subject which shall to all eternity be a theme of angels and men. The birth of Jesus must be considered from the standpoint of a Gift of Love Divine. The world was under sentence of death. God had pitied humanity from' the first, and had purposely arranged so that it would require the death of a perfect man to redeem Adam and the race which lost life in him. , God knew from the beginning that no such man could be found, because all men were of Adamic stock

and had a share in imperfection and condemnation. The Divine Plan contemplated that the Only Begotten of the Father, the active agent of Divinity in the work of Creation, should be granted the great privilege of being man’s Redeemer and there-

by securing a great reward—the Divine nature, through a resurrection from the dead.

The First Step of Redemption. The primary step in man’s recovery necessarily was that the Logos should be made flesh and dwell amongst us and taste death, by the grace of God. for every man (John i, 14; Hebrews 11, 9.) It is this first step that we celebrate at this season of the year—the birth of Jesus. “He who was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be” reclaimed. Today’s study points out that those Jews who were then supposed to be in greatest darkness would see the great Light of Divine Truth, as represented in Jesus and His ministry. This had a primary fulfilment in Galilee. where the major portion of the mighty works of Jesus were performed. But its real fulfilment lies in the future, when the great “Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in its beams.” Before that glorious Sun, sorrow and sighing will flee away; ignorance and superstition will vanish; sin and darkness will be no more. Jesus Is the great Center of that Sun of Righteousness, but as He points out. the Bride class, in process of selection during this Age. is to sit with Him in His Throne: they will shine forth with the Bridegroom to heal earth’s sorrows and scatter earth's night. ♦Matthew xiii, 43.) All this will come because “unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;” because “the Government shall rest upon His shoulders:” because “His name shall be called Wonderful. Counselor, the Mighty. Mighty One. the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” The Fall of Babylon. We are to understand verses 3 to 5 as referring, not to Natural Israel, but to Spiritual Israel—nominal. The holy nation has .phenomenally increased without increasing the joy. There are many false children in the nominal family of God; there are many “tares” in the wheat-field. But in the Harvest time of this Age there will be a joy; the faithful “will rejoice as they that divide the spoil.” The burdensome yoke of the creedal superstitions will be broken, and the rod of the oppressor, Satan, will be broken. Verse 5 Intimates the fall of Babylon, and the breaking of the yoke and the rod in the great “time of trouble.” First of all, our Lord’s revelation to the world will be as the Wonderful One. He will be revealed to mankind “In flaming fire” in the time of trouble, and subsequently in the rescue work of His Millennial Kingdom. He will be the world’s Counselor, to give assistance, guidance, whereby they may return through Restitution Into harmony with Jehovah. His title.

The Mighty God. or Mighty, Mighty One, will be recognized then, on earth, as well as in Heaven—“that Him hath God set forth to be a Prince and a Savior.” The title. The Everlasting Father, will apply to as the Life-giver of the world. But Je sus is not the

Church’s Everlasting Father. On the contrary, as St. Peter declares, “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath begotten us again to a hope of life." His title. The Prince of Peace, will not apply to Him at the beginning of His reign, when He will foe breaking in pieces as a potter’s vessel every wrong human system (Revelation lf_ 27; Psalm ii, 9), but true peace shalE speedily be established, and He shall, be known as The Prince of Peacei When His reign shall terminate, at the close of the thousand years, it will be because He will deliver the Kingdom over to God. that He may be the Great All In Ail. Messiah’s Kingdom Is styled “the Throne of David.” The name David signifies Beloved, atul Messiah. the Beloved of God, Is the Antitype of David- '

‘‘Be tcho teas rich for our sakes became poor.”

“Onto us a Child is bom."