The Harp of God: Proof Conclusive That Millions Now Living Will Never Die
John Stuart Mill · en
[416]"Angels" in this text means messengers or servants who make
announcement of the presence of the Lord and the incoming of the
kingdom. Such messengers are the truly consecrated Christians who make
the announcements to other Christians and to all who have a hearing ear.
It would be reasonable to expect the Lord to have some special
messenger, as distinguished from others or general messengers in
announcing his presence and the time of the harvest. And such is the
case. Jesus said that an office had been provided for such a special
messenger and that at the time of his second appearing he would appoint
some one to that office and give him the responsibility of dispensing
meat to the household of faith in due season. The Christian's meat in
due season is a proper explanation of the Scriptures as they become due
to be understood. We mark a wonderful fulfillment of this statement of
the Lord as further corroborative proof of the Lord's second presence
from 1874 forward. He had said, in answer to the question relative to
his second presence: "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his
lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due
season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find
so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all
his goods."--Matthew 24:45-47.
[417]About 1870 Charles Taze Russell, of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, then
a truly consecrated Christian and a careful student of God's Word,
learned from the Scriptures that God has a great and harmonious plan for
the salvation and blessing of mankind. Like other earnest watchers, he
was watching for the evidences of the Lord's coming. About 1875, while
carefully and prayerfully studying the Scriptures, he became convinced
of the Lord's second presence, resulting in his writing and publishing a
booklet entitled, "The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return," which
had a phenomenal circulation amongst the Christian people of the world.
In 1879 he began the publication of a journal, _The Watch Tower and
Herald of Christ's Presence_, which has since been issued regularly
twice each month. This is the first and only publication that for more
than forty years has announced the second presence of the Lord. This
journal is devoted exclusively to discussion of Scriptural questions,
being the means of carrying the food to the household of faith in due
season.