PART I—NOTE FOR PAGES 159-161

"This Millennial doctrine encounters a very serious difficulty. If the world's population had doubled each century for the past sixty, which seems a very reasonable estimate, the present population of the earth would be two and one-third quintillions of people. That would cover over the fifty millions of square mile of land surface on this globe with people as thickly as they could stand, four thousand feet deep. If each were five feet high they would reach up into the sky nearly four miles. No doubt people enough have been born to make that number." The above remarks were addressed by the Rev. E. L. Eaton, D.D., to the M. E. ministers of Pittsburgh. The address was favorably received by the learned gentlemen present and regarded so highly that it was printed for circulation. Six months later the same Rev. E. L. Eaton, D.D., in debate with Pastor C. T. Russell, repeated so much of the above as applied to his method of calculation, but revised his figures as to the total of humanity for the past six thousand years. As illustrating the large concession, we place his figures side by side:

First statement ... 2,333,333,333,333,333,333

Second statement ... 98,098,300,000,000

———————————

Shrinkage in six months ... 2,333,235,235,033,333,333

Let us hope that a man of so liberal a mind and so easy a pencil may yet get to see the question that he was discussing in its true and reasonable light. Let us hope that the intelligent, thoughtful, educated clergymen who so innocently swallowed the first exaggeration will be as ready to receive the truth on the subject as they were to accept the error. It is not our thought to speak slightingly of any one's honest endeavor to ascertain truth, however egregiously he may err in his attempts; neither is it our wish to make personal criticisms; but extravagantly erroneous statements have been so freely made by men of large reputation

The Plan of the Ages.

352

and deficient comprehension, that it is necessary in defense of the truth, and for the assistance of the unlearned and non-professional, that this matter be critically examined. Our statements, therefore, are not to be considered personal, but a general criticism of all the learned men who have talked so foolishly upon this subject. Dr. Eaton and his figures merely come in conveniently at the present time. Our criticisms apply equally to the thousands of other great heads which have similarly misapprehended the truth on this subject.

Before showing the reasonable figures for the total of humanity who have ever lived on this earth, let us give a simple illustration of the inaccuracy of Dr. Eaton's computations that will be proof positive of the grossness of his error, even in his revised figures, to every one possessing a sufficiency of "gray matter" to be able to reason on any subject. Anyone can demonstrate this matter for the Doctor has told us his method of computation, namely, the doubling of the population each century. Accordingly, the last century of the sixty would be the one-half of the entire sum. The demonstration follows:

According to Dr. Eaton's largest

figures the total population of

the world at the present time

would be ... 1,166,666,666,666,666,666

According to his second statement ... 49,049,150,000,000

According to the census taken the

figures should be ... 1,800,000,000

We cannot suppose that Brother Eaton questions the accuracy of our last census returns, for he surely knows that at the present time the "50,000,000 square miles of land surface on this globe" are not covered "with people as thick as they could stand" two thousand deep, reaching up in the sky nearly two miles. Yet, above, he tells us that to him all this "seems a very reasonable estimate" and adds that he has "no doubt" on the subject. Evidently the Brother's desire to make the doctrine of the Millennium "look like thirty cents," as he expressed it, "to strike that doctrine a blow between the eyes from which it would never recover," blinded him to the antics of his pencil. But, alas, Dr. Eaton, and many of those who applauded his ludicrous statements, are

The Plan of the Ages.

353

as far from the truth in their general understanding of the Divine plan as they are in error on this simple mundane proposition. The secret of this unwisdom lies in rejecting the clear testimony of the Bible and opposing it, claiming that the Apostles and early Church in looking for a Millennium were misled by their ignorance of matters now well known (?) by modern theologians of the school of higher criticism. Well says the Apostle that to these the teaching of the cross is foolishness; they have no use for the doctrine of the ransom, that we are bought back from destruction by the ransom price, even the precious blood of Christ. The words of the Prophet quoted by the Apostle are still applicable to such, and still explain why it is that worldly wisdom is so liable to err unguided by the letter and the spirit of revelation. The quotation is, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"—1 Cor. 1:19, 20.

We should reason of unknown things from the basis of what is known. We know that the world's population today is approximately 1,800,000,000. We know that the present rate of increase is eight per cent. for the past ten years; this would give exactly 115 per cent. increase for a century. However, that the increase has not been so great in the past we are certain. This is easily demonstrated, for if we should reckon backward at this ratio of increase we would get back to the first pair (Adam and Eve) in about three thousand years, and we have Scriptural grounds for believing that it is fully six thousand years since the creation of our first parents. We believe that every careful, thoughtful calculator, who with us will take Bible history and secular history, will come to close agreement with our conclusions on this subject. Our figures for the whole number of people who have ever been born on this earth are 28,741,126,838 to date, including the present population, 29,000,000,000 in round figures. It is our conviction that these figures are probably double the actual number, but we desire to make them so generous that even opponents can find no fault with them. Another calculation to be given later shows this generosity. We arrive at these figures as follows:

The Plan of the Ages.

354

During the first sixteen hundred and fifty-six years, down to the flood, the Scriptures show us that humanity lived longer and reached development more slowly than now, many of the children not being born until the parents were more than a hundred years old. Thus Seth, the son of Adam, was one hundred and five years old when Enos, his son, was born; Enos was ninety years old at the birth of his first son, Cainan; Cainan was seventy years old when he begat Mahalaleel; the latter was sixty-five when he begat Jared, who was one hundred and sixty-two when he begat Enoch. The latter when sixty-five begat Methuselah, who when one hundred and eighty-seven begat Lamech, the father of Noah. We are inclined to believe that the whole population in that time may not have exceeded one hundred thousand, but to be liberal we have placed it in the foregoing estimate at one million.

After the flood humanity began again with eight persons, and for a time evidently the increase in population was much more rapid than before the flood. In our liberal estimate we reckon the population to have multiplied five times in each century for the first five centuries, which would bring us down to about the time of Abraham, and show a population in Abraham's day of under fifty-eight thousand, although it is our opinion that these figures are double the actual facts. "Higher critics" are so in the habit of using wild unreason in respect to matters of ancient times, that we make this concession. They will declare, for instance, that Assyria was a great nation at this time, and that evidences have been unearthed mentioning the great King Chedorlaomer, whom they estimate as probably the ruler of millions, taking no thought of the flood and the impossibility of having more than fifty thousand in the world at that time.

The Scripture narrative, however, will save the Lord's people from such errors of judgment, for this great King Chedorlaomer is distinctly mentioned in Genesis xiv. in connection with three associated kings who, joining their combined forces, attacked five other kings in the vale of Siddim. The great Chedorlaomer and his valiants conquered, and carried away the spoil, including Lot, Abraham's nephew, and his goods. The narrative shows that these kings, though great for their time, when there were few people in the world, had very small armies, for they did not

The Plan of the Ages.

355

venture to attack (King) Abraham, who was "very rich" in flocks, herds, etc. On the contrary, when (King) Abraham heard that his nephew Lot was taken prisoner, he armed his three hundred and eighteen servants and pursued after the four great kings and their armies, smote them hip and thigh, and brought back Lot and all his goods. To real Bible students, therefore, the biggest thing about King Chedorlaomer was his name; and such will not be confused by the exaggerated estimates of the higher critics respecting the millions of those days; for their figures are just as reliable as Dr. Eaton's given above. Continuing our liberal allowances, we have estimated that during the next five centuries the world's population multiplied three times each century. This would give us as the world's population at the time of the Exodus 14,241,744. See the last two paragraphs of this note.

We now reach the time of wars and must reckon the increase of population more slowly than during the pastoral period. Proceeding, we group the next six centuries together and remember that the Israelites in Canaan were some eighteen times in bondage to their enemies during this period, and that a census taken near the close of David's reign by Joab showed the numbers competent to serve in the army to be 1,300,000; the entire population of Palestine, therefore, at that time cannot have been much, if any, above 5,000,000. The same warfaring spirit affected other nations and similarly hindered rapid propagation; hence our estimate is that the race doubled during those six centuries, which would show a population in Solomon's time of over 37,000,000 throughout the world, again a very liberal estimate according to all reliable information at our command, probably double the actual number.

We group the next twelve centuries together, concluding that the race doubled during those twelve centuries. To some this may appear too slow a ratio of increase, but we should consider the immense wars of that period, during which Assyria went down and Babylon rose and conquered the whole world, destroying many nations entirely; and that it subsequently fell before the Medes and Persians, who also shed blood in a wholesale manner, and who in turn fell before the Greeks; and that the

The Plan of the Ages.

356

latter, under Alexander the Great conquered and dominated the world, but in turn fell before the Romans; and that these at a cost of millions upon millions in the prime of life, did their share also in staying the rapid propagation of the race. These figures would give a world population of 82,000,000 in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, of 100,000,000 in the time of Christ, and of 113,000,000 at the time when the Roman Empire was at its zenith, its boundaries extending over a considerable portion of Europe, Africa and Asia. The historian estimates the population of the Roman world then at 50,000,000, and our estimate shows a surplus therefore of 63,000,000 for the known and unknown portions of the earth at that time—again, evidently, a very liberal reckoning. Round numbers are given as estimates. The events and persons named were not at exact closing of centuries.

We estimate the next four centuries as increasing the population twenty-five per cent. each century; for the decrease of war resulting from the firm establishment of the Roman power must have had such an effect. This gives us at the time of Charlemagne, at the closing of the eighth century, a world population of over 227,000,000.

Following came the centuries of the Crusades, etc., in which millions of the youth of the world perished. Our reckoning is that the world's population doubled during these six centuries, from the year 800 to 1400, A. D. This gives us as the population of the world for the year 1400 the sum of 454,000,000.

The next three centuries were more favorable to the multiplying of the race, great wars and desolating plagues being fewer. The religious reformation belongs to this period. We reckon the population to have doubled during these three centuries, and this would give us the world population for the year 1700 of 911,467,616. These figures, so far as we know, are very greatly in excess of any reliable statistics.

We reckon the period from 1700 to 1800, A. D., at a twenty per cent. rate of increase, giving the population in the year 1800 at 1,093,759,939.

For the nineteenth century, from the year 1800 to the year 1900, we have estimated an increase of forty per cent., which shows the population for the year 1900, 1,531,163,915. Although,

The Plan of the Ages.

357

as already stated, the ratio of increase in population for the ten years of the last census was eight per cent., representing an increase of 115 per cent. for the century, it is manifest that the increase during the previous portion of the nineteenth century on account of its many very destructive wars was at a much slower rate. Conditions, so far in our century despite the World War, are increasingly favorable to the propagation on the race, as well as to its longevity.

The following tables of estimates of the world's population, made during the nineteenth century, show clearly that the estimates we have given are exceedingly liberal; besides, in reckoning the total we have counted the entire century at the figures of its close.

Volney in 1804 estimated the population of the

world at ... 437,000,000

Pinkerton in 1805 estimated the population of the

world at ... 700,000,000

Malte-Brun in 1810 estimated the population of the

world at ... 640,000,000

Morse in 1812 estimated the population of the

world at ... 766,000,000

Graberg v. Hemso in 1813 estimated the population

of the world at ... 686,000,000

Balbi in 1816 estimated the population of the

world at ... 704,000,000

Balbi in 1843 estimated the population of the

world at ... 739,000,000

We believe that the liberality of our figures will be conceded by all careful, thoughtful people, and in our opinion they are as a whole double the truth.

Our next step was to approximate the number that died each century. We have estimated that twice the number of the whole population at the end of each century died every century down to the time of Solomon; and that since then to the present time three times the number of the whole population at the end of each century have died each century. It is on the basis of this calculation that we have already stated the number 28,741,126,838. Be it remembered also that in this calculation we have nearly

The Plan of the Ages.

358

doubled the actual facts. Take, for instance, the last century, which began with 1,093,759,939 and closed with 1,531,163,915. In estimating this we did not multiply by three the supposed number living in the middle of the century, 1850, but multiplied by three the total number living at the close of the century.

Now with this large allowance and liberal estimate everywhere of probably double, what can we say respecting the ability of the earth to furnish these habitation and food? Remembering the Lord's promise that in that Millennial period "the earth shall yield her increase" and that the desert and wilderness places of the earth shall become as a garden of Eden, we may safely estimate upon all the land—which we find, according to recent estimates, to be 57,000,000 square miles, or over 36,000,000,000 acres. What would this mean as to space for each individual who has ever lived in the world according to this very large, liberal estimate? It means that there would be twelve hundred and seventy-five acres for each little village of two hundred families (one thousand persons). Quite a sufficiency of room all will agree, under the new conditions promised; but if more space be necessary, let us have a little of the faith which father Abraham exercised when he counted that God, to keep his promise, was able to raise Isaac from the dead. With this faith we will see readily that it will be quite within the Divine power to raise vast continents from the depths of the oceans, or indeed to give a literal as well as a symbolical fulfilment to the declaration, "There shall be no more sea." Our conclusion then must be that those who hold to the teachings of the Lord and the faith of the Apostles and primitive Church have not been put to shame in any degree by the wisdom of this world.

Now let us look on the other side of the question, and see if it be not true respecting the worldly wise as was written nearly three thousand years ago, "The wise are taken in their own craftiness"—"They hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai" (Esther 7:10). Those who stand loyally in support of the teachings of our Lord and His Apostles in respect to the coming Kingdom "under the whole heavens" have generally been content to be on the defensive. Those who trust fully in the promise of God to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all

The Plan of the Ages.

359

the families of the earth be blessed," have too long endured the sneers of the worldly wise and refrained from pricking their bubbles of self-complacency, pride, sarcasm and folly set afloat by those who think themselves to be somebodies, and discredit the inspired revelation and those who cling closely to the Book. The time is come to silence forever these opposers of the Divine Word, and we shall now proceed to do so. Again we must use Brother Eaton's words; but we again disclaim any personality and recognize that he is merely one of a class, a large class, an influential class, a D. D. class, whose minds and expressions on the subject are the same as Brother Eaton's. We take his words rather than those of some one else, because they were uttered in public contention with this very subject of the Millennium, were heard by hundreds and read by thousands. We must have some positive statement to deal with, and his is the nearest and most suitable one; therefore, and not for any personal reasons, his words are criticized. Dr. Eaton's words in his argument against the reasonableness of expecting a Millennium not only were as above quoted, and criticized, but additionally he said that he did not expect the second coming of our Lord until the conversion of the world and the end of this dispensation, which would not be probably for "50,000 years yet."

Brother Eaton by this time has gotten used to the treachery of his pencil, and we trust will conclude that while it may be safe to use the pencil ad lib. on the subject of astronomy, where a few hundred thousand solar systems will not be noticed by the credulous public, it is nevertheless a very uncertain pencil to use in respect to earthly things. Now let us weigh carefully this statement, made not only by the Rev. E. L. Eaton, D.D., but by hundreds of other equally titled gentlemen, whose position before God's people and before the world as teachers has been trusted too confidingly by their flocks. We hope that on the subject under discussion and on all subjects they will revise their methods of "foolish talking," and remember that those who pose as ministers of the gospel of Christ should, according to the exhortation of the Apostle Peter, "Speak as the oracles of God" truthfully, accurately, in a manner to be depended upon. Meantime we hope their followers will give them no more credit for accuracy in

The Plan of the Ages.

360

certain other features of their religious teachings than in the one under consideration.

Let us do a little figuring; let us do it in a manner that any schoolboy can follow. We want to inquire how many people will be living on the earth at the end of fifty thousand years, about the time Dr. Eaton estimates that Christ will come. We will take as the basis of our calculation the present population of the world as 1,800,000,000, and about 1,600,000,000 at the opening of the century. We will take as a basis of our reckoning for increase the census returns for the last decade of the nineteenth century, namely, eight per cent., which would mean 115 per cent. increase for the century. If the favorable conditions of the present continue, no doubt the increase will be far in excess of eight per cent., but let us confine ourselves to present conditions. A little figuring shows us that at the end of the first of these fifty thousand years the living population of the world would be over 3,491,000,000,000, and at the same ratio of increase the close of the second thousand years would find a living population on this earth of over 7,249,000,000,000,000. What do these figures mean? They mean that if God's Word is not true, if the great change of dispensation which we preach is not soon inaugurated, the whole world of mankind will be in great distress, not only for food to eat, but for standing room. We have only counted two of Dr. Eaton's fifty thousand years! What would the figures be, if we were to run them up further?

Those who deny the teaching of a Millennium must, of course, ignore the promises which declare that "the wilderness will blossom as the rose and the solitary places be glad," and consequently any reckoning from their standpoint must exclude all the present barren portions of the earth's surface. Approximately estimating the habitable and tillable portion of the earth at 25,000,000 square miles, we find that this would give us 16,000,000,000 acres or 696,960,000,000,000 square feet. Comparing these figures with the above reckoning as to population we find that at the close of the first thousand years there would be two hundred and eighteen people for each acre of the habitable earth. At the close of the second thousand there would be 10 per square foot, and for the third 10,400 for each square foot of the habitable

The Plan of the Ages.

361

earth, or in other words they would be standing on each other's heads about twenty thousand persons high; or, if we include the polar regions and waste portions of the earth, they would be about ten thousand persons high on each other's heads; or, if we include the water surface as well as all the land surface, there would be seventeen hundred persons for each square foot. Allowing two square feet for each individual, the population would need to stand in piles thirty-four hundred deep, closely packed together all over the surface of land and sea. What would the figures be at the end of fifty thousand years if each of the succeeding forty-eight were estimated on the reasonable basis of the two already calculated?

Is it not time that those who do not believe in a coming Millennium should begin to pray that God would arrange for one? Is it not evident that if Christ's Kingdom were delayed even three hundred years the world would be in terrible straits. The population at the present rate of increase would then be over 16,000,000,000—with less than one habitable acre apiece, and only by very "intensive farming" could they subsist at all. Ah! says some one, you are neglecting to count that death will keep things balanced, about as they now are, always. No, we are not overlooking death, but averaging it as at present. We are merely reckoning the increase of population on the basis of the last census reports of the nineteenth century. Very evidently the facts, as we look backward and forward, all indicate that we are just at the right time for the establishment of "the Kingdom of God's dear Son." The declaration of the Lord at the beginning was, that the earth should be filled, and according to our computations we have now reached a place where a sufficient number of people have been born into the world about reasonably and properly to fill it, if they were recovered from the tomb. On the contrary, looking into the future, we see not only an impossibility of long continuance under present conditions, but we see likewise that even three centuries more at the present rate of increase would add to the numbers of the dead 59,000,000,000, or over double the number of our above liberal estimate of all the past dead—making the total number 87,000,000,000. Add to this number of the dead, at the close of three centuries

The Plan of the Ages.

362

future, the number then living at present rate of increase, viz., 16,000,000,000, the total would be over one hundred and three thousand millions. There would then be room for an argument on the possibility of God's promise of "restitution of all things spoken" (Acts 3:19-21). The awakening of such a host would furnish only one acre of present usable land for six persons. Nor are three centuries far ahead!

The more we investigate this question upon a proper basis the stronger our faith must become in the promises of the Divine Word respecting the "times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began," and which are to commence with the second coming of our Lord. (Acts 3:19-21.) They are surely nigh at hand: these facts agreeing well with the Bible testimonies. See Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. II. In the light of the foregoing we find all of Brother Eaton's figures quite erroneous. His revised figures are more than three thousand times too large; while those first presented were more than seventy million times too large! Let us all the more closely adhere to the Book, to God's Word. "The Word of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple"—Psalm 19:7.

Another calculation would be to take the known beginning after the Flood—eight persons—and the known population in A. D. 1900—1,600,000,000—and viewing the whole as a wedge reckon a gradual percentage of increase from the one number to the other. Reckoning thus, and counting three generations to die each century, the total of humanity that ever lived would count less than 10,000,000,000, ten thousand millions. We still cling to the figures based upon our previous estimate nearly 29,000,000,000, nearly twenty-nine thousand millions; but we merely give these figures based on the "wedge" as corroborative evidence that our first calculations are in every way liberal.

Some may be disposed to question our figures of the Exodus, and cite the fact that at that time Israel had 603,550 men capable of bearing arms and burdens, besides the tribe of Levi which numbered 20,300 males of a month and upward and besides the women and children of the twelve tribes. (Num. 1:45-47; 3:22, 28, 34.) We accept those figures with the statement that there were none infirm amongst the Israelites. Accordingly

The Plan of the Ages.

363

we would reckon that this, including all the males from twenty years old, apart from the Levities, and upward, there were as many females and as many young children, and estimate the whole at about 2,000,000. The increase of the Israelites was phenomenal, miraculous. In no other way could we understand how Jacob and his twelve sons and their families could in the short space of 198 years increase from seventy persons to about 2,000,000; nor did the miracle continue, for we find that forty years later, when entering Canaan, their male forces numbered less than when they left Egypt. (Num. 26.) Several centuries later, King Saul numbered the entire army preparatory to a war with the Amalekites, and the total was 210,000 fighting men, a little more than one-third of the number that left Egypt. (1 Sam. 15:4.) Nor are such decreases of population exceptions. Where are the former peoples of Palestine and Egypt? In more modern times note the disappearance of the Aztecs and Montezumas of Central America and the rapid fading away of the North American Indians.

Evidently the fertile country and temperate climate in the vicinity of the Mediterranean Sea made that region the cradle of the race after the flood. From thence the people spread abroad. Palestine itself was the home of seven of the great nations of that time, enumerated as greater and mightier than Israel. (Deut. 7:1.) But this must mean that combinedly they were greater and mightier, or else it signified that these people were larger-bodied giants. This latter thought is in accord with the report of the spies (Num. 13:22, 28, 33), and agrees with the words of Moses. (Deut. 9:2.) Certainly the entire seven great nations of that time cannot have numbered much over a million souls, else how could that little land have supported them? Its entire area is only 6,040 square miles—less than one-seventh that of the State of Pennsylvania, and less than one-fortieth that of the State of Texas. We repeat that at that time Israel was a great nation, that "the nations under the whole heaven" feared them. (Deut. 2:25.) Unquestionably Egypt was the principal nation of that time, and the king of Egypt freely conceded that the Israelites were "more and [physically] mightier" than the Egyptians.—Ex. 1:9; Deut. 1:10; Psa. 105:24, 25, 37.

The Plan of the Ages.

364

PART II—NOTE FOR PAGE 278

In the January 15-March 15, 1930, Towers, J. F. Rutherford has a long article entitled, "Jehovah's Royal House," that literally swarms with errors. One of these is that there is no difference between the begettal and birth of the Spirit, and that both of these words apply to what occurred to our Lord at Jordan and at His resurrection. Hence, he teaches that in this life we are born of the Spirit and are spirit creatures. Thus he has gone back to the nominal-church confusion on the subject and even to worse. Of course, as our Pastor pointed out, the Greek word gennao is used for both of these acts. This is true, because the Greek word gennao has three meanings: (1) beget (used of the male only), (2) bring to birth (used of both male and female), and (3) bear (used of the female only). Denying the first meaning as Biblically used of the human male or of God, he alleges the second and the third as the only Scriptural meanings the word has, designating it the joint parental work of bringing to birth human children, and God's in the birth of the new creation, which he identifies with what Truth people have all along considered the begettal of the Spirit. In refutation of his pertinent denial the following passages among others prove that the word gennao is used in the Bible in connection with God and human beings begetting in the sense of the male depositing the germinating seed: "that which was [past tense] begotten [gennao] in her" (Matt. 1:20); "that holy thing which is begotten [literally, that holy thing being begotten—present passive participle] shall be called, the Son of God"—A.R.V. (Luke 1:35); "To this end was I begotten and for this cause came I into the world." [Here evidently gennao, used in the first clause, means Jesus' begettal; for His birth is described in the second statement; and came into the world.] (John 18:37.) This proves our view of the point under discussion.

Undoubtedly in the chronological genealogies of Genesis the Hebrew word yalad means to bring to birth and not to beget; for to give it the meaning of beget there would make the chronology nine months longer for every begettal there mentioned. Nor would there be any objection to giving the sense, bring to birth, to the Greek word gennao in the genealogy given in Matt. 1, though

The Plan of the Ages.

365

one could with equal propriety render it there by beget, as practically all versions do, there being nothing in that section to enable us to limit its use there to but one or the other of these two senses. There is, therefore, no need to dispute on the word meaning to bring to birth in Matthew's genealogy; but when it is so used, it does not exclusively mean to deposit the seed, which is the only meaning of the word beget. Hence these two meanings refer to two different things which in human generation begin at the same time, but are completed nine months apart. That J. F. Rutherford is entirely wrong in teaching that God's act of depositing the germinating spiritual seed, i.e., the begettal, is the same as the birth of the Spirit, is manifest from John 3:6-8, where he that is born of the Spirit is said to be a [so the Greek] spirit, and invisible like the wind. Therefore we who in this life are new creatures cannot be yet born of the Spirit; for we are neither spirits nor invisible. Therefore our Pastor was right when he taught that the begettal of the Spirit occurred in and as the implantation of the new life in the heart and mind of the consecrated.

To J. F. Rutherford's denial that there are acts in the begetting (depositing of the germinating seed), quickening, growing, strengthening, balancing, completing and birth of a human being, corresponding to those accompanying the generation of a spirit being or vice versa, we reply that nature proves all of these processes as parts of the generation of a human being, and the Bible teaches every one of them in the complete generation of the new creation.

The following will prove this: (1) the begettal occurs through depositing the Word as the germinating seed (James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23; John 1:12, 13; 3:3; 1 Cor. 4:15; Philemon 10; 1 John 5:1.) This begettal made God's people embryo new creatures. (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15.) (2) Later, each one of them was quickened as an embryo. (John 6:63; Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13; 1 Tim. 6:13.) Still later (3) they began to grow in grace, knowledge and service in their embryo condition. (2 Pet. 3:18; Eph. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:2.) (4) Thereafter a strengthening of these embryos in every good word and work set in. (Eph. 3:16; 6:10-17; Col. 1:11; 2 Tim. 2:1; 1 Pet. 5:10.) (5) Then the new creatures develop more as embryos by balancing the

The Plan of the Ages.

366

various parts of a Christlike character with one another. (2 Thess. 2:16; 3:3; 1 Thess. 3:12, 13; James 5:8; 1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:12.) (6) Their full development as embryos is completed by perfecting their character, which completely conforms them to Christ's image. (Rom. 8:29; Luke 6:40; Eph. 4:12; Heb. 13:20, 21; 1 Pet. 5:10.) This makes them as embryos ready for the Spirit birth, (7) which they experience by participating in the First Resurrection, and by which they obtain the Divine nature through obtaining immortality. (John 3:5-8; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5; 1 Cor. 15:20, 23; Jas. 1:18; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:50, 52-54.) These seven processes, beginning with the begettal of the Spirit and ending with the birth of the Spirit, constitute the acts whereby God creates a new order of beings, and that on the Divine, the highest, plane of existence, and correspond to the seven steps in the generation of a human being. This disproves J. F. Rutherford's claim that there is no parallel between the successive stages in the generation of a human and spirit being.

He also claims that the language: "Thou art My Son; this day have I brought Thee to birth" [Rotherham], is applied to Jesus at three different times: (1) at Jordan, (2) at His resurrection and (3) at His Second Advent. We reply that St. Paul explains this passage, and that three times as applying it to Jesus' resurrection; that two of these explanations directly apply it to our Lord's resurrection (Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:3-5 [note carefully the tenses used in the second passage, as the proof that it applies, like Acts 13:33, to our Lord's resurrection]); and that the third passage (Heb. 5:5) indirectly applies it to Christ's resurrection; since it refers to our Lord in the glory of the Divine nature; for St. Paul uses it to prove Him to be made a High Priest of Melchizedek's order (a king-priest) by paralleling it with the statement of His being a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, which proves that it does not refer to Him while in the flesh. Our Lord was by God glorified to be made a Priest-King in His resurrection, when, therefore, He became the Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Therefore we deny, on the basis of the threefold use that St. Paul makes of this passage, that it applies to our Lord at Jordan and at His Second Advent, as J. F. Rutherford claims; and with St. Paul we limit its application to our Lord's birth of the Spirit in the resurrection.

The Plan of the Ages.

367

It, therefore, proves that He was not born of the Spirit at Jordan, where He was begotten of the Spirit, but was born of the Spirit in His resurrection; and this proves that our birth of the Spirit did not occur at the time God made us [embryo] new creatures, but will occur in the resurrection when we will be made spirits and, as such, invisible, neither of which we now are.—John 3:6-8.

J. F. Rutherford thinks that the fact that we are called sons of God now proves that we are now born of the Spirit and are, therefore, what he calls spirit creatures. In the same connection he calls Satan a spirit creature; but he seemingly avoids calling us now spirit beings; though in another connection he calls Satan a spirit being. This is jugglery with words, he doubtless fearing to arouse too much opposition by calling us now spirit beings. When he contends that the new creature is a reality, not a subterfuge, he tells the truth; but when he thereby insinuates that embryo new creatures are not realities, but subterfuges, he errs. The holy powers that God implants in our brain organs in the begettal and the holy qualities and consequent holy character that by their exercise are developed out of these holy powers certainly are realities. (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15.) In answer to his claim that we are not now embryo new creatures or sons, but are now born new creatures or sons, because we are called sons of God, we say the following: While we are actually embryo, not born new creatures or sons, we are reckonedly the latter and therefore called such in the Bible. This is proved by both literal and typical passages. A comparison of two literal passages will show this: "Now are we [reckonedly] the sons of God." (1 John 3:2.) "We ourselves groan within ourselves, awaiting [hoping for actual] sonship [Diaglott], to wit the redemption [deliverance in the resurrection] of our body [not bodies, but the body of Christ]; for we are saved by hope [anticipatorially, hence reckonedly]; but a hope that is seen [experienced; Luke 2:26; Ps. 90:15; Heb. 11:5] is not hope; for what a man seeth [experienceth] why doth he yet hope for?" A comparison of these two passages proves that actually we are now only reckoned sons of God; but in the resurrection really attain to being actual sons of God.

The types also show this: Our present actual condition as embryos is represented by Isaac's being in the womb of Sarah,

The Plan of the Ages.

368

his birth representing our resurrection—full sonship (Heb. 11:11; Rom. 9:9); and our present reckoned condition of being born sons of God is represented by Isaac after his birth, e.g., in his circumcision, weaning, persecution by Hagar and Ishmael, and offering up by Abraham, etc. (Gal. 4:28-31; Heb. 11:17-19.) Again, the struggling of the embryos, Esau and Jacob, in Rebekah's womb God expressly explains to represent two nations (Gen. 25:22, 23), which as to the embryo Jacob St. Paul tells us types the actual condition of spiritual Israel (Rom. 9:10-13), ourselves as actual embryos, but reckoned born sons of God as represented by Jacob in his acts after his birth. This is likewise shown in the case of Benjamin, his being an embryo until his birth representing the actual condition of the Great Company as embryo sons of God, this being proved at his birth by the death of Rachel, his mother who, typical of the spiritual elective truths and their servants that bring to birth antitypical Joseph (the Little Flock) and antitypical Benjamin (the Great Company), by her death types these truths and servants ceasing to operate at the birth (resurrection) of the Great Company. On the other hand, the Great Company's reckoned condition as sons of God while in the flesh is typed by Benjamin's activities after his birth, e.g., his coddling by his father after Joseph's exile, his being sent to Egypt, his being treated more kindly there than his brethren, his being captured, his being shown his true relation to Egypt's Prime-minister, his going to Palestine and his returning to Egypt. Thus these literal and typical passages prove that we are now actual embryos and reckonedly born sons and that in the resurrection we will be actually born sons. The above considerations completely refute the creedal view of our now being actually born of the Spirit, introduced with greater erroneousness among Truth people by J. F. Rutherford. The reason why God causes the new creation to pass through the seven steps of the regenerative process is that, if any of them fail at any of the five steps between the spirit-begettal and birth, he can be estopped from undergoing the final one which gives the Divine nature, otherwise God would have on the Divine plane immortal beings unworthy of the Divine nature, yet unchangeably immortal.

‍