8
1
8
download/literature/watchtower/1912-10.pdf
../literature/watchtower/1912/10/1912-10-1.html
VOL.
XXXIII
BROOKLYN,
N.
Y.,
MAY
15,
1912
No.
10
JESUS
NO
LONGER
FLESH-NOW
"THAT
SPIRIT"
"With
what
body
do
they
comef"-1
Cor.
15:
35.
In
the
May
1
issue
of
THE
WATCH
TOWER
we
discussed
the
see
him
as
he
~s;
and,
be.
i~
noted?
~ve
must
change
!rom
flesh
fact
of
the
resurrection
and
showed
from
St.
Paul's
words
that
and
blood
condItIons
to
splnt
conditIons
by
resurrectlOn
power,
without
God's
purpose
of
a
resurrection
those
who
have
fallen
in
order
that
Wt;
may
see
him
as
he
is.
Surely
this)lroves
that
asleep
in
death
would
have
perished
as
brutes.
We
followed
our
Lord
Jesus
IS
no
longer
flesh,
as
he
once
was-
In
the
days
with
the
A
postle
the
assurances
that
Christ
did
rise
from
the
of
his
flesh."-Hebrews
5:
7.
dead
and
did
become
the
First-fruits
of
all
those
who
have
gone
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
HEAVENLY
AND
EARTHLY
into
the
sleep
of
death.
Others,
indeed,
were
awakened
te~po-
BODIES
rarily-as,
for
instance,
Jairus'
daughter,
Lazarus
the
fnend
Our
text
calls
attention
to
the
difference
between
celestial
of
Jesus,
and
the
son
of
the
widow
of
Nain.
.
lJodies
and
terrestrial,
or
earthly
bodies,
and
declares
that
thry
Yet
none
of
those
instances
is
counted
as
a
resurrechon,
have
different
glories.
It
tells
us
that
the
first
Adam
was
for
it
is
said
that
Christ
is
the
first-fruits
of
those
who
slept.
made
a
livinO'
soul,
a
human
lJeing,
but
that
our
Redeemer,
Their
awa'kening
wl"ls
merely
of
a
temporary
na~ure,
and
thl'y
who
humblel'himself
and
took
the
earthly
nature,
"for
the
soon
relapsed
into
the
sleep
of
de~~h.
They
did
not
J.1ave
a
Buffering
of
death,"
thereby
became
the
second
A<lam-the
full
resurrection--anasta8i8-a
raisIng
up
to
perfectlOn
of
Heavenly
Lord.
The
wide
distinction
between
the
second
lifr,
such
as
the
redemptive
work
of
Jesus
guarantees
to
Adam
Adam
and
the
first
Adam
is
clearly
set
forth.
One
was
earthy
and
to
all
his
race
willing
to
accept
the
same
under
the
terms
and
the
other
heavenly.
As
we
now
bear
the
image
of
the
of
the
New
Covenant.
earthy,
we
shall,
if
faithful,
bear
the
heavenly
imag-e
of
our
You
will
reca,ll
that
in
our
last
issue
we
demonstrated
Lord
the
second
Adam
after
our
resurrection
chancYe.
from
the
Scriptures
that
it
is
not
the
the
body,
but
the
soul,
St.
Paul
illustrates'
by
saying
that
we
know
by
many
that
is
promised
a
resurrection-that
it
was
our
Lord's
soul
kinds
of
orcYanisms
on
the
parthy
or
fleshly
plane-one
flesh
of
that
went
to
sheol,
hades,
to
the
death
state.
and
that
God
man,
anoth~r
of
beasts
another
of
birds
and.
another
of
fish.
raised
him
up
from
death
on
thr
third
day.
\Ve
noted
a
dif-
But
howeYer
differrnt
the
orcYanisms
they
are
all
earthy.
So,
ficulty
into
which
all
Christendom
was
plun~ed
by
the
un-
on
the
heavenly
plane,
the
spirit
plane,
there
are
varieties
of
scriptural
theory
that
it
is
the
body
that
IS
to
be
res~r-
organisms,
but
all
are
spirit.
rected.
"'e
now
continue
to
search
and
note
well
further
dlf-
Our
heavenly
Fa,ther
is
the
Head
or
Chief-"God
is
It
ficulties
into
,,:hich
thi~
error
p~unged
us
~s
beli.evers
in
the
Spirit."
Cherubim,
scraphim,
and
the
still
lower
ord.er
of
an-
wonls
of
Chnst,
partIcularly
In
connectlOn
With
our
Re-
gcls
are
all
spirit
beings;
and
Christ
Jesus,
onr
Redeemer,
deemer's
resurrection.
after
finishing
the
work
of
sa,crificing
appointed
to
him.
was
The
ordinary
thought
in
Christian
minds
in
respect
~o
resurrected
to
the
spirit
plane-far
above
angels,
principalities
.Jesus'
death
and.
resurrection
is
that
when
he
seemed
to
die
and
powers-next
to
the
Father;
and
thuR
we
read,
"Now
the
he
did
not
die;
that
he,
the
being,
the
soul,
could
not
die;
Lord
is
that
Spirit."
And
again
that
"He
waR
put
to
death
that,
instead,
he
went
to
heaven,
and
then,
on
the
third
day,
in
the
flesh
but
quickened
(or
made
alive)
in
the
spirit."-
came
back
to
get
the
body
which
had
been
crucified;
and
that
1
Pet.
3:
IS.'
he
took
it
to
heayen
forty
days
later;
tha,t
he
has
had
that
The
more
we
examine
the
subjeet
the
more
foolish
and
un-
body
ever
sincc;
and
that
he
will
have
it
to
all
eternity,
Rcriptural
the
views
hflllded
to
UR
from
the
dark
ages
appear.
marred
with
the
print
of
the
nails
in
his
hands
and
feet,
the
For
instance,
the
Scriptures
clearly
Ret
forth
that
our
Re-
thorns
upon
his
brow,
and.
the
spear
mark
in
his
side.
What
a
deemer,
prior
to
becoming-
a
man,
was
a
spirit
being-Hthe
ghastly
thought!
How
strange
that
we
should
ever
have
been
On
Iv
Begotten
of
the
Father,
full
of
grace
and
truth."
His
mi~lpd
into
so
ullScriptural
and
unreason~ble
a
theory!
Some
lea,:incY
the
spirit
plane
to
become
a
man
is
Scripturally
de-
e
Ill!
ea
\'01'
to
gloss
the
matter
by
suggestIng
that
our
Lord's
scribed
as
a
great
stoop
or
humiliation.
Is
it
reasonable
to
flesh
is
glorified-that
it
shines-t~e
shining
presumably
mak-
suppoRe
that
the
heavenly
Father
would
perp~tuate
to
all
ing
the
wounds
all
the
more
conspicuous.
eternity
that
humiliation,
after
it
harl
served
its
Intendcd
pur-
ABSURDITY
OF
THEORIES
RECEIVED
FROM
DARK
AGES
pose?
Surely
he
would
<10
nothing
of
thp
kind!
Our
J\IethodiRt
friends
have
not
yet
changed
their
state-
The
Bible
tells
us
why
,Tesus
humbled
himself
to
the
hu-
mellt
of
the
matter,
namely,
"He
ascended
up
on
high,
taking
man
nature-"a
little
lower
thnn
the
angels."
It
was
because
his
fleshly
body
with
him,
and
all
that
appertained
thereto,
a
man
had
sinnl'<l,
and
the
Re<leemer
must,
under
the
law,
and
sat
down
on
the
rig'ht
hand
of
God."
ThiR
medieval
state-
be
on
the
same
plane
of
bl'ing
as
the
one
whom
he
woultl
re-
mcnt
correctly
admits
that
the
fleshly
body
was
not
the
Lord's,
deem.
Thus
Jehovah
particularly
specified,
"An
eye
for
an
but
that
he,
the
soul,
took
it
with
him
as
luggage.
The
state-
eye,
a
tooth
for
a
tooth,
a
life
for
a
life."
Hence
the
death
ment,
Hand
all
that
appertained
ther~to,"
presumably
:-vould
of
an
angel,
or
of
our
Lord
in
his
prc-human
con<lition,
('auld
refer
to
our
Lord.'s
sandals,
walking
stIck
and
such
clothing
as
not
have
effected
the
payment
of
man's
penalty
nnd
the
con-
the
soldiers
did.
not
divide
amongst
them
at
the
time
of
his
sequent
release
of
the
condemned
race.
Thus
again
we
reacl,
crucifixion-if
indeed
he
had
any
others!
But
our
dear.
Meth-
HA
body
hast
thou
prpparrel
me,"
"for
the
Ruffering
of
dpath."
odist
friends
want
to
be
sure
that
nothing
was
left
behInd.
GOD
HIGHLY
EXALTED
HIM
All.
this
is
of
a
piece
with
the
theory
that
the
saints
wh~n
N
a
one
qlleRtions
that
thiR
a
pplips
eJ..clllsively
to
am
Lorel's
the:l;
rhe"go
to
heav~n,
and
then,
.lll;ter,
come
~~ck
and.
get
thel.r
experienceR
during
the
years
in
which
"lIp
who
was
ridl
for
bodies,
and
all
thIngs
a,ppe:taIllIng
thereto
.~he
Illconvem-
our
sakI'S
becnme
poor,
that
we
through
his
poverty
might
be
enees
that
theY}Ill;ve
been
nd
.of.
for
centu~~es.
How
many
made
rich."
Surely
it
is
llnsllppoRahlp
that
the
Father
woul,l
trunkloads
of
thI~gS
appertal~Ing
thereto
m~y
be
taken
arrange
a
plan
by
which
<.lUr
Redeemer'R
f~ithfulneRs'
~n
ac-
by.some,
and
ho~
mlxc<l
!l:n
assOltme~t
by
others
IS
not
sta~ed.
compliRhing
man's
reclemptlOn
wOlllel
CaRt
hun
an
ptprmty
of
Neither
are
part~culars
given
respectmg
those
whose
clothlllg,
poverty,
humiliation.
degradation
to
a
plane
"a
little
10\Vpr
pt~.,
~Ia~'e
meantIme
worn
out.
But
we.
have
had
eno~gh
of
than
the
angels,"
while
the
church
woul<!
be
mnr!p
rich,
lwe!
tb.IS,
If
It
has
he}ped.
us
to
,~ee
.th.e
absurdity
of
our
theones
re-
woulel
attain
n
spirit
Rtate
"far
ahove
nngpIR"-be
ma<le
"par-
cen'ed
from
the
dal:k
aB'es
-If
I~
h~s
awakened
us
~o
thou~ht
takers
of
the
divine
nature."-2
Pdcr
1
:4.
aIllI.
to
Bible
investIgatIon
on
thiS
Important
and
InterestIng
On
the
contrary.
the
very
same
Apostle
who
tplh
us
of
0111'
subJcct.
Lorel's
humiliation
carriPR
thp
matter
to
the
climax.
telling
us
WHAT
SAY
THE
SCRIPTURES?
of
his
faithfnlneRs,
as
the
Man
Christ
.Tp~IIS,
unto
<lpnth,
pvpn
The
Bihle
prpsentation
of
this
subject
is
every
way
reason-
the
d('ath
of
the
crOSR;
and
thpn
hp
adds
an
assura
ncp
of
the
able
eomistent
and
harmonious.
St.
Paul
points
out
that
hennnJy
Fathpr'R
faithfulness
in
not
Ipnving
hiR
Son
on
a
'·th~re
is
a
na.tural
body
an<I
there
is
a
spirit
body."
He
does
lowpr
p']ane:
"\Vhprpforp,"
Ra~'s
ill!'
A
postle.
"Gael
also
highly
not
mean
and
he
does
not
Ray
that
the
spirit
body
is
a
human
exalted
him,
ancl
hath
givrn
him
a,
name
nhove
pvpry
namp."
body
glorified.
Quite
to
the
contrary.
He
deelares
that
"flesh
This,
too,
iR
in
harmony
with
our
Lord'R
words
in
hiR
prayer
anel
blood
cannot
inherit
the
kingdom
of
God"-no
matter
how
to
th('
Father.
A
ioy
had
bepn
spt
hdore
him
by
the
Fa,ther-
glorified
it
might
be
A
human
being
is
so
totally
different
a
joy
of
plpasing
the
Fathpr
..
of
hringing
a
~lpAsing
to
mankind,
from
a
spirit
being
that,
as
St.
Paul
says,
"It
doth
not
yet
and
the
joy
also
of
exaltatIOn,
nR
a
specInl
reward
for
obe
appear
what
we
shall
be,"
in
our
re~urrection
change;.
and
the
dienpr.
t-;cripturcs
<10
not
('ven
attempt
to
glye
us
an
explanatIOn.
But
the
Redeemer,
ignoring
all
the
promises
of
a
higher
The
Bible
merely
declarps
that
as
we
now
bear
the
image
glory
aR
a
reward
for
his
faithfulness.
merely
pray('d
to
the
of
the
earthy,
Adam,
we
shall,
by
the
glorious
resurrection
Fnthrr
in
theRe
words,
"Fathpr,
glorify
thou
me
with
the
glory
chancYe,
he
given
a
share
in
the
nature
and
likeness
of
the
which
1
had
with
thce
before
the
world
was."
In
humility
seco;d
Adam,
our
glorious
Lord.
We
shall
be
like
him
and
he
asked
no
reward.
He
did
not
pray,
Remember
that
you
[5025]
(159-160)
Vout. XXXII BROOKLYN, N. Y., MAY 15, 1912 No. 10 JESUS NO LONGER FLESH—NOW “THAT SPIRIT” “With what body do they come?”—1] Cor. 15:35. In the May 1 issue of Taz WaTcH TowER we discussed the fact of the resurrection and showed from St. Paul’s words that without God’s purpose of a resurrection those who have fallen asleep in death would have perished as brutes. We followed with the Apostle the assurances that Christ did rise from the dead and did become the First-fruits of all those who have gone into the sleep of death. Others, indeed, were awakened temporarily—as, for instance, Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus the friend of Jesus, and the son of the widow of Nain. Yet none of those instances is counted as a resurrection, for it is said that Christ is the first-fruits of those who slept. Their awdkening was merely of a temporary nature, and they soon relapsed into the sleep of death. They did not have a full resurrection—anastasis—a raising up to perfection of life, such as the redemptive work of Jesus guarantees to Adam and to all his race willing to accept the same under the terms of the New Covenant. You will recall that in our last issue we demonstrated from the Scriptures that it is not the the body, but the soul, that is promised a resurrection—that it was our Lord’s soul that went to sheol, hades, to the death state, and that God raised him up from death on the third day. We noted a difficulty into which all Christendom was plunged by the unscriptural theory that it is the body that is to be resurrected. We now continue to search and note well further difficulties into which this error plunged us as believers in the words of Christ, particularly in connection with our Redeemer’s resurrection. The ordinary thought in Christian minds in respect to Jesus’ death and resurrection is that when he seemed to die he did not die; that he, the being, the soul, could not die; that, instead, he went to heaven, and then, on the third day, came back to get the body which had been crucified; and that he took it to heaven forty days later; that he hag had that body ever since; and that he will have it to all eternity, marred with the print of the nails in his hands and feet, the thorns upon his brow, and the spear mark in his side. What a ghastly thought! How strange that we should ever have been misled into so unscriptural and unreasonable a theory! Some endeavor to gloss the matter by suggesting that our Lord’s flesh is glorified—that it shines—the shining presumably making the wounds all the more conspicuous. ABSURDITY OF THEORIES RECEIVED FROM DARK AGES Our Methodist friends have not yet changed their statement of the matter, namely, “He ascended up on high, taking his fleshly body with him, and all that appertained thereto, and sat down on the right hand of God.” This medieval statement correctly admits that the fleshly body was not the Lord’s, but that he, the soul, took it with him as luggage. The statement, “and all that appertained thereto,” presumably would refer to our Lord’s sandals, walking stick and such clothing as the soldiers did not divide amongst them at the time of his erucifixion—if indeed he had any others! But our dear Methodist friends want to be sure that nothing was left behind. All this is of a piece with the theory that the saints when they die go to heaven, and then, later, come back and get their bodies, “and all things appertaining thereto”—the inconveniences that they have been rid of for centuries! How many trunkloads of “things appertaining thereto” may be taken by some, and how mixed an assortment by others is not stated. Neither are particulars given respecting those whose clothing, etc., have meantime worn out. But we have had enough of this, if it has helped us to see the absurdity of our theories received from the “dark ages”—if it has awakened us to thought and to Bible investigation on this important and interesting subject. WHAT SAY THE SCRIPTURES? The Bible presentation of this subject is every way reasonable, consistent and harmonious. St. Paul points out that “there is a natural body and there is a spirit body.” He does not mean and he does not say that the spirit body is a human body glorified. Quite to the contrary. He declares that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God’—no matter how glorified it might be A human being is so totally different from a spirit being that, as St. Paul says, “It doth not yet appear what we shall be,” in our resurrection change; and the Scriptures do not even attempt to give us an explanation. The Bible merely declares that as we now bear the imaye of the earthy, Adam, we shall, by the glorious resurrection change, be given a share in the nature and likeness of the second Adam, our glorious Lord. We shall be like him and [5025] see him as he is; and, be it noted, we must change from flesh and blood conditions to spirit conditions by resurrection power, in order that we may see him as he is. Surely this proves that our Lord Jesus is no longer flesh, as he once was—“in the days of his flesh.’—Hebrews 5:7. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY BODIES Our text calls attention to the difference between celestial bodies and terrestrial, or earthly bodies, and declares that they have different glories. It tells us that the first Adam was made a living soul, a human being, but that our Redeemer, who humbled himself and took the earthly nature, “for the suffering of death,’ thereby became the second Adam—the Heavenly Lord. The wide distinction between the second Adam and the first Adam is clearly set forth. One was earthy and the other heavenly. As we now bear the image of the earthy, we shall, if faithful, bear the heavenly image of our Lord, the second Adam, after our resurrection change. St. Paul illustrates by saying that we know by many kinds of organisms on the earthy or fleshly plane—one flesh of man, another of beasts, another of birds and another of fish. But however different the organisms they are all earthy. So, on the heavenly plane, the spirit plane, there are varieties of organisms, but all are spirit. Our heavenly Father is the Head or Chief—“God is a Spirit.” Cherubim, seraphim, and the still lower order of angels are all spirit beings; and Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, after finishing the work of sacrificing appointed to him, was resurrected to the spirit plane—far above angels, principalities and powers—next to the Father; and thus we read, “Now the Lord is that Spirit.” And again that “He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened (or made alive} in the spirit.”— 1 Pet. 3:18. The more we examine the subject the more foolish and unscriptural the views handed to us from the dark ages appear. For instance, the Scriptures clearly set forth that our Redeemer, prior to becoming a man, was a spirit being—‘‘the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’ His leaving the spirit plane to become a man is Scripturally described as a great stoop or humiliation. Is it reasonable to suppose that the heavenly Father would perpetuate to all eternity that humiliation, after it had served its intended purpose? Surely he would do nothing of the kind! The Bible tells us why Jesus humbled himself to the human nature—‘a little lower than the angels.” It was because a man had sinned, and the Redeemer must, under the law, be on the same plane of being as the one whom he would redeem. Thus Jehovah particularly specified, ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life”’ Hence the death of an angel, or of our Lord in his pre-human condition, could not have effected the payment of man’s penalty and the consequent release of the condemned race. Thus again we read, “A body hast thou prepared me,” “for the suffering of death.” GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM No one questions that this applies exclusively to our Lord’s experiences during the years in which “Ie who was rich for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.” Surely it is unsupposable that the Father would arrange a plan by which our Redeemer’s faithfulness’in accomplishing man’s redemption would cost him an eternity of poverty, humiliation, degradation to a plane “a little lower than the angels,” while the church would be made rich, and would attain a spirit state “far above angels’—be made “partakers of the divine nature.”—2 Peter 1:4. On the contrary, the very same Apostle who tells us of our Lord’s humiliation carries the matter to the climax, telling us of his faithfulness, as the Man Christ Jesus, unto death, even the death of the cross: and then he adds an assurance of the heavenly Father's faithfulness in not leaving his Son on a lower plane: “Wherefore,” says the Apostle, “God also highly exalted him, and hath given him a name above every name.” This, too, is in harmony with our Lord’s words in his praver to the Father. A joy had been set before him by the Father— a joy of pleasing the Father, of bringing a blessing to mankind, and the joy also of exaltation, as a special reward for obedience. But the Redeemer, ignoring all the promises of a higher glory as a reward for his faithfulness, merely prayed to the Father in these words, “Father, glorify thou me with the glory which IT had with thee before the world was.” In humility he asked no reward. He did not pray, Remember that you (159-160)
To enhance your experience on our website, we use cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are essential for the core functionality of our site and cannot be declined. You can choose to accept or decline additional cookies. We want to assure you that none of this data will be sold or used for marketing purposes. You can adjust your preferences at any time by accessing the Privacy Settings from the footer of the page. For more information, please refer to our
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
.
