The the End Cometh Panel – Mike E, Jeff M

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Short Summary
The panel discussion centers on interpreting 1 Corinthians 15:24–26, emphasizing that the “end” refers to the conclusion of the millennial reign when Christ hands the kingdom back to God after abolishing all enemies, including death. The speakers explore the restoration of mankind during the thousand-year reign, highlighting resurrection, the defeat of death, and the promise of a perfected humanity able to stand before God. They also discuss practical implications of resurrection doctrine, the hope of restitution for those who have died, and the role of the anointed church in this divine plan, underscoring a vision of restorative justice and the ultimate reconciliation of all creation with God.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Panel Discussion on 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 and Related Scriptures

Scriptural Focus:
The discussion centers on 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 (NAS95):
*“Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after abolishing all rule, authority, and power. For Christ must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”*
This passage is interpreted as referring to the end of the millennial reign of Christ, when the kingdom is handed back to God the Father.

Clarifying the Timeframe:
The panel stresses that “the end” mentioned here is not the current end times or world events, but the final phase after Christ’s thousand-year (millennial) reign. This is the conclusion of the “times of restitution” or restoration of all things, as foretold in Acts 3:19-21. The restoration process is a vast, complex work aimed at bringing mankind back to perfection, a state where humans can stand before God on their own merits.

Ransom and Resurrection Doctrine Context:
The discussion revisits 1 Corinthians 15:21-22:
*“For as by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”*
This underpins the ransom doctrine: Adam’s sin brought death; Jesus’ death and resurrection provide the opportunity for all to be made alive. The speakers emphasize that this doctrine rejects notions such as the immortal soul, hellfire, and the Trinity—highlighting that Jesus died and was raised by God, not by himself.

The Order of Resurrection:
Verse 23 speaks of resurrection “in his own order” – Christ as the “first fruits,” then those “who are Christ’s at his coming” (the anointed church), and afterward the rest of mankind. James 1:18 supports this by describing the church as the “first fruits” among God’s creatures.

The Last Enemy: Death:
Death is described as the final enemy to be abolished. The panel discusses what this means practically: after the millennium and the “little season” (a brief period after the millennium), death will no longer be necessary because mankind will have learned righteousness (Isaiah 26:9), and there will be no temptations to cause sin. The eradication of death signifies the complete restoration of humanity.

Restitution and Restoration:
The “times of restitution” (Acts 3:19-21) is a major theme. This period is when God will restore mankind to the perfect state before the fall (Strong’s #605). The panel references Genesis 3:8, noting the original intimate relationship between God and man (walking in the garden “in the cool of the day”) was lost at the fall but will be regained after restoration. Revelation 22:1-5 describes the restored paradise with the river of life and tree of life bringing healing to the nations.

Practical Implications of Resurrection Beliefs:
Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians combats the belief, present in the Corinthian church, denying resurrection. Verse 29’s reference to baptism for the dead is explained by Brother Russell as symbolizing the hope for resurrection and restoration, making baptism meaningful only if resurrection is real. Without resurrection, Christian hope and moral behavior lack foundation (v. 33 warns that “bad company corrupts good morals”).

The Mystery of the Last Trumpet (1 Cor. 15:51-52):
The “last trumpet” is discussed as the moment at Christ’s return when the faithful are changed, raised incorruptible and immortal (1 John 3:2). This event is distinct from the popular “rapture” concept and marks the start of the millennial reign.

Kingdom Blessings and Healing:
Isaiah 35:5-6 is cited to illustrate kingdom blessings: opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping ears of the deaf, enabling the lame to leap, and giving speech to the mute. The panel shares personal testimonies about children born with disabilities who will be healed and resurrected in the kingdom, emphasizing God’s compassion and restoration.

Interaction Between Spirit and Mortal Beings:
Using Ezekiel’s temple imagery and references from early Bible student writings (including quotes from Brother Russell and Joseph Seiss), the panel explores the idea that glorified saints (the church) may occasionally materialize to minister to those on earth during the kingdom age, similar to angelic appearances in Scripture. This suggests a closer, more intimate interaction between the heavenly and earthly realms.

The Broad Scope of the Divine Plan:
Brother Russell’s sermon “Heights and Depths” (1912) is quoted, proposing that God’s restorative work extends beyond Earth, potentially involving the creation of intelligent beings on other planets over “ages to come.” Though speculative, this highlights the vastness of God’s creative and redemptive purpose.

Final Exhortation:
The discussion closes with Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 15:58:
*“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”*
This encourages faithfulness and hope in the grand restorative plan of God.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 28-29, 51-52, 58
– Acts 3:19-21
– Hebrews 2:9
– Romans 5:9
– James 1:18
– Isaiah 26:9; 35:5-6, 10
– Genesis 3:8
– Revelation 22:1-5, 17; 21:6
– Psalm 51:5
– Jeremiah 31:16
– Matthew 2:16-18
– 1 John 3:2

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Summary:
The panel discussion provides an in-depth exploration of 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 in the context of resurrection, restoration, and the millennial kingdom. It highlights the comprehensive divine plan to restore mankind to perfection, abolish death, and ultimately return the kingdom to God the Father. The discourse integrates biblical doctrine, historical perspectives from early Bible students, and personal reflections to underscore the hope and responsibility Christians have in participating in God’s restorative work.

Transcript

Okay, excuse me. For First Corinthians 15, verses 24 through 26. This is the new American Standard 95 version here. Then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign until he that is Christ has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.

Now, as I looked at that, the first thing that came to my mind is want to make sure everybody’s on the same page, that we’re talking about the same period of time. It says, then comes the end. The end of what? What end is this? You know, we had a discussion with some of the brethren here earlier in this meeting.

We were talking about end times and what’s happening in the world around. That’s not what’s going on here. This, this says, this is when Christ turns the kingdom back over to the Father so, so God can be all in all, okay, so that places this scripture or this time at the very end of the millennial age, and when I thought about that, I, I was, I remembered something that I had read someplace. I found it.

It was in the first volume. Let me see. I have it here. This is something that Brother Russell wrote in the first volume, and this is the chapter that he explains the, the chart of the ages.

So this is on page 223 under the title the Ages to Come, and that is H. On the, on the chart says, following the great reconstruction period, there are to be ages of perfection, blessedness and happiness regarding the work of which the Scriptures are silent. Great.

The committee just handled us a section on which the Scriptures are silent. Of course, after I thought of that a little bit, that’s not really true because what, what this is, this is the completion of the times of restitution of all things, and so we’re going to spend most of our time here talking about what has to transpire, what has to happen during that thousand year period to get to this point when the whole world of mankind will be at a level of perfection that they can stand before the Father on their own two feet. That’s a huge undertaking. You know, you look at the, the shape that the world of mankind is in now, you kind of wonder, how is he going to get it done in a thousand years?

You’re like, it would take longer than that. But I think it’s also important that we go through the context as well and look at some of the verses and outline what is there and what argument that Paul is trying to make. Because it’s such a beautiful. Oh, yeah. Portion of Scripture.

Yeah, and that’s something else. Let’s see. I started on 24. Let’s.

Why don’t you go ahead and take it from there. That those verses just before that, there’s some verses that we need to talk about.

So verses 21 to 22. I’ll read those real quick. It says that since by man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead, for as an Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive, and I do a little bit of programming for my job, and there’s something that you call if then statements, and so when I think about these verses, I think of if then statements.

So if we truly believe the scripture, the ransom doctrine, that means Jesus truly died, and if Jesus truly died, it’s because of what Adam did. Adam sinned so that we all die, and Jesus had to pay that price. If we believe in the ransom, it also means that all will live because of him. It means there’s no immortal soul.

It means there’s no hell. If Jesus truly died, it means there’s no Trinity, because how could he raise himself from the dead? So there’s a lot of things in the context and in this general concept that is important to keep in mind as we’re looking at the argument that Paul’s making. Because he’s making this argument because there were those out there who were in the Corinthian Church that were claiming that there was no such thing as a resurrection, and so his whole argument in this context is to try and combat that argument.

And the point of where he’s trying to get to will be interesting as. As we’ll see in the context as we continue. Yeah, okay. Yeah, that. I was thinking of that point too in this chapter.

Of course, this is a great resurrection chapter, and yeah, there evidently were those in the Corinthians Church that were claiming that Christ wasn’t really resurrected from the dead, which is absurd. If you’re going to be a Christian and you’re going to argue that, then what’s the point? And that’s kind of the point that Paul is making here, and he makes it in a couple different ways.

Some of them are kind of interesting. We’ll talk about that. But also this context here, the Scripture says that as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, and so we have a lot of us know who the Jehovah’s Witnesses are, of course, and they say that it’s all sorts of people, but he. We have scriptures that talk about Jesus, by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

In Hebrews 2, 9, we have Romans 5, 9 that talks about that by this disobedience of one man, sin entered the world, and so through the obedience of another, the opportunity for life will be made possible. So it’s the Greek word pause and it’s the same word that’s used when it says the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world. Not just some parts of the world, it’s all the world. The Greek word means all.

And so when I talk to a Jehovah’s Witness, sometimes I just want to ask them what part of all don’t you understand?

Yeah, and the other thing about that is I know some that don’t. They just aren’t comfortable with the idea of an Adam and Eve. Know they think that sounds like a fairy tale. They like to say that that’s some kind of an allegory. Well, this verse makes it pretty plain that if Adam and Eve is a, is a metaphor, then Jesus is too.

I don’t think any Christian, true Christian can, can accept that. So, yeah, I believe that Adam and Eve were real, and I believe that Jesus died to take Adam’s place in death, as this scripture said, and I think it’s important to understand that, and if you look at the whole Adam and Eve story, what’s the first thing he does for them?

Somebody joked at lunch today that God was the first tailor he created. He made a coat of animal skins for them. It was a symbol of the covering of the sin, that they had a foreshadowing of what Christ was going to do. Yeah, showing that there’s opportunity for them. He literally covered them.

Yeah, it was kind of a, it was kind of a, a symbol in my mind of the ransom, the, I mean, the sacrifice, the human sacrifice, the blood sacrifice, I should say that would come later. It’s kind of like all the animal sacrifices in Israel was kind of a shadow of, of Christ and what he did. This was the first one, first time that happened, and animal had to give their life in order to give these coverings for Adam and Eve. It’s kind of a picture of Jesus giving his life to, to give mankind life.

And as Paul’s argument continues, he talks about in verse 23, that every man will re. Be raised in his own order, and so he mentions the first fruits, the anointed first fruits, and he mentions those who are Christ at his coming, and what thoughts do you have on that, brother Michael? I’m sorry, my computer went blank.

So the, the scripture that talks about Christ, the first fruits and after those who are Christ at his coming. So the anointed first fruits. Well, there’s first fruits. There must be after proofs, and so Christ was the first.

The church is next. But I think the world of mankind is as is in that picture. It will come later, and we have James 1:18 that says in the exercise of his will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among his creatures, and so in that Corinthians passage, I think he’s talking about the anointed first fruits.

We as the body of Christ that are raised first at his coming, and then afterwards those who are Christ, well, he bought the whole world. So afterwards those who are Christ had his coming. Is the whole world as, as you just said?

Well, let’s see. We kind of wrote a few questions. I’m looking at some questions that, that Jeff sent me. Oh, I should jump over that one. Yeah, yeah.

This one it says, Paul says the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. In what sense will death finally be destroyed? And how will the destruction of death change the world? And why is that so such an important promise? What did you have in mind when you, when you wrote that question?

So when it talks about the last enemy being destroyed is death. What does that mean for mankind after the little season? Is there means of mankind the ones that are left have life if there is no death. So will they have learned their lesson so that second death won’t happen if they make a mistake? That there will be such lessons learned through all the.

All of the millennium, through the little season? There won’t be anyone to tempt them or deceive them any longer. Why would there be a possibility for a mistake after the little season? Yeah. This would suggest that by that point in time there won’t be any need for death because all will be in harmony with God and be a time for.

For the mankind and people going into death would have been over anyway. That’s my. Understand.

Then there’s also the question, what must take place before Jesus is going to deliver the kingdom to the Father? Yeah, Just a thing or two, right? Yeah. We could talk for days about it, but. Well, and where he says that the last enemy, last enemy that must be destroyed is death.

That’s the last one. You ever thought about how many enemies there are? Every human being on the planet has all kinds of problems and enemies if you will, that are going to have to be rectified and destroyed, and that’s what I was saying. It just some kind of amazes me that the Lord has calculated that he can get all that accomplished in a thousand years, bring all those human beings up.

That highway of holiness always starts early with the nations. Yeah, and then it evolves further into the individuals. I like Zechariah 14 when it says that the nations that attacked Israel, they will go year to year to worship in Jerusalem, and if they do that, they’ll get the blessings.

If they don’t, they won’t get the blessings. So the nations will at least still be there at the beginning. But even those nations will have to change and, and, and come into agreement with, with the arrangement of the system of things at that time.

Oh, go ahead. The idea of the mark. I’m up here. Here it is the idea of the restitution of all things. Of course, my mind instantly goes to Acts, the third chapter.

And so I think I’ll read that scripture. This is Acts, the third chapter, verses 19 through 21, and this is something you’re all so familiar with. There’s kind of a keyn verse for us. It says there, Peter is talking at Pentecost, says, therefore repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

And he will send Jesus Christ, which before it was preached, unto you, whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. So he’s here speaking of the times of restitution, waiting for the return of our Lord, and then in the verse that under consideration, that’s kind of the end of that period. But this whole piece of time is times of restitution.

Anyway, I thought it was kind of interesting. The. Let me go to the next slide here. When, when. Let me just add a thought here.

Okay. When I first read Divine Plan of the Ages, what struck me was this idea of the times of refreshing, this idea of the restoration of mankind, and by the time I got to the end of the first volume, I wanted to be a part of that, and so when I think of those scriptures, you know, Revelation 22:17 is one of my favorite scriptures. The Spirit and the bride say, come, and whosoever will, let them have the water of life freely.

Yeah. I mean, it’s amazing that we’re nothing, yet God is choosing us to be a part of this Restorative process. It’s not retributive justice. You’re going to be punished for what you’ve done. It’s more restorative.

Yeah, and to restore mankind back, and that’s such a beautiful lesson that blew my mind, and that’s really the reason that I consecrated that I wanted to be a part of restoring mankind. It wasn’t for anything for myself.

It was to help the Lord in this beautiful plan. Yeah. The word for restitution or restoring in some translations is Strong’s number 605, and what’s interesting about it, my Bayard Bible dictionary has a definition for that word that I think is really interesting. Of course, one of them is that it’s a true theology.

Okay, that sounds right. But the other one that I think is really fascinating that they put in here, it says a restoration to the perfect state before the fall. Wow, that’s interesting that this Bible dictionary would get it that right, because that’s what we believe, that it’s going to be a restoration of the condition that Adam had before he sinned. Actually, I’ve got a scripture I like for that too. This is Genesis, the third chapter, verse eight.

And this is after Adam and Eve sinned. But I still think it’s kind of interesting. They’re. They’re kind of hiding because they know they did something they weren’t supposed to do. They’re kind of like kids that are.

That know they did something naughty. So they’re. They’re kind of hiding from their parents. In this case was God, and it said.

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Well, it’s interesting about that. To me, that that would suggest that before they sinned they had this incredibly intimate relationship with the heavenly Father and the God, the, the God of the whole universe, that it would be likened to walking with him in the cool of the day. I mean, that’s just amazing. They lost that.

But they weren’t the only ones that lost that. God lost that too. God lost his human family. He wants his human family back, and that’s part of where we’re going here at the end of this period after this scripture that we’ve been assigned is fulfilled.

God will have his human family back, and. Well, I think he’s excited about that. Well, I have a similar Greek word. It’d be a little controversial, but in Revelation 20, verse 5, there is a question about the manuscript evidence of the verse, of course, but if you look at the Strong’s number And in that verse is strong’s number 326.

And that word means to be restored to a better moral life, and so if you put that meaning into the text is saying that by the end of the thousand years, mankind will be restored to a better moral life. That’s really the point of the kingdom. That’s really the point of this restoration process. Yeah.

And the world of mankind has a long way to go to be restored to a moral life. At least. At least a lot, too. So that’s a lot of work. Isaiah 26:9 says, When God’s judgments are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

And again, that’s the entire point. That’s this, what we’re in here for. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Did you want to talk about the. The last trumpet and 52. Okay. Can you read the question? Okay, That question, 51 and 52.

Yeah. Verses 51 and 52 describe the mystery of the last trumpet. What happens when the trumpet sounds, and what hope should that give every Christian?

Well, first of all, it’s not the Rapture.

It’s interesting because I was looking at the Greek just last night on this, and when it says we will be all changed in a moment. This Greek word moment can also be translated during, and so that we are changed during the last trump, and so at the coming of Christ, we’re changed in that period of time, and it says here that we’re in where change.

And we’re raised incorruptible. We’re raised to immortality. We have First John 3. Two that talks about when Jesus appears, we don’t know what he will it’ll be like, but we know that we will be like him, and so the nature that Jesus has, he will give to us as his consecrated followers who make their calling and election.

Sure. During that last trump. Okay. It seems like Paul’s kind of jumping around here a little bit because obviously this is the beginning of the. Of the millennial.

He’s talking about the church and the sound of their last trumpet, and that’s when the. The church comes, and then at the. In the verse under consideration, that’s obviously the end of the millennial age.

It’s kind of jumping around here just a little bit.

Well, speaking about jumping around in the context, he’s talking about the Resurrection in this context, and then he takes a side tangent and starts talking about eat, drink and be merry, for we will die, and then he goes back to the subject of the resurrection. Why does he make that side tangent? How does it Fit within the context.

Yeah, yeah, that’s actually verse 28 and 29.

Okay. When all things are subject to him, then the Son himself also will be subject to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be own all. Otherwise what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them? You know, that’s a bit of a confusing scripture, but Brother Russell does have a solution to it that I like.

I’ll let you explain that. Well, if we’re baptized for the dead, again, it goes. It reminds me of that purpose that we had. Yeah. The purpose of being immersed, being anointed and being chosen, called and faithful.

If, if we do do that for the dead of mankind, so that we will be part of that restoration process. Well, the whole point is that restorative justice to bring them back and for ourselves too. Because if we are, if baptism, Baptism is a symbol of, of being dead in Christ and raising with him. If Christ isn’t raised, then how does this work? I mean, why would you, why would you do that?

That doesn’t make any sense, and that’s, that’s. Brother Russell says that is Paul’s argument here. He’s saying, okay, if, if we’re being baptized into Christ’s death, but Christ is. If you’re arguing that Christ is not raised from the dead, what.

I mean, this doesn’t make any sense. Why would you be doing that? So anyway, I like that argument. I think that makes sense, and if that’s what you believe, you have no hope for eternal life or an afterlife.

If everything’s just the here and now. Yeah. Then how do you live your life? And I think that’s why he’s bringing up this point. Eat, drink and be merry.

It’s because that’s the attitude that they have. Yeah, and then Paul’s warning us, if you join in that kind of, you know. Well, how does he say it? He says it’s.

It’s a well known Greek proverb, and he says basically there’s a right and wrong. There’s a line there, and so these theological errors are theological errors about the resurrection that can lead to moral decay. Because if you communicate or have discussion or just, you know, even giving a little, little bit to the people who live that kind of lifestyle, they could corrupt you, the way that you behave and the way you live.

And so we want to be in a such a situation that we can encourage others unto love unto good works and not be brought down by their Moral decay. Yeah, yeah. You know, when I was a kid, I remember my mom telling me, you know what? You’re. You’re judged by the company you keep.

I didn’t know where that came from. It actually comes from here. This is. Let’s see, where did I see it? Yeah.

Verse 33, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. But what’s interesting, Paul isn’t talking about bad children. He’s talking about people that don’t believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Yeah.

What he’s saying is be kind of careful around people like that, because if you listen to them long enough, you might start agreeing with them, and that’s doesn’t make any sense if you’re a Christian. If you’re a Christian. There’s no point of being a Christian if you don’t believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and so that’s what Paul’s doing here.

He’s making this doctrinal technical lesson about the resurrection. He’s making it practical. Yeah, it’s like a bridge between the earlier context and where he’s talking about the resurrection. He makes it practical, and then he goes back and gives you more details about the resurrection, and that’s how they wrote in the Scripture.

That’s how they wrote in the Old Testament. That’s how the prophets wrote. They tell you, then they tell you what they told you, and then they tell you again, and so if you didn’t get it the first time, you get it the second time. There’s a chapter in Micah, first chapter, and Micah is some of the most beautiful poetry in Hebrew.

But if you look at it, he’s doing that. He says, God descends from the mountains. He comes down into the valleys. He’s saying the same thing. He’s saying it twice.

And so that repetition, or even in Revelation where it talks about the 1260 days across three chapters, that repetition gives you more details and gives you a perspective to look at a little bit differently each time it goes through it. So again, it tells you. It tells you what it told you and then tells you again, and that’s what Paul’s doing here. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This isn’t really in that chapter, but when we’re talking about some of the things that need to be accomplished in the kingdom, this one I get emotional about. The children are coming back, and actually, let me get a. A slide or two up here.

I think many of you know that our daughter Marianne had a child that was born with so many birth defects that she only Lived a year and a half, and it was pretty hard experience for her and the rest of the family. So I’d like to just talk a little bit about some of the wonderful promises that we have that we have to look forward to. This is Isaiah, the 35th chapter, verses 5 and 6, and at that time, the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. At that time, the lame will leap like a deer and the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy.

And then I. I made a PowerPoint presentation a couple years ago about the restitution, and I kind of wish I could share some of my slides, but I’ll try to describe this one to you. Imagine this little girl that’s born with all these different birth defects. She can’t eat. She can’t.

Every time she does get. She’s fed, her digestive tract has all these different nerve endings in it that gives her pain.

Anyway, when she died, it was kind of a blessing. But in the kingdom, she’ll come back. Now we remember how when Jesus was born, Herod tried to kill all the babies, and that’s in Matthew the second chapter, verse seven is this prophecy that was given at that time. It said then what had been spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, was fulfilled.

The voice was heard in rhema, weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted because they are no more. But what Matthew doesn’t do is include the rest of that verse. This is Jeremiah, the 31st chapter, beginning at verse 16. Thus says the Lord, restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears.

For your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord, and they will return from the land of the dead. There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children will return to their territory. Essentially what he’s saying is these children will come back from the land of the dead. Now, my dad had a sister who had. She and her husband had, I think was six or seven babies.

They all died just almost immediately. I think it was that our syndrome thing, but they didn’t know what it was. They just kept trying, and so our family homesteaded in what we call the Oniko country, which isn’t very far from where we live, but there’s a cemetery there, and of course, that was long before my time, but I noticed that there’s her headstone and her husband’s headstone and these.

These little ones. Well, the reason why I bring that up is my grandpa was the one who brought our family into the truth. He’s one of these guys that. That read a first volume, trying to find something wrong with it, and he couldn’t, so he wound up. He wound up accepting it.

He thought it was beautiful. It’s wonderful. But none of the rest of his family accepted it. But my dad told me one time that. That he witnessed to his sister Esther and told her and gave her this scripture and said that he believed that she would be able to raise those children in the kingdom.

Anyway, I love that story, and when you mentioned that, it reminded me of my father’s story. Oh, okay. Because my father’s oldest brother and his youngest brother both had muscular dystrophy and they died in their teenage years. They.

And I can imagine in the kingdom they’re going to be able to run and jump and play and not have all those sicknesses and come to the knowledge of. Of the Lord, and my grandmother was also ill. Just. They were not able to take care of the children. So all the children had to be sent out to various farms.

So my father grew up on the farm with them, and the parents would come and visit when she was healthy. But, you know, it’s difficult to break up a family and then to lose two sons to the same terrible disease. Yeah, yeah, and that. So that is a story I remembered for a very long time.

Years ago, for those of you who have been at the Midwest Bible student youth camps, you might remember that we buried a time capsule up on top of the mountain there. Okay, and in that time capsule, I wrote a letter to my grandmother and the two uncles to try to encourage them in the kingdom. That in my teenage years, I thought that was important to do. So.

Wow. No, that’s neat. Yep. Well, you’ll have to. If they don’t find it, you’ll have to get the word to them.

I think that’s one other thing you wanted to talk about or. Yeah, yeah. Spirit beings be able to talk to their loved ones that are still in the earth. So this is a controversial subject, of course, but I’m going to use Brother Russell as an authority here. But first I’ll use a scripture.

So some brethren have an idea that the church class, the bride will be able to materialize in the kingdom to be able to minister to their family or to various ones, and the scripture that I’ve heard used on that is that of Ezekiel’s temple, where the priests take off their garments of glory and beauty so that they can go out to minister to the. To the public or to the. The families specifically. Talking about.

And then when they go back into the temple, they put the garments of glory and beauty back on, and so, you know, that discourse earlier today by our brother from India, he was mentioning how Jesus was already raised to the divine nature before he even ascended to heaven, and he was able to materialize in front of the the disciples and they were able to even touch him. Yeah, and we know first John 3, 2 says that when he shall appear, we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is.

We’ll have that same nature, and a lot of, you know, I’m a history buff in Bible student history, and in the first issue of the Watchtower, not the first issue of the Watchtower that you know of, there’s another one that’s not in the reprints. It’s called a supplement to the Watchtower. On the first page, it’s mostly arguments about what he and Barbara were going through.

And on the second page, he’s quoting from a book from an author named Joseph Seiss. Joseph Seiss wrote a couple books, one on Revelation, Daniel, Leviticus, the Gospel and the stars. He wrote about the Great Pyramid in the Bible, and he wrote another book called the Last Times, and I have a print on demand version of it here.

And the quotation that Brother Russell puts in that first issue, he’s putting in there for the reason that he’s saying he thought Barbara had agreed with us and that was something that they disagreed on, and it was that he was going through that two salvations doctrine that the bride class will have a certain role and mankind will be in another position, and I’ll read this quotation. So this is the July 1, 1879 supplement to the Watchtower, and it’s quoting from this Joseph Seiss book. It says the glorified saints will to some extent mingle with those who live in the body and at times unveil their radiance to them.

I think there is reason to believe their offices seem to imply it. If they are to govern, direct and minister to those in the flesh, it is natural to suppose that they will also be visible. At least occasional angels in the performance of similar offices have often been manifested to living men, and why should it not be so with Christ’s servants in the wonderful administrations of his glorious kingdom? The earth will then be much nearer to heaven than it ever was before, and the intercourse between them will doubtless be much more free and intimate.

Glorified or spiritual bodies are perhaps in their nature invisible to our earthly senses. Christ after, after his resurrection was not visible except at Certain times when he manifested himself. The angels are invisible, and yet we have many instances in which they were revealed to the view of mortals, and in that new world in which the glorified saints are to be enthroned and commissioned as the ministers of Christ the great King to execute his orders and administer his government over the nations, we may reasonably expect that they will often appear and converse with those who live in the flesh, and that intercourse between them and those in the body will be as real and familiar and blessed as that which Adam enjoyed with heavenly beings in paradise.

And so I was shocked when I read this, and when I started reading the, the print on demand version of the book, I was like, I was wondering how did he come to those conclusions. When I looked in the bibliography in the back, I saw that he was quoting from a Dunbar Isadore Heath. Now Heath wrote a commentary through the New Testament called the Future Human Kingdom of Christ, where he goes verse by verse through the New Testament explaining the two salvations doctrine, and he had influenced several people.

He influenced another gentleman who is. Who also influenced Henry Gratton Guinness of the Guinness family beer family.

Guinness writes about this. He influenced Henry Duncan, Henry Dunn influenced George Storrs, and George Stores influenced Brother Russell. So Brother Russell got the same kind of ideas from that same source from this he character. I just, I found this quotation fascinating and I used to have the opposite opinion, and looking at the scriptures and looking through the reasoning, I changed my mind after many.

Well, yeah, we can discuss it. It’s always good when you can, you can change your mind that, you know, it takes a little bit of. Of courage to do that sometime. You know, when you were talking about that, the thing that came to my mind, it probably doesn’t have anything to do with it, but it’s just kind of a neat picture, and that is the picture of Jacob’s ladder, this stairway between heaven and earth, and this interchange going on there and so on the kingdom.

Maybe that won’t be quite a bit of interaction there. Maybe the. Maybe the church will be actually in direct communication with the ancient worthies, and you know that the whole purpose of the whole thing is to bless the whole world of mankind, and the better the communication is, the easier that is.

So all I can truly say is that by the end of the millennium all of his enemies will be beneath his feet, buried underfoot and six feet deep. If they don’t repent, okay, that’ll be the end of Adamic death, basically, you know, in Psalm 51, verse 5, King David wrote that surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. So that by the end of the little season, that Adamic death will be gone. Yeah, and they’ll have to stand on their own two feet.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just. I’m looking at a scripture and we’ve kind of gone beyond this point, but this is a pretty kingdom scripture. It’s Isaiah, the 35th chapter, verse 10, where it says, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, and they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

It’s just such a wonderful hope that we have, and we just need to treasure it, because it is a treasure. It’s something that’s very rare. It’s kind of like that pearl, a great price that the man gave up everything he had to buy that one pearl. That’s kind of the truth that we have and how precious it is, and when you said that, you reminded me of the context of this.

Isaiah 35 chapter. The first verse starts out with this. Will wilderness in the solitary pace place will be glad for them who are them. If you go back to the previous chapter, he’s talking about the and other enemies of the Lord, and so he’s basically saying in this context, he’s going to give opportunities to the enemies of the Lord.

That’s amazing to me. Or in the context where it says, God’s ways are higher than our ways. If you remember another passage in Isaiah, if we read the context of that. The Jews wanted their enemies destroyed, and God said, no, basically, they don’t know their right hand from their left hand. My, you know, my ways are higher than your ways.

The Lord was looking for them to learn a lesson that even the enemies of God will have that opportunity. Actually, that brings up another lesson that I’ve always kind of attributed to the kingdom. Maybe I shouldn’t. But you remember Jonah. When you think of Jonah, you think of being swallowed by the fish and spit up on the beach and all that.

But I think the real lesson of Jonah is at the end of the book, you remember how Jonah, he hated the Ninevites so bad, and at the end of the book, he was angry at God because he said, I knew it. I knew you were going to forgive him, and I didn’t want you to. I wanted you to just destroy them.

And God said to him, should I not have compassion on this vast multitude of people who don’t even spiritually know their right hand from their left, and that’s, that’s kind of the way it is in the kingdom. You know, I think about, there’s a lot of people that spent their life as preachers out there in the church systems, and I can imagine in the kingdom, this, this guy, he’s, he’s resurrected and he’s looking around him and he’s saying, lord, I spent my whole life trying to save people from hell, and now here they are.

What. Why do you let me waste my life like that? You know, And God will say, should I not have compassion on these millions and billions of people that, that don’t spiritually understand they’re left from their right hand. So anyway, that’s the kingdom. Well, I could imagine some people waking up in the kingdom and seeing those that they thought would not be there and asking, why are you here?

And they’re looking right back to, all right, no, why are you here?

But it reminds me of the Sodom and Gomorrah story. Yeah. Jesus said it was more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah for. Than for them. When you go back to that Ezekiel 16 context says, I’m going to restore Sodom and her sisters.

And basically, you know, he’s. He says they didn’t really know what they were doing and, and he’s going to give them that opportunity. Yeah, and basically that Judah and Israel basically knew better, and yet they still did what was wrong. That’s why all those minor prophets, all these prophecies of the Old Testament were given.

We just finish a study on the Book of Amos. It was just one depressing judgment and reminder of one sin and idolatry after another of Israel. But it ends in good news. It’s the kingdom. But it’s only the last few verses of the book.

So.

Let’s see where in her land you got it there in Revelation, where it talks about the tree of life. I think that’s really interesting because we have the tree of life in Genesis, but there’s another tree of life in Genesis in Revelation, and it’s kind of neat how what was going on in Genesis. It is. It’s kind of like bookends.

You have a couple different things in Genesis that are addressed again in Revelation, only on the other side, on the end, as it’s closing out and as Christ and the church are completing their task, their mission, if you will, of bringing the whole world of mankind back into a condition of oneness with God. I have it. Let me read that scripture, Revelation, chapter 22. I’ll start at verse one, and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the midst of the street of it.

And on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bear 12 manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were there for the healing of the nations, and there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall begin it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun. For the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever, and he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Behold, I. Come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Yeah, and I was looking for where there’s a place in the last chapters of Revelation where Jesus says that it is done. Where is that? How come I’m not seeing it here? Anyway, I think it’s interesting because you remember in his first adventure, as he was dying on the cross, right before he gave up his spirit, he said, it is finished.

That was the end of his first advent. He had done it. He had completed what he was sent there to do, and here in Revelation, there’s a very similar statement, and this is the end of his mission in the millennial age of turning the whole world of mankind over to the Father, bringing them up to a condition of mind and heart where they can do that.

And he says, it is done. You find it. Revelation 21:6. Revelation 21, I believe. Yeah.

Yeah. Dr. Google was able to help. Oh, okay. That. Yeah.

And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give him unto him. That is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. So again, that whole idea of the water, the free, given freely.

Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. When this verse that we’re talking about is complete, the whole world of mankind will be able to stand before God. God will have his human family back.

That’s kind of neat.

But what about after the bologna? After Little Season? After all of it? Yeah. Brother Russell had some thoughts about that, and I think you found that.

Where is that?

So in. In Harvest Gleanings three, if you have that, there’s A sermon from Brother Russell that was printed in the National Labor Tribune, and the National Labor Tribune was a newspaper that I think they paid advertising space for. So there are three pages generally that they had. It would have.

Brother Russell’s sermons would have other brethren’s writings and letters from their brethren, which are fascinating. But in this sermon, Brother Russell is talking about what might possibly happen, and he says, in the ages to come, nor will the lengths and breaths of divine love towards the elect church, the bride of Christ, be fully exhibited to angels and to men even during the glorious period of Messiah’s reign. St. Paul explicitly declares that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. It is asked what opportunity there will be for further favors to be bestowed upon the church at the conclusion of his millennial reign.

We answered that as the Scriptures declare that God formed the earth not in vain, but made it to be inhabited and will make it glorious as his footstool in due time. So we may reason with respect to the other planets of our solar system. Gradually, through coming ages, divine power will be exercised in bringing into being millions of intelligent creatures on every planet of our system. That’s from the February. February 25, 1912 sermon called Heights and Depths.

Divine. Okay, yeah. Whereas Brother Russell didn’t know that there are, what, billions of galaxies out there as big as the mil. Milky Way, and there’s a lot of these things that wasn’t known then and. Yeah, so not where we’d want to be populated on some of the planets on our own solar system.

Yeah, yeah, that. Well, it would take divine palate to make any of them very. You know, Elon Musk has said he wants to colonize Mars, and I don’t know, I’m looking at Mars, I’m thinking, man, how bad does Earth have to get before that sounds like a good idea. I mean, it’s what, about 50 degrees below zero?

You can’t breathe the air. The. The soil doesn’t grow anything. I don’t know. I think I’d rather stay here, but.

But, you know, maybe in time and there’s a lot of space out there. There might be some other ones that. Of course, anything we. We do that way is making up a story we don’t know. Like.

Like the. Bro. Like the pastor said, the. The scriptures are silent, so we don’t have a solid rock of evidence to build any conclusions in that regard. But.

And of course, we have brethren that have written fictional stories about it. Brother Hudson has done that Brother John class, Brother Eugene Burns. Yeah. With his Alive Again series and, and several other brethren over the years.

But yeah, by the end of this chapter, Paul ends it with an admonition, a reminder, what is the whole point he’s trying to get across, and he says, therefore. This is verse 58. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, and so that’s what we encourage each of you is to remember the promises of the Lord.

Look forward to how let’s encourage each other into love and good work so that we can look forward to assisting the Lord in this beautiful restoration work. It’s the most optimistic plan of God that’s out there and we all want to be a part of. That’s a pretty good place to stop. I think so. Yeah.

Okay, so I think we’re done.

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