The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

harmony with the knowledge of God's will they will then receive, shall then (through
Christ's merit) be brought back into full harmony with God, and be granted everlasting
life. This we saw to be the Restitution work foretold in Acts 3:21. But though seeing that
the Church was called to joint-heirship with the Lord in the Millennial Kingdom, up to
that time we had failed to see clearly the great distinction between the reward of the
Church now on trial and the reward of the faithful of the world after its trial, at the close of
the Millennial Age, that the reward of the former is to be the glory of the spiritual, Divine
nature, while that of the latter is to be the glory of restitution--restoration to the perfection
of human nature once enjoyed in Eden by their progenitor and head,
Adam."
It was in view of this clear unfolding of the Truth that Mr. Russell was led to make the
following statement:
"Oh, the blessedness of this favored time! Oh, the harmony, the beauty, the grandeur of
the Divine Plan as it began to unfold when the 1335 days were 'touched'! It is to express, as
far as lies within our power, this 'blessedness' and fuller unfolding of the Divine Plan, now
due to be understood by all the 'holy people' now living, that this Scripture Studies series
is being published. . . .
"This message concerning Michael's Kingdom, gradually opening from 1829 onward, is
symbolically represented in the book of Revelation (chap. 10:2, 8-10) as a 'little book,'
which the 'wise' of the 'holy people,' represented by St. John, are instructed to eat. And St.
John's experience, as expressed in verse 10, is the experience of all who receive these truths
[concerning Messiah's Kingdom]. They bring wondrous sweetness: Oh, the blessedness!
But the after effects are always more or less a blending of the bitterness of persecution with
the sweetness. And the effect upon those who patiently endure to the end is to purge,
purify, and refine, and thus to make the Bride of Christ ready for the marriage and
exaltation due toward the close of the Day of Preparation."
An examination of the writings of other of God's saints discloses the fact that others were
beginning to see in a considerable measure the distinction between the heavenly and the
earthly calling. It was in this way that Christ manifested Himself in the due time
appointed to make known the Divine Plan concerning the mystery of the Kingdom. It was
at this time and since that the vision of the eating of the little book is meeting its fulfillment
in its fullest sense.
The second great commission
"And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and
tongues, and kings."--Rev. 10:11.
Expositors generally have applied this symbol altogether to the proclamation of the
message that was given in connection with the Reformation Movement. However, as the
time had not come then for a full understanding to be given, this reformation movement
referred to in the symbol, applies not only to the events of Luther's time, but also to other