1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

Ezekiel 1:2, 3.In the fifth day of the month, which was thefifth year of king Jeholachin's captivity, theWord of the Lord came expressly untoEzekiel the priest, the son of Buzl, in the landof the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and thehand of the Lord was there upon him.— Mendo not raise themselves up to become great andhonored agents in God's outworking of theDivine Plan of the Ages (Luke 18:14; Eph.3:11); but now and then throughout the centuriesJehovah Himself (1 Cor. 12:18) has raised upChristian men to carry forward one step oranother of His purposes. God made special useof St. Paul, St. John, Arius, Peter Waldo, JohnWycliffe, Martin Luther and Charles T. Russell.The significance of the word Ezekiel is "God isFM368strong," and epitomizes the faith and the messageof Pastor Russell. He shows the power ofJehovah to save His people now (Acts 15:14),and later to save all the willing and obedient ofmankind. (Acts 15:17.)As Ezekiel was the son of Buzim, "Contemnedof God," Pastor Russell was born the child of anominal religious system which is unfaithful toJehovah. Pastor Russell, by the faithful carryingout of his vow of consecration to Divine service,was accepted as a true priest of the Almighty. Hesacrificed himself and all that he had until, inOctober, 1916, he died penniless, but rich in thethings of God. Chosen expressly by God todeclare the message of Present Truth to the last,or Laodicean age, of the Church, the hand,power, of Jehovah was upon him.Ezekiel 1:4.And I looked and behold, a whirlwind cameout of the north, a great cloud, and a fireinfolding itself, and a brightness was about it,and out of the midst thereof as the color ofamber, out of the midst of the fire.— As ayoung man Charles T. Russell was lookingintently to see what might be discerned in theWord of God. "Watch," said the Master.