1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

wisdom and love, so that all creation in due timemay join in a mighty paeon of praise. "Blessedbe the glory of Jehovah from His place."— Psa.106:48.FM385Ezekiel 3:13.I heard also the noise of the wings of the livingcreatures that touched one another, and thenoise of the wheels over against them, and anoise of a great rushing.— Many Christianministers have had glimpses of the Word of God,knowledge of some details of the Plan, somemeasure or the Holy Spirit; but to Pastor Russell,God's messenger to the last stage of the Church,was given a superabundance of gifts, to set thethings of God in order (Isa. 44:7), to proclaim anharmonious understanding of all the Divinepurposes for mankind and of some for theangels. (Eph. 3:10.) He heard the full harmony of"the song of Moses and the Lamb." (Rev. 15:3.)To him the wings (Rev. 12:4), the Word of God,Old Testament and New, sounded their GladTidings, a message whose parts "touched oneanother," were in complete touch, full harmony.He heard for the first time since Apostolic daysthe Plan of God, "the noise of the wheels [cycles,ages]." He heard the manifestations of theoperation of the Holy Spirit, the "noise of a greatrushing," and was filled with the Spirit in ameasure beyond the portion of most Christianmen. His patience with the stupid and erring wasgodlike and his love-lit face was an inspiration.Ezekiel 3:14.So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away;and I went in bitterness, in the heat of myspirit; but the hand of the Lord was strongupon me.— "God hath taken you out of theworld" (John 17:16); raised "to sit with Christ inHeavenly places." (Eph. 2:6.) The Spirit tookPastor Russell away from earthly aims and raisedhim up to the plane of sacrificing priesthood. Heturned from commercial pursuits to devote hislife to the Heavenly Message. He tasted the hitterherbs of persecution, of suffering with Christ;