The great pyramid passages and chambers

they themselves had received, they were, like their Master, misjudged, persecuted, and put to death. Evidently the long years of falling had warped and twisted men’s minds to so great an extent, that they were quite unable to comprehend the loving ministrations of God's true children. Had the same effort been made during the time when Abraham interceded for Sodom (See Gen. 18: 17-33), mankind's reclamation, according to Jesus’ own words (Matt. 11: 23, 24), would have been comparatively easier. Truly, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”

40 But, thank God, the mystery is now being revealed, for the time is at hand when all Jesus’ followers who have manifested the same loving disposition to bless, shall have the desire of their hearts realized ; and Christ shall ‘‘see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” ‘‘ Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world ?’’—1 Cor. 6:2; Isa. 53:11. It is evident that God designed mankind to learn to the full the bitter lesson of the downward course of sin.

41 Owing to their rejection of the Messiah, the favour of God was removed from the Israelites and given to the Gentiles; and as a nation they were destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 A.D. They had boasted that as the natural seed of Abraham, the promise belonged to them; but they did not understand the full significance of this promise. Paul explains that though a man be under the Mosaic Law, this does not constitute him a child of Abraham, for ‘‘as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse’’ of death; but, just as Abraham believed God, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness, so “they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham ’’—Gal. 3:10, 7. It was for this reason, that they might become true children of Abraham by faith, that Christ redeemed Jewish believers from the curse of the Law. The promise is certain of accomplishment; the Law was merely added because of transgressions till the seed should come. Who, then, is the seed ? The Apostle’s inspired statement is that Christ is the seed—* Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many ; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ "—Gal. 3:16. Isaac, the child of promise, is now seen to be merely a type of the frue seed. Just as Abraham sacrificed his son, his only son and received him from the dead “in a figure’ (Heb, 11: 19), so Jehovah sacrificed his Son, his only Son, Jesus Christ, and received him from the dead, not in a figure, but in reality.

42 The Scriptural declaration is clear that Christ is the seed ; but why do we not now see the accomplishment of the work which was to be fulfilled in and through the seed ? All the families of the earth are still far from being blessed. Over 71,000 are dying every day without having even heard of Christ, and during the six thousand years since God gave his word in the Garden of Eden, and the four thousand years since he confirmed his solemn promise to Abraham by an oath,—‘' because he could sware by no greater, he sware by himself’’ (Heb. 6: 13; Gen. 22: 16-18),—thousands of millions of the human race have died without having received the promised blessing. Yet God is faithful. What can be the explanation ?

43 The answer is given in the closing verses of the third chapter of Galatians. There the Apostle declares that as many as have been baptized (immersed—not into water, but) into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female in this anointed company (the word “ Christ’ means “anointed i);