Fully corroborative of this testimony, we direct attention to the further testimony of Jesus set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew only a few days before his crucifixion, to wit, in the spring of A. D. 33: "As he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy presence, and of the end of the world?" After giving them warning not to be deceived by other testimony, the Lord plainly answers their question: "Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:7, 8) In other words, he stated that a great world war would ensue, in which the nations and kingdoms of the earth

should be involved. That great war began exactly on time, at the end of the Gentile times; and there the old order began to pass away. The war, involving nearly all the nations of earth, continued for about four years, and its destructiveness of treasure and human life is unparalleled in any other time of man's history.

It will be noticed that Jesus said this would be accompanied by famine. Since the coming of the war there has been great distress in the world because of the shortage of food. In many of the countries of Europe thousands have literally starved to death. The food shortage in every country on earth is very apparent and the cost of living mounts higher and higher. This is not due to the fact that the earth is less productive, nor is it due to the fact of man's inability to plant and produce more; but it is due to the unsettled conditions resulting from the world war, which conditions Jesus clearly foretold would accompany the war; and it is another evidence that 1914 marked the beginning of the end of the world; for Jesus plainly said, "These are the beginning of sorrows".

Furthermore, it is observed, Jesus said that the war and famine would be accompanied by a pestilence. This has been literally fulfilled. The Spanish influenza swept over the earth and in less than twelve months the victims from that dread pestilential disease outnumbered two to one of those who died during the great world

war in four years; and now this is being followed in the European countries by the direful pestilence of typhus, against which the people are being warned.

Again Jesus said that the war, famine and pestilence would be followed by earthquakes. It was not unusual for Jesus to use symbolic language; in fact, he often used symbolic language or dark sayings to conceal the real meaning until the due time should come. In Biblical symbology earthquake means revolution. Following the war have come famine, pestilence and revolutions in many countries —some bloody and some bloodless. Russia has experienced her revolution and there the Babylonish systems have fallen. The same thing has occurred in Germany, in Austria and Hungary; and the spirit of revolution is rife everywhere. This does not mean the end of the trouble, but it does mean, according to Jesus' words, that the old world legally ended in 1914 and the process of removing the worn out systems is now progressing, preparatory to the inauguration of Messiah's kingdom.

CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY

It will be interesting here to examine a picture that Jehovah caused to be made centuries ago. The prophet Elijah was used as a type of the true followers of Christ Jesus. His journey to Mount Horeb pictures the journey of the true Christians down to the time of the end of the

world. The Lord directed him to go forth and stand on the mountain, picturing the church in such a position as to obtain a clear vision of the events about to transpire and transpiring. To Elijah the Lord said: "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wing rent the mountains [symbolically representing kingdoms], and brake in pieces the rocks [strong parts thereof] before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind [symbolic of war]: and after the wind an earthquake [symbolic of revolution]; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire [symbolic of greater troubles]; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.-1 Kings 19:11, 12.

In 1898 Pastor Russell, the greatest Bible student of modern times, commenting on the above Scripture, said:

'The four exhibitions of the Lord, given to Elijah, represent, we believe, four manifestations in which the Lord is about to reveal himself to mankind, the first three of which will prepare men for the final one, in which will come the desired blessing to all the families of the earth. These are:

"(1) The mighty winds rending the very rocks. Blowing winds seem to be used in Scripture for wars. The wars, whose dark clouds have threatened the civilized world so ominously for the past thirty years, have been miraculously hindered to give opportunity for 'sealing' the Lord's consecrated people in their foreheads

(intellectually) with the present truth. We are therefore to expect that when these winds of war shall be let lose, it will mean a cataclysm of warfare which shall divide kingdoms (mountains) — prefigured by the mighty wind shown to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11), which rent the rocks. But God's Kingdom will not follow the epoch of war; the world will not thus be made ready for the reign of Immanuel. No; a further lesson will be needed and will be given. It is represented in

"(2) An earthquake. Throughout the Scriptures an earthquake seems always to represent revolution; and it is not unreasonable to expect that an era of general warfare would so arouse the lower class of Europe and so discontent them with their lot (and especially with the conditions which would follow such a war) that revolution would be the next thing in order. (Revelation 16:18) But, severe though those revolutionary experiences will be to the world, they are not sufficient to prepare men to hear the voice of God. It will require

"(3) The fire from heaven —an epoch of divine judgments and chastisements upon a maddened but unconverted world, wild in anarchy, as other Scriptures show us. The results of their wars, revolutions and anarchy, in the failure of their schemes, will have a humbling effect, and will prepare mankind for God's revelation of himself in

"(4) The still small voice. Yes; he who spoke to the winds and the waves of the sea of Galilee will, in due time, 'speak peace to the peoples'. He will speak with authority, commanding the observance of his long neglected law of love. 'And whosoever will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people. ' — Acts 3:23"—The Finished Mystery.

Every close observer will witness that this

prophecy has been partially fulfilled and is still in course of fulfillment.

ISRAEL'S DOUBLE

The Jewish people God used as a typical people. Their law foreshadowed better things to come in the future. (Hebrews 10:1) Keeping in mind that prophecy means history written in advance, i .e., that the divine mind foreknew from the beginning the end and caused the salient points to be recorded for the benefit of those living at the times when they should happen, let us now examine further the testimoney of Jesus on this point. He said: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors". (Matthew 24:32, 33) The fig tree here is symbolic of the Jewish nation. We reach that conclusion from what Jesus himself said in cursing the fig tree a few days before he gave utterance to the words above quoted.—Matthew 21: 19, 20.

Jehovah, through Jeremiah his prophet, foretold to Israel that the climax of their punishment would come when he would drive them out of the land of Palestine into a strange country, where they would have to serve others and be oppressed for the same length of time that he has shown them his favor, the words of the prophet here being: "Therefore will I cast you

out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not show you favor. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall nor more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them; and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things." — Jeremiah 16:13-18.

Here it is to be seen that God not only foretold driving them out and punishing them, but that he would ultimately bring them back into Palestine; and the length of their punishment would be an exact double— a counterpart of duplication—of the time during which he has bestowed his favor upon them. "First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double." The word

double here means duplication or exact counterpart. If we can get the proper location of these time features, ascertain where the double began, we can very easily determine when God's favor should be due to return to the Jews and what relation that has to the budding of the fig tree, as above stated.

God is his own interpreter and will make plain his plan tothose who study to understand it. Through the mouth of another prophet he gives us the key to the location of the very day of the beginning of this double. The prophet Zechariah records concerning Jerusalem these words: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass". "Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee." (Zechariah 9:9, 12) This prophetic statement of the Lord must have a fulfillment at sole time and it is quite evident that its fulfillment would mark the date from which the double counts.

PROPHECY FULFILLED

On the 10th day of Nisan, A. D. 33, corresponding practically with our month of April, Jesus of Nazareth rode into Jerusalem upon an ass and offered himself as king to the Jews. St. Matthew records the incident in the following

words: "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."—Matthew 21:1-9.

Here, then, is a positive statement of the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy, and the very day of it is fixed; and so the Lord said, "Today I declare that I will render the double unto thee". That very day, then, marked the middle point in the history of the Jews. It is exceedingly important, then, to find out how long they had been in God's favor. The death of Jacob,

when he called his twelve sons before him and blessed them, is the beginning of the nation of Israel; therefore the date of the beginning of the favor upon Israel. From the death of Jacob until the 10th day of Nisan A. D. 33 was 1845 years. That is to say, on the 10th day of Nisan A. D. 33 the double began to count, and from that day Palestine began to disintegrate, the Jewish nation began to melt away; and exactly forty years from that date Palestine was completely depopulated. In other words, a period of forty years was occupied by Jehovah from the time he began to execute the double until Palestine was completely depopulated. As evidence of this, we cite the following historical accounts:

"It may be proper to mention also what things occurred that show the benignity of that all-gracious Providence, that had deferred their destruction for forty years after their crimes against Christ." (Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History) "On the 15th day of Nisan, i.e., of April, in the year 73 A. D., the first day of the Easter festival, the same day on which, according to tradition, the God of Israel had led his people out of Egyptian bondage into freedom, the last bulwark of Israel's liberty had fallen, and Israel was delivered into bondage." (Cornil's History of the People of Israel) "Masada attained great importance in the war with the Romans. With the fall of Masada the war came to an end, on the l5th of Nisan, 73." (The Jewish

Encyclopedia) "The capture of Masada, a Jewish fortress on the southwestern shores of the Dead Sea, put a termination to one of the fiercest struggles recorded in history (73 A. D.)." (Morrison's Jews Under Roman Rule) "Judea was not entirely subjugated; for three strong fortresses were still in arms: Herodium, Machaerus, and Masada. The heroes agreed to this proposal (of their leader Eleasar) even with enthusiasm, and on the first day of the great Feast of the Passover (A. D. 73), after slaying their own wives and children, they all perished on their own swords." (Graetz's History of the Jews, Vol. 2) "Eleasar accordingly persuaded all his people during that night to kill their wives and children and then themselves, but to burn all their treasures first. The next day the Romans found only 960 dead bodies, whilst but two women and five children hid themselves in caverns and were discovered. The Easter of the year 73, just seven years from the beginning of the great movement and forty years after Christ's crucifixion, saw this end of the whole tragedy." (Ewald's History of Israel, Vol. 7) The historian Josephus corroborates these dates.

DOUBLE BEGINS TO END

The double began to count, as stated, in the spring of the year A. D. 33; and since the period of favor had been 1845 years, the period of punishment should likewise be 1845 years. Then adding 1845 years to A. D. 33 brings us to 1878;

and on the latter date, if our calculations be correct, we should find, according to the parallel or double, that some time during the year 1878 there should be some marked beginning of God's favor returning to the Jew. In other words, here should begin the budding of the symbolic fig tree, which ought to be specially marked forty years later, viz., in 1918, if this parallel is carried out.

FAVOR BEGINS TO RETURN

In the summer of 1878, exactly on time and when we should look for God's favor to return to the Jew, we find there transpired a certain event of the greatest importance that had happened to Jewry in more than 1800 years. I quote from the Jewish Encyclopedia, which is a recognized authority: "Russia, at war with Turkey, was successful, and by the treaty of San Stephano practically effaced Turkey from Europe. Lord Beaconsfield, a Jew, came into power ín 1874. As Premier of Great Britain Beaconsfield sent the English fleet into the Dardanelles and brought Indian troops to Malta and made a demonstration against Russia. She yielded and agreed to a discussion of the whole affair at Berlin. Accordingly from June 13 to July 13, 1878, the Berlin Congress was held. Beaconsfield compelled Russia to greatly modify her treaty. Turkey was enfranchised and made independent, but upon condition that civil and religious rights be granted to the Jews. This

had an important bearing on the history of the Jews."

Other authorities state that Beaconsfield presided at that Congress, wrote the treaty and was the leading factor. As you well know, his real name was D'Israeli, a thorough, full-blooded Jew, the first and only Jewish prime minister Great Britain has ever had. From that time on the favor of the Lord began to be shown again to the Jewish people. According to the parallel we should expect God's favor to increase toward the Jews from 1878, and should have some special climax in the year 1918.

ZIONISM

For many centuries there have been repeated efforts to destroy the Jews, all of which have failed. God never intended that they should be destroyed and they never shall be destroyed. Their persecutions have held them together as a people and increased their longing desire for a home in the land of their fathers. In dealing with his people God always raises up a man at the opportune moment and often the man who proves his faithfulness to the task imposed upon him dies a martyr to the cause. In times past Jehovah has proven his purpose of making the wrath of man to praise him, and every one who has suffered for a righteous cause will in due time receive a reward for his faithfulness to the principles of truth and righteousness.

In 1860 there was born in Budapest a Jewish

child who grew to manhood's estate. Choosing first the law as a profession, he soon embraced journalism and forged to the front amongst the journalists and writers of the world. His heart was torn and bleeding because of the wicked and unjust persecution of his kinsmen, the Jewish people, which led to the formation in his mind of a scheme for their relief. In 1896 he gave expression to this scheme in his splendid paper, A Jewish State; and there many Jews of the world began to awaken to the fact that their cause had found a champion in this man. When first A Jewish State appeared, his office assistant wept, because he thought the author had lost his mind; but as the import of this paper was considered, it was hailed as a message of deliverance by many of the oppressed Jews of the world. He spent his life in the interest of the cause and his last words were: "Greet Palestine for me; I have given my life for my people."

Today the name Theodor Herzl is a household word amongst the Jews of earth and the time will come when the peoples of earth, Jew and Gentile, will recognize that Theodor Herzl was raised up at the opportune moment to give birth to Zionism, which is destined to succeed beyond the dreams of its originator.

CAUSE FOR ZIONISM

What was the inducing cause for the formation of Zionism? Was it due to the prosperity of the Jews? No, indeed. Let the beloved Herzl

answer: "The scheme in question [Zionism] included the employment of an existent propelling force. Everything depends on our propelling force. And what is our propelling force? The miseries of the Jews."

If we find that God foreknew the condition of misery of the Jews and permitted it to prepare the Jews for the Zionistic movement in order that they might be turned back to their homeland, will not that strengthen faith in the promises of Jehovah concerning what will be the ultimate result? "And I will cause them to pass over with thy enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in my anger, over you shall it burn." "Therefore will I hurl you out of this land into the land of which ye had no knowledge, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods by day and by night; so that I will not grant you and favor. Behold, I will send for many fishermen, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after that will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks." "And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word, among all the nations whither the Lord will lead thee."—Jeremiah 15:14; 16:13, 16; 24:9; Deuteronomy 28:37.

DEVELOPMENT OF ZIONISM

Officially organized in 1897, Zionism has advanced year by year. The first congress held in

Basle, Switzerland, in that year was attended by 206 delegates, only a handful of Jews: whereas today Zionism has its organization in every part of the world where there are Jews and there are some of them almost everywhere. Large sums of money have been raised and expended in the establishment of many agricultural settlements. Scientific methods have been employed in agriculture. Schools have been established, and the foundation of the great Hebrew University has been laid on the Mount of Olives. The organization of colonies is progressing. Jews are acquiring the land in Palestine and building houses; waste lands are being reclaimed and gradually the nation is rising.

DOUBLE FULFILLED

When Zionism was organized, among other things the first congress declared that its aim was and is the procuring of such government sanctions as are necessary in the achievement of the objects of Zionism.

As above noted, the favor of God began to return to the Jews in 1878 and according to the prophetic double foretold by the Lord's prophets, forty years later, or in 1918, there should be some marked and special manifestation of God's favor toward the Jew. The Jewish year begins in the autumn; therefore November, 1917, would be in fact the beginning of 1918. In 1917 the Allied armies drove back the Turk and took possession of Palestine. On November 2, 1917, or

about the second month of the Jewish year 1918, Great Britain officially recognized Zionism, as appears from the following:

"Foreign Office. Nov. 2nd, 1917.

"Dear Lord Rothschild:

"I have much pleasure in conveying to you on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations, which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:

"'His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object. it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other county.

"I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

"Yours sincerely,

"ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR."

Within the year 1918 ten nations of earth, including Great Britain and the United States, gave official endorsement of the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. It was in the spring of 1918, about the anniversary of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, exactly forty years from the time when the favor began to return to the Jew, that a commission in charge of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, with full authority from the British Government, sailed from London to Palestine, clothed with authority

looking to the establishment of a Jewish commonwealth in Palestine. Thus we see that the double was fulfilled exactly on time, as God had foretold through the mouth of his prophets.