Thus the Scriptures definitely identify the Logos, afterwards Jesus, who was crucified and who arose from the dead, as the great Deliverer of the human race.

From the time of the conception of Jesus, and before his birth, until he hung upon the cross, Satan the enemy used every possible means to destroy him. God permitted the adversary to go to the full extent of his power; but never at any time did he permit him to succeed, even as he can never succeed against God. God foreordained that death should not hold his beloved Son, and when Jesus arose from the dead he had fulfilled the prophecy: "Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54; Isaiah 25:8) He it is who once was dead and now is alive for evermore, and who holds the keys to hell (the tomb) and death. He is clothed with all power and authority and is able to save and deliver to the uttermost, and in God's due time he will deliver the human race and bring to all the obedient ones the blessings that God has in reservation for them that love him.

E

Preparing the Empire

Chapter X

MPIRE means a vast government possessing and exercising supreme power, sovereignty, sway and control. The empire herein referred to is God's government or king lom, organized, possessing and exercising supreme power for the benefit of his creatures, and particularly for the benefit of man. That government or empire is delegated to his beloved Son; hence it is properly called the empire or government of Messiah. The supreme power proceeds from the God of heaven, and therefore the empire is properly called the kingdom of heaven. We must not infer that God has not always governed his obedient creatures. There is no record of the beginning of the exercise of Jehovah's sovereign power. In fact the Scriptures speak of the priest Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, as picturing the executive officer of God carrying out the divine plan at all times. There is no record of the beginning of his days nor the end of his life.

But here we consider God's plan and provisions pertaining to man. God created the earth for the habitation of man. (Isaiah 45: 12, 18) The expressed purpose of God is to the effect that the perfect man shall have dominion or rule over the earth. Man's first overlord, Lucifer, who committed the great crime of treason against God, induced man to turn away from God; and man thereby lost life and the right to life. Lucifer,

who is now Satan the Devil, builded a great organization of his own to hold man in subjection to himself and to keep the mind of man turned away from Jehovah, to the end that Lucifer might receive the worship of man. God's plan and purpose is to deliver man from the power and influence of Satan and to restore him to his former condition of life and of blessings incident thereto. To this end God builds a mighty empire or kingdom, with his beloved Son as King. His arrangement is that Christ Jesus shall have associated with him one hundred and forty-four thousand others who shall form a part of his empire. In building this empire God has made no haste, but has majestically progressed with it according to his good pleasure.

Both Zion and Jerusalem are names applied to God's organization. It is out of this organization of Zion that the Deliverer must come. (Romans 11:26) Of necessity the foundation of the great empire must be laid in God's organization. Therefore it is written: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." (Isaiah 28:16) This prophecy without doubt refers to Jesus Christ the beloved Son of God, to whom he has committed all power in heaven and in earth. The great empire is symbolically represented as a stone structure, the foundation stone of which is Christ. He was tried and tested, and under the most severe test proved his loyalty and faithfulness to God. It is certain that God can always trust him. He justly earned the title "The Faithful and True".

Jesus is called "the precious corner stone" because he is the dearest treasure of Jehovah's heart. He is the

fairest of ten thousand and altogether lovely. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. . . . Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."Psalm 45: 3, 7.

Jesus is the "sure foundation", the one that can never be removed; always upholding the dignity and honor and good name of Jehovah God. This foundation stone is the foundation and chief corner of the empire that shall carry into operation God's great plan for the deliverance of man.

As to the time of the laying of this foundation, we have the proof from the Scriptures that it was at the time of the consecration of Jesus at the Jordan. About that time John said of and concerning him: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) About this time Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptized by John, and it was there that the prophecy written of and concerning him was fulfilled, to wit: "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."-Psalm 40: 7, 8; Hebrews 10: 7.

Jesus is also pictured as a lamb slain. From that time he was counted as slain and as the great sin-offering on behalf of man. It is written concerning him: "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8) Thus is fixed the time of the laying of this precious foundation; namely, at the time Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and begotten of the holy spirit.

ASSOCIATE RULERS

Before Jesus' first advent God had made his plan. That plan provides that there shall be a building upon this precious foundation stone, composed of other stones that shall form a part of the mighty empire. It necessarily follows that the class of persons to be thus made a part of the empire, also the manner of their selection, testing and completion, was prearranged according to the good pleasure of God. Hence it is written: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians 1:3-5) These words of the apostle apply to those, and to those only, who shall constitute a part of God's great empire which in due time shall govern and rule all the nations of the earth.

It is of keen interest to note that those who are to be associated with Christ Jesus in his empire are not selected from amongst the angels of heaven. It is God who selects them through Jesus Christ, acting as the representative of the Most High God. He lays hold upon or takes them from the human race, that is to say, he selects men possessing the faith of Abraham, as it is written: "Besides, he does not in any way take hold of angels, but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham."-Hebrews 2:16, Diaglott.

That which distinguishes Abraham above any who preceded him is his faith in God. Trusting implicitly in Jehovah, Abraham deported himself accordingly,