ceived his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."-Revelation 20: 4.

The apostle shows that all the members of the royal line are subjected to the same temptation. (Hebrews 2:18) The same temptation which was presented to Eve, and to which she yielded and fell, was also presented to ecclesiastics; and to it these systems likewise yielded and fell. A like temptation was presented to the Lord Jesus, but he resisted it and won. All the members of the body of the royal family are subjected to the same temptation. Only the overcomers are granted membership in the kingdom. Overcoming means gaining the victory over Satan's organization by an absolute refusal to render allegiance to any part of it, and on the contrary to manifest loyalty and faithfulness unto God unto the end. To such overcomers these promises are made:

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God; and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (Revelation 3:12) "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Revelation 3:21) "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."-Rev. 2: 26, 27.

IN BONDAGE

The term Zion is applied to the people of God on earth because they are of Zion, which is God's organization. Babylon means confusion, and is a term applied to ecclesiasticism because of its numerous systems and conflicting and false doctrines. For a long period of time the true sons of God were in bondage to the Babylonish systems, patiently waiting for the time of their deliverance. These have sincerely prayed as Jesus taught them to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." They have waited and hoped for the second coming of the Lord and the setting up of his kingdom, having in mind at all times his promise to the disciples just before his departure: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." -John 14: 2, 3.

In the parable of the wheat and tares, given by our Lord, he shows that this kingdom class would be in bondage to the tares until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. (Matthew 13: 24-30) Then Jesus plainly said that these hypocritical tares were sown by the Devil, that the harvest is the end of the age, that the tares are the seed of the Devil and that the good seed are the children of the kingdom.-Matthew 13: 38, 39.

The Prophet Daniel prophesied concerning "the time of the end"; that is, the time or period in which the evil world will be ending or reaching a climax. Prophecy can be understood only when it is fulfilled or in course of fulfilment. It is recorded in this prophecy: "And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall

be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." (Daniel 12:9, 10) The wise here mentioned are those who have been watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord and his kingdom. These now understand.

Fulfilled prophecy shows that about 1874 and thereafter the Lord began to shed gradual light upon his Word and to bring the true Christians out of Babylonish bondage and restore to them an understanding of the great fundamental truths which had been taught by the apostles but which had been hid by the blinding influence of the Devil. The psalmist, speaking for the faithful ones thus waiting for the consummation of their hopes, says: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the nations, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us."--Psalm 126: 1-3.

The typical kingdom of God, namely, the nation of Israel, was overturned in the year 606 B. C. That date marks the beginning of the Gentile Times. God having here overturned the right of Israel to rule, Satan became the god of all the world, including Israel. The statement by the Prophet Ezekiel is to the effect that the Gentiles should continue under their super-lord without interruption until "he come whose right it is". (Ezekiel 21:24-27) Other scriptures show that the period of the Gentiles is, to wit, twenty-five hundred and twenty years.

When the true followers of Christ Jesus began to emerge from the Babylonish systems after 1874, and

began to search the Scriptures, and saw some of these wonderful prophecies and evidences of their fulfilment, they soon reached the conclusion that the twenty-five hundred and twenty year period of the Gentiles of necessity must end in 1914. Therefore they looked forward with great expectancy to the year 1914. The Lord has rewarded them for watching for the fulfilment of his prophetic utterances.

A

The Nation Born

Chapter XI

S HEREIN used, "the nation born" means that the constituted authority possessing the right to rule has begun to function; that is to say, has begun to reign.

In the history of men kingdoms are commonly spoken of as nations. The duly constituted authority that rules an organized people is called a kingdom, a nation, or a government. These terms may be used interchangeably. Government and empire mean the same thing. If there is a shade of difference it is that empire is more comprehensive. It would be proper to say that a kingdom or nation may begin on a small scale; but that when it is extended so as to embrace many peoples, and exercises absolute and supreme power and sway, it may then be properly termed an empire.

The Scriptures refer to THE Christ as "a holy nation". (1 Peter 2: 9) To be born means to be brought forth or to begin to function. It is here used in a figurative or descriptive sense, and as applied to a nation it means that that nation has begun to exercise authority. It is a woman that gives birth. "She was delivered of a man child." (Isaiah 66: 7) Zion, God's organization which gives birth to the man child, is symbolically called a woman.

In a government or power the right to govern rests upon some duly constituted authority. It is written