Revelation Chapter 3
VERSE 14 continued “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write…”
An extensive newspaper work by the Pastor also provided a worldwide witness. From a small beginning the work expanded until approximately four thousand newspapers and magazines, at one time or another, published his sermons—about two thousand doing so simultaneously (What minister today could say the same?). By this means he preached to an estimated fifteen million to twenty million people weekly. These sermons, supplied free, received publication in Great Britain, Australia, and South Africa, as well as in the United States. The volume of work he performed seems almost incredible considering the circumstances of the time in which he lived (World War I looming on the horizon). The following list indicates, in order, the extent of some of his writings and publications and at what age he accomplished these works:
Age, Title of the Books, and Circulation
At the age of 29 he wrote and published, Food for Thinking Christians (costing him personally $40,000) 1,450,000 copies.
At 29 he wrote and published, Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices 1,000,000 copies.
At 34, The Divine Plan of the Ages 4,817,000 copies.
At 37, The Time Is at Hand 1,657,000 copies.
At 39, Thy Kingdom Come 1,578,000 copies.
At 42, The Battle of Armageddon 464,000 copies.
At 45, The Atonement Between God and Man 445,000 copies.
At 52, The New Creation 423,000 copies.
Booklets published
What Say the Scriptures About Hell 3,000,000 copies.
What Say the Scriptures About Spiritism 600,000 copies.
Object and Manner of Our Lord’s Return 1,500,000 copies.
The Bible Versus Evolution 425,000 copies.
Answer to Robert Ingersoll 155,000 copies.
Scenario Photo-Drama of Creation 2,500,000 copies.
TOTAL CIRCULATION 20,014,000
(These figures are based upon sales records up to the time of Russell’s death in 1916. These books continue to be published today.)
A monumental endeavor was the Photo-Drama of Creation, a narrated slide presentation of the history of the world from the dawn of creation to the present and into the future. Costing more than a million dollars (a very great sum in those days), it required several years to plan, gather material for, and produce the scenario. Hundreds of paintings and sketches were made from which the stereopticon slides were produced. The lectures were a marvel of conciseness and comprehensiveness. In all, there were twenty complete dramas, each in four parts, so that eighty cities could be served daily. The Photo- Drama was shown throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia in approximately four thousand places with about twenty thousand exhibits, reaching about ten million people. All showings were free of charge.
In 1910 Charles Russell was privileged to speak to four thousand Jews at the Hippodrome in New York City on the text Isaiah 40:1,2. Initially suspicious of this Gentile preacher, the audience became increasingly enthusiastic as the message continued, and ended up giving him a standing ovation. His message to the Jew was one of comfort and encouragement, not a proselyting attempt; it scripturally supported, through prophecies of the Old Testament, the return of favor to the Jew and the reestablishment of the nation of Israel.
On all matters pertaining to the Bible, he asserted that a Christian should PROVE ALL THINGS and not shirk his personal responsibilities by placing them upon teachers.
He once declared, “Those who are so unfair in mind as to tenaciously hold to that which they have never proved by sound logic or the Word of God, are rightly called bigots (a bigot is one who will not reason; a fool is one who cannot reason); one who is blindly and obstinately devoted to his own church or opinions is a slave.” He further stated: “We should know what we believe and why we believe it; then be courageous and uncompromising in declaring the truth. Some have neglected the plain statements of God’s Word and as a result have suffered spiritually for their disobedience.”
Russell’s thoroughness in Bible study aided him in discovering the harmony of the Bible, and he introduced his thorough method to others. He thus revolutionized all existing ideas as to the proper methods of approaching the Bible to understand its teachings.
While his work was destructive of error and superstition, it did not leave his hearers victims of unbelief. On the contrary, he unfolded a harmonious, reasonable, scriptural view of the Bible that evidenced its inspiration. Beside and instead of the ruins of the temple of error, he erected the sanctuary of truth as a refuge against all the storms of doubt, superstition, and unbelief.
This Laodicean messenger enabled students of the Lord’s Word to see that the mystery of God is THE CHRIST, head and body; that The Messiah or mystery class is developed during the Gospel Age; and that thereafter “the times of refreshing shall come,” when the great restitution blessings for mankind will be put into operation (Acts 3:19; Col. 1:26, 27). How gloriously comforting is the message of restitution for the groaning creatures of earth! As the majority of true Christians have been delivered from the captivity of nominal Zion (Babylonish systems, the church nominal), and have learned of the coming blessings of restitution to all the obedient of mankind, their hearts have found expression in the words of the Psalmist: “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: . . . The Lord hath done great things for them [the world of mankind]” (Psa. 126:2).
That the returned invisible Lord would enlighten his people toward the close of the Gospel Age with truths both new and old through this special messenger, the following Scriptures clearly indicate:
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is THAT SERVANT, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” (Matt. 24:45–47)
“Blessed are those servants [plural], whom the lord when he comes shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he [the Lord] shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. . .. And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant [singular], whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.” (Luke 12:37,42–44)
The subsequent interpretation of the message to Laodicea would not have been possible without the elucidation of its dispensational content as set forth in the writings of “that servant.”
Continued with next post.
