1916_The Divine Plan of the Ages.pdf

STUDIES

IN THE

SCRIPTURES

“The Path of the Just is as the Shining Light,

Which Shineth More and More

Unto the Perfect Day.”

SERIES I

The Plan of the Ages

A Vindication of the Divine Character and Government:

Showing, by a Recognition and Harmonizing of all the

Scriptures, that the Permission of Evil, Past and Present, is

Educational and Preparatory to the Ushering of Mankind

Into THE GOLDEN AGE OF PROPHECY In Which All

the Families of the Earth Will Be Blessed with a Full

Knowledge of God and a Full Opportunity for Attaining

Everlasting Life Through the Redeemer, Who Then Will Be

the Great Restorer and Life-Giver.—Acts 3:19-21

To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

IN THE INTEREST OF

HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS,

WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION,

—AND OF—

“ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE LORD,”

“THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH,”

—AND OF—

THE GROANING CREATION, TRAVAILING AND WAITING FOR THE

MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD,

THIS WORK IS DEDICATED.

“To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning

of the world hath been hid in God.” “Wherein He hath abounded toward

us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the

mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which

He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation

of the fulness of the times He might

gather together in one all things,

under Christ.”

Eph. 3:4,5,9;1:8-10

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY,

BROOKLYN, N.Y., U.S.A.

Written in 1886 by Pastor Russell

“The Divine Plan of the Ages”

THE AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

THE AUTHOR and the publishers desire to publicly acknowledge the favor of God which has

permitted them to be identified with the circulation of this Volume, and with the results—light,

joy, peace, fellowship with God, to many hungry, thirsty, bewildered souls. The first edition in its

present form was issued in 1886. Since then, one edition has followed another in rapid

succession and in twenty different languages, until now there are nearly five million copies of it

in the hands of the people all the world over.

We cannot hope that these books have all been read; but letters continually coming to hand

assure us that they are working powerfully in the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

Thousands write us that they have been influenced—some who totally disbelieved in the Bible as

a Divine Revelation to mankind. Others write that they have been atheists or approximately so,

because they had not previously known the true God and His true Plan of the Ages, and were

unable to accept, appreciate or worship the characters usually held before them in the creeds.

For above five years preceding the first publication of this Volume, we had substantially the same

matter in print under another name and differently presented. That book was entitled “Food for

Thinking Christians.” Its style was different in that it first of all attacked the error—demolished

it; and then, in its place, erected the fabric of Truth. We finally learned that this was not the best

way—that some became alarmed as they saw their errors falling, and failed to read far enough to

get a glimpse of the beautiful structure of Truth in place of the demolished errors.

Author’s Foreword

The present Volume was written from the reverse standpoint. It presents the Truth, shows its

strength and beauty, and then suggests the removal of the error, as not only unnecessary, but

absolutely useless and very injurious. Thus the reader of the DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES at

each step finds a strengthening of faith and a greater nearness to the Lord, and therefore a

confidence that he is in the right way. After seeing the Truth, the errors are more and more seen

to be absurd, worthless, injurious, and are gladly abandoned.

The great Adversary, of course, has no love for anything which opens the eyes of God’s people,

increases their reverence for God’s Book, and breaks their reliance upon human creeds. The

great Adversary, therefore, as we might have expected, is very much opposed to this book. Few

realize Satan’s power and cunning; few realize the meaning of the Apostle’s words in respect to

this Prince of Darkness who transforms himself into a minister of light, in order to fight the Truth

and destroy its influence. Few realize that our wily Adversary seeks to use the best, the most

energetic, the most influential of God’s people to hinder the shining of the light and to keep the

Divine Plan of the Ages away from the people.

Few realize that from the time creed-making began, A.D. 325, there was practically no Bible

study for 1260 years. Few realize that during that time the creeds were riveted upon the minds of

millions, shackling them to horrible errors, and blinding them to the Divine character of Wisdom,

Justice, Love, Power. Few realize that since the Reformation—since the Bible began to come

back into the hands of the people—well-meaning but deluded reformers have been blinded and

handicapped by the errors of the past, and, in turn, have served to

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