Chapters
EPIPHANY STUDIES
IN THE
SCRIPTURES
"The Path of the Just is as the Shining Light,
That Shineth More and More
Unto the Perfect Day."
SERIES XVI
THE CHART OF GOD'S PLAN
14,000 Edition
"In order that now may be made known … the much diversified Wisdom of God, according to a Plan of the Ages, which he formed for the Anointed Jesus our Lord." (Eph. 3:10, 11—Diaglott.)
——————
To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
IN THE INTEREST OF
ALL HIS CONSECRATED SERVANTS
THAT FEAR HIM, BOTH SMALL AND GREAT
— 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, accord-
ing to His good pleasure which He hath pur-
posed in Himself; that in the dispensation
of the fullness of the times He
might gather together in one
all things, under
Christ."
Eph. 3:4, 5, 9; 1:8–10.
_____________
COPYRIGHTED 1953
BY RAYMOND G. JOLLY
EDITOR'S PREFACE
IT IS with joy that we present this book to the Lord's dear people, with the fervent prayer that He may use it to bring rich blessings to all who read and study it. However, only those who have made a careful and prayerful study of the book entitled, The Divine Plan of the Ages, will be prepared properly to understand and appreciate the presentations herein contained. It is hoped, therefore, that the reader will first study this famous "Bible Key," The Divine Plan of the Ages (which can be found on the "Links page of the Bible Truth Examiner website"), before undertaking a study of this book, which is supplementary to the former, and which treats especially of various details and additional features pertaining to the Chart of the Ages.
In view of the appropriateness of this work to the message of Rev. 19:6-9, now due to be declared, we believe that it is the Lord's will that it be provided in book form as the next in the EPIPHANY STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES series, despite the present high cost of book publication, the Lord having graciously provided the needed funds. We wish to acknowledge the able assistance of our dear Bros. August Gohlke and Bernard Hedman, two of Bro. Johnson's special helpers, who during his last illness, and since, helped in preparing the material for publication in book form. Most of the book's material having first appeared in the Author's magazines some years ago, the reader is asked to remember, especially in connections that refer to the development of the Little Flock, the time of trouble, the regathering of Israel, etc., that these things are set forth as viewed when written, even though the flight of time has produced further unfoldings along these lines since then. May God bless this book in its Divinely-intended mission!
Your servant in the Lord,
RAYMOND G. JOLLY.
Philadelphia, PA.
September 22, 1953.
PUBLISHER'S PREFACE
IT IS our pleasure to reprint this masterful presentation of God's Plan and present it to our readers. We should keep in mind, however, that the material was written many years ago, and should be viewed in this light.
1966 BERNARD W. HEDMAN
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AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
AS A frontispiece of his book, The Divine Plan of the Ages, our beloved Pastor had a wonderful chart which by the Lord's grace he drew up as an exhibition and illustration of God's Plan. We are happy to reproduce it in this volume. In a debate with our Pastor in 1903, Dr. E. L. Eaton presented a chart giving his idea of hades, i.e., that it had two compartments—a Paradise of bliss for the righteous, and a Hell or Tartarus of woe for the wicked. He remarked that our Pastor had drawn up a marvelous chart illustrating his view of God's Plan and that it was the work of a genius, but added with reference to his own chart, that it too was a work of genius, stating additionally that genius consisted of 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration. Our Pastor's reply, pointing to Dr. Eaton's chart, was, "I agree with Dr. Eaton, that his chart is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration"! The audience, catching the quick wit of our Pastor, fell into an applause which lasted for five minutes, then subsided, and then broke out anew for probably another five minutes; for they saw how his ready wit had completely nonplussed Dr. Eaton. Of our Pastor's chart we would say that it is 100% inspiration, for every detail of it squares with the Bible, as evidenced in his writings.
In the first chapter of this book we have outlined four Discourses on the Chart. These talks will be a part of the message of Rev. 19:6, and should be prepared in Schools of Prophets or otherwise by brethren able to speak to an audience or who can be so trained. Our purpose is, not to supplant our Pastor's works, especially Vol. 1, but rather to supplement them and to corroborate many of his teachings on God's great Plan. We pray that this book will be a blessing to our readers, and help them to be a blessing to others. And we pray our Heavenly Father to accept this labor of love, intended to glorify Him, to vindicate His character and truth, and to exalt our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Your brother and servant,
PAUL S. L. JOHNSON.
Philadelphia, PA.
July 29, 1948.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
THE CHART OF GOD'S PLAN—
ITS GENERALITIES
THE THREE WORLDS. THE THREE AGES OF THE SECOND WORLD. THE AGES OF THE THIRD WORLD. THE PLANES OF BEING. 7
CHAPTER II
THE BIBLE'S WORLDS AND AGES
(THEIR PARTICULARS)
THE THREE WORLDS. THE THREE AGES OF THE SECOND WORLD. 59
CHAPTER III
THE BIBLE'S WORLDS AND AGES
(THEIR PARTICULARS)
(Concluded)
THE THIRD WORLD. THE MILLENNIAL AGE. THE POST-MILLENNIAL AGES. THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE CHRIST ETERNAL. 133
CHAPTER IV
THE FIRST HELL OF THE BIBLE
ITS RELATION TO THE CHART OF THE AGES. TWO HELLS MENTIONED IN THE SCRIPTURES. DERIVATION OF THE WORD. THREE DEFINITIONS STATED AND APPLIED. TEN POSTULATES ON THE FIRST HELL. THE SCRIPTURES EXAMINED. 205
CHAPTER V
THE RICH MAN IN HELL—WILL HE EVER
COME BACK?
THE LITERAL INTERPRETATION. TWELVE OBJECTIONS NOTED. THE SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION. THE RETURN OF THE RICH MAN PROMISED. PROOFS THAT THE RICH MAN WILL RETURN. 235
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CHAPTER VI
THE SECOND HELL OF THE BIBLE
THE LAKE FIRE SYMBOLIC OF THE SECOND DEATH. SIX THINGS TO BE CAST THEREIN. IT IS THE SOUL THAT IS DESTROYED. TEXTS MENTIONING THE LAKE OF FIRE. THE TWELVE OCCURRENCES OF THE WORD "GEHENNA" EXAMINED. THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND GOATS. SODOM AND GOMORRAH AS AN EXAMPLE OF ETERNAL FIRE. SHEOL SOMETIMES REFERS TO SECOND HELL. 259
CHAPTER VII
THE HIDDEN MYSTERY
THE CHRIST, HEAD AND BODY. MISCONCEPTIONS OF OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE AND JESUS' DISCIPLES. FIRST REVEALED, LATER MANIFESTED. MEANING OF THE WORD "CHRIST." OTHER SCRIPTURE DESIGNATIONS FOR THE CHRIST. HOW HIDDEN IN TYPES AND FIGURES DURING PAST AGES. THE FINISHING OF THE MYSTERY. ITS MANIFESTATION TO OTHERS THAN THE SAINTS. 299
CHAPTER VIII
SUMMARIES ON VARIOUS FEATURES
OF GOD'S PLAN
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS' ASCENSION. THE TWO SIN-OFFERINGS. JESUS' WORK IN THE SATISFACTION OF JUSTICE. THE CHURCH'S SHARE IN THE SATISFACTION OF JUSTICE. THE SARAH FEATURES OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. THE CHURCH WALKING THE NARROW WAY. THE SUFFERINGS OF THE CHURCH. THE GREAT COMPANY. THE FALL OF MAN. THE PERMISSION OF EVIL. THE TWO SALVATIONS. ISRAEL'S RETURN. GLAD TIDINGS. THE BIBLE HARMONIOUS WITH ITSELF. WHY SHOULD WE EXPECT CHRIST TO REIGN OVER THE EARTH? DOES THE BIBLE HOLD OUT HOPE FOR ANY OF THE UNSAVED DEAD? DOES THE BIBLE TEACH A SECOND CHANCE? OUR LORD'S RETURN. THE MILLENNIUM. THE RESURRECTION. RESTITUTION. THE JUDGMENT DAY FOR THE WORLD. THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS. THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT. THE NEW COVENANT OPERATIVE EXCLUSIVELY AFTER THE GOSPEL AGE. THY KINGDOM COME. CONSECRATION. 313
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