Millennial Dawn
By Professor William G. Moorehead – United Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Xenia, Ohio.
FIRST published in 1886, Millennial Dawn, was the earliest work of Jehovah’s Witness founder Charles Taze Russell.
Although much of the book’s content is an embarrassment to present day Witnesses, it still contained many unscriptural notions and false prophecies.
In 1911, just three years from Armageddon, Professor William G. Moorehead gave his opinion on the book.
Now, in the coming issues of Concern, you can read just what the professor had to say regarding Mr. Russell’s writings.
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The atonement of Jesus Christ was that of a mere man. (Study ix) Millennial Dawnism reiterates to weariness that Christ during His sojourn on earth was only and solely a human being. Even the spirit nature He had before coming into the world was changed into a man and so ceased to be. His death, therefore was a creature's death; His sacrifice only human; His atonement a mere man's. What a wretched caricature of Christ's person and work! What an inadequate and puerile conception it denotes of Divine justice and law, and of man's guilt and ruin by sin!
Scripture testifies that man, by his wealth, by his righteousness, by his self-sacrifice, can never redeem himself, much less his fellow man. (Psa. 49:6-12; Matt. 25:8,9.)
God claims this for Himself; He has found a ransom, He Himself is the Saviour of men and He has laid help on His Fellow, His Equal, even Jesus our Lord. Everywhere in Scripture the sinner's justification before god rests upon what Paul describes as "the righteousness of God" (Rom. 3:21-26; 4:1-8; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9, etc.).
That is , it is a Divine righteousness, provided in the Lord Jesus Christ and offered to all men who hear the Gospel. It is not a mere man's righteousness at all that we have in Christ; it is God's own righteousness, and therefore it meets and satisfies every claim upon us whether of law, or justice, or satisfaction to God, or holiness. The Apostle Paul does not shrink from ascribing even divinity to the blood of Christ: "Feed the flock of god which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). An uninspired man would never have dared to write so amazing, so matchless words as these. Of their genuineness there is ample proof."
The Resurrection
4.The body of Jesus was not raised up from death. (Series II, pp. 125-130.) To explain the disappearance of the body which was crucified the book says:
"Our Lord's human body was, however, supernaturally removed from the tomb; because had it remained there it would have been an insurmountable obstacle to the faith of the disciples..
"We know nothing about what became of it, except that it did not decay or corrupt..
"Whether it was dissolved into gases or whether it is still preserved somewhere as the grand memorial of god's love, of Christ's obedience, and of our redemption, no one knows; nor is such knowledge necessary" (pp. 129, 130).