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To the memory of
FLORENCE LITA COOPER,
the faithful and loyal wife of the author
and a lover of Israel,
is this volume affectionately dedicated
Preface
IN 1928 I published my volume The Eternal God Revealing Himself to Suffering Israel and to Lost Humanity. In it I present evidence concerning the Eternal God as seen in nature, as seen in the Old Testament, and as seen in the New Testament. On account of limited space, the discussions are very brief.
In 1930 I was providentially led to form the Biblical Research Society with a two-fold purpose in view: first, to break down anti-Semitism; and second, to broadcast facts and truths concerning God and Messiah to Israel, the Chosen People; for the message of redemption is "to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Rom.1:16).
Since then I have done much research and have written my Messianic Series of seven volumes, namely:
The God of Israel
Messiah: His Nature and Person
Messiah: His Redemptive Career
Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled
Messiah: His Historical Appearance
Messiah: His Glorious Appearance Imminent
Messiah: His Final Call to Israel
This Series is a written report of some of my discoveries in my quest for truth and facts on the subjects investigated; for I wish to make available to the public my findings, that others may be profited and blessed by these truths as I have been. In these books I expand the various cardinal doctrines of the subjects discussed in my original volume. They are primarily for the student class and leaders.
The abridged editions of the Series are designed for the great middle classes of the people.
In the present volume, The Shepherd of Israel Seeking His Own, I follow the general pattern of the development of thought found in The Eternal God Revealing Himself to Suffering Israel and to Lost Humanity. To expedite matters, I use Chapters I and II of this original volume as Chapters I and II of the present volume, without any change of material. In Chapters III to XI, I use certain sections of the Chapters of the original work. Chapter XII is entirely new material.
In my earlier writings I refer to Israel as a nation, as in modern usage, in the feminine gender, she and her. In my later writings I follow the Biblical terminology and use the masculine pronouns, he, his, and him, in referring to Israel.
As a rule, in referring to dates, I use the Anno Hominis chronology (in the year of man) instead of the popular Ussher dates. The entire Anno Hominis system is fully discussed and presented in my volume, Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled.
In all fields of research every scientifically-minded truth lover, being unselfish, is eager to tell others about the discoveries he has made in order that they, too, may enjoy and reap the benefits made possible by his labors. This principle always has the pre-eminence in the life and labor of those engaged in the spiritual realm. They realize that within this sphere these materials, with which they deal, are of eternal value. For over fifty years I have diligently searched the Scriptures, especially in their original languages, to ascertain what God has revealed to man. I lay claim for myself that the Lord, only in answer to believing prayer and as a reward for hard study, has shown me many things in the Word of which I had never heard, nor read. Whenever I experience the joy of some new discovery, it is my delight to pass the same on to others—especially to the Hebrews, God's Chosen People.
God chose the Jewish people through whom He made His revelation to man. Israel, therefore, was God's channel of blessing to the world. Whatever truth the Christians have, God first channeled it to them through the Chosen People. We Christians are therefore, humanly speaking, indebted to the Jews for all spiritual and scriptural truth that we have. The only way we can pay our debt to Israel is by giving back to them the Scriptures which they gave to us—the Old and the New Testaments—and the proper interpretation of the Scriptures. The Biblical Research Society is endeavoring by the Grace of God to pay its indebtedness, especially by means of the Messianic Series, which the Society is sending free (without any obligation) to those Hebrews who will make their wants known.
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