When the Lord looked upon the world in its apostate condition, he and the servant recognized the potential good that was there. Just as a real olive tree will put forth sprouts from living roots when the branches are dead, the spiritual potential of those roots just needed to be nourished. Good fruit could still be obtained. Some of the evidence that there was still life in the roots can be seen by the state of affairs by the beginning of the nineteenth century. The Bible was printed into many different languages. The name of Jesus Christ had been preached to millions of people. The Judeo-Christian tradition had made a strong influence in the ethical conduct of people and the laws of nations. Freedom was established as a virtuous political goal. Everything was in place for the restoration of the gospel. In summary, all was not lost, and the Lord would still be able to produce good fruit, but to do it he must graft in the scattered branches.