The Watchtower, July 15, 1939
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“SALVATION”
We take special pleasure in announcing this new book, written by the president of the Society. It was the feature release at the recent world-wide convention of Jehovah’s witnesses with its hub at New York City. The author of this book for the times describes it as "A text-book for the Jonadabs”. But a study of its 384 pages of contents will prove to you it is meat in due season and a joy to all anointed Christians as well. The author’s edition only is now available, containing a facsimile of a letter to the reader in the author’s own hand and which you will much appreciate. This edition being limited, and the initial costs of manufacture being heavy, a contribution of 50c is asked per copy. Early translation of Salvation in more than twenty other languages is assured, and due announcement will be made on publication.
“DIVINE MANDATE” TESTIMONY PERIOD
The entire month of August has been designated “Divine Mandate” Testimony Period. This midsummer witnessing Period will be specially favored by the release then, for distribution to the general public at the popular contribution of 25c a copy, of the new book Salvation. Circulation of no other book could be more appropriate for this Period than that of Salvation, with its beautiful treatment of the recently revealed truth on the “Divine Mandate”. What anointed witness, or what person of good will in line for this divine mandate, could hold back from a prompt and large part in this Testimony Period? All will begin their preparations now. The Informant will give details to guide you. The regular report should follow up your activities at the close of the month.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES
Week of August 20: “Doom of Religion” (Part 3), fl 1-21 inclusive, The Watchtower July 15,1939.
Week of August 27: “Doom of Religion” (Part 3), fl 22-42 inclusive, The Watchtower July 15,1939.
VACATION
Notice! The Brooklyn factory and office will be closed for the two weeks beginning Saturday, July 22, and concluding Sunday, August 6. This will enable the Bethel family, after a year of consistent strenuous activity here, to get away for a temporary change and to enjoy opportunities of field service in common with the other Kingdom publishers. All publishers will therefore order in advance enough supplies of literature to last them over the Bethel vacation period, and to the end of
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Vol. LX
July 15, 1939
No. 14
DOOM OF RELIGION
PART 3
"So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me."—Ezek. 33:7.
JEHOVAH’S prophets speak in exact harmony. They could not speak otherwise. It is Jehovah’s message which they are announcing. The name of Jehovah must be declared throughout the earth before he shows the enemy His great power. (Ex. 9:16) The warning must be given of the approaching disaster. It was so in the time of the miniature fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and it must be so at the time of the complete fulfillment upon the land of “Christendom”. The prophet Ezekiel was also sent by Jehovah to give warning to Jerusalem, and Ezekiel there pictures those whom the Lord uses to give warning to “Christendom” at the present time. In the fulfillment of the prophecy the “feet” members of Christ Jesus are called the “watchman” because they watch for their brethren and for all who love God and they watch for the kingdom interests, and then, above all, they are watching the hand of the Almighty God that they may ascertain and do his will. (Ps. 123: 2) The watchman is diligent to look for the events which God brings to pass, furnishing a lead for his people, and they are quick when receiving orders from the Lord to obey the same. All the members of the body of Christ now on the earth, and which are collectively called “the remnant”, are also collectively the watchman of the Lord. To them the Lord makes known the meaning of his prophecies, and, when ascertaining what they must do, those of the remnant do it with joy. Thus they keep in step with God’s organization, which moves majestically forward to accomplish his purpose.
2 Chapter two of the prophecy of Joel opens with an emphatic command given to Joel, who represents the faithful witnesses of Jehovah now on earth: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.”—Joel 2:1.
3 As Joel the prophet sounded the alarm to Jerusalem, so now the remnant in fulfillment of the prophecy must in obedience to God’s command sound the alarm among all persons of God’s organization, and within the borders of “Christendom”. The remnant has received the commission from Jehovah’s hands to make proclamation of the vengeance of the day of the Most High and thus to sound the warning. That commission is given alone to the anointed, as it is written: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to . . . proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and [to declare] the day of vengeance of our God.” (Isa. 61:1, 2) The sounding of the trumpet of warning is for the benefit of those in God’s organization, as well as for those who claim to be the servants of Jehovah: “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.”—Isa. 51:1.
4 To those who love Jehovah and who love the appearing of Christ Jesus, his King, the trumpet gives forth a sound that fills their hearts with joy, announcing the day of jubilee. But the effect is exactly the contrary to the religionists. To those who practice religion the trumpet of God gives a sound of distress. The religious leaders have long reveled in their ability to carry on according to their own ideas, and they would not now sound the alarm if the opportunity to do so were given to them. On the contrary, those religionists are designated by the Lord as “dumb dogs”, “lying down,” and ‘loving slumber’ and ease and to lie in the beds of tradition made by their fathers. (Isa. 56:10) The religious leaders refuse to recognize that Jehovah’s day is here. They do not want that day of Jehovah, and they refuse to hear of the battle of Armageddon. On the contrary, they cry out to the people under them and who support the religious organizations: “Peace, peace,” “when there is no peace.” Those religious leaders have an avaricious desire to acquire the things that the “present evil world” can furnish them to make them comfortable and easy, and to give them a standing with the other members of the worldly organization. Not one of the religious leaders in all the earth today supports the interest of the kingdom. Concerning such the prophet of the Lord says: “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.”—Jer. 6:13-15.
5 The trumpet must be sounded in Zion, that is to say, in Jehovah’s capital organization, or particularly that part which is on the earth. Christ Jesus having appeared and builded up Zion (Ps. 102:16), he has gathered unto himself the faithful ones remaining on the earth and made them a part of Zion. Christ Jesus is the “Faithful and True Witness” of Jehovah, and those with him at the temple must be witnesses to Jehovah, and it is to such that the command is given to ‘blow the trumpet’. They are under the immediate command of the Lord Jesus Christ and form a part of His capital organization: “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” (Rev. 14:1) With God’s typical people the priests were to sound the alarm of danger; and so in the antitypical or final fulfillment of the prophecy, it is those who are of “the royal priesthood” that must sound the alarm of the near approach of Armageddon, and in doing this they are participating in Jehovah’s “strange work”. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy, and those with them in their so-called “united Christian religious front”, try to prevent the people from hearing the trumpet of God, and to offset the same those clergymen blow their own tin horns announcing their own greatness and at the same time denounce the witnesses of Jehovah, calling them “Communists”, for want of something else to name them. God’s trumpet is sounded from his “holy mountain”, where Jehovah has placed his King: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Ps. 2: 6) From God’s organization the sound of his trumpet goes throughout the earth, particularly throughout “Christendom”, and it is the privilege of his witnesses to carry this message to the various lands. This is further corroborated by another of God’s prophets, to wit: “And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.”—Amos 1: 2.
6 All who love God fear him with a godly fear; hence the prophecy states: “Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble.” The anointed remnant and their companions, the Lord’s “other sheep”, are the only ones who really fear God and who therefore take the wise course. Knowing that the sound of the trumpet is a message of Jehovah, which means really a complete deliverance for his faithful servants and at the same time the destruction of the wicked and the complete vindication of Jehovah’s name, has the effect of filling the faithful with a godly fear and with rejoicing in their hearts. They have the joy of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ, the King, has appeared to their joy, and they know he shall vindicate Jehovah’s name: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to his enemies.”—Isa. 66:5,6.
7 To the faithful servants of Jehovah there is a clear and marked distinction between the noise that comes from the religionists who pretend to represent the Lord, and the “voice from the temple”, which is the voice of the Lord’s devoted ones uttered and led by Jesus Christ. The effect upon the religionists is exactly opposite to that upon those who love God. Like Belshazzar, who saw the handwriting on the wall, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their allied religious elements, shaking with fear and dread because of the message of truth announcing the doom of religion to them, are made mad, and their first thought is to stop the message by destroying the messengers and their work. Regardless of the opposition, Jehovah’s witnesses go straight forward in the performance of their part, sounding the trumpet, and their zeal and devotion to God are a token to the Hierarchy of the near downfall of that institution. They do not wish to hear such warning, and hence they vent their spleen against the ones whom the Lord uses to give the warning.
8 Why should an alarm be sounded now? Because “the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand”. Jehovah always gives notice and warning in advance of his positive action, in order that those who properly fear him take the right course and find the way of escape and the place of safety: “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.”—Prov. 22: 3.
9 “The day of Jehovah” began in 1914, when he enthroned his King, and therefore it is at hand now, and will reach a climax in the battle of the great day of God Almighty. His “strange work” is now being done to serve notice upon all of his purpose, that they may have no doubt that Jehovah is acting. The “strange work” will be quickly followed by God’s “strange act".
DARKNESS
10 This is a day of darkness for “Christendom”. Jehovah by his prophet has emphasized the coming of this day of great darkness, but the religionists have ignored God’s Word and have relied upon their own opinions and that of other men who preceded them, whom they call their “fathers”; and all their allies today love to have it so. Speaking of this day by his prophet, Jehovah says: “A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.”—Joel 2:2.
11 This description agrees exactly with the facts as now observed by all those who give heed to the Word of God. Speaking by the mouth of his prophet, Jehovah says of this day: “The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light,” to religionists and all of Satan’s organization. Then the Lord illustrates how men act in this day who are surrounded by the darkness and have no light: “As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” —Amos 5:18-20.
12 The religion-mongers and practitioners will find no way of escape. Regardless of what they do the Lord will search them out and see that the proper recompense is ministered unto them. (Jer. 25:35) “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.”—Zeph. 1:14-16.
13 Such is the condition in which the enemies of God find themselves now. They will not be able to escape darkness: “But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.” (Nah. 1:8) Added to their mental and spiritual darkness that has come upon the religionists, God sends his army of “locusts”, which have plagued and which continue to plague those of Satan’s world, even as the army of locusts down in Egypt plagued those who were against Jehovah and against his people: “And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.” —Ex. 10:14,15.
14 These prophecies are today being fulfilled upon “Christendom”. It is the time of which Jehovah speaks, a time of darkness to the enemy and of light to those who love him and serve him faithfully and truly; and concerning this he says through his prophet : “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.”—Isa. 60:1,2.
15 The light from the temple daily increases and makes glad those who are devoted to Jehovah and his kingdom; and, therefore, while the enemy is in darkness those who love and faithfully serve Jehovah God have an ever-increasing light, and with that light their joy increases. “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.” (Prov. 4:18,19) The religionists are in the dark because they reject the Word of God. Religionists do not believe the Word of God, and hence go contrary to his law and to his prophets: “To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light [(Rotherham) no dawning day] in them.” (Isa. 8: 20) It is the time when wicked spirits control the rulers of this world. (Eph. 6:12) It is the day when Satan is putting forth his last desperate effort to destroy the human race.
16 This is the “day of clouds”, which betoken (1) the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ex. 13:21; Ex. 19:9,16; Matt. 26: 64; 1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 1:7), and (2) a time of distress and trouble, announcing the approaching storm of Jehovah upon his enemies. Mark the difference between those who love God and those who are his enemies: the joy that fills the heart of God’s people, and the effect upon the enemy: “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.”— Ps. 9:1-3.
17 In this time of darkness upon his enemies the Lord causes his light to shine on his “other sheep”, while he gathers them to himself and comforts them: “As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” (Ezek. 34:12) At the early morn, when the dawn is upon the mountains, the sunlight is hid; and so it is with the enemy today. As the kingdom glory appears even now to religionists there is an uneven and unsteady light which is daily growing darker. In this condition of darkness upon the enemy a “great people” appears, great because used by Jehovah to have part in his “strange work”, “a great people and a strong [and bold (Rotherham)].” (Joel 2:2) At Joel 1: 6 these are called “a nation”. In the complete fulfillment of this part of the prophecy the word “people” is used evidently for the reason that it is now God’s people whom he has taken out for his name’s sake which come as a swarm of locusts to proclaim the name of Jehovah. They are not great in themselves, either in name or fame or power, nor great in the sight of men, but are regarded by such as very insignificant. They are made to appear as great, however, by reason of the work done and their methods employed to reach the hundreds of millions of people and place in their hands hundreds of millions of copies of the message of warning. These people who are taken out by Jehovah for his name are bold, because this is the day of the Lord’s judgment and his witnesses must be bold and thereby show their love for Jehovah. (1 John 4:17,18) This does not mean that they are rude, but that they are fearless of creatures, fearing only God.
18 That which Jehovah’s witnesses have accomplished in recent years is phenomenal in the eyes of many. As stated by the prophet: “There hath not been ever [before] the like.” The same thing was said of the swarms of locusts down in Egypt. (Ex. 10:14) Never had there been such a widespread publication of the truth of God’s Word as during the past few years; and this is true because it is God’s time and it is his work. From the year 1921 to 1931 Jehovah’s witnesses placed in the hands of the people books and booklets to the number of 110,565,401. Since 1931 the work accomplished by Jehovah’s witnesses has been even greater. The message has been broadcast by hundreds of radio stations each week and at certain times by international broadcast. Thousands of phonographs and sound machines have been employed to proclaim the message, free tracts numbering many millions have been put in the hands of the people, and at the end of the year 1938 the publications of the Society (the books and booklets) in the hands of the people exceeded 275,000,000, and this in more than 70 different languages. Nothing like that ever before in the history of man. It has been accomplished by the power of the Almighty God and Christ Jesus. This distribution of literature and witness work is not a religious movement, but the publication of God’s Word, and done at his commandment. When the strange work of proclaiming the truth is done such will never be repeated, because there will be no occasion to do so; hence says the prophet: “Neither shall there be any more after it [after them (R.V.)], even to the years of many generations.” The “strange work” is for the vindication of Jehovah’s name, and following Armageddon all creatures that breathe shall be praising Jehovah’s name, the vindication of which will have been fully accomplished, and no need for a repetition thereof.
19 Since the beginning of Jehovah’s “strange work” that work has progressed with intensified zeal or heat. God’s army of servants, likened unto locusts, has appeared with the sound that is the sound of the fifth trumpet described in Revelation 9:1-12. That fifth trumpet began to sound in 1926, at the time of a convention of God’s people in London, England. At that time “Christendom” had become guilty of the “transgression of desolation” by setting forth a Devilish organization claiming the right to rule the earth instead of God’s kingdom. (Dan. 8:13) Prior to 1926 there was sounded a series of trumpets or alarms, which are described at Revelation, chapters eight, nine and eleven. It was during that time, that is, from 1922 to 1926, that some work foretelling the coming of the locusts had to be done. That work is described in Revelation 16:1-9 as “plagues”. Those plagues heated up the religionists, and were therefore like a flame of fire. In this connection mark the description by Joel (2:3): “A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” This means that before the coming of the army of locusts there came a devouring flame unto the religionists. That proclamation of the truth well heated up the religionists, who then began to witness the burning up of their pastures as a result of the heat. Then when the “strange work” has been completed the destructive flame at Armageddon comes upon them and finishes the job. The organized and progressive witnessing by God’s faithful servants began in 1922, after Christ Jesus had assembled the approved ones at the temple and anointed them, and this work must progress until the conclusion of God’s “strange work”, which is quickly to be followed by his “strange act”. Hence before the coming of the army of “locusts” as such, the heat was turned on; and behind the locusts a flame of fire shall burn. "As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire, so persecute them [God’s enemies] with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.”—Ps. 83:14,15.
20 Jehovah put that prayer in the Scriptures to be uttered by his faithful witnesses, and that in harmony with his will; and that prayer God answers according to his will. In symbolic phrase another prophet of Jehovah describes the scorching of “Christendom” and the wasting of her pastures: “And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”—Ezek. 20:47,48.
21 The effect of this scorching heat and the work of the locusts upon “Christendom” is described as “the land is as the garden of Eden before them”, which was the condition prior to 1922. The Protestant clergy and allies vigorously advocated the League of Nations as “the political expression of God’s kingdom on earth”. The League was then set up, and the Roman Catholic Hierarchy climbed upon the back of the old “beast”. A great religious revival had been predicted by the clergy following the World War, and hence those religionists tried to start the old chariot to moving. In 1919 the Interchurch World Movement of the Protestant Churches of America was launched. At least they tried to make her go. Much money was collected and spent to boost the thing, and hence the field at that time before the religionists looked good, like unto a garden. In the spring of 1919 the National Catholic Welfare Conference was organized. Fascism raised its head in Italy, the same year, and at that time the Vatican, looking for an instrument to be used apparently against Bolshevism but to be used in reality against the message of God’s kingdom, seized upon Fascism as such a desired instrument. Shortly thereafter Fascism put the Papacy back into temporal power and the Hierarchy became a large political machine. For some time prior thereto the Roman Catholic organization was, as the prophet describes, ‘the forgotten harlot of modern Tyre’. In those days of refreshing the old lady redecked herself and began to sing her songs in an effort to entice others and to regain her former political and commercial paramours. (Isa. 23:15-17) February 6, 1922, Cardinal Ratti was selected pope, and about the same time Mussolini assumed control of Italy. So at that time the field, that is, the nations of the earth, looked to the religionists very promising, like unto a garden of pleasure; and so they looked upon it and called it “The garden of the Lord”, and the religionists felt and acted as though they were riding upon the top of the waves of the universe. In the eyes of religionists there seemed to be no particular reason to be worried about anything that Jehovah’s witnesses might do. True, those witnesses were considered by religionists as a pestiferous crowd, but they expected them to do little or nothing. The religionists figured that they had killed the work and influence of Jehovah’s witnesses during the World War, and hence the religious leaders were riding high and strutting their stuff. At the same time, by the grace of Jehovah and under the immediate command of Christ Jesus at the temple, Jehovah’s witnesses were reviving and getting their work in order. In the Lord’s due time Jehovah’s army was ready and he sent them forth, likened unto a cloud of locusts. That was the beginning of real activity and real organized forward movement of Jehovah’s witnesses, and now, after the Lord’s locusts have been at work for a few years, the religious field looks like a place of desolation. Hence the Lord, by his prophet, says: “Behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.”
22 The effect of the invasion of the “locusts” of the Lord and the declaration of God’s judgment against all religion, and particularly the so-called “Christian religion”, discloses that the same is a fraud and a snare of the Devil. Honest people of the world, learning the truth, now look upon religion as a desolate thing, as a snare and a racket, and they see that it is under the blight of God’s adverse judgment. The faithful witnesses of Jehovah have not been partial to any religion, but have, at the command of the Lord, boldly announced that the purpose of all religion is the defamation of the name of Almighty God, the scheme of the Devil to turn the people away from God. The declaration of the truth has been against all such enemy organizations: “And none hath escaped them.” (R.V.) Not even the mighty and the high of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy have been able to go on without taking notice. In 1933, with great gusto and much noise made by that Catholic organization and their political allies the so-called “holy year” was announced, the purpose of which was to restore in the minds of the people “the garden of Eden” appearance for religion. Then the Lord by his army of “locusts” pulled the camouflage off religion, and since then the people have become well informed and know that all religion is of the Devil and is the chief opponent and bitter enemy of Christianity. Likewise Fascism and Nazism and Communism have been shown up as devilish instruments, upon which the Roman Catholic Hierarchy organization rides, and for which it acts as spiritual adviser. The people are learning that the purpose of that unholy combine is to rule the world in the place and stead of God’s kingdom under Christ. They see that religionists have put the “corporate state” above Jehovah God and his kingdom.
23 Whom has the Lord used to bring about this condition of devastation upon the fields of religion? He has used his faithful servants, who act strictly under the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. In all the efforts put forth by the Lord’s army of locusts no physical force or carnal weapons have been used; and such is exactly in harmony with the prophecy. There has been no physical destruction of any houses, property or person. Locusts do not work that way. Jehovah’s witnesses, under the command of their Head, Christ Jesus, turn on the light and the heat and devour the false teachings of men, which have been invented by the Devil and used by his agents to defame the name of God and turn the people away into darkness. At the present time Jehovah’s witnesses see how they have been favored by the Lord and how he long ago caused this prophecy to be written foretelling present-day conditions and its fulfillment in this present time. They are very much encouraged and comforted, and their hope is brightened, and on they march with joy! The Lord continues to furnish his people with evidence that he is at the helm and that as long as his witnesses remain faithful to God and his King they may be certain of having everlasting blessings bestowed upon them by the hand of the Lord.
24 For the further encouragement of the faithful remnant and their companions, the Jonadabs or “other sheep”, the Lord by this prophecy gives a minute description of those that make up his army likened unto locusts: “The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.” (Joel 2:4) Horses symbolically picture war equipment; as it is written: “Horses prepared unto battle.” Thus are pictured the faithful witnesses of Jehovah who go right on in his work as he commands, not hesitating for anything. The locusts have an oblong-shaped head, somewhat like that of a horse, and he uses his head: “And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.”—Rev. 9:7.
25 Locusts are not afraid, nor is the horse afraid, and it is to such that the faithful witnesses of Jehovah are likened: “Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.” (Job 39:19, 20) The big religious leaders and allies try to frighten Jehovah’s witnesses into submission and to cause them to cease their witness work, but the faithful hear and obey the Lord Jesus Christ, who says to them: “Fear them not.” (Matt. 10:26,28) The locusts resemble the horse going into battle, and so Jehovah’s witnesses push on in the fight regardless of opposition: “He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.” (Job 39: 22) Jehovah’s witnesses love God and Christ, and “perfect love casteth out fear”. (1 John 4:18) They know they are going in the fight against bitter opposition, but God gives to them the assuring command that he gave to Jeremiah: “Be not afraid of [them].” “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee; be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.”—Jer. 1:17-19.
26 A better translation of the latter part of this verse of the prophecy of Joel reads: “And as warhorses so shall they run.” (Joel 2:4, Rotherham) They run to and fro in the service. They do not run away from the battle, but at the Lord's command they increase their speed. “The horse rusheth into the battle.” (Jer. 8:6) “His horses are swifter than eagles.” (Jer. 4:13) Since the beginning of the year 1939 Jehovah’s witnesses have shown an increased speed and fearlessness in the “strange work”.
27 Jehovah’s witnesses are always anxious to do with all their might that which is possible for them to do. In January, 1939, the Society suggested that more time might be occupied in the field of witnessing, and suggested that sixty hours per month is not unreasonable. Some who claim to be the Lord’s servants have objected and complained of that increased activity. All are reminded that the Society has no authority to give commands and that the sixty hours in the field work is merely a suggestion; and it is believed that the Lord caused that suggestion to be made, and it is for each one of the Lord’s servants to do what he thinks to be the Lord’s will. The Lord in his Word has foretold diligence in his service. He likens his faithful workers to war horses, and that of itself is a strong indication that the servant should put forth his very best endeavors in this day of heated battle. Almost all who claim to be on the Lord’s side have gladly accepted and adopted the suggestion, and during the first half of the year the hours of field service have been greatly increased by the workers. Some of these witnesses who have passed the age of threescore and ten have speeded up even more than some of the others and have made as much as seventy hours per month in the field service. Some at first thought themselves unable to carry the phonograph, but now have learned that the burden is easy when in the service of the King. Like a war horse they are going daily in the battle with greater joy. If any desire to look back and take it easy, let them do so. All who really love God will do what they believe is God’s will concerning them, and if they can put in more time they will delight to do so.
DESCRIPTIVE
28 In symbolic language the Lord caused such a clear description of the faithful witnesses that no doubt is left as to their identity. He also describes the harmonious action on the part of those who form his visible organization, and this is further proof that all of the faithful dwell together and work together in peace, having in mind the one thing, the vindication of God’s name. Jehovah’s witnesses are shown as fearless of man’s power or of the Devil’s power and are pushing forward actively in Jehovah’s service in obedience to his commandment: “Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.”—Joel 2:5.
29 A similar description is given in The Revelation of Jesus Christ concerning the earthly part of God’s army: “And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.” (Rev. 9:9) The movement of a gigantic swarm of locusts is very noisy, but it is a harmonious noise. Like the illustration, so with the reality. Forward and active movement of Jehovah’s witnesses is now and for some time has been carried on with much publicity, harmonious sound, and what they have done has been done openly and aboveboard. If the clergy in one community oppresses a pioneer a whole swarm goes in immediately and cleans up the community. They call the people’s attention to Jehovah’s name and that his kingdom is here and it is the only possible means of bringing to them peace, prosperity, life and happiness; and their movement is a harmonious song. They warn the people of the near approach of the battle of Armageddon. They do their work systematically and in a well-organized manner, and their movements and sound of warning are much like the oncoming of war chariots hurrying to the battle. It is Jehovah’s war organization, the invisible part of which is rapidly approaching to destroy the hypocritical and unfaithful “Christendom” and will do the real destructive work; but the remnant go before and announce the fact. God’s great organization, like a huge and irresistible chariot with four tremendous wheels, is described by Jehovah’s prophet Ezekiel as moving forward and crushing all opposition. (Ezekiel first chapter; Ezek. 43:1-3) The forward movement of the Lord’s army of locusts strikes terror into the hearts of the religionists, because to them it is a token of impending destruction.—Phil. 1:28.
30 The word “mountains”, as used in the prophecy, verse five, symbolically pictures the government organizations of “Christendom”. Such governments attempt to hinder the work of Jehovah’s “locust” army, and resort to various means to accomplish that wrongful purpose. Such government opposition, however, does not deter the witnesses of the Most High nor frighten them into submission. Jehovah’s “strange work” must be done, and God will see to it that it is done according to his will. During the past few years those devoted to God and his King have fully recognized and acknowledged God and Christ Jesus as the only higher powers and that all Christians must obey God and Christ, regardless of opposition from man or man-made governments. (Rom. 13:1) The faithful apostles blazed the way, and the faithful followers of Christ now go the same way. (Acts 5:29) Only a short time ago the Lord’s “little flock” of witnesses were scattered because of the assaults of the religious leaders of the earthly governments. No one of the religionists showed them any favor whatsoever. God took notice of this, foreknew it would come, and foretold it: “And they were scattered because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.” (Ezek. 34: 5,6) The Lord notified these false shepherds that he would take action. Now Jehovah’s witnesses have received from the Lord a clear vision of his purpose. They trust in God implicitly and go forward without fear of human or Devil institutions.
31 Fires frequently break out and destroy the stubble field following an exceedingly hot and dry period, and such fire is attended with much noise. Even so the united action of Jehovah’s witnesses and their companions appears to the religionists “like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble”. The “strange work” of Jehovah is a warning to give the alarm of the fire of Armageddon. God by his spirit moved the apostle Peter to write of such time: “But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.” “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Pet. 3:7,10,12) This is further corroborated by the prophet Malachi: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”—Mal. 4:1.
32 In describing the activities of the locusts, mark the language of Joel’s prophecy: “As a strong people set in battle array.” There the preposition “as” shows that the words did not apply in Joel’s day, when the locusts destroyed the fields, but actually refers to intelligent creatures and human organization, Jehovah’s witnesses. These are not armed with carnal weapons, but they are thoroughly organized and under the command of the great Field Marshal, Christ Jesus. It is the time when Satan and his host, that old Dragon, ‘go forth to make war against God’s organization, and the remnant thereof’ now on the earth. (Rev. 12:17) The army of the Lord set in battle array is not a democratic form of organization, but is under the control and command of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s King and Field Marshal, and therefore is a theocratic government. This conclusion is proved by the words of The Revelation, which apply to that army under the Lord’s command: "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had a king [the Lord Jesus Christ] over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit [into which Christ Jesus flings the Devil], whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon [destruction for Satan’s crowd], but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [destroyer of Satan and his organization].” (Rev. 9:7,11) Jehovah’s witnesses, that is, his army of “locusts”, are without fear of creatures because they know that they are backed up by the almighty power of God. The faces of the “faithful servant” class are as “adamant, harder than flint”, made so by Jehovah, who says to his witnesses : “Fear them [the rebellious religionists] not, neither be dismayed at their looks.” (Ezek. 3:9) Regardless of opposition the faithful witnesses go straight on doing their assigned work: “Before their face the people shall be much pained [at their presence the peoples are in anguish (R.V.)]; all faces shall gather blackness.”—Joel 2: 6.
33 This applies particularly to the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and the allied Protestant doctors of divinity and Jewish rabbis. This proof is supported by the fact that they all howl and work together to induce the political, legislative, judicial and other parts of the government organization to take drastic action against Jehovah’s witnesses. The same locusts (Jehovah’s witnesses) are described in The Revelation in these words: “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth; and unto them [Jehovah’s witnesses] was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men [the religionists] which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they [the religionists] should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die [to escape torment], and death shall flee from them.” —Rev. 9: 3-6.
34 God permits the religionists to exist and to continue in their practice for a short time while his “strange work” is in progress, to the end that they might receive torment, and this they do by having their “religious susceptibilities shocked” when someone speaks in their hearing the message of truth. Concerning the faces of the religionists, the Hebrew text means that their faces have a “gleam” or “flush” of anxiety upon observing the activities of Jehovah’s witnesses and the message which they bring. According to the Authorized Version, their faces “gather blackness”. God’s prophet speaks of the Ninevites in this language: “She is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness [(Hebrew) a gleam or flush].” —Nahum 2:10.
35 The faces of the clergy show a flush of anxiety when called upon by Jehovah’s witnesses, and those clergymen usually resort to harsh words against Jehovah’s witnesses, and, seeing that their harsh words do not deter the witnesses but that they fearlessly go on in their work, the religionists conclude that it is a token of impending destruction of them and their racket. Belshazzar was in the same condition when he saw the handwriting on the wall. The religionists know that it is true that they have been weighed in the balance by the Lord and found worthless.
36 Jehovah by his prophet foretold the united and harmonious action of the faithful witnesses who bear the message of his kingdom. They are not weaklings, but “strong in the Lord and in the power of his might”: “They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks.”—Joel 2: 7.
37 The zealous ones are not content with spending a few hours in the service, but they are “up and at it” on every possible occasion. They attack in the strength of the Lord, and Jehovah, through Christ Jesus, continues to provide them with all the needed strength. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.”—Isa. 40: 31.
38 The faithful and zealous ones hear the command of the Lord and hasten to obey: “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.” (Ps. 119:32) David was a type of Christ Jesus and his body members, and indited this Psalm which is now appropriate for Jehovah’s witnesses: “For thou art my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord will lighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop; by my God have I leaped over a wall.”— 2 Sam. 22:29,30.
39 The enemies of God’s kingdom that shield, hide and protect themselves behind their political and judicial walls find that these walls are inadequate to shield them. Jehovah’s witnesses do not stop, but, in the language of the prophecy, they ‘climb the walls like men of war’, that is to say, they go on regardless of the walls. Since the Lord’s people have seen and appreciated the theocratic government, which directs them, they have been and are being rapidly disciplined and trained, and they act orderly and fearlessly. Like locusts, they do not stop at tall obstacles, but climb right over them and keep going forward. The religionists have builded up their walls, fortified by politics and commerce, and behind which they attempt to hold the common people who have supported their organization. Now Jehovah sends his army of locusts, who go right over and through those walls with a message of deliverance; and thus God by his witnesses ‘opens the prisons to them that are bound’.—Isa. 61:1.
40 Every one of the “faithful and wise servant” class knows that the Lord’s command, as applied to him, assigns to him a specific work, and therefore he goes forward attending to his own business, doing with his might what has been assigned to him, and does not interfere with the other fellow’s business. He knows that individually he has no strength, and therefore he does not become heady. He realizes that he is small in himself but strong in the Lord and, like the description of the locusts, he is “little . . . but . . . wise”, and like a band of locusts all such go forward as one united band of warriors: “There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise; . . . The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands.”—Prov. 30:24,27.
41 The Hierarchy and allies, all of whom are enemies of God’s kingdom, try to break up the unity and harmonious action of Jehovah’s witnesses, but they cannot do so. Therefore says God’s prophet concerning those faithful and zealous locusts: “They . . . shall not change their paths.” (Roth.) Those of the “faithful and wise servant” class have this one thing to do. (Phil. 3:13) That one thing is to carry out God’s commandment concerning them. They are trustworthy, constant, dependable, and reliable. They know that Jehovah and Christ Jesus are their teachers and commanders and that it is their business as servants of the Lord to joyfully obey: “Thine eyes shall see thy teachers; and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when [lest] ye turn to the right hand, and when [lest] ye turn to the left.”—Isa. 30: 20, 21.
42 The Lord has brought to pass facts which show that the present is the time of the fulfillment of this part of Joel’s prophecy. Only recently the Lord revealed to his people that the organization of Jehovah on earth, as well as in heaven, is theocratic and that Christ Jesus, as Jehovah’s great Executive Officer, is in charge and that now is the time when individual things or selfish desires should be and must be put entirely away and when everyone must bend his efforts to know and to do the will of God. Since the beginning of 1939 the “strange work” of Jehovah has progressed in the earth far more than at previous times, and greater is the joy of the workers. The Lord’s “other sheep” are coming in flocks to the corral, and these quickly see their privileges of joining in the work of proclaiming the King and kingdom. The reports that are regularly received from the field workers show a tremendous increase in the work during the time beginning and following January, 1939. True, the opposition everywhere increases, and the Lord gives his servants greater strength to surmount those difficulties. The faithful servants of the Lord now in the field have ever increasing and corroborative evidence that they are marching rapidly to Armageddon and that the day of final decision is at hand, and as they go forward their joy increases. Are the “other sheep” or “great multitude” being gathered ? The “evil servant” class see it not. Behold the coming of the “great multitude”, marching shoulder to shoulder with the remnant of the anointed.
(To be continued)
FIFTH TRUMPET
JEHOVAH’S greatest “Star” is Jesus the beloved. Numbers 24:17,19 foretold: “There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.” This prophecy must have a complete fulfillment in God’s due time. The “fifth angel” which the apostle John saw in the visions of The Revelation was now due to sound his trumpet, and we mark fulfillment of the prophecy now.-Rev. 8:6; 9:1.
We want to believe, we must believe, and we do believe that the Lord directs the course of his people who are wholly devoted to him. (Pss. 32:8; 48:14; 73:24; Isa. 58:11) A convention of God’s devoted people assembled in London, England, in May, 1926. For years prior thereto Bible students had thought that “that servant” mentioned in Bible prophecy was an individual man. But now, there at London a discourse entitled “The Servant and Service”, based upon Isaiah’s prophecy, chapter forty-nine, disclosed for the first time to God’s assembled people the true meaning of “The Servant”. A resolution entitled “A Testimony to the Rulers of the World” was then introduced. It was supported by a public address delivered at Royal Albert Hall and entitled “Why World Powers Are Tottering”. The morning following the adoption of that resolution, “A Testimony,” and the delivery of the supporting argument, a daily paper of London published a full report of both, and more than a million copies were put in the hands of the people that day, and later upward of fifty million copies were published in many languages and distributed throughout the world. At the same convention the new book Deliverance, which exposes the Devil’s organization, was released internationally. The Lord’s people began to see and appreciate, as they had not previously, the two opposing organizations, God’s and the Devil’s, and the privilege that God’s anointed ones have in being his witnesses and servants.
“A TESTIMONY
“To the Rulers of the World :
“The International Bible Students in general convention assembled declare their unqualified allegiance and devotion to the Almighty God, and believing it to be their privilege and duty so to do, in obedience to the commandments of God, send this testimony to the governing powers of the world, to wit:
“First. That it is of paramount importance that all recognize that Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth, is the true and almighty God besides whom there is none other; that his purpose for man is set forth in the Bible, which is his Word of truth, and that Christ Jesus is the Executor of Jehovah’s purpose; that it is now apparent to all that the nations of the world are in dire distress and perplexity, and great trouble more terrible than any heretofore experienced is now threatened; that the efforts of the rulers to establish a desirable government or world power have failed; and, now be it known unto you, that the outworking of God’s purpose concerning man, and that alone, can and will stabilize the world, and bring lasting peace, prosperity and happiness to the peoples, and that the time has come for those who are exercising governing power over the peoples to recognize these great truths.
“Second. That the reason for the prevailing condition of perplexity and distress is because man disobeyed the true God and yielded to the wicked influence of Satan, the false god; that Lucifer, originally the rightful overlord of man, because of his disloyalty to God became Satan the Devil, the instigator of all evil, and the adversary of God, and the arch enemy of man; that the evil one alienated man from the true God, and caused him to sin, by reason of which man lost his perfect home and his right to life and happiness; that since then man has organized governments and world powers in an attempt to govern himself, but in so doing has ignored the Word of God and submitted to the control of Satan the Devil; that until now God has not interfered with Satan, to the end that man might be free to choose right or wrong. But now the time has come when God will interfere in behalf of the peoples.
“Third. That Christ Jesus, by his faithfulness unto death, became the Redeemer and Deliverer of mankind; that when on earth he taught that the time for the deliverance of the people would begin when the evil world under the rulership of Satan shall end, and that he, Christ Jesus, would return and set up God’s kingdom of righteousness that the peoples might know and follow the right way; and for this reason he taught his followers to pray, ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as in heaven’; that in the meantime world powers have been organized and carried on for the purpose of ruling and controlling the peoples, and these world powers are designated in the Scriptures under the symbol ‘beast’ for the evident reason that they are the result of the combined efforts of the commercial, political and ecclesiastical leaders of men and are influenced and dominated by Satan, the god of this world, and have been, and are, military, harsh, cruel and oppressive, and manifest the spirit of Satan, their invisible ruler, or god; and now the repeated cries of oppressed humanity have reached unto the God of heaven, who will hear and deliver them.
“Fourth. That divine prophecy now fulfilled, and in the course of fulfillment, bears testimony to the fact that Satan’s lease of power is done, and that the old world has ended, and that the time is at hand when Christ Jesus, the executive officer of Jehovah and the rightful King of earth, will oust Satan the evil one and begin His righteous government, which shall establish God’s will on earth; that beginning with 1914 divine prophecy in the course of fulfillment gave testimony that the end of the evil world had begun in this, to wit, the World War, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, revolutions, . . . and later followed by general distress and perplexity of the nations of the world; that, this testimony of the fulfillment of the divine prophecy having been plainly given to the governing powers of the world, there is placed upon the shoulders of the rulers a responsibility that cannot be avoided.
“Fifth. That although Jehovah God furnished conclusive proof that the evil world had ended and that the time for the reign of his beloved Son had come, yet this testimony was ignored and pushed aside by those who should have known better; and contrary to the Word of God the commercial, political and ecclesiastical rulers attempted to stabilize the world and keep the peoples under control by adopting that makeshift which is called the League of Nations and which was wrongfully and blasphemously hailed as the political expression of God’s kingdom on earth; that the real author and father of the League of Nations compact is Satan the Devil, the god of this world, which was put forward by him as his last desperate effort to deceive the peoples, turn them away from the true God, and hold them under his own wicked control; that now after seven years of laborious effort on the part of the proponents of that compact to establish peace and prosperity, it is practically conceded that the League of Nations is a complete failure and that its utter collapse is a matter of only a brief space of time; that even now while its advocates are striving to re-assemble their forces to maintain that disintegrating and unholy alliance, the people are hearing the solemn warning of God’s prophet concerning the federation, saying ‘Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand.’—Isa. 8: 9,10.
“Sixth. That by reason of the blinding influence of Satan the minds of the rulers and the ruled are turned away from the true God, and the evil forces are gathering the whole world unto the great battle of the Lord God Almighty; that there is now impending a time of trouble such as the world has never known, during which conflict Satan’s powerful organization shall fall never to rise again, and there shall be such a demonstration of divine power that all the nations will learn that Jehovah is God and that Christ Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
"Seventh. That the great tribulation will reveal to the people the kingdom of God, which kingdom shall rest upon the shoulder of his beloved Son the Prince of Peace, and of the peace of that kingdom there shall be no end: it will bring the heart’s desire of all the people of good will, and in that kingdom the blind ignorance with which the people have long been afflicted will be for ever removed and with the knowledge of and obedience to God there shall come to the people everlasting peace, prosperity, health, life, liberty and happiness; and that the kingdom will be the complete fulfillment of the prophetic song of the angels, ‘Peace on earth, good will toward men.’
“Therefore we earnestly bear before you this testimony: That Jehovah is The God, and that he has installed Christ his Son, as The King of the earth, and bids you to give full obedience to earth’s rightful King. Do so and use your influence to turn the minds of the people to THE TRUE GOD, that disaster may not befall you.—Ps. 2: 2-12.”
Concerning the vision foreshadowing this John says: “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit [abyss].” (Rev. 9:1) The proper identification of this star will be the key to the understanding of the prophecy. Undoubtedly that star is Christ Jesus, of whom 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says: “The Lord himself shall descend [come down] from heaven . . . with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” The Emphatic Diaglott version renders the words of Revelation 9:1, “A Star having fallen from the heaven to the earth”; Rotherham’s version renders them, “A star out of heaven fallen unto the earth.” The fall, as stated in this text, does not denote something bad. Rather the thought is that the star has come down from heaven to earth. Coming from his exalted position to earth is best represented by the word “fall” or “descend”, as concerns a star. The thought might well be expressed that this mighty Star here and now condescended, descended or came down to give attention to things pertaining to the earth.
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