The Watchtower, June 15, 1931
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SPECIAL TRAIN, CHICAGO TO COLUMBUS CONVENTION
The Chicago class expects to run an extra train on Thursday, July 23, leaving Chicago at 9: 00 a. m., Central Standard Time, due to arrive in Columbus at 5: 30 p. m., using the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Those friends from the West using the “Summer Tourist’’ tickets as far as Chicago and desiring to travel on this train from Chicago to Columbus should write A. L. Seeley, 6944 Eberhart Av., Chicago, Ill., for reservation. To travel on this train an identification certificate will be required as mentioned in the June 1 Watch Tower, page 174.
CONVENTIONS
Assembling for consultation and encouragement and to strengthen the organization is for the well-being of the anointed of Jehovah and the advancement of his work. Suggestions concerning the Society’s policy with respect to these gatherings are set forth in The Watch Tower for November 15, 1930, page 351. We earnestly request that that article be carefully reconsidered at this time. Additional service conventions will be held during the summer and fall, as follows:
Vol. LII
June 15, 1931
No. 12
ESTHER AND MORDECAI
“Ye lovers of Jehovah! hate ye wrong. He preserveth the lives of his men of kindness, from the hand of lawless ones he rescueth them.”—Ps. 97:10, Roth.
PART 3
JEHOVAH permits wickedness in this, that he does not restrain the selfish and wicked from taking their own course. In due time he acts, however, to express his righteous indignation against the workers of iniquity. There could be no real test put upon a creature unless that creature is free to choose either a wrongful course or a course of righteousness. The wicked are those who know better and who willingly take a course of wrongdoing. The Scriptures designate Satan as the wicked one because he is in the lead in all wrongdoing. He knew that he was taking a wicked course from the very beginning when he approached Eve, but his selfishness and covetousness goaded him on. God permits the wicked to have their own choice and go the limit, and in God’s due time even Satan must be pulled up and destroyed. All of his agents who wilfully take a like course will suffer a like fate.
2 This scene of the drama opens with the king’s promoting Haman to an exalted place in the kingdom. “After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.’’ (3:1) The position of Haman was much superior to that held by Mordecai. By having in mind that Ahasuerus the king pictured regal or royal power in office in the abstract, he is now seen exercising his power to accomplish a wicked design; hence in this the king pictured Satan the Devil and foreshadowed Satan and his governing factors on earth promoting the so-called “religious leaders” now on earth and increasing their power. This particularly has had fulfilment since 1922 and after the seven vials began to be poured out. (See Revelation 16; also Light 2, page 18.) It was after the choice and anointing of the Esther class by the royal power of God and his Christ. The exaltation of Haman also foreshadowed the clergy involving themselves more deeply in the politics of this wicked world and openly uniting themselves with Satan’s organization and declaring themselves as the enemies of God.—Jas. 4:4.
3 The facts show that since that time the pope has been restored to temporal power and the nations send ambassadors to his court. The clergy take a bold and active part in the worldly politics, particularly with relation to the League of Nations, which they fraudulently claim to be the expression of God’s kingdom on earth. Particularly in America are the clergy given the right of way over the radio, which is controlled at the present time by Big Business.
4 A servant and mouthpiece of Big Business, in a statement issued by him, claimed credit for exalting the religious element in radio matters and bringing about a union and friendly understanding among the various religious sects. The public press reports him as saying the following in a recent address: “ I have taken great delight in my small part in arranging the time given to the religious organizations of this country on Sundays to reach the people of the country with an unbiased religious message which favors no faith or denomination against another. So we have Protestants and Catholics and Jews all represented on the radio broadcasting to the entire country.” With boastful words this son of a “sky pilot” now claims that his employer, Big Business, has used him to bring together in one exalted company all the “sky pilots” of the land, regardless of faith or belief, because they have agreed to become and are subservient to their greater master, the invisible god of this world.
5 These sectarian religious leaders are made members of the radio control boards in order to keep the people from hearing the truth; and while their spokesman says that his action enables the people to receive an unbiased religious message, which favors no faith, he also takes the lead in doing everything within his power to keep the message of truth from being broadcast by the servants of the Lord. At the same time the clergy, as barnacles carried by other parts of the government, are given positions of privilege with government heads and officials and with the heads of Big Business concerning governmental affairs.
6 The exalted place given to the clergy has increased their boastful, egotistical words and actions. In comparison with them the true and faithful followers of Christ Jesus are put on the side and are looked down upon with scorn by the Haman or clergy class. The clergy, represented by Haman, are given greater influence with the law-making and law-enforcement bodies of the governments and are in position to injure, and do injure, the work of God’s people. The clergy busy themselves in trying to keep the message of truth from the people. They even come forward with large sums of money and offer to pay for broadcasting time if the stations will only keep the message, as set forth in the Bible, off the radio and prevent the true Christians from broadcasting the truth.
7 This same Haman class is energetically having members of the faithful remnant class arrested and thrown into prison for preaching the gospel. This they do by resorting to false and fraudulent claims that ‘the Bible Students are peddling without license and are breaking the “holy Sabbath” by going from house to house on Sundays and exhibiting books to the people’.
8 Some of the Lord’s people have wondered why Jehovah permits these clergy to carry on their nefarious and hypocritical work of persecuting the humble followers of Christ. The reason is, God does not now restrain the work of the Haman crowd carried on in this. day. Haman was promoted and then followed his own selfish course, as likewise do the clergymen now. As Haman had the opportunity to demonstrate his true inherent wickedness, even so the class whom he foreshadowed must have the opportunity to demonstrate, and will demonstrate, their true inward wickedness and hypocrisy. Of course God foreknew all of this and he caused this dramatic picture thereof to be made for the purpose of aiding and encouraging his true people at the proper and opportune time, and that time has now come.
9 Sagaciously moving forward to accomplish his wicked purpose, the Devil caused Ahasuerus the king to give commandment that all in the king’s service should give particular homage and honor to Haman: “And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him: but Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. ” (3:2) The ruling factors, to wit, Big Business and big politics, as well as their lesser allies under their control, pay their respects to the ecclesiastical element and thus honor them. In some of the nations of Christendom it is a criminal offence to do or say anything reflecting upon these gentlemen of the cloth. In all the nations of Christendom men who have the faith and courage to tell the truth about these religious parasites are in bad repute with the element of royal power.
10 The command given to bow down and reverence Haman was contrary to the law of God which governs his people, of whom Mordecai was one. If the commandment to do something is an expressed violation of the commandment of God’s law, then the servant of God refuses to observe or obey that commandment. (Rev. 12:17) Those who love God and are loyal to him obey his commandments always.
11 The Devil, through Haman, laid a trap for Mordecai, and doubtless expected Mordecai to fall into it. The bowing down to Haman was a test of Mordecai’s integrity toward God. Mordecai met that test boldly and refused to bow down. In this Mordecai pictures God’s “servant” class on the earth that today, in the midst of all the Devil’s organization, stands faithful to Jehovah. The “servant” class is no part of the Devil’s organization, but is surrounded by it. The ruling factors legislate against God's servant and construe the laws of the land against the “servant”. This is a test upon the anointed of the Lord God. The faithful meet this test boldly and with full confidence in Jehovah. They have refused and continue to steadfastly refuse to bow to the “Christian clergy” either officially or unofficially.
12 God’s faithful witnesses stand true to him and maintain their integrity toward him. This has been so particularly since 1922. In that time the faithful followers of Christ, under the supervisory direction of the angels of the Lord, have had to do with the pouring out of God’s vials of reproof and judgment against the ecclesiastics and other portions of Satan's organization. Not even ‘ ‘ for expediency ’ ’ will these true and faithful ones now be branded with the ‘mark of the beast in the forehead or in the hand’. The remnant must and will be faithful and true to God and Christ and will continue to boldly tell the truth in this time of judgment. This, of course, greatly angers the clergy.
13 The bold and fearless stand of Mordecai led to the disclosure of his identity, and later also to that of Esther, as Hebrew. Asked why he did not bow down to Haman, Mordecai told his inquirers that he was not doing so because of personal enmity against an individual, but because he was a Jew, which meant that he was in the covenant with God and that the law of God was supreme and that he must obey it at any cost. “Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment”? Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. ’ ’—3: 3, 4.
14 It has been said, often by those who claim to be consecrated to God, that the wiser course would be to “put on the soft pedal” concerning the clergy and say little or nothing about them, instead of being so emphatic against them; that it would be more expedient to speak with love toward them and thus increase one’s influence rather than to be branded as ‘uncompromising foes of organized Christianity’. Anyone, though, who really loves God and his cause and serves the Lord, must of necessity be an “uncompromising foe of organized Christianity” so called, which system is in fact a part of the Devil’s organization.
15 Others in the service of the king, seeing that Mordecai persisted in refusing to do honor to Haman, called on Haman to ascertain whether or not Mordecai’s claim was a valid one, namely, that because he was a Jew he was entitled to exempt himself from the order of the king. These inquirers did not go to the king himself, but they went to Haman and told him that ‘this man Mordecai says he is a Jew and for that reason refuses to bow down to you’. They wanted Haman to tell them whether or not this was a good and sufficient reason for Mordecai’s course of action.
16 It may be asked, Did Mordecai act with discretion and wisdom? Could he not have bowed down and shown honor to Haman, like other men, and at the same time have some mental reservation that he was doing so merely as a matter of form and not in sincerity? Could he not for policy’s sake have followed the course that many do, to stand up and take off their hats when music is played to the honor of some earthly ruler? Was it necessary for him to make himself conspicuous by being so unbending? The commandment to do honor to Haman was a great test to Mordecai, and particularly with reference to his integrity toward God. As a Jew, Mordecai was a member of the covenant people of Jehovah, and he must, if faithful, maintain his integrity toward God, even to risking his life.
17 Mordecai knew that Haman was an Agagite. He would have in mind that God had commanded Saul to lead an army of Israelites against the Amalekites and slay them utterly because of their action in opposing the people of Israel when these were marching away from Egypt. He would remember that Saul had spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and let him live. Because Saul failed to obey the Lord he thereby destroyed his own integrity toward God, and lost everything. (1 Sam. 15:1-33) Mordecai knew that Haman was a descendant of Agag, because in the Scriptures he is called “the Agagite’’. No Israelite could be true to the covenant and maintain his integrity toward God and at the same time bow down to an Agagite. Mordecai, as a Jew, must honor Jehovah God; and this he could not do and bow down to one who was vile in the eyes of God. Haman was therefore a vile person in the eyes of Mordecai because of God’s commandment against the Agagites. ‘‘In whose [Mordecai’s] eyes a vile person [Haman] is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. ”—Ps. 15: 4.
18 The same must be true today with spiritual Israel. Those who dishonor God’s name are vile persons in the eyes of those who love the Lord. Mordecai had faith in God, and at all cost he would be faithful to God’s commandments. God had caused Moses to write down in the law as a memorial that the Amalekites should be destroyed and that he would have war with them from generation to generation. (Ex. 17:14-16) Mordecai, of course, knew of this law and he would obey it. For that reason Mordecai could not honor God’s enemies and at the same time maintain his own integrity toward Jehovah. Even so since, and for ever, no man can be faithful to God and maintain his integrity toward God and at the same time compromise by doing honor to the enemies of God.
19 For this reason the remnant must take a bold and unbending stand against each and every part of Satan’s organization, and particularly that religious element that dishonors God and defames his holy name. To be called by the clergy and their allies the “uncompromising foe of organized Christianity’’ is a proper title to those who are faithful to the Lord. Let others compromise if they want to, but let those who really love God remain true and steadfast and maintain their integrity toward him.
20 Now, in passing, just a word for the critics of the book of Esther. Those self-constituted wise men seriously question the propriety of inserting the book of Esther in the Bible because it does not specifically mention the name of God. The fact that Mordecai was unbending in his refusal to do honor to God’s enemy, the Agagite, is conclusive proof that Jehovah not only was recognized but was worshiped and faithfully obeyed by Mordecai, who was in the covenant with God as a member of the Israelite nation. When understood, the book of Esther is a vindication of Jehovah’s word. One of the prophets wrote, at the dictation of Jehovah, these words: “Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Ps. 138:2) In the book of Esther that very thing is done. Jehovah magnifies his word, and at his due and proper time he will magnify his name.
21 In his Word Jehovah had said that he would put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. (Gen. 3:15) Haman was of the seed of the serpent, who is Satan the Deceiver. Mordecai, by reason of being under the covenant of the law, was in the organization of Jehovah and therefore an offspring of the symbolic woman. Haman hated the Jews; and when it was disclosed to him that Mordecai was a Jew and for that reason refused to do him honor, Haman was very angry and wanted to kill Mordecai. “And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai; wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.”—3:5, 6.
22 Doubtless it was Haman’s first thought to immediately commit an assault upon Mordecai, provoke him to resistance, and thereby find a cause to kill him. His father the Devil exercised greater sagacity, however, because he was after more game. He would get the entire flock of the Jews with one master stroke, and therefore he injected into Haman’s mind the conclusion which he quickly reached, which was that he scorned to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Haman had now discovered that he had a chance to get more than merely Mordecai. The Devil knew that the killing of Mordecai would still leave Esther the Jewess in the high position as queen, and that throughout all the world there was a multitude of Jews. Now appeared the Devil’s supreme opportunity to destroy all of these and to do it in an apparently lawful manner. Satan’s piling agents usually assume a position of ‘strict observance of the law’ and assume to hide behind the law in the commission of their wicked deeds. If they can get the letter of some law back of them, it matters not how cruel, vicious and unrighteous their deeds are. They justify such by the letter of the law.
23 The Devil concluded that the killing of Mordecai alone must not interfere with his larger scheme. He immediately put in operation his conspiracy, and into that Haman gladly entered, of course, which conspiracy was to slay all the Jews throughout the entire kingdom of Persia. Although the Jews had been permitted to return to Palestine and rebuild their temple, the great opportunity for the destruction of Jews included even these restored ones. The conspiracy would mean that the ruling powers of the entire one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Persia, and all the people that would obey that power, would be gathered together against the Jews to accomplish their destruction. Esther had done nothing that they could seize upon as an excuse for wholesale murder, but Mordecai, by taking his stand for Jehovah, furnished the pretext for the extermination of the entire race. Understanding that Jehovah God directed this drama, how can this part of it appear to be consistent?
24 Satan had repeatedly reproached Jehovah and declared that God could not put men on earth who would be faithful and loyal to him. After some man did take a firm stand on the side of Jehovah and against the oppressor, Satan always sought to kill him. God would permit Satan to do his very worst. The abundance of Biblical proof is to the effect that God has let Satan go his limit in his wicked work, to the very point of destroying his faithful ones. (Job 2:6) In the Esther picture Jehovah was causing a drama to be made foreshadowing the time coming when Satan would attempt the destruction of God’s anointed remnant on earth at the end of the world. It was Jehovah who was directing this drama to make this picture, and who also foreshadowed what would be the result.
25 Consistent with this picture it is declared through one of his prophets what shall be done in “the day of the Lord”. “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” (Zech. 14:2, 3) Today Jehovah is shaping conditions to afford Satan and his enemies the opportunity to make a desperate attempt to destroy all of God’s people, and what will result will be to the vindication of God’s word and name.
26 Mordecai and Esther and all the Jews at this point in the drama picture all of the remnant of God’s people on earth. Today this remnant, in obedience to God’s commandments, diligently and faithfully give the testimony of Jesus Christ to the nations of the world, which duty the Lord has committed to the remnant. They are telling the truth and refusing to make any manner of compromise whatsoever with any part of Satan’s organization. Therefore Satan is very mad, and his chief representatives on the earth, the clergy, are also exceedingly mad, and all together they go forth to make war with the remnant of the seed of God’s organization. (Rev. 12:17) They conspire to destroy the remnant. The conspiracy that was formed against Mordecai and other Jews finds an exact parallel today, because it foreshadows what is now going on and what must come to pass at the end of the world. This is all being done by God’s permission, of course, and in due time the opportunity will be ripe for the complete vindication of Jehovah’s word and name.
27 Evidently the Devil reasoned that he had practically all the game in the bag. To him the Jews were in the very mouth of the net and there was no way for them to escape. He would enjoy the situation for a time and would gradually bring his earthly agents to the point where they would be eager for the flow of Jewish blood. He would inject and did inject into the mind of his chief earthly conspirator, Haman, the necessity of appealing to his god the Devil for direction and thereby fully uniting the Devil’s agents. Therefore he put the thought in Haman’s mind that they would cast the dice and call upon the Devil to see that the dice fell at the proper point to give insurance of the prosperity of the wicked conspiracy. Haman then called his henchmen and played the game of dice. “In the first month, that is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar. ’ ’—3: 7.
28 A footnote in the Hebrew Bible says: “According to the heathen customs, he [Haman] resorted to this method, as a species of divination, to discover the month and day when it would be most propitious to attempt the destruction of the hated people. ’ ’—Leeser.
29 This casting of the dice or lots began in the first month of the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahasuerus and continued for twelve months. If it is worth while to compare time it might here be said that twelve years after the beginning of the reign of Christ Jesus, to wit, in the year 1926, God’s people assembled in convention both in Magdeburg and in London and, from the latter especially, sent forth a message of truth that greatly increased the wrath of Satan and his earthly representatives. It was in that year that the “locusts” began their tantalizing work of giving the “Testimony to the Rulers of the World”. (See Light 1, page 137.) The people of God then disclosed to the rulers of the world their own identity as Judeans by taking a bold stand on the side of Jehovah, pointing out that the Devil is the god of this world, and calling upon the rulers of the world to break away from Satan’s control. This message greatly increased the wrath of the Devil and his agents, his zealous earthly representatives, and the enemies of God began then to cast the dice and to look to their father the Devil to see that they fell the right way, that they might get this ‘pestiferous crowd’.
30 Satan’s pet charge against those who are faithful to God is that such are traitors to the earthly governments and that they should not be permitted to reside therein. The clergy in Britain and America started the “crap game” in 1926.
31 Under the supervision of his lord and master, the Devil, the wily Haman now appeared before the king and played his part. Of course he made it appear to the king that his love for king and country was the moving and inducing cause for him to come and make his speech. He was a great “patriot” who would serve his king and country to save the king from this seditious people. “And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the king’s laws; therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.”—3: 8.
32 Haman diplomatically advanced his argument concerning this certain people that were scattered throughout the empire. He said to the king: ‘Their laws are different from the laws of other people, and they have no respect for the king’s law. They are not at all patriotic. In fact they are traitors. Therefore it is not for the good of the king and country that they be permitted to live. ’ Mark now the trail of the serpent. He always leaves his mark wherever he goes.
33 When Jesus came to earth and began to tell the truth, for which he was sent by his Father, honest people said: ‘His words are unlike anything we have ever heard. They are gracious and wonderful.’ At the same time the clergy of that day, who claimed to represent God the King Eternal, outwardly declared their loyalty to God, but, acting under the supervision of their real father the Devil, opposed Jesus and began to carry forward a conspiracy against God’s dear Son. At the opportune moment, and when their conspiracy had matured, the clergy appeared before the rulers and began to accuse Jesus. They advanced the argument: “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a king. ’ ’ In conference with each other they concluded that Christ Jesus must die, in order for them to hold their places with the people. —Luke 23:2; John 11:48-50.
34 During the World War the clergy falsely brought the charge of sedition against many “Bible Students”, their purpose being to rid the earth of them, that their own position might be more secure. Today the same class attempts to induce the law-making and law- enforcement arms of the nations to believe that ‘the Bible Students are traitors ’. As an instance, a certain radio station in the state of Florida had undertaken to broadcast the message of the truth. The clergy appeared in opposition thereto and said in substance: ‘ This message that these Bible Students bring is loaded with dynamite, and it is worse than the rankest Bolshevism of Russia. ’
35 The conspiracy is now forming and in operation against those on earth who are faithful and true to the Lord God, and God is not interfering with the conspirators and their wicked work. In due time, however, he will act and preserve his own people. The one really fathering the opposition to the message of truth is Satan the Devil, using his blind dupes for his purpose. It is therefore a fight between Jehovah and Satan, and in due time Jehovah will wipe the enemy completely out of existence.
36 With suave and persuasive speech, and with an apparent unselfish interest in his king and country, Haman pressed his case and concluded it with these words: “If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.” (3:9) Mark the generosity of this gigantic fraud and cold-blooded murderer, offering to pay a large sum of money into the king’s exchequer as an evidence of his unselfish devotion to the country in order that the blood of God’s chosen people should drench the ground.
37 Evidently the Devil invented the slogan, “Money talks,” because he was there attempting to use it to persuade the ruler to act. It was he who showed the clergy the propriety of bribing Judas to betray Jesus into their hands. He also induced them to take up a collection with which to bribe the soldiers to lie concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Will the clergy of this day be equally free with their money and their power to induce some of the principal of their flock to produce the coin with which to carry out their wicked purposes ? They freely use their money now to induce legislation. Will they not freely use it to carry out what they will claim to be a lawful act? Satan is more keenly interested in ridding the earth of God’s remnant than he is in all legislation. His sons and earthly representatives will do his bidding as they have always done.
38 The king yielded to the persuasive argument of his wily counselor. The ring which the king wore upon his finger was used to seal official documents. With the privilege of marking official papers with the seal of that ring, Haman could write in the royal decree what he wanted to write, and, when once sealed, it was unchangeable. "And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.”—3:10.
39 It was not the king, but Haman, who plotted the death of the Jews. The king permitted him to do so in this, that he did not prevent him from obtaining the decree. Neither did God restrain Satan when he asked permission to assault Job, but he let Satan go his limit, only preventing the death of Job. ‘‘And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.”—3:11.
40 In thus permitting Haman to proceed, Ahasuerus the king again appears to play a double role, representing royalty of office in the abstract, that office and authority there being used for good or evil according to whether Haman or Mordecai influenced the action. At this point of the drama the royal office was used against the Jews. On another occasion the same office was used for the Jews. Jehovah permits the wicked to have a free hand and a full opportunity, but in his own due time he preserves them that love him.
41 Doubtless Haman asked permission to have the royal decree written by the king’s own scribes, as that would appear to lend additional weight and authority. ‘ ‘ Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were Over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring. ’ ’—3:12.
42 It was then the thirteenth year of the reign of Ahasuerus the king, and on the thirteenth day of that month work began to prepare the decree of murder and to dispatch it to the various provinces. The day of execution was set ahead far enough to give time to have everything fully prepared. The political officers, secretaries, and servants of the king would be kept busy for some days preparing and copying the decree which Haman would stamp with the royal seal.
43 The class in this day whom Haman therefore foreshadowed use what influence they have with politicians to set the machinery in operation against God's remnant. As the day to spring the trap, no doubt they have set some time in the distance; and the Scriptures indicate that the attempt to commit the final overt act of their conspiracy will be shortly before the time of Armageddon. It is interesting to watch the movement Of the stealthy enemy of God and his power now being made and operated by ‘trouble makers’ whom Haman’s name identifies. Let all the remnant be watchfully on the alert.
44 In Revelation 12:17 the remnant is advised that Satan and his agents will make war upon those who obey God’s commandments and who give the testimony of Jesus Christ. That war is now in progress, and Satan employs his customary wily methods to carry it on. From time immemorial Satan has used religious organizations as a means of fraud and deceit. In this day he is using particularly the clergy of ‘‘organized Christianity ’ ’ to make war upon God’s remnant. Satan causes these men to preach to the people that ‘there is no real Devil that has anything to do with the affairs of this world; that the Devil mentioned in the Bible refers to him only as an agent of God who will stoke the fires hereafter; that, above all, the duty of the people now is to be patriotic and support the present world organization, and if they do not show their loyalty and devotion thereto, at death they will find themselves in hell, where they will be tormented by God’s representative forever’.
45 Then the clergy try to induce the people to believe that the remnant of God, who constitute his witnesses, are a great menace, and that they do not love the laws of the land and that they should not be permitted to live in the land. The clergy put forth all their efforts to keep the message of truth from being broadcast, and urge and advise the people to destroy the books containing the message of truth; and plot against God’s witnesses, oppose his work, and are moving on to a climax of greater crime.
46 The day of slaughter of the Jews was fixed for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which was exactly eleven months from the day the decree of legalized murder was authoritatively made. The language of the decree and the letters was not at all ambiguous. It was plainly stated that all the Jews should be destroyed, killed and caused to perish, and this was to be done all in one day. ‘‘And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. The copy of the writing, for a commandment to be given in every province, was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day. ’ ’—3:13,14.
47 Not only were the notices given as to what should be done, but doubtless most of the time was used to work up the people to such a state of hatred and frenzy of mind against the Jews that the killing would be done quickly. The season of the year selected for this wholesale murder was the very worst time for the Jews. It was in the wintertime, and women and children in particular would have a hard time to escape from the assaults of the murderers, and those who did escape would likely perish from the inclement weather.
48 Haman saw to it that the royal decree of murder was given out in the palace, because he knew that would make sure of getting rid of Mordecai and all other Jews thereabout. Not one Jew in all the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces was exempt from the decree of murder. Knowing that the Dragon is now conducting his war against the remnant, the destruction of which he seeks, these may be sure that Satan has every one of them marked for slaughter and is only waiting for the appointed time. Wartime always furnishes an occasion and excuse for the wicked creatures to execute their wrath against those whom they hate. At that time it is easy to accuse them of being traitors and is easier to convict.
49 After the decree had been dispatched by runners to all the provinces Haman thought he had the trap so well set that he could now sit down and take a drink and muse with satisfaction upon what would soon come to pass. He felt his importance such that he invited the king to share with him in the drink. ‘ ‘ The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment; and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed. ’ ’—3:15.
50 Today the people know that they are hearing the truth of God’s Word by radio and by other means of publication as they never heard it before. It must be very perplexing to the order-loving ones to note such a determination upon the part of the clergy, aided by others in power, to destroy the message of truth, and keep it from the people, and get rid of God’s witnesses. Therefore, as this scripture says, there was perplexity; and there is perplexity now. But let all who love that which is right take courage. Let the remnant to whom God has given the privilege of bearing the fruits of the kingdom continue the work with rejoicing. Know to a certainty that God foreknew what would come to pass and that he directed the great drama and foreshadowed the result as he desires it. Be doubly assured that God will furnish all needed protection for his people who love him and serve him faithfully. His grace is all-sufficient.
(To be continued)
QUESTIONS FOR BEREAN STUDY
1. Jehovah has permitted wrongdoing: (a) In what sense? (b) With what limitation? (c) For what purpose? Account for anyone’s willingly taking a course of unrighteousness. Such course leads where?
2. In Esther 3:1, whom did Ahasuerus the king picture? What was foreshadowed in the king's promotion of Haman?
3-5. Show that Esther 3: 1 has been in course of fulfilment.
6, 7. What was the effect upon Haman of the king’s promoting him? How is this also having its fulfilment?
8-11. Account for the king’s exalting so ignoble a character as Haman. Describe the present situation in which (a) the king’s commandment to his servants to reverence Haman, and their obedience thereto, is clearly in course of fulfilment. (b) Mordecai’s refusal to bow down or do reverence to Haman.
12-16. Explain whether expediency or any other consideration ever justifies any measure of ‘deference to Haman’. What was Mordecai’s motive in the position he had taken and was maintaining? Apply the prophetic fact that the bold and fearless stand taken by Mordecai and by Esther led to the disclosure of their identity as ‘Israelites’. Apply the picture of the king’s servants’ daily interviewing Mordecai and reporting to Haman, “to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand.’’
17-19. In this connection, what great significance attaches to Haman’s being an “Agagite’’? Point out the importance of a clear understanding and true appreciation thereof at the present time.
20. Justify including the book of Esther in the Bible though the name of God is not mentioned therein.
21-23. What was pictured in Haman’s enmity toward Mordecai for failure or refusal to ‘do him reverence’? Point out the hand of Satan in Haman’s procedure against Mordecai and his people.
24-26. What was foreshadowed in the situation described in Esther 3:5, 6? How is this also shown in Zechariah’s prophecy, and in Revelation 12: 17 ? How is it now being fulfilled?
27-29. What was the purpose in ‘casting the lot before Haman ’ ? What situation was prophetically pictured therein?
30-35. Show how Esther 3: 8 illustrates Satan’s pet method of involving the Lord’s people in difficulty to the end that their work and they themselves might be destroyed, (a) in the time when the prophetic picture was being enacted. (b) In the days of Jesus here on earth. (c) At the present time.
36, 37. Apply Esther 3: 9 to that which it foreshadowed.
38-40. Explain the prophetic position of the king in Esther 3: 10, 11, and its significance.
41-43. Relate how Haman proceeded in preparation of his instrument through which he would accomplish the destruction of Mordecai and his people and also assure both royal and popular approval of the wholesale murder.
44, 45. Describe how that which was foreshadowed by Haman’s procedure is now in course of fulfilment.
46-49. What is significant (a) in the season appointed for executing the decree? (b) In its being published to all people? (c) In the decree’s being given in the palace? (d) In Haman’s confidence and satisfaction and his inviting the king and sitting down with him to drink.
50. In the face of apparently great security, why should the city be perplexed? Are God’s true people in perplexity? Why?
CAUSE OF THE GREAT FLOOD
FOR centuries the prevailing thought has been that the great flood that destroyed the world of Noah’s time was produced by rains falling from the clouds. Both the Scriptures and the physical facts show that that conclusion is wrong. The great deluge could not have been produced by rains falling from the clouds, but could be produced, and was produced, by the falling of a great canopy of water which had long been around the earth and the falling of which God timed to serve his purposes.
The word “annular” means having the form of a ring, or ring-shaped. The earth’s annular system has reference to the successive rings surrounding the earth, composed of water and mineral substances in solution, which were thrown off from the heated earth at the time of creation and which were held in place by centrifugal energy. So-called “wise” scientists have said that nothing can stay in the air unless it is lighter than the air. But this theory has been completely exploded by facts known through the use of the airplane or airship. How is it possible for an airship, weighing several tons and carrying freight and a number of passengers, to remain in the air for a long space of time, and fly at the rate of one hundred miles an hour? The answer is, Because of the great velocity with which it moves. Stop the engines, and stop the moving of the plane, and it falls like a dead weight. It was the energy moving the water canopy through space that kept it in place about the earth until God’s due time for it to come down.
The ring that formed farthest away from the earth, or what we call the outermost ring, was formed chiefly of water. Long before the creation of man the other rings, more heavily laden with mineral and carbon substances, had fallen. During the period of time from the creation of man until the flood, the last ring spread itself out over the equatorial regions and covered the entire earth in the form of an envelope. This caused the climatic conditions on earth to be practically the same at the equator as at the poles. The vegetation that grew in the polar regions is a proof of this, also the animal remains that have been found there.
In recent years animals particularly adapted to the tropical or warm regions have been found frozen in perpetual ice in the north. In the bleak and frozen Siberia an antelope was found imbedded in the ice. It had green grass in its stomach, which proves that while feeding upon the green food it had met a sudden death, and that its death was caused by the cold. The remains of a mastodon were found imbedded in the ice with green food in its mouth. That is further proof of the same thing. Physical facts do not stultify themselves, even if some of the scientists do. Whenever a ‘savant’, so called, disregards the Bible he gets himself into a predicament.
The canopy or ring of water which enveloped the earth made it impossible for the sun or the moon to be seen by man on the earth. The physical facts show that the sun had not been seen by man prior to the flood. The rainbow, subsequent to the flood, is conclusive proof of this fact. Had the warm rays of the sun shone directly on the earth and heated its surface, air currents would have arisen and there would have been wind. There would have been changes in the temperature; and this, together with the air currents, would have produced rain. Where the sun does not shine, and where there are no air currents or winds, there is no rainfall. Such a condition existed only when the earth was enveloped in an aqueous ring. Genesis, chapter two, verses five and six, says: “The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, ... but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. ’ ’
Had there been wind and rains and changes in the temperature there would of necessity have been seasons of heat and cold, winter and summer, seed time and harvest time. Prior to the flood there were none such. The first mention made of winter and cold and harvest is after the flood. (Gen. 8:22) The rings or canopies that had fallen long before the creation of man were composed largely of water; and from these were formed the seas, lakes and rivers.
The Scriptures on creation mention the “great deep’’, and distinguish the great deep from the seas. The great deep could not refer to the oceans and seas upon the earth, and did not refer to them. The overwhelming weight of the Scriptural testimony is that the great deep refers to the ring of water that was above the firmament. That water was not held there by the firmament, but was held there by reason of centrifugal energy. The firmament divided the waters from the waters; that is to say, it divided the waters that were above and the waters that were below the firmament. (Gen. 1:6, 7) This shows that there was a great body of water suspended as a ring far out from the earth’s surface.
The last ring enveloping the earth, being almost pure water, admitted the light from the sun more fully than the other rings that had previously fallen to earth. The earth therefore would receive a greater amount of warmth from the sun. The conditions that appeared upon the earth then would resemble a fog in our time, when it is light and yet the sun is not visible. The canopy forming around the earth would produce a condition inside similar to a hothouse. This last ring spread over the entire earth, moving in its orbit with greatest rapidity in the equatorial region of the earth.
That the “great deep” was this water ring above the earth the Scriptures leave no room for doubt. The Scriptural record was made under the supervision of Jehovah God, and is therefore true. It is written in Job, chapter thirty-eight, verses eight to eleven: “And [I, Jehovah] brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.” Psalm forty-two, verse seven, reads: “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. ’ ’ Psalm one hundred and four, verses five and six, reads: “[Jehovah] laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.” Speaking of the wonders of Jehovah’s creation, the record of Proverbs, chapter eight, verses twenty-seven to twenty-nine, shows God’s only-begotten Son, the Logos, saying: “I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth; when he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the fountains of the deep; when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth. ’ ’
The time came for the destruction of the old and wicked world. God sent Noah and his family, and the animals and fowls that he desired to preserve, into the ark. When they were safely housed there, the Lord God opened the windows of heaven; that is to say, he caused the great deep above the earth to be broken up, that its floods of water might fall upon the earth. As it is written: “The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. ’ ’—Gen. 7:11,12.
This could not possibly refer to the oceans of water or seas on the earth, because they were not broken up. These still remain on the earth, which is conclusive proof that they were not broken up. That which is broken up remains broken up. Rain that falls from clouds must first be taken up into the skies and condensed by the wind currents. When, because of the sun’s rays and the currents of wind, the temperature changes, rainfall is produced. There was no sunshine, nor were there any wind currents, upon the earth prior to the flood. Therefore the water from the seas could not be taken up and formed into the clouds. Without a question of doubt, then, the ‘windows of heaven being opened’ refers to the opening of the flood-gates above the earth, by the breaking of that ring or canopy that enveloped the earth.
The aqueous ring would move with the greatest velocity in the region of the equator. As it neared the poles the velocity would grow less, and there the fall would begin to take place. On the same theory that an airship falls when the motion forward ceases, just so when the movement of the aqueous ring slowed down at the poles it would fall. The breaking of the canopy in the region of the equator would admit the aqueous vapors which, when precipitated in the region of earth’s atmosphere, would hurry on to the poles, both north and south, and there begin to fall.
The rapid falling would start the air currents at the poles, which air currents moving toward the equator would take on the forms of great winds. Genesis, chapter eight, verse one, says, “God made a wind to pass over the earth.” These winds would increase in velocity and carry the great downpour of water toward the equator; hence the flood would rush from both the north and the south pole toward the equatorial region. These air currents coming from different directions would form what today we call a twister, causing great waterspouts to descend upon the earth. The flood of water, therefore, would be accompanied by great storms and tremendous thunders and noise. We conclude therefore that the flood was accompanied with terrible sounds that would strike terror to every one who did not by faith rest in the Lord.
The very outermost part of this aqueous canopy was far removed from the sun and, of course, was farther removed from the earth than any other part of the canopy; hence it would receive no warmth from the earth and very little from the sun; consequently it would be extremely cold and was doubtless frozen. That part of the canopy nearest the earth would not be frozen. The Scriptures seem to teach plainly that the outer part of that canopy was frozen, because in Job, chapter thirty-eight, verses twenty-nine and thirty, it is written: “Out of whose womb came the ice ? and the hoary frost of heaven, who have gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. ’ ’
The face of the deep, the scripture plainly says, was frozen. It would have the appearance of a stone, because ice looks like a stone. The hoar frost was there. By that we would understand that it was white frost, collected there for centuries; otherwise it was great beds of snow and ice. The Lord had placed it there. It would furnish a sight of beauty beyond the description of words. It was one of the wonders of God’s creation.
When the canopy broke, the vapors and waters would descend to earth’s atmosphere. The velocity with which the canopy was traveling would hurl these cold currents of vapor and air toward the poles. At the same time with the coming of vapors would fall great quantities of ice and snow, likewise being carried toward the poles by centrifugal force. Nearing the poles their velocity would decrease, and they would begin to fall at the poles. This explains why the remains of animals are found in those regions with green food in their mouths and in their stomachs.
The falling of the ice and snow at the poles would cause the warm air to rush to the equator and rise in the vicinity of the equator. This would result in heavy winds blowing from the poles toward the equator. The great quantities of water, mingled with snow and ice, rushing on toward the equator with thunderous sounds, would grind the hills and the mountains into valleys and cause many changes in the forms of the earth’s surface. The extremely cold water, snow and ice would destroy every form of life in the path thereof; and this climatic condition forming at the poles would, within a short time, cause the falling of the waters practically all over the earth.
When we call to mind that for forty days there was a constant falling of the great flood of water, snow and ice, and that this water rose higher and higher until the very mountain tops were covered, it is easy to understand why every form of life upon the earth outside of the ark perished, even as the Bible has stated.
At both the north and the south pole there are now perpetual snow and ice. At one time those polar regions produced luxurious vegetation. This fact, together with the fact that the remains of animals feeding upon green vegetation are found there, conclusively proves that there was a great flood and how it came upon the earth. When the great deep was completely broken up, and all of that water canopy had fallen to the earth, then the sun would shine clearly upon the earth. As the earth revolved annually through its elliptical orbit the result would be winter and summer, heat and cold; and since the polar regions would get less of the sun’s heat, in that region would be perpetual snow and ice.
All the physical facts are in harmony with the Bible. It remains only for men of modern times, posing before the people as clergymen, ecclesiastics and savants, to deny God’s Word and to deny that there
ever was a great flood such as described in the Bible. It can only be said that these men, calling themselves higher critics, are ministers of the Devil, and are aiding the Devil to discredit God and his Word and works. Let the truth be followed and accepted by reasonable men, though it make all the self-constituted wise ones of earth liars.—Rom. 3: 4.
REDEMPTION FORESHADOWED AND PROMISED
ANY human creature that is living possesses the right to food, air, light and certain priviliges in society; and these are called “life rights’’; that is, they are incident to animation, privileges belonging to creatures that live in any measure. However, the right to life or right to live means a just right of existence which cannot be properly taken away.
Because the first parents of our race possessed no right to life after they had rebelled against their Creator, every child born into the world from then until now has been born imperfect, unrighteous, a sinner, disapproved in God’s sight, under condemnation, and therefore with no right to life. The life that any of us has lived has been merely by permission of God; and all who have died have died justly; for nothing but a perfect creature is entitled to life. For this reason, in Psalm fifty-one, verse five, the prophet wrote: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. ’ ’ The Apostle Paul, writing under inspiration, expressed the same thing, saying: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. ’ ’—Rom. 5:12.
All the human race, then, from Adam until now, having been born imperfect, it follows that if any ever get full life and the right to life he must get it through the loving Jehovah God. Unless God had made some provision for the redemption of man from death and the lifting up of him again to the condition of life, the time would come when there would be no people on the earth. We remember that Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years; and now man scarcely lives to be half a century old. The race has been degenerating for centuries, growing weaker and weaker, and ultimately all would come to that condition in which they would be unable to transmit even the spark of life to their offspring, and the earth would be depopulated. Hence we see our utter dependence upon God; and if we find the great Jehovah has made a provision for us to live, that ought to fill our hearts with gratitude; and as we further examine his great purpose it should fill our hearts with boundless love for him. And surely that provision would bring joy to the heart and enable one to see that such provision constitutes one of the strings upon the doctrinal harp of God.
At the time that Jehovah entered the judgment or sentence against man in the garden of Eden he vaguely hinted at a time coming when man should be released from that judgment. Satan, one of whose names is “that old serpent”, was the first inducing cause of sin. And God at that time said to him: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head.” (Gen. 3:15) This foreshadowed the fact that ultimately Satan should be destroyed and that the same would result as a blessing to man.
But we must remember that the judgment of God entered against man must stand for ever. It could not be reversed or set aside or annulled, for the reason that Jehovah cannot deny himself. Nor could any of his creatures have faith in him if he changed his mind. While it is true that this judgment must stand for ever, it is equally true that God could make a consistent provision for having the terms of the judgment met by another, equal to Adam; and this is exactly what we find the Scriptures to disclose that he did. Jehovah desired that man should understand the necessity and reason for providing redemption, that when man does understand it he will rejoice in the loving-kindness manifested by God toward him. For this reason God caused certain pictures or types to be made by his ancient people.
On the night that Jehovah led the children of Israel, the Jewish nation, out of the land of Egypt, he caused a lamb to be slain and its blood sprinkled upon the doorposts of the house, and the people therein to eat that lamb; and he arranged that at midnight the death angel would pass through and smite the first-born of every house where the blood did not appear upon the doorposts. The first-born here pictured the true church of God, about which we shall see later, and which first must be saved before the blessing can come to the world in general. The lamb pictured the one who should be the ransomer, or redeemer, of mankind. The blood pictured the life poured out to provide a redemptive price.—Ex. 12: 3-17.
When Jesus appeared, at the age of thirty years, John the Baptist, pointing to him, said: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) And we read in the book of Revelation, chapter thirteen, verse eight, concerning Jesus, that he is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. These scriptures and others show that the sacrifice of the lamb foreshadowed the sacrifice of the great One who should become the redeemer of mankind and take away the sin of the world.
The first-borns of the Jews were passed over because of the shed blood of the passover lamb. A few days after this passover in Egypt, the Israelites were all delivered when God commanded Moses to smite the waters of the Red Sea and they passed over on dry land; and when the Egyptians attempted to follow they were swallowed up in the sea and drowned. The deliverance of Israel here pictured the deliverance from the great enemy, Satan and death, of all the human race that will ultimately be obedient to God’s holy will.
After the children of Israel were on the other side of the Red Sea, they marched on in the desert: and when they came to Mount Sinai God confirmed with them a covenant, which is known in the Bible as the law covenant. In connection with this covenant animals were sacrificed. This covenant was instituted at the hands of Moses as a mediator. Moses here was a type or prophetic figure of Christ Jesus, who in due time will inaugurate the covenant on behalf of all mankind for their deliverance. In connection with the law given to the Israelites at this time, God instructed Moses to erect in the wilderness a tabernacle, which was to be used by the Israelites in connection with their ceremonies of sacrifice. One day of each year was known as the atonement day, and what was done on that day particularly foreshadowed the great sin-offering to be made on behalf of mankind.
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