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    The Watchtower, August 1, 1936

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    The Watchtower—1936

    “JEHOVAH'S PRAISE” TESTIMONY

    The midsummer testimony period, August 1-9, is designated “Jehovah’s Praise”. This will be an excellent time for as many as can to arrange to take then vacation, thereby to be able to devote as much time as possible to this privilege than which none is higher or grander, Jehovah’s praise. That all his devoted ones may begin at once to plan and arrange therefor it is here stated that the feature of this testimony period will he the offering bound in a special wrapper Books One, Two and Three of Vindication, on contribution of 50c. Vindication, with its full statement on the work of ‘the man with the inkhorn’ and the Jehu-Jonadab picture, etc., should prove excellent material to place following the recent wide distribution of the book Riches. It will also be proper to offer in combination with the above three books the two books Light with the book Prophecy, all on a $1.00 contribution. “Praise ye Jehovah.” Due reports of your praise efforts should be made, to the Brooklyn head office direct if you are not under Branch supervision. Distribution of the above bock offers will continue throughout the entire month of August.

    LITERATURE FOR THE BLIND

    Of the new booklets, Angels, Dividing the People, Hereafter, Cause of Death, Who Is God? and What Is Truth? also Loyalty, can be supplied in Braille. These are obtainable at $1 a copy, or may be had on loan by any blind reader. Address the Society’s branch for the blind, 1210 Spear St., Logansport, Ind.

    NOTICE

    All mail pertaining to matters of the Society should be addressed to the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, not to individuals. This insures proper handling and attention. Some of the brethren think that because they speak a foreign tongue they must address their letters to some individual at the office. This should never be done. All letters should be addressed and remittances be made out to the Society. The Society will give attention in due course to all letters addressed to it, regardless of language.

    NEW PORTABLE PHONOGRAPH

    The Society now manufactures and has to offer a light-weight phonograph of new design, which is 14 by 13 by 5 inches in size, and covered with brown cloth and having rounded corners. It weighs 9 pounds 13 ounces, which is 5 1/2 pounds lighter than the previous model manufactured by the Society. With the three phonograph discs which can be carried in it, it weighs 12 pounds 6 ounces. The volume of sound is just as strong as that of the previous model, and the tone is of the best quality. As shipped out from our factory, the phonograph is timed properly, at 78 r.p.m., and should be checked from time to time. This new model, including three discs, is offered on a contribution of $10.00; without the three discs, $S 00. Remittance should accompany orders. Also specify the particular discs wanted.

    Vol. LVII

    August 1, 1936

    No. 15

    OBADIAH

    PART 4

    “But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.”—Obad. 17.

    JEHOVAH is the deliverer. David the beloved servant of God long ago expressed the heart sentiments of the remnant now on earth when he wrote: “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” (Ps. 18: 1-3) Now Jehovah has builded up Zion, his capital organization, and placed Christ Jesus the great antitypical David, the Head and King thereof, upon the throne. Jehovah has appeared in his glory, and the time is at hand when he will deliver his faithful people by the hand of Christ Jesus, his King and Vindicator. Before the battle of the ‘‘great day of God Almighty” ends, even the enemy shall be compelled to see that Jehovah’s favor is upon Zion. While the modern Edomites persecute God’s faithful people they hypocritically claim that deliverance of the people of the world shall be by the hand of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their allies. Declaring that the hypocritical clergy crowd shall come to an ignominious end, Jehovah says: ‘‘But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance [(R. V.) those that escape].” That shall take place when Psalm 102: 13-16 is fulfilled, declares the Lord; and that day has now come. Jehovah manifests his zeal for his organization and therefore speaks to his people, by his prophet Zechariah: ‘‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called, A city of truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, The holy mountain [the kingdom of God].” (Zech. 8:2, 3) ‘‘Christendom” and all the Devil’s organization are traveling swiftly in the rapids and soon will be crushed beyond recognition. Therefore this is the time when God’s message must be proclaimed by his faithful witnesses to those who are of good will towards Jehovah, that they may flee to the place of safety. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance [(R.V.) those that escape], as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”—Joel 2: 32.

    2 The promise is sure and certain that God’s faithful remnant shall be delivered from the oppressive organization of Satan and shall fully enjoy the privileges of God’s organization. (Zech. 2: 7; Isa. 4: 2-6; 10:20-22; 37:31, 32) Even now the modern Edomites behold the hand of the Lord over his faithful remnant, and this they have seen since their murderous assault made upon God’s people during the World War. The complete unity of the faithful remnant, their determination and zeal to serve Jehovah God regardless of opposition, their united shout of loyalty and faithfulness to God and his kingdom that goes up throughout the land, strike terror to the Edomites, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. The faithful ones of the Lord in Germany and New Jersey refuse to yield to the threats of their persecutors, and this fills the enemy with fear. There shall be no deliverance or escape for the modern Edomites and their allies.—Jer. 25: 35.

    3 Then says the Lord by his prophet: “There shall be holiness”; (R.V.) “And it shall be holy.” Rotherham renders this part of the text in this manner: “In Mount Zion shall be a delivered remnant which shall be holy.” Clearly this text means that the faithful remnant, delivered from Satan’s crowd, will be holy and completely devoted to Jehovah and will render holiness unto the Lord. These faithful ones are holy, in having come clean from Babylon or Satan’s organization, and will be continually offering their sacrifice of praise to God and to his King. (Isa. 52: 11, 12; 2 Cor. 6: 17, 18; 7: 1) The great Refiner and Purifier sees to it that the “delivered remnant” are made pure and holy and that they offer continually an offering in righteousness before the Lord. (See Malachi 3: 3, 4) The faithful ones will not be putting forward their own expression of “wisdom” with a view to attracting attention to themselves. They will be blind to everything save the kingdom interests. They will be entirely dependable, faithful and true to the Lord, and any who fail to come up to that standard will not be permitted in Zion. “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall he called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem.’’ (Isa. 4: 3) The faithful remnant are now easily discernible as they go forward unselfishly to the service, always singing the praises of Jehovah and his King.

    4 It was the expressed will of God that Jacob should receive the birthright. “And the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.” (Roth.) These possessions are in full accord with God's covenant, that is, according to the birthright which God declared Jacob should receive. The faithful remnant now on the earth are the antitype of Jacob, that is, Jacob represented them; and this promise means restoration of the remnant to their rightful place in Jehovah’s organization and to full privileges of service and activity in God’s organization. The kingdom privileges are taken away from the clergy and the “evil servant” and given to the faithful remnant to possess, because they are bringing forth the fruits of the kingdom.—Matt. 21: 43; John 15; 8.

    5 The Roman Catholic Hierarchy, the chief part of the visible enemy of God, and their allied clergy now conspire to destroy God’s remnant and say: “Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.” (Ps. 83: 12) They have said and still say, “We will possess it,” that is, the kingdom (Ezek. 35: 10), but their efforts are even now completely failing. “Hut the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.” “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Dan. 7: 18, 27) The time when this taking possession of the kingdom comes to pass is “in the day of Jehovah”: “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High ; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” (Dan. 7: 22) Christ Jesus, the Head of the house of the antitypical Jacob, is now enthroned, and his judgment proceeds, and he completely ousts the “squatters” who fraudulently claim to possess the kingdom: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”—Ps. 2: 8.

    6 “The house of Jacob” particularly applies to the tribe of Judah, of which Christ Jesus is the Lion, the strong and mighty One, who shall completely annihilate the enemy. “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.”—Obad. 18.

    7 “The house of Jacob,” as used in this verse, applies particularly to Judah, and “the house of Joseph” refers particularly to the ten tribes of which Ephraim, Joseph’s son's tribe, was the head. (1 Chron. 5:1, 2; Ezek. 37:16) Therefore the expressions in this part of the prophecy of Obadiah, “the house of Judah” and “the house of Joseph”, include and cover the entire 144,000 of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, and hence mean the entire body or members of Christ. — Rev. 7: 4-8.

    8 Note now that the two houses named, that is, the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph, act in complete unity in the destruction of the enemy organization; and here the rendering of this text by Rotherham is enlightening: “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, with the house of Esau for stubble, so shall they kindle upon them and devour them, and there shall be no survivor to the house of Esau, For Yahweh [Jehovah] hath spoken.”—Obad. 18, Roth.

    9 Since the prophecy of Obadiah applies specifically to the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their allied clergy, “the house of Esau,” as used in this text, clearly means the modern-day Edomites. Concerning this same hypocritical crowd God says: “Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his [the enemy’s] fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light [Christ Jesus, the representative of Jehovah] of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One [Christ] for a flame; and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; and shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.” (Isa. 10: 16-18) Supporting this, another prophet of Jehovah says: “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.” (Joel 2: 3) Another prophet further supports this conclusion: “In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.”—Zech. 12: 6.

    10 Today all that is left of organized religion is but stubble, ready to burn. The clergy now have but a “form of godliness”, and their hearts are turned entirely away from Jehovah and his kingdom: hence the Lord says: “And the house of Esau for stubble,” fit only to be consumed by the devastating fire. Jehovah puts it in the heart of his faithful people to now pray concerning the modern Edomites the words expressed by the Psalm: “O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire.” (Ps. 83: 13, 14) Thus the Lord says what shall befall the Edomites and their allies: ‘‘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.

    11 It is written at Revelation 17: ‘‘And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these will hate the harlot, and will make her desolate and naked, and will cat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God inclined their hearts to do his purpose, even to execute one purpose.” (Rev. 17: 16, 17, Diag.) Confirming this, Jehovah through his prophet says: ‘‘Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.” (Isa. 47: 3) Doubtless these prophecies apply to the complete destruction of the influence and power of the Hierarchy and their allied clergy among the rulers of the earth, when the Hierarchy and other clergy are fully disgraced and cast aside as wholly worthless. Note that in Obadiah’s prophecy the credit for the complete destruction of the house of Esau is not given to the ‘men of her confederacy’ (vs. 7), but, says the Lord: ‘‘and the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, . . . and they shall kindle in them [shall burn among them (R.V.)], and devour them.” (Obad. 18) God lays his vengeance upon the Edomites by the hand of his own power: ‘‘And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel; and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger, and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.”—Ezek. 25: 14.

    12 In the war that is now in progress between the modern-day Edomites and the faithful servants of God the latter are now declaring Jehovah’s fiery judgments against the hypocritical Hierarchy or Edomites. Jehovah’s witnesses can be obedient to God now only by continuously bearing his message before the people of the world ; his name and his Word must now be proclaimed far and wide. It is the Word of God in the mouth of these witnesses that is burning the clergy, even as his prophet foretold: “Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye [Jehovah’s faithful witnesses] speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” (Jer. 5: 14) “But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.” (Amos 1: 12) As Jehovah used the heathen to perform certain parts of his purpose to inflict punishment upon backsliding Israel in olden times, so he now maneuvers the enemy and their allies that one part of the heathen will inflict punishment upon modern or unfaithful so-called “Israel” of the present day.

    13 The Roman Catholic Hierarchy and allied clergy shall be completely destroyed; as it is written: “And there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau.” (Vs. 18) “Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.” (Joel 3: 19) “Also Edom shall be a desolation; every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.” (Jer. 49: 17,18; Isa. 34: 9-17; Ezek. 35: 1-9, 15; 25: 13) “The Lord hath spoken it”; and therefore all the “goats” shall be destroyed.—Matt. 25: 46.

    14 Jehovah suffers or permits his enemies to take their own course until it is his due time to act, and when the due time arrives the enemy must be ousted. (Ps. 110: 1-3) The Roman Catholic Hierarchy, the modern Edomites, for many years have wrongfully assumed possession of that which belongs to the true people of God. Concerning the ousting of the enemy and giving the possession to those to whom it rightfully belongs and who the Lord discloses shall have it, he says by his prophet Obadiah: “And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines; and they shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria; and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.”—Obad. 19.

    15 Judah occupied the south part of Palestine, which territory bordered all the land held by the Edomites. (Josh. 15: 1, 8, 10) When the Israelites were journeying from Egypt to Canaan Jehovah instructed Moses to command the people that they were not to meddle with the Edomites: “And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esan, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you; take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore; meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a footbreadth, because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.” “And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned, and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.”—Deut. 2: 4, 5, 8.

    16 It was not then God's due time to dispossess the Edomites. Likewise God has permitted the clergy to go on in their wrongful way without interruption until his due time to take action. The time to dispossess the modern Edomites is after Christ Jesus, the Greater Moses, is enthroned and begins his reign. Since 1914 “the, kingdoms of this world” rightfully belong to Jehovah God and his Christ, and Christ shall “reign for ever and ever”. (Rev. 11: 15, R. V.) Christ Jesus, the rightful Ruler of the world, having come and begun his reign, the time is here for the fulfillment of the prophecy, to wit: “I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; 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. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his [Edom’s] enemies; and Israel [spiritual Israel, of which Christ Jesus is Head] shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.” —Num. 24: 17-19.

    17 In proof further corroborating the above is the prophecy of Amos, which is quoted at Acts 15: 14-18. The Lord by his prophet Amos said: ‘‘In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: that they [The Christ] may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.” (Amos 9: 11, 12) This verse, according to another translator, reads: ‘‘That they on whom my name hath been called [that is, Jehovah’s servant class, upon whom he bestows his name, and of which Christ Jesus is the Head] may take possession of the residue of Edom and of all the nations [the nations that are anti-God and anti-Kingdom], declareth Jehovah, who executeth this.”—Rotherham.

    18 The time when this prophecy is fulfilled is definitely fixed, and the proof shows that it takes place after Christ Jesus is enthroned and begins his reign. “God at the first did visit the Gentiles [nations], to take out of them a people for his name,” says the apostle, quoting from the prophecy. This work of taking out a people for his name is not completed until the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple and the gathering unto himself of those who form the royal house. “And to this agree the words of the prophets [particularly Amos and Obadiah]: as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David.”—Acts 15: 14-16.

    19 The taking possession of Edom, which means the ousting of the modern Edomites, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their allied clergy, takes place when the Lord is at the temple for judgment and after he brings unto himself the temple company. The taking possession of the modern Edomites by the Lord Jesus Christ was foreshadowed when King David brought Edom into subjection to the typical kingdom of God. The taking possession of the Edomites and all nations means the breaking of them in pieces, as stated by the psalmist: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (Ps. 2: 8, 9) The modern Edomites have exercised power over many peoples of the earth, but all of those who forsake that wicked organization and turn to the Lord and seek righteousness and meekness will come under the influence, power and control of God’s kingdom under Christ Jesus, the Greater David, and will be in line for the blessings which Jehovah promises through Abraham.

    20 All the nations must bow down and become subject to Christ, and only the obedient shall live. Therefore says the prophet: “And they of the plain [lowland (R.V)] [shall possess the land of] the Philistines.” They of the plain or lowland, called Shephelah (Hebrew), are the spiritual Israelites, the children of Jacob. That country of the ancient Israelites after the flesh was contiguous with the country of the Philistines and was subdued by David. (2 Sam. 8: 11, 12) “The plain,” or maritime slopes of Philistia, merged into the plain of Sharon on the north. Speaking prophetically of the spiritual seed of Jacob, the Lord says: “And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains; and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.”—Isa. 65: 9, 10.

    21 The Philistines were allies of Edom, and both of these peoples are employed in the prophecy to foretell the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and those other clergy who walk with the Hierarchy in this day. Jehovah by his prophet declares his purpose to destroy all those enemies: “and the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah.” (Zeph. 2: 4-7) It is thus made clearly to appear by the Word of the Lord that the Homan Catholic Hierarchy and all allied clergy guilty of persecuting and vexing God’s people shall be completely dispossessed. This will mark the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, to wit: “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.”—Gen. 22: 17.

    22 Concerning others of the royal house the prophet Obadiah says: “And they [the rest of Judah, the royal tribe] shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria.” In the type that would take in the territory of the ten tribes of Israel, who seceded from Judah after the son of Solomon ascended the throne of the twelve tribes. That would mean that the Ephraimite and the Samaritan hybrids, who afterwards occupied that territory, must be cleared out or willingly come under God’s kingdom through his royal Son Christ Jesus. All the territory promised to the seed of Abraham, according to the covenant, must come under the rule of Christ Jesus. This is also shown by the prophecy which reads: “Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.”—Isa. 55: 3-5.

    23 Continuing, the prophet Obadiah says: ‘‘And Benjamin shall possess Gilead.” The tribe of Benjamin was the only tribe that faithfully stood by and clung to Judah, the royal tribe. The tribe of Benjamin went into captivity with the royal tribe and returned to Zion with it. The tribe of Benjamin represents those who are dedicated to the interests of God’s kingdom like as the tribe of Judah was. They foreshadowed the ones that are dependable and remain true and faithful to the Lord. The name ‘‘Gilead” means strong rock, heap of witnesses. That was the territory lying east of the Jordan river and was occupied by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, it being suitable for their purposes as cattle raisers. (Num. 32: 1-5; Deut. 3: 12-16) Benjamin comes into possession of this land, and this prophetically pictures the blessings Jehovah bestows upon those who are faithfully devoted to the interests of God’s kingdom, and who share in the ‘‘sure mercies of David”.

    24 The prophetic pictures seem clearly to show that Jehovah first brings into disgrace and shame the antitypical Edomites, the clergy, and then drives them completely out of their possession long occupied by them, and then clears out all enemies of God and brings the entire earth and all the people who continue thereon completely under the control and rule of the royal house, the Christ. ‘‘And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that [that is, the territory] of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.”—Obad. 20.

    25 This is exactly in harmony with the terms of the Abrahamic covenant: ‘‘And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.” The Canaanites were enemies of God and of his people. Zarephath was a Phoenician town between Tyre and Zidon and well known as the place where Elijah lodged with the widow and her son during the three and one-half years of the drouth in Israel.—1 Ki. 17: 9, 10.

    26 Looking now to the fulfillment of the prophecy: The host of spiritual Israel was in captivity to Satan’s organization, that is, Babylon, prior to and in 1918. Up to that time they had even recognized the rulers of this world, the servants of Satan, as the ‘‘higher powers”. This they did ignorantly, of course, but remained faithful and true to Jehovah. The promise is that these faithful ones shall possess the place wrongfully occupied by those who oppressed them. It is a picture of how God takes careful note of those who remain true and faithful to him and in due time delivers them and gives them a place of supremacy over their enemies and over his enemies. These truths the Lord without doubt is now permitting his people to understand that they may receive comfort and with patience pursue their work which he has assigned to them.

    27 ‘‘The captivity of Jerusalem,” as used by the prophet Obadiah, strongly implies that the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy begins sometime after 1918 and while the remnant are still on the earth and before their work on the earth is finished. ‘‘When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.” (Ps. 126: 1) When the remnant saw that they were free from the binding cords of Satan’s organization, free in Christ Jesus, and recognized God and Christ Jesus as the ‘‘Higher Powers”, to whom they must at all times be obedient, that was so refreshing it seemed like a dream, and many so said.

    28 Further concerning the remnant it is written: ‘‘Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.” That was literally true when the remnant saw that Satan was east out of heaven, and that they had a work to do of praising and serving Jehovah God till Armageddon, when Satan and his hordes would be destroyed. The Lord spoke to them, saying, ‘‘Rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell [therein]” (Rev. 12:12); and the remnant heard, understood and shouted for joy. They rejoiced because they saw that the main purpose of the Lord Jesus is to vindicate Jehovah’s name, and now they had entered into the joy of the Lord, seeing that the. remnant has a part in the vindication of Jehovah's name. Others among the nations, who observed the favor of the Lord upon the remnant, who are devoted to Jehovah, are shown by the psalmist to speak to one. another concerning the remnant, to wit: ‘‘Then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.” Many people of the world saw that God’s remnant had returned as it were from the dead after the World War and were going forth with greater zeal and earnestness than ever in witnessing to God’s kingdom, and thus they saw and remarked concerning God’s favor upon them. The faithful remnant now in the joy of the Lord say amongst themselves: ‘‘The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” For some time these faithful ones have been sowing in tears; but now the change has come, and, as it is written, ‘‘they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” (Ps. 126: 1-5) It has been a time of ever-increasing joy to the faithful remnant since they have seen it is their privilege to have a part in the vindication of Jehovah's name. They have forgotten self, and the unselfish ones are the ones who are serving God and doing so because they love him. This clearly seems to refer to the time mentioned by the apostle, who wrote: ‘‘Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” (2 Thess. 2 : 1) “The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one [henceforth] that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Tim. 2: 19) It shows that those faithful ones were widely dispersed or scattered and now they are gathered together unto the Lord.

    29 In this connection note now that Obadiah says concerning the “captivity” that they “shall possess the cities of the south”. This clearly implies the ousting of the enemy and the entrusting of the rulership to the faithful people of God and to the vindication of Jehovah’s name. Those whom the Lord found faithful at the time of the temple examination and judgment he said would be assigned to certain “cities”, which apparently means certain portions of his organization of the great and holy city. “Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.”—Luke 19: 16-19.

    30 Each one now in the Lord’s organization, and who appreciates that great privilege of knowing and serving Jehovah, realizes that “now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Cor. 12: 18), and each one of such delights to fill, by the grace of the Lord, the place to which he is assigned. There is no envy or covetousness amongst those of pure heart. There is no respect of persons, but all are at unity in Christ and therefore one in action, to the glory of Jehovah. It appears, however, that some who mingle with the faithful anointed remnant for a time are covetous, having a desire to receive honor amongst men, and such ones seek to push themselves forward into what appears to them a more favorable position. That is entirely the wrong spirit and means that they are following a course of lawlessness, and the Lord declares he will gather such out of his kingdom. (Matt. 13: 41) The angels of the Lord at his command do this ousting work, and these are the angels who attend upon Christ Jesus at the temple (Matt. 25: 31) These angels doubtless perform in connection with and toward the people of God many things that they cannot see with their natural eyes or hear with their natural ears. We have the assurance that “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him” (Ps. 34: 7), and which must mean that these angels under Christ Jesus’ command have a special interest in and oversight of the faithful servants of God on earth.

    DELIVERERS

    31 Jehovah has no pleasure in the wicked, not even in their death. “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with thee.” (Ps. 5: 4) Furthermore it is written: “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” (Ezek. 33: 11) The wicked are those who have had an opportunity to know and to serve Jehovah and have turned the other way, and such include the clergy and the “evil servant” class; and concerning all such wicked it is written: “If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”—Heb. 10: 38.

    32 The prophecy of Obadiah is devoted almost exclusively to God’s purpose and manner of punishing the wicked religionists. Not that God has pleasure in such a thing, but that he must make known his purpose to vindicate his name and reveal to his creatures the only way whereby they may obtain life everlasting. Jehovah takes pleasure in the vindication of his name and in the blessing of those who are loyal and faithful to him and who have a part in the vindication of his name. “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”—Ps. 35: 27.

    33 God’s due time has come to show his favor to his organization; and hence it is written: “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.” (Ps. 102: 13) When Jehovah sent Christ Jesus to the temple for judgment, that marked the time of the beginning of the showing of his favor to Zion. He takes pleasure in those who have remained true to him; says his prophetic word: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” (Ps. 147: 11) “For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with salvation.”—Ps. 119: 4.

    34 The people of all nations who do survive and live must in due time hear the truth and put themselves on the side of Jehovah. (Rev. 15: 4) Information concerning the destruction of the enemy is now given to the remnant in advance of the coining to pass of those events that the remnant may be strong in hope and may well understand that their persecution by the enemy is permitted by the Lord to test them, and that in due time Jehovah will completely deliver them.

    35 For many centuries the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and allied clergymen have been browbeating, frightening, coercing and oppressing the people, and at the same time telling the people a great mass of lies, while at the same time they have been posing as the saviors of the people, and hence as their spiritual guides. By their use of fraud and deceit the clergy have induced credulous people to support them, and now their preying upon the people is at an end. While the clergy form a part of Satan’s organization, yet the prophecy of Obadiah is limited to the religionists of the Devil’s organization so far as the execution of God’s wrath against them is concerned. When David was put on the typical throne of God’s kingdom he found it necessary to engage in war with the enemy round about, including the Edomites. When the Greater David was enthroned in 1914 and sent forth by Jehovah to rule midst his enemies he engaged in war with the enemies of God. All the evidence points to the fact that the day of the fulfillment of Obadiah’s prophecy is now here. While the clergy pose before the people as saviors or deliverers, the real saviors provided by Jehovah appear, as it is written: “And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. ’’ —Obad. 21.

    36 In ancient Israel the judges were called “deliverers”, and the word “saviours” here used by the prophet Obadiah means “deliverers” also. The words “saviours” and “deliverers” mean the same thing: “Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.”—Neh. 9: 27.

    37 When Israel was oppressed by the enemy and the oppressed people cried unto the Lord, he sent them a deliverer or savior: “And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war; and the Lord delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan- rishathaim.” (Judg. 3: 9, 10) “And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out. from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.” (2 Ki. 13: 5) Speaking of Gideon’s band of warriors, Jehovah said to him: “By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand; and let all the other people go every man unto his [own house].”—Judg. 7: 7.

    38 In the prophecy of Obadiah under consideration the prophet calls these deliverers “saviours” because they represent the Great Savior, Jehovah, and are directly associated with Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world, and through whom Jehovah accomplishes salvation of those who love and serve him. The term “saviour”, as used in the prophecy, therefore properly applies to and includes Jehovah’s remnant now on the earth, just as certainly and as fully as it applied to human creatures whom Jehovah used to deliver the Israelites of old.

    39 The Lord uses the faithful members of his body in his work and counts what is done to them as unto himself. Today at the command of Jehovah the remnant go forth and ‘publish salvation’, which God provides and which is the only salvation for any creature. (Isa. 52: 7) To the prisoner class the witnesses of Jehovah now bear his message of deliverance to the people, that those prisoners, the persons of good will, may know and find the only way of salvation. (Isa. 49: 9) The true and faithful remnant watch out for the interests of their brethren and co-operate faithfully with each other in safeguarding the kingdom interests. (1 Tim. 4: 16; Jas. 5: 20) It is the remnant, the faithful witnesses of Jehovah, that take the lead over the highway and lift high the standard of Jehovah, pointing those people of good will to the way of salvation. (Isa. 55: 4; 62: 10) All this the remnant do under the command and leadership of Christ Jesus, the Savior, and hence they are included in the term “saviours” mentioned by the prophet Obadiah.

    40 These “saviours” “come up on mount Zion”, that is, the organization of Jehovah, and concerning that organization it is written: “Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together; whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.” —Ps. 122: 3, 4.

    41 This takes place when Jehovah builds up Zion, the building up of which began with the coming of the Lord Jesus, the great Judge and Savior, to the temple. Not every one who says, “Lord, Lord,” shall be of Zion, but only those who lawfully and faithfully do the will of God. By his prophet, the psalmist, Jehovah shows that there is a specific qualification that must be had by all who come up to the position of “saviours”, as mentioned by the prophet, and that qualification is set forth in these words: “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”—Psalm 15.

    42 These faithful ones who meet the divine requirements see and appreciate the presence of the Lord at the temple, and they hear and obey the prophecy, to wit: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; ... behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just [the great Judge], and having salvation.” (Zech. 9: 9) The picture by the prophecy of Obadiah of the ‘saviors coming up on Mount Zion’ corresponds exactly with the picture recorded at Revelation 14: 1, and which shows the 144,000 with Christ Jesus the Savior on Mount Zion. All these scriptures disclose the fact that salvation is from Jehovah and comes solely through the channel of his provision, which is his official family Zion, and that salvation comes not from any of the clergy crowd, such as the hypocritical Roman Catholic Hierarchy. Jehovah God has provided salvation, and there is no other name through which it comes save that of Christ Jesus. It was to this very day the prophet looked forward when he recorded these words: “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.’’—Ps. 14: 7.

    43 What is the work assigned to these saviors that come up on Mount Zion? The prophet answers: “To judge the mount of Esau.’’ This, of course, means that those of Zion, the remnant, pronounce the judgments of God, which he has previously written and which judgments mark and condemn to destruction the hypocritical religionists, particularly the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and her allied clergy. It is the declaration of the vengeance of Jehovah God against the hypocrites which the remnant are commissioned to declare. God caused his prophet to write concerning this very time: “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of Cod be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fitters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written; this honour have ail his saints. Praise ye the Lord.’’ —Ps. 149: 5-9.

    44 The pronouncing of these judgments of Jehovah against the scornful men, the Hierarchy and their allied clergy, necessarily provokes a war, because it exposes the frauds and hypocrisy of that wicked crowd. Jehovah's witnesses are now engaged in the declaration of the divine judgments, proclaiming the Scriptures that make known that God's time is at hand when he takes account with his enemies, in which he executes those who have defamed his name. They will be declaring the Scriptures and making known that many of the remnant will be on earth and see Christ Jesus execute the judgments of Jehovah against the religionists and others who have so wickedly defamed Jehovah's name. Before the Lord Jesus Christ all nations are now gathered (Matt. 25: 31, 32), and this particularly applies to the religionists of “Christendom’’ and is clearly in line with the prophecy written, to wit: “Let the heathen be wakened, and conic up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom [Esau] shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. Por I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed; for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.”—Joel 3: 12, 19-21.

    45 By his prophet Jeremiah Jehovah supports this conclusion concerning the fall of the Edomites: “Also Edom shall be a desolation; every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. . . . Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong; but I will suddenly make him run away from her; and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them. Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. (Jer. 49: 17, 19, 20, 22) The Edomites have brought great reproach upon the name of Jehovah, and so the Lord will see to it that they do not go unpunished. God will clear and vindicate his holy name.

    46 This clearing out of the Edomites takes place when the Lord builds up Zion: “And the kingdom shall be the Loan's [so shall the kingdom belong unto Jehovah (Roth.)].” Today the fraudulent crowd, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, claim to be ruling the world as the representatives of the Lord, but that claim is wholly false and the Lord will see to it that it appears false in the eyes of the other elements that rule the earth. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their allies now assume to ‘reign as king without’ Jehovah’s royal house, and contrary to the will of God. (1 Cor. 4:8) The commercial traffickers and politicians, together with the clergy or religious allies, have set up the “abomination that maketh desolate” and claim that it rules the world by divine right; but that makeshift must soon pass away for ever. Satan's organization must shortly end and a part of that ending shall be the destruction of the old “whore”. The destruction of the “old whore” system, and the literal cleaning out or killing of the men who make up and rule that hypocritical organization, does not necessarily take place at one and the same time. Rather does it appear from the Scriptures that the war now, which is in progress, against the clergy crowd will completely disgrace and bring into disrepute the Hierarchy and its religious allies, and then at the battle of the great day of God Almighty Christ Jesus will destroy all the wicked. This is not a dogmatic statement or conclusion, but such seems to be reasonable in the light of the Scriptures and the facts. At any rate the part of the remnant in that war is to sing the praises of Jehovah and to declare the day of his vengeance and make known his judgments heretofore written. By so doing they expose to view the refuse of lies behind which the wicked religionists have long concealed themselves; and then the Lord will do the destructive work. This is clearly and emphatically shown by other prophecies.—Ezekiel, chapters nine and ten.

    47 The remnant must now give close attention to the commission which the Lord has given them and perform that commission loyally and faithfully. Jehovah permits them to see his purpose in destroying the clergy and all of Satan’s organization, but it is not so important for the remnant to know just the order in which this will be done or the day when the destruction will take place. The remnant must be wholly obedient to the Lord, and, being obedient, they will not try to run ahead of the Lord and state how he is going to do it, a thing he has not revealed. The remnant must declare the message that Jehovah and Christ Jesus have placed in their mouth to declare, and not only be contented with so doing, but rejoice in that privilege. They must bear the fruits of the kingdom before the people; and the proclaiming of this message is to awaken those of good will, the Jonadabs, who form the “great multitude’’, as well as to give warning to others. This work must be completed before Armageddon because after the destructive work begins by the “Sword of Jehovah”, and with the angelic host accompanying Christ Jesus with their slaughter weapons, it will then be both too late for the remnant to declare the message and too late for the great multitude to receive the message and seek righteousness and meekness before God’s wrath falls upon the enemy.

    48 Let the people now understand the only means of salvation is that which God has provided through Christ Jesus. “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen ; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles. . . . And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.” (Matt. 12: 18-21, R.V.; Acts 4: 12) The Lord will rid the earth of the enemy and make it a fit place for honest creatures to live upon. “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” —Zech. 14: 9.

    49 None of the hypocrites or of the wicked will survive, and all who do survive Armageddon, and all who are resurrected, must obey, if they live, and come completely under the rule of the Lord Jesus, the King of the earth. “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s; and he is the governor among the nations.” (Ps. 22: 27, 28) Then Christ Jesus, the Greater David, will say to Jehovah, as it is written: “Thine, O Jehovah, are Greatness and Might, and Beauty and Victory and Majesty, nay! all in the heavens and in the earth; thine O Jehovah, is the kingdom, who art exalted above all, as chief; and riches and honour are from before thee, and thou art ruling over all, and in thy hand are power and might, and in thy hand it is, to give greatness and strength unto any.”—1 Chron. 29: 11, 12, Roth.

    50 The Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their clergy allies and all others who reproach and defame the name of Jehovah must and soon will be completely cleared out. Nothing shall be permitted to offend in all God’s holy kingdom. Jehovah will order and carry on his kingdom under Christ Jesus, his anointed One, the King and “righteous Branch”, agreeable to his promise made: “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”— Jer. 23: 3, 5, 6.

    51 Then is heard the great voice throughout the universe praising the Most High: “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” (Rev. 19: 6) Let all those now on the earth who love and serve Jehovah stand firm and steadfast for his name and his kingdom. Regardless of what the enemy may do, we know that the day of deliverance is near; and therefore the song of praise which his people now raise to the holy name of Jehovah shall go on for ever and ever to the honor and glory of the Most High.

    QUESTIONS FOR STUDY

    1, 2. Whose promise is expressed in this text? With scriptures, explain who are to be delivered, and by whom, and from whom.

    3. “ There shall be holiness.” How will this be accomplished?

    4. What is meant by the declaration that ‘‘the house of

    Jacob shall possess their own possessions”?

    5. With scriptures show whether the purpose expressed in Psalm 83: 12 will succeed.

    6, 7. Identify ‘‘the house of Jacob” and ‘‘the house of Joseph”.

    8-13. With other scriptures, point out the significance and the fitness of their being ‘‘fire” and ‘‘flame”, ‘‘with the house of Esau for stubble,” and how this ‘file and flame’ will ‘‘kindle in them, and devour them”.

    14-18. Account for God's enemies’ having so long continued to take their own course. Harmonize Deuteronomy 2: 4, 5, 8 with the declarations at Obadiah 19 and Numbers 24: 17-19.

    19 - 24. How shall ‘‘they of the south” ‘‘possess the mount of Esau”? Point out fulfillment of Amos 9: 12. How and when shall ‘‘they of the plain” possess ‘‘the [land of the] Philistines”? Who shall ‘‘possess the field of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria'’, and how? How and when shall ‘‘Benjamin” possess ‘‘Gilead”? What do these prophetic pictures seem clearly to show?

    25-29. Identify ‘‘the captivity of this host of the children of Israel”. When and how do they ‘come into possession’ of the ‘land’ of ‘‘the Canaanites”? Who are ‘‘the captivity of Jerusalem”? How, and with what response, are they ‘given possession’ of ‘‘the cities of the south”?

    30. Account for the present unity of purpose and action of God’s faithful solvents on earth.

    31, 32. Who are the wicked? In view of what is stated at Ezekiel 33: 11, account for God’s purpose toward the wicked, and his ultimate dealing with them.

    33, 34. How and when does Psalm 102: 13 have fulfillment? Why is Jehovah at this time so graciously favoring his organization?

    35-40. With scriptures in illustration, explain the term ‘‘saviours”, used in verse 21. How do these “saviours” “come up on mount Zion”?

    41, 42. When anil how is Psalm 122: 3, 4 fulfilled? What is the necessary qualification for all those who in Obadiah 21 are designated “saviours”? What do the scriptures here disclose regarding the source of salvation and the channel through which it is provided? When Jehovah takes account with his enemies, how will he deal with those who have defamed his name?

    43-47. What is the work assigned to these ‘saviors that come up on Mount Zion’? and how is that work accomplished? How is their part foreshown in the prophecies? Why, according to Joel 3:12, 19-21 and Jeremiah 49: 17, 19, 20, 22, is such desolation wrought upon “Edom”? What must the remnant now know and do? Why?

    48-50. With scriptures, show that exaltation of Jehovah’s word and name attends and follows the execution of his judgments in the earth.

    51. What, then, shall be done by all those now on the earth who love and serve Jehovah?

    THE MARCH TO ARMAGEDDON

    DESCRIBING Satan’s marshaling of his forces for the coming fight of Armageddon, the prophet Nahum in symbolic terms says: “He [Satan] shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.” (Nah. 2:5) Satan’s “worthies” are his foremost servants.

    In his preparation for the great battle Satan summons his nobles and the principal of his flock, and these “noble” clergymen and principal of the flock, hypocritically claiming to be Christians, hurry to obey the summons of their master, Satan, even as the prophet of God says they would do; and as they come “they stumble in their march”. (R. V.) The prophet Isaiah (8:14) long ago said: “And be shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel; for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Even so, Satan’s “worthies” stumble over “the Stone”, which is God’s anointed King, Christ Jesus. They make haste to the defense of Satan’s world or organization; and in so doing they stumble and fall, just as Jesus the great Prophet foretold they would, saying: “Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: . . . And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” (Matt. 21:42-44) The prophet Isaiah (8:14,15) foretold this, saying: “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” They hasten to aid in the preparation for the assault upon God’s Anointed, but they fall, even as it is written: “When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to cat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”— Ps. 27:2.

    The prophet Nahum says: “They shall make haste to the wall thereof.” True to prophecy, the clergy and the principal of their flocks make haste to seek the instruments available for the persecution and punishment of those of God’s people who are known as “the remnant”, and who are diligent in spreading among the people the truth of Jehovah. They make haste to man the bulwarks of Satan’s organization, that the hated remnant may be destroyed. But while this preparation is going on, the clergy, or “nobles”, as the prophecy calls them, decline to appear in the open and defend their cause. Their policy is to never enter into an open discussion with those who represent God, because that would expose their duplicity to the people. Prophecy declares they are “mighty men of Babylon” (Satan's organization), they being the religious part of the organization, and they swagger about and content themselves with boasting words, and secretly bring their influence to bear upon the political factors to torment God’s witnesses until the day the great battle will be fought.—Jer. 51: 30.

    Satan knows that shortly he must fight the Lord, and therefore he prepares for the conflict. His method of preparation, however, is that of darkness. By loud boasting, by exalting the virtues and achievements of men, and by putting the nations in fear of each other, he hastens the gathering of the people together for the great day of battle. He is really keeping the men of his visible organization in the dark. Satan hates the remnant of God with a deadly hatred, and he incites his nobles and the principal of the flock to attempt their destruction. Doubtless Satan is confident that he can destroy the insignificant and, to him, “pestilential” group in the coming battle, but he now attempts to torment and persecute them.

    Satan would completely destroy the remnant now, were it not for the protection God furnishes his own. The prophet Nahum refers to Satan’s preparation and to his cohorts preparing for battle, and then says: “And the defence shall be prepared.” These latter words manifestly refer to the protection God furnishes to his remnant. The word rendered “defence” appears in the alternative reading in the margin of the Bible as “covering”, and means a covering or protection for those assaulting Satan’s organization. The Rotherham translation renders the text in these words: “Yet the storming cover is prepared.” Jehovah God is the covering, and his protection for his own is “in the secret place of the Most High”, under the shadow of his wing; ‘he shall cover these with his feathers, and under his wings shall they trust.’—Ps. 91:1-4.

    Many centuries ago Jehovah sent Jonah to prophesy against Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the same city against which the prophet Nahum testified. The prophecy was given when Jonah had been delivered from the belly of the whale. The destruction of the city was deferred until the day of God’s preparation mentioned by the prophet Nahum (2: 3). Since Jesus

    …