The Watchtower, September 1, 1937
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“KING OF KINGS"
The next testimony period, October 2-10 inclusive, will be world wide, coextensive with the earthly realm of the King of kings, after whose title the period is named. The publication now of the book Riches in many languages makes it appropriate for this book to be concentrated on then, the same to be offered together with a self-covered booklet. Other details of the service are due to be published in the Informant, which please consult. Let your preparations and arrangements begin at once, as unto the King of kings. Your prompt report, from whatever part of the earth you inhabit, will be awaited at this office.
VACATION
The office and factory at 117 Adams Street will suspend operations from September 11 to 26 inclusive. This will permit the members of the Bethel family to attend and serve at the Columbus convention and also to enjoy a few extra days in field service or otherwise before resuming regular work at Brooklyn.
All kingdom publishers will therefore anticipate their needs of literature to last until the end of September and should promptly send in their orders to this office so as to insure filling and shipping before the close on September 10. No mail will receive attention or be dispatched from here during the above period.
COLUMBUS CONVENTION
The Watchtower further announces the convention for Jehovah’s witnesses and companions at Columbus, Ohio, September 15-20 inclusive, which will serve the United States, Canada, and others who may be able to attend.
The president of the Society expects to be present at this convention. Make your arrangements for vacation during this period. Let all of his people ask Jehovah to make this convention a great witness to the honor of His name.
See information in July 15 issue of The Watchtower.
IMPOSTORS
Persons going about the country, and claiming to be in the truth and Jehovah's witnesses, present themselves at different places and collect money and get other favors of the brethren. We warn the brethren everywhere to have nothing to do with these impostors.
ANNOUNCING COMPANY MEETINGS
Many hearers of radio transcription lectures have the desire to meet with Jehovah’s witnesses and to study his Word with them. Hence wherever the kingdom message is radiocast, the time and place of meeting of the local company of Jehovah’s witnesses should be announced after the transcription. The time on the air being paid for, the station manager should readily grant your request to make such announcement.
Vol. LVIII
September 1, 1937
№ 17
HIS "WORK” AND HIS “ACT”
“As I have done to Shiloh.” — Jer. 7:14.
PART 1
JEHOVAH declares his purpose to do his specific work, which he designates as “his strange work"; that to then be followed by his bringing to pass his specific act, which he designates his “strange act”. (Isa. 28:21) What Jehovah did to his typical covenant people at Shiloh appears to foreshadow and foretell what his purpose is to do to the professed Christian people, that is, the religionists who have taken the name of Jehovah Cod and Christ Jesus and who have been unfaithful to the Lord and have defamed his holy name. By taking Jehovah’s name and assuming to serve him through Christ Jesus those people are in an implied covenant with the Lord to do his will. The arrogant Catholic Hierarchy organization assumes that position, claiming to be the true church and the covenant people of God; and that organization takes the lead in organized religion, which is by them, and others, wrongfully called “the Christian religion”. In this latter day the so- called “Protestants”, and even the Jews, co-operate with and support the Roman Catholic organization, all practicing their religion together. What came to pass typically at Shiloh is now of peculiar interest to those who are really devoted to Jehovah God when it is understood that God thus foreshadows and foretells his purpose toward organized religion.
2 Jehovah sent Jeremiah to give warning to the Israelites at Jerusalem; which message proclaimed by Jeremiah at the command of Jehovah was a “strange work” to those who regarded themselves as God’s favored people. Corresponding thereto, the Lord sends his servants in this day, whom he has made his witnesses, to declare his message of warning to professed Christians, otherwise called “Christendom”, and to make known God’s purpose to punish that unfaithful people at Armageddon. The work thus being done by Jehovah’s witnesses in the name of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus appears to the religionists as a “strange work”, and is to them strange. Jehovah made good his warning message by destroying his professed covenant people at Jerusalem, and that was his act foreshadowing his “strange act” at the end of Satan’s rule. Having given warning to “Christendom”, which organized body claims to practice the “Christian religion”, Jehovah will make good his warning by destroying that hypocritical organization; and such will appear to most people to be a “strange act”, and will be strange to all persons except those who are wholly devoted to Jehovah God. Jehovah’s “strange work”, therefore, may be briefly stated as his message of warning; and his “strange act” may be brielly described as his work of execution at Armageddon, in which all religious organizations, and other ungodly organizations of the world, which have Satan for their god, will be destroyed.
3 The Watchtower now attempts to arrange a study of certain parts of the prophecies of Jehovah uttered by Jeremiah at God’s command, that the same may be of aid and comfort to the people of God who are faithfully endeavoring to maintain their integrity toward him. This study embraces particularly chapters seven, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven and twenty-eight of the prophecy of Jeremiah. It is believed that a detailed consideration of this particular prophecy will enable the student of God’s Word to more fully appreciate the duties and obligations which the Lord places upon his covenant people now on earth and enable them to better sec their privileges of faithfully serving him. In this study the inspired words written by the apostle should always be kept in mind, to wit: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4) The mere casual reader will find this study irksome, but those really devoted to God and his King will find the same “meat in due season” and that it is from the Lord, and they will profit thereby and rejoice. Studies of the prophecies published in The Watchtower are for the purpose of enabling the remnant, first, to get a better understanding of their true relationship to the Almighty, and then to use the knowledge gained to enlighten those of good will who are seeking to know God and Christ Jesus. The covenant people of Jehovah are now being put to a real test to determine their integrity, and it is apparent that Jehovah is giving to them an understanding of his prophecy that they may be strengthened and that their hope may be clear.
ANATHOTH
4 In the territory of Benjamin was one of the cities assigned to the priests, and it is therefore called a ‘priest’s city’. (Josh. 21:18; 1 Chron. 6: 60) Hilkiah, one of the priests who resided there, had a son named Jeremiah. The meaning of the name of that son is, “raised up of Jehovah,” or, “Jehovah establishes,” or, “exalted by Jehovah.” When he was quite a young man Jehovah appointed Jeremiah to a responsible position, and as Jehovah’s servant he was commanded to go and do a specific work. That Jehovah selected and ordained Jeremiah from the beginning of his existence is shown by the following statement of prophecy: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jer. 1:5) Jeremiah was modest and meek, and from the beginning he had a proper estimate of the duties assigned to him.
5 “Meekness” does not mean to be cowed in the presence of others. “Meekness” means a willingness to learn, and an alertness, that one may learn what is the will of God. Many who have made a consecration to do God's will appear to have great difficulty in learning what meekness means. Only the meek will properly see and appreciate the instructions coming from God’s organization and will be on the alert to perform them.
6 When Jeremiah told the Lord that he was ‘but a child’, it may mean that before he became of age to serve in the priest’s office Jehovah had assigned Jeremiah to some minor service about the temple, and he considered himself not qualified to undertake more responsible duties. But Jehovah’s time had come for Jeremiah to begin his specific and prophetic work, and Jehovah would therefore have him forget his youth and bear in mind that he was the servant of the Most High who must trust in God and do as he was commanded. “But the Lord said unto me, Say not, 1 am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” (Jer. 1:7) At this point the meekness of Jeremiah is demonstrated; that is, he was willing to learn and anxious to know what to do and then do it. Manifestly Jehovah informed his young servant at the time that he would be bitterly opposed by the religionists, because the Lord said to him: “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 1:8) The Lord gave Jeremiah assurance, and Jeremiah meekly received the instruction and relied upon the Most High. “Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” (Jer. 1: 9) He went forth in the strength of the Lord. The Israelites at Jerusalem had at that time departed from the commandments of Jehovah and were following after the teachings of men, and their leaders in particular were very religious or superstitious. The conditions existing in Jeremiah’s day exactly correspond with the conditions at the present time. Jeremiah, being a faithful servant of Jehovah, pictured those who are now of the remnant or “faithful servant” class and who continue faithful even unto death. As Jeremiah had much opposition from the religionists then, even so now the “faithful servant” class of Jehovah is greatly opposed by the religionists of “Christendom”. This means that men, as servants of the Devil, are fighting against God by bitterly opposing God’s “faithful servant” company on earth.
7 Jeremiah was sent forth to do, not his own work, but the work of the Lord. To Jeremiah Jehovah said: “See, I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” (Jer. 1:10) The work in which Jehovah’s witnesses arc now engaged is not their work, but is the Lord’s work, the witnesses performing service assigned to them, and without any credit due to them whatsoever. The commission given to Jeremiah was a broad one, commanding him to “root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant”. Likewise Jehovah sends forth his servant class today and commissions them to declare “the day of vengeance of our God”, and “to comfort all that mourn”. (Isa. 61:2) In doing this work they are not to engage in physical combat. Their duty is defined by the apostle, who under inspiration wrote: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” (2 Cor. 10:4) The proclaiming of the Word of Jehovah today as he has commanded operates to root out, pull down, throw down and destroy the stronghold that the Devil has erected by religion and religionists; and at the same time the work performed by them brings comfort and aid to those that mourn and builds up that sincere class of persons who are seeking after God and his kingdom. The work of Jeremiah foreshadowed and foretold the work of Jehovah’s servant class now on earth; and, knowing this fact, those who engage in the service of Jehovah do so with a zeal and joy peculiar to the Lord’s house. The striking similarity of the commission to and the work of Jeremiah, to that of Jehovah’s witnesses, will appear from a detailed study of the prophecy, and is therefore encouraging and helpful to the servant class, because it is God’s “meat in due season” for them.
COMMAND
8 The young prophet received his orders from Jehovah, and he must obey them regardless of all opposition. As a faithful servant he must be blind to everything else than Jehovah’s commandments. The religionists would fight against Jeremiah because he represented Jehovah and they represented the Devil, having turned to Devil worship. To Jeremiah Jehovah said: “And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken roe, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.” (Jer. 1:16) God’s time had come to inform those religionists who had agreed to do his will, but had been unfaithful, what was about to befall them; and likewise Jehovah’s due time has now come to inform the religionists, who claim to represent God and Christ, as to what arc God’s judgments against them and when they will be executed. Jeremiah must not falter, but must go in the strength of the Lord; and therefore the Lord God said to him: “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.”— Jer. 1:17.
9 Jeremiah, trusting in and faithfully obeying Jehovah, was certain to receive his protection. “For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.” (Jer. 1:18) Likewise today, Jehovah’s witnesses must not falter or compromise because of opposition manifested against them by Satan’s representatives, but they must go forth in the strength of the Lord, relying wholly upon him. This is God’s day of judgment, and his faithful witnesses must with full confidence in God and with boldness declare his judgments.—1 John 4:17,18.
10 Jeremiah was informed that he would have to fight, but that the enemy should not prevail against him: “And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.” (Jer. 1:19) Likewise today, Jehovah’s witnesses know that they must fight, and therefore God has commanded them, saying: “Arise . . . against her in battle.” (Obadiah 1) And at the same time Jehovah gives assurance to his faithful ones that they shall not be overwhelmed by the enemy, because they are led by Christ Jesus, the victorious Warrior, and are fully backed up by the Most High. Let the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their cohorts and religious supporters do what they will in opposition to Jehovah’s work now being performed by his faithful servants. In due time God will see to it that the enemy shall suffer complete defeat; and therefore he says to his servants: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” — Eph. 6:10,12.
11 With these preliminary observations we begin with the study of the prophecy appearing at the seventh chapter. Jeremiah, teachable and ready to obey, gave heed to the Lord’s command. “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.”—Jer. 7:1,2.
12 Jeremiah was not commanded to go to the houses or church buildings and there nail his message on the door of the house, but was commanded to take his stand at the gate, where he could speak his message to the people going in and out of the temple. It was during the reign of the wicked king Jehoiakim, and therefore the “house” mentioned was the house of the Lord in name only, due to the fact that the Jews had abandoned the commandments of Jehovah God and had become religionists and continued in the temple house to carry on their religious ceremonies. There they engaged in a form of worship contrary to the commandment of the Lord. The “Lord’s house” mentioned in the prophecy pictures the religionists and their places of operation of the present time, organized and carrying on their ceremonies in the name of the Lord God, and which are contrary to his commandments. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their supporting clergy take the lead in indulging in forms of worship and religious ceremonies, in which many people participate, and all of which is an abomination to the Lord God.
13 Jeremiah was commanded to take his position or stand, and that stand foretells that Jehovah’s witnesses must come forth in the open, and within the hearing and sight of the religionists, and fearlessly proclaim the message of Jehovah as he has commanded; and that they are not to take credit therefor, but to say: “Hear the word of the Lord.” No one is to say: ‘Hear the words uttered by man,’ but, ‘Hear what God’s Word has to say.’ This is Jehovah’s work, and it is a “strange work” to those religionists who call themselves “Christians”.
14 Furthermore, Jeremiah must make proclamation of the message without first asking permission from the priests of the temple. Likewise Jehovah’s witnesses must now make proclamation of God’s message of truth concerning his name and his kingdom and must do so without first asking permission from the clergy or for a license from the police authorities so to do. If any of those going in or out of the temple were the Lord’s true people, they would hear and recognize the message proclaimed by Jeremiah as the truth. Likewise today, if among those who are held in the religious organizations any of them are truly seeking after God and his truth, they will hear and give heed to the message of warning that comes to them from Jehovah God and that is delivered by his witnesses, and they will recognize and accept it as the truth, and will flee from the religious organizations, and thereby receive comfort, and they will find the place of safety.
15 Years before the proclamation of Jeremiah was made the ten tribes of Israel had been carried away into captivity. Judah was the tribe that remained in Palestine, and continued to carry on a form of worship at the temple. The tribe of Levi was serving, and there were some of all the tribes that came to the temple; but Judah was the predominating tribe. Jeremiah was commanded to say: “Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah.” And thus were pictured the religionists in the present day, who falsely call themselves teachers of the “Christian religion” or “Christendom”, and who claim to occupy their present position and rule “by the grace of God”. Such are given the opportunity to hear the warning of the Lord.
16 The Roman Catholic Hierarchy take the lead in the practice of religion, and other religionists follow after them. “Christendom” consists of those peoples claiming to follow Christ Jesus but who do not and, on the contrary, practice a religion or formalism which is of the Devil and which they wrongfully call the “Christian religion”. Such are the ones that must be warned and that receive the warning.
17 Israel was the chosen nation of the Lord. The practitioners of so-called “Christian religion” claim to be the chosen people of God, because they have taken his name. Jeremiah was commanded to say to those addressed: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.” (Jer. 7:3) His words apply to typical Israel or Judeans, and to those of “Christendom”. Having taken the name of the Lord, they must now prove that they had not taken the name in vain. They were warned that, if they had taken God’s name in vain, their time was short to when they would cease to occupy the land God had assigned to them, and that only those who would obey his command to “amend your ways” would be permitted to dwell in the land assigned to them. The carrying away of the ten tribes to Assyria should have served as a warning to Judah; but, instead, the Judeans said: “It cannot happen to us.” Judah had hypocritically, that is, “feignedly,” assumed to amend her ways, but she had not. “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery [with the Devil’s organization], I had put her away [out of the land, by exiling her], and given her a bill of divorce [no longer acknowledged her as my people]; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it camo to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 3:8-10) The warning must now be proclaimed to those remaining at Jerusalem, and Jeremiah was commanded to make the proclamation. Likewise today, the warning must be proclaimed to “Christendom”, which “feignedly” or hypocritically is on the Lord’s side, but which in fact is on the Devil’s side; and those who do not give heed to the warning shall suffer the judgments of Jehovah executed by Christ Jesus.
18 The religious leaders of Israel, the typical people, had led the people into a trap, causing them to rely upon the religious formalism and traditions taught by men and to disregard God’s commandment. Therefore the prophet, in obedience to God’s commandment, said to them: “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, arc these.” (Jer. 7:4) It was the scribes and “Pharisees”, the clergy or religious leaders, that were lying to the people. The people attended the formalistic doings at the temple, and the “Pharisees” falsely told them that their coming into the building was thereby drawing near to the Lord and worshiping him. It was a lie to call the place “the temple of Jehovah” when such material building was now used as a place of reproach to the name of God. Not even representatively or typically could Jehovah dwell in the defiled place. At the dedication of the temple building by Solomon under the Lord’s directions, Solomon said: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Ki. 8:27) The dwelling-place of Jehovah is in heaven. He had put his name at the temple at Jerusalem, to be honored by the true and faithful worship of him by the people; but a place used contrary thereto could not be called “the temple of God”. Concerning this the apostle wrote: “God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands [men’s hands] ; neither is worshipped with men’s hands [by going through motions and signs and uttering senseless words], as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”—Acts 17: 24, 25.
19 Religionists in this present day do exactly as the religionists did at Jerusalem. They erect buildings or cathedrals, where they meet, and they call them by the name of “the church of God”, and as men pass by these buildings they tip their hats to the building because, they say, “the host’s bread is inside thereof.” The Roman Catholic Hierarchy claims its buildings or cathedrals are the church of God, that they themselves are the holy church. In these buildings they go through their various motions and pronounce incantations; and this they call “worship” or “drawing nigh to God”. All these things are “lying words”, which the credulous people have been induced to rely upon. The credulous Catholic population, following their leaders, make the form of the cross upon the breast when approaching the meeting-house, showing that they rely upon it. The Lord says to all that such are “lying words” spoken by the religious leaders, and that the Catholic population, or children of the church, or other church-goers, must not rely upon such words. Those lying words are in no wise a safeguard or guarantee against calamity or disaster to such church-goers or to anyone else. The people are led to foolishly claim to thereby be leaning upon the Lord, while at the same time they are relying upon the works of men’s hands. To all such Jehovah says: “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean [presumably] upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.”—Mic. 3:11.
20 The Israelites were in the wrong way, and the Lord was so informing them, that those of good will might take the right way; and this is shown by his words: “If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.” (Jer. 7:6,7) Likewise today, all religionists are in the wrong way, some willingly and some unwillingly. This is particularly true with reference to those who practice what they call “the Christian religion”. Many of the clergy, particularly the principal ones of the Hierarchy, are willingly in the wrong way, while the parishioners are wrongfully induced to take the wrong way. Jehovah gave the people at Jerusalem warning. Today Jehovah sends forth his witnesses to give his warning to “Christendom”, which warning must be sounded before the day of his great wrath is expressed against “Christendom”. The zealous religionists among the Israelites were at the time oppressing the strangers and their own brethren. Likewise today, the zealous and unreasonable religionists, who claim to be followers of Christ Jesus, oppress Jehovah’s witnesses who truly serve God, and they also oppress the “strangers”, that is, those of the Jonadab class, by attempting to keep them from knowing the truth. There are still a few men among the so-called “Protestants” that make an effort to serve God by publicly quoting the inspired Word of the Scriptures, and even such men the Roman Catholic Hierarchy persecutes, and it uses its influence to prevent the Scriptures’ being proclaimed, which Scriptures they fear might expose the fraudulent religionists. An instance of this appears in the public press. In Canada a Protestant preacher filed his manuscript with the radio station, which speech he expected shortly to broadcast, and in which manuscript he quoted the scripture at 1 Timothy 2: 5. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy caused the radio censors to strike out that scripture from his speech for the manifest reason that such inspired word of God shows that the Catholic priests cannot act as a mediator between God and man, and that their claim so to act is false; and the Hierarchy would have the people kept in ignorance of what the Scriptures say. Such is the policy pursued by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy everywhere. They withhold from the honest and sincere people the Bible and any explanation of the Scriptures, because they fear the Bible truths will so expose the Hierarchy that the honest people will break away from them. The religionists at Jerusalem, while acting contrary to the commandments of God, had the gall to come to the house called by the name of the Lord and by coming thus pretend to give their undivided devotion and worship to God. Likewise today, the religionists persecute real worshipers of God and at the same time bow down before images which they have made, and thus pretend to worship God. While thus indulging in a formalism contrary to God’s Word, these religionists claim to worship God as though there could be any agreement between idolaters and the true worship of the Most High. – 2 Cor. 6:16.
21 By giving the people at Jerusalem warning Jehovah was keeping the way open for them to reform in their ways and, thus reforming, the privilege of continuing to live in the land which he had given them. If they would amend their ways, “then will I eau.se you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.” (Jer. 7:7) Had they given heed to such warning and followed the Lord’s commandment, they would be the true people of God and continue in that condition. God gave his “holy land” only to those who would continue to be faithfully obedient to his commandments. He did not give it to covenant-breakers that they might dwell there indefinitely. Likewise God has given the place in his kingdom with Christ Jesus only to those who keep their covenant to faithfully do and obey his commandments. He gives warning to the pretenders, that is, the hypocritical religionists who claim to have his favor, and he tells them that unless they amend their ways he will completely cast them away and destroy them. Today Jehovah is giving his final warning to “Christendom”, and this fact alone shows that there must still be some who are held in bondage to the professed hypocritical religionists who, upon hearing the truth, give heed to the commandments of God and withdraw from the religious organizations and serve and worship God in truth and in spirit. Those who do not thus change their course will suffer destruction. Claiming to worship God and being in an implied covenant to at least obey him, the covenant-breakers are worthy of death. (Rom. 1:31,32) Manifestly one purpose of sounding the warning is to awaken the gullible ones and give them an opportunity to seek the place of safety. “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” (Jer. 7:3) The clergy of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, in particular, lie to the people, telling them that the Bible is proper for study only when the priests use it, and tell the people what they shall read, and tell the people what they shall do. Otherwise stated, the Hierarchy tells the people that they must obey man’s word and not God’s. They induce the people to believe all kinds of lying doctrines, and say to them that if they attend the so-called “church services” and pay their money over to the priests, and indulge in formalism, praying with their beads and bowing before images and making signs of the cross upon themselves, thus they will find protection and be guaranteed against calamity. The Lord says that that kind of foolishness will profit nothing. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy continue to say, as God through his prophet foretold they would say: “We have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves”; and concerning these things the Lord says that all such are entirely in vain. Claims founded upon lies will profit nothing. Those who hold to and rely upon the religious organizations and follow the lead of the clergy arc certain to come to great sorrow in the day of God’s wrath expressed at Armageddon.
22 The Israelites were bound by the promise of the everlasting covenant concerning the sanctity of human life. (Gen. 9:3-10; Isa. 24:5) They were bound by the terms of the law covenant to obey God and to serve him, and not to practice the Devil religion. (Ex. 19:3-8) They were bound to be governed and controlled by Jehovah’s commandments. Instead of obeying, they broke the terms of their eovenant time and time again. Jehovah then commanded Jeremiah to say to them: “Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?” (Jer. 7: 9,10) That was a warning that they could not continue to break their covenant and still expect to stand before the Lord and receive his approval. Likewise today, those who profess and who practice what is called the “Christian religion” are bound by the terms of the everlasting covenant, arc bound by the terms of the implied covenant to do the will of God, and hence are bound to be governed by and obey the commandments of God as written. In the face of these covenants and the commandments of God the religionists have broken their covenant with God and every part thereof. They literally steal material things and steal the people away from God. They literally commit murder by carrying on wars and wickedly shedding human blood. They commit murder by pretending to enforce the law of the land; they commit adultery literally and, worse, by claiming to represent God and at the same time participating in and co-operating with all manner of wicked political schemes, working together with other worldly and wicked men. (Jas. 4:4) They lie and swear to lies in order to bring about the punishment of innocent persons; and they do burn incense unto the Devil, and the Devil’s images. To them says the Lord: ‘And after doing all these wicked things, then you come [brazenly] and stand before me, and say, We have set ourselves free, for the purpose of committing all these abominations.’ (Rotherham) “We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations.” (R.V.; Leeser) The clergy perform what they call “absolution” or forgiveness of the wrongdoer, provided the wrongdoer has a sufficient amount of money to contribute. One of the religious practitioners commits all manner of crime and then goes to the priest and deposits his money in the receptacle provided for that purpose, and the Catholic priest says in substance: “Now I absolve thee”; meaning that the priest forgives the wrongdoer and justifies his wicked action. After some formalism performed in the church buildings, such as sprinkling the culprit with so-called “holy water”, the wrongdoer is then informed that he is free and he can go about his business, to again commit some crimes. The priests or other clergymen induce those of the Catholic population who commit crimes to believe that after going through certain religious formalism in the church building the offender has thereby rendered unto God the things that arc God’s, and now he is free from all guilt, and all the rest of his time he may render unto Caesar (the political gangsters) the things that arc Caesar’s. (Luke 20:25) Outside of the church building these “church-goers” who seek absolution dismiss all thought of God and feel free to lead a course reproachful to the name of God, whom they profess to serve. When they get into the church building they appear very penitent, act solemn, and perform certain senseless ceremonies, which they call worship, such as kneeling while the clergyman drops some water on their head, cross themselves, and say a few unmeaning words while dropping money in the collection basket. The entire performance is formalism and is hypocritical and profits nothing whatsoever to anyone.
23 The Israelites, having become religionists, turned the house called by the name of God into a place of merchandise for unjust dealings. Here is further proof that the Devil at all times has used religion for political and commercial purposes, and by those three things, to wit, religion, politics and commerce, the Devil turns the people away from Jehovah. The Israelites appeared to be blind to the fact that they had committed and were continuing to commit such great wrong, and the Lord said to them: “Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 7:11) Those religionists, led by the clergy, were still in this condition when Jesus was on the earth. Seeing that the Pharisees or clergy were leading the people into Devil worship and practice of "the Jews’ religion”, and that they were using the temple to carry on their wrongful business, Jesus said to them: "Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:13-16) Jesus openly and publicly rebuked those religionists. "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matt. 21:12,13) The very next day after uttering the foregoing words Jesus foretold the destruction of that house or temple building, which had been built by lierod. Compare the prophecy of Jesus, and that spoken by Jeremiah, with what is now practiced in "Christendom” in the buildings which arc called "the church of God”. In this day such buildings arc houses of merchandise and politics and unrighteous scheming.
24 "Organized religion,” falsely called "Christianity” or "Christian religion”, has become a political and mercantile organization and a veritable den of robbers. The “principal of the flock” of those organizations rob the people, and in consideration of receiving absolution they give rich gifts to the so-called “church” and to its clergy, and thus stop the mouths of the clergy and keep them silent concerning their crookedness. Furthermore, the “principal of the flock” work together with the clergy to rob the people of opportunities to receive the truth, by preventing the people from hearing it. The clergy also "rob God”, as stated in Malachi 3: 8. The clergy stand by and see robbery going on, and they connive at such wrongdoing: "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him.” (Ps. 50:18) They consent thereto by accepting gifts from the thieves, thereby tacitly agreeing not to expose the thieves. Also, the clergy rob the people, and particularly the Catholic population, by taking their money under the false pretenses and wicked lie of being able to render aid to their dead friends who it is claimed are in "purgatory”. Many a poor widow has been induced by the clergy to give up money which she sorely needed, upon the false representation made by the clergyman that such money so contributed would work beneficially to her dead loved ones. The priest receiving this money from the widow utters a "prayer”, which never gets above his head and by which he induces the poor widow to believe that he has done something for the man in "purgatory”. To such lying robbers Jesus says: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”—Matt. 23:14.
25 The clergy, particularly the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, proceed in their wicked work and induce even themselves to believe that no one sees them or knows about them. But to such robbers Jehovah says, as stated by Jeremiah: "Behold, even I have seen it.” Supporting this prophecy it is written, in Isaiah 29:14,15: "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?” Proverbs 15:3: "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Psalm 11:4,5: "The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” God also sent his prophet Ezekiel to give warning to the religionists that claimed to worship God. "Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients [the padres, so-called fathers, the clergy in the church organization] of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers [at their meeting-houses] of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.” (Ezek. 8:12) All things done by the religionists the Lord sees, and he will cause the clergy to bear the burden of their wickedness in his own due time. The Roman Catholic clergy in particular think they are playing safe by saying to each other: ‘We are safe, and nothing can harm us, because we have made lies our refuge.’ (Isa. 28:15) The Lord gives those workers of iniquity all the rope they wish, to permit them for a time to go on in their wickedness, and they continue to grow bolder and more cruel and ruthless in their conduct toward others, assuming that they can commit any wrong and get away with it.
26 Because Jehovah is "slow to anger” and affords the wicked full opportunity to carry forward his wickedness, many become very bold and convince themselves that they can with impunity continue in their wrongful course. For many years Jehovah has permitted Satan to carry on his wicked work, and probably Satan has for centuries considered himself immune from punishment. His servants are in a like condition.
27 The Israelites had fallen into the way of Satan and had forgotten what had befallen that people on former occasions. Therefore Jehovah, through Jeremiah, said to them: “But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.” (Jer. 7:12) It was at Shiloh that God for a time permitted his typical people to carry on their worship. "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.’’ (Josh. 18:1) Jehovah set his name there first in the land of Canaan. The religionists afterwards set up images: ‘‘And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.” — Judg. 18: 31.
28 The Lord then compelled the Israelites to recall what had come upon Shiloh. Just because his typical tabernacle was erected there and that was the place where he put his name, was no guarantee that God would shield wrongdoers at Shiloh. Although dutybound by their covenant to worship Jehovah God alone, and none other, the Israelites fell away to the Devil religion, and then God forsook them. ‘‘So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men.” (Ps. 78:60) How did God show that he had forsaken the tabernacle at Shiloh? “And [he] delivered his strength [the ark of the covenant, which symbolized bis presence in the tabernacle] into captivity, and his glory [the ark of gold, whereon the glorious light shone] into the enemy’s [Philistines’] hand. He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.” —Ps. 78: 61-64.
29 God permitted the Philistines to give battle to his typical people, and in this God used the Philistines to inflict punishment upon the religionists who had broken their covenant with him. Then the religionists began to wake up and to try to get protection by possessing the ark of the covenant, which was at Shiloh, and bring it into the camp of the Israelites as a means of protection to them. They did not find protection, because God had forsaken them. “And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims; and the two sons of Eli, Hophoi and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.”—1 Sam. 4:3,4.
30 The battle took place. “And the Philistines fought; and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.” (1 Sam. 4:10) In that battle the Israelites suffered a great defeat: “And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way side, watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. . . . And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines; and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people: and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward, by the side of the gate; and his neck brake, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy: and he had judged Israel forty years.”—1 Sam. 4:11-18.
31 Learning of this great disaster, the daughter-inlaw of Eli, under the great strain, gave birth to a child and died, and as she was dying she cried out: ‘ ‘ The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.” (1 Sam. 4:22) Concerning this same disaster that fell upon the Israelites it is further written: “And all the house of Israel lamented.” (1 Sam. 7:2) “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” (1 Sam. 7:3) That terrible disaster that befell the Israelites was very strange to them, seeing that God had permitted the enemies of his typical people to prevail and the ark to be taken by the enemy. It was not strange to the prophet Samuel, however, because Samuel was faithful to the Lord. That disaster marked the end of Eli’s line of the priesthood, which had served at the tabernacle at Shiloh. (1 Sam. 2:27-36) “So Solomon thrust out Abiathar [of Eli’s line] from being priest unto the Lord; that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.” (1 Ki. 2:27) The ark of the covenant was never brought back to Shiloh, and even the tabernacle and the altar were later removed from Shiloh and sent to Gibeon.—1 Chron. 16:39,40.
32 Why did Jehovah thus afflict the Israelites with such a great disaster? and why did the same appear to them to be so very strange? The Lord’s answer is found in these words: “For the wickedness of my people.” (Jer. 7:12) Furthermore the answer is given by the psalmist: “Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies; but turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: so that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men.” — Ps. 78:56-60.
33 The question may here be properly propounded: Why did God permit the record of that strange act concerning the affliction of his covenant people to be made? The Scriptures answer in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” The Israelites were Jehovah’s covenant and typical people, and today “Christendom” assumes to be the people of God and boastfully claims to represent God on earth; and therefore what befell the Israelites, the typical people, foretells what shall befall “Christendom”, the latter being the counterpart of the former. Having brought to the attention of the Israelites what befell Shiloh, and citing that as a warning, God said to them: ‘I will do unto this house what I have done unto Shiloh.’ The words of warning apply with greater force and effect to the professed followers of Christ Jesus who today practice what they call the “Christian religion”. “And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.”—Jer. 7:13,14.
34 By his manner of dealing with the unfaithful people at Jerusalem Jehovah makes known his fixed rule that covenant-breakers shall certainly suffer punishment at his hands. What is today called “Christendom” consists of those nations that wrongfully claim to be Christians and that practice what is improperly called the “Christian religion”. All the wicked works mentioned by the Lord at the mouth of his prophet, and, furthermore, the wicked works of the Israelites done up to the time that Shiloh fell, have been done and are now being done by the practitioners of so-called “Christian religion” and by the people, and particularly the clergy, who use the name of Jehovah and his King for selfish and wrongful purposes. It is certain therefore that what befell Shiloh is but a sample of what shall befall “Christendom” in the very near future.
35 Jehovah spoke to the people by his prophets, (and he says) “rising up early and speaking.” It was early in the day of his dealing with his covenant people that God began to instruct them. His prophets rose up early in the day and there began to preach to the people, and there was much complaint against his prophets for so doing. Even today complaint is made by the religionists against Jehovah’s witnesses, objection being made that these witnesses come early and ring their doorbells and wake them up and speak to them about the Lord; and then the clergy induces the officers to arrest them and hail them into court. Jehovah caused his message of warning to be given a sufficient length of time before the day of his wrath in order to give ample time to have it heard.
36 Jeremiah was ordered and was sent to deliver the warning to Jerusalem forty years before its destruction. Ezekiel was sent forth to preach the warning seven years before Jerusalem fell. Says the Lord: “I called you, but ye answered not.” Now mark that the Lord came to his temple in 1918, and for forty years prior to that date the Lord caused the Elijah work to be done amongst the people. The Watchtower, first published in 1879, from the very first issue called attention to the “last days”, and the time of trouble with which the world would pass away. This work was foreshadowed by the work of Elijah and also the work of John the Baptist, and which work failed to ‘turn the hearts of God’s typical people back to him’. (Mal. 4:5,6; Luke 1:13-17) Likewise the Elijah work failed to turn “Christendom” to the right way. It was the religionists calling themselves “Christians” or “organized Christian religion” that assaulted God’s faithful servants in 1918, because those servants were engaged in the Elijah work. They killed the Elijah work and brought about its end. Since that time the religionists, instead of reforming and doing what is right, continue to persecute the faithful witnesses of Jehovah whom he has sent forth to give warning to the people and a witness to his name. What, therefore, is to be expected in the line of such conduct?
37 Jehovah by his prophet answers the foregoing question in these words: “Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.” (Jer. 7:14) The materia] temple built during the reign of King Solomon and dedicated to the worship of Jehovah God had, in Jeremiah’s day, become defiled and been made “a den of robbers”. The leaders in Israel, the clergy, had forsaken the commandment of God and followed the traditions of men, teaching the doctrines of Satan which were proclaimed by men. The common people of Israel concluded that because “the house” had been built by the commandment of Almighty God and his name had been put there, and such was the place of worship, therefore God would never permit the enemy to destroy that house or the city of Jerusalem, the place where the temple stood, even though the clergy and the people broke God’s covenant, of which covenant the temple was a symbol. Because they believed that the temple was invulnerable to the attacks of any foe, that was their ground for making and believing in a “covenant with death” and an “agreement with hell”, as though the material temple was a charm against all evil. The temple had been built, and their faith was in it and not in God.
38 What came to pass upon Jerusalem is duplicated by and upon “Christendom”, except, as to “Christendom”, upon a far greater scale. In these “last days” the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, being the chiefest among all organized religionists and being the leaders of organized religion called “Christendom”, assume the name of God and presumptuously claim to be the visible representatives of God on earth. Thereby they have created the impression and belief amongst the common people, and particularly the “Catholic population”, that ‘the Catholic church is invulnerable to the attacks of any opponents’. The Catholic clergy have for centuries boldly said before all the people words to this effect: “The Catholic church is the church of God, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it, come what may.” Jehovah’s prophet, furthermore, foretold that they would say (and they do say) : “We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come [nigh] unto us.” (Isa. 28:15) Many sincere persons have been induced to believe that the Catholic church, composed of and ruled by a few men, is a charm against all ills and therefore that to be in the Catholic organization means to be safe. Those religious leaders have defamed the name of Jehovah God and have made void his Word by teaching and inducing the people to believe the traditions of men and to give honor and glory to men, and have thus turned them away from God. Jehovah God therefore declares his purpose to destroy that religious organization completely. To hypocritical “Christendom”, and particularly to the clergy thereof, Jehovah says: “The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, ... And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.”—Isa. 28:17,18.
39 But before Jehovah executes his judgment against “Christendom” he calls out a “people for bis name” and sends that people as his witnesses amongst the nations to declare his name and to give a warning to “Christendom”. His witnesses collectively arc pictured under the symbol of the “man . . . clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side”. (Ezek. 9:2-11) This company of faithful witnesses receives from the Lord his command to go throughout “Christendom” and to put a mark on the forehead of the sincere ones in “Christendom” that sigh and cry because of the hypocritical practices and wickedness done in “Christendom” by the religionists. Thus the Lord by his witnesses puts the mark in the forehead of such by giving the people information from God’s Word, that they may intelligently get an understanding of Jehovah’s purposes, which will enable them to flee out of the wicked religious organization and find refuge under God’s King. The commission is given to Jehovah’s witnesses, and the duty and obligation is laid upon them; and they must, in order to maintain their integrity toward God, “rise up against her in battle,” that is, they must vigorously, boldly, and fearlessly declare the name and purpose of Jehovah God regardless of the opposition and attacks upon them by the enemy. It means a war, which is now in progress; and that is a war of righteousness carried on by proclaiming the truth against a crowd of wicked hypocrites, the truth exposing the latter to the view of honest persons. In obedience to God’s commandment his witnesses engage in this work, and the work seems very strange to professed Christian people, because God’s witnesses speak the truth and the clergy say to the people: “What these Jehovah’s witnesses say shocks our religious susceptibilities, and that should not be permitted.” The work of Jehovah is not strange, however, to those who love and serve God, because God has commanded them to declare the day of his vengeance, and this they must do and will do. That “strange work” is now in progress, and those who love the Lord are having a part in it. When that strange work is done, will “Christendom” fall never to rise again?
(To be continued)
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY
1. To whom will Jehovah do ‘as he did to Shiloh’, and why? Why is what came to pass at Shiloh now of peculiar interest to those who are devoted to Jehovah God?
2.How is it shown that the message of warning proclaimed by Jeremiah was from Jehovah, and that it foreshadowed a work now to be done before Armageddon?
3. How and to whom is Jehovah now making available an understanding of his prophecies? For what purpose is this done?
4. What facts show that Jehovah selected and ordained Jeremiah to do a specific work?
5, 6. What is meant by "meekness”? Why is it so important? Show that Jeremiah in his course of action well pictured those who are now of the remnant and continue faithful unto death.
7. How did the work committed to Jeremiah (1: 10) foreshadow and foretell the work of Jehovah's servant class now on earth?
8-10. Point out the importance, (a) to Jeremiah, and (b) to those whom he pictured, of Jehovah’s instruction recorded at Jeremiah 1: 16, 17. At verse 18. At verse 19.
11, 12. How did Jeremiah carry out the command of Jehovah, ‘‘Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house”?
13-15. Apply (a) the fact that Jeremiah was not instructed to first ask permission from the priests of the temple, (b) The command ‘‘Hear the word of the Lord”, (c) The designation ‘‘all ye of Judah”.
16, 17. Of whom does ‘‘Christendom” consist? To whom in Jeremiah’s day was the message of warning to be given, and for what purpose? Compare therewith the situation in ‘‘Christendom” today.
18, 19. Describe the occasion for the words of the prophet at Jeremiah 7:4, (a) as spoken to typical Israel, (b) As applied to the time of fulfillment thereof.
20, 21. Explain the conditional promise given to the Israelites by Jehovah through his prophet ns recorded at Jeremiah 7: 6, 7. Show that this was prophetic. Justify the charge recorded at verse 8 as addressed to Israel. As addressed to "Christendom”.
22. How had the Israelites done as indicated at verses 9, 10? Show that therein was foretold the procedure of those today who profess and practice the so-called ‘‘Christian religion”.
23, 24. Compare the condition disclosed at Jeremiah 7:11, John 2: 13-16 and Matthew 21: 12,13 with that of "organized religion” today.
25, 26. With scriptures, account for the apparently confident procedure of the clergy in their wicked work, and for their having so long continued therein.
27. How had God set his name at Shiloh? What wickedness did Israel commit there?
28-31. How did God show that he had forsaken the tabernacle at Shiloh?
32, 33. Why did Jehovah thus afflict the Israelites with groat disaster? Why did this appear to them to be so strange? Why has Jehovah provided the record of that strange act?
34-36. How did the Lord do as declared at Jeremiah 7: 13, with the result as recorded? How does this have fulfillment?
What is to be expected in line of such conduct? 39. How is the 'setting a mark' accomplished as commanded
37, 38. Compare the deflection by the leaders of Israel, and at Ezekiel 9: 4? Why is this procedure also prophetically the outcome thereof, with that of the leaders of "organized referred to as 'rising up against her in battle’? Who will religion” in "Christendom” engage therein, and with what result?
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