Pagină:Tree-of-hope-1934.djvu/7

Fespruary 15, 1954 destroyed, but that Jehovah would ereate another overlordship whieh would guaranice to the obedient ones of men a righteous government, under which they might live forever. This verse twenty-six of the proph- ecy shows that the stump is directly related to the kingdom of Christ and that the recovery of mankind must be by and through the redemptive blood of Christ Jesus and his kingdom, administered benefi- cially for the obedient ones of the race. 416 ‘‘Thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee’’ further shows that Nebuchadnezzar pictured regal power, sometimes in the hand of the adversary and sometimes in the hand of God’s Servant, and that at the ap- pointed time such regal power would come into and remain in the hands of Jchovah’s anointed King, Christ Jesus. The Devil shall never recover his over- lordship or be recovered from his insane total de- pravity, any more than the original tree trunk was to be placed back upon the old original stump, now dead and deeayed. The new tree must grow up, which is the organization under Christ, ‘And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.’”’ (Mieah 4:8) That whieh is left in the roots of the old stump pictured the men of the human race who have a desire for righteousness and who are fecling after God that they might find him. (Acts 17:27) Such men of a righteous desire, like the roots of the old stump, reach out for the life-giving waters of truth which comes from Jehovah through Christ Je- sus. This is in harmony with the prophetic utterance of Joh: ‘‘There is hope of a tree, if it be ent down. ...« Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, ... yet through the seent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.’’? This is a further corroboration that these obedient ones of mankind in God’s due time will be gathered into and form a part of the new tree, being brought under the Mead, Christ Jesus, who is the Head and Ruler over all. (Eph. 1:10) Now Satan, having been hurled from heaven, together with his angels, has been foreed to know the truth that ‘“‘the Heavens do rule’’; and so all ereation shall know that Jchovah and his Christ ‘‘do rule’’. 17 Nebuchadnezzar, the representative of Satan, was given counsel by the prophet Daniel, which counsel was ignored. Likewise counsel was given to Lucifer when iniquity first appeared in him: ‘‘Whercfore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniq- uitics by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.’’ (Vs. 27) Had Luci- fer not persisted in his iniquitous scheme to commer- cialize mankind and oppress the people the vindication of Jehovah’s name would not have been necessary. Satan refused to profit by the counsel. Also his visible representatives, the rulers of earth, have received time and again and have ignored the counsel of the Most She WATCHTOWER. 55 High, and that particularly given at the close of the World War; therefore Armageddon shall sce their finish. FULFILMENT 18 The prophetic dream was fulfilled upon Nebu- chadnezzar in miniature only. The major fulfilment takes place on Satan and his organization, reaching a elimax with the reign of Christ and the fall of the enemy organization. (Vs.28) Nebuchadnezzar had twelve months to consider the prophetic dream and to reform, but he failed to do so. Probably this shows that Jehovah gave Lucifer some time to reform, but Lucifer did not fear God, had no respect for him, and gave no heed to his word. (Vs. 29) To himself Nebuchadnezzar boasted that he had built great Baby- lon by his own power and for his own majesty. (Vs. 30) Satan made the similar boast coneerning the world organization, that it was his own. (Ezck. 29:3) It appears that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jeru- salem before this boastful statement was made. (Jer. 52: 12-29) Now self-eonecited, haughty and proud he boasted of his own greatness, and ‘‘while the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heav- en, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spo- ken; The kingdom is departed from thee’’.—Vs. 31. The proud of heart are abominable in the sight of God. ‘‘Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Pride gocth before de- struction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.’’? (Prov. 16:5,18) When Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was imme- diately deposed. So declared Daniel at the fall of Babylon: ‘‘But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kinely throne, and they took his glory from him; and he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.’? (Dan. 5: 20,21) The kingdom was taken from Nebuehadnezzar, even as the right of overlordship departed from Lucifer at the time of his rebellion, and man was then and there moved out from under the protection of the “‘higher powers”? of Jehovah's organization; and since only those of mankind who have maintained their integrity toward Jehovah have had his favor. 20 After Nebuchadnezzar had accomplished the de- struction of Jerusalem there was not even a typical kingdom of God on the earth. Satan beeume the god of the entire world, but could have no part in Jetio- vah’s organization: ‘‘I will overturn, overturn, over- turn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezek, 21: 27) The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar con-