Pagină:A-great-image-part-I-1930.djvu/3

HNAICH [TOWER AND HERALD OF CHRISTS PRESENCE Vou. LI Avcust 1, 1930 No. 15 A GREAT IMAGE “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image whose brightness was excellent, stood be- fore thee; and the form thereof was terrible.’”’—Dan, 2:81. PART 1 EHOVAH caused his prophet to make a record J of and concerning a great image which appeared in a dream to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Baby- lon. Not only that, but he caused his prophet to speak an interpretation of that dream concerning the image. This alone gives importance to the image and to an understanding thereof. 2 Tmage-making is anti-God. In his law which God gave to the Israclites he specifically prohibited the making of an image or the likeness of anything in heaven or on earth. (Ex. 20:4) Concerning those who indulge in image-making it is written: ‘‘Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place.”’ — Deut. 27:15. 2 An image is something that represents or is re- garded as representing another thing that exists. It is the likeness or imitation of a real thing made to resemble that real or more complete thing. It may well be said to mimic something greater. While Moses was in the mountain to receive the tables of the law at the hand of God the Israelites made a molten image before which they worshiped, which constituted a serious breach of God’s law. (Deut. 9:12) The tend- eney of images and image worship is to turn the peo- ple away from God and turn them to God’s enemy. The real reason, therefore, for God’s forbidding the making of images was and is that the creature should give his entire devotion to his Creator, and not be led into the ways of error. 4These fixed rules of God, together with the fact that he caused a record to be made in his Word con- eerning the image that appeared to Nebuchadnezzar, and that he calls it a ‘great and terrible’ image, is proof conclusive that the image could not represent CGod’s purpose, but must have reference to God’s enemy or something in connection with God’s enemy, It is stated in his Word that ‘‘I the Lord thy God am a jealous God’’, and this statement is made in connection with image-making and image worship. This does not mean that God could be injured by what to his creatures might do, but does mean that his crea- tures, by turning themselves to God’s enemy and look- ing at images and not at Jehovah, do violence to their own interests and bring great injury to themselves, Image-making and image worship is therefore an abomination in the sight of God. Why then should God cause record to be made of the great image above mentioned? The expressed purpose of God of and concerning his enemies has direct bearing upon this question and upon the proper understanding of the prophecy uttered by Daniel relative to the image above mentioned. 5 Jchovah will triumph over his enemies so com- pletely that never will a place be found for them again. The Bible contains an abundance of testimony concerning the enemics of Jehovah. That fact alone proves that it is the purpose of Jehovah to fully ad- vise those who love him of the reason for the existence of these enemies, whence they came, why they have opposed him, why he has permitted them to continue so long, what provision he has made for their destruc- tion, and when they will be destroyed. We know that the power of the Almighty God has no Hmitations and if he should will to do so he could snuff out all his enemies in an instant. The fact that he has not done so long ago shows that he has good reason for not do- ing it until a time certain. That it may be fully un- derstood that he will destroy them completely in his own good time it is important to consider a few of the Bible texts upon this point: ‘‘But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemics, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish: all the work- ers of iniquity shall be seattered.’’ (Ps, 92:8, 9) “Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversa- ries, and all thine enemics shall be cut off.’’? (Mie. 5:9) ‘Thine hand shall find out all thine encmies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.” (Ps. 21:8) ‘‘But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be eut off.’’—Ps, 37: 20, 38. 7