Pagină:Tree-of-hope-1934.djvu/8

56 fhe WATCHTOWER. stituted full grounds for Jehovah to overthrow the kingdom of Babylon. ‘‘And I will render unto Baby- lon, and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea, all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord. And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the Lord shall be performed avainst Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a deso- lation without an inhabitant.’”’? (Jer. 51:24,29) Sa- tan destroyed typical Zion, and in God’s due time he wes hurled out of heaven, and soon shall be destroyed, both he and all of his organization. BEASTLY RULERS 21 Jehovah has caused the ruling powers of the world to be described as beastly. (Revelation 13) Neb- uchadnezzar, in miniature fulfilment of the divine de- erce, ‘was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.’’ (Vss. 32,33) What a fall from his exalted position as king and ruler of the world! Lucifer fell from his exalted position of over- lordship of carth and beeame totally depraved. Like- wise his official representatives on earth, who have ruled mankind, have been at all times beastly in their rulership. The religious, commercial and _ political combine that has ruled the world under Satan has been and is ferocious, harsh, cruel and beastly. These have not eaten that which God provides for those who Jove him, but they have fed upon the provender which Satan and his earthly representatives have provided. These earthly representatives, and particularly the religious clement thereof, although claiming to rep- resent God, are fraudulently so claiming; but they have had no part, and can have no part, in God’s king- dom. They are proud and cannot hear and under- stand the words of the Most High. The religious or- ganizations known as Catholie, under the leadership of the pope, and the Protestant organizations under the leadership of the clergy, have exercised pride and mutual admiration of men and have ignored God's Word and have made themselves abominable in the sight of God. They have fed, like the wild beasts, upon the elements of Satan’s world. 22 At the end of the seven symbolic times, to wit, in 1914, the Gentile ruling powers, and particularly that part of it called ‘‘Christendom’’, were certainly a beastly-looking tot, and they went forth and made war upon each other like wild beasts, even as the prophecy foretells. Since then these earthly repre- sentatives of Satan have been warned concerning God’s purpose; but they refuse to give heed to that divine counsel and all of them ‘‘walk on in dark- ness’’,—-Ps, 82: 5. “UNDERSTANDING RETURNED” 23 For centuries man has been in need of a righteous overlordship or kingdom, but this need could not be Brooxiyy, N.Y. supplied until the end of Jehovah's fixed time, within which fixed time Satan has been permitted to do all within his power to prove his boast. In that time man- kind has been ruled by Satan’s invisible and visible organization, pictured by the band of copper (mis- translated ‘‘brass’’) and iron about the stump. At the end of the ‘seven years’ of humiliation Nebu- ehadnezzar appears in a different role. Lis reason having returned, he now pictures regal power as exer- eised by Christ Jesus, ‘‘And at the end of the days J Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High; and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an ever- lasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.’’ (Vs. 34) The time limit having been reached, the tree stump must be released from the band of copper and iron, The time had come for the inauguration of earth’s rightful King as ruler, and as such he is pictured by one acknowledging and ex- tolling the name of Jehovah and declaring Him to be the Supreme One, besides whom there is none, In 1914 that time limit ended, and Christ Jesus, the King of righteousness, was installed upon his holy throne. 24The end of the Gentile times, and the coming of earth’s King, was the great event to which the faithful followers of Christ had looked forward. By the grace of God these faithful ones are made Jchovah’s wit- nesses. The human rulers of earth were then also informed of the coming of Christ, his kingdom and his reign, but these carthly rulers refused to give heed to such information, The proclamation with which the propheey of Daniel in the fourth chapter opens was issued by the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Danicl there pictures the faithful followers of Christ Jesus on earth in the service of Jehovah, and these on earth are the ones privileged to give publieation to this proclamation amongst the people. At this point, therefore, Nebuchadnezzar giving the proclamation pictures regal power exercised by Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, filled with knowl- edge and understanding and the spirit of Jehovah God. 25 When Christ Jesus was installed as King, in 1914, he proceeded immediately to ‘praise and honor Him that liveth for ever’, the Supreme One, the Most High, the King of Eternity. Immediately Christ began the work of vindicating his Father’s name by ousting Sa- tan and his hordes from heaven and casting them down to the earth. In 1918 he came to the temple, gathered unto himself his faithful followers, and com- mitted to them his testimony and commanded them to go forth and tell this great truth to the nations of earth, and thus to participate in the praise and honor of Jehovah’s name. This great privilege Jehovah’s witnesses have since enjoyed and do now enjoy. 26 The restoration of Nebuchadnezzar was a vindi-