Jetty 1, 1936
DESOLATION
23 Jehovah uses a striking illustration to show how
rompletely the clergy shall be desolated. He com-
pares the action of thieves and robbers with what
shall come to the relicionssts, the hypoeritieal clergy:
“Tf thieves eamc to thee, if robbers by night, (how
art thou eut off!) would they not have stolen till they
had cnoush? if the grapevatherers came to thee, would
they not leave some geapes?’’—Obad. 5,
- To what extent would a thief or robber go?
Thieves hastily eral what they see and go away. fatherers of grapes leave some for gleancrs. (Deut. 24:21) When Jchovah has caused the refuge of lies to be uncovered and the duplicity and hypocrisy of the clergy to appear, then he will leave nothing of that ezowd, but will elean them out completely. Likewise in the war that is now in progress Jchovah’'s witnesses in following and obcying the commandments of the Lord will spare no one, as Saul spared Agag. They must not be respeeters of persons, but must be wholly obedient to the Lord. For many years the religious priests robbed and oppressed the Russian people, and when the day of retribution fell upon them there was an effort made by the relivionists to have some ccele- siastieal grapes deft in Russia. Call to mind that on Peb- ruary 2, 1930, ‘Pope’? Ambrose Ratti publicly pro- tested avainst ‘religious perseeution’’ in Russia, Phat protest was immediately followed by a dike protest from the arelitbishops of Canterbury and York, and by the chief rabbi of London, and by Archbishop Man- ning of New York, thus showing that the elergy all work toecther. Of the Ifierarchy and the other clergy Jebovah will leave nothing, such as robbers and grape gatherers might leave. By his prophet he says to these hypocrites: ‘Ifow art thou cut off!”’ 2 The name Hsau means ‘rough, perceptible to the fouch'’, expert to deecive. (Gen, 25:25) The modern Esau (or Edomites) Jikes to ‘oweer a rough garinent [that is, a hairy garment (margin) ] to deceive’ others and to make them think that the wearer is a prophet. (Zech. 18:4) Esau chose for his habitation a high eountry, (Gen. 36:8) The modern Esau or Edomites likewise have chosen the rough, erucl, beastly and inaeecssibie governments of Satan’s organization for their abiding plaec. Such high and fortified places will not save them from the wrath of the Lord: ‘‘Tlow are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hid- den things sought up!’’—-Obad. 6, 20 The ancient Edomites became very rich and filled their homes with loot stolen from the caravans that traveled between the Euphrates and Iigypt. They col- lested heavy tribute from those who passed by their country and who cngaged in commercial traftic. Like- wise the modern Edomites, and particularly the Ro- man Catholic Hierarchy, have become exceedingly rich and have their storchouses full of great riches. Seeh riches they have obtained by fraud and dcecit practiced upon the gullible people. On every payday She WATCHTOWER, 201 of the factories and commercial institutions the Hicr- archy sends the poor, deluded, black-hooded women about to collcet tribute from the laborers on the pre- text that it is for a good purpose, while those of the Ilicrarchy live wantonly upon what they collect. Those collectors enter the offiees and business houses and leave with their pockets full. That organization employs coercion to extract treasure or wealth from the pro- fessional and businessmen, and threatens them with loss materially and spiritually unless they contribute liberally, That would be bad enough; but when we eall to mind that the Hierarchy institution demands of the bereaved ones sums of moncy to give their dead what they term a decent burial, this is a crucl and wicked way to extraet money from the people, to suy nothing about the fraud and deecit. The so-ealled ‘Protestant’? clergy, among the wealthy population, with boasting words say, as one recently said at Pitts- burgh: ‘‘This is a three-million-dollar church, aud who would dare place an advertising sign near it ad- vertising these Jehoval’s witnesses??? But of all the hy poeritieal, arrogant and scornful religionists Je- hovah says; ‘low are the things of Mdom searched out [(Roth., margin) stript bare]!’? In the war that is now on, the remnant, acting under the com- mandments of the Lord, scarch out these things of fraudulent eeclesiasticism and expose them to public view by telling the truth, both of historical facts and of the Word of God. Thus the Lord is searching out and stripping bare the old “owhore’’, and when the work of his witnesses is done God will completely strip bare those who have laid up great treasure to satisly their own greed and selfish desires, 77 Vatiean City holds great treasures that support the Roman Catholie Hherarehy and sumptuously sup- ply all the needs of that deceitful and powerful or- ganization. Throughout all Christendom”? that wiek- ed institution holds the choicest property and. sites and there locates iis buildings. In all nations that hypoeritieal organization maintains its official repre- sentatives in great luxury, their support coming from loot that has been extracted from the people by ¢o- ercion, fraud and deceit. For years they have kept their great wealth hidden from the commercial powers, but now the time has come when the trnth shall be kuown, and of that organization Jehovah says: “Tow are his hidden treasures sought out!’ (A.R.V.) This is not man’s judgement nor the declaration of man, but the announcement of God’s judgment declaing the day of his vengeance, The time has come for those who love God to make known these judgments, and they must do so beeause Cod has commanded it. Both the Seriptures and the facts show that the time has come to expose those who, for a long pcrivd. have de- farmed the name of Jchovah, and henec the Seriptures declare: ‘‘Therefore judee nothing hefore the time faud that time is here], until the Lord eame, who... will bring to Hght the hidden thines of darkness.”
