Organizație (partea 2)
TURNUL DE VEGHE
Și Vestitorul
Prezenței lui Cristos.
Voi sunteți
martorii mei zice Iehova,
că Eu sunt Dumnezeu.
Isaia 43:12
Străjerule, cât mai este din noapte?
Isaia 21:11
TURNUL DE VEGHERE
ȘI VESTITORUL PREZENȚEI LUI CHRISTOS
ORGANIZAȚIE
JUNE 15, 1938
elders represented the number of all the ‘‘royal priest-
hood’’ under the Head, Christ Jesus, including the
ones who ‘preach this gospel of the kingdom’. Fur-
thermore, it is stated, at Revelation 14:3 and 15: 2, 3,
that the 144,000 faithful members of Christ’s body
stand by the ‘‘sea of glass’’ with Christ Jesus, harp-
ing upon their harps. This picture includes the rem-
nant on earth engaged in singing the ‘‘new song’’ to
the praise of Jehovah God.
The twenty-four elders are described as having
golden vials or bowls full of incense, ‘‘which are
the prayers of saints.’’ In the tabernacle and temple
service of the nation of Israel a golden censer burned
in the Most Holy, and was carried there by the high
priest on the yearly ‘‘day of atonement’’, (Heb. 9:3, 4)
This further supports the conclusion that the twenty-
four elders are members of the body of the great High
Priest of the order of Melchizedek, to wit, Christ Jesus,
and that in the picture they symbolically represent all
the body members ; and the prayers’ being ‘‘ the prayers
of saints’’ is further proof that the twenty-four elders
are the 144,000 faithful saints constituting the body
of the High Priest. This also shows that prayer is an
essential part of the life of the faithful. No one can
hope to get on in his faithful service of the Lord with-
out frequent prayer. This being ‘‘the last day’’, it is
the time to ‘‘continue in prayer, and watch in the
same’’, (Col. 4:2) The remnant will not be able
to stand without prayer and watchfulness. (Eph.
6: 13-18) The Lord hears the prayer of the right-
eous, and the prayer of the upright is his delight.
(1 Pet. 3:12; Prov. 15:8,29) ‘‘Let my prayer be
set forth before thee as incense.’’ (Ps. 141:2) They
pray for victory.—Ps. 118: 25.
“(And they sung a new song.’’ (Rev. 5:9) Thus is
pictured that no longer is this a time of weeping, but
- the time has come to sing the new song to the honor
and glory of Jehovah and his glorious King. The new
song in effect says: ‘A new epoch has begun; the
kingdom is here and the tried and precious Stone,
Christ Jesus, has been laid in Zion and made the
chief Stone of the corner’; ‘‘a tried stone, a precious
corner stone, a sure foundation.’’ (Isa. 28:16) He
is a tried, precious and sure foundation, and the Head
of God’s organization, and every member thereof sings
his praises and the praises of Jehovah. All these (rep-
resented by the twenty-four elders) say: ‘Thou art
worthy to reccive this portfolio and to open the seals
and to reveal the truth; thou hast redeemed us by
thy. blood and made us unto our God kings and priests,’
Thus the Lord Jesus is identified as the Redeemer
and Savior, High Priest and King, and the twenty-
four elders are members of his royal line.
She WATCHTOWER.
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Then John marks that others join in the song of
praise. As stated at verse 11: ‘‘I heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne and the beasts
and the clders {that is, God’s organization, including
Christ’s body members]: and the number of them
was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands.’’ Thus is shown the entire organization
of Jehovah God giving praise to the Lamb which has
received the riches and power and glory at the hands
of Jehovah as his reward for faithfulness. The angels
mentioned must be that myriad of angels who act as
the retinue of servants to the Lord Jesus and who
are at the general assembly. (Heb. 12: 22, 23, Diag.)
The song thus begun continues until every creature
that has breath and lives praises God. (Ps. 150: 6)
The living ones of God’s entire organization say
‘fAmen’’, And the members of his royal house fall
down before Jehovah and worship him for ever and
ever. (Rev. 5:14) They are obedient to his orders,
and in the ages to come are the recipients of the ex-
ceeding riches of his grace through Christ Jesus, the
Head of his organization, and the Chief Offieer of
Jehovah.
Jehovah spoke through his prophet, saying: ‘‘I
have installed my king on Zion my holy mountain,
let him teli my decree!’ (Ps. 2:6, Rotherham) The
period of waiting ended with A.D. 1914, and there
Jehovah installed his King upon his throne and di-
rected him to begin action. (Ps. 110:1,2) When on
earth Jesus gave his great prophecy concerning his
second coming and the end of the world. (Matthew,
chapter twenty-four) Chapter six of The Revelation
parallels that prophecy, and is a tableau in which
Christ Jesus is the chief actor.
It is Christ Jesus who opens the ‘‘seven seals’’
of the book ‘‘in the right hand of him that sat on
the throne’’, thus proving that no man can open the
prophecies; but God permits his men to understand
the prophecies after the seals are opened. It does not
even follow that a man would understand the proph-
ecies as soon as the seals are open. It can now be seen
that the events pictured in the first five seals were
fulfilled from A.D. 1914 to 1918, but the meaning
thereof man could not understand until after the
coming of the Lord to his temple, in 1918. Prior
thereto the faithful church had been applying the
prophecy of Matthew twenty-four to the events that
came to pass from A.D. 1874 to 1914. Not until after
1918 was it understood by the church that these sealed
events apply after 1914; and hence the seals were not
open to or discerned by the John class, that is to say,
by the remnant, until after 1918, and, in fact, very
little until after 1922.
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high
mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift
up thy voice with strength; lift +t up, be not afraid; say unto
the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!—Isaiah 40:9, 4.2.7.
MILITANT ORGANIZATION
Battle. He has a fixed time for war and a fixed
time for peace, and by making war he will estab-
lish everlasting peace among his creatures. When he
sent Jesus Christ forth in A.D. 1914 to reign in the
midst of his enemies, war in heaven immediately fol-
lowed, and Christ Jesus was the victor. The field of
military action is then transferred to the earth, and
the forces for the great combat must be prepared.
In the first vision of the prophet Zechariah (chapter
one) there appeared a company of horsemen led by
their Chief, who was Christ Jesus, and the first work
of which was to make a careful survey or inspection
of things in the earth before beginning operations.
Horses symbolize war equipment; and that advance
company of horsemen spying out the land shows that
the Lord’s forces are preparing for the greatest war
on earth.
During the building of the temple at Jerusalem
after the return of the Jewish remnant from Baby-
lon Zechariah was again given a vision of the militant
organization of Jehovah. That means that while Christ
Jesus is gathering his true followers to himself into
the temple of God these faithful ones are given a vi-
sion of Jehovah’s great war organization. The prophet
looked again, and tells what he saw. ‘‘And I turned,
and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold,
there came four chariots out from between two moun-
tains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.’’
(6:1) ‘‘Chariots’’ are symbols of Jehovah’s militant
organization, and there being four chariots means that
God’s organization is a four-square one, fully equipped
to push the enemy from every point and to completely
defeat and destroy him. ‘‘For, behold, the Lord will
come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind,
to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with
fiames of fire. For by fire and by his swora will the
Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord
shall be many.’’ (Isa. 66: 15,16) ‘‘Like the noise of
chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like
the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble,
as a strong people set in battle array.’’ (Joel 2:5;
Hab. 3:8) These war chariots’ coming out from be-
tween two mountains of brass symbolizes that they
are exceedingly strong, and the ‘‘brass’’ (copper)
shows that they are beyond the earthly quality, there-
fore superhuman, and are sent by Jehovah, and hence
are in no way a part of Satan’s earthly government.
These chariots picture the fighting organization of
Jehovah God under the leadership of Christ Jesus.
In the fire these mountains would not become ‘‘a
burnt mountain’’, such as Satan’s organization will
become according to Jeremiah 51:25. The fighting
organization of Jehovah will in the fire of battle glow
with brightness like the feet of Christ Jesus, as seen
in the vision of the apostle John, who writes: ‘‘ And
his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a
J bette a OF HOSTS is the almighty God of
190
furnace ; and his voice as the sound of many waters.’’
- And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass.’’ (Rev. 1:15; 2:18) Both the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel had a vision of this Mighty One and say that his arms and feet looked like polished brass. (See Daniel 10:6.) Ezekiel 40:3 says of him: His ‘‘ap- pearance was like the appearance of brass’’. These ‘‘mountains of brass’’ together picture the universal organization of Jehovah and also the capital organi- zation thereof, coming forth with the military equip- ment after the war in heaven had ended. It is, to quote Daniel 2: 34, 35, ‘‘out of the mountain’’ or organiza- tion universal of God that the ‘‘stone was eut out without hands’’; whereas the stone or capital organi- zation, symbolic of the anointed King, grew to be ‘‘a great mountain [that] filled the whole earth’’, and is therefore the capital or chief part of Jehovah’s organization. The horse-drawn war chariots seemed to appear at the same time, all moving abreast. By having in mind now that the Jews read from right to left, this picture would indicate that the first horses and chariots to be observed would be on the extreme right. ‘‘In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses, and in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.’’ (6: 2, 3) These chariots drawn by horses show preparation for and moving into position for the great battle. The horses on the extreme right are called “‘ved’’, according to the Hebrew, and are called “‘bay’’, in verse seven of this chapter. The second chariot is drawn by black horses, the third on the left center by white horses, and the fourth by ‘‘grisled and bay {(margin) strong] horses’’. The American Revised Version renders this part of the text ‘‘grizzled strong horses’’; which horses are on the extreme left and go to the south and which are thus distinguished from bay horses on the extreme right. The prophet asked the angel the meaning of the chariots and the horses, and the answer is: ‘‘ And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits [(margin) winds] of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.’’ (6:4,5) These picture the organization of Jehovah God, ‘‘who maketh his angels spirits.’’ (Ps. 104: 4) It is a complete organization, because it is symbolized by four, and at the same time is heavenly, and in- cludes the remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses on earth, who have been made to ‘‘sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’’. (Eph. 1:3; 2:6) The faithful rem- nant in the temple have been ‘delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jehovah’s dear Son’, (Col, 1:13) The Lord by his angels has gathered out the remnant and brought them together since 1918, ‘‘from the four winds, from one
JuNE 15, 1938
end of heaven to the other.’’ (Matt. 24: 31; Zech. 2: 6)
These ‘‘four spirits’? have an approved standing be-
fore Jehovah, and they willingly serve him in this
day. (Ps. 110:3) They come forth from presenting
themselves unto the Lord, the same as the seven men
described in the ninth chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy.
Babylon is on the north of Palestine, hence is called
“‘the north country’’. (Zech. 2:6,7; Jer. 10:22) The
earthly Babylon was overthrown eighteen years before
Zechariah began to prophesy; hence this prophecy
must apply to Satan’s organization which bears the
name of Babylon, and applies to ‘‘Gog, of the land
of Magog’’, the chief marshal of Satan’s invisible
organization, concerning which Ezekiel prophesied.
(See Ezekiel 38:2,15; 39:2, R.V.) Zechariah sees
“the black horses [which draw the second chariot]
go forth into the north country’’. (6:6) That divi-
sion of the Lord’s army takes its position for the as-
sault against the strongholds of Satan’s organization
which are led by Satan’s prince Gog and move out
for action. ‘‘ And the white [horses, drawing the third
chariot] go forth after them,’’ (6:6) These two horse-
drawn chariots assaulting the north country comport
with the facts that two armies under two kings to-
gether assaulted and destroyed literal ancient Babylon.
As stated at Daniel 5:28: ‘‘Thy kingdom [Babylon]
is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”’
There are two divisions of Gog’s army, the invisible
and the visible division, both of which are in the con-
spiracy against God’s anointed people, and both must
be attacked and destroyed by the army of the Lord.
The two chariots, the second and third, moving against
the enemy here picture Jehovah’s sanctified ones, em-
ployed to destroy what Zephaniah 3:8 calls ‘‘the
earth’’, Quoting Isaiah 13:3,5,19: ‘‘I have com-
manded my sanctified ones, I have also called my
mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice
in my highness. They come from a far country [from
heaven, and are no part of this world at any time},
even the Lord [leading his army], and the weapons
of his indignation, to destroy the whole land [Baby-
lon, the ‘north country’ or stronghold of Satan’s or-
ganization]. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as
when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.’’
The grizzled horses wheel their war chariot into
position on the south line of battle: ‘‘The grisled
[(Roth.) spotted] go forth toward the south coun-
try.’’ (6:6) These horses draw the fourth chariot;
and in the third verse of the prophecy they are called
‘‘grisled and bay horses’’. Edom or Idumea (the north-
ern section was also calied Teman), Egypt and Ethi-
opia, all are south of the Holy Land. The prophecy,
therefore, must refer to the antitypes of these coun-
tries, because those countries suffered defeat at the
hands of Jehovah's executioner prior to the time
of Zechariah’s prophecy. In the prophecy Edom or
Idumea pictures the ‘“‘wicked servant’’ class, the
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191
‘‘man of sin’’, ‘‘the son of perdition’’; Egypt pic-
tures Satan’s visible organization, made up of the
commercial, political and religious elements; and Ethi-
opia represents the hireling military strong-arm squad.
All of these shall fall at Armageddon, and Jehovah’s
forees are moving into position for the attack. (Jer.
25:15, 16) Ezckiel’s prophecy shows that the hirelirg
crowd in particular joins forces with Gog in making
the assault on Jehovah’s covenant people, and which
fact shows a combining of the enemy forces north
and south against the anointed of the Lord.—Ezek.
38 : 3-5.
The bay horses of verse seven represent the rem-
nant of God’s anointed people on the earth. These
are the same as those mentioned in verse two as ‘‘red
horses’, The American Revised Version designates
them as ‘‘strong’’ horses, and Rotherham refers to
them as ‘‘deep red’’. These horses are not the grizzled
or bay (of verse three) which draw the fourth chariot.
These ‘‘deep red’’ horses, of verses two and seven,
draw the first chariot on the extreme right and would
be the first ones to be observed by the covenant peo-
ple of God on earth; and this is in accord with the
facts. They picture God’s remnant people on the earth
who are pictured by Ezekiel under the symbol of ‘the
man in linen with the writer’s inkhorn by his side’
who scatters fire over the city. (See Ezekiel 9 and 10.)
These horses drawing the first chariot symbolically
say: The witness work, or ‘marking in the foreheads
those that sigh and ery’, must be done before the
battle of the great day is fought. ‘‘And the bay went
forth, and sought to go, that they might walk to and
fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence,
walk to and fro through the earth.’’ (6:7) The fact
that these ‘‘sought to go’’ proved that they were
willing in the day of the King’s power, ready to obey
the command to go through the earth and preach the
gospel of the kingdom. (Matt. 24:14; Ps. 110:3) The
angel of the Lord said to this remnant: ‘‘Get you
hence, walk to and fro’’; meaning that they must
busy themselves in the witness work, This was their
signal to go.
Note how the Lord by his angels directs the move-
ments of his people, and that without their knowl-
edge at the time. It was on the 8th day of Septem-
ber, 1922, when a convention of Jehovah’s people had
learned that Christ Jesus is at the temple for judg-
ment and that there was much work for them to do,
that the Lord caused these words to be spoken to the
assembled multitude: ‘‘Do you believe that the Lord
is now in his temple, judging the nations of earth?’’
The multitude shouted: ‘‘Yes!’’ The speaker contin-
ued: ‘‘Do you believe that the King of glory has be-
gun his reign?’’ ‘‘Yes!’’ responded the multitude. The
speaker continued: ‘‘Then back to the field, O ye sons
of the Most High God! ... Herald the message far
and wide. The world must know that Jehovah is God
192
and Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of
lords. This is the day of all days. Behold, the King
reigns! You are his publicity agents. Therefore adver-
tise, advertise, advertise the King and his kingdom.”’
(See The Watchtower 1922, page 337.) In obedience
to the Lord’s command the faithful remnant then went
forth and walked through the earth proclaiming the
message of the kingdom, and are still at that work.
They asking how long this work must continue, the
Lord makes it known that it must continue until the
battle of the great day of God Almighty. (Isa. 6: 11)
The army of the Lord is on the trek and the day of
war draws nigh.
The division of the army that moves against the
enemy in the north country does the chief part of
the work. ‘‘Then cried he upon [unto] me, and spake
unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the
north country have quieted my spirit in the north
eountry.’’ (6:8) The war chariots drawn by the black
horses and white horses move against Gog in the land
of Magog, and this is pleasing to Jehovah; showing
that this is the division of his army that vindicates
his name. ‘‘These . . . have quieted (the indignation
of) my spirit’’ (Leeser) ; ‘‘have settled my spirit,’’
or, ‘‘eaused mine anger to rest.’’ (Roth., footnote)
These bring satisfaction to the spirit of Jehovah be-
cause they execute his vengeance upon Satan’s organ-
She WATCHTOWER.
BROOKLYN, N. Y¥.
ization. (Ezek. 39:6) This work they do after the
witness work by the earthly division is completed.
The division pictured by the grizzled horses that
move on the ‘‘south- eountry’’, the earthly part of
Satan’s organization, do their part to the pleasure
of Jehovah; but the division that destroys the invis-
ible enemy, Gog and all those of the land of Magog,
does the chief executing work. The earthly division
of Satan’s army is merely the ally of Gog and in the
conspiracy. After the fall of his organization, then
Satan the old Dragon is bound and put to death.
(Rev. 20:1-3) All of this must be done before Jeho-
vah’s name is completely vindicated. Satan’s organi-
zation, head, body and tail, must be destroyed, and
then Jehovah will be pleased. (Ezek. 5:18; 16:42;
21:17; 24:13) The fact that the leader of the army
of the Lord cries with a loud and positive command
to this division moving on Gog shows that the army
is moving into action and the noise of battle is on.
All of this proves that Jehovah’s witnesses on the
earth are not the ones that put the Devil’s organiza-
tion out of business, but that they must do their wit-
ness work before the big fight is really on. The rem-
nant could not accomplish the destruction of the enemy
by bearing witness for a million years. They present
themselves and perform their part according to the
will of God, and then the great war follows.
LETTERS
DECLARE ALLEGIANCE TO JEHOVAH
Dear BROTHER RUTHERFORD:
We, the Birmingham (England) company of Jehovah’s wit-
nesses, wish to declare our allegiance to Jehovah and to the
Society as His channel in providing ‘*meat in due season’’ and
instructions in preaching the kingdom message. We rejoice as
we see our ‘‘tompanions’’ coming forward week by week and
entering into the ‘joy of the Lord’.
We thank you personally for your interest in the British
field, and particularly for changes which have recently added
to the zeal and enthusiasm of us all.
The work here is increasing, and never before have we as &
company felt a keener desire to co-operate with the British
Branch office, and indeed the Society as a whole, as we do at
the present time. We therefore continue to pray for the pros-
perity of Zion and for the peace of Jerusalem that the Lord
may continue to show his favor upon us all.
Yours in Jehovah,
BIRMINGHAM COMPANY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.
JEHOVAH HAS GRANTED THE “INCREASE”
DeEsR BROTHER RUTHERFORD:
Your recent encouraging letter, calling attention to the im-
portance of the hour and to the message of the Lord that must
now be delivered to the people, has given rise to the desire to
express our appreciation of the great privilege set before us
to have a share in this world-wide work, and out of that desire
has come the following resolution:
‘¢That we stand unitedly behind you as president of the Watch
Tower Bible and Tract Society, the Lord’s visible organization
on earth, and do wish to convey to you our sincere co-operation
in the most important work done on earth today.’’
We are a ‘‘young’’ company, having been organized for a
little more than a year, but feel that Jehovah has granted the
- increase’’ which he has promised unto those who are willing
to obey his commands. (Matt. 24: 14) We are indeed grateful for the truths published in the Watch Tower publications and accept same as food convenient to strengthen us at this time. May our heavenly Father continue to guide and uphold you and your colaborers in your strenuous part of the great work he has entrusted to your hands, Your brethren by His grace, JouN FISCHER IRENE Moore ANDREW Van DYK BENJAMIN MILLER FLORENCE MANN Rurs M. Suortway —New Jersey. Lronarp A, MILLER Barney VAN DYKE Sabre BauMANN Haze, A, MILLER Ruth ACKERMAN SIBYLLA FISCHER SHARE IN THE GREATEST WORK Dear BROTHER RUTHERFORD: : May I take a few minutes of your time, to tell you that I enjoy the book Enemies and each issue of The Watchtower immensely, My heart is thrilled as I see the time approaching for the vindication of Jehovah’s great name. How grateful one can be to our heavenly Father for all the blessings enjoyed through the columns of The Watchtower, My heart 13 full of joy as I feed at His table and share in the Greatest work ever given to human creatures. Doily my prayer is that Jehovah may give strength to his people as they go forth in this day of battle. With sincere Christian love, I remain Your fellow servant, Mas. Jos. Martin, Michigan,
