Pagină:Tree-of-hope-1934.djvu/5: Diferență între versiuni

Fesrevary 15, 1934 himself of no reputation and humbled himself even unto an ignominious death, and was therefore brought low. (Phil. 2:7,8) Therefore in harmony with the prophetic dream it is seen that it pleased Jehovah to ‘set up over it [the kingdom or rulership of men] the basest [the low One] amongst men’, ‘‘ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’”’ (Phil. 2:9-11) Jcho- vah thus fixes the qualification of the One to whom he gives the kingdom. Those associated with Christ Jesus in the kingdom must possess similar qualifiea- tions and hence these are the low ones of earth whom the Lord uses for his purposes: ‘‘For ye see your eall- ing, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mivhty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things whieh are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presenee.’’*—1 Cor. 1: 26-29,

• Nebuchadnezzar as Satan’s representative boasted

and fell. Self-exaltation led to his fall and complete abasement. ‘‘Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.’ (Ps. 138:6) LExaltation comes from Jchovah and is given only to those who are entirely obedient to him. (Isa. 57:15) In harmony with this divine rule Ezckicl was caused to write: ‘‘I [Jchovah] have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, ... Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.”? (Ezek, 17:24; 21:26) The overlordship of earth is changed, but this change of overlordship does not take place until the end of the ‘‘seven times”’, whieh oceurred in 1914, at which time Jehovah placed his Son upon his holy hill of Zion and sent him forth to rule. (Ps. 2:6; 110:2) This is further proof that the great ‘‘tree in the midst of the earth’’ described in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar is Satan and his or- ganization over men, and that Jehovah’s capital or- ganization is Christ Jesus and those under him and that such is the new tree or organization in which the nations must hope. Upon Jchovah’s witnesses now on earth the obligation is laid to tell these great truths to those of mankind who have a desire to hear, and at the same time to serve notice of warning upon others that Jehovah is God and the ruler of the entire uni- verse, and that his kingdom is here. INTERPRETATION 9 Nebuchadnezzar ealled upon Daniel to give an interpretation of his dream, beeause none of his own fhe WATCHTOWER. 53 wise men could interpret it. To Daniel he said: ‘‘This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.’’ Tere the name of Jchovah was at stake, beeause if Daniel the servant of Jchovah God could not give the interpretation of the dream then Nebu- ehadnezzar would have to retract his words on this and on a former occasion, to wit: ‘‘Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of seerets,’’ and, ‘‘the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.’”? (Dan. 2:47) The fact that Nebuchad- nezzar, the representative of the Devil, gave expres- sion to these words eoncerning Jehovah is no proof whatsoever that he was Jehovah’s servant. Jchovah caused him to be used to illustrate regal power and to perform a part in the great prophetic picture that he was making. Would Jehovah now show his power by giving Daniel the interpretation? 11 Danicl seemed to be disturbed in his mind and was silent for a while. ‘‘Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake and_ said, Belteshazzar, iet not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.’’ (Vs. 19) The ‘‘one hour’’ mentioned in this verse is in fact a short while or short period of time. Probably Daniel hesitated to proceed with the interpretation beeause that part of the dream whieh applicd to Nebuehad- nezzar was unfavorable to the king and Danicl needed courage to proceed to disclose that fact to the hing, It is more likely, however, that his short silence was due to the fact that God was withholding the inter- pretation for a short season for his own purposcs, one of which would be to more sharply draw attention to the faet that Danicl represented the Most High, His hesitancy would make those who stood by con- elude that Daniel was not able to give the interpreta- tion, but in his own due time Jchovah showed his favor to Daniel and his power over Daniel. The king signified his desire to hear the interpretation even though it were unfavorable. Danicl therefore replied to the king, ‘‘the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.’’ These words show that Daniel was guided by wisdom from on high. His words fit the fulfilment of the propheey now. Sceing that Nebuchadnezzar at this particular point pictured regal power in Christ’s hand, therefore the unfavorable part of the dream and its fulfilment is in fact wpon the enemies of Christ. Daniel’s prayer was therefore a true one. 12 The record then shows that Daniel repeated the description of the tree which Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. (Vss. 20,21) Then Daniel said to