Pagină:Organization-part-II-1938.djvu/15: Diferență între versiuni

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 fhe WATCHTOWER. 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