Chapter 8

Mercy to the Persecuted but Judgment to Persecutors

1. How much time was it after Haggai’s final prophecy before another inspired message came to the temple builders, and what had they done meantime?

AT THE Jerusalem of the days of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah the time had now moved into the first quarter of the year 519 B.C.E., but still in the second year of the reign of King Darius I of the Persian Empire, the Fourth World Power of Bible history. It was exactly two lunar months since the day that Haggai was inspired to give his final prophecies​—to the Aaronic priests and to Governor Zerubbabel. That was on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Chislev), which was toward the beginning of the year 519 B.C.E. On that memorable day of Jerusalem’s history, work had been taken up again at the foundation of the temple on Mount Moriah, just north of Mount Zion. Before another inspired message came to the Jewish builders from their God, they worked unceasingly at the sacred building site, for two whole months. This time they did not let any attempts at interference by enemies stop them.

2. Who evidently would get the news before King Darius I did concerning what was going on at Jerusalem, and how much time for getting a decision would be involved?

² By Shebat 24, 519 B.C.E., the word of what was going on at Jerusalem may not have reached the ears of King Darius at the distant Persian capital city. The news traveled quite slowly, even by couriers riding post-horses and covering about a hundred miles a day. (Esther 3:13-15; 8:10, 14) From Jerusalem by way of the “fertile crescent” over to Shushan would be over a thousand miles, and from Shushan up to Ecbatana to the north would be more than two hundred miles, if the roads were straight. Hence considerable time would be required for King Darius to get the startling information. Persian officials of provinces lying beyond (westward of) the Euphrates River from the king in Persia, reasonably, would get the news earlier. This is evidently what happened. The discussions that followed and the investigations that were launched must have occupied months (four or five months, according to some estimates) before a decision by King Darius on the matter in dispute could be received and enforced. Here is what took place, as recorded in Ezra 5:2 to 6:2:

3. What questions did the Persian governors westward beyond the Euphrates River ask the temple builders, and what did these do?

³ “It was then that Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jehozadak got up and started to rebuild the house of God, which was in Jerusalem; and with them there were God’s prophets giving them aid. At that time Tattenai the governor beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them, and this is what they were saying to them: ‘Who put an order through to you to build this house and to finish this beam structure?’ Then they said to them this: ‘What are the names of the able-bodied men that are building this building?’ And the eye of their God proved to be upon the older men of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report could go to Darius and then an official document concerning this could be sent back.

4. What did the letter that the Persian governors sent to King Darius I say?

⁴ “Here is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues, the lesser governors that were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king; they sent the word to him, and the writing in it was in this manner:

“‘To Darius the king:

“‘All peace! Let it become known to the king that we went to the jurisdictional district of Judah to the house of the great God, and it is being built with stones rolled into place, and timbers are being laid in the walls; and that work is being eagerly done and is making progress in their hands. Then we asked these older men. This is what we said to them: “Who put an order through to you to build this house and to finish this beam structure?” And we also asked them their names, so as to let you know, that we might write the names of the able-bodied men that are at their head.

“‘And this is the word that they gave back to us, saying: “We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and we are rebuilding the house that had been built many years before this, which a great king of Israel built and finished. However, because our fathers irritated the God of the heavens, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he demolished this house and took the people into exile at Babylon. Nevertheless, in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, Cyrus the king put an order through to rebuild this house of God. And also the gold and silver vessels of the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple, which was in Jerusalem, and brought to the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were given to Sheshbazzar, the name of the one whom he made governor. And he said to him: ‘Take these vessels. Go, deposit them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt upon its place.’ When that Sheshbazzar came he laid the foundations of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem; and from then until now it is being rebuilt but it has not been completed.”

“‘And now if to the king it seems good, let there be an investigation in the king’s house of treasures that is there in Babylon, whether it is so that from Cyrus the king an order was put through to rebuild that house of God in Jerusalem; and the decision of the king concerning this let him send to us.’

5. What action did King Darius take on receipt of the letter, and what was found?

⁵ “It was then that Darius the king put an order through, and they made an investigation in the house of the records of the treasures deposited there in Babylon. And at Ecbatana, in the fortified place that was in the jurisdictional district of Media, there was found a scroll, and the memorandum to this effect was written within it.”

6. While that was going on, what were the builders at Jerusalem doing, and what happened on Shebat 24 of 519 B.C.E.?

⁶ During all the time that the things narrated by the priest Ezra were taking place, the Jewish remnant under Governor Zerubbabel and the High Priest Joshua courageously went forward with the temple reconstruction. This was true on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which fell in the winter of the year 519 B.C.E. On that momentous day the prophet Zechariah began to receive a series of encouraging visions. About this he tells us:

THE FIRST VISION

7. In the first vision on Shebat 24, what did Zechariah see?

⁷ “On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah occurred to Zechariah the son of Berechiah the son of Iddo the prophet, saying: ‘I saw in the night, and, look! a man riding on a red horse, and he was standing still among the myrtle trees that were in the deep place; and behind him there were horses red, bright red, and white.’”​—Zechariah 1:7, 8.

8, 9. Who explained matters to Zechariah, and what questions did the sight of those horses arouse?

⁸ During the vision Zechariah had an angelic guide, who explained things to him, things that we today also want to understand. Those horses with their riders, standing there among the myrtle trees in the hollow alongside Jerusalem​—why were they there? Was war impending against Jerusalem at this stage of temple building? In the Bible horses are a symbol of war. (Job 39:19-25; Proverbs 21:31) Who sent those horses? Whom do the horsemen represent? Is their purpose warfare? Zechariah desired to know:

⁹ “And so I said: ‘Who are these, my lord?’”

10, 11. Who did those horse riders prove to be, and what did they report to the rider among the myrtle trees?

¹⁰ “At that the angel who was speaking with me said to me: ‘I myself shall show you who these very ones are.’”​—Zechariah 1:9.

¹¹ Those horse riders proved to be holy angels, sent out by God on scout duty, as it were. This is what becomes apparent as we read: “Then the man [on horseback] who was standing still among the myrtle trees answered and said: ‘These are the ones whom Jehovah has sent forth to walk about in the earth.’ And they proceeded to answer the angel of Jehovah who was standing among the myrtle trees and to say: ‘We have walked about in the earth, and, look! the whole earth is sitting still and having no disturbance.’”​—Zechariah 1:10, 11.

12. (a) In what way was “the whole earth” at peace, as reported by the angelic scouts? (b) Over what had Egypt fought with Assyria and then with Babylon in this connection?

¹² What was it that those angelic scouts were saying to their chief astride the red horse? Were they saying that there was universal peace throughout the whole earth? Apparently so! But this was true only in a relative sense, that is, in relation to something else. To what? To Jerusalem and the territory of Judah. How so? In that Jerusalem had lost its former earthly position among the nations. Down to the year 607 B.C.E., it had been the seat of the typical Messianic kingdom of God on earth. This miniature kingdom of Jehovah was a disturbing factor to the Gentile world, the pagan nations. Egypt fought with Assyria and then with Babylon to have treaty relations with Jerusalem or to have a controlling voice in its affairs. But no more since 607 B.C.E.

13. Why, since 607 B.C.E., did Egypt cease to maintain treaty relations with the typical Messianic kingdom at Jerusalem?

¹³ In that year of world importance King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian armies and allies destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. The kingdom of David was overthrown, and a king of David’s royal line ceased to sit on “Jehovah’s throne” at Jerusalem. The last human king who sat there, Zedekiah the great granduncle of Zerubbabel, was caught and taken captive to Babylon, to wear out the rest of his life there as an exile, blinded, imprisoned. During the month of Tishri of 607 B.C.E., what few Jews had been left as a poor, inconsequential minority in the land of Judah fled down to Egypt because of fear of the Babylonians (Chaldeans), and the land of Judah and Jerusalem were left desolated without man or even domestic animal. Just as the prophet Jeremiah had foretold! It was then that a divinely marked out period of time began to count. What?

14. What did Jesus Christ call that divinely marked period, what did it mean for worldly politics, and when did it end?

¹⁴ “The times of the Gentiles,” or, “the appointed times of the nations,” as Jesus Christ later spoke of them, saying: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) Inasmuch as Jerusalem had been the seat of the miniature Messianic kingdom of God and therefore stood for the right of God’s kingdom to rule in the hands of a Messianic descendant of King David, this meant something special to those Gentile nations that were to be permitted to trample on Jerusalem or its Kingdom right. What? Nothing less than that the Gentile nations would be permitted by Jehovah of armies to rule the earth without interference from any Messianic kingdom of God, such as the former one that had had its capital in earthly Jerusalem. As the Gentile Times of such noninterruption were to run for seven symbolic “times” or for 2,520 literal years, this marked period would run from Tishri of 607 B.C.E. down to Tishri of 1914 C.E., in our own twentieth century. (Daniel, chapter four) No wonder that, back there in 519 B.C.E., the angelic scouts reported the whole earth as without disturbance!

15. Why was the status of the land of Judah and its Jewish governor nothing to be disturbed about, and how did the inquiring Governor Tattenai proceed respecting the resumed temple building?

¹⁵ In that second year of King Darius I, the land of Judah with its local capital at Jerusalem was merely one of the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire “from India to Ethiopia.” (Esther 1:1-3) It had a governor, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, but he was not sitting upon the throne of David as his grandfather, King Jehoiachin, had done for three months and ten days. He was directly responsible probably to one of the governors of a jurisdictional district on the western side of the Euphrates, probably Governor Tattenai, and then ultimately responsible to King Darius I. So now there was hardly anything to get seriously disturbed about as regards Jerusalem. Of course, Governor Tattenai had got excited because rebuilding work had been resumed at the temple foundation and he had officially inquired: “What are the names of the able-bodied men that are building this building?” But he did not apply military force to stop the work. He chose rather to submit the question to King Darius for his decision according to the “law of the Medes and the Persians, which is not annulled.” (Daniel 6:8) Why such self-restraint on Governor Tattenai’s part? Ezra 5:5 explains:

16. According to Ezra 5:5, why did Governor Tattenai proceed that way?

¹⁶ “And the eye of their God proved to be upon the older men of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report could go to Darius and then an official document concerning this could be sent back.”

17, 18. (a) So what could the angelic scouts announce as to the state of the “whole earth”? (b) But whose attitude on this was it of highest importance to inquire about, and what inquiry was made?

¹⁷ Accordingly, as regards world uneasiness over what Jerusalem was planning and doing, the angelic scouts could report to their chief among the myrtle trees in the deep place by Jerusalem: “The whole earth is sitting still and having no disturbance.” The Gentile or pagan world, indeed, was sitting complacently without fears of any interference in its affairs by any kind of a Messianic kingdom of Jehovah God. But what about Jehovah of armies himself? What was his attitude toward Jerusalem and what it represented? Was there any further assurance from Him now that his prophet Haggai had ceased to speak under inspiration? Was he also complacent like the Gentile nations as regards the welfare of Jerusalem and the role it had to play in the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes? The angels of heaven were also concerned about this, and especially so Michael, “the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your [Daniel’s] people.” (Daniel 12:1; 1 Peter 1:12) In proof of this the prophet Zechariah next sees this in the vision:

¹⁸ “So the angel of Jehovah answered and said: ‘O Jehovah of armies, how long will you yourself not show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, whom you have denounced these seventy years?’”​—Zechariah 1:12.

19. Why had the “seventy years” of divine denunciation appeared to some to be continuing?

¹⁹ To some minds, according to what was said by the angel, it appeared that Jehovah’s denunciation of “these seventy years” was still continuing against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah. This was due to the fact that the rebuilding of his temple had been neglected for the past seventeen years. He had had very much indignation against their fathers who suffered exile because of profaning the former temple that had been built by King Solomon. Now, in the eighth month (Heshvan) of the year 520 B.C.E. Jehovah had warned the repatriated Jewish remnant to avoid suffering divine indignation through becoming like their fathers and not returning to Jehovah with zeal for full worship of Him through a rebuilt temple. (Zechariah 1:1-6) In the light of this we are to understand the outcry of the angel according to what these things might indicate to him regarding Jerusalem and the other cities of repopulated Judah.

20. So why is the angel’s outcry about “these seventy years” not to be misunderstood as if those “years” were continuing?

²⁰ The angel’s mention of these “seventy years” calls to mind the seventy years mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah. During those seventy years the nations of Judah and Israel must serve the dynasty of kings of Babylon, at the end of which seventy years Jehovah was to call the erroneous conduct of the king of Babylon and of the Chaldeans to account and He would punish them therefor. (Jeremiah 25:11-13) So did Jehovah’s angel mean that those seventy years had not yet ended, or that they had just now ended? This could not historically be true. Why not? Because about twenty years before this (in 539 B.C.E.) Jehovah had used Cyrus the Great of Persia to overthrow Babylon as a world power and about two years later, in 537 B.C.E., Jehovah moved Cyrus who was acting as the king of Babylon to let the Jewish exiles leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem to rebuild Jehovah’s temple.​—Ezra 1:1 to 2:2; 2 Chronicles 36:20-23.

21. During those “seventy years,” how was the land of Judah to lie, and what now shows whether that state of the land had long passed?

²¹ Furthermore, the land of Judah was to keep a “sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” (2 Chronicles 36:21) How? By lying as a “desolate waste without man and domestic animal,” it having been “given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” (Jeremiah 32:43; 33:10-12) Both the prophet Zechariah and the angels knew that those seventy years of utter desolation of the land of Judah and Jerusalem without man and domestic animal had ended in the year 537 B.C.E. when the Jewish remnant returned from Babylon and reoccupied the land, they being reported back in their cities in the seventh month (Tishri) of that year. (Ezra 3:1, 2) Instead of its lying as a desolate waste any longer, crops began to be raised in the land, as the prophet Haggai reports seventeen years later. (Haggai 1:6-11; 2:16, 17) So those seventy years were long past!

22. How did the prophet Daniel indicate that the “seventy years” did not extend to 519 B.C.E., when Zechariah got his first vision?

²² If, at the time of Zechariah’s first vision, those seventy years were still continuing or were just now over, why would the angel, knowing what he did, speak as he did? Since he knew that the time period was definitely seventy years long, why would he say: “O Jehovah of armies, how long?” (Zechariah 1:12) Why, away back in the first year of Darius the Mede after the overthrow of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the prophet Daniel “discerned by the books the number of the years concerning which the word of Jehovah had occurred to Jeremiah the prophet, for fulfilling the devastations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” (Daniel 9:1, 2) And certainly Daniel verified the number of years, not seventeen long years before they were due to end, but immediately before the end of the seventy years in the first year of the reign of King Cyrus the Persian. Thus the aged prophet Daniel, who lived at least into “the third year of Cyrus the king of Persia,” could know that he had calculated the length of the time period correctly. (Daniel 10:1) Hence those “seventy years” did not extend to the time when Zechariah got his first vision, in 519 B.C.E.

23. Those “seventy years” were the opening of what larger period of time, and so, in asking, “How long?” the angel was making what comparison?

²³ Be it remembered, also, that those unforgettable seventy years were the first seventy years of the Gentile Times, “the appointed times of the nations.” So, when those seventy years ended in 537 B.C.E., the Gentile Times still continued on for Jerusalem to be trampled on by the Gentile nations. (Luke 21:24) Apparently, then, the angel who cried out, “O Jehovah of armies, how long?” was referring back to that former period of seventy years as an illustration of Jehovah’s denunciation of his chosen people. He was asking whether Jehovah’s denunciation of them was being renewed because of their long neglect toward His temple. And so the angel was asking how long it would yet be before Jehovah would show mercy to Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah. The prophet Zechariah was also interested in knowing this. We, also!

24. How did Jehovah answer the inquiring angel, and so how did Jehovah feel toward Jerusalem and how toward the Gentile nations?

²⁴ It must have been satisfying to Zechariah to be allowed to overhear the conversation between Jehovah of armies and the inquiring angel: “And Jehovah proceeded to answer the angel who was speaking with me, with good words, comforting words; and the angel who was speaking with me went on to say to me: ‘Call out, saying, “This is what Jehovah of armies has said: ‘I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great jealousy. With great indignation I am feeling indignant against the nations that are at ease; because I, for my part, felt indignant to only a little extent, but they, for their part, helped toward calamity.’”’”​—Zechariah 1:13-15.

25. Why had Jehovah been indignant with his chosen people, but why had he become indignant toward the Gentile nations?

²⁵ Justly, Jehovah felt indignation against this disobedient chosen people. He was therefore obliged to administer disciplinary punishment to them. He used Babylon and her allies and sympathizers as His instrument in applying the punishment. However, he was “indignant to only a little extent.” On the other hand, the Gentile nations who were used as His instrument of correction carried the disciplinary action too far, out of sheer hatred of his chosen people and to show their contempt for him and his worship. Viciously they “helped toward calamity” upon his people. In malice they added an extra measure to that calamity. How prone the persecutors in modern times have been to do that way to Jehovah’s worshipers! For good and just cause Jehovah of armies could say: “With great indignation I am feeling indignant against the nations.” Let the nationalistically minded persecutors of today remember that!

26. Therefore, what did Jehovah now purpose to do as to Jerusalem?

²⁶ “Therefore this is what Jehovah has said, ‘I shall certainly return to Jerusalem with mercies. My own house will be built in her,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘and a measuring line itself will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’”​—Zechariah 1:16.

27. How would Jehovah prove to the persecutors that he had not permanently abandoned Jerusalem, and how would the measuring line be stretched out over her?

²⁷ The disciplinary action of the Gentile nations against the people of Judah and Jerusalem had been carried to the point of outright persecution. These people had been completely abandoned by their God to them, the persecutors must have thought. But not so! Jehovah had not abandoned them for all time. He was determined to prove this to the persecutors. In symbol of this, Jerusalem was not to be left permanently desolated. He would return to her with mercies by having her raised from the dust and rubble and once again peopled. Houses would be built in her, and thus the “measuring line itself will be stretched out over Jerusalem,” during house building. Why, even the most important building of all would be built in her​—Jehovah’s temple itself! What a setback that would be for the persecutors and to their false gods!

28. Thus Jehovah’s choice was to be made manifest to whom, and what was it that Jehovah chose?

²⁸ The divine time for reconstruction had arrived. Nothing was now going to stop it. The divine choice had been made of his visible earthly organization. That choice was to be made manifest by divine favor, whether the worldly nations that were at ease resented it or not. No secret was to be made of the divine choice. To show that public attention was to be called to the divine decision and choice, the command was issued in the hearing of the prophet Zechariah: “Call out further, saying, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies has said: “My cities will yet overflow with goodness; and Jehovah will yet certainly feel regrets over Zion and yet actually choose Jerusalem.”’”​—Zechariah 1:17.

29. (a) So what did Jehovah claim as his possession, and how was he to show his choice of such? (b) By what other name was Jerusalem called and why, and who would reside there?

²⁹ Let us note that Jehovah of armies calls the cities of the Persian province of Judah “my cities.” He has chosen them. He claims them as his possession. He will give proof that these reconstructed cities were his by filling them with goodness from him. Consequently they would prosper. Each of these cities would have its body of elders for their local government. Such reorganized cities would not be without their earthly capital. That chief city would be the one of Jehovah’s choice. It would be the one that had been the preexile capital of Jehovah’s people, namely, Jerusalem, rebuilt by his own people. That was no democratic choice, nor any imperial choice. It was the theocratic choice. This city chosen by the heavenly Theocrat Jehovah of armies was also called Zion, because Mount Zion had been the location of King David’s palace alongside of which David had pitched the tent for the temporary residence of Jehovah’s Ark of the Covenant. In rebuilt Zion or Jerusalem was to be the location of the provincial governing body. So Governor Zerubbabel resided here.

30. How and when did Jehovah “feel regrets over Zion”?

³⁰ Because of the persistent disobedience of its inhabitants, Jehovah had decreed that Zion or Jerusalem should be destructed by the Babylonians and that it would lie desolate for seventy years. At his due time Jehovah felt regrets for desolate Zion. Not that he had done wrong or made a mistake in having Zion destructed, but that his will had been carried out and his purpose had been served and he had vindicated himself. Now his indignation could subside and he could comfort himself. He could now feel sorrow for the object of his indignation and now feel free to show pity toward it and comfort it. Thus, without having to admit any mistake, Jehovah felt regrets for Zion at the end of the seventy years of desolation. Without having to undo any misdeed on His part and without having to make reparations for any unwarranted injuries on His part, Jehovah mercifully brought his exiled people back and had them reconstruct Zion. The time of destruction was past; the time of construction was here! What a display of divine pity!

31. (a) What nation had called out for Jerusalem to be razed to the ground, and in what belief? (b) When was it the time to call out the choice of Jehovah as to a city?

³¹ At the time of the razing of Zion or Jerusalem in the year 607 B.C.E., the enemy Edomites had egged on the Babylonian conquerors by saying: “Lay it bare! Lay it bare to the foundation within it!” (Psalm 137:7) The gloating enemies thought that its God, Jehovah, had cast off the city forever, and, like them, He would never choose Jerusalem again. But Jehovah could not forget or deny his gracious prophecies concerning Jerusalem. In faithfulness he did “actually choose Jerusalem,” and that choice held good years later, in 519 B.C.E., at the time of the first vision of Zechariah. Not only was Jerusalem constructed again by his own people, but the foundation of his temple was laid there and work on the superstructure was already begun. When that temple was fully constructed, then Jehovah would put his own name there, his presence by his spirit would be there, his full worship would be resumed there. This would prove to all the nations that Jehovah had chosen Jerusalem. So, even in 519 B.C.E., it was time to call out his choice!

32. Why can we not look to modern-day Jerusalem for a fulfillment of Zechariah 1:17 today?

³² Has there been anything similar to this in modern times? Certainly not so with regard to modern Jerusalem over which the Arabs and the Israelis fought both in 1948 and in 1967. The orthodox Jews wail or recite prayers down below at the Western Wall (Kótel Maʽarabí), whereas on the platform about sixty feet above them the Mohammedans worship at the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque el-Aksa. To the south of this the Biblical Mount Zion lies desolate outside the present city walls. With all due regard for the facts of the situation, Jehovah has not chosen this earthly Jerusalem as a place for his name and worship. We must look elsewhere for the modern-day fulfillment of Zechariah 1:17.

33. (a) What today corresponds with Zerubbabel governing over ancient Jerusalem? (b) What about those over whom this one governs?

³³ On earth today there is no temple-building being carried on by Zerubbabel as governor of Jerusalem. But there is the Greater Zerubbabel, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ glorified in the heavens. In Jehovah’s name he governs at what Hebrews 12:22 calls “Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” At the close of the Gentile Times in 1914 he was installed as reigning King there and he governs over those who are his true and faithful disciples on earth. Such disciples do not make up any part of Christendom, by any means, for she is made up of hundreds of conflicting religious sects and adheres to the United Nations as the preserver of world peace and security and her hands are full of bloodshed from the unchristian wars of this world. The heavenly Greater Zerubbabel governs over those who worship the same God that he does, namely, Jehovah of armies. These worshipers are also under obligation to be the Christian witnesses of this God, Jehovah. (Isaiah 43:10-12; 44:8) They are the ones identified with the “heavenly Jerusalem,” the seat of government of the Greater Zerubbabel.

34. During World War I of 1914-1918, how did it appear as if Jehovah had abandoned his spiritual Zion or Jerusalem?

³⁴ Because of all these Scriptural connections, such Christian witnesses of Jehovah on earth represent the Mount Zion up above and the “heavenly Jerusalem.” What has happened to them has been like happening to the figurative Zion or Jerusalem. In the turmoil of World War I (1914-1918) they were persecuted by the so-called Christians of Christendom for trying to hold fast to the Kingdom of the Greater Zerubbabel, Jesus Christ. Their public witnessing to Jehovah’s Messianic kingdom was obstructed and reduced to a minimum. They were not fighting against one another with carnal weapons by fighting on the opposing sides of war-mad Christendom, but their international cooperation with one another was broken up by the enemies in breaking up their international organization. Because of the worldwide affliction upon them, it was as if Jehovah their God had abandoned the spiritual Zion or Jerusalem.

35. At the beginning of the postwar period, Jehovah’s choice as to who should represent his spiritual Zion or Jerusalem was between what groups?

³⁵ Quite suddenly World War I came to an end by an armistice in November of 1918. The postwar period set in. Peacetime activities could now be resumed. In December of that year the religionists of Christendom began taking their stand in favor of an international organization for world peace and security. This was notably made publicly clear by the declaration of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America that the proposed League of Nations is “the political expression of the kingdom of God on earth.” This even though all the nations of the proposed League were stained with the blood of the millions of war dead. Was the Federal Council correct in its high-sounding declaration, so piously religious in its wording? For a certainty it was the time for Jehovah of armies to make an expression of Himself. Whom would he choose as his representatives of spiritual Zion or Jerusalem? Christendom with her bloodstained persecutors, or the persecuted adherents to the kingdom of his Greater Zerubbabel, Jesus Christ? Whom would he organize as His witnesses?

36. What questions do we ask today to prove whether Christendom was Jehovah’s choice as his organization right after World War I?

³⁶ Does the religious disorganization and deterioration of Christendom today overwhelmingly prove that back there in the postwar year of 1919 she was the choice of Jehovah of armies? Do the facts of today prove beyond all contradiction that He has filled her “cities” with His goodness to overflowing? Does his spiritual temple stand rebuilt within her as a house of worship, that is to say, is she through her hundreds of religious sects worshiping Jehovah as God at his spiritual temple? Who will come forward as the witnesses of Christendom to offer the unequivocal answer Yes? In the absence of such witnesses we look elsewhere.

37. What is it, as respects a change of condition, that draws our attention in the right direction of Jehovah’s choice?

³⁷ Where? It is not just the name that draws our attention in the direction of Jehovah’s plainly evident choice. What does draw attention to the chosen ones is how they have organized for His postwar service and what they have both proclaimed and what they have uncompromisingly stood for on the world stage. Also, what they have done! Yes, too, the “mercies” with which Jehovah of armies has “returned” to them. This we can appreciate when we consider the spiritual state from which they have arisen in the postwar period. From a state of apparently being disowned, rejected, by God they have arisen. Yes, from the state of being persecuted almost to the death by Christendom, who persecuted them not just during World War I but also during World War II and in between those bloodbaths of the world, all in the effort to break up their religious organization and ruin them permanently as an irritating religious problem. Who, then, are such objects of religious persecution and hostility, but also of divine “mercies”?

38. Who on earth in the postwar period has proved to be Jehovah’s choice, and by what identifying features?

³⁸ The historical facts since World War I of 1914-1918 identify them. Their role on the international scene today marks them out in bold relief. They are the Christian witnesses bearing the name of the God whom they worship and serve, Jehovah. From the religiously crippled state in which the postwar year of 1919 found this internationally despised group, this remnant of dedicated, baptized, spirit-anointed Christians stepped forth in Jehovah’s service upon the world stage of action. When the world, political, religious, military and social, was going over to the espousal of the League of Nations, this anointed remnant stood firm for Jehovah’s Messianic kingdom as the only hope for all humanity and entered upon a course of preaching “this good news of the kingdom” as never before in their earthly career. Their preaching of “this good news” has by now proved to be just as Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:14 foretold that it would be: “in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” Yes, in 165 languages!

39. (a) This exploit is due to the fact that Jehovah has returned where and with what? (b) To what have these approached, and where do they render sacred service, being now joined by whom?

³⁹ This noteworthy exploit in world annals has been accomplished not by human strength, ability, ingenuity, courage and fortitude on their part alone. It is primarily because Jehovah of armies has chosen them for foretold service and witness. Nor just because they were wholly dedicated to him as disciples of Jesus Christ, but because he had shown mercy upon them through Jesus Christ and had now “returned” to them with “mercies.” By faithfully following in Christ’s footsteps they are approaching “Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” With greater understanding and discernment than ever previously they appreciate Jehovah’s spiritual temple and they are worshiping him there, rendering service as spiritual underpriests under their heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ. In their worship there they have now been joined by an innumerable “great crowd” of peaceable sheeplike persons out of all nations, peoples, tribes and languages. Just as foretold! (Revelation 7:9-17) In 207 countries and island groups we find them.

40. (a) Why may Jehovah call these congregations “my cities,” and how are they organized? (b) In what way do those “cities” “overflow with goodness”?

⁴⁰ They do not have political communities such as cities. Their figurative “cities” are religious congregations of dedicated, baptized disciples of Jesus Christ, the Greater Zerubbabel. (Matthew 28:19, 20) These are organized according to theocratic rule as outlined in the inspired Holy Scriptures, and, like the cities of ancient Israel, these congregations have each a local presbytery or “body of elders.” There are also “ministerial servants” (diákonoi) to assist each body of elders. (1 Timothy 3:1-13; 4:14; Titus 1:5-9; Philippians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:1-4) Jehovah can appropriately call these Christian congregations “my cities,” because he is really responsible for their organization and growth and they are unreservedly dedicated to Him through Jesus Christ. An investigation of these figurative “cities” of Jehovah reveals that they “overflow with goodness” from Him, in a spiritual sense. To judge from all the accumulated evidence, Jehovah of armies has chosen them as representative of his heavenly Jerusalem. Praise to Him, for the prophecy of Zechariah 1:16, 17 has had such fulfillment!

THE SECOND VISION

41. (a) What must be said as to whether what has already befallen the persecutors is the end of the matter? (b) In his second vision on Shebat 24, about what did Zechariah ask?

⁴¹ What, though, about the persecutors and would-be destroyers of the dedicated worshipers of Jehovah of armies? As we look at the world conditions today, we can observe what has already befallen them. But the present state with the persecutors is not the end of the matter. With a view to illustrating what is finally to happen to them, the prophet Zechariah was given another vision right on the heels of the first one, on that same twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (Shebat) in 519 B.C.E., in the second year of the reign of King Darius I of Persia. The Medo-Persian Empire was the Fourth World Power of Bible history, and this second vision should have been of interest to it. The viewer, Zechariah, tells us: “And I proceeded to raise my eyes and see; and, look! there were four horns. So I said to the angel who was speaking with me: ‘What are these?’ In turn he said to me: ‘These are the horns that dispersed Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.’”​—Zechariah 1:18, 19.

42. What did those “horns” symbolize, and what is the significance of there being four of them?

⁴² The prophet Zechariah knew that in the inspired Hebrew Scriptures a horn is used to symbolize a governmental power of a nation or empire. Those four symbolic horns would not necessarily picture four individual nations or empires that had till then dispersed the peoples of Judah, Israel and Jerusalem and ruined their cities. In Scripture, the number four has a symbolic meaning. For example, in using four with respect to the winds, the four winds of the heavens would refer to all parts or quarters of the heavens. Or just the four winds would refer to all directions of the earth. (Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 7:2) The four wheels belonging to Jehovah’s celestial chariot as seen by the prophet Ezekiel would suggest a well-balanced riding base for the divine chariot. (Ezekiel 1:15, 21) Four horns could accordingly mean all the governmental powers that were concerned or involved, and not just a literal four of such, operating from all directions and leaving no imbalance because of having omitted any quarter.

43. Hence, besides Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, what other political powers would be included under the symbol of those “four horns”?

⁴³ So not just Egypt, Assyria and Babylon as world powers had been implicated with dispersing Judah, Israel and Jerusalem, but others also like the nation of Edom and other national allies or collaborators in such wicked action against Jehovah’s chosen people. They were all persecutors. Those political organizations used their power, particularly military power, in a vicious, violent way toward Jehovah’s chosen people.​—Zechariah 1:15.

44. Why did Jehovah feel indignant with great indignation against the Gentile nations that were at ease?

⁴⁴ Those pagan political powers had all of them gone beyond what Jehovah of armies had in mind for the disciplining of his heedless, disobedient people. They used the leeway that was given to them just to express their ill-will, resentment, envy and spite upon Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. For that reason Jehovah of armies said to the angel in Zechariah’s hearing: “With great indignation I am feeling indignant against the nations that are at ease.” (Zechariah 1:15) How did Jehovah purpose to express his great indignation against those nations that felt at ease because of having satisfied their feeling of revenge or malice upon His people? He discloses how in the further part of the second vision unfolded before Zechariah’s eyes: He says:

45. What did Jehovah show in vision to Zechariah as his instruments to express his indignation against the nations at ease?

⁴⁵ “Furthermore, Jehovah showed me four craftsmen. At that I said: ‘What are these coming to do?’ And he went on to say: ‘These are the horns that dispersed Judah to such an extent that no one at all raised his head; and these others will come to set them trembling, to cast down the horns of the nations that are lifting up a horn against the land of Judah, in order to disperse her.’”​—Zechariah 1:20, 21, NW; JP; Ro.

46. (a) Why were there four such “craftsmen,” and, despite their profession, what was their mission? (b) Who sent them, and what did this mean for the persecutors?

⁴⁶ These craftsmen or artisans by being four in number offset the four horns. Their number would have the same significance as that in the case of the four horns. They would picture all the “craftsmen” involved in the matter and organized in a balanced, fully adequate way. Being craftsmen or artisans, they were not destructionists. Primarily they were constructionists. But they could be used in an operation of destruction, and they could use their working utensils to that end. This was their mission in the vision. But whose craftsmen were they, or who sent them? Evidently Jehovah of armies, for they came to destroy the power of the four horns that had dispersed Jehovah’s people, Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. What they used in order to do this were doubtless the hammers of their trade. Woe, then, to the persecuting “horns”! There was to be divine judgment executed against those persecutors.

PERSECUTORS COME IN FOR DIVINE ATTENTION

47. How is what happened to those persecutor nations afterward to be viewed​—as the natural course of world affairs or what?

⁴⁷ Jehovah’s great indignation did not fail to pour down upon the persecutor nations. Ancient history shows that the nations that maliciously mistreated Jehovah’s chosen people of old did not fare well thereafter; they suffered calamity. Where are they today? This calamitous outcome was not just the natural course of world affairs without any overriding design. It was the outworking of the divine indignation against them. The lesson of that should not be lost on us today.

48. (a) Of whom did Rome become the persecutor in the first century C.E., and how has she continued as such? (b) Of what part of Christendom is she the head today?

⁴⁸ In the first century of our Common Era spiritual Israel came into existence under the leadership of the God-sent Messiah, Jesus of Bethlehem-Judah. The nation of natural, circumcised Israel was thus displaced. Just as Ishmael was displaced by Isaac the true heir of Abraham and became a persecutor of Isaac, so natural Israel persecuted Christ’s disciples who made up spiritual Israel. Natural Israel fared badly for this, its holy city Jerusalem being destroyed in the year 70 C.E. and the survivors of the province of Judah being dispersed, largely by being carried off captive. (Galatians 4:21-31; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16; Genesis 21:1-14) After the burning of Rome in the year 64 C.E., Rome took up the persecution of the Christian spiritual Israel. She continued this persecution, not only as mistress of the pagan Roman Empire, but as religious mistress of the Holy Roman Empire. That Holy Roman Empire went out of existence in the days of Napoleon Bonaparte in the early part of the nineteenth century. Yet Rome continues as the head of the largest, strongest, most populous part of religious Christendom. But in that capacity Rome has been set “trembling.”

49. Who succeeded to Rome as a persecutor World Power, and by means of whom and when was this foretold?

⁴⁹ In the eighteenth century Rome as the Sixth World Power of Bible history had to bow to the British Empire as the Seventh and Greatest World Power of Bible prophecy. Its record discloses that it too has been guilty of persecuting and dispersing the spiritual Israel of Jehovah of armies. In this, too, the United States of America has shared, it being later integrated with the Seventh World Power to form a dual Anglo-American World Power. Such persecution notoriously raged against the remnant of spiritual Israel during World War I, yes, and to even a greater extent during World War II. This had been vividly foretold under prophetic symbols to the exiled prophet Daniel “in the third year of the kingship of Belshazzar the king,” that is, before the fall of ancient Babylon, and thus more than twenty years before Zechariah’s vision of the four horns and the four craftsmen. (Daniel 8:1, 9-12, 23-26) Hence Jehovah knew that there would be need of his symbolic “craftsmen” to “cast down the horns of the nations” more than 2,490 years after Zechariah’s vision.

50. Besides the Seventh World Power, what other “horns” have engaged in persecuting spiritual Israelites in recent times?

⁵⁰ In modern times not only the two-horned Anglo-American dual world power has taken part in dispersing spiritual Israel by persecutions and oppressions, but also other modern symbolic “horns.” One of the most outrageous instances of this in recent times was the sadistic mistreatment of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses in the Third German Reich under the Nazi Fuehrer Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1945 C.E. The other Axis Powers joined in with him in such malicious oppression of spiritual Israelites and their dedicated companions. Even since then other political “horns” who make up a composite “king of the north” have pushed and gored and threatened Jehovah’s faithful worshipers.

51. When and by whom was persecution by the “king of the north” foretold, and so what did Jehovah have in mind about persecution?

⁵¹ “In the third year of Cyrus the king of Persia,” after the fall of Babylon, Jehovah’s angel foretold to the prophet Daniel the infliction of such persecution upon Jehovah’s Christian witnesses by the symbolic “king of the north” in our times. (Daniel 10:1, 18-21; 11:29-36, 44, 45) From this it is apparent that Jehovah was thinking not just of “horns” that had persecuted his typical people in the past but also of “horns” that would persecute his antitypical people in the future, in our modern times.

52. Thus Jehovah was using a past case of his typical people to forewarn whom today, and how was this indicated in John’s vision in Revelation 7:1-3?

⁵² Thus Jehovah was using a past case of persecution of his typical people to forewarn the modern nations that “are lifting up a horn” against the rightful spiritual estate of his faithful worshipers. Against all such nations He would use his symbolic “craftsmen.” The visionary “craftsmen” being four in number calls to our minds what the Christian apostle John saw in vision near the end of the first century C.E. He tells it, saying: “After this I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding tight the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow upon the earth or upon the sea or upon any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrising, having a seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying: ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until after we have sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads.’”​—Revelation 7:1-3.

53. In what will the loosing of those “four winds” result as respects the “four horns,” but what strengthens the persecuted worshipers of Jehovah to endure?

⁵³ The release of the four winds will result in a worldwide storm that will harm all the nations of the earth and destroy the symbolic “horns” that they have lifted up against the spiritual Israelites who are sealed with the “seal of the living God.” This will produce the same result as that pictured by the “four craftsmen” in hammering and smashing the symbolic “four horns” of all the nations. In sharp contrast with all the “mercies” with which Jehovah returns to his persecuted worshipers, there will come the execution of his merciless judgments upon their persecutors. Putting our full trust in the divine assurance of this will strengthen all the persecuted ones to endure to the end.

Chapter 9

Growth and Protection of God’s Capital Organization

1. (a) Who is the greatest Organizer? (b) According to Romans 1:19, 20, what should intelligent creatures on earth have perceived about that Organizer?

THE GREATEST organizer in all existence is “The First Great Cause,” the Creator of all the things made. His matchless organizing ability is amply demonstrated by all his works in heaven and on earth. In first-century Rome (Italy) there were those who worshiped, not the national god Jupiter, but the living Almighty God. To these worshipers it was written, about the middle of the first century C.E.: “What may be known about God is manifest among them, for God made it manifest to them. For his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable.” (Romans 1:19, 20) From the creation of the world of mankind onward, intelligent humans should have been able to perceive that there was a Creator, God, even though he was invisible and even without his speaking to any of them out of the invisible. By the visible works that he made and arranged so orderly, they should have perceived that he is a perfect Organizer.

2, 3. (a) What basis is there for believing that He would organize his intelligent creatures with minds of their own? (b) What warning did He give through Enoch about his invisible heavenly organization?

² Since this God could organize unintelligent creations so perfectly in the visible heavens and in the amazing ecology of the earth, he could and would organize all his living intelligent creations. It would be in the interest of universal peace and harmony and in order to prevent anarchy that He would organize such creatures with minds of their own. He visibly showed his organizing ability more than three thousand four hundred years ago when he organized the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai in Arabia and gave them a set of laws with which none of all the pagan nations had anything to compare. For immeasurable time before that he had an invisible organization, made up of heavenly spirit creatures. Enoch, the seventh man in line of descent from the first man, gave us people on earth a warning concerning this invisible organization, saying:

³ “Look! Jehovah came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds that they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the shocking things that ungodly sinners spoke against him.”​—Jude 14, 15; Genesis 5:18-24; Hebrews 11:5.

4. When was mankind part of God’s universal organization, when did they get out of it, and when will mankind be restored to that organization?

⁴ Perfect man and woman in the Edenic garden that Jehovah God planted for their home were part of His universal organization. They were the earthly visible part of it. And since the earth is spoken of as the footstool of Jehovah who thrones in the heavens, perfect man and woman were the lowest part of his universal organization. (Isaiah 66:1) When man was driven out of the garden of Eden because of rebelliously sinning against Jehovah God, he was driven out of God’s holy universal organization. Holy cherubs from out of his invisible organization appeared at the entrance of the garden of Eden and prevented disobedient man and woman from going back in. (Genesis 3:1-24) When God’s Messianic kingdom restores an Edenlike Paradise to earth, obedient ones of all mankind will be elevated to human perfection and holiness and thereafter Jehovah God the great Organizer will make humankind once again a part of his universal organization. (Luke 23:43) Then there will be sublime harmony between heaven and earth.

5. What does God purpose to set up over all his intelligent creation, and from where are the component members of this taken?

⁵ The perfect Organizer has more in mind than just to restore the earthly visible part of his universal organization. In the Book of his recorded purposes, the Holy Bible, he informs us of his grand purpose to establish a capital organization over all his intelligent creatures. Logically, that capital organization will be in the holy heavens, next below the Most High God himself. Most remarkable of all, those whom He takes to make up this capital organization are drawn out from mankind here on God’s footstool the earth. What an exaltation for these! In the last book of the Holy Bible we have an illustration of this.

6. In David’s days, what was made the capital of Jehovah’s visible organization, and how was the capital quality thereof enhanced in David’s days?

⁶ We remember that in the days of King David, when the nation of Israel was the visible theocratic organization of Jehovah God, the city of Jerusalem was made the royal capital of this theocratic organization. (2 Samuel 5:1-10) The capital quality of the city of Jerusalem was tremendously enhanced when Jehovah’s Ark of the Covenant was transferred and lodged in a tent near King David’s palace in Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6:11-14; 7:1-3) By his spirit Jehovah throned in that sacred tent as Israel’s invisible heavenly King.

7-10. (a) The name of what city is adapted to God’s capital organization? (b) How does the apostle John show the application of that name, and how does he describe the capital organization?

⁷ Appropriately, then, the name of earthly Jerusalem is adapted to Jehovah’s capital organization. Only it becomes called a New Jerusalem, of course. The Holy Bible could not be completed without this glorious fact’s being called to our attention. In Revelation, chapter twenty-one, the application of the name is made and the organization to whom it is applied is identified. The aged Christian apostle John writes and tells us:

⁸ “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: ‘Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.’

⁹ “And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls which were full of the seven last plagues, and he spoke with me and said: ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ So he carried me away in the power of the spirit to a great and lofty mountain, and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God and having the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious stone, as a jasper stone shining crystal-clear. It had a great and lofty wall and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names were inscribed which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The wall of the city also had twelve foundation stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁰ “And I did not see a temple in it, for Jehovah God the Almighty is its temple, also the Lamb is. And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God lighted it up, and its lamp was the Lamb. And the nations will walk by means of its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates will not be closed at all by day, for night will not exist there. And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But anything not sacred and anyone that carries on a disgusting thing and a lie will in no way enter into it; only those written in the Lamb’s scroll of life will.”​—Revelation 21:1-4, 9-14, 22-27.

11. What body does that New Jerusalem picture, and what nationality do the members thereof have and on what official level?

¹¹ There is no mistaking of it. That “holy city,” New Jerusalem, pictures the clean, undefiled, holy Christian congregation. It is composed entirely of spiritual Israelites, Jews inwardly, circumcised in their hearts. True, the “twelve apostles of the Lamb” were natural, circumcised Jews or Israelites; but from the festival day of Pentecost of the year 33 C.E. onward they all became spiritual Israelites or Jews, for then Jehovah’s holy spirit was poured upon them through the Lamb Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:12 to 2:42) These spiritual Israelites are 144,000 in number (12 x 12 x 1,000), grouped into twelve tribes, as it were, the names of these twelve tribes being inscribed over the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 7:4-8) Calling attention to their official position is the fact that they are called ‘the kings of the earth.’ (Revelation 20:4, 6) They are higher than “the nations” on earth who walk by means of the light of the New Jerusalem.​—Revelation 5:10.

12, 13. (a) What in that Revelation description shows that the New Jerusalem is to be a capital organization? (b) How does one of the symbolic foundation stones identify the bride’s husband?

¹² The name New Jerusalem indicates that it would be a capital organization, resembling Jerusalem in the days of King David and of his son King Solomon. But what is there to show that the New Jerusalem of 144,000 spiritual Israelites would be the capital organization over all of Jehovah’s realm of creation? It is this: The New Jerusalem is called “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17) To this figurative Lamb, it is said: “You were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” (Revelation 5:9, 10) This once slaughtered Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Jehovah God. In agreement with that fact, one of the “twelve apostles of the Lamb” wrote to his fellow Christians and said:

¹³ “It was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were delivered from your fruitless form of conduct received by tradition from your forefathers. But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, even Christ’s.”​—1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 Corinthians 5:7.

14, 15. (a) Who is the Head of that bride-wife? (b) Because of what heirdom of the members thereof is the station of the bride-wife elevated, and what does Peter state is the station of her Husband?

¹⁴ As a husband, the Lamb Jesus Christ is the head of his bride-wife, New Jerusalem: “a husband is head of his wife.” (Ephesians 5:23) Nevertheless, the bride-wife is made up of spirit-begotten sons of God, who are not only ‘heirs of God,’ but also “joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:16-18) Such heirdom elevates the station of the bride-wife, and she shares with her husband in his glory and honor in the heavens. What, then, is the heavenly station of her “husband,” the Lamb Jesus Christ? Peter, one of the “twelve apostles of the Lamb,” says of him:

¹⁵ “Christ died once for all time concerning sins, a righteous person for unrighteous ones, that he might lead you to God, he being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit. . . . through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is at God’s right hand, for he went his way to heaven; and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him.”​—1 Peter 3:18, 21, 22.

16. How does Paul, at Philippians 2:5-11, go into greater detail as to the present station of the bride-wife’s Husband?

¹⁶ To other “joint heirs with Christ,” the apostle Paul writes in even greater detail, saying: “Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men. More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake. For this very reason also God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”​—Philippians 2:5-11.

17. (a) In what position did such elevation of God’s Son put him, and how did God create a capital “organization”? (b) As to priesthood, what relative positions do Jesus Christ and those of his bride-wife hold?

¹⁷ No creature could get any higher than to the “right hand of God,” and the “superior position” to which God exalted him was to that right-hand position. (Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 8:1, 2; 10:12, 13; 12:2) This put the Lamb Jesus Christ in the capital position over all the rest of God’s creation. Of course, the Lamb Jesus Christ is not an “organization” in himself. But since Jehovah God gives him a bride-wife, namely, the congregation of 144,000 joint heirs, the Most High God creates a capital organization over all his holy universal organization. In this capital organization that the Supreme Being establishes, Jesus Christ is His High Priest and the bride-wife class are 144,000 underpriests, “a royal priesthood.” (1 Peter 2:9) Scripturally, then, beyond all contradiction, the Most High God Jehovah now has a capital organization through which he deals with all the rest of his universal organization.

THE THIRD VISION

18, 19. (a) According to Zechariah’s previous vision, what would need to be done for Jerusalem? (b) In his third vision, what did the man with the measuring rope want to do?

¹⁸ This Scriptural understanding of Jehovah’s capital organization to which the name Jerusalem is attached will aid us in understanding the third vision that the prophet Zechariah had on that wonderful twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (Shebat) of the year 519 B.C.E. Zechariah had just had his vision about the four craftsmen whom Jehovah sent to “cast down the horns of the nations that are lifting up a horn against the land of Judah, in order to disperse her.” This dispersion therefore included Jerusalem, and for that reason she would have to be regathered in Jehovah’s fixed time, when he would “return to Jerusalem with mercies.” (Zechariah 1:14-21) So the theme of Zechariah’s third vision logically follows. Here is how this vision proceeded:

¹⁹ “And I proceeded to raise my eyes and see; and, look! there was a man, and in his hand a measuring rope. So I said: ‘Where are you going?’ In turn he said to me: ‘To measure Jerusalem, in order to see what her breadth amounts to and what her length amounts to.’”​—Zechariah 2:1, 2.

20. (a) What did his being a young man indicate about him? (b) What did Jerusalem’s walls not yet having been rebuilt allow for this young man to measure off?

²⁰ The bearer of the measuring rope proved to be a young man, and naturally he has still quite a number of things to learn or things on which to be informed. With all the verve of youth he was interested in the full restoration of Jerusalem and was eager to see how large she would become or how extensive she ought to become. Hence his measuring rope. There was at least the Jerusalem of that year 519 B.C.E. that could be measured. However, the walls of the city had not yet been rebuilt, nor would they be rebuilt for a long time to come. As long afterward as the ninth lunar month (Chislev) of the year 456 B.C.E., over sixty-three years later, it was reported in the Persian capital Shushan: “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its very gates have been burned with fire.” (Nehemiah 1:1-3) Possibly, then, the Jerusalem of 519 B.C.E. had not yet reached the limits of the former preexile city. Or, possibly, the restored city might be extended beyond those former limits. The young man with the measuring rope may have had in mind to measure off what should be the final limits of the second Jerusalem.

21. What did the one angel tell the other angel to advise the young man with the measuring rope?

²¹ Was it the proper thing for an enthusiastic young man to set the limits for the Jerusalem to which Jehovah was returning with mercies? Let us see, from what Zechariah now reports: “And, look! the angel who was speaking with me was going forth, and there was another angel going forth to meet him. Then he said to him: ‘Run, speak to the young man over there, saying, “‘As open rural country Jerusalem will be inhabited, because of the multitude of men and domestic animals in the midst of her. And I myself shall become to her,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘a wall of fire all around, and a glory is what I shall become in the midst of her.’”’”​—Zechariah 2:3-5.

22. From what took place in the days of Governor Nehemiah and also after Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 C.E., are we to understand this information to the young man to be in a literal way?

²² Was Jehovah of armies there talking about the literal earthly Jerusalem of Zechariah’s days? The later facts indicate plainly that He was not doing so. Why not? Because Jerusalem ceased to be inhabited “as open rural country.” Sixty-four years later the walls of Jerusalem were completely rebuilt under the leadership of Governor Nehemiah, in 455 B.C.E. Also, those rebuilt walls had twelve gates, as reported by Governor Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 2:3 to 6:15; 7:1) There were the Valley Gate, the Gate of the Ash-heaps and the Fountain Gate on the south; the Water Gate, the Horse Gate and the Inspection Gate on the east; the Gate of the Guard, the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate on the north; the Gate of the Old City, the Gate of Ephraim and the Corner Gate on the west. (Nehemiah 2:13, 14; 3:26, 28, 31; 12:39; 3:32, 3, 6; 2 Chronicles 25:23) That city was destroyed by the Roman legions in the year 70 C.E. (Luke 21:20-24) The third Jerusalem, which is standing in this year 1972, is also walled and has gates on all four sides. But a modern Jerusalem has been built alongside it and its population is reported to be 275,000 as a whole.

23. (a) How is it apparent that Zechariah 2:4, 5 is not fulfilled in modern-day Jerusalem? (b) Where, then, should we look for the prophecy’s fulfillment?

²³ Even though the Jerusalem of today has expanded far out beyond the old walled city even into “open rural country,” no informed observer will argue, not even the Israelis themselves, that Jehovah of armies has become to her “a wall of fire all around” and a “glory . . . in the midst of her.” For protection the Jerusalem of the Republic of Israel is trusting in the United Nations, of which it has been a member since 1949, also in the military aid supplied to the Republic of Israel by friendly nations such as the mostly Gentile United States of America. All this obliges us to look to the spiritual Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the divine prophecy of Zechariah 2:4, 5. The prophecy has to do with the remnant of the spiritual Israelites, who are yet to become part of the heavenly New Jerusalem under the Greater Governor Zerubbabel, Jesus Christ, the capital organization of Jehovah’s universal organization.

24. After World War I, who were the only ones surviving on earth who were obligated to respond to the rousing call of Isaiah 60:1-3 because of Jehovah’s glory?

²⁴ The postwar year of 1919 C.E. found a remnant of the spiritual Israelites surviving on the earth and eagerly desiring to preach “this good news of the kingdom” world wide as a witness to all the nations. (Matthew 24:14) In that faithful remnant the heavenly New Jerusalem under Christ was represented. Because of what they represented on earth, these spiritual Israelites were the ones who were obligated to respond to the rousing prophetic command: “Arise, O woman, shed forth light, for your light has come and upon you the very glory of Jehovah has shone forth. For, look! darkness itself will cover the earth, and thick gloom the national groups; but upon you Jehovah will shine forth, and upon you his own glory will be seen. And nations will certainly go to your light, and kings to the brightness of your shining forth. And to you the sons of those afflicting you must go, bowing down; and all those treating you disrespectfully must bend down at the very soles of your feet, and they will have to call you the city of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

25. To what extent would Jehovah speed up the growth of his organization?

²⁵ “And as for your people, all of them will be righteous; to time indefinite they will hold possession of the land, the sprout of my planting, the work of my hands, for me to be beautified. The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time.”​—Isaiah 60:1-3, 14, 21, 22.

26. Why was that rousing call to the representatives of the “city of Jehovah” most fitting back in 1919 C.E., and how had Jehovah glorified these?

²⁶ The call to the spiritual “city of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel,” was most fitting at the time. Back there in the year 1919 C.E. the outlook for the peoples of the earth was gloomy, dark. Today it was never darker! Back there it was the time for the representative remnant of the New Jerusalem to arise from the low, beaten-down condition to which the persecutions during World War I had brought them, and to shine, to “shed forth light.” To shine with what? To shed forth what light? The only light that the faithful remnant had was, not any worldly enlightenment of this so-called Brain Age, but the “glory of Jehovah” that had shone forth upon his devoted remnant. Glory is resplendent, magnificent, beaming with light. Jehovah had glorified them by delivering them from bondage and abject subjection to their enemies, religious, political, military. He had glorified the remnant by appointing the members of it to be the witnesses to His sovereignty and the ambassadors of His established Messianic kingdom. They must let this “glory of Jehovah” upon them be seen everywhere by acting as his witnesses and Kingdom ambassadors.

27. To whom, then, does Jehovah need to become a “wall of fire all around,” and why?

²⁷ To whom, then, is it that Jehovah needs to become a “wall of fire all around”? Not the New Jerusalem in the invisible heavens, but the remnant of the New Jerusalem as that glorified remnant goes out into this bedarkened world and acts as the witnesses of Jehovah of armies and as his Kingdom ambassadors.

28. Why is Jehovah’s “wall of fire” around his remnant more effective in this Age of Violence than stone walls as now around Old Jerusalem?

²⁸ A literal stone wall like that which surrounds Old Jerusalem in the Republic of Israel, of what protection could such a wall be in this day of nuclear weapons and missiles with nuclear warheads? The idea is ridiculous! The stone walls that were built around Jerusalem by Governor Nehemiah in 455 B.C.E. (and later) did not successfully resist the Roman legions in the year 70 C.E. In this Age of Violence, nuclear firepower must be met by fire. Jehovah of armies can meet it that way. He can be and he has promised to become a “wall of fire” all around the faithful remnant of the New Jerusalem. Who, then, can effectively assault them?

29. What protection of Elisha at Dothan do the spiritual Israelites recall, and what do they discern would result to the enemies in trying to crash through the “wall” that God is about them?

²⁹ The glorified remnant of spiritual Israelites are therefore not trusting in man-made or natural defenses. They look to Jehovah of armies to be a “wall of fire” all around them, even though it is invisible to them and to their enemies. They remember that the “horses and war chariots of fire” with which the mountains around the town of Dothan were full were invisible to the prophet Elisha’s servant and to the Syrian war forces that surrounded Dothan to capture Elisha. (2 Kings 6:13-17) They get their spiritual eyes opened to discern that God Almighty can, by invisible means, protect them and that it would mean fiery destruction for any enemy to try crashing through the “wall of fire” and attacking them. “For our God is also a consuming fire.”​—Hebrews 12:29.

30. How was the surviving remnant inclined in 1919 C.E. to limit the growth of the organization, and what was the real fact about the “harvest” of “sons of the kingdom”?

³⁰ Why do interested persons like the young man with the measuring rope think to measure off a limit on the growth of Jehovah’s capital organization? Do not fear that otherwise the “city” will get so big and extensive that it will not be possible to build an adequate protective “wall” around it! For a time back there in 1919 C.E., after World War I was all over, the surviving remnant of spiritual Israelites thought that the harvest work that Jesus predicted for the “conclusion of the system of things” was finished and that all there was for them to do henceforth on earth was a “gleaning work,” gathering up just a few leftovers or overlooked ones. (Matthew 13:39) They did not for the moment discern that the spiritual harvest was only really beginning and that there were many more of the “sons of the kingdom” to be collected into God’s capital organization, “sons” whom their preconceived ideas had not allowed for. In fact, the full number of the remnant needed to bring to the full the foreordained company of 144,000 “sons of the kingdom” was to be collected during this “conclusion of the system of things.”

31. (a) How do we estimate Jerusalem’s population in Zechariah’s day? (b) How was the young man with the measuring rope made to see that it would be improper for him to put limits on the city’s size, because of any fear about it?

³¹ Apparently, in Zechariah’s vision of 519 B.C.E., the young man with the measuring rope wanted to measure off what the length and breadth of the restored Jerusalem should grow to be. At that time the population of Jerusalem was apparently not too large. Let us remember that only 42,360 Israelites and some 7,560 servants and singers, or a total of some 49,920, had returned from exile in Babylon in 537 B.C.E. and that later, in Governor Nehemiah’s time, it was arranged to “bring in one out of every ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city.” So Jerusalem had only several thousand inhabitants in Zechariah’s day. (Ezra 2:64, 65; Nehemiah 7:66, 67; 11:1, 2) Hence when Jehovah’s angel told the young man that “as open rural country Jerusalem will be inhabited, because of the multitude of men and domestic animals in the midst of her,” he knew that it was not his business to measure off what should be Jerusalem’s length and breadth in order to put a material wall all around it. Its population was to grow according to what Jehovah had in mind for it, and He would safely protect it.

32. Although the number of partakers of the emblems at the annual Lord’s Supper increased, what was true of Jehovah’s protection?

³² In the case of the modern-day remnant of the spiritual heirs of Jehovah’s capital organization, the number of members grew as the years went on. Correspondingly, the number of dedicated, baptized Christians who attended the annual celebration of the Lord’s Supper and who partook of the emblematic bread and wine increased according to the reports sent in for the record. No matter to what extent the number of Jehovah’s remnant of spiritual Israelites increased all around the earth, Jehovah protected them as with a “wall of fire” all around them. Through all these perilous times he preserved them, even through the world’s spree of war madness during 1939-1945 C.E., yes, down till the present time.

33. What do the facts show as to whether Jehovah has become a ‘glory in the midst of her’ as represented by the anointed remnant?

³³ Also, did Jehovah fulfill to this anointed remnant of heirs of the New Jerusalem his promise: “A glory is what I shall become in the midst of her”? (Zechariah 2:5) He has indeed, for he has glorified himself by being the heavenly Protector in the midst of the persecuted, harassed, opposed remnant. Their surviving despite their being without visible protection of an earthly carnal kind reflects gloriously upon the God whom they worship and in whom they put their trust. They glory in Him and not in men; and after years of bearing witness to his name and Kingdom, they embraced the name by which they have been known world wide since July 26, 1931, namely, Jehovah’s witnesses. Through them, and not through any other religious organization on earth today, Jehovah has been made known by name all around the earth. They have conscientiously avoided bringing any reproach upon his holy name. In imitation of his Son Jesus Christ they have endeavored to live up to the rules of conduct set out in his sacred Word, the Holy Bible, obeying Him as ruler rather than men, and this course has brought glory to His name. (Acts 5:29) He is truly a glory amidst them!

THE CALL OF THE LIBERATOR

34. Who is the rallying point for lovers of pure worship to assemble, and what call to assemble has rung out since 1919 C.E.?

³⁴ Is not the glorious God, Jehovah of armies, a rallying point to which all lovers of pure worship that is undefiled by politics, militarism and commercialism should gather in unity and brotherhood? Yes! And where His glory is seen, there is the place to assemble. He issues the call to assemble, and he liberates his people from religious bondage to Babylon the Great and calls to them to assemble. Since 1919 C.E. the words of his call have rung out: “‘Hey there! Hey there! Flee, then, you people, from the land of the north,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.”​—Zechariah 2:6.

35. (a) What was called “the land of the north” in Zechariah’s day, and why so? (b) The fleeing from there foreshadowed what today?

³⁵ In the prophet Zechariah’s day the “land of the north” was Babylon, the city conquered by the Medes and Persians in the year 539 B.C.E. Babylon really lay to the east of Jerusalem, but, when sending its armies to bring about the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E., Babylon had its armies take the circuitous route and come down against Jerusalem from “the north.” (Jeremiah 1:14-16; Ezekiel 21:18-22) Also, the conquered territories under Babylon extended to the north of Jerusalem. When the Jews were carried into exile in the years 617 and 607 B.C.E., they were, so to speak, carried off to the “land of the north.” From that land they could be called to flee. This foreshadowed our modern times. During World War I the dedicated, baptized remnant of spiritual Israelites came into bondage to Babylon the Great, that is, to the world empire of false religion. From there it was that Jehovah of armies called the repentant remnant in the year of liberation, 1919 C.E. From there the remnant must flee, now that he had opened the way for them.

36. (a) How were Jehovah’s words, “In the direction of the four winds of the heavens I have spread you people abroad,” true back there? (b) How did they become true as to the modern-day remnant?

³⁶ It was quite a dispersion of the twelve tribes in Israel, Judah and Jerusalem that the “horns” of the Assyrian Empire and the Babylonian Empire had caused as agents of divine discipline for Jehovah’s chosen people. So with correctness he could go on to say, as recorded in Zechariah 2:6 (b): “‘For in the direction of the four winds of the heavens I have spread you people abroad,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.” Those Israelites who dodged the conquerors and managed to escape ahead of them fled to the various lands in different directions. In the case of the modern-day remnant of spiritual Israelites, they too were dispersed in all directions, to “the four winds of the heavens.” Not necessarily physically or in a bodily sense, for it was their God-given spiritual estate on earth from which they were dispersed.

37. How was this dispersion of the spiritual Israelites in a figurative way accomplished?

³⁷ Hence the dispersing of them was in a figurative sense. It would mean scattering them into any and every situation or set of circumstances that would keep them from acting within their rightful God-given spiritual estate on earth. This resulted in their being limited in their spiritual privileges, in doing their spiritual work. For instance, government bans on certain literature or on all literature of Jehovah’s remnant would be one way of doing it. Or, banning their religious organization. Or, putting some of the Christian spiritual Israelites in military prisons or encampments for their refusing to violate their Christian neutrality toward international conflicts of this world. Or, arresting the officers of their legal corporations and railroading these off to prison or penitentiaries on false charges trumped up because of war hysteria and religious prejudice. Methods of all kinds, in all directions, just to get the remnant of spiritual Israelites away from their God-given spiritual estate and their Christian privileges and activities on that spiritual estate.

38. Why was it fitting for Jehovah’s angel to call out to the Jewish exiles: “Make your escape, you who are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon”?

³⁸ In the calamities suffered at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the larger part of the Jewish survivors were taken into exile in Babylon and its territories, which included territories taken from the former Assyrian Empire. It was therefore quite fitting for the angel of Jehovah of armies now to cry out: “Hey there, Zion! Make your escape, you who are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon. For this is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Following after the glory he has sent me to the nations that were despoiling you people; for he that is touching you is touching my eyeball. For here I am waving my hand against them, and they will have to become spoil to their slaves.’ And you people will certainly know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me.”​—Zechariah 2:7-9.

39. In crying out, “Hey there, Zion,” to whom was Jehovah calling out to make an escape?

³⁹ Ancient Zion, which is here the same as Jerusalem, represented the whole nation, not merely the exiled former inhabitants of the capital city. Now that Babylon had been overthrown in 539 B.C.E. and Cyrus the Persian conqueror had issued his decree of liberation to the Jewish exiles, the call to Zion was really addressed to all the exiled Jews. They were dwelling as exiles “with the daughter of Babylon,” the city of Babylon being spoken of as a woman no longer an unviolated virgin daughter.

40. What is the meaning of the expression “following after the glory” in Zechariah 2:8?

⁴⁰ The expression “following after the glory” does not seem to mean being in pursuit of future glory but refers to time. Jehovah had got glory by having his word of prophecy vindicated as being true in what he had said about disciplining the Israelites.

41. In administering the discipline to Jehovah’s people, why should the nations have shown some fear, respect, toward Him?

⁴¹ It was now time for Jehovah of armies to turn his attention to the enemy nations that had been used to administer the discipline, but who had abused their assignment of work. They had gone too far and had used the occasion to vent their spleen at people who belonged to Jehovah God. They had gone too far in mistreating Zion and her people. (Zechariah 1:15, 21) They should have been more considerate in handling his people whom he delivered into their hands for disciplinary purposes. They should have shown some fear of the God of this people, some respect. He stated the reason why, in saying to his disciplined people: “For he that is touching you is touching my eyeball.”

42. (a) Jehovah’s waving of his hand was a warning of what reversal to the persecutor nations? (b) What was such a reversal for Babylon?

⁴² Accordingly, when he now waves his hand against those arrogant, presumptuous nations it is a threatening waving of the hand, like the shaking of the fist. It is no idle, meaningless gesture. It was to warn them that they the dispersers and despoilers would suffer reprisals. They would become a spoil to those who had been their slaves in Babylonian exile. What a reversal, and this from the hand of Jehovah of armies! Something of this kind of reversal happened when the Jewish exiles were freed by the conqueror Cyrus the Great to return to the location of Jerusalem and rebuild Jehovah’s temple. What a great humiliation it was for the conquered Babylon when, according to Ezra 1:7, 8, “King Cyrus himself brought forth the utensils of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out from Jerusalem and then put in the house of his god. And Cyrus the king of Persia proceeded to bring them forth under the control of Mithredath the treasurer and to number them out to Sheshbazzar the chieftain of Judah.”​—Daniel 1:1, 2; 5:3-23.

43. How was there a reversal for Babylon as in Daniel’s case?

⁴³ In the course of time and in many ways the once enslaved Israelite captives had occasion to trample Babylon under their feet, she becoming a “place of trampling, like the mire of streets.” (Micah 7:8-10) At the fall of Babylon to Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian, the prophet Daniel ceased to be a slave of Babylon and was made one of “three high officials” whom King Darius the Mede set up over the one hundred and twenty satraps that were over the whole Medo-Persian kingdom.​—Daniel 6:1-3, 28.

44. How was there a reversal as regards the Babylonian worship and the worship by Jehovah’s people?

⁴⁴ Also, because of the difference between religion of the Persian worshipers of Zoroaster and the religion of the old Babylonian cultists, the magic-practicing priests, conjurers, Chaldeans and astrologers became overshadowed religiously and finally felt obliged to move from the religious center of Babylon. It appears that they transferred westward to Pergamum in Asia Minor and then from there over to Italy. (Revelation 2:12, 13) In sharp contrast with this, the worshipers of Jehovah won favor from the conquerors of Babylon, and their priests and Levites were reinstated in the posts of service at the rebuilt temple of Jehovah on its original site in Jerusalem. Thus “Zion” escaped homeward from Babylon.

GOD’S REACTION TO TOUCHING “MY EYEBALL”

45. (a) How sensitive is Jehovah about anyone’s violently touching his people? (b) So why has he been waving his hand against the nations of today?

⁴⁵ All this vividly illustrates that it is an outrageous thing for the nations of this world to touch Jehovah’s worshipers in a violent way. It pains Jehovah God. It is like touching his eyeball, a very sensitive part of a body. Long ago, as far back as the year 1473 B.C.E., the prophet Moses pointed out how sensitive Jehovah was over his chosen people, saying: “He began to encircle him, to take care of him, to safeguard him as the pupil of his eye.” (Deuteronomy 32:10) He is just as sensitive about his Christian witnesses of today. But the nations of Christendom and of pagandom have chosen to ignore this fact in their handling of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. Is it any wonder, then, that He has been doing as he foretold, “waving my hand against them, and they will have to become spoil to their slaves”? (Zechariah 2:9) How has He been doing this?

46. How, in 1919 C.E., did Jehovah make the spoilers of his people to become a spoil to them?

⁴⁶ He has liberated his remnant of spiritual Israelites from religious bondage to Babylon the Great and restored them to their rightful God-given spiritual estate on earth. They do not bow in abject subservience to the political paramours of that international harlot, Babylon the Great, but say to worldly politicians that try to encroach upon the things belonging to Jehovah God: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) In the liberation year of 1919 C.E., they began to proclaim far and wide the adverse judgments of Jehovah God, especially against the international organization for world peace and security, namely, the League of Nations, saying that it would fail. The reason for this? Because the League of Nations was adopted and put in force in 1919 C.E. by the nations of Christendom instead of God’s Messianic kingdom, which had been born in the heavens at the close of the Gentile Times in 1914 C.E.​—Revelation 12:5.

47. How did these adverse judicial decisions of Jehovah become more pronounced during the years 1922 through 1928?

⁴⁷ These adverse judicial decisions of Jehovah of armies became more pronounced and comprehensive during the seven years of 1922 through 1928. During that period a series of annual international assemblies was held by the International Bible Students Association in America, Great Britain and Canada, in connection with which Bible commentaries were released that dealt with the divine prophecies concerning these religious and political matters. At each of these principal annual conventions of the International Bible Students resolutions or declarations were adopted, the first one of these, in 1922, being entitled “A Challenge” and the seventh and last, in 1928, being called “Declaration against Satan and for Jehovah.” These seven resolutions and the supporting public addresses, together with related Bible pronouncements, corresponded with things foretold in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, chapters 8 through 16.

48. These emissions corresponded to what in Revelation?

⁴⁸ They corresponded with the seven trumpets that were sounded by the seven angels and that introduced seven prophetic tableaux. Also with the “seven last plagues,” which are poured out from bowls by the seven appointed angels.​—Revelation 21:9; 15:1 to 16:21.

49. (a) What effect did the modern fulfillment of such things have on those concerned? (b) How long did the publication of such judgments of Jehovah continue, so that in effect he has been doing what to the nations?

⁴⁹ The modern fulfillment of those tableaux introduced by trumpets and of the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues caused a great stir, uneasiness, and rebellious resentment both in Babylon the Great (including Christendom) and in the worldly political governments. The publication of those adverse judgments of Jehovah of armies was not confined to just those seven years of 1922 through 1928, but it has continued on down till the present in greater volume and strength and on a wider scale than back there in the 1920’s. By such publication world wide of his adverse judicial decisions against religious Babylon the Great and her political patronizers Jehovah of armies is in effect shaking his fist, waving his hand menacingly at the worldly organizations, religious and political, that have been despoiling his people. He is doing so by means of His witnesses, formerly slaves of such oppressors.

50. (a) When Jehovah finally executes those judgments, what will be known about the angel who was sent? (b) By the divine execution, the vindication of what persons is brought about, even in our day?

⁵⁰ Shortly we shall see those divine judicial decisions executed upon those enemies who have pained the Most High God as if they were touching his eyeball. That will be the momentous time of which the angel spoke in Zechariah’s hearing, saying: “And you people will certainly know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me.” (Zechariah 2:9) But do we today have to wait until that time of complete fulfillment? Even now we have enough evidence at hand to prove that this angel has spoken the truth, like history written in advance. This, in turn, proves that only Jehovah of armies himself could be the One that sent this angel. In this way the prophet Zechariah is also being vindicated as being the recorder of true, infallible prophecy. And what about today? Today there is also a vindication taking place. Of whom? Of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses, who have been calling attention to Zechariah’s wonderful prophecies and to the modern fulfillment of them.

WHY NOW THE CALL TO REJOICE?

51. Why did the maliciously minded nations have reason to cry out and rejoice during World War I?

⁵¹ Once the maliciously minded nations did have reason to cry out loud and rejoice at the turn of human events. That was when Jehovah of armies let his Christian witnesses fall into their power during World War I and the nations were given the freedom to vent their spleen upon these Christian spiritual Israelites. At the time the nations were fighting over the issue of world domination, not domination by the Creator of heaven and earth, but domination by themselves, by either the democratic bloc of nations or by the autocratic, dictatorial bloc. They wanted to control the resources of the earth, exploiting these for commercial profit.

52. Why did those nations mistreat the spiritual Israelites for standing faithfully for God’s Messianic kingdom?

⁵² They were very nationalistic, with national patriotism running at fever heat. In their efforts at total mobilization of the people for their nationalistic goals, they became enraged at those who refused to be integrated with them because of standing for God’s Messianic kingdom that had been inaugurated in the heavens at the end of the Gentile Times in 1914. So, under war stress, the nations mistreated these champions of God’s kingdom. How they did rejoice at killing off the influence of these for God’s kingdom!

53. How does Revelation 11:7-10 describe the nations’ jubilation?

⁵³ The glee and self-congratulations that the beastly nations indulged in at this defeat for the advocates of God’s Messianic kingdom is foretold in Revelation, chapter eleven, which borrows figures of speech from Zechariah’s prophecy. In pictorial language Revelation 11:7-10 says: “And when they have finished their witnessing, the wild beast that ascends out of the abyss will make war with them and conquer them and kill them. And their corpses will be on the broad way of the great city which is in a spiritual sense called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also impaled. And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their corpses for three and a half days, and they do not let their corpses be laid in a tomb. And those dwelling on the earth rejoice over them and enjoy themselves, and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those dwelling on the earth.” But their jubilation proved to be short-lived.

54, 55. (a) When, however, was it that the remnant of spiritual Israelites were called upon to cry out joyfully? (b) This was the same as calling to whom to cry out, with what reason for crying out?

⁵⁴ In 1919 C.E., just as portrayed in the Revelation vision, Almighty God resurrected these unburied witnesses spiritually and reactivated them in his Kingdom service. Dismay smote the nations and their religious prostitute Babylon the Great, but now the time had come for the revived remnant of spiritual Israelites to cry out loud and rejoice. Their heavenly Reviver and Liberator called upon them to do so. Inasmuch as they represented the heavenly New Jerusalem and were in line for membership therein it was as if God was calling out to that spiritual organization. Calling that organization Zion (the alternate name for Jerusalem), he said:

⁵⁵ “‘Cry out loudly and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for here I am coming, and I will reside in the midst of you,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. ‘And many nations will certainly become joined to Jehovah in that day, and they will actually become my people; and I will reside in the midst of you.’ And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me to you. And Jehovah will certainly take possession of Judah as his portion upon the holy ground, and he must yet choose Jerusalem. Keep silence, all flesh, before Jehovah, for he has aroused himself from his holy dwelling.”​—Zechariah 2:10-13.

56. (a) How did Jehovah show whether he let go his claim to the land of Judah at its desolation? (b) How did Jehovah take possession of the land again, and what miracle did he produce then?

⁵⁶ In seeing what that prophecy meant back there in Zechariah’s day we can discern what the fulfillment of it means in this remarkable twentieth century of our Common Era. Away back there did Jehovah let go his claim on the land of Judah and allow any territory-greedy nations to take possession of it or land squatters to move in upon it? By no means! Although he had his people deported from it to Babylon, he safeguarded that land and enforced a long sabbath of rest upon it. How? By keeping it desolate, without man or domestic animal, just as he had foretold. At the end of those seventy years of sabbath keeping for the land, he again took possession of the territory of Judah by freeing his exiled people and moving them back from Babylon onto their beloved homeland. Jerusalem he again chose as the capital of Judah by having the restored exiles build a second Jerusalem upon the old location. Thus a peopled land was brought forth as with childbearing labor “in one day.” Also, “at one time” a nation was “born” by having its capital reestablished at Jerusalem exercising governmental rule over the “holy ground” of Judah. (Isaiah 66:7, 8) It was miraculous!

57. So, when did Jehovah take up residence in the land of Judah, and when and how did his residence there become more evident?

⁵⁷ As ancient Israel was a theocratic nation, under divine rule and law, Jehovah God resumed his residence at Jerusalem when it was founded again and rebuilt. This became all the more evident when the temple of his worship was brought to its completion in 515 B.C.E. and his regular worship, on a full scale, began there. That rebuilt temple would be a symbol to all the surrounding nations that Jehovah of armies had taken up residence there, that he was now dwelling in Zion, in Jerusalem. He could be approached there.

58. How would honest-hearted people of nations round about make favorable observations, and so what would they do (Zechariah 2:11)?

⁵⁸ What effect was this to have upon the pagan nations round about? Many of the people in those nations would be rightly impressed with the evidence that Jehovah of armies was the God of truth; that he had displayed his perfect foreknowledge and his all-power by fulfilling the prophecies given over his own name. As he had resurrected his people of Israel from a national death and raised it out of its grave in Babylon and restored them to the land of the living in their own homeland, these observers with honest hearts saw that He was the one living and true God, the only One deserving to be worshiped. Sincerely they would desire to worship him and, if possible for them, they would come to his place of residence in Zion (Jerusalem) to do so. Zechariah 2:11 was not to be left unrealized: “And many nations will certainly become joined to Jehovah in that day, and they will actually become my people.” That indicated an increase of the worshipers of Jehovah world wide, and not just on the “holy ground” of Judah.

59, 60. (a) How did the like take place in connection with the remnant who were in line for a place in the New Jerusalem and who were like buried in Babylon the Great’s domain? (b) How has Jehovah shown that he has taken up residence with the remnant?

⁵⁹ Has not the like of this also become true in the case of the modern-day remnant of spiritual Israelites? Do they not have every reason to “cry out loudly and rejoice,” as the “daughter of Zion” was told to do in ancient times, in Zechariah’s day? Yes! This remnant of spiritual Israelites is like a bride, ‘promised in marriage to one husband so as to be presented as a chaste virgin to the Christ,’ and it is therefore in line for a part in the heavenly New Jerusalem. That New Jerusalem with Jesus Christ as its Head is the capital organization of Jehovah God over all his universal organization. (2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2, 9, 10) During World War I the remnant’s unity as a “holy nation” was broken up, they were exiled from their God-given spiritual estate and were as if buried in a grave in Babylon the Great’s domain. After that first world conflict was over and its pressures were lifted, the amazing fulfillment of what was depicted prophetically in Revelation 11:11-13 startled the world!

⁶⁰ Jehovah revived the buried remnant spiritually, brought them up out of their grave in Babylon the Great, restored them to their rightful spiritual estate on earth, and reintegrated them as his united “holy nation.” He had again chosen this faithful remnant that was looking upward to citizenship in the New Jerusalem under Christ. (Philippians 3:20, 21) Jehovah turned his favorable attention to them, and he energized them with that mighty active force, his holy spirit, to undertake a worldwide witness to his Messianic kingdom, the like of which has never been realized before in all Christian history. (Mark 13:10; Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) They did not join the nations of Christendom in worshiping the idolatrous League of Nations as “the last hope of the world,” but fervently devoted themselves to the worship of the “God of hope” at his spiritual temple. (Revelation 13:14, 15; 14:9) They made known the name of their God, Jehovah, to an extent never before equaled. (Isaiah 12:4, 5) By all outward tokens, he had taken up his residence with them.

61. How has it become true, therefore, that “many nations will certainly become joined to Jehovah in that day”?

⁶¹ Can we see today that this had its effects upon the peoples of the world? The nations as political entities had their fears aroused. But among those nations there were sincere, honest-hearted individuals who were hungering and thirsting for a pure, true, sensible religion that really brought a person into touch with the true God, worthy of worship. As the faithful remnant of spiritual Israelites carried the preaching of “this good news of the kingdom” into more and more of the inhabited earth, more and more of these seekers for the true God were reached. They learned that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Messiah of Jehovah God and they took the steps of dedication to God and water baptism in order to become disciples of His Messiah. (Matthew 28:19, 20) It turned out to be just as foretold, “many nations will certainly become joined to Jehovah in that day.” (Zechariah 2:11) No nationalities or races were barred from doing so.

62. To what extent has this become true since 1935 C.E., and how have they become Jehovah’s “people”?

⁶² This markedly became true from 1935 C.E. onward, four years after the anointed remnant had embraced the designation, Jehovah’s witnesses. World War II did not stop these genuine seekers of the true God from becoming “joined to Jehovah” as disciples of His Messiah. In comparison with how many they were back there in 1935, yes, and in comparison with the anointed remnant, these thus “joined to Jehovah” have become a “great crowd” without a fixed number set for them in the Bible. (Revelation 7:9-17) And as Jehovah said, “they will actually become my people.” They do not profess to be of the anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites. This is because God has not begotten them with his holy spirit to become his spiritual sons, even though he has accepted their joining of themselves, their dedicating of themselves, to Him through His High Priest, Jesus Christ. It is the merit of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice that makes them acceptable to Jehovah God. Thus these dedicated, baptized ones He counts as “my people,” attached to Him. So these, as “other sheep,” become “one flock” with the anointed remnant under the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ.​—John 10:16.

63. As such “sheep,” how have they become “joined to Jehovah”?

⁶³ These “other sheep” have heard the voice of the Fine Shepherd and have responded to his call and come forth from “many nations.” They join with the anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites in the worship of the true God at his spiritual temple. (Revelation 7:15) In such a way they become “joined to Jehovah.”

64. (a) What hope has been set before them, and why? (b) How has Jehovah, because of them, filled his house with glory (Haggai 2:7)?

⁶⁴ Since Jehovah has not begotten these “other sheep” with his spirit to become part of the heavenly New Jerusalem, he sets before them the hope of eternal life on His “footstool,” that is, this earth, but then transformed to a beauteous Paradise. (Genesis 2:8; Luke 23:43) Jehovah God has rocked all the nations by the way that he has dealt with human affairs since 1914 C.E., and thereby these “other sheep” have become aware of His Messianic kingdom. In appreciation of His kingdom they have come into his house of worship, and He receives them as desirable worshipers. In fact, they are the “desirable things of all the nations” that were foretold to “come in,” and by means of them at his place of pure worship Jehovah fills his house or temple with glory.​—Haggai 2:7.

65. The evidence today shows what as to the sender of the ones by whom we got the third vision of Zechariah, and this strengthens our conviction as to what further?

⁶⁵ Today, nearly forty years since that memorable year of 1935 C.E., which called our attention to the “great crowd” of Revelation 7:9-17 in a right understanding thereof, we see the things foretold in the third vision to Zechariah being grandly realized. Already, therefore, we have enough evidence to know that it was the God of truth, Jehovah, and not some false prophetic source, that sent the angel to Zechariah and his people. This same Jehovah also sent Zechariah as a prophet to record the vision for us today. This strengthens our conviction that all further visions to Zechariah will come true.

66. What are we rightly commanded to do now, and in order to do what has Jehovah “aroused himself from his holy dwelling”?

⁶⁶ Should we not, then, keep silent so as to hear what Jehovah has to say? Indeed so! Highly appropriate, therefore, is the inspired command with which the third vision to Zechariah closes: “Keep silence, all flesh, before Jehovah, for he has aroused himself from his holy dwelling.” (Zechariah 2:13) He has aroused himself from his holy dwelling in the heavens to fulfill his Word.

[Map on page 156]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

JERUSALEM IN THE DAYS OF THE RETURN

Tower of Hananel

FISH GATE

Tower of Meah

SHEEP GATE

GATE OF THE GUARD

Temple Area

Tyropean (Central) Valley

INSPECTION GATE

Public Square

CORNER GATE

Broad Wall

GATE OF EPHRAIM

Tower of the Bake Ovens

GATE OF THE OLD CITY

OPHEL

HORSE GATE

Public Square

Spring of Gihon

WATER GATE

CITY OF DAVID

VALLEY GATE

FOUNTAIN GATE

King’s Garden

GATE OF THE ASH-HEAPS

Valley of Hinnom

Torrent Valley of Kidron

En-rogel

Chapter 10

Satan’s Failure in Resisting the High Priest

1. Religiously, the whole world of mankind needs what today, and why just that?

THROUGHOUT the earth today there are to be found high priests of various religious cults. The mightiest of such priestly chiefs is the Pontifex Maximus, the Supreme Pontiff, located at Vatican City. But what the whole world of mankind needs is just one high priest. Why so? Because there is just the one living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Sovereign of all the universe. He needs just one high priest to represent him to the people and to deal with Him for the people. This comports with the fact that there is just the one true religion, just the one pure worship of Him “with spirit and truth.”​—John 4:24.

2. What one high priesthood did Jehovah recognize down to Nisan 16 of 33 C.E., when what one spiritual high priest appeared?

² For more than fifteen centuries, from 1512 B.C.E. to 33 C.E., there was just one high priesthood that this living and true God recognized. That high priesthood was established in the line of Aaron the brother of Moses the prophet, of the tribe of Levi. Aaron was installed in office on the first day of the lunar month of Nisan in the year 1512 B.C.E. During the centuries that followed there was a succession of high priests from among the descendants of Aaron, down till Sunday, Nisan 16, in the year 33 C.E. That was the resurrection day of the Lord Jesus Christ from a sacrificial death. On the fortieth day from then he ascended as a spiritual High Priest to enter into the heavenly Most Holy and there presented the precious value of his perfect human sacrifice to the one living and true God, Jehovah.

3. Since then, why has Jehovah been able to deal with just one high priest?

³ From that time on till now Jehovah God has been dealing with just one High Priest​—not a high priest of the family of Aaron the Levite, but the one never-dying High Priest, Jesus Christ. To him it was said prophetically: “You are a priest forever according to the manner of Melchizedek.”​—Hebrews 5:5, 6, 10; 6:19, 20; 7:15-17.

4. (a) Also, by what other high priest, on the annual Day of Atonement, was Jesus Christ typed? (b) Hence, by whom was he typified in the fourth vision of Zechariah?

⁴ However, Jesus Christ, as a sacrificing spiritual high priest, was also prefigured or typified by the Aaronic high priest of the ancient nation of Israel. Just as the high priest of Israel on the annual Day of Atonement entered with sacrificial blood into the Most Holy of the temple at Jerusalem, Jesus similarly entered with the value of his own sacrificial blood into the true Most Holy, heaven itself, of the spiritual temple of Jehovah God. Consequently, Jesus Christ was prefigured by the Israelite high priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak, who returned from exile in Babylon in the year 537 B.C.E. to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the temple of Jehovah there. (Haggai 1:1) From this standpoint it is intriguing for us to consider the fourth vision of the prophet Zechariah, in which this high priest Joshua is the principal figure. As if looking into a courtroom Zechariah writes:

5. What did Jehovah’s angel say to the one at Joshua’s side?

⁵ “And he proceeded to show me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand in order to resist him. Then the angel of Jehovah said to Satan: ‘Jehovah rebuke you, O Satan, yes, Jehovah rebuke you, he who is choosing Jerusalem! Is this one not a log snatched out of the fire?’”​—Zechariah 3:1, 2.

6. (a) Who was that Satan? (b) Why was he resisting Joshua?

⁶ The Satan who is pictured here was no mere ecclesiastical “devil’s advocate” who was acting as a prosecuting attorney for Jehovah. He was the same Satan that appeared at the meeting of the angelic sons of God in heaven in the seventeenth century before our Common Era and wrongly accused the patriarch Job before the face of Jehovah God. (Job 1:6 to 2:7) But why, in that vision to Zechariah in the year 519 B.C.E. was Satan the Devil trying to resist the high priest Joshua before the angel of Jehovah? Because on the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month of Chislev of the preceding year High Priest Joshua had taken a decisive step for the worship of God. He and Governor Zerubbabel and the faithful remnant of Israel began working at the foundation of the second temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem. (Haggai 2:18, 19) High Priest Joshua was thus working for his reinstallation in the full service of Jehovah at a completed second temple. Such taking up of his duties at a completed temple would put Joshua in a new light.

7. (a) What was Satan trying to prevent in Joshua’s case? (b) Satan was trying to counteract whose prophesying, and how?

⁷ Satan the Devil, who fights the true religion, was out to resist High Priest Joshua on this score, so as to downgrade him and keep him out of his full service to Jehovah in behalf of the nation of Israel. That would keep Joshua in poor appearance because of a major deficiency in his service to God. To that end Satan would try to counteract the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah and rouse up overwhelming opposition on the part of the enemies of Israel against the rebuilding of the temple. In that way he could charge High Priest Joshua with failure to discharge his full high-priestly duties, and this would result in reproach upon Jehovah.

8. (a) Why did the angelic judge say that it should be Jehovah who should rebuke Satan? (b) How had Jehovah already chosen Jerusalem?

⁸ Satan, however, was too late in his malicious attempt. Before he could give force to his resistance and launch his wicked charges against High Priest Joshua, the angel who was acting as a judge for Jehovah said to Satan: “Jehovah rebuke you, he who is choosing Jerusalem!” The Most High God was the One high enough to rebuke Satan, and not some subordinate angel who was merely representing Jehovah. Thus the angel was giving due regard to Jehovah’s position. (Jude 8-10) Furthermore, Jehovah had already begun action to the magnifying of his own holy name. He was already choosing Jerusalem as the city for his temple. Satan could not alter this divine choice nor make it an unrealizable choice. He was the one to be frustrated, rebuked by beholding the temple completely rebuilt in the year 515 B.C.E. This rebuke would be from Jehovah, for he had successfully accomplished this!

9. (a) What did the “log snatched out of the fire” symbolize? (b) What now showed that it had been snatched out of the fire, and how?

⁹ Why, though, did the angelic judge of Jehovah add the question: “Is this one not a log snatched out of the fire?” Because, after a rescue from the fire not too much was to be expected instantly of a symbolic “log.” “This one” who was pictured by the log snatched out of the fire was the high priest Joshua. But, due to his office, Joshua represented the whole nation of Israel for whom he served as high priest before God. Joshua was not the only one who had come back from exile in Babylon, where Satan the Devil had tried to burn to ashes their identity as Jehovah’s chosen nation. More than 42,000 other Israelites had also come back, along with thousands of servants and singers. So the whole number of the remnant were, all together, like a “log snatched out of the fire.” It was Jehovah’s mercy and faithfulness to his promises that snatched them out of the symbolic Babylonish “fire” and restored their nationhood on the “holy ground.” Since this was so, He was patient toward their long delay in rebuilding His temple, but He stuck to his purpose to have a temple there at Jerusalem for which purpose he chose her. Hence Satan should not be too hasty with his charges.

10. What was now done to Joshua to remove any possible grounds for Satan to lay charges against him?

¹⁰ Satan’s resistance to High Priest Joshua was blocked. So what is done with Joshua to clear him of anything about him that Satan might have used as a ground for bringing charges against him? Zechariah describes it for us, saying: “Now as for Joshua, he happened to be clothed in befouled garments and standing before the angel. Then he answered and said to those standing before him: ‘Remove the befouled garments from upon him.’ And he went on to say to him: ‘See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing of you with robes of state.’”​—Zechariah 3:3, 4.

HOW A CHANGE OF GARMENTS WAS NECESSARY

11. How could it be that Joshua in befouled garments pictured the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ?

¹¹ Here a question arises: Since Joshua the high priest was pictured as clothed with befouled garments, how could he typify or prefigure Jesus Christ as the heavenly High Priest? Does not Hebrews 7:26, 27 say to true Christians today: “Such a high priest as this was suitable for us, loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners, and become higher than the heavens. He does not need daily, as those high priests do, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for those of the people: (for this he did once for all time when he offered himself up)”? Yes, this is true. Yet it is with the High Priest Jesus Christ as with the ancient High Priest Joshua. The high priest represents the people for whom he serves in this high office, and their condition reflects upon him. He bears the iniquities of his people.

12. What had long ago been said to Aaron’s two surviving sons and to Aaron himself to indicate that the priests bore the people’s error?

¹² That the priesthood bore the error of the people, the prophet Moses indicated, when he said to the two surviving sons of Aaron for a failure on their part: “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the place that is holy, since it is something most holy and he has given it to you that you may answer for the error of the assembly so as to make atonement for them before Jehovah?” (Leviticus 10:16, 17) The sanctuary or temple was holy, and if the people touched it this would be committing an error on their part; and so the sanctified priests had to serve at the sanctuary for the people in order to prevent the committing of such an error. To this effect we read, in Numbers 18:1: “And Jehovah proceeded to say to Aaron: ‘You and your sons and the house of your father with you will answer for error against the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will answer for error against your priesthood.’” So the priests acted as shields against error by the people.

13. How had Haggai pointed out the uncleanness of the nation of Israel, in his dialogue with the priests, and why was it unclean?

¹³ Now as regards the sanctuary or temple in Jerusalem at the time that Haggai and Zechariah had begun to prophesy, its foundation had lain neglected without a superstructure’s being built upon it for sixteen years. This was due to forcible opposition by surrounding enemies. During that period the repatriated Israelites had lapsed into indifference and had turned to materialism. Hence, in a dialogue with the priests, when Haggai asked what would happen when someone ceremonially unclean touched a part of a sacrifice, they answered: “It will become unclean.” At once Haggai came back with this statement: “‘That is how this people is, and that is how this nation is before me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and that is how all the work of their hands is, and whatever they present there. It is unclean.’”​—Haggai 2:13, 14.

14. So why did Joshua appear as if clothed with befouled garments?

¹⁴ Since High Priest Joshua represented the nation of Israel before Jehovah, this unclean condition of the people was also attributed to him. As a consequence, it was as if he were clothed with befouled garments. He was trying to officiate without a temple, and for that reason it did not look right. He could not serve with the full dignity and grandeur as in a temple. In leveling charges against High Priest Joshua, Satan the Devil would be leveling charges against the entire negligent, unclean nation.

15, 16. (a) Did the spiritual condition of the surviving remnant of spiritual Israelites in 1919 C.E. reflect favorably or unfavorably on the appearance of High Priest Jesus Christ in heaven, and why? (b) What did the remnant’s outcry like that of Isaiah at the temple indicate?

¹⁵ Similarly with the antitypical High Priest, who was prefigured by High Priest Joshua in that year 519 B.C.E. The High Priest Jesus Christ was reflected upon by the spiritual condition of the remnant of the spiritual Israelites on earth as these entered into the postwar year of 1919 C.E. Because of impediments due to war restrictions, opposition and persecution, the remnant had come short in many respects with regard to the open, courageous worship of Jehovah at his spiritual temple. They had yielded to bondage to Babylon the Great and her political and military paramours. They were in a spiritual state like that of the ancient remnant of Israel that had been repatriated. Like Isaiah, when he had his vision of Jehovah at his holy temple, they could say:

¹⁶ “Woe to me! For I am as good as brought to silence, because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!”​—Isaiah 6:5.

17. Judged by the remnant’s appearance, how did their High Priest appear, and so was this the proper condition for the remnant to be in then?

¹⁷ If one judged the appearance of their High Priest by the spiritual appearance of the surviving remnant, their High Priest Jesus Christ would appear to be “clothed in befouled garments.” This was an improper appearance to be attributed to him. The spiritually befouled condition was an improper situation in which the remnant was representing their High Priest, and it reflected badly upon the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ.

18. In the vision, what was done to remedy the situation?

¹⁸ Such a state of affairs deserved to be remedied​—promptly. Jehovah’s judicial angel saw to that: “Remove the befouled garments from upon him.” Then he said to Joshua: “See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing of you with robes of state.”​—Zechariah 3:4.

19. What did Joshua the high priest have to do himself in order to experience a change of garments before God?

¹⁹ How did this occur with High Priest Joshua? By getting the restored nation of Israel whom he represented in holy office out of their unclean state before Jehovah. This would be by getting the restored remnant to work again upon the temple of Jehovah and completing it, letting everything else be put in a secondary place, in the background. The cleansing of the people in this vital regard would result in a cleansed appearance of their high priest. It would be as if he had had a change of garments. He was meant to be clothed with “robes of state.” He was meant to have a temple in which to serve clothed in those “robes of state.” The completing of the temple and the inaugurating of it would call for him to don those “robes of state” and present a glorious appearance to the praise of Jehovah. High Priest Joshua as the national religious representative took the lead with Governor Zerubbabel in getting the temple rebuilding started again, and for this reason he deserved a change of garments for the better. In that way his religious appearance would not reflect reproachfully on God.

20. How was the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ given a bad appearance because of the remnant’s appearance after World War I?

²⁰ The same was true of the one whom High Priest Joshua prefigured, namely, the heavenly High Priest Jesus Christ. The remnant of his spirit-begotten, anointed disciples came out of World War I in an “unclean” spiritual condition. They were spiritual Israelites, yes, spiritual underpriests of Jehovah under his High Priest Jesus Christ. Their spiritual garments were befouled by their deportment and deficiencies during World War I. This reflected badly upon their High Priest in the heavens and hence misrepresented him. Since he bears or answers for the iniquity or error of the nation of spiritual Israelites, it was as if he himself were clothed with befouled religious garments.

21. Therefore, what did the surviving remnant need to do as the postwar period opened up?

²¹ What was needed, then, was for the remnant of spiritual underpriests to repent and return to Jehovah and be forgiven by Him through Christ. This is what actually happened at the beginning of the postwar period. They showed their return or conversion to Jehovah by searching the Holy Scriptures diligently to determine God’s will and work for the postwar period and then applying themselves whole-souled to these things of first importance.

22. To what then did the forgiven remnant apply themselves, and who was taking the lead in promoting these efforts?

²² Thus the repentant, converted remnant of spiritual underpriests applied themselves whole-souled to Jehovah’s worship at his temple and endeavored to purify that worship from any and all Babylonish pollution. Their efforts at rebuilding the pure, undefiled worship “from the standpoint of our God and Father” corresponded with the renewed work of the repatriated Israelites in rebuilding Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem. (James 1:27) It was the invisible, heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, who was taking the lead in this reviving of the remnant of his underpriests in Jehovah’s worship and service. So, when Jehovah mercifully forgave them and cleansed them, this gave them a clean appearance before Him.

23. How was the heavenly High Priest thus relieved of his figurative “befouled garments”?

²³ Even the false accusers under Satan the Devil began to see the difference in the doctrines, the message and the public activity of the remnant of Christ’s underpriests. This served to cast due credit upon their heavenly Chief Priest, Jesus Christ. He no longer had to bear or answer for such error on the part of his underpriests. The “befouled garments” that were indirectly attributed to him were taken from upon him, and he was given a change of garments. Bring forth “robes of state” for him!

24. What did Zechariah ask to be put on Joshua’s head, and what did Jehovah then say with regard to Joshua’s privileges?

²⁴ Who would not want to see the high priest of the one living and true God adorned with an official headgear? The prophet Zechariah wanted such a thing. Either in his mind he thought of such a thing or he even spoke out impulsively for such a thing! He tells us: “At that I said: ‘Let them put a clean turban upon his head.’ And they proceeded to put the clean turban upon his head and to clothe him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by. And the angel of Jehovah began to bear witness to Joshua, saying: ‘This is what Jehovah of armies has said, “If it is in my ways that you will walk, and if it is my obligation that you will keep, then also it will be you that will judge my house and also keep my courtyards; and I shall certainly give you free access among these who are standing by.”’”​—Zechariah 3:5-7.

25. Why would Joshua the high priest be glad when Zechariah revealed this part of the vision to him?

²⁵ How glad the high priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak must have been when the prophet Zechariah disclosed to him this part of the prophetic vision! Joshua could then realize that he had now an acceptable appearance before God and was no cause for reproach upon Him. Satan’s malicious effort to find continued cause for shaming the high priest of Jehovah had failed!

26, 27. What obligations to Jehovah would Joshua conscientiously keep, in order to enjoy what privileges?

²⁶ Joshua surely must have desired to judge Jehovah’s “house” of Israel according to divine law and to keep the courtyards of God’s temple.

²⁷ Hence Joshua would take to heart the admonitory witness from the angel and walk obediently in Jehovah’s way and conscientiously keep his obligation to Jehovah, so as to prove worthy of the privileges mentioned.

28. Who were those standing by in the vision among whom Joshua was to have free access, and how was this to be?

²⁸ Besides that, Joshua would be given “free access among these who are standing by.” It was the heavenly angels who were standing by in the vision; and just as they had access to God in heaven, so Joshua as high priest could approach God directly as an intermediary for the house of Israel. He would also be honored with the privilege of entering into the Most Holy of the completed temple of Jerusalem on the annual Day of Atonement.

29. In the postwar period, what does the heavenly High Priest do about walking in Jehovah’s way, keeping His obligation, judging His house and keeping His courtyards?

²⁹ Jesus Christ is, of course, the ideal High Priest for all the world of mankind. The royal priestly turban is placed upon his head as a “high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever.” (Hebrews 6:20; Psalm 110:1-4; 21:1-5) He has always walked in God’s way and kept his obligation to God. But after the experiences of his dedicated, baptized disciples on earth during World War I, he sees to it that the remnant of his underpriests learn more clearly God’s way in order to walk in it, and he helps them to discern more fully their holy obligation to Jehovah God, so as to keep it completely. His glorious priestly garments are pictured in the Revelation that he gave to the apostle John, in which the glorified Lord Jesus is seen walking among the seven golden lampstands. (Revelation 1:12 to 2:1) He faithfully judges the house of spiritual Israel according to the law of the new covenant. He guides them in the earthly courtyards of Jehovah’s spiritual temple, assigning to them their spiritual duties there.

30. How does the heavenly High Priest have “free access among these who are standing by,” and from when on and to what extent?

³⁰ The earthly high priest, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, began entering the Most Holy of the temple of Jerusalem in the year 515 B.C.E. (Ezra 6:15); but the spiritual High Priest, the Greater Joshua, entered into the antitypical, real Most Holy, heaven itself, in the year 33 C.E. He ascended to heaven and presented the merit of his human sacrifice in the very presence of Jehovah of armies. He now being made “better than the angels” and having “inherited a name more excellent than theirs,” he also can have “free access among these who are standing by,” that is, among the angels of heaven. He, above all others, can approach God directly and intercede in behalf of Jehovah’s worshipers on earth. As Jehovah prophetically said of him: “I will cause him to come near, and he must approach to me.”​—Jeremiah 30:21.

THE “SPROUT” AND “THE STONE”

31. To Joshua now in his robes of state, what does the judicial angel say about “Sprout” and “the stone”?

³¹ In the vision to Zechariah, the judicial angel of Jehovah continued to speak to the high priest in his robes of state: “‘Hear, please, O Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who are sitting before you, for they are men serving as portents; for here I am bringing in my servant Sprout [New Growth, By]. For, look! the stone that I have put before Joshua! Upon the one stone there are seven eyes. Here I am engraving its engraving,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will take away the error of that land in one day.’”​—Zechariah 3:8, 9.

32. How did Joshua and his “companions” serve as portents?

³² The message of this part of the vision, the prophet Zechariah had to make known, not only to the high priest Joshua, but also to his “companions” who were sitting before him, that is to say, the underpriests. Why? Because these were “men serving as portents.” In this case they would not portend anything bad, but, in view of the divine announcement that they are about to hear, they would portend something good, especially good. They would have to bear witness to what they were told through the judicial angel of Jehovah, and on that account they would portend the coming of a greater priesthood in the not too distant future, a priesthood of higher rank than theirs at the temple in Jerusalem. It would be a Messianic priesthood, and their high priest would be the Messiah himself. In harmony with that portentous significance that they as underpriests of the second temple of Jerusalem had taken on, their present high priest, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, was a portent of the Messianic High Priest. He was a type of that one!

33, 34. (a) So, as portended, there was a need of what then? (b) Was this needed High Priest provided according to a legal commandment or according to something extraordinary on God’s part?

³³ There was need for a better priesthood, particularly a better high priest, one like ancient Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:18-20) In explanation of that fact it was later written, in Hebrews 7:15-22, to Hebrews who had accepted the promised Messiah:

³⁴ “And it is still more abundantly clear that with a similarity to Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has become such, not according to the law of a commandment depending upon the flesh, but according to the power of an indestructible life, for in witness it is said: ‘You are a priest forever according to the manner of Melchizedek.’ Certainly, then, there occurs a setting aside of the preceding commandment on account of its weakness and ineffectiveness. For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in besides of a better hope did, through which we are drawing near to God. Also, to the extent that it was not without a sworn oath, (for there are indeed men that have become priests without a sworn oath, but there is one with an oath sworn by the One who said respecting him: ‘Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret), “You are a priest forever,”’) to that extent also Jesus has become the one given in pledge of a better covenant.”

35. How was the greater High Priest a “sprout” rather than a “branch,” and from what was he foretold by Jeremiah to sprout?

³⁵ The underpriests who were companions of High Priest Joshua and who sat before him to receive instructions from him had to be “men serving as portents” of something better, forasmuch as Jehovah by his judicial angel went on to say: “For here I am bringing in my servant Sprout!” (Zechariah 3:8) “My servant,” Jehovah’s servant, was not to be a branch of the priesthood of Aaron’s family. As far as priesthood was concerned, he was shooting up out of entirely different soil, from a different root. Jeremiah 23:5, 6 indicates of whom the Messianic High Priest would be the sprout, saying: “‘Look! There are days coming,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and I will raise up to David a righteous sprout [a new growth of David coming right, By]. And a king will certainly reign and act with discretion and execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel itself will reside in security. And this is his name with which he will be called, Jehovah Is Our Righteousness.’” God brought in this Sprout in the year 33 C.E.

36, 37. (a) Jehovah’s putting the “stone” before Joshua the high priest was a guarantee of what? (b) Whom did that “stone” picture, and how did Jesus apply Psalm 118:22, 23 in that connection?

³⁶ What, now, about that “stone” that God would put before High Priest Joshua? In a literal way, it would be the stone with which the temple then under construction would be given its finishing touch and be made complete. The foundation of that second temple had already been laid, and so this “stone” would serve as a headstone. So Jehovah’s putting this stone before Joshua was a sign guaranteeing that the temple would be completed, despite any resistance on Satan’s part. That stone, too, was symbolic of the Messiah, the Anointed One. Picturing the Messiah as a stone, Psalm 118:22, 23 (By) said: “A stone that the builders had rejected has become the head of a corner. This was from Jehovah, it is a wonder to our eyes.” In the year 33 C.E., Jesus, when speaking to the Jews who rejected him as the promised Messiah, applied this scripture to himself and said to them:

³⁷ “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected is the one that has become the chief cornerstone. From Jehovah this has come to be, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? This is why I say to you, The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.”​—Matthew 21:42, 43. See also 1 Peter 2:4-9.

38. What is signified by the fact that on that one “stone” there are seven eyes?

³⁸ This symbolic “stone” was to be given full divine attention. As confirmation of this the high priest Joshua and his companion priests were to be told, “Upon the one stone there are seven eyes.” (Zechariah 3:9) Not that seven eyes were to be carved upon that stone, to give the idea that those beholding the stone were being looked at in a sevenfold way. With the eyes we fix our attention upon something. Also, as the number seven Scripturally symbolized perfection, the seven eyes upon that one stone mean to say that Jehovah fixes his perfect attention upon that symbolic Stone, his promised Messiah. Others might overlook that symbolic Stone. Or, they might ignore it, reject it, but not so Jehovah. Because of such full attention from Him, it must be something most precious to Him.

39. In what way is it that Jehovah engraves the engraving of that symbolic Stone?

³⁹ Consequently, in showing the complete attention that He gives to this symbolic Stone and its outstanding position and appearance, Jehovah goes on to say: “Here I am engraving its engraving.” In glorious fulfillment of this promise, Jehovah the heavenly Engraver gave the symbolic Stone, his beloved Son Jesus Christ, distinguishing marks of beauty such as he conferred upon no one else. Consequently, Hebrews 1:1-3 speaks of the outstanding Son of God as being the one who is the “exact representation [Greek, kharaktér, meaning ‘impress’] of his very being,” that is, of God’s being. As the symbolic engraved headstone, the Messianic High Priest, Jesus Christ, is given the highest and most responsible position of service in Jehovah’s spiritual temple of worship. This betokened something most beneficial for all mankind.

40. What was the “error of that land,” and how was it to be taken away by Jehovah?

⁴⁰ With the topstone in place and the temple all completed for the full-scale worship of the one living and true God, what could we expect logically to follow? Blessings, blessings, blessings! Nothing would now be in the way of such blessings, for, as Jehovah went on to say, “I will take away the error of that land in one day.” (Zechariah 3:9) Because of the long interruption that the repatriated Israelites had allowed to take place in the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, the whole land of Judah was lying in “error.” Its inhabitants were looked upon as unclean and the work of their hands in materialistic things was unclean. (Haggai 2:13, 14) But now, come 515 B.C.E., with the triumphant completion of the second temple at Jerusalem the erroneous course of the land of Judah was entirely corrected. So Jehovah was pleased, and he took away the error of inhabitants of the land in the special “one day,” the day when the temple stood complete, with its engraved headstone, and pure worship was inaugurated therein.

41. What stimulus should this give to us today with reference to God’s worship?

⁴¹ What a stimulus this should give to us today to put the worship of the true God at his spiritual temple in the first place in our lives! We should not let ourselves be delayed in doing this. We should not let interruptions take place in this effort.

42. Since 1919 C.E., in what way have the remnant of spiritual underpriests been “men serving as portents”?

⁴² The faithful remnant of spiritual underpriests of the Messiah know what blessings have come to them for doing this more and more determinedly during the now more than fifty years since that restoration year of 1919 C.E. They have come to appreciate more and more deeply that, like the underpriest companions of High Priest Joshua, they are “men serving as portents” for this “time of the end” of this worldly system of things. They portend the best of good things for all those who devote themselves to the pure, undefiled worship of the one living and true God.

43. What are the reactions of the remnant toward the one whom Jehovah calls “my servant Sprout” and the “one stone”?

⁴³ They are not deceived by any false Messiahs or false Messianic organizations of today. They have identified the one whom Jehovah calls “my servant Sprout.” He is the one whom Jehovah of armies installed in the Messianic throne in the heavens at the close of the Gentile Times in 1914 C.E. and who has now begun his Messianic reign, namely, Jesus Christ. They have identified also the one symbolized by the stone that was laid before High Priest Joshua and upon which stone there were “seven eyes.” They admire how Jehovah has engraved this symbolic Stone with a beauty that befits the high position given to that Stone, and they rejoice that this one has been made the symbolic headstone or topstone, the highest and most responsible one in Jehovah’s system of worship. They are happy to be underpriests under that symbolic engraved Stone, Jesus Christ. They see from the Holy Scriptures that as “men serving as portents” they are under divine command to serve as witnesses to this exalted Stone, Jehovah’s one High Priest, Jesus.

SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY LEADING TO ENDLESS LIFE

44. After Jehovah’s taking away the “error of that land,” what was to be expected, according to Zechariah 3:10?

⁴⁴ What was to be expected after Jehovah fulfilled his promise given through Zechariah: “I will take away the error of that land in one day”? Nothing else but divine favor, expressed in material and spiritual blessings for the Israelites worshiping at their completed second temple in Jerusalem. Most appropriately, then, that promise was followed up by this divine prophecy: “‘In that day,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘you will call, each one to the other, while under the vine and while under the fig tree.’”​—Zechariah 3:10.

45. What does that prophecy of Zechariah 3:10 mean for worshipers at the temple where Jesus Christ serves as High Priest?

⁴⁵ In this day when all false religions are crumbling and are about to be destroyed in the world’s worst trouble, that prophecy meant spiritual prosperity to sincere God-fearing persons who give themselves wholeheartedly to divine worship at the one true spiritual temple where Jehovah’s one approved High Priest serves. It means the fulfillment of the companion prophecy of Micah 4:1-4 (By):

And in the future days the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be set at the head of the mountains, lifted above hills, and peoples shall stream to it. And many nations shall go and say “Come and let us go up to Jehovah’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, to have him instruct us in ways of his that we may go in his paths,” because from Sion instruction shall go out and Jehovah’s word from Jerusalem. And he shall give judgment between many peoples and pronounce verdicts for numerous nations to a great distance, and they shall pound their swords into hoes and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not take up sword against nation, and they shall never again learn war. And they shall sit each man under his grape-vine or his fig-tree with no one to alarm them, for the mouth of Jehovah of Armies has promised it.

46. So, what state of affairs do Jehovah’s witnesses maintain on their God-given spiritual estate?

⁴⁶ Even so today, when nuclear warfare threatens the world, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses reside on their God-given spiritual estate in spiritual prosperity. They maintain loving peace among themselves, absolutely taking no part in the wars of this world. Satan has failed in resisting their High Priest Jesus Christ!