Chapter 11

“Not by a Military Force, Nor by Power, But”—

1. How do Israel of Zechariah’s days and the Republic of Israel compare as to military force?

WAS there any military force under arms in the Israel of the days of the prophet Zechariah? No; unlike in the Republic of Israel of today, in which even the womenfolk are conscripted for the army.

2. How long had the repatriated remnant been without a military force, and therefore what question arises as to building the temple?

² Back in the year 522 B.C.E., during the brief reign of Artaxerxes (Gaumata the Magian) as king of Persia, when the Samaritan adversaries stopped the Israelite temple builders “by force of arms,” the Israelites at Jerusalem did not muster out a military force to combat them. (Ezra 4:7-24) Later, in the eleventh lunar month (Shebat) of the year 519 B.C.E., on the twenty-fourth day of the month, when Zechariah received his fifth vision, there was still no military force in Jerusalem and the land of Judah. This was still in the second year of King Darius I, who had succeeded Artaxerxes as the ruler of the Persian Empire. Would it be possible for the Israelites to complete the temple of Jerusalem without operating from a “position of strength” by means of having an impressive military force? The fifth vision to Zechariah answered the question.

3. (a) Out of what kind of state is Zechariah aroused before being given the fifth vision? (b) To the interpretative angel, what does Zechariah report seeing?

³ After the faith-inspiring vision concerning High Priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the prophet Zechariah appears to have lapsed into an attitude of meditation and contemplation, in which he appeared to be asleep. But the series of visions was not yet over; there was more for him to see. That is why he goes on to tell us concerning the interpretative angel who was explaining things to him: “And the angel who was speaking with me proceeded to come back and wake me up, like a man that is awakened from his sleep. Then he said to me: ‘What are you seeing?’ So I said: ‘I have seen, and, look! there is a lampstand, all of it of gold, with a bowl on top of it. And its seven lamps are upon it, even seven; and the lamps that are at the top of it have seven pipes. And there are two olive trees alongside it, one on the right side of the bowl and one on its left side.’”​—Zechariah 4:1-3.

4. The sight of that lampstand stirs up in us recollections of what house, and why so?

⁴ Do we have a mental picture of what Zechariah was shown? That golden lampstand with its seven branches topped by seven lamps that are fed with olive oil stirs up recollections of Jehovah’s house of worship. In earlier Israel, from the days of the prophet Moses down to the days of King David, that house of worship had a golden lampstand in its first compartment, The Holy. (Exodus 40:1-25) The vision of this lampstand was therefore very fitting, inasmuch as this vision had to do with the rebuilding of the temple.

5. How were the seven lamps furnished with illuminating fuel from a central reservoir, and how was this central supply kept full?

⁵ The seven lamps had a central supply of illuminating oil. It was that bowl on the top of the golden lampstand, from which bowl there extended seven pipes, an individual pipe running to each individual lamp to convey oil to it from the central supply. But from where did this bowl get its supply of oil, and how regularly? From those two olive trees that stood alongside the bowl, one tree to its right and the other tree to its left. Those trees could be a constant source of supply, and they were immediately at hand, with no need for transporting oil from afar.

6. Despite there being seven lamps, how was it one lampstand?

⁶ The lampstand being all one, its seven lamps were all connected with it by branches running from a central support.

7. What did Zechariah now ask the angel concerning the lampstand?

⁷ There was a meaning to this vision. So Zechariah at once responded to it: “Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying: ‘What do these things mean, my lord?’ So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me: ‘Do you not really know what these things mean?’ In turn I said: ‘No, my lord.’”​—Zechariah 4:4, 5.

8, 9. (a) By what course can we, like Zechariah, benefit from this vision? (b) What answer does the angel give to Zechariah, and what does this convey to us as instead of explanation of details?

⁸ Like the prophet Zechariah, we do not care to place our own interpretation upon the vision. We are willing to be taught from Jehovah of armies, by means of his angel. Only by getting the divine truth from the right source can we benefit from the vision. On being inquired of by Zechariah, the angelic interpreter does not first go into the meaning of all the details of the vision. Rather, he gives us the force, the all-embracing lesson, of the vision as a whole. This adds vigor to a vision of just a lampstand.

⁹ “Accordingly,” says Zechariah, “he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, “‘Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ Jehovah of armies has said. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a level land. And he will certainly bring forth the headstone. There will be shoutings to it: ‘How charming! How charming!’”’”​—Zechariah 4:6, 7.

THE BARRIER TO BE REDUCED TO NOTHING

10. What opposition did Zerubbabel face, and what might it seem to be like, especially in view of what circumstances?

¹⁰ How would anyone of us have liked to have the opposition of the pagan governors of the Persian provinces on this side (the western side) of the Euphrates River? Not just that, but how would any single one of us have liked to have the opposition of the emperor of the whole Persian Empire, King Darius I? That is the opposition that, for the time being, stood in the way of Zerubbabel as he went ahead with rebuilding Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem in that year 519 B.C.E. (Ezra 5:3 to 6:2) That would indeed appear like a “great mountain” in the way of carrying the temple’s reconstruction to a successful finish, would it not? He did not have any military force among the less than fifty thousand who had returned with him from Babylon back in 537 B.C.E. How, then, could he withstand any armed invasion by protesters to stop the temple work? What power did he or his fellow Israelites have? He did not know King Darius I personally, and had no political pull or influence with him. How, then, could he ever expect to finish Jehovah’s house of worship​—without being severely punished?

11. (a) What is the divine answer to the question? (b) So what did Zerubbabel need to have behind him in the temple work, and why?

¹¹ Do we today ask or did Governor Zerubbabel ask “How”? Back comes the answer from the greatest military Commander in Chief of all: “‘Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ Jehovah of armies has said.” (Zechariah 4:6) Zerubbabel did not need to worry about having a military force or power of any human source. All he had to do was to trust in the One who had told him by his prophets to go ahead with the work and to depend upon the spirit of that One, the Supreme Authority. That spirit of that One is, to be sure, an invisible active force, but it is irresistible, overwhelming, ever successful, always triumphant. Work invisibly it does, but it does produce results as purposed by the divine Source of that spirit. All the military might in the whole earth and all the political, religious power among all mankind cannot hold their ground against His holy active force in operation. In going ahead with the temple work, Governor Zerubbabel had that spirit behind him!

12. That figurative “great mountain” before Zerubbabel was to become what, and how was the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:4, 5 an assurance of this?

¹² What, then, is a figurative “great mountain” in the way? To it Jehovah of armies says: “Before Zerubbabel you will become a level land.” Before Zerubbabel and the faithful remnant that had returned with him from Babylon Jehovah had fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 40:4, 5: “Let every valley be raised up, and every mountain and hill be made low. And the knobby ground must become level land, and the rugged ground a valley plain. And the glory of Jehovah will certainly be revealed, and all flesh must see it together, for the very mouth of Jehovah has spoken it.” He could now do a similar thing in the case of this “great mountain” that confronted Governor Zerubbabel in that year 519 B.C.E. Let us note how He did so, by no strenuous effort on Zerubbabel’s part, but by His spirit.

13. (a) How had Jehovah earlier, on Chislev 24, 520 B.C.E., given Zerubbabel an assurance against enemy military force, through Haggai? (b) What would the adversaries do, certainly after Zerubbabel acted under stimulation by Zechariah’s fifth vision?

¹³ Just two months previously He had declared how he would deal with the enemy military hosts, saying: “I am rocking the heavens and the earth. And I shall certainly overthrow the throne of kingdoms and annihilate the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariot and its riders, and the horses and their riders will certainly come down, each one by the sword of his brother. ‘In that day,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘I shall take you, O Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ is the utterance of Jehovah; ‘and I shall certainly set you as a seal ring, because you are the one whom I have chosen,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies.” (Haggai 2:20-23) Because of what Governor Zerubbabel and his fellow workers did that day (Chislev 24, 520 B.C.E.) at the foundation of the temple in Jerusalem, the provincial governors west of the Euphrates River may have taken their appeal to King Darius I in Shushan, Persia. But certainly those provincial governors must have protested to King Darius I after Zerubbabel went forward with the temple work under the stimulation of this fifth vision that Zechariah reported to him.

14. According to Ezra 6:1-13, what did King Darius I do on getting the appeal of the aroused provincial governors?

¹⁴ Up till then King Darius I had let the ban as imposed by King Artaxerxes stand against the temple building. But on getting the appeal of the aroused provincial governors, what did he do?

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:

“In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king put an order through concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as the place where they are to offer sacrifices, and its foundations are to be fixed, its height being sixty cubits, its width sixty cubits, with three layers of stones rolled into place and one layer of timbers; and let the expense be given from the king’s house. And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon be returned, that they may reach the temple that is in Jerusalem at its place and be deposited in the house of God.

“Now Tattenai the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the lesser governors that are beyond the River, keep your distance from there. Let the work on that house of God alone. The governor of the Jews and the older men of the Jews will rebuild that house of God upon its place. And by me an order has been put through as to what you will do with these older men of the Jews, for rebuilding that house of God; and from the royal treasury of the tax beyond the River the expense will promptly be given to these able-bodied men without cessation. And what is needed, young bulls as well as rams and lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and oil, just as the priests that are in Jerusalem say, let there be given them continually day by day without fail; that they may continually be presenting soothing offerings to the God of the heavens and praying for the life of the king and his sons. And by me an order has been put through that, as for anybody that violates this decree, a timber will be pulled out of his house and he will be impaled upon it, and his house will be turned into a public privy on this account. And may the God who has caused his name to reside there overthrow any king and people that thrusts his hand out to commit a violation and destroy that house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, do put through an order. Let it be done promptly.”

Then Tattenai the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, just as Darius the king had sent word, so they did promptly.​—Ezra 6:1-13.

15. (a) To what alone can we assign that startling turn of events, and why so? (b) Foreknowing this, what did Jehovah say that Zerubbabel would do with the headstone of the temple?

¹⁵ Was the spirit of Jehovah of armies acting and directing in this matter? It is only to His spirit that we can assign this startling turn of events, for it was done without any military force or human power on the part of Governor Zerubbabel. The figurative “mountain” that was raised up by opposition forces in the way of Zerubbabel was made a “level land” for him. His faith in Jehovah of armies and his courage to do the temple work were amply rewarded. Foreknowing what he would accomplish by means of his invincible spirit, Jehovah went on to say in that fifth vision to Zechariah: “And he will certainly bring forth the headstone. There will be shoutings to it: ‘How charming! How charming!’”​—Zechariah 4:7.

THE “CHARMING” HEADSTONE

16. How essential was that headstone, and what would Zerubbabel’s bringing it forth certify?

¹⁶ That “headstone” was the crowning stone of the temple to be rebuilt at Jerusalem. That headstone was the essential stone that would put the finishing touch to the temple. Governor Zerubbabel’s bringing it forth would certify that he would bring the temple work through to a completion. There would be no stopping of him as Jehovah’s servant now. Jehovah’s spirit would see to that!

17. Why would that day of putting the headstone in place be one of exultation, and why would the spectators cry out, “How charming!”?

¹⁷ A day of boundless exultation it would be when he put that headstone into its place, to signalize the successful finishing of the temple at the city where God had put his holy name. The enraptured crowd of spectators on beholding this crowning feat would cry out in admiration of that headstone in its prominent place: “How charming! How charming!” It was beautiful in itself, for it was the same stone that was laid before High Priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak and the engraving of which Jehovah himself had engraved by means of his agent. (Zechariah 3:9) But that engraved headstone took on added beauty as it now occupied its assigned position in the temple structure and gave to the temple structure a gratifying appearance. Not only were the charmed eyes of the temple worshipers on that headstone, but Jehovah’s “seven eyes” were specially upon that stone in undivided attention. Its being put in place was a vindication of his word of prophecy by Haggai and Zechariah.

18. According to recorded history, when did that day of exultation come?

¹⁸ That day of exultation and of vindication came on the third day of the lunar month Adar of the year 515 B.C.E., for this is what recorded history says: “And the older men of the Jews were building and making progress under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the grandson of Iddo, and they built and finished it due to the order of the God of Israel and due to the order of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes the king of Persia. And they completed this house by the third day of the lunar month Adar, that is, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.”​—Ezra 6:14, 15.

19. What grand prospect does that prophetic religious occasion set before us today, and by what means will this be brought about?

¹⁹ What a grand prospect that historic but prophetic occasion sets forth before all lovers of the pure, undefiled worship of the one living and true God today! It points ahead to the time when the true worship of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will be brought to its perfected state at his spiritual temple. This will be when Babylon the Great (the world empire of false religion, including sectarian Christendom) is destroyed and all the political, military and social elements of this world who are opposed to even the pure religion are destroyed, and the cleansed earth is left with only the remnant of spiritual underpriests of spiritual Israel and their fellow worshipers out of all nations and peoples and tribes. This crowning achievement will be brought about, as Jehovah says, “not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit.”

20. What governor has a specially privileged part in that coming fulfillment of prophecy?

²⁰ The antitypical Governor Zerubbabel will have a specially privileged part in bringing to reality the modern-day fulfillment of this divine prophecy. We know who he is​—Jesus Christ, who now governs from his heavenly throne over the faithful remnant of his spiritual underpriests and their dedicated, baptized companion worshipers.

21. Zerubbabel and Joshua picture what capacities that are combined in Jesus Christ and also prefigured in Melchizedek?

²¹ Zerubbabel prefigured the glorified King Jesus Christ in an aspect different from what High Priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak did. High Priest Joshua (whom Greek-speaking Jews called “Jesus”) pictured Jesus Christ in his priestly functions. Zerubbabel, being appointed governor of the province of Judah, pictured the Lord Jesus Christ in his governmental capacity as of a king. These two capacities, that of high priest and that of governor, are combined in the glorified Jesus Christ, for he is also prefigured by Melchizedek, concerning whom Genesis 14:18 says: “Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine, and he was priest of the Most High God.” Hebrews 7:1 calls him “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God.”​—Psalm 110:1-4.

22. (a) Zerubbabel used his governing power in protecting and promoting what work, under whose decree? (b) Whom did Zerubbabel prefigure in a like work and as leveling what “great mountain”?

²² Zerubbabel as governor of Jerusalem and Judah would promote the rebuilding of the temple as decreed by King Cyrus. He would use his governmental power to safeguard the temple work. To him, evidently under the title of Sheshbazzar, the sacred “utensils of the house of Jehovah” were entrusted by King Cyrus, and these holy utensils Zerubbabel brought from Babylon to Jerusalem to be used in the rebuilt house of Jehovah. (Ezra 1:7 to 2:2; 5:13-16) Rightly, then, Governor Zerubbabel took the leading part in the laying of the foundation of the second temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem. (Ezra 3:8-10) In this way Zerubbabel foreshadowed how the reigning King Jesus Christ would give stimulus to the work of restoring the pure worship of Jehovah at his spiritual temple. He would protect the remnant of anointed spiritual underpriests now on earth in their efforts since 1919 C.E., to restore Jehovah’s pure worship among all mankind. The “great mountain” of opposition and difficulty in the way of their doing this he has reduced to “level land.”

23. (a) How does Jesus Christ compare with Governor Zerubbabel in promoting the temple-building work? (b) How does he fulfill the picture of bringing forth the headstone and placing it?

²³ To compare with Governor Zerubbabel in bringing forth the headstone and putting it in place in the temple in 515 B.C.E., the glorified Jesus Christ will bring the work of reestablishing Jehovah’s worship at His spiritual temple to triumphant completion. By means of his invisible holy angels he will gather all the needed remnant of spiritual underpriests and will aid them in carrying out their duties in the antitypical Holy of Jehovah’s spiritual temple. He himself will fulfill the role of the “headstone” in that spiritual arrangement for Jehovah’s worship. At God’s due time he will take his own assigned place in that spiritual framework of worship and thus give the finishing touch to its completion. He is the Key One, like a figurative headstone, to the perfecting of that divine arrangement for worship, in which he serves as the Royal High Priest in behalf of all mankind. When he takes his place and reports to Jehovah God that he has completed the work on restoring the full-scale worship by means of all the necessary underpriests at the spiritual temple, that will result in a “charming” sight.

24. When will Jehovah’s worshipers cry out to the Greater Headstone, “How charming!”?

²⁴ At that sacred moment, when it becomes manifest that the work with regard to true worship has been perfected despite the opposition of Babylon the Great and her political patronizers, all true worshipers of Jehovah on earth will be filled with irrepressible appreciation of the part that the Greater Governor, Jesus Christ, has successfully performed. Jubilantly they will shout out to him as the Greater Headstone: “How charming! How charming!”

THE “DAY OF SMALL THINGS” NOT TO BE DESPISED

25. When the postwar work of building up the theocratic organization for Jehovah’s worship began in 1919 C.E., why did it look despicable?

²⁵ When this work of building up the theocratic organization for Jehovah’s worship began in the postwar year of 1919 C.E., it looked despicable in the eyes of religious Babylon the Great and her military, political paramours. It looked so impossible of realization to them. Why so? Because the surviving remnant of anointed spiritual Israelites was so small and was in international disrepute. (Matthew 24:9) For example, when the general convention of the International Bible Students Association was held on September 1-8, 1919, at the resort grounds of Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A., there were only about 6,000 that attended the weekday sessions; and other thousands, who could not attend this convention so early after World War I, were scattered all around the earth, some 17,961 (according to incomplete reports) having attended the previous celebration of the Lord’s Supper on April 13, 1919. What were these thousands of Jehovah’s dedicated, baptized worshipers in comparison with Christendom’s hundreds of millions of church members? As nothing!

26. (a) Was the surviving remnant to be despised for its smallness? (b) Who brought a corrective message, and by whom was he sent?

²⁶ Yet, was this surviving remnant of spiritual Israelites to be despised for its smallness? Because it had no “military force”? Facts that are available today, more than fifty years later, give a resounding answer, and they prove that it was the infallible God who sent his prophet Zechariah with a message to correct all wrong ideas drawn from the early appearance of things. Listen, as Zechariah goes on to report: “And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: ‘The very hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his own hands will finish it. And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me to you people. For who has despised the day of small things? And they will certainly rejoice and see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of Jehovah. They are roving about in all the earth.’”​—Zechariah 4:8-10.

27. When was the absolute proof furnished that it was Jehovah who had sent Zechariah to the people?

²⁷ If there had been any doubts in the minds of any of the repatriated remnant of Jews in the land of Judah, they positively knew that it was no other than Jehovah who had sent Zechariah to His people​—on the third day of the twelfth lunar month (Adar) of 515 B.C.E. The record of Ezra 6:14, 15 tells us: “And the older men of the Jews were building and making progress under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the grandson of Iddo, and they built and finished it due to the order of the God of Israel and due to the order of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes the king of Persia. And they completed this house by the third day of the lunar month Adar, that is, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.” Jehovah’s prophetic word was vindicated!

28. (a) Why did Jehovah’s eyes not fail to see it when Zerubbabel, with the plummet in hand, placed the headstone on the temple? (b) At what similar but greater event will his eyes rejoice still more?

²⁸ Governor Zerubbabel may have had a plumb line with a plummet in his hand when he finished Jehovah’s house of worship by laying that essential headstone in its place. Eyes did rejoice at seeing that sight. Especially did Jehovah’s eyes. Nothing escapes His eyes. It is as if He has a complete set of eyes​—seven—​eyes that rove about in all the earth to observe everything done, whether done by His enemies or done by his dedicated people. His eyes did not fail to see the laying of the headstone by Zerubbabel with the plummet in his hand. His own eyes rejoiced with those of his faithful remnant who put the worship of the true God in the first place in their lives. How much more will his all-observing eyes rejoice when they behold the Greater Zerubbabel finish the work with regard to restored pure worship on earth at His spiritual temple!

“THE TWO ANOINTED ONES”

29. When Zechariah first asked what the vision of the golden lampstand meant, what was he told, and how are we now enabled to see the fitness of that answer?

²⁹ At this point, do we remember what the angel told the prophet Zechariah when he asked what the meaning of the golden lampstand with seven lamps was? Yes, it was this: “‘Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ Jehovah of armies has said.” (Zechariah 4:6) Now we are enabled to see the fitness of this mighty statement by further details that appear in the vision, with further explanation. To satisfy us on the matter we are told:

30. What did the angel tell Zechariah that the two olive trees alongside the lampstand pictured?

³⁰ “And I proceeded to answer and say to him: ‘What do these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on its left side mean?’ Then I answered the second time and said to him: ‘What are the two bunches of twigs of the olive trees that, by means of the two golden tubes, are pouring forth from within themselves the golden liquid?’ So he said to me: ‘Do you not really know what these things mean?’ In turn I said: ‘No, my lord.’ Accordingly he said: ‘These are the two anointed ones who are standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth.’”​—Zechariah 4:11-14.

31. How was the supply of oil delivered to the lamps, why was the supply constant, and what did the oil picture?

³¹ Zechariah saw good to follow up his first question immediately with a second one, in order not to miss inquiring about a feature that he had not mentioned in his first question. Those two olive trees, we recall, stood to the right and the left of the golden bowl from which seven pipes extended out to the seven lamps on the lampstand in order to deliver to them oil from the central supply. From where did the golden bowl atop the lampstand get its own supply of illuminating liquid? From the bunch of twigs of the olive tree to the right and the bunch of twigs of the olive tree to the left, and this by means of a golden tube from each bunch of twigs. The liquid thus delivered looked golden, and it could no more be turned off than those two olive trees could be turned off. The supply was constant, just as the source of it was living and constant. That illuminating liquid pictured, not a military force, nor human power, but, as Jehovah said, “my spirit.” Oil was thus used to picture God’s spirit.​—Zechariah 4:6.

32. (a) What is the source of the symbolic “olive oil”? (b) What is symbolized by the lampstand that gets such oil?

³² Just as the olive tree was created by Jehovah God and so He is the Source of its oil, likewise he is the Source of the spirit or invisible active force, that kindles the flame of the true worship of Him. The two olive trees accordingly picture the two agents by means of which he conveys his spirit to the symbolic lampstand, that is, to his “holy nation,” the anointed remnant of the spiritual Israelites. Who, then, are the two agents that are symbolized by the two olive trees?

33. How does Revelation 11:3, 4 use olive trees to symbolize God’s living creatures, and so whom do the two olive trees in Zechariah’s vision symbolize?

³³ It is not going contrary to the Scriptures to say that the two olive trees picture intelligent creatures of God. In connection with the vision of the temple as reported by the Christian apostle John in the last book of the Bible, we read: “And I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy . . . dressed in sackcloth. These are symbolized by the two olive trees and the two lampstands and are standing before the Lord of the earth.” (Revelation 11:3, 4) The two olive trees of Zechariah’s vision are explained to be the “two anointed ones [literally, two sons of oil] who are standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth.” Whom, then, do these picture? Not the inspired prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, but two individuals to whom Zechariah was commanded to transmit the word of Jehovah of armies, namely, High Priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak and Governor Zerubbabel.

34. (a) How did the high priest and the governor impart the symbolic oil to the symbolic lampstand? (b) How did Zerubbabel and Joshua themselves keep constant in their supply of God’s spirit?

³⁴ By means of the inspired prophets Haggai and Zechariah Jehovah’s spirit was imparted to Joshua and Zerubbabel. These, in turn, were to take the lead in the building of the second temple of Jehovah and to impart Jehovah’s spirit to the Israelite remnant in that behalf. These two “anointed ones” were to imbue the whole restored nation with Jehovah’s spirit constantly, by sticking to the work to the finish and by encouraging on the temple workers both by words of exhortation and by personal example. They could do this if they constantly stood alongside Jehovah, “the Lord of the whole earth.” They must stand on His side as respects the issue of the only true worship, and they must constantly attend upon Him in favor of that worship of Him exclusively. In this way the sacred work would be accomplished by Jehovah’s spirit. Being “Lord of the whole earth,” he fulfills his will toward it.

35. In the modern-day fulfillment of the vision, whom do the two olive trees symbolize?

³⁵ In the fulfillment of this vision in the present “time of the end,” whom do the “two olive trees,” the “two anointed ones,” picture? Since, in the first fulfillment of the vision in Zechariah’s own day, they pictured High Priest Joshua and Governor Zerubbabel, they must picture just the one personage, namely, Jehovah’s Anointed One, Messiah or Christ, Jesus who was anointed with the holy spirit of God.​—Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:1.

36. (a) How has Jesus Christ acted like Joshua the high priest and Governor Zerubbabel in connection with God’s spirit? (b) How has he, like the two olive trees, kept in constant supply of the spirit, and to what symbolic lampstand has he imparted it?

³⁶ Yes, indeed, Jesus the Messiah was prefigured by both High Priest Joshua and Governor Zerubbabel. Before he left his loyal apostles on earth he promised to send them the spirit, which proceeds from the Heavenly Father. (John 14:16, 17; 15:26; 16:13, 14) Then, on the festival day of Pentecost of 33 C.E., he served like the two olive trees of Zechariah’s vision. On that day Jehovah God began to use him to channel and pour out the holy spirit upon the “holy nation” of spiritual Israel. (Acts 1:5; 2:1-35; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7, 8; Luke 3:16) Like the “two anointed ones” or “two sons of oil” in Zechariah’s fifth vision, Christ Jesus stands “alongside the Lord of the whole earth” as High Priest and Governor and constantly attends upon Him, for he is at the right hand of God in the heavens. (Acts 2:34-36; 7:56) In this position he can be the channel of a constant supply of the spirit of the Lord God to the symbolic “lampstand” on earth, the faithful remnant of spiritual Israel.

37. (a) Energized by what and under whose leadership do the remnant keep on in the temple work? (b) To whom, therefore, will the complimentary praise and credit go for success in the temple work?

³⁷ Not by a military force, but by the unfailing spirit of God Almighty, the anointed remnant work on under their heavenly Governor and High Priest, Jesus Christ. Stimulated and energized by holy spirit they will carry on the temple work until it is fully accomplished. Accordingly, the compliments, praise and credit for the final, crowning success will go, not to the remnant of spiritual underpriests, but to Jehovah God the Source of the spirit and through Jesus Christ as His loving channel.

Chapter 12

An End to Permission of Wickedness

1. Instead of going through mere religious formalities at his temple, what should the nation of Israel do to have Jehovah’s blessings according to his covenant?

THE ANCIENT nation of Israel had at Jerusalem the beautiful symbol of the pure worship of the only living and true God. It was his sacred temple, rebuilt. But the nation should be doing more than merely going through routine ceremonial performances at that center of worship. The chosen nation of Israel, with its rebuilt temple of Jehovah’s worship at Jerusalem, should be living that religion daily throughout its God-given land. Then their religion would not be just a mere pious formality, but would be a living experience. It would not result in profaning the sacred house of Jehovah’s worship. It would not bring ridicule and reproach upon the name of God. Then he could gladly bless the worshipful inhabitants of the land in accord with the promise of his solemn covenant with the nation. He would not be obliged to send a death-dealing curse upon those not living up to the covenant.

2. (a) On the part of Jehovah’s worshipers there should be a hatred of what, according to Psalm 97:10, 11? (b) In harmony with what purpose of God should they tolerate no wickedness in their God-given estate?

² On the part of His sincere worshipers, there must be a genuine hatred of wickedness. To that effect the inspired psalmist exhorts them: “Oh you lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad. He is guarding the souls of his loyal ones; out of the hand of the wicked ones he delivers them. Light itself has flashed up for the righteous one, and rejoicing even for the ones upright in heart.” (Psalm 97:10, 11) There should be no tolerating of wickedness where the lovers of Jehovah reside, in their God-given estate. In his own time, to which he strictly adheres, he will put an end to all wickedness throughout the whole earth, together with all its terrible consequences. He will no longer permit wickedness. Hail that happy time for all righteously disposed mankind!

3. In harmony with that theme, what vision was now given, and for whose encouragement was it recorded?

³ In harmony with this delightful prospect is the theme of the sixth vision given to the prophet Zechariah on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh lunar month (Shebat) in the year 519 B.C.E. That it might be preserved for our encouragement in this time of its complete fulfillment, he was inspired to record it.

THE SIXTH VISION

4, 5. (a) To the interpretative angel, what did Zechariah report seeing? (b) How was that scroll proceeding through the air, and how much writing surface did it have, for what kind of message?

⁴ Zechariah writes: “Then I raised my eyes again and saw; and, look! a flying scroll. So he [the angel of interpretation] said to me: ‘What are you seeing?’ In turn I said: ‘I am seeing a flying scroll, the length of which is twenty cubits, and the breadth of which is ten cubits.’”​—Zechariah 5:1, 2.

⁵ The scroll is unrolled. With flat surface it is skimming through the air as with the wings of an airplane. It is a large scroll, for it is twenty cubits long and ten cubits broad, to total up an area of two hundred square cubits, or around four hundred and fifty square feet. And if both sides of the scroll were used for writing, that would amount to nine hundred square feet of writing surface. It did prove to be written on both sides. This would enable it to convey an impressively large message. Was the message favorable for the land, or unfavorable? That would indicate what the flying scroll meant. Zechariah wanted to know. So do we.

6. What did the interpreting angel explain the flying scroll to mean?

⁶ What did the interpreting angel say? “Then he said to me: ‘This is the curse that is going forth over the surface of all the earth, because everyone that is stealing, according to it on this side, has gone free of punishment; and everyone making a sworn oath, according to it on that side, has gone free of punishment.’”​—Zechariah 5:3.

7, 8. What questions arise as regards the thief and the swearer of a false oath in Jehovah’s name, and what does Jehovah say that the curse will do?

⁷ What, then, is to happen to these evildoers who have thus far got off scot-free? According to what is written on the one side of the scroll, what curse is to be executed upon the hitherto-unpunished stealer? And according to what is written on the other side of the scroll, what curse is to be executed upon the guilty maker of a sworn oath? Even we today are interested in knowing, because all the earth at present abounds with stealers and with persons who do not live up to their sworn oath. What does the interpreting angel have to tell us? This:

⁸ “‘I have caused it to go forth,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘and it must enter into the house of the thief and into the house of the one making a sworn oath in my name falsely; and it must lodge in the midst of his house and exterminate it and its timbers and its stones.’”​—Zechariah 5:4.

9. To what extent was the extermination to proceed​—to the houses alone?

⁹ The thief and the maker of a sworn oath in Jehovah’s name falsely were cursed to destruction. Not alone were their houses to be exterminated, timbers, stones and all, but the thief and false oath swearers were to be exterminated. The very place of their residence was to be blotted out of the land, and they along with their living quarters. A terrible curse, indeed! Drastic!

10. To what land did this matter apply, and why did this fact make the stealing and the false swearing all the more serious?

¹⁰ We must bear in mind that this applied to the land occupied by the remnant of once exiled Jews who had been liberated from Babylon and had returned to the land of Judah for the purpose of rebuilding Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem. That made matters all the more serious. Under the Ten Commandments, as given through the prophet Moses, those natural, circumcised Jews were under divine command not to steal, not to swear falsely or bear false witness. Hence, in stealing from God’s chosen people, the thief was really stealing from Jehovah. In swearing falsely in Jehovah’s holy name, the false swearer was lying, not only to the one for whom the sworn oath was to be an assurance or guarantee, but also to Jehovah. It was a misuse of His name, the use of His name in a worthless way. (Exodus 20:7, 15, 16) Although the thieves and false swearers escaped for a time punishment at the hands of those who should enforce God’s law, yet His curse would apply to those violators and would in due time take effect upon them.

KINDS OF THIEVERY

11. Did hunger make thievery excusable, or what consequences did such stealing bring according to Solomon and proverbialist Agur?

¹¹ No matter what the motive for stealing might be and how excusable the theft might seem to be under the circumstances, yet it was a sin and deserved to be punished according of God’s law. Said the inspired wise King Solomon: “People do not despise a thief just because he commits thievery to fill his soul when he is hungry. But, when found, he will make it good with seven times as much; all the valuables of his house he will give.” (Proverbs 6:30, 31) The proverbialist Agur the son of Jakeh did not desire to get into circumstances where he felt obliged to steal, for he saw that his God was involved or was affected. Hence he prayed to God: “Untruth and the lying word put far away from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Let me devour the food prescribed for me, that I may not become satisfied and I actually deny you and say: ‘Who is Jehovah?’ and that I may not come to poverty and I actually steal and assail the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:1, 8, 9) How would he by thievery be assailing the name of his God?

12. (a) How, in the light of the Ten Commandments, is the stealing, even for hunger’s sake, an assailing of God’s name? (b) What does the apostle Paul say on this?

¹² Because thievery is an expression of idolatry. The thief idolizes himself or the thing he steals. He covets that to which he has no right but which belongs to another. To escape punishment for thievery, he takes the coveted thing when the owner or enforcers of the law are not watching. Since the commandment against thievery was given over God’s name Jehovah, the thieving person is disregarding God’s name and assailing it as being of no force or importance. Wrote the Christian apostle Paul to Christian heirs of God’s heavenly kingdom: “No fornicator or unclean person or greedy person​—which means being an idolater—​has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:5) He also wrote: “Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5) Paul may have had in mind the prophecy of Zechariah when he wrote: “Let the stealer steal no more, but rather let him do hard work, doing with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.”​—Ephesians 4:28, 25.

13. (a) How does the “curse” affect the dedicated, baptized Christian who takes up stealing? (b) What stealing is more serious than stealing some creature’s material property?

¹³ If a dedicated, baptized Christian renews any stealing that he did before his conversion or he takes up stealing, he is assailing the name of his God. Since he as a stealer cannot inherit God’s Messianic kingdom, he comes under the divine curse. This will mean his destruction, for if he fails to gain entrance into the kingdom to which he is called, there is nothing else left for him. To be a thief, we do not necessarily need to steal material things from another person. Of more serious consequence is one’s stealing the words of God. God is against such stealing.

14. What does Jehovah say, in Jeremiah 23:30-32, about those who steal His words?

¹⁴ “‘Therefore here I am against the prophets,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘the ones who are stealing away my words, each one from his companion.’ ‘Here I am against the prophets,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘the ones who are employing their tongue that they may utter forth, “An utterance!”’ ‘Here I am against the prophets of false dreams,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘who relate them and cause my people to wander about because of their falsehoods and because of their boasting.’ ‘But I myself did not send them or command them. So they will by no means benefit this people,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.”​—Jeremiah 23:30-32.

15. (a) What must be said as to whether we are stealing our companion’s words when we make Bible quotations to others? (b) How did the false prophets in Jeremiah’s days steal God’s words from their companion?

¹⁵ Stealing Jehovah’s words from one’s companion is a serious matter. How do we do this? Do we steal Jehovah’s words from the prophet when we quote the words of the one whom He inspired to say them? No, for we give due credit to the inspired prophet whose words we are quoting for our support or for proof of a teaching. We refer people to the Bible book, chapter and verse from which we quote. We do not do like the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day. These prophets would take the prophecy of the man whom Jehovah inspired to utter the prophecy and then would palm this prophecy off as being their own. And, of course, when they enlarged upon this prophecy that they had stolen, they would not have the divine guidance in doing so. This would result in their not explaining it correctly or in making unauthorized additions of their own or adulterating, distorting, watering down the prophecy. In this way they would use the purloined prophecy to their own selfish ends.

16. How did those who pretended to be inspired prophets or who related mere dreams steal God’s name?

¹⁶ They put on an appearance of being a prophet by saying, as if under inspiration: “An utterance!” Then they really steal the name of Jehovah by attaching it to their own “utterance” to which it does not belong. They dream up false dreams for the future so as to influence the people against Jehovah’s true mouthpieces. Because of their false dreams and their boasting regarding the future, they cause the people to go astray religiously and spiritually and leave them unprepared for the real things to come. Jehovah did not send them or command them, for which reason they have no right to steal God’s name from its rightful place and use it for their deceptive purposes. Such thieves benefit no one.

17. What did Jehovah forewarn was approaching, and how were the prophets that did not stand in His intimate group responsible for the people’s conduct?

¹⁷ “For who has stood in the intimate group of Jehovah that he might see and hear his word? Who has given attention to his word that he might hear it? Look! The windstorm of Jehovah, rage itself, will certainly go forth, even a whirling tempest. Upon the head of the wicked ones it will whirl itself. The anger of Jehovah will not turn back until he will have carried out and until he will have made the ideas of his heart come true. In the final part of the days you people will give your consideration to it with understanding. I did not send the prophets, yet they themselves ran. I did not speak to them, yet they themselves prophesied. But if they had stood in my intimate group, then they would have made my people hear my own words, and they would have caused them to turn back from their bad way and from the badness of their dealings.”​—Jeremiah 23:18-22.

18. How have Christendom’s clergymen done what Revelation 22:19 warns against, and how have they stolen the words of their companion?

¹⁸ The foregoing corresponds with what is said to dedicated, baptized Christians in the last book of the Bible: “If anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things which are written about in this scroll.” (Revelation 22:19) In teaching that the book of Revelation has no prophetic value or that the Bible is full of myths and legends and impossibilities, the clergy of Christendom have certainly taken away much from God’s Word, and so are withholding it from the unsuspecting people. How often during political campaigns and in wartime the clergy of Christendom have appropriated to their own selfish use a text from the Bible and employed it as a pretext to talk to their congregations about worldly politics, social reform schemes and war propaganda! Is that not stealing Jehovah’s word from one’s companion?

19. How can we, like the apostle Paul, avoid God’s curse for stealing God’s words from those needing them?

¹⁹ In contrast with stealing away any of the Word of God from those who deserve to hear it, we should imitate the example of the apostle Paul who said: “I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Hence I call you to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men, for I have not held back from telling you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:19-21, 26, 27) Like Paul, we do not want to be cursed for spiritual stealing.

MAKING A SWORN OATH IN GOD’S NAME FALSELY

20. The prophet Zechariah and his fellow Jews could well remember what outstanding case of swearing falsely by God’s name in Judah?

²⁰ Zechariah and the rest of the restored Jews of his day could well remember an outstanding case in history that showed how strongly God felt about one’s swearing falsely with an oath in His name. This case was that of their last king on the throne of Jerusalem, namely, that of King Zedekiah the son of Josiah. He died blind in a prison in Babylon before the faithful Jewish remnant were liberated from Babylonian exile. Why? The record at 2 Chronicles 36:12, 13 explains why, saying: “He continued to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah his God. He did not humble himself on account of Jeremiah the prophet at the order of Jehovah. And even against King Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled, who had made him swear by God; and he kept stiffening his neck and hardening his heart so as not to return to Jehovah the God of Israel.”

21. According to Ezekiel 17:16-20, what decision did Jehovah make concerning unfaithful King Zedekiah?

²¹ With regard to the oath with which King Zedekiah swore to King Nebuchadnezzar in the name of Jehovah, Ezekiel 17:16-20 sets forth this decision of Jehovah:

“‘As I am alive,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, ‘in the place of the king [Nebuchadnezzar] who put in as king the one that despised his oath and that broke his covenant, with him in the midst of Babylon he will die. . . . And he has despised an oath in breaking a covenant, and, look! he had given his hand and has done even all these things. He will not make his escape.’ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “As I am alive, surely my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken​—I will even bring it upon his head. And I will spread over him my net, and he will certainly be caught in my hunting net; and I will bring him to Babylon and put myself on judgment with him there respecting his unfaithfulness with which he acted against me.”’”

22. How did King Zedekiah forswear himself, and against whose counsel?

²² Since King Zedekiah had sworn with an oath to King Nebuchadnezzar in the name of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, he owed it to God to live up to his oath and carry out his covenant to be a vassal king to the king of Babylon. In disregard of the inspired counsel of the prophet Jeremiah, he perjured himself, forswore himself and rebelled and turned to Pharaoh of Egypt for military help.​—Ezekiel 17:11-15, 17; Isaiah 31:1-3.

23. Similar to Zedekiah, how have the nations of Christendom and their clergy gone for help and broken their covenant?

²³ Similar to King Zedekiah, who was in the Law covenant with God through the mediator Moses, the nations of Christendom have gone down to symbolic Egypt for help, yes, to the world with its military equipment. The religious clergymen of Christendom have gone along with their respective nations and have blessed and prayed for their armies, their military weapons and their war procedures. In this manner the nations of Christendom and their clergy, who claim to be in the new covenant with God through Christ as mediator, have broken their covenant with God. The religious clergy have violated the neutrality toward world conflicts that is binding on all Christians.

24. (a) How have Christendom’s clergymen acted toward vows or oaths taken when they were ordained as ministers? (b) How will they fare when God executes the flying scroll “curse” in the coming “great tribulation”?

²⁴ Whatever vows or sworn oaths the sectarian clergy of Christendom have made to God when being ordained to the ministry of their respective religious denominations, they have broken. They have done so by their worldly course, well knowing that “the friendship with the world is enmity with God” and that “whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) What about the “curse” that was represented by the unusually large flying scroll that was going forth over all the surface of the earth? Will it enter into the houses of those spiritual or religious thieves? Will it exterminate them and all their religious houses in the time of God’s executing that curse? Without fail, yes! Those clergymen and their professed Christian nations are “false to agreements” respecting God, although they should know full well “the righteous decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving of death.” (Romans 1:31, 32) Woe to them in the coming “great tribulation” when that curse on the “flying scroll” is executed by God.​—Matthew 24:21, 22.

25, 26. (a) Where finally must an end be put to those kinds of wickedness specified on the flying scroll? (b) By what course of action will dedicated, baptized Christians escape the “curse” of the flying scroll?

²⁵ As in the vision to Zechariah the curse was to put an end to thievery and false swearing in Jehovah’s name throughout the land of His people, so an end must be put to such things in all the earth. Especially so now in the spiritual estate of Jehovah’s restored remnant of spiritual Israel. Such kinds of wickedness are no longer to be permitted, tolerated, and allowed to go unpunished in this earth, which belongs to its Creator, the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. To escape the coming extermination all fully dedicated, baptized Christians are under Scriptural obligation to be “no part of this world,” to stick inseparably to theocratic neutrality toward the selfish disputes of this world. Because the restored remnant of spiritual Israelites do this, there is fulfilled to them what is foretold in Revelation 22:3-5:

²⁶ “And no more will there be any curse. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his slaves will render him sacred service; and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Also, night will be no more, and they have no need of lamplight nor do they have sunlight, because Jehovah God will shed light upon them, and they will rule as kings forever and ever.”

WICKEDNESS REMOVED TO BABYLON

27. (a) In the seventh vision, what did Zechariah see going forth? (b) What question is raised regarding “their aspect in all the earth”?

²⁷ Since there is to be no curse from God, there is to be no wickedness any longer. That wickedness was to be permitted no longer in and on the property that belongs to the divine Creator, the seventh vision to the prophet Zechariah indicates with interesting symbols. Let us fix our mental eyes on the word picture that Zechariah draws for us: “Then the angel who was speaking with me went forth and said to me: ‘Raise your eyes, please, and see what this is that is going forth.’ So I said: ‘What is it?’ In turn he said: ‘This is the ephah measure that is going forth.’ And he went on to say: ‘This is their aspect in all the earth.’” (Zechariah 5:5, 6) According to the language used by the angel, that is to say, the Hebrew, the expression “their aspect” is literally “their eye.” Similarly to here, in Numbers 11:7 “its eye” (that is, of the newly found manna) is translated as “its look.” However, in the Greek Septuagint Version of Zechariah 5:6 it reads differently: “This is the unrighteousness of them in all the earth.” Will the “aspect” or “look” of them all be unrighteous?

28. What does the fact that the container was a definite measure of volume indicate as regards those “in all the earth”?

²⁸ Well, we shall have to see what is inside that flying ephah measure, which, we are to find, has a leaden lid upon it. An ephah contained more than half a bushel (.62 bushel), or twenty-two liters. Since it measures off what is contained in it, it appears to say that it measures off or takes the measure of what is inside the symbolic ephah and thereby presents the “aspect” or “look” of all those in the land or earth. Is it unrighteous, as the rendering of the Greek Septuagint Version suggests?

29. What was exposed as being inside the ephah, and what was the name given thereto?

²⁹ “And, look!” says Zechariah, “the circular lid of lead was lifted up; and this is a certain woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. So he said: ‘This is Wickedness.’ And he proceeded to throw her back into the midst of the ephah, after which he threw the lead weight upon its mouth.”​—Zechariah 5:7, 8.

30. (a) So what did the “woman” inside picture, and her being confined in the ephah suggest? (b) Did the container’s being an ephah used in commercial affairs limit the kind of wickedness symbolized, but in any case where did it belong?

³⁰ So the wickedness of all the inhabitants of the land is symbolized by a woman. But now this “wickedness” has been confined like the woman inside the ephah measure. It itself has been measured off, and the time for its permission in the land has also been measured off by the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. And to keep it confined, a heavy circular lid of lead has been put upon the ephah measure’s mouth. The ephah in being a measure used in trading might suggest something commercial and, correspondingly, contain commercial wickedness, bad business dealings. But not necessarily so! A measure can be taken also of all fields of human relations and activities, and that appears to be how “wickedness” as symbolized here should be viewed. Wickedness of whatever kind has no place anywhere in the land or spiritual estate of Jehovah’s dedicated people. It should be put in a container and shipped out, in full measure, to where it belongs. It should not be permitted to stay.

31. What did Zechariah see next happen to the ephah measure?

³¹ Such a removal and transfer of “wickedness” is just what this seventh vision to Zechariah portrays. We can rejoice with him as he tells us: “Then I raised my eyes and saw, and here there were two women coming forth, and wind was in their wings. And they had wings like the wings of the stork. And they gradually raised the ephah up between the earth and the heavens. So I said to the angel who was speaking with me: ‘Where are they taking the ephah?’”​—Zechariah 5:9, 10.

32. How are these two women set in contrast with the woman inside the ephah, and what does having the wind in their wings suggest?

³² Two symbolic women are used to transport the confined “wickedness” away posthaste as if by airfreight of modern times. This is a good use of symbolisms. This womankind is used not just to symbolize wickedness; wickedness is not confined to women, but they too can be virtuous and useful in Jehovah’s service. And here in this vision they are used to symbolize agents employed by the Sovereign Lord God, who hates wickedness. Like Him, these two symbolic women hate wickedness and are glad to be used by him to rid the land of it. So here we have a nice balance in the use of women as symbols. And since “wind was in their wings,” it shows they had heavenly help to make speedy riddance of wickedness.

33. What features about the stork made it appropriate for these two symbolic women to have stork wings in this connection?

³³ We observe that their wings are the “wings of the stork.” How appropriate such kind of wings for these two symbolic women, for the Hebrew word for “stork” (hha·si·dahʹ) is evidently derived from the Hebrew word (hheʹsed) that means “loving-kindness” and “loyalty,” qualities that mark womankind. The stork is known to be markedly tender toward its brood of young and also loyal to its mate throughout life. But, of course, there is to be no tenderness in the treatment of “wickedness.” Storks being migratory birds and having an instinctive awareness of the times for their migration, these two symbolic women with stork wings would know Jehovah’s appointed time for the removal of “wickedness.” (Jeremiah 8:7) Since storks have a wingspread of up to seven feet (2.1 meters), they can fly high and also lift heavy loads. With stork wings the two symbolic women should be able to lift and carry off the heavy load of “wickedness.” (Job 39:13; Psalm 104:17) With Zechariah we ask: “Where are they taking the ephah?”

34. Where did the angel say that the winged women were taking the loaded ephah?

³⁴ The angel who was speaking with Zechariah tells us: “In turn he said to me: ‘In order to build for her a house in the land of Shinar; and it must be firmly established, and she must be deposited there upon her proper place.’”​—Zechariah 5:11.

35. What about the “land of Shinar” made it the fitting location to which to transport “wickedness” and house it on its “proper place”?

³⁵ Why was the depositing of “wickedness” in the “land of Shinar” a putting of it in its own “proper place”? Because it was there, even in the prophet Zechariah’s day, that the city of Babylon was located. It was there that Babylon was founded by Nimrod, the “mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah.” It was there, with the city of Babylon as its center, that wicked rebellion against the Sovereign Lord Jehovah was organized. There too organized false religion was founded, so that the city of Babylon came to be the world center of false religion. It became the seat for “Babylon the Great,” the world empire of false religion, which religious empire persists to this day. (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:1-9; Revelation 14:8; 17:1-18) So, then, in the “land of Shinar,” symbolizing the location of rebellion against the universal sovereignty of Jehovah God and also the location of false Babylonish religion, there is where “wickedness” should be settled and kept, as in a house firmly established upon its “proper place” as a base.

36. With the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, the God-given land of Jehovah’s chosen people was not a proper place for what, even as indicated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16?

³⁶ The God-given land of Jehovah’s chosen people was, indeed, no place for wickedness of any kind, whether idolatry, stealing, crooked commercial dealings, the swearing of oaths falsely in God’s name, or any other wicked thing. This should be the case especially with the rebuilding of Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem for his pure, undefiled, whole-souled worship. As the Christian apostle Paul wrote to the congregation in the pagan city of Corinth: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16) None whatsoever! As regards anyone practicing what is wrong within the congregation of Jehovah’s dedicated, baptized people, Paul says: “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”​—1 Corinthians 5:13.

37. In this “time of the end,” what should be done with “wickedness” as respects the God-given spiritual estate of Jehovah’s worshipers?

³⁷ During this “time of the end,” during this “conclusion of the system of things,” let wickedness of all kinds be removed from the God-given spiritual estate of Jehovah’s worshipers. Let it be kept out and confined to the realm of Babylon the Great and her political, military and commercial patrons. There let it stay fixed, as if residing in a firmly established house. We want no fellowship and association with this symbolic woman Wickedness. Leave her to her destruction along with Babylon the Great and all rebels against Jehovah’s universal sovereignty “in the land of Shinar.”

38. So since the beginning of the building of pure worship at Jehovah’s temple in 1919 C.E., what removal has been in progress, and how did Jesus foretell such a thing in his parable of the wheat and the weeds?

³⁸ Already since the restoring and rebuilding of Jehovah’s pure worship at his spiritual temple was begun in 1919 C.E., this removal of wickedness as if by the two stork-winged women has been in progress. It is just as Jesus Christ foretold for this “conclusion of the system of things,” saying: “The harvest is a conclusion of a system of things, and the reapers are angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be in the conclusion of the system of things. The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness, and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace. There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be.” (Matthew 13:39-42) When Babylon the Great and her worldly paramours are destroyed as with fire in the approaching “great tribulation,” their weeping and gnashing of teeth will cease at their destruction.​—Matthew 24:21, 22; 25:41, 46.

39. What, then, is the course of loyalty for us to persist in, while taking to heart Psalm 145:20?

³⁹ All we who have left Babylon the Great and her worldly paramours in the Babylonish “land of Shinar” have no reason to go back to that “wickedness” that belongs in that place of its inception. Our course of loyalty to Jehovah as the Sovereign Lord and only true God is to persist in his pure, undefiled worship at his spiritual temple under his High Priest, Jesus Christ. We take to heart what his inspired psalmist has written: “Jehovah is guarding all those loving him, but all the wicked ones he will annihilate.”​—Psalm 145:20.

Chapter 13

Chariots of God Safeguard Coronation

1. Are the chariots seen in Zechariah’s eighth vision those brought up from Egypt?

CHARIOTS make their appearance in the eighth and final vision given to the prophet Zechariah. These chariots are not any brought up from Egypt for the protection of the temple builders at Jerusalem in that year of the vision, 519 B.C.E., or the second year of the reign of King Darius I of Persia. The higher source of these more powerful chariots is revealed in the vision. Let us watch with Zechariah as they dash on the scene:

2. From between what did the chariots come forth, how many were there, and by what kind of horses were they drawn?

² “Then I raised my eyes again and saw; and, look! there were four chariots coming forth from between two mountains, and the mountains were copper mountains. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot, black horses. And in the third chariot there were white horses; and in the fourth chariot, horses speckled, parti-colored.”​—Zechariah 6:1-3.

3. What do the colors of the horses serve to do, and what question comes up as to the mountains?

³ We need not make guesses as to what the differentiating colors of the horses mean. The colors of the horses served to distinguish the chariots pulled by each color group. How many horses were hitched to each chariot, Zechariah does not tell us. But those two copper mountains from between which the four chariots come forth​—what do they represent? They certainly do not picture the mountain height of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives right to its east. What they stand for becomes clear from what Zechariah is now told:

4. From where does the angel say that the chariots come forth?

⁴ “And I proceeded to answer and say to the angel who was speaking with me: ‘What are these, my lord?’ So the angel answered and said to me: ‘These are the four spirits of the heavens that are going forth after having taken their station before the Lord of the whole earth.’”​—Zechariah 6:4, 5.

5. Who is “the Lord of the whole earth,” and why did the four chariots take their stand before him?

⁵ Aha! not material war chariots from the flatlands of Egypt are these, but they are visionary chariots, symbolizing the “four spirits of the heavens that are going forth after having taken their station before the Lord of the whole earth.” And who is that “Lord of the whole earth”? (Zechariah 4:14) It is Jehovah of armies. (Micah 4:13) And where is he located? In the heavens, in his holy spiritual temple. It is before Him that these four symbolic chariots present themselves, taking their stand respectfully before Him to receive their official commission, their assignments with respect to the earth of which He is the Lord. After that they emerge from between the two symbolic copper mountains.

6. Scripturally, what do the two copper mountains picture?

⁶ These two mountains of copper must accordingly picture mountains of God. That is to say, governmental organizations of God. This is not surprising, for in the Holy Scriptures mountains are used as the symbols of royal governments, kingdoms. For example, God’s angel said to the Christian apostle John concerning the seven-headed wild beast that carried the harlot, Babylon the Great: “The seven heads mean seven mountains, where the woman sits on top. And there are seven kings.” (Revelation 17:9, 10) So the one copper mountain would picture the personal kingdom of Jehovah God in which he reigns as Universal Sovereign. The second copper mountain would represent the Messianic kingdom that Jehovah establishes in the hands of his only-begotten Son, Messiah Jesus.

7. (a) That second mountain was seen by Daniel in vision as coming into existence in what way? (b) When and how does the fulfillment of its work take place?

⁷ This second copper mountain is the one seen in a dream by King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon just eighty-seven years before this eighth vision to Zechariah. This was at first the stone that was cut out of a large mountain without hands and that then struck and crushed the political image of Gentile domination of all mankind, after which that symbolic stone grew and became a large mountain that filled the whole earth. Explaining this mountain to be a picture of the Messianic kingdom of God’s Son, Daniel said: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” (Daniel 2:35, 44, 45) That Messianic kingdom was “cut out” in the year 1914 C.E., at the close of the Gentile Times, and in the oncoming “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon, it will clear the earth of all these Gentile governments.

8. When did these chariots come forth from between the two symbolic mountains, and how does their being of copper comport with what they symbolize?

⁸ Consequently, after the Gentile Times ended in early autumn of 1914 C.E., there were two symbolic “copper mountains,” namely, Jehovah’s royal government of His universal sovereignty and the Messianic kingdom of his royal Son Jesus Christ. So it is from between these two heavenly governments that the four symbolic “chariots” come forth. Evidently they came forth in the postwar year of 1919 C.E., when the remnant of spiritual Israel was released from Babylon the Great and went to work at building up the theocratic worship of Jehovah God at his spiritual temple. Anciently, copper was a noble metal like gold and silver, and it was used in Jehovah’s sacred tabernacle of worship and also in the temple at Jerusalem. Appropriately, then, the noble quality of the copper of the two symbolic mountains represented the noble quality as well as the weighty stability of Jehovah’s kingdom of universal sovereignty and of his Messianic kingdom by his Son.

9. How is it that the four chariots are said to be the “four spirits of the heavens,” and what service do these render?

⁹ How can it be that the four chariots pulled by sets of horses of different colors are “the four spirits of the heavens”? (Zechariah 6:5) It is because, in the fulfillment of the prophetic vision, they are angelic spirit forces, who have access to the presence of the heavenly “Lord of the whole earth.” Jehovah is the One “making his angels spirits.” (Psalm 104:1-4; Hebrews 1:7) He being “Jehovah of armies,” he can use these angels as in a military capacity for the protection of his chosen people. As Jesus Christ said to the apostle Peter before a mob in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) Since these “four spirits of the heavens” are pictured by horse-drawn war chariots, they picture bands of heavenly angels who are commissioned by their heavenly Commander in Chief to protect His people on earth during the time of rebuilding His temple of worship at Jerusalem.

10. Where do the chariot-drawing horses go on their respective assignments?

¹⁰ Where, then, is it that (1) the red horses, (2) the black horses, (3) the white horses, and (4) the speckled, parti-colored horses go forth on assignment? In answer, the angel explained to Zechariah regarding the movements of the four chariots: “‘As for the one in which the black horses are, they are going forth to the land of the north; and as for the white ones, they must go forth to behind the sea [literally, ‘after them’; that is, to their own rear]; and as for the speckled ones, they must go forth to the land of the south. And as for the parti-colored ones, they must go forth and keep seeking where to go, in order to walk about in the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Go, walk about in the earth.’ And they began walking about in the earth.”​—Zechariah 6:6, 7.a

11. (a) Why do the red horses seem to be overlooked? (b) What assignments do the other horses respectively have, and in what behalf?

¹¹ The “red horses” seem to be overlooked here; but this seeming oversight may be because they have already finished their assignment of military patrol duty. The black horses go to the “land of the north,” that is to say, to territory formerly that of Babylonia. The white horses go their way westward, the direction opposite from what they were facing (the sunrising). The speckled, parti-colored horses appear to have a double assignment, namely, “the land of the south” (toward Africa, including Egypt) and to reconnoiter the remaining open country, the eastern parts not covered by the other chariots. Jehovah’s angel told all the chariots to go to their assignments respecting the various quarters of the earth. Obediently they did so, to safeguard God’s people in Judah.

12. Of what force is this vision to those restoring pure worship, and what scriptures do they have in mind?

¹² What a comfort such import of this vision must have been to the temple builders in Zechariah’s day! They did not have to worry about violent interference from their enemies to stop their work on the house of Jehovah’s worship. How strengthening and heartening this is, too, for the anointed remnant of spiritual Israel today while they are engaged in restoring to the fullest extent the pure, undefiled worship of the Sovereign Lord of the whole earth at his spiritual temple! They confide in the divine promise: “The angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him, and he rescues them.” (Psalm 34:7) By faith they see what the eyes of the prophet Elisha’s attendant at besieged Dothan were opened miraculously to see: “The mountainous region was full of horses and war chariots of fire all around Elisha.”​—2 Kings 6:17.

13. As the chariots go forth on patrol duty, what does Jehovah say about the black horses as respects his spirit?

¹³ The eighth and last vision to the prophet Zechariah closes as he sees and hears Jehovah’s approval expressed as the military patrol work of the four symbolic chariots proceeds. Zechariah tells us: “And he proceeded to cry out to me and speak to me, saying: ‘See, those going forth to the land of the north are the ones that have caused the spirit of Jehovah to rest in the land of the north.’”​—Zechariah 6:8.

14. How was danger shown to exist in that “land of the north” even in the days of King Darius I of Persia?

¹⁴ The expression “the land of the north” refers to Babylonia. (Jeremiah 25:8, 9) Even during the reign of King Darius I of Persia there was danger from that quarter. As indicative of this, we read in the book “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s Kingdom Rules! page 376, the following history:

. . . This is, of course, not Darius the Mede, but King Darius I the Persian, who began ruling the empire in 522 B.C.

In that year Darius I had to move against Babylon and its local ruler (Nidintu-Bel), who had taken the name of Nebuchadnezzar III. Darius defeated him in battle and shortly afterward captured him and killed him at Babylon, which had tried to assert its independence. After that Darius I was recognized as king of Babylon till September, 521 B.C.E. Then Babylon revolted under the Armenian Araka, who took the name of Nebuchadnezzar IV. Thus Darius had to reconquer the Babylonians. After the city had been taken by storm that same year, he entered Babylon as conqueror. The old tradition was thus broken, namely, that Babylon’s god Bel was the one to confer on a man the right to rule that part of the earth; and Darius the conqueror ceased to acknowledge such a false claim. What a blow for Bel or Marduk! This time, after the Persians took the city, they did not deal with it leniently, as Cyrus had dealt with it.​—See also page 317, paragraph 1.

15. What was the chariot with the black horses sent to the “land of the north” thus preventing, and how did they thus cause “the spirit of Jehovah to rest in the land of the north”?

¹⁵ Thus the repatriated Jews in the land of Judah did not come again under the domination of Babylon, which had destroyed the first temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem and which “did not open the way homeward even for his prisoners.” (Isaiah 14:17) After this, also, Jehovah’s symbolic chariot that went to the “land of the north” kept the rebellious Babylonians from successfully revolting and from again enslaving the liberated Jews and interfering with the building of the second temple of Jehovah. That is how the chariot and horses going to the north already “have caused the spirit of Jehovah to rest in the land of the north.” Their faithful safeguarding work up there quieted His spirit up north and was an assurance that all the other chariots and horses in other quarters of the earth would safeguard God’s temple work.

16. What grand assurance does this give to Jehovah’s liberated witnesses?

¹⁶ How grand an assurance this is today to Jehovah’s liberated worshipers at his spiritual temple. Under protection of the symbolic chariots of Jehovah they will never again be conquered by Babylon the Great and all her political paramours!

A CROWN FOR THE TEMPLE-BUILDING HIGH PRIEST

17. Zechariah is now told to come into the house of Josiah with whom from Babylon, and to do what in that place?

¹⁷ The series of eight visions on that memorable twenty-fourth day of the eleventh lunar month (Shebat) of the year 519 B.C.E. had now ended, and the prophet Zechariah was directed to events visible to the natural eye in the land of Judah. Look! Here come three new arrivals from Babylon and (as it seems) Josiah the son of Zephaniah takes them to his home in Jerusalem for entertainment. Who are those three men, and what are they bringing with them? The spirit of prophecy identifies them to Zechariah: “And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: ‘Let there be a taking of something from the exiled people, even from Heldai and from Tobijah and from Jedaiah; and you yourself must come in that day, and you must come into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah with these who have come from Babylon. And you must take silver and gold and make a grand crown and put it upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak the high priest.’”​—Zechariah 6:9-11.

18. Why was there no objection to Zechariah’s taking part of the silver and gold and performing a prophetic act?

¹⁸ Likely the prophet Zechariah did not use all the silver and gold that Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, as a delegation, brought as a contribution from the Jews still in exile in Babylon. Although these three men from Babylon were not directed by the senders to give the silver and gold to Zechariah, yet there could be no objection to his taking part of it at the command of Jehovah of armies, forasmuch as the silver and gold were really contributed to Him in behalf of the restoration work under Governor Zerubbabel. With what Zechariah took, he was to perform a prophetic act, as an encouragement to the restoration work.

19. What was Zechariah to make and then do with it?

¹⁹ With what precious metal he took, Zechariah was to make a “grand crown” (literally, “make crowns,” but evidently the plural noun being used in the sense of grandeur). What Zechariah made he was to put upon the head of High Priest Joshua. What did it mean?

20. (a) What was the one called Sprout to build, and where would that one rule? (b) What was to become of the golden crown that was made?

²⁰ Let us listen to what Zechariah is told to say to Joshua: “And you must say to him, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies has said: “Here is the man whose name is Sprout. And from his own place he will sprout, and he will certainly build the temple of Jehovah. And he himself will build the temple of Jehovah, and he, for his part, will carry the dignity; and he must sit down and rule on his throne, and he must become a priest upon his throne, and the very counsel of peace will prove to be between both of them. And the grand crown itself will come to belong to Helem [or, Heldai] and to Tobijah and to Jedaiah and to Hen [or, Josiah] the son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. And those who are far away will come and actually build in the temple of Jehovah.”’”​—Zechariah 6:12-15.

21. Why was it fitting that High Priest Joshua be the one crowned, and not Governor Zerubbabel?

²¹ In the fourth vision to Zechariah he had been told to say to High Priest Joshua: “Here I am bringing in my servant Sprout!” (Zechariah 3:8) In Jeremiah 23:5 the foretold Sprout is said to be raised up to King David of the house of Judah, not to a high priest of the house of Levi. Yet it was appropriate for Zechariah to put the golden crown upon the head of High Priest Joshua instead of upon the head of Governor Zerubbabel. Why? Because, concerning Sprout, it was said: “He must sit down and rule on his throne, and he must become a priest upon his throne.” (Zechariah 6:13) Here the Greek Septuagint Version reads differently, saying: “And there shall be a priest on his right hand”; and a number of modern Bible translators take that reading instead of the Hebrew and Syriac. The crowning of High Priest Joshua instead of Governor Zerubbabel would not arouse the fears of King Darius I of Persia that a Jewish revolt was being set forward. No, the kingdom of David was not being restored at that time, but it had to wait until the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 C.E.​—Luke 21:20-24.

22. Did Joshua the son of Jehozadak sit upon a throne and rule as priest-king, and, in the light of that, what is the application and fulfillment of the prophecy?

²² High Priest Joshua did have part with Governor Zerubbabel in finishing the building of the second temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem and he witnessed its inauguration. He did not, however, personally rule as a crowned Priest-King upon a throne in Jerusalem. Neither did Governor Zerubbabel do so. But the anointed High Priest Joshua was a type or prophetic figure of the Messiah, the Christ, and in this latter one the prophecy concerning Sprout is fully realized. The Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, does become a Priest-King, in heaven, at the right hand of Jehovah God. He fulfills what was foreshadowed in ancient Melchizedek, who was both king of Salem and priest of the Most High God at the same time. Since the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 C.E., he reigns in the heavens as a King-Priest, like Melchizedek, and now rules and goes subduing in the midst of his enemies.​—Psalm 110:1-6.

23. (a) Is there any conflict between Jesus’ office of High Priest and his office of King? (b) For whom does he bear the “dignity” worthily, and for what work will Jehovah give him credit?

²³ The Messiah Jesus, crowned in 1914 C.E., is no imitator of the religious clergy of Christendom who meddle in worldly politics and try to boss the resentful politicians. There is no conflict between his office of heavenly High Priest and his office of Messianic King. As it is written, “the very counsel of peace will prove to be between both of them.” (Zechariah 6:13) He worthily carries “the dignity” conferred upon him by the God for whom he is High Priest. (Hebrews 5:4-6) From his royal throne in the heavens he has carried forward the temple work at the earth since the year 1919 C.E. among the liberated remnant of his anointed spiritual underpriests. As in the case of High Priest Joshua in rebuilding Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem, Jesus Christ the heavenly High Priest will bring the temple work to completion. With this honor he will rightly be credited by his God.

24. The use of the crown from the gold contributed by the three from Babylon and (indirectly) by Josiah indicates what for those contributing to the temple work?

²⁴ In that spiritual temple of the Most High God those who have contributed toward the temple work will be given due remembrance. Their part will not be allowed to be forgotten, just as the crown made from the gold brought by Helem (Heldai, in the Syriac), Tobijah and Jedaiah and, indirectly by their hospitable host, Hen (Josiah, Syriac), served as a “memorial in the temple of Jehovah.” (Zechariah 6:14) It will linger in Jehovah’s memory.

25. The coming of the three men from Babylon with a contribution was, seemingly, a forerunner of what according to the next words said?

²⁵ The coming of Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah from Babylon to make or deliver a contribution in support of the temple rebuilding seemed to be the forerunner of something bigger. This is indicated by Jehovah’s words uttered immediately after speaking of the temple memorial of those three exiles from Babylon: “And those who are far away will come and actually build in the temple of Jehovah.” (Zechariah 6:15) Doubtless, although unreported, many Jews did leave exile in Babylon and come to Jerusalem just to lend a helping hand in the second temple at Jerusalem.

26. How has this prophecy been fulfilled since 1919 C.E.?

²⁶ Likewise, after 1919 C.E., many who desired to worship Jehovah left Babylon the Great with a particular object in view. This object they carried out in that they dedicated themselves to Jehovah as God and got baptized in water as commanded by Jesus Christ and they joined the anointed remnant that had survived the affliction of Jehovah’s people during World War I. Jehovah God accepted their dedication through Christ and begot them by his spirit, thus adding them to the remnant of spiritual Israelites engaged in temple work. They have seized this blessed opportunity before temple work is over!

27, 28. What may be said as to whether the “great crowd” of worshipers who are not spiritual Israelites come under the fulfillment of Zechariah 6:15?

²⁷ What, also, is to be said of the “great crowd” of those who do not become spiritual Israelites, but who join with the anointed remnant in the worship of Jehovah God and give support to the remnant in the temple work? The last book of the Holy Bible, at Revelation 7:9-17, foresaw an unnumbered “great crowd” of such fellow worshipers of the only living and true God. These acknowledge him as the enthroned Sovereign of the universe. They accept the sin offering of his sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. In expression of this they dedicate themselves to Jehovah through Christ and testify to this by water baptism. Then they render what sacred service they are assigned to do in the earthly courtyard of Jehovah’s spiritual temple. They get inside the walls that surround the courtyards and that separate those courtyards from the profane things on the outside.

²⁸ They do this now, before the coming “great tribulation” breaks upon Babylon the Great and all the rest of this worldly system of things. They thus get in ahead of the finishing of the temple work by that momentous time. Jehovah will not forget their part. He will memorialize it with a reward.

29. What accomplishment in 515 B.C.E. proved that Zechariah had been sent by Jehovah?

²⁹ At the completion of the second temple in Jerusalem in 515 B.C.E., the Jewish remnant and the proselytes in the land of Judah had finalizing proof that Zechariah was God-sent as a true prophet. Not in vain had the words been said to Zechariah: “And you people will have to know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me to you. And it must occur​—if you will without fail listen to the voice of Jehovah your God.”​—Zechariah 6:15.

30. As in Zechariah’s day, if we listen to Jehovah’s voice we shall witness what event and we shall come to the fullness of what knowledge?

³⁰ In our case today it is the same. It all depends upon whether we listen to the voice of Jehovah as our God. If we do, we shall be privileged to witness the triumphant finish of the temple work, with honor to the crowned Priest-King Jesus Christ. We shall come to the fullness of the knowledge that Jehovah of armies sent the prophet Zechariah and that He gave us in advance a correct understanding of Zechariah’s prophecy for our benefit and joy. Jehovah’s four symbolic chariots have patrolled all the earth to safeguard the spiritual estate of the worshipers at his temple. Under their safeguarding our work comes to completion!

[Footnotes]

Chapter 14

Fasting over God’s Executed Judgments Improper

1. When is the propriety of fasting, even over past events, questionable, and how does fasting and mourning affect one’s part in God’s work?

IS A TIME of prosperity the proper time for fasting? Especially so when this prosperity comes from the hand of the Creator of heaven and earth? If the God worshiped is pleased with his worshipers and is rejoicing in them, is it proper for his worshipers to be mourning, even over the past? Would not the sharing in His joy be more strengthening and enlivening to his worshipers to get on with his assigned work​—rather than fasting and mourning? Nehemiah, a fifth-century governor of the Persian province of Judah, once said to the people at Jerusalem: “The joy of Jehovah is your stronghold.”​—Nehemiah 8:10.

2. In almost two years since Haggai’s final prophecy, how many blessed harvests should the Jews have gathered in, and why?

² The time that the above questions came up was in the fourth year of the reign of King Darius I of the Persian Empire, or in the year 518 B.C.E. Just twenty days less than two years prior to this time of inquiry, Jehovah by means of the prophet Haggai had said to the Jews who had just resumed working at the foundation of the second temple at Jerusalem: “Set your heart, please, on this from this day and forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was laid; set your heart on this: Is there as yet the seed in the grain pit? And as yet, the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate tree and the olive tree​—it has not borne, has it? From this day I shall bestow blessing.” (Haggai 2:18, 19) Since then two blessed harvests should have been gathered from the land.

3. When and how did the delegation of men from Bethel raise the question of the fitness of fasting?

³ Now, when the question of fasting and mourning is raised, this time Jehovah answers by his prophet Zechariah. The prophet tells us: “Furthermore, it came about that in the fourth year of Darius the king the word of Jehovah occurred to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, that is, in Chislev. And Bethel proceeded to send Sharezer and Regem-melech and his men to soften the face of Jehovah, saying to the priests who belonged to the house of Jehovah of armies, and to the prophets, even saying: ‘Shall I weep in the fifth month, practicing an abstinence, the way I have done these O how many years?’”​—Zechariah 7:1-3.

4. Over what event were those Bethelites evidently fasting in that fifth month each year?

⁴ Bethel was one of the towns that had been reestablished in the land of Israel by the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon. (Ezra 2:28; 3:1) When Sharezer and Regem-melech from there asked: “Shall I weep?” it meant every inhabitant of Bethel individually. For “O how many years” now the Bethelites had been celebrating a fast, an abstinence from food, in the fifth lunar month of each year. It was observed evidently on the tenth day of that month (Ab), in order to commemorate how on that day Nebuzaradan, the chief of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard, after two days of inspection, burned down the city of Jerusalem and its temple. (Jeremiah 52:12, 13; 2 Kings 25:8, 9) But now that the faithful remnant of Jews were rebuilding the temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem and were about half through, should the Bethelites continue to hold such a fast?

5. What other fasts were those Bethelites observing yearly, and to commemorate what events?

⁵ Those Bethelites were also celebrating three other fast days. One of these was on the third day of the seventh lunar month (Tishri), to commemorate the assassination of Governor Gedaliah, who was of the royal house of King David and whom Nebuchadnezzar made governor of the land for the poor Jews who were allowed to remain after the destruction of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 25:22-25; Jeremiah 40:13 to 41:10) Another fast was observed on the tenth day of the tenth month Tebeth, to memorialize the day when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his long siege of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 25:1, 2; Jeremiah 52:4, 5) A fourth fast was kept on the ninth day of the fourth month (Tammuz), for that was the day when the Babylonians made a breach in the walls of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E., and made their way into the doomed city.​—2 Kings 25:2-4; Jeremiah 52:6, 7; Zechariah 8:19.

6. The first three events as commemorated were what expressions from Jehovah, and so what question properly arises?

⁶ The things commemorated by fasting down to the year 519 B.C.E., namely, the start of the siege of Jerusalem, the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by the armies of Babylon, were all the execution of the judgments of Jehovah. Whereas the murder of Governor Gedaliah by a treacherous Jew was not the execution of a judgment from God, it did lead up to the utter abandonment and desolation of the land of Judah just as Jehovah had decreed. All these were mournful events for the disobedient Jews. But were the judgments executed by Jehovah things over which to fast and to mourn? Should the carrying out of God’s will be bemoaned? Is it an evil to be memorialized in sorrow?

7, 8. (a) To whom was Jehovah’s viewpoint on the question directly given? (b) Instead of there being fasting, what should have been done, and when this?

⁷ God’s viewpoint of the matter was given to his prophet Zechariah, not to the priests of whom Sharezer and Regem-melech had been sent from Bethel to inquire. Says the inspired Zechariah:

⁸ “And the word of Jehovah of armies continued to occur to me, saying: ‘Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, “When you fasted and there was a wailing in the fifth month and in the seventh month, and this for seventy years, did you really fast to me, even me? And when you would eat and when you would drink, were not you the ones doing the eating, and were not you the ones doing the drinking? Should you not obey the words that Jehovah called out by means of the former prophets, while Jerusalem happened to be inhabited, and at ease, with her cities all around her, and while the Negeb [Southland] and the Shephelah [Lowlands] were inhabited?”’”​—Zechariah 7:4-7.

9. From what standpoint was their fasting for those seventy years and since then comparable with their own eating and drinking, and what would have been the better thing?

⁹ When the exiled Jews fasted during the seventy years of desolation of the land of Judaha and also during all these years since the remnant of them returned to their homeland, were they really fasting to Jehovah? Was it fasting that He could accept? Was it fasting that he had imposed upon them? Was it not a fasting over the destruction of things that he had condemned to destruction? These abstinences from food were just like their indulging in food and drink. They were eating for themselves. Similarly, they were fasting for themselves, because of the calamities that had come upon them for their not obeying the words that their God had called out by Jeremiah and other former prophets. Under such attitudes, how could they benefit spiritually from their fasting? How could such fasting make them more inclined to do God’s will? Obedience in the first place was better than fasting over the calamities that came upon them because of not obeying God right at the start.

10. Was it fasting that would straighten out matters, and what preventive measures should have been taken by those involved?

¹⁰ It is not fasting because of one’s troubles that straightens out matters with God. What does do this is one’s turning from the disobedient way and doing positive good according to God’s commands. On this score, let us note what Zechariah was further told to say: “And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to Zechariah, saying: ‘This is what Jehovah of armies has said, “With true justice do your judging; and carry on with one another loving-kindness and mercies; and defraud no widow or fatherless boy, no alien resident or afflicted one, and scheme out nothing bad against one another in your hearts.” But they kept refusing to pay attention, and they kept giving a stubborn shoulder, and their ears they made too unresponsive to hear. And their heart they set as an emery stone to keep from obeying the law and the words that Jehovah of armies sent by his spirit, by means of the former prophets; so that there occurred great indignation on the part of Jehovah of armies.’

11. Because the inhabitants had refused to hear him calling to them, what did Jehovah do to them, with what effect on the land?

¹¹ “‘And so it occurred that, just as he called and they did not listen, so they would call and I would not listen,’ Jehovah of armies has said. ‘And I proceeded tempestuously to hurl them throughout all the nations that they had not known; and the land itself has been left desolate behind them, with no one passing through and with no one returning; and they proceeded to make the desirable land an object of astonishment.’”​—Zechariah 7:8-14.

12. The repatriated Jews remaining on the land would now be by what course​—by fasting or what?

¹² That was straightforward speech to Sharezer, Regem-melech and the men with them from Bethel. Their beloved homeland had been left desolate for seventy years because of the badness and disobedience to God’s law calling for justice according to truth, for loving-kindness and mercies. Now their return from Babylon had discontinued the desolation of the land. They could remain in that land by a course opposite to that of their fathers, that of obedience. Fasting in memory of calamities would not do it. In connection with obedience, they must carry on with the temple work.

13. Why would fasting over mournful events that befell Jehovah’s people during World War I be improper, and so what is the proper course for us to take?

¹³ Are we today going to carry on mourning or fasting on days that are anniversaries of calamities or mournful events that befell Jehovah’s worshipers during World War I? If such things were judgments executed by Him for the delinquencies of His organized people, are these executions of divine judgment not right things, proper things? Mourning or fasting over such things expressing God’s righteous judgments is improper. We should not mourn or fast because we have suffered thereby. That would be self-centered​—not a fasting to Jehovah, but a feeling sorry for ourselves. Learn the lessons from the past and apply them now! Then, with tears dried from our eyes, let us rejoice in Jehovah’s restored favor and forge ahead with his temple work!

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