A VINDICATOR must arise for the name of Jehovah and likewise for the faithful witnesses who bear his name.
Such vindicator could not mean or include the clergy of "Christendom"; for these heap reproach upon Jehovah's name and great abuse upon His witnesses. The clergy, with college and theological training such as Christ Jesus and his apostles never took, arrogate to themselves all spiritual knowledge and discourage the common-school people by insisting that they cannot understand the Bible but that the clergy are their ordained teachers. To belittle God's consecrated witnesses they use the same sneer that the religionists used
against Jesus who was from 'that town Nazareth': "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" (John 7:15) To a like set of religionists patient Job said sarcastically: "No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you." — 12: 2.
12 Job refused to be abashed in the presence of such worldly distinguished men or to be stopped witnessing for Jehovah because of their display of worldly wisdom. Religion confuses the understanding, but the Job class know their understanding is based on God's Word and is superior to worldly understanding, and that their Teachers are Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. (Isaiah 54:13; 30: 20; John 6: 45) Jehovah God is the Eternal Ancient One: "With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding." (12:12) Proud of their worldly learning and training, the ruling trio mock and laugh to scorn Jehovah's Bible-teaching witnesses who announce the setting up of The Theocracy and the impending disaster of Armageddon upon the world. Even the beasts, fowls, and fishes know that the mournful rule of wicked robbers is in operation, and the innocents suffer on account of Godless men. If the ruling trio will not listen to human witnesses of Jehovah, then let them go to the lower animals; they might learn some facts from them. (12:7,8) If not, then at Armageddon they shall know that Jehovah is the Almighty God, the Su-
preme One, and that Christ Jesus is his Vindicator, and that none can resist the execution of Their judgments upon the contemptible princes of the world. — 12: 21.
Jehovah by Christ Jesus abases the self-exalted ones, especially the religious "harlot" that rides the "beast" of the combine of nations federated according to the "new order" proposed by men. He discloses the wicked plots of darkness against The Theocracy and turns the searchlight on those who cast the shadow of death upon lovers of righteousness. He lets aggressor nations increase territory and enlarge their power against His organized people and he destroys the aggressors when at the height and fulness of their power. (12:23) Seeing that the world's leaders ignore Jehovah and his Theocracy and despise his Word, he darkens and confounds the world situation for them and answers none of their prayers for His blessing; and their worldly education and wisdom avail them nothing.
18 "Lo, mine eye hath seen all this." Where? In the historic examples recorded in God's Word. Now, too, in the light of that same Word the Job class see by the eye of faith the unmistakable beginning of God's foretold manifestations of divine all-power to an extent never before witnessed by man. The Eliphaz-Bildad-Zophar combine of today "do besmear with falsehoods" both God and his servants of integrity; they are
"falsehood-plasterers". (Job 13:4, Rotherham; margin) They are worthless spiritual physicians to all, and their preparations for a great religious revival after this present total war will not save the nations from Armageddon. They claim apostolic succession and the divine right to rule and that they are the "higher powers . . . ordained of God"; and so they wickedly assume to represent and speak for Almighty God. They feel justified in regimenting all the people to suit their purposes, and with no regard to the covenant with God of those who are consecrated to do His will. Jehovah's witnesses take their life in their teeth to maintain their ways before him in harmony with their covenant. Though it mean for them to be slain, without hope of relief from men, yet they refuse to be regimented away from doing God's work and will and into opposing his great Theocracy. If they are justified before God, what real injury can it do them for the enemy to plead against them? — 13:18,19.
As Job expressed his longings, so those in his class now are aware of their "iniquities and sins" and pray God to make them do His will; they fear to displease him. (13: 23) In themselves they are nothing of value, no more than a driven leaf or dry stubble. Hence they know that the bitter things published against them, and the increasing official cramping of the movement of their feet in God's service, and the spying upon all
their paths and footprints, all this trial of their devotion to God and his service is not because they are important or a danger to men and governments. It is because they are devoted to God's Righteous Government and proclaiming it, and are wrapped up with the vindication of His glorious name.
"The first man born was from woman after she and her husband had sinned, and since then man's days on earth are limited while existing under the rule of the demons, the wicked "heavens". Short-lived man and his salvation are not of first importance, but the "new heavens", The Theocracy, are of first importance. The devotion of faithful men to that heavenly government is what invites attention, because God then puts them on judgment as to their integrity toward Him and The Theocracy. Such persons of integrity are worth more than a tree. A tree, if it is cut down and only a stump is left, may sprout again through the scent of water. "But man [of integrity] dieth, . . . and where is he?" (14: 7-10) He is dead, and in Sheol, which word the King James Version Bible translates "grave". Sheol is also translated "hell" at Job 11: 8; 26: 6, and translated "pit" at Job 17:16. Another word that Job uses and that is translated "grave" is qebher, at Job 3:22; 5:26; 10:19; 17:1; 21: 32. What is the difference between both words translated "grave"? Sheol means a pit or hollowed-out place, a condition of
darkness and lifelessness where all the dead go. (Job 10: 21, 22) The Scriptures speak of only ONE Sheol. Hence it means the one and same condition of all the dead, whether some are due for a resurrection therefrom or not. Qebher means a mound or heap as raised up, for a memorial and in hope of a resurrection. There are MANY such graves, one, in most cases, for each dead one buried. Christ Jesus went both to Sheol and the grave (qebher), and was raised out of both unto life. (Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:9; Acts 2:27-31) "Hell," in the Bible, does not mean torment.
Except for Christ Jesus, those dying in their integrity are not awakened out of their sleep of death until the "new heavens", or The Theocracy, have been established. (14:12) This did take place in A.D. 1914, and thereafter Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven and down to earth. Job, and the other future "princes in all the earth", who have been hidden in the grave or Sheol for centuries, may be remembered of God any time now, and then his King may call to them to rise up in that "better resurrection" promised for them.
In his pains under demon assault and religious persecution Job desired to be hid in Sheol till God's wrath had passed. (14:13) Be it remembered that Job here pictured a class, from Abel on down to and including the remnant today and their companions. In 1918, during the World War, God was angry
with the remnant because of their failure as his public witnesses, as foretold at Isaiah 12:1. Then God sent his Messenger and King to the temple for judgment, and the remnant were purified and passed the judgment favorably and God's "wrath" against them passed and he reinstated them. Hence Job may be awakened with the other faithful men of old any time now before God's expression of wrath against the enemy at Armageddon, and Job and his fellows may see the Armageddon battle. It is noted, moreover, that Job desired a "change" of his then condition before he died, and he was willing to wait out God's appointed time for him to experience that "change". Job soon thereafter had that change of condition. This agrees with the fact that Job prefigured not only those who keep on in their integrity unto death but also the Lord's "other sheep" who are hid under God's protection during Armageddon and survive it and who then experience the change to the "new world" conditions and never die because forever faithful.
The hope of many men of integrity to see the "change" to the new world come in their day was not realized because they died before the "new heavens" were established, and before the Lord came to the temple in 1918. Thus it was that "thou destroyest the hope of man". (14:19) But if they died in integrity, with a living faith in the future
fulfillment of God's hope-inspiring promise, then they shall be made to live again in the new world for which they hoped.
GNASHING OF TEETH
15 The battery of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar having failed to drive Job down religion's "sawdust trail" to the mourner's bench as a convert, Eliphaz gnashed on Job with his teeth. He accused Job of leaving off the fear of God and prayer to God and of being a young upstart in knowledge. Like the Hierarchy who boast of the antiquity of their sect, Eliphaz says: "With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father." (15:10) He argues that not even in heaven are there any holy ones in whom God could trust as to their integrity; which would include also God's only begotten Son, "The Word." Verily a repetition of Satan's false charge! Eliphaz confuses religion with the worship of God or Christianity. The fight of the Job class against demonism and against that self-styled "vicegerent of Christ" and against "Christendom" the religionists viciously misinterpret as a stretching out the hand against God and Christ; they brand it "religious intolerance". (15:25) Quite to be expected, inasmuch as Jesus himself was accused of blasphemy against God because exposing religion and its practitioners, the real enemies of God! They fool themselves
by calling religion "Christianity", and desperately hope for a rosy future for religion, believing it invincible and perpetual because of its long existence. They doom Jehovah's witnesses to an early destruction as being hypocrites, as bribers of the poor people with rich promises, mischief-makers, deceivers with a "freak religion", disturbers of religious peace and unity, subversive, etc. This piles up reproach on God's name! — 15:29-35.
16 The clergy, seeking special favors from politicians and commercial traffickers, try to emphasize the need of having the clergy because of the great comfort they claim religion gives. Job says that the comfort the religionists give is to make miserable those who seek the truth and the pure worship of God. "Miserable comforters are ye all!" (16:2) And the honest-hearted persons who observe the clergy's vilification and persecution against Jehovah's witnesses say likewise. The trio of Job's persecutors could prate such a string of talk about God, but at the same time directly lent themselves to be the foremost servants of Satan; exactly what religionists are doing in our time. Jehovah's witnesses declare the truth, thereby exposing religion, but they do not engage in falsifying and persecution, and would not do so even if they were in power in the stead of the religionists. (16:4,5) Rather they always give Scriptural comfort to all those that mourn,
in obedience to God's command. — Isaiah 61:1-3.
For the sake of proving the Devil a liar and deceiver Jehovah has delivered his consecrated servants over to be harassed and persecuted by the ungodly religionists. They have been set up as the mark or target at which the clergy and their allies continuously shoot like archers. This is, as Job adds, "not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure." (16:17) Regardless of what men under influence of religion may say, think or do, "behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high "; or, "he that voucheth for me is on high." (16:19; Am. Rev. Ver.) Now Jehovah God has answered Job's prayer for someone who "might plead for a man with God". He has sent Christ Jesus to the temple as the Vindicator of God's name and also of the remnant and their companions. If these were not innocent, and if there were no vindication of them, then extinction would be their lot as for unfaithfulness. — 16:21, 22.
17 Threatened with death, and with all of Satan's world round about mocking and casting provoking insults upon Jehovah's witnesses, there is none to go surety for them and to agree with and come to their support save God himself as represented by His Vindicator. (17:1-3) Religion has given its practitioners no understanding, and it shall not win exaltation for them- in the new
world, either in heaven or on earth. As for the clergy who denounce Jehovah's true servants and deliver them up for a prey to the mob and violence, "he that denounceth his friends for a prey, even the eyes of his children shall fail." (17:5, Am. Rev. Ver.) (See Ezekiel 9: 6; 24: 21; Matthew 24:19.) This denouncing causes a division of the people. To those blindly following their blind clergy guides Jehovah's remnant become a reproachful byword, but the honest lovers of righteousness are astonished at the religious persecution and are stirred to take their stand against the hypocritical religionists. Cleansing their hands from the things of this world, such become the Lord's "other sheep" and continually grow stronger in numbers and in Him and in His service alongside the remnant. As the demons cause the world to become more and more totalitarian and the violence increases, particularly against the Job class, it outwardly seems that if they wait much longer they shall by violence be made to inhabit Sheol, "the grave," sleeping in darkness as children of corruption and worms, in the dust. (17:13-16) Only God can fulfill their hope of survival.
18 Bildad takes up the quarrel anew. He expresses himself as shocked in his tender susceptibilities at being shown to be like the beasts, without understanding and made to be destroyed. (2 Peter 2:12) "Man that is
in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." (Psalm 49:20) That judgment of the Lord which his witnesses declare is objected to by the clergy and their wealthy allies. They say that Jehovah's witnesses are tearing themselves with rage in preaching that at Armageddon God will cause the earth to be forsaken of all except his men of integrity and that in removing everything against The Theocracy God will overthrow the modern Tyre, the rock-like Roman Catholic Hierarchy, which claims to be founded on the rock represented by the pope. Bildad insists that the Job class shall not occupy the earth after Armageddon. In his outbursts of what he would like to see happen to the Job class he is really bidding for the demons to take action against Jehovah's witnesses. 'Set nets, snares and traps for them by specially framed laws! Terrorize them! Let a terrible death, "the firstborn of death" and "king of terrors", devour them! Wipe their Society out! Uproot them and blot out their name! CHASE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD! Make them an example of the wicked, "that knoweth not God," so others hereafter will be astonished and affrighted from following in the way of Jehovah's witnesses! If God doesn't do this, we will!' — 18:8-21.
19 Job and the class that he represents have at all times suffered a continual reproach, "these ten times," figuratively said. (19:3)
The war of the religionists against them has been like wave after wave of troops attacking them. Even if these were sinners, the religionists had no business to punish them and "persecute [them] as God" for sin that concerns only themselves. (19:22) Suppose they were wrong doctrinally. Then religion should let God do the punishing. Who authorizes religion to persecute? Their hardships due to the demons are enough without religionists adding thereto. For maintaining integrity and keeping covenant with Jehovah God, his witnesses suffer the estrangement of all former worldly friends, even members of their families and households. Were it not that God protected his witnesses from the demons, they would be destroyed instantly, so that in truth they are escaped by a very thin margin, "the skin of my teeth." (19: 20) If religion is, as claimed, a friend to servants of God, then, "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my . friends," in my affliction suffered for faithfulness to God. Those words (Job 19:21) the Roman Catholic Hierarchy apply to the souls of the dead in their make-believe "Purgatory" in order to get money contributions for saying masses and prayers for such "Purgatory" sufferers, yet the Hierarchy have not a milligram of pity for Jehovah's witnesses but seek their destruction by Catholic totalitarian dictators. Such double-dealing is not Godlikeness.
AVENGER
Persecutors run ahead of God. Let time tell. Let the record be preserved, as by letters chiseled in a rock and filled with lead, to be checked at the proper time of judgment. (19: 23,24) Such inerasable record of Job's course and of like men of integrity has been preserved in the Bible. Like records are being preserved in the books of the law courts of the land before which Jehovah's servants of integrity have been haled in late years because of their uncompromising stand for and service to The Theocracy. Such records are like the twelve stones piled on the riverbank at Gilgal after the Israelites crossed the Jordan. (Joshua 4:1-8, 19-24) Such records stand forth to show that Jehovah can and has put men on earth who declare his name, advocate his Theocracy, and, while suffering therefor, yet hold fast their integrity, in vindication of God's Word and name. Why can Jehovah's servants wait to let the record speak for itself in the time of final decision? The answer Job voices under inspiration: "Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth, and will hereafter stand up on the earth; and though with my skin this body be wasted away, yet without my flesh shall I see God. Yea, I shall see him my friend; my eyes shall behold him, and not another: for this, my soul panteth within me." (19:25-27, Noyes' translation) Though Job's flesh be all consumed by his disease and he be nothing
but skin and bones, yet he expected to see this!
Job did see it, in miniature fulfillment of the prophecy. (Job 42:1-6) This is not necessarily a resurrection promise, but is a prophecy showing God's triumph on the primary issue of universal domination, and it is in proof of what the Job class on earth has been continuously preaching. Though "strange" to religionists, yet their message is right because it is God's Word, and God will vindicate his Word and its proclaimers. At the showdown he will not let the remnant and their companions down. By his manifestation of his supremacy and almighty power He will measure up to all that his witnesses have proclaimed according to his prophetic Word.
Jehovah's Chief Representative, Christ Jesus, is His Vindicator of His own name and of his covenant people. This Vindicator was raised from death in Sheol to life immortal. He lives, like his Father, Jehovah, the great "I AM"! He now does "stand up on the earth", because he was enthroned in the "new heavens" in 1914 and forthwith cast Satan and his demons down to the earth and now has begun to rule in the midst of his enemies on the earth. In 1918 he came to the temple for judgment, and has unfolded the prophecies and provided the physical facts whereby the remnant and their companions, the "other sheep", now by faith see "my
Vindicator", "my Redeemer," present at the temple. He appears for them, "for myself," that is, as their Friend and Advocate, but not for "another", "a stranger" (Hebrew), that is, not for the religionists of this world who oppose Jehovah's Theocracy and his witnesses.
Since the release from their restraints during the World War Jehovah has accomplished the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 by his witnesses before all nations through a world-wide proclamation of God's kingdom or Theocracy. This should have served as a vindication of God's Word and of his covenant-keeping witnesses. The religious nations of "Christendom" did not accept this witness as sufficient, but turned the Kingdom testimony to be a reason for all nations to hate and persecute and suppress Jehovah's witnesses. Under spiritual instruction and dictation of the Vatican and its Hierarchy the nations purpose to completely immobilize and suppress Jehovah's witnesses everywhere, by official action, to reduce their fat or prosperous condition in God's service. The enemy are out to reduce them as it were to skin and bones and without the fulness and fairness of flesh to make them presentable in worldly eyes, and unable to keep on giving the organized witness to Jehovah's name and Theocracy. Then the modern Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar expect to cry out, "Peace and safety!" (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Then, suddenly, contrary to all surface appearance of world matters, Armageddon shall strike them and destroy them. There the Job class, the remnant and their companions, though "without my flesh" of beauty in the world's sight, shall see out from their human bodies the final and complete manifestation of God's Vindicator and theirs in that awe-inspiring spectacle of the "battle of that great day of God Almighty". Before those enemies go down into annihilation they shall know that Jehovah is God who holds and retains the universal domination and that He has had a prophet among them, namely, Jehovah's witnesses, who shall be preserved through Armageddon in vindication of his name and promise.
There Christ Jesus acts as Jehovah's Sword of execution. Jehovah God and his Son being "The Higher Powers", Christ Jesus as God's Minister "beareth not the sword in vain". (Romans 13:1-4) Therefore, now, if the modern Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar give no heed, let persons who have hitherto followed them heed the inspired warning: "Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment," or, "to the end ye may know the Almighty" (Rotherham). — Job 19: 29.
20 Feeling reproached Zophar the Naamathite now hastens to answer Job, and talks in terms of material wealth and militarism. He
refuses to endure any "check", but according to his upside-down understanding tries to rebut Job. (20:3) He contradicts Job's arguments as being contrary to the observed experience of all the wicked from Adam down till then. He attributes to God the things Job was suffering, and thereby condemns God as responsible and hides the malicious part of the real criminal, the Devil, from view. Since Job stood for Jehovah's Theocracy which shall wield the universal domination in God's name, Zophar blindly argues against Jehovah's side of the controversy over universal domination and in favor of Satan, "the god of this world." Desiring worldly popularity, Zophar publicly justifies himself and places himself out of the wicked class and puts Job in. This is his reasoning: (1) The wicked always get such punishments in this world as Zophar describes. (2) Job is getting such punishments, and it must be from God because God is against the wicked; but we three, Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz, are not suffering such things. Hence, (3) we are favored and approved of God, and Job is wicked. "This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God." — 20: 29.
With like unscriptural reasoning the religionists of today justify themselves before the world. They not only condemn God's faithful servants whom they persecute, but also condemn the common people by arguing
that God is punishing the people with the woes and calamities of these last days because honest people do not attend and join the religious sects and support the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and the other clergy. To the exact contrary, God's Word teaches that the Devil is responsible for such woes but is accusing God as responsible therefor in order to turn the people in bitterness away from God and into destruction at Armageddon. Take heed lest you be misled and become like Job's three false friends.
