CHAPTER V
WHY JUDGED
(EZEKIEL, CHAPTER 22)
JEHOVAH has committed all judgment to his beloved Son Christ Jesus, with full power and authority to execute his decrees. (John 5: 22, 27) In connection with the judgment of Christendom the Lord assigns to his faithful body members of earth certain duties to be performed. Ezekiel foreshadowed this faithful class, and to Ezekiel Jehovah said: "Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations." (22:2) To God's remnant now on earth is therefore assigned the duty or task of pointing out why the judgments of the Lord must come upon Christendom, and particularly upon the clergy and their allies who rule. If not hindered, Satan would prevent the people from knowing the reason for such judgments' being inflicted. God will not permit Christendom to have any excuse to say that she had no chance to know.
Since the World War there has been a studied and organized effort on the part of Satan's representatives to prevent the public proclamation of anything that might produce a 'religious controversy'. There has been and is an attempt in all Christendom to harmonize Catholics and Protestants, Jews and others, but the real effort is directed at God's faithful witnesses. The agents of Satan prevailed upon owners of public halls to refuse the use of their halls for public
proclamation of the truth upon the Bible. Owners and controllers of radio stations are warned by the clergy and are threatened, and every possible influence is brought to bear by them to prevent the broadcasting of the message of God's kingdom and of the reason for the expression of God's vengeance against the wickedness of Christendom.
As an excuse and attempted justification of their course of action these agents of Satan say that all controversial matters should be avoided. They are afraid to come out in the open and so they attempt to prevent the proclamation of the message of truth. Those who once made a covenant to do the will of God, who were favored with the truth and many of whom were put in positions as elders, and who still claim to be the favorites of the Lord God but who are unfaithful to him, insist that nothing should be said that would provoke the clergy to controversy. The real reason behind all this is an effort on Satan's part to keep the people in ignorance of the truth. The message of Jehovah God's Word is not controversial, and it is not proclaimed for the purpose of provoking controversy. Being the truth, it could not be controversial. That message of truth is, of course, important to all who have a desire to live. None shall ever live everlastingly without first having an opportunity to accept the truth, and then accepting and obeying it. It is God's message, and not man's, and no man can afford, for his own good, to push it aside.
Satan is therefore using his agents greatly to the disadvantage of the people. That message of truth is a warning to the rulers and to the ruled, that they might know what is coming to pass, in order that
those who desire to heed and who do heed and obey God may be carried through the great tribulation that is about to break upon the world. The responsibility to tell the message is laid upon God's anointed people, and this responsibility they cannot escape. When the message is faithfully delivered by God's anointed ones, then their responsibility in connection therewith ends.
Jehovah briefly states the reason for judging and condemning Christendom, in the words of his prophet Isaiah (24: 5). Then he states what is the result to those who are wrongdoers and who thus continue: "Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word." (Isa. 24:6,3) God's everlasting covenant, stated to Noah, defines the sanctity of human life. This covenant Christendom, and every part thereof, has repeatedly broken by unrighteously shedding human blood. The divine ordinances for the church, respecting the worship and service of Jehovah, are set forth in the Scriptures by Jesus and his faithful apostles. Christendom has changed these ordinances and instead has substituted a form of idolatrous worship. The laws of God concerning honesty and righteousness and fair dealing are set forth in the Bible. Christendom has broken every one of these laws and has committed every crime known to the criminal calendar.
The bloody and unrighteous deeds of Christendom are set forth by Ezekiel in chapter 22, particularly verses 3,4, 6 and 13. The chief ones in crime are those whom the Devil has exalted in his organization and
has made the ruling factors in Christendom. These have attempted to hide behind religious formalism carried on in the name of God and of Christ; and Jehovah is indignant at the hypocrisy and other crimes committed by them and at the reproach brought upon his name by Christendom, and therefore he says to such: "Behold, therefore, I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it. " — 22:13,14.
The truth must now be made known that Jehovah is God and that his time has come to put an end to lawlessness. "But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King; at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens." — Jer. 10:10,11.
Christendom, and particularly her clergy and the principal of her flocks, has fraudulently acquired that which belongs to the common people, and has oppressed and continues to oppress them; and has beaten, persecuted and maltreated the people of God, and has brought great reproach upon Jehovah's name. "The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts." (Isa. 3:13,15) Christendom has sowed degradation and profanity amongst the heathen, even as God caused Ezekiel to write: "And
thou shalt be profaned in thyself, in the sight of the nations; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord." (Ezek. 22:16, R.V.) God's purpose is now to make himself known and to expose wickedness. If he did not do so, those who flout him and his laws would not be brought to a recognition of who Jehovah is, and would not know that he does not approve wickedness. For his name's sake he will judge and fully recompense the wicked. His name shall be vindicated.
Jehovah sends his beloved Son to his temple for judgment and to perform the work of a refiner and purifier. "Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross"; all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver." (22:18) The house of Israel here mentioned corresponds to "both the houses of Israel" to whom God's anointed King has become "a stone of stumbling" and "a rock of offence". (Isa. 8:14,15) When the refining work is done, Christendom is found to be nothing but dross. The refining work gathers out and makes known the remnant class; the "great multitude" in due time also takes its stand on the side of the Lord; the people of good will and honest heart will take their stand on the side of the Lord and draw as near as they may to him, seeking meekness and righteousness, and the "sheep" will be fully separated from the "goats"; and that which Christendom once held, and which is likened unto silver, all comes to dross or nothing. — Isa. 1: 21, 25.
God will pour out his fury upon Christendom, and she shall come to naught. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore, I will gather you into the midst of Jeru-
salem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you." (22:19-22) When Nebuchadnezzar assaulted Jerusalem, doubtless many of the people of surrounding territory, towns and suburbs, rushed into the city to find refuge there, and they were thus cooped up or gathered together like metallic ore in a crucible, to be melted. In the present time the Lord, by casting Satan out of heaven and smiting the nations with fear, has caused "organized religion" to seek refuge in the strongholds of Satan's organization, which is headed for complete destruction. They become as tares gathered together in bundles for burning. Thus they are put in a convenient position to be devoured by the fire of Jehovah's jealousy, and like dross they shall all be consumed. "Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love thy testimonies." (Ps. 119:119) "Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer." — Prov. 25:4,5.
The prophecy had a miniature fulfilment in 606 B.C., when Jerusalem was destroyed; and its final fulfilment will be after the fire of God's jealousy blows upon Christendom. (Zeph. 3:8; 2 Pet. 3:7-10) The prophecy thus contrasts the hypocritical wicked with the way of the faithful. The gathering of the professed Christians into "organized Christianity" takes place at the same time that God gathers together his remnant unto Christ and brings them into Zion his organization. The false are gathered together for destruction, and the faithful remnant are gathered to-
gether unto the Lord in safety and for preservation and for Jehovah's use and service.
It is the duty and privilege laid upon the faithful thus gathered together for service to make known God's righteous judgment and to make known his reason for executing the same. Jehovah will afford ample opportunity for his name to be known, and his remnant is given the privilege of declaring his judgments and of telling the testimony, that his name may be known. It may appear to some that such is an unpleasant duty, but to those who love the Lord nothing can be an unpleasant duty when performed at the commandment of Jehovah. It is an unpleasant message to the ears of those who do not love the Lord God, but it is a joy to those who delight to have some part in the vindication of Jehovah's great name.
Jehovah then speaks against polluted Jerusalem and Judah, and directs his prophet to say: "Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation." (22: 24) This is directed also against Christendom. The day of God's indignation follows 1918, which year marked the end of the Elijah work of the church. Christendom is not cleansed; and its so-called "spiritual revival" following the World War, and which brought forth the League of Nations and peace pacts and crime commissions with the announced purpose of cleansing Christendom, did not succeed and has not succeeded in cleansing it. Christendom is dried up, and has the appearance of parched ground that is cracking open. The heavens of Jehovah have become unto Christendom as brass, and the curse that Jehovah pronounced against Jerusalem applies now to
Christendom. "And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust; from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed." — Deut. 28: 23,24.
CONSPIRACY
The clergy of Christendom are in a conspiracy against the truth of God and against the kingdom interests, as evidenced by the federated churches and the course of action thereof. These consort with bootleggers and political "crooks", and attempt to prevent the radio from being used to proclaim the kingdom message, and use every other means within their power to prevent the message of God's kingdom from going to the people. Being Satan's instruments they know that the truth will expose their own wickedness, and they work against the peoples' interest to shield themselves. By taxing their congregations to keep them going, and by sanctifying war, "they have devoured souls," and "taken the treasure and precious things" to build imposing cathedrals, by which they hope to impress the gullible people; and they have "made . . . many widows" by preaching war, by conspiring to poison manufactured alcohol, and by approving the shotgun method of enforcing the Prohibition law. Therefore says the Lord to them: "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. " — 22: 25.
Jehovah then describes the "wicked servant" class, called "priests", because such were once in line for the priestly office by reason of being called to the kingdom. (Rev. 1:6) Those who were disapproved when the Lord came to his temple, and out of whom is formed the "evil servant" class, are thus addressed by the prophet: "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." (22:26) These lawless ones have broken God's law governing those in line for the priesthood, by refusing to give public witness against Satan's organization and in favor of God's organization, and by declaring themselves subservient to Satan's organization, claiming his representatives on earth to be "the higher powers". They have profaned the holy things by refusing to stand by God's organization, and, in fact, they refuse to believe that God has an organization and that Satan has an organization. Instead of resting in the faith of the great ransom sacrifice, they have taught and teach so-called "character development" as a means of getting them into heaven, and have refused to proclaim that the kingdom is here, which is the great sabbath day and the only means by which the people can obtain rest and relief.
This "evil servant" class now attempts to keep the people in darkness, by opposing the work of God's witnesses who go from house to house to deliver the message of his kingdom. Through his prophet Jeremiah the Lord speaks concerning the prophets
(preachers) and the priests (those once in line for the priesthood), and says: "For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the Lord." (Jer. 23:11,12) Both preachers and priests have brought the name of Jehovah into disrepute.
The Lord then speaks by Ezekiel with reference to the political engineers, or directors, of the governments of Christendom, who manipulate the affairs of government and get "dishonest gain" by fomenting war, by resorting to bribery and fraud, by betraying the peoples' interest, and by operating the public affairs for private gain. These he speaks of as "princes", saying: "Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain." (22:27) The preachers put forth their best efforts to make these unrighteous rulers and engineers and directors of political affairs to appear good in the eyes of the people. In this they are aided by the "priests", that is to say, the class once in line for the priesthood but which has become the "evil servant". "And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken." (22:28) On the pretext of being patriotic these preachers attempt to uphold the politicians who practice wicked schemes upon the people; and thus the "princes" destroy souls and get dishonest gain, and
the people suffer. These same political prognosticators predict better times just ahead and the success of their worldly schemes for cleaning up the land, and the preachers follow in their lead and try to lend a sanctimonious and holy air thereto; such, for instance, as the clergymen's offering to follow the lead of the president of the United States with his "Crime Commission", and declaring such to be God's way, when, in fact, "the Lord hath not spoken" by them.
Following the World War the number of "newly rich" amongst the people greatly increased and have been particularly engaged in oppressing the poor. They have robbed and vexed the people by various unholy schemes. For instance, on the pretext of improving the country, they put forth all manner of schemes that have made the burdens of the people grievous to be borne. Among these are the real estate promotion schemes, taxing the owners of property by a bonding system, which is a great oppressive scheme of "taxation without representation". The consent of the property owner is neither sought nor asked, but schemers get laws enacted and proceed to carry out their schemes through which the people suffer. Therefore says the prophet of God: "The people of the land [that is, the prosperous ones in commercial affairs, aside from the officials who become oppressors] are guilty of extortion, and practice robbery, and the poor [the small property owner] and the needy [those who really need consideration] they defraud: and they extort from the stranger with injustice." — 22: 29, Leeser.
Such schemes have they practiced throughout America, particularly since the World War, and the small
property owner has grown poorer each year, and these, together with the laborers that produce the wealth, are greatly oppressed. They oppress the poor and draw them before the courts, where unjust judges assist in robbing them. One of America's able and fearless lawyers publicly said: "Nowhere in our social fabric is the discrimination between the rich and the poor so emphasized to the average citizen as at the bar of justice. . . . Money secures the ablest and most adroit counsel. . . . The poor must be content to forego all these [things]." This is in line with what the apostle wrote: "But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?" — Jas. 2:6; 5:1-6.
God's faithful people are "strangers and pilgrims" in the land of Christendom. (1 Pet. 2:11) Big Business, politicians, and the clergy, acting together with the cruel and newly rich, have oppressed and do oppress these "strangers". Also the people of heathen lands, such as China, and who are therefore "strangers" to Christendom, have been and are victims of oppression by Big Business and their allies. Christendom has afflicted the people more than any world power that ever existed.
The Lord's prophet then shows that Jehovah has looked in vain in Christendom for any of her leaders to take a stand for righteousness. He says: "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none." (22: 30) In the early history of America there were bold and fearless men who would stand for the people; but not so in modern times, and particularly dur-
ing the past half-century. For many years God has sent his message of truth to the land of Christendom, and this work was foreshadowed by what Elijah the prophet did. (Mal. 4:5,6) But this work of proclaiming the truth to the leaders of "Christendom" did not cleanse them nor turn them away from unrighteousness. Instead of the clergy's standing for God's kingdom, they openly joined hands with the others of Satan's organization and declared against God's kingdom under Christ, and have persecuted those who dared tell the truth.
No one can ever be heard to say that Jehovah God did not show mercy and long-suffering toward Christendom. The mouths of her leaders, and particularly of the clergy, are for ever stopped from making any such claim. Having spurned the message of the Lord and refused to be cleansed, Jehovah now pronounces final judgment against Christendom, declaring what shall be her end. "Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them: I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath; their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God." — 22:31.
COVENANT-BREAKERS
(EZEKIEL, CHAPTER 23)
The twenty-third chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy finds its complete fulfilment in the two branches of "organized Christianity", that is to say, Catholicism and Protestantism. Jehovah continues to state through his prophet the reason why his judgment shall be executed against Christendom, and particularly upon these two branches. These two are daughters of one
"woman". They are the two great religio-political world powers. The first one was, and is called, "The Holy Roman Empire," which was entirely Roman Catholic until 1521; and the second is called the British-American Empire system. The name applied to the first, in the Scriptures, is "Aholah", and that applied to the latter is "Aholibah her sister". With this prelude let us now proceed to the examination of the twenty-third chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy.
In the Scriptures a woman is symbolic of an organization. Jehovah gave his word of promise to Abraham that Sarah, who had long been barren, should bear him a son, and that with that offspring he would establish his covenant for ever. (Gen. 17:15-21) In this symbolic picture Abraham represented Jehovah the "husband", Sarah represented God's organization called Zion, while Isaac the son represented the King that shall rule the world in righteousness. (Isa. 54:1-7) Then God set up a typical organization called Jerusalem or Zion. Out of this typical organization came two daughter-organizations, to wit, the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which had their capital city at Jerusalem, and the ten tribes of Israel, which had their capital city at Samaria. The two were sister organizations, and were two political divisions or establishments, both claiming to be God's kingdom and God's representatives on the earth. (1 Ki. 11:35-38; 14:7,8; Gen. 22:18; 28:14) These two governments or political organizations, symbolized by women, had their birth from the womb of one mother, to wit, God's organization, and are therefore sisters. They both fell away to Satan and became the daugh-
ters of his wicked organization by adoption. Thus says the Lord by his prophet: "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; and they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister; and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names, Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah." — 23:2-4.
The fulfilment of the prophecy on a larger scale, and which relates to Christendom, is this: God planted true "Christianity" as a pure and noble vine, Christ Jesus being the vine, and the apostles the branches thereof; then there came forward an organization which in fact was and is a political organization called "Christian" and which has been known by the name and title of "The Holy Roman Empire". The sixth world power had adopted a religion and named it "Christianity", and then it was called "The Holy Roman Empire". Later there came forward another organization, in opposition to "The Holy Roman Empire", called "Protestant Christianity". The Protestant reformers had among their active men some, without a doubt, who were honest and sincere; but Satan got control of the organization. It soon revealed itself as a political organization, separate and distinct from the other part of the so-called "Christian world".
"The Roman Empire," the sixth head of the beast, converted itself into "The Holy Roman Empire" (so called) and continued to dominate the so-called
"Christian world" and was entirely Catholic until 1521. Her younger "sister", the Anglo-American Empire, and particularly Britain, is the seventh head of the "beast", or the seventh world power. Both of these world powers, that is to say, Romanism and Protestantism, have laid claim to being the kingdom of God and the heir of the promise through which the blessing to all the nations should come; and hence both of these organizations set out to convert the world to their respective religious views. Both claimed and still claim to rule by divine right. They both lay claim to being offspring of the same mother, to wit, God's organization, and both call themselves "organized Christianity" or "Christendom", but, in truth and in fact, their common mother is "Babylon the Great", which is Satan's "woman", symbolic of Satan's organization. These are both therefore the daughters of one mother, or the offspring of Satan's organization. (See Revelation 17: 5; Light, Book Two, page 89.)
The prophecy above quoted and other supporting prophecies show that Samaria and Jerusalem were typical of the organizations of Catholicism and Protestantism. As both Samaria and Jerusalem "committed whoredoms in their youth", likewise Catholicism and Protestantism committed whoredom from their youth on. Neither the Catholic nor the Protestant organization, as such, was ever in fact God's organization; but they took the name of God and of Christ and thereby assumed to be God's organization, and professed to be children of the Lord and his representatives on the earth. They openly committed "whoredom" by allying themselves with the politics
of the world, and, in fact, by making their organization political but with a religious name, to wit, the name "the Christian world", or "organized Christianity".
The name Aholah means "tent woman; her tent". The name Aholibah means practically the same thing. According to the Leeser and Rotherham translations the prophet of the Lord says: "And they became mine." Both "The Holy Roman Empire" and the Anglo-American Empire claim to be God's by adoption, and hence both take the name "Christian" and together form what is generally called "Christendom". Jehovah applied the name Aholah to Samaria, and Aholibah to Jerusalem. Samaria therefore foreshadowed the Roman Empire. Samaria means "watch-station", and the Roman Empire claims to be the "watch" nation for the whole world. Jerusalem means "foundation of peace, or inheritance of peace". The British Empire, together with America, has expanded its domains by what they call peaceable means; and is the author of modern peace movements, and lays claims to being the bulwark of the peace of the world and the stabilizer of civilization. Thus the meaning of the names well fits the two world powers, the Roman and the Anglo-American.
Samaria sought political connection and strength from the heathen nations round about. (Hos. 7:10,11; 2 Ki. 15:19, 20; 17:1-3) Instead of relying upon the Lord and his promises Samaria looked elsewhere: "And Aholah played the harlot, when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours." (23:5) Likewise the so-called "Holy Roman Empire" sought political connection,
aid and support, not from God, but from Satan's organization, which is pictured by Assyria. Rome centered her strength in political rulers and military powers, symbolized by "desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses", "which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses." (23:6) The same relationships, or "whoredoms", which Rome had practiced with Egypt (the Devil's organization) she continued to practice after she became the so-called "Holy Roman Empire" or "Christian" world power. "Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted; with all their idols she denied herself. Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her." — 23: 7, 8.
Jehovah then names these things as a reason for the execution of his final judgment upon Aholah, the Roman wing of so-called "organized Christianity": "Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. These discovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword; and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her." (23:9,10) This could not have reference to what the arrogant Napoleon did in 1799 to Papacy. Napoleon was only one part of Satan's organization, whereas "the Assyrians" symbolically stands for all of Satan's organization to which the Romans looked for aid; and she ("Aholah") has had to take whatever the political
factors, including Napoleon and others, provided. "Organized Christianity" was handled in the World War in the worst manner she was ever handled up to the present time. She was exposed, and all the world saw that she was unfaithful to God; and millions of her sons and daughters were slain. Doubtless more Catholics than Protestants were slain in that war, because more were engaged in it. But the worst trouble for all "organized Christianity" is still future, and that at a very early date.
Protestant "organized religion" saw how Roman Catholicism had denied herself with the commercial and political powers of the world, and said much against the Catholics for that reason; but then Protestantism went and straightway did likewise, and even worse: "And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way." (23:11-13) Both have taken the same course; but Protestantism had had more enlightenment than Romanism, and therefore is the more reprehensible.
The clergy of organized Protestantism in the Anglo-American Empire have shown more lust for political power since the World War than her elder sister, Romanism, has shown. The two have taken the same way, as the prophet says, but "organized religion" in the seventh world power has been and is by far the worse. Both have appealed to Satan's officers and
recognized representatives for aid, and both have joined hands in their political and financial schemes.
About the close of the World War a new government came into power in Russia, which new government has continued to heap many indignities upon so-called "organized Christianity". Since then the pope of Rome, the archbishop of Canterbury, the archbishop of York, the archbishop of New York city, and other clergymen of the Protestant systems, have protested against the action of Russia and have appealed to the commercial and political rulers for aid and relief. The American Committee on Religious Rights and Minorities appealed to the president of the United States against Russia and her persecutions of so-called "organized Christianity", and advised that the American government refuse to recognize Russia unless the 'religious persecutions are stopped'. The United States has not recognized Russia.
Jerusalem increased her whoredom with the Chaldeans by giving herself over to the Babylonish religion. (See Ezekiel, chapter eight.) When she saw the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in gaudy and beautiful colors, she yielded to the temptation and she immediately opened negotiations with the Babylonians to come and make common cause with her. (Ezek. 23:14-16) Both Samaria and Jerusalem fell away to the heathen. "And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom; and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them? Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that
playeth the harlot; so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah the lewd women." (23:17, 43, 44) For this reason God inflicted punishment upon both of them.
MODERN FULFILMENT
The modern fulfilment of the prophecy is this: "Organized religion" of the seventh world power, to wit, the British-American Imperialism, saw the beautifully painted pictures drawn by the president of the United States, and by a general of the British army, of and concerning a world power, made up of a League of Nations, and which is the eighth world power; and it pleased their vanity. To have to do with bringing such a thing into existence would cover them with everlasting fame; so they thought. Immediately "organized religion" began to flirt with the commercial and political powers and to open negotiations with them, and without hesitation united with the devilish scheme manifested in the League of Nations. As an open and flagrant act of hypocrisy they even named this makeshift of the Devil (the League of Nations) "the political expression of the kingdom of God on earth". Since then the Protestant clergy in particular have preached in favor of the propositions brought forward by modern Babylon, to wit, by the political powers of the world. They have advocated and supported the World Court, the peace pacts, the military disarmament movements, naval parleys, crime commissions, and all of such movements; and have fully endorsed and allied themselves therewith.
"Organized Christianity" has sent messengers, in the form of delegations of clergymen, to the political
world powers. They have passed resolutions and memorialized the political powers, including them in all such matters. During all that period of time from and after 1919 to the present hour God's witnesses on the earth have continued to call attention of "organized Christianity", or Christendom, to the fact that such are Satan's schemes; and have warned the nations and the people that the League of Nations, peace pacts, and like worldly arrangements, are the offspring of Satan. To all of such warning and testimony "organized religion" has turned a deaf ear, just as the message of Jeremiah was rejected by the Jews. God had sent Jeremiah to warn Jerusalem, and Jeremiah did this faithfully and repeatedly, and his message was despised and rejected. God has sent his witnesses to warn Christendom and to testify to her of the truth; and Christendom, particularly Protestantism, has opposed and persecuted these witnesses of the Lord.
The political and commercial elements believe that they can use the clergy of organized religion for their purposes; therefore they make an illicit alliance with them and, for a time at least, 'come into her bed of love.' The overt acts committed by the religious leaders of Christendom show a complete alliance made by them with other parts of the Devil's organization. [Religionists have opened their arms and received into illicit relationship the political and commercial rulers. They completely separate themselves from God and from his kingdom, and acknowledge their strength comes instead from the schemes of the Devil. "Therefore, 0 Aholibah, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy
mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses." — 23: 22, 23.
This prophecy, like others, has a twofold fulfilment. The first was in the siege of Jerusalem and the fall of that city to the Babylonians in 606 B.C. The latter or modern fulfilment is upon Christendom, particularly in relation to the seventh world power, or Anglo-American Empire, the Protestant wing thereof. It betokens a rift between "organized religion" and the other worldlings with which she has had an illicit alliance. To be sure, "organized Christianity" will never reform, because she has passed completely beyond that stage. Organized Protestantism has gone into complete infidelity, and the majority of her leaders are against God and against the Bible. Even now the political and commercial rulers are getting their eyes open to the fact of the hypocrisy practiced by those who stand for and represent the modern church organizations; and the Lord will put it in the mind of such to "burn her with fire". (See Revelation 1:16; Light, Book Two, page 108.)
God's judgment is pronounced against modern "Christianity", because she has forsaken the Lord and played the harlot and the hypocrite: "I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord God, Thou shalt drink of thy
sister's cup, deep and large; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. Thou shalt even drink it, and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms." (23:30-35) The cup here mentioned is not one of doctrine, but it is the "cup of astonishment and desolation", the manifestation of God's wrath against the great hypocritical crowd that has defamed his holy name. God's judgment is written against both wings of Christendom, or "organized Christianity", so called. The judgment is final and will now be enforced and fully executed.
Jehovah called upon Ezekiel to pronounce judgment against Samaria and Jerusalem. Jehovah likewise directs the Ezekiel class, his faithful witnesses on the earth, to proclaim his judgment against Christendom, particularly the hypocritical religion thereof as represented and practiced both by Catholicism and Protestantism. "The Lord said moreover unto me, Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations." (23:36) The responsibility is upon the faithful witnesses of Jehovah to declare his judgments. Such is not the judgment of men or the message of men. It is God's judgment and God's testimony delivered to Christ, and the giving of which testimony has been committed to the faithful members of the body of Christ, the witnesses
of Jehovah now on the earth. Such judgment he has caused to be written in his Word. The reason for the enforcement of his judgment is stated by Ezekiel in 23:37-44.
Christ Jesus the great Judge executes these judgments, and his true followers on the earth must make announcement thereof, as commanded, and this work is now in progress.
Neither the clergymen, that is, the preachers of "organized Christianity", nor the "priests", who were once in line for the kingdom, have told the people about God's organization as distinguished from Satan's organization. They have not attempted to cause the people to take their stand on the side of Jehovah in his organization. They have caused the people to pretend to call upon the name of the Lord God, and at the same time have induced them to feed upon the Devil's food. They have not told the people the difference between the clean and the unclean. They have claimed to stand in the house of the Lord God and to be his representatives; and at the same time they have profaned God's sabbath, that is to say, his rest, and the rest of his people in Christ, and have turned the people to idolatrous worship and to trust in worldly powers. Instead of telling the "children" of the church organizations that their hope of blessing rests wholly in the kingdom of God under Christ, they have turned to the Devil's makeshift for aid, and have received no aid, but have received discomfort.
Jesus Christ is the righteous Judge to whom is committed all judgment and the execution thereof. He has brought his faithful remnant under the robe of right-
eousness which Jehovah provided. (Isa. 61:10) The obligation is therefore laid upon those who are God's witnesses and members of the "servant" class to pronounce the judgment that will be executed by the great and righteous Judge. "And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands." (23:45) This does not mean that the faithful witnesses of Jehovah render any judicial decisions; but it does mean that the judicial decision which God has rendered, and which he will execute by and through Christ Jesus, must now be announced or declared by those who are faithful witnesses of Jehovah and hence "righteous men" in the sight of Jehovah. These witnesses are directed to announce the judgment that is written against those, after his manner of judging and punishing the Israelites that committed adultery. (Lev. 20:10) That judgment against such offenders was death. Therefore the witnesses of Jehovah must proclaim that God will destroy Christendom by the hand of Christ Jesus, his chief executive officer. The "servant" class, or remnant, has nothing to do with the execution of the judgment. The work of such is limited to bearing before the people the testimony of God's purposes; and this they must do.
Jehovah's "righteous" ones, to wit, his witnesses on earth, are now sent forth to pelt the guilty with hailstones of truth and to 'dash their little ones against the Stone', that is, against God's kingdom. (Ps. 137:9) But concerning the execution of the judgment the Lord says: "For thus saith the Lord
God: I will bring up an assembly against them, and will give them to be tossed to and fro and spoiled. And the assembly shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire." — 23: 46, 47, R.V.
"The assembly" above mentioned is the Lord Jesus Christ and his army that is with him. (Rev. 19:14-16) The result of this judgment enforced will be to completely cleanse the land. "Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness." (23:48) This could not refer to punishment inflicted by the worldly forces, because nothing that they could do would cleanse the world of filthiness. What Jehovah, by his Son Christ Jesus, does will completely clean up the world. Thus will be fully demonstrated to all that Jehovah is God. "And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God." (23:49) Everything of Satan's organization must cease, that righteousness may be established in the world to the vindication of Jehovah's name and that all may know that Jehovah is the Lord Almighty God.
SCUM OF CHRISTENDOM
(EZEKIEL, CHAPTER 24)
In the twenty-fourth chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy Jehovah continues to set forth the reasons for his judgment against Christendom and those who support, her and walk in her way. The setting and the language of the prophecy show that it is Jehovah's prophecy, and not that of man. In giving proclamation to the
prophecy it should be recognized by all that it is the announcement of God's prophecy, and not the opinion or expression of any man. Ezekiel was merely an amanuensis or instrument used by Jehovah to cause the record of the prophecy to be made, and that for the particular benefit of those who should live on earth at the present time. In like manner those who make proclamation of the prophecy today are merely the instruments in the hand of the Lord, whom he uses to declare his purposes concerning the vindication of his name. Primarily the announcement is for the encouragement of his witnesses, and secondarily that notice may be served upon those against whom his judgment shall be executed.
Jehovah is an accurate and exact timekeeper. He causes his purposes to be executed at the time which . he has set, and there is no delay in his so doing. He knows the end from the beginning, and everything comes to pass at his appointed time. He has waited his own good pleasure and time to vindicate his name and his word, and we may be sure that when his due time arrives his work will be accomplished exactly as he has arranged and willed. His accuracy in marking time is notable in this prophecy. "Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day; the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day." (24:1, 2) At the same time that Jehoiachin the king of Israel was carried away captive to Babylon Ezekiel was also taken captive. (See chapter-1:1,2.) The king of Babylon began operations against Jerusalem on a day certain. "And it came to pass, in
the ninth year of his [Zedekiah's] reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about." — 2 Ki. 25:1; Jer. 52:4.
At that specific time Ezekiel was hundreds of miles east of Jerusalem and in captivity in the land of Babylon. Reference is here made to Ezekiel 21: 21, 22, when "the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination". He then called upon his deity, the Devil, to direct whether he should assault Rabbath of the Ammonites or Jerusalem. It was then that Jehovah intervened and so directed the affairs that Nebuchadnezzar moved against Jerusalem. Jehovah directed Ezekiel to write the name of the day, "even of this same day," and this may have reference to that day when the king Nebuchadnezzar stood at the parting of the ways, as above mentioned, or it may have been on the day that the siege actually began against Jerusalem. There is no way of definitely determining whether it was one or the other.
It is certain that Ezekiel could have received the information, to write it at that time, from Jehovah alone. This proves that Ezekiel was inspired to write what he did write. The radio was not then in use; nor was there any other means of instant communication, except by special communication from the Lord in his own chosen way. To be sure, it was easy for Jehovah to send one of his angels to direct Ezekiel what to write, which he did write on that selfsame day. The two important points here are, that Jehovah God directed Ezekiel what to do, and that he fixed the exact date of
the event and caused an accurate record thereof to be made. As God directed his work then, so he can direct it now. This would show to the Ezekiel class, namely, God's faithful witnesses, that Jehovah wants his people to note, mark and make a record of the time that he begins to express his wrath against antitypical Jerusalem, that is to say, against Christendom. This exact date is fixed by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the temple of God for judgment, and which time the Scriptures clearly fix as in the spring of 1918, or three and one-half years after Jehovah installed his beloved Son as King.
At the time of the coming of Christ Jesus to the temple of God, and therefore at the beginning of the expression of Jehovah's wrath, Christendom or "organized Christianity" was rebellious, and there was rebellion on the part of others who had been calling themselves members of the house of God. Jehovah directed Ezekiel to speak a parable, which parable relates to his rebellious house: "And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it." (24:3-5) This parable was uttered as a further illustration of Jehovah's judgment . against the rebellious people and of his purpose to execute it. It is a parable that possesses its own peculiar features, and is profitable now for study, admonition and application.
The "pot", mentioned in verses three to five of the prophecy, and by the Revised Version called a "caldron", is symbolic of the unfaithful organization, both the typical and the antitypical, The sixth verse describes the organization as a "bloody city": "Where-
fore thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it." The organization is found and pronounced guilty by the great Judge, and guilty of exploiting and making prey of the poor and weak and defenseless amongst the inhabitants.
As a pot is used to boil or roast flesh, so this fitly describes the bloody organization which has 'boiled' and 'roasted' the poor and defenseless. The rulers mentioned are the chief ones in Israel, and they did that very thing concerning the peoples of Israel. Concerning them the Lord said: "And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know judgment? Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones: who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron." (Mic. 3:1-3) It appears to be a fixed habit of the unfaithful clergy at all times to do this very thing. Jesus said of them: "For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." (Matt. 23:4) The cruel operations practiced by the leaders in Israel had greatly befouled their "pot", or organization, with scum and blood which testified against them. Silent witnesses they were, but such as stood firm without contradiction. There was no answer to their testimony. The scum and blood upon the sides of her "pot" Israel could not remove; that is to say, the wicked rulers in
Jerusalem could not wipe out or remove the evidence against them. God will remove it by his fiery judgments, however; therefore he said: "With fraud hath she wearied (the poor); therefore shall not go forth from her the greatness of her scum: through fire shall her scum (be removed)." — 24:12, Leeser.
By following the direction which Jehovah gave, Ezekiel performed the parable; and after making the pot boil he removed everything from it, leaving the pot entirely empty, except for its scum or rust remaining on the sides thereof. The evidence abundantly proves that the bloody city of Jerusalem was a type of the bloody organization of Christendom; and the physical facts that have come to pass stand boldly out as witnesses against Christendom at this time. A few of these facts are here considered.
OPPRESSIONS
The nation that is the head of the seventh world power, and therefore the head of so-called "Christendom ", has at all times been a government of arrogance and oppression. Its princes and rulers have been haughty, austere, and holding themselves above the common people, and acting as oppressors of the common people. Because of its cruel oppression of its citizens, and because of the love of liberty by such citizens, many of them fled from England and took refuge in the wilds of the American continent. In the course of years these American colonies grew in number and wealth and power, but in all that time the few ruled and controlled. These princes or rulers reaped the fruits of the poor man's labor. Although they had fled from oppression, the rulers continued to practice
the same upon the subjects of the American colonies; and the mother government of England likewise continued its unjust and oppressive measures, carried on through its representatives in the American colonies. Taxation without representation and other indignities brought on the great revolution that resulted in the independence of the American government.
For some time America was designated as "the land of the free and the home of the brave". But not so now. In the year 1823, at the adoption of the Monroe doctrine, the United States became a part of the imperialistic seventh world power. Since then both of these leading nations of Christendom, Britain and America, have carried on wars of conquest, even though they were called 'wars in the interest of humanity'. The British imperial government has extended its domains wherever the sun shines, and the poor of all of its dominions are oppressed by the few who rule. As the result of war and bloodshed the United States has enlarged her territory both on the mainland and on islands of the sea; and both parts of the Anglo-American Imperialistic arrangement have moved forward together, especially during the past hundred years.
Britain sent her so-called "Christian" missionaries into China, upon the pretext of converting the Chinese to the "Christian religion"; but for the real purpose of using the "Christian" missionaries, so called, as a shield behind which the political powers and financial powers operated to get the opium trade spread over the great land of China. Such trade has resulted in tremendous oppression and degradation of the common people of that land.
The oppression of the peoples in India, the slaughter of the Boers of South Africa, and like operations of conquest and oppression, represent some of the scum and blood upon the antitypical "pot", or great world organization. Like acts of conquest and oppression, carried on by the United States in support of the British wing of the Anglo-American system, mark also the scum and blood upon the "pot". All this was done by governments that have called themselves the representatives of God on earth.
Then came the World War of 1914, in which America, without just cause or excuse, engaged; and that conflict caused the death of hundreds of thousands of men, who left behind them a multitude of widows and orphans to mourn their loss. In that war both Britain and America pushed their poor to the front, there to bleed and die. It is these two great nations, acting really as one, that have sought to bring about a combination of nations, that the whole world might be controlled and kept in subjection; and while apparently the American government has kept out of the League of Nations, by various hooks and crooks she is really in it. Being a party to the World Court and to various treaties that are subsidiary to the League of Nations, she operates in connection with the head of the seventh world power.
Following the World War there has been oppressive rule in all the lands called "Christendom". The war produced a new crop of rich who have obtained their gain by fraud and oppression and by means of dishonest dealing with public affairs. High government officials openly indulged in bribery and fraud by which the people are exploited and much of the common
property is taken for private use. It is true that there were criminal prosecutions of some of these, but doubtless those guilty of the greater amount of fraud escaped unscathed. The larger banks have absorbed the smaller ones, the chain stores have driven out the individual merchant, and the mighty corporations have made serfs of their employees and the common laborers. These great corporations are the most prolific cause of corruption in the politics of the state, and they are aided and abetted and plastered over by the palaver of the clergy. The poor labor to produce the wealth of the nation; and the few who rule by fraud and deception exploit them and take away the profits of their honest labor. The few, who hold and wield the power of rule, figuratively cast lots upon the poor and they gamble with the fruits of the poor man's labor.
Throughout the land the burdens of taxation have steadily increased since the World War, and this has had much to do with depreciating the values of property. Corporations or companies are formed with such names or titles as "tax factors", or "appraisal companies", whose business it is to fix the values of property as a basis for taxation. The political rulers who have control of the peoples employ these so-called "experts", who know little or nothing about the value of the real estate where they go to operate, and care less for the burdens they place upon others. These so-called 'expert valuation companies' have so greatly increased the valuation placed upon property for taxation purposes that hundreds have lost their small savings. The valuation of some property has been increased as much as fifteen hundred percent.
As an illustration: A man of moderate means owns
a home. It is mortgaged for less than half its value, but the interest thereon must be paid, and the taxes must also be paid. The assessed valuation is greatly increased by the so-called 'expert valuers', and this for the purpose of fixing general taxes; and added to that is the special burden for local improvements which are done under contract at exorbitant and robbery terms. These burdens of taxation are put upon the property owners and become so great that the small owner cannot meet the obligation and pay his interest on the mortgage. The result is that many have lost their homes, and they and their families suffer. Millions of such cases exist in the land today.
The burdens of oppression continue to increase upon the people, and they see no way of relief. It would be impossible to recount all the wicked operations and crimes of which Christendom is guilty. By divers and numerous means the ruling factors have defrauded, exploited, robbed and killed "the poor innocents", and the clergy, as one of the factors that rule, have held up hypocritical hands and said: 'This is the kingdom of God on earth.' When the wars have come the clergy have endorsed these and urged the people into them, only to die. Therefore upon all the skirts of this ruling element is found the blood of the poor innocents. (Jer. 2: 34) The "pot" has on the inside of it a thick scum of unrighteousness and human blood wickedly shed.
The Lord, therefore, caused Ezekiel to utter the parable concerning the pot, which pot now means Christendom or "organized Christianity". Ezekiel is directed to bring out each piece from the pot and leave therein only the scum and rust and blood. Thus is indicated God's purpose to completely deliver the peo-
ple, particularly the poor and the oppressed, from the organization of Christendom, represented by the pot. Jehovah will spoil the pastures of the workers of wickedness and oppression, and thus deliver the people therefrom. (Jer. 25:34-36) No longer will Jehovah allow the ultraselfish to gamble with the property and lives of the poor. Therefore Jehovah now commands the Ezekiel class, that is to say, his witnesses, to tell the people that their deliverance draws nigh and that this will come by and through the operation of his kingdom under Christ.
The wicked organization of Christendom, as represented by the pot, not only has exploited and robbed the people, but has violated the everlasting covenant in the most flagrant manner, and the blood and scum thereof remain in her as silent and eloquent witnesses against her. "For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust; that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered." (24:7,8) So wanton, bold, reckless and cruel have been the actions of Christendom that she has been like a senseless drunken man. With boldness and arrogance she has held up her bloody record which testifies now against her as though she had poured the blood of her innocent victims upon the top of a rock for exhibition. God will not now permit it to be covered, but it will stand until his due time to completely destroy the system.
Christendom has cruelly persecuted to death many of those who have loved and served Jehovah God. As the blood of Abel cried out from the ground, the blood
of these ones faithful unto God cries out against them that now dwell on the earth as Satan's representatives. "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6: 9,10) God will avenge their blood. Upon Jerusalem came all the righteous blood shed from Abel to Zacharias; and upon her counterpart, Christendom, shall come all the righteous blood shed from then till now. — Matt. 23:35-37.
The scum and blood in the pot, that is to say, in Christendom's organization, can be removed only by the scorching fiery indignation of the Lord God expressed against it. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great. Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned. Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten [annihilated, Roth.] in it, that the scum of it may be consumed." (24: 9-11) "Organized religion," which mockingly and fraudulently has taken the name of Christ and called itself "organized Christianity", shall be annihilated by the Lord.
There is no way for Christendom to be now cleansed except by the fire of destruction from Jehovah. The great God would have cleansed Christendom through the antitypical Elijah-work, but she refused to be cleansed, and the work has failed as did that of John
the Baptist toward the Jews. (Mal. 4:5,6; Luke 1:13-17) Therefore says the Lord concerning "Christendom" now: "In thy filthiness is lewdness; because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee." (24:13) Christendom and all the workers of iniquity who work in the name of God are condemned by him as filthy. "He which is filthy, let him be filthy still." The Lord will 'give to each one according as his works shall be'. — Rev. 22:11,12.
The officials of the Federal Council of Churches, representing organized Protestant religion, confessed to the scum and bloodstain of its pot (organization), and then with hypocritical and outward pious methods attempted to cleanse their organization, but cannot. In 1919 that organization issued officially a document in which these words appear: "The League of Nations is rooted in the gospel. . . . The heroic dead will have died in vain unless out of victory shall come 'a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness'." By quoting these words from the Scriptures that organization admits that its own record and course have been and are unrighteous. Then that document adds: "The church [meaning, the Federal Council of Churches] can give a spirit of good will without which no League of Nations can endure." In other words, organized Protestant religion admits its filthiness, and then has the temerity to say that cleansing can come by its efforts. The end of that unrighteous system is at hand. Jehovah's decree is made and sealed, and he will execute it: "I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I
will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God." — 24:14.
THE UNFAITHFUL
Marriage is a relationship by covenant. All in the 'covenant by sacrifice' are in such relationship and therefore are and should be dear to one another. God took away Ezekiel's wife by sudden death. "Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning; and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded." (24:16-18) Ezekiel's wife may have been unfaithful to him or unfaithful to God, and is therefore used to picture those persons, once in the covenant by sacrifice, that are unfaithful thereto and unto God. These unfaithful ones blasphemed God's name and defamed his temple and disobeyed his commandment.
Ezekiel's wife pictures the class found unfaithful to the Lord when he came to the temple for judgment. These unfaithful ones are like a wife, as "the weaker vessel", not continuing "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might". (1 Pet. 3:7; Eph. 6:10,12) They refuse to obey God's commandments and to bear the fruits of the kingdom. They were once dear to the heart of the faithful, even as Ezekiel's wife was dear to him, as 'the desire of his eyes'. As death dissolves
the relationship existing by marriage, so the sweet relationship and communion between the faithful and unfaithful comes to a sudden end, as "with a stroke". The Lord Jesus suddenly came to the temple and purged "the sons of Levi", and removed the offending ones and cut them asunder. (Mal. 3:2,3; Matt. 24: 51) As Ezekiel's wife died in the evening, so the death of these unfaithful ones occurred "at even", at the dark period of 1918.
Clearly the lesson for the anointed here is, that those who are faithful are not to weep or bemoan the fate of the unfaithful. The judgment of the Lord is not to be doubted, questioned, resented or bewailed. His judgments are always right. It is no time for mourning, because 'the joy of the Lord is the strength of the faithful'. Ezekiel obeyed God's commandment; and the Ezekiel class, the "faithful servant", must obey joyfully. Similar instructions were given to Samuel the prophet concerning Saul. (1 Sam. 16:1) These scriptures prove the proper course for God's anointed to take.
Then the people asked Ezekiel the meaning of this sudden death. (Vs. 19) Antitypically the meaning is that "judgment must begin at the house of God", and, starting there, in due time it will certainly reach the unfaithful nominal house of God, or "organized Christianity", and the unfaithful who make up the "evil servant" class or the "man of sin". What happened to Ezekiel was merely a small illustration of what will befall "the man of sin" first, and also "organized Christianity". If judgment begins at the house composed of those in the covenant, what shall be the end of "organized religion" that has not obeyed the gospel
of God? "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Pet. 4:17,18) "Organized Christianity" has not one chance to survive. The "evil servant" class is marked "the son of perdition", which means certain destruction. The death of Ezekiel's wife, therefore, pictures what awaits the "man of sin" and "organized Christianity".
The relationship by blood is also close and dear amongst those who are honest. The relationship by affinity in Christ is much dearer, because such as are therein have the spirit of the Lord. Those brought into the covenant with God are more enlightened than those whose relationship is merely by blood alone. When the ties between the faithful and the unfaithful are broken, those who love God will not murmur or complain. Jehovah is selecting the ones who shall be in his kingdom; and when, by the decree of his just Judge, he determines that one is unfaithful and unfit for the kingdom, all who have the spirit of the Lord should gladly acquiesce in that judgment. It is therefore wrong and contrary to God's commandment for the faithful to weep or bemoan the fact that some who have been in the truth have gone away.
Looking back over the experiences since 1918, those who love God see that many have fallen away. Some of these false ones have been very dear to others who remain faithful. Let none, however, mourn for those who have fallen away. The greatest privilege that any creature could possibly have is to know and to faithfully serve Jehovah God. If this privilege is not appreciated, no one having the spirit of Christ could love the ungrateful who withdraw from their covenant. Let the
unfaithful pass out of mind and be forgotten for ever, as though they never existed. Let all who truly love God stand firmly together and serve him. It is love like that of Christ that binds and holds together the faithful. There is nothing else that can hold them together, and there can be no such love without complete faithfulness to God. — 2 Cor. 5:14.
"ORGANIZED CHRISTIANITY" DESTROYED
"Organized Christianity" claims to be the temple of God, and that claim is false. Many regard it with superstitious awe and reverence, but it is now marked for destruction by Jehovah's judgment. That "organized Christianity" is prized by many is shown by the fact that they resent any criticism of the organization. Concerning this organization God said: "Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword." (24:21) The zealous supporters of "organized Christianity" would go the limit to protect and safeguard it. When God says: "I will profane my sanctuary," clearly the meaning is that such organization claims to be his sanctuary because taking the name of Christ. The temple of Jerusalem was the pride and "the desire" and the 'pity' of the zealous Israelites; and yet they defiled and polluted it by their idolatrous practice and worship, and for this reason God destroyed it. Likewise "organized Christianity" claims to be the temple of God, which "temple" is her desire, pride and pity, and which she has polluted by the satanic ceremonies
and idolatrous practices introduced therein; and God will destroy it in vindication of his name.
Out from "organized Christianity" have come "sons" and "daughters", meaning, organizations such as leagues, lodges, clubs and societies, which have falsely taken the name of God and of Christ and which with "organized Christianity" shall be destroyed.
This scripture may also mean that many will see their own children slain in the great tribulation and will for that reason be in great anguish. The expression of God's indignation will bring upon the world such tribulation as has never before been known. The grief will be too heavy for expression. So astonished will be the peoples of Christendom that they will be stunned beyond expression in grief. The land will be strewn with the dead, and "they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried". — Jer. 25: 33.
When Ezekiel's wife died he did not cry. From this and from his words the surviving Israelites learn that they must not lament: "And ye shall do as I have done; ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do; and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God." (24:22-24) Even a few million persons' being slain within an hour would so stun the survivors that they would find no words to express their astonishment and grief. They would know that such is the infliction of God's judgment upon "organized Christianity" which for centuries has defamed his
name, and that now his word and his name shall take their proper place in the mind of creation.
Jeremiah described the organization of Christendom and those who practice therein as like unto "a pleasant vessel". A beautiful vase or other vessel appeals to "the lust of the eyes"; and when it suddenly crashes upon the pavement, its possessor is struck dumb with astonishment. This description indicates that the shepherds or leaders will see their institutions, on which they have looked with great pride, suddenly crumbling into dust, and they will find no way to escape. "And ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape." (Jer. 25:34,35) Their destruction will quickly follow. The survivors will then shortly know that such disaster is the expression of God's indignation against Christendom. Because they will know that it is from Jehovah, the survivors are instructed 'not to mourn or weep' for those who have fallen; "but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and groan, looking one at the other." (Vs. 23, Leeser) Jehovah will have the people to know that he is the Almighty God. In order to vindicate his name he will destroy that wicked and hypocritical thing that Satan has erected in the earth.
GOD'S REMNANT SURVIVES
Ezekiel, because of his location, was safe from harm at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Ezekiel class, the "faithful servant" or remnant, is now in "the secret place of the Most High", abiding under the shadow of his wing. God has put his protecting hand over his "servant" while these deliver his mes-
sage. (Ps. 91:1-9; Isa. 51:16) The fact that Ezekiel survived the destruction of Jerusalem indicates that some of the remnant at least will be on the earth after the destruction of Christendom.
"Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters, that he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?" (24: 25, 26; 33:21) Ezekiel, by commandment, spoke the word of prophecy, and Jehovah would have that word verified by eye witnesses who survived the disaster upon Jerusalem and who would testify that Ezekiel had spoken truthfully. Thus is indicated what shall come to pass after the fall of Christendom, and thus God "confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers". (Isa. 44: 26) In such manner God will prove to the survivors that there has been a class of people in the land who have been and are faithful to him and who have truthfully proclaimed his word. — Ezek. 33: 33.
These scriptures support the conclusion that the "servant", that is, Jehovah's faithful witnesses, whom Ezekiel foreshadowed, will be on earth for some time after the destruction of Christendom, and that the survivors will be eye-witnesses of that destruction and will seek out the remnant and will confess that God has used the remnant to declare his truth.
There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918 and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time. Later the faithful learned that these
dates were definitely fixed in the Scriptures; and they also learned to quit fixing dates for the future and predicting what would come to pass on a certain date, but to rely (and they do rely) upon the Word of God as to the events that must come to pass. Jehovah has spoken his word and will perform it, and the Scriptures seem clearly to indicate that Jehovah will grant to his faithful witnesses the privilege of seeing his great "act", thereby proving that his witnesses have spoken his word of truth according to his will; and that this he will do before his witnesses are "changed" into the glorious organism like unto Christ Jesus'. This is not predicting dates, but is merely calling attention to events that must come to pass because clearly set forth in God's Word.
Now the witnesses of Jehovah are not in good repute with men. There are many who believe the truth but who shun the witnesses of Jehovah because of fear of losing their reputation or their property. By so doing they are moved by selfishness, of course; but as surely as the witnesses of Jehovah speak his truth, just so surely God will make the people come to know that such witnesses have spoken truthfully. This will not be that the witnesses may have an exaltation amongst men, but that the people may know that God has had witnesses amongst them.
Great is the privilege to now be a witness for Jehovah. Only those who have full faith and confidence in and love for God and his kingdom will now declare the truth with boldness. This is the day of judgment, and those who really love God will speak with boldness. (1 John 4:17,18) Others who have received the truth but not the love of it will go to the rulers in
Christendom and declare their own allegiance to such rulers, recognizing and acknowledging them as "the higher powers", thereby hoping to save their own hides and at the same time to cause greater persecution to come upon God's remnant. Such work after the manner of Satan, and God's judgment concerning them is already written. (2 Thess. 2: 9-12) And now a great reproach is laid upon the witnesses of Jehovah who love God and who tell the truth; but when Jehovah's name is vindicated, the surviving people will know that Jehovah had in the land men and women who without fear and with joy declared his truth. The survivors will turn to such for aid and comfort, when the fiery judgment of God's righteous indignation is past.
Why has God put these things in the Bible, and why, before they come to pass, does he show them to those who are devoted to him? To those who are his witnesses, and therefore his "servant", Jehovah says: "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." (Isa. 42: 9) The reason Jehovah does this is stated by the apostle to be "that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ". — Rom, 15:4, 6.
The end of the world has come. The temple in heaven is open, and those who have been so marvelously favored by being brought into the temple now receive a vision of the prophecies that have come to pass. Jehovah graciously permits those in the temple to see other things that shall shortly come to pass. For this
reason he has now opened to his people the meaning of Revelation and of the prophecy of Ezekiel. Only those of the temple can have a keen appreciation of these blessed things. Therefore Jehovah says to them: "Sing unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth"; and they are doing it. (Isa. 42:10, A.R.V.) In obedience to Jehovah's command, his witnesses go up and down the land fearlessly and joyfully proclaiming the truth and singing his praises to the glory of his name.
VERIFICATION CERTAIN
From the time when Ezekiel was given the vision and he began to prophesy against Jerusalem, to the time of the fall of Jerusalem, was a period of approximately six years. During the time of the siege there would be no reason why Ezekiel should prophesy against Jerusalem. That was a time for the enforcement of the judgment of God which had been announced by the mouth of his prophet. The prophecy discloses that for a period of time Ezekiel was dumb: "In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the Lord." (24:27) This scripture does not state that Ezekiel was utterly speechless from the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem until the arrival of the first survivor to inform him of the fall of the city. What it really means is that Ezekiel was dumb, that is to say, did not speak under inspiration, against Jerusalem during that period of time. God had previously caused Ezekiel to speak all that needed to be said concerning Jerusalem before her siege. During
the assault it was his portion to wait in silence, so far as prophesying against Jerusalem was concerned, and until what he had said was verified by eye witnesses. When the city fell and the eye witnesses saw it and escaped to tell it, such was a verification that Ezekiel's prophecy was from Jehovah and therefore true and correct.
Furthermore, the facts show that chapters 25-31 of Ezekiel's prophecy against the heathen nations were uttered during the siege, hence proving that Ezekiel was not actually speechless during that period of time, but was without speech concerning Jerusalem.
During the period of 'preparing the way before Jehovah ', and until the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple of God, the faithful people of God were preaching or declaring against the false religious organizations of the world. Prior to 1918 God's people did not have a vision of Satan's organization. They did not see that the visible ruling powers, to wit, commercial, political and religious elements, jointly constituted Satan's organization that opposes God and his kingdom. Since 1918 no one has seen and appreciated this fact except those who are in the temple and who are therefore of the "servant" class. For this reason many who claim to be in the truth refuse to speak against Satan's organization. When this great truth was discerned by the Lord's faithful witnesses, they began a campaign of preaching against Satan's entire organization and continued to carry on such campaign. This prophecy may also mean that after the testimony against "organized Christianity" is given, then a more thorough and complete testimony must be given against the other nations of the world.
What Jehovah caused Ezekiel to do in the presence of the Jews was a sign or testimony unto them of what was coming to pass: "And thou shalt be a sign unto them." Whether they believed the testimony or not at the time it was given, after such testimony was verified by the fulfilment of the prophecies upon the Jews the survivors would know that the Lord God had accomplished it: "And they shall know that I am the Lord." Particularly from and after the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple of Jehovah the faithful ones, foreshadowed by Ezekiel, have gone through varied experiences. They have had to do with many things which they did not understand at the time but which afterwards the Lord revealed to them. What the faithful witnesses of Jehovah have done in obedience to the commandments of the Lord has been observed by many of Christendom. Now the witness class understand those events through which they have passed, and in due time Jehovah will cause other events to come to pass that will fully verify the truth of the testimony as given by these faithful witnesses. Then the survivors of the "great tribulation" will call to mind these things and will know that at no time has God left himself without witnesses in the earth. "In that day," or period of time after the great trouble, the survivors will call the witnesses of the Lord and make inquiry of them and learn more of God's purposes concerning them.
JEHOVAH'S PURPOSE
Jehovah's name is beyond just reproach. All the reproaches that have been placed against his name were and are without cause or excuse. Jehovah is the source of life to all creation, and gives his gift of everlasting
life to those who do what is right. Life was granted to Adam upon that condition. Jehovah's name stands for his purposes concerning his creatures. His purposes have ever been and ever will be right and just. His announced purpose was to put men on earth , who would remain faithful to him and who would therefore do right. Satan the rebel defied God and denied that he could put men on earth who would under stress maintain their integrity toward Jehovah. That defiance raised the vital issue which must be decided right. It pleased Jehovah to pursue a course that in time would vindicate his name, that is to say, that would prove that Jehovah is true, just and righteous, and which would exonerate and completely justify him in the eyes of all creation.
Jehovah therefore gave his word that his "woman", named Zion, meaning his organization, would produce a seed that would exonerate his name and his word and be used by him as the instrument to bring blessings to all the obedient ones of creation. It pleased Jehovah to have testimony given in support of his word and name and to declare his purposes. To that end he sent his beloved Son Jesus to earth to be his witness and to bear testimony to the truth and to provide redemption for condemned man. Jesus fully performed the duty laid upon him.
Jehovah gave his word that he would take out from amongst men "a people for his name", and that such people would maintain their integrity toward him under the test, be his faithful and true witnesses, and proclaim his praises; and he has accomplished this and has proven his word and name thereby. Jehovah gave his word that he would produce and set up a kingdom
or government that would rule the world in righteousness and afford men the opportunity for the blessings of life. His kingdom is now here.
Satan, the rebel and defamer of God, built up his own organization, symbolized by his "woman" Babylon. His woman, or wicked organization, brought forth a seed which for centuries has ruled the world in unrighteousness and has oppressed mankind, and which continues to reproach Jehovah's name. Satan brought forth a people for his own name, amongst which are the hypocritical religionists who practice the Devil religion in the name of God and of Christ and to the reproach of the Most High. Christendom and her associates, the unfaithful "servant" or "man of sin", stand in the lead of a long list of defamers of Jehovah's name and word.
The great crisis has now arrived, and the issue shall be determined now, to wit, Shall the name and word of Jehovah stand firm and for ever, and shall his kingdom of righteousness rule? If yes, then the wicked organization and seed of Satan must be completely cleared out, which can be accomplished only by the destruction thereof. There is no alternative. Jehovah has written his judgment against Satan and his wicked organization and representatives, and that judgment is annihilation.
It pleases Jehovah to now give testimony and warning to the people of his purpose to shortly destroy the "man of sin", and Christendom, and Satan's entire organization. He is under no obligation to give such notice, but in so doing he affords men the opportunity to take their stand on the side of Jehovah and his kingdom, before the judgment of destruction is fully exe-
cuted. That testimony is now being given, at Jehovah's commandment, by his witnesses. When the testimony and warning are completed, then Christ Jesus, the chief executive officer of Jehovah, will fully execute his judgment and thus will prove, justify, exonerate and completely vindicate the word and name of the Most High.
