Page:Hope-of-a-tree-1934.djvu/7

February 1, 1934

The WATCHTOWER

39

count given by Nebuchadnezzar the name of Jehovah does not appear, and this shows that the account is from a pagan ruler and is another evidence of its genuineness. The fact that Nebuchadnezzar had to send for Daniel to interpret his dream shows that he was obliged to apply indirectly to Jehovah for enlightenment. He could not get it from his own servants but could receive enlightenment only from the servant of Jehovah God.

¹⁹ The name Daniel means "God's Judge". Daniel at this poit foreshadows Christ Jesus the great Judge, whom Jehovah has appointed as such and to whom He has 'committed all judgement, and given him power to execute judgment'. (John 5:22, 27) The sending for Daniel corresponds to the time of sending forth Christ Jesus by Jehovah to begin his reign amidst his enemies, and therefore relates to the year 1914. (Ps. 110: 2) The worldly "wise men" of Satan's religious, commercial and political organization had completely failed at that time to solve the mystery concerning the human race, and in 1914 God sent his Son forth to rule and in 1918 installed his as Judge at his temple and gave commandment to the nations that they should hear him. "But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." (Hab. 2: 20) The worldly wise men had an opportunity from that time forward to hear the message from the Lord God, but they gave no heed to it. God's use of Daniel in giving the interpretation to the dream shows that Jehovah through his chief representative, Christ Jesus, will make known his purpose to his remnant people "upon whom the ends of the world are come", for the reason that these things were written for their aid, comfort and hope. (1 Cor. 10: 11; Rom. 15: 4) The day of judgment of the nations having come, the time is due for Lord to give the interpretation of the prophecy herein considered to those who love and serve him, and for that reason we may confidently look for the interpretation thereof from the Lord.

²⁰ Nebuchadnezzar told the dream before Daniel, and evidently the heathen "wise men" were present since Nebuchadnezzar addressed Daniel as "master of the magicians". That language of the king did not signify that Daniel had anything in common with the magicians and soothsayers, but, being superior to them, he did have the mastery over theme in interpreting; hence the king addressed Daniel thus: "O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof." (Vs. 9) Nebuchadnezzar called to mind that the almighty God on a previous occasion had used Daniel to make known and interpret his dream concerning the great image. (Dan. 2: 1 - 45) He had confidence that Daniel, the servant of the great God, cold now interpret this dream.

²¹ Nebuchadnezzar was familiar with trees; but the vision of a great tree in the midst of the earth, and which vision cam to him in a dream, made him afraid, and its being recorded in the prophecy of God's Word shows that the dream was from Jehovah and given to illustrate his purpose toward particularly the creation of earth and its overlord. Nebuchadnezzar then tells the dream and says: "I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth." --Vss. 10, 11.

²² The tree towering above the earth pictures in the abstract the overlordship of the earth together with the organization of the earth beneath it. It therefore pictured a living creation of Jehovah. When God created man and the other animals of the earth he assigned the overlordship of the earth's creation to Lucifer. (Ezek, 28: 13 - 15) The position of overlord of man was a very exalted place and is pictured by the great tree towering high above the earth. This overlordship and its organization beneath is shwon to apply originally to Lucifer and thereafter Satan, as stated by the prophet Ezekiel, in chapter 31, verses 2 and 3: "Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness! Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with shadowing shroud, add of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs." The third verse quoted above according to the Rotherham, margin, reads: "Lo! a sherbin cedar in Lebanon." This sherbin cedar pictured Satan and his organization. (See Vindication, Book Two, page 149.)

²³ When Lucifer was appointed by Jehovah to the exalted position of overlord of man he at first exercised that office over only Adam and Eve, so far as the human family was concerned. He then saw the possibility of extending his regal power over many peoples that should spring from Adam and Eve by reason of God's commandment given to them to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it". (Gen. 1: 28) Greed for selfish gain or 'the love for money' moved Lucifer to commercialize mankind. that was the beginning of the root of all evil. (1 Tim. 6: 10) Regal power of overlordship, together with the organization under it, the tree, there began to expand; and so it is written: "The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth." (Vs. 11) That the office of overlordship was a heavenluy one is here shown by the fact that the tree "reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth". This is also pictured in the prophecy of Daniel concerning the great image, the head of which was of gold, representing Satan, while the silver and copper immediately under the head