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The Watchtower
Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom
Vol. LV
November 1, 1949
No. 22
FEAST OF CONSPIRATORS
"For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the vine of violence" -Prov. 4:17.
PART 2
1 Jehovah had Daniel in Babylon to bear testimony to His name. Daniel stood out separate and distinct from all men of Babylon. Jehovah has taken out from the world (which is antitypical Babylon) men and women whom he has anointed and appointed to be his witnesses, and these must stand out separate and distinct from all men of the world. It is the name of Jehovah God that is involved, and the vindication of his name was the paramount issue in Daniel's day. That is still the paramount issue, and which issue must now be definitely settled in the right way. Men are of little importance, but the name of Jehovah is all-important; hence all divine prophecy should be examined with this thought in mind: that the principal reason for these prophetic pictures and the fulfilment thereof is the vindication of Jehovah's name, and what men have to do therewith and what is the result to men are of secondary importance.
2 Daniel had been in Babylon for several years, and in that time had proved himself a faithful and true witness to the name of God. He was of good old age, and still the Lord God would use him to bear testimony. For approximately 1,900 years God has been taking out from the world his church and using those thus selected to be his witnesses, and now, even in the old age of the church, in these last days the faithful are having greater opportunities of bearing testimony to Jehovah's name. The picture made in connection with the appearing of Daniel before the king of Babylon strongly indicates that the remnant would in these last days be given a greater privilege and responsibility to be witnesses to the name of the Most High and to bear before rulers of this world testimony to Jehovah’s name and to his kingdom. The mother queen had concluded her speech before his royal majesty, and the king, giving heed thereto, had Daniel brought before him. "Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry" (Dan, 5:13) The bringing of Daniel before the king was a last resort of Belshazzar, and after his wise men had utterly failed.
The so-called ‘‘wise men”’ of the present day, including the "brain trust", have utterly failed to suggest a method that will effectually bring peace and prosperity to the people. The prophecy indicates that the
remnant of the church yet on earth must as a last resort serve notice and warning of such utter failure upon the earthly rulers of Satan’s organization called Babylon and that this notice must be served shortly preceding the overthrow of the wicked organization by Jehovah’s great Executive Officer. Jehovah has brought forth his witnesses for the purpose of giving such notice, The miserable failure of the clergy to tell the truth to the people makes it necessary for Jehovah God to employ the remnant to give notice and warning to the rulers of the world. It was in 1925 that God revealed to his people on earth the meaning of the two great signs or wonders appearing in heaven. (Rev. 12:1,3) Those great signs or wonders disclose to God’s people the organization of the enemy Satan, and the greater organization of Jehovah God, the explanation of which appears in The Watchtower, 1925, page 67 on. On September 27, 1930, the books Light, explaining The Revelation, including the two great signs and wonders and the seven last plagues, were released to the public, and a wide distribution of these books followed, and which were placed in the hands of many of the ruling class. Thereafter the importance of giving testimony was emphasized, and God’s organization on earth fixed a quota for the year 1931 of the amount of literature that it was hoped would be placed; and during each year from that time forward a like course has been taken and a greater testimony than ever given to the name of the Lord. It then became apparent that such is "the testimony of Jesus Christ", and the remnant understood more fully than before that the Lord has committed to his anointed ones on earth the obligation of delivering this testimony and that they must deliver it regardless of all opposition. The remnant are the witnesses for Jehovah.
3 No longer, therefore, could the faithful remnant be identified as merely "Bible Students"; because anyone claiming faith in God, and accepting the Bible
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as his Word, might be thus designated. When Daniel appeared before Belshazzar the king inquired of him: "Are you Daniel of Jewry?" That question required Daniel to identify himself as a Jew, that is, one of the people of Jehovah God who gives praise to Jehovah's name and who was at that time in Satan's world, Babylon, but who was not a part thereof. Corresponding to this, in the year 1931, Jehovah caused his faithful people to come up before the rulers of the world and to boldly confess their identity, that is, that they are those who give praise and service to Jehovah God and therefore are true Judeans. This does not at all mean that they have any relation whatsoever with the so-called commercial "Jews" or selfish Yiddish people who make gold their god; but it does mean that these of the remnant are entirely devoted to Jehovah and his kingdom. The faithful remnant representatively in a body accepted the gracious gift of Jehovah God, to wit, the new name given to them by Jehovah, and adopted that new name which he had revealed to them, that is to say, Jehovah's witnesses, and from that time forward they have been known as "Jehovah's witnesses". In the resolution adopted at that time, to wit, July 26, 1931, reference was made to the period of the work of the church foreshadowed by the prophet Elijah and the names by which the faithful followers of the Lord Jesus had been known during that period, and then the resolution said: "We are servants of Jehovah God, commissioned to do a work in his name, and, in obedience to his commandment, to deliver the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to make known to the people that Jehovah is the true and almighty God; therefore we joyfully embrace and take the name which the mouth of the Lord God has named, and we desire to be known as and called by the name, to wit, Jehovah's witnesses."? (The Watchtower, 1931, page 279, paragraph 5) Since then the anointed have been known as and called "Jehovah's witnesses",
meaning Judeans in fact, that is, those who are wholly devoted to the praise and service of Jehovah God.
4 Belshazzar, after having Daniel identify himself, then said: "I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom, is found in thee." (Dan. 5:14) It is certain that he had not heard of Daniel from his wise men, because they would consider it best to keep Daniel's name in the dark. Likewise the world rulers have had no favorable report from the modern clergymen and their "wise" associates about Jehovah’s witnesses, because such "wise men" prefer to have Jehovah's witnesses entirely discredited. Whatever report is made about them is adverse. The clergy and their allies go even to the point of preventing the people from hearing the testimony delivered by Jehovah's witnesses; and in this they are ably supported by Big Business, who own many radio facilities, and who deliberately prevent Jehovah's witnesses from using the radio to proclaim God's message of truth.
It was the queen mother who brought the informa-
tion to Belshazzar, and it is the honest and fair-minded
men of the world today, foreshadowed by the queen, that bring testimony to the higher rulers concerning the witnesses of Jehovah; and these honest men have had to do with opening the way for Jehovah's witnesses to be heard before the higher governmental officials, recently at Washington, D.C.
5 The prophecy of The Revelation, among other things, says: "And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" (Rev. 8:13) Woes were pronounced by the Lord in his message delivered and proclaimed at London in 1926; Toronto in 1927; Detroit in 1928; and the clergy had been unable to explain to their coconspirators the meaning of those woes. When Belshazzar had Daniel before him, continuing to address Daniel he said: "And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing." (Dan. 5:15) The king acknowledged the utter inability of his wise men to make known the interpretation of the handwriting on the wall. Their failure was due to the fact that such wise men were the sons of the Devil and his servants, and they could not tell the truth, and hence they lied. (John 8:44) Likewise, when the "woes" were pronounced, as above stated, and which corresponded to the three woes shown by the handwriting on the wall in Belshazzar's feast room, the clergy or "wise men" of modern Babylon lied to the other rulers and insisted that what the "pestiferous Bible Students named Jehovah's witnesses" called "signs from Jehovah God" were not from God at all, but that these men and women who were going about promulgating a message which they claim to be God's message concerning his great signs and wonders are in fact impostors. These clergymen have gone to the point of saying that Jehovah's witnesses are seditionists, pacifists, unpatriotic, against the government, socialists and communists, uncompromising foes of Christianity, hawkers, peddlers, and many other like names. Therefore they have insisted before the higher rulers that no credence should he given to the 'prattle' of these witnesses. But the clergy, or modern "wise men", have not been able to allay the fears of the higher rulers, nor have these lying servants of Satan been able to keep the real and true interpretation of present-day events from getting to the ears of the ruling class, and especially to those of the ruling class who have a desire to see fair play. The message of the kingdom and the
vengeance of our God against Satan’s organization, in printed form, has gone into the hands of the rulers of 'Christendom' and has been widely broadcast by radio throughout the land. The rules have been served with notice and warning, as contained in God's
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message of the truth, and have been plainly told what
they may expect to come upon the world organization.
6 If Belshazzar had been satisfied with the answers given to him by his wise men he would not have continued to be in great trouble as the Scriptures declare he was. He hoped to get some satisfactory answer from Daniel, and therefore said to him: "And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now, if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom." (Dan. 5:16) The opinion of man, unsupported by authoritative proof, only tends to raise doubts in the minds of thoughtful men. Belshazzar was in much doubt as to what he had heard from his wise men, and now he wanted to be informed of the truth. Today the clergymen boastfully express their opinion concerning the present-day events, but their opinions thus expressed are not supported by any real authority and carry no conviction to thoughtful men. The word of God used by Jehovah's witnesses, the remnant, is not the message of any man, nor the
expressed opinion of man, but is the authoritative truth of God's Word, and does away with all doubt as to the final solution of the world situation. Those who believe and rely upon God's Word know what is coming to pass shortly; and when they speak thereof they speak with authority from the Lord.
7 Daniel was told that if he could give an honest and satisfactory explanation and interpretation of the handwriting on the wall he would receive great honor and distinction in the realm of the king. But Daniel was not before the king for selfish gain; and this is shown by his answer to the king, to wit: "Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation."(Dan. 5:17) In presenting Jehovah’s message before the rulers of the earth at this present time, and announcing his judgments against Satan's organization, Jehovah's witnesses are not doing so for selfish gain. They are not asking, nor are they expecting, to receive any favor from worldly source. Let the rulers of this world favor their own; which they will do, of course. This is made manifest on every occasion when the questions concerning the truth are presented before the rulers by Jehovah's witnesses. Recently a petition was presented to the Congress of the United States relative to the use of the radio, which petition was signed by many persons of good will. Some persons have foolishly said that the presentation of such petition was 'going to Egypt', that is, to the world, for help. That conclusion was not only foolish, but very erroneous. The petition asked for no favor from anyone, but does demand that the rights of God's people be respected and that they be permitted to go on with their work without let or
hindrance from any part of the Devil's representa-
tives or organization. The occasion of this petition was
similar to what God directed Moses and Aaron to do in Egypt when appearing before Pharaoh. Such is a witness against the world powers and to the name of Jehovah.
8 Those whom Daniel foreshadowed at this point, namely, Jehovah's witnesses, began to give answer before "the king", that is to say, the ruling powers of the world, particularly from July 26, 1931, and forward, and to do so in an effective manner by serving upon them the message contained in the Kingdom booklet, the distribution of which began on the fourteenth day of September, 1931, and was world-wide. The clergy were first served with that booklet, and then their allies, the political and financial element. Now modern Babylon's "wise men" cannot truthfully charge Jehovah's witnesses as being peddlers and hawkers engaged in a commercial enterprise, particularly with reference to the foregoing booklet, because that was given to them, and many of the clergy viciously tore the booklet to pieces and used abusive language against those who brought it to them. Jehovah's witnesses are not peddlers and hawkers in delivering any part of Jehovah's message, and the clergy know that when they charge them with such their charges are wholly false. Jehovah's witnesses are doing their work in obedience to the command given to them. When before the king Daniel appreciated the fact that Jehovah had 'raised him up for that very time', and hence he took advantage of the occasion to make known the judgments of Jehovah God; and this he did unselfishly and without fear, favor, or hope
or promise of reward.
9 In this day only Jehovah's witnesses identify "the higher powers" properly. They know and publicly declare that the "higher powers" consist of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. They point to the supremacy of Jehovah, and prove their contention by the historical facts as well as the inspired Word of God. Anyone who holds that a man or company of men or any organization on earth constitutes any part of the "higher powers" mentioned by the apostle in Romans 13:1 shows that he does not understand and does not
appreciate God's Word. The faithful anointed remnant well know that Jehovah is supreme and that his Chief Executive Officer at the temple is directing the work of God's organization on earth, and that no man is entitled to credit or honor therefor. As did Daniel, so do they give all honor, credit and praise to the Most High.
10 In a few words Daniel covered much of the history of man from the time of Eden onward: "O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour.’’
(Dan. 5:18) Nebuchadnezzar here mentioned represented Lucifer, to whom was given the overlordship of the earth prior to his rebellion in Eden. It was to Lucifer that God committed the rulership of the world; and becoming wicked, he was thenceforth
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known as "that old serpent", "the devil." 'the father of lies,' and his offspring are designated the 'seed of the Serpent', and which seed of the Serpent was represented by Belshazzar and his lords and wise men and others of his official organization. After the rebellion of Satan Jehovah gave nothing to Satan nor to his seed; hence verse eighteen, above quoted, applies specifically prior to the rebellion in Eden. On a previous occasion Daniel had said to Nebuchadnezzar: 'It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong [like a great tree in the midst of the earth]: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.'? (Dan. 4:22) Daniel had also stated to Nebuchadnezzar: "Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them
all. Thou art this head of gold." (Dan, 2:37, 38) Thus Daniel had spoken of Lucifer as he had appeared at the beginning and before the rebellion. Lucifer, now Satan, turned his organization into wickedness, and at the point of the prophecy concerning the feast of Belshazzar the king Belshazzar there represented the 'seed of the Serpent'.
11 Lueifer had been entrusted with the power of death, which power, of course, was to be used in harmony with the will of God and against those willfully disobeying God. (Heb. 2:14) Lucifer did not use his power as authorized; likewise his representative Nebuchadnezzar improperly used his authority: "And, for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive, and whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down." (Dan. 5:19) Satan was never authorized to use his power tyrannically; nor has any man been authorized to be a tyrant. Now there are many who tremble before the debased Lucifer, who is Satan, and which people are, because of fear, Devil worshipers. Jehovah's servants do not tremble before the Devil, but they fear and worship Jehovah God. God does not permit the Devil to do as he would against men who are faithful to Jehovah; and this is shown by the experiences of Job. (Job 1:12; 2:4-6; John 19:10,11) Satan has used his power autocratically and despotically in his attempt to be like the Most High and to turn people away from Jehovah. It is true that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem; but he did so only by permission of Jehovah and as an instrument employed by Jehovah to accomplish His purpose in executing His righteous judgement against a rebellious people. (Jer. 25:8,9) Pride with prosperity always leads to disaster. That was true in
Nebuchadnezzar's case. Hence said Daniel concerning him: "But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride [and his spirit was hardened that he dealt proudly, R.V.], he was deposed from his
kingly throne, and they took his glory from him." (Dan. 5:20) Nebuchadnezzar continued in his selfish and proud schemes for such a long time that he concluded that he was master of his own destiny and that his actions were not subject to Jehovah's permission or disapproval. That was exactly the spirit of Lucifer, and which led to his downfall. Another example of pride and prosperity was that of Uzziah, one of the kings of Israel, who also met disaster. (2 Chron. 26:11-23) Nebuchadnezzar brought his beastly insanity upon himself by his wrongful course. God was in no wise responsible for that madness, any more than God is responsible for the beastly madness of the modern rulers of "Christendom", (Dan. 4: 29-37; Luke 21:24) Jehovah did not say, as his message delivered by Daniel shows, "I will create in him a beast's heart," but he did say, "Let a beast's heart be
given unto him [by another]." (Dan. 4:16) Doubtless God permitted a wicked spirit, a part of Satan's organization, to take control of Nebuchadnezzar, just as he permitted wicked spirits to get control of the herd of swine. (2 Chron. 18: 18-22; Matt. 8: 28-32) God has permitted the same crowd of wicked spirits associated with Satan to imprison the "sons of God" who sinned in Noah's day. By reason of his own fall Nebuchadnezzar found himself in a shameful and insane condition, and when his heart was lifted up and he was hardened in pride God took away his throne from him.
12 Nebuchadnezzar was like a wild beast, and Daniel called this to the attention of Belshazzar: "And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was make like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will." (Dan. 5:21) At the end of the seven years described Nebuchadnezzar came to know that Jehovah, "the most high God," is the ruler; but Belshazzar his son had failed to learn that great truth, and Daniel was reminding him of that fact. The "seven times" of the Gentiles ended in 1914, and, like Belshazzar, the visible rulers of the world failed to then learn the vital truth that Jehovah is God, although they had been told of it time and time again. Had they learned this great and all-important truth they would not have held a modern feast, such as Belshazzar held, and which present-day world carousal was foreshadowed by his feast. The modern rulers failed to give heed to the fact that Jehovah sets up whomsoever he wills, and in due time debases those who go contrary to his will. God did not "set up" the selfish rulers of the earth, nor did he set up the proud and self-exalted pope, the clergy, and other like austere men, God sets up what the world considers the "basest" or
lowest, that is to say, Christ, who abased himself, and whom Jehovah God has exalted even as he had caused to be foretold by his prophets. (Ezek. 21:26, 27; Dan.
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4:17) In 1931 Jehovah God by his witnesses brought this great fact to the attention of the rulers of this world, but they failed to give heed thereto or to learn any part of such great and important truths.—The Watchtower, 1931, pages 277, 278.
13 The proud failed to take warning, and refused to humble themselves before the mighty hand of God, just as Belshazzar failed to take warning and humble himself before God. Therefore said Daniel: "And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this." (Dan, 5:22) When the World War came the rulers were told that that was in fulfillment of prophecy, marking the end of Satan's power and rule, and the end of their own power and rule, and that God's kingdom was now at hand; but they failed and refused to give heed thereto. Since 1918 the purpose of Jehovah to destroy the organization of this wicked world has been repeatedly told to the rulers as a notice and warning to them; hence they can never plead ignorance concerning Jehovah's King and his kingdom. With the completion of the 'pouring out of the seventh vial', which pouring out
began in 1988, "Christendom" has received full notice that she is weighed in the balance, is found wanting, and is going to be destroyed. It is the handwriting on the wall; and the rulers, although being informed, refuse to repent and refuse to cease interfering with Jehovah's witnesses in carrying the message of truth to the people. They show their stubbornness and disregard of God's Word by continuing to oppose the delivering of the testimony by Jehovah's witnesses. These facets have recently been presented
to the Congress of the United States, at the hearing of which Big Business, the clergy, and the political representatives were present; and instead of giving heed to the message and acknowledging Jehovah God as supreme, such rulers, like Belshazzar, appealed to their own "wise men", including the clergy, and ignore Jehovah's witnesses and His message of truth, and by their course of action they continue to reproach the name of Jehovah the Most High. They have heard the truth and have had full opportunity to know what course to take, but, like Belshazzar, they spurn the truth.14 The Lord Jesus at the temple as Jehovah's Chief Executive Officer has caused the warning to be given to "Christendom" time and again. As evidence of such warning there is here cited the "WARNING" resolution of July 1931, above referred to, also the Kingdom booklet, the Crisis booklet, and other like booklets since distributed. Instead of giving herd to this message of warning from the Lord the rulers of the world foreshadowed by Belshazzar have ridiculed, reproached and persecuted Jehovah's witnesses, and held them up to scorn before others, and have thus lifted up themselves against Jehovah even as did Belshazzar. Said Daniel: "But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy
lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified." (Dan. 5:23) The wicked conduct of the modern rulers of "Christendom" in persecuting Jehovah's witnesses is in fact against "the Lord of heaven", because these witnesses bring not their own message, but the message from the Lord God. These matters have been plainly stated before the rulers of
the present day in the publications above mentioned, and also in Vindication, Books One, Two, and Three. The rulers, instead of giving heed to God’s message, have continued to drink the wine of Babylon, make themselves drunk, and use Jehovah’s witnesses in a disgraceful way to amuse themselves.
© it was ‘the finger of Almighty God’, that is to say, his beloved Son Christ Jesus, that did the writing upon DBelshazzar’s banquet hall: {Phen was the part ai the hend sent from him; and this writing was writ- ten’? (Dan, 5:24) Sinee Jehovah has poured out his spirit upon all his faithful witnesses he has sent forth Hiese withesses and used them io write his message uf truth ‘upon the wall? of reveling “Uhristendom’’, but ie puters have jgnored and despised the message and wickedly persecuted the measengers, 1 Belshagzar’s feast of wine-drinking and debauch- ery did not cease after the handwriting appeared; on the contrary, the misuse of the golden vessels of the fomple eontinued. Likewise during the time the anti- typieal plagues were being ponred out upon the world, Jrom 1926 to 1929, the earousal of Christendom’? has eontinued and those participating therein have in- erenased their hatred and bitterness toward Jehovah's siinesses, During reeent years the faithful remnant, under the direction of Jehovah's Chicf Ofticer, have continued to boldly, plainly and fearlessly inform “Christendom’” that this world organization is that of the Devil, That message delivercd, and the reac. ticn of ‘Chyistendom’?’ thereto, is all well summed up in the words of Jehovah's prophet Daniel spoken to Belshazzar on the oeeasion of his feast, to wit: “And this is the writing that was written, MENTE, ADEN, TRKEL, UPILARSIN.”? (Dan. 5:25) From an au- thority on oriental literature the following is quoted: “hese nysterious words are Aramaic. They are ren- cored on the margin of RV. “Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divisions’; Pharsin being the plural of the noun percs, Mene being the regular passive parti- viple of its verb In the Peal species, and Tekel being regarded as likewise a passive participle, with the vocalization which is traditionally given to it changed from tekil to tekel to eonfurm to the sound of mene’, These letters were not voealized as written on the wall, cud might have becn pronouneed in a variety of ways, Hven if the correct pronunciation had occurred to ene of the wise men as among several possibilities, he had no means of establishing the correctness of his
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