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November 1, 1934
Turnul de Veghe
329
The "Monday Morning Ministerial Conferences" have often been occupied with a consideration of these matters without reaching any satisfactory conclusion. When it appears that the public press, which is the advertising part of Satan's visible organization, begins to give attention to what Jehovah's witnesses are doing, then it must be known for a certainty that the "wise men" of "Christendom" have been discussing the matter.
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Belshazzar sobered up for a brief season and had his counselors brought in. "Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof." (Dan. 5:8) They must have been a sorry lot when they, composing the "brain trust" of his administration, appeared before the king, and not one of them able even to read the handwriting, much less to make known the interpretation thereof. The same thing is true today. The wise counselors of "Christendom" are unable to read the signs or interpret the same because they ignore God's Word. Especially since 1929 the ruling powers of "Christendom" have appealed to the "wise men" of their own organization to place a construction upon or explain what is the meaning of the 'signs and wonders in heaven', that is to say, the declarations made by Jehovah's witnesses and their continuous work in bearing witness to the people, and what relation the same has to the distress and perplexity upon the earth. But none of the wise men of Babylon can read or interpret the same, because it is all foreign to them. Their Bibles do not read that way. One is reminded of the words of Jehovah's prophet applying to the same crowd, to wit: "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed." (Isa. 29:11) The advisers of Belshazzar undoubtedly attempted to advise him, but, being careful to make no guess that would worry the king, they were anxious to tell the king, and did tell him, that "everything will be all right; behold the strength of our walls". They, being in the service of the Devil, of course, would be unable to have any knowledge of the secrets of Jehovah. (Ps. 25:14) Likewise in modern times, the "wise men" if "Christendom" are careful to predict nothing that would be offensive to the political and financial ruling element; hence they say: "Give no heed to these foolish Jehovah's witnesses, because every day and in every way the world is getting better. Everything will be all right. Behold the strength of our great institutions. We must stand for ever."
22 The declarations of Belshazzar's wise men did not please him; and it is just the same today. The wise men of "Christendom" cannot give any answer that is pleasing and satisfactory to their allies. "Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied." (Dan. 5:9) As Belshazzar was troubled and his
countenance was dark, and his lords sate about with long and astonished faces, even so it is today. The modern "brain trust", including the clergy, and particularly the Catholic hierarchy, make an effort and try to give advice to the political and financial ruling element, but the latter have little or no confidence in such advice. They become more perplexed every day, and they know not which way to turn. That perplexity has continued to increase since 1929, some evidence of which is here mentioned. In June 1931 the president of the United States issued a statement strongly advocating a moratorium of indebtedness of the various governments to the United States. In July 1931 the United States and France signed an agreement concerning foreign indebtedness and the moratorium went into effect. Then followed conference after conference looking to the recovery of the common interests of the nations and an effort to prevent the disastrous effects of war. Nations of "Christendom" agreed to scrap many of the battleships and otherwise limit war preparations, and then their perplexity and fear increased, and again they feverishly rushed out to construct even more war vessels and greater war equipment than ever before. Then came the NRA scheme, and it was thought this would pull the world, and especially the United States, out of the hole. This, together with other schemes, has been launched and pushed for the purpose of staving off the disaster. Each nation in "Christendom" promulgates its own ideas of what should be done and how it should be done. The pope puts on his "holy garments" and tries his hand in an effort to bring about peace and prosperity in his "holy year", and finally gives that up in disgust because it brings forth neither peace nor prosperity except to the pope and the Catholic hierarchy. No other institution would be able to provide gold bricks to stop a hole in the wall, which gold bricks came to them without effort on their part, except it might be said it was some effort to don their sparkling garments and lay the bricks. These things are here mentioned to show the perplexity of the rulers of the world an that the advice given them by their "wise men" or "brain trust" fails to bring forth any satisfactory results.
23 There must have been confusion among the rulers at Belshazzar's feast, and much talk, when the wise men failed to interpret the sign-words written on the wall of the banquet room. Belshazzar had spoken his words of disappointment, and those words had been taken up and repeated by the lords, and then by the smaller fry and then by those who were serving the wine. At any rate, the fact got out to the queen. It is quite evident that the queen did not attend the banquet, because she heard what was going on and then she appeared at the feast to advise the king. "Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house; an the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance
