Oldal:A-great-image-part-II-1930.djvu/5 forrásának megtekintése

<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /></noinclude>AVUUST 15. 1930 The WATCH TOWER 215 power. To apply this picture of the legs to the Roman 13 Until 1914 Satan was seated "in the sides of the north", where he had fixed a throne, with his deputy empire alone would be entirely foreign to the facts. rulers with him. (Rev. 12: 3-7) These latter, named It is by the facts well known to be true that at the and symbolized by silver, doubtless did not come di- proper time the prophecy must be understood. rectly in contact with the nations of the earth, but 17 The feet and toes of the image are shown to be that duty was assigned and is assigned to the com- part of iron and part of clay. The feet and toes are pany of wicked angels pictured by copper. Evidently essentially a part of the legs and support this image these princes of Grecia and Persia were exercising which is Satan's organization. Clay has the appear- power superior to angels, and therefore succ~ssfu~ly ance of stone. It is a camouflage. It is a means of prac- resisting an angel that was on the way to Damel wIth ticing hypocrisy. The visible part of Satan's organi- a message. zation has at all times had three component parts, to a Be it now noted that in the thirty-ninth verse, wit, commercial, political, and religious. The com- above quoted, it is stated that the third kingdom of mercial and political have formed and operated the brass" shall bear rule over all the earth". This state- military, which has bruised and broken the people; ment is limited to the third order, or copper class, while the religious element has furnished the hypo- and therefore proves that the immediate rulc of the critical screen to hide the real, wicked purpose of the earth has been under the control of the evil angels ruling powers. It has been the camouflage and the directed by Satan the head, and in this rule he has prime instrument of hypocrisy. In every world pO',"er been assisted by his invisible princes. Jesus referred and every nation religion has been employed to in- to Satan as the "prince [or chief] of this world", duce the people to believe that the world powers are and hence chief of devils. (John 14: 30; Matt. 9: 34; exercised by divine right. 12: 24) In his time men were possessed of demons, 15 Coming down to modern times we see that "or- or devils, which he cast out. (lIatt. 9: 32, 33; 12: 22) ganized Christianity", so called, is the religious ele- The testimony of Jesus is conclusive that these devils ment of the ruling powers of earth. Therein is found were not Satan himself, but were a host of wicked the greatest exhibition of hypocrisy that has ever bpell angels operating about the earth. made. It claims that the nations exist and operate by IS This conclusion upon Danicl's prophecy is sup- divine right and that the League (or combination) of ported by the words of Jesus and by the further Nations represents God and his kingdom on the earth inspired wor.ds, to wit: "For we wrestle not against and is an exact expression thereof. Then the record flesh and blood, but against principalities, against reads: "And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, powers, against the rulers of the darlmess of [that] part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." shall be divided. "-Vs. 41. (Eph. 6: 12) Here the apostle shows that Satan's in- 19" And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with m:ry visible organization is made up of principalities (su- clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of perior power); powers (officers of power in the or- men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as ganization); and rulers (wicked angels). The three iron is not mixed with clay." (Vs. 43) The chief ob- "noble" metals of Daniel therefore describe the three jective of the enemy Satan is to turn the people away invisible parts of Satan's organization. from Jehovah and keep them under the wicked one's 16 As God's organization is sometimes pictured by control. He uses the commercial and political elements a man, so here Satan's organization is pictured by a that operate and control the military to coerce the man in the form of this image. The legs support and people, and uses the religious element to hoodwink bear up the man. The legs are beneath the head of the and deceive them. The three elements mingle them- man and carry the man about. The legs of the image selves with the seed of men, and with high-solmding therefore represent the inferior and visible parts of words claim to be the saviors of men, and insist that Satan's organization under the head, but which sup- the people must support their organization if they port the head and act in obedience to the head. The would live. There are ten toes to the feet, and tht'sc terrible image described shows that the legs were of symbolically represent all the nations of Christendom iron, "and as iron that breaketh, all these shall it in the conspiracy under their father and head, Satan, break . . . and bruise." This part of the image pic- to keep the people in subjection and under control. 20 The pious religious frauds are made prominent tures the world powers, everyone of them, beginning with Egypt to the present day, all of which are of Sa- in the feet and toes by the miry clay that attempts to tan's organization. From the time of Egypt until now cover up the wickedness of their unholy allies. rrht'rc these world powers have oppressed and bruised and is no real cleavage between iron and clay, and this broken in pieces the people. There is no exception shows that there is really nothing that sincerely binds whatsoever to this rule. The history of the nations of the commercial and political elements to their reli- earth is written in human blood unrighteously shed, gious frauds. They are carried like barnacles to sup- because the ruling factors have oppressed, bruised port a devilish scheme. "They shall not cleave one and broken to pieces the people by employing military to another," because God has decreed it so. Already <noinclude><references/></noinclude>