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883A.
"THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND" WHAT LAND?
(Zechariah 11:6).
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Almighty God is here referring to inhabitants of His spiritual "land"
of faith: A "land" that has been impartially offered to
mankind throughout each generation since Christ. This decision of Jehovah to
cause mankind to "find themselves" has very grave consequences. It
indicates that the Lifegiver Almighty God is withdrawing His Spirit helper (Holy Spirit) from among mankind and causing every man to be "in the power of
his neighbour and his king". (11:6 NEB).
Jehovah has proceeded to "shepherd the flock meant for the killing, in
your behalf, O afflicted ones of the flock." (11:7). Jehovah will only
save and exalt afflicted ones of the flock
It
has begun! How do we know? By being afflicted
ones of the "flock" ourselves. The others are now being
shepherded in another way
for
the killing! (11:7). |
"'For I shall show compassion no more upon
the inhabitants of the land,' is the utterance of Jehovah 'So here I am causing
mankind to find themselves, each one in the
hand of his companion and in the hand of his king; and they will certainly crush
to pieces the land, and I shall do no delivering out of their hand.'"
(Zech 11:6. See NEB).
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"So I took My staff Pleasantness and cut it
to pieces, in order to break My covenant that I had concluded with all the
peoples. And it came to be broken in that day, and the
afflicted ones of the flock who were watching Me got to know in this way that it was the Word of Jehovah."
(Zech 11:10,11). |
WE "GOT TO KNOW" IN WHAT WAY?
We "got to know" by watching
the fulfilments of the Word of God: "Open up your doors, O Lebanon, that a
fire may devour among your cedars. Howl, O juniper tree, for the cedar has
fallen… for the impenetrable forest has come down!" (11:1,2). "Majestic ones"
symbolically described as "fallen cedars" will not prevail to
afflict the "flock" of God after He opens their "doors" to a Spirit "fire" to devour these valueless "shepherds".
(11:5). "And I finally effaced three shepherds in one lunar month, as
My soul gradually became impatient with them, and also their own soul felt a
loathing toward me. At length I said: "I shall not keep shepherding you. The one
that is dying, let her die. And the one that is being
effaced, let her be effaced."" The expression
"her" includes all false shepherds of this world that equate the majesty
of God and His sacred "implements" with "thirty pieces of
silver". (From 11:8-17).
The spiritual insight of
false shepherds, symbolized by their "right eye", has grown dim.
They have gone astray in the ways of shepherding. The "arm" of
their authority has the "sword" of God's Word upon it, so that
further encroachment will completely sever the advance of their authority.
(11:17). Mankind are now in the power of one another and of those they have
chosen to lead them, who will only crush their lands. Events in Lebanon today
coincide with events in the spiritual "land" of God among all
mankind. (11:6). There is no goodwill or unity anywhere, nor is there
pleasantness; only unGodly preoccupations and demonstrations.
(11:10 & 14).
Jehovah has opened the
majestic "doors" of Lebanon, and their people are being despoiled.
(11:2). As for "afflicted ones" of the "flock", we attach
great value to the knowledge that only Jehovah can form "the spirit of man
inside him." (Zech 12:1). "In that day" (and we are now in it) is
a terrifying prospect for mankind, for Jehovah shall "show compassion no
more upon the inhabitants of the land" and shall cause "mankind to
find themselves" without His salvation. (11:6). For how could any
man form his own spirit? Further, Jehovah says: "Here I am
making Jerusalem a bowl causing reeling to all the peoples round about… and
against her all the nations of the earth will certainly be gathered." (From
12:2,3).
To spiritually obedient ones
of "Judah", Jehovah says: "On that day, says the Lord, I
will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness; I will keep watch
over Judah, but I will strike all the horses of the other nations with
blindness. Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of
Jerusalem find their strength in the Lord of Hosts their God.'" (12:4,5
NEB).
From the standpoint of
Jehovah, the house of "Judah" are spiritual "Jews" anointed by God
and their offspring who exercise faith in The Christ. (Rom 2:28,29. 1 John
2:27).
(Cont. on Page 883B).
1/10/82.
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