REINFORCEMENTS 20 In the meantime the remnant of spiritual Israel (or Jacob) do not engross themselves entirely in pushing the offensive against the strongholds of totalitarianism as it wickedly attempts to wipe out Jehovah’s pure worship from the earth. According to their commission from their God they have the most constructive work to do of any work that is being done on earth today. 21 After telling of their successfully resisting the aggressive enemy and turning the tide of battle back into his own country, the prophet Micah (5:7) says: “And the remaining ones of Jacob must become in the midst of many peoples like dew from Jehovah, like copious showers upon vegetation, that does not hope for man or wait for the sons of earthling man.” This prophecy does not apply to the remnant of spiritual Israel (or Jacob) first in the righteous new world after the remnant have survived the battle of Armageddon, as was once believed. It is being fulfilled now, and has been under fulfillment since the remnant’s deliverance in 1919. 22 The land of ancient Israel was heavily dependent upon the dew from Jehovah as well as upon the rains. The rains came during their winter season, from the month of October through March, so that there were the autumn rains and the spring rains. (Joel 2:23; Jas. 5:7) From April and into September there was a period of continuous rainlessness. The land would go completely dry and the vegetation would become utterly parched were it not for the heavy dews that fell at night, in the cool of the day. The dew formed and soaked the vegetation during the months of April and May and August and September. None is mentioned as occurring during June and July. 23 The dew thus served to save the crops. This, in turn, saved lives and made for plenty and prosperity in an agricultural country. So heavy were the dews that once when Judge Gideon put a sheep fleece upon the ground at night to test Jehovah God as the Dew Maker, the next morning “he got to drain off enough dew from the fleece to fill a large banquet bowl with water.” (Judg. 6:38) When the Shulammite girl’s shepherd lover came through the night to visit her, he said: “My head is filled with dew, the locks of my hair with the drops of the night.”—Cant. 5:2; 6:13. 24 When God cursed the land of Israel in the days of King Ahab, the prophet Elijah said: “There will occur during these years neither dew nor rain, except at the order of my word!” (1 Ki. 17:1) When Jehovah cursed the land because its inhabitants failed to rebuild his temple at Jerusalem, he said to them: “Over you the heavens kept back their dew, and the earth itself kept back its yield. And I kept calling for dryness upon the earth.” (Hag. 1:10, 11) When he promised to bless the remnant for rebuilding his temple, Jehovah said: “The earth itself will give its yield, and the heavens themselves will give their dew.” (Zech. 8:12) He is, as it were, the “father for the rain” and gives “birth to the dewdrops.” (Job 38:28) So when Micah foretold that the remnant of spiritual Israel (or Jacob) would be like dew from Jehovah, he meant that they would be a blessing from God to the people, in a time of continuous heat. 25 This is a hot time for the worldly nations. Not that they are continually having a “hot war,” but the heat of Jehovah’s indignation, denunciation and wrath is against them for their opposition to his kingdom by Christ that they show by hating and persecuting His witnesses. Hence only those persons who accept the Kingdom witness now being given and who turn to it as mankind’s only hope receive refreshment from the spiritual remnant. They look upon these as a dew of blessing from Jehovah God. 26 Among these the remnant spread the dew of God’s truth—O so gently! It is as the prophet Moses said: “My saying will trickle as the dew, as gentle rains upon grass and as copious showers upon vegetation. For I shall declare the name of Jehovah.” (Deut. 32:2, 3) O how refreshing this is to the people who are parched with thirst for God’s favor and kingdom! How life-giving it is, for this dew is really the “word of life”! (Phil. 2:16) It is no deadly fallout from the explosion of lethal atomic bombs or hydrogen bombs or the pouring out of poison gases and bacteriological doses. This life-giving dew from God results in the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly unity and peace. “It is,” says Psalm 133:3, “like the dew of Hermon that is descending upon the mountains of Zion. For there Jehovah commanded the blessing to be, even life to time indefinite.” 27 The sheeplike peoples who gratefully accept the spiritual remnant as “dew from Jehovah” are revived. Their thirst for truth, righteousness and a perfect government is satisfied. They dedicate themselves to Jehovah God the great Dew Maker and Rain Maker. Then they join these “remaining ones of Jacob” in extending the “word of life” to others. In doing so they themselves become like drops of dew to other parched ones throughout the earth. Since there is an unnumbered “great crowd” of sheeplike persons who are doing this, they are becoming innumerable, like the dewdrops.—2 Sam. 17:11, 12. 28 In their hundreds of thousands today they have become as reinforcements to the spiritual remnant in proclaiming the Kingdom. They willingly offer themselves as the remnant have done in this day when Jehovah’s enthroned King rules in the midst of his enemies. In beautiful description of this, Psalm 110:3 says to Jehovah’s King: “Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force. In the splendors of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, you have your company of young men just like dewdrops [for number].” 29 Until the rising heat of Jehovah’s anger flames forth in the fire of the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” and devours all the foes of his kingdom by Christ, this refreshing life-giving work with the “word of life” must go on, as we invite the people to the symbolic “river of water of life,” saying: “‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.” (Rev. 22:17) But in these days of international hatred and opposition this work that turns away the heat of God’s anger from sheeplike converts requires courage. So let us remember that this is the day of the anointed King’s military force. He faces the gathering armies of the nations who are being gathered by Gog of Magog, Satan the Devil, to the battlefield called Armageddon. (Rev. 16:14, 16) The final assault of the modern-day Assyrian under Gog of Magog will without fail be launched, when Almighty God permits it. Then we shall enter into a most trialsome test of faith and devotion. We must have courage now, but what about then? We will have courage then. 30 Micah 5:8, 9 is our assurance of this, in that it says: “And the remaining ones of Jacob [or Israel] must become among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of a forest, like a maned young lion among droves of sheep, which, when it actually passes through, certainly both tramples down and tears in pieces; and there is no deliverer. Your hand will be high above your adversaries, and all enemies of yours will be cut off.” 31 The modern-day totalitarian “Assyrian” comes from the lions’ capital prefigured by ancient Nineveh. (Nah. 2:11, 12) But our Leader is the Ruler out of Bethlehem, the King greater than David, who, as a shepherd boy, slew a lion with Jehovah’s help. (1 Sam. 17:34-37) He is himself the “Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David,” and knows no fear. (Rev. 5:5) Since 1919 the remnant or “remaining ones” of spiritual Israel have been like a lion among nations. They have fearlessly obeyed Jehovah’s command through his Christ and have preached ‘this good news of His established kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.’ They have been undaunted by the hatred, opposition and persecution from both the prophetic “king of the north” and the “king of the south.” (Dan. 11:40-45) The hundreds of thousands of dedicated, baptized companions out of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues have likewise displayed lionlike courage and fearlessness by the spirit of Jehovah. In the future let our hearts never quail with fear at the maneuvers and the numbers of our ferocious enemies. 32 As we enter shortly into the great day of Jehovah, it will be fear-inspiring for only our foes, because Jehovah’s execution of His judgment of destruction will be against them, not against us. His hand will be high in triumph above his adversaries, and all these enemies of His will be cut off. That means too that the hand of the fearless remnant and their companions will then be high in victory above our adversaries, and all these enemies of ours will be cut off. Victory beckons us onward in the further Kingdom ministry that lies before us in all the nations under the leadership of the “Lion that is of the tribe of Judah.” “Follow me,” he says. By following him we shall become still more innumerable, like the dewdrops, and be a refreshing blessing from Jehovah God among many peoples for their everlasting life in His righteous new world.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 02:48:37 +0000
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