Classic Watchtower article from 1972.
After 38 years it is high time to review it.
4/15/72 Watchtower
'They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them'
JEHOVAH GOD is interested in having people know him. Though he is
invisible to human eyes, he provides various ways by which they can
know his personality. They can know what to expect from him and what
he expects of them.
One can come to understand that Jehovah is a God of surpassing wisdom
by observing creation. This also reveals the loving care with which
he designed things for man's welfare and enjoyment. A second way to
know God is through his Word of truth, the Bible. Herein one finds
the full expression of Jehovah's purpose toward mankind-why man is on
the earth and the blessings that God has in store.
A third way of coming to know Jehovah God is through his
representatives. In ancient times he sent prophets as his special
messengers. While these men foretold things to come, they also served
the people by telling them of God's will for them at that time, often
also warning them of dangers and calamities. People today can view
the creative works. They have at hand the Bible, but it is little
read or understood. So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to
warn them of dangers and to declare things to come?
IDENTIFYING THE "PROPHET"
These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this
prophet? The clergy of the so-called "Christian" nations hold
themselves before the people as being the ones commissioned to speak
for God. But, as pointed out in the previous issue of this magazine,
they have failed God and failed as proclaimers of his kingdom by
approving a man-made political organization, the League of Nations
(now the United Nations), as "the political expression of the Kingdom
of God on earth."
However, Jehovah did not let the people of Christendom, as led by the
clergy, go without being warned that the League was a counterfeit
substitute for the real kingdom of God. He had a "prophet" to warn
them. This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and
women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ,
known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are
known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses. They are still proclaiming a
warning, and have been joined and assisted in their commissioned work
by hundreds of thousands of persons who have listened to their
message with belief.
Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of
God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be
done is to review the record. What does it show?
During the World War I period this group, the International Bible
Students, was very active in preaching the good news of God's
kingdom, as their Leader Jesus Christ had set this work before them
in his prophecy at Matthew 24:14. They took literally Jesus' words to
the Roman governor Pontius Pilate: "My kingdom is no part of this
world." (John 18:36) They also took to heart Jesus' words to his
followers: "You are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out
of the world." They expected to suffer for living according to that
rule, just as Jesus went on to say, "on this account the world hates
you." (John 15:19) Hatred toward them grew into violence during World
War I.
These Bible Students had long been concerned with Ezekiel and his
prophecy. In 1917 they published a book entitled "The Finished
Mystery," explaining the book of Ezekiel as well as that of
Revelation. This book criticized the clergy as false to the Word of
Jehovah. Within nine months a ban was put on its circulation in the
United States and Canada. Then eight members of the Watch Tower Bible
and Tract Society, including its president and secretary-treasurer,
were sentenced to prison in the Federal penitentiary, Atlanta,
Georgia, U.S.A.
Though the work of these Christians was crippled for a while, after
only nine months the eight men were freed from prison, in March 1919.
They accepted this as an answer from God to their prayers. Their work
was revived, much to the consternation of the clergy, who had been
behind the banning.
Accordingly, their magazine The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's
Presence, in its issues of August 1 and 15, 1919, encouraged vigorous
resumption of the work of preaching the good news free from the fear
of men. Under the subject "Blessed Are the Fearless," the following
statements were made:
"There is a fear which is very proper, and which everyone must have
who is pleasing to God, and this is known as 'Godly fear'. It means a
holy reverence for Jehovah and a fear lest we should displease him
and come short of the blessings he has promised us. . . . The
Scriptures abound with testimony that those whom God approves do not
fear man nor any other creature, but have a holy, reverential fear of
Jehovah. In times of old Jehovah justified some men to friendship
with him, and the record of his dealing with them was written for the
benefit of the church."
Ezekiel was one of these men so used by God, and not only his
prophecies, but also Ezekiel himself and his acts were pictorial of
things to come.
THE "PROPHET" SPEAKS TO CHRISTENDOM
A General Convention was held by the International Bible Students at
Cedar Point, Ohio, September 1-8, 1919. Thousands of Jehovah's
servants were present from the United States and Canada. There the
Watch Tower Society's president urged the fearless resumption of the
work, and this with the use of the outspoken magazine entitled "The
Golden Age." In the public talk delivered on the subject "The Hope
for Distressed Humanity," the speaker declared that the Lord's
displeasure was certain to be visited upon the League of Nations,
"because the clergy-Catholic and Protestant-claiming to be God's
representatives, have abandoned his plan and endorsed the League of
Nations, hailing it as a political expression of Christ's kingdom on
earth."
The League of Nations came into being in 1919 and began really to
function when it was ratified by the signatory powers at Paris on
January 10, 1920. But Jehovah's servants continued to proclaim the
Messianic kingdom of God. When the ban on The Finished Mystery was
lifted, they resumed its circulation and, with it as a textbook, they
continued to study the book of Ezekiel. As time went on and further
developments fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel, a three-volume set of
books titled "Vindication" provided an up-to-date understanding,
showing more fully the application of the prophecy.
Thus this group of anointed followers of Jesus Christ, doing a work
in Christendom paralleling Ezekiel's work among the Jews, were
manifestly the modern-day Ezekiel, the "prophet" commissioned by
Jehovah to declare the good news of God's Messianic kingdom and to
give warning to Christendom. It is significant that, in 1931, after
twelve years of faithful service despite the opposition of
Christendom's clergy, these followers of Christ embraced the name
"Jehovah's witnesses" at the same convention at which the book
Vindication was released.-Isa. 43:10-12, American Standard Version.
PROPHET SENT TO "REBELLIOUS NATIONS"
When Jehovah spoke to the Jewish priest Ezekiel, commissioning him as
his prophet, he said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of
Israel, to rebellious nations that have rebelled against me." (Ezek.
2:3) Who are those who constitute the "sons of Israel" and the
"rebellious nations" against Jehovah, in this "time of the end"?
Back there in Ezekiel's day the Israelite people to whom Ezekiel was
sent could be called "rebellious nations" because in 997 B.C.E. ten
of the tribes of Israel had revolted against rule by the royal line
of David, who sat on "Jehovah's throne." (1 Chron. 29:23) Thus there
came to be two kingdoms or "nations." The Kingdom of Israel set up
golden calves for worship and the Kingdom of Judah later also
rebelled against Jehovah by breaking his laws and engaging in
idolatry.
In the modern fulfillment, who are the "rebellious nations" that have
rebelled against Jehovah? Their counterpart is Christendom. The Bible
gives the proof. For Christendom has applied to herself the apostle
Paul's words at Galatians 6:15, 16 (Authorized Version): "For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to
this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
For instance, in his "A Commentary and Critical Notes" (1836
edition), the Wesleyan Methodist minister Dr. Adam Clarke makes this
comment on the expression "The Israel of God": "The true Christians,
called here the Israel of God, to distinguish them from Israel
according to the flesh."
Romans 2:29 (AV) corroborates the above understanding. The apostle
says: "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise
is not of men, but of God."
The history of Christendom shows that she has not been true to her
claim of being "the Israel of God." From the fourth century on she
has shown herself to be apostate, rebellious against Jehovah and his
Word of truth. Corresponding to Israel's history, there was a break
between the Greek churches and the Latin churches in 1054 C.E., when
the Roman pope's legates excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerularius
of Constantinople.
Later, in 1529 C.E., the Protestant movement was established by the
followers of ex-priest Martin Luther, and in 1534 the king of
England, Henry VIII, was declared to be the Supreme Head of the
Church of England. After this, numerous non-Roman Catholic sects
sprang up, so that a number of so-called "Christian" lands have their
own national State churches. Therefore Christendom can be called
"nations," and their attitude toward God's Word the Bible and toward
his Messianic kingdom is one of rebellion toward Jehovah. They
continue to prefer political man-rule.
JEHOVAH'S "PROPHET" VINDICATED
Ezekiel's name meant "God Strengthens," and in order to carry out his
mission to the end he needed God's help, for the professed people of
God to whom he was sent were "insolent of face and hard of heart." At
the time, they might not view or appreciate him as a prophet of
Jehovah. Nevertheless, whether they paid attention to him or
refrained, the occasion was to come when these rebellious people
would "know also that a prophet himself happened to be in the midst
of them." Jehovah would confirm him as a prophet then by causing what
Ezekiel prophesied to come true. (Ezek. 2:3-5) Ezekiel was further
told:
"And you, O son of man, do not be afraid of them; and of their words
do not be afraid, because there are obstinate ones and things
pricking you and it is among scorpions that you are dwelling. Of
their words do not you be afraid, and at their faces do not you be
struck with terror, for they are a rebellious house. And you must
speak my words to them, regardless of whether they hear or they
refrain, for they are a case of rebellion."-Ezek. 2:6, 7.
Since the year 1919 C.E. Jehovah's witnesses have found circumstances
to be just like that as they have made the widest possible
declaration of the good news of the Kingdom in 207 lands of the earth.
To Ezekiel, in his vision, and, symbolically to the modern-day
"prophet," the spirit-begotten, anointed ones who are the nucleus of
Jehovah's witnesses today, God gave something to eat. Ezekiel says:
"And I began to see, and, look! there was a hand thrust out to me,
and, look! in it there was the roll of a book. And he gradually
spread it out before me, and it was written upon in front and on the
back; and there were written in it dirges and moaning and wailing."-
Ezek. 2:8-10.
No space on the scroll being wasted, it being written upon on both
sides, it was a full message, containing a great deal of gloomy
messages of calamity, back there to Jewry, and today to Christendom.
Why so? Because in both instances Jehovah's professed people were so
rebellious and set in their ungodly way that Jehovah had to pronounce
judgment upon them.
The scroll was doubtless delivered to Ezekiel by the hand of one of
the cherubs in the vision. This would indicate that Jehovah's
witnesses today make their declaration of the good news of the
Kingdom under angelic direction and support. (Rev. 14:6, 7; Matt.
25:31, 32) And since no word or work of Jehovah can fail, for he is
God Almighty, the nations will see the fulfillment of what these
witnesses say as directed from heaven.
Yes, the time must come shortly that the nations will have to know
that really a "prophet" of Jehovah was among them. Actually now more
than a million and a half persons are helping that collective or
composite "prophet" in his preaching work and well over that number
of others are studying the Bible with the "prophet" group and its
companions.
So Jehovah has made every provision for individuals to know him and
to receive his loving-kindness and life. Thus there is no excuse for
Christendom's people not to know Jehovah. More than that, Jehovah is
interested not only in the vindication of his own name but also in
vindicating his "prophet." Through another of his ancient prophets,
Isaiah, he said to Jewry just as he says to Christendom today: "Look!
My own servants will cry out joyfully because of the good condition
of the heart, but you yourselves will make outcries because of the
pain of heart and you will howl because of sheer breakdown of
spirit."-Isa. 65:14.
Even today we hear complaints from Christendom's churches about
dwindling church attendance and see many young men abandoning the
priesthood and the ministerial profession. Yet at the same time we
see spiritual prosperity and contentment among those proclaiming
Jehovah's Messianic kingdom. We may look for an even more marked
fulfillment of Isaiah's words in the near future.