883A.htm

Almighty God is here referring to inhabitants of His spiritual "land" of faith: A "land" that was 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." (Zech 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! (Zech 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'". (Zechariah 11:6 NWT). (See NEB).

"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 God's word: "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!" (Zech 11:1,2). It means that majestic ones now symbolically described as the "fallen cedars" will not prevail to afflict the flock of God after He opens their "doors" to a spirit "fire" that devours 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". (11:8-13).

Consequently, the spiritual insight of all 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. (Zech 11:17). Mankind are now in the power of one another and 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. (Zech 11:6). There is no goodwill or unity anywhere, nor is there pleasantness; only unGodly preoccupations and demonstrations.

Jehovah has opened the majestic "doors" of Lebanon, and their people have become like the "mire of the streets". (Micah 7:10). As for "afflicted ones" of the flock, we attach great value to the reality that only Jehovah forms "the spirit of man inside him." (Zech 12:1). "In that day" (and we are now in it) is therefore a terrifying prospect for mankind, that Jehovah shall "show compassion no more upon the inhabitants of the land" and cause "mankind to find themselves" without His salvation. (11:6). For how could any man form his own spirit inside him? Further, God 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 Zech 12:2,3).

To spiritually obedient ones of "Judah", God 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.'" (Zech 12:4,5 NEB).

From the standpoint of God, 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).

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