D30.04.86.htm

WORK AND THE KING OF BABYLON.

What is it that is "driving [others] to work"? It is the oppressive "rod" of demonic influence administered by wicked ones, to wicked ones those under incessant oppression from "goatlike^# leaders". I pose this question in order to clarify the meaning underlying what Jehovah prophesied through His servant Isaiah when He said: "…you must raise up this proverbial saying against the king of Babylon and say: "How has the one driving [others] to work come to a stop!"" (Isaiah 14:4). "…At you [She'ol, the grave] has awakened those impotent^▼ in death, all the goatlike^# leaders of the earth. It has made all the kings of the nations get up from their thrones. All of them speak up and say to you, 'Have you yourself also been made weak like us?'" (14:9,10). It means that their goatlike power to oppressively drive others to work will be ended by Jehovah. (14:5).

When a man stops practicing sin by his exercise of faith in The Christ, he is being freed from the curse of Adamic sin (1 Cor 15:22) and the sentence common to men, namely: "…cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life… In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground". (Gen 3:17,19). It is satan, the "king of Babylon", who effectively kills his own people by enslaving them to the curse of sin and pain without release. (14:17,20). But holding spiritual sons of "Jacob" captive in this way will be a thing of the past. Jehovah promises a reversal (14:1-3) that by His mercy spiritual sons of "Jacob" are released from the curse of sin.

It was also the "king of Babylon" who instituted over fifty idolatrous religions in ancient Babylon, from which sectarian false worship today originates.

                ▼ IMPOTENT:         Powerless, helpless.
                # GOATLIKE :         See Isaiah 13:21 & Leviticus 17:7 NWT footnotes:
                                               "goat-shaped demons", "satyrs", "demons", "senseless things".

30/4/86.