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THE "WASTING DISEASE". THE CAUSE.
AN EXPLANATION)
From Isaiah (a prophet of God) Chapter 10 NWT.
"A
STRICT DECISION" OF GOD. (10:23).
When Jehovah "terminates all His work
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem" (10:12), He says He will send a "wasting
disease" upon those figuratively described as "fat ones" of "Jacob" (upon their
"glory") (10:16,18); until finally, only a remnant of "Jacob" are saved
and return to Jehovah (10:21) and described as "the rest of the trees"
likened to an "orchard" (of His Spirit 'fruitage'). (10:18,19).
This disease advances "even from the soul clear to the flesh". (10:18).
How? Verse 22 reveals the answer: By "flooding through in righteousness".
Jehovah sends a Spirit of righteousness upon them that extends clear to their
flesh! Why? Because when He gave them His life-giving instructions and righteous
disciplines for the creation of their spirits while they lived in the flesh,
they did not "support themselves upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in
trueness." (10:20). Jehovah is Spirit, not flesh. (John 4:24. Gen 1:26).
And so they are exterminated by the Spirit of His righteousness (a Spirit that
was intended to bring about their return to God and the inheritance of
everlasting spirit life). Extermination by the Spirit of the Lord's righteous
judgement is their reward for leaning, not on Jehovah, but on those striking
them (unspiritual "Assyrian"-type persons not of His "orchard") (10:24,25) relying
upon mere men for support, and not upon Almighty God.
A "WASTING
DISEASE":
THE FRUITAGE OF SPIRIT REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
It should be a cause for rejoicing
when one receives spirit 'tricklings' of righteousness from God in accordance
with one's spiritual needs and progressive obedience to his instruction. (Matt
5:3) (Isaiah 45:8). But those in the spiritual "land" of Zion that despised "the
day of small things" (Zech 4:10) and through apostasy did postpone righteous
disciplines from God, will come to be in dread. (Isaiah 33:10-14). For the
Spirit of the remaining righteous requirements of God will be too much for them
when sent all at once as "a flood of righteousness". "Wasting with sickness, yet
overflowing with righteousness" is the reward for apostasy, and will destroy
them. (10:22,23 NEB Footnote).
As for those of the "Assyrian", Jehovah will punish them for their unauthorized
demonic activities against His beloved spiritual people. (10:12,24).
OF "ISRAEL",
"JACOB", AND "ASSYRIAN" TYPES.
"Jacob" symbolises spiritual persons
of God. "Israel" is the whole house of that spiritual nation. The "Assyrian"
represents those of a warring disposition against God who through demonic
activity suppress "Israel" the spiritual nation of God.
SOUL*:
The immaterial part of man. The moral and emotional part of man. (Oxford
Dictionary).
"Will the
ax enhance itself over the one chopping with it, or the saw magnify itself over
the one moving it back and forth, as though the staff moved back and forth the
ones raising it on high, as though the rod raised on high the one who is not
wood? Therefore the true Lord, Jehovah of armies, will keep sending upon His
fat ones a wasting disease, and under his glory a burning will keep
burning away like the burning of a fire. And Israel's Light must become
a fire, and his Holy One a flame; and it must blaze up and eat up his
weeds and his thornbushes in one day. And the glory of his forest and of his
orchard He will bring to an end, even from the soul*
clear to the flesh,
and it must become like the melting away of one that is ailing. And the
rest of the trees of His forest they
will become such a number that a mere boy will be able to write them down.
And it will certainly occur in that day
that those remaining over of Israel and those who have escaped of the house of
Jacob will never again support themselves upon the one striking them, and
they will certainly support themselves upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in
trueness. A mere remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty
God. For although your people, O Israel, would prove to be like the grains of
sand of the sea, a mere remnant among them will return. An extermination
decided upon will be flooding through in righteousness, because an
exterminating and a strict decision the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of
armies, will be executing in the midst of the whole land".
(Isaiah 10:15-23).
13/8/84. |
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