by having others execute upon her the judgment for adulteresses and the judgment for women guilty of shedding blood willfully.

THE “RIGHTEOUS MEN” FOR JUDGING CHRISTENDOM

61. Who, then, are the “righteous men” that execute judgment upon the symbolic Oholibah?

⁶¹ Who, though, are those “righteous men” that will execute judgment upon her? Not Ezekiel and his fellow exiles Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, nor the prophet Jeremiah at Jerusalem and his secretary Baruch and his friends Ebed-melech the Ethiopian and the household of the Rechabites. (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Daniel 1:1-7; Jeremiah 35:1-19; 36:4-32; 45:1-5) These approved men had no part whatsoever in executing the judgment of Jehovah upon Oholibah (Jerusalem) in the years 609-607 B.C.E. Rather, it was the Assyrians who destroyed Oholah (Samaria) in 740 B.C.E., and Babylonians who destroyed Oholibah (Jerusalem) in 607 B.C.E.

62. Since Jehovah’s executioners back there were pagans, in what way could they be called “righteous men,” and, similarly who are the “righteous men” used as executioners in our day?

⁶² Consequently, the “righteous men” here meant are the former passionate lovers of Oholibah (Jerusalem) from whom her soul finally turns away in disgust and who therefore turn upon her and bring her to ruin. But how could such ones, the Babylonian executioners of judgment, be called “righteous men” inasmuch as they were pagans? It was in a comparative sense. So great was the wickedness of Oholibah (Jerusalem) in Jehovah’s sight, that the Babylonians whom He used as his executioners were comparatively “righteous” in His sight. Because of so flagrantly violating her sacred covenant with Jehovah as her God, Oholibah (Jerusalem) was far more reprehensible than the pagan Babylonians. Furthermore, they were executing the “righteous” judgment of Jehovah upon Oholibah (Jerusalem), the judgment that is deserving for adulteresses and female shedders of blood. (Ezekiel 23:22-27) Similarly, in our day the “righteous men” are not Jehovah’s Christian witnesses, but are Christendom’s onetime worldly associates who get to hating her and who turn upon her to execute God’s sentence upon her.

63. How is the identity of those “righteous men” confirmed in Jehovah’s final words concerning Oholibah?

⁶³ That this is the correct understanding of who those “righteous men” are is confirmed by Jehovah’s final words concerning Oholibah: “For this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘There will be the bringing up of a congregation against them and a making of them a frightful object and something to plunder. And the congregation must pelt them with stones, and there will be a cutting of them down with their swords. Their sons and their daughters they will kill, and with fire their houses they will burn. And I shall certainly cause loose conduct to cease out of the land, and all the women will have to let themselves be corrected, so that they will not do according to your loose conduct. And they must bring your loose conduct upon you, and the sins of your dungy idols you will bear; and you people will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.’”—Ezekiel 23:46-49.

64. How did Jehovah bring up against Oholibah a “congregation” of plunderers, wielders of swords, stoners, desolaters and burners, and cleansers of immoral conduct, and to whom did she become a frightful, corrective warning example?

⁶⁴ The congregation of Babylonian soldiers that Jehovah brought up against Oholibah (Jerusalem) did make her a frightful object in 607 B.C.E., breaching her sturdy walls, invading her, looting her, carrying away the plunder, and burning her with fire. (2 Kings 25:1-17; 2 Chronicles 36:17-19; Jeremiah 52:6-23) Doubtless the stones that the Babylonians hurled into the city during the long siege were of considerable size, doing much damage and causing many deaths. Besides that, many of Jerusalem’s sons and daughters were dispatched by Babylonian swords upon the breakthrough into the city and thereafter. The firing of all the combustible houses that remained completed the desolation. Thus spiritually loose conduct and idolatry were made to cease out of the land of Judah by the destruction of Oholibah (Jerusalem). Terrible were the consequences that came upon her for committing such detestable things in Jehovah’s sight. What befell her should have been a warning to other “women,” that is, nations, not to follow her example.

65. In view of the warning example of Oholibah, what question arises as to Christendom, and whom will Jehovah bring up against her because of her course?

⁶⁵ Has Christendom let herself be corrected by the warning example of Oholibah (Jerusalem) so as not to imitate her spiritually loose conduct and worship of dungy idols? In answer it must be said that Oholibah did not take heed to the warning example of her sister Oholah (Samaria), and neither will Christendom take heed to the warning example of the heedless Oholibah (Jerusalem). She is doomed to be plundered and made a frightful object mass of ruins. Not for long will her present friendship and sharing of her bed of immoral love with the worldly elements of this system of things continue. Her political, military, and other secular lovers will see reason to hate this worn-out old harlot and will turn upon her in rage. Jehovah will bring them up against her as an army of executioners of his righteous judgment, and false hypocritical Christianity will be burned out of the earth. Frightful will be the ruin of this symbolic woman, Christendom, that did not let herself be corrected by the warning examples recorded in Jehovah’s Word. No one can ignore those warning examples and get by with it!

66. What is the purpose behind having all this take place, what will Christendom experience according to Jehovah’s warning examples, and who today should take note respecting this?

⁶⁶ There is a purpose behind having all this take place. What is it? It is the divine purpose: “And you people will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” (Ezekiel 23:49) Those words should be taken to heart by us. It was the name of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah that was involved with the terrible events of divine judgment in the year 607 B.C.E. In his own name Jehovah had foretold those events by his prophets. In vindication of his own name He as Sovereign Lord irresistibly caused them to occur as the execution of His judicial decisions. Let all ignorers of Jehovah today take note. Relish it or not, the approaching destruction of Christendom will be according to His warning examples, his prophecies and his irreversible decrees. Thereby people will have to know that He, the Fulfiller of his unchangeable Word, is Jehovah.

67. What will then be the effect of this upon those of us who already have a knowledge of the Sovereign Lord God?

⁶⁷ All those of us who have already come peacefully to a knowledge of this Sovereign Lord will thereby have that divine purpose mightily confirmed to us. More convinced than ever before, we shall know in an awe-inspiring way that He is Jehovah indeed and thus we will reverence him more fully than ever before.

Chapter 14

Hypocritical Religionists Stunned at the News

1. How will hypocritical religionists feel or what will they hope when the “great tribulation” strikes Christendom?

WITH stunning impact will the news of Christendom’s destruction strike hypocritical religionists who are related to her. They will feel it when the foretold “great tribulation” begins upon her. Yet they may hope that because of her former ability to endure she will survive the tribulation, contrary to Bible prophecy. They may hope desperately that the worst will not come to a thing that has been so sacred to them.