Let those who are asking questions

[Israeli Bar Avaddhon]

“When you see a cloud rising in the west, at once you say, ‘A storm is coming,Â’ and it happens. And when you see that a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘There will be a heat wave,Â’ and it occurs. Hypocrites, you know how to examine the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to examine this particular time?” - Luke 12:54-56

The following article will cover part of the Watch Tower of October 2017.

The article is titled "The visions of Zechariah: why do they concern us?"

A vision does not include something more than a command or a need?

 

From the beginning we can concentrate on the questions reported in the first paragraph.

Why did Jehovah give such unusual visions to the prophet? In what situation were the Israelites at that time? What do we learn today from those visions?

The questions are certainly profound and detailed, so we isolate some remarkable points to see how we tried to respond.

After a brief and dutiful explanation of the background (paragraph two), "Jehovah assured them of the fact that he would help them restore true worship" (paragraph three).

Let's pause for a moment and reflect on these words.

Taken by themselves, without knowing anything about Zechariah, the book and the time in which it was written, one would think that the theme that will be developed will focus on how Jehovah will restore true worship.

Without making any inquiries about the eventual past or future fulfillment of these words, should not you talk about this?

Among other things, the paragraph confirms that it will be the sixth and seventh vision and this would suggest that these visions will reveal the details on how Jehovah will do this.

On the other hand, a vision should include something more than a command; the same ten commandments and all the Mosaic law did not need a vision to be dictated and so that the Israelites understood the demands of the Almighty God and the moral norms that they would have to respect.

On the contrary, the following paragraphs, although the vision of the flying scroll written before and behind is "very particular", they say that "God will punish anyone who steals and among Christians there is no place for any kind of theft".

Did Zaccaria really need a vision to understand that God does not tolerate theft?

Apart from that, as we said, it seems strange that a vision is limited to this but the question we should ask ourselves is ... "Zacharias did not know that Jehovah will not tolerate the theft?" - compare Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:11, 13; Proverbs 11: 1; 20:23

It is very strange for a prophet of Jehovah but also the rest of the people had to remember such an obvious need, present also in the most primitive human legal systems.

Would not it have been enough to read "from the book of the law" as it had been done in the past and how the law itself was foreseen?

Until the end of paragraph seven, there is not the slightest indication that this vision can have a deeper explanation and that it can be particularly applied in the future.

Also the following paragraphs remain on the same "prudent" line.

We must not falsely swear and keep the promises made to Jehovah - compare Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30: 2; Ecclesiastes 5: 5, 6

The next vision is even more interesting.

Does the destination city have no prophetic significance?

 

 

From the subtitle "Wickedness is put in its own place" we can see how, the vision that perhaps leaves Zaccaria "horrified" with all its details, makes us clearly understand that Jehovah will never tolerate any form of evil within his people and will ensure that it is quickly eliminated ".

So women with stork wings who take away the ephah with wickedness in the land of Sinar, point out this aspect.

Why choose Sinar and not Ninive, for example?

Because "the Israelites will have thought that Sinar was the right place to relegate Evil, and Zacharias and his contemporaries Jews, in fact, could confirm that wickedness was widespread in Babylon."

Also in this case the vision of the container, the wicked woman, the women with stork wings and the country of destination have no particular meaning, let alone prophetic.

It must be said that if we had treated this topic only thirty years ago, perhaps someone would have started to calculate the distance between Jerusalem and Sinar to find some correspondence with some modern or past assembly or resolution.

This article is certainly more conservative than those of a few years ago ** (see footnote) but is it really prudence what you see in this article or something else?

Let's try to be really objective without taking a team-like attitude.

Do we really think that Zacharias had seven visions in such a special time, to learn that Jehovah does not tolerate theft, falsehood and evil?

Do we really think that the resurgence of true worship has nothing to do with our days?

If we had started from chapter four instead of chapter five, would we not perhaps have had to move towards Revelation? - compare Zechariah 4: 2, 3 with Revelation 11: 4

Does not Zechariah chapter four also speak of the resurgence of true worship, exactly as chapters five and six do?

If Zechariah and Revelation are connected, even if only partially, we should not have reflected on the identity of this "evil woman" who, incidentally, is transported to the most important city of Babylon or "to her own place"?

 

What is certain is that, as we have also seen in the articles titled "We are staggering like drunks?" and "Approaching the Storm", we can understand "at what distance we are" from Jehovah's discipline and also understand the reasons why He decides to discipline us by meditating on these aspects.

However, all those who really pay attention to the prophetic word, have no reason to be discouraged or upset.

If even the light of a certain guide should go out, we have a guide that can never disappoint us - Isaiah 40: 8

It is important and urgent more than ever, precisely in view of what is to happen, to become independent in our research and to sharpen our faculties of reasoning - Romans 12: 1

We must also realize the responsibility that some knowledge entails.

We must help not those who have become critical to a party taken and with which one can not reason and even those who fail and do not intend to call into question every truth fallen from above - Matthew 15: 6

We must help those who still know how to ask themselves questions so that they do not leave the organization and do not even close their eyes to what is about to happen.

We do not know to what extent God's people will be reshuffled, but until the revelation of the two clothed witnesses this will continue to be the people of God and anyway, whatever happens, let us hold fast to the Word of God which is the only truth - John 17:17

Recalling Jesus' words at the beginning of this article, and bearing in mind that we are nobody and we do not have a thousandth of his authority, we take care not to become like those who were part of God's people and who were recognized as authorities, but at the same time they could not understand "their particular time".

We do not look for excuses because each of us has a Bible and the basic knowledge to deepen our arguments.

We try not to be too full of us, basking in our safety thinking that others will pay.

We could wake up in an unwanted reality.

How would we feel if the Lord told us "Are you a hypocrite"? - compare Amos 3: 2

 

Final notes

* This also applies to all those sites that are said to be prophetic but only apply Jehovah's past judgments to God's people. This is also a fairly easy game.

** Just take a look at the book, no longer in publication "Pay attention to the prophecies of Daniel" where practically every number of days present in the prophetic book have been applied to assemblies, resolutions and publications.