the ones destined to be stunned. They will have to know who Jehovah is.

THE REPORT IN VERIFICATION SURE TO COME!

29. How would the trueness of Ezekiel’s prophecy be confirmed, and how did Jehovah give to Ezekiel the reassurance of this?

²⁹ ‘But what if it does not occur?’ someone not believing may exclaim. Never fear! The events of the future and the news reports that will come through will prove true the infallible prophecy uttered by Ezekiel. The reassurance was given that the trueness of the prophecy would be confirmed. It was given to Ezekiel, as Jehovah went on to say to him: “And as for you, O son of man, will it not be in the day of my taking away from them their fortress, the beautiful object of their exultation, the thing desirable to their eyes and the longing of their soul, their sons and their daughters, that in that day there will come to you the escaped one for making the ears hear? In that day your mouth will be opened to the escaped one, and you will speak and be mute no longer; and you will certainly become to them a portent, and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.”—Ezekiel 24:25-27.

30. Why was Ezekiel to be speechless from then on until the escaped one with the report arrived, and speechless to what extent?

³⁰ Down to this point Ezekiel had said enough to his people. There was no need for him to add much more in order to make the divine prophecy sound more convincing, to make appear more imposing the certainty of his message. Jehovah had spoken it, and that in itself was enough. So now until the day of the coming of the authentic report of verification Ezekiel would be mute. Not speechless in the full sense, but only speechless as regards further prophesying about the disaster to befall Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah. The passing of the time until the coming of the escaped one with the report would be a time of testing.

31. So, was Jehovah going to notify Ezekiel directly at the time of Jerusalem’s downfall, and what were Ezekiel’s fellow exiles to be allowed to do?

³¹ Jehovah was not going to notify Ezekiel directly of the fall of Jerusalem on the day of this disaster as he had notified Ezekiel directly of the beginning of the Babylonian siege on the day that this occurred. Till the escaped one with the report finally arrived, let the Jewish exiles in Babylon think over what Ezekiel had prophesied to them. Let them keep on disbelieving, if they chose. Their unbelief would in due time be blasted to pieces by the arrival of an authentic eyewitness of Jerusalem’s downfall.

32. At the arrival of the news by the escapee, how would the hitherto doubters be affected, but what would happen to Ezekiel, and how would his position as prophet and witness be improved?

³² At that ear-tingling time the hitherto doubters and unbelievers would be stunned into silence, but Ezekiel’s muteness would end. He would then be in position to speak from a better background of events. He would have a new, fresh message. His authority as a true inspired prophet of Jehovah would have been established. As a “sign” man or as a “portent” of what was fast impending, he had not proved false. Like the words of Jehovah to him, “you will certainly become to them a portent,” Ezekiel will have no reason then to be ashamed of his God before his fellow exiles in Babylon. His role as a prophet and witness of Jehovah will be authenticated, and, as Ezekiel’s God said, “they will have to know that I am Jehovah.”—Ezekiel 24:27.

33. When will the Ezekiel class have said enough concerning the outcome of the “great tribulation,” and what about further opportunity for Christendom then?

³³ Is this not something thrilling for us to contemplate, namely, the fulfillment of this prophetic drama within our generation? It will be definitely indicated when the “great tribulation,” like the siege against Jerusalem, begins upon her modern-time counterpart, Christendom. (Ezekiel 24:1-5) After that, the anointed Ezekiel class of today need say no more. What they will have already said concerning the outcome of that “great tribulation” will be enough. No hope can they hold out for the antitypical Jerusalem, Christendom. There is no further opportunity for her, nor for the hypocritical religionists related to her. The “great tribulation” must run its full course and take its full toll upon her.

34. What will then prove that the Ezekiel class was a timely portent to religionists, and what purpose of Jehovah will triumph?

³⁴ Stunned will those incredulous religionists be when down goes “the beautiful object of their exultation, the thing desirable to their eyes and the longing of their soul, their sons and their daughters”! Reports that will come pouring in from all parts of the earth where Christendom now obtains will stamp as true that the anointed Ezekiel class was a timely “portent” from the Sovereign Lord of the universe. His stated purpose regarding the stunned religionists will then triumph, “They will have to know that I am Jehovah.”

Chapter 15

The Watchman Lives to Get the Report

 1. Because of his great interest in our welfare, what has the Creator provided for us in these troublous times, and how should we feel about this?

OUGHT we not be thankful that there is a Creator who is so interested in our welfare that he has provided a watchman for our safety in these dangerous times? We have reason to be grateful for this divine provision, rather than be irritated because the watchman warns us so promptly and conscientiously. He is not needlessly disturbing our peace and repose.

 2. What worldlings of today do not prove to be His watchman class, why does He have a great account to settle with this system of things, and what does heeding His real watchman mean for us?

² Scientists, economists, ecologists and historians are shouting out well-founded warnings to this present