“‘For Jehovah called you as if you were a wife left entirely and hurt in spirit, and as a wife of the time of youth who was then rejected,’ your God has said: ‘For a little moment I left you entirely, but with great mercies I shall collect you together. With a flood of indignation I concealed my face from you for but a moment, but with loving-kindness to time indefinite I will have mercy upon you,’ your Repurchaser, Jehovah, has said.”​—Isa. 54:6-8.

10. What interrelationship exists between the remnant and God’s universal organization, and during what period did the Greater Elimelech “die” toward the Naomi class?

¹⁰ In order to understand this feature of the drama of Naomi and Ruth it is necessary to understand another feature of the relationship of the remnant on earth to the other members of God’s universal organization, those in heaven. Those of the remnant being members of the universal organization of God, whatever affects the remnant of the bride, still in the flesh though spiritual sons of God, likewise affects God’s woman, the heavenly Zion or the universal organization. This becomes quite clear when we consider the prophecy of Isaiah 54:6-8 in the light of events that surrounded the activity of the Naomi class during World War I. For it was in this period, from 1918 into 1919, that the Greater Elimelech “died” toward the Naomi class, who became forsaken, as though without a husbandly owner. It was an experience of humiliation when Jehovah, the husband of that universal organization, rejected his woman, as represented by the spirit-begotten members here on the earth, to fulfill Isaiah 54:6-8.

JEHOVAH IS DISPLEASED WITH HIS WOMAN

11. When and for what reason did Jehovah find displeasure in the remnant, and how was this manifested, affecting the entire universal organization?

¹¹ Notice how Jehovah describes his woman in Isaiah’s prophecy as being abandoned, hurt in spirit with his face concealed from her. That indicates a period of displeasure in her. That is why, in the Isa 54 eleventh verse, he addresses her: “O woman afflicted, tempest-tossed, uncomforted.” The Naomi remnant came into a condition like that, particularly in the year 1918, when they were, in a sense, exiled from Jehovah God’s favor. In that year Jehovah God came to his temple suddenly, accompanied by the messenger of the covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ. He examined the remnant here upon earth; he was displeased with them. (Mal. 3:1, 2) For a time they were not fully accepting the challenge of Jehovah’s Kingdom service that had opened up to them. They were holding back, through fear of man and were not properly keeping themselves “unspotted from the world.” (Jas. 1:27, Authorized Version) Therefore Jehovah let them go into bondage to Babylon the Great and her political associates. During this time much persecution and abuse were heaped upon them culminating in the arrest and imprisonment of the Society’s headquarters representatives in 1918, on the false charge of espionage.a This meant that all of the universal organization of God, God’s woman, would be affected by his displeasure, and the prophecy foretells that the entire organization would be as “a wife left entirely.”

12. How does Jehovah’s concealing his face from his woman fit in with the death of Elimelech if Elimelech represents the Lord Jesus Christ?

¹² But how does Jehovah’s concealing his face from his woman fit in with the death of Elimelech if Elimelech represents the Lord Jesus Christ? How does the heavenly Jesus Christ, in effect, die toward the Naomi class on earth? During his earthly ministry Jesus clearly demonstrated the rule of action: ‘What I see my Father do, I do.’ If, then, during the remnant’s period of divine disfavor, Jehovah abandoned his woman, concealed his face from her, then the Son must do the same thing, particularly to that portion of God’s universal organization, the spiritual remnant here on earth, who are members of his bride. Thus Jesus Christ, in effect, “died” to those whom Jehovah abandoned.