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Unification in Spite of False PredictionsParadise Restored to Mankind—By Theocracy!
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The false gods of pagan, superstitious people are not the ones to whom to look and pray. In an address to the heavenly Rainmaker, the earlier prophet Jeremiah said: “Do there exist among the vain idols of the nations any that can pour down rain, or can even the heavens themselves give copious showers? Are you not the One, O Jehovah our God? And we hope in you, for you yourself have done all these things.” (Jeremiah 14:22)
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Unification in Spite of False PredictionsParadise Restored to Mankind—By Theocracy!
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8. To what as gods has Christendom looked for her blessings, but with what foretold result?
8 Contrary to her “form of godly devotion,” Christendom looks for her blessings to the false gods of this world, commercialism, militarism, evolutionistic schooling, patriotism, modern science and technology, and the United Nations. Her political leaders even consult astrologers and spirit mediums. What have we noticed to be the results? Exactly what Zechariah 10:2 foretold: “For the teraphim themselves have spoken what is uncanny; and the practicers of divination, for their part, have visioned falsehood, and valueless dreams are what they keep speaking, and in vain they try to comfort. That is why they will certainly depart like a flock; they will become afflicted, because there is no shepherd.”
9. How have the people of Christendom been guilty of using “teraphim” and “divination”?
9 In their independence of the Holy Bible, the peoples of Christendom look to their “teraphim,” that is, their household gods, their Pe·naʹtes, as the superstitious ancient Romans did. They trust to their own private opinions, each one having his own brand of personal religion. They look to the predictions of the military, economic and political specialists; also, to the priests and clergymen who pray heaven’s blessing upon such worldly leaders and spokesmen. They rebel against the Word of God that Jehovah’s Christian witnesses have proclaimed to them, and they push ahead presumptuously with their own ideas of how to do things. To them the words of the prophet Samuel apply, when speaking to disobedient King Saul of Israel: “Rebelliousness is the same as the sin of divination, and pushing ahead presumptuously the same as using uncanny power and teraphim.”—1 Samuel 15:23.
10. Have Christendom’s predictors proved true, has relief come and has the flock been kept together under a shepherd?
10 From Jehovah’s standpoint, not just the so-called pagan world, but even Christendom is involved with idolatrous teraphim and uncanny power and demonistic divination. The private opinions of men have therefore proved to be in error. The predictions made by public figures regarding an improvement of world conditions by all the man-made means that have been put to use have proved to be merely fond dreams, falsehoods. How has this affected the deceived, misled people? They are certainly departing like a flock of sheep, each one going his own way, like sheep not knowing where to go. They have gone astray and are the prey for the vicious elements of human society. They have consequently come into great affliction, with no remedy available from human sources. No political ruler, no political organization, is able to shepherd them, to protect them and guide them to peaceful pastures or quiet waters.
11, 12. (a) How have the rulers of Christendom not followed the example of King David the psalmist? (b) According to Zechariah 10:3-7, is Jehovah pleased with the political “shepherds” who are guided by the religious clergy?
11 The political rulers, even of professedly Christian Christendom, have refused to follow the example of King David, who shepherded the flock of the nation of Israel in 1077-1037 B.C.E. In Psalm 23:1, 2 the former shepherd-boy David said: “Jehovah is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing. In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; by well-watered resting-places he conducts me.” Could the Supreme Shepherd Jehovah be pleased with the conduct of the political rulers who as shepherds of their peoples are guided and supported by the religious clergy of Christendom?
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