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“Cry Out Joyfully in Unison”!Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind II
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7. What effect has the captivity of Jehovah’s people had on his name?
7 The captive condition of Jehovah’s people has an effect on his name, as the prophecy shows: “‘Now, what interest do I have here?’ is the utterance of Jehovah. ‘For my people were taken for nothing. The very ones ruling over them kept howling,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and constantly, all day long, my name was being treated with disrespect. For that reason my people will know my name, even for that reason in that day, because I am the One that is speaking. Look! It is I.’” (Isaiah 52:5, 6) What interest does Jehovah have in the situation? What concern of his is it that Israel is enslaved in Babylon? Jehovah must act because Babylon has taken his people captive and has howled over them in triumph. Such bragging has led to Babylon’s treating Jehovah’s name disrespectfully. (Ezekiel 36:20, 21) She has failed to recognize that the desolate condition of Jerusalem is on account of Jehovah’s displeasure toward his people. Rather, Babylon has viewed the enslavement of the Jews as evidence of the weakness of their God. The Babylonian coregent Belshazzar even mocks Jehovah by using vessels from His temple during a feast in honor of Babylonian gods.—Daniel 5:1-4.
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“Cry Out Joyfully in Unison”!Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind II
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9, 10. What deeper understanding of Jehovah’s standards and his name have God’s covenant people of modern times come to have?
9 When the Greater Cyrus, Jesus Christ, freed God’s covenant people from captivity to Babylon the Great in 1919, they came to a better understanding of Jehovah’s requirements. They had already cleansed themselves of many teachings of Christendom that have their roots in pre-Christian paganism, such as the Trinity, immortality of the soul, and eternal torment in a fiery hell. Now they set out to rid themselves of all traces of Babylonish influence. They also came to realize the importance of maintaining strict neutrality regarding this world’s partisan affairs. They even wanted to purify themselves of whatever bloodguilt some might have incurred.
10 The modern-day servants of God also came to have a deeper understanding of the importance of Jehovah’s name. In 1931 they adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses, thus publicly announcing that they supported Jehovah and his name. Moreover, through the publication of the New World Translation since 1950, Jehovah’s Witnesses have restored the divine name to its proper place in the Bible. Yes, they have come to appreciate Jehovah’s name and are making it known to the ends of the earth.
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