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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1955 | June 15
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There was actually nothing in the water that was drunk to bring on such affliction and no innocent woman would be harmed by it, but it was holy water and had in it holy ground or dust and the writing of the cursings washed off in it, and hence it contained potent symbolisms, and it was drunk before Jehovah and with a solemn oath to him. He was involved and acted as judge, and he knew whether the woman was innocent or guilty, and if she was guilty he would cause the drink to have miraculous potency to produce the deserved result. So there was not this power in the drink by itself, and this factor eliminates it as any trial by ordeal as practiced during the Dark Ages. Those torturous trials were not prescribed by the Bible and they had power in themselves to injure seriously or kill. Whereas the law about jealousy required a miracle to bring about the punishment, the trials by ordeal during the Dark Ages required a miracle to deliver from punishment. In effect, you were guilty till proved innocent.
● What is the “fiery flying serpent” mentioned at Isaiah 14:29?—V. Y., United States.
Isaiah 14:28, 29 (Da) reads: “In the year of the death of king Ahaz was this burden: Rejoice not thou, Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a viper, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.” The “serpent” or the “rod that smote” Philistia was King Uzziah of Judah, for of him it is recorded: “He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod and built cities among the Philistines; for God helped him against the Philistines.” When Uzziah died the rod that smote Philistia was broken. During the reign of his grandson Ahaz troubles with Syria and Ephraim enfeebled Judah and the Philistines took advantage of this, waging successful warfare: “The Philistines also had raided the cities of the lowland and the South of Judah and had captured Bethshemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its towns, Timnah with its towns, and Gimzo with its towns, and were living there.” When Ahaz died Philistia may have thought that with the coming of a new and inexperienced king to the throne of Judah even more inroads might be made.—2 Chron. 26:6, 7; 28:18, AT.
But Isaiah’s prophecy told Philistia not to rejoice in such thinking, for from the root of Uzziah would come a “viper,” the fruit of Uzziah would be like a “fiery flying serpent.” Uzziah was likened to a serpent that had bitten Philistia, but now there was to come, not relief, but even more serious injury, for a viper or fiery flying serpent was more dangerous, was highly poisonous and its bite inflicted a burning inflammation. This figurative viper or fiery flying serpent proved to be Uzziah’s great-grandson Hezekiah, who succeeded Ahaz to the throne of Judah. Hezekiah did prove to be a more devastating enemy than Uzziah was: “He conquered the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory from the watchtower to the fortified city.” (2 Ki. 18:8, AT) Isaiah’s prophecy continued to declare that the poor and needy in Judah would feed unmolested and lie down in safety, while the power of the Philistines, who had invaded and pillaged Judah, would be broken. So instead of rejoicing Philistia should howl and wail, for from the north would come the smoke of an army, meaning that from Judah would come warriors raising dust clouds that could be seen from afar and would be advance notice of coming disaster.—Isa. 14:30, 31.
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Striking Evidence of Tree WorshipThe Watchtower—1955 | June 15
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Striking Evidence of Tree Worship
Traces of ancient tree worship turn up where most people seldom expect it. Thus John Stewart Collis writes: “If, after having been to a museum and examined the extraordinary and rather frightening Chaldean symbols of tree-worship of 4000 B.C. [?], we then enter the Christian medieval edifice of St. Mark’s at Venice, we will see embedded in the walls a number of sculptured slabs on each of which a conventionalized plant, with foliage rendered in truthful detail, is set between two fabulous monsters, the whole making a design which can be traced back to the signs and symbols of tree-worship as exhibited four to six [?] thousand years ago by the Chaldean Semites.”—The Triumph of the Tree.
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