1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

depicts the slaughter of the idolaters ofJerusalem. It types the literal slaughter of thespiritual idolaters of Christendom in the Time ofTrouble, and also their destruction as tares (Matt.13:40) by the Word of Truth, which willmanifest their true condition and cause them tocease the pretense of being Christians. Thepicture corresponds to the harvesting of wheatand tares by the sickle of Truth (Rev. 14:15), andthe burning of the tares. There is a two-foldsignificance here— those having material chargeof Christendom, and those having spiritualcharge (D527.) The first class comprises therulers of the great nations; the second class, thefeet members of the Little Flock (Luke 12:32)—"All things are yours." (1 Cor. 3:21); "Inheritorsof the Kingdom" (Gal. 5:21); "Given charge ofall His goods" (Luke 12:44), the Bible truths.The first class has as weapons the armies andnavies. The second has the Sword of the Spirit,the Word of God.Ezekiel 9:2.And, behold, six men came from the way ofthe higher gate, which lieth toward the North,and every man a slaughter weapon in hishand; and one man among them was clothedwith linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side:and they went in, and stood beside the brazenaltar.— The six with earthly weapons are therulers of the six great nations— "Russia,Germany, Austria, France England and Italy. Thesix with the Sword of the Spirit symbolize all theElijah class, the six, with one other, making upthe seven, the complete number. These have theircommission from "the north," from the seat ofDivine Dominion, from God Himself. Practicallyall Bible translators and commentators agree thatthe one with a writer's inkhorn by his side wasnot one of the six, but a seventh, garbed as apriest, or as a clerk or officer in an army of theEast. The linen signifies the imputedrighteousness of Christ, (Rev. 19:8.)The writer's inkhorn symbolizes that the seventhman's function was to write. God identified himthus: When The Watch Tower Bible And Tract