Posted by Rick on March 14, 1999 at 23:55:50 {MWSZV6.08fSjY}:
Zechariah chapter 13 speaks of a future time when God's shepherd, "the man who is close to me!", is struck with the sword for betraying his God.
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. In the whole land," declares the LORD, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, `They are my people,' and they will say, `The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:7-9)
Reading the context of this chapter seems to indicate the man "closest to" God, his "shepherd," is none other than the "faithful and discreet slave" Christ spoke about (Matthew 24:45)! Just 3 verses later this shepherd whom Zechariah foretold as God revealing is "the man close to me" reasons his master Jesus Christ is delaying his kingdom return and turns wicked (Matthew 24:48)
Jesus elaborated on Zechariah's prophecy, and Zechariah reveals that the "slave" goes through two stages; first faithful, then demoralized upon the Master's delay and by his actions turns wicked.
Interestingly a brother suggested that the very first verse of chapter 13 in Zechariah foretells the internet and its drowning effect upon the wicked slave's and deceptive shepherd's lies. "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity." (Zechariah 13:1) It seems the internet has opened a "fountain" to spiritual Israel and the entire inhabitants of spiritual Jerusalem comprised of all believers in Jehovah.
The warning is issued, "if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, `You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD's name.' When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him." (Zechariah 13:3)
Everything foretold by God's once loyal shepherds on the governing body has failed to come to pass. 1975 came and went without fanfare. I mused how the "generation" since 1914 has almost passed away with the passing of Joe DiMaggio at the age of 85 (born in 1914). Nothing foretold by God's shepherd so close to him has come to pass. As a result, the "father and mother" (in verse 3), Jesus Christ and Jehovah God, have declared "`You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD's name.'"
Watch carefully because "When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him." (Verse 3) It would seem that when the Watchtower Society issues another prophecy or prediction as they have in the past, their own spiritual parents in heaven will "stab" them! (It's best to take a "wait and see" on this one.)
"On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet's garment of hair in order to deceive. He will say, `I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth." (Verses 4 and 5) It's interesting how they deny having ever prophesied, deny it right to God's face, and proceed to build a beautiful farming complex in Patterson, New York. Afterall, they've been farmers since youth, not prophets, right?
Every now and then people get suspicious at their suddenly going from prophet to farmer. "If someone asks him, `What are these wounds on your body?' he will answer, `The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.'" (Zechariah 13:6) In other words, if anyone calls them on their claims not to have prophesied -- asking "What are theses wounds on your body" or telltale signs in your published literature of past prophetic fiascos -- they will blame their "friends" such as Ray Franz who was thrown off the governing body to cover for their mistakes.
Verse 7 says that Jehovah awaken his "sword" against "the man who is close to me," his once faithful shepherd, and his now wicked slave class. But why would he turn his hands against "the little ones" who follow the current governing body blindly? In fact, verse 8 reveals that a full two-thirds of Jehovah's people "will be struck down and perish"! (Verse 8) Only one-third will remain spiritually intact.
The reason for striking down the two-thirds of "the little ones" is evident in Zechariah 13:9. Jehovah is using this entire situation as a TEST, as a TEST, as a TEST, and I cannot overemphasize this! The third who survive this wicked slave class and witness "his own parents ... stab him" when he prophesies again (verse 3), it is said of these strong individuals, "This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, `They are my people,' and they will say, `The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:9)
Interestingly, the footnote to verse 6, when someone asks the wicked slave or shepherd "What are these wounds on your body?" shows that "wounds on your body" could be translated "Or wounds between your hands." Between the hands of the anointed class who control the organization worldwide are "wounds" or massive bloodshed as a result of gross negligence in putting out just plain wrong information.
Look with confidence to when Zechariah chapter 13 reaches its complete fulfillment, for already it seems we're in the middle of what Zechariah foretold. Jehovah's purpose for putting you through this nightmare is crystal clear, when he promises of those faithful, "I will refine them like silver and test them like gold."
Rick