Highlights for the Week of Jan 30-Feb 5, 2012

Isaiah 43-46
of peace-loving Christians who exercised faith in God? Starting in the year 1919, these began to be gathered to the side of the King, Christ Jesus. From all parts of the globe they have come, first the remaining ones of the 144,000 anointed ones, selected throughout the centuries of the Christian era. These are to be joint heirs with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom. (Romans 8:17) To these Gods prophet says: Do not be afraid, for I am with you. From the sunrising I shall bring your seed, and from the sunset I shall collect you together. I shall say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Do not keep back. Bring my sons from far off, and my daughters from the extremity of the earth, everyone that is called by my name and that I have created for my own glory, that I have formed, yes, that I have made.Isaiah 43:5-7. But that is not all! Particularly from the 1930s, a great crowd, now running into the millions, began to be gathered. These are the sheep that Jesus referred to at Matthew 25:31-46. Like the anointed remnant before them, these come to have faith in the One who declares: You are my witnesses, and I am God. (Isaiah 43:10-12) The gathering of this great crowd is also proceeding from sunrising and sunset, from north and south, and from the extremities of the earth.
Isa 43:6 - *** it-2 p. 1198 Woman ***

PLEASE NOTE - The references below are taken from

the 86-10 Index. Many verses have additional references that have not been included due to time & space. We are encouraged to do additional personal research.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: There is a tremendous amount of

reference material for this weeks bible reading assignment, much of which is found the Isaiahs Prophecy Book. For this reason, the references below are do not contain those to the IP book, but it is recommended you refer to your IP book for a verse-by-verse review of the material

Isa 43:3 - *** it-1 pp. 698-699 Egypt, Egyptian ***

Under Persian domination. Egypt later supported Babylon against the rising power of Medo-Persia. But by 525 B.C.E., the land was subjugated by Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, and thereby came under Persian imperial rule. (Isa 43:3) While many Jews doubtless left Egypt to return to their homeland (Isa 11:11-16; Ho 11:11; Zec 10:10, 11), others remained in Egypt. Thus, there was a Jewish colony in Elephantine (Egyptian, Yeb), an island in the Nile near Aswan, some 690 km (430 mi) S of Cairo. A valuable find of papyri reveals conditions prevailing there during the fifth century B.C.E., about the time when Ezra and Nehemiah were active in Jerusalem. These documents, in Aramaic, contain the name of Sanballat of Samaria (Ne 4:1, 2) and of Johanan the high priest. (Ne 12:22) Of interest is an official order issued during the reign of Darius II (423-405 B.C.E.) that the festival of unfermented cakes (Ex 12:17; 13:3, 6, 7) be celebrated by the colony. Also notable is the frequent use of the name Yahu, a form of the name Jehovah (or Yahweh; compare Isa 19:18), although there is considerable evidence, too, of definite infiltration of pagan worship.
Isa 43:4 - *** yb00 p. 3 A Letter From the Governing

Jehovah spoke to the congregation or nation of Israel as his woman, he being as a husbandly owner to her by reason of the Law covenant relationship between them. In restoration prophecies he speaks to Israel in this way, sometimes directing his words to Jerusalem, the governing city of the nation. The sons and daughters (Isa 43:5-7) of this woman were the members of the nation of Israel.Isa 51:17-23; 52:1, 2; 54:1, 5, 6, 11-13; 66:1012; Jer 3:14; 31:31, 32.
Isa 43:9 - *** w93 1/15 p. 22 par. 11 Why Guard Against

Body *** As Gods people, we have the privilege to be witnesses of the Most High. (Isa. 43:10-12) Of his ancient name people, Jehovah said: Owing to the fact that you have been precious in my eyes, you have been considered honorable, and I myself have loved you. (Isa. 43:4) These words also apply today to spiritual Israel. Additionally, Jehovah loves all those belonging to the great crowd, who have the hope of living forever on a paradise earth. Just think of it! Jehovah says: I myself have loved you. In your mind, can you hear Jehovah saying that with reference to you?
Isa 43:5 - *** w94 1/1 pp. 3-4 When East Meets West ***

Idolatry? *** Another reason to guard against idolatry is that veneration of idols is useless. Though some man-made idols may seem lifelikeoften with a mouth, eyes, and earsthey cannot speak, see, or hear, and they can do nothing for their devotees. (Psalm 135:15-18) This was shown in the eighth century B.C.E., when Gods prophet recorded at Isaiah 43:8-28 what is, in effect, a court case between Jehovah and idol-gods. In it Gods people Israel were on one side, and the worldly nations on the other. Jehovah challenged the false gods of the nations to tell the first things, to prophesy accurately. Not one could do so. Turning to his people, Jehovah said: You are my witnesses . . . and I am God. The nations could not prove that their gods existed ahead of Jehovah or that they could prophesy. But Jehovah foretold Babylons ruin and the release of his captive people.
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The judgment of this world actually got under way during the tempestuous years of World War I. At that time, Christendoms clergy gave wholehearted support to the warring factions. This identified them as part of a corrupt world that merits the wrath of God. (John 3:36) Yet what

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Highlights for the Week of Jan 30-Feb 5, 2012

Isa 43:10 - *** jt p. 5 Who Are They? ***

Isaiah 43-46
From one oclock, when the public discourse was finished, until four oclock, when Brother Rutherford reentered the auditorium, the atmosphere was charged with excitement. Brother Rutherford had specially requested that everyone who was really interested in the noonday warning to Christendom be in his seat at four oclock. Promptly at four, Brother Rutherford began by stating that he regarded what he was about to say as of vital importance to everyone who could hear his voice. His listeners were keenly interested. During his discourse he presented another resolution, this one entitled A New Name, which was climaxed by the declaration: We desire to be known as and called by the name, to wit, Jehovahs witnesses. The thrilled conventioners again jumped to their feet with the ringing shout Aye! They would henceforth be known as Jehovahs Witnesses!
Isa 43:18 - *** w07 1/15 p. 9 par. 7 Highlights From the Book of IsaiahII ***

The Scriptural account that Jehovahs Witnesses draw on for their name is in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah. There the world scene is viewed as a courtroom drama: The gods of the nations are invited to bring forth their witnesses to prove their claimed cases of righteousness or to hear the witnesses for Jehovahs side and acknowledge the truth. Jehovah there declares to his people: Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.Isaiah 43:10, 11, American Standard Version.
Isa 43:11 - *** rs p. 413 par. 1 Trinity ***

Savior: Repeatedly the Scriptures refer to God as Savior. At Isaiah 43:11 God even says: Besides me there is no savior. Since Jesus is also referred to as Savior, are God and Jesus the same? Not at all. Titus 1:3, 4 speaks of God our Savior, and then of both God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. So, both persons are saviors. Jude 25 shows the relationship, saying: God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Italics added.) (See also Acts 13:23.) At Judges 3:9, the same Hebrew word (mohshia, rendered savior or deliverer) that is used at Isaiah 43:11 is applied to Othniel, a judge in Israel, but that certainly did not make Othniel Jehovah, did it? A reading of Isaiah 43:1-12 shows that verse 11 means that Jehovah alone was the One who provided salvation, or deliverance, for Israel; that salvation did not come from any of the gods of the surrounding nations.
Isa 43:12 - *** jv chap. 7 pp. 79-82 Advertise the King

43:18-21Why were the returning exiles told not to remember the former things? This was not in the sense that they should forget Jehovahs past deeds of deliverance. Rather, Jehovah wanted them to praise him on the basis of something new that they would experience themselves, such as their safe journey to Jerusalem, perhaps by a more direct desert route. A great crowd who come out of the great tribulation will also have new and personal reasons to glorify Jehovah. Revelation 7:9, 14.
Isa 43:21 - *** w95 7/1 p. 17 par. 10 The Israel of God

and the Great Crowd *** and the Kingdom! (1919-1941) *** You are my witnesses, is the utterance of Jehovah, and I am God. (Isa. 43:12) Starting in the 1920s, the Bible Students became increasingly aware of the deep significance of these words of the prophet Isaiah. Through the pages of The Watch Tower, attention was repeatedly drawn to our responsibility to bear witness to Jehovahs name and his Kingdom. A milestone, though, was reached at a convention held in Columbus, Ohio, in 1931. On Sunday, July 26, at noon, Brother Rutherford delivered the public discourse The Kingdom, the Hope of the World, which was broadcast over a vast radio hookup, with more than 300 additional stations later rebroadcasting the message. At the end of the discourse, Brother Rutherford served notice on Christendom by reading a stinging resolution entitled Warning From Jehovah, which was addressed To the Rulers and to the People. To his invitation that they adopt the resolution, the entire visible audience stood and shouted, Aye! Telegrams later received indicated that many of those listening on the radio likewise raised their voices in agreement. What of the southern nation, Judah? In the days of Hezekiah, Jehovah said to them through Isaiah: You are my witnesses, . . . even my servant whom I have chosen, . . . the people whom I have formed for myself, that they should recount the praise of me. (Isaiah 43:10, 21; 44:21) When faithful, the southern kingdom served to proclaim to the nations Jehovahs glory and to attract righthearted ones to worship him at his temple and be ministered to by the legitimate Levite priesthood.
Isa 43:25 - *** w07 1/15 p. 10 par. 7 Highlights From the
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Book of IsaiahII *** 43:25. Jehovah wipes out transgressions for his own sake. Our being freed from bondage to sin and death and gaining life is secondary to the sanctification of Jehovahs name.

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Highlights for the Week of Jan 30-Feb 5, 2012

Isa 44:2 - *** it-2 p. 51 Jeshurun ***

Isaiah 43-46
wood. It couldnt make a single pear, he tells everybody. How will it produce a miracle? Mr. De Fabritiis tale is very similar to the illustration Jehovah God used to teach ancient Israel the utter futility of idolatry. Why not take your Bible and read it at Isaiah 44:14-20?
Isa 44:25 - *** w97 5/1 p. 9 par. 6 Identifying the Right

An honorary title for Israel. In the Greek Septuagint Jeshurun becomes a term of affection, it being rendered beloved. The designation Jeshurun should have reminded Israel of its calling as Jehovahs covenant people and therefore of its obligation to remain upright. (De 33:5, 26; Isa 44:2) At Deuteronomy 32:15 the name Jeshurun is used ironically. Instead of living up to its name Jeshurun, Israel became intractable, forsook its Maker, and despised its Savior.
Isa 44:4 - *** it-2 p. 653 Poplars ***

Kind of Messenger *** As if this were not enough, Israelite exiles were also exposed to Babylons boastful fortune-tellers, diviners, and astrologers. However, Jehovah proved all these false messengers to be frustrated fools, having things backward. In time he showed that Ezekiel was his true messenger, as was Isaiah. Jehovah fulfilled all the words that he spoke through them, just as he had promised: I am frustrating the signs of the empty talkers, and I am the One that makes diviners themselves act crazily; the One turning wise men backwards, and the One that turns even their knowledge into foolishness; the One making the word of his servant come true, and the One that carries out completely the counsel of his own messengers.Isaiah 44:25, 26.
Isa 44:27 - *** dp chap. 9 pp. 150-151 Who Will Rule the
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Euphrates poplars are also found along the banks of rivers and streams in Syria and Palestine, and particularly in the Jordan River valley. There, along with tamarisk trees, they often form dense thickets, while elsewhere they may grow to a height of from 9 to 14 m (30 to 45 ft). In all the Scriptural references, these poplar trees are associated with watercourses or torrent valleys. They were included among the trees whose boughs were used at the Festival of Booths (Le 23:40); they provided cover for the mighty Behemoth (hippopotamus) along the river (Job 40:15, 22); and the ease with which they sprout along well-watered places is used at Isaiah 44:3, 4 to describe the rapid growth and increase resulting from Jehovahs outpoured blessings and spirit.
Isa 44:6 - *** re chap. 6 p. 27 par. 2 Unlocking a Sacred

Secret *** In Isaiah 44:6, Jehovah rightly describes his own position as the one and only almighty God, saying: I am the first and I am the last, and besides me there is no God. When Jesus presents himself by the title the First and the Last, he is not claiming equality with Jehovah, the Grand Creator. He is using a title properly bestowed on him by God. In Isaiah, Jehovah was making a statement about His unique position as the true God. He is God eternal, and besides him there is indeed no God. (1 Timothy 1:17)
Isa 44:8 - *** w07 1/15 p. 10 par. 8 Highlights From the Book of IsaiahII ***

44:8. We have the backing of Jehovah, who is as stable and firm as a rock. We should never be afraid to bear witness about his Godship!2 Samuel 22:31, 32.
Isa 44:17 - *** g88 7/22 p. 18 The Futility of Idolatry ***

A man has a grove of pear trees, but one of these trees fails to produce, so he chops it down and he sells it to a carpenter, tells De Fabritiis. The carpenter carves a statue of St. Joseph out of it and gives it to the local church. The man who owned the tree goes to the church one Sunday, where everyone is praying to the statue of St. Joseph. The man refuses to pray. He knows that piece of

World? *** Cyrus then prepared for a confrontation with mighty Babylon. And from this point forward, he figured in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Through the prophet Isaiah, nearly two centuries earlier, Jehovah had named Cyrus as the ruler who would overthrow Babylon and liberate the Jews from bondage. It was by virtue of this advance appointment that the Scriptures refer to Cyrus as Jehovahs anointed one.Isaiah 44:26-28. When Cyrus came up against Babylon in 539 B.C.E., he faced a formidable task. Surrounded by huge walls and a deep and broad moat formed by the river Euphrates, the city seemed impregnable. Where the Euphrates ran through Babylon, a mountainlike wall with huge copper gates ran along the banks of the river. How could Cyrus possibly take Babylon? Over a century earlier, Jehovah had foretold a devastation upon her waters and had said that they must be dried up. (Jeremiah 50:38) True to the prophecy, Cyrus diverted the waters of the Euphrates River a few miles north of Babylon. Then his army sloshed down the riverbed, climbed the slope leading to the wall, and entered the city easily because the copper gates had been left open. Like a bird of prey that swiftly pounces upon its victim, this ruler from the sunrisingfrom the east captured Babylon in one night!

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Highlights for the Week of Jan 30-Feb 5, 2012 the Bible? ***

Isaiah 43-46
Isa 45:3 - *** w97 5/1 p. 11 par. 13 Identifying the Right

Isa 44:28 - *** g 11/07 p. 18 Does Archaeology Support

Kind of Messenger *** When Cyrus had complete control of the city, all its treasures fell into his hands, including those hidden in dark, concealed rooms. Why did Jehovah God do this for Cyrus? In order that he would know that Jehovah, the One calling him by his name, is the God of true prophecy and the Sovereign Lord of the universe. He would know that God had arranged for him to come to power to liberate His people, Israel.
Isa 45:12 - *** it-1 p. 1064 Heaven ***
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The cuneiform inscription on the ancient clay cylinder illustrated here corroborates another Bible account. Known as the Cyrus Cylinder [9], this document was recovered at the site of ancient Sippar on the Euphrates, about 20 miles [32 km] from Baghdad. It speaks of the conquest of Babylon at the hands of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire. Amazingly, some 200 years earlier, Jehovah, by means of his prophet Isaiah, said of a Medo-Persian ruler who would be named Cyrus: He is my shepherd, and all that I delight in he will completely carry out; even in my saying of Jerusalem, She will be rebuilt.Isaiah 13:1, 17-19; 44:2645:3. Significantly, the cylinder mentions Cyrus policyin sharp contrast with that of other ancient conquerorsof returning to their homeland captives held by the previous power. Biblical and secular history testify that Cyrus did release the Jews, who then rebuilt Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:23; Ezra 1:1-4.
Isa 45:1 - *** wi p. 7 The BibleInspired by God? ***

Jehovah, the Father of the celestial lights (Jas 1:17), is frequently spoken of as having stretched out the heavens, just as one would a tent cloth. (Ps 104:1, 2; Isa 45:12) The heavens, both the expanse of atmosphere by day and the starry heavens by night, have the appearance of an immense domed canopy from the standpoint of humans on earth.
Isa 45:14 - *** w08 1/15 p. 26 par. 6 Counted Worthy to

Be Guided to Fountains of Waters of Life *** The willing support given to anointed Christians by their companions of the other sheep was foretold by the prophet Isaiah. He wrote: This is what Jehovah has said: The unpaid laborers of Egypt and the merchants of Ethiopia and the Sabeans, tall men, will themselves come over even to you, and yours they will become. Behind you they will walk. (Isa. 45:14) In a symbolic way, Christians with an earthly hope today walk behind the anointed slave class and its Governing Body, following their leadership. As unpaid laborers, the other sheep willingly and wholeheartedly expend their strength and their resources in support of the worldwide preaching work that Christ assigned to his anointed followers on earth.Acts 1:8; Rev. 12:17.
Isa 45:18 - *** w88 1/15 p. 7 Insight on the News ***
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The fall of Babylon: Thus said the LORD to Cyrus, His anointed onewhose right hand He has grasped, treading down nations before him, ungirding the loins of kings, opening doors before him and letting no gate stay shut. Isaiah 45:1, prophesied c. 732 B.C.E. See also Jeremiah 50:35-38; 51:30-32, prophesied b. 625 B.C.E. Fulfillment539 B.C.E.: Historians Herodotus and Xenophon relate that Cyrus the Persian diverted the waters of the Euphrates, which ran through the center of Babylon, and sent his forces up the riverbed, catching the Babylonian guards unawares and taking the city in one night. Even with this strategy, Cyrus could not have entered the city had the gates on the banks of the Euphrates leading into the city not been carelessly left open. The gates did not stay shut, just as the prophecy foretold.
Isa 45:2 - *** w97 5/1 pp. 10-11 par. 12 Identifying the

Right Kind of Messenger *** Jehovah did not literally break the copper doors in pieces; nor did he cut down the iron bars that closed them, but his marvelous maneuvering to keep them open and unbarred had the same effect. Babylons walls were useless. Cyrus troops did not have to scale them to get inside. Jehovah went before Cyrus, smoothing out the swells of land, yes, all obstacles. Isaiah was proved to be Gods true messenger.

How fitting that, when writing about the earth, the ancient prophet Isaiah stated that its Maker formed it even to be inhabited! (Isaiah 45:18) Water is mentioned early in the Bibles creation account. Clearly, providing water before the creation of any earthly life form was a necessity. As the missions to Mars have testified: Outside the spirit realm, where there is no water, there cannot be life.Genesis 1:1-10.

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Highlights for the Week of Jan 30-Feb 5, 2012

Isa 45:21 - *** w98 8/1 p. 13 par. 7 Imitate Jehovah

Isaiah 43-46
beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done. (Isaiah 46:9, 10a) Jehovah is truly a God who can know ahead of time what will happen. How much of the future does God know? Does Jehovah know in advance what each of us will do? Indeed, is our future predestined? We will consider the Bibles answers to these and related questions in this and the following article. JehovahA God of Prophecy Being able to foreknow the future, Jehovah inspired his servants in Bible times to record many prophecies, which allow us to know in advance what Jehovah has purposed to do. The first thingshere they have come, but new things I am telling out, Jehovah declares. Before they begin to spring up, I cause you people to hear them. (Isaiah 42:9) How privileged Gods people are! The prophet Amos assures us: The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets. This advance knowledge brought with it responsibility. Notice the powerful illustration that Amos next uses: There is a lion that has roared! Who will not be afraid? Just as a lions roar provokes an immediate reaction from both man and beast in the vicinity, so such prophets as Amos promptly gave voice to Jehovahs declarations. The Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself has spoken! Who will not prophesy?Amos 3:7, 8. Jehovahs Word Has Certain Success Through his prophet Isaiah, Jehovah said: My own counsel will stand, and everything that is my delight I shall do. (Isaiah 46:10b) Gods counsel, that is, his will or purpose as far as Babylon was concerned, involved calling Cyrus out of Persia to conquer Babylon and bring about its downfall. Jehovah declared that purpose long in advance. As already noted, it unfailingly came to pass in the year 539 B.C.E.
Isa 46:11 - *** w99 8/15 p. 14 par. 3 Living by Faith in
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Exercise Justice and Righteousness *** Gods justice is not manifested only in the way he punishes wrongdoers. Jehovah describes himself as a righteous God and a Savior. (Isaiah 45:21) Manifestly, there is a close connection between Gods righteousness, or justice, and his desire to save mankind from the effects of sin. Commenting on this text, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1982 Edition, points out that Gods justice seeks concretely to express His mercy and to accomplish His salvation. It is not that Gods justice needs to be tempered with mercy but, rather, that mercy is an expression of Gods justice. Gods provision of a ransom for mankinds salvation is the most striking example of this aspect of divine justice.
Isa 46:1 - *** it-1 p. 281 Bel ***
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When one considers the high esteem in which Bel was held, it becomes evident why Jehovahs prophets, under inspiration, made reference to him as one of the deities to be humiliated at Babylons fall. Almost 200 years before Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, Isaiah foretold that Bel would have to bend down and Nebo would have to stoop over in shameful defeat. Their idol images were for the wild beasts to carry off; unable to help themselves, they would be hauled away as luggage on beasts of burden. Bel and Nebo would not escape. Their own soul, that is, they themselves, would go into captivity. (Isa 46:1, 2; see also Jer 50:2.)
Isa 46:10 - *** w06 6/1 pp. 21-22 pars. 1-6 Jehovah Tells

From the Beginning the Finale *** IN THE dead of night, enemy soldiers advance stealthily along the bed of the Euphrates River toward their objective, the mighty city of Babylon. As they approach the entrance to the city, an astonishing sight greets their eyes. The colossal two-leaved doors in Babylons wall have been left open! Out of the riverbed, they climb; into the city, they enter. Swiftly the city falls. Cyrus, their leader, promptly takes charge of the conquered land and later issues a decree releasing the Israelite captives. Thousands of exiles return home to restore the worship of Jehovah in Jerusalem.2 Chronicles 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:14. Those events of the years 539-537 B.C.E. are now well attested to by historians. What is remarkable is that the events were known some 200 years ahead of time. Jehovah inspired his prophet Isaiah to describe Babylons fall that far in advance. (Isaiah 44:2445:7) God revealed not only the circumstances surrounding Babylons overthrow but also the name of the conquering leader. Addressing the Israelites, who were his witnesses back then, Jehovah said: Remember the first things of a long time ago, that I am the Divine One and there is no other God, nor anyone like me; the One telling from the
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Gods Promises *** With progressive action, Jehovah causes himself to be the Fulfiller of all his promises. Consequently, Jehovah is spoken of as forming, or fashioning, his purpose concerning future events or actions. (2 Kings 19:25; Isaiah 46:11) These terms are from the Hebrew word yatsar, related to the word meaning potter. (Jeremiah 18:4) Just as a skillful potter can shape a lump of clay into a beautiful vase, Jehovah can shape, or maneuver, things to accomplish his will.Ephesians 1:11.

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