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| 1 They asked of Jehovah rain in a time of latter rain, Jehovah is making lightnings, And rain [in] showers He doth give to them. To each the herb in the field. |
Showers of rain – Truth. B256
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| 2 Because the teraphim did speak iniquity, And the diviners have seen a falsehood, And dreams of the vanity they speak, [With] vanity they give comfort, Therefore they have journeyed as a flock, They are afflicted, for there is no shepherd. |
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| 3 Against the shepherds did Mine anger burn, And against the he-goats I lay a charge, For inspected hath Jehovah of Hosts His flock, the house of Judah, And set them as His beauteous horse in battle. |
The shepherds – Greedy, ignorant, lazy teachers. F287
In the battle – The time of trouble. D527
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| 4 From him [is] a corner-stone, From him a nail, from him a battle-bow, From him goeth forth every exactor together. |
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| 5 And they have been as heroes, Treading in mire of out-places in battle, And they have fought, for Jehovah [is] with them, And have put to shame riders of horses. |
And they – Verses 5 to 12 evidently apply to the second advent. R2124:5
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| 6 And I have made mighty the house of Judah, And the house of Joseph I do save, And I have caused them to dwell, for I have loved them, And they have been as [if] I had not cast them off, For I [am] Jehovah their God, And I answer them. |
House of Joseph – Not mentioned as antagonistic or a rival kingdom to Judah or Ephraim, but as unitedly sharing divine favor--of the same kind and at the same time. R2124:5
Not cast them off – The Lord assures Israel that the coming favor will be to both, and to all the tribes. R2124:5
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| 7 And Ephraim hath been as a hero, And rejoiced hath their heart as wine, And their sons see, and they have rejoiced, Rejoice doth their heart in Jehovah. |
They of Ephraim – Christendom. D22
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| 8 I hist for them, and I gather them, For I have redeemed them, And they have multiplied as they did multiply. |
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| 9 And I sow them among peoples, And in far-off places they remember Me, And they have lived with their sons, And they have turned back. |
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| 10 And I have brought them back from the land of Egypt, And from Asshur I do gather them, And unto the land of Gilead and Lebanon I do bring them in, And there is not found for them [space]. |
The land of Egypt – The kingdom of darkness. F458
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| 11 And He hath passed over through the sea, And hath pressed and smitten billows in the sea, And dried up have been all depths of a flood, And brought down hath been the excellency of Asshur, And the rod of Egypt doth turn aside. |
Through the sea – The coming time of anarchy. D596
River shall dry up – "The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up." (Rev. 16:12) R1371:6
And the sceptre – Right to rule. B83
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| 12 And I have made them mighty in Jehovah, And in His name they walk up and down, An affirmation of Jehovah! |
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