14 We know it would be wrong for the remnant to compromise with earthly rulers, because the faithful must not “go down to Egypt for help” and compromise with the world because of the powerful influence thereof. (Isa. 31:1) The going of Esther in before the king did not foreshadow the remnant appealing to worldly rulers.
    15 At this particular stage of the drama Ahasuerus the king pictured Jehovah God and his Christ. Jehovah is the great King, and Christ Jesus, God’s anointed King, who performs his will. Such are the “higher powers”, as stated in the Scriptures. Until quite recently God’s people understood that this scripture, at Romans 13:1, speaking of “the higher powers”, has reference to worldly ruling powers. Those who have withdrawn from the Society still hold this wrongful view. Now, however, the faithful remnant see clearly that this scripture has no reference to any part of Satan’s organization but does apply exclusively to God’s arrangement in his organization for his own people. Those who refuse to see this truth and who oppose the statement of The Watch Tower concerning it have seized upon such as an excuse for offense and have dropped out and have gone into the dark.
    16 The remnant see that their obligation is unto God and his constituted power and that they must give their entire allegiance and obedience to God and his organization. They see that it is necessary for every part of his organization to work in exact harmony and according to Christ, the active Head, and according to Jehovah’s will that is being carried out. Therefore the appearing of Esther before the king to make supplication in behalf of her people foreshadowed the appearing of the remnant before God to make prayer and supplication to Jehovah in the name of Christ for guidance, help and deliverance.
    17 For Esther to appear before the king unbidden might result in her death. It was a real test of her faith in God. For a period of thirty days she had not been called before the king, and naturally the question would arise in her mind. Was she still in the king’s favor? If not, and she appeared in his presence, she was certain to die.
    18 With the remnant there appear to be times when God and Christ do not seem to manifest any special interest in or favor toward them, and this when the enemy is pressing them hard. Some of the faithful remnant may wonder why God permits the clergy and other instruments of Satan to make such malicious attacks upon them. Even in such dark times the remnant must continue to exercise faith in God and in Christ and to pray for help. Such occasions bring a great test upon God’s people, but they must continue to be obedient to “the higher powers”, that is to say, to God and to Christ, and do so by continually and faithfully serving, and appearing and supplicating before the throne for themselves and their brethren. - Eph. 6:12-18.

    9 When the 22,000 withdrew from camp and turned back, there remained only 10,000 of Gideon’s army, and manifestly that number pictured those who have been branches in the true vine since 1922. Not all of that 10,000 stood the test, and this foreshadows that not all of those who receive the anointing prove themselves to be faithful in the bearing of Jehovah’s fruits, that is, carriers of the waters of truth to the thirsty ones. As Jesus declared, the vine must be pruned some more. Likewise Jehovah gave Gideon instructions concerning a further test. “And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them clown unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee. This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.” (Judg. 7:4) The enemy host now outnumbered the Israelites twelve to one, but the vindication of Jehovah’s name was not to be overshadowed by any earthly numbers. To be sure, God could have gained the victory with ten thousand as well as with any other number, but there might have been some room for boasting on the part of some of the ten thousand had the victory been gained by the Lord with that number. Above all, the picture there being made must be true in order to foreshadow what would take place in the modern fulfillment thereof; hence God put Gideon’s army to a further test. Not all who respond to the call to the kingdom, and who get in line for the kingdom, are “chosen and faithful” ones. Only those who have received “the love of the truth”, and who continue therein, will stand the final test and receive the approval of the Lord. (2Thess. 2:10) “Not many . . . are called: . . . that no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1Cor. 1:26-29) The stream of water from the well or spring of Harod pictured God’s message of “present truth”, which sets forth in unmistakable language the real issue between Satan and Jehovah and between the two great organizations. The “man of sin” or Judas class, who were once in line for the kingdom, have since scoffed and continue to scoff at the truth that God has any organization on earth at all, and still insist that the “higher powers” (Rom. 13: 1) are made up of the governments of this earth and its officers, which are a part of Satan’s great organization. They scoff at the truth that the “higher powers” mentioned by the Scriptures are Jehovah God and his anointed King. These conditions, which have developed in modern times, prove that it was necessary to apply the water test made by Gideon and foreshadowing the greater test of modern times.
    10 Those who give heed now to the opposing words and who are influenced by the efforts of the “man of sin” class will not stand the test in this day, but are certain to fail. (2Thess. 2:10-12) In Gideon’s time the test was applied, not by any creature, but by the Lord himself; as he stated to Gideon: “And I will try them for thee.” This foreshadowed that in the modern times the test upon the consecrated is not applied by any creature or earthly organization, but that Jehovah God himself applies the test for the Greater Gideon, that is, Christ Jesus, who leads his army ultimately into victory.
    11 Following the Cedar Point convention in 1922 there began a clarifying of the truth, and since then there has been an unusual clarifying of the message of truth, and this particularly began with the publication in The Watchtower of the article on the “Birth of The Nation”. (See The Watchtower, March 1, 1925.) The clarified truth has proved to be a great tester and has caused much controversy amongst those who profess to be God’s children. The words of Jehovah to Gideon show that he put the test upon the ten thousand to determine who should go with Gideon into battle. This foreshadows that Jehovah puts the test upon his consecrated people in these last days and he determines who shall go with the Greater Gideon, Christ Jesus; and this is shown by the words of Jehovah: “I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee.” No man can claim the honor to himself, that he is chosen because of his inherent qualifications. “No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” - Heb. 5 : 4.
    12 The ones that stand today with the Greater Gideon, Christ Jesus, are they that are “called and chosen”. (Rev. 17: 14) It is the ‘remnant whom Jehovah shall call’. (Joel 2: 32) This proves that the remnant are not “the reapers” but are merely witnesses. They have not reaped each other, but God has taken them out of the world to be witnesses to his name. It is these sons of God’s woman or organization that are taught of him and that learn and obey his commandments. (John 6:44,45) This is further proof that no individual holds another in the truth or drives another out of the truth, but that God holds in whosoever proves faithful under the test. The Lord’s angels at the temple gates keep out and refuse to let pass those who are not approved, and gather out and cast out those who become unfaithful and are disapproved, that only the faithful and approved shall be with the Greater Gideon in the fight and in the victory. Therefore Christ Jesus, the Greater Gideon, said concerning his faithful disciples: “Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.” - John 17:6, 9.
    13 Every one of the remaining ten thousand was required to undergo the test which God had named to Gideon. “So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.” - Judg. 7:5, 6.
    14 The manner in which each one of the ten thousand met and received the test ultimately determined in which class he would be put, whether in the one that went to war or the one that remained behind. Out of the ten thousand that were thus put to the test 9,700 boxed down upon their knees to drink mater. In order to do that they necessarily had to cease marching and to get off their feet and bow themselves down while drinking water. They did not keep their feet on the ground, where they belonged. Their chief thought was to get the water into themselves. They foreshadowed a class of consecrated ones that seek personal comfort and that have a large measure of self-confidence and self-reliance, and hence a lack of watchfulness and alertness and are therefore indifferent to the enemy and would be disposed to boast in themselves if anything in which they were participating prospered. Being off guard they were unlike these who ‘work out their own salvation with fear [of God] and trembling’. (Phil. 2: 12) Such rely more upon “character development” or inherent worth than on faith, which faith is proved by works done in obedience to God’s commandment. ‘They feed themselves without fear.’ (Jude 12) They think it unmanly to publicly read before a company of God’s people an explanation of a Watchtower article, which the Lord has provided as food for his people, but insist that a speaker should exhibit his own learning by extemporaneous speech. They get more honor from men in that way. They do not drink water, that is, receive the truth for the purpose of absorbing the truth and using it to the glory of God, but receive it to glory self. Such fail to realize that a real fight is just at hand and that it will be the greatest fight ever, and that they need and must receive all strength from Jehovah God and the Lord Jesus Christ. If they appreciated the real meaning of the battle of the great day of God Almighty they would know that they must at all times be on the alert to hear, to learn, and to obey God’s commandments, and to never rely on self or upon another creature on earth for their safety and for their prosperity and success. The Lord clearly marked out this class by the 9,700 who by their own actions automatically placed themselves in one class.

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