Survival into a new earth (1984)
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SURVIVAL INTO A NEW EARTH Survival has become a major concern in our times.
But what confronts mankind is far more awesome than a nuclear war. It is an accounting with the Creator himself. Astounding Bible prophecies show clearly that there will be survivors and that grand prospects await them right on this earth. This book has been published to help you to be among them.
The Publishers
© 1984
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
All rights reserved
Publishers
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF NEW YORK, INC.
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, U.S.A.
This Book Is Published in 38 Languages Total Books Printed of All Editions 12,800,000 Copies
Survival Into a New Earth
English (su-E)
Made in the United States of America CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1 What Will Become of Planet Earth? 4
2 The Issues That Determine Our Future 13
3 How Long Will the Present System Last? 21
4 The Kind of Life That Awaits Survivors 30
5 Reliable Foregleams of Mankind's Future 38
6 A World That Was Destroyed 46
7 Act Wisely in the Face of Calamity 54
8 Survivors out of All the Nations 61
9 Who Leads the Way to Deliverance? 68
10 “They Will Hunger No More” 75
11 “Flee out of the Midst of Babylon” 82
12 Identified for Destruction or Survival? 89
13 A Time of Re-Creation 98
14 How “New Heavens and a New Earth” Begin 105
15 Dividing of People Over the Kingdom Issue 113
16 What Will You Personally Do? 121
17 A Different Attitude Toward Obedience 129
18 Are You Loyal to Earth's New King? 138
19 “We Have Heard That God Is With You People” 145
20 ‘The Small One Becomes a Mighty Nation’ 152
21 A Warm Welcome for Those Who Return 160
22 Do Not Long for What Was Left Behind! 167
23 “You Have Need of Endurance” 175
24 The Countdown Nears Its Zero Hour! 183
What Will Become of Planet Earth?
WHAT does the future hold for you as one of the billions of persons now living on planet Earth? Would you like it to be a life of peace and security, among people who really love one another? That and much more can be yours. But it is not the future that the majority expect. Why not?
2 Threat of nuclear war has raised serious doubts as to whether there will be any future at all for vast
portions of the human race.
When an atom bomb was first used in warfare in 1945, over 70,000 men, women and children were killed instantly. Many thousands more experienced agonizing deaths during the following days and years. But today a single typical warhead has the explosive content of all the bombs dropped during World War II. There are tens of thousands of nuclear weapons deployed for immediate use. Still the world spends some $2,000,000,000 a day on an arms race that leaves many people gasping in horror.
3 But what if there is only a "limited nuclear war"? The results would still be appalling. According to Carl Sagan, a well-known scientist, if the nations were to use even a fraction of their nuclear capacity, "there is little question that our global civilization would be destroyed. . . . And there seems to be a real possibility of the extinction of the human species." Many people try to put such prospects out of their minds, but that does not remove the danger. A rapidly growing number of others have formed survivalist societies. In the hope that some will survive, they have built places of refuge in isolated areas and stocked these with food and medical supplies, also with guns to drive off unwanted intruders.
4 Apart from nuclear war, scientists warn of possible global disaster from the way the environment is being abused. Pollution of the air we breathe is a source of serious concern. Forests are being decimated at an appalling rate; yet these are important to the earth's oxygen cycle, its rain cycle and soil conservation. Through ignorance and greed, vital cropland is being ruined. Water supplies are being polluted, often with deadly chemicals.
Yet these resources are necessities for sustaining human life.
5 Of more immediate concern, you may feel, is the fact that violent crime is making people prisoners in their own homes. Political and social unrest makes life hazardous. Widespread unemployment and soaring inflation result in privation and frustration. The homelife of many is far from satisfying; the bonds of love that should hold a family together are often missing. Everywhere the attitude of people is "Me first!"
6 Where, then, can anyone find a sound basis for expecting to enjoy a life of security? If our future as inhabitants of the earth depended solely on what men and nations that share responsibility for these problems are willing and able to do, the outlook would truly be bleak. But is that the case?
FACTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED
7 In their calculations, humans all too often leave out of account the Creator of the earth and of humankind. But how can we know what His purpose is? The Bible tells us. Repeatedly this Book states that what it contains is of divine origin, inspired by God. Is this claim true? If it is, your life depends on acting in harmony with it. Because of the importance of this matter, we urge you to examine the Bible personally. You will find outstanding its many prophecies reflecting detailed knowledge of the future. Unmatched is its wisdom when it is discussing matters that are most important to your lasting happiness. We feel confident that, if you open-mindedly consider the evidence, you will realize that the Bible could only have come from a supernatural source, from a God who truly loves mankind.* The Bible contains information that is vital to our survival at this critical time in human history.
Appropriately, it is the most widely circulated book on earth.—See 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 3:11-14; 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 14-17.
8 The opening verse of the Bible states as a fundamental truth that "God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Although some people prefer to leave God nameless, the Bible does not. Identifying the Creator by name, Genesis 2:4 informs us that "Jehovah God made earth and heaven." (See also Genesis 14:22; Exodus 6:3; 20:11.) Much of the Bible was written originally in Hebrew, and in the Hebrew Bible text God's personal name appears nearly 7,000 times as a sacred tetragrammaton (תרגממן). Some translators render it as Yahweh, but in English the most commonly used form of the name is Jehovah.
9 This name was not devised by devout humans. It was chosen by the Creator himself. (Exodus 3:13-15; Isaiah 42:8) It is not a name to be used interchangeably with Buddha, Brahma, Allah or Jesus. Appropriately the prophet Moses reminded the ancient nation of Israel: "You well know today, and you must call back to your heart that Jehovah [Hebrew: יהוֹך] is the true God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
There is no other." (Deuteronomy 4:39) This is the God to whom Jesus Christ prayed, the One whom he addressed as "the only true God." Today He is worshiped by informed persons out of every nation on earth.—John 17:3; Matthew 4:8-10; 26:39; Romans 3:29.
10 By virtue of the fact that Jehovah is the earth's Creator, the entire planet belongs to him, and its future rests in his hands. (Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 89:11) The problems of mankind are not beyond God's ability to handle. The prospect of nuclear war terrifies humans. But whose laws control the nuclear reactions that take place on an awesome scale in the countless billions of stars? Does God not have the knowledge and the power needed to safeguard life on planet Earth? Likewise, the problems that have developed because humans have both ignorantly and selfishly polluted their environment will not block the purpose of Almighty God. The One who had the wisdom and the power needed to create the earth and the fascinating life forms on it can also give them a cleaned-up start if that is his will. (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 104:24) What, then, is Jehovah's purpose in connection with our planet home?
HOW LONG WILL THE EARTH REMAIN?
11 Is it God's purpose to destroy the earth and all living things on it? Some astronomers theorize that eventually our sun will experience an explosive enlargement in size and will engulf the earth.
There are those who reason that, because of the very nature of the physical universe, the time must come when the sun will no longer shine and the earth will no longer sustain life. But are they correct? What does the Creator say—the One who brought into existence energy and matter, the One who originated the laws on which our existence depends?—Job 38:1-6, 21; Psalm 146:3-6.
12 Jehovah inspired wise King Solomon to write about man's life span as compared with the duration of the earth itself. At Ecclesiastes 1:4 Solomon penned these words: "A generation is going, and a generation is coming; but the earth is standing even to time indefinite." Human history testifies to the truthfulness of this. Although one generation of mankind has been replaced by another, the earth, the globe on which we live, remains standing. But for how long? According to the literal rendering of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, it will be "to time indefinite." What does that mean?
13 The Hebrew word 'oh-lam', here rendered "time indefinite," basically means a period of time that, from the standpoint of the present, is indefinite or hidden from sight but of long duration. That can mean forever. Does it in this instance? Or does this expression indicate that perhaps at some indefinite future time, now hidden from us, the earth will come to its end? Some things that the Bible says would continue "to time indefinite" did eventually end. (Compare Numbers 25:13; Hebrews 7:12.) But the Scriptures also associate 'oh-lam' with that which is eternal—for example, the Creator himself.
(Compare Psalm 90:2 and 1 Timothy 1:17.) As to what the expression means in connection with the earth, we are not left in doubt. At Psalm 104:5 we are told: "He has founded the earth upon its established places; it will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever."—See also Psalm 119:90.
14 What will endure forever is not merely a barren, unproductive globe. At Jeremiah 10:10-12 we are informed: "Jehovah is in truth God. . . . He is the Maker of the earth by his power, the One firmly establishing the productive land by his wisdom, and the One who by his understanding stretched out the heavens." Notice that he not only made "the earth" but also firmly established "the productive land." In place of this latter expression, many translators render the Hebrew word te-vel simply "world." However, according to Old Testament Word Studies by William Wilson, te-vel means "the earth, as fertile and inhabited, the habitable globe, world." As to Jehovah's purpose regarding this fertile, inhabited earth, Psalm 96:10 reassuringly declares: "Jehovah himself has become king. The productive land also becomes firmly established so that it cannot be made to totter."—See also Isaiah 45:18.
15 Thus it is regarding the planet Earth on which we live that Jesus Christ taught his followers to pray to God: "Let your kingdom come.
Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth."—Matthew 6:9, 10.
16 Jehovah's will is not for the earth to be inhabited by people who have no regard for its Owner and little love for one another. Long ago he promised: "Evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it." (Psalm 37:9, 29) "The inhabited earth to come," of which the Bible speaks, will be populated by people who fear God and sincerely love their fellowmen. (Hebrews 2:5; compare Luke 10:25-28.) So great will be the changes that take place under God's heavenly Kingdom that the Bible speaks of "a new earth"—not a different globe, but a new human society that will live amid the paradisaic conditions that mankind's Creator purposed from the time he began his earthly creation.—Revelation 21:1-5; Genesis 2:7-9, 15.
17 The establishing of that "new earth" will, of necessity, be preceded by great destruction—one surpassing anything that mankind has yet experienced. For the good of the earth itself and all who are truly grateful to its Creator, he will "bring to ruin those ruining the earth." (Revelation 11:17, 18) God's time for doing this is very near! When it is completed, will you be found among the survivors?—1 John 2:17; Proverbs 2:21, 22.
The Issues That Determine Our Future
IN RECENT years burning issues that involve our future have been thrust upon us one after another in rapid succession. Conditions are such that people everywhere desperately want relief. Perhaps they believe in God, but it may seem to them that if the situation here on earth is going to improve, humans are going to have to bring it about. Some try to do it through existing governments or by mass protests against the decisions of these governments. Others believe that revolution is the only way. They feel that changing laws, replacing rulers or even entire governments will surely improve conditions. But what do the facts show? After trying for thousands of years, men have not produced even one government that has brought impartial justice, true security and lasting happiness to all its subjects. What accounts for this?
2 No matter how noble the objectives of persons in authority, all human governments are manipulated by forces beyond the control of the men in office. By whom? By superhuman spirits, Satan the Devil and his demons. True, many people scoff at belief in such spirit persons. But Jesus Christ did not. He personally knew the background of Satan and spoke of him as "the ruler of this world." (John 12:31) In symbolic language, the Bible depicts the global political system as a wild beast and reveals that "the dragon [Satan] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority."
(Revelation 13:1, 2; compare Daniel 7:2-8, 12, 23-26.) And for our day the Bible foretold increased "woe for the earth . . . because the Devil has come down to you." (Revelation 12:12) Nothing else can satisfactorily account for the chaos into which human society has been thrust. But how did it come about? What can we do to get relief?
THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY
3 The opening chapters of the Bible inform us that when Jehovah God created the first human pair, Adam and Eve, and placed them in the garden of Eden he instructed them about their relationship to him. He was their Father, their generous Provider, also the Universal Sovereign. For their own good, they needed to appreciate that their continued life depended on obedience to God.—Genesis 2:16, 17; compare Acts 17:24, 25.
4 At that time all creation was perfect. Unlike the animals, angels and humans had the faculty of free will. But soon after man's creation one of the angels, abusing the wonderful ability to make personal decisions, rebelled against Jehovah's sovereignty. He thus made himself an adversary, or resister, which is the literal meaning of the name Satan. (Compare James 1:14, 15; Revelation 12:9.) Motivated by ambition, Satan sought to entice the first human pair away from Jehovah God and to bring them under his own influence. He saw in them the potential for an earth filled with humans honoring him as their god.
(Compare Isaiah 14:12-14; Luke 4:5-7.) The account of what took place in Eden is no mere fable. Jesus Christ referred to it as historical fact.—Matthew 19:4, 5.
5 Jesus said of the Devil: "He did not stand fast in the truth . . . He is a liar and the father of the lie." (John 8:44) The Devil's first recorded lie was to Eve when he called into question God's truthfulness. He urged rejection of God's law and argued that it would be beneficial for each one to set his own standards in life. (Genesis 3:1-5; compare Jeremiah 10:23.) Jehovah's sovereignty was thus challenged there in Eden. As later events showed, the integrity toward God of all intelligent creatures was also called into question. Did they serve God because they really loved him, or could they be induced to turn away from him? (Job 1:7-12; 2:3-5; Luke 22:31) These issues would affect everyone in heaven and on earth. What action did the Universal Sovereign take?
Instead of immediately destroying the rebels, Jehovah wisely allowed a certain time period for the issues to be settled once and for all. This God did, not to prove any point to himself, but to allow creatures with free will to see for themselves the bad fruitage produced by rebellion against his sovereignty, also to afford them opportunity to demonstrate where they personally stand on these vital matters. With the issues settled, never again would anyone be permitted to disrupt the peace.
7 Jehovah God, being mankind's Creator, was also their rightful Ruler.
(Revelation 4:11) In time, however, Satan and his demons began to stir up in men the desire not only to set their own standards as to good and bad but also to rule over their fellowmen. Nimrod was the first to establish himself as a king, ruling over cities in Mesopotamia. He was "a mighty hunter [both of animals and of men] in opposition to Jehovah." (Genesis 10:8-12) From the days of Nimrod down to the present, every possible kind of human government has been tried. But the overall record, as any student of history knows, has been one of corruption and blood-shed.—Ecclesiastes 8:9.
8 When Jesus Christ was on earth, Satan tried to bring even him under his influence. He offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth" in exchange for one act of worship. Jesus refused. (Luke 4:1-13) Later the people wanted to make him king, but Jesus withdrew. (John 6:15) He knew what the world's political system was, and he realized that it was not God's will for him to try to improve it.
9 Jesus demonstrated complete loyalty to Jehovah, his God and Father. He loved his Father's ways and always did the things pleasing to him. (John 8:29) He knew that the solutions to the problems of mankind would come by means of God's Kingdom, a real government that would rule from heaven and would provide the righteous and loving direction needed by mankind. That Kingdom alone could remove the influence of Satan and his demons. It alone could unite people of all races and nations into one global family living in peace. Only it could relieve mankind of bondage to sin and death.
Only it could bring lasting happiness to mankind. This Kingdom is not some arrangement set up by politicians and blessed by the clergy. True Christians do not resort to weapons of carnal warfare to further its interests. It is God's own government, with a perfect heavenly King enthroned by God himself. This is the Kingdom about which Jesus preached and for which he taught his followers to pray.—Daniel 2:44; Revelation 20:1, 2; 21:3, 4.
WHICH SIDE WILL YOU CHOOSE?
10 The issue that you must face is this: Do you recognize that Jehovah God, the Creator of the universe, is also its rightful Sovereign, its Supreme Ruler? Have you taken time to learn his purpose and his requirements as set out in the Bible? Out of respect for his position and in appreciation for his ways, are you proving yourself lovingly obedient to him?—Psalm 24:1, 10; John 17:3; 1 John 5:3.
11 Are people who choose some other course happier? What has resulted from Satan's argument that humans would be benefited by asserting their independence instead of listening to God? Refusal to acknowledge that God owns the earth and that all mankind, as descendants of the original pair, are meant to be brothers has resulted in the slaughter of at least 99 million men, women and children in wars in this century alone. Failure to apply the Bible's moral standards has produced broken families, epidemics of venereal disease, the ruining of health by drug addiction, and violent crime. Even persons who escape a violent end are confronted with death because of sin inherited from Adam.
All the evidence shows that people only hurt themselves and those around them when they ignore the wise and loving requirements of the Creator. (Romans 5:12; compare Isaiah 48:17, 18.) Surely that is not the kind of life that you want. You can choose something far better.
12 With warm appeal, the Bible extends the invitation: "Taste and see that Jehovah is good, O you people; happy is the able-bodied man that takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8) To do that, you must come to know Jehovah and then apply his counsel. As you do so, your life will become filled with meaning. Instead of grasping for brief moments of pleasure that may help you momentarily to forget problems but that often produce heartache later, you will learn how to cope successfully with problems of life and how to have enduring joy. (Proverbs 3:5, 6; 4:10-13; 1:30-33) You will also have the prospect of sharing in the marvelous blessings that will come by means of God's Kingdom. If this is the kind of life that you long for, it is vital to act now. Why?
ALL NATIONS HEADED FOR ARMAGEDDON
13 Jehovah will not forever tolerate men and organizations that either deliberately or indifferently follow Satan's lead. They will not be permitted to continue disregarding God's law, misusing the earth and spoiling life for others. They face a day of reckoning in what the Bible calls "the great day of Jehovah."—Zephaniah 1:2, 3, 14-18.
14 In a revelation of events that would take place during the closing days of the present system of things, Jesus Christ disclosed that "expressions inspired by demons" would "go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty." As that revelation showed, "they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon [or, Armageddon]." That gathering is now under way!—Revelation 16:14, 16; Authorized Version.
15 The Armageddon of which the Bible speaks is not something that can be avoided by a nuclear freeze. International negotiations will not head it off. The name is apparently drawn from the ancient city of Megiddo, but far more is involved than a location in the Middle East. Egged on by the invisible "ruler of this world," all nations, despite their varied political ideologies, are being gathered to a worldwide situation that demonstrates their opposition to Jehovah God. "The kings of the entire inhabited earth," along with all their followers, are being made to take their stand. Immediately before Armageddon their opposition to God's Kingdom and to all who proclaim it will greatly intensify earth wide. Whether they acknowledge the existence of Satan or not, "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one," as God's Word declares. The entire wicked world and all who put their trust in it, yes, all who imitate its ways, must go.—1 John 5:19; 2:15-17.
16 From top to bottom, this world is riddled with corruption. Not just notorious criminals but average citizens display callous disregard for law and lack of concern for the person and property of their fellowman.
Above all, they refuse to take heed to what God himself says in his Word, the Bible. They do not respect his sovereignty. It is necessary for God to take action in order to clear his name of the reproach that has been brought upon it, also to prepare the way for making the earth a Paradise where lovers of righteousness will be able to enjoy genuine peace and security.
17 When destruction comes, there will be no doubt that it is from Jehovah. Desolation will sweep around the globe. The nations will know that Jehovah is taking action as his forces of execution go into operation. As governmental authority crumbles, every man's hand will turn against his companion. From the heavens, God's own Son will direct the outcome.—Revelation 6:16; 17; 19:11-13; Zechariah 14:13.
18 Unlike the results of nuclear war waged by men, this destruction will not be indiscriminate. But who will the survivors be? Will they be all who profess some sort of religion, or perhaps all who claim to be Christians? Jesus labels "many" of such as "workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23) The survivors into the "new earth" will be only those who have really cultivated an intimate relationship with Jehovah and his kingly Son, Christ Jesus. By their way of life and their witnessing concerning the Kingdom, they will have demonstrated that they truly "know God" and that they "obey the good news about our Lord Jesus." Are you proving yourself to be such a person?—2 Thessalonians 1:8; John 17:3; Zephaniah 2:2, 3.
How Long Will the Present System Last?
IT IS only natural to want to know how long it will be until the events so vividly described in the Bible and that culminate in Armageddon take place. When will the present wicked system be destroyed? Will we live to see the earth become a place where lovers of righteousness can enjoy complete peace and security?
2 Jesus Christ provided remarkable details that answer those questions. He did so when his apostles asked: "What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?" With regard to the actual destruction of the present wicked system, Jesus plainly said: "Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:3, 36) Yet he did describe in considerable detail the generation that would see "the conclusion [Greek: syn'te'leia] of the system of things," the time period leading up to "the end [Greek: te'los]." Read it for yourself in your Bible at Matthew 24:3-25:46, also in the parallel accounts at Mark 12:4-37 and Luke 21:7-36.
3 As you read these accounts, you will realize that, only in part, Jesus was describing events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 C.E.
It is evident that he also had something more far-reaching in mind. Why? Because at Matthew 24:21 he speaks of "great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." That calls for much more than the destruction of one city and the people trapped in it. And at Luke 21:31 the events described are said to point to the coming of the long-awaited "kingdom of God." What is the noteworthy "sign" for which Jesus said to watch?
A COMPOSITE SIGN
4 He foretold wars, food shortages, widespread pestilences, great earthquakes, and a loveless spirit during a time of increasing lawlessness, but no one of these alone is "the sign." All the features foretold must be fulfilled in the lifetime of one generation for the picture to be complete. Included, too, would be "anguish of nations, not knowing the way out . . . while men become faint out of fear" because of events taking place in the heavens above and in the seas around them. (Luke 21:10, 11, 25-32; Matthew 24:12; compare 2 Timothy 3:1-5.) In contrast to all of this, but as part of the sign, Jesus foretold a global preaching of the good news of God's Kingdom despite international persecution of his followers. (Mark 13:9-13) Does that composite description specifically fit the time in which we are living?
5 Ridiculers may scoff, saying that there have been wars, famines, earthquakes, and so forth, repeatedly in human history. But such events take on special significance when they all appear together, not merely in a few isolated places, but on a global scale over an extended period of time that begins with a year foretold long in advance.
6 Consider these facts: The war that broke out in 1914 was of such proportions that it came to be known as the first world war, and since then peace has never truly returned to the earth. Following World War I came one of the greatest families that mankind has ever experienced, and even today some 40 million persons a year are dying from food shortages. The Spanish flu of 1918 claimed lives at a rate unparalleled in the history of disease, and despite scientific research, tens of millions of persons are even now plagued with cancer, heart disease, loathsome venereal diseases, malaria, snail fever and river blindness. The frequency of major earthquakes has increased to about 20 times what it was on an average during the two thousand years before 1914. Fear and anguish on a global scale afflict people of all ages. Among the reasons are economic turmoil, violent crime and the threat of annihilation in nuclear war with weapons launched from submarines or streaking down from the heavens—something never possible before the 20th century.
7 Amid all of this an extraordinary worldwide proclamation of the good news of God's Kingdom is being made, as Jesus foretold. In upwards of 200 lands and islands of the seas, Jehovah's Witnesses devote hundreds of millions of hours each year, free of charge, to help people from all walks of life to understand the meaning of these world events in the light of God's Word. Earnestly the Witnesses point people to the way of survival through the "great tribulation" as subjects of the Kingdom of God.
And the Witnesses do this despite the fact that, as one Canadian news report observed, they "probably endure more persecution for less offence than any other religious group in the world."
8 We must also take into consideration that, as part of his prophecy, Jesus pointed to the expiration of a specific time period, saying: "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled." (Luke 21:24) Have those "appointed times" ended?
"THE APPOINTED TIMES OF THE NATIONS"
9 To appreciate the answer, we must understand the significance of Jerusalem itself. The city with its royal residence on Mount Zion was spoken of as "the town of the grand King . . . the city of Jehovah." (Psalm 48:2, 8; Matthew 5:34, 35) The kings of the royal house of David were said to sit "upon Jehovah's throne." Therefore Jerusalem was a visible symbol that Jehovah exercised rulership in the earth. (1 Chronicles 29:23) Thus when the Babylonian armies were permitted by God to destroy Jerusalem, take its king into exile and leave the land desolate, they were trampling upon God's Kingdom as exercised through a royal descendant of King David. When that took place, in 607 B.C.E., it marked the beginning of "the appointed times of the [Gentile] nations." Never since then has a descendant of David ruled as king in Jerusalem.
10 What, then, would the end of that 'trampling on Jerusalem' mean? That Jehovah had again enthroned a king of his own choice, a descendant of David, now to exercise authority, not merely among the Jews, but in the affairs of mankind as a whole.
That one is the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:30-33) But from where would he rule? Would it be from the earthly city of Jerusalem? Jesus clearly stated that privileges in connection with the Kingdom of God were going to be taken away from fleshy Israel. (Matthew 21:43; see also 23:37, 38.) Thereafter, worshipers of the true God looked to "the Jerusalem above," God's heavenly organization of loyal spirit creatures, as their mother. (Galatians 4:26) It would be in that heavenly Jerusalem that Jesus would be enthroned, to exercise ruling authority toward the earth. (Psalm 110:1, 2) That would take place at the end of "the appointed times of the nations." When would that be?
11 Decades in advance it was known that this would come in 1914 at the end of the major fulfillment of the "seven times" of Daniel 4:10-17.* But full realization of its significance came gradually during the years that followed. Progressively Bible students saw unfolding before their eyes details of the composite sign that Jesus said would indicate his heavenly presence in Kingdom power. It became evident that they had, indeed, entered "the conclusion of the system of things," that Christ had begun to rule as King in 1914 and that the end of this wicked world would come within the generation that saw the beginning of these things.
HOW SOUND ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
12 Some who are aware of these facts in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy find it difficult to accept the conclusion toward which these point. Why? Because they expect something else. They were taught that Christ's second coming would be visible and would result in mass conversion of mankind. In the first century the Jews also had expectations that were not fulfilled. They hoped that Messiah's coming would be with a display of power that would liberate them from Rome. Clinging to their wrong expectations, they rejected God's own Son. How unwise it would be to repeat that error when Christ is present in Kingdom power! How much better to see what the Scriptures themselves really say!
13 The Bible shows that it would be amid his enemies that Christ would begin to rule. (Psalm 110:1, 2) It tells of the ousting of Satan and his demons from heaven to the vicinity of the earth after Christ would be given Kingdom authority; so there would be a period of increased woe for the earth. (Revelation 12:7-12) During that time there would be intensified preaching of the Kingdom message, to give persons opportunity to take action with a view to survival. (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 12:17) But would that result in world conversion? On the contrary, the Bible shows that it would be followed by a destruction unequaled in human history. Though humans will never see the glorified Jesus Christ with their physical eyes, all who have not willingly accepted the facts regarding Christ's royal presence will be forced to "see" that it is he who, as foretold, is bringing destruction 1914 A Year Marked by Bible Chronology and World Events
Chronology
Bible foretold period of "seven times," after which God would give world rulership to the one he chose (Daniel 4:3-17)
"Seven times" = 2,520 years
(Compare Revelation 11:2, 3;
12:6, 14; Ezekiel 4:6.)
Beginning of "seven times": 607 B.C.E. (Ezekiel 21:25-27; Luke 21:24)
End of "seven times": 1914 C.E.
Jesus Christ was then enthroned in heaven, began to rule amid his enemies (Psalm 110:1, 2)
Satan was ousted from heaven; woe to mankind (Revelation 12:7-12)
Last days began (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Events Foretold to Mark Last Days
War (First world war began in 1914; peace has never really returned)
Famine (Now claims some 40 million lives per year)
Disease epidemics (Despite advanced scientific research)
Earthquakes (On an average, about 20 times as many major ones per year since 1914)
Fear (Of crime, economic collapse, nuclear annihilation)
Present wicked world to be destroyed by God before the generation that saw 1914 passes away (Matthew 24:3-34; Luke 21:7-32) upon them.—Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30; compare 1 Timothy 6:15, 16; John 14:19.
14 But does not now the passing of 70 years since 1914 indicate that there may be some doubt about whether we really have been in "the last days" since that year and whether Christ's coming as executioner is near? Not at all! Regarding those who would see the fulfillment of "the sign" from its beginning, starting with 1914, Jesus said: "Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen." (Mark 13:30) Members of that generation are still here, though rapidly decreasing in number.
15 It is true that statistics indicate that the average life expectancy on a global basis is now only 60 years, but millions of persons live beyond that age. According to available statistics, in 1980 approximately 250,000,000 of those who were alive in 1914 were still living. That generation is not yet gone. Interestingly, however, of those born in 1900 or earlier, figures published by the United Nations indicate that only an estimated 35,316,000 were still alive in 1980. So the number drops quickly as individuals reach their seventies and eighties. When considered along with all the details of Jesus' prophetic sign, these facts strongly indicate that the end is near.—Luke 21:28.
16 Now is not the time to be apathetic. It is a time to act with urgency! As Jesus cautioned his disciples: "Prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man [Jesus Christ] is coming."—Matthew 24:44.
How Historians View 1914
For good reasons, the war that began in 1914 has been called the "war of the ages," as devastating had ever been fought before. Wars since then have been fought in the name of war. Consider these commemorations about the effects of that momentous year.
"Not only had the war changed the map of Europe and set off revolutions that destroyed three empires, but its direct and indirect
tur (Stockholm; 1958), Vol. VII,
pages 421, 422.
"Half a century has gone by, yet the mark that the tragedy of the Great War left on the body and soul of the nations has not faded. The war that the United States fought this ordeal was such that nothing left was the same as before. Society in its entirety: systems of government, national borders, laws, armed forces."
effects went far beyond that in almost every field. After the war both politicians and others tried to slow down or halt the evolution and bring it back to its original state, in the world that had existed before 1914. But that was impossible. The earthquake had been so violent and so prolonged that the old world had been torn down to its foundation. It was hard to believe if the way it had been, with its social systems, its world of ideas and its moral principles.
"... Not of least importance was the chance of unlives that had taken
forces; interstate relations, but also ideologies, family life, fortunes, positions, personal relations—every bottom, humanity finally lost its balance, never to recover it to this day."—General Charles de Gaulle, speaking in 1968 (Le Monde, November 12, 1968).
"Ever since 1914, everybody conscious of trends in the world has been deeply troubled by what has seemed like a fated and predetermined march toward ever greater disaster. Many serious peo-
that has taken place and which has completely new standard of values in so many fields. It was not only the soldiers at the front that had become brutalized and careless with the neighbor's property. Not only had many illusions, much prejudice and many false values been shattered but also many traditional values for life and social behavior. Values that seemed to be drifting, as if things no longer had any deep roots —so it was in the financial system as well as with sexual mortality, with
We have come to feel that nothing
towards runawal. They see the human
race, like the hero of a Greek tragedy,
driven on by angry gods and no
surrender. We have come to
trand Russia. New York, Times
Magazine, September 27, 1953.
"Looking back from the vantage point of the present we see clearly today that the outbreak of World War II was a century's time of Troubles—in the expressive term of the British historian Arnold Toynbee—from which
the political principles as well as the laws of art. . .
"The fundamental insecurity that characterized the time was especially noticeable in the economic field. Here the war had brutally defended itself in its own well-balanced system, with strict laws and steady values. Neither in this field was it possible to return to the normal" — "Världshisthoria" — "Folklens och och Kultu"
our civilization has by no means
emerged. Directly or indirectly all
the conventions of the past have
turned back to 1914" — The Foul
of the Dynasties; The Collapse of
the Old Order (New York; 1963),
by Edmond Taylor; page 16.
But what accounts for such a world-shattering turn of events? Only the Bible gives a satisfying explanation.
The Kind of Life That Awaits Survivors
FEAR-INSPIRING though the coming "day of Jehovah" will be, it will not leave the earth ruined for habitation. Its effects will not be like those of a nuclear holocaust, which it is feared would throw the ecology into chaos and cause survivors to suffer hideous effects from radiation. Instead of his spoiling the earth for human habitation, the Creator is going to "bring to ruin those ruining the earth."—Joel 2:30, 31; Revelation 11:18.
2 There is not a shred of doubt in the minds of Jehovah's faithful servants that God can deliver them regardless of the destructive forces he will then unleash around them. They know that when morally corrupt Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by 'sulphur and fire from heaven,' angels of Jehovah delivered Lot and his two daughters. (Genesis 19:15-17, 24-26) They are also aware that when the firstborn of all Egypt were destroyed in the days of Moses, Jehovah's angel of execution passed over the homes of the Israelites, those homes marked with the blood of the Passover lamb. (Exodus 12:21-29) So, too, when the destructive fury of the great tribulation breaks out, Jehovah will deliver those who have made him their refuge.—Psalm 91:1, 2, 14-16; Isaiah 26:20.
3 True, as a result of the great destruction, the earth will be strewed with those slain by Jehovah. But no one knows better than God what needs to be done to safeguard the health of the survivors. He tells us that he will invite the birds of heaven and the beasts of the field to his "great evening meal" and that they will have their fill from the fleshy parts of those slain. (Revelation 19:17, 18; Ezekiel 39:17-20) What they do not consume he can dispose of by other means. God's purpose for the earth as stated in Eden will then move forward to its fulfillment.
WHAT GOD'S ORIGINAL PURPOSE REVEALS
An indication of what the future holds for survivors of the great tribulation is found in the kind of start that Jehovah gave the human family in Eden. In preparing the earth for habitation by mankind, the Creator produced abundant vegetation, also fish, birds and land animals in delightful variety. "Jehovah God planted a garden in Eden, toward the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Genesis 2:8) But God did not make all the earth a paradise and then maintain it as a park for man. Instead, Jehovah gave the first human pair a wonderful start, bestowed his blessing on them and gave them an assignment of work. He set before them projects that would enable them to use to the full their abilities and to find satisfaction in their accomplishments. This would fill their lives with meaning. What a fascinating assignment was theirs—rearing children to reflect godly qualities, extending Paradise to the ends of the earth and caring for it with its teeming creature life!
If Adam and Eve continued to respect Jehovah's sovereignty, they would never die. They would enjoy perfect life on earth forever. -Genesis 1:26-28; 2:16, 17.
5 Of course, conditions on earth immediately after the great tribulation will not be like those in Eden. But God's original purpose for the earth and mankind will remain unchanged. Paradise is to encompass the globe, humankind will be its caretakers, and they will all be united in worship of the true God. Before them will lie the opportunity to live forever, enjoying the glorious freedom of the children of God.—Luke 23:42, 43; Revelation 21:3, 4; Romans 8:20, 21.
"At the outset, the ruins of the old system will undoubtedly need to be cleared away. Military equipment that remains will be converted to peaceful uses. (Ezekiel 39:8-10; compare Micah 4:3.) Crops still in the fields will no doubt be harvested to sustain the survivors. Then as seed is sown and new harvests are reaped, the promise will come true: "The earth itself will certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us." (Psalm 67:6; compare Deuteronomy 28:8.) With the selfish and divisive elements of the old system gone, never again will anyone be obliged to go to bed hungry at night.—Psalm 72:16.
7 This will be a world made up of people who appreciate the importance of having Jehovah's direction and blessing. And these will be provided in a
GOD'S ORIGINAL PURPOSE FOR MANKIND
To fill the earth with humans reflecting godly qualities
To extend Paradise earth wide and care for it and its animal life
To enjoy life on earth forever manner that reflects God's own wisdom and love.
The one whom Jehovah has assigned as earth's new King is his own Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible reveals that by means of him God created the earth and all the various kinds of life upon it. (Colossians 1:15-17) The Son of God thoroughly understands what the perpetuation of life on earth requires and he has a special fondness for the things pertaining to mankind.—Proverbs 8:30, 31.
Above all, the Son loyally upholds Jehovah's sovereignty. Concerning Jesus it was foretold: "Upon him the spirit of Jehovah must settle down, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and there will be enjoyment by him in the fear of Jehovah." (Isaiah 11:2, 3) He will help his earthly subjects to find similar enjoyment in conforming their lives to Jehovah's ways. Under his kingship, the survivors of the great tribulation will be restored to the kind of life that God purposed for mankind when our first parents were given Eden as their home.
WHAT JESUS' MINISTRY REVEALS
To enjoy that kind of life, however, we need relief from the grievous effects of sin. All of us have inherited sin from Adam, who lost his perfection when he showed lawless disregard for Jehovah's sovereignty. The results of sin are manifest in a variety of ways. It can give rise to illness, physical defects, also a tendency to think and say and do things out of wrong motives.
Finally it produces death. (Romans 5:12; 6:23) During his earthly ministry, Jesus performed many miracles that demonstrated what he will do to bring relief to those who are subjects of God's Kingdom.
10 But when some persons read the thrilling Bible accounts about the miracles of Jesus, they express doubt. Why? Because we live in a world where skepticism has become popular. Skeptics may feel that for miracles to be believable, scientists today should be able to repeat them or explain them. But why do scientists continue to devote great amounts of time and money to research? Because there is much that they do not understand. What is really at issue in our attitude toward Jesus' ministry is a willingness to acknowledge divine intervention in human affairs.
11 To a crowd in Jerusalem in 33 C.E., the apostle Peter spoke of Jesus as "a man publicly shown by God to you through powerful works and portents and signs that God did through him." (Acts 2:22) The miracles were, as Peter here indicated, "powerful works," not deeds that other men could duplicate or explain, but evidence that God's power was operating through Jesus. They were "signs" that he truly was the Messiah, God's own Son. They were also "portents," occurrences that pointed to heartwarming future events.
12 Read the Gospel accounts in the Bible, and as you do so, keep in mind that the miracles performed by Jesus give a preview of what he will do for mankind who will live on earth under God's Messianic Kingdom.
That will be a time when persons with such disfiguring diseases as leprosy will be made clean—just as Jesus cleansed ten leprous men while he was en route to Jerusalem in the year 33 C.E. He demonstrated that he can help such persons and that he really wants to do so. (Luke 17:11-19; Mark 1:40-42) Many have been victims of paralysis. For them, too, healing will be available—as it was for a bedfast paralytic whom Jesus healed, associating this with forgiving the man's sins.—Mark 2:1-12.
13 Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears will be unstopped and those with speech defects will have their tongues loosed—even as Jesus did these things for persons in Galilee and in the Decapolis in the first century. (Matthew 9:27-30; Mark 7:31-37) For many persons today, doctors can provide no cure. That was the situation of a woman in Capernaum who "had been put to many pains by many physicians and had spent all her resources and had not been benefited." But Jesus healed her, and he will do the same for many more like her. (Mark 5:25-29) Cancer, heart disease, malaria, snail fever—none will be too difficult, as he demonstrated when he cured "every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity" during his ministry in Galilee. —Matthew 9:35.
14 That will also be a time when there will be opportunity for the dead—not those destroyed by God in the great tribulation, but for billions of others who have died through the centuries—to live again, and with prospects that were never before within their grasp.
What will that mean to the survivors? Near the village of Nain, Jesus dried the tears of grief of a widowed mother by restoring her only son to life. In Capernaum he brought great ecstasy to the parents of a young girl by awakening their child from the dead. (Luke 7:11-16; Mark 5:35-42) Would you like to be on hand when your loved ones return from the dead? That will be the thrilling experience of survivors into the "new earth."
15 Life then will not be a repetition of the heartache and grief that so often burden down people now. This is shown not only by Jesus' miracles but also by his teachings, because only those who truly are his disciples will survive into the "new earth." (John 3:36) He taught his followers to put spiritual values ahead of material pursuits, to rely on Jehovah, to look to Him for guidance and to be appreciative of His blessings. By word and example, Jesus emphasized the importance of love and humility, caring deeply about other people and giving of oneself in their behalf. Already, those who become Christ's disciples and who truly apply these principles find great refreshment for their souls and they, in turn, bring refreshment to others. (Matthew 11:28, 29; John 13:34, 35) This is but a foretaste of the kind of life that will be enjoyed by those who are still alive when the present loveless world is gone. If you act wisely now, that life can be yours.
Reliable Foregleams of Mankind's Future
WE HAVE sound reasons for confidence in what the Bible tells us regarding the future. Its prophecies are not based on the guesswork of men who have studied trends and then made predictions. "No prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. For prophecy was at no time brought by man's will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit." (2 Peter 1:20, 21) Because of that, Bible prophecy has proved to be accurate in every detail.
2 It foretold the rise and fall of world empires by name—Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. It announced nearly two centuries in advance how Babylon would fall and the name of its conqueror. This was fulfilled in detail. It predicted that the city of Babylon would eventually become a desolate waste, never again to be inhabited. That condition continues to our day. (Daniel 8:3-8, 20-22; Isaiah 44:27-45:2; 13:1, 17-20) Other nations not named in the Bible were described in advance in such detail that well-informed persons can readily identify them.
3 It should be realized, however, that there is more than one kind of prophetic information in the Bible. We have already observed this in connection with the miracles of Jesus, which served as portents of what mankind will experience under God's Kingdom.
Other portions of the Scriptures that may not use language that sounds like prediction also contain prophetic elements.
FASCINATING PROPHETIC PATTERNS
4 The Bible book of Hebrews, for example, opens our eyes to the prophetic significance of matters that a casual reader might view as being simply history. It reveals that "the [Mosaic] Law has a shadow of the good things to come."—Hebrews 10:1.
At times objects were used to make prophetic patterns. For example, with regard to the sacred tent, or tabernacle, built by Moses at Jehovah's direction, along with the services performed at it, the divinely inspired writer of Hebrews explains that it was "a typical representation and a shadow of the heavenly things." It pictured Jehovah's great spiritual temple, the Most Holy of which is in the heavens. Thus, "when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come to pass, through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, he entered, no, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time into the holy place and obtained an everlasting deliverance for us. . . . Christ entered, not into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us." (Hebrews 8:1-5; 9:1-14, 24-28) Great benefits come to Christians from the spiritual realities here described, and appreciation for these should be reflected in our course of life.—Hebrews 9:14; 10:19-29; 13:11-16.
Persons referred to in the Scriptures also served as prophetic types. At Galatians 4:21-31 a detailed example of this is explained in the case of Abraham's wife Sarah (said to correspond to "Jerusalem above") and the servant Hagar (identified with the earthly "Jerusalem today") and their children. In another case Jesus helped his disciples to perceive that Elijah the prophet had his counterpart in John the Baptist, who, like Elijah, was fearless in exposing hypocritical religious practices.—Matthew 17:10-13.
7 Solomon, renowned for his wisdom and the prosperity and peace of his reign, aptly prefigured Jesus Christ. (1 Kings 3:28; 4:25; Luke 11:31; Colossians 2:3) Although the account in Genesis concerning Abraham's encounter with Melchizedek is very brief, Psalm 110:1-4 indicates that it, too, is filled with meaning, because the Messiah would become "a priest to time indefinite according to the manner of Melchizedek," that is, he would receive his priesthood by direct appointment of God, not because of the family in which he would be born. Later, the letter to the Hebrews enlarges on this and associates appreciation for such truths with Christian maturity, an important quality for those who are seeking to please God.—Hebrews 5:10-14; 7:1-17.
8 It is evident that the prophetic parallels involve
PROPHETIC PATTERNS
—Pointing to What?
The Days of Noah
The Tabernacle
King Solomon
Jonah in a Fish's Belly
for Three Days
Fall of Babylon
more than the office or position of persons.
They also include their experiences in life. On one occasion when the Jewish religious leaders displayed their unbelief, Jesus said to them: "A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." (Matthew 12:38-40; Jonah 1:17; 2:10) However, Jesus did not say that everything in Jonah's life foreshadowed what he himself would experience. When given an assignment by Jehovah, Jesus did not run away, as Jonah had tried to flee to Tarshish. But as Jesus indicated, Jonah's experience in the belly of the big fish was included in the Bible record because it served to provide prophetic details about Jesus' own death and resurrection.—Matthew 16:4, 21.
9 Certain periods of history also provide prophetic foregleams that are of particular interest to us. When speaking of the time leading up to his own revelation in Kingdom power, Jesus drew parallels with two other occasions when divine judgment was executed on wicked people. He spoke of "the days of Noah" and "the days of Lot" as being significant, especially highlighting the preoccupation of people then with everyday affairs of life. He urged us to take prompt action and not to turn back with a longing for things left behind, as the wife of Lot had done. (Luke 17:26-32) In the apostle Peter's second inspired letter further significant details are mentioned—the disobedience of angels before the Flood, Noah's preaching activity, the distress that Lot felt because of the law-defying indulgence of the people of Sodom, the fact that by cutting off the wicked in his due time God was setting a pattern of things to come, and the evidence that God can and without fail will deliver his faithful servants.
—2 Peter 2:4-9.
10 When prophecies have been fulfilled, this does not mean that they are now of mere historical interest. Both the advance notification of what was to take place and the way it was fulfilled are often prophetic of even more far-reaching events in the future. This is true of what is recorded about ancient Babylon, an empire that was outstandingly religious and whose influence is still felt around the world in our day. Although Babylon fell to the Medes and the Persians in 539 B.C.E., the book of Revelation, written at the end of the first century C.E., draws on the language of the prophet Jeremiah and points to a yet future application of the prophecies, in connection with Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. As examples of this, compare Revelation 18:4 with Jeremiah 51:6, 45; Revelation 17:1, 15 and 16:12 with Jeremiah 51:13 and 50:38; Revelation 18:21 with Jeremiah 51:63, 64.
11 In like manner, Jehovah's dealings with the apostate ten-tribe kingdom of Israel and with the faithless kings and priests of the two-tribe kingdom of Judah are prophetic. Both the prophecies that applied to those ancient kingdoms and their fulfillment, recorded in the Scriptures, paint a vivid picture of how God will deal with modern-day Christendom, which also claims to serve the God of the Bible but flagrantly violates his righteous commandments.
12 All these accounts, therefore, are of significance today. They help us to understand how God views situations in our day and what we personally must do in order to survive the coming great tribulation. We are thus helped to appreciate more fully the fact that "all Scripture is . . . beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness."—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
WAS IT ALL PREARRANGED?
13 Are we to understand from all of this that the conduct of people and nations recorded in the Bible was all prearranged by God so that it would have prophetic import? It is evident that God himself dealt with his servants in the past in a certain manner so as to provide a pattern of greater things that he had in mind for the future. But what about the actions of humans? Some of them committed serious sins. Did God induce them to commit these in order to make up the Bible record? The Christian Bible writer James answers: "With evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone." (James 1:13) God did not cause them to do wrong so that prophetic patterns could be made.
14 Do not forget that Jehovah is mankind's Creator.
He knows how we are made and what causes people to act the way they do. (Genesis 6:5; Deuteronomy 31:21) He can accurately foretell the outcome for people who live in harmony with his righteous principles and what the results will be for those who try to ignore their need for God or who pervert his ways. (Galatians 6:7, 8) He knows that the Devil will continue to use tactics similar to those he used in the past. Jehovah also knows what he himself will do under given circumstances, that he will act in harmony with the lofty qualities of justice, impartiality, love and mercy, which he has always manifested. (Malachi 3:6) Since Jehovah's purposes are certain to be accomplished, he can foretell the results and the steps that he will take to accomplish them. (Isaiah 14:24, 27) So he could select events from the lives of individuals and nations and have these incorporated in the Bible to provide foregleams of what the future will bring.
15 Appropriately, therefore, after relating events from Israel's history, the apostle Paul said to fellow Christians: "Now these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived." (1 Corinthians 10:11) And to the Christian congregation in Rome he wrote: "All the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4) When we thus appreciate that Bible accounts are more than mere history, we can begin to draw from them marvelous foregleams of mankind's future.
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