The Watchtower, April 1, 1945
Download: PDF — The Watchtower, April 1, 1945
SEeWATCHTOWER.
Published Semimonthly By
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street - - Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S.A.
Officers
N. H. Knorr, President W. E. Van Amburgh, Secretary “And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” - hatah 34:13.
THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY TEACH
THAT JEHOVAH is the only true God and is from everlasting to everlasting, the Maker of heaven and earth and the Giver of life to his creatures; that the Logos was the beginning of his creation, and his active agent in the creation of all other things, and is now the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, clothed with all power in heaven and earth, as the Chief Executive Officer of Jehovah;
THAT GOD created the earth for man, created perfect man for the earth and placed him upon it; that man willfully disobeyed God’s law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam's wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life;
THAT THE LOGOS was made human as the man Jesus and suffered death in order to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient ones of mankind; that God raised up Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and above every creature's name and clothed him with ail power and authority;
THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief Officer thereof and is the rightful King of the world; that the anointed and faithful followers of Christ Jesus are children of Zion, members of Jehovah’s organization, and are his witnesses whose duty and privilege it is to testify to the supremacy of Jehovah, declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible, and to bear the fruits of the Kingdom before all who will hear;
THAT THE OLD WORLD ended in A. D. 1914, and the Lord Jesus Christ has been placed by Jehovah upon his throne of authority, has ousted Satan from heaven and is proceeding to the establishment of the “new earth" of the New World;
THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples of earth can come only by and through Jehovah’s kingdom under Christ, which has now begun; that the Lord’s next great act is the destruction of Satan’s organization and the complete establishment of righteousness in the earth, and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will that survive Armageddon shall carry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth” with a righteous race.
ITS MISSION
THIS journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and his purposes as expressed in the Bible. It publishes Bible instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah’s witnesses and all people of good-will. It arranges systematic Bible study for its readers and the Society supplies other literature to aid In such studies. It publishes suitable material for radio broadcasting and for other means of public instruction in the Scriptures.
It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority for its utterances. It is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but invites careful and critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not indulge in controversy, and its columns are not open to personalities.
“UNITED KINGDOM ANNOUNCERS" TESTIMONY PERIOD
The four-month-long WiUchtou'er campaign ends with this “United Kingdom Announcers” Testimony Period during the entire month of April. It should crown with triumph the objectives of the campaign By the maintenance of united activity of all Kingdom announcers, under Jehovah’s blessing, it will do so. Keep to the fore always, therefore, the campaign offer, to wit, a year’s subscription for The Watchtower together with the free book “The Kingdom Is at Hand'1 2 and the free booklet One World, One Government, at the special rate of $1.00. We want our regular Watchtower readers to know that a share in this campaign is open to them, and if they will write in to us expressing their desire we shall take pleasure in putting them in touch with an organized company with whom to co-operate. Each one should also make out his report of activities, that such may be included in the compilation of the general results throughout the land for this blessed campaign.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES
Week of April 29: “Provoking the Showdown,” fl 1-14 inclusive, The Watchtower April 1, 1945.
Week of May 6: “Jehovah’s Universal Sovereignty Vindicated,” fl 1-16 inclusive, The Watchtower April 1, 1945.
Week of May 13: “Jehovah’s Universal Sovereignty Vindicated,” fl 17-32 inclusive, The Watchtower April 1, 1945.
“THE WATCHTOWER"
The Watchtower is a magazine without equal in the earth, and is conceded this rank by all that have been faithful readers thereof during its more than sixty years of publication. The Watchtower has increased in importance with the progress of the years, and never has it been more valuable than today, at this world crisis, when the destiny of each intelligent human creature is being decided. The getting of correct information and instruction, just such as is required for the tunes, to decide your course wisely to a happy destiny, was never more vital than now, for “where there is no vision, the people perish". Informed persons well acquainted with the consistent contents of The Watchtower agree that those who want to gain life m peace and happiness without end should read and study it together with the Bible and in company with other readers. This is not giving any credit to the magazine's publishers, but is due to the great Author of the Bible with its truths and prophecies, and who now interprets its prophecies. He it is that makes possible the material that is published in the columns of this magazine and who gives promise that it shall continue to publish the advancing truths as long as it continues to exist for the service of the interests of his Theocratic Government. Carefully and prayerfully read this issue of The Watchtower. Then do not delay to mail in your subscription, that you may receive it regularly, twice a month, twenty-four copies the year. It is $1.00 in the United States; $1.50 elsewhere.
ffieVWCHTOWER
ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM
Vol. LXVI April 1, 1945 No. 7
PROVOKING Tl
"For there be more with us than ivith him: with him to help us, and to fight our
JEHOVAH has never failed to meet the defiant challenge of his archenemy, Satan the Devil. Every time the bluff of the wicked challenger has been called on the issue of “Who is Almighty God? and who holds and keeps the sovereignty over the universe?” Jehovah has come off the winner, and Satan has been put to shame. Satan has been able to stage a comeback from time to time; but that has been only because of the willful perversity of some creatures and the easy tendency of imperfect men to quickly forget the issue and what God’s past triumphs have plainly demonstrated.
2 The leading issue before all creation is the sovereignty of the universe, that is, the rightful rulership over all parts of the universe and over all creatures inhabiting those populated parts. The one-time member of Jehovah’s household, namely, the beautiful cherub Lucifer, or Heylel, raised the issue. Waxing ambitious, he challenged the position of his Father by rebelling against his authority and dominion. This was shortly after perfect man had appeared on the earth, in the paradise of Eden. Thus Heylel, or Lucifer, transformed himself into Satan, which name means “Opposer; antagonist”. This upstart Satan knew he could not carry out his scheme single-handed, but must turn others, both angels and men, into opposers like himself. Devilishly he claimed that Jehovah was not alone in his Godship, but that others could become gods like Jehovah; they should not be restrained from doing so, but had a right to develop themselves as such. He further claimed that Jehovah’s sovereignty over all the universe, including the earth, was merely nominal or in name; it was a lot of propaganda, but not a fact. Others could themselves create a world of their own, off which Jehovah could be forced to keep his hands. At present they were merely yielding submission and service to Jehovah under a misunderstanding, a sheer misapprehension on their part. But if their eyes were opened to their opportunities and they arose
1. How has Jehovah's calling of Satan’s bluff always resulted? but why has Satan been able to stage a comeback ?
2s What is the leadins *ssue before all creation ’ and how did Satan come into existence, and with what reasoning respecting the issue?
LE SHOWDOWN
is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God battles."—2 Chron. 32:7,8.
to the privileges of asserting and developing themselves, then such creatures would quit the universal organization of Jehovah. They would take themselves out from under his questionable universal sovereignty.
’ On such wise Satan challenged the universal domination of Jehovah God, and also deceived, lured and persuaded many angelic and human creatures to his side of the issue. As respects those who stood out for right principle rather than for selfishness, Satan proposed and boasted that he w’ould force or coerce them to his side. For Almighty God Jehovah instantly to wipe out Satan and his dupes would not have settled the issue before all intelligent creation. The deciding of a controversy that rested on such fine points of dispute required that time be granted and the challenger and his backers be permitted to have full and fair opportunity to prove their charges and their boasts. That is why the Omnipotent Jehovah did not at once put down the rebellion and prevent the spread of diabolical wickedness. That is why he has permitted Satan the Devil to keep on living, thus allowing angels and men to choose the deity they will serve, Jehovah God or Satan the Devil. This test on the issue needs not to go on forever. Sometime the raging controversy must come to a showdown and everlasting settlement, for the eternal peace and unity of the universe. And it is Jehovah God, because he is most high and all-powerful and actually sovereign everywhere, it is He, and not the mimic god Satan the rebellious challenger, that sets the time limit to the test.
4 Jehovah God meets the enemy’s challenge with a counter-challenge. This he does by putting in the field willing servants of His whom he arms with his divine Word. These then call the bluffing enemy and they dispute the enemy’s claims and expose the falsity of such. During the time that God has permitted the enemy the chance to produce arguments
3 . (a) Wbat support did Satan win to bia aide’ and wby did not Jebotah at once put down the rebellion^ (b) How long must the teat on the issue go on, and who decides that?
4 How does Jehovah meet the enemy’s challenge? and what doe* he do when the time runs out? and proof in support, he has raised up such challengers of Satan the Devil and that one’s wicked host. When the time runs out, Jehovah will vindicate his courageous defiers of the enemy by settling the grand dispute in his own favor and thus vindicating his own name as Almighty God and Universal Sovereign.
5 How God will do this in sight of the coming postwar world, Jehovah gave examples from time to time in days of old. One of such convincing examples, with all the features of challenge, counter-challenge, and showdown, he gave in the midst of the reign of faithful Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem. God did not let this come down to us as an unwritten tradition of men. He caused the facts of the case to be recorded and to be preserved against all efforts of the defeated contenders in the controversy to destroy it. In behalf of his willing servants who take up the counter-challenge, Jehovah caused three written records of witness to be provided, one at 2 Chronicles 32:1-23; another at 2 Kings 18:13-37; 19:1-37; and another at Isaiah 36:1-22; 37:1-38. Isaiah’s record is almost a word-for-word repeating of that in 2 Kings. And as we are all unpreventably tied in with the issue, standing either to win or to lose personally by the approaching settlement of the is-* sue, we here run through a brief consideration of this threefold record. It is urgently important to do so, because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
CONTENDING PARTIES
* The dramatic event of old takes on a prophetic meaning as it finds its counterpart in the affairs of this hectic epoch that began A.D. 1914. One of the actors on the ancient stage was a world power, with roots of great antiquity. In the first book of the Bible, namely, at Genesis 2: 10-14, it is stated that a river went out of the garden of Eden and divided outside into four branch-rivers, the second one of which is ‘that which compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia’; and the third is “it which goeth toward the east of Assyria”; and “the fourth river is Euphrates”, where the city and tower of Babel, or Babylon, were built not long after the Flood. Nimrod the mighty hunter, who set himself up as the stategod for worship, was the first king of Babel, or Babylon. Forth from his territories he went prosperously as an aggressor and built Nineveh on the banks of the Tigris, the above-mentioned “third river”. Nineveh thus lay near what are the presentday Mosul oilfields. (Gen. 10: 8-12) This is the Nineveh, in Assyria, to which the prophet Jonah preached to repent because of its great wickedness. (Jonah
B. How and why baa Jehovah given ua a convincing example of the fore-fiolng In connection with Hezekiah? and why U It Important to consider t here?
u What Ie the Bible record of the origins of Assyria, Its location, and its religion?
1-4; Matt. 12:39-41) The facts are that Assyria, of which Nineveh at last became the capital, was run by an authoritarian government under the control of Jehovah’s great challenger, Satan the Devil, and his demons. Satan was there worshiped under the form of the idol-image called “Nisroch”, which name, as far as the Jews could make it out, meant “great eagle”. Because of Nimrod’s pioneer activities Assyria was also called “the land of Nimrod”.-Mic. 5:6.
TThe kingdom of Judah, over which Hezekiah reigned at Jerusalem, lay in between Egypt on the south and Assyria on the north. For such reason the two world powers, Egypt and Assyria, became representatives of what the Bible calls “the king of the south” and “the king of the north”. The kingdom of Judah was only a small kingdom, ruling just a few million Israelites, that is, just three tribes out of the twelve tribes of Israel, namely, Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, together with a multitude of non-Israelite “strangers” within their city gates. At King Solomon's death the other tribes of Israel had broken away from allegiance to Jerusalem and had formed a separate kingdom, the so-called “kingdom of Israel”, of which the city of Samaria became the capital in due time.
’ This latter kingdom of Israel quickly turned aside from the worship of Jehovah. It gave itself over to religion,’ starting out with two golden calves for worship and descending into worse forms of religion until the religion of the fiery Baal-worship was reached. The kingdom of Israel, therefore, forfeited the protection of the Universal Sovereign; and in the seventh year of Hezekiah’s reign he looked across the border to behold the religious capital Samaria razed to the ground by the Assyrian conqueror, Sargon, and the surviving Israelites dragged off into exile in the northern territories of Assyria. King Hezekiah saw the meaning of this; he took close to heart the truth there illustrated, namely, that the abandonment of the worship of Jehovah God and the adoption of religion are fatal and lead to ruin and destruction. That is the truth which Vatican City and the other states of postwar “Christendom” will be forced to learn and to admit at the coming battle of Armageddon. There the paramount issue of universal domination will be decided against them by a disaster like that of Israel of old.
• The question arose before Hezekiah, Would Jerusalem and Judah suffer a fate like Israel’s, and that at the hand of the king of Assyria! Let religion’s “crusaders” of today take note that the determination of this crucial question hung upon the point of
7. Where was the kingdom of Judah located, and bow did this kingdom come about?
8. (a) To wbat worship did the kingdom of Israel give itself over, and with what final result? (b) Wbat meaning did Hezekiah zee in that, and when will “Christendom” learn and admit it?
9. Wbat question therefore arose before Hezekiab? and how did be early proceed to answer it? worship. Hence, when Hezekiah, in the first year of his reign, reopened the doors of Jehovah’s temple and then led the kingdom in a concerted drive against religion to destroy it from the land, did he decide the question right! The Bible record, as it unfolds before us, gives a straight answer, to guide and admonish us as we near the postwar period. —See the two previous issues of The Watchtower.
10 In the next month after reopening and cleansing God’s temple at Jerusalem, the kingdom of Judah celebrated the restoration of His worship by keeping the passover and the feast of unleavened bread at the holy city. Then all the celebrators, fired with zeal for the name of Jehovah, went forth and broke up and destroyed all the symbols, idols, groves, altars, and canonized high places of religion, regardless of what cult. Then King Hezekiah carried forward his reconstructive work by putting the worship of Jehovah on a well-organized basis. He saw to it that the priests and their servants the Levites were appointed to their respective courses of service, according to the Theocratic law of the Lord God. He made his own material contributions to support them in their whole-time work at the temple and in educating the people in the word and the commandments of Jehovah. He reminded the people also of their responsibilities to contribute toward the temple support.
11 With such a faithful example before them, as set by the king, the people of the kingdom of Judah brought their tithes to the temple storehouse. For about five months they kept on piling up their tithe contributions. There was such willing giving by Jehovah’s worshipers that the priests and the Levites and their menial servants, the Nethinim, had more than enough. The superabundance must not be wasted or let spoil; so Hezekiah arranged to build more storechambers at the temple. He then appointed Levites to act as storekeepers to distribute the supplies to the temple workers and their dependents as the need came due. Thus the temple workers would not be obliged to hunt jobs outside, but could apply themselves to their duties with the least concern for the material things of life. The inspired comment upon such reconstructive efforts of the king is written in these words: “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”—2 Chron. 31:20,21.
” The facts, set out in the previous issues of The
10 What action for pure worship was taken by king and people? and how did Hezekiah carry forward his reconstructive work?
11. How did the people respond to Hezekiah’s exhortation? what arrangements did he then make? and how does the Bible comment on bls reconstructive efforts?
12. When ano how was a like reconstruction work set In motion? and to what factors has its progress been due?
Watchtower, plainly indicate that Hezekiah was a prophetic figure or type of Jehovah’s King, Christ Jesus, after his enthronement A.D. 1914. When Christ Jesus came to the great spiritual temple in 1918, Jehovah’s witnesses on earth were lying low under the oppressions and persecutions of religious forces. Hence he forthwith set in motion the reconstruction work, which continues till this day. In consequence of the world-wide witness that has been given publicly and from house to house throughout the nations it has become known to them all that Jehovah’s worship is a real thing in the earth and that Jehovah has a consecrated people on earth who are separate from all religion. The noteworthy progress of the witness work since 1918 is not due to Jehovah’s witnesses. They are comparatively few, like the kingdom of Judah amid the mighty heathen nations of old. The progress is due to Jehovah’s anointed King. His kingdom is at hand, and he has “wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God” and in behalf of his devoted followers on the earth. He has led them “in the service of the house of God” and in seeking the true God according to His law and commandments, and not according to religion. He has done this with all his heart. Therefore Jehovah has prospered him; all this with benefit to his faithful remnant and their companions upon the earth. The interests of God’s capital organization Zion, that is to say, the Kingdom, have been built up and advanced among them, and have prospered.
IS Such reconstructive efforts and activities in behalf of the worship of Jehovah God were a decided setback for demonism or religion. As in the days of Judge Jephthah, who pushed the demon-worshiping Ammonites out of the land of Israel, it was a recovery of ground for Theocratic worship and service, ground that had for a long time been lost to the forces of religion. (Judges, chapter 11) King Hezekiah’s anti-religious measures could not do other than stir up bitter antagonism on the part of Satan and the demon hosts. For the time being their grip on the kingdom of Judah had been broken. They had been foiled in their endeavors to prove that God could not set up a government over earth that could not be corrupted and turned away from Theocratic rule. The kingdom of Judah stood as the sole remaining beacon of Theocratic government on earth, and under King Hezekiah it was gleaming brilliantly in favor of Jehovah’s side of the burning issue of universal domination. Jehovah was reigning on Mount Zion, at Jerusalem, as represented by the anointed king who sat on the throne of Jehovah. Satan the Devil and his hosts felt mocked by the reinvigorated typical Theocracy and its worship of Jehovah at 13. Who were moved to bitter antagonism by such anti-religiouB measure*, and why so. in the larger view of such matters?
His holy temple, and began maneuvering their world powers so as to destroy Jehovah’s Theocratic organization from the earth.
14 The evidence is plain that Satan, “the prince of the demons,” purposed to put King Hezekiah in fear and to make him compromise with the Devil’s organization. Or, failing in this, Satan the Devil would then overwhelm and crush Hezekiah’s kingdom. He had forced Hezekiah’s predecessor into a compromise and an unclean spiritual adultery with this world. He had also wiped out the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel immediately north of Judah. All this the Devil did by the use of the power and might of Assyria. The king of Assyria was yet his best bet in
14. What lines of action was Satan therefore provoked to take, and by the use of what earthly agent? the game of power politics. Hence the Devil favored the new king of Assyria, Sennacherib, in his course of military aggression for global dictatorship. Sennacherib’s name means “the moon adds (or increases) brothers”, denoting that he was a favorite of the demon moon-god. He was, however, a worshiper of the demon god “Nisroch”, and hence was a good agent for the demon powers to use against Jehovah’s worship. With this, the strongest earthly means at his disposal, Satan the Devil was provoked to action against Jehovah’s typical Theocracy on the earth. The inspired Bible record clearly shows this, and describes how Satan used his visible earthly tools to try to put down Jehovah’s counter-challenge. For details see the next article.
JEHOVAH’S UNIVERSAL SOVEREIGNTY VINDICATED
CHRIST Jesus is the Greater Hezekiah; that is, he is the reigning King foreshadowed by Hezekiah but greater than Hezekiah. King Hezekiah’s aggressive opponent, Sennacherib, pictured Satan the Devil, whom Sennacherib worshiped and served in the interest of Satan’s world domination. When Christ Jesus the King came to the temple in 1918 and judged the “house of God” and produced a faithful remnant therefrom and revived Jehovah’s worship and service among them, Satan the Devil was enraged, even more so than in the days of Hezekiah. The great witness to Jehovah’s name and kingdom which the King Christ Jesus set going through the remnant of Jehovah's witnesses on earth was a challenge, because it called attention to Jehovah’s sovereignty. It advertised The Theocratic Government, which He had set up with Christ Jesus on the throne. Satan the Devil had been worsted in the “war in heaven” and had been cast out therefrom for ever. Hence he has had great wrath, because of being restrained to the earth, and the more so because he knows that the showdown battle of Armageddon must yet be fought and he has but a short time to prepare for it. Being unable to accomplish anything further with respect to the heavens where Jehovah’s anointed King reigns, Satan is grimly determined to hold the earth as his domain.
’ At the earth Satan is determined to stamp out all rebellion against his rule, and this he must do by totalitarian-state rule and by an increasing regimentation of the people. The fact that there is a Theocratic government, and that it is Jehovah’s government by Christ and is higher than Satan’s world organization, must be strictly kept out of the news, and the people must be kept ignorant of the Kingdom gospel.
1. Whom do King Hezekiah and King Sennacherib respectively picture ’ and why does the latter have great vtrath at present?
2. What is now Satan's determination respecting the earth and its peoples and their worship?
No worship, except religion, which is demonism, must be permitted on earth. The revival of Jehovah’s worship, which is true Christianity, must be stopped and blotted out. But how! By tactics such as Satan used in King Hezekiah’s time.
’ The record, at 2 Chronicles 32:1-8, reads: “After these things, and this faithfulness [on Hezekiah’s part], Sennacherib Idng of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters, of the fountains which were without the city’; and they’ helped him. So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the fountains, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? And he took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall without, and strengthened Millo in the city of David [the citadel inside Jerusalem], and made weapons and shields in abundance. And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jehovah our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”—Am. Stan. Ver.
4 The aggressive hordes of Assyria under King
3. What doe® 2 Chronicle® 32:1-8 say as to Sennacherib's move® and Hezekiah 3 counter-measures ’
4. Whom do the horde® nf Assyria picture, and a hat are the parts nnd feature® thereof?
Sennacherib pictured political powers under Satan, “the god of this world,” and which political powers make up and form “the king of the north”. “The king of the north” is used in Bible prophecy to picture those political powers which use totalitarian rule and which exalt the earthly ruling powers above God and command man’s absolute obedience to such rulers as being supposedly "the higher powers”. Thereby the people are regimented into a religious worship of the state and they exist only for the religiouspolitical state. The facts well known show unmistakably that the totalitarian “king of the north” combine includes the Nazi-Fascist states, including the political state of Vatican City with its pope. The religious-political pope is the most totalitarian ruler of all on earth. Hence he favors dictatorships and authoritarian rule of the people by rulers of the Roman Catholic sect, like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Petain, Ti>o. etc., or by political dictators with whom he can anange a concordat. The fact that Shintoist Japan is not even professedly “Christian” does not prevent the pope from having diplomatic representatives exchanged between the Vatican and the mikado after the outrageous Pearl Harbor attack. Such spiritual whoredom and harlotry of religion with political totalitarian powers was well foreshadowed by Nineveh, which Sennacherib made his capital city.
’ Concerning Nineveh the prophet Nahum forewarned, saying: -c\Voe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not; . . . there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses: because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nation* through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord [Jehovah] of hosts.”—Nah. 3:1-5.
“Christ Jesus the King foreknew our day. He foretold that the modern totalitarian religiouspolitical powers, like Assyria of old, would seek to overrun the entire globe. The real objective of this would be to wipe out Jehovah’s witnesses and to cut them off from the waters of truth flowing from the throne of the kingdom of God. This would prevent Jehovah’s King and the “bride” from saying, “Come!” It would also forestall the “strangers” of good-will who heard the invitation from likewise saying, ‘Come: and let him that is athirst say, Come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.’ (Rev. 22:17) Hence Christ Jesus the King made sure the supply of the water of Kingdom truth for his faithful remnant of spiritual Judeans and their companions of good-will. Hezekiah’s ancient work of providing water supplies for Zion or Jerusalem was commented upon even in the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus in these words: “Ezechias fortified his city and brought in water into the midst thereof: and he digged a rock with iron and made a well for water.” (Ecclus. 48:19, Douay) But the inspired Record says of Hezekiah: “This same Hezekiah also stopped [concealed] the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it [by tunnel] straight down to the west side of the city of David [or Zion].” (2 Chron. 32: 30) Thus Hezekiah provided steadfast water supplies for his subjects during any length of siege by enemies. At the same time he barred the enemies from any access to it, to contaminate it or to seize it for their own advantage.
’Likewise, Christ Jesus entrusted to the remnant of the children of Zion, the “faithful and wise servant” class on earth, all his Kingdom interests or “goods”, and he makes sure that they shall always be supplied with the truth and the privilege of spreading it to other thirsty ones. At the same time he withholds the precious Kingdom truths and service from the enemies, particularly the religious clergy, and they are unable to stop up the waters from flowing to those who seek Jehovah and his capital organization Zion and refreshing them. As it is written, at Psalm 46:4, 5: “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” Therefore, let all peoples know that they will never get the waters of truth at the hands of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy or any other religious clergy. The water of truth is supplied only at Jehovah’s capital organization Zion, where His anointed King reigns, inviting all thirsty ones to come and be made glad with his people. In harmony with this, Christ Jesus the-King caused factories to be built, owned and operated by Jehovah’s witnesses for the exclusive purpose of providing the Kingdom truth in printed and recorded form, that the refreshing Kingdom message might be spread in many languages to all the thirsty peoples of the earth.
‘ Christ Jesus has also armed and equipped his faithful remnant and their companions with the whole “armour of God”, the spiritual armament of truth, which none of the enemy can pierce. He has built up the visible part of his organization, strengthening it and bringing his followers together in unbreakable solidarity and unity, and thus making the organization assault-proof against the totalitarian enemies. He has trained his followers for the war-
7 . To correspond with that, what has the Kina Christ Jesus done, thereby making true Psalm 40:4,6?
8 How has Christ Jesus, like Hezekiah, equipped, trained, and fortified bis followers? and how do these rest upon the words of the Grentei King Hezekiah? fare against religion and against encroachments by religion’s political allies; and he comforts and strengthens them with the promises of God’s Word. The remnant and their companions are relatively few in number, but they are not fearful of the modern Assyrian, Satan the Devil, nor of his totalitarian religious-political hordes. Continually they rest themselves or lean upon their King’s words, saying: “There [are] more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord [Jehovah] our God to help us, and to fight our battles.” Already, down to this year 1945, Jehovah God has fought many battles for them and has maintained for them the ‘freedom wherewith Christ has made them free’. They look forward calmly and confidently to the fast-approaching battle of Armageddon, knowing that the same unconquerable God shall fight that battle for them too, because the battle is not theirs, but God’s. Note now how the Bible record gives basis for such confidence.
FLOOD OF TOTALITARIAN HOSTS
’ The ancient record helps us to understand what has taken place in recent years due to the rise of the Nazi and Fascist totalitarian powers and Catholic Action. The ostensible purpose of such political and religious-action groups was to destroy all democratic government and to take away from the people all their liberties, particularly as to publishing the truth and worshiping the only true and living God. Now remember how, in ancient time, the little kingdom of Judah, composed of Jehovah’s witnesses, was flanked on the south by Egypt, the kingdom of the Pharaohs. Egypt was a continual foe to the rising power of Assyria, and is spoken of in Bible prophecy as “the king of the south”. As such, Egypt pictured the present-day political opponent of the totalitarian Nazi-Fascist-religious powers, namely, the liberal democratic powers, who profess to be the champions of the people’s liberties and natural rights. During World War I, as well as during this present global war, Egypt is the political ally of the democratic powers, notably the British Commonwealth and America. The strategy of the totalitarian attackers of the people’s democratic rights and liberties today was nicely indicated in advance for us by the maneuvers of the ancient Sennacherib of Assyria, “the king of the north.”
10 Turning to the record, at 2 Kings 18:13-16, we read: “Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to
9. (a) What wax the purpose of the Nazi and Fascist totalitarian powers and Catholic Action! (b) What country was the continual foe of the rising power of Assyria, where was it located relative to Judah, and what did it picture as to the present-day political setup!
10. In the fourteenth year of his reign, what seeming compromise did Hezekiah make with Sennacherib? and what did Chis certainly not picture? Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.” God’s Word does not reproach Hezekiah for this course of conduct; and it is therefore not for us to criticize this seeming compromise with the then dominant part of Satan’s organization. One thing is certain: it did not picture any compromise by Christ Jesus with the antitypical Sennacherib, Satan the DeviL Evidently Jehovah permitted this to foreshadow something of modern history; and into this we now inquire.
11 Having safeguarded his rear by neutralizing the provinces of Babylon and of Media, King Sennacherib moved southward as an overflowing flood. The Bible indicates that he by-passed the stronghold of Zion or Jerusalem, for we hear of him and “all his power” as encamped before the city of Lachish. The account at Isaiah 10:28-32 dramatically describes the approach of Sennacherib toward Jerusalem and getting as near to it as the place called Nob, which was in sight of Jerusalem. But instead of making a frontal assault upon the holy city, Isaiah’s account says, “as yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.” Lachish lay about thirty miles to the southwest of Jerusalem. It belonged to the kingdom of Judah and was strongly fortified. Sennacherib’s evident strategy was to cut off “the king of the south”, that is, Egypt, from coming to the help of Jerusalem should King Hezekiah give up his.faith in Jehovah God and appeal to Egypt for aid. History records that Sennacherib administered a telling defeat to the Egyptian hosts. Thus he thought to protect his southern flank. Egypt, the greatest threat to him, must first be eliminated.
11 Then, by further attacking and trying to neutralize the outer “hedgehogs” or strongholds of the kingdom of Judah, Sennacherib would move in from the circumference to the center at Jerusalem. Thus, as he thought, Jerusalem would be hopelessly trapped and surrounded and cut off from all outside help, a military fig ripe and ready for his plucking. He did not reckon that complete aid and deliverance could come from above, yes, from a source of help higher than the stratosphere in which the latest airplanes maneuver.
IL Io moving southward what attention did Sennacherib give to Jerusalem? and why did he encamp at Lachish?
12 . How did Sennacherib think to hopelessly trap Jerusalem, but upon what tact did ho not reckon as to her aid?
11 Sennacherib’s military’ maneuver agrees with the tactics of the Nazi-Fascist-Vatican crowd of recent years. Let it be remembered that ancient Egypt, or “the king of the south”, pictured the liberal, progressive, democratic world-powers of today, particularly Britain and America, the bulwarks of constitutional law and government. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy and her totalitarian political partners know that in the lands of the present-day “king of the south” the activities of Jehovah’s witnesses have been most free and the proclamation of the Kingdom message has been greatest. This is true because such liberal, democratic lands recognize certain fundamental God-given rights and privileges of each individual human creature, and provide in their constitutions and laws for the protection of such precious things. Thus the liberal, freedomloving governments have appeared to be a thing of advantage to the modern Judeans, namely, Jehovah’s witnesses under the reigning King Christ Jesus. However, the advantage has not been all onesided, and the benefit has not been in only one direction. The record which Jehovah’s witnesses have made in the courts of the land, particularly in America, during the years 1933 to 1945 shows this. In what way? In that Jehovah’s witnesses have been the greatest champions and fighters on the home front for those civil liberties, rights and immunities which democratic countries hold most dear. And why has this been so? Because of the fight of Jehovah’s witnesses under their King Christ Jesus against the modern Assyrian’s aggressions.
*4 The antitypical Sennacherib, Satan the Devil, realizing what democratic freedoms mean, has moved his totalitarian forces against the democratic powers, that is, against “the king of the south” as foreshadowed by Egypt. This has been done not merely by military aggressions. By means of Roman Catholic clergy and Catholic Action groups acting as “fifth columnists” planted inside the democratic countries in strategic places, Satan has even tried to overturn democratic constitutional government from within, using these agents from within to co-operate with the totalitarian military aggressors. Satan’s chief aim in all this has been to get Jehovah’s witnesses and to wipe out Jehovah’s worship for ever. Having been cast out of heaven by the Chief One of Zion, namely, Christ Jesus, Satan then persecutes such other children of Zion, Christ’s faithful bodymembers who bear witness to Jehovah’s name and kingdom. Hence, like a dragon, Satan and his demon organization have disgorged upon the earth a titanic flood of modern-Assyri an armies, all bent upon
13 . As respects Jehovah’s witnesses, why have the Naxi-Faadst-Vatlcan crowd moved recently agninat the democratic powers? and why has the advantage not been all one-sided?
14 How has Satan covertly moved his forces against “the king of the south0? and what has his organisation disgorged upon the earth? wrecking democratic institutions and denying their benefits to freedom-loving peoples and thus making it easy and simple for the totalitarians to crush Jehovah’s faithful remnant and their companions.
15 By court actions, and by fearlessly standing in defense of their Christian existence, and by steadfastly keeping on in the exercise of their God-given rights and duties, it has been necessary for these announcers of Jehovah’s Righteous Government to carry on a continual fight against the aggressions of the antitypical Assyrian, Satan, and his flood of totalitarian religious-political hordes. Owing to the courage of Jehovah’s witnesses, the democratic “earth” has taken heart to likewise offer resistance and thus to swallow up and absorb the onrush of the totalitarian flood unloosed by Satan the Dragon. This was foretold, by Christ Jesus, at Revelation 12:13-17. And this diabolical maneuver was what Sennacherib’s by-passing Jerusalem and striking southward against Egypt pictured. This maneuver was carried out in an attempt to forestall any coming of the democratic institutions to the aid of Jehovah’s witnesses.
16 During all this war of attrition against Jehovah’s witnesses, waged, as Daniel 7:25 words it, to “wear out the saints of the most High”, they have been under siege and assault. They have suffered much in their bodies or persons, and have been put to much expense by defending their God-given, constitutionally guaranteed rights in the courts and by repairing the damages done by the enemies. They have been and still are a great offense to the modern-Assyrian power, and only by the foregoing costly, painful course have they been able to hold him off and keep their freedom. This, then, is evidently what is pictured by Hezekiah’s saying he had offended against the king of Assyria and then offering to pay costs to hold the enemy off. And this invasion of the rights and Theocratic territory of these modern Judeans, Jehovah’s witnesses, is evidently what was pictured by Jehovah’s letting the land of Judah be invaded by King Sennacherib’s hosts and the outlying cities of Judah be assaulted and besieged. The action of the ancient Assyrians was directly against the border fortresses of Judah first. It was nonetheless a threat against Jerusalem, the capital of the typical Theocracy, and gave promise of future direct action against that royal city. Likewise, the modern Assyrians of religious-political totalitarian rule, in committing their depredations against Jehovah’s witnesses on earth, have really been offending against Jehovah’s capital organization Zion, and against Zion’s King, Christ Jesus.
16. How was such totalitarian onrush met. as foretold at Revelation 12:13-17? and bow doea all this match Sennacherib's maneuver?
16. (a> What, then, was pictured by Hezekiah's offending against Sen nacberib and paying costs? (b) Against what ^ere Sennacherib's movements a threat, and what does this picture?
BOASTFUL REPROACHES
” The Sacred Record now makes it very plain that Sennacherib’s military campaign against the typical Theocracy of Judah was a clever maneuver by Satan the prince of demons to bring reproach upon Jehovah God. It was to put Jehovah’s universal sovereignty in doubt before angels, demons and men. There is no record that Sennacherib, when encamped before Lachish, ever took this Judean stronghold. As long as it held out against him, that was, of course, favorable to Jerusalem. Hence what Satan’s Assyrian king could not accomplish against Jerusalem by force of arms he now purposed to accomplish by bluff and by belittling and reproaching Jehovah God, the real hidden strength of Jerusalem. Satan knew that if he could destroy Hezekiah’s faith in Jehovah and could crack his integrity toward the Most High, then Sennacherib could easily take Jerusalem, to the world-wide reproach of Jehovah God. What Satan now inspired his chief representative to do next is set out in the Record.
18 "And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army unto Jerusalem.” (Am. Stan. Ver.) Or, as a modernized version translates the Hebrew record: “Then the king of Assyria sent the commander-in-chief, and the chief of the eunuchs and the field marshal from Lachish with a large army against King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.” (2 Ki. 18:17, Smith-Goodspeed) The field marshal’s title, “Rab-shakeh,” literally means “chief cupbearer”, and there is reason to believe he was a renegade Jew. Sennacherib, who himself represented Satan the Devil, had these three prominent officials act directly for him against Jerusalem. This fact matches well the other fact, that in Satan’s visible organization he uses the three elements, (1) selfish commercialism with its military forces, and (2) politics, and (3) religion, including renegade “Christendom”, against Jehovah's Theocracy and its witnesses on earth.
18 Taking a position by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the laundrymen's field, those three commanders of Satan’s hosts called for King Hezekiah. Rabshakeh acts as spokesman for the three. He speaks, not in Assyrian, but in Hebrew, purposely, that everybody on Jerusalem’s walls may hear and understand his boastings and reproaches against her God. He shouts: “Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest! Thou sayest (but they are but vain words), There is counsel and strength for the war.
17 What w&s the real purpose of Sennacherib's campaign against Judah? and bow did he scheme to take Jerusalem?
18 . Whom did Sennacherib send directly to Jerusalem, and with what fact does his use of such agree?
19 In what tongue does Rabshakeh shout out, and what does he say? Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me! Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man. lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem! Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges [make a wager] to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. How then canst thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen! Am I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it! Jehovah said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.”—2 Ki. 18:17-25, Am. Stan. Ver.
10 As we in our modern setting listen to Rab-shakeh’s words, we hear as it were the voices and propaganda of the modern religious-political totalitarian rulers, betraying unmistakably that they represent and speak for their “great king”, the "god of this world”, Satan the Devil. They are aware of the vigorous fight which Jehovah’s witnesses still wage for the preservation of the rights and freedoms which are cherished by the honest people of genuine democratic spirit. Satan’s mouthpieces warn Jehovah’s witnesses that they should not trust that these democratic rights and liberties will always be guaranteed and available for them in their witness work; but that democracy will fail them, just as Egypt, “the king of the south,” failed the Israelites of old.
81 Jehovah’s witnesses answer that they are fighting for God-given rights and freedom, and that they fear, obey and trust in the great King of Eternity, Jehovah. Then they hear the modern Rabshakeh say they have no reason to trust in Jehovah God because, like King Hezekiah of old, they have engaged in anti-religious activities, even against the so-called "Christian religion” and its pope and other clergymen. The “Rab-shakeh” of today shouts out that the religious clergy and its political-military allies represent the Lord God. The collaboration of the clergy, the Roman Catholic clergy in particular, with the Nazi-Fascist-Japanese totalitarian powers gives undeniable evidence that they believe such powers are fighting God’s war. Hence they boast that the action they have taken in their lands against Jehovah’s witnesses is because God has said: “Go up against this land, and destroy it.” Exactly as Dictator Hitler said before dissolving Jehovah’s witnesses in Ger-20. Id Rabshakeh's words what do we hear today? and what warning i< therein given to us?
21. What do Jehovah's witnesses reply? and what does the modem Rabshakeh say In answer, as backed up by deeds? many at the insistence of the Roman Catholic episcopate, “I consider them quacks; I do not tolerate that the German Catholics be besmirched in such a manner by this American ‘Judge’ Rutherford; I dissolve the ‘Earnest Bible Students’ in Germany; their property I dedicate to the people’s welfare; I will have all their literature confiscated’.”—Quoted from The German Way, May 29, 1938; see Appendix of Face the Facts.
** Like the Jews on Jerusalem’s ramparts, so Jehovah’s witnesses of today obey their Greater Hezekiah, Christ Jesus, and refuse to answer the enemy’s demand for a compromise with religion and its partners. They know that what the religious-political totalitarian forces have done in desolating much of the earth and wrecking democratic institutions and liberties has been done by the aid of the demons under Satan. But it is because such things are not Theocratic and do not have Jehovah’s protection. No thought of surrender enters their mind as they hear the modern Rabshakeh boast against Jehovah and his Greater Hezekiah, saying: “Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand: neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern; until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olivetrees and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria! . . . Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”—2 Ki. 18:19-36, Am. Stan. Ver.
” Jehovah’s witnesses are not frightened. But they are grieved at all the reproach heaped upon Jehovah’s name and cause, just as Hezekiah’s three servants and Hezekiah himself were grieved so long ago. They turn to Jehovah’s prophetic word, including Isaiah’s prophecy, just as Hezekiah turned to the prophet Isaiah with this request: “It may be Jehovah thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which 22. What do Jehovah’s witnesses xefuse to do or even think of? and what do they hear Rabshakeh say at this?
23. Why are they grieved? to what do they turn? and what reply do they get?
Jehovah thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.” (2 Ki. 19:1-6, Am. Stan. Ver.) In reply they get from Jehovah’s Greater Prophet, Christ Jesus, the strengthening message of God’s Word. It tells them not to fear the threats and propaganda of the Devil’s hosts blaspheming Jehovah God, because in due time Almighty God will beat off Satan’s hosts and destroy even Satan himself.
POSTWAR EFFORTS AND DEFEAT
** In his efforts hitherto Satan the Devil has failed to shatter the integrity of Jehovah’s witnesses and their organized unity in God’s service. Henceforth he will play the game of Sennacherib and will renew his efforts in postwar times until the final showdown. Therefore let Jehovah’s witnesses not be deceived by any seeming retirement of the enemy hosts for a while and a seeming stoppage of their aggressions. Failing to frighten Hezekiah into surrender, “Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.” That meant that Sennacherib had moved closer to Jerusalem, Libnah being nearer than Lachish. Jerusalem’s peril had increased. But now “the king of the south”, as represented by Egypt’s neighbor, Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, put in a threatening appearance. Just so, too, the democratic ruling powers have risen in their might in this global war and threaten the future of totalitarian rule in postwar times.
” Under those circumstances Sennacherib sent messengers to deliver this written message to Zion’s king, Hezekiah, lest he expect any help from “the king of the south”, saying: “Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?” (2 Ki. 19:8-13, Am. Stan. Ver.) This sums up well the final challenge of Satan the Devil against the universal sovereignty of Jehovah, and especially Jehovah’s rule by Christ Jesus in his capital organization pictured by ancient Jerusalem. Satan the Devil is certain to deliver this challenge by the messages, decrees and arrangements of the after-war “abomination of desolation”. (Matt. 24:15) This desolating abomination is the Devil’s scheme for making unnecessary Jehovah’s rule of the earth. It is to be set up to provide a manmade substitute for Jehovah’s kingdom in the form of a revived League of Nations, a postwar association of nations for peace, security and global rule.
24. (•> By what future strategy should Jehovah's witnesses not be de ceived? (b) now did Jerusalem's peril next increase, and what did King Tirhakab’s appearing picture?
25 What messare did Sennacherib then send to Jerusalem’ and how will Satan cause a like final message to be delivered In time to come’ Such an organization for international collaboration, blessed by the religious clergy, will be at war with Zion, Jehovah’s capital organization, because it presumes to take the “holy place” that God’s kingdom must occupy over earth.—Mark 13:14.
28 Jehovah’s witnesses need none of Satan’s messengers to remind them that they should not expect deliverance from “the king of the south” by any revival of democratic principles. God’s witnesses know that the hope of all the peoples lies not in human political systems, but in Jehovah God. Under the terrific threatening pressure to which the modern Assyrian and his visible hosts will yet subject them they will follow the course of Hezekiah. They will spread the matter before Jehovah at his temple and appeal to Him to save them. Why! “That all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou Jehovah art God alone.” (2 Ki. 19:14-19, Am. Stan. Ver.) That means, in order that Jehovah’s universal sovereignty might be vindicated before all creation!
27 Isaiah the prophet came forward with Jehovah’s word in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer. He showed that the issue, botli then and now also today, is between Jehovah and Satan. Jehovah’s word through Isaiah heaps scorn upon Satan and his organization, saying: “The virgin daughter of Zion [God’s kingdom by Christ] hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn [as Jehovah himself does] : the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast thou defied and blasphemed! . . . even against the Holy One of Israel.” Then showing that in God’s kingdom alone is safety, Isaiah added: “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape: the zeal of Jehovah shall perform this.”—2 Ki. 19:20-31, Am. Stan. Ver.
28 Yes, at the coming battle of Armageddon Jehovah God will preserve his heavenly King and kingdom. In token of that fact he will carry His faithful remnant and their companions of good-will through the final universal war. In assurance of that, Isaiah was caused to say to Satan’s hosts these words: “Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come unto this city, saith Jehovah. For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s [my King’s] sake.” (2 Ki. 19: 32-34, Am. Stan. Ver.) This again reminds 2G. From whom do we know future help to be in rain? and under the pressure then how will Jehovah's witnesses take a course like King Hexekiab’s?
27 With what answer to Hezekiah’s prayer did Isaiah come forward? 28. What doea that message mean to us today? and what was Isaiah caused to say finally concerning Sennacherib's operations?
Jehovah’s witnesses that the battle is not theirs, but is Jehovah’s, at Armageddon.
” Sennacherib and his main army were encamped that night before Libnah, about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. It is reasonable that his messengers, having received Hezekiah’s defiant message bolstered up by Isaiah’s prophecy, hastened back with their horses and chariots and reached King Sennacherib and delivered him the answer before nightfall. Whether what military forces those messengers brought along and showed off encamped before Jerusalem that night is not recorded. But whether that night or a later night, at any rate the issue was fresh in Sennacherib’s mind, and he knew that what developments immediately followed would be a settlement of the issue as to Jehovah’s capital, Zion. Night fell, with Sennacherib chagrined at the joint answer from King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah. Sennacherib’s boastfully inscribed monuments do not tell what then took place, but the Bible says: “Now that night the angel of the Lord [Jehovah] went forth and slew in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when men rose early next morning, they were all dead bodies.” What a “strange act”! It was Jehovah’s act decisively answering Satan on the issue of universal domination. Thus it was that, when Sennacherib rose or was awakened early from his sleep at Libnah, he looked forth upon the desolation that Almighty God Jehovah had wrought upon the hosts of Satan, the wicked challenger. Admitting defeat, Sennacherib drew his crippled army out of Judah without coming near to Jerusalem.
…