The People Have a Right to Good News Now (1942)
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INFORMATION for all persons of good-will toward Almighty God. Constructive comfort for all that mourn. GOD'S TRUTH shields and strengthens the upright.
... the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, . . of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end ... The zeal of JEHOVAH of hosts will perform this.—Isaiah 9:6,7.
DEVOTED to the principles of justice, truth equity and kindness as exemplified in the acts and sayings of The Creator of the Universe and of His King Christ Jesus.
New York City - September 1942
No.11
The People Have a Right
To Good News NOW
LIFT up your anxious eyes above the gloomy things expected in the war-years just ahead. Take courage, have faith, and look just a little farther ahead. It is marvelous what you will see!
The people everywhere throughout the earth are rejoicing. And why shouldn't they? "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice," is the explanation at Proverbs 29, verse 2. The righteous "Higher Powers" are in undisputed control of the earth. There is one universal government in power, and no more are there national and racial differences, prejudices, jealousies, and rivalries to stir up strife and bloody violence. There are no more heartless dictators, nor self-seeking politicians, nor self-enriching, oppressive commercial traffickers. And, can it be? there are no magnificent buildings marked by gawdy religious decoration and built at the deception and impoverishment of the poor. For then the people that live will know the truth concerning The One they worship, namely, "God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth." (Quoted from the apostle Paul, at Acts 17: 24-26)
The earth is filled with the light of the truth as common knowledge, and all "see eye to eye" concerning worship. There is no more religious sectarianism with its bigotry, inquisition, crusades, hypocrisy, and confusion of the people and misrepresentation of the great Creator. The earth is
filled also with an abundance of good things for all to enjoy, and there is absolute freedom from want and fear. The glorious vision is at last realized: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it." (From the prophecy of Micah, 4:3, 4) "Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him."—Psalm 67:6, 7.
CHILDREN IN PARADISE
The earth is a fruitful garden-spot in the universe, a paradise of Eden on a world-wide scale. The beautiful fields and open spaces are filled with lovely-looking healthy children, having no dread of Nazi, Fascist or Jap bombers overhead, and at perfect friendship with birds, and beasts of the field and other lower animal creation. Every family has children, plenty
of them, and their parents themselves bring them up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord", as a sacred responsibility. (Ephesians 6:4) There are no deaths of babes or of children not of responsible years, for a Government of saving health and of life is ruling over them; and those who faithfully obey the laws of the great Governor, who is "The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace", receive lasting life in human perfection from Him and are His earthly children. Isaiah 65:21-25; Isaiah 9:6.
RULERS SATISFY PEOPLE
The life-giving heavenly King-Father has His visible earthly representatives, men in whom the happy people can have absolute confidence, men of untouchable devotion to righteousness, willing to be cast to the lions' den or the fiery furnace rather than swerve from God's law. These men of old, such as Daniel, David, Noah, Abel, and all the others of faithful record, will be the King's representative "princes in all the earth", for He will resurrect them from the dead and put them in office. "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever."—Isaiah 32:1, 17; also Luke 13:28, 29; Psalm 45:16.
There is complete satisfaction on the part of all the people that live. Gladly they keep the law of the universal Theocratic Government, and prove their worthiness of and qualification for the right to everlasting life on earth. The divine rule is put in force: "The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy." (Psalm 145:20) There are no prisons, nor cemeteries; for all the rebellious wicked are for ever wiped out, without a memorial left behind. It is the fulfillment of the oft-repeated prayer, 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF.
in that picture? It is no fanciful dream, but is a true-to-fact picture
drawn according to the facts stated in the Bible.
We are very near the grand realization of that New World picture as sure as that God Almighty cannot lie and deny His own promises.
Do you want to put yourself in that glorious picture? You can do so. How? By accepting the message thereof and acting in harmony with this hope. Certainly if you oppose the message and its bearers you cannot possibly have any part whatsoever in sharing in that wondrous reality which lies beyond earth's last tribulation, Armageddon, now impending over the nations. Also, if you tried to prevent others from hearing and acting on the message, you would be still less deserving of any living part in that righteous new world which it is now possible to survive to see and enjoy.
You ask, Who on earth could be bringing such a message as above described? Why, that man or woman who called at your door, maybe first running a recorded speech on a phonograph carried along and then offering some literature explaining the Bible, and thereafter passing on to your neighbor's door, and so going from house to house. Possibly that man or woman called at your office or place of business and asked for an interview because of having a most important and timely message, and then in the midst of your busy day presented to you a heavenly bit of good news from God's forgotten Word. Or, likely you've passed by those men and women, yes, and courageous boys and girls, standing on street corners or the edges of the pavements, day and night, cold or warm, and holding forth magazines and calling out brief announcements concerning the Kingdom information therein. You doubtless know who they are—Jehovah's witnesses. They are practical Christians.
AUTHORITY FOR THIS GOOD NEWS
By this activity they are carrying out a sacred commission from a higher than human Source, namely, to preach the gospel and to comfort all that mourn. Ah! you may say, that is a peculiar way to preach the gospel, so unlike the priests and pastors of religion. Religion has made it look peculiar, but it is not really so. It is Christ's way and his apostles' way, and it is a following in Christ's footsteps as He gave the example and instructions and as His apostles carried them out. You can check that fact against the written record, as given at Matthew 10:7-14; Acts 5:42; Acts 20:20; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21; Ezekiel 9:4. It is Jehovah God who by His spirit or divine power commissioned His Son Christ Jesus to preach the good news of the Kingdom. From the same Source Jehovah's witnesses receive their commission to preach the same gospel or good news. How so? Because they have consecrated themselves wholly to God to do
His will and to act as ambassadors of His Righteous Government.
PUTTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
Besides witnessing by word of mouth they use books and magazines for the convenience of the people in home Bible study, and also recorded speeches on phonographs. Is there anything peculiar about a phonograph reproducing a Bible speech? You do not think it peculiar when your favorite radio station puts on a recorded program and then turn off your radio and refuse to listen. The reports and figures collected over many years now show that a wonderful proclamation of the message of mankind's only hope, God's Kingdom, has been accomplished in many languages by means of these recorded Bible speeches. Actually millions have heard the good news in their native tongue. Christ Jesus, the great Leader and Example in preaching, said that the field is the world and that the laborers are few. Therefore it is common sense, good judgment, and practical Christianity to use all modern devices possible, such as books, magazines, phonographs with recorded speeches, and radio, and thereby increase the spread of the only good news in our time, and to let the people read and hear. Jehovah's witnesses have His ordination and commission to preach this Kingdom gospel; they therefore have the obligation and the right to preach it, and the people everywhere have a right to receive the good news now, when it is most needed. Do you know grander good news than the above?
With such a message as this, and absolutely based upon the sure Word of God, you may think it strange that Jehovah's witnesses should be opposed and persecuted, as Jesus foretold, "hated of all nations." Yet it is not "strange". In fact, it would be a
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As we drew nearer the promised world of righteousness, this book was bound to appear, giving details concerning the new world never before so clearly seen and able to be appreciated. You will want to live and prepare for it, and count the hardships of the present as not to be compared with the blessings to come.
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proof of not having the genuine message of the Bible if they were not thus hated, opposed, mobbed, arrested, and otherwise persecuted. They are no better than their Leader and Exemplar, Christ Jesus, nor better than His twelve faithful apostles. You know that the perfect Son of God, who spake as no other man ever spake, was persecuted, accused of being subversive and seditious, and finally nailed to a tree in popular disgrace. Why, and by whom? Because He preached a new and righteous world under the Kingdom of God; and it was the priests and preachers of religion who hated, opposed and dogged His steps and at last procured His violent death. Before dying, He foretold that His apostles and all His faithful followers would suffer like treatment at the hands of religionists. This would be true down to the end of this world, at which time His true followers would be unpopular with all nations and persecuted. Why? Because of preaching His pure message of the kingdom of God: 'This good news of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.'—Matthew 24:14.
INTERFERENCE WITH YOUR RIGHT
The same old gang as operated in Jesus' day is still in power. As their end draws near, the Devil and his demons and their religious dupes on earth want to silence the good news of the world of righteousness to be set up over this earth under the Kingdom of God. By various means, such as by rulings of courts, by trying to make Jehovah's witnesses pay license taxes as commercial peddlers, etc., they would take away your right to hear the good news and to enter the way to life and happiness under the Kingdom. In the courts and elsewhere, Jehovah's witnesses are battling to maintain the right to get the good news to you, and thus they are "set for the defence of the gospel". To interfere with this right to preach means to fight against God.
WILL YOU ACT ON YOUR OWN RIGHT to hear and inform yourself unto life and salvation? "We ought to obey God rather than men," said the apostle. (Acts 5:29) By exercising the right to hear and by treating Jehovah's witnesses with the courtesy of listening, you may be one of those "SHEEP" to whom the King will say in due time: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom [blessings] prepared for you from the foundation of the world."—Matthew 25:40, 34.
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