The Watchtower, November 1, 1933
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JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES’ PRAISE PERIOD
The nine days from November 18 to 26 have been thus designated. Though Jehovah’s witnesses are a people continually attending upon praising His name, yet this period has been set aside that they might, as one people without national distinctions, put forth an impressive, united special effort in every land where Jehovah’s witnesses are scattered. All this requires careful, studied preparation; hence this advance notice now. It will refresh God’s witnesses to know that they will then have the privilege of offering for the first time to the English-reading public the new book Preparation. For fuller information see the Bulletin. All Watchtower readers are invited to join in this world-wide praise effort; considering oneself of the Jonadab class should not cause any to stay out, but let such join with Jehu's chariot, actively. The special period over, report work promptly to the office supervising your territory. Those not under a branch will report direct to this office.
ANNOUNCING COMPANY MEETINGS
Many hearers of radio transcription lectures have the desire to meet with Jehovah’s witnesses and to study his Word with them. Hence wherever the kingdom message is radiocast, the time and place of meeting of the local company of Jehovah’s witnesses should be announced after the transcription. The time on the air being paid for, the station manager ought to readily grant your request to make such announcement.
ORGANIZATION INSTRUCTIONS
The form of testimony sent out by the Society through its Bulletins is organization instruction. Anyone in the field, whether regional service director or otherwise, who advises the brethren to use a different testimony is violating organization instructions and leaning to his own understanding and not obeying the Lord. Let all who want to be in strict unity and in harmony with Jehovah’s organization follow what The Watchtower and the Bulletins say, and not what some man says.
PUBLIC LECTURES BY TRANSCRIPTION
Jehovah’s blessing has been markedly upon the use of the portable transcription machine. He has plainly manifested that this machine meets the need of the hour, when the enemy, under Gog, is seeking to curtail the use of the radio by God’s anointed and when the people’s ears are eager to hear, not man’s message, but God’s. The transcription machine has increased the power of Jehovah’s witnesses afield to preach His truth manyfold, so that the desire for the literature is stimu-
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Vol. LIV
November 1, 1933
No. 21
“FEAR THEM NOT”
“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, thai preach ye upon the housetops.’’—Matt. 10: 26,27.
JEHOVAH has made it perfectly clear to those who love him that the present is the time of his preparation for war and that war with the enemy will shortly follow, resulting in the complete vindication of Jehovah’s name. “To every thing there is a season, ... A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Eccl. 3: 1, 8) It is God’s time to bring wickedness to an end.
2 Jehovah by his Word and the fulfilment of his prophecy has also made it perfectly clear to his anointed that he has placed his King upon his throne and his rule has begun; that the King is at the temple, building up his organization, and that he has gathered unto himself at the temple those in line for the kingdom; that at the temple these are enlightened and taught of God; that they are made the witnesses of Jehovah to bear testimony to his name, and that they are sent forth in the world as his witnesses; that, the testimony of Jesus Christ having been committed to the faithful remnant now in the temple, and because they are obedient to the commandments of the Lord in bearing testimony, the Devil is exceedingly mad at them and goes forth and makes a desperate effort to kill these witnesses.—Rev. 12: 17.
3 Jehovah by his Word has furthermore made it clearly to appear to his children that all things written aforetime in his Word he caused to be written for the enlightenment, aid and comfort of the faithful remnant, upon whom the end of the world has come, and that such light is given to them that they might intelligently bear testimony to his name. The bearing of this testimony draws the fire of the enemy against the faithful witnesses and these faithful witnesses need to have spiritual food for their full assurance of faith, giving them assurance that they are on the right side and doing what is pleasing to God. Therefore Jehovah says to them: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.”—Deut. 33: 25-27.
4 Furthermore, it is written for the assurance of those who are at the temple: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day.” (Ps. 91: 1-5) “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love ; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is. so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4: 16-18) The Lord has made it possible for his faithful ones to have a keen appreciation of these precious promises set forth in his Word, and it is the privilege and duty of the anointed to show their appreciation thereof.
5 The great truths contained in the foregoing texts apply to God’s people at this very day, and the anointed must keep them in mind at all times. The anointed remnant are certain to have to suffer persecutions and contradictions of sinners in this time of war and as the warfare increases in severity the Lord God supplies all of the remnant with that which is needed to sustain and uphold them. The faithful remnant must also be assured that all scriptures are in exact harmony with those foregoing. With these fixed and unchangeable rules of Jehovah laid down in his Word for our assurance, let consideration now be given to the text first above cited.—Matt. 10: 26, 27.
6 It is first proper that we clear out of our minds the erroneous views heretofore held, in order that the proper application of the scripture may be more fully appreciated now. The words were spoken by Jesus to his disciples, and to them alone, and this is clearly shown by the context. The entire tenth chapter of Matthew is addressed to the disciples and the other faithful followers of Christ Jesus, particularly including the remnant. The explanation heretofore given of these words of verses twenty-six and twenty-seven has applied them as having fulfilment during the reign of Christ, in the regeneration or restitution of the human race. Jesus’ words there are: “Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” (Matt. 10: 26,27) In the interpretation of these texts, as published heretofore, it is said: ‘‘During the Millennial age the murderer will be faced by his victim, the debtor by creditor, and the thief by his dupe, the defamed by his defamer, to the end that the things hidden or covered or done in the dark shall be made known to all.”—Bible Students Monthly; Studies in the Scriptures, Series IV, page 541.
7 Whatever may be said about this text there seems to be no reason why it should be applied at all during the regeneration of the human family. There does not appear to be any good reason why the wrongdoer should be confronted during that time by his victim. When a man is accused of a crime and put on trial for the commission of that crime it is the rule of the worldly courts to cause him to be faced at the trial by his victim or the injured one in order that the triers of the fact may ascertain the real truth. Such a course will not be at all necessary during the millennial reign of Christ. He is the just Judge and knows the secret intent of each one’s heart and will get at the facts without difficulty and without the aid of anyone else. No one will be able to testify to a falsehood before him and have it believed.
8 Furthermore, there does not at all seem to be any good reason why the Lord would set forth in detail in his speech to the disciples his manner of handling trials of individuals during the thousand-year reign, as that information would be of no real benefit to his disciples and certainly would be of no benefit or comfort to the remnant.
9 Furthermore, there could be no connection between such a trial and the words of the Lord addressed to the disciples for their particular enlightenment and instruction. There would be no reason for the Lord to say to the disciples in this connection: ‘‘Fear them not.” Why should the disciples of Jesus have occasion to fear what a murderer may do to his victim, or what fate might come upon the wrongdoer, or what he would say when he is confronted by his victim? If one of the consecrated secretly does an injury to his brother the knowledge thereof might be brought to light; but not even that seems to be the application of this text. While the application above mentioned may have deterred some from doing wrong secretly, that is no justification for the interpretation that has been put upon it. Whether done secretly or openly the Lord knows all about it.
10 The tenth chapter of Matthew are words of Christ Jesus addressed to his disciples, and to them alone; as it is written: ‘‘And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he . . . sent [them] forth, and commanded them, saying, . . . And, as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”—Matt. 10: 1-7.
11 The words of Jesus uttered on that occasion were prophetic, and it is evident that his apostles fulfilled that prophecy in a primary or miniature way only, and that the prophecy has its final fulfilment upon the remnant at the present time, when preparations are going forward for the battle of the great day of God Almighty which will wreck Satan's organization and vindicate Jehovah’s name. During the past ten years there has gone forward a vigorous campaign of testimony to the name of Jehovah, particularly since the year 1931, when the Lord’s people were made aware of the new name given them by Jehovah and that they were in fact his witnesses. Since then the witness work has taken on a wider scope. As the witness work has greatly increased Satan and his representatives have been more vigorous in their opposition and the persecution of the faithful has increased with intensity.
12 It was 1918, after the coming of the Lord to his temple, that the bitter opposition against the kingdom message and those who deliver it began to be especially marked. Since that time the arrest and persecution of Jehovah’s witnesses has continued with marked hatred and malice expressed by the powers of the various nations. Such is exactly in fulfilment of the words of Jesus spoken on the occasion above mentioned to his disciples, to wit: ‘‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”—Matt. 10: 22.
13 These words of Jesus could not possibly have any application to the judgment of the world during his thousand-year reign and the regeneration of mankind. The remnant are fully aware that these words do have a fulfilment at the present time. The peoples of Israel correspond to ‘‘Christendom”, and it is within the realms of ‘‘Christendom” that the witness work must be done and is being done; and it is the nations which compose “Christendom” that maliciously hate and persecute Jehovah's witnesses, and the Lord makes it clear that such persecution will continue right up to the completion of the giving of such testimony. (Verse 23) Should Jehovah’s witnesses expect anything from the representatives of Satan but hatred, malice and persecution ? Jesus answered that question and said: “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Verses 24,25) As Jesus suffered contradiction and persecution at the hands of Satan’s agents, so he makes it clear that all of his faithful disciples must be subjected to the same thing, for the reason, as he states, that it is enough for the disciple that he do as his Master, and the servant as his Lord. Jesus maintained his integrity under such suffering, and the remnant must do the same thing.
THE FACTS
14 Chief amongst the visible representatives or agents of Satan is the Roman hierarchy, and many are the dupes under the control of that hierarchy. Let it be understood that there are many good and honest Catholics, but the ones who organized and carry forward and still continue to operate the Roman hierarchy are cruel to the extreme. For centuries that institution has defamed and brought reproach upon the name of Jehovah by its numerous false doctrines and wicked practices, which have resulted in turning millions away from the worship of the Creator and to the service of creatures.
15 The Roman Catholic hierarchy, operating for more than 1500 years, is a political organization, although claiming to be God's servant. All political organizations are selfish, but the Roman hierarchy is more than that. It is conscienceless, cruel and wicked beyond the description of human words. It resorts to all manner of sharp practices and crooked political methods to accomplish its purpose. It seeks to control every nation of earth where it operates. It is a commercial organization using the name of Christian as a camouflage. To be commercial is bad enough, but the Roman hierarchy organization cruelly and wickedly traffics in human flesh and blood. It bleeds millions of its people, deprives them of their sacred rights, by fraud and false pretenses obtains their money and property, and with its ill-got gains it strengthens and operates its powerful organization to the detriment of mankind. It is religious in name and in fact because it practices formalism and ceremonies without regard to Scriptural support for the same. It misapplies the Scriptures and willfully hides the truth in order to shield its unholy practices. That would be bad enough, but its religion is a defamation of Jehovah’s holy name and the organization is used to exalt the name of creatures, which the Lord God denounces as an abomination. It bears the earmarks of its father, and by the Word of God it is plainly identified as the offspring and servant of the Devil. The following appropriate words are quoted from the writing of a well known university instructor:
16 “For nearly eighteen years I have closely studied and observed the papal system here at the National Capital. During the last thirteen years I have taught the history of canon law to graduate classes in a university. That experience has deepened the conviction that the Church of Rome is essentially an international empire masquerading under the pretense of religion. It overlies every nation of the earth and enforces its law and authority within their borders and upon their citizens. It never answers its critics, but seeks their destruction by the boycott, by sinister pressure and intrigue and by vicious abuse of deceived governmental power. Its activities are all directed by authority of the triple-crowned autocrat of the Vatican whom nobody elects and who reigns under claim of divine right.”
17 Protestantism, which once tried to expose the Roman hierarchy, has lost its protest and has been lulled to sleep by the false and fraudulent cry: “We must have peace at any price, and there must be unity between the mother church and other Christians.” Satan has thus overreached them and caused the Protestants to become a reproach to the name of Jehovah and his kingdom.
18 Satan’s primary lie was: “There is no death”; which is a contradiction of God’s Word and a defamation of his name. For centuries Satan’s representatives on earth, parading under the name of God and of Christ, have taught the people that when a man is supposed to die he does not in fact die, but that he has an immortal soul separate and distinct from the man, which soul goes to purgatory, hell torment, and probably a few to heaven.
19 Furthermore, Satan’s representatives teach that the prayers of men can aid those who are suffering in purgatory or hell and have their sufferings lessened. This has been a fruitful source of revenue for the hierarchy, and we know that could not have been by the will of God. These false doctrines are defamations of God’s name and have turned millions away from the true God. When Jehovah’s witnesses speak the truth, and cite the Word of God showing that they are telling the truth regarding these false doctrines taught by men, the truth greatly enrages the visible representatives of Satan, and these Satanic agents wickedly and cruelly oppose the witness work, and this they do secretly and openly, and they seek by all manner of means to bring about the destruction of Jehovah’s witnesses and to destroy their testimony.
20 Rome is the earthly seat of that wicked religious organization which poses before the world as the representative of God but which said organization is in fact a political mercantile institution operated selfishly and to accomplish selfish purposes and to the dishonor of the true God. In Italy Jehovah’s witnesses are persecuted and compelled to flee and to carry on their witness work in another part of “Christendom”. The Roman influence dominates the religious element of Germany. In the state of Bavaria, a stronghold of Romanism, the persecution of Jehovah’s witnesses began, and within a few hours that information was published by Roman Catholic papers in America, showing that they were in touch with the headquarters at Rome. Jehovah’s witnesses have no desire to fight Roman Catholics as such, because that is not their work. Jehovah’s witnesses are commissioned to bear testimony to the truth of Jehovah’s Word and they call attention to the errors taught by the Catholic hierarchy and others which defame the name of Jehovah God, and this they do in order that the people may see the truth. The Roman hierarchy refuses to hear the truth for the reason that those who operate that system are the representatives of their father the Devil, even as Jesus stated in John 8: 40-44. Not being able to defend their false doctrines before intelligent people, and fearing that they may lose the support of many good and honest people who have been held in their institution, and in order to blind the people to the truth and hide their own wickedness, the members of this Roman hierarchy bring further reproach upon Jehovah’s name by resorting to all manner of lies and vicious persecution of those who are sincerely and honestly trying to tell the truth to mankind as it is written in God’s Word.
COMMUNISTS
21 The Roman Catholic servants of Satan have represented to the political rulers that Jehovah’s witnesses are engaged in political schemes for the purpose of overthrowing present earthly governments. Such is a vicious and wicked lie. These representatives of Satan charge that Jehovah’s witnesses are communists and socialists, which charge is absolutely false. Jehovah’s witnesses are working under the commandment of the Lord, and as the representatives of the organization on earth the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society sends forth the directions for such work. This Society has been in existence for more than fifty years and never at any time has engaged in any political matters whatsoever. On the contrary, those who love God and his kingdom are diligent to obey his commandments, one of which is: ‘Keep yourselves unspotted from the world.’ (Jas. 1: 27) “The world’’ means the political, commercial and religious organizations that jointly operate as the visible rulers of this world and carry on under the supervision of the invisible overlord Satan. The true Christian cannot participate in politics in any form. He must be a witness to Jehovah and therefore hold himself aloof from political matters. Nothing in the activities of the Society can be cited to indicate that it has any connection whatsoever with any political organization. It stands entirely for God’s kingdom under Christ, which kingdom is not of this world.—John 18: 36.
PEDDLERS
22 It is Satan who has made merchandise of the human race and organized a great political, commercial system that has cruelly oppressed the common people and defamed God’s holy name. In the various states, cities, towns and other municipalities laws have been enacted to govern the peddling of goods, wares and merchandise. It is well known that it never was the intention or purpose of the lawmakers in framing such laws to interfere in any wise with the preaching of the gospel of God’s kingdom. It is only in recent years, and particularly since 1918, that the enemy has seized upon these laws long ago on the statute books and uses them as an instrument for the persecution of Jehovah’s witnesses. Because Jehovah’s witnesses call upon the people with books containing the kingdom message and accept from the people who take these books a contribution of less than it costs to make and deliver the books, the visible religious representatives of Satan cause these faithful preachers of the gospel to be arrested on the charge of ‘ peddling without a license’. In every instance such an arrest has been made at the complaint or influence of a clergyman, and particularly those of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Upon these false and wrongful charges many of Jehovah’s witnesses have recently suffered abuse, rough treatment and imprisonment.
23 In Roman communities, such as Plainfield, N. J., Jehovah’s witnesses have been arrested and imprisoned for merely distributing a notice of a Bible lecture, which notice invited the people to attend and hear the lecture; and when there was not even an ordinance of the city or any other law prohibiting the distribution of notice. The police officers, under the domination of the Roman hierarchy, took the law into their own hands and inflicted punishment upon Jehovah’s witnesses; and when the courts released these witnesses who have been wrongfully convicted, police officers, still in defiance of the law, threaten to further arrest and imprison anyone who comes to their town to carry on God’s witness work.
24 A theater building at Plainfield, N. J., was rented in which to hold a public lecture on the subject “Why Religious Intolerance Is Practiced Today”. Before the meeting the chief of police, a Roman Catholic, approached the owner of the theater and tried to induce him to cancel the contract, to prevent the meeting. But the owner preferred to receive the rent. When Jehovah’s witnesses were handing out to the people a small slip of paper announcing the lecture a number of these distributors were arrested and thrown into prison, among them an old sister more than seventy years of age. Immediately following this certain policemen of Plainfield were overheard discussing the matter and the lecture that was to be delivered on the next day by the president of the Society. One of those policemen said to another: “He [undoubtedly referring to the one who was to lecture] will be here tomorrow, and he will get what is coming to him.”
25 On the occasion of the lecture above mentioned, and without invitation from anyone who had to do with the lecture, and without any excuse or reason therefor, about sixty policemen appeared at this theater at Plainfield under the direction of a superior officer, and all of these men, policemen and private detectives, were armed with heavy pistols and other deadly weapons, which included sawed-off shotguns, riot guns and other instruments of destruction. They took their positions on the stage and throughout the building and remained in this attitude during the lecture. Before the lecture began police officers tried to provoke the speaker and others into a controversy, with the hope, no doubt, of having an excuse or opportunity to use their guns. The speaker delivered his lecture literally surrounded by many men bearing deadly weapons. There could have been no reason for this except to coerce the people and prevent them from attending, and to coerce the speaker and prevent him from saying his speech. They failed, however, in both purposes. At the conclusion of the lecture two of these policemen seemed ashamed of their action and of being there with armed men, and they said to the speaker: “We receive our orders, and we have to obey them.” These facts, and many corroborative facts which might be here related, show conclusively that Jehovah’s witnesses are the ones against whom Satan and his agents direct their malicious actions and that such agents are bent on the destruction of those to whom the testimony of Jesus Christ is committed, even as the Lord foretold. (Rev. 12: 17) That same class of persons whom Jesus designated as sons of the Devil called Jesus the chief of devils and wickedly persecuted him, and Jesus declares that his followers must expect the same kind of treatment at the present time. Such is the true setting of the text first above cited in this article, and the text must be in full harmony therewith.
TRUE MEANING
26 The apostles of Jesus suffered the very things that the Lord described in the tenth chapter of Matthew, but it is very evident that in so doing they fulfilled the prophecy only in a partial manner and that the greater fulfilment must come upon those who faithfully follow Jesus and who give the final testimony before Armageddon. The great issue now before all creation is, Who is supreme, Satan or Jehovah? The world, by the course of action taken, sides with Satan and persecutes Jehovah’s witnesses because they are the ones who declare Jehovah’s name. The Devil causes this persecution to be carried forward by his agents for the very purpose of intimidating Jehovah’s witnesses and preventing the giving of such testimony. The Lord Jesus now says to his faithful remnant: “Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” (Verse 26) Otherwise stated, Jesus’ words to the faithful remnant are: ‘Do not fear to tell the truth in the presence of the enemy and his representatives. The Lord has nothing to hide. Let the truth be told. What you hear from me concerning the kingdom you are to tell openly.’ What the Lord does he does openly and aboveboard, and he informs Satan and his hordes in advance what he expects to do to them.
27 Further then instructing the faithful remnant Jesus says to them: “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” (Verse 27) What is meant by “darkness”, as used in this text? Surely it does not mean the wicked deeds of men who steal and murder and do other crimes in the dark. The Lord is making no reference to such a thing. The word darkness, as used in this text, means obscurity. The Lord having gathered his people unto himself to the temple, they are with him where he teaches them, and there everything is obscure or dark to those who are on the outside. The temple class are children of Jehovah and are taught of him by and through Christ Jesus, the head of the temple. (Isa. 54: 13) These faithful ones are in the secret place of the Most High. (Ps. 91: 1) It is in this secret place, the place of obscurity, which place is dark to the world and especially to Satan's representatives, that the Lord instructs and teaches his people just what they must do. He discloses to them his purpose and sends them forth to carry it out.
28 When Jesus was with his disciples he taught them, and the public knew not what he taught them. What he said to his disciples was obscure or in darkness to the others about. Now the faithful remnant is scattered throughout the land, but all who are in the secret place are in the temple, because they are gathered there by the Lord and there they receive their instruction from the Lord. Jesus Christ, the Head of the temple class, there sets them in this place obscure to the world and says to them: ‘What you hear in this place you are to go out and tell to others, even shout it from the housetops.’
29 Gathering the REMNANT to the temple and teaching them is not necessary for their salvation. What, then, is the real purpose of gathering them there ? The Scriptures answer that such are gathered to the temple for the purpose of bearing testimony. They are made the witnesses of Jehovah and to them is committed the testimony of Jesus Christ. They are brought into the temple and instructed, that they may know what to say as such witnesses. The instruction the Lord now gives to his people is not merely for their own edification or encouragement or self-indulgence or self-development. It is given to them to use as directed. Their commission is to preach concerning the kingdom and to tell the people of Jehovah’s works, and hence they receive instruction at the temple that they may do this work intelligently and properly according to the Lord’s purpose.
30 What are some of the truths which the Lord has told to those of the temple class and which they ‘have heard in the ear’? Among those great truths are these: That Jehovah is the true God and the meaning of his name is explained to his children; that Christ Jesus is Jehovah’s vindicator; that in 1914 he took his power and began his reign and has cast Satan and his hordes out of heaven; that in 1918 the Lord awakened the faithful dead saints, built up Zion, which is Jehovah’s capital organization, and gathered unto himself the faithful remnant on earth and made them a part of the temple class, and these are made the witnesses of Jehovah; that there are two great organizations in existence, the one righteous, which is that of Jehovah, and the other wicked, which is that of Satan; that the sufferings of the people at the present time do not come from God, but are due to Satan’s wicked operations in his desperate effort to turn all mankind away from God; that the Lord’s people in his holy temple have been brought there for a purpose; that the Lord in his holy temple is dividing the people, and this he is doing by causing the truth to be proclaimed to them, and this proclamation must be made by the remnant who receive their instruction at the temple; that the preparation is now in progress for the battle of the great day of God Almighty and soon that great fight will take place and will result in the destruction of Satan’s organization, which includes all the religious, political and commercial powers on the earth; that those who now take their stand on Jehovah’s side may be spared in that time of tribulation, and that God’s kingdom under Christ is the only hope of the world.
31 Where have Jehovah’s faithful remnant learned of these truths? In the secret place, in the place that is obscure or dark to the world, that is to say, in the temple of the Lord. Why have they thus been instructed? Because these are taken out from the world as a people for Jehovah’s name that they might bear witness to the name and purpose of Jehovah; therefore Jesus says to them: ‘Go out and preach upon the housetops what you have been taught here in the temple; that is to say, make a wide publication of these truths, and do so boldly and joyfully.’ This is in exact harmony with Jehovah’s words set forth in Isaiah’s prophecy: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”—Isa. 12: 3-6.
FEAR
32 Some will say: “If in the face of so much persecution and opposition we continue to go out amongst the people and publicly tell these truths, then I fear we may be killed.” That is true; and probably many of the faithful will be killed because they continue to faithfully proclaim the truth which they have learned in the secret place of the Most High. Jesus, of course, foreknew these facts, and therefore in the prophecy uttered by him he said further: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in [gehenna].” (Verse 28) The inference to be drawn from these words is that some of the faithful will be killed. Satan and his agents both visible and invisible can kill Jehovah’s witnesses, and we know that they are trying to do so; but they cannot destroy the very existence of these faithful ones. Only Jehovah’s Great Executioner can do that. The question is put squarely up to the remnant: Shall we fear man or fear Jehovah God? It is written, in Proverbs 29: 25: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” The fear of man will certainly bring the remnant into a snare.
33 The issue is now squarely before every one of the remnant, and about that issue there cannot be the slightest doubt. Each one of the remnant must courageously and confidently face the issue. Moses prophesied that Jehovah would raise up another prophet, of whom Moses was a type. Peter repeated that prophecy at the temple shortly after Pentecost, and which prophecy has its fulfilment at the present time while the Lord Jesus Christ, the great antitypical Moses, the prophet of Jehovah, is at the temple. He is at the temple for judgment. The responsibility of obeying him rests upon those of the temple class, and disobedience on the part of such means their destruction, as the apostle Peter puts it: “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” —Acts 3: 23; see The Watchtower, 1933, page 150.
34 Every one of the temple class must now be entirely obedient to the great Prophet and Judge. Willful disobedience will bring adverse judgment; and that adverse judgment does not mean merely the death of the body, but it does mean the complete destruction of the creature; that is the end of the existence of that creature. Thus the Lord emphasizes the position of responsibility in which the remnant are found. Now the question at issue with the remnant is, Shall we fear that the agents of Satan may kill us, and because of that fear refrain from going forth and boldly proclaiming the truth, which truth we have been taught by the Lord at the temple? and if because of such fear we do refrain from going out and telling the truth, then what? Jesus answers: “Rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in [gehenna].” Then Jesus speaks of God’s watch-care over the sparrows as an illustration of his care for those who depend upon him, and then for the comfort of the remnant he adds these words: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.”—Verses 30,31.
35 It is not the prerogative of one member of the remnant to tell others of the remnant what course they shall pursue and what they shall do. No one of the remnant has preeminence over another to tell them what to do. Christ Jesus, the Head of the temple, is the Teacher, Prophet and Judge, and he teaches the remnant class or company at the temple. He tells the members of the temple class what they must do, and therefore they are not to look to some of their brethren to instruct them what to do. Some may say: ‘I will write to the Watch Tower office and ask whether I shall continue to be a witness for the Lord or not, in view of the great amount of persecution that we are now receiving. Shall I take the chance of being killed, or shall I remain quiet?’ No one at the Watch Tower office has any authority to tell you what to do. If you are one of the remnant and in the temple the instruction from the Head of the temple class is plain and clear. If anyone would tell you not to preach the truth, that would not relieve you of the responsibility in any manner whatsoever. Christ, the Head of the temple, says, ‘What you have learned in the temple go out and boldly declare to others, regardless of all opposition and persecution.’ If you love God you will have boldness in this day of judgment. (1 John 4: 17,18) It is true that you may be killed for telling the truth. All the remnant must have their change sometime. All the faithful apostles died because of their faithfulness to the Lord. The prophets who preceded them likewise died as witnesses. Jesus suffered and died because he was faithful to Jehovah, and the body members must follow in his steps.—1 Pet. 2:21; 2 Tim. 2: 10-12.
36 Also, the apostle says: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. ’’ (Phil. 4: 5) These words of the apostle are corroborated by the words of Jesus who says: “Behold! I send you forth as sheep into the midst of wolves; be, therefore, sagacious as serpents, and innocent as doves.’’ (Matt. 10:16, Diag.) Above all peoples on earth the remnant should use discretion. One would be foolish to take part in a political fight of this world. With these things the remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses have nothing to do. It would be foolish to tell everyone you meet who is occupying a position in the world that he is of the Devil and that the Lord is going to kill him. Remember your commission and preach what you have been instructed to preach, that is, says Jesus: ‘What I have told you in the darkness [the secret place, the temple] that go out and speak in the light, and preach it from the housetops.’ Let the remnant deliver the testimony of Jesus Christ, and not the distorted views of some others, nor take a foolish and unwise course. Those who faithfully follow the Lord’s instruction are certain of persecution. If they die because of faithfulness in telling the truth, their change shall be instantaneous into the likeness of the Lord of glory. (1 Cor. 15: 51-53) There is just one reason for the remnant’s now being on the earth, and that reason is to bear testimony to the great truths of God’s purpose, which truths they have learned at the temple.
37 Further emphasizing the importance of being strictly obedient to the commandments of the Lord the Great Prophet, Jesus says: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32,33) This does not mean merely a confession of belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is a confession or testimony publicly and confidently given, disclosing the great truths learned of Jesus Christ, the Great Prophet and Judge at the temple. Nor would the denial of the Lord, within the meaning of this text, be limited to an open declaration against the Lord and his kingdom. By one’s course of action he speaks louder than by his words. If one of the temple class, learning the great truths now due to be proclaimed, should quietly hold these to himself and avoid an opportunity to tell them, and at the same time pursue a course of action that he thinks would save him from criticism by the enemy’s agents, he is thereby denying the Lord, within the meaning of Jesus’ words above quoted, because he is failing to be obedient to the Lord’s commandment. If called before the courts, or if opportunity is offered anywhere to tell those present that the kingdom of God under Christ is the only hope of the world, tell it out plainly, but do it kindly, pleasantly and confidently, that those who hear may have reason to know that you mean what you say. Nor should one of the remnant say: “I believe so and so.” Rather should those of the remnant say: “I have learned from the Lord, who instructs them that love him and serve him, that the long-ago-promised time for the setting up of his kingdom is here and for this reason Satan is causing much trouble to the peoples of the world; and that the kingdom of God under Christ is the only remedy for suffering humanity and the only means whereby they can receive life and blessings.” Of course, you will not use these exact words, but let it be known that your information came from the Lord’s Word of truth, and not from some man, and that you are obeying the Lord, and not some worldly organization.
38 Agreeable to God’s promise greater light has come at the end of the world, and this light is given to the people of God who are brought into the temple. When the remnant receive this light they are not to hide it, but are to go out and tell it to others as witnesses to Jehovah. Another of the disciples records the words of Jesus concerning this same matter thus: “And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you; and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (Mark 4: 21-25) The Lord has given his people the light, and they must use it as testimony to his name, and not hide it.
39 Luke records similar language of Jesus, and which language was addressed specifically to his disciples and no others at the time, and which shows that the instruction is given to the disciples and those who follow in the same course, and that when this instruction is received they must use it. ‘‘He began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Clearly these words have to do with the judgment upon the faithful and the unfaithful. Hypocrisy means that one professes to be what he is not, or conceals what he is in fact. This is determined by his course of action. If one claims to be a witness of Jehovah, then he must, in order to be consistent, give testimony as to what he has learned in Jehovah’s temple or secret place. Jehovah has taken out a remnant people for his name, and the only way for these to be consistent and faithful is to bear testimony to the name of Jehovah. It is in the secret place or temple that these witnesses have been taught, and now they go out as Jehovah’s witnesses and speak with authority, not their own message, but the message from the Lord. When one of Jehovah’s witnesses fails or refuses to do so, that would be hypocrisy, which Jesus mentions, and then he adds these words: “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” (Luke 12: 1-5) The words of the text just quoted have the meaning that those of the remnant who meet together in their closets or meeting chambers to study the Word of God there ascertain fully what they are to do, and such is the truth revealed to them through the temple; and then it is their duty to be obedient to the Lord’s commandments and make these truths known to others, as witnesses to Jehovah. The Lord with his angels is at the temple, and those who fail or refuse to be obedient to his commandments are denying the Lord before his angels and before men. The Lord lays the obligation upon the remnant class at the temple and emphasizes it when he says: “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God; but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”—Luke 12: 8,9.
40 This scripture does not apply to every man who claims to be a follower of Christ Jesus. The words apply to those of the temple company. No one of the consecrated class can excuse himself by merely saying, I am a Christian, and thus claim he is confessing Jesus Christ. The context of the words used by Jesus plainly shows that these truths have been revealed to those of the temple and a failure to obey the Lord’s commandments in telling these truths out boldly is a denial of the Lord and of his kingdom.
41 Satan’s organization is powerful and wicked beyond the description of words. That organization is fatally bent on the destruction of Jehovah's witnesses. Satan and his agents use all the power they possess to accomplish that wicked end. Doubtless the enemy will succeed in killing some of the faithful, but not even that fact will in any wise deter the faithful witnesses from rendering full obedience to the Lord. If members of the remnant should die at the hands of Satan and his agents at the time when they are failing or refusing to obey the Lord, then the wicked one would ‘touch them’ fatally. If Satan kills some of the faithful while they are in the performance of the duties as commanded by the Lord, then “that wicked one toucheth him not”. The promise of the Lord is to the faithful ones: “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”—Ps. 91: 9,10.
42 Jehovah’s faithful people are surrounded by the enemy and his wicked agents. These wicked ones are using all manner of means to frighten, coerce, browbeat and put in fear, and thus prevent the remnant from delivering the testimony. That there is great danger of bodily harm and physical death there is no doubt; but let the remnant at all times have in mind that Jehovah has taken them out from amongst the nations as his witnesses to bear testimony to his name, and that he has given the remnant his name, and to them the name of Jehovah is a strong tower. “The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Prov. 18:10, A.R.V.) Let the testimony work which the Lord has committed to his people continue to be given; let the remnant in doing this work be moved by the zeal befitting the sons of God. Those who will share with Christ Jesus the glories of his kingdom must now be faithful and true witnesses to the name of Jehovah God, telling with boldness and with joy what they have learned of God at the temple, and thus they will have a part in the vindication of his holy name.
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY
1. What has Jehovah revealed, and to whom, as to his purpose at the present time?
2. What further has he revealed, as to steps already taken, and concerning the present situation in which his witnesses are given a work to do?
3. Point out the particular necessity for spiritual food at this time, and scripture to show that Jehovah has made complete provision for this day.
4,5. Quote further scriptures bearing assurance to those who are at the temple. What is the responsibility attending their being enabled to have a keen appreciation of the Lord’s promises?
6-9. Explain whether the text here under consideration could reasonably be applied as having fulfilment during the millennial reign of Christ.
10-13. To whom were Jesus’ words of Matthew 10 addressed, and for whose instruction? What of their fulfilment in the days of the apostles? What are the facts which prove their application at the present time, and particularly the statement of verse 22? In view of Jesus’ words of verses 24, 25, how should his faithful disciples regard the treatment received at the hands of Satan’s agents?
14-20. What have been some of the doctrines and wicked practices of the Roman hierarchy by which it has identified itself as the offspring and chief visible servant of Satan? What is the purpose which impels that organization to resort to lying and vicious persecution of those who are trying to help others to understand God’s Word?
21. How has that instrument of Satan viciously sought to involve Jehovah’s witnesses in difficulty with present earthly governments? What are the facts to show that these witnesses are in no wise connected with politics?
22-25. What are the facts in evidence that the Roman hierarchy, through its representatives, will freely resort to falsehood and misinterpret, misapply, disregard and violate the laws of the land in order to inflict punishment upon those it knows to be Jehovah’s true witnesses, and that in Roman communities the police officials are under its domination?
26-28. Account for the world’s opposition to the truth, and for its persecution of God’s witnesses. Apply Jesus ’ words of verses 26, 27.
29. Just what is the purpose of gathering the remnant to the temple and teaching them?
30, 31. What are some of the truths which those of the temple class have been told and ‘have heard in the ear’? Where have they learned of these truths? For what purpose have they thus been instructed?
32-34. With scriptures, explain whether it is reasonable to expect or fear that one’s life will be endangered because of openly and faithfully proclaiming the truth. State the issue now clearly before the remnant and which should definitely determine the stand to be taken by the faithful. What, then, is the great responsibility now facing the remnant, and the outcome of the course of action taken?
35. Should it now be necessary or expedient for members of the temple class to look to some of their brethren to instruct them as to what course to take or what to do? Why?
36. Explain and apply Matthew 10: 16, in connection with Philippians 4: 5.
37. Just what did Jesus mean by “confess me before men’’ and by “deny me before men’’? How only, then, can one be obedient to the commandment of the Lord in relation to the truths learned of Jesus Christ at the temple?
38-40. Apply Jesus’ words as recorded by Mark, and those by Luke, as clearly showing the only way in which the remnant can be consistent and faithful in relation to the light received at the temple.
41,42. Realizing the importance of obedience, and the seriousness of disobedience, what purpose should the remnant see in the effort of Satan, through the vicious persecution by his agents, to control the remnant by fear and coercion? What course of action will the faithful and true witnesses of Jehovah take, and to what end?
IS JESUS CHRIST THE MESSIAH?
LONG ago God directed the prophet Moses to build in the wilderness a sacred tabernacle. The entire nation of Israel cooperated with Moses in the building of this sacred structure. The tabernacle was used in particular for the Jewish atonement day sacrifice, which foreshadowed the great sin-offering provided by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The atonement day occurred once each year. On that day a prime bullock was slain in the court. The blood of that bullock was put into a vessel and the high priest took it, together with incense and fire from the altar, and journeyed from the court into the most holy of the tabernacle. There he burned the incense in the censer before the mercy seat and then sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times.
Here was a picture made of the great sin-offering. The bullock in the court foreshadowed the perfect man Jesus on earth. The court pictures the condition on earth, and not in heaven. The most holy is a picture of heaven itself. Israel’s high priest represented Christ Jesus the anointed One as the Priest performing the will of Jehovah. The death of the bullock in the court represented the death of the man Christ Jesus. The appearance of the high priest in the most holy with the blood foreshadowed the appearance of Christ Jesus the great High Priest in heaven itself, presenting the value of his perfect human life as a sin-offering.
The apostle Paul, in his argument in his letter to the Hebrews, the ninth chapter, makes this matter clear. The apostle first shows that the tabernacle was merely a shadow of something better to come, and then he adds: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.”—Heb. 9: 22-28.
Is Jesus the Messiah? It is of course important to be able to answer this question from the Scriptures, and to have it so clearly fixed that there cannot be any doubt as to the correctness of the answer. The first prophecy relating to the Messiah is: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.’’—Gen. 49: 10.
Shiloh here mentioned is the Messiah. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be. It therefore conclusively follows that he who is the Messiah must be the great Deliverer of the human race, of whom Moses, as the deliverer of the nation of Israel from Egypt, was a type. (Deut. 18: 15,18) It is readily found from an examination of all the evidence that God’s only begotten Son, the Logos or Word of God, is the Redeemer of man, the great Messiah and the Deliverer.
The identification of the Messiah has long been in doubt in the minds of millions of honest people, both Jews and Gentiles. The real Jews believe what Moses and the other prophets of God testified. By this time the student of the Scriptures ought to be able to recognize who will be interested in keeping the people in ignorance concerning the Messiah. Paul plainly says concerning the Jews: “Their minds were blinded.’’ (2 Cor. 3: 14) The identification of the Messiah would necessarily bring gladness to the hearts of those who believe. It would be good news to such. “Gospel” means “good news”. Now writes Paul the inspired witness concerning the good news of Messiah, saying: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”—2 Cor. 4: 3,4.
Satan the enemy, the god of this world, has caused the blindness which came upon the Jews and which has likewise come over the major portion of the Gentiles. He has used divers means to accomplish this; anything to blind them to God’s purpose and to keep their minds turned away from God and his means of deliverance. We will now examine some of the prophecies relating to the Messiah.
“Messiah” means “anointed one”. “Christ” means the same thing. “Anointed” means that the one who is anointed is clothed with authority to act in behalf of the one who does the anointing. The Messiah, therefore, is clothed with authority to act as the great executive officer of Jehovah God. We should expect to find something in the prophecies that will enable us to determine who is the Messiah and that would corroborate other evidence relating thereto.
“Prophecy” means the foretelling long in advance of events that will take place in the future. No man can truly foretell events. But God, who knows the end from the beginning, can foretell future events; and in times past he has used various human agencies as instruments to utter and make record of his prophecies. The invisible power of Jehovah God, namely, his holy spirit, working upon the minds of holy men of old, caused them to make record of events that would take place in the future. Those men did not understand what they then prophesied. It was the prophecy of Almighty God, and these men or prophets merely wrote down the things prophesied under the direction of the holy spirit.—2 Pet. 1: 21.
The apostle Peter testifies that the holy prophets did not understand the things concerning which they prophesied. (1 Pet. 1: 11,12) Why did they not understand? Because it was not yet God’s due time for these things to be understood by men, and because the holy spirit had not yet been given to men.
Now is the due time in which these prophecies may be better understood, and those who have devoted themselves wholly to the Lord and who seek to understand he permits to understand the deeper things of his Word. (1 Cor. 2: 9,10) Anyone of devout mind who reads the prophecies and sees the fulfilment thereof may understand them.
But how may we know when we have the proper understanding of a prophecy ? If we find God foretold that certain things would come to pass, and thereafter we see actually taking place the very things that he foretold, then we may be sure that such is in fulfilment of divine prophecy.
An instance is that of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the time of the end of the Gentile dominion. In the twelfth chapter and fourth verse Daniel makes record that at that time there would be great running to and fro and great increase of knowledge. Everyone today witnesses the fulfilment of that prophecy.
Prophecy can be understood only after its fulfilment, or while in the course of fulfilment. When fulfilled we properly speak of the fulfilment as the physical facts; that is to say, the facts which stand out as silent witnesses testifying to the taking place of certain events, which events had been foretold by divine prophecy.
With this rule in mind let us note some of the prophecies recorded in the Bible concerning the Messiah, and then see how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled these prophecies; and if the testimony proves beyond a doubt that he did fulfil them, this would be conclusive proof identifying him as the great Messiah of whom Moses was a type or prophetic figure. We shall find that these prophecies foretell his birth, death and resurrection.
Through the prophet Isaiah God foretold that “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”. (Isa. 7: 14) Mary, the mother of Jesus, conceived by the power of the holy spirit; and in due time she gave birth to the child Jesus in fulfilment of this prophecy.—Matt. 1: 18-25.
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