The Watchtower, March 15, 1942

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‘‘CHILDREN OF THE KING” TESTIMONY PERIOD

The spring month of April is a favorable time for the "Children of The King” Testimony Period. and which is therefore a world-wide period of united action by those advertising the King and the Kingdom. In all the earth not only those of the anointed remnant, but also all those hoping to become the earthly "children of the King”, will take part, and if any such want references to companies organized for this testimony let them without delay write the office in their respective countries. Much advance preparation for this campaign is required. April being the close of the three-month Watchtower Campaign, the servants and children of the King will continue offering the special combination, namely, a year’s Watchtower subscription, together with the ... of the book Children and the new booklet Hope, and all this for the regular subscription rate of $1.00 in America, and correspondingly in the other lands. Let this be your best month of the campaign. and at the end thereof you will with joy turn m your report of activities and the fruits thereof.

“HOPE”

With pleasure the Society announces publication of a new booklet, Hope – for the Dead – for the Survivors – in a Righteous World. The theme itself impresses one that the booklet meets a very present need, when millions of hearts need to be infused with new hope both for the living and for the newly dead; and the contents, in an up-to-date setting, will delight you. It is a 64-page booklet, self-covered, but having a very engaging cover design Date of its release for general circulation in the field is announced elsewhere, but you will first desire to read and enjoy it yourself and thereby know how best to present and use it in ‘comforting all that mourn’. You may obtain your personal copy now, contributing 5c therefor.

OPPORTUNITY OF SERVICE

Any single brother, unencumbered, who is an experienced organist and desires to devote full time in the service at Bethel may apply by writing

Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, President’s Office, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, N. Y., stating his experience and qualifications as such.

MEMORIAL

Tuesday, March 31, after six p.m., is the date Scripturally arrived at for 1942 for the memorial celebration to both Jehovah’s name and the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, his Theocratic King. Each Christian company, therefore, should assemble after six p.m. of March 31, and the anointed ones thereof celebrate the Memorial, their companions the “other sheep” being present as observers. If there is no competent person present to deliver a brief discourse immediately before the partaking of the emblems, that short article appearing in the March 1, 1942, issue of The Watchtower should be read before those assembled prior to partaking. Since the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine both picture the death of Jesus, it follows that both emblems should be served together at partaking, and not separately. The emblems should be unleavened bread and real red wine. Jesus and his apostles used real red wine in symbol of his blood, and the anointed remnant should follow their lead. A report of the celebration should be made to the Society as instructed in the Informant. In preparation therefor the article “Memorial” suggested above will be studied with profit.

No. LXIII March 15, 1942 No. 6

MICAH

PART 5

"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King."—Ps. 48: 2.

JEHOVAH has chosen his city for his capital organization. He himself is the builder of that glorious city. Now the events of a world at war engross the human minds and draw the attention to the national capitals and away from the greatest and most important government of all, the Theocratic Government of the great God of heaven and earth. The divided interests of the nations in the fight for world domination drive the peoples into their respective camps, and the biggest fact of all human history is pushed into the background and ignored, which is, that God’s kingdom is here. It is in the hands of his Son, Christ Jesus, the King thereof. It is Jehovah’s capital organization. It holds and shall forever hold the universal domination against all contenders. Through it alone comes the deliverance of all them that fear God, and to it must humankind flow for salvation, if they would live.

2 That capital organization, in which God resides, is heavenly, hence invisible to human eyes. Its name is Zion, meaning “a monument guiding to God’’. It is the chief and highest part of his general or universal organization. It is also called “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven”. (Rev. 21:2) Long ago Jehovah used visible things on earth to make prophetic patterns of these heavenly things, thereby to give instruction to men of faith, who look not at the things which are seen, but at the greater things, which are not seen by the natural eye and which are eternal. (Heb. 9:23,24; 2 Cor. 4:18) For such purpose Jehovah chose the typical city of Zion, the official residence of David, who was king of God’s typical Theocracy over the nation of Israel. Being the royal seat of God’s anointed king, and particularly being the place of God’s tabernacle or temple, Zion was the chief part of the city of Jerusalem, and therefore Jerusalem became the capital city of the nation. “Jerusalem” means “possession of peace”.

3 The great enemy Satan overreaches men and uses them wittingly or unwittingly to set up ruling organizations. Then he deceives the people in general by causing religion to apply to such organizations the names that rightfully belong only to the organization of Jehovah God. Thus he establishes a counterfeit to mislead those who do not take the Bible as their correct guide, and thereby he lines up the people on his side, to aid him in the fight for universal domination. His purpose is to prove his challenge to Jehovah and to cause the destruction of all men at Armageddon. The Devil’s chief instrument to deceive and confuse men is religion, and he makes full use of the religious leaders. Such ultrareligionists pretend to serve God and his Christ, but their works and doctrines prove that they serve the enemy of God, and they cause the deceived and trusting people to do likewise. To hold men in their organization they fraudulently brand such by the same names Jehovah gives to his organization. They have long compromised with the rulers of the world and enticed such into joining their religious organizations. Thereafter they coerced the subjects of the rulers to join. Such nations of the world they call “Christendom”. The religious organization thereof they call “Zion” and “Jerusalem”, meaning the religious super-government of “Christendom”. Such national and religious systems claim to be in a covenant relationship with God, but, judged by their works, they do not live up to that claim, and hence take the name of God and of Christ in vain. They are covenantbreakers, and are all opposed to the Theocracy under Christ Jesus. They prove unworthy of the holy names the clergy apply to them. These facts help us to understand the words of Micah, who prophesied to like unfaithful organizations, and whose words find fulfillment today.

“NEW WORLD" BUILDERS

4 “Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.” (Mic. 3:9) “Christendom’s” religious clergy’ turn to the traditions and worldly-wise sayings of imperfect men, and so reject God’s Word. In their religious meeting-places they do not cause these words to be heard by their political and commercial allies, whom they have made “the principal of the flock". God’s command is to “hear this”, and over a period of years now he has made them hear by his faithful witnesses. These he has raised up to announce that Jehovah is God, that Christ is the Ruler of the world of righteousness, and that The Theocracy is the Government that must rule the earth and heaven in equity, and which shall enforce the judgments of the Lord in righteousness. The judgments of the Supreme Judge over all, as written in his Holy Word, Jehovah’s faithful servants have obediently declared to all “Christendom”, but the heads and rulers thereof abhor such judgments. Such prefer human judgments, and never was the earth, and particularly “Christendom”, filled with greater injustices and inequity. When there is a conflict the demon-influenced rulers insist that the judgments of men come before those of God, and they make Christians obedient to God’s commandments to unjustly suffer penalties for keeping and declaring the judgments of the Lord. The totalitarian rulers respect the persons of men and their worldly position and power, and unequally apply the human law against the small minority who try to keep themselves unspotted from the world. The climax of their abhorrence of judgment and perversion of equity comes when they will shortly succeed in everywhere ruling that the Christian works of Jehovah’s covenant people are “illegal”, and then put them to silence under restraints forcibly. Then in all bad conscience they shall cry “Peace and safety!” and so mark themselves for sudden destruction at the hands of the God of justice, judgment and equity.

5 “They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.” (Mic. 3:10) The nations which practice demonism, but which they call the “Christian religion”, and wrongfully so, because all religion and Christianity are opposed to each other, speak of themselves as “Christendom”. “Organized religion,” particularly the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, takes to itself the position of a spiritual super-government over the nations of “Christendom” and seeks to convert all nations to its religious organization. Fraudulently it takes to itself the names “Zion” and “Jerusalem”, and applies to itself the promises of God applying to the true Zion and Jerusalem. Upon this basis the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, with headquarters at Vatican City, Italy, claims the right and commission from God to rule the world in the name of Christ. Being unable to do so by persuasion or conversion, it sees no other way than by coercion with violence. To this end it secretly financed and aided the totalitarian dictators into power and openly made deals or concordats with such, all to build up again the infamous “holy Roman Empire”. As a consequence the earth is now being drenched with blood wantonly spilled in violation of God’s “everlasting covenant” concerning the sanctity of blood. —Gen. 9:6; Isa. 24: 5.

6 Such is a bloody and demonized effort to build up the religious-totalitarian “abomination of desolation” and to cause it to stand permanently in the place where it ought not and which place it can never fill, to wit, the holy place of God’s righteous government by Christ Jesus. Such now is their “iniquity”, or lawlessness. The law and decree of Jehovah is that the Theocratic Government under his Son shall rule the world. His King is the only legal or lawful Ruler, whom he has anointed to that exalted position because he loves righteousness and hates iniquity. Hence the conspiracy of the worldly rulers, under the religious guidance of the demonized clergy, to block The Theocracy and to continue misruling the earth, is a flagrant disregard of God’s law and testimony as set forth in the Bible and declared by his witnesses. It is gross iniquity and is abominable in his sight, and it deceives the whole world because it operates under the cloak of religion.

7 The prophet of Jehovah exposes further the iniquity practiced in “Christendom”: “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us! none evil can come upon us.” (Mic. 3:11) In the time of Micah the chief justices, or judges of last appeal, were the king of the nation (1 Sam. 8:5; Deut. 17:18; Prov. 29:14; 1 Ki. 3: 7-9) and also the high priest at the temple. (Ex. 28: 30; Deut. 33: 8,10; 17 : 8-13; 19:17; 21: 5; 2 Chron. 19: 8,11) Also according to the law of God the regular Levites, both priestly and non-priestly, were authorized to act as judges in a lesser capacity. (1 Chron. 23: 3, 4; 2 Chron. 19:8; Mal. 2: 4, 7, 8) The princes, who were governors serving under and by authority of the king, also exercised judgeships (Jer. 26:10,16; 21:11,12; Ezek. 45: 9); and likewise the “elders”, understood to be experienced and mature in judgment. (Num. 11:16,17; Deut. 1:15-18) While authorized to serve in such capacity, they did not devote their entire time thereto, and God’s law made no provision for them to receive legal or judicial fees.

8 Acceptance of such judicial service and willingness to perform therein must be entirely out of love of justice and the desire to see justice executed and that righteousness obtained among the people and that Jehovah’s law was obeyed and religion was resisted and kept out. To have Jehovah’s approval the judges must fear Him, the Supreme Judge, and not fear the face of man nor regard his appearance, but deal courageously for truth and righteousness, knowing that God shall be with the good. (2 Chron. 19:11) They must not be dependent upon their judgeships for support or income. Acting as judges must be without remuneration, lest their judgments be warped or influenced. It was wholly improper to look for and accept fees and bribes. Their service must be entirely unselfish, in the interest of righteousness, and in obedience to their covenant with God. “Christendom," which claims to be spiritual Israel, has never set up or observed such an organization and process of justice. The record of the Inquisition courts of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is a most shocking travesty of justice and a disgrace.

9 The heads of the typical nation of Israel yielded to selfishness and religion, and judged for the rewards they could extort from those whose cases they heard. In “Christendom" the law has become a profession. God-fearing law-writers of the past have declared that all proper laws of men draw their validity from the law of God and that His law is supreme and binding on all everywhere and all the time; yet the legal profession are grossly guilty of ignoring the law of God and setting it aside. In cases where the servants of the Most High God are involved and there is a clash between the supreme law of God and the contrary laws of men, the judges of “Christendom” are repeatedly guilty of degrading God’s perfect law. How? By trampling upon it and exalting mischievously framed laws of men as warrant to punish God’s servants for strict obedience to divine law. Such judges pervert justice “for reward”, that is, for some selfish consideration, whether the desire for the political support of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy or the approval of so-called “patriotic groups”, or the fear of the mob or creatures who are in power and who threaten violence if their demon-inspired wishes are not obeyed. They refuse to grant Jehovah’s covenant people the “equal protection of the law”, but show respect to religion and practitioners of religion.

10 The prophecies exactly describe the condition in “Christendom”. In the light of such prophecies the judges and legal profession do wisely to examine and judge themselves respecting their motives and actions in dealing with Jehovah’s obedient servants: “Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts [blinding one to justice], and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.” (Isa. 1: 23) “The judge asketh for a reward.” (Mic. 7:3) “For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate [where court was held] from their right.” (Amos 5:12) Such is contrary to God’s rule, which does not change: “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.” (Lev. 19:15) “Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.”—Deut. 16:19.

11 God’s Word condemns the delaying of justice in the expectation of getting something for the judge first. For example: Governor Felix sat in on the case of the apostle Paul. The religionists had forced Paul into court for preaching the gospel of God’s kingdom. Felix, in hope of self-gain, delayed the execution of justice: “he hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.” (Acts 24:26) Receiving no reward or bribe, he left Paul bound in prison for two years longer. Like the faithful apostle, Jehovah’s witnesses of today refuse to buy their way out. The apostles paid no fines for preaching the Word of God. Now when Jehovah’s servants are brought into court for obeying his command to publish his name and his kingdom, they refuse to pay fines imposed by those who “judge for reward”, and, rather, go to prison. They do not compromise on the issue. They pay no creature for the privilege to preach, nor are they themselves paid to preach. It is God’s commandment to them, and they must keep integrity to Him.

12 “And the priests thereof teach for hire.” The term “priests” here designates the “man of sin” class, which the Scriptures foretold, which class today includes the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and other priests of religion, also the “evil servant” class, and the “elective elders” of the congregations, and all those whose covenant with God put them in line for his “royal priesthood” but who then became selfseeking and fell to religion for what they could get out of it for themselves. The priests of Israel were assigned the duty and obligation of informing themselves on God’s law and of teaching the people his commandments. (Mal. 2: 7) God made due provision for their support, and they must not use their office for self-gain besides those necessaries of life which God provided. Becoming covetous, they departed from that rule and perverted their teaching and taught commandments and traditions of men, all to bring in profit for themselves. The “priests” of “Christendom” follow in the same course. They charge the people for every religious service they render their parishioners and congregations, and honest observers of the day frankly admit that religion has become the greatest money-making racket of all. The religious leaders do further seek hire in the form of flatteries and the honor and praise of men. They seek not the honor which comes from God only, and hence do not believe the Word of God. (John 5:44) Their love of money or selfish gain is the root of the evil of religion. They do not love God or his righteousness, and hence do not obey his commandments. Seeking to win the applause and admiration of men, they try to appear wise and learned. Assuming to be teachers, they therefore refuse to ‘'sec? thy teachers” and to recognize that, since the Lord's coming to the temple in 1918, Jehovah and Christ Jesus are the Teachers and that ‘all of Zion’s children shall be taught of Jehovah’, and not of men. —Isa. 30: 20; 54:13.

13 "And the prophets thereof divine for money.” The clergy of ‘‘Christendom” divine or make predictions to please the dictators or the political leaders. The political schemes and programs of such they support and make unscriptural promises for them. They turn the people away from the sure and infallible prophecies of God’s Word, and speak great things in behalf of the “new world order”, or “the new moral order”, or a “federated world after this war”, or the “new League of Nations”; which proposals of men are opposed to the rule of Jehovah’s Theocracy. For all their divination and religious service they expect and eagerly accept money, no matter how filthy the source thereof. The totalitarian dictator gives almost 900 million marks each year to the support of the Roman Catholic church in Germany and to the other religious organizations. Not strange, then, that they feel reflected upon in that Jehovah’s witnesses conduct their public and other meetings with free seats and no collections taken up. They frown upon and object to Jehovah’s servants’ freely giving of their time and means to go from house to house proclaiming the inspired prophecies of God and distributing millions of pieces of free literature and accepting only contributions for the further publication of the message. This shows up the practice of the religionists and exposes their false and demoniacal divinations, and this threatens their money-making. Their money shall perish with them at Armageddon.

14 “Yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us ?” That is, they claim the promise of the Lord’s presence and expect him to back them up in their schemes, which are contrary to God’s purpose by his kingdom. They claim that their religious organization is God’s organization, and that the people must join up in order to get saved. Their ‘leaning upon God’ is only in pretense; for they believe not his prophecies nor trust him to protect and deliver them if they strictly do his will and forsake their friendship with Satan’s world. The facts, as demonstrated by their works, show they put their reliance upon the “strong-arm squad” and the carnal weapons, and upon their own wisdom and that of other men, and upon human schemes and plans, and human governments and peace organizations; and such governments they call “Christian nations”. “For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; the Lord of hosts is his name.” (Isa. 48: 2) Thereby they have deceived and yet deceive millions to remain in and to support “Christendom”, as though to forsake the religious organization meant forsaking God and his side.

15 Deceiving themselves and others those false prophets say: “None evil can come upon us.” “There shall not come upon us calamity.” (Rotherham) This is clearly a religious “shot” at Jehovah’s witnesses, to make out that they are liars and false prophets in declaring the day of God’s vengeance and that the battle of Armageddon is very near and there “Christendom” will be completely blotted out. “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.” (Ezek. 12:27) They “put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretch themselves [upon couches of self-confidence] shall be removed”. (Amos 6: 3, 7) They trust in their religious organization to endure for ever and to be a charm against calamity, as did the Israelites at Shiloh.

16 To such Jehovah God by his faithful witness says: “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these. Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out'all your brethren [the ten tribes of Israel], even the whole seed of Ephraim." (Jer.7 :4,14,15) Regardless of the ridicule of the religionists, Jehovah’s witnesses must continue to sound this warning of the Lord and to bid the people of good-will to hasten their flight out of the doomed organization, lest they be overtaken in its destruction at Armageddon. Religion’s “refuge of lies” and “hiding place of falsehood” are now being exposed by the hail and overflowing waters of truth. Such will furnish religionists no protection or preservation when the God of justice settles accounts and enforces his righteous judgments, shortly. “Christendom’s” house of religion has been left unto her desolate, and the Lord God is not therein. It shall be destroyed, like its prototype at Jerusalem. (Matt. 23:37,38) Calling itself “Zion” falsely will not save it.

17 “Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.” (Mic. 3:12) “For your sake,” that is, because of you and as a recompense to you, you religioustotalitarian ruling powers of “Christendom” which exalt yourselves as the backbone of the “new world order” with religion riding atop shall be cut to pieces like a plowed field. Now, because of the fear of the Hierarchy and its power in all the lands, the nations composing “the king of the south” hold back from bombing Rome and its ally, the Vatican; and the religious head even offers the Vatican as the site of the expected peace conference at the end of the war. Ignoring that the Vatican’s aims of world domination and making the world Catholic are the cause of the war between “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”, those battling powers take every precaution and make every allowance to safeguard that hoary headquarters of religion or demonism on earth. (Dan. 11:41) As to self-styled “Zion”, which is a monument of “organized religion”, and as to all “Christendom”, which was foreshadowed by unfaithful “Jerusalem”, meaning “possession of peace”, such shall die, but shall not go down to the grave in peace. Their “new world order” of federated nations trying to keep the peace is put forth to mimic God’s “world to come”, “wherein dwelleth righteousness”; it shall perish like all religious hypocrites at Armageddon.

18 Self-exalting “Christendom” shall be laid low and must become empty, as a field to be plowed. God’s executioner, Christ Jesus, shall plow it from end to end with an implement that shall tear, cut deep and upturn worse than a literal plow. The palaces of political rulers, the mansions of commercial traffickers, the cathedrals and luxurious residences of religious leaders, and the lofty walls and fortresses of the “strong-arm squad” shall become heaps of ruin, as surely as such happened to Jerusalem, typifying “Christendom”. (2 Ki. 25: 8-10; Mic. 1:6) The mountain or high place upon which religion has builded her gawdy organization or ‘"house” shall be cleared and swept clean of that devilish system. The high and respected place of the temple of “organized religion”, where it has ruled as the spiritual superpower over all nations of the world, shall be exposed as a false, unwarranted and self-assumed position. At Armageddon it shall be blasted first, and the superstructure thereon with its religious ranks and honors and official positions and high-sounding titles and pagan rituals and ceremonies and false doctrines and traditions shall be razed. The whole place will be made “like mounds in a jungle” (Rotherham), like “forest-covered high-places”. (Leeser) During the seventy years’ desolation of ancient Jerusalem the temple mountain boasted of no house of religion, but was bare, waste, and uninhabited and became overgrown with a jungle or thick forest. So shall it be with “Christendom” for ever.

19 The proclamation of that hard prophecy by Micah shocked the religious susceptibilities of the judges taking reward and the priests that preached for hire and the prophets that divined for self-gain. It shook the credulity of the people in their religious outfit. It condemned the operators thereof in the eyes of the public they were deceiving. As one representative of a corporation broadcasting religious programs free over its network said recently: “I do not believe it is legitimate to hold the things that are dear to other people, things that they care about, things that men cherish in their hearts, up to public ridicule.” (See booklet Truth—Shall It Be Suppressed? pages 14,19.) Such operators and defenders of religion would have God’s truth silenced and the proclaimers thereof barred from all means of publication. What care such that “Christendom” is threatened with early and sudden destruction and the lives of the general public are in gravest danger? Let such consider this: Since God does not regard the things that are dear to and cherished by the religionists, but will destroy the same at Armageddon, then Jehovah’s servants are committing nothing illegitimate or indecent in warning mankind that God will soon destroy such religious things, and showing the people why and wherefore. That is the greatest service to the public. It is of the greatest necessity and interest to them, and, with Armageddon so near, the time was never more convenient and fitting.

20 The prophet Jeremiah later proclaimed the identical message that Micah did, to wit, during the reign of Jehoiakim, which wicked king turned away from Jehovah’s law and commandments to religion or demonism. That was a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Today Jehovah’s witnesses boldly declare the like message to “Christendom”, and the outcome of such faithful testimony declared is foreshadowed by what happened to Jeremiah, and which is proved by the experiences of Jehovah’s witnesses these last few years. “Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house [dear to and cherished in our hearts] shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.”

21 The religionists, to procure Jeremiah’s death, called his message seditious, disturbing to unity and against the government. Jehovah’s witness there warned them that they would bring innocent blood upon themselves and the nation if they killed him, and God would hold them responsible. Then certain men, seeing through the patriotic bluster of the clergy and not yielding to the tremendous religious pressure put upon them, stood out against the clergy and gave wise counsel. “Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying, Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.” (Jer. 26:8-19) Jehovah delivered Jeremiah, thereby illustrating his promise to protect and deliver his faithful who speak as he commands them to do. Let the religionists and the rulers be warned: by their mistreatment and attempted destruction of Jehovah’s witnesses they procure the evil of Armageddon against their souls and at the hands of Him who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna.—Matt. 10:28.

CAPITAL ORGANIZATION

22 In the present conflict for world domination the controlling powers of “the king of the north” and of the rival “king of the south” seek to gain the victory and establish themselves as the capital organization over the new-world federation of nations. According to the prophecies, neither shall win complete victory, and organized religion will deal with both “kings”, recognizing both as the “higher powers”, and will herself seek to dominate them both as a super-national spiritual government. Religion and rulers will allow no place for Jehovah’s message nor for his Theocracy. Such vain imaginations and wicked devices shall not stand. Their final end shall be at God’s appointed time, at Armageddon. They are now in their last days, and Jehovah establishes his capital organization in power and glory, and it stands for ever.

23 Concerning this Jehovah inspired his prophet to say: “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.” (Mic. 4:1) The “time of the end” began in A.D. 1914, when the “times of the Gentiles [the nations]” expired and Jehovah enthroned Christ Jesus as his King of The Theocracy and sent him forth to rule in the midst of all enemies of The Theocracy. That Government is not made with human hands or votes. It is the Stone, which Daniel saw in vision, “cut out” of Jehovah’s universal organization and which even now moves irresistibly on its way to smite the entire Devil’s organization, visible and invisible, including “Christendom”, and to crush it out of existence.— Dan. 2:34-45.

24 That Government is called “Mount Zion” and is the capital part of Jehovah’s universal organization. It is His royal family of sons, of which Christ Jesus is the Head. It is composed of 144,000 and One members, the One being the Head and the 144,000 being the members of “his body”. He is both the Foundation and also the Chief Corner Stone of “the temple of the living God”, of which temple they are all “living stones” conformed to His image and all built upon him as their sure Foundation and also under him as their Headstone. (Heb. 3:6; Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 3:11,16,17; 1 Pet. 2:4-10; 2 Cor. 6:16) They together constitute a “kingdom of priests” and an “holy nation”, and hence are likened to a glorious temple adorning a mountaintop, as the prophetic temple at Jerusalem was builded by King Solomon on top of Mount Moriah, which temple mountain was thereafter called Zion. It is Jehovah’s official royal residence.—Ex. 19:6; Pss. 78:67-69; 87:2.

25 Necessarily Micah’s prophecy concerning the last days and the temple or “house of Jehovah” begins its fulfillment by the acts of God, particularly when he sent Christ Jesus to the temple for judgment, in 1918. Christ Jesus, the Greater Solomon, thereupon proceeded to build the spiritual or heavenly temple, first by resurrecting the body members that slept in death and then bringing the faithful and approved remnant of body members yet on earth in the flesh into unity with himself at the temple, there setting them to work at temple service as witnesses of Jehovah.

26 In 1918 Jehovah, figuratively speaking, laid Christ Jesus his King as the “precious corner stone” in Zion, and defiantly says to all the many antichrists opposing The Theocracy: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Ps. 2: 6) The “war in heaven” began at Christ’s enthronement in 1914, and in that war Satan and his demon hosts were defeated and cast out of heaven and down to the earth and put under Christ’s feet, debased to the position of a footstool. (Ps. 110:1, 2) At Armageddon he and all his hosts, demonic and human, shall be crushed out of existence under Christ’s heel. In fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy the royal “house of the Lord [Jehovah]” has been established as the head and capital over the universal organization of the Most High God, and hence far above the governments (mountains) of “Christendom”, which professed “Christian” governments arrogantly claim to govern the earth for and in the stead of Christ Jesus. Being under the demon rule which grabs for universal domination, the governments (mountains) of men and which are overreached by such demons reject the announcement of the enthronement of Christ Jesus and that their “times of the nations”, or of their rule by sufferance of God, have run out. They reject the proclamation of the setting up of the Theocratic Government under Christ Jesus, and all nations hate and persecute Jehovah’s servants whom he commands to make the proclamation. By this course of action such professing “Christian” nations refuse to have as their Head and King the beautiful Stone cut out by the great Theocrat Jehovah, and thereby they prove themselves to be antichrist. Christ Jesus rules as Head and exalted King regardless, and his glory is not lessened. “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”— Ps. 118:22.

27 The “hills” are the highest parts of the mountain, the peaks which dominate all the range. Under demon rule which challenges the universal domination of Jehovah, making universal domination the all- important issue confronting all creation, the “mountains” or governments of men now propose a higher government of their own making. Looldng forward to the end of this war between the totalitarian “king of the north” and the anti-Nazi-Fascist “king of the south”, the world builders propose the establishment of a super-national government, fully protecting religion and under religion’s sponsorship and guidance. Says one self-conceited clergyman: “God desires us to build a federated world and to create a human race fit for future generations to be born into.” It was “the king of the south” that pushed the League of Nations in 1918-1920, and he now suggests a revival of such League of Nations to secure the expected “Peace and safety” and to guarantee the freedoms promised to the people. The Vatican-Nazi-Fascist- totalitarian combine, or ‘"king of the north”, proposes a “new world order” and has already begun the nucleus of his “new League of Nations” on the European continent. All such super-governments are the “hills” of the mountains of “Christendom”. Prophecy indicates that at the close of the conflict “the king of the north” and “the king of the south” will, under the political strategy of the Vatican, come to a compromise agreement and will set up a “new moral order”, a federated world under a super-government, pictured as the “scarlet-coloured beast” on the back of which there rides religion, the dominant part of which is the Boman Catholic Hierarchy. Today, in compliance with the sly scheme of that Hierarchy for world domination, the Catholic and Protestant and Jewish religious organizations hypocritically act out a “good neighbor” policy. Such religious federation may be expected to do at such future event as the Federation of Churches in America did in 1920, to wit, call the new political-religious world confederation the political realization of the kingdom of the Messiah. So doing, they commit gross blasphemy and finally and completely reject Jehovah’s building of his Theocratic Government under Christ.

28 That proposed super-government will be the highest 'hill” or peak of “Christendom”. That demonized human institution -will be the final and complete expression of the antichristian “abomination of desolation”. It is opposed to the universal domination of The Theocracy. It assumes to stand in the “holy place” instead of the temple or royal family of Jehovah, His kingdom. (Dan. 11: 31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15) That 'desolating abomination’ can never boost itself to take the place and power of the high Theocracy of Jehovah’s anointed King. It shall be abased unto hell, and The Theocracy continues to be “exalted above the hills” for evermore.

29 “And peoples shall flow unto it.” (Am. Rev. Per.) These follow after God’s faithful remnant of spiritual Israelites who take the lead in the march to God’s kingdom. During the first world war the remnant were put in restraint by the enemies of the Kingdom. In 1919 Jehovah graciously delivered them from the imprisonment and bondage and they returned to his organization and its work. “And the ransomed [delivered ones] of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isa. 35:10; 51:11) A great publicity campaign followed thereafter, to educate the peoples in the Bible truths concerning the Kingdom. In their ignorance due to religion or demonism the peoples are in perplexity and know not which way to turn, being kept in the dark concerning the real meaning of the Kingdom and its establishment. “This gospel of the kingdom” vigorously proclaimed by Jehovah’s -witnesses since the World War shows them the only right way to Jehovah’s favor and protection and his Kingdom blessings in store for his “other sheep”.—Matt. 24: 7,14.

30 By now millions have heard the good news, and many thousands have joyfully accepted the message, turned their backs on religion, and turned their steps toward the glorious mountain of The Theocracy. Like a great river, made up of streams from all the nations and being continually enlarged as thousands more join the movement into the Kingdom, these “peoples” of good-will toward Jehovah and his Righteous Government flow unto it and openly and actively take their stand on His side. This the Devil, by his demonized rulers of “Christendom”, has viciously tried to prevent and to turn the flow of such peoples back, into the broad road leading to the “Dead sea” of destruction at Armageddon. This he has done by planting his totalitarian-religious organization in between The Theocratic Government and the great “seas” of people alienated from God and under demon rule. Jehovah foretold this by his prophet, and warned that for such attempted interference with his “strange work” the demonized religious-totalitarian combine of “Christendom” shall meet a violent end at Armageddon: “And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas [and] the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” (Dan. 11: 45, Young's) The combined demon forces and rule cannot stop Jehovah’s “strange work” until done; and likewise they cannot halt the ingathering and flow of the peoples, the Lord’s “other sheep”, unto The Theocracy until all such are gathered into the “one fold” under Kingdom protection. Standing immovably on that side and there holding fast their integrity toward Jehovah God, they shall survive Armageddon and form the “great multitude” that He will use thereafter to fill the earth with a righteous offspring in joyous obedience to the divine mandate.—Gen. 1:28; 9:1, 7.

31 Micah’s vision of God’s “strange world’ in our days toward “men of good-will” continues: “And many nations shall come [(dm. Rev. Ver. and Rotherham) shall go], and say, Come [ye], and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Mic. 4:2) Regardless of their nationality by birth the persons of good-will are given God’s gracious invitation. Those who shall form the “great multitude” now come out of ‘all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues’. Such were long ago foreshadowed by Rahab, Jael, Jonadab, Ebed-melech, and others of good-will, all of whom were of other nations than Israel. They shall form the nations who under The Theocratic Government shall glorify God on earth, and concerning whom it is written: “Rejoice, ye nations, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye nations; and let all the peoples praise him.” (Rom. 15:10,11, Am. Rev. Ver., margin) “Who shall not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”—Rev. 15: 4.

32 The message of the Kingdom is not to be kept selfishly. Jehovah’s faithful “remnant” are commanded to go and preach it in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and, in turn, all of good-will who hear are commanded to let others hear: “And the Spirit [Christ Jesus] and the bride [including Jehovah’s remnant of witnesses on earth] say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) Micah’s prophecy foretells that such “shall go [to others; also parents to their children] and say, Come ye, and let us [together] go up to the mountain of Jehovah”. (Jm. Rev. Ver.) This shows that the Lord now extends to them a part in his “strange work” of witnessing to The Theocracy, and today these “other sheep” in their increasing thousands take up the joyful burden of the Lord’s work alongside of and in unity with the faithful remnant of spiritual Israel.

33 These “other sheep” of the Lord are not called to go to heaven. They do not go to heaven and never shall go up there. Their everlasting inheritance shall be on the cleansed and perfected earth. They hear the remnant boldly proclaiming that God’s kingdom was set up at his enthronement of his King in 1914 and that The Theocracy is here, to destroy the wicked and to bless the obedient and faithful. Hence they go up to that “mountain of Jehovah”, to wit, “mount Zion,” and take their stand publicly and outspokenly on the side of the great Theocrat and his everlasting Government of peace and righteousness. Their eyes have been opened to see the antichristian “abomination of desolation” presumptuously standing in the “holy place”, and they unhesitatingly obey Jesus’ command to forsake “Christendom” and her religion and to flee to the “mountains”, Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, The Theocracy. They make a full and irrevocable consecration to God by Christ Jesus and devote themselves undividedly to The Theocracy and its praise and service. They become publishers for the Lord and strive to increase the number of publishers of The Theocracy by informing others of good-will and inviting them to take a like course, to join the company of those going up to the “mountain of Jehovah”. The number “ten” applies to all the nations from which they come forth, and another prophet describes their action, in this phrase: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men [all of good-will] shall take hold, out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew [Christ Jesus, the great Judean, who leads in Jehovah’s praises], saying, We will go with you [feet members of Christ; the remnant]; for we have heard that God is with you.”—Zech. 8: 20-23.

34 They seek Jehovah’s “mountain” or Theocratic Government in order to worship him and serve him at his temple. They forsake religion, which is devil- ism or demonism, and join God’s remnant in the war of exposing religion as of the Devil and against Jehovah’s kingdom. Hence they say to those of a hearing ear: “Let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob.” The name “Jacob” applies anti typically to The Christ, Jesus the Head and his body members. The “God of Jacob” is Jehovah. The “other sheep” acknowledge : ‘Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Jehovah his God.” (Ps. 146:5, A.R.V.) “Jehovah of hosts is 'with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Ps. 46:11, Am. Rev. Ver.) Such disdain the criticism and persecution, and associate themselves with Jehovah’s witnesses and shoulder a goodly portion of the witness work and responsibilities. In this they must maintain their integrity, by constancy and by faithfulness to their obligations and never permitting anything to entice and turn them away to the “rudiments” of the demonized dying world. The great High Priest of God brings these into the temple, where God’s face shines with favor and blessing upon them. “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” (Rev. 7:15) The full-time service of the delightsome Theocracy is the dearest thing to their hearts, and those who during the day are obliged to do other work to provide things decent and required delight to go forth in His service at night and other times of the week and to use all possible of their waking hours in the direct service of The Theocracy.

35 The people of good-will toward God do not turn away Jehovah’s witnesses when they call at their doors, but are teachable. They listen to what the Kingdom publishers have to say, and then act thereon. In the light of the message they discern that their religious instructors have deceived them and held them in ignorance of the only true and living God, Jehovah, and now they learn that He and his Son Jesus are The Teachers, not the religionists nor any human creatures. They perceive that now Jehovah has only one organization, through which he dispenses his truth to man, and that the visible part of that organization is made up of his devoted witnesses under Christ Jesus and that the message which these bear is not man’s message, but that these “children of Zion” are taught of the Lord God Jehovah and by Christ Jesus and through his revealed Word, the Bible. (John 6:45; Isa. 54:13; 30: 20) The enlightened persons of good-will turn from religion and to the great Teacher and seek more life-giving knowledge, saying confidently to one another: “And he will teach us of his ways.” Now, before it is too late, they turn out of demonized man’s ways, which lead down to destruction, and get onto the Lord’s ways, which are truth and light and righteousness and life.

36 Presenting themselves in consecration to God through faith in Christ Jesus and his ransom sacrifice they say: “And we will walk in his paths.” In this manner such meek or teachable ones heed Jehovah’s ordinance stated at Zephaniah 2:3: “Seek ye [1] Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek [2] righteousness, seek [3] meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.” (Am. Rev. Per.) Only by following this course dare they hope to escape destruction and to survive Armageddon and thereafter form part of the “great multitude” that live and become children of The King, to forever serve and glorify Jehovah God on earth in company with the visible representatives of The Theocracy, the resurrected faithful men of old who shall be made “princes in all the earth”. (Ps. 45:16) The covenant of consecration that they make with God they must faithfully keep, to enjoy fulfillment of His promise (Ps. 25:10): “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” His truth and testimonies concerning his purposes they must declare in unity with the remnant. So doing, they go over the ‘highway”, in the “way of holiness”, following after and with the remnant. (Isa. 35: 8-10) They walk upon the “highway” that the remnant under Christ Jesus have “cast up” and out of which they have gathered the stumblingstones of religion. —Isa. 62:10.

37 Why do they not follow the worldly slogan popular with the religionists, to wit, “All roads lead unto Rome [Vatican City],” and why do they take the way that is despised and persecuted by “Rome”, the headquarters of religion? The prophet answers: “For the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Regardless of what the builders of the “new world order” claim for the “abomination of desolation”, which also they try to compel all men to worship in a regimented manner, that antiKingdom of God monstrosity is not the “higher powers” from which issue the supreme law and the word of true doctrine. Jehovah is the Supreme Power and the One Lawgiver, and Zion his capital organization is “The Higher Powers”. It is The Theocracy, the paternal government of Christ Jesus, the Everlasting Father to humankind that lives. From it issues the perfect law that shall forever govern the new world. Creatures on earth that would enjoy life everlasting may not ignore that divine law. In a conflict between the laws of “Caesar” and Jehovah’s law out of Zion there is only one choice for such. God's law is the higher and comes first; they must obey it without compromise. They dutifully obey all the laws of “Caesar” that are in harmony with righteousness and not in opposition to the law of Almighty God. His law takes hold on all the affairs of their life each day. (Ps. 119:10,11) Therefore they cannot follow blindly in any course dictated by men in authority without reference to God’s law. For one in covenant with the great Lawgiver and Judge to break Jehovah’s law out of Zion, The Theocracy, means destruction.

38 Zion, the capital organization of the universe, is eternally Jehovah’s official residence by his spirit and power. He laid Christ Jesus as the Chief Corner Stone in Zion when Jehovah sent him to the temple, in 1918, and presented him as King of the new world to “Christendom”. Thus Jehovah ‘built up Zion”, and he appears in his glory, by the revelation of his Kingdom truth now, but by the visible exhibition of his glorious power in his “strange act” at Armageddon. (Ps. 102:16, Am. Rev. Ver.) Particularly from and after his presentation of his King on Zion Jehovah’s law has gone forth from his capital organization, Zion, the seat of the Lawgiver. To his covenant people begotten of his spirit his law out of Zion is: “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah.” “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” “Proclaim . . . the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” (Isa. 43:12; Matt. 24:14; Isa. 61:1, 2) To the religious, political, commercial ruling factors of the world his law has been fearlessly declared by his faithful witnesses since 1918: “Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.” (Ps. 2:10-12, Am. Rev. Ver.) The rulers, judges and clergy of the earth defy the law out of Zion and oppose The Theocratic Government and its proclamation. They shall miserably perish at the kindled wrath of the King at Armageddon. Jehovah’s faithful covenant people obey his law, even when demonized men mischievously frame laws to punish their obedience to God. The Lord’s “other sheep” learn and obey the divine law out of Zion, and serve with the remnant as witnesses to Jehovah and his Theocracy, and they take refuge in Christ Jesus, his Son and King.

39 Concerning that law out of Jehovah’s capital it is written: “The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light.” (Prov. 6:23) The King’s unchanging rule now applies: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matt. 19:17) Obedience to God’s law is the only way to life. The King on Zion showed to all the way of obedience, and he is “the way, and the truth, and the life”. (John 14:6) He being God’s spokesman, “his name is called The Word of God.” (Rev. 19:13) He having come to the temple, it follows, as stated in the prophecy: “And the word of the Lord [Jehovah] from Jerusalem” shall go forth. Such is “the Holy Jerusalem”, which comes down from God out of heaven. Meaning The Christ, including Jesus the Head and all his body members, the apostle wrote: “But Jerusalem which is above . . . is the mother of us all.” (Gal. 4:26) It is “the city of the great King”. (Matt. 5:35) King David reigned in typical Jerusalem on earth; Christ Jesus, the Greater David, now reigns for evermore in the “holy Jerusalem”, which is heavenly and invisible to men. From Jehovah and through His King of the “holy Jerusalem” comes the word of the Lord, his message and doctrine to his servants on earth who fear him and keep his commandments. That word announces the doom of religion and traditions of men.

40 Jehovah feeds his people through his capital organization, of which Christ Jesus is the Head, and in that connection he uses the visible part of his organization. As the famished people had to come to Joseph the ruler of Egypt to get bread to live, so now those who seek life and comfort must come to Jehovah’s organization and to his Greater Joseph, who is “The Bread of Life”. “The word of the Lord abideth for ever” (1 Pet. 1:25, A.R.V.), and those desiring to live forever must feed thereon and throw religion to the dunghill. “For the word of the Lord is right.” (Ps. 33:4) The facts clearly establish that since the Lord’s coming to the temple, and particularly since 1922, the word of the Lord God Jehovah has gone forth from the heavenly Jerusalem. The wondrous truths of the Bible have been revealed, the prophecies have been made plain, and the doctrine of paramount importance has been made crystal clear, to wit, the Kingdom, The Theocracy, which shall settle the primary issue of universal domination wholly in Jehovah’s favor and in vindication of his name. Blessed are the remnant and all the meek ones of good-will who go up to the mountain of the Lord’s house and there feed upon his precious Word of life and light and who then keep his law by dispensing that Word abroad to feed his “other sheep”!

41 What shall follow? The prophecy yet to be considered makes this plain, for our further admonition and comfort.

(To be continued)

Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his lovingkindness ; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul hath waited for Jehovah: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice m him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy loving- kindness, O Jehovah, be upon us, according as we have hoped in thee.—Psalm 33:18-22,

“IMAGE OF THE BEAST”

IN AN address before the Legislative body of America last December 26 a visiting statesman of the world said: “If we had kept together after the last war, if we had taken common measures for our safety, this renewal of the curse [the catastrophe of world war] need never have fallen upon us. . . . In the days to come the British and American people will for their own safety and for the good of all walk together in majesty, in justice and in peace.” Newspaper commentators were quite unanimous that this had reference to the League of Nations, of which there are still over forty members, and which League God's prophetic word foretold.

It has long been Britain’s proud boast that she rules the waves and that the sun never goes down on her domains and that she always takes the part of humanity. The American government makes the same boast concerning her liberality. British diplomacy is the last word in skill; America has tried to copy it. At Revelation 13:11, concerning the two-horned creature symbolizing the modern dual world power, the prophecy reads: “And he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” At Ezekiel 29: 3 the great Dragon is described as saying of the peoples among which he operates: “My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.” So, too, the Monroe Doctrine, of 1823, says, ‘Hands off America,’ and which speech is therefore by the two-horned creature or dual world-power and is like unto the speech of the Dragon. Revelation 13:1,2 describes the “beast” with seven heads that came up out of the sea and representing the visible organization of the world with seven successive world powers holding the world dominance each after the other. In the fight referred to in verse 3 of the prophecy Britain and America, the symbolic two-horned beast, really constitute the power that wounded the sixth or German-controlled head of the ‘sea-beast’ in the world war of 1914-1918 and then afterwards healed its wound.

Further referring to the two-horned beast, Revelation 13:12 says: “And all the authority of the first beast he executes in his presence, and makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.” [Emphatic Diaglott translation] The two-horned beast receives its authority from the same source, to wit, “the god of this world.” (2 Cor. 4:4) It becomes the dominant power because it is the seventh head or seventh world power of the age-old world organization; and it really takes first place, while the other nations play second fiddle. Although the sea-beast and the two-horned beast fought amongst themselves for world domination (like the hypocritical religious clergy, which form a supernational, spiritual part of the symbolic beast), they are united in one thing, to wit: they are against the Theocratic Government of Jehovah God by his Anointed King, Christ Jesus. (Ps. 2: 2, 3) Concerning the two world-powers fighting each other for world domination, namely, “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”, Daniel 11: 27 says: “They shall speak lies at one table [of the god of this world],” and feed upon the same provender. (1 Cor. 10:21) They ignore God’s Word concerning his kingdom and all evidence of the setting up of the same. Imbued with their imperialistic idea, they go on to carry out Satan’s purpose in preparing for his final stand to rule the earth, at the battle of Armageddon.

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