The Watchtower, April 1, 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.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES
Week of May 3: “Micah” (Part 6), 1-19 inclusive, The Watchtower April 1, 1942.
Week of May 10: “Micah” (Part 6), 20-38 inclusive, The Watchtower April 1, 1942.
USE RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTION BLANK
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No. LXIII April 1, 1942 No. 7
MICAH
PART 6
"For Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king; he will save us.”—Isa. 33:22, Am. Rev. Ver.
JEHOVAH is the final Judge, to whom all creatures and all organizations in the universe must render account for their conduct. He is the Supreme Power, excelling all. “He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice.” (Job 37:23) “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God.” (Ps. 62:11) His faithful and devoted Son he has exalted to be next to Himself, and to him He has delegated all power in heaven and earth, to act as his Deputy Judge in the judging of all the nations of earth and to execute the judicial decisions in righteousness. “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” (John 5:22, 27) Hence Jehovah and his Son Christ Jesus are the true and only ‘“Higher Powers”. All souls that are wise and lovers of life and righteousness will be subject to and will obey such “Higher Powers” rather than any other existing power in opposition.
2 Jehovah, by his appointed Judge of power, judges individuals and organizations. Jehovah makes the decision as to which organization shall be exalted to the head of His universal organization, and also as to which organization shall be abased unto hell or destruction. Zion is Jehovah’s organization of integrity, of which Christ Jesus is the Chief One or Head and of which organization all other members must follow in his footsteps and must like him maintain their integrity toward God even unto the death. It is a tried and faithful organization, and inseparably devoted to “holiness unto Jehovah”. Therefore the Supreme Judge, Jehovah, promotes Zion to be the capital organization of his universe, “angels and authorities and powers being made subject” thereunto. (1 Pet. 3:22) On the other hand, Jehovah declares his purpose to shortly level to the dust the unfaithful enemy organization of the demons under Satan. “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south: but God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Ps. 75:6,7) Jehovah makes Zion his official residence. Hence the prophecy is fulfilled that now’ “the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word [of truth] of the Lord from Jerusalem”. (Mic. 4:2) This sending forth of the law and word of the Lord God as set out in the Bible has been true since the coming of Jehovah’s Judge to the temple in 1918 for judgment. Now the people of good-will toward God and his capital organization are attending unto that law and word declared by His witnesses on earth. Thereby the Lord God is teaching them of his ways and enabling them to walk in his paths, which lead unto life everlasting in the paradise on earth.
3 By the light of the truth proclaimed such persons see that Jehovah has placed his Judge upon the royal throne and has exalted his capital organization Zion far above the “mountains”, or governments, of Satan’s visible organization under the shadow of which the people have suffered and mourned. Soon all peoples who continue under demon rule will, by fear of the things coming, be driven to cry “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb [of God]: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to standi” (Rev. 6:16,17) Such are the “goats” which are made manifest by the Lord’s judgment of the nations which is now proceeding. But the “sheep” class are meek, teachable toward the Lord. They see that all the governments under demon rule are doomed to early leveling to the ground, and hence they flee to God’s capital organization, his holy Mount Zion. They put themselves under it for protection and to be hid from Jehovah’s Executioner at the battle of Armageddon. (Zeph. 2: 3) Only thus doing may the “sheep” hope to live through that final and decisive battle between God’s organization and the Devil’s organization. All the “goats” shall die.
4 Concerning Jehovah, as represented by his great Judge upon the throne in Zion, the prophecy announces: “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Mic. 4:3) This has been a favorite text with popes and statesmen when posing before the people as lovers of peace and working for international peace. In quoting this text they have applied it to themselves as if the chosen ones to establish everlasting peace on earth, and this with a view to making it agreeable for the peoples and nations to continue under demon rule. Such is presumptuousness in God’s sight. It is abominable to him, because only He, by Christ Jesus, his “Prince of Peace”, shall bring about lasting peace and an absolutely disarmed earth. The Hague Court of International Arbitration, the disarmament provisions of the Versailles Peace Treaty, the League of Nations, the Paris Peace Pact of 1928 commonly called the Kellogg-Briand pact, the pope’s “Holy Year” of 1933, and also all the hypocritical and much-advertised peace prayers from Vatican City, all such peace expedients of men to bring about a warless world have failed. The world, now engaged in total war, bars all denial of this. Now that great religious head at the Vatican, in his speech of December 24, 1941, proposes and prays for a “new order” without “total, war” or a mad rush of the nations for armaments. Actually he prays and works for a Catholicized world backed by a strong totalitarian government supervised by himself and his Hierarchy as the spiritual superpower. To this end he now uses the totalitarian Nazi-Fascist-Catholic dictators as the “sword of the church” to cut off the democratic and non-Catholic nations and also to destroy the witnesses of the Lord God who announce the Theocratic Government of Zion, Jehovah’s capital organization. And to trap the political rulers of the democratic nations the Hierarchy repeatedly declare publicly that no lasting peace with justice is possible except the present pope’s peace.
5 In all these dreams and hopes of a warless and disarmed earth by human achievement and in all the misapplying of Micah 4: 3 to themselves as peace messengers and agents, they overlook this fact: The prophecy declares that the thing which must precede everlasting “peace on earth” is that Jehovah by his Judge and King must judge among many peoples and must “rebuke” the strong nations afar off. This proves the complete inability and failure of religionists and politicians to do what God’s “Prince of Peace” alone can do.
6 Now Jehovah’s Judge is upon his throne judging the nations. His findings according to the course now being taken by the nations is that they have forgotten God and have set themselves in opposition to his Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus, and that therefore they are deserving of rebuke rather than of blessing on their peace plans. If the religious clergy would do their duty toward their political allies and if “Christendom’s” nations would examine God’s Word, they would find the judgment of the Lord God already written there showing his judicial decision concerning the nations and their final end. That “judgment written” will be executed without fail. (Ps. 149: 9) It is written: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Ps. 9:17) The clergy failing to call attention to God’s announced purpose in His Word, Jehovah sends forth his witnesses to all nations to declare “the judgment written”, and thus to serve notice upon them before the “battle of that great day of God Almighty”, when such written judgment shall be executed to the letter. Proclamation of such judgment written constitutes a test upon the nations of “Christendom”, and Jehovah by Christ Jesus judges them according to their course of conduct toward such proclamation and the proclaimers. The political and religious rulers condemn such proclamation. Their persecution of the proclaimers and the hindering and suppressing of the organized proclamation show that the nations have taken their stand in opposition to God and are fighting against him and have therefore forgotten him and chosen religion, which is demonism. The nations take their stand against ‘the law which goes forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem’. Hence the Lord judges them adversely. He does not treat with them for peace.
7 By their stand in opposition to him the nations that go totalitarian have taken a position “afar off” from Jehovah God and his Theocracy. By his judgment there is now a “great gulf” between the Lord’s “sheep” and the “goats”, which neither can cross to get to the other side, there being no chance for compromise. All the nations together are weak as compared with God. In refusing his Rightful King they have chosen to war with God. Jehovah agrees to accommodate them with a fight at Armageddon, and he bids them to muster all their strength and to come on, to the field of battle: “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.” (Joel 3:10) The declaration of the “judgment written” by Jehovah’s witnesses has been a reproof to the nations. But it has not been strong enough nor in itself sufficient to make earth’s ruling powers mend their ways and yield to the incoming Theocratic Government. Jehovah must rebuke them with something stronger and more forceful than his message by his witnesses and their companions. That He will do, by his great Executioner at Armageddon, and the tongue thus administering the rebuke is like a sword. “For, behold, Jehovah will come with fire, and his chariots [battle forces] shall be like the whirlwind: to render his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will Jehovah execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and the slain of Jehovah shall be many.” (Isa. 66:15,16, Am. Rev. Ver.) As for Jehovah’s King: “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sw’ord, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”—Rev. 19:15,16.
8 Total war now raging on the earth is driving all the nations of “Christendom” into the totalitarian rule, whether they like it or not. At the peace conference which must eventually come the political statesmen and military men shall sit down with religion and arrange a peace among themselves for their continued government of the earth under “the god of this world”. Thereat the religious Hierarchy and allied clergy will cry out to one another and to their political and commercial allies and to the war- ruined people, “Peace and safety!” (1 Thess. 5:3) Then Jehovah from his throne in the north and Christ Jesus, his King from the east or sunrising, shall send them a preliminary rebuke which shall frighten and infuriate them: “But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him [the arbitrary combine proposing peace without Theocracy]: therefore he shall go forth -with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.” (Dan. 11:44) At this desperate and final endeavor of demon-controlled powers to wipe out Jehovah’s faithful witnesses and their devoted companions Jehovah will rise up to the prey. He will pour out his indignation and fierce anger as a death-dealing rebuke to the God-forgetting nations, and all the visible earthly part of Satan’s organization shall be devoured with the fire of his jealousy. The nations that adopted religion or demonism and made war upon God and his witnesses shall there at Armageddon for ever disappear from existence.—Zeph. 3: 8.
9 By this “strange act” at Armageddon Jehovah God of hosts will effect the complete disarmament of the nations. Men could not do it, and the demons under Satan will not let men do it. As described at Revelation 16:13-16, the demons go forth to cause all the governing factors of the earth to arm and march forth to the battle of Armageddon, which battle the demon forces shall lose. The Devil at war mimics Jehovah God and sends forth the demon prince, Gog, as general in command, to oppose Jehovah’s Chief Field Marshal, Christ Jesus, the Prince of Life. Gog causes all his forces in earth and heaven to arm, and by totalitarian rule he marches all forth to the assault on God’s organization, particularly the vulnerable part thereof, the remnant on earth of Jehovah’s witnesses and their companions. These are in God’s “Holy Land”, meaning their condition on earth of complete devotion to Jehovah and his Theocratic Government. This final assault upon the remnant of spiritual Israelites and their companions will fail to cause them to break their integrity toward the Most High. Therefore God will preserve his faithful ones and will execute his vengeance upon the demon organization, from top to bottom, including Satan, Gog, and the forces of religion on earth. Ezekiel chapters 3S and 39, and Revelation 19:11-21, describe the slaughter. Their carnal weapons which they have forged in the great armaments race shall prove of no avail against the “strange” and supernatural forces of destruction with which Jehovah will rebuke the nations. They shall leave their swords and spears and other war equipment behind them strewn over the earth.
10 What then? Shall such be left to mar the beauty of the cleansed earth like war memorials? The prophecy replies that “they”, meaning the survivors of earth’s worst tribulation, to wit, the “great multitude” of the Lord’s “other sheep”, shall “beat their [the enemies’] swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks”. Foreseeing that day of peace through divine victory, Jehovah by his prophet says: “Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel [the remnant and their companions] shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves and the spears, and they shall burn them [the combustible parts of the weapons] with fire seven years: so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God.”—Ezek. 39: 8-10.
11 This proves that the real purpose of the demons in causing the whole world to become an armed camp was to line up the nations against God and to bring about their destruction in the “battle of that great day of God Almighty”. Particularly down to and including the summer of 1940 the nations of the world, including “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”, have been warned against this disastrous policy of the demons. They have not heeded that, but have listened to the leaders of religion. Gazing out over the earth after the Armageddon storm the prophet says: “Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder: he burneth the chariot in the fire.” Then, for the benefit of the meek “sheep” of the earth who are teachable and will hear, he says: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” (Ps. 46:8-11) The “sheep” class of good-will give heed and make Jehovah and his organization, The Theocracy, their refuge.
12 The prophecy makes it certain, therefore, that equipment used in violation of God’s “everlasting covenant” (Gen. 9:6,11) and to war against Jehovah’s universal domination shall be wrecked at Armageddon and thereafter be collected and converted into upbuilding things of usefulness and productiveness. In this work the “great multitude” surviving earth’s last tribulation will be helped and supervised by those of the remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses, joined now by the faithful men of times before Christ. Such faithful men of old shall be raised to life, experiencing a “better resurrection” than the general resurrection of mankind. They shall by Christ Jesus, the great King-Father, be made “princes in all the earth”.—Ps. 45:16.
13 With these visible governors, the “princes”, the “great multitude” shall constitute the “nations” in that new earth. (Dent. 32:43; Rom. 15:10,11) Of them, and them only, will the prophecy be true: “Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” To the contrary, at present “the king of the north” and “the king of the south” lift up sword against each other in total war, whole nation against whole nation, and are teaching and learning war as never before in the past, and are calculating on a long war for world domination. The demons will never permit the disarmament of the “present evil world”, but are lining up the nations for the deciding battle of Armageddon. Hence the nations will never have peace with God nor time to learn the arts of peace, but shall go down, fighting against Jehovah and his Theocracy. Finally Jehovah will cause the pope’s “new order founded on moral principles” to split in disorder and the religious, commercial and political elements thereof to fight against one another. Concerning this the sure prophecy says: “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.” (Zech. 14:3,13) “And the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.” (Hag. 2: 22) The same confused fighting and self-destruction was pictured in the Midianites destroying one another before Gideon’s little army; and also the allied forces of Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir killing one another off before the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Judg. 7:20-22; 2 Chron. 20: 22-24) When the enemy seeks to escape, the Lord God will block his flight, and none shall survive.—Amos 9:1-4; Jer. 25: 33-35.
PEACE AND SECURITY
14 Then, after Armageddon, peace shall settle down over the earth, as when the rainbow spanned the heavens after the great Flood of Noah’s day had subsided and the survivors came forth from the ark and, unitedly and without interference from the demon agents, they all joined in worship of Jehovah God, their Preserver and Deliverer. Then to those Flood survivors God issued anew the divine mandate to “be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth”. (Gen. 8:18-22; 9:1-16) Likewise when those preserved during Armageddon come forth thereafter from their hiding place, Jehovah by the King- Father, Christ Jesus, will restate to that “great multitude” the divine mandate to reproduce their kind in righteousness and to fill the depopulated earth with a righteous offspring. Such ones will never learn war, either against one another or against The Theocracy. Why? Because the peace disturbing enemies of God will be gone. Satan and the demons will be restrained, and the “Prince of Peace” will rule. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy and Jesuitized Catholic Action will be gone. Totalitarian dictators and the anti-God “abomination that maketh desolate” will be gone. The profit of the earth will be for all, and selfish commerce, with its “strong-arm squad”, will be gone. (Eccl. 5: 9) All religion, which is demonism, will be gone, and the law and commandments and worship of Jehovah God will be in effect and will be carried out by all that live. Politicians will be gone, and The Theocracy’s visible representatives on earth, the “princes”, will rule in judgment. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”—Isa. 32:1, 17, 18.
15 Further describing that blessed time the prophecy continues: “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.” (Mic. 4: 4) This will be during the thousand-year reign of the King greater than Solomon, during the kingdom of which Solomon God’s covenant people, Judah and Israel, “dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree.” (1 Ki. 4:25) Then the Lord’s “other sheep” whom he preserves the Greater Solomon addresses: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom [blessings] prepared for yon from the foundation of the [new] world.” (Matt. 25:34) The “princes” from Abel to John the Baptist, and including Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, shall be there, and concerning the “great multitude” over whom they shall be visible governors Jesus said: “Many shall come [and they are now coming] from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:28, 29) To sit with them on earth in or during the time of “the kingdom of heaven” does not mean inactivity and idleness, but to feed with them at the Lord’s table of blessings and to rest in the Lord and to enjoy peace and blessedness from serving God and walking with his “princes” in the way of righteousness.
16 “Every man under his vine and under his fig tree” does not mean personal private ownership, although doubtless humankind that lives will have the pleasure of planting many vines and trees. In the Scripture symbols the vine and the fig tree both represent the “kingdom of heaven” class and the fruit that such bear to the relief, comfort and joy and sweetening of those that accept the Lord’s message, the fruit of the vine picturing joys, and the fig tree picturing the goodness and sweetness due to the Kingdom. (John 15:1-8; Luke 13: 6-9; Judg. 9:10-13) The “kingdom of heaven”, of which Christ Jesus is the true vine and all his body members are the branches, is The Theocracy. Under that great symbolic Vine and Fig Tree all humankind on earth shall “sit” in trusting dependence and shall receive of the joys and sweet blessings of the great King-Father, their Provider. “Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.”—Ps. 67: 6, 7.
17 They shall fear only the “Higher Powers”, and shall be afraid of none other. Cruel aggression by covetous ones shall be no more, nor wicked secret police or gestapo, nor landlords, nor religion, with its frightening doctrines of “purgatory” and “eternal torment”, nor any Roman Catholic Hierarchy and other priests and clergy to “devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer”; nor any death to the obedient. (Matt. 23:14; Rev. 21:4; 1 Cor. 15:25,26) “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord [due to the victory at Armageddon], as the waters cover the sea.”—Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14.
18 Doubtless, as in the days of the typical Theocracy over the nation of Israel, each family or group will be assigned a definite plot of ground, which may not be commercialized or transferred to another. (Lev. 25:23; Num. 36:7; Ezek. 46: 18; Josh. 14:5,13) It shall be held in trust as a grant from the great King-Father, because Christ Jesus is the “heir of all things” of Jehovah. “The earth is the Lord's [Jehovah's], and the fulness thereof; the [new] world, and they that dwell therein.” (Ps. 24:1) In the beginning, in the Paradise or garden of Eden God appointed the perfect man to “dress it and to keep it”. (Gen. 2:15) Likewise under The Theocracy each shall finally be responsible to the King- Father for his assigned portion of the earth and for the vine and fig tree or other things growing thereon, to dress and keep such. Each must do his part, both individually and in co-operation with the other members of the family and all his neighbors and all the “princes”, in glorifying the earth as instructed and helped by The Theocracy. “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.”—Isa. 65: 21, 22.
19 There need be no fear that this glorious outlook shall never be realized by creatures of faith who serve and obey God, “for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it.” (Am. Rev. Ver.) Neither the religious Hierarchy nor the totalitarian “abomination of desolation” nor the demons shall prevent this, but the invincible hosts of Jehovah shall clear them out of the earth at Armageddon and enforce peace throughout the universe. There will be no international police force of any federation of nations needed, but angelic hosts at the command of the invisible, heavenly Theocracy will safeguard the interests of all humankind' on earth that live and obey. What Jehovah the Almighty God has spoken he will do beyond the power of any opposer to hinder it, and thus He will vindicate His word. Why, then, should any doubt it or take it lightly or with indifference? Why listen now to presumptuous men in power who make flowery promises to do what God Omnipotent alone can and will do? This information is of the greatest importance to creatures, and it is God’s will and command that it now be carried abroad by his witnesses on earth to bring comfort to all lovers of God and his kingdom.
DECISION
20 The judgment of the nations being now under way to divide the people as “sheep” and “goats”, it is the time for decision by each one as to his course of action that determines his destiny. He must choose between God and the demons, between The Theocracy and demon rule. “For all the peoples walk every one in the name of his god; and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.” (Mic. 4:5, Am. Rev. Ver.) Satan is the “god of this world”, and all the world therefore lies in that wicked one. (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:19) God’s Word plainly states that all nations practice some form of demonism, which is religion. “For all the gods of the nations are idols.” (Ps. 96: 5) The nations do not adore Jehovah God nor salute his Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus, but they give their devotion to the organization that opposes Jehovah, and which is the organization of the demon gods.
21 The peoples of the nations walk and conduct themselves by the authority of their “Gods”, whether demon or human such as Hitler, and they come in the name of and carry on in the name of the organizations of this world opposed to God. Though calling themselves by the name of God and Christ, they do not declare God’s name throughout all the earth nor make known the purpose for which His name stands. By opposing Jehovah’s witnesses and the message these declare concerning His kingdom by Christ Jesus the religionists of all nations belie their own claims. They prove they have taken the name of God and of Christ in vain and are walking in the name of other gods, to wit, the gods of Satan’s organization, the demons. “Christendom” claims to be in a covenant with God, and God’s command to his covenant people is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3) “Christendom” is therefore proved a covenant-breaker and worthy of destruction, and the Lord does not hold her guiltless for taking his name in vain. (Ex. 20:7) “Ye cannot serve God and mammon,” said Jesus. (Matt. 6: 24) There are only two line-ups in the great issue over universal domination, and “Christendom” lines up with mammon, and serves that god of selfish gain and covetousness. For years Jehovah’s witnesses have been declaring his name throughout the earth; but “Christendom” does not choose to walk in His name nor according to the purpose which his name signifies. So doing, she and all her supporters and hangers-on determine their destiny. This they do before Jehovah executes judgment against all the gods of “Egypt”, that is, Satan’s world, and before lie famishes all her gods, spirit and human, and destroys them.—Ex. 9:16; 12:12; Zeph. 2:11.
22 In the face of “Christendom’s” decision for the “god of this world”, the small remnant of God’s covenant people, regardless of what others think about them, declare with decisiveness: “We will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.” The Lord’s “other sheep” make the same decision and thereby become and remain companions of the remnant. Long ago Satan the Devil turned the natural Jews to religion and thereby brought great reproach upon Jehovah’s name. To this day the Jews have renounced that name, which name they have therefore taken in vain. Then after the death of the apostles the Devil turned the majority of the professing Christians to religion, and these too have renounced the name of Jehovah. He is practically unknown to them, and with all despite of their heart such religionists persecute those bearing the name of Jehovah. Jehovah having declared that before his demonstration of power over Satan He would have his servants declare his name throughout all the earth, Satan counters this with his boast and threat that none on earth shall ever dare to take that holy name and walk therein. So to heap further reproach upon that name he and his demons stir up the religionists of “Christendom”, particularly the Roman Catholics, to engage in riotous and violent antiSemitism to persecute the Jews who once bore Jehovah’s name. This is a demoniacal warning to all Christians not to take the holy name which the Jewish nation took in vain, and is a hint to Christians of what they shall suffer at the hands of religionists if taking the name. Nothing can thwart Jehovah’s purpose to have a “people for his name” now at the end of Satan’s world and before God shows his power over Satan.—Acts 15:14.
23 Of old Jehovah made known his name to the prophet Moses at the burning bush. In 1918 the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, came to the temple. Through him Jehovah has since made known to the faithful remnant his purpose to make a name for himself and has revealed to them the meaning of his name Jehovah and that the vindication of his name by his Vindicator Christ Jesus is of the highest importance. (2 Sam. 7:23) Meantime the demon forces using religion have caused Fascists and Nazis to be organized and’ to come into power and then great anti-Semitism to burst out from these religionists to degrade the name of Almighty God and to counteract the witness being given to that name by His servants. Undaunted, Jehovah in 1931 majestically revealed to his covenant people of spiritual Israel that his servants must be called by a “new name” which the mouth of the Lord God names, to wit, “Jehovah’s witnesses.” (Isa. 43:10-12; 62:2; 65:15; Rev. 2:17) At this revelation from God’s Holy Word they rejoiced: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, 0 Lord [Jehovah] God of hosts.” (Jer. 15:16) The devoted remnant hailed the disclosure of the new name, and they defied the demon hosts and all the religious haters and persecutors of God’s name. Gratefully they accepted the “new name”, determined to prove worthy thereof and true thereto, and forth they went with greater zeal to publish and "bear witness further to Jehovah’s name and kingdom. Christ Jesus is Jehovah’s Chief Witness, whose name is “Faithful and True”, and they desired to be conformed to His image. The Lord God had long ago foretold of this: “Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold, it is I.” (Isa. 52: 6) “And I will strengthen them in the Lord [Jehovah]; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.”—Zech. 10:12.
24 Thus the “new name” is upon God’s covenant people, not being conferred by any president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society nor by any other man. True, Jehovah’s witnesses bear identification cards with the signature of the president or of the Society. Such, however, is merely to identify them in case of investigation to prove they are true representatives of the Society with its literature and to set forth the terms of their commission from the Lord to preach His message. So they do not walk under authorization of some man’s name signed to a permit or license to go from house to house or place to place with the Kingdom message, nor do they ask such from dictator, police, or other worldly official. Their ordination and authorization to preach is from Jehovah, whose name is called upon them, and in His name they are determined to walk for ever and ever, persecution and reproaches notwithstanding. Particularly since then the persons of good-will in all nations have heard the declaration of Jehovah’s name and purpose. These too, in steadily growing numbers, determine to “walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever”. They turn their backs upon the gods of religion and make a consecration of themselves to Jehovah and his Kingdom under Christ, and thereby become the Lord’s “other sheep” and the companions of Jehovah’s witnesses. The revilings and persecutions which this brings upon them do not cause them to break their integrity and to abandon God’s service by the side of his remnant. With an unbreakable love like that of Jonathan for David they cleave to God’s remnant, and both together walk on in Jehovah’s name in perfect unity and in like devotion to The Theocracy.
ASSEMBLY
25 To make the above possible Jehovah fulfills his promise concerning the “day of Jehovah”, which day began in 1914 at the enthroning of his King on his “holy hill of Zion”. “In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation; and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.” (Mic. 4: 6,7) Before the Lord’s coming to the temple God’s consecrated ones on earth were not wholly cleansed from all forms of religion. The full light had not yet come, but there were those of them with pure hearts and sincere devotion to Jehovah God. Such things of religion lamed them, particularly the religious doctrine that the worldly powers of Satan’s organization are the “higher powers”, “ordained of God” and therefore to be obeyed when such worldly authorities abuse their power of office to hinder and ban the work God commissions and commands his anointed servants to do. Fear of creatures resulted and caused his servants to halt or limp, and hindered their walking boldly, uncompromisingly and without any apology for Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, the true “Higher Powers”.
26 Such halting became particularly pronounced and noticeable during the crisis of the World War, in 1914-1918, when the test of strict and unswerving obedience to God was thrust upon them by the enemy. (Ps. 38:16-19; Jer. 20:10) They limped, as if one-sided, “curved,” not yet straight on the subjects of “the higher powers”, and universal domination, and integrity or blamelessness toward God. Hence they failed of continuous and bold performance in the public proclamation of God’s kingdom. This was displeasing to Jehovah God, and he permitted them to be driven out or “driven away” from the free and open publication of His message and to be taken captive and restrained by their religious enemies, symbolized by “Babylon”. Jehovah permitted such affliction upon his consecrated servants, but he did not cast them away, forasmuch as the heart of a remnant thereof was faithful and devoted and yearning to be released from restraint for renewed service as publishers of the Kingdom. Those faithful Christians were hated of all nations for the sake of the Kingdom. The nations increased the affliction upon them, and this at the instance of the religionists. Concerning this Jehovah warns: “And I am very sore displeased with the heathen [the persecutor nations that forget God] that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.”—Zech. 1:15.
27 Beginning with 1919, shortly after the close of the World War, Jehovah God, in his mercy and pity toward them and for his name’s sake, began to regather his scattered ones. He brought them forth from their places of restraint, freed them from religion’s power and the fear of men, and filled them with Elisha’s spirit of boldness. These were comforted from all their affliction, and on them was fulfilled God’s prophecy: “And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.” (Isa. 12:1) How did Jehovah “make her that halted a remnant”? By bringing them to his Judge at the temple and then gathering out the rebellious “evil servant” class, the “workers of iniquity [or lawlessness]” that desired to cleave to religion and the fear of and subservience to worldly men as being “higher powers”. (Matt. 24:48-51; 13:41) This left only a remnant of faithful, devoted ones. Jehovah by his Judge approved them, anointed them as his “faithful and wise servant”, and sent them forth as his witnesses to declare his name and his Righteous Government.
28 Concerning this restoration the Lord had foretold: “The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return.” (Isa. 10:21,22) This action of Jehovah is directly contrary to the purpose of Catholic Action by force or by persuasion to bring all nations, including the United States of America, into the Catholic camp as subjects to the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and its headquarters at Vatican City. Working to this end, and to remove a chief obstacle thereto, the Hierarchy by Catholic Action has greatly afflicted Jehovah’s devoted ones. For their comfort Jehovah says: “Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that haltetb, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame [among men of goodwill] in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.” (Zeph. 3:19, 20) Since their deliverance by Jehovah’s truth and power, the faithful remnant walk erect and halt no more between two opinions, but are wholly devoted to The Theocracy. Blind to all else, they boldly declare Jehovah’s name before all nations and show7 forth his praises and his fame. And with them in this are the many loyal companions.
29 God’s “holy nation” is his new Government of Righteousness, The Theocracy, of which Christ Jesus is The King. (1 Pet. 2:9) The demonized religionists and their allies have tried to prevent the remnant from becoming a part of that “holy nation”. They try to force the remnant to break their covenant with Jehovah God and fail of making the Kingdom and thus bring destruction upon themselves as “cast far off”. But Jehovah has sent his remnant deliverance and has judged and purged them at his temple and strengthened them with his truth that they might be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”. He has approved them and anointed them with his spirit to be his witnesses. They are thus in direct line for the Kingdom as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ”. The combined enemies under demon rule now viciously use all sly arts and means to “cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance”. (Ps. 83: 4) In this they continue to fail; Jehovah’s remnant endure the persecution, keep covenant with their God and hold fast their integrity toward him and thereby continue in line for the “new nation”, The Theocratic Government. That Government is a “strong nation”, its King being Christ Jesus, “The mighty God,” with all power in heaven and earth; and the faithful know that they “can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [them]”. (Phil. 4:13) They know and confess Jehovah as their Almighty God; and now is fulfilled the prophecy concerning the time of the end, that “the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” as his witnesses. (Dan. 11:32) Continuing faithful unto the end, they shall not fail or be cut off from the “holy nation”, but “so an entrance shall be ministered unto [them] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.—2 Pet. 1:10,11.
30 “And the Lord [Jehovah] shall reign over them in mount Zion.” Not in Rome or Vatican City, mark you, but “in mount Zion”, God’s capital organization. Jehovah now there reigns by his anointed King whom He enthroned as Rightful Ruler of the new world in 1914. In 1918 Jehovah brought him to His temple and there presented him as King. Public announcement thereof by his faithful anointed witnesses thereafter was flatly rejected by “Christendom”. She adopted instead a federation of Satan’s visible organization, the League of Nations, “the abomination of desolation.” So doing, she stumbled over The Stone, Jehovah’s anointed King; but the remnant of God’s witnesses hailed the presentation of that Chief Corner Stone at the temple with shouts of “Grace, grace”, or, “Beautiful, beautiful!” (Isa. 8:9-15; Zech. 4: 7, Rotherham') Now too the persons of goodwill who have heard and heeded the preaching of “this gospel of the kingdom” hail Jehovah’s glorious King as the “desire of all nations”.—Hag. 2: 7.
31 All Satan’s demon forces in heaven and earth cannot unseat the King of The Theocracy. Satan shall fail in his grab for universal domination, the primary issue now to be settled. Jehovah, by his King, shall reign in his official residence of Mount Zion “from henceforth, even for ever”. Hence the remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses, as “the feet of Him”, are the company that “bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isa. 52:7) They submit to Jehovah and his kingly Representative as “the Higher Powers”, obeying them rather than the opposing men, and they thankfully accept and diligently seek to increase the Kingdom interests on earth committed to them. They know it is not discretionary, but mandatory, upon them to “fear God, honour the King”, and to ‘preach this gospel of the kingdom unto all nations for a witness before such are destroyed’. (1 Pet. 2:17) In the fear of God and to the honor of His King the remnant together with their companions continue to do this one thing, and will to the FINAL END.
“FLOCK-TOWER”
32 During the waiting period, from Christ’s ascension to his Father’s right hand and until 1914, “Zion” was like a hill without a King and temple and all that goes to make up an occupied, acting capital city. Christ Jesus must wait until the Lord God Almighty takes to himself his great power and reigns at Mount Zion by his anointed King and sends forth this King to rule in the midst of his enemies, the foes of The Theocracy. (Rev. 11: 17,18; Ps. 110:1,2) It is now fulfilled prophecy, the promise that Jehovah addresses to His capital organization, of which Christ Jesus is Head and Chief: “And thou, 0 tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” (Mic. 4: 8) These words are said for the comfort of the heavenly Father’s “little flock”, to whom it is His good pleasure to give the Kingdom, and whom he has now gathered unto the temple. (Luke 12:32) The remnant of the flock yet on earth say: “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”—Ps. 95:7.
33 Jehovah has chosen Zion to put his name there, even as he did with the typical Zion on earth. “The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Prov. 18:10, Am. Rev. Ver.) Typical Zion, crowned with a strongly walled city and guarded by the king’s troops, was like a “strong tower from the enemy”. (Ps. 61:3) Christ Jesus as King is the strong and unconquerable One of Zion, “the Lion of the tribe of Juda.” Therefore Mount Zion, The Theocracy, is the tower of refuge and of preservation for the remnant of “the flock of God” and whose citizenship is in Zion, the heavenly city. (Phil. 3:20, Rotherham) Reference to Zion as the “tower of the flock” shows that the time of fulfillment of God’s kingdom promise is at a time of war, when universal domination is the hotly-contested issue between Jehovah and his enemies. It shows that the fulfillment is at a time when the enemies are still active and are opposing the newly enthroned King and assaulting all publishers of the King and Kingdom on earth. At that time Zion is the tower of deliverance for the remnant of the “little flock”: “For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”—Joel 2: 32.
34 It is out of His universal organization of holy creatures that Jehovah takes the members who compose the “new nation”, The Theocratic Government. It is The Stone that was cut out of the great “mountain” without human hands. (Dan. 2: 34, 44,45) God's universal organization is called “Zion”, and is the mother organization from which comes forth The Theocracy, the capital organization. The latter is therefore the “daughter of Zion”. The “daughter” takes the name of the mother and is also called “Zion”. Further the apostle Paul says: “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Gal. 4:26) Hence Jehovah’s royal family of The Theocracy is also called “the daughter of Jerusalem”. Typical Zion was a “strong hold”, or “hill” or “mound”, (dm. Rev. Ver. and Roth.) King David captured it and made it his capital and located the ark of Jehovah’s covenant there as a symbol of God’s presence. That was long after the Israelites had occupied Jerusalem. Therefore “the strong hold of the daughter of Zion” has reference rather to Jehovah’s “holy nation” as the capital organization elevated over all, whereas “the daughter of Jerusalem” has reference thereto more as an organization where unity and peace rule, as the name “Jerusalem” means.
35 Over the nation of natural Israel Jehovah established a typical Theocracy. In it the visible king represented the real Ruler Jehovah, as when “Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father”. (1 Chron. 29:23, A.R.V.) David fought and extended the typical Theocracy to the full limits on earth which Jehovah had foreordained for it, thereby picturing that the Theocratic Government of the Greater David fights from 1914 on and down to the Devil’s last stand at Armageddon and establishes the universal domination of the great Theocrat, Jehovah. The kings of typical Jerusalem yielded to religion and became wicked, and therefore did not present a faithful picture of the true Theocracy, and Jehovah God removed the dominion from that nation, in 606 B.C. But he promised to restore or make restitution of the dominion to One who should come with the right thereto. “And it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezek. 21:24-27) Nineteen centuries ago, after the baptism in Jordan Jehovah anointed Jesus to be the King and gave the right to him, which right Jesus maintained by his faithfulness unto death. The King must reign, and therefore Jehovah raised him out of death and exalted him to His own right hand in heaven, but instructed Jesus Christ to wait until the time for the “first dominion” and “kingdom” to come to “the strong hold of the daughter of Zion” and "daughter of Jerusalem”.
36 The coming of the dominion must mean the end of Satan’s uninterrupted rule. At the end of the seven “times of the Gentiles” the time of delivery of dominion came, to wit, in A.D. 1914. Promptly then, at God’s own chosen and appointed time, Jehovah’s Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus was begun. The “chief dominion” and “kingdom” coming to Christ Jesus, Zion’s anointed Chief and King, he forthwith took up the rod or scepter of his strength and at Jehovah’s command he began to rule amidst and to proceed against his enemies. (Ps. 110: 2) Let all lovers of God and his kingdom rejoice: the Kingdom has begun and will rule for ever. Let all such publish the fact to all having an ear to hear, that the “first dominion” or “chief dominion” has come to Christ Jesus, the royal Head of Zion, God’s capital organization. “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which "hall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:13,14) In it the “little flock” of Jehovah’s royal family shall share with and under Christ Jesus. — Vss. 22, 27.
37 Satan, the “god of this world” and the contender against God for the universal domination, sought to nullify that birth of the Kingdom, but failed; and he and his demons were cast out of heaven. (Rev. 12:1-12) Now confined to the earth, they press further the fight over that great issue of who shall rule the universe. They pit the two dominant powers in earth against each other in a fight for world domination, in defiance of God’s promise of a “new earth”. The demons lead all the nations of the world to the final and deciding battle, Armageddon, there to resist and destroy if they could the domination of God’s “new heavens” or The Theocracy. (Rev. 16:13-16) The outcome of the battle is certain! Jehovah, who gave the “first dominion” to his anointed King, will give Christ Jesus also the victory. Rival claimants thereto, demon and human, shall be utterly destroyed, and the universal domination by Christ Jesus shall be established over all creatures that live. — Rev. 19:11-21.
38 Thus the chief issue of all time will be settled right, righteously, and for ever. Seeing by faith that great victory to the vindication of Jehovah’s name and word, let the remnant rejoice, and likewise all their companions who hope to become “children of the King”. The Kingdom is here and to stay! It is a time of joy and shouting, as when Christ Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem as King and his disciples and also the children, “the babes and sucklings,” shouted praise to Jehovah and hosannas to His King. The law of Jehovah now goes forth from Zion, and his word from Jerusalem, to guide the prospective children of the King unto righteousness and life. For ever blessed are all they that faithfully walk according to his law and feed upon his life-sustaining Word. Let ail such continue to walk in their integrity toward God that they may be found “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Such only shall live to rejoice for ever in the “chief dominion” of Zion, Jehovah’s Theocracy by Christ Jesus.
(To be continued)
THE NAME TO BE HONORED
THE name of Jehovah is not comparable to that of any creature. He is the Almighty God besides whom there is none. Contrary to this great truth, the name of Jehovah has been made an issue before the minds of creatures for the past six thousand years. One of his creatures called Lucifer forced the issue of universal domination and involving Jehovah’s name. In doing this Lucifer became God’s enemy and had his own name changed from that which means “bearer of light” to that which signifies everything that is evil. It has ever been the policy of this evil one to push the name of the great Jehovah God on the side, to ridicule his name, and to cause creation to defame God’s name and to regard him as an eternal-torment fiend unworthy of respect and praise. This the enemy has done in order to exalt himself that he might receive the worship of men and keep them in subjection to himself. God could have prevented the enemy from so doing, but, at Exodus 9:16, he expressed his purpose to permit the enemy to demonstrate his full and complete depravity and thereby test the integrity of faithful men, by which men God’s name shall be declared throughout all the earth before he demonstrates his supreme power against the enemy at the final battle of Armageddon.
Jehovah God has not pushed his name to the fore. At stated intervals he has brought his name prominently before his creation. This he has done by a demonstration of his unlimited power, which has always proved that the Devil is powerless against Jehovah when the Lord God deems it proper to exercise his great power against the evil one. At these stated intervals God has brought his name before his creation, not for a selfish reason, but for the benefit of honest creatures. Unselfishness has been his motive. This is another proof that “God is love”.—1 John 4:16.
God’s Word is contained in the Bible. During the ages God has magnified his word of promise above his name. The time has come, however, when Jehovah’s name shall be exalted among all his creatures upon an equality with His word of promise. Then all creatures will know that his word is always true and that his name is above all and is worthy to be praised.
In Eden, when the Lord God was pronouncing the sentence against Adam for the violation of God’s law, he took cognizance of Satan’s part in man’s evil course and he then and there gave his word of promise that at some future time “the seed of the woman”, that is, the Ruler who should come forth from God’s organization, should bruise the Serpent’s head. Time and again God magnified that word of promise. Centuries later he began to foreshadow his purpose to carry into operation that promise. He called his friend, Abraham, and made to him the promise: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3) Here Abraham represented the Lord God, and God’s word of promise shows that the blessing of all the families of the earth must proceed from Jehovah because He is the great Life-giver. Later the Lord caused Abraham to present his son as a sacrificial offering, and it was at that time that God made to him this promise: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18) In this picture Abraham represented the Lord God, and his “seed” or son, Isaac, represented Jesus, the beloved Son of Jehovah. The promise shows that the blessings must come from Jehovah by and through his Son Christ Jesus. It also shows that 'the seed of promise’, which shall bruise the head of that old Serpent, the Devil, is Christ Jesus, the Beloved One of God and God’s great representative.
During all these centuries Jehovah has kept his word of promise to the fore, in this, that he has always had someone on the earth who has borne witness to his word of promise. The faithful ones of the nation of Israel magnified God’s word of promise. When Jesus came he magnified the promise of his Father. Jesus’ apostles magnified the word of promise, and the faithful Christians throughout the “Christian era” have done the same thing. The shepherd- king, David, foreshadowed the true Christians, and his prophetic words are placed in the mouth of such, to wit: “I will bow down towards thy holy temple, and thank thy name, for thy lovingkindness and for thy faithfulness. For thou hast magnified above all thy name, thy word!”— Ps. 138:2, Rotherham’s translation.
God’s word of promise is perfect. It is his expressed will. In the ages he has moved majestically forward in carrying out his will as expressed in his Word. At stated intervals, to save the honest people from complete infidelity, he has brought his name prominently before them. Now the members of “the body of Christ”, who is the true Abraham’s seed, are about completed and the time is at hand when the Lord will magnify his holy name before mankind. The issue will then be finally determined against Satan in favor of Jehovah. He will have a witness given in the earth of his purpose and will to magnify his name, and this witness must be given now, before Armageddon begins. The small remnant of the faithful members of Christ’s body yet on earth are granted the privilege of bearing witness to that great fact. Therefore Jehovah says to them: “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord [Jehovah], and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. . . . Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.”—Isa. 43:10,12.
There is no doubt as to the present mission of the true Christians anointed with God’s spirit who are yet on the earth. All the prophetic evidences, viewed in the light of the physical facts from A.D. 1914 on, prove that the world, that is, Satan’s till then uninterrupted rule of the earth, has ended, which means that Satan’s organization visible and invisible has reached its fullness: that God has set his beloved Son upon the throne, which means that Christ Jesus has assumed his great authority and begun his reign in the midst of his enemies (Pss. 2:6; 110: 1. 2) , that Satan has now been expelled from heaven and that all the forces are now gathering for Armageddon, which is the great battle of God Almighty by Christ Jesus against Satan and his organization. To the faithful Christians the Lord gives commandment to proclaim the great message of God’s truth to the nations of earth as a witness before the end, and then Armageddon shall quickly follow, and that shall be the final trouble upon earth In that great time of trouble Jehovah God will make for himself a name, even as he did when he overthrew the Egyptians and delivered his chosen people Israel from bondage.
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