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    The Watchtower, April 15, 1945

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    The Watchtower—1945

    Published Semimonthly By

    WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street « - Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S.A

    Officers

    N. H. Knorr, President W. E. Van Ambubgh, Secretary “And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” • haiah 54:13.

    THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY TEACH

    THAT JEHOVAH is the only true God and is from everlasting to everlasting, the Maker of heaven and earth and the Giver of life to his creatures; that the Logos was the beginning of his creation, and his active agent in the creation of all other things, and is now the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, clothed with all power in heaven and earth, as the Chief Executive Officer of Jehovah;

    THAT GOD created the earth for man, created perfect man for the earth and placed him upon it; that man willfully disobeyed God’s law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam’s wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life;

    THAT THE LOGOS was made human as the man Jesus and suffered death in order to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient ones of mankind; that God raised up Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and above every creature’s name and clothed him with all power and authority;

    THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief Officer thereof and is the rightful King of the world; that the anointed and faithful followers of Christ Jesus are children of Zion, members of Jehovah’s organization, and are his witnesses whose duty and privilege it is to testify to the supremacy of Jehovah, declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible, and to bear the fruits of the Kingdom before all who will hear;

    THAT THE OLD WORLD ended in A. D. 1914, and the Lord Jesus Christ has been placed by Jehovah upon his throne of authority, has ousted Satan from heaven and is proceeding to the establishment of the “new earth” of the New World;

    THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples of earth can come only by and through Jehovah’s kingdom under Christ, which has now begun; that the Lord’s next great act is the destruction of Satan’s organization and the complete establishment of righteousness in the earth, and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will that survive Armageddon shall carry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth” with a righteous race.

    ITS MISSION

    THIS Journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and his purposes as expressed in the Bible. It publishes Bible instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah's witnesses and all people of good-will. It arranges systematic Bible study for its readers and the Society supplies other literature to aid in such studies. It publishes suitable material for radio broadcasting and for other means of public instruction in the Scriptures.

    It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority for its utterances. It is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but invites careful and critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not indulge in controversy, and its columns are not open to personalities.

    Yearlt Subscription Psi ci

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    “UNITED KINGDOM ANNOUNCERS" TESTIMONY PERIOD

    The four-month-long Watchtower campaign ends with this “United Kingdom Announcers” Testimony Period during the entire month of April. It should crown with triumph the objectives of the campaign. By the maintenance of united activity of all Kingdom announcers, under Jehovah’s blessing, it will do so. Keep to the fore always, therefore, the campaign offer, to wit, a year's subscription for The Watchtower together with the free book “The Kingdom Is at Hand” and the free booklet One World, One Government, at the special rate of $1.00. We want our regular Watchtower readers to know that a share in this campaign is open to them, and if they will write in to us expressing their desire we shall take pleasure in putting them in touch with an organized company with whom to co-operate. Each one should also make out his report of activities, that such may be included in the compilation of the general results throughout the land for this blessed campaign.

    “WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

    Week of May 20: “A Remnant for the Kingdom,* JJ 1-20 inclusive, The Watchtower April 15, 1945.

    Week of May 27: “A Remnant for the Kingdom,” U 21-41 inclusive, The Watchtower April 15, 1945.

    “CONSOLATION”

    Do you find enlightenment and joy in reading The Watchtower f Then you are certain to find enjoyment and profit in reading its companion magazine, Consolation, put out by the same publishers. With many thousands Consolation serves a vital and important need in building them up in faith, hope and courage in these days of spreading infidelity, hopelessness and fear, and thus brings its readers solid comfort. It does not, of course, take the place of The Watchtower, which is devoted exclusively to Bible study and instruction. Consolation actually complements this magazine by publishing true-to-fact, uncensored news concerning world conditions and happenings which the commercial publications fear and refuse to print but which the trusting public should learn so as to be warned of the operations and purposes of deadly enemies, and so be able to free themselves from these enemies’ power and influence and thus avoid disaster. Consolation further publishes in its issues several pages of unusual reports on the strange work and experiences of those throughout the world who are announcing to men of good-will the ideal government which the great “God of all comfort” is now setting up for the relief and blessing of all faithful and obedient humankind. Consolation is a 32-page magazine, published every other Wednesday. A year’s subscription, of 26 issues, is just $1.00 in the United States, or $1.25 abroad. Forward your subscription to Watchtower, 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N. Y.

    ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM

    Vol. LXVI April 15, 1945 No. 8

    A REMNANT FOR THE KINGDOM

    "Israel failed to get what it sought, but those whom God selected got it. The rest became callous." —Rom. 11:7,8, Goodspeed.

    JEHOVAH'S witnesses, in this time of gathering gloom for the world, are proclaiming the only comforting message, namely, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To many students of the Bible there seems to be one thing to keep them from accepting this announcement as true. That one thing is the present-day plight of the Jews. According to the way those students read the Bible they look for the conversion of the Jews to Christ and for the Jewish nation to come to a degree of excellence on the earth grander than at any time in its past history. That is to say, they look for a restoration of the nation as a whole to the divine favor, and then its taking the leading role among all the nations of the earth. This they look for as a sign betokening the return of Christ or Messiah and the coming of his kingdom.

    1 Actually now, such a prospect is not in sight. The plight of the Jewish people is most deplorable, especially in Europe. The cry has gone up from Jews in America, “Help prevent 4,000,000 people from becoming ghosts”; meaning the 4,000,000 Jews still alive in Europe; and emergency committees have been formed to save them from the destruction that has already befallen 2,000,000 Jews since the outbreak of this global war. Their destruction represents the work of Nazi-Fascists, not infidels or atheists, mind you, but religionists who profess the “Christian religion”, and particularly of the Roman Catholic brand. And the pontiff of Vatican City refuses to excommunicate these Nazi-Fascist leaders for their fiendish crimes against decency and humanity. For the pope to let a few Jews, find sanctuary within the grounds of Vatican City during the Nazi occupation of Rome represents little sympathy for the Jewish situation, when right under his nose at Rome the prewar 12,000 Jewish residents of the city are greatly reduced by Nazi deportations of thousands of Jewish men, women and children, and that without protest by the pope. Furnishing sanctuary

    1 . What ia the comforting message Jeho>ahs witnesses are proclaiming? and what one thing seems to keep some from accepting it, and why?

    2 Why is not such a prospect as theirs in sight, and as a consequence of whose crimes?

    to a few Jews at the Vatican merely serves as a counterbalance for the present harboring of prominent Nazi and Japanese official personages at the same place, Vatican City.—New York Times, Nov. 5, 1943; Dec. 10, 1944.

    ’ Even the Jews in their favored position in America are apprehensive for the future of their race. And not without good reason, when, for example, the legislators of the American Congress suddenly withdraw from their purpose to protest against the restriction of Jewish immigration into Palestine lest it cause international friction. Viewed from a sane standpoint, there is nothing to encourage the Jews to accept conversion to Christ Jesus at the hands of professors of “Christian religion”, so called. The fiercest part of the persecution comes from these religionists. While the terror of such religious persecutors does not frighten the Jews into conversion, it does grossly misrepresent the real Christ to the Jews and hardens them in their blindness to him. Is, then, this deplorable Jewish situation a valid argument in denial of the fact that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”? Not at all. A right and factual understanding of chapter eleven of Paul’s letter to the Romans, upon which certain religious hopes of the Jews’ national conversion to Christ have been built, does away with such argument. Indeed, it strengthens the proof that “the kingdom of God is nigh at hand”. This is the same kingdom that the forefathers of the Jews, namely, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, expected to be established in the due time of Jehovah God, whom they worshiped.

    4 The thing that has deceived the religionists of “Christendom” and raised false hopes in them is the view that the great promises of God’s Word must be fulfilled upon “Israel after the flesh”. They have failed to appreciate the argument of the apostle Paul that “he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the

    3. (a) Why la there nothing to encourage the Jew, to conreralon, bat Instead. what ia the effect on them? (t) Does their plight crore the Kingdom ia not at band, and why?

    4. An to Israel and God a promisee, what view haa risen the religionists false hopes and to what bare they been blinded?

    flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter”. (Rom. 2:28, 29) “Christendom’s” religion has blinded it against seeing spiritual Israel, and that the marvelous promises of Almighty God are to be fulfilled and are being fulfilled upon the spiritual Israelites, of whom there is only a remnant today. Circumcision of the flesh is still practiced upon those who are Jews outwardly. Surely, then, it was not to “Israel after the flesh” that the apostle Paul wrote the following truth, namely: “For neither circumcision nor the want of it is of any importance, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be on all who will follow this rule, and on the true Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:15, 16, Goodspeed) That “true Israel of God” is the “new creation”. It is spiritual Israel, which displays the circumcision of the heart and not of the flesh. Just why God’s grand promises, which Israel after the flesh thought would be fulfilled upon it, were transferred to Israel after the spirit, Paul explains in his letter to the Romans.

    ’ To be of the “true Israel of God” or of spiritual Israel a person would not have to be a natural-born Jew. The true Israel of God which inherits the promises includes many, if not a majority, of non-Jews or Gentiles after the flesh. That should not be surprising, even to natural Jews. Why, the written oracles which were given to them through Moses and the rest of the prophets foretold such a thing. On this very point the apostle Paul raises the question concerning natural Israel of nineteen centuries ago and says: “But I ask again, did Israel fail to understand? Why, to begin with, Moses said, ‘I [Jehovah] will make you jealous of what is no nation at all, I will exasperate you at a senseless nation.’ Then Isaiah broke out boldly and said, ‘I [Jehovah] have been found by men who were not looking for me, I have shown myself to men who were not asking what my will was.’ But of Israel he said, ‘All day long I [Jehovah] have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’” (Rom. 10:19-21, Goodspeed) There the apostle Paul was quoting from Moses’ writing at Deuteronomy 32:21 and from Isaiah’s prophecy at Isaiah 65:1, 2.

    * The “true Israel of God” practices the true Christianity, and not so-called “Christian religion”. It was by bringing non-Jews or Gentiles into the Israel of God and fulfilling His gracious promises toward such that Jehovah God made the natural Israelites jealous and exasperated them. Great numbers of Gentiles that had not professed to be looking for Jehovah or asking after his will came to seek for Him and to ask after Him. AU that was necessary

    5. Persons of what nationalities may become members of spiritual Israel? and bow did God foretell this through Moses and Isaiah?

    C How were God's words through Moses and Isaiah carried Into ful* Aliment? for such responsive Gentiles was for them to hear the glorious Kingdom news as proclaimed by those whom God sent. Because the natural Israelites as an organization refused to accept the message of the Kingdom which Jehovah sent, it put him in the position of stretching out his inviting hands to a people not only disobeying and disbelieving but also contradicting and gainsaying the message. Hence, if Israel after the flesh was unwilling to act upon the high privilege leading to the kingdom of heaven, why should Jehovah God show prejudice or discrimination according to the flesh and shut out those Gentiles who were willing from taking hold of the exceptional privilege? No reason at all! Therefore the privilege which natural Israel disobediently and obstinately turned down and did not want, that privilege Jehovah God opened up to obedient and willing Gentiles. He can do what he will with his own mercies and grace.

    T Today, in answer to the proclamation that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, a vast multitude of persons from all nations and races are showing goodwill and taking their stand for God’s kingdom as instead of worldly politics. They are not thereby called to go to heaven and become a part of the Kingdom; neither are they expecting a heavenly destiny. They joyfully look ahead to staying on this earth forever and enjoying life in human perfection under the established kingdom of heaven. They expect to be its earthly subjects, and are regulating their entire lives in harmony with that comforting hope. The question now arises, Are natural Jews of today debarred from joining that unnumbered multitude of persons of good-will, just because of what the national organization of Israel did nineteen centuries ago? Are individual Jews excluded from this opportunity of taking their stand for the heavenly kingdom and living through the battle of Armageddon and entering into life eternal on earth in the New World of righteousness?

    * God’s Word shows no exclusion, Individual Jews, although suffering the consequences of what their forefathers of the first century did toward the Messiah and his message, are not responsible for what such forefathers did. The gracious invitation of the Messianic King and his bride is: ‘Come; and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely’; and it extends to the suffering persecuted Jews of the present as well as to all Gentiles. (Rev. 22:17) And our hearts are cheered today to see some natural Jews among the multitude of goodwill persons that is coming to the pure river of the water of life and drinking thereof.

    7. What are the expectations of the multitude responding to the Kingdom menage today? and what question therefore arises as to the Jews^

    8. What does God's Word show in answer? and what fact do we observe to cheer our hearts?

    NOT ALL CAST OFF

    * The Lord God through his apostle states the principle which applies to what we are considering. The apostle Paul asks a question like the above, but on his part it is about becoming members in the kingdom of heaven with the Messiah. He says: “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.’' (Rom. 11:1) Had God cast away the Jewish nation in its entirety because of what it had done as a religious organization to the Son of God and his Kingdom message, then Saul of Tarsus could never have become the Christian apostle PauL Why not? Because Saul of Tarsus was an Israelite after the flesh. He was of fleshly descent from the patriarch Abraham through Abraham’s great grandson Benjamin. Furthermore, Paul speaks of himself as “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church”. (Phil. 3:5,6) So, according to the flesh, Saul of Tarsus, more than anybody else, would specially be excluded from all divine favor, that is, if God had repudiated fleshly Israel completely down to the last Jew! What is more, Paul was a rabid persecutor of the congregation of Christians and sought to stamp it out. Being such, he would seem all the more to be outside the pale of God’s grace and mercy.

    10But what are the realities in the case? These: Paul how was not only a Christian, but an apostle of Jesus Christ. As such, he was one of fhe “twelve apostles of the Lamb” and one of the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem. (Rev. 21: 14; 2 Cor. 11:5, 22; 1 Cor. 9:1) Paul’s case according to the flesh was an extreme one. He stood therefore as a living proof to the effect that Jehovah God hp.d not put away totally his chosen people of old, Israel after the flesh.

    11 The apostle Paul was only one. There ought to be other living flesh-and-blood witnesses to the fact of divine mercy; and he now refers to many more such witnesses. He points out from the inspired prophecy that there would be many more live testimonials than himself, in the following argument: “God has not put away his people whom he formerly acknowledged. Do you not know what the scripture says in [the history’ of] Elijah, how he complains to God against Israel?—*0 Lord, they killed thy prophets; they dug down thy altars; and I was left alone; and they are seeking my life.’ ” (Rom. 11: 2, 3, Emphatic Diaglott) Paul refers to the case of the prophet Elijah. Why? To adduce proof that there were other natural Jews besides himself whom

    9, 10. What question does the apostle Paul himself ask concerning Israel? and why does his own case supply an answer7

    11. What reference does Paul then make to Elijah, and why?

    Jehovah God had not cast away along with the entire organization, and in proof that God’s own prophetic Word showed that there would be a remnant of individuals saved from the national organization.

    11 Elijah was Jehovah’s prophet to the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, which had broken away from allegiance to Jerusalem. In Elijah’s own day Ahab the king married a demon-worshiper, the wicked Jezebel, and then turned to Baal-worship, building a temple for Baal in the capital city, Samaria. He permitted his queen, Jezebel, to persecute and kill off the prophets of Jehovah, driving those that escaped her fury underground. According to the warnings of His covenant with all the tribes of natural Israel Jehovah sent a three-and-a-half-year famine upon Ahab’s realm, after which, in the presence of King Ahab, the prophet Elijah put the priests of Baal to the fire-test on Mount Carmel. Having exposed the Baal priests as false, Elijah slew them as God’s executioner. Queen Jezebel, enraged at this defeat for the cause of religion, threatened Elijah’s life, and he fled to the Mount of God, Mount Horeb. It was there that he said the above words, which Paul quoted.—1 Kings, chapters 16-19.

    “The treatment that the kingdom of Israel had given to Jehovah’s cause, killing his prophets and digging down his altars, led Elijah to speak as if he alone were faithful to God and all the kingdom of Israel had gone apostate. Was he right? Paul refers us to the answer, with these words concerning Elijah: “But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.” (Rom. 11:4; 1 Ki. 19:18) If Jehovah God had cast off the entire kingdom of Israel without consideration of any individuals, then he would not have reserved or retained anyone for himself therefrom, but the case of the nation as a whole would have prejudiced the case of each and every individual therein. Did it? No! Practically the entire kingdom was deserving to be rejected, but the Lord God was gracious enough to consider individuals within the nation and to reserve for his further mercy a remnant out from the nation. Not that they were exactly 7,000 in number; but that the number seven is symbolic of completeness. Therefore “7,000” stands in round numbers for all the faithful Israelites that had remained staunch for the worship of Jehovah God, contrary to the course of the nation. Hence the prophet Elijah did not stand alone.

    14 That circumstance in connection with Elijah and the kingdom of Israel was prophetic, or typical.

    12. What were the circumstances that developed up to Elijah’s saying the above-quoted words?

    13. (a) From what standpoint did Elijah thus speak, and how did God show him to be wrong? (b) Wby was the figure seven thousand” used7 14. How does Paul show that such circumstance was typical? and on a level with whom does he thereby place the Jewish nation?

    The apostle Paul under inspiration of the spirit of God makes this certain to us, saying: “And in like manner, therefore, at the present time, there is a remnant according to an election of favor.” (Rom. 11:5, Diaglott) By making such a comparison, the apostle Paul put the Jewish nation that waa then practicing what he calls “Judaism” or “the Jews’ religion” on a level with the kingdom of Israel. Israel had forsaken Jehovah’s worship, and had set up the worship of golden calves at Dan and Bethel and also the worship of the demon-god Baal at the national capital, Samaria; and it had slain Jehovah’s prophets and demolished his altars. But, whereas that kingdom of Israel had killed Jehovah’s witnesses the prophets, in Paul’s time the Jewish nation rejected the very Son of God as King and had him impaled on a tree.

    *’ It was about A. D. 55 when the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans; which was about twenty years after he had become an active Christian. During that time the Jewish nation had kept on obstinately resisting the followers of Christ Jesus and persecuting them even to the death. “Remnant” means “that which has been left”; and the remnant whom the apostle mentions as existing in that present time was composed of natural Jews. Like Paul himself, they had left the corporate body of Israel and “the Jews’ religion” and had followed the schooling of Jehovah’s law and had been led to Christ Jesus as Messiah. (Gal. 3: 24; 1:13,14) That was a Jewish remnant, including all the twelve apostles of Christ. Now, as the remnant whom Jehovah reserved for himself in Elijah’s day were witnesses for Him, just so the apostles and the rest of the Jewish remnant with them were Jehovah’s witnesses, but commonly called “Christians”, being first so called at Antioch, Syria. (Acts 11:26) Earlier in his epistle to the Romans the apostle Paul showed that the witnesses of Jehovah would be only a few comparatively, and that they would be only a remnant left or reserved by God from among the rejected nation or organization. Paul writes:

    ” “But Isaiah cries on behalf of Israel, ‘If the number of the sons of Israel should be as the sand of the sea, the remnant only shall be saved. For he is finishing and cutting short his account in righteousness; because the Lord will form a brief work upon the land.’ And, as Isaiah previously said, ‘If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a seed, we should have become as Sodom, and should have resembled Gomorrah.’ What then shall we say? That those Gentiles not pursuing righteousness, laid hold on righteousness, even that righteousness from faith;

    15. At the time of Paul's writing, of what was the remnant composed? and what were they called?

    16. What did Paul quote from Isaiah to show the remnant would be only a few, and why so? but Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, attained not a law of righteousness. Why? Because they pursued it, not from faith, but as attainable from works of law. For they struck against the stone of stumbling; as it is written, ‘Behold, I place in Zion, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, and yet no one relying on it shall be disappointed.’” (Rom. 9:27-33, Diaglott) That “rock of offence” was Christ Jesus.

    ” The apostle Paul did not consider that God had cast off the whole nation of Israel without exception. Otherwise, he would not have continued his writing with these next words: “Indeed, brethren, the good desire of my heart, and that prayer I offer to God on their behalf is, for their salvation. For I testify to them, that they possess a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Rom. 10:1, 2, Diaglott) No; Paul did not view all the individual Jews as cast off together with the organization of the Jews’ religion. Hence, in the various cities whither he carried his missionary tours, Paul went first into the Jewish synagogues there and preached to the people of the nation of Israel. Bear in mind, too, that this was after Jehovah God had sent the apostle Peter with the gospel to the Gentiles, and hence after the “seventy weeks” of Jehovah’s exclusive favor to the Jewish nation had ended. So then, after giving first attention to the Jews, the apostle Paul felt free to give due attention to the Gentiles. To refer to the case at the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia: “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto, the ends of the earth.”—Acts 13: 46, 47; 10:1-48; Dan. 9:24-27.

    18 Thus, even after the end of the “seventy weeks” of national favor from God ended, yet the Jewish remnant continued to be added to. Additions continued down to the time Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, and particularly down to the destruction of Jerusalem A. D. 70 at the hands of Rome’s imperial legions. Therefore the religionists of “Christendom”, given to conducting pogroms and other wicked antiSemitic persecutions against the natural Jews as “Christ killers”, should remember that tjje beginning of the Christian congregation was exclusively Jewish, a remnant from the Jewish nation. Because Jehovah God sent converted Jews, such as Peter and

    17. Showing that not all the nation waa cast off, what prayer did Paul express and what waa his procedure in preaching?

    18. How long did the Jewish remnant continue to be added to? and what facta should persecutor religionists of “Christendom” remember for their proper guidance?

    Paul, to the non-Jews or Gentiles, the peoples of so-called “Christendom” were made acquainted with Christianity. Prior to that, in times of persecution, it was not a case of Jews persecuting Gentiles, but a case of Jews persecuting the remnant of Jews which had accepted Christianity. Religionists think it strange that out of a nation which had treated God’s favor so ungratefully He should select a remnant and with these begin a new creation, in Christ Jesus, namely, spiritual Israel or Israel after the spirit. It was indeed strange. But the apostle Paul says that this was a “remnant according to the election of grace”. That is, by God’s mercy or favor the remnant were selected out from the rejected mass. On the day of Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection there were just about three thousand added to the Jewish remnant; but more were added on later days.

    THE IMPORTANT THING

    *’ Something far more important was involved in this transaction than just the few thousands of the remnant that were selected. What was that? It was the vindication of Jehovah’s name and word. According to the quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures made by the apostle Paul God had given his word that there would be a remnant that would be saved out from natural Israel. Hence such a remnant must be selected by God’s mercy, for the vindication of his word. But besides that, Jehovah God had put his name upon the nation of Israel. They were his nation “which he foreknew"”, or “whom he formerly acknowledged”, or “which he had marked out from the first”. (Rom. 11:2; Diaglott; Goodspeed) Because he loved them, he gave them this prior acknowledgment before all the nations of the earth. He loved them particularly because they were descendants of his faithful witnesses, namely, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with whom Jehovah made the Abrahamic covenant. As the prophet Moses reminded the Jewish nation just before entering the Promised Land: “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:6-8) Therefore they were to have nothing to do with religion, but to be holy unto Jehovah God.

    10 What was the most important thing involved in that transaction with the remnant, and for what reasons/

    20 They were the natural offspring of the faithful fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Because he could swear by none higher than himself, Jehovah God swore with an oath in his own name to Abraham, saying: “By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son [Isaac], thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 22:1618, Am. Stan. Ver.) That Abrahamic covenant was repeated by God to Isaac and to Jacob and was then transmitted to Jacob’s descendants, the twelve tribes of Israel. The question was, Would they prove worthy to have the Abrahamic promise fulfilled in them, namely, to be a seed like the stars and sand in multitude and in whom all the other families and nations of the earth should be blessed? According to his loving-kindness and out of respect for his own name, God put the twelve tribes of Israel in the way of that opportunity.

    21 Delivering the twelve tribes from slavery in Egypt, Jehovah God brought the nation of Israel to himself at Mount Sinai, in Arabia. Before inaugurating his law covenant toward them there, he said through his mediator Moses: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” The Israelites solemnly agreed to do this. (Ex. 19:5-8) Then the Lord God gave them the Ten Commandments, the third commandment of which warned them: “Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Ex. 20: 7, Am. Stan. Ver.) If they lived up to their privileges and did not fail in that whereunto God called them, namely, to be unto him a “kingdom of priests and an holy nation”, then they would not be taking his name in vain. But if they proved to be covenant-breakers, they would be taking it in vain.

    22 The nation of Israel misinterpreted the purpose of that law covenant. They thought that by keeping it and doing the works which it commanded they could earn the position of being a “kingdom of

    20 What covenant did God make with their forefathers? and what question therefore arose as to the descendants of these?

    21 Before inaugurating his law covenant with them, what opportunity did God disclose aa before them? and how would they be taking his name in wain?

    22 . How did the Israelites come to misinterpret the purpose of the law covenant? and what did they fall to see as to adding It to the Abrahamic covenant ? priests and an holy nation”. Then God would owe it to them to make them such a kingdom and nation, by virtue of their works. By the works of the law covenant they thought to make themselves the real “seed of Abraham” in whom all nations and families of the earth were to be blessed. They overlooked the fact that their forefather Abraham had the covenant of Jehovah made with him, not by the works of a law covenant, but by reason of his obedient faith in God. As it is written concerning Abraham: “And he believed in Jehovah: and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6, Am. Sian. Ver.) Those natural descendants of Abraham failed to see that the law covenant was merely added to the Abra-hamic covenant for a time, in order to keep them from religion and from the transgressions to which religion leads. It was added, to continue only until the Seed of Abraham, Christ Jesus, should come. Hence it was meant to lead them like a faithful attendant to Christ. Quoting Paul himself upon the subject: “"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. . . . we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”—Gal. 3:19-24.

    23 Any effort, therefore, to justify themselves by the deeds of the law would be an attempt to establish their own righteousness independent of God’s mercy. It would be an effort to produce self-righteousness, and to make unnecessary the grace or unmerited favor of God. It was an endeavor to make God indebted to them as having worked for and earned what they were getting, instead of letting everything be dependent upon God’s mercy. Things would not be on the same footing as they were with Abraham, namely, that of faith and obedience toward God. All that was a wrong idea. Certainly, by adding the law covenant, God did not purpose to change the basis upon which the ones taken into the Abrahamic covenant should be selected, namely, changing from a basis of faith to a basis of works of self-righteousness. But the great enemy, Satan the Devil, overreached the Jewish leaders. He caused them to think they must become the “kingdom of priests and an-holy nation” on the basis of their own righteousness by self-works. Thus he induced them to build up a detailed system of works based upon the traditions of self-righteous elders. Deceiving themselves by such, they transgressed the righteous laws of God and made the commandment of God of no effect. Worse, they used this system to bind heavy burdens 23 (a) What did their attempt to justify themselves mean, and why was that a wrong idea? (b> Llow did Satan turn them aside to “the Jews’ leligion”?

    upon the Jewish common people, but which burdens they were not willing to consider themselves bound to bear. Thus they made a religion of this system of works; and the Devil turned them aside from the worship and keeping of the commandments of God to a religion, “the Jews’ religion.”—Matt. 15:1-9; 23:1-5, 33, 38.

    FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE

    34 Satan the Devil, the sly inventor of religion, aimed at bringing irremovable reproach upon Jehovah’s name by turning the entire nation of Israel completely away from Jehovah God. He would thus be blocking God’s purpose to produce a “kingdom of priests and an holy nation”. This would prove Jehovah God unable to carry out his stated purpose with the natural offspring of Abraham. Satan aimed at malting matters worse by causing the Jewish religious leaders to be the very ones to lead the common people to reject Christ Jesus the true Seed of Abraham, and to cry out and riot for his death at the hands of the Gentiles, the Roman soldiers. However, Almighty God had foreseen this very strategy of the Devil, and furthermore, he had foretold it. He also foretold that, despite all the crafty efforts of the Devil toward the Jewish nation, yet Jehovah would produce a remnant of faith, obedience and integrity out from the religionized nation. This He would do for his name’s sake. It was within his right as Creator to have mercy and grace upon this remnant and to distinguish between these individuals and the unfaithful national organization. This remnant of Abraham’s natural seed Jehovah would use as the nucleus or core around which progressively he would build up the “kingdom of priests and an holy nation” under Christ Jesus the Head. Thus, out of this chosen nation of Abraham’s natural offspring, Almighty God would bring forth some, if only a remnant, who would manifest the unbreakable faith of Abraham and thereby keep their integrity toward God. Such remnant would therefore prove to be for a vindication of Jehovah’s name.

    33 Rightly seen, then, it is for Jehovah’s name’s sake that the remnant are saved, and are not rejected with the whole mass. For such reason their election or selection was an act of God’s mercy or grace, and due to no perfect works on the part of the remnant. Instead of requiring of them perfection of works in fulfillment of the law covenant with fleshly Israel, Jehovah looked for faith in his Son whom he sent into the world. Because of their faith in His Son, Jehovah God imputed to the remnant His righteousness: “even the righteousness of God which

    24 . In that connection, how did Satan plan to bring reproach upon God’s name? bat how did God purpose to outwit Satan and vindicate his own name?

    25 Due to what kind of act and operation on God’s part are that Jewish remnant saved?

    is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”—Bom. 3: 22, 26.

    ” The remnant, therefore, are properly called an “election of grace”, being selected by God’s favor. And from this fact Paul reasons as follows, saying: “But if it is by his mercy, it is not for anything they have done. Otherwise, his mercy would not be mercy at all.” (Rom. 11: 6, Goodspeed) It is therefore not the creature, nor the creature’s salvation, that is of leading importance, but the name of Jehovah, which name must be vindicated against all reproaches by the adversary, the Devil. Jehovah’s centuries-long dealing with the nation of Israel has not been in vain, but his mercy selects out from such nation a remnant who display the faith of their forefather Abraham. What counts is not the being a descendant of Abraham by fleshly ties; but the having of the spirit, the disposition of faith, of Abraham is what counts. It puts one among the company of the remnant. Upon such ones Jehovah shows his mercy. The works of self-righteousness do not count in the matter at all. Everything is of God’s mercy, for his name’s sake.

    27 "What then?” the apostle asks, and then promptly answers, saying: “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” Or, stated in a twentieth-century translation: “What follows! Israel failed to get what it sought, but those whom God selected got it. The rest became callous.” (Rom. 11: 6-8, Goodspeed) What was it that Israel was working after! It is what the Jews according to the flesh are seeking to this day; and that is, to be the seed of Abraham in which all the families of the earth should be blessed.

    28 Israel sought to be that “kingdom of priests”. That meant pride of position on the earth, for it meant they would be the foremost of all earthly nations and that all such Gentile nations would look to them as the channel of God’s salvation. With the idea of self-justification in mind, they felt they had to earn such chief position over the nations. They failed to see that no imperfect creatures could justify themselves in God’s sight. Hence keeping the law covenant in order to become a “kingdom of priests and an holy nation” really meant keeping it only in order to be guided and preserved by it until the true Seed of Abraham came. Then by accepting such Seed they might be associated with him in the Kingdom and be God’s consecrated royal nation. Their 2G In this matter, la the creatures salvation of leading importance1 md what is it that counts toward getting into the remnant company? 27 What was it that Israel was seeking, but failed to get?

    28 How did pride assert Itself in their case? and what did they fail to see regarding the meaning or parpose of keeping the law covenant? own works could not make them the seed of Abraham. Without the true Seed of Abraham, which Seed had to come and to which Seed they must unite themselves, they could never become the kingdom of priests in whom all the nations and families of the earth should receive blessings from God.

    ” Why, then, did Israel after the flesh not get this sought-for thing! and why did the election of grace get it? It was because the natural Israelites set up man’s standard of works which would bring righteousness from man’s viewpoint. Thus they set up a system of works of self-righteousness, and they proposed to make themselves deserving according to the flesh. On the other hand, the ones that God actually selected, the small remnant, did not try to justify themselves before God. They trusted in God’s mercy, and were willing to humble themselves to accept everything as a matter of God’s grace or undeserved kindness. Honest enough to admit that they could not measure up to the perfection of God’s law, and seeing that the law condemned them as natural sinners, they willingly exercised faith in God’s arrangement through the true Seed of Abraham. They gratefully accepted the gift of righteousness from God through faith in His Seed. As the apostle Paul himself words it: “Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, attained not a law of righteousness. Why! Because they pursued it, not from faith, but as attainable from works of law. For they struck against the stone of stumbling; as it is written, ‘Behold, I place in Zion, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, and yet no one relying on it shall be disappointed.’”—Rom. 9:31-33, Diaglott.

    80 The remnant who exercised faith and relied on God’s Seed were not disappointed or ashamed, because they received the imputation of righteousness through their faith. The rest of the natural Israelites stuck to their program of works, and refused to put forth faith. Hence they stumbled over the true Seed of Abraham, the Rock. Their stumbling showed they had been blinded by religion, “the Jews’ religion” with its traditions and precepts of men. Their minds were hardened in religion, so that they could not exercise faith. As a result, they did not get in on that ‘seed of Abraham which is as the stars and the sand for multitude’, but only the elected remnant of faith became a part of the seed, forming the nucleus of it, by association with Christ Jesus.

    SNARED AND TRAPPED

    81 Such national unbelief, which ordinarily might seem to be a great reproach to Jehovah, who had put

    29. What, then, was the contract between Israel that did not get the sougbt-for thing and the election ot grace that did get it1

    30. Why were not the remnant disappointed? but why did the others stumble over the rock?

    31. How does Paul then show God's Word was really vindicated In such national unbelief?

    his name upon the nation, was in reality a vindication of God’s prophetic Word. This the apostle shows, saying: “And the rest were blinded;—as it has been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear/—till this very day. And David says, “Let their table become a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompense to them; let their eyes be darkened so as not to see, and bow down their back continually.” (Rom. 11:7-10, Diaglott) The apostle quotes from Isaiah 29:10 and Psalm 69: 22, 23, to prove God’s Word vindicated in what has befallen natural Israel. And thereby, too, the apostle shows the reason for which “Christendom” in this day is rejected from God’s favor and shall find no life in Jehovah’s New World of righteousness.

    ’’God did not deliberately put Israel to sleep or pervert their vision or dull their ears. He fulfilled the prophecies of his Word concerning Christ Jesus the Seed of Abraham, exactly as the prophecies foretold. But the Israelites who trusted in their flesh followed up a religion of self-righteousness through works and were so affected by it that they were not awake to the fulfillments of God’s Word in Christ. Religion blinded them so that they could not see the Seed of Abraham in Christ Jesus the Son of God. Their ears were so waxed up that they could not listen to him with the hearing of faith. They heard no accents of the message of God in what he said. The like is true of “Christendom” now, when the message that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” is going forth. The religionists try to alter God’s Word by adding to it, or taking away from it, or interweaving into it the doctrines of demons. But God does not alter the fulfillments of his Word and prophecy just to suit the altered views of the religionists. Hence, by being true to his Word, he dazes and confounds the religionists. He opens the eyes and ears only of those who break off from religion.

    ” Because Israel after the flesh was given the oracles of God, and because they were taken into the law covenant with God and were given the entire body of Hebrew Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi, they had a richly provided table at which to feast. The Gentiles had nothing like it. But the natural Israelites, in their pride of nation, chose to sit down at another table, that of religion which Satan the Devil set before them. They placed a religious meaning upon the Word of God, and looked at it from a religious viewpoint, that is, through the traditions and precepts of men. Hence, when Christ Jesus presented himself and tore away the religious traditions and precepts, the self-righteous Israelites resented it. Looking only for glory of nation, their 32 How were the Israelites given a spirit of stupor, and blindness and deafness, as foretold? and bow has “Christendom” been likewise affected? 33. How did the “table” of the Israelites become a trap and snare? religious eyes could not see that God’s Word predicted that the true Seed of Abraham must demonstrate his integrity unto God under the greatest persecution and therefore must suffer shame and reproach. They loved their traditions and human precepts more than the straight Word of God. Naturally, then, they let the Word of God be smothered over and its true meaning be hid from their sight.

    “ To the contrary thereof, the believing Jews at Berea “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”. (Acts 17:11) They did not permit the table of religion to become a snare to catch them into disbelief and opposition toward the true Seed of Abraham and his message. They saw that religion was not to their welfare. They did not rest in it and do works according to its standards. Thus they escaped from letting a false peace and self-satisfaction trap them into failing to receive the Messiah and to follow in his footsteps. Such meek and humble Jews became part of the remnant or "election of grace”. The rest of the natural Israelites had their vision darkened against the rays of the light of truth. They continued to bend over their backs to their heavy religious burdens, in subjection to the “god of this world”, who blinds the mind of them that believe not. These things are not mere matters of long-past history, but were written for our cautioning and learning today. For those who go in the way of religion God’s Word predicts only a snare and a trap and a stumblingblock, and a deserved recompense at the hand of the God who shows mercy and grace toward the remnant.

    SALVATION FOR NON'-JEWS

    ” At this juncture the apostle Paul is inspired to let out a great mystery. And right here it is timely to remember that God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus is the principal doctrine of God’s Word. The reason why is that it is this kingdom or Theocratic Government that clears Jehovah’s name of every whit of reproach. And the particular mystery is concerning the membership of the Kingdom.

    *• The false step which the majority of natural Israel took under the misguidance of Judaism (“the Jews’ religion”) must lead to some action on the part of Jehovah God; and it did. This action was not unforeseen or unexpected by Jehovah. No; for the false step of the Israelite majority he foresaw, and he went so far as to foretell it and also what would happen afterward. What! “That the residue

    34. (a) Why did the remnant escape such a snare and trap? and why do the others continue to bend over their backs? (b) To what end were those things written aforetime on this matter?

    33 What should we here remember concerning God's kingdom, and why?

    36. How do we know the false step of Israel was not unforeseen or unexpected by Jehovah? and what question as to benefits therefrom does the apostle now ask?

    [remnant] of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.” (Acts 15: 17, 18, Am. Stan. Ver.) It is therefore in point to ask whether anyone was benefited by the step of transgression by Israel. The apostle asks this very question, saying: “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?”—Rom. 11: 11, 12.

    37 The above translation is not clear from the King James Version, because of the repeated use of the one word “fall”. Yet two different Greek words are used in the original text of the apostle. The first expression, “they should fall [pesosin],” refers to falling into destruction, ruin, or condemnation. (As at Matthew 7:27; Romans 14:4; 1 Corinthians 10: 8, 12; Hebrews 4:11; James 5: 12; Revelation 14:8; 18:2) The second expression, “fall [paraptoma],” has the meaning of “trespass, transgression, offense, fault or sin”, and is so rendered elsewhere in the English Scriptures. (Rom. 5: 15-20; Alatt. 6: 14; Gal. 6:1; Eph. 2:1,5; Jas. 5:16) Hence modern translation again serves to simplify the meaning of the text: “I ask then, has their stumbling led to their absolute ruin? By no means. Through their false step salvation has gone to the heathen, so as to make the Israelites jealous. But if their false step has so enriched the world, and their defeat has so enriched the heathen, how much more good the addition of their full number will do I”—Goodspeed.

    38 To the question, Was the stumbling of Israel after the flesh to the ruin of absolutely the entire nation? the answer is No. Why no? Because Jehovah’s mercy selected out a small remnant from the nation on account of their faith in the Seed of Abraham; and these Jehovah graciously selected or elected to be associated with Abraham’s Seed, “which is Christ,” in the kingdom of heaven, “the kingdom of priests.” But more than that: Because the majority of the nation stumbled and misstepped, salvation was extended to the non-Jews, the heathen or Gentiles. It was a salvation to the heavenly kingdom. God’s kingdom-class under Christ Jesus must be made up in full. Israel after the flesh stumbled over the Stone in Zion, the King Christ Jesus; and only a remnant availed themselves of the privilege of being associates with him in the Kingdom. That made God free to extend the salvation to the heavenly throne on to the Gentiles. These Gentiles were 37. Why is the above translation of Romans 11 : 11, 12 not clear, and how does modern translation simplify it?

    38 (a) Why was Israel's stumbling not to their ruin absolutely’ (b) How through their false step did salvation go to the world, and why were they therefore made jealous? of the world, being not of the commonwealth of Israel, the typical Theocracy. Thus seen, the transgression or false step of Israel resulted in the opportunity for this “so great salvation” to be extended to these of the world who exercised faith like that of the Jewish remnant. (Heb. 2:3) This divine maneuver, as God foretold, has provoked many Jews to jealousy, in resentment that Jehovah’s favor should go to the Gentiles directly, and not through their nation as a channel.

    ” So then, the stumbling and false step and loss of natural Israel has been to the enrichment of the nations of the world, in this: It has permitted the privilege of becoming joint-heirs with the Seed of Abraham in the heavenly kingdom to be released to the believing ones from among the Gentile nations of the world. That gracious opening into the Kingdom has continued toward the Gentiles with wide latitude especially down to A. D. 1931. But whoever they be, whether Jews or Gentiles originally, that are called to make up the royal family with Jesus, the completing of the full number of the Kingdom heirs, namely, 144,000, will be in vindication of Jehovah's name. It will lead to great blessings to those of the nations and families of the world that show faith and good-will toward God.

    40 Down till 1931, at least, the failure of Israel after the flesh resulted in enriching many of the Gentiles with the opportunity of the “heavenly calling”, in order to completely fill up the vacant places in the throne with Jesus. In like manner, the completing of the membership of the royal family of lieaven results in the enrichment of the nations of the world. How so? In that it means that the invitation to “men of good will” of all nations, peoples, kindreds and tongues is then sent forth to come to the river of the water of life that flows from beneath the throne of the Kingdom. That invitation is to endless life on earth under the heavenly Theocracy. Therefore, what if more natural Jews are brought into the Kingdom membership down to the last believing and faithful Jew? It simply works toward the completing of the Kingdom body, to be followed immediately by the blessing of all the families of the earth. That is what is meant by the question, “How much more their fulness?” or, “How much more good the addition of their full number will do?”

    41 Nevertheless, some will ask, Why does not “their fulness” mean that the entire nation of natural Israel will be reinstated? Why will they not as a Christian nation take the leading place on earth

    39. How bas that been for the enrichment of the world’ and for what chief thing does the final completing of tbia matter make’

    40. How, then, does the completing of the royal family result In further enriching the world? and bow does the "fulness" of the Jewish remnant serve to that same end?

    41. (a) What questions, however, will some ask regarding "their fulness'’ ’ (b> Meantime, awaiting the answers, what should we do about the Kingdom message?

    among the nations in the New World! The answer to such questions is reserved for our next issue. In the meantime, onward with the good message, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

    GOLIATH, THE DEVIL’S CHAMPION

    JEHOVAH GOD or Satan the Devil, Who shall rule! 1 That is the question confronting men and nations, de-J spite the claims of world leaders that the issue confines itself to this earth and relates only to the form of man rule that shall hold dominion over the family of nations. Satan, the god of “this present evil world”, knows the great issue at stake, and since his ousting from heaven’s heights in 1914 by Jehovah’s enthroned King, Christ Jesus, he knows that the time for settlement is near at hand. (Rev. 12: 7-12) He moves men and nations of this world under his godship according to his fanatical policy of “rule or ruin”. By monstrous total states that bully and intimidate, and by other governmental setups that centralize power on the plea of expediency and emergency, one way or another the peoples of earth are regimented and welded together by this world’s god. The demons are herding the peoples unto Armageddon for a united stand against Jehovah and His right to rule. (Rev. 16 :13-16) Satan’s use of the total-state monstrosity toward this end was prefigured long ago.

    The typical scene of events takes us back in time to about the year 1100 B.C. It is during the tumultuous reign of Israel’s first human king, Saul. Throughout the forty years of the rule of unstable King Saul a war for domination surged back and forth between the Israelites and the Philistines. The point of time on which we now rivet attention finds these two opposing forces ranged out in battle array. The Philistine army seems to be the aggressor, gathering its forces for battle at Shochoh, and was bivouacked in the field between Shochoh and Azekah. The army encampment of the Israelites was pitched in the valley of Elah, not far distant. A major engagement appeared imminent.—1 Sam. 17:1, 2.

    …