The Watchtower, October 15, 1946

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"They shall know that lam Jehovah.”

-Ezekiel 35:15.

Vol. LXVII Semimonthly No. 20

CONTENTS

OCTOBER 15, 1946

Warning .........................

Fearless Against the

World Conspiracy Modern Counterpart .

The Conspiracy an Inevitable Failure .. 312

No Joining in the Conspiracy

Stumbling and Offense

Pioneers of the Gospel

Field Experiences

“New Song” Testimony Period

“Watchtower” Studies

“Equipped for Every Good Work”

“Let God Be True”...............

“The Prince of Peace”.......

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SfteWATCHTOWER,

Published Semimonthly By

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

Officers

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

THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES

THAT JEHOVAH Is the only true God,' from everlasting to everlasting, and is the Maker of heaven and earth and Giver of life to his creatures; that the Word or Logos was the beginning of his creation and his active agent In creating all other things; and that the creature Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah and raised the Issue of His universal sovereignty;

THAT GOD created the earth for man, made perfect man for the earth and placed him upon it; that man yielded to unfaithful Lucifer, or Satan, and 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 men; that God raised up Christ Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and clothed him with all power and authority as head of God’s new capital organization;

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 new world; that the faithful anointed followers of Christ Jesus are Zion’s children, members of Jehovah’s organization, and are His witnesses whose duty and privilege It is to testify to Jehovah's supremacy and declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible;

THAT THE OLD WORLD, or Satan’s uninterrupted rule, ended A.D. 1914, and Christ Jesus has been placed by Jehovah upon the throne, lias ousted Satan from heaven, and now proceeds to vindicate His name and establish the “new earth”;

THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples can come only by Jehovah’s kingdom under Christ, which has begun; that His next great act is to destroy Satan’s organization and establish righteousness completely in the earth ; and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will surviving Armageddon will carry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth" with righteous offspring, and that the human dead in the graves will be raised to opportunities of life on earth.

ITS MISSION

HIS 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-wllL 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.

Yearly Subscription Prick

United States, $1.00: all other countries. $1.50, American currency; Great Britain, Australasia, and South Africa, 6s. American remittances should be made by Postal Note cr by Postal or Express Money Order or by Bank Draft. Outside of the United States remittances should be made direct to the respective branch offices. Remittances from countries other than those mentioned may be made to the Brooklyn office, .but by International Postal Money Order only.

Foreign Offices

Australia _________—______________7 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N. S. W.

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Please address the Society in every case.

Translations of this journal appear In several languages.

ALL SINCERE STUDENTS OF THE BIBLE who by reason of infirmity, poverty or adversity are unable to pay the subscription price may have The Watchtower free upon written application to the publishers, made once each year, stating the reason for so requesting it We are glad to thus aid the needy, but the written application once each year is required by the postal regulations.

Notice to Subscribers: Acknowledgment of a new or a renewal subscription will be sent only when requested. Change of address, when requested, may be expected to appear on address label within one month. Old and new addresses must be given. A renewal blank (carrying notice of expiration) will be sent with the journal one month before the subscription expires.

Printed in the United States of America

Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Brooklyn, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

“NEW SONG” TESTIMONY PERIOD

The month-long “New Song” Testimony Period falls in October of this year. All throughout it the singing of the new song to Jehovah’s praise will take on a very new feature, and that is the Society’s magazine Awake! first introduced to the world at the Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly in Cleveland this past August. Kingdom publishers among English-speaking populations will therefore specialize for this one month on taking subscriptions for Awake! at the regular rate of $1 a year. Individual copies, five cents. Every person anxious to join in singing the new song of God’s kingdom should find special incentive in taking part in the Testimony during October in offering Awake!

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of November 17: “Fearless Against the World Conspiracy,” fl 1-22 inclusive, The Watchtower October 15, 1946.

Week of November 24: “Fearless Against the World Conspiracy,” 23-43 inclusive, The Watchtower October 15, 1946.

“EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK”

This is a new 384-page handbook of vital information on the Holy Scriptures and brings together much cyclopedic material to aid in better understanding the Bible and presenting its message. The book is bound in maroon cloth, gold-stamped and handsomely embossed. Its first 20 lessons are grouped under the heading “Preparing the Way for Bible Study”. Then follow 33 lessons on “The Hebrew Scriptures” and, next, 17 lessons on “The Greek Scriptures”. Interspersed throughout are valuable illustrations, maps, and tables, with finally a “Scriptural Summary, Without Comment, of Primary Doctrines”. It is mailed, postpaid, at 50c a copy.

“LET GOD BE TRUE”

This new book, of 320 pages, was a feature release at the recent Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly in Cleveland, Ohio. Its 24 chapters discuss simply and with many Scripture proofs the primary Bible teachings and questions at issue today. It supplies a long-felt need for doctrinal instruction of this basic kind. All Bible texts cited or quoted are listed in an index with page numbers, and there is also a subject index for quick references. The book is bound in dark-green cloth, with title stamped in gold. It is mailed postpaid, anywhere, at 25c a copy.

“THE PRINCE OF PEACE”

Many at the Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly last August were disappointed that the public speech on “The Prince of Peace” to an audience of over .80,000 at Cleveland Stadium did not then appear in booklet form. Now you and they may have it! The 64-page booklet bearing the above name contains this speech by the Society’s president, together with his speech on “Fearless Against the World Conspiracy”, introduced by a “Warning”; and also the Resolution the Assembly unanimously adopted Saturday afternoon, August 10. All these features are bound within a beautiful colored cover. Mailed, postpaid, 5c a copy.

ffieWaCH'fOWER

ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM

Vol. LXVII October 15, 1946 No. 20

WARNING

“Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof."—Isa. 8:12, Am. Stan. Ver.

TEHOVAH warns all persons seeking lasting life I and happiness in a righteous new world against J the old-world conspiracy or confederacy. Those who fear him follow his warning. Such ones alone will remain firm and unmoved now when we see the corrupt, unsatisfactory old world tailing the course leading to its destruction. All peoples, and particularly their rulers and leaders, are under a crushing tyranny of fear of the future. Under the goadings of fear men are being driven to throw in their fate with the old-world conspiracy. A warning, the warning of Jehovah God, is due to all peoples, because that world conspiracy is against the everlasting good and happiness of all humankind. It is doomed, for God’s always-true prophetic Word that correctly foretold the formation of this conspiracy also forewarned of its destruction and of all in it.

2 The conspiracy cannot win against the One against whom it is formed. In its disappointing failure it will draw upon this world and its peoples a disaster from the ruins of which this old world will never recover. Therefore no one can afford to yield to the lash of fear or to be deceived by the worldly-wise attractiveness of the conspiracy, if such one hopes to escape the sure-coming disaster. Unshakable trust in Jehovah God, and with it a confidence in his Word as our Guide, must now be exercised. These are our only strength against becoming drawn into the old-world conspiracy and its destruction in the universal war of Armageddon.

3 Today we are face to face with a world situation and its influences such as were miniatured for us in the days of the kingdom of Judah under its new king Ahaz. That was eight centuries ahead of our common era. For our guidance in this most critical time of human history the record of that was preserved by the mighty hand of Him who unerringly foresaw the future. In the light of this record we see clearly the issues at stake today and the only sure way of being on the winning side, where we can survive into the new world of righteousness. The special warning and guiding testimony are given to us in the words of Isaiah, the outstanding prophet in the days when Ahaz ruled over the kingdom of Judah.

* The words of Isaiah are of higher value to us now than all the words of the foremost statesmen and religious leaders today. It is because Isaiah was a plain-speaking prophet of Jehovah God and his words were spoken under the power of God’s spirit or irresistible force. In his days the “civilized” earth, and especially the kingdom of Judah, was threatened by an ambitious, conscienceless world-power seeking for world domination, as well as threatened by international conspiracy. In this day we are threatened by a world system which threatens to swallow up all humankind, and the forces for pushing all men into the international conspiracy against the very kingdom of Jehovah God are increasing in strength and impressiveness. Hence, being under the pressure of world conditions like to but far more consequential than those which caused Isaiah to give the warning and testimony in his day, we do well to consider his words and their historical background. For this reason we invite our readers to carefully consider the article that now follows.

FEARLESS AGAINST THE WORLD CONSPIRACY

: of the prophet Noah before the global flood the whole ■ mass of humanity was wrong, with but eight excep’ tions. Those eight, Noah and his little household, ! were right, due to no human wisdom of their own, 1 but because they went along with God, who is always ; right. By his prophet Isaiah, Jehovah sends a warn-307

IT IS not a safe rule to go along with the people and to be herded ■with them en masse into powerful movements of the times. Even in an orderly and well-regulated democracy the majority of the people have again and again been wrong. In the days

1. What illustration and warning have we to show it is not a safe rule to go along with the people in a mass movement?

ing of a different kind of flood to religious Christendom today, in these words: “And Jehovah spake unto me yet again, saying, Forasmuch as this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son; now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it shall come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks; and it shall sweep onward into Judah; it shall overflow and pass through; it shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, 0 Immanuel.”—Isa. 8:5-8, Am. Stan. Ver.

2 To find out what it is today that compares with the people’s rejoicing in Rezin and Remaliah’s son and refusing the waters of Shiloah, we have to get the ancient setting of Isaiah’s words. The waters of Shiloah flowed in a small stream from a spring, known today as the Virgin’s spring, just outside the east wall of Jerusalem. It appears that in the days of Ahaz, king of Jerusalem, there was some means prepared for conducting the waters from this spring to a pool inside the city of Jerusalem. Thus the waters of Shiloah furnished part of the water supply for this capital city of the kingdom of Judah. This small stream seems to be that which is meant at Psalm 46:4, in these words: “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.” Thus the waters of Shiloah were associated with the capital city where Jehovah’s anointed king of the house of David sat upon the throne. At the time Ahaz, although unfaithful to Jehovah God, was permitted to sit upon this throne of the house of David, he being the twelfth of the line of kings descended from King David. This mercy was extended to King Ahaz because of the solemn compact or covenant that Jehovah God made with King David because of David’s faith and loyalty.

3 According to this covenant for the kingdom God said to David: “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Sam. 7:16) Furthermore God said: “My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children [such as King Ahaz] forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is

2. With what were the “waters of Shiloah” associated?

3. What, therefore, do those “waters of Shiloah” represent? gone out of my lips.” (Ps. 89: 28-34) That covenant with David’s house finds its final and complete fulfillment in the great Son of David, the Messiah, namely, the Christ. He becomes the perpetual Heir of this covenant of the everlasting kingdom, regardless of the imperfect, faulty conduct of the kings of David’s house who sat upon the throne of ancient Jerusalem. Therefore the “waters of Shiloah” represent the waters of truth concerning God’s covenant governing the Messianic kingdom. Those waters represent the divine promise that Messiah, the great Prince in the kingdom of God, would come through the line of faithful Kling David and through no other royal line.

* The waters of Shiloah, in King Ahaz’ day, were accustomed to “go softly”, that is, gently, in a small trickle. So, in saying that “this people” refused such waters of Shiloah, God meant that the people were rejecting God’s covenant with David’s house for the kingdom, because then, in Ahaz’ day, it looked so small, weak and lacking in force, and held out little promise of realization. The kingdom of Judah under King Ahaz was a very small and feeble-looking kingdom. It seemed to be easy to be crushed by the hostile powers of this world. Hence, instead of the house of David with its promise of the coming Messiah Prince, “this people” preferred to have a human rule which gave no promise of the Messiah.

3 Who were “this people” that thus turned their backs against Jehovah’s kingdom covenant? It was the natural brethren of the kingdom of Judah, but which brethren to the extent of ten tribes had separated from the twelve tribes of Israel and had set up a kingdom of their own. After the death of King Solomon, the son of David, these ten tribes had broken away to set up their kingdom under a king not of the line of David. Their new kingdom came to be called “the kingdom of Israel” as distinct from “the kingdom of Judah”. In the first four years of King Ahaz’ rule over the kingdom of Judah the man who was the king over the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel was named Pekah and was the son of Rema-liah. (2 Ki. 15:25-27) The kingdom of Israel under Pekah might have acted as brethren to the small kingdom of Judah under Ahaz, but did not do so. It showed no respect for Jehovah’s kingdom covenant with the house of David. In fact, the kingdom of Israel had officially departed from the worship of Jehovah God and had set up a political religion, a state religion, by the worship of golden calves and later by the worship of the false god Baal and other heathenish gods.—1 Ki. 12:26-33; 16:27-33.

6 Bordering the kingdom of Israel on the north-

4. How did those waters go softly? and why did “this people” refuse them?

5. Who were “this people”? and how did it show no respect for the Kingdom covenant?

6. Why did this people rejoice in Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah? east lay the kingdom of Syria. These Syrians were distantly related to the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. But they too held no respect for Jehovah’s kingdom covenant with the house of David at Jerusalem; they despised it. When King Ahaz began to reign, the ruler of the kingdom of Syria was named Bezin. Why now did “this people” of Israel rejoice in this Rezin as well as in their own Israelite king, Pekah the son of Remaliah? It was because Rezin showed contempt for the kingdom of Judah, with whose lung the kingdom covenant of Jehovah was bound. In the days of Jotham, the father of King Ahaz, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Syria formed an aggressive confederacy against the kingdom of Judah and its king of the house of David. The Bible history says: “In those days the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with "his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.”—2 Ki. 15: 37, 38.

7 In the days of King Ahaz the two enemy kings, Rezin of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah of Israel, combined their powers still more aggressively. The Bible history tells of the unfaithfulness of King Ahaz to Jehovah God and next says: “Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.” (2 Ki. 16:5) We read of God’s displeasure at that time with King Ahaz in these words: “Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus [the capital city of Syria]. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. . . . And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria [capital city of the kingdom of Israel].” (2 Chron. 28:5-8) Thus God's kingdom covenant seemed to be in peril.

MODERN COUNTERPART

8 That was an ancient pattern of things due to take place now. In our days, then, we look for the counterpart. We find it plainly, in Christendom. Let us all keep in mind that Jehovah’s covenant for the kingdom has never been called back or blotted out. It

7. How did Jehovah show his displeasure at King Ahaz of Judah?

8. Who became the heir of the Kingdom covenant, and what, therefore, did he preach? holds good now, in 1946. The great Son of David, with a view to whom the kingdom covenant was made with David, has become the everlasting Heir of the covenant. That one is Christ Jesus, a royal descendant of King David according to his human birth. At the time that the angel of God foretold his birth, the angel said to his earthly mother: “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1: 30-33) Hence in his manhood Christ Jesus, being anointed with God’s spirit, went about among the Jews preaching, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Lest this Jesus should prove to be the real heir of Jehovah’s covenant, Satan the Devil as the great adversary of God’s kingdom had him put to death by the very ones that claimed to be the “children of the kingdom”.—Matt. 8:12; 21: 43.

0 When Almighty God raised up Christ Jesus from the dead, then He confirmed to him the mercifully-made kingdom covenant with David. To prove this, the apostle Paul said to the Jews: “We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm [of David], Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.”—Acts 13: 22, 23, 32-34; Isa. 55: 3.

10 At his ascension to the right hand of his Father in heaven this resurrected Son of David did not at once begin to exercise the power of the Kingdom against all his enemies and for the benefit of his friends and followers. He had to wait until the “times of the Gentiles” ended, before all his enemies would be debased and made his footstool. (Heb. 10:12,13) Then he would actively enter upon his duties as the Heir and Acting King of the divine covenant for the Kingdom. By all the many events from and after A.D. 1914 in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and which have repeatedly been published in the Watchtower publications, the “times of the Gentiles” ended in 1914, the first year of World War I. At that time the everlasting Heir of the Kingdom covenant was clothed with royal power and authority from God to act. He no longer waits, but since 1914 that Kingdom covenant is being actively carried out in vindication of the name and universal sovereignty of Jehovah God.

9. When and how was this Kingdom covenant confirmed to him? 10. Since when la the Kingdom covenant being actively carried out?

11 Isaiah of old was a faithful ■witness of Jehovah God. Like him the present-day witnesses of Jehovah are standing lined up back of Jehovah’s kingdom covenant with Christ Jesus. They are proclaiming to all the nations that this covenant gives the only title to the rulership over the everlasting new world of righteousness. The 2,520 years of domination of the earth by Gentile kingdoms ended in 1914, and not a single one of earth’s human rulers since then has inherited the title to rulership by the Kingdom covenant, but Christ Jesus has the title. Therefore Jehovah’s witnesses today declare that it is now high time for all humankind, both political, religious rulers and the common people alike, to recognize Christ Jesus as the rightful Heir and King of the righteous new world. Because their numbers are so few and they are so lowly in the eyes of all Christendom, the proclamation by Jehovah’s witnesses of the kingdom of Jehovah’s covenant with his anointed King seems like the trickling, soft-going waters of Shiloah. But, all the same, the truths thus proclaimed quench our spiritual thirst. They revive all those who give allegiance to the heavenly Jerusalem, Zion, which is the capital organization of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty.

12 Jehovah’s witnesses by their consecration to God and by following in the steps of His reigning King are the brethren of Christ. All the religionists of Christendom, particularly her clergymen Catholic and Protestant, claim, too, to be related to Christ as his brethren. By their claim they profess to be spiritual Israelites. But does “this people” of Christendom gladly come to the spiritual “waters of Shiloah” and drink of such Kingdom truths and rejoice in the fulfilled Kingdom covenant? Do they act in obedience to God’s invitation by His witnesses: “Be glad, ye nations, with his people”?—Rom. 15:10, Rotherham.

13 No; not according to the way they have treated the small number of Jehovah’s witnesses and their message since 1914! They have determinedly refused the Kingdom. They have combined in opposition to the educational activities of Jehovah’s witnesses among the people and have persecuted these. Acting so, they show beyond all denying by themselves that they “rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son”. That is to say, they rejoice in the international conspiracy of rulers and governors against Jehovah’s kingdom covenant with Christ Jesus. They rejoice in rulers, governors and leaders who, like Rezin and Pekah, are not in God’s kingdom covenant and not worshiping Jehovah as God. Instead, such rulers jointly oppose the covenant’s fulfillment and fight against

11. What today compares with the trickling, soft-going waters of Shiloah?

12. Who today are Christ’s brethren? and who also profess to be so? 13. What proves that these professors refuse the spiritual “waters of Shiloah” and rejoice, instead, in Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah? the small number of Jehovah’s witnesses who give allegiance to only the Heir of that covenant. The common people join in, either actively or morally, in the religious efforts to silence or nullify the message these witnesses proclaim and to wipe them out or take them captive by concentration camps, prisons, boycotts and laws depriving them of free worship. The record that these opposers and persecutors have made from and after A.D. 1914 stands as a testimony against them and fully convicts them.—See "Be Glad, Ye Nations", pages 32-62.

14 Such wrongly-based rejoicing of “this people” of Christendom today will not go unpunished by the great Author of the Kingdom covenant. We must either choose and rejoice in the Kingdom or be destroyed. Since such professed people of God do not rejoice in the Kingdom and its message, like the soft-going “'waters of Shiloah”, therefore God will bring upon them the destructive hosts of Satan’s world organization as pictured by the “king of Assyria and all his glory”. There are various parts maldng up Satan’s organization. God Almighty will maneuver these so that they will fight against one another to destroy, beginning first ■with the commercial and political elements against the religious element. Assyria, in the days of Ahaz, Pekah and Rezin, was an expanding empire. It is used in the Bible as a symbol or picture of the Devil’s world, Satan the Devil being himself pictured by the mighty king of Assyria. The Assyrian empire then lay along the Euphrates river, that broad, muddy 1,780-mile-long river which yearly overflows its banks. The aggressive, totalitarian-minded, military hosts of Assyria in overrunning the country are therefore well compared with the Euphrates floodwaters, when Isaiah 8:7, 8 says: “Therefore the Lord lets loose on [this people] the strong, full surge of the Euphrates [not running softly like the trickling ‘waters of Shiloah’, but] overflowing all its channels, brimming over all its banks, swirling onwards, flooding Judah, flooding it up to the neck. But the Lord’s wings outstretched shall cover the country from side to side; for ‘God is with us’.”—Moffatt.

15 Let not Christendom think she will be able to escape this mighty flood of destruction at the battle of Armageddon. She will no more escape than did the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Syria in the days of the Assyrian emperors Shalmaneser and Sargon. The certainty of her being overflowed is strengthened by the fact that Jehovah had the coming destruction predicted repeatedly by the prophet. Also he had the prophet give an advance sign of its coming.

14. How will such wrongfully rejoicing people be punished? and how was this pictured ?

15. Why should Christendom not think she will avoid this flood?

16Isaiah tells of it, saying: “And Jehovah said unto me, Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it with the pen of a man, For Maher-shalal-hash-baz [meaning, The spoil speedeth, the prey hasteth]; and I will take unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jebere-chiah. And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said Jehovah unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz. For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and, My mother, the riches of Damascus [capital of Syria], and the spoil of Samaria [capital of the kingdom of Israel] shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.” (Isa. 8:1-4, Am. Stan. Ver.) Where Isaiah posted the big board with the fateful words on it we are not told, but there were witnesses to it. The message of divine judgment engraved upon the signboard was served upon two prominent official servants under King Ahaz, namely, the high priest and another man then well known. These could easily notify the king of the short but significant message of judgment directed against the two kingdoms that were assaulting the kingdom of Judah, namely, Syria and Israel.

17 Not only was the message posted on a large board, but at the birth of Isaiah’s second son the message was given to him as his name. If now the divine message failed of fulfillment, then Isaiah’s son would be subject to continual reproach for bearing such name, and his father Isaiah would be under continual embarrassment as a false prophet. But Jehovah God did not let that happen.

18 The name “Maher-shalal-hash-baz” meant “the spoil speedeth, the prey hasteth”, that is, against Syria and Israel. The message contained in the name was especially meant to strengthen faith in Jehovah God and in the certainty of his deliverance of his people from these enemies. The Israelites hearing of this message against them might scoff at it as predicting too much too quickly; it would not come in their day. The people of Judah, however, were meant to be stopped by the message against taking hasty action in the wrong direction, toward any compromise with worldly powers. If they would only wait upon the Lord God, the two kings who were attacking their country would be put out of the way. Before Isaiah’s new-born son would be able to address him as “My father” or to say “My mother”, King Rezin and King Pekah the son of Remaliah would be disposed of by the king of Assyria. That would mean, ordinarily, within three years’ time at most. And so it actually came to pass, for in the fourth year of the rule of King Ahaz both those

16. How was Jehovah’s message of judgment against Syria and Israel forcefully called to attention of King Ahaz?

17. How would Isaiah be affected by any failure of the message?

18. What was the purpose of the message? and when was it fulfilled? enemy kings were killed and their countries were spoiled by the mighty Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria. (2 Ki. 15: 27-30; 16: 9; 1 Chron. 5:26) Isaiah was vindicated as a true prophet, and his strangely named son became a wonderful sign in all the land. The spoil of Israel and of Syria did speed, and the making of them a prey to the Assyrian did hasten according to God’s own time as foretold by Isaiah.

18 The removal of King Pekah, however, was not the end of the Assyrian military flood over the land of the kingdom of Israel. About twelve years later the Assyrian hosts of Shalmaneser swept over the land like a destructive river, and at the end of a three-year siege Samaria, the capital city, was destroyed and the Israelites were carried off as captive slaves into the land of Assyria.

20 About fourteen years later, in 732 B.C., the Assyrian ambitions for more territories and domination led the military flood to sweep southward again. This time it surged into the land of the kingdom of Judah, over which good King Hezekiah now ruled. Matters looked disastrous, as if the king of the house of David would be overthrown, because the Assyrian flood reached, so to speak, “even to the neck.” Evidently that meant, up to the capital city, Jerusalem, where the head of the kingdom of Judah sat enthroned. But the kingdom was saved for the house of David, because King Hezekiah and his faithful counselor, the prophet Isaiah, put full trust in the Lord God. Jehovah God spread his wings of power and protection over the land of the kingdom of Judah, and he brushed the Assyrian flood led by mighty King Sennacherib back to whence it had come. In one night the angel of Jehovah God slew 185,000 of Sennacherib’s hosts as they were encamped before Libnah, about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem. (2 Ki. 19:35-37) Thereafter there was never again an Assyrian flood-peril in the land of Judah. Hence both King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah could triumphantly cry out, “Immanuel!” that is to say, “God is with us!” God had delivered his people!

21 Today the people of Jehovah hold fast to his covenant for the Kingdom and therefore give their unwavering allegiance to his King reigning on the heavenly Zion. But Isaiah’s prophecy warns them that the final flood of the antitypical king of Assyria, Satan the Devil, with all his world forces, will sweep against them in all parts of the earth. The purpose behind this onrush of enemy waters of the postwar world under Satan is to sweep away or overwhelm everyone that does not conform himself to the

19. What shows Pekah’s death did not end the Assyrian flood?

20. How did the Assyrian hosts flood Judah “even to the neck”, and with what end?

21. Thus against what are Jehovah’s people of today warned? and under whose wings must they trust? world’s political and religious ideas. It will be just before the universal battle of Armageddon is due to break out. Although the flood appears up to the neck and about ready to submerge the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses upon the earth, they must not yield to fear. They will trust in the covert of Jehovah’s wings. (Ps. 61:4) They will have confidence in Isaiah’s words uttered long ago in the face of like danger: “And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, 0 Immanuel.”—Isa. 8: 8.

” In proof that Jehovah God would be with them at this supreme crisis of his people on earth, he caused the name “Immanuel” to be given prophetically to his only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, who is the Heir of the everlasting Kingdom covenant. (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23) The Hebrew name “Immanuel” means “God is with us”; that is to say, the God who confers the title to the Kingdom covenant upon his Son Christ Jesus will be with his people in the time of crisis. He will be for them and will protect them by his power exercised through his King whose name “Immanuel” assures us that God is backing us up and will preserve us. All those who are in Immanuel’s “land” by rendering him their unqualified allegiance and serving him do not need to fear, therefore, as they draw nearer to the battle of Armageddon and see the oncoming flood of the hosts of the antitypical Assyrian, Satan the Devil. They will have no doubt as to whose side will win, for they will shout, “God is with us.” With such faith, they will not be swept off their feet by the overflowing flood of worldliness into becoming opposers of Jehovah and his King. They will stand firm and will see Jehovah’s salvation and his decisive victory over all of Satan’s world organization and its troops.

THE CONSPIRACY AN INEVITABLE FAILURE

” The great Assyrian, Satan the Devil, knows what his objectives are in these crucial days upon this world of which he is the prince. (John 14:30) The nations of this world may not realize or appreciate the direction in which they are irresistibly being steered by an unseen, superhuman power; but Satan their god and controller knows whither he and his demons are gathering the nations. Since Jehovah’s enthronement of his King of the house of David in the heavens A.D. 1914 Satan has been cast out of the heavens and all his demon hosts with him. (Rev. 12:1-13,17) As for him, the situation now calls for all-out war, by his total world, against Jehovah’s King of the new world, who has come to power according to the everlasting covenant for the Kingdom. Therefore Satan organizes all the nations of

22 Who has been given the name “Immanuel”? and to whom and of what is it an assurance?

23. What are Satan's objectives in these crucial days? earth into a resistance bloc not to accept Jehovah’s King but to arm themselves for the fray at Armageddon.

14 Jehovah foresaw this international organized resistance against his kingdom after its establishment over this earth. Hence he foretold it as due in these postwar times. By his prophet Isaiah he puts these defiant words into the mouths of his witnesses whose eyes he has opened wide to see what the Devil and his earthly nations are up to: “Make an uproar, 0 ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.” (Isa. 8:9,10, Am. Stan. Ver.; Rotherham) God desires that the peoples and countries that are afar off from him and his favor should know that he sees what they are attempting to do and that he foredooms it to failure. And so he serves notice upon them by His witnesses, saying (according to another proper translation): “Take knowledge, you peoples afar; give ear, all you distant parts of the earth! Gird yourselves, and be dumbfounded; gird yourselves, and be dumbfounded! Plan a plan—it shall come to nought; speak a word —it shall not stand! for God is with us.” (Isa. 8:9,10, An Amer. Trans.; Septuagint) Let all who do not want to plan a failure take heed!

” Today it is common knowledge that the nations are girding themselves, binding themselves into a world union for strength. In foretelling this, Jehovah God twice mentions them as girding, and with the same result to each girding. This seems to foretell two efforts at world union by all the nations and countries. Remarkably, we are now living at the time when the second girding has been effected. Even during the dark days of World War I the Allied Nations were talking of a League of Nations, and immediately after the close of that war in 1918 the nations, at their assembly in peace conference, made part of the peace terms the founding of a League of Nations. In 1920 the League of Nations went into operation. By 1935 sixty of the nations joined. But shortly the League of Nations members and statesmen were thrown into consternation and were dum-founded and the League of Nations was broken in pieces, by the machinations of Nazi-Fascist-religious forces, which finally embroiled the world in the total war of 1939-1945. Even the pushers and backers of the old League of Nations admit that it failed and was shattered. Once again, before the global second World War was over, the nations allied against the

24. What does Jehovah want the afar-off peoples and nations to know’* and how does he so inform them?

25. How did the first girding of the nations fare? and bow has the second girding been brought about?

Nazi-Fascist-religious aggressors discussed the regirding of the nations within a second but stronger league. Before the European conflict ended in June, 1945, fifty nations assembled at San Francisco, California, and drew up the Charter of a new organization known as the United Nations. And before the year was out the Charter was adopted by the needed members and majority of nations, and the organization of the United Nations came into existence and began to get organized and take form. The hopes of this world are pinned to this UN.

26 What shall Jehovah’s witnesses say of this second girding of the worldly nations and its fate? Shall they agree with the enthusiastic proponents of this world-girding organization? Shall we agree with its first secretary-general, who assures the world that ‘the United Nations will not fail as did the League of Nations after the first World War’? Speaking on June 9, 1946, at the automotive industry’s golden jubilee in Detroit, Michigan, he said: “The world is in a serious mess and, what is equally important, the world knows it. We are grimly determined not only to put the world back where it was. We know that the world as it existed was just not good enough. That is one reason why we had the last war. This time we are going far, far ahead of where we were before. We are going to do this with the co-operation of the individual nations, backed by the massed support of the people. We cannot fail, we will not fail.”— New York Times, June 10, 1946, pages 1 and 10.

27 To this, what shall those who trust in God rather than in the regirded nations and peoples say? If Jehovah’s witnesses are his witnesses, then they will be courageous and fearless enough to reply in His own words to the nations, countries and peoples: “Though you should again become strong; with consternation you shall again be stricken, and what counsel soever you may take, the Lord will defeat it; and what word soever you may speak shall not take effect among you; because Ged is with us.” (Isa. 8: 9,10, Septuagint, translation by C. Thomson) God is not ■with the international uniting of this old world. He is with those who are on the side of the royal Inheritor of his Kingdom covenant, the King of Jehovah’s new world of righteousness. No strongly girded world-union, no counsel, plan or plot, and no word of men of this world, shall prosper and succeed against Jehovah’s now reigning King of His new world. We accept in all good faith the inspired proverb which says: “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Jehovah. The [war-] horse is prepared against the day of battle; but

26 . What did its first secretary-general recently assure the world?

27 . At this, what do Jehovah‘s witnesses reply? and what pertinent proverb do they accept in good faith? victory is of Jehovah.” (Prov. 21:30,31, Am. Stan. Ver.) In the battle of Armageddon, toward which all the worldly nations are marching, the plans, plots, schemes and boastful words of the old-world organizers will not stand. They will come to nothing, and Jehovah God Most High will gain the victory for the new world which He creates by his kingdom.

28 The peoples do not realize the ulterior objective of the world organization for peace and security of the nations. True, the United Nations organization has the approval and support and blessing of all the religions of Christendom. Nevertheless, the peoples do not see that the new confederacy of the nations is against the kingdom of Jehovah God which now operates through his King, Christ Jesus, since the close of the Gentile times A.D. 1914. The hidden but real intent of the new international organization was foreshadowed by the purpose of the international combination twenty-six centuries ago in the day of King Ahaz of the royal house of David. In his days the kingdom of Syria made an aggressive alliance with the kingdom of Israel headed by the tribe of Ephraim. What was the aim of this league of nations? It is laid bare to us in the following historical record of Isaiah: “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the lung of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it; but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim [or the kingdom of Israel]. And [Ahaz’] heart trembled and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.” (Isa. 7:JL, 2, Am. Stan. Ver.) That record exposes the international league as against the royal house of David.

22 So as to strip bare the definite purpose of the ancient league, Jehovah God sent Isaiah with this message to King Ahaz, who stood for the house of David and who therefore came under the benefits of God’s kingdom covenant: “Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel; thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.” (Isa. 7:3-7, Am. Stan. Ver.) Who was that unnamed "son of Tabeel” whom the king of Syria and the king of Ephraim (or Israel) proposed to set on the throne of Jerusalem in place of Ahaz ? He was certainly not a royal descendant of David’s house! Certainly not a man through whom God’s covenant for the Kingdom was passed along down until it found its permanent heir in Christ 28. Despite religion’s blessing, against what is the world organization? and when and how was its Intent foreshadowed?

29. What did Jehovah expose the purpose of that ancient league to be? Jesus! The “son of Tabeel” was to be their man, and not God’s man or appointee, on the throne of the kingdom of Judah. By this puppet king they were to bring the kingdom of Judah into the league of nations with them. Therefore the devilish purpose of that international conspiracy is uncovered. It is exposed to be to stop the operation of Jehovah’s covenant for the kingdom with the house of David.

30 Since Jehovah’s covenant for the Kingdom is beyond overthrow by any power, human or devilish, that ancient international conspiracy did not stand. Its foul plot did not come to pass. Almighty God brought it to nought. (Isa. 7: 8, 9) He did this, not for the sake of Ahaz, who was an unfaithful king, but for His own name’s sake and for the vindication of His word contained in his kingdom covenant.

NO JOINING IN THE CONSPIRACY

31 The record discloses that Ahaz’ heart trembled at the conspiracy. What now should he do? Should he now fear men and nations of men, and should he copy their methods of conspiracy? For self-defense should he adopt their policy of malting a confederation or a league with the nations of this world and thus “meet fire with fire”? Lacking faith in Jehovah, King Ahaz chose the way of this world. He appealed to this world for help. He entered into a conspiracy with the king of Assyria by paying him to come to his aid and deliver him from the international combine of Syria and Ephraim (or Israel). Although tliis gave King Ahaz temporary relief, it did not work out for permanent good. It led to international entanglements with this world and to new difficulties and distresses. (2 Ki. 16:7-20; 2 Chron. 28:16-27) God did not bless that compromise with this world, because it was contrary to faith in Jehovah God and contrary to faith in the divine covenant for the Kingdom.

32 Isaiah, that ancient witness of Jehovah, did not agree with the course of Ahaz in making worldly alliance for peace and security. Neither do Jehovah’s witnesses of today agree with that ruler’s course or any course like it now. We can no more go along with the mass of the people in their misguided movement in favor of the new international union than we can go along with the people’s rulers in Christendom. The Word of God is against joining in the popular trend. The strong hand of the power of God came upon the prophet Isaiah to inspire him and he wrote these words for our admonition in this world crisis: “For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A con-30. Why was that ancient conspiracy brought to nought?

31. What was King Ahaz* course? and why did God not bless it?

32. Did Isaiah agree with Ahaz' course? and what words did he write for our admonition in this crisis? spiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof. Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” —Isa. 8:11-13, Am. Stan. Ver.

33 Everywhere we hear the people of Christendom speaking in favor of the postwar conspiracy, this League of Nations creature that has now come up out of the bottomless pit into which it was shoved by World War H. (Rev. 17:8-11) What shall those believers in Jehovah God do who stand in favor of his kingdom covenant and its permanent Heir now reigning in the heavens? The Nazi-Fascist-religious conspiracy of certain nations during 1933-1945 was directly in opposition to Jehovah’s kingdom covenant and his Heir. It was in favor of putting the conspirators’ selected ruler upon the throne of world domination in a “new world order”. Hence that Nazi-Fascist-religious conspiracy maliciously directed its fire against Jehovah’s witnesses and tried to destroy them in concentration camps and other places of torture and by religious persecutions and by governmental oppressions throughout the nations of Christendom. In order that there may be no recurrence of such dastardly efforts of the political-religious conspirators against us, shall we now fear what the people fear, namely, this new all-inclusive conspiracy of nations of the postwar era ? Shall we go over to it, as Ahaz went over to the Assyrian world-power? and shall we speak in favor of it?

34 It is impossible for us to do so, because this postwar conspiracy of the united nations is for world peace and security by their own political, commercial, social, military and religious institutions. It is a conspiracy against Jehovah's Idngdom covenant and its everlasting Heir, Christ Jesus. It seeks to exercise the world domination under the great antitypical Assyrian instead of letting the kingdom of Jehovah by Christ Jesus dominate. The Bible is clear that there is no common ground between this modern Assyrian world-power and the kingdom of Jehovah’s covenant with his Christ. His witnesses will not fear it and advocate for it, no more than they feared the Nazi-Fascist-religious conspiracy or feared the League of Nations creature that went into the abyss at the outbreak of World War II. This postwar peace-and-security creature of the nations is the same creature risen again from the abyss. Under no compulsion will the faithful Jehovah’s witnesses join in with the people in saying, “A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy.” They stand forth and declare straightforwardly in favor of Jehovah’s Theocratic Government by his Heir of the Kingdom covenant. Jeho-

33. Why did the Nazi-Fascist-religious conspiracy direct its fire against Jehovah’s witnesses? and what questions must we now answer?

34. Why is it impossible for Jehovah’s witnesses to speak iu favor of it? and why do they not fear It? vah of hosts is their fear, and not men and devils. And Jehovah with his hosts of heaven is the One whom they sanctify in their hearts and minds as the One to dread.

STUMBLING AND OFFENSE

” To go along with the peoples and nations in their postwar policy of international unions and alliances would mean to stumble over God’s anointed King, Christ Jesus. Both Jewry and all religious organizations of Christendom have stumbled and keep on stumbling over Christ Jesus in his present capacity of Jehovah’s reigning King of the new world. And in rejecting Christ Jesus as Jehovah’s Heir of the Kingdom covenant they reject Jehovah God himself.

36 The Lord God foretold this through Isaiah, in these words: “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” (Isa. 8:14,15) This prophecy had its first and small-scale fulfillment at the appearing of Jehovah’s Heir nineteen centuries ago, when Christ Jesus appeared as a man, a son of the house of David, and proved worthy of the right to the everlasting Kingdom. (Rom. 9: 32, 33; 1 Cor. 1: 23; 1 Pet. 2:4-8) The same prophecy has its final and full-scale fulfillment now when he has actually come into the power of the Kingdom and wields the scepter as the newly-enthroned King and Rightful Ruler of the new world. Hence all those joining in or supporting the postwar conspiracy are being snared and taken to their own destruction at the battle of Armageddon. There the great Stone of stumbling and Rock of offense will fall upon them and break the conspiracy and its backers to pieces.—Dan. 2: 44, 45.

37 As for Jehovah’s witnesses and all who do not stumble and take offense at their message that Christ Jesus is the enthroned King to whom we now owe our allegiance, Jehovah God and his King are for a sanctuary to all such. They will always hallow and worship these Higher Powers of all the universe, and hence will obey them and not the men in the world conspiracy. (Rom. 13:1) They turn deaf ears to the political and religious propaganda that pulls peoples into the conspiracy. More, they take careful heed to the testimony and law which the Lord God has provided for the disciples of his anointed King in these days. Concerning this the prophet Isaiah next says: “Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait for Jehovah, that hideth

35. By going along with the people, how would they stumble?

30. How did Isaiah foretell this? and what fate awaits those stumbling now?

37. What, and for whom, is the sanctuary? his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah hath given me are for signs.and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion.” —Isa. 8:16-18, Jm. Stan. Ver.

’’Jehovah’s testimony by Isaiah concerning all these things and His law of action to govern our course of conduct when these things come true have been faithfully preserved for us. They have been bound up and sealed as the exclusive treasure of His witnesses under Christ, “the faithful and true witness.” Christendom does not hold and understand such law and testimony. Hence Jehovah’s -witnesses are the ones now found to be making known such law and testimony, which He has committed to them for use now. By so doing, they make such law and testimony known to all nations for a witness. All the faithful disciples of Jehovah’s King, Christ Jesus, therefore, are for signs and wonders in present-day Christendom, from which God has turned away his face of favor. They will thus be like Isaiah and his sons, Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and possibly a third son named “Immanuel”. The apostle Paul tells us that, in the prophet’s relationship of father to these sons with such meaningful names, Isaiah was a type of Christ Jesus. (Heb. 2:13) Hence the disciples of Christ must now be “for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in Zion”. In living up to this obligation they must not fail to be in word and action what they are today known as, namely, witnesses of Jehovah of hosts, who now reigns by his King Christ Jesus in the heavenly capital, Zion.

39 Therefore Jehovah’s witnesses must appear prominently before all nations and peoples, with absolute fearlessness against the world conspiracy of this postwar era. By taking a course contrary to the popular current of the nations they will be signs and wonders that will be much spoken against and attacked upon all sides. But by their complete separateness from all worldly conspiracies and by their outspoken devotedness to Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ Jesus they will be signs that God’s vengeance is speedily coming against all the conspirators and that He will faithfully preserve his restored remnant and their good-will companions, for “God is with us!” They will not alter their God-given message out of fear or favor. Amid such inescapable prominence because of being so manifestly not of this world and its conspiracy they will not withhold from the people “all the counsel of God”. They will unalterably point the people to the law and the testimony which Jehovah has entrusted to their care. There is no light of

38. With whom today has the testimony and law been bound up and sealed? and how must they be for signs and wonders?

39. What is the effect of being such signs and wonders? and why has Jehovah turned his face from Christendom? the new day of righteousness in any other message, and there is no safety in any other rule of conduct amid this world conspiracy. Christendom has proved herself a friend of this world. In His displeasure at her Jehovah God has withheld from her his prophetic message and his doctrine, and no light shines through Christendom’s organization. He has given his law and his testimony to his faithful witnesses, his children.

40 In this dark time when even the religion of Christendom has failed men and has proved disappointing to them, many are inclined to turn in desperation to spiritism and occultism for information concerning the worrisome future. Against falling victim to this popular inclination Jehovah God by his prophet Isaiah gives this final warning for the people of Christendom: “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead? To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.”—Isa. 8:19,20, Am. Stan. Ver.

41 Regardless of the optimistic, rosy promises of the leaders of Christendom, there is no morning of future brightness and prosperity for her. Why not? Because these religious, political and commercial and military leaders of hers speak not according to God’s Word. They speak contrary to His law and testimony which apply to this day of decision. They-speak according to the traditions of the dead fathers of the past, and also speak according to the “doctrines of demons” in these latter times. (1 Tim. 4:1, Am. Stan. Ver.) And many even consult spiritmediums and make inquiry of the demons who lyingly pretend to be the shades of the dead humans.

40. In desperation, to what do many turn, as foretold by Isaiah? 41. Why is there “no morning for them”?

It is a perilous time for the people who have depended upon human leaders.

42 So then, to the fore! all ye witnesses of Jehovah, with complete trust in your God and in his reigning King. Display outright fearlessness of the world conspiracy on the part of both demons and men. Make no compromise with this world in its total alignment against the heavenly kingdom, which kingdom is the one and only hope of all men that seek everlasting life in a righteous new world. By your proclamation everywhere of the message of this kingdom and of its victory over the worldconspiracy at the battle of Armageddon, be all of you for signs and for wonders to the honor and vindication of Jehovah God. Continue to go forth in obedience to the divine command. Bring His message to the people who are perplexed at the confused state of politics, commerce and religion and who are exposed to the misleading propaganda of the demons. In God’s Word is no obscurity; and in faithfulness to it point the truth-seeking people to the law and to the testimony which Jehovah God has made plain to you and committed to your care and use.

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The Watchtower, October 15, 1946