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    The Watchtower, February 15, 1949

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    The Watchtower—1949

    SllzeWATCHTOWEFL

    Published Semimokthlt Bt

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

    Officers

    N. H. Knorr, President Grant Suiter, 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, has 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

    THIS journal ts 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 ail 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.

    Notice to Subscribers: Remittances should be sent to office In your country in compliance with regulations to guarantee sate delivery of money. Remittances are accepted at Brooklyn front countries where no office is located, by International money order only. Subscription rates in different countries are stated below in local currency. Notice of expiation (with renewal blank) is sent at least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when, sent to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old as well as new address.

    Please address the Watch Tower Society in every case.

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    Translations of this Journal appear in many languages.

    ALL SINCERE STUDENTS OF THE BIBLE who by reason of Infirmity, poverty or adversity are unable to pay the subscription price may bate The Watchtower free upou wrltteu 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.

    Printed In the United States of America

    Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Brooklyn, N. Y., under the Act of Mutch s, ISIS.

    “BLAMELESS MINISTRY” TESTIMONY PERIOD

    The ministry of God’s Word must be carried forward through cold and heat for God’s ministers not to be blamed. Hence February is experiencing no stoppage of the proclamation of His kingdom publicly and from door to door. The service calendar announces it as “Blameless Ministry.” Testimony Period, and it is the second month of the 1949 campaign for subscriptions for the Watchtower Society’s magazines. The offer that all those who talk God’s kingdom are therefore making to all their contacts is a year’s subscription for both The Watchtower and Awake! together with the premium of a bound book and a booklet, at just $2 (American money) for the full set. Preferably the latest book, ‘‘Let God Be True", and one of the latest booklets, The Joy of All the People or Permanent Governor of All Nations, should be offered ns the premium. Whether in the Northern or in the Southern Hemisphere, February is a difficult month to pull through, but faithful ministers will not come under blame for slacking the hand. 'Watchtower readers will not want to come under blame for failure regarding the ministry of God’s Word, and so we invite their inquiries and requests as to a share in it. May your report at the end of the Testimony Period prove you blameless.

    “WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

    Week of March 20: “The Comfort for the Displaced People,” fl 1-14 inclusive, also “A God Whose Purpose Cannot Fail,”

    fl’ 1-6 inclusive, The Watchtower February 15, 1949.

    Week of March 27: “A God Whose Purpose Cannot Fail,” fl 7-25 inclusive, The Watchtower February 15, 1949.

    MEMORIAL FOR 1949

    According to due reckoning, Nisan 14 will begin at sundown of April 12, 1949. This agrees with the Metonic or 19-year cycle, in harmony with which Nisan 14 began on the same date, April 12, in 1930. Therefore after 6 p.m., Standard Time, of Tuesday, April 12, of this year, all companies of God’s consecrated people will convene at some agreed place and hour to celebrate the annual Memorial of Christ’s death. Meeting should be formally opened with song and prayer, after which some consecrated person, a competent brother of the anointed remnant, if possible, should give a presentation, by reading or extemporaneous speech, on the meaning of the event. Then after a prayer for the divine blessing specifically on the Memorial bread and wine, these emblems should be served together for any of the remnant to partake of according to God’s command through Christ. Let the emblems be unleavened bread and fermented red wine to correspond with what our Lord used. All persons of friendly interest, though ndt of the consecrated remnant, are cordially invited to attend and sit in their midst, to hear and behold all that takes plaee, for their own edification and their observation of the obedience of God’s people to his commandments. Meeting should be closed with song and prayer, after any appropriate service announcements have been made.

    ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM

    Vol. LXX February 15, 1949 No. 4

    THE COMFORT FOR THE DISPLACED PEOPLE

    "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"—Isa. 40:1.

    JEHOVAH had until recently a displaced people. No, we do not mean the fleshly Israelis of modern times, but we mean the Israelites after the spirit. Since A.D. 1918 the latter have been restored, and all nations are witness to this remarkable fact. This restoration of spiritual Israelites was long ago foretold and was foreshadowed by the reinstatement of his chosen people of old. Immediately after telling the Israelite king Hezekiah of the then approaching destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of both the royal household and its subjects to Babylon, Jehovah’s prophet Isaiah followed up with these words promising a restoration: “‘Comfort, 0 comfort my people,’ says your God; ‘speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, that her time of service is ended, that her guilt is paid in full, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.’”—Isa. 40:1,2, An Amer. Trans.

    2 A comfort indeed it must have been for the Israelite captives in Babylon when the seventieth year of Jerusalem’s desolation came and Daniel the prophet assured Jehovah’s chosen people that the time of Jerusalem’s hard service in exile was up; that the guilt for all her violations of God’s law was now considered paid in full by her terrible experience; and that in her seventy-year-long desolation she had received a “double” or “full punishment”, “according to the full measure,” for all her sins. (Isa. 40:2, Moffatt; Rotherham') This meant that the royal city was to be rebuilt and repopulated with God’s people and there they would worship him at his restored temple. Ah, yes, Jerusalem was the place where he had chosen to put his name, and so, not for the Israelites’ sake, but for his own name’s sake, he purposed to raise up Jerusalem and her temple again. —Ezek. 36:21-32. .

    ’ But how was it possible to comfort God’s captive people with a return to their homeland ? By a straight route through the Arabian desert from Babylon to Jerusalem was a journey of at least 525 miles, over an almost trackless country. How were they to get back to their beloved country and to the site of the holy royal city? Why, by the way which their miracle-1, 2. How did God foreshadow restoration of spiritual Israel?

    3. How and by what way would his displaced people return home? working God would prepare, either direct through the wilderness or over a more roundabout way. The main thing was that he would go before them as their Leader. He would also act as their rearguard. That a whole people should be restored to the soil from which they had been uprooted seventy years previous, this would be the miracle of those times testifying to Jehovah’s saving power as the only living God. Impossible as it might seem, he would provide a way to get back, because, almost two hundred years in advance, he caused his prophet Isaiah to utter these words for the comfort of his displaced people: “The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.”—Isa. 40: 3-5, Am. Stan. Ver.

    * It was not really for Jehovah himself that the way through the desert must be prepared. It was actually for the more than 49,000 Israelites that returned in one body to Jerusalem. For these the highway through that wild country must be cast up in certain places, leveled off in other places, and smoothed out like a plain elsewhere. As for Jehovah God personally, he would go invisibly before them as a trusty Guide, careful for the well-being of his faithful remnant of worshipers and fully able to bring them safely to their destination. Centuries before that he had demonstrated how he could do so, when he brought his people out of Egypt, through the desert, and into the Promised Land, while the “angel of Jehovah” went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. All of Jehovah’s enemies had sought to destroy the chosen people upon whom his name was called. Now it would be to his eternal glory for him to deliver his helpless people from mighty Babylon and restore them to his holy worship at his temple in their God-given land. By accomplishing this marvelous restoration and by

    4. How woukj Jebovab’s glory bo revealed and all flesh see it? reviving his worship at Jerusalem the "glory of Jehovah” would he revealed before all Gentile nations, and flesh of all races, nations and peoples would see it. Like it or not, they would be forced to see that Jehovah is the living and true God and that long before this he had spoken it and now he had done it. This fulfillment of purpose would vindicate his name, word and all-power.

    GRANDER AND FINAL FULFILLMENTS

    5 That miraculous fulfillment, occurring in 537 B.C., is not all there is to the prophecy of Isaiah 40:1-5. It has grander fulfillments. This is made certain for us by the application that the inspired Christian writers make of Isaiah’s prophecy, chapter forty. The gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke specifically tell us that John the Baptist was a fulfillment of Isaiah 40: 3, concerning the voice crying in the wilderness. (Matt. 3:1-3; Mark 1:3-5; Luke 3:1-6) Even John, under inspiration of God’s spirit, identified himself as a fulfillment. When asked by the religious authorities of Jerusalem who he was, “he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.” (John 1:23, Am, Stan. Ver.) Necessarily, then, to agree with the full prophecy, the command applied in John’s day, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.” The way to be prepared must be for the comforting of God’s people.. The comfort must be by delivering them from enemy power, power like Babylon’s. How so?

    ’ True, when John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea A.D. 29, the Israelites had been resettled on their homeland for more than five hundred years. But, though back in their Promised Land, they were without a king and kingdom of their own. They were subject to Gentile domination which had continued uninterrupted since 607 B.C. when Jerusalem fell before the crushing power of Babylon. Many Israelites still hoped in God’s promised kingdom. For such it was not only a startling announcement but also a comforting message that John began crying out in the wilderness: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:1, 2) Surely that .kingdom meant deliverance! How full a deliverance they did not then appreciate. It needed to be from more than the aggressive Roman empire, for they were also subject to the more oppressive power of sin, whose author is Satan the Devil. Their being unable to keep God’s law delivered to them by the prophet Moses should have made the Israelites keenly realize their bondage to sin, for by that law a knowledge of sin was meant to be imparted to God’s chosen people.

    ' The principal freedom to be desired, therefore, S, 6. Who was the “voice of one crying", and with what comfort?

    7, 8. What was the principal freedom, and how was It to be obtained? was deliverance from bondage to sin and bondage to the Devil’s organization. God’s kingdom alone could bring that deliverance, and John was announcing that this kingdom was near. He was sent to prepare the way for Jehovah God to lead his people into that kingdom. John did so by preaching a course of repentance for those Israelites who realized their bondage to sin and the Devil. Thus he prepared them to accept the Messiah, the Redeemer from sin, by whom God would lead them into the freedom of the kingdom of God.

    ’ When the Messiah, Jesus Christ, appeared, he preached the truth to them, and he said this truth would make them free. He said he came to give his life a ransom for the many who would believe him to be the promised Savior. His ransom sacrifice procured God’s forgiveness of their sins and their freedom from divine condemnation. The Messiah’s name was called “Jesus”, because, as Jehovah’s angel said, “he shall save his people from their sins.” For those who accepted him and became his people, the “warfare” or time of hard service to sin and the Devil was accomplished, was past, and their iniquity was pardoned, and their receiving from Jehovah’s hand the full punishment or “double” for all their sins was finished.

    ’ John’s preparing of Jehovah’s way for the Israelites began six months before he baptized Jesus as the Messiah. Some forty days later he pointed the Israelites to Jesus as the Messiah, with the words: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) About six months after this John was cast into prison by King Herod. So John’s preparing of the way in the desert continued for little more than a year. Yet it succeeded in putting those Israelites who longed for deliverance from the bondage of sin and the Devil in touch with the King who represented Jehovah God.

    10 It was after John was thrown into prison that Jesus went into Galilee and there began preaching the message of deliverance, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:12-17) Then Christ Jesus as Jehovah’s Representative began leading the repentant remnant of Israelites over the highway toward freedom from the bondage to religious errors, sin and the Devil’s organization, into peaceful relations with Jehovah as heavenly Father and into blessed connection with the kingdom of heaven. They got free from the Jerusalem on earth, which was “in bondage with her children”, and they became the children of God’s “woman”, the “Jerusalem which is above”. As Paul said to genuine Christians: “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”

    9, 10. How did John prepare the way, who led over It, and to what? (Gal. 4:25,26,31) Here, indeed, was a deliverance from bondage in a situation out of God's favor, just as much as the deliverance of the Israelites from Babylon more than five centuries earlier. It was accomplished through Jehovah’s Son, Christ Jesus, who said: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”—John 8:36.

    11 That which attracted the Israelites from all parts of the earth and induced them to follow Christ Jesus over the highway through this world’s wilderness was God’s kingdom, which Jesus proclaimed. Jesus was the One whom God anointed with his spirit to be the King in that Government, so that Jesus could correctly say to the Jews among whom he stood: "The kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21, marginal reading) Thus God’s kingdom, as represented by his King Christ Jesus, was the great Signal that the Lord God raised up. This was particularly so after Jesus died a faithful death, was resurrected and glorified in heaven and then he poured out the holy spirit upon his consecrated followers from Pentecost onward. Led by that spirit after Pentecost the faithful remnant of repentant Israelites marched to the Signal over the highway that had been prepared to lead to it. This was the early spiritual fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Pass through, pass through the gates, prepare the way of the people; grade up, grade up the highway, clear it of stones; raise a signal over the peoples.” (Isa. 62:10, An Amer. Trans.; Moffatt) Jehovah God thus gave his people the vital spiritual deliverance by bringing them out of worldly bondage into the Kingdom privileges with his Son Jesus Christ. The “glory of Jehovah” was thus revealed, and all flesh saw him in the role of Deliverer. First the Israelites saw it with appreciation, and then the rest of the nations on earth. It was as Jehovah God has spoken.

    SINCE A.D. 1918

    12 However, these events of the first century did not make the fulfillment of the prophecy complete. They could not. At that time the anointed King of God’s kingdom had only made his appearance on earth and laid down a ransom sacrifice for his people and had gone back to heaven to sit at Jehovah’s right hand. God’s kingdom by him did not then begin. The “seven times” that were allowed for uninterrupted Gentile domination of the earth had yet many centuries to run. Extending 2,520 years from Jerusalem’s destruction in 607 B.C., they ended first in 1914 (A.D.) Then came Jehovah God’s own appointed time for him to take his rightful power over earth and begin to reign toward it by his anointed King Christ Jesus. The signs which Jesus foretold for the end of this world prove that Jehovah’s kingdom by

    11. How in this case was Jehovah’s glory revealed? and who saw It? 12. Why was that not the complete fulfillment of the prophecy? him began exercising power toward our earth that year, for in 1914 those predicted signs started fulfilling, beginning with World War I. These signs included a great persecution of those Christians who were proclaiming the end of the Gentile times and the start of God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus. (Matt. 24:7-14) There were many inducements to fear applied by the enemy to these witnesses of Jehovah. Violent demonstrations of opposition were made and unjust restrictions were placed upon their activities. As a result they were dragged into a captive state, like that of the exiled Israelites in Babylon.

    13 Jehovah God was displeased at their manifestation of fear and their inaction at a time when the Kingdom was to be preached to all the nations. Under his indignation they suffered in captivity at enemy hands. (Isa. 12:1) But he did not leave them comfortless. When they had experienced their term of hard service and paid the full measure of punishment for their failure in God’s service and righteous cause, he sent the evidence that their iniquity had been pardoned. In 1919, the first postwar year, the great comfort came. By his King Christ Jesus at the temple Jehovah God began releasing his repentant people from their Babylonish captivity. Then a voice was heard through the unfolding Word of God, bidding his captive people go forth from their captivity of fear and religious ignorance. Follow Jehovah’s King and Leader for you, Christ Jesus, over the highway through the wilderness of this world back to the true and fearless worship and service .of Jehovah God. As the Establisher of the Kingdom, he raised up Christ Jesus as the great Signal on the heavenly Mount Zion, and to this great royal Signal all peoples seeking peace and happiness under a perfect, righteous Government must assemble. They must take their stand on his side and identify themselves with the Kingdom so as to gain everlasting life and deliverance from this world doomed now to an early destruction. They must lift up or raise this Signal on earth by making Christ known as the rightful King of this earth which is God’s footstool.

    14 A courageous remnant of Jehovah’s faithful witnesses responded to the “voice” that called attention to the “way of Jehovah” through the wilderness of the postwar world and they resumed their testifying to His kingdom by Christ, but with increasing fearlessness and boldness. In that marked year of 1919 there were upward of 7,000 of them that assembled in an eight-day international convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, at the beginning of September, in order to encourage one another in the Kingdom work and to receive up-to-date working instructions. As the years went on, more and more of such spiritual Israelites responded to the voice to go over this

    13. When and how did God then begin to comfort big people?

    14. Since then, who have come over this “way of Jehovah’*? highway of truth and consecration, over which Jehovah by his King at the head of his consecrated witnesses was leading them back to his favor and to his Theocratic organization. Today, thirty years since the beginning of that march, there are 25,395 such spiritual Israelites who have identified themselves at the past Memorial of Christ’s death throughout the earth. Besides these, there were 350,998 persons of good-will that attended this Memorial celebration. They openly showed their association with the remnant of spiritual Israelites in worshiping Jehovah as God and in rendering allegiance to Christ Jesus as his anointed King of the New World. All these 376,393 had been displaced persons in the Babylonish world, but now they had been brought over the “highway” and restored to Jehovah’s Theocratic organization and its service. How comforted they are!

    A GOD WHOSE PURPOSE CANNOT FAIL

    PERSONS acquainted with the wilderness of hard, trialsome experience through which Jehovah’s witnesses have traveled during these thirty years since 1919 will concede that the abovementioned assembly of 376,393 of the spiritual remnant and their earthly associates of good-will is marvelous. It is solid proof that Jehovah is a God whose purpose cannot fail. Once spoken, his word stands and will never be recalled, no matter how much time may intervene before it is completely fulfilled. This is the import of Isaiah's words next following his prophecy on preparing the “way of Jehovah”, namely: “The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry?” Listen, all peoples and nations, to what the cry must be. This: “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.” (Isa. 40:6-8, Am. Stan. Ver.) Faced with that statement, who can deny that the vindication of God’s Word is of vaster importance than saving human flesh?

    2 To God the Creator how insignificant a man is, yes, all the people! Together, they all are like a large field of grass or green vegetation that takes just a hot wind of Jehovah’s creation to scorch to a crisp. Even “the rich”, who are like the flower among the general vegetation, are no more enduring: “for the rich will pass away like the flower of the grass—up comes the sun with the scorching wind and withers the grass, its flower drops off, and the splendour of it is ruined: so shall the rich fade away amid their pursuits.” (Jas. 1:10,11, Moffatt) How these rich will howl, how much more they will howl than the rest of mankind, when the “breath of Jehovah” at the battle of Armageddon sears all their worldly beauty! Then as never before the “word of our God” will stand forth as unfailing truth, fully proved to his glory, and all those who stick to that Word of truth will live on with it.

    1. Of what la the assembly last year of 370.393 a proof? 2-4. What is that word enduring forever? and who preach It?

    s This Word is the good news that God has provided about his coming Idngdom. The inspired apostle Peter makes this interpretation sure for us. Addressing those who have been born to a new and spiritual life through the word of our God, he says: “The word of God who liveth and remaineth for ever. For all flesh is as grass; and all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass is withered, and the flower thereof is fallen away. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel hath been preached unto you.” (1 Pet. 1: 23-25, Douay) This is the gospel of salvation through God’s kingdom. This gospel message, reinforced as it is by the setting up of his kingdom A.D. 1914, has been preached by his witnesses particularly since coming over the highway in 1919.

    4 Thus God’s prophetic words through Christ have endured during the nineteen centuries since first they were spoken, and now, in these years since World War I (A.D. 1914-1918), they find their fulfillment in the Kingdom proclamation by Jehovah’s witnesses, namely, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:14) During those nineteen centuries humankind has grown up and died off like grass, but God’s written Word has survived all the efforts of the Devil to destroy it. It has lived on and today is coming true despite the most intense political and religious opposition. How foolish of the blades of human grass to think they can defeat God’s expressed purpose and word!

    6 Knowing his power to accomplish his good purpose, Jehovah God is not afraid to declare it openly before all the Devil’s crowd. For example, he not only foretold the exile of his ancient people to Babylon but also announced his merciful purpose to regather them and lead them back to their homeland, there to serve him and to worship him at his rebuilt temple. In 537 B.C. a remnant of Israelite exiles left Babylon and came back over the highway through the wilderness to Mount Zion where King David and 5, 6. Why did God openly declare his purpose, and by what means9 his long line of successors had sat on the throne. Back they came to the capital city Jerusalem where they used to gather to God’s temple, and to the cities of Judah where they had lived and enjoyed the fruits of the land. But that first fulfillment of his prophecy was merely an illustration. It showed how he would make a larger gathering and restoration of his people at the climax of the Devil’s organization. All the world would be against it, but Jehovah would carry out his purpose just the same. He would do so after he had defied all the rulers of this world and had set his King Christ Jesus upon the throne in the heavenly height of Zion as the new Ruler brought forth from his “woman”, his Theocratic organization which is Jerusalem above. The time came in 1919 (A.D.). His people on earth were somewhat disorganized and bewildered. They must be notified of the arrival of the time of restoration. The ruling factors of this world would never decree their restoration. So by his royal Messenger at the temple, Christ Jesus, Jehovah God sounded the call to restoration. The facts prove that, as a means of communication, he used the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society7. The prophecy says:

    6 “0 thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; 0 thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young.”—Isa. 40: 9-11, Am. Stan. Ver.

    LIFT UP THE VOICE WITH STRENGTH, UNAFRAID

    ’ The one addressed as the teller of good tidings is in the feminine gender in the Hebrew text. Accordingly the commentator Clarke renders the verse, “0 daughter, that bringest glad tidings to Zion,” and Rotherham renders it, “To a high mountain get ye up, 0 heraldess of Zion, lift high with strength your voice, 0 heraldess of Jerusalem, lift it high, do not fear, say to the cities of Judah—Lo! your God!” {Marginal reading) This heraldess or herald-band would be like the rejoicing band of women under Moses’ sister Miriam, when they danced and sang at Jehovah’s deliverance of his people from the Egyptians at the Red sea and said: “Sing ye to Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Ex. 15: 20, 21, Am. Stan. Ver.) Also, the heraldess or herald-band would be like the women who celebrated Jehovah’s victory over the Philistines by his mighty warrior

    7 , 8. Why is the 'teller of good tidings’ addressed as a female?

    David. As we read: "On their return, as David came back from killing the Philistine, the women came dancing out of all the towns of Israel to meet king Saul with tambourines and paeans of joy and cym-bols; as they danced, the women sang to each other, Saul has slain his thousands, David tens of thousands !”—1 Sam. 18: 6, 7, Moffatt.

    8 Psalm 68 is another prophecy of deliverance and restoration, and it calls attention to the same joyful “heraldess” or herald-band, saying: ‘The Lord giveth the word: the women that publish the tidings are a great host.” (Ps. 68:11, Am.Stan.Ver.) But in our day even the persons of good-will courageously catch up the public announcement of restoration for all who seek Jehovah’s worship, as illustrated by the daughter of Jephthah when he returned from victory over the enemy oppressors. “And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances.” —Judg. 11: 34.

    8 In fulfillment of the prophetic command at Isaiah 40:9-11, now is the time for us to announce with joy the restoring of the free and fearless worship of the living and true God in the earth, and hence the time to say to all those who hope in Jehovah’s kingdom promise: “Behold, your God!” This God lives! His Word stands forever! He never fails his word, but always remembers it and vindicates it by carrying it out in due time. This is therefore no time to hold back timidly or to hole up in some underground retreat. You members of his faithful remnant who are equipped with the message of restoration, show yourselves openly as an organization upon a mountaintop. Get up higher than the housetops, where your voice of proclamation will carry far and wide. Lift up your voice powerfully and boldly and let all mankind, all nations, know that Jehovah God lives and has restored you to his pure worship within his Theocratic organization. Let others see and hear the freedom of worship he has given you and so encourage them to take advantage of the highway to liberty which God by his King Christ Jesus has caused to be prepared. Assure them that God will welcome them to his organization under his now established kingdom by Christ Jesus.

    10 Let the message be heard by persons in all nations who have a heart desire to know the true God, Jehovah, and to worship and serve him with the freedom that the truth imparts. In 1914 this Sovereign of the universe came as a Mighty One and set up his kingdom with reference to our earth, “his own arm having won him the kingdom.” (Isa. 40:10, An Amer. Trans.) Christ Jesus his Son acts as an “arm” of strength for him. Because this Son showed himself faithful when on trial as a man on earth and

    9 . For what message and course of action is It hence the time?

    10 How did Jehovah come aa a mighty one and his “arm" rule for him'’ gave up everything for the kingdom of God, Jehovah installed him upon the throne at the end of the Gentile times A.D. 1914. He must act as a royal “arm” of power for Jehovah. The first thing this Arm did was to hurl Satan the Devil and his wicked angels out of heaven and down to our earth, God’s footstool. In 1918 Jehovah sent his royal Son to the temple for judging work at the house of God. Through this Son as judge, Jehovah deals out his rewards to those who lovingly serve him, but his recompenses to the foes who fight against his kingdom.

    11 One of his works since A.D. 1918 is that of regathering his scattered, disorganized, captive sheep. Like a tender shepherd Jehovah regathers them and brings them back to him. He uses his King at the temple as the Good Shepherd to lead them with the greatest of care over the highway through the wilderness back to Jehovah’s Theocratic organization. First of all, his Good Shepherd regathers and leads back the faithful remnant of his “little flock” of Kingdom joint-heirs. Jehovah, by his strong right “arm” Christ Jesus, gathers the weak and young believers and bears them up like lambs, carrying them along in the bosom of his loving favor and heartfelt compassion. Out of consideration of those who have children whom they are bringing up in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord”, Jehovah by his Good Shepherd does not overdrive his flock lest parents and children should die spiritually. He shows the same merciful consideration for the spiritual welfare of his flock that the patriarchal shepherd Jacob did, when he explained to Esau and said: “My lord know-eth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.” (Gen. 33:13) Moreover, the faithful remnant of the “little flock”, like ewes, are spiritually nourishing the great multitude of sheeplike persons of good-will. The Good Shepherd said he had “other sheep” in mind and that one day he would gather these. (John 10:16) His parable of the sheep and the goats is now having its fulfillment at this end of the world, producing the proof that he is now gathering and leading his “other sheep” over the highway. (Matt. 25: 31-46) All his obedient followers are at present rewarded with a share in this, gathering work.

    HOW GOD SIZES UP THE NATIONS

    13 More and more the facts show that God’s ways are not the ways of sinful men, and his thoughts are different from man’s. The nations of this world never had any thought of the restoration of Jehovah’s witnesses to his organized service. With a vindictiveness against the God whom these witnesses worship the nations determined to destroy them during World 11. How since 1918 has Jehovah acted as a compassionate Shepherd? 12. What attitude and conduct do nations show toward restoration?

    War I, particularly in 1918. They rejoiced over their seeming success in crushing them, never to rise again. They never did count on Jehovah’s resurrecting them from their deathlike captivity under oppressive world powers. They were opposed to their restoration in 1919, and now that they have been so amazingly restored the nations would like to lead the witnesses of Jehovah back to exile and captivity. In unfair ways they use political, judicial, legislative, military and religious means to obstruct any “other sheep” that would like to respond to Jehovah’s message of restoration that is now being fearlessly proclaimed by his witnesses upon the mountaintop. The enemy would like to tear down the' royal Signal, Jehovah’s enthroned King Christ Jesus, that his restored people are courageously lifting up before all nations for all lovers of liberty, truth and perfect government to assemble to it, going over the highway prepared through the worldly wilderness. But what are al! these enemy nations when compared with God!

    13 Can men and nations turn back the tide of the mighty seas! The seven seas cover about three-fourths of the earth’s surface, and yet to Jehovah they are like a bit of water in the hollow of one’s hand. To him the heavens that seem so broad when swept by the most powerful telescope from horizon to horizon are, for distance, like the few inches of measure from the end of a man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when the hand is spread out. Human scientists, by mathematical calculations, have tried to figure out the weight of our earthly globe, but Jehovah can scoop up all of earth’s dust as with a peck measure and can weigh the towering mountains and rolling hills in a small pair of scales. The worldly nations have produced many brainy men, wise in the wisdom, philosophy, sciences and religions of this world. Yet where has there been one of these to interpret God’s written Word or to advise him what to do under present conditions or to dictate to him what to do in the future? Very properly the prophet Isaiah asks the question:

    11 “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and ruled off the heavens with a span, and inclosed in a measure the dust of the earth, and weighed the mountains with a balance, and the hills in scales! Who has directed the mind of the Lord, and instructed him as his counselor! With whom took he counsel for his enlightenment, and who taught him the right path! Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of intelligence! Lo! the nations are like a drop from a bucket, like fine dust in the scales are they counted. Lo! the coastlands weigh no more than a grain.”—Isa. 40:12-15, An Amer. Trans.

    13, 14. How do heaven* earth and human minds compare with God?

    15 How this divine size-up of all nations and political governments, from the United States of America on down to Vatican City, ought to humble them! But does it? No! They refuse to adopt God’s viewpoint and keep on scheming and working against his good purpose to bless all mankind by his kingdom under Christ. They pride themselves on their own cultures, civilization, achievements and national and religious traditions. Yet never have they contributed one thing to Jehovah’s wisdom, understanding and intelligence. They show they despise his wisdom, intelligence and advice, for they despise and persecute his witnesses who do depend upon him alone for knowledge, wisdom, counsel, direction and help and who preach his Word alone. At the same time the nations, to pretend to be godly, claim to make great sacrifices and offerings to him at the cost of large sums of money and of countless human lives. But suppose they were to take as firewood all the vast forests that anciently covered the Lebanon mountains and were to offer all the beasts that roamed those mountains. Even then this tremendous holocaust would not be an adequate sacrifice to him. It would not be worth the value of the ransom sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. As the prophet Isaiah goes on to say: “Even Lebanon is not fuel enough for him, nor its cattle a sufficient sacrifice. Before him all the nations are as nothing; to him they are but empty and inane*.” (Isa. 40:16,17, Moffatt) As for successfully resisting his purposes, they might as well be nothing. He will literally reduce them to an empty waste at the impending battle of Armageddon.

    IMPOSSIBLE TO MANUFACTURE A LIKENESS OF HIM

    18 Jehovah God can do things it is impossible for his creature man to do. No man can behold him and live. In fact, no men, either the Israelites when receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai or the personal disciples of Jesus Christ, ever saw the shape of Jehovah God. Why, then, should any man, rich or poor, make an idol image and say that it is God or pictures God! Almighty God does not worship any man or animal that He created, and why, therefore, should man worship any animal or even any fellow man or any thing that man can make! To turn intelligent man away from worshiping the true God, Satan the Devil induces man to worship the things God created, or even to worship the things that man himself fabricates. In the second of the Ten Commandments Jehovah God commanded his people not to make any likeness of any creature and then to idolize it. (Ex. 20:1-6) He exposes the foolishness

    * An American Translation reads: “Blank ciphers he counts them.” But the Hebrews had no "blank cipher”, like our zero, to stand for nothing.

    15. To what extent la sacrifice by the nations Insufficient?

    16. Why Is it unbecoming to worship God through Idol-Images? of such a religious course by saying through his prophet: “To whom, then, would you liken God, or what likeness would you place over against him! An idol! the smelter casts it, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and fastens it with silver links. He who [because too poor to offer gold or silver for a metallic idol] would provide himself with an image of wood chooses a tree that will not rot; then seeks out a skillful workman to set up an image that cannot move.”—Isa. 40:18-20, An Amer. Trans.

    17 In these days the vital question is, Who is God! Besides the many local gods and idols set up by the various peoples and religious systems, today more than fifty nations of the world get together and form a league, an international organization called "United Nations”. To them it is an image of human wisdom, international control and world salvation. The leading nations work at it, set it up for worship by all mankind and then contribute to its maintenance and operations and build a capital city for it. A blasphemous substitute this is for the real Ruler, the only Hope of mankind and Source of saving power, namely, Jehovah God. Contrary to helping the human mind to focus attention upon the real thing, it takes the mind off Jehovah God. These idolaters get to fearing this grotesque man-made representative of Deity more than they fear the real God. Since God is beyond our comprehension, how unbecoming it is for us to compare anything within our imagination with him! How belittling, how undignifying it is to God to represent him as like any created thing we know! Since God does not worship the things he creates, then for us to be godlike we should not worship anything that man makes. If it is disobedient to do honors to make-believe images of God, whom we have not seen, how much more insane and disobedient it is to render worship to an image of a creature we have seen! So let us not deify any visible creature.

    18 For an answer to the question, Who is God! hear the prophet Isaiah say to idol-worshipers: “Have ye never taken note! Have ye never heard! Hath it not from the beginning been told you ! Have ye not been led to discern, from the foundations of the earth! It is he who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, while the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers,—Who stretcheth forth as a curtain the heavens, and spread-eth them out as a tent to dwell in; who delivereth dignitaries to nothingness,—judges of earth like a desolation hath he made: scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely hath their stock begun to take root in the earth when he hath just blown upon them and they have withered, and a whirlwind as though they had been chaff carrieth them away.”—Isa. 40: 21-24, Rotherham.

    IT, 18. Who should idol-worshipers take note that God is?

    19 Without feeling any personal embarrassment Jehovah’s witnesses are boldly declaring who God is. The time is here for men and nations to take note of who he is. Man’s simple intelligence, upon beholding the visible wonders of nature, should instruct him that the supreme, all-harmonizing Creator of all these things is the true God, so high above all visible creation that nations are like swarms of grasshoppers and cannot view him. It is his scheduled time for his kingdom by Christ to rule the earth. Do the nations, either singly or as United Nations, think they can for long stand in the way of his rightful kingdom and endure? Do they think they can now force him to recognize them or their United Nations or other future world government as the de facto government of the earth? Do they think themselves entitled to de jure recognition, either by a lawful title in their own right or by right derived from the people? How foolish for them to think so!

    20 At the universal war of Armageddon Jehovah God will painfully show them they are not the de facto or actual government of the earth since A.D. 1914. As for de jure recognition by him, he let the Gentile nations have “seven times” of domination over the earth from 607 B.C. to A.D. 1914. But this was not as of their own right. It was out of his permission and toleration of them until the time came for him to inaugurate his own rightful Theocratic Government. Romans 13:1-4 does not say they ever had a de jure title from God to rule. Now, since 1914, his kingdom by Christ is the only de facto and de jure Government. Only for just a little longer now will the nations go on defying that fact and persecuting his witnesses for preaching the Kingdom message to the people. The rulers may go on building up and strengthening their United Nations or other form of world government in hope of perpetual peace, prosperity and order. But scarcely will they have it planted, sown and rooted in the earth, when Jehovah God will suddenly blow at them in his hot displeasure. It will wither like a puny plant. His raging storm of Armageddon will sweep away their strongly entrenched organizations like straw and chaff. Down to nothing will come their highly exalted, much betitled nobles. Their religious and political judges and rulers of this world will be ruined, the idol-gods that they have made and upon whom they caH for-help being unable to save them from destruction at the hands of the living and true God whom they hate and offend. Only by their destruction at Armageddon will the issue of who is God and de jure Sovereign over all be settled.

    21 Is it not, then, high time to quit resting our hope and trust in princes, religious and political, and in man-made national and international structures, and 19, 20. Shortly how will God deal with human rulers and Judges? Why? 21. What course, then, should we take toward God? to render to God the faith, hope, trust, worship and service that are his due? These rightfully belong to him pre-eminently above all other things that belong to “Caesar”. Honor God by getting a proper conception of him according to his Word, and then order your life according to that Scriptural conception. Lift up your eyes to the visible heavens and read the instruction they convey about the living and true God in the light of the written revelation he has given us in the Holy Scriptures.

    22 Do not make any visible creature your god by rendering to it what is owing to Jehovah God only. By the mouth of Isaiah he continues reasoning with intelligent men, saying: “ ‘To whom, then, would you liken me, that I should be equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see! who created these? He who brought forth their host by number, and called them all by name; through the greatness of his might, and the strength of his power, not one is missing.” (Isa. 40:25, 26, An Amer. Trans.) Viewing the arch of the northern heavens through the giant, 200-inch telescope atop Mount Palomar, man is for the first time seeing hosts of stars that till now were missing from his limited vision, but not missing from God’s endless universe. Not one of these fails to appear as man’s vision penetrates farther into the skies, because the great might and strong power of a supreme, personal Creator put each celestial body there. He knows each one is there, and he calls them all by names he has given, and not the names of mythology. How, then, can we liken their Creator to anything at all as his equal ?

    NO REASON FOR GETTING EXHAUSTED

    23 This almighty Creator, this rightful Sovereign of the universe, is the One whom Jehovah’s witnesses own and confess as their God. For bearing witness to him and his benevolent purpose they have suffered unspeakable persecution since A.D. 1914 at the hands of all nations and religious systems, just as Jesus predicted. (Matt. 24:9-13) The persecutions cleave to us and threaten to grow worse, and the omnipotent God lets us suffer the denial and treading down of our rights by religious, political and judicial persecutors. To outside onlookers it might seem to be unbearable. Even the persecutors look and hope earnestly for the time when the mounting, spreading persecution will compel Jehovah’s witnesses to renounce the true God and his King and to forsake his worship and witness work. But there is no reason for Jehovah’s witnesses to begin to think that their experience of continual suffering and reproach is overlooked by him and that he does not care about protecting and vindicating our rights on earth. There is no reason for us to fear that if this permission of

    22. Why does a look at the heavens show we cannot liken God to anything? 23. What do we suffer for the Creator, but never beyond enduring? world-wide opposition and persecution keeps up much longer human endurance will be put to the limit and we shall simply have to give up. Says the prophet Isaiah:

    "Why should you say, 0 Jacob, and speak, 0 Israel: ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my rights are passed over by my God?’ Have you not known! Have you not heard? The Lord is a God everlasting, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint, nor grow weary; his insight is unfathomable. He gives power to the fainting, and to him that has no might he increases strength. Though the youths faint and grow weary, though the young men fall prostrate, they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”—Isa. 40:27-31, An Amer. Trans.

    Under earthly hardship and persecution, far be it from us to complain or take offense against God and his Theocratic organization and fall away. He who sustains the universe everlastingly, without slumbering day or night, can uphold us for as long as he permits the Devil’s world organization to carry on and push its persecution of us. He who knows by name all the stars he created in the heavens must certainly know each of the loving men and women that have consecrated themselves to him through Christ the King, and he will never forsake them to the enemy’s power. The enemy ■will wear out their own strength and might in devilishly opposing and battering against His purpose. From him as an inexhaustible source of strength we his consecrated

    24. Why under hardship need we never coinplain, take offense and quit’ people can draw fresh strength under each new difficulty and trial, even if worse than any previous. Youths and young men in the Devil’s worldly employ will faint, wear out and collapse, but God will vindicate his power by renewing the strength of his faithfully enduring people.

    ” In 1919, instead of continuing to lie prone in the dust in defeat, Jehovah’s people arose at his call to service. In his strength they mounted up as if on the wings of eagles to spiritual heights of blessing and service. As if on powerful, broadly spreading wings they continue to soar aloft and sweep about high above human sordidness in the glorious, refreshing freedom of the heavens. The race course that they run to the prize of everlasting life in the new world of righteousness will not wear them down to giving out before grasping the prize. The Almighty God assures us he will have on earth a people that can walk on in the way of his righteous service and never faint and drop out. He has lived up to his promise and has renewed the strength of the aged remnant to carry on through these thirty years since 1919. Because they continue to wait upon him so trustfully, he will maintain their strength till the finish of the witness work. He will also strengthen the “rising generation” of consecrated persons of goodwill who join the remnant in the precious service of Jehovah God and his reigning Bang Christ Jesus. The invincible God will do this, because his purpose cannot fail. Before all living creation in heaven and in earth it will be gloriously accomplished to his eternal vindication and for the everlasting blessing of all who love and serve him.

    25. How have those who trusted Him fared and will they yet fare?

    AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR RELEASING MANKIND

    DEATH was the penalty provided for menstealing. (Ex. 21:16; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10) Modern menstealers demand a ransom in money for the release of their victim to the bereaved ones, but the ransom of which the following article treats is a different kind of ransom for procuring the release of mankind from their fallen condition and from death.

    The first translation of the Holy Scriptures was from Hebrew into Greek, and thereafter the Christian Scriptures were written by Christ’s apostles and disciples in Greek. Now, there is a Greek word, namely, lytron, which means “something with which to release or loosen”, that is, a redemption “price”. It is the word occurring at Matthew 20:27, 28 and there translated “ransom”, as follows: “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Here the Greek word lytron (ransom) is followed by the preposition anti meaning either instead of, corresponding to, or in behalf of. This arrangement of noun and preposition (lytron anti) is just the reverse of the compound Greek word, at 1 Timothy 2: 6, namely anti-lytron. At Matthew 20: 28 above quoted the anti could not mean “exactly corresponding” in price, because the lifeblood of Jesus Christ the speaker was not exactly corresponding to the “many” for whom he laid down his life, but it was “in behalf of” these many. At 1 Timothy 2:6, however, the anti does mean “exactly corresponding”, and corresponding in what way is shown us by Deuteronomy 19: 21, which shows that the human life that buys and releases must be a price exactly corresponding to the life that was forfeited by Adam. Hence the life that Jesus laid down must be equivalent to the forfeited human life that he ransoms for the many who accept the benefit of the ransom.

    Another record of Jesus’ words on this subject is found at Mark 10:44, 45, reading: “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for [Greek: lytron anti] many.” Jesus gave no money ransom but gave his perfect human life a ransom in behalf of many descendants of Adam. Jesus bought for such the full and complete life, with the right to it, for as many of mankind as would comply with God’s fixed rules for gaining eternal salvation. Certainly Jesus did not come to save and give his life for the willfully wicked. True, he did die for us while we were God’s enemies, as we read: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Rom. 5:8, 10) However, the persons referred to here as we and us do not include the willfully wicked, but those who accepted the benefit of Christ’s ransom sacrifice and whom the apostle Paul addressed at chapter 1 verse 7 as "saints”.

    At 1 Timothy 2:3-6 we read: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom [antilytron] for all, to be testified in due time.” The sum of this inspired statement is that God is no respecter of persons. It is his will that all kinds of men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Despite there being so many kinds of men, there is but one God and but one mediator between this one God and all men, and that one is Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom, or corresponding price, in behalf of all, that is, all kinds of men and all of such as seek salvation in God’s appointed way.

    Manifestly the meaning here is that Christ Jesus is the Mediator of all who are brought into the new covenant to do the will of Jehovah. Hence it is plain that the ransom sacrifice of Jesus does not automatically benefit every individual man, whether such man wishes so or not; but only those men receive the benefits resulting from the ransom who first seek the way of righteousness and believe on God as the Almighty Supreme One and on the blood of his Son as the means of salvation, and who then willingly agree to do God’s will. Without Christ Jesus, the Mediator, no man could be reconciled to God. Jesus has bought the human race with his own perfect blood, and he releases from the disability of sin only those who are willing to be delivered and saved to life eternal.

    God has shown his mercy to sinful men, Adam’s offspring, and this is the result of his loving-kindness. Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Thus only those believing in him are rescued from perishing. Jesus added: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16, 17) That manifestation of God’s mercy through his Son is that men “might” be saved, and not that they must be saved whether they desire it, believe, or do otherwise.

    …