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[Book Index]
Chapter Page.
1. The New World. 9
2. Other Heavens And Earth. 50
3. Kingdom Of Heaven. 88
4. Job. 129
5. Integrity. 174
6. Worst of times. 217
7. Vindicator. 233
8. Love Of Theocracy. 252
9. Elihu. 270
10. Vindication. 307
11. Final End At Hand. 321
12. All Things New. 346
Index 373
Index To Scriptures Cited 380
THE NEW WORLD. CHAPTER 1.[]
A NEW WORLD! Who can create such a thing? What will it be like? According to whose ideas will it be made? Will it suit everybody that lives? Shall it endure forever? The right answer, backed by authority that cannot be questioned, comforts those that mourn because of wicked world conditions, and quiets all fears of the future that is shrouded in darkness and uncertainty. It fills the heart of righteous persons with hope. Receiving that authoritative information, such ones are put at case with the assurance that the new world will be absolutely perfect and will completely satisfy their heart's desire and more than fulfill their highest expectations. Trusting in that reliable information, and comparing it with the distress of nations and increasing perplexity and confusion, such favored persons are fairly overwhelmed with the conviction, yes, their hearts bound up with joy, that THE NEW WORLD IS AT THE DOORS. Its light pierces through the gloom of earth and brightens up their faces. That cheering light they reflect to other hearts in sadness.
It is a time for all lovers of righteousness and truth to take courage and rejoice. It is a time for all who would live under a righteous rule to examine the facts in the light of that incoming new world and to learn the truth and then be guided by it. The difficulties in the way and the cost of time and study on your part are not to be compared with the rewards to you of knowledge, understanding, peace, joy and hope of life. The time is short. Those who do not inform themselves and who do not now choose the new world which Higher Powers shall establish will never live to enter into blessings and glories. It is for those who desire it and prepare for it. None shall be forced into it against their will and choice.
The new world means more than the nations realize. It calls for more than THEY can muster. The bald fact is that they do not want it. For that reason the promised new world of lasting peace, which world shall be what all lovers of right want, should not be confused with the so-called "new order" or "new world order" which is today held up by political and religious dictators as a lure to the people. The righteous new world is the very opposite of that selfish and ambitious human scheme. Such scheme seeks realization by harsh, brutal might, by the destruction of millions of lives and peaceful homes, by the forcing of the common people contrary to their conscience and personal free choice, and, for shame! by the co-operation of religion to persuade the subjected peoples that such "new order" is according to the will of Almighty God. Set up by such means and ways and for such purposes, that proposed "order" could never be the expression of the will of a God of truth and justice. It shall never endure, even though backed up by religion. Because it stands in the way of the new world and poses as a counterfeit substitute for it, that "order" shall go down, and its allies with it.
Not by human wish and power and effort shall this be, but by the almighty power and decree of the great Ruler of the universe. He is the Great Authority on questions affecting the universe, including our earth and the nations and people thereon. He is the ONE SOURCE of dependable information that satisfies the longing of honest hearts for the truth. His revealed Word, the sacred Bible, was written by truthful men at His inspiration. It is his means or channel for bringing this unerring information to the teachable persons who seek righteousness and life. He is the One Interpreter of his own prophetic Word. He brings to pass in our day the conditions and events which fulfill and make clear the hidden meaning of the prophecy, and then he opens the eyes of the searchers of his Word to see the agreement or correspondency between prophecy and the hard facts in evidence today. With confidence and without fear of disappointment, therefore, the sincere seekers can approach his Word: "knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the holy spirit." (Quoted from 2 Peter 1: 20, 21, Am. Rev. Ver.) Therefore, to the great Ruler of the universe all credit, honor and thanksgiving are due for all the revealed information on the new world which shall transform the lives of humankind on earth.
Great upheaval is under way on earth. With the new methods of warfare, with the modern means of travel and communication, with the startling discoveries of science, and with the truth flashing forth and exposing unfounded claims and doctrines of religion, there must be a change. The need of the new is admitted; the old must pass out. Humans are prone to cling to the old, because accustomed to it, notwithstanding it has been to their hurt. A few selfish men have reaped profit, advantage, power and control from the old and prefer it. Painfully aware of the forces moving in the direction of the new, they try to control the movement. They offer things which they call new, but which are merely camouflaged with modern names and dress and are underneath the same old things to their selfish benefit. The suggested "new world order" is just such an instance, of where men call black white and white black. Careful investigation discloses that there are forces stronger than man which prevent him from setting up a truly "new order". Man can change only the surface appearance of a few things on parts of the earth and can make them look new for only a part of the time; he can- not control the things which are higher than man and unseen to him. However, the One who sits upon the throne of the universe has said and has had it recorded for our comfort today: "Behold, I make all things new. . . . Write; for these words are true and faithful." - Revelation 21: 5.
Man's talk about a "new world" by human accomplishment is very recent and is really designed to check man's progress and freedom. Already six thousand years ago the Creator foretold the building and coming of the new world and that it would liberate obedient men from deception, oppression and death. In all those centuries since he has never forgotten that promise and covenant. In our day he redeems that irrevocable promise and proves his word faithful and true and hence trustworthy always. Concerning him it was said under inspiration: "His work is perfect." (Deuteronomy 32: 4)
Why, then, in the very dawn of man's habitation on the earth did the Creator of perfection foretell a NEW world? For an answer to that question it is necessary to review the facts concerning the world which the Creator made originally and what happened to it, and then the facts concerning the world that now exists and the causes for its present distress.
"WORLD"
The word "world" as used by the great Creator is not limited to the earth and the things visible to man. The inspired Scriptures of truth show that "world" includes the heavens, or things higher and unseen to man, as well as the earth. It means the invisible and the visible together, the invisible affecting what is visible to the human eye and dominating it. Hence for our good cheer in the time of the seeming triumph of wickedness this sure word of Almighty God is given: "And I will punish the world f or their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger." (Isaiah 13:11, 13) This proves that the misnamed "new world order" shall be shaken out as wicked. The world that God created originally and as man first knew it was altogether different from this world into which we have been born. It was different from what the new world shall be. The account of creation or of the genesis of man opens up, saying: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) The material, visible things are to man the truthful evidence of the existence of higher and invisible things, particularly the existence of the Supreme One, the invisible Creator who is divine and therefore God Almighty. "For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity." Hence all who deny the existence of the Most High God are "without excuse" and show them- selves to be fools. - Romans 1: 20, A.R.V.; Psalm 14:1.
The first man "Adam", being the handiwork of Almighty God, was perfect. A wife and helpmeet, Eve, w as made from bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, and she likewise was perfect. "For Adam was first formed, then Eve." (1 Timothy 2: 13) Adam was therefore head over the women, and she was the helpmeet to him. He was the one having communication with the invisible spirit representative of the Almighty God. As such Adam was a part, the visible and earthly part, of that original world. What, then, was the superior part, or the "heavens", of that world? That hart was spirit, just as God himself is a spirit, and hence was invisible to the perfect man. The fact that there was a spiritual power operating in Eden is proved by the fact that one of the creatures in Eden, the sec ant, talked with Adam's wife concerning he things of God, miraculously. Unseen spirit power was behind that.
The creation of the heavens was first. L n measured time before man's creation the invisible Ruler of the universe created and surrounded himself with heavenly creatures and caused these spirit creatures to move throughout the universe in the obedient performance of his commands. Concerning them it is written: "Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word." (Psalm 103: 20) Receiving their life from the great Fountain of life, these were all "sons of God", spirit sons. Who was the first son of God created? The very one who is "the beginning of the creation of God" identifies himself to us. He is the same one that later was born as a man by the miracle of God and was called Jesus Christ. (Revelation 3: 14) He is "the firstborn of every creature" firstborn not only in time of being created but also firstborn in his pre-eminence among all God's priority or creatures. (Colossians 1:1a) Being the first and direct creation of God, he is the only begotten Son" of God, "the only begotten of the Father:" - John 1: 14, 18; 3: 16.
All other sons of God, including the perfect Adam, were brought into existence by God the Father through his firstborn Son. This co-operation at the time of man's creation is indicated by the words: "And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness." (Genesis 1:26) God's firstborn and only begotten Son was the mouth- piece of the Most High God and the Executor of His word to all the other sons of God. Hence he was called "The Word of God". In this position "The Word" was a mighty one, or "a god", and represented the Most High God; and concerning him it is written: "The same was in the beginning with God [Almighty]. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word [spokesman] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. " - John 1:1-3, 14.
The creation of God's only begotten Son, "The Word," was only the dawn of creation by God. Shortly thereafter came the morning of creation by God through his firstborn and beloved Son. Therefore it appears that the one next thereafter created was called the "son of the morning". His name was Lucifer, and he is thus addressed: "O Lucifer, son of the morning!" The name means "brilliant star", or, "lightbearer." (Isaiah 14:12 marginal reading) The title star prince in God's heavenly organization, one who is first in time and position. Because God's only begotten Son, The Word and Lucifer were princes, being brought forth at the very beginning of all creation, they a r e called "the morning stars". For a long time they worked together, and on special occasions of joy morning stars sang together" to the praise of the great Creator. (Job 38: 7) The Firstborn Son of God identifies himself as a "star", saying: "I am . . . the bright and morning star." And concerning his appearance among men in preparation for the new world it is written: "There shall come a STAR out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel . . . Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion." - Revelation 22:16; Numbers 24:17-19.
"After the mighty "morning star s the other spirit sons of God were brought forth all perfect, glorious, and holy. All these were organized in an orderly manner for God s service and to carry out his good purposes. Some were given positions and service as seraphim, others as cherubim, and others as archangels, and others as angels, which last name means "messengers". All these organized countless myriads of glorious spirit creatures made up God's universal organization, all in harmony and in tune with him and all subject to His direction. To Him the prayer rises: "Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth." (Psalm 80: 1) Thus, over and above all his universal organization, the Almighty God held the supremacy and exercised the universal domination. Because this universal organization is subject to him and is united to him with a holy attachment, it is spoken of in God's own prophecies as his "woman", or "wife", to whom he, the Creator of her, is the "husband". He also gives her the name "Zion", and he uses her, that is, his universal organization, to bring forth or to produce the creatures that shall have the dominion in the new world. - Isaiah 54:5, 13.
Then God by his great Executive Officer, The Word, made the earth for man and prepared it for human habitation, specially planting a garden spot or paradise in Eden. He created and put the perfect man and woman therein. In their innocence and perfection these human creatures became the visible or earthly part of God's universal organization, and to them God assigned their duties as members of his organization. The Creator's will must be done in the earth as in heaven. His will and purpose was and is that the earth shall be made everywhere a paradise and shall be peopled with a righteous race, all the members of which shall be in God's image and likeness and live in peace and happiness on earth for ever, to the glory of their Maker and Life-giver. Hence to Adam and Eve, the perfect and righteous ones, the great Universal Ruler said: "Be fruitful, and multiply, and [fills the earth. (Genesis 1:28) That command coming from the divine Being, it was the divine mandate to man. That would be a joyous privilege, but, together with the extending of the paradise of Eden to the four corners of the earth, it would present many problems to perfect man and woman. They were intelligent and capable and were the highest of earth's creatures, yet they were the most recent, and hence needed guidance and instruction from above. Furthermore, their Maker put them under a test of integrity or faultlessness of devotion to him, that they might demonstrate their perfection of obedience to him. He barred them from the eating of one fruit of the paradise garden, and gave the warning that to break God's commandment in this one particular would mean their loss of everything: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die." (Genesis 2: 17) To assist man in maintaining his integrity and to guide him in doing the will and the work of God, a guardianship over him would be helpful and a loving provision for man's good. It was provided.
"HEAVENS"
Adam in his perfection was the son of God. (Luke 3:38) The great heavenly Father placed as invisible guardian over his earthly son the beautiful "morning star", Lucifer, to enlighten the path of his earthly charges. This was a weighty trust to Lucifer, and the good and worthy name of the Creator was implicated with it. By faithfulness to his trust Lucifer would act in support of the universal domination of Almighty God in the earth and also for the lasting welfare of man. Being anointed or designated to that protective position over perfect man, Lucifer was called "the anointed cherub that covereth". To him the words apply: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou west upon the holy mountain of God; thou wast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." (Ezekiel 28: 13, 14) All things considered, it is plain that Lucifer did not work single-handed. Being a mighty one and also a prince, or "morning star", he was given and placed over a large body of lesser spirit creatures or angels, legions of them. These were organized into a working force under Lucifer to do their duties in the particular part of the universe, namely, the earth, to which the Supreme One assigned them. Thus all these angels with their princely head made up a special organization with a par titular assignment, but this organization, as long as it remained faithful, was also a part of God's universal organization.
That special organization of angels under Lucifer was spiritual, higher than man and invisible to him, and hence they constituted "the heavens" of that original world. The perfect man who was given the dominion over the fish and fowl and land creatures was the visible part of that world. He was "of the earth, earthy", and he constituted what w as called "the earth". That "heavens" and that "earth", therefore, composed the then perfect and righteous world. Did it remain such? Would it continue a part of God's universal organization and submit to his universal domination?
THEOCRATIC RULE.
In that original world, what was the manner of rule over man? Was it totalitarian rule Q Was it democratic rule? Was democratic rule purposed for the earth? Was the foundation there laid for democratic rule that it should not perish from the earth? Was man made to be the total ruler of earth's affairs? No! The Bible, God's Word, shows that it was a Theocratic rule. That is to say, the man derived his power to serve from God and he served by God's consent and authorization. The law given to man was not any law of a political party, and hence was not man-made, but was from God. That law applied not to one section or continent or local spot, but to all the earth and to all who should live therein. Man's obedience to that law would be his recognition of and submission to the universal domination of the Supreme Power, God Almighty, the Origin of all just, right laws. Man's departure from the Theocratic rule over earth proved to be his undoing and led to the great havoc visible on earth today.
Under the Theocratic rule all was happiness, peace and blessedness on the earth. Sickness and disease and cant and fear were unknown, the worship of God was pure and free and in spirit and in truth, and man was at peace with the lower animal creatures, over which he held the dominion. Then Lucifer became ambitious and began to encroach on man's freedom to worship God his Maker. Lucifer began to crave from man the worship man was giving to God Almighty. He knew that the one whom man would worship was or would be the one whom man would serve. To gain the worship for him-self, Lucifer, would mean that man would serve Lucifer, and that would take man out from under the universal domination of God. Serving in a subordinate position under God's universal domination and at the same time serving to maintain that domination in the earth became galling to Lucifer. In his heart he determined to challenge the universal domination of the Most High God and to rebel against it. That was where iniquity, or lawlessness, entered into and seized the heart or moving power of Lucifer. He set his heart on making UNIVERSAL DOMINATION the issue that would rock all creation. Then it was true concerning him: "Thou west perfect in thy ways from the day that thou west created, till iniquity was found in thee." - Ezekiel 28: 15.
Trying to upset and take away the universal domination of the Supreme One will surely prove Lucifer's complete downfall shortly. Foretelling this for a certainty as if already accomplished, the prophecy tells the reason: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in Nine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14) As long thereafter as that rebel lived that great issue would be pressing for a settlement.
SATAN APPEARS.
Lucifer now departed from the Ways of perfection and proceeded to carry out his iniquitous ambition. He rebelled against the Universal Governor and entered into a course of opposition to him. He there became Satan, which name means "opposer; adversary, antagonist". Lucifer already had an organization under him, but, to start off his own domination independent of God, he would attack at the ?aweakest and lowest part of that original world, namely, at man. He would capture the service of man by turning man aside from the worship of the Universal Ruler, who is God. But how?
Strange as it may sound, Satan proposed to do this by introducing religion into the world. Lucifer became religious and proceeded to set himself up as the founder and teacher of religion. He hated man's worship of God in spirit and in truth. Therefore the unfaithful Lucifer began to practice religious intolerance; he would uproot and destroy the worship of the true and living God from the earth. God's holy name was bound up in this matter, because the righteous creatures hallowed that name and loved it. God's sure and dependable word was also included. God had said, and would He do it? God's almighty power was also included. Could He exercise sufficient power to fulfill and keep his word in the face of stiff opposition? Never before had he been opposed. God's word had declared that man should die if disobedient. Lucifer, as the "covering cherub" over man, had been given the "power of death" as God's representative toward man. (Hebrews 2:14) By rebelliously refusing to exercise that power of death against man if man would join him in rebellion against God Satan would bring God's name into disrepute, his word under suspicion, and his power into contempt.
RELIGION.
Religion became Satan's means of attack, and he used the serpent as the symbol thereof. The serpent became his agent in the work of deception. Therefore it became a symbol of the great religionist, Satan himself. He approached the "weaker vessel", the woman Eve, and through the serpent he called into question both God's word and his good name for honesty and unselfish benevolence. "Yea bath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Then after Eve repeated God's word of command and warning, Satan the great Viper told the first lie. It was a doctrinal lie contradicting God's word and his expressed purpose. It misrepresented God and sly 1y suggested disobedience to God's command under the idea that it would be for man's highest and everlasting welfare. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3: 4, 5) That was religion. The undeniable proof thereof is the fact that all the religions today of Christendom" and of heathendom teach as their fundamental doctrines the very things here stated by Satan the Serpent. Here Satan laid the basis for "Christendom's" religious doctrines, namely, the inherent immortality of the human soul and that man becomes a spirit creature or angel after a merely physical death; also the existence of a "Purgatory" for such "immortal souls" and therefore the utility of offering masses and pr avers for the human dead; and also the existence of a place, misnamed "hell", for the "eternal torture" of "immortal souls" in everlasting fire and among undying worms.
By these religious arguments of Satan the Serpent Eve was deceived; which proves that religion is a snare, entrapping the one who gets religion into disobedience to God and his word and command, as Eve disobeyed. Eve there began the practice of religion. She then proceeded to make someone else a proselyte to religion and succeeded with her husband, who under this test displayed love of self rather than love of God. Adam disobeyed God's command by joining Eve in eating the forbidden fruit to share the same destiny with her. Thereby he adopted religion and left off the worship of God. He turned from the word of God and followed the word of God's enemy, the teacher of religion, the Devil. By lying against God's Word and thus slandering God's name, the rebellious Lucifer became the Devil, which name means "slanderer" against God. Religion, like its founder, slanders God, and Adam and all religionists after him have believed the Devil's slander against God's name and word. Religion is therefore Scripturally defined as everything that is against doing the will of God. It is a form of worship, but which worship is given to the false god and hence given to a creature. It is based upon the sayings and ordinances handed down by creatures and hence contradicts God's word and disannuls it and makes it of none effect. It is the fear of creatures rather than the fear of Almighty God. It is the exact opposite of the worship of God, which worship is the serving and doing of the will of God as his only begotten Son does that will, and which is called "Christianity".
WORLD DOWNFALL.
Man went over to the enemy's side of the controversy and joined Satan in bringing reproach upon God's name. Hence that name must be vindicated, that is to say, avenged, cleared, justified; and it shall be shortly. Satan had now gained man to his side, and so won over the visible or earthly part of that world. Satan turned next to the organization of angels which had been assigned to him. These also he corrupted with religion, using man's decision as an added argument and also holding out the promise of universal domination. (Ezekiel 28: 16-18) That invisible spirit organization went over to Satan and thereby severed their connection with God's universal organization. Those angels fell from holiness and purity and integrity and became demons, and Satan the head of the organization became the "prince of the demons". He darkened their minds with religion and became "the prince of darkness". Those angels left the estate to which God had assigned them in a righteous organization and forsook their habitation as sons of God. (Jude 6) On this wise Satan corrupted the invisible, spirit part ("the heavens") of that world and turned it against God.
God sentenced those rebellious angels to death, but did not at once execute that sentence; he took other action. He degraded them to the lowest as condemned and sentenced ones, and withheld from them all further light concerning his purpose. He put them under surveillance and thus reserves them to the time of the settlement of the great issue. On this it is written: "God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." (2 Peter 2:4, Am. Rev. Var., margin) God likewise sentenced the sinner Adam to death and drove him and his companion in sin out of the garden of Eden for the carrying of that sentence into effect. They had now lost their innocence and perfection, they were no longer righteous, and they began to die amid conditions of sweaty labor and sorrow. They were permitted to reproduce their kind, but could not carry out the divine mandate because no longer serving and worshiping God and no longer righteous nor having the right to life. The children they brought into existence were all imperfect, sinful, and unclean, and hence condemned and dying; they inherited death. Wherefore it is written: "By one man [as the servant of Satan] sin entered into the world [the visible earthly part thereof], and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." -Romans 5: 12.
Great was the loss of privilege by angels and man. By religion Satan had caused the downfall of that original "heavens" and the "earth" beneath it, and thus he accomplished the downfall of that world. All by religion, mark you, Satan caused the revolting of that world from the universal domination of the Most High and Almighty God and he set out to use that world to gain universal domination for himself. Thereby he forced the issue of universal domination to the fore, and that question outweighs and overshadows all other issues now agitating angels and men. Satan's action and success with that world were a challenge to God's entire universe. On which side of the great issue do you take your stand, on God's or on Satan's? You must choose quickly, with the true facts before you, because the issue will now have an early settlement. The information here given is to help you choose wisely with lasting good to yourself.
NEW WORLD PROMISED.
Adam and Eve, by yielding to religion, broke their integrity, that is, their innocence, blamelessness, faultlessness, toward God. Satan's success with them was in effect a challenge to God to put on earth a man who under test by God's opposer would hold allegiance and maintain his integrity toward God. Thereafter, in so many words, Satan, before the angels of heaven, charged that God could not do so, and challenged Him to the test. Right then in Eden God countered the early success of Satan with the solemn covenant or statement of purpose that in due time He would bring forth from his universal organization creatures of integrity and would set up a new world that Satan and all his organization or world could not and never will corrupt into breaking their integrity. In symbolic speech God said to the great Serpent, Satan: "And I will put enmity between Nee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel." - Genesis 3: 15.
Almighty God could have crushed the Serpent's head right there and destroyed the Devil. That, however, would not have answered the question as to the ability and the determination of those Who shall have the dominion in the new world to resist the Devil's fiercest onslaughts and to hurl the lie back into Satan's face by holding fast their integrity toward the great Universal Ruler. Such ones must honor and vindicate God's name and prove His word true. Therefore, in explaining why he has permitted Satan to continue living and slandering and reproaching God's name till this very day God said to Satan's representative, and hence to Satan: "For this cause have I allowed Nee to remain, in order to show Nee my power; and in order that they may proclaim my name throughout all the earth." (Exodus 9: 16, Leeser) The new world shall be established in power, and it shall vindicate God's name and make it glorious for evermore.
That prophecy by God of and concerning the Seed whom he would bring forth from his "woman" or universal organization and who would destroy the Serpent and all its seed was the first prophecy given to humankind. It was concerning the new world. It was not given as a comfort to Adam and Eve; for they shall have no part in that new world. It was given as a challenge to them and to all like rebels against God's domination. That promise was given as a hope and comfort only to those of their offspring who should turn out of the steps of their first parents and put themselves under the rightful domination of the Supreme Ruler. Satan challenged God to produce any such. The Lord God accepted the challenge. Not only did he let Satan remain alive, but, as the Scriptures show, God permitted Satan to remain in heaven with access to the angels who continued faithful, all for a test to them. Satan was to remain in heaven till he should be ousted at the beginning of the new world.
BEGINNING OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES.
Very few men today believe God's solemn promise of a now world, or even concern themselves about it. Instead, men turn to imperfect and dying creatures and organizations of men. They eagerly swallow down and put confidence in and even lay down their lives for the glowing promises of ambitious persons who consider themselves "men of destiny". The authentic record of the Bible names the first man who believed and acted upon God's promise of the new world. That man of faith was Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve.
Living away back there, Abel was one of the "elders" or ancients recognized by God. Eve may have conceitedly thought that she would be the mother or the "woman" who Was to bring forth the promised seed. After her firstborn son and heir of the family, Cain, had grown up he, it appears, was credulous enough to think like his mother, that he, Cain, was the man of destiny, the seed who should make a name for himself in history and put the whole human race in debt to himself. Cain's credulity and his being envious of anyone else who gained the favor of God showed that Cain was a religionist. His was a form of worship, but it was not accepted of God and hence was religion. He performed religious service at the altar in the hope of deceiving God and getting something out of it to satisfy his selfish ambition. He wanted to be God's pick, not for humanity's deliverance from the great Serpent, but for the personal glory and world domination he could get out of it. That was his religion, and it drove him to murder. Seeing the manifestation of God's acceptance of Abel's pure worship and proper sacrifice, Cain feared that Abel was his rival for his dream of world domination as the seed. Therefore Cain slew that righteous man who worshiped God and who witnessed for God's name and purpose to create the new world. Moreover, Abel maintained his integrity toward God, whom Abel believed. He was a proof that Satan's charge and challenge to God was a lie, and therefore Satan induced Cain to put Abel out of the way.
Abel was a man of faith, and hence not a religionist like his credulous brother. Abel hoped for the new world, and he had the substance of it, or the foundation for confidence in its coming, in God's prophetic promise in Eden. The new world did not begin to appear in Abel's day; he did not discern the physical facts of its establishment then. What he did have was the word of God, and Abel's faith helped him to appreciate God's word and to frame and adjust in his mind and heart the vision of the new world which shall last for the ages, or forever. This frame of that new world was based solely upon God's word, so chat what Abel saw with the eye of faith was not based on any circumstantial facts appearing in his day. This faith helped him to be a faithful witness for God to all those of Adam's family, and therefore it helped him to keep a clean and good report or record of integrity toward God. Concerning this faith triumphant it is written: "By it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed [adjusted to the understanding of men of faith] by the word of God, so that things which are seen [by faith's eye] were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he, being dead, yet speaketh." - Hebrews 11: 1-4.
The apostle, writing to the Hebrews, gives a list of those "elders" or ancients who overcame the world by their faith, and Abel is rightly the first one in the list. The apostle describes their acts and deeds of faith, and immediately after refers to those faithful plead ones as those who testified to God, saying: "Wherefore seeing we also are com about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin [religion] which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12: 1) Abel was the first of a cloud of witnesses for God, "whose name alone is JEHOVAH. (Psalm 83:18) Therefore Jehovah's witnesses began with Abel. God made known to Abel His promise and revealed to him the proper typical sacrifice of worship, and thereby Jehovah God made Abel his witness. Hence no man is the founders of Jehovah's witnesses; God alone is. The must be and are all witnesses to the new world. Abel was in the world that had become ungodly, but because of his faith he was not of that ungodly world. He took his stand for and looked and pointed forward to the new world. Hence Satan had Abel slain.
FURTHER "NEW WORLD" PROPHECY.
In the days of Adam's grandson Enos, "then began men to call themselves by the name of the LORD [Jehovah]." (Genesis 4:26, margin) Their lips mentioned his name, but their hearts were not devoted to him or the promised new world. They were religionists, like Cain, and had not faith in God's promise, and hence were not witnesses of Jehovah. The historic record at Genesis chapter five and the apostle's list at Hebrews chapter eleven name only one approved man of faith during the period that followed. That man was Enoch, who walked with God, and not with the ungodly world about him. In hope of the new world he kept himself unspotted from the ungodly world and was a faithful witness to Jehovah. Satan would have had Enoch killed, as was Abel but Jehovah God did not permit this. While Enoch was yet young as compared with life expectancy in those days, God translated him in a vision to see the new world wherein obedient men shall not die. Amid this rapture God took Enoch away from violent harm by Satan and his religionists and Enoch never experienced the pangs of death. (Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5) Concerning the testimony of Enoch to the ungodly people of his day of and concerning the coming of the Seed who should bruise the Serpent's head, the apostle writes: "And Enoch also, the seventh [in line of descent] from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." - Jude 14, 15.
LAST DAYS OF THAT WORLD.
The period that followed the translation of Enoch is of great significance to us living today, because that was the time of Noah, and what occurred during that turbulent period was a foreshadowing of what should occur and is occurring in our own day. Who said so? Why, the greatest prophet ever born and the most understanding commentator on historic events and their r eel meaning. The modern world conditions from and after A. D. 1914 only confirm the truth of his prediction. Said he: "But as the days of No'e were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:37) "And as it was in the days of No'e, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." (Luke 17:26) Sixty-nine years after Enoch, and six hundred years before the greatest calamity of the ancient world, Noah was born. He and his sons survived that world catastrophe; which also is deeply significant. Besides the eating and drinking immoderately, and besides the selfish concern for marriage and material things and the ignoring both the signs of the tunes and Noah's bold warning of doom, another thing marked the conditions as unusual. Bear in mind the issue, universal domination, and Satan's false charge against Jehovah God. Satan's defiant position required that the domination of the "earth" must remain his; also all men of integrity must be corrupted or cleared off the earth. That meant that any or all witnesses of Jehovah must be wiped out and their witness work stopped!
What was Satan's plan of action? Toward the beginning of those six hundred years it appeared that he had practically succeeded. It appeared that there was just one man of integrity left on the earth among all the men that had multiplied on the earth. That man was Jehovah's witness named Noah, and he walked with God as Enoch did and was perfect in his generations. He was a preacher of righteousness. (2 Peter 2: 5) To offset the power of Noah's testimony and preaching, the challenger of Almighty God worked out something new. It was the scheme of race contamination and a rule of violence to terrorize all men into continued obedience to demon rule or the domination by the wicked heavens, the invisible, spirit part of that world.
The demons had not been cast out of heaven. Now according to Satan's strategy many of the demons came down and materialized in flesh as giants or bullies. They were called "Nephilim", that is, "tellers," and they felled or caused to fall down the religious ones and those who stood in fear of creatures and who worshiped heroes, creatures of might and prowess. Men in general feared to confess the name of Jehovah God or to own his supremacy. The Nephilim bullied all the people and bossed them in a dictatorial fashion, and those who did not conform readily they dealt with summarily. Violence increased and filled the earth. To add to this, many spirit "sons of God" were drawn to likewise materialize in the flesh, but their thought was to marry and cohabit with the fair daughters of men. What well-intentioned plans they had for purifying or bettering the race or bringing forth a "master race" 1 Alas, the offspring that this intermixture of materialized angels and human daughters brought forth were "mighty men", supermen, so to speak, men who made renown for themselves but did not magnify the name of God before men. The divine record on this reads:
"The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. There were giants [Nephilim] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6: 2, 4) As a result the wickedness of men became great, and God was not in all their thoughts and imaginations. Lawlessness and wickedness filled the place which God had purposed to be inhabited by peaceful, godly and perfect men in joyful obedience to the law of God and lovingly submitting to his universal domination. The one man that could not be coerced, neither contaminated, was Jehovah's witness, Noah. He kept on witnessing and preaching righteousness, which righteousness included the vindication of God. In due time Noah married an uncontaminated woman, and in the sixth century of his life he begat and raised a family of three sons. These he himself instructed at home and hr ought them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and led them in His ways.
Then came God's announcement of the end, not of his wondrous creation, the earth, but of the ungodly world. God also instructed Noah to provide a hiding-place to survive during that end. It had not rained on earth during all those days of man on the earth. Floods were till then unknown, but Jehovah's witness kept integrity and obeyed God in faith and built the ark. He brought his sons into this service work of faith. High on an elevation of land he built the ark, where the first impact of the flood waters would not crush or engulf it. The apostle's record of Jehovah's witnesses reads:
"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Hebrews 11: 7) This is a historic guarantee that Satan will be whipped in his further efforts to wipe all the righteous servants of Jehovah God off the face of the earth, in harmony with God's promise: "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34: 7) It is a historic example that the small number of Jehovah's witnesses CAN be the only ones who are on the side of right, truth and security, although all the world sneer and be arrayed against them with its religion, politics and commerce. It is a historic proof that at the coming of the greater world catastrophe which the Flood foreshadowed men will witness "things not seen as yet" and it will be a strange "act of God". It is a historic answer to Satan's false charge and challenge, and proving that Almighty God can put on earth men who under pressure of an opposing world will maintain their integrity toward Him, keeping themselves unspotted from that world and keeping their faith in and devotion to God's new world complete.
As it was in Noah's day, so it must be today. This is according to the authority of Matthew 24:37. Persons of good-will who love righteousness must come out of the Devil-ruled world and take their stand for God's new world. In Noah's day his three sons shunned the wicked and condemned world and joined their father in the work God assigned to him. Also three young women left the debauched race and sought shelter with Jehovah's faithful witness Noah and became the wives of his three sons. This pictures how some in the "last days" of this "present evil world" pull away from the jazzing, hilarious, self-seeking course of this world and become companions of God's approved servants in giving witness both to men and to angels. Noah and his companions maintained their integrity in that ancient time; so, too, thousands today forsake the present fast-fading world because they love righteousness, and these hold fast in their devotion to God. So doing, they give answer to Satan's false charge and challenge and have a part in proving that Almighty God can and does have on earth human creatures who love Him and who resist the world pressure and maintain their integrity toward Him. Are you or do you desire to be one of these?
WORLD DESTROYED.
Back there that was not a mare local flood or washout; it was the end oz a world, and therefore took in both "heavens" and "earth". It was a manifestation of the power of Almighty God showing that he can decide the question of world domination, Such showing of power over the combined opposition was given after God's name had been declared in the earth by his faithful witness and the world had been given due warning, especially while the ark of safety and deliverance was under preparation. Concerning the Bringer of that catastrophe and the extent thereof the inspired writer says: "God spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly." (2 Peter 2: 4, 5) That demonstration of divine power to destroy a world of long standing should serve as a solemn warning to all humankind, particularly "Christendom", so called.
Religious persons hay e no faith in God's word of warning. Rather than turn from their selfish course and path of ease and of least resistance they willingly choose to forget that that original world which God created in righteousness according to the word of his decree, but which world was corrupted by the bringing in of religion, was destroyed by the watery cataclysm. The religionists scoffed at Noah's warning, and "as the day s of No'e were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be". The scoffing at God's Word today is therefore a sure token of certain things warned of to come. The very ones whose loud religious professions bind them to accept the "sure word of prophecy" are scoffing, "and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby [on account of which heavens and earth becoming ungodly, unbelieving and disobedient] the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." - 2 Peter 3: 3-6.
That "old world", "the world of the ungodly," perished, but the earthly globe upon which the ungodly generation of men were corrupting their way remained and was cleansed of that crowd." One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever." (Ecclesiastes 1: 4) "The earth which he bath established for ever." (Psalm 78: 69) The literal earth is the creation of Him whose "work is perfect" and who pronounced the earth good. His divine mandate to fill it with righteous men and women and to beautify it forever as the footstool of his universal domination shall be fulfilled. The time of fulfillment thereof during the new world is so near that persons of good-will living today look forward eagerly to having an obedient part in that blessed privilege.
It was the symbolic "earth", the visible human part of that corrupted "old world" that perished. All the wicked generation of men that scoffed at God's word and that religiously served the demons were destroyed. Their perishing may be considered as cutting them off from any part in the resurrection of those who are dead in the graves. Eight persons, just Noah and his household, were carried over alive through the Flood. Though they had been in that old world, they were not of it. None of those of that old world survived; all perished with it. Only those with faith and hope of the new world and keeping themselves unspotted for life in it were delivered from the world destruction and preserved for God's further service on the earth. As for the symbolic "heavens" of that "world of the ungodly", they also were affected by the world disaster.
The demons, or Nephilim, that had materialized in the flesh as rowdy giants to cause a reign of terror, were obliged to quit this direct manifestation of themselves among creatures on earth. To this day there has been no repeating of this, evidently due to God's forcible restriction upon the anarchistic spirits. The overspreading of the earth with violence in these days appears to want or need nothing because of the failure or inability of the Nephilim to reappear. Furthermore, the Scriptures clearly show that an internal reorganization then took place in the spirit organization of that old Serpent, the Devil. His organization thereafter came to be symbolized as a leviathan monster, `a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads; and his tail.' It became a "wonder in heaven", the time not having then come to begin the "war in heaven" against it and to cast the Devil and his demons out of the heaven and down to the earth. (Revelation 12: 3, 4) Thus the old or former organization of those demon "heavens" disappeared. A rearranged organization appeared that was new and different. Truly the old world had perished!
TYPICAL FULFILLMENT.
That typical event casts light upon the events which are immediately before us. That living prophecy did not end with the stopping of the forty days of continuous downpour or with the subsiding of the waters and the draining off the waters from the land into the great ocean beds created to receive and contain them. That prophetical pattern of preservation and deliverance w as not complete until the door was opened and Noah and his companions came forth from their hiding-place and set foot upon the dry land. Possibly of some symbolic significance is the fact that the great ark landed on top of a mountain, Ararat, which name is understood to mean "holy ground". The Flood survivors came forth into a cleansed earth, and they gave thanks to their great Preserver and immediately engaged in the worship of Jehovah God. Certainly that was typical of great and blessed events to come, and what God Said in connection therewith must likewise be typical. Except for those eight righteous survivors the earth was depopulated; and an uninhabited earth was not God's purpose. Therefore as Noah and his companions worshiped, the divine word came to them. As it is written: "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiple therein." And then God's rainbow, symbolic of his everlasting covenant with humankind concerning the sanctity of the blood of life, appeared in the sky. - Genesis, chapters eight and nine.
That was a restatement of the divine mandate, which divine mandate had first been given to Adam and Eve when righteous in Eden. Noah and his sons, because of their faith and obedience as servants and witnesses for Jehovah, were considered righteous. Hence the div me mandate was fittingly restated to them, as there was then harmony between man and the great heavenly Universal Ruler, Jehovah. Noah's name means "rest", or, "comfort." He was so called because at his birth it was prophesied: "This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD bath cursed." (Genesis 5: 29) Immediately after Noah came forth from the ark and engaged in worshipful sacrifice to God, then, as it is written, "the LORD smelled a savour of rest," and he foretold the lifting of the curse from the earth. (Genesis 8: 20-22, margin) Therefore Noah was typical of a Greater One to come who should bring rest and comfort to men of good-will in the new world. Accordingly the Bible discloses that Noah did not take part in fulfilling that divine mandate. His companions, or sons and daughters-in-law, did so.
Being imperfect and not having the right to everlasting life, Noah's sons could fulfill the mandate in only a typical or pictorial sense. Therefore the account given in the tenth chapter of Genesis lists their names and the names of their offspring and generations as bust seventy, the name of the wicked, rebellious hunter Nimrod not being included in that perfect number, a multiple of ten times seven. Ten and seven each symbolize completeness. With those seventy the typical picture of the fulfillment of the divine mandate ends, and thereafter other events of new prophetic significance came to pass. Sufficient evidence, however, is to be found in the type or prophetic pattern to show that during the new world the divine mandate will be fulfilled in perfectness, to vindicate God's word.
OTHER HEAVENS AND EARTH. CHAPTER 2.[]
THE scene now changes, and new conditions arise. This does not mean that the new world promised of God in Eden came after the great Flood, Rather, God began to make a new series of prophetic pictures brightening the vision of the new world yet to come. More than two thousand years after that typical fulfillment of the divine mandate by Noah's sons the inspired writer wrote : "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3: 13) Today unrighteousness has gone to seed, in spite of all religious reformation and all human attempts at moral reconstruction of man. Thank God that the new world, wherein dwells righteousness, does not wait for man 50 and does not come by man ! Therefore let the lovers of righteousness not be disheartened and despair because of the present great unrighteousness which is beyond human power to remove. Let them lift up their heads and rejoice at the signs of the new world at hand.
Almighty God, ever in control of the situation, permitted the defeated Satan and his demons to remain after the Flood and to reorganize, because it was not yet God's time to settle the primary issue once and for all and to usher in the new world. Satan immediately began to set up another world with its "heavens" and "earth". His "heavens" of Wicked spirits or demons he organized. Because he is a counterfeiter he, in this organizing work, mimicked the organization of the One whom he would be like, the Most High God. Therefore the apostle who was given many "visions and revelations of the Lord" writes this warning to the Christians, particularly to Jehovah's witnesses and their companions in this crucial time: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this World, against wicked spirits in heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:11,12, margin.
Scheming religionists maliciously say that Jehovah's witnesses are subversive and fighting against the government of men. To such let those foregoing words of the inspired apostle be the authoritative answer that the true Christians who witness for Jehovah and His new world are not fighting men and have no fight with them or their visible governments. The fight of Jehovah's witnesses is now and ever since the days of Abel has been with the demons, the promoters of religion. Out of all creatures on ear N the fight of the demons is primarily against Jehovah's witnesses. Therefore religious men and organizations and their political allies who fight against Jehovah's witnesses are wittingly or unwittingly lending themselves to the service of the demons in their crusade. - Romans 6:16; 1 John 3 : 12.
Before Jehovah God gave his next revelation concerning the new world of promise, Satan had gotten his dragon organization set up in heaven and also gotten the "earth", or visible part of his organization, established. As long as Noah lived he stood for and upheld the Theocratic rule respecting men. But the later descendants of Noah forsook the faithful instruction of their forefather. They turned their faces away from the new world to come. They became blind to God's promise and would not wait upon him to fulfill it in His own time and way and by the Seed of his "woman". They quickly forgot the meaning of the Flood and departed from the fear of the Almighty One, who there demonstrated his power, and they fell to the religion of the fear of men and creatures and hence to the fear and worship of the demons. They looked to the creature instead of to the Creator. (Romans 1: 21-32) Instead of waiting and looking to God to produce His Seed, the Deliverer, they yielded to the suggestions of the demons and rallied to the one whom the demons designated as the "seed of the woman ", but who was no other than one of the seed of the Serpent that opposes the true Seed. There is cause to believe that the demons excited the bodies of the wild beasts and so controlled those wild animals that Nimrod was forced to the fore as a "mighty hunter before the Lord", that is to say, superior to and in opposition to Jehovah God. (Genesis 10:7-10; McClintock & Strong Cyclopaedia, on "Nimrod") Thus men put their trust in a man who could fight their battles with carnal weapons. Him they hailed and honored and worshiped as the promised seed. Nimrod dishonored Jehovah God by accepting all this worship and gave no glory to God. On this wise the demons used Nimrod to organize religion in the earth. He was canonized as a saint or deity after his death, history shows.
Having got the religious fear and attachment of the people, Nimrod next organized human government. It was under demon rule, because it was not a Theocracy but was a union of religion and the political state. It was a kingdom with religion in the saddle, and which religion has been demonstrated to be demonism and not the worship of the Most High and Almighty God Jehovah. Nimrod dominated that kingdom. It was therefore a totalitarian government or arbitrary dictatorship with religion or demonism as spiritual guidance to bind the oppressed people to the dictator. This is clear from the record which says: "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon." (Genesis 10:10, margin) That name "Babylon" or "Bab-il" means "gate of god", certainly not meaning Jehovah God, whom Nimrod considered inferior to himself, but the demon god, "the prince of the demons," Satan the Devil. Nimrod gathered his subjects into cities, and this forced the development of commerce. Thus the commercial element or commercial traffickers came into existence and were used to enrich the political state and back it up financially and to support religion or demonism. For the advancement of political control and commercial paw et the "strong-arm squad" was organized, and the Bible discloses that aggressive wars of conquest were carried on.
Men became awed at the power of the human state and worshiped and feared it, and lost out of mind all thought of and desire for God's new world and its Government. Thus the first earthly government established by man since the Flood was set up under the influence of demons and was subject to the invisible demon rule. But to whom have all governments organized by the wilt and power of man since then been subject? The decision of the Son of God authoritatively answers that vital question, and the record of that decision reads: "And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give Nee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou, therefore, wilt worship me [as those kingdoms of the world do], all shall be Nine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get Nee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve." -Luke 4:5-8 ; Matthew 4:8-10.
Righteous Noah, who walked with God, had no part in the exaltation of Nimrod and the building of his kingdom of Babylon. Noah kept himself unspotted therefrom and maintained his integrity toward God and his promised new world. Babylon was the foundation of that "earth" which Satan organized as the visible part of the world. Therefore Babylon became a symbol of Satan's entire organization and in the Scriptures his organization is called "Babylon". Thus from its very foundation that "earth" was subject to demon rule. The inhabiters of that "earth" have ever been overreached by the demons and subject to their superior, invisible power, no matter how sincere and honest the effort of well-meaning men to organize and establish better government of and by men. This Scriptural reason gives the right explanation of the continual deterioration of human government, and of the present state of government in every land, suffering "distress of nations, with perplexity ". - Luke 21: 25.
Such being the origin of "this world", and its course being well known to all students of history, it has no relationship with God's "new world", but is evil and sinful. Hence concerning God's beloved Son it is written: "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." (Galatians 1:4) Its god is not Jehovah the Almighty nor his only begotten Son and has nothing in common with them, but is their adversary. Therefore the Son of God said: "The prince of this world cometh, and bath nothing in me." (John 14: 30) Those who are of this world are unbelievers, and the apostle explains the reason, saying: "In whom the god of this world bath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Corinthians 4:4) Therefore the apostle Warns the Christians that they cannot go the way of this world which forgets Jehovah God, but that, "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2: 12, 13) This present world being subject to demon rule and hence ungodly, the apostle warns the Christians, the sons of God, against the demon attacks, saying: "He that was begotten of God keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one." - 1 John 5: 18, 19, Am. Rev. Ver.
In the great issue of universal domination there is no compromise between Jehovah God and Satan's world or organization. A pure and undefiled worshiper of Almighty God can have no part in the policies and schemes and purposes of this world; he must use his powers of speech to declare God's praises and purpose. To this effect are the apostle's words: "And if any one thinketh that he worshippeth God, and doth not restrain his tongue, but his heart deceiveth him; his worship is vain. For the worship that is pure and holy before God the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and that one keep himself unspotted from the World." (James 1:26, 27, Murdock's Syriac translation) One cannot be God's friend and at the same time be the friend of God's enemy. For one who devotes himself to God to then seek the approval of the world is spiritual uncleanness. To those so doing the apostle says: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4: 4) Friendship with the world means breaking one's integrity toward God. Mark now the course of Jehovah's faithful witnesses of old.
ABRAHAM.
Nimrod's Babylon was built on the banks of the Euphrates river in the land which came to be called Mesopotamia and which is so called to this day. All the land and territory of Babylon later came to be called "the land of the Chaldeans", or "Chaldea". The Chaldeans or "Chaldees" appear to have been first located in the lower part or southern part of the Mesopotamian valley, and there they built a city called "Ur of the Chaldees ". This city was under the power and influence of Babylon and was hence a part of the "earth" subject to demon rule. - Genesis 11:27, 28.
There in Ur of the Chaldees Jehovah God found a man of faith, who believed God's promise concerning the seed of His "woman" and His new world. Consequently this man refused to have any part in the manmade governments of this world, and kept himself unspotted therefrom. That man was not a Chaldean or Babylonian or Cushite, but a descendant of Noah through Shem. His name was Abram, which name God later changed to Abraham.
Abraham found himself in the midst of Satan's world. The Chaldeans in Ur were demon-worshipers and deified Nimrod as the promised seed of the woman. God acquainted Abraham with the history of His dealings toward faithful men before Abraham and made known to him the divine promises concerning the Seed of God's "woman" and the coming of the new world under a new government. Abraham believed in and looked forward to the new world and took his stand for it. Therefore God instructed Abraham to move out of worldly Ur of the Chaldees and become a sojourner on earth. At the same time God made an unconditional promise to Abraham giving further information on the identity of the promised Seed and the blessings to come to faithful men through that Seed. Said Jehovah God to Abraham: "And I will bless them that bless Nee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in Nee shall all families of the earth be blessed." - Genesis 12: 1-3.
Having arrived in the land God promised to give him, Abraham sojourned there in tents. He took no part in the governments of the inhabitants who dwelt in cities which had foundations built by men. Amid that worldly surrounding Abraham had no permanent settled dwelling-place. Under those circumstances God miraculously gave Abraham a seed, a son, Isaac. When Isaac was grown to manhood, Jehovah God further tested the faith of Abraham by instructing him to sacrifice his beloved Isaac on the altar to God. Abraham obeyed to the very point of striking his son dead on the altar, when God's angel stopped the fall of the sacrificial knife and a ram was miraculously provided to take Isaac's place. Thereupon God gave Abraham further information as to the line of descent of the promised Seed, saying: "And THY seed shall possess the gate of his enemies: and in THY seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 22: 17, 18) There God made a living picture showing Himself as the unselfish Father who gives his only begotten Son to be the King of the new world and also to be the ransom sacrifice for those who accept and receive the blessings of life from God and through the Seed of His "woman". There Isaac pictured that only begotten Son who becomes the "seed" of God's "woman" and who maintains his integrity on earth faithfully unto the death and who offers his life as a perfect sacrifice for the blessing of all persons who have faith and who obey like Abraham. Because of Abraham's so great faith and obedience God accounted him righteous, and "he was called the friend of God". This means that the world was the enemy to Abraham.
Abraham left this present world behind and moved forward in God's service, looking always ahead to the new world and its Righteous Government. Therefore Abraham was of that cloud of faithful w witnesses of Jehovah named at Hebrews, chapter eleven, and concerning him it is written: "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city [the Government of the new world] which bath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11: 9, 10, 17-19) Abraham was joyful in the hope and prospect of the new world. He could endure any trials of faith and patience, yes, any sacrifice, in the hope of entering in God's due time into that new world and living under the Government of the promised Seed of God's "woman". Therefore Jesus, who became the Seed of the promise, said to that patriarch's descendants: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day : and he saw it, and was glad." - John 8: 56.
SEVEN WORLD POWERS.
Meantime Satan, "the prince of this world," was pushing his scheme of world domination, and he grimly carried forward the development of the "earth" or visible part of his world organization. God foresaw its full development and foretold that it would be dominated by seven world powers in succession. These correspond with the seven crowned heads of Satan's dragon organization, each one of those heads symbolizing a demon prince who should invisibly control one of those successive world powers. Therefore God prophetically pictured Satan's visible earthly organization as a wild beast brought forth by demon power and rule, and out of the sea of humanity who are alienated from God and subject to the demons. Besides combining in itself the qualities of three powerful beasts of prey, that wild beast had seven heads and ten horns. These represent the seven world powers in their order, with total [ten-horn] power to push and regiment the people and to fight against Jehovah's universal domination. That those seven world powers were not part of God's organization, but were built up by demon power and help, God's prophecy says of that beast out of the sea: "And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat [throne], and great authority." (Revelation 13: 1, 2) This exposure of origins, mark you, is God's, not man's.
Babylon was the first organized human government under demon rule, but the Bible shows that ancient Egypt was the first world power of the series of seven. Therefore Egypt tried to do injury to Abraham and his descendants. Egypt was to the south of the Holy Land promised to Abraham, and so the world power of Egypt and its allies came to be spoken of in prophecy as "the king of the south". The historic facts show that the seventh world power became allied with and took over the protectorate of Egypt and hence came to be included under the symbolic name of "the king of the south". The Bible further shows the second world power was Assyria, north of the Holy Land. Then came the third world power, Babylonia, also to the north. It was overthrown by the fourth world power, Persia. This fell before the fifth world power, Greece. (Daniel 8: 20, 21) This one yielded the supremacy to the sixth world power, Rome, also to the north, and a continual foe to Egypt. There the world power of Rome and its allies came to be known as "the king of the north"; and the destructive course of that totalitarian world power is foretold in marvelous detail in the prophecy of Daniel, chapter eleven. In course of time pagan Rome became papal Rome, but still totalitarian.
Papal Rome made alliance with the Germanic ruler to set up the so-called "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation".
That alliance of papal power with the German power was renewed in 1933 by the concordat made between Pius XI and the totalitarian dictator of Germany. This time the purpose is to restore the old "Holy Roman Empire ", and that concordat between religion and the totalitarian state continues to this day.
The Bible does not name the seventh world power. All accurate and honest students of history agree that it is the great world-wide combine of the English-speaking peoples which have been the bulwarks of democratic and constitutional government. The British-American world combine is the seventh head that dangerously wounded the sixth head in the world conflict of 1914-1918. That Wounded head was healed thereafter, and all the world has been caused to marvel. (Revelation 13:3) And now the Anglo-American combine, as the ally of Egypt and as the professed champion of democracy and the foe of the totalitarian "king of the north", bears the mantle of "the king of the south". Liberty-loving peoples watch anxiously while the duel between the two "kings" for world domination goes on.
TYPICAL THEOCRACY.
While the political, religious and commercial elements of the visible part of Satan's organization were pushing their schemes for world dominance, and this by the sufferance of God, the Lord God began to make a series of types, or prophetic patterns. These pictured in a miniature way the Righteous Government that He would set up in his own appointed time. These types served as a "shadow of good things to come", after the founding of the new world. (Hebrews 10: 1; Colossians 2:17) By the providence and leading of God the Israelite descendants of Abraham went down into Egypt. There they lived for a time, expecting God Almighty to bring them forth in his due time and to settle them in the land which he had promised to give to Abraham and his seed after him. Satan hated No Israelites because they were God's favored people and were connected with God's promise of the Seed of the "woman". Therefore Satan tried to corrupt them with religion while there in Egypt and he stirred up its Pharaohs to pass laws and to take other drastic measures of regimentation and enforced labor to destroy the Israelites. In their extremity God raised them up a deliverer, his prophet Moses, who was a prophetic figure foreshadowing the coming Deliverer the Seed of the "woman". -Deuteronomy 18 : 15-18 ; Acts 3 : 20-23.
Just before their deliverance from Satan's world power Almighty God revealed to Moses his name Jehovah. By Moses and his brother Aaron Jehovah caused His name to be declared throughout all the land before showing his power over Satan, the invisible ruler of "the king of the south" and whom Pharaoh of Egypt served and represented. (Exodus 9:16) Further, God used Moses as His mediator and brought the Israelites into a covenant with God, which covenant was made valid and binding upon them. by the blood of the lamb of the Passover Feast. The Israelites agreed to the covenant and complied with the law there of which God began to give. Thus they became the covenant people of God, His typical people. In proof of that truth the inspired apostle wrote: "Now all these things happened unto them for types: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." -1 Corinthians 10:11, margin.
That very Passover night God showed his power over Satan's world power in fulfillment of his warning: "Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment." (Exodus 12:12) He led his people forth by the hand of Moses. In further manifestation of his power to exercise the universal domination Jehovah God cut through the waters of the Red sea and led his people across dryshod. Then he completed the execution of his judgment upon the demon world-power by there swallowing up in destruction the armed hosts of Egypt. Today the "ends of the world" are come upon us. Therefore that ancient typical event of deliverance of God's covenant people and his destruction of enemy world power should be a most forceful admonition to all men who want to survive the coming world destruction and to live for ever free and happy in the new world.
At Mount Sinai, in the wilderness of Arabia, Jehovah confirmed his covenant with the Israelites and gave to them the full expression of his law as their protection against religion. (Galatians 3:19, 24) God organized them into a typical Theocracy. Through Moses he said to them: "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me shove all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. " -Exodus 19:5, 6.
The word "theocracy" does not occur in the Bible, but the root words of this compound term, namely, theos and kratos, do occur often in the Greek "New Testament" part of the Bible. For example, 1 Peter 4 :11: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God [theos] in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion [kratos] for ever and ever. Amen." Also Jude 25 : "To the only wise God [theos] our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion [kratos] and power, both now and ever. Amen." Also Revelation 1: 5, 6: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and bath made us kings and priests unto God [theos] and his Father; to him be glory and dominion [kratos] for ever and ever. Amen." (Note also Revelation 5:13; 1 Peter 5:10, 11. ) Thus "theocracy" is seen to mean "God's dominion".
The term "theocracy", theokrati'a, was first used by the Jewish historian in the first century A.D., and who wrote: "Some legislators have permitted their governments to be under monarchies, others put them under oligarchies, and others under a republican form, but our legislator [Moses] had no regard to any of these forms, but he ordained our government to be what, by a sir ained expression, may be termed a Theocracy [Theokrati'a], by ascribing the authority and the power to God." (From Josephus' second book Against Apion, section 17) The recognized Webster's Dictionary of today defines the true Theocracy as, "Government of a state by the immediate direction or administration of God"; and the counterfeit theocracy as, "the exercise of political authority by priests as representing the Deity." According to the Bible definition of it the real Theocracy means the immediate direction and administration of the world by Jehovah God and through his anointed King, The Seed of His "woman".
Jehovah God is therefore the Great Theocrat, and his Son is now the Theocratic King. Jehovah is the Author of the THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT under Christ Jesus his Son.
It is the only hope of humankind who desire life and righteousness and peace. God is not the Author of any other ocracy. He is definitely not the author of the religious-totalitarian autocracy of the arbitrary dictators of that "king of the north" combine. But what shall be said for democracy? Do not the religionists of the "king of the south" combine claim it is of God and is therefore imperishable and is the hope of the world?
God's Holy Word says nothing about democracy. Whence, then, is it? The Encyclopaedia Britannica (eleventh edition, volume viii) says: "DEMOCRACY (Greek demokrati'a, from demos, the people, i.e., the commons, and kratos, rule), in political science, that form of government in which the people rules itself, either directly, as in the small city-states of Greece, or through representatives. According to Aristotle, democracy is the perverted form of the third form of government, which he called politei'a, 'polity' or 'constitutional government,' the rule of the majority of the free and equal citizens, as opposed to monarchy and aristocracy, the rule respectively of an individual and of a minority consisting of the best citizens. Aristotle's restriction of `democracy' to bad popular government, i.e., mob-rule, or, as it has sometimes been called, 'ochlocracy' (ochlos, mob), was due to the fact that the Athenian democracy had in his day degenerated far below the ideals of the 5th century."
As to the origin of that political rule of the Athenians God's record at Acts 17: 22 throws revealing light. It reads: "And Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said, 'Athenians, I perceive that in all things y au are extremely devoted to the worship of DEMONS.'" (Emphatic Diaglott translation; also Rotherham's) Let it be borne in mind too, that "the prince of Grecia" was the fifth head of the great red dragon in heaven. (Daniel 10: 20) Also, Greece as a world power was symbolized as the fifth head of the wild beast that came out of the sea of the people (demos) alienated from God. (Revelation 12: 3; 13:1; Acts 12:22; 17:5; 19:30, 33) The religionists of "the king of the south" who are calling for "more religion" and appealing to the political state to protect religion are therefore correct in their catch argument to the state that one of the basic foundations of democracy is religion.
Further concerning the origins of democracy, note a textbook recently in use in American public schools, namely, "On the Road to Civilization - A World History." It says, on pages 91 and 98: "It was frequently through tyranny that the Greeks came to full democracy. When they became dissatisfied with their tyrants and overthrew them, the people undertook the work of government themselves, instead of returning to oligarchical rule. By this time the cavalry of the nobles was displaced by the phalanx as the first line of defense. The phalanx, made up of foot soldiers drawn from the peasants, fought in solid ranks ?akith spear and shield. The common mall could now demand political rights in recognition of his military service. A form of democracy became the prevailing type in the city-states, and was one of the chief contributions of Greece to political history. . . . Sometimes the nobles lead the masses against a tyrannical dictator. Always the common man is seeking a larger share of the good things of life. Thus far in the world's history, democracy, with all its faults, has been the best answer to this problem. "
On the other hand, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV, pages 708, 710, under the title "Democracy", quotes the late pope Leo XIII as favoring something which he calls "Christian Democracy", and says: "In the end the word democracy won; and Leo XIII in the Encyclical 'Graves de communi' (18 January, 1901) declared as acceptable and accepted the expression 'Christian democracy' as meaning neither more nor less than POPULAR CATHOLIC ACTION." In America "Catholic Action" is not independent, but is subject to the local Hierarchy bishops. All this, no doubt, accounts for it that certain subjects of Leo XIII and his successors refer to American democracy as "mobocracy ", because there is no union of religion and state in America and American democracy is not subject to the successors of Leo XIII. Further, in democratic America and other democratic lands the Bible has been most freely circulated, and also books explaining the Bible, and freedom has been granted to worship God openly according to the Bible and the dictates of the worshiper's conscience, contrary to papal likings as expressed in encyclicals from the Vatican.
Great blessings have resulted therefrom to the democratic-minded peoples of such lands, leading to the gaining of a knowledge of the new world and everlasting life. Jehovah's witnesses are grateful and they most highly respect and fight for the freedoms which democracy offers over other forms of government. Gladly they obey all laws in harmony with righteousness and the supreme law of God, and in a peaceful and law-abiding manner they carry out their commission from the great Theocrat to preach the gospel and to warn men of His day of vengeance and to comfort all that mourn. (Isaiah 61:1-3) Hence let this not be forgotten, that Greece, the home of democracy, became the fifth world power and then it brought God's covenant people in the Holy Land under its power and control, and shortly thereafter the Grecian world power was broken up and became subject to Rome, "the king of the north." When democratic governments fight against Jehovah God by fighting against his witnesses, it will be disastrous and lead to an end like that of Greece.
"THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES"
It is an established fact, therefore, that democracy came into existence after God's typical Theocracy was set up, in fact, after that typical Theocracy was removed and the "times of the Gentiles" or "times of the nations" set in. (Luke 21:24) Jehovah God brought his covenant people, the Israelites, into the Promised Land. As the great Theocrat he was their invisible Ruler and his Theocratic laws they obeyed. Then, to foreshadow the King of the coming Theocracy, God anointed and established David as king in Mount Zion to rule as His representative over Israel. King David was therefore said to sit in the Lord's throne. Concerning David's successor iv the Theocratic kingdom it is written: "Then Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him." (1 Chronicles 29: 23, Am. Rev. Ver.) As long as Solomon was a faithful ruler he foreshadowed Jehovah's Theocratic King of the new world, and the peaceful and secure conditions of the people then foreshadowed the new-world conditions. (1 Kings 4: 25) Now the time is near when the glorious prophecy shall be fulfilled: "Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts bath spoken it." -Micah 4: 3, 4; Isaiah 2:4.
That typical Theocracy foreshadowing Jehovah's universal domination by his Righteous Government, it became the target of Satan and the demons. They made repeated endeavors to invade the Israelites with religion and to turn them aside from keeping their covenant with Jehovah and worshiping and obeying Him. In time the majority of the Israelites went over to religion. Only a small minority or remnant resisted religion and held true to the covenant and the worship of Jehovah God and maintained their integrity. Jehovah raised up faithful judges and the faithful prophets to deliver the people from religion or demonism and turn them back to the true worship. Those faithful men of old showed great faith and faithfulness. Because of maintaining their integrity toward God and giving a faithful witness for Jehovah they suffered much, even martyrdom, at the hands of the religionists or demon-worshipers. They exposed religion and opposed it. They warned against all ?aworldly alliances and advocated the Theocratic rule and law. Having turned their backs upon and forsaken the world, they kept covenant with the Great Theocrat. Forward they ever looked to the fulfillment of his promises of the new world and its Theocratic Government, They war e of that "so great a cloud of witnesses" of Jehovah. Concerning their faithfulness unto death and the future hope for them it is written:
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country [the new world under The Theocracy]. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned: but now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God ; for he bath prepared for them a city, . . . and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection : and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment : they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world [Satan's organization which persecuted them] was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us [the apostle and his fellow Christians], that they without us should not be made perfect." -Hebrews 11:3-16, 35-40.
The faithful course of those men under persecution by an unworthy world was a direct and roaring answer to the Devil's libelous charge that God could not put on earth creator as who under demon and religious pressure would preserve their integrity toward God. Those faithful witnesses of old were for a vindication of Jehovah's name and shall have their glorious reward on earth. The "city", or visible organization of righteousness on earth, which God prepares for them; their "better resurrection"; and their being "made perfect", all come in connection with the new world under The Theocracy.
Yielding to the `easily besetting sin' of religion, the Israelites became hopelessly caught in its snare and refused to heed Jehovah's faithful witnesses, the prophets. They showed their contempt for Jehovah by their wicked treatment of his witnesses. "They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: but w ere mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols; which were A SNARE unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils [unto demons (Am. Rev. Ver.)], and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan : and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand." (Psalm 106: 34-42) This is historic proof of the certain disaster to which religion leads a nation.
Then Jehovah God, at the end of his appointed time of forbearance, overturned that typical Theocracy. Never again did the natural Israelites have independence and an earthly king from the royal tribe of Judah. Concerning that national disaster Jehovah had warned the unfaithful king down there at the end: "Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same: . . .I will overturn, overturn, overturn it ; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him." (Ezekiel 21:25-2'7) The Lord God used Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, as his executioner to do the overturning. That was in 606 B.C., and there the "seven times", the "times of the Gentiles", began. (Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, 32; Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28; Luke 21:24) Reckoned according to prophetic time, those times were due to run 2,520 years (7 X 360 years) and hence ran out in A.D. 1914. Those Gentile powers or nations were the "earth" or visible part of Satan's world organization, Hence God's decree meant that Satan should continue to exercise uninterrupted rule over the earth until 1914; and then his world, or uninterrupted rule, would end. That is to say, his rule would there begin to be interrupted and interfered with by the establishment of the real Theocracy.
The decreeing of seven Gentile times under demon rule would mean that God had fixed a limit to Satan's world. It would mean that the promised Theocratic Government or kingdom of God by Christ Jesus could not be put in operation till that limit was reached and Satan's world or uninterrupted rule ended. Therefore the "end of the World" would mean the end of Satan's having things all his own way, and that at A.D. 1914, by the setting up of The Theocracy, Satan's organization or world was definitely "a goner", that is, as good as gone. There the "time of the end" began upon the Satanic organization, and from then on it would be going on to its FINAL END, its destruction in the "battle of that great day of God Almighty", the battle of Armageddon. Fulfilled prophecy proves beyond denial that 1914 marked the end of Satan's world or uninterrupted rule, and there the "time of the end" of his world organization began. - Daniel 11:40;12: 4.
END OF THE EON (GREEK: AION)
Wherever the expression "the end of the world" occurs in the Scriptures from and after Christ it is always the end of "the eon", or aion (Greek). That eon means more than a time period in this Bible expression is proved by the use of the word at Galatians 1:4, showing how the Christian's relation to this aion was changed by Christ Jesus: "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world [aion], according to the will of God and our Father." The delivered ones were still living in the same period of TIME, but what they were delivered from was the uninterrupted rule of Satan; as it is written: "Who bath delivered us from the power of darkness, and bath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." (Colossians 1:13) Concerning those who love Satan's rule and organization, note 2 Timothy 4:10: "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world [aion], and is departed." Satan is "the god of this world [aion]"; and when the world ends it means his uninterrupted rule ends, and thereafter his wicked organization, both "heavens" and "earth", must go. The Theocracy's rule then begins, and goes on uninterruptedly forever. -Revelation 11:15.
Concerning the final end or destruction of both the invisible part of Satan's world and the visible part thereof, the inspired apostle writes: "But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3:7,10) This "present evil world" must end and make way for the "world to come ", the "world without end ".
When the typical Theocracy had served its purpose of making prophetic pictures, Jehovah God took it away and overturned the nation that had served in connection therewith. The natural Israelites were carried away from the Holy Land and interned as captives in Babylon, which had now become the third world power. There was a faithful remnant among them. Many of the captives fell away to the religion of Babylon, but the remnant kept themselves therefrom, even when it meant to suffer being cast into a supercharged fiery furnace or into the lions' den, and these maintained their integrity toward God. Then Jehovah used King Cyrus of Persia to overthrow Babylon, picturing the destruction of Satan's organization, and to let the faithful Israelites go free. The faithful remnant went forth and returned to Jerusalem and were used of God in rebuilding the temple on Zion and rewalling the typical city. This pictured a like remnant in our period of history who are delivered by the Greater Cyrus when he comes to the temple for judgment and who then engage in the temple service of the pure worship of Jehovah God. -Isaiah 45: 1, 13; 10: 21, 22; Haggai 1: 12, 14; Zephaniah 3: 13.
FOUNDATION OF THE NEW WORLD.
In these days of great world crisis religious leaders and prominent political figures draw great public attention to themselves and also a great following after them by making boastful claims and promises of founding a "new world order ", an order "founded on moral principles" according to their standards of conduct. They offer each his own program of a different number of "points", and paint a rosy picture of what it will mean to humankind to adopt and follow them. Scan every one of them, and you will find that not a single program of theirs takes into consideration The THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, which A 1 m l g h t y God has founded on the sure and eternal foundation. They ascribe to themselves all the ability and power and push Jehovah's purpose aside. Thereby they forget God and say in effect, "There is no God"; and they are fools. (Psalm 53: 1) The wise, however, will consider God's purpose, and not be deceived by mere men.
The fullness of tunes had come, and the time had now arrived to lay the Foundation of the new world. That Foundation must be the Seed of God's "woman", meaning God's universal organization Zion. Therefore Jehovah took one from among his holy universal organization. Whom? His pre-eminent one, his firstborn and only begotten Son, The Word, God had confidence that this ever-obedient One would maintain his integrity on earth under the most crucial test, to the very death, and thereby would vindicate Jehovah's name. This One must give up everything then possessed in heaven and later on in earth, in order to be worthy and inherit the Theocratic kingship of the new world. He must be like the man who found the pearl of great price or the hid treasure and sold all that he had to buy it. (Matthew 13:44-46) On earth he must be a faithful and true witness for his Father and must bear witness to the truth of the Kingdom or Theocracy. Secondarily he must give his human life as a ransom or redemption price for all those who shall gain life in the new world.
During the time that the sixth world power, Rome, was dominating the earth, including Palestine, Jehovah God sent his beloved Son to earth. This does not mean that the Son of God remained a spirit creature and merely materialized in the flesh as the angel did at the birth of the Savior of mankind, an "incarnation" as religion calls it. No, it means that the Son of God laid aside spirit existence and that his Father Jehovah transferred his life to the womb of a devoted virgin of the tribe of Judah and he was BORN, not incarnated, as a perfect human creature. The Scripture is specific on this miraculous transference of life: "And the Word WAS MADE flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the heather,) full of grace and truth." (John 1: 14) Thus he was still the Son of God, though born of an imperfect woman who was a descendant of the sinner Adam. His new designation, "The Son of man," meant, not that he was a son of Adam, but that by virtue of presenting his perfect human life for a ransom he gained title to all the life rights and privileges possessed by the perfect man in Eden. -Matthew 16:13; 18:11; 20:28.
God had foretold that his Son's name on earth should be called JESUS, which means "Jehovah is the savior", because salvation is of Jehovah and by his Son. He was born of the earthly lineage of King David and in David's native city, Bethlehem. Because David had a faithful interest in God's temple and worship, Jehovah God made a covenant with David for the kingdom, meaning the real Theocracy, God promised that of David's lineage should come the one to be the Theocratic ruler of the everlasting kingdom or Theocracy. The anointed King David was therefore himself a type of Christ Jesus. (2 Samuel chapter seven) Concerning this Jehovah said: "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 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." -Psalm 89:34-36, 28, 29.
At Jesus' birth in Bethlehem God chose not the wealthy, long-robed, high-titled clergymen of religion at the temple as witnesses to that event. He chose the honest, hard-working, God-fearing shepherds tenderly watching over their sheep by night. Jehovah's messenger materialized and announced to them the birth, the event which was the forerunner of the new world promised. Then a host of other heavenly messengers manifested their presence and sang a prophecy of the wondrous outcome of what was now in progress: "Glory in the highest unto God! and on earth peace, among men of good-will." (Luke 2:14, Rotherham) That means particularly "men of good-will" today, because we are at the portals of the new world, which world brings the highest glory to Jehovah God and peace to all those of good-will on earth.
At his maturity as a man, at thirty years of age, Jesus, who had come to earth to do Jehovah's will, consecrated himself or entered into a solemn covenant with God to do his will, whatever God might thereafter reveal to Jesus. John the Baptist was one of the faithful men of old and was the last of that "cloud of witnesses" of Jehovah, and he was acting as a forerunner announcing the coming and work of Jesus. (Matthew 11: 12, 13; Luke 16: 16) Therefore Jesus came to John and had John baptize him in the Jordan river in outward symbol of his consecration to be dead and buried to his own will and to be raised to life to do God's will. Jehovah accepted Jesus' consecration and took him into the covenant of sacrifice to be faithful unto God unto death and to sacrifice his human life. (Psalm 50: 5) The proof of this is the fact that Jehovah God poured his spirit upon Jesus and begot him of the spirit, unto life in the spirit as a spiritual son of G ad. There, too, Jehovah God the Father acknowledged Jesus as henceforth his spiritual Son, by the manifestation of the emblem of the spirit, the dove that descended upon Jesus, and by the words f tom heaven: "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." -Matthew 3:16, 17.
Being there taken into the covenant by sacrifice and being thenceforth the spirit-begotten Son of God, Jesus was in effect there slain as a man with all human prospects for himself and he was now dead to all such. Then "the heavens war e opened unto him" and he as a spirit-begotten Son of God looked forward to life in the spirit with his heavenly Father such as he had enjoyed in heaven before being "made flesh" and becoming a man. (John 17:5; 6:62) The human sacrifice of Jesus was prefigured by that Passover lamb slain down there in Egypt. Jesus was in effect now like that slain lamb whose blood was thereafter sprinkled upon the doorways and whose flesh was then feasted upon by Jehovah's covenant people. (1 Corinthians 5:7) Being thereupon begotten to life as a spiritual Son, Jesus was then anointed with God's spirit of power. That anointing was the designating and appointment of Jesus to be the Christ, the anointed King of the new world. He was the Chief One, the Fundamental One, the First and All-essential One, of the new world. There then was when the foundation of the new world was laid. Hence he is called "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world [kosmos; the new world] ". - Revelation 13:8 ; 17:8.
The prophecies which had been delivered and recorded centuries before this event show ad that Jehovah God had foreordained his beloved Son to this essential role. Hence the apostle writes that the Christians are redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world [kosmos; the new world] but was manifest in these last times for you". (1 Peter 1:18-20) Also, Jesus said in prayer to his heavenly Father: "Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world [kosmos]." (John 17: 24) His human sacrifice was perfect. It was therefore fully adequate to redeem the right to perfect life and attendant human blessings which Adam had forfeited by sin. Therefore Jesus made one sacrifice and it needs no repetition as in the unscriptural "Sacrifice of the mass ", so called. "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world [the new world; kosmos]: but now once in the end of the world [aion] bath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:12, 25, 26) His sacrifice opened the way for everlasting blessings under God's kingdom for those who become his "other sheep". (John 10: 16) Hence concerning the "sheep" placed at his right hand in the present judgment of the nations it is written: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom [blessings] prepared for you from the foundation of the world [kosmos; the new world]." -Matthew 25 :34.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. CHAPTER 3.[]
IN CONSIDERING the meaning of "the new world" the fact should be remembered that "world" includes both an invisible part and a visible part, or "the heavens" and "the earth". The "heavens" is the higher and more powerful, and hence dominates the "earth". It is sheer blasphemy and willful ignorance for "Christendom" and her religionists and politicians to offer proposals for founding and building a "new world ". Such men are part of this present evil world and cannot unsaddle from their backs the more powerful demons or "heavens", which demons are opposed to the new world of God's promise. Such political, religious, commercial elements of this world will have no part in the "new earth". It is foolish and a self-deception for intelligent persons to look to men or human creatures to set up a new world, which men are earthly mortals and can have no power to set up a "new heavens" over earth. Such men forget God and his promise and presumptuously take away all the glory from God and pretend to be able to do what God alone can do.
The glory for creating a new world God will not give to another, and therefore he says: "For, behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. . . the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22) That was promised centuries before the foundation of the new world, and since its foundation the apostle wrote with added assurance: "Looking for and basting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements [of this wicked world] shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." - 2 Peter 3:2, 13.
The creation of the spiritual, the more powerful and higher, that is to say, "the heavens," is first. The founding and creating of the visible, subordinate part, "the earth," follows. "Thus saith God Jehovah he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images." (Isaiah 42:5, 8, Am. Rev. Ver.) Hence the foundation of the new world is in the spiritual part, and the laying of that foundation is first. To this end Jehovah begot the consecrated Jesus with His spirit and then anointed him to be the King, and thereby laid the basis for the new world which God had promised. Thus the "heavens" is the more important, and the development of the "new heavens" comes first. For this reason the apostle says Christians get a higher portion than the faithful men of old: "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:40) It is the "heavens" that vindicates Jehovah's name by destroying Satan's world. That is the primary purpose of the "heavens".
After his anointing, and immediately on beginning to preach, Jesus declared: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) To the murderous religionists who opposed him Jesus said: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation [outward show] : neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There ! for lo, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you"; meaning that He, the anointed King, was at hand and in the midst of his enemies. (Luke 17:20, 21, Am. Rev. Ver., margin) Asked for a model prayer, he gave instruction to pray for the new world, that vindicates God's name, saying: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6: 9, 10) This prayer shows that the founding of the new world in Him was not all, but that they w ere to pray for the establishment of that world in full power by the destruction of "the heavens and the earth which are now ": 2 Peter 3:7.
For preaching this good news of God's kingdom the religionists accused Jesus of sedition and subversive activities against the sixth world power, Rome, "the king of the north." When the Roman governor asked him, "Art thou a king then Q" Jesus answered: "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came T into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18: 37, 36) The setting up of the Kingdom, or real Theocracy, must wait till the end of the "seven times ", the "times of the Gentiles ".
Thus Jesus proved himself a faithful and truthful witness for Jehovah and his Theocracy, and for this Jesus is called "The Amen the faithful and true witness". "Amen," in Hebrew, means "truth". (Revelation 3:14; 19: 11) Though Jesus took no part in the politics of this world, yet for preaching God's kingdom of the new world he was persecuted by the religionists, who egged on the dictatorial power of "the king of the north ", Rome, to kill Christ Jesus. However, in dying the disgraceful death on the tree under false charges of blasphemy and sedition Jesus faithfully served God's purposes, namely, he gave up his all and thereby bought the Kingdom of The Theocracy. Jesus also maintained his integrity toward God and carried out his covenant by sacrifice even unto the death. He thus proved Satan's charge and challenge against God a flat lie and showed himself fully deserving to be the great Vindicator of God's name.
Inasmuch as Jesus laid down his all for the Kingdom, or Theocratic Government, Jehovah God must bestow it upon him. Hence Jehovah raised Christ Jesus from the dead on the third day. Forty days thereafter Jesus ascended into a "far country", even heaven itself, to receive the Kingdom and then to return in Kingdom power. But he must wait until the end decreed by Jehovah God. The end of those "times of the Gentiles" must come before he could actively enter the Kingdom power and rule in the midst of his enemies and bring Satan's uninterrupted rule to an end and then destroy Satan's organization. Hence it is written: "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting [waiting] till his enemies be made his footstool." (Hebrews 10: 12, 13; Psalm 110: 1) Christ Jesus had resumed his spirit existence in heaven and was now a divine, immortal spirit, having been resurrected as such from the dead. (1 Peter 3:18, Am. Rev. Ver.; Revelation 1:18) He was not inactive in heaven, but while he awaited the time for The Theocracy to come into power the development of the "new heavens" must be advanced.
THEOCRATIC ASSOCIATES.
In paying the price for The THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT Christ Jesus bought also those who are to be associated with him in the Kingdom. Before ever laying the foundation of the new world Jehovah God in his goodness had chosen to have such a class to be associated with his anointed King of The Theocracy. Not that he had predestinated or foreordained the individual personalities, but that he had set up the requirements and qualifications, and whoever should meet such would be of the chosen heavenly class. Hence the apostle, who was one of that class, wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he bath chosen us in him before the foundation of the [new] world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians 1:3-5) "Who bath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the [new] world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who bath abolished death, and bath brought life and immortality [incorruption] to light through the gospel. " -2 Timothy 1: 9, 10.
Christ Jesus is the Seed in the promise made to Abraham, Abraham picturing the lofty Father, Jehovah God. 'Which seed is Christ.' (Galatians 3:16) He is also the Seed of the "woman", the "woman" representing the great mother, God's universal organization. Those who are made his Kingdom associates are made pan of that Seed by God's adoption of them, begetting them by his spirit as he did Jesus to be his spiritual sons. Therefore it is written: "Know ye therefor e, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham [the lofty Father, Jehovah]. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3: 7, 29) Before the foundation of the new world the number of associated members of the Seed was unknown, not disclosed to man, and hence to man they were numberless as the stars and sands. God's promise to Abraham put it this way: "In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I w ill multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 22: 17, 18) For long the number was a mystery, and then Christ Jesus revealed the number to the apostle John, who records: "And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads, And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders : and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." -Revelation 7: 4; 14:1, 3.
These 144,000 t o g e t h e r make up the "bride" of Christ Jesus, or "the Lamb's wife". (Revelation 19:7; 21:9; 22:17)
These must all be anointed with God's spirit, that is officially commissioned as spirit-begotten witnesses of Jehovah God. Hence The Christ, or The Anointed One, is a collective or composite company, Christ Jesus being the Head, and the 144,000 members of his church being the body. "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." (Colossians 1: 18) "For as the body is one, and bath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many"; but still it is a limited number. -1 Corinthians 12 : 12-14; Romans 12: 4, 5.
When Jesus had been anointed and went forth preaching the Kingdom, God began to give to him the members of his bride or "body ", and God guided Jesus in the choice of these. (Mark 3: 13, 14; John 15: 16) Concerning his faithful apostles Jesus said in pr aver to God: "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gayest me out of the world: Nine they were, and thou gayest them me; and they have kept thy word. I have given them thy word; and the world bath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." And, showing that the members of his body would be associated with him in the heavenly Theocracy, he further prayed : "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:6, 14, 24) He sent them forth to bear witness to the truth as he did, and he instructed them: "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7) If they w ere to be made members of the Kingdom they must not be afraid or ashamed to proclaim publicly its coming. To be in the Kingdom all the body members must be faithful as his footstep followers even unto death. The faithful apostles represented the other members of the body of Christ, and to them he said:
"You are they who have continued with me in my trials. And I covenant for you, even as my Father has covenanted for me, a Kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, budging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:28-30, Emphactic Diaglott) Thus he takes the body members into God's covenant with him for the Kingdom, the same Kingdom covenant as that foretold to King David. This is that "holy covenant" against which Rome and its allies, "the king of the north," has had indignation since the days of Jesus on earth, but particularly so in these days of the "time of the end": Daniel 11:28, 30, 40.
All those made members of the body of Christ must, like him, make a consecration of themselves to God to do His will and must be justified and taken into the covenant by sacrifice, to die and be dead with Christ Jesus as humans, that they may inherit with him a share in the Kingdom. They must be faithful to the anointing or commission to be God's anointed witnesses and to proclaim his name and his kingdom. They must keep covenant with him and maintain their integrity or blamelessness toward God while in the midst of this world under demon rule. Faithful canto death must they be. Hence Christ Jesus says to such: "Fear none of those things which thou shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days [all days]: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Revelation 2:10; 3:21) To the same effect his devoted apostle writes:
"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him." (2 Timothy 2: 10-12) Christ Jesus being exalted to the highest place in the universe next to Jehovah God himself, and the faithful body members being exalted with him as "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ", they and Christ Jesus their Head shall constitute Jehovah's capital organization, the "new heavens", THE THEOCRACY. -Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 8:16-18.
Since they have been taken into the covenant by sacrifice and therefore been begotten by God unto life in the spirit, they might share in Christ's death that they might share in his resurrection. That is a resurrection to life in the spirit, in heaven. "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." (Romans 6: 8-5) This resurrection they experience at the establishment of the new world and when Christ Jesus the King thereof comes to the temple for judgment. On that basis the apostle, when about to die, wrote: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8) That resurrection is invisible to human eyes, because it is a raising out of death to life in the spirit, immortal, incorruptible, "the likeness of his [Christ's] resurrection." Since Christ Jesus is "the firstborn from the dead ", theirs is the "first resurrection" first in time and in importance. That only those who shat e in the heavenly Theocracy have such resurrection to heavenly life and glory it is written: "Blessed and holy is he that bath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death bath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6; also verse 4) This is the reward for their faithfulness unto the covenant for the Kingdom, Only the 144,000 participate with Christ Jesus in this first resurrection and they are the only ones from among men to go to heaven.
"NEW EARTH"
The Theocracy constituting the "new heavens", who, then, shall make up the "new earth"? The great Creator of the new world, and who lays the foundations of the new earth, replies: The faithful men of old who endured all manner of torture, persecution and suffering and through it all maintained their integrity toward God till death, in order that they might "obtain a better resurrection". (Hebrews 11:35) Because they preceded the foundation of the new world and never were begotten of the spirit, they shall never go to heaven, but their resurrection shall be earthly, human. The least member in the kingdom of heaven shall therefore be greater than any of them in the new world. Jesus so said concerning John the Baptist, the last of those faithful men of old. (Matthew 11:11; John 3:13; Acts 2:34) However, theirs shall be a "better" resurrection in that it is better than that general resurrection of the dead of mankind who are in the graves. Hence those faithful men are included in the "resurrection unto life", which is apart from the "resurrection of judgment" for humankind in general. Distinguishing between the two resurrections Jesus said: "[God] gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. " -John 5:27-29, Am. Rev. Ver.
Those faithful men of old underwent judgment as to their integrity and were faithful, and were thus for a vindication of God's name. In reward they shall be raised out of death as perfect men. To confer that perfection upon them Christ Jesus died as a ransom. Their perfecting, however, could not take place before first those who shall be of the "new heavens" are called and anointed and all brought unto Christ at the temple for judgment and united with him. Hence the apostle stated: "God having provided some better thing for us [the heavenly class], that they without us should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:40) What, then, shall be their place on earth ?
As respects Christ Jesus those men of old were his "fathers"; as it is written: "Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all." (Romans 9: 5) Those men of integrity died in faith and faithful, and Christ Jesus died for all the faithful and obedient ones, and hence also for those faithful men of old. Therefore those faithful men in the graves shall shortly now hear the voice of the King of the "new heavens" and shall come forth, receiving their life from him who gave himself a ransom for them. Thus Christ Jesus becomes the Father or Life-giver of those who when on earth were his fathers, and he shall confer upon them the right to perfect life, which life right was lost through sin but was bought back by Christ's sacrifice. Hence the prophetic psalm addresses these words to the King Christ Jesus: "Instead of thy fathers [they] shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. " -Psalm 45:16.
As the princely children of the Theocratic King they shall act for him and in obedience to him on the ear N. They shall be the earthly representatives of the "new heavens" and shall be seen of all men that live on earth. In this official capacity of "princes in all the earth" they shall be or form the "new earth". Only Glad by Christ Jesus can lay the foundations of that "new earth" by bringing them back from the dead and putting them in official service on earth. As for the present politicians, dictators and religious leaders or clergy, the battle of Armageddon shall for ever clear them out. Thus the "new earth" and the "new heavens" will be complete and shall form the new world, "wherein dwelleth righteousness." Concerning the perfect cooperation that shall obtain between the invisible part and the visible part o? the new world it is written: "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." "Drop down [righteousness], ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I the LORD have created it. " -Isaiah 32:1; 45-8.
Contrasting that righteous rule of the new world with the present arrangement under demon rule, Proverbs 29:2 prophesies: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." The present mourning of the people world-wide speaks out plainly its own meaning, but now such mourning will not much longer continue. The battle of Armageddon will destroy and remove completely the cause of mourning, the wicked bearing rule. Thereby it will clear the way for the full and unimpeded rule of the "new earth". The "new heavens" began to function in A.D. 1914. Satan and his demons were promptly thereafter defeated in battle and cast out of heaven and down to the earth. That wicked one and his demons now bring great woes upon the earth and sea to drive all nations into a totalitarian system and to turn all people in bitterness against God. The Lord Jesus has now come to the temple for judgment, and the remnant of the members of "his body" yet on earth he has gather ad into the temple condition of perfect unity with himself (Malachi 3:1-3), and hence those faithful men of old may be expected back from the dead any day now. The Scriptures give good reason to believe that it shall be shortly before Armageddon breaks. .
In this expectation the house at San Diego, California, which house has been much publicized with malicious intent by the religious enemy, was built, in 1930 and named "Beth Sarim", meaning "House of the Princes". It is now held in trust f or the occupancy of those princes on their return. The most recent facts show that the religionists of this doomed world are gnashing their teeth because of the testimony which that "House of the Princes" bears to the new world. To those religionists and their allies the return of those faithful men of old to rule with judgment over the people shall not bring any pleasure. But to the people whom the angels sang about, "men of good-will," it shall be an occasion for unbounded lion, and they shall rally to the side of those princely representatives of the kingdom of heaven. Concerning the contrast between those goatish opposers and these sheep-like ones Jesus foretold, saying to the religionists: "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come ft am the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. " -Luke 13:28, 29; Matthew 8:11, 12.
DIVINE MANDATE.
The miraculous reappearance of those faithful men of that "cloud of witnesses" will not be by reincarnation. The "reincarnation" theory is a demon doctrine and based on Satan's original lie in Eden. Their return will be by a resurrection from the dead, a "better resurrection ". For centuries they have been sleeping the sleep of death in the tombs. Before ever the divine mandate to fill the earth goes into effect under the "new heavens", those "princes" shall be awakened out of death, be installed in office, and begin to act as the "new earth" and to "rule in judgment ". The Scriptures do not indicate that they shall take a part in carrying out the divine mandate, which has never yet been fulfilled, but which shall be, because God's original purpose shall never fail. Who, then, shall enjoy that privilege on earth in the new world?
Mindful of us at the end of this world, God wave a typical answer to that timely question. That was in the historic events from and after the great deluge of Noah's day. The destruction of the old world of the ungodly which that act of Jehovah God wrought was a type of the world destruction which God's "strange act" "the battle of that great day of God almighty," shall bring at Armageddon, when all of Satan's organization in beau en and earth shall have been gathered there for the showdown fight. (Mathew 24: 37; Revelation 16:14-16) The great deluge of water rid the face of the earth of all workers of violence and wickedness; the great deluge of fiery destruction at Armageddon will do likewise. Those who gathered unto Noah in the ark were miraculously preserved when that old world perished. The Flood over, they came forth and Noah's sons and wt yes heard the restatement of the divine mandate and proceeded to fulfill it in a typical fashion, to make a complete picture for us.
Pointing to tile place of protection and security in the day s ahead the apostle Peter wrote: "The long?suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:20, 21). Noah was a type of Christ Jesus, who shall give rest from the oppression of demon rule. Those who went unto Noah in the ark which he built at God's command were thus baptized unto him, and after the Flood they fulfilled the divine mandate typically. Now the Greater Noah has built the great Theocratic organization at Jehovah's command. All persons of good-will toward Jehovah God who approach unto him through his King and put themselves under the Theocratic organization are baptized unto the Greater Noah and shall not be executed with the wicked. Now, when God's wrath is about to break forth against Satan's wicked world, God's word of counsel applies to such meek or teachable persons: "Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come upon you. Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances ; seek righteousness, seek meekness : it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger." -Zephaniah 2:2, 3, Am. Rev. Ver.
In passing safely through the Flood Noah particularly pictured the small remnant yet on earth of the body members of Christ Jesus, the Greater Noah. That remnant shall live out Armageddon by divine protection. Noah's sons and their wives pictured those who are the companions of the remnant in now serving Jehovah God and proclaiming his name and Theocracy. The remnant are the last members of Christ's "little flock" to whom it is God the Father's good pleasure to give the heavenly kingdom. (Luke 12: 31, 32) Their faithful earthly companions are the Lord's "other sheep", whom he is at present gathering into the "one fold" under the Good Shepherd's care and protection. (John 10: 10, 16) The remnant are, as Christ Jesus calls them, "the least of these my brethren," whereas their loving, helpful companions are the "sheep" who do good to the remnant as unto the King Christ Jesus upon his throne of glory. Hence they are the "sheep" whom he puts on the right side of his throne of judgment, the side of approval, mercy, favor and preservation. When the goatish opposers and persecutors of the remnant of Jehovah's witnesses are turned into the fiery destruction of Armageddon, which is reserved also for the Devil and his demons, the "sheep" shall be safeguarded. They shall be carried through the world's FINAL END and enter into the cleansed earth, with those "princes in all the earth ". To those "sheep" the Theocratic King of the new world shall lovingly say: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," and he will usher these "righteous into life eternal" on the earth. (Matthew 25:34, 46) One of the blessings which they shall inherit from their great King-Father is the pleasure and responsibility of carrying out the divine mandate to fill the earth, which shall have been almost depopulated by the execution of the wicked at Armageddon.
As at man's beginning in Eden, so then there shall be righteous "heavens" and a righteous invisible overlord over those Armageddon survivors. Like Noah's sons, they shall be counted righteous by reason of faith and obedience. That will be the time of "regeneration" spoken of by the great Theocratic King. (Matthew 19:28) As the One whose name shall be called "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father ", he will regenerate them unto everlasting life. (Isaiah 9:6) As the One who by his own human life redeemed the right to perfect human life which Adam forfeited for himself and his offspring, the great King-Father will bestow upon his "other sheep" who survive Armageddon the right to everlasting life. They will then be his children and will address him as "father ". Then his words w ill apply to them: "I am the resurrection, and the life : . . . And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." "Verily, verily, I Say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." (John 11: 25, 26; 8: 51) Then the words of heavenly wisdom shall be true: "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." "The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth." "For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it."
Proverbs 11:31; 10:30; 2:21.
These righteous "sheep" shall respond to the divine mandate, which shall be restated to them. Marriage of the righteous is a joyful occasion, and the earth will be filled with joy as these righteous servants of God marry the mates their King-Father arranges for them. With Eve's sorrows of conception banished, they shall bring forth children with pleasure and in righteousness, not unto death and trouble, but unto life. "They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble: for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them." (Isaiah 65: 23) They shall bring up these children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" and shall teach them to love Jehovah God and his King Christ Jesus with all their mind, heart, soul and strength. (Ephesians 6: 4; Deuteronomy 6: 4-7) Thus, without death to hinder by smiting down their offspring in infancy or youth, the filling of the earth with righteous creatures will proceed during the reign of Christ the King until God's will expressed in the divine mandate is done on earth in completion. Together with this performing of the divine mandate there will be the subduing of the earth and its transformation under the blessings of The Theocracy into an earth-wide paradise. Moreover, its residents, acting in God's image, will exercise "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth", and all these creatures shall be the peaceful, harmless friends of righteous humankind. - Isaiah 11: 6-9; 65: 25; Genesis 1: 26, 28.
That is the populated earth which Jehovah God puts into subjection to Christ Jesus, who tasted death for all faithful men. "For not unto angels did he subject the world to come [(marginal reading) the inhabited earth to come], whereof we speak. . . . For in that he subjected all things unto him [Christ Jesus], he left nothing that is not subject to him. " -Hebrews 2: 5-9, Am. Rev.Ver.
GENERAL RESURRECTION.
The divine mandate having been fulfilled and paradise having been restored, then the great King-Judge will remember that friendly thief who died with him on Calvary and also all the other dead who are in the graves or tombs. He will utter his voice, and they shall come forth unto the "resurrection of judgment". Why of judgment? Because in this present life on earth they "did evil", being born sinners, and yet they were not willful-wicked rebels against God's will nor sinners against his holy spirit, the light of the truth. (John 5: 27-29, Am. Rev. Ver.) Hence it is recorded: 'There shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.' -Acts 24: 15.
For those dying unjust, not having maintained their integrity during the time of demon rule, that thousand-year reign of Christ the King will be the "day" or period of judgment, as well as for the children of the Armageddon survivors. (2 Peter 3: 7, 8) As it is written: "God . . commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world [(marginal reading) judge the inhabited earth] in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained." (Acts 17: 30, 31, Am. Rev. Ver.) Satan's "present evil world" will not be in existence then, but his wicked "heavens" and "earth" shall have been destroyed at Armageddon. It is now, during this "time of the end", between the close of Satan's uninterrupted rule in 1914 and the destruction of his world at Armageddon, that Jehovah God by Christ Jesus his King judges that world and its organized nations. As the King himself said:
"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (John 12: 31)
Those who will be brought into the new world, either by being born and brought up as children of the Armageddon survivors or by the general resurrection of the dead, shall thereafter be put on judgment. The brief loosing of Satan from the abyss or condition of restraint at the end of the thousand years will provide the final test of their integrity, to determine their choice and worthiness of everlasting life. Still unwilling to confess and yield to Jehovah's fully established universal domination, Satan will go forth again to wreck and ruin that new world and shall again strike at human creatures, those with unproved integrity. Such ones as yield to Satan in this last desperate attempt to justify his wicked challenge shall be annihilated with Satan, and that destruction shall be everlasting. Those who hold fast their integrity and thus choose life shall be granted the unconditional right to life without end on earth in that new world, the "world without end". -Revelation 20: 3, 7-10; Luke 20: 34-38.
That will mark the complete realization of the inspired vision of the apostle: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea [people alienated from God]. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem [The Theocracy], coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. . . And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21: 1-4) Concerning the power of the Theocratic King to do what present earthly governments cannot do it is written: "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15: 25, 26) And, since death is the wages of sin, that prophecy means the wiping out of all practice of sin and religion. - Romans 6: 23.
After the conclusion of that work of the thousand years, will perfected humankind have dealings with one another under a democratic arrangement? Those who now stake their all on democracy or any other human rule of government as the hope of the world should look to God's Word and believe His answer to the question. He says of present world arrangements: "The first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea [peoples choosing their own way and not God's]. . .. for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21: 1, 4) Dictatorships, totalitarian rule, and other things which Armageddon causes to pass away shall never be restored to power. Jehovah God provides the perfect and the best. THEOCRACY, His administration by Christ Jesus, is and ever- shall be the best for all humankind that lives, everywhere on earth, as it was best for the twelve different tribes of Israel of old.
In the endless time to come there shall not be different governments on earth at the same time, one style of government best suited for one section of the land, and another style for another section. There will be no self-determination of peoples under the "new heavens", different groups of people having each a distinct and independent form of human government. There will be only ONE GOVERNMENT, indivisible, world-wide, only one central authority, and it will be heavenly, divine. It will be a paternal government, because all that live will be the children of the King, their Father who gives everlasting life; and all living humankind shall be one united, inseparable family relationship, doing justly, walking humbly with their God and worshiping him in spirit and in truth. The "new earth", the King-Father's "princes in all the earth", shall remain forever. Satan's short-term loosing shall not overturn them. All humankind under them shall be subject to them as unto the King whom they visibly represent: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2: 10, 11) The chief purpose of THE THEOCRACY is and will be to glorify Jehovah God, the great Theocrat, whose universal domination shall be forever. "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. ' " -Ephesians 3: 21.
LOVE OF THE WORLD.
That new world is the world which Jehovah God loves, and for love of which he used his most beloved one in all his universal organization. "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. 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) Certainly God did not love that old world of the ungodly which he made to perish in the Flood. Certainly he does not love this world, concerning which he admonishes his faithful servants: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2: 15-17) Certainly those that God loves are not those who are part of "this world" and who operate and uphold the agencies and organizations that oppose and fight against Jehovah's Theocratic Government and his faithful witnesses. "The LORD loveth the righteous." "The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." - Psalms 146:8; 11:5,7.
It was not love of mere human creatures that moved God to give his pre-eminent and beloved Son, merely to save sinful humans from destruction. God 's sentence upon the first man and woman was just and beyond recall or change. He could easily have destroyed Adam and Eve and created a new human pair and issued to them the divine mandate to fill the earth; and thus no work of redemption would have been necessary for Adam's offspring. However, it was God's holy name and his universal domination that were at stake, and it was for this that God took the action that brought in his only begotten Son. Righteousness meant the vindication of his name, and it must be righteousness that must be restored universally. His universal domination meant the universal rule of righteousness; for his domination is a righteous one. It was his love of the world of righteousness, and not mere mortal human creatures, that moved God. Condemned human creatures may choose that world of righteousness or not do so, without affecting the final result to God. As stated at John 3: 35, 36: "The Father loveth the Son [the King of the new world], and bath given all things [of the new world] into his hand. He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." God forces none to alter his natural condition. The one who Chooses the side of righteousness does so with lasting benefit to himself, and God is not dependent upon him.
Because of his devotion to righteousness, and in the interest of righteousness everywhere, Jehovah purposed the creating of the new world consisting of the "new heavens" and the "new earth". Those "new heavens" are Christ Jesus the King and his 144,000 glorified Kingdom associates, all together constituting The Theocracy. The King thereof, Christ Jesus, was never on the side of sin and unrighteousness and never shall be; and him Jehovah God loves most dearly of all righteous creatures. The "new earth" is that "so great a cloud of witnesses", those faithful men of old, whom the King makes "princes in all the earth" and who shall rule in justice and judgment and righteousness among men that live. Having purposed this new world the moment that the issue of universal domination was raised by Satan's course, Jehovah God manifested his love for that world of righteousness to be so great that he gave his only begotten Son to be the King thereof. In proof of that gift, God at Eden gave his covenant-promise foretelling the Seed that should bear perfect enmity against unrighteousness and that should crush the great Serpent of unrighteousness. In behalf of the great act of righteousness, the vindication of Jehovah's name, the Lord God gave or appointed his beloved Son to be the Head One of The Theocracy, God's capital organization which is his instrument to vindicate his name. That is his primary purpose for and by it.
Jehovah also foretold that other righteous creatures would be associated with his only begotten Son in The Theocracy, the "new heavens". God would love those creatures who showed such devotion to righteousness as to qualify for that heavenly privilege and honor. Looking to the creation of the "new heavens", and in order to provide the way for such creatures to be changed from human to spirit, Jehovah God gave his beloved Son to be the ransom sacrifice. Thereby these might be "redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb". (Revelation 14: 4) The Theocracy, of which Christ Jesus is the Chief and Essential One, and the vindication of God's name by it, is far more vital than the salvation of human creatures. Hence the redemption of humankind is only secondary in God's purpose in giving his Son. It was after Jesus mentioned God's love for the new world that Jesus added: "God . . . gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." That means that no one can have everlasting life except he believes in The Theocracy as the only hope and then devotes himself to and advocates that Righteous Government. Those who do not do so shall perish.
Those faithful men of old who shall be made "princes" to represent on earth The Theocracy were also lovers of righteousness. They foretold and looked ahead to the establishment of Jehovah's kingdom. Therefore they too have been ransomed and redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus and shall have a "better resurrection", and shall be given everlasting life as upright children. Now the Lord's "other sheep" hear the good news preached of and concerning The Theocracy and they devote themselves to it and join with Jehovah's remnant of witnesses in proclaiming that Mighty Government in all the world for a witness. Therefore they are separated to the right side of the King on his judgment throne at the temple. They shall form the "great multitude" of survivors of Armageddon that will carry out the divine mandate to fill the earth with a righteous race. (Revelation 7: 9-17) Therefore after that battle they will receive the full benefits of the ransom sacrifice and will be justified and enter into everlasting life on the cleansed earth. They shall serve under the "princes", the "new earth".
That "new world" being all righteous, Jehovah God does not condemn it, but this present evil world he does condemn and doom to destruction. Jesus said: "For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." (John 9:39) "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (John 12:31) Therefore, after Jesus told of God's love for the new world, he could not have meant this present evil world when he added the words:
"For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him." (John 3: 17, Am. Rev. Ver.) He meant here the new world of righteousness.
When Jesus presented himself in consecration, was immersed in Jordan, and was then begotten of God's spirit and anointed to be the King of the world to come, then and there the foundation of that world was laid. Thus God sent his Son into that world. (Hebrews 10: 5-9) Not to judge that righteous world was he sent, nor to condemn it. However, those who are to be associated with him in the "new heavens", and those who are to be the "princes" and to compose the "new earth", were born sinners and condemned. Hence these needed salvation unto life in order to be able to serve in the new world. Therefore God sent the Son that such ones of the new world might be saved. Christ Jesus in proving faithful unto death not only bought The Theocracy but also all creatures who shall be of that capital organization and all others who shall place themselves under it in subjection to the will of God. Because Paul was in line to be one of The Theocracy, that apostle wrote: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the [new] world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1: 15) When Paul's eyes were opened he devoted himself to The Theocracy and was saved.
Only those who choose and enter into the new world are saved from sin and its penalty. Such are the ones meant when John the Baptist pointed to Christ Jesus after his baptism and said: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the [new] world." (John 1: 29) Meaning Jesus, the apostle wrote: "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the [new] world." (John 1: 9) Jesus said: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." -John 8: 12.
It is the King of the new world that gives light which leads to everlasting life. He said: "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the [new] world, but to save the [new] world." (John 12: 46, 47) To those who shall be associated with Christ Jesus in the Kingdom of the new world the apostle writes: "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we [body members of Christ] might live through him. And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4:9, 14) It is therefore clearly demonstrated that the Holy Scriptures do not teach the doctrine of universal salvation nor that all sinful men have been automatically redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ and shall have an awakening from the dead, regardless of their wickedness or not. Christ Jesus does not take away the sin of this present evil world, but destroys this world at Armageddon for its wickedness. He tasted death for every man that believes on him and obeys, and for as many as so do, even for all such, he gave himself or his human life as a ransom. - Hebrews 2:9; Matthew 20: 28; 1 Timothy 2: 5, 6.
TIME TO CHOOSE.
The hope of humanity is the new world and its Theocracy! Let all persons of intelligence and lovers of right now choose! Which shall be your choice ? Shall it be the so-called "new world" or "new world order founded on moral principles" as presumptuously offered by religious heads, dictators, and other political leaders, or Jehovah's new world ? If God, who is all-wise and wholly devoted to righteousness, so loved that new world as to give for it the most faithful and dependable of his sons to be the Ruler, then all persons having wisdom and loving righteousness should likewise love that new world and its Theocracy. They should choose such and henceforth stand immovably for such. This present evil world with its deceptive schemes is not a lover of Jehovah God, but is his enemy. The choice and friendship of this world mean enmity toward God and enmity toward his new world. Said the King of the new world: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (Matthew 12: 30) There is no straddling to both sides, no middle ground for compromise; you are either for the Theocratic rule or for the demon rule. Your choice determines your destiny of either death with the doomed present evil world or life everlasting in the new world under The Theocracy.
The time now to choose is short. There shall never be a return to the old; there shall never be a return of the nations to "normalcy" again in this world. "This gospel of the kingdom [Theocracy]" has been preached in all the habitable earth for a witness unto all nations by God's remnant and their companions and they continue so to do; and this was prophesied to come immediately before the final end. Is it not of significance, then, that this public preaching of this good news of The Theocracy by God's witnesses is being steadily ruled against and every effort made to close it down by the nations of this world, and only a few countries are still open to a degree? (Matthew 24: 14) In the rapidly marching world events, the prophecy of Daniel chapter eleven concerning the total war on earth for world domination is undergoing fulfillment. This is un-debatable proof that we are in the "time of the end". On pages hereinafter following that prophecy is set forth opposite the facts fulfilling it. (Chapter eleven) Read them and act wisely!
The "new world order" proposed by scheming men is the "abomination of desolation" which aims to stand in the holy place of God's kingdom. Both the prophet Daniel and Christ Jesus foretold it as marking the approach of the FINAL END and therefore the time to make all haste and flee to The Theocratic Go v e r n m en t under Christ Jesus. (Daniel 11: 31; 12: 11; Matthew 24: 15-21) That attempted "new world order" which is pushed forward in opposition to and as a substitute for God's new world under "The King of kings and Lord of lords,, is the final expression of the antichrist. Do not look for the antichrist to be an individual man or beast. It is that "new order" organization. The antichrist is here, and its appearance marks the "last time" for this world. "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." -1 John 2: 18.
All the events of the world since A.D. 1914 and fulfilling the Lord's prophecy prove that we have reached the "end of the world". To those who love righteousness and take their stand for The Theocracy that fact means no sorrow, but a cause for unspeakable joy. To such the encouragement is given: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." (Luke 21: 28, 31) It is the time therefore to keep oneself unspotted from the world and to keep integrity and thus be blameless toward the Creator of the "new heavens" and the "new earth": "We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. " -2 Peter 3: 13, 14.
The hour of temptation is upon all the world. The test is as to love for the old world that must perish at Armageddon or love for the Theocracy of God's new world. In this time of test only those who hold fast to God's Word and patiently follow its guidance shall be held up from falling into the snare of the fear of man and demons and which snare brings death with the world. To such the Lord's promise is of comfort: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3: 10) Tribulation can no longer be escaped by anyone on earth. But you must choose whether your tribulation shall be with the world as a part thereof or for The Theocracy and its righteousness. The tribulation of the world leads unto death, but maintaining your integrity under tribulation for the sake of The Theocracy means life in the glorious world of righteousness.
Though the choice of The Theocracy means to endure affliction and tribulation for a short while at the hands of the world, do not let this dismay you. Do not let it deter you from making the right and wise choice that fixes for you the destiny of everlasting life and peace under the Righteous Government. Remember the choice of that man of integrity, Job, and his tribulation therefor. His end was more blessed than his beginning, and he shall be one of the "princes" in the "new earth". For your strengthening God's Word says: "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." (James 5: 10, 11) For the fortifying of all lovers of righteousness and truth to endure down to the final end the prophetic drama of Job is next herein set out in detail and compared with the facts. That drama of integrity is the provision of the Great Theocrat specifically for our day. Helped and comforted and renewed in strength will be all those who avail themselves of His provision now.
JOB. CHAPTER 4.[]
IN THE critical year of 1942 the developments of the great conflict for world domination drew our attention to the neighborhood of the ancient home of Job, the land of Uz. The inspired record becomes alive with meaning today. It reads: "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. " (Job 1: 1) The record concerning Job is no mere bit of dead ancient history to be pushed aside because of urgent conditions that grimly face us at present. Job was involved in an important way in the chief issue confronting all heaven and earth, and which issue shall be settled in this" the day of Jehovah". The issue is UNIVERSAL DOMINATION. Job's record shows him to be one of those faithful men of old, who are destined to be those "princes in all the earth" in the new 129 world which Almighty God Jehovah constructs. More than this: the Scriptural and the physical facts prove that Job is due to be resurrected shortly with those faithful men and to appear on earth with them. These appointed "princes" of God will take over what the Nazi-Fascist totalitarian dictators desperately try to grab in the earth. "Christendom 's" civilization is threatened with collapse by selfish division within her, and her frightened leaders are like drowning men grasping at a straw and crying out, "What the world needs is more religion!" It is the proper time, therefore, to consider carefully the life history of Job, who was a witness for Jehovah God. His true-life experience was a prophetic drama which exposes the war hotly waged by religion against Jehovah's witnesses from and after Abel, the first martyr slain by a religionist.
From the inside evidence of the book bearing Job's name it appears that the land of Uz was the northern part of what is called Arabia Deserta. Run your eye along the thirtieth parallel of the map, and you will locate the land of Uz northward of that parallel and to the east and southeast of Palestine, and continuing eastward toward the Euphrates river, the famous river of Mesopotamia, now Iraq. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, mentions two men by the name of Uz. The first one was a great-grandson of Noah. God's friend Abraham descended from a cousin of that Uz. (Genesis 10: 22,23) The second Uz was the son of Abraham's brother, Nahor, and so was a nephew of faithful Abraham. (Genesis 22: 20,21) Job descended from this second Uz hence Job was in the relationship of a great?grandnephew of Abraham. Nahor had another son named Buz, and from him was descended the young man Elihu who came to Job's defense against the religionists. Nahor's third son was named Bethuel, and he became the father of Laban and Rebekah. This Rebekah married Abraham's son Isaac, and from this marriage the twins were born, Jacob and Esau. Rebekah 's brother Laban became the father of Leah and Rachel, and both of these daughters were married off to Jacob. From that marriage the twelve tribes of Israel were descended. Therefore the Israelites were distant second cousins of Job. Jacob's twin brother, Esau, despised God's covenant with Abraham and married a demon-worshiper. From this marriage there descended the Temanites, prominent among whom was Eliphaz the Temanite, who pre tended to be the friend of Job. It is important to see these ties of relationship of Job in order the better to understand his faith and hope and why he stuck to the course he had taken.
In the course of time the various descendants of both the men named Uz, as aforementioned, must have gotten together in the land alongside Babylon's territory. They became related among one another in this new land and they named it after the two forefathers who both had the same name, Uz. The book of Job is actual history, and Job was no mere allegorical character. Jehovah God mentions him in the prophecy by Ezekiel concerning conditions at the end of this world: "Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 14: 13, 14, also verses 16, 18, 20) God knows all things correctly and he here links up Job with Noah and Daniel, about whose actual existence in human history there is no doubt or question. At James 5: 11 it also speaks of Job as a historical person. The apostle James would not refer to some imaginary, fictional, parabolic or allegorical figure as an example for persecuted Christians to consider in order to strengthen themselves unto patient endurance as Jehovah's witnesses. Only an actual life character would carry the proper conviction to Christians that, by God's grace, "it can be done!"
Abraham and his two brothers, Nahor and Haran, dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees with Terah their father. Then Abraham was called of Jehovah God to go to the Promised Land and was given the promise concerning The Theocracy and the Seed in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed. It seems that Nahor and his family did not leave Ur of the Chaldees together with Abraham and Haran and their father Terah. However, Nahor's son Uz would become acquainted with the movements of his uncle Abraham due to that promise concerning the Theocratic Government by the Seed. This information Uz would hand down to his posterity, and in time it came down to his descendant Job. Later on Uz also left Ur of the Chaldees, crossed the Euphrates, and settled in the land thereafter called by his name Uz. There after many years his descendant Job was born. The record indicates that when Job came to a knowledge and understanding of God's promise in Eden concerning the Seed of the woman and also God's later promise concerning the same Seed, Job showed forth the same faith as Abraham did in those promises and took his stand for The Theocracy.
Job's name means "hated; harassed; persecuted", that is, by the enemies and opposers of those Theocratic promises. Hence this hatred would be exercised by Satan and his demons and his visible agents on earth, particularly the religionists. The reason why such hatred and persecution were directed at Job is stated in the record: "And that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed [avoided] evil." (Job 1:1) Job was not perfect in body and mind, because he was 'conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity' like all the rest of Adam's offspring, and death had passed upon him as upon all men, "for that all have sinned." (Psalm 51: 5; Romans 5: 12) But Job could be and was perfect in his devotion to Jehovah and his promised Theocracy. Hence he did not try to run ahead of God and set up a political rule as Nimrod did. Job, chapter thirty, shows that Job occupied a powerful position in the land of Uz, yet he did not make himself king there. Like Abraham his great-granduncle, Job looked forward for God's establishment of the Theocratic Government by His Seed in his due time. Job's later utterances show this. Like Abraham, Job had no desire to return to Ur of the Chaldees and put himself under the domination of Babylon. (Hebrews 11: 15, 16) He recognized Jehovah and his promised Seed as "the Higher Powers" ' and did not fear men or the governments of "this present evil world". In eschewing or avoiding evil he avoided the organizations and policies and course of the world and was no friend of it. His record shows he visited the fatherless and widows in their affliction and kept himself unspotted from the world. (James 1: 27, Syriac Version) For this he was "hated" by the world.
It is written: "By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." (Proverbs 16: 6) To Job's chief critic the Almighty God made this comment about Job: "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1: 8) The statement that "there is none like him in the earth" seems to locate the time of this drama as between two marked events, namely, the death of Abraham's great-grandson Joseph and the birth of Moses sixty-four years later. It was about 1600 years before Christ. At that time the Israelites were in Egypt and had become measurably spotted with religion or demonism down there. Their ensnarement by religion in Egypt, which symbolizes the world, is spoken of at Ezekiel 20: 5-9.
During that period there would be no equal of Job in the earth as to devotion to Jehovah God and his promised Government. Study of the evidence appears to show that Job may have been born about or shortly after the death of his distant cousin Jacob in Egypt, and that the great test of Job's patience came shortly after the death of Jacob's son Joseph. Joseph's death would take from the earth one whose devotion and faithfulness to Jehovah could be compared with Job's, and so Job would be left as the outstanding servant and witness of Jehovah God in all the earth. At the time of test Job had ten children and may have been about seventy years old. The Bible does not give his age at that time, but it is evident that he was not a young man then, which would make it all the more noteworthy that Job lived 140 years after the test.
Surviving for one hundred and forty years after his test, it appears that Job lived long after Moses' birth and even after Moses led the children of Israel forth from the land of Egypt. It further appears that Moses wrote the book of Job and that Moses learned about Job and his test of integrity after Moses fled from Egypt, having killed the dictatorial Egyptian overseer in defense of his brother Israelite. Then Moses took refuge in the land of Midian with the Midianite prince, Jethro. Later Moses married Jethro's sister, Zip porah. Her name means "little bird", or, "birdie," and is the feminine form of the name Zophar. The Midianites were located just south of the land of Uz, and Moses during his forty years' exile as a shepherd in the country of Midian was then in an easy position to learn of and concerning Job up across the border. Job was apparently living out his miraculously lengthened life and it appears that he died after Moses went back to Egypt and started the Israelites on their forty-year trek through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Then while passing by, Moses could check up on the full age of Job and could record it and finish off the closing verses of the book of Job, all for our admonition today.
In recounting the deeds of the faithful men of old, at chapter eleven of Hebrews, the apostle Paul does not list the name of Job. This does not argue that Job did not live. The apostle was in that record specializing mainly on those faithful men who descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hence, after mentioning Jacob and Joseph, Paul goes on to name Moses the Israelite, although Job's demonstration of faith may have fitted in between Joseph and Moses. Not being an Israelite, Job was not mentioned by name, but he is included in the description of that "cloud of witnesses", who "through faith?c wrought righteousness, obtained promises, ?c out of weakness were made strong". -Hebrews 11: 33, 34.
The drama of Job being prophetic, whom did he picture His faithful course shows he pictured all those on earth who exercised faith in Jehovah's promise and took a firm, unwavering position for The Theocracy and favored His universal domination, and who then withstood the assaults of the demons and demonized men and held fast their integrity toward God under the test unto the end. That line of men of integrity began with the martyred Abel and included the prophets and other faithful ones of old, and also Jesus primarily. It ties in all his body members or members of the "body of Christ", including the remnant thereof yet on earth; and also the Lord's "other sheep" whom he is gathering today and who shall form the "great multitude" that shall fulfill the divine mandate. All these stand the test and faithfully keep their integrity before the world is destroyed and Satan and his demons are bound at Armageddon. In brief, then, Job pictures all those of maintained integrity from Abel down to and including the "great multitude".
CHILDREN.
"And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters." (Job 1:2) Job taught his children the promises and commandments of Jehovah God as his great-grand-uncle Abraham did, and as Christ Jesus taught his disciples later, bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Genesis 18: 19) In this picture of Job as a father of ten, he specially represented the One whom Jehovah God makes "The Everlasting Father "in the new world, namely, Christ Jesus, who gives life to all that maintain their integrity on earth down to the end of Armageddon. These include the following: (1) The members of "his body", the "little flock", his church, for whose life he died. Concerning them he says: "Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me." (Hebrews 2:13; Isaiah 8: 18) To them he said: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." (John 14:9) Jesus was the Father 's representative unto the disciples whom God the Father gave to Jesus. (2) The faithful men of old, including Job himself, and whom Christ Jesus raises from the dead unto everlasting life, thus making them his "children". Then he makes them "princes in all the earth" under The Theocracy, as foretold at Psalm 45: 16. (3) His "other sheep" who are now being separated from the "goats" and whom he is now gathering into the one fold with the remnant. (John 10:16) To these "other sheep" and to the "princes" Christ Jesus the King becomes "The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace". -Isaiah 9: 6, 7.
Job's seven sons and three daughters make ten children. All these together would picture the complete number of persons who on earth maintain their integrity toward Jehovah God and his Theocracy, from Abel on down to the end of the battle of Armageddon.
"His substance [(marginal reading) His cattle] also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. " (Job 1:3) Note also concerning Job's distant relative Abraham: "And Abram was very rich, in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great. " -Genesis 13: 2, 5, 6.
Job appears to have been chiefly a herder, like Abel and like Abraham. Doubtless the land of Uz was better adapted to this than to farming. According to some authorities the name "Uz" means "light, sandy soil", describing the north part of Arabia Deserta; to others "Uz" means "consultation". In such dominion over those cattle, which together numbered 11,500 (a multiple of ten), Job here further pictured Christ Jesus. To him as King of The Theocracy is committed the dominion over the creature life of the new earth. His rightful title is "The Son of man", and at Hebrews 2: 6-9 the apostle applies to Christ Jesus the words of Psalm 8: 6-8: "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." Under the "new heavens" of the new world the "princes" and the "great multitude" of survivors shall exercise dominion over the lower creatures as Adam was commanded to do, and they will do it as earthly servants representing the Greater Job, Christ Jesus, the Theocratic King. Job was accounted the "greatest of all the men of the east", that is, east of the land promised to Abraham and his seed. When Abraham made Isaac his full heir, the patriarch sent away his other sons by other wives to that east country. "And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country." (Genesis 25: 5, 6) Job became greater than the Temanites, the descendants of Esau. When Jacob was fleeing from his twin-brother Esau, "then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east." (Genesis 29: 1) There Jacob met Laban, the nephew of the Uz from whom Job descended. Leah and Rachel were daughters of this Laban, and these Jacob took to wife and thus married into the relationship of Job. About the time that Jacob died Job was born. Properly, then, Moses would be interested in Job. God used Moses to write the record of earth's creation and of the early genealogies down till he brought the Israelites out of Egypt and to the borders of the Promised Land. Jehovah God would also be pleased to use Moses to write the history of Job separately. Moses did not mention Job in the first five books of the Bible.
While "greatest of all the men of the east", yet Job did not imitate dictator Nimrod and exalt himself over others as king. He was like Jesus, who refused to mix in the political game of this world and who refused worldly kingship even at the election of the people (demos). "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." (John 6: 15) Jesus, anointed King by his Father, chose to wait until The Theocracy should be set up.
INTERCESSOR.
Job's children rejoiced in God's goodness. "And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters, to eat and to drink with them." (Job 1: 4) Job's own words show he was dwelling in the city where he was a faithful witness for Jehovah in word and practice. (Job 29: 7-25) His children's feasting pictures feasting on the promises and the abundant provisions of truth and service connected with Jehovah's wonderful purpose by The Theocracy. The Greater Job is Christ Jesus, Jehovah's Word and Executive Officer. He is the One whom God has used in all periods of time to provide for those who maintain faithfulness and integrity toward God, from Abel forward and including the Lord's "other sheep" gathered before Armageddon. The sons' feasting, "every one his day," according to appointment, shows it was "meat in due season". The feasting of the children of the Greater Job is especially great and joyful at this time. The Theocracy has come and Christ Jesus is at the temple, where he has ushered the faithful ones into "the joy of Jehovah" and "the joy of thy Lord". (Nehemiah 8: 10, Am. Rev. Ver.; Matthew 25:21) Concerning this the exhortation is given: "O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." - Psalm 34: 9-11.
"And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. " (Job 1: 5) All this took place before Jehovah God had instructed Moses to set up the sacred tabernacle of worship with its sacrifices and to ordain a priesthood in Israel. Inasmuch as Job was acting out the part that God assigned him in the prophetic drama, it was quite fitting that Job should act as priest for his household and as their intercessor. He must bring about their cleansing and restoration to divine favor should any of his house have sinned in their course of action, "cursed God in their hearts." That they might partake of the sacrifice, Job sanctified them according to their willingness. Job could not sacrifice himself, but used animals instead, clean animals. Those sacrifices were animals whose blood did not have value enough to take away sins of man. They were merely representative of Job himself, and more particularly typical or pictorial of the Greater Job, "the Lamb of God." Hence Job repeated the sacrificial service regularly, just as the atonement-day sacrifices of Israel at the tabernacle were repeated yearly. - Leviticus, chapter sixteen.
Herein Job was faithful as a father and priest and taught his household the fear of Jehovah God and was a faithful and true witness to them and to all. He worshiped the true and living God and sought the honor of His name. Shortly the Devil tried to make Job say he was wrong in this course of action. He wanted to keep Job from ever resuming this faithful practice, because for Job to admit he had been a willful sinner would make it inconsistent for him to take up this sacrificial service again and to act as intercessor. Just the same way, the Devil and his agents on earth try to twist out of Jehovah's witnesses a confession that they have been wrong in their course of action and have been sinners in doing that which brought persecutions upon them by religionists.
Christ Jesus is Jehovah's great High Priest in behalf of all who maintain their integrity toward God. After John the Baptist, the last of the faithful men of old, had finished his course, Jesus himself died as a sacrifice. He thus provided for the cleansing of those men from sin and for their redemption from death. The same benefits come likewise to all who should thereafter follow His steps. He sanctifies them, setting them to doing the service of God as his approved witnesses. His apostle writes: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." -1 John 2: 1, 2.
Jesus' disciples, and particularly Peter, needed Jesus' intercession after they had fled and Peter denied Jesus three times, with cursing. Forewarning them of this, Jesus said: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you [eleven disciples] as wheat [scattering you]: but I have prayed for thee [Simon Peter particularly], that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22: 31, 32, and 54-62) To all Christ's followers the apostle writes: "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4: 14-16.
HEAVENLY ASSEMBLY.
What now took place was without the knowledge of Job. It was later described to him by a special communication from the Lord God after he had overcome in the sore trial of his integrity. Being without the knowledge thereof increased the keenness of the trial for Job. Today the revelation thereof helps those who are similarly tried. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD [before Jehovah (Am. Rev. Ver.)], and Satan came also among them." (Job 1: 6) The angelic "sons of God" who had intermarried with the daughters of men before the Flood were not among these "sons of God" here assembling. The inspired statement at 1 Peter 3: 19, 20 reveals that since the Flood Satan and his demons were holding those disobedient spirit "sons of God" in prison, away from communication with God's holy organization.
The vision of the assembly gives us a glimpse of the invisible angelic organization of the great Universal Ruler. It shows that all creatures in his universal organization have a responsibility unto Him as supreme, and must answer and report to Him. From the developments of this assembly before Jehovah, it appears that these angelic "sons of God" were heads over various assigned parts of His universal organization. His only begotten Son, who later became Christ Jesus, was undoubtedly there, especially since He is "The Word of God" or the One who speaks for and expresses the divine will and commandments. Lucifer the son of God was not there; he had lost his sonship by rebelling and becoming God's adversary, Satan. Satan did come into this heavenly assembly. This proves that Satan was still permitted in heaven and would continue to be there until Christ Jesus should cast him out at the time of the birth of the Kingdom, in A.D. 1914. (Revelation 12: 1-12) Because of the burning issue, Jehovah God permitted Satan's presence there in heaven in company with God's sons, the holy angels.
It is clear that Satan came, not because he felt any obligation to Jehovah God to report to God, but because he had some controversy with God. Satan wanted to show that this assembly was not unanimous in its conclusions as to the universe as based on all reports. He wanted to show that Jehovah God was not holding all his subjects in line and was not a universal ruler and that God could not keep his rule universal and was not supreme, but could be defeated in His purposes, and that God's word was proved to be unreliable and untrue. Satan was there to bring Jehovah God into question and reproach before these heavenly "sons of God". Was Jehovah God backward about the controversy? No!
"And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. " (Job 1:7, Am. Rev. Ver.) Jehovah properly asked this question of Satan, because He still permitted Satan to remain the invisible overlord with the power of death over man, to which position Lucifer had been appointed in Eden. (Ezekiel 28: 14, 15) Satan having made bold to come into the assembly, Jehovah knew Satan had something in mind to bring up in support of his challenge to God. Satan's reply shows where and over whom Satan was still permitted to be invisible overlord. Concerning this God warns those who desire to maintain their integrity: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5:8,9) Satan's walking about was in order to sight someone to be devoured, if possible. He was not trying to oversee the earth in order to restore or maintain Jehovah's universal domination there. He was out to prevent God's domination from holding sway on earth or taking any root there. Any possibility of such Satan would try to destroy, out of his enmity to the promised Theocracy. So he would try to ruin and destroy anyone who looked for that Government. Who shall inhabit the earth ? was the question. The holding of the earth in control by the wicked would set in doubt God's domination.
RELIGIOUS ENMITY.
"And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil." (Job 1:8, Am. Rev. Ver.) Evidently at that time Moses down in Egypt had not yet come out and taken his stand in the earth for the Anointed One (Christ), the King of the future Theocracy: "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ [whom Moses typified] greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. " -Hebrews 11: 24-26.
In full harmony with the sense of the original Hebrew text Professor Young's translation renders Job 1: 8 thus: "And Jehovah said unto the Adversary, 'Hast thou SET THY HEART AGAINST MY SERVANT Job because there is none like him in the land, . . . ?'" The Hebrew expression here corresponds with a like one in Daniel 11:28 concerning the totalitarian "king of the north" in our day: "Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his HEART SHALL BE AGAINST the holy covenant [of The Theocracy]; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land." Job's name means "hated". Satan set his heart against Job and hated him because Job believed God would in due time bring forth the promised Seed and through him exercise domination over all, including this earth. Such a stand by Job was against Satan's challenge made to Jehovah publicly before the angels of heaven at the time of Eden. The hatred of the Devil and his demons is not so much against the human family in general who are Adam's descendants, because these are already under demon rule. The target of the demon hatred is those who adopt the stand for Jehovah's universal domination by His Theocracy and who preserve their integrity, because by so doing these give the lie to Satan's false and religious charge against Jehovah God.
Despite the hatred of Satan and his demons and the religionists on earth, Job had the expressed approval of the great Theocrat. Job was not a descendant of Abraham, and furthermore, his test came before the covenant of the law was made with the Israelite descendants of Abraham by Jehovah through His mediator Moses. But that Job was in a covenant with Jehovah God is implied in Job's statement, at Job 31:1, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" That Job devoted himself to Jehovah, as Abel, Enoch, and Noah before him had done, is certain. Job had fixed his eyes of faith upon the carrying out of Jehovah's covenant promises both in Eden and to Abraham concerning the Seed of Abraham by God's "woman", which Seed shall constitute The Theocracy. According to the words at James 5:10, 11 Job is included among the prophets of Jehovah. Now God was about to use him in a prophetic drama. In it Job would serve as a prophetic character or actor. He would also give utterance to prophetic words beyond even his own understanding then, because God's invisible power or holy spirit would move Job to speak. Christ Jesus was the only great man ever on earth, and there never has been or will be anyone like him in all the earth. So mean God's words of approval concerning Job. God's words also show the correctness of Job's testimony concerning his integrity, at chapter thirty-one. Job could not have measured up to Jehovah's standard of a 'perfect, upright and God-fearing man' if Job had not been awaiting God's kingdom and keeping himself "unspotted from the world". Job was no friend of this world. Therefore Satan's world hated Job. Like him the Greater Job said to unbelieving religionists: "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." (John 7:7, 5) Considering that Moses had not yet been given the law of the ten commandments and the other statutes of the law covenant with Israel, Job indeed had a high standard of righteousness, and which was plainly from the Lord. It was not so-called "character development", which is self-idolatry or creature worship, but it was unswerving devotion to The Theocracy. Job was a faithful witness for Jehovah and was jealous for God's name, which name he mentioned in worship. (Job 1: 20, 21) Job feared lest his children should curse or renounce that name and hence he took steps to remove any possible reproach upon that name. The vindication of God's name by his Theocracy is all-important.
"Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." (Job 1:9, 10, Am. Rev. Ver.) Here the prince of the demons viciously hints that no creature loves and worships Jehovah God for what Jehovah is in himself as the highest standard of righteousness, but that God bribes his creatures to obligate them to serve him and to hold them subject to his universal domination. According to this Job was serving and fearing God for what selfish advantages there were in it, and not because of pure love of righteousness as contained in and revealed in Jehovah God himself. In this very day the religionists cannot imagine Jehovah's witnesses as doing his "strange work" of witnessing to the "kingdom of heaven" purely out of love of God and devotion to righteousness, and not for some selfish, commercial gain to themselves. How like Satan, who charged God with buying the devotion and worship of those who submitted to his universal domination!
This slander against Jehovah's servant Job set up a controversial question. That question applied not simply to Job, nor did it stop with the man Job, but it must extend and apply to all creatures throughout the universe who had till then remained faithful and true in heaven to Jehovah God. Job was at that time the only one with faultless integrity on earth, and hence the controversial question could at that time be extended to apply only to the faithful creatures in heaven. That would include Jehovah's only begotten Son himself, "The Word of God," God's faithful "Morning Star Satan's controversial question struck at a rule of action according to which the divine government throughout the universe must be judged. That rule of action was this: Do obedient creatures everywhere love God for righteousness' sake or for selfish gain and for as long as such selfish gain keeps coming to them? Does Jehovah's government, and the creation's submitting to such government, rest upon the creature's selfishness or upon the creature's love of absolute righteousness as displayed in Jehovah God? Would the power of such divine government vanish if the satisfying of the creature's selfishness stopped or were withheld? Hence the Devil's controversial question charged that there was a weakness existent in God's universal domination, and that therefore the Devil could overthrow such domination. Satan's question as put struck therefore at the very highest of God's faithful creation, God's own Executive Officer, his only begotten Son, God's first creation.
TEST OF DEVOTION.
Satan now proposes to show how he could cause Jehovah's universal domination to collapse. So concerning Job Satan next says: "But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." (Job 1: 11) Then, so Satan's conclusion to Jehovah God would be, you will be without a single witness and without a single subject of your universal domination on the earth and I will be the god of every creature on earth.
The question, of course, could not be held down to just Job. Every creature then faithful throughout the universe would hence forth and thereafter be under suspicion from the Devil and his demons and could be thus falsely accused before the Creator. That particularly meant the One who was with the Creator from the beginning and who was once his only creation, namely, his firstborn and only begotten Son, his chief and most trusted officer. Is devotion to righteousness of God so weak throughout the universe that it can be broken by selfishness?
Satan argued this way: When the Creator 's beloved Son was the only creation and was alone with God, it was easy for him to remain loyal, obedient and faithful to God. Further, since the time of the creation of other spirit creatures, and especially since the rebellion of Satan, it was still easy for that beloved, only begotten Son to remain faithful and obedient, because that Son was shielded by Jehovah God and was favored and blessed up there in heaven. But, so Satan continues to argue, put that Son in an unfavorable and difficult position, just put him in the place where Satan is the invisible overlord, namely, the earth, and there let that Son be exposed and suffer loss, and then that Son and Chief Executive of Jehovah would "bless" God to his face, that is, say farewell to or renounce God to His face. That was the final implication or suggestion in Satan's controversial question, and the highest and farthest it could reach. It could not be answered by less.
Therefore Satan's a r g u m e n t logically reached up to and took in the Seed of God's "woman", which Seed Jehovah had forewarned Satan that God would raise up to bruise the Serpent's head. Of necessity, then, Satan's argument applied to Abraham's promised Seed, in whom all the families of the earth would bless themselves by faith and obedience. That Seed could perforce not be spared the test of submission to Theocratic rule, which test Satan had proposed. As soon as Satan's rebellion and Adam's fall took place, God knew the end from the beginning and he then purposed that the Seed by his "woman" should be His only begotten Son. Hence Satan's argument indirectly put God under obligation or, rather, it challenged God to bring down from heaven the Chief Official in the divine government and then let him be put under Satan's test. Then and thereby it would be proved if he served God for love of righteousness or for the selfish advantage connected with God's service. In view of this, it was appropriate, as said at Hebrews 2: 10, that God should provide the Leader for Christians and "make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings". Even so, at Hebrews 5: 8, it is written concerning Jesus: "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." So true was God's love and absolute confidence concerning his only begotten Son that God pushed the proof of His side of the controversy to the extreme limit to put to silence for ever all suspicions. The confidence of all creation that lives must be established in God's promised Theocracy. It must be and is the only hope of the world.
TEST APPLIED.
"And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah." (Job 1: 12, Am. Rev. Ver.) Satan had just said that "all that Job hath" was blessed and increased and hedged about. So first let the test be made on the score of these possessions. God matched Satan's challenge. He agreed that Job be made a poor, propertyless, childless man, except that his flesh, his body, be not touched, by Satan's wicked power. Jehovah, in his foreknowledge of all his own works from tlie beginning, now confidently proceeded to make a prophetic picture. Thereby he would show that in due time he would subject his only begotten Son and Chief Official to the test on earth. Hence Job primarily pictured the Lord Jesus Christ. Only secondarily does Job picture the members of Christ's body and the remnant thereof now on earth and all others who, like Jesus, maintain their integrity toward God during all the time that Satan is invisible overlord over humankind.
The first test upon Jesus was to become poor, so poor that on earth he was born in a manger and later had no place to lay his head; and he was childless. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8: 9) Satan sought to be equal with God and did not have the mind of Christ. To the exact opposite of Satan's course it is written: "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but EMPTIED HIMSELF, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross." -Philippians 2: 5-8, A.R.V.
Given God's permission to make the test, Satan left the assembly of the angels who were presenting themselves before Jehovah. He went to his own demon organization. Doubtless he would there consult with Gog and his other demon princes as to which way to proceed against Job in order to succeed in turning Job aside from faith in God's Righteous Government that shall rule over all, including our earth. Note the line of action Satan followed.
"And there was a day when his [Job's] sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's home." (Job 1: 13) This corresponded with the time that Christ Jesus was with his apostles and other disciples. Then they feasted and drank on God's spiritual provisions through his Son. To those who questioned such spiritual feasting and rejoicing Jesus said: "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Matthew 9: 15) Aside from Jesus, the apostles were the eldest brothers of all Christians who are baptized into the body of Christ. What followed?
"And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them; and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." (Job 1: 14, 15) Mark the result of the wicked world, the visible and the invisible part thereof, upon Jehovah's faithful witness. Job's oxen and asses represented equipment for getting the Lord's work done. They were also a symbol of perfect man 's dominion over the lower animals. Who were those marauding Sabeans, or "Sheba" (Young's) They were visible powers of Satan's world, and were demon-worshipers and demon-controlled. They were the descendants of Cush, the father of Nimrod. Therefore Nimrod was a brother of Sheba, the father of the Sabeans. The attacking Sabeans were demonized, else they would not have acted as Satan's instruments against Job to torment Job into cursing and forsaking God. They came from the south, the direction of "the king of the south" named in Daniel, chapter eleven. Manifestly now the hedge had been removed from round about Job's property. The angel of the Lord accordingly removed his encampment from round about that which belonged to Job. The Devil left only one servant to escape from the Sabeans, just to let the news get through to Job as genuine facts, to torment and humiliate Job.
Superhuman, invisible or demon power was next directly applied. "While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." (Job 1: 16) What a slick camouflage of the great accuser this was, to make it appear that the righteous God was responsible for all the calamities upon humankind and especially the servants of Jehovah! The Sabeans were only selfish men, but lightning was something above the control of men and was from heaven. Hence God could easily and thoughtlessly be charged with the responsibility for this! It worked in well with the Devil's scheme for the servant to report it as "the fire of God [elohim] ", whereas it was in fact the fire of demon gods. Which view of it would the religionists take later on in their argumentation with Job? Satan's purpose and policy is "Rule or ruin!" and by his visible earthly powers he causes much ruin and impoverishment. From the days of the founding of Babylon by Nimrod the Devil used the Chaldeans. They doubtless came against Job's servants by the route from the north, the direction of "the king of the north". "While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." (Job 1:17) From the north as well as the south Job was permitted to feel the hostile power of the visible part of Satan's world. That earthly part is made up of three elements, the religious, the political, and the commercial. Those Chaldeans from the north carried out the same program of violent aggression as is today carried out by the political part of "the king of the north", aided and guided by the religious part that has its headquarters at Vatican City, Rome.
Job must now do without his animals of transportation. Centuries later, when Christ Jesus went witnessing from place to place, it seems he did not use his dominion over the lower creatures, but walked together with his disciples. This best suited his work then, and also the crowds who followed him on foot. (Mark 1: 16; John 7: 1; Luke 18:35-43) Once he is reported to have ridden into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass, but that was to present himself to Jerusalem as King and to make a miniature picture of things to come. A few days thereafter he was obliged to walk and bear the weight of the stake up to Calvary, there to be killed by the servants of "the king of the north", the Roman soldiers, and that at the instigation of the mobster religionists who cried out that they had no king but Caesar of Rome. - Matthew 21:1-7; John 19: 12-18.
Again there comes upon Job the expression of invisible demon power, this time to touch him at a specially tender place. "While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped to tell thee." (Job 1: 18, 19) That storm wind evidently came from the east; but again here was something above human control and which the misinformed persons could call an "act" or "visitation" of God". Showing whom these children of Job pictured, the apostle applies the prophecy of Isaiah 8: 18 to Jesus in relation to his disciples: "Behold, I, and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion." (Hebrews 2: 13) Once by a storm wind the Devil and his demons made an attempt upon the life of Jesus and his apostles as he slept in the boat crossing the sea of Galilee. (Matthew 8: 23-27) On the last night with his faithful apostles Jesus feasted with them in the celebration of the passover, and then he set up the memorial of his death as the Vindicator of God's name.
Jesus then warned them that Satan desired to sift them as wheat. In the garden of Gethsemane the demons, under Satan, like a "great wind from the wilderness", sifted Jesus' disciples and scattered them away from him. "But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled." (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50-52) Shortly thereafter Peter denied Jesus with cursings: "And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. " (Luke 22: 61) There, in effect, the disciples, those "children" whom Jehovah had given unto Jesus, died unto him, leaving him as barren as the demons left Job when bereft of his ten children. In all the painful trial yet ahead Jesus was not reunited with his group of faithful apostles; only AFTER his resurrection.
UNBROKEN DEVOTION.
"Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; and he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah." (Job 1:20,21, Am. Rev. Ver.)Satan had not counted upon such devotion of Job to God. He was dealt a stinging defeat in his plot to turn Job away from Jehovah God by material and human loss. Job's grief at his bereavement and impoverishment was not out of place for him, because his children were not and had not died as wicked rebels against the God of their father. Man's body is made from the dust of the earth by God's power, and thus earth was man's mother in Eden and God was the life-giving Father. Job acknowledged that he had come forth from this great earth-mother with nothing and he knew that when he returned to the bosom of the earth he could take nothing with him. Job therefore exercised Godliness, and worshiped God and was content amid his loss. "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content."(1 Timothy 6:6-8)What good and perfect gifts we enjoy, it is Jehovah that gives them.-James 1: 17.
Christ Jesus always referred to his disciples as "the men which thou gayest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gayest them me; . . . for they are thine. . . .those that thou gayest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. . . .Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me."(John 17:6, 9, 11, 12, 24) "And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me."(Hebrews 2:13)On the other hand, Jehovah God had foretold that Jesus would be bereft of his apostles on the night of his betrayal. Jesus spoke out his faith and belief that the Scriptures would be fulfilled upon his disciples, and he expressed his submission to this because it was a vindication of God's word as being sure, although it meant Jesus' painful bereavement the "children" given him. "Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. "(Matthew 26: 31)The disciples sentimentally tried to deny this scripture would be fulfilled, in their desire that it not come true. Jesus warned them against boastful self-confidence, and emphasized again God's written Word. As in Job's case, God permitted this human desertion for a test upon Christ Jesus as to his devotion. However, the Devil 's forces did the deeds of scattering and violence without any compulsion from God, only by his permission.
Job's faithful words amidst his grief showed he still recognized and held sure and true to the Theocratic rule of divine government. He viewed it that what the great Theocrat did to him or permitted to be done to him was right and just, as well as being within God's right. It is a proper question: 'What hast thou that thou didst not receive from the great Theocrat ?' (1 Corinthians 4: 7)Hence none should swell with pride when he has it and then forget God. Jehovah God has the right to permit the thing to be taken away by even an enemy, not meaning, though, that the enemy is thereby justified in so doing. Of Christians who maintained their devotion as Job did the apostle wrote: "Ye . . . took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."(Hebrews 10: 34)The woman Eve in Eden did not recognize this Theocratic principle. She yielded to the Devil's argument which charged God with misgovernment of Adam and Eve on the grounds that Jehovah God was taking away or trying to hold back from her and Adam certain things to which they had a right. Satan there argued that God feared for his own government if Adam and Eve got ahold of the thing which Jehovah's prohibition restrained them from touching. Satan made Eve believe that the Theocratic rule was oppressive and against the interests of his creatures on earth.(Genesis 3: 1-6)Therefore Eve, though deceived, willfully ran ahead and acted without right and authority, and for this she was sentenced to die with her husband.
JEHOVAH'S NAME.
"Blessed be the name of Jehovah," said Job, now childless and poor. He refused to curse or bring any reproach upon the name of Jehovah and resisted the pressure of the demons in that direction. The name of Jehovah may and should be only blessed! Job had confidence in the final vindication of God's name. In all the speeches recorded in the book of Job, only Job used the name of Jehovah, namely, four times.(Job 1: 21; 12:9, A.R.V.)The name "Jehovah" is found twenty-eight other times in the narrative or historical part of the book. At the crucial time Job bore witness for Jehovah. At the assembly in heaven the Devil avoided the use of the name Jehovah in his addresses to God. Like Job, Christ Jesus also in the hour of grievous bereavement blessed Jehovah 's name. Of him it is testified: "Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession."(1 Timothy 6:13)Hanging on the tree he did not curse Jehovah, but finally said, as recorded: "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."(Luke 23: 46) "It is finished!"-John 19: 30.
Mark Jesus' position toward universal domination of Jehovah God: To the mob that scattered his disciples he said: "But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."(Luke 22: 53)He recognized God's permission thereof, to fulfill God's own scriptures and also to test Jesus' integrity. Jesus soon afterward said to Pontius Pilate: "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. "(John 19: 11)There Jesus bore witness to Jehovah's universal domination and submitted himself to the Theocratic rule of government. Shortly prior to that Jesus said to Peter in the hearing of the mob: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels 6?" "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"(Matthew 26: 53; John 18:11)Thus speaking, Jesus blessed Jehovah's name and constantly bore witness to Him as the great Theocrat, the Almighty Universal Ruler.
During his trial only unselfish devotion to Jehovah God and complete trust in Him enabled Job to keep his record clean. Hence it is written: "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."(Job 1: 22) "In all this Job hath not sinned, nor given folly to God."(Young's)Neither did Christ Jesus in greater trial do so. In his bereavement he could maintain: "For I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." "Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me." "If therefore ye seek me, let these [my disciples] go their way. "(John 8: 16, 29; 16:32; 18:8,9)Neither Job nor Christ Jesus foolishly charged Jehovah God with misgovernment toward his servants. However, God does see "folly" in the spokesmen or prophets of religion who charge God with misgovernment and who therefore favor the governments of "this present evil world" as against Theocracy.- Jeremiah 23: 13.
Job's case was the first recorded of its kind, either before or after the Flood. His great-granduncle Abraham was severely tested as to his integrity, particularly in the sacrificing of Isaac, but Abraham's test was different in appearance and for a different illustration, although it too tried the devotion to Almighty God and His Theocracy. No wonder Job did not understand. Job did not clearly see the issue involved, nor understand it nor how it came about. Nevertheless he held fast to his integrity. Ignorance before God's due time to give knowledge is no excuse for turning rebel against God and breaking integrity toward him.
The issue, UNIVERSAL DOMINATION, included domination over willing and obedient men on earth where Satan has been invisible overlord. God's domination had seemingly broken down with regard to the earth, but faithful men like Job chose to wait in confidence for the setting up of the promised Government to restore here the Theocratic rule. Nor did suffering, persecution, discomfort and loss due to wickedness of demons and men make faithful men doubt that the earth would finally be restored to the domain of God's Theocratic rule. Hence such faithful men, from Abel down to the present, deserted from the enemy in present control, and they flatly refuse to renounce their allegiance to the Most High God.
Job did not know he was in line to be one of the future "princes in all the earth" under the Theocracy to come. However, regardless of his ignorance of this, the question was here bound up in his case, namely, Who shall qualify to rule as princes on earth under The Theocracy? Still more important, Who shall be the Seed of God's "woman" to bruise Satan's head and maintain Jehovah's universal domination against all challengers in heaven and in earth? Certainly none could qualify whose devotion to righteousness could not bear up under the test of the wicked challenger.
Job might not be one of the natural seed of Abraham, and hence not be in line to be that Seed that brings blessings; yet Satan realized that Job had God's approval. Under such circumstances Job was setting the proper example and also the standard of qualification for both those future "princes" and also that Seed of promise. For this reason Job's conduct in this prophetic drama foreshadowed so correctly in its details the faithful course of Christ Jesus. Hence Satan was bent on preventing Job from having any official position on earth in connection with the promised Theocratic Government. No less did Satan try to prevent Christ Jesus from qualifying as that Seed: Satan used all manner of means to try to corrupt Jesus and force him to break his integrity, but without success.
COMPLETE FULFILLMENT.
When Job had become childless, then not only Christ Jesus but also other devoted creatures on earth would thereafter be pictured in the one person of Job. Particularly would the remnant of Christ's body members on earth at this "end of the world" be pictured, together with their faithful earthly companions. Therefore the complete fulfillment of Job's drama did not take place during Jesus' days in the flesh. It must take place during his second presence, in the spirit, at the temple for judgment. It must take place upon His remnant and upon their companions who take their stand alongside of the remnant for the same Theocratic Government as that to which Job looked forward. As disclosed in the following chapters of the book of Job and in the physical facts of our day, the prophetic experiences of Job have been fulfilled upon this remnant and their companions from and after A.D. 1914.The year 1937 is marked as the year when all power of religion over them was broken; also the year 1938, when the Theocratic arrangement was restored in their midst.
After the birth of God's Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus, in 1914, and since all the demons have been cast out of heaven and down to the earth, the Devil has aimed his fiery darts at the integrity of the remnant. The symbolic warning of this reads: "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child [Theocracy]." "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."(Revelation 12: 13, 17)Jesus forewarned his followers that, at the end of Satan's world, "ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."(Matthew 24:9)The further part of the prophetic drama shows that great trials and tribulations due to demons and their earthly agents a are yet ahead of the remnant and their companions. Their faithful course and final triumph were portrayed by Job, and were written for their strengthening and comfort.
The remaining part of the drama of Job shows there will be a faithful class down here at this time of all times, and that these shall overcome, by God's grace and to his glory and vindication. New characters were introduced next into the drama, and play significant parts. By which of these characters was your kind or classification pictured? To learn this will also disclose to you your destiny as staged in the prophetic drama.
INTEGRITY. CHAPTER 5.[]
THE hour strikes, the cur tam rises, and before our eyes are unveiled the facts fulfilling the next act of the prophetic drama of Job. "Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah."(Job 2:1, Am. Rev. Ver.)Here again the eyes of faith are given a vision of the majestic and dignified courts of Jehovah God and what there takes place. This vision compares with like visions of things impossible for human eyes to see, of the glorious and awesome presence of the great Spirit Jehovah, and the gathering of the resplendent heavenly creatures unto him, and which visions were given to other prophets highly favored of the Lord God.(See Revelation, chapter four; Isaiah, chapter six; Ezekiel, chapter one; and 1 Kings 22: 19-22.)
The assembly in Jehovah's holy presence is at his invitation and call, and at his appointed time. The angelic sons of God would not burst in uninvited upon the presence of Him "whose name is Holy". During the time in between this and the previous meeting Job had been rendered a childless and poor man and had continued in this condition seemingly smitten of God. It was sufficiently long to establish the fact that Satan could not break Job's integrity by such misfortune and calamities. Was Satan now completely answered and satisfied that his charges against God and Job His servant were false? This time Satan also came "to present himself before the LORD". This suggests that, while the controversy affecting Job is on, Satan was invited to come and present himself pending the decision and that the "sons of God" were present to hear the argument and counter argument, and to hear what would follow when the decision was reached as to the controversy at this stage.
Again Jehovah maneuvers the Devil into a consideration of this hot matter of argument. He does not hesitate to let it be forced to the limit and brought to the showdown. The showdown comes in these "last days" of the Devil's activity. "And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou ? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. "(Job 2: 2)Satan does not admit his defeat in his opening test on Job. Centuries later Satan did not admit his defeat in connection with the one whom Job primarily pictured, Christ Jesus, but immediately thereafter Satan stubbornly went after Christ's followers on earth. He was determined to prevent the completion of the membership of God's capital organization, The Theocracy.
"And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. "(Job 2: 3)Having begun to make Job his target of assault, what now were Satan's conclusions as to whether a devoted servant of Jehovah God can take it 6?" Hast thou set thy heart UNTO my servant Job because there is none like him in the land 6?"(Young's)Whatever Satan's conclusions were, Jehovah called attention to the fact that Satan was a liar respecting Job and that Jehovah was vindicated by Job's unbroken integrity.
It was the need of a decisive answer to the paramount question of universal domination that moved God to allow Satan's destructive action against Job. This shows that "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man". Hence, "let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God," that is, tempted unto evil-doing.(James 1: 13)The cause of Job's great test or temptation was not because of Job himself; for Job was perfect, upright, God-fearing, avoiding lawlessness, and of blameless integrity. It was Satan that was trying to destroy Job. The only reason why Jehovah was permitting Satan's misdeeds against Job was that the conditions affecting the great issue required that Satan be given full time and full leeway to prove his challenge before the faithful angelic sons of God. Hence Jehovah God permitted Job's almost destruction. That was a great privilege for Job, though he may not have realized it at the time. "For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.... if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing."-1 Peter 2:19,20; 3:17.
Of a surety, then, as Jehovah stated, at Exodus 9:16, to Pharaoh, Satan's representative in Egypt, and hence to Satan himself, Jehovah permitted Satan to remain on the attack and continue his temptation of Job only that thereby Jehovah might show his power over Satan and that Jehovah's name might be proclaimed throughout the earth. Therefore God saw to it that the record of Job's victory was written up and preserved and that it was spread abroad over the earth. By this means, too, Jehovah's name has been declared throughout the earth; more so now than ever before, because now the fulfilling of the drama of Job to a completion is upon us.
"And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin; yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life."(Job 2:4)Still Satan does not admit defeat, but hints that Jehovah had not yet broken down all the protective barriers about Job for a real, through-and-through test. Totalitarian dictators are willing always to give the other fellow's skin for the country's sake, and a man cannot live without his skin: A selfish man will be willing to undergo the loss of all material possessions if he can escape with his life. Satan 's slur made it next in order that Jehovah set up as the final qualification for those who would meet his approval and who would silence the enemy that such ones should be "faithful unto death".(Revelation 2: 10)This forced the issue to the degree that in due time Christ Jesus must be obedient unto death, even the death on the tree, in order to rebut the Devil's argument on every point.(Philippians 2: 8)Hence Jesus stated for his faithful followers the only standard that could successfully answer the Devil's challenge: "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children [Job had just lost all his children], and brethren, and sisters, YEA, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, he cannot be my disciple."(Luke 14:26,27)Furthermore, to puncture Satan's "skin for skin" argument, Jesus said: "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. "-Matthew 10: 39.
In the course of the drama Job showed that Satan's argument here was not true with all men, it not being true of such persons as himself, who are wholly devoted to Jehovah God. In the depths of trial Job said: "Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him. This also shall be my salvation, that a godless man shall not come before him."(Job 13: 14-16, Am. Rev. Ver.)In disproof of the Devil's charges that selfishness controls in all men Jesus and his faithful followers, including the remnant and their earthly companions, show that all that the devoted man of God has will he give for The Theocratic Government and the vindication of Jehovah's name thereby.
Satan impudently calls for the pressing of his point: "But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face."(Job 2:5)Satan remembered that in Eden Adam, being presented with a wife, said concerning Eve: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."(Genesis 2: 23)Hence to touch a man's bone and flesh would also mean to touch him, if married, as respects his wife as well as his very own body. "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the c h u r c h."(Ephesians 5: 28, 29)Satan had killed the children, but not the wife of Job. This was not out of mercy for Job, but corresponded with Satan's tactics against Adam through Eve: first, to break Job's wife due to a joint calamity with him and then to use her when desperate to bring pressure upon Job, as Eve did upon Adam.
Furthermore, Satan knew that personal physical disease upon Job not only would in itself pain and disturb him, but would suggest to the minds of suspicious persons that the diseased one was suffering from a visitation by God for secret sins committed, and so the sufferer's hypocrisy should be exposed publicly. This would be painful to the sufferer's mind. Such experience could turn many away from God if they would selfishly permit it. This was part of the strategy of Satan; and on this very outcome Satan counted heavily in regard to Job, with whom he did not yet want to be quit.
Jehovah God saw the issue involved. He agreed to permit Satan to go the limit of trying out all his arts and exhausting them so that he had none more to use. Job was being made a theater to men and angels, and only by such extreme test could the observing angelic sons of God be finally satisfied in their own minds and also Jehovah be completely vindicated before them. "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."(Job 2:6)At that time Jehovah God did not purpose to demonstrate any power .of raising Job from the dead. Therefore Jehovah insisted on preserving faithful Job in order that He might carry out with Job the remainder of the drama once that Satan's test of Job was finished. Thus doing, God could show what the apostle states at James 5: 11: "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." However, God did permit Job to be brought almost to the point of death, even where Job might think that his course was finished and he was surely about to die.
Over fallen humankind Satan was then the invisible overlord and still exercised the "power of death".(Hebrews 2:14)In this instant case Jehovah limited the field of Satan's death-dealing power so as to protect Job from actual death. In like manner, during these perilous times, with violence rampant, Jehovah limits Satan's power of death as against God's faithful remnant and their companions, and God will do so clear down through the final conflict at Armageddon. Almighty God will not let the righteous class ever be wiped off the face of the earth, because Jehovah is supreme and all-powerful and he exercises universal dominion. He can apply it in that very area where the Devil has been wielding the power of death as man's invisible overlord. As concerns Job, the particular test was not one of ability to kill him by violence or unnatural means, but, Could Satan destroy Job's faith in God, his appreciation of God, and his understanding of his proper relationship to God? Could Satan thereby cause Job to rebel and curse God (bless God with a farewell of renunciation to His face) and turn to demonism, which is religion 6? Bringing Job to the point where he stared death in the face would be sufficient to test him with the terrors of death; actually killing him would not be absolutely necessary. The fact is, Job, when diseased, expressed the desire to die rather than linger on and appear to be as a reproach on God's name; but not once did Job attempt to take his own life to end the painful ordeal. He endured until God gave him the "change".
PUBLIC MISREPRESENTATION.
With fiendish satisfaction and delight, and coldly hardened in his carefully schemed line of action, the adversary strode off to bring reproach on Jehovah's name. "So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."(Job 2: 7, Am. Rev. Ver.)This ulcerous disease being not from natural causes, but being from Satan, no human physician or medical methods could counteract the Devil's power and bring relief to Job. Only the stronger power of God himself could do that in His due time. Satan rendered Job helpless and made sure that Job's disease also was a very loathsome one and humiliating. Some have diagnosed it as elephantiasis, the most dreadful kind of leprosy. It is called "black leprosy", from the dark scales with which the skin is covered and from the swelling of the legs. Just like the Devil it would be to make the disease appear as a visitation from Jehovah God betokening God's displeasure and as meant to expose Job to the people befooled till now.
Job did not at any time foreshadow "Christendom", but his condition in sickness was like that with which unfaithful Israel was spiritually afflicted and with which Israel's modern counterpart, "Christendom," is also afflicted. Says God to "Christendom": "Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt [against God] more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."(Isaiah 1: 5, 6)As unfaithful Israel itself was, so its religionists accused Jesus of being. Concerning Israel 's view of Jesus it was prophesied: "For he [Jesus] shall grow up before him as a tender [weakling] plant, and as a root out of a dry ground [rather shriveled]: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."(Isaiah 53: 2, 4)This distorted view of Jesus in the eyes of the Israelites was due to the reproaches that the Devil used the religionists to bring upon Jesus' Father, God.
The religionists falsified and misrepresented Jehovah's purpose and his motives. If the name of the Holy One, the Most High, Jehovah, was being reproached, then how could Jesus and all who uphold Jehovah's name and his Theocracy escape like reproaches 6? They could not and do not seek to escape such reproaches. In supplication to his Father Christ Jesus said: "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. Reproach hath broken my heart. "(Psalm 69: 9, 20)To his disciples, including the remnant today, he said: "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"-Matthew 10:25; John 15: 20,21.
Why, then, should not the Devil today cause the remnant of Christ's body members to have an appearance in "Christendom's" eyes like Job's diseased condition? Satan does do so, and again, as always, he uses the religionists to that end. To honest persons that still have some confidence in religion of "Christendom" it may not be pleasant reading, but sooner or later they must know the facts; and the sooner so, the quicker can they take enlightened action. The propaganda carried on by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their "Protestant" and Jewish clergy allies, and also the garbled news by the public newspapers that are controlled by and in fear of religion, all this has made the condition of God's remnant and their companions to appear as sickening, revolting and nauseating. It has made them appear as a deadly contagious disease and dangerous to both the public and the state.
They are made to appear as something to be avoided, something with which the people should have nothing to do except to try to STAMP IT OUT and to inoculate the people against it. The misrepresentation of Jehovah's witnesses on the "flag salute" issue; the false charges that they are carrying on a "hate campaign", a "hate everything" campaign, and that they are Communists, fifth columnists, unpatriotic, and advocating the overthrow of the government by violence in favor of the Theocracy they preach; the false charge that they set themselves up as the law and as self-appointed interpreters of the Bible, and are the smallest of the sects and are a man-worshiping cult, etc.; all such malicious charges have succeeded in making the public appearance and presence of Jehovah 's witnesses seem very loathsome and undesirable in the eyes of the religionists and their political, commercial and judicial allies and all dupes of religion. Honest examination of the facts will convince the unprejudiced that this procedure is not a plague from God. It is a smear campaign by Job's ancient tormentor, "the prince of the demons," and through demonized men. It is designedly done to try to make Jehovah's witnesses fear what human organizations and the public think of them, and so to make Jehovah's servants yield to the ways of popular religion, and break their integrity.
Job's own diseased fingernails must have been about gone or useless or too weak. "And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes."(Job 2: 8)The subtle demon assaults of the present have gotten God's witnesses into many scrapes and, as the religionists rate them, they have been reduced to the level of the dust. As Job said: "By the great force of my disease is my garment [skin] changed; it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. "(Job 30: 18, 19)Under such circumstances, when good-will persons who possess courage and who fear only God do become the active associates of God's faithful remnant, they have to humble themselves before God, as did the king of Nineveh long ago at the preaching of Jonah; concerning which it is written: "And he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes."(Jonah 3: 6)None now siding with The Theocracy can escape bearing public reproaches with God's remnant.
In behalf of Jehovah's name, which is reproached because of the enemies' action, and in the interest of honest persons seeking life and truth, Jehovah's faithful remnant have had to exert themselves strenuously and continuously to counteract the demons' smear campaign. They have had to do a lot of scraping, in the courts of law up to the highest, the Supreme Court of the nation; also by much publicity with books, magazines, and tracts, such as Kingdom News, and other like means; and especially by daily and direct encounters and conversation with the people in their homes. All this keeps God's faithful covenant people busily occupied, like Job in scraping his skin with a potsherd. This is done, not to justify themselves as being self-righteous nor to curry favor with "this present evil world", but to brush away from the eyes of truth-lovers the demons smoke-screen behind which these powers of darkness hide the real facts and the real issue from the people.
"EVIL SERVANT" CLASS.
Satan then hurls a cruel dart at Job. "Then said his wife unto him, Post thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die."-Job 2: 9.
Yielding to demon influence, exerted particularly through religion, is what causes the victim to become a tool of the demons against God's approved class pictured by Job. Job's wife was the "weaker vessel". She here pictures a class of persons who were begotten of God's spirit and who thereafter form or make up "that evil servant". For some time these were associated with God's faithful remnant in bringing many persons to the knowledge of the truth, by which means they would come in line to be "children" of the Lord Jesus Christ, "the everlasting Father." Due to selfishness, this "weaker" class fall victim to the influence of the demons. They yield to the fear of men and of public opinion and turn against God's faithful remnant with complainings and with feeling of offense. They are offended at the firmness with which the faithful remnant maintain their integrity toward God and which is a condemnation of those who go the unfaithful, rebellious way to escape suffering.
Job's wife evidently used the word "integrity" sarcastically to stir up Job to revolt against God. God had pronounced Job a "perfect" man; and the word "integrity" is the noun form of that adjective "perfect". It means "innocence; blamelessness; being without fault", that is to say, in devotion to God and his Theocracy. The words of Job's wife meant to say, 'Suffering the way you are, after all this while, do you still keep on serving that Jehovah God, the very one who permits this terrible calamity or who even sends it upon you ?' The class she pictures today forget Jesus' words concerning the sufferings he foretold, saying: "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. "-John 16: 1-4.
Faithful activity in God's service as he commands brings a great test upon the servant and upon his associates. Preaching the message of God's vengeance against God's enemies, which message the foes of The Theocracy call a "message of hate"; also the public activity in bearing the Kingdom message from door to door, with all that it demands of the remnant's time, means, and strength; and the reproach borne while engaging in that courageous activity in obedience to God's command and Christ's example; all such things prove to be a great test. It tests the self-sparing "elective elders" of congregations and all those who become the "evil servant" class, and these break company with the "faithful and wise servant" class like Job.
Concerning the events at the end of the world Jesus said, at Matthew 24: 48,49: "That evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken." Such ones object to going through all this suffering and reproach for the mere sake of keeping one's integrity toward Jehovah. Like Job's wife, they turn upon the active, obedient remnant and add to their trying situation. They do not appreciate, discern or-care that the Lord Jesus Christ has come to the temple for judgment of the "house of God" and that this is part .of The temple test. Then, too, those "elective elders" and their admirers are out for the approval and applause of men, and so they suggest to the remnant a course of compromise with the world. They advise laying off from the course of strict obedience to the word and commandment of Almighty God. They advise the course of least resistance by the complying with the selfish wishes, susceptibilities, aims, ordinances and commandments of men who are of the demon-ruled world organization.
The demon argument is: 'This tribulation will be the death of you yet. What else is there to Jehovah's service than to suffer and die miserable? Before you die, let yourself have this one satisfaction of renouncing such a God as would permit you to suffer as you do without cause. Besides, death, after such a course, would bring you relief from what you endure while you live. This question of keeping your integrity only gets you into trouble. Lay off!'
That spirit-begotten "evil servant" class put on a sanctimonious, "holier than thou" appearance, and hence do not in so many words advise the remnant to "curse God", or, politely put, "bless God"(Hebrew), that is, in a farewell of renunciation. They and other religionists do not curse God openly with their lips, but in their heart they do so, as disclosed by their course of action. How ? By taking the course of compromising with the demon organization and thus bringing reproach upon God's name. It also brings themselves into opposition to the Theocratic organization of Jehovah's faithful servants. Such course of action serves to bring cursings and ill comment upon that Theocratic organization and upon the faithful ones therein who are called by the name Jehovah. One who has entered through Christ Jesus into a covenant with God to do His will is required thereby to be a faithful witness of Jehovah. For him to cease to act as such would indeed bring relief from the reproaches and assaults of demons and men. That, however, is a lure and a snare, because it means only the relief that spells spiritual death now and "the second death" in the end, which "second death" means destruction for ever. From it there is no arising.(Revelation 21: 8)It means perishing like the beasts!-Psalm 49: 20.
Job loved Jehovah God rather than an unfaithful wife. "But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil In all this did not Job sin with his lips."(Job 2: 10)To the class here pictured by Job's wife the Lord God gives the answer to the unfaithful argument. This answer is given in the prophecies and admonitions of God's Word, and he puts the answer in the mouths of those who faithfully study his Word. It is well known the world over that the magazine The Watchtower has for more than sixty years been publishing these admonitions and explanations of the prophecies, by the Lord's grace. In so doing, however, The Watchtower indulges in no personalities and carries on no personal controversies. That is not its mission. Oftentimes the members of the remnant and their companions do have to take a stand against individuals. They then use these published Scripture admonitions and explanations of revealed prophecy in order that they may stop dead the arguments of former associates or of enemies who approach them with sly suggestions urging them to seek the favor, approval and nice treatment of the world instead of keeping covenant and integrity with God and continuing to suffer for doing so. The religionists cause many arrests in pushing their argument, and the police often say to those faithful witnesses whom they hold under arrest, 'If you will just promise us to quit doing this work here and never come back, we will let you go.'
Organized religion is pictured in prophecy as an unclean woman. Those who become the "evil servant" class are also pictured as the five foolish virgins that let their lamps go out for lack of oil of joy in serving the Lord God.(Revelation 17: 1-5; Matthew 25: 1-13)These all speak foolishly. Taking the course that steers away from suffering for righteousness means to deny God and his righteousness and to be ashamed of him. "The fool hath said in his heart [his course of action proving what, his lips do not say in so many words], There is no God. They are corrupt; they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good. "(Psalm 14: 1)Once Peter blundered into sentimentally suggesting the course of least resistance; and mark what Jesus said: "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that lie must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, BE IT FAR PROM THEE, LORD: THIS SHALL NOT BE UNTO THEE. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."-Matthew 16: 2 1-25.
The foolish falsely accuse and misrepresent the motives and purposes of Jehovah's servants. The answer that completely disarms such foolish ones is for the servants to keep on doing God's work, being sure of the righteousness thereof, and not caring for what the world thinks. "For so is the will of God, that with well doing [and so keeping your integrity] ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."(1 Peter 2: 15)The religious are horrified at the outlook that strict obedience to God's Word and commandments shall result in the becoming poor and forsaken, either materially or as to friendship with the world, like Job. So they warn the faithful of the full consequences of complete obedience to the will of God and recommend the course whereby they may further enjoy the riches and selfish gain of the favor of this world. Such course leads to destruction. "But they that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money [selfish gain] is the root of all evil."(1 Timothy 6: 9, 10)Not for a moment do the wise, like Job, consider such foolish suggestions, but are deaf to such and forsake not the course of integrity. They identify and mark all those who encourage the course of renouncing Jehovah God and his Theocratic Government. All such they avoid as being "foolish women" and not wise in the fear of Jehovah God.-Psalm 111: 10; Proverbs 9: 10; Romans 16: 17, 18.
Job's use of the word "evil" as something proper to "receive", that is, to meet it when it comes and then to deal with it according to the will of God, does not mean wickedness. "Evil" here means something sore, painful, causing grief and distress and loss and discomfort. The word is so used at verse seven, which speaks of Job's "sore" boils. Job upheld and now the class pictured by him uphold the right of the great Theocrat, Jehovah God, to discipline his faithful creatures, using that which is painful and trialsome at times for a test of their devotion to God and his Theocracy. Job's words were equal to those at Hebrews 12: 5, 6, 11: "Ye have forgotten [as Job 's wife did] the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous [evil]: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
The government of the nation suffering invasion by the dictatorial aggressor is not questioned, resisted or condemned because it orders its citizens into the firing line to undergo hardship, exposure, suffering, or even death. How much more true of God! Universal domination is THE ISSUE; and since to meet the full challenge of Satan on that issue requires it, then Jehovah the Universal Governor has the absolute right to require of those who shall be made members of The Theocracy or its visible "princes" on earth or the "great multitude" of "other sheep" that they shall be permitted to suffer "evil" from the assaults of the demons and demonized men. Such requirement must be made in order to test out the integrity of such favored ones and to prove their worthiness of these Theocratic blessings. Permitting them to suffer evil from the wicked challengers of God's Theocratic right to domination does not hurt the eternal interests of e ones that thus suffer as long as the test lasts. Before all other things, the name of Jehovah is thereby vindicated. That is the chief thing. It is only secondary that certain ones are to be rewarded with immortality in the Kingdom and others with everlasting life on earth and' that hence such ones need to be proved concerning their faithfulness before being so highly exalted or favored with so gracious a gift. The suffering faithfully must be for an unselfish cause, and that highest cause is the vindication for ever of Jehovah's name.
What then? The situation throughout the entire universe is out of the ordinary because Satan has forced a controversy over the primary issue of universal domination. Each one in a covenant with God must ask himself, as Job did, 'Cannot I take it when Jehovah permits evil to come upon me for a trial and proof of my devotion? Do I hold on to Him only if, when, and so long as I receive good and enjoyable things from his hand?' Those in the covenant must be unselfish and put His Theocratic Government and his universal domination FIRST; only then shall they be able to endure when He permits evil to come upon them from the enemy because they are faithfully serving Jehovah God and upholding his cause.
Though urged by his foolish wife to do so, Job did not "curse God "to His face. He did not speak evil of God, nor bring reproach upon God's name. Job did not rebel against Him because of suffering for faith in Jehovah's promise and keeping aloof from the world and holding himself in readiness for Jehovah's Theocratic Government.
Today, the Job class (that is, the faithful remnant and their companions) do not curse God because of the evil He permits to come upon them in all the nations for the sake of His name and His Theocracy. In July, 1931, when the "new name" which the mouth of Jehovah God has named was revealed, they gladly accepted the privilege of being called by His name, "Jehovah's witnesses." Especially since then they have come out for the vindication of God's name by his Theocratic Government. Secular history shows that notably after the rise of the "Catholic Action" Nazi movement under a Catholic leader in Germany in 1919 great anti-Semitism together with its great contempt and hatred for the name of "Jehovah" was whipped up on Continental Europe, where Roman Catholic forces are strong. But, blind to this and seeing only God's will, his covenant people came out boldly and identified themselves as JEHOVAH'S witnesses, proclaiming as never before his name, his purpose, and his works. Job kept his sinlessness of lip. It is likewise true of the Job class in the final fulfillment of the prophetic drama in our time, as foretold at Isaiah 6:1-11; Zephaniah 3: 9; Hosea 14: 1, 2; and Hebrews 13: 15.Jehovah Cod has given them since 1918 a "pure lip" or "pure language", the Kingdom message cleansed from all religion. They no longer sin iniquity (lawlessness) of lip due to fear men, but now "offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness", even the calves and fruit of their lips, giving thanks and to His name.(Malachi 3: 3, 4)This do although affliction by the enemy continues and increases.
DEMON CONSPIRACY.
Satan, and Gog, one of his powerful princes, and all the other demons were active and bent upon making Job's case notorious. They made it a much-discussed subject over a wide area, thereby intending that many heads should wag and should spread reproach upon God's name. This also caused the people to divide between themselves. This is sharply brought to notice by the division of opinion between the characters who next put in appearance upon the stage of action, three against Job and one for him. The plan of action of the demons is the very same today. The reproachful misrepresentations about Jehovah's witnesses are heralded far and wide by demon influence and operations. A comparison of the news shows that the demons use one central agency of control and distribution, namely, religion's headquarters at Vatican City, the annex of Rome.
The wicked aim is to turn the hearers against The Theocracy and the great Theocrat, Jehovah, proclaimed by his witnesses. Such false propaganda is carried on by the religionists with violent persecution, and under it Jehovah's witnesses hold fast their integrity. This causes a division, the majority against The Theocracy and the minority of persons of good-will for it.
"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him."(Job 2:11)By "appointment"? Conspiracy under demon maneuvering, so the facts expose! Job's "three friends" picture those who would disclaim all thought and knowledge of being under demon influence and guidance. All the same, they are, knowingly or unknowingly, lending themselves to the demons' work against The Theocracy. Hypocritically in public speech they pretend to be real friends of the men and women who are Jehovah's witnesses. The idea is to do the witnesses "a good turn" by trying to get them off the course of action which invites and attracts the contempt, reproach, opposition and suffering these endure.
Are they friendly to The Theocracy and the vindication of Jehovah's name, which all-important things His witnesses believe and prove from the Bible and widely proclaim? Not at all; but they flatter themselves into thinking they are very gracious and acting most friendlily in persuading or coercing Jehovah's witnesses into the "good neighbor" policy with popular religion and religionists. In Job's time the three "friends" did not see they were being gathered together against Job by the demons under Satan so as to give Job the "third degree" to make him plead guilty to the false charges against him and thereby crack his integrity.-Romans 6: 16.
Introducing now Eliphaz the Temanite! He was a descendant of Teman and was the namesake of the first Eliphaz of history, the son of Esau or Edom. This made him a distant relative of Job, but not so close as were the Israelites. Since the two others gave him priority in answering Job's arguments, Eliphaz the Temanite was doubtless the oldest of the three, hence supposed to be wise and experienced. He came from the land of Edom, hence from the west or southwest.("Teman" means "south".)The Temanites were celebrated for worldly wisdom: "Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts, Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent ? is their wisdom vanished?"(Jeremiah 49: 7; Obadiah 8, 9)Quite in keeping with a Temanite was it for Eliphaz to put the question to Job: "Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is WISE may be profitable unto himself?"__ Job 22: 1, 2.
Some authorities say the name "Eliphaz" means "God of strength", or, "God is his strength"; but another says it means "God of gold". In 1936 there appeared a series of articles in The Watchtower on the prophecy of Obadiah. It showed the doom of the Edomites, including the Temanites, and proved that they picture the religious clergy of "Christendom" under the dominance of the most powerful religious organization of all, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. The meaning of the name "Eliphaz" well befits the Hierarchy and 'other religious leaders. The forefather of Eliphaz was Esau (Edom), and he chose a selfish course, making his belly his god. So his descendants the Temanites missed out on the blessing of God's covenant with Abraham, which blessing went to Jacob and his descendants. Religionists lose out on The Theocracy, because they are strong for the "god of this world", their strength.
Enter next Bildad the Shuhite! "Bildad" means "son of contention", In the drama Bildad did outrightly quarrel with Job. Being a "Shuhite", Bildad was a descendant of Shuah, the son of Abraham and his concubine Keturah. After Abraham made Sarah's son Isaac his full heir, Abraham sent Shuah and the other sons "eastward, unto the east country".(Genesis 25: 1-6)Bildad was less closely related to Job than Eliphaz was. Bildad likely came from the east.
Quarrelsome Bildad pictured religiouswinded persons, but those who make politics their profession. During the centuries this political element has quarreled with the religious Hierarchy as to whether religion should have the primacy over the state. Now especially the political element of "Christendom" has an internal quarrel, being divided into two main camps, that of "the king of the north" and that of "the king of the south", and on the issue of world domination. However, the most important quarrel of the Bildad class and which unites all their political factions is their quarrel with Jehovah's witnesses over the issue of The Theocracy. True to prophecy, the political rulers take counsel against the great Theocrat and against his Christ, who is anointed to be the King of The Theocratic Government.(Psalm Two)In their quarrel those two "kings" speak lies at the table of demons.-Daniel 11: 27.
"Shuah," the name of Bildad's forefather, means "sunken place", or, "depression." The quarrels of the political element over world domination go to create an international depression and a lower level of living for the common people, landing them at last. in the low "valley of concision". That will mean the concision or cutting to pieces of the political rulers and their backers at Armageddon.(Joel 3: 12-14)Eliphaz the Temanite was older than Bildad. Religion is older than politics, religion having been introduced in Eden by Satan. Also, after the Flood, Nimrod seized on religion to exalt himself and to bolster and build himself up politically to kingship.- Genesis 3:1-5; 10:8-10.
The spotlight next turns on Zophar the Naamathite. Zophar always comes in third in the drama and gives only two speeches to Job, whereas Eliphaz and Bildad each give three. The name "Zophar", according to some authorities, means "impudent"; to others it means "bird; sparrow", as twittering or chirping. Moses' wife was named "Zipporah", which is the feminine form of "Zophar" and means "little bird".(Exodus 2: 21)Like a bird in a tree Zophar defiled what came under his influence. So too is the effect of the course of Big Business or commercial gangsters and traffickers. Another ancient type of organized commercialism of the world is the land of Egypt, which is prophetically pictured as a great tree. Concerning this symbolical tree Ezekiel 31:6,7, 9 reads: "All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. Thus was he FAIR in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. . . . all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him." Like a bird the riches of commercialism can take wings and fly away, as in the great financial crash of 1929."Labour not to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away, as an eagle toward heaven."-Proverbs 23: 4, 5.
Many regard commercialism with the tenderness that one regards a small bird or sparrow. Increasing the force of the picture, Zophar was called "the Naamathite". A nice name, derived from "Naamah", which means "pleasant". Commerce, or Big Business, has seemed pleasant to worldlings. To them it is the desirable thing. All the nations in the two combinations of "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" are entangled in war over the pleasantness or selfish pleasures of commerce. They consider that it is the river of life to the nations, just as the Nile river seemed to ancient Egypt. Addressing Egypt as picturing organized commerce, Ezekiel 32: 19 reads: "Whom dost thou pass in beauty?" or, "Than whom hast thou been more pleasant?"(Young's). Like Zophar, the advantageseeking commercial traffickers practice religion. With the religious clergy as well as with the politicians, the rich and commercial element find great favor. God's Word warns the Job class against such showing of respect to the outward persons of men: "For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"(James 2: 2-4)Integrity must be kept against the lure of commerce.
BINDING TIE.
Though unaware thereof, those three representative men came together by "appointment" between themselves under the influence of Satan and his demons. They came to show off their religion, or demonism, as will be seen. This illustrates the fact that religion is the binding tie by which politics and commercial traffickers and the clergy plan and work together in mutual sufferance of one another. This is due to be shown up particularly at the coming peace conference between the powers of "the king of the north" and of "the king of the south". The Hierarchy are loudly and continually declaring .in the democratic lands that the pope is the only person on earth competent to preside at that peace conference and to dictate the peace terms. Whatever the terms made, they will be against The Theocracy. Satan purposed that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, representing the three elements of his visible organization, should use their weight and influence against the cause of Jehovah's universal domination and against the one who was holding fast to his integrity toward Jehovah's coming Theocracy. The course their visit actually took shows they were under demon control, yes, in a conspiracy to turn Job from that Theocratic Government. They ganged up against Job to swerve him from his straight course of integrity, the course of serving the Theocratic interests.
To fulfill the dramatic picture, the three visible elements of Satan's earthly organization have come together, "by appointment," under demon influence and being drawn together by the binding tie of religion or demonism. They come against those who are maintaining their integrity toward Jehovah's kingdom under Christ. If these were merely a small religious sect, then those three worldly elements would ignore them in contempt. Since Jehovah's people represent the biggest thing in the universe, namely, His Theocracy, those three demonized elements are incited by their selfish interest in world domination to take notice of Jehovah's covenant people and to consider these a serious menace to their selfish aims in opposition to Jehovah God.(Compare Revelation 16: 13-16.)What Jehovah's witnesses proclaim directly interferes with the political dictators. Hence the religious leaders take the witnesses most seriously of all and egg on the political and commercial elements against Jehovah's servants. Like Eliphaz in the drama, the clergy start off the abuse and slander of Jehovah's witnesses, and the politicians and commercialists carry it farther and persecute.
Imagine the three heads of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar bobbing up and down. For-sooth, they came to mourn with Job and to comfort him; and "mourn", in the Hebrew, means primarily "to be moved or shaken", and hence to mourn or bemoan as by shaking the head. With comfort as their ostensible motive they justified their coming to Job and adding to Job's miseries and increasing the temptation for him. Now the three elements of Satan's visible organization justify themselves before men by professing great humaneness and big brotherly sympathies and deep consideration for the comfort of humankind. In their actions toward Jehovah's witnesses they pretend to be moved by only the loftiest of motives and thus to fulfill' God's commission to "comfort all that mourn". They disclaim all persecuting spirit or motives of hate. Like the ancient trio, so these are profuse in their use of God's name on their lips.
The sensible, effective way to comfort Job would be by enlightening him on the issue at stake rather than by "darkening counsel by words without knowledge". Instead, they condemned Job's past conduct as being the true reason for his present affliction. Hence they argued that it was wrong for him to keep on in that way or course under the delusion that it was the course of integrity. They strove to make Job condemn his own past course of service to Jehovah God, which course he had followed because of his faith in God's covenant promise. They tried to turn Job into their way of religion. This foreshadowed the action of the three elements of modern days as they strive and argue to trap Jehovah's witnesses into condemning their course up till now of diligently serving Jehovah God according to his written commandments to them. For Jehovah's witnesses to turn off from the marked-out course hither-to followed would be to stultify themselves. They will never declare God's way foolish, no matter what the suffering undergone. By heaping up arguments religionists and their allies are bent on turning Jehovah's witnesses aside from the way of integrity and into religion's way of worldly respectability.
"And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven."(Job 2: 12)They did not recognize in Job one who was approved and well thought of by the world. In the modern case, the three elements of Satan's organization see the popular contempt which Satan and his demons have stirred up for Jehovah's people and see no beauty in them nor anything desirable, no more than with Jesus.(Isaiah 53: 1-4)They note that these witnesses are "hated of all nations" and condemned by all religions. They wrest the facts to make out that Jehovah's witnesses themselves are the cause of their own suffering, that God is punishing them because they are against religion, and that the religionists are rightly the instruments of God in punishing Jehovah's witnesses and are justified in violently persecuting them. Their view is that if these witnesses did not boldly and unswervingly persist in their course of action in exact harmony with the Bible they would not suffer as they are doing.
In Jehovah's witnesses those elements cannot see the likeness of religionists. They discern that the Job class are different from so-called "Christian religionists", because the Job class are suffering odium and persecution whereas the religionists are in high esteem and are not also suffering for the sake of God's kingdom. No, they do not recognize the Job class as fellow religionists. Say the modern Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar: 'Look at us: we are not suffering as is this Job class!' In their self-righteousness they take the world's respect and the escaping of suffering for righteousness as marks of God's favor. They say the afflicted state of the Job class is the unmistakable mark of God's disfavor.
Job's three visitors loudly wept, because he was not as self-righteous and as free from persecution by the demons and their agencies as the three themselves were and arc. It recalls to mind the Pharisee at the temple who prayed and thanked God he was not like the sinner publican near-by who was asking for God's mercy.(Luke 18:10-14)In "Christendom" the three dominating elements make a loud and lamentable public demonstration, deploring with tearful language that in "Christendom" such a class as Jehovah's witnesses should exist with standards of Christianity so different from those of respectable religionists and patrioteers. They deplore that these should freely engage in their activities and pursue such a way of worshiping God as brings upon them the assault of the demons and of demonized men, all of which gives them such an odious, despised and shocking appearance in the eyes of the self-esteeming, self?righteous "organized religion". To be seen of men, they are noisy in weeping openly at the fact that such a movement as Jehovah's witnesses should be further tolerated in "Christendom", and then they cry for "more religion" as an antidote.
Further, they put on the act of rending the mantle and besprinkling the head with dust by getting quite violent and hysterical because Jehovah's witnesses are around, alive and active in spite of the great reproaches, persecutions and illegalities heaped upon them to keep them out or to make them hole up by themselves. By such violent actions in grief over such a source of torment to them the three elements bring upon themselves an appearance of demonic wildness and hysteria and lack of rational self-control, and they heap dirt and uncleanness and shame upon their own responsible heads. All this they do to attract religious admiration and sympathy from others. They want to appear to be so deeply concerning themselves about the righteousness morality and patriotism of human society. Some of these three elements are honest enough to deplore the acts of mobbing and other violence that have been committed against Jehovah 's witnesses. They also condemn the overstepping of the law and the denial of human rights and liberties by the mobs and local officials. However, at the same time they avoid saying anything in defense of the real issue, namely, The Theocratic Government as in contrast with demon rule. Instead, they sprinkle dust toward heaven, against The Theocracy, and also throw the dust in the people's eyes to blind them to the real issue which they carefully side-step and avoid.
The noisy pantomime attracts the attention of the neighborhood. "So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. "(Job 2: 13)This certainly did not bring any relief to Job. Their outward act and posture was really to take Job under observation and investigation. It opened up their minds and hearts to the suggestions and invasion of the demons. After those seven days and nights passed, what false reasoning and twisted application of facts they expressed in their speeches! This appears as evidence that, during all that week of loafing around, those were the things they were building up and framing in their minds. During those seven days they were drawing their conclusions and getting ready to spring them just as soon as the formalism of public grief had been religiously complied with.
Not a word did they say to Job about Jehovah God and his fulfillment of his promise concerning The Theocracy in due time. Not a word exposing the operations of the Devil and exposing the power and the dangers of demonism! A word of such kind would have been timely comfort and strength to Job and would have lightened his suffering and filled him with inward joy. But no! the three "friends" must go through a lot of public ceremony and waste a whole week, with religious punctiliousness, to satisfy the outward appearance of things and to steal the show and win the public applause.
To Jehovah's witnesses the religionists offer not one whit of help in the wrestlings and the fight against demons, against whom is the real fight of the Christians. The three elements do not say to them a word in favor of The Theocracy and the true worship of Jehovah God, whatever else such three elements may say about democratic principles, the preservation of the Bill of Human Rights, and the upholding of the nation's Constitution. They are very careful of what they print or say in public of and concerning the witnesses of Jehovah, lest it offend the spying, listening religionists who can command votes and set in motion a disastrous boycott. Hence to the suffering servants of Jehovah they say no word of true comfort from God's Word, nor do they admit that Jehovah's witnesses really have Bible backing and are worshiping God in the right way, "in spirit and in truth."
The outward cause for grief on Job's part appeared very great. Religionists, if thus afflicted, would feel unspeakable grief. The grievous things that have come upon Jehovah's faithful ones at the instance of the demons and by the instrumentality of the religious leaders have had their effect. The three elements have been made afraid to say anything in public that might appear in favor of God's witnesses. Whatever they say about the defense of human rights, which rights Jehovah's witnesses are entitled to claim equally with all others, the ruling elements are always instant to remind their hearers or readers that they are no champions for what Jehovah's witnesses believe or proclaim or for the stand that they take on various issues of public interest.
The modern Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are witnesses that the grief, or grievous condition, of Jehovah's covenant people throughout all nations is "great". Therefore those three elements become responsible to do something about it in the discharge of the obligations of their office taken under oath. Like Job's three "friends", those elements fail to administer the real relief and comfort in their public and private capacities. To them, therefore, apply Jesus' words of judgment directed against the "goats", at Matthew 25: 45: "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these [my brethren], ye did it not tome." Not that Jehovah's servants want any out-of-the-way or extraordinary public favors. Their desire is that the people of good-will turn from demonism to The Theocracy and that such come out openly in favor of it and express themselves by taking part in witnessing to it in obedience to God's command. This is what gives to Jehovah's faithful Job class the real comfort amid all their persecutions, and not the mere cold legalities which are their due.
The complete period of seven days came to an end, and the time came to speak. A young man, Elihu by name, heard of Job's physical condition and of his distinguished visitors, and he came to observe and to hear. Just before the period of silence was up he took a seat within hearing distance, prepared to hear both sides of the dispute on the pressing question. He patiently waited for the opportunity to offer something of praise and glory to Jehovah God and in relief to Job. The three "friends", so called, had weighed what had come to their notice and had now drawn their religious conclusions. They were at a unity of mind, the demons putting the same thoughts in the mind of each one. They watched the lips of Job and strained their ears to catch Job in his speech.(Mark 12: 13; Luke 11: 54)Unseen, the demons were watching in eagerness for words of cursing against God. They were determined to use their three human puppets to the limit in the effort to extort from Job speeches that would bear up their side of the great controversy.
WORST OF TIMES. CHAPTER 6.[]
WHAT is the inspired decision concerning the time in which we are living from and after A.D. 1914? Listen to a voice from centuries behind us. "After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day."(Job 3: 1)What a way to break the silence on the matter of vital importance to us all today! It shows how much of comfort it really brought Job to have the three visitors first break out in loud weeping, then rip their garments, and throw dust on their pates, and finally sit around him seven days and nights like an investigating committee, observing him studiously and saying nothing, like mummies, but only killing time. In place of consoling Job, this religious procedure caused Job to curse his day. "Cursed," here in the dramatic record, is in the original tongue a different expression from that used by Satan and.
by Job's wife.(Job 1:11; 2:5,9)Young's translation renders the record: "Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day."
These are the "last days" of Satan's world. The present-day counterparts of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar and their agents are here. Their course causes Jehovah's witnesses to identify these days as indeed fulfilling the prophecies concerning the "last days" or "perilous times" and as corresponding with the violent days of Noah just before the end of that old world of the ungodly. By divine commission and command Jehovah's witnesses curse the day as Job did. That is to say, they pronounce the Scriptural condemnation upon this day in which the "remnant" have come into existence and in which day they are permitted to suffer such things at the hands of the demons and their religious dupes and other tools on earth. Jehovah's witnesses warn that these are the best of times for only those who love and take their stand for The Theocracy, but for the opposers thereof these are "the worst of times". Such are given the warning that these are the days of doom for organized religion and all its allies; in fact, for all antichrists, including "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" and their latest creation, "the abomination of desolation." This day is "cursed" for the persecutors that bring this grievous public appearance upon Jehovah's witnesses. To those "goats"
the King of The Theocracy, who now sits on the throne judging the nations, says: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."(Matthew 25: 41)Also out of the distant past, just before the destruction of unfaithful Jerusalem which fell victim to religion, there comes the prophetic command to Jehovah 's remnant in the midst of "Christendom": "Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Wail ye, Alas for the day ! For the day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near; it shall be a day of clouds, a time of the nations. ."-Ezekiel 30: 2, 3, Am. Rev. Ver.
Why has God permitted evil or wickedness to prevail has been the question before man's mind in all periods, in all lands. Of a truth, God is supreme and all-powerful and nothing comes except by God's permission, but why permit it The more perplexing, yet more proper question, has been, Why has God permitted his faithful, devoted servants, who apparently should deserve good treatment at God's hands, to suffer most severely? Only the clearing up of the primary issue, namely, UNIVERSAL DOMINATION together with the vindication of God's name in answer to the Devil's challenge, has provided us the heart-satisfying understanding of the mystifying question. Job did not understand it, and yearned for the answer. Only since A.D. 1918, with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the temple, has the great Father of Lights illuminated the question to the remnant and their companions. Now the remnant rejoice to have a part in the vindication of God's name by preserving their integrity toward God under affliction from Satan, his demons and human agents.
Lucifer rebelled and became Satan, and thus Satan became invisible overlord over humankind. Ever since then it has been a cursed day on earth, and during that day the class like Job and beginning with Abel has been born, to serve for the vindication of God's name and to silence the great accuser. The greatest of these to be born or brought forth from God's universal organization or "woman" was and is Christ Jesus. After waiting out the allotted time at God's right hand Christ Jesus was enthroned, in 1914.The Theocracy was thus born, and Christ Jesus began the "war in heaven" and cast Satan and his demon organization out of heaven. In 1918 Christ Jesus came to the temple for judgment, and the faithful remnant of his body members was born or came forth from the judgment as approved and as in line for a place in the heavenly Theocracy, as part of God's elect class. This day of the end of Satan's world wherein the remnant was brought forth shall perish at Armageddon. It is a night upon humankind, a day stained by darkness and by the shadow of death for them.- Job 3:2,3; Isaiah 60: 1,2.
Applying to that "remnant" Job's question, "Why died I not from the womb??c then had I been at rest"(Job 3:11-13), God's own word by Christ Jesus answers, that "for the elect's sake "the days of tribulation were shortened by stopping the World War in 1918, and those of the remnant were spared from death that they might be a "people for God's name". Satan, because now restrained to earth, has great wrath against God's "woman" and especially the "remnant of her seed" on earth. Upon these he makes war.(Revelation 12: 17)It is as hard upon them as it was upon Job. Job longed for death if he could not be serving Jehovah or if his living would seemingly be a reproach upon God's name. As Jesus himself prayed: "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me!"(Matthew 26: 39)Now his remnant keep covenant with God and maintain their integrity to him in the face of the brutal war of the demons. Why? Just to participate with Christ Jesus in vindicating Jehovah's name and proving Satan a liar in his reproachful charge against God's servant, the Job class. Likewise now the Lord's "other sheep", the steadfast companions of the remnant, are privileged to suffer and endure side by side with them and let their unbroken integrity also be for a vindication of God's name. And as God did not let Job be touched unto death, so, too, Jehovah will bring the remnant class and the "other sheep" class through the end of the test at Armageddon and into the new world.
4.Religious Eliphaz the Temanite led the attack on Job. He had not been displeasing to Satan, else that wicked one would not now use Eliphaz as his shock trooper against God's man of integrity. There was no test case to make with Eliphaz as there was with Job. It is likewise true of the religious leaders today. By the howls of objection and the demands to do something to stop the house-to-house work of Jehovah's witnesses in publishing his Kingdom message, the clergy of all denominations have been forced to admit to Jehovah's servants, "Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands."(4:3)Then by all unChristian means those clergymen, under Roman Catholic dominance, bring Jehovah's witnesses into public disrepute and argue therefrom that this unpopular condition exposes "thy fear [of Jehovah], thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways" which Jehovah's faithful ones claim to have, and that it proves them hypocrites.(4:6)For a psychological effect, the clergy ask: "Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent or where were the righteous cut off "(4: 7)Where Why, in the cases of Abel, Jesus Christ, and all the martyred prophets and apostles; whereas Jehovah has permitted Satan and the over-whelming majority of wicked ones to remain till this present and to exercise power. Unto Armageddon as the limit does God reserve them. Meantime, persecution from Satan and his religious, political and commercial elements is no proof that the Job class is in God's disfavor. Directly to the contrary; for those three elements are the ones that are the enemies of God.
(4 The superior figure denotes the chapter of Job discussed. )
Eliphaz brags that "a spirit passed before my face; . . . and I heard a voice, saying, Shall mortal man be more just than God? . . . Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly. "(4: 15-18)This proves that the religionists are under demon, evil-spirit influence and teach "doctrines of devils". It bears out the clergy's claim to have special mysterious powers and revelations from the "other world" which make the "laity" absolutely dependent upon the clergy for divine favors. Eliphaz, and his modern imitators, deny that God chose Job to serve in this prophetic drama because Jehovah God trusted in Job to maintain his integrity. As for Jehovah's highest angel, "The Word," who became Christ Jesus, Eliphaz' spirit revelation is not true, that Jehovah "charged [Him] with folly". The worldly-wise Temanite's argument backs up Satan's lie that Jehovah God cannot put men on earth who during the demon rule will keep their blamelessness toward God.
5.Eliphaz taunts Job, "Call now," and denies that God's angels or "saints"(holy ones) act for Jehovah's persecuted ones on earth and have to do with answering their prayers at God's due time.(5: 1)Feeling "holier than thou", the religionists have "cursed" the organization of Jehovah's witnesses and condemn them as wicked sinners and advise them: "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause."(5: 8)The clergy urge the witnesses to lay off on the war against religion, and then their sufferings will stop and they will come into good standing and respectability with this world and will have nothing to fear: "Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, . . . Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good."(5: 17-27)But only until Armageddon shall it be "good" for those who follow the clergy. Then those who have abandoned religion and clergy guides will be the only survivors.
6.Job replies that his outcries are not against God as though God were unjust, but are due to his great suffering and pain which cause expressions to escape his lips at times. His outcries are not without reason: "Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass ?" or is it when he is pained with hunger (6:5)Jehovah's witnesses have the right to cry out in objection to those religionists causing the persecutions and to appeal to the authorities for a measure of relief because such are sworn to uphold the law and to maintain order and restrain violent persecutors. Job longed for the vindication of Jehovah's name. He expressed the desire to die rather than be the means of bringing reproach and misunderstanding upon the name of that Holy One. Job declares he had not concealed, or (Am. Rev. Ver.) "denied", God's word (6: 10) ; hence to be dint off in death with this sureness that he had been a faithful and true witness for Jehovah would be a privilege, unless there is further work now to do on earth. The test is to be faithful unto the death.
Job then speaks out an indictment of religion. He finds the clergy like the "rich men" who hold back the wages of sympathy and of co-operation which are due to Jehovah's witnesses for the Bible educational work they are doing among the people, but which work the clergy have failed to do.(James 5: 1-6)The clergy are like deceitful brooks that dry out; they fail at this dry time to give the people who come to them, whether merchantmen, militarist, or other "children of the church", the waters of truth. They are friends of religion, but have dealt deceitfully with the friends of Jehovah God. Job asks, "Is there iniquity in my tongue?"(6:30)Jesus said to the religionists: Which of you convinceth me of sin?"(John 8: 46)The demon religionists caught the prophet Daniel for no fault, but only concerning the law of his God which conflicted with the law of worldly men.(Daniel 6: 4,5)Today such men frame mischief by a law to get those like Job.- Psalm 94: 20.
7.For those who are God's servants and his good soldiers against religion He has his appointed times. Exactly on His time God's "strange work" with them shall end and his "strange act" at Armageddon shall begin. Clergymen accuse Job here of not expressing belief in the resurrection of the dead. Job did so believe. Here, however, he spoke as if he expected no resurrection, because he knew that if he had been unfaithful and God was truly wroth with him it meant destruction for him and no part in the "better resurrection". It shall be so with all who fail or refuse to keep covenant and integrity toward God, and the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus does not alter the case for such. Job's words are against the religious idea of "deathbed repentance" as saving from destruction.
Why does God watch the Job class (7:12)Not because such are dangerous, like a raging sea or a whale, nor is it to magnify man as being of importance and deserving of special observation and treatment. It is because the test of endurance is put upon devoted men of integrity due to Satan's challenge which affects God's name and universal domination. Their keeping integrity under test must be for the vindication of his word and name and in support of God's domination universally. Such faithful ones were born sinners, like all other offspring of Adam; as Job said: "I have sinned."(7:20)But if it were a mere matter of God's punishing man for sin, all this attention to the Job class would not be called for, since ordinary human sin does not harm God and he could immediately destroy man by His power. But not merely God's power is at issue.
BILDAD THE SHUHITE.
8.Quarrelsome Bildad now takes sides with religious Eliphaz against Jehovah's witness. He accuses God of sending the windstorm and justly killing Job's children as for their sins. He goes by the circumstantial evidence with which the demon forces had framed Job. Sourly he tells Job that if Job's service of God had been so pure and upright, then God would have come to his relief long before this and his latter end should change for the better. He argues that Job had forgotten God and is a hypocrite, an evildoer and cast away of God, because, says Bildad, "Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers."(8:20)Bildad's difficulty was that he did not consider those faithful witnesses before Job, namely, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, all of whom were tested for their faith in The Theocracy. Bildad looked to and relied on the of a "former age" as his teachers (8:8), just like the cardinal who wrote the book The Faith of Our Fathers and who, when unable to find Scripture proof for "Purgatory", said: "This is not my opinion. It is the unanimous voice of the fathers of Christendom." The examples which Bildad gives to back up his accusation against Job do not fit. They do not apply without exception to the wicked, hypocritical forgetters of God during this present evil world during which Jehovah permits Satan and his organization to remain, until the final end at Armageddon.
9.Job, in reply, admits that he is not sinlessly perfect, but he is not willfully wicked. He cares not how worldly men and religionists judge him. How God judges him is all-important, and he desires such judgment at the bar of God. Job's question, "How can man be just with God?"(9:2, A.R.V.) is not meant to deny that his distant kinsman Abraham had been justified or counted just and righteous by reason of his faith and obedience toward God.(Genesis 15: 6)Job meant, How can a mortal man, with limited powers and faculties, be equally just with God for God is perfect and all-sufficient in wisdom, power, justice and love. God is almighty and can do and does things in heaven and earth beyond man's abilities, "great things past finding out," and for which things God needs not give an account to man.(9:10)At Armageddon He will shake Satan's "heavens" and "earth" and remove them and establish the "new earth" under "new heavens". He shall tread down and remove the "sea" of peoples who are estranged from God; and shall not withdraw his anger until the proud are made to stoop and bite the dust in death. Till then "the earth is given into the hand of the wicked".- 9: 24.
Job therefore deemed it Wise to wait, not offering his own reasonings and not questioning God's righteousness in letting the wicked stay until the end of the world and meantime permitting His servants of integrity to suffer at the hands of demons and wicked men.(9:20)Self-justification is nothing of value; it is in fact abominable before God.(Luke 16:15)Justification with God by his provisions through Christ Jesus alone counts. However, the blessing of such justification by faith and obedience does not mean that one is immediately released from being persecuted by Satan and his hordes. While the wicked one bears rule the people mourn. The "perfect" or men of integrity as well as the wicked suffer therefrom, but the "perfect" suffer for their integrity.(9: 22)This continues until the "time of the end", when God's Judge or "daysman" comes to the temple for judgment of the "house of God". In that judgment he separates the "wheat" from the religious "tares". He also begins the judgment of the nations and separates the "sheep" from the "goats".
The days in which the "wheat" class and the "sheep" class must longer suffer are passing more swiftly than the eagle flies to his prey. The Job class must "work out [their] own salvation with fear and trembling" and must be anxious against indulging in "secret faults" and "presumptuous sins", such as God can detect in the careless and the self-righteous ones who think they can wash themselves by so-called "character development".(Philippians 2:12; Psalm 19: 12, 13)The wise person rightly fears to speak in judgment of God concerning His dealings which man does not understand; but when Jehovah's "daysman" or "umpire", Christ Jesus, comes to the temple and illuminates God's Word, then he lays his hand or power of the truth upon the faithful remnant and restrains them from putting forth their hand unto iniquity with the religious schemers of today. Thereby Jehovah God restrains himself from destroying the remnant, that is, if they continue faithful and answer him in favor of His Theocracy by giving a bold witness to his name and his Kingdom before all nations.-9: 32-35.
10."My soul is weary of my life," says Job. It is because of being the chief target of the demons and their religionists on earth, who give no cheer and encouragement to Jehovah's devoted servants. Only the "joy of Jehovah" in which they may have a part by sharing in the vindication of his name is their strength to live and keep on as his witnesses.(Nehemiah 8:10) "Seest thou as man seeth?"(10:4)The remnant and their companions are comforted that no matter how disgraceful the demons make them to appear in the eyes of "Christendom", yet Jehovah does not see or view them as wicked, but continues to bless them with his truth and service. He was the One that founded Jehovah's witnesses, and to his remnant he says: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise."(Isaiah 43:10, 12, 21, Am. Rev. Ver.)That answers the question: "Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?"(10:18)According to God's will they wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against the demons: "Changes and war are against me."(10:17)For God's covenant people to cease this warfare in the desire to be free from the false witnesses and the daily attacks of the demons and their agents would mean to go into destruction whence they should not return and their days would yet be few, being limited solely to this present existence with no hope of a future. It would mean to go into spiritual darkness now and destruction thereafter, without a lightray of hope.
ZOPHAR THE NAAMATHITE.
11."Liar!" bursts out Zophar, unable longer to keep his peace at Job's words.(11: 3)To Job he raises the same complaint as made today by religionists when unable to answer Jehovah's servants with scriptures: 'You think that you are the only people that are right and have the truth, and that everybody else is wrong!' Then Zophar bluntly says Job is worse than the lenient amount of punishment visited upon him would show. 'You deserve more than you're getting!' (11: 6)The spirit of a "goat" indeed! Zophar contends that God is punishing Job and thereby trying to convince Job that he is wicked, but that Job refuses to be convinced and disputes God's judgment and pits his own judgment against God's. Then Zophar belittles the knowledge of the truth that Jehovah's witnesses may gain of God. He shows his own ignorance by arguing that godliness now, during demon rule, carries inseparably with it ease, freedom from assault, and popularity with the world. By his Inquisitional method he tries to convert Job to religion, and warns him of the dire consequences to himself if he refuses to give in to religion: "The eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost."(11:20)Does Job yield to this terrorizing scare-doctrine of religion'?
VINDICATOR. CHAPTER 7.[]
A VINDICATOR must arise for the name of Jehovah and likewise for the faithful witnesses who bear his name. Such vindicator could not mean or include the clergy of "Christendom"; for these heap reproach upon Jehovah's name and great abuse upon His witnesses. The clergy, with college and theological training such as Christ Jesus and his apostles never took, arrogate to themselves all spiritual knowledge and discourage the common-school people by insisting that they cannot understand the Bible but that the clergy are their ordained teachers. To belittle God's consecrated witnesses they use the same sneer that the religionists used against Jesus who was from 'that town Nazareth': "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"(John 7: 15)To a like set of religionists patient Job said sarcastically: "No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you."-12: 2.
12.refused to be abashed in the presence of such worldly distinguished men or to be stopped witnessing for Jehovah because of their display of worldly wisdom. Religion confuses the understanding, but the Job class know their understanding is based on God's Word and is superior to worldly understanding, and that their Teachers are Jehovah God and Christ Jesus.(Isaiah 54: 13; 30: 20; John 6:45)Jehovah God is the Eternal Ancient One: "With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding."(12: 12)Proud of their worldly learning and training, the ruling trio mock and laugh to scorn Jehovah's Bible-teaching witnesses who announce the setting up of The Theocracy and the impending disaster of Armageddon upon the world. Even the beasts, fowls, and fishes know that the mournful rule of wicked robbers is in operation, and the innocents suffer on account of Godless men. If the ruling trio will not listen to human witnesses of Jehovah, then let them go to the lower animals; they might learn some facts from them.(12: 7, 8)If not, then at Armageddon they shall know that Jehovah is the Almighty God, the Supreme One, and that Christ Jesus is his Vindicator, and that none can resist the execution of Their judgments upon the contemptible princes of the world.-12: 21.
Jehovah by Christ Jesus abases the self-exalted ones, especially the religious "harlot" that rides the "beast" of the combine of nations federated according to the "new order" proposed by men. He discloses the wicked plots of darkness against The Theocracy and turns the searchlight on those who cast the shadow of death upon lovers of righteousness. He lets aggressor nations increase territory and enlarge their power against His organized people and he destroys the aggressors when at the height and fullness of their power.(12: 23)Seeing that the world's leaders ignore Jehovah and his Theocracy and despise his Word, he darkens and confounds the world situation for them and answers none of their prayers for His blessing; and their worldly education and wisdom avail them nothing.
13."Lo, mine eye hath seen all this." Where ? In the historic examples recorded in God's Word. Now, too, in the light of that same 'Word the Job class see by the 'eye of faith the unmistakable beginning of God's foretold manifestations of divine all-power to an extent never before witnessed by man. The Eliphaz-Bildad-Zophar combine of today "do besmear with falsehoods" both God and his servants of integrity; they are "falsehood-plasterers".(Job 13: 4, Rother-ham; margin)They are worthless spiritual physicians to all, and their preparations for a great religious revival after this present total war will not save the nations from Armageddon. They claim apostolic succession and the divine right to rule and that they are the "higher powers . . . ordained of God"; and so they wickedly assume to represent and speak for Almighty God. They feel justified in regimenting all the people to suit their purposes, and with no regard to the covenant with God of those who are consecrated to do His will. Jehovah's witnesses take their life in their teeth to maintain their ways before him in harmony with their covenant. Though it mean for them to be slain, without hope of relief from men, yet they refuse to be regimented away from doing God's work and will and into opposing his great Theocracy. If they are justified before God, what real injury can it do them for the enemy to plead against them?-13: 18, 19.
As Job expressed his longings, so those in his class now are aware of their "iniquities and sins" and pray God to make them do His will; they fear to displease him.(13: 23)In themselves they are nothing of value, no more than a driven leaf or dry stubble. Hence they know that the bitter things published against them, and the increasing official cramping of the movement of their feet in God's service, and the spying upon all their paths and footprints, all this trial of their devotion to God and his service is not because they are important or a danger to men and governments. It is because they are devoted to God's Righteous Government and proclaiming it, and are wrapped up with the vindication of His glorious name.
14.The first man born was from woman after she and her husband had sinned, and since then man's days on earth are limited while existing under the rule of the demons, the wicked "heavens". Short-lived man and his salvation are not of first importance, but the "new heavens", The Theocracy, are of first importance. The devotion of 'faithful men to that heavenly government is what invites attention, because God then puts them on judgment as to their integrity toward Him and The Theocracy. Such persons of integrity are worth more than a tree. A tree, if it is cut down and only a stump is left, may sprout again through the scent of water. "But man [of integrity] dieth, . . . and where is he?"(14: 7-10)He is dead, and in Sheol, which word the King James Version Bible translates "grave". Sheol is also translated "hell" at Job 11:8; 26:6, and translated "pit" at Job 17: 16.Another word that Job uses and that is translated "grave" is qebher, at Job 3:22; 10:19; 17:1; 21:32.What is the difference between both words translated "grave"? Sheol means a pit or hollowed-out place, a condition of darkness and lifelessness where all the dead go.(Job 10: 21, .22)The Scriptures speak of only ONE Sheol. Hence it means the one and same condition of all the dead, whether some are due for a resurrection therefrom or not. Qebher means a mound or heap as raised up, for a memorial and in hope of a resurrection. There are MANY such graves, one, in most cases, for each dead one buried. Christ Jesus went both to Sheol and the grave (qebher), and was raised out of both unto life.(Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:9; Acts 2:27-31) "Hell," in the Bible, does not mean torment.
Except for Christ Jesus, those dying in their integrity are not awakened out of their sleep of death until the "new heavens", or The T h e o c r a c y, have been established.(14: 12)This did take place in A.D. 1914, and thereafter Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven and down to earth. Job, and the other future "princes in all the earth", who have been hidden in the grave or Sheol for centuries, may be remembered of God any time now, and then his King may call to them to rise up in that "better resurrection" promised for them.
In his pains under demon assault and religious persecution Job desired to be hid in Sheol till God's wrath had passed.(14: 13)Be it remembered that Job here pictured a class, from Abel on down to and including the remnant today and their companions. In 1918, during the World War, God was angry with the remnant because of their failure as his public witnesses, as foretold at Isaiah 12: 1.Then God sent his Messenger and King to the temple for judgment, and the remnant were purified and passed the judgment favorably and God's "wrath" against them passed and he reinstated them. Hence Job may be awakened with the other faithful men of old any time now before God's expression of wrath against the enemy at Armageddon, and Job and his fellows may see the Armageddon battle. It is noted, moreover, that Job desired a "change" of his then condition before he died, and he was willing to wait out God's appointed time for him to experience that "change". Job soon thereafter had that change of condition. This agrees with the fact that Job prefigured not only those who keep on in their integrity unto death but also the Lord's "other sheep" who are hid under God's protection during Armageddon and survive it and who then experience the change to the "new world" conditions and never die because forever faithful.
The hope of many men of integrity to see the "change" to the new world come in their day was not realized because they died before the "new heavens" were established, and before the Lord came to the temple in 1918.Thus it was that "thou destroyest the hope of man".(14: 19)But if they died in integrity, with a living faith in the future fulfillment of God's hope-inspiring promise, then they shall be made to live again in the new world for which they hoped.
GNASHING OF TEETH.
"The battery of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar having failed to drive Job down religion 's "sawdust trail" to the mourner's bench as a convert, Eliphaz gnashed on Job with his teeth. He accused Job of leaving off the fear of God and prayer to God and of being a young upstart in knowledge. Like the Hierarchy who boast of the antiquity of their sect, Eliphaz says: "With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. "(15: 10)He argues that not even in heaven are there any holy ones in whom God could trust as to their integrity; which would include also God's only begotten Son, "The Word." Verily a repetition of Satan's false charge! Eliphaz confuses religion with the worship of God or Christianity. The fight of the Job class against demonism and against that self-styled "vicegerent of Christ" and against "Christendom" the religionists viciously misinterpret as a stretching out the hand against God and Christ; they brand it "religious intolerance".(15:25)Quite to be expected, inasmuch as Jesus himself was accused of blasphemy against God because exposing religion and its practitioners, the real enemies of God! They fool themselves by calling religion "Christianity", and desperately hope for a rosy future for religion, believing it invincible and perpetual because of its long existence. They doom Jehovah's witnesses to an early destruction as being hypocrites, as bribers of the poor people with rich promises, mischief-makers, deceivers with a "freak religion", disturbers of religious peace and unity, subversive, etc. This piles up reproach on God's name!-15 :29-35.
"The clergy, seeking special favors from politicians and commercial traffickers, try to emphasize the need of having the clergy because of the great comfort they claim religion gives. Job says that the comfort the religionists give is to make miserable those who seek the truth and the pure worship of God. "Miserable comforters are ye all!"(16: 2)And the honest-hearted persons who observe the clergy's vilification and persecution against Jehovah's witnesses say likewise. The trio of Job's persecutors could p rate such a string of talk about God, but at the same time directly lent themselves to be the foremost servants of Satan; exactly what religionists are doing in our time. Jehovah's witnesses declare the truth, thereby exposing religion, but they do not engage in falsifying and persecution, and would not do so even if they were in power in the stead of the religionists.(16: 4, 5)Rather they always give Scriptural comfort to all those that mourn, in obedience to God's command.-Isaiah 61: 1-3.
For the sake of proving the Devil a liar and deceiver Jehovah has delivered his consecrated servants over to be harassed and persecuted by the ungodly religionists. They have been set up as the mark or target at which the clergy and their allies continuously shoot like archers. This is, as Job adds, "not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure."(16: 17)Regardless of what men under influence of religion may say, think or do, "behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high"; or, "he that voucheth for me is on high."(16: 19; Am. Rev. Ver.)Now Jehovah God has answered Job's prayer for someone who "might plead for a man with God". He has sent Christ Jesus to the temple as the Vindicator of God's name and also of the remnant and their companions. If these were not innocent, and if there were no vindication of them, then extinction would be their lot as for unfaithfulness.-16: 21, 22.
17.Threatened with death, and with all of Satan's world round about mocking and casting provoking insults upon Jehovah's witnesses, there is none to go surety for them and to agree with and come to their support save God himself as represented by His Vindicator.(17:1-3)Religion has given its practitioners no understanding, and it shall not win exaltation for them in the new world, either in heaven or on earth. As for the clergy who denounce Jehovah's true servants and deliver them up for a prey to the mob and violence, "he that denounceth his friends for a prey, even the eyes of his children shall fail."(17:5, Am. Rev. Ver.) (See Ezekiel 9:6; 24: 21; Matthew 24: 19.)This denouncing causes a division of the people. To those blindly following their blind clergy guides Jehovah's remnant become a reproachful byword, but the honest lovers of righteousness are astonished at the religious persecution and are stirred to take their stand against the hypocritical religionists. Cleansing their hands from the things of this world, such become the Lord's "other sheep" and continually grow stronger in numbers and in Him and in His service alongside the remnant. As the demons cause the world to become more and more totalitarian and the violence increases, particularly against the Job class, it outwardly seems that if they wait much longer they shall by violence be made to inhabit Sheol, "the grave," sleeping in darkness as children of corruption and worms, in the dust.(17:13-16)Only God can fulfill their hope of survival.
18.Bildad takes up the quarrel anew. He expresses himself as shocked in his tender susceptibilities at being shown to be like the beasts, without understanding and made to be destroyed.(2 Peter 2: 12) "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."(Psalm 49: 20)That judgment of the Lord which his witnesses declare is objected to by the clergy and their wealthy allies. They say that Jehovah's witnesses are tearing themselves with rage in preaching that at Armageddon God will cause the earth to be forsaken of all except his men of integrity and that in removing everything against The Theocracy God will overthrow the modern Tyre, the rock-like Roman Catholic Hierarchy, which claims to be founded on the rock represented by the pope. Bildad insists that the Job class shall not occupy the earth after Armageddon. In his outbursts of what he would like to see happen to the Job class he is really bidding for the demons to take action against Jehovah's witnesses. 'Set nets, snares and traps for them by specially framed laws! Terrorize them! Let a terrible death, "the firstborn of death" and "king of terrors", devour them! Wipe their Society out! Uproot them and blot out their name! CHASE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD! Make them an example of the wicked, "that knoweth not God," so others hereafter will be astonished and aifrighted from following in the way of Jehovah's witnesses! If God doesn't do this, we will!'-18:8-21.
19.Job and the class that he represents have at all times suffered a continual reproach, "these ten times," figuratively said.(19:3)The war of the religionists against them has been like wave after wave of troops attacking them. Even if these were sinners, the religionists had no business to punish them and "persecute [them] as God" for sin that concerns only themselves.(19: 22)Suppose they were wrong doctrinally. Then religion should let God do the punishing. Who authorizes religion to persecute? Their hardships due to the demons are enough without religionists adding thereto. For maintaining integrity and keeping covenant with Jehovah God, his witnesses suffer the estrangement of all former worldly friends, even members of their families and households. Were it not that God protected his witnesses from the demons, they would be destroyed instantly, so that in truth they are escaped by a very thin margin, "the skin of my teeth."(19:20)If religion is, as claimed, a friend to servants of God, then, "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends," in my affliction suffered for faithfulness to God. Those words (Job 19: 21) the Roman Catholic Hierarchy apply to the souls of the dead in their make-believe "Purgatory" in order to get money contributions for saying masses and prayers for such "Purgatory" sufferers, yet the Hierarchy have not a milligram of pity for Jehovah's witnesses but seek their destruction by Catholic totalitarian dictators. Such double-dealing is not Godlikeness.
AVENGER.
Persecutors run ahead of God. Let time tell. Let the record be preserved, as by letters chiseled in a rock and filled with lead, to be checked at the proper time of judgment.(19: 23, 24)Such inerasable record of Job's course and of like men of integrity has been preserved in the Bible. Like records are being preserved in the books of the law courts of the land before which Jehovah's servants of integrity have been haled in late years because of their uncompromising stand for and service to The Theocracy: Such records are like the twelve stones piled on the riverbank at Gilgal after the Israelites crossed the Jordan.(Joshua 4: 1-8, 19-24)Such records stand forth to show that Jehovah can and has put men on earth who dedare his name, advocate his Theocracy, and, while suffering therefor, yet hold fast their integrity, in vindication of God's Word and name. Why can Jehovah's servants wait to let the record speak for itself in the time of final decision? The answer Job voices under inspiration: "Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth, and will hereafter stand up on the earth; and though with my skin this body be wasted away, yet without my flesh shall I see God. Yea, I shall see him my friend; my eyes shall behold him, and not another: for this, my soul panteth within me."(19: 25-27, Noyes' translation)Though Job's flesh be all consumed by his disease and he be nothing but skin and bones, yet he expected to see this!
Job did see it, in miniature fulfillment of the prophecy.(Job 42: 1-6)This is not necessarily a resurrection promise, but is a prophecy showing God's triumph on the primary issue of universal domination, and it is in proof of what the Job class on earth has been continuously preaching. Though strange "to religionists, yet their message is right because it is God's Word, and God will vindicate his Word and its proclaimers. At the showdown he will not let the remnant and their companions down. By his manifestation of his supremacy and almighty power He will measure up to all that his witnesses have proclaimed according to his prophetic Word.
Jehovah's Chief Representative, Christ Jesus, is His Vindicator of His own name and of his covenant people. This Vindicator was raised from death in Sheol to life immortal. He lives, like his Father, Jehovah, the great "I AM"! He now does "stand up on the earth", because he was enthroned in the "new heavens" in 1914 and forthwith cast Satan and his demons down to the earth and now has begun to rule in the midst of his enemies on the earth. In 1918 he came to the temple for judgment, and has unfolded the prophecies and provided the physical facts whereby the remnant and their companions, the "other sheep", now by faith see "my Vindicator", "my Redeemer," present at the temple. He appears for them, "for myself, "that is, as their Friend and Advocate, but not for "another", "a stranger"(Hebrew), that is, not for the religionists of this world who oppose Jehovah's Theocracy and his witnesses.
Since the release from their restraints during the World War Jehovah has accomplished the fulfillment of Matthew 24: 14 by his witnesses before all nations through a world-wide proclamation of God's kingdom or Theocracy. This should have served as a vindication of God's Word and of his covenant-keeping witnesses. The religious nations of "Christendom" did not accept this witness as sufficient, but turned the Kingdom testimony to be a reason for all nations to hate and persecute and suppress Jehovah 's witnesses. Under spiritual instruction and dictation of the Vatican and its Hierarchy the nations purpose to completely immobilize and suppress Jehovah's witnesses everywhere, by official action, to reduce their fat or prosperous condition in God's service. The enemy are out to reduce them as it were to skin and bones and without the fullness and fairness of flesh to make them presentable in worldly eyes, and unable to keep on giving the organized witness to Jehovah's name and Theocracy. Then the modern Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar expect to cry out, "Peace and safety!"(1 Thessalonians 5: 3)Then, suddenly, contrary to all surface appearance of world matters, Armageddon shall strike them and destroy them. There the Job class, the remnant and their companions, though "without my flesh" of beauty in the world's sight, shall see out from their human bodies the final and complete manifestation of God's Vindicator and theirs in that awe-inspiring spectacle of the "batfie of that great day of God Almighty". Before those enemies go down into annihilation they shall know that Jehovah is God who holds and retains the universal domination and that He has had a prophet among them, namely, Jehovah's witnesses, who shall be preserved through Armageddon in vindication of his name and promise.
There Christ Jesus acts as Jehovah's Sword of execution. Jehovah God and his Son being "The Higher Powers", Christ Jesus as God's Minister "beareth not the sword in vain".(Romans 13: 1-4)Therefore, now, if the modern Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar give no heed, let persons who have hitherto followed them heed the inspired warning: "Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment," or, "to the end ye may know the Almighty"(Rotherham).-Job 19: 29.
20.Feeling reproached Zophar the Naama thite now hastens to answer Job, and talks in terms of material wealth and militarism. He refuses to endure any "check", but according to his upside-down understanding tries to rebut Job.(20: 3)He contradicts Job's arguments as being contrary to the observed experience of all the wicked from Adam down till then. He attributes to God the things Job was suffering, and thereby condemns God as responsible and hides the malicious part of the real criminal, the Devil, from view. Since Job stood for Jehovah's Theocracy which shall wield the universal domination in God's name, Zophar blindly argues against Jehovah's side of the controversy over universal domination and in favor of Satan, "the god of this world." Desiring worldly popularity, Zophar publicly justifies himself and places himself out of the wicked class and puts Job in. This is his reasoning: (1)The wicked always get such punishments in this world as Zophar describes.(2)Job is getting such punishments, and it must be from God because God is against the wicked; but we three, Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz, are not suffering such things. Hence, (3) we are favored and approved of God, and Job is wicked. "This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God."-20: 29.
With like unscriptural reasoning the religionists of today justify themselves before the world. They not only condemn God's faithful servants whom they persecute, but also condemn the common people by arguing that God is punishing the people with the woes and calamities of these last days because honest people do not attend and join the religious sects and support the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and the other clergy. To the exact contrary, God's Word teaches that the Devil is responsible for such woes but is accusing God as responsible therefor in order to turn the people in bitterness away from God and into destruction at Armageddon. Take heed lest you be misled and become like Job's three false friends.
LOVE OF THEOCRACY. CHAPTER 8.[]
FOR SO long has wickedness ruled in the earth, and to such greatness of organized power and strength has it attained now, that oppressed men without true knowledge cannot see how there could be a change for righteousness. They give up in despair. Those with knowledge of God's promise and with love for his Theocracy know for a certainty that that terrifying growth of wickedness and violence in this generation is a proof that the utter end thereof is near and the change for glorious new conditions is at hand. The suddenness there of shall be "strange" and surprising to the wicked, but delightful to lovers of The Theocracy. "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: but thou, LORD, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish: all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil."(Psalm 92: 7-10)Faithful Job of old had confidence in and hope of such a change.
21.Self-righteous Zophar, conscious of his own physical and material well-being, had finished with his argument that "the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite [the godless] but for a moment" during "this present evil world".(20: 5)Job, striving hard to retain his integrity, denies this by calling the attention of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar to his own present state and then asking: "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?" They increase in riches and become choked with the cares of this life, and forget God. "Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."(21: 7-14)Hence those who have a sound mind and who want to be always mindful of and dependent upon God pray to Him: "Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. "-Proverbs 30:8,9; Exodus 20:7.
To this day the candle or lamp burns brightly in the dwellings of wickedness. Job's three persecutors argue that it is quickly snuffed out, but Job questions the truth of their argument, saying, "How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? that their calamity cometh upon them? that God distributeth sorrows in his anger?"(21: 17, Am. Rev. Ver.)During the time of uninterrupted rule of Satan the wealthy, prosperous and powerful wicked ones, surrounded by many heirs, have died much the same as those embittered by disappointment in this life. However, at the ending of Satan's uninterrupted rule and at the beginning of the "time of the end" and at the judgment of the nations with Armageddon just ahead as the climax, then first the Supreme and Almighty Power deals with ALL the wicked. Hence Job puts the question: "Do ye not know their tokens, that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."(21:29, 30)In this hope there is comfort, but in religion's answers to questions "there remaineth falsehood".-21: 34.
22.The venom, bitterness and maliciousness of Job's three fraudulent "friends" increase with the argumentation, their third set of accusations being the harshest and sharpest. This plainly bespeaks that the persecutions of Jehovah's faithful ones by the demons and their human agents shall increase in severity the nearer the world gets to the battle of Armageddon. 'What do YOU mean to God?' says Eliphaz to Job, in effect. That is to say, Is God's vindication bound up with whether you are faithful or wicked? (22:2-4)Eliphaz' evil suspicions of Job now harden into conviction and he comes to believe his own lies, as he asks: "Is not thy wickedness great?"(22:5)He becomes an outright slanderer and draws a lying picture about Job's private life in support of his charges as to the cause of Job's sufferings. According to Eliphaz, Job in his wicked practices was saying, 'Is there a God to see and know that I am wicked and to punish me for it?' (22:6-17)As Christ Jesus was hung between two thieves for public effect, so religionists classify Jehovah's witnesses with the wicked, and in their newspapers they imbed lying reports about the witnesses right in between news about actual criminals, to create a bad impression about God's faithful ones. "Holier-than-thou" Eliphaz then uses "good words and fair speeches" in a final attempt to convert Job to religion, saying: 'Get acquainted with religion and you will get along peaceably with the world and also prosper in the world, in answer to your selfish prayers and purposes.'- 22:21-30.
23.Struck with such a heavy blow of outrageous libel delivered with such bitterness by a professed "friend", Job entered protest or "complaint".(23: 2)Seeing it impossible to get justice from religionists, Job expressed longing to know where in this world he could find that which represented the Lord God or possessed the Lord's spirit that he might there plead his case with assurance of a fair, unbiased hearing. Such place is not to be found, not even in the seat of religion in "Christendom"; whether you go back and forth, look on the right hand or the left, you will not perceive it.(23: 3-9)The years of hard experience of Jehovah's witnesses show that; and it will be more so the case when the demons shall have driven all of "Christendom" into a federated and totalitarian unity against The Theocracy.
In 1918 Jehovah the Supreme Judge sent his Messenger and Deputy to the temple for judgment of the "house of God".(Malachi 3: 1)The longing which his remnant and their companions do not find fulfilled in the ecclesiastical, military and law courts of "Christendom" they find satisfied only at the temple where Jehovah's Judge Christ Jesus presides and judges righteously according to truth. "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. "(23: 10-12)They have been willing to suffer hunger in order to do the witness work the Lord commands; and to the opposing worldly officials they have said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."(Acts 5: 29; 4: 19, 20)The great Judge is present, and the Job class know the Lord minds one thing as of all importance and is using them to perform his appointed work for them.(23: 13, 14)Therefore they are anxious, fearing to displease him, knowing that the Lord did not permit them to be cut off in death just that they might serve for the vindication of his name while the powers of darkness rule.
2h4.Job 's next question raised is very pertinent in this late day when religious-totalitarian aggression increases against the law-abiding and the peaceful. The question is: Since Almighty God does not hide from himself the appointed times for action and knows the exact time for the Armageddon battle to begin, wherefore do not those like Job who know Jehovah God see before NOW the days of the execution of His vengeance upon the wicked and the stoppage of their demoniacal works? The religious-totalitarian "king of the north" crowd continue to "remove the landmarks" by invading the countries without warning and assaulting the long-established institutions of human freedoms. They drive out millions of people and make them refugees wandering unfed, ill-clothed, unhoused, and grab up all the products of their hard labor to satisfy totalitarian greed and covetousness. And the great religious head at Vatican City, who claims to stand on earth in the place of God, refuses to protest and "layeth not folly to them".(24: 1-12)Instead, the totalitarian-spirited Hierarchy act as a "fifth column". They send mobs and other dupes and allies to invade the rights, liberties and peaceful assemblies of Jehovah's witnesses who expose totalitarian rule. They try to drive them out publicly like brute beasts and to snatch away the fruits of their hard labors in spreading the light of the Kingdom gospel.
The doers of such misdeeds are "of those that rebel against the light" and refuse to know the way of truth.(24: 13)Many of Jehovah's witnesses they have killed, and against all such they show the hate which is the spirit of the murderer. Those religious committers of adultery with the world dread the light of investigation and of open discussion and disguise themselves with sanctimonious skirts, long robes and crucifixes. They mark those who seek the truth and violate their homes to break up their Bible studies and thus try to steal away their faith, love and contributions from Jehovah God and to monopolize it for themselves. Now the swift waters of truth are overflowing their hiding-place, or refuge of lies. God's message of his vengeance as proclaimed by his witnesses declares God's curse upon those willful sinners, and Sheol ("the grave") awaits them at the latest at Armageddon. The remembrance of them shall perish.(24: 14, 20)While the wicked rise up in power against the mighty democratic and other institutions, "no man is sure of [his] life."(24: 22)But only "for a little while" shall they enjoy their self-exaltation, and then they shall be cut down like the heads of wheat with the sweeping sharp sickle of destruction at Armageddon. Therefore Jehovah's witnesses ask: "And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?"(24: 24, 25)The official censoring and suppressing of the message and declaring it illegal will not prove the message of God's kingdom and of his vengeance a worthless lie.
25.With political phrase Bildad the Shuhite makes the final verbal attack on Job's integrity, being spurred on by his religious ally Eliphaz. These think they are doing God a service by persecuting Job and charging up the Devil's crimes to Jehovah God and to his dominion and armies of heaven. It is true that God knows the weaknesses and uncleanness inherited by man from forefather Adam, but that is not at issue here. Bildad denies Jesus could be born clean, miraculously, though born of an imperfect descendant of Adam. lie denies that man can be justified by faith in God's provision and by devotion to his Theocracy as Bildad's own ancestor, Abraham, was. lie denies that man can, by God's grace, keep himself clean from this world and thereby hold on to his integrity toward God.(25: 4)Bildad did not have the spirit of a vindicator of God and His cause, and Bildad and his kind never serve for the vindication of God's name. In belittling a man of integrity unto a worm having no bearing on the primary issue Bildad takes his side with the Devil.
"PUTTING ON MORE STEAM"
26.Job always came back at his opposers with a message. He refused to be silenced by fear of men or devils, and this final time he came back with a greater witness than before. Neither does the fear of religionists or of the demons silence Jehovah's witnesses in this day. They endure the persecutions and continue to bear testimony to Jehovah's name and Theocracy as commanded by him and his King, and they continue on the offensive against religion or demonism. Like the religious "goats" of "Christendom" who fail to help the remnant or "least" of Christ's brethren, Bildad had failed to give comfort and strength to a servant of Jehovah God and to stir up his spirit to keep integrity and continue serving God.- 26: 2-4.
Jehovah, however, stirs up those who are weak like dead ones unto life and activity in his service, even though overwhelmed by the waters of the "sea" of humanity alienated from God.(26: 5)Yea, those who still exist in the memory of God he resurrects from "hell"(Sheol; the death condition) unto life, and he knows too those who have gone to destruction undeserving of a resurrection.(26: 6)His power hangs our earthly globe on nothing in space and suspends clouds heavy with water above the earth. Heaven is his throne, and he covers it with clouds to cause darkness before night.(26: 9)This he will do at Armageddon and will there reveal to all creation his power to enforce his universal domination. He will reprove and shake down to destruction Satan's wicked old "heavens" and will garnish or glorify the "new heavens". He will divide and break the power of the "sea" of humanity that upholds Satan's organization and will smite through his proud ones, and will pierce and shatter the "crooked serpent" of Satan's dragon organization, which shall then be in flight.(26: 11-13)The thunder of his mighty deeds shall pound into all ears Jehovah's own final testimony that He is God. They SHALL hear!
27.above parable describing God's "strange act" at the FINAL END Job continued as a final warning to Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar before Job 's Vindicator stood up in the oncoming storm. Although Jehovah had permitted Job's judgment to be taken away by the religionists and his life to be vexed by the demons, yet as long as God permitted him to breathe on earth Job was determined not to justify religion or demonism, nor its practicers. He would not utter its wicked reproaches of God or its deceitful doctrines and traditions. The righteous course he would stick to as marked out by Jehovah God, by witnessing to God's name and promised Government, thereby maintaining his integrity.(27: 2-6)This is the unchangeable mind of Jehovah's witnesses today. The enemies of The Theocracy are their enemies, and with these they will make no compromise.-27: 7.
Let the great religious harlot gain the hoped-for seat atop the "beast" of the coming federation of this world; suddenly and shortly thereafter God's Armageddon "act" will unseat the Hierarchy and take away their life though they cry and call upon God.(27: 8-10)Next thereafter the political and commercial allies and all supporters of the religious organization shall also be destroyed in the world's last and greatest tribulation. World domination by the wicked shall pass violently away, and what they prepared for their own future selfish enjoyment shall become spoil and booty for the just and innocent before God. Armageddon's storm shall hurl the wicked out of their place of power, and though they fain would flee they shall not escape God's unsparing hand. God's servants shall clap their hands in triumphant joy and shall hiss at the wicked in their overthrow.(27: 13-23)Till then they keep on walking in their integrity.
28.Wisdom from above is worth more than all the gold, silver, oil, and other minerals that the nations are fighting for. Man, with his technical skill and machinery, digs mines and puts an end to the darkness in the bowels of the earth in search of precious jewels, coal, and valuable metals. He digs therefor to the roots of the mountains, whither the fowls and beasts have not penetrated. Yet such treasure-hunters never uncover the hid treasures of God's Word, because they do not worship or have the fear of Jehovah God.(28: 1-13)All material things of preciousness are not to be compared with true wisdom and understanding. The source thereof is not beneath, but above, with Jehovah God, the Creator of the winds, the rain, the lightning and the thunder. "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil is understanding."(28: 28)Nations of "Christendom" are not wise and understanding. They fear the "beast" and evilly oppose Jehovah's Theocracy.
PRAYER FOR THEOCRACY.
29.Continuing his parable, Job gives vent to his yearning for his "change" that the reproach upon Jehovah's name might be lifted. The "secret of God"(29: 4) with which Job was acquainted was the knowledge of Jehovah's "holy covenant" concerning His Theocracy. "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant."(Psalm 25: 14)In ref erring back to the days of his prosperity (Job, chapter one)Job is not bragging on his past conduct, but is exposing the false charges (Job 22: 5-14). He is offering for the record, for the consideration of the great Judge of Appeal, the true, attested facts of his life as a faithful servant of God. He thus describes the blessings and joys of Theocratic rule.
Job here praying for Theocracy pictures the faithful followers of the Greater Job, Christ Jesus, praying for the restoration of the condition that existed when it was announced on earth, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand," and, "The kingdom of God is in the midst of you."(Matthew 4:17; 10:7; Luke 17:21, A.R.V., margin)That was when Christ Jesus was on earth as the anointed Ruler of the Theocratic Kingdom. Then he delivered the poor from the oppressions of the religious clergy. The apostles like princes in line for the kingdom sat at his feet, and quietly listened to him. The multitudes waited for him and followed him, and "the common people heard him gladly" and the great multitude thereof waved palm branches and hailed him as King as he rode into Jerusalem and proceeded to the temple, the place of anointing kings.(Mark 12: 37; 11: 7-11)Now the prayer of the Job class has been answered; The Theocracy was born in 1914; the enthroned King has come to the temple as rightful Ruler of the new world; through the revealed Bible he teaches the faithful remnant in line for the Kingdom; and the multitude of his "other sheep "from among the common people are with swelling voice hailing him as Jehovah's King! He sits Chief, as King of the armies of heaven equipped and ready for the Armageddon fight; and by his faithful remnant and their companions on earth He is the One "that comforteth the mourners".- Job 29:25; Isaiah 61: 2, 3.
30.The Job class, Jehovah's witnesses, are as old as time from Abel onward. The religious sects of "Christendom" are much younger than that, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy thereof being only about 1500 years old. These religionists hold Jehovah's witnesses in derision, but the traditional fathers of their own religious sects are in the Bible spoken of as "dumb dogs" unable to bark out God's straight warning to the wicked, hence not fit to be shepherd dogs of God's flock.(30: 1)These religionists and their so-called "fathers" suffered and do still suffer from spiritual "want and famine" because rejecting God's Word as proclaimed by his witnesses, and continue hunting around in the worldly wilderness and dwelling in the earthly organizations.(30: 2-8)They treat Jehovah's witnesses like Job, who testifies that he was mobbed, spit upon, tripped in walking, the religionists then stirring up the youth element to do the dirty work and treating Job like mire, dust and ashes.(30: 9-19)They presume upon God's permission of them to do this and show themselves up as "goats", servants of Satan, but it is a test of the integrity of God's servants. Jehovah's witnesses. know he will try them even to the point of being "faithful unto death": "For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living."(30: 23)They themselves comfort all that mourn, yet are given no help and comfort by the religionists, and are left to cry in protest like mournful dragons (jackals) and owls, blackened by persecution.-30: 25-31.
31.Job was not a natural Israelite, but he had consecrated himself to Jehovah God, to look steadfastly forward to the coming Theocracy and to be blind to all else. "A covenant I solemnised for mine eyes; how then could I gaze upon a virgin?"(31:1, Rotherham)As foretold at Isaiah 42: 19:" Who is blind, but my servant?" Jehovah's servant has no desire to commit spiritual adultery or uncleanness with this world and its religion, politics and commerce, no matter how pure such may be whitewashed to appear: "If mine heart have been deceived by a woman; or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door."(31: 9)God's servant class know of his judgment directed to those who touch the unclean organization: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."(James 4:4)The servant class know that God sees their ways and counts all their steps, and therefore they walk circumspectly before him and humbly with him and anxiously strive to keep in the way of integrity so as to be "blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ".(1 Corinthians 1:8)They know that they too are in a covenant with the Lord God, and that if they break covenant with him by taking their eyes off his Theocracy and committing wickedness and lawlessness with the workers of iniquity it shall mean their destruction, together with Satan's organization, his "woman".
Jehovah's witnesses, the Job class, are ever mindful that they must meet his divine requirements if they would gain everlasting life: "For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure [if refusing or failing to meet his requirement]. "(Job 31: 23)Job was not unaware that if he broke his covenant and spoiled his integrity it would bring upon him due punishment and retribution from God; but if he were such a wicked sinner, then he would be willing to undergo the suffering therefor without objection, realizing he deserved it.
Out of a clean conscience Job did meet the divine requirements and keep covenant in all integrity. He did not commit adultery with the world.(31: 9, 10)He was humble and merciful, even to "strangers", and was no dictatorial boss.(31:13-15)He was generous and helpful in use of the provisions God gave him, including the testimony concerning the coming Theocracy.(31:16-22)He was not covetous nor a lover of money, selfish gain, nor priding himself therein.(31:24,25)He did not worship animate or inanimate creatures instead of the Creator, and did not move his arm and hand in salute to any creation: "If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above."(31:26-28)Job was not malicious nor sadistic.(31: 29,30)He was hospitable, also to strangers calling in the neighborhood.(31:31, 32)He was not a hypocrite sinner Like Adam.(31:33)He did not fear creatures and become frightened off from going forth with God's message in his service.(31:34)He did not grab the lands of others or exploit the workers and keep them back from their due.(31: 38, 39)The Job class today meet Jehovah's like requirements.
Let now the adversary write a book, or "indictment". The Job class would consider it an honor to bear its reproaches for Jehovah's sake.(Job 31: 35-37; 1 Peter 4: 14-16)Trusting Him for vindication, Job concludes: "The words of Job are ended."(31: 40)Thereafter he speaks with and to God, and refrains from arguments with religious "friends".
ELIHU. CHAPTER 9.[]
FROM and after A.D. 1918 a voice hitherto unheard speaks up in further fulfillment of the great prophetic drama. It is the voice of the modern-day Elihu. His name means "God of him", or, "whose God is he," that is, Jehovah. Elihu, though young, was a witness for his God, Jehovah. In this Elihu correctly pictures Jehovah's "faithful and wise servant" today, particularly the Head thereof, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the earthly instrument he has used to do on earth the work like Elihu's, namely, the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY. This Society is wholly devoted to Jehovah and his Theocracy. Further, in a legal capacity, it acts as the servant and publisher and counselor for the faithful remnant on earth of the members of the "body of Christ", who have been taken out by Jehovah as a "people for his name".-Acts 15: 14.
Since the coming of the Lord to the temple in 1918 to begin the judgment of the "house of God" this little company, the remnant, has been born or brought forth as his approved children, begotten of his spirit and anointed with his spirit as the last members, or "the feet", of the body of Christ. During this period, the day which is accursed for "Christendom", this remnant have been born as children of God's universal organization, Zion. Hence they are "the remnant of her seed" and are a young company as compared with the Catholic and "Protestant"organizations of "Christendom".(Isaiah 66: 8; Revelation 12: 17). Christ Jesus, on conducting the judgment at the temple and finding the remnant responsive to the call to God 's service, constitutes them the "faithful and wise servant" class under himself. To them he entrusts the Kingdom interests, which interests they must increase on earth.(Matthew 24:45-47)An honest consultation of the records available will disclose to the reader that the remnant have used and are using the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY as their legal, publishing and administrative servant in their work as Jehovah's witnesses.
32.Elihu was the son of Barachel the Buzite, and hence was a descendant of Buz, a nephew of Abraham, "the friend of God." Elihu had learned of Jehovah's promise to Abraham, that is, God's covenant to establish the great Theocracy with the Seed of the Great Father Jehovah as his King thereof. Like Job his distant cousin, Elihu took his stand for that Government of the new world. He was not out to justify men, but out to contribute his part toward vindicating Jehovah 's name and word of promise. Therefore he sat in on the public argumentation between Job and the three so-called "friends". Elihu believed in the free and open discussion of questions of vital importance to all of us people. He favored letting both sides have their say without censorship, thus permitting the opponents to have their say and all first hear and then judge as to the truth and correctness of what they said. Elihu was not awed or abashed at the lofty, dignified appearance of the religious and official trio, neither was he impudent, lacking in proper decorum. He was bold, fearless and impartial in witnessing for Jehovah. In all this Elihu faithfully foreshadowed the Society representing the remnant at this time.
"So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes."(32: 1)The three tools of the "prince of the demons" had failed to accomplish Satan's design to torture Job into cursing Jehovah God and renouncing him to his face. Job's integrity stood the test, by God's grace and strength and to His vindication. That gave the lie to Satan. Job was not self-righteous, but was "righteous in his own eyes "in the sense that he was not guilty of the things whereof the three religionists accused him to the reproach of Jehovah God. Then Elihu 's wrath was kindled. "Against Job was his wrath kindled, because lie justified himself, rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. "-32: 2, 3.
Elihu's wrath here befits the time when the remnant came to see that the justification or vindication of Jehovah's name by his Theocracy was and is the chief thing, and that the sufferings which Jehovah's witnesses faithfully endure are that they may be privileged to have a part in vindicating His name. Job had not condemned Jehovah God once, but he had at times been too much concerned with the creature (Job) than with the Creator, whereas the Creator is chiefly the One to be vindicated. Likewise, for a while just before the appearance of the remnant, Jehovah's consecrated people had been concerned more with maintaining a good standing with God, as by self-development to prepare themselves to go to heaven, rather than with the zealous, fearless showing forth of God's praise and the vindication of His name and Word. Such activity in publishing God's kingdom and clearing his name of the Devil's reproaches by religion was mistakenly given a place secondary to the making of the bride of Christ class ready for the marriage with him in heaven, in 1914 as some thought. The remnant, being now enlightened by the Lord at the temple, get the understanding of the proper relationship they bear to Jehovah and his Kingdom and, with righteous indignation, they promptly correct the improper views. The Society representing the remnant is pictured in the drama as a separate character, Elihu, because the remnant are a distinct part of the entire Job class from Abel onward and the Society performs a special part in connection therewith.
Elihu had particular wrath against those three religionists who had tried to break Job's integrity and had not answered him with truth so as to vindicate Jehovah God on the issue; "because that they found not a response, and condemned God."(32:3)So reads the Rotherham version, and with this the comment of the Catholic Bible also agrees, saying: "Almost all the Rabbins assert that the original copies read Jehova, 'the Lord;' (H.) and that the Masorets changed it, to avoid the apparent blasphemy; as if the three friends had rendered themselves guilty by not answering Job." The marginal comment of Rotherhams version agrees with the Catholic and says: "The context shows that the original reading is preferable." What devilish deceptiveness! Those three religionists piously gave outward expressions seeming to exalt God but in reality took the Devil's side of the controversy against God's witness, Job, and thereby condemned Jehovah and reproached Him. This foreshadows the very same conduct of the religionists and their allies today.
"But Elihu had waited for Job with words, because the others were older than he. "(Job 32: 4, Rotherham)Elihu waited and let those three religionists put on their garments identifying them as servants of Satan; also, he did not run ahead of God in an effort to shorten up the extent of testing that Jehovah purposed his faithful servant charge. As for the remnant on the stage of to have to fully disprove the Devil's false action in the final scenes of this world, the Roman Catholic and "Protestant" sects have existed and operated "days" and "multitude of years" before the remnant, and this should have allowed those religious sects to accumulate and to teach much wisdom. The well-known facts since 1918 show that they have accumulated only the traditions of men and the wisdom of this world and continue to teach religion, which is devilish wisdom, and to unwisely and devilishly persecute the Job class, Jehovah's witnesses, and are doing so in the name of God and religion.- 32: 6, 7.
Religious sects claim the great men of the world and great age or antiquity for their systems, but their unscriptural teachings and opposition to The Theocracy show they do not understand the Lord's judgment; which contrasts with the remnant who have the spirit and inspiration of Almighty God.(32: 8)Not greatness in this world nor getting aged and hoary in religion, but the Lord's spirit and the study of his inspired Word are what gives understanding of the great issue and the course of wisdom. Elihu called attention to this, and it is only what might be expected that the Catholic commentators speak in condemnation of Elihu, saying: "With his private spirit he comes forth, not much unlike Protestants and Puritans, who pretend that they will overturn the Catholic faith by arguments which have escaped the sagacity of all preceding ages!"(Haydock)In the same way those religionists view and bitterly condemn Elihu's counterpart now, the Society-remnant having God's spirit.
The religionists have failed to convince or convert the Job class, down to these very days of the remnant; they have failed to answer his words and to prove that "God thrusteth him down, not man".(32: 13)Particularly since the introduction of radio they have refused repeated challenges from the remnant to select and put up their best official representative and to debate over a nation-wide radio hookup of stations on religion 's teaching as against that which the Bible teaches, to let all the people hear and then decide for themselves which is true. But to this date the pope and the American members of the Hierarchy, and other religious federations, have refused such petitions and challenges, which petitions were signed by millions of truth-seekers of all denominations and beliefs.
Job had no controversy with Elihu: "Now he hath not directed his words against me; neither will I answer him with your [religious] speeches. "(32: 14)Today the ElihuSociety gives comfort to all the Job class, including the Lord's "other sheep", with Bible truths and not with religious speeches. The religionists stubbornly persist in charging that the remnant or Jehovah's witnesses are following a man and that such man is their "leader". Untrue; for the Elihu remnant give such title or like titles to no man, but declare that their only leaders are heavenly, namely, Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, and the infallible word and command of these they will follow at all costs. In Elihu 's words they answer the religionists who give and accept awe-inspiring titles to themselves: "Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person; neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my Maker would soon take me away."(32: 21, 22)For this reason the Elihu remnant refuse to "heil" or salute dictators who assume the title of "leader; fuehrer; duce", though it means concentration camp, dungeon, or death for them. Titles take away from fear of Jehovah God and arouse fear and reverence of men. Hence titles are abominable to God.(Luke 16: 15)Religion shall die therefor.
33.Jehovah's witnesses, of whom Elihu was one, were never created or organized by a man or men, and no man is their founder. Said Elihu: "The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."(33: 4)God is the Founder of his witnesses; He is the source of the commission to them to serve as his ordained ministers. This fact holds true also concerning the Elihu remnant today, and concerning the Society which they make up, which "Society" means the company of those anointed, commissioned ones who as children of Jehovah God are united as one in Christ Jesus. They act in a common purpose of carrying out the terms of their commission as Jehovah's witnesses and according to the instructions of His Theocratic organization. Jehovah has formed this "Society", and by His spirit or power and truth He has given it life, power, wisdom and understanding to act, and He uses it as His "faithful and wise servant". Originally those of the Society or Elihu remnant were in 1918 made up of those who prior to the temple judgment were members of the Job class and who passed the temple judgment and continued as such. This is the meaning of Elihu 's words to Job: "Behold, I am toward God even as thou art: I also am formed out of the clay."(Job 33:6, Am. Rev. Ver.) "Behold, I am in the same relation as thyself toward God."-Leeser 's translation.
Jehovah has used the Society as his servant under Christ to call vital things to the attention of the Job class. Elihu had heard Job's words, and now says: "Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man."(33: 12)He did not mean that Job was wicked or accusing God of injustice; for not once did Job curse God to His face under the demons' assaults. Elihu meant that Job was not rightly or equally balancing all the things involved and was making too much over the sufferings undergone and his own justification and salvation. "God is greater," and his vindication by his King of The Theocracy is the main concern. The salvation of creatures from sin and death is only minor, secondary; and for the creature to lay the chief stress on that is selfish. Whatever the failure theretofore to see things rightly and in proper proportion, now, since the enthronement of Jehovah's King in Zion in 1914, it is the "day of Jehovah" and the chief purpose of his Theocratic Government then begun is the vindication of Jehovah's name by destroying all opposers of his universal domination. All self-centered creature considerations must give way completely to that all-important divine purpose. All other things that may not yet be understood are not of chief consequence nor to be disputed over; "for he giveth not account of any of his matters."(33: 13)Yet he can and must be fully trusted, till his due time, in his own chosen way, to give understanding.
Since the death of Christ's apostles God speaks to his covenant people through his written Word and by the physical facts which God causes to come to pass in fulfillment of the prophecies of his Word. Thereby he gives them vision of and concerning the primary issue and his glorious purpose. Not once, but repeatedly, Jehovah thus speaks to his people because slow to perceive spiritual things. His Word has been sealed to the proper understanding until the "time of the end".(Daniel 12:4; 1 Corinthians 10: 11)That is the time of the end of Satan's world and is humankind's darkest period, "the night," and since 1914 its darkness has thickened. Now is Jehovah's due time to unseal the understanding of his Word. In 1914-1918 Jehovah's consecrated ones were likened unto the ten virgins that slumbered and slept.(Matthew 25: 1-13)Then he aroused them by sending his Messenger, the Bridegroom, to the temple and revealing and announcing his presence there. As respects the "wise" virgin class, "then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction."(33: 14-16)Worldly religionists sleep on, but to the servants of Jehovah the apostle writes: "Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. "(1 Thessalonians 5: 4-6)Jehovah God speaks to the watchful by unfolding the vision of his Word: "that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword." It is God's sword executing his judgment.- 33: 17, 18.
For centuries the Job class were surrounded by such as Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar under the influence of the demons. Particularly from about forty years before 1918 the Job class began to break away completely from that religious, political, commercial crowd. When the World War came as the demons' protest to the enthronement of Jehovah 's King of The Theocracy, the Job class had not completely ridded themselves of all things religious, nor did they see or appreciate the Theocratic rule and the vin dication of Jehovah's name as of chief importance. Hence under the stress of war and the persecution by the religionists and their political and judicial allies the Job class displayed fear of men and they relaxed from' the bold and open proclamation of Jehovah 's kingdom now established. They divided their attention with other things. There was considerable pride in so-called "character development", and much self-concern about getting ready to go to heaven, rather than to fearlessly do God's work on earth and get it finished. This was leading (and it did lead some individuals) into a failure or refusal to keep the covenant to do specifically God's will. Hence it was leading to the "pit", or trap, which meant perishing by the sword of Jehovah's great Minister of execution, who executes all covenant-breakers with death, annihilation.(Romans 13: 1-5; 1: 31, 32)Jehovah was testing out the integrity of his covenant-people, not in order to destroy them, but for their salvation, that they might have a part in vindicating his name on the right side of the primary issue. How, then, did he withdraw them from a mistaken purpose and keep them from perishing by execution? Jehovah by his servant "Elihu" gives answer.
RETURN TO YOUTH.
Only the power of Jehovah can heal spiritual sickness and deliver the sick from death at the hand of his Executioner, Christ Jesus. Relaxation from God's active service by not fulfilling the vow of obedience to him provides no bed of ease. During the period of violent opposition and persecution from the enemy, just prior to and for a time after the Lord's coming to the temple, neglect of covenant-keeping for fear of men and by submitting to world powers of "Christendom" brought to the Job class no ease of mind, heart and conscience. There was not full appreciation of the "meat in due season" provided by the Lord, and there was much contention thereat within the Job company. Spir itual leanness and corresponding weakness for serving the Lord resulted. "Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers."(33: 19-22)These destroyers were Jehovah's hosts of angels under Christ Jesus, who is officially called "Michael". At that time there was war in heaven over the birth of The Theocracy, and Satan and his wicked angels were thrown out and down to the earth! (Revelation 12:1-12)Would Jehovah's destroyers under Michael then press the war to its final conclusion and destroy Satan's organization visible and invisible ? God's Word reveals that he was angry also with his covenant-people, the Job class, for their failure respecting their covenant with him; and now would he express his wrath against them and destroy them as covenant-breakers ? How would he restore them from spiritual ill-health and deliver them from execution by his commissioned destroyers ?
The faithful remnant now know, and, taking up Elihu 's inspired words, they answer: "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness; then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom."(33: 23, 24)Religion and teachings of men who attempt to interpret the Bible would not suffice. What the Lord's consecrated ones needed was instruction from Him and his interpretation of His will to show them the remedy for their release from wrath and destruction. Therefore Jehovah did not bring upon the world the climax of the tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, immediately with the casting of Satan out of heaven. In fulfillment of Jesus' words concerning the order of events at the end of the world Jehovah shortened those days of tribulation. He brought in a cessation of hostilities before resuming the great fight over universal domination between His organization and Satan's.(Matthew 24: 21, 22)Therefore he sent his Messenger to the temple for judgment of the "house of God" and of the nations, and in harmony with this He stopped the World War. For whose sake ? For his own name's sake, and "for the elect's sake", meaning those who were in line to be the elect with Christ Jesus in The Theocracy and upon whom also God's name was called.- Ezekiel 36: 21-23; Mark 13: 20.
The "messenger", or, (Am. Rev. Ver.) "angel", whom Jehovah sent to the temple, is He who promised his followers to come again and receive them unto himself, namely, Christ Jesus, who is officially "Michael the archangel", and who descends with "the voice of the archangel".(Jude 9; 1 Thessalonians 4: 16)Hence he is "one among a thousand", he being accompanied by "all his holy angels". He is the interpreter of God's will and purpose, and the mediator between Jehovah God and those taken into God's new covenant to be a "people for his name". He and Jehovah are The Teachers of all the covenant people.(1 Timothy 2: 5, 6; John 6: 45)At the temple judgment he proceeds to "shew unto man [the consecrated ones yet in the flesh] his uprightness", or, "to declare to the son of earth what is right for him."(Rotherham, margin)Jehovah's "messenger" revealed God's requirements, that the vindication of His name is eminently the right thing, and that the work of all who would be spared by the Lord's Executioner and approved is to boldly and continuously proclaim the Kingdom, The Theocracy, by which Jehovah's name shall be completely vindicated. This tested all those gathered to the temple, and the Lord's angels gathered out all the "workers of iniquity" and brought into the temple a tried and purified and faithful remnant, into unity with God's Messenger.- Matthew 13: 41-43.
Thus Jehovah God was gracious unto this obedient remnant, who turned from all religion and all reverence of human teachers and who diligently applied themselves to keeping their covenant obligations to the Lord by showing forth his praises. Concerning such the Supreme Judge, Jehovah, said to his Executioner, Christ Jesus: "Deliver him," or, "Release him," "set him (Leeser; Rotherham)But why spare them from the pit of destruction? Why command this deliverance of the remnant? Jehovah answers: "I have found a ransom." Seeing the repentance of the remnant and their prompt response to active service as his witnesses, Jehovah found them not willful sinners or rebellious covenant-breakers, but still subject to the covering merits of the great Mediator and Advocate, Christ Jesus, and in Him Jehovah found a ransom to provide for the reinstatement of the remnant in his service and organization. The remnant too, and their companions thereafter, likewise take up and joyfully echo the words: "I have found a ransom."
The body when consumed away to a skeleton, as Job's was, is unsightly; but flesh gives fullness and beauty to the human frame. Concerning the change of state of the remnant yet in the flesh Elihu foretells: "His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth."(33: 25)The condition of those of the remnant during their time of inactivity while scattered, oppressed and persecuted by the religionists during the World War, is likened to a valley of dry bones, without covering of flesh and skin and scattered.(Ezekiel 37: 5-8)But by sending his Messenger to the temple and reviving the repentant remnant to activity in his service, Jehovah fills them with his spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. He makes them 'full-fleshed', or beautiful, as his witnesses, vigorous, active, energetic as a tumbling, romping boy, and fresher in strength and appearance because of the moisture of refreshing truth of the Kingdom and because of the strong spiritual food which builds healthy "flesh".
"Return to the days of his youth" means for the remnant the power of vision to see the primary issue, namely, God's universal domination and the vindication of his name.(Joel 2: 28; Acts 2: 17)It means also a restoration of the Theocratic rule of organization among the remnant in serving God. Job describes how the Theocratic rule obtained in the days of his youth (chapter twenty-nine); and the coming of the Theocratic King to the temple in 1918 makes possible the restoration of this rule which obtained in the youth of His church, both when He was with his disciples and thereafter while his apostles were with the church. This youthful condition of the remnant and their companions was fully attained particularly from and after October 1, 1938.The Theocratic organization of Jehovah's witnesses for his service was then actually put into effect, and it still continues and shall.- See The Watchtower, June, 1938.
Elihu's prophecy continues: "He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him; and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness."(33:26)In answer to the remnant's prayer for forgiveness and restoration to his service, Jehovah by his Messenger prevented the religionists and demons from killing them off. He released them from their condition of restraint imposed by the enemy, freed them from fear of men, poured out his spirit of anointing upon them, and sent them forth as his commissioned witnesses. Then Jehovah gives them a vision of his Representative and Messenger at the temple, with favor showing to them in his face, and they rejoice and are satisfied.(Psalm 17: 15, Am.Rev.Ver.) "And he restoreth unto man his righteousness."(A.R.V.)He does this by forgiving the remnant their sin through the precious blood of Christ, and then cleansing them from their iniquity of lip through fear of men, and thereafter covering them over with the "robe of righteousness" as his approved official witnesses, and organizing and instructing them for his righteous service as Jehovah's witnesses. Fully comforted thereby, they sing forth his praises, as foretold: "And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me."-Isaiah 12:1; 61: 1,2, 10.
Elihu's further words, according to the Hebrew, are: "He singeth before men, and saith, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it was not requited unto me. He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall behold the light."(33: 27, 28, Am. Rev. Ver., margin)Before all men, whether enemies or persons of good-will, the remnant began singing in 1919 and continue to sing. They sing boldly of Jehovah's graciousness toward them through his Theocracy by not requiting them for their sin with destruction but delivering them from the Executioner and now permitting them to see the light of his Theocracy and to shed it forth to others to enlighten their darkness. The religionists and their organizations hate the song and try to silence it, but in vain. They cannot sing of any such spiritual revival which they hoped for their organizations after the World War, neither will their hopes of a religious revival after this war between "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" be realized. Instead, after the "harlot" of religion gets exalted on the back of the "beast" of world federation, both religion and her allies after her will be delivered into the hands of the Destroyers, God's Executioner and his an gelic host, and will go down into the pit of destruction at Armageddon. Only the people of good?will who become the Lord's "other sheep catch up and carry on the song of the remnant, and they joyfully look forward with the Scriptural hope of being hid from the Destroyers and of being delivered from going down into the pit of destruction during the final battle over universal domination. They rejoice in and reflect to others the light now shining from The Theocracy and look ahead to endless life in eternal youth on earth in the new world.
Thus are fulfilled the further words of the prophecy: "Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes [or, (Am. Rev. Ver.) twice, yea, thrice] with man, to bring back his soul from [going down into] the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living."(33: 29, 30)Almighty God worked this first in the prophetic drama with Job; and then with the remnant in the prophetic fulifilment; and finally with the remnant's companions, the Lord's "other sheep". Such fulifilments of Elihu's words prove that his words were inspired by the Lord's spirit and that he was an approved prophet and witness of Jehovah, regardless of his being condemned by religionists of "Christendom".
To the exact contrary of his modern religious critics who condemn Jehovah's witnesses, Elihu said to Job: "If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee." "Speak! for I desire to pronounce thee innocent."(No yes) (33: 32)This was not a desire to justify a man rather than God, but it expressed the wish to help Job to hold fast his integrity toward the Lord God. Elihu had just uttered tlie prophecy foretelling how at the end of the world the Job class who halted and slacked the hand for a time in Jehovah's service would repent and return to the Lord's works of righteousness and have his favor and approval. The remnant, in line for membership in the bride of Christ the King, would be arrayed, figuratively, "in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." The "other sheep", who shall form the "great multitude" surviving Armageddon, identify themselves also as for - the Kingdom, and before Armageddon they 'wash their robes, and make them white in the blood of the Lamb'.(Revelation 19:7, 8; 7:9, 14)Elihu spoke the prophecy with heavenly wisdom, and merely repeated the wisdom that God by his spirit had taught Elihu. He was not setting himself up as the teacher; neither is the "Society" today the teachers, but it repeats God's teaching.
34."Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar viewed the young witness for Jehovah, Elihu, precisely as do the Roman Catholic Bible commentators who vent themselves concerning him. Therefore let the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and their allies attend to what Elihu next says; for he addresses those three men: "Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge."(34: 2)When the Hierarchy refused to debate publicly by radio with the representative spokesman of the Elihu "Society" they weakly argued that it is beneath the dignity of their high and holy office to debate with such a man, who counted for nothing in religious circles. They have tried to ignore what the Society is saying, but have been unable to escape the penetrating and reaching power of the Kingdom message.- 34: 3, 4.
Was Job obliged to lie against his right judgment of himself? The disease wounding him was incurable, but not for transgression that he had committed against God. The record shows it was demon work.(34: 5, 6)Drinking up scorn and scoffing from the cup continually handed him by the religionists, Job correctly stated it that a devoted man who serves God in this world does not find any profitin it from the religionists who claim to serve God. Religionists hate and persecute the Job class, their hatred reaching its climax against the Perfect One, Christ Jesus.(34:7-9)The Devil had argued with God, 'Does Job serve God except for profit?' and Job's three religious visitors joined the Devil in making Job poor by letting Job have no profit, not even a good name, from them for delighting himself in God. Job, however, was faithful amid poverty and incurable disease. Thereby he proved that a man of true integrity and devotion to God delights himself in serving God, not for what selfish profit he can get out of it, but because it is right and God is worthy thereof and is glorified thereby and His name is honored. Still, is there no blessing to such man therefor?
Elihu replies that though the man loves God and serves him with delight without desire for selfish profit, yet God is not unjust so as to ignore such unselfish service and devotion to him and fail to render unto the man according to his work and way.(34: 10-12)He will not pervert judgment: "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."(Hebrews 6: 10; also Matthew 10: 40-42)God is Most High and Universal Governor: "Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?" He gave Lucifer the charge of invisible overlord of the earth and created that world righteous. But no one assigns Jehovah his supreme position; He holds the universal domination and will retain it by his own sovereign right and power.
He could rightly withdraw the breath of life instantly from all mankind, because their heart is set against him.- 34: 13-15.
God, who exercises the Supreme Government and the universal domination, could not be a hater of right, but only most just. He is higher than all earthly kings and princes and mighty ones, and such ones are not the "higher powers" "ordained of God" as the religious clergy claim. At Armageddon they shall be made to die in a moment and be taken away, and all their subject peoples with them, in the depth of earth's darkness. He sees through all the religious words and pious expressions with which the mighty rulers try to cover over their dark conspiracies and opposition to him and his Theocracy. "He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead." Instead of those political rulers Jehovah will resurrect the faithful men of old and make them "princes in all the earth".(34: 17-28)When He gives the quietness of the new world of righteousness, "who then can make trouble?" and when He hides his face in condemnation of this present wicked world, who of the clergy or worldly potentates can behold his face of favor, let them offer all the prayers for peace and for blessing on their schemes that they may? This is true, "whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only." "So is it with nations and individuals alike!"(No yes)Why? "That the [religious] hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared," in the new world.(34: 29, 30)The world rulers should not be offended at such divine dealing, nor at God's message warning of Armageddon. It would benefit them to acknowledge their offenses and iniquity and turn therefrom, and then ask the great All-wise God to teach them right and truth. But if they selfishly want God to do "according to [their] mind", then let them know that God will recompense them, whether they refuse it or choose it. He does the choosing of what He shall do.-34:31-33.
What do those of religious understanding and of worldly wisdom pray should be done with Jehovah's witnesses who hold out in integrity against their attacks ? Elihu tells what is their answer: "Men of understanding will say unto me, yea, every wise man that heareth me: Job speaketh without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom. Would that Job were tried unto the end, because of his answering like wicked men. For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God."(34: 34-37, Am. Rev. Ver.)Hence they keep up and increase their persecution of Jehovah's witnesses as if authorized by their own prayers.
VINDICATION BEFORE SALVATION.
85.The desire for salvation to everlasting life is a proper thing, but it is not to be put before the vindication of God's name. It is not to be given such prominence and size that it hides and eclipses the all-important and foremost issue, namely, God's vindication by the enforcement of his universal domination against the opposers of his Theocracy and the defamers of his name.
To increase the power of religious clergymen and to make them appear all-necessary to sinful man, the religionists have magnified the matter of human salvation out of its secondary place that the Scriptures give it. Hence the religionists have gone to all unreasonable and unscriptural lengths in their salvation campaign, such as inventing a place called "Purgatory" and foisting this make-believe place upon the clergy-trusting people and then collecting billions of dollars from the people to pray and offer masses to get the dead out of that imaginary place of purification by torment and into heaven. Almighty God is "all in all" and is self -contained. The salvation of sinful creatures is not essential to His happiness, but is only by his mercy or loving-kindness. He could easily blot out the present sinful race, and create new, perfect human creatures and start off in righteousness a new human race. But the vindication of God's name is of highest importance, and except for that vindication not even human creatures that are finally saved could be saved. Surrounded by demons and religionists, there was an inclination or tendency of the Job class before the Lord's coming to the temple to put more emphasis on self-centered efforts to get into heaven and into the Kingdom than on God's praises.
Elihu, in his further words to Job, showed that the remnant, when taught and enlightened by the Lord at his temple, would see, take and advocate the right view and stand on this subject. Elihu did not accuse Job of being self-righteous and more righteous than God. He said Job was laying more stress on the personal side, the matter of his own justification to which Job was entitled, than on the chief and all-overshadowing issue of righteousness, namely, justification or vindication of Almighty God, whom religion has grossly misrepresented to humankind.(35: 2)As to serving Jehovah God, "what advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have by it more than by my sin [more than if I had sinned] ?"(35:3, margin)No advantage or profit whatever from this world of demons and religionists, as Job's own case proved. Religion favors wicked sinners, as shown by concordats between Vatican City and religious-totalitarian dictators of Germany, Italy, Portugal, and, in prospect, Spain and others. The lover of righteousness serves God for no selfish profit from any source, nor because he can bring any profit to God, but because it glorifies God and to keep one's integrity or blamelessness toward God plays a part in vindicating God's name.
What, then, if a servant of God does suffer due to the test of the integrity of his unselfish devotion to God ? In permitting such test to come and to be attended by sufferings at the hand of Satan and his crowd Jehovah God is not unrighteous nor has he thereby injured his righteous servants. The Devil's challenge makes the permitting of the painful test proper. Furthermore, God has a grand reward for those who triumph in it, particularly the "joy of Jehovah" by having a share in upholding and vindicating his worthy name. It is not unjust on God's part, but is becoming: "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation [Christ Jesus] perfect through sufferings."-Hebrews 2:10.
Whether one sins and commits transgression or holds to the right course does not affect God personally.(35:5-8)The prime consideration in the heart of one who is in a covenant with God to do His will is as to how it bears on God's name. Would it support the Devil's side or Jehovah's side of the great controversy Satan and the demons drive the wicked ones in power to heap oppression upon the people to make them turn to religion and against Jehovah God. "But none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night; who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?"(35:9-11)The oppressed people cry, but the religious clergy in their pride do not relieve the people, but continue to work with the oppressive rulers. Jehovah God will not attend to their religious vanities; and that is why the pope's "Holy Year" of 1933 did not flood the world with peace and prosperity as he prayed. Religionists fear, revere and trust in men, but the Job class must trust in Jehovah God, although they cannot at once see him or his hand in what takes place; "yet judgment is before him," or, "the cause is before him."(35: 12-14; Am. Rev. Ver.)Before the Lord came to the temple and began judgment at the house of God, the Job class did not see or know the main issue. Hence during the World War they so acted as to bring the Lord's displeasure, and came into dire extremity and 'multiplied words without knowledge'.-35: 15, 16.
Elihu is speaking a storm is brewing in the distance. The clouds are scudding across the sky heading our way, and the growling of thunder is heard. Elihu has more words for God and ascribes righteousness to his Maker, from whom he acquires his knowledge. Though young in years, he quickly became mature in knowledge of the issue. "One of competent knowledge is with thee," meaning that the Elihu "Society" have looked to the true Teachers, Jehovah God and his Messenger at the temple, and have thereby come to maturity in Scriptural knowledge, and can now inform the "other sheep" of the Job class, who also must keep their integrity.(36: 2-4, Rotherham)The Elihu remnant now tell how Almighty God puts the righteous "feet" members of Christ's body in line for kingship on the throne with Christ in The Theocracy, which shall be established for ever. The remnant have themselves been restored from captivity to Babylon, and now they tell how the Lord delivers the prisoners of religion from their fetters and cords in the worldly religious organizations of the demons. Thereby He releases the "other sheep" and brings them into the "one fold" of the Lord. However, the disobedient hypocritical "evil servant" class, and all of the "man of sin" class, never come to maturity in Christ, but shall die ignorant and in their uncleanness with the world by the Lord's executional sword at Armageddon. During oppression the Lord's poor, "poor in spirit," open their ears to Him for instruction, and he shows them the way out and delivers them.-36: 5-15.
Elihu reminded Job that the foregoing rules governing God's dealings also applied to-Job and would surely bring him freedom and abundance of the Lord's provision. "But IF thou art full of the judgment of the wicked, judgment and justice shall take hold of thee. For if wrath be with him, beware lest he take thee away by his stroke, so that a great ransom shall not save thee!"(36: 17, 18, Noyes)The Job class need to be reminded of the consequences if they wickedly broke the covenant with God; then even Christ's ransom sacrifice would not avail for them, nor material riches, nor gold, "nor all the forces of strength." For God's servant to choose to do iniquity or lawlessness rather than to suffer affliction for keeping his covenant with God would mean destruction beyond redemption, either now or in the world to come.-36: 19-21; Psalm 85: 8; Matthew 12: 31, 32.
The storm of Armageddon is approaching us, where all wicked covenant-breakers and workers of iniquity shall be cut off, and Elihu foretells of that "strange act" and also of God's "strange work" against his religious enemies immediately preceding that Jehovah exalts his Theocracy as the "new heavens" of the new world. Who except him can teach the truth concerning the great issue now to be settled for ever He commands his own way, and in that way who can accuse him of iniquity? His "strange work", and not religion, is to be magnified and fully participated in by his covenant people.(36: 22-25)He, and not human creatures, is great, and the years of his eternal existence are unsearchably endless. He rains down his refreshing truth abundantly upon his men of integrity. He spreads the clouds of his coming storm of wrath over "Christendom" and all nations. His "new heavens", his pavilion wherein he resides, thunder and crash with his message of warning concerning the execution of his judgments. He spreads out the light over the pavilion of his heavens, and covers the bottoms of the sea-beds with waters. By the supernatural forces of lightning and by great tidal waves of the sea he shall execute judgment against the people of this world at Armageddon. Now also the flashes of his revelations of his purpose, and the mighty waters of truth which overflow religion's refuge of lies, are his means to judge the peoples, separating them as "sheep" and "goats". To the "sheep" he gives "meat in abundance ". As for those who assail his Theocracy and his witnesses, "He covereth his hands with the lightning, and giveth it a charge against the assailant."- 36: 26-32; Am. Rev. Ver., margin; Noyes.
Jehovah's storm signals increase as he multiplies the fulfillments of his prophecies declared long ago concerning the end of the world. His witnesses now proclaim these, loudly and boldly, and the thunderous noise of his message of vengeance tells concerning him and his "strange act". It tells concerning his Vindicator and his Executioner of the wicked, who goes up to the slaughter. The religious clergy and those to whom they are spiritual advisers cannot discern the "signs of the times", but those whom they disdain as "cattle", namely, the people of good-will who become the Lord's "other sheep", heed the warning and also warn others.- 36: 33, margin.
THE STORM.
37.The storm draws closer. Elihu 's heart leaps and trembles. How like Noah, who was moved with fear of the coming Flood to prepare the ark for safety and preservation! (Hebrews 11: 7)Now the Elihu "Society" gives a description according to God's Word of the threatening Armageddon storm. Now the noise of his warning thunders like the voice of God, and the lightnings of his truth flash to the ends of the earth, the forerunners of the terrifying thunders and lightnings when Jehovah God goes forth to battle as he did in the days of old. It will be his "strange act"; "great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend."(37: 1-5)Now his message is like cold snow to some and like small rain of refreshment to others, but THEN he shall send the "great rain of his strength", a deluge! The religious enemies and their allies now increase their efforts to shut up the active hands of Jehovah's witnesses and will soon put a stop to the "strange work" God is accomplishing through their hands. Then by his "strange act" Jehovah of hosts will shrivel up the hands of those enemies, sealing up the hand of every one of them, "that all men may know his work," that He is Jehovah, the Almighty God.- 37: 6, 7.
The beasts hide out. The whirlwind of the south meets head on with the bitter cold of the north, and then! A great frost, and the vast waters of the people alienated from God are frozen motionless with chill fear. The water-wearied clouds unload their burdens onto the earth. God moves the clouds about and shoots out from them the lightnings. Riding on top of the forces of power and destruction, Jehovah by his great Executive Officer directs them and the whole course of the superhuman battle between His organization and Satan's organization. The storm he causes to smite the world, for a punishing rod upon the opposers of his universal domination by his Theocracy. He causes it to come for the sake of the earth which has been defiled by the innocent blood that is shed. The earth can be cleansed only by the blood of the murderers and violators of his everlasting covenant concerning sacredness of blood, which blood is the life of all flesh.(Numbers 35: 33; Genesis 9: 4-11)That worst of all storms, ridding the earth of all the wicked, is "for mercy" to those "other sheep" who shall weather the storm under God's protection. They shall come forth thereafter and inhabit the cleansed earth for ever and fill it with their righteous offspring. The storm clears the way for the fulfillment of the divine mandate.-37: 8-13.
"Hearken unto this, 0 Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God."(37: 14)In all truth, now if ever is the time for the Job class who seek to keep their integrity toward God to fix their whole attention upon the works of God rather than on any personal justification or other self-concern. His works are all in vindication of his glory, power, and perfect knowledge. The flashing and crackling roar of his lightnings, the many-shaped clouds wonderfully balanced above the earth, the quieting south wind bringing its warmth, the luminous sky, strong like a burnished mirror to reflect his glory, all are divine works earthly man knows not how to create or command. Man's knowledge and understanding of God's works are as darkness compared with His, and He, rather than any man, should be and is the Teacher. In darkness are the religionists who seek to add to or to take away from His written Word; no human words of worldly wisdom or science can match His Holy Word. To speak now in controversy with and in contradiction of God means to be swallowed up by destruction in his due time.- 37: 15-20.
The rising storm has now darkened the heavens, as Elihu continues: "And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds; but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them."(37: 21)In such speech he tells that God's invisible power will cause the Armageddon storm to pass and will cleanse and clear the glorious heavens again over the heads of those of the Job class, that survive that final end of the wicked world. Then glorious conditions like gold shall come out of the northerly place of God's throne, and He will be discerned by all on earth in the terrible majesty of his universal domination. His almighty power, beyond fully finding out, shall excel all opposing powers at Armageddon in the execution of his justice and judgment. He will not spare the worldly-wise then, but will afflict only those who do not fear and serve him.- 37: 22-24.
Elihu ceases to speak. A wonderful voice is now heard in accents above the power of human organs to produce, and the eyes of understanding of those who listen in profound worship brighten with a new vision unspeakably grand.
VINDICATION. CHAPTER 10.[]
"THEN Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?"(Job 38:1, 2, Am. Rev. Ver.)That terrific storm was the act of God, totally different from the "great wind from the wilderness" which crashed in the house and killed Job's ten children and which wind was the product of Satan's power against God's servant. The storm wind pictures and foretells the tribulation which comes upon Satan's entire organization at the end of his world and which finally ends with its complete destruction. That tribulation began at the close of the seven Gentile times, in 1914, when the war in heaven was waged by Jehovah's Chief Executive Officer, Christ Jesus, against Satan's demon hosts, who were bodily hurled out of heaven and down to the vicinity of the earth mad with rage and chagrin.
38.That unseen action was accompanied by world war on earth, with famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and unremovable distress of nations with perplexity. That, said Jesus, was the beginning of sorrows upon Satan's organization. Jehovah God, by Christ Jesus, did not then press the universal war to its final conclusion, but shortened the days of tribulation by commanding a break in the hostilities. This allowed for the "day of his preparation" before he renews the hostilities and the last battle, Armageddon, is fought.(Nahum 2: 1-3)It is in this day of preparation of his covenant people that Jehovah speaks to the Job class "out of the whirlwind", that is, during this middle period between "the beginning of sorrows"(1914-1918) and the final showdown fight. He sent his Messenger to the temple in 1918.By him God speaks to the faithful remnant of his elect class, f~r whose sake those days of tribulation were shortened. By them He also speaks to the "other sheep" of the Job class.
Before the Lord's Messenger came to the temple and began interpreting God's will and teaching, the Job class had been darkening counsel by words without knowledge, it not then being due time for the disclosure of such knowledge. Some of the consecrated ones thought they must be taken home to heaven at a time certain in order to help God run. the universe.(38:2)Once more world war, total war, ravages the earth, and worldly men, pope and politician alike, vie with one another in proposing and scheming and manipulating conditions that they may establish a man-built "new world" with a "new order based on justice and morality", their style. Such men of "Christendom" ignore God's purpose to establish the new world which He envisions and loves. That purpose, long ago announced and recorded, is now declared world-wide by his witnesses.
To Job God now put questions out of the storm, asking where man was when God created all visible creation, including the earth on which man is a speck.(38: 3-38)Almighty God got along perfectly without man's help in creating and running the universe, and He does not need or depend upon presumptuous, self-important religious men to help him build and run the new world which HE has foreordained. Nineteen centuries ago He laid the foundation of the new world without help of pope, politician, or other man. In 1914 He spread forth and established in power the "new heavens", The Theocracy, without help of even the members of the "body of Christ", and without caring for the anger of the nations of earth at that birth of God's kingdom by Christ Jesus.(Revelation 11:15-19)He is self-able and will lay the foundations and establish his "new earth" without assistance of any creature on earth, including the Job class.
For thousands of years before man was made and bidden to have dominion over the fish and fowls and beasts and creeping things, God was providing for these creatures, the lion, the raven, and others, all without man's help or advice.(38: 39-41)All things, in heaven and earth, testify to the existence, supremacy and universal domination of Jehovah God. To man on earth he says: "Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?"(38:33)Not at all; but Jehovah God sets the dominion of the "new heavens" over and in the "new earth" in proof of his own universal domination. All religious objectors shall be destroyed.
39.Not only inanimate creation visible to human eye, but also all animate creatures show the matchless handiwork and loving providence of Jehovah God beyond man's understanding. All are subjects of delightful and wonder-inspiring study by Godfearing man. In the new world all these animals shall become the fearless friends of those surviving Armageddon. and be under their dominion; but still and forever Jehovah God shall provide for them as well as for man. Behold the sturdy, dauntless "unicorn", or wild-ox! Jehovah, who made it, will give to his mighty Warrior-King the strength of the unicorn to push over and thresh to powder all the enemies of The Theocracy.(39: 9-12) "Hast thou given the horse strength?" "He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword." The great Theocrat, who made it, gives to his enthroned King and all his holy angels of heaven war-mounts like the horse to charge courageously and speedily into the battle of Armageddon at the awaited sound of the war trumpet, riding forward to victory! (39:19-25) "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? . . . where the slain are, there is she."(39: 27-30)When the great slaughter of the enemy has taken place at Armageddon, then Jehovah will command and, like eagles, the remnant and the "princes" and the "great multitude" who survive the battle shall come and joyfully feast on Jehovah's glorious triumph in vindication of his name.-Psalm 92: 10, 11; Revelation 19: 12-21; Ezekiel 39: 17-20.
40.In the light of the account of those wondrous works of God in sky and earth, Jehovah in his holy temple then asks of the Job class: 'Because of the permission of wickedness especially against the righteous, if there is any instructing, censuring or reproving to be done, is Almighty God the One with whom the reprover should contend or dispute? Does not the creature take himself too seriously if he does so ? Does hg not magnify his importance and justification and salvation out of all reason and sanity?' (40: 1, 2)That truth Jehovah by his Messenger at the temple drove home to the remnant particularly from and after 1922.He poured out his spirit upon them and opened their eyes of understanding to see visions of things hidden in his Word specifically for the "time of the end", when "the wise shall understand". They get the true size of themselves in comparison with the vindication of Jehovah's name, and they answer in Job's words: "Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth."(40: 4, Am. Rev. Ver.)No more do they permit any men to assume to be their teachers, but look singly to the Lord and follow his teaching through his Word and his organization. They now see their Teachers, Jehovah and Christ.
With the Armageddon storm-peak still ahead, Jehovah God answers all the needed questions of the Job class, still further humbling them for their good and teaching them to trust and rely on none but God and his Theocracy. They have had to gird up the loins of their minds and face the facts like a man of God. Will they any more teach contrary to his judgment of destruction upon the covenant-breakers and wicked religionists? Will they unwittingly condemn God as party to wickedness by preaching that he permitted sin that he might use it as his means whereby men might see the "exceeding sinfulness of sin" and might learn good from experience with it or by observing or hearing about it, hoping that they would therefore turn away from sin and be saved from destruction ? No! no more; because such magnifies the righteousness of the creature and reduces the vindication of God's name by his Theocracy.-40: 6-8.
Has the Job class an "arm like God" to fight the battle of Armageddon and to abase the proud, tread down the wicked, and hide their carcasses in the dust? If so, then, says Jehovah, "will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. "(40:9-14)The Job class cannot break the power of this world and overthrow it; they cannot destroy the "beast" or his "image" or the Papal Hierarchy machine, nor save themselves from Satan's organization. It is Jehovah 's arm and his "right hand", Christ Jesus, that deliver them from the demon rule and the nations gone totalitarian. Armageddon is HIS battle for the vindication of his name, and no creatures on earth will fight it for him, The remnant and their companions must depend and wait upon the vindication of Jehovah's name by the execution of all enemies. The Job class cannot by their own power crush the persecutions, oppositions, and violence by the religionists and allies. At the same time, to try to escape the fiery furnace of affliction by bargaining with the enemy and compromising with the world, God's enemy, would bring them under demon influence and under Jehovah's sentence of destruction. Almighty God is the only Deliverer, by Christ Jesus, and he delivers primarily for his name's sake those who keep integrity.
OPPOSING ORGANIZATIONS.
Jehovah now gives an awesome symbol of his organization in which he has caused strength and might to reside: "Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee." "Behold the river-horse, which I have made as well as thyself."(40:15, Noyes)What an overwhelming contrast is that organization of strength and force to feeble man who cannot deliver himself from Satan's world organization!
Behemoth's vast strength is a symbol that his Maker has the power to vindicate his name and deliver those who love his name. Behemoth's tusks are like a sword out of his mouth against the foes of The Theocracy. "He is chief among the works of God; he that made him gave him his sword."(40: 19, Noyes)According to Rotherham: "He is the beginning of the ways of GOD"; meaning God first made his own mighty, righteous organization, beginning it with his only begotten Son, before the enemy organization came into existence.(Proverbs 8:22)God provides for sustaining the life and strength of his organization and for its activity among all creatures.(40: 20-22)Satan by his demon rule has turned all peoples against God and into the broad road of destruction; and, like the raging waters of the Jordan river in flood season, they are surging down to the "Dead sea" of destruction at Armageddon and they try to block the passing across of God's covenant people into the new world. But Jehovah's organization is not dismayed by those "waters" of peoples under demon rule: "Behold, he [behemoth] drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth."(40: 23)Can men of this world successfully resist Jehovah's organization under Christ and make it serve their schemes and do their pleasure? "Will any take him in his sight [when on the watch], or, bore his nose with a gin?"(40: 24, margin)No! it remains free to serve ever God's purpose.
41.After the Lord's coming to the temple and speaking to the Job class out of the storm, first then did Jehovah uncover to his faithful remnant that Satan the Devil has a mighty organization and that he mimics and opposes Jehovah's universal organization and that therefore the primary issue is universal domination. Showing that the remnant could preach the Bible truths for a thousand years and yet it would not convert or destroy Satan's organization, Jehovah asks: "Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook?"-41:1.
What is this "leviathan", or "wreathing", twining animal? (Hebrew)It is of the same reptilian family as the serpent that Satan used in the garden of Eden. It is a symbol of Satan's organization, invisible and visible,, including demons and wicked men, all the seed of the Serpent. Satan was once Lucifer, the beautiful cherub creation of God whom He placed over perfect man in Eden. Satan's demons were once those spirit sons of God whom he gave Lucifer, to form the angelic organization under Lucifer as man 's invisible overlord in that original world which God created and of which perfect man was a part. Lucifer was like a golden head over that organization. That organization was God's creation, but Lucifer, transforming himself into Satan, perverted it into a leviathan to disport itself among the "sea" of humanity estranged from Jehovah God. Hence it is written (Psalm 104: 25, 26): "So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships [Satan's commercial element]; there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein." Further as to that leviathan God says:
"Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?"(41: 4)The eminent English religionist, Cardinal Newman, acknowledges in his writings that the Roman Catholic sect adopted the very paraphernalia of demonism and "sanctified" them as things of service to his sect. The Vatican head of that cult makes and holds concordats with the totalitarian Nazi-Fascist dictators. In the face of protest by the United States Department of State he exchanges diplomatic ministers with the sneak attackers of the Pearl Harbor outrage. This agrees with the utterances of the Vatican's Hierarchy that the pope would be willing to make a pact with the Devil himself if thereby the Roman Catholic organization could gain worldly advantages for herself. But instead of making "leviathan" her servant, she becomes its filthy slave.
Man's hope of catching leviathan by religious or other means is in vain. At the very sight of Satan's leviathan, particularly when the visible manifestation thereof, the "abomination of desolation", is organized on earth to stand in the holy place of God's kingdom, all selfish men quail and abandon their integrity and yield to it in abject demon-worship. Woefully ignorant, therefore, are those clergy and statesmen who now propose to establish a "new world", when it is impossible for them to unseat the superhuman, invisible demon organization which rides humankind to the battle of Armageddon! Only Jehovah God and his capital organization is stronger than that wicked leviathan: "None [among men] is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me ?"(41: 9, 10)At Armageddon Jehovah by his most mighty Angel, the King of The Theocracy, will catch that leviathan and hurl it into the abyss of restraint.(Revelation 20: 1-3)It is Jehovah by his spirit and his Word that exposes that dragonish monster. He shows that what comes forth from its mouthpiece is destructive, like fire, and that its religious heart is hard, like a millstone. Therefore Jehovah warns the Job class on earth that their fight is not with men, not with "flesh and blood", but that they wrestle with the demons, the wicked spirits, of that leviathan. Carnal weapons, the sword of steel, the spear, the dart, the habergeon, the arrow, the sling-stones, the clubs, and all offensive and defensive armaments of iron and copper, cannot destroy that demon organization.(41: 12-30)Only by putting on the spiritual "whole armour of God" can the Job class resist the leviathan and overcome it and hold fast their integrity in this time of unequaled demon activity.-Ephesians 6: 11-18.
After Jehovah enthroned his King of The Theocracy, in 1914, and sent him forth to rule amidst his enemies, Christ Jesus and his angels cast the leviathan, Satan and his demons, out of heaven. Since then the cry has gone forth: "Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. "(Revelation 12: 12, Am. Rev. Ver.)Therefore now of the raging leviathan it is written: "He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a [brewing] pot of ointment. He maketh a [frothy-white] path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary."(41:31, 32)Hence not only do Satan and his leviathan organization persecute and afflict the Job class, the remnant and their companions, but it is Satan and his demon hordes that are directly responsible for the woes, calamities, and sufferings afflicting the people since 1918 down till God acts at Armageddon. That truth and fact disproves the Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar religious combination today who preach that God is sending these woes to punish mankind because they do not join the religious organization and yield abject submission to the Catholic Hierarchy and other clergy. Such preaching drives men away from Jehovah God.
Upon earth no man or human combine is equal to that terrifying demonic leviathan. "He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. "(41: 33, 34)Satan looked covetously upon the most high things, the universal supremacy, and now makes his final try at grabbing the universal domination away from God. Satan is proud, and all the seed of the Serpent are likewise proud.(Jeremiah 50: 29, 31)In the "battle of that great day of God Almighty" He will humble leviathan's pride and pierce and slay it by his Sword, Christ Jesus.(Isaiah 27: 1; Ezekiel 29:3-6)Jehovah's Seed of his "woman" crushes the seven-headed monster and makes the survivors of Armageddon to feast: "Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gayest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness."(Psalm 74: 14)Those seven heads include demon control of the two world powers of Satan's visible organization, Egypt and Rome, symbolized in Daniel's prophecy as "the king of the south" and "the king of the north". The final war for world domination between these two "kings" is now on. Consider next the prophecy.
FINAL END AT HAND. CHAPTER 11.[]
YET the end shall at the time appointed." That is the decree of the great Decider of times, with whom there is no change of his own appointments.(Daniel 2:20,21; Malachi 3:6)The tremendous issue at stake is universal domination, and the time schedules of "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" are inaccurate and unreliable, and shall never be carried through, either in time or in the events scheduled. The prophecies of the One who knows the end from the beginning are sure and dependable. Exactly at His appointed time they come to pass. When they are fulfilled or are in course of fulfillment he calls it to the attention of those who fear him and opens the understanding of those who are devoted to his Theocratic Government and looking for its establishment. He is his own Interpreter of prophecy.
Contrary to the schedules and the wishes of "the king of the north" and "the king of the south", in A.D. 1914 the time limit fixed by Almighty God to the "times of the Gentiles [the nations]" was reached. There Satan's "world", or uninterrupted rule without divine interference, ended. That was therefore "the end of the world". It marked also the beginning of the "time of the end" for Satan's organization invisible and visible. There was immediately "war in heaven". That was invisible to human eyes. Was there any visible fulfillment of prophecy to prove and show it ? Jehovah's great Prophet Jesus was asked for such visible evidence, in these words: "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" His inspired answer was: "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."(Matthew 24:3,7,8) "The king of the north" and "the king of the south" were the two leading opposing combatants in that world war of 1914-1918.But who are these "kings"?
In chapter eleven of Daniel's prophecy concerning the "time of the end" the term "king" does not mean the totalitarian dictator of Germany, the pope, or other individual. "King" is the symbol of a world power, and this accounts for the fact that Daniel's prophecy shows that these two "kings" would fight, for centuries, until the FINAL END in our day. During that time "the king of the south" has been Egypt, the first world power, and her allies. In the nineteenth century the British Empire became involved in Egypt by reason of the Suez Canal and imperial matters. When the World War broke out Britain set up a Protectorate over Egypt, which protectorate has been replaced by a military alliance in 1936.The United States of America went into the World War on the side of Egypt and Britain. Therefore when the "time of the end" began, in 1914, "the king of the south" meant, and it still means, the world ruling-power that claims the right to rule and does rule in the name of democracy. It is therefore the rule by creatures, presumably the people, in contrast with The Theocracy, which is the direct rule by God Almighty through his King Christ Jesus, the Seed of God's "Holy Covenant".
In the days of the Caesars and thereafter the great opponent of Egypt was the world power of Rome. Therefore "the king of the north" was Rome, which became Papal Rome, this Papal Rome later becoming the heart of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation". This religious empire is what Vatican City now seeks to restore by means of totalitarian dictators, thereby to exercise world domination from the Vatican. In 1914, history shows, "the king of the north" included the Central Powers, or imperial Germany, Roman-Catholic Austria-Hungary, Roman-Catholic Italy, and the Vatican and its Hierarchy at Rome, which Hierarchy the war developments proved was working in collusion with Germany. In fear and for selfish gain Italy for a few years lined up with Britain in the fight, but after the setting up of a Catholic dictator in 1922 Italy returned to the "king of the north" combine and till today it is one of the "Axis Powers". Japan has also entered the "king of the north" combine by the side of Italy and Germany.; and on March 28, 1942, the pope opened diplomatic relations with Fascist Japan, thereby rounding out his relationship with totalitarian Nazis and Fascists. Therefore today "the king of the north "is the religious-totalitarian world-power which claims the right to rule the earth in an absolute way. That "king" also violently opposes The Theocracy.
The prophecy correctly foretold: "And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed."(Daniel 11: 27)There are only two tables, "the table of the demons" and "the Lord's table".(1 Corinthians 10: 21)Lies are not told at the Lord's table, and He does not invite to his table those who are part of this world, which is his enemy. Satan, the prince of the demons, is the father of lies and is the prince of this world, said Jesus.(John 8: 44; 14: 30)This explains why "both these kings" are set against Jehovah's Theocracy. Prior to the World War they were speaking peace to each other and the world, but were planning for just the opposite, in jealousy of each other. Their greatest untruths, however, were against God Almighty and his purpose to bring the "times of the nations" to an end in 1914.
"The king of the north" was for a return to the old arbitrary rule such as obtained during the Holy Roman Empire. He set his he art against the "holy covenant" of Jehovah. That covenant of Jehovah is his own sworn promise and guarantee to set up The Theocratic Government with Christ Jesus to rule the world. That covenant Kingdom was preached by Jehovah's devoted servants in the realm of the "king of the north" combine, particularly in Germany, prior to 1914.They also announced the ending of the Gentile Times that year. However, that "king" went ahead with his own plans for the world domination by him instead of by Christ, and that same year the World War broke out and the northern "king" came against "the king of the south". "At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south: but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter."(Daniel 11: 29)In ancient time the northern "king" triumphed over his southern rival; but this latter conflict, the World War, was not as those former wars. This time the Vatican's champion lost!
Britain is an island, like Chittim, or Cyprus. Cyprus was first ceded to Great Britain, and then was annexed by her in 1914.The ships and war vessels of Britain and of her ally America were a major factor in defeating "the king of the north", bringing him to grief. "For the ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant."- Daniel 11: 30.
After his defeat republics were set up in Germany and Austria and Czechoslovakia and Poland. Then Jehovah's witnesses preached the Kingdom gospel freely from end to end of those lands. Democratic government and the Kingdom preaching greatly incensed the religious member of " the king of the north". In his indignation against Jehovah's "holy covenant" for The Theocracy, that religious power organized "Catholic Action" in America and set in motion the Fascist movement in Italy and the Nazi movement in Germany, resulting in great opposition to and persecution upon Jehovah's covenant people. This was done to return the realm of "the king of the north" to arbitrary rule under Vatican dictation. The republics of Germany and Austria were overthrown; dictatorships were installed; the corporate state was set up. Then the dictators had intelligence with the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. She claims to represent God's holy covenant, but has forsaken it for political ambitions in this world. In 1929 the Fascist dictator entered a concordat, or political-religious deal, with the pope whereby the political state of Vatican City came into existence, and Italy's dictator became an avowed Catholic. As soon as the Catholic Nazi leader seized dictatorial power in Germany he also made a concordat with his backer, the Vatican, and then the Inquisition against Jehovah's witnesses began. Next, down went the Spanish Republic at the hands of a traitor, and the dictator who destroyed that democracy with the aid of the concordat partners of the Vatican the pope pronounces to be "a Christian gentleman Now a concordat is under negotiation with that blood-doused "gentleman". How was all this done? Note how.
"And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate."(Daniel 11:31)Those "arms", or helpers, included America and Britain, who aided Germany financially and economically and by the appeasement plan to get back on her feet as a world power; which these two helpers now realize to their sorrow. Jehovah's witnesses exposed the scheme of the Vatican to use "the king of the north" to grab the world domination. These witnesses represent Jehovah's "sanctuary of strength", which is his holy Theocracy. To Him they offer daily the sacrifice of praise to his name and Kingdom and refuse to heil or worship dictators. Therefore the religious-totalitarian "king" acted to "pollute" or destroy these servants of that "sanctuary of strength". He took away their right and freedom to offer the "daily sacrifice" and dissolved the mid-continent branches of the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY.
The victorious nations of the World War, elated with success and filled with their own schemes to rule the world, ignored the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 and that Christ Jesus had then been enthroned and was Rightful Ruler. Rejecting his kingdom, they set up the League of Nations, which in America the Federation of Churches called "the political expression of the kingdom of God on earth". That League was therefore abominable to God and was the first manifestation of the "abomination that maketh desolate". Members of "the king of the north" also were taken into that League. The pope tried to climb on top of it, but that creature or "beast" distrusted the pope's motives and bucked him off onto the ground.
So the unseated religious potentate schemed the restoration of the old Holy Roman Empire by means of the "king of the north" dictators. The totalitarian instruments were now available. Now was the time to carry out the designs long harbored by the pontiff and his Hierarchy. They must wipe out the effects of the Protestant Reformation which had resulted in establishing two great bulwarks of liberty and Protestantism, namely, Great Britain and America, and also in the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 bringing religious toleration. They must wipe out the effects of the French Revolution with its republican separation of church and state in France. Also the effects of the 1919 Versailles Peace Treaty must be wiped out with its creation of new European republics and of the British-dominated League of Nations. In line with the objectives of the Papacy, the totalitarian dictators withdrew from the League, desiring no longer to be hamstrung in the all-out effort to do the will of the Hierarchy and to gain world domination by formation of a "new League of Nations". By the "good old- fashioned" Dark Ages way of fire, sword and crusade should this be done, with the new feature added of a world-wide religious "fifth column". Such progress was made that on November 20, 1940, a formal alliance was signed between Germany, Italy, Japan and Hungary at Vienna, and on November 23 Rumania signed up at Berlin, The very next morning, in a broadcast from Vatican City to the Catholic population, the pope publicly prayed for the setting up of the new order of things, at which prayer responsible Fascist Italian circles expressed much satisfaction. This was nothing but the appearance of the same "abomination of desolation" in a new dress, but in a more abominable form.
"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."(Daniel 11: 32)The religious clergy who claimed to be in the covenant for God's kingdom did wickedly against that covenant by persecuting and obstructing the messengers of God's kingdom and by making alliance with dictators in the selfish ambition to control the world and to Catholicize all nations by force. Such wicked religious opposers of God's covenant the political element of "the king of the north" corrupted by flattering the religious element with protection and favors and by support financially to the religious organization and by promises to fulfill the dream of a restored Holy Roman Empire. Jehovah's witnesses, however, have learned to know God through his revealed Word and his dealings with them, and they yielded neither to flattery, nor threats, nor persecution. They were strengthened to stand up against the anti-Theocratic totalitarian powers and hold fast their integrity toward God, and they did unheard-of exploits in the advertising of the name and the kingdom of God in all nations, exploits possible only by God's power and blessing.
"And they that understand among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days."(Daniel 11:33)Jehovah God had now begun to speak to the Job class out of the storm and to give them understanding. He had raised up his Elihu remnant with wisdom from on high, and these Jehovah anointed with his spirit and sent them forth as his witnesses to go from house to house and from place to place as Jesus and his apostles did, and to instruct the meek or teachable persons of good-will. This world-wide campaign of educating the people in the understanding of Jehovah's purpose was bitterly condemned and fought by the religious counterparts of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. The Job class, Jehovah's witnesses, were made to stagger under the cutting sword of violent opposition and persecution; the flame of religious intolerance and public roastings in the press, and courts and over radio; the forcible seizures of their persons and consigning them to prisons and concentration camps; and the spoiling of their branch offices, their publication houses, their private homes and properties, their God-given rights as peaceful, law-abiding Christians. The Hierarchy and other clergy have tried to conceal their responsibility for these shocking cruelties upon faithful servants of God. But the truth has broken through to the light, and all lovers of right and of true democratic principles are disgusted with religion and see in the Hierarchy and her totalitarian organization the principal foe on earth of truth, human freedom, and worship to God in spirit and in truth. The religious-totalitarian sword, flame, captivity, and spoil will yet increase. They will end only when Armageddon ends them.
"Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries."(Daniel 11: 34)Jehovah God is the great Helper of his servants in affliction, when human help cannot be gotten through. However, he is pleased to let honest persons show their good-will and love for God by extending what little help they can to his persecuted witnesses. From such helpful ones of goodwill the Lord is now gathering his "other sheep", and these are placed on the right or favorable side of his judgment throne. They receive his blessings of truth and the privileges of serving him and shall receive protection during Armageddon and be ushered into the Kingdom blessings to follow. The enemies, like goats, are gathered to the unfavorable side in the judgment of the nations now under way. The religionists, who flatter themselves with many self-invented, presumptuous titles, fail by violent means to make Jehovah's witnesses fall prostrate in the dust and quit and to "curse God" and break their integrity. Hence the religionists cleave to them with flatteries, trying to make them compromise with the world and receive its approval and then in turn praise, heil and idolize the religious-political rulers.
"And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed."(Daniel 11:35)Jehovah's witnesses understand the demon origin of religion and are not religionists, but worship Jehovah God. The public press and religious publications lie about them and roast them. There are religious groups whom the public press reports as resisting some of the demands of "the king of the north" and suffering therefor. Such ones are, however, not the ones meant in the prophecy here, because those religionists are part of the world. They prove it by siding with "the king of the south "in his plan for world domination and hence are opposed to Jehovah's Theocracy and its witnesses. Under the crushing load, some who are identified with Jehovah's witnesses stumble and fall away completely. This provides a great test and trial of the faithful, but by this means of judgment the Lord at the temple purges out all undesirables from among his consecrated servants and makes those white in purity of devotion who hold faithful to The Theocracy. Clear through the "time of the end" shall this testing and judgment run, and then, at God's appointed tune, the FINAL END shall come upon both "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" and those yielding to and serving them.
Further foretelling the course of conduct of the religious-totalitarian "king of the north" Daniel 11: 36 reads: "And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done."
For centuries the religious element of "the king of the north" has exalted himself at Rome, ruling there as a political, religious monarch, suffering only a partial political eclipse from 1870 to 1929.He has also claimed to "stand in the place of God on earth" and to be the so-called "vicar" or "vicegerent" "of Christ". Now after the aggressions of the Axis Powers have plunged the world into total war the Vatican City ruler is pulling the strings to exalt himself to be mediator or arbitrator at the coming peace conference and to be the pattern-maker of what he calls a "New Order founded on moral principles". To this end he receives the "personal ambassador" from the United States president, from and after December 23, 1939.Like their religious partner, the Axis Powers dictators also exalt themselves, above every "god"(or mighty one) in politics, science, education, labor, commerce, the law and courts, social affairs, and military power. They accept the heils and idolatrous worship of men and exalt the state above Almighty God and his law. They persecute Jehovah's witnesses and speak marvelous blasphemies against Jehovah, who is God over all gods. Though this religious-totalitarian self-exaltation has gone on and continues yet for some time, be assured that the Righteous God has indignation and that he has determined to express his indignation in vindication of His name. This "shall be done", as he has said!
Remember now Jehovah's statement in Eden to that old Serpent the Devil, to put enmity between the Serpent and the "woman" and between the Serpent's seed or offspring and the woman's seed. "The king of the north" is of that seed of the Serpent, and concerning that "king" Daniel 11: 37 adds: "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all." The word "women" here does not refer to the nuns who go about in queer dress collecting money, nor to the wives of the dictators or other women with whom they are seen in public. "Women" here is symbolic, as are other words in this prophecy. In ancient days before Christ Jehovah God used chaste women who were wives of the faithful witnesses to symbolize God's "woman", His universal organization that brings forth The Seed to crush the Serpent's head. The desire of such faithful women of old was for children for God's service and for the vindication of His name.-Genesis 30:1-3; 16:1, 2; 1 Samuel 1:2,7-28.
"The desire of women" means the seed or offspring desired by Zion, God's woman who was pictured by those women of old. The chief seed desired by God's "woman" was the "man child", symbolizing God's kingdom and its King Christ Jesus, who crushes the Serpent. God's faithful remnant today on earth are called "the remnant of her seed", and these the great leviathan dragon wars upon.(Revelation 12: 1-5, 13, 17) "The king of the north" has no regard either for the "man child" Kingdom of God or for the remnant, but tries to destroy both. He magnifies himself above all mighty ones, and worships not Jehovah God, whom at least the earliest "fathers", so called, of "Christendom" imperfectly tried to worship.
"But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things."(Daniel 11:38) "The king of the north" honors and worships not God's kingdom. He idolizes the new-model "image of the beast ",the totalitarian-religious League. It resorts to "forces" and compels the people in violence to their conscience and conviction to submit to the "Corporative State", which combines religion and tlie totalitarian dictators. That is a god or mighty one which the "fathers" or those of earlier days did not know. The religious element of "the king of the north" conceived the design of that type of political-religious state, and it also supplies the dictators gold, silver, precious stones and other agreeable things to help establish such an idol-state. The political element of the "king" also invade every domain of life and also territories of other political states and countries and grab everything possible of value in order to offer such to the building up and support of that coercive state, "the god of forces." The people are losing their "pleasant things" as a result!
"Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain [for a price (margin)]."(Daniel 11:39)Among a free people what are those "most strong holds" or "strongest fortresses"(Am. Rev. Ver.)? The sanctity of the home devoted to God and Christ his King; the schools that teach the children obedience to "parents in the Lord", and which parents walk in the way of righteousness and bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord"; also the honest, tolerant masses of the people who have regard for and protect the liberties of all who do right; and the freedom of speech, of assembly, of the press, and of worship. The religious element and "fifth column" of "the king of the north" are in all lands, and that 'northern king' has invaded the "strong holds"in all of the democracies, including America, and he tries to have his "strange god" acknowledged everywhere. He has declared war to exterminate what he calls "the plutocratic democracies" and all capitalistic nations with liberal governments not dominated by the pope.
To fulfill his wicked ambition the "king" continues to invade all the strongholds of education, home, channels of publishing information, freedom of worship and assembly, and independent courts of justice. After his conquests he causes subordinate officers and "Quislings "to rule over the robbed and overpowered ones. After Columbus discovered the islands off America the pope drew a "line of demarkation" on the map dividing the new land in two and assigning one side to Spain and the other side to Portugal; and today "the king of the north" likewise divides the land for gain to himself, each element in his combine having to pay the "price" demanded for what is divided off to him, a price that degrades him.
Can we know for a certainty that the world is near the FINAL END, as Jehovah's witnesses confidently point out? Note further the prophecy: "And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over."(Daniel 11:40)To a humiliating degree the democratic, liberal "king of the south" followed the appeasement policy toward the demands and aggressions of "the king of the north", but in August, 1939, the southern "king" called a halt. At his rival's next violent move he went into action against him, September 3, 1939.The whole world now knows what followed. Blitzkrieg by "the king of the north", blood-chilling, nerve-shattering air-bombing attacks, mechanized mobile warfare, the Trojan-horse of the "fifth column", sea raiders, submarine prowlers, undeclared "stab in the back" war moves, devilishly cunning co-ordination of all working parts, "like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships." Poland crumples in eighteen days; Norway, Denmark, Luxemburg, succumb overnight; the dikes of the Dutch prove unavailing; republican France goes down and a devout religionist is put in as chief of state and the Vatican's representative for France declares it means the dawn of a new day for France and of the whole world, yes, with democracy down and out! More entries into countries and overflowing: Russia, puny Greece, Yugoslavia, Indo-China, Thailand, the East Indies, Singapore, Rangoon, and Pearl Harbor and Manila Bay; you know the fuller story thereof.
"He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon."(Daniel 11:41)Some Bible commentators have inclined to think the "glorious land" here mentioned to be the United States; but not so! This expression God's Word uses to mean the earthly condition of His witnesses who show forth Jehovah's glory and the glory of His Theocracy which they proclaim. This is the "glorious land" which "the king of the north" has invaded to suppress their Theocratic message, even in the territories of "the king of the south" where the 'northern king' has his "fifth column" and other tools who are indoctrinated with his religion. He does, however, desire to overthrow that citadel of democracy and bulwark of "Protestantism", the United States; and the grave and increasing danger is realized by the informed who know the real objectives and the real power behind "the king of the north", namely, the religious Hierarchy, and, behind all, the demons! Recall, now, that Job's persecutor Eliphaz was a descendant of Edom, or Esau, and it becomes clear why Edom here pictures organized religion that lines up with the ecclesiastical element of "the king of the north". Edom's distant cousins, Moab and Ammon, compare with Zophar and Bildad, and in prophecy they picture commercialism and politics. The German Catholic dictator declares a "crusade against Communism" because Russia does away with private capitalism; yet the Fascist Corporative State shields capitalistic corporations, and the Nazi gangsters are greedy capitalists, and Vatican City is the greatest capitalistic system in the world's history. And politics of the totalitarian, hierarchic-state class, such too "the king of the north" lets escape overthrow.
"He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape."(Daniel 11: 42)What nations have not felt the power of his "hand" ? All free peoples try to strike down or push back that hand of printed or radio or whispering propaganda; "fifth column" agents, including those priests wearing the robes of the poongee in Burma (N. Y. Times, 4/10/42); the submarine packs; the airplane armada; and other means of making his power felt abroad and afar off. The literal land of Egypt stands in great dread; and shall it fall to "the king of the north"?
Here in the prophecy "the land of Egypt" is used symbolically, like Edom, Moab and Ammon. Egypt was anciently the seat of "the king of the south"; but here the prophecy does not mean that the democratic, liberal "king of the south" shall suffer final military defeat in the war for world domination. Prophecy uses "Egypt" to mean the world with its religion, politics and commerce, and, there, it means that part of the world not directly subject to "the king of the north". Nor have the nations of that part of the world escaped the assaults and effects of that aggressor. Their commerce and economics are sorely hit and strained, food-rationing is necessary, total mobilization is enforced, the features of peace-time society disappear, and the power to regiment all is centralized into fewer hands. The demons consider no military defeat is absolutely necessary, but that if by the pressure and terrifying threats from "the king of the north" they can force "the king of the south" to resort to the same forms, systems and methods as the totalitarian aggressor, then a real victory has been gained, especially for the religious element of "the king of the north". Then the demons can and will take care of the rest in postwar times.
"But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps."(Daniel 11: 43)Again the names here are symbolical. Besides the seizure or conscripting of literal gold and silver and other wealth, "the king of the north "tries to exercise power over the treasures of the Bible, more precious than gold and silver, and which Jehovah's witnesses hold forth to the people. Jehovah's witnesses are in Scripture likened to precious vessels in God's kingdom service, and these vessels of divine service the "king" seizes bodily and mistreats. Egypt's (the world's) precious and desirable things he goes after and gains power over. The ancient Libyans and Ethiopians were neighbors, allies and mercenaries of Egypt. Their going in the "steps" of that "king of the north" means that in the lands of "the king of the south" there are those elements who are willing to follow the Hierarchy 's example and do business with the Devil himself if it means selfish advantage to themselves. They are quite willing to submit to and follow after totalitarian rule if it means commercial and religious benefit to themselves. They do service to the 'northern king' by fighting Jehovah's witnesses.
Be it noted that "the king of the south" has disappeared from prophecy following verse forty. This is ominous. It suggests with other scriptures that all nations go totalitarian before the FINAL END, and the interests of "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" merge together, with religion on top as the binding tie. It means a federation of the world; and there are already published expressions and signs at hand that this shall take place at the world peace conference, for which the Vatican's chieftain is grooming himself. Having merged, and both "kings" having thereby gained their ends, then to next knock out all danger of disturbing their scheme to dominate the world, there is only ONE THING, that is, to strike at the Kingdom of God, The Theocracy. How? Strike at its representatives and proclaimers, Jehovah's witnesses. Having so done, then the religious and political prophets and predictors shall cry, "Peace and safety!" and shall trust in their federation idol, "the abomination of desolation," their "new order". And then?
"But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many."(Daniel 11:44)That merged-world power having stopped the organized proclamation by Jehovah's witnesses, whence come those troubling "tidings"? From Him whose appointed time to accomplish the indignation now comes. Jehovah and his Theocratic King are prophetically represented as being of the north and east respectively. This means, then, that Jehovah by Christ Jesus now directly sends an emphatic warning that the provocation has been finished and the FINAL END is at hand; not "peace and safety", but Armageddon and destruction! This shall enrage the "new order" world power, and he shall go forth furiously to destroy and put out of the way all who stand for The Theocracy.
"And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in [(Hebrew) against] the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him."(Daniel 11:45)That "holy mountain" is Jehovah's glorious, holy Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus. The "new order" "abomination of desolation" places itself between that Theocracy and the "seas" of humanity in which the frightful leviathan organization disports himself and stirs up great woe to alienate all men from God. The purpose is to head the people off from escaping from the "seas" under leviathan to God's organization for deliverance and salvation. In this God-defying position the "new order" combine is caught, trapped, with no way to escape. That "king" ends, at Armageddon, with no power, demon or human, adequate to help him, because then the whole wicked world ends, finally! Therefore it is most urgent that you now take your flight from "the seas" to the "glorious holy mountain", The Theocracy. How? Note further the prophetic drama of Job.
ALL THINGS NEW. CHAPTER 12.[]
"THINGS told in advance, lo! they have come to pass, and new things am I telling, ere yet they spring forth I let you hear them." He who speaks thus to all persons of faith and good-will is not an imperfect man who practices religion with statues and images, but is the Almighty God, who says: "I am Jehovah, that is my name, and my glory to another will I not give, nor my praise to images."(Isaiah 42: 8, 9, Rotherham)The astounding prophecy told long in advance concerning "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" is now coming to pass and is very near its final stage of fulfillment, proving that we are near the final end of this old world of wickedness. Now the great Source of all true prophecy is telling and enlightening the inquiring minds to see new things pertaining to the new world, the world of righteousness. In a reliable picture thereof he spoke out of the storm to his faithful witness of old, Job, and he taught Job new things and made him to see and experience new things of great meaning to our day.
42.The wicked activities of the demons had made Job thirst for knowledge and understanding to refresh and revive him. In answer to all of Job's vital questions Jehovah both described to Job and questioned him on all the visible wondrous works of God in sky, earth, and the waters. God showed him the symbols of the two great opposing organizations, Jehovah's organization and Satan's organization, which organizations now line up for the showdown fight at Armageddon to decide for ever the leading issue of universal domination. How did this merciful and timely revelation by Jehovah settle Job's worrisome problem of why he was suffering such affliction by God's permission? It put the question at rest because impressively and by demonstration it proved the fact and truth of Jehovah's supremacy. It showed Job then, and the Job class now, the smallness and insignificance of man, even when devoted to God. It magnified the greatness of Jehovah God and now helps them to appreciate that He is above all and before all and that the interests of no creature on earth are to be placed before the good name of the Creator, who does not need their assistance in the slightest, but by whose creative power they exist. All creatures fade out of view when compared with the Supreme Universal Ruler.
Being so high and mighty, and being eternal and not depending upon counsel from any source outside of himself, Jehovah may do according to his own will. This he may do without first laying his purposes before creature man to be censored and approved by man, especially man who is consecrated to do God's will unquestioningly. God's way of action does not first have to be understood by man or be seen by man to be just and righteous before Jehovah may undertake such action. His acts and course of conduct are above all censorship by creatures and are not deserving to be complained of, even when not understood. Jehovah cares not for the ignorant opinion of creatures. He is self-sufficient to know he is right and all-powerful. In respect of Him, his might is right and makes right.
At the vision of Jehovah's highness, his mightiness, his wisdom in counsel, his all-importance, and his worthy name, the Job class now, like Job of old, perceive that Jehovah permits the suffering and that nothing could come save by his permission when one is devotedly serving Him. Hence it is a privilege and an honor to suffer according to the will of God and for any end or purpose that Jehovah has in view, whether creatures know and understand it or not.(1 Peter 2: 19, 20; 4: 19)Their prime business is to keep their covenant with God and carefully pay their vows unto him. Maintaining their integrity unto him under test is THE THING. Their physical or mental feelings are not to determine their action under any circumstances of trial and testing. The vision of the two great organizations in opposition clears up the understanding of the issue with which the trial and test is connected. "Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee."-42:1,2.
Prior to the Lord's shortening of the days of tribulation for the elect's sake and then answering them out from the quiet spot of the storm, the Job class were unwittingly hiding Jehovah's counsels because without full and proper knowledge. Human opinions and teachings of men from which they had not altogether gotten rid were largely expressed, and their garments of identification had soils of religious influence on them.(Zechariah 3: 3)Now they say: "I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not"(42:3); and they cast away all religious influence and seek unto the Lord for his teaching, that they may dispense this knowledge unto others.(42:4)They could not understand until the "time of the end" began in 1914. -Daniel 12: 9, 10.
Wasting away to a skeleton, Job had expressed the confidence that, for all that, yet his Vindicator-Redeemer lived and that without f air flesh or out from his flesh Job would "see God".(Job 19: 25-27)This hope he realized. He did not actually see the person of God, for no man in the flesh can see God and live on.(Exodus 33: 20)Job saw the manifestation of God's power, heard His word, and had his eyes of understanding opened to see the truth about God. Before that he had heard of God by the information concerning Abel, Enoch, Noah and the Flood, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."- 42:5,6.
Likewise, when the prophet Isaiah had his vision of Jehovah represented by his Messenger at the temple, Isaiah abhorred himself as unclean and repented of his uncleanness of lip in failing to declare God's praises, and thereafter God cleansed him. From 1922 on the remnant were illuminated by God's Word and by fulfillments of its prophecies to see the vision of His Messenger at the temple. Greatly humbled by the vision, they repented of their unclean fear of men and failure in God's witness work and received cleansing from him by his spirit and went earnestly to work. The glorious vision of Jehovah revealed to the eye of faith through his Word and works continually brightens with greater magnificence. The vision shall increase to unsurpassed brilliance and glory at Armageddon by Jehovah's victorious act of vindicating his name. Then the very enemies shall be made to know that He is Jehovah, and "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea".(Habakkuk 2:14, Am. Rev. Ver.)Then, too, the Job class, though reduced to like a skeleton without flesh and sinews of strength by action of the totalitarian enemies, shall "see God" and survive. Their fat-fleshed enemies shall perish.
WAY OF ESCAPE.
Jehovah could with right have killed Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, to faithfully foreshadow the destruction of the religious leaders and their political and commercial allies at Armageddon. Almighty God did not do so in the prophetic drama because now he would mercifully show the way of escape from destruction in this "time of the end" for those of any class who have hitherto been defamers of God's name, opposers of The Theocracy and persecutors of his witnesses. It is a humiliating way, but the righteous and only effective way. Those who do not take it, while possible, shall miserably perish, because God is angry. "And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath."(42:7)To the modern-day trio the declaration of God's disapproval upon them by His witnesses is a "strange work" to that religious-totalitarian combine, and stranger will be God's "act" to follow soon. They proclaim themselves to be the favorites of heaven and the persecuted Jehovah's witnesses to be the objects of God's wrath; but now God turns the tables. He rejects them and openly displays the persecuted remnant to be his approved ones, by giving them his revealed message and sending them forth as his fearless witnesses to all nations. Who is preaching the truth concerning Jehovah God ? Let all honest persons mark that it is to the modern RELIGIOUS trio that Almighty God says: "Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath." Let the persons who love life clear away from that religious trio if they want to miss the divine wrath about to be expressed upon that crowd. Let them hear now God's appointed way of escape:
"Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering: and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job."(42: 8)The expression "my servant Job" particularly designates Christ Jesus. The "feet" members, or last members of his body of 144,000, are still on earth. Only Christ Jesus can intercede with God and provide ransom merits and cleansing for them if they do repent. The perfect number of bullocks and rams which the trio must offer pictures the ransom sacrifice of Christ, and their offering such as a burnt offering manifests their acceptance of the ransom sacrifice of Christ Jesus Jehovah's High Priest, as the only means of purification and life. Their proceeding to "go to my servant Job" shows that suchlike today must with broken heart and a contrite and humble spirit go and hail Christ as Jehovah 's approved King and take their stand for The Theocracy and against all demon rule. Since the remnant members of Christ's body are already standing there, this means that such repentant ones seeking the truth and life must associate themselves with this remnant part of the Job class.
The unintentional manslayer of old time must flee to the Lord's "city of refuge" and there put himself under the atonement power of Jehovah's high priest and associate himself there with the underpriests and other Levites, or else be slain by God's executioner. So, too, the individuals who would now escape the judgment of destruction must flee to God's capital organization, The Theocracy, the Head of which is Christ Jesus the King. They must put themselves under him and his organization for protection and deliverance. They must abide there under his redemptive provision and in the company of the antitypical Levites, the remnant, and also of the other refugees, the "other sheep". They must do this before the Executioner strikes at Armageddon, and must ever keep within bounds; else they shall be executed.-Numbers 35: 6-32.
"And my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept." Christ Jesus never prayed for the wicked, but solely for those who repented and gave their lives in consecration through him to God Jehovah, and for such only has he given his ransom sacrifice. "I pray for them: I pray not for the world," said Jesus.(John 17: 9,20)The remnant, or "feet" members of his body, pray likewise. They pray God to send forth more laborers into his witness work. The remnant are also active in the field, witnessing from house to house and otherwise, publishing Jehovah's gracious message of invitation. This is in effect a prayer to Him in behalf of all those who accept the warning message, forsake Satan's side of the controversy, abandon religion, and turn to God and Christ his King. For long they have been fishing for such, and now the remnant and their companions are hunting for such "other sheep". It requires prayer to keep on in this strenuous work.- Jeremiah 16: 16.
"So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job."(42:9)Does this foreshadow mass conversion of the modern Eliphaz, Bilclad, Zophar combine No; for those three elements of "Christendom" and of the world continue to reject the Greater Job, Christ Jesus, the Mediator, and also to persecute his remnant. But there are individuals of those three elements, and also others who have hung on to and done the bidding of those three elements, who get their eyes opened to what they have been doing and the disaster to which it is leading them. These accept the Lord's reproof. They see Jehovah's approval upon his remnant of witnesses, and they follow the course prescribed by the Lord God and join with his accepted remnant in serving God, The Lord also accepts and blesses the loving activities of his remnant in behalf of such repentant ones. Jehovah has only one organization through which he deals with those seeking life, and Christ Jesus is the Head of that Theocratic organization, and the remnant, or "feet" of his body, are also members of that organization. Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar had to swallow pride. So must men today, humbling themselves under God's mighty hand.- James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6.
No further direct mention is made of Job's wife. She had yielded to demon influence and said to Job: "Dost thou still retain thine integrity curse God, and die." In that she represented those once associated with the remnant, but who fall to smiting their Christian brethren and become the "evil servant" class.(Matthew 24: 48-51)It appears Job's estranged wife was reconciled to him, by God's mercy and arrangement. This, however, does not mean the "evil servant" class is recovered, but that individuals who are in line for that class may be recovered and escape destruction with that wicked covenant-breaking class by repenting, turning about and declaring the Lord's Kingdom truth in unity and harmony with God's remnant. Let such remember Ezekiel's wife.- Ezekiel 24: 15-24.
"CHANGE"
"And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."(42: 10)Refusing to curse God for what He had permitted, Job presented himself to Jehovah God for further service while as yet Job was physically afflicted. But his understanding had now been enlightened, and that made all the difference to him. He proceeded to do for his former persecutors what he had done for his ten children killed by the demons.(Job 1: 4, 5,18, 19)This shows that while the Job class are doing God's commandments in behalf of his other sheep" they will continue to be assaulted by demons and religionists down till Armageddon. As soon as Job turned from worrying over his own sufferings and was revived again to God's service and applied himself thereto, the Lord changed matters for Job.
The like is true of the remnant from 1918 on. Now with minds enlightened they care not for and are not affected by the Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar combine today. By God's mercy, some individuals of that triple combine get their eyes open to the Lord's reproof and change their course, to the comfort and joy of the Job class. Job was no longer left in captivity to Satan, to do anything to Job's skin, bone, and flesh, except to take his life. This foreshadowed that Jehovah lifted the "rod of the wicked" from the "lot of the righteous" in 1919, nevermore to rest again on them, because the Lord established over them his Theocratic organization with Christ Jesus as Head and Leader, and all the assaults by demons religionists and governments shall fail to break that organization down.(Psalm 125:3)In that year 1919 Jehovah God by his Messenger at the temple delivered the remnant from literal prisons and other restraints in Babylon, Satan's organization, and especially from the paralyzing bondage of the fear of men, and sent them forth fearless in his service as his witnesses.
That Job "prayed for his friends" foretells the tremendous witness work worldwide by the remnant concerning "this gospel of the kingdom", and which witness benefits only and all those who accept it and become the friends of the Greater Job, Christ Jesus the King, who is God's "high priest after the order of Melchizedek".(Psalm 110:1-4)Prayers of religious priests like Eliphaz avail nothing for themselves or their parishioners or their "Purgatory" victims. When Job renewed his intercessory work of prayer Job's desired and awaited "change" came, and God healed him.- Job 14: 14.
God healed his remnant when they awoke at his call by his Messenger at the temple and arose from the dust of inactivity and fear of men and got alive again to his service as Jehovah's witnesses. He poured out his spirit upon them, and graced and beautified them with his message and his "robe of righteousness" as his approved servants. Instead of being spiritually weak, sick and lean in his service, they became strong, vigorous, youthful in mind and vision and eagerness for service. From dead skeletons, so to speak, they became an organized host of fairfleshed, strong-sinewed warriors for the Lord God and his Theocracy, filled and moved by the spirit of the Lord.(Ezekiel 37: 1-10)In the eyes of this world the religionists still try to make the remnant and their companions appear unsightly, repulsive, and reproachful, as if smitten of God. This, however, does not trouble the Job class nor make them hole up from before the people or slack their hands. Onward they continue in his service, proving that they are "strong in the Lord and in the power of his might". Those, also, who have been blinded by religion but who have anointed their eyes with the salve of the healing truth of God's Word see the remnant as God sees and knows them.(Revelation 3: 18) "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"-Isaiah 52: 7.
The healing and "change" of condition of the Job class corresponds with the change of condition of Lazarus as described by the Greater Job, Christ Jesus, in the parable of the rich man and the beggar.(Read Luke 16: 19-30.)Lazarus' name means "God is helper". The poor man needed God's help as he lay, full of sores and with dogs to sympathetically lick his sores, at the gate of the rich man and got not even the crumbs that fell from the table of the religious rich man. That rich man pictured the same group as Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who gave not a crumb of sympathy or aid to Job in his affliction at the hands of the demons. Lazarus' death in course of time brought a change of condition for him, a transfer by the angels to the bosom of favor, comfort and support of Abraham. Thus the one whom the rich man rejected the Father of the promised Seed of The Theocracy took up.
Likewise with the Job class. The changed condition of the faithful remnant after 1918 affected not alone themselves. It also meant a changed condition for their companions, the Lord's "other sheep", who suffer like things as the remnant suffer from the "rich man" class. Thereby the great Interpreter of parables, Jehovah, makes it clear that the beggar Lazarus symbolizes those of the Job class after the Lord comes to the temple, namely, the faithful remnant and also the "other sheep", who unshakably abide as the remnant's companions through evil report and who therefore share with them the favor, help and comfort of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God. They stand immovably with the remnant at the other side of the "great gulf" fixed by God's unchangeable judgment and which gulf now separates them from the "rich man" class who oppose The Theocracy and who shall therefore have no part in the new world. Since the temple judgment began in 1918 this "rich man" class have had a change of condition and are dead in hell as to Jehovah's Theocracy and its service. They still dare to call the Greater Abraham "father", but their "father's house" is really that of Satan the Devil and none of that house take heed to God's law and prophecies and repent. Therefore such ones receive not even a moist finger-tip of comfort from the Lord, but are tormented by the Lord's fiery message of judgment as proclaimed by the Lazarus or Job class. This faithful class, the remnant and their companions, are abundantly comforted with the good things of Jehovah's established Theocracy. They let the "goats" alone, and lovingly comfort those that t mourn with the same comfort with which they themselves are comforted by the great 'Abraham of mercies and God of all comfort'.- 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; Isaiah 61: 2.
It was not necessary for Jehovah to bind Satan hand and foot or to destroy him in order to turn Job's captivity or before God could do so. Jehovah permitted Satan to remain and continue active, but Jehovah showed his superiority over Satan by turning back the disease-infecting hand of Satan and miraculously healing Job of the "incurable wound" with which Satan had plagued Job. Job was still surrounded by the demons and by the totalitarian powers of the leviathan organization, the world power to the south of Job, namely, Egypt, "the king of the south," and the coming rival world power to the north of Job, namely, Assyria and its Chaldean allies, "the king of the north." Jehovah pushed back the demon hordes and held them at bay by again hedging Job about with the encampment of the angel of the Lord who encamps round about them that fear Him.(Psalm 34:7)Thereby Job became a more forceful witness for Jehovah to declare Jehovah's name in the earth before Jehovah's power blots out Satan and his leviathan.
The same holds true today as to the remnant under Christ Jesus. Satan and his leviathan organization have not yet been bound and put out of action; Jehovah's supreme power at Armageddon has yet to do that.(Revelation 20: 1-3) "The king of the north" and "the king of the south", though for a time divided in total war over world domination, will yet merge all their forces in a regimented world federation in united opposition to Jehovah's Theocracy. They will thus bring forth in its final form the "abomination of desolation", the "scarlet-coloured beast" with the harlot of religion perched on top, and which beast "shall ascend out of the bottomless pit [after the total war], and go into perdition".(Revelation 17:8)They will strive to keep it standing in the holy place as something better and more practical than The Theocracy, which they view as weak and hideous as diseased Job. The most trying times, the most severe tests of integrity toward Jehovah God and his Theocracy, are therefore yet ahead of the remnant and their companions and are due to reach a climax in the forcible stopping of the organized Kingdom witness, whereat the totalitarian-religious enemies responsible therefor will crow "Peace and safety!" Yet now, before Satan and his demons have been bound and destroyed, and continuously since God turned the captivity of the remnant in 1919, Jehovah has had his name declared throughout all the earth by his Job class. Under the extraordinary circumstances only God Almighty could have and has accomplished that!- Exodus 9: 16.
"And Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before."(Am. Rev. Ver.)When Job was in good earthly circumstances before his great loss and disease brought him low, Job particularly pictured Christ Jesus, who suffered the loss of all things in proof of his unbreakable integrity toward Jehovah and His Theocracy. Compare now that condition of Jesus when on earth in the flesh amid his disciples with his glorified condition since his enthronement as King in 1914 and coming thereafter to the temple in 1918 and being presented as King before all the world. Jehovah has given this Greater Job the Kingdom, The Theocratic Government, and made him "heir of all things", exalted above all, and "by whom also he made the worlds", that is, the eons (Greek: aionas), constituting the "world without end".(Hebrews 1: 2)This endowment was foreshadowed long ago when Abraham "gave all that he had unto Isaac".(Genesis 25:5; 15:4)To the religionists of "Christendom", however, Christ Jesus is still as unsightly and undesirable as plague-stricken Job. They still do not want him to reign over the earth directly, but prefer their so-called "vicegerent of Christ" and their totalitarian dictators and their politicians and their "abomination of desolation" instead, in a "new order" without Theocracy.
HAIL THE THEOCRACY!
"Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold."(42:11)This foretells what is taking place today and since 1918.It pictures that multitudes now come to see that Christ Jesus is the "tried stone", The Stone which was disallowed and rejected of the religious-totalitarian builders of the "new order", but which Stone has become the Headstone of the corner, Jehovah's Chief Official in The Theocracy, The King thereof! (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28: 16; Matthew 21: 42-45)Therefore they turn from the desolating abomination and the "new order" and take their firm stand for The Theocracy and salute and accept Christ Jesus as God's appointed Rightful Ruler. They bemoan the Greater Job by sympathetically sharing in the sufferings with Him for The Theocracy, and instead of their hitherto evil course against him they take the course which brings joy to his heart and praise to his name. They feast with him at the Lord's table of Kingdom truths and of service of the truth. They contribute their money and their all to Him in the interest of The Theocracy by joyfully consecrating themselves wholly to the Great Theocrat, Jehovah God, through Christ Jesus.
"So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses."(42: 12, Am. Rev. Ver.)The present exalted condition of the Greater Job, Christ Jesus, is more powerful, secure, and lofty than before he became a man and suffered for bearing witness to the truth of Jehovah's name and promised Government, his capital organization. He was raised from the dead to immortality, to the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person, and to the highest place immediately next to Jehovah the Supreme One.(Hebrews 1: 3-9)Having waited at Jehovah's right hand in heaven for nineteen centuries, he now actually exercises the power as the installed King of The Theocracy in 1914.All the animal creation of the earth in the new world shall be in subjection to him and shall be multiplied under his merciful treatments and he will make them the friends and helpers of obedient man.-Hebrews 2:5-9; Psalm 8: 4-8; Isaiah 11: 6-9.
"He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren."(42: 13-15)These children were miraculously given by Jehovah's renewal of the vital reproductive powers of Job, who had been as good as dead. Job's renewal of relations with a wife suggest that at Christ's coming to the temple in 1918 it is time for the "marriage of the Lamb" to begin.(Revelation 19: 7)He comes and receives unto himself at the temple those begotten of his Father 's spirit and who are "espoused . . . as a chaste virgin to Christ" and who keep their virginity unspotted from this world. Such ones include the faithful remnant.(2 Corinthians 11: 2)For this virgin company, as joint-heirs with him of the Kingdom, Christ Jesus gave his all, and they get life by him.
Job's first ten children, who were killed by demon power, pictured Jesus' disciples when he was on earth as a man. Job's new children, of equal number, and miraculously brought forth to life, picture those of the Job class under Christ who maintain integrity before Satan is destroyed at Armageddon. All these receive life from Jehovah and through his Perfect One of integrity, Christ Jesus. This means that, first, Jehovah by Christ Jesus miraculously raises to life immortal in the spirit those members of Christ's body who died faithful unto death before his coming to the temple and who slept in death awaiting that blessed event. It means that Jehovah by Christ Jesus shortens those days of tribulation for the sake of the remnant of his elect, thereby sparing them from destruction; and that he brings them into the temple condition into unity with Christ Jesus the King. Continuing further faithful, even unto death, the remnant members shall by an immediate resurrection from the dead have an instantaneous "change" from human to spirit and shall live and reign with Christ.- 1 Corinthians 15: 50-54.
The children of the Greater Job shall also include those faithful men of old, including the historical Job himself. These shall in due time, and, it appears, before the final end of Satan's world, be raised to life in the "better resurrection". These former of the man Christ Jesus shall thereby become his children, and he as King shall make them "princes in all the earth" to visibly represent him to humankind on earth. His "children" also include his "other sheep", whom he now brings into the one fold under the one Shepherd and who become the loving companions of the remnant of the "little flock". These are in line to become the "children of the King" by regeneration under the Kingdom.- Matthew 19: 28.
All such ones of proved integrity toward Jehovah's Theocracy, namely, the remnant, the "other sheep", and the coming "princes", must stand together in the "one fold" and against the wicked world that is about to perish. As witnesses of Jehovah, they are all as visible living symbols of the new world, the "new heavens" of which now rule, to the glorifying of God. By the miraculous power of God through Christ his King these advocates of The Theocracy shall pass through the storm of Armageddon and its destruction of the wicked world and shall enter into the new world fully established.
The loveliness of these to God because of maintaining their blamelessness toward God is brought before the eye in the names of Job's three daughters: "Jemima," meaning "warm", that is, "affectionate," and hence a "dove"; "Kezia," meaning "cassia", which is an herb planting of the Lord and which is of an aroma pleasing to the King (Psalm 45: 8); and "Keren-happuch", meaning "horn of beautiful paint", like a beauty box used by women, a "horn of fair colors (Isaiah 54:11)They are affectionately devoted to God with inseparable love, and hence like a dove to him; they are of sweet fragrance to him in their burning zeal and service; amid they are strong and beautiful to him as his witnesses. None of those who shall under the Kingdom be raised in the general resurrection of redeemed humankind shall be as fair in God's sight as these. Prophesying of the beautiful relationship between the remnant of the bride of Christ and their earthly companions, Psalm 45: 13, 14, 16 says: "The King's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth."
Job's giving his daughters inheritance among their brethren appears to picture that now, in the precious privilege of witnessing for Jehovah's name and kingdom, Christ Jesus makes no distinction of sexes; faithful women and girls may share therein as well as males. It also indicates that on earth under the Kingdom the sex distinction will not be wiped out among humankind, no more than among the lower animals, but that the survivors of Armageddon who shall form the "great multitude" will marry and carry out the divine mandate of filling the earth with a righteous race.
"After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days."(42: 16, 17)Satan would have killed Job. Job's extension of life to a good old age was miraculous, the wondrous work of Jehovah God. This suggests that the Job class, Jehovah's servants of integrity, who have by His grace and power survived the demons' assault thus far, shall be carried alive through Armageddon, if continuing faithful. Job's seeing his children become fruitful, unto the fourth generation, pictures that the "other sheep", the "great multitude", shall obey the divine mandate until the earth is full, a complete generation. Job's death appears to mean that yet the remnant must in due time after Armageddon finish their earthly course and, like the other members of Christ's body, have their change from human to spirit. The "princes" and the "great multitude", however, shall abide on the perfect earth and shall there serve Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, his King of The Theocracy, forever, "world without end."
No power of Satan and all his wicked world can now reverse the situation or push back the hands of the great clock of the universe. His failure to usurp the universal domination is certain, and his time of being permitted to remain to show whether he could do so ends at the stroke of Armageddon, when Almighty God's power checks him out in decisive defeat. The days of his wicked world are numbered, and but few left. Let him exercise all the savagery he still may against the Job class, yet the captivity of these dear ones who keep their integrity is for ever turned away, and Satan cannot supplant the Theocratic Government which Jehovah has established over his own, nor halt the incoming of God's new world. In the heavens the announcement has gone forth: "The kingdom of the [new] world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever."-Revelation 11: 15, Am. Rev. Ver.
True as never before possible are now the inspired words to God's covenant people: "Rejoice evermore."(1 Thessalonians 5: 16)What though in the death throes of Satan and all his demons and human servants they bring the severest tribulations yet upon the faithful Job company, these shall continue to look unto the Greater Job, Christ Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith." Like him they shall keep their integrity blameless and be "patient in tribulation" and shall "overcome the [wicked] world". Understanding the reason therefor and the great issue to be determined, they endure and "glory in tribulations", and let nothing move them away from The Theocracy.(Romans 12:12; 5:3; John 16:33)With the golden light of the new world streaming upon their countenances they joyfully continue to obey the divine command: "Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth: the world also is established that it cannot be moved: he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the [new] heavens be glad, and let the [new] earth rejoice."(Psalm 96: 10, 11, Am. Rev. Ver.)In adoration of the everlasting Theocrat Jehovah they fervently pray: "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus [The Theocracy], throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. "-Ephesians 3: 21.
INDEX[]
NOTE: Numbers refer to pages; Roman numerals, to paragraphs.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y, Z
A
Abel, 31, I-35, I
Abomination of Desolation, first manifestation of, 328, I
in final form, 362, I; 363, I
more abominable form of, 329, I
post-war world federation, 343, I; 362, I
the new world order, 125, I; 343, I 345,
Abraham (Abram), faith and works of, 59, I-61, I
of Ur, 58, I, II; 132, I
typical of Jehovah, 59, II; 359, I; 360, I
Adam, sentenced, expelled, 29, I
visible part of world, 15, II; 19, I
Aion (Greek), meaning of end of, 79, I
Ammon, 340, I
Angels, Lucifer corrupted organization of, 28, I
with Lord at temple, 284, I
Animals, dominion ever. 140, I; 159, II 162, I; 365, I
Antichrist here, 125, I
Armageddon (Battle), Flood foreshadowed, 106 I-107 I
horse and eagle at, 310, II
Jehovah's battle, 313, I
leviathan destroyed at, 319, I
Satan's world destroyed at, 228, I; 261, I; 298, II
storm of, 301, 1-305, I
survivors fulfill mandate, 369, I; 370, I
survivors of, 106, II-109, I; 221, I; 238, II; 303, I; 368, I
wicked debased from power at, 262, I
B
Babylon, as world power, 63, I
founded, 53, I; 55, I
Baptism, 85, I; 93, I; 106, II
Beast, scarlet-colored, ascends from pit, 362, I
seven-headed, of sea, 62, 3-64, I
Behemoth, symbolic, 314, I, II
Beth-Sarim, 104, I
Better Resurrection, for faithful men of old, 76. I;
100, I-105, I
under new heavens 238, I
Bible inspired, 11, I
Blidad the Shunite, accused Job of suffering for wickedness, 227, I
belittled man of integrity, 259, I
name and application 292, II-203, II
provoked violent action against Job, 243, I
relationship of 202 II; 203, II
Blamelossness now vital, 126, I
Body of Christ, 95, I-98, I
Boils, Job smitten With, 183, 1-185, II
Book of indictment gladly borne, 269, 1
Bride of Christ. 95, I; 96, I; 366, I; 368, II
C
Calamities, religion charges God with, 249, II; 250, I; 259, I
why permitted. 176, II; 181, I
why Satan causes, 159, II-163. I; 179, II; 180, I; 318, I
Campaign (Smear) of misrepresentation, 183, 1-187, I
Captivity of Job turned, 356, II-363, I
Catholic Action, against holy convent, 326, I
hates Jehovah's name, 198, I
termed Christian democracy, 71, I
Change, for new conditions strangely sudden, 252, I
hope of, 239, I
Job has, 356, II-363, I
of beggar Lazarus, 359, I; 360, I
waiting appointed time till, 238, II
Chastening, 195, 1-197, I
Choice, lime to make, 123, I-127, I
Christ, Jesus anointed to be, 85, I, II
Christ Jesus, the Vindicator, 246, I-249, I
worlds (new world) created by, 363, I
Church, body of 144,000, 95, I
Comfort, Job's friends profess to give, 208, I, II; 241, I; 260, I; 265, I
Coming to the Temple, for judgment, 229, I; 230, I; 254, I; 256. II; 284, I
in 1918, 219, I; 220, I
Companions of Remnant, Job drama includes, 137, II; 138, I
must humble themselves, 186, I
Conspiracy of friends against Job, 199, I; 200, I; 206, I; 207, I
Covenant, by sacrifice, 83, I, II; 98. I; 99, I
corruption of wicked-doers against, 380, I
for kingdom, 83, I; 97, I
obligations, 267, I; 268, I
of God with Israel, 65, 1-67, I
with mine eyes, 150, I; 266, I
Creation, God's first, 16, I
Curse on Job's day, 217, I-220, I
Curse God, Job refuses to, 164, I-171, I; 192, 1-198, I
Satan proposes to make Job, 154, I-155, II; 179, II; 181, II
wife bids Job, 189, I-191, II
D
Daughters (Job's), inheritance given to, 369, I
second three, 368, I-368, II
Day, Job cursed his, 217, I-220, I
of Jehovah, 279, I
perishes because cursed, 220, I
redeemer-vindicator stands up at last, 246, I-249, I
Daysman, 229, I; 230, I
Death, Armageddon survivors may not see, 109, I; 238, II destroyed, 113, I
enters world, 29, I
from the womb; why not for remnant, 221,I
Jesus tasted death for every man, 122, II
qualified by faithfulness unto, 178, I
Satan has power of, 181, II
where is man of integrity in, 237, I
Democracy, advantages of, 71, I; 72, I
Catholic Action termed Christian, 71, I defined, 69, I
followed typical Theocracy, 73, I
king of north desires overthrow of American, 340, I
king of north invades strongholds of, 337, I
king of south rules in name of, 322, II
not in new world, 114, I; 115, I
origin of, 69, 1-70, I
warned not to fight against God, 72, I
Demons, cause calamities, 159, II-161,I
control worldly elements, 199, I; 200, I; 206, I; 207, I fight is with, 51, I, II; 230, II; 317, I
Satan becomes prince of, 28, I sentenced, 29, I
Destruction, escape from judgment of, 351, I-356, I
Divine Mandate, Armageddon survivors completely fulfill, 106, I-110, I; 369, I; 370, I
first to Adam, 19, I
"princes" take no part in, 105, I
restated to Noah and sons, 47, I; 106, I
typically fulfilled, 369, I; 370, I
Dragon, destroyed, 261, I
persecutes woman and remnant, 172, II
seven-headed, 62, I; 315, I-319, I
E
Earth, cleansed by Armageddon, 107, I
foundation of symbolic, 55, I; 63, I
inhabited for ever, 370, I
remains for ever, 45, I, II
Edom escapes hand of king of north, 340, I
Egypt, escapes not hand of king of north, 341, I; 342, I
God showed power over, 65, I; 66, I
king of south, 63, I; 322, II
oppressed Jehovah's people, 64, II
pictured organized commerce, 204, I; 205, I
Elihu, comforts, gives no titles, 277, I-279, I
enkindled with wrath, 272, I-274, I
justifies Job, 290, II
name and application, 270, I
relationship of, 130, I; 271, II
religionists condemn, 275, I; 291, I
sits in on discussion, 216, I; 271, II
waited for Job and older ones, 275, I-276, I
Eliphaz the Temanlte, boasts religion's antiquity; confused on worship, 40, I
brags of spiritism, 223, I
incurred God's wrath with companions, 351, I
led attack on Job, 222, I
name and application of, 202; I
relationship of, 130, I; 201, I
slandered Job's private life, 254, II
taunted Job to call heaven's help, 224, I
took God's way of escape, 351, I-355,I
End (Final), 78, I; 80, I; 125, I; 261, II
at God's appointed time, 321, I
proved near, 339, I
End of World, end of the eon, 79, I
interruption of Satan's rule, 77, I; 78, I; 307, I; 308, I; 322,1
is reached, 126, I
not end 'of earth, 45, I, II
scoffers at, 44, I
visible sign of, 822, I
Enoch, 36, I
Eon (Aion), 79, I; 363, I
Escape, way of, 351, I-356, I
Ethiopians at steps of king of north, 342, II
Eve, violated Theocratic rule, 166, I
yielded to religion, 26, I; 27, I
Evil at God's hand received, 192, I; 195, I-197, I
"Evil Servant" Class, Job's wife pictured, 188, II-197, II
not recovered, 356, I
F
Faith, in new world, 34, I
of Abraham, 58, II-61, I
Faithful Men of Old, Beth-Sarim for, 104, I
better resurrection for, 76, I; 100, I
city prepared for, 75, I; 76, I
due back on earth shortly, 103, I; 104, I
fathers of Jesus, 102, I
perfecting of, 101, I
resisted religion, advocated Theocracy, 74, I
shall form new earth, 102, II
sought new world under Theocracy, 75, I
vindicated God's name, 76, I; 101, I
Fall, by flame, sword, captivity, spoil, 331, I Fathers, Bildad looked to traditional, 227, I
to be made children, princes, 102, I, II
First Resurrection, 92, II; 99, I
Flatteries, 277, I; 330, I; 332, I
Flesh, fresher than a child's, 286, I
see God without my, 246, I-248, I; 350, I, II Flood, 41, I-46, I
Foundation of New World, facts of before and from the, 86, I
God's Son the, 82, I
Kingdom associates predestinated before, 93 I
when laid, 85, I, II
worldly rulers reject, 81, I
Four Generations, 370, I
G
Glorious Holy Mountain, 345, I
Glorious Land invaded. 340, I
Goats, are cursed, 218, I; 860, I
give no relief, 215, I; 260, I
God, a strange, 337, I
Consider works of, 304, I
exploits of people knowing, 330, I
for love of world, gave Son, 116, I-119, I
how can man be just with, 228, I
Job realized hope to see, 246, I-248, I; 350, I, II
man insignificant compared with, 347, I-348, II
needs not man's help, 309, I-310, II
none ask, Where is? 298, I
not to be contended with, censured, condemned, 311, I; 312, I
rules of action of, 299, I
shows supreme power at Armageddon, 293, I, II
spoke In dream, vision of night, 280, I
works this oftentimes, 290, I
Government, human, subject to Satan, 53, I; 54, I; 55, I
Grave and Sheol, 237, I
Great Multitude, 120, I; 137, II; 290, II; 369, I; 370, I
Greece, as world power. 63, I; 70 I
home of democracy, 69, I-72, I
Grief of Job. 213, I, 214, II; 215, I
H
Harlot of religion, 262, I; 288, I
Hatred, religious, 149, I-151, I
Heavens, created first, 15, I; 16, I
higher, more powerful than men, 88, I
of original world, 21, I, 22, I
reorganized by Satan after Flood, 48, I
Hell, 26, I; 237, I
Help, holpen with a little. 332, I
Hid in grave till God's wrath past, 238, II
Higher Powers, 293, I, II
Holy Covenant, heart of king of north against, 325, I
Kingdom covenant, 97, I
secret of God, 264, I
them that forsake the, 328, I, II
Holy Roman Empire, of German Nation, 63, II; 323, I
Hope of man, how destroyed? 239, I
I
Ignorance no excuse for rebellion, 169, II-170, II
Immortality, 26, I; 365, I
Incarnation, birth of Jesus not an, 82, II
Instruction by them that understand, 331, I
Integrity, Armageddon survivors maintain, 368, I
Eliphaz disputes God's trust In, 223, I; 240, I
faithful men of old maintained, 75, I; 76, I
God watches all tested for, 226, II; 237, I
greatest tests yet of, 362, I; 371, I
maintaining of, the thing, 348, II; 371, I
meaning, 189, I
must now be kept, 126, I
of Adam tested, 19, I
offense at maintaining, 188, I-191, I
professed friends test, 208, II
Satan raised question of, 31, I
suffering for, 296, I; 297, I
tested at end of 1000 yean, 112, I
Intercession, 142, I-145, II; 352, I-358, I
Interpreter, 283, I; 284, I
J
Jehovah, abases exalted ones, destroys aggressors, 235, I
above censorship, criticism, complaint, 347, 1-348, II
answers Job concerning suffering, 307, I-309, I; 347, I-348, II
destroys Satan's world, 261, I
exposes, destroys leviathan, 317, I; 319, I
gives not glory to another, 346, I
Glory by Theocracy to, 371, I
Job blessed name of, 167, I
pressed controversy with Satan, 147, I-149, II; 175, II
religionists condemn, 274, I
sees not as Christendom, 230, II
stirs dead to life, 261, I
Jehovah's Organization, behemoth symbolized, 314, I, II
Jehovah's witnesses, base wisdom on God, 234, I
beginning of, 33, I-35, I
comfort all that mourn, 241, I
fight with demons, 51, I, II
Jehovah founded, 35, I; 230, II
Job pictured, 137, II
misrepresentation of, 183,1-187, I; 199, I; 200, I; 254, II
not proved liars, 258, I
older than religious sects, 265, I
put on more steam, 260, I-261, II
respect freedoms democracy offers, 72, I
some of understanding fall from, 333, I
totalitarian-religious persecution against, 331, I
worldly powers notice, 207, I
Jesus, anointed. 85, I, II
became poor, 157, I-165, I
begotten of spirit, 85, I, II
bereaved, 162, II; 163, I; 165, I
blessed Jehovah's name, 167, I; 168, I
born of David's lineage, 83, I
consecration and baptism of, 85, I
Fundamental One of new world, 85, II
given dominion over earthly creation, 140, I; 162, I; 365, I
intercedes, 142, I-145, II
Israel's view of, 183, I; 184, I
Job pictured, 137, II-140, I; 141, II; 157, I-171, I
none like him in earth, 149, I-151, I
prophecy at birth of, 84, I
proved faithful and true witness, 91, I; 92, I
resurrected spirit, 92, II
taken into covenant by sacrifice, 85, I, II
the "Lamb slain", 85, II
Theocratic conduct on earth, 264, II
waited at God's right hand, 92, II
Job, actual person, 131, I; 137, I
age of, 135, II; 136, I; 370, I
answers Bildad, 228, I-230, II; 244, I-249, I; 260, I-269, I
answers Eliphaz, 224, II-226, II; 241, I-242, II; 256, II-258, I
answers Zophar, 233, I-239, I; 253, I; 254, I
brethren and acquaintances mourn with, 364, I
calls wife foolish, 192, I-197, II
children of, 138, I; 139, I; 142, I; 145, II; 159, I; 162 II-165, I
confesses himself rile, 311, I
contented under bereavement, 164, I
death of, 370, I
God gore twice as much to, 363, I
greatest of men of east, 141, I, II
importance of life-history of, 129, II
in covenant, 150, I; 266, I
in Uz, 130, I; 132, I
interceded for others, 142, I-145, II; 352, I-358, I involved in issue, 129, I
latter end of, 365, I
lengthened life of, 136, I
made poor, 157, I-165, I
met covenant requirements, 266, I-269, I
Moses wrote of, 136, I-141, I
name and perfectness of, 133, I; 149, I, II
none like him in earth, 149, I-151, I
outstanding in his time, 135, I, II
parable of, 261, I-264, I
pictured whom? 137, II; 138, I; 157, I-173, I; 238, II
possessions of, 139, I; 157, I-162, I; 365, I
prophet, 150, I
provision of drama of, 127, I
realizes hope of seeing God, 239, I; 246, I-248, I; 350, II
relationship of, 130, I; 132, I
repents, 350, I, II
righteous in his own eyes, 272, I; 273, I
scraped, 186, I; 187, I
second ten children of, 366, I-369, I
sickness of, 183, I-185, II
sinned not with lips, 169, I
three friends knew not, 209, I; 210, I
understood not, 169, II-170, II; 348, II; 345, I
Judge, deputy, at temple, 256, II
Judgment, coming to temple for, 256, II
day of, 112, I
of the world, 121, I, II
where to find just, 256, I, II
Justification, before God only of value, 235, II
by faith, 228, I; 229, I; 259, I
not for religion, 261, II; 262, I
of self abominable, 229, I; 249, II; 250, I
of self too much stressed, 296, I
K
King of the North, arms stand on part of, 327, I
comes like whirlwind against king of south, 339, I comes to his end, 345, I
corrupts religionists, 330, I
enters glorious land, 340, I
exalts, magnifies self above All gods, 334, I, II
has indignation against holy covenant, 326, I, II
has power over treasures, mercenaries, 342, II
honors not God of fathers, but of forces, 835, I-337, I identified, 322, I-323, I
invades strongholds, divides land, 337, I; 338, I
origin of, 63, I
regards not desire of women, 335, I; 336, I
sets heart against holy covenant, 325, I
stretches out hand upon countries, 341, I
strikes at Theocracy, 343, I
tidings from east and north trouble, 344, I
King of the South, disappears by merge with rival, 343, I; 362, I
forced to turn totalitarian, 342, I; 343, I
identified, 322, I, II
origin of, 63, I; 64, I
pushes at rival, 339, I
Kingdom, of world now the Lord's, 370, II
Kingdom of Heaven, bestowed upon Jesus, 92, II
preached, at hand, 90, I
sedition charged for preaching, 91, I
Knowledge, perfect in, 299, I
words without, 299, I; 307, 1; 308, II
Kosmos (Greek), foundation of, 85, II; 86, I
L
Lamb, slain, 85, II
takes away sin of world, 121, II-122, II
Last Days, 37, I; 42, I
Latter End of Job, 365, I-370, I
Lazarus, 359, I
Leader, 277, I
League of Rations, 328, I
plan for new, 829, I; 336, II
Leviathan, 315, I-319, I
Lie, against Job's right judgment, 292, I
Lies at table, 324, I
Life, by Christ to "children", 366, I-368, I
Job weary of, 230, II
of Job spared, 181, I, II
Light of world, 122, I, II
Lightning, 301, I
Love of God for world, 116, I-120, I; 123, I
Lucifer, created, 17, II
given a spirit organization. 21, I; 816, I
made man's overlord, 21, I; 293, I; 816, I
rebelled, 23, I-25, I
Lybians, 342, II
M
Messenger at temple, 283, I; 284, I; 308, I, II
Moab, 340, I
Morning Stars, 17, II
Moses, 64, II; 65, I; 136, I; 141, I
Mourn with Job, 208, I; 216, I; 364, I
N
Name, new, 198, I
one's course bears on Jehovah's, 298, I
Nephilim, 39, II; 40, I; 46, I
New Earth, faithful men of old form, 100, I-105, I
promised, 50, I; 89, I; 113, I
New Heavens, begin functioning 1914, 103, I
Christ Jesus and associates are, 98, I
created first, 89, II
God sets dominion of, 310, I
promised. 50, I; 89, I; 113, I
resurrection not till setting up of, 238, I
"New Order," anti-Theocracy, 343, I; 344, I
destroyed, 345, I
multitudes turn from, 364, I
not new, nor possible by man, 12, I
not the new world, 10, II
proposals for, 334, II
New Things God tells in advance, 346, I
New World, Abraham looked for, 58, II-61, I
at hand, 9, I
foretold, why? 13, I
glory goes to God for, 89, I
God informs on, 11, I
God maintains, 310, II
God needs not men to help build, 809, I; 310, I
God promised, 31, I
Government of, 114, I; 115, I
impossible for men to build, 88, I; 317, I
Jesus same to save, 122, II
kingdom of, 370, II
love of, 116, I-120, I; 123, I; 126, II
men propose a, 308, II
men reject God's promise of, 33, I
not condemned, 121, I, II
time now to choose, 123, I-127, I
who live in? 10, I
Nimrod, 49, I; 52, I; 53, I; 203, II
Noah, days of, 37, I; 42, I
faith of, 41, I, II
integrity of, 39, I-40, I
survived Flood, 47, I; 106, I
typical, 48, I; 106, II; 107, I
North, fair weather (gold) out of, 305, I
tidings out of, 344, I
O
One Hundred Forty-four Thousand, 94, I; 95, I
Other Sheep, blessings for, 86, I; 107, I
heed storm warnings, 302, I
help witnesses, 332, I
Lazarus includes, 360, I
sing before men, 288, I
survive Armageddon, 303, I
with remnant, 242, II
P
"Peace and Safety," before destruction, 248, I; 343, I; 344, I; 362, I
Perfect, Job called, 149, I-151, I; 176, I
Permission, of Satan's activities, 176, II; 177, I; 181, I; 222, I
of totalitarian aggressions, why? 257, I; 258, I
of wicked to grow old, 253, I; 254, I
of wickedness clarified by revealing issue, 219, I
Persecution, by religionists not authorized, 244, I
increases in severity, 254, II; 256, II; 331, I
Jehovah's witnesses cry objection to, 224, II
no proof of God's disfavor, 222, I
Pit, deliver from going down to, 283, I-285, I; 288, I
soul kept from, 281, I
Pray, for favor, 287, II
for Job's three friends, 352, I-358, I
Princes, in all the earth, 102, I-105, I
pictured among Job's new children, 366, I; 367, II
raised shortly, 238, I, II
Who shall qualify as, 170, II; 171, I
Prophecy, 31, I; 32, I; 321, I
Purgatory, 26, I; 227, I; 244, I; 295, III; 358, I
Purging till end, 333, I
Purpose, God withdraws man from his, 281, I
Q
Qualifications for God's approval, 178, I
Questions, God answers all the Job class's, 312, I
on new world, 9, I
Quietness, God gives, 293, II
R
Race contamination, 39, I-40, I
Ransom, I have found a, 283, I-285, I
receivers of benefits of, 119, I-122, II; 352, I-356, I Redeemer, 246, I-249, I
Regeneration, 109, I; 367, II
Relief, professed friends give no, 208, I-215, I
Religion, angels corrupted by, 28, I
basis of democracy, 70, I
besetting sin, snare, 76, II
binding tie, 206, I
defined, 27, I
Job's friends try to convert him to, 224, I; 232, I; 254, II
leads to disaster, 76, II
led to murder, 33, II
Satan's means of attacking Eve, 26, I; 27, I
Religionists, boast of antiquity, doom witnesses, 240, I
cannot answer Jehovah's witnesses, 272, I; 276, I
curse witnesses, 224, I
denounce faithful, 242, II
deride, persecute, 265, I
falsifiers, worthless physicians, 235, II
God angry with, 351, I
hate light, 258, I
indicted as unjust, deceitful, 225, I
lead in abuse, 207, I
magnify human salvation and clergy, 295, III
not suffering for new world, 333, I
not telling truth, 351, I
pray against Jehovah's witnesses, 295, I
refuse debate, 291, I
that escape hand of king of north, 340, I
under demons, 223, I
Religious Intolerance, 25, I
Remnant, day cursed which brought forth, 218, I
delivered, return to youth, 283, I-287, I; 357, I-383, I
do not curse God, 198, I
Elihu-, 270, I-273, I
finish course, 370, I
Job after bereavement pictured, 172, I-173, I; 185, I, II
meet arguments of evil servant, 192, I
of Israel, 80, II pictured in Job's new children, 368, I; 367, I
see selves as of small account, 311, I
show the way of escape, 352, I-355, I
survival of, 242, II; 244, I; 248, I
Vindicator appears for the, 246, I-248, I
why not dying from the womb, 221, I; 230, I Repentance, of Job, 350, I, II
of Job's three friends, 351, I-355, I
Reproaches, fall on God's servants, 184, I; 186, I; 187, I Requirements, for Kingdom associates, 96, 1-99, I
for life, 266, I-268, I
revealed, 284, I
to meet Satan's challenge, 198, I
Resurrection, change, 367, I
general, of judgment, 100, I; 111, II
no reincarnation, 105, I
not for Job if unfaithful, 226, I
not till new heavens are set up, 238, I
of Jesus, 365, I
Righteousness restored to remnant, 287, II
S
Salvation, not by man's right hand, 313, I
of creatures secondary, 279, I
Sanctifttation, 143 I-1481, I
Sanctnary of Strength, 327 I
Satan, became man's overlord, 220, I
brings calamities to cause cursing, 159, II-163, I; 318, I
cannot now reverse situation, 370, II
comes to assembly of angels, 146, I;
did not admit defeat, 175, II; 178, I
goes about on earth, 148, I; 175, II
in heaven, 32, I
not bound before Job is healed, 361, I; 362, I
origin of, 24, II
permitted in heaven. 146, I, II
permitted to remain, 31, II; 176, II; 177 I
presented himself before God, 174, I;
proposed test of God's universal domination, 154, I-156, I; 178, I-180, I
proved a liar, 176, I
put Job to test, 157, I-163, I; 183, I-200, II
set up another world, 51, I
slandered Job to God, 152, I-153, II
Satan's Organization, 315, I-319, I
Seas, new order placed between mountain and, 345, I Sects, 275, I, II
Seed, affected by controversy, 156, I; 170, II; 171, I
of Abraham, 59, I-81, I; 94, I; 171, I
of woman, 81, I-32, I; 59, I-61, I; 94, I; 319, I; 336, I Seven Days, Job's friends spoke not, 213, I-216, I
Sheol, compared with grave, 237, I-261, I
Ships of Chittim, 326, I
Sin, issue is not the punishment of, 226, II
not with lips, 169, I
of world taken away, 121, II-122, II
Sing before men of God's grace, 288, I
Skin, body wastes away with, 246, I
for skin, 178, I
of teeth, 244, I
Society (The), Elihu pictured, 270, I; 273, I; 290, II; 291, I; 302, II
looks to Teachers, 299, I; 311, I
meaning; formed by God, 278, I
servant. 270, I; 271, I; 279, I
Son of Man, 82, II
Sons of God, married women, 39, II; 40, I; 146, I presented selves before God, 146, I, II; 174, I; 175, I
Soul draws near grave, 282, I
Spirit Creatures made before man, 16, I-18, I
Strange Act, change for new conditions by, 252, I
Elihu describes, 301, I-305, I
Job's parable describes, 261, I-262, I
time appointed for, 226, I
Strange Work, appointed times for, 226, I
to be magnified, 301, I
Strongholds, 337, I; 338, I
Suffering, affliction for Theocracy, 127, I
Jehovah answers Job concerning, 307, I-309, I; 347, I-348, II
of perfect for righteousness, 229, I; 230, I
Son made perfect through, 156, I; 297, I
why permitted, 176, II; 196, I; 197, I; 221, I; 242, I; 297, I
T
Tartarus, 29, I
Teachers, not men, 299, I; 311, I; 312, I
Temptation, hour of, 126, II
The Theocratic Government, associates with Jesus in, 93, I-99, I
devoted man gives all for, 179, I
followed end of Gentile Times, 78, I
Theocracy, born in 1914, 220, I; 264, II
defined, 68, I
faithful men looked for real, 74, I-76, I
governs new world, 114, I; 115, I
Jehovah the Author of, 68, II
Job prayed for, 264, I, II
king of typical, 73, I
multitudes turn to, 364, I
nothing moves faithful from, 371, I
organization of typical, 64, II-67, I
overthrow of typical, 77, I
religion beset typical, 74, I; 76, II
root words of name, 67, II
silence of professed friends on, 213, I-214, I
suffering affliction for, 126, II; 127, I
two kings strike at, 343, I
Theocratic Rule, blessings, joys of, 264, II
faithful men of old advocated, 74, I; 75, I
in original world, 22, II
Jesus and Job submitted to, 166, I; 168, I; 169, I
restored over remnant, 287, I; 357, I
Three Friends (Job's), 200, I-207, I
God angry with, 351, I
God provided escape for, 851, I-355, I
knew not Job, 209, I; 210, I
Tidings, 344, I
Time of the End begins, 78, I; 322, I; 349, I
Times of the Gentiles, duration of, 77, I
end of, 77, I; 78, I; 322, I
Kingdom awaited end of, 91, I; 92, II
set in, 73, I; 77, I
Titles, 277, I
Totalitarian Role, aggressions of, 257, I
all nations turn to, 342, I; 343, I
begun, 53, I
not in new world, 114, I
Vatican's relations with, 316, II; 323, I; 326, II Tribulation, for Theocracy or world? 126, II; 127, I
on Satan's world, 307, I
shortening of days of, 308, I
Types, 64, II-66, I
U
Understanding, in time of end, 349, I
suffering without, 348, I-349, I
words without, 298, I; 307, I; 308, II
Universal Domination, at stake, 117, I
God exercises, 18, I; 293, I, II
Jesus' position toward God's, 188, I-169, I
Lucifer raised issue of, 23, I-24, II; 30, I
Satan charges weakness to God's, 152, I-154, I
Satan demands test of God's, 154,1-156, I
Satan fails at, 370, II
the issue, 170, I; 196, I; 197, I; 315, I
Universal Organization, affected by controversy, 153, I-156, I
God supreme over, 18, I
vision of assembly of, 146, II
Universal Salvation, unscriptural, 122, I, II; 300, I Uprightness, God shows to man his, 283, I; 284, I
Uz, land of, 129, I; 130, I; 131, I
men named, 130, I-132, I
name, 140, I
V
Vindication of Jehovah's Name, before human salvation, 295, II-298, I
creatures unimportant as compared with, 236, I; 237, I; 273, I; 279, I; 311, I
Job longed for, 221, I; 224, II
made necessary, 28, I
new heavens for, 89, II
Vindicator, most arise for God's name, 233, I
pleads for man with God, 242, I
stands op on earth, 246, I-249, I
W
War In Heaven, 307, I; 308, I
Warning, 301, I; 362, I
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society,
Lord formed, 278, I
servant, 270, I; 271, I
totalitarians dissolve branches of. 327, I
Watchtower (magazine), mission of, 192, I
Weeping of religion over witnesses, 209, I; 211, I Whirlwind, Jehovah answers Job out of, 305, I-309, I
king of north comes like, 339, I
Wicked, ransom cannot save, 300, I
reserved to day of destruction, 253, I; 254, I
Wife of Job, 179, II; 188, 1-191, II; 356, I
Wisdom, of God and not of religion, 233, I; 234, I
selfish man uncovers not God's, 263, I
Woman (God's), desire of, 335, I; 336, I
universal organization, 18, I
Word of God, Jehovah's mouthpiece and coworker, 17, I
Satan casts suspicion on, 152, I-154, I
Words without knowledge, 298, I; 307, I; 308, II
World, after Flood, 51, I-56, I
destruction of old, 43, I; 46, I
downfall of, 28, I-30, I
eon (aion), meaning uninterrupted rule, 79, I
God created original, 15, I
God loved, 116, I-123, I
includes heaven and earth, 14, I; 22, I; 88, I; 118, I
kosmos, founded, 85, II; 86, I
no compromise, friendship with, 57, I
of righteousness, 117, I
rule in original, 22, II
this present evil, 56, I
to come, under Christ Jesus, 111, I
World Domination, Satan pushes scheme for, 62, I-64, I
World Powers, seven, 62, I-64, I
World War, God stopped, 283, I; 308, I, II
king of north lost, 325, I
opposing forces in, 322, I, II
World Without End, 112, I; 363, I; 371, I
Worlds that God made by Christ, 363, I
Worship, by survivors of Flood, 47, I; 48, I
Invasion of freedom of, 337, I; 338, I
pure and undefiled, 57, I
Wrath, keep me secret till past thy, 238, II
Y
Youth, return to days of, 286, I; 287, I
Z
Zion, God's universal organization, 18, I
Zophar the Naamathite, conspirator, 200, I, II
name and application, 136, I; 204, I; 205, I
two arguments of, 232, I; 249, II
INDEX TO SCRIPTURES CITED[]
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
1 Chronicles
Nehemiah
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggi
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
GENESIS
1:1 15
1:26 17
1:26, 28 111
1:28 20
2:17 20
2:23 180
3:1-5 204
3:1-6 167
3:4, 5 26
3:15 31
4:26 36
6:21-24 37
5:29 48
6: 2, 4 40
Chaps. 8, 9 48
8:20-22 48
9:4-11 304
10:7-10 53
10:8-10 204
10:10 54
10:22, 23 131
11:27, 28 58
12: 1-3 59
13:2, 5, 6 140
15:4 364
15:6 228
16:1, 2 336
18:19 138
22:17, 18 60, 95
22:20, 21 131
25:1-6 203
25:5 364
25:5, 6 141
29:1 141
30:1-3 336
EXODUS
2:21 204
9:16 32 ,66, 177, 363
12:12 66
19:5, 6 67
20:7 254
33:20 350
LEVITICUS
Chap. 16 144
26:18,21,24,28 77
NUMBERS
24:17-19 18
35:6-32 354
35:33 304
DEUTERONOMY
6:4-7 110
18:15-18 65
32:4 13
JOSHUA
4:1-8, 19-24 246
1 SAMUEL
1:2, 7-28 336
2 SAMUEL
Chap. 7 84
1 KINGS
4:25 73
22:19-22 175
1 CHRONICLES
29:23 73
NEHEMIAH
8:10 143, 231
JOB
Chap. 1 264
1:1 129, 134
1:2 138
1:3 139
1:4 142
1:4,5,18,19 357
1:5 143
1:6 146
1:7 148
1:8 135, 149
1:9, 10 152
1:11 154, 218
1:12 157
1:13 159
1:14, 15 159
1:10 160
1:17 161
1:18, 19 162
1:20, 1 152, 164
1:21 167
1:22 169
2:1 174
2:2 176
2:3 176
2:4 178
2:5 179
2:5, 9 218
2:6 181
2:7 183
2:8 187
2:9 188
2:10 192
2:11 200
2:12 209
2:13 213
3:1 217
3:2, 3 220
3:11-13 221
3:22 237
4:3 222
4:6 222
4:7 222
4:15-18 223
5:1 224
5:8 224
5:17-27 224
5:26 237
6:5 224
6:10 225
6:30 225
7:12 226
7:20 227
8:8 228
8:20 227
9:2 228
9:10 228
9:20 229
9:22 229
9:24 229
9:32-35 230
10:4 231
10:17 231
10:18 231
10:19 237
10:21, 22 238
11:3 232
11:6 232
11:8 237
11:20 232
12:2 234
12:7, 8 234
12:9 167
12:12 234
12:21 235
12:23 285
13:4 236
13:14-16 179
13:18, 19 238
13:23 286
14:4 235
14:7-10 237
14:12 238
14:13 238
14:14 368
14:19 239
15:10 240
15:25 240
15:29-35 241
16:2 241
16:4, 5 241
16:17 242
16:19 242
16:21, 22 242
17:1 237
17:1-3 248
17:5 243
17:18-16 243
17:16 237
18:8-21 244
19:3 244
19:20 245
19:21 245
19:22 245
19:23, 24 248
19:25-27 246, 350
19:29 249
20:3 250
20:5 253
20:23 250
21:7-14 253
21:17 254
21:29, 30 254
21:32 287
21:34 254
22:1, 2 202
22:2-4 255
22:5 255
22:5-14 264
22:8-17 255
22:21-80 255
23:2 256
23:8-9 256
23:10-42 257
23:13, 14 257
24:142 258
24:18 258
24:14, 20 259
24:22 259
24:24, 25 259
25:4 260
26:2-4 260
26:5 261
26:6 237, 261
26:9 261
26:11-13 261
27:2-6 262
27:7 262
27:8-10 262
27:13-23 263
28:1-13 263
28:28 263
Chap. 29 287
29:4 264
29:7-25 142
29:25 265
Chap. 30 134
30:1 265
30:2-8 266
30:9-19 266
30:19, 19 187
30:23 266
30:25-31 266
Chap. 31 151
31:9 207
31:9, 10 268
31:13-15 268
31:16-22 268
31:23 268
31:24, 25 268
31:26-28 268
31:29, 30 268
31:31, 32 268
31:33 268
31:84 269
31:35-37 239
31:36, 39 269
31:40 269
32:1 272
32:2, 3 273
32:3 274
32:4 275
32:6, 7 275
32:8 276
32:13 276
32:14 277
32:21, 22 277
33:4 278
33:6 279
33:12 279
33:13 280
38:14-16 280
33:17, 18 261
33:15-22 283
33:23, 24 283
33:25 286
33:26 287
33:27, 28 289
33:29, 30 290
33:32 290
34:2 291
34:3, 4 292
34:5, 6 292
34:7-9 292
34:10-12 293
34:13-15 293
34:17-28 294
34:29, 30 294
34:31-33 295
34:34-37 295
35:2 297
35:3 297
35:5-8 298
35:9-11 298
35:12-14 299
35:15, 16 299
36:2-4 299
36:5-15 300
36:17, 18 300
36:19-21 301
36:22-25 301
36:26-32 302
36:33 302
37:1-5 303
37:6, 7 303
37:8-13 304
37:14 3041
37:15-20 305
37:21 305
37:22-24 306
38:1, 2 307
38:2 308
38:3-38 309
38:7 18
38:33 310
38:39-41 310
39:9-12 311
39:19-25 311
39:27-30 311
40:1, 2 312
40:4 312
40:6-8 313
40:9-14 313
40:15 314
40:19 314
40:20-22 315
40:23 315
40:24 315
41:1 315
41:4 316
41:9, 10 318
41:12-30 318
41:31, 32 319
41:33, 34 319
42:1, 2 349
42:1-6 247
42:3 349
42:4 350
42:5, 6 350
42:7 352
42:8 353
42:9 355
42:10 356
42:11 364
42:12 365
42:13-15 366
42:16, 17 370
PSALMS
Chap. 2 203
8:4-8 366
8:6-8 140
11:5, 7 117
14:1 15, 193
16:10 238
17:15 288
19:12, 13 230
25:14 264
34:7 42, 362
34:9-11 143
45:8 368
45:13,14,16 369
45:16 102, 139
49:20 192, 244
50:5 85
51:5 134
53:1 81
69:9, 20 185
74:14 320
78:69 45
80:1 19
83:18 36
85:8 301
89:34-36,28,29 84
92:7-10 253
92:10, 11 311
94:20 226
96:10, 11 372
103:20 16
104:25, 26 316
106:34-42 77
110:1 93
110:1-4 358
111:10 195
118:22 365
125:3 357
146:8 117
PROVERBS
2:21 110
8:22 314
9:10 195
10:30 110
11:31 110
16:6 135
23:4, 5 205
29:2 103
30:8, 9 254
ECCLESIASTES
1:4 45
ISAIAH
1: 5, 6 184
2:4 74
Chap. 6 175
6:1-11 198
8:18 138,163
9:6 109
9:6, 7 139
10:21, 22 81
11:6-9 111, 366
12:1 239, 288
13:11, 13 14
14:12 18
14:12-14 24
27:1 320
28:16 365
30:20 234
32:1 103
42:5, 8 90
42:8, 9 346
42:19 266
43:10, 12, 21 231
45:1, 13 81
46:8 103
52:7 359
53:1-4 210
53:2, 4 184
53:9 238
54:11 369
54:5, 13 19
54:13 234
60:1, 2 220
61:1, 2, 10 288
61:1-3 72, 242
61:2 220, 361
61:2, 3 265
65:17 89
65:23 110
65:25 111
66:8 271
66:22 89
JEREMIAH
16:16 355
23:13 169
49:7 201
50:29, 31 319
EZEKIEL
Chap. 1 175
9:6 243
14:13, 14 132
14:16, 18, 20 132
20:5-9 135
21:25-27 77
24:15-24 356
24:21 243
28:13, 14 21
28:14, 15 148
28:15 24
28:16-18 28
29:3-6 320
30:2, 3 219
31:6, 7, 9 204
32:19 205
36:21-23 284
37:1-10 359
37:5-8 286
39:17-20 311
DANIEL
2:20, 21 321
4:16,23,25,32 77
6:4, 5 226
8:20, 21 63
10:20 70
Chap. 11 63, 125, 160, 322
11:27 203,324
11:28 150
11:28,30,40 98
11:29 326
11:30 326
11:31 125, 327
11:32 330
11:33 331
11:34 332
11:35 333
11:36 334
11:37 335
11:38 337
11:39 337
11:40 79, 339
11:41 340
11:42 341
11:43 343
11:44 344
11:45 345
12:4 79,230
12:9, 10 350
12:11 125
HOSEA
14:1,2 199
JOEL
2:28 287
3:12-14 204
OBADIAH
8, 9 201
JONAH
3:6 187
MICAH
4:3, 4 74
NAHUM
2:1-3 308
HABAKKUK
2:14 351
ZEPHANIAH
2:2,3 107
3:9 198
3:13 81
HAGGAI
1:12, 14 81
ZECHARIAH
3:3 349
MALACHI
3:1 256
3:1-3 104
3:3, 4 199
3:6 321
MATTHEW
3: 16, 17 85
4:8-10 55
4:17 90, 264
6: 9, 10 91
8:11, 12 105
8:23-27 163
9:15 159
10:7 97, 264
10:25 185
10:39 179
10:40-42 293
11:11 161
11:12, 13 85
12:30 124
12:31, 32 301
13:41-43 285
13:44-46 82
16:13 83
16:21-25 194
18:11 83
19:28 109, 368
20:28 83, 123
21:1-7 162
21:42-45 365
24:3, 7, 8 322
24:9 173
24:14 125, 248
24:15-21 125
24:19 243
24:21, 22 284
24:37,38,42, 106
24:45-47 271
24:48,49 190
24:49-51 356
25:1-13 193, 280
25:21 143
25:34 87
25:34, 46 109
25:41 219
25:45 215
26:31 166
26:39 221
26:53 168
26:56 163
MARK
1:16 162
3:13, 14 96
11:7-11 265
12:13 216
12:37 265
13:20 284
14:50-52 163
LUKE
2:14 84
3:38 21
4:5-8 55
11:54 216
12:31, 32 108
13:28, 29 105
14:26, 27 179
16:15 229, 278
16:16 85
16:19-30 359
17:20, 21 91
17:21 264
17:26 38
18:10-14 211
18:35-43 162
20:34-38 113
21:24 73,78
21:25 56
21:28, 31 126
22:28-30 97
22:31,32,54-62 145
22:53 168
22:61 163
23:46 168
JOHN
1:1-3,14 17
1:9 122
1:14 83
1:14, 18 17
1:29 122
3:13 101
3:16 17
3:16, 17 116
3:17 121
3:35, 36 118
5:27-29 101, 112
6:15 142
6:45 234, 285
6:62 86
7:1 162
7:7, 5 152
7:15 234
8:12 122
8:16, 29 169
8:44 325
8:46 225
8:51 109
8:66 61
9:39 121
10:10, 16 108
10:16 87, 139
11:25, 26 109
12:81 112, 121
12:46, 47 123
14:9 139
14:30 56, 325
15:16 96
15:20, 21 185
16:1-4 189
16:32 169
16:33 372
17:5 86
17:6,9,11,12,24 165
17:6,14,24 97
17:9, 20 354
17:24 87
18:8, 9 169
18:11 169
18:37, 36 91
19:11 168
19:12-18 162
19:30 168
ACTS
2:17 287
2:27-31 238
2:34 101
3:20-23 65
4:19, 20 257
5:29 257
12:22 70
15:14 270
17:5 70
17:22 70
17:30, 31 112
19:30, 33 70
24:15 112
ROMANS
1:20 15
1:21-32 53
1:31, 32 282
5:3 372
5:12 30, 134
6:3-5 99
6:16 52, 201
6:23 114
8:16-18 99
9:5 102
12:4, 5 96
12:12 372
13:1-4 249
13:1-5 282
16:17, 18 195
1 CORINTHIANS
1:8 267
4:7 166
5:7 86
10:11 66, 280
10:21 324
12:12-14 96
15:25, 26 114
15:50-54 367
2 CORINTHIANS
1:3, 4 361
4:4 56
8:9 158
11:2 366
GALATIANS
1:4 56, 79
3:7, 29 95
3:16 94
3: 19, 24 67
EPHESIANS
1:3-5 94
3:21 116, 372
5:28, 29 180
6:4 110
6:11, 12 51
6:11-18 318
PHILIPPIANS
2:5-8 158
2:8 178
2:9-11 99
2:10, 11 115
2:12 230
COLOSSIANS
1:13 79
1:15 16
1:18 9
2:17 6
1 THESSALONIAN
4:16 28
5:3 24
5:4-6 28
5:16 37
1 TIMOTHY
1:15 12
2:5, 6 123, 285
2:13 15
6:6-8 165
6:9, 10 195
6:13 168
2 TIMOTHY
1:9, 10 94
2:10-12 99
4:8 99
4:10 79
TITUS
2-12, 13 57
HEBREWS
1:2 364
1:3-9 366
2:5-9 111,366
2:6-9 140
2:9 123,140
2:10 156,298
2:13 138, 163, 165
2:14 25, 181
4:14-16 146
5:8 156
6:10 293
9:12,25,26 87
10:1 65
10:5-9 121
10: 12, 13 93
10:34 166
Chap. 11 61, 137
11:1-4 35
11:5 37
11:7 41,303
11:9,10,17-19 61
11:13-16,35-40 76
11:15, 16 134
11:24-26 149
11:33,34 137
11:35 100
11:40 90, 102
12:1 36
12:5,6,11 196
13:15 199
JAMES
1:13 177
1:17 165
1:26, 27 57
1:27 134
2:2-4 206
4:4 58,267
4:10 356
5:1-6 225
5:10,11 128,151
5:11 132,181
1 PETER
1:18-20 87
2:15 19
2:19, 20 177, 349
3:17 17
3:18 9
3:19,20 14
3:20,21 10
4:11 6
4:14-16 26
4:19 34
5:6 35
5:8,9 14
5:10,11 68
2 PETER
1:20, 21 12
2:4 29
2:4, 5 44
2:5 39
2:12 243
3:3-6 45
3:7 91
3:7, 8 112
3:7, 10 80
3:12, 13 89
3:13 50
3:13, 14 126
1 JOHN
2:1, 2 145
2:15-17 116
2:18 126
3:12 52
4:9, 14 123
5:18, 19 57
JUDE
6 (vs.) 29
9 284
14, 15 37
25 67
REVELATION
1:5, 6 67
1:18 93
2:10 98,178
3:10 127
3:14 16,92
3:18 359
3:21 98
Chap. 4 175
5:13 68
7:4 95
7: 9, 14 291
7:9-17 120
11:15 79,371
11:15-19 309
12:1-12 147,283
12:1-5,13,17 336
12:3 70
12:3,4 46
12:12 318
12:13, 17 173
12:17 221,271
13:1 70
13:1, 2 62
13:3 64
13:8 86
14:1, 3 95
14:4 119
16:13-16 207
16:14-18 106
17:1-5 193
17:8 86,362
19:7 95,366
19:7, 8 291
19:11 92
19:12-21 311
20:1-3 318,362
20:3,7-10 113
20:4 100
20:6 100
21:1-4 114
21:1,4 114
21:5 13
21:8 192
21:9 95
22:16 18
22:17 95
Train for Life in the New World
READ CHILDREN
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