Chapter 11
FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE
JEHOVAH'S name is above all things and of supreme importance. His name stands for everything that is good, pure, righteous and holy. His name stands for his purpose toward all creation. His name means that he is the Maker of heaven and earth and the Giver of life to all that shall ever have life. Centuries ago Satan challenged the name of the Most High, and from then till now Satan has brought great reproach upon the name of Almighty God. Under the influence of that wicked one the masses of human creation have defamed Jehovah's holy name. The Almighty God is long-suffering and permits the wicked to pursue their course of wickedness until his own due time to exalt and vindicate his name. The day of complete vindication of Jehovah's holy name is nigh. During the
long period of time from the rebellion to the time of vindication Jehovah has shown his favor to those who obey him, and this he has done primarily for his own name's sake.
Men of the world generally think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. Many Christians likewise fall into the same error. Men usually take themselves too seriously and magnify their own importance. Rulers and leaders amongst the nations receive some power, authority and honor from the people and for that reason become highly exalted in their own mind. The religious leaders, although claiming to serve God, do not give the honor and glory to God's name that is due him, but they take the honor and praise to themselves. They scorn the counsel of Jehovah's Word and put forward the counsel and tradition of men in the place and stead of the Word of God. They rule the religious organizations according to their own worldly wisdom and thus turn the people to themselves and away from Almighty God. Jehovah has permitted them to go on in their own way of selfishness and has not hindered them in their work which has reproached his name, but in his due time, as God announces, he will take notice of those who reproach his name and will duly recompense them. Because the name of Jehovah is of the highest importance the redemption and salva-
tion of men is of secondary and far less importance. Therefore human creatures should learn to think of themselves as dependents upon the Lord.
When Saul of Tarsus was a member of the Sanhedrin, and a teacher of "the Jews' religion", he reproached the name of Jehovah God and the Lord Jesus Christ. But when he saw his great error he straightway faced about and devoted himself wholly and unselfishly to the service of God and Christ. Then he admonished his fellow followers of Christ Jesus in these words: "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." — Romans 12: 3.
Manifestly a man who has no faith in God and his Word cannot think soberly of himself. The greater a man's faith, the more he appreciates his relationship to the Creator.
Many Christians who have leaned to their own selfish understanding have come to the conclusion that God has called them to the heavenly calling because he needs them to operate the universe. In this they are very wrong. They swell up and exhibit their importance, but they appear ridiculous in the sight of the Lord. God selected the Israelites as his typical people for himself, to the exclusion of all other nations. The Israelites
then regarded themselves as of very great importance and indispensable to the Lord. For this reason they fell easy victims to religion or demonism. They committed sins and forgot God; but when they repented and cried unto the Lord he heard them and returned them to his favor. Did Jehovah forgive them and receive them again into his favor because he needed them or because they were worthy? No; but he did so for his own name's sake. Jehovah's name was at issue, and for his name's sake he continued to be long-suffering toward his typical people and continued to show his mercy toward them. God addressed these words to the Israelites, and they apply with stronger force to all who have since made a covenant to do his will, to wit: "Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: . . . But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt." — Ezekiel 20:7-9.
The Israelites time and again turned to religion, or demonism, amongst the heathen or non-Israelite nations whither they went: "But I had pity for mine holy name, which
the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes." — Ezekiel 36:21-23.
God did not hinder the Israelites in walking in the way of demonism or religion which was practiced by the heathen or nations round about them, but when they repented for their wrong course and turned again to God and cried unto him he received them, not for their sake, but because he had put his name upon them. The Israelites were God's typical people, and they foreshadowed particularly the people who, during the period of time from the apostles to the second coming of Christ, have claimed to be followers of Christ Jesus and have appeared and carried on their work under the name of "Christendom". Most of such persons have practiced religion contrary to the Word of God, and God has not prevented them from doing so, but has continued to work with those who do show faith and obedience to the end that
he might bring forth a faithful "people for his name". At the appearing of the Lord Jesus at the temple in 1918 he judged his people and separated the approved ones from the others and sent forth these approved ones as witnesses to the name of Jehovah "that they [might] offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness", to wit, the praise of their lips. — Malachi 3:1-3; Hebrews 13:15.
"Other Sheep"
It is the will of God that Christ Jesus now gather unto himself his "other sheep", and these are designated in the Scriptures as "persons of good-will" or "Jonadabs". Having purchased them with his own precious blood, the Lord now sets before them his message of truth to the end that those who hear and believe and obey him may seek him and find the way to life. This he does not do because of the importance of the human creatures who are his "other sheep", but he gathers them to himself because the name of Jehovah God is involved and the name of Christ Jesus is linked directly with the name of his Father. Therefore what God is now doing toward those of good-will is for his name's sake. Those who are saved and brought through the great tribulation of Armageddon will be so favored, not because of their own merit, but because Jehovah's name is involved, and
they will be saved "for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known". — Psalm 106:8.
"For His Name"
It was some time after Pentecost and the coming of the holy spirit that the apostles of Jesus Christ began to understand and appreciate why God had made salvation possible for men who obeyed him, and that without regard to nationality. Up to that time God had dealt with the Jews alone, and the Jews thought salvation was for them alone; but in this they were wrong. When the gospel of the Kingdom was first taken to the non-Jews there was for a time some difference of opinion amongst the apostles as to the propriety of such. They assembled at Jerusalem and considered the matter, and the holy spirit directed them, and Barnabas and Paul declared that God had wrought miracles amongst the non-Jews, of which they were witnesses. Then others at that meeting spoke: "And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles [non-Jews], to take put of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and
I will set it up; that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things." (Acts 15:13-17) Thus the Lord God made them understand that he was taking out from among obedient men a people for his name, and this he was doing without respect to persons or nationalities.
The people so taken out from the world for the name of Jehovah are the ones who become Jehovah's witnesses to declare his purpose and to make known his name throughout the earth immediately preceding the time when God shows his power against the organization of Satan, which he will do at Armageddon. This is exactly in harmony with his declaration made to Satan long centuries ago. — Exodus 9:16.
Those who are thus taken out as a people for Jehovah's name must bear testimony to his name and must carry the Lord's message concerning his name and his kingdom to others who will hear. All such faithful ones are Jehovah's witnesses, and the work in which they are engaged is God's work, which he designates in his Scriptures as "his strange work" because that work exposes the fallacy of religion and seems "strange" to religious men. It is the people of good-will toward God who hear the message, and who give heed thereto, and who flee to the Lord for refuge and protection,
which they see they must do before the expression of God's wrath at Armageddon. These people of good-will are the "other sheep" of the Lord, who from that time onward until Armageddon faithfully do the will of God and who, doing so, shall in due time become the "great multitude". These are saved and commissioned by the Lord God through Christ Jesus to do certain work, not for their sakes, but for his holy name's sake. All honor and praise are due to Jehovah God; therefore it is written in his Word: "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." — Psalm 29:2.
All persons whom the Lord God has used to bear testimony he has used for his name's sake. When Jehovah sent Moses into Egypt to lead the Israelites out of that land where they were oppressed he did so for his own name's sake. He took the Israelites out of Egypt to be used to bear testimony to his name. "And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?" (2 Samuel 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:21) Having chosen the Israelites to be used as witnesses to his name, God wrought with them thereafter for his own name's sake.
All the holy prophets selected and sent forth by Jehovah were used to bear witness to his name. Those men, together with other faithful men of old, God selected and used for his name's sake, and for that reason all of them were witnesses for Jehovah and properly called "Jehovah's witnesses". Jerusalem was the typical holy city, and God put his name on Jerusalem, and there he caused Solomon to build the temple, and that was for his name's sake. — 1 Kings 9: 3.
When Jesus was sent of God to the earth he came, not to magnify himself, but to magnify his Father's name and to bear testi-
mony concerning his Father. (John 5:43) Jesus did testify to and glorify his Father's name while on the earth. (John 12:28) The capital organization of Jehovah, composed of Christ Jesus and the 144,000 members of his body and known as "Zion" or the official organization of Jehovah, is builded up for the sake of Jehovah's name. God gave to Jesus twelve apostles, all of whom were faithful except one. Of the faithful ones Jesus says to Jehovah: "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." — John 17:6.
All the members of "the body of Christ" are selected to bear witness to the name and kingdom of Jehovah before others. When God's servants are in trouble he brings them out of trouble for his name's sake, even as he saved his typical people for his name's sake. — Psalm 143:11.
The great issue or question for determination, and which is before all creation, is the name of Jehovah, the Almighty God. Who is the supreme and almighty One? The Most High, the supreme and all-powerful, is Jehovah. This great truth Satan disputes, and therefore the name of Jehovah must be vindicated, and it will be vindicated completely by Jehovah in his due time. Jehovah God is the fountain of life, and everyone who calls upon Jehovah's name has the
opportunity to be saved from death; but no others will be saved from death. (Romans 10:13) Jehovah has put his name upon his official or capital organization, and through the Head of that organization he grants life to all who call upon and who remain faithful and true to his name. (Joel 2:32; Acts 2: 21) Not one of these brings any profit to God, even as Jesus said: "When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants : we have done that which was our duty to do." — Luke 17:10.
God is under no obligation to save anyone, but he does save those who call upon his name and who render themselves willingly in obedience to him; and he receives them and saves them for his own name's sake and for the vindication of his name.
Why does Jehovah permit his servants to be persecuted? Because of Satan's challenge to God that no man will remain faithful to God when put to the severe test. (Job 2:5) Jehovah does not compel anyone to obey him, but he sets before man life and death and he permits man to choose, and those who choose to serve God and who put forth their very best endeavors to do so God saves for his name's sake and the vindication of his name. It is the Devil, the chief of demons, and his agents that persecute the servants of God because they declare the name of the Most High. It will be found that in nearly
every instance those who persecute the witnesses of the Lord are religionists and practice religion; and this is further proof of the fact that religion is the instrument of the Devil to blind men and then to use those blinded ones to persecute the servants of Jehovah and Christ Jesus. — 2 Corinthians 4:3,4.
God Forgotten
The nation of Israel were the typical covenant people of God and were used by him to foreshadow his covenant people under Christ, and hence the Israelites are known as a typical people. That which came to pass upon Israel applies particularly to the present time, because we are now at the end of the world, and God makes known these truths to his faithful servants that they may receive comfort and have their hope strengthened. — 1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4.
In the days of the apostles Christianity grew and many persons became followers of Christ Jesus. Shortly after the death of the apostles an organization was formed which was labeled "the Christian religion". Later other organizations similar were formed and they operated under the name "Christian religion". These religious organizations spread throughout the nations, and many of the nations of earth accepted that "Christian religion" and claimed to be "Christian
nations", and hence such nations have been known and are known as "Christendom". Because the nation of Israel fell away from God, the Lord God called them "backsliders", and in that the Israelites foreshadowed "Christendom" as she exists now upon the earth. Although claiming to follow Christ and to obey God, the so-called "Christian religion" organizations have become backsliders and have joined hands with political and commercial organizations to govern the earth. By his prophet Ezekiel Jehovah long ago described "Christendom", foretelling her course of action and the end thereof, and that He would make all know that he is Jehovah when he vindicates his holy name. (See book Vindication, in three volumes.)
The nations that have called themselves "Christian" or "Christendom" have been before the Lord Jesus the great Judge for judgment since the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple in 1918. The undisputed facts show that all such nations called "Christendom" are now properly labeled as "backsliders", because not one of those nations now advocates or supports the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ the King. On the contrary, all nations are against God and his kingdom and propose to rule the world by selfish men. The founders of the United States of America fled from religious persecution in Europe and located in
America, where they might worship God without hindrance. Being so thoroughly convinced of the right of man to worship God according to his own conscience, those founders of the nation wrote into the fundamental law of the land that no human power shall interfere with any person in the worship of Almighty God according to the dictates of his own conscience. For 150 years, approximately, the nation and the states composing the nation have recognized the right of every man to worship God according to his own conscience and the courts have so held repeatedly. In more recent years there has been an organized movement to interfere with and to persecute those who worship God in spirit and in truth by declaring the name and kingdom of Jehovah.
This has been particularly made manifest since the coming of the Lord Jesus, and this is to be expected according to the prophecies written aforetime. Since then in particular the religious, political, and law-making and law-enforcement bodies of the nation put the state above God, and by rules or laws attempt to compel the people to serve God contrary to their own conscience and contrary to Jehovah's Word, and thus to indulge in religious ceremonies which are against God's Word. Therefore in these nations all the true followers of Christ Jesus who insist on announcing the name and
kingdom of God under Christ are hated. And why are they hated?
The religious, political and commercial rulers of the nations of "Christendom" hate the true servants of Jehovah because they proclaim his name and his kingdom. They have forgotten God. Love for God and his kingdom is not among them. Selfishness rules in the hearts of such men. By their words they claim to serve God, but they have no love for or devotion to him whatsoever. The present-day condition now existing amongst the nations called "Christendom" was clearly foretold in the scripture, written under inspiration from God, and which therefore is prophetic, to wit: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." — 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
God's Judgment
Today the religious organizations have and exhibit a form of godliness and perform ceremonies, claiming to honor God, but in fact they are against God and against
his kingdom. The command of the Lord's Word to those who love righteousness is that they should turn away from such religious organizations, have nothing to do with them, and flee to Christ and to his kingdom. Many persons of good-will toward God, and who have been associated with such religious organizations, are now following the Scriptural advice and are shunning religion, fleeing therefrom, and diligently seeking the Lord. All persons of good-will toward God will now turn away from religion and flee to the kingdom under Christ, and this they will do and must do before Armageddon if they will be saved. Each one must choose for himself.
All those who have professed to serve God and Christ and who now oppose God and his kingdom under Christ are "wicked" within the meaning of the Scriptures. In the near future the wrath of Almighty God against all wickedness will be expressed at Armageddon in the most devastating tribulation the world will ever have known. (Matthew 24:21) In that tribulation all the wicked shall go down to destruction. Mark, therefore, the judgment of ALMIGHTY GOD written against all nations and peoples that have forgotten God, to wit: "The wicked shall be turned back unto Sheol [hell, or, oblivion], even all the nations that forget God." — Psalm 9:17, Am. Rev. Ver.
God commands all of his covenant people, including those who are in an implied covenant with him, as follows: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." — Exodus 20:3-5.
The so-called "Christian nations" compel many to hail men and honor men, contrary to the Word of God and contrary to the fundamental law of the United States of America, and thus the state is placed above or superior to the law of Almighty God. Concerning such it is written: "If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart." — Psalm 44:20,21.
They cannot hide their wrongful acts from Almighty God, and in due time he will recompense them for their wrongdoing. "Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up." — Psalm 28:5.
The nations of "Christendom" have forgotten what Jehovah did at the flood in Noah's day. Immediately following the flood God announced his "everlasting covenant" concerning the sanctity of human life. (Genesis 9:5,6) All the nations of "Christendom", without exception, have forgotten God's everlasting covenant, and concerning this it is written: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." — Isaiah 24: 5, 6.
Today "Christendom", so called, sets a specific time in which prayers are offered for world peace and prosperity, while at the same time such nations indulge in the slaughter of many innocents. Inside the religious organizations men with their lips speak words appearing to honor God and yet at the same time indulge in persecuting every one who faithfully proclaims the name of God and his kingdom under Christ. Such persecutors have forgotten God, and therefore he says to them: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: there-
fore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down [by putting the state and men above God, and man's law above God's law] shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?" (Isaiah 29:13-16) "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes." (Proverbs 12:15) "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." — Proverbs 14:12.
The nations called "Christendom" now bitterly persecute the servants of Almighty God who declare his name and his kingdom, and these have forgotten that God has builded his own organization for his honor and vindication of his great name and that he has declared that he will avenge his people at Armageddon against those who have persecuted his servants. — Luke 18: 7,8.
The nations that call themselves "Christian" or "Christendom" have forgotten Jehovah the Almighty God and his kingdom, and have made silver and gold, the work of
men's hands, their gods, and have turned to idolatrous worship. "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands." (Psalm 135:15, Rev. Ver.) The public press furnishes the following information: "The United States Treasury has hidden away in secret strongholds $22,200,000,000 in gold. . . . Students of men and events are wondering what good the hoarded gold will do to the United States." (San Diego Sun, March 5, 1941, edition)
God foreknew and foretold: "All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity." (Ezekiel 7:17-19) Millions of persons who now have no gold are undernourished and are unable to get the necessities of life. Some religious institutions have hoarded a tremendous amount of silver and gold. It will do them no good.
The law which Jehovah first announced to his typical, covenant people, and which law never changes, now applies with even stronger force, if possible, to "Christen-
dom", because the nations of "Christendom" have had the advantage of God's published Word, coupled with the experiences of the nations that have gone before and have perished. Concerning such Jehovah God's law is: "And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God." — Deuteronomy 8:19, 20.
"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries [demonism] were all nations deceived." — Revelation 18:23.
Never in all time has there been so much wickedness in the earth as at the present. It is even worse than in Noah's day. Wickedness has sprung up like the grass in the springtime. All nations of "Christendom" are against God and all servants of his kingdom they hate because such servants proclaim his holy name. Therefore says the Lord: "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly." (Zephaniah 1:14)
"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." (Psalm 92:7) God will destroy them for ever, and "the name of the wicked shall rot". — Proverbs 10:7.
Vindication
The name of Jehovah shall endure forever. "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him: all nations [that survive] shall call him blessed." (Psalm 72:17) "Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12, Am. Rev. Ver.) There is but one nation embraced within that scripture, and that is God's "holy nation" which he has chosen for his name's sake. — 1 Peter 2: 9,10.
Soon the "princes" and the "great multitude" will be associated with that holy nation in carrying out Jehovah's purpose. The THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT is of greatest importance because that government will fully vindicate Jehovah's name. God ministers salvation to life through that government, and there is no other possible means of obtaining life everlasting. (Acts 4:12) Salvation is not for the wicked at any time. "Far from the lawless is salvation, for thy statutes have they not sought." — Psalm 119:155, Rotherham.
Those faithful men of old will soon be resurrected as perfect human creatures and shall be the "princes [or visible rulers] in all the earth". (Psalm 45:16) They have had their test and proved their faithfulness, and their coming forth to life everlasting will be a vindication of Jehovah's name.
The people of good-will toward God who are the "other sheep" of the Lord are now fleeing from religion and from every part of Satan's organization and taking their stand on the side of THE THEOCRACY and are joyfully proclaiming the name and kingdom of the Most High. Continuing faithful and maintaining their integrity, they will be carried through Armageddon in the antitypical ark, Christ Jesus, and will form the "great multitude" that shall receive life everlasting on the earth and carry out Jehovah's purposes concerning them. That "great multitude" will be a vindication of Jehovah's name. All these saved and blessed ones will be proof positive that Satan is the father of lies and that all his servants do his bidding and shall share his fate.
The Christ, the "princes" in the earth, and the "great multitude", all in due time forming "one fold", shall constitute the official servants of the Most High God and shall forever proclaim the glory of his name. All people that shall thereafter live shall
sing the praises of the Most High. — Psalms 66:4; 89:15,16.
The children that now hear the name of Jehovah and learn of his kingdom have set before them the greatest privilege that has ever come to children at any time. Many of these children are fleeing to the Lord's organization and taking their stand firmly on the side of his kingdom and are declaring his name, and the hope set before them is that they shall be members of the "great multitude" and dwell forever in righteousness upon the earth. Blessed is the child who is now a witness to the name of Jehovah and his kingdom. It was prophetically written concerning such children: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies; that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." — Psalm 8: 2.
Such children are now calling on the name of the Lord and are faithfully and effectively bearing testimony to his name and to his kingdom. Because Satan knows that such children will be a vindication of and forever a praise to Jehovah's name Satan desperately tries to keep the children away from God. He invents all kinds of ceremonies and schemes to turn them away from God. Parents that love God and love their children will now be diligent to instruct their children and lead them in the way of
God and his King, as the Scriptures direct that they must do.
Contrast
God's prophetic Word draws a sharp contrast between the rule by selfish, ambitious men and the rule of the world under The THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." — Proverbs 29: 2.
The physical facts well known to all today make the understanding of the above scripture quite easy. Every nation of earth today is marked with great mourning. Many of the nations are at war, and great sorrow and suffering are upon all the people thereof. Other nations are fearful that they will soon be plunged into war, and they are mourning because of what they see coming upon the earth amongst them. In many of the nations famine stalks through the land and pestilence feeds upon the people. The shroud of death is about all people, and great is their sorrow and mourning. In view of these facts let each one who thinks soberly determine who rules the world today, "the wicked" or "the righteous"! There is but one answer to that question.
Christ Jesus is the great and righteous One, upon whose shoulder the government of everlasting peace and righteousness shall rest. (Isaiah 9:6,7) Under his rule there
will never be another war. (Isaiah 2:4) Under the reign of the great THEOCRACY death shall be destroyed and there shall be no more crying or sorrow. (Revelation 21:4; 1 Corinthians 15:25,26) The THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT will be ruled in righteousness by its righteous King; and the earthly representatives thereof, or visible rulers, will do justice to the people and carry out the righteous judgments of Almighty God. (Isaiah 32:1) Under the rule of THE THEOCRACY, therefore, all the people will rejoice, and that righteous rule shall stand forever and will be a monument to the supremacy and righteousness of Jehovah and will be an everlasting vindication of his holy name. Those who desire to live and who love righteousness will now give heed to the admonition of the Lord and flee to that Kingdom.
Jehovah is now doing "his work", and he is causing his name to be declared and is making known the blessedness of his kingdom in order that all persons of good-will toward him may choose to serve him and live.
"My choice, Eunice dear, is to serve Jehovah and his THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, and I now declare aloud that I make this my choice. Will you choose to go with me?"
"Dear John, I would choose nothing else. I delight to join with you now to speak aloud
and say, I too choose to serve Jehovah God and his kingdom under Christ. By His grace, we will serve him forever."
"Some sweet day, Eunice, we shall have some children and they will be greatly blessed. The prospect set before us is glorious. Seeing that God made the earth for righteous men, shall we in our next study learn if possible what Almighty God purposes toward beautifying the earth?"
