Chapter 7
HIS WITNESSES
OVER a period of many centuries Jehovah God has been developing his capital organization, which shall rule the world in righteousness, and against which THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT no power shall ever prevail. That organization will be a complete vindication of Jehovah's name and to his everlasting glory. All power resides in Jehovah. He is the Almighty God, besides whom there is no other. For him to will that a thing be done means that it is certain to be accomplished. He could have built up the capital organization instantly had that been his will and purpose. That was not his purpose. As the Scriptures disclose, the development of God's capital organization, or kingdom, was for ages a mystery. That mystery he first revealed to his beloved Son, and then, after Jesus had been crucified, raised
from the dead, and exalted to heaven, Jehovah made known to men for the first time the meaning of that mystery. Does God's Word now revealed to man make clear the reason for the long period of time he was developing his kingdom? Yes; and the Scriptural answer to that question magnifies the name and power of the Most High.
The garden of Eden was a perfect place and one of beauty and glory. Therein God had placed the perfect human pair and issued to them his mandate to "multiply and fill the earth". Before doing anything to carry out that divine mandate Satan came upon the scene. Concerning that wicked one, Satan, the record reads: "In [the garden of] Eden the garden of God didst thou abide; . . . thou wast a cherub with outspread covering (wings); and I had set thee upon the holy mountain of God (as) thou wast; in the midst of the stones of fire [that is, covered with a blaze of glory] didst thou wander. Perfect wast thou in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till wickedness was found in thee." (Ezekiel 28:13-15, Leeser) Almighty God then declared his judgment of complete destruction of Satan. God made known that he would bring forth a seed that would destroy Satan, and which seed the Scriptures identify as Christ. — Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16,29.
Satan defiantly challenged the supremacy and power of Jehovah God. He declared that God could not put on earth a man that would remain faithful and true when put to the most severe test. (Job 2: 4,5) Almighty God could have immediately brought into existence his capital organization and immediately have destroyed Satan. But that was not his purpose. Being all-wise, God purposed and arranged that all creatures should have a free choice as to whom they would serve, and that there must be demonstrated before creatures who is supreme and who is righteous. Those choosing to serve the Devil should suffer destruction; those choosing to obey and serve Jehovah God should live; and to carry into completion his purpose God committed the work into the hand of his beloved Son, the Logos, that is, Jesus. That means that every man and every angel is free to choose whom he will serve, and hence he fixes his own destiny by his choice: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" — Romans 6:16.
It now clearly appears from the Scriptures that one means of keeping his purpose a mystery until due time to reveal it was to employ cryptic language and use symbols to represent realities. An instance is found in connection with the declaration
of God's answer to the wicked challenge of Satan. Pharaoh of Egypt was an arbitrary ruler of the first world power, which world power particularly stood for avarice, conquest and commerce. Pharaoh was the earthly representative of the Devil, or god of this wicked world, and Jehovah's answer to Satan's challenge was recorded at the time as though it were addressed to Pharaoh, but in fact is addressed to Satan. In answer to that wicked challenge Jehovah said: "Even now I might have stretched out my hand, and I might have smitten thee . . . but for this cause have I allowed thee to remain, in order to show thee my power; and in order that they may proclaim my name throughout all the earth." — Exodus 9:15, 16, Leeser.
Mark here the two things which God declared as his reason and purpose in deferring the execution of Satan until a time later: (1) to show God's supreme power; and (2) the making known of His name.
Said the Lord: "In order to show thee my power; and in order that THEY MAY PROCLAIM MY NAME THROUGHOUT ALL THE EARTH." The word THEY here used manifestly means all men on earth who would choose to faithfully serve Almighty God and obey his commandments. Therefore it follows that every person that receives the approval of Almighty God, and that receives from him life everlasting, must be a witness
for Jehovah God. There could be no exception to this rule, because God's rules do not change, and he is no respecter of persons. — Malachi 3:6; Acts 10: 34.
"Jehovah's witnesses"
The name "Jehovah's witnesses" means but one thing, to wit, that each one is to bear witness for Jehovah, the Almighty God, and for none other. They are Jehovah's witnesses, and not members of some sect or cult as the Devil would have others believe. They are selected by the Lord God. They are not subject to the control of human organizations or human power. Their allegiance is to Almighty God. They must obey his commandments and are responsible to God for their action. — Romans 14: 4.
This wicked world is now in the "last days" thereof. These are "perilous times", and the day for the execution of the wicked is just at hand and the Devil knows that his time is short. (2 Timothy 3:1; Revelation 12:12) "The battle of that great day of God Almighty," which shall destroy Satan's organization and all wickedness, is about to be fought. (Revelation 16:13-16) In these last days God has on the earth a comparatively small number of persons who are really devoted to him and his THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, and who now bear testimony to the name of God and his kingdom. The Devil would have all believe that this small com-
pany of faithful servants of Almighty God constitute a religious sect or cult following the lead of some man. No human power or organization could lead or control the witnesses of the Most High God. Even some countries, which are under the power and control of demonism, now declare by law that Jehovah's witnesses are illegal. Such worldly organizations show complete ignorance of the purpose and power of Almighty God. No earthly government or power has any authority to declare Jehovah's witnesses illegal; and in doing so such nation commits the rankest blasphemy and in due time shall receive a just recompense from the Lord's Executioner.
Jesus
One of the titles which God gave his beloved Son Jesus is "The Faithful and True Witness, the beginning of the creation of God". (Revelation 3:14) He is the Head and the first of all witnesses of Jehovah. All true and faithful followers of Christ Jesus are witnesses of Jehovah God. Almighty God appointed his beloved Son his Witness and sent him to the earth to bear witness before the people of the name and kingdom of the Most High. (John 8:14-18) Says Jehovah God of his beloved Son, Christ Jesus: "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." — Isaiah 55: 4.
Before the ruling power of Jerusalem Jesus said: "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18: 37) From these scriptures it necessarily follows that every person who becomes a follower of Christ Jesus and performs his covenant must be a witness to the truth and to the name and majesty and kingdom of Jehovah God, and is therefore one of Jehovah's witnesses. (1 Peter 2:21) To his faithful followers Jesus says: "And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." — John 15: 27.
A witness is one who testifies before others to that which is the truth. Every one, therefore, who proclaims to others the name, majesty and kingdom of Jehovah God is a witness for Jehovah.
Human Witnesses
Abel was the first righteous man on the earth after the tragedy in Eden. He was a witness to the name of Almighty God: "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: 4.
All faithful men specifically named at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews were witnesses to the name of Jehovah God, both by word
of mouth and by their course of life. By faith they saw THE THEOCRACY and declared themselves for that government of Almighty God, and thus they were witnesses to the name and majesty of Jehovah. All the faithful prophets of God were Jehovah's witnesses. Concerning that great prophet John the Baptist, it is written: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." — John 1: 6-8.
The faithful men of old above mentioned, and who included all the holy prophets, were witnesses of Jehovah. The word translated "witnesses" is the same word from which is translated "martyrs". Those faithful men of old were martyrs, sealing their testimony with their lifeblood. They were faithful witnesses of Jehovah. The Scriptures hold them forth as shining examples to be followed by those who should become members of the "holy nation" of God and also those who shall be their "companions"; as it is written: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." — Hebrews 12:1, 2.
So necessary and important is it to be a witness for Jehovah that each one who agrees to follow in the footsteps of Jesus is admonished to lay aside every weight, that is, everything that hinders the full performance of his duty to serve God; also that he must put aside the sin that "doth so easily beset" every creature, which sin is religion, because it is so very easy to fall under the influence of religion. This great sin, the Scriptures declare, must be laid aside and the Christian must become a faithful and true follower of Christ Jesus and, as such, be a faithful and true witness of Jehovah God.
Ordained
The word ordained, as defined by the best authority (Doctor Strong), means "to make; to appoint; to anoint; to constitute; to commission". Only the Lord, therefore, could truly and properly ordain one to become a witness for Him. Jesus applied the following prophecy to himself, and to all who are his true footstep followers: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim
the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." — Isaiah 61:1,2.
One who becomes a true and faithful servant of God and Christ, and who has received the spirit of the Lord, is ordained or commissioned to preach the good news of the Kingdom and to magnify Jehovah's name, and hence is an "ordained minister" of the gospel.
Not only are such persons appointed and commissioned by the Lord to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, but such are emphatically commanded that they must preach the gospel of this kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) When Christ Jesus appeared at the temple and put his consecrated followers to the test, he sent forth the approved ones to "offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness". (Malachi 3: 3) Such means that they must employ their lips and every other faculty possessed to bear witness to the truth of Jehovah's name and his kingdom. (Hebrews 13:15) Each one of such is appointed and commissioned to preach the good news by telling the people of the Kingdom, or THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. This positive command the Lord Jesus gives, to wit: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." — Matthew 24:14.
All such sincere followers of Christ Jesus who obey this commandment are Jehovah's witnesses, bearing testimony to his name and to his kingdom. No earthly power has any authority to interfere with their preaching "this gospel", because they are the witnesses of the Most High, or Almighty God, acting under his commandment.
In modern times the colleges and universities, and particularly so-called "theological schools", teach anything and everything but the gospel of God's kingdom. There are numerous religious denominations, which preach their own doctrines based upon the traditions or teachings of men. Prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple for judgment in 1918 many consecrated persons who were preaching to the people of and concerning his second coming were known as Millennial Dawnites, or Russellites, or International Bible Students, and other like sectarian names. But when the Lord Jesus cleansed the temple and the approved ones were sent forth to "offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness", God separated his faithful servants from all others. The approved ones, brought into the temple, were made a part of Zion, the elect organization of Jehovah; and to such the Lord says: "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as
a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." — Isaiah 62:1,2.
What Name?
All who now truly offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness must be witnesses to the name of Jehovah. They must go amongst the people and declare his name and his kingdom, and the message which such servants bear is contrary to that which religionists teach. Therefore the Almighty God separates his faithful witnesses from religious organizations, and this takes place at the time Christ Jesus, the great Judge, is dividing his "sheep" from the "goats".
(Matthew 25: 32) In this division the Lord God calls upon the tradition teachers to make their proof or else admit they are wrong; and thus it is recorded: "Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth." — Isaiah 43: 9.
Then the Lord addresses his faithful servants, who are wholly devoted to him, and says: "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God." (Isaiah 43:10,12) Here is the clear distinction between religionists and Christians. Jehovah's witnesses are his servants, and not the servants of any earthly organization.
It is these faithful servants of Almighty God and Christ who must fulfill the command and purpose of Jehovah God to 'declare his name in all the earth' just preceding the battle of Armageddon, at which time and place God will exhibit his supreme power against the Devil and all wickedness. — Exodus 9:16.
Companions
The "other sheep" of the Lord, the Jonadabs, who shall form the "great multitude", now flee to God's organization and find refuge under Christ the King. Hearing the message of the Kingdom, they choose to serve God and Christ. They become the companions of "the remnant", that is, the spirit company yet on the earth. As the companions of the remnant they too must be witnesses to the name and kingdom of Almighty God. The following prophecy now applies, because the remnant are taken into the house of the Lord and their companions are serving before the throne; hence it is written: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together; whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good." (Psalm 122:1-9) Therefore the Jonadabs join with the remnant in taking part
in the testimony to the name of Jehovah and to the great THEOCRACY, which is the only hope of mankind.
Invitation
Christ Jesus is that great Spirit, who is Head and King of Zion, the capital organization of Jehovah. The members of the church, that is, of "the body of Christ", of which Christ Jesus is the Head, are designated in the Scriptures as "the bride" of Christ. (Ephesians 1:22,23; John 3:29; Revelation 21:9) The Lord Jesus at the temple takes the lead in declaring the name and kingdom of Jehovah, and such witness work is done within the hearing of those persons of good-will that they may choose to serve God and live. Therefore the divine command is given: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." — Revelation 22:17.
That means that Christ Jesus and all those of "the remnant" on the earth will proclaim the name of Jehovah and his kingdom and thereby invite all who are of good-will toward him to come and find the way to life. The "companions" of those witnesses, that is, those who will form the "great multitude", hearing the Kingdom message, give heed and come to the Lord, and they too join in the invitation to all who hunger and
thirst for righteousness to come, that whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely. Thus the general invitation is now open to all of good-will, without limitation of number, to come to the Lord. The present is the time, therefore, when the way is open to those who seek the Lord, and this is the time mentioned in the Scriptures, to wit: "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13) Since the coming of the Lord to the temple this message of the Kingdom is the general invitation to all of good-will to come and take of the water of life freely, that is, to find the way to life and then to join in declaring that message throughout the earth.
"Strange Work"
Jehovah's witnesses and companions go from house to house calling the attention of the people to the Scriptures concerning Jehovah and his kingdom. That message of God's Word necessarily exposes religion as the instrument of Satan, used to deceive the people, and against which Almighty God has repeatedly given warning to those who will hear. While the apostles were on the earth they shunned religion, warned the people against it, and preached this gospel
of the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul, particularly, pointed out that religion is demonism. (Acts 17:22, Moffat, Rotherham; Galatians 1:6-16) Within a few years after the apostles had passed away professed Christian men, taking the lead in Christian organizations, fell victims to religion and religious practices and taught traditions of men rather than God's Word. They mixed God's Word with their traditions, and thus the people were easily deceived. That practice continued for centuries and is carried on to this day. Then in due time God sent his Messenger, Christ Jesus, to prepare the way before Him (Malachi 3:1); and doing such work, the Lord called out from religious systems those sincere persons who desired to see and looked for the coming of the Lord and his kingdom in glory. It was those faithful ones who, being tested at the temple, became Jehovah's witnesses of modern days, and such the Lord sends forth to preach "this gospel of the kingdom" as a witness to the nations of the earth before the final end of Satan's organization. The message of the Lord, therefore, discloses that religion, which is practiced by the denominations, is demonism and the religionists are blinded by the influence of the enemy and cannot see the truth. The Lord warns all sincere Christians to flee from religion and to serve God and Christ the King. He warns them that the day of his
wrath against all ungodliness is near, and therefore the people must abandon religion or demonism and serve God and his kingdom if they would be saved.
As Jehovah's witnesses go from place to place giving the warning from the Lord and proclaiming Jehovah's name and his purpose the religious leaders observing their work think Jehovah's witnesses are strange people and engage in a strange work, and they often say words to this effect: "It is strange that these people, who claim to be Christians, have to go about finding fault with our religion." It is the message of truth that exposes religion as a wrong thing. This "strange work" is God's work: "For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." — Hebrews 4:12.
This work of preaching "this gospel of the kingdom", giving warning to the people, is not the work of any man or men. It is God's work, and his servants engage in it because commanded by the Lord to do so. (Matthew 24:14) It is not done for the benefit of the wicked who oppose God, but is done for the benefit of sincere persons who are of good-will and who, because of wrongful influence, are held in restraint by religious organizations. The message of
truth is sounded and the warning is given that those who have faith in God and in his kingdom may flee to the place of safety and find the way to life when the wrath of God is expressed against the world. It is informative work, that those who desire righteousness may know how to choose the way that leads to safety and life. This work is not done for the purpose of holding up persons or groups of persons to ridicule or hatred; it is done in honor of the name of the Lord. The witness work points to Jehovah God and his kingdom as the only hope for human creatures who desire to live, and the doing of this work necessarily exposes ungodliness and all who are going in the wrong way.
God used Noah to give warning of His purpose to destroy all flesh because of the wickedness and violence which the demons had brought upon the people in that day. (2 Peter 2: 5; Genesis 6:11-17) The Israelites fell away to idolatry or demonism, called "religion", and God sent his prophets, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others, to warn them of his purpose to destroy that nation because they had violated their covenant, turned away from him and turned to demonism. The Lord Jesus specifically warned the Israelites against religion and religious leaders in order that those of good-will who desired to choose righteousness might do so. (Matthew 23:1-36) He emphatically told
the religious leaders that they had made the Word of God of none effect amongst the people because of teaching their traditions and that therefore they were the servants of Satan the Devil. — Matthew 15:1-9; John 8:40-44; Matthew 3:7.
There are many religious organizations in the earth today, not one of which advocates and supports THE THEOCRACY. All of them teach and follow the traditions of men, which is against the Lord, and all are an abomination in God's sight. There is a great and old religious institution that during the past 1500 years has spread all over the earth and has drawn into its clutches millions of persons, many of whom are very sincere, yet blind to the truth, and these are held in restraint by reason of the influence exercised over them by religious leaders. Such persons of good-will, God will see to it, shall have an opportunity of hearing the truth, that they may escape. That great religious institution is closely allied with commerce and politics and is a part of Satan's world. That great religious institution uses constantly as its slogan these words: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against us." Furthermore they say: "When God's wrath comes, it will not touch us, because we have made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell." The leaders of that great religious institution are proud, austere and scornful men that rule within their institutions and
exercise a powerful influence outside thereof. God, through his prophet and for the benefit of those who are held in restraint by such great religious institution, answers the boastful words of those scornful men in this manner: "So shall be wiped out your covenant with death, and your vision with hades [shall] not stand; when the overflowing scourge sweepeth past, then shall ye be thereby beaten down: as often as it sweepeth past, it shall take you away, for morning by morning shall it pass along, by day and by night; and it shall be nothing less than a terror to make out the message." — Isaiah 28:18,19, Rotherham.
That work of giving witness and warning is the work which Almighty God has arranged and commanded must be done just preceding the great battle of Armageddon. Note the prophecy in this connection: "For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act." — Isaiah 28:21.
And when is that "strange work" to be done? and when completed? The foregoing texts show that it immediately precedes God's "strange act", which "strange act" is the expression of his wrath at the battle of Armageddon, which is "the battle of that great day of God Almighty" and which shall completely wreck Satan's organization. This
is exactly in harmony with the declaration of Jehovah to Satan, to wit: 'For this cause have I permitted thee to remain, that I might show thee my power, and that they [my witnesses] may proclaim my name throughout all the earth.' — Exodus 9:16.
Just before God exercises his supreme power in the destruction of Satan's organization he does his "strange work" on earth, and this is done by sending his servants amongst the people to give warning to the honest and sincere ones who desire righteousness and to make known his own great name. This he does "for his name's sake". It therefore clearly appears that when God's "strange work" is done, which work is now in progress and which shall be done by the proclamation of his name and kingdom, that work will immediately be followed by the greatest tribulation that the world will ever have known, about which Jesus said: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." — Matthew 24:14,21.
Everyone who loves righteousness must take his stand now on the side of THE THEOCRACY and must participate in the "strange work" of proclaiming the name and kingdom of the great THEOCRAT, Jehovah God,
and his King, Christ Jesus. It is those people who now hear his warning and give heed to it, and who turn to the Lord and find refuge in Christ, and who immediately become his servants, that will be saved and receive his blessings. None other shall escape: "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." — Psalm 89:15,16.
"Oh, John, we must immediately become witnesses to the name and kingdom of Jehovah, and we must do our part in telling others about Him and his kingdom."
"To that I fully agree, Eunice. In this hour of world distress it is our privilege to be on the Lord's side and proclaim his name. Our eternal salvation depends upon our faithful service to God and his King from henceforth. What may we expect from others if we engage in this witness work?"
