Chapter 8
OPPOSERS
JEHOVAH, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is righteous and all things with him are righteous. "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." (Psalm 145:17) "For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." (Psalm 11: 7) Likewise Jehovah's beloved Son is righteous, holy and pure; and because he loves righteousness at all times Jehovah has exalted him to the highest place next to the Almighty himself. "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." — Psalm 45: 7.
Who could hate Jehovah God, and who could plant hatred in the mind of another against the Almighty God, who is love? Only the wicked one, Satan the Devil. His name Satan means adversary or opposer of God. Satan is the prince of the world, from the time of Eden onward to Armageddon, and the entire world is under the power and influence of Satan, that wicked one. (John 12: 31; 1 John 5:19) Therefore all creatures that hate Jehovah, the Almighty God, are the servants of the Devil. All who hate the Lord Jesus Christ are likewise servants of the Devil. All who hate the faithful servants of God and Christ are also of the Devil. These scriptures should convince all sincere persons who desire righteousness that those who hate Jehovah's witnesses and persecute them are instruments of "that wicked one", who hates God and Christ, and that all such opposers of Jehovah and his kingdom are doomed for destruction. But why does the world hate the Lord Jesus Christ, as stated in the text? His answer is: 'The world hateth me because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.' (John 7:7) The world hates all who faithfully follow in the footsteps of Jesus by giving testimony to Jehovah's name.
What is meant in these texts just cited by the term "the world"? The people and nations of earth that are under the influence of demons, of which Satan the Devil is the
prince or chief of demons, constitute the world that lies in the wicked one. (1 John 5:19, Diaglott) The world is made up chiefly of three ruling elements, to wit: religion, politics, and commerce; and all persons who thus rule practice some kind of religion, which is demonism, because their practice is contrary to God's Word. The world, therefore, consists of the organization of the peoples of earth into forms of government which are dominated by the power and influence of the invisible overlord, Satan. The new world will consist of all people who survive Armageddon, and who love righteousness and hate wickedness, and such will live on the earth under the supervision and control of the invisible, righteous overlord, Christ the King. Thus it is seen that all people and all nations must now be separated or divided into two classes, that those who love righteousness and who serve righteousness shall live, and that those who choose wickedness shall be destroyed. "The Lord preserveth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy." — Psalm 145: 20.
The name Devil means traducer or slanderer. The name Jehovah God means the Almighty's purpose toward his creatures. The Devil began to defame the name of Almighty God when he told the first lie to Eve. From that time till now the Devil has constantly slandered the name of Jehovah, and the Devil has caused multitudes of crea-
tures to become slanderers and haters of the name of Almighty Jehovah God. For this purpose the Devil put Nimrod forward as one equal to or above God, and hence Nimrod was honored as "a mighty one" "before the Lord". (Genesis 10: 8-10) Nimrod was the leader of the first organization of religion following the flood. The Devil and his servants have continuously reproached the name of Jehovah God; and His beloved Son, Christ Jesus, has always magnified the name of Jehovah. For that reason the Devil has continuously reproached the name of Jesus Christ. For this reason it is written of Christ Jesus: "The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." — Psalm 69:7,9.
Every creature who has been faithful to Almighty God has suffered reproach, slander, opposition, persecution and cruelty. The faithful men of old, from Abel onward, suffered all manner of reproach and cruel punishment for the reason that they were for and declared the name of Almighty God and his coming kingdom. No one who loved God could be guilty of inflicting punishment upon those faithful men who proclaimed the name of Almighty God. The Devil was the one who brought reproach upon them and caused their suffering, and this the Devil did because those faithful men proclaimed the name of the Most High.
From the very day that Jesus began to proclaim the name and kingdom of Jehovah the Devil opposed him and sought to bring about his destruction. (Matthew 4: 1-11) The Devil and his associate demons continued to reproach, slander and persecute Jesus, and to falsely charge him with crime, and finally brought about his crucifixion. The faithful servants of Jesus Christ spend their days declaring the name of Jehovah and Christ Jesus the King, and the Devil and his agents constantly reproach them and persecute them. And why? Because they uphold the name of the Lord and joyfully proclaim his name and his kingdom.
Devil's Servants
A Christian is one who is a follower of Christ Jesus and who therefore proclaims the name of Jehovah and his kingdom. No true Christian ever persecuted another Christian. A person may claim to be a Christian and indulge in reproaching God and Christ and in persecuting true Christians, but that claim of being a Christian is false. No one who loves God and his kingdom could hate, reproach or persecute a true follower of Christ Jesus. Any person who reproaches the name of God and Christ thereby shows himself to be an enemy of God and Christ, and a servant of the Devil: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your-
selves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" — Romans 6:16.
If a person claims to love the Lord and at the same time indulges in slander, reproach and persecution of others who are serving God and Christ, that slanderer shows that he is the servant of Satan. Says Jesus: 'He that is not for me is against me.' (Matthew 12: 30) It follows, therefore, that every one who is not for the Lord and his Kingdom is a servant of Satan, and that of necessity is true, whether such person realizes it or not.
Religionists
The unbroken line of Bible testimony shows that at all times those who have indulged in reproaching the name of Almighty God and Christ and in the persecution of God's servants have been and are those persons who indulge in and practice religion. This is further proof that religion is demonism and religion is brought into action by the chief of demons, Satan, for the very purpose of bringing reproach upon the name of God and Christ and all those who serve him. For this reason Jehovah warned his chosen people that they must shun religion or demonism because the same is a snare unto all who attempt to serve righteousness. (Deuteronomy 7:1,16) The nation of Israel yielded to religion, disobeying God's com-
mandment, and that nation suffered destruction. It was the scribes, priests and Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel, that persecuted the prophets of God, and this Jesus plainly told them, as set forth at Matthew 23:33-36.
It was the same class of religious leaders that reproached the name of Jesus and sought to kill him because Jesus preached the truth of and concerning Jehovah and his kingdom. Jesus told them that they were servants of the Devil. (John 8: 40-44) It was that same class of religionists who made the Word of God of none effect by their teaching the traditions of men, and at the same time those religionists claimed to be servants of God. Their claim was false, and in fact they served the Devil. — Matthew 15:1-9.
The men who falsely charged Jesus with treason and caused him to be put to death were religious men and leaders in religious practices. Not willing to have Jesus tried upon truthful testimony, those same religious leaders sought false witnesses in order to convict Jesus and bring about his death. (Matthew 26:57-62) It was those same religious leaders that raised up a mob of ignorant persons to reproach the name of Jesus and to howl for his lifeblood. (Matthew 27: 25) It was that same class of religious leaders that bribed witnesses to deny the resurrection of Jesus, whom God had raised up out of death. (Matthew 28:11-15)
Without a doubt the Devil used those religious leaders to reproach the name of God and his beloved Son.
Will God forgive those religious leaders and permit them to have the benefit of the ransom sacrifice and a resurrection from death? The Scriptures answer that question, No! because those men were willful wrongdoers and never repented of their wrongdoing. In this connection it appears that many have improperly applied the words accredited to Jesus, which appear to have been spoken by him, to wit: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23: 34, Am. Rev. Ver., margin) Those words had no application to the religious leaders who brought about Jesus' death. The context plainly shows that those words were spoken by the Lord Jesus on behalf of the two thieves that were crucified at the same time with Jesus. One of them railed on Jesus, repeating the words that had been used by the Pharisees to reproach the name of God and Christ, and the malefactor no doubt repeated those words, without knowing the force and meaning thereof. Those thieves were ignorant men. But the religionists, who brought about the crucifixion of the Lord, were willful and deliberate murderers. Upon such the wrath of God abides forever. — John 3: 36.
The ransom sacrifice results beneficially to those only who repent of their wrong,
and who believe on the Lord God and on Christ Jesus as the Savior, and who then render themselves in full obedience to the Lord. Instead of repenting, those religious leaders, who brought about Jesus' death, continued to reproach his name and to persecute those who proclaimed the name of Jehovah and Christ. It was that same class of religious leaders who caused the faithful witness Stephen to be stoned to death. (Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-59) One religious practitioner, who stood by and witnessed the death of Stephen, did afterwards repent and turn fully to the Lord, and the Lord forgave him. But those wrongdoers who did
not repent died in their sins. — Galatians 1:13-17; Acts 9:1-20.
For his name's sake the faithful disciples inquired of Jesus as to what would be the conditions existing on earth at the time of the end of the world and the coming of his kingdom. To their question Jesus uttered the great prophecy recorded at Matthew 24. All the physical facts that have come to pass show that the end of the world of Satan's rule without interruption began in 1914, when Jehovah God sent forth Christ Jesus to begin his reign. (Psalms 2:6; 110:2) From 1918 onward the persecution of the Lord's servants on earth increased. In answer to the above question as to conditions Jesus spoke the prophecy which must apply to and be fulfilled upon his faithful servants on earth from and after 1918 until Armageddon. To them Jesus says: "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." — Matthew 24:9.
The World War was on at the time this prophecy began to apply, and every nation involved in that war hated the faithful servants of Christ Jesus and persecuted them, and from then till this day that hatred and persecution has increased. Why have the nations thus hated the Lord's servants? For the sake of the name of God and of Christ. The faithful servants have contin-
ued to proclaim Jehovah's name and kingdom, and the Devil has seen to it that those faithful servants of God have suffered all manner of persecution and continue thus to suffer.
In Germany during the reign of the dictator thousands of Jehovah's witnesses have been imprisoned and cruelly beaten and many of them killed, all because those witnesses proclaimed the name and kingdom of Jehovah God and Christ. In all the nations of Continental Europe the servants of God's kingdom are cruelly persecuted today. The same is true of the countries of Asia and Africa. In Canada, now ruled by a religious dictator, Jehovah's witnesses are declared an "illegal" organization and are imprisoned because they dare speak the name of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus or have in their possession anything that makes known the name of God and his kingdom. Puny, insignificant man declares illegal the witness work of the Almighty Jehovah God!! Let the honest people judge as to whose servants such dictators are.
In the United States, which from its foundation has stood for freedom of worship, thousands of Jehovah's witnesses are arrested, imprisoned, and cruelly abused, their property destroyed, and their names cast out. For what reason? Because those faithful witnesses proclaim the name of Jehovah and his King. At whose demand are such
251cruelties and persecutions carried on? In every instance it is done at the demand of powerful religious organizations, and particularly that old and great religious organization which boasts that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That great religious organization, in particular, demands that the political and judicial officers shall punish Jehovah's servants, and hence they have harassed and persecuted Jehovah's witnesses even as the religionists did Jesus and his apostles. Such religious leaders see to it that mischief is framed by law against those who faithfully serve Jehovah and his King, even as the Lord foretold. (Psalm 94:20,21) At the present time thousands of Jehovah's witnesses are subjected to trial and punishment by the courts. Mark how the words of Jesus apply to the present day, to wit: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." — John 15:19-21.
"Oh, John, I can now understand why mobs in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Maine, Illinois, and in many other places have cruelly assaulted and ill-used Jehovah's witnesses. Many of the newspapers have made many false reports about them, and also they encourage the mobs. It is now clear to me that the Devil, the chief of demons, has used and is using blinded religionists to incite ignorant persons to form mobs and to ill-treat faithful servants of the Lord. These facts exactly fit the prophetic words of Jesus."
"Yes, Eunice, it is even so. You recall that in his great prophecy concerning the present day Jesus also said: '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) The demons had debauched all the people except Noah and his family. They dared tell the truth, and hence the demons and their dupes reproached Noah and his family. Likewise in the days of Lot the demons overreached the people, and caused Lot to be persecuted.
"Today the entire world is gone mad because of the influence and power of the Devil and his host of demons exercised over the people. Amidst all the turmoil that is upon the nations and the fanatical hysteria that is sweeping over the earth, the testimony concerning God and his kingdom must be
given and God is seeing to it that it is given. Now it is the great privilege of the people who love God and righteousness to go about telling others who are of good-will concerning Jehovah's name and his kingdom in order that such persons may flee to the place of safety. Eunice, we must do our part and go and tell those people who will hear that God's kingdom is their only hope. We must be witnesses to his name, regardless of the persecution that may come upon us. Here I am reminded of the words of the apostle Paul, that he rejoiced in tribulation because of the opportunity of serving God and Christ the King.
Dividing the People
"The people are rapidly being separated into two companies: the 'goats' and the 'sheep'. The great Judge, Christ Jesus, is placing the 'goats' on his unfavorable side. All such are marking themselves by opposing the King and his servants. The people of good-will are fleeing to Christ because they are his 'other sheep', and he is putting 'his sheep' on his favorable side. Armageddon, the battle of that great day of God Almighty, is drawing near.
"There is another class designated the 'evil servant'. Such company is made up of persons who had the advantage of the
ransom sacrifice, agreed to do the will of God, and then proved unfaithful, and now they reproach the name of Jehovah and his King, and persecute the faithful servants of God. They have become offended at the Lord and his way of carrying on his work and have become lawless, and these are gathered out and their lot is fixed. (Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) The fate of the 'evil servant' is the same as that of the hypocrites and other defamers of Jehovah's name. — Matthew 24: 51.
Armageddon
"What is Armageddon? The word means the place of the gathering of troops under Christ Jesus. These servants of the Lord are opposed by Satan and his servants, and in God's due time He will command the Lord Jesus Christ to lead the host of heaven against all the wicked ones in the great battle of that day of God Almighty and destroy the wicked. That is called 'the battle of Armageddon'. In that battle all the opposers of THE THEOCRACY shall be destroyed. Only persons of good-will, who flee to the Lord before Armageddon is fought and who remain faithful and obedient under Christ, shall survive, and these shall be the ones that will form the 'great multitude'. In that great conflict the wicked, and particularly the religious leaders, will find no way of
escape. (Jeremiah 25:33-35) Armageddon will be the worst tribulation the world will ever have known. (Matthew 24:21) Jehovah's kingdom is the only refuge."
