JEHOVAH caused his prophet to put in the mouth of the people of Israel these words: "When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness." — Mic. 7: 8, 9.
Darkness is a symbol of death. Light is a symbol of life. The people must have an understanding of God's Word in order to receive the light desired and needed. "The entrance of thy words giveth light: it giveth understanding unto the simple." (Ps. 119:130) When the Israelites begin to see and appreciate the light from God's Word, they will have reason to lift up the head and take hope. The way of the Israelite has been a long dark warfare. That time of darkness and warfare must end some time. This conclusion is fully supported by the words of God spoken through his prophet: "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." — Isa. 40:1,2.
ENDED
Let those who read this prophecy rejoice! The time for its fulfilment is at hand! In a subsequent chapter will be considered Israel's "double", mentioned here by the prophet. The purpose in the present chapter is to consider the physical facts which show the fulfilment of prophecy and which prove that the time for the comfort of Israel has come. Let not only the Jews be comforted in their hearts now, but let the Gentiles also rejoice. If the facts show that the time has come for the regathering of Israel, the time for their comfort, then it means that the time has come for the salvation of the world. It is the beginning of a day of blessings for mankind, and therefore a time for receiving comfort, leading to joy and songs of praise.
The law which God gave to Israel through Moses contained a provision fixing the length of time for the "warfare" of the Jews. This was stated in cryptic language; and now these words can be understood, because it is due time. After enumerating to them the many blessings which they would enjoy if they would obey his covenant, then the Lord recites to them in the law the calamities that would befall them by reason of their disobedience. It is written:
"But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I
also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you." — Lev. 26:14-17.
Time and again the people of Israel turned away from God and were permitted to fall into the hands of the enemy. Then they would cry unto the Lord, and time and again God forgave them and permitted his favor to return unto them. The psalmist describes their conduct thus: "They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them: but were 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." (Ps. 106:34-37) Here it is clearly stated that they were seduced by the Devil. Then the psalmist continues: "Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: and he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies." — Ps. 106: 43-45.
The Lord was thus giving Israel opportunities to learn that obedience to him and to the
terms of their covenant would bring them blessings, and that disobedience would bring upon them sorrow and distress. And then the Lord said unto them: "And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins." (Lev. 26:18) By these words recorded in the law we understand God's announced purpose to be that if Israel failed to learn their lessons and persisted in wrong-doing, then he would bring upon them a punishment that would last "seven times", in addition to the punishments they had already received.
Because of their disobedience God pronounced through his prophet Ezekiel the decree which was finally enforced against Israel. (Ezek. 21: 24-27) The time of the enforcement of this decree necessarily marks the beginning of the period of "seven times". This divine decree was enforced at the time Zedekiah, Israel's last king, was taken prisoner and, together with other inhabitants of Israel, was carried away captive to Babylon. (2 Chron. 36:11-21) After that Israel never had a king of David's line. This overthrow of their kingdom occurred in the year 606 B.C. There was formed the first universal Gentile empire. There God overturned the right of Israel to rule, and permitted the Gentiles to take authority and exercise it. The conclusion must be drawn that the Gentiles were to thus continue by permission of Jehovah for a period of seven times.
The prophecy of Daniel, with reference to Nebuchadnezzar and the world powers, clearly means that the period of the Gentiles should be a period of seven times. (Dan. 4:16) This period of seven times also indicates the length of time of the "warfare" of the Jews, during which time they should be isolated and punished and persecuted in other countries.
A literal Jewish "time" means a year, or twelve months of thirty days each, or 360 days. If the time is symbolic, a day stands for a year. Seven symbolic "times" would therefore mean 2520 years. The divine rule for counting symbolic time on the basis of a day for a year is announced in Numbers 14: 33, 34 and in Ezekiel 4:6. It follows then that the seven times of punishment that must come upon Israel, which would mark the period of their warfare, must be either seven literal times or seven symbolic times. These seven times could not be literal, for the reason that Israel was in Babylon, not seven years, but seventy years, and that their punishment continued many centuries thereafter. It follows then that these seven times, without a question of doubt, are symbolic. One symbolic time being 360 years, seven symbolic times would aggregate 2520 years. This period of 2520 years began in the year 606 B.C. with the overthrow of Zedekiah, and necessarily ended with the year 1914 A.D. Reckoning by Jewish time, and having in mind the atonement day at the end of which the jubilee trumpet was
sounded, this period of 2520 years must end about August 1, 1914. If this calculation is correct, and it must be, then something should have occurred in 1914 to mark the end of God's favor to the Gentiles, and something shortly thereafter to indicate that God's favor was returning to the Jew. We find it even so.
On the first day of August, 1914, the Gentile nations of earth became angry, and the great World War began, even as the Lord had foretold. Some leading Jews, particularly Dr. Chaim Weizmann, were pressing the Jewish interest in Palestine at that time. Turkey was in control of Palestine. Turkey must first be expelled before the Jews could accomplish much in Palestine. In the latter part of 1917 the allied armies, under the leadership of General Allenby of the British army, drove back the Turk and forthwith entered and took possession of the holy city. Great Britain is, and for a long time has been, the greatest world power of the Gentile nations. A short time before this the British government, acting through Mr. Balfour, signified its purpose of aiding the Jews in reestablishing themselves in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration, which has now become a historical document, was issued on the second day of November, 1917, or about a month before the allied armies drove out the Turk.
While this was not the first effort of the Jews to get possession of the land of Palestine and to rebuild it, this was the first official recogni-
tion by the Gentile powers of the right of the Jew to rebuild his homeland. And be it noted that this first recognition was given by the greatest world power amongst the Gentiles.
Exactly on time, then, in 1914, and at the end of the seven times, the war began; and the good that resulted to the Jew from this war was the recognition by the world powers of the right of the Jews to return to Palestine and rebuild their country.
Within a short time the United States and a number of other Gentile governments concurred in the expression of the British Empire to have the Jews reestablished in Palestine. The British government was appointed as mandatory over Palestine; and the League of Nations, on July 24, 1922, confirmed this mandate.
A peculiar incident occurred during the consideration of this mandate in July, 1922, which is of interest. It was realized that if opposition should arise in the Council of the League of Nations against the confirmation of the mandate, it would not then be confirmed. Lord Curzon was then acting for the British Empire. It was understood that Lord Curzon was not in favor of having the mandate confirmed, and that he was unfavorable to the Jews' rebuilding Palestine. Shortly before the time for the question of confirmation to be determined by the Council of the League of Nations, Lord Curzon became seriously ill and could not attend. Mr. Balfour was immediately selected and sent as
the British delegate to the League of Nations, and stood in the Council. Up to that time leading Jews were discouraged. But when Mr. Balfour was appointed many enthusiastic Jews declared: "It is a miracle from God." Mr. Balfour, of course, was in favor of the confirmation.
In the spring of 1918, about the time of the anniversary of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, Dr. Chaim Weizmann with assistants, clothed with full power and authority from the British Empire, went to Jerusalem and began the work of laying the foundation of the commonwealth of Palestine. These dates will appear again in consideration of the question of Israel's "double".
Certain facts following are confirmed from a report published in 1925 by the Palestine Foundation Fund:
On November 2, 1917, the British Government issued the Balfour Declaration with regard to the establishment of a Jewish National Home in Palestine.
On July 24, 1922, at Geneva, the Mandate for Palestine was confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations, and Great Britain appointed as Mandatory of the League of Nations for the administration of Palestine.
In June, 1920, the Palestine Immigration and Colonization Fund, Keren Hayesod, was established by the Annual Zionist Conference held in London, to serve as a general Jewish financial instrument for the resettlement of Palestine. It was registered in March, 1921, as a Limited Company in London and began to carry on its activities.
Speaking then of what has been accomplished since 1917, this report further states that the following things have been achieved, to wit:
Flourishing agricultural settlements have been founded.
Modern suburbs and garden cities have been called into being.
Extensive stretches of land have been acquired as the property of the Jewish people as a whole.
Jewish immigration has been regulated and encouraged.
Modern sanitation has been introduced.
An extensive educational system has been developed.
Hebrew has become the live national language.
The foundation for Jewish self-government has been laid.
If a minimum immigration of 30,000 souls and a corresponding budget for the Keren Hayesod of one million pounds is suggested, this means doubling the present rate of income. An immigration of 30,000 souls, for whom work has to be provided, implies that, in addition, thousands of immigrants who proceed to Palestine with their own resources, and a corresponding number of doctors, teachers and officials, will find employment in the country. Such a development will mean a further growth of the Jewish population in geometric progression, so that, within ten years, from 500,000 to 1,000,000 Jews could settle in Palestine.
The people who, in self-sacrificing enthusiasm, are ready to devote their lives to the work of restoration, are ready in their thousands and tens of thousands. But the needful material resources are not yet available in adequate measure.
On August 18, 1925, the Fourteenth Zionist Congress assembled at Vienna, Austria, Dr. Chaim Weizmann presiding. The statement was made at that conference that the Jewish population of Palestine was then 135,000 and that immigration had increased from 600 to 3,000 Jews a month.
The men who are really doing the work of rebuilding Palestine are called chaluzim, which means pioneers. Many of these are men of splendid education and training, but they are devoted to the arduous labor of rebuilding their homeland.
Throughout Holland, Germany, Austria, Poland and Russia, in fact all over Europe, companies of Jewish young men and women are undergoing the necessary training to qualify themselves for work in Palestine. Since 1920 the Jewish immigrants to Palestine have generally been those who have gone through such a period of training. They are specially trained as locksmiths, mechanics, carpenters, furniture makers, electrical engineers, masons, watchmakers and other like trades.
The Zionist organization has provided immigration camps, where the immigrants are cleared from quarantine. When immigrants arrive they are registered and a record is taken as to what they are capable of doing. An effort is made before they come, to procure work for them, and they are assigned to places that they are qualified to fill.
The first regular census of Palestine was taken in October, 1922; and it was then estimated that 83,794 Jews resided there. Since then the Jewish population has increased until in the spring season of 1929 there were approximately 165,000. There is a healthy stream of immigration of Jews to Palestine.
The building of roads is carried on in a systematic manner. Prior to 1918 automobiles were scarcely known in Palestine because of lack of roads, but now one can travel from Dan to Beersheba in an auto. Telephone systems have been spread over the country, and other modern means of communication established. The Jews have gradually stimulated the building trade in the last few years. They have built flour mills, oil, soap and margarine factories, shops for mechanical engineering, carpet factories, textile mills, tanneries, hat factories, and printing plants.
In September, 1921, there was a contract entered into on behalf of the government with Pinhas Rutenberg; and among other things it is provided in that contract that there should be erected a dam in the Jordan River in Kerak; that a canal shall be dug for conducting water from the Lake of Tiberius, the Sea of Galilee, to a power house to be erected; that pipes and conduits are to be installed for conveying the water from such canal to turbine engines in said power house; that this water-power shall be used for operating machinery to produce
electricity sufficient to meet the requirements of all companies, corporations or persons desiring to use the same; that there shall be installed necessary cables and transmission lines to transmit this electric current, also necessary transforming stations. The contract provides for damming the water in the Lake of Tiberius to a certain level. It also contains provisions to divert the waters of the Yarmuk River and its affluents, and the right and power to erect all necessary lines and distributing systems. Briefly stated, it has a provision for a gigantic irrigation scheme by which the arid lands of Palestine can be made productive. Furthermore, those portions of the land of Palestine which heretofore have been untillable because of swamps have now been drained and the water stored for irrigation purposes.
On the River Jordan, half an hour's journey south of the Sea of Galilee, steady progress is now being made in the construction of a great hydro-electric power station which will usher in a new economic era for the Holy Land. Thus under the supervising genius of Pinhas Rutenberg the storied river of Bible times is to be made to produce 300,000 horsepower of energy for new Palestine's farms, homes and factories.
Early in the spring of 1925 a steamship company, formed by Jews in the city of New York, began the operation of a steamship line from New York direct to Palestine. The initial trip was made by the Steamship "President Arthur",
which left New York port March 12, 1925. It is estimated that fully 125,000 enthusiastic Jews gathered at the dock and cheered those who were going on this first voyage. A passenger on that boat, and who also attended the dedication of the university at Jerusalem, made the following report:
About noon of March 31, 1925, the "President Arthur" came in sight of the harbor where we landed. The ship carried about 350 passengers, almost all of whom were Jews. They were gathered on the deck when we came in sight of Mount Carmel; and when it dawned upon them that they were looking at the mountain where the Prophet Elijah at Jehovah's direction had put to death the prophets of Baal, and that this was the land of their forefathers, they gave vent to their feelings. Old and young formed circles on deck and began to sing and dance and cry. . . .
At three o'clock in the afternoon [April 1, 1925] the dedication service began on the eastern slope of Mount Scopus. Within the regular enclosure seats for about 8,000 were provided, all of which were filled, and several thousand persons were standing at points of vantage on the hillside. The prominent figures on the platform were Lord Balfour, Sir Herbert Samuel, General Allenby, Dr. Weizmann, Dr. Magnus, Colonel Kish, Dr. Ruppin, Dr. Levy and others.
From the platform where the speakers sat one could see the fords of the Jordan, where Joshua led the children of Israel into the land of promise. From the same point one could see the top of Mount Scopus, where the Roman conquerors had their headquarters
while destroying Jerusalem at the last dispersion. One of the speakers referred to this, remarking that it was quite striking that at the beginning of the reorganization of the Jewish nation in Palestine they were linked between these two points, and were there dedicating a school of learning which in due time, as they hoped, would make its influence felt all over the world.
We visited a new colony at Dilb. This is a cooperative colony settled by Jews from Ukrainia. There is a dairy in this colony from which milk is sold in Jerusalem. Quite a number of trees have already been set out there. While I was in the colony men were busy at that time, and the ancient terraces are being restored. In addition to the pines and cypress trees already set out, over fifty varieties of table grapes have been planted.
We passed by the colony of Hulda. This also is a cooperative colony, where several hundred acres of land had been planted with olive trees and also 70,000 trees of various other varieties. Mixed farming is done in this place.
We visited Rishon le Zion. This colony was established several years ago by Baron Edmund de Rothschild, and is a most beautiful spot. They have a splendid macadamized road leading from the main road between Jaffa and Jerusalem, on either side of which are beautiful orchards, grape vineyards and orange groves, and in the colony itself the streets are lined with graceful palm trees. Here are located the Rishon le Zion wine cellars, reckoned to be the second largest in the world. They produce 1,320,000 gallons of various kinds of wine each year.
From here we proceeded to Tel Aviv, one of the
most advanced colonies established by the Jews; in fact, it is a modern city of about 25,000 population, joining closely to Jaffa. After passing through the narrow filthy streets of Jaffa and coming into the modern twentieth century city of Tel Aviv, one is impressed with the work that the Jews are doing in Palestine. Tel Aviv was founded in the year 1909, on the sand dunes just northeast of Jaffa. Starting with a group of sixty families, it has now grown into a flourishing city. Its principal thoroughfare, called Allenby Avenue, is the main business street of the city. It is sufficiently wide and comfortable for modern traffic, has paved sidewalks, is lined with buildings of reddish-grey stone and of stucco; and many new buildings are now being erected there, from brick made in the city itself.
Some of the streets are lined with palm trees and look like some of our up-to-date California cities. In Tel Aviv is an agricultural experimental station.
There is also located in Tel Aviv a Delfiner Silk Factory, the Rutenberg Power Station, and the Silica Brick Works, at which are made splendid building bricks. There is one large factory here, and several smaller ones; and from those sand dunes, which were a great obstacle to the earlier settlers, they are now gathering the material for the construction of beautiful modern homes. Tel Aviv is a thriving city; and it has made such an impression upon the Arabs of Jaffa that the latter now desire to unite Jaffa with Tel Aviv, in the hope that it may share in the general prosperity.
I visited the colonies of Petah Tikva, Balfouria, Nahala, and many other settlements. Nahala is built upon what was once a fever- and malaria-infested
marsh. The land was soft and boggy. When the Jews attempted to reclaim it the Arabs jeered them, saying that even a bird that would stop there to get a drink would die. In 1921 the Jews began to drain the swamps. They dug fourteen miles of canals and laid much underground pipe. They assembled the water in a reservoir and erected a cement water tower from which the water is pumped and supplied for irrigation purposes to other districts that need it. At Nahala there are now 30,000 eucalyptus trees in one grove. The farmers are working with modern implements. Their homes are well built, cozy, and surrounded with flower gardens.
The colony of Ain Harod, founded in 1921, is also built upon what was once a swamp, which has been drained and where a water supply is installed. Here numerous grape vines and olive trees, banana groves, cypress, pine, acacia, and casuarina trees have been planted.
I visited many other colonies. Kenneret is located where the Jordan River leaves Galilee. There has been much drainage work done here, and over 60,000 trees have been planted in this colony. A modern bridge built across the Jordan connects Kenneret Dagania. The latter named colony produces much fruit, vegetables, poultry, and dairy products.
The Scriptures record that at the end of the seventy years' captivity (536 B.C.) a remnant of the Jews returned from Babylon and with great enthusiasm began the rebuilding of their country. One is reminded that a similar movement is now under way at the end of the Gentile times; a remnant of the Jews are returning to Palestine and rebuilding their homeland.
Have these things come about by chance? Can any Jew who is familiar with the history of his people, and particularly with God's dealing with that people, have any doubt about what the present activities in Palestine mean? The return of the Jews to that land, the building of houses and roads and waterways, planting vineyards and trees, and otherwise improving the land, is but in fulfilment of prophecy. The reader's attention is invited to some of these prophecies, long ago uttered, which the physical facts show are now in course of fulfilment. As touching the return of the Jews to Palestine after their last dispersion in 73 A.D., through the Prophet Jeremiah God said:
"For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." — Jer. 24: 6, 7.
"Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them." — Jer. 32:37-39.
The physical facts show that these prophecies are now in course of fulfilment; fully 165,000 Jews have been brought back from the various parts of the earth whither they had been driven. For many centuries after the dispersion of 73 A.D., the land of promise lay desolate. God's prophet Jeremiah foretold the coming again of the people and the purchasing of the land by the Jews:
"And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord." — Jer. 32: 43, 44.
Reference is made to the report of the Keren Hayesod, edition mentioned, in which it is stated that thousands of acres have been purchased, just as the prophet foretold.
Above are mentioned the irrigation plans in process of fulfilment in the land of Palestine; the draining of swamps, building of power plants, etc. This is exactly in fulfilment of prophecy, as it is written:
"I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together; that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it." — Isa. 41:18-20.
One reading the foregoing prophecies rejoices to know that many gardens are cultivated in the land of Palestine to produce food for the Jews who are returning there. And in this connection one reads the words of God foretelling these very things: "And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they . . . shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land." — Amos 9:14,15.
The physical facts show that millions of trees have recently been planted in furtherance of the afforestation scheme of Palestine. God's prophet foretold this: "I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together." — Isa. 41:19.
There are now more than one hundred Jewish colonies in Palestine. These are being built on
modern plans; and houses are being provided for the people to live in permanently, not merely at the whims of landlords. They are planting their own vineyards and eating the fruit thereof. This is but the beginning of the fulfilment of prophecy:
"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 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." — Isa. 65: 21-23.
No other nation on earth has had such kind and considerate treatment at the hands of Jehovah as have the Jews. No other people have had reason to have faith in God as have the Jews. The enemy, however, has long blinded the offspring of Jacob to the great truths contained in the Bible. Now the time has come for them to know these facts. Knowledge of God's loving-kindness in dealing with them is essential to their happiness. This is the time, therefore, when a message of comfort must come to the Jew. Every one who loves Jehovah should take pleasure in passing the good tidings on to those who are Jews and who desire to know and to do God's holy will.
PROPHET
Up to this point every Scriptural authority cited is taken from the Hebrew prophets as recorded in the Hebrew Bible. Many of these prophecies are now in course of fulfilment, and are being fulfilled in such a manner that any and all may understand them. Their fulfilment should not only cause comfort to the heart of the Jews, but cause them to rejoice. The history of that people shows that God has always been pleased with them when they exercised faith in his Word and tried to obey it. God never changes. Every Jew should have full faith and confidence now in the Word of God. According to your faith will be your comfort and joy and blessing.
Long centuries ago there was born in the humble city of Bethlehem a Jew. From his youth up he manifested unusual brilliancy. When he grew to manhood's estate he went about the country, particularly in Jerusalem and the vicinity, teaching the people. His name was Jesus. Other Jews before had been named Jesus. This, in fact, was the name of Joshua. Joshua and Jesus mean the same thing. Many Jews believed that Jesus of Nazareth, born at Bethlehem, was a prophet. Jews have been prejudiced against him and his testimony by so-called Christians. Satan the enemy has used some who call themselves Christians to make the name of Jesus odious to Jews.
The only purpose of introducing his testimony at this point is to show by the physical facts how his testimony fully corroborates that of the other prophets hereinbefore cited. Whatever else Jews believe about Jesus of Bethlehem, they recognize him as a great teacher of unusual attainments. His testimony, therefore, is submitted here with confidence that all unbiased Jews will consider it candidly with the testimony of the prophets of old. Whether Jesus is what some claim him to be is at this point not material to the argument. The fact that he was a Jew, born of the house of Judah, was a great teacher, had many disciples who followed him, and that his words are corroborated by the prophets of old, is sufficient to warrant any Jew at this time to examine the testimony of Jesus as a witness, and to determine from the physical facts whether or not it is reliable. He was on earth at a very critical time in Jewish history, yea, at a most important time. And now let each reader have in mind only one thing, that Jesus was a Jew, and that as a Jew he is so testifying.
At the time Jesus taught in Jerusalem, the Jews had been for many years under the yoke of the Gentile world powers. Their forefathers had witnessed the fall of the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, and the Grecian universal empire; and now Rome ruled the earth. Most of the Jews were familiar with the words of their prophets, because the law of Moses required
that they learn these. The devout ones knew that God had promised that in due time he would overturn the Gentiles and that his favor would return to the Jews. These looked forward to the time when God would restore the kingdom of Israel and, through that kingdom, would bless all the families of the earth, even as he had promised to Abraham. It was the most natural thing that the disciples of Jesus should go to him and ask him about the prospects for the establishment of the kingdom, and when the Gentile times would end.
The disciples knew as well as did Jesus that the Gentile times would end some time, because God had promised that the Gentiles should rule only for a specific period. They understood that the end of the Gentile times meant the end of the world. The word "world" does not mean the earth, but signifies the peoples organized into a form of government under the supervision of an overlord. The Jews were anxious that the world should end and that the Lord should establish the new world or government. For this reason the disciples of Jesus approached him and propounded this question: 'Tell us, what shall be the proof of the end of the world?'
Now, in considering the answer to this question, call to mind the proof given in a former chapter, which showed that the Gentile times would legally end in 1914 and what would occur at that time.
The answer of Jesus to the question was this: "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," in a world war. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1914. Never before was there a world war. Prior to that time wars were fought, army against army; but from 1914 to 1918 it was nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom; and every person in the nation, man, woman and child, was forced to have some part in either preparing material at home or going to the front or conserving food as a war measure. The nations were organized as never before. It was indeed a world war. It marked exactly the end of the Gentile times, or the end of the world.
Further answering this question, Jesus said that the World War would be followed by famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. The famines which accompanied the World War in Russia, in Germany, in Austria, and in other parts of the earth, are unprecedented. Furthermore, in 1918 came the greatest pestilence the earth has ever known, exactly as Jesus had foretold. That pestilence, called the Spanish "flu", swept the population from the frozen zones of the north to the torrid zones of the south, and killed more people in six months than the World War did in four years.
Further testifying in answer to the question, Jesus said that, following the war, famines and pestilence, there would be general "distress of nations, with perplexity". All the nations of
earth have been in distress and perplexity since the World War, and no one has yet brought forth a scheme that will overcome these difficulties.
Further answering the question Jesus, testifying to his disciples, said: 'Then the Jews shall fall by the edge of the sword; they shall be led away captives into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.' — Matt. 24; Luke 21.
The testimony of Jesus is therefore a complete corroboration of what has heretofore been proven by the prophets of old and by the physical facts in fulfilment of those prophecies. This of itself should cause every Jew to calmly consider what Jesus did on earth. In subsequent chapters will be cited the testimony of Jesus in corroboration of the prophets of old, and these should be considered together in the light of what is transpiring at this time. He could not have been a prophet except by the authority of Jehovah God. If he was a prophet, then his testimony must be considered as authoritative and coming from Jehovah God.
It is written concerning Jesus who was born at Bethlehem: "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."-John 1:4, 5, 9.
