Prophecy

CHAPTER VIII

Dividing the Peoples

JEHOVAH caused his prophet to foretell the reason why his witnesses must now give testimony before the peoples of the world that he is the Almighty God. The enemy and his agents would have the people believe that requiring the giving of testimony that Jehovah is God shows selfishness and weakness on God's part: selfishness, because, say they, he desires the honor that the people would confer upon him by giving him praise; weakness, in this, that he fears all creation will forsake him. Such conclusions are entirely wrong and are indeed wicked. God could not be selfish, because "God is love", which means that he is the perfect expression of unselfishness. He never did anything for a selfish reason, but always for the good of his creatures. His great unselfishness and perfect love were specifically shown when he gave his beloved Son to be put to death as a sacrifice that men might live. In this great act, the apostle truly says, Jehovah made a gift for mankind that can riot be fully valued: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Cor. 9:15) This for ever disproves that there is selfishness on Jehovah's part in having the witness given. No power could exist or be exercised except by the permission of Jehovah, because he is the Author and Creator of heaven and earth, and all power is in his hands. It is therefore impossible for God to fear that anything would be taken away from him. All the facts show that he acts for the vindication of his name and for the benefit of his creatures.

For centuries Satan has attempted to prove to all others of creation that he is equal to Jehovah God; and for this reason he has attempted to duplicate and has counterfeited the principal parts of God's purposes revealed to man. Satan, by reason of his fraud and misrepresentations, has succeeded in turning the masses of the people away from God. Jehovah has not interfered with Satan's attempt to exalt himself; but, unless he did interfere at some time, almost all men would be for ever destroyed. Satan has never been able to give life to man, and never could do so. Jehovah God is the fountain of everlasting life. God alone can give everlasting life to his creatures. But he will not force life upon them. He provides life as a gracious gift, and then brings man to a knowledge of his purposes that man may have an opportunity to accept or not. Life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Rom. 6: 23.

No man could accept a gift without knowledge of the gift and the giver. Therefore if man is ever to receive life everlasting he must know God and know that he is the gracious Giver. The time comes for God to halt Satan in his nefarious course, in order that man, unhindered, may have an opportunity to receive the gift of life. God announces his purpose to destroy Satan and his wicked works, to the end that all willingly obedient ones may have life everlasting in a state of happiness. Before that time of destruction, however, God causes a campaign of education to be carried on in the world for the purpose of informing the people what he intends to do for their good. He will not take action secretly and without giving notice. He will have the people told of his purpose, and then he will demonstrate to them his supreme power. The purpose of the witnessing, or the cam-

paign of education, may therefore be briefly stated as this: To enlighten the people by opening their blind eyes, and to enable the "prisoners" to see that there is to be a relief for them, and that all may know the only one and true way to life everlasting in happiness. To do this it is necessary to tell the people what constitutes God's organization and what constitutes Satan's organization, and why the one is opposed to the other.

Long centuries ago God caused his prophet to write and foretell that a time would come when a campaign of education would be carried forth in the earth, and that this would be done by his "servant" in whom Jehovah delights: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles [nations]." — Isa. 42:1.

It will be observed from this prophecy that at the time of its fulfilment there are blind people whose eyes must be opened, and that there are prisoners in the prison-houses who must have an opportunity to be relieved. The prophecy must have a fulfilment, because it is uttered under the direction of Jehovah by his prophet upon whom he has placed his approval. The student will look for the physical facts showing a fulfilment of this prophecy, and, if it is in course of fulfilment, he will be able to discern who are the prisoners and who are they that are blind.

PRISONERS

It has been suggested that the grave is "the prison" and that the dead are in "the prison houses". That conclusion is clearly incorrect. The Scriptures show that the prisoners groan and cry unto God for help, and he hears them. Dead people do not groan and

cry. They are unconscious and know not anything, waiting in the grave for God's due time to awaken them out of death. (Eccl. 9:5,10; Ps. 115:17) A prison is a place where men are held in restraint of personal liberty. Thus a man may be held behind iron bars, or he may be held in restraint by fear and for that reason be unable to exercise his liberty. "The fear of man bringeth a snare." (Prov. 29:25) A prisoner held by reason of coercion that puts him in fear is just as truly a prisoner as one who is physically restrained.

The Scriptural proof is now here submitted, showing that the prison-houses mentioned by the prophet consist of organized systems of religion, and particularly so-called "organized Christianity". There are many congregations, symbolically called houses, both Catholic and Protestant, all of which have taken the name of Christian, but which in fact show by their course of action that the organizations are anything but Christian. The worship in those houses or congregations is formalism. The worshipers bow down before images and go through forms of worship, which is contrary to the Word of God. They draw near to the Lord with their lips only, but there is no heart devotion to the Lord. They magnify men and go through a ceremony that, instead of reflecting honor upon the Lord, brings reproach upon his name. God is pleased only with those who worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4: 23, 24) Formalism is an abomination in the sight of the Lord God.

The Israelites fell away to idolatry and formalism, and their course was prophetic, foretelling how professed spiritual Israel would fall away from God and into idolatry. God commanded that no graven image should be made: "Ye shall make you no idols nor

graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God." — Lev. 26:1.

The formalism that is practised in so-called "organized Christianity" comes clearly within the definition of graven images. (Isa. 44:9; 29:13; 2 Tim. 3:1-5) For that reason such become a part of Babylon, or the Devil's religion, because the purpose is not to honor Jehovah's name but to build up an organization that dishonors his name and turns the people away from him. The ecclesiastical systems are therefore the prison-houses.

The chief prison-keeper, or warden, is Satan himself, because he has by fraud obtained control of the organization called "Christian". In each congregation of these ecclesiastical organizations there is a shepherd, or watchman, otherwise called pastor. These men, who are clergymen, call themselves the shepherds of the flock, or the clergymen of the flock. Each one looks to his own congregation for support. By their course of action they prove that they do not love God and Christ and his kingdom, because they give allegiance and support to the League of Nations, which is the Devil's makeshift. They otherwise participate in the politics of this world, and are more interested in what they call civic affairs than in telling of God's great purpose and his kingdom. They refuse to hear the testimony of his Word, and therefore they are blind to what the Lord God is really doing at this time. Not only do they refuse to hear, but they put forth their best endeavors to prevent their congregations from hearing. These clergymen are like their counterpart, the Pharisees, to whom Jesus said: "Woe unto you, lawyers [doctors]! for ye have taken away

the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." — Luke 11: 52; Matt. 23:13.

The lawyers, the Pharisees, the politicians and the commercial leaders stood together amongst the Jews. Today the politicians and the commercial powers support the doctors of divinity, so called. Not only are they blinded to the truth themselves and refuse to hear it, but they take every action within their power to prevent members of their congregations from hearing the truth. The clergymen and the principal of their flocks are blind guides, and, as Jesus said, they will fall into the ditch. (Matt. 15:14) God foretold the condition and course of action of these clergymen who are called watchmen, in these words: "His watchmen are blind: they arc all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter." — Isa. 56:10,11.

It is these clergymen who are local prison-keepers. Probably in every one of the denominational organizations, called a church, and in every congregation thereof, there are those who do love God and who are anxious to know about him and to obey him. But because of the influence of the clergymen and "the principal of the flock" they are not permitted to freely discuss the Bible in the church meetings, and are discouraged from going anywhere else to get a knowledge of it. In fact, it is in a very few of these organizations that there is any Bible study. The clergy do not talk about the Bible. In fact, the modern clergymen deny that the Bible is God's Word of truth.

If the attention of these clergymen is called to some book that gives instruction in the Bible and sets forth the Scriptural proof of God's purpose, the clergymen strongly denounce the book and ask their congregations to have nothing to do with it. The clergymen claim to be the only ones authorized to interpret the Bible. The result is that the people in those congregations are in darkness concerning the true teaching of the Word of God.

The congregation observes that the pastor or clergyman devotes his sermons to worldly politics, science so called, civic affairs and social matters, but never does he give them any food from the Word of God that establishes the faith of the people in God and in his purpose of salvation. If it is suggested that members of the congregation go elsewhere to hear the truth, the clergyman vehemently opposes this, saying that if they withdraw from the church they will be doing an evil work and will therefore participate in wrecking society, and that they will find their own eternal destiny in torment. "A great multitude" of good people are thereby held in fear and restraint in the denominational organizations called churches. As the prophet foretold, they have a superstitious fear of God but that fear toward God "is taught by the precept of men". — Isa. 29:13.

God foretold through his prophet that the clergymen, or shepherds, would come to a time when they would not feed the congregation but would feed themselves, and he expressed his decided disapproval of such. The Lord caused his prophet to write foretelling these conditions in these words: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that

do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. Therefore, 0 ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out." — Ezek. 34: 2-4, 9-11.

The people of good-will in these church organizations see that there is no longer any truth taught to the congregation by the clergymen nor by the principal of the flock. When the congregation assembles it is chiefly for the purpose of exhibiting the fine clothes of some and listening to a discourse that has no reference to God's Word. Therefore there are hungry souls in the denominational church systems who are in great distress because of the condition they see there existing. God, through his prophet, foretells this condition, and puts in the mouth of those in the congregation who are of good-will these words: "Help us, 0 God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake." (Ps. 79: 9) They know that the name of God is not honored in the congregation; and they know that the people on the outside, commonly called

heathen, look with disgust upon the profession of the clergymen, well knowing that they are hypocrites and that their claim to represent God is not true.

The prophet then represents these honest "prisoners" as saying: "Wherefore should the heathen [those outside of the church systems] say, Where is their God?" They sigh and cry because of this condition, and the prophet represents them further: "Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die; and render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, 0 Lord. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations." — Ps. 79:10-13.

This prophecy shows that the prisoners are alive, but that they are "appointed to die"; and thereby they are definitely identified. All who have made a consecration to do God's will, and who have been accepted in the name of Jesus and taken into the covenant of sacrifice with him, must die as human beings and be raised out of death as spirit beings, if they live at all. Therefore they are "appointed to die" by reason of the covenant made. Those who willingly and joyfully separate themselves from the worldly religious systems, in obedience to the Lord's commands (2 Cor. 6:16-18), also must die; but they are not held prisoners. Feeding upon the Word of God, they have become strong and have left the prison-houses, and have been brought into Zion. Many of such were once "captives" to Babylon, or the Devil-captured system, but they came away and rejoiced. (Ps. 126:1-3) But those consecrated ones who remain

in the denominational systems and are held there by being put in fear or by restraint, are held as prisoners; and these are they who cry for relief. God's great Prophet then shows that this class is the "great multitude" who must pass through the time of trouble and wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb and thereby receive God's approval, and that then "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes". They will not be of the royal family of heaven, but they will serve "before the throne of God". —Rev. 7:11-17; Zech. 14:2.

The facts are that in the denominational church organizations, both Catholic and Protestant, there are today many souls hungry for the truth, and yet the clergymen or prison-keepers do their best to keep them from knowing the truth. In their distress these prisoners pray unto God: "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, 0 Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me." — Ps. 142:4-7.

Through his prophet God foretells of a time when he would hear the cries of these prisoners and send relief, and then shows that the time that such relief would be sent would be after the building up of Zion. This proof shows a work that the temple class must do, and one reason for giving the witness: "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the

generation to come; and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death." — Ps. 102:16-20.

The Lord has, just at the right time, brought the radio into action, which permits the people to remain in their homes and listen to a proclamation of the truth, regardless of the opposition of the prison-keepers, the clergy. Knowing this, the clergymen unite with Big Business to control the radio and, if possible, to prevent the truth from being broadcast. The Lord has also provided a great number of books explaining the Bible, and his faithful witnesses go from house to house and put these in the hands of the people that the prisoners may have some food. The prophet shows then that God will open the prison doors by giving those who honestly seek the truth an opportunity to hear and know him. "Praise ye the Lord . . . which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners; the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous."  — Ps. 146:1-8.

The proof shows, therefore, that the consecrated ones in the denominational church organizations who desire to know God and his Word are hungry and in distress, and that they cry for help; and that the clergy are the prison-keepers who render no help and concerning whom God says: "Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock;

neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more." — Ezek. 34:10.

And then God, through his prophet, shows how he will bring relief to the prisoners by giving them a knowledge of the truth. Through his prophet he says to the faithful "servant" class, those who are of the temple and whom he has appointed as his witnesses: 'I have called you in righteousness, and I will hold your hand, and sustain you and give you the power. I will send you to open the blind eyes and to bring the prisoners from the prison-houses and them that sit in darkness out of the prison. That you may say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.' — Isa. 42:5-7; 49:9.

This is one of the reasons why the testimony of the truth of God's Word must now be given by the temple class; and that work is now progressing in fulfilment of prophecy. That is the reason why faithful men and women go from house to house with books that explain the Bible, and place them in the hands of the people at a nominal cost. That is the way they preach the gospel, because it is God's appointed way. The effect of giving the testimony by radio, by books and by other means, is to separate or divide the people. It brings the honest persons of good-will, who want to serve God, out from those who are hypocrites. It is neither the purpose, nor the result, to get any one to join an organization; but the testimony is given to enable them to get their eyes opened and to take their stand on the side of Jehovah God. God having commanded this testimony to be given to the prisoners, his witnesses must deliver the testimony; otherwise they could not be pleasing to him.

THE PEOPLE

There are millions of people of good-will in the world who are no part of Satan's organization but who are under the influence and control of that oppressive organization. They are not held in the church prison-houses, but are on the outside. They see the hypocrisy in the churches and hold themselves aloof therefrom. They are blind to the truth, however, and Satan has caused their blindness. (Isa. 42: 7; 2 Cor. 4:3,4) It is God's purpose that such persons may have an opportunity to learn the truth and have their eyes, which means their understanding, opened to enable them to take their stand on the side of Jehovah God and against the Devil. Jehovah, through his prophet, foretold that he would make provision for this work, and he has made provision for it. By his prophet he foretold that he would make an everlasting covenant with Christ, his beloved Son, and that others would be brought into that covenant, and that the ones faithful to that covenant should be members of his "servant" class that is approved. — Isa. 55:1-3; 42:1-6.

That he provides these witnesses to do a work for the benefit of the people is made clear. Through his prophet he said: "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." (Isa. 55:4) These words of the prophet apply primarily to Jesus Christ, who declared that he came into the world that he might be a witness to the truth. They apply to all who are in Christ, which includes those who are in the temple and therefore of Zion. The last members of The Christ on earth are therefore designated by Jehovah as his witnesses to the people, and the obligation laid upon them is made plain. Under the supervision of the great Witness,

Christ Jesus, these are to be made, and are made, "a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people."

The remnant constitute the "feet of him", the great Witness, and are therefore of Zion and in the temple and, being yet on earth, are standing at the very borders of God's glorious kingdom. These are God's watchmen, and he speaks of them as being placed upon the walls of Jerusalem, which represents the organization of his people on earth; and then through his prophet he says of and concerning them: "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence." — Isa. 62:6.

The remnant must continue to give the witness, even unto the time of entering the kingdom. The entrance therein is symbolized by the "gates", and, addressing the remnant class who are his witnesses, Jehovah says: "Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people." — Isa. 62:10.

With their faces toward the heavenly kingdom the faithful witnesses are pointing the people to the right way. These faithful ones are 'preparing the way of the people' by telling them the reason for their blindness and oppression, and of God's gracious provision to release them from their burdens and to show them the way to endless life. This is not an effort to convert the world, such as the clergy have pretended that they could do, but it is a campaign of education, informing the people according to God's commandments.

These faithful witnesses "cast up the highway" for the people by showing them that God has provided a great, broad and clear way for man to return to him and to receive everlasting blessings. These witnesses are commanded to "gather out the stones", which is a part of the work of preparing the way for the people. Satan the enemy, through the operation of his agents, and particularly the clergy, has placed many stumbling stones in the way of the people. Amongst such stumbling stones are the falsehoods, that God is responsible for all the evil of the world; that God takes little children away in death because he wants them; that God causes all the sickness and suffering of man on earth; and that when man dies, if he is outside the church, he is for ever tormented in fire and brimstone.

Another great stone in the way of the people is that, as they have been told by the clergy, "this present evil world" is God's kingdom on earth; that therefore God is responsible for their oppression under the wicked rulership of the nations. The people must be told the truth, to wit, that Satan the Devil is "the god of this world" and that so-called Christendom is a blasphemy of God's holy name, because it assumes to represent Christ the beloved Son of Jehovah. The people must be told that Jehovah is the only true and Almighty God, and that his way is always right because he is love.

The witnesses are commanded to "lift up a standard for the people". A standard means a guidon or staff to which the people may rally and identify themselves with a specific side. The standard to be lifted up for the people is God's standard concerning salvation and his government of righteousness. The people must be told that Satan is the real enemy of

mankind and that Jehovah is man's true and everlasting Friend. This must be done in order that all the people of good-will may have opportunity to take their stand on the side of the Lord God and under his standard.

It was in obedience to the commandments of the Lord God to "lift up a standard for the people" that a company of Christians, wholly devoted to Jehovah, assembled at Detroit, Michigan, on August 5, 1928, and by unanimous vote adopted and sent forth to the peoples of the world the following declaration:

There are those who claim to be consecrated to God who insist that in the proclamation of the truth nothing should be said about Satan's organization, and particularly about the clergy as the representatives of Satan. The argument of such is that to speak of Satan's organization and the clergy is liable to cause offense and hinder the spreading of the truth. Such argument and such course of action are pleasing to Satan and are vigorously denounced by Jehovah in his Word. How can the people know anything about God's organization if they are not told? If God's anointed witnesses do not tell them, who will tell the people? How can the people know anything about

the great enemy Satan and his wicked organization that oppresses them if God's witnesses do not tell them? If the clergy are no part of God's righteous organization, and if they support the politicians and profiteers of this world, then they are on the Devil's side and their course of action turns the people away from God and his righteous government. By so doing the clergy steal the thoughts, the allegiance, and the devotion of the people from Jehovah.

He who steals is a thief. It is far more reprehensible to steal the faith and allegiance and devotion of the people from Jehovah than to steal the people's money. The profiteers steal the money of the people. The clergy steal the allegiance and devotion of the people from Jehovah, and therefore they are much more reprehensible. When the clergymen tell the people that God did not create man perfect; that man did not fall because of sin; that the Devil had nothing to do with man's fall; that man is a creature of evolution and can bring himself to the desired condition; that the blood of Jesus was not shed for the purchase of man's right to life; that God and Christ Jesus and the holy spirit are one; and then, further, add insult to injury by declaring that the present oppressive governments on earth, combined under a league or compact, are an expression of God's kingdom, then the clergy are guilty of a crime in the sight of God far greater than that of highway robbery.

If the consecrated person, who claims to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to obey God's commandments, sees the clergy thus stealing the faith, the allegiance and devotion of the people away from God, and turning them against God and turning them to the side of the Devil, and such consecrated Christian fails or refuses to cry out and give warning to the

people, then he also is a party to the crime. Such are they who hate instruction that comes from the Lord and prefer rather to have the approval of the clergy or some of their allies. They are fearful of losing their own reputation or standing or position amongst the people, and are not fully devoted to the Lord.

God, through his prophet, foretold this condition at the present time, and that some who claim to be his true followers would insist on putting on the "soft pedal" concerning the clergy and their allies. Concerning such, God says: "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth [thou that claimest to be my son and witness]? seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers." — Ps. 50:16-18.

No one can be faithful to God and receive his approval by taking a compromising position. He must be wholly on the Lord's side if he would have God's approval. He can find more favor amongst men of the world by pursuing a compromising course and speaking easy concerning Satan and his organization, and particularly the clergy; but if he does so, by taking such a course of friendship with the world he becomes God's enemy. (Jas. 4:4) If the fear of man and the loss of prestige or material wealth causes him to take such compromising course, he should remember the instruction from the Lord, who says through his prophet: "He [Jehovah] shall be for a sanctuary [a place of safety]. . . . Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear." — Isa. 8:13,14.

Jehovah's truth is that which divides the people. He is having it declared to afford the people an oppor-

tunity to take their stand before the great and terrible battle of God Almighty against Satan's organization. He advises all people of good-will to seek meekness and righteousness now, that by so doing they may provide for themselves a hiding-place in that time of terrible trouble which shall shortly come upon the world. (Zeph. 2: 2, 3) As the truth is now being declared by radio, by the wide publication and distribution of books, and by personally speaking to the people, multitudes of people are separating themselves from the Devil's religious system called "organized Christianity", and are fleeing therefrom as rats flee from a sinking ship. By so doing they take their stand on the side of Jehovah God, and wait upon him. So doing, they may have the hope of being brought through the trouble and being the ones with whom he shall begin his restoration blessings upon earth; and, being obedient, they shall live and never die.

The work of dividing the people of God is set forth in the prophecies. The work of Elijah and of Elisha were both prophetic. Elijah smote the waters with his mantle, and the waters were divided. (2 Ki. 2:8) Elijah's mantle represented the message of truth, and the smiting work he did foretold the work of the church from 1878 to 1918, during which time many people separated themselves from the denominational church systems and became the true followers of Christ Jesus. Then later Elisha picked up the mantle that had fallen from Elijah and smote the waters, and they were divided. (2 Ki. 2:14) Thus was prophetically foretold a witness work of the church from 1919 forward; and the result is the dividing of the people according to the will of God. By dividing the people is meant affording the people an opportunity to choose whether they wish to place themselves on

the side of a hypocritical religion or to honestly acknowledge Jehovah as their God.

Let it be understood that the testimony given by the witnesses of Jehovah is not a personal attack upon politicians, rich men or clergymen. Many of these men have high ideals and are conscientious, while there are many among them who are dishonest and hypocrites. But whether they are one or the other would make no difference so far as the giving of the testimony of the truth is concerned. It is for the best interest of all men to know the truth and to follow it. The purpose of giving the testimony which God has commanded is that the people may learn the truth.

If the people have been deceived and hoodwinked by Satan, surely all honest ones amongst them would want to know how this has been accomplished and what is the remedy. God's Word fully informs them. No good could be accomplished by personal attacks upon men, but much good can come by exposing error which men have followed. If the truth shows that men are practising a false and hypocritical religion which is turning the people away from Jehovah God, then the sooner they know the truth the better for them. God foretold what the Devil would do in deceiving man, and he caused his prophet to foretell the same; and now God's time has come to expose Satan and make known the truth.

Jesus Christ is the Head of the church of God, and all those who started to follow Jesus started in the right way. Many years ago Satan seductively led the teachers in the church organization into a trap. Satan projected into the minds of such that it was their duty to convert the world, and that, in order to do so, the church must get into politics and business and bring the politicians and business men into

the church regardless of what they might believe. They made the politics of the world a part of the church, which they call God's organization; which Jesus declared was wrong. (John 18:36; Jas. 4:4) The rulers and commercial men have been unwittingly led into the denominational church organizations. Those organizations brought many errors into the church from the pagan Devil religion. Those organizations, however, still bear the name of Christian, but in fact they practise a satanic religion.

God declares his purpose to destroy the Devil's organization, and he commands that notice thereof be given. He strongly indicates in his Word that the political rulers and commercial men of the world will get their eyes open to the fact that they have been inveigled into the organization that is hypocritical and that misrepresents God, and in fact represents the Devil, and that then they will break away from that satanic religion. Therefore God commands the testimony to be given, that the governments may be informed and that the people may see the true standard and learn the right way to go. Those who are giving this testimony are the real friends of all the people, because they are telling them what is for their good. While this work is going on Jehovah God is moving majestically forward to destroy Satan's organization and to completely establish righteousness in the earth and bring blessings to the people.