SALVATION

CHAPTER III

GREAT MULTITUDE

THE "great multitude" constitutes another class of Jehovah's favored little ones who receive rewards because of faithfulness and obedience. As the Scriptures unfold, disclosing the great multitude, one's appreciation of God's loving-kindness increases. The fact that Jesus speaks of the great multitude as his "other sheep" is evidence of the Lord's love for them and the care with which he has made provision for them. He then adds: "And they shall hear my voice"; meaning that they will give heed to what he says. No individual is predestinated to be of the great multitude, but the Lord opens the way, and those who diligently seek him find that way.

A person of good will toward God has a sincere desire to be taught and guided in the right way. Therefore, as expressed by the psalmist, he prays to Jehovah in these words: "Shew me thy ways, 0 Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."  — Psalm 25:4, 5.

Jehovah, in his loving-kindness, makes all necessary provision to answer such prayer, and hence it is written: "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way." (Psalm 25:8) To be meek means to be

teachable, that is, willing to learn from others. One who recognizes God as supreme is anxious to learn His way, and to such the Lord says: "The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psalm 25: 9,10) The Bible is the Word of God, which he has provided for the instruction of the meek in the way of righteousness; and this he does that the man of God may be fully equipped for His service. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) Hence the man of good will recognizes the Bible as the Word of Almighty God, and which he accepts as his true and proper guide: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." — Psalm 119:105.

PATTERNS

God used men and inanimate things to make patterns, types, models and pictures by which he teaches the meek and guides him in the way he should go. The Scriptures set out such patterns specifically for the aid of those who desire to learn. For more than eighteen centuries God dealt with the Israelites, and with that people he caused things to come to pass by which he made types or patterns for the guidance of the people now on the earth; as it is written: "Now all these things happened unto them for en-samples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." — 1 Corinthians 10:11.

It is therefore seen that such "ensamples", otherwise called "types" (margin), are to be un-

derstood by those people on the earth at the end of the world; and now we have come to that time, and those who seek to know will learn. There would have been no purpose in making these types unless they were to be understood at some time; and now is the proper time. A type is an image or representation of something that comes to pass in some future time. An antitype is the reality of the thing of which the type is a representation. The type may properly be called a "shadow"; the antitype, the "reality". The type is also a pattern that serves as a guide by which others work. For instance, it is recorded concerning the men who served in the priests' office of the Israelites: "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." (Hebrews 8:5; Exodus 25:40) Another instance is that wherein Jesus is called "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world"; and the pass-over lamb offered as a sacrifice by the priests of Israel was a type of the Lord Jesus. — Exodus 12:1-29; 2 Chronicles 30:15-17.

The word pattern may be properly applied to anything designed to serve as a guide by which men are taught to walk in the right way. The tabernacle was built in the wilderness, according to the pattern which God revealed to Moses when he was in the mountain: "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern

of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." — Exodus 25: 8, 9.

In times past God used animate and inanimate things by which he made prophetic pictures or dramas and thereby in symbol disclosed his means to gather the great multitude, who constitute the "other sheep" and who shall receive the salvation that gives them life everlasting to serve God and his King. Many persons regard that part of the Bible which has long been called "The Old Testament" as merely historical statements of the events that came to pass long ago. In this they greatly err. Whatsoever things have been recorded in the Holy Scriptures are for the aid of those who are devoted to Jehovah God, that they may learn the right way and thereby be comforted and receive a full assurance of God's purpose to grant them salvation, with his attending blessings in abundance. (Romans 15:4) The Bible is a great treasure house of truth, and happy is the man who gains a knowledge and understanding thereof. To aid persons of good will toward God attention is now directed to some of the patterns, dramas or prophetic pictures recorded in the Bible long ago.

JONADABS

God created the earth for man, and he created men to live upon the earth and to enjoy the earth and the fullness thereof, and by the permission of the Almighty God perfect man shall, in due time, enjoy that great favor and blessing. (Isaiah 45:12,18; Psalm 24:1) Those who shall escape the terrible tribulation and destruction of Armageddon, and who thereafter have the

blessings from the Lord on the earth, will constitute the "great multitude", that is to say, the "other sheep", which the Lord gathers into his fold. There are many prophetic or symbolic pictures appearing in the Bible foretelling the great multitude, which symbols or dramas are here considered in what follows.

The Bible makes mention of a man whose name was Jehonadab, sometimes called Jonadab; and those who may form the great multitude are mentioned at times under the symbol of "Jonadab". The Israelites, or Jews, were God's covenant people, and he dealt with them as such to the exclusion of other people, and that over a period of eighteen centuries. (Amos 3:2) Jonadab was a son of Rechab, the Kenite, the descendant of Abraham through his wife Keturah. (1 Chronicles 1:32,33; 2:55) The name Jonadab means "Jehovah is bounteous", evidently referring to the fact that Jehovah showed great favor towards Jonadab because he believed on God and refused to be drawn into the Devil's religious trap. While the many nations of the earth practiced the Devil religion the descendants of Rechab and Jonadab refused to have anything whatsoever to do with religion. (Exodus 3:1; Judges 1:16; 4:11; 5: 24) They were positively and unalterably against Baalism, the religion practiced by many nations, and into which great trap or snare the Israelites fell.

The descendants of Jonadab were known as "the house of the Rechabites". They were an honest and sincere people who stood always for what is right and refused to compromise with

wrongdoers. When they made an agreement they faithfully performed it. They kept their word. God spoke to his prophet Jeremiah, highly commending "the house of the Rechabites" because of their sincerity, honesty and faithfulness in keeping an agreement which they had made: "And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you; therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever." — Jeremiah 35:18,19.

They were men of good will toward God, and they loved righteousness, and therefore God used them as a pattern or picture of the people of good will who now learn of Jehovah's provision for mankind, and who love righteousness, and who show their love for God when they come to know him.

God commanded Elisha to anoint Jehu to perform specifically a work amongst the Israelites for the vindication of Jehovah's name. Jehu was a captain in the army during the reign of the wicked king Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, who practiced the Devil religion known as Baalism, and which religion pictured the modern-day religion and religious systems commonly called "Christendom" or "the Christian religion". Jehu in the performance of his duty and commission pictured Jesus Christ, the great Executioner and Vindicator of Jehovah's name, and also the faithful followers of Christ Jesus,

and particularly "the remnant" from and after the year 1919. The meeting of Jehu and Jonadab, and what took place at that meeting, forms a picture or prophetic drama, pattern or type of the relationship that the people of good will now on earth bear towards Christ Jesus and the members of his body; and therefore that prophetic picture was made and recorded for the special benefit of those who are now on the earth. (See The Watchtower, issues of July and August 1932, under title of "Jehovah's Executioner".) Jehu in the performance of his commission had just executed a number of the Devil religionists who supported King Ahab and who were against God and Jehu, and was then on his way to execute more of the same unfaithful class. He saw Jonadab, who was not an Israelite, coming to meet him. This part of the picture shows the people of good will, but who are not of the remnant of the "little flock", seeking the Lord that they might find the place of refuge and salvation. Jehu halted his chariot and spoke to Jonadab; concerning which the Scriptures record the following: "And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab, coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand: and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot."  — 2 Kings 10:15,16.

The heart is the seat of affection and motive directing a person's course of action. If a man

has a good heart, set upon doing right, then his course of action will be in harmony with that heart or motive. If a man believes in God and Christ Jesus and desires to know what is right, then he is properly said to be a person of good will toward God. When Jehu spoke to Jonadab saying: 'Is thy heart as my heart?' clearly his meaning was: "Do you approve of my course, which is against the Devil and his deceptive religious schemes, and is your heart devoted to Jehovah God?" When Jonadab answered that he was of the same heart or motive as moved Jehu to take righteous action against the religionists, Jehu gave Jonadab his hand and took him up into his chariot, and thereby pictured that the Lord Jesus offers protection to the Jonadabs and invites them to seek that protection in or under his organization, the chariot being a picture of the Lord's organization. Jonadab was taken up into the chariot with Jehu and rode with him,

and this shows that Jonadab becomes a companion of and walks with the anointed followers of Christ Jesus, the remnant, Jehovah's witnesses now on the earth. In inviting Jonadab to go with him Jehu said to Jonadab: "Come . . . and see my zeal for the LORD." That meant that Jehu was energetic and enthusiastic in rendering service at the command of the Lord, and he invited Jonadab to show a like zeal; and this shows that the Jonadabs must have and exhibit energy and enthusiasm in their devotion and service to God and his King and kingdom. Concerning the Lord Jesus it is written: "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." — Psalm 69: 9.

As Jehu in his zeal pictured the Lord, so we observe that the Lord Jesus was at all times zealous in the performance of his commission handed to him by Jehovah. The Devil, and particularly his religious agents, have at all times brought great reproach upon the name of Jehovah God; and when Christ Jesus came to earth the reproaches that reproached Jehovah fell upon Jesus, and therefore Jesus suffered great reproach at the hands of the religious agents of the Devil. All the true followers of Christ Jesus have suffered like reproaches. — Romans 15: 3.

Those who associate thus with the elect class must also suffer reproach. That means that those who form the great multitude are reproached now by the religionists, and this opposition affords the Jonadabs the opportunity to prove their devotion to the Lord and to maintain their integrity toward Jehovah. They must

be subjected to the test and must devote themselves and all they have to God and his kingdom, and not to any man or man-made organization. The Jonadabs must have and exercise the same faith and obedience as that required and exhibited by the "elect" "servant" class, the "little flock". (Isaiah 42:1) For this reason it is now seen that the anointed remnant, that is, the little flock on the earth who are Jehovah's witnesses, and those who form the company known as the Jonadabs must become and have become companions in service, and they go on together in peace and in harmony, serving God and his kingdom. (Psalm 122) Wherever the name Jonadab appears in the Scriptures it may now be read as referring to those men and women on the earth who are of good will toward God and who are seeking the way to serve God and his King and kingdom.

FLOOD SURVIVORS

Another prophetic picture, which is of peculiar interest to the Jonadabs at this time, is that concerning those who survived the flood and were brought through alive. The flood or great deluge of Noah's time was typical, that is to say, a pattern or symbol of greater things to come. "The world that then was" God destroyed by a deluge of waters, and that flood pictured Armageddon, by which the present wicked world will shortly be destroyed. (2 Peter 3:5-7) The only survivors of the flood were Noah and those creatures in the ark with him. (Genesis 7:22,23) In that picture Noah foreshadowed or represented Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of God.

Noah was "a preacher of righteousness" and was therefore a witness to the name and majesty of Jehovah God. (2 Peter 2:5) Noah's sons and their wives believed what Noah told them, and they showed their belief by entering into the ark with Noah and remaining there until the flood came to an end, and thus they found protection and safety in the ark, which pictured God's organization. Finding refuge in the ark the sons of Noah and their wives pictured those who find refuge in God's organization at the present time. Noah's sons and their wives' being carried over the flood constituted a prophetic picture foretelling the class of persons of good will, otherwise called "Jonadabs", or "other sheep" of the Lord, who seek righteousness and meekness and who because of their faith and obedience will be carried over the great fiery tribulation of Armageddon and, being faithful, will form the "great multitude". The higher critics, which call themselves preachers or clergymen or doctors of divinity, taboo the Bible account of the flood; and thus they show that they have no faith whatsoever in God, but are God's enemies. Jesus emphatically approved the existence of the flood and showed that it was a type of the coming destruction of the world.

LOT'S ESCAPE

Another prophetic picture relating to the people of good will that find refuge in the Lord, and which picture was made long ago, is that concerning Lot and his escape from Sodom. The inhabitants of Sodom were practitioners of the Devil religion and were exceedingly wicked.

(Genesis 13:13) Lot was a nephew of Abraham and dwelt in the plain near Sodom. Because of the great wickedness that existed in Sodom God sent his representatives to Sodom to destroy it. On the way those representatives of Jehovah informed Abraham of God's purpose. Abraham, having in mind his nephew Lot, who would be subject to destruction unless protected, made an earnest plea before the Lord God that Sodom might be spared from destruction if a certain number of persons there were found to be righteous. God informed Abraham that if as many as ten righteous persons could be found in Sodom he would not destroy it. (Genesis 18: 20-33) But that number could not be found. Only Lot and his family were found to be the ones who had faith in God, and his family consisted of his wife and two daughters. The Lord showed his mercy toward Lot, his wife and two daughters, and caused them to be led out and away from the place of destruction: "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground." — Genesis 19: 24, 25.

The angels of the Lord appearing as men and as the Lord's representatives had led Lot and his family out of Sodom before the destructive fire was sent down upon the city. The angels warned them as to what they should do: "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to

the mountain, lest thou be consumed." — Genesis 19:17.

In this prophetic picture Lot and his family represented or foreshadowed those persons who are of good will and who hear the warning concerning the great destruction that will come upon the world at Armageddon, which warning is now being sounded throughout the earth by Jehovah's witnesses. It is certain that the destruction of Sodom pictured Armageddon, and that Sodom particularly foreshadowed that part of Satan's organization called "Christendom"; and that is made certain by what is written concerning the religious systems called "Christendom", to wit: 'That great city [organization] called Sodom, where Christ was crucified.' (Revelation 11:8) The nations which are known as "Christendom" have in these latter days become exceedingly wicked, and such religious practitioners are the ones that wickedly persecute Jehovah's witnesses because they stand for God and his kingdom and insist on obeying God and Christ Jesus in proclaiming the message of the kingdom. Christ Jesus counts the persecution and punishment inflicted upon his faithful followers as though it were done unto himself. (Matthew 25:32-46) The conditions obtaining in and about Sodom exactly fit the conditions that now exist in "Christendom". Jesus, speaking of the conditions that would prevail upon earth at the time of his second coming, which is the present time, likens them unto Sodom, thus further proving that the destruction of Sodom was a type or foreshadowed what shall come to pass upon "Christendom" at Armageddon. "Like-

wise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." — Luke 17:28-30.

The facts now conclusively prove that throughout the land of "Christendom" the men who operate the religious systems do so for selfish reasons and by these religious systems carry on a racket and are entirely oblivious to the warning God is causing to be sounded in their presence concerning the approaching time of Armageddon. Thus it is clearly seen that the prophecy of the Lord Jesus is now being fulfilled.

Not only faith, but also obedience, is emphasized in the picture of Lot fleeing from Sodom. The angels of the Lord, having led Lot and his family away from Sodom before destruction began, then warned them in these words: "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee." "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Genesis 19:24-26) Lot's wife utterly disregarded the warning from the representatives of the Lord, and her looking back was an act of disobedience, and the result was that a pillar of salt there stood forth as a monument of her disobedience and clearly appears to say, in substance: "When one under-

takes to obey the Lord, he must then continue in faith and faithfully obey God's commandments. Obedience to the Lord must be continuous and unconditional." "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  — Luke 9:62.

Jesus describing conditions that prevail on earth at the time of Armageddon said: "In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away; and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife."  —Luke 17:31,32.

And thus Jesus emphasized the importance of full obedience. Lot and his family received the warning to flee, and they fled before destruction fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah; and likewise those who form the great multitude receive the warning to flee, and they must flee to the Lord's kingdom before Armageddon begins and they must abide under the Lord's protection until the fire of Armageddon has completely burned out. These things are recorded as a pattern or guide for those who now undertake to serve the Lord.

CITIES OF REFUGE

Moses was in command of the Israelites on their trek from Egypt to the land of promise. While on the plains of Moab, and before reaching Palestine, God announced through Moses his provision for the temporary protection for the Israelites, strangers and sojourners among them who should kill another accidentally, un-

awares and without malice. (See Numbers, chapter 35; considered at length in The Watchtower August 1 and 15, 1934.) Moses was a type of Christ Jesus. (Acts 3: 22, 23) By that is meant, the prophetic utterances of Moses find fulfillment in what the Lord Jesus does. Jehovah God instructed Moses to announce to the Israelites that he had made provision for three cities of refuge on the east side of Jordan and three cities of refuge on the west side of Jordan. This was made known by Moses to the Israelites just before they reached Canaan, or Palestine, and this clearly shows that the fulfillment of the picture relates particularly to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom, and what occurs shortly before Armageddon. A city is a symbol of an organization, and therefore the cities of refuge symbolized or pictured God's organization under the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus. The antitype of the cities of refuge is the organization under the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of God's capital organization.

The provision of God's law was this: If a man slew another out of hatred or malice, he was a murderer and must suffer death. If the slaying was done without malice or enmity, by accident, or unwittingly or unawares, then the slayer, for his own protection, might flee to one of the cities of refuge and there find protection and safety as long as he remained within the city: "But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; and the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be

guilty of blood; because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession." — Numbers 35: 26-28.

The six cities were established for the convenience of the people of Israel who were on both sides of the Jordan. Those cities of refuge symbolically pictured the protection which men of good will receive by fleeing from Satan's organization to Christ Jesus and his organization, and who remain there until Armageddon has ended. If the killer used a deadly weapon and willfully and deliberately killed another because of hatred, enmity or malice, he could not have the benefit of the city of refuge, but the revenger of blood could kill him as soon as he met him. One who acts maliciously exhibits a bad condition of heart, that is, a wrong motive, and the fact that such persons did not receive the benefit of the city of refuge, and the further fact that if a person killed another unawares or suddenly, without enmity, he might have the benefit of the city of refuge, shows that the cities of refuge antitypically apply only to those persons of good will toward God, and who have a sincere desire to do right, and who have been drawn into an undesirable position because of circumstances over which they had no control. Such persons are the ones that are of good will and that, proving faithful, go to make up the "great multitude".

Human life cannot be taken at will of any person, but can be taken only in accordance with God's law. The one who assumes authority to

kill another is a murderer. God's everlasting covenant, which he stated to Noah, emphasized the sanctity of life. (Genesis 9:1-6) The provision is made for the execution of murderers under certain conditions; and no one can take life with impunity when the same is done contrary to God's law. In this day, as the facts conclusively show, all the nations of earth have broken that everlasting covenant by wantonly and maliciously causing the death of many human creatures. This has been done by the nations' engaging in wars of conquest and by other means of oppression and killing, in which many human creatures have been willfully slain. Selfish political and commercial men have fomented and carried on wars, and the clergy of the religious organizations have sanctified such wars and pretended to bless those who indulge in the killing of others. Particularly in the World War, every regiment had its clergymen who, while they were sober, attempted to bless men as they went to battle. The religious systems likewise approve war when it seems popular to do so. The war of Italy against Abyssinia and the war in Spain carried on by rebels against the government had the full approval, cooperation and support of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy religious organization.

It requires no proof, because the information is general, that the leaders of the religious organizations approve, support and cooperate in bloody wars, resulting in the killing of many human creatures, and thus those religious leaders are parties to the crime of breaking the everlasting covenant. All nations are in-

cluded in this condemnation of the Lord; which is made certain by the following: "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty; and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth, and fadeth away; the world languisheth, and fadeth away; the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." (Isaiah 24:1, 3-6) Armageddon is near, and God declares that all willful and deliberate killers shall perish at Armageddon.

On the other hand there are many men who have been forced into the wars and who have been misled by the religious leaders' informing them that it is their God-given duty to kill. These young men, being drafted and pushed into the war by the ruling powers, and having no knowledge of God's law and his provision for salvation, have indulged in wars and killings without knowing all the responsibility; and these may, by the grace of God, have the benefit of the antitypical city of refuge. These men thereafter learning what God requires and who then believe in God and Christ Jesus, who seek forgiveness through the merit of his blood, and who flee to God's organization under Christ, may find refuge and protection until Armaged-

don is past. There are many others who are under the influence of religious organizations and their leaders, which religious leaders have informed them that it is right to kill certain persons, and, believing the religious leaders, they have indulged in the persecution of the true followers of Christ Jesus and even consented to the killing of them. Saul of Tarsus was a striking example of this. Me was an ardent religionist, a Pharisee amongst the Pharisees, and when that faithful follower of Christ Jesus, Stephen, was wrongfully convicted and stoned to death, Saul of Tarsus stood by and consented to the killing. (Acts 7:58, 59) Afterwards the Lord revealed to Saul the truth and Saul became a Christian, and then the Lord changed his name, and thereafter he was known as Paul and made an apostle of Jesus Christ and a special witness for the kingdom. His own testimony shows the marked difference between a religionist and a Christian. — Galatians 1: 13-16; Acts 26: 5, 9-17.

During the World War many young men were compelled to join the army and fight. They saw daily the religious clergymen swaggering about, sometimes sober and sometimes not. They observed the duplicity of those clergymen, who always mingled with the soldiers in the rear; and when the war ended, some of those men who returned learned that religion is a snare of the Devil and that God's Word is the truth, and then they understood what they had seen the religionists do during the war. Those young men of good will and kind heart wanted to know and to do what was the right thing, and so when they came in contact with the truth as

set forth in God's publications, they began seeking the Lord that they might find him and learn his provision for protection and salvation. Such persons are of good will toward the Lord.

Since the coming of the Lord Jesus and the proclamation of his kingdom by his faithful followers the religious leaders have caused great persecution to come upon Jehovah's witnesses. They have secretly and wrongfully induced political officials, police officers, and others of the "strong-arm squad" to arrest, persecute and imprison many faithful Christians because they were telling the truth which exposes the Devil's religious system. Many of these faithful Christian men and women have been cruelly beaten, and some of them killed, and the religious leaders, particularly the clergymen, have been the chief instruments and instigators of such persecution and killing. Other persons connected with the religious institutions have been misled and ill advised by the clergymen and have participated in such wrongful treatment of Jehovah's witnesses, but, afterwards learning that Jehovah's witnesses are the faithful servants of the Lord, those men who had been misled and who are of good will toward God have turned to the Lord, shown their kind treatment to Jehovah's witnesses, fled to the Lord's antitypical city and there found refuge. Continuing in this condition and obeying the Lord, they will find protection and safety until Armageddon and, proving their integrity to God, they shall be made members of the great multitude.

"The revenger of blood" mentioned in the Scriptures (Numbers 35:19) pictured the Lord

Jesus Christ, the Executioner of Jehovah, who carries out Jehovah's commandments and who at Armageddon will slay all God's enemies. If those persons of good will show their faith in God and in Christ Jesus and their obedience by fleeing to the Lord before Armageddon and then continuing to seek righteousness and meekness and to serve the Lord as commanded, such may be spared in the great devastation that shall be wrought at Armageddon. Therefore the cities of refuge, and those who found protection thereunder, prophetically picture and foretell the place of refuge for the people of good will who continue in faith and faithfulness and who afterwards may form the great multitude. When a person of the right condition of heart sees that the Lord God long centuries ago had in mind such persons of good will above described, his heart responds to the Lord in love and devotion.

RAHAB

Rahab of Jericho, and the members of her family, played a part in one of the Lord's prophetic dramas, foreshadowing and foretelling the great multitude; and therefore the Bible account of Rahab is of peculiar interest to the Jonadabs or people of good will at this time. The part played by Rahab also emphasized the importance of faith and obedience. The fact that it was a prophetic drama directed by Jehovah God is proof that sometime in the future the same must have complete fulfillment. Rahab conducted a harlot's house, but the fact that Jehovah used her to make this prophetic picture shows that one of mean reputation may seek the

Lord and find him and gain a place of safety and protection during the impending tribulation of Armageddon, which is near at hand.

Moses was dead, and God had put Joshua in command of the Israelites. The march of the Israelites through the wilderness was about done and the time had arrived when they must enter the land of promise, then known as Canaan. The name Joshua means "Jehovah will save". He was a type of Jesus Christ, whose name means the same, Joshua being the Hebrew and Jesus the Greek way of pronouncing the name. (Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8, margin) The time of the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophetic drama, as now fully appears from the indisputable facts known to true Christians, is about the year 1918 (A.D.), at which time Christ Jesus, the greater Joshua, came to the temple of Jehovah. (See The Watchtower, February 1. 1939.)

Jehovah commanded Joshua to lead the host of Israel across the Jordan river. Before beginning the march to the Jordan Joshua sent two trusted men to spy out Jericho, which city pictured the religious organizations which the Lord has declared his purpose to destroy. These two men went to Jericho to get information and report to Joshua. "And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there." (Joshua 2:1) God could have acted against Jericho, to be sure, without first sending the spies; but the people of that city had heard of the Israelites and of the great things God had wrought for them, and now the opportunity would be offered for the people of Jericho

to display their attitude toward God and his covenant people Israel. Also, Jehovah discerned a woman at Jericho who had faith and hope in God based upon what she had heard God had done for the Israelites, and the opportunity was given to her to demonstrate her faith. Her faith and obedience led to her salvation when others of Jericho were destroyed. The city of Jericho and its surroundings showed that it pictured the present-day nations that compose "Christendom" and that practice religion, and who are against Christianity. The two men who went there as spies pictured Jehovah's witnesses, who are commissioned to investigate "Christendom" and there declare the name and kingdom of God, and to do this just preceding the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

Regardless of what religious leaders have said or may say concerning those two spies' going to the house of a harlot and lodging there, we may be absolutely sure that Jehovah sent them there to carry out his purposes. There is no occasion to find fault with those two men. As to Rahab, it appears she was used in the picture to show that persons who are of less reputation than others, that is to say, those who are of the common people, are in a better condition of mind and heart and have a greater desire for righteousness than many of the higher-up, self-satisfied and sanctimonious persons who practice religion. Jesus did not have a good reputation amongst the religionists of the Jews, but "the common people heard him gladly". (Mark 12: 37) Many young women have been deceived by high religious leaders and forced into a

course of conduct that is extremely humiliating to them. Some young women have found themselves in that unfortunate position while having a great desire for righteousness, and such are much more susceptible to hearing the message of God's kingdom than the men and women of high reputation among others. Today the religionists, and particularly the leaders of the Roman Catholic system, the Hierarchy, deliberately attempt to besmirch the name and reputation of true Christians. They do this in utter disregard of the message of the King and kingdom and the warning that that message sounds to them. Their action, however, in no wise hinders or reduces the force and power of that kingdom message. Honest and sincere people will give heed to the message of truth when brought to them, regardless of the instrument that brings it.

Rahab's house was situated on the wall of the city of Jericho, which appears to suggest that she was quite out of touch with the élite class of that city. When the city should fall, her house would be in a very dangerous position and only the Lord God could save her and her household. Her condition is much like that of many of good will, otherwise called "Jonadabs", at the present time. Only God's provision can save them at Armageddon. The police officers of the city of Jericho, at the instance of the big religious leaders, went to the house of Rahab for the purpose of taking into custody the two men or strangers who had entered there. Likewise today the religious leaders induce the official element of the land, the police or strong-arm squad, to take

into custody Jehovah's witnesses, who go about bringing into the houses the testimony of God's kingdom in obedience to God's commandment. Rahab showed her faith in God by hiding the men or spies and in later aiding them to escape. Had those two men been found in her house, no doubt she would have been put to death for shielding a spy. But she believed that her salvation depended entirely upon the Almighty God, and she acted accordingly. She refused to lend herself to the enemies of God; and in this she well pictured the people of good will of the present time who shield the Lord's faithful witnesses, and refuse to lend themselves and their power to the police. Today the Jonadabs or persons of good will, who make up the great multitude, see the righteous course of Jehovah's witnesses and they put forth their best endeavors to aid such witnesses of the Lord, instead of yielding to the demand of the clergy to do them injury.

After the officers had left Rahab's house and gone in search of the two men, Rahab went to the roof of her house, where she had hid the men, to confer with them: "And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt,

neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath."  — Joshua 2:8-11.

Note this fact: that Rahab there acknowledged Jehovah God as the Supreme Being. She believed that Jericho would fall, and she desired to be spared from that disaster and desired to be saved. Then Rahab and the two men entered into a solemn agreement. She promised to keep secret their mission and their presence, and to cooperate with them in their work; and the men, in the name of God, promised to protect Rahab and the members of her household when the city fell. Those two men there represented the Lord in making this agreement, and the Lord God had respect for that agreement and saw that it was carried out. Then Rahab let the men down the wall by a scarlet line or rope, and their agreement was that, after the Israelites should "come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by; and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, . . . [into thy] home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him." (Joshua 2:12-20) This prophetic picture shows that those who will form the great multitude must fear God and have faith in him, make a covenant to do God's will, and then faithfully obey God's commandments.

The line of scarlet thread by which the men escaped, and which Rahab afterwards hung out of her window as a signal, symbolically represented the shed blood of Christ Jesus, in which all persons must trust who are saved. Those who are of the heavenly class must rely upon the precious blood of Christ Jesus as their means of gaining life. Likewise the great multitude must have faith and reliance upon the shed blood of Christ Jesus, and in which they 'wash their robes', thereby identifying themselves as the servants of God; and then they must take their place on the side of God and his kingdom and faithfully remain there. Rahab was required, under the terms of their agreement, to bring the members of her household into her home, and which part of the picture shows that the Jonadabs, who form the great multitude, must be active

in taking the message of the kingdom to others, that such others may find the place of safety and refuge in God's organization before Armageddon. Every member of the household of Rahab was required to remain in the house during the siege of Jericho, and anyone who went into the street during that siege would have no protection. This is exactly in harmony with the requirements put upon those who fled to the city of refuge. All such must remain under the protection of the Lord and his organization prior to and continuously up to and through the final tribulation upon the world at Armageddon. If Rahab and those of her household obeyed and were faithful to the requirements put upon her, their salvation was guaranteed when the city of Jericho fell. This part of the picture marks the way for those who will form the great multitude, showing that they must flee to the Lord's organization and then continually seek righteousness and meekness and faithfully participate with the witnesses of Jehovah, giving testimony to the name and kingdom of Almighty God. The agreement made, and which was faithfully carried out by the two men towards Rahab and her household, shows that the relationship between the remnant of Jehovah's witnesses and the "other sheep" of the Lord, the Jonadabs, must be mutually helpful and that they at all times must look well to the protection of each other and to safeguarding each other's interests as servants of the Lord. They must be real companions, dwell together and work together in peace. — Psalm 122.

Within a short time after the two spies returned to the Israelites across the Jordan the siege of Jericho began. On the seventh day of that siege, and at a given signal, Jericho's walls fell down flat, and the only part of those walls that remained standing was where Rahab's house was located. Joshua, as the representative of Jehovah, saw to it that the agreement made by his two men with Rahab was faithfully kept and performed. He sent those same two men in and brought out Rahab and all the members of her household alive. (Joshua 6:20-25) Rahab had faithfully kept her part of the agreement with the representatives of Joshua and the Lord. She had gathered the members of her family into her house, where they remained as commanded. She had kept the scarlet line hanging out of the window. She had demonstrated her faith in God and her obedience, and the Lord rewarded her. (James 2:25) The Lord caused her faith and obedience to be honorably mentioned long years thereafter, to wit: "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace."  — Hebrews 11:30,31.

This prophetic drama was made many centuries ago and the record preserved, and the meaning thereof is now made known for the purpose of aiding and benefiting those on earth who love and serve God and his King, and particularly now for the guidance of those who will form the great multitude.

G1BEONITES

The land of Canaan was inhabited by the enemies of God, and most of them entered into a conspiracy to fight against Joshua. The exception was those people of Gibeon, who showed they had faith in the God of Israel. The combined enemies in Canaan pictured the religionists and allies of the land now called "Christendom", who conspire to destroy the faithful followers of Christ Jesus and to prevent them from becoming a nation, God's chosen nation. (Psalm 83:4) The Gibeonites were a people of good will and pictured the people of good will who today are among the peoples of "Christendom", but which people of good will desire righteousness and salvation. The Gibeonites had heard what Joshua and his army had done to Jericho and to Ai, and they feared Joshua and the God whom he worshiped. This shows that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". The Gibeonites sent ambassadors to Joshua that they might find with Joshua protection and salvation. (See Joshua nine; considered in detail in The Watchtower, August 15, September 1 and 15, 1936.)

The battle which Joshua fought at Gibeon is, without a doubt, a picture of the great day of God Almighty, called "Armageddon"; because it is written, in Isaiah 28:21: "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."

The act, "the strange act" of Jehovah in this text mentioned, is the battle of Armageddon. The Gibeonites did not stand aloof and wait for

that battle to begin before taking any steps for self-preservation. This shows that today those who are of good will toward God cannot wait till Armageddon begins, to seek the Lord, but must act quickly upon hearing of the truth as set forth in the Scriptures, and must take such steps as the Lord directs for them, that they may find protection and salvation. The ambassadors of the Gibeonites, addressing themselves to Joshua, told Joshua that they had come to him because of the name of the Lord God, whom he served: "And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt." "And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand; as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do." "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose." — Joshua 9: 9, 24, 25, 27.

Those Gibeonites who joined with the Israelites in their service under Joshua's command prophetically foretell the people of good will today who join themselves to Jehovah's witnesses and serve Jehovah God under the command of the Greater Joshua, Christ Jesus.

The kings of the various provinces of Canaan heard that the Gibeonites had associated themselves with Joshua; so those Canaanites formed a combination that all their forces might go up and fight against the Gibeonites. (Joshua 10:2-5) This part of the prophetic drama pictures how the religionists combine to destroy the Jonadabs of the present time because they have sought the Lord and associated themselves with Jehovah's remnant. So, learning that the combined forces of the Canaanites were marching against them, the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua and said: "Come up ... quickly, and save us." Thus is foretold that persons of good will today, in this time of great distress, appeal to Christ Jesus, the Greater Joshua, to save them from the abominations committed in "Christendom" and from the assaults made upon them by the religionists, because all the religious systems are against such persons of good will. Joshua quickly responded, and by night he marched his army to the city of Gibeon. This shows that the work in behalf of the great multitude must now be done quickly, when the nighttime covers the peoples of the earth who are against God. The confederated enemy had laid siege to the city of Gibeon, when Joshua arrived on the scene. The refusal of the Gibeonites to surrender to the enemy shows that those who declare themselves for the Lord must stand firmly on his side regardless of all opposition. The Jonadabs are today learning that they have much opposition, and this really strengthens them to follow as the Lord directs.

Arriving at Gibeon with his army, Joshua immediately assaulted the enemy: "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not; for I have delivered them into thine hand: there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah." — Joshua 10:8-10.

This is further evidence that the battle of Gibeon was a picture of the battle of Armageddon. Jehovah fought the battle of his covenant people and gained for them a victory to the praise of Jehovah God. "And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died; they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it, or after it, that the Lord

hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." — Joshua 10:11-14.

The Gibeonites were delivered and saved from the destruction purposed upon them by the combined enemy, and this pictures that the persons of good will, the Jonadabs, who will form the great multitude who put themselves under the command of the Lord Jesus, the Greater Joshua, shall be saved at the battle of Armageddon and enter into the great multitude that survives.

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN

Every child that has attended Sunday School has heard something about Joseph and his brethren. The religious teachers have had much to say about that "Bible story", as they call it; but they have understood nothing about it. They have looked upon it merely as a historical fact. But no one could understand it until God's due time for those devoted to him to understand it. Now the time has come for the people of good will toward God to see and to understand that God used Joseph and his ten half brothers to make a wonderful picture prophetically showing the relationship of the great multitude to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Joseph pictured. That great prophetic drama is further corroborative evidence showing that "known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world".  — Acts 15:18.

These prophetic facts and the Scripture, together, should cause all sincere persons to have strong faith in the Almighty God. It should be particularly helpful, and will be, to those of good will today. Space here permits giving only a

brief statement of that great prophetic drama. In The Watchtower of 1937, pages 35-88, is a detailed consideration of the matter. The Bible account appears at Genesis, chapters 37-49 inclusive. In that prophetic drama Jacob played the part representing Jehovah God; Rachel his wife, the part picturing God's organization; Joseph, the part picturing Christ Jesus; and Joseph, together with Benjamin, picturing the royal house of Jehovah God, otherwise known as Zion; while Joseph's ten half brothers played the part that pictures those persons in the religions organizations who at first envy and ill-treat the faithful followers of Christ Jesus, and in the latter part of the drama those same half brothers picture persons of good will who, upon learning the truth, gladly devote themselves to the Lord; and, hence, from that time forward picture the great multitude, the Lord's "other sheep".

The Bible record, in brief, is this: Joseph was a shepherd boy, dutifully giving attention to his father's flocks. Jacob, his father, sent Joseph to a distant town to ascertain the condition of the flocks which Joseph's half brethren were attending. Here Joseph pictured Christ Jesus, the Son of Jehovah God, whom Jehovah sent to the earth to look after the interest of the flock that had strayed away from the Lord. Joseph's half brothers hated him because his father favored him; and when they saw him coming they conspired together to kill Joseph. Likewise when Jesus came to the earth and began his ministry, the Devil put it into the minds of the religious leaders of the Jews to get rid of Jesus, and

therefore they conspired together to kill him. Joseph's half brethren then conspired amongst themselves to make disposition of Joseph, and they sold him as a slave, and he was carried away to Egypt, where he became the slave of Potiphar, an officer of the king. In Egypt Joseph played parts in the great prophetic drama recorded, picturing Christ Jesus, which includes the faithful members of "the body of Christ", and particularly the remnant thereof now upon the earth. The wife of Potiphar attempted to seduce Joseph, and, failing in this, she charged him with an attempt of criminal assault. She pictured Satan's religious organization that attempts to seduce the faithful followers of Christ Jesus and to induce them to join in illicit relationship with the Devil's organization, which is spiritual fornication or idolatry, within the meaning of the Scriptures. — James 4:4.

When Joseph was charged with this crime he was imprisoned. After his being imprisoned for about two years Pharaoh the king had a dream, and it was represented to the king that the prisoner Joseph could interpret his dream. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and interpreted his dreams. Pharaoh then made Joseph ruler over all Egypt, and he held the position of authority next to the king. Pharaoh and Joseph were then the earthly "higher powers", and at this point in the drama pictured Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, the "higher powers" of the world.

A great famine came upon the world: "And the famine was over all the face of the earth." "But in all the land of Egypt there was bread," which supply of bread was due to Joseph's hav-

ing made provision beforehand by buying and storing up the corn for a period of seven years. This part of the prophetic picture began to have fulfillment particularly following the World War, when the religious institutions abandoned the Lord and openly took the side of Satan's organization, and hence there was no truth amongst them; and this is foretold by Jehovah's prophet in these words: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord."  — Amos 8:11.

That famine for want of the understanding of God's Word, due to the unfaithfulness of the religious organizations, has now spread over all the world, but within God's organization, namely, his faithful people on the earth, there is an abundance of spiritual food and the Lord continually supplies this "meat in due season". This is absolute proof from the Scriptures that the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Joseph and his brethren is now taking place, and the understanding thereof is made clear now for the benefit of the Jonadabs who shall compose the great multitude. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Greater Joseph, who feeds those persons in the world who seek him. His faithful servants carry the food to the hungry people who constitute the Lord's "other sheep". Now the people of good will toward God find no spiritual food whatsoever in the religious organizations, and they, being hungry and thirsty for righteousness, seek Christ Jesus, the Greater Joseph, and are fed by him. He sends them the truth from

his Father's table by the hand of Jehovah's faithful witnesses in the earth today. People from all over the world came to Joseph to be fed, because that was the only place to find food. The impartiality of the Lord toward the great multitude is shown in this picture, because the Scriptures declare in other places that these come 'of all nations, kindreds, peoples and tongues' and stand before the throne of the Lord and cry, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb [Christ Jesus]." Concerning those who diligently seek and serve the Lord it is further written: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; . . . For the Lamb [Christ Jesus], which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." — Revelation 7:9-17.

Because of the famine Jacob sent his sons, the half brothers of Joseph, down into Egypt to buy food. (Genesis 42:1-5) They were brought before Joseph, but they did not recognize him, for the reason that years had elapsed since they had sold him into Egypt and they believed that Joseph was dead. Again they went to Egypt for food, at the instance of their father. Joseph had held Simeon as hostage until they returned. On this occasion the nine half brothers brought Benjamin, the younger and the full brother of Joseph, with them; and when they arrived with Benjamin, Simeon was released and they stood before Joseph, but none of those discovered his identity. At the command of Joseph they were again laden with food and started away for

Canaan. Joseph's silver cup had been concealed in the sack of one, and he sent his officer after them and intercepted them, charging them with stealing the cup; and upon search the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. That was a test upon all of Joseph's brethren. Benjamin here pictured Jehovah's witnesses, a part of the remnant who in recent years have been charged with crimes of which they were entirely innocent, God having permitted such to come upon them as a test that they might prove their integrity. The arrest of these witnesses of the Lord has also been a test upon the Jonadabs, or "other sheep", who, seeing Jehovah's witnesses wrongfully charged, willingly become the companions of Jehovah's witnesses and suffer with them. —Hebrews 10: 33.

The placing of the cup in Benjamin's sack, and the subsequent arrest, was a part of the prophetic picture God purposed to have fulfilled in his due time, which is being fulfilled in order to carry out his purposes and to teach the meek who seek the way to righteousness. Joseph then rendered decision in the case, holding that Benjamin should become his slave and therefore must remain with him in Egypt. This decision of Joseph brought great grief upon the ten half brothers, and Judah, acting as their spokesman, made an impassioned speech, pleading in behalf of his young brother Benjamin, and for his old father Jacob, who would greatly suffer in the absence of Benjamin. Here the ten half brothers show they had received a change of heart towards Joseph and towards their father.

Judah had been the one who had proposed the selling of Joseph into Egypt, whose sale and deportation pictured the enmity of the religionists toward the Lord and toward his true followers. Judah then asked for permission to speak, and here doubtless he acted as spokesman for all. He recounted the facts before Joseph. He told that a son had been taken away from their father and was supposed to be dead, and that the father had bestowed his love upon the younger son Benjamin, and that if Benjamin did not return his father would die of grief. He made an eloquent and touching plea that Benjamin should be returned and that he, Judah, might become a slave in Egypt in the place and stead of Benjamin. The fervor with which Judah presented the case before Joseph proved that those ten men were of good will towards Jacob and also towards Benjamin, and, not yet recognizing that they stood before Joseph, doubtless supposing he was dead, they had great sorrow for the wrong that they had done him. This great test upon them disclosed a complete change of heart; and while, no doubt, they inwardly suffered great remorse because of their treatment of Joseph years before, they were willing to make any possible amends. In this test they bravely met it and demonstrated their good will. (Genesis 44:14-34) And what did this test in the prophetic drama foretell? It plainly identified and foretold a class of persons who at one time were antagonistic to the consecrated spiritual children of God, the brethren of Christ Jesus; but who, upon becoming acquainted with the conditions of their own situation, showed a deep

contrition of heart and a sincere desire to do good toward all who love the Lord. Looking now to the facts: The persecution came upon the brethren of Christ, particularly in 1918, and this persecution was at the instance and instigation of the religionists. That stirred the hearts of many to enmity against the Lord's people, that is, those of the original faithful remnant. But later on, when these came to more clearly understand their own situation and the purpose of God towards them, they had a change of heart and showed themselves in a proper heart condition to be gathered by the Lord as his "other sheep" into the fold of Jehovah. Thus the Lord shows that all of the "other sheep" class must be of good will toward Jehovah, pictured by Jacob, toward Christ Jesus, pictured by Joseph, and toward the remnant, pictured by Joseph and Benjamin, before they can be gathered into the Lord's organization.

The faithful remnant of Jehovah's witnesses have suffered much persecution at the hands of the religious leaders, and continue thus to suffer, and God has permitted this suffering as a test upon his people. He also permits those "other sheep" to see Jehovah's witnesses suffer and to share with them therein in order that their good will toward God may be demonstrated. Such is necessary in order to test the faith and obedience of all who love Jehovah and Christ Jesus. As the severity of the persecution upon Jehovah's witnesses has increased in these days the Lord's "other sheep" have shown their willingness to become companions of those who suffer for righteousness' sake. By this means they

have shown their faith in God and in Christ Jesus and a willingness to faithfully obey the Lord regardless of opposition.

The time had come for Joseph to make himself known to his brethren, and then he caused everyone to withdraw from his presence, except his brethren: "And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren." (Genesis 45:1) Does not this strongly suggest that only those of good will toward God, and who give a hearing ear to the message of the kingdom and recognize and accept Christ Jesus as the Savior of the world and turn to him, will be saved, and that all others will go down in the cataclysm of Armageddon? No doubt. Joseph's brethren exhibited great fear when they recognized the brother whom they had sold into Egypt; and Joseph, seeing this, said to them: "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you, to preserve life." — Genesis 45:5.

In so doing Joseph showed no resentment; no priding himself by reason of the humiliation of his brethren; no shame for calling them his brethren; no hatred or ill will because of what they had done to him; but, on the contrary, he showed a loving consideration for their welfare, and he acknowledged God's goodness and all-powerful hand for good in all that had come to pass. He acknowledged that he had suffered at the hands of his misguided brethren, but it was for their good. At the time Joseph disclosed his identity the young brother Benjamin stood with him, and Joseph revealed himself to all of them

at the same time; and thus it is shown that all who are on the Lord's side, whether of the heavenly or of the earthly class, stand together.

Joseph then disclosed the fact that this entire prophetic drama was directed by Jehovah that people might in due time be enlightened concerning his provision made for them to obtain life everlasting. "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not." — Genesis 45: 8, 9.

In the fulfillment of this prophetic picture Jehovah sent Christ Jesus to the world to save the world. He sent him to the temple "to preserve life". He has made Christ Jesus "the Everlasting Father" in behalf of all subjects of the kingdom, and has made him Lord and Head over his royal house, and rightful Ruler of the world. (Isaiah 9: 6, 7) His kingdom is the hope of the world, and in Christ Jesus' name and in his kingdom shall the nations hope. (Matthew 12:21) There is no other hope, because such is God's provision, and that provision is entirely adequate and complete. Since the Lord has revealed the above-mentioned truths to the remnant and those of the "other sheep" class, they all the more clearly discern the application of the prophetic words of Joseph, which are fulfilled upon the Greater Joseph, to wit: "Tell ... of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste, and bring down my father hith-

er." To all such now appears the glory of Christ Jesus in all the world. The language of the prophecy at this point shows clearly that the obligation is laid upon the remnant, and upon the "other sheep" who hear, to 'make haste' and tell all, as opportunity presents, that they may learn of God's gracious provision for the salvation of obedient men. — Verse 13.

Joseph then told his brethren that there were yet five years of famine and that they should haste and tell their father, and that all of them, his father and his household, should come to Egypt and be near Joseph, the governor, "lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty." (Genesis 45: 8-11) This shows that at the time of the identification of the Greater-than-Joseph, who is pictured by Joseph, there is still much more work to be done by the Lord Jesus through his earthly remnant in behalf of those who shall live on the earth.

It was in 1931 that there was disclosed to the faithful remnant a class to which food must be ministered. But at that time the "great multitude", as such, was not discerned. Joseph's sending for the entire household of Jacob, including the families of his own half brothers, showed that after 1931, when the earthly class was disclosed to whom the remnant must now minister, they must continue to minister to that class, the famine-stricken ones. This is exactly what has come to pass and is now in progress. From and after 1931 the remnant have appreciated that they must go throughout the land of "Christendom" and give information to those who desire righteousness; but it is interesting here to note

that it was not until May 31,1935, at the Washington (D.C.) convention, that the "great multitude", as such, was identified and made known to the anointed class. From that time onward a specially organized effort has been made, and continues with increased zeal, in behalf of the great multitude, to bring to their attention the truths of God's Word; and this they do while the Lord himself gathers the great multitude into the fold, where they shall receive fullness of bread.

INVITATION

The news soon spread throughout the land of Egypt that "Joseph's brethren are come", and this good news reached Pharaoh, and it pleased him. Pharaoh now appears upon the stage, and in this particular part he represents Jehovah God: "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take your father, and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours." — Genesis 45:17-20.

Likewise Jehovah God was pleased with the work of Christ Jesus, the Greater-than-Joseph, who had disclosed at the temple his identity and his true relationship to the remnant and to the "other sheep"; and the Lord confirms the gra-

cious invitation to the people of good will by saying to them: 'Come, and drink of the water of life freely.' — Revelation 22:17.

Joseph, picturing Christ Jesus, then instructed Benjamin and his ten half brothers to extend the gracious invitation to others of the family relationship, and these were all invited to journey to Egypt. It is Christ Jesus, the Greater-than-Joseph, who causes the truth to be held forth and who is gathering unto the Lord's fold the great multitude; and therefore Jesus says: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." — John 10:16.

The Benjamin class, the remnant, share in this work, in this, that they bear the message of the gracious invitation to the "other sheep", and when these latter ones hear the message it is also the privilege and duty of those "other sheep" to say, as Joseph said: "Come . . . tarry not." This is further proof that the "other sheep", who make up the great multitude, must participate in the work of bearing testimony concerning the kingdom before others of the world, that the latter may flee to the place of safety, where they may be fed by the Greater-than-Joseph. — Revelation 7:16.

The subsequent dealings of Joseph with the Egyptians disclose the great responsibilities and requirements that are now laid upon those who are of the "other sheep" of the present time, that is, who will form the great multitude. They must be fully and wholly consecrated to the Lord and must render themselves in full obe-

dience to his commandments and joyfully engage in his service. Those who are now of the "other sheep" of the Lord must, together with the remnant, joyfully take up the message of life, which God has provided, and bear that message before the people of the famine-stricken world, to the end that those who are now in the world and who so desire may learn the way of life and flee to the place of refuge. There are others that the Lord will yet gather into the great multitude before Armageddon.

As the famine continued sore upon Egypt and the countries round about, so now the spiritual famine continues sore upon the world: "And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt, and all the land of Canaan, fainted by reason of the famine." (Genesis 47:13) The famine had been upon Egypt for two years when Jacob and his household reached Egypt. Assuming that some of the Egyptians had given heed to Joseph's interpretation of the dream of Pharaoh, and to his advice to conserve food, and that they had conserved food, such provided stock of grain would at the end of the two years doubtless be used up and the Egyptians would then have to apply to the government for food. This they were compelled to do in order to live. Likewise now those of the "other sheep", who are in the world, will have to come to Jehovah's visible organization, represented by the remnant of God's people on earth, and learn the way to life by obtaining and feeding upon the food which the Lord has prepared and stored up for such. This they must do before Armageddon.

Mark now the striking contrast in the action of Joseph and in the action of the "Democratic New Deal schemers" of the present day. These modern worldly-wise men, instead of conserving the food supply when there was plenty, curtailed the food supply by restricting crops that should have been planted and harvested and by ruthlessly destroying animals, and this they did in order to increase the price of food. The fallacy of their conduct is now being experienced by the American people. Joseph was not interested in pegging up higher and higher the price of food, but was interested in taking care of the people. When the famine increased upon the land Joseph did not raise the price of food and permit anyone to profiteer at the expense of the people.

The modern "new dealers", headed by one whom the Press has designated as "Franklin Deficit", make no provision for food storage and food supplies for the people of America, but they all together participate in speculation and continuously juggle with the food supply and continue to raise the price thereof at the cost and to the distress of the people. It seems strange that the masses of the people are so very listless and foolish as to refuse to hear or give heed to what the Word of God says and, on the contrary, continue to listen to the world-schemes brought forth by selfish men, which schemes can never bring them any relief. In this distress upon the people the commercial religionists harangue those who will listen to them and tell them that their food scarcity and the dust storms that devastate their lands, and

the burning heat that destroys their crops, and the pests that participate in such destruction, all these things, have come upon the people as a judgment from God because the people have been negligent in the support of the religious organizations. The charging of Jehovah God with responsibility for these calamities that have befallen the people is a malicious lie and defamation of his holy name. The Scriptures plainly declare that it is the Devil who brings these present-day woes upon the people, and he is doing so for the very purpose of defaming God's name and turning the people away from him. (Revelation 12:12) This is further and strong proof that the clergy who resort to such schemes of haranguing the people and charging God with bringing the calamities upon them represent the Devil, and do not represent God. Great therefore is the privilege and the responsibility laid upon those who have received the truth, to make known that life-giving and life-sustaining spiritual food to other hungry souls who desire to know of the way to life. The truth is the only thing that will bring consolation and help to the people.

The Egyptians had many cattle, money and lands, and they enjoyed personal freedom. Joseph did not set up a starvation-dole system that would bring all to poverty, but he sold the life-sustaining corn to the Egyptians, first for their money; which money Joseph brought into Pharaoh's treasury. He did not permit private and greedy money-changers to profit by the distress of the people. When their money was gone, then he sold corn to the Egyptians for their cat-

tle and herds; and then Joseph bought all their lands and paid for them in corn or food; and then the people said to him: "Buy us and our land for bread"; and this Joseph did. (Genesis 47:14-20) Pharaoh the king thereby became the rightful owner of everything in Egypt, and the people became the "servants unto Pharaoh"; and this was according to the wish of the people, "that we may live and not die." Life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ; and this does not mean that man can buy his life from God. It does mean that in order for the great multitude to survive Armageddon and to get life from God through Christ Jesus these must fully comply with God's terms, which terms are that men shall fully, unreservedly and completely consecrate themselves to God and his faithful service, and acknowledge and serve his King, Christ Jesus. There is nothing that they may withhold. Nothing that they can give can compensate for the free gift of life and all its attending blessings, because all that men have, to begin with, belongs to the Lord. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." (Psalm 24:1) They must show their full willingness to become the servants of God and Christ Jesus, and must serve day and night, that is, all the time. (Revelation 7:15) Christ Jesus, as the great official Agent of the "King of Eternity", has bought the entire human race, and life will be given to those only who comply with the terms Jehovah has provided, and to such life is a free gift through Christ Jesus.

For their welfare the people were brought together in the cities: "And as for the people, he

removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof." (Genesis 47: 21) In a similar way Christ Jesus now brings his "other sheep" together or under the organization of Jehovah, pictured by a city, and in those "cities" they find refuge, and nowhere else. This corresponds exactly with the cities of refuge which Jehovah provided for the people in the day of Moses. (Deuteronomy 19:1-6) The land of the priests was not sold: "Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their lands." — Genesis 47: 22.

That was not an act of discrimination against the people and in favor of the clergy, as some would try to make it appear. Even before the famine the priests of Egypt received government support, and this provision continued unaltered during the period of the famine. The priests were under no necessity to sell their land. It was a previous arrangement that they should receive their food from the king. Those priests or princes of Egypt, together with Joseph, were servants of the king, and, in the drama, here appear to picture the great "elect" "servant", of which Christ Jesus is Head, together with the earthly remnant, who are "the feet of him". (Isaiah 52: 7) These today are "joint heirs with Christ" Jesus and belong to "the meek" which "inherit the earth" with Christ Jesus. (Matthew 5: 5; Romans 8:16,17) They are therefore in a different position from that of those of his "other sheep", the great multitude, although all

must and do receive life from Jehovah by Christ Jesus.

It has always been and always will be that men must work. "If [a man] would not work, neither should he eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10) The idler is an abomination in the sight of God and is classed as a waster. (Proverbs 19:15; 31:27; Ezekiel 16: 49) In behalf of the great multitude and their future life, the Lord provides that they must not be idle, but must serve him continuously. (Revelation 7:15) "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God." (1 Corinthians 6:19,20) Joseph did not arrange for a dole to be set up and that the people receive a dole from the government and continue idle. (Genesis 47: 23) On the contrary, the people must be diligent and work, and not become a public charge in idleness. They were commanded and must sow the seed given to them, and sow it upon the land and trust to God for the increase.

A liberal arrangement was made for the people: "And it shall come to pass, in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh; and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones." (Genesis 47:24) Since the land was not then their own, that was a very generous arrangement for them. A like requirement is laid upon the great multitude, as prophetically shown at Zechariah 14:16-18. The requirement of the great multitude is just and reasonable, and "not grievous". (1 John 5:3) Christ Jesus, according to the will of God, puts them all on an equal

footing before Jehovah and requires all of them to render faithful service unto God, and that not beyond measure. This arrangement the people of Egypt appreciated, even as the great multitude will recognize and be glad with the arrangement which the Lord has made for them: "And they said, Thou hast saved our lives; let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants." — Genesis 47: 25.

God, foreknowing from the beginning what would come to pass, made this and other prophetic pictures to aid his "other sheep", who at this time of great stress are being gathered to the Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus. These pictures set before those of good will patterns showing them what course they must take in order to receive the protection and salvation that Jehovah has provided for those that love and serve him.

LOVER OF DAVID

Jehovah in his loving-kindness has provided many other prophetic pictures for the benefit of those who love him, and amongst which is the following one concerning the lover of David. King David received God's approval, and of him God said: "David [is] a man after mine own heart." (Acts 13:22; Psalm 89:20) David was diligent to obey God's commandments. He was a type of Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of God. The Bible contains a beautiful prophetic drama involving David, wherein are pictured the faithful royal members of the house of Jehovah, together with the Lord's "other sheep", which will compose the great multitude. It is the record of

the close relationship that existed between David and Jonathan. (See 1 Samuel, chapters 17 and 18; The Watchtower, September 1 and 15, 1938.)

The Israelites were Jehovah's covenant people and under God's command. But the Israelites selfishly asked for a king. In this they were wrong; but God permitted them to have a king. Saul was chosen and anointed as king. Saul did not give heed to the commandments of Jehovah God, and for this reason God rejected him. Saul's debasement was due to his lack of faith and his failure to obey. Jehovah God, through his prophet Samuel, said to him: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22,23) Thus the divine rule is made clear that a rebellion against God's commandments is the sin of witchcraft, that is to say, serving devils; stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry. This emphasizes the fact that all religions are of the Devil, because they are in opposition to God's commandments.

At the beginning of Saul's reign he had a son who commanded a division of the army; and that son was Jonathan. David, the youngest son of Jesse, was a shepherd boy residing at Bethlehem with his father. After rejecting Saul God anointed David to be king over Israel. David was then a mere lad and, although anointed at that time,

did not begin his reign for some time thereafter. In the prophetic drama here described the players and the things pictured by them follow:

Saul, because of his unfaithfulness, played the part picturing the unfaithful clergy and other religionists who have claimed to be followers of Christ Jesus but who for selfish reasons have; become unfaithful and rebelled, willfully disobeying God's Commandments. Also, he pictured those who have consecrated themselves to do God's will and who start to follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus, and who become unfaithful and rebellious because of their selfishness. All of such persons, pictured by Saul, form what in the Scriptures is called "the man of sin", "the son of perdition." — 2 Thessalonians 2: 3.

King David in the drama pictured Christ Jesus, including the faithful members of his body, all of whom compose the royal house of Jehovah. Jonathan played the part at first picturing the faithful men of olden times, who are specifically described in Hebrews the eleventh chapter; and in the latter part of the drama he pictured the "men of good will", the "other sheep" of the Lord of the present time, and who will form the great multitude. The Philistines pictured the Devil's organization made up of the various elements which are against God and against Christ Jesus and his kingdom.

Jonathan and David were not lads of similar age, as Sunday-school teachers have tried to make it appear, but Jonathan was much older than David. The first time they met was after David had been anointed king over Israel, and Jonathan was then a man of mature years and

in command of a division of the army. He was at least twenty-five or thirty years older than David. Only those parts of the prophetic drama are here described which show the meeting of Jonathan and David and which disclose their relationship to each other foretelling the relationship of the Jonadabs to the Lord Jesus and the faithful members of his body.

Jonathan was past fifty years of age when he was killed and before David began to reign as king; and this suggests that the part played by Jonathan at the beginning of the drama pictured those faithful men who lived on earth and served Jehovah God before the coming of Christ Jesus into the world.

The Philistines had come up to give battle to Saul and his army. The two armies were on the opposite sides of the valley which divided two mountains. (1 Samuel 17:1-3) A monstrous giant named Goliath was amongst the Philistine army, and he was put forward to fight against someone to be selected by Saul. Goliath was monstrous in size and vicious and extremely wicked. He pictured the dictatorial or totalitarian ruling powers which today have grabbed control of some of the nations and bluff and oppress the people and take away their liberties.

The evidence today overwhelmingly shows that the political dictators and the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, the leading religious system on earth, work together, the political side forming the outstanding rulers, while the Roman Catholic Hierarchy acts as spiritual overlord or adviser, and thus forms a part of the totalitarian government. Mussolini rules Italy with an iron

hand. At the beginning of his rulership he was an atheist, and later he professed to be a Catholic and entered into a working agreement with the pope, and since then the Vatican, including, of course, all the Hierarchy, has supported Mussolini in his cruel exhibition of his power in Spain, his vicious assault and destruction of Abyssinia, and his wickedness in other places. Likewise Hitler is a cruel dictator of Germany, and he and the pope have entered into an agreement for the mutual support of each other, and they work together; and the Roman Catholic Hierarchy supports Hitler in his cruelty exercised against God-fearing people in Germany, and also in his cruel assault upon Austria, Czechoslovakia and other people. The facts show that God, by this prophetic drama, foretold that such political dictators and the religionists would work together to form the "abomination of desolation", claiming the right to rule the world instead of Christ Jesus. (Matthew 24:15,16; Daniel 11: 31; 12:11) Religion being the chief instrument of the Devil to blind and defraud the people, the Papacy, that is, the pope and other members of the Hierarchy, are used by the Devil in the capacity of spiritual adviser of the political dictators, their allies. Goliath pictured the entire combine that bluff and bully and threaten to destroy other nations and people that do not submit to them.

Goliath continued to bully the Israelites, all of whom were so frightened that not one of Saul's army was willing to engage Goliath in combat. David, being sent by his father to carry food to his brethren who were in Saul's army,

appeared upon the scene just at the time that Goliath was bellowing his challenge to the Israelites. (1 Samuel 17:4-23) Although a mere stripling lad compared with others of the Israelites, David was righteously indignant against the bluffer Goliath, and he said to those who stood by: 'Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the army of Jehovah?' David then volunteered to fight Goliath, and advanced to the combat armed only with his sling and a few small stones. "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands." — 1 Samuel 17: 45-47.

Here David pictured the Lord Jesus, who fights against the combined enemies of God and destroys them to the vindication of Jehovah's name. In that combat God gave to David the victory, and the monster Goliath lay dead with his skull crushed by one of David's stones. Jonathan stood by and witnessed the fight. He immediately recognized that David was the favored one of the Almighty God. Saul, the king, being impressed by the combat, immediately

called David to him and engaged him in conversation. Jonathan stood by and heard the conversation, and particularly what David had said to Jonathan's father, Saul. (1 Samuel 17: 57, 58) "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David; and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his

own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." — 1 Samuel 18:1-4.

This was the beginning of the heart devotion of Jonathan to David. The love of Jonathan to David was not for selfish reasons, nor was his a love such as exists between creatures of the opposite sex. Jonathan saw that David was right and was fighting a righteous cause, and he loved David for his righteous work, that is, his complete devotion to Almighty God. Jonathan here pictured that class of persons that have been associated with the religious systems, pictured by Saul, and who, upon learning that religion is a snare of the Devil, immediately turn away from it. Jonathan was a man of good will, and, desiring that which is right and righteous, his heart was immediately knit to David. Likewise when the people in the religious organizations today see that the faithful followers of Christ Jesus are valiantly fighting the cause of righteousness in proclaiming the truth against the Devil and his cohorts and are magnifying the name of Jehovah God, those persons of good will love Jehovah's witnesses as Jonathan loved David and give their support to and their full cooperation with Jehovah's witnesses. Jonathan, therefore, here clearly pictured those "other sheep" of the Lord that form the great , multitude.

MUTUAL LOVE

There is a mutual love flowing from one to another where both parties love righteousness

and hate iniquity. Their hearts are united in a righteous cause. Such is an unselfish devotion to what is right. Where such love exists between persons, neither one looks upon the other from the standpoint of the flesh, but looks upon the heart and his outward devotion to righteousness.

Such was the love Jonathan had for David; and David returned that love. (1 Samuel 20:41) It was a mutual love, because both were devoted to right and they were doing the right thing as the servants of Jehovah; and thus they pictured those classes of persons, namely, the remnant and the Jonadabs, both of whom are devoted to Jehovah God and hence have and manifest mutual love for each other. Jonathan manifested his love to David by helping David, and in due time David as king expressed his love for Jonathan by his kindness to Jonathan's son. (2 Samuel 9:1; 21:7) Jehovah loved both Jonathan and David because they were both striving in the right way; and in harmony with this it is written in God's Word: "He loveth righteousness and justice." (Psalm 33: 5, Am. Rev. Ver.) The love of God for the Jonathan class, the "other sheep", is shown in Jehovah's provision made in his law for "the stranger". (Deuteronomy 10:17-19) Christ Jesus, the Greater David, loves the Jonathan class because they are his "other sheep" and it is his Father's will that he shall gather them into the fold. (John 10:11,16) The anointed remnant on the earth, being the "feet of Him", Christ Jesus, must also love the Jonathan class; and they do love them, and prove it by diligence in carrying to them the

message of truth and aiding them to understand God's purpose. This is further pictured by the prophet Ezekiel's vision concerning the man clothed with linen with an inkhorn by his side and who marks the seekers of righteousness in the forehead, that is, gives to them an intelligent understanding of the truth. (Ezekiel 9:1-11) True love between the remnant and the Jonathan class, therefore, shows that they must stand firmly together, being companions in service and unselfishly devoted to God and to the kingdom interest, and hence to each other's interests.

COVENANT

A covenant is a solemn agreement between two or more parties to do the things expressed within the terms of that agreement. With their hearts in tune with righteousness Jehovah God would put it into the mind of both Jonathan and David to enter into a solemn agreement for the mutual love and support of each other. Therefore it is written: "Then Jonathan and David made [(literally) cut] a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul." (1 Samuel 18:3) Evidently they first offered an animal sacrifice, thus cutting or making a solemn agreement over the body of the dead animal and which agreement was that they would mutually support each other. That covenant would not mean that those two men would love each other for some selfish purpose; but their love for each other was because they were both following a righteous course, and their covenant would compel them to deal justly one with the other and to avoid

envy and criticism and family feuds. The facts show that this is exactly what they did, it being fully supported by the words of David addressed to Jonathan. (1 Samuel 20:8) Jonathan readily discerned that David was God's choice and that he must love David and support him faithfully. This recognition of the superiority of David was shown by Jonathan's bestowing upon David his garment, his sword, and his bow. "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." — 1 Samuel 18:4.

Saul had four sons, and Jonathan was the only one who entered into a covenant with David. This clearly indicates that those who compose the "other sheep" of the Lord have, many of them, been associated with the religionists, but only those who have the spirit of Jonathan enter into a covenant to serve the Lord and therefore break away from religionists and devote themselves to the David class. Therefore Jonathan pictures the "great multitude" that serve Jehovah and his kingdom.

Likewise the Jonathan class must make a covenant with Christ Jesus, the Greater David, and who is the representative of Jehovah God. They must recognize Christ Jesus as one of the "higher powers" and Jehovah's anointed King, and that Jehovah is the Supreme Power, and hence Jehovah and Christ Jesus alone constitute the "higher powers". (Romans 13:1) Christ Jesus is Jehovah's great Foundation and Chief Corner Stone of Zion, God's royal house. (Isaiah 8:14,15; 28:16) The Jonathan class do not

"stumble" over that great Stone, but joyfully accept him as the One provided by Jehovah for the head of His capital organization. All the religionists stumble over that Stone and are crushed. The covenant between Jonathan and David did not picture the law covenant which Jehovah made with the nation of Israel (Exodus 19:1-5), nor was it any part of that covenant, and it was not any part of the "new covenant" with spiritual Israel (Jeremiah 31: 31-34); but it was a solemn agreement which bound the Jonathan class to Jehovah's organization, over which Christ Jesus, the Greater David, is Head and of which the remnant on earth are a part. The covenant shows the binding relationship of companions between the two. Jonathan, by bestowing his garments and his war equipment upon David, assigns to David royal honors, recognizing him as higher than Jonathan. Likewise the "other sheep", those who make up the great multitude, now place themselves and their equipment at the disposal of Christ Jesus for the service of God and lend full cooperation to the manner of service carried on under Christ Jesus' directions. The present-day facts show that the Jonathan or "other sheep" class are doing that very thing.

David was respected by the people far more than Saul. (1 Samuel 18:6-9) Likewise today the remnant receive more real respect at the hands of honest men than the big religionists receive. All honest men know that religion and religionists are men who carry on a racket and hence they are racketeers; and they see that Jehovah's witnesses are honestly and sincerely

proclaiming God's message of truth. Jonathan loved David more than he loved Saul, because he knew that David was God's favored one and that David represented the righteous cause. Today the Jonathan class love the remnant, the "feet of Him", Christ Jesus, far more than they do the religionists, because they know that the remnant represents on earth the great and righteous Ruler, Christ Jesus. The breach between the Jonathan class and the Saul class today continues to widen. All those on the side of Christ the King must now stand firmly together, showing mutual love toward one another and harmoniously serving together, and in doing this they of necessity must oppose the Saul class, and do oppose such religionists.

Saul tried to incite and induce Jonathan to kill David, but Jonathan refused to join his conspiracy. (1 Samuel 19:1) Jonathan called Saul's attention to the "strange work" of righteousness which Jehovah was doing through David, and cited this to show that Jehovah's favor was upon David. (1 Samuel 19:4,5) Likewise the modern-day Jonathan class defend before the clergy the work of Jehovah's witnesses and vigorously protest against the acts of the clergy in persecuting Jehovah's witnesses, and they refuse to join the clergy in any of their schemes to do violence to Jehovah's witnesses. The Jonathan class, or "other sheep" of the Lord, see and appreciate God's "strange work" in which Jehovah's witnesses are permitted to participate, and they know that such is evidence that God's favor is upon the remnant or David class. Therefore the Jonathan class render assistance to Je-

hovah's witnesses, even as Jonathan rendered assistance unto David. This is further corroborated in the parable of the "sheep" and the "goats". (Matthew 25:31-46) Jonathan never approved of Saul's hatred of David. Today the "other sheep", or Jonathan class, are of a like mind, and are against those who persecute Jehovah's witnesses.

Because Jonathan showed an interest in David Saul tried to kill Jonathan. (1 Samuel 20:33) Knowing that Saul conspired to kill David, Jonathan warned David of the impending danger by shooting arrows as had been agreed between them, thus shooting the arrows as a means of communication and warning. (1 Samuel 20:18-41) Today the Jonathan class try to shield Jehovah's witnesses and hence warn them of impending danger. Jonathan thus used his arrows as the Jonathan class today use their fighting equipment in aid of Jehovah's witnesses. Thus they show mutual love for each other and that both are devoted to righteousness. The antitypical David class, that is, Jehovah's witnesses, have for some time tried to interest the Saul class, or religionists, in God's message of his kingdom, and in this work the people of good will have cooperated, but because of the selfish and cruel hearts of the religionists little or no progress is made. This shows that there is now no possibility for the leaders among the religionists to repent and turn to God and his King, and that there is no further need for the Jonathan and the David class to put forth their efforts in this behalf. Those of the Saul class are bent on destroying Jehovah's witnesses and

their work, just as Saul was bent on destroying David and chased him from place to place. The war is on now, and the remnant of God's people on the earth must, in obedience to Jehovah's commandments, go forth and participate in that war, by faithfully bearing witness to God's kingdom.

From this prophetic picture it clearly appears that Jehovah God purposed from the beginning to have a faithful class of men associated with Christ Jesus in his kingdom and a faithful class of persons on the earth who will receive life from the antitypical David, and that in these latter days of distress upon the world the remnant of the first and those of the latter class walk together, serving together, and promoting the name and kingdom of God, and that ultimately these shall all be of one fold of sheep or obedient ones under Christ Jesus.

ISRAELITES COMING TO DAVID

After the death of Saul David reigned as king of Judah for seven and one-half years, and later the other tribes of Israel came to David and anointed him as their King. "Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh." "So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel." (2 Samuel 5:1, 3) (See also 1 Chronicles chapters 11 and 12.) Those Israelites who came to David, as above described, pictured those persons of good will who today come to the Greater David,

Christ Jesus, after he begins his reign, and who give their allegiance and devotion to the Lord. They pictured the "other sheep" that will form the great multitude, which the Lord today is gathering unto himself.

STRANGERS

The Israelites alone were God's covenant people. (Amos 3:2) All other people were "strangers", and were so called. They are mentioned as Gentiles, meaning non-Jews or non-Israelites. God did not turn away even strangers who sought him and who complied with his law, although they were not in a covenant with him. (Exodus 12: 48; 20:10) Hobab, the Kenite, was a brother-in-law of Moses; and when Moses in command of the Israelites began the journey to the land of Canaan, he invited Hobab, the Kenite, to go with him, saying: "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good." (Numbers 10:29) Those Kenites journeyed with the Israelites and were strangers, so far as God's covenant was concerned. (Judges 1:16; 4:11) The strangers that sojourned with the Israelites, God's covenant people, were required to obey God's law. (Leviticus 16: 29; 18: 26; 19: 33, 34) Moses, recounting to the Israelites God's goodness, said to them: "He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." — Deuteronomy 10:18,19.

When the Israelites were assembled in Moab to hear the final address of Moses, strangers were there also to receive the admonition given

by Moses at the command of Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 29:10,11) The strangers that sojourned with the covenant people of God, the Israelites, and who worshiped and obeyed God, picture those who are now of good will toward God and his people, and who will form the great multitude, if they continue faithful and obedient.

TEMPLE BUILDERS

At the command of Jehovah God Solomon built the temple at Jerusalem, "an house unto the name of the LORD my God." (1 Kings 5:5) Hiram of Tyre loved David, the father of Solomon, and he sent his servants to Solomon to learn what he might do to aid him. Solomon directed Hiram to have his servants prepare material for the temple: "So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees, according to all his desire." — 1 Kings 5:10.

King Hiram sent his servants to work for Solomon. "And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father; for Hiram was ever a lover of David." "And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together." "And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew [stones], and the stone-squarers; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house." (1 Kings 5:1,12,18; 2 Chronicles 2:3-10) Other strangers or proselytes of Israel were brought into service: "And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David

his father had numbered them [showing that those outside of the land of Israel were unnumbered]; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. And he set threescore and ten thousand [seventy thousand] of them [strangers or proselytes] to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand [eighty thousand] to be hewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred [3,600] overseers to set the people a work." (2 Chronicles 2:17,18) This corresponds with extending to the "great multitude" or Jonadabs a part in the witness work of the present time. — Revelation 22:17.

The building of the temple by Solomon began 1035 B.C., and seven years and six months thereafter the temple was completed and dedicated. (1 Kings 6:1, 37, 38) Solomon was a type of Christ Jesus, the builder of the antitypical temple or real temple of God, the building of which began in 1918; and seven and one-half years thereafter, to wit, 1925, corresponds to the completion of the temple. Strangers or foreigners who assisted the building of Solomon's temple pictured the people of good will or "other sheep" of the Lord.

At the dedication of the temple King Solomon prayed and in his prayer referred to the "stranger", or foreigner, that should duly come to Jehovah's temple for mercy because of Jehovah's great name. (See 2 Chronicles 6: 32, 33; 1 Kings 8:41-43.) Such "strangers" would foreshadow or correspond with the Lord's "other sheep", or Jonadabs, or people of good will, who go to make up the "great multitude". Note now the facts

showing God's beginning to reveal to the remnant of his people the great multitude.

In the "eleventh year" after 1914, or seven years after the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple in 1918 and his beginning to rear up the temple, to wit, in 1925, God's consecrated people were assembled in convention at Indianapolis, Indiana, and on the 29th day of August 1925 that assembly of God's people adopted a resolution entitled "Message of Hope", and which was the first and only one of the seven resolutions adopted over a period of seven years that was addressed "To All People of Good Will". In this connection note that the great multitude (Revelation 7: 9,10), being people of good will, joined with God's anointed remnant of the temple company in celebrating the great antitypical feast of tabernacles. Interesting, therefore, it is to note that the fourteen-day celebration by King Solomon, of the feast and the dedication of the building, in the seventh Jewish month of 1028 B.C. embraces not only the Jewish atonement day (on the 10th day) but also the entire seven-day feast of tabernacles (the 15th to the 21st, inclusive) with its booths and temple gatherings, with palm branches being waved by the people.

After the feast and dedication celebration King Solomon completed the temple in the eighth Jewish month, and this corresponds with November 1925. The aforementioned resolution, "Message of Hope," addressed as it was "To All People of Good Will", began to be distributed by the millions of copies all over the earth on Saturday, October 31, 1925, and continued for

some time thereafter, and thus the "Message of Hope" was taken to the "people of good will". Did the Lord direct this matter? Surely!

TEMPLE SERVANTS

Another prophetic picture of the "other sheep" of the Lord who will form the great multitude is that concerning the Nethinim who served at the temple. When the remnant of the Israelites came from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple Nethinim were assigned to help them and serve with them. The Nethinim were not Israelites, but in serving with the Israelites they completely separated themselves from the non-Israelite nations and took their stand and their places with God's covenant people. (Ezra 2:1-70; 8: 20; Nehemiah 10:1, 28, 29) Nethinim means "given ones". They were servants who assisted at the temple service. In this they pictured the "other sheep" of the Lord who form the great multitude. The name "Nethinim" is properly applied to any helpers that come from any nation and devote themselves to the service of Almighty God. (See The Watchtower, 1936, pages 264, 265, ¶ 31-34.)

QUEEN OF SHEBA

King Solomon possessed much power and great riches and occupied a position of glory, and in this he was a type of Christ Jesus, the King upon his throne and who is the "Greater than Solomon". (Matthew 12:42) The queen of Sheba was from the land of South Arabia. She had heard of the glory and riches and wisdom of King Solomon, and she made a long journey

with her retinue of servants to gain firsthand information concerning the same. "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions; there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard." "Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon." — 1 Kings 10:1-7, 9,10.

That was a picture of the people of good will toward Jehovah God who receive some knowledge of God and Christ Jesus in his glory and who go themselves to seek and to serve the Lord and who give all they have, that is to say, their full substance and support, to the King Christ Jesus and his kingdom, and who have part thereafter in promoting the kingdom interests.

SAILORS WITH JONAH

Jehovah God commanded his prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh, which was a very wicked city, and to there preach, giving warning to the inhabitants of the impending destruction upon the city. Nineveh pictured the religious organizations of the earth, and particularly "Christendom". Instead of obeying God's commandments Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish, a town of Spain, and for that purpose he went to Joppa and there went aboard a ship that was sailing for Tarshish. (See book of Jonah, considered in The Watchtower, issues January 15 and February 1 and 15, 1938.)

A great storm arose, and the ship in which Jonah was sailing was about to be wrecked. The sailors who manned the ship became greatly afraid. An effort was made to determine who on the ship was at fault, causing the evil of the storm to befall them; and to ascertain this, lots were cast: "And the lot fell upon Jonah." Upon being questioned Jonah told the men of the ship that God had commanded him to go to Nineveh and that he had disobeyed, and that the storm was the result; and, he being to blame, he requested to be cast into the sea. But instead of cast-

ing him into the sea, "the men rowed hard to bring [the ship] to the land," but were defeated in their efforts. Up to that time, it appears, the seamen had never known of Almighty God; but hearing from Jonah that Jehovah God had sent him and that Jonah was his servant, and not wishing to do anything wrong or to shed innocent blood by throwing Jonah overboard, they began to pray unto God. "Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, 0 Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for thou, 0 Lord, hast done as it pleased thee." (Jonah 1:14) Thus the sailors began to show

that they were of good will toward God and had faith in him. Jonah was cast into the sea. "Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows." (Jonah 1:16) The sailors on that ship were a type or picture of the men of good will or "other sheep" of the Lord of the present time, who, continuing faithful, will go to make up the great multitude.

NINEVITES

Jonah would, of course, have perished in the sea, but God performed a great miracle in his behalf: "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17) God caused that fish to land Jonah on the coast toward Nineveh, and again Jonah was commanded by the Lord to go to Nineveh and preach God's message as He had commanded. Here Jonah pictured those consecrated persons who are in a covenant to do God's will and who are commissioned and commanded to preach "this gospel of the kingdom" to all the world as "a witness". (Matthew 24:14) Jonah then obeyed Jehovah and went to Nineveh and preached as commanded by telling the people that within a short space of time Jehovah God would destroy that city. The Ninevites gave heed to that warning: "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them." — Jonah 3: 5.

Those repentant Ninevites pictured the people of good will toward God who are now in the

land of "Christendom", and who show faith in God and in Christ Jesus by seeking him and doing his will. The prophetic picture of Jonah and the people of Nineveh began to have fulfillment after the year 1914, and particularly after 1918. Since 1918 Jehovah's witnesses have been continuously preaching "this gospel of the kingdom" throughout the land of "Christendom" and many people of good will have given heed, while the greater number have rejected the truth. The clergy, the religious leaders, and their close allies of "Christendom" were foreshadowed by the religious leaders of the Israelites at the time when Jesus was on earth, and which religionists of the Jews refused to hear God's warning given at the mouth of Christ Jesus. In this the religionists of the Jews pictured the wicked and unrepentant of the organization of "Christendom". The Lord Jesus strongly contrasted the people of Israel, who were in a covenant to do God's will, with the repentant Ninevites, who were not in a covenant to do God's will, when he used these words: "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." — Matthew 12:41.

Among the religionists that are in "Christendom" at the present time, and that have been associated with religious organizations, are many persons of good will who have been kept in ignorance of God and his purpose. Those persons of good will were pictured by the repentant Ninevites. Hearing the kingdom message that is brought to them by Jehovah's witnesses, such

people of good will fear the Lord and turn to him. Those repentant ones of Nineveh, therefore, picture the "other sheep" of the Lord, all of whom upon learning of the Lord and his kingdom must repent, that is to say, they must change their course of action, turn away from religious institutions and follow and obey the commands of Christ Jesus, the great Vindicator of Jehovah.

"SHIPS"

Another prophetic picture recorded in the Scriptures foretelling the Lord's "other sheep" who will form the great multitude is found in Psalm 107. When Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish he took passage upon a ship manned by those who were not Israelites but who later learned about God and his purpose. These men were going to sea in ships. In the prophecy it is written: "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep." — Psalm 107: 23, 24.

Those seamen here mentioned picture persons of good will who go to make up the great multitude. Symbolically the "sea" means the peoples of the earth who are alienated from God and who bear up, support and carry Satan's commercial organization. Ships are vessels that carry men upon the sea to do the commercial work. Many good persons are engaged in doing work upon the seas, and these "many waters" or seas symbolically picture the people alienated from God. (Jeremiah 51:13; Revelation 17:15) Jehovah's witnesses at the command of the Lord

carry the message of the kingdom to the people pictured by the sea, and those "mariners", or sailors, who work upon the "sea", hear the message of the kingdom. The time has now come when "they that go down to the sea in ships" have the opportunity to hear the message of the kingdom and they, being of good will, do hear and they see God's "wonders in the deep". They begin to have an appreciation of his marvelous provisions for the salvation of men. They cry unto God, and he hears them and shows his mercy toward them (Psalm 107:28-30); and, continuing thus to seek righteousness and meekness, as the Lord commands, they will be a part of the great multitude, and thus "they that go down to the sea in ships" are a picture of that class of the Lord's people.

"ABOMINATIONS" IN "CHRISTENDOM"

At the ninth chapter of Ezekiel is recorded a prophetic picture of the "abominations" that refer to the wickedness done in "Christendom" at the present time. That symbolic or prophetic picture shows six men, each of whom is armed with a weapon of destruction called a "slaughter weapon", standing ready to destroy the city, that is, the organization called "Christendom". The city of Jerusalem is the city mentioned in the picture, and symbolically represents the organization of "Christendom", which latter organization claims to serve God but in fact serves the Devil. Among those six men is another one, "clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side." This one pictures Jehovah's witnesses, the faithful followers of Christ Jesus who go to

make up the remnant of the Lord now on the earth; while the six men with slaughter weapons picture the invisible forces of the Lord that will destroy "Christendom" at Armageddon. In the prophetic picture God's command to the man clothed with linen with the inkhorn by his side is that he go through the city and put a mark "upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry, for all the abominations that [are] done in the midst thereof; antitypically meaning the abominations done within "Christendom".

This part of the picture shows that Jehovah's witnesses, the little flock or remnant, must go throughout "Christendom" and declare God's message concerning his name and his kingdom; and, by so doing, they put "a mark upon the foreheads" of the persons who desire to learn the truth concerning Jehovah's purpose. The forehead represents the seat of knowledge and means antitypically that the persons on earth of good will toward God receive a knowledge of God's truth and give heed thereto. There are within "Christendom" today many persons of good will who have been associated with the religious systems because they did not know anything better. They observe the man