Choosing Riches or Ruin - Which is Your Choice (1936)

Download: PDF — Choosing Riches or Ruin - Which is Your Choice (1936)

CHOOSING

Riches OR Ruin Which Is Your Choice?

Choosing

Riches or Ruin

explained In Two Bible Treatises by

J. F. RUTHERFORD

Page . '

2 Foreword

3 Separating ■ the Nations

85 ?onr Choice

FOREWORD ------

Of all the nations two separate and distinct companies are now be. ing formed. One of these companies will become exceedingly rich. The other company will suffer complete ruin. You are certain to take a course of action that will put you in one of those two companies, and you should know which company to choose. It is of greatest importance to you that you read carefully this small book, which will enable you to make an intelligent choice. The first part of it was broadcast by radio to millions of persons. The latter part has been prepared especially to aid those who desire to partake of boundless riches. Encourage your neighbors to read it.

Copyrighted 1936 and Published by

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY International Bible Students Association Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A. Made in the United States of America

CHOOSING

Separating the Nations

Judge Rutherford’s world-wide hookup from

Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, Calif., February 23, 1936

MORE than nineteen centuries ago there was on the earth the only great man that ever lived, and whose name is Jesus. Changed from spirit to human by the power of Almighty God, he was sent to the earth to tell the truth in vindication of Jehovah God’s name. He spoke with absolute authority, because his speech was ordered by Jehovah. His words are recorded in the Bible and disclose God’s purpose.

Today I speak to this audience from God’s Word and utter not the wisdom of man. To those who believe on God and Christ Jesus and that the Bible is the truth, and who desire to know and to do the will of God, this speech is addressed. The Bible, together with the well-known facts, will convince you that my speech is true. A controversy I do not seek, but the truth of God’s Word always provokes his enemies to wrath.

tion is to tell this message, and then it is your obligation to choose. When a great storm is threatened the government warns the people. When a crisis is due on the world God gives warning to the people, that those of good will toward him may flee to the place of safety. God used Noah to give warning of the approaching flood. (2 Peter 2:5) He used Jesus and other prophets to sound the warning of the impending doom of Jerusalem, and now Jehovah uses a company of witnesses to give warning of the final tribulation, which is here and which is preceded by the separation of the nations. That separation is now in progress, as you will see from the evidence produced here today.

That you may properly appreciate the extraordinary conditions prevailing today, it is necessary to recount some of the most important events of the past. Know this, that Jehovah is the true and supreme God. (Psalm 83:18) Christ Jesus his Son is the Savior of man, the rightful Ruler of the world, and the Vindicator of Jehovah’s name. (John 10:36; Revelation 1: 5; 17:14) For centuries Satan, by permission of Jehovah, has been the invisible ruler of the world, and that uninterrupted rule is now come to an end. In ruling the world Satan has always employed three factors among men, to wit, religionists, commercial traffickers, and politicians, and by these he has kept the people under control. Jesus was never a religionist, but always obeyed Jehovah God. When the man Jesus began to proclaim the truth Satan endeavored to trap him and to cause his destruction. Jesus steadfastly resisted and said to the Devil (Matthew 4:10): “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Then Satan employed all the factors of selfish men to contradict, annoy and persecute Jesus, and the leaders in that persecution were religionists. (Luke 23:10, 23; John 19: 6,15, 21) What came to pass on Jesus then has befallen every person who since then has faithfully followed in his steps, even as Jesus foretold. (John 15:19-21) The persecutors of Jesus falsely claimed to be the servants of God. Jesus told them that they were hypocrites, liars, and the children of Satan. (John 8:13,42-44) That truthful speech of Jesus greatly angered the religionists, and they immediately sought the aid of the commercial traffickers and the politicians and the mob, to bring about the death of Jesus. They falsely charged Jesus with the crimes of sedition and treason against the state, produced false witnesses, held a mock court trial, during which the religionists demanded the lifeblood of Jesus, and the political rulers sent that righteous One to an ignominious death to gratify the bloodthirsty religionists., \Luke 23:1-25) All who were against Jesus were on the Devil’s side.

Since then every true follower of Christ Jesus has looked forward to the coming of Christ and his kingdom. Keenly desiring to know when that time would come his disciples asked Jesus what would be the proof of his coming and the end of Satan's uninterrupted rule. (Matthew 24:3) The answer of Jesus was true, and when we see that the things have now come to pass, which he declared would be proof of his coming, we are certain that his prophecies are fulfilled.

Jesus answered that the first evidence that he had taken his power would be the anger of the nations, expressed in the World War, and that would be followed quickly by famine and pestilence. (Revelation 11:17,18; Matthew 24:7,8) The facts known to all show that the prophecy began to have fulfillment in 1914. Other proof Jesus said would be that the nations would be in distress and' perplexity and men’s hearts failing them for fear. (Luke 21:25) That condition has prevailed particularly since the close of the World War. He also said that the Devil would bring great sorrow upon the people to turn them away from God. (Revelation 12:12) That prophecy is fulfilled before your eyes. Never has there been such woe on earth as now. The true followers of Christ Jesus are therefore not looking for the coming of the Lord and the end of the world, because such is an accomplished fqct. The world has ended and Christ Jesus has come. Soon he will destroy Satan and all the wicked ones, and he commands that the people now be so informed, that they may seek safety before the greatest of all tribu-

FOREWORD ------

Copyrighted 1936 and Published by

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY International Bible Students Association Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A.

Made in the United States of America

CHOOSING

Separating the Nations

Judge Rutherford’s world-wide hookup from

Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, Calif., February 23, 1936

Jehovah’s chief enemy is Satan the Devil, who for centuries has attempted to turn all men away from God and into destruction. It is the expressed will of God that the people now hear the truth, that they may intelligently choose their own destiny. (Isaiah 43: 9,10) My obliga-3 tion is to tell this message, and then it is your obligation to choose. When a great storm is threatened the government warns the people. When a crisis is due on the world God gives warning to the people, that those of good will toward him may flee to the place of safety. God used Noah to give warning of the approaching flood. (2 Peter 2:5) He used Jesus and other prophets to sound the warning of the impending doom of Jerusalem, and now Jehovah uses a company of witnesses to give warning of the final tribulation, which is here and which is preceded by the separation of the nations. That separation is now in progress, as you will see from the evidence produced here today.

Then Satan employed all the factors of selfish men to contradict, annoy and persecute Jesus, and the leaders in that persecution were religionists. (Luke 23:10, 23; John 19: 6,15, 21) What came to pass on Jesus then has befallen every person who since then has faithfully followed in his steps, even as Jesus foretold. (John 15:19-21) The persecutors of Jesus falsely claimed to be the servants of God, Jesus told them that they were hypocrites, liars, and the children of Satan. (John 8:13,42-44) That truthful speech of Jesus greatly angered the religionists, and they immediately sought the aid of the commercial traffickers and the politicians and the mob, to bring about the death of Jesus. They falsely charged Jesus with the crimes of sedition and treason against the state, produced false witnesses, held a mock court trial, during which the religionists demanded the lifeblood of Jesus, and the political rulers sent that righteous One to an ignominious death to gratify the bloodthirsty religionists. "(Luke 23:1-25) All who were against Jesus were on the Devil’s side.

Just before his death Jesus uttered certain prophecies to his disciples, which prophecies are sure of fulfillment. He told them that he would be put to death because he told the truth; that God would resurrect him; that he must go away and receive his kingdom, and that in due time he would come again and rule the world. crisis, which involves all men. It is the time of great peril. In order that intelligent people may understand that this is a time of peril the Lord makes known what conditions will prevail at this time. It is therefore written, at 2 Timothy 3:1-5: ‘Know this, that in the last days [of Satan’s world] perilous times shall come; for then men shall be extremely selfish, boasters, proud,' contract-breakers, false accusers, despisers of those that are good; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.’ Such persons attribute power and salvation to things, and not to Almighty God. The condition described by this scripture is exactly what exists in every nation on earth today. The Lord caused these things to be recorded in the Bible to aid us to see that the time of separation of the nations is here.

America was established as a place of freedom for the worship of Almighty God, but now after many centuries of such freedom the Devil employs religionists to introduce the practice of the formal ceremony of flag-saluting, thereby attributing salvation to a thing or power made by men. Such is a form of godliness, but denies the power of Jehovah God, who alone can save.

As further evidence of the presence of Christ and his work of separating the nations, note that he said (Matthew 24: 37-39): “But as the days of No'e were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that No'e entered into the ark, and knew not, until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

True to this prophecy, practically all organizations of men have gone pleasure-mad, and a Jesuit religionist is assigned to arbitrarily determine what motion pictures shall be used for the amusement and pleasure of the people, and, when opportunity is afforded, a religious organization is exalted and the name of God defamed by such pleasure pictures. As the prophecy foretold, the peoples eat and drink, and in all manner indulge their selfish appetites, and at the same time they ridicule the name and word of God. Religious organizations are not for Jehovah God and his kingdom, but they join hands with commercial traffickers and with the political rulers to oppose those who tell the truth of and concerning God’s kingdom; and concerning such opposers Jesus says (Matthew 12:30): “He that is not with [for] me is against me.” In Noah’s day the people were warned of the approaching flood, but they acted in defiance of God and his warning. Like conditions exist today, and all the nations act in defiance of God’s law. Some of the nations, such as Russia and Germany, openly defy God, and in all the nations the witnesses of Jehovah are hated for his name’s sake. (Matthew 24:9) In all of these nations, however, there are those people who have a good will and honest heart toward God and his kingdom, and such people Of good will were pictured by Noah and the members of his family, who remained true to Jehovah God.

The Bible was written expressly, as therein stated, to instruct and guide men in the right way, that they might receive God’s approval. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) There is no other sure guide. (Psalm 119:105) The nations of “Christendom” have had full access to the Bible and are in an implied agreement to be guided by it; but religionists have so misrepresented the Bible that the masses of the people have turned away from and contemptuously ignore it. It was exactly that way before the flood, and also just before the destruction of Jerusalem. Israel was the only nation on earth with which God made a covenant. (Amos 3:2) The priestly class was commanded by the Lord to instruct the people in his Word and to lead them in his true worship. (Malachi 2:7) Those teachers abandoned God’s Word, became religionists, and substituted their own religious ceremonies in the place of the true worship of God, and such men are known as Pharisees. The Lord Jesus denounced them as hypocrites and instruments of the Devil. The most scathing denunciation ever leveled against men is that by Jesus spoken against those Pharisees, as set forth in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew. Jesus told them that they were the representatives of the Devil, although they claimed to represent God. (John 8:13, 44) His words of truth angered those religionists, and for that reason they cruelly persecuted Jesus and brought about his death. If the man Jesus were on earth today and uttered the same words of truth against hypocritical religionists they and their allies would charge him with the crimes of sedition and treason. Everyone knows that today it is the religionists who lead in the denunciation and persecution of the men and women who have devoted themselves to proclaiming the truth of and concerning the kingdom of God. Such religionists are being made manifest, and the Lord is separating them from others and putting them on his left-hand side.

LIES

Jehovah by his prophet foretold that there would arise a religious organization which would grow and prosper and that in these last days it would have and exercise great influence, rule and power with the commercial traffickers and' political rulers, and would dominate and oppress the people and would continue to do so while the Lord’s work of separating the nations progresses. The Scriptures state that such reli-gionists'would claim to serve God but in truth and in fact are the servants of God’s enemy Satan ; that they would be arrogant, boastful, oppressive and scornful, and that in the end such religious organization would suffer destruction at the hand of the Lord, and that the people must be told these facts. Concerning that religious organization, Jehovah uses, at Isaiah 28, these words: ‘Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem: Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with [or authoritative declaration concerning] death, and with hell have effected a vision, the scourge will not reach us, for we have made lying our refuge, and in falsehood we have hid ourselves, . . . ye shall be trodden down.’ {Rotherham) This authoritative prophecy of Jehovah must have fulfillment, and I submit the indisputable evidence that you may see that it is now fulfilled.

A lie is a statement which purports to be true but which is false, the telling of which works injury to others. Your attention is called to some of the doctrines taught by religionists, and which you will see exactly fit and fulfill this prophecy. The Scriptures declare that all lies proceed from the Devil and that those who indulge in telling lies are the offspring of the Devil. Jehovah said to Adam: Tn the day you sin you shall surely die.’ (Genesis 2:17) “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Immediately thereafter Satan told Eve and Adam (Genesis 3:1-5): ‘Ye shall not surely die, but if you disobey God you will become as wise as he is.’ That statement of Satan was the first great lie and the breeder of all other lies, and resulted in the death of Adam and the suffering and death of men from that day till now.'

There is a great religious organization that for centuries has based practically all its teaching upon the first great lie of Satan just stated, as you will see. That religious organization teaches that every man has an immortal soul and that therefore there is no death; that when one is supposed to die his soul goes immediately to “purgatory”, and later may go to heaven or hell. This is taught by that organization in the face of God’s Word, which says (Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 18:4): ‘Man is a soul,’ and every breathing creature is a soul, and “the soul that sinneth, it shall die”.

That religious organization teaches the false doctrine that millions of people are now in “purgatory” undergoing painful suffering and that preachers of that religious organization can, by their prayers, shorten the period of suffering in “purgatory”. That doctrine has worked great injury to millions, causing them to give to clergymen their hard-earned money in an effort to get their loved ones out of “purgatory”, when in fact, as the Bible shows, no one is in “purgatory”. That same religious organization teaches that Christ Jesus built his church upon the apostle Peter and that since then other men have, at regular periods, succeeded Peter in office; whereas the Scriptures plainly teach that God through Jesus built the church upon Christ, the true foundation Stone, and that Peter has no successor. (Matthew 16:18; 1 Peter 2:3-8; Ephesians 2: 20-22) That same religious organization tells the people that the one man, who is the head of said organization, has sole authority to interpret or tell the meaning of the Scriptures; whereas the Bible says that no scripture is of private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20,21) That same religious organization claims to represent Christ on earth, and at the same time participates in the politics of every nation on earth, and does so in the face of Jesus’ plain declaration: “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36; James 4:4) These scriptures and the facts show that the religious organization mentioned does not have the approval of God and Christ. You must decide whom you will believe, whether selfish men or the Lord Jesus Christ.

INQUISITION

Some history is here very important to consider. That same religious organization, that teaches Satan’s lies I have just mentioned, long ago instituted and carried on in Europe and on the American continent a cruel and wicked inquisition, the purpose of which was to compel the people to be submissive to the arrogant men controlling that religious organization. The independent men and women who tried to serve God and Christ Jesus as the Bible teaches were by that court of inquisition charged with heresy, and all manner of torture was applied to compel them to confess their “heresy” and to be submissive to the religious organization. Some of the means of torture employed by the Inquisition were these: The victim’s feet were seared with red-hot irons; he was required to put on an iron boot, which was poured full of hot lead; the victim was placed in a machine which pulled his joints apart, or was put in a machine with knives that cut his flesh into shreds. Says the Encyclopedia Britannica: Two features of the Inquisition were prominent, to wit: The suppression of freedom of speech, and the destruction of books that attempted to explain the Bible. All books were censored by theTiishops, and anything explaining the Bible was suppressed in order to keep the people in ignorance of God and his Word. Any lawyer who dared appear in defense of one charged with heresy was also held guilty of heresy, and therefore the oppressed were left without counsel, aid or defense. The recorded evidence of the Inquisition proves beyond all doubt that the religious organisation mentioned was ever against God and his kingdom and on the side of the Devil.

Because of the oppression inflicted by religionists our forefathers fled to the wild shores of America and out of primitive forests cut a nation that would afford them refuge from oppression. Those honest men saw to it that the fundamental law of the Colonies contained this provision: *We hold these truths, that all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience.’ Such is the fundamental law of all the states and the nation. Now, after a period of more than 150 years, that same religious organization I have mentioned as teaching false doctrines, again, in this land of freedom, revives wicked persecutions of true worshipers of God. In many countries of Europe the people are denied the right to study the Bible and worship God. In Germany thousands of men now languish in filthy prisons because they have insisted on their right to come together and study the Bible and worship Almighty God. All manner of cruel torture is inflicted upon those persons. Men and women are forcibly sterilized to satisfy the beastly desires of those religionists. Many of them are beaten into insensibility because they decline to yield to the demand of the religionists who attribute salvation to a man and

not to God. Because the people possess the Bible and books explaining the Bible they are thrown into prison and tortured, and the Bible and their books are burned. The cruel Inquisition has been revived. In Quebec, South Africa, New Jersey and other places, at the instance of the same religionists, men and women are charged with sedition because they attempt to place in the hands of the people books explaining the Bible. In some of the states laws have recently been enacted, at the instance of these same religious organizations, making it a crime punishable by long term in prison to possess and use a phonograph record, or to make a speech, or to rent a x hall for that purpose, or to use the radio or any other means, for telling the truth.of God’s Word, which truth might expose to view the crookedness of that religious organization.

Jehovah’s witnesses are not a cult or sect. They are the true followers of Christ Jesus and worshipers of Almighty God by serving him in obedience to his commandment. Having agreed to do God’s will, they are diligent at all times to obey his law. The purpose of Jehovah in having witnesses on the earth at this time is not to convert the world, but the purpose is to bear testimony to the people, informing them of God’s purpose and warning them against present dangers. God’s kingdom is the only hope of salvation for mankind, and, the Kingdom now having come, the Lord sends his witnesses forth amongst the people to tell them the truth, commanding them in these words (Matthew 24:14): “This .gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” These witnesses must obey this commandment or, otherwise, lose everything at God’s hand. While the Lord Jesus proceeds with the separation of the nations these witnesses must tell the people about it as commanded. Because they tell the truth as commanded, they are now, as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:9), 'hated in all nations for his name’s sake?

Jehovah’s witnesses do not participate in the politics of this world. They are wholly devoted to Jehovah and Christ his King. Their sole purpose is to inform the people of God’s Word, and do that without money or price or hope of earthly reward. The truth which they publish exposes the Devil and makes known the goodness of God and Christ Jesus, and for this reason they are hated by the Devil and his representatives. (Revelation 12:17) The Devil makes war against them because they serve God and because they deliver the testimony of Jesus Christ. Speaking to his followers as to what they should expect at this time, when he is separating the nations, Jesus says, at Mark 13:9: 'They shall deliver you up to the courts, and ye shall be beaten, and ye shall be brought before rulers for myjiame’s sake, and for a testimony against them.’ This prophecy of Jesus is now daily fulfilled.

Today throughout the nations Jehovah’s witnesses are grossly misrepresented and lied against, even as Jesus was misrepresented and lies were told against him. They are arrested and charged with breaking the 'peddler’s law* of the land. They are thrown into filthy prisons, where they become sick and suffer without proper food and care. They are represented before the rulers as the enemies of the government, yet they have done no harm to any man. Their efforts to use the radio to publish freely the truth to the people is greatly opposed. Their publication of the gospel of God's kingdom by means of books, sound equipment and other means calls down upon their heads the cruel wrath of others, and all this opposition and persecution is instituted and carried on at the instance of religionists. These facts are necessarily stated, in order for you to appreciate the fact of the separation of the nations that Jesus is now conducting, and the reason why. Now from the indisputable facts let us identify the persecutors and the persecuted, and then you may determine which class is on the Lord’s side.

Keep in mind always that the Devil is the opposer of God and Christ Jesus. It necessarily follows that the class of men that were against Jesus when he was on earth, that same class are against him now and therefore they are on the side of Satan. Who was it that persecuted Jesus unto death? It was the religionists of his day. What religious organization teaches, and for years has taught, the false doctrines or lies to which I have just called your attention? What religious organization created and prosecuted the fiendish Inquisition that deprived the people of their rights and inflicted torture upon millions to keep them in subjection and in ignorance of God’s Word? What religious organization for centuries deprived the people of the right to have and study the Bible? What religious organization now persecutes Jehovah’s witnesses, interferes with their use of the radio, and burns their books which explain the Bible? What great religious organization indulges in the politics and the political affairs of all the nations of the earth and attempts to rule and to control the world, while posing as the representative of Christ? It is one and the same religious organization that has done and is doing all of these things! And what religious organization is that? Down through the corridors of fifteen centuries thunders the answer, which sounds with increased intensity in this day, and the answer is, The Roman Catholic Hierarchy, with its headquarters at Vatican City; that organization which employs secret service men and calls them “Jesuits”, to do its spying work and to manipulate all manner of commercial schemes against the interests of the people.

In money value the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is the richest organization on earth. That wealth was obtained from the common people and without rendering any valuable consideration therefor. Millions of good and sincere persons are designated by the same Hierarchy as “the Catholic population”, and those sincere people are in no wise responsible for the wrongdoing of the Hierarchy, but they must be warned in order that they may intelligently choose which side they will desire to be on. These statements are not made for the purpose of holding up anyone to ridicule. There is no expectation of doing the Hierarchy any good. These facts are now declared that you may see that we are at the time when Christ Jesus is separating the nations and that his work will disclose who is on the right side.

SIDES

The evidence conclusively shows that Christ Jesus has come and that he is upon his throne of judgment. At Matthew 25 he says: “And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on .the left.” The nations are “before” Christ Jesus in this, that he is giving attention to the things of the earth and in his hand is all power to both render and execute judgment. (John 5: 22, 27) Those pictured as being on his left hand are designated as “goats” because they are stubborn, haughty, and scornful and oppress and rule with a harsh hand. By their course of conduct they have identified themselves as against the kingdom of God under Christ. How have they done so ? The answer is found in the words of Jesus addressed to the hypocritical religionists who oppose his kingdom. To them he says: ‘I was hungry, and ye gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; a stranger in a strange land, and ye did not take me in; I was wrongfully thrown into prison and was there sick, and ye did not visit me and minister unto me.’ This seems to astonish the religionists, and according to Jesus they say: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison and sick, and did not minister unto you?’ Then Jesus answers them, saying: ‘What you did to my faithful witnesses I count as being done unto me. I sent them forth in my name, and you abused and ill-treated them and bitterly persecuted them, and thereby you did the same thing to me, because they are mine.’

To further show that it is the religionists who are the principal ones amongst the*' flock of “goats” that have been the chief representatives of the enemy Satan, notice these further words of Jesus, which he attributes to the religionists: ‘Many will say to me in that day, Lord, have we not preached in thy name, set up images all over the earth in thy name, and done wonderful works in thy name?’ To that argument Jesus answers: ‘I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.’—Matthew 7: 21-23.

An organization that has called itself by the Lord’s name and then has built its stronghold upon basic lies, as Jehovah by his prophet declares, and which for centuries has ignored the Word of God and pursued a selfish course of lawlessness, is not on the side of God. Added to this, when the men of that organization have gone out of their way to cruelly persecute others who are preaching the truth of God’s kingdom, and furthermore indulge in politics and commercial traffic for selfish gain against the interests of the people, and use all their power to keep the people in ignorance of the truth and in subjection to their selfish organization, such is evidence of open rebellion against God and Christ, and by their course of-action such religionists identify themselves with the “goat” or lawless class, and the Lord Jesus assigns them there.

Now that you may see the other side, give consideration to the further words of Jesus uttered in this separation work. There are millions of persons associated with or under the domination of a religious organization who believe that such religious organization was ordained of God, and for that reason have supported it. Of such persons of good will there is a great multitude associated with the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish organizations. They love righteousness and hate iniquity and want to be on the side of righteousness. They are kind-hearted and have a good will toward God and anyone who serves him. They show kindness to Jehovah’s witnesses, whether they fully agree with them or not. Note what the Lord Jesus says to that class, in Matthew 25. His words in substance are: “I called at your home to tell you about God’s provision for the human race. You saw that I was hungry and thirsty, and you fed me. Because I was telling of God’s Word the enemy threw me into prison, and you came and found me there poorly clothed, sick and weary, and you ministered unto me. When released from prison you saw that I was a stranger, and you took me in and did good unto me.” Now note that such kindness was shown because it was considered to be right and righteous, and with no expectation of receiving any earthly reward. The Lord, speaking of such persons of good will, then says: ‘Then shall these righteous ones say:

Lord, when did we see you in the miserable condition you have described, and when did we render good unto you?’ And Jesus answers: ‘Inasmuch as you did good unto one of the least of my faithful followers, you have done good unto me, and I count it as such.’

FATE

The “goats” are the wicked ones, and the “sheep” are the righteous ones. How may we tell them apart? Jesus answered (Matthew 7:16): “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Their fruits are the doctrines that they bring to the people, and their course of conduct. By this means they identify themselves. Those who love God and righteousness try to do right. The unchangeable law of God recorded at Psalm 145:20 says: “The Lord preserveth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy.” That law Christ Jesus, at the end of the separating work, executes in the manner as he states (Matthew 25:41-46): “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these shall go away into everlasting [destruction].”

Those who have endeavored to be righteous and to do what is right, and who therefore are designated as the “sheep”, are otherwise pictured in the Scriptures as Jonadabs. All such heed the warning, hear the truth, and seek refuge in God’s organization, and these ultimately form the “great multitude” (Revelation 7: 9-17), which are the “other sheep” which the Lord places on his right. (John 10:16) To those approved ones the Lord says (Matthew 25:34): “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” These shall enter into everlasting life. The separating work is now progressing, and everyone who hears the warning must signify and will signify which side he places himself on.

PHILISTINES

The Lord declares that the things recorded in the Bible concerning his ancient people, and those who dealt with them, foreshadowed exactly what shall come to pass in these last days. The ancient Philistines dealt with the Israelites, and there made a picture of what is being done now on the earth. The ancient Philistines pictured the Roman Catholic Hierarchy organization. The Israelites, being God's covenant people, pictured those now on the earth who are in agreement to do God's will. The ancient Philistines came out of Egypt, which was Satan’s world power. The modern Philistines assume to come out of the world, which is the Devil’s world power. The ancient Philistines voluntarily took their place in the land of promise which God had assigned to his own people. The modern Philistines hypocritically occupy the place by which they claim to be the representatives of the Lord on earth. The ancient Philistines harassed and persecuted God’s covenant people, the Israelites. The modern Philistines also harass and persecute Jehovah’s faithful witnesses and all who sincerely serve God. Jehovah warned the Philistines of the punishment that would come upon them, and that he did through Samson and others. Now Jehovah, by his faithful witnesses on earth, warns the modern Philistines of the approaching great battle that will wreck Satan’s world. The religious organizations that influence the commercial traffickers and politicians, and participate in the rule of the earth, have a form of godliness, but deny his power. They have forsaken and forgotten God and are wicked, and of these Jehovah says (Psalm 9:17): “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Although fully warned, the religious organization, the modern Philistines, says that when God’s wrath at Armageddon comes it shall not affect them, because they are fortified. They say: “We rule the world now and will continue to rule it.” Long after the power of the ancient Philistines was destroyed Jehovah caused the following prophecy to be recorded concerning the modern Philistines, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, which now opposes those who serve God, and to that organization God says, at Isaiah 28:14-21: "Hear the word of Jehovah, you scornful men that rule and oppress my people: Because you have said, We have made an authoritative declaration and arrangement with death and with hell, and that the overflowing scourge shall not harm us, because we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood hid ourselves; behold I have sent forth Christ Jesus, the great Stone, the Chief One of my organization, to separate and judge the nations. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail of truth shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge [of Armageddon] shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. . . . 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.’ At Perazim and Gibeon, David, who was a type of Christ Jesus, led the fight against the ancient Philistines and completely defeated them. At Armageddon the Greater David, Christ Jesus, will lead the fight against modern Philistines and all their allies, and will destroy them, and none of them shall find a way to escape.— Jeremiah 25: 35, 36.

Today the modern Philistines dictate the political policy of Italy, Austria, Germany, and other countries. In Germany the Jesuits organized and pushed forward the Communist party and then diplomatically used that organization to frighten the people and to afford an excuse for organizing the Nazis, which seized the nation and now rule it with an iron fist. The Nazi rule is in fact a revival of the old Roman Empire. A press report from Berlin published in the Los Angeles Times, December 28,1935, says: “The age-old dream of the Holy Roman Empire, under a Germanic Saxon Kaiser, carried on in the tradition of the German Empire of the Middle Ages, has been revived through recent acts of Adolph Hitler.” The Middle Ages, I remind you, was the time of the fiendish Inquisition and persecution of Christians, and the revival of that power in Germany is now marked by the cruel and fiendish persecution of the true followers of Christ Jesus.

The Hierarchy of Rome is bending every effort to seize and control America. It has placed Jesuits in many public offices of the land and exercises its great power and influence in every branch of the government. The New York Sun published this dispatch from Rome, which reads: ‘Ab definite agreement has been reached by President Roosevelt and the Vatican, that diplomatic relations shall be established between the United States and the Holy See as soon as public opinion in America can be brought around to that idea.’

The recently inaugurated religious formalism of compulsory flag-saluting is a part of the scheme to compel those who serve God to come under the dominating control of the Hierarchy and to violate their agreement with Jehovah God. Let the people of America continue Mr. Roosevelt, or some other tool of the Hierarchy, in office, and to increase his power, and it will be but a short time until Rome rules America, and then freedom of speech will be at an end, even as it is now in Germany.

As evidence of the oppression by modern Philistines, the Roman power, I read the following, from the National Zeitung of Basle, Switzerland, of December 1935:

At first sight it seems strange that the harmless Society of Jehovah’s witnesses should be persecuted so much by the secret police of Germany. We are informed that there are about 1500j>f these God-fearing good people in prison. In August 1933 their books, including hundreds of Bibles, were burned by the Nazis at Magdeburg. However, when one knows that Jehovah’s witnesses stand upon the unequivocal words of the apostles, 41 We ought to obey God rather than men,” and decline to “Heil, Hitler”, then we can understand how unpleasant it is to the third Reich to see these Christians among them. They have suppressed the meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses. Did not the first Christians in Rome secretly meet in the Catacombs in the same spirit and in spite of Nero and the secret police ? As an excuse for the persecution of the (1 heretics”, as the Nazis call Jehovah’s witnesses, they have been charged with being under the Jewish influence, which is entirely wrong.

The Los Angeles Examiner, January 12,1936, publishing this statement, made by the historian Ludwig, says “that the Hitler government is destroying the Jews, and that Catholics are buying the Jewish shops". This is further proof that Hitler and Rome stand together.

I am not attempting to influence the people politically, but I am merely calling attention to the facts, along with divine prophecy, and this is for the benefit of the people. We know God's Word is true, and that his prophecy is certain -to come to pass. The burden of the speech of the

politicians today is concerning world peace, and that, as we know, is a camouflage, because every nation is feverishly preparing for war. This, however, is in fulfillment of divine prophecy. When Rome completely dominates the nations of the earth, then she shall be heard to say: “We are at peace and in safety, and none can now successfully withstand us.” Note that, as the Scriptures foretell, these conditions have come upon the people as a “thief in the night”; and because the hour is now about to strike, Jehovah commands his witnesses to go to the people with the message of truth. This is the time of the fulfillment of the prophetic words recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3: “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” Such will be the fate of those on the left side of the Lord.

In this separating work the “sheep” class, whom the Lord places on his right hand, are the ones described in the Scriptures as the “great multitude”, all of whom love God and serve him. Such persons obey every law of the land that is in harmony with God’s law. They will obey no law of man that causes them to violate their covenant to do the will of Almighty God. They will not attribute salvation to any man or manmade power or the symbol of such. Some of -them may suffer death because they obey God’s commandment and refuse to attribute salvation to man-made power. It will be far better to suffer death at the hands of wicked men because of faithfulness to God and afterwards be by him raised to everlasting life than to die unfaithful to God and remain dead forever. The Lord shows that those who love him will attribute salvation to Jehovah through Christ, and not to man, and that proof appears at Revelation 7:9,10. All creation in heaven and in earth that serve God will be heard saying, Amen, and likewise attributing salvation to Jehovah.

The sole purpose of this speech is to sound a warning to the people, that those of good will may flee to the only place of safety. Let those who wish to practice formalism continue to do so without interference. If by saluting men and emblems they wish to attribute safety and salvation to what men and flags represent, let them do so. If you desire to serve God and receive his approval and the blessings of life everlasting, then take your stand firmly on the side of the Lord and his kingdom and remain there. Give all honor and praise to the Lord and attribute salvation to God, who alone can give life everlasting. The people of each nation will now choose their position, and thus they will have to do with their own destiny. Those who remain on the side of Satan the Lord assigns on his left side and sends them into destruction. Those who love and obey the Lord will hasten to identify themselves with his kingdom and will receive the blessings of everlasting life. Make your choice!

RESOLUTION

We, the people of good will of all nations, declare that we believe on God and Christ Jesus and that the Bible is man’s only true guide.

We will not attribute salvation to man by bowing down to or saluting any creature or thing.

We are in full accord with Revelation 7:9,10, and we adopt that as our own and joyfully say, ‘Salvation to our God and to Christ Jesus.’

We declare ourselves on the side of Jehovah and his kingdom under Christ, and by his grace we will obey and serve our God forever.

At the conclusion of his address Judge Rutherford offered the foregoing resolution, which was unanimously adopted by a rising and rousing vote of those in the visible audience at Los Angeles and in many audiences throughout the earth. Everyone who reads this resolution and agrees with it should so declare his agreement therewith unto the Lord. '

Your Choice

“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."—Proverbs 8:10,11.

DID IT ever occur to you that it is your privilege to choose the most desirable thing and be certain of receiving it? There are just two things to choose which never end. All other things that exist are intimately connected with and controlled by one of those two things. It is your privilege to choose now, and to do ’so intelligently. Before making your choice, however, you must receive some true information upon, which you can confidently rely. That information is set out here because it is taken from God’s Word. Settle it in your mind first that this is not a religious harangue. Religion is the Devil’s seductive scheme to deceive the people and turn them away from the true God. It is a racket that has been worked for a long while. Its day is done, and now the people must have and will receive the truth, which is a sure and complete guide.

The Bible is the word of Jehovah God. It is the plain unadulterated truth. Scripture citations are here made that you may take the Bible and place its text alongside the facts well known to you and then determine for yourself how true the Bible is. God created the heavens and the earth and put man upon it that he might, if he met the conditions, there abide for ever. (Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 45:12,18) God is the 35 source and Giver of life everlasting. (Romans 6:23)^ Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John .14:6) If God is the source of life, why is it necessary for Jesus to be the dispenser of that great gift? The answer is plain and is set forth in the Bible, and the substance of that answer is set out below. Gaining the desired information, you will be enabled to make an intelligent choice, and that choice will result to you either in riches or in ruin.

God created the first man, whom he called Adam. That man was perfect and might have lived for ever > had he obeyed his Creator. God did not give the man a soul, but made him a soul. Every living creature is a soul. Man was created a living thing, which is a soul. (Genesis 2:7) God required man to obey him and told man that disobedience would be punished by death. (Genesis 2:17) Adam disobeyed and was sentenced to death, which judgment of death was fully executed at the end of a long period of time. During that period of time children were born to Adam and his wife. That was the beginning of the human race. Their children inherited the effect of the death sentence, and for this reason it is written: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) All men are by nature imperfect, and therefore sinners.

A lie caused man to commit the sin punishable by death. Lucifer, a spirit creature, was overlord of earth and man, and because of his wickedness he is now known by four titles, Satan, Devil, Serpent and Dragon. (Revelation 20:1) Lucifer, now the Devil, said to Eve: ‘If you disobey God, you shall surely not

die, but you will become as wise as God himself.’ (Genesis 3: 4, 5) That lie deceived Eve and she disobeyed. Adam, seeing that Eve must die, chose to have her for his own selfish pleasure and suffer death rather than deny himself such selfish pleasure. He joined her in the transgression, and did so willingly. (1 Timothy 2:14) Satan thought he had proved God a liar by reason of what had taken place and had demonstrated his (Satan’s) own greatness. Satan challenged God to put any man on earth who would remain true and faithful to Him, Satan declaring that he could cause all men to curse God. (Job 1: 9-11; 2:4, 5) That challenge raised the question of who is supreme, and in order that the question might be settled to the satisfaction of all intelligent creation God accepted the challenge and for centuries has permitted the Devil to put forth his very best endeavors to prove his challenge, and ultimately Satan will completely fail. The limited time in which Satan was to proceed without interruption from Jehovah in his endeavor to prove his challenge is now come to an end, and the time is due for the complete and everlasting settlement of the question at issue. The settlement will affect all the human race. -

Jehovah God gave his word of promise that he would raise up a Seed or Mighty One, who at the end of the time limit for Satan to prove his challenge would destroy Satan and all his wicked agents, and that the Righteous One would become the head of the government of the world and would rule it in righteousness. That Seed or Mighty One is Christ.—Galatians 3: 8, 16, 29; Genesis 3:15; 22:17,18.

God’s law is unchangeable; and since his law condemned Adam to death and that condemnation resuits in death to all of Adam’s offspring, it follows that no man by his own efforts could live forever. God could and did consistently provide that another perfect man might willingly die in the place and stead of Adam the sinner and thereby provide a way for all men to be released from the effects of inherited sin and then meet the requirements of Jehovah’s law and live. There was no perfect man on earth to take the place of Adam in death. God provided the necessary one by sending his Son to earth, making him a man and in the form and likeness of sinful man, yet holy, harmless, and without sin. (Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 7:26) He called his name Jesus, because that name means 4the Savior of mankind’. (Matthew 1:21) When Jesus grew to manhood’s estate he began his ministry on the earth and declared that he Came to make known the truth to all who would hear, and that he came to enable man to live. (Matthew 20:28; John 10:10; 18:37) The man Jesus must first undergo a severe test and under that test he must prove his loyalty, fidelity and integrity toward God, and thereby he would prove Satan a liar and that Satan’s challenge to God is a lie. Jesus was put -to such test and maintained his integrity to the end, and of him it is written: 1 'Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered ; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” —Hebrews 5: 8, 9.

God raised Jesus out of death the spirit creature divine, exalted him to the highest place in heaven, made him the great Vindicator of God’s word and name and the author of eternal salvation and the dispenser of life to all who obey him. (Philippians 2: 5-

11; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 6:23) Jesus Christ is therefore the Redeemer of the human race, having bought mankind with his own blood, and the right of life is in his hands to dispense, by the grace of God, to all men who choose to obey God and Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 1:18,19; John 3:16,17) There is no other way for man to get life. (Acts 4:12) A long period of time elapsed from the death sentence upon Adam until the coming of Christ Jesus the Redeemer. Another long period of time elapsed from the death and resurrection of Jesus until his second coming and the beginning of his kingdom. Within those periods of time God has been selecting from amongst men a people for his purpose to be associated with Christ Jesus in carrying out Jehovah’s purpose. God first dealt with a select number of persons and used them to make types foretelling how he would develop and carry out his purpose. To Abraham God made the promise that he would raise up a Seed, through which Seed all nations of the earth would have the opportunity of being' blessed. He gave Abraham a son, whom he called Isaac, and Abraham willingly presented his son to Jehovah as a living sacrifice. Here Abraham pictured God himself, while Isaac pictured Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was in fact sacrificed to provide the redemptive price for mankind.—Genesis 22:15-18.

Jacob was a grandson of Abraham. God changed the name of Jacob to Israel and he renewed the promise to Jacob. (Genesis 32:27, 28) Israel was the father of the nation of that same name made up of twelve tribes. God chose the Israelites as a nation and a typical people and caused them to make pictures or “types” of greater things to come to pass in the far distant future. (1 Corinthians 10:11, marginal reading) That people he used prophetically to foreshadow and to foretell how he would carry out his purpose of giving life to humankind. In due time the firstborn child of each family of the Israelites who showed faith in God was miraculously spared from death, and thus God pictured or foreshadowed that there would be a select number to be associated with Christ Jesus, who would be spared from death, given life everlasting in heaven, and used in connection with Christ Jesus to carry out his purpose. All the other Israelites who obeyed God were used to foreshadow those who become a part of God’s organization and to whom he gives life everlasting on the earth. God thus pictured or foreshadowed two classes of persons that will be saved and receive life, one class being those that are taken to heaven and in which class there is but a small number, and the other class, which is the great and innumerable company of persons, and these shall receive life everlasting on the earth. These facts are essential for you to have in mind that you may intelligently make your choice.

GOD’S LAW

The law of God is his rule of action and conduct by which his obedient creatures must be governed. His law prescribes that which is right, and discloses the punishment to be inflicted upon all who willfully disobey. His law of primary importance is this:44 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ’ ’ —Exodus 20: 3, 4. - .

Because the Devil was and is^ diligently endeavoring to turn all men away from God, it was for the good of man that God made and promulgated this law. Jehovah is the Giver of life, and if anyone would receive life that person must recognize, worship and serve Jehovah, the true and almighty God, and none other. Man must attribute all salvation to God, and not to any creature or anything which man makes and sets up. God’s great commandment to man, and which is of first importance, is stated in these words: 4 4 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37) To love God means to obey and serve him as he has commanded. No person could get life in heaven or on earth unless that person first proves his obedience and devotion to Jehovah God. Many persons have been led to believe that it is God’s purpose to get as many into heaven as he possibly can, while the Devil is getting most of the human race into hell. That conclusion is entirely wrong, because 44hell” means, not a place of torture, but the grave or condition of death. (Psalm 86:13, margin; Revelation 20:13, margin) God does not try tQ do anything, nor is he making any effort to get anyone into heaven. The Devil is trying to turn all the human race into hell or destruction. It is the Devil who has caused men to falsely teach and millions to believe that God has created a place of eternal torment which is called 44hell”.

Carrying out his purpose God first takes out from amongst the nations a 44people for his name” and uses them to bear testimony to his name. (Acts 15:14) He causes this testimony to be proclaimed as a witness that the people may know that Jehovah is the only true God' and the only source of life everlasting. He uses these faithful ones in the vindication of his name. His secondary purpose, which is incidental to the vindication of his name, is to give life everlasting to those who faithfully serve and obey him. -To the ones who are associated with Christ Jesus he gives life in heaven. To the others who are obedient he gives life everlasting on the earth. The purpose of Jehovah in dealing with the Israelites, or Jews, was to bring forth a people that would prove true to his name, and for that reason he commanded that they should worship him and have no other god. Only a few of the Jews proved faithful to God. What was the reason for the failure of most of the Jews to be faithful? The answer is, that the Devil established amongst other nations which were round about the Jews a form of religious worship which turned the people away from God. That religious worship the Scriptures designate as Baal or Devil worship. The Jews became unfaithful to God and adopted the Baal religion, which was in direct violation of God’s commandment, and for that reason God cast them away and destroyed Israel as a nation.—Numbers 25:3-5; Judges 2:11-14.

…

Refine Search

Index Downloading...

Choosing Riches or Ruin - Which is Your Choice (1936)