Worldwide security under the Prince of peace (1986)
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Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace”
Source: jw.org
Contents
Title Page/Publishers’ Page
Contents
The Desire for Peace and Security Worldwide
The “Prince of Peace” Faces Armageddon
The Rule of the “Prince of Peace” Amid Enemies
Insecure “Babylon” Doomed to Destruction
Enlightenment for “the Conclusion of the System of Things”
On the Watch During “the Conclusion of the System of Things”
Settling Accounts Over the Use of Christ’s Funds
Sharing in “the Joy” of the “Prince of Peace”
God’s Covenant With His “Friend” Already Beneficial to Millions
What God Swore to Do for Mankind—Now at Hand!
Earthly Jerusalem in Contrast With Celestial Jerusalem
God’s New Covenant Nears Its Accomplishment
The “Prince of Peace” Turns to Those Outside the New Covenant
After the New Covenant—The Millennial Kingdom
Antitypical, Modern-Day Edom to Be Cleared Away
The “Great Crowd” Now Takes the “Highway” to God’s Organization
Loyally Remembering Jehovah’s Organization
Loyalty to God’s Visible Organization Today
The Impending “War of the Great Day of God the Almighty”
A Happy Human Family Under a New Fatherhood
The Garden of Eden Restored—Earth Wide
The God of the “Prince of Peace” Becomes “All Things to Everyone”
Title Page/Publishers’ Page
Title Page/Publishers’ Page
Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace”
Worldwide security under the “Prince of Peace” is an absolute certainty. The Almighty God assures us of this in the prophecy about the birth and career of the “Prince of Peace” at Isaiah 9:6, 7: “His name will be called . . . Prince of Peace. To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end . . . The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.” How readers of this book can prepare to enter into the abundance of the rule of the “Prince of Peace” is set forth in this volume.
—The Publishers.
Bible quotations in this book are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, 1984 edition.
Contents
Contents
PAGE CHAPTER
4 1 The Desire for Peace and Security Worldwide
13 2 The “Prince of Peace” Faces Armageddon
21 3 The Rule of the “Prince of Peace” Amid Enemies
29 4 Insecure “Babylon” Doomed to Destruction
38 5 Enlightenment for “the Conclusion of the System of Things”
47 6 On the Watch During “the Conclusion of the System of Things”
56 7 Settling Accounts Over the Use of Christ’s Funds
65 8 Sharing in “the Joy” of the “Prince of Peace”
73 9 God’s Covenant With His “Friend” Already Beneficial to Millions
82 10 What God Swore to Do for Mankind—Now at Hand!
90 11 Earthly Jerusalem in Contrast With Celestial Jerusalem
98 12 God’s New Covenant Nears Its Accomplishment
106 13 The “Prince of Peace” Turns to Those Outside the New Covenant
113 14 After the New Covenant—The Millennial Kingdom
121 15 Antitypical, Modern-Day Edom to Be Cleared Away
129 16 The “Great Crowd” Now Takes the “Highway” to God’s Organization
136 17 Loyally Remembering Jehovah’s Organization
144 18 Loyalty to God’s Visible Organization Today
152 19 The Impending “War of the Great Day of God the Almighty”
161 20 A Happy Human Family Under a New Fatherhood
170 21 The Garden of Eden Restored—Earth Wide
180 22 The God of the “Prince of Peace” Becomes “All Things to Everyone”
The Desire for Peace and Security Worldwide
Chapter 1
The Desire for Peace and Security Worldwide
1, 2. What pressing need does all mankind have, and why?
PEACE and security are what we want here on earth. The need for such a desirable situation was never more pressing than it is today. This is true not only with us as individuals but also with the entire human family around the globe.
2 That is why the present population of earth is now living in the time of all times! ‘How can this be the case,’ you may ask, ‘since we are now well along in the most frightful period of all human history, the age of nuclear weapons?’
3. (a) What is said to be the reason for the nations’ possessing the nuclear bomb? (b) What would ordinary common sense dictate?
3 At least eight nations are reported to be capable of producing the nuclear bomb. And it is estimated that 31 countries could have nuclear weapons by the year 2000. Their reason for possessing the ultimate of bombs is said to be that of protection, a deterrent to other similarly armed nations, a threat of nuclear reprisal. In the face of such a state of world affairs, ordinary common sense would dictate that the nations should agree to live side by side in mutual tolerance.
4. Though the Creator has not blocked human efforts to seek security, what purpose does he have in this regard?
4 Is it, however, a mere man-made peace that we want, together with what security man can provide? Though the Creator has not blocked human efforts to establish and maintain peace and security worldwide, he has his own perfect way for satisfying our natural desire for peace and security. He has his own appointed time for doing away with all disturbers of the security of those who desire to worship him. How glad we can be to know that his time for this is at hand!
5. What did the inspired psalmist say regarding the earth, and what is the Creator’s purpose for man?
5 After thousands of years of turbulent human history, it is to be expected that there should be an intense earth-wide desire for peace and security. Earth has been man’s natural habitat from the very start of human existence. The inspired psalmist said: “As regards the heavens, to Jehovah the heavens belong, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.” (Psalm 115:16) From the very beginning, it was the Creator’s loving purpose that man should enjoy a full life in his God-given earthly home.
6. In what respect would the first man and his offspring be able to act like God?
6 According to the creation account at Genesis 2:7, “God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.” No other living creature on earth was on man’s plane of life or on man’s level of competence—able to act like God in the exercise of dominion. Further, this dominion was not to be confined to the first human creature but was also to be exercised and enjoyed by his offspring.
7. How did Adam come to have a wife, and what did he say when this perfect creature was presented to him?
7 For that reason, the Creator gave Adam a wife. She was to be the mother of all future human inhabitants of earth. That is why, on being presented with this perfect creature, the man could say: “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Therefore he pronounced her the female of the human kind, ’ish·shahʹ, which is the feminine form of the Hebrew word translated man, namely, ’ish.—Genesis 2:21-23.
8. What instructions did the Creator give to the first human couple?
8 The Creator and heavenly Father said to the first human couple: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) This procedure was something absolutely new in the history of intelligent creation. The spiritual inhabitants of the invisible heavens were not brought into existence through procreation.
9. How does Psalm 8:4, 5 describe the divine arrangement of things?
9 It is no wonder that, at the time of earth’s creation, “the morning stars joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause.” (Job 38:7) At that time, all was peaceful and harmonious throughout the entire universe. In the eighth psalm, enraptured at the divine arrangement of things, the psalmist exclaims regarding man: “You also proceeded to make him a little less than godlike ones, and with glory and splendor you then crowned him.” (Ps 8 Verses 4, 5) According to this psalm, God put all things here on earth under man’s feet.
The Start of a Rival Sovereignty
10. (a) Before the first human child was conceived, what broke out? (b) What could thus be set up over humankind?
10 Amazingly, before the first human child was conceived, rebellion broke out in the universal organization of Jehovah God. The situation could lead to the setting up of a new sovereignty, a new superrulership, over humankind—if humankind could be separated and alienated from Jehovah’s universal organization. A sovereignty could be set up in rivalry to his. This called for the first lie to be told, presenting Jehovah God in a false light.
11. By presenting Jehovah God in a false light, what did the first rebel become?
11 The telling of the first falsehood made this first rebel against God the first liar, the first devil, or defamer. In stark contrast to him, Jesus Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) To his religious opposers, Jesus said: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.”—John 8:44.
12. (a) How did the Devil cause the first lie to be told, and what was the effect upon Eve? (b) What resulted when Adam ate of the forbidden fruit?
12 By speaking through a serpent in the garden of Eden, or paradise of pleasure, the Devil caused the first lie to be presented to the first woman. He claimed that her Creator was a liar, thus disturbing the peace of Eve’s mind. He made her feel a sense of insecurity in her imagined state of ignorance, so she partook of the forbidden fruit. She prevailed upon her husband, Adam, to partake of the forbidden fruit with her and thus join her in her rebellion against Jehovah God. (Genesis 3:1-6) The disobedient couple lost their peace with God and were driven out of the paradise of pleasure to exist in a state of insecurity outside. Romans 5:12 describes this sorry state of affairs, saying: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”
13. What choice must each of us make today?
13 The situation of our day calls for us to make a definite choice. It is a choice between the rival sovereignty of Satan the Devil, “the god of this system of things,” and the sovereignty of Jehovah, the Most High and Almighty God of the universe.—2 Corinthians 4:4; Psalm 83:18.
The Way to Enjoy Peace With God
14. What peace and security can we begin to enjoy even now?
14 With painful hurt to themselves, most of mankind do not desire to accept or to believe in the Almighty God’s provision for his worshipers to enjoy relative peace and security even in this most lamentable state of human affairs. However, Jehovah is “the God who gives peace,” and it is our blessed privilege now to enter into a peace and security that will never fail. (Romans 16:20; Philippians 4:6, 7, 9) It is a peace and security that he gives even now to his body of earthly servants, his visible organization, in fulfillment of his ever-reliable promises. It is a peace and security that we can enjoy only in association with his visible organization on earth.
15. Is it unreasonable to think that God has an organization, and what did Jesus Christ recognize?
15 It would be out of line with the plain teachings of the Scriptures to believe that God does not have an organization, an organized people, that he exclusively recognizes. Jesus Christ recognized that his heavenly Father had a visible organization. Until Pentecost 33 C.E., it was the Jewish organization in covenant relationship with Jehovah God under the Law of Moses.—Luke 16:16.
16. (a) Between whom was Moses the mediator? (b) Between whom is the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, the Mediator?
16 Just as the ancient nation of Israel was in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God through the mediator Moses, so the nation of spiritual Israel, “the Israel of God,” has a covenant relationship through a mediator. (Galatians 6:16) It is as the apostle Paul wrote to his Christian fellow worker: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5) Was Moses the mediator between Jehovah God and mankind in general? No, he was the mediator between the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the nation of their fleshly descendants. Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members. This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah’s sheeplike ones.—Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4.
Shepherd Over More Than the “Little Flock”
17. (a) What has Jehovah God assigned Jesus Christ to be? (b) What did Jesus say to those who are to inherit the heavenly Kingdom?
17 In Psalm 23:1, King David of ancient Israel was inspired to say: “Jehovah is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing.” Jehovah, the Supreme Shepherd, has assigned Jesus Christ to be “the fine shepherd.” (John 10:11) At Luke 12:32, Jesus addressed himself to those of whom he is the Fine Shepherd: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.”
18. (a) Who today correspond to the Nethinim and the sons of non-Israelite servants of Solomon? (b) With whom are they closely associated?
18 In ancient times, there were non-Jews, such as the Nethinim and the sons of non-Israelite servants of Solomon, who were associated with the nation of Israel. (Ezra 2:43-58; 8:17-20) Similarly today, there are men and women who are wholly dedicated to God through Jesus Christ but who are not spiritual Israelites. They are, however, associated with the remnant of spiritual Israel because of dedicating themselves to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ, “who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:6) Today, these far outnumber the 144,000 spiritual Israelites, who are to inherit the heavenly Kingdom.
19. What did Jesus Christ say to indicate that he would be the Shepherd over more than the “little flock”?
19 Thus Jesus Christ was to be assigned, in God’s due time, to be the Shepherd over a much larger flock of sheeplike ones who would come into an earthly inheritance through him. These are the ones whom he had in mind when he said: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.” Having in mind these “other sheep,” the apostle John also wrote of Jesus: “He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.”—John 10:16; 1 John 2:2.
20. (a) How does the number of the “other sheep” compare with that of the remaining ones of the “little flock”? (b) What does the pastoral care of the Fine Shepherd mean for all of them?
20 Today, there are about 9,000 who profess to be members of the remnant of the “little flock” of spiritual sheep. On the other hand, there are millions of dedicated ones who are associated with the anointed remnant in following in the footsteps of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. They are to be found in over 200 lands around the globe. What does the pastoral care of that Fine Shepherd mean for all of them? It means the enjoyment of peace and security! If they did not have peace in their ranks, there would not be heartfelt unity and unbreakable cooperation among them. If they did not have mutual loving concern for one another as respects spiritual interests, they would not have the security that they enjoy. Thus, their desire for peace and security earth wide has begun to be satisfied even now.
[Picture on page 4, 5]
The Creator has his own perfect way for satisfying human desire for peace and security
The “Prince of Peace” Faces Armageddon
Chapter 2
The “Prince of Peace” Faces Armageddon
1, 2. (a) What thrilling words did God inspire the prophet Isaiah to speak? (b) When did these words begin to be fulfilled?
IN THE eighth century before our Common Era, the prophet Isaiah was inspired to say to God’s people: “For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite.”—Isaiah 9:6, 7.
2 Those thrilling words began to be fulfilled in the latter part of the year 2 B.C.E. This was when Jesus was born as a descendant of King David, who had reigned in the city of Jerusalem over the 12 tribes of Israel.
Covenant for a Kingdom With No End of Peace
3. (a) What covenant did God make with King David? (b) Upon what descendant of King David has Jehovah conferred the title “Prince of Peace”?
3 Because of David’s zeal for the worship of the God of Israel, Jehovah made with him a covenant for an everlasting Kingdom in his line of descent. (2 Samuel 7:1-16) That covenant was backed by God’s oath. (Psalm 132:11, 12) According to that covenant, David’s kingdom had to furnish the basis for the coming Kingdom of the “Prince of Peace.” “Jesus Christ, son of David,” is the one upon whom Jehovah conferred the title “Prince of Peace.”—Matthew 1:1.
4. (a) Who became the earthly mother of Jesus? (b) What did the angel Gabriel say to her in this respect?
4 Jesus’ mother was a woman born into the royal line of King David. She was a virgin when she conceived her promised son, who would become the permanent heir to David’s throne. This conception took place before Joseph took her as his wife. (Matthew 1:18-25) The angel Gabriel had informed the virgin Mary: “Look! you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you are to call his name Jesus. This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom.”—Luke 1:31-33.
5. What had Isaiah the prophet foretold regarding the rule of the “Prince of Peace”?
5 That is why the prophet Isaiah foretold regarding the “Prince of Peace” that “wide is his dominion in a peace that has no end, for the throne of David and for his royal power.” (Isaiah 9:6, 7, The Jerusalem Bible) Thus, according to the covenant established with David, this Kingdom would be an everlasting government with no end of peace. His throne must stand “forever”!
6. (a) To carry out the Kingdom covenant, what did God do on the third day of Jesus’ death? (b) When did Jesus begin to reign as the “Prince of Peace”?
6 For the carrying out of this Kingdom covenant, the Almighty God resurrected Jesus from the dead on the third day of his martyrdom. This was on the 16th day of the Jewish month Nisan, in the year 33 of our Common Era. As an eyewitness of the resurrected Son of God, the apostle Peter said that Jesus was “put to death in the flesh, but . . . made alive in the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18) The Most High God elevated him to His own right hand. There, since the end of the Gentile Times, or “the appointed times of the nations,” in early October of the year 1914, he has been reigning as the “Prince of Peace.”—Luke 21:24.
7. (a) What has Jesus faced from the start of his reign? (b) Who are proclaiming Jesus’ kingship to all the nations, and in fulfillment of what?
7 From the start of his celestial reign, he has faced a hostile world, as is evidenced by two world wars over the issue of who shall rule the earth. He is now confronted with the United Nations organization. By the globe-encircling proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom by Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are preaching in more than 200 lands, his active kingship in the heavens is being called to the attention of all nations. This is in fulfillment of what the “Prince of Peace” himself foretold, as we read at Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”
8. Why can it be said that we are very deep into this “conclusion of the system of things”?
8 The issue of world domination must be settled soon. Now, more than 70 years after the end of “the appointed times of the nations” in 1914, we are deep into this “conclusion of the system of things.” The generation of 1914 saw the start of the meaningful world events foretold by Jesus. (Matthew 24:3-14) That generation, Jesus said, would not pass away until all these things would be fulfilled. It is now very close to finishing its course.—Matthew 24:34.
9, 10. (a) How was the prophetic information in the book of Revelation communicated to us? (b) What does Revelation 16:13, 14, 16 foretell about Har–Magedon, or Armageddon?
9 Hence, what lies immediately ahead, and what does the “Prince of Peace” face? He himself was used to foretell this in the very last book of the Bible, the Revelation, or Apocalypse, which God gave to him and which he communicated to the aged apostle John by means of an angel. (Revelation 1:1, 2) That happened about the end of the first century of our Common Era. At Revelation 16:13, 14, 16, Jesus had the apostle John make this significant reference to Har–Magedon, or Armageddon:
10 “And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and perform signs, and they go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty. And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon.”
The Figurative “Mountain of Megiddo”
11. (a) What does the name Armageddon mean, and was there ever a geographical location so named? (b) Why was the ancient city of Megiddo of historical importance? (c) What double meaning did the name Megiddo take on?
11 The Hebrew name Har–Magedon, or Armageddon, means “Mountain of Megiddo.” No geographical location in ancient or modern times has been called Mountain of Megiddo. Thus in a book like Revelation that is filled with figurative language, the term has symbolic meaning. What must that be? Well, the elevated city of Megiddo, the name of which place means “assembly of troops,” was of historical importance. In secular and in Biblical history the name stirred up memories of decisive battles. Why? Because the city then dominated a strategic land passageway between Europe, Asia, and Africa, and invaders could advantageously be challenged and halted there by the inhabitants. Thus Megiddo took on a double meaning—that of tragic defeat for one side and of glorious victory for the other side.
12, 13. (a) How did the God of the Bible become associated with Megiddo and its nearby river during the days of Judge Barak? (b) How does the victory song of Barak and Deborah describe God’s role in the victory?
12 The God of the Bible became associated with Megiddo and with the nearby river Kishon during the period of the Israelite judges. In the days of Judge Barak and the prophetess Deborah, God gave a signal victory to his chosen people in the neighborhood of Megiddo. Judge Barak had only 10,000 men, whereas the enemy under General Sisera had, besides ground troops, 900 horse-drawn war chariots. Jehovah stepped into the battle in behalf of his chosen people and caused a flash flood to immobilize those formidable chariots of the enemy. In the victory song that Barak and Deborah sang to God after the miraculous defeat of Sisera’s army, they called attention to God’s part in this overthrow of the enemy:
13 “Kings came, they fought; it was then that the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. No gain of silver did they take. From heaven did the stars fight, from their orbits they fought against Sisera. The torrent of Kishon washed them away, the torrent of ancient days, the torrent of Kishon.”—Judges 5:12, 19-21.
14. What closing words of that inspired victory song are no doubt a prayer with regard to the coming war at Armageddon?
14 Without doubt, the inspired words with which Barak and Deborah closed their song after that ancient victory at Megiddo apply as a prayer with regard to the coming war at Armageddon. They sang: “Thus let all your enemies perish, O Jehovah, and let your lovers be as when the sun goes forth in its mightiness.”—Judges 5:31.a
Nations Being Gathered to Armageddon
15. (a) What kind of place, then, is Armageddon? (b) What is one of the sources of the unclean propaganda that mobilizes the nations to the war at Armageddon?
15 So Megiddo was a place where decisive battles were fought. Logically, then, Armageddon would be the battlefield to which all the worldly nations of today would march under the inciting forces described at Revelation 16:13, 14. The “expressions inspired by demons” that mobilize the nations are the propaganda that is today croaked forth, unclean like the Biblically unclean frog. One of the sources of such unclean propaganda is the “great fiery-colored dragon.” Revelation 12:1-9 identifies “the dragon” as Satan the Devil.
16. At Revelation 16:13, what does “the wild beast” symbolize?
16 Another source of unclean propaganda is “the wild beast.” At Revelation 16:13 this symbolic “wild beast” is associated with the devilish “dragon.” According to Revelation 20:10, this “wild beast” will be destroyed forever because of its cooperation with the symbolic “dragon.” “The wild beast” symbolizes the entire political system of this world of which “the dragon” is the god. (2 Corinthians 4:4) It takes in all the various political governments of this world.—Compare Daniel 7:17; 8:20, 22.
17. What is the effect of the froglike propaganda issuing forth from “the wild beast”?
17 Such a world system of political rule has its distinctive propaganda. And this croaking, froglike propaganda is an inspired expression that serves with the inspired expression of “the dragon” to gather “the kings,” or political rulers of the world, to “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” that will be fought at Armageddon.
18. (a) What does the name Har–Magedon denote? (b) What would a mountain symbolize?
18 Har–Magedon thus signifies a world situation that involves a decisive war. It denotes that ultimate state to which world affairs come where the political rulers unitedly oppose God’s will, so that God must react with a counterforce according to his purpose. So the future is to be determined by what results from this confrontation. At Megiddo itself, the geographical location, there was no mountain. But a mountain would symbolize a prominent place of assembly that would be easily discerned from a distance by all the military forces gathering there.
19, 20. What strategy will the General of Jehovah’s heavenly forces use at Armageddon, and with what result?
19 Jesus Christ, the General of Jehovah’s fighting forces, has for some years looked upon the gathering of the rulers of the world and their fighting forces to Armageddon. But he has not tried to single out any particular king and his military forces to strike them down singly and thus finish off the enemy forces piecemeal. On the contrary, he is allowing them sufficient time to mass together and to unify their forces to the greatest military potential. His bold purpose is to take all of them on at the same time!
20 He will thereby gain a more resounding victory over them, to the glory of his own Commander in Chief, Jehovah God, and to the verification of himself as, indisputably, the “King of kings and Lord of lords.”—Revelation 19:16.
[Footnotes]
Some other references to Megiddo are found at 2 Kings 9:27; 23:29, 30; 2 Chronicles 35:22; Zechariah 12:11.
The Rule of the “Prince of Peace” Amid Enemies
Chapter 3
The Rule of the “Prince of Peace” Amid Enemies
1, 2. (a) What parting words did Jesus Christ say to a group of his disciples? (b) Did this call for world conversion before he would rule as the “Prince of Peace”?
SHORTLY before his ascension to heaven more than 19 centuries ago, the then future “Prince of Peace,” Jesus Christ, said these parting words to a group of his faithful disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit . . . And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”—Matthew 28:19, 20.
2 Did those words of Jesus call for world conversion before “the conclusion of the system of things” that began in 1914? No. Today, near the close of this 20th century, the world of mankind remains far from being converted to Jesus Christ as its Savior and rightful King. However, this has not delayed the outworking of what Jehovah foretold in the prophecies of the Bible. It was never God’s purpose that the whole world of mankind be converted before Jesus Christ began to rule as the “Prince of Peace.” Directly contrary, he was foretold to begin ruling in the midst of his enemies.
3. How did Jesus’ reference to Psalm 110 indicate that he would reign amid enemies?
3 Even when he was down here on earth, Jesus Christ knew this fact. Shortly before his death as a martyr, he had a dispute with his religious opposers and made a reference to Psalm 110. We read about this at Luke 20:41-44: “In turn he said to them: ‘How is it they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, “Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.” David, therefore, calls him “Lord”; so how is he his son?’”
4-6. (a) How does Psalm 2 likewise indicate that Jesus would not have to wait for world conversion before beginning his rule as the “Prince of Peace”? (b) At what time was Psalm 2:7 fulfilled?
4 Plainly, then, Jesus Christ, as the Son of David, was not to begin ruling after world conversion. Rather, he was to begin ruling among enemies whom Jehovah God by warfare would eventually make the footstool for the feet of his enthroned Son. Psalm 2 likewise, in the following words, indicates the beginning of his rule as the “Prince of Peace” amid enemies:
5 “Why have the nations been in tumult and the national groups themselves kept muttering an empty thing? The kings of earth take their stand and high officials themselves have massed together as one against Jehovah and against his anointed one [his Christ], saying: ‘Let us tear their bands apart and cast their cords away from us!’ The very One sitting in the heavens will laugh; Jehovah himself will hold them in derision. At that time he will speak to them in his anger and in his hot displeasure he will disturb them, saying: ‘I, even I, have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.’
6 “Let me refer to the decree of Jehovah; he has said to me [Christ]: ‘You are my son; I, today, I have become your father. [Psalm 2:7 was fulfilled when Jehovah resurrected his Son from the dead, thus becoming an everlasting Father to Jesus. (Romans 1:4)] Ask of me, that I may give nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your own possession. You will break them with an iron scepter, as though a potter’s vessel you will dash them to pieces.’ And now, O kings, exercise insight; let yourselves be corrected, O judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear and be joyful with trembling. Kiss the son, that He may not become incensed and you may not perish from the way, for his anger flares up easily. Happy are all those taking refuge in him.”
7. What reference to Psalm 2 did the apostles of Jesus Christ make after the day of Pentecost?
7 According to Acts 4:24-27, the apostles of Jesus Christ referred to this second psalm after the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E.: “They with one accord raised their voices to God and said: ‘Sovereign Lord, you are the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them, and who through holy spirit said by the mouth of our forefather David, your servant, “Why did nations become tumultuous and peoples meditate upon empty things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers massed together as one against Jehovah and against his anointed one.” Even so, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with men of nations and with peoples of Israel were in actuality gathered together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.’”
Major Fulfillment of Psalm 2
8. (a) When did the first fulfillment of Psalm 2:1, 2 take place? (b) Since when has the major fulfillment of Psalm 2 been taking place?
8 The year 33 of the first century saw the first fulfillment of those prophetic words of Psalm 2:1, 2. This was in connection with the man Jesus Christ on earth. He had been anointed with Jehovah’s holy spirit at the time of his baptism by John the Baptizer. But the major fulfillment of Psalm 2 has been taking place since the end of the Gentile Times in the year 1914. (Luke 21:24) It has been amply verified that “the appointed times of the nations,” which began at the first destruction of the city of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E., ended in the year 1914.a Then the death knell sounded for the nations of this world, including those of Christendom.
9. What happened at the first destruction of Jerusalem with regard to the Kingdom of God as represented by the royal line of King David?
9 At the first destruction of Jerusalem, by the Babylonians, the Kingdom of Jehovah God over the nation of Israel, as represented by the royal line of King David, came to an end. Since then, the natural Jews have not had a king over them in the line of the royal house of David. But the Kingdom of the Most High God in the hands of a descendant of David, with whom Jehovah made a covenant for an everlasting Kingdom in his line, was not to lie prone on earth forever.
10, 11. (a) What did God through his prophet Ezekiel say with regard to the throne of David? (b) Who came with “the legal right” to David’s throne? (c) What did the crowd of Jews say when he presented himself as the legal heir?
10 To the king of ancient Jerusalem, shortly before its first destruction, Jehovah caused his prophet Ezekiel to direct these words: “As for you, O deadly wounded, wicked chieftain of Israel, whose day has come in the time of the error of the end, this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘Remove the turban, and lift off the crown. This will not be the same. Put on high even what is low, and bring low even the high one. A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I shall make it. As for this also, it will certainly become no one’s until he comes who has the legal right, and I must give it to him.’”—Ezekiel 21:25-27.
11 The one with “the legal right” came in the person of Jesus Christ, and his line of descent from David is recorded at Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-31. He was generally addressed as “the Son of David.” On the day of his triumphal ride into Jerusalem, mounted on an ass in fulfillment of prophecy, the exulting crowd of Jews that accompanied him and his apostles cried out jubilantly: “Save, we pray, the Son of David! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name! Save him, we pray, in the heights above!”—Matthew 21:9.
“The Son of David” Is Enthroned in Heaven
12. When the Gentile Times ended in 1914, where was Jesus Christ, as David’s permanent heir, enthroned?
12 The 2,520 years for the Gentiles to be treading underfoot the Kingdom of God in the hands of the house of David ended in 1914. Then came the time for Jesus Christ, “the Son of David,” to be enthroned, not down here on an earthly throne, but in the highest heavens at the right hand of Jehovah God!—Daniel 7:9, 10, 13, 14.
13. (a) Since what date was the year 1914 pointed forward to as the end of the Gentile Times, and by whom? (b) What was the attitude of the nations of the earth toward the newly enthroned “Son of David”?
13 That momentous date had been pointed forward to since 1876 by those who became associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. But the nations of the earth, even those of Christendom, refused to recognize it as the time for them to turn over their earthly sovereignties to the newly enthroned “Son of David.” They did not acknowledge that he held the God-given right to sovereignty over the whole earth, which is Jehovah God’s footstool. (Matthew 5:35) They signalized their flagrant rejection of the rightful King by engaging in the first world war.
14. (a) With the outbreak of World War I, what attitude did the nations manifest toward those Christians associated with the Watch Tower Society? (b) In view of this, what does the worldwide situation signify?
14 In all the warring nations, the dedicated Christians who were associated with the Watch Tower Society came under tremendous pressure to abandon their resolve to keep free from bloodguilt. They did not then understand to the fullest degree the requirement for Christian neutrality. The prophecy of “the Son of David,” Jesus Christ, to his disciples regarding “the conclusion of the system of things” came painfully true: “You will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name.” (Matthew 24:9) This hatred has not abated since the end of World War I. In view of these meaningful facts of modern history, what does the worldwide situation signify? This: The “Prince of Peace” rules amid enemies who are right here on earth!
15. What happened to Satan the Devil and his demon hordes when warfare broke out in heaven, and by what year must the results have been conclusive?
15 The Almighty God brought the promised Messianic Kingdom to birth at his appointed time in spite of all the enemies that were on hand in heaven and on earth. Revelation 12:1-9 shows that after the birth of ‘the man-child’ Kingdom in the heavens from the womb of Jehovah’s wifelike organization, as it were, warfare promptly broke out in heaven itself. The holy heavens were no longer the place for the symbolic dragon, Satan the Devil, and his demonic angels. In this warfare, unseen to human eyes, the royally empowered “Son of David” fought victoriously and ejected Satan the Devil and his demon hordes from the heavens and confined them to the vicinity of our earthly globe. This debasement of the satanic forces was evidently fully accomplished by 1918, the year when World War I came to an end.
Demoted, the Devil Wages War
16, 17. (a) Against whom does the demoted Satan the Devil wage warfare? (b) Whom does he use to carry on this warfare?
16 The demoted Satan the Devil, the symbolic dragon, is now especially wrathful toward the wifelike organization of Jehovah God. (Revelation 12:17) Thus he viciously wages warfare upon the spirit-begotten remnant of dedicated Christians who have the evidence that she is their spiritual mother.—Galatians 4:26.
17 Satan also wages war on the “other sheep,” who obediently work with the anointed remnant in bearing witness to the Kingdom’s birth. (John 10:16) He not only uses his demoted demon forces, now in the vicinity of the earth, but also employs the visible part of his organization to carry on this warfare against the remnant and the “other sheep.”
18. (a) Though the Devil viciously wages war against the anointed remnant and their companions, what protective force do they have? (b) What aspect of the rule of the “Prince of Peace” nears its end?
18 The rule of the “Prince of Peace” amid his enemies down here at the earth nears its close. He has taken excellent care of the situation. Day and night his loyal holy angels stand at attention, ready to receive royal orders from him and to act upon them with dispatch. They serve as a protective force for the anointed remnant and their companions, the “great crowd” of “other sheep,” as these continue to serve the Kingdom interests during this fast-diminishing time when the “Prince of Peace” rules amid his enemies.—Revelation 7:9.
[Footnotes]
For details, see the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, pages 138-41, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
Insecure “Babylon” Doomed to Destruction
Chapter 4
Insecure “Babylon” Doomed to Destruction
1. (a) What does the word “babylon” mean, and who founded the city by that name? (b) What building project did ambitious Nimrod undertake, and with what result?
CONFUSION marks the world today—politically, socially, and religiously. The English translation of the Bible’s Hebrew word for confusion is “babylon.” In Genesis, Babylon is spoken of as Babel, a name that also means “confusion.” The city by that name was founded by Nimrod, a rebel against Jehovah. (Genesis 10:8-10) There, men under the leadership of ambitious Nimrod set about building a tower that would soar heavenward in defiance of Jehovah. Jehovah defeated this God-dishonoring project by confusing the uniform language of the builders, so that they could not understand one another while trying to work together.—Genesis 11:1-9.
2. (a) What happened to the world power Babylon in 539 B.C.E., and did that mark the end of the city by that name? (b) What did the ancient city of Babylon not prove to be?
2 Long afterward, a new city bearing the name Babylon was recorded as existing there at the Euphrates River. (2 Kings 17:24; 1 Chronicles 9:1) In 539 B.C.E. the Babylonian World Power was overthrown by Cyrus the Great, the emperor of Medo-Persia, in fulfillment of Jehovah’s prophecy at Isaiah 45:1-6. Though Babylon had suffered a significant fall, it was permitted to continue its existence as a city. It is reported as existing even in the latter half of the first century of our Common Era. (1 Peter 5:13) That ancient city, however, did not prove to be “Babylon the Great,” which the apostle John wrote about in the book of Revelation chapter 17.
3. What is the true identity of Babylon the Great?
3 The apocalyptic “Babylon the Great,” depicted as an immoral woman who rides “a scarlet-colored wild beast,” stands for the world empire of false religion, including all the religions of so-called Christendom.a (Revelation 17:3-5) According to what the apostle John observed about her, this symbolic organization has committed spiritual fornication with all the political rulers of the earth. The world empire of false religion, Babylon the Great, still wields tremendous influence.
“A Friend of the World”—Not of God
4. During World War I, how did Babylon the Great add to her crimes against the human family?
4 However, the position of Babylon the Great is very insecure, and that has especially been the case since the end of World War I. During that conflict, she added to her crimes against the human family. The clergymen of Christendom, who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, preached the young men onto the battlefields. The late Harry Emerson Fosdick, a prominent Protestant clergyman, supported the war effort but later admitted: “Even in our churches we have put the battle flags . . . With one corner of our mouth we have praised the Prince of Peace and with the other we have glorified war.” The priests and other clergymen of Christendom offered prayers for the fighting forces at religious gatherings, and they served as chaplains for the army, the navy, and the air force.b
5. (a) What words of James 4:4 has Christendom not taken to heart? (b) What must be the divine judgment upon her?
5 Christendom, under the guidance of these religious leaders, has not taken to heart the words of James 4:4: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” Thus Christendom carries on as an enemy of the Most High God down to this very time. Certainly she does not have divine protection, and for this vital reason her very existence remains insecure. Her political friends are not to be trusted, and the tide in the antireligious direction continues to gain strength. It is not in her behalf that God says: “Do not you men touch my anointed ones.”—1 Chronicles 16:22.
“Get Out of Her, My People”
6, 7. (a) What urgent call is sounded at Revelation 18:4, and to whom is it directed? (b) When did an earlier but similar call begin to apply to the Jews languishing in ancient Babylon?
6 To these anointed ones and their associates during this conclusion of the system of things, the divine call rings out urgently: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins.” (Revelation 18:4) Yes, get out of the world empire of false religion, Babylon the Great.
7 This call echoes the words of Jeremiah 50:8 and; Jer 51:6, 45, which were directed to the remnant of Jews whom Jehovah sentenced to spend 70 years of captivity and exile in the land of Babylonia. Those words began to apply to the Jews who were languishing in Babylonia in 537 B.C.E., after the foretold Cyrus the Great marched his Medo-Persian troops down the nearly dried-up bed of the Euphrates River and into the city of Babylon.
8. (a) How did Cyrus the Great fulfill Isaiah 45:1-6? (b) Why did the one foreshadowed by Cyrus the Great need to act according to this prophetic pattern of things?
8 In the first year of his rule, Cyrus the Great acted in fulfillment of the prophecy at Isaiah 45:1-6. Similarly, the one foreshadowed by Emperor Cyrus, but who is far mightier, Jesus Christ, acted according to this prophetic pattern of things. This was at the due time after he had entered in upon his royal reign in heaven at the right hand of Jehovah God, when “the appointed times of the nations” expired in October 1914. (Luke 21:24) During the first world war of 1914-18, the remnant of spiritual Israelites experienced a captivity at the hands of Babylon the Great and her political paramours.
9, 10. (a) What action was taken against eight members of the Society’s headquarters staff? (b) What evidence is there that Babylon the Great was behind the movement to stop the work of Jehovah’s people?
9 For example, in the United States the latest book to be published by the Watch Tower Society at that time, The Finished Mystery, was banned as seditious. The two authors of the book were brought into federal court in Brooklyn, New York, and unjustly sentenced to 20 years of confinement in the federal penitentiary at Atlanta, Georgia. So were the president of the publishing society, the secretary-treasurer, and three others of the headquarters staff. An associate translator was sentenced to half that amount of time in the federal penitentiary.
10 And so on July 4, 1918, these eight dedicated Christians were put on a train to Atlanta, Georgia, to be deprived of liberty there. Members of the Brooklyn headquarters of the Watch Tower Society then had to take care of matters to the best of their ability. Who was to blame for this situation? The book Preachers Present Arms answers: “An analysis of the whole case leads to the conclusion that the churches and the clergy were originally behind the movement to stamp out the Russellites [Witnesses]. . . . When the news of the twenty-year sentences reached the editors of the religious press, practically every one of these publications, great and small, rejoiced over the event. I have been unable to discover any words of sympathy in any of the orthodox religious journals.”—Ray H. Abrams, pages 183, 184.
A Fall—But Not Into Destruction
11, 12. (a) What had Babylon the Great intended to do? (b) How did she suffer a significant fall, though not into destruction? (c) What was the effect upon Jehovah’s liberated people?
11 But the rejoicing in Babylon the Great was not to last for long. In the spring of 1919, Babylon the Great suffered a significant fall, following which there must come certain religious developments before she is totally destroyed. Babylon the Great thought to keep Jehovah’s people suppressed and in captivity forever. But in March of 1919 the prison doors were forced open to the eight representatives of the Watch Tower Society, and out they came on bail. Later, they were completely exonerated of all charges.
12 Gone now was the rejoicing by Babylon the Great! Says the book Preachers Present Arms concerning the court’s decision to free the Witnesses: “This verdict was greeted with silence in the churches.” But great was the joy of Jehovah’s people. Their worldwide organization was repaired. At their convention in 1919 at Cedar Point, Ohio, the Society’s president roused the thousands in attendance into action by his talk “Announcing the Kingdom.” Jehovah’s Witnesses were again free, courageously proclaiming God’s Kingdom publicly! Babylon the Great had suffered a fall, though not into destruction. The Greater Cyrus, Jesus Christ, had defeated her and had liberated his faithful followers.
13. When the League of Nations appeared on the scene, what did Babylon the Great do?
13 Thus Babylon the Great was permitted to survive into the postwar era. When the League of Nations was proposed as a world peacekeeping body, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America came out in support of it, publicly announcing that the League of Nations was “the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth.” When the proposed League was finally established, Babylon the Great climbed onto its back and thus began her ride on this symbolic “scarlet-colored wild beast.”—Revelation 17:3.
14. (a) During World War II, what was the course of action of Babylon the Great? (b) When the man-made peacekeeping agency ascended out of the abyss after World War II, what did Babylon the Great do?
14 When this ineffective peacekeeping agency went into the abyss of inactivity at the outbreak of World War II, Babylon the Great was left without a mount. (Revelation 17:8) But she was right out there with the 57 nations that got embroiled in World War II. Her having to divide her loyalties between the warring factions did not bother her, even as her being divided up into many hundreds of confusing religious sects and denominations has never disturbed her. When the man-made peacekeeping agency, in the form of the United Nations, ascended out of the abyss of inactivity at the close of World War II, Babylon the Great immediately climbed upon its back and started exercising her influence over it.
Political Powers to Turn Against Babylon
15, 16. (a) Mankind is now face to face with what awe-inspiring spectacle? (b) What has Almighty God determined, in harmony with Revelation 17:15-18?
15 The whole world of mankind is now about to face an awe-inspiring spectacle. This will be the turning of the political powers against Babylon the Great, with the aim of wiping her out of existence. This may sound heart paralyzing to people who sincerely believe that all religions are good. But the Universal Sovereign, Jehovah God, has determined that Babylon the Great has no place in all the universe and that she has befouled the realm of creation long enough. She must be violently brought down to utter destruction.
16 There are already on hand powerful agencies that God can allow to effect her destruction, namely, the political elements of the world. The God-inspired book of Revelation foretells that Jehovah will turn her lovers against her, and they will strip her naked, exposing her for what she really is—a demonized fraud! And then they will, so to speak, burn her with fire and reduce her to a pile of ashes. They will give her a treatment similar to what she gave to the uncompromising worshipers of the true God.—Revelation 17:15-18; 18:24.
17. Do the anti-Babylon exploits of the political powers turn them to the worship of Jehovah God, and how do we know?
17 This violent antireligious action on the part of the political powers does not mean that they will thereafter turn to the worship of Jehovah God. Their fierce anti-Babylon action does not mean that they will now become the friends of God. Otherwise they would not take the later action that the book of Revelation shows that they will take. (Revelation 17:12-14) They may rejoice immensely at the antireligious exploits that Jehovah God has permitted them to accomplish, but they will still continue to be misled by “the god of this system of things,” Satan the Devil, the all-out, relentless opposer of Jehovah God.—2 Corinthians 4:4.
18, 19. (a) Who will not survive to see the vindication of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty by means of the “Prince of Peace”? (b) But who will be ever-living witnesses to Jehovah’s vindication over Babylon the Great?
18 Babylon the Great will not survive to see the grand climax, the vindication of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty by means of the “Prince of Peace,” who is now the “Mighty God” at the right hand of the One Almighty and Supreme Deity, Jehovah.—Isaiah 9:6.
19 On the sidelines, under impenetrable divine protection, will be the witnesses of Jehovah. (Isaiah 43:10, 12) Under command from the righteous heavens, they will obediently have got out of Babylon the Great. (Revelation 18:4) Their righteous pleasure will be unbounded at what they witness. They will thereafter forever be witnesses of Jehovah and eternally be able to testify with regard to his vindication of himself over Babylon the Great.—Revelation 19:1-3.
[Footnotes]
For a detailed identification, see the book “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s Kingdom Rules!, pages 468-500, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
A detailed discussion of the clergy’s support for World War I is given in the book Preachers Present Arms, by Ray H. Abrams (New York, 1933). The book states: “The clerics gave the war its passionate spiritual significance and drive. . . . The war itself was a holy war to promote the Kingdom of God upon earth. To give one’s life for his country was to give it for God and His Kingdom. God and country became synonymous. . . . The Germans and the Allies were alike in this respect. Each side believed it had the monopoly on God . . . Most of the theologians had no difficulty whatsoever in placing Jesus in the very forefront of the thickest fighting leading his troops on to victory. . . . The church thereby became part and parcel of the war system. . . . The [church] leaders lost no time in getting thoroughly organized on a war-time basis. Within twenty-four hours after the declaration of war, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America laid plans for the fullest cooperation. . . . Many of the churches went much further than they were asked. They became recruiting stations for the enlistment of troops.”—Pages 53, 57, 59, 63, 74, 80, 82.
Enlightenment for “the Conclusion of the System of Things”
Chapter 5
Enlightenment for “the Conclusion of the System of Things”
1. For this “conclusion of the system of things,” what notable marriage did the “Prince of Peace” foretell, and in what parable?
CONCERNING “the conclusion of the system of things,” the “Prince of Peace” said at Matthew 24:38 that there would be “men marrying and women being given in marriage.” But during the same period, there begins in heaven the greatest marriage of all. It is the marriage referred to in Jesus’ illustration of ten lamp bearers, ten virgins.—Matthew 24:3; 25:1-12.
2. (a) At what time of day does this parabolic marriage take place? (b) What follows the wedding, and how is illumination provided?
2 The scene of this marriage is in the Middle East. It takes place late at night, verging onto midnight. The wedding of the bride and her bridegroom is held first and is followed by a procession to the house of feasting. The way is not lighted up by street lamps. Illumination is provided by those sharing in the gala procession, and bystanders can watch the procession go by, wishing the newlyweds happiness.
3, 4. (a) Who interest themselves in the procession that follows, and with what preparations? (b) Fulfillment of this parable adds proof of what fact? (c) We can be happy if we do what?
3 True to their feminine inclination, virgins are interested in the wedding. So, along the line of march, ten virgins wait until the wedding procession reaches their location. They desire to brighten the occasion, and for this reason all of them bring along lighted hand lamps, but only five of them have an emergency supply of lighting oil. These five are discreet virgins. The fulfillment of this parable should interest us today, for according to Jesus Christ, it further confirms that we are in the conclusion of this old system.—Matthew 25:13.
4 We can be happy if we are discreet and discern the realization of this marriage of all marriages and its attendant features! Who today are the ones favored with admittance to the feast? Are any of us? Let us see!
5. What made a distinction among those composing the ten virgins, and what happened during the bridegroom’s delay?
5 The illustration that Jesus gave of the ten virgins has to do with “the kingdom of the heavens,” the world government for the blessing of all mankind. So Jesus Christ went on to say: “The kingdom of the heavens will become like ten virgins that took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were discreet. For the foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them, whereas the discreet took oil in their receptacles with their lamps. While the bridegroom was delaying, they all nodded and went to sleep.”—Matthew 25:1-5.
6. (a) Whom did the ten virgins picture? (b) Why is a bride not mentioned in the parable?
6 Now whom did those ten virgins illustrate? They illustrated the prospective members of the bride of the spiritual Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Doubtless for this reason a bride is not mentioned in Jesus’ illustration; merely the bridegroom appears. Thus, there is no confusion regarding the explanation, as if the virgins pictured still another class.
7. During what period did it seem that the Bridegroom had delayed his coming for the bride, and why?
7 The uniting of the prospective members of the bride class to their heavenly Bridegroom in marriage did not take place, as had been expected, at the close of “the appointed times of the nations” in 1914. (Luke 21:24) Logically, to them it appeared as if the Bridegroom had delayed his coming, although his presence in his heavenly Kingdom did take place in 1914. Those mournful years of World War I proved to be like a pitch-black night in the experience of the virgins class.
8. (a) How was it that, figuratively speaking, a nodding and going to sleep on the part of the virgins occurred? (b) For what purpose had the Bridegroom come to the temple, and why did this concern the bride class?
8 Figuratively speaking, a nodding and going to sleep on the part of the virgins occurred. The public preaching of the good news of Christ’s coming reign of a thousand years for the blessing of all mankind practically ceased. From the final year of World War I, a crucial period of judgment set in for those figurative virgins. This was because the reigning King Jesus Christ had come to the spiritual temple. On his arrival there, he started judgment proceedings in order to clean up those appointed to render temple service to Jehovah God. (Malachi 3:1-3) This was the time for his manifestation when, as the heavenly Bridegroom, he was due to receive to himself in heaven the approved members of the bride class who were then already dead.
9. When did it become the time for the virgins class to be awakened from inactivity, and why?
9 In 1919, following the release of eight prominent members of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society from unjust imprisonment, it was the due time for the virgins class still alive on earth to be aroused from their sleep of inactivity. The work of worldwide enlightenment lay ahead. It was time for them, with lighted lamps, to meet the Bridegroom, who had come to the spiritual temple. This was so that people out of all nations might stream to “the house of Jehovah” that had been exalted above the tops of the mountains, as it were.—Isaiah 2:1-4.
Putting Their Lamps in Order
10. What did the oil that was drawn from the receptacles of the discreet virgins picture?
10 The discreet ones of the virgins class had brought along an emergency supply of lighting fuel in their receptacles. They underwent no delay in refilling their lamps. The liquid fuel for enlightenment pictured Jehovah’s enlightening Word and his holy spirit. So, what did the oil that was drawn from the receptacles of the discreet virgins picture? The reserve amount of Jehovah’s spirit that throws light on his written Word and which the anointed remnant of spirit-begotten disciples of the Bridegroom had in themselves when the postwar work of worldwide enlightenment regarding “the kingdom of the heavens” was destined to start.
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