The Watchtower, April 1, 1955
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"YOU ARE MY WITNESSES," SAYS JEHOVAH.—Isa. 43:12
The WATCHTOWER
Announcing
JEHOVAH'S
KINGDOM
APRIL 1, 1955
Semimonthly
THEOCRATIC CONDUCT
WITHIN THE FAMILY CIRCLE
THEOCRATIC TACT IN
DIVIDED HOUSEHOLDS
ABRAHAM AND THE HITTITES
JUDGMENT DAY—JUST A JOKE?
PRAY FOR WORLD PEACE?
©WTB&TS
“YOU ARE MY WITNESSES,” SAYS JEHOVAH.—Isa. 43:12 THE PURPOSE OF "THE WATCHTOWER"
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which watchmen could observe happenings, warn of danger, or announce good news. Our magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is founded on the very pinnacle of wisdom, God's Word. That elevates it above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advances as the light on God's purposes and works increases.—Habakkuk 2:1-3.
It sees things Scripturally. When it observes this generation afflicted with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, war, famine, pestilence, perplexity and fear, and persecution of unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in these things the sign of the world's time of the end. But with bright hope it also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals of a new world.
Thus viewed, "The Watchtower" stands as a watchman atop a tower, alert to what is going on, awake to note signs of danger, faithful to point out the way of escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christ's enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food, cheers men of good will with glorious prospects of eternal life in a paradise earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based on God's Word. It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how well the two match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his own prophecy. In the interests of our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible truth, and views religious news generally.
'Be watchful in these perilous times,' God admonishes. So keep on the watch by regularly reading "The Watchtower".
ပြီး
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. KNORR, President GRANT SUITER, Secretary
"They will all be taught by Jehovah."—John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13
CONTENTS
<tr><th>Abbreviations used in “The Watchtower” for the following Bible versions
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Ro – J. B. Rotherham’s version
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Yg – Robert Young’s version
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Pray for World Peace?
PATH to Peace Through Prayer." Thus was captioned the editorial appearing in Life magazine, September 13, 1954. Noting how dark "freedom's own future seemed," the editorial asked if there was any ray of hope and professed to see one in religion, since, according to one of the foremost modern historians, only renewed religious faith can save the West.
The editorial then quoted President Eisenhower's remark to the World Council of Churches, assembled last August at Evanston, Illinois: "The time has come when for mankind there is no substitute for a just and lasting peace," and told of his suggestion for world-wide prayer as "a mighty, simultaneous intense act of faith." The council agreed with him and set aside January 18 to 25, 1955, as a week of universal prayer.
Urged the editorial: "Let us all mark it down; let us pray. And let us pray many times in the interim, among others for the millions of Russian Christians. We must certainly pray for Eisenhower." In conclusion it observed that "he must seek the world's prayers, time and again, in the hope that enough faith can move even the Soviet mountain."
Is the path to world peace through prayer? Will God hear and answer such prayers for peace? Will the saying of enough prayers actually move the "Soviet mountain"? What does the Bible say?
What is the condition of Christendom that has set aside January 18 to 25 as a week of universal prayer? Are not its people "lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power"? Is there not an "increasing of lawlessness," and do not the prophets prophesy falsely and the "people love to have it so"? Did not Hosea accurately describe it when he prophesied: "There is no faithfulness or kindness, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds and murder follows murder"?—2 Tim. 3:4, 5; Matt. 24:12, NW; Jer. 5:31; Hos. 4:1, 2, RS.
And what does the Bible say about God's answering the prayer of such? Note the words of Jehovah: "Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, and you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with their own devices."
Prov. 1:24-26, 28-31, RS.
There simply can be no lasting peace without recognizing God's "Prince of Peace" and lining up with God's principles of justice and love. Those who do so gain peace: "Great peace have those who love thy law." "And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever."—Isa. 9:6; Ps. 119:165; Isa. 32:17.
Regarding an apostate nation of Israel in his day, Jeremiah was specifically commanded: "As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I do not hear you." Because her doom was sealed it would have been futile for Jeremiah to pray for his nation, and the same holds true today. It being described as Babylon in the Scriptures, God has doomed Christendom to destruction, and so those who understand Jehovah's purposes did not join with President Eisenhower and the World Council of Churches during January 18 to 25 in praying for world peace. Instead, they sounded Jehovah's warning: "Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues."—Jer. 7:16, RS; Rev. 18:4, NW.
The headlines of the New York Times on January 26, the day after the week of prayer, said, "House votes 409-3 to back Eisenhower on Formosa"; and the first paragraph read, "WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 The House of Representatives voted 409 to 3 today to back President Eisenhower in any military action to safeguard Formosa from the Communists." Apparently they figure their prayers would not help.
JUDGMENT DAY -Just a Joke?
People in Noah's day thought it was a joke. Citizens of Sodom in Lot's day thought it was a joke. Jesus indicated that people today would think it a joke. Where do you stand?
OST churchgoers make only a feeble attempt, if any, to explain the "judgment day." They usually speak of it with a joke or some weird phrase such as "doomsday," "the day the earth ends" or "the day when time will be no more." Even the clergy seldom offer a more intelligent explanation. To them certain
questions are a jigsaw puzzle that they cannot fit together to make a correct, comprehensive picture: What is the judgment day? When is it? Who does the judging? What is the result?
Are we in a judgment day now?
The judgment day sounds like a joke to many people because they have been blinded by false religion. They have been taught that the literal earth will come to an end. Indeed, this is an absurd teaching. For God's own Word confidently declares: "The earth abideth for ever." So when the clergy teach that the earth will end, people cannot help laughing, because it is so unreasonable and so unscriptural. —Eccl. 1:4.
There is no doubt that a judgment day has been decreed by Almighty God. Says the Bible: "Jehovah is our judge."
"He has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness." But just what is meant by the term "judgment day"? It refers to that time when the supreme court in heaven renders righteous judgment. Judgment, Scripturally used, means the determining of what is conformable to the law of God. To do this great work Jehovah God has appointed an associate Judge, one whom he raised up from the dead, namely, his own beloved Son, Christ Jesus. Concerning his appointment as Judge, Christ Jesus said: "The Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, . . . the judgment that I render is righteous, because I seek not my own will but the will of him that sent me." Increased appreciation of the Son's judging appointment can be gained from the words of the apostle Peter: "He ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the One decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead."—Isa. 33:22, AS; Acts 17:31; John 5:22, 30; Acts 10:42, NW.
THE THOUSAND-YEAR JUDGMENT DAY
The day in which Christ Jesus judges "the living and the dead" cannot be a twenty-fourhour day. For the Scriptural rule is: "One day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day."
EDEN
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
1,000-YEAR JUDGMENT
And so the day that Jehovah has set for Christ to exercise his judicial appointment is one that lasts for a thousand years. This Judge is also a King. So he is a King-Judge. His thousand-year reign begins after the universal war of Armageddon, a war destined to come upon this generation, a war in which Almighty God destroys this present system of things on the earth. It is the symbolic earth of Satan's world, then, that undergoes destruction at Armageddon, not the literal earth. The symbolic heavens, Satan and his organization of demons, is also dissolved at Armageddon; for Jehovah uses his Son to abyss the Devil: "And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, that he might not mislead the nations any more until the thousand years were ended."—2 Pet. 3:8; Rev. 20:2, 3, NW.
Though this whole present wicked system of things will feel the full fury of Jehovah's "decree of destruction," a great number of people, those who love righteousness and who have dedicated themselves to the true God, will survive Armageddon and be in line for the benefits of the thousand-year judgment day. During this judgment day Christ Jesus will resurrect the dead who are in the memory of God. Jesus told us not to be astonished by this fact: "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."—Isa.
28:22, AS; John 5:28, NW.
When these millions of people come forth out of their tombs, how will they be judged? By their past record? No, they will be given a clean slate. They will be judged by their future works. If they were to be judged by their past works, they could be judged while in their graves. Then there would need to be only a "resurrection of life." But Jesus, the Judge, has promised a "resurrection of judgment" and that those so resurrected will be judged by their future deeds on an earth free from the influence of the Devil. Says the prophecy: "And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds." Each one will be given the opportunity to prove by his deeds that he loves righteousness. Few are the nations today that offer justice for all, and even those that do cannot live up to their promise because of man's imperfection. Then, too, the poor man has little hope for full justice; only the rich can afford to appeal to the highest courts. How unlike the present time the thousand-year judgment day will be! Then all will have an equal standing. There will be no prejudice against those who were formerly poor: "He will not judge by that which his eyes see, nor decide by that which his ears hear; but with justice will he judge the needy, and with fairness decide for the poor of the land."—Rev. 20:13, NW; Isa. 11:3, 4, AT.
FINAL TEST APPLIED
What happens at the end of the thousand-year judgment day? Christ Jesus,
having brought the human race back to perfection, turns the kingdom over to his Father that Jehovah may be all things to everyone: "Next, the accomplished end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed all government and all authority and power." Then Jehovah God uses Jesus to release the Devil: "Now as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison." Why is the Devil released from his thousand-year state of deathlike detention? Because a final test must be made to determine who is worthy of receiving from the hands of Jehovah God the right to live on this earth forever. 1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 20:7, NW.
Do not think it strange that the Devil is released. We must remember that the perfect man Adam was tested by God. Jehovah used the "tree of the knowledge of good and bad." But during the final test, after the thousand years have ended, the supreme Judge uses no tree but rather the Devil to apply a test on which he can base his judgment. Some of perfected mankind will allow themselves, like Adam in the garden of Eden, to be misled by the Devil. The result: these willfully wicked, deluded ones, symbolically called Gog and Magog, prepare to wage war against those who remain faithful to Jehovah. God does not allow things to get out of control, for when the Devil-led rebels make their all-out assault against the loyal inhabitants of the new world, Jehovah steps in: "Fire came down out of heaven and devoured them. And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulphur." This time God does not abyss the Devil but hurls him into the lake of fire, a symbol of the second death or state of everlasting annihilation. All the rebels who perish with the Devil suffer the same fate.
Gen. 2:17; Rev. 20:9, 10, NW.
JUDGMENT PERIODS UPON HUMAN SOCIETY
Since the thousand-year judgment day and the judgment period at the end of that day are still in the future, can one do as he pleases now and ignore the good news of God's kingdom? The Bible answer is, No. If nations, communities, families and individuals were not to be held accountable for their actions, then there would be no vital purpose served by the world-wide preaching work that Christ Jesus foretold: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come." (Matt. 24:14, NW) To ignore this message of God's new world and the end of this system of things is a mistake, a deadly mistake. For even though the thousand-year judgment day has not yet begun, do not think that there has not been or is not now a judgment period upon human society.
How serious is a judgment period? Divine condemnation always results in everlasting destruction. This was true during the Edenic judgment day when God passed judgment upon Adam. Another judgment period fell upon human society in Noah's day. God determined to exterminate earth's inhabitants because of their wickedness. He sounded the warning through a preacher of righteousness, Noah. But to the wicked people Noah was just a fanatic. Many must have been the jokes based on Noah's preaching and his building a boat! When we read the Bible account we can visualize the presflood people pointing with scorn and roaring with laughter at this man so engrossed in preaching and boatbuilding. But, as the Bible says, that judgment period was no joke; for God "did not hold
back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people." All those "ungodly people" who perished will never have a resurrection, because Jehovah's judgments are final: "I, Jehovah, change not."—2 Pet. 2:5, NW; Mal. 3:6, AS.
The judgment day for Sodom and Gomorrah was another destiny-making time. Jehovah's angels appeared to Lot, informed him of God's judgment to destroy the cities and warned him to flee for his life. Before fleeing, Lot was told to sound the warning to his relatives. This Godfearing man lost no time in dashing to his sons-in-law with the city-shaking news: "Lot went on out and began to speak to his sons-in-law who had taken his daughters, and he kept on saying: 'Get up! Get out of this place, because Jehovah is destroying the city!" But in the eyes of his sons-in-law he seemed like a man who was joking."—Gen. 19:14, NW.
They thought Lot was joking! And yet cannot we hear the urgency in his voice as he kept on saying: "Get out of this place"? But his hard-laughing relatives thought it so incredible that the God of heaven would destroy their city that they did not even investigate Lot's warning. So the sons-in-law abandoned themselves to their self-chosen destiny of everlasting destruction. For "Jehovah made it rain sulphur and fire from Jehovah, from the heavens, upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah." Scoffing laughter ceased forever in Sodom; its judgment day had been no joke.—Gen. 19:24, NW.
The fate of all the people who failed to flee Sodom was alike, whether it was men, women or children. They paid the penalty of everlasting destruction, because it was a judgment day. Sodom and Gomorrah, says the Bible writer Jude, "are placed before us as a warning example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire."—Jude 7, NW.
JUDGMENT DAY SINCE 1918
What does all this mean? The apostle Peter answers: "By reducing the cities Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly persons of things to come." So Sodom's judgment day pictured the judgment day that would come upon the peoples of the nations in the "last days," where we now are. Since 1918 the enthroned King Christ Jesus has been judging the peoples of the nations. Jesus does not have to be on the earth to do this, but he does it invisibly from heaven as he foretold: "When the Son of man arrives in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another." Upon what does Jesus base his judgment? Upon peoples' response to the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom by Jehovah's witnesses. Jesus foretold that this world-wide witness work would be done during his second presence: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come." 2 Pet. 2:6; Matt. 25:31, 32; 24:14, NW.
"The accomplished end" means the culmination of this judgment period, the war of Armageddon. Then Jehovah enforces his judgment of condemnation by "the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings due punishment upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will pay the penalty of
everlasting destruction." So those who die at Armageddon will pay the same penalty as the people of Sodom did; that is, they will not have a "resurrection of judgment" during the 1,000-year judgment day, but they will stay dead forever.2 Thess. 1:7- 9, NW.
To survive Armageddon and to enter the 1,000-year judgment day, during which mankind will be brought back to perfection, will be an incomparable blessing. It is a blessing open to all, no matter what their past life, if they heed the warning message now and worship Jehovah in obedient service. Most people, though, will take the indifferent attitude, which places them in the goat class. The Master foretold this mental attitude. "Just as it occurred in the days of Noah," and "just as it occurred in the days of Lot," declared Jesus, "the same way it will be on that day when the Son of man is to be revealed." The people in Noah's day were too busy to listen to Noah; if they did they scoffed. In Lot's time some of Sodom's citizens thought that their judgment day was just a joke. They had a good laugh but it was cut short by their everlasting destruction. So Jesus tells us not to act in the same oblivious, noninvestigating manner. Peter does also: "In the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule." What will be the object of their laughter? The preaching of the news that Christ has taken up his Kingdom power and is now judging the peoples of the nations. This, together with the urgent warning of Armageddon, the masses think farfetched, just a joke.—Luke 17:26, 28, 30; 2 Pet. 3:3, NW.
But Jehovah's witnesses are not joking. They would not, year after year, day after day, preach unceasingly from house to house, in the people's homes and on the public streets if their message were a joke. So earnestly serious are they that to sound the warning of Armageddon's nearness, they spent, in 1954, a monumental 80,814, 996 hours.
Avail yourself of the opportunity to hear this most urgent of all messages thoroughly. Carefully investigate it by using your Bible. Your destiny
is at stake. So remember Sodom's laughing citizens and their fate. Remember Jesus' warning comparison of that time with today. Benefit now by knowing that this present judgment day is for a certainty not a joke.
THE Hittites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Heth, who was a grandson of Ham through Canaan. (Gen. 10:6,15) The word Hittite(s) occurs 47 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, while the name Heth is used 14 times, thus indicating an outstanding ancient people appearing on the scenes of Biblical history all the way from early post-Flood days to the period of the Hebrew kings. (Gen. 15:20; 2 Sam. 11:3; 2 Chron. 8:7) Secular ancient history knew nothing of these ancient people until after 1871, when archaeologists began to find inscriptions mentioning the Hittites, thus confirming the Bible record of their existence.a
In 1906 in Asia Minor 90 miles east of Ankara, Turkey, excavations were begun of what proved to be the ancient Hittite
capital city, Boghaz-keui, where some ten thousand clay tablets were found written in the Hittite and other dead languages of the past. b Many of these tablet-documents have now been deciphered and from them much of the language, laws and culture of the Hittites has been reconstructed. It is now commonly accepted that the Hittites operated a vast ancient empire dominating most of Asia Minor with an extension of their political control over most of Palestine from the years of about 2000 to 1200 B.C. Therefore Hittite government and law dominated much of the land of Canaan during the sojourn of Abraham in the Promised Land.
The Scriptures are clear that while Jehovah God gave Abraham the promise of Palestine as the future home for his posterity, yet Abraham himself during all the rest of his life remained a temporary resident moving about from place to place with his flocks. (Gen. 15:18-21; Heb. 11:9) This meant that for any business or legal transactions with the city organizations existing in Palestine, it became necessary for Abraham to conform to the dominating law of those cities. In 1951 there were published in London English and Hebrew translations of two hundred paragraphs of Hittite legislation, having reconstructed two hundred laws from the tablets found in 1906 and subsequently. Several of these laws shed interesting background information as to the dealings Abraham had with the sons of Heth.
c
Upon the death of Abraham's wife Sarah near Kiriath-arba (later called Hebron) in 1881 B.C., Abraham negotiated with the sons of Heth for the purchase of the cave of Machpelah as his family burial place. Heretofore many students of the Scriptures have considered the record of Abraham's negotiation before the town council of the Hittites as a shining example of agonizing oriental bargaining involving hypocritical formalisms where Ephron, the Hittite, was shrewdly holding out for a high price. It was thought this involved the display of false oriental generosity when Ephron glowingly pretended to offer Abraham the field as an absolute free gift. (Vs. 11) Skillfully then Ephron 'incidentally' mentions the high price of 400 shekels to which Abraham is forced to agree as the final price for the deal. After that the town governmental elders confirm the possession to Abraham.—Gen. 23:1-20.
In view of the publishing of the Hittite laws there may be an altogether different understanding of this Scriptural account. The Hittite government seemed to be a feudal state where the dominating king levied by law a feudal land tax of service or possibly the alternative annual payment of money. Whoever owned the land was forced to pay the feudal dues to the king. When the entire parcel of land was sold, the new owner was obligated by Hittite law to accept responsibility for the payment of the feudal tax or dues to the king. However, the Hittite law made an exception that if only a part of a field or parcel of land was sold, then the feudal obligation still remained in the hands of the major owner and did not pass on to the new owner of the small part.
Hittite law, paragraph No. 46, partly reads: "If anyone occupies fields in a town as a feudal holding by way of inheritance, if all the fields are given to him he shall render the feudal dues; if only a few of the fields are given to him he shall not render the feudal dues, but they shall be rendered from his paternal estate." d No. 47B reads: "If anyone buys all the fields of a soldier, he shall render the feudal dues, and if he only buys a few of the fields, he shall not render the feudal dues." d
Abraham must have been well informed as to these land laws of the Hittites and also must have been aware of the following additional law involving a pagan religious rite to be performed when an entire major field was purchased. Law paragraph No. 169 reads: "If anyone buys a field and divides the boundary, he shall take flour and cast it before the sun-god and say 'Plant thou every elzi tree which is in my land.' Also he shall say 'Sun-god and weather-god, let no anger be upon me.' e With this legal background let us see what different understanding may be obtained from the Biblical account.
Abraham approaches the Hittite city elders or rulers of Hebron admitting that he is a temporary resident among them and that he desires to obtain possession of a burial place for his dead wife. (Vss. 3,4) The elders respond with courtesy by agreeing to allow Abraham to obtain a burial place in their territory. (Vss. 5,6) In an effort to avoid the payment of feudal dues for generations thereafter and also to avoid the rendering of pagan religious rites, Abraham asks to buy only the cave of Machpelah which is part of the field of Ephron.—Vss. 7-9.
Ephron, the owner of this entire field himself was apparently one of the city elders then sitting at the gate of Hebron hearing legal cases of judgment.
In ready response to Abraham's plea, Ephron offers on sale the entire field including the cave of Machpelah. (Vs. 11) The Hebrew word translated "give" in verse 11 is the same as the word translated "give" in verse 12 that is associated with money, thus meaning consistently in this chapter either "sell" or "pay." Ephron seemed unwilling to divide his property and thus become responsible for the feudal dues for whatever small part Abraham might purchase from him. So Ephron offers to sell the whole field that Abraham might bear all the legal obligations in connection with the feudal tax as the new owner.
Abraham replies that he would be willing to pay the large amount necessary for the entire field only that he might have a place to bury his beloved dead one. (Vs. 13) Ephron does not give in to Abraham's request. He remains firm and insists that the entire field is worth four hundred shekels, which, after all, is a small amount between Abraham and himself. The Biblical record indicates Abraham bought the entire field, including all the trees and the cave therein. This implies that Abraham finally had to agree to assume whatever feudal taxes there were attached to the purchase of this entire tract of land that would have to be paid to the king of the Hittites.—Gen. 23:14-20.
When the city elders confirmed this transfer of property rights to Abraham there is no record that he was required to perform the formalistic pagan religious rite in connection with such purchase. They may have excused him because the Hittites recognized Abraham as "a chieftain of God."—Gen. 23:6, NW.
The fact that the conveyance of land made mention of trees also indicates Hittite legal background, because it is a characteristic trait of Hittite business documents to list the exact number of trees at each real estate sale. f
Again we find Biblical archaeology confirming the reliableness of the sacred Scriptures. Actually this Genesis 23 account proves that the compiler of Genesis must have lived long before 1200 B.C. to have known of the Hittite laws and empire, since this ancient state ceased to exist as an early dominant power in the Near East around 1200 B.C. Modernists and higher critics who have rejected Moses as the early compiler of Genesis are shown up once more as grossly wrong. Why, a century ago higher critics even scoffed at the Bible's frequent mention of the Hittites, claiming such a people never existed. The Bible continues to square as unfailingly true in its accounts of all contemporary civilizations.
1 Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, February 1953, pp. 15-18.
Zeal for Improving Service
Jehovah's witnesses' anxiety to participate in house-to-house field witnessing and their determination to improve their personal abilities in this work frequently amaze people who either have not investigated the truth to see its importance or have not participated in the witnessing work to know of its joys. The determina- tion to improve such service was well illustrated by a 70-year-old brother who is now attending school to learn how to read and write so that he can better present the good news at the doors. At the time of his immersion at a recent assembly he was in the third grade. This zeal of Jehovah's witnesses for His service continues to illustrate their faith and to warm the hearts of their Christian brothers worldwide.
MODERN HISTORY of
Part 7
NEW ADMINISTRATION AMID WORLD WARI
THE new administration under Joseph F. Rutherford immediately set about in 1917 to reorganize the Watch Tower Society's headquarters office at Brooklyn, New York, and also to effect changes in the field service, to arrest the downward trend in the Kingdom witness work.a The "pilgrim" service was increased from 69 to 93 traveling representatives of the Society, to visit and strengthen the more than one thousand congregations of dedicated servants of Jehovah spiritually. The volunteer service whereby tracts were distributed on occasional Sundays in front of churches and regularly in house-to-house visits was stimulated, there being distributed in 1917 alone 28,665,000 free copies of new fourpage numbers of The Bible Students Monthly. The so-called "pastoral work" was stepped up, which new activity started before Russell's death as a sort of forerunner to our present back-call or "follow-up" work.
"The activities will in a general way consist of visiting the addresses mentioned [received at public meetings and at Creation PhotoDrama showings], ascertaining interest, removing prejudice, loaning [books]; and the culmination of the project is to interest as many as possible to the extent of gathering them into classes . . . and later to become regular Berean Classes."b
The colporteur (pioneer) service was expanded from 372 to 461, and in the early part of 1917 for the first time a Bulletin
was issued giving periodic service instructions from headquarters to pioneers, this instrument being an ancestor of the present Informant. c Furthermore, several regional conventions were held as part of this great rejuvenation campaign. Likewise the V.D.M. (Verbi Dei Minister or Minister of the Word of God) questionnaire arrangement was pressed to encourage the male associates to train themselves as better ministers of God's Word, there being a written examination on twenty-two Bible questions that such were asked to answer in writing and submit to the Brooklyn headquarters to check on their qualifications as a V.D.M. d All this resulted in increased field activities for the year 1917.
Not all were happy to follow the Watch Tower Society's new administration in accelerating the witness work. From the beginning in 1917 there were several leaders who became ambitious for administrative control for themselves. They became unco-operative. One prominent speaker sent forth from the Brooklyn headquarters had to be recalled from his assignment in England because there he arrogantly assumed administrative powers never entrused to him. Disruption among the British congregations of Jehovah's people was being caused by him. Upon that one's return to Brooklyn Bethel, he and four other prominent members of the family began to foment divisive issues.
On July 17, 1917, at the Brooklyn Bethel home noon meal, Society's president Rutherford announced the release of the long-awaited seventh volume in the series of Studies in the Scriptures, entitled "The Finished Mystery." e "Brother Russell often spoke about writing the Seventh Volume, and one of his last utterances about it was to this effect: 'Whenever I find the key, I will write the Seventh Volume; and if the Lord gives the key to someone else, he can write it.' f
Months prior to this, two careful Bible scholars, Fisher and Woodworth, had worked busily in gathering together a commentary out of the Society's previous publications on the Bible books of Ezekiel and Revelation. That compilation comprised the new book. Release of The Finished Mystery provoked a five-hour rebellious wrangle at the Bethel table, led by the five prominent ones above mentioned, and to whom others of the family chose to join themselves. Such disunity could not be tolerated by the far greater majority of faithful brothers; so the administration authorized the dismissal of not only the five ringleaders but also those who chose to join them in opposition. g
This opposition clique, being dismissed, immediately began to publish letters and other material which they circulated among congregations associated with the Watch Tower Society in this country and abroad. Gradually opposition parties arose in some of those congregations where deceived ones
were easily taken captive because of their growing spiritual drowsiness. Such refused to co-operate with the awakening loyal ones in conducting a revitalized work of preaching the Kingdom in that time of growing clergy hostility and persecution. h Thus many congregations came to have a pro-Society group of zealous workers and an anti-Society group of "sick ones" who tried, for their private purposes, to wrest control of the local meetings. This proved to be a very trialsome time.
The ambitious opponents thereafter sought to gain control of the legal corporation, the Watch Tower Society, at the next annual corporation meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, due January, 1918. Because of the dispute as to the legal control of the Society the November 1, 1917, Watch Tower (page 330) suggested a referendum vote by each congregation. By December 15, 813 congregations had sent in their votes, which tallied to show that Rutherford was given 10,869 votes as president out of 11,421 cast; and all the other faithful members of the board of directors as reconstituted in July, 1917, were preferred over the five rebellious ones. 1 This voting trend proved to be true, for at the corporation meeting held in Pittsburgh January 5,1918, Rutherford and the others of the board were legally re-elected, and not one of the opponents succeeded in getting voted in. j
J. F. RUTHERFORD
The internal crisis came to its full with the occurrence of an outstanding Bible-predicted event, namely, the coming of Jehovah's "messenger," Christ Jesus, to Jehovah's temple for judgment in the spring of 1918, to separate the "faithful and discreet slave" class from the "evil slave" group.
(Mal. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:43-51, NW) The cleavage between the two groups became more evident after the opponents' failure to gain their ends at the 1918 corporation meeting. After that January meeting the opposition leaders remained in Pittsburgh to form a separate organization headed by what they called a "Committee of seven." k By Memorial time, March 26, 1918, the separation had become irreconcilable, as the opposers chose to celebrate the death of Christ apart from the Society's faithful congregations.
It had been the Society's usual practice to publish a partial report of the Memorial attendance as sent to the Society by congregations in this land and abroad, but due to the 1918 disturbances, both internally and externally, the attendance figures were not gathered. However, in 1917 the partial report of the Memorial (April 5) showed 21,274 in attendance as associates of the Society. By 1919 Memorial time (April 13), according to partial report showing attendance of 17,961, it became evident that a minority of less than four thousand had ceased to walk with their faithful former associates. From this time of separation the "evil slave" group came into further internal disagreements and divisions among themselves. Eventually several other small dissentient groups tried to establish themselves but, after brief existence, disappeared.
In the latter half of 1917 the faithful forefront preachers of the "discreet slave" class energetically took up distribution of The Finished Mystery, for within seven months the Society's outside printers were busy on the 850,000 edition. "The sale of
the Seventh Volume is unparalleled by the sale of any other book known, in the same length of time, excepting the Bible." m Not only did this book crystallize the opposition of the "evil slave" class, as already indicated, but it also brought forth a most bitter reaction of the clergy in many parts of Christendom. Sunday, December 30, 1917, was the historic date for commencement of the mass distribution through the Sunday volunteer service of ten million copies of the fiery tract, the Bible Students Monthly issue entitled "The Fall of Babylon—Why Christendom Must Now Suffer The Final Outcome." n That tabloid-size, four-page tract contained excerpts from The Finished Mystery and came to be a stinging exposure of the clergy. Accompanying this distribution, public lectures were widely given the same day on this same subject. o
On February 12,1918,the public press contained the following dispatch from Ottawa, Canada:
"The Secretary of State, under the press censorship regulations, has issued warrants forbidding the possession in Canada of a number of publications, amongst which is the book published by the International Bible Students Association, entitled Studies in the Scriptures The Finished Mystery, generally known as the posthumous publication of Pastor Russell. The Bible Students Monthly, also published by this Association at its office in Brooklyn, New York, is also prohibited circulation in Canada. The possession of any prohibited books lays the possessor open to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and five years in prison."p
Later, the Winnipeg (Canada) Tribune, after mentioning the banning order above described, said:
"The banned publications are alleged to contain seditious and anti-war statements. Excerpts from one of the recent issues of The Bible Students Monthly were denounced from the pulpit a few weeks ago by Rev. Charles G.
Patterson, Pastor of St. Stephen's Church. Afterward Attorney General Johnson sent to Rev. Patterson for a copy of the publication. The censor's order is believed to be the direct result."q
This set off a chain of clergy-inspired actions that were aimed to force the governments of the United States and Canada to destroy the Watch Tower Society and its co-workers.
q W 1918, p. 77.
(To be continued)
Preaching for the Purpose of a Witness
THAT Christ Jesus commanded his followers to preach the "good news of the kingdom" is apparent both from his example and his instructions to them. Many, however, have taken Jesus' instructions to mean that they are to try to convert the world; and in view of the fact that they profess to do this at God's command they actually hold that God is trying to convert the world. (As if God had to try to do a certain thing!)—Matt. 24:14, NW.
Believing that man has an immortal soul that at death goes either to heaven or to hell (or purgatory), such professed Christians have been faced with a dilemma. Either all those who have never heard of the only "name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved" are doomed to suffer eternal torment and therefore Christians are faced with the hopeless task of trying to convert the world—hopeless in that the pagan peoples are increasing population far more rapidly than they are being converted; or God is going to save them all on the basis of their never having had an opportunity, in which event it must be asked, Why not keep all mankind ignorant and then save all?—Acts 4:12, NW.
But God's Word presents no such dilemmas. It shows that God is perfect in wisdom, justice, love and power and that all he purposes he carries out; that he decreed that the wages sin pays is death, not eternal torment, and that because of his
love and for his name's sake he has made provision whereby the obedient ones of mankind can regain what their first parent Adam lost for them, namely, everlasting life in a righteous world. God's Word further shows that that righteous world is just at the doors, which means that the end of this wicked old world is also at hand. God is therefore having a great preaching work done for the purpose of a witness, warning all the wicked of their doom and offering to all lovers of righteousness a way of escape to God's new world.
In carrying on this work of preaching for the purpose of a witness God's servants endeavor to make the message they have to offer as convincing as they can. Their motive in carrying on this preaching work is love, love for God and love for their fellow man. In doing this work they use the same methods employed by Jesus and his disciples together with such modern means of communication as are available to them in the way of printing presses, the radio and television. As a result of such preaching millions have heard for the first time of Jehovah and his purposes and hundreds of thousands have dedicated themselves to Jehovah and now share in the preaching work.—Rev. 7:9, 10.
Today there is no more joyful work in which one could engage than that of preaching for the purpose of a witness. It is not the hopeless task of trying to convert the world, neither is it a useless one as if all would be saved because of ignorance.
Theocratic Conduct Within
EHOVAH God is the Originator of the family circle. He made the earth, made man to inhabit it, saw it was not good for the man to be alone, created the woman as his helpmate, empowered them to reproduce their kind and gave a procreation mandate that they should multiply and fill the earth. It was Jehovah's will for Adam to be a family man, to have a wife and children and to keep the
"You wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as it is becoming in the Lord. You husbands, keep on loving your wives and do not be bitterly angry with them. You children, be obedient to your parents in everything, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted."—Col. 3:18-21, NW.
family circle unbroken by strife and conflict. To preserve unity and harmony among the family members the man was given headship, but as a family head Adam proved to be a dismal failure. Eve ignored his authority, and he did not undo her deception. She led the way into sin and Adam followed. Though he blamed his wife for his trespass, the burden of guilt lay heavily upon his own shoulders. He did not measure up as family head. His wife was not submissive. His first son became a murderer. He allowed his family circle to be broken by rebellion, by sin, by recriminations, by death.
2 To this day family circles are still being shattered, in the same ways and for the same reasons. Both men and women have drifted far from Jehovah's prescribed conduct for family rule, both husbands and wives have fallen far short of their responsibilities and obligations. Husbands abuse their headship, wives rebel against it, and children ignore it to run riot in unprecedented delinquency. Though marriage counselors increase, family troubles and delinquencies and divorces increase much faster. Rejecting Jehovah's theocratic counsel, families sow by human wisdom and reap of its folly. The world feels wise in its own conceit, but do not its fruits scream out the foolishness of its wisdom? The only remedy is to bring theocratic conduct within the family circle.
To see in proper perspective the duties and obligations existing between family members, consider some lofty patterns. First, Jehovah God uses the symbol of marriage to show the close relationship between himself and his universal organization, speaking of himself as the Husband of his womanlike organization. Again, the figure of marriage is used to illustrate the close bond between Christ and his church, he being spoken of as the Bridegroom and the church as his bride, with the marriage being consummated in heaven. (Isa. 54:5; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7) You will recall that in Eden the man and the woman were spoken of as being "one flesh," and the same is said about human marriage partners today.
Similarly, there is a oneness existing between Jehovah and the chief one of the universal organization, Christ Jesus. Also, Christ and his bride, the church, are referred to as being one. However, the Bible clearly shows that Jehovah and Christ are not one in any mysterious pagan trinity. Nor are Christ and the church class literally made into one; any more so than do man and wife, two persons, literally become one. In none of these cases is it a literal organic oneness, but in all of them it is oneness in aim, purpose, goal, desire and direction of effort.-Matt. 19:4-6; John 14:10; 17:21-23.
Where two or more are united in a common endeavor there must be organization, some sort of headship to give intelligent direction to the energies of the united ones. In human affairs two heads may be better than one when it comes to assembling ideas or considering possible courses of action, but when it comes to a final decision one head must be empowered to decide for both. A headless union would lack proper directive force, whereas a freakish two-headed one would engender strife and an eventual split-up. Let all face this fact: everyone has a head over him except Jehovah, who is Head over all. We read at 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NW): "I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn, the head of a woman is the man; in turn, the head of the Christ is God." This arrangement was not made by any creature, but is the law of the Creator of the universe. Conformity to it is obedience to Jehovah; rejection of it is rebellion against him. Theocratic women and children will acknowledge the man as the head of the house.
EXACTING DUTIES UPON HUSBANDS
In some countries where there is a strong tendency for many women to try to share or take over family headship, loud objections rise against the divine requirement of man's headship and woman's subjection. It is viewed as discriminatory against women, as oppressive and too difficult a load for them to bear up under. However, careful reflection will reveal that it is the husband that has the weightier load to bear, the heavier responsibility to measure up to. He must strive to copy the flawless example of Jehovah God, the Head and Husband of the universal organization. Jehovah not only created all things but thereafter established laws and rules of action for their guidance and provides the necessities for their continuance. Even in his own ways and acts Jehovah consistently follows righteous principles and conducts his headship with an unparalleled display of justice, wisdom, patience, mercy, compassion and, above all, love. Encouragingly for us on earth, "he knows our frame; he remembers that we are but dust."—Ps. 103:14, AT.
Not only in Jehovah's excelling headship over his universal organization, but also in Christ's rule over the church class does the human husband have a lofty example to aim toward. Did not Jesus expend himself working in the interests of the body members, teaching and preaching, providing the spiritual sustenance that is so much more vital than literal bread? Were not his patience and long-suffering exemplary, his dealings with his earthly disciples merciful, his allowances for their fleshly frailties compassionate? Did he not endure torturous persecution and pain in maintaining integrity toward Jehovah, thereby becoming a safe model for his followers? And finally did he not go the limit and lay down his life for his bride and wife, the church class?
Surely Christ's headship over his church wonderfully demonstrates thoughtful provision, gentle concern, wise understanding, continual forgiveness, protective care and a love that found its climax in the laying down of his own life—and greater love than that no man can have!—John 15:13.
Let human husbands look to these divine patterns and heavenly examples of headship, setting their sights on them and aiming toward such perfect theocratic conduct for their own family circles. The husband must provide food, clothing and shelter for his wife. But his obligations go far beyond fulfilling these basic physical needs. Man does that much for his livestock. He must provide for her mental happiness and consider her spiritual well-being, showing a love for her as great as that he bears for himself. Husbands should not be oblivious to the emotional make-up and vicissitudes of their wives, but should "continue dwelling in like manner with them according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one." (1 Pet. 3:7, NW) He must give proper direction to their united efforts by making wise decisions, shoulder the responsibilities for these decisions and cope with any consequences that may follow in their wake. Husbands must endeavor to follow consistently right principles, to exercise patience and long-suffering, to practice mercy and forgiveness, to show consideration and understanding, and, above all, to keep alive and active a love patterned after that shown by Jehovah toward his universal organization and that shown by Christ toward his Christian church organization. To measure up to such high requirements is certainly more difficult than being submissive under such upright headship, is it
not? What reasonable woman could object to submission to such headship?
PATTERNS FOR WIFELY SUBJECTION
Do we hear some of our feminine readers make the rejoinder that they would gladly subject themselves to such headship, but what man is there that administers it? True enough, no man perfectly measures up to these lofty standards. But before wives use this as grounds for refusing to be submissive, let them reflect as to whether they flawlessly fulfill the role Jehovah assigns to them. Just as Jehovah remembers, so marriage partners should remember that humans are made of dust and weaknesses must be mercifully taken into account. Before heaping bitter blame upon the other, each marriage partner should weigh Jesus' words: "Stop judging, that you may not be judged; for with what judgment you are judging, you will be judged, and with the measure that you are measuring out they will measure out to you. Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother's eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother: 'Allow me to extract the straw from your eye'; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye? Hypocrite! first extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother's eye."—Matt. 7:1-5, NW.
9 The principal one of Jehovah's universal organization does not find it galling to be in subjection to the great Husband and Head of that organization. Christ Jesus delights to do Jehovah's will, and at one time declared that to do God's work was as vital food for his sustenance. (Ps. 40:8; Heb. 10:7; John 4:34) Because of his attachment and devotion to Jehovah he endured persecution and death, proving his integrity to God and contributing heavily to the vindication of His Word and name.
It was a marvelous display of Jesus' complete subjection to Jehovah's headship, and through it all Jesus found great joy in this submissiveness. It was not at any time a drudgery to him. And never did he seek to seize that headship from Jehovah or try to share it as an equal to Jehovah: "Keep this mental attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. No, but he emptied himself and took a slave's form and came to be in the likeness of men. More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake."—Phil. 2:5-8, NW.
10 Christian wives should keep this mental attitude of Christ, and not the attitude of many worldly wives that clamor for equality with and often dominancy over their husbands. Wives who are truly Christian will not even untheocratically consider seizing a part or all of the family headship that is divinely assigned to their husbands. They will submit to the marriage arrangement, realizing that it has been so ordained, not by any man, but by Jehovah himself. To rebel against the arrangement is to rebel, not against any man, but against Jehovah himself. Remember that it was the covering cherub in Eden that was headstrong and felt cramped and oppressed by Jehovah's headship and thereupon rebelled and became infamous as Satan the Devil. Wives who are not submissive to their husbands are copying Satan, not Christ.
11 Again, wives can find an example in the submission of the church class to its Head, Christ Jesus. Members of Christ's
bride set aside their own will to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, to co-operate with him in the work he is doing. They take on the obligation to preach in harmony with his will, and this brings upon them a certain amount of persecution and tribulation in the flesh. But the joys of serving under the loving headship of Christ far outweigh the fleshly tribulations. Submission to such an upright headship is not difficult or degrading, though heady and haughty ones down through the centuries have thought so, and in these last days such ones have made themselves into an "evil slave" class by their bolt from under Christ's headship. It is the "faithful and discreet slave" class that finds real joy by submissiveness to Christ. And when that "evil slave" breaks away from Christ's headship, does he gain a liberty and freedom that spells great happiness? No, for he lands outside Jehovah's arrangement to company with hypocrites, and "there is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be." (Matt. 24:45-51, NW) Christian wives who are not submissive to their husbands are copying the "evil slave," not the "faithful and discreet slave," and their bolt from Jehovah's arrangement to grasp a false freedom will bring them, not true happiness and contentment, but emotional frustrations and spiritual guiltiness.
PRACTICAL COUNSEL FOR HUSBAND AND WIFE
12 Jesus said: "Every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces bad fruit; a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit." The same applies to counsel. Following good counsel will produce fine results, whereas rotten counsel leads to a bad end. The present impulse of many is to dismiss Bible counsel as impractical and turn to modern authorities for marital advice, but the deluge of divorce and delinquency is the impractical result that proves the modern counsel to be highly impractical.
In contrast, when the Bible was held in high esteem and its advice followed
divorces were fewer and delinquency was reduced. So those who hurl the charge that the Bible counsel is impractical have it thrown back in their own face by the facts!—Matt. 7:17, 18, NW.
13 The Bible sets forth the relationship that is to obtain between husband and wife: "Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord. Husbands, continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it. In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He
while failing to measure up will make him seem like a pompous figurehead. Exercising headship involves more than just taking the lead and having the final say; it requires sound knowledge and good unwho loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh, but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh.' Nevertheless, also, let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband."—Eph. 5:22, 25, 28-31, 33, NW.
14 A husband must measure up as head if he would have the deep respect of his wife. Insisting on his prerogatives as head
derstanding and a selfcontrol that is calm, patient and reasonable when faced with difficult situations. It is hard for a Christian wife to respect a husband who is careless or negligent of family responsibilities or ministerial privileges, who eats to the point of gluttony or imbibes too freely of alcoholic drinks, who is thoughtless or coarse or obscene in his speech, or who shows little consideration for her or attention to her while being overly sociable with other women. If the husband is shallow he can hardly expect his wife's respect to be deep.
She may submit because of moral, physical, economic or theocratic reasons, but it will be much easier for her and much more gratifying to the husband if she does it because of the love and deep respect she has for him due to his worthy course of action.
15 On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for a man truly to love and cherish and protect a woman who is not submissive, for by her independence she proclaims that she does not need him. She steals from him, robbing him of the position that is rightfully his. How can he love such a woman as his own flesh, when she is not one with him but is divided against him, competing with him instead of co-operating with him?
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