The Watchtower, December 1, 1955
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The WATCHTOWER
Announcing
JEHOVAH'S
KINGDOM
DECEMBER 1, 1955
Semimonthly
AVOIDING THE WINE PRESS
OF GOD'S ANGER
AVOIDANCE INSIDE THE CITIES
OF REFUGE
KEEPING WITHIN THE BOUNDS
OF REFUGE
THE "TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM"
ASSEMBLIES OF 1955
©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
Actively Trusting Jehovah Free from Fear 707
Modern History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Part 23: Expanding with a
Trained Ministry 708
"Apostolic" Leader Becomes
Truly Apostolic 711
Avoiding the Wine Press of God's Anger 712
Avoidance Inside the Cities of Refuge 716
Keeping Within the Bounds of Refuge 723
The "Triumphant Kingdom" Assemblies of 1955 (Part 1) 730
AS- American Standard Version
LXX- The Septuagint Version
AT-An American Translation
Mo-James Moffatt's version
Da-J. N. Darby's version
NW-New World Translation
Dy-Catholic Douay version
Ro-J. B. Rotherham's version
ED-The Emphatic Diaglott
RS-Revised Standard Version
Le-Isaac Leeser's version
Yg-Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version
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Actively Trusting Jehovah Free from Fear
EHOVAH'S servants are free from fear. Long ago the prophet Isaiah voiced their sentiments when he wrote: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation." Yes, although the world all about them is filled with fear because of "expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth," Jehovah's servants do not fear.—Isa. 12:2, AS; Luke 21:26, NW.*
What makes them free from fear? Chiefly, their fear of Jehovah. Fear of him drives out all fear of man or what man may do to them. By the study of God's Word and by putting into practice its teachings they have built up their confidence in Jehovah and so their hearts do not fluctuate between Jehovah's world and that of Satan. They will not back down from their uncompromising position regardless of how many enemies they may face.—Ps. 112:7.
They are also helped to be free from fear because of their love for Jehovah. Hearts kept strong in their love and devotion for Jehovah and his kingdom keep them from worry and the tyranny of fear, even as the apostle John says: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint. Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made perfect in love."—1 John 4:18, NW.
True, because of this stand for Jehovah his adversaries will also hate them, but those who love Jehovah will be glad to suffer for him. They know who Jehovah is, what he has done and can do, and so they take his view of his adversaries and theirs. Why, in his sight all the nations of the world are as but a drop in a bucket or the small dust on the scale pan.
And how do they show that they are "actively trusting Jehovah"? By 'giving to the poor.' While Jehovah's servants keep giving to the poor among them the necessary material things, the emphasis of their giving is on spiritual gifts. Yes, their primary concern is not for those poor in a material way but with those who are conscious of their spiritual need, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. To such they have given and continue to give generously without ever taking up collections, charging fees or assessing any dues. Ps. 112:9.
In giving to the poor Jehovah's servants are really lending to him, for such poor ones are his poor and so Jehovah considers himself as indebted to such generous givers. And how does he pay his indebtedness to those who generously give to the poor? By fulfilling his promises to them, among which is the one that their righteousness will stand forever.—Prov. 19:17.
IN THE general historical study of the educating of Jehovah's witnesses for the ministry we cannot overlook the teaching feature of their work in the field service. This educational feature has grown to gigantic proportions in spiritually influencing the change-over of thinking on the part of multitudes of people of good will toward Jehovah God. The idea of calling back or making return calls upon interested persons to render educational assistance began to be suggested in 1936.a Then in 1937 at the Columbus (Ohio) convention the Model Study booklet No. 1 was released, encouraging publishers to call back on interested persons to begin studies in the booklet Uncovered used in conjunction with the phonograph record series entitled "Exposed," covering basic Bible doctrines.b It was not until the year 1938 that the Society asked publishers to keep record of their return calls in their performing of this free home Bible educational service. Finally in 1942 publishers were asked for the first time to report additionally their average monthly Bible studies apart from their back-call service. In the course of the years other study-question publications were forthcoming. However, the greatest field study textbook produced by the Society was "Let God Be True", released in 1946. More than 12,000,000 have now been printed in 30 languages. Scores of thousands have become witnesses through home Bible studies with this book.
In the following chart of their worldwide efforts note the picture of progress made by Jehovah's witnesses in their service to educate honest people in their homes on Biblical matters.
Year
World-wide Back-Calls
World-wide Average Bible Studies
1938c
298,489
unreported as yet
1942d
6,707,204
5,593
1945e
8,443,050
104,142
1949f
15,897,544
167,571
1953g
22,990,305
281,219
1954h
25,337,026
293,341
This tremendous swell of Bible education and knowledge is sweeping the earth even as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:9) The "theocratic ministry school" education of the witnesses, begun in 1943, is qualifying them to maintain their leading position as Bible educators of men of good will in this time of the world's end.
The living God, Jehovah, is the great unifier. He is the great magnet who, together with his intimate associate, Christ Jesus, is the unifying force that draws all right-thinking persons into organized relationship with himself. (John 6:44) Nearly four thousand years ago, in the days of Abraham, Jehovah revealed his unification strategy and order: "I shall surely bless you [Abraham] and I shall surely multiply your seed [spiritual Israel of 144,001 anointed ones-Gal.3:29;6:16,NW] like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore [left unnumerical until A.D.96,when their number was revealed at Revelation 7:4 (NW)] and your seed [principally Christ Jesus, the head of the seed organization of
at Revelation 7:9 (NW), that it was an earthly class identical with the "families of the earth" to be blessed with everlasting life on earth under the Abrahamic covenant. All this meant a gigantic transformation of thinking, organization and preaching activity. For nineteen hundred years the congregation of anointed ones had been
144,000] will take possession of the gate of his enemies [at Armageddon]. And by means of your seed [the Kingdom organization of 144,001] all nations of the earth [the great crowd of many national origins described at Revelation 7:9 (NW)] will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice." (Gen. 22:17, 18, NW) On time and in order the Seed-King Christ Jesus was first produced A.D. 29 to 33 as Jehovah's chief witness. Next, over a period of 1900 years from Pentecost A.D. 33 to 1931, the "little flock"
concerned primarily with their own salvation, to gain the prize of the "high calling." Their organization was considered merely temporary to keep them together until the time would come for their change, to go to heaven to rule with Christ Jesus in his kingdom. As to preaching, their efforts were limited to the proclaiming of the high calling to the "little flock," except that in February, 1918, the message began to be proclaimed that "Millions Now Living Will Never Die."
It would take time for the mature, 1900-
of 144,000 anointed ones were called out and unified in organized relationship to Jehovah as His witnesses. (Luke 12:32; John 17:21) Last in order after 1931 up to Armageddon comes the calling of the "other sheep" into God's protective organization that they also may become witnesses of Jehovah with a destiny of earthly life that all may be unified as 'one flock under one shepherd.'—John 10:
16 and Eph. 1:10, 11.
After 1931 the anointed witnesses on earth began to see that an earthly
year-old anointed congregation to become ready for the mass ingathering of the "other sheep," possibly 'millions now living that may never die.' The facts indicate it took about ten years, from 1935 to 1945, to effect the proper arrangements. In this period the message through the Watchtower magazine enlarged on its spiritual call by speaking frequently of the prophecies concerning the gathering of the "great crowd." These Bible studies steadily enlarged the thinking of the anointed ones. who
group was already beginning to associate with them, whom they began to call "Jonadabs." However, it was not until the Washington (D.C.) convention that a full understanding was had, on May 31, 1935, concerning the "great crowd" mentioned
rejoiced to be used as instruments to give a helping hand to the new earthly class of witnesses. The organization had to become clean to receive these "refugee" dwellers in "Beulah" land. Moreover, a change-over in the organization to the ocrat-
ic system of government was necessary and was effected by 1938.
An element of permanency as to organization became apparent. Yes, in time the field witness work itself was changed. Now there was to be a calling back on people, the conducting of home Bible studies, the holding of public meetings, the establishing of theocratic ministry schools and the doing of street work to catch the eye of the multitudinous public. All this amazing adjustment was completed by 1945.
The work of Jehovah's witnesses had spread into Europe in the early 1880's, into Africa, Australia and parts of South America in the early 1900's, and finally into Asia after 1910. Following the restoration of true worship in 1919, efforts were made to spread out into foreign fields as far as possible. The Society's literature began to be published in as many as 78 languages. New branch offices were opened in countries where the witness work was taking firm hold. By 1934 the Society maintained 49 branches scattered on the five continents. 1 Fifty-four nations reported witnesses active in them during 1942. More than fifty thousand of the 115,240 ministers reporting were working in territories outside the United States. 2 Members of the anointed remnant in small but scattered numbers have been found in most parts of the earth. This testifies to the fact that Jehovah, from 1919 on, had been gathering "his chosen ones together from the four winds."—Matt. 24:31, NW.
But all this development in foreign fields was just the groundwork for the great harvest of ingathering from all nations by means of his rescued remnant of 1919. For a certainty, did not the prophet Isaiah foretell all this global expansion? "I will send such as escape [remnant after 1919] of them unto the nations, to Tarshish [in
Europe], Pul, and Lud [in Africa], that draw the bow, to Tubal [in Asia] and Javan [in Europe], to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren out of all the nations ... to my holy mountain Jerusalem [God's organization], saith Jehovah."—Isa. 66: 19,20, AS.
Jesus assigned the territory to his witnesses, when he said: "The field is the world." (Matt. 13:38, NW) This has been more literally realized since 1945 than ever before. In this 'field of the world' the Christian witnesses must conduct a battle not against flesh and blood but at the minds of men. (2 Cor. 10:4, 5) Satan has been busy for thousands of years in developing various states of mind in men, all of which thinking is against Jehovah and his new world. Basically the thinking of worldly men of today is the product of paganism, lying traditions, desires of the flesh, doctrines of demons and every wind of theory of modern materialism. Against these mighty forces of entrenched thinking Jehovah's witnesses have engaged in daily battle by reasoning with millions of people with whom they come in touch and to whom they preach. They advocate New World thinking, Christian thinking, the thinking of Jesus Christ who, nineteen hundred years ago, came to champion the mind, will and purpose of the Great Sovereign of the Universe, Jehovah God. (1 Cor. 2:16) There must be a reconciliation to God requiring a transformation of thinking on the part of humans to that of being attuned to the right and glorious thinking of their Maker, Jehovah God. Such transformation of thinking results in their being unified with Almighty God and his family-like organization.—Rom. 12:2.
This also has resulted in a global struggle for the hearts and minds of humans of good will.
The varying states of sectional thinking on the five continents have all yielded to the power of the Word of God, the Bible, thus producing fruitage, in that thousands have been released from Babylonish religious thinking to come forth into the sunlight of truth and Christian freedom. Another striking fact is that the whole world together with all its variations
of religions has been thrown into the same global crisis of the last days. Therefore truly the one whole world with all its many nations of peoples has become ripe at the same time for global spiritual harvesting. This world-wide ingathering of the "other sheep" hastens rapidly in these closing days before universal Armageddon.
(To be continued)
"Apostolic" Leader Becomes Truly Apostolic
AMONG the Africans in Southern Rhodesia, the Apostolic sect has a strong following. Its members wear long, white, flowing robes and its leaders carry a long shepherd's crook and claim to speak in tongues, to prophesy and to heal. As a traveling representative of the Watchtower Society was about to give his Saturday evening discourse to a certain African congregation last May, more than a hundred of the Apostolic sect, accompanied by their leader, came and sat down to hear the talk on "Spiritual Healing."
At its conclusion the speaker asked if any had questions, and one of the Apostolics rose and asked: "Does the speaker have the holy spirit and can he speak in tongues as we do?" However, before the speaker could answer him the leader of the group stood up and, turning to his followers, said: "Friends, there is no need to ask questions on what you have heard, for since we joined the Apostolic faith we have not heard anything like this. We must go away silently and check the Scriptures to see if the speaker was right."
The following morning ten of the group showed up for preaching activity, asking to go along to see how the witnesses preached from house to house. They were impressed by the way the witnesses used their Bibles in giving the doorstep sermons.
Thirty of the Apostolics followed the Society's representative as he went to the next congregation ten miles away. After further discussion the leader, who was also a "prophet" and "healer," subscribed, together with his wife, two brothers and mother, for The Watchtower.
Within a month of their having first heard Jehovah's healing message these five are having a share in making it known to others and are being trained in the truly apostolic way of preaching from house to house. The Apostolic flock, deprived of their leader and his family, have been heard to bemoan: "When you speak with Jehovah's witnesses they even bewitch the Bible, for when we go home to check the Scriptures all the chapters we read support their teaching."
"THE MAJESTY OF THE SCRIPTURES"
Writing to a friend, the noted French philosopher and author, Jean Jacques Rousseau, once said: "I must confess to you that the majesty of the Scriptures astonishes me. The holiness of the Evangelists speaks to my heart, and has striking characters of truth, and is, moreover, so perfectly inimitable that if it had been the invention of men the inventor would be greater than the greatest heroes."—The Supremacy of the Bible, page 27.
AVOIDING the WINE PRESS OF GOD'S ANGER
"I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments."—lsa. 63:3, AS.
IF YOU can avoid having the very life crushed out of you, will you not be glad to know how you can do so? The field called Armageddon, where the "war of the great day of God the Almighty" will be fought, will be like a tremendous wine press for all mankind. Comparatively few of this generation of mankind will escape being crushed to everlasting death there. You may avoid this crushing experience and share in all the joy, singing and shouting that will both accompany and follow the treading or trampling of this global wine press. How may you do so? It is worthwhile knowing.
2 Blood flowing freely and fully within your body's blood vessels means your life as a human soul. The great "Fountain of life," Jehovah God, tells us how important our blood supply is, saying: "The soul of every sort of flesh is its blood by the soul
in it." We can therefore see the reasonableness of his command for us not to take the blood of other people into our system, when he says: "Consequently I said to the sons of Israel, 'You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off.'" Because blood has life value God justly accepted the blood of a proper victim as an atoning sacrifice or a repurchasing price for the life that mankind had lost as a penalty for wrongdoing or sin. So God said: "The soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul in it." (Lev. 17:11, 14, NW; Ps. 36:9) Even as God was pleased to accept the lifeblood of a proper victim in payment for the life of another that had been forfeited, so God is perfectly just in demanding that the life of a person who had been undeservedly killed should be offset or counterbalanced by taking away the life of the killer.
3 Over four thousand years ago Jehovah declared this as his rule to the eight human survivors of the global flood, Noah and his family, from whom all of us today have descended. When granting them permission to eat animal flesh as food, Jehovah God said: "Only flesh with its soul its blood-you must not eat.And, besides that,your blood of your souls shall I ask
der the crushing feet of the treaders or trampers in the wine trough. In the "war of the great day of God the Almighty" at Armageddon human blood will flow, human life will be poured out, on an unheardof scale, and woe to those who are then in the war against God the Almighty! As the tramping out of the lifeblood will be done in justice, in the anger of God the Al-
back. From the hand of every living creature shall I ask it back; and from the hand of man, from the hand of one who is his brother, shall I ask back the soul of man. Anyone shedding man's blood, by man will his own blood be shed, for in God's image he made man." (Gen. 9:4-6, NW) The life of an animal victim could not make repayment for the life of the man killed; only the life of the killed man's brother man, the killer himself, would meet the demands of divine justice. Although at that time Jehovah God had caused the rainbow to appear in the sky as an everlasting sign
mighty, it will be because of a great blood-guilt resting upon mankind. All the past unjust shedding of human blood will be counterbalanced by crushing out the lives of the bloodguilty. It will be no injustice to mankind, but the payment of a just due. At that terrific execution upon the bloodguilty there will be no place of refuge in any part of Christendom, even though she religiously mentions God and claims to be his people. The Israelites of twenty-five centuries ago did the same thing, but it did not act as a charm to shield them when Jehovah expressed his anger at their will
appear in the sky as an everlasting sign that he would never again cut off all flesh by the waters of a deluge, his rainbow does not stand as a sign that he may not and will not crush all human
flesh by other means like a global wine press. The eight human survivors of the global flood stand as a prophetic sign and guarantee that there will be happy survivors when mankind is crushed in the wine
ful wrongdoing and breaking of their covenant with him and punished Jerusalem and the land of Judah. At Armageddon Christendom faces an experience like that of ancient Judah and Jerusalem, the prophetic type of unfaithful Christendom. Describing beforehand what happened, God said:
6 "Behold, Jehovah maketh the land empty, and maketh
press of God's anger at Armageddon.—Gen. 9:4-6,11-16,NW;Matt.24:37-39.
4 Noah made wine after the flood, doubtless using a wine press. In the time of making wine to gladden man's heart the blood, the juice, of the grapes flowed heavily unit waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad its inhabitants. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; . . . The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for Jehovah hath spoken this word. The land mourneth, it fadeth away; the world languisheth, it fadeth away: the haughty people of the land do languish.
And the land is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; for they have violated the laws, changed the statute, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore doth the curse devour the earth, and they that dwell therein are held guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are consumed, and few men are left."—Isa. 24:1-6, Da.
How did God turn the land of Judah and Jerusalem upside down? It was full of Jewish inhabitants just like a bowl full of certain things. So Jehovah treated the land just like a full bowl, turning it upside down and dumping out its human inhabitants and so emptying the land, scattering abroad its former inhabitants. Jehovah had previously measured out a treatment like that to Samaria, the capital of idolatrous, murderous King Ahab, and so Jehovah said: "Here I am bringing a calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, of which if any one hears both his ears will tingle. And I shall certainly stretch upon Jerusalem the measuring line applied to Sa-mar'i.a and also the leveling instrument applied to the house of A'hab, and I shall simply wipe Jerusalem clean just as one wipes the handleless bowl clean, wiping it clean and turning it upside down. And I shall indeed forsake the remnant of my possession and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they will simply become a spoil and plunder to all their enemies." The reason for thus turning the land upside down is given, in part, in these words about Manasseh, its king: "There was also innocent blood that Ma-nas'seh shed in very great quantity until he had filled Jerusalem from end to end, besides his sin with which he caused Judah to sin by doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah." (2 Ki. 21:10-16, NW) About a hundred years later this dire prophecy came true.
Was the land of Judah and Jerusalem turned right side up by being turned upside down? No! For Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed by the Babylonians, the land of Judah was wrecked and completely depopulated, not even domestic animals being left there, and what former inhabitants were left were either taken captive to Babylon or frightened into flight down to Egypt. The land was upside down, like a handleless bowl emptied of its contents; so the deserted land turned into a wilderness, a jungle, with dreary ruins, infested by doleful wild beasts and birds. That was not the right condition of the land of Judah. God had given it to his chosen people according to his promise and he gave it to them to be inhabited. Therefore after letting it lie desolate and enjoy land sabbaths for seventy years, he overthrew Babylon and brought back a faithful remnant of his people from there that Jerusalem might be rebuilt and her temple restored and the land repopulated. A land was born in that day and was in its right condition, like a bowl right side up, filled with inhabitants who praised and worshiped Jehovah. In this we see a prophetic picture of how Jehovah God will preserve and deliver a faithful remnant of people to survive Armageddon.—Isa. 45:17-22; 66:8, 9; 2 Chron. 36:17-23.
9 It was frightful the way the land of Judah had its holy city and temple ruined, the most of its population slaughtered by sword, famine and pestilence, and its survivors scattered into captivity and exile in enemy lands. This experience came from the hand of Jehovah, whose covenant they had broken and whose land they had polluted with innocent blood. It is likened to his treading down the land of Judah in a vast wine press, with a terrible loss of life and spilling of the blood of the guilty.
(Jer. 2:21; Isa. 5:1-8) The writer of the prophetic Lamentations mourns over it, saying: "Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, whom Jehovah hath afflicted in the day of his fierce anger. . . the Lord hath delivered me into hands out of which I am not able to rise up. The Lord hath cast down all my mighty men in the midst of me; he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden as a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment." (Lam. 1:12, 14, 15, 18, Da) This illustrates what it will mean when Jehovah gives Christendom the wine-press treatment at Armageddon. Only it will be more appalling, for Christendom extends round the globe. Let no one think of finding refuge then in bloodstained Christendom.
10 There is no other place in this old world where one may seek refuge and escape from being crushed at Armageddon. All the nations, those of heathendom as well as of Christendom, will be stamped down as in a global wine press. The worldly system of things is like a great "vine of the earth" that has spread all over the earth filling it with its bad fruit, and now it is about time for the entire vine to be uprooted and crushed and all its lifeblood stamped out with the greatest violence. All the nations, even those of Christendom who lay claim to Christianity, have warred among themselves soaking the earth with blood; and now, since the birth of God's kingdom in the heavens in 1914 and since the world-wide announcement of this royal birth by Jehovah's witnesses, the nations
have risen to the height of their wickedness by preparing for war against Jehovah God and his enthroned King, Jesus Christ.
11 In this hydrogen-bomb era the fruitage of this international "vine of the earth" is reaching its full ripeness and the time for this tremendous vine to be harvested is getting near, to pitch all of it, root, branch and fruit, into the wine press of God's anger. Jehovah God even urges on the ripening of its ungodly fruitage with this challenge now proclaimed by his witnesses: "Proclaim this among the nations: prepare war, arouse the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. Haste ye and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together. Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah. Let the nations rouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down, for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is at hand in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:9-14, Da) For anyone now to take refuge in the branches of this "vine of the earth," either continuing as a branch of it or sitting under it and enjoying its fruitage, means to be stamped out of existence with it in the wine press of God's anger. That crushing experience is certainly something to be avoided.
12 One outstanding reason for God's crushing the lifeblood out of this worldly system of things is the enormous blood-guiltiness that rests upon it and that must be punished. This is true not only of the political, commercial and social organizations of this world but also of its religions.
All the religions of this world now associate with the international alliance, the United Nations, and support it. These religions are all symbolized under one figure, that of the great harlot, Babylon the Great, who rides the seven-headed wild beast to a battle against Jehovah's "Lord of lords and King of kings." All the blood unrighteously shed on the earth is due to false religion and hence is laid to the charge of this mysterious Babylon the Great. Calling her bloodguiltiness to notice just before she is executed, John the beholder of the Revelation vision says: "I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. . . Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth." (Rev. 17:6; 18:24, NW) In executing judgment at Armageddon the God of justice renders to all worldly religion her dues for her sickening bloodthirstiness and bloodguiltiness.
13 Because of this act of judgment the
heavenly hosts give Jehovah praise, saying: "Praise Jah, you people! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous. For he has executed judgment upon the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her [religious] fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand." The long record of worldly religion, reeking with blood, must now be shown up and the coming judgment of those who have shed innocent blood under the instigation of Babylonish religion must be declared, to show that God is righteous: "You . . . are righteous, . . . because they poured out the blood of holy ones and of prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve it. . . Yes, Jehovah God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your decisions." (Rev. 19:1,2; 16:5-7,NW) The guilty will be made to drink their own lifeblood by their own deserved death at Armageddon.—Isa. 49:26.
outwardly striving for international peace in her own way, Christendom is at the same time taking the lead in preparing the most sanguinary war of all time. Where is there a place for us to escape from having
any part in the world's bloodguilt at Armageddon, that our own lives may not be required of us according to Jehovah's covenant concerning the sacredness of blood? Jehovah has provided the only place of escape and refuge, and he pictured it for us prophetically in the cities of refuge that he arranged for in the land of Israel.
2 These were not like the places of refuge that were in fashion among the ancient pagan nations. Those places were religiously sacred places, such as groves, temples and altars, and they were given the right of asylum, that is, the right to furnish shelter with protection against punishment for any misdoing. The protective power given to these places extended itself over a considerable area around the holy spot and was sternly guarded and preserved by severe punishments to the violators of the protection offered at the place. However, these places of refuge or of sanctuary were places where, under the cover of religion, the guilty as well as the unfortunate person might find shelter and protection against the officers of the law or those who would take the law into their own hands and inflict punishment. The famous temple of Artemis (or Diana) at Ephesus was a heathen place of asylum or sanctuary and its privileges in this regard expanded as time went on. In time the number of these places of sanctuary multiplied greatly among the Greeks and the Romans, but the privilege of sanctuary was abused and this led to a great increase of criminals. So Roman emperor Tiberius, of Jesus' day, had a solemn inquiry made into the effects of these sanctuaries, and this resulted in reducing the number of them and limiting their privileges.
The cities of refuge in the land of Israel were limited in number and provided no asylum for the guilty taker of life, but asylum for only the unintentional manslayer. By some it is understood that, while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for forty years prior to their entering into the Promised Land of Palestine, sanctuary was provided among the encampment of the temple servants known as the Levites, to whom the high priest and his body of underpriests belonged. First when giving the law to the prophet Moses at Mount Sinai, Jehovah God made mention of a future place of sanctuary, saying: "One who strikes a man so that he actually dies is to be put to death without fail. But where one does not lie in wait and God lets it occur at his hand, then I must fix for you a place where he can flee. And in case a man becomes heated against his fellow to the point of killing him with craftiness, you are to take him even from being at my altar to die."—Ex. 21:12-14, NW.
4 This last statement may mean that even if a man is a priest who serves at God's altar he is not to be treated as guiltless, but is to be led away to execution for a crafty, planned murder. Or if any willful murderer should flee to the altar as a sanctuary and take hold of one of its horns in hope of being shielded by the sacredness of the altar, he is to be taken away and executed as he deserves. God does not protect willful criminals either by his law or by holy things of his organization. An example of this is the case of general Joab. During the kingship of David he was guilty of shedding the blood of innocent men because he was moved by vengeance and jealousy. To this he added the crime of supporting a usurper of David's throne instead of God's choice for the throne, namely, David's son Solomon. When the would-be usurper still showed ambitions for the throne and King Solomon had him killed, general Joab fled and took hold on the altar horns and refused to come away, saying: "No! For here is where I shall die." Accordingly King Solomon had him executed there, saying: "Jehovah will certainly bring back his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he was and he proceeded to kill them with the sword, when my father David himself had not known of it."
(1 Ki. 2:28-34, NW) No murderer or willful sharer in blood shed may expect the sacrifice of Jehovah's great altar, namely, Jesus Christ, to atone for his crime or share in crime.
5 In the fortieth year of their wandering the Israelites reached the desert plains of Moab east of the Jordan River opposite the city of Jericho. Then Jehovah God saw good to order them to set aside six cities of refuge, three on the east side of the river and three on the west side. These were not just ordinary cities, but cities belonging to Jehovah's special servants attached to his temple, one city, Hebron, being a priests' city and the other five belonging to the Levites. In harmony with their being places of refuge where the refugee was untouchable by the executioner, they were given a sacred status. So we read of the assignment of the cities: "They gave a sacred status to Ke'desh . . . and She'chem . . . and Kir'i ath-ar'ba, that is to say, He'bron, . . Be'zer . . . and Ra'moth in Gilead . . . and Go'lan." (Josh. 20:7, 8, NW) The cities of refuge therefore had God's special recognition, and their power to provide refuge deserved to be respected.
The purpose of the refuge cities was to prevent the land from being polluted with innocent blood, not the blood of the person unintentionally killed, but the blood of the unintentional killer who was innocent of any wrong intent: "that no innocent blood may be spilled in the midst of your land that Jehovah your God is giving you as an
inheritance and no bloodguilt has to be upon you." (Deut. 19:10, NW) Besides that, if the Israelites failed to carry out the law of the cities of refuge and tried to sidetrack or bypass the law, it would result in polluting the land with the blood of the innocent person, whether killed intentionally or unintentionally. "You must not pollute the land in which you are, because it is blood that pollutes the land and for the land there may be no atonement respecting the blood that has been spilled upon it except by the blood of the one spilling it. And you must not defile the land in which you are dwelling, in the midst of which I am tenting, for I Jehovah am tenting in the midst of the sons of Israel." Num. 35:33, 34, NW.
7 Jehovah recognized the right of the nearest relative of the innocent person killed to put the manslayer to death when he came upon him. Jehovah recognized this nearest relative as the avenger of blood and therefore assigned to him the right and power of executioner. Thus God made the blood avenger "in God's image," for God himself has the right and power of executing murderers. (Gen. 9:6, NW) God's law said: "The avenger of blood is the one who will put the murderer to death. When he chances upon him he himself will put him to death." (Num. 35:19, NW) However, a man might kill another person or be the cause of another's death accidentally, unintentionally, without malice aforethought. To protect such a man God provided the refuge cities, that the unintentional manslayer might be spared his life until he stood trial and proved his having no intent to kill and no murderous hatred. (Josh. 20:9) So to the refuge city for his district the innocent manslayer might flee. "And you must choose cities convenient for yourselves.
As cities of refuge they will serve for you, and the manslayer must flee there who fatally strikes a soul unintentionally. And the cities must serve you as a refuge from the blood avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the assembly for judgment. And the cities that you will give, the six cities of refuge, will be at your service."—Num. 35:11-13, NW.
8 Jehovah's law covenant with natural Israel had literal cities of refuge. Jehovah's new covenant with spiritual Israel provides for a similar refuge. Thus the Israelite cities of refuge typified or foreshadowed a good thing to come, having to do with Christ. (Col. 2:16, 17; Heb. 10:1) What did they typify or foreshadow? Not the Roman Catholic church buildings and precincts where sanctuary used to be provided for offenders against the law. When those who claimed to be Christians began adopting the things of paganism and giving them a Christian appearance, the pagan custom of granting the right of sanctuary at holy places passed over into Christendom. As early as Emperor Constantine of Rome the Roman Catholic churches were made asylums where unfortunate persons could take refuge when pursued by officers of the law or powerful, vengeful enemies. In 681 the synod of Toledo widened the right of asylum to cover thirty paces from each church. Since that time the ecclesiastical privilege held sway in all of Catholic Christendom and continued, at least in Italy, as long as the pope remained independent and had his domains. But this ecclesiastical assumption tended to transfer power from the civil magistrate to the priesthood and worked against the law and the proper administration of justice. It aided the guilty or the sympathizers with
the guilty to abuse the privilege. Says The Encyclopedia Americana: "It was the abuses to which this system gave rise, as tending to defeat the ends of justice, that led to its abolition in all Christian countries." —Vol. 24 under "Sanctuary."
The typical cities of refuge find their antitypical fulfillment since God's kingdom was born in the heavens in 1914 (A.D.), for it is to bring about the avenging of the blood of all who have been unjustly slain. The time for the avenging of the innocent blood draws near and there is dire need of the antitypical city of refuge, for since 1918, when the Lord Jehovah came with his Angel of the covenant to the spiritual temple, the time of judgment has been in progress to determine the bloodguiltiness of humanity.
10 What is the antitypical city of refuge today? As the typical refuge cities were cities of the temple servants, including the high priest of Jehovah, the antitypical city must be Jehovah's provision for protecting us from death for violating the divine covenant concerning the sacredness of blood by our coming and remaining under the benefits of the active service of Jehovah's High Priest Jesus Christ. That provision of protection is to be found with Jehovah's theocratic organization of his people. It is for only those pictured by the accidental or unintentional manslayer: "When he strikes his fellow man without knowing it and he was no hater of him formerly, . . . he himself should flee to one of these cities and must live. Otherwise, the avenger of blood may, because his heart is hot, chase after the manslayer and certainly overtake him, since the way is great, and he may indeed strike his soul fatally, whereas there is no sentence of death for him, because he was no hater of him formerly."—Deut. 19:4-6, NW.
COLLECTIVE BLOODGUILT
11 Since the birth of God's kingdom by Christ in 1914 more blood has been shed than ever before in human history, not only in private, individual killings and accidental killings but more so in collective killings, in the two greatest carnages of all human experience, World Wars Nos. I and II. Both sides to the wild sprees of human butchery try to justify themselves and try to wash their hands clean of bloodguilt in the water of various self-excusing arguments. But we know that both sides engaged in the mass slaughter over the issue of world domination, though they were informed by Jehovah's people both before 1914 and more particularly since 1914 concerning the ending of the "appointed times of the nations" that year and the establishment of God's kingdom then. These wars were waged with total warfare, because for the prosecution of them to gain victory the whole nation was mobilized and all citizens were made to contribute their part to the national effort; and civilian population centers behind the lines became points of strategic bombardment.
12 So let the nations and the worldly organizations that feel no sense of guilt before God remember Paul's words: "I am not conscious of anything against me. Yet by this I do not stand vindicated, but he that examines me is Jehovah." (1 Cor. 4:4, NW) Also the proverb: "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but Jehovah weigheth the hearts." (Prov. 21:2, AS) Also the apostolic words: "For not the one who recommends himself is approved, but the man whom Jehovah recommends."
(2 Cor. 10:18, NW) Before God, the Giver and Sustainer of life, an all-embracing bloodguilt rests on all mankind, on both those who directly did the shedding of blood and those who lent their support morally or materially. In this respect the skirts of religion are not clean, for in these massacres the religious leaders of all nations at war, even the clergy of Christendom, have prayed to their religious gods for heaven's blessing upon their own military forces. Hence to Christendom the prophetic words addressed to unfaithful Jerusalem apply: "Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor."—Jer. 2:34, AS.
13 We must remember that the God of justice lays upon people a joint responsibility in respect to bloodshed. This point he made very sharp and clear in his law to Israel concerning a person slain whose killer was never discovered: "In case someone should be found slain on the ground that Jehovah your God is giving you to take possession of it, fallen on the field, and it has not become known who struck him fatally, then your older men and your judges must go out and measure to the cities that are all around the slain one, and it must prove to be the city nearest to the slain one." In clearing themselves of guilt the older men of that likely guilty city must break the neck of a young, unworked cow in an unsown torrent valley, doing so before the Levite priests, "because they are the ones Jehovah your God has chosen to minister to him and to bless in the name of Jehovah and at whose mouth every dispute over every violent deed should be disposed of." The older men of that city then washed their hands over the cow with the broken neck and had to say: Our hands did not shed this blood, neither did our eyes see it shed. Do not set it to the account of your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Jehovah, and do not put the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel."
Only then, said God's law, "the bloodguilt must not be set to their account. And you—you will clear away the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, because you will do what is right in Jehovah's eyes."—Deut. 21:1-9, NW.
14 So all peoples, especially in these days of total warfare, national mobilization, and international friendships, treaties and trade, share in a community of responsibility for the blood that has drenched the earth, all shed because the nations have refused to acknowledge Jehovah's universal sovereignty and to bow peacefully before Jehovah's enthroned King Jesus Christ, seeking his favor.
15 Who is without bloodguilt today, either directly or by association, either in times of war or in times of peace? Some may have committed manslaughter by carelessness in driving a car or by other accident or willfully so. Afterward they have repented and, whereas the law may have inflicted upon the guilty ones a penalty that must be paid to "pay back, therefore, Caesar's things to Caesar," yet they have implored the mercy of God the Giver of life. Others may have taken part in collective killing, thinking conscientiously that it was their duty, or being persuaded by the religious leaders and teachers that it was God's will and was a doing of sacred service to God. They have since confessed that they made a mistake and see the need of divine mercy toward them. Others being incited by the venomous hissings of Christendom's clergy or other religious leaders have joined in persecuting Jehovah's witnesses, this resulting in death to thousands of them for their integrity toward God. Now they realize how mistaught and misled they were and how they need God's mercy, the same as Saul of Tarsus did. All of us may be aware of some community responsibility for the violent loss of human life. We feel that, if we had known better and been better instructed, we should not have done it or taken any related part in it. It was all accidental or unintended because of our lack of knowledge and understanding of God's law and will. All such are like the ancient manslayer in Israel "who slays his fellow without knowing it, while he was not hating him formerly."
16 Fleeing to a city of refuge pictures how we go as quickly as possible, whether we are dedicated to God or not, and we confess our sin of bloodguilt to him and appeal to him to have mercy on us through his great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who provided the ransom sacrifice for all mankind. Thereafter we seek to prove to God that our repentance is genuine by keeping fast to our refuge within his provision and theocratic organization. We must bear in mind for whom the ancient cities of refuge were meant, in order to appreciate who may benefit by their antitype today. Jehovah's law said: "As cities of refuge they will serve. For the sons of Israel and for the temporary resident and for the settler in the midst of them these six cities will serve as a refuge, for anyone to flee there that fatally strikes a soul unintentionally." "These became the cities appointed for all the sons of Israel and for the temporary resident who resides for a while in their midst, for anyone to flee there who fatally strikes a soul unintentionally, that he may not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until his standing before the assembly."
—Num. 35:14, 15 and Josh. 20:9, NW.
17 Hence the members of the spiritual "body of Christ," the congregation of anointed Christians, need this provision, too, for they are the antitypical "sons of Israel"; they are members of spiritual Israel. The original part of this remnant passed through the years of World War I, during which they became captive to the Babylonish world because they came under the fear of men in high station and their course of action was not altogether clean from this world, not entirely neutral toward the mortal combats of this world. How much of bloodguiltiness Jehovah at his temple judged to be upon them, we do not definitely know. But after he released them from their captivity to Babylon in 1919 they repented of any measure of sin in any respect, confessed their guilt and endeavored to clean up their worship of him under his guidance by Christ. Moreover, since then, and particularly down to 1931, thousands who were definitely tainted with bloodguilt heard the message of the Kingdom and of the coming Armageddon and they began to flee to the antitypical city of refuge. They repented and turned to God for mercy. With faith in his High Priest Jesus Christ they gave themselves in full dedication to God to do his will ever afterward and to remain strictly within his merciful provisions to be safeguarded against the executing of all the bloodguilty at Armageddon. In this time of 'shortening the days of
guarded against the executing of all the bloodguilty at Armageddon. In this time of 'shortening the days of tribulation for the chosen ones' sake'
spiritual Israelites were first in taking advantage of this divine protection for the unintentional manslayer.
18 But the ancient refuge cities were also "for the temporary resident and for the settler" in Israel. As these were not Israelites they picture those not of spiritual Israel, those not of the spiritual remnant today, but who turn to the God of spiritual Israel and want to take advantage of his merciful arrangements through his High Priest. Their eyes have been opened to see the bloodguiltiness of all the world and they want no share further in it nor in paying the penalty for it with this world at Armageddon. So they, too, are fleeing from threatening execution and entering into the antitypical refuge city under the High Priest Jesus Christ. In fleeing there they show the sincerity of their repentance and of their reliance upon God's mercy to spare their lives through Christ. How? By dedicating themselves to God to be subject to the divine will from now on into eternity. Thus today, for their protection from the death of the bloodguilty, hundreds of thousands of refugees of the "temporary resident" and "settler" class are to be found within Jehovah's provision in company with the members of the remnant, inside the New World society. Now is the time, since 1931, for these "other sheep" of the Lord Jesus to be gathered to his fold, to make them "one flock" with the remnant
of spiritual Israel. This fact adds to the proof that now, since 1914, is the time of application of this prophetic picture of the refuge cities.
Jehovah's place of refuge in his New World society and to let him stay there.
HE fugitive from the avenger of blood was obliged to prove his innocence of any intent to kill the person accidentally slain. The refuge city to which he fled must first return him to the city in which or in the neighborhood of which the killing occurred. There the assembly must try his case to establish his worthiness to enjoy the protection of a city of refuge: "Then the assembly must judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. And the assembly must deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood and the assembly must return him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he must dwell in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil." (Num. 35:24, 25, NW) Since Hebron, one of the refuge cities, was the city of the high priest and his underpriests, the sons of Aaron, this reminds us that Jehovah's High Priest Jesus Christ is the one anointed to pass upon the manslayer's lack of wicked intent in causing loss of life to others. He is the one to decide whether to admit him within
2 Since it was a mercy that the refugee was spared from death, it was perfectly proper for him to be put under bounds, to be limited as to his freedom. He had to stay within his city of refuge
and its thousand cubits of open
land all around the city. Beyond that limit lay danger to his spared life. "But if the manslayer should at all go out of the boundary of his city of refuge to which he may flee, and the avenger of blood does find him outside the boundary of his city of refuge and the avenger of blood does slay the manslayer, he [the avenger of blood] has no bloodguilt. For he [the manslayer] ought to dwell in his city of refuge until the high priest's death and after the high priest's death the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. And you must not take a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge to resume dwelling in the land before the death of the high priest." (Num. 35:26-28, 32, NW) Thus the high priest during whose activity in office the manslaughter occurred must die before the unintentional manslayer could return to his own city or his land inheritance, without fear of the blood avenger. So if the Israelite high priest himself accidentally killed someone he could not leave his refuge city all his lifetime. If a Levite killed accidentally, he could not leave his refuge city to go up to the temple of Jehovah and perform a Levite's duties there until the high priest died. This showed how the high priest governed the life and liberty of the refugees.
This shows, too, that Jehovah's protection to the blood-tainted refugees today against execution during the avenging of innocent blood at Armageddon is granted through his High Priest Jesus Christ, who gave his own human life to rescue even repentant manslayers besides sinners of all other kinds. Going outside of the refuge city before Israel's high priest died pictures, therefore, that the one enjoying God's mercy and protection becomes rebellious at God's limitations upon him. He loses his appreciation of what God has done for him through Christ and why God has put him under bounds. He becomes like Shimei, who cursed David when fleeing from his son Absalom and whom David's successor, King Solomon, put under bounds in the city of Jerusalem. Shimei put King Solomon to the test, left Jerusalem to recover two of his slaves, and on his return was put to death for having selfishly broken bounds. (1 Ki. 2:36-46) So the forsaker of refuge comes out from under the atonement covering of Christ's sacrifice, no more trusting in its merit or feeling its need to safeguard him against the divine penalty for sin. He becomes careless about meeting Jehovah's requirements and humbling himself under God's mighty hand, and he develops his own self-righteousness and trusts in it to deliver him. He puts God to the test too far, impaling Jesus Christ afresh for himself and losing all sense of repentance. Outside of Jehovah's merciful refuge he is certain to become subject to execution when all bloodguiltiness that is not covered is avenged at Armageddon. He will not survive.
resurrection from the dead, has the "power of an indestructible life" and "dies no more," as "death is master over him no more" but he is a "priest forever" like Melchizedek. (Heb. 7:15-17 and Rom. 6:9 NW) How, then, can he fulfill the picture of the death of Israel's high priest? And so how could anyone come out from the antitypical refuge city in the New World society? How long will the modern-day refugees have to remain there? We must remember that Israel's high priest, when he died, ceased to serve as high priest and to offer atonement for the accidental manslayer. Hence the members of the remnant within the antitypical refuge city must remain there as long as they live on earth. They hope to survive the battle of Armageddon into God's new world, but even after that battle and its execution of the bloodguilty they will need the atoning merit of their heavenly High Priest. Why? Because they are still in the imperfect flesh.
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