"Fill the Earth" (Part 1) № 20

“JEHOVAH’S BATTLE”

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“WARNING”

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Vol. LIX

October 15, 1938

No. 20

“FILL THE EARTH”

PART 1

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” – Gen. 1:28, Rotherham.

JEHOVAH’S purpose is to fill the earth with a righteous people. That is made certain by his revealed Word. Before the time of man “God created the heaven and the earth”. (Gen. 1:1) Later he created man to inhabit the earth. Says the Almighty God: “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” (Isa. 45: 12) He created the earth for a definite purpose: “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited; I am the Lord, and there is none else.’’ (Isa. 45:18) If he does not fill the earth with human creatures that there abide for ever, then the creation of man and the earth for man is in vain; and it is certain that Jehovah God does nothing in vain. His mandates must be and shall be fully performed in his due time. His name Jehovah clearly means his purpose toward his creation. Jehovah says: “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. ... I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isa. 46:10, 11) Jehovah gives assurance that he will do what he says and will fulfill his announced purpose. (Isa. 55: 11) His creatures that love and serve him take God at his word and are fully persuaded that he will perform completely every promise.

2 Having such full assurance, consider now Jehovah’s command given to his perfect creature man and his perfect helpmate Eve, to wit: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” When God announced that purpose and gave command Adam and Eve were righteous, because sin had not then entered the world. Manifestly God’s purpose was and is that such mandate shall be fully performed and carried out under a righteous and invisible overlord and therefore performed in righteousness. Furthermore, the mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” was and is to be unto life of the creature brought into the earth.

3 Jehovah appointed Lucifer the invisible overlord of the perfect Adam, and Lucifer was then righteous, and concerning Lucifer God says: “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” (Ezek. 28:14, 15) Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah, became unrighteous and led Adam and Eve into unrighteousness, all of which took place before Adam and Eve had made any effort to carry out the command to multiply. As the result of that rebellion God’s mandate to “multiply and fill the earth” was never demonstrated under righteous conditions, and, not being carried out in righteousness, has not been carried out at all according to God’s will and command. Today the earth is filled with an unrighteous people, almost all of whom are willfully wicked and act under the leadership of the Devil and continue to defame God’s holy name. The few exceptions are those who have believed on God and Christ Jesus and have made a covenant to do the will of God and who have received the benefit of the great ransom sacrifice. Aside from such consecrated ones “the earth is filled with violence”, wickedness and gross darkness. (Gen. 6: 13) Has God’s purpose failed ? God’s purpose never fails.

4 Will God’s command to “multiply and fill the earth” ever be fully performed and demonstrated under right and righteous conditions on earth? Will God prove that it is administrable in righteousness? and is it his purpose to prove and demonstrate it both to human creatures and to the holy angels? The mere act of bringing back to life the dead ones who receive the merit of Christ’s sacrifice would not demonstrate or fulfill that mandate of Jehovah God. All of Adam’s offspring have been conceived in sin and almost all of them have died in sin. (Ps. 51: 5; Rom. 5: 12) Even if all such were raised from the dead, regenerated or restored, if the latter were possible, that would not mean the carrying out of the mandate of Jehovah, for the reason that it would be accomplished by the power of God through Christ Jesus, and not by man acting in obedience to God’s commandment. We are certain that Jehovah’s mandate must be and shall be carried out in righteousness. But how? Do the Scriptures reveal how this mandate will be carried out?

A PICTURE

5 It appears that Jehovah is pleased by means of prophetic dramas or pictures to make known to those of mankind who are devoted to him his means of carrying out his purpose in regard to many things; and may we not expect to find in his Word some pictures that will enable us to arrive at an answer to the foregoing questions? To demonstrate the divine rule or command given to Adam at the beginning of his entering Eden would require the same to be carried out by righteous creatures on the earth acting under the supervision of a righteous overlord. Otherwise stated, Satan, the wicked overlord or "god of this world’’, and his entire organization must first be destroyed and then the control of the earth be entirely removed from all opponents of Jehovah, and it be under the control of the righteous One, that human creatures might carry out the divine mandate. These indisputable facts stand out and must be given full force and effect in determining the question here under consideration.

6 The great flood of Noah’s day and the attending acts and circumstances thereof furnish at least a partial illustration or picture of what must be done in connection with carrying out the divine mandate. Preceding the time of the deluge the inhabiters of the earth were corrupt and “the earth was filled with violence”. (Gen. 6:11) The result of that flood was that all in the earth were cleared out.

7 The materialized nephilim of Satan’s invisible organization were removed from the earth. The disobedient angels that had materialized, that is, "the sons of God,’’ and that had formed unions with human women and produced the Gibborim, were imprisoned by Satan. (1 Pet. 3:19, 20) The offspring of such improper union that were on the earth were destroyed, and only Noah and his family, in all consisting of eight persons, were permitted to remain alive. By reason of his faith and obedience Noah was counted as righteous in God’s sight; he was a preacher or proclaimed  of righteousness and continued to bear testimony to the name of Jehovah God. (2 Pet. 2: 5; Heb. 11:7) Evidently the members of Noah’s family were also counted righteous by reason of their faith and full co-operation with Noah. The Devil and his demons were not then destroyed or fully restrained, but manifestly were thereafter prevented from materializing amongst human creatures. So far as the earth was concerned, at the end of the deluge there remained on the earth only Noah and his family, all of whom were counted righteous in the sight of Jehovah by reason of faith and obedience. Immediately following the flood and the exodus of Noah and his family from the ark the mandate of God was reissued, and at that time to righteous Noah, as it is written: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Gen. 9: 1, Roth.) Mark here particularly that the divine mandate, ‘‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth,’’ was never given to the wicked, but was first given to Adam before he sinned, and restated or repeated to Noah and his immediate family, who were counted righteous. Wicked men could not carry out that divine command, and therefore it was not given to or for such. About this there cannot be the slightest doubt. It therefore follows that up to the present time that divine mandate has not been carried out.

TYPICAL

8 It appears that God caused a record of the flood, and the things connected therewith, to be made as a picture foretelling greater things to follow; hence those things were typical. Therefore it is important to give consideration to the things immediately pertaining to or regarding the flood. The father of Noah was named Lamech. The name "Lamech” is understood to mean "powerful”, and the part played by Lamech in connection with Noah and the flood would picture the Almighty God, whose power is without limitation, and therefore him who is the Father of Jesus Christ. Noah in that prophetic drama therefore represented or pictured Christ Jesus. After Noah was born his father Lamech uttered a prophecy, which doubtless was spoken at the direction of Jehovah God, as a part of the great prophetic drama, and which prophecy is, to wit: “And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son; and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.”–Gen. 5: 28, 29.

9 The name “Noah”, as appears from the marginal reading of the Scriptures, means "rest” or "comfort”; and thus he foreshadowed the beloved Son of God, Christ Jesus, who is the comfort and rest of Jehovah because always in harmony with Jehovah. In harmony with this it is written that Noah, upon leaving the ark at the close of the flood, builded an altar unto Jehovah God and upon it he offered clean sacrifices. (Gen. 8:20) And in this connection it is written: "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour [(margin) savour of rest] ; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake.’’ (Vs. 21) This is further a corroborative evidence that Noah was there by Jehovah counted righteous and the acts of Noah and his family were pleasing unto the Lord. It was at that time, as it is written, “God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [fill] the earth.” –Gen. 9: 1.

10 The destructive work of the flood pictured Armageddon and the great destruction it will bring about and upon the earth, and the part played by Noah in offering clean animals in sacrifice, as above stated, foreshadowed Christ Jesus and his reign of blessedness after Armageddon, concerning which it is written: "For the Lord shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” – Isa. 51: 3

11 To Christ Jesus the divine commission is given: “Comfort all that mourn.” (Isa. 61: 2) Satan’s organization is called “Babylon”, which has always opposed Jehovah and worked unrighteousness and which at Armageddon will be destroyed, and then when the Lord has destroyed that wicked organization the earth will be at rest. For the comfort of those now who love and serve Jehovah God, as well as those who remain on earth after Armageddon, Jehovah says: “And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.” – Isa. 14: 3-5, 7.

12 That Jehovah God put the prophetic words in the mouth of Lamech and caused him to utter such prophecy is further corroborated by what appears in the record. That prophecy was uttered nearly 600 years before the flood. Lamech died five years before the flood came, having finished his part in the prophetic drama. Noah was 600 years old when the flood came. (Gen. 7: 6) Concerning Lamech the divine record is: “And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters; and all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years; and he died.’’ – Gen. 5: 30, 31.

13 Note that the years of Lamech were 700 plus 70 plus seven, that is to say, a triply complete number; which appears to point to the fact of the everlasting years of Jehovah the Almighty God, who is the Father of the Greater-than-Noah, Christ Jesus, including the members of the body of Christ.

14 The sons of Noah were born after Noah was 500 years old. (Gen. 5:32; 6:9, 10) The three sons of Noah foreshadowed a class of people that are counted righteous in the sight of God, that is, the “other sheep” of the Lord, to wit, the Jonadabs, who form -the “great multitude”. (Rev. 7: 9-15) Christ Jesus, the antitype of Noah, is “the everlasting Father” (Isa. 9: 6), who ministers life to the obedient ones of the human race and does so as the active representative of Jehovah. Noah’s sons were bom a short time before the flood; and likewise the Greater Noah, Christ Jesus, a short time prior to Armageddon, brings forth the “other sheep” or Jonadabs that form the “great multitude”. Noah’s sons were born near the end of the “world that then was”, and now the Jonadabs appear in the end of this “evil world”, and these are to be regenerated by Christ Jesus. As a long time elapsed after the birth of Noah before his sons were born and begotten, so a long time has elapsed since the birth of “the man” Jesus until the birth or bringing forth of the Jonadabs, who are favored with regeneration. These things were recorded long ago for the comfort, peace and hope of those now on the earth who love righteousness and hate iniquity. This is further evidence of Jehovah’s loving-kindness, which he bestows upon men who love and obey him. Jehovah is now causing these truths to be made clear for the benefit of the Jonadabs, as well as of the anointed, and it is the privilege and duty of all such to carefully study these truths, understand them, and obey the Lord as he has thus shown them the right way. The kingdom is here, and not only are the real antitypical sons of Noah now appreciating their privilege of learning about the kingdom and the blessings it has for obedient humankind, but these Jonadabs also appreciate the fact that it is their privilege and bounden duty to put forth their best endeavors to further the interest of the kingdom and to do so with every means within their power or possession. They are demonstrating their faith and obedience by joining heartily with the remnant or feet members of Christ in advertising the King and his kingdom.

WHY THE DELUGE

15 The Devil had set himself up as equal to or superior to Jehovah God, and the Devil had evolved schemes to reproach and to oppose Jehovah God. He knew that Jehovah had commanded Adam to multiply and “fill the earth ’ ’ and that God had declared that his purpose must be and shall be accomplished. The Devil concluded that he would prevent the carrying out of God’s declared purpose. Although Adam had joined the Devil’s organization, some of the offspring of Adam maintained their integrity toward God, and such included Abel and Enoch and Noah. In order to gain his wicked ends the Devil set about to debauch all the human race, and for that purpose he induced the angels to materialize in human form and to take human women to wife and to thereby displace human husbands and produce a race that would rebel against God. No doubt the Devil tried thus to seduce all the angels, expecting to provoke God to wrath and to bring about the destruction of all the human race and to turn all the angels against the Almighty. The Devil’s scheme seemed to be progressing well toward accomplishing his purpose. If he succeeded, the Devil concluded that such would prove his own supremacy, bringing great reproach upon the name of Jehovah God, and prevent God from carrying out his purpose. The result of that Devilish scheme was that almost all the human creatures became corrupt. (Gen. 6:12) Noah had at all times maintained his integrity toward God, and Noah and his family were the only ones on earth at that time that were faithful to God. The mandate given to perfect Adam could be carried out only by men in full harmony with Jehovah, and in order for this to be done the wicked must be cleared out before God’s purpose could be accomplished. The earth being wholly wicked, aside from Noah and his family, God spoke to Noah: “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark; thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives, with thee.”–Gen. 6: 13, 17, 18.

16 The flood would result in preventing Satan’s scheme to corrupt every creature on the earth. It therefore clearly appears that the primary purpose of the deluge was a vindication of Jehovah’s name, and to uphold his word. Closely connected with that primary purpose were matters concerning the human family, which meant the spoiling of Satan’s scheme, that there might be left on the earth some righteous creatures. The clearing off of the wicked and corrupt generation, and the preserving on the earth only righteous men, would open the way to begin anew to carry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth”. The vindication of Jehovah’s name he will accomplish in his own way and due time.

17 God’s Word declares that his purpose in having the ark built was to keep alive the righteous ones. (Gen. 6:18; 7: 3) The building of the ark, the bringing on of the flood, and the great destruction wrought thereby, were a miniature demonstration of God’s purpose to ultimately clean out the earth of all unrighteousness and preserve only those who love and serve him. Here God was making a prophetic drama picturing the manner in which he would ultimately carry out his purpose concerning the ‘filling the earth’ and the complete vindication of his own great name. That prophetic picture was made and recorded for the express purpose of enabling those on the earth at the end of the world and who are serving God in spirit and in truth to be properly taught and to receive consolation and hope. Jehovah now reveals these truths to men that they may understand the prophetic picture, and thus he gives to those who love and serve him a clearer vision of his purpose and brings joy and comfort to their hearts.

18 The kingdom of Jehovah God, under Christ Jesus his Beloved One, is his means of carrying out his purpose. Noah therefore pictured The Christ, that is, “the man Christ Jesus” and the members of his body, all composing the royal house of Jehovah. The members of Noah’s family, that is, his sons and their wives, pictured the “other sheep”, the people of good will, who show their faith in and devotion to Jehovah God and his kingdom under Christ. The flood and the devastation it wrought therefore pictured Armageddon and its destructive results, which will be brought about by Jehovah acting by and through Christ Jesus. A long time elapsed between the flood and the coming of Christ Jesus, the King. Was that long time of apparent delay of the coming of the kingdom caused by the destruction which the flood wrought? No, not at all. God was not obliged to delay the setting up of his kingdom because of so few men left on earth immediately following the flood. There has, in fact, been no delay in carrying out God’s purpose, but that long period of time from the flood to the coming of the King and kingdom has afforded full opportunity for the Devil to endeavor to prove his wicked challenge, and also an opportunity for men to prove their integrity toward Jehovah God, and also the time for taking out from amongst the nations a people for God’s name, that these might bear testimony to the name of Jehovah God and that this testimony might be given in the earth before the final fulfillment of the prophetic picture made at the time of the flood.

19 It has been argued by students of God’s Word that Jehovah delayed the setting up of his kingdom under Christ Jesus for a long period of time, to wit, about 6,000 years, in order to allow a sufficient number of the human creatures to be born on the earth, live for a season and die, so as to have enough persons to bring back in the resurrection, restore them to human perfection, and therefore to comfortably fill the earth, and thus carry out God’s purpose to “fill the earth”. That argument is not supported by reason nor by the Scriptures. If the coming of the kingdom was delayed in order to furnish time for a sufficient number of persons to be born and die and be resurrected in order to “fill the earth”, why, then, during all of that period of time would God permit the Devil to have full freedom to corrupt so many human creatures, make them hopelessly wicked and unworthy of a resurrection, and therefore beyond the privilege of recovery?

20 The wicked challenge of the Devil, and the acceptance of that challenge by Jehovah God, made the issue plain and clear-cut. The Devil contended that he could make all men curse God, could prevent all men from maintaining their integrity toward God, and thus prove that God is not the Supreme Being. (Job 2: 4-7) The Devil claimed that he could defeat the purpose of Jehovah to “fill the earth” with a righteous people; and in order to prove the Devil a liar in the eyes of all creatures that shall live forever God permitted the Devil to try his hand. God fixed a time limit and has permitted the Devil to go the limit in his endeavor to prove his wicked challenge. God declared that he would permit the Devil to remain and continue in order that God might in his own due time, as he stated, ‘Show thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.’ (Ex. 9:16, Leeser) Such is the Scriptural reason for the apparent delay of the coming of God’s kingdom. The birth of sinful men, their death and resurrection in sufficient numbers to “fill the earth”, has nothing whatsoever to do with the apparent delay of the coming of the kingdom. Now the time is about due for Jehovah God to show the Devil and all others that He is supreme, that his power is beyond resistance, and immediately preceding the demonstration of his limitless power Jehovah God causes his name to be declared in all the earth, which testimony is given by those faithful persons whom God has taken out of the world for his name’s sake. By far the greater number of persons that have ever lived on the earth have been and are presumptuous and self-willed and constantly have defamed God’s holy name. Is it at all reasonable to conclude that such shall be brought forth in the resurrection and be permitted to live on the earth and have anything to do with fulfilling the divine command? The scriptures concerning this say: “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. ’ ’ (2 Pet. 2:12; Jude 10) Those who defame God’s name, as it is written, have “no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity’’. (Eccl. 3: 19) God does not force life upon any man, but, on the contrary, ‘life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ’ and to those only who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and serve God. Those who do not believe on the Lord shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on them. (Rom. 6: 23; Acts 4:12; John 3: 35, 36) Therefore the claim made that the coming of the kingdom has been delayed in order to permit a sufficient number of people to be born to “fill the earth’’ during the resurrection is entirely without reason and with no Scriptural authority or support thereof whatsoever.

21 The deluge of waters resulted in the destruction of all flesh on the earth aside from Noah and his immediate family, and that deluge was an expression of the wrath of Jehovah God on those who were condemned to die. Even though such people had not been sentenced to death, yet they had added to their inherited condemnation by willfully disdaining and spurning the word of God and refusing to hear his warning that God had sent to them through Noah, and by their willfully joining the Devil in reproaching the name of Almighty God. Without any question of doubt that deluge was a type of Armageddon; and Armageddon, with its world-wide destructive forces, will likewise be an expression of the wrath of Jehovah God against all persons, not only by reason of being condemned to death by inheritance, but by having added to that condemnation by willingly going after the Devil and willfully reproaching the name of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. Such have knowingly and willfully disregarded and spurned, and today continue to disregard and spurn, the word of God and the warning of Jehovah which he sends to them through his witnesses. The deluge was typical, and Armageddon, in its great destruction there to be wrought, will constitute the fulfillment of that type.

22 Furthermore the prophetic picture shows God’s provision for those who escape the wrath of Armageddon, and who find protection and complete safety under the Lord’s organization. At God’s command Noah built the ark, and into that ark Noah and his family entered and were there completely hidden, shielded and protected and were safe from the devastation wrought by the deluge, and there remained and were safely carried over the flood; and that was a figure of baptism, as so stated in the Scriptures. (1 Pet. 3: 20, 21) In fulfillment of that part of the prophetic picture Christ Jesus, the Greater-than-Noah, at God’s command has builded the capital organization of Jehovah God, pictured by the ark and into which the faithful must be immersed, dipped and submerged out of sight of and completely separated from the Devil’s organization, and for that reason they are no longer a part of this world. Inside or under the protection of Jehovah’s organization such faithful ones may be safely carried through that expression of God’s wrath at the battle of Armageddon. (Zeph. 2: 1-4) This was all made possible by the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead that he might live and be the vindicator of Jehovah and do the work of saving the obedient ones. The spirit of God having put this truth into Peter’s mind, he under inspiration wrote: “An ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons were carried safely through the water. And immersion, a representation of this, now saves us; (not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the seeking of a good conscience towards God,) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”–1 Pet. 3: 20, 21, Diaglott.

23 Such protection was likewise pictured at the time Israel crossed the Red Sea, concerning which it is written in the Scriptures for the benefit of the people on earth who live and serve Jehovah God, to wit: “For I wish you not to be ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and that all were immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and that all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank [water] from a spiritual Rock which followed them; (but the Rock was the Anointed).” – 1 Cor. 10: 1-4, Diag.

24 Those who followed Moses through the waters of the Red Sea and under the canopy of the cloud overhead were thus “baptized unto Moses” in the sea and the cloud and were thus protected from the expression of God’s wrath against the Egyptians, representing the Devil’s organization. Likewise those who followed Noah into the ark and remained there were hidden or immersed and thereby baptized unto Noah. Both Moses and Noah pictured The Christ, the royal organization of Jehovah God. Therefore even the Jonadabs at this present time experience the baptism unto the Greater Noah, Christ Jesus. Coming under the protection of the organization of Christ Jesus, the “other sheep” now find shelter, and if they continue there to seek righteousness and meekness, rendering themselves in obedience unto the Lord, they have the promise of deliverance from the wrath of God at Armageddon. True, the Jonadabs are not counted members of the organization, but their protection and safety is from Jehovah God by and through his organization of which Christ Jesus is the Head. As the Red Sea brought destruction upon the Devil’s representatives, who were pursuing the Israelites, and there the Israelites had protection by reason of being baptized unto Moses; so likewise the deluge of waters destroyed those who reproached God and opposed Noah, and the ark furnished protection and safety to them from the disaster wrought by the flood. That baptism, which provided safety and salvation for some and destruction for others, appears to be referred to by the words of John to those who came to him for baptism, to wit: “He [Christ] that cometh after me is mightier than I, ... he shall baptize you with the holy [spirit] and with fire.” (Matt. 3:11, 12) The “fire” baptism evidently refers to the fire of Armageddon, which immersion will be the destruction of all of the Devil’s organization, and protection to those who find refuge in Jehovah’s organization. That fire will be a time of tribulation such as the world has never known; and never again will it occur, because it will completely destroy the wicked.

25 Thus it is seen that the theory of universal protection and salvation is entirely without Scriptural support. Universal salvation, without any question of doubt, is a trick or ruse of the wicked one, Satan, to deceive and turn men away from God. The wrath of God, as expressed at the deluge, was against the wicked, and from that wrath the righteous were protected. The wrath of God at Armageddon is an expression against those who defame and reproach the name of Jehovah God, and who support the Devil, and God furnishes protection only to those who joyfully obey and serve him, and these find refuge in Christ Jesus; and salvation is for none other, because it is written plainly in the Word of God: ‘All the wicked God will destroy’ (Ps. 145:20); and furthermore, ‘They that believe not on Christ Jesus, upon them the wrath of God abideth.’–John 3: 35, 36.

26 That surely does not mean that such will be resurrected and in any manner used by the Lord to “fill the earth”. God makes clear the way and shows that it is his purpose to give protection and salvation only to those who worship him in spirit and in truth and who therefore demonstrate their love for him by joyfully obeying his commandments.

27 The destruction of the flood having ended, Noah and his family came forth from the ark and all of them together joined in offering of “burnt offerings on the altar” unto the Lord God. At that time all living human creatures joined in the united worship of Jehovah God, and that was pleasing to the Most High. (Gen. 8: 21) The human creatures that stood there were under condemnation by inheritance, and over which they had no control, whereas Adam was perfect when he willfully violated God’s law and was justly sentenced to death. The survivors of the flood, however, were counted righteous by Jehovah by reason of their faith in and obedience to God; but the ransom sacrifice was not then given and must first be made before Noah individually and the members of his family should be made perfect. All those killed in the deluge were willfully wicked because they refused to hear the warning God sent them through Noah. The declaration of Jehovah set forth in the foregoing text of Genesis 8:21 is further proof that the flood and the attending results were typical, foretelling God’s purpose to bring his wrath upon the earth by the hand of Christ Jesus and thus executing the wicked who have advanced beyond the point of inherited sin; and also that would be the last affliction upon the human race, hence “affliction shall not rise up the second time”, as God declared. (Nahum 1: 9) Armageddon will be the fulfillment of that prophetic picture and will be the expression of Jehovah’s wrath and will be the affliction that shall be upon all who are against God. It will be the greatest tribulation, never before equaled, and never again shall come to pass. – Matt. 24: 21.

CONCLUSION OF THE PICTURE

28 That the experiences of Noah and the attending circumstances of the flood constituted a prophetic picture of Armageddon is made clear by the words of divine authority set forth at Luke 17:26, 27, 30: “And as it was in the days of No'e, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that No'e entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

29 The time is just at hand when the Lord Jesus, demonstrating the power of Jehovah, will be revealed to all creation, and “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power”. (2 Thess. 1: 7-9) Did the subsiding of the flood waters mark the end of the prophetic picture? or did that which immediately followed the emerging of Noah from the ark also form a part of that prophetic drama?

30 Noah and his family were the only human creatures living at the conclusion of the flood, and they all had God’s favor and approval. The sacrifices there offered were pleasing to Jehovah; “and the Lord smelled a sweet savour [(margin) savour of rest].” That seems clearly to refer to the comfort and rest that will come when Armageddon has ended and Christ reigns in righteousness, and hence the offering of the sacrifice by Noah is a further part of the prophetic drama. It was at that time that Jehovah God repeated the mandate to “fill the earth”: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” (Gen. 9:1) The divine mandate not having been carried out as originally given, and on that occasion again stated to the men whom God counted righteous, those words of Jehovah’s mandate must also be a part of the prophetic picture foretelling his purpose and the means of carrying out his mandate to “fill the earth”. That being true, then, we may expect in this connection to gain some information as to what will be done following Armageddon to carry out that divine mandate to “fill the earth”. That mandate was given only twice, and in both instances to righteous men; first, to Adam when he was perfect and before he sinned, and, second, to Noah and his sons, whom God counted righteous by reason of their faith and obedience. It necessarily follows that the mandate must be carried out by those who are righteous in the sight of God.

31 Since the divine mandate embraced Noah and his sons, would that mean that the surviving remnant of the body of Christ, who are on the earth at the conclusion of Armageddon, should now or immediately following Armageddon put forth an effort to fulfill the divine command by bringing children into the earth? What Noah and his sons did, and the time of their so doing, may enable us to arrive at a proper answer to the foregoing question.

32 Noah lived 349 years after coming out of the ark. The record does not show that Noah brought forth or begot children after the flood. Had he raised sons following the flood that would mean that the human race would have more than three primary branches, to wit, Shemitic, Japhetic and Hamitic. The Bible record shows only these three branches of the human race. (Gen. 10: 1-32) Concerning all the patriarchs from Adam to Noah’s father Lantech, the Bible record is that after they had begotten the next one in line of descent ‘he begot sons and daughters’. (Gen. 5: 3-30) The Bible record concerning Noah and his sons is: “And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” (Gen. 5: 32) There is no Bible record that Noah had other sons than those three sons above named, either before or after the flood, and after the giving of the divine mandate to “fill the earth”. As to Noah’s three sons, the names of their children and grandchildren born after the flood, and after the restating the divine mandate, are set forth in the record to the number of seventy persons. (Gen. 10:1-32) There is a complete absence of anything in the record of any children’s being born to these three sons before the flood, and a complete absence in the record that Noah had any children after the flood. For this reason it appears that the divine mandate to “multiply and fill the earth” does not apply to the spirit-begotten ones, that is, to the remnant, but that such as were pictured by Noah, the faithful ones who inherit the kingdom with Christ Jesus, are included in and associated with Christ Jesus, “the everlasting Father,” who administers life to all who receive life after Armageddon, including those who were raised from the dead.

33 Some of the anointed remnant now on the earth have children; and suppose children are born to some of these now since the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple ? What is the status of such children, and what will be their relationship to the divine mandate concerning the filling of the earth? While it clearly appears from the Scriptures that the divine mandate to “fill the earth” does not apply to the remnant of the anointed, yet in the natural course of events some of these do multiply and bring children into the world. The solemn duty devolves upon the parents of such children to see to it that their children are properly instructed concerning Jehovah God and his kingdom under Christ Jesus. Even the laws of the world compel the parents to see to the education of their offspring. The law of God has placed a greater responsibility upon the parents. From the time the child is old enough to have some understanding and be taught, from that time forward the consecrated parents should see to it that each day the child has some instruction concerning God and his kingdom. This is an obligation laid upon them by the Lord. Children thus properly instructed until they reach the age of personal responsibility will be equipped to choose to serve God and his kingdom, and, if they do so, and if they continue to seek righteousness and meekness, they will doubtless be of the great multitude class, the “other sheep”, that will be protected and may be safely carried through Armageddon, even as Noah’s sons were carried over the flood by being under the protection of the ark.

34 Many children, because of the evil day and the power exercised by the evil one and his dupes, grow up in wickedness, refuse instruction in righteousness, and continue in wickedness. What is the status of such children, and what protection will they have during Armageddon? and what, if anything, will be their relationship to the divine mandate relative to the filling of the earth? There is but one means of salvation, and that is by faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus and by obedience to the commandments of the Lord. “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3: 36) Faith in God and in Christ Jesus is an individual matter, and those who intelligently refuse to believe and serve God and Christ Jesus are not relieved of the wrath of God, which is against all the offspring of Adam. Jehovah God’s commandment to his executioner, which commandment applies at Armageddon, is, to wit: “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women; but come not near any man [the word man here manifestly applies to both sexes] upon whom is the mark.” (Ezek. 9: 6) The flood being a type of Armageddon, it appears that in the antitype, that is, Armageddon, God makes no exception, no favor to those who refuse to believe on him and obey his commandments.

35 Of the people born and who have lived since the flood the great mass thereof have b en wicked. Today the earth is filled with violence and a very small proportion of the human race believe on and serve God and Christ Jesus. The divine mandate to multiply and “fill the earth” was never given to any of the wicked, and therefore it is not to be expected that those who died in unrighteousness would have anything to do with carrying out that mandate. There appears to be no reason why, and certainly there is no Scriptural authority to show, that God through Christ will raise out of death those who have been willfully wicked and who have spurned all knowledge concerning God and Christ Jesus, and certainly God will not permit them to have any part in carrying out the divine mandate to “fill the earth”.

36 That there will be a resurrection of the dead, “both of the just and unjust,” there is not the slightest doubt, because the Scriptures so declare. (Acts 24: 15; John 5:28, 29) But there is a clear and wide distinction between the unjust by nature and the willfully wicked or unjust who sin against the light of God shed upon his truth. All men by inheritance are unjust because born in sin. (Rom. 5: 12) But not all men are willfully wicked. The ransom sacrifice paid by Christ Jesus, faith therein, and obedience to the commandment of God, are the only possible means of becoming just. The man that dies when unjust and that has had no opportunity to learn about the ransom sacrifice and its benefits would certainly, when brought out of death, still be unjust. While unjust and unrighteous, surely that man could have no part in the fulfillment of the divine command to “multiply and fill the earth”.

37 There is certainly no Scriptural proof that every man that has lived on the earth from Adam to the kingdom will be awakened out of death. The apostle, speaking under inspiration of the spirit of God, says that there are those who “bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction”. (2 Peter 2: 1) The very purpose of the deluge was to clear off the earth the violent, wicked generation that refused to give heed to God’s warning; and that flood was a type of Armageddon. The very purpose of Armageddon is to clear off the earth a similar class of wicked ones who refuse to hear God’s warning given at the present time and who continue to defame God’s name. Such willfully wicked God declares he will destroy for ever. Why should these destroyed, wicked ones again ever exist and infest the ground and reproach God’s name? They have knowingly interfered with God’s kingdom while on the earth; and, being thus willingly and knowingly wicked, why should they be permitted to interfere with the kingdom under Christ during his millennial reign? His reign will be in righteousness and nothing shall be permitted to offend or hurt.

38 The parable of the sheep and the goats, spoken by Jesus, announced the unchangeable law of God concerning the wicked. Jehovah has raised up his watchman class, and these are made the “faithful servant” of the Lord to tell his message and to give warning to the “goats”, and this warning has been given and is being given to those “goats”. Although having been warned, they continue to oppose the kingdom and to persecute the witnesses of the Lord who proclaim the King and his kingdom. They refuse to enter the kingdom themselves, and they hinder others from entering. By their willful conduct they demonstrate that they would oppose the kingdom during the thousand-year reign of Christ. Why should they be given a second chance to show their opposition to God and to his kingdom? They have taken a positive stand against the Lord and against his kingdom now, and have entered into a conspiracy to prevent the faithful witnesses from continuing to serve God and to be a part of his kingdom. As they have demonstrated and continue to demonstrate their wickedness, the judgment of the Lord finally entered against them is this: ‘These shall go away into everlasting cutting off.’ (Matt. 25:46, Diag., interlinear) There appears to be no reason why they should be brought back. Jesus addressed a similar class of his opposers and said: “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” – Matt. 23:33.

39 Jehovah has suffered Satan to go the limit in seeking to turn men away from God’s provision for them to live. Satan has actually succeeded in turning almost all men away from God, and that particularly applies to those now on the earth. Such persons have taken their permanent stand against God and have aligned themselves on the side of the Devil, and these are certain to suffer destruction at Armageddon. But that will not at all hinder God from carrying out fully and completely his announced purpose to “fill the earth”. God’s Word is true and must stand: “It shall not return unto [him] void,” but must and shall accomplish his purpose. Says Jehovah: “I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isa. 55: 11; 46: 11) But how will he do it? Do the Scriptures now reveal to God’s devoted people how Jehovah can and how he will perform his mandate to multiply and “fill the earth”?

(To be continued)

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY

¶ 1. For what purpose did Jehovah create the earth? What assurance is there that such purpose will be accomplished?

¶ 2. Under what conditions will Jehovah’s command to “fill the earth” be carried out?

¶ 3. In view of that mandate, given to Adam and Eve when perfect, account for the present condition of mankind.

¶ 4. Why would not the resurrection of the dead fulfill that divine mandate?

¶ 5. What is the purpose of the prophetic dramas recorded in God’s Word? Could the divine mandate here considered be carried out under present conditions, and why?

¶ 6. What purposes were served by the flood?

¶ 7. What became of all the creatures affected by the flood? To whom did God give the command to “fill the earth”, and why to those only?

¶ 8. Why is it important that this prophetic picture be given consideration at this time? Whom did Lantech and Noah picture, and how?

¶ 9. In what facts is it seen that Noah was pleasing to God?

¶ 10. How do the flood and the acceptable offering thereafter made by Noah fit in the picture?

¶ 11. When and from what will the earth be at rest as stated at Isaiah 14: 7?

¶ 12. Account for Lamech’s calling this son’s name Noah.

¶ 13. The number of years of Lantech’s life is of what significance?

¶ 14. What is foreshown in the fact that it was a long time after the birth of Noah, and but a short time before the flood, that Noah’s sons were born?

¶ 15. Account for the angels’ procedure, before the flood, in taking wives of the daughters of men. Up to the flood, to what extent had the Devil accomplished his purpose, and why?

¶ 16. Why did Jehovah send the flood?

¶ 17. The building of the ark, the bringing of the flood, and the great destruction wrought, were for what purpose?

¶ 18. Noah and his family pictured whom, and how? What was pictured by the flood and the devastation it wrought? Account for so long a period of time from the flood to the coming of the King and the kingdom.

¶ 19. Is it reasonable or Scriptural to hold that the coming of the kingdom was delayed for the purpose of providing population sufficient to “fill the earth”, and why?

¶ 20. Point out the Scriptural reason for the apparent long delay of the coming of God’s kingdom. What is the purpose of the testimony now being given by God’s people?

¶ 21. Compare the situation in Noah’s day with that of the present time, as justifying both the flood and Armageddon.

¶ 22. How was the preservation of Noah and his family a figure of baptism?

¶ 23, 24. Explain the prophetic picture provided at the time Israel crossed the Red Sea, as referred to at 1 Corinthians 10: 1-4 and Matthew 3:11, 12, and whether the Jonadabs also are included therein.

¶ 25, 26. What does this prophetic picture show as to who will find protection and salvation?

¶ 27. How could Jehovah deal with Noah and his family and accept their offering, they being imperfect? Of what is Jehovah's declaration recorded at Genesis 8:21 a further proof?

¶ 28. What light hereon is seen in the record at Luke 17: 26, 27, 30?

¶ 29. Why is it important that this prophetic picture be understood at this time?

¶ 30. What took place immediately after the flood? and why does this seem clearly to be a further part of the prophetic picture?

¶ 31. To whom, after the flood, did God give the mandate to “fill the earth”? and how may we know who will fulfill that command?

¶ 32. How does the record show whether the spirit-begotten ones, the remnant, will have part in carrying out this mandate?

¶ 33. In relation to this mandate, what is the status of the children of the anointed remnant? What great responsibility now rests upon the parents of such children, and why?

¶ 34. In relation to Armageddon and a part in the fulfillment of the divine command here being considered, what is the status of children that refuse or ignore instruction in righteousness?

¶ 35. What is the position of the wicked, of the past or of the present time, in relation to having part in fulfillment of this mandate?

¶ 36. Who are the unjust, and what is their position in relation to having a part in fulfilling this command?

¶ 37. Explain whether it is reasonable to conclude that the knowingly and willingly wicked will be present during Christ’s millennial reign.

¶ 38. What instruction hereon is seen in the parable of the sheep and the goats?

¶ 39. To what extent has Satan succeeded, and how has that been possible? Does this affect God’s carrying out his purpose to “fill the earth”, and why?

“HAILSTONES”

JEHOVAH’S archenemy, Satan, pursues a foolish course. That way he has gone from the day of his revolt against his Maker. Likewise the clergy of “Christendom” and the principal ones of their flocks have been foolish. The “evil servant” (Matt. 24:48-51) is in the same class. Today, as always, their combined efforts are turned to lull the people to sleep and quietness. They have failed to warn the people of the impending disaster. They have not ‘barked’, as does the dog that faithfully serves. (Isa. 56:10) The nations of “Christendom” have built up the League of Nations, which is the makeshift of the Devil and falsely claimed to represent God’s kingdom. They expect this League of Nations to protect them against the day of God’s wrath. It may not be said that the “evil servant” class supports the League of Nations; but they do oppose the witnessing of the truth which exposes the League of Nations and all other parts of the Devil’s organization, and thereby the “evil servant” becomes the ally, the comforter and supporter, of those who have brought forth the makeshift for the kingdom of God, and the Lord classes them all together.

All these would lull the people to sleep, and therefore Jehovah speaks to them emphatically through his prophet Ezekiel: “Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter.” – Ezek. 13:10.

In Ezekiel’s day “the wall”, mentioned by this prophet, was evidently King Zedekiah’s league with Egypt against Babylon, made at the expense of breaking his oath with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. (2 Chron. 36:11-14; Ezek. 17:15-20) But that league did not serve to maintain peace nor to protect the nation of Israel against God’s wrath. (Jer. 36:31; 37: 5-11) In this day the League of Nations is builded up by “Christendom” as a wall to protect against war and to establish peace; but that League of Nations, the Devil’s makeshift, will not serve as a means of peace for the world as against God’s wrath. - Lam. 2:14.

Ezekiel tells of an untempered mortar used to plaster or cement the walls together. Any mortar or cement used to bind the league between Israel and Egypt necessarily would be “untempered”, because the Jews had nothing in common with the Egyptians, and there was no love between them. Selfish interests are never a true and enduring binder between peoples. Likewise cement or mortar employed to bind together the nations in the League of Nations, because of the selfishness existing in all of them, can never be an enduring binder. Therefore says the prophet Ezekiel: “Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.” (Ezek. 13:11) Such is exactly the message which God’s messengers are now commanded to declare and announce, and which has been and is now being announced concerning the League of Nations. (Isa. 8:9-12) The commercial and political elements of “Christendom” have builded up the League of Nations as a wall for their protection, and the clergy endorsed the same and plastered it over with their palaver, claiming that it represents God’s arrangement. The clergy declare peace and safety for the people, contrary to the Word of God, as though they were covering the wall with an additional plaster of protection, but which shall fall off shortly.

Jehovah God, through his Executive Officer leading his great army, will destroy their wall and all parts of their organization, pictured by the city. A shower of prophetic truth is now dashing against the untempered mortar and washing it away. That shower will then develop into a hailstorm and, as elsewhere prophesied, “every [hail] stone about the weight of a talent,” which will fully expose hypocritical “Christendom”. (Rev. 16:21) Added to the rain and hailstorm comes the wind, the great trouble, and causes the wall of “Christendom” to completely collapse and fall. “So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter [cemented together with selfishness], and bring it down to the ground [foundation], so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered [laid open, disclosing Satan, revealed and exposed as the author or founder of it], and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I am [Jehovah].” (Ezek. 13:14) This is conclusive proof that the fall of “Christendom” will be the result of God’s righteous indignation expressed against it. It is his battle, and he will fight it to complete victory, and his name shall be vindicated: “Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter; and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it.” - Ezek. 13:15.

The clergy of “Christendom” insisted on injecting themselves into the League of Nations and making known to the world that they had visions of peace. Therefore says Jehovah’s prophet: “To wit, the prophets of Israel, which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith Jehovah God.” (Ezek. 13:16) The Federation of Churches of “Christendom” at the time issued a statement containing these words: “The church can give a spirit of good will, without which no League of Nations can endure.” This is tantamount to saying that with the church the League of Nations will endure. Neither the League of Nations nor “organized Christianity” shall endure. Both, being of Satan’s organization, shall completely perish.

It was in 1919 that the Federation of Churches of the United States issued a paper endorsing the League of Nations as the political expression of God’s kingdom on earth. In that same year the Congress of the United States enfranchised women, and this act was ratified by such legislators in 1919 and early in 1920. Note that this was after the World War had ended and Satan had been cast out of heaven and had begun to prepare his forces for Armageddon. (Rev. 12:12; 16:13-16) The women of America in particular began to compete with the men as prophets of peace and to have a part in guiding and dictating the policies and political operations of “Christendom”. Since then they have wielded a great influence in the church organizations and in the councils of state. God foreknew this, to be sure, and caused his prophet Ezekiel to write concerning them: “Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them.” – Ezek. 13:17.

The church congregations of “Christendom” are attended chiefly by women, and women have much to do with the policy thereof. In many of the church organizations women occupy the pulpit and preach and prophesy. The numerous women’s clubs have become a part of the political and religious organizations of “Christendom”. These female prophets make a display of human foresight and prudence. They wield a powerful influence over the men. Politicians and political clergymen among men no longer dare to speak in plain terms of women’s proper place in the church or in the home, for fear of losing political influence and support.

The women make monkeys or dupes of men. The men have become effeminate, soft and easily influenced, and have lost their real manhood and sturdiness in the affairs of state and home. For instance, when men are sitting at a table and a woman approaches, all the men rise and pay her homage and thereby elevate her to a place above men. The men remove their hats upon entering an elevator, if a woman is present; and these things are said to be acts of respect and chivalry and to show that a man is a gentleman. But it is subtle, and the real meaning is much different from that. It is a scheme of Satan to turn men away from God and from his announced rule of the proper position of man and woman. The Lord has declared that no effeminate man shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. (1 Cor. 6:9) This proves that the scheme or habit of paying homage to women is not of God, but from the great enemy of God. It is a veneer of being a proper thing, and therefore it is more subtle than otherwise.

CURSE OF VENGEANCE

JEHOVAH wrote his judgments long in advance of the time of execution, and now he discloses the meaning thereof to his anointed ones and sends forth the anointed to make announcement of the same. Jehovah’s witnesses are severely criticized because of their plainness of speech in declaring the vengeance of Jehovah against Satan’s organization. The clergy and their allies, including the “evil servant” class, say that these witnesses should be prevented from “slandering the other religions”. They should know that the remnant of Jehovah’s anointed ones represent no “religion”, but that they do represent the Lord God. Those who claim to be of the truth but who oppose the witness work of the Lord now in progress on earth say that such criticism of Satan’s organization is needless and wrong. The faithful will not be at all disturbed by such adverse criticism, but will see that Jehovah makes it obligatory upon his witnesses to cry out the declaration of his vengeance, serving notice upon the enemy and warning those who desire to learn the way of righteousness.

The prophet Zechariah, in the fifth chapter of the prophecy bearing his name, records a vision of a flying roll. He writes: “Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.” (Verses 1, 2) A roll is a written record. (Ezra 6:2) What Zechariah saw was a record of Jehovah’s judgment against the enemy. (5: 3) One side of the record is leveled against thieves, and the other side against liars. It is not stored away in some musty vault, but is flying like an airplane, swiftly to its destination. “As the swallow in her flying, so the curse that is causeless [undeserved (Leeser)] alighteth not,” so states Proverbs 26:2. (A.R.V.) But here there is a good and sufficient cause; hence the curse comes swiftly. It is a message written in God’s Word, called “the volume [roll] of the book”, at Psalm 40: 7. To help Zechariah, now the remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses, to discern the meaning thereof, Jehovah gives ‘seeing eyes’, that is, understanding. – Prov. 20:12.

The measure of the “roll” in the prophecy is shown to be fifteen by thirty feet, which is a great size for a record. It was unrolled and spread out flat; otherwise it could not have been measured on both sides. The dimensions therefore are the same as those of the area of “the holy” in the tabernacle which God instructed Moses to build in the wilderness for the worship of Jehovah God. (Ex. 40: 17-28) These dimensions, therefore, suggest that the message of the roll applies particularly to all who profess to be representatives of God in the land of "Christendom”.

A curse is a solemn and irrevocable declaration of what shall be the fate of those who deliberately violate God’s law. The “flying roll”, written on both sides, contains a message of God’s vengeance against covenant-breakers. Zechariah (5:3) goes on to say: “Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut oft as on that side according to it.” It could not go forth over the face of the earth until after the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple for judgment work, which coming took place in the spring of A.D. 1918 according to the prophecies and the physical facts in fulfillment thereof. (Mal. 3:1-3) The facts show that the curse began to go forth over the face of the whole earth in 1922, when according to Revelation 16: 1 there was a “great voice out of the temple”, saying to the seven angels or deputies of the Lord: ‘Go forth, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the whole earth. ’

The religious element of “Christendom” assume to be in a covenant with Jehovah God because of their taking the name of Christ and pretending to rely upon God’s Word. This particularly applies to the clergy, who have stolen the Word of God and taken away the key of knowledge concerning the kingdom of God. (Luke 11: 52) Concerning them Jeremiah 23: 30 declares: ‘‘Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets [false preachers], saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.” The curse of the “flying roll” is against such thieves.

The clergy and their allies in “Christendom” have “transgressed the laws [of God, and] broken the everlasting covenant”. “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and a few men left.’’ Thus reads the prophecy of Isaiah 24: 5, 6. Malachi 4:5, 6 also prophesies of this curse. The clergy have turned many people away from God, as David’s unfaithful son Absalom did, who stole the hearts of the people; and this they have done in order to serve the Devil. – 2 Sam. 15:6.

The curse is also against the class that the Scriptures call the “evil servant”, the “man of sin”, “the son of perdition.” (Matt. 24:48-51; 2 Thess. 2:3) These have deliberately stolen away from God’s organization the weaker ones and turned them into the Devil’s company. This agrees with Deuteronomy 24: 7: “If a man be found stealing [away from God’s organization] any of his brethren of the children of [spiritual] Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die.” This prophecy, which is a part of the covenant God made with Israel in the land of Moab, applies specifically to those who have responded to God’s call to his kingdom under Christ, and this is emphasized by the fact that the kingdom covenant was foreshadowed by the covenant made in Moab. (See Deuteronomy 1:5; The Watchtower 1933, page 163.) At 2 Peter 2: 3 it is written:

“Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you.’’ The “evil servant” class has formed a partnership with the clergy in opposing the message of God’s kingdom, and this is in fulfillment of Psalm 50: 18 and Proverbs 29: 24. The curse pronounced against such thieves is destruction.

This curse Christ Jesus pronounces when at the temple for judgment. (Mal. 3: 5) According to the curse of the “flying roll”, “every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.” (5: 3) ‘False swearers’ are those who have made a covenant to do the will of God and then willingly violate it. (Ps. 24:4; Lev. 19:12) False swearers have been warned by the Lord. (Eccl. 8:2) It is wicked for one to practice religion that ignores Jehovah God; but when men claim to worship Jehovah and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and use such as a cloak for their hypocrisy, that is gross wickedness. The religion mislabeled “Christianity” or “Christendom” was adopted by the seventh world power foretold in Bible prophecy, as its religion, and for centuries the clergy of “organized Christianity” have hypocritically posed as the teachers of God’s Word, have lied to the weaker ones as well as to others, and have used the texts of the Scriptures as a camouflage for their crookedness, and by this means have turned the people away from God. They well know that they have sworn falsely. Likewise those who have entered into a covenant to do God’s will, and responded to his call for the kingdom, and who now oppose the proclamation of the message of the kingdom, have sworn falsely before Jehovah God. The curse will visit the habitations of these wicked ones, just as certainly as that the angel of the Lord visited each house in Egypt, slaying the firstborn of the Egyptians, and delivering the children of Israel. – Ex. 12: 23, 29.

Zechariah (5:4) continues with reference to the curse: “I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. ’ ’ The curse will locate the wrongdoers where- ever they are, even though they may say, Who seeth us? Jehovah leaves no way of escape for them. The message of the curse reaches them by radio, telephone, and sound transcription machines, and in printed form, and goes into their hiding places and sweeps away ‘the hiding place of lies’. The fact that the prophet says that ‘the curse shall remain in the midst of their house ’ shows that they are incorrigibly wicked and will be destroyed.–Jer. 23: 29.

PARENTS

JEHOVAH GOD commands: “Honour thy father and thy mother.” (Ex. 20:12) He did not command that the father should be excluded. Every good man loves his wife, his mother and his sisters, and is kind and considerate to all women; but that does not mean that he should put women in a place contrary to the expressed will of God. In the church of God the man represents Christ the Head, while the woman pictures the bride of Christ, that is submissive to the Head. The divine rule is this: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”–1 Cor. 11: 3; Eph. 5: 23-25.

Satan would reverse this rule and put the women to the front.

Satan begins his reform work by first deceiving and misleading the women, and then appeals to the so-called “gentlemanly” qualities of man to submit to his subtle scheme. The modern practice of putting women to the fore in the affairs of religion and in the councils of state has much to do with destroying the sacredness of the home and with turning men away from God. Thus Satan has deceived and led the men and women in the wrong way, in order to turn them away from Jehovah God.

Let it always be kept in mind that the policy of Satan is to turn the people away from the Creator, and to accomplish his purposes he uses divers and numerous schemes, many of which on the face of them seem to be entirely right and proper. Let it also be remembered that the father represents Jehovah, from whom comes every good thing, while the mother represents God’s organization, used for his good purposes and to his glory. (Isa. 54:5; 66:8; Ps. 50:20) Satan would turn the people away from this beautiful symbol, and therefore from God, and cause them to disregard the Word of Jehovah. This he does in a very subtle way by organizing what in England and in America, the chief countries of “Christendom”, is called. “Mother’s Day”. This day began to be observed in England, in 1913. That same year the United States Congress, by resolution, made the second Sunday in May of each year a national holiday, “dedicated to the memory of the best mother in the world, your mother.” That sounds nice, and on the face of it looks nice; but is it sincere? and what is the real purpose thereof? Do the men of England and America love their mothers better since 1914 than they did before? Certainly not. Is it true that every man’s mother is the “best mother in the world” ? Everyone knows that is not true.

The so-called “Mother’s Day” was observed in America first in 1914, the very year that Satan’s world ended and when he knew his time was short to get ready for Jehovah’s great battle at Armageddon. To induce the people to bestow special honor and worship upon mothers would be one step toward turning the people away from the worship of God; and this is one of his means of preparing for the battle at Armageddon. In all the churches today much is made over “Mother’s Day”, but in not a single one of them are the people ever told that God is the Father, and that the “mother” is his organization, and that all honor and worship are due to Jehovah God. On the contrary, the men of “Christendom” are taught to pay their honor to creatures, and not to the Creator; and this by the clergymen, whose duty and obligation is to teach the people the truth of God’s Word.

On the face of it the arrangement of “Mother’s Day” seems harmless and calculated to do good. But the people are in ignorance of Satan’s subtle hand in the matter, and that he is back of the movement, to turn the people away from God. The slogan is: “The best mother who ever lived”; the purpose being to establish creature worship, or at least to divert the attention of man from the proper worship of God. There have been many good mothers of men, and many bad ones. Not every man has the best mother that ever lived; and therefore the slogan is false. The woman that dishonors Jehovah God and blasphemes his name is not a good woman, regardless of how many children she may bear; whereas some of her children may be faithful servants of God. The good mother is the one who serves and honors Jehovah God and teaches her children to do likewise, and who renders her proper motherly duties in the home. Real men have great respect and great love for such mothers, but their worship is given to Jehovah God.

Neither the man nor the woman should be worshiped for doing right, because such doing of right is their duty. Creature worship of any kind is wrong and an abomination in the sight of God. – Luke 16:15.

In “Christendom” men have formed the habit of quoting their mothers as authority for their course of action and of utterly ignoring God’s Word. In “Christendom” the women teach and preach and prophesy in the churches, and predict and prophesy in the affairs of state concerning peace and war. The women are seducing and misleading men, cause them to mix politics and religion, and often compromise their duty toward God in order to comply with the rules of this unrighteous world. Such is “fornication” in the Scriptural meaning of that term. “Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which call- eth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” (Rev. 2:20) Such is contrary to God’s rule. “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”–1 Tim. 2:12.

The purpose of here mentioning women is not to ridicule or to speak unkindly of them. There are good women wholly devoted to God and who are rendering good and faithful service unto him. Likewise there are men wholly devoted to God and serving him. But neither the man nor the woman is to be honored and worshiped for such. The husband should love and treat kindly his wife and his mother; the woman should love and respect her husband, and the mother her children. But if all are devoted to the Lord and follow his advice, they will dwell together in peace and do good and honor God. When men and women follow the Devil’s subtle scheme, they turn away from God; and the farther they go, the more trouble they get into. The purpose of calling attention to these matters here, and to the practices in “Christendom”, is to show that such is a fulfillment of God’s prophecy, and that the people might understand why “Christendom” is blaspheming Jehovah God and why she has turned wholly to Satan.

Foreknowing these conditions would exist at the end of the world in particular, God directed Ezekiel to prophesy: “Thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature, to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?” (Ezek. 13:18) The “pillows” (oracle cases, according to Rotherham) were cases made of skin in which to keep oracular images or sayings. These were doubtless worn for the purpose of openly showing them off or designating the women as prophetesses, and thus they made a profession of prophecy out of the pretenses of prophesying. “Will ye . . . save souls alive for yourselves?” (R. V.) “Will ye hunt the souls of my people, that ye may keep your own soul alive ?” (Leeser) By their prophesying they hunt simpletons or “suckers” who are not guided by the Word of God but by the wiles of the prophetesses. These seek not the welfare of the people, but their own selfish ends. They make prophecy a selfish, paying business, and do not render their service to God. They have no interest in God’s kingdom, and know nothing about it; their interest is in self and a self-organization. It is well known that such are the conditions that exist today in “Christendom”, particularly in the religious organizations.

These prophetesses teach not the Word of God, but mislead the people and induce them to trust in the wisdom and the political and religious predictions of the preachers, male and female, thereby pointing them to the way of death; and this they do for hire. Concerning such the prophet says: “And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?”  – Ezek. 13:19.

These prophetesses, because they profess the Word and name of God arid tell lies to the people, deserve not to live; yet they keep themselves alive by their wrongful practice and by the blaspheming of God’s name. For this reason the prophetess is no better than the male member of the profession who prophesies falsely and concerning whom it is written: “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”–Jer. 6:13,14.

Jehovah then directs Ezekiel to pronounce his judgment against these false teachers and to say to them that God is against them and their false prophecies. He declares that he will destroy their outward pretenses of their professions and will expose their hypocrisy and deliver the people from their influence. (Ezek. 13:20,21) The lies told to the people by these false prophets and prophetesses have made sad those who love righteousness: “Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.” (Ezek. 13:22) The clergymen have turned to wickedness, and the principal ones of their flocks and the leaders of big business and big politics have followed them in the same wrongful course; and the prophetesses condone the wicked deeds of these men by holding them up before the people as favorites of God, and thus falsely promise life to such wrongdoers. Because they have claimed to represent Jehovah God and have not declared his judgments and the day of his vengeance, their blood is required at their hands, and all of them shall go down together, and their wicked practices shall for ever disappear.

LETTERS

DECLARE UNFALTERING ALLEGIANCE

Dear Brother Rutherford:

At the recent service assembly at Brantford, Ontario, the assembled brethren had the great privilege of hearing your lecture “Violence” on phonograph recordings. Immediately upon completion of the series it was moved, and seconded, that the enclosed letter be forwarded to you. All were enthusiastic and unanimous in adopting the same. It is with much pleasure, therefore, that, as chairman of the assembly, I now send this expression to you.

LETTER

Dear Brother Rutherford:

Gathered in assembly here in Brantford, Ontario, upward of 250 of your brethren and fellow witnesses for Jehovah send greetings. Having just heard your thrilling lecture “Violence” we want to declare our unfaltering allegiance to Jehovah, his King and his Kingdom, and our determination to push forward with you shoulder to shoulder in the proclamation of these vital truths by means of phonographs and records and all other instruments provided by Jehovah. We heartily concur in your bold protest against the Roman Hierarchy’s Goddishonoring racket. We are with you to the end in your fearless stand against the Devil’s masterpiece, the great monstrosity which now arrogantly struts its stuff.

Receive, too, dear brother, the expression of our love for you in your faithful service of the kingdom interests. From this time forward we are, by the Lord’s grace, going to pray and strive constantly for the peace and prosperity of the true Jerusalem.

With joy and gladness do we thus declare ourselves, and remain

Your fellow soldiers in the army of Jehovah of Hosts.

WHAT A PRIVILEGE!

Dear Brother Rutherford:

A brief note of appreciation for the privilege of kingdom service here in Marseilles (France), where the witness is given daily in many languages by the literature and gramophone; for in this city of a million inhabitants one hears spoken nearly all the languages of earth.

The special period of three months’ service has just ended, resulting in placements beyond expectations, and many new subscribers have been enrolled for the French Consolation.

The witness is made in the face of continued opposition on the part of the priests of the Papal system. These priests have had for centuries and still have a dominating grip on the French people; and particularly is this so in the south of France, resulting in a condition of gross ignorance concerning Jehovah’s purposes, and the people are either steeped in superstition or are completely atheist; and so the Devil has well done his work of reproaching the name and honor of Jehovah.

It appears from a little review of history that Marseilles was established some centuries B.C. by the Phoenicians having an interchange of commerce with the cities of Tyre and Sidon, and was flourishing as a maritime city about the time that Nineveh was having its witness from God’s prophet. In the passing of the centuries Nineveh, Tyre and Sidon have long since gone into the dust of oblivion, but Marseilles remains still to have its witness at the end of Satan’s world.

What a privilege, then, to be able to witness for the same great God that commissioned Jonah and all the prophets and, by the food the Lord provides, to be able to live in the atmosphere of the kingdom from day to day oneself!

It is not necessarily the people who have the greatest privileges that appreciate most the Truth, but, as the scripture says, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Who, then, may deny the possibility that these cities and countries where priestcraft has so long kept the people in darkness and where the Scriptures are practically unknown may yet produce many of the “great multitude”? Have we not an outstanding example of this very thing at Paris, where so many people of good will have quit the Devil's religion, have sought refuge in Jehovah’s organization and are now with great zeal actually carrying the life-giving message to others?

A number of public meetings have recently been held in the city, and a little company has already been organized for the study of The Watchtower.

The recent fine series of articles appearing in the Tower are much appreciated and have been a real stimulus in carrying on the work.

May the Lord bless your efforts, dear Brother Rutherford, in standing square for his truth and against his enemies.

As a cowitness I rejoice to be able, by His grace, to take a stand for the truth with you and with all those who love Jehovah and his Son Christ Jesus.

Our little company of witnesses at Marseilles joins with greetings of love in the Lord.

Your brother in kingdom service,

Ellis Houghton, Pioneer.