Instruction (Part 1) № 7

INSTRUCTION

(PART 1)

“Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life.” – Proverbs 4:13.

JEHOVAH provides a complete course of instruction for all who are teachable. A meek person is one who desires to be taught the right way and who is diligent in seeking true information. To such Jehovah’s unfailing promise is: ''The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.” (Ps. 25: 9) To begin to receive instruction and to acquire true knowledge one must fear Jehovah God. that is to say, greatly desire to have Jehovah’s approval and be fearful that such approval might not be granted. (Prov. 1: 7) “What man is he that fear- eth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.” – Ps. 25: 12, 13

2 True instruction proceeds not from man, but from Jehovah, the Almighty God. Men assume to be instructors, but their instruction and words of supposed wisdom are only foolishness in the sight of God. (1 Cor. 1:20-27) Jehovah God is the Fountain of life and is therefore the Father, or Life-giver, of all who shall have and enjoy everlasting life. (Ps. 36:9) His organization is revealed under the name of “Zion”, his “woman”, or the one who nurtures the children of life. Jehovah grants life by and through Zion, over which Christ Jesus is the Head and the Chief Executive Officer of Jehovah: ’And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isa. 54: 13) The teachers of persons who seek true knowledge are Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. The present is the time or day when the great Teachers, Jehovah and Christ Jesus, are giving instruction to those who are seeking the true and right way. “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.” – Isa. 30:20.

3 Jehovah gives instruction by and through his Word, written by his direction and inspiration granted to his faithful servants and by them recorded in the Bible long years ago, and now at the end of the world he is pleased to make clear to those who are diligent in seeking knowledge the meaning of his prophetic Word. (Rom. 15:4) “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105) It is that sacred Word of God that makes one wise unto salvation through faith in Jehovah's Anointed One. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works '–2 Tim 3:16, 17.

4 The mission of The Watchtower is to publish Bible instruction, to aid all people of good will to learn Jehovah’s purpose toward and his provision for those who love him. “And this is life eternal, that they might know’ thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”–John 17: 3.

5 By bringing to pass and revealing the physical facts God makes known to the teachable the meaning of his prophecies written long ago in his Word. It now appears that Jehovah often uses his devoted people by permitting them to pass through certain experiences and thus to have some part in the fulfillment of his prophecy, and then later he shows them how the prophecy has been fulfilled and how his faithful people are related thereto. Such knowledge, because it proceeds from Jehovah, is pure and true, and gives great comfort and hope to those who worship Jehovah in spirit and in truth. With this issue of The Watchtower the study of the prophecy of Zephaniah is begun, which prophecy was not written by the will of man, but as Zephaniah was moved by the spirit of Almighty God. (2 Pet. 1: 21) It now clearly appears that the prophecy of Zephaniah relates to and begins to have fulfillment from and after the year 1914, when Jehovah enthroned Christ Jesus the King. Every person consecrated to do the will of God, including the remnant and the Jonathan class, should now in the fear of God pursue this series of studies with the keenest interest, because they are involved in the fulfillment of this prophecy. It discloses that the day of vindication of Jehovah’s name at Armageddon is at hand, that the battle of the great day of God Almighty is very near, and shows to everyone who hopes to receive Jehovah’s approval that he is now in need of the instruction that is contained in that prophecy. Read carefully the prophecy of Zephaniah and consider the same, together with the facts which directly relate thereto. Such careful study will give courage and hope to those who truly love and serve Jehovah and his King, Christ Jesus.

6 Zephaniah was a witness of Jehovah, and he properly gave to Jehovah all credit, honor and praise. The meaning of his name, together with the meaning of the names of his ancestors, well and fitly describes the conditions of Jehovah’s faithful witnesses on the earth from and after 1918, when Christ Jesus appeared at the temple. Jehovah’s faithful people on earth now, like Zephaniah, give all credit, honor and praise to the Almighty God and to his King Christ Jesus for the revelation and understanding of the prophecy. No man should take credit therefor, nor could he take credit therefor and be pleasing to the Lord. The prophecy is introduced with these words: “The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah.” (Zeph. 1:1) This introduction should get the instant attention of all who profess to serve Jehovah.

7 Zephaniah, the spokesman, is quick to declare that the prophecy is not of his or any other man’s origination nor is it his or any other man’s message. He takes no credit for being wise and educated so as to be able to forecast events with dependable certainty. He plainly makes known that the uttered prophecy is not man’s, but that it is the message of Almighty God sent to those who desire to be instructed. The message came to Zephaniah by inspiration, he being moved by Jehovah’s holy spirit. Since 1918 a message identical with that delivered by Zephaniah has come by and through Christ Jesus, the great Teacher at the temple, and through the written Word of Almighty God, and which message has been revealed and made clear by fulfillment of prophecy and by the leading of the Lord through his angels, with him at the temple and who act under the Lord’s instruction and direction.

MEANING OF NAMES

8 In the study of prophecy every word should be carefully considered, because there are no superfluous words written in the prophecies. It is well known by the remnant that a name given by Jehovah is of deep significance relating to a prophecy. The name “Zephaniah” means “hidden of Jehovah”. Manifestly those included in the class “hidden of Jehovah” are hidden for their own protection, and this is shown by the following scriptures. 'They [the enemies of God’s people] have taken crafty counsel against thy hidden [(Hebrew) zaphan] ones.’ (Ps. 83:3) “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock”. (Ps. 27:5) “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt keep them secretly [zaphan] in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” (Ps. 31: 20) Thus it is seen that the name “Zephaniah” exactly fits God’s faithful remnant on the earth at the time the kingdom is set up. Those faithful ones are ' The Seed' of God’s “woman”, Zion, and are the ones pictured in the symbolic scripture, to wit: “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God. and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God. that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12: 5, 6, 13, 14, 17) The life of each one of God’s faithful ones is hid with Christ Jesus. – Col. 3: 3.

9 The ancestors of Zephaniah were given specific names and manifestly were recorded in this prophecy for the enlightenment of those who are now on earth and who are of God’s devoted people. The meaning of the names of such ancestors fully supports what is above stated concerning Zephaniah. The prophet was the son of “Cushi”, which possibly means “chaos or confusion”. Zephaniah’s father was not an Ethiopian, and this gives strength to the conclusion that his name is used symbolically and refers to that class of sin-blackened ones who are brought out of darkness into the kingdom of light. All who have become God’s witnesses were ‘born in sin’ and hence sin-blackened and “were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”. (Eph 2.3) After being spirit-begotten the improper course of such brought upon them defilements during the World War and caused them to receive the disapproval of Jehovah, and hence caused them confusion. The name, therefore, well describes God’s people immediately preceding the time when the Lord came to the temple.

10 “The son of Gedaliah.” That name means “whom Jehovah has made great (or powerful)”. This meaning well applies to Jehovah’s faithful remnant after they were released from “Babylon” in 1919; as stated in Psalm 126:2, 3; “The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” The Lord has made his people his witnesses of power since 1918 in delivering his message against the entrenched forces of Babylon. The message of God, which it has been the privilege of his witnesses to deliver since that time, has exhibited a powerful force and influence against religion and hypocrisy.

11 “The son of Amariah.” That name means “said by Jehovah”, or, “whom Jehovah said (that is, promised).” Jehovah has said or designated the remnant on earth as his visible mouthpiece to declare what things he has said or promised, as published in his Word. These faithful witnesses never take credit to themselves, but always refer to their authority, to wit: “Thus saith Jehovah.” They publish the Word of God, not the word of any man. Therefore the meaning of the name Amariah well fits the course such faithful witnesses take.

12 “The son of Hizkiah [or, Hezekiah].” That name means “strength of Jehovah”; that is, “strength from Jehovah.” The remnant have no strength within themselves, but they are “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”. (Eph. 6:10) The words uttered by the prophet of God exactly apply to them, and they say: “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.” (Ps. 18: 1) “And David is stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death; and there is no sword in the hand of David.” – 1 Sam. 17:50, Young’s.

13 The message from Jehovah came to Zephaniah “in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah”. Hence Zephaniah describes the condition then found in the land of Judah and also the danger that threatened the nation as a result of that condition. That message from the Lord also foreshadowed that He would favor his faithful remnant. The message also disclosed what was coming on the nations round about Jerusalem. The name Josiah means “whom Jehovah heals”. The name suggests reformation. King Josiah's cleansing and reformation in Judah was likely the result of Zephaniah’s prophecy, the message which God sent and to which Josiah gave heed. The first chapter of the prophecy shows a special need for reformation. It appears that Zephaniah began to prophesy before Josiah began to seek the Lord, which Josiah did in the eighth year of his reign. The king was a “son of Amon”, which name is derived from the same Hebrew root word as is the word “Amen”. The word “Amon” means “architect” or “builder” as used in the following text: “Then became I [Jesus] beside him [Jehovah] a firm and sure [builder].”–Prov. 8: 30, Rotherham.

14 Zephaniah’s prophecy, being delivered during the reign of Josiah, together with the surrounding circumstances, as stated therein, seems to indicate that in this prophetic picture Josiah, the king, represented or pictured Jesus Christ after he began his reign, and that specially with reference to the remnant of his faithful followers yet on the earth, and whom he heals, approves and builds up into Zion. This would show that the prophecy began to have fulfillment after 1918 A.D., and discloses that the prophecy holds a peculiar interest for the remnant and also their “companions”, the Jonathan class. It therefore appears not only proper but advantageous in this study to take note of certain historical facts and dates, as shown by the Scriptures and which are related to the time of the reign of Josiah. The figures below, at the beginning of each sentence, refer to the date or years before Christ Jesus, to wit:

667 B.C. Josiah born to King Amon of Judah.

664 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar born to his father Nabopolassar of Babylonia.

659 B.C. Josiah, 8 years old, enthroned over Judah. Nebuchadnezzar now 5 years old. – 2 Chron. 34:1; 33: 25.

Zephaniah begins prophesying.–Zeph. 1:1.

651 B.C. Josiah begins to ‘seek the Lord’. – 2 Chron. 34:3.

647 B.C. Josiah begins to “purge Judah and Jerusalem”.–2 Chron. 34: 3-7.

646 B.C. Jeremiah begins prophesying. (Jer. 1:1, 2; 25:1-3) Nabopolassar begins ruling Babylonia, for 21 years.

641 B.C. The book of the Law is found in the temple and read to King Josiah. He celebrates the greatest Passover of Jewish history.–2 Chron 34:8-33; 35:1-19.

628 B.C. Josiah, favoring Jehovah’s executioner, Nebuchadnezzar, goes to battle against Pha-raoh-necho and is killed. Jehoahaz succeeds to the throne of Judah. – 2 Chron. 35:20-25.

After three months Jehoahaz is deposed and Jehoiakim succeeds to the throne. – 2 Chron. 36:1-5.

625 B.C. General-Prince Nebuchadnezzar defeats Pharaoh-necho at Carchemish. – Jer. 46:2.

Nebuchadnezzar succeeds Nabopolassar to the throne of Babylonia, at 40 years of age. (Jer. 25:1) He destroys Nineveh in Assyria. – Nahum 1-3.

620 B.C. King Jehoiakim of Judah comes under Nebuchadnezzar. – 2 Ki. 24:1

617 B.C. Jehoiakim rebels against Nebuchadnezzar and is killed. (Dan. 1:1, 2) Jehoiachin his son succeeds him, for three months. Then Nebuchadnezzar removes him and puts in Zedekiah as king over Judah. – 2 Ki. 24:1-19.

608 B.C. Zedekiah rebels against Nebuchadnezzar. –2 Ki. 24:17-20; 25:1.

606 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and deports Zedekiah to Babylon. – 2 Ki. 25:2-7.

582 (581) B.C. Nebuchadnezzar dies at the age of 83, after reigning for 43 years.

COMPARISON

15 It is interesting and instructive to note the comparison of events that came to pass during the reign of Josiah, and which correspond with the reign of Christ Jesus; and the relation of the activities of the remnant members of “his body” from and after the year 1919 (A.D.). Below are set out in parallel columns some of the corresponding events, to wit:

B.C.

Josiah the king:

659 Josiah enthroned. During Josiah’s reign Zephaniah prophesied.

651 Josiah, in the eighth year of his reign, began to seek Jehovah and began a work of reformation.

647 The twelfth year of Josiah’s reign he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of idolatrous worship.

A.D.

Christ Jesus the King:

1914 Christ Jesus is enthroned and sent forth to rule.

1919 Jehovah’s witnesses, released from Babylon’s organization, begin, under the direction of Christ the King, the “Elisha work”, preaching “this gospel of the kingdom”.

1922 Jehovah’s witnesses, in convention at Cedar Point, witnessed the outpouring of the holy spirit and then began their part in connection with the work of pouring out the “seven last plagues” or vials of wrath of Jehovah, even though at that time they did not understand the purpose or meaning thereof.

1926 May 1, The Watchtower published as its leading article an expose of the so-called “character development”, by which it was claimed men could make themselves perfect and ready for heaven ; and showing that such claim is wholly unscriptural, delusive, and creature worship. During that same year the following further important events took place:

May 15, The Watchtower published the article “Holiness unto the Lord”, showing the absolute necessity for uncompromising and complete devotion to Jehovah.

May 28, that year, at London, England, the convention of Jehovah's witnesses adopted the Resolution “A Testimony to the Rulers of the World”. At this point the 1335 days of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 12- 12) ended, and the period of blessedness began.

June 1, The Watchtower published the article "Sacrifice and Service”.

June 15, published the article “Sacrifice and Obedience”.

July 1, the book Deliverance was released, which was a departure from the Scripture Studies methods

August 1, The Watchtower published “The Temple of God”.

August 15, “The Servant and Service.”

February 1 and 15, following, The Watchtower published “The Son and Servant”; and, “Servant–Good and Evil,” which articles exposed the fallacy and evil effects of creature worship Surely the Lord at the temple directed these publications, for the reason that the remnant are members of his body and under his direct supervision.

646 was the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah the king, at which time Jeremiah the prophet began preaching or prophesying. That was 40 years before the fixed time for the fall of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 4:6-8)

641 This date marks the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah the king and corresponds with the year 1932 (A.D.). During that eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign the repairing of the temple progressed, and in that year the book of the law was found by the high priest Hilkiah. Shaphan read the book of the law to Josiah the king, who, upon hearing the reading thereof, humbled himself before Jehovah and received from Jehovah the promise that he would personally escape from Jerusalem’s destruction. Then King Josiah made arrangements for and held the greatest Passover in Jewish history.

1927 In the month of July, the date of the Toronto convention of Jehovah’s witnesses, there was delivered the lecture “Passing of the World Powers". (Dan. 2:35) At that same convention, and for the first time, by a nation-wide radio-broadcast, over fifty- three radio stations, also there was delivered and broadcast the lecture “Freedom for the Peoples", and at the same time the convention adopted a Resolution addressed “To the Peoples of 'Christendom’ ”. Thereafter there was published in The Watchtower in the months of October and November the aforesaid lecture and Resolution. Shortly thereafter the public witness work took on a larger scope after the Society issued for the first time a five-cent booklet containing the lecture “Freedom for the People”.

December 15 that year The Watchtower published “One Reason for God’s Vengeance”, emphasizing the breaking of the everlasting covenant concerning the sanctity of the blood of life, and pointing out how the nations had broken this covenant. According to the scripture at Revelation 16:13-16 the marching to Armageddon was then in progress.

1932 March 20, Memorial day of Jehovah’s witnesses. On that day began, by Jehovah’s witnesses, the first International Thanksgiving Testimony Period and continued for eight days.

In July the same year Vindication, Books Two and Three, were released to the public, and which books explain the Jehu-Jonadab picture, and also gave an explanation of the temple of Ezekiel’s vision.

August 15 Watchtower and September 1 Watchtower published articles on “Jehovah’s Organization.” exposing the fact that “elective elders" in the temple of God are unscriptural.

October 15, The Watchtower offers notice suggesting and indicating that ‘the sanctuary has been cleansed’. (Dan. 8:14)

November, the book Preparation was published and released to the public.

16 Such corresponding events did not come to pass by chance, nor by the design or the work of men, but certainly were directed and arranged by the Lord for his purposes. God’s people, having devoted themselves to Jehovah and his King, in harmony with Jehovah’s promise, are guided and directed by him through the Head of the temple company. Christ Jesus was enthroned in 1914 as the everlasting King over all those who praise Jehovah (that is, the spiritual house of Judah, the Judeans, which name means those who praise Jehovah) and all others who find protection under God’s organization. Those who will not praise Jehovah will be destroyed at Armageddon. The first eight years of Josiah’s reign he was a mere boy, from eight to sixteen years of age, and during that time conditions in Judah were not good. Evidently during those eight years of his boyhood reign Jehovah raised up, commissioned and sent forth Zephaniah his prophet to prophesy, and then, as the name “Josiah” means, “Jehovah healed" Josiah from his improper course of action that he had previously taken. So likewise up to A.D. 1918 Jehovah’s witnesses, serving on the earth, were not in the best condition as to the worship, service and praise of the Almighty God. There was much religion and creature-worship among them from which they must be cleansed. They needed cleansing that they might offer unto God an acceptable service. With the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple in 1918 he began the fiery work of cleansing the temple class. (Mal. 3:1-3) In the year 1918 Jehovah had raised up the approved temple class constituting the “faithful and wise servant” class, which class was foreshadowed by Zephaniah, and which class the Lord cleansed and admitted to the temple; and thereafter he has used that class, and those who continue faithful are now to look after promoting the kingdom interests on the earth. (Matt. 24: 45, 46) It is such, as a class designated by the Lord as that “faithful and wise servant” and which is made up of individuals who have continued faithful in obedience to the Lord’s command, that have carried out the work assigned to them and have done so in the name of and to the glory of the Lord. The class includes only those who are approved by the Lord at the temple judgment and who thereafter continue faithful.

17 Then Jehovah began to instruct his faithful ones by and through Christ Jesus, the Head of the temple, concerning His purpose toward the world, and this is shown by the prophecy of Zephaniah: “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord.” (1:2) According to other translators this text reads: “I will take clean away everything from off the face of the ground.” (Rotherham; Revised Version; Young) This Jehovah will accomplish at the battle of the great day of God Almighty, which battle shall be waged successfully by his great Executioner, Christ Jesus. By that battle Jehovah will clear off and take away all abominable and defiling things on the earth and will make Satan’s domain a vast desolation. This destruction particularly relates to “Christendom”. In the picture the cleansing or destructive work was extended to the nations bordering on Jerusalem. In the fulfillment of the prophecy the destructive and cleansing work will extend and relate to all the earth, and especially to “Christendom”, because it has been in “Christendom” that the greatest amount of hypocrisy has been practiced and where the greatest reproach has been cast upon the name of Jehovah God. The truth concerning Armageddon has been repeatedly and thoroughly drilled into the minds of God’s people since the coming of Christ Jesus to the temple. Thus they have been instructed what to expect.

18 Further making known his purpose to completely clean up all the earth Jehovah caused his prophet Zephaniah to prophesy thus: “I will consume [take away] man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, [I will take away] and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord.” (1:3) Prior to the coming of the Lord to the temple God’s people had understood that the battle of Armageddon would be a conflict between the radical and conservative elements of the peoples of earth. But having received instruction from the Lord since that time, by God’s grace, they have learned and now clearly see that the battle of Armageddon will be Satan’s visible and invisible organization on the one side, with Christ and his mighty host on the other, and the battle will reduce Satan’s organization to a lifeless thing without any form of life. Another prophet adds: “Yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.” (Hos. 4:3) That does not mean that every man, the lower animals, birds and fishes on the literal earth shall be wiped out. Rather the Scriptures show that every thing and every one of Satan’s organization, and which Satan uses to carry on the organization on the earth and which have been doing and do his nefarious work, shall be completely wiped out, that the earth might be clean and a fit habitation for righteous men. Concerning this the apostle Peter under inspiration wrote: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth [meaning Satan’s organization on the earth] also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.” – 2 Pet. 3. 10

19 In the sky and on the earth, and in the sea, there will no more be room for anything identified with Satan's organization. God will completely clear up the earth. Jehovah now reveals to his faithful people the meaning of his prophecies, that their courage and hope may be made strong. He makes them to understand the meaning of his declaration that he has made the earth for man, and made man for the earth (Isa. 45:12, 18), that is, that His creation of the earth is for those who faithfully serve and obey him, and that all creations that fail or refuse to obey him are wicked, and that “all the wicked will he destroy” at Armageddon. He also makes clear that then the great multitude upon the cleansed earth will, in obedience to his command and under the immediate direction of Christ Jesus, “fill the earth” with a righteous race that shall forever praise the name of and joyfully serve Jehovah, the Almighty God.

20 Then the prophet of God speaks of the stumbling-blocks. The “stumblingblocks” which have caused men to err must be taken away, and therefore Jehovah says: ‘I will take away ... the stumbling- blocks.’ What are those stumbling-blocks? Religion and religious paraphernalia, used in connection with idol worship which has been carried on in defiance of God’s plain command, constitute the chief stumbling-blocks laid in the way of men. (Ex. 20: 3-5) From the day of Nimrod onward such stumbling- blocks have been placed in the way of the peoples of the earth. This the Devil has done in defiance of Jehovah and in his effort to carry out his wicked challenge to Jehovah. Many religions have been brought forth, and the people have been induced to practice those religions. Such stumbling-blocks have reached the climax in the idolatrous religion used and practiced by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, and upon such stumbling-blocks many have stumbled and been caught in the snare of the Devil, and remaining in that snare they will be destroyed at Armageddon. Today Satan and his host of wicked spirits invade the minds of millions. Today multitudes of deceived ones are caught in that religious snare and the wicked spirits seize the mind of such individuals and induce and compel them to commit all manner of wickedness. Such multitudes of persons thus influenced, embracing and practicing religion, are now under the control of the wicked one and his horde of wicked spirit creatures, which wicked creatures operated prior to and since the deluge. Those deluded ones thus ensnared have become fanatics and are induced to call themselves by such names as “Christian Front”, “Christian Mobilizers,” and other names similar, while having and exhibiting at the same time only the spirit of the Devil, and none whatsoever of the spirit of Christ. Thus it is shown that the names they take are taken at the instance of the Devil to reproach the name of God and Christ. The Roman Catholic Action, put into operation by the Hierarchy, has laid the great stumbling-block before the people that has put fear into the minds and hearts of multitudes, deluded them, and caused them to fall into the snare or pit of the Devil. Such stumbling-blocks God declares that he will take away and destroy by the hand of Christ Jesus before or at Armageddon. These poor, deluded people are the victims of the Devil’s chief agents on earth, particularly the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. These multitudes of deluded ones have been induced by fear of men to walk directly into the snare of the Devil.

21 Money, or “the love of money” and what it brings, otherwise called “commercialism”, is another of the stumbling-blocks. Says Jehovah’s prophet, Such is ‘the stumbling-block of their lawlessness’. Having their heart fixed upon money and what it can bring, they have stumbled over the same, have been caught in the Devil’s snare, and will be destroyed at Armageddon : “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.” – Ezek. 7:19.

22 In the present way of great peril upon the earth the commercial giants are aiding and abetting the religious leaders in causing multitudes of people to stumble and to be ensnared by the Devil’s machinations. In proof of this, mark the following: The organization called the “Chamber of Commerce” is created and organized and maintained because of men’s “love of money” and the power that it gives: and which men rely upon commerce or money to accomplish their desires. That commercial element of society has become a part of the religious organization now seeking to rule and control the things of the earth. These men and women have been blinded by fear of losing what they have. Blinded by the fear of men and fear of losing control of men, the organization called the “Chamber of Commerce” is led straightway into the snare of the Devil and becomes allied with religion, and the mouthpiece of Satan, to further ensnare the unsuspecting peoples of the earth. In a statement issued by “The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York”, with offices at 65 Liberty street, New York city, the commercial district, and released to the public propaganda press, the ally and tool of the Roman Catholic religious organization, it issues a report, which report is released to the public press on the 13th day of August, 1939. The press publishing that report, amongst other things, says: “That religion should be an integral part of public education in the state’s schools is the first recommendation made by a special committee of the New York State Chamber of Commerce, appointed in February, 1938, to inquire into the efficiency and economy of the educational system of the state. The committee warned that if the nation does not uphold its religious foundation its whole structure will fail.”

“At this time the state and nation find themselves in different conditions and with different needs from those which our country has ever heretofore known, and our educational system must be adjusted to meet these present-day needs,” the report said. “This committee is convinced that the great lack in our homes and in our national life, is the lack of true, simple religion.

“In these work-a-day, warring, strenuous times, we have been paying less and less attention to our religious convictions and feelings. Those convictions and feelings still exist–they are more important today than they ever were – and it is vital that in our education they be honored and promulgated rather than subordinated or excluded. If this nation does not maintain its religious foundation, its whole structure will fail.

“When we say religious, we do not mean any particular church or sect. We do not want church differences mixed up in our schools; but we do want our scholars to appreciate and understand the importance of their fellowing and making the most of the faith with which they are identified. We want them to know and to live by the basic rules of life which each will find in his own religion. Integrity, kindly human understanding and true morals are found in each, and those our scholars must know and follow all through their lives if they would build high characters and play the part we need them to play in the future of this nation.

“The United States cannot have or maintain a right system unless it is based on true, religious principles, and, therefore, in spite of the fact that some hesitate to include religion in our educational program, we place it first.”

23 Mark with emphasis this fact: That the report of the Chamber of Commerce above quoted stresses the necessity of some kind or any kind of religion to save the nation from ruin, but not one word is uttered concerning the kingdom of God. The name of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus are studiously omitted. Although this nation, by its fundamental law and by the earlier decision of the courts, declares America to be a Christian nation, the facts show that the nation as such has entirely forgotten God. The fact that the nation is not Christian is proved by the fact that the teachings of Christ are entirely ignored. Jesus instructed all of his disciples to pray to Jehovah: ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:10) He thus instructed because Jehovah had declared through his prophet: “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles [nations]. ... And in his name shall the Gentiles [nations] trust.” –Matt. 12: 18, 21.

24 Instead of following the Word of God the Chamber of Commerce stresses the fact that any kind of religion is all right to the salvation of the nation; thus showing that the men making that report are blind to the truth and have wholly forgotten God. And what shall be the result and the end of the nations that forget God? Here the scripture recorded long ago and applying to the nations at the time of Armageddon is appropriate and exactly fitting: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Ps. 9:17) That will mean that all nations having forgotten God will be completely taken away. The commercial organization brings before the people the idols and images of religion, which God declares to be a snare of the Devil. (Deut. 7:16) The Chamber of Commerce urges upon the peoples of the nations the necessity of serving idols, which is exactly contrary to God’s Word. All religions serve idols. The leaders in such religious organizations are called “elders”, and others who work with them, such as the commercial giants, are the principal of their flock. Concerning such Jehovah God, by his prophet, says: “Son of man, these men [elders and leaders, and the principal of the flock that attempt to guide the people] have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Every man of the house of Israel [‘Christendom,’ falsely claiming to be a Christian nation] that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; that I may take the house of Israel [‘Christendom,’ falsely claiming to be a Christian nation] in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.”–Ezek. 14 : 3-5.

25 In connection with those who place before the people the stumbling-blocks, Jehovah says he will take them away “with the wicked”. These are put in the class of the wicked, all of which God declares he will destroy. (Ps. 145:20) Such "wicked” ones specifically refer to those who have received some enlightenment concerning the purpose of Jehovah God, and who in the face of such knowledge and opportunity to further increase that knowledge have refused instruction and have ignored what knowledge they have previously received, and then continue to do despite to or contrary to the knowledge which God has granted to them. Concerning such the Lord first gathers out and marks them for destruction : “The Son of man shall send forth his angel, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity [do contrary to God's law].” (Matt. 13:41, A.R.V.) The Roman Catholic Hierarchy have had opportunity to know the purpose of Jehovah. They have heard the warning from Jehovah as he has set forth in his Word the Bible and delivered time and again by Jehovah's witnesses. In the face of such information and warning the Roman Catholic Hierarchy carry on their work of fraud and deception and racket. Men who have received some knowledge of the truth and been privileged to have some service within and for Jehovah’s organization, and who have also heard the warning from his Word and to some extent have engaged in the sounding of that warning, are also included in the class above mentioned because such have become members of the “evil servant” class. Such become offended and withdraw from God’s organization and return to the service of Satan’s organization, smite the servants of God and Christ, co-operate with the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, and thus make themselves of the “evil servant”, “the man of sin,” “the son of perdition.” Their offense, which by them is claimed to be toward and against men of God’s organization, is in fact an offense at the Lord, and they stumble and cause others to stumble, and they fall into Satan’s pit.

26 Concerning all such Jehovah says by his mouthpiece Zephaniah (1:3): “And I will cut off man from off the land [off the face of the ground (R.V.)], saith [Jehovah].” The warning is being sounded, and Jehovah’s witnesses must continue to sound the same until God says, Cease sounding. Then every human that has not gotten out of Satan’s organization after hearing the warning and before the battle of the great day of God Almighty begins will be cut off at Armageddon from life. Satan’s visible organization will be utterly depopulated. Jehovah now makes clear his purpose, and, having purposed it, he will do it. Therefore to thus carry out his purpose to execute his judgment already written and declared, Jehovah says, “I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests.”–Zeph. 1: 4.

27 Such stretching out of his hand will be after the manner of God's doing at the Red sea, as recorded in his Word: "Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, [and] the earth swallowed them [up].” (Ex. 13: 12) Mark the Scriptures by which Jehovah foretells the stretching out of his hand and what will follow. Concerning and against commercial Tyre that forms an alliance with religious leaders, Jehovah says: “He stretched out his hand over the sea; he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city [Tyre], to destroy the strong holds thereof.” (Isa. 23: 11) This includes the commercial element, such as the organized commerce or Chamber of Commerce, that would further stumble the people by insisting on more religion and insisting that the youth of the land should be taught some kind or any kind of religion. All kinds of religion dishonor God, and all are against his kingdom by Christ Jesus. This further proves the fact that the real fight now is, Satan and all other elements of his organization aligned against the Theocracy by Christ Jesus. Concerning Babylon, which embraced the combined elements of Satan’s visible organization, Jehovah says: “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” (Jer. 51:25) All of these elements are allied together and against the Theocracy by Christ Jesus, and God declares they shall be wiped out.

28 The people of Judah and Jerusalem were those who had received God’s favor and his covenant. Had that people practiced the ‘pure worship of Almighty God, and undefiled’, as commanded by the law of the Most High, which was given unto them for then guidance and protection, his hand would not have been against them. Instead of holding faithfully to their covenant and to the true worship of Almighty God, that typical people turned to and practiced conscienceless religion, even using the things which God had provided for them, to reproach his holy name. In so doing that nation pictured the religionists of today, who claim to serve God and Christ and who falsely call themselves by the name Christian, as “Christian Front”, and who practice what they call “the Christian religion”, but all of whom dishonor God’s name. In proof of this, both in the picture and in the reality or fulfillment thereof, note what immediately follows herein.

29 God caused Zephaniah to utter these words in His name: “I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place”; that is, from Judah and Jerusalem. In that time King Manasseh, the grandfather of Josiah the king, reared up altars for Baal. (2 Ki 21:3, 4) Manasseh’s son, King Amon, “walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them." (2 Ki 21:21) Baal worship was practiced by those people, which religion was introduced amongst them by the Devil. That Baal worship continued in Judah and Jerusalem until the twelfth year of King Josiah is shown by the following scriptures: “For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerualem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images that were on high above them lie cut down: and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.” – 2 Chron. 34: 3-5.

30 Josiah went outside of the limits of Judah and into the territory of Israel and did a like work of reformation and cleansing. (2 Chron. 34: 6, 7) After the death of Josiah Baalism was revived in Judah under the succeeding kings, as the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel show.

31 At the present time the King, Christ Jesus, has cleansed God’s temple of all of modern Baalism or religion. But among the many professors of Christianity, Baalism or religion still persists, and they indulge in religion in fact more than ever. Baalism or religion openly claims its friendship to and with the world, which is Satan’s organization, and Satan is the great Baal, lord, owner and husband of that organization. Now Jehovah is making it clearly to appear to those who will receive instruction what constitutes his own organization and what constitutes “Christendom”. The Baal-worshipers or practitioners of religion not only turn away from the truth, but openly oppose God’s organization and persecute those who bring the message of Jehovah to their attention. In “Christendom” the religionists continue to worship with great admiration the religions of Satan, and these leaders urge upon the rising generation to embrace the same, and thus all are marching into the pit of destruction.

32 Furthermore God declares that he will “cut off ... the name of the Chemarims [the priesthings, idol-priests (Rotherham, margin); the idolatrous priests (Young)]”. In the type or picture Josiah the king did put down these idol-priests. (2 Ki. 23: 5, margin) In the fulfillment God will surely, by Christ Jesus, cut off such priests of idolatry, even as he has declared. The word Chemarims, according to its derivation, means "blackness, sadness", and accordingly the name means those who go about in black, hence ascetics, priests of a religious organization, and such as the nuns, who collect the money from the ensnared ones. Faithfully this description fits the “blackbirds” of ecclesiasticism, the gloomy groups of the priests and preachers and others of today. Also the name fitly describes the “evil servant” class. All of such mark themselves in order to be seen of men and recognized and approved by men. The priests referred to in the prophecy are those who lead in religion, and particularly the so-called “Christian religion”, in which the Roman Catholic Hierarchy takes the lead but which is in fact Devilism in disguise. All such shall be taken away, God declares. Even now the names and the titles of such begin to go, as the people are learning that religion is hypocrisy in the extreme. The people of good will are becoming enlightened, and they are shunning religion and their religious leaders. Soon the clergy will seek to hide their identity as ecclesiastics by claiming to be herders of swine, and that will be a slander on the swine, which no doubt will, in disgust, slowly walk away from the presence of their claimed herders. (Zech. 13:5, 6) At the beginning of Armageddon everything pertaining to such religious, hypocritical practice will be taken away by the Lord. Let those who love the Lord continue to receive instruction.

(To be continued)

WRONG ATTEMPT TO "FILL THE EARTH”

WHAT became of the married “sons of God” on earth at the time of the Flood forty-four centuries ago? (Genesis 6: 1, 2) Their existence dates from before the creation of earth and of man and woman upon it, according to God’s own words: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast under- standing Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof ; when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” –Job 38:1-7

In the universal organization of Almighty God, “whose name alone is Jehovah,” there were many holy angels devoted to his service and who did not participate in the rebellion of the ‘morning star’, Lucifer. All of such faithful angels are the “sons of God", because they received their life from Jehovah God: “who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire; who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” – Psalm 104:4, 5

About 1500 years had now passed since the rebellion in Eden, and Adam and Eve had had children and grandchildren, and the human race was continuously on the increase, in unrighteousness. At this point begins the inspired account concerning the debauchery of the human race, to wit: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose.” To do so these spirit “sons of God” must materialize in human bodies as men. (Gen. 6:1, 2) The account quoted says nothing about wickedness of these angelic "sons of God”, not that they were wicked at the time they materialized as men. It could not be said that the ones here called "the sons of God” were any part of the fallen Lucifer’s organization at that time, if ever. All who had allied themselves with him. now Satan the Devil, were then and are his “seed”, and hence the sons of Satan. This is proof that the ones here called the “sons of God” are a class or company entirely different from the ones that joined Satan in his rebellion at Eden. The fact that 1,500 years after the rebellion angels are called the “sons of God” shows that they had been serving Jehovah God all of that time. They were spirit creatures or angels having life from Jehovah God, and, continuing in His service, they are designated as “the sons of God”. All of Adam’s children had been born sinners, and hence none of them could be designated as the “sons of God”. (Rom 5: 12) Noah was a servant of God

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. He knew that Jehovah had commanded Adam in Eden to multiply and “fill the earth” with a righteous offspring and that God had declared that his purpose must 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 Adam’s offspring maintained their integrity and devotion 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 by the use of angels to 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 uses deception and fraud to entrap human creatures that become negligent of their duty toward God. It is entirety reasonable that the Devil employed a like manner of fraud and deceit to turn the spirit “sons of God” away from the Creator. It was a part of his wicked scheme to defraud angels as well as men and to induce them to go contrary to God’s law. The “daughters of men” were fair, and the “sons of God” saw these and observed that they were attractive. By fraud and deceit Satan had 1,500 years before entrapped first the beautiful Eve, which furnished Adam an excuse to join the Devil; and now he uses the beautiful daughters or granddaughters of Eve to entrap others, even the “sons of God”. Those angels “sons of God” had power to materialize in a human organism, and doubtless did materialize There is no evidence that by materializing they violated God’s law, because the Scriptures show that long after this, in the days of Abraham, angels materalized and appeared as men. (Consult Genesis chapters 18 and 19.) While the “sons of God” did not materialize at Jehovah’s command, nor were sent as his messengers, yet their sin does not appear to be that of materialization. Appearing in human form they would necessarily be handsome and attractive men that would be pleasing to the women of that time. The Scriptures do not say that they were giants, and it would not be at all reasonable to conclude that they materialized as giants, but that they materialized as attractive men. Thus “the sons of God . . . took them wives of all which they chose”. The result of this marriage relationship between “sons of God” and “daughters of men” wound up in greatly increased wickedness among the human race, and this of itself is conclusive proof that Satan was the prime mover in bringing about this condition.

The presumption is that the fathers of the “daughters” consented to their daughters’ marrying the materialized spirit creatures, they reasoning that such a course would make the human race great as compared with God and would give them a better standing with the Almighty. It would be the Devil that would instill just such a thought into the minds of men, his purpose being to mock God and bring reproach upon God’s name.

Besides the “sons of God”, the “seed” of ‘that old Serpent, which is the Devil’, were then in the earth. Says the Sacred Record: “There were giants in the earth in those days.” Or, according to the American Revised Version reading: "The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men [(Hebrew) Gibborim] that were of old, the men of renown.” (Gen. 6:4) That the Nephilim materialized as human creatures there is no doubt, because the Scriptures say they “were in the earth”. Doubtless the Nephilim were the very ones who, together with Satan, induced the “sons of God” to leave their proper place in the service of Jehovah and seek pleasure with the daughters of men, and this the Nephilim did to turn those “sons of God” away from Jehovah that they might receive his disapproval and at the same time bring greater reproach upon his name. These Nephilim materialized and “were in the earth", but the “sons of God” married the “daughters of men”. It was “after that”, after those Nephilim first appeared on earth, that the “sons of God” and the daughters of men had children. These Nephilim were, according to the meaning of their name, “fallen ones” or fallen angels, because they had fallen entirely away from God, or “fellers”, who treated others in a tyrannical manner. – See Strong’s Concordance.

By the marriage of the “sons of God” with the “daughters of men” children were born, and “the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown”. Those “men of renown”, the offspring of the “sons of God”, were not called “Nephilim”, but are termed gibborim, according to the Hebrew text. The Devil’s scheme seemed to be progressing well toward accomplishing his purpose. If he succeeded, such, the Devil concluded, would prove his our supremacy, bringing great reproach upon Jehovah’s name and preventing God from carrying out his purpose toward the earth. 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 to “fill the earth” with a righteous race, and which God gave to the 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. A flood or deluge would result in preventing Satan’s scheme to corrupt every creature on the earth. 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”. In the great deluge that came upon the earth the gibborim, or “mighty men”, were destroyed, but there is no Scriptural evidence that either the “sons of God" or the wicked Nephilim were destroyed. On the contrary, the evidence shows that both classes are yet alive. Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, 5, and Ephesians 6: 12, and other scriptures describing the activities of the demons, the familiar spirits, the unclean spirits, the wicked spirits, indicate what became of the Nephilim, who dematerialized at the flood

The question, then, is, What became of these married “sons of God” at the time of the flood, and what is their present condition? Jehovah’s name having been reproached both by angels and by men, he duly sent Jesus to earth for the purpose of vindicating Jehovah’s name and bearing witness to the truth. In doing this Jesus must preach and did preach both by word of mouth and by his consistent course of action. Whatsoever preaching Jesus did, that preaching was done in the performance of his commission from God “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit [(Am. Rev. Ver.) made alive in the spirit]; by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime [(A.R.V.) aforetime] were disobedient, when once the long- suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.”–1 Pet. 3:18-20.

According to the Scriptures those “spirits in prison” were prior to the flood the ones designated in Genesis chapter six as “the sons of God”. Their wrongdoing consisted in their leaving their assigned duties in God’s organization and marrying the daughters of men and thus devoting themselves to that which was in disobedience to God’s law concerning them. When the ark was completed and the flood came, there the “old world” ended. That means a change in spirit conditions as well as earthly conditions. Hence, “the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” (2 Pet. 3:6) It was at that time that the spirits were imprisoned ; which shows that they were not destroyed. It was to those imprisoned spirits that Jesus preached. Noah, “a preacher of righteousness,” preached to them prior to the flood and they had not heeded his preaching, and for that reason they did not escape imprisonment. Those spirits could not have been killed at that time, because they were alive in Jesus’ day ; otherwise Jesus could not have preached to them It is quite certain that those disobedient spirits, “the sons of God,” are still alive, but under restraint or imprisoned.

Who imprisoned them? There is no reason to conclude that God imprisoned them. Since they were disobedient to God, would He not be the one to imprison them? Not necessarily so. Those angels once in God’s service and organization had fallen to the wiles of the Devil, and God would deliver them up to His enemy Satan and permit the enemy Satan to imprison them. Similarly, centuries later, the Israelites were once in the typical organization and service of Jehovah, and the Israelites fell away to Satan’s wily influence, and God gave them over to His enemy and their enemy, Satan, and permitted many of them to be held in captivity and in prison. (See Hosea 11:8; Jeremiah 12:7, Isaiah 47:6) The disobedient “sons of God” in Noah's day likewise did not heed his preaching, and when the flood came they found there was no protection for them regardless of whether they desired to return to God’s organization at that time or not. They had been disobedient and walked into Satan’s trap. Had God imprisoned those disobedient “spirits” the manifest purpose would have been to restrain them from further disobedience, and this supports the conclusion that God did not restrain them. If Satan is the one who put them in prison his purpose would be to keep them under his control and thus prevent them from returning to God. After the flood came, teaching these disobedient spirits the supreme power of God and vindicating his word and name, such spirit creatures would be restrained by Satan and his wicked allies to prevent them from breaking away. Since those “sons of God” did not take advantage of God’s long-suffering during the 120 years and hearken to the preaching of righteous Noah, God’s witness, Jehovah would let them go and would give them no protection and did give them no protection in the flood. Their disobedience in disregarding his organization and service would separate them from him, and their fear would bring them into Satan's snare. (Prov. 29:25) Thus Satan and his Nephilim bullies would hold these “sons of God” in restraint or in prison, not permitting them again to return to the Lord God and his service.

Since the purpose of preaching is reformation, if possible, of those who hear, that must have been Jesus’ purpose in preaching to these disobedient spirit “sons of God”. (Rom. 10:14,15) How did Jesus preach to them? Not necessarily by word of mouth, but by his consistent conduct and unyielding devotion to Jehovah under the most severe test while on earth. At the time of his consecrating himself to God, at the Jordan river, Jesus was counted as dead in the flesh, and, the spirit of God there descending upon him. there began his quickening in the spirit. For three and one-half years he was preaching the truth by word of mouth and by his constant devotion to Jehovah God. He refused to yield to the temptations presented to him by Satan, and amidst all the persecutions heaped upon him by Satan he remained faithful and true to Jehovah. This, together with his continuous course of consistent action even unto death, and then his being raised out of death, was the manner in which he preached to the spirits in prison, as is staled at 1 Peter 3:19 (A.R.V.): “In which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” His preaching to them was by their observing his faithful devotion and consistent holding to God’s organization ; which course would in effect say to them: ‘If you had remained true and faithful to God’s organization where he placed you. you would at this present time not be in prison and away from God's favor ’

From the prophecy of Ezekiel (38: 1, 2) it appears that “the land of Magog” is the place where the angels that sinned in Noah’s day are imprisoned, especially since they were imprisoned by Satan. When Jesus was resurrected he was a spirit divine, clothed with all power and authority and ability to go and come at will. During the three days that Jesus was dead, he, to be sure, did not go anywhere. After his resurrection to life as a spirit creature divine and between then and his ascension into heaven, forty days elapsed. Several times he materialized and appeared in human organism to his disciples, but only for a few minutes on each occasion There seems to be no reason why he might not have gone to the “land of Magog” and there addressed a message directly to the spirit creatures restrained in prison by the Devil since the flood. He certainly had the power to do whatsoever he might choose to do in harmony with God's will. He was certainly able to go, and there was surely ample time for him to do so between the time of his resurrection and his ascension into heaven.

His preaching to them, even indirectly, would imply that there is hope for the deliverance of those imprisoned spirits who take their stand boldly on Jehovah’s side in the day of judgment. What Jehovah has in store for them the Scriptures do not reveal; but if, at the battle of Armageddon, any of them do take a positive and unequivocal stand on His side and gladly leave it to Jehovah where to place them, they may be recovered and return to some place in his universal organization, but not to “fill the earth”. That will be assigned to the righteous “men of good will” who survive on earth through the battle of Armageddon.

“COUNT THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST”

NOW is the time to count the number. The suggestion of certain anti-Catholic religionists that the number refers to the pope of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is not correct. It could not apply to the office of pope, the number refers to the “beast’’, because the Master says. “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man ” (Revelation 13: 18) If the number referred to the pope, we must agree that the pope is the beast, and no one seriously believes that the pope is the beast described in The Revelation. In the visions of Daniel the prophet (Daniel, chapter seven) beasts were used to symbolize beastly human governments, anti-theocratic. From the days of the first organized human government by Nimrod, at Babel, governments by men have included three elements, religious, political, and commercial. When we see that “the beast” consists of a government made up of different elements exercising power by force and violence to accomplish a common purpose, then we can see that the number must be applied in harmony with what constitutes the beast.

The beast is Satan’s organization visible to human eyes, the ruling factors wherein are made up of men who are imperfect “And his number is six hundred threescore [sixty] and six”. In Bible symbolisms six is a symbolic number representing imperfection. Six hundred and sixty and six (three orders of six) names or represents the three ruling elements in the beastly organization, to wit, religious, commercial, and political power. The text does not say that it is the number of one human creature; and since the beast is not one human creature, the number could not be that of a man or of an office held by a single individual. It is the number of the organization of imperfect men, who form the Devil's beastly visible organization, all under the control of the demons of which Satan is the prince. Man’s plans are inadequate, imperfect, deficient, and incomplete. They tall far short when compared with God’s arrangement. From man's viewpoint the “beast” numbered 666 and would represent absolute completeness, the last word that could be said in favor of a man-made arrangement for ruling the world.

Note how the Scriptures place the three elements of Satan’s beastly organization; and the placing of them seems to indicate the degree of reprehensibility. The “number of the beast” reads (1) six hundred – 600, and (2) three- score – 60, and (3) six – 6, the three numbers being denoted by three different alphabetic letters or symbols in the original Greek text of the Bible. According to the order observed in the text, six hundred represents the religious clergy, threescore, the financial giants or profiteers or commercial traffickers; while six represents the professional politicians. In the Scriptures the number seven is used to designate that which is spiritually complete. Six being a symbol of imperfection, which is abominable from God’s viewpoint, therefore reprehensible, it is to be seen that six multiplied by a hundred (600) shows that the clergy are a hundred times as reprehensible before God. Why? Because it was their obligation to teach the truth concerning Jehovah God’s Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus instead of linking their hands with the “abomination of desolation”, Satan’s substitute or counterfeit for that Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus. Today the religious clergy are the bitterest opposers of Jehovah’s witnesses who proclaim that Theocracy.

The six multiplied by ten (60) shows that the commercial element are ten times as reprehensible as the politicians, because money is power and the commercial traffickers exercise power and influence by reason of their use of money whereas six represents the willing, loud-talking political class. We therefore see an unholy triple combination of imperfection, resulting in a thing that is abominable in the sight of God.

It must be concluded, therefore, that when Jesus said of the beast’s number, “It is the number of a man,” he meant to convey the thought that the thing brought forth by man in lieu of Jehovah’s Theocratic Government by Christ would constitute the “beast”, whose measure (number) would be the number or designation of man and not of God. The 666 therefore, instead of referring to an individual, seems clearly to have reference to the combined elements of earth, ecclesiastical, financial and political, with their hangers-on and supporters, constituting a rule of earth which is determined to control at any cost, which is beastly in operation, and which, therefore, is a rule by violence. The “number” suggests selfish gain, mammon, because in olden time the value of King Solomon’s annual revenue of gold was 666 talents. (See 1 Kings 10:14.) The ancient giant of Gath, who fought against the typical theocracy under King David of Jerusalem, had six digits on each hand and each foot, and he is therefore a picture of the Devil’s dictatorial organization. (See 1 Chronicles 20:6) The dimensions of King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol image, which the three faithful Hebrews refused to salute and adore, were sixty cubits high by six cubits broad. (See Daniel 3:1) Thus the number six represents secular completeness, that is completeness according to man; and is the designation of man, in contradistinction to the divine designation

The description given in the fourteenth chapter of The Revelation is of the Theocratic organization in exact contrast to the foregoing. The apostle John there describes the Lamb Christ Jesus, the Theocratic King, and “with him an hundred forty and four thousand” faithful followers, who have His name and the name of his Father written in their foreheads. These 144,000 members of the composite “body of Christ” belong to the royal family of Jehovah God , they are the spirit-begotten children of God ; and therefore they bear his name and the name of their Elder Brother, who is the Head of the royal house. These do not have the “mark of the beast” in their foreheads, nor in their hands, nor anywhere else. (Revelation 15:2, 20:4) They are not in sympathy with the beast, they are not children of it, and they do not support it. The man-made arrangement, the beastly system, as measured by man, is symbolized by 666 (600 plus 60 plus 6), or three degrees of six, whereas the divine arrangement, Jehovah’s Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus, is symbolized by seven. The one is arrayed against the other.

The war is on between the “beast” and the Lamb, the Theocratic King. (Rev. 19:19, 20) Those described in The Revelation (14:1-5) are on the side of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, and amidst all the confusion and tumult are singing the praises of Jehovah God and his Theocracy. On whose side do you stand? and whose praises will you sing?

FIELD EXPERIENCES

PRIEST REACTIONS AT OAKLAND, CALIF.

“One priest came to the Convention assembly. After hearing the talk he went home, laid off his garb, donned civilian clothes, went to the grocery store in his community and said to the storekeeper: ‘I just heard Judge Rutherford. That man has the truth, and I’m done with this religious racket.’ At a doorstep setup: After the record was run for a lady, who held open the screen during the recording, a priest stepped out from behind the inner door and said: ‘What right have you to go about playing this record?’ ‘Well,’ said I, ‘that’s just fine; I’m glad you’re here, and I see by your face that you are an honest man. So we’ll just let the other side of this record answer your question.’ The lady stayed the door while the priest sat down in a chair in the center of the room, side view. When the record finished I said: ‘There you have it.’ He rose and came toward the door, saying seriously: ‘Well, where are the dead?’ I, in all kindness, popped him over with a few of those sharp-cutting scriptures as to where the dead are. Then I bent over to take up my faithful sweet-voiced servant (phonograph) and, turning to the lady, offered her just a booklet ‘Oh. no,’ came the response from her, rather fearfully; but the priest, with an expression of determination, said: ‘Give it to me; I’ll read it.’ Thirty minutes later he came out while my ‘servant’ was at work on a doorstep across the street. I caught his eye; with a grin he waved.”

CENSUS-TAKER VISITS UTAH PIONEER TRAILER

“My trailer is parked in back of the Kingdom hall. While I was home sick a car drove up beside it. Went to door. It was a young man taking a census of the business (commercial) houses in the block. ‘This is not a business place. We have Bible studies here.’ ‘Oh, a church ?’ ‘No, just Bible study.’ I presented the booklet Government and Peace and briefly explained it. He: ‘I’m interested. I’ll read this.’ I invited him in and played ‘Snare and Racket’, then displayed Salvation, Enemies and three-book combination. He: ‘My wife got that book Salvation. I’ll take the book Enemies for my mother, and the three books, Light One and Two and Prophecy.’ He was also given the Watchtower containing the ‘Theocracy’ article. He expressed his desire to attend some meeting and said he would bring his mother and wife. A bookmark was included! ... I believe there is nothing in the world so important as the good news of the Kingdom. Yet these poor Mormons here say: ‘We have our own prophets.’ Wasn’t it John who said: ‘Add not to the words of the book of this prophecy’? The magazine is very easy to place. Many take it who do not want the books. I stress the point that it contains uncensored world-wide news: some of it that newspapers are afraid to publish.”

FUNERAL INCIDENT AT TAWATINA, ALBERTA

“The bouse being too small to accommodate the crowd there, the Outdoor Public Address was used. For music one of the Society’s quartet recordings. A man two and a half miles away was shingling a roof of a building. When he heard the music he stopped and looked around to see from where it was coming, and remained there and listened to the entire discourse. He was afraid to mention what he had heard out of the air to anyone, for fear they would think he was insane. A few days later, when he went to town, he heard that Jehovah’s witnesses had conducted the funeral and used the loudspeaker. Then it dawned on turn what he had heard coming through the air. The discourse impressed him that he got in touch with the pioneer in that territory and requested more information on the Bible. Since then a Model Study has been started in his home.”

ECCLESIASTICAL ANTICS IN PUERTO RICO

“In a drugstore. Two behind the counter. They understood English. I gave them a good witness, but could not get a word out of them. At last I said, ‘Oh, you are not interested. I am sorry.’ But I thought they looked kindly at me, and yet would not give any opinion. Well, I packed up my books, turned around, and a priest was standing be hind me. White with rage, he said, shouting ‘an you prove those things you said?’ ‘Yes, sir, I can prove it all by the Bible ’ Said he: ‘I hold a title of Reverend, call me by that.’ I said: ‘Oh, no, you are all sirs to me, nothin else [Pointing my finger at him] At Matthew 23:9 Jesus said “Call no man father,” and you are all “fathers”. That how he denounced Judge Rutherford said we never paid for any books, that is why they are given away. I said ‘Yes, if I find people too poor to give a contribution I glad give them, if they are hungry for the truth of the Bible He said: ‘Do you think that solves the problem?’. He wanted badly to argue. I said: ‘Sir, you are angry I have no turn to argue with you. I have much work to do, calling on the people with God’s truth ’ By that time I had a crowd He said. ‘Don’t talk to me in Spanish. I understand English' ‘No, sir, I prefer Spanish, because I want these people to hear what I am saying!’ Was he mad! I was glad he tried to hold me. I thought maybe he would follow me I went right on placing books that day, easily I warned them they that maybe the priest would hinder them from reading'

MAGAZINE ROUTES

A boy of 13 and his sister of 11: “We wanted to write and let you know how much we appreciate and thank Jehovah and Christ our King for the privilege of working in the service of the Lord, and also the new branch of the work, of having a magazine route. We took advantage of the holidays of last month and got three hours in every day, and also we work two hours in the evening after school. Last month, in December, we placed 90 magazines”.

A New York city pioneer: “Wish to report 50 magazines placed in a route, many members of which have been taking the copies quite regularly for two years. Most of these deliveries have been made within four blocks adjacent to one another. The three-book combination went well and often was a surprise. Had 52 setups from door to door with phonograph. One Catholic woman had just finished the book Enemies in French, and said she was through with the pope and his rotten religion. On the strength of this I placed an other Enemies with her neighbor who also is of the same mind. Having gone to church the other week for mass, she accidentally left her pocketbook at home. As she went into the church 15c was requested, which amount she did not have. She exploded and told the fellow at the moneybox he could just go to h…: ‘I will never come back again'

Later she told the priest at his home that the whole business was a racket and he would never get another cent from her. Of course, the priest was angry, in which state of mind she walked out and slammed the door. My wife had 43 setups”