The WATCHTOWER.

Published Semimonthly By

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street •   - Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S. A.

Officers

N. H. Knorr, President               Grant Suiter, Secretary

“And all thy children shall be taudht of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” - Isaiah 54:13,

THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES

THAT JEHOVAH Is the only true God, from everlasting to everlasting, and is the linker of heaven and earth and Giver of life to his creatures: that the Word or Logos was the beginning of his creation and his active agent tn creating all other things; and that the creature Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah and raised the issue of His universal sovereignty;

THAT GOD created the earth for man, made perfect man tor the earth and placed him upon it; that man yielded to unfaithful Lucifer, or Satan, and willfully disobeyed God's law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam’s wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life;

THAT THE LOGOS was made human as the man Jesus and suffered death In order to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient men; that God raised up Christ Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and clothed him with all power and authority as head of God’s new capital organization;

THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief OUicer thereof and is the rightful King of the new world; that the faithful anointed followers of Christ Jesus are Zion’s children, members of Jehovah’s organization, and are His witnesses whose duty and privilege it is to testify to Jehovah's supremacy and declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible:

THAT THE OLD WORLD, or Satan’s uninterrupted rule, ended A.D. 1914. and Christ Jesus has been placed by Jehovah upon the throne, has ousted Satan from heaven, and now proceeds to vindicate His name and establish the “new earth”;

THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples can come only by Jehovah’s kingdom under Christ, which has begun; that His next great act is to destioy Satan’s organization and establish righti ousness completely in the earth , and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will surviving Armageddon will carry out the divine mandate to “till the earth" with righteous oft.-pring, and that the human dead in the graves will be taised to opportunities ot li.e on earth.

ITS MISSION

HIS journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and his purposes as expressed in the Bible. It publishes Bible Instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah's witnesses and all people of good-will.

It arranges systematic Bible study for its renders and the Society supplies other literature to aid In such studies. It publishes suitable material lor radio broadcasting and for other means of public instruction In the Scriptures

It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority tor Its utterances. It is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but invites careful and critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not indulge in controveisy, and its columns aie not open to personalities.

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Please address the Watch Tower Society in every case.

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“KING FOR ALL EARTH” TESTIMONY PERIOD

For a world-wide testimony to the one “King for all the earth” the month of October lias been set aside. During that favorable season all subjects of Jehovah’s King, who now reigns despite Ins enemies, will join in special efforts to adveitise the King and his kingdom. The Awake! magazine will be the principal offer to the people, a year’s subsenpt on for $1 00. For those who are readers of Awake! already, the offer will be three bound books on a contribution of $1.00. The books to be offered are “Let God Be True", “The Kingdom Is at Hand", and “The Truth Shall jMe You Cree", besides the latest booklet. Permanent Goeernor of All Nations. This is not book-agency work, but is ambassadorial work for winning subjects to the new world’s King. Viewing it that Scriptural way, Watchtower readers will appreciate the honor of it and will want to show their allegiance to the ‘‘King for all the earth” by sharing in this special wovk’of October. We anticipate that many will write for references and instructions and supplies. We want to put all such in happy contact with the organized active subjects of the King. We close with a reminder of your reporting at the end of this Testimony Period.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of November 21: “Ministers at the World’s End,” fl 1-19 inclusive, The Watchtower October 15, 1948.

Week of November 28: “What Is There in It for Ministers?” fl 1-21 inclusive, The Watchtower October 15, 1948.

“THE W A T C H T O W E R”

The Watchtower is a magazine without equal in the eaith, and is conceded this rank by all that have been faithful readers thereof during its nearly seventy years of publication The Watchtower has increased in importance with the progress of the years, and never has it been more valuable than today, at this world crisis, when the destiny of each intelligent human creature is being decided. The getting of correct information and instruction, just such as required for the times, to decide your course wisely to a happy destiny, was never more vital than now, for “where there is no vision, the people perish”. Informed persons well acquainted with the consistent contents of The Watchtower agree that those who want to gain life in peace and happiness without end should read and study it together with the Bible and in company with other readers. This is not giving any credit to the magazine's publishers, but is due to the great Author of the Bible with its truths and prophecies, and who now interprets its prophecies. He it is that makes possible the material that is published in the columns of this magazine and who gives promise that it shall continue to publish the advancing truths as long as it continues to exist for the service of the interests of his Theocratic Government. Carefully and prayerfully read this issue of The Watchtower. Then do not delay to mail in your subscription, that you may receive it regularly, twice a month, twenty-four copies the year. Subscription rates are shown above.

JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM

October 15, 1948

MINISTERS AT THE WORLD’S END

"There shall be a time of trouble, such as never ivas since there was a nation even to that same time: and . . . they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."—Dan. 12:1,3.

TEHOVAH marks the end of this world by setting I up his kingdom for the blessing of all earth’s J inhabitants of good-will. That is why the establishment of His kingdom means, to begin with, a hitherto-unheard-of time of trouble for all the present kingdoms of this world. No sensible person will deny we have entered such a trouble, even though he may deny it marks the time of the setting up of God’s kingdom. By his written Word God says this trouble does mark just that; and even if the brainy men of this world, including Christendom’s clergy, may disbelieve and scoff at that fact, the teachable people of good-will are trustful enough to “let God be true, but every man a liar”. (Rom. 3:4) The worldly-wise scoffers and unbelievers are the ones that get hurt, fatally, by the trouble, but the people of good-will are the only ones permitted to survive this worst of troubles and afterward to receive the lasting blessings of God's kingdom of righteousness.

■ It is his chief son in the heavens that Jehovah God makes the royal Ruler in his newly established kingdom. This One bears the nearest image or closest resemblance to his Father. The name Michael well befits him, for it means “Who is like God?” He was one of the “morning stars” that sang, while “all the sons of God shouted for joy”, at the time that God founded our planet, the earth. (Job 38:4-7) In the days of the prophet Daniel, in the seventh century B.C., Michael was “one of the chief princes” in the invisible heavens: and Daniel was told that Michael was “your prince”, yes, “the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.” (Dan. 10:13,21 and 12:1) At that time he was glorious like a morning star, but now since ascending the throne of God’s kingdom lie is more glorious still. King David 'of ancient Jerusalem was a glorious king on the visible “throne of Jehovah”, but Jehovah’s newly installed King on the heavenly throne is the One whom David prophetically called “my Lord” and is far more glorious than David. (1 Chron. 29: 23 and Ps. 110:1, A?n. Stan. Ver.) The angel that

1 Whut does this tune of trouble inaik? and who sunive it? 2, 3 \\hat wat. Daniel lutoitned about Michael? and who is be?

big things projected, such as Vatican City Airlines and a Vatican Landing Field and provisions for a million pilgrims to Rome. But that gives the world no light, for the pope also decreed 1933 a holy year and declared that a tide of religion would arise and sweep the nations into peace and prosperity’. History shows the pope held forth a false light, for, instead of being swept into peace and prosperity, the globe was swept into World War II by Hitler, who became the Nazi dictator in Germany and signed a concordat with the Vatican through Cardinal Eugene Pacelli that same year of 1933. Neither the pope nor the other religious clergy of Christendom rejoice in the meaning of the signs of our times, namely, the end of this old world and the establishment of God’s kingdom by his Son, Christ Jesus. The clergy offer mankind no light upon this subject, to show them the way to escape from the final battle of Armageddon with which this'‘time of trouble, such as never was”, ends up. Despite their religious titles, the clergy are not Jehovah God’s ministers at the world’s end, because, the facts show, they are not fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 12:3.

⁶ By ministers, then, we mean those who are in truth now serving Jehovah God and letting his heavenly light concerning the kingdom of God shine upon the people that they may thus turn these people to God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Man can serve only one master at a time, either Jehovah God or Satan the Devil, and we now must decide to be ministers of either God or the Devil.

FALLEN STARS

¹ The Bible says Satan the Devil is “the god of this world”, and the religious clergy of Christendom who involve themselves so deeply in this world's affairs and strive to keep these affairs going show plainly they are his ministers. For a cloak they may call themselves “apostolic successors” or other un-Biblical names, but the genuine apostle Paul warns us, saying: “Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:13-15) Of course, Satan has his ministers at this end of the world. How he captures them is pictured for us in the last book of the Bible, Revelation. There God’s universal organization is pictured as his handmaid, his “woman”, arrayed with heavenly light, whereas Satan the Devil is pictured as a seven-headed, tenhorned dragon. God’s universal organization, his “woman”, gives birth to his kingdom, for out of this organization of his sons, his ministers, God brings forth his Son as newly-made King of the new world of righteousness. Until the birth of that kingdom A.D. 1914 it had been a time of anxious waiting and praying by the members of Jehovah’s universal organization, his “woman”. We read:

• • “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: and being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his heads seven diadems: and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne. . . . And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.”—Apocalypse 12:1-10, Douay.

’Note that Satan the dragon gets a third of the stars of heaven in his coils and that his tail throws them down to the earth. But the twelve stars in the crown upon the woman’s head are not included among them. The third of the stars picture Satan’s ministers, who profess to shine with heavenly light, but whom Satan has entrapped and made a part of his visible earthly organization of commerce, politics and religion. As he deceived Eve with a lie in Eden, so he deceives these by lies through his world organization. “The prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.” (Isa. 9:15) The apostle Paul warns Christians against such deception bv Satan the Serpent’s “tail”. —2 Cor. 11: 3, 4.

• ¹⁰ Being “stars” that Satan has cast down to the earth, they could not be those foretold at Daniel 12: 3 who shine with heavenly wisdom like the sun and turn many to righteousness and gleam like the stars at the “time of the end”. Those whom the dragon casts down from heaven must be Satan’s ministers at the “time of the end” when God’s king-

7, 8. How is Satan pictured as capturing bis star-like ministers'¹

9. 10. How does be entrap these, but treat God’s true ministers?

dom is born. These religious ministers of Satan masquerade around as “apostles of Christ” and as “ministers of righteousness”, to mimic Satan, who himself tries to appear as an “angel of light”. These ministers Satan uses to seduce the whole world. It is for this reason that they are respected highly and receive great honors and reverence in this world. However, all those who are God’s true ministers Satan the dragon keeps on falsely accusing and causes them to be persecuted in all lands, democratic and totalitarian. Jesus himself, God’s chief minister, was put to death under like false accusation by the dragon Satan, and yet John, the writer of the Apocalypse, calls him “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness”, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” (Apoc. 1: 5 and 3:14, Douay) Hence it is not amazing that the other ministers of Jehovah, his witnesses who follow in Jesus’ footsteps, should likewise be falsely accused in this world that Satan has seduced.—1 Pet. 2: 21.

• ¹¹ Satan the dragon is not satisfied with casting “the third part of the stars of heaven” to the earth. He would like to regiment all people on earth to be his ministers. By seducing the whole world he has quite succeeded in doing this, according to the rule: “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.” (Rom. 6:16) Many religionists in Christendom think they serve God, but their activities show and prove they are ministers of Satan, for they obey him through his world organization. The spirit creature who is now called “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,” was originally Jehovah’s minister in the garden of Eden. Isaiah’s prophecy (14:12) gives him the name “Lucifer, son of the morning”. Adam and Eve were under the protective covering of Lucifer as “the anointed cherub that covereth”. (Ezek. 28:14-16) Rather than help Adam and Eve continue to be ministers of God, Lucifer the covering cherub schemed to make them his ministers. By deceptive, seductive speech through the serpent that he used, Lucifer transformed himself from a minister of God into the Satanic adversary of God and misled the woman into the service of God’s adversary. Before this, God’s universal organization was made up of all his creatures as his ministers.

• ¹² Adam, might have remained God’s minister on earth. God used Adam to declare his law to Eve. If both Adam and Eve had continued faithful under test and had obeyed the divine mandate, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,” Adam would have been God’s special minister to his family of children. (Gen. 1:28, Rotherham) He would have imparted to his young children theknowl-11. How was the attempt begun to draw all men from God's ministry? 12. What ministry could Adam have enjoyed, but why did he not? edge of God’s law and other divine information, and would have set the example and led them in keeping God’s commands and doing God’s will. Likewise Adam’s sons and grandsons, when growing up and marrying Adam’s daughters and granddaughters and raising families of their own, would have been ministers of God in further passing on the knowledge of God’s law, mandate and instruction to their children and leading them in the way of obedience to God. Lucifer as the anointed cherub that covereth might have helped to this end. But neither he nor Adam chose to stay ministers of God, and Adam abandoned the ministry of God and became Satan's minister. Adam joined Eve in disobedience to God. He acted as Satan’s agent to bring sin into this world and upon all of humanity: “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”—Rom. 5:12.

• ¹³ The faithful Son of God, by becoming the man Jesus Christ and dying to redeem Adam’s offspring from sin and death, became “the last Adam”. “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” (1 Cor. 15: 45, 47) To become thus “the everlasting Father” to the faithful and obedient ones of Adam’s fallen offspring, Jesus Christ held fast to his ministry of God, down to a martyr’s death. For the sake of God his Father Jesus Christ died as “the faithful witness”, but when God raised him from the dead to heavenly life he became the “first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth". —Rev. 1: 5.

• ¹⁴ Jehovah’s witnesses, if they would keep on following in Jesus’ footsteps, must likewise hold on to their ministry toward God. They must particularly do so now, at this end of the world, when Satan and his angels have been cast out of heaven. They must do so, for a special ministry is laid upon them, now that Jesus Christ has been enthroned in the newborn kingdom of God. Now, in fulfillment of Daniel 12:3 they must be wise and shine as the brightness of the firmament, and must remain righteous and turn many others to righteousness and thus shine as the stars. They must watch to avoid the coils of the dragon’s tail that has cast a “third part of the stars” down to this defiled earth. Instead of joining in with Christendom’s religious clergy and saying, “Now is come the United Nations and with it the salvation and only hope of the earth,” they must shed light upon God’s kingdom and must join the heavenly throng in saying: “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.” (Rev. 12:10) In doing so,

• 13. In contrast, bow did God's beloved Son become the last Adam? 14. Why and how must Jehovah’s witnesses hold on to the ministry? Jehovah’s witnesses fulfill Jesus’ prophecy which said that one sign of the world’s end would be: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” They decline to take up the United Nations or any other political alliance as the gospel or good news for our time, the end of the world. They refuse to accept it and to recommend such U.N. and political alliances as the man-made substitute for the kingdom of God. Let the clergy go over to the ministry of the U.N. Jehovah’s witnesses hold fast to the ministry of “this gospel of the kingdom”. —Matt. 24:14.

WIDE-OPEN DOOR

• ¹⁵ Today the Bible-producing societies tell of the crying need for Bibles and of the huge demand for them. But today there is the need, not only for Bibles, but also for men and women to explain the Bible to the people. Already there are hundreds of millions of copies of the Bible spread all over the earth, not only in the out-of-date King James Version and Douay Version of the seventeenth century, but also in modern, up-to-date speech. But when reading even these modern versions, how many understand what they are reading and discern its present-day message, “this gospel of the kingdom”? There are hundreds of religious denominations all claiming to be Christian, and there are hundreds of thousands of religious meeting-houses, yet in such buildings the clergy of those religious denominations do not explain the Bible truth to churchgoers and help them to see “this gospel of the kingdom”. How could such clergymen do so while at the same time they falsely accuse, oppose and persecute Jehovah’s witnesses for preaching this Kingdom gospel to the people “publicly, and fiom house to house”?—Acts 20:20.

• ¹⁶ Consequently, there is a wide-open door set before those who want to be true ministers of the Kingdom gospel. Everyone who wants to be God’s minister at this world’s end must take up this foretold ministry. God made a covenant with King David of Jerusalem, promising that the One to rule in the everlasting kingdom of God would be a descendant of David. Jesus Christ, David’s descendant by his son Nathan, was the One that became the heir of this kingdom covenant and he was called “the Son of David”. To his human mother the angel from heaven said: “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:32,33) Therefore the power and authority’ symbolized by “the key of David” was given to Christ Jesus. In this day of

l-or what is there a crving need today, and why*’

1G. Why does Chust have the “key of David”? and for whom does be use it? world tension the church of Christ is not split by international hatreds and political discords that set men of different nationalities and political ideas against one another in mortal combat, but his church the world over puts Christianity above nationalism and is cemented together by brotherly love. The Greek word “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love”; and to his church, which is filled with this love, Jesus Christ, the Heir of the covenant made with David for the Kingdom, says: “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.”—Rev. 3: 7,8.

• ¹⁷ This open door signifies the opportunity to enter into the ministry of the gospel of the Kingdom by telling it out to others by all means of publicity. It is not an “open door” set only before men, or only-before graduates from worldly colleges and religious theological seminaries. It is set before all members of Christ’s true church at this world’s end who are filled with that Philadelphian quality of brothelly love and who keep what Christ tells them to do and who do not deny his name by going in for some worldly religio-political arrangement that is opposed to his kingdom. Nineteen centuiies ago the apostle Paul at Ephesus in Asia Minor had such a wide-open opportunity to preach good news about God’s King and kingdom, and he wrote: “I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a gieat door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Cor. 16:8,9) It was effectual because it promised good results; and so Paul stayed longer at Ephesus to take advantage of the great door opened. (Acts 19:1-20) Today the enthroned King, Jesus Christ, with the “key of David", and hence with authority over all the interests of the Davidic covenant for the Kingdom, has unlocked the door for those who follow him. Happy are all those with discerning eyes who see the opportunity opened and who enter the Kingdom gospel ministry.

• ^1S The King with the “key of David” has opened the door and assures us that no man can shut it. But this does not mean there are not or will not be opposers to our entering through the door into the opportunities of proclaiming the Kingdom gospel in all the inhabited earth and to all nations. As in Paul’s case, there are many adversaries, demonic and human. The adversaries are as numerous now as thirty years ago, or in 1918, if not more numerous due to worsening world affairs. In 1918, when World War I reached its climax, the adversaries Catholic and Protestant practically persecuted Jehovah’s witnesses out of their field of activity and shut down 17. What does the “open door” signifv_t nnd for whom is it open? 18. When was the door opened, and with what encouiageineut to enter? their free and open work of preaching that the Gentile times had ended A.D. 1914 and that God’s kingdom by Christ had been set up. This shutdown was in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy on the world’s end. (Matt. 24: 7-13) But in the spring of the following year (1919) Christ Jesus used his “key of David” and opened the door of opportunity before Jehovah’s witnesses. He bade them to be fearless and enter as his followers into the great postwar opportunity for giving the witness to God’s established kingdom before this world comes to its final end at the battle of Armageddon. In the July 1,1920, issue of The Watch Tower he showed them that now, since A.D. 1914, is the time when “this gospel of the kingdom” must be preached to a wide-open world as he had foretold at Matthew 24:14. He called’especial attention to the opened door of ministerial opportunity in 1922, when the electrifying slogan was introduced at the biggest international assembly till then of Jehovah’s witnesses, “Advertise the King and his kingdom 1”

• ¹⁹ Since entering through the open door Jehovah’s ministers have had innumerable adversaries continue

• 19. How is the door being kept open, and for how much longer? to rise up against them and try to shut the door. Catholic Action organized world-wide, totalitarian dictatorships, and World War II, all these the adversaries have used to try to shut the door upon Jehovah’s witnesses. But our King with "the key of David” has miraculously kept the door open, and the ministry of this Kingdom gospel has gone forward, with more gospel ministers at the close of World War II than before. The door still stands open to the most glorious opportunity because the gospel ministry by men and women is not yet finished, but the invitation into this blessed privilege is more urgent now than ever before. Have you answered the invitation and entered through the door in brotherly love? Will you? The opportunity will close’with the battle of Armageddon, now drawing near, when this gospel of the Kingdom will have been preached adequately and the final end of this world will have come according to God’s due time. Then Jehovah will arise to give his own testimony before all the universe by winning the fight at Armageddon. As a result, “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.”—Hab. 2:14, Am. Stan. Ver.; Zeph. 3: 8, LAW; Ps. 68:1.

WHAT IS THERE IN

^tCT_JAS Job feared God for nothing? Hast thou

j j not hedged him round about, and his house and all that belongs to him? Thou hast blessed the labor of his hands; and his wealth has spread abroad in the land.” With such words the great accuser, Satan the Devil, accused the leading minister of Jehovah God in the earth in the seventeenth century B.C., namely, Job of the land of Uz. Ue lived in the days before the setting up of the priesthood in the family of Aaron the Levite for the nation of Israel. Hence Job, as head of his family, performed priestly duties at the altar for his household. He prayed to God for them and was an example of godly fear and uprightness before them. Jehovah called him “my servant Job”, with “none like him in the earth, a man perfect and upright, who fears God and shuns wickedness”.—Job 1:1-10, An Amer. Trans.

• ² Anxious to turn Job away from the ministry of the living and true God, Satan accused him of serving God selfishly because his “bread was buttered on that side”. With everything going in his favor, why should not Job serve God under total divine protection? What, Satan asked, is there to show Job is not guilty of “supposing that godliness is a way of gain”? (1 Tim. 6:5, Am. Stan. Ver.) So God let

IT FOR MINISTERS?

Satan reduce Job to abject poverty by the loss of everything earthly that material-minded men think makes life worth living. But Job still held fast his ministry to God and acted as Jehovah’s leading witness of the day. By God’s mercy and grace, Job proved Satan the accuser a base liar. He gave proof that there will always be true ministers of God on earth that will hold fast their ministry to Him, although the Devil makes it the hardest way of life on earth. Job’s chief reward was to be God’s vindicator.—Jas. 5:11.

• ³ The accusing question that Satan the dragon raised concerning God’s ministers must still be met and answered for the further vindication of Jehovah God. For this reason he has not shielded the way of his ministry in such manner as to make it a way attractive to softies and to worldlings who look for a life of popularity, public esteem, social honors, political protection, ease, comfortable salaries, flattering titles, and other things that would draw a selfseeker. Such things Satan the Devil pays his ministers. When he tempted Jesus Christ in the wilderness, he offered Jesus these things, even ‘‘all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them”, if Jesus would only become his minister. Jesus’ reply was: “Begone, Satan! For the Scripture says, ‘You must do homage to the Lord your God, and worship him alone!’ ”—Matt. 4:1-10, An Amer. Trans.

  1, 2. What false accusation did Job answer, and how⁹

  
  

  3, 4. Why does God not shield ministers? Why did Jesus become one?

  
  

• ⁴ Up till then Jesus had been a carpenter at Nazareth and earning a good wage. Compared with what Satan offered him on earth, what did God his Father offer him for being His minister on earth? God paid Jesus no money salary. God gave him no parsonage or episcopal mansion as a place “where to lay his head”. What God promised Jesus on earth was prophetically written in the holy Hebrew scriptures, namely, a life of hardness, of unceasing activity amid discomforts, opposition and persecution by religious priests and clergymen, and at last a most shameful and painful death under false charges of blasphemy against God and of sedition against law and order. Jesus read all those things as in store for him. He understood them, and yet he left the money-paying job of carpentering and took up the preaching ministry of God. Why? To give the most complete answer to Satan’s charge against Jehovah’s true ministers and witnesses and so vindicate Jehovah God as the only Master worthy of serving. Also he would lay down his human life as a ransom for all on earth who would become God’s ministers and remain such forever in the new world of righteousness.—Luke 24:25-27, 44-48; Matt. 20:28.

• ⁵ God did not let Jesus walk blindly into the ministry on earth during this present evil world, without knowing what it was to cost. All the tenor of the Bible is to inform us what it now costs to be a real witness and servant of God, now while Satan’s challenge to God’s ministers must still be met. This frank information keeps us from being surprised by the enemy. It forearms us by forewarning us. Just before his own violent death Jesus told his faithful apostles: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. ... If they have persecuted me they will persecute you too. ... I have told you this to keep you from faltering. They will exclude you from their synagogues; why, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing religious service to God. They will do this because they do not know the Father or me. But I have told you about these things in order that when the time comes for them to happen, you may remember that I told you of them.”—John 15:18,20 and 16:1-4, An Amer. Trans.

• ⁶ As in Jesus’ case, Jehovah God pays no money salary now to any man or woman to be his minister. True, he promises faithfully to provide for them, and he does so; and they have the right to pray to him, “Give us this day our daily bread.” But nowhere in all his written Word does he promise his true servants wealth and worldly honors and positions. The

5. What advance warning intormation does God’s Word give us’ Why? 6, 7. Does an avocation deny a minister’s true vocation? and why? challenging accusation of Satan forbids it. True also it is that, while one is actively serving as God’s minister, a man or woman may have an earthly occupation bringing in some financial or material returns. A person’s earthly responsibilities to family or other obligations might require him to work thus part-time at secular employment. Or his desire not to burden any other person or congregation with financing him full-time in the ministry may prompt him to do secular work part-time. But that is merely a side-line, an honorable avocation, for him. His main obligation, his true calling and vocation, is that of being a minister to teach and preach the truths and principles of Christianity both privately and publicly, and to do so regularly. This a person must do if he has consecrated himself to God to follow Jesus.

’ At times the apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker, but he preached regularly every sabbathday in the synagogue although it was not his pulpit. He said to the congregation at Corinth, where he did such tentmaking: “I would not permit myself to be a burden to you. ... I do not intend to be a burden to you now; for it is not your money but yourselves that I want; for children Eire not expected to lay up money for their parents, but parents for their children.” (Acts 18: 1-4 and 2 Cor. 12:13, 14, An Amer. Trans.) But while working with his hands as a tentmaker, Paul had not laid aside his vocation, his apostleship, even temporarily. He could not lay off his apostolic investiture without being unfaithful to his Master. In fact, to the congregation at the city where he made tents Paul wrote his strongest arguments that he was an apostle. So he did part-time work in order not to make his active apostleship a material burden to any Christian congregation.

• ⁸ So it is today with Jehovah’s true ministers. Most of His witnesses are, by one Scriptural obligation or another, compelled to do secular work parttime, but this does not mean they are not ordained ministers and primarily preachers of the gospel. They are still ministers, but are paying their own way honorably rather than choosing the soft way of financially burdening fellow Christians. In the days of the Theocratic organization of ancient Israel, the tribe of Levi was set apart to furnish the temple ministers and priests, but, except for the high priest, those Levites (24 courses of them, in rotation) served only two weeks out of a year, besides at the three annual feast times, directly at Jerusalem’s temple. The remainder of the year they spent at their Levite cities, doing garden work in the outlying suburbs and caring for their families and also doing some local teaching and judicial work on the law of God. For the main support of these Levites God commanded the entire nation of Israel to pay tithes of

• 8. How aie secularly employed ministers like the Levites of old?

all their substance, and a proper part of such tithes went to- the Levites. In turn, the Levite ministers paid a tithe to the priestly family of Aaron the Levite. (Num. 18:20-32; 1 Chronicles, chapters 24-26; Ezra 6:16-18; Neh. 13:5; Luke 1:5-9) The activities of these priests and Levites while away from the temple at Jerusalem did not deny they were Levites and deserving of the provisions and exemptions accorded to the Levites.

• ⁹ Since Jerusalem’s destruction by Roman armies A.D. 70, all records of Levite families have been lost, and now no Levite group is kept and supported even by the Jews. Christ Jesus and his apostles set up no Levite group among Christians. Hence Christians do not take up tithes in order to support Levites or any other group of ministers. Among true Christians, true" witnesses of Jehovah, all are under a solemn vow of consecration, dedicating their lives to the ministry of God, and this solemn vow they have publicly symbolized by being baptized in water. G-od has recognized this consecration by putting his spirit upon those who pay their vow to him/ Thus it is that, without any tithing arrangement for support, most of Jehovah’s witnesses have to work at secular occupations to provide the necessary things honorably in the sight of men and God. But this does not mean at all that they are not actually by vocation fully ordained ministers of God and of his gospel and under all the responsibilities of the ordained ministry.

• ¹⁰ Said Paul to the Corinthians among whom he made tents on weekdays: “Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16) Jehovah’s witnesses today, as ministers and preachers of the gospel, imitate Paul by working as necessary in order not to burden their Christian brethren with financial support of them as preachers. But necessity is laid upon them to be ministers and preachers. By reason of their consecration vow they have a relation to the Supreme Almighty One that involves duties higher than those duties springing from any human relations, so that they may not love father or mother, son or daughter, or marriage partner more than God and Christ. (Matt. 10:37; Luke 14:26) As ministers they all take a leading part by going forth and spreading the gospel message in their community. Also each one, as he has opportunity, may baptize another in water, may preach a funeral service, may secure a license to perform marriages, may administer the emblems at the Lord’s supper, and may do other services in a congregation. Because there are more ministers than can all render such services at one time, only some render these services at a particular time, just

• 9. What makes them ordained ministers despite secular work?

• 10. (a) How do they have duties higher than those owed to humans? (b) How do they act as leaders, do public service, enjoy exemption? as with the Levites who, because of numbers, could serve only in rotation, one week every six months at »the temple. In ancient Israel the Levites were exempted from military duty in Theocratic warfare. Likewise today, Jehovah’s witnesses, who are all devoted to God through Christ for divine, Theocratic service, are entitled to military exemption by nations that claim to be Christian.—Num. 1 >45-54.

NOT UP FOR A PRICE

• ¹¹ Despite- the hardships connected with it, the ministry of God is the greatest privilege a creature on earth could enjoy. It is an office, a service, that cannot be bought with money. Simon Magus of Samaria tried to buy the apostolic power of imparting gifts of the holy spirit to baptized believers, but Peter refused the bribe and said: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” (Acts 8: 20) And yet simony has been practiced by the wealthy religious organization that claims to be built upon Peter as its first pope. Ecclesiastical history shows that a number of popes got the popedom by simony. In a religious organization an ecclesiastical office can be bought by a secret gift of money, but not so the true ministry of Jehovah God. It is not like a cardinalate, for which a clergyman must pay the pope a sum of many thousands of dollars and must undertake to support financially one of Rome’s scores of religious meetinghouses, just to get the red hat and title. As for the influence of money in this matter, note the case of pope Leo X, of the notorious De Medici family of Italy and who excommunicated Martin Luther. He was the second son of Lorenzo “the Magnificent” and got his religious tonsure at the tender age of seven years, thus becoming a clergyman, after which the pope gave him the rich living of the wealthy convent of Passignand. As if that was not young enough to become a clergyman, this same Giovanni de Medici, when just thirteen years old, was presented with the rank of cardinal by his sister’s father-in-law, pope Innocent VIII, and at seventeen years he was installed fully as cardinal. Twenty-one years later he became pope.

• ¹² However, boys and girls yet in their teens do not have to buy their way into God’s ministry with money. Neither does their youth debar them from becoming His bona fide ministers, any more than Giovanni de Medici was barred religiously from becoming cardinal at thirteen years of age or a tonsured clergyman at seven years. A child on reaching the age of intelligence and appreciating God’s requirements can obtain the privilege of the ministry by making a vow of consecration to God with full faith in Christ Jesus as our ransom sacrifice

• 11. Can a share In this ministry be bought with money? Illustrate. 12. Why and how can children not in their teens become ministers?

and our Exemplar. Jesus said: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6: 37) Today many boys and girls not yet in their teens, when not at public school, are preaching the gospel from house to house and also distributing the Kingdom message in print on the sidewalks and other public places. When God accepts anyone’s consecration and puts his spirit upon him, God subjects such accepted one to all the obligations of His minister and he becomes an ordained minister of the gospel and must discharge the duties of his office. The Bible is the rule for his conscience and it provides him the subject matter for preaching. From then on his privilege, yes, his obligation is to render a faithful ministry and prove God true and Satan the false accuser a liar.

¹³ It is not ecclesiastical titles nor sanctimonious garb different from that of ordinary people that mark us as being genuine ordained preachers of the gospel. In ancient Israel the priests and Levites outside of the temple were not commanded to wear any official garments to show them off from the common folk. When Jesus and his apostles preached, they did not adopt the official garb of the templepriests and Levites to display themselves as ministers and to have the people doff their head-covering or bow and scrape to them and give them special favors. It would have been contrary to God’s law through Moses for Jesus and his apostles to adopt the holy official garments of Israel’s high priest, underpriests and Levites. (Ex. 28:1 13; Num. 4:1 49; Ezek. 44:15-20, 10-14) Without even a prophet’s rough hairy garment, but in the ordinary dress of the common people, Jesus on earth carried out his ministry as Jehovah’s high priest, prophet and witness. When he died on the tree as our ransom sacrifice, his garments over which the Roman soldiers cast lots did not include any long robe or collar that buttoned to the rear or vest that zipped up the back. (Mark 12:38; Luke 20:46; 2 Ki. 1:7,8; Zech. 13:4, 5; John 19:23,24) Jesus’ ministerial capacity was proved, not by man-made titles nor by Levite or prophetical dress, but by his preaching, his works, his constancy in God’s service, his keeping integrity till death. The ministerial office of Jehovah’s witnesses today is proved in the same Christlike way.

WHAT IT TAKES

¹⁴ Every person professing to be a Christian should consider it his first obligation to be God’s minister of the gospel. If his Christianity is more than just being enrolled on a church register, and if he has really consecrated himself through Christ to God’s service, then there is no escaping it: he 13 What shows whether our ministry is proved by dress and titles? 14 What must a true Christian be, and with what must he be such? must now carry out his ordination to preach God’s message. What he is required to have to minister with is not a college education and a complete course in a theological seminary with an ecclesiastical title of “reverend”, “parson,” “doctor of divinity,” or the like. No, but he ministers with the written Word of God, which contains His good news or gospel. Hence the apostle Paul spoke of himself as “ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the holy spirit”. (Rom. 15:16) So, if you do not have a college degree or theological seminary diploma and religious titles, do not he afraid to introduce yourself and speak of yourself as an ordained minister and preacher of the gospel. Prove it by your knowledge, works and adherence to God’s Word.

¹³ What every one must have to be a complete and qualified minister is the Scriptures and an understanding of them. “The holy scriptures . . . are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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. 3:15-17) Certainly to help others to become wise to salvation we ourselves must study the holy Scriptures and know and understand them in order to impart the meaning of them to others. God has not made ignorance the way to salvation, and does not sanctify us by ignorance. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,” Jesus said. (John 17:17) Hence we must study the Scriptures with the help of all that God provides through his Theocratic organization to aid our understanding. Of the blessed man it is written: “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Ps. 1:1,2) Our study and meditation are not merely to gain our own salvation, but also to be teachers of others, that they too may win salvation. We should definitely purpose to be teachers as a result of our study and meditation. After a time of such study and meditation God expects us to be teachers and preachers.

¹³ Said Paul to the Hebrew Christians: “For the time ye ought to be teachers.” His expression of disappointment shows that all Christians are expected to develop into teachers of others, for Paul said to them: “When by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God.” (Heb. 5:12, Am. Stan. Ver.) At this end of the world, what we should study to teach others is that ‘increased knowledge’ which Daniel

15. To be complete, qualified ministers what must we have? Why’* 1G. Why must we be a society teaching others to become ministers:

12:3 said would mark the “time of the end”. That knowledge means the present-day facts about God's kingdom now established, and the approaching day of His vengeance at the universal war of Armageddon, and the thousand-year reign of Christ that is to follow for the blessing of all persons of good-will. Before this “time of the end” began, one of our main objectives was to teach others, that they might carry on in our stead after we had finished our earthly course. As Paul told Timothy: “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim. 2: 2) But now our teaching others is not merely to have others succeed us as teachers and preachers after our death. It is to help others become God's ministers now, that they may by God’s mercy live through this “time of the end”, survive the destruction of this world at Armageddon and keep on ministering to God forever in the righteous new world to follow, without a break in their ministry. The Scriptures show that the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses is a society of ministers that teaches others to be His ministers of the gospel. Only his ministers may have any hope of surviving Armageddon. Remember Noah and the flood.

• ¹⁷ “I cannot undertake such service,” someone says. No, you cannot; not of your own natural ability. But with the divine gift you can, if you do not hold back fearfully, but are willing. As Peter said: “According as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 4:10,11, Am. Stan. Ver.) God can develop the gift in us, and he will supply the strength and ability needed that we may render the required service. This new strength and ability he imparts by means of his spirit or invisible active force upon us.

• ¹⁸ We need not fear for lack of God’s spirit to help us now. Are we in the “time of’the end”, “the last days”? Yes! Then his spirit is due to be poured out upon his anointed remnant, in fulfillment of Joel 2:28,29 and Acts 2:16-18. The activities of Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide since A.D. 1919 prove the spirit has been poured out upon the anointed remnant. Hundreds of thousands of persons of goodwill have since associated themselves with the spirit-begotten remnant of Christ’s bride and are also partaking of the spirit of God and sharing with the small remnant in this ministry of “this gospel of the kingdom” for a witness to all nations.

• ¹⁹ The invitation now goes forth to all seekers of

• 17, 18. With what gift and ability can we render this ministry? 19, 20. (a) Who or what is the “spirit” that now says, “Come”? (b) Who take up this ministry and extend this invitation, and why? life in the new world to take up the gospel ministry that they may gain life eternal in that glorious world. The throne of God and of his Christ has been set up in the heavens, and streams of life-giving Kingdom truth like a mighty river are issuing forth from this established kingdom. Now the apocalyptic picture applies: “And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:1, 2,17) By the word spirit here we need not understand any person, either God or Christ Jesus, but simply the active force of God. The spirit or active force from God acted upon the holy men of pre-Christian centuries and they spoke and wrote as moved by that holy spirit. Thus they produced the inspired Hebrew Scriptures. Then God anointed Jesus with his holy spirit, and at Pentecost of A.D. 33 Christ Jesus, having returned to his heavenly Father, poured out the holy spirit upon his faithful consecrated followers. A number of apostles and disciples wrote the inspired Greek Scriptures by that spirit, to make up our complete Bible of today. From that spirit-produced Book the life-giving waters of truth from the throne of God and of Christ flow out. That spirit searches the deep things of God, and by it we have revealed to us today the Kingdom gospel for this time of the end. It brings an increase of knowledge and a grasp of things never before seen, heard or perceived by man.—1 Cor. 2:9,10; Isa. 64:1-4.

• ²⁰ That same spirit has been poured out upon the remnant in the flesh of the Bride class, and with its help they extend the invitation to all nations to come to the Kingdom water of life. From the spirit-unfolded Word of God the remnant see the prophetic pictures that disclose the “great multitude” of people of good-will who must now be gathered to the fold of the Good Shepherd, Jehovah’s King. To those of good-will who answer the invitation to the water of life and consecrate themselves to do God’s will a share in this precious gospel ministry is assigned in the words: “And let him that heareth say, Come.” And as the good-will persons obediently enter this gospel ministry, God imparts his spirit to them to give them strength and ability as his gospel ministers.

• ²¹ Thus by the anointed remnant and their great multitude of good-will companions, the spirit of God is saying “Come” to all who now thirst for life-giving waters. By persisting in this blessed ministry till the final end comes upon the world, they share with Christ Jesus in vindicating Jehovah’s name and word. For their share in this vindication all these faithful ministers gain the gift of life eternal in the world of the “new heavens and a new earth”.

• 21. What Is there in it at last for all these ministers’

THE LIE ABOUT THE DEAD

PEOPLE generally shrink from speaking disrespectfully about the dead. Hardly at any point are they more touched than about their dead. And yet, in the name of religion, a great lie about the dead has been circulated throughout the earth for thousands of years. This lie has worked great injury to the living. That lie does not emanate from the sacred Bible, for Jesus said of it: “Thy Word is truth,” and his apostle John said: “No lie is of the truth.” (John 17:17 and 1 John 2: 21) A lie is a false statement made by one to another person who is entitled to hear and know the truth, and which false statement tends to work injury to that person. A false statement that is made for the direct purpose of deceiving and working injury to another is a deliberate and malicious lie. The lie about the dead was intentionally started to injure the good name and sovereign rule of God the Creator, and the Bible as the vehicle of truth faithfully exposes that vicious lie.

How did the lie begin’? Who fathered it? The Bible tells. Jehovah God appointed Lucifer the cherub as man’s over-lord in the garden of Eden. Faithfulness to God and also duty to man required the covering cherub to tell the truth. Eve, the man’s wife, was entitled to know the truth. Lucifer, by the use of the serpent, stated to Eve that the eating of the forbidden fruit would not result in death to her and Adam, as Jehovah God had warned, but it would result in godlike wisdom to them. (Gen. 3:1-5) Through that false statement Eve was deceived, and it resulted in her death and brought suffering and death upon all her offspring. Lucifer’s statement to Eve was therefore a deliberate, •wicked and malicious lie. It was the beginning of lies and also of rebellion against God’s sovereignty.

Now known as Satan the Serpent, Lucifer is the most fertile of liars. From the moment he became Satan or God’s adversary he was a liar. His first lie resulted in murder upon the human family. The great Truthteller, Jesus, said of Satan the Devil: “He Avas a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44) The title “father” means “originator or life-giver”; and being “the father of it” means that all lies originate with Satan the Devil. Those persons who indulge in telling lies are the children of the Devil. For this reason Jesus said to the religious leaders of the Jews who lied about him and tried to murder him: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” In the same way that he that is of God seeks His Word and obeys it, those who repeat Satan’s lies are children of the Devil.—John 8:44, 47.

Jesus’ words make a clear distinction between truth and lies. Replying to a question propounded to him by one of Satan’s representatives, Jesus said: “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Jesus thus showed he was a Son of God, for “God . . . cannot lie”, and it is "impossible for God to lie”. (John 18:37; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18) Since God is the true and righteous One and his Word is the truth, it follows that all doctrines or teachings of men that are contrary to God’s Word are false teachings. If such doctrine or doctrines tend to do injury to others, then such doctrines or teachings are lies. If you find that a doctrine or teaching is a lie, you should quickly forsake it. regardless of who teaches it or how long you have believed it to be true. Your own welfare and your duty to the God of truth demand that you abandon lies, no matter who teaches them, for the reason that the end of the maker and of the supporter of lies is eternal death.

Among the seven things that are named as specially abominable to God is the speaker of lies. Hence, “a false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” (Prov. 6:16-19 and 19:9) The Devil lied to the perfect woman Eve and deceived her. It is certain, then, that the majority of imperfect human creatures are lied to and deceived by the Devil’s agents. There is only one possible w^ray to find safety, and that is to learn the truth of God’s Word and to follow that and keep away from teachings of men which are contrary to God’s Word. If you find that you have been for some time in a religious organization called “the church” and that it teaches what is contrary to God’s Word of truth, then you will have to choose whether you will remain a member of that so-called “church” organization and uphold its teachings or will forsake the same and rely upon God’s Word. As we now’ consider the lie about the dead, ask the God of all wisdom and comfort to let you see the truth in the light of His Word.

The American poet Longfellow said: “ ‘Dust thou art, to dust returnest,’ was not spoken of the soul.” Besides, you often hear some religious teachers say: “There is no death: when a man is taken away in what is called death, he is not in fact dead but passes on to live; his body of dust dies, but his soul lives on forever.” That, in brief, is the teaching of practically all the religious sects of Christendom. The question now up for proof is, Is that teaching a lie or is it true? The Holy Scriptures, which means to say, God their Inspirer, emphatically answer that such teaching is a lie from Satan. By God’s creative power man “became a living soul” and God said to him: “Thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Satan the liar said to the man’s wife: “Ye shall not surely die.” (Gen. 2:7, 17 and 3: 4) Whom are you to believe? Jesus our Exemplar said he believed God, because Satan “is a liar, and the father of it”. Follow Jesus, and not some religious clergyman who accept;. Satan’s lie. Romans 6: 23 plainly declares: “The wages ot sin is death.” If there is no death, then the sinner must be immortal, which means that the sinner cannot die. You see, one lie is called to support another lie. Hence another doctrine taught by the religious organizations is that the soul of man is immortal and lives on forever. That is another lie. But two lies added together do not make a truth.

Is the human soul immortal? God made man to be a human soul. God did not insert in man’s body a soul that is separable from the body and endowed with an independent, intelligent existence. Even the Roman Catholic Bible translation says: “And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2: 7, Douai/) This description of man’s creation proves that man’s body and the breath of life together make up the soul or living, moving creature.

Not when the soul is separated from the body, but when the breath of life is separated from the body the creature

man dies, and hence the soul dies. On that basis Ezechiel 18:4 (Douay) says: “The soul that sinneth, the same shall die.” All human persons are souls, and because of inherited sin we human souls die. Unless a sinner soul is saved, it dies; for James says: “He who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death.” (Jas. 5:20, Douay) And Revelation 1G:3 says that, at the plague of God. “every living soul died in the sea.” (Douay) Even angels have sinned, and they too shall die. Angels are not immortal. They come within the statement that “the Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy”. (Ps. 145:20) The father of lies, Satan the Devil himself, is not immortal, because, among other scriptures, we read, at Hebrews 2:14: “As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Jehovah God is incorruptible, and when he raised Jesus and made him the “firstborn from the dead” God gave him immortality, and he can never die again. Hence the apostle Paul said of Jesus at that time: “The King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality.” (1 Tim. G: 15, 16) Some years after Paul wrote that, Jesus said in the Revelation to John: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” (Rev. 1:18) At the resurrection of the faithful followers of Christ, Jehovah God will give them immortality, and will give it to no others but these 144,000. The scriptures at Revelation 2 :10, Romans 2: 7 and 1 Corinthians 15: 53, 54 prove that.

WHERE ARE THE DEAD?

The clergy of the great religious systems of this world teach and thereby induce millions of professed Christians to 'believe that when a person dies, if good, he goes immediately to heaven; otherwise, if a Roman Catholic, to a “purgatory”, and, if not, to eternal torment in a fiery hell; and that he is fully conscious after his death and has knowledge of what is being done with him. Now, if you find from the Bible that the dead person is not conscious and has no knowledge whatever, then you will know that the teaching about purgatory and a hell of torment is a gross lie of Satan made and taught to deceive and injure others.

We will be blunt at the beginning and say, Purgatory and eternal torment do not exist. Those who are dead are not conscious anywhere: “For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten. Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening.” (Eccl. 9: 5, 10, Douay) “The dead shall not praise thee, O Lord: nor any of them that go down to hell. But we that live bless the Lord.” (Ps. 113:17, 18, Douay) In view of these scriptures it is certain that those who have died are not suffering anywhere. Being an honest person, you have, no doubt, found it difficult to love a god who would torture a living creature in fire or in any other manner. You would not torture a dumb brute even. The doctrine of eternal torment makes God appear a fiend rather than a God of love, and that is what the Devil desires. The doctrine of purgatory with various kinds of fiendish tortures is another one of Satan’s lies, manufactured and told to deceive men and women and cause them to hate, disobey and reproach Jehovah God.

As an attempt at supporting their doctrine of the immortality of the human soul and its passage to another realm of life at death, the religionists refer to the thief that was impaled alongside of Jesus. The record of it is found at Luke 23: 39-43. One of the two malefactors impaled on both sides of him said to Jesus shortly before he died: “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” The emphatic translation of Rotherham punctuates the answer of Jesus correctly, in harmony with the rest of the Scriptures, and reads: “And he said unto him—Verily I say unto thee this day: With me shalt thou be in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43; see also Lamsa’s translation) The superscription over Jesus’ head said he was the King of the Jews. Manifestly the thief believed Jesus to be God’s appointed King of the new world and that in the future Christ Jesus would come into his kingdom at the end of this world, and so the thief wanted to be remembered by the enthroned Christ Jesus at that time. Jesus did not come into his kingdom the day that he died. For three days he was dead and in the grave, and at the end of that time God raised him out of death, and forty days later Jesus ascended into heaven. Almost nineteen hundred years later, namely, A.D. 1914, Jesus came into the Kingdom and was placed upon his throne by his Father and was sent forth to rule.—Pss. 2:6; 110:1, 2; Rev. 11:15-18.

The thief will never be in heaven, because the promise to him is that he will be with Christ in Paradise, because Christ’s kingdom will restore paradise to this earth. It is certain that the thief did not go to heaven or paradise the day that he died. If he did, then he got there long before Jesus did; and we know that such a conclusion is entirely unreasonable. The thief died and was put in a criminal’s grave. He is still in the grave awaiting the time when Christ the King will utter his voice and all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth unto a resurrection, The thief will come forth to a “resurrection of judgment”.—John 5: 28, 29, Am. Stan. Ver.

Hence, even Jesus’ words on the tree to the thief cannot be used to support the doctrine of a purgatory. That doctrine is a lie because it is false and it has worked great injury to millions of Roman Catholics and others. Religious teachers in the Roman Catholic sect have induced millions to believe their dead friends are conscious and are suffering in purgatory and that the prayers of men called “priests” can relieve them of their sufferings. The people are thus induced to give up their money to the priests to say prayers for those supposed to be in purgatory. Many an honest man has been influenced to pay a large sum of money for such prayers. Certainly this clerical manner of obtaining money is getting it under false pretenses and to the injury of those who pay. How terrible it is to lie about the dead in order to get money from the living! The greatest injury, however, is the inducing of the living to believe that their dead friends are suffering in purgatory at the hands of God himself; for that is a defamation of God’s name and tends to turn millions of honest persons away from God and to make Communists of them or any other kind of atheist. That is what the Devil is trying to bring about.

Do not be disturbed because those who are dead are not existent, for all those who are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth. The hope for them is that of the resurrection of the dead, and not the supposed immortality of the human soul. The apostle Paul said: “There shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust.” “Because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in equity, by the man whom he hath appointed; giving faith to all, by raising him up from the dead.” (Acts 24:15 and 17: 31, Douay) The resurrection of them means the bringing of them back to life. If the person were alive in a purgatory or in a hell of torment, he could not be resurrected to life, because he would already be alive. Resurrection of the dead is sure and certain, because Jehovah God has so provided; and that in itself proves that the doctrine of purgatory and human immortality is a Satanic lie.

Have those who are faithful Christians gone immediately to heaven at death? No; because the resurrection does not take place until the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of God’s kingdom. (2 Tim. 4:1) The faithful apostle Paul declared he would not receive his resurrection until at the second coming of Christ. (2 Tim. 4:8) Such faithful followers like him are the ones having part in the chief resurrection, “the first resurrection,” and they become members of the royal house of Jehovah God in heaven, and their number is limited to 144,000. The hope of all other persons is in a resurrection for an opportunity of life everlasting on the earth with paradise restored to it.

ISAIAH LIVED UP TO HIS NAME

ISAIAH* had rushed to the temple to offer to Jehovah his heartfelt thanks for His salvation of His people in their time of trouble when he had heard the welcome news that Jehovah had destroyed Sennacherib’s 185,000 troops at Libnah (732 B.C.). (Isa. 37:36; 33:2) After his prayer of thanksgiving and praise he lingered in the temple courts. As he looked westward and saw the temple house with its lofty porch he remembered the vision Jehovah had given him the year King Uzziah died (775 B.C.). It had seemed to him that he was inside the temple and that he saw Jehovah sitting on a high and lofty throne, his trailing robes spreading over all the temple floor. Then he had seen six-winged seraphs hovering round Him and had heard them calling to one another over and over again: “Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isa. 6:1-3, Ant. Stan. Ver.) So loud was their voice that the foundations of the thresholds shook. Then the house filled with smoke. The heaviness of the realization of the holiness of the sight made Isaiah cry out: ‘•'Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.”—Isa. 6: 4, 5, Am. Stan. Ver.

No sooner had he spoken than one of the seraphs flew to the altar and took a red-hot stone from it with tongs and flew over to Isaiah and touched his lips with it and said: “See! this has touched your lips; so your guilt is removed, and your sin forgiven.” (Isa. 6:6, 7, An Amer. Trans.) That removed Isaiah’s anguish and brought him great relief. Then he heard the voice of Jehovah, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Whereupon Isaiah said: “Here am I; send me.” So Jehovah said: “Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.” Then the prophet asked, “Lord, how long?” He answered: “Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land become utterly waste, and Jehovah have removed men far away, and the forsaken

⁴ The name Isaiah means Salvation of Jehovah. places be many in the midst of the land.”—Isa. 6:8-12, Am. Stan. Ver.

As Isaiah reviewed the intervening 43 years, he realized that, just as Jehovah had said, his preaching had fallen on heavy ears. The prophet thought of wicked King Ahaz’ refusal to trust Jehovah’s word, in spite of the direct messages from Jehovah that he had conveyed to Ahaz. With a grateful heart Isaiah remembered that for David’s sake Jehovah had not permitted the eonspiratory confederacy of Rezin of Syria and Pckah of Israel against Judah to succeed. The memory of Hezekiah’s accession to the throne of Jehovah and the restoration of true worship throughout the land brought a smile of pleasure to Isaiah’s lips. How sharply Judah’s subsequent prosperity had contrasted with Israel’s weakening and ultimate exile (740 B.C.) because of the latter’s refusal to worship Jehovah and heed his commandments! How he had rejoiced when he had seen some God-fearing Israelites, who had not forgotten the God of their salvation, settle in Judah, where His pure worship could be carried on¹—Isa. 17:10.

Isaiah thought of the many messages Jehovah had given him to deliver and of how he had enjoyed speaking them forth, often accompanied by his children. He recalled with delight the time Jehovah had inspired him to proclaim the song of praise to Jehovah, which ascribed salvation to Him: “I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and ■will not be afraid: for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth. Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.”—Isa. 12:1-6, Am. Stan. Ver.

Isaiah remembered the oracle on Egypt that Jehovah had given him. How it had intrigued him, especially that part that said: “In that day shall there be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Jehovah. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto Jehovah of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto Jehovah because of oppressors, and he will send them a saviour, and a defender, and he will deliver them.” (Isa. 19:19,20, Am. Stan. Ver.) He had inquired and sought diligently to understand more concerning that savior Jehovah would provide.—1 Pet. 1:10.

As his eyes surveyed the mountain of Jehovah’s temple he remembered another prophecy of salvation: “And in this mountain will Jehovah of hosts make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering that covereth all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He-hath swallowed up death for ever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken it. Arid it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is Jehovah; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”—Isa. 25:6-9, zbn. Stan. Ver.

Then Isaiah remembered the song Jehovah had inspired him to foretell would be sung in Judah, the one that started out, “We have a strong city; salvation will he appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which kecpeth faith may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in Jehovah for ever; for in Jehovah, even Jehovah, is an everlasting rock.” (Isa. 26: 1-4, Am. Stan. Ver.) Now they had just seen a manifestation of the strength of Jehovah’s salvation. Jehovah had truly come and saved them for his own sake and for his servant David’s sake.—Isa. 33:6; 35:4; 37:35.

A few days later Isaiah received word that King Hezekiah was dangerously ill. Jehovah revealed to the prophet that Hezekiah would die; so Isaiah went to the palace and entered the room where the king was lying. On Hezekiah’s face he saw a look of pain and supplication. Then Isaiah said to him: “Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” With a look of anguish Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. Isaiah heard him pray to God. “Remember now, 0 Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.” Then Hezekiah wept profusely.—Isa. 38:1-4, Am. Stan. Ver.

Isaiah, moved by the sight, slowly walked away, but before he had gone out of the middle courtyard, the word of Jehovah again came to him, saying: “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city. And this shall be the sign unto thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken: behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.” Isaiah quickly turned around and walked briskly to Hezekiah with the good news. —2 Ki. 20: 4, An Amer. Trans.; Isa. 38: 4-8, Am. Stan. Ver.

Shortly after Jehovah healed Hezekiah Isaiah saw a delegation being escorted to the royal palace. He could tell from their dress and general appearance that they were Babylonians. Later he saw Hezekiah taking them about the city. Isaiah was puzzled; but then Jehovah made it all clear to him by the message He gave him to deliver to Hezekiah. Isaiah went to the palace to deliver it. When he reached the king, he noticed Hezekiah seemed strangely elated. Isaiah said to him: “What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee?” Hezekiah answered in a proud tone: “They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.” Isaiah questioned him further: “What have they seen in thy house?” Hezekiah continued in his haughty tone: “All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.”—Isa. 39:1-4, Am. Stan. Ver.

Then Isaiah said solemnly to him: “Hear the word of Jehovah of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” As Isaiah spoke, he noticed the look of pride fade from Hezekiah’s face and one of humble grief take its place. When Isaiah had finished, Hezekiah said in a contrite voice: “Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken.”—Isa. 39: 5-8, Am. Stan. Ver.

Isaiah was glad to see Hezekiah repent of his pride, the only haughty pride Isaiah had ever seen in him. The prophet also rejoiced to see the inhabitants of Jerusalem humble themselves when they learned the facts. (2 Chron. 32:26) From then on Isaiah saw God prosper Judah, saw Him exalted in the sight of all nations for the salvation He had wrought for His people. (2 Chron. 32: 23) Isaiah had the privilege during that prosperously blessed time of being inspired to utter sublime prophecies, many of them relating to Jehovah’s salvation. (Chapters 40 to 66) “Lift up your eye's to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die like gnats: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”—Isa. 51:6, Am. Stan. Ver., margin.

Isaiah in his steadfast course of upholding Jehovah’s sovereignty and ascribing all salvation to him prefigured at times Christ Jesus himself, who at all times has upheld the sovereignty and saving power of Jehovah. Just as those who heeded Jehovah’s message through Isaiah received His protection and blessing, so likewise today those who heed Jehovah’s message coming through the greater Isaiah, Christ Jesus, receive Jehovah’s salvation. Multitudes now who heed that message are saying: “It is to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, that we owe our salvation!”—Rev. 7:10, Weymouth.

THE POWER OF GOD’S TRUTH OVER ERROR

A pioneer publisher of Jehovah’s kingdom who used the power of God’s truth to overcome opposition in Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland, says:

“While working from house to house on one of the streets the people told me with indignation that they were not interested in the message of God’s kingdom and that I immediately leave the home. I began to wonder why all the people answered the same way and I decided to try to uncover the reason therefor.

“I asked the people who taught them to so answer. In one home it was explained to me that a missionary monk had been there an hour before, collecting money for rebuilding the church.

“In connection therewith he warned them concerning Jehovah’s witnesses, who go from house to house turning the people away from the Catholic church, and who have books that are condemned by the church. He urged them to chase Jehovah’s witnesses out of their homes with a broom because God’s kingdom had already come long ago on the earth together with the Roman Catholic Church.

“The work was indeed difficult because of going to the homes after the people had been so warned previously by this monk. However, I continued to work patiently, only a bit faster. After an intensive hour’s work I ran into the monk, going from house to house.

“I immediately went into the same home with him and stood by him as if I were his friend. He did not know who I was. He began to speak to the people as formerly, and when he finished I kindly asked him to sit down a while and rest. This he did. I then began to give a witness to the people, telling them of the Lord and his purposes.

“As a result, the whole family became sincerely interested in the truth. These people understood why I did not come to collect money, but rather bring them something of much greater value than all the material riches of this earth, such as how they might obtain perfect health, happiness and everlasting life. These people understood the difference of my mission and that of the monk’s, and took some of our books.

“I left this home together with the monk and kindly asked him to go with me to the next home, to which he agreed. But here I went into the home first and the monk with me.

“I immediately presented myself as one of Jehovah’s witnesses, and, with convincing words, told them about the message of the truth. After giving them a broader witness, this family also became interested in the truth. They took some booklets. I took note of the number of the home so as to visit them again and help them to a better understanding of God’s truth. The monk stood quietly as if dumfounded, not uttering even a word, betraying half disappointment and half defeat from his perplexity. He was a witness as to what Jehovah’s witnesses preach and how they make glad the hearts of the afflicted people.

“Startled by hearing such a wonderful message, he no longer collected money for building his church and likewise no longer incited the people against me.

“After leaving the second home the monk turned to me on the corridor and stated: ‘Please excuse me, as I have to interrupt our work. Henceforth I will not interfere in your preaching, and the beautiful words that I heard have deeply impressed me and I will tell others about this in the monastery.’ He parted very politely and left.

“I did not have any further difficulties in the work, and many of the people were of good-will. I rejoiced greatly in the spirit, because of the Lord’s removing difficulties and giving His servants the victory after enduring in the work.”

GOSPEL PREACHED THROUGH PERSECUTION

The following letter was written by a young man to two of Jehovah’s ministers on their release from a Montreal jail:

“I have read today of your arrest and of others before for distributing pamphlets. I believe that if your members are willing to suffer arrest, then your ideas must be sincere and worthy. I would like to know more about them. Would you please inform me how I may do so?”

FALSE WORSHIPERS UNABLE TO WITHSTAND GOD’S WORD

The faithful preaching of the gospel from door to door by Jehovah’s witnesses in a town in Poland made a clergyman hide for fear of being exposed publicly.

“We started to work from the east, and when we finished half of the village, school was let out and the children began to pour out into the street. Among them were also some grown-up persons. Most of them began to laugh and scoff at us, and one of them cried out: ‘Two faiths have now met in our village and we will see which one is the stronger.’

“We did not know what this was to mean, but we saw the church minister coming out of a yard into which our two sisters had entered a little while before. I stayed out in the street on guard in ease any help was needed.

“Our sisters came out of the home and stated that they did not come in contact with the priest. We went to the next home and the priest was not there either. However, here we saw the housewife hastily clear away the priest’s sprinkler from the table but she did not manage to clear the 600 zlotys from the plate prepared for the priest. After presenting the message here to closed ears, we left.

“Outside we were confronted by a crowd of young people who anxiously asked us: ‘What happened to the priest?’ They wanted to hear our discussion with the priest, who was unfortunately nowhere to be found. The priest’s altar boy stared at us in astonishment and then started to run to different places in search of the priest, evidently not knowing where he had hid himself. It turned out that some woman had locked the priest up in her ‘nice’ room to hide from us, because the priest was ashamed and did not want to be disgraced in front of his parishioners.

“In a conversation with the crowd of young people, they declared: ‘We see that victory is on your side and that the priest is bold only when he deals with us, but not so with you people.’

“We gave them a good witness. After working the whole village, we gathered together to leave. Many people watched us as we left and continued to comment on what they had seen and heard.

“The Roman Catholic priest was ashamed of his mission among his parishioners.”

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