The Watchtower — October 1, 1954

The Hope of a New Earth

WOULD you not like to see a better world? A world free from the greed, the corruption and the suffering that characterize the present one? Would it not bring true comfort to have a real basis for hoping for such a better world? Surely it would.

There is a sound basis for hoping to see a better world because there is a God in heaven even as all nature testifies. And from his Word, the Bible, we learn that he is a loving, just, all-seeing and all-powerful God. That being so, we can rest assured that he takes note of present conditions and therefore in righteous indignation will make an end of them, even as he foretold some twenty-five centuries ago: “Wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them all mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” (Zeph. 3:8, AS) That event is elsewhere in the Bible described as Armageddon.

But perhaps you will ask, What good will that do if in wiping out earth’s evil conditions God at the same time destroys the earth itself, consuming it with fire, burning it to a cinder? However, let us not hastily jump to any such conclusion, for God’s Word uses figurative as well as literal language.

That we are not to think of the literal earth as being consumed by fire is apparent from many other assurances that God has given us. For example, the one at Isaiah 45:18 (AS) where we read: “For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.” If God created the earth to be inhabited, then it must endure, must it not? Specifically guaranteeing the permanency of this globe, God’s inspired Record states: “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever.”—Eccl. 1:4, RS.

Why, reason alone should tell us that such must be God’s purpose regarding the earth, which of all the planets, as far as is known by man, is the only one supporting life. Such a beautiful globe, with its towering, snow-capped mountain peaks, its verdant valleys, its winding rivers and placid lakes, its mighty oceans and glorious sunsets, its stately trees and its endless and colorful variety of flowers and other vegetation, its changing seasons, the phenomenon of the rainbow, not to say anything of the many, many kinds of bird and marine life, its many kinds of beasts of the field, both wild beast and domestic animal! Would an all-wise and all-powerful God destroy all this simply because many of earth’s caretakers fail to appreciate how good God is and even begrudge their fellows’ enjoying the very things they so much want for themselves?

Is it not far more reasonable to conclude that God would merely rid the earth of those who defile it with their selfishness and wickedness so that he could realize his purpose regarding the earth, which is to have it filled with righteous creatures worshiping him and loving their neighbors as they love themselves? Of course it is. What landlord would burn down his house simply because the tenants occupying it failed to take good care of it? Would he not rather oust the undesirable tenants and rent it out to others who he had reason to believe would prove desirable tenants? Well, that is just what God tells us he is going to do: “Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look well at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”—Ps. 37:10, 11, RS.

Yes, remember the Bible record of the evil preflood days? Did God at that time destroy the earth itself because of the wickedness of man? Why, no, he merely removed the wicked corrupters of the earth by means of a global flood, delivering those who loved God, righteousness and their fellows, together with representatives of the various kinds of the lower animals, from that catastrophe into a cleansed earth. The Deluge did not destroy the earth, it merely rid the earth of its undesirable tenants. So likewise with the rapidly approaching cataclysm of Armageddon; earth’s wicked tenants will be destroyed, but it will remain.

What a wonderful place this globe will then be! Concerning that time God promised: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isa. 65:17) The new heavens does not refer to new galaxies of stars but rather to new invisible rulers that will replace the present ones, who are the Devil and his demons, even as the new earth will not mean a new planet but a new system of things upon this earth, a New World society, already being formed.

Regarding the conditions that will prevail in that new earth God’s prophet goes on to say: “They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah.” (Isa. 65:21, 23, 25, AS) God’s Word contains many similar prophetic assurances.

If we would escape the destruction of this old world and enter the cleansed new earth in which righteousness is to dwell, then we must now heed God’s prophetic command given at Zephaniah 2:3 (AS): “Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”

So, all you persons of honest heart and good will toward God who long to see a better world, take hope, for Bible prophecy shows that the new earth not only is a certainty but is near at hand. God cannot lie and he is too just and loving to raise hopes in us only to disappoint us by failing to fulfill his promises, the way politicians do. Says he: “I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.”—Isa. 46:11, AS.

Flee for Your Life!

Would you run from a lion or ignore his roar? This may seem like a foolish question, yet some today are blissfully ignoring the most vital warning in history. Read the startling facts; then take action! That is, if you value your life.

“THE lion is a gentleman of the animal world. Slow to anger, knowing that he is supreme in strength, he stalks majestically across the African plains and will seldom attack unless wounded or provoked beyond reason.”—From the book Nature’s Ways, by Roy Chapman Andrews.

Jehovah, with his lionlike power and majesty, manifests the same gentlemanly restraint in his dealings: “Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty.” (Num. 14:18, AS) In fact, Jehovah’s patience even with his enemies, by allowing them to fill the earth with their wicked deeds until this late date, has caused some to doubt that he will ever act to execute judgment upon the guilty.

Today Jehovah’s critics sharply demand: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.” (2 Pet. 3:4, NW) Denying God any part in earthly developments, one modern “wise man” expounded: “The universe apart from man or before his coming lacks and lacked any purpose or plan.” He says the present human chaos “is one that only responsible human knowledge can reduce to order,” and that man “cannot place responsibility for rightness or wrongness on God or on nature.” How like ancient Judah’s complacent philosophy: “Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.” (Zeph. 1:12, AS) Thus do they push aside and ignore Jehovah’s power, failing to recognize any evidence whatsoever that he is now giving a warning of doom.

Thinking Bible students, however, see in present world conditions grave portents for the future. Accepting God’s Word as truth, a beacon light for their path, they see in it a warning of imminent death for the present chaotic system of things. (Ps. 119:105; John 17:17) Just as men quail in fear and shout the alarm when a roaring lion runs amuck in the streets, so they now shout aloud their warning of Jehovah’s fiery judgments. As the prophet Amos so well puts it: “When the lion roars, who does not fear? When the Lord GOD speaks, who will not prophesy?”—Amos 3:8, AT.

JEHOVAH SPEAKS

To the smug evildoers inhabiting ancient Samaria in Israel came Jehovah’s word through Amos: “Woe to them who are at ease in Zion, and self-confident on the mount of Samaria.” Yes, woe to those who lounged around, idly disporting themselves with feasting and strong drink, mentally putting off the evil day, for “‘they shall be the first of the exiles to go into exile, and the shout of the revelers shall pass away,’ is the oracle of the LORD, the God of hosts.”—Amos 6:1-8, AT.

Again today Jehovah’s voice speaks forth to those who would self-confidently rob him of his authority over the earth and assume it themselves: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation; and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”—Dan. 4:34, 35, AS.

“Ah yes,” say the scoffers, “very pretty words, but what evidence have you to show that God has ever exercised such authority over earth’s affairs?” To these Peter answers: “There were heavens in ancient times and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God, and by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.” (2 Pet. 3:5, 6, NW) There is your answer, Mr. Scoffer, and do not waste your breath protesting that the flood of Noah’s day never really happened, for in so doing you would be arguing with more than ninety different historical accounts the world over that attest to the Flood’s genuineness, as well as archaeological and geological evidence. Again, as evidence shows, God intervened and asserted his authority in earth’s affairs by destroying the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and maneuvering the destruction of the nation of Israel in 607 B.C. and again A.D. 70.

SOURCE OF DANGER IDENTIFIED

But why are the afore-mentioned instances of concern to us today? Because those destructions, causing death to countless thousands, came as a punishment for the very same evils now afflicting our modern generation. The men of Noah’s day had bad thoughts in their hearts all the time; they had filled the earth with violence. The Sodomites were notorious for their perverted sexual practices. The Israelites were guilty of the same evils and more. (Gen. 6:5, 13; Ezekiel 22; Matthew 23; Jude 7) A glance at today’s headlines is enough to convince that modern crimes and violence have reached an all-time high of incidence and an all-time low of depravity. The same conditions now as then merit the same destruction now as then.

But an issue even greater than national sin was involved in those previous cases and is involved now. These were not mere chance events, examples of history repeating itself as a natural course in an evolutionary struggle for survival. Rather, they were merely preliminary skirmishes in a universal “war of the gods” to decide the issue of universal rulership.

Daniel, chapter four, mentions this issue of rulership, using a covering, protective, provident tree as a fit symbol of such rulership. Ezekiel, chapter twenty-eight, tells how the original godly rulership of the earth was corrupted and how the covering cherub who was assigned to that protective, provident post grew ambitious for power like the Creator’s and allowed his ambition to lead him into rebellion against Jehovah. Genesis 3:1-7 shows how he enlisted the first man and woman on his side in that rebellion, using a serpent as his earthly tool of deception. The fifteenth verse of the same chapter Ge 3:15 gives promise that this serpentine deceiver would one day be crushed at the head and thereby destroyed. And finally, Revelation 12:1-10 vividly describes how Christ Jesus, the “seed” of God’s “woman” or heavenly organization, debases that archdeceiver from any heavenly authority, confining him to this earth until time for his final crushing in death.

Surely the violent transition from Satan’s evil system of things to Christ’s righteous kingdom would be a fearful time for all inhabitants of heaven and earth, and especially for the latter, whose life is at stake in this issue of rulership. But when will the complete transition come? Must we worry about such things in our day? Some say no, because so far history has gone on and no such miraculous thing has happened. But that was also true seven days before the flood, when Noah was warned by God: “Go, you and all your household, into the ark,” because “in just seven days more I am making it rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe every existing thing that I have made off the surface of the ground.” (Gen. 7:1-4, NW) Lack of precedent then did not forestall destruction, nor will it do so now.

But again we ask, “When will it come?” Has God given us any time measurement just as he gave Noah to know when to flee destruction? The answer is a definite yes. Turning back to the “tree” of rulership mentioned at Daniel four, we find such a time measurement. Just as Jehovah God spoke to the spirit deceiver in Eden under the symbol of that one’s earthly tool, the serpent, so here in Daniel’s account He again speaks to Satan the Deceiver under the symbol of another of that one’s earthly tools, the king of Babylon. He here refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s rule as a “tree” to be cut down and then restored, showing how the rule of Nebuchadnezzar’s master, the one-time “covering cherub,” was cut down to the ground at the time of his rebellion, thus felling the “tree” of righteous rulership, and yet how in Jehovah’s due time that rulership “tree” would again sprout and grow through whomsoever he chose to receive such rulership.—Da 4 Verses 15-17.

THE TIME TO FLEE

In Nebuchadnezzar’s case a definite time period was set, “seven times,” or seven 360-day years, during which period his lofty rulership would be debased in beastly insanity. What significance would this period have for his great master, the Devil? Daniel’s fellow prophet Ezekiel was given a similar symbolic time representation connected with the issue of rulership, and to him Jehovah stated the rule: “Each day for a year, have I appointed it unto thee.” (Ezek. 4:6, AS) Nebuchadnezzar’s seven years of madness being expanded on that Jehovah-assigned basis, then, it would mean that in the complete fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy as many years would be involved as there were days in that earthly monarch’s “seven times,” or years. Otherwise stated, the righteous rulership abandoned by the Devil would experience a prophetic time period, not of 2,520 days, but rather of that many years.

Those times would not begin counting immediately after Satan’s deflection in Eden. Rather, they would begin much later, after Jehovah’s line of faithful kings, ruling “on the throne of Jehovah,” was completely cut off. (1 Chron. 29:23) That happened in 607 B.C. when Jehovah overturned the rule of Judah’s last king, Zedekiah, “until he come whose right it is.”—Ezek. 21:27.

Dire calamities came between July 30 and August 3, 607 B.C. If our understanding of the seven prophetic “times” is correct, then approximately the same dates 2,520 years later should witness world-shaking events, should witness events having to do with the “tree” of rulership in the hands of the one “whose right it is.” Foretelling one of the things to happen then Jesus said: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matt. 24:7, NW) In time 2,520 years elapsed and the world came to the summer of 1914 (A.D.). What then happened? Almost to the day it came! Between July 28 and August 4 of that year the dazed world was plunged into a mad maelstrom of massacre from which it has never since recovered. The first world-wide war was on!

Truly 1914, the end of Daniel’s “seven times,” was a marked year. The many-faceted sign at Matthew 24 has also had fulfillment since that outstanding year. Famines, pestilence, earthquakes, heartrending fear and anxiety, these and more too now stalk the earth.

WHERE TO FLEE

Nor are all these modern-day historical facts just another phase of history repeating itself. Instead they signal the final part of the great universal “war of the gods,” the beginning of the end for Satan and his earthly tools, mad rulers, whose dominion has produced only bitter fruits of immorality, crime and violence. Revelation, chapter twelve, tells us why the earth is now in such a woeful condition: because Christ Jesus, in a violent celestial battle, has thrown Satan down out of his heavenly position, leaving him caged, as it were, in the vicinity of this earth. Like a savage beast, cornered and facing sure death, he seeks to maul and devour everyone he can in the process.—1 Pet. 5:8.

But his end is sure, for at the time of his debasement to earth a shout went out in heaven: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ!” (Rev. 12:10, NW) Yes, the woe Satan now brings to earth is a sure sign to us that at last Jehovah’s power has again been manifested in the re-establishment of righteous rulership in the person of his Son, Christ Jesus. Destruction has begun upon Satan’s wicked system of things, and will not cease until it lies in ruins. Daniel, chapter two, describes it as a God-approved stone smashing world powers to shivers and grinding them to dust. Then the stone grows into a great mountain that fills the whole earth.—Da 2 Verses 35, 44, 45.

Now is the time, then, when the mountain of Jehovah’s house is established on the top of the mountains, “and all nations shall flow unto it.”—Isa. 2:2, 3, AS.

Flight to the mountain of Jehovah’s house is now of the utmost importance, for all who remain in Satan’s “mountains,” or governments, will be ground to powder with them.

In ever-growing numbers godly persons are now forsaking Satan’s old system of things. Rather than faithlessly abandoning Jehovah’s promises for our decisive days they have instead borne fearless witness to his purposes. Through them his roar of warning is now heard sounding throughout the earth, chorusing from a multitude of throats, just as Hosea foretold: “‘They shall go after the LORD; like a lion will he roar; yea, he will roar; and his sons shall come trembling from the west, they shall come fluttering like a bird from Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will bring them back to their homes,’ is the oracle of the LORD.”—Hos. 11:10, 11, AT.

Even while they are in the midst of Satan’s dying old system they are becoming part of a new system of things. Knowing that “friendship with the world is enmity with God,” they even now live by the righteous principles of Jehovah’s new world, thus forming a New World society of people, the nucleus of a righteous earthly rule to come, under the headship of their now-ruling heavenly King, Christ Jesus. As Jehovah’s dedicated witnesses they earnestly plead with all persons of good will toward God: “Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good.” Thus placing themselves under the shadow of Jehovah’s protection, they will be spared for eternal life in his endless new world.—Jas. 4:4, NW; Hos. 14:2, 7, AS.

Yes, “The lion hath roared; who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8, AS) The warning has been sounded! Sudden death impends! Flee for your life!

Lies Lead to Loss of Life

“These are the things that the Son of God says, . . . ‘I am he who searches the inmost thoughts and hearts, and I will give to you individually according to your deeds.’” “As for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death.”—Rev. 2:18, 23; 21:8, NW.

1. What is a lie, and how did lying originate?

A LIE is a false statement made by one to another who is entitled to hear and know the truth and which false statement tends toward injury to the other. A false statement made for the purpose of deceiving and working injury to an innocent person is a deliberate and malicious lie. Therefore lies are man’s great enemy. History well proves this. Jehovah God appointed the covering cherub as man’s overseer in the garden of Eden. Faithfulness to God and duty to man required the covering cherub to tell the truth. Eve, the first woman, was entitled to know the truth. The covering cherub, in effect, stated to Eve that the eating of the forbidden fruit would not result in her death, but that the eating thereof would result in great wisdom to her. By that false statement Eve was deceived and she induced Adam to join her. A false statement resulted in their death and brought suffering and death upon all mankind. The covering cherub’s statement to Eve was therefore a deliberate, wicked and malicious lie. It was the beginning of lying.

2. What did Jehovah require of Adam and Eve, and why was it reasonable?

² What was the truth? The truth was that God placed the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, in the garden of Eden. Adam was under a test in Eden, a test of his integrity and obedience. This would prove whether he was worthy to live in the paradise of Eden. God declared his law concerning the tree of knowledge of good and bad, making that a forbidden tree. “And Jehovah God proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it. And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: ‘From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.’” (Gen. 2:15-17, NW) This shows that Adam was not deprived of anything necessary to him by being barred from eating of this tree, for there was plenty of other food for him. But God made the simple requirement that he must not eat of this fruit while it was prohibited. As for having knowledge of good and bad, Adam could leave that safely with God without fear of anyone’s accusing him of being ignorant. Actually God allowed Adam freedom of choice, whether he would eat from it or not. God did not tempt Adam to be disobedient or wicked by putting this tree of knowledge in the garden, because there were many other trees to eat from; but God encouraged him to obedience and faithfulness to the supreme Jehovah by warning him of the penalty of eating of the forbidden fruit.

3. How did the defection of the covering cherub come about?

³ Some may wonder how the perfect creation of God, the covering cherub, could turn away from perfection and become evil and originate lies. We find the explanation in the symbolic words concerning the king of Tyre: “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee. By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee. By the multitude of thine iniquities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic, thou hast profaned thy sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of thee; it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the peoples shall be astonished at thee: thou art become a terror, and thou shalt nevermore have any being.” (Ezek. 28:15-19, AS) From this we see how the covering cherub in Eden developed an impure heart condition and was lifted up with pride at all the wonderful endowments he received from Jehovah God. He became blinded by this and engaged in a wrongful course. The covering cherub became selfish and wanted to be worshiped just as God was by Adam and Eve. Greedy for selfish gain, he was willing to capture Adam and Eve, take them away from God and sell them into the service of sin for the price of worship of him as god. He did violence to the interests of Adam and Eve by murderously lying to them and turning them to the course that would lead to their destruction and to death of all their offspring. For this great crime the covering cherub, grown proud and selfish, brings destruction upon himself, which was foreshadowed in Ezekiel 28 by the destruction of the king of Tyre. It was not God who created Satan the Devil. The anointed covering cherub in Eden made himself that wicked one.

4. Who is Satan, and how does he work to achieve his ends?

⁴ Thus Satan the Devil, the liar and slanderer, came into existence, and at the time of Adam and Eve’s joining together and eating of the forbidden fruit a corrupt world came into existence. Satan the Devil became the god of the corrupt system of things. From that time onward the worlds that have existed have been worlds under the jurisdiction of Satan the Devil, worlds based on lies, deception, violence, greed and murder. Through his lies, violence and deception Satan has maintained control of the wicked system of things and has done everything possible to try to corrupt those whom Almighty God has brought into the worship of himself in purity and truth. The Bible tells us that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light in order to try to deceive creatures. The extent to which this wicked one will go in his activities is shown in his temptation of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 4. The wicked one went so far as to quote Scripture in an effort to break down the integrity of God’s Son, Jesus. Satan showed his dominion or authority over the kingdoms of this world by offering the rulership of all of these to Christ Jesus, but this too was done in deception. Satan was interested only in bringing about the destruction of Jesus, which would have been the result had Jesus turned away from his Father in heaven. It was another wicked and malicious act on the part of the Devil, the old traitor. But Jesus did not fall for this line of deception practiced by Satan. Instead he used the most powerful force in existence to combat lies, namely the truth, God’s Word. And he quoted the Bible, God’s Word, in answering every temptation that Satan placed before him.

5. Was Jesus aware of the wiles of Satan?

⁵ Because Jesus, the Word of God, had been with his Father in heaven from the time of creation, he was well aware of the activities practiced by this one who had become Satan. He knew that Satan the Serpent is the most fertile of all liars. From the very time when Satan induced Eve to take of the forbidden fruit he became a liar. His first lie resulted in murder. So Jesus stated the truth concerning Satan very well when he said: “That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.” We do not want to have Satan as our father by becoming liars like him. As a warning to us Jesus told the chief men or clergy of the Jews in his day: “You are from your father the Devil and you wish to do the desires of your father.” He that has God as his father sees God’s Word and obeys the truth. But those who repeat Satan’s lies prove themselves to be the children of the Devil.—John 8:44, NW.

6. How does Jehovah expose the children of the Devil?

⁶ In these days there are many wicked men who speak lies, identifying themselves as of their father the Devil. “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.” (Ps. 58:3, AS) Some of them, like the Devil, try to be bearers of light and they try to add to God’s Word in order to make themselves appear to be right and truthful. But Jehovah does not allow these men to get away with their wicked schemes. He turns the light of truth from his Word upon what they say and his Word of truth reproves wicked men and shows them up to be liars. “Every word of God is tried: he is a shield unto them that take refuge in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”—Prov. 30:5, 6, AS.

7. Prove from the Bible that Jehovah is against lying.

⁷ Because he is the father of truth, Jehovah God hates a lying tongue or a false witness that speaks lies. Proverbs 6:16-19 (AS) says: “There are six things which Jehovah hateth; yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that deviseth wicked purposes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Men may lie, but it is not because Jehovah God wants them to. God is not a liar. He expects men to tell the truth, too.—Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Rom. 3:4; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18.

8. What is one way creatures prove they are followers of Christ?

⁸ Jesus originated with Jehovah, his Father in heaven, so he made a clear distinction between truth and lies. In reply to a question recorded in John 18:37 (NW), he stated the truth. “Therefore Pilate said to him: ‘Well, then, are you a king?’ Jesus answered: ‘It is for you to say that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born and for this purpose I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone that is on the side of the truth listens to my voice.’” Thus representatives of Almighty God hear and speak the truth. They do not lie. They follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus, who did not lie to anyone.

9. How can we protect ourselves from lies?

⁹ Because truth originates with God and lies originate with Satan, it follows that all doctrine and teachings of men that are contrary to the Word of God are false teachings. If such doctrines or teachings tend to do injury to others, then such doctrines or teachings are lies. The Word of God is true and that is our measuring rod. What is contrary to the Word of God is a lie and it proceeds from the Devil. It is for our own welfare that we abandon everything having to do with lies and stick close to the truth. Christians should not believe things merely because they are said or printed, but must judge what are true by their conformity to the Scriptures. The Bereans did that, as we read at Acts 17:11 (NW): “Now the latter were more nobleminded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with the greatest readiness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.” The advice in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 (NW) is that we should not treat prophesyings with contempt, but make sure of all things and hold fast to what is right. Then we shall keep ourselves free from every form of wickedness, including lying.

10, 11. (a) Give examples showing how lies work injury. (b) What is the end of false prophets?

¹⁰ It is only those who do not consider God’s Word who are injured by these false prophets and lying representatives of Satan. One of God’s servants is mentioned in 1 Kings 13. He received God’s Word but chose instead to follow a false prophet, to follow a lie. The lie worked injury to him and brought about his death. (1 Ki. 13:18, 24) This shows that God’s servants should be satisfied with his Word, not go listening to lying false prophets, because lies work injury and lead to death.

¹¹ In the days of Jeremiah there were false prophets who tried to keep the people from doing what God’s prophet Jeremiah told them to do. These false prophets worked injury to the people and brought about the destruction of many. Through his prophet God warned the people against these lies, but yet most of the people chose to listen to the lies anyway. Liar prophets may prosper for a time, but they are doomed by Jehovah’s judgment. False witnesses cannot escape Jehovah’s just judgments at any time. That happened to false prophets in the days of Jeremiah.—Ps. 101:7, 8; Prov. 19:5, 9; Jer. 27:10, 14-16; 28:15; 29:31, 32; Hos. 4:1, 2.

12, 13. How do the false prophets fool some people, but how does the Bible outline a course for Christians to follow that protects from injury by false prophets?

¹² Although false prophets and false witnesses must suffer punishment from Jehovah at Armageddon and will meet death, for a time they may be teaching falsehoods such as purgatory, eternal torment, universal salvation, trinity, evolution, and the use of images. (Jer. 10:14) They may say that God is not interested in what is happening on the earth and that he will never destroy the wicked. (Ps. 10:4, 13, 15) They may say there will never be a battle of Armageddon such as the Bible teaches. They may hide themselves behind a great refuge of lies and fool some people, but this will not keep God’s hard-smiting truths from exposing them and it will not free them from destruction when God’s due time for it arrives. They will not be able to hide from Jehovah.—Isa. 28:15-17.

¹³ Liars may seem to prosper for a moment, but no one should be deceived. No one should allow lies to turn him away from true worship of Almighty God. Yet many have. The majority of the people in the world today do not carry on pure worship. Through his Word Jehovah foretold at 1 Timothy 4 that in later periods of time some would fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies. The last days are critical days hard to deal with and they are here. “Wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled. You, however, continue in the things you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from what persons you learned them and that from infancy you have known the holy writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” “Keep holding the pattern of healthful words which you heard from me with the faith and love that are in connection with Christ Jesus. This beautiful trust guard through the holy spirit which is dwelling in us.”—2 Tim. 3:13-17; 1:13, 14, NW.

14. What does Jehovah allow now, and why?

¹⁴ Today men must choose whether they will serve God and live or will serve the adversary liar, Satan the Devil, and be put to death. People who have righteous hearts and love true doctrine and righteousness are taking up the pure worship of Almighty God, Jehovah, studying his Word and seeking to do his will. They are defending themselves against lies. On the other hand, there are those who prefer to choose lies and who base their worship on falsehoods. These are such as are mentioned in Romans 1:25, who exchanged the truth for a lie and who practiced the desire of their hearts, uncleanness. God allows them to go in their evil way, building up a record against them in the time of judgment. They succumb to the lies of Satan. “But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them that they may get to believing the lie, in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.”—2 Thess. 2:9-12, NW.

15. (a) Do liars deceive Jehovah? (b) On what basis will Jehovah reward creatures, and what does this mean for the liars?

¹⁵ Jehovah is not fooled. Jehovah knows exactly what the desire of the heart of each and every individual is, and it is on the basis of this that men are judged. “For Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” (1 Chron. 28:9, AS) Those with evil hearts and unclean motives are not going to be able to live in God’s new world of righteousness. It is only those who are righteous, clean and truthful that will gain entrance into the new world. “Happy are those who wash their robes, that the authority to go to the trees of life may be theirs and that they may gain entrance into the city by its large gates. Outside are the dogs and those who practice spiritism and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone liking and carrying on a lie.” (Rev. 22:14, 15, NW) Those who practice lying and other forms of evil associated together in this old world under Satan are going to have the reward according to their deeds. Jehovah leaves no question about that. “These are the things that the Son of God says, . . . ‘I am he who searches the inmost thoughts and hearts, and I will give to you individually according to your deeds.’”—Rev. 2:18, 23, NW.

Christians Live the Truth

“Wherefore, now that you have put away falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members belonging to one another.”—Eph. 4:25, NW.

1. Why should no form of lying be found in the congregation of God?

JEHOVAH God now has a New World society in operation. Throughout the world he is selecting people and training them for life in the new world. He expects these to clean themselves and to keep clean, to keep separate from the old system of things under Satan. There is no room among them for practices such as the world carries on. Some of the things to be done are mentioned in Colossians three. Then Col 3 verses 9 and 10 admonish us: “Do not be lying to one another. Strip off the old personality with its practices, and clothe yourselves with the new personality which through accurate knowledge is being renewed according to the image of the one who created it.” It is a time for Christians to be careful about how they live. To avoid things that will lead into lying and going against the truth is wise. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show out of his right conduct his works with a meekness that belongs to wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth.” (Jas. 3:13, 14, NW) Indeed it is as much as to say that if one has jealousy or contentiousness in his heart, if his heart is not right, it will not be very long until he is lying. One wrong leads to another; one lie covers up another. But lying should not be found in any form in the congregation of God. It is wrong; it is disapproved by Jehovah.

2. What results to those in the congregation who practice lying?

² There have been occasions in the past and in modern times where persons have endeavored to lie in the congregation of God, and this has always led to trouble and difficulty, and especially for those who have told the lies. Often the reason for lying, telling falsehoods or the practice of deception is a condition of fear of man or pride in an individual. Acts 5 (NW) tells us: “However, a certain man, Ananias by name, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and secretly held back some of the price, his wife also knowing about it, and he brought just a part and deposited it at the feet of the apostles. But Peter said: ‘Ananias, to what end has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field? As long as it remained with you did it not remain yours, and after it was sold did it not continue in your control? Why was it that you purposed such a deed as this in your heart? You have played false, not to men, but to God.’ On hearing these words Ananias fell down and expired. And great fear came over all those hearing of it.” His wife joined him in the lie and met the same judgment. They were engaging in hypocrisy. They wanted to appear before others to be something that they were really not. If they had said the truth, if they had said they were giving part of the price they received, they would have done no wrong. But their hearts were not right. Jehovah searched down into the innermost parts of their hearts to see what their motives were, why they were doing what they had done. He found their hearts were bad. The result to them was the adverse judgment of Jehovah. The case of Ananias and Sapphira shows that people can be disfellowshiped for lying, for Jehovah disfellowshiped them permanently. Lying and falsehood do not pay good wages.

TRUTH AMONG THE BROTHERS

3, 4. (a) What kind of testimony must be given by a witness when a hearing is conducted by congregation servants? (b) What factors that can lead to lying should a Christian avoid? (c) What are some Scriptural examples of injury done by false witnesses?

³ When we are dealing with our brothers we must tell the truth. We must keep the congregation clean, pure and truthful. Jehovah God tells us in Proverbs 6:19 that he hates false witnesses that speak lies. If the truth is always told, then right will be done. Perhaps an accused brother would have a hearing before servants in a congregation and a point-blank statement is asked for. There is a question of whether he has done right or wrong. One called to testify will say the truth about his brother even if it should bring a little persecution or rebuke from the worldly-minded. Fear of some form of retaliation must not be permitted to color the testimony. Some primitive worldly people are influenced to lie because of fear of witchcraft, but Jehovah’s witnesses do not have such fear; the full armor of God protects them. (Eph. 6:11-20) Nor should family relationships or clannishness—a mistaken idea of loyalty—warp testimony to shield a wrongdoer. And some people have a mentality of always wishing to please someone considered a superior by saying what that person might like to hear. But never should the desire to please a man’s ears lead one to tell untruths, whether in a hearing before a congregation or at other times. One who pleases Jehovah must come clean with his testimony. Lies and truth do not come from the Christian mouth.—Jas. 3:10, 11.

⁴ Jehovah does not like a liar whose false testimony may be bought for some false advantage or bribe. In a hearing one must not tell falsehoods in order to get the defendant into trouble. The falsifier becomes hateful to God. By his testimony he may think to gain favor with someone or to gain personal advantage, but he is certainly putting himself in disfavor with Jehovah. “A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness uttereth lies.” (Prov. 14:5, AS) Much evil can be done to a person if when one is testifying concerning him perjury is committed. Naboth suffered death because of perjurers. (1 Ki. 21:8-13) False witnesses came against Jesus and contributed to his death. False witnesses testified against Stephen. Perjury is wrong. It is a form of lying. It is especially evil when it results in harm to others, and it nearly always does.—Matt. 26:60, 61; Acts 6:10, 11.

5. How and when is it advisable to combat perjury?

⁵ One may choose to overlook idle gossip against him, but when someone commits perjury against you before a court of law it is certainly proper to defend yourself and offer evidence to refute lies that have been told. They should not be allowed to stand in the record against you. The apostle Paul offered his defense when before the rulers. The case of Jesus was different. He was before a mob and before wicked men who had no conception of justice. Offering a lengthy argument would have done no good. Furthermore, in his case he knew his time had come to give his life When the wicked bring their false witnesses against a person it may cause a moment of anger, but yet we should keep control of our faculties and not at any time try to retaliate with lies. We continue to observe God’s law and follow his righteous principles and tell the truth. The responsibility is upon the wicked for what they do.—Ps. 119:69, 70.

6, 7. What should be done to protect the interests of brothers and preserve unity in the congregation?

⁶ There are times when consideration must be given to protecting the interests of the brothers. If questions are asked of a person about his brother, questions perhaps of a personal nature, and the questioner is not a responsible servant in the congregation who is entitled to know at a time of inquiry, then it is best for a Christian brother to mind his own business and protect his brother by saying nothing in reply. Discourage people who try to pry into the business of others. In other words, it is good to avoid gossip, talebearing, starting rumors, or finding fault with the brothers. Remember, Jehovah hates not only a witness who speaks lies, but also one that sows discord among the brothers. Whispering about any brothers is to be avoided. If you think someone has done wrong, very well; if you want to say something about it go directly to him. Do not start a whispering campaign. In plain language the admonition is that one should mind his own business and his business should be in accord with Jehovah’s Word; then he will have no difficulty or trouble due to busybodying.—Prov. 16:28; 18:8; Matt. 24:48-51; 1 Pet. 4:15.

⁷ So when someone of the brothers in need of spiritual aid comes to you to speak about his problems, his personal difficulties, or something he did many years ago which may have been wrong and yet would not require disfellowshiping, as a mature Christian brother advise him how to straighten out his affairs. Help him in every way. But remember there is a time for everything. Spare your brothers embarrassment in times of trouble. It is not necessary to tell everything you know to everybody. Help your brother, but do not go telling everybody about his problems and difficulties, his family troubles, or other things about which he may have confided in you in a time of need. Show love for your brother. Do it for the sake of the unity of God’s organization.—Prov. 11:13.

8-10. (a) What action toward our brothers proves we love God? (b) How can gossip and pointless talk do injury to brothers and show lack of Christian love?

⁸ If anyone claims to be a Christian, claims to be a lover of God, he must also love his brother. If he does not love his brother he is actually living a lie. “If anyone makes the statement, ‘I love God,’ and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should be loving his brother also.”—1 John 4:20, 21, NW.

⁹ If a brother perhaps twenty years ago made a mistake and confessed his wrong then and was forgiven, it is not necessary for others to bring up these things continually. That is not showing love for the brother. If you really love your brother you will not be gossiping and talking about him. While it is true that we must say the truth when we speak, we do not have to say everything that we know about our brother. If he has really been forgiven, then the matter is closed, it is finished and it should not come up for discussion every week in a Kingdom Hall or among those in the congregation. Where is the mercy shown by such as continually bear tales about their brother and try to bring out his faults? Where does it bring in unity? Where does it preserve the harmony and spirit of joy of the congregation? If one wishes to speak, there are many Kingdom truths and field experiences to discuss.

¹⁰ Those who sow discord through gossiping, profitless talking or deceit through false doctrines are not looking after the interests of Jehovah’s organization. At Titus 1:10-12 Paul tells about those who are unruly and profitless talkers and deceiving the mind, showing how they would subvert entire households by their teaching of lies. He mentioned that “Cretans” are always liars. In this connection he showed in verse nine that the overseers in the congregation are required to reprove those who contradict the truth. The truth must be preserved in God’s congregation.

DOING JUSTLY AND HONESTLY

11. (a) How are honesty and truthfulness related? (b) Is it possible for dishonest persons to associate themselves with the congregation of God for a time?

¹¹ Jehovah “hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic. 6:8, AS) Doing justly or honestly and telling the truth fit in together. They are qualities that must be found among Christians. Christians are brothers who deal honestly with one another and help one another. But there is no need for a merciful Christian to continue to put up with wrongdoing, if someone comes into the organization that does not have good heart motives. Sometimes individuals come to the meetings or associate with Jehovah’s New World society who, deep down in their hearts, are not honest people, are not people of truth and righteousness. These are sometimes called “spongers,” people who practice fraud and deceit, men who go about seeking to borrow money or goods and possessions of their brothers, and who inwardly have no intention of paying them back and never do pay back. This kind of people make an outward show of Christianity, but their interests are purely selfish. Judas was a thief who showed hypocritical sympathy for the poor.—John 12:6.

12. (a) Is it a good practice to borrow money from brothers? (b) How did Jehovah make provision for honesty in ancient Israel, and what was required of the sinner to straighten matters out?

¹² It is not always a good practice for brothers to borrow money from brothers. At times it shows love to lend money, but often it leads to trouble in congregations. (Luke 6:35) If brothers do business together, make agreements to pay money or make certain payments of goods, they should keep their promises, tell the truth and avoid dishonesty. In view of the possibilities of memory failure and to help avoid disputes, it is advisable to make a proper written record of all such transactions. Swindling, cheating and dishonesty are sins in God’s sight. Among the people of ancient Israel Jehovah made provision for atonement for these sins. It was necessary for the offending individual to straighten himself out with his brother and before Jehovah. “In case a soul should sin in that he has behaved unfaithfully toward Jehovah and has deceived his associate about something in his charge or a deposit in hand or a robbery or he has defrauded his associate, or he has found something lost and has lied about it and has sworn falsely over any of all the things that the man might do to sin by them; then it must occur that in case he should sin and indeed become guilty, he must return the robbed thing which he has robbed or the extorted thing which he has taken by fraud or the thing in his charge which was put in his charge or the thing lost which he has found, or anything at all over which he might swear falsely, and he must make compensation for it in its full amount and he will add to it a fifth of it. To the one whose it is he will give it on the day his guilt is proved. And as his guilt offering he will bring to Jehovah a sound ram from the flock according to the estimated value, for a guilt offering, to the priest. And the priest must make an atonement for him before Jehovah, and so it must be forgiven him regarding any of all the things that he might do resulting in guiltiness by it.”—Lev. 6:2-7; 19:11-13, NW.

13. Has Jehovah’s principle of honesty changed to this day?

¹³ While we Christians today do not live under the same priestly arrangement as did ancient Israel, nevertheless we are under obligation to be honest and upright and to settle all debts and pledges properly. We do not defraud brothers, but should make things right with the brothers and ask Jehovah’s forgiveness for any wrong that has been committed. Brothers will deal justly with one another in all business and keep lies, dishonesty and fraud out of their midst.

14. What is the proper action for a Christian to take when he desires to have something that was borrowed from him returned?

¹⁴ Occasionally reports come to the Society from individual brothers or from congregations showing that some dishonest, immoral persons have slipped into the congregation. (Jude 4) It is clear how to deal with immoral ones, but what about people who go around preying on their brothers, or who appear to be brothers merely for the purpose of taking money, who are as the psalmist says: “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again”? Ps (37:21) What can be done about them? If a brother in his love and kindness allows another who appears to be a brother to have some of his money or material things for a time and then the borrowing individual, after the time agreed upon has elapsed, refuses to pay back, the brother who made the loan can go to the one who took the money or materials and ask him to make full return. It is proper to go to your brother when you have anything against him and speak to him. (Matt. 18:15-17) If he will not make proper settlement, then the brother involved can speak to the congregation servant and arrange to have a hearing before the committee, with the offender present. At a time like this one will find it to his advantage to have a signed written agreement and it will not be a case of the word of one person against another. If guilt is established, the committee may set a limited but reasonable time for the offender to settle his debts or right the wrongs done.

15. (a) What can be done by a congregation if a brother refuses or fails to make proper restoration of something borrowed? (b) Is it ever proper to go before a worldly court in order to have a debt settled? (c) Before one goes into court, what should be considered?

¹⁵ If the offender refuses to make a just and proper settlement, then is it proper for the brother who made the loan to take the debtor brother into court and sue him? The Scriptures advise us that we should bring such matters before the mature brothers in the congregation and not take a brother before the courts. (1 Cor. 6:1-10) But he may be disfellowshiped from the congregation if he is an extortioner. He should be avoided from then on. Being disfellowshiped by the congregation is the greatest punishment that can come upon such a person at the hands of men, for when mature brothers act according to the advice of the Scriptures they are in fact acting for Jehovah and the judgment is from his Word. Whether or not a defrauded person wishes to take a disfellowshiped person into a court is for him to decide. The disfellowshiped person is no longer a brother and the congregation has exhausted its powers in the case, so the only recourse would be to the law courts of the land. But it is a good thing to consider the costs involved in time and money. Legal suits are expensive and sometimes the result is that the lawyers get everything through their fees. It is also necessary to think of any reproach that might come upon the work through such public action. That is why a brother may not take his brother into court; there is reproach upon the organization. Paul’s argument is that it is better to be defrauded than to bring reproach upon the congregation. But with a disfellowshiped person the position is different, although the people in general may not realize that the one sued has been disfellowshiped. If legal action is taken, restitution of what was taken should be the goal, and not revenge. Anyone who would go that far to have a debt paid should have the agreement in writing from the start. Or if the wronged brother chooses to drop the matter it can be left in the hands of Jehovah, who searches the hearts of all men and knows their motives and who rewards those who do right with life.—Rom. 12:17-19; 1 Cor. 5:11-13; Heb. 10:26-31.

16. How can brothers show mercy to debtors?

¹⁶ Mercy must enter into many cases. A person may have borrowed a few dollars and completely overlooked making payment, but without intent to defraud. He ought to be allowed to restore what is due and, if his heart is right, he will wish to clear away his debt to a brother. And some brothers may not be in need and may wish to forgive debts. (Matt. 6:12; 18:23-35; Luke 7:41-43) No one has to expect his debt to be forgiven; it does not have to be, but it may be, through the love in the heart of a brother. The conscience and good heart within the debtor ought to impel him to want to clear away his debts, and he should try, at least. In some small matters a congregation committee may decide to recommend that a debt of an ill, destitute person be forgiven at the time a hearing is held, but it can only be a recommendation and the one who made the loan must finally decide. This shows the importance of having wise, mature brothers as servants in the congregation committee.

17. (a) In warning a congregation about a dishonest person what care must a servant exercise? (b) Can an offender be reinstated in the congregation?

¹⁷ If announcements are made to congregations concerning someone who refuses to pay debts or who is going around taking money or other things from individuals in the congregation, the congregation servant should be the one to make the announcement and he should be careful to avoid wording something in a slanderous way but merely report the facts as they exist or that a person has been disfellowshiped for dishonesty or fraud. Then those who are in the congregation can be aware of what is going on and will be able to protect their own interests and the interests of their brothers. “His wickedness shall be openly showed before the assembly.” (Prov. 26:26, 18, 19, AS) If one is disfellowshiped and later makes restoration of what is due, he may be reinstated because he has shown a right heart by a right course of action. Reinstatement will be at the discretion of the committee. This is one good reason for not taking a brother into court to settle a debt.

18. What shows that the parable of Jesus at Luke 16:1-8 is not his approval of dishonesty?

¹⁸ Dishonesty is not approved or applauded by Jesus in the parable he stated at Luke 16:1-8; Jesus never approves unrighteousness. Some have thought that the “master” referred to means the one who spoke the parable, Jesus Christ, but that is not so; he was not commending the dishonest steward. It is a mere reference to the master of the unjust steward, who could not help but admire the shrewdness of the unfaithful steward. Jesus showed how the worldly ones make use of their means to ensure their future. The “sons of the light” must look to the future too and use their possessions and abilities to please Jehovah and gain enduring riches of everlasting life.—See The Watchtower, February 15, 1948, for details.

PROTECTION FROM ENEMIES

19. When confronted by enemies, what can a Christian do for protection?

¹⁹ When evil men are seeking to do injury to a Christian or some of his brothers or to God’s organization and they come trying to pry into private affairs, is it necessary for a Christian to answer such evil men? What can be done for self-preservation or the protection of Christians particularly in times of difficulty or persecution? If you know an evil man is trying to inflict harm on a brother and he asks you where the brother may be found, it is not necessary to answer. Jesus often countered questions with other questions, which put his opponents in a bad light. It shows, too, how one can properly be evasive with evil men. (Matt. 15:1-6; 21:23-27; 22:15-21) There are instances, such as existed in the Nazi German regime, where it was a crime to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses. If someone came and asked an individual to commit himself as to whether he was one of Jehovah’s witnesses or not and he replied that he was, he could be immediately arrested and put into prison. In such an instance the individual would have to decide for himself what he wanted to do. He might conclude that it is proper merely to say, “I am a Christian,” or else say nothing at all. This would not be a denial of Christ such as is mentioned at Matthew 10:33. In the Dominican Republic at this time it is against the law to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses. This harsh law was made by the dictator in an effort to stop the preaching work’s being carried on there. So it would seem to be unwise for a person to go around telling everyone he is one of Jehovah’s witnesses, but he can go on with his work of telling the people the good news from the Bible and protect the interests of himself and the organization of Jehovah by not answering questions for every person who might ask.—Ps. 29:1.

20. In the United States, when may a person refuse to testify against himself?

²⁰ The Constitution of the United States provides that an individual does not have to testify against himself. The Constitution is leveled at compulsion to testify against oneself in criminal proceedings. It also gives a witness the right in any legal or legislative or executive proceedings to refuse to answer a question on the grounds that it might incriminate him. A person does not have the right to refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate some other person, but under some circumstances one may choose to remain silent and face contempt charges. (See explanation in paragraph 22.) The exemption is individual and for the benefit only of the person claiming it. Laws are made whereby some individuals can lose their employment if they refuse to answer questions. Even in employment cases a person cannot be compelled to incriminate himself. But his refusal to answer—whether it incriminates or not—is ground legally for firing. It is up to the individual to make the decision as to whether he wishes to answer questions or to suffer the penalty that goes along with his silence.

21. (a) In English-speaking countries, when may a person refuse to answer incriminating questions? (b) When must he answer? (c) What unjust action was taken against Jesus?

²¹ No harm is practiced, however, by withholding incriminating information from one who is not entitled to know. An example of this in English-speaking countries is, when one is under arrest, he can, if he chooses, legally refrain from giving information to a police officer who may ask incriminating questions. No answer need be given him, as it is none of the officer’s business. It is a matter for court. But when one goes into a court and enters within the witness box and swears to tell the truth, matters concerning the transaction theretofore confidential and possibly incriminating no longer can be withheld without risking contempt charges, as the judge has the authority to demand an answer. A man charged with a crime while on the stand as a defendant witnessing for himself may not claim exemption from answering questions about the crime he is charged with. A witness, too, must tell all he knows about the particular crime under investigation, but neither the defendant nor the witness may be compelled to testify against himself concerning some other transaction that might involve a crime in English-speaking countries. All facts about the event under trial must be answered. If a defendant wishes to avoid incrimination of himself about the particular transaction in question he should not go on the witness stand if the law of the land gives him that right; and in some countries he can refuse to take the stand. While the defendant may refuse to testify, a witness under subpoena to testify may not refuse to go on the witness stand. When one takes the stand about the transaction or crime in question, he by that act gives up the right to claim his privilege or exemption from incriminating himself about the particular transaction or crime. He can claim his exemption as to other crimes or transactions. Such exemption also applies to all witnesses brought before American Congressional investigating committees. There is no particular crime or transaction involved. Before such committees it is proper for all persons to claim the privilege. The exemption from self-incrimination is usually confined to English-speaking countries. In the case of Jesus, at Matthew 26:63-65 (NW), the court exceeded its own legal privilege where the high priest put Jesus under oath to tell whether he was the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus replied: “That was for you to say. Yet I say to you men, from henceforth you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus was unjustly forced to make an answer and the sum total of his reply indicates that his answer was understood by the high priest to be in the affirmative.

22. Under totalitarian rule, when Christians were put under oath what courses of action were open to them?

²² Even in court under oath circumstances arose in totalitarian countries, such as under Hitler’s rule, where the brothers were faced with two evil alternative courses. One course was to tell everything one knew and incriminate and expose brothers to persecution and punishment and also bring sentence upon oneself. The other course was to refuse to answer questions while on the witness stand and be held for contempt of court. In similar circumstances today it is up to the individual to choose whether he wants to answer or not. Refusal means punishment. He can choose to stay silent and go to prison or speak and multiply his punishment or place his brothers in danger. He has no choice on lying but he does on refusing to answer, remembering that he must pay the penalty that Caesar imposes, which may be years of imprisonment. A Christian will not lie under oath, and therefore those in Nazi Germany had to suffer the consequences of living where there was no justice, where it was a crime to be a Christian. Jehovah gave them strength and wisdom to endure it. However, this is not to say that a person should always remain silent before an unjust court. There are times when good can be accomplished to the honor of Jehovah’s name by giving a bold witness. Jesus Christ pointed out that his followers would come before the rulers to give a witness and that they would speak. (Matt. 10:17-20) Acts 22 and 26 show how Paul gave a bold, tactful testimony before the authorities. So it is left to the accused Christian to judge whether it is advisable under the circumstances to speak freely or not, but if one chooses to speak he must tell the truth.

23. Did Jesus lie under oath?

²³ Some men have claimed that circumstances such as those in Nazi Germany would justify lying under oath, but the Bible does not say so. Jesus answered when under oath, saying the truth, though he said little. There is no indication in the Bible that Jesus ever lied. His words at John 7:8 (AS), “Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up unto this feast,” and then his going up to the feast later, have been resorted to by those who would justify telling an untruth; however, a consideration of the New World Translation shows Jesus did not in fact tell an untruth. He said: “I am not yet going up to this feast.”

24. What do we learn from the bitter experience of Peter?

²⁴ There is a record in Matthew 26:69-75 of how Peter denied Jesus with an oath. When one makes an oath he must tell the truth. What Peter did was certainly not right. He knew it, because afterward he wept bitterly. His conscience bothered him. Jesus had not given him such an example to follow. He was wrong but in this case it is apparent that Jehovah showed undeserved kindness to Peter and forgave him, because he was used later to carry on the work of the early Christians and serve the brothers. The good course of Jesus Christ and the bitter experiences of Peter are examples for modern Christians.

25. What points do some raise, and to what may we look forward?

²⁵ Various characters of the Bible have been accused of lying, such as Jacob, Rahab, the Gibeonites, David and others, but there is no record in the Bible that they came under divine disapproval for this. How these instances of apparent lying are to be understood will be treated in another article that we hope to publish in The Watchtower.

VOWS AND RIGHT DOING

26, 27. How is it possible for a person to live a lie?

²⁶ Those who come into association with Jehovah’s New World society and dedicate themselves to the service of Jehovah make a vow that may not be broken without due punishment resulting. Those who make such vows must keep all the terms of their dedication, which means full obedience to Almighty God, Jehovah. (Deut. 23:21-23) Or if one comes to a knowledge of the truth and knows what is right he also has the responsibility to do what is right before Jehovah. So whether one makes a dedication or merely professes to be a god-fearing Christian person, it is still required of him that he do what is right and observe the truth. “If we make the statement, ‘We are having partnership with him,’ and yet we go on walking in the darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. However, if we are walking in the light as he himself is in the light, we do have partnership with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6, 7, NW) That means we are living a lie if we claim to be something that we are not, which is exactly what Ananias and Sapphira did. The wicked clergy of Jesus’ day also did so. All who are unfaithful make themselves liars. Taking a wrong course of action is in fact denying Christ Jesus. “Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ?”—1 John 2:22, NW.

²⁷ Jehovah has given us many instructions in his Word of truth so we can equip ourselves for life in his new world, and we are expected to observe his commandments. Jehovah has made a merciful provision through Christ to take away the disability and sin that have come upon us through the first great lie. If we serve him properly we shall obey the commandments that Jehovah has given through his Son. Those who claim to be servants of God, Christians, but yet do not observe the commandments are actually liars, living a lie. “And by this we gain the knowledge that we have come to know him, namely, if we continue observing his commandments. He that says, ‘I have come to know him,’ and yet is not observing his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this person.”—1 John 2:3, 4, NW.

THE CONSCIENCE

28. What is a Christian conscience, and how is it a guide to right doing?

²⁸ Jehovah has given humans a conscience. That conscience can be good or bad. The apostle Paul wrote Timothy about people in the later periods of time having their consciences marked with a branding iron. These are the ones who turn away from the teachings of God. They are those whose consciences are not hurt by wrongdoing. But the Christian should have a good conscience. He should be confident in the fact that he is doing right, that he is sticking to the truth in everything. It is necessary to have a good conscience before Jehovah in order to make a success of our faith, “holding faith and a good conscience, which some have thrust aside and have experienced shipwreck concerning their faith.” (1 Tim. 1:19, NW) When we come to a knowledge of the truth we leave behind the evil conscience and through the provision Jehovah has made make ourselves pure. “Let us approach with sincere hearts in the full assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies washed with clean water.” (Heb. 10:22, NW) The Christian conscience, instructed by God’s Word, is a good guide to right doing, making the setting up of a Talmudlike code of rules unnecessary. The Christian must individually consider the advice of Jehovah’s Word, to see what is right and to determine what he must do when confronted with the choice of whether to answer or not.

29. Why is a good conscience a blessing?

²⁹ In order to do right and tell the truth we have often to suffer at the hands of persecutors and those in the world who are against what is good. By doing right we share in the witness concerning Almighty God and have a part in the vindication of his name. It is pleasant to have a good conscience, but it is torture for a person to tell lies and go in the wrong way and have a bad conscience. If one tells the truth he does not have to keep worrying about keeping his stories straight. Those who practice lying must always keep covering up their tracks. Why be on edge all your life, trying to cover up lies? Why not tell the truth at all times and enjoy living with a clear conscience? If one has to suffer for telling the truth it is not so hard to bear when one is confident in conscience before Jehovah. It is a privilege to suffer for doing right and keeping a good conscience.—1 Pet. 2:19, 20.

30. How do we benefit ourselves and our children by having pure hearts and keeping close to Jehovah’s organization?

³⁰ Of all things that we do in our lives, the main thing we wish to do is to be pleasing to Jehovah. We want to do that which is agreeable to God. Therefore we stick close to the organization that Jehovah has built up and do what his Word tells us to do. We must avoid the evil influences of this old world and not learn morals from its environment. We are obliged to do with our utmost ability the things that Jehovah would have us to do. Fill the heart with truth, then truth will be spoken. (Matt. 12:34; Phil. 4:8) It is clear to us that Jehovah searches the innermost thoughts down into the depths of our hearts, examining our motives to see whether they are right or wrong. If we are telling the truth we can expect to have the favor of Jehovah. And our children will gain his favor too, for they will see in their parents the proper example and will be truthful before Jehovah too. Of course, training children to tell the truth early in life is essential.

31. Why are truthfulness and uprightness necessary among those who make up the New World society?

³¹ True, we make mistakes; but we count on the mercy of Jehovah God and the love of our brothers, as we do to the best of our ability the work that Jehovah God has given to his New World society in these later times. There is only one group of people today who keep integrity and who uphold the principles of truth and righteousness in God’s Word, and these are those who make up the New World society. It is right and pleasing before God for those who are his servants to be pure and upright and clean, to tell the truth, to deal justly and honestly with their brothers, and to preserve the peace and the unity of the organization. Let us allow no wrongdoing among those who associate with Jehovah’s theocratic organization. Let us deal justly with one another and learn how to live for the new world now, so we can live in the new world then when it is in complete operation.—Eph. 4:15, 16.

Chedorlaomer Really Was There

Many men like to scoff at the Bible, particularly at the book of Genesis. As an example, Genesis 14 tells of King Chedorlaomer (Ched-or-la-oʹmer) of Elam fighting with the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and some neighboring sovereigns, taking Lot captive, and of Lot’s being rescued by Abram. The modern supercritical Interpreter’s Bible calls this a “tale” of “unhistorical character,” a “narrative” from an age in which “the historic sense of Judaism had sunk almost to zero.”

It was reported on July 25, this year, that archaeologist Nelson Glueck, president of Hebrew Union College, is now convinced that he has found the trail of destruction left by Chedorlaomer across the Negeb, or desert area in the south of Palestine. He has discovered a dozen ruins of “Bronze Age” communities crossing the desert from Sodom to the present Israeli border near Kadesh Barnea. He reports that the type of pottery that was in use in these communities dates them as at the time of Abraham, and he believes that all of them were destroyed about the time of Chedorlaomer’s attack. “This is an indication of the remarkable historical memory recorded in the Bible,” he said. “It is not my purpose to prove the Bible right, any more that I want to prove it wrong. But the story of this invasion must have been written down 1,000 years after it happened. The evidence I am finding in the Negeb is pretty good substantiation for it.” The likelihood that this information was preserved in written form for most of that time, rather than being trusted to memory, as Dr. Glueck thought, even further substantiates the accuracy of the Biblical account. One after another the critics’ arguments continue to fall!

Sequel to Solana Attack

Report by Watch Tower Society’s branch servant in the Philippines

THE August 15, 1952, issue of The Watchtower, at page 492, carried the report of the attack on a Christian assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses at Solana, Cagayan, by town officials, police and other persons. One of Jehovah’s witnesses was killed and thirty-two were reported injured and requiring hospital treatment. The early arrival of the Philippine Constabulary from Tuguegarao, Cagayan, brought an end to the savage attack and doubtless prevented more people from getting killed or seriously injured. An officer of the Philippine Constabulary filed numerous charges against the attackers, including murder, frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms, illegal discharge of firearms and tumultuous disturbance. About three months later the police and officials of Solana laid countercharges against Jehovah’s witnesses, including direct assault against a person of authority and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Nearly two years went by before these charges were heard in the court of first instance of Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Judge B. Quitoriano conducted the trial and rendered judgment. The provincial fiscal acted as prosecutor in all the cases and the witnesses of Jehovah were defended against the countercharges by Attorney K. V. Faylona, legal counsel for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in the Philippines. The cases have now been concluded and judgment rendered by the court. The readers of this magazine will be interested in finding out how justice was administered.

CHARGES AND COUNTERCHARGES

Some of the minor charges were dismissed in the justice of the peace court but the more serious cases had the attention of the court of first instance. The first person to be tried was a policeman from Solana named Luis Carag. He was accused of the crime of frustrated murder against the person of Santos Tabios. The evidence brought out at the trial shows that Santos Tabios went to the municipal building to seek police protection for Jehovah’s witnesses after the attack began. Arriving at the municipal building he approached Luis Carag and requested help and protection from the police. Carag replied: “We are going to shoot you, all Jehovah’s, stand up and I am going to shoot you.” Tabios turned to run away. Carag fired at him but missed. He fired again and this time hit him in the right leg below the knee joint, breaking the bone, and Tabios fell to the ground unconscious. He was found later by members of the Constabulary and taken to the provincial hospital at Tuguegarao.

Having established these facts the court found Luis Carag guilty of the crime of discharge of firearms with serious physical injuries and sentenced him to an indeterminate period of imprisonment of from six months to two years, eleven months and eleven days. The right of the offended party to recover civil damages in a separate civil action was reserved by the court.

A countercharge was filed against Santos Tabios by the police of Solana accusing him of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. However, the evidence brought out during the trial of Luis Carag was sufficient to cause a dismissal of this charge. Carag stated that on the evening when the attack took place he heard gunfire and called his brother, who was also a municipal policeman of Solana. The two of them rode in a jeep to the municipal building and on the way they picked up the chief of police. While driving to the municipal building they saw a person who was carrying a Japanese rifle and who, all of a sudden, fired at the chief of police. The three of them got out of the jeep and Carag shouted at the person to stop. However, the person did not stop but ran away; so Carag shot him and he fell to the ground.

The three policemen approached the wounded person and, according to their testimony, found him to be Santos Tabios. Beside the fallen man was a Japanese rifle. They did not move either the body or the rifle but left him there until the Philippine Constabulary arrived about nine o’clock and took the injured man to the hospital. Carag stated that they also confiscated the rifle allegedly found beside Tabios.

However, the rifle that was allegedly found beside Tabios was never produced in court. When the Constabulary in Tuguegarao was cited to produce the rifle before the justice of the peace court, an officer replied in the following manner to that honorable court: “Reference to the subpoena duces tecum sent by that Honorable Court citing me to appear and bring the firearm and ammunitions allegedly taken from the accused Santos Tabios, I have the honor to inform that Honorable Court that I have not taken any firearm nor ammunitions from the possession of the accused Santos Tabios.”

A sergeant of the Constabulary was summoned to appear in court during the trial and to produce the aforesaid Japanese rifle. When he did appear the defense counsel of Carag chose not to present him as a witness. The court was therefore compelled to believe that there was no such firearm found beside Santos Tabios and the countercharge had no basis in fact.

The court said: “The Court believes that Lieutenant Flores did not file a complaint for illegal possession against Santos Tabios because probably the Constabulary did not really find any firearm. The court finds no reason to suspect the actuation of the Constabulary in connection with the incident that took place in the night afore-mentioned. Besides Santos Tabios went to the municipal building to ask for help and protection from the municipal police; consequently, it is difficult for this court to believe that Santos Tabios would take along with him a Japanese rifle, knowing that he did not have a license to carry said firearm.” The countercharge against Tabios for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition was therefore dismissed.

GUILTY OF MURDER

Martin Berja, a policeman of Solana, Cagayan, was tried for murder. He was accused of stabbing to death Valentin Panaga, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, on the night of April 20 during the attack on the circuit assembly held in the municipality of Solana. The evidence showed that Berja was in his house when the attack first began. He heard two shots and then his father-in-law arrived and said that Jehovah’s witnesses and especially Panaga had badly beaten the municipal secretary in their assembly hall.

He immediately ran to the assembly place, drew his hunting knife and began stabbing persons that he could approach. He admitted stabbing six persons including Valentin Panaga. The latter had taken refuge in a private home on the assembly lot. Berja followed him into the house and there inflicted four stab wounds on him that resulted in his death the same night in the municipal hospital in Tuguegarao.

The court found Martin Berja guilty of homicide and sentenced him to prison for eight years and one day and to indemnify the heirs of the deceased Valentin Panaga in the sum of ₱6,000 (U. S. $3,000).

A countercharge had been filed by the mayor of Solana against the brother who served as district servant when the attack took place. This brother is a graduate of the fifteenth class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. He was charged with the crime of disobedience to a person in authority, namely, the municipal mayor, because he refused to obey the order of the mayor to go to the municipal building for protection. The mayor was himself killed in an ambush in September of the same year, 1952. The court found there was no basis for the charge against the district servant and therefore dismissed it. In rendering decision the court said:

“Mayor Carag had no authority to arrest Adolfo Dionisio inasmuch as the latter was not caught in the act of committing an offense, nor had he committed a grave or serious crime. If the accused refused to go with the mayor, it was his legal right to so refuse. When the accused refused to be arrested, his refusal did not constitute disobedience or resistance, since the Mayor was without authority to arrest him.

“The accused was arrested by Mayor Carag not because he committed an offense but only ‘for protection.’ If the accused did not care or ask for protection, he was under no obligation to submit to the Mayor’s protection. But the evidence showed that Adolfo Dionisio and other members of Jehovah’s witnesses were maltreated at the municipal building, in which case the arrest was done not for the purpose of protecting them but rather to maltreat them.”

Six of Jehovah’s witnesses were accused in a countercharge of the crime of assault against an agent of authority. In this case the agent of authority was Pascual Bacud, a policeman of Solana, Cagayan. He alleged that he suffered three wounds that required six to nine days’ medical attention and incapacitated him from engaging in his ordinary labor for the same period of time. The evidence showed that policeman Bacud tried to take Santios Tabios out of the assembly place by force in order to interview him and find out who was the person that had allegedly insulted the son of the municipal secretary earlier in the day. Tabios resisted the attempt of policeman Bacud to take him by force. He was joined by five others of Jehovah’s witnesses who were acting as attendants (ushers) at the assembly. The court dismissed the charge of assault against an agent of authority with the following statement:

“The facts presented and proven do not constitute the crime of assault against an agent of authority. Policeman Bacud had no authority to take Santos Tabios out of the assembly hall, much less arrest him without a warrant of arrest issued by competent authority. When he tried to arrest and take Santos Tabios in the foregoing manner, he was guilty of abuse of authority, and he was not in the exercise of his official functions. (P. vs. Tilos, 36 OG. p. 54)

“‘Held: When an agent of authority uses unnecessary force or violence to make him respected, he goes beyond the limits of his powers and from that moment he acts as a private person (P. vs. Damo, Of. Gaz. No. 9 (5 Supplement p. 58)).’”

The court found, however, that all six accused participated in hitting policeman Bacud in defense of Tabios and for this reason the court found all six guilty of slight physical injuries and sentenced each of them to pay a fine of ₱15 (U. S. $7.50). The fine was paid and all of them were set free.

In this way the court disposed of all the charges and countercharges arising out of the vicious attack against Jehovah’s faithful Christian witnesses at Solana, Cagayan. The Court adhered firmly to the law of the land and rendered judgment in accordance therewith.

In due time Jehovah God the great Judge of heaven and earth will execute judgment against all those who have defamed his name and persecuted and tormented his faithful witnesses even to death. We patiently await that great day of vindication and in the meantime we will go on praising and blessing the name of Jehovah our God every day and forever.

“The Watchtower” Gives Refugee New Hope

THE following interesting letter received by the Watchtower Society from a field representative of the American Friends of Russian Freedom certainly shows what The Watchtower has done to keep people alive and in the truth and demonstrates how people who have come from Russia have gained a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word and are now happy.

“As the North Germany representative of the American Friends of Russian Freedom, a U. S. voluntary agency working for the relief of refugees from the Soviet Union, I had the pleasure yesterday of meeting Mrs. L—— K——. Mrs. K—— is of Russian birth, and is one of thousands who sought freedom from Communist tyranny after the war by flight to the West. She lives in one of the hundreds of refugee camps which are still to be found throughout Germany.

“The surroundings in these camps are dreary enough to daunt even the most redoubtable soul, especially after years of substandard food, clothing and housing, and years of vain hope for a better life through emigration or employment. Feeling abandoned by God and man, many of these people eventually lose all ambition and sink into despondency.

“I was therefore touched at meeting Mrs. K——. She too is in impoverished circumstances, she has lost her husband, and is suffering from heart trouble, but as soon as I entered her tiny room I saw how this woman differed from most of the people I had met. The room was tidy, and she was clean and neat, and good humored and hospitable. When I remarked on seeing a copy of the Russian edition of The Watchtower on the table, she replied that it had been her strongest support in recent months, that through it she has been able to find new joy in life, and new hope. She also seeks to interest others in the camp in its message.”

The writer of the foregoing also noted that if the Society could send a food parcel or old clothing, or additional literature in Russian, it would be most gratefully received by Mrs. K——. The Society has arranged to provide Mrs. K—— with all this through its German branch at Wiesbaden.

Yes, the truth concerning Jehovah’s kingdom brings comfort to the oppressed today even as it did when first preached some nineteen centuries ago.

Thirteen-Year-Old Berlin Girl Keeps Integrity

THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Renate Grosse repeatedly complained about being very tired. The family physician, however, dismissed her complaint with the observation to her mother, “Young girls like to pretend. Don’t worry about it.” But when Renate fainted at school and had to be brought home she was taken to the hospital, where her case was diagnosed as rheumatism of the joints. However, when treatment for rheumatism of the joints failed to help, a blood specialist was called in who declared her case to be leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells, for which no cure has as yet been found, and for which doctors recommend regular transfusions.

Renate’s mother, being one of Jehovah’s witnesses, objected to blood transfusions, at which the blood specialist exploded. He simply could not understand how a mother who claimed to love her child could reject the only means of cure, and so the position of Jehovah’s witnesses on blood transfusions was explained to him in the presence of both the hospital’s head and the ward physicians. A doctor, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, made a check on the case and stated that her case had gone so far that Renate had only six weeks to live.

Hearing of the stand taken, relatives, nurses and other ward patients bombarded both mother and Renate with arguments, but in vain. The ward physician, a Roman Catholic, insisted on overriding the mother’s objections by appealing to Renate repeatedly. One evening at 9:30 he seated himself on her bed and painted a dreadful picture of how soon she would die and in what manner, but all in vain. After he left, Renate wrote a letter expressing her convictions so that all should know that it was her decision also, not just her mother’s.

Visited a few weeks later, she was happy, although her condition was getting visibly worse. She wanted to hear about the new things in the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, and talked little about her illness. In fact, she joked about the physician’s offer to transfuse his own blood, and she remarked: “Mom, if I should get well again, then we want to do many things differently and serve Jehovah more, but if not—then there’s this letter in my pocket, you know.”

In discussing Renate’s case with one of Jehovah’s witnesses the head physician exclaimed, “Do you believe that a girl of thirteen years can have religious convictions deep enough to refuse treatment from a physician when in danger of death?” He was assured that Renate’s own conduct answered his question, for, after learning she was to die, she was even happier and friendlier than she was before. When the matter of trying to coerce Renate was brought to his attention he was surprised to hear of it, and thereafter Renate was no longer pressured to take blood transfusions although the other ward patients showed hostility until she was taken to a private room. The head physician further observed, “In my whole practice I have never seen such a case, where a child was so happy after learning that it had to die.”

Renate died. At her funeral the letter she had written that night after the ward physician had tried to coerce her was read aloud:

“To all relations and people I know: Dear ones, I ask you kindly but very earnestly not to make even a little bit of trouble for my mother because she refused the blood transfusion that I was supposed to get from the doctor. It is just as much my firm will to be true and obedient to God’s Word rather than to be a lawbreaker and live artificially by having a blood transfusion every half year. The words are true: ‘Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life in faithfulness to me will receive it again.’

“But my big hope is not to float around in heaven somewhere as a spirit. No, but I am resting in the grave till after Armageddon, and if the great Life-giver Jehovah considers me worthy he will give me a resurrection—in honest-to-goodness flesh and blood as a human on a cleansed paradise earth in delight and happiness. So you see that is why it wasn’t hard for me to die. Can you understand that?

“I’m young, it’s true, but I have laid my life in the Creator’s hands, and he guides everything in the right way. So in closing I ask you earnestly once again not to lay any stones in Mom’s way. Spare her all unnecessary excitement. Instead, be kind and friendly to her, and do not in any case speak evil words. Hearty greetings and kisses to you all from your loving Renate. Please take this to heart.”

Daily Blessing the New World Sovereign’s Name

THE Sovereign of the new world is such by virtue of his being also its Creator. And he is the Sovereign and Creator not only of the new world but also of all the universe. And what is his name, the name we are to bless? Isaiah 65:13-17 (AS) tells us that the name of the one creating the new world, the new heavens and new earth, is Jehovah.a

As Christian witnesses, having made the decision to have Jehovah as our God and King, we must exalt him, set him on high in our own lives, and then we must seek to do so in the lives of others by everywhere advertising his sovereignty and kingship.

To bless the name of the new world’s Sovereign means to speak well of it and to its credit and exaltation, always keeping one’s integrity toward him and never being induced or coerced by the Devil to curse or renounce him. It means to try to remove the reproach that has been heaped upon it.

Psalm 145 tells us to praise Jehovah greatly, yes, highly. That means to give him our unstinted praise. Christ Jesus when on earth took the lead in praising Jehovah, and today we, as dedicated Christians, have ever more reasons for praising and blessing Jehovah’s name. This is the day of the establishment of his kingdom and therefore it is most fitting that we tell of its glory and speak of the power and mighty acts by which God set up that kingdom. Further, we are living in perilous times, and blessing Jehovah’s name means protection for ourselves and for all those that hear us and heed.

And how often shall we bless Jehovah’s name? “Every day will I bless you,” answers the psalmist. And is that not the way it should be? Are we not daily recipients of Jehovah’s goodness? Does not every day add up reasons why we should praise him?

Determining to bless Jehovah daily puts us in line for the full-time ministry; and, if not that, at least for daily trying to find opportunities to bless Jehovah, to speak well of him before others, and to make all our works count for him.

And not only should we daily bless Jehovah now, but it should be our resolve to ‘praise his name forever and ever,’ for he could never do anything discreditable so as not to be deserving of our praise! To those who now daily bless his name and who make it their resolve to bless it forever Jehovah will grant eternal life, that they may carry out that resolve.

[Footnotes]

Questions From Readers

● How long did John’s baptism properly continue? When did Jesus’ baptism begin for his followers?—J. G., United States.

John the Baptist called upon the Jews to repent of their sins committed against the law covenant, and because of this repentance or in token of it he baptized them in water. According to clearly worded modern versions of the Bible John stated at Matthew 3:11: “I, on the one hand, baptize you with water because of your repentance.” (NW) “I am baptizing you in water in token of your repentance.” (AT) “I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance.” (Williams) As long as the Jews were under the law covenant they were under obligation to keep it, and when they sinned against it by failing to meet its requirements it was appropriate for them to show repentance. From A.D. 29 to A.D. 33 they indicated repentance by submitting to John’s baptism.

Jesus’ baptism was something different. He was sinless, perfect, and hence had no sins to repent of. He kept the law instead of sinning against it. Rather than his baptism in water picturing repentance of sins against the law covenant it betokened his dedication to do Jehovah’s will. But Jesus had more than a mere immersion in water; he also had an immersion by Jehovah’s holy spirit. (Matt. 3:16) Hence to be immersed or baptized as was Jesus after he was baptized in water by John would mean receiving the outpouring of holy spirit. When did that baptism with holy spirit first happen to Jesus’ followers? It was A.D. 33, at the time of Pentecost. Then for the first time were Jesus’ followers baptized in holy spirit, as he had been some three and a half years earlier. Then baptism in water in Jesus’ name by Christian administrators on earth began, as Peter said on that occasion: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.”—Acts 2:38, NW.

When Jesus died on the torture stake the basis for terminating the law covenant was provided. The basis for its cancellation was there effected and was indicated by the statement that then Jehovah nailed it to the torture stake. (Col. 2:14) It was fully and legally canceled at Pentecost, when it was replaced by the new covenant there put into operation. While the old law covenant lasted, John’s baptism to show repentance of sins committed against it was fitting, but when it was legally canceled out and replaced by a new covenant John’s baptism would be ineffective. If any thereafter were baptized with John’s baptism it was without benefit, and they needed to be baptized in Jesus’ name. (Acts 18:25, 26; 19:2-6) Hence John’s baptism had merit only as long as the law covenant was in effect; with the law covenant’s legal termination at Pentecost and its replacement by the new covenant at that time, baptism in water in Jesus’ name and baptism with holy spirit began.

● How could Jesus truly say that everyone that takes up the sword would perish by it, when actually this has not been so?—L. R., Spain.

What was the occasion on which Jesus said this? Was he making a general pronouncement that was to hold true at all times? Or has that only been a presumption men have drawn from his words? The setting of his words is as follows: Jesus was in Gethsemane with some of his disciples. He had just instituted the Memorial with the eleven faithful apostles and had adjourned to this garden. He had just said his betrayer was approaching when Judas came with soldiers from the chief priests to take him into custody. When the soldiers laid hands on Jesus the apostle Peter cut off the ear of the slave of the high priest. Then it was that Jesus said to Peter: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than twelve legions of angels? In that case, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must take place this way?”—Matt. 26:52-54, NW.

Had it been Jesus’ desire for a deliverance from the soldiers he would not have obtained it by swordplay, but by angelic forces. He made sure some in his group had swords, just to show he would not resort to weapons even when they were available. There were only two swords in his group, however. But Judas “came and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs.” (Matt. 26:47; Luke 22:38, NW) What chance would two swordsmen have had against a great crowd similarly armed? No chance at all. For the two with Jesus to take up the sword against such overwhelming odds would have only meant the death of these two from the swords wielded by the great crowd. They would have had no chance. Moreover, any such attempted delivery of Jesus could not succeed because it would be contrary to Jehovah’s purpose. So any of the small group with Jesus at that time who would take up the sword then would surely perish by the sword, and Jesus explicitly warned them of that. To assume that Jesus was here stating a broad, general truth or proverb to be applied at all times and under all circumstances is unjustified.

Announcements

DAILY BLESSING THE NEW WORLD SOVEREIGN’S NAME—Psalm 145:2.

God himself, Jehovah, is the great sovereign of the new world. That new world is his provision for those of mankind who love him, who look to him for direction and who acknowledge him as the source of all permanent good. With him is the fountain of life, and by his King Son, Christ Jesus, he administers to all who want to be on his side the blessings of light and truth. Surely, then, the name of this great Sovereign should be acknowledged and blessed every day. But is this accomplished by merely saying now and again, ‘Bless God’? No. To bless and praise God’s name is to make known what his name stands for and the provisions he makes for those of good will toward him. You are invited to bless and praise Jehovah’s name with his witnesses this month of October by presenting a year’s subscription for Awake! magazine for $1. Three Bible booklets will be given free with each new subscription. Why not share in this opportunity to bless the new world Sovereign’s name?

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS

The Bible stresses the importance of being aware of what is taking place. It is important to be informed as to the meaning of world events. A lazy, indifferent attitude is not encouraged. God’s Word admonishes one to keep on the alert, continuously taking in knowledge, so as to see and understand the sure evidences of the ending of this old wicked system of things. To be spared through the coming destruction one cannot be ignorant of God’s righteous requirements that must now be followed. For your aid Awake! magazine appears semimonthly with information that will prove of value in understanding the meaning of world events. By subscribing today become one of the more than a million readers of this splendid, informative magazine. The subscription rate is only $1 for an entire year.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of October 24: Lies Lead to Loss of Life.

Week of October 31: Christians Live the Truth, ¶1-15.

Week of November 7: Christians Live the Truth, ¶16-31.

Check Your Memory

After reading this issue of “The Watchtower,” do you remember—

✔ What proof there is that the literal earth will never be destroyed? P. 579, ¶4.

✔ Why it is reasonable that those who defile the earth will be destroyed? P. 580, ¶1.

✔ Why real Christians now act as if a lion were loose in the streets? P. 581, ¶4.

✔ Why the example of Noah’s day is of concern to us today? P. 582, ¶2.

✔ What, in fulfillment of prophecy, occurred 2,520 years after 607 B.C.? P. 583, ¶4.

✔ What a lie is and how lying originated? P. 585, ¶1.

✔ Who Satan is and how he works to achieve his ends? P. 586, ¶4.

✔ How the Bible outlines the course that protects us from lying false prophets? P. 588, ¶13.

✔ Against what attitudes that might lead to lying should the Christian be on his guard? P. 591, ¶3.

✔ How a case of dishonesty should be handled within the congregation? P. 594, ¶14.

✔ How one can avoid answering questions that are asked by evil men? P. 596, ¶19.

✔ Whether it is permissible to lie to wicked men who demand information that they have no right to know? P. 598, ¶23.

✔ What practical reason makes suffering for telling the truth better than lying? P. 599, ¶29.

✔ Where recent archaeological discoveries verified a Biblical account critics have long scoffed at? P. 600, ¶4.

✔ Where town officials and the police attacked and killed Christians assembled for worship? P. 601, ¶1.

✔ What help this magazine gave a Russian refugee? P. 604, ¶6.

✔ How men can “bless” God? P. 606, ¶3.

✔ How we know Jesus’ baptism was different from John’s? P. 607, ¶1.