The Watchtower — March 15, 1989

You Can Find Priceless Treasures!

“CAN you see anything?” asked the wealthy Englishman. “Yes, wonderful things,” replied the Egyptologist. The year was 1922, and Howard Carter had just peered into the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Excitement pervades Carter’s words:

“As my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold​—everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment​—an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by—​I was struck dumb with amazement . . . We had never dreamed of anything like this, a roomful​—a whole museumful it seemed—​of objects.” Carter admittedly felt “the strained expectancy . . . of the treasure-seeker.”

That discovery brought to light fabulous treasures hidden over 3,000 years ago. But God wants us to engage in a much grander treasure hunt. It is a quest far more rewarding than any search for gems, gold, or silver. This treasure hunt is for godly wisdom, and one of its most precious valuables is eternal life.​—John 17:3.

Effort Essential

Great effort is required to excavate an archaeological site. It is not easy to dig in wild terrain or descend into perilous waters in search of hidden, buried, or sunken treasure. But earnest treasure-seekers gladly make such efforts. They often endure severe hardships and surmount seemingly impossible obstacles. Well, is not the search for godly wisdom worthy of even greater effort?

We can find priceless treasures if we put forth needed effort to study the Bible and true Christian publications designed to help us find the gems of wisdom they contain. Continued effort is vital. We would not become rich if we began digging for material treasures but gave up after merely scratching the surface. The same would be true if we began to dig for spiritual treasures and soon quit because we thought it was too exhausting to continue. “Wisdom from above” is for those who exert themselves to acquire it. (James 3:17) Should you not make the effort needed to find the priceless treasures of godly wisdom?

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Cover and page 3 photo: K. Scholz/​H. Armstrong Roberts

Keep Searching as for Hid Treasures

HOW priceless the gems of wisdom found in God’s Word, the Bible! These jewels reveal the divine purpose and set thrilling prospects before us. They provide comfort and show us how to please God. (Romans 15:4) These gems also help us to act wisely in our dealings with others. Indeed, wisdom from God assists us to walk in “the path of life” with satisfaction and happiness.​—Psalm 16:11; 119:105.

Since the benefits of wisdom are many, we should prize it highly. “All the sayings of my mouth are in righteousness,” says wisdom personified. “Among them there is nothing twisted or crooked. All of them are straight to the discerning one, and upright to the ones finding knowledge. Take my discipline and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than corals, and all other delights themselves cannot be made equal to it.”​—Proverbs 8:8-11.

Why Keep Searching?

Usually, a search for buried jewels, gold, or silver is fruitless. This need not be true of a search for godly wisdom. But how can we succeed in this quest? Well, success depends on how keenly we desire this treasure and how hard we will work to find it. If we recognize its true worth, we will cherish it above all other valuables. After all, “the getting of wisdom is O how much better than gold! And the getting of understanding is to be chosen more than silver.”​—Proverbs 16:16.

Proverbs 2:1-6 urges: “My son, if you will receive my sayings and treasure up my own commandments with yourself, so as to pay attention to wisdom with your ear, that you may incline your heart to discernment; if, moreover, you call out for understanding itself and you give forth your voice for discernment itself, if you keep seeking for it as for silver, and as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, in that case you will understand the fear of Jehovah, and you will find the very knowledge of God. For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; out of his mouth there are knowledge and discernment.”

Since buried treasures are concealed, it is necessary to search for them. While digging, some sacrifice recreation time, food, and sleep. But such effort is deemed worthwhile when the treasure is found. We need to make similar sacrifices to seek out God’s wisdom. As searching for buried treasures calls for strenuous digging, so the quest for wisdom requires perseverance. It is not enough to skim the Bible and Christian publications. Time, research, and meditation are needed to find spiritual gems. But what a delight when we gain insight into the Scriptures!​—Nehemiah 8:13.

Successful Treasure-Seeking

Yes, happiness results from digging into God’s Word and finding gems of wisdom. (Proverbs 3:13-18) To that end, we are wise if we build a good personal or family library. But what should it contain? Besides a good dictionary, Jehovah’s Witnesses find it useful to have various translations of the Scriptures, together with Christian Bible publications, including each year’s copies of The Watchtower and its companion journal, Awake! Of course, a library must be used properly if it is to help us as treasure-seekers.

In our quest for wisdom, we can consult the subject and Scripture portions of the Watch Tower Publications Index or indexes at the back of the Watch Tower Society’s books or magazine bound volumes. These are basic tools for seeking godly wisdom. In fact, they are like a map that can lead us to “hid treasures” of godly wisdom. (Proverbs 2:4) If we do not have certain publications needed for research, they may be available at the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Now, let us illustrate successful treasure-seeking. In our Bible reading, we may wonder how Judas Iscariot died after betraying Jesus Christ. Matthew 27:5 states that Judas “went off and hanged himself.” But Acts 1:18 says: “Pitching head foremost he noisily burst in his midst and all his intestines were poured out.” So how did Judas die? An answer can be found by checking the listings for these texts in the “Scripture Index” of the publication Insight on the Scriptures. It tells us: “Matthew seems to deal with the mode of the attempted suicide, while Acts describes the result. Combining the two accounts, it appears that Judas tried to hang himself over some cliff, but the rope or tree limb broke so that he plunged down and burst open on the rocks below. The topography around Jerusalem makes such an event conceivable.” (Volume 2, page 130) Regarding Insight on the Scriptures, please see page 10 of this magazine.

Use of a concordance enables us to locate Bible texts. Of course, when discussing a scripture, we should take note of the context. To illustrate this, let us consider Psalm 144:12-14. These verses represent some people as saying: ‘Our sons are like plants, our daughters like corners carved in palace style, our garners full, our flocks multiplying by thousands, our cattle loaded down with no abortion.’ We might think that these words apply to God’s people, but the context shows that they do not. In Ps 144 verse 11, the psalmist David pleads for deliverance from speakers of untruth. They boasted about their sons, daughters, flocks, and cattle. According to Ps 144 verse 15, such wrongdoers said: “Happy is the people for whom it is just like that!” To the contrary, however, David exclaimed: “Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!”

Spiritual Gems Abound!

Happiness certainly results from successful quests for wisdom. And spiritual gems that can be found through research include satisfying answers to Bible questions. What answers we find if we keep searching! For example, where did Cain get his wife? Said The Watchtower (October 1, 1981): “The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve had many children, not just two [Cain and Abel]. ‘The days of Adam after his fathering Seth [another son] came to be eight hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters.’ (Gen. 5:4) With that information, from where would you say that Cain got his wife? Yes, he must have married one of his sisters. Today this might be dangerous for any children born to such closely related parents. But near the beginning of human history, when mankind was so much closer to perfection, it was not a problem.”

Suppose we are reading the Bible book of Proverbs. Noting what is said at Proverbs 1:7, we may wonder: ‘What is “the fear of Jehovah”?’ Research may lead us to The Watchtower of May 15, 1987, which said: “It is awe, profound reverence, and a wholesome dread of displeasing him because we appreciate his loving-kindness and goodness. ‘Fear of Jehovah’ means acknowledging that he is the Supreme Judge and the Almighty, with the right and power to bring punishment or death upon those disobeying him. It also means serving God faithfully, trusting in him completely, and hating what is bad in his sight.”

Keep Searching!

The Watchtower is published to help earnest searchers for wisdom to find priceless spiritual gems. All of us need wisdom and understanding of God’s Word. Says Proverbs 4:7, 8: “Wisdom is the prime thing. Acquire wisdom; and with all that you acquire, acquire understanding. Highly esteem it, and it will exalt you. It will glorify you because you embrace it.”

Only by gaining insight into the Scriptures and using wisdom aright can we find true happiness. Yes, and only by exercising godly wisdom can we please Jehovah God. So let nothing prevent you from searching for wisdom as for hid treasures.

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Searching for buried treasures calls for strenuous digging. Should we not persevere in our quest for godly wisdom?

Insight on the News

A Warning Sign

Last December an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale struck Soviet Armenia a devastating blow. Described as “one of the worst in Soviet history,” the quake claimed some 25,000 lives and left 500,000 homeless. It destroyed two thirds of Armenia’s second-largest city, Leninakan, with a population of 290,000 and completely destroyed Spitak, a town of about 30,000 inhabitants. Numerous smaller communities were also leveled by the quake. At least 5,400 survivors were pulled from the mounds of rubble by multinational teams of rescue workers, and according to Soviet authorities, the number of injured reached 13,000.

Although scientists have some idea of the basic geological causes of most earthquakes, they cannot accurately predict when these will occur. Nevertheless, the devastating frequency of earthquakes in this century comes as no surprise to educated Bible students familiar with Jesus Christ’s foretold “sign” marking his invisible “presence” and “the conclusion of the system of things.” Why is that? Because even though Jesus did not explain the cause of these seismic events, he warned that as a part of that composite “sign,” there would be “earthquakes in one place after another.”​—Matthew 24:3, 7.

“A World Government”

The only way to combat the greenhouse effect and other emerging environmental disasters is a world government, says Dr. Kenneth Hare, renowned geographer and climate-change expert. Humanity is mounting a deadly assault on nature, Hare warned. The planet is threatened not just by a nuclear holocaust “but by ecological misuse,” reports the Calgary Herald, a Canadian newspaper. Hare claims that three billion tons of carbon are spewed into the atmosphere annually by automobile exhausts and industrial smokestacks. Computer studies show that even with moderate economic growth, carbon-dioxide levels would double by the year 2075. “We’ve created a global problem,” and without regulation of the environment on a global scale, “we’ll be in trouble,” said Hare.

What Dr. Hare recommends is indeed logical. Still, can man ever hope to establish a global government that would be able to do such things as regulate economic growth, develop nonpolluting energy sources, and convince humankind to embark on a program of worldwide environmental care?

Hardly! God’s Word clearly says: “To earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) However, this does belong in the hands of God. As the “Prince of Peace,” his Son, Jesus Christ, will administer a world government that will rule in justice and righteousness. Under his heavenly rulership, mankind will not imperil the environment.​—Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:9; Daniel 2:44.

Bad Advice

Is it a bad thing for a child to disobey his parents? Not necessarily, claims Leon Kuczynski, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. In fact, The Toronto Star reports that after studying 70 mothers and their children, Kuczynski believes that the “techniques a child uses to disobey his parents are important in his social development.” According to the article, if children fail to do what they are told, parents are not to despair. The reason? Kuczynski says that such conduct is normal. The professor also feels that “a child’s refusal to obey his parents can be a sign of independence and maturity.”

The failure of children to obey their parents is not a sign of maturity. On the contrary, wise King Solomon wrote: “Foolishness is tied up with the heart of a boy.” (Proverbs 22:15) While some may even conclude that a child’s disobedience produces positive results, God’s Word does not agree. Centuries ago the apostle Paul wrote: “You children, be obedient to your parents in everything, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20) Wise parents will look to Jehovah God as their authority for child training.​—Proverbs 19:18; 29:15.

Jesus’ Life and Ministry

The Rich Man and Lazarus

JESUS has been talking to his disciples about the proper use of material riches, explaining that we cannot be slaves to these and at the same time be slaves to God. The Pharisees are also listening, and they begin to sneer at Jesus because they are money lovers. So he says to them: “You are those who declare yourselves righteous before men, but God knows your hearts; because what is lofty among men is a disgusting thing in God’s sight.”

The time has come for the tables to be turned on people who are rich in worldly goods, political power, and religious control and influence. They are to be put down, and those who recognize their spiritual need are to be lifted up. Jesus points to such a change when he goes on to say to the Pharisees:

“The Law and the Prophets were until John [the Baptizer]. From then on the kingdom of God is being declared as good news, and every sort of person is pressing forward toward it. Indeed, it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one particle of a letter of the Law to go unfulfilled.”

The scribes and the Pharisees are proud of their professed adherence to the Law of Moses. Recall that when Jesus miraculously gave sight to a certain man in Jerusalem, they boasted: “We are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses.” But now the Law of Moses has fulfilled its intended purpose of leading humble ones to God’s designated King, Jesus Christ. So with the beginning of John’s ministry, all kinds of persons, especially the humble and the poor, are exerting themselves to become subjects of God’s Kingdom.

Since the Mosaic Law is now being fulfilled, the obligation to keep it is to be removed. The Law permits divorce on various grounds, but Jesus now says: “Everyone that divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he that marries a woman divorced from a husband commits adultery.” How such pronouncements must irritate the Pharisees, especially since they permit divorce on many grounds!

Continuing his remarks to the Pharisees, Jesus relates an illustration that features two men whose status, or situation, is eventually changed dramatically. Can you determine who the men represent and what the reversal of their situations means?

“But a certain man was rich,” Jesus explains, “and he used to deck himself with purple and linen, enjoying himself from day to day with magnificence. But a certain beggar named Lazarus used to be put at his gate, full of ulcers and desiring to be filled with the things dropping from the table of the rich man. Yes, too, the dogs would come and lick his ulcers.”

Jesus here uses the rich man to represent the Jewish religious leaders, including not only the Pharisees and the scribes but the Sadducees and the chief priests as well. They are rich in spiritual privileges and opportunities, and they conduct themselves as the rich man did. Their clothing of royal purple represents their favored position, and the white linen pictures their self-righteousness.

This proud rich-man class views the poor, common people with utter contempt, calling them ‛am ha·’aʹrets, or people of the earth. The beggar Lazarus thus represents these people to whom the religious leaders deny proper spiritual nourishment and privileges. Hence, like Lazarus covered with ulcers, the common people are looked down upon as spiritually diseased and fit only to associate with dogs. Yet, those of the Lazarus class hunger and thirst for spiritual nourishment and so are at the gate seeking to receive whatever meager morsels of spiritual food may drop from the rich man’s table.

Jesus now goes on to describe changes in the condition of the rich man and Lazarus. What are these changes, and what do they represent? These questions will be considered in the next issue of our magazine. Luke 16:14-21; John 9:28, 29; Matthew 19:3-9; Galatians 3:24; Colossians 2:14.

◆ With the beginning of John’s ministry, what change does Jesus indicate takes place?

◆ What is to be removed after Jesus’ death, and how will this affect the matter of divorce?

◆ In Jesus’ illustration, who are represented by the rich man and by Lazarus?

◆ What information may we anticipate in the next issue of this magazine?

“Insight on the Scriptures”​—A New Bible Encyclopedia

AT THE “Divine Justice” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, announcement was made of the release of a new Bible encyclopedia entitled Insight on the Scriptures. This is a two-volume publication, with a total of 2,560 pages, all of it in clear, readable type. At present it is available only in English, but translation is already well under way in a number of other languages.

Insight on the Scriptures includes much of what was formerly in the book Aid to Bible Understanding and a great deal more. In what respects is it different? Scores of sections have been revised and updated. There are also many new articles as well as added features in Insight on the Scriptures.

Books of the Bible

Each book of the Bible has been given special attention. Valuable background material is presented. There are fresh outlines of all the books of the Bible, each one drawing attention to the book’s distinctive features. These convey a concise but comprehensive view of the contents of the book in a manner that is easy to grasp. For example, there are four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, each having a different objective. When introducing the Gospels, the respective outlines present those objectives in this way: ‘The apostle Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life was written primarily with the Jews in mind. This Gospel demonstrates that Jesus is the foretold Messianic King.’ ‘Mark sets out a concise, fast-moving account of Jesus’ life, presenting him as the miracle-working Son of God.’ ‘Luke’s account of the life of Jesus was written to confirm the certainty of events surrounding the life of Christ and in a manner that would appeal to people of all nations.’ ‘The apostle John’s account of the life of Jesus highlights the theme that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, by means of whom eternal life is possible.’ After these introductory remarks, the outlines present the contents of the books under a limited number of main headings. This can help you to remember the principal ideas that the Bible writer developed.

Refinements

Careful analysis of statements in this publication has been made in the light of the meaning of words used in the original languages of the Bible. Details have also been included to enable the reader to appreciate the Biblical scope of meaning of the original-language words. Additionally, Biblical name meanings have been refined in the light of the way the basic elements of those names are actually rendered in the New World Translation.

A diligent effort has also been made to bring the material in this publication up-to-date with what has been published in The Watchtower in recent years. For example, we have learned much about the heart, the book of life, being declared righteous, and many other things. This information has been embodied in Insight on the Scriptures.

Details of secular history have been checked against the original sources, where available, instead of simply relying on what other writers have said about the content of those sources; hundreds of references have also been included to show where such information can be found. Scientific aspects of the articles have been updated. There has been a complete reappraisal of geographic locations on the basis of archaeological research done in recent years.

A Bible Atlas

Insight on the Scriptures includes some 70 maps, showing hundreds of locations mentioned in the Bible. Thus, included in this publication is a comprehensive Bible atlas. In most instances, an individual map focuses on just a limited aspect of Biblical or secular history. Hence, it draws attention to places that are of special significance in that context. You will find a map setting out the travels of Abraham, one outlining the wilderness wanderings of Israel, another covering the conquest of the Promised Land, one for David’s life as a fugitive and another for events associated with his kingship, a series of maps outlining the places to which Jesus traveled during his earthly ministry, and a number of maps showing details of Jerusalem during various periods of history. A map index is provided to help you to locate the specific maps that provide the most helpful information regarding given places or locations.

With many of the maps, there is also a list of place names, along with scriptures that show why the places are significant in the particular historical context under consideration. On the adjoining pages of the book are color photographs of locations featured on the map. These features can help you to benefit more fully from the Bible accounts, as you see the relationship of one location to another, read details as to what took place there, and see what the places look like today.

Special Features in Full Color

In preparing this publication, museums in North America, Europe, and the Middle East were combed in order to locate valuable objects related to the Bible record. Pictures of the most worthwhile items were obtained. In addition, a number of collections of photographs of places mentioned in the Bible were reviewed, in order to select the ones that would be most helpful. The results have been worked into eight 16-page full-color inserts that are of practical value. These are fascinating highlights that you will enjoy and will be able to use in many ways when teaching others.

For example, there is a section entitled “How We Got the Bible.” Graphically, it depicts the steps through which the Bible has reached us​—from the original writings down to modern translations. It contains pictures of portions of some of the oldest manuscripts and visual evidence testifying to the care taken by early scribes, even to the point of counting the letters in manuscripts that they copied.

Another section is about the “Flood of Noah’s Day.” It considers such issues as, “Could the ark have held all the animals?” and, “Where did the floodwaters go?” It also presents an analysis of Flood legends from six continents and the islands of the sea to show that memories of the Deluge of Noah’s day are found among people of diverse cultures all over the earth.

Other sections deal with geographic features of the Promised Land, ancient empires whose activities affected Israel, and a picture tour of places that visitors can see in and around Jerusalem today. Altogether, there are 50 of such topics developed in full color.

All this information has been made easily accessible by means of comprehensive indexes right in these volumes. These indexes direct you to the choicest discussions of scriptures cited and subjects listed.

Taking an overall view of the work, these introductory comments appear in the first volume: “The objective of this publication is to help you to acquire insight on the Scriptures. How is it done? By bringing together from all parts of the Bible the details that relate to subjects being discussed. By drawing attention to original-language words and their literal meaning. By considering related information from secular history, archaeological research, and other fields of science and evaluating this in the light of the Bible. By providing visual aids. By helping you to discern the value of acting in harmony with what the Bible says.” So within the pages of Insight on the Scriptures is a wealth of truly valuable information that you can use to benefit yourself and others.

Look to Jehovah for Insight

“I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go.”​—PSALM 32:8.

1. What are some of the factors that determine whether decisions we make will be wise ones? (Compare Deuteronomy 32:7, 29.)

EVERY day we are confronted with decisions​—some of them seemingly minor, others obviously important. Will our decisions be wise? That depends largely on whether we are impetuous or we think before we speak or act. There are many matters, however, in which the making of wise decisions requires that we be able to see beyond what is obvious. This may require that we know what the outcome of present world events will be, even that we be aware of what is taking place in the spirit realm. Can we do that? Is it possible for any human to do this in a manner that is not simply guesswork?

2. To steer a successful course through life, what help do we need, and why? (Proverbs 20:24)

² Humans are endowed with truly remarkable mental capacity, but they were not made with the ability to steer a successful course through life without humbly accepting help from God. As the inspired prophet Jeremiah wrote: “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”​—Jeremiah 10:23.

3. If we fail to look to Jehovah for guidance, what is the result going to be? (Compare Genesis 3:4-6, 16-24.)

³ What is the result if we ignore that fact and rely either on ourselves or on other humans for determinations as to what is wise or unwise, right or wrong? Because of being guided by fleshly reasoning, there will be times when we may view as good what God says is bad, when we may consider to be wise a course that God labels foolish. (Isaiah 5:20) Even though we may do this unintentionally, we may become a cause for stumbling to others. (Compare 1 Corinthians 8:9.) As to the final outcome to those who persist in failing to look to Jehovah for guidance, his Word states: “There exists a way that is upright before a man, but the ways of death are the end of it afterward.”​—Proverbs 14:12.

4. What help does Jehovah generously promise his servants? (Compare Jeremiah 10:21.)

⁴ In view of this, what do we need? Simply put, we need the help that Jehovah gives. Encouragingly, he says: “I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go. I will give advice with my eye upon you.”​—Psalm 32:8.

What Insight Includes

5. What is “insight”?

⁵ Just what is “insight” as referred to in the Scriptures? It is ability to see into a situation, to look beyond the obvious. According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, the Hebrew expression rendered “insight” relates to “intelligent knowledge of the reason” for things. It is the kind of knowledge that enables a person to act wisely and to have success. In harmony with that basic sense and to convey the flavor of the same Hebrew verb, the New World Translation, in addition to the rendering ‘have insight,’ uses such expressions as ‘act discreetly,’ ‘act prudently,’ and ‘have success.’​—Psalm 14:2.

6. Why can “one keeping his lips in check” be said to be acting discreetly, or with insight?

⁶ Thus, “the one keeping his lips in check” is said to be “acting discreetly,” or with insight. (Proverbs 10:19) He thinks before he speaks, taking into account how others will understand what he says, also whether what he might say about another person would be wise, loving, or necessary. (Proverbs 12:18; James 1:19) Because he is motivated by love for Jehovah’s ways and a genuine desire to help his fellowman, what he says is upbuilding to others.​—Proverbs 16:23.

7. What enabled David to gain the reputation of being one who acted prudently?

⁷ Regarding David the son of Jesse, it is written: “Wherever Saul would send him he would act prudently,” that is, with insight. David discerned that in his work more was involved than simply a conflict between human warriors. He realized that he and the men with him were fighting the wars of Jehovah. Thus, David looked to Jehovah for direction and blessing. (1 Samuel 17:45; 18:5; 2 Samuel 5:19) As a result, David’s expeditions met with success.

8. In the Christian Greek Scriptures, what other ideas are conveyed by the verb that is translated ‘have insight’?

⁸ In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the verb translated ‘have insight’ is also rendered, ‘get the sense of’ and, ‘perceive.’ (Romans 3:11; Matthew 13:13-15; Ephesians 5:17) What God promises his servants is the ability to do these things. But how does he give such insight to them?

How Joshua Came to Have Insight

9. In ancient Israel, how did Jehovah give the people insight?

⁹ In ancient Israel, Jehovah commissioned the Levites to instruct the nation in his Law. (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 33:8, 10) The Law was inspired of God, and Jehovah’s spirit was operating on the organizational arrangement that was assigned to teach it. (Malachi 2:7) By this means, Jehovah ‘made the Israelites prudent,’ or gave them insight, as stated at Nehemiah 9:20.

10, 11. (a) As shown at Joshua 1:7, 8, what would enable Joshua to act with insight? (b) What provision for instruction was it important for Joshua to appreciate? (c) What personal effort was also required on Joshua’s part?

¹⁰ But would individuals within the nation act with insight? If they were to do so, something was required on their part. At the time that Joshua was entrusted with responsibility for leading Israel into the Promised Land, Jehovah told him: “Only be courageous and very strong to take care to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, in order that you may act wisely everywhere you go. This book of the law should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an undertone read in it day and night, in order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely.” The Hebrew word here rendered “act wisely” also means “act with insight.”​—Joshua 1:7, 8.

¹¹ How would Jehovah give such insight to Joshua? Not by some miraculous infusion. God’s written Word was the key to it. Joshua needed to fill his mind and heart with it, reading it and meditating on it regularly. As Joshua knew, God’s Word said that instruction from the Law would be given by the Levites. Hence, Joshua needed to appreciate this, not isolating himself as if he could figure it all out alone in view of the fact that he had a responsible position in the nation. (Proverbs 18:1) It was important for Joshua to be diligent in studying God’s written Word. If he did that, not neglecting any part of it, and if he obeyed it, then he would act with insight.​—Compare 1 Kings 2:3.

How Jehovah Gives Insight Today

12. To benefit from the insight that Jehovah makes available to us, what three things are required?

¹² Right down till our time, Jehovah has continued to provide his servants with the direction that they need in order to act wisely. To benefit from that direction, several things are required of us as individuals: (1) We need to appreciate Jehovah’s organization, as Joshua did. In our case, such appreciation involves cooperating with the Christian congregation of anointed ones, “the faithful and discreet slave” and its Governing Body. (Matthew 24:45-47; compare Acts 16:4.) And this appreciation involves regularity in meeting attendance. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) (2) We must be diligent in personal study of God’s Word and of the publications provided by the “slave” class, which help us to understand it. (3) It is also important for us to take time to meditate on how the things we learn can be applied in our own lives and used to help others.

13. What is the meaning of the promise recorded at Jeremiah 3:15?

¹³ Concerning the kind of oversight and spiritual feeding that he would provide for us in our day, Jehovah said, at Jeremiah 3:15: “I will give you shepherds in agreement with my heart, and they will certainly feed you with knowledge and insight.” Indeed, this spiritual feeding program would provide us with remarkable ability to observe situations and discern what course to take in order to have success. Who is the source of that insight? Jehovah God.

14. Why does the ‘faithful slave’ class have insight?

¹⁴ Why does the ‘faithful slave’ class have such insight? Because they have made God’s Word their earnest concern and they follow its direction. Furthermore, because they have submitted to Jehovah’s direction, he has put his spirit upon them, using them in harmony with his purpose. (Luke 12:43, 44; Acts 5:32) As the inspired psalmist long ago wrote: “More insight than all my teachers I have come to have, because your reminders are a concern to me.”​—Psalm 119:99.

15. (a) What is the gist of the counsel that the “slave” class consistently gives us? (b) Many years ago, how was it possible for the “slave” class to provide needed “knowledge and insight” regarding the Christian view of blood transfusions?

¹⁵ In answer to inquiries as to the right thing to do, “the faithful and discreet slave” has always counseled: ‘Apply what is written in the Bible. Trust in Jehovah.’ (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 3:5, 6) When transfusions of blood came to be viewed as a standard medical treatment and became an issue confronting Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Watchtower of July 1, 1945, explained the Christian view regarding the sanctity of blood. It showed that the blood of both animals and humans was included in the divine prohibition. (Genesis 9:3, 4; Acts 15:28, 29) Physical side effects were not discussed in the article; knowledge of such was very limited at that time. The real issue was obedience to God’s law, and it still is. Today, many people realize the practical wisdom of rejecting blood transfusions and are doing so in growing numbers. But all along, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been able to act with insight because they trust the Creator, who knows far more about blood than any human does.

16. Why has the counsel in The Watchtower on such matters as sexual morality, single-parent families, and depression proved to be just what was needed?

¹⁶ As permissive attitudes regarding sexual morality have become increasingly prominent, The Watchtower, instead of advocating the popular course, has provided sound Scriptural guidance. This is helping many to safeguard their precious relationship with Jehovah and to concentrate on lasting happiness instead of merely fleeting pleasure. Similarly, Watchtower articles directed to single-parent families and to those who struggle with depression have reflected an insight that is possible only for those to whom Jehovah’s thoughts are precious and who earnestly pray: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.”​—Psalm 143:10; 139:17.a

17. (a) Decades in advance, what did Jehovah’s servants know about the year 1914? (b) Although there were details concerning which God’s people still had questions after 1914, what did they know that gave sound direction to their lives?

¹⁷ By means of “the faithful and discreet slave,” Jehovah also helped his servants to realize, decades in advance, that the year 1914 would mark the end of the Gentile Times. (Luke 21:24, King James Version) As they entered the era following World War I, there were, of course, questions that perplexed them. But what they did know was sufficient for them to act wisely. They knew from the Scriptures that God’s due time was at hand for the old system to be destroyed; so it would be foolish to put their hope in it or to let its materialistic standards of success govern their lives. They also knew that Jehovah’s Kingdom is the real solution to all the problems afflicting humankind. (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:33) They saw clearly that it is the responsibility of all true Christians to advertise Jehovah’s anointed King, Jesus Christ, and His Kingdom. (Isaiah 61:1, 2; Matthew 24:14) In 1925, by means of the Watch Tower article “Birth of the Nation,” they were fortified with a clearer understanding of Revelation chapter 12; so now they understood what had been taking place in the heavens, invisible to human eyes. Such insight gave sound direction to their lives.

18. What privilege and responsibility do we now have, and what question should we ask ourselves?

¹⁸ Acting in faith, the few thousand that were then serving Jehovah as his witnesses spearheaded the preaching of the good news of God’s established Kingdom into all parts of the world. As a result, millions of people have come to know and love Jehovah and have the prospect of eternal life. All of us who have received the truth as a result of their loving labors have been shown that we too have the privilege and responsibility to share in the work, giving a thorough witness to everyone we can reach and continuing to do so until Jehovah says the work is done. (Revelation 22:17; compare Acts 20:26, 27.) Does the way you are using your life give evidence that you appreciate the insight Jehovah has given through his organization?

19. (a) Give an example of one whose life reflects appreciation for the insight that Jehovah gives through his organization. (b) What can we learn from that example?

¹⁹ The lives of a great crowd of individuals in all parts of the earth testify that in their case the answer is yes. For example, consider John Cutforth. Some 48 years ago, he took to heart Scriptural counsel to which the ‘faithful slave’ class was directing attention then as it does now, namely: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. So, never be anxious about the next day.” (Matthew 6:33, 34) After years of experience in Jehovah’s service, Brother Cutforth said: ‘One of the things that has been forcefully impressed on my mind is that Jehovah has an organization on earth that he is directing, that I as an individual could work with that organization, and that if I would fully follow its leadings and direction, it would bring me peace, contentment, satisfaction, and many friends, plus many other rich blessings.’ That conviction has been reinforced repeatedly as he has enjoyed a life rich with spiritual blessings in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Papua New Guinea.b Truly, for all of us the wise course is one that reflects appreciation for the means by which Jehovah gives insight to his people.​—Matthew 6:19-21.

Guard Against Loss of Insight

20, 21. (a) How have some persons lost the godly insight that they once had? (b) What will help to safeguard us against a hurtful course?

²⁰ The insight that Jehovah provides is a treasure to be cherished. We should be aware, however, that if we do not continue in the course that has enabled us to acquire godly insight, we can lose it. Sadly, some have had exactly that experience. (Proverbs 21:16; Daniel 11:35) Rejecting discipline that touched them personally, they tried to justify what they were doing. Pride became a snare to them. They began to view as good what God’s Word shows to be bad, and they drew away from Jehovah’s organization. How sad!

²¹ The circumstances of such a person are as described at Psalm 36:1-3, where we read: “The utterance of transgression to the wicked one is in the midst of his heart.” That is, his own selfish thoughts and desires lead him into transgression. “There is no dread of God in front of his eyes,” the psalmist continues. “For he has acted too smoothly to himself in his own eyes to find out his error so as to hate it. The words of his mouth are hurtfulness and deception.” And what is the result to him? He ‘ceases to have insight for doing good.’ He actually convinces himself that what he is doing is right, and he seduces others to follow him. How vital, then, that we not only have insight but also safeguard it by appreciating the means by which Jehovah has enabled us to acquire it!

[Footnotes]

What Do You Remember?

◻ What will help us to make wise decisions?

◻ What is included in “insight”?

◻ How does Jehovah give insight to his servants in our time?

◻ What is required on our part if we are to benefit fully from the insight Jehovah provides?

[Picture on page 16]

To benefit from the insight Jehovah gives, we need to appreciate his organization, be diligent in personal study, and meditate on how to apply what we learn

Insight That Jehovah Has Given

“As regards those having insight among the people, they will impart understanding to the many.”​—DANIEL 11:33.

1, 2. (a) Even though the Israelites had experienced God’s loving-kindness, why did they behave rebelliously? (b) What would it be beneficial for us to do? (Jeremiah 51:10)

THE people of ancient Israel knew that Jehovah was the only true God. They had been told of his dealings with their forefathers, and they had personally experienced his loving-kindness. But on more than one occasion, they acted with a gross lack of insight. They “behaved rebelliously” toward Jehovah and his representatives. Why? Because “they did not remember” what he had done for them. (Psalm 106:7, 13) It was not that they did not know these things; they failed to ponder over them appreciatively. As a result, they proved to be “persons desiring injurious things.”​—1 Corinthians 10:6.

² In our day, a major way in which Jehovah has set his witnesses apart as a distinct people is by the insight he has provided through his visible organization. Our own appreciation for the way in which Jehovah is leading his people can be strengthened by reviewing some of the examples of such insight. One of these involves the very core of our belief​—the identity of God himself.

Is God a Trinity?

3. What enabled Jehovah’s servants, over a hundred years ago, to recognize the truth about the identity of God? (1 Corinthians 8:5, 6)

³ Christendom has staunchly maintained that those who do not affirm belief in the Trinity are heretics. But instead of being intimidated by men, Jehovah’s servants have recognized that, not the traditions and creeds of uninspired men, but the Holy Scriptures provide the standard for discerning what is truth. Building on this foundation, way back in 1882 these dedicated Bible students clearly stated in the Watch Tower: “Our readers are aware that while we believe in Jehovah God and Jesus, and the holy Spirit, we reject as totally unscriptural, the teaching that these are three Gods in one person, or as some put it, one God in three persons.”​—John 5:19; 14:28; 20:17.

4. (a) Probing beneath the surface, what did Jehovah’s people discern as to the basis for the Trinity doctrine and the effect of such a teaching? (b) Why did Jehovah give his servants such insight?

⁴ These lovers of Bible truth had probed beneath the surface and had seen the roots of Trinitarian belief in non-Christian religions. By careful study of the Scriptures, they had also come to realize that when certain Bible texts seemed to support Trinitarian ideas, this was because of the biased views of the translators, not because of what was in the oldest original-language manuscripts. They recognized that this teaching, ostensibly honoring Jesus, actually contradicted his teachings and dishonored Jehovah. Thus, the issue of the Watch Tower referred to above said: “It behooves us as truth seekers, to deal honestly with ourselves and with our Father’s Word, which is able to make us truly wise. Therefore, ignoring the traditions and creeds of uninspired men and corrupt systems, let us hold fast the form of sound words received from our Lord and the Apostles.” Because they really loved the truth and gave attention not merely to a few favorite Bible verses but to the entire Word of God, Jehovah gave them insight that unmistakably set them apart from Christendom.​—2 Timothy 3:16, 17; see New World Translation Reference Bible, page 1580, section 6B.

The Rightful Place of God’s Name

5. What has been behind the trend toward leaving God’s personal name out of Bible translations? (Revelation 22:18, 19)

⁵ Consider a second example: When Bible translations in increasing numbers obscured or completely left out the personal name of God, the Watch Tower Society put ever greater emphasis on the importance of that name. Christendom argued that removal of the name Jehovah would give the Gospel a more universal appeal, but Jehovah’s anointed servants discerned who was behind that scheme to remove from the Sacred Scriptures the most important name of all. (Compare Jeremiah 23:27.) God’s people realized that this was instigated by the Devil to blot out from human memory the name of the true God.

6. In contrast with Christendom’s course, what did God’s true servants do to magnify his name? (Acts 15:14)

⁶ In contrast with the course being pursued by Christendom, from its very first year of publication (1879), the Watch Tower gave prominence to the divine name, JEHOVAH. In 1926 this magazine featured the article “Who Will Honor Jehovah?” (Psalm 135:21) In 1931 the Bible students associated with the Watch Tower Society embraced the name Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Isaiah 43:10-12) They also came to appreciate more fully the great importance of the sanctification of Jehovah’s name. (Isaiah 12:4, 5) In 1944 they began to publish the American Standard Version of the Bible, which includes the name Jehovah over 6,800 times. In connection with publication of the Bible, however, most outstanding has been the production, since 1950, of the New World Translation. It gives the divine name its proper place in both the Hebrew and the Christian Greek Scriptures.

7. How has the emphasis placed on God’s name and all that is associated with it beneficially affected many people?

⁷ The emphasis that has thus been put on the personal name of God has been a delight to millions of lovers of righteousness around the globe. It has helped them to appreciate the true God as a Person. And as they have come to know his ways, they have been able to conduct themselves prudently, or with insight.​—Micah 4:2, 5.

Is the Human Soul Immortal?

8. Early in their modern-day history, what did Jehovah’s Witnesses learn about the soul and the condition of the dead?

⁸ Now, a third example: At an early point in the modern-day history of Jehovah’s servants, love for God’s Word opened their eyes to other important truths. Over a century ago, “the faithful and discreet slave” correctly understood that the soul is not some intelligent and detachable spirit that dwells within humans but that it is the person himself. (Matthew 24:45-47) In 1880 the Watch Tower analyzed the original-language words transliterated Sheol and Hades in the Bible and concluded that these designate the grave. It also pointed out that people consigned to Gehenna were destroyed, not tormented.​—See also the New World Translation Reference Bible, pages 1573-5.

9. In 1894, what did the Watch Tower say regarding the origin of the teaching that human souls are inherently immortal?

⁹ In 1894 the Watch Tower raised the question, “Whence then came the popular notion that all human beings possess immortality, innately, inherently?” With insight, it answered: “Scanning the pages of history, we find that, although the doctrine of human immortality is not taught by God’s inspired witnesses, it is the very essence of all heathen religions. . . . It is not true, therefore, that Socrates and Plato were the first to teach the doctrine: it had an earlier teacher than either of them, and a yet more able one. They, however, polished the doctrine . . . and made a philosophy out of it, and thus made it the more seductive and acceptable to the cultured class of their day and since. The first record of this false teaching is found in the oldest history known to man​—the Bible. The false teacher was Satan.”a

10. What bad effects have come from religious lies about the soul and the condition of the dead, but what was done to help reasonable people?

¹⁰ By propagating the falsehood that all humans have an immortal soul and that the wicked will be forever tormented in hellfire, Satan has misrepresented and blasphemed the name of God. The first editor of the Watch Tower, C. T. Russell, realized that. He saw intelligent people rejecting the idea of eternal torment but, sadly, also rejecting the Bible because they thought that it was the source of that unreasonable doctrine. In order to clear the smoke of the Dark Ages from the minds of reasonable people, as he put it, Brother Russell gave the striking public discourse “To Hell and Back! Who Are There.”

11. (a) When spiritism was coming to the fore, what warning was sounded by the ‘faithful slave’ class? (b) Who have been benefited by this warning, and how?

¹¹ That was an era in which spiritism was coming to the fore. But with the insight that Jehovah God made possible by means of his Word, the ‘faithful slave’ class discerned that the supposed spirits of the departed with whom people were communicating were the demons. Powerful Scriptural arguments were presented in public discourses and in written form to open the eyes of honesthearted ones to the danger of involvement in spiritistic practices. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Isaiah 8:19) As a result of this insight that Jehovah has given to his servants, many thousands of persons around the globe have been freed from fear of the dead, from the practice of spiritism, and from the debasing customs associated with spiritism.

Christian Conduct in a Turbulent World

12, 13. (a) Explain Daniel 11:32, 33. (b) What are some of the basic Bible truths that provide the basis for the understanding imparted by “those having insight”?

¹² The prophet Daniel indicated that God’s servants would manifest insight in relation to yet a fourth matter, a vital issue​—neutrality. After describing in detail the struggle between prominent political factions of the world, Daniel 11:32, 33 says: “Those who are acting wickedly against the covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words.” That is, the totalitarian king of the north leads into apostasy those who profess to be Christians but who love the world, want its approval, and so treat with contempt Jehovah’s covenant for a Kingdom in which Jesus Christ will rule all the earth. “But,” Daniel continues, “as regards the people who are knowing their God, they will prevail and act effectively. And as regards those having insight among the people, they will impart understanding to the many.”

¹³ The insight needed to deal wisely with the often turbulent conditions that surround us is founded on appreciation of basic Bible truths. With Jehovah’s direction, the ‘faithful slave’ class has discerned these truths. One of them is the fact that, as Jesus indicated, the invisible ruler of this world is Satan the Devil. (Luke 4:5-8; John 12:31) In harmony with this truth, 1 John 5:19 adds that not merely one faction or another but “the whole world [all mankind outside the true Christian congregation] is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (Revelation 12:9) Since Jesus said that his followers would be “no part of the world,” this calls for Christian neutrality on their part.​—John 17:16.

14. (a) To what timely matters was the attention of Jehovah’s servants directed in 1939 and 1941? (b) How has such insight helped Jehovah’s Witnesses to act wisely?

¹⁴ It was timely, therefore, that as the clouds of World War II darkened in Europe, the issue of Christian neutrality was highlighted in The Watchtower of November 1, 1939. Related to this matter is another fundamental truth​—the importance of the issue of universal sovereignty and the role of the Messianic Kingdom in settling this issue. Appropriately, in 1941 this issue was featured in a discourse at a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., and the next year in the book The New World. What protection such godly insight has provided for Jehovah’s servants in this divided and warring world! Though religious systems of Christendom have been fragmented because they have allowed themselves to get embroiled in international strife and in guerrilla movements to overthrow governments, Jehovah’s Witnesses in all lands have unitedly continued to devote themselves to publishing God’s Kingdom as the only hope for mankind. They have kept busy in the lifesaving work that Jesus Christ foretold when he said: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”​—Matthew 24:14.

Fulfillment of Bible Prophecies

15. Why have Jehovah’s servants had insight?

¹⁵ Why have Jehovah’s servants had such insight? Because they have full confidence in the written Word of God, they obey it, and Jehovah’s spirit is upon them. This has also enabled them to understand vital Bible prophecies, and this is the fifth point that we are going to consider.

16, 17. (a) Why do the dates used by Jehovah’s Witnesses sometimes differ from those given by secular historians? (b) How have Jehovah’s Witnesses benefited from their confidence in the Bible as to the dating of Artaxerxes’ 20th year and the time of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians?

¹⁶ Secular historians, relying on their interpretation of what are in some cases fragmentary tablets unearthed by archaeologists, have concluded that 464 B.C.E. was the first year of the kingship of Artaxerxes Longimanus and that 604 B.C.E. was the first year of the kingship of Nebuchadnezzar II. If that were true, the 20th year of Artaxerxes would begin in 445 B.C.E., and the date of Jerusalem’s desolation by the Babylonians (in Nebuchadnezzar’s 18th regnal year) would be 587 B.C.E. But if a Bible student uses those dates when calculating the fulfillment of prophecy, he will simply be confused.

¹⁷ Jehovah’s Witnesses have been interested in the findings of archaeologists as these relate to the Bible. However, where the interpretation of these findings conflicts with clear statements in the Bible, we accept with confidence what the Holy Scriptures say, whether on matters related to chronology or any other topic. As a result, Jehovah’s servants have long recognized that the prophetic time period that began in the 20th year of Artaxerxes was to be counted from 455 B.C.E. and thus that Daniel 9:24-27 reliably pointed to the year 29 C.E. in the autumn as the time for the anointing of Jesus as the Messiah.b For the same reason, they have realized that the prophecy in Daniel chapter 4 regarding the “seven times” began counting in 607-606 B.C.E. and that it pinpointed 1914 C.E. in the autumn as the year when Christ was enthroned in heaven as ruling King and this world entered its time of the end.c But they would not have discerned these thrilling fulfillments of prophecy if they had wavered in their confidence in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. Thus, the insight that they have shown has been directly associated with their reliance on God’s Word.

18. What does Isaiah 65:13, 14 promise as to the spiritual condition of Jehovah’s loyal servants?

¹⁸ Contrasting the spiritual condition of his loyal servants with that of individuals and groups that readily push aside the Scriptures in favor of whatever is currently popular, Jehovah says: “Look! My own servants will eat, but you yourselves will go hungry. Look! My own servants will drink, but you yourselves will go thirsty. Look! My own servants will rejoice, but you yourselves will suffer shame. Look! My own servants will cry out joyfully because of the good condition of the heart, but you yourselves will make outcries because of the pain of heart and you will howl because of sheer breakdown of spirit.”​—Isaiah 65:13, 14.

19. (a) Primarily, through what means does “the faithful and discreet slave” provide explanations of the Scriptures? (b) What kind of study program will enable us to benefit fully from spiritual food?

¹⁹ As this brief historical review has shown, it is through the columns of The Watchtower that explanations of vital Scriptural truths have been provided for us by Jehovah’s “faithful and discreet slave.” The Watchtower is the principal instrument used by the “slave” class for dispensing spiritual food. Are you benefiting from it fully? Do you read each issue, and does your study program include looking up scriptures that are cited but not quoted? Do you also make it a habit to meditate on what you have studied, building up appreciation for it, considering how it should affect your attitude, your desires, your daily activities, your goals in life? Your doing so can be a big factor in your making decisions based on the genuine insight that Jehovah alone has given.

[Footnotes]

What Do You Remember?

◻ Is God a Trinity, and why do you so answer?

◻ Where does God’s name rightfully belong?

◻ Is the human soul immortal?

◻ What insight has Jehovah provided on Christian conduct in a turbulent world?

◻ Jehovah’s Witnesses have received what insight regarding fulfillment of Bible prophecies?

[Pictures on page 18]

By means of The Watchtower, “the faithful and discreet slave” provides insight as to the meaning of scriptures and their application to our day

Caesarea and the Early Christians

THE ancient seacoast city of Caesarea, founded by Herod the Great shortly before the birth of Jesus Christ, has been the site of a number of recent archaeological discoveries. “King Herod’s Dream,” an exposition of these finds, is now touring North America.a

Herod curried the favor of Roman emperor Caesar Augustus. Thus, he called the city Caesarea (meaning, “Belonging to Caesar”) and its port Sebastos (Greek for “Augustus”). Herod’s workmen built an amazing harbor for perhaps a hundred ships, and they constructed a magnificent temple with a huge statue for the worship of the emperor.

Roman Administration

Caesarea became the official residence of the Roman procurators​—the men who governed Judea. Caesarea was the center of Rome’s political and military activity. It was there that the military officer Cornelius and “his relatives and intimate friends” became the first uncircumcised non-Jews to accept Christianity. (Acts, chapter 10) The evangelizer Philip went to Caesarea; so did the apostle Peter. Some of the ships the apostle Paul used on his missionary tours put in at Caesarea’s harbor. And about the year 56 C.E., Paul and Luke stayed in the home of Philip, who had apparently settled there and whose four daughters also served God.​—Acts 8:40; 12:18, 19; 18:21, 22; 21:8, 9.

It was to Caesarea that Paul was brought to appear before the Roman governor Felix. There too Paul uttered his famous words to Festus: “I appeal to Caesar!”​—Acts, chapters 23–26.

The Exposition

On entering this exposition, you face a statue of Tyche, the goddess of Caesarea. Her name means “Luck” or “Good Fortune.” However, Christians there trusted not in a goddess of luck but in the true God, Jehovah. They also had faith in Jesus Christ, the one King Herod had tried to kill.

In the next two rooms, you see how archaeologists uncovered the things found in Caesarea and how the harbor was built. Then, in the fourth room, you see a reproduction of one of the major finds at Caesarea. It is the only known inscription of the Roman governor before whom Jesus Christ was taken. The inscription reads: “Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea.”

Also in this room are two small bronze coins that are extremely interesting. The first (on the right) bears the inscription: “Year two of the freedom of Zion.” On the second are the words: “Year four to the redemption of Zion.” Scholars date these coins 67 C.E. and 69 C.E. The “freedom” referred to was the period during which the Jews held Jerusalem, after Cestius Gallus withdrew his attacking Roman forces in the year 66 C.E.

That withdrawal made flight from Jerusalem possible. People who believed in Jesus fled, for he had specifically said: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her.” (Luke 21:20, 21) Apparently, the makers of these “victory” coins had little idea of the destruction that awaited them!

In the year 70 C.E., the Roman army returned, conquered Jerusalem, and destroyed the temple. According to Josephus, they killed more than a million people who had crowded into the city for the Passover. The Roman general Titus celebrated this victory​—and his brother Domitian’s birthday—​with games in Caesarea’s amphitheater. There 2,500 prisoners were thrown to wild beasts, were burned, or were killed in gladiatorial games.

The next room of the exposition contains a statue of the many-breasted fertility goddess Artemis of Ephesus. This is the same goddess whose worshipers rioted in Ephesus when Paul’s preaching caused many to reject disgusting idol worship and follow Jesus Christ.​—Acts 19:23-41.

A display of pieces of broken pottery demonstrates the extent of first-century travel as revealed in the Scriptures. In just one ancient warehouse, pottery fragments were found from such widely separated places as Yugoslavia, Italy, Spain, and perhaps North Africa. With such extensive travel, it is easy to understand that visitors from far-flung reaches of the Roman Empire could have been in Jerusalem at Pentecost 33 C.E. There, many heard the good news in their own language, became believers, and were baptized. Likely, some took the good news back to their own lands aboard ships from Caesarea.​—Acts, chapter 2.

In the next room, a large white rectangular plaque supports fragments of a third- or fourth-century marble slab. It originally listed the 24 divisions, or courses, of priestly families in the order in which they served at Jerusalem’s temple. That temple had lain in ruins for hundreds of years, but the Jews were confident that it would soon be rebuilt. Centuries later they were still praying that God would restore the priestly courses in their day. But the temple was not rebuilt. Jesus had foretold its destruction. And before it was destroyed, the apostle Paul, a Jew and former Pharisee, pointed out that God had replaced that temple with something better​—with a far greater temple, a spiritual one, that the handmade building in Jerusalem had only illustrated, prefigured, or represented.​—Matthew 23:37–24:2; Hebrews, chapters 8, 9.

Centuries passed and conquerors came and went. Caesarea’s ruins finally sank beneath sand and sea. There they awaited modern archaeologists, whose discoveries have helped us to understand more about life in ancient times and about some of the things we read in God’s Word, the Bible.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 24]

Tyche, Caesarea’s goddess of “good luck”

[Picture Credit Lines on page 23]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

[Picture Credit Lines on page 24]

Aaron Levin

Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums; photographs from Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

An Accurate Eyewitness Report!

A recently published Ugaritic text (KTU 1.161) confirms the reliability of 2 Kings 10:19, 20. To destroy the Baal worshipers, King Jehu commanded: “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” (A false god, possibly represented by the statuette at the left.) According to Vetus Testamentum, a magazine published in the Netherlands, this expression is “genuine Canaanite” and means “‘a closed circle’: any outsider could be punished with a curse.” “We now perceive that the author of the passage in 2 Kings apparently betrays good knowledge of Canaanite religious terminology,” comments Vetus Testamentum.

[Picture Credit Line on page 25]

Louvre Museum, Paris

Proclaiming the Kingdom in Varied Malaysia

MOSQUES with gilded domes, shrines with arches, churches with steeples, and temple ziggurats adorned with statues. This is Malaysia, a land where the four major religions of the world meet. Its 16,000,000 inhabitants are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Ibans, Kadazans, and several indigenous tribes. Probably no greater variety in religion, culture, custom, tradition, and language is to be found anywhere else.

Located just north of the equator in the South China Sea, Malaysia is made up of two geographical sections: the peninsula formerly called Malaya in the west and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo in the east. From the swampy coastal lowlands, through the thick, often impenetrable jungles, to the high mountain peaks​—including 13,455-foot-high [4,101 m] Mount Kinabalu in Sabah—​the land is just as varied as its people and culture.

It is within this framework that Jehovah’s Witnesses are endeavoring to preach “this good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 24:14) How do they manage to reach the people, with all the different languages, customs, and religious ideas? What is it like to preach the Kingdom message in this land? Above all, what have the Witnesses been able to accomplish?

Meeting the Religious Challenge

To reach people of differing religious backgrounds, publishers of the good news must learn to distinguish a Muslim home from a Hindu one, a Buddhist or Taoist family from a Protestant or Catholic one. How can this be done?

There are clear indications. For example, a bright red altar is as much a sign of a Taoist or Buddhist home as a statue of Mary or Jesus is of a Catholic residence. Equally characteristic are the mango leaves of Hindu households or the Arabic scriptures from the Koran written above the entrance to Muslim homes.

Identifying the religious background of the householder is one thing; getting him interested in the good news is quite another. A typical response, usually in a mixture of Chinese, and English, is: “Semua agama sama lah.” This is followed by, “Sorry, I am not interesting.” With a wide smile, the householder has just told you that he thinks all religions are the same and that he is not interested.

Many Malaysians born Buddhists, Taoists, or Hindus have been attracted by the instant conversion offered by the missions of Christendom and have joined various Protestant sects. Persuaded by their clergy, many of them have shut their ears to the good news. Still, Jehovah’s great name and purpose are steadily being proclaimed in this varied land.

Because of the patience and understanding of Jehovah’s Witnesses, many honesthearted people are responding favorably to the Kingdom message. For instance, consider Patrick, formerly a smoker with long, unkempt hair. He was trained in Chinese martial arts and would become violent when provoked. Though he had no purpose in life, he was struck by the words “death will be no more,” which a Kingdom publisher read to him from Revelation 21:4. So Patrick accepted a Bible study. Excited by the Scriptural truth he was learning, he soon started to relate it to his mother, both by mail and in person when he returned home. But she was very opposed.

One day, Patrick and his mother were disciplining his younger brother, also a karate expert. When the brother started to strike and kick, the mother was astounded to see that Patrick did not retaliate but remained calm. She became very interested in what her son was learning that had such transforming power. His mother made rapid progress and was baptized within six months. She, in turn, witnessed to her 73-year-old mother, a staunch Buddhist. This lady too appreciated the prospect of living forever. Though illiterate, she began to study the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, memorizing as many Chinese characters as she could. Now she too is a publisher of the good news.

Coping With the Languages and Customs

To deal with the multilanguage situation, a well-stocked literature case is needed when preaching from house to house. But this does not always solve the problem.

For instance, being Chinese and having Chinese literature does not automatically mean that a Witness can communicate with a Chinese householder. Do they speak the same dialect? If the Witness is Hokkien and the householder Cantonese, this could be a problem. Since Chinese dialect is tonal, the slightest variation of pronunciation can convey a totally different message. To illustrate: It was more than amusing when a Hokkien-speaking pioneer sister went about in a Cantonese area telling people she was a “mad student” when she intended to say she was a “Bible student.”

Even when the right word is used, it may not mean the same thing to everyone. Being in a multiracial society, Malaysians are generally obliging and careful not to offend anyone. It is particularly difficult for them to say no to strangers. Thus, one learns not to get overly excited when a householder says yes to an invitation to have a Bible study or to go to Christian meetings. Why? Because this does not necessarily mean that he is accepting anything. It takes time and experience to determine who are the genuinely interested ones.

Malaysia is among the countries having the largest number of holidays and religious festivals. These are times when people are busy visiting friends and relatives. The Malaysian Witnesses too step up their activity and use such holidays to declare the good news. But they must do so with tact and understanding if they are to have good results.

Chinese New Year is just such a day. To ensure prosperity for the rest of the year, the Taoists believe in starting off the new year with kind words and good deeds. On that day, a Witness will avoid using such words as “death,” “sickness,” and “pain.” Rather, he will dwell on happy themes, such as “living forever in good health with lasting peace and prosperity in a new world.” This holiday is not the time to remind people of their woes.

In the “Land of the Headhunters”

Since the “great crowd” is made up of individuals “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues,” we cannot help but think of the many indigenous tribes of East Malaysia. (Revelation 7:9) It is heartening to see that an increasing number of the inhabitants of Sarawak​—once known as the Land of the Headhunters—​are responding to the Kingdom message.

For example, four years ago in the coastal oil-town of Miri, in Sarawak, there were only three Kingdom publishers. Today, many are showing interest in learning about the Bible. A pioneer sister reports 17 Bible studies, and some of her students are themselves conducting studies with other interested persons. There is now a thriving congregation in the little town of Miri.

A distinctive feature of the Iban people of Sarawak is the longhouse. This long structure on stilts is constructed of hardwood and palm leaves. Usually built on a riverbank at the fringe of the jungle, it consists of a row of from 30 to 40 or more dwellings side by side along a common hallway. Much of our preaching work is done in this type of territory.

On one occasion, a Bible talk on the subject “What Hope for the Dead?” was to be given at one of these longhouses. The tuai rumah, or headman, gathered all the people into the ruai, or common hall. Everyone listened politely and in perfect silence until the talk was finished. Then, one man asked: “How can the dead know nothing?” Another insisted that the good are already in heaven and the bad in a burning hell. But some did find the prospect of living forever on a paradise earth attractive and wanted to know more. It was just as when Paul spoke to the Athenians on the Areopagus.​—Acts 17:32-34.

In another longhouse lived Juing Insoll, a 72-year-old Iban who belonged to the Anglican Church. As a youth, he was puzzled by questions such as these: How can a loving God torment dead ones eternally in a burning hell? If there is a God, why is there so much injustice? No one could give him satisfactory answers. One day a friend of his from the city obtained a copy of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Noting that it might answer Juing’s questions, the friend lent him the book. What a delight for Juing! At last, after 60 years of searching, he had found the truth about God!

Juing was determined to get a copy of the book for himself. He traveled the 150 miles [240 km] to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, and scoured the bookshops. Not a sign of the book. That night, in a relative’s home, he heard that another relative had a copy. He was directed to the local Kingdom Hall and obtained 15 different publications to take back to his longhouse.

After reading all that material, Juing was back in the city, asking to be baptized. The elders smiled and shook their heads. To their surprise, however, they soon discovered that he was fully qualified. So, baptized he was! Back in the longhouse, and loaded with more Bible literature, Juing began to preach to his neighbors. At first, he wondered why his friends did not accept the truth right after reading the books. But he soon realized that he had to study the Bible with them. Juing’s field service report was always in the form of a diary!

From the isolated town of Lahad Datu in the state of Sabah came this report: A young married woman with three children learned the truth through a Bible study conducted by mail by a sister in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. Eventually, the woman decided to get baptized at a circuit assembly. In the middle of the baptism talk, however, her husband burst in and demanded that she return home with him.

Back home, the husband tried to make amends but without success. Finally, he cried out: “Now, what do you want?” “I want to get baptized,” his wife replied. “Is it that important to you?” he asked. “Yes, it is the most important occasion of my life.” “All right!” he finally responded. “Call your elder. I will build a swimming pool for you to get baptized here.”

True to his words, that was what the man did. And his wife was baptized during the circuit overseer’s next visit​—in the swimming pool her husband had built for her! But what gave this sister such determination? Well, even though she was isolated, she regularly prepared all the material for the different meetings. If she ever missed a “meeting,” she felt as if she had missed a meal. This sister now teaches her children and conducts three home Bible studies.

‘The Little One Becoming a Thousand’

The Kingdom work in Malaysia was opened up by Alfred and Thelma Wicke, who went there from Australia in 1939. Their faithful missionary service has stretched out to almost 50 years, and how wonderfully Jehovah has blessed their efforts! Since the establishment of the branch office in Penang in 1972, with Brother Wicke as branch overseer, the preaching work in Malaysia has gained momentum. At that time, there were 207 Kingdom publishers. Ten years later, the number had tripled. So, in July 1983, the branch was moved to Klang, a port city near the federal capital, Kuala Lumpur. The new branch premises consist of a row of three two-story buildings, well suited to the present needs. (See page 26.)

A few years ago, an intensified effort was made to take the Kingdom message to more of the Chinese- and Tamil-speaking population. Now, besides two Chinese congregations, there are Chinese and Tamil groups in several other congregations as well as a thriving Japanese group of about 20 persons.

Throughout the territory, there are now 20 congregations, with nearly 900 Kingdom publishers. This gives a publisher-to-population ratio of about 1 to 18,500. So there is yet much work to be done. As an indication of the potential for growth, 2,633 people came to the 1988 Memorial celebration. The Malaysian Witnesses were delighted with this, and more are reaching out for the full-time ministry. Yes, and Jehovah’s Witnesses in Malaysia are eagerly looking forward to reaching the 1,000-publisher mark. Well do they remember Jehovah’s promise: “The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time.”​—Isaiah 60:22.

[Map on page 26]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

THAILAND

MALAYSIA

Penang

Kuala Lumpur

Klang

Singapore

MALAY PENINSULA

SUMATRA

EQUATOR

South China Sea

PHILIPPINES

SABAH

Kota Kinabalu

Mt. Kinabalu

Lahad Datu

BRUNEI

Miri

MALAYSIA

SARAWAK

Kuching

BORNEO

600 Km

400 MI

Lessons From the Scriptures: Joel 1:1–3:21

Call on Jehovah’s Name and Get Away Safe!

“IF THE plague gets out of control, it will spread to East Africa and the Near East. It could be a disaster.” So said an official of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization regarding the voracious insect currently invading northwestern Africa by the billions​—the locust.

In about the year 820 B.C.E., God’s prophet Joel spoke of a similar plague. In vivid terms unsurpassed for accuracy and realism, he described how the nation of Judah would be ravaged by an insect onslaught. However, that plague was pictorial of something far more significant than an ecological threat. It was a herald of “the day of Jehovah”! Our generation faces that “fear-inspiring day” and all its destructive fury. What hope of salvation exists? And what lessons can we learn from the prophetic book of Joel?

Terrifying Insect Invasion

Repentance is needed for salvation during the fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. Through Joel’s eyes, we see a calamity as the land is stripped of vegetation by swarms of caterpillars, locusts, creeping unwinged locusts, and cockroaches. Priests, older men, and other inhabitants of Judah are urged to repent “and cry to Jehovah for aid.” Storehouses are laid desolate, and barns are torn down as they become devoid of produce. Domestic animals confusedly wander about, looking in vain for pasturage. What a day of despoiling from the Almighty One!​—1:1-20.

The nearness of Jehovah’s day should move us to engage in holy acts and godly deeds. (2 Peter 3:10-12) Joel enables us to see it as a day of darkness, clouds, and thick gloom. The locusts are a frightening harbinger of that day. In their wake, Judah’s Edenlike landscape becomes a desolate wilderness. Ominous, too, is the very sound of the locusts, for it is like that of a chariot and of a raging fire devouring stubble. As the locusts advance “like a mighty people, drawn up in battle order,” they scale walls, rush into cities, and enter houses. Even the sun, moon, and stars are darkened during the ‘fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.’​—2:1-11.

The Way of Salvation

For salvation, we must acknowledge that ‘Jehovah is God and there is no other.’ “Come back to me with all your hearts,” Jehovah counsels. Old and young are urged to gather in solemn assembly to implore divine favor. God will show compassion, make compensation for the insect devastation, and bless his people with abundance. Those acknowledging Jehovah’s position as the only true God and Source of salvation will not be ashamed.​—2:12-27.

Our salvation also depends on calling on the name of Jehovah in faith. Before “the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah,” God will ‘pour out his spirit on every sort of flesh.’ Young and old, male and female, will do a work of prophesying. Thus, many will learn that ‘everyone calling on Jehovah’s name will get away safe.’​—2:28-32.

Judgment Upon the Nations

Jehovah will save his faithful people when he executes judgment upon the nations. (Compare Ezekiel 38:18-23; Revelation 16:14-16.) Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia must pay for mistreating God’s people and selling them into slavery. Jehovah will bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, and he challenges his foes, saying: “Sanctify war!” But they are no match for God, who executes judgment upon them in the symbolic “low plain of Jehoshaphat.” Though heaven and earth will rock, Jehovah will be a refuge for his people. The faithful will survive the judgment upon the nations and will enjoy life under paradisaic conditions.​—3:1-21.

Lessons to remember: Repentance is required beforehand if a person is to be saved during the fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. The nearness of that day should move us to engage in holy acts and godly deeds. Of course, our salvation depends on acknowledging that Jehovah alone is God. And if we call on his name in faith, he will save us when he executes judgment upon the nations.

Joel’s prophecy gives us even more food for thought. Why, “the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah” is imminent! Mankind must be warned. Like the locusts in Joel’s prophecy, Jehovah’s Witnesses devastate Christendom by relentlessly exposing her spiritually barren state. This arouses the fury and opposition of her leaders, but any wall-like obstacles they try to set in the path of the symbolic locusts prove ineffective. Jehovah has poured out his spirit upon his people, equipping them to announce his judgments. Therefore, in the short time remaining before God’s fear-inspiring day, let us have a full share in helping others to ‘call on the name of Jehovah so as to get away safe.’

[Box on page 30]

BIBLE TEXTS EXAMINED

○ 1:2​—Joel addressed the “older men” who had misled the nation. Because the “inhabitants of the land” followed that false lead, they were also accountable in Jehovah’s eyes. Today, the religious leaders of Christendom have similarly misled their flocks. Like Joel, Jehovah’s Witnesses have directed messages to that clergy class. Yet, the people in general must have God’s Word declared to them because they too will render an account to Jehovah.​—Isaiah 9:15-17; Romans 14:12.

○ 2:1-10, 28​—The Israelites were warned that if they disobeyed God, locusts and other creatures would devour their crops. (Deuteronomy 28:38-45) Since the Scriptures do not record an insect assault upon Canaan of the proportions mentioned by Joel, the plague he described was apparently pictorial. Evidently, the prophecy began to be fulfilled at Pentecost 33 C.E., when Jehovah started to ‘pour out his spirit’ upon Jesus’ followers, who tormented false religionists with their God-given message. (Acts 2:1, 14-21; 5:27-29) Jehovah’s Witnesses now carry out a similarly devastating work.

○ 2:12, 13​—In ancient times, ripping apart one’s garments was an outward expression of grief. (Genesis 37:29, 30; 44:13) But this could be done insincerely, hypocritically. Joel made it clear that outward expressions of sorrow were not enough. The people needed to ‘rip apart their hearts’ by showing heartfelt repentance.

○ 2:31, 32​—Jehovah provided escape from destruction for faithful ones in the time of Joel. Now, in these “last days,” God is making salvation possible through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:1; Romans 5:8, 12; 6:23) However, it is upon the name of Jehovah that sinful humans must call for everlasting salvation. This means knowing the divine name, respecting it fully, and relying completely on the One bearing it. Those thus calling on Jehovah’s name in faith “will get away safe” when God executes his judgment upon the nations during his “great and fear-inspiring day.”​—Zephaniah 2:2, 3; 3:12; Romans 10:11-13.

○ 3:2, 14​—The symbolic place for executing divine judgment in “the day of Jehovah” is called “the low plain of the decision.” It is also termed “the low plain of Jehoshaphat.” This is appropriate, since the name Jehoshaphat means “Jehovah Is Judge.” During the reign of King Jehoshaphat, God delivered Judah and Jerusalem from the forces of Moab, Ammon, and the mountainous region of Seir, causing them to become confused and to slaughter one another. (2 Chronicles 20:1-30) In our day, “the low plain of Jehoshaphat” serves as a symbolic winepress in which the nations are crushed like grapes for mistreating Jehovah’s people.

○ 3:6​—Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia were guilty of selling people of Judah and Jerusalem into slavery to the Greeks. Possibly, some Jews captured by other nations came into the hands of Tyrian, Sidonian, and Philistine slave traders. Worse yet, perhaps these nations made slaves of Jews who sought refuge from their enemies. Whatever the case was, God called those traffickers in human life to account for mistreating his people. This indicates what awaits nations that persecute Jehovah’s servants today.

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

She Just Had to Know

A 15-year-old girl from Mobile, Alabama, writes: “When you put out the book Revelation​—Its Grand Climax At Hand! I knew I would read it sooner or later.

“One night when I wasn’t sleeping very well, I picked up the book and just looked at the pictures. On pages 75, 78, and 86, I found pictures that fascinated me. I didn’t know what they meant, and I just had to know. I couldn’t very well start in the middle because then nothing else would make sense. So that very night I read the first chapter.

“The next night I read the next chapter and found I just didn’t want to put it down. So I went ahead and read the next one also.

“This is one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read! Now I have a regular habit of reading at least one chapter a night. Sometimes I’ve stayed up till one o’clock in the morning just reading! . . . I wish that all young people would read this book.”

We feel sure that you too will be thrilled by the things you learn in Revelation​—Its Grand Climax At Hand! This hardbound book is the same page size as this magazine. It presents a verse-by-verse consideration of the entire Bible book of Revelation, providing a clear explanation of its many visions and symbols. Send for the book today. Only $3, postpaid.

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