1, 2. Why should we be interested in Psalm 45?

A GLORIOUS king rides into battle to defend truth and righteousness. He defeats his enemies, and after his final victory, he marries a lovely bride. The king is remembered and honored forever. These are some of the exciting events described in Psalm 45.

² However, Psalm 45 is much more than just an exciting story with a happy ending. The events mentioned there are important to us because they affect our lives now, as well as our future. Let us carefully pay attention as we study this psalm.

“MY HEART IS STIRRED BY SOMETHING GOOD”

3, 4. (a) What is “something good” that the psalmist wrote about, and how can it affect our heart? (b) What message “about a king” do we preach? How does our tongue become like a stylus?

³ Read Psalm 45:1. “Something good” that causes the psalmist’s heart to be “stirred” is news about a king. In Hebrew, the word translated “is stirred” originally meant “to bubble up,” or “boil.” The psalmist was so excited to hear this news that it was as if his heart was bubbling up, or overflowing, with enthusiasm. It also made his tongue become like “the stylus of a skilled copyist.”

⁴ What does that mean for us? The good news of the Messianic Kingdom is something good that stirs our heart. The Kingdom message became especially “good” in 1914. Why? Because from that year on, it was no longer about a future Kingdom. Since 1914, the message has been about a real government that now rules in heaven. This is the “good news of the Kingdom” that we preach “in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” (Matthew 24:14) Is our heart “stirred,” or excited, by this Kingdom message? Do we preach the good news of the Kingdom with real enthusiasm? Like the psalmist, our “song is about a king.” We preach the message that Jesus is now Ruler of the Messianic Kingdom in heaven. We invite all, even the leaders of this world, to accept Jesus’ Kingdom. (Psalm 2:1, 2, 4-12) And our tongue becomes like “the stylus of a skilled copyist” when we use the Bible in our preaching work.

“GRACIOUS SPEECH FLOWS FROM YOUR LIPS”

5. (a) In what ways was Jesus “handsome”? (b) How did Jesus preach graciously, and how can we follow his example?

⁵ Read Psalm 45:2. The Scriptures do not say much about what Jesus looked like. As a perfect man, he must have been “handsome.” But it was his integrity and faithfulness to Jehovah that made him truly handsome. Also, Jesus used “gracious speech” when he preached the message of the Kingdom. He used words that touched people’s heart. (Luke 4:22; John 7:46) Do we try our best to imitate Jesus in our preaching work?​—Colossians 4:6.

6. How did God bless Jesus “forever”?

⁶ Because of Jesus’ faithfulness and deep love for his Father, Jehovah blessed his ministry on earth and rewarded him after he gave his life as a sacrifice. The apostle Paul wrote about Jesus: “When he came as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, yes, death on a torture stake. For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend​—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground—​and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11) Jehovah blessed Jesus “forever” by resurrecting him to immortal life.​—Romans 6:9.

THE KING IS MADE GREATER THAN HIS “COMPANIONS”

7. In what ways did God anoint Jesus more than his “companions”?

⁷ Read Psalm 45:6, 7. Because Jesus deeply loves what is right and hates anything that could dishonor his Father, Jehovah anointed him as King of the Messianic Kingdom. Jesus was anointed with “the oil of exultation” more than his “companions,” the kings of Judah who were also descendants of David. In what ways? First of all, Jesus was anointed by Jehovah himself. Second, Jehovah anointed Jesus to rule as King and also serve as High Priest. (Psalm 2:2; Hebrews 5:5, 6) Third, Jesus was not anointed with oil but was anointed with holy spirit. Finally, he rules from the heavens, not from the earth.

8. Why can we be sure that Jesus’ rule is righteous? What does it mean that God is Jesus’ throne?

⁸ In 1914, Jehovah appointed his Son as the Messianic King in heaven. “The scepter” of Jesus’ Kingdom “is a scepter of uprightness,” so we can be sure that his rule will always be fair and righteous. He has the right to be King because God is his throne, that is, Jehovah has appointed him as King. Jesus’ throne will last “forever and ever.” How proud we are to serve Jehovah under the King he has appointed!

THE KING STRAPS ON HIS SWORD

9, 10. (a) When did Christ strap on his sword, and how did he use it? (b) How will Christ use his sword in the future?

⁹ Read Psalm 45:3. Jehovah tells the King to strap his sword on his side. By doing this, he gives Jesus permission to wage war against those who oppose God’s rule and to destroy them. (Psalm 110:2) Because Christ is a Warrior and King who cannot be defeated, he is called “mighty one.” He strapped on his sword in 1914, when he defeated Satan and the demons and threw them out of heaven down to the earth.​—Revelation 12:7-9.

¹⁰ That was only the beginning of the King’s ride to victory. He still must “complete his conquest.” (Revelation 6:2) Jehovah has decided that every part of Satan’s world must be destroyed, and the influence of Satan and his demons must be removed. First, Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, will be eliminated. Jehovah will use the world’s political rulers to destroy this wicked “prostitute.” (Revelation 17:16, 17) Next, Christ will completely remove all governments of Satan’s world. Then, Jesus, who is called “the angel of the abyss,” will complete his victory by throwing Satan and the demons into the abyss. (Revelation 9:1, 11; 20:1-3) Let us see how these exciting events were foretold in Psalm 45.

THE KING RIDES “IN THE CAUSE OF TRUTH”

11. How does Christ ride to defend “truth”?

¹¹ Read Psalm 45:4. The King does not fight a war to conquer lands or enslave people. He has honorable reasons to go to war. He rides to defend “truth and humility and righteousness.” Jehovah is the only one who has the right to rule the universe. This is the most important “truth” that must be defended. When Satan rebelled, he was saying that Jehovah did not have the right to rule. Since then, both demons and humans have questioned this fundamental truth. Now is the time for Jehovah’s anointed King to ride into battle and prove that Jehovah alone has the right to rule.

12. How does the King ride to defend “humility”?

¹² The King also rides to defend “humility.” Jesus has always set the very best example of being humble and obedient to his Father. (Isaiah 50:4, 5; John 5:19) All loyal servants of the King must follow his example and be humble as they obey Jehovah as their Ruler in all things. Only those who do this will be allowed to live in God’s new world.​—Zechariah 14:16, 17.

13. How does Christ ride to defend “righteousness”?

¹³ Christ also rides to defend “righteousness.” This righteousness is “God’s righteousness,” or Jehovah’s standards of what is right and what is wrong. (Romans 3:21; Deuteronomy 32:4) Isaiah foretold the following about Jesus Christ: “A king will reign for righteousness.” (Isaiah 32:1) During his rule, Jesus will bring a “new heavens” and a “new earth” where everyone will do what is righteous. (2 Peter 3:13) That means that everyone in that new world will have to live by Jehovah’s standards of right and wrong.​—Isaiah 11:1-5.

THE KING ACCOMPLISHES “AWE-INSPIRING THINGS”

14. How will the right hand of Christ accomplish “awe-inspiring things”? (See opening picture.)

¹⁴ The psalmist says that the King rides with a sword strapped on his side. (Psalm 45:3) He then takes the sword in his right hand and begins to use it. The psalmist prophesied about Jesus: “Your right hand will accomplish awe-inspiring things.” (Psalm 45:4) When Jesus Christ rides to destroy Satan’s world at Armageddon, he will accomplish “awe-inspiring things” against his enemies. We do not know exactly how the King will destroy Satan’s world. But we do know that whatever Jesus does will terrify those who have not obeyed God’s warnings and who have not accepted the King’s rule. (Read Psalm 2:11, 12.) In his prophecy about the end, Jesus said that people would become “faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” He also said: “And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”​—Luke 21:26, 27.

15, 16. Who will be in the armies that follow Christ into battle?

¹⁵ The King’s coming “with power and great glory” to defeat God’s enemies is announced in the book of Revelation. It says: “I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. Also, the armies in heaven were following him on white horses, and they were clothed in white, clean, fine linen. And out of his mouth protrudes a sharp, long sword with which to strike the nations, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. Moreover, he treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”​—Revelation 19:11, 14, 15.

¹⁶ Who will be in the heavenly “armies” that follow Jesus into battle? The angels fought along with Jesus when he first strapped on his sword and threw Satan and his demons out of heaven. (Revelation 12:7-9) So it makes sense that at the war of Armageddon, Christ’s armies will include the holy angels. Will anyone else be in Christ’s armies? Jesus made this promise to his anointed brothers: “To the one who conquers and observes my deeds down to the end, I will give authority over the nations, and he will shepherd the people with an iron rod so that they will be broken to pieces like clay vessels, just as I have received from my Father.” (Revelation 2:26, 27) At that time, all of Christ’s anointed brothers will already have been raised to heaven. These ones will also be part of Christ’s heavenly armies. The anointed will be at Jesus’ side when he does “awe-inspiring things” to destroy the nations.

THE KING COMPLETES HIS VICTORY

17. (a) What does the white horse that Christ rides represent? (b) What do the sword and the bow represent?

¹⁷ Read Psalm 45:5. The King rides a white horse. Revelation 6:2 says: “I saw, and look! a white horse, and the one seated on it had a bow; and a crown was given him, and he went out conquering and to complete his conquest.” The white horse represents war that is righteous and approved by God. (Revelation 19:11) Besides a sword, the King also carries a bow. Both the sword and the bow represent the methods that Christ will use to destroy his enemies.

18. What will happen when Christ uses his “arrows”?

¹⁸ Using poetic language, the psalmist prophesies about the King: “Your arrows are sharp, making peoples fall before you; they pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies.” There will be destruction all over the world. Jeremiah’s prophecy foretells: “Those slain by Jehovah in that day will be from one end of the earth clear to the other end of the earth.” (Jeremiah 25:33) Another prophecy about the same event says: “I saw also an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice and said to all the birds that fly in midheaven: ‘Come here, be gathered together to the great evening meal of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of military commanders and the flesh of strong men and the flesh of horses and of those seated on them, and the flesh of all, of freemen as well as of slaves and of small ones and great.’”​—Revelation 19:17, 18.

19. How will Christ complete his victory?

¹⁹ After destroying Satan’s wicked world, the glorious King Jesus Christ will “go on to victory.” (Psalm 45:4) He will complete his victory by throwing Satan and his demons into the abyss. They will stay in this abyss while Jesus and the 144,000 rule from heaven for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2, 3) When the Devil and his demons are trapped in the abyss, it will be as if they were dead because they will not be able to cause any harm. All on earth will be able to enjoy the King’s rule without the wicked influence of Satan and his demons. Before the whole earth becomes a paradise, there will be another reason to be joyful along with the King and the 144,000. That exciting event will be discussed in the next article.

1, 2. (a) Whose wedding will cause great joy in heaven? (b) What questions will we discuss?

IT ALWAYS takes time to prepare for a wedding. But we will now discuss a royal wedding that has taken about 2,000 years to prepare for! Very soon it will be time for the bridegroom to be united with his bride. Joyful music will fill the King’s palace, and heavenly voices will sing out: “Praise Jah, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king! Let us rejoice and be overjoyed and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has arrived and his wife has prepared herself.”​—Revelation 19:6, 7.

² “The Lamb” spoken of in this scripture is Jesus Christ. (John 1:29) His marriage will cause great joy in heaven. How is he dressed for the wedding? Who is his bride? How has she been prepared for marriage? When does the wedding take place? This marriage will cause joy in heaven, but will those who hope to live forever on earth also be joyful? We are eager to know the answers to these questions, so let us continue our study of Psalm 45.

HIS GARMENTS ARE PERFUMED

3, 4. (a) What does the psalmist say about the Bridegroom’s wedding garments? What makes the Bridegroom even more joyful? (b) Who are “the daughters of kings” and “the royal consort” who share the Bridegroom’s joy?

³ Read Psalm 45:8, 9. The Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, puts on his royal wedding garments. His clothing has a delightful fragrance like that of “the choicest perfumes,” such as myrrh and cassia, which were in the holy anointing oil used in Israel.​—Exodus 30:23-25.

⁴ The beautiful heavenly music in the Bridegroom’s palace makes him even more joyful as the time for his marriage gets close. His joy is shared by “the royal consort,” that is, the invisible part of God’s organization, which includes “the daughters of kings,” that is, the holy angels. Voices from heaven say: “Let us rejoice and be overjoyed . . . because the marriage of the Lamb has arrived.”

THE BRIDE IS PREPARED FOR THE WEDDING

5. Who is the bride?

⁵ Read Psalm 45:10, 11. We know who the Bridegroom is, but who is the bride? She is not a literal person. Instead, she represents the entire group of 144,000 anointed Christians. Jesus is the Head of this anointed congregation. (Read Ephesians 5:23, 24.) These anointed ones will rule with Christ in his Messianic Kingdom in heaven. (Luke 12:32) They also “keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes.” (Revelation 14:1-4) They become “the Lamb’s wife” and live with him in his heavenly home.​—Revelation 21:9; John 14:2, 3.

6. Why are the anointed called “the king’s daughter,” and why are they told to forget their people?

⁶ The bride is called “daughter,” and she is also called “the king’s daughter.” (Psalm 45:13) Who is this “king”? He is Jehovah. He adopts anointed Christians as his “children.” (Romans 8:15-17) The anointed are told: “Forget your people and your father’s house.” Since they will become a heavenly bride, the anointed need to focus “on the things above, not on the things on the earth.”​—Colossians 3:1-4.

7. (a) How has Christ been preparing his future bride? (b) How does the bride feel about her future husband?

⁷ For many centuries, Christ has been preparing his future bride for the heavenly wedding. The apostle Paul wrote that Christ “loved the congregation and gave himself up for it, in order that he might sanctify it, cleansing it with the bath of water by means of the word, so that he might present the congregation to himself in its splendor, without a spot or a wrinkle or any of such things, but holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27) Paul told the anointed Christians in ancient Corinth: “I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I personally promised you in marriage to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2) Because her worship is clean and acceptable to God, the King Jesus Christ views his bride as beautiful. The bride bows down to her future husband and willingly accepts him as her “lord.”

THE BRIDE IS “BROUGHT TO THE KING”

8. Why is the bride described as “absolutely magnificent”?

⁸ Read Psalm 45:13, 14a. The bride is “adorned for her husband” and looks “absolutely magnificent” for the royal wedding. At Revelation 21:2, the bride is compared to a city, New Jerusalem. This heavenly city shines with “the glory of God” and is “like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone shining crystal clear.” (Revelation 21:10, 11) The stunning appearance of New Jerusalem is beautifully described in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 21:18-21) What an “absolutely magnificent” bride! This is what we would expect from a royal wedding in heaven.

9. To whom is the bride brought? How is she dressed?

⁹ The bride is brought to her Bridegroom, the Messianic King. He has prepared and cleansed her “by means of the word.” She is “holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26, 27) His bride must also be dressed appropriately for the occasion. And she is! “Her clothing is adorned with gold,” and “she will be brought to the king in richly woven garments.” For the marriage of the Lamb, “it has been granted to her to be clothed with bright, clean, fine linen​—for the fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the holy ones.”​—Revelation 19:8.

THE MARRIAGE HAS ARRIVED

10. What must happen before the Lamb’s marriage can take place?

¹⁰ Read Revelation 19:7. When will the Lamb’s marriage take place? Although Revelation 19:7 says that “his wife has prepared herself” for the marriage, the verses after that do not describe the wedding. Instead, they clearly describe the last part of the great tribulation. (Revelation 19:11-21) Does this mean that the marriage will happen before the King completes his victory? No. The events foretold in Revelation are not written in the order that they will occur. In Psalm 45, the King Jesus Christ straps on his sword and defeats his enemies first, and then the royal wedding takes place.​—Psalm 45:3, 4.

11. What will Christ do before the marriage can take place?

¹¹ So we learn from the Bible that these events will happen in the following order: First, “the great prostitute,” Babylon the Great, that is, all false religion, will be eliminated. (Revelation 17:1, 5, 16, 17; 19:1, 2) Next, Christ will destroy the rest of Satan’s wicked world at Armageddon, “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14-16; 19:19-21) Finally, the King will complete his victory by throwing Satan and his demons into the abyss, where they will not be able to harm anyone. It will be as if they were dead.​—Revelation 20:1-3.

12, 13. (a) When will the marriage of the Lamb take place? (b) In heaven, who will rejoice because of the marriage of the Lamb? (See opening picture.)

¹² In the last days, anointed Christians who remain faithful until death are resurrected to life in heaven. Sometime after Babylon the Great is destroyed, but before Armageddon, Christ will finish gathering all 144,000 anointed Christians to be with him in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) Then, after Armageddon, the marriage of the Lamb can take place. What a joyful occasion that marriage will be! Revelation 19:9 says: “Happy are those invited to the evening meal of the Lamb’s marriage.” Yes, the bride is truly happy. And the King will rejoice to have all of his anointed associates with him in heaven. (Luke 22:18, 28-30) However, the bride and the Bridegroom will not be the only ones who are rejoicing.

¹³ As we read earlier, voices in heaven will sing: “Let us rejoice and be overjoyed and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has arrived and his wife has prepared herself.” (Revelation 19:6, 7) What about Jehovah’s servants on earth? Will they also join in this celebration?

“THEY WILL BE BROUGHT WITH REJOICING”

14. As mentioned in Psalm 45, who are “the virgin companions” of the bride?

¹⁴ Read Psalm 45:12, 14b, 15. The prophet Zechariah foretold that in the last days, people all over the world would be grateful to serve Jehovah with the anointed remnant. He wrote: “In those days ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will take firm hold of the robe of a Jew, saying: ‘We want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you people.’” (Zechariah 8:23) At Psalm 45:12, these “ten men” are referred to as “the daughter of Tyre” and “the wealthiest of men.” They give the anointed remnant gifts, and they work to receive their approval and their help to serve Jehovah. Since 1935, the anointed remnant have brought millions of people “to righteousness,” that is, millions of people have been taught the truth about Jehovah. (Daniel 12:3) These millions of people, or “ten men,” are loyal companions of the anointed and have cleansed their lives of all false worship. That is why they are called “virgin companions.” They have dedicated their lives to Jehovah and have proved that they are faithful servants of the King Jesus Christ.

15. How have “the virgin companions” worked with the anointed remnant?

¹⁵ The anointed remnant have been very grateful to these “virgin companions” because they eagerly help to preach “this good news of the Kingdom” in all the earth. (Matthew 24:14) Not only do “the spirit and the bride keep on saying, ‘Come!’” but those hearing say, “Come!” (Revelation 22:17) This means that the “other sheep” have heard the anointed say “Come!” and have joined them in saying “Come!” to people all over the world.​—John 10:16.

16. What privilege has Jehovah given to the other sheep?

¹⁶ The anointed remnant love the other sheep. The anointed are happy that Jehovah has also given the other sheep the privilege to share in the joy of the marriage. These “virgin companions” “will be brought with rejoicing and joy.” Yes, the other sheep, who hope to live forever on earth, will rejoice with the whole universe when the marriage of the Lamb takes place in heaven. The book of Revelation describes the “great crowd,” who worship Jehovah on the earth, as “standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” They serve Jehovah in the earthly courtyard of his great spiritual temple.​—Revelation 7:9, 15.

“YOUR SONS WILL TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR FOREFATHERS”

17, 18. How does the Lamb’s marriage benefit those who will be in the new world? During his Thousand Year Rule, Christ will become a father to whom?

¹⁷ Read Psalm 45:16. “The virgin companions” of Christ’s heavenly bride will have even more reason to rejoice when they see the marriage bring benefits in the new world. The King Jesus Christ will resurrect his earthly “forefathers.” Because Christ will bring them back to life, these “forefathers” will become his “sons.” (John 5:25-29; Hebrews 11:35) Christ will choose some of these “sons” to be “princes in all the earth.” We can also expect that he will choose some of today’s faithful elders to take the lead in the new world as “princes.”​—Isaiah 32:1.

¹⁸ During his Thousand Year Rule, Christ will become a father to others also. In what way? Those who exercise faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice will live forever on earth. (John 3:16) Christ will then become their “Eternal Father.”​—Isaiah 9:6, 7.

MOTIVATED TO MAKE THE KING’S NAME KNOWN

19, 20. How do the exciting events recorded in Psalm 45 affect all true Christians today?

¹⁹ Read Psalm 45:1, 17. All Christians should be interested in the events recorded in Psalm 45. The anointed still on earth are thrilled to know that they will soon be united in heaven with their brothers and with the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. The other sheep are motivated to continue becoming more submissive to their glorious King. They are also grateful to be companions of the remaining members of the bride on earth. The blessings that Christ and his bride will give to all mankind after the marriage will be more wonderful than we can even imagine.​—Revelation 7:17; 21:1-4.

²⁰ As we look forward to the fulfillment of the prophecies about the Messianic King, surely we are motivated to make his name known. Let us praise the King “forever and ever.”

1, 2. What differences do we have in family circumstances and in the way we have learned the truth?

JEHOVAH created the family arrangement. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) Even if we belong to the same family, we all have different personalities and circumstances. Some may have grown up living with their parents. Others may have lost their parents in death because of sickness, an accident, or some other tragedy. Still others may not even know who their parents are.

² We are all members of Jehovah’s family of worshippers and have learned the truth in different ways. You may have been raised by parents who trained you to live by Bible principles. (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7) Or maybe you are one of the thousands of people who have learned the truth through the preaching work of other servants of Jehovah.​—Romans 10:13-15; 1 Timothy 2:3, 4.

3. What do all of us have in common?

³ Although we come from different backgrounds, all of us have some things in common. Because Adam disobeyed God, we all have inherited imperfection, sin, and death. (Romans 5:12) Even so, as true worshippers, we can call Jehovah “our Father.” In ancient times, God’s chosen people could say the words recorded at Isaiah 64:8: “O Jehovah, you are our Father.” Also, Jesus began his model prayer with the words: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”​—Matthew 6:9.

4, 5. To deepen our love for our heavenly Father, Jehovah, what will we discuss?

⁴ Our heavenly Father gives his family of true worshippers the care and protection they need. According to Psalm 91:14, Jehovah said: “Because he [a true worshipper] has affection for me, I will rescue him. I will protect him because he knows my name.” Jehovah lovingly rescues his people from their enemies and protects them, so that they are not destroyed.

⁵ To deepen our love for our heavenly Father, Jehovah, we will discuss how he is (1) our Provider, (2) our Protector, and (3) our best Friend. As we consider these three points, let us think carefully about our personal friendship with God and learn how we can honor him as our Father. Also, we should think about the blessings Jehovah promises to give to those who draw close to him.​—James 4:8.

JEHOVAH, THE GRAND PROVIDER

6. Why can we say that Jehovah is the Giver of “every good gift”?

⁶ The disciple James wrote: “Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of the celestial lights.” (James 1:17) Life is a wonderful gift from Jehovah. (Psalm 36:9) If we use our lives to do Jehovah’s will, we will have many blessings now and everlasting life in the new world. (Proverbs 10:22; 2 Peter 3:13) But how is this possible, since all of us have inherited imperfection, sin, and death from Adam?

7. How has God made it possible for us to have a close relationship with him?

⁷ Jehovah is the Grand Provider in more ways than we can imagine. His quality of undeserved kindness motivates him to rescue us. As we learned, we all sin and have inherited imperfection from Adam. (Romans 3:23) However, because of Jehovah’s love, he provided a way for us to have a close relationship with him. The apostle John wrote: “By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might gain life through him. The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.”​—1 John 4:9, 10.

8, 9. How was Jehovah the Grand Provider in the days of Abraham and Isaac? (See opening picture.)

⁸ About 1,900 years before Jesus was born, an event in Abraham’s life showed how Jehovah would lovingly give everlasting life to all obedient humans. Hebrews 11:17-19 explains: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, as good as offered up Isaac​—the man who had gladly received the promises attempted to offer up his only-begotten son—​although it had been said to him: ‘What will be called your offspring will be through Isaac.’ But he reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, and he did receive him from there in an illustrative way.” Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, Jehovah willingly offered his Son, Jesus Christ, to save mankind.​—Read John 3:16, 36.

⁹ Can you imagine how relieved Isaac felt when he realized that he did not have to die? No doubt he was grateful that Jehovah provided a replacement sacrifice, a ram that was nearby. (Genesis 22:10-13) Abraham named that place “Jehovah-jireh,” which means “Jehovah Will Provide.”​—Genesis 22:14; footnote.

A WAY TO RESTORE PEACE WITH GOD

10, 11. Who have taken the lead in “the ministry of the reconciliation,” and how have they done this?

¹⁰ When we meditate on all that Jehovah has provided for us, we realize that without Jesus’ sacrifice we would not be able to become a friend of God. Paul wrote: “This is what we have concluded, that one man died for all; so, then, all had died. And he died for all so that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised up.”​—2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.

¹¹ Because Christians in the first century loved God and were thankful for the honor of serving him, they gladly accepted “the ministry of the reconciliation.” This ministry was the preaching work that made it possible for people to come to be at peace with God, enjoy his friendship, and become his sons. Today, anointed servants of Jehovah perform the same ministry. They serve as ambassadors for God and Christ. Their preaching work makes it possible for honest and humble people to be drawn by Jehovah and to become his servants.​—Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; John 6:44; Acts 13:48.

12, 13. How can we show that we are thankful for everything that Jehovah has given us?

¹² Because the other sheep are thankful to Jehovah for being the Grand Provider, they join the anointed in preaching the good news. In this preaching work, we use the Bible, which is another wonderful gift from God. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) When we make good use of the Bible in our ministry, we give others the opportunity to have everlasting life. Jehovah also gives us his holy spirit. Each of us relies on the holy spirit for help in the ministry. (Zechariah 4:6; Luke 11:13) As each edition of the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses shows, the results of the preaching work are remarkable. It is a great honor to be a part of this work that praises our Father and Provider!

¹³ Since God has provided so much for us, we should ask ourselves: ‘Am I doing all I can in my ministry to show Jehovah how thankful I am for everything he has given me? How can I become a better preacher of the good news?’ If we are grateful for everything God gives us, we will put his Kingdom first in our lives. When we do this, Jehovah will make sure that we always have everything we need. (Matthew 6:25-33) Because Jehovah loves us, we want to do everything we can to please him and make his heart rejoice.​—Proverbs 27:11.

14. How has Jehovah been the Rescuer of his people?

¹⁴ The psalmist David sang: “I am helpless and poor; may Jehovah pay attention to me. You are my helper and my rescuer.” (Psalm 40:17) Many times Jehovah has been the Rescuer of his people as a group, especially when they have been severely persecuted and pursued by their enemies. We are very thankful that Jehovah always gives us what we need to remain faithful to him during such difficult times.

JEHOVAH PROTECTS

15. Give an example of how a loving father protected his child.

¹⁵ A loving father not only gives his children what they need but also protects them. He would immediately try to rescue them if they were in danger. One brother remembers how his father protected him when he was a young boy. He and his father were returning home from field service when they had to cross a stream. Heavy rain that morning had caused the stream to flood. The only way to cross the water was to jump from one large stone to another. Going ahead of his father, the boy lost his balance, fell into the stream, and went under the water twice. That boy was so grateful when his father quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and saved him from drowning. In a similar way, our heavenly Father protects us from dangers in this wicked world and from its ruler, Satan. Jehovah is the best Protector anyone could ever have.​—Matthew 6:13; 1 John 5:19.

16, 17. How did Jehovah help and protect the Israelites when they fought the Amalekites?

¹⁶ Jehovah lovingly protected his people in the year 1513 before Christ. He had already rescued the Israelites from slavery and had protected them as they crossed the Red Sea. After walking through the wilderness toward Mount Sinai, the Israelites arrived at Rephidim.

¹⁷ Since the prophecy at Genesis 3:15 had not yet been fulfilled, Satan must have been desperate to attack the Israelites, who seemed to be unprotected. One way he did this was by using the Amalekites, who were enemies of God’s people. (Numbers 24:20) How did Jehovah protect his people from these enemies by means of Joshua, Moses, Aaron, and Hur? As Joshua and his men fought the Amalekites, on a nearby hill were Moses, Aaron, and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands lifted up, Jehovah helped the Israelites to be stronger than their enemies. When Moses could not hold his hands up any longer, Aaron and Hur helped him by supporting his hands. Eventually, with Jehovah’s help and protection, “Joshua defeated Amalek and his people.” (Exodus 17:8-13) After that, Moses built an altar there, calling it “Jehovah-nissi,” which means “Jehovah Is My Signal Pole.”​—Read Exodus 17:14, 15; footnote.

KEPT SAFE FROM SATAN’S ATTACKS

18, 19. What protection has God given his servants in recent years?

¹⁸ Jehovah protects those who love and obey him. Like the Israelites at Rephidim, we rely on God for protection from our enemies. Jehovah has often protected us as a group, and he keeps us safe from the Devil’s attacks. For example, many times God has protected our brothers who were persecuted because of their Christian neutrality. This happened in Germany and in other countries when the Nazis were in power in the 1930’s and early 1940’s. When we read life stories and Yearbook experiences about God’s protection during such times of persecution, our trust in Jehovah will be made strong.​—Psalm 91:2.

¹⁹ Jehovah also protects us by giving us loving reminders through his organization and its publications. Think about how these reminders have protected us in recent years. The world continues to become more and more obsessed with sex, alcohol, and pornography. But Jehovah has given us urgent reminders and specific help to protect us from doing things that could hurt our relationship with him. Recently, for example, we have received counsel from our heavenly Father to avoid the trap of bad associations on social networks.a (See footnote.)​—1 Corinthians 15:33.

20. What protection and guidance do we receive in our congregations?

²⁰ How can we show that we are listening to such loving counsel and are being “taught by Jehovah”? By carefully obeying his commands. (Isaiah 54:13) Our congregations are a safe place where we receive protection and guidance. There, the elders give us help and counsel from the Bible. (Galatians 6:1) Jehovah is using these “gifts in men” to care for us in a loving way. (Ephesians 4:7, 8) So, what should we do if the elders give us counsel? We should willingly obey. If we do, Jehovah will bless us.​—Hebrews 13:17.

21. (a) What should we be determined to do? (b) What will we discuss in the next article?

²¹ So let us rely on the holy spirit for help and accept the guidance of our heavenly Father. We also need to meditate on the life of Jesus and do our best to follow his outstanding example. He received a great reward because he was “obedient to the point of death.” (Philippians 2:5-11) We too will be blessed if we trust in Jehovah with all our heart. (Proverbs 3:5, 6) Let us always rely on Jehovah, the one who will provide for us and protect us better than anyone else. Serving him is an honor that truly makes us happy. How, though, is Jehovah our best Friend? Our love for him will grow even stronger as we answer this question in the next article.

1. Since we are created in God’s image, what ability do we have?

“LIKE father, like son” is something many people say about children who are similar to their parents. After all, every child inherits qualities from his father and his mother. Jehovah, our heavenly Father, is the Giver of life. (Psalm 36:9) As his human children, we are similar to him in many ways. Since we are created in his “image,” we have the ability to reason, to make decisions, and to form close friendships.​—Genesis 1:26.

2. How is it possible to have Jehovah as our best Friend?

² Jehovah can be our best Friend. Such friendship is possible because of God’s love for us and our faith in him and his Son. Jesus said: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) There are many people who have had a close friendship with Jehovah. Let us learn from two of them.

“ABRAHAM MY FRIEND”

3, 4. What made Abraham’s friendship with Jehovah different from the relationship Israel had with Him?

³ Jehovah described the father of the Israelites as “Abraham my friend.” (Isaiah 41:8) Second Chronicles 20:7 also calls Abraham a friend of God. What made it possible for Abraham to have such a close friendship with his Creator? It was Abraham’s strong faith.​—Genesis 15:6; read James 2:21-23.

⁴ Abraham’s descendants who became the nation of ancient Israel also had Jehovah as their Father and Friend. Sadly, over time they lost their friendship with God. Why? Because they lost faith in Jehovah’s promises.

5, 6. (a) How has Jehovah become your Friend? (b) What questions should we ask ourselves?

⁵ The more you learn about Jehovah, the stronger your faith in him becomes, and your love for him deepens. Think back to the time when you first learned that God is a real Person and that you could become his close friend. You learned that all of us have inherited sin because of Adam’s disobedience. You also understood that mankind in general is not at peace with God. (Colossians 1:21) Then you realized that our loving heavenly Father is not some person who is far away and who is not interested in us. When we learned that Jehovah sacrificed his Son and we began to have faith in the ransom, we started to build a friendship with God.

⁶ When we think about how we came to know Jehovah, we should ask ourselves: ‘Am I making progress in my friendship with God? Is my trust in Jehovah strong, and is my love for him growing each day?’ Another one of God’s close friends was Gideon. Let us now learn about him so that we can follow his example.

“JEHOVAH IS PEACE”

7-9. (a) What remarkable experience did Gideon have, and what was the result? (See opening picture.) (b) How can we be God’s friend?

⁷ Judge Gideon served Jehovah during a difficult time after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The Midianites were a threat to Israel and had invaded their land several times. For that reason, Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress instead of in an open field so that he could quickly hide the valuable grain. Judges chapter 6 says that Jehovah’s angel visited Gideon at Ophrah. Gideon was surprised that the angel appeared and called Gideon a “mighty warrior.” Even though Jehovah had rescued the Israelites from Egypt, Gideon doubted that He would help them this time. Speaking for Jehovah, the angel promised that God would help Gideon.

⁸ Gideon wondered how it would be possible for him to “save Israel out of Midian’s hand.” Jehovah gave him a very clear answer: “Because I will be with you, you will strike down Midian as if they were one man.” (Judges 6:11-16) Probably wondering how this would happen, Gideon asked for a sign from God. Notice that in this conversation Gideon never doubted whether God was a real Person or not.

⁹ What happened next strengthened Gideon’s faith and brought him closer to God. Gideon prepared a meal and served it to the angel. The angel then miraculously burned up the food with the touch of his staff. When Gideon realized that this angel was truly sent by God, he became afraid. Gideon exclaimed: “Alas, Sovereign Lord Jehovah, for I have seen Jehovah’s angel face-to-face!” (Judges 6:17-22) Did that experience hurt Gideon’s friendship with Jehovah? Not at all! Gideon felt at peace with God. We know this because the altar Gideon built there was called “Jehovah-shalom,” which means “Jehovah Is Peace.” (Read Judges 6:23, 24; footnote.) If we meditate on what Jehovah does for us each day, we will realize that he is a true Friend. When we regularly pray to Jehovah, we feel more at peace with him and our friendship with him becomes stronger.

WHO WILL BE A GUEST IN JEHOVAH’S TENT?

10. According to Psalm 15:3, 5, what requirements does Jehovah have for those who want to be his friends?

¹⁰ Jehovah has specific requirements for anyone who wants to be his friend. In Psalm 15, David sang about what we must do to be a guest in Jehovah’s tent, that is, to be a friend of God. (Psalm 15:1) Let us now focus on two of these requirements: avoiding slander and being honest. David said the following about anyone whom Jehovah accepts as a friend: “He does not slander with his tongue.” David added: “He does not accept a bribe against the innocent.”​—Psalm 15:3, 5.

11. Why must we avoid slander?

¹¹ In another psalm, David warned: “Guard your tongue from what is bad.” (Psalm 34:13) If we ignored this counsel, it would hurt our friendship with our heavenly Father. Really, slander is a mark of Jehovah’s great enemy, Satan the Devil. The term “Devil” comes from the Greek word that means “slanderer.” When we are careful with what we say to others and what we say about them, this will help us to stay close to Jehovah. We should be especially careful about our attitude toward the brothers appointed by God to take the lead in the congregation.​—Read Hebrews 13:17; Jude 8.

12, 13. (a) Why should we be honest in all things? (b) When we are honest, what is the result?

¹² Jehovah’s servants are known to be honest people. The apostle Paul wrote: “Keep praying for us, for we trust we have an honest conscience, as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.” (Hebrews 13:18) Because we are determined to “conduct ourselves honestly in all things,” we avoid cheating our Christian brothers. For example, if they work for us, we make sure that they are treated fairly and are paid the amount that has been agreed on. As Christians, we are honest with our employees and everyone else. And if we work for a fellow Christian, we should not be unfair and expect special treatment.

¹³ People in the world often commend Jehovah’s Witnesses for their honesty. For example, the director of a large company noticed that Jehovah’s Witnesses keep their promises. He said, “You always stick to what you have agreed to do.” (Psalm 15:4) This honesty helps us to keep Jehovah as our Friend and brings praise to our loving heavenly Father.

HELP OTHERS TO BECOME JEHOVAH’S FRIENDS

14, 15. In our ministry, how can we help others to become Jehovah’s friends?

¹⁴ Although people we meet in our ministry may believe that God exists, many do not view God as their best Friend. How can we help them? Notice the instructions Jesus gave 70 of his disciples when he sent them out to preach: “Wherever you enter into a house, say first: ‘May this house have peace.’ And if a friend of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if there is not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:5, 6) People may want to learn more about the truth if we are friendly to them. If we are kind to those who angrily oppose us, this may help them to calm down and they may be willing to listen to the truth at another time.

¹⁵ When we meet people who are very religious or who follow false religious traditions, we continue to be friendly and peaceful. We warmly welcome all to our meetings, especially people who are frustrated with the world today and who want to learn more about the God we worship. Articles in the series “The Bible Changes Lives” give us many examples of people like this.

WORKING WITH OUR BEST FRIEND

16. How can we be not only Jehovah’s friends but also his “fellow workers”?

¹⁶ People who work together often become close friends. All who are dedicated to Jehovah are not only his friends but also his “fellow workers.” (Read 1 Corinthians 3:9.) As we preach and make disciples, we learn more about the marvelous qualities of our heavenly Father. We see how his holy spirit helps us to preach the good news.

17. How do our assemblies and conventions show us that Jehovah is our Friend?

¹⁷ The more time we spend in the preaching work, the closer we feel to Jehovah. We see how Jehovah prevents opposers from stopping the preaching work. He has clearly been guiding us, and we are amazed at the way he continues to teach us through our meetings and publications. At our conventions and assemblies, we see that Jehovah lovingly understands our problems and our needs. After one of our conventions, a family wrote: “The program really reached our hearts. We felt how much Jehovah loves each and every one of us and wants us to succeed.” After attending a special convention in Ireland, a couple from Germany were thankful for the way they had been warmly welcomed and cared for. They also said: “But our greatest thanks go to Jehovah and his King Jesus Christ. They have invited us to be part of this truly united nation. We are not just talking about unity but are enjoying it every day. Our experiences in connection with the special convention in Dublin will always remind us of the precious privilege we have to serve our great God together with all of you.”

FRIENDS COMMUNICATE

18. What should we ask ourselves about our communication with Jehovah?

¹⁸ Friends become closer when they have good communication. Today, people constantly use the Internet and text messaging. But how does that compare to our communication with our best Friend, Jehovah? He is the “Hearer of prayer.” (Psalm 65:2) How often do we take time to speak to him?

19. If it is hard for us to express our feelings in prayer to Jehovah, what can help?

¹⁹ For some servants of God, it is not easy to express deep emotions. Yet, that is what Jehovah wants us to do when we pray. (Psalm 119:145; Lamentations 3:41) If it is difficult for us to describe our feelings, we have help. Paul wrote to Christians in Rome: “The problem is that we do not know what we should pray for as we need to, but the spirit itself pleads for us with unuttered groanings. But the one who searches the hearts knows what the meaning of the spirit is, because it is pleading in harmony with God for the holy ones.” (Romans 8:26, 27) When we read Bible books such as Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, we can get ideas about how to express our feelings to Jehovah.

20, 21. What comfort do Paul’s words at Philippians 4:6, 7 give us?

²⁰ When we face difficult problems, let us remember Paul’s words to the Philippians: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.” When we pray to Jehovah in this way, we can feel true comfort. Paul wrote: “The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6, 7) We should always be thankful for the extraordinary “peace of God” that really does guard our heart and mind.

²¹ Prayer helps us to build our friendship with Jehovah. Therefore, let us “pray constantly.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) We should keep strengthening our friendship with God and do what he requires of us. And let us take time to think about the blessings we enjoy because Jehovah truly is our Father, our God, and our Friend.

A POOR widow hugs her boy, her only child. She cannot believe what she is seeing. Just a short time earlier, she had gently held his lifeless body in her arms. Now the woman looks at her resurrected son and is thrilled to see his smile. Her houseguest says: “See, your son is alive.”

That emotional resurrection happened almost 3,000 years ago. You can read about it in 1 Kings chapter 17. The houseguest is God’s prophet Elijah. And the mother? We do not know her name, but she is a widow living in the town of Zarephath. The resurrection of her son was an event in her life that truly strengthened her faith. As we read more about her, we will learn some very important lessons.

ELIJAH FINDS A WIDOW WHO HAS FAITH

Jehovah had decided that there would be a long drought in Israel in the days of wicked King Ahab. When the drought began, God hid Elijah from Ahab and miraculously fed the prophet by using ravens to bring meat and bread for him to eat. Then Jehovah told Elijah: “Rise up, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Look! I will command a widow there to supply you with food.”​—1 Kings 17:1-9.

When Elijah arrived at Zarephath, he saw a poor widow collecting pieces of wood. Was she the woman who would give food to the prophet? How could she do so, since she was so poor? Even if he had any doubts, Elijah began a conversation with the woman. He said: “Please, bring me a little water in a cup so that I may drink.” When she went to get him some water, Elijah added: “Please, bring me a piece of bread.” (1 Kings 17:10, 11) The widow was not worried about giving this stranger a drink, but giving him bread was a problem.

She replied: “As surely as Jehovah your God is living, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the large jar and a little oil in the small jar. Now I am gathering a few pieces of wood, and I will go in and make something for me and my son. After we have eaten, we will die.” (1 Kings 17:12) What can we learn from this conversation?

The widow could see that Elijah was an Israelite who served God. We know this because she said: “As surely as Jehovah your God is living.” It seems that even though she knew some things about Israel’s God, she was not serving him. She did not refer to Jehovah as “my God.” She lived in Zarephath, a town that belonged to the Phoenician city of Sidon. It is very likely that many Baal worshippers lived in Zarephath. However, Jehovah noticed something special in the heart of this widow.

Although the poor widow of Zarephath lived in an area where many people worshipped idols, she showed faith in Jehovah. He sent Elijah to the widow to help both her and the prophet. We can learn a very important lesson from this.

Not all those who lived in Zarephath were completely corrupt. By sending Elijah to this widow, Jehovah showed that He notices sincere people who are not yet serving Him. Yes, “in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”​—Acts 10:35.

How many people who live in your territory are like the widow of Zarephath? Although they may be surrounded by members of false religion, they may want something better. They may have little or no knowledge of Jehovah and need help to accept true worship. Are you searching for and helping such people?

“FIRST MAKE ME A SMALL ROUND LOAF OF BREAD”

Think about what Elijah asked the widow to do. She had just told him that after she made one more meal for her and her son, they would eat it and die. Yet, what did Elijah say? “Do not be afraid. Go in and do as you said. But first make me a small round loaf of bread with what is there, and bring it out to me. Then you can make something afterward for you and your son. For this is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘The large jar of flour will not run out, and the small jar of oil will not run dry until the day Jehovah makes it rain on the surface of the ground.’”​—1 Kings 17:11-14.

You can imagine what some people might have said: ‘Give away our last meal? You must be joking.’ But that was not this widow’s reaction. Even though she did not know much about Jehovah, she believed Elijah and did what he asked of her. This request was a huge test of faith. But what a wise decision she made!

God did not abandon that poor widow. Just as Elijah promised, Jehovah added to her supply of food so that there was enough to feed Elijah, her, and her son until the drought ended. Yes, “the large jar of flour did not run out, and the small jar of oil did not run dry, according to Jehovah’s word that he had spoken through Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:16; 18:1) If that woman had acted differently, the loaf of bread that she made from her small supply of flour and oil might have become her last meal. But she showed faith, trusted in Jehovah, and fed Elijah first.

A lesson that we can learn from this is that God blesses those who show faith in him. Jehovah will help you if you trust in him when your integrity is tested. He will be a Provider, a Protector, and a Friend in order to help you endure.​—Exodus 3:13-15.

In 1898, an article in Zion’s Watch Tower taught this lesson: If the widow had faith and obeyed Elijah, she would receive Jehovah’s help. If she did not show faith in Jehovah, then another widow might have been chosen who would. The article went on to say that it is the same for us. Sometimes Jehovah allows our faith in him to be tested. If we have faith, it said, “we will get the blessing; if we do not [have faith], we will lose it.”

When we suffer trials, we need to look for Jehovah’s guidance in the Scriptures and in our publications. Then we should follow Jehovah’s direction, no matter how difficult it may be to accept. We will be greatly blessed if we do what this wise proverb says: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he will make your paths straight.”​—Proverbs 3:5, 6.

THE WIDOW GOES THROUGH ANOTHER TRIAL

Another trial was going to test the widow’s faith. The Bible account says: “After these things, the son of the woman who owned the house fell sick, and his sickness became so severe that he stopped breathing.” Trying to find a reason why this tragedy happened, the grieving mother said to Elijah: “What do you have against me, O man of the true God? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to put my son to death?” (1 Kings 17:17, 18) What do those bitter words mean?

Did the woman remember a past sin that bothered her conscience? Did she think that her son’s death was punishment from God and that Elijah was God’s messenger of death? The Bible does not tell us, but we know this: The widow did not accuse God of doing anything wrong.

Elijah must have been shocked by both the death of the widow’s son and the idea that the prophet somehow caused it. Elijah carried the boy’s limp body to the roof chamber and cried out: “O Jehovah my God, are you also bringing harm to the widow with whom I am staying by putting her son to death?” It deeply upset Elijah to think that Jehovah’s name would be dishonored if this kind and hospitable woman was allowed to suffer even more. So Elijah begged: “O Jehovah my God, please, let this child’s life come back into him.”​—1 Kings 17:20, 21.

“SEE, YOUR SON IS ALIVE”

Jehovah was listening. The widow had shown faith and had cared for Elijah’s needs. It seems that God allowed the boy to die because He knew that this resurrection, the first one recorded in the Scriptures, would give hope to millions in the future. Jehovah listened to Elijah’s prayer and brought the child back to life. Imagine the widow’s great joy when Elijah said: “See, your son is alive”! The widow then told Elijah: “Now I know that you truly are a man of God and that Jehovah’s word in your mouth is truth.”​—1 Kings 17:22-24.

The account in 1 Kings chapter 17 says no more about this woman. However, Jesus spoke well of her, so she may have become a faithful servant of Jehovah. (Luke 4:25, 26) Her story teaches us that God blesses those doing good to his servants. (Matthew 25:34-40) It proves that God takes care of those who are faithful to him, even when they are enduring very difficult trials. (Matthew 6:25-34) This account also shows us that Jehovah has the desire and the ability to resurrect the dead. (Acts 24:15) Surely these are excellent reasons for remembering the widow of Zarephath.

What reasons did Jews in the first century have for being “in expectation” of the Messiah?

In the days of John the Baptizer, “the people were in expectation and all of them were reasoning in their hearts about John, ‘May he perhaps be the Christ?’” (Luke 3:15) Why might the Jews have expected the Messiah to appear at that time? There are a number of reasons.

After Jesus was born, Jehovah’s angel appeared to shepherds who were taking care of their flocks in the fields near Bethlehem. The angel announced: “Today there was born to you in David’s city a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11) After that, the angel was joined by “a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying:a ‘Glory in the heights above to God, and on earth peace among men of goodwill.’” (See footnote.)​—Luke 2:13, 14.

That amazing announcement had a powerful effect on those humble shepherds. They immediately went to Bethlehem, and when they found Joseph and Mary and the infant Jesus, “they made known the message that they had been told concerning this young child.” Because of this, “all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds told them.” (Luke 2:17, 18) The words “all who heard” show that the shepherds spoke to others besides Joseph and Mary. As the shepherds returned home, they kept “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.” (Luke 2:20) Those shepherds did not keep this good news to themselves!

When Mary brought her firstborn son to the temple in Jerusalem as the Mosaic Law required, the prophetess Anna “began giving thanks to God and speaking about the child to all who were waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance.” (Luke 2:36-38; Exodus 13:12) So news of the Messiah’s appearance continued to spread.

Later, “astrologers from the East came to Jerusalem, saying: ‘Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when we were in the East, and we have come to do obeisance to him.’” (Matthew 2:1, 2) When he heard this, King Herod became very upset, “and all Jerusalem with him. On gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” (Matthew 2:3, 4) So, many people were hearing the news: The future Messiah had arrived!b​—See footnote.

Luke 3:15, quoted earlier, shows that some Jews thought that John the Baptizer might be the Christ. However, John put an end to such thinking. He said: “The one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to take off. That one will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire.” (Matthew 3:11) John’s humble comment would have made the Jews even more excited about the arrival of the Messiah.

Could the Jews in the first century have used the prophecy of the 70 weeks from Daniel 9:24-27 to calculate when the Messiah would arrive? Even though that is possible, we cannot be sure. In Jesus’ day, people had many different ideas about how the 70 weeks should be counted, but none of those ideas are similar to how we understand the prophecy today.c​—See footnote.

The Essenes, who many believe were a Jewish sect that lived in the desert, taught that two Messiahs would appear near the end of a 490-year period. But we cannot be sure that they used Daniel’s prophecy to make their calculations. Even if they did, it is hard to imagine that the ideas of such an isolated group would influence many other Jews.

Even after the first century, some Jews believed that the 70 weeks started in the year 607 before Christ, when the first temple was destroyed, and ended in the year 70, when the second temple was destroyed. Others thought that the prophecy was fulfilled during the time of the Maccabees in the second century before Christ. So the Jews did not agree on how the 70 weeks should be counted.

If the apostles and other early Christians had correctly understood the prophecy about the 70 weeks, we would expect them to have mentioned the prophecy as proof that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and that he had arrived on time. But there is no evidence that the early Christians did so.

Another point is worth noting. Gospel writers often mentioned prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:22, 23; 2:13-15; 4:13-16) But none of them wrote that the prophecy of the 70 weeks had anything to do with Jesus Christ.

To review: We cannot be sure that people in Jesus’ day correctly understood the prophecy of the 70 weeks. However, in the Gospels, there are other good reasons why the Jews would have been expecting the Messiah to arrive.