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Sing Praises (ssb) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/Ssb

Song 206 “Rejoice in the Hope” (Romans 12:12) 1. To God O let us thanks e’er give Because in joyful hope we live. For hope serves as an anchor sure, It helps us steadfast to endure. Our hope is like a helmet too, Keeps Satan’s sword from cutting through; It helps us ward off wickedness And strengthens us for righteousness. 2. How we enjoy our hope ahead That even those who now are dead Will duly from their tombs arise And help make earth a paradise! Ah, then to time indefinite, All men on earth will benefit From God’s provision, rich and kind, And thus in him full joy they’ll find. 3. To keep our hope e’er bright and strong, Our hearts we must keep free from wrong, But daily feed upon God’s Word And let our pray’rs by him be heard. That others may have joy as we, This hope let’s not keep selfishly But make it known both far and wide, Help yearning ones come on God’s side.

Greatest Man (gt) 1991

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/gt

Chapter 27 The Calling of Matthew SHORTLY after healing the paralytic, Jesus goes out from Capernaum to the Sea of Galilee. Again crowds of people come to him, and he begins teaching them. As he walks on, he sees Matthew, who is also called Levi, sitting at the tax office. “Be my follower,” is Jesus’ invitation. Likely, Matthew is already familiar with Jesus’ teachings, even as were Peter, Andrew, James, and John when they were called. And like them, Matthew immediately responds to the invitation. He gets up, leaves his responsibilities as a tax collector behind, and follows Jesus. Later, perhaps to celebrate the receiving of his call, Matthew holds a big reception feast in his house. In addition to Jesus and His disciples, former associates of Matthew are present. These men are generally despised by their fellow Jews because they collect taxes for the hated Roman authorities. Moreover, they often dishonestly exact more money from the people than the regular tax rate. Observing Jesus at the feast with such persons, the Pharisees ask his disciples: “Why is it that your teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners?” Overhearing the question, Jesus answers the Pharisees: “Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do. Go, then, and learn what this means, ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.” Apparently, Matthew has invited these tax collectors to his home so that they can listen to Jesus and receive spiritual healing. So Jesus associates with them to help them attain a healthy relationship with God. Jesus does not despise such ones, as do the self-righteous Pharisees. Rather, moved with compassion he, in effect, serves as a spiritual physician to them. Thus Jesus’ exercise of mercy toward sinners is not a condoning of their sins but an expression of the same tender feelings he manifested toward the physically ill. Recall, for example, when he compassionately reached out and touched the leper, saying: “I want to. Be made clean.” May we likewise show mercy by helping persons in need, especially assisting them in a spiritual way. Matthew 8:3; 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32. ▪ Where is Matthew when Jesus sees him? ▪ What is Matthew’s occupation, and why are such persons despised by other Jews? ▪ What complaint is made against Jesus, and how does he respond? ▪ Why does Jesus associate with sinners?

Raising Considerate Children in a Me-First World

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102013009

Raising Considerate Children in a Me-First World

School (sj) 1983

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/school-sj

The Reason for This Brochure This brochure is published to promote understanding and cooperation between Jehovah’s Witnesses and school authorities. It is our desire to cooperate with all who are working for the success of basic educational programs offered in school. Parents who are Jehovah’s Witnesses want to contribute to a favorable environment for the learning process. They want their young ones to receive the greatest benefit possible from their schooling. And they want teachers and other school authorities to know that they will do all that they reasonably can to help achieve this. Jehovah’s Witnesses generally have a reputation for excellent moral conduct wherever they live. They are noted for their obedience to governmental authorities. Yet, some teachers may feel that Witness youths are uncooperative because they do not share in every school program or function. However, this refusal to share is not because the youths are rebellious or antisocial. Their actions are based on religious and moral convictions. In this brochure we would like to acquaint school authorities with the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses that affect participation in school activities. Additionally, we want to explain why, as a result of such beliefs, Witness youths do not share in certain school functions and programs that are common in many places throughout the world. At the same time we want to make it clear that it is not our intention to impose our views on others.

Worldwide Security (ws) 1986

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ws

Chapter 15 Antitypical, Modern-Day Edom to Be Cleared Away 1, 2. How does the Creator view the mightily armed nations, and what is Jehovah’s determination, according to Isaiah’s prophecy? TODAY the world is more mightily armed than ever before. The nuclear weapons of the nations are a real threat to the very existence of mankind. How, then, does the Creator of the human family, Jehovah God, view the situation? This is plainly stated in chapter 34 of Isaiah’s prophecy, which opens up with the words: 2 “Come up close, you nations, to hear; and you national groups, pay attention. Let the earth and that which fills it listen, the productive land and all its produce. For Jehovah has indignation against all the nations, and rage against all their army. He must devote them to destruction; he must give them to the slaughter. And their slain ones will be thrown out; and as for their carcasses, their stink will ascend; and the mountains must melt because of their blood. And all those of the army of the heavens must rot away. And the heavens [ineffectual human governments] must be rolled up, just like a book scroll; and their army will all shrivel away, just as the leafage shrivels off the vine and like a shriveled fig off the fig tree.” (Isaiah 34:1-4) A dire prophecy indeed! 3. (a) To what are the nations called upon to listen, and why can Jehovah thus rightly command them? (b) What shows that the nations have not listened? 3 The Creator of the universe has a controversy with the nations today. That is why the nations are called upon to listen to the Bible-based message that he has caused to be proclaimed worldwide since 1919. They should listen to what he has to say by means of his Witnesses. But the trend of world events proves that they have not done so, and his Witnesses have not been taken seriously by the nations, who opted for the United Nations and not for the heavenly Kingdom in the hands of his enthroned Son, the “Prince of Peace.” Isaiah’s Prophecy Against Edom 4, 5. (a) Who were the Edomites, and what attitude did they take toward their twin-brother nation, Israel? (b) What did Jehovah therefore decree concerning Edom? 4 Operating among today’s national groups is a particularly responsible element. That element was typified by the nation of Edom, which is specifically named in this prophecy. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, who sold his birthright to his twin brother, Jacob, for “bread and lentil stew.” It was on that occasion that Esau came to be called Edom, meaning “Red.” (Genesis 25:24-34) Because Jacob supplanted him in the precious birthright, Esau became filled with hate toward his twin brother. Edom became the implacable enemy of the ancient nation of Israel, or Jacob, even though they were twin-brother nations. For this hostility against God’s people, Edom incurred the deserved wrath of Jehovah, the God of Israel, and He decreed the eternal annihilation of Edom. This divine determination is set forth in the words of the prophet Isaiah: 5 “For in the heavens my sword will certainly be drenched. Look! Upon Edom it will descend, and upon the people devoted by me to destruction in justice. Jehovah has a sword; it must be filled with blood; it must be made greasy with the fat, with the blood of young rams and he-goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For Jehovah has a sacrifice in Bozrah [Edom’s most prominent city], and a great slaughtering in the land of Edom.”​—Isaiah 34:5, 6. 6. (a) Why could Jehovah speak of wielding his “sword” against Edom “in the heavens”? (b) When the kingdom of Judah was attacked by Babylon, what unbrotherly attitude did Edom display toward Jehovah’s people? 6 The land of the murder-minded nation of Edom must be drenched with their own blood by means of the “sword” of Jehovah. Edom occupied a high, mountainous region. (Jeremiah 49:16) So in causing a slaughter to take place in that land, Jehovah could pictorially say that he was wielding his sword of judgment “in the heavens.” Edom was strongly militarized, and its armed forces roved through heaven-high mountain ranges to safeguard the country against invaders. So the army of Edom could fittingly be called “the army of the heavens.” But powerful Edom furnished no aid to its twin-brother nation, Israel, when it was attacked by the armies of Babylon. Rather, Edom rejoiced to see the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah and even urged on her devastators. (Psalm 137:7) Edom’s treachery went to the point of chasing down individuals running for their lives and handing them over to the enemy. (Obadiah 10-14) The Edomites planned to take over the abandoned country of the Israelites, speaking boastfully against Jehovah.​—Ezekiel 35:10-15. 7. How did the God of Israel view the treacherous conduct of the nation of Edom? 7 Did Jehovah, the God of ancient Israel, overlook this unbrotherly conduct on the part of the Edomites toward his chosen people? No. That is why God’s heart entertained the purpose of “a day of vengeance” and “a year of retributions” in repayment for what had maliciously been done to his earthly organization, called Zion. Said the prophecy: “For Jehovah has a day of vengeance, a year of retributions for the legal case [before the Court of the Universe] over Zion.”​—Isaiah 34:8; Ezekiel 25:12-14. 8. (a) Whom did Jehovah use to bring punishment upon Edom? (b) What did the prophet Obadiah foretell regarding Edom? 8 Not long after the destruction of Jerusalem, Jehovah began expressing his righteous vengeance upon the Edomites by means of the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah 25:8, 15, 17, 21) When Babylon’s armies moved against Edom, nothing could save the Edomites! Babylon’s armies tumbled the Edomites from their rocky heights. It was “a year of retributions” upon Edom. As Jehovah foretold through another prophet: “Because of the violence to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will have to be cut off to time indefinite. . . . In the way that you have done, it will be done to you. Your sort of treatment will return upon your own head.”​—Obadiah 10, 15. 9. Who is antitypical modern-day Edom, and why? 9 This also reflects Jehovah’s attitude toward the antitypical modern-day Edom. Who is that? Well, in the 20th century, who has taken the lead in reviling and persecuting Jehovah’s servants? Has it not been apostate Christendom through its proud clergy class? Yes! Christendom, the realm of false Christianity, has elevated herself to mountain heights in the affairs of this world. She is a lofty part of the organization of mankind’s system of things, and her religions form the dominant part of Babylon the Great. But Jehovah has decreed “a year of retributions” against antitypical, modern-day Edom for outrageous misconduct toward his people, his Witnesses. A Fate Like That of Edom 10. How does Isaiah 34:9, 10 describe the fate of Edom, but to whom does the prophecy apply today? 10 As we consider the further part of this prophecy of Isaiah, we can have Christendom of today in mind: “Her torrents must be changed into pitch, and her dust into sulphur; and her land must become as burning pitch. By night or by day it will not be extinguished; to time indefinite its smoke will keep ascending.” (Isaiah 34:9, 10) The land of Edom is thus portrayed as becoming so parched that it was as if its torrent valleys were running with pitch and as if its dust were sulphur, and then these combustible substances were set afire.​—Compare Revelation 17:16. 11, 12. From the prophetic description given at Isaiah 34:10-15, what would become of the land of Edom, and how long would such state of the land continue? 11 Isaiah’s prophecy continues: “From generation to generation she will be parched; forever and ever no one will be passing across her. And the pelican and the porcupine must take possession of her, and long-eared owls and ravens themselves will reside in her; and he must stretch out over her the measuring line of emptiness and the stones of wasteness. Her nobles​—there are none there whom they will call to the kingship itself, and her very princes will all become nothing. On her dwelling towers thorns must come up, nettles and thorny weeds in her fortified places; and she must become an abiding place of jackals, the courtyard for the ostriches. And haunters of waterless regions must meet up with howling animals, and even the goat-shaped demon will call to its companion. Yes, there the nightjar will certainly take its ease and find for itself a resting-place. There the arrow snake has made its nest and lays eggs.”​—Isaiah 34:10-15. 12 Edom would become a land of “emptiness” as far as humans were concerned. It was to become a wasteland with only wild beasts, birds, and snakes in it. This parched state of the land was to continue, as Isa 34 verse 10 says, “forever and ever.” There was to be no restoration of its former residents.​—Obadiah 18. 13. What is foretold for Christendom in “the book of Jehovah,” and what, specifically, is this book? 13 What a terrible plight this foreshadowed for the modern-day counterpart of Edom​—Christendom! She has proved herself to be the bitter enemy of Jehovah God, whose Witnesses she has viciously persecuted. So this impending destruction of her prior to Armageddon has been foretold in “the book of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 34:16) Specifically, this “book of Jehovah” is his book of accounts, detailing the accounts that he has to settle with those who are his enemies and the oppressors of his people. What was written in “the book of Jehovah” concerning ancient Edom came true, and this guarantees that the prophecy as applying to Christendom, the modern-day Edom, will likewise come true. 14. What have the antitypical Edomites of today not accepted, and what example of Jehovah’s people have they failed to follow? 14 The antitypical Edomites of today have not accepted Jehovah God as King during this “conclusion of the system of things.” Moreover, since Christendom is such an outstanding part of Babylon the Great, she is doomed to partake of her plagues. She has not complied with Jehovah’s command to “get out of” Babylon the Great. (Revelation 18:4) She has not copied the example of the remnant of spiritual Israelites or that of the “great crowd” of “other sheep.” 15, 16. What is Christendom’s immediate future, as foretold in Revelation 17 and 18 and Isaiah 34? 15 Christendom’s immediate future is bleak indeed. She is doing all she can to pacify her political friends and to keep them from massing together in aggressive action against her, to her utter destruction, but to no avail! 16 According to Revelation chapters 17 and 18, the Almighty God, Jehovah, will put it into their hearts to give their political and military strength to beastly action against Babylon the Great in all her religious components, including Christendom. This will rid the whole earth of fake Christianity. Christendom’s situation will become like that of the bleak condition described in Isaiah 34. She will not be on hand to experience the all-decisive “war of the great day of God the Almighty” against the nations, who will have despoiled Babylon the Great. Antitypical Edom, Christendom, will be totally cleared off the surface of the earth, “forever and ever.” [Picture on page 122] Christendom will receive a judgment similar to that of the Edomites, descendants of Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal

BIBLE VERSES EXPLAINED Proverbs 22:6—“Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go”

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502300149

BIBLE VERSES EXPLAINED Proverbs 22:6—“Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go” “Train a boy in the way he should go; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.”—Proverbs 22:6, New World Translation. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”—Proverbs 22:6, English Standard Version. Meaning of Proverbs 22:6 Parents who teach their children to love God and respect his laws can expect such training to have a positive and lasting influence. “Train a boy in the way he should go.” These words can also be rendered “start a child on the right road.” Time and again, the book of Proverbs urges parents to teach their children about right and wrong early in life. (Proverbs 19:18; 22:15; 29:15) Yet, loving parents recognize that their children, like adults, have free will. So rather than merely tell their children what to do, they reason with them and help them to grow into mature and responsible adults who are able to make good decisions on their own.—Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Colossians 3:21. Some Bible scholars suggest that this expression means “train a child in accordance with his nature,” or according to his natural tendencies. Such an interpretation might sound practical, but the Hebrew expression rendered “in the way he should go” likely refers to a life course that is good and righteous. The book of Proverbs highlights two ways that a person can go. One is called “the way of good people,” “the way of wisdom,” and “the right way.” (Proverbs 2:20; 4:11; 23:19) The other is called “the way of evil men,” “the way of the fool,” and “the wrong way.” (Proverbs 4:14; 12:15; 16:29) The way that a child “should go” thus refers to “the right way”—the way of life taught in God’s Word, the Bible.—Psalm 119:105. “Even when he grows old he will not depart from it.” When parents teach their child God’s moral standards, he is more likely to stay on the right path throughout his life. This does not mean, however, that a child who receives proper training will never “depart” from the right way or stray from God’s laws. For example, if a person spends time with people who promote what is bad, he may leave “the upright paths” and do what is wrong. (Proverbs 2:12-16; 1 Corinthians 15:33) Even so, when parents train their children to follow God’s standards, they are giving them the best opportunity to be successful in life.—Proverbs 2:1, 11. Context of Proverbs 22:6 Proverbs chapter 22 is made up of short sayings that reflect God’s wisdom regarding a variety of situations in life. These sayings emphasize the value of having a good reputation with Jehovah,a something that a person can acquire by showing humility, generosity, and industriousness. (Proverbs 22:1, 4, 9, 29) In contrast, other verses show that those who ignore God’s standards and oppress the poor will suffer bad consequences.—Proverbs 22:8, 16, 22-27. Although most of the verses in Proverbs chapter 22 do not refer to child training, they do outline a way of life that leads to God’s favor and true happiness. (Proverbs 22:17-19) By training their children in harmony with that way of life, parents show that they want what is best for their children.—Ephesians 6:1-3. Read Proverbs chapter 22 in the study edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. This easy-to-read Bible contains audio recordings, explanatory notes, cross-references, pictures, videos, and maps. Watch this short video to see an overview of the book of Proverbs. a Jehovah is the personal name of God. (Psalm 83:18) See the article “Who Is Jehovah?”

Is the Bible a Record of God’s Thoughts?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502012482

Is the Bible a Record of God’s Thoughts? The Bible’s answer Many Bible writers state that God directed what they wrote. Note these examples: King David: “The spirit of Jehovah it was that spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.”—2 Samuel 23:1, 2. The prophet Isaiah: “This is what the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies, has said.”—Isaiah 22:15. The apostle John: “A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him.”—Revelation 1:1.

Alcohol Consumption—How Can You Stay in Control?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/501100007

Alcohol Consumption—How Can You Stay in Control? Some people drink more alcohol when they feel stressed, lonely, or simply bored. Are you drinking more than you used to? If so, how can you make sure that your drinking does not get out of hand or lead to alcohol dependence? Consider some practical information that can help you to stay in control. What is moderate alcohol consumption? Signs that alcohol use is becoming alcohol abuse Five tips to help you control your alcohol consumption What is moderate alcohol consumption? What the Bible says: “Do not be among those who drink too much wine.”—Proverbs 23:20. Consider: The Bible does not condemn drinking alcohol in moderation. (Ecclesiastes 9:7) However, it does distinguish between moderate drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness. (Luke 21:34; Ephesians 5:18; Titus 2:3) Even when it does not lead to drunkenness, drinking too much alcohol can harm your decision-making ability, your health, or your relationships with others.—Proverbs 23:29, 30. Many authorities recognize the difference between lower-risk and higher-risk drinking, and they often express it in terms of the number of standard drinks a person consumes per day and the number of days per week a person drinks.a However, people all react differently to alcohol, and there are times when the best choice is not to drink at all. According to the World Health Organization: “Even one or two drinks can be too much—for example: When driving or operating machinery. When pregnant or breast feeding. When taking certain medications. If you have certain medical conditions. If you cannot control your drinking.” Signs that alcohol use is becoming alcohol abuse What the Bible says: “Let us examine and scrutinize our ways.”—Lamentations 3:40. Consider: You can protect yourself from the harmful effects of alcohol if you regularly examine your drinking habits and change them if needed. Look for the following signs that may indicate that you are losing control. You rely on alcohol to be happy. You feel that you need to drink to relax, socialize, or have fun. You drink to cope with your problems. You drink more than you used to. You drink more frequently. Your drinks are stronger, and it takes more of them for you to feel the same effect that you used to. Your drinking has caused you problems at home or at work. For example, you spend more money on alcohol than you can afford. You make unsafe decisions after drinking, such as choosing to drive, swim, or operate machinery. Others express concern about your drinking. When they do, you get defensive. You try to conceal your drinking from others, or you lie about how much you are drinking. You have trouble stopping. You have tried to cut back or stop drinking, but you cannot. Five tips to help you control your alcohol consumption 1. Make a plan. What the Bible says: “The plans of the diligent surely lead to success.”—Proverbs 21:5. Try this: Pick the days of the week when you will drink. Set a moderate limit of how many drinks you will have on those days. And set aside at least two days each week when you will not drink. “Taking regular breaks from alcohol is the best way to lower your risk of becoming dependent on it,” says a U.K.-based alcohol education charity. 2. Put your plan into action. What the Bible says: “Complete what you started to do.”—2 Corinthians 8:11. Try this: Learn what standard drink sizes are so that you can measure and count your drinks accurately. Find healthy nonalcoholic beverages that you enjoy, and keep them accessible. “Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems,” says the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 3. Stick to your decisions. What the Bible says: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean yes and your ‘No,’ no.”—James 5:12. Try this: Be prepared to say “No” in a polite but convincing way if someone offers you a drink that interferes with your plan. “The faster you can say no to these offers, the less likely you are to give in,” says the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 4. Focus on the benefits of your decisions. What the Bible says: “Better is the end of a matter than its beginning.”—Ecclesiastes 7:8. Try this: Make a list of the reasons why you want to stay in control of your consumption of alcohol. Include things such as improving your sleep, health, finances, and relationships. If you talk about your decisions with others, focus on the benefits rather than the challenges. 5. Turn to God for support. What the Bible says: “For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power.”—Philippians 4:13. Try this: If you are concerned about your drinking habits, pray to God for help. Ask him for strength and self-control.b And take time to discover the practical wisdom found in his Word, the Bible. With him on your side, you can stay in control of your alcohol consumption. a For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines high-risk drinking as “the consumption of 4 or more drinks on any day or 8 or more drinks per week for women and 5 or more drinks on any day or 15 or more drinks per week for men.” Standard drink sizes vary by country, so consult your health-care provider to confirm what is considered a low-risk drinking limit for you. b If you cannot control your drinking, you may also need to seek professional help.

Isaiah’s Prophecy I (ip-1) 2000

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ip-1

Chapter Three “Let Us Set Matters Straight” Isaiah 1:10-31 1, 2. To whom does Jehovah compare the rulers and the people of Jerusalem and Judah, and why is this valid? THE inhabitants of Jerusalem may feel inclined to justify themselves after hearing the denunciation recorded at Isaiah 1:1-9. They no doubt would like to point proudly to all the sacrifices they offer to Jehovah. However, Isa 1 verses 10 through 15 give Jehovah’s withering reply to such attitudes. It begins: “Hear the word of Jehovah, you dictators of Sodom. Give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.”​—Isaiah 1:10. 2 Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed not only for their perverted sex practices but also for their hardhearted, haughty attitudes. (Genesis 18:20, 21; 19:4, 5, 23-25; Ezekiel 16:49, 50) Isaiah’s audience must be shocked to hear themselves being compared to the people of those accursed cities.a But Jehovah sees his people just as they are, and Isaiah does not soften God’s message in order to ‘tickle their ears.’​—2 Timothy 4:3. 3. What does Jehovah mean when he says that he has “had enough” of the people’s sacrifices, and why is this the case? 3 Notice how Jehovah feels about the formalistic worship of his people. “‘Of what benefit to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?’ says Jehovah. ‘I have had enough of whole burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed animals; and in the blood of young bulls and male lambs and he-goats I have taken no delight.’” (Isaiah 1:11) The people have forgotten that Jehovah does not depend upon their sacrifices. (Psalm 50:8-13) He does not need anything that humans may offer him. So if the people think that they are doing Jehovah a favor by presenting their halfhearted offerings, they are mistaken. Jehovah uses a powerful figure of speech. The expression “I have had enough” may also be rendered “I am satiated” or “I am glutted.” Do you know the feeling of being so full of food that the very sight of more is repulsive? Jehovah felt similarly about those offerings​—utterly repulsed! 4. How does Isaiah 1:12 expose the emptiness of the people’s attendance at the temple in Jerusalem? 4 Jehovah continues: “When you people keep coming in to see my face, who is it that has required this from your hand, to trample my courtyards?” (Isaiah 1:12) Is it not Jehovah’s own law that requires the people to ‘come in to see his face,’ that is, to be in attendance at his temple in Jerusalem? (Exodus 34:23, 24) Yes, but they come there out of mere formalism, simply going through the motions of pure worship, without pure motives. To Jehovah, their numerous visits to his courtyards amount to mere ‘trampling,’ accomplishing nothing more than wearing away the floor. 5. What are some of the acts of worship performed by the Jews, and why have these become “a burden” to Jehovah? 5 No wonder that Jehovah now adopts even stronger language! “Stop bringing in any more valueless grain offerings. Incense​—it is something detestable to me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of a convention​—I cannot put up with the use of uncanny power along with the solemn assembly. Your new moons and your festal seasons my soul has hated. To me they have become a burden; I have become tired of bearing them.” (Isaiah 1:13, 14) Grain offerings, incense, Sabbaths, and solemn assemblies are all part of God’s Law to Israel. As to “new moons,” the Law simply directs that these be observed, but wholesome traditions have gradually grown up around the observance. (Numbers 10:10; 28:11) The new moon is treated as a monthly sabbath, when the people would desist from work and even gather for instruction from the prophets and priests. (2 Kings 4:23; Ezekiel 46:3; Amos 8:5) Such observances are not wrong. The problem lies in doing them for mere show. Moreover, the Jews are resorting to “uncanny power,” spiritistic practices, right along with their formal observance of God’s Law.b Thus, their acts of worship to Jehovah are “a burden” to him. 6. In what sense has Jehovah become “tired”? 6 How, though, could Jehovah feel “tired”? After all, he has an “abundance of dynamic energy . . . He does not tire out or grow weary.” (Isaiah 40:26, 28) Jehovah is using a vivid figure of speech to enable us to understand his feelings. Have you ever borne a heavy burden for so long that you were weary to the very bone and just longed to throw it off? That is how Jehovah feels about his people’s hypocritical acts of worship. 7. Why has Jehovah stopped listening to the prayers of his people? 7 Jehovah now addresses the most intimate and personal of all acts of worship. “When you spread out your palms, I hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I am not listening; with bloodshed your very hands have become filled.” (Isaiah 1:15) Spreading out the palms, holding the hands outstretched with palms upward, is a gesture of supplication. To Jehovah, this stance has become meaningless, for this people have hands full of bloodshed. Violence is rampant in the land. Oppression of the weak is commonplace. For such abusive, selfish people to pray to Jehovah and ask for blessings is obscene. No wonder Jehovah says, “I am not listening”! 8. What error does Christendom commit today, and how do some Christians fall into a similar trap? 8 In our day, Christendom has likewise failed to win God’s favor with her ceaseless repetition of vain prayers and her other religious “works.” (Matthew 7:21-23) It is of vital importance that we do not fall into the same trap. Occasionally, a Christian lapses into a practice of serious sin, then reasons that if he just hides what he is doing and increases his activity in the Christian congregation, his deeds will somehow counterbalance his sin. Such formalistic works do not please Jehovah. There is only one cure for spiritual sickness, as the next verses of Isaiah show. The Cure for Spiritual Sickness 9, 10. How important is cleanness in our worship of Jehovah? 9 Jehovah, the compassionate God, now shifts to a warmer, more appealing tone. “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the badness of your dealings from in front of my eyes; cease to do bad. Learn to do good; search for justice; set right the oppressor; render judgment for the fatherless boy; plead the cause of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16, 17) Here we find a string of nine imperatives, or commands. The first four are negative in the sense that they involve the removal of sin; the last five are positive actions that lead to receiving Jehovah’s blessing. 10 Washing and cleanness have always been an important part of pure worship. (Exodus 19:10, 11; 30:20; 2 Corinthians 7:1) But Jehovah wants the cleansing to go deeper, into the very heart of his worshipers. Most important is moral and spiritual cleanliness, and this is what Jehovah refers to. The first two commands in Isa 1 verse 16 are not mere repetition. A Hebrew grammarian suggests that the first, “wash yourselves,” refers to an initial act of cleansing, whereas the second, “make yourselves clean,” refers to ongoing efforts to maintain that cleanness. 11. To combat sin, what should we do, and what should we never do? 11 We can hide nothing from Jehovah. (Job 34:22; Proverbs 15:3; Hebrews 4:13) So his command, “Remove the badness of your dealings from in front of my eyes,” can only mean one thing​—to cease doing bad. That means not attempting to conceal serious sins, for doing so is a sin in itself. Proverbs 28:13 warns: “He that is covering over his transgressions will not succeed, but he that is confessing and leaving them will be shown mercy.” 12. (a) Why is it important to “learn to do good”? (b) How may elders in particular apply the directives to “search for justice” and “set right the oppressor”? 12 There is much to learn from the positive actions that Jehovah commands in verse 17 of Isaiah chapter 1. Notice that he does not merely say “do good” but “learn to do good.” It takes personal study of God’s Word to understand what is good in God’s eyes and to want to do it. Further, Jehovah does not merely say “render justice” but “search for justice.” Even experienced elders need to make a thorough search of God’s Word in order to find the just course in some complex matters. Theirs too is the responsibility to “set right the oppressor,” as Jehovah next commands. These directives are important to Christian shepherds today, for they want to protect the flock from “oppressive wolves.”​—Acts 20:28-30. 13. How might we today apply the commands regarding the fatherless boy and the widow? 13 The final two commands involve some of the more vulnerable of God’s people​—orphans and widows. The world is all too ready to take advantage of such individuals; this must not be so among God’s people. Loving elders “render judgment” for the fatherless boys and girls in the congregation, helping them to receive justice and protection in a world that wants to take advantage of them and corrupt them. Elders “plead the cause” of the widow or, as the Hebrew word can also mean, “strive” in her behalf. Really, all Christians want to be a source of refuge, comfort, and justice to the needy among us because they are precious to Jehovah.​—Micah 6:8; James 1:27. 14. What positive message is conveyed at Isaiah 1:16, 17? 14 What a firm, positive message Jehovah conveys through these nine commands! Sometimes those involved in sin convince themselves that it is simply beyond their power to do right. Such notions are discouraging. Moreover, they are wrong. Jehovah knows​—and wants us to know—​that with His help, any sinner can stop his sinful course, turn around, and do right instead. A Compassionate, Just Plea 15. How is the phrase “let us set matters straight between us” sometimes misunderstood, and what does it actually mean? 15 Jehovah’s tone now takes on even greater warmth and compassion. “‘Come, now, you people, and let us set matters straight between us,’ says Jehovah. ‘Though the sins of you people should prove to be as scarlet, they will be made white just like snow; though they should be red like crimson cloth, they will become even like wool.’” (Isaiah 1:18) The invitation that opens this beautiful verse is often misunderstood. For example, The New English Bible says, “Let us argue it out”​—as if both sides must make concessions to reach an accord. Not so! Jehovah bears no fault, least of all in his dealings with this rebellious, hypocritical people. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5) The verse speaks, not of a give-and-take discussion between equals, but of a forum to establish justice. It is as if Jehovah here challenges Israel to a court trial. 16, 17. How do we know that Jehovah is willing to forgive even serious sins? 16 That may be a daunting notion, but Jehovah is the most merciful and compassionate Judge. His capacity for forgiveness is unparalleled. (Psalm 86:5) He alone can take Israel’s sins that are “as scarlet” and cleanse them away, making them “white just like snow.” No human effort, no formula of works, sacrifices, or prayers can remove the stain of sin. Only Jehovah’s forgiveness can wash sin away. God grants such forgiveness on terms that he sets, which include genuine, heartfelt repentance. 17 So important is this truth that Jehovah repeats it in a poetic variation​—“crimson” sins will become like new, undyed, white wool. Jehovah wants us to know that he truly is the Forgiver of sins, even very serious ones, as long as he finds us genuinely repentant. Those who find it hard to believe that this is true in their own case do well to consider such examples as Manasseh. He sinned horribly​—for years. Yet, he repented and was forgiven. (2 Chronicles 33:9-16) Jehovah wants all of us, including those who have committed serious sins, to know that it is not too late to “set matters straight” with him. 18. What choice does Jehovah put before his rebellious people? 18 Jehovah reminds his people that they have a choice to make. “If you people show willingness and do listen, the good of the land you will eat. But if you people refuse and are actually rebellious, with a sword you will be eaten up; for the very mouth of Jehovah has spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19, 20) Here Jehovah emphasizes attitudes, and he uses another vivid figure of speech to drive his point home. Judah’s choice is this: Eat or be eaten. If they have an attitude of willingness to listen to and obey Jehovah, they will eat the good produce of the land. However, if they persist in their rebellious attitude, they will be eaten​—by the sword of their enemies! It seems almost unimaginable that a people would choose the sword of their enemies over the mercy and abundance of a forgiving God. Nevertheless, such is the case with Jerusalem, as the next verses of Isaiah show. A Dirge Over the Beloved City 19, 20. (a) How does Jehovah convey the sense of betrayal that he feels? (b) In what way has ‘righteousness lodged in Jerusalem’? 19 At Isaiah 1:21-23, we see the full extent of the wickedness of Jerusalem at this time. Isaiah now begins an inspired poem in the style of a dirge, or lament: “O how the faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness itself used to lodge in her, but now murderers.”​—Isaiah 1:21. 20 How the city, Jerusalem, has fallen! Once a faithful wife, she has now become a prostitute. What could more powerfully convey the sense of betrayal and disappointment that Jehovah feels? “Righteousness itself used to lodge in” this city. When? Well, even before Israel existed, back in Abraham’s day, this city was called Salem. Over it ruled a man who was both king and priest. His name, Melchizedek, means “King of Righteousness,” and it evidently suited him well. (Hebrews 7:2; Genesis 14:18-20) About 1,000 years after Melchizedek, Jerusalem reached a peak, under the kingships of David and Solomon. “Righteousness itself used to lodge in her,” especially when her kings set the example for the people by walking in Jehovah’s ways. By Isaiah’s day, though, such times are a distant memory. 21, 22. What is signified by dross and diluted beer, and why do Judah’s leaders merit such a description? 21 It seems that the leaders among the people are a large part of the problem. Isaiah goes on with his lament: “Your silver itself has become scummy dross. Your wheat beer is diluted with water. Your princes are stubborn and partners with thieves. Every one of them is a lover of a bribe and a chaser after gifts. For a fatherless boy they do not render judgment; and even the legal case of a widow does not get admittance to them.” (Isaiah 1:22, 23) Two vivid word pictures in quick succession set the tone for what must follow. The smith at his forge skims the scummy dross from the molten silver and throws it away. Israel’s princes and judges are like the dross, not the silver. They need to be discarded. They have no more use than beer that has been diluted with water and lost its flavor. Such a beverage is fit only to be poured down the drain! 22 Isa 1 Verse 23 shows why the leaders deserve such a description. The Mosaic Law ennobled God’s people, setting them apart from other nations. It did so, for example, by mandating the protection of orphans and widows. (Exodus 22:22-24) But in Isaiah’s day, the fatherless boy has little hope of any favorable judgment. As for the widow, she cannot get anyone even to hear her case, let alone strive in her behalf. No, these judges and leaders are too busy looking after their own interests​—seeking bribes, chasing gifts, and serving as partners to thieves, evidently protecting the criminals while allowing their victims to suffer. Worse yet, they are “stubborn,” or hardened, in their course of wrongdoing. What a sorry state of affairs! Jehovah Will Refine His People 23. What feelings toward his adversaries does Jehovah express? 23 Jehovah will not tolerate such abuse of power forever. Isaiah continues: “Therefore the utterance of the true Lord, Jehovah of armies, the Powerful One of Israel, is: ‘Aha! I shall relieve myself of my adversaries, and I will avenge myself on my enemies.’” (Isaiah 1:24) Jehovah is given three designations here, emphasizing his rightful lordship and his vast power. The exclamation “Aha!” likely signifies that Jehovah’s pity is now mixed with determination to act upon his wrath. There is certainly reason for this. 24. What refining process does Jehovah purpose for his people? 24 Jehovah’s own people have made themselves his enemies. They fully merit divine vengeance. Jehovah will “relieve,” or rid, himself of them. Does this mean a complete, permanent obliteration of his name people? No, for Jehovah goes on to say: “And I will turn back my hand upon you, and I shall smelt away your scummy dross as with lye, and I will remove all your waste products.” (Isaiah 1:25) Jehovah now uses the refining process as an illustration. A refiner in ancient times often added lye to help separate the dross from the precious metal. In a similar way, Jehovah, who does not see his people as completely wicked, will ‘chastise them to the proper degree.’ He will remove from them only the “waste products”​—the stubborn, undesirable ones, who refuse to learn and obey.c (Jeremiah 46:28) With these words, Isaiah has the privilege of writing down history in advance. 25. (a) How did Jehovah refine his people in 607 B.C.E.? (b) When did Jehovah refine his people in modern times? 25 Jehovah did indeed refine his people, removing the scummy dross of corrupt leaders and other rebels. In 607 B.C.E., long after Isaiah’s time, Jerusalem was destroyed and its inhabitants led off for the 70-year exile in Babylon. This in some ways parallels an action God took much later. The prophecy at Malachi 3:1-5, written long after the Babylonian exile, showed that God would again do a refining work. It pointed to the time when Jehovah God would come to his spiritual temple accompanied by his “messenger of the covenant,” Jesus Christ. This evidently happened at the end of World War I. Jehovah inspected all of those claiming to be Christians, sifting the true from the false. With what result? 26-28. (a) What initial fulfillment did Isaiah 1:26 have? (b) How has this prophecy been fulfilled in our time? (c) How might this prophecy benefit elders today? 26 Jehovah answers: “I will bring back again judges for you as at the first, and counselors for you as at the start. After this you will be called City of Righteousness, Faithful Town. With justice Zion herself will be redeemed, and those returning of her, with righteousness.” (Isaiah 1:26, 27) Ancient Jerusalem experienced an initial fulfillment of this prophecy. After the exiles returned to their beloved city in 537 B.C.E., there were once again faithful judges and counselors like those of the past. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the priest Joshua, the scribe Ezra, and the governor Zerubbabel all served to guide and direct the faithful returning remnant to walk in God’s paths. However, an even more important fulfillment occurred in the 20th century. 27 In 1919, Jehovah’s modern-day people emerged from the period of testing. They were delivered from spiritual bondage to Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. The distinction between that faithful anointed remnant and the apostate clergy of Christendom became clear. God again blessed his people, ‘bringing back for them judges and counselors’​—faithful men who counsel God’s people according to his Word and not according to the traditions of men. Today among the diminishing “little flock” and their increasing millions of “other sheep” companions, there are thousands of such men.​—Luke 12:32; John 10:16; Isaiah 32:1, 2; 60:17; 61:3, 4. 28 Elders keep in mind that they do, on occasion, act as “judges” in the congregation in order to keep it morally and spiritually clean and to correct wrongdoers. They are deeply concerned with doing things God’s way, imitating his merciful, balanced sense of justice. In most matters, though, they serve as “counselors.” This, of course, is a far cry from being princes or tyrants, and they make every effort never to give even the appearance of “lording it over those who are God’s inheritance.”​—1 Peter 5:3. 29, 30. (a) What does Jehovah pronounce for those who refuse to benefit from the refining process? (b) In what sense do the people become “ashamed” of their trees and gardens? 29 What about the “dross” mentioned in the prophecy of Isaiah? What happens to those who refuse to benefit from God’s refinement process? Isaiah continues: “And the crash of revolters and that of sinful ones will be at the same time, and those leaving Jehovah will come to their finish. For they will be ashamed of the mighty trees that you people desired, and you will be abashed because of the gardens that you have chosen.” (Isaiah 1:28, 29) Those who revolt and sin against Jehovah, ignoring the warning messages of his prophets until it is too late, do indeed “crash” and “come to their finish.” This happens in 607 B.C.E. What, however, do these references to trees and gardens mean? 30 The Judeans have a persistent problem with idolatry. Trees, gardens, and groves often figure in their debased practices. For example, worshipers of Baal and his consort, Ashtoreth, believe that in the dry season, the two deities are dead and buried. To prompt them to awaken and mate, bringing fertility to the land, the idolaters gather to carry out perverted sexual acts under “sacred” trees in groves or in gardens. When rains and fertility come to the land, the false gods receive the credit; the idolaters feel confirmed in their superstitions. But when Jehovah brings the rebellious idolaters to their crashing finish, no idol-gods protect them. The rebels are “ashamed” of these impotent trees and gardens. 31. What do the idolaters face that is worse than shame? 31 Idolatrous Judeans face something worse than shame, though. Shifting the illustration, Jehovah now likens the idolater himself to a tree. “You will become like a big tree the foliage of which is withering, and like a garden that has no water.” (Isaiah 1:30) In the hot, dry climate of the Middle East, this illustration is apt. No tree or garden can last for long without a steady supply of water. Dried up, such vegetation is especially vulnerable to fire. Hence, the illustration in Isa 1 verse 31 follows naturally. 32. (a) Who is “the vigorous man” referred to in Isa 1 verse 31? (b) In what sense will he become “tow,” what “spark” will ignite him, and with what result? 32 “The vigorous man will certainly become tow, and the product of his activity a spark; and both of them will certainly go up in flames at the same time, with no one to do the extinguishing.” (Isaiah 1:31) Who is this “vigorous man”? The Hebrew expression conveys the sense of strength and wealth. It likely refers to the prosperous, self-assured follower of false gods. In Isaiah’s day, as in our own, there is no shortage of men who reject Jehovah and his pure worship. Some even seem successful. Yet, Jehovah warns that such men will be like “tow,” coarse fibers of flax so frail and dry that they tear apart, as it were, at the very smell of fire. (Judges 16:8, 9) The product of the idolater’s activity​—whether his idol-gods, his wealth, or whatever he worships in place of Jehovah—​will be like the igniting “spark.” Both spark and tow will be consumed, wiped out, in a fire that no one can extinguish. No power in the universe can overturn Jehovah’s perfect judgments. 33. (a) How do God’s warnings of coming judgment also indicate his mercy? (b) What opportunity is Jehovah now extending to mankind, and how does this affect each one of us? 33 Is this final message compatible with the message of mercy and forgiveness in Isa 1 verse 18? By all means! Jehovah has such warnings written down and delivered by his servants because he is merciful. After all, “he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) It is the privilege of every true Christian today to proclaim God’s warning messages to mankind so that repentant ones may benefit from his generous forgiveness and live forever. How kind it is on Jehovah’s part to give mankind a chance to “set matters straight” with him before it is too late! [Footnotes] a According to ancient Jewish tradition, wicked King Manasseh had Isaiah executed, sawn asunder. (Compare Hebrews 11:37.) A source says that in order to bring on this death sentence, a false prophet used the following charge against Isaiah: “He has called Jerusalem Sodom, and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem he has declared (to be) the people of Gomorrah.” b The Hebrew word for “uncanny power” is also rendered “what is hurtful,” “what is uncanny,” and “erroneous.” According to the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Hebrew prophets used the word to denounce “evil caused by the misuse of power.” c The expression “I will turn back my hand upon you” means that Jehovah will shift from supporting his people to chastising them.

Why Do People Die?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502013276

Why Do People Die? The Bible’s answer It’s natural to wonder why people die, especially when we lose someone close to us. The Bible says: “The sting producing death is sin.”​—1 Corinthians 15:56. Why do all people sin and die? The first humans, Adam and Eve, lost their lives because they sinned against God. (Genesis 3:17-19) Death was the only possible outcome of their rebellion against God, for with him is “the source of life.”​—Psalm 36:9; Genesis 2:17. Adam passed on the defect of sin to all his descendants. The Bible says: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) All people die because they all sin.​—Romans 3:23. How death will be eliminated God promises a time when “he will actually swallow up death forever.” (Isaiah 25:8) To remove death, he must eliminate its root cause, which is sin. God will do this through Jesus Christ, who “takes away the sin of the world.”​—John 1:29; 1 John 1:7.

Education (ed) 2015

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/education-ed

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Education

THE WAY OF HAPPINESS Love

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102018018

THE WAY OF HAPPINESS Love HUMANS CRAVE LOVE. No marriage, family, or friendship can thrive without it. It stands to reason, therefore, that love is essential to mental health and happiness. What, though, is meant by “love”? The love referred to here is not romantic love, which, of course, has its place. Rather, it is a superior form of love that causes a person to show sincere concern for the welfare of others, even putting them before self. It is love that is guided by godly principles but is by no means devoid of warmth and feeling. A beautiful description of love states: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, . . . hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”​—1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Such love “never fails” in that it will never cease to exist. Indeed, it can grow stronger over time. And because it is patient, kind, and forgiving, it is “a perfect bond of union.” (Colossians 3:14) Hence, relationships bound by such love are both secure and happy despite the imperfections of the individuals. For example, consider the marriage union. UNITED BY “A PERFECT BOND OF UNION” Jesus Christ taught important principles on marriage. For instance, he said: “‘A man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’ . . . Therefore, what God has yoked together, let no man put apart.” (Matthew 19:5, 6) At least two important principles stand out. “THE TWO WILL BE ONE FLESH.” Marriage is the most intimate union humans can have, and love can protect it against infidelity​—that is, the husband or wife becoming “one body” with someone other than his or her spouse. (1 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 13:4) Unfaithfulness shatters trust and can wreck the marriage. If children are involved, they may be emotionally traumatized, feeling unloved, insecure, or even resentful. “WHAT GOD HAS YOKED TOGETHER.” Marriage is also a sacred union. Couples who respect that fact strive to strengthen their marriage. They do not look for a way out when difficulties arise. Their love is strong and resilient. Such a love “bears all things,” working through difficulties in an effort to maintain marital harmony and peace. When self-sacrificing love exists between parents, any children in the family benefit greatly. A young woman named Jessica observed: “My father and mother truly love and respect each other. When I see my mother respect my father, especially when dealing with us children, it makes me want to be just like her.” Love is God’s foremost quality. In fact, the Bible says: “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) It thus comes as no surprise that Jehovah is also called “the happy God.” (1 Timothy 1:11) We too will be happy when we strive to imitate our Creator’s qualities​—especially his love. Says Ephesians 5:1, 2: “Become imitators of God, as beloved children, and go on walking in love.” KEY POINTS ‘Love is patient and kind. It bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.’​—1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love promotes happiness because it . . . Helps us to show sincere concern for the welfare of others Can grow stronger over time Gives strength and resilience to friendships and marriages Helps children to thrive and feel secure Makes us more like our Creator

We Decided to Simplify Our Lives

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/500200103

We Decided to Simplify Our Lives Madián and Marcela enjoyed a comfortable life in Medellín, Colombia. Madián’s job paid well, allowing them to live in a beautiful apartment. But something moved them to reevaluate their priorities as servants of Jehovah God. “In 2006 we attended the ‘Keep Your Eye Simple’ special assembly day. Many of the talks stressed the need to simplify our lives to serve God more fully,” they explain. “As we left the assembly, we realized that we were doing just the opposite. We were compulsive buyers and had a large debt to pay off.” After this spiritual wake-up call, Madián and Marcela began to simplify their lives. “We started reducing our expenses,” they say. “We moved to a smaller apartment, sold our car, and bought a motorcycle.” Further, they stopped going to shopping malls so that they would not be tempted to keep buying things. They began spending more time speaking to their neighbors about the Bible. And they associated with friends who were zealously serving Jehovah God as special pioneers.a Soon, Madián and Marcela decided to expand their ministry further by moving to a small rural congregation that needed help. In order to make the move, Madián quit his job. His supervisor thought he was crazy to quit. So Madián reasoned with her, asking: “You earn plenty of money, but are you happy?” She admitted that she was not, because she had many problems she could not resolve. He then said to her: “So it’s not really about how much money you make. It’s about what really makes you happy. Teaching people about God makes my wife and me happy, and we want to be even happier by dedicating more time to this work.” Madián and Marcela have found real satisfaction and happiness in pursuing spiritual goals. For the past 13 years, they have served where the need is great in congregations in northwest Colombia. And they now enjoy the privilege of serving as special pioneers. a Special pioneers are appointed by the local branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses to preach the good news full-time in particular locations. They receive a modest allowance for living expenses.

Reasoning (rs) 1989

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/books/reasoning-rs

Spirit Definition: The Hebrew word ruʹach and the Greek pneuʹma, which are often translated “spirit,” have a number of meanings. All of them refer to that which is invisible to human sight and which gives evidence of force in motion. The Hebrew and Greek words are used with reference to (1) wind, (2) the active life-force in earthly creatures, (3) the impelling force that issues from a person’s figurative heart and that causes him to say and do things in a certain way, (4) inspired utterances originating with an invisible source, (5) spirit persons, and (6) God’s active force, or holy spirit. Several of these usages are here discussed in relation to topics that may arise in the field ministry. What is the holy spirit? A comparison of Bible texts that refer to the holy spirit shows that it is spoken of as ‘filling’ people; they can be ‘baptized’ with it; and they can be “anointed” with it. (Luke 1:41; Matt. 3:11; Acts 10:38) None of these expressions would be appropriate if the holy spirit were a person. Jesus also referred to the holy spirit as a “helper” (Greek, pa·raʹkle·tos), and he said that this helper would “teach,” “bear witness,” “speak,” and ‘hear.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) It is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personified. For example, wisdom is said to have “children.” (Luke 7:35) Sin and death are spoken of as being kings. (Rom. 5:14, 21) While some texts say that the spirit “spoke,” other passages make clear that this was done through angels or humans. (Acts 4:24, 25; 28:25; Matt. 10:19, 20; compare Acts 20:23 with 21:10, 11.) At 1 John 5:6-8, not only the spirit but also “the water and the blood” are said to ‘bear witness.’ So, none of the expressions found in these texts in themselves prove that the holy spirit is a person. The correct identification of the holy spirit must fit all the scriptures that refer to that spirit. With this viewpoint, it is logical to conclude that the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will.—Ps. 104:30; 2 Pet. 1:21; Acts 4:31. See also pages 406, 407, under the heading “Trinity.” What gives evidence that a person really has the holy spirit, or “the Holy Ghost” (KJ)? Luke 4:18, 31-35: “[Jesus read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:] ‘Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news’ . . . And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath; and they were astounded at his way of teaching, because his speech was with authority. Now in the synagogue there was a man with a spirit, an unclean demon, and he shouted with a loud voice . . . But Jesus rebuked it, saying: ‘Be silent, and come out of him.’ So, after throwing the man down in their midst, the demon came out of him without hurting him.” (What gave evidence that Jesus had God’s spirit? The account does not say that he trembled or shouted or moved about in a fervor. Rather, it says he spoke with authority. It is noteworthy, however, that on that occasion a demonic spirit did move a man to shout and fall onto the floor.) Acts 1:8 says that when Jesus’ followers received holy spirit they would be witnesses about him. According to Acts 2:1-11, when they did receive that spirit, observers were impressed by the fact that, although the ones speaking were all Galileans, they were speaking about the magnificent things of God in languages that were familiar to the many foreigners who were present. But the record does not say that there were any emotional outbursts on the part of those who received the spirit. It is noteworthy that when Elizabeth received the holy spirit and then gave voice to “a loud cry” she was not in a meeting for worship but was greeting a visiting relative. (Luke 1:41, 42) When, as reported at Acts 4:31, holy spirit came upon an assembly of disciples, the place was shaken, but the effect of that spirit on the disciples was, not that they trembled or rolled about, but that they ‘spoke the word of God with boldness.’ Likewise today, boldness in speaking the word of God, zealously engaging in the work of witnessing—these are what give evidence that a person has holy spirit. Gal. 5:22, 23: “The fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” (It is this fruitage, rather than outbursts of religious fervor, that one should look for when seeking to find people who truly have God’s spirit.) Does ability to speak with great emotion in a tongue that a person never studied prove that he has God’s spirit? See the main heading “Tongues, Speaking in.” Is miraculous healing being done in our day by means of the spirit of God? See the main heading “Healing.” Who is baptized with holy spirit? See page 56, under “Baptism,” also the main heading “Born Again.” Is there a spirit part of man that survives the death of the body? Ezek. 18:4: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” (RS, NE, KJ, and Dy all render the Hebrew word neʹphesh in this verse as “soul,” thus saying that it is the soul that dies. Some translations that render neʹphesh as “soul” in other passages use the expression “the man” or “the one” in this verse. So, the neʹphesh, the soul, is the person, not an immaterial part of him that survives when his body dies.) (See the main heading “Soul” for further details.) Ps. 146:4: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.” (The Hebrew word here translated “spirit” is a derivative of ruʹach. Some translators render it “breath.” When that ruʹach, or active life-force, leaves the body, the person’s thoughts perish; they do not continue in another realm.) Eccl. 3:19-21: “There is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust. Who is there knowing the spirit of the sons of mankind, whether it is ascending upward; and the spirit of the beast, whether it is descending downward to the earth?” (Because of the inheritance of sin and death from Adam, humans all die and return to the dust, as animals do. But does each human have a spirit that goes on living as an intelligent personality after it ceases to function in the body? No; verse 19 answers that humans and beasts “all have but one spirit.” Based merely on human observation, no one can authoritatively answer the question raised in verse 21 regarding the spirit. But God’s Word answers that there is nothing that humans have as a result of birth that gives them superiority over beasts when they die. However, because of God’s merciful provision through Christ, the prospect of living forever has been opened up to humans who exercise faith, but not to animals. For many of mankind, that will be made possible by resurrection, when active life-force from God will invigorate them again.) Luke 23:46: “Jesus called with a loud voice and said: ‘Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit [Greek, pneuʹmaʹ].’ When he had said this, he expired.” (Notice that Jesus expired. When his spirit went out he was not on his way to heaven. Not until the third day from this was Jesus resurrected from the dead. Then, as Acts 1:3, 9 shows, it was 40 more days before he ascended to heaven. So, what is the meaning of what Jesus said at the time of his death? He was saying that he knew that, when he died, his future life prospects rested entirely with God. For further comments regarding the ‘spirit that returns to God,’ see page 378, under the heading “Soul.”) If Someone Says— ‘Do you have the holy spirit (or the Holy Ghost)?’ You might reply: ‘Yes, and that is why I have come to your door today. (Acts 2:17, 18)’ Or you could say: ‘That is what makes it possible for me to share in the Christian ministry. But I find that not everyone has the same idea as to what gives evidence that a person really has God’s spirit. What do you look for?’ Then perhaps add: (Discussion of some of the material on pages 381, 382.)

Young People Ask, Volume 1 (yp1) 2011

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp1

input Page/​Publishers’ Page Questions Young People Ask​—Answers That Work, Volume 1 This book is the property of ․․․․․ © 1989, 2011 WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA Publishers WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC. Wallkill, New York, U.S.A. November 2015 Printing This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures​—With References. The names of some of the youths in this book have been changed. Photo Credits: Page 241: © Gusto Productions/​Photo Researchers, Inc.; page 244: mouth cancer: © Mediscan/​Visuals Unlimited, Inc.; clogged artery: © Index Stock/​Photolibrary; cancerous lung: © Arthur Glauberman/​Photo Researchers, Inc.; page 245: MRI of brain: © Mediscan/​Visuals Unlimited, Inc.; cancerous kidney: © Dr. E. Walker/​Photo Researchers, Inc.

Young People Ask, Volume 2 (yp2) 2008

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp2

CHAPTER 37 Should I Get Baptized? Mark the following statements true or false: Baptism is a requirement for Christians. □ True □ False The main purpose of baptism is to protect you from giving in to sin. □ True □ False Baptism puts you in line for salvation. □ True □ False If you’re not baptized, you’re not accountable to God for your actions. □ True □ False If your friends are getting baptized, that means you’re ready for baptism too. □ True □ False IF YOU’RE living up to God’s standards, cultivating a friendship with God, and talking to others about your faith, it’s only natural for you to be thinking about baptism. But how do you know if you’re ready for that step? To help answer that question, let’s consider the true-or-false statements above. ● Baptism is a requirement for Christians. True. Jesus directed that his disciples be baptized. (Matthew 28:19, 20) In fact, Jesus himself submitted to baptism. To follow Christ, you need to be baptized when you’re mature enough to make that decision and have a genuine desire to do so. ● The main purpose of baptism is to protect you from giving in to sin. False. Baptism is a public symbol of your dedication to Jehovah. Your dedication isn’t a cold contract that restrains you from doing things that you would secretly like to do. Rather, you dedicate your life to Jehovah because you want to live by his standards. ● Baptism puts you in line for salvation. True. The Bible says that baptism is an important step to gaining salvation. (1 Peter 3:21) This doesn’t mean, though, that baptism is like an insurance policy that you buy to protect yourself in case disaster should strike. You get baptized because you love Jehovah and want to serve him forever with your whole heart.​—Mark 12:29, 30. ● If you’re not baptized, you’re not accountable to God for your actions. False. James 4:17 states: “If one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him”​—baptized or not. So if you know what’s right and you’re mature enough to take a serious look at your life, perhaps this is the time to talk matters over with a parent or another mature Christian. In that way, you can learn how to progress toward baptism. ● If your friends are getting baptized, that means you’re ready for baptism too. False. The decision to be baptized needs to come from your own willing heart. (Psalm 110:3) You should be baptized only when you’re fully aware of what being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses involves and when you’re sure that you’re ready to take on this responsibility.​—Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5. A Life-Altering Step Baptism is a life-altering step that leads to many blessings. At the same time, it entails a serious responsibility​—that of living up to a personal dedication you’ve made to Jehovah. Are you nearing that point? If so, you have good reason to be happy. What lies before you is the greatest privilege of all​—that of serving Jehovah wholeheartedly and living in a way that shows that you’re truly dedicated to him.​—Matthew 22:36, 37. IN OUR NEXT CHAPTERLearn how to set goals so that you can make the most of your life. KEY SCRIPTURE “Present your bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason.”​—Romans 12:1. TIP With your parents’ help, find someone in the congregation who can assist you to make spiritual progress.​—Acts 16:1-3. DID YOU KNOW . . . ? The act of baptism is a vital part of “the mark” that identifies you for salvation.​—Ezekiel 9:4-6. ACTION PLAN! To progress toward baptism, I will increase my understanding of the following Bible teachings: ․․․․․ What I would like to ask my parent(s) about this subject is ․․․․․ WHAT DO YOU THINK? ● Why is baptism such a serious step? ● What might cause a young person to take the step of baptism too soon? ● For what reason might a young person unwisely hold back from dedication and baptism? [Blurb on page 306] “Knowing that I was baptized helped me to make wise decisions and not to go down certain paths that could have led to bad consequences.”​—Holly [Box/​Picture on page 307] Questions Often Asked About Baptism What does baptism symbolize? Being immersed and raised up means that you have died to a self-seeking course and are now made alive to do Jehovah’s will. What does it mean to dedicate your life to Jehovah? It means to give up ownership of yourself, promising to put the doing of God’s will ahead of all else. (Matthew 16:24) It’s fitting that you make a formal dedication in prayer to Jehovah sometime before your baptism. What should you be doing with your life before baptism? You should be living in harmony with God’s Word and talking to others about your faith. You should be cultivating a friendship with God through prayer and study of his Word. You should be serving Jehovah because you choose to do so​—not because others are pressuring you. Is there a certain age by which you should be baptized? Age is not the primary factor. Still, you should be old enough​—and mature enough—​to understand the meaning of dedication. What if you want to get baptized but your parents say you should wait? Perhaps they’d like you to gain more experience in Christian living. Value their advice, and use this time to grow in your friendship with Jehovah.​—1 Samuel 2:26. [Box on page 308, 309] Worksheet Are You Thinking of Getting Baptized? Check your progress by considering the questions and statements below. Be sure to look up the cited scriptures before writing your answers. In what ways are you currently showing confidence in Jehovah?​—Psalm 71:5. ․․․․․ How have you demonstrated that your perceptive powers are trained to distinguish right from wrong?​—Hebrews 5:14. ․․․․․ How often do you pray? ․․․․․ How specific are your prayers, and what do they reveal about your love for Jehovah?​—Psalm 17:6. ․․․․․ List below any goals you would like to set with regard to your prayers. ․․․․․ How regular is your personal study of the Bible?​—Joshua 1:8. ․․․․․ What do you include in your personal study? ․․․․․ List below any goals you would like to set with regard to your personal study. ․․․․․ Is your ministry meaningful? (Examples: Can you explain basic Bible teachings to others? Do you call back on interested ones? Are you working toward conducting a home Bible study?) □ Yes □ No Do you engage in the ministry even if your parents do not?​—Acts 5:42. □ Yes □ No List below any goals you would like to set with regard to your ministry.​—2 Timothy 2:15. ․․․․․ Would you describe your attendance at Christian meetings as regular or sporadic?​—Hebrews 10:25. ․․․․․ In what ways do you participate at meetings? ․․․․․ Do you attend when your parents cannot (if you have their permission to do so)? □ Yes □ No Can you say that you truly delight to do God’s will?​—Psalm 40:8. □ Yes □ No Can you list specific instances in which you have resisted peer pressure?​—Romans 12:2. ․․․․․ How do you plan to keep your love for Jehovah strong?​—Jude 20, 21. ․․․․․ Would you serve Jehovah even if your parents and friends stopped doing so?​—Matthew 10:36, 37. □ Yes □ No [Picture on page 310] Like marriage, baptism is a life-altering step​—it shouldn’t be taken lightly

Pure Worship (rr) 2018

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/rr

input Page/​Publishers’ Page Pure Worship of Jehovah​—Restored At Last! Photo Credits: Page 33: A.D. Riddle/​BiblePlaces.com Page 47: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. To make a donation, please visit donate.jw.org. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. April 2021 Printing English (rr-E) © 2018 WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Pioneers in Medicine

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102000001

Pioneers in Medicine AT AGE 61, José, a Belgian from the small town of Oupeye, was told that he would need a liver transplant. “It was the shock of my life,” he says. Just four decades ago, liver transplants were unthinkable. Even in the 1970’s, the survival rate was only about 30 percent. Today, however, liver transplants are routinely performed, with a much higher success rate. But there is still a major drawback. Since liver transplants often involve excessive bleeding, doctors usually administer blood transfusions during the operation. Because of his religious convictions, José did not want blood. But he did want the liver transplant. Impossible? Some might think so. But the chief surgeon felt that he and his colleagues had a good chance of operating successfully without blood. And that is precisely what they did! Just 25 days after his operation, José was back home with his wife and daughter.a Thanks to the skills of those whom Time magazine calls “heroes of medicine,” bloodless medicine and surgery is now more common than ever. But why is there such a demand for it? To answer that question, let us examine the troubled history of blood transfusions. [Footnote] a Jehovah’s Witnesses view organ transplant operations as a matter of individual conscience. [Picture on page 3] Worldwide, there are currently more than 90,000 doctors who have made it known that they are willing to treat Jehovah’s Witnesses without blood

Learn From God’s Word Does the Bible Foretell the Future?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2012007

Learn From God’s Word Does the Bible Foretell the Future? This article considers questions you may have raised and shows where you can read the answers in your Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleased to discuss these answers with you. 1. Are Bible prophecies specific? Only Almighty God can foresee the future in detail. (Amos 3:7) For example, since early times, he foretold the arrival of someone called the Messiah, or Christ. The Messiah would be a descendant of the faithful man Abraham. He would be a ruler who would make it possible for obedient humans to regain the blessing of perfect life free of disease. (Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 53:4, 5) This Promised One was to come from Bethlehem.​—Read Micah 5:2. Jesus proved to be the Messiah. Over seven centuries in advance, the Bible foretold that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and would be despised. He would give his life for the sins of many, and he would be buried with the rich. (Isaiah 7:14; 53:3, 9, 12) The Bible also proclaimed, over five centuries in advance, that he would enter Jerusalem on a donkey and that he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Every detail came true.​—Read Zechariah 9:9; 11:12. 2. Does God predict dates? Over five centuries in advance, the Bible prophesied the exact year of the Messiah’s appearance. The time until his arrival was measured in weeks of years, meaning that each “week” was seven years long. There would be 7 plus 62 of such weeks, making a total of 69 weeks of years. That equals 483 years. When did that span of years begin? According to the Bible, the period began when God’s servant Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and began to rebuild the city. Persian history establishes the date as 455 B.C.E. (Nehemiah 2:1-5) Jesus was baptized as the Messiah 483 years later, in the year 29 C.E., exactly on time.​—Read Daniel 9:25. 3. Are Bible prophecies coming true now? Jesus prophesied momentous events for our time. His prophecy mentions the good news of God’s Kingdom, which will bring worldwide relief to people who love God. The Kingdom will bring an end to the entire wicked system of things in which we live.​—Read Matthew 24:14, 21, 22. Bible prophecies describe in detail the concluding period of the present system of things. The Bible revealed that in contrast with what might be expected in an age of progress, people would be ruining the earth. Distress caused by wars, food shortages, earthquakes, and disease epidemics would increase. (Luke 21:11; Revelation 11:18) Moral standards would collapse. In these difficult times, Jesus’ followers would preach the good news of God’s Kingdom in all nations.​—Read Matthew 24:3, 7, 8; 2 Timothy 3:1-5. 4. What will be mankind’s future? Almighty God has good things in store for faithful mankind. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, along with his chosen ones, will rule over the earth from heaven. They make up the Kingdom government, which will rule for a thousand years. The dead will be raised and will have the opportunity of being judged worthy of everlasting life. Furthermore, the Kingdom will cure everyone then living. Sickness and death will be no more.​—Read Revelation 5:10; 20:6, 12; 21:4, 5. For more information, see pages 23-25 and 197-201 of the book, What Does the Bible Really Teach?, pictured here.

School Guidebook (sg) 1992

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/sg

Study 23 Volume and Pausing 1, 2. Why must we speak loud enough? 1 Unless others can readily hear you, the value of what you say will be lost. On the other hand, if your volume is too loud, it can irritate the audience and so detract from the fine thoughts that you have prepared. Our need to be concerned with adequate volume is evident in many Kingdom Halls, where those commenting at meetings from the front of the hall often cannot be heard by those in the rear. At times the one speaking from the platform may lack sufficient volume and so fail to inspire his audience. In the field service, too, we meet persons who are hard of hearing and there are noises with which to compete, whether from inside the homes on which we call or outdoors. All this indicates that we need to give careful consideration to proper volume. 2 Loud enough to be comfortably heard. The first consideration in determining how much volume to use is best analyzed by the question, Was the necessary power of voice exercised? That is, were you heard in the back row without overwhelming those in the front? That might be a sufficient consideration for the beginning student, but those more advanced should endeavor to master the following aspects of the matter as well. The school overseer should determine to what extent each student will be counseled on this quality. 3-10. What circumstances help us to determine the amount of volume we should use? 3 Volume to fit circumstances. A speaker must be aware of varying conditions under which he speaks. It broadens his powers of discernment, makes him more flexible and allows him to reach and hold his audience with greater ease. 4 Conditions vary from hall to hall and with the size of the audience. To control the circumstances you must control your volume. Giving a talk in the Kingdom Hall requires more volume than in the living room of a newly interested person. Furthermore, a small group near the front of the hall, as at a meeting for field service, will require less volume than when the hall is filled, as at a service meeting. 5 But even these conditions are not constant. Sudden noises arise outside and inside the hall. The passing of a car, a nearby train, loud animal noises, the crying of children, a late arrival—all these require an adjustment in your power of voice. Failure to recognize them and compensate for them in volume will cause something, perhaps a vital point, to be missed. 6 Many congregations have amplifying equipment for the voice. But if care is not exercised in its use, and the volume fluctuates extremely from loud to soft, it might be necessary to counsel the student for lack of consideration of these circumstances. (See Study 13 on use of microphone.) 7 Occasionally a speaker will find this matter of volume difficult to master simply because of the quality of his voice. If this is your problem and your voice just does not carry, the school overseer will consider it in giving counsel. He might suggest certain exercises or a program of training that will help to develop and strengthen your voice. However, voice quality itself is a separate point for counsel and will not be stressed in considering your volume. 8 Not every existing circumstance can be judged in any one talk. Counsel should be given on the current talk, not on every possibility that might arise. However, if the need seems to exist, the school overseer might warn a student of possible problems that he might meet under different circumstances, even though the student is commended for his current talk and his counsel slip marked “G.” 9 How can a student determine whether his volume is ample? Audience reaction is one of the best barometers. An experienced speaker will closely observe those at the rear of the hall during his introduction and will be able to determine from their expression and general attitude whether they can hear comfortably, and he will vary his volume accordingly. Once he has acquired the “feel” of the hall, he will have no more difficulty. 10 Another means is to observe other speakers on the same program. Are they easily heard? How much volume are they using? Adjust yours accordingly. 11, 12. Why is it essential to have volume appropriate to material? 11 Volume appropriate to material. This aspect of our discussion of volume should not be confused with modulation. At present we are interested in simply fitting the volume to the particular material being discussed. For example, if denunciations were being read from the Scriptures, obviously the volume would be regulated differently than if the student were reading counsel on love among the brothers. Compare also Isaiah 36:11 with Isa 36 verses 12 and 13 and note the differences that must have existed in the way these statements were spoken. Volume must be adapted to the material but should never be overdone. 12 In deciding how much volume to use, analyze your material and your purpose carefully. If you want to change the thinking of your audience, do not drive them away by too much volume. However, if you want to stimulate them to spirited activity, perhaps volume could be stronger. If the material calls for strength, do not weaken it by speaking too softly. ********** 13-16. Point out the value of pausing. 13 In the delivery of your talk, properly placed pauses are almost as important as adequate volume. Without them, the meaning of statements easily becomes obscure and the main points that your audience ought to remember fail to make a lasting impression. Pauses give you confidence and poise, allow for better breath control and an opportunity to gain composure at difficult points of the speech. Pauses show the audience that you have the situation under control, that you are not unduly nervous, that you are considering your audience, and that you have something you want them to hear and remember. 14 A beginning speaker should lose no time in acquiring the ability to pause effectively. First, you must become convinced that what you have to say is important and that you want it to be remembered. A mother in correcting her child will at times preface her remarks by saying something to get his attention. She will not speak another word until the child has given full attention. Then she will say what is on her mind. She wants to make sure that the child will not ignore what she is saying and that it will be remembered. 15 Some people never pause, even in everyday speaking. If that is your problem you will want to cultivate this quality to improve the effectiveness of your ministry in the field. There our speaking is in the form of conversation. To pause in such a way that your householder will not interrupt but will listen and wait requires the right kind of pausing. But skill and proficiency in pausing in conversation is just as essential and just as rewarding as is the ability when exercised on the platform. 16 One serious problem in connection with the proper use of pausing in a discourse is having too much material. Avoid this. Allow time for pauses; they are essential. 17-21. Explain the importance of pausing for punctuation. 17 Pause for punctuation. Pausing for punctuation simply means for clarity of thought; to set off related ideas; to indicate phrases, clauses, ends of sentences and paragraphs. Often such changes can be indicated by inflection, but pauses are also effective to give oral punctuation to what is said. And as commas and semicolons have different significance in sentence divisions, so pauses should vary according to their use. 18 Misplaced pauses can completely change the thought of a sentence. An illustration of this is the words of Jesus at Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” If the comma or pause were put between the first “you” and “today” a completely different thought would result, as is evidenced by the common misinterpretation of this text. Correct pausing, therefore, is essential in order to convey the thought intended. 19 Learn to punctuate orally in extemporaneous speaking by observing all written punctuation when you read. The only written punctuation that can sometimes be ignored in reading is a comma. To pause or not to pause at a comma often is a matter of choice. But semicolons, periods, quotation marks, also paragraph divisions, all must be observed. 20 You might find it helpful in reading a manuscript or a portion from the Bible to mark the copy. Draw a small vertical line between phrases where a brief pause (perhaps just a hesitation) is to be inserted; two lines or an “X” for a longer pause. 21 If, on the other hand, you find in your practice reading that certain sentences are awkward for you and you repeatedly pause in the wrong places, you might make pencil marks tying together all the words that make a phrase. Then, as you read, do not pause or hesitate until you come to the last one of the words hooked together. Many an experienced speaker does this. 22-24. Why is it necessary to pause for change of thought? 22 Pause for change of thought. In a transition from one main point to another, a pause gives the audience an opportunity to reflect. Besides, it prevents misunderstanding. It gives the mind a chance to adjust itself, to recognize the change in direction and follow the development of the new thought being presented. It is just as important for the speaker to pause in changing ideas as it is for the driver of an automobile to slow down to make a turn. 23 In an extemporaneous talk, the material must be so organized in the outline as to allow for a pause between main points. This need not interfere with the continuity or coherence of the talk, but the ideas should be so well formulated that you can build a particular point to a climax, pause, and then go on to a new thought. Such climaxes and changes can even be marked in your outline, if necessary, to remind you. 24 Pauses for change of thought are usually longer than pauses for punctuation; however, long pauses should not be overdone in a talk or the delivery will drag. Besides, they are likely to sound affected. 25-28. Show how pausing helps us to emphasize a point as well as to cope with disturbing circumstances. 25 Pause for emphasis. A pause for emphasis is usually a dramatic pause. It creates expectancy or it gives the audience a chance to reflect. 26 Pausing before an important point creates anticipation. A pause afterward allows the full import of the idea to sink in. These two uses of the pause are not the same, so you must decide which is most appropriate in a particular instance or whether both are to be used. 27 Pauses for emphasis should be limited to highly significant statements, otherwise their value is lost. 28 Pause when circumstances require it. Interruptions often require a speaker to pause momentarily. If a disturbance is not too severe and you can raise your volume and continue, ordinarily this would be best. But, if a disturbance is sufficient to interfere with the talk completely, then you must pause. Your audience will appreciate your consideration. Besides, many times they are not listening anyway, because the temporary disturbance has distracted them. So use pausing effectively, to be sure that your audience gets the full benefit of the good things that you want to tell them.

Proclaimers (jv) 1993

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/jv

Chapter 9 Jehovah’s Word Keeps Moving Speedily (1976-1992) “Finally, brothers, carry on prayer for us, that the word of Jehovah may keep moving speedily [or, ‘may be running’] and being glorified just as it is in fact with you.”—2 Thess. 3:1, “Kingdom Interlinear.” WITH those words the apostle Paul asked his fellow believers in Thessalonica to pray that he and his companions might be successful in proclaiming Jehovah’s word without hindrance. Jehovah answered that prayer. But this does not mean that the apostle did not have to deal with problems. He faced severe opposition from the world and had to reckon with false brothers who dealt deceitfully. (2 Cor. 11:23-27; Gal. 2:4, 5) Yet, in spite of this, after about ten years, Paul could write that as a result of God’s blessing, the good news was “bearing fruit and increasing in all the world.”—Col. 1:6. In a similar way in our day—but on a scale never before experienced—the good news is bearing fruit. More people are being reached with the good news and are embracing it than at any time in the past. The accomplishment of what God’s Word foretold is moving speedily, like a runner in a race.—Isa. 60:22. Organizational Readjustments By 1976, Brother Knorr had worked diligently as president of the Watch Tower Society for over three decades. He had traveled the globe many times over, visiting and encouraging missionaries, teaching and instructing branch-office personnel. He was privileged to see the number of active Witnesses increase from 117,209 in 1942 to 2,248,390 in 1976. But by the summer of 1976, 71-year-old N. H. Knorr had noticed that he had a tendency to bump into things. Subsequent tests indicated that he was suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. He struggled to continue to carry a work load for some months, but his physical prognosis was poor. Would his failing health impede the forward movement of the work? Enlargement of the Governing Body had already begun in 1971. During 1975, there were 17 members. Throughout much of that year, the Governing Body had given serious and prayerful consideration to how they could best care for all that is involved in the global preaching and teaching work outlined in God’s Word for our day. (Matt. 28:19, 20) On December 4, 1975, the Governing Body had unanimously approved one of the most significant organizational readjustments in the modern-day history of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Starting January 1, 1976, all the activities of the Watch Tower Society and of the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the earth had been brought under the supervision of six administrative committees of the Governing Body. In harmony with that arrangement, on February 1, 1976, changes had been put into effect in all branch offices of the Society around the earth. No longer was each branch supervised by one branch overseer, but three or more mature men served as a Branch Committee, with one member serving as the permanent coordinator.a After the committees had been operating for some months, the Governing Body observed: “It has proved beneficial to have a number of brothers taking counsel together to consider the interests of the Kingdom work.—Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 24:6.” In the fall of 1976, despite the fact that his physical prognosis remained poor, Brother Knorr shared in giving instruction at meetings held at headquarters with Branch Committee members and other branch personnel from around the world. In addition to sharing in the meetings during the day, Brother Knorr invited these brothers, in small groups, to his room in the evenings. In this way he and his wife, Audrey, shared close fellowship with the men who knew and loved him and with whom he had had such close dealings over the years. Following these meetings, Brother Knorr’s health deteriorated steadily until his death on June 8, 1977. On June 22, 1977, two weeks after Brother Knorr’s death, 83-year-old Frederick W. Franz was elected president of the Watch Tower Society. Regarding Brother Franz, The Watchtower of August 1, 1977, stated: “His outstanding reputation as an eminent Bible scholar and his tireless work in behalf of Kingdom interests has won him the confidence and loyal support of Jehovah’s Witnesses everywhere.” By the time of this transition, new organizational arrangements were already in operation that ensured the forward movement of the work. Filling Spiritual Needs With Bible Literature Jehovah’s Witnesses were well fed spiritually before 1976. But an examination of what has taken place since then under the direction of the Governing Body and its Writing Committee reveals that the waters of truth have flowed out in ever greater quantities and in more diversified forms. Many of the publications produced have filled specific needs of the Witnesses themselves. Special concern was shown for young people. To help them to apply Bible principles to the situations they face in life, Your Youth—Getting the Best Out Of It was published in 1976, and Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, in 1989. The illustrated publication My Book of Bible Stories, prepared with children in mind, was released in 1978. That same year practical counsel and guidance for strengthening families was presented in Making Your Family Life Happy. At times, specific needs of Jehovah’s people have been addressed by means of timely counsel in the pages of The Watchtower. For example, the worldwide report of the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 1977/78 reflected a decrease in the number sharing in the preaching work. Was the decrease at least partly due to disappointed expectations concerning 1975? Perhaps. But there were other influencing factors. What could be done? The Governing Body took steps to strengthen the conviction among Jehovah’s Witnesses that there was a need to continue zealously proclaiming the Kingdom from house to house. The Watchtower of July 15, 1979, contained the articles “Zeal for Jehovah’s House,” “Preaching in a Lawless World,” “They Preached From House to House,” and “What Others Have Said About House-to-House Witnessing.” These and other articles reaffirmed that house-to-house preaching has a solid Scriptural basis and urged zealous and whole-souled participation in this important activity.b—Acts 20:20; Col. 3:23. Another situation also needed attention. By 1980, a number of persons who had shared in the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses for some years, including some who had served prominently in the organization, had been in various ways trying to cause division and oppose the work Jehovah’s Witnesses were doing. To fortify Jehovah’s people against such apostate influence, The Watchtower carried such articles as “Remain ‘Solid in the Faith’” (August 1, 1980), “Quietly Bringing in Destructive Sects” (September 15, 1983), and “Reject Apostasy, Cling to the Truth!” (April 1, 1983), while the book “Let Your Kingdom Come” (1981) emphasized the reality that the Kingdom is at hand, having been established in the heavens in 1914. The Governing Body did not allow the efforts of opposers to distract it from the primary objective of Jehovah’s Witnesses—proclaiming God’s Kingdom! However, what of the need of Jehovah’s Witnesses to continue to broaden their knowledge of Bible truth? For serious Bible study, in 1984 a revised reference edition of the New World Translation was issued, containing extensive marginal references, footnotes, and appendix material. Four years later, in 1988, Jehovah’s people were thrilled to receive an up-to-date commentary on every verse in Revelation, in the book Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand!, also the two-volume Bible encyclopedia Insight on the Scriptures. Then, in 1991, there was published the beautifully illustrated book The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, a thorough study of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. But what about the needs of persons who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses? As an instrument to instruct newly interested ones, the publication You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth was released in 1982. It was designed to help Bible students to meet Jehovah’s requirements for life in an earthly paradise. To help people who may have questions about the origin and purpose of life on earth, the book Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? was provided in 1985. This was followed, in 1989, by the faith-strengthening book The Bible—God’s Word or Man’s? Attention was also given to humble persons who might need special help because of their cultural or religious background. To teach the truth about Jehovah’s Kingdom to those who are illiterate or who read poorly, the 32-page brochure Enjoy Life on Earth Forever! was released in 1982. By 1992, over 76,000,000 copies had been printed, and it was being distributed in 200 languages around the world, making it the most widely translated of any publication of the Watch Tower Society. In 1983, three booklets were produced for the special purpose of helping Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. To reach people with these and other religious backgrounds, it is helpful to understand something about their religion—its teachings and history. To fill this need, the book Mankind’s Search for God was released in 1990. The Governing Body was keenly interested in reaching as many people as possible with the Kingdom message—people “of all nations and tribes and . . . tongues.” (Rev. 7:9) To that end, arrangements were made to translate the literature into many more languages. For example, from 1976 to 1992, there was an increase of about 42 percent in the number of languages in which The Watchtower was produced. In October 1992, the number was 111. To make speedy translation possible, that same year over 800 translators around the world were sharing in the work. Programs of Education Enriched and Diversified Under the direction of the Governing Body and its Teaching Committee, programs of instruction for the headquarters staff and for Bethel families in the branches around the world were enriched and given greater variety. In addition to reading the Bible and the Yearbook as part of their morning worship, there was introduced an in-depth analysis of the portion of the Bible read during the preceding week, with application of the material to those serving at Bethel. Regular reports from various Bethel departments as well as more frequent reports from zone overseers were also introduced. To meet the needs of those with added responsibilities within the organization, further educational programs were designed and put into operation. During 1977, arrangements were made for all elders to attend a 15-hour course of the Kingdom Ministry School. (Acts 20:28) Since then, similar sessions of varying lengths have been arranged every few years; and beginning in 1984, ministerial servants also received training in the Kingdom Ministry School. In Brooklyn, starting in December 1977, a special five-week school for Branch Committee members began. Special concern was also shown for those who were expending themselves in the full-time ministry as pioneers. In December 1977 the Pioneer Service School, a two-week course of training for pioneer ministers, was inaugurated in the United States and eventually extended to all parts of the earth. During the next 14 years, the number of pioneers increased more than fivefold—from 115,389 to 605,610! In the fall of 1987, another new school was opened—the Ministerial Training School. This school was established to train qualified single brothers who had some experience as elders or ministerial servants and who were willing to serve wherever there was a need in the worldwide field. By 1992, classes had been held in Australia, Austria, Britain, El Salvador, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. The result has been, not a class of individuals who are viewed as superior to others in the congregation, but rather an increase in the number of men well qualified to serve their brothers. To further the global work of Bible education, international conventions were scheduled in strategically located cities—some in lands where Jehovah’s Witnesses had been under ban. These conventions served to strengthen the brothers in those areas and to give strong impetus to the preaching of the good news in those lands.c Facilities to Care for the Growth As the word of Jehovah continued to move speedily, some thrilling developments became necessary in construction and printing—fields under the supervision of the Governing Body and its Publishing Committee. Witnesses with experience in construction volunteered their services, and their efforts were coordinated to assist in building new and larger branch facilities around the world. From 1976 to 1992, the building of completely new branch facilities was undertaken in some 60 lands. In addition to that, projects to expand existing facilities got under way in 30 lands. The way the work was done (with volunteers coming from many congregations—sometimes from other lands) served to strengthen the bonds of love and unity among Jehovah’s people.d In order to meet the Society’s expanding multilanguage printing needs, Witnesses with experience in the computer field developed a computerized prepress system called MEPS (Multilanguage Electronic Phototypesetting System). The project was completed in 1986. As a result, by 1992, The Watchtower was being printed simultaneously in 66 languages. The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses were thus able to receive the same spiritual food at the same time.e As the facilities of the Watch Tower Society continued to expand, more volunteers were needed at the headquarters in Brooklyn as well as in the branch offices around the world. From 1976 to 1992, the international Bethel family tripled in size, from about 4,000 to over 12,900 members serving throughout the earth. The Governing Body and its Personnel Committee have looked after the personal and spiritual needs of this large army of full-time volunteers. Caring for Congregations and the Work of Evangelizing As the word of Jehovah moved ahead speedily, the Governing Body and its Service Committee directed their energies to building up the congregations worldwide and to expanding the global evangelizing work. Was there more that could be done to help the many new ones who were getting baptized each year? Early in 1977, arrangements were made to strengthen new Witnesses spiritually. Explained Our Kingdom Service: “We believe that at least two books should be studied with all persons who come into the truth. . . . So the study should continue after baptism until the second book has been completed.” In this way newly baptized Witnesses were given a fuller opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding and to have a growing appreciation for what it means to be baptized. The new arrangement also encouraged further close association between new ones and the Witnesses who helped them in their home Bible study. To care for those streaming into Jehovah’s organization, over 29,000 new congregations were formed worldwide between 1976 and 1992. (Mic. 4:1) More circuit and district overseers were appointed by the Governing Body and sent out to help. The number of these traveling overseers went from about 2,600 in 1976 to some 3,900 in 1992. As the number of congregations increased, there was also a growing need for more meeting halls. Was there a quicker way to build Kingdom Halls? In the 1970’s, Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States organized a building program whereby skilled construction workers from neighboring parts of the country were invited to help local Witnesses build a Kingdom Hall. With hundreds assisting, a hall could be completed quickly—often in just two or three days. By the 1980’s, quickly built Kingdom Halls were going up in other parts of the earth. Political changes in Eastern Europe also affected Jehovah’s Witnesses. What a thrill for our brothers in such countries as East Germany (as it was then known), Hungary, Poland, Romania, and what was then called the Soviet Union to learn that they had been granted legal recognition, in some cases after 40 years of ban! The increased freedom in those countries now made it easier for them to reach some 380,000,000 persons with the good news! Jehovah’s Witnesses wasted no time in availing themselves of their newfound freedom to share in their public preaching activity. And the results? The word of Jehovah has moved speedily! For example, in April 1992 the number of Kingdom proclaimers reporting in Poland was 106,915. And the prospects for future growth were outstanding: That same month the attendance at the Memorial of Christ’s death was 214,218. Similarly, in the lands that formerly made up the Soviet Union, a total of 173,473 attended the Memorial in 1992, an increase of 60 percent over the year before. In some lands, however, continued persecution and natural disasters have presented obstacles. In 1992 the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses were still under government restrictions in 24 lands. The Chairman’s Committee of the Governing Body does what is possible to provide assistance and to inform the international brotherhood of ways that they can come to the aid of fellow Witnesses serving under adversity. (Compare 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.) Neither campaigns of persecution nor natural disasters have been able to stop the preaching of the word of Jehovah! “A People Peculiarly His Own” So, in the years from 1976 to 1992, Jehovah’s word has indeed moved ahead speedily. The organization nearly doubled in size, to over 4,470,000 Kingdom publishers! Jehovah’s people have continued to zealously proclaim God’s Kingdom, now in more languages than ever before. Using the publications that have been provided, they have deepened their knowledge of the Bible and helped interested ones to learn Bible truths. They have benefited from the educational programs that have been instituted for those with added responsibilities within the organization. Jehovah has without doubt blessed their proclamation of his Kingdom. From the 1870’s down to the present, certain men have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the Kingdom work, men such as Charles T. Russell, Joseph F. Rutherford, Nathan H. Knorr, and Frederick W. Franz, as well as others who have served as members of the Governing Body. But in no way have Jehovah’s Witnesses become a sect built around the personalities of any of these men. Instead, they have but one leader, “the Christ.” (Matt. 23:10) He is the Head of these organized Witnesses of Jehovah, the one to whom “all authority has been given” for directing this work “all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 28:18-20) They are determined to submit to Christ’s headship, keep close to God’s Word, and cooperate with the leading of the holy spirit, that they may continue moving ahead in the worship of the only true God and in proving themselves to be “a people peculiarly his own, zealous for fine works.”—Titus 2:14. But what are some of the basic teachings and standards of conduct that distinguish Jehovah’s Witnesses from all other religions? How did they come to be known as Jehovah’s Witnesses? How are their activities financed? Why do they maintain strict separateness from other churches and from the world in general? Why have they been the objects of intense persecution in so many parts of the earth? These and many other questions will be answered in the chapters that follow. [Footnotes] a See Chapter 15, “Development of the Organization Structure.” b From 1980 to 1985, there was a 33-percent increase in the number sharing in the preaching work, and from 1985 to 1992, there was a further 47.9-percent increase. c See Chapter 17, “Conventions—Proof of Our Brotherhood.” d See Chapter 20, “Building Together on a Global Scale.” e See Chapter 26, “Producing Bible Literature for Use in the Ministry.” [Blurb on page 117] Not a sect built around the personalities of any men [Box/Graph on page 110] From 1976 to 1992, there was an increase of 42 percent in the number of languages in which “The Watchtower” was produced [Graph] (For fully formatted text, see publication) 111 78 1976 1992 [Box on page 111] Background of F. W. Franz Frederick William Franz was born in Covington, Kentucky, U.S.A., on September 12, 1893. In 1899 the family moved to Cincinnati, where Frederick graduated from high school in 1911. He then entered the University of Cincinnati, taking a liberal arts course. He had decided that he would become a Presbyterian preacher, so he vigorously applied himself to the study of Bible Greek. At the university Frederick was chosen to receive a Rhodes scholarship, qualifying him for admission to Oxford University in England. However, before an announcement could be made, Frederick lost all interest in the scholarship and asked that his name be dropped from the list of contestants. Previously, his brother Albert had sent him a booklet that he had obtained from the International Bible Students. Later Albert gave him the first three volumes of “Studies in the Scriptures.” Frederick was delighted with what he was learning and decided to sever his connection with the Presbyterian Church and associate with the congregation of Bible Students. On November 30, 1913, he was baptized. In May 1914 he left the university, and he immediately made arrangements to become a colporteur (pioneer). In June 1920 he became a member of the Bethel family in Brooklyn. Following the death of N. H. Knorr, in June 1977, Brother Franz was elected to the office of president of the Society. He served faithfully as a member of the Governing Body down till his death, on December 22, 1992, at the age of 99. [Graph on page 112] (For fully formatted text, see publication) Expanding Ranks of Pioneers 1992 600,000 400,000 1986 200,000 1981 1976 [Graph on page 113] (For fully formatted text, see publication) Growing Worldwide Bethel Family 1992 12,000 9,000 1986 6,000 1981 1976 3,000 [Graph on page 114] (For fully formatted text, see publication) Multiplying Congregations 80,000 1992 60,000 1986 1981 1976 40,000 20,000 [Graph on page 115] (For fully formatted text, see publication) Increase of Kingdom Proclaimers 1992 4,000,000 1986 3,000,000 1981 1976 2,000,000 1,000,000 [Picture on page 109] Each branch office of the Society is supervised by a committee of brothers, like this one that oversees the work in Nigeria [Pictures on page 116] The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses January 1992 Carey W. Barber John E. Barr W. Lloyd Barry John C. Booth Frederick W. Franz George D. Gangas Milton G. Henschel Theodore Jaracz Karl F. Klein Albert D. Schroeder Lyman A. Swingle Daniel Sydlik

How Can You Fear a God of Love?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101998007

The Bible’s Viewpoint How Can You Fear a God of Love? “HAPPY IS THE MAN IN FEAR OF JEHOVAH.”—Psalm 112:1. IF “God is love,” as the Bible describes him, why should it be necessary to fear him? (1 John 4:16) Love and fear are generally regarded as incompatible. So, what role should fear play in our relationship with God? Why fear a God of love? A close look at how the word “fear” is used in the Bible can provide us with a better understanding of this matter. In most languages a single word can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context. For instance, in some languages one may say: “I love ice cream” and also, “I love my children.” There is a great difference in the intensity of and types of love being expressed. Similarly, the Bible speaks of different types of fear. When it uses the word in connection with worshiping God, it is not referring to terror, fright, or a sense of impending punishment. Rather, the fear of God conveys healthful feelings—awe, reverence, and deep respect. These noble emotions are coupled with love for and attraction toward God, not an instinct to flee or hide from him. The fear of God displaces morbid, cowering fear. Concerning the man who fears God, the psalmist wrote: “He will not be afraid even of bad news. His heart is steadfast, made reliant upon Jehovah.” (Psalm 112:7) No threat from evil men or from Satan himself can overpower our deep respect and reverence for Jehovah. (Luke 12:4, 5) Neither must we be afraid to approach God in prayer. Rather, in this context, “love throws fear outside.”—1 John 4:18. The Heavens and God’s Grandeur King David of old was a God-fearing man. He was in awe when contemplating the beauty and complexity of creation. He exclaimed: “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, as my soul is very well aware.” (Psalm 139:14) Gazing up into the night sky, he exclaimed: “The heavens are declaring the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1) Do you imagine that David was frightened by this experience? On the contrary, it moved him to sing praises to Jehovah. Today’s increased knowledge of the heavens gives us even stronger reason to feel awe. Recently, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope peered deeper into the heavens than any human before them. They selected a part of the sky that appeared empty to ground-based telescopes and focused the Hubble on an area only as big as a grain of sand held at arm’s length. The resulting picture was crowded, not with individual stars, but with galaxies—vast systems consisting of billions of stars—never before seen by man! The magnitude, mystery, and wonder of the universe instill awe in a keen observer. However, such wonders are a mere reflection of the Creator’s glory and power. The Bible calls Jehovah God “the Father of the celestial lights” and tells us that he “is counting the number of the stars; all of them he calls by their names.”—James 1:17; Psalm 147:4. The immensity of the universe is also seen in the time spanned by celestial events. The light from the galaxies photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope had been traveling through space for billions of years! Ought not our newness and smallness in comparison with the permanence of the heavens cause us to feel awe and deep reverence for the One who made the stars? (Isaiah 40:22, 26) To realize that the God who created all of this also ‘keeps mortal man in mind and cares for him’ deepens our regard for our Creator and makes us want to know him and please him. (Psalm 8:3, 4) Such sublime respect and appreciation is what the Bible calls the fear of God. A Forgiving God We are all imperfect. Even when trying to do what is right, we sin unintentionally. When that happens, should we be in dread of losing God’s favor? The psalmist wrote: “If errors were what you watch, O Jah, O Jehovah, who could stand? For there is the true forgiveness with you, in order that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3, 4) That the “Grand Maker” should be so kind and forgiving inspires deep appreciation and reverence in his worshipers.—Isaiah 54:5-8. The fear of God motivates us to do good and also to refrain from doing what God says is bad. Our relationship with our heavenly Father may be compared to that of a good human father with his children. At times, children may not remember why their father forbids them to play in the street. Still, when they feel the impulse to chase a ball into the path of traffic, the thought of their father’s prohibition holds them back—possibly saving them from death. Likewise, an adult’s fear of Jehovah may restrain him from committing an act that could ruin lives—his own and those of others.—Proverbs 14:27. Fearing God’s Judgment By contrast, a person whose conscience does not restrain him from displeasing God has reason to be in fear in a very different way. Just as human governments punish criminal elements, God has the right to act against willful, unrepentant wrongdoers. God’s temporary permission of wickedness has allowed some to become hardened in a wrong course. But the Bible shows clearly that one day soon he will remove all evil elements from the earth. (Psalm 37:9, 10; Ecclesiastes 8:11; 1 Timothy 5:24) The unrepentant wicked have reason to fear punishment from God. Yet, this type of fear is not the kind of fear that the Bible recommends. Rather, the Bible associates the fear of Jehovah with beautiful things in life—singing, joy, trust, wisdom, longevity, confidence, prosperity, hope, and peace, to name but a few.a If we continue to walk in the fear of Jehovah, we will enjoy such blessings forever.—Deuteronomy 10:12-14. [Footnote] a See Exodus 15:11; Psalm 34:11, 12; 40:3; 111:10; Proverbs 10:27; 14:26; 22:4; 23:17, 18; Acts 9:31. [Picture Credit Line on page 26] Courtesy of Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin

What Is Salvation?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502016130

What Is Salvation? The Bible’s answer The terms “save” and “salvation” are sometimes used by Bible writers to convey the idea of a person’s being delivered from danger or destruction. (Exodus 14:13, 14; Acts 27:20) Often, though, these terms refer to deliverance from sin. (Matthew 1:​21) Since death is caused by sin, people who are saved from sin have the hope of living forever.​—John 3:​16, 17.a What is the way to salvation? To gain salvation, you must exercise faith in Jesus and demonstrate that faith by obeying his commands.​—Acts 4:​10, 12; Romans 10:​9, 10; Hebrews 5:9. The Bible shows that you must have works, or acts of obedience, to prove that your faith is alive. (James 2:​24, 26) However, this does not mean that you can earn salvation. It is “God’s gift” based on his “undeserved kindness,” or “grace.”​—Ephesians 2:​8, 9; King James Version. Can you lose out on salvation? Yes. Just as a person saved from drowning could fall or jump back into the water, a person who has been saved from sin but fails to keep exercising faith could lose out on salvation. For this reason, the Bible urges Christians who have received salvation “to put up a hard fight for the faith.” (Jude 3) It also warns those who have been saved: “Keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”​—Philippians 2:​12. Who is the Savior​—God or Jesus? The Bible identifies God as the primary source of salvation, often referring to him as “Savior.” (1 Samuel 10:19; Isaiah 43:11; Titus 2:​10; Jude 25) In addition, God used various men to deliver the ancient nation of Israel, and the Bible calls them “saviors.” (Nehemiah 9:​27; Judges 3:​9, 15; 2 Kings 13:5)b Likewise, since God provides salvation from sin through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Bible refers to Jesus as “Savior.”​—Acts 5:​31; Titus 1:4.c Will everyone be saved? No, some people will not be saved. (2 Thessalonians 1:9) When Jesus was asked, “Are those being saved few?” he replied: “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able.”​—Luke 13:23, 24. Misconceptions about universal salvation Misconception: First Corinthians 15:22 teaches universal salvation by saying that “in the Christ all will be made alive.” Fact: The context of this verse discusses the resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:12, 13, 20, 21, 35) So the phrase “in the Christ all will be made alive” simply means that all who are resurrected receive this blessing through Jesus Christ.​—John 11:25. Misconception: Titus 2:​11 teaches universal salvation by saying that God is “bringing salvation to all people.”​—International Standard Version. Fact: The Greek word translated “all” in this verse can also mean “every kind or variety.”d Thus, the correct understanding of Titus 2:​11 is that God is making salvation available to all sorts of people, including people “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues.”​—Revelation 7:​9, 10. Misconception: Second Peter 3:9 teaches universal salvation by saying that God “does not desire anyone to be destroyed.” Fact: God wants people to be saved, but he does not force them to accept his provision for salvation. His “day of judgment” will include the “destruction of the ungodly people.”​—2 Peter 3:7. a The Bible refers to a person as having “been saved” even though his or her actual salvation from sin and death is yet to come.​—Ephesians 2:5; Romans 13:11. b In the cited verses, some translations use the terms “champion,” “deliverer,” “hero,” “leader,” or even “someone” rather than “savior.” However, in the original Hebrew text of the Bible, the same word is used for these human saviors as is used elsewhere in the Bible when referring to Jehovah God as Savior.​—Psalm 7:​10. c The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoh·shuʹaʽ, which means “Jehovah Is Salvation.” d See Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. The same Greek word appears in Matthew 5:​11, which records Jesus’ statement that people would say “all sorts of” evil things against his followers.​—International Standard Version.

Peace and Security (tp73) 1973

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/tp73

Chapter 8 Who Will the Survivors Be? 1. Upon what will one’s survival into God’s peaceful new order depend? SURVIVAL of the coming world destruction will not be a matter of chance, as so often happens in human wars. It will not be determined by the part of the earth in which one lives. Nor will it result from one’s hurrying to some bomb shelter or other refuge at the sound of a warning siren. Survival will depend on God’s mercy along with one’s deliberate choice made before the foretold “great tribulation” begins. How can you make the choice that will place you among those surviving to life in a peaceful new order? PROPHETIC PATTERN OF THE PAST 2. Who sets the terms for survival, and where are these found? 2 The Bible not only foretells that persons will survive the coming world destruction. It also sets out a pattern enabling us to know what kind of persons they will be. Since God makes possible the survival, rightly he sets the terms. 3. For there to be peace and security, why is it necessary for evildoers to be cut off? 3 God will wisely and justly see to it that those surviving the coming “great tribulation” are persons who will do good in his new order, not work to its harm. He will preserve only those who love righteousness. If he did otherwise, letting unrighteous persons survive, there would be no peace and security. The homes and personal safety of upright people would still be endangered. But his inspired Word promises: “Evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth.” Only by God’s applying to its full extent the standard set forth here at Psalm 37:9-11 [36:9-11, Dy] will survivors be able to “find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace,” as is further promised in this scripture. How God will do this is seen in the record of past occasions when men’s wickedness obliged God to bring destruction. PAST EXAMPLES OF SURVIVAL 4-6. (a) What testifies that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. is a historical fact? (b) Why did the destruction come? (c) What made it possible for the disciples of Jesus Christ to escape? 4 In the city of Rome today there still stands an arch from the first century of the Common Era, known as the Arch of Titus. On its interior walls is depicted the carrying away of items from the temple in Jerusalem after the destruction of that city in 70 C.E. That destruction is a historical fact. Equally historical is the fact that, decades before that destruction, Jesus Christ had foretold both its coming and how persons could survive it. 5 The Jewish people had turned away from God; they were following men and the religious traditions of men, not God and his Word. (Matthew 15:3-9) They put their faith in human political rulers and not in God’s promised kingdom. (John 19:15) They went so far as to reject and even fight against the truth that God’s Son and his apostles proclaimed. Christ Jesus warned of the consequences to which such a course would inevitably lead.​—Matthew 23:37, 38; 24:1, 2. 6 The results were exactly as foretold in the Bible. In the year 66 C.E. the Jews revolted against Rome. An initial attack on Jerusalem by the Romans was followed by their unexpected retreat. This was the signal and opportunity for those believing God’s Word to do what his Son had said: Flee​—get out of the doomed city and out of the whole province of Judea, no matter what one might have to leave behind. Genuine disciples of Jesus Christ did just that. Then, in the year 70 C.E., the Romans returned and, after a siege, destroyed Jerusalem. An eyewitness, Jewish historian Josephus, claims that 1,100,000 persons in Jerusalem died by famine, disease, civil strife or the Roman sword. Yet those Christians who took positive action, demonstrating faith by obedience, escaped that destruction.​—Luke 19:28, 41-44; 21:20-24; Matthew 24:15-18. 7. What did persons need to do to survive when Babylon wrecked the Israelite nation? 7 A similar situation had prevailed nearly seven centuries earlier. At that time Jehovah God allowed Babylonian forces under King Nebuchadnezzar (II) to wreck the Israelite nation. That destruction, too, is a matter of history. For years before, God through his prophets had warned the apostate people that their course was leading to disaster. “Turn back, turn back from your bad ways, for why is it that you should die?” was God’s call to them. (Ezekiel 33:11) The majority put no faith in the warning sounded. Even when Jerusalem came under siege by Babylon’s forces, those Israelites still kept hoping that no destruction would come. Nevertheless, it took place as foretold. Yet God fulfilled his promise of preservation to those who demonstrated by obedience their faith in him.​—Jeremiah 39:15-18; Zephaniah 2:2, 3 [Sophonias 2:2, 3, Dy]. 8-10. (a) Why did Jehovah bring a world destruction in the days of Noah? (b) Why were Noah and his family spared? 8 Farther back in human history, we find the earliest expression of the divine pattern for survival. It involves, not a national destruction, but a world destruction, and that too is a historical fact. This came in the global flood occurring during the years 2370/2369 B.C.E., in the days of Noah. Of the conditions prevailing before that world destruction, the historical account reads: “Consequently Jehovah saw that the badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time. And the earth came to be ruined in the sight of the true God and the earth became filled with violence.”​—Genesis 6:5, 11. 9 The wickedness and violence obliged God to act. On earth only Noah and his family showed faith and obedience. Out of mercy to them and to preserve justice and righteousness on earth, Jehovah God did “not hold back from punishing an ancient world . . . of ungodly people.” The result was that “the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.”​—2 Peter 2:5; 3:5-7. 10 Yet Noah and his family survived. Why? First, Noah and his family did not go along with that “world of ungodly people” in their unrighteousness. They did not let themselves become so engrossed with the ordinary things of life, eating, drinking and marriage, that they became insensitive to God’s will or deaf to his warning. Noah ‘walked with God’ in righteousness. This was not just a negative thing. He and his family did not merely refrain from doing bad acts. They took positive action; they did things, right acts. They really believed what God said, and showed it by obediently building a chestlike, three-story ark over four hundred feet in length, according to divine specifications. Noah was also “a preacher of righteousness,” speaking out God’s purposes, advocating the way of righteousness.​—Genesis 6:9, 13-16; Matthew 24:37-39; Hebrews 11:7. 11. As indicated by these warning examples, what must we do if we are to survive the coming world destruction? 11 These eight persons survived because of faith and works of faith. Since God’s own Son and his apostles refer to that world destruction as prophetic of what faces people in this “time of the end,” it is clear that we too must disassociate ourselves from the wrong course of the world of mankind today, which is every bit as ungodly as that in Noah’s day. We too must work in harmony with God’s will. We cannot simply be guided by our own standards and expect to survive. God’s Word says: “There exists a way that is upright before a man, but the ways of death are the end of it afterward.” (Proverbs 16:25) Nor will any superficial appearance of righteousness bring survival. For Jehovah God sees what the heart is.​—Proverbs 24:12; Luke 16:15. WHAT JEHOVAH LOOKS FOR IN HUMAN HEARTS 12, 13. (a) What causes many people to want a change to better conditions? (b) Why is this not enough to assure their survival into God’s new order? (c) To be among the survivors, what must motivate our grief over present bad conditions? 12 There are many people who are unhappy with present conditions. They show this by their complaints, demonstrations, strikes and, in some lands, by violent revolt. Many resent high taxation and the soaring cost of living. In many areas they bemoan the danger of crime. Fear makes them want a change. But, is this enough to assure their survival into God’s new order? No, it is not. Why not? 13 Because one could be unhappy over these conditions and yet be selfish. He might even approve of certain forms of dishonesty and immorality​—just as long as he himself did not suffer. When a person gets a knowledge of the Bible, however, he can see that these bad conditions are but the outward evidences of the real sickness of this world. He discerns that behind these symptoms is disrespect for right principles and even for God himself, a lack of concern about knowing and doing Jehovah God’s will and observing his righteous standards. Rather than being primarily upset and grieved because they are not getting certain material things or certain social rights, or because of the danger from crime, pollution and the threat of war, righthearted persons are especially grieved at seeing humankind defaming God’s name by their corrupt course. And they grieve that others, not just themselves, suffer so much as a result. 14. Who were the ones ‘marked’ for survival at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction by Babylon? 14 To be among the survivors of the coming world destruction, we must be like those whom God spared when he permitted the armies of Babylon to destroy Jerusalem. These persons marked for survival were described as “sighing and groaning over all the detestable things” that were being done in the midst of the city. (Ezekiel 9:4) Conditions were very bad there; the poor were being oppressed, some even held in slavery illegally by their countrymen. (Jeremiah 34:13-16) Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah had become even worse than had the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital, Samaria, of which the prophet Hosea had earlier written: “There are the pronouncing of curses and practicing of deception and murdering and stealing . . . and acts of bloodshed have touched other acts of bloodshed.” (Hosea 4:2; Ezekiel 16:2, 51) Only those who felt grieved at heart because of such unrighteousness and the disrespect it showed for God were ‘marked’ for survival​—Ezekiel 9:2, 4-6. 15. What holds some persons back from making the changes needed in order to be survivors of the coming world destruction? 15 There are many persons today who would like to enjoy life in peace, with freedom from fear and in prosperous, comfortable conditions. But they do not want to change their way of life by learning what God’s Word says and by following its pattern for right living. They really do not have a love of righteousness or sincerely care about their fellowmen. Since God’s new order will produce a new earthly society in which “righteousness is to dwell,” the good news about it will have an appealing flavor only to those who love righteousness; others feel condemned by it.​—2 Peter 3:13; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17. WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW 16-18. (a) How does a person become ‘marked’ for survival through the coming world destruction? (b) So, what action must be taken, first as to false worship, and then as to true worship? 16 Jehovah God is going to save persons who sincerely want to live under his righteous rule. He will not force any to live in his promised new order under circumstances they themselves say they do not want. But their lack of desire is not going to hold God back from blessing those who do love righteousness. Therefore, those whom he preserves through the coming world destruction will be ones who prove their genuine acceptance of his divine rulership now. They become ‘marked’ for survival by putting on the “new personality,” conforming their lives to God’s ways and giving evidence that they truly are dedicated, baptized disciples of God’s Son. They actively share in doing the will of God. Thereby they “choose life” and blessings, not death. (Colossians 3:5-10; Deuteronomy 30:15, 16, 19) Will you thus choose life? 17 Loyalty and submission to God are required, and these things involve worship. Christ Jesus said: “The hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.” (John 4:23) Survival of the coming world destruction therefore requires our abandoning all false worship and zealously participating in true worship. 18 Unending blessings await those who take this course that leads to survival. Consider now some of the grand things that God promises for those putting faith in his Word and proving that faith by positive action.

Happiness (hp) 1980

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/hp

Chapter 8 Family Life​—How You Can Have Success BY FAR the majority of persons agree that family life and happiness are related. In one survey, 85 percent of the men said that they “feel that ‘family life’ is very important to a happy and satisfied life.” Yet you may know of many men who have chosen to get divorced. More and more women, too, are opting for divorce to end marriages marked by boredom, conflict or oppression. 2 We cannot change what others do. But we should be interested in improving our own family life, especially the relationship between husband and wife. We might all well ask: ‘How is this relationship in my home?’ 3 The Creator is the Originator of the family arrangement. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) He provides practical advice that has helped many, many couples to enjoy success in family life. That same advice can benefit you. PRACTICAL LESSONS FROM THE FIRST MARRIAGE 4 In the opening portion of the Bible, we find a record of how God began the first human family. Some time after Jehovah God had created the first man, Adam, He said: “‘It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him.’ And Jehovah God proceeded to build the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and to bring her to the man. Then the man said: ‘This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. . . .’ That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.”​—Genesis 2:18, 22-24. 5 Notice that the first family did not result from two persons just deciding to live together. God authorized the marriage and they were joined in a permanent union. Before the highest Authority in the universe, Adam accepted Eve to be his wife. 6 When a man and a woman take the steps required to form a valid and recognized marriage, they publicly commit themselves to each other. (Genesis 24:4, 34-67; Matthew 25:1-10) No such commitment is made when a couple simply lives together without benefit of marriage. Instead, their relationship is one that the Bible terms “fornication” or “adultery.” (Hebrews 13:4) Even if they profess to love each other, their relationship will likely suffer in time because it lacks the firm commitment of marriage that the Bible shows to be crucial. For example: A 34-year-old woman explains: “Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but the commitment of marriage makes me feel more secure. . . . I love the comfort of having admitted to ourselves and the world that we intend to stick together.” A 28-year-old teacher shared his realization: “After a couple of years, I began to feel as though I were living in a void. Living together [without marriage] provided no future orientation.” In a study of the matter, sociologist Nancy M. Clatworthy found that couples who made a commitment by getting married, but who had not lived together before marriage, expressed “a greater feeling of happiness and outputment.” 7 The Bible account of the first marriage can also help us to avoid problems involving parents and in-laws. Such problems, according to one marriage counselor, are among the most common. Yet before there could be any problems with parents and in-laws, the Bible said of the first marriage: “A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife.”​—Genesis 2:24. 8 Naturally, most of us love our parents. The Bible even encourages us to provide them with material aid in their later years, if it is needed. (1 Timothy 5:8; Deuteronomy 27:16; Proverbs 20:20) But the Scriptures emphasize that, upon marrying, your mate becomes your closest relative. Your husband or wife becomes the first one to love, care for and consult. 9 This view discourages a married person’s ‘running home’ to parents if problems arise. And it helps parents to appreciate that, upon getting married, their children “leave” and form independent families, even if custom or finances require their living near or with the parents for a time. It is fitting for children to value and perhaps draw upon their parents’ wisdom and experience. (Job 12:12; 32:6, 7) Yet what Genesis 2:24 says is a caution against parents’ trying to direct or monitor the lives of their married children. Yes, applying this Bible counsel can contribute to marital success. HOW MANY MATES? 10 We can also see from the Genesis record that God provided just one mate for Adam. In some cultures a man is permitted multiple wives. But does polygamy lead to family happiness? To the contrary, experience shows that it often leads to deep jealousy or rivalry, as well as the mistreatment of older wives. (Proverbs 27:4; Genesis 30:1) Both polygamy and the putting away of wives by divorce existed among the ancient Hebrews. God, while tolerating that, gave the Israelites laws to prevent gross abuses. In discussing the matter, though, Jesus directed attention to God’s will as indicated in Genesis. When asked about divorce on various grounds, Jesus said: “Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife . . .’? . . . Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart. . . . Moses [in God’s law], out of regard for [the Hebrews’] hardheartedness, made the concession to you of divorcing your wives, but such has not been the case from the beginning. I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery.”​—Matthew 19:3-9. 11 Jesus made it clear that among his followers the standard would be, not polygamy, but having just one mate, as God had arranged in the beginning. (1 Timothy 3:2) Recognizing God’s wisdom and authority in this regard is a step toward happiness. 12 The same is true with what Jesus said about divorce. When it is possible to get a divorce easily, divorces abound. We see that today. But God considers marriage to be permanent. True, Jesus did say that if a person’s mate is guilty of “fornication” (Greek, porneia, meaning gross sexual immorality), thus becoming “one flesh” with another person, the innocent party may get a divorce and remarry. Yet, otherwise, the Creator views a married couple as permanently united. Those who recognize God’s authority in the matter thus have greater reason to work at strengthening their marriage and overcoming any problems. (Ecclesiastes 4:11, 12; Romans 7:2, 3) Hence, rather than causing unhappiness, this view is an aid to achieving success in marriage. Experience shows that. 13 ‘Still,’ persons may feel, ‘some marriages have serious problems, or the couple just does not get along.’ What then? There are other practical things that we can learn from the Bible. A HUSBAND WHO REALLY LOVES HIS WIFE 14 A key to family success is how a husband views and treats his wife. But who is to say which is the best way? What the Bible says about the first marriage again comes to our aid. The record explains that God used some of Adam’s own body to produce a mate for him. The Bible later expanded on the matter: “Husbands ought to be LOVING THEIR WIVES AS THEIR OWN BODIES. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation.” Then, after quoting Genesis 2:24, Paul continued: “Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself.”​—Ephesians 5:28-33. 15 Some men may think that they should be harsh or remote in dealing with their wives. But the Author of marriage says that a husband should deeply love his wife and show that love. To be genuinely happy, a wife needs to feel sure that she is genuinely loved. 16 A husband’s ‘feeding and cherishing his wife as his own body’ involves his striving to be a good provider. Yet he should not be so occupied with earning a living that he overlooks spending time with his wife and displaying warm interest in her as a person. Further, no sane man, even when irritated, is hateful or brutal to his own body. Hence, what the Bible says rules out a man’s being violently angry with his wife.​—Psalm 11:5; 37:8. 17 The first woman was made to be ‘a complement of her husband.’ (Genesis 2:18) God recognized that the man and the woman had a different makeup. That is still true. Women usually differ from men in their qualities and ways. He may be decisive, she more humanly patient. She may like groups, he preferring solitude. He may stress punctuality, she being more “relaxed” about time. The Bible comment about God’s creating Eve to be “a complement” should help husbands to understand such differences. 18 The apostle Peter urges husbands to ‘dwell with their wives according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel.’ (1 Peter 3:7) That “honor” includes accommodating the different tastes that a wife may have. A husband may like sports, but his wife may enjoy window-shopping or watching ballet. Her taste is just as valid as his. Honor allows for such differences. 19 A wife’s moods, affected by her cycles, may sometimes puzzle a husband, and maybe the wife too. But he can contribute to their mutual happiness by trying to understand and ‘dwell with her according to knowledge.’ Often what she needs most is to be tenderly held close while he converses with her in a loving way. A WIFE WHO RESPECTS HER HUSBAND 20 Since the wife must also do her part if there is to be a happy family, the Creator offers guidance for wives too. 21 Right after telling husbands to love their wives, the Bible adds: “On the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33) In the case of the first marriage, there were factors that naturally should have caused Eve to look up to her husband. Adam was created first. He had greater knowledge and experience in life, even having received directions from God. 22 But what about marriages today? If a husband sincerely tries to apply the Bible advice discussed earlier, this most likely will stimulate respect on the part of his wife. Even where a wife may excel in certain ways, or where her husband may fall short, there is reason to develop respect​—out of regard for Jehovah’s arrangement, of which the family is a part. The apostle Paul wrote: “Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation.”​—Ephesians 5:22, 23. 23 This is not to say that the husband is to be a know-it-all tyrant in the family. That would be contrary to Christ’s loving, considerate, understanding example. God urges wives to look to their husbands for leadership. On significant family matters husband and wife may consult together, like functioning parts of one body. Yet God holds the husband primarily accountable for the family.​—Colossians 3:18, 19. 24 Experience shows that what the Bible says on this subject is sound. As a wife works to merit her husband’s love and care, and looks to him for guidance in family matters, she will often find that he more willingly shoulders his responsibility and discharges it in a loving way.​—Proverbs 31:26-28; Titus 2:4, 5. WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD FAMILY SUCCESS 25 Communication is a vital element that is lacking in too many families. One social scientist observed: “Most married couples don’t listen to each other, and many get into fights as a result.” We are bound to have irritations, frustrations and disappointments in life. How can we prevent these from harming our marriage? Good communication helps. Be careful not to take it for granted, only to find that you gradually speak with each other less and less. 26 Work at communicating. Do you really make it a practice to discuss your activities and feelings? Often we are in too much of a hurry to speak and we fail to hear what the other person is saying. (Proverbs 10:19, 20; James 1:19, 26) Rather than just biding time for a chance to speak, listen, try to understand, perhaps responding, ‘Do you mean . . .?’ or, ‘Are you saying . . .?’ (Proverbs 15:30, 31; 20:5; 21:28) A husband or a wife who sincerely listens to the thoughts and feelings of the other person will be less likely to act in a selfish or inflexible way. 27 Communication becomes even more valuable if a couple will discuss mutual problems in the light of Bible counsel. For example, an excellent groundwork for discussing family income and economic plans is found at 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19 and Matthew 6:24-34. Much Scriptural advice about common aspects of family life is found in the book Making Your Family Life Happy.a 28 Since the Bible’s advice comes from the best authority on marriage and family life, Jehovah God, it stands to reason that, if we patiently and consistently apply it, its counsel can help us in working for success. Thousands of Christian couples around the globe have done this with happy results in their marriage. [Footnotes] a Published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. [Study Questions] How can we work for more success in family life? (1-3) What part did commitment play in the first marriage, and why is it vital? (4-6) What can we learn from the first marriage about parents and in-laws? (7-9) What practical lesson can we learn from Genesis about the number of mates? (10, 11) The Bible encourages what view about divorce? (12, 13) How can husbands apply the Bible counsel for them? (14-16) What should a wife’s being “a complement” mean for a husband? (17-19) The Bible urges a wife to have what view of her husband? (20-22) Why can wives trust that this counsel will help? (23, 24) What role does communication play in family success? (25-28) [Box on page 80] “During my married life,” explains a man from the western United States, “I had acquired everything I wanted materially​—a beautiful home, cars, boats and horses. Yet these things did not bring me happiness. My wife was not interested in the same things I was. We were always quarreling. I was smoking marijuana to find peace of mind. “I spent most of my weekends away from home hunting. Also, my work took me away some. This led to a life of adultery. I didn’t think my wife loved me, so I moved out and became involved with one woman after another until my life seemed at a dead end. “During this time I read the Bible some. Ephesians chapter five convinced me to try again with my wife. I realized that she had not been submissive, nor had I taken a proper lead. But on a business trip the next week I again committed adultery.” A friend suggested that if he really was interested in God, Jehovah’s Witnesses could help him. He continues: “The Witnesses did help. One of the overseers in the congregation spent time studying the Bible with me. Because of the big change in my way of life, my wife joined the study. Now for the first time our family life is a happy one, and even our two girls can see the difference. There are no words to describe the wonderful happiness that my wife and I have found in applying the Bible in our lives.” [Picture on page 85] Communication​—vital for a happy marriage

Andrey Nesmachniy: Soccer Was My Reason for Living

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/501000016

Andrey Nesmachniy: Soccer Was My Reason for Living After Andrey reached his dream, things turned and made him question the very meaning of life. He found the answer in an unexpected place. Media is loadingPlay videoPlayBack 5 secondsForward 15 secondsPreviousNextMuteSettingsFull ScreenLoaded: 0%Current time 0:00/Duration 0:00This is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.

La Bambouseraie—A Dream Come True

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102000013

La Bambouseraie—A Dream Come True BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN FRANCE ALMOST 150 years ago in the south of France, Eugène Mazel, an importer of Asian spices, set out to make what would become the largest bamboo nursery in the world, containing nearly 200 varieties of this fast-growing, versatile grass. Until 1855, Mazel’s ambition was blocked by a major obstacle: Bamboo did not grow in Europe. Attempts to import the grass from Asia proved futile. While bamboo is quite sturdy in its own habitat (certain varieties can withstand temperatures as low as -11 degrees Fahrenheit [-24 degrees Celsius] and can grow at an altitude of up to 16,000 feet [5,000 m]), it was impossible to keep the roots alive during the long journey across continents. With the advent of faster ships, however, bamboo specimens were successfully imported to England in 1827 and, later, to France. Mazel’s dream was one step closer to reality! Mazel’s next challenge was finding a suitable location for his nursery. In 1855 he purchased an 84-acre estate near Anduze, in the south of France, which benefited from the Mediterranean climate and was blessed with suitable soil. Extensive work was necessary to direct water from a nearby river. But Mazel’s painstaking efforts met with success. Sadly, by 1890, Mazel was bankrupt and had to sell his precious garden. Happily, though, others carried on where he left off, so that now each year an estimated 350,000 people visit La Bambouseraie—Mazel’s dream come true. [Picture Credit Line on page 31] All pictures: La Bambouseraie de Prafrance

Sing Praises (ssb) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/Ssb

Song 177 What Sort of Persons Ought We to Be? (2 Peter 3:11) 1. The great day of Jehovah God we keep close in mind. To him and to his reigning Son, our hearts are inclined. The night is well along, and the day’s drawn near; All things of Satan’s world will soon disappear. To our great need of praying may we e’er be alert. In pray’r the need is great, indeed, ourselves to exert. By praying to our God with all our soul and heart, We will find the peace of mind that only he can impart. 2. Our joy and peace unnoticed by the world does not go. A spectacle we’ve come to be that all men may know. What sort of persons, then, ought we all to be? What holy acts of conduct for all to see? With confidence we seek to tell of the Kingdom’s birth And talk about God’s promise of new heav’ns and new earth And how in these his righteousness will come to dwell. In the telling forth of this good news may we e’er excel. 3. Our actions and our course of life we strive to maintain In harmony with principles that bring greatest gain. Christ Jesus washed us clean from the stain of sin, And peace of God we joyously now take in. Unspotted and unblemished we would e’er want to be; As servants of Jehovah God, we have been set free. If we stay close to him and let him be our Friend, He will help us and provide for us right down to the end.

School Guidebook (sg) 1992

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/sg

Study 36 Appropriate Conclusion and Your Timing 1-3. How can you make the conclusion relate to the theme of your talk? 1 What you say last is often remembered first. So the conclusion of your talk deserves careful preparation. It should draw into sharp focus the principal points that you want remembered and drive home the theme with finality. As a result of both your composition and the delivery it ought to stimulate the audience to action. It is to this that we urge you to give attention when you come to “Conclusion appropriate, effective” on the Speech Counsel form. 2 Conclusion in direct relation to theme of talk. For ideas on how to relate the conclusion to the theme of the talk, we suggest that you review Study 27. Your conclusion does not need to restate the theme of the talk in so many words, although some students, especially those who are new, may find it a help; but it should draw attention to it. Then, on the basis of the theme, show what the audience can do. 3 If the conclusion is not directly related to the theme, it will not round out the material and tie it together. Even if you use a straight summary conclusion, presenting a skeleton of the main points, still you will no doubt want to add a final sentence or two, expressing the central idea or theme of the talk. 4-9. Why must your conclusion show your hearers what to do? 4 Conclusion shows hearers what to do. Since ordinarily your purpose in speaking is to stimulate to some type of action or to persuade to a certain viewpoint, certainly, then, the concluding thoughts of the talk should drive home those points. The main purpose of the conclusion, therefore, is to show the audience what to do and encourage them to do it. 5 For this reason, in addition to making clear the purpose of your talk, the conclusion should have earnestness, conviction, a motivating force. Often it will be found that short sentences are advantageous in giving force to the conclusion. But, regardless of sentence structure, sound reasons for acting should be given, including the benefits that will be derived from taking such a course. 6 The conclusion should follow logically what has already been stated in the talk. Thus, what you say in your conclusion is to move your audience to act on what has already been stated in the body of the talk. Your conclusion will clarify and emphasize what they are to do so that they will act on the basis of those things covered in the talk and will be particularly moved to do it by the forcefulness of your conclusion. 7 In the house-to-house ministry conclusions are often weak. This happens when the householder is not shown definitely the course we expect him to take, either in obtaining one of the publications, agreeing to a return call or something similar. 8 Conclusions on assignments in the school will also be weak if they are simply summaries of the material and do not move the audience to action. Some application of the material should be given, or in some other way the material should be shown to be of particular value to the audience. 9 Some speakers find it very helpful to conclude a talk on a Bible theme with a short summary of the entire talk, using the key texts and theme of the talk as the basis for it. By epitomizing the talk in this way with a few texts discussed as you would at the door, you will not only make the point of the talk clear but you will give the audience something they can carry away with them and use in repeating the highlights of the talk. That is the primary purpose of the conclusion, and this method is not only appropriate but effectively accomplishes that purpose. ********** 10-14. Give suggestions as to the length of a conclusion. 10 Conclusion of proper length. The length of the conclusion should not be determined by the clock, though that often happens. A conclusion is of proper length if it is effective and accomplishes its purpose. Therefore, the appropriateness of its length should be determined by the results. This is what your counselor will do when you are working on “Conclusion of proper length,” on the Speech Counsel slip. 11 For a comparison of conclusions in proportion to the length of the body of material, notice the brief conclusion to the entire book of Ecclesiastes as found at Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, and compare it with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and his conclusion at Matthew 7:24-27. Here are two different types and lengths of conclusions, yet both accomplish their purpose. 12 A conclusion should not catch the audience unawares. Not only should the words spoken point obviously to the end of the talk, but they should also have a note of finality. What you say and how you say it should end your discussion. It should not drag on unnecessarily. If you are not able to tie your talk together and still hold interest throughout the conclusion, then it should be reworked. It is still too long. 13 If you are a beginning speaker, it is often best to make your conclusion shorter than you feel might be needed. Make it simple, direct and positive. Do not let it run on endlessly. 14 If you are giving one talk of a symposium, or if you are speaking on a service meeting, then your conclusion will tie in with the introduction of the next talk and therefore can be briefer. Nevertheless, each individual part should have a conclusion that accomplishes the purpose of the talk. If it does, then it is of proper length. ********** 15-18. If timing does not receive careful attention, what results? 15 Timing. Not only is length of the conclusion important; the timing of every part of the talk deserves attention. For that reason there is a separate entry on the Speech Counsel slip for “Timing.” 16 The importance of proper timing of a talk should not be minimized. If the talk is properly prepared, the timing will also have been considered, but if the speaker, in an endeavor to squeeze in all the material, runs overtime, he is actually not accomplishing his objective. This is because those in the audience will begin to fidget and look at their watches and not really pay attention to what he is saying. The conclusion, which should embody the application and motivation that are vital to accomplishing the purpose of the talk, will be lost. Even if it is presented, in many cases the audience will fail to get the benefit from it because the speaker is going overtime. 17 Not only is the audience ill at ease when the speaker goes overtime, but the speaker is too. When he sees that his time is running out and he has too much material, he may endeavor to cram in too much, destroying its effectiveness. This often results in lack of poise. On the other hand, if the speaker finds that he does not have sufficient material to fill in the allotted time, in an endeavor to stretch it out he may well become incoherent and ramble in his presentation. 18 While it is true that the school overseer will indicate to the student when his time is up, it is disappointing, both to the student and to the audience, when a talk must be cut off before it is finished. The speaker should have sufficient interest in his material to want to present it. The audience will feel as if they have been left hanging in midair if they fail to hear the conclusion. One who consistently goes overtime on his talks shows that he is inconsiderate of others or gives evidence of lack of preparation. 19, 20. Why is timing particularly important on service meetings and convention programs? 19 When a number of speakers have part in a program, proper timing is of particular importance. For example, there may be five parts on a service meeting. If each speaker talks only one minute over his allotted time, it would make the meeting five minutes overtime. Yet each one was only a very little overtime. The result may be that some have to leave before the meeting is over in order to catch a bus home, or unbelieving mates who have come to pick up one at the meeting and who are kept waiting may become irritated. The general effect is not good. 20 Difficulties can also arise if a speaker on a symposium does not fill his allotted time. If, for example, a brother assigned a half-hour discourse on a convention program were to stop after twenty minutes, it might cause a disruption in the program if the next speaker did not happen to be ready to start immediately. 21-24. Briefly relate some of the problems with regard to timing and their causes. 21 Of course, one of the basic causes for running overtime in a talk is having too much material. This is something that should be corrected when the talk is being prepared. If the other points, the earlier points on the Speech Counsel form, have been mastered up to this point, however, timing will not be a problem. If you have already learned how to isolate your main points and prepare a proper outline, you will find that good timing follows naturally. Timing is being considered near the end of the counsel form because it is to a large extent dependent on the earlier qualities of speech that have been discussed. 22 Generally the problem in timing is going overtime. A well-prepared speaker usually has plenty of informative material, but he must exercise care so as not to use more than the allotted time will allow for. 23 However, new or inexperienced speakers are at times inclined to run short. They will want to learn to make full use of the available time. At first they may find it a little difficult to gauge their talks so as to make them come out exactly the length that is desired, but they should endeavor to come as close to the allotted time as is possible. Nevertheless, unless the talk falls considerably short of the allotted time, the timing would not be counted weak if the student prepared and presented a well-rounded-out, satisfying talk. 24 Whether a speaker’s timing should be considered weak or not can best be determined by observing the effect of the presentation on the audience. When the school overseer indicates that the time is up, the student should feel free to finish his sentence. If with that sentence he can bring his talk to an effective conclusion so that the audience feel that they have heard a well-rounded-out discussion, then the timing should not be considered weak. 25-29. How can a person make certain his talk is properly timed? 25 How can proper timing be achieved? Fundamentally it is a matter of preparation. It is important to prepare, not only the material that will go into a talk, but the presentation of the talk. If there is adequate preparation for delivery, timing will usually be correct. 26 In outlining your talk indicate clearly which are your main points. Under each main point you may have several sub-points to be covered. Some, of course, will be more important than others. Know which ones are vital to the presentation and which ones can be deleted if necessary. Then if, during your presentation, you find that you are getting behind time, it will be a simple thing to present only the principal arguments and delete the secondary ones. 27 This is something that we are constantly called on to do in the field ministry. When we go to the doors of the people, if they will stay and listen we will talk to them for several minutes. But we are also ready to give that same presentation in condensed form, taking perhaps only a minute or two if necessary. How do we do it? We have in mind our key point or points and the most important material needed in support. We also have in mind other information of secondary importance that can be used to enlarge the discussion, but we know that when the situation calls for it this can be dispensed with. This same procedure can be followed in presenting a talk from the platform. 28 It is often helpful to a speaker to make a note in the margin of his talk to indicate how much he should have covered when half his time is up, or, if it is a longer discourse, he may want to divide it into quarters. Then when he passes those time markings on his outline, he should check the clock and see how he is doing. If he is running behind time, that is the time to start deleting material of secondary importance rather than waiting till the last minute and cramming the conclusion and so destroying its effectiveness. However, it is very distracting if a speaker is constantly making reference to his watch or if he does it in a very conspicuous way, or if he tells the audience that his time is running out and so he must rush through his material. This is something to be handled in a natural way without disturbing the audience with it. 29 Achieving proper overall timing requires that the introduction be of appropriate length, that each of the key points be developed in proper proportion, and that sufficient time be left for the conclusion. It is not something to be considered simply when you see that your time is running out. If you watch your timing right from the start, the result will be a well-proportioned presentation.

School Guidebook (sg) 1992

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/sg

Study 4 How to Read and Remember 1, 2. Why is it important for us to remember what we read? 1 For those who read just as a pastime, for their own entertainment, remembering what they read is of little importance. But for someone who is studying for a profession, it is vital to remember what he reads in his textbooks. Passing an examination and entering upon the chosen occupation depend on it. The Christian minister, however, has a greater need to remember what he reads, whether reading casually or seriously. His objective is to draw closer to Jehovah and to improve his ministry, to Jehovah’s praise.—Deut. 17:19. 2 The Christian’s main reading material is the Bible and those publications that offer genuine help in understanding the Bible. He knows that it is the knowledge found in the Bible that leads to eternal life. It is this reading that equips him to be an effective minister, and it is this reading with which we are chiefly concerned in the Theocratic Ministry School. 3, 4. Why should we be selective in what we read? 3 Our taking of information into the mind through reading may be compared to our taking of food into the stomach. In both instances we must be selective. The eater, even when just satisfying his appetite, is foolish to take into his stomach that which is indigestible or that which offers no real benefit to the body, or worse, may even poison him. For best results, for long-lasting benefits, food should be easily digested and assimilated by our bodies. 4 So, too, with our reading. Whether it is casual or serious reading, what we take in should be mentally digestible and it should be something that will lastingly benefit our minds. Obviously it is unwise to feed the mind on that which is untrue, godless or immoral, and which may therefore cause spiritual indigestion. (Phil. 4:8) And why waste time reading material of little value? Just as we are selective in what we eat, so we should be in what we read. 5, 6. Why do we need to schedule time for personal reading, and when might such reading be done? 5 Schedule for personal reading. Having selected the right kind of material to read, you need to take the next step. This is to establish a schedule of reading that will fit into your particular life pattern. If you fail to set aside specific days, or evenings, for periods of reading, your efforts are likely to be too haphazard to be successful.—Acts 17:11. 6 Thoughtful reading requires ample time as well as surroundings that favor pondering over the material examined. But not all your reading will be done during extended study periods. If you can set aside even ten or fifteen minutes regularly each day to do some reading, you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish. Some persons do this reading early in the morning, or before going to bed at night. Others read while riding public transportation en route to their place of secular employment or school, or during their lunchtime. In some homes, the entire family reads together for five or ten minutes after one meal each day or just before going to bed. Regularity, doing some reading every day, produces good results. 7. What should be our goal in Bible reading? 7 Your personal schedule should include time for reading the Bible itself. There is great value in reading it right through from cover to cover. This can be achieved by reading a certain number of chapters or pages each day or each week. However, your goal in reading should never be just to cover material, but to get the overall viewpoint of it with the intention of remembering. Take time to ponder on what it says. When reading the Bible you can always be confident that you are partaking of the best spiritual food that can be had. 8, 9. What other material would it be beneficial to include in our reading program? 8 Time is also needed for preparatory reading of the material to be covered at the Watchtower study and other congregation meetings. It is good to have in mind commenting at the meetings, but do not make the finding of answers your main objective. Rather, seek to understand what you read and consider how it affects your own life. 9 Then there are the Watchtower articles other than those used in the congregation’s weekly study. Awake! magazine, too, offers a great deal of informative material in its pages. And have you read the older publications of the Society in your language? To the extent that you can make time to read the material, there is a blessing in store for you. The rate of one’s spiritual growth is, to a large extent, governed by the regularity and the quality of one’s reading habits. 10-17. What practices will help us to remember more of what we read? 10 Memory aids. To benefit fully from what we read, we need to remember it. People will often say that they do not remember because they have a bad memory. It may be in many instances, however, simply an untrained or unworked memory. It is the course of wisdom to endeavor to get the most good out of the reading that we do. Much of the good would be lost if the material read were quickly forgotten. We need to learn how to read so as to remember. There are a number of suggestions that have worked well for experienced readers. They may assist you. 11 As you read, endeavor to read phrases or word groupings rather than individual words. This will make it possible to speed up your reading and will help you to grasp ideas instead of struggling with words. For usual reading, do not sound out the words or move your lips as you read, and do not make a practice of backing up to read again unless it is to impress a key thought. Of course, for weighty, involved material you need to slow down so as to be sure to get the right thought. You may even want to read it aloud, or in an undertone. (Ps. 1:2) The Psalms and Proverbs, for example, were not written for speed reading but for meditation.—Ps. 77:11, 12. 12 It also helps if you read with pencil in hand, underlining key words and otherwise noting special points you may wish to go over again. Underlining, however, should be done sparingly, for if overdone it defeats the purpose of isolating the principal ideas. When you come across some specially valuable explanation or an argument that could be used to meet some common objection in the house-to-house ministry, it would be helpful to make note of the page and paragraph at the back of your book. Then it can be found quickly when needed. Never mark a book, of course, unless it is your own property. 13 You cannot just read through an article or a book without pausing, reflecting, comparing the information with what facts you already know on the subject—not if you really want to remember the outstanding points. Learn to analyze what you read, taking note of reasons given and arguments in support of conclusions that are presented. Also, be on the lookout for principles that apply to your life and that are a guide to daily living. Pause to consider how you can apply them. 14 In a serious reading of one of the Society’s bound books it is often helpful to consider first the input and the logical order of the table of outputs. This will impress on your mind the overall theme. When you prepare to read a magazine article or a chapter in a book, look first at the various subheadings. These show the order in which the theme will be developed. Be alert to take note of topic sentences, which usually appear near the beginning of each paragraph. They will often tell you in a nutshell what the paragraph is about. Concentrate on getting the overall view of the subject on which you are reading. 15 Another suggestion is to try to visualize what you read, making mental pictures as an aid to memory. In imagination see the actors and the background, hear the sounds and voices, smell the odors, taste the food and drink, share the happiness or grief of a situation. Try to put yourself in the scene being described. Every sense can be brought into play imaginatively to reproduce vividly the Bible account. Passages of Bible history can be more easily committed to mind in this way. 16 When you come to the close of a chapter, give it a final brief mental review. Then compare your mental outline with the written material again. 17 If possible, discuss with someone else the points you have covered, doing so while they are still fresh in mind. Your expression of them will deepen the impression on your mind, while the other person may well be able to add to your fund of knowledge on the subject. If you have found some practical field points, use them in your preaching ministry as soon as possible. This, too, will fix the material in your memory. 18-20. Why is it so important to learn to read well? 18 Value of effective reading. Reading has a direct influence on our lives. The kind of work we do, the skills we develop, our enjoyment of life, our spiritual growth are all connected with our reading ability. Without this ability to read one is denied much of the richness of learning and experience. Parents can help to train their children to read by a systematic home program of reading. From time to time it would be good to call on your children to read aloud, for example, reading the text and comments for the day from the booklet Examining the Scriptures Daily. If you are not a fluent reader, it would be well worth your while to practice for fifteen to thirty minutes each day. In a few months you will experience satisfying results. 19 Good reading habits, scheduled times for reading and research, and use of the various suggestions outlined here will greatly improve your ministerial ability. You will be able to remember more of the precious words of God, so as to apply them in your life and ministry. Even elderly persons can improve their ability to remember if they practice the points here offered. No one should feel that he is too old to benefit. 20 God’s reason for setting down his grand purposes in a book was so that all his wonderful works might be made known to the children of men and long remembered. (Ps. 78:5-7) Our appreciation for his generosity in this matter is best shown by our diligence in reading and remembering that life-giving Word.

Live Forever (pe) 1989

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/pe

Chapter 6 Jesus Christ—Sent by God? 1, 2. (a) What evidence is there that Jesus Christ was a real person? (b) What questions are raised about Jesus? NEARLY everyone today has heard of Jesus Christ. His influence on history has been greater than that of any other human. Indeed, the very calendar used in most parts of the world is based on the year he is thought to have been born! As The World Book Encyclopedia says: “Dates before that year are listed as B.C., or before Christ. Dates after that year are listed as A.D., or anno Domini (in the year of our Lord).” 2 So Jesus was not an imaginary person. He really lived as a man on earth. “In ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the [actual existence] of Jesus,” notes the Encyclopædia Britannica. So just who was Jesus? Was he really sent by God? Why is he so well known? HE HAD LIVED BEFORE 3. (a) According to the angel’s words, Mary would give birth to whose son? (b) How was it possible for the virgin Mary to have Jesus? 3 Unlike any other human, Jesus was born of a virgin. Her name was Mary. An angel said of her child: “This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:28-33; Matthew 1:20-25) But how could a woman who had never had sexual relations with a man have a child? It was by means of God’s holy spirit. Jehovah transferred the life of his mighty spirit Son from heaven to the womb of the virgin Mary. It was a miracle! Surely the One who made the first woman with the wonderful ability to produce children could cause a woman to have a child without a human father. The Bible explains: “When the full limit of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son, who came to be out of a woman.”—Galatians 4:4. 4. (a) What life did Jesus enjoy before he was born as a child? (b) What did Jesus say to show that he had lived before in heaven? 4 So before being born on earth as a man Jesus had been in heaven as a mighty spirit person. He had a spirit body invisible to man, just as God has. (John 4:24) Jesus himself often spoke of the high position he had held in heaven. Once he prayed: “Father, glorify me alongside yourself with the glory that I had alongside you before the world was.” (John 17:5) He also said to his listeners: “You are from the realms below; I am from the realms above.” “What, therefore, if you should behold the Son of man ascending to where he was before?” “Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”—John 8:23; 6:62; 8:58; 3:13; 6:51. 5. (a) Why had Jesus been called the “Word,” “Firstborn” and “only-begotten”? (b) What work had Jesus shared in with God? 5 Before coming to earth Jesus was called the Word of God. This input shows that he served in heaven as the one who spoke for God. He is also called God’s “Firstborn,” as well as his “only-begotten” Son. (John 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 1:6) This means that he was created before all the other spirit sons of God, and that he is the only one who was directly created by God. The Bible explains that this “firstborn” Son shared with Jehovah in creating all other things. (Colossians 1:15, 16) Thus when God said, “Let us make man in our image,” he was talking to this Son. Yes, the very one who later came to earth and was born from a woman had shared in the creation of all things! He had already lived in heaven with his Father for an unknown number of years!—Genesis 1:26; Proverbs 8:22, 30; John 1:3. HIS LIFE ON EARTH 6. (a) What events happened shortly before and after Jesus’ birth? (b) Where was Jesus born and where did he grow up? 6 Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph. But when he learned that she was pregnant he believed she had engaged in sexual relations with another man, and he was therefore not going to marry her. However, when Jehovah told him that it was by means of His holy spirit that the child had been conceived, Joseph took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:18-20, 24, 25) Later, while they were visiting the city of Bethlehem, Jesus was born. (Luke 2:1-7; Micah 5:2) When Jesus was still a baby, King Herod tried to kill him. But Jehovah warned Joseph so that he took his family and ran away to Egypt. After King Herod died, Joseph and Mary returned with Jesus to the city of Nazareth in Galilee. Here he grew up.—Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23. 7. (a) What happened when Jesus was 12 years old? (b) What work did Jesus learn to do as he was growing up? 7 When Jesus was 12 years old he traveled with his family to Jerusalem to attend the special celebration called the Passover. While there he spent three days in the temple listening to the teachers and asking them questions. All the people who listened to him were surprised at how much he knew. (Luke 2:41-52) As Jesus grew up in Nazareth, he learned to be a carpenter. He no doubt was trained to do this work by his foster father, Joseph, who also was a carpenter.—Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55. 8. What happened when Jesus was 30 years old? 8 At 30 years of age a big change occurred in Jesus’ life. He went to John the Baptizer and asked to be baptized, to be put completely under the waters of the Jordan River. The Bible reports: “After being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and, look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him. Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: ‘This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.’” (Matthew 3:16, 17) There could be no doubt in the mind of John that Jesus had been sent by God. 9. (a) When did Jesus, in fact, become Christ, and why then? (b) By his baptism, what was Jesus presenting himself to do? 9 By pouring out His holy spirit on Jesus, Jehovah was anointing him or appointing him to be the king of His coming kingdom. Being thus anointed with the spirit, Jesus became the “Messiah,” or the “Christ,” which words in the Hebrew and Greek languages mean “Anointed.” Therefore, he became, in fact, Jesus Christ, or Jesus the Anointed. So his apostle Peter spoke of “Jesus who was from Nazareth, how God anointed him with holy spirit and power.” (Acts 10:38) Also, by his baptism in water Jesus was presenting himself to God to carry out the work that God had sent him to earth to do. What was that important work? WHY HE CAME TO EARTH 10. What truths did Jesus come to earth to tell? 10 Explaining why he had come to earth, Jesus told the Roman governor Pontius Pilate: “For this I have been born, and for this [purpose] I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) But what particular truths was Jesus sent to earth to make known? First, truths about his heavenly Father. He taught his followers to pray that his Father’s name be “hallowed,” or held holy. (Matthew 6:9, King James Version) And he prayed: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me.” (John 17:6) Also, he said: “I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth.”—Luke 4:43. 11. (a) Why did Jesus consider his work so important? (b) What did Jesus never hold back from doing? So what should we do? 11 How important to Jesus was this work of making known his Father’s name and kingdom? He said to his disciples: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34) Why did Jesus consider God’s work to be as important as food? It was because the Kingdom is the means by which God will fulfill his wonderful purposes for humankind. It is this kingdom that will destroy all wickedness and will clear Jehovah’s name of the reproach that has been brought upon it. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 21:3, 4) So Jesus never held back from making known God’s name and kingdom. (Matthew 4:17; Luke 8:1; John 17:26; Hebrews 2:12) He always spoke the truth, whether it was popular or not. He thus provided an example that we should follow if we want to please God.—1 Peter 2:21. 12. For what other important reason did Jesus come to earth? 12 Yet, to make it possible for us to gain everlasting life under the rule of God’s kingdom, Jesus had to pour out his lifeblood in death. As two apostles of Jesus said: “We have been declared righteous now by his blood.” “The blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.” (Romans 5:9; 1 John 1:7) So an important reason why Jesus came to earth was to die for us. He said: “The Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul [or, life] a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28) But what does it mean that Christ gave his life “a ransom”? Why was the pouring out of his lifeblood in death necessary for our salvation? HE GAVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM 13. (a) What is a ransom? (b) What is the ransom price that Jesus paid to release us from sin and death? 13 The word “ransom” is often used when there is a kidnapping. After a kidnapper captures a person, he may say he will return the person if a certain amount of money is paid as a ransom. So a ransom is something that brings the deliverance of a person held captive. It is something that is paid so that he does not lose his life. Jesus’ perfect human life was given to obtain mankind’s release from bondage to sin and death. (1 Peter 1:18, 19; Ephesians 1:7) Why was such a release needed? 14. Why was the ransom provided by Jesus needed? 14 This was because Adam, the forefather of all of us, had rebelled against God. His lawless act thus made him a sinner, since the Bible explains that “sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4; 5:17) As a result, he was not worthy of receiving God’s gift of everlasting life. (Romans 6:23) So Adam lost for himself perfect human life on a paradise earth. He also lost this wonderful prospect for all the children he would produce. ‘But why,’ you may ask, ‘did all his children have to die, since it was Adam who sinned?’ 15. Since it was Adam who sinned, why did his children have to suffer and die? 15 This is because Adam, when he became a sinner, passed sin and death on to his children, including all humans now living. (Job 14:4; Romans 5:12) “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” the Bible says. (Romans 3:23; 1 Kings 8:46) Even godly David said: “With error I was brought forth with birth pains, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) People, therefore, have been dying because of the sin that was inherited from Adam. How was it possible, then, for the sacrifice of Jesus’ life to free all people from bondage to sin and death? 16. (a) In providing the ransom, how did God show regard for his law that ‘life should be given for life’? (b) Why was Jesus the only human who could pay the ransom? 16 A legal principle in God’s law for the nation of Israel is involved. It states that ‘life should be given for life.’ (Exodus 21:23; Deuteronomy 19:21) By his disobedience the perfect man Adam lost perfect life on a paradise earth for himself and all his children. Jesus Christ gave his own perfect life to buy back what Adam lost. Yes, Jesus “gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6) Because he was a perfect man, even as Adam had been, Jesus is called “the last Adam.” (1 Corinthians 15:45) No human other than Jesus could have provided the ransom. This is because Jesus is the only man who ever lived that was equal to Adam as a perfect human son of God.—Psalm 49:7; Luke 1:32; 3:38. 17. When was the ransom paid to God? 17 Jesus died at 33 1/2 years of age. But on the third day after his death he was resurrected to life. Forty days later he returned to heaven. (Acts 1:3, 9-11) There, as a spirit person once more, he appeared “before the person of God for us,” carrying the value of his ransom sacrifice. (Hebrews 9:12, 24) At that time the ransom was paid to God in heaven. Deliverance was now available for humankind. But when will its benefits be realized? 18. (a) How can we benefit even now from the ransom? (b) What does the ransom make possible in the future? 18 Even now Jesus’ ransom sacrifice can benefit us. How? By exercising faith in it we can enjoy a clean standing before God and come under his loving and tender care. (Revelation 7:9, 10, 13-15) Many of us may have committed terrible sins before we learned about God. And even now we make mistakes, sometimes very serious ones. But we can freely seek forgiveness from God on the basis of the ransom, with confidence that he will hear us. (1 John 2:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Also, in the days ahead, the ransom will open up for us the way to receive God’s gift of everlasting life in his righteous new world. (2 Peter 3:13) At that time all those exercising faith in the ransom will be released completely from bondage to sin and death. They may look forward to life forever in perfection! 19. (a) What effect does the provision of the ransom have upon you? (b) How did the apostle Paul say we should show our gratitude for the ransom? 19 How do you feel on learning about the ransom? Does it not warm your heart toward Jehovah God to know that he cares for you so much that he gave his dear Son in your behalf? (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 10) But think, too, of Christ’s love. He willingly came to earth to die for us. Should we not be grateful? The apostle Paul explained how we should show our gratitude when he said: “He died for all that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised up.” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15) Will you show your gratitude by using your life to serve God and his heavenly Son Jesus Christ? WHY JESUS PERFORMED MIRACLES 20. What do we learn about Jesus from his healing of the leper? 20 Jesus is well known for the miracles he performed. He had deep feeling for people who were in trouble, and he was eager to use his God-given powers to help them. For example, a person with the terrible disease leprosy came to him and said: “If you just want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus “was moved with pity, and he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him: ‘I want to. Be made clean.’” And the sick man was healed!—Mark 1:40-42. 21. How did Jesus help the crowds? 21 Consider another Bible scene, and imagine Jesus’ tender feeling for the people described: “Then great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd felt amazement as they saw the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.”—Matthew 15:30, 31. 22. What shows that Jesus really cared about the people whom he helped? 22 That Jesus really cared about these suffering persons and truly wanted to help them can be seen by what he next told his disciples. He said: “I feel pity for the crowd, because it is already three days that they have stayed with me and they have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away fasting. They may possibly give out on the road.” So Jesus, with just seven loaves and a few little fish, miraculously fed the “four thousand men, besides women and young children.”—Matthew 15:32-38. 23. What moved Jesus to resurrect a widow’s dead son? 23 On another occasion Jesus met a funeral procession that was coming out of the city of Nain. The Bible describes it, saying: “There was a dead man being carried out, the only-begotten son of his mother. Besides, she was a widow. . . . And when the Lord caught sight of her, he was moved with pity for her.” He deeply felt her sorrow. So, addressing the dead body, Jesus commanded: “Young man, I say to you, Get up!” And wonder of wonders! “The dead man sat up and started to speak, and he gave him to his mother.” Think how that mother must have felt! How would you feel? News about this remarkable event spread far and wide. No wonder Jesus is so well known.—Luke 7:11-17. 24. What did Jesus’ miracles show regarding the future? 24 Yet the miracles Jesus performed were of only temporary benefit. People that he healed developed physical problems again. And those he resurrected died again. But Jesus’ miracles proved that he was sent forth by God, that he was really God’s Son. And they proved that, with God’s power, all human problems can be solved. Yes, they showed on a small scale what will take place on earth under the kingdom of God. At that time the hungry will be fed, the sick will be cured, and even the dead will be raised! And never again will sickness, death or any other troubles cause unhappiness. What a blessing that will be!—Revelation 21:3, 4; Matthew 11:4, 5. RULER OF GOD’S KINGDOM 25. Into what three parts can Jesus’ life be divided? 25 There are three parts to the life of God’s Son. First, there are the unknown number of years he spent with his Father in heaven before he became a human. Next, the 33-1/2 years he spent on earth after his birth. And now there is his life back in heaven as a spirit person. What position has he had in heaven since his resurrection? 26. By his faithfulness on earth, Jesus proved worthy of being what? 26 Clearly, Jesus was to become a king. Even the angel announced to Mary: “He will rule as king . . . forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom.” (Luke 1:33) During his earthly ministry he spoke all the time about the kingdom of God. He taught his followers to pray: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” And he urged them to “keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom.” (Matthew 6:10, 33) By his faithfulness on earth, Jesus proved that he was worthy to be king of God’s kingdom. Did he begin ruling as king as soon as he returned to heaven? 27. (a) What did Jesus do after his return to heaven? (b) What was Jesus’ first act as king of God’s kingdom? 27 No, he did not. The apostle Paul refers to Psalm 110:1, explaining: “This man [Jesus] offered one sacrifice for sins perpetually and sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet.” (Hebrews 10:12, 13) Jesus was awaiting Jehovah’s command: “Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.” (Psalm 110:2) When that time came, he began cleansing the heavens of Satan and his angels. The result of that war in heaven is stated in these words: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!” (Revelation 12:10) As seen in an earlier chapter of this book, the facts show that this war in heaven has already taken place, and Jesus Christ is ruling right now in the midst of his enemies. 28. (a) What will Christ soon do? (b) What must we do to enjoy his protection? 28 Very soon Christ and his heavenly angels will take action to rid the earth of all present worldly governments. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 17:14) The Bible says that he has “a sharp long sword, that he may strike the nations with it, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 19:11-16) To prove worthy of protection during this coming destruction, we must exercise faith in Jesus Christ. (John 3:36) We must become his disciples and submit ourselves to him as our heavenly King. Will you do that? [Picture on page 58] Jesus left his carpentry work to be baptized and become the anointed of Jehovah [Picture on page 63] Jesus was the equal of the perfect man Adam [Pictures on page 64] Jesus was moved with pity to help the sick and hungry [Picture on page 67] By raising the dead, Jesus showed what he would do on a much larger scale when God’s kingdom rules

This Life (ts) 1974

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ts

Chapter 18 Why Many Now Living Have Opportunity Never to Die THE time for God’s kingdom to begin administering all earth’s affairs is at hand. You may be among those to witness the grand blessings it will bring to mankind. That is no unfounded assertion. There is much evidence to back it up, including evidence that you have personally seen. Many centuries ago Jehovah God revealed the specific time for the conferring of rulership upon the one whom he would designate to be king over the world of mankind. He used symbols to do so and transmitted some of the information by means of a dream. That such means of communication were used by God to convey this vital information to men should not give rise to doubts. Consider what modern men now do in transmitting information. Cryptic messages are sent in code through space. Thereafter these coded messages are “unscrambled” by either men or machines. This manner of conveying information is purposeful. It conceals the meaning of the information from those not eninputd to it. Similarly, God’s use of symbolisms has not been without purpose. The understanding of such symbolisms requires diligent study. But many people are unwilling to take the time to understand, because of having no real love for God and truth. Hence, the “sacred secrets of the kingdom” remain hidden to them.​—Matthew 13:11-15. AN ANCIENT PROPHETIC DREAM One of those “sacred secrets” is contained in the Bible book of Daniel. That book provides essentials for determining the time for the giving of royal authority to God’s appointed king. In the fourth chapter of that book you will find narrated a divinely sent dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. What was the intent or purpose of this dream and its fulfillment? The record states: “That people living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that to the one whom he wants to, he gives it and he sets up over it even the lowliest one of mankind.”​—Daniel 4:17. The output of the dream was basically this: An immense tree was seen being chopped down at the command of a “holy one,” an angel. The stump of the tree was then banded to prevent it from sprouting. It was to remain thus banded amid the “grass of the field” for “seven times.”​—Daniel 4:13-16. What was the meaning of this dream? The inspired explanation of the prophet Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar was: “The tree that you beheld, . . . it is you, O king, because you have grown great and become strong, and your grandeur has grown great and reached to the heavens, and your rulership to the extremity of the earth. “And because the king beheld a watcher, even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, who was also saying: ‘Chop the tree down, and ruin it. However, leave its rootstock itself in the earth, but with a banding of iron and of copper, among the grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens let it become wet, and with the beasts of the field let its portion be until seven times themselves pass over it,’ this is the interpretation, O king, and the decree of the Most High is that which must befall my lord the king. And you they will be driving away from men, and with the beasts of the field your dwelling will come to be, and the vegetation is what they will give even to you to eat just like bulls; and with the dew of the heavens you yourself will be getting wet, and seven times themselves will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind, and that to the one whom he wants to he gives it. “And because they said to leave the rootstock of the tree, your kingdom will be sure to you after you know that the heavens are ruling.”​—Daniel 4:20-26. So this dream had an initial fulfillment upon King Nebuchadnezzar. For “seven times,” or seven literal years, Nebuchadnezzar was insane. His kingdom, however, was held secure for him so that, upon regaining soundness of mind, he again assumed his royal office.​—Daniel 4:29-37. KINGSHIP OF “THE LOWLIEST ONE OF MANKIND” But this detailed account about the chopped-down tree was not limited in its fulfillment to King Nebuchadnezzar. How do we know this? Because, as stated in the vision itself, it relates to God’s kingdom and rulership by the one whom he designates. And who is God’s choice for the kingship? The answer given to King Nebuchadnezzar was: “the lowliest one of mankind.”​—Daniel 4:17. The facts of history prove undeniably that lowliness has not been displayed by human political rulers. Human governments and their rulers have exalted themselves and they have made a beastly record for themselves, waging sanguinary wars against one another. It should therefore come as no surprise that the Bible compares imperfect human governments or kingdoms to beasts and shows that all of them will eventually be deprived of their rulership. (Daniel 7:2-8) As to who will replace them, the Bible records these words of the prophet Daniel: “I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man happened to be coming; and to the Ancient of Days he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. And to him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin.”​—Daniel 7:13, 14. The one here described is none other than Jesus Christ, who is designated in the Scriptures as both the “Son of man” and as the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:16) He willingly gave up his superior position in the heavens and became a man, a “little lower than angels.” (Hebrews 2:9; Philippians 2:6-8) As a man, Jesus Christ, even under extreme provocation, proved himself to be “mild-tempered and lowly in heart.” (Matthew 11:29) “When he was being reviled, he did not go reviling in return. When he was suffering, he did not go threatening, but kept on committing himself to the one who judges righteously.”​—1 Peter 2:23. The world of mankind viewed Jesus Christ as being of no account, refusing to accord him the honor he rightfully deserved. The situation was as had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah: “He was despised and was avoided by men, a man meant for pains and for having acquaintance with sickness. And there was as if the concealing of one’s face from us. He was despised, and we held him as of no account.”​—Isaiah 53:3. There can be no question that Jesus fits the description of “the lowliest one of mankind.” Hence, the prophetic dream about the chopped-down tree must point to the time when he would receive rulership over the world of mankind. This would be at the end of “seven times.” How long are these “times”? When do they start? When do they end? THE LENGTH OF THE “SEVEN TIMES” More than six centuries after Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Jesus Christ appeared on the scene, declaring that “the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” (Matthew 4:17) He could say this because he, as King-Designate, was present. But he did not at that time receive kingship over the world of mankind. Thus, on one occasion when others wrongly concluded that “the kingdom of God was going to display itself instantly,” Jesus Christ gave an illustration showing that a long period of time would be involved before his gaining such kingly power. (Luke 19:11-27) It is, therefore, clear that in the larger fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy the “seven times” cover a period, not of just seven years, but of many centuries. The evidence is that these “seven times” amounted to 2,520 days, that is, seven prophetic years of 360 days each. This is confirmed in other parts of the Bible that mention “times,” “months” and “days.” For example, Revelation 11:2 speaks of a period of “forty-two months,” or three and a half years. In the next verse Re 11:3 the same period is mentioned as being “a thousand two hundred and sixty days.” Now, if you were to divide 1,260 days by 42 months, you would get 30 days for each month. A year of 12 months would therefore be 360 days long. On this basis, “seven times,” or seven years, would be 2,520 days long (7 x 360). The correctness of this computation is verified by Revelation 12:6, 14, where 1,260 days are spoken of as “a time and times and half a time,” or ‘three and a half times’ (“three years and a half,” The New English Bible). Seven being the double of three and a half, “seven times” would equal 2,520 days (2 x 1,260). Of course, as they relate to Jesus’ receiving the kingship over the world of mankind, the “seven times” of Daniel’s prophecy span a period of far more than 2,520 twenty-four-hour days. Is there any way to ascertain the length of each of these “days”? Yes, the Bible’s formula for prophetic days is: “A day for a year.” (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6) Applying this to the “seven times,” we see that they amount to 2,520 years. THE START OF THE “SEVEN TIMES” Knowing the length of the “seven times,” we are now in position to investigate when they began. Again we direct our attention to what happened to Nebuchadnezzar in fulfillment of the prophetic dream about the chopped-down tree. Consider his situation: At the time that Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity he was exercising world domination, for Babylon was then the number one power on earth. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case the cutting down of the symbolic tree meant a temporary break in his rule as a world sovereign. The whole intent of what God did in Nebuchadnezzar’s case involved rule by the king of God’s own choice. Nebuchadnezzar’s losing his throne for “seven times” must therefore have been symbolic. Of what? Of a temporary break in rulership or sovereignty by God’s arrangement, since, in Nebuchadnezzar’s case, Jehovah God was the one who had permitted him to attain the position of world ruler and thereafter took that position away from him temporarily, as the king himself acknowledged. (Daniel 4:34-37) So what befell Nebuchadnezzar must have been symbolic of the removal of sovereignty from a kingdom of God. Hence, the tree itself represented world domination as regards the earth. At one time the government that had its seat in Jerusalem was a kingdom of God. The rulers of the royal line of David were said to sit upon “Jehovah’s throne” and were under command to reign according to his law. (1 Chronicles 29:23) Jerusalem was therefore the seat of God’s government in a representative sense. So when the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, and the land of its dominion was completely desolated, world rulership passed into Gentile hands without any interference from a kingdom representing Jehovah’s sovereignty. The Supreme Sovereign restrained himself from exercising his rulership in this way. This restraining of himself from wielding sovereignty over the earth by a kingdom of his is likened to the banding of the remaining tree stump. At the time of its destruction and total desolation Jerusalem, as the capital city representing the governmental expression of Jehovah’s sovereignty, began to be “trampled on.” That means, therefore, that the “seven times” had their start at the time that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the land of Judah was completely desolated. When did that event occur? The Bible and secular history can be used to establish 607 B.C.E. as the date for this event.a The evidence is as follows: Secular historians are in agreement that Babylon fell to Cyrus the Persian in the year 539 B.C.E. This date is substantiated by all available historical records of ancient times. The Bible reveals that in his first year of rule, Cyrus issued a decree permitting the exiled Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. There being first the brief rule of Darius the Mede over Babylon, Cyrus’ first year of rule toward Babylon evidently extended from 538 to 537 B.C.E. (Daniel 5:30, 31) As considerable distance in traveling was involved, it must have been by the “seventh month” of 537 B.C.E. (rather than 538 B.C.E.) that the Israelites were back in their cities, ending the desolation of Jerusalem and the land of Judah. (Ezra 3:1, 6) Nevertheless, they remained under Gentile domination, and therefore spoke of themselves as ‘slaves upon their own land.’​—Nehemiah 9:36, 37. The Bible book of Second Chronicles (36:19-21) shows that a period of seventy years passed from the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolation of its domain until the restoration. It says: “He [Nebuchadnezzar] proceeded to burn the house of the true God and pull down the wall of Jerusalem; and all its dwelling towers they burned with fire and also all its desirable articles, so as to cause ruin. Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign; to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” Counting back seventy years from the time the Israelites arrived back in their cities, that is, in 537 B.C.E., brings us to 607 B.C.E. It was in that year, therefore, that Jerusalem, the seat of God’s government in a representative sense, began to be trampled on by Gentile nations. THE END OF THE “SEVEN TIMES” Jesus Christ referred to this trampling on Jerusalem when he said to his disciples: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) Those “appointed times” were to end 2,520 years after 607 B.C.E. This would be in the year 1914 C.E. Did the trampling on Jerusalem cease then? True, the earthly city of Jerusalem did not witness the restoration of a king in the royal line of David in 1914 C.E. But such a thing was not to be expected. Why not? The earthly city of Jerusalem no longer had any holy significance from God’s viewpoint. While on earth, Jesus Christ stated: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her​—how often I wanted to gather your children together in the manner that a hen gathers her brood of chicks under her wings, but you people did not want it! Look! Your house is abandoned to you.” (Luke 13:34, 35) Moreover, the kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ is not an earthly government with Jerusalem or any other city as its capital. It is a heavenly kingdom. Hence, it was in the invisible heavens that the year 1914 C.E. witnessed the fulfillment of Revelation 11:15: “The kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.” What Jerusalem represented, that is, the Messianic government ruling with divine approval, was then no longer being trampled on. Once again there was a king of the Davidic dynasty who, by divine appointment, exercised rulership over the affairs of mankind. The visible events that have taken place here on earth in fulfillment of Bible prophecy since 1914 C.E. prove that this is the case. One of these prophecies is found in the sixth chapter of the Bible book of Revelation 6. There the giving of royal authority to Jesus Christ and the events following it are described in symbolic terms. Of Jesus’ receiving the kingship the account says: “Look! a white horse; and the one seated upon it had a bow; and a crown was given him, and he went forth conquering and to complete his conquest.” (Revelation 6:2) Later on, the book of Revelation unmistakably identifies the rider on that horse, saying: “Look! a white horse. And the one seated upon it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. . . . And upon his outer garment, even upon his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”​—Revelation 19:11-16. As to what would happen here on earth after Jesus’ receiving the “crown” of active kingship over the world of mankind, Revelation chapter 6 continues: “Another came forth, a fiery-colored horse; and to the one seated upon it there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another; and a great sword was given him. And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say: ‘Come!’ And I saw, and, look! a black horse; and the one seated upon it had a pair of scales in his hand. . . . And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say: ‘Come!’ And I saw, and, look! a pale horse; and the one seated upon it had the name Death. And Hades was closely following him. And authority was given them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with a long sword and with food shortage and with deadly plague and by the wild beasts of the earth.”​—Re 6 Vss. 4-8. Have not these words been fulfilled? Did not the sword of global warfare rage from 1914 onward? Indeed! World War I witnessed the slaughter of humans on a scale never known before. Over nine million combatants died from wounds, disease and other causes. Civilian deaths directly or indirectly resulting from the war also ran into the millions. The second world war snuffed out an even greater number of lives. It claimed an estimated fifty-five million civilians and combatants. Did not food shortage, like a black horse, stalk through the earth? Yes, in many parts of Europe there was famine during and after the World War I period. In Russia millions died. After the second world war came what The World Book Encyclopedia (1973) describes as “the greatest world-wide shortage of food in history.” And today the grim fact is that one out of every three people on earth is slowly starving or suffering from malnutrition. Deadly plague also took its toll. In a matter of months, during 1918-1919, the Spanish influenza epidemic alone killed about 20,000,000. No single disaster had ever before caused such a mammoth destruction of life among mankind. Truly these things have been too big to escape notice. Says Joseph Carter, in his book 1918 Year of Crisis, Year of Change: “In that autumn [of 1918], horror was piled on horror, for three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse​—war, famine, and pestilence—​were indeed abroad.” To this day the symbolic horsemen have not stopped their ride. Thus there exists visible evidence that in 1914 C.E. the restraining bands were removed from the symbolic tree stump of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Jehovah God began exercising authority through the kingdom of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But why did this not improve conditions on earth? Why has the time of Christ’s being given ruling authority over mankind been associated with trouble? This is because Satan the Devil is against God’s kingdom by Christ. He fought against it at the time of its being given authority over mankind. But he lost the battle and was ousted along with his demons from the holy heavens. Enraged, he and his demons are stirring up all the trouble they can among mankind to bring everyone and everything to ruin. That is why, after describing the war in heaven and its outcome, the Bible account continues: “Be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”​—Revelation 12:7-12. How short is that period of time remaining to the Kingdom’s adversary? Jesus Christ revealed that the time of his coming in Kingdom glory and the removal of the ungodly system of things would fall within the lifetime of one generation of people. He said: “Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.”​—Matthew 24:3-42. Hence, some of the generation alive in 1914 C.E. must be among the people to witness Jesus’ completing his conquest and taking full control of earth’s affairs. That also means that many now living have the opportunity never to die. How so? WHY MANY NOW LIVING WILL NOT EXPERIENCE DEATH In completing his conquest, Jesus Christ as king will take action only against those who refuse to submit to his rulership. When comforting fellow believers who were suffering persecution, the inspired apostle Paul wrote of this, saying: “It is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you, but, to you who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.”​—2 Thessalonians 1:6-9. Certainly not all persons refuse to “know” or recognize God’s authority in their lives. Not all are disobedient to the ‘good news about Jesus Christ.’ Though few, when compared with the world’s population, there is a body of Christians who are striving hard to prove themselves to be devoted servants of God and loyal disciples of Jesus Christ. Those whom the day of divine execution finds exclusively devoted to Jehovah God can rest assured that they will not be swept away by that judgment. The Bible says: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat, because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”​—Revelation 7:14-17. The prospect before the great crowd of “tribulation” survivors is, not death, but life. The “Lamb,” that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, will be guiding them to “fountains of waters of life.” This is not life for merely seventy or eighty years, but forever. He will be applying to them the benefits of his sin-atoning sacrifice, liberating them from sin and its death-dealing effects. As they obediently respond to his help, they will attain to human perfection, with no need to die. There will be no interference from Satan and his demonic horde to hinder their progress. After the “great tribulation” has brought an end to the earthly wicked system of things, Satan will be abyssed for a thousand years. The Bible’s symbolic description of this event reads: “I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, that he might not mislead the nations.” (Revelation 20:1-3) Thus, as if dead, Satan and his demons will be in no position to cause trouble for humankind. The Bible clearly pinpoints the generation alive in 1914 C.E. as the one that will yet witness the ushering in of Kingdom rule free from Satanic interference. Hence, many living today will have the opportunity never to die. They will survive the destruction of the present ungodly system and thereafter gradually be freed from sin and brought to human perfection. As sinless humans they will then be exempt from sin’s wages​—death.​—Romans 6:23. This makes it urgent for you to place yourself on the side of the King Jesus Christ, if you have not already done so, and to live now as one of his loyal subjects. That is what Jehovah’s Christian witnesses are endeavoring to do, and they are eager to assist others to do the same. [Footnotes] a Modern secular historians do not generally present 607 B.C.E. as the date for this event, but they are dependent on the writings of men who lived centuries after it happened. On the other hand, the Bible contains testimony from eyewitnesses, and it sets out factors that are ignored by secular writers. Furthermore, the fulfillment of Bible prophecy at the end of the “seven times” establishes the date beyond doubt. As to why the Bible’s chronological data is more reliable than secular history, see the book Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 322-348.

Right and Wrong: Guidance That Works

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2024006

Right and Wrong: Guidance That Works Consider four areas of life in which millions have learned that the Bible’s guidance works and can be trusted. 1. Marriage People have different views about marriage and about what it takes to have a happy marriage. THE BIBLE SAYS: “Each one of you must love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.”​—Ephesians 5:33. MEANING: Marriage is an arrangement that God originated, so he knows what is needed for a couple to be happy. (Mark 10:6-9) Happiness results when marriage mates focus, not on what each one gets, but on what each one can give to strengthen their marriage. A husband who loves his wife will show it by the way he treats her and cares for her. And a wife who respects her husband will show it by the way she speaks and acts. BIBLE GUIDANCE WORKS: Quang and Thi, from Vietnam, felt trapped in their unhappy marriage. Quang was often unkind. He says: “I didn’t care about Thi’s feelings and often humiliated her.” Thi wanted a divorce. She said: “I felt that I could no longer trust or respect my husband.” Eventually, Quang and Thi learned what the Bible teaches and how to apply Ephesians 5:33 in their marriage. “This verse helped me to see the need to be kind,” says Quang, “and to make Thi feel loved and cared for materially, physically, and emotionally. When I act that way, I gain her love and respect.” And Thi says, “The more I apply Ephesians 5:33 and show my husband respect, the more he makes me feel loved, protected, and at peace.” For more information on marriage, read Awake! No. 2 2018, eninputd “12 Secrets of Successful Families” on jw.org. 2. How to Treat Others People often mistreat others because of their race, nationality, appearance, religion, or sexual orientation. THE BIBLE SAYS: “Honor men of all sorts.”​—1 Peter 2:17. MEANING: The Bible does not condone racism, homophobia, or xenophobia. Instead, it encourages us to be respectful of all people, regardless of their race, nationality, or social standing. (Acts 10:34) Even if we disagree with what others believe or how they act, we can still treat them with kindness and respect.​—Matthew 7:12. BIBLE GUIDANCE WORKS: Daniel was taught to view people from Asia as a threat to his country. He came to hate anyone from an Asian background and would often insult them in public. “I justified my behavior as ‘patriotism,’” says Daniel. “I didn’t even consider that the way I thought or acted was wrong.” Daniel eventually learned what the Bible teaches. “I had to change my thinking totally,” says Daniel. “I had to see people the way God does​—that we are all the same no matter where we come from.” Daniel describes how he feels now when he meets people. He says: “I often don’t even think about where they are from. I love people of all sorts now and have close friends from all over the world.” For more information, read Awake! No. 3 2020, eninputd “Is There a Cure for Prejudice?” on jw.org. 3. Money Many people pursue wealth in order to be happy and have a better future. THE BIBLE SAYS: “Wisdom is a protection just as money is a protection, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.”​—Ecclesiastes 7:12. MEANING: We need money, but it cannot guarantee our happiness or our future. (Proverbs 18:11; 23:4, 5) Instead, genuine happiness and a secure future depend on applying wisdom from God as found in the Bible.​—1 Timothy 6:17-19. BIBLE GUIDANCE WORKS: Cardo, a man in Indonesia, focused on acquiring wealth. “I enjoyed what most people dream of,” he said. “I was able to travel and to buy luxury goods, cars, and houses.” Such prosperity did not last. “I was defrauded, and the money I had worked so hard for all those years was gone in the binstruction of an eye,” says Cardo. “I had spent my life pursuing wealth, but in the end, all I got were feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, and disappointment.” Cardo began to apply the Bible’s advice on money. He no longer focuses all his energy on building wealth but chooses to lead a simpler life. “The true and lasting treasure is of a spiritual nature,” he says. “I can sleep well every night, and I am truly happy.” For information on the Bible’s view of money, read the article “Can Education and Money Guarantee a Secure Future?” in The Watchtower No. 3 2021, on jw.org. 4. Sex People have a wide variety of opinions on what is sexually acceptable. THE BIBLE SAYS: “Abstain from sexual immorality. Each one of you should know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with greedy, uncontrolled sexual passion like the nations have that do not know God.”​—1 Thessalonians 4:3-5. MEANING: The Bible limits how we are to express our sexual desires. The term “sexual immorality” includes adultery, prostitution, sexual relations between unmarried individuals, homosexuality, and bestiality. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) Sexual relations are a gift from God that he intended exclusively for a man and woman who are married to each other.​—Proverbs 5:18, 19. BIBLE GUIDANCE WORKS: A woman in Australia named Kylie says: “As a single person, I thought that if I had sex, I would then feel loved and secure. But the opposite happened. I felt insecure and heartbroken.” Later, Kylie learned and applied what the Bible teaches about sex. “I can see that God’s standards are there to prevent pain and hurt,” she says. “I now feel secure and loved because of doing things in the way Jehovah wants us to. Applying the Bible’s guidance has saved me from so much heartache!” For more information, read the article “What Does the Bible Say About Living Together Without Marriage?” on jw.org. Our Creator helps us to know what is right and wrong. Although sticking to his moral guidelines is not always easy, it is worth the effort. We can trust that it will always result in our long-term happiness.

Young People Ask, Volume 2 (yp2) 2008

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp2

CHAPTER 28 How Can I Avoid Homosexuality? “During my teens I struggled with an attraction to other males. Deep down, I knew those thoughts weren’t normal.”​—Olef. “My girlfriend and I kissed once or twice. Since I still liked boys, I wondered if I might be bisexual.”​—Sarah. FEW would deny that homosexuality is talked about more openly today than it was several decades ago. And just try to say that you disapprove of it! Likely, you will be bombarded with criticism. Says 16-year-old Amy, “One girl told me that I must be prejudiced against people of other races, because my opinion of homosexuality amounted to the same thing​—prejudice!” Today’s permissive attitudes have prompted a number of youths to experiment with same-sex relationships. “Many girls in my school claim to be either lesbian, bisexual, or ‘bi-curious,’” says 15-year-old Becky. Christa, 18, finds the situation similar at her school. “Two classmates have actually propositioned me,” she says. “One wrote me a note asking if I wanted to see what it was like to be with a girl.” With same-sex relationships being touted so openly, you may begin to wonder: ‘Is homosexuality really that bad? What if I’m attracted to someone of my sex? Does that mean I’m gay?’ How Does God View Homosexuality? Today, many people​—even some clergymen—​soft-pedal the issue of homosexuality. Yet, God’s Word, the Bible, leaves no room for confusion. It tells us that Jehovah God made man and woman and that he purposed for sexual desires to be fulfilled only between a husband and a wife. (Genesis 1:27, 28; 2:24) It comes as no surprise, then, that the Bible condemns homosexual acts.​—Romans 1:26, 27. Some would say that God’s Word is out-of-date. But why, do you think, are they so quick to make that claim? Could it be because the Bible’s view conflicts with their own? Many reject God’s Word simply because it teaches something different from what they want to believe. That view is biased, though, and we should rise above such closed-minded thinking! But what if you feel attracted to a member of the same sex? Does this automatically mean that you’re a homosexual? No. Remember, you’re in “the bloom of youth,” a period when you’re subject to involuntary sexual arousal. (1 Corinthians 7:36) If at times you feel an attraction to a member of the same sex, be assured that this doesn’t mean that you’re gay. Such inclinations usually fade with time. Meanwhile, you must keep from getting involved in homosexual practices. How? Pray about the matter. Implore Jehovah as David did: “Search through me, O God, and know my heart. Examine me, and know my disquieting thoughts, and see whether there is in me any painful way, and lead me in the way of time indefinite.” (Psalm 139:23, 24) Jehovah can fortify you with a peace that “excels all thought.” This can ‘guard your heart and your mental powers’ and give you “power beyond what is normal” to keep from acting on wrong desires.​—Philippians 4:6, 7; 2 Corinthians 4:7. Fill your mind with upbuilding thoughts. (Philippians 4:8) Read the Bible daily. Never underestimate its power to shape your mind and heart for good. (Hebrews 4:12) A young man named Jason says: “The Bible​—including such scriptures as 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 and Ephesians 5:3—​has had a powerful effect on me. I read these scriptures whenever wrong desires occur.” Shun pornography and gay propaganda. (Colossians 3:5) Avoid anything that will arouse immoral desires. This would include pornography, certain TV shows and movies, and perhaps even fashion or bodybuilding magazines that feature lightly clad models. Change negative thoughts to positive ones. “Whenever I have homosexual urges,” says one teenage boy, “I meditate on my favorite Bible text.” Of course, some claim that there’s no point in doing all this, that you should simply ‘embrace your sexuality’ and ‘accept who you are.’ But the Bible says that you can do better than that! It tells us, for example, that some early Christians who had formerly practiced homosexuality changed. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) You too can win the battle​—even if at this point it’s only being waged in your heart. What if same-sex desires persist? Do not give in to them! Jehovah condemns homosexual acts. Thus, the person who struggles with same-sex desires is presented with a reachable goal​—he or she can choose not to act on those desires. To illustrate: A person might be “disposed to rage.” (Proverbs 29:22) In the past he may have freely given in to fits of anger. After studying the Bible, though, he becomes aware of the need to develop self-control. Does this mean that he’ll never again feel anger welling up inside him? No. However, because he knows what the Bible says about uncontrolled anger, he will strive hard not to succumb to his feelings. It’s similar with a person who is attracted to others of the same sex but who has now come to learn what the Bible says about homosexual practices. On occasion, an improper desire may still present itself. But by viewing homosexuality the way Jehovah views it, a person can find the strength to resist that desire. Don’t Give Up! If you struggle with same-sex desires, you might feel as did one young man, who said: “I’ve tried to change my feelings. I’ve prayed to Jehovah for help. I read the Bible. I’ve heard talks on the subject. But I don’t know where to turn.” If you’re in a similar situation, you clearly have a real fight on your hands. There’s no easy cure. Nevertheless, anyone who desires to please God must conform to His moral standards and shun immoral behavior, even though doing so may be agonizingly difficult. Never forget that God understands the struggle you have in your heart and that he has compassion for those who serve him.a (1 John 3:19, 20) When you obey God’s commandments, you open the way for receiving his blessing. In fact, in the keeping of God’s commands, “there is a large reward.” (Psalm 19:11) Even now, you’ll enjoy the best way of life possible in this troubled world. So rely on God, and fight against wrong desires. (Galatians 6:9) Strive to “abhor what is wicked” and “cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9) With time and effort, you are likely to find that the wrong desires diminish. Best of all, by avoiding homosexual practices, you’ll have the prospect of living forever in God’s righteous new world. IN OUR NEXT CHAPTERHow can you control feelings of attraction to the opposite sex? [Footnote] a A Christian who has engaged in acts of sexual misconduct should seek the help of congregation elders.​—James 5:14, 15. KEY SCRIPTURE “Examine me, and know my disquieting thoughts, and see whether there is in me any painful way.”​—Psalm 139:23, 24. TIP To develop a healthy view of masculinity, study the example of Jesus. (1 Peter 2:21) He was a perfect model of masculine power combined with gentleness. DID YOU KNOW . . . ? Although you may not have complete control over your desires, you do have control over your actions. You can choose not to act on wrong desires. ACTION PLAN! If someone asks me why the Bible condemns homosexuality, I will say ․․․․․ If someone says that the Bible’s view is narrow-minded, I will reason with him by saying ․․․․․ What I would like to ask my parent(s) about this subject is ․․․․․ WHAT DO YOU THINK? ● Why does God disapprove of homosexuality? ● What practical steps can you take to avoid being ensnared by homosexuality? ● Does adopting God’s view of homosexuality mean that you’re homophobic (exhibiting a hatred or strong dislike of homosexuals)? [Blurb on page 236] “The world’s warped thinking affected my mind and added to my sexual confusion. Now I steer clear of anything or anyone that promotes homosexuality.”​—Anna [Picture on page 233] All youths face a choice​—either to adopt the world’s degraded view of sexuality or to follow the high moral path set forth in God’s Word

Scriptures for Christian Living (scl) 2023

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/scl

Disappointment Disappointment when others let us down, hurt us, or even betray us Ps 55:12-14; Lu 22:21, 48 Relevant Bible account(s): 1Sa 8:1-6​—The prophet Samuel is hurt and disappointed when the Israelites insist on having a king 1Sa 20:30-34​—Jonathan is hurt and humiliated when King Saul, his father, turns on him in anger Comforting scriptures: Ps 27:10; Isa 49:15; Ro 3:3, 4 See also Pr 19:11; Php 4:8 Comforting Bible account(s): Ps 55:12-14, 16-18, 22​—Though betrayed by his close friend Ahithophel, King David throws his burden on Jehovah and finds comfort 2Ti 4:16-18​—When under trial, the apostle Paul is forsaken by humans, but he draws power from Jehovah and from the hope that He gives Disappointment over our own weaknesses and sins Job 14:4; Ro 3:23; 5:12 Relevant Bible account(s): Ps 51:1-5​—King David is deeply pained because of his sins against Jehovah Ro 7:19-24​—The apostle Paul feels miserable about his ongoing battle against his own sinful tendencies Comforting scriptures: Ps 103:12; 130:3; Isa 43:25; 1Jo 1:9 Comforting Bible account(s): 1Ki 9:2-5​—Although King David committed some very serious sins, Jehovah remembers him as a man of integrity 1Ti 1:12-16​—Despite his grave sins of the past, the apostle Paul is confident that he will be shown mercy

The World Wants Good Health!

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102007001

The World Wants Good Health! OVER 2,700 years ago, a prophet spoke of a future time when sickness will be no more. This prophecy has been preserved down to our day and is found in the ancient writings of Isaiah. He wrote of a time when “no resident will say: ‘I am sick,’” and he added: “At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.” (Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6) Other Bible prophecies speak of such a future. For example, the last book of the Bible, Revelation, describes a time when God will eliminate pain.​—Revelation 21:4. Will these promises come true? Will there ever be a time when the human race will enjoy good health and when sickness will be no more? Granted, a large segment of mankind enjoy better health today than in past generations. But better health does not mean the best health. Sickness still exacts a heavy toll. Just the fear of getting sick brings great anxiety. And the harsh reality is that even in this modern age, no one can fully escape the onslaught of physical and mental maladies. The Price You Pay The burden of ill health has many faces. One that is of great concern today is the soaring financial cost of illness. For instance, during a recent year, 500 million workdays were lost in Europe because of health problems. The situation is similar elsewhere. Reduced productivity at the workplace, together with the increasing cost of health care, creates a financial burden that affects all. Business corporations and governments pay a price. In order to offset costs, businesses raise the price of their products and governments increase taxation. Who pays? Ultimately, you do! Sad to say, the poor usually find it difficult to obtain adequate health care, if any at all. In developing countries that is the tragic plight of millions who have either limited access or no access to professional health services. Even in wealthy countries, some have to struggle to benefit from the good medical care available. This is often the case with many of the 46 million people in the United States who do not have health insurance. The burden of illness is not just financial. The ultimate price we pay is the anguish of suffering a terminal disease, the agony of enduring chronic pain, the sadness of seeing others who are seriously ill, and the despair of experiencing the loss of a loved one. The hope of someday living in a world without sickness is most appealing. The world wants good health! Many believe that as fantastic as it may sound, such a hope is real. There are some who are convinced that through man-made technology, in time, virtually all disease and sickness will be eradicated. On the other hand, those who put faith in the Bible believe that God will cause its ancient prophecies about a world without sickness to be fulfilled. Will man bring about a time when sickness is no more? Will God? What will the future bring?

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK How Can I Improve My Conversation Skills?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/500600128

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK How Can I Improve My Conversation Skills? In this article Why talk face-to-face? How to start a conversation What your peers say Why talk face-to-face? Some people say that face-to-face conversation is difficult and stressful, especially when they compare it to texting. “There’s more pressure when you talk face-to-face because you can’t edit or delete anything you say.”—Anna. “Texting is like a prerecorded program, whereas talking in person is like a live show. All I can think when I talk is, ‘Don’t mess up!’”—Jean. Sooner or later, though, you’ll need in-person conversation skills. For example, you will need these skills if you hope to make new friends, to get and keep a job, or to start a romantic relationship when you’re ready for it. The good news is, face-to-face conversation doesn’t have to be terrifying. You can learn to manage it—even if you’re timid. Tip: Don’t worry about making mistakes. Developing conversation skills is like learning how to ride a bike. You may “fall” a few times, but with practice, you will get better at it—and you’ll enjoy the ride! “It’s inevitable that at times you’ll say the wrong thing and feel embarrassed. You can’t take yourself too seriously.”—Neal. How to start a conversation Ask questions. Think of a topic that might interest people, and then turn it into a conversation starter. For example: “Did you travel anywhere this past summer?” “This is a cool website. Have you seen it before?” “Did you hear about . . . ?” To be even more specific, think of something you have in common with the person. For example, do you attend the same school or work at the same job? Use what you have in common as a basis for your questions. “Think of questions that you find interesting and that you’d really like to hear people’s answers to.”—Maritza. Tip: Questions like the ones above can be good conversation starters. When possible, though, use open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no reply. For example, the open-ended question “What was your favorite part of the movie?” is likely to get a better response than “Did you enjoy the movie?” Caution: Don’t become an interrogator by asking one question after another. Also, try not to be too personal. Questions like “What’s your greatest fear?” or “Why do you always wear blue?” may come across that way. The second question may even seem critical! You can also avoid sounding like an interrogator if either before or after the person answers, you share your own viewpoint on the question you asked. In other words, make it a conversation—not an interview. Do your questions make you seem like an interrogator? Bible principle: “A personʼs thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.”—Proverbs 20:5, Good News Bible. Be a good listener. Your success in continuing a conversation depends more on your listening ability than on your speaking ability. “I make it a goal to learn one new thing about the person I’m talking to. Afterward, I try to remember what that person shared so that I can think of a follow-up question for the next conversation.”—Tamara. Tip: If there’s a lag in the conversation, don’t panic. Notice your surroundings. Are you at school? at work? at an event? Your location can be a basis for a talking point. For example, you could ask a workmate, “Do you have a long commute?” Caution: Don’t worry about what you will say next. If you listen carefully, you’ll be able to respond to what the other person says. Bible principle: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak.”—James 1:19. Show genuine interest. You’ll enjoy a conversation much more if you care about the person you are talking to. “When you make the other person feel that you genuinely care about what he or she is saying, the conversation will be pleasant—even if there are a few awkward moments.”—Marie. Tip: Give the person a sincere compliment, and then follow it up with a question. For example, “That’s a nice coat. Where did you get it?” Caution: Don’t get too personal. A compliment like “That’s a nice coat. How much did it cost?” might cross the line! Bible principle: “Look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.”—Philippians 2:4. How can you conclude a conversation? “Aim to end on a positive note,” suggests a young man named Jordan. “Saying something like, ‘It was really nice talking to you’ or ‘I hope you have a great day’ can pave the way for the next time you meet the person.” What your peers say “Learning to communicate with others is similar to learning a new language. At first, it’s difficult, but with effort and practice, you can get better at it.”—Bethel. “As the other person talks, really listen. Maintain eye contact. Nod when appropriate. Smile. People appreciate it when you acknowledge what they have just said.”—Isaac. “I used to feel nervous when talking to others. Sometimes I still do. But it helps when I take genuine interest in the other person instead of focusing on my own insecurities.”—Kate.

Purple Triangles Guide (brfi) 2023

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/purple-triangles-guide-brfi

PURPLE TRIANGLES​—“Forgotten Victims” of the Nazi Regime

Young People Ask, Volume 2 (yp2) 2008

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp2

CHAPTER 20 What if My Family Is Poor? Gregory, a youth in Eastern Europe, can’t afford the clothes or electronic goods some Western youths can. He’s so frustrated with his living conditions that he’s about to move to Austria. Do you think Gregory is poor? □ Yes □ No Thousands of miles away lives Loyiso, a youth from a rural village in southern Africa. Dwelling in a small hut with his family, Loyiso envies the youths in a nearby town who enjoy marvelous “luxuries”​—running water and electricity. Would you say that Loyiso is poor? □ Yes □ No CLEARLY, “poor” is a relative term, meaning different things in various lands. For example, Gregory may have thought of himself as poverty-stricken, but compared with Loyiso he lives in luxury. It’s sobering to realize that no matter how poor you may be, others are likely worse off than you are. Still, when you don’t have decent clothes to wear to school or when you lack such basics as running water, it may give you little comfort to be told that others have less. Some youths who grow up poor feel worthless and inferior, and they try to dull their senses with alcohol or drugs. However, efforts to escape from reality only make matters worse. Those who abuse alcohol discover that “it bites just like a serpent, and it secretes poison just like a viper.” (Proverbs 23:32) Maria, a girl from a poor single-parent family in South Africa, says, “Trying to escape reality causes more problems than it solves.” You may not turn to drinking or drugs, but you may see little hope of ever improving your lot in life. Where can you turn? The Bible’s wise counsel can be like a key that frees you from the shackles of despair, enabling you to cultivate a healthy attitude. Let’s see how. Examine Your Assets One positive step you can take is to focus, not on the things you lack, but on the things you have. Assets such as a home and a loving family certainly are more valuable than money! A Bible proverb says: “Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love than a manger-fed bull and hatred along with it.” (Proverbs 15:17) Christian youths have an especially valuable asset​—the support of “the whole association of brothers.”​—1 Peter 2:17. Perhaps you can also try viewing your material possessions in a more positive light. Granted, you may live in a simple, perhaps even primitive, home. You may wear old, worn, or patched clothing. And you may long for a more varied diet. But do you need stylish clothes or an elaborate home to please God? Do you need fancy meals to stay alive and in good health? Not really. The apostle Paul learned a valuable lesson in this regard. He experienced both riches and poverty. (Philippians 4:12) His conclusion? “If we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us.”​—1 Timothy 6:8, Today’s English Version. Eldred, a South African man who grew up in a family of little means, says: “We just accepted that the family was living on a tight budget and that we could not get all we wanted.” Eldred recalls that when his school trousers became threadbare, his mother simply patched them up​—again and again and again! “I had to endure a bit of teasing,” admits Eldred. “But the main thing was that our clothes were clean and functional.” Build Self-Respect James, 11, lived with his mother and his sister in a squatter camp near Johannesburg, South Africa. Materially, they owned almost nothing. However, James still had valuable assets​—time and energy—​and he enjoyed using these to help others. Each weekend, James volunteered his services to assist in building a local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This work not only absorbed time that would have otherwise hung heavy on his hands but also gave him a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of self-respect. “After a day of hall building, I have this deep feeling of outputment inside!” he says. Another productive activity is the door-to-door Bible education work. (Matthew 24:14) Youths among Jehovah’s Witnesses engage in that work on a regular basis. By doing so they give others hope of a better life in the future, and they also increase their own feelings of self-respect and dignity. True, they don’t make money from doing such work. But recall the message Jesus gave to Christians in the ancient congregation of Smyrna. They were quite poor materially. Nevertheless, because of their deep spirituality, Jesus could say to them: “I know your tribulation and poverty​—but you are rich.” Ultimately, because of their actively exercising faith in Jesus’ shed blood, they would become supremely rich, receiving the crown of immortal life.​—Revelation 2:9, 10. Look Ahead You can develop a close relationship with Jehovah whether you are rich or poor. The Bible states: “The rich one and the one of little means have met each other. The Maker of them all is Jehovah.” (Proverbs 22:2) That fact has helped thousands of young Witnesses of Jehovah to cope with poverty. They appreciate that happiness depends, not on owning material things, but on making friends with Jehovah God, who welcomes all who want to serve him. God offers the hope of life in a future new world that will be free of grinding poverty.​—2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4. In the meantime, use your resources wisely. Look to the future. Lay up spiritual treasures. (Matthew 6:19-21) View poverty as a challenge that you can cope with! KEY SCRIPTURE “Even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.”​—Luke 12:15. TIP Shun gambling, smoking, and the abuse of alcoholic beverages. If other family members have these habits, set an example for them by your conduct. DID YOU KNOW . . . ? Applying Bible principles can help you to cultivate outputment despite your circumstances.​—Philippians 4:12, 13; 1 Timothy 6:8; Hebrews 13:5. ACTION PLAN! My assets are ․․․․․ I will use these assets to help others by ․․․․․ What I would like to ask my parent(s) about this subject is ․․․․․ WHAT DO YOU THINK? ● Why is “poor” a relative term? ● Why is it unwise to use drugs, alcohol, or other substances to escape from reality? ● What practical steps can you take to cope with poverty? [Blurb on page 168] “Although I felt trapped by poverty, I realized that joining a gang or stealing for a living would not help at all. Today, many of those from my age group who did those things are either hopeless dropouts, slaves to drink and drugs, or in jail.”​—George [Box/​Pictures on page 164] Worksheet Should I Live Abroad? Some youths want to live abroad to earn money either for themselves or to support their family. Others move to learn a foreign language, to further their education, or to run away from problems at home. Some Christian youths have moved to lands where there’s a need for evangelizers. The decision to move to a foreign land is a big one and should not be taken lightly. Therefore, if you’re thinking of living abroad, read and meditate on the scriptures listed below. Ask yourself the questions, and write your answers on a sheet of paper. Then prayerfully make your decision. □ What legal requirements are involved?​—Romans 13:1. □ What will be the total financial cost of moving abroad?​—Luke 14:28. □ What am I doing now that proves that I would be able to care for my own physical needs when abroad?​—Proverbs 13:4. □ What advice have I received from mature people who have lived abroad?​—Proverbs 1:5. □ What do my parents think of the idea?​—Proverbs 23:22. □ What’s my motive for wanting to move abroad?​—Galatians 6:7, 8. □ If I’m going to live with others, will they encourage me to maintain good spiritual habits?​—Proverbs 13:20. □ What moral, physical, and spiritual dangers might I face?​—Proverbs 5:3, 4; 27:12; 1 Timothy 6:9, 10. □ Realistically, what benefits do I expect to gain from living abroad?​—Proverbs 14:15. [Picture on page 167] The Bible’s advice can be like a key that frees you from the shackles of despair

Life on Earth (le) 1982

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/life-on-earth-le

What Is Death? 15 When man dies, he returns to the dust. He does not know anything anymore.—Psalm 146:4 Dead people cannot talk to you or do anything.—Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 16 But many angels became bad. Now they pretend to be people who have died. They want to make us believe we do not really die.—Genesis 6:1, 2; Jude 6 17 So Jehovah God does not want us to believe those bad angels, called demons.—Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10, 11; 32:17 He does not want us to carry on voodoo, witchcraft or juju.—Galatians 5:19-21

Young People Ask, Volume 2 (yp2) 2008

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp2

SECTION 1 The Opposite Sex You see a boy and girl holding hands as they stroll down the school corridor between classes. How do you feel? □ Don’t care □ Slightly jealous □ Completely envious You’re at the movies with friends when you realize that everyone is paired off​—except you! How do you feel? □ No problem □ Somewhat awkward □ Very jealous Your best friend has recently begun showing interest in a member of the opposite sex and is now dating. How do you feel? □ Happy □ Slightly envious □ Resentful Boy and girl, girl and boy. They’re everywhere you look​—in school, on the street, at the mall. Each time you see them, you feel a powerful urge to be part of that unit called a couple. But are you ready to date? If you are, how can you find someone who’s right for you? If you do find someone, how can you keep the relationship clean while dating? Chapters 1-5 will help you answer those questions. [Full-page picture on page 12, 13]

The Water You Drink

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101976003

The Water You Drink ‘DRINKING WATER,’ once wrote Leonardo da Vinci, ‘can be health-giving, unwholesome, laxative, sulphurous, mournful, angry, red, yellow, green, black, blue, greasy, fat and thin.’ The water you drink today probably has few of these qualities. But even in our day about half a billion people are said to be constantly sick because of the water they drink. Ten million of them may die each year. Surprisingly, even developed nations that take pride in their “safe” water are now having problems. Modern farming and industry are introducing a growing list of hard-to-remove and potentially hazardous chemicals into drinking-water sources. “It seems that everything that makes life easier makes water dirtier,” noted one U.S. expert at Senate hearings on the problem. Life Depends on It Despite these problems, water remains one of the most marvelous and absolutely essential substances known. The very existence of life itself on earth is based on it. In fact, water is the main ingredient of most living things. The human body has been described as a “virtual walking sack of precariously contained fluids.” About two thirds of your total weight is water, while as much as three fourths of your brain and muscles are. From this it is obvious that life functions best within the narrow temperature range in which water exists as a liquid. Such an environment where life could exist is said to be practically nonexistent elsewhere in the universe. Though scientists speculate about possible millions of planets in the universe, the book Water: The Web of Life marvels: “As we learn more about how unusual the conditions on earth really are . . . we wonder whether among even millions of planets we could find a duplicate of earth. . . . Apparently there is a very particular series of events that results in a planet with liquid water on its surface.” What water does to sustain the life in your body illustrates what a remarkable substance it truly is. Water at Work Within You Blood is often equated with the very life of creatures, as in the term lifeblood. Appropriately, blood is over four fifths water. The unique qualities of water make it ideally suited as the basis of this life-giving fluid. For example, more substances dissolve in water than in any other liquid. It also has the unique ability to move freely back and forth through your body’s cell walls, carrying with it the chemicals of life. At the same time it serves as the medium in which complex chemical reactions take place within the cells. These reactions “burn” as fuel the food you eat, generating heat, as an auto engine does when it burns fuel. But, then, how does your body keep its steady 98.6° temperature? Water! If the water in your body were another liquid​—mercury, for example—​heat from your cells would tend to raise your temperature over thirty times as fast as it does! This is because water requires far more heat to change its temperature than do most other substances. But water serves in other ways, also, to control your body temperature. Rapid circulation by way of the bloodstream keeps heat relatively even all over, and quickly moves excess heat to your skin for radiating into the air. On the other hand, heat stored in your body’s water delivers welcome warmth to the extremities when you are cold. Even with this remarkable system, your body usually does not quickly enough get rid of the heat that it generates. So another amazing property of water comes into play​—evaporation. How does this help? Well, when a pint of water evaporates, it soaks up about 1,100 times as much heat as when its temperature rises just one degree! You feel this cooling effect when a breeze dries moisture from your skin. Since about two pints of body water normally evaporate unnoticed each day through your skin and lungs by means of your breath, much excess heat is regularly released in this way. But on a hot day, or as your activity picks up from normal levels, your sweat glands exude more water, possibly gallons in a day. Any perspiration that evaporates from the surface, rather than dripping off, carries with it immense amounts of heat​—surely a marvelous cooling system! Your Need for Water Since water is so much a part of our very existence, we need to keep our bodies well supplied. Though a person may survive as much as eighty days without food, few can last longer than about ten days without water. With a very small drop from normal water output, you quickly feel thirsty. Even a 1- or 2-percent deficiency of water can be distressing or painful. Just 5 percent causes skin shrinkage, dried-out mouth and tongue, and hallucinations begin. A 15-percent loss is usually death-dealing. Your body is constantly losing water. In addition to the two pints normally lost through the skin and breath, another three pints or more may be eliminated through your kidneys and bowels. Water lost by sweating, and even by tears, has to be added to the normal total of five or six pints that must be replaced each day to maintain your body’s fluid balance. Does this mean that you have to drink three quarts of liquid every day? Not unless you are sweating heavily. Actually, about a third of the water you need comes from eating “solid” food, which is often mostly water. Even bread is about a third water. Interestingly, your own body cells manufacture nearly a pint of water (H2O) chemically as they use oxygen (O) to burn the hydrogen (H) in your food as fuel. Thus you may need to drink only five or six glasses of liquids such as milk, coffee, juice or water directly each day. But even though water is among the most abundant substances on earth, supplying enough drinkable water is a major undertaking. Since it can dissolve so many different substances, water is not always safe to drink without purification. Making Water Drinkable Drinking water can seldom be called “pure” or “clean” in a chemical sense, because it almost always has some gases and minerals dissolved in it. Making water “potable” or safe to drink and pleasing to the taste does not require removal of all impurities. In fact, some of the elements necessary to good health and taste are often found naturally in good drinking water. Fresh underground water obtained from springs and wells is often​—but not always—​safe to drink because of the filtering and purifying that takes place as it sinks through layers of soil and porous rock. Even fresh surface waters have self-purifying abilities. As it moves along, running water tends to break up wastes that enter, dissolving and diluting them to harmlessness, allowing the heavier particles to settle out. Wind and turbulence help aerate running water, causing it to release unwanted waste gases and absorb oxygen. Dissolved oxygen is vital to an amazing step-by-step “digestion” process that occurs in both moving and still waters. The oxygen may directly oxidize or “burn” wastes, neutralizing them, or, more often, it supports bacteria that break down wastes to a harmless residue. As the process continues, tiny life forms consume the bacteria, clearing the water further. Sunlight penetrates more easily, encouraging the growth of green algae, which, in turn, consume certain contaminating compounds and give off much oxygen in the process. Small water creatures feed on the algae, completing the “digestion” cycle. In this way fresh waters tend to purify themselves in time. But even this marvelous system can suffer indigestion, as you do when you eat too much of the wrong things. Rainwater runoff from farmlands often contains chemical fertilizer and pesticide residues. New arrays of industrial wastes join them in our water sources, choking these with a variety and volume of chemicals often well beyond the capacity of nature’s purification system. As a result, self-purification, says Preventive Medicine and Public Health, has become “at best a half-truth and has in the past too often been used to justify acceptance of unsafe waters.” Now almost all communities in developed countries treat water in some way before using it. In so doing, their methods often follow the lead of nature. Thus aeration is usually the first step of a typical purification system. Water is sprayed, cascaded or has air bubbled through it so as to absorb as much purifying oxygen as possible. Then certain chemicals are added that encourage impurities and bacteria to clump together in “flocs.” This coagulation process speeds up natural settling action, which is completed during sedimentation. Then comes filtration, usually through sand filters, to remove the remaining flocs and most other impurities. Finally, disinfection kills most remaining live organisms, usually by means of chlorine. Water-Treatment Problems You would think that the foregoing process would be thorough enough to remove anything dangerous from the water you drink. But recent tests by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that small amounts of numerous chemical compounds are getting through to the faucet in some cities. A few of these compounds are known to cause cancer. The irony of this is that several are said to be compounds of the very chlorine that is added to make the waters safe! Some doctors even present evidence that chlorine may help to trigger the cholesterol buildup in human blood vessels that is said to cause heart attacks and strokes. Joseph M. Price, M.D., asserts in his book Coronaries/​Cholesterol/​Chlorine that it is “one of the greatest paradoxes of recorded history” that a public health measure responsible for saving so many lives “should also unsuspectedly be responsible for many of the chronic disorders of later life.” Though such conclusions are disputed, hundreds of cities in Europe, Russia, Canada and Japan prefer alternative methods to disinfect their water. Nice, France, for example, has used ozone instead of chlorine for over sixty years; Paris, since 1968. Ozone is an unstable form of oxygen that reacts in a chemical frenzy with water, oxidizing impurities quickly and leaving no ozone residue. Others advocate activated carbon granules in place of, or in addition to, conventional sand in filters. Activated carbon has a unique chemical “stickiness” that “absorbs” impurities. A single pound is said to expose more than four million square feet of activated carbon surface for removing impurities. Now many U.S. environmentalists are exerting increasing pressure to force adoption of such alternatives. Water as Medicine Should citizens be subjected to mass medical treatment through their drinking water? That issue still rankles opponents of fluoridation, even though almost half of the U.S. population now drinks fluoridated water. Children who drink treated water reportedly have only half to a third as many dental cavities. But opponents cite the fact that the majority of people do not benefit, since it admittedly helps only youngsters. Further, they argue, since some drink more water than others, they are bound to suffer greater exposure to any potential dangers, which allegedly include mongolism, cancer and shortened life. Though most medical authorities discount such charges, those who oppose fluoridation say that they should be free to choose. Some people have fled to bottled water for safety. However, recent studies indicate that even some bottled waters cannot be assumed safe. One doctor, writing in the Medical World News annual Cardiovascular Review, suggests boiling your drinking water to drive off any free chlorine. But even boiling will not necessarily remove other harmful compounds. A Balanced View Thus it is wise to have a balanced view of the water we drink. What we can do to assure its purity is limited. The air we breathe is polluted enough to shorten life in some areas, but gas masks are impractical. So rather than allowing such situations to distort our perspective on life, we should see in them proof that human systems fail when they do not work in harmony with earth’s marvelous natural systems. But, at the same time, we can be confident that the Designer of these natural systems will soon see to it that they operate in accord with his purpose, when he brings “to ruin those ruining the earth” and its waters.​—Rev. 11:18. Then earth’s waters will sustain life without ever causing pain, sickness or death. Appropriately, God’s provision of eternal life on earth at that time is pictured as a “river of water of life, clear as crystal.” “Let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.”​—Rev. 21:1-5; 22:1, 17.

Acne—the Teen-Ager’s Woe

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101971007

Acne​—the Teen-Ager’s Woe ARE you a teen-age youth who is troubled with acne? Do not take it too seriously. It no doubt looks far worse to you than it does to others. You may be particularly sensitive about it because you have become very conscious of your appearance, quite likely due to your budding interest in the opposite sex. In fact, if you are a boy, your having acne might even be said to be something for which to be thankful. How so? you ask. In that, for one thing, it is evidence that you are not a eunuch. Eunuchs are not plagued with acne, for acne is triggered by the male or androgenic hormones. Proof of this is seen in that eunuchs get acne when they are given male hormones. (Female hormones have the opposite effect. That is why some doctors give these female hormones to girls bothered with acne.) And for another thing, since acne in both males and females is a result of increased activity of what are called “male hormones,” it might be said to be an indication that you are progressing physically, and it is hoped also mentally and emotionally, toward adulthood. But just how does this hormone work to cause acne? Your skin consists of several main layers. The upper layer, known as the epidermis, may be subdivided into a number of layers, the topmost of which might be likened to shingles on a roof. Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, in which are found the blood vessels, nerves, the sweat and oil glands and the hair roots. Sweat glands have their own openings or pores leading from the dermis to the top of the skin. The hairs rest in tiny openings alongside which are from two to five oil glands that lubricate the skin as well as keep it soft and smooth and serve to protect it. At puberty the “male hormone,” in both boys and girls, seems to increase the oil production of these glands. Also it appears that the cells of the upper layer of skin grow more rapidly than they are shed. As a result some 80 percent of both girls and boys have a bout with acne, boys more severely than girls, but the girls earlier than the boys. A severe case of acne is invariably associated with a very oily skin, which condition often continues even after the acne disappears. Another explanation could be that the approach of puberty puts a strain on the kidneys, with the result that the skin is overburdened with the problem of removing impurities from the blood. It is a known fact that sweating has a beneficial effect on kidney patients. Aggravating Factors Since increased hormonal activity accompanies puberty, does that mean that nothing can be done about acne? Not necessarily, even though it is quite likely that in severe cases susceptibility to acne is inherited. This is seen from the fact that youths with severe cases of acne often have parents who were likewise plagued in their youth. Among the things that might aggravate acne are failure to keep the skin clean, or the use of irritating soaps or the habit of squeezing blackheads or pimples. In view of the fact that oiliness of the skin is associated with acne, exposure to oils could make it worse. Thus if one’s occupation required one to be around or in touch with oil or oil products, this could worsen one’s acne. An interesting report appeared in Archives of Dermatology, May 1970, on the subject of “pomade acne.” This was found to afflict Africans who make use of pomades to keep their hair straight. Interestingly, it showed that ordinary Vaseline or mineral oil products were far less likely to cause an acne condition than were the fancy, high-priced and highly advertised products. It is also generally recognized that emotional problems can aggravate or cause acne. Thus Dr. Morris Fishbein, a leading medical author and editor, noted that “even antagonism between the acne sufferer and parents or close associates” can cause a persistent case of acne. And so it is not surprising that leading dermatologists, such as Dr. Gordon Sauer, hold that nervous tension, as when youths worry unduly over examinations or school sports, as well as a lack of sufficient rest and sleep can be responsible for acne. Many years ago it was believed that sex had something to do with acne, as it accompanied puberty, when youth becomes sex conscious. However, while modern medical authorities, by a large majority, strongly stress that there is just no connection between masturbation and acne, there still could be a relationship, indirectly. In what way? In that if the practice creates an emotional problem, causing one to worry about it, this could have a bearing on one’s having acne. But youths can be afflicted with acne without engaging in this practice, and, on the other hand, they could well be indulging in it and yet not have acne. And finally there is the matter of diet. While for ever so many years skin specialists were prone to hold that diet played a decisive role in acne, the medical profession by and large has discarded the view that diet has any bearing on it. What Can Be Done About It? There are two avenues of approach open to one afflicted with acne, and both can be utilized. There is the topical remedy. That is, the remedy is applied locally, to the skin. There is general agreement that, since acne is worse in the winter than in the summer, sunshine has a beneficial effect on acne. However, not so general is the agreement as to the use of sunlamps in treating acne. If they are used, care must be exercised so that one does not burn the skin. It is best to start with very short periods of exposure to the sunlamp and then gradually increase the amount. Dermatologists generally recommend extra precautions in keeping the skin clean. Recommended by latest writers on the subject is that the skin be cleansed often and thoroughly with a soap that has a great deal of drying effect. This could be an old-fashioned laundry soap or some modern medicated soap. Since it is usually not convenient to wash the face often every day, these skin specialists recommend astringent lotions. Swimming is also said to be of help. In fact, according to such modern authorities as Dr. Milton Ross, the acne problem is basically a matter of “a few ounces of soap, medication and conscientious hard work.” This may often, though not always, be the case. The Systemic Approach The systemic approach considers acne as more or less a symptom and tries to get at the contributing causes. This approach recognizes that stress is likely to play a prominent role in acne. So the situation might be improved if you learn not to worry unduly about school examinations, sports events or personal problems. Especially try to cooperate with your parents, appreciate their good points and do not exaggerate in your mind their shortcomings. This may go far in relieving tension at home. Remember, the Bible says that love builds up and covers over others’ weaknesses. Love in your family circle may well make the difference between your having a light case or a severe case of acne.​—1 Cor. 8:1; 1 Pet. 4:8. Recommended also is exercise, for that which improves your general health will also work against acne. It therefore follows that you should see to it that you get sufficient rest and sleep. Learn to exercise self-control by turning off the TV set when it is time for sleep. Vitamins are recommended by some. While in certain cases they have not proved effective, in other cases they have. And while vitamin A is the vitamin usually prescribed for acne sufferers, the B, C and D vitamins are also said to be helpful. What about diet? Since the modern trend is to ignore diet almost entirely in dealing with the trouble, what should a teen-ager who has a serious acne problem do? Do not be like the young woman who wrote to a leading medical authority, complaining about persistent acne in spite of doctors and medication and who said she kept eating sweets and pastry because the doctors said that diet had no bearing on acne. Rather, be wise and experiment. Find out for yourself. A well-balanced diet is essential for everyone’s health. Professor of Dermatology Dr. Sauer recommends: DO NOT EAT chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream and such things. Avoid excesses of sweets and fats, especially French fried potatoes and spicy foods. Go easy on oysters and like seafoods. Try to do without nerve and headache medicines. If such self-denial brings relief, is it not worth while? On the other hand, be sure to eat enough fruits and vegetables. Why not follow these suggestions for two or three weeks and, if no improvement is noted, it may be that your remedy lies in a different direction. It may be that you need extra vitamins, exercise, more rest and sleep to get rid of tensions. Or you may want to go to a dermatologist for medical treatment. But, after all is said and done, it is well to remember a few basic principles, you teen-agers with the acne problem. Concentrate on developing a good, sunny disposition and the fine qualities that make people enjoy your company. Make it a point to be always neat and clean. Do not get impatient with the problem, for most likely you will find it to be but a temporary affliction. Remember that it can even be a blessing in disguise if it makes you less vain and more sympathetic with the suffering that other persons have to endure. Since ever so many persons had the same problem in their youth, most of them will understand. Appreciate and thank God for the blessings you do have, not least of which is youth and strength.​—Prov. 20:29.

Sing Praises (ssb) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/Ssb

Song 64 Faith Like That of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-18) 1. How happy is the man that seeks God’s Word to comprehend; For God, the great Omniscient One, Knows from the start the end. Thus, for our comfort and strong hope, By faithful men of old He made prophetic dramas grand; Their meanings now unfold. 2. O see now Abraham of old, With Isaac by his side, Ascending Mount Moriah’s height; His faith is being tried. Jehovah asked of Abraham To offer his dear son In loving sacrifice to God That God’s will might be done. 3. Yet Abraham met that great test And by obedience made A picture of how, through God’s love, His Son our ransom paid. Would you gain life from that grand gift? Submissive you must be And have a faith like Abraham And act obediently.

Making Good Use of a Powerful Video

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102001014

Making Good Use of a Powerful Video WHEN she was just 12 years old, Tillie took advantage of an opportunity to give a witness at school. The class was studying World War II, and the subject of the Holocaust arose. Tillie told her teacher that not only Jews but also Jehovah’s Witnesses were tortured and killed during this horrendous period. The teacher agreed to let Tillie bring the video Purple Triangles to class. Before showing the video, the teacher said to the class: “Because of the great number of Jews who were killed during the Holocaust, many others who were persecuted have been overlooked. Jehovah’s Witnesses are among such groups.” The teacher was so impressed by the video that she lent it to another teacher to use in her class. Tillie remembered that her fourth grade teacher’s brother had been killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. She took the video to that teacher too, and he viewed it that very evening. In all, more than 60 people got to see Purple Triangles, and much interest was aroused. All of this took place because a young girl had the courage to speak up about her religion.—Psalm 8:2.

Why Worship God (wj) 1993

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/wj

Picture Credits Page 2 bottom Courtesy of the Government of India Tourist Office: Page 8 top left By Permission of the British Library [#K.30145]: Page 8 second from bottom By Permission of the British Library [#K.30146]: Page 8 bottom By Permission of the British Library [#K.30143]: Page 9 top left By Permission of the British Library [#E.4613 A]: Page 9 middle right Courtesy of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. / 23.3: Kalpa Sutra and Kalakacaryakatha. Prakrit on 123 leaves with colophon. India, Gujarati, Rajput, 15th century, Jaina (Svetambara). Color and gold on paper (11.6 x 30.7 cm).: Page 9 bottom left By Permission of the British Library [#EK.209]: Page 9 bottom right By Permission of the British Library [#EK.211]: Page 22 bottom WHO photo by W. Cutting: Page 22 right WHO/OXFAM: Pages 22 and 23 U.S. National Archives photo: Page 23 right The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum, London, [#E.7254].

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Zionists?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502012557

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Zionists? No, they are not. Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians who base their beliefs on the Scriptures. While some religions teach that the gathering of Jews in Palestine is related to Scriptural prophecy, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not hold this view. They do not believe that this political development was specifically foretold in the Scriptures. In fact, the Scriptures do not promote any one human government or exalt one ethnic group or people over another. The Watchtower, the official magazine of Jehovah’s Witnesses, has unequivocally stated: “There [is] no Scriptural support for political Zionism.” The Encyclopædia Britannica describes Zionism as a “Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine.” Its roots are both religious and political. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not advocate Zionism as a religious doctrine, and they are completely neutral toward political Zionism. The organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is entirely religious and does not advocate any political arrangement, which would include Zionism. The political neutrality of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been well documented, and in some lands the Witnesses have suffered severe persecution rather than compromise that neutrality. We are convinced that only God’s heavenly Kingdom will bring lasting peace to this earth; no human government or movement can accomplish this. A core tenet of the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, regardless of where they live, is obedience to the laws of secular governments. They do not rebel against governmental authorities or participate in armed conflict.

Religious Freedom—Blessing or Curse?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101999002

Religious Freedom—Blessing or Curse? The birth of the notion of religious freedom was accompanied by great labor pains in Christendom. It was a struggle against dogmatism, prejudice, and intolerance. It cost countless thousands of lives in bloody religious conflicts. What does this painful history teach us? “PERSECUTION has been an enduring fact of Christian history,” writes Robin Lane Fox in the book Pagans and Christians. Early Christians were called a sect and were accused of threatening public order. (Acts 16:20, 21; 24:5, 14; 28:22) As a result, some endured torture and were killed by wild beasts in Roman arenas. In the face of such bitter persecution, some, such as the theologian Tertullian (see picture on page 8), pleaded for religious freedom. In 212 C.E., he wrote: “It is a fundamental human right, a privilege of nature, that every man should worship according to his own convictions.” In 313 C.E., persecution of Christians by the Roman world came to an end under Constantine, with the Edict of Milan, which granted freedom of religion to Christians and pagans alike. The legalization of “Christianity” in the Roman Empire turned the tide. However, about 340 C.E., a professed Christian writer called for the persecution of pagans. Finally, in 392 C.E., by means of the Edict of Constantinople, Emperor Theodosius I banned paganism within the empire, and religious freedom died a premature death. With Roman “Christianity” as the State religion, Church and State embarked on a campaign of persecution that lasted for centuries, reaching its zenith in the bloody Crusades of the 11th to the 13th centuries and in the cruelty of the Inquisitions, which began in the 12th century. Those daring to question the established orthodoxy, the monopoly of dogma, were branded as heretics and tracked down in the witch-hunt climate of the time. What was behind such moves? Religious intolerance was excused on the grounds that religious unity formed the most solid foundation for the State and that religious differences threatened public order. In England, in 1602, one of Queen Elizabeth’s ministers argued: “The State is never safe when it tolerates two religions.” In reality, it was much easier to ban religious dissidents than to find out whether they really posed a threat to the State or to the established religion. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes: “Neither the secular nor the ecclesiastical authorities drew the slightest distinction between dangerous and harmless heretics.” However, change was soon to come. The Painful Birth of Tolerance The catalyst for change in Europe was the upheaval caused by Protestantism, a sectarian movement that refused to go away. With astonishing rapidity, the Protestant Reformation split Europe along religious lines, bringing to the fore the idea of freedom of conscience. The famous Reformer Martin Luther, for example, justified his opinions in 1521, saying: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” Division also ignited the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48), a series of cruel religious wars that ravaged Europe. In the midst of war, though, many came to realize that conflict was not the way forward. Thus, a series of edicts, such as the Edict of Nantes in France (1598), sought unsuccessfully to establish peace in war-torn Europe. It was out of these edicts that the modern-day notion of tolerance gradually evolved. At first, “tolerance” had negative connotations. “If under certain circumstances we were to tolerate the sects . . . , it would, without doubt, be an evil—indeed, a serious evil—but not as bad as war,” wrote the famous humanist Erasmus in 1530. Because of this negative sense, some, like Frenchman Paul de Foix in 1561, preferred to talk about “religious freedom” rather than “tolerance.” With time, though, tolerance came to be seen, not as the lesser of two evils, but as the protector of liberties. It was no longer viewed as a concession to weakness but as a guarantee. When plurality of belief and the right to think differently began to be cherished as the basis of modern society, fanaticism was forced to retreat. At the end of the 18th century, tolerance became instructioned with freedom and equality. This was expressed in the form of laws and declarations, such as the famous Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), in France, or the Bill of Rights (1791), in the United States. As these documents came to influence liberal thinking from the 19th century onward, tolerance and hence freedom were viewed no longer as a curse but as a blessing. Relative Freedom Precious as it is, freedom is only relative. In the name of greater freedom for all, the State passes laws that limit some individual liberties. The following are some of the issues related to freedom that are currently being debated in many European countries: To what extent should governmental legislation operate in private life? How effective is it? How does it affect freedom? The debate over public and private liberties has been thrust to the fore by the media. Allegations of brainwashing, financial extortion, child abuse, and a host of other serious crimes have been directed against some religious groups, often without any substantial proof. News stories involving minority religious groups have received widespread coverage by the press. Disparaging labels such as “cult” or “sect” have now become a part of everyday usage. Under pressure from public opinion, governments have even produced lists of so-called dangerous cults. France is a country proud of its tradition of tolerance and separation of religion and the State. It proudly proclaims itself the land of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” Yet, according to the book Freedom of Religion and Belief—A World Report, “an education campaign in schools to foster rejection of new religious movements” has been recommended in that country. Many people think, however, that this type of action poses a threat to religious freedom. How so? Threats to Religious Freedom True religious freedom exists only when all religious groups that respect and obey the law are given equal treatment by the State. This ceases to be the case when the State arbitrarily decides which among the religious groups is not a religion, thus denying it the advantages that the State grants to religions. “The sacred idea of religious freedom rings hollow when the state arrogates unto itself the right to certify religions the way it hands out licenses to drivers,” noted Time magazine in 1997. One French appeal court recently declared that doing so “leads, consciously or not, to totalitarianism.” Basic freedoms are also threatened when one group has a monopoly on the media. Unfortunately, this is increasingly the case in many countries. For example, in an attempt to define what is religiously correct, anticult organizations have set themselves up as prosecutor, judge, and jury and have then tried to impose their biased view on the public through the media. However, as the French newspaper Le Monde said, in so doing, these organizations sometimes show “the same sectarianism that they are supposedly fighting and risk creating a ‘witch-hunt’ climate.” The newspaper asked: “Does not the social stigmatization of minority religious groups . . . threaten essential freedoms?” Martin Kriele, quoted in Zeitschrift für Religionspsychologie (Magazine for Psychology of Religion), stated: “The witch-hunt for sects gives more cause for concern than the vast majority of the ‘so-called sects and psychogroups.’ Simply put: Citizens who do not overstep the law should be left in peace. Religion and ideology should be free and remain free, also in Germany.” Let us consider one example. “Model Citizens”—Branded as Dangerous Which religious group was said to be “the most dangerous of all sects” in the opinion of Catholic authorities quoted in Spain’s popular ABC newspaper? You may be surprised to learn that ABC was talking about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Do the accusations made against them have an impartial, objective basis? Note the following declarations from other sources: “The Witnesses teach people to pay their taxes honestly, not to participate in wars or preparations for war, not to steal and, in general, to follow a life-style that if it were adopted by others would lead to an improvement in the standards of civil cohabitation.”—Sergio Albesano, Talento, November-December 1996. “Contrary to the insinuations circulated on certain occasions, [Jehovah’s Witnesses] do not appear to me to represent the slightest danger to the State’s institutions. They are citizens who are peace-loving, conscientious, and respectful toward the authorities.”—A Belgian parliamentary deputy. “The Jehovah’s Witnesses are recognizably the most honest people in the Federal Republic.”—German newspaper Sindelfinger Zeitung. “You might regard [Jehovah’s Witnesses] as model citizens. They pay taxes diligently, tend the sick, battle illiteracy.”—U.S. newspaper San Francisco Examiner. “Jehovah’s Witnesses experience greater success than members of other denominations in maintaining stable marital unions.”—American Ethnologist. “Jehovah’s Witnesses are among the most upright and diligent of the citizenry of African countries.”—Dr. Bryan Wilson, Oxford University. “Members of that faith have contributed greatly through the decades toward expanding liberty of conscience.”—Nat Hentoff, Free Speech for Me—But Not for Thee. “They have . . . made a definite contribution to the preservation of some of the most precious things in our democracy.”—Professor C. S. Braden, These Also Believe. As the above quotations indicate, Jehovah’s Witnesses are recognized throughout the world as exemplary citizens. In addition, they are known for their free Bible education work and for the promotion of family values. Their literacy classes have helped hundreds of thousands, while their humanitarian works over the decades have helped thousands, especially in Africa. The Importance of Objectivity Society is rife with unscrupulous people preying on innocent victims. Consequently, there is a definite need to be vigilant when it comes to claims about religion. But just how objective and how conducive to religious freedom is it when some journalists, instead of consulting objective experts, rely on information from churches who see their numbers dwindling or from antisect organizations whose objectivity is open to serious question? The newspaper that called Jehovah’s Witnesses “the most dangerous of all sects” admitted, for instance, that its definitions came from “the experts of the [Catholic] Church.” In addition, one French magazine noted that the majority of articles dealing with supposed sects originated with antisect organizations. Does this sound to you like the most impartial way of getting objective information? International courts and organizations concerned with basic human rights, such as the UN, say that “the distinction between a religion and a sect is too contrived to be acceptable.” Then why do some persist in the use of the pejorative word “sect”? It is further evidence that religious freedom is threatened. How, then, can this essential freedom be protected? [Box/Pictures on page 8] Defenders of Religious Freedom Eloquent cries for religious freedom arose from the bloodbath of religious conflict in Europe in the 16th century. These appeals are still relevant to the discussion of religious freedom. Sébastien Chateillon (1515-63): “What is a heretic? I do not find anything else except that we consider heretics all those that do not agree with our opinion. . . . If in this city or region you are considered a true believer, in the next you will be considered a heretic.” Famous French Bible translator and energetic defender of tolerance, Chateillon touched on one of the key elements in the debate on religious freedom: Who defines who is a heretic? Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert (1522-90): “We read that in the past . . . even Christ himself in Jerusalem and then many martyrs in Europe . . . disturbed [society] with their words of truth. . . . The meaning of the word ‘disturbed’ needs to be defined accurately and clearly.” Coornhert argued that religious difference should not be equated with disturbing public order. He asked: Are those who scrupulously obey and respect the law really a threat to public order? Pierre de Belloy (1540-1611): It is “ignorant to believe that diversity of religion brings about and nurtures tumult in the State.” Belloy, a French lawyer writing at the time of the Wars of Religion (1562-98), argued that the harmony of the State is not based upon religious uniformity unless, of course, the government is subservient to religious pressures. Thomas Helwys (c. 1550–c. 1616): “If his [the king’s] people are obedient and faithful subjects to all human laws, he has nothing more to ask from them.” Helwys, one of the founders of the English Baptists, wrote in favor of the separation of Church and State, urging the king to grant religious freedom to all churches and sects and to be output with civil power over people and possessions. His writings underlined a current question: How far should the State control the spiritual? Anonymous writer (1564): “In order to introduce freedom of conscience, it is not sufficient to allow an individual to abstain from practicing a religion of which he disapproves if, by the same token, the free practice of the one he approves is not allowed.” [Pictures] Tertullian Chateillon De Belloy [Credit Line] All photos: © Cliché Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris

Isaiah’s Prophecy II (ip-2) 2001

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ip-2

Chapter Twenty-two Righteousness Sprouts in Zion Isaiah 61:1-11 1, 2. What change is about to befall Israel, and who will bring this about? LET freedom be proclaimed! Jehovah has determined to free his people and restore them to their ancestral land. Like a seed that sprouts after a gentle rain, true worship will once again appear. When that day arrives, despair will give way to joyful praise, and heads formerly covered with ashes of mourning will be crowned with divine approval. 2 Who will bring about this marvelous transformation? Only Jehovah can do such a thing. (Psalm 9:19, 20; Isaiah 40:25) The prophet Zephaniah prophetically commanded: “Joyfully cry out, O daughter of Zion! Break out in cheers, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Jehovah has removed the judgments upon you.” (Zephaniah 3:14, 15) What a joyful time that will be! When Jehovah gathers the restored remnant from Babylon in 537 B.C.E., it will be like a dream come true.​—Psalm 126:1. 3. What fulfillments do the prophetic words of Isaiah chapter 61 have? 3 This restoration is foretold in Isaiah chapter 61. However, while that prophecy clearly had a fulfillment in 537 B.C.E., it is fulfilled in greater detail at a later period. The more detailed fulfillment involves Jesus and his followers in the first century and Jehovah’s people in modern times. How meaningful, then, these inspired words are! “The Year of Goodwill” 4. Who is commissioned to tell good news in the first fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1, and who in the second? 4 Isaiah writes: “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive and the wide opening of the eyes even to the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1) Who is the one commissioned to tell good news? Likely, in the first instance it is Isaiah, who is inspired by God to record good news for the captives in Babylon. However, Jesus pointed to the most important fulfillment when he applied Isaiah’s words to himself. (Luke 4:16-21) Yes, Jesus was sent forth to tell good news to the meek, and to this end he was anointed with holy spirit at his baptism.​—Matthew 3:16, 17. 5. Who have been preaching the good news for some 2,000 years? 5 Moreover, Jesus taught his followers to be evangelizers, or preachers of the good news. At Pentecost 33 C.E., about 120 of these were anointed with holy spirit and became spiritual sons of God. (Acts 2:1-4, 14-42; Romans 8:14-16) They too were commissioned to tell the good news to the meek and brokenhearted. Those 120 were the first of 144,000 to be anointed in this way. The final ones of this group are still active on earth today. Hence, for about 2,000 years, anointed followers of Jesus have been witnessing “about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.”​—Acts 20:21. 6. Who received relief from hearing the good news preached in ancient times, and what about today? 6 Isaiah’s inspired message brought relief to repentant Jews in Babylon. In the days of Jesus and his disciples, it brought relief to Jews who were brokenhearted because of the wickedness in Israel and were languishing in captivity to the false religious traditions of first-century Judaism. (Matthew 15:3-6) Today millions ensnared by Christendom’s pagan customs and God-dishonoring traditions are “sighing and groaning” because of the detestable things committed in that religious system. (Ezekiel 9:4) Those who respond to the good news are liberated from that pitiable state. (Matthew 9:35-38) Their eyes of understanding are opened wide when they learn to worship Jehovah “with spirit and truth.”​—John 4:24. 7, 8. (a) What are the two ‘years of goodwill’? (b) What are Jehovah’s ‘days of vengeance’? 7 There is a timetable for preaching the good news. Jesus and his followers were commissioned: “Proclaim the year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God; to comfort all the mourning ones.” (Isaiah 61:2) A year is a long time, but it has a beginning and an end. Jehovah’s “year of goodwill” is the period during which he gives meek ones the opportunity to respond to his proclamation of freedom. 8 In the first century, the year of goodwill for the Jewish nation started in 29 C.E. when Jesus began his earthly ministry. He told the Jews: “Repent, you people, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” (Matthew 4:17) That year of goodwill lasted until “the day of vengeance” of Jehovah, which climaxed in 70 C.E. when Jehovah allowed the Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem and its temple. (Matthew 24:3-22) We today are living in another year of goodwill, one that began with the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the heavens in 1914. This year of goodwill will conclude with another, more widespread day of vengeance when Jehovah brings about the destruction of this entire world system of things at the “great tribulation.”​—Matthew 24:21. 9. Who today benefit from Jehovah’s year of goodwill? 9 Who today benefit from God’s year of goodwill? Those who accept the message, demonstrate meekness, and zealously support the proclamation of God’s Kingdom in “all the nations.” (Mark 13:10) Such ones find that the good news brings real comfort. However, those who reject the message, refusing to take advantage of Jehovah’s year of goodwill, will soon have to face the reality of his day of vengeance.​—2 Thessalonians 1:6-9. Spiritual Fruitage That Glorifies God 10. How are the Jews returning from Babylon affected by Jehovah’s great deed in their behalf? 10 The Jews who return from Babylon realize that Jehovah has performed a great deed in their behalf. Their mourning as captives turns into exultation and praise because they are finally free. Thus, Isaiah fulfills his prophetic commission, that is, “to assign to those mourning over Zion, to give them a headdress instead of ashes, the oil of exultation instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the downhearted spirit; and they must be called big trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, for him to be beautified.”​—Isaiah 61:3. 11. Who in the first century had good reason to praise Jehovah for his great deed? 11 In the first century, the Jews who accepted release from bondage to false religion also praised God for his great deed in their behalf. Their downhearted spirit was replaced with a “mantle of praise” when they were delivered from a spiritually dead nation. Such a change was first experienced by Jesus’ disciples when their mourning over his death turned to rejoicing over their anointing with holy spirit by their resurrected Lord. Soon after, a similar change was experienced by 3,000 meek individuals who responded to the preaching of those newly anointed Christians and got baptized at Pentecost 33 C.E. (Acts 2:41) How good it was to be confident of having Jehovah’s blessing! Instead of “mourning over Zion,” they received holy spirit and were refreshed by “the oil of exultation,” which symbolizes the exultation of those who are richly blessed by Jehovah.​—Hebrews 1:9. 12, 13. (a) Who were “big trees of righteousness” among the returning Jews in 537 B.C.E.? (b) Who have been “big trees of righteousness” since Pentecost 33 C.E.? 12 Jehovah blesses his people with “big trees of righteousness.” Who are these big trees? In the years following 537 B.C.E., they were individuals who studied and meditated on God’s Word and cultivated Jehovah’s righteous standards. (Psalm 1:1-3; Isaiah 44:2-4; Jeremiah 17:7, 8) Such men as Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and High Priest Joshua proved to be outstanding “big trees”​—stalwarts for truth and against spiritual pollution in the nation. 13 From Pentecost 33 C.E. onward, God planted similar “big trees of righteousness”​—courageous anointed Christians—​in the spiritual estate of his new nation, “the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16) Over the centuries, these “trees” have come to number 144,000, producing righteous fruitage to beautify, or bring glory to, Jehovah God. (Revelation 14:3) The final ones of these stately “trees” have flourished in the years since 1919, when Jehovah revived the remaining ones of the Israel of God from their temporary state of inactivity. By supplying them with an abundant supply of spiritual waters, Jehovah has produced a virtual forest of righteous, fruit-bearing trees.​—Isaiah 27:6. 14, 15. What projects were undertaken by Jehovah’s released worshipers starting in (a) 537 B.C.E.? (b) 33 C.E.? (c) 1919? 14 Highlighting the work of these “trees,” Isaiah continues: “They must rebuild the long-standing devastated places; they will raise up even the desolated places of former times, and they will certainly make anew the devastated cities, the places desolate for generation after generation.” (Isaiah 61:4) Under the decree of King Cyrus of Persia, faithful Jews who returned from Babylon rebuilt Jerusalem and its temple, which had been left in a devastated condition for so long. Restoration projects would also mark the years following 33 C.E. and 1919. 15 In 33 C.E., Jesus’ disciples were greatly saddened by his arrest, trial, and death. (Matthew 26:31) However, their outlook changed when he appeared to them after his resurrection. And once holy spirit was poured out on them, they got busy with the work of preaching the good news, “both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Thus they began to restore pure worship. In a similar way, from 1919 onward Jesus Christ caused the remnant of his anointed brothers to rebuild “places desolate for generation after generation.” For centuries the clergy of Christendom had failed to impart the knowledge of Jehovah, replacing it with man-made traditions and unscriptural doctrines. The anointed Christians cleaned out of their congregations practices that were tainted by false religion so that the restoration of true worship could go forward. And they began what would prove to be the greatest witnessing campaign that the world has ever known.​—Mark 13:10. 16. Who have been helping anointed Christians in their restoration work, and with what tasks have they been entrusted? 16 This was a huge commission. How could the relatively few remaining ones of the Israel of God accomplish such a task? Jehovah inspired Isaiah to declare: “Strangers will actually stand and shepherd the flocks of you people, and the foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.” (Isaiah 61:5) The figurative strangers and foreigners have proved to be “a great crowd” of Jesus’ “other sheep.”a (Revelation 7:9; John 10:11, 16) They are not anointed with holy spirit with a view to a heavenly inheritance. Rather, they have the hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth. (Revelation 21:3, 4) Still, they love Jehovah and have been entrusted with spiritual shepherding, farming, and vinedressing duties. Such activities are not menial tasks. Under the direction of the remaining ones of the Israel of God, these workers help in the shepherding, nurturing, and harvesting of people.​—Luke 10:2; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2; Revelation 14:15, 16. 17. (a) What will members of the Israel of God be called? (b) What is the only sacrifice needed for forgiveness of sins? 17 What of the Israel of God? Jehovah tells them, through Isaiah: “As for you, the priests of Jehovah you will be called; the ministers of our God you will be said to be. The resources of the nations you people will eat, and in their glory you will speak elatedly about yourselves.” (Isaiah 61:6) In ancient Israel, Jehovah provided the Levitical priesthood to offer sacrifices in behalf of the priests themselves and their fellow Israelites. However, in 33 C.E., Jehovah ceased using the Levitical priesthood and inaugurated a better arrangement. He accepted the perfect life of Jesus as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Since then, no other sacrifice has been needed. Jesus’ sacrifice is valid for all time.​—John 14:6; Colossians 2:13, 14; Hebrews 9:11-14, 24. 18. What kind of priesthood does the Israel of God form, and what is their commission? 18 How, then, are the members of the Israel of God “the priests of Jehovah”? Writing to fellow anointed Christians, the apostle Peter said: “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies’ of the one that called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Hence, as a group, anointed Christians form a priesthood with a specific commission: to tell the nations about Jehovah’s glory. They are to be witnesses of him. (Isaiah 43:10-12) Throughout the last days, anointed Christians have faithfully discharged this vital commission. As a result, millions now share with them in the work of witnessing about Jehovah’s Kingdom. 19. What service will anointed Christians be privileged to perform? 19 Further, members of the Israel of God have the prospect of serving as priests in another way. After their death, they are resurrected to immortal spirit life in heaven. There they serve not only as rulers with Jesus in his Kingdom but also as priests of God. (Revelation 5:10; 20:6) As such, they will be privileged to apply the benefits of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice to faithful mankind on earth. In the apostle John’s vision recorded in Revelation chapter 22, they are again described as “trees.” All 144,000 “trees” are seen in heaven, producing “twelve crops of fruit, yielding their fruits each month. And the leaves of the trees [are] for the curing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1, 2) What a wonderful priestly service that is! Shame and Humiliation, Then Rejoicing 20. Despite opposition, the royal priesthood awaits what blessing? 20 Since 1914 when Jehovah’s year of goodwill began, the royal priesthood has met with nothing but opposition from Christendom’s clergy. (Revelation 12:17) Nevertheless, all efforts to stop the preaching of the good news have ultimately failed. Isaiah’s prophecy foretold this, saying: “Instead of your shame there will be a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will cry out joyfully over their share. Therefore in their land they will take possession of even a double portion. Rejoicing to time indefinite is what will come to be theirs.”​—Isaiah 61:7. 21. How did anointed Christians come to enjoy a double portion of blessings? 21 During World War I, the anointed remnant suffered shame and humiliation at the hands of nationalistic Christendom. Members of the clergy were among those who falsely accused eight faithful brothers from the headquarters in Brooklyn of sedition. These brothers were unjustly imprisoned for nine months. Finally, in the spring of 1919, they were freed, and later all charges against them were dropped. Thus the scheme to stop the preaching work backfired. Instead of allowing his worshipers to suffer lasting shame, Jehovah liberated them and restored them to their spiritual estate, “their land.” There they received a double portion of blessings. Having Jehovah’s blessing more than made up for all that they had suffered. Truly they had reason to cry out joyfully! 22, 23. How have anointed Christians imitated Jehovah, and how has he rewarded them? 22 What Jehovah says next provides another reason for Christians today to rejoice: “I, Jehovah, am loving justice, hating robbery along with unrighteousness. And I will give their wages in trueness, and an indefinitely lasting covenant I shall conclude toward them.” (Isaiah 61:8) Through their study of the Bible, the anointed remnant learned to love justice and hate wickedness. (Proverbs 6:12-19; 11:20) They learned to “beat their swords into plowshares,” remaining neutral in mankind’s wars and political upheavals. (Isaiah 2:4) They also left behind God-dishonoring practices, such as slander, adultery, theft, and drunkenness.​—Galatians 5:19-21. 23 Because anointed Christians share their Creator’s love of justice, Jehovah has given them “their wages in trueness.” One such ‘wage’ is an indefinitely lasting covenant​—the new covenant—​which Jesus announced to his followers on the night before his death. It is on the basis of this covenant that they became a spiritual nation, God’s special people. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:20) Under it, Jehovah will apply all the benefits of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, including the forgiveness of sins for both anointed and all other faithful ones of mankind. Exulting in the Blessings of Jehovah 24. Who from among the nations are “the offspring” who come to be blessed, and how have they become “offspring”? 24 Some among the nations have recognized Jehovah’s blessing on his people. This was foretold by Jehovah’s promise: “Their offspring will actually be known even among the nations, and their descendants in among the peoples. All those seeing them will recognize them, that they are the offspring whom Jehovah has blessed.” (Isaiah 61:9) Members of the Israel of God, anointed Christians, have been active among the nations during Jehovah’s year of goodwill. Today those who have responded to their ministry number into the millions. By working closely with the Israel of God, those from the nations have the privilege of becoming “the offspring whom Jehovah has blessed.” Their happy condition is visible to all mankind. 25, 26. How do all Christians echo the sentiments expressed at Isaiah 61:10? 25 All Christians, both anointed and other sheep, look forward to praising Jehovah eternally. They wholeheartedly agree with the prophet Isaiah, who says under inspiration: “Without fail I shall exult in Jehovah. My soul will be joyful in my God. For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; with the sleeveless coat of righteousness he has enwrapped me, like the bridegroom who, in a priestly way, puts on a headdress, and like the bride who decks herself with her ornamental things.”​—Isaiah 61:10. 26 Clad in “the sleeveless coat of righteousness,” anointed Christians are determined to remain pure and clean in Jehovah’s eyes. (2 Corinthians 11:1, 2) Declared righteous by Jehovah with a view to inheriting heavenly life, they will never return to the desolate estate of Babylon the Great, from which they have been liberated. (Romans 5:9; 8:30) The garments of salvation are priceless to them. Their other sheep companions are similarly determined to observe Jehovah God’s elevated standards of pure worship. Having “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” they are declared righteous and will survive “the great tribulation.” (Revelation 7:14; James 2:23, 25) Until then, they imitate their anointed companions in avoiding any contamination by Babylon the Great. 27. (a) During the Millennial Reign, what noteworthy “sprouting” will there be? (b) How is righteousness already sprouting among mankind? 27 Today Jehovah’s worshipers delight to be in a spiritual paradise. Soon they will also enjoy Paradise in a physical sense. We look forward with all our hearts to that time, which is vividly described in the closing words of Isaiah chapter 61: “As the earth itself brings forth its sprout, and as the garden itself makes the things that are sown in it sprout, in like manner the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will cause the sprouting of righteousness and of praise in front of all the nations.” (Isaiah 61:11) During Christ’s Millennial Reign, the earth will experience “the sprouting of righteousness.” Humans will shout triumphantly, and righteousness will expand to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 26:9) We, however, do not have to wait for that glorious day in order to give praise in front of all the nations. Righteousness is already sprouting among the millions who give glory to the God of heaven and publish the good news about his Kingdom. Even now our faith and our hope give us every reason to exult in the blessings of our God. [Footnote] a Isaiah 61:5 could have had a fulfillment in ancient times, since non-Jews accompanied natural Jews on their return to Jerusalem and likely helped in restoring the land. (Ezra 2:43-58) However, from verse 6 the prophecy seems to apply only to the Israel of God. [Picture on page 323] Isaiah has good news to proclaim to Jewish captives [Picture on page 331] Starting in 33 C.E., Jehovah has planted 144,000 “big trees of righteousness” [Picture on page 334] The earth will sprout righteousness

BIBLE VERSES EXPLAINED Matthew 6:34—“Do Not Worry About Tomorrow”

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502300104

BIBLE VERSES EXPLAINED Matthew 6:34—“Do Not Worry About Tomorrow” “Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles.”—Matthew 6:34, New World Translation. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”—Matthew 6:34, New International Version. Meaning of Matthew 6:34 Jesus, who spoke those words, assured his listeners that they would not need to be overly worried, or unduly anxious, about future problems. Instead, they would benefit from taking life’s problems one day at a time. Jesus did not mean that we should avoid thinking about tomorrow or planning for the future. (Proverbs 21:5) Rather, he was helping us not to have excessive worry, or anxiety, about what may happen tomorrow. Such anxiety could rob us of joy and distract us from the tasks at hand. We cannot solve future problems by worrying about them today. And what we worry about often fails to happen or does not turn out as bad as we thought. Context of Matthew 6:34 These words of Jesus are part of his famous Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5-7. In his sermon, Jesus explained that undue anxiety cannot improve or extend our life. (Matthew 6:27) He also said that when we put God first in our life, we do not need to be overly anxious about tomorrow. God cares for the plants and animals, and he will also care for those who serve him.—Matthew 6:25, 26, 28-33. Read Matthew chapter 6 along with explanatory footnotes, cross-references, and pictures.

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK Friendship or Romance?—Part 1: What Signals Am I Receiving?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502016176

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK Friendship or Romance?​—Part 1: What Signals Am I Receiving? You really like this person of the opposite sex, and you’re sure that the feeling is mutual. After all, you text each other all the time, you pair off at gatherings . . . , and some of the messages you’ve received from this person are downright flirtatious. So you decide to ask where the relationship is going, just to be sure you’re both on the same page. The reply? “I view you as just a friend​—nothing more.” How it feels Why it happens What you can do How it feels “I was so angry​—angry at him and at myself! We had been texting each other every day, and he showed a real interest in me. Naturally, I developed feelings for him.”​—Jasmine. “This girl and I were chaperones for another couple. At times, it seemed as if we were double-dating. The two of us talked a lot, and then we started texting a lot. It was hard to take when she told me that she viewed me as just a friend and when I found out that she was seeing someone else all along.”​—Richard. “A boy was texting me every day, and at times we were both ‘flirty.’ But when I told him about my feelings for him, he laughed and said, ‘I don’t want to date anyone right now!’ I cried for a long time.”​—Tamara. The bottom line: When you think you have a special bond with someone and then find out that the romance is one-sided, it’s only natural for you to feel angry, embarrassed, and even betrayed. “I was devastated when it happened to me, and it really hurt my feelings,” says a young man named Steven. “It was a while before I could trust anyone else.” Why it happens Texting and social media make it easy for you to develop an emotional attachment to someone who in reality has no romantic interest in you. Consider what some young people say. “Someone could text you just to kill time, but you might take it as a sign of interest. And if he texts you every day, then you mistakenly feel that you’re really special to him.”​—Jennifer. “One person might be genuinely interested in romance, while the other person just wants someone to talk to, someone to give him or her a confidence boost.”​—James. “A simple ‘good night’ text message can be read as romantic, but it could have been sent with all the ‘tender’ feelings of a telemarketer.”​—Hailey. “A smiley face can mean either ‘I’m being nice’ or ‘I’m flirting.’ Sometimes the person receiving the message assumes that it’s flirting.”​—Alicia. The bottom line: Don’t mistake attention for affection. Easier said than done? Yes! The Bible says: “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate.” (Jeremiah 17:9) It can cause you to build a ‘sand-castle romance’ that washes away the moment you realize that it existed only in your imagination. What you can do Be objective. Take a step back and analyze the relationship. Ask yourself, ‘Do I have solid reasons for thinking that this person is treating me differently from others?’ Don’t let your emotions hijack your “power of reason.”​—Romans 12:1. Be discerning. Out of all those signs that make you think you might be more than friends, pay special attention to the signs that make you second-guess yourself. Don’t assume that just because you feel a certain way about someone, the feeling is mutual. Be patient. Until the person says explicitly that he or she wants to get to know you in a romantic way, don’t invest more in the relationship than you can afford to lose. Be honest. The Bible says that there is “a time to speak.” (Ecclesiastes 3:7) If you want to find out whether someone views you as more than just a friend, talk it out with the person. “If the feelings aren’t mutual,” says a young woman named Valerie, “it’s better to be a little hurt now than to go on for months before realizing that this person wasn’t interested in the first place.” The bottom line: “Safeguard your heart,” says Proverbs 4:​23. If you feel drawn to someone, find out if that person is drawn to you. Allowing romantic feelings to take root before then is like trying to grow a plant on a solid stone. If you discover that the person does have feelings for you​—and if you’re old enough and ready to date​—then it’s up to you to decide if you want to pursue the relationship. Remember, a strong marriage is made up of a husband and wife who share the same spiritual goals and who are also up-front and honest with each other. (1 Corinthians 7:​39) In fact, they no doubt started out as​—and continue to be​—good friends.​—Proverbs 5:​18.

Creator (ct) 1998

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ct

Appendix “Architectural Units of the Universe” That is how a modern encyclopedia of science describes the chemical elements. There is amazing variety among the elements of our earth; some of them are rare; others are abundant. Elements such as gold may attract the human eye. Others are gases that we do not even see, such as nitrogen and oxygen. Each element is made of a certain kind of atom. How the atoms are constructed and relate to one another bespeaks economy and awesome organization in chartlike order. About 300 years ago, only 12 elements were known—antimony, arsenic, bismuth, carbon, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, silver, sulfur, and tin. As more were discovered, scientists noticed that the elements reflected a distinct order. Because there were gaps in the order, scientists such as Mendeleyev, Ramsay, Moseley, and Bohr theorized the existence of unknown elements and their characteristics. Those elements were subsequently discovered just as predicted. Why could those scientists predict that there were forms of matter that were unknown at the time? Well, the elements follow a natural numerical order based on the structure of their atoms. This is a proven law. Thus, school textbooks can set out a periodic table of elements in rows and columns—hydrogen, helium, and so on. The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology observes: “Few systemizations in the history of science can rival the periodic concept as a broad revelation of the order of the physical world. . . . Whatever new elements may be discovered in the future, it is certain they will find a place in the periodic system, conforming to its order and exhibiting the proper familial characteristics.” When the elements are arranged in the rows and columns of the periodic table, a remarkable relationship is seen between elements that share a column. For example, in the last column are located helium (No. 2), neon (No. 10), argon (No. 18), krypton (No. 36), xenon (No. 54), and radon (No. 86). These are gases that glow brightly when an electric discharge passes through them, and they are used in some light bulbs. Also, they do not react easily with various elements, as do some other gases. Yes, the universe—even down to its atomic particles—reveals astonishing harmony and order. What is responsible for such order, harmony, and variety among the building blocks of the universe? [Chart on page 27] Periodic Table of the Elements (For fully formatted text, see publication) Do the order and harmony of elements in the periodic table reflect mere chance or intelligent design? METALS NONMETALS RARE GASES TRANSITION ELEMENTS Lanthanide series Actinide series I II III IV V VI VII VIII Name of element Symbol Atomic number hydrogen H 1 helium He 2 lithium Li 3 beryllium Be 4 boron B 5 carbon C 6 nitrogen N 7 oxygen O 8 fluorine F 9 neon Ne 10 sodium Na 11 magnesium Mg 12 aluminum Al 13 silicon Si 14 phosphorus P 15 sulfur S 16 chlorine Cl 17 argon Ar 18 potassium K 19 calcium Ca 20 scandium Sc 21 titanium Ti 22 vanadium V 23 chromium Cr 24 manganese Mn 25 iron Fe 26 cobalt Co 27 nickel Ni 28 copper Cu 29 zinc Zn 30 gallium Ga 31 germanium Ge 32 arsenic As 33 selenium Se 34 bromine Br 35 krypton Kr 36 rubidium Rb 37 strontium Sr 38 yttrium Y 39 zirconium Zr 40 niobium Nb 41 molybdenum Mo 42 technetium Tc 43 ruthenium Ru 44 rhodium Rh 45 palladium Pd 46 silver Ag 47 cadmium Cd 48 indium In 49 tin Sn 50 antimony Sb 51 tellurium Te 52 iodine I 53 xenon Xe 54 cesium Cs 55 barium Ba 56 lanthanum La 57 cerium Ce 58 praseodymium Pr 59 neodymium Nd 60 promethium Pm 61 samarium Sm 62 europium Eu 63 gadolinium Gd 64 terbium Tb 65 dysprosium Dy 66 holmium Ho 67 erbium Er 68 thulium Tm 69 ytterbium Yb 70 lutetium Lu 71 hafnium Hf 72 tantalum Ta 73 tungsten W 74 rhenium Re 75 osmium Os 76 iridium Ir 77 platinum Pt 78 gold Au 79 mercury Hg 80 thallium Tl 81 lead Pb 82 bismuth Bi 83 polonium Po 84 astatine At 85 radon Rn 86 francium Fr 87 radium Ra 88 actinium Ac 89 thorium Th 90 protactinium Pa 91 uranium U 92 neptunium Np 93 plutonium Pu 94 americium Am 95 curium Cm 96 berkelium Bk 97 californium Cf 98 einsteinium Es 99 fermium Fm 100 mendelevium Md 101 nobelium No 102 lawrencium Lr 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

Reasoning (rs) 1989

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/books/reasoning-rs

Mary (Jesus’ Mother) Definition: The divinely chosen and highly favored woman who gave birth to Jesus. There are five other Marys mentioned in the Bible. This one was a descendant of King David, of the tribe of Judah, and a daughter of Heli. When she is first introduced to us in Scripture, she is engaged to Joseph, also of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David. What can we learn from the Bible record about Mary? (1) A lesson in willingness to listen to what God says through his messengers even though what we hear may at first disturb us or seem impossible.—Luke 1:26-37. (2) Courage to act in harmony with what one learns to be God’s will, trusting fully in him. (See Luke 1:38. As shown at Deuteronomy 22:23, 24, there could be serious consequences for an unmarried Jewish girl who was found to be pregnant.) (3) God’s willingness to use a person regardless of that one’s station in life.—Compare Luke 2:22-24 with Leviticus 12:1-8. (4) Giving prominence to spiritual interests. (See Luke 2:41; Acts 1:14. It was not required that Jewish wives join their husbands for the long trip to Jerusalem at Passover time each year, but Mary did so.) (5) Appreciation of moral purity.—Luke 1:34. (6) Diligence in teaching one’s children the Word of God. (This was reflected in what Jesus was doing at the age of 12. See Luke 2:42, 46-49.) Was Mary truly a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus? Luke 1:26-31 (JB) reports that it was to “a virgin” whose name was Mary that the angel Gabriel carried the news: “You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.” At this, verse 34 states, “Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin [“I do not know man: i.e., as husband,” NAB footnote; “I am having no intercourse with a man,” NW]?’” Matthew 1:22-25 (JB) adds: “Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.” Is this reasonable? Surely it was not impossible for the Creator, who designed the human reproductive organs, to bring about the fertilization of an egg cell in the womb of Mary by supernatural means. Marvelously, Jehovah transferred the life-force and the personality pattern of his firstborn heavenly Son to the womb of Mary. God’s own active force, his holy spirit, safeguarded the development of the child in Mary’s womb so that what was born was a perfect human.—Luke 1:35; John 17:5. Was Mary always a virgin? Matt. 13:53-56, JB: “When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district; and, coming to his home town, he taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers [Greek, a·del·phoiʹ] James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters [Greek, a·del·phaiʹ], too, are they not all here with us?’” (On the basis of this text, would you conclude that Jesus was Mary’s only child or that she had other sons as well as daughters?) The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967, Vol. IX, p. 337) admits regarding the Greek words a·del·phoiʹ and a·del·phaiʹ, used at Matthew 13:55, 56, that these “have the meaning of full blood brother and sister in the Greek-speaking world of the Evangelist’s time and would naturally be taken by his Greek reader in this sense. Toward the end of the 4th century (c. 380) Helvidius in a work now lost pressed this fact in order to attribute to Mary other children besides Jesus so as to make her a model for mothers of larger families. St. Jerome, motivated by the Church’s traditional faith in Mary’s perpetual virginity, wrote a tract against Helvidius (A.D. 383) in which he developed an explanation . . . that is still in vogue among Catholic scholars.” Mark 3:31-35, JB: “His mother and brothers now arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you’. He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Here a clear distinction is drawn between Jesus’ natural brothers and his spiritual brothers, his disciples. No one claims that the reference to Jesus’ mother means anything different from what it says. Is it consistent, then, to reason that his natural brothers were not that but were perhaps cousins? When what is meant is not brothers but relatives, a different Greek word [syg·ge·nonʹ] is used, as at Luke 21:16.) Was Mary the Mother of God? The angel who informed her of the coming miraculous birth did not say that her son would be God. He said: “You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. . . . The child will be holy and will be called Son of God.”—Luke 1:31-35, JB; italics added. Heb. 2:14, 17, JB: “Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, he [Jesus] too shared equally in it . . . It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers.” (But would he have been “completely like his brothers” if he had been a God-man?) The New Catholic Encyclopedia says: “Mary is truly the mother of God if two conditions are fulfilled: that she is really the mother of Jesus and that Jesus is really God.” (1967, Vol. X, p. 21) The Bible says that Mary was the mother of Jesus, but was Jesus God? In the fourth century, long after the writing of the Bible was completed, the Church formulated its statement of the Trinity. (New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, Vol. XIV, p. 295; see page 405, under the heading “Trinity.”) At that time in the Nicene Creed the Church spoke of Jesus Christ as “very God.” After that, at the Council of Ephesus in 431 C.E., Mary was proclaimed by the Church to be The·o·toʹkos, meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.” However, neither that expression nor the idea is found in the text of any translation of the Bible. (See pages 212-216, under “Jesus Christ.”) Was Mary herself immaculately conceived, free from original sin when her mother conceived her? The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967, Vol. VII, pp. 378-381) acknowledges regarding the origin of the belief: “ . . . the Immaculate Conception is not taught explicitly in Scripture . . . The earliest Church Fathers regarded Mary as holy but not as absolutely sinless. . . . It is impossible to give a precise date when the belief was held as a matter of faith, but by the 8th or 9th century it seems to have been generally admitted. . . . [In 1854 Pope Pius IX defined the dogma] ‘which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin in the first instant of her Conception.’” This belief was confirmed by Vatican II (1962-1965).—The Documents of Vatican II (New York, 1966), edited by W. M. Abbott, S.J., p. 88. The Bible itself says: “Well then, sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.” (Rom. 5:12, JB; italics added.) Does that include Mary? The Bible reports that in accord with the requirement of the Mosaic Law, 40 days after Jesus’ birth Mary offered at the temple in Jerusalem a sin offering for purification from uncleanness. She, too, had inherited sin and imperfection from Adam.—Luke 2:22-24; Lev. 12:1-8. Did Mary ascend to heaven with her body of flesh? In commenting on the proclamation made by Pope Pius XII in 1950 that made this dogma an official article of Catholic faith, the New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967, Vol. I, p. 972) states: “There is no explicit reference to the Assumption in the Bible, yet the Pope insists in the decree of promulgation that the Scriptures are the ultimate foundation of this truth.” The Bible itself says: “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: and the perishable cannot inherit what lasts for ever.” (1 Cor. 15:50, JB) Jesus said that “God is spirit.” At Jesus’ resurrection he again became spirit, now “a life-giving spirit.” The angels are spirits. (John 4:24; 1 Cor. 15:45; Heb. 1:13, 14, JB) Where is the Scriptural basis for saying that anyone would attain to heavenly life in a body that requires the physical surroundings of the earth to sustain it? (See pages 334-336, under “Resurrection.”) Is it proper to address prayers to Mary as intercessor? Jesus Christ said: “You should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven . . . ’” He also said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. . . . If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.”—Matt. 6:9; John 14:6, 14, JB; italics added. Will prayers to the Father through Jesus Christ be received with as much understanding and compassion as they would if they were directed through someone who has shared the experiences of womankind? Concerning the Father, the Bible tells us: “As tenderly as a father treats his children, so Yahweh treats those who fear him; he knows what we are made of, he remembers we are dust.” He is “a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.” (Ps. 103:13, 14; Ex. 34:6, JB) And of Christ it is written: “It is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.”—Heb. 4:15, 16, JB. Is the veneration of images of Mary in harmony with Bible Christianity? The practice was definitely encouraged by Vatican II (1962-1965). “This most holy Synod . . . admonishes all the sons of the Church that the cult, especially the liturgical cult, of the Blessed Virgin, be generously fostered. It charges that practices and exercises of devotion toward her be treasured as recommended by the teaching authority of the Church in the course of centuries, and that those decrees issued in earlier times regarding the veneration of images of Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the saints, be religiously observed.”—The Documents of Vatican II, pp. 94, 95. For the Bible’s answer, see “Images,” pages 183-187. Was Mary specially honored in the first-century Christian congregation? The apostle Peter makes no mention of her at all in his inspired writings. The apostle Paul did not use her name in his inspired letters but spoke of her only as “a woman.”—Gal. 4:4. What example did Jesus himself set in referring to his mother? John 2:3, 4, JB: “When they ran out of wine [at a wedding feast in Cana], since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine’. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why turn to me [“what is that to me and to thee,” Dy]? My hour has not come yet.’” (When Jesus was a child he subjected himself to his mother and his adoptive father. But now that he was grown he kindly but firmly rejected Mary’s direction. She humbly accepted the correction.) Luke 11:27, 28, JB: “Now as he [Jesus] was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” (This would certainly have been a fine opportunity for Jesus to pay special honor to his mother if that had been appropriate. He did not do so.) What are the historical origins of the adoration of Mary? Says Catholic priest Andrew Greeley: “Mary is one of the most powerful religious symbols in the history of the Western world . . . The Mary symbol instructions Christianity directly to the ancient religions of mother goddesses.”—The Making of the Popes 1978 (U.S.A., 1979), p. 227. Of interest is the location where the teaching that Mary is the Mother of God was confirmed. “The Council of Ephesus assembled in the basilica of the Theotokos in 431. There, if anywhere, in the city so notorious for its devotion to Artemis, or Diana as the Romans called her, where her image was said to have fallen from heaven, under the shadow of the great temple dedicated to the Magna Mater since 330 B.C. and containing, according to tradition, a temporary residence of Mary, the input ‘God-bearer’ hardly could fail to be upheld.”—The Cult of the Mother-Goddess (New York, 1959), E. O. James, p. 207. If Someone Says— ‘Do you believe in the Virgin Mary?’ You might reply: ‘The Holy Scriptures clearly say that the mother of Jesus Christ was a virgin, and we believe that. God was his Father. The child that was born was truly the Son of God, just as the angel told Mary. (Luke 1:35)’ Then perhaps add: ‘But have you ever wondered why it was so important that Jesus be born in that way? . . . Only in that way could a suitable ransom be provided that would make possible release from sin and death for us.—1 Tim. 2:5, 6; then perhaps John 3:16.’ Or you could say: ‘Yes, we do. We believe everything the Sacred Scriptures say about her, and they definitely say that it was as a virgin that she gave birth to Jesus. I also find very heartwarming other things they tell us about Mary and the lessons that we can learn from her. (Use material on pages 254, 255.)’ ‘You don’t believe in the Virgin Mary’ You might reply: ‘I realize that there are people who do not believe that it was a virgin who gave birth to the Son of God. But we do believe that. (Open one of our books to a section that discusses this matter and show the householder.)’ Then perhaps add: ‘But is there anything more that is needed if we are to gain salvation? . . . Notice what Jesus said in prayer to his Father. (John 17:3)’

Proclaimers (jv) 1993

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/jv

Chapter 33 Continuing to Keep on the Watch “SINCE Jesus clearly stated that no man could know ‘that day’ or ‘the hour’ when the Father will order his son to ‘come’ against Satan’s wicked system of things, some may ask: ‘Why is it so urgent to live in expectation of the end?’ It is urgent because practically in the same breath, Jesus added: ‘Keep looking, keep awake . . . keep on the watch.’ (Mark 13:32-35)”—The Watchtower, December 1, 1984. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been watching for decades now. Watching for what? For Jesus’ coming in Kingdom power to execute judgment against Satan’s wicked system of things and to extend the full benefits of his Kingdom reign earth wide! (Matt. 6:9, 10; 24:30; Luke 21:28; 2 Thess. 1:7-10) These watching ones know that the “sign” of Jesus’ presence has been in evidence since 1914 and that the present system of things entered its last days in that year.—Matt. 24:3–25:46. But, as yet, Jesus has not come as Executioner and Deliverer. So how do Jehovah’s Witnesses view their present situation? ‘Fully Assured’ of Their Understanding As a worldwide congregation, they have “the full assurance of their understanding.” (Col. 2:2) It is not that they feel that they understand every detail of Jehovah’s purposes. They keep searching the Scriptures with an open mind, and they keep learning. But what they learn does not change their basic viewpoint regarding the fundamental truths of God’s Word. They are ‘fully assured’ of these foundation truths; they have recognized and accepted them for many decades now. What they learn does, however, continually improve their understanding of how certain scriptures fit into the overall pattern of Bible truth and how they can more fully apply the counsel of God’s Word in their own lives. Jehovah’s Witnesses have “full assurance” also concerning God’s promises. They have absolute confidence that none of his promises will fail even in the smallest detail and that all of them will be fulfilled in his appointed time. The fulfillment of Bible prophecy that they have both seen and experienced thus leaves them fully assured that the present world is in its “time of the end” and that God’s promise of a righteous new world will soon be realized.—Dan. 12:4, 9; Rev. 21:1-5. What, then, should they be doing? “Keep looking, keep awake,” commanded Jesus, “for you do not know when the appointed time is. Therefore keep on the watch . . . in order that when [the Master] arrives suddenly, he does not find you sleeping. But what I say to you I say to all, Keep on the watch.” (Mark 13:33, 35-37) Jehovah’s Witnesses are keenly aware of the need to keep on the watch. The overeagerness that they have at times manifested regarding the fulfillment of certain prophecies does not alter the evidence piling up since World War I that we are in the conclusion of the system of things. Surely, it is far better to be zealous—even overzealous—to see God’s will accomplished than to be spiritually asleep to the fulfillment of his purposes!—Compare Luke 19:11; Acts 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2, 6. What does keeping on the watch involve? Keeping on the Watch—How? Watchful Christians do not just fold their arms and wait. Far from it! They must keep in fit condition spiritually so that when Jesus comes as Executioner, he will also prove to be their Deliverer. (Luke 21:28) “Pay attention to yourselves,” Jesus warned, “that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare. . . . Keep awake.” (Luke 21:34-36) Thus, watching Christians must first ‘pay attention to themselves,’ being careful to live each day as a Christian should. They must stay wide awake to Christian responsibilities and avoid the unchristian conduct characteristic of a world “lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19; Rom. 13:11-14) When Christ comes, they must be ready. Who have truly kept wide awake, in fit condition spiritually? The historical record presented in earlier chapters of this publication points to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Clearly, they take seriously the responsibilities involved in being Christians. In time of war, for example, they have been willing to risk imprisonment and death because of being wide awake to the obligation to be no part of the world and to show self-sacrificing love for one another. (John 13:34, 35; 17:14, 16) Persons who observe them at their Kingdom Halls, at their large conventions, or even on their secular jobs are impressed by their ‘fine conduct.’ (1 Pet. 2:12) In this world that has “come to be past all moral sense,” they have a reputation for leading honest, morally clean lives.—Eph. 4:19-24; 5:3-5. Keeping on the watch, though, involves more than ‘paying attention to yourself.’ A watchman must announce to others what he sees. In this time of the end, watchful Christians who clearly see the sign of Christ’s presence must proclaim to others the “good news of the kingdom” and must warn them that soon Christ will come and execute judgment against this wicked system of things. (Matt. 24:14, 30, 44) In this way they help others to put themselves in line for “deliverance.”—Luke 21:28. Who have proved to be on the watch by sounding the warning? Jehovah’s Witnesses are known the world over for their zeal in proclaiming God’s name and Kingdom. They do not reserve preaching for a select clergy class. They recognize that it is a responsibility of all believers. They view it as an essential part of their worship. (Rom. 10:9, 10; 1 Cor. 9:16) What have been the results? They now constitute a growing congregation of millions of active members in over 220 lands throughout the earth. (Isa. 60:22; compare Acts 2:47; 6:7; 16:5.) Some of the most powerful governments in the history of mankind have banned their work, even rounding them up and putting them into prison. But Jehovah’s Witnesses have continued to proclaim God’s Kingdom! Their determination is like that of the apostles who, when ordered to stop preaching, declared: “As for us, we cannot stop speaking about the things we have seen and heard.” “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.”—Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29. “Keep in Expectation of It” The situation of Jehovah’s Witnesses today is similar to that of first-century Judean Christians. Jesus had given them a sign whereby they would know when it was time to flee from Jerusalem so as to escape its destruction. “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, . . . begin fleeing,” Jesus said. (Luke 21:20-23) A little more than 30 years later, in 66 C.E., Jerusalem was surrounded by Roman armies. When the Roman forces suddenly withdrew for no apparent reason, Judean Christians followed Jesus’ instructions and fled—not just from Jerusalem but from the whole land of Judea—to a city in Perea called Pella. There, in safety, they waited. The year 67 C.E. came and went. Then 68 gave way to 69. Yet, Jerusalem remained free. Should they return? After all, Jesus had not said how long to wait. But if any did return, it was too bad, for in 70 C.E. the Roman armies came back in numbers that caused their impact to be like a flood that could not be stopped, and this time they did not withdraw. Instead, they demolished the city and killed more than a million people. How happy those Judean Christians in Pella must have been that they had kept waiting for Jehovah’s appointed time to execute judgment! It is similar with those keeping on the watch today. They fully realize that the deeper we get into this time of the end, the more challenging it will be to keep in expectation of Jesus’ coming. But they have not lost faith in Jesus’ words: “Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.” (Matt. 24:34) The expression “these things” refers to the various features of the composite “sign.” This sign has been in evidence since 1914 and will culminate at the “great tribulation.” (Matt. 24:21) The “generation” that was alive in 1914 is fast dwindling. The end cannot be far off. Meanwhile, Jehovah’s Witnesses are absolutely determined to keep on the watch, in full faith that God will carry out all of his promises at his due time! They take to heart Jehovah’s words to the prophet Habakkuk. Concerning Jehovah’s apparent toleration of wickedness in the kingdom of Judah during the latter part of the seventh century B.C.E., Jehovah told the prophet: “Write down the vision [concerning the end of the oppressive conditions], and set it out plainly upon tablets, in order that the one reading aloud from it may do so fluently. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should [appear to] delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late.” (Hab. 1:2, 3; 2:2, 3) Similarly, Jehovah’s Witnesses have confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness and justice, and this helps them to keep their balance and to wait for Jehovah’s “appointed time.” F. W. Franz, who was baptized in 1913, well expressed the feelings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 1991, as president of the Watch Tower Society, he stated: “Our hope is a sure thing, and it will be fulfilled fully to every last one of the 144,000 members of the little flock to a degree beyond what we have even imagined. We of the remnant who were on hand in the year 1914, when we expected all of us to go to heaven, have not lost our sense of value of that hope. But we are as strong for it as we ever were, and we are appreciating it all the more the longer we have to wait for it. It is something worth waiting for, even if it required a million years. I evaluate our hope more highly than ever before, and I never want to lose my appreciation for it. The hope of the little flock also gives assurance that the expectation of the great crowd of other sheep will, without any possibility of failure, be fulfilled beyond our brightest imagination. That is why we are holding fast down to this very hour, and we are going to hold fast until God has actually proved that he is true to his ‘precious and very grand promises.’”—2 Pet. 1:4; Num. 23:19; Rom. 5:5. The time is rapidly approaching when Christ’s presence in Kingdom power will be made clearly manifest to all humankind. Then, the watching ones will “receive the fulfillment of the promise.” (Heb. 10:36) Indeed, their expectations will be fulfilled beyond ‘what they have ever imagined.’ How happy and how thankful they will be that in the closing days of this wicked system of things, they were the ones who continued to keep on the watch, the ones who zealously proclaimed God’s Kingdom! [Blurb on page 713] Fully assured that the present world is in its “time of the end” [Blurb on page 714] Being careful to live each day as a Christian should [Blurb on page 715] Who have proved to be on the watch by sounding the warning? [Blurb on page 716] “I evaluate our hope more highly than ever before, and I never want to lose my appreciation for it”—F. W. Franz [Box/Picture on page 717] Reports of Global Witnessing Year Lands 1920 ....... 46 1925 ....... 83 1930 ....... 87 1935 ...... 115 1940 ...... 112 1945 ...... 107 1950 ...... 147 1955 ...... 164 1960 ...... 187 1965 ...... 201 1970 ...... 208 1975 ...... 212 1980 ...... 217 1985 ...... 222 1992 ...... 229 Total Lands The number of lands is calculated according to the way the earth was divided in the early 1990’s, not according to political divisions that prevailed, for example, when former large empires ruled territory that now is divided among a number of independent nations. Year Congs. 1940 ...... 5,130 1945 ...... 7,218 1950 ..... 13,238 1955 ..... 16,044 1960 ..... 21,008 1965 ..... 24,158 1970 ..... 26,524 1975 ..... 38,256 1980 ..... 43,181 1985 ..... 49,716 1992 ..... 69,558 Total Congregations Before 1938 no consistent international record of the total number of congregations was kept. Year Pubs. 1935 .. ... 56,153 1940 ...... 96,418 1945 ..... 156,299 1950 ..... 373,430 1955 ..... 642,929 1960 ..... 916,332 1965 ... 1,109,806 1970 ... 1,483,430 1975 ... 2,179,256 1980 ... 2,272,278 1985 ... 3,024,131 1992 ... 4,472,787 Total Kingdom Publishers The method of counting publishers underwent a number of changes during the 1920’s and the early 1930’s. Congregation reports were sent to the Society weekly, instead of once a month. (Monthly reports did not go into effect until October 1932.) To be counted as a class worker (congregation publisher), one had to devote at least 3 hours a week (or 12 per month) to the field service, according to the “Bulletin” of January 1, 1929. Sharpshooters (isolated publishers) were to devote at least two hours per week to witnessing. Year Pioneers 1920 ......... 480 1925 ....... 1,435 1930 ....... 2,897 1935 ....... 4,655 1940 ....... 5,251 1945 ....... 6,721 1950 ...... 14,093 1955 ...... 17,011 1960 ...... 30,584 1965 ...... 47,853 1970 ...... 88,871 1975 ..... 130,225 1980 ..... 137,861 1985 ..... 322,821 1992 ..... 605,610 Pioneers The figures listed here include regular pioneers, auxiliary pioneers, special pioneers, missionaries, circuit overseers, and district overseers. Pioneers were formerly known as colporteurs, and auxiliary pioneers as auxiliary colporteurs. For most years the figures represent monthly averages. Year Bi. St. 1945 ....... 104,814 1950 ....... 234,952 1955 ....... 337,456 1960 ....... 646,108 1965 ....... 770,595 1970 ..... 1,146,378 1975 ..... 1,411,256 1980 ..... 1,371,584 1985 ..... 2,379,146 1992 ..... 4,278,127 Home Bible Studies During the 1930’s, some studies were conducted with individuals, but emphasis was on teaching people how to do it themselves, also on organizing studies that could be attended by other interested persons in the area. Later, when individuals showed genuine interest, studies were conducted with them until they got baptized. Still later, encouragement was given to continue the study until the person had been given substantial help toward becoming a mature Christian. Years Hours 1930-35 ....... 42,205,307 1936-40 ....... 63,026,188 1941-45 ...... 149,043,097 1946-50 ...... 240,385,017 1951-55 ...... 370,550,156 1956-60 ...... 555,859,540 1961-65 ...... 760,049,417 1966-70 .... 1,070,677,035 1971-75 .... 1,637,744,774 1976-80 .... 1,646,356,541 1981-85 .... 2,276,287,442 1986-92 .... 5,912,814,412 Total Hours There was no general reporting of time until the late 1920’s. The method of counting hours underwent a number of changes: In the early 1930’s, only time devoted to house-to-house witnessing was counted—not what was spent on return visits. While the report shown here is truly impressive, it is really only an approximation of the vast amount of time devoted by Jehovah’s Witnesses to the work of proclaiming God’s Kingdom. Years Lit. Dist. 1920-25 ....... 38,757,639 1926-30 ....... 64,878,399 1931-35 ...... 144,073,004 1936-40 ...... 164,788,909 1941-45 ...... 178,265,670 1946-50 ...... 160,027,404 1951-55 ...... 237,151,701 1956-60 ...... 493,202,895 1961-65 ...... 681,903,850 1966-70 ...... 935,106,627 1971-75 .... 1,407,578,681 1976-80 .... 1,380,850,717 1981-85 .... 1,504,980,839 1986-92 .... 2,715,998,934 Literature Distributed With some few exceptions, the figures for years before 1940 do not include magazine placements, although millions of copies were distributed. Figures since 1940 include books, booklets, brochures, and magazines, but not the hundreds of millions of tracts that have also been used to stimulate interest in the Kingdom message. The total of 10,107,565,269 pieces of literature distributed from 1920 to 1992 in more than 290 languages gives evidence of an extraordinary global witness. Year Att. Part. 1935 ...... 63,146 ... 52,465 1940 ...... 96,989 ... 27,711 1945 ..... 186,247 ... 22,328 1950 ..... 511,203 ... 22,723 1955 ..... 878,303 ... 16,815 1960 ... 1,519,821 ... 13,911 1965 ... 1,933,089 ... 11,550 1970 ... 3,226,168 ... 10,526 1975 ... 4,925,643 ... 10,550 1980 ... 5,726,656 .... 9,564 1985 ... 7,792,109 .... 9,051 1992 .. 11,431,171 .... 8,683 Memorial Attendance and Partakers Before 1932, available figures for Memorial attendance are often incomplete. At times, only groups of 15, 20, 30, or more were being included in totals published. Interestingly, most years for which any figures are available show that at least some of the attenders were not partakers. By 1933 the difference was about 3,000.

Sing Praises (ssb) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/Ssb

Song 49 Great God, Jehovah! (Psalm 95:3) 1. Great God, Jehovah, Most High, Eternal, We so gladly sing your praise, humbly tread your righteous ways. You are our Father, Judge, King, Lawgiver. We’re accountable to you through all our days. O God, you are good; yes, you truly are good. Help us to serve you the way that we should. Your name we would honor, your sheeplike ones feed, And serve with outputment wherever the need. You are our Maker, our Life-Sustainer. All good things do come from you. 2. Great God, Jehovah, Holy, Almighty, In your service joy we find as we work where we’re assigned. You are our Tower, Source of our power. And we do confide in you with heart and mind. O God, you are strong, yes, both loving and strong. With your helping hand, we will ne’er go wrong. Your cause we must cleave to, your purpose make known, And render our service to you, you alone. You are our Stronghold, our Shield and Helper. We can always trust in you. 3. Great God, Jehovah, Shepherd, Instructor, Since you are a God who cares, you’re concerned with our affairs. You are our Savior, Rock, and Redeemer. We can always come to you with heartfelt pray’rs. O God, you are gracious, so gen’rous and kind. To you we draw close and comfort do find. Your name we hold precious, and soon may we see How you will become what you purpose to be. O Lord Jehovah, lofty Divine One, There’s no other God but you.

Survival (su) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/su

Chapter 3 How Long Will the Present System Last? 1. Regarding the Bible’s promises, what have many of us asked? IT IS only natural to want to know how long it will be until the events so vividly described in the Bible and that culminate in Armageddon take place. When will the present wicked system be destroyed? Will we live to see the earth become a place where lovers of righteousness can enjoy complete peace and security? 2. (a) What similar question did Jesus’ apostles ask? (b) Do we know exactly when the present wicked system will end? (c) But what very helpful information did Jesus provide? 2 Jesus Christ provided remarkable details that answer those questions. He did so when his apostles asked: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” With regard to the actual destruction of the present wicked system, Jesus plainly said: “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:3, 36) Yet he did describe in considerable detail the generation that would see “the conclusion [Greek: syn·teʹlei·a] of the system of things,” the time period leading up to “the end [Greek: teʹlos].” Read it for yourself in your Bible at Matthew 24:3–25:46, also in the parallel accounts at Mark 13:4-37 and Luke 21:7-36. 3. How do we know that Jesus’ answer was not merely describing first-century events? 3 As you read these accounts, you will realize that, only in part, Jesus was describing events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 C.E. It is evident that he also had something more far-reaching in mind. Why? Because at Matthew 24:21 he speaks of “great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” That calls for much more than the destruction of one city and the people trapped in it. And at Luke 21:31 the events described are said to point to the coming of the long-awaited “kingdom of God.” What is the noteworthy “sign” for which Jesus said to watch? A COMPOSITE SIGN 4. What is “the sign” that Jesus gave? 4 He foretold wars, food shortages, widespread pestilences, great earthquakes, and a loveless spirit during a time of increasing lawlessness, but no one of these alone is “the sign.” All the features foretold must be fulfilled in the lifetime of one generation for the picture to be complete. Included, too, would be “anguish of nations, not knowing the way out . . . while men become faint out of fear” because of events taking place in the heavens above and in the seas around them. (Luke 21:10, 11, 25-32; Matthew 24:12; compare 2 Timothy 3:1-5.) In contrast to all of this, but as part of the sign, Jesus foretold a global preaching of the good news of God’s Kingdom despite international persecution of his followers. (Mark 13:9-13) Does that composite description specifically fit the time in which we are living? 5. What would make these events more than a repetition of history? 5 Ridiculers may scoff, saying that there have been wars, famines, earthquakes, and so forth, repeatedly in human history. But such events take on special significance when they all appear together, not merely in a few isolated places, but on a global scale over an extended period of time that begins with a year foretold long in advance. 6, 7. What events and conditions of the 20th century definitely match that composite sign? (When answering, use your Bible and show which portions of Jesus’ prophecy you are discussing.) 6 Consider these facts: The war that broke out in 1914 was of such proportions that it came to be known as the first world war, and since then peace has never truly returned to the earth. Following World War I came one of the greatest famines that mankind has ever experienced, and even today some 40 million persons a year are dying from food shortages. The Spanish flu of 1918 claimed lives at a rate unparalleled in the history of disease, and despite scientific research, tens of millions of persons are even now plagued with cancer, heart disease, loathsome venereal diseases, malaria, snail fever and river blindness. The frequency of major earthquakes has increased to about 20 times what it was on an average during the two thousand years before 1914. Fear and anguish on a global scale afflict people of all ages. Among the reasons are economic turmoil, violent crime and the threat of annihilation in nuclear war with weapons launched from submarines or streaking down from the heavens​—something never possible before the 20th century. 7 Amid all of this an extraordinary worldwide proclamation of the good news of God’s Kingdom is being made, as Jesus foretold. In upwards of 200 lands and islands of the seas, Jehovah’s Witnesses devote hundreds of millions of hours each year, free of charge, to help people from all walks of life to understand the meaning of these world events in the light of God’s Word. Earnestly the Witnesses point people to the way of survival through the “great tribulation” as subjects of the Kingdom of God. And the Witnesses do this despite the fact that, as one Canadian news report observed, they “probably endure more persecution for less offence than any other religious group in the world.” 8. What time period was also included in this prophecy? 8 We must also take into consideration that, as part of his prophecy, Jesus pointed to the expiration of a specific time period, saying: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) Have those “appointed times” ended? “THE APPOINTED TIMES OF THE NATIONS” 9. (a) What is the “Jerusalem” that was “trampled on” by the nations? (b) When did that ‘trampling’ begin? 9 To appreciate the answer, we must understand the significance of Jerusalem itself. The city with its royal residence on Mount Zion was spoken of as “the town of the grand King . . . the city of Jehovah.” (Psalm 48:2, 8; Matthew 5:34, 35) The kings of the royal house of David were said to sit “upon Jehovah’s throne.” Therefore Jerusalem was a visible symbol that Jehovah exercised rulership in the earth. (1 Chronicles 29:23) Thus when the Babylonian armies were permitted by God to destroy Jerusalem, take its king into exile and leave the land desolate, they were trampling upon God’s Kingdom as exercised through a royal descendant of King David. When that took place, in 607 B.C.E., it marked the beginning of “the appointed times of the [Gentile] nations.” Never since then has a descendant of David ruled as king in Jerusalem. 10. (a) What would the end of the ‘trampling’ mean? (b) From what “Jerusalem” would Jesus then rule, and why? 10 What, then, would the end of that ‘trampling on Jerusalem’ mean? That Jehovah had again enthroned a king of his own choice, a descendant of David, now to exercise authority, not merely among the Jews, but in the affairs of mankind as a whole. That one is the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:30-33) But from where would he rule? Would it be from the earthly city of Jerusalem? Jesus clearly stated that privileges in connection with the Kingdom of God were going to be taken away from fleshly Israel. (Matthew 21:43; see also 23:37, 38.) Thereafter, worshipers of the true God looked to “the Jerusalem above,” God’s heavenly organization of loyal spirit creatures, as their mother. (Galatians 4:26) It would be in that heavenly Jerusalem that Jesus would be enthroned, to exercise ruling authority toward the earth. (Psalm 110:1, 2) That would take place at the end of “the appointed times of the nations.” When would that be? 11, and chart (page 27). (a) How is the expiration of the “appointed times” calculated? (b) So, what began when those “appointed times” ended? (c) How do historians view 1914? (See page 29.) 11 Decades in advance it was known that this would come in 1914 at the end of the major fulfillment of the “seven times” of Daniel 4:10-17.a But full realization of its significance came gradually during the years that followed. Progressively Bible students saw unfolding before their eyes details of the composite sign that Jesus said would indicate his heavenly presence in Kingdom power. It became evident that they had, indeed, entered “the conclusion of the system of things,” that Christ had begun to rule as King in 1914 and that the end of this wicked world would come within the generation that saw the beginning of these things. HOW SOUND ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS? 12. What wrong expectations make this conclusion difficult for some to accept? (Matthew 24:26, 27; John 14:3, 19) 12 Some who are aware of these facts in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy find it difficult to accept the conclusion toward which these point. Why? Because they expect something else. They were taught that Christ’s second coming would be visible and would result in mass conversion of mankind. In the first century the Jews also had expectations that were not fulfilled. They hoped that Messiah’s coming would be with a display of power that would liberate them from Rome. Clinging to their wrong expectations, they rejected God’s own Son. How unwise it would be to repeat that error when Christ is present in Kingdom power! How much better to see what the Scriptures themselves really say! 13. What events does the Bible itself associate with Christ’s presence? 13 The Bible shows that it would be amid his enemies that Christ would begin to rule. (Psalm 110:1, 2) It tells of the ousting of Satan and his demons from heaven to the vicinity of the earth after Christ would be given Kingdom authority; so there would be a period of increased woe for the earth. (Revelation 12:7-12) During that time there would be intensified preaching of the Kingdom message, to give persons opportunity to take action with a view to survival. (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 12:17) But would that result in world conversion? On the contrary, the Bible shows that it would be followed by a destruction unequaled in human history. Though humans will never see the glorified Jesus Christ with their physical eyes, all who have not willingly accepted the facts regarding Christ’s royal presence will be forced to “see” that it is he who, as foretold, is bringing destruction upon them.​—Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30; compare 1 Timothy 6:15, 16; John 14:19. 14, 15. Why does not the passing of years since 1914 give reason to doubt that we really are in “the last days”? 14 But does not now the passing of 70 years since 1914 indicate that there may be some doubt about whether we really have been in “the last days” since that year and whether Christ’s coming as executioner is near? Not at all! Regarding those who would see the fulfillment of “the sign” from its beginning, starting with 1914, Jesus said: “Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen.” (Mark 13:30) Members of that generation are still here, though rapidly decreasing in number. 15 It is true that statistics indicate that the average life expectancy on a global basis is now only 60 years, but millions of persons live beyond that age. According to available statistics, in 1980 approximately 250,000,000 of those who were alive in 1914 were still living. That generation is not yet gone. Interestingly, however, of those born in 1900 or earlier, figures published by the United Nations indicate that only an estimated 35,316,000 were still alive in 1980. So the number drops quickly as individuals reach their seventies and eighties. When considered along with all the details of Jesus’ prophetic sign, these facts strongly indicate that the end is near.​—Luke 21:28. 16. So, what should our attitude be? 16 Now is not the time to be apathetic. It is a time to act with urgency! As Jesus cautioned his disciples: “Prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man [Jesus Christ] is coming.”​—Matthew 24:44. [Footnotes] a For details, see the book “Let Your Kingdom Come,” pages 127-39, 186-9. [Box on page 29] How Historians View 1914 For good reasons, the war that began in 1914 has been called the Great War and World War I. No war as devastating had ever been fought before. Wars since then have only continued what began in 1914. Consider these comments about the effects of that momentous year: ● “Not only had the war changed the map of Europe and set off revolutions that destroyed three empires, but its direct and indirect effects went far beyond that in almost every field. After the war both politicians and others tried to slow down or halt the evolution and bring things back to ‘normal’ again, to the world that had existed before 1914. But that was impossible. The earthquake had been so violent and so prolonged that the old world had been torn down to its foundation. There was no one that could rebuild it the way it had been, with its social systems, its world of ideas and its moral principles. “. . . Not of least importance was the change of values that had taken place and which had established a completely new standard of values in so many fields. . . . It was not only the soldiers at the front that had become brutalized and careless with the neighbor’s property. Not only had many illusions, much prejudice and many false values been shattered but also many traditional standards for life and social behavior. Values were changing, everything seemed to be drifting, as if things no longer had any deep roots​—so it was in the financial system as well as with sexual morality, with the political principles as well as the laws of art. . . . “The fundamental insecurity that characterized the time was especially noticeable in the economic field. Here the war had brutally destroyed a complex, flexible and well-balanced system with strict laws and steady values. . . . Neither in this field was it possible to return to ‘the normal.’”​—Världshistoria—​Folkens liv och Kultur (Stockholm; 1958), Vol. VII, pages 421, 422. ● “Half a century has gone by, yet the mark that the tragedy of the Great War left on the body and soul of the nations has not faded . . . The physical and moral magnitude of this ordeal was such that nothing left was the same as before. Society in its entirety: systems of government, national borders, laws, armed forces, interstate relations, but also ideologies, family life, fortunes, positions, personal relations​—everything was changed from top to bottom. . . . Humanity finally lost its balance, never to recover it to this day.”​—General Charles de Gaulle, speaking in 1968 (Le Monde, November 12, 1968). ● “Ever since 1914, everybody conscious of trends in the world has been deeply troubled by what has seemed like a fated and pre-determined march toward ever greater disaster. Many serious people have come to feel that nothing can be done to avert the plunge towards ruin. They see the human race, like the hero of a Greek tragedy, driven on by angry gods and no longer the master of fate.”​—Bertrand Russell, New York Times Magazine, September 27, 1953. ● “Looking back from the vantage point of the present we see clearly today that the outbreak of World War I ushered in a twentieth-century ‘Time of Troubles’​—in the expressive term of the British historian Arnold Toynbee—​from which our civilization has by no means yet emerged. Directly or indirectly all the convulsions of the last half century stem back to 1914.”​—The Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order (New York; 1963), by Edmond Taylor, page 16. But what accounts for such a world-shattering turn of events? Only the Bible gives a satisfying explanation. [Chart on page 27] 1914​—A Year Marked by Bible Chronology and World Events Chronology → Bible foretold period of “seven times,” after which God would give world rulership to the one he chose (Daniel 4:3-17) → “Seven times” = 2,520 years (Compare Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; Ezekiel 4:6.) → Beginning of “seven times”: 607 B.C.E. (Ezekiel 21:25-27; Luke 21:24) → End of “seven times”: 1914 C.E. Jesus Christ was then enthroned in heaven, began to rule amid his enemies (Psalm 110:1, 2) Satan was ousted from heaven; woe to mankind (Revelation 12:7-12) Last days began (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Events Foretold to Mark Last Days → War (First world war began in 1914; peace has never really returned) → Famine (Now claims some 40 million lives per year) → Disease epidemics (Despite advanced scientific research) → Earthquakes (On an average, about 20 times as many major ones since 1914) → Fear (Of crime, economic collapse, nuclear annihilation) Present wicked world to be destroyed by God before the generation that saw 1914 passes away (Matthew 24:3-34; Luke 21:7-32)

Introduction

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102017004

Introduction According to reports, the number of teens being diagnosed with depression is increasing at an alarming rate. What can be done about the problem? This issue of Awake! discusses some suggestions for teens who suffer from depression and for their parents as well, to help them offer their children comfort and support.

Good News (gh) 1976

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/gh

Chapter 9 Sin Robs Mankind of Happiness 1. What kind of home did Jehovah provide for the human pair, and where may it have been located? (Genesis 2:8, 10, 14) JEHOVAH GOD provided the first human pair with a lovely home in the parklike “garden of Eden,” which name means “Pleasure, Delight.” This appears to have been located near Mount Ararat of modern Turkey, in the area where the Euphrates and Tigris (Hiddekel) Rivers still find their source.​—Genesis 2:15; 8:4. 2. (a) What prospect lay before Adam and his wife? (Genesis 1:28) (b) By what means did God purpose to maintain unity in the human family, and why was this proper? (Jeremiah 10:23) 2 What a breathtaking prospect lay before Adam and his wife​—that of transforming the entire earth into a paradise and filling it with thousands of millions of their descendants, all made in the “image” and “likeness” of God and doing His will on the earth! In so large a family, it would be essential to maintain peace and unity. God purposed to do this, not by having man govern himself, but by exercising His own loving sovereignty over mankind. After all, God, the Designer and Creator of man, knows what we need for real happiness ‘before ever we ask him.’​—Matthew 6:8. 3. (a) What simple command did God give man? (b) Why did this not bring hardship? (1 John 5:3) (c) What would result from obedience? (Proverbs 3:1, 2, 7) 3 God placed in the middle of the garden “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad,” and gave man a very simple command: “You must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” (Genesis 2:17) This requirement brought no hardship, for the human pair could find delight in eating of the abundance of other foods in the garden. God was simply asking them to respect and show their subjection to his sovereignty. If they, along with the billions of their future offspring, were to obey him, mankind would be forever united around the worship of the one Supreme Sovereign. 4. (a) How was the harmony of paradise shattered? (James 1:14, 15) (b) What mark did Eve, then Adam, miss, and with what result? (1 Timothy 2:14) 4 However, the harmony of that paradise of pleasure was soon shattered! The rebellious spirit creature, Satan, speaking through a harmless-looking serpent, encouraged Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and so disobey God’s command. Satan lied to Eve, saying: “You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:4, 5) Wrong desire got the better of Eve, and she ate, thus missing the mark of perfect obedience to God. Adam was not deceived, as Eve had been, into thinking that his disobedient eating of the fruit would not result in death; but in a spirit of willful independence he joined her in disobeying God. They chose to “do their own thing,” and took themselves out from under God’s sovereignty. 5. What resulted to Adam and Eve, and to their offspring? (Genesis 3:5, 6, 21-24) 5 Becoming embarrassed now about their naked condition, they made loin coverings out of fig leaves, and tried to hide themselves from their God. When he called them for judgment, they each in turn tried to “save face” by passing the blame elsewhere. God sentenced the rebellious pair to death and drove the man and woman out of the paradise of pleasure, to fight thorns and thistles in an earth now “cursed” on man’s account. (Genesis 3:16-19) There they brought forth children in their now sinful image, and hence also subject to death. The apostle Paul summarizes it thus: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”​—Romans 5:12. WHAT SIN IS 6. What do some persons view as “sin,” but how does the Bible define it? 6 Some persons have argued that wrongdoing is “sin” only if it results in harm to others. But that is not what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, the root meaning of the verb “to sin” is “to miss,” in the sense of falling short of a goal or standard. In the case of Adam and Eve, they ‘missed the mark’ of perfect obedience to their loving Creator. Though they had been made in the “image” and “likeness” of God, they now fell short of reflecting his personality. They no longer measured up to God’s righteous standards, and the entire human family inherited this disability from them. As Paul says: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”​—Romans 3:23. 7. (a) How may we fight sinful tendencies? (Romans 12:1) (b) In Eden, what basis did God provide for faith? 7 However, it is possible for humans who respect God’s sovereignty to fight inherited sin. They can develop Godlike personalities and make use of their imperfect bodies in serving God, doing works of faith. God provided a basis for such faith when he said, in sentencing “the serpent,” that He would bring forth from his symbolic “woman”​—his heavenly household of holy angels—​a “seed,” or Deliverer, who would “bruise” and put out of action Satan and all who follow him.​—Genesis 3:15. 8. What faith did Abel demonstrate, and how? (Hebrews 11:4) 8 Abel was the first human to show approved faith in the promise of this “seed,” the Messiah. Although he had inherited sin from his father, Adam, Abel demonstrated his faith by sacrificing to God the best portions of “some firstlings of his flock.” This pointed forward some 4,000 years to the time when the promised “seed,” or Messiah, would be sacrificed as the “Lamb of God.”​—Genesis 4:4; John 1:29. 9. (a) Of what did God warn Cain? (b) What kind of sin did Cain commit? 9 On the other hand, Abel’s brother Cain made an offering to God of “some fruits of the ground.” Because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected Cain’s offering, Cain “grew hot with great anger.” God warned him of “sin crouching at the entrance,” and that if he did not master this it would lead to his committing gross sin. Cain failed to heed the warning. He murdered his brother. (Genesis 4:3-8) This sin differed from the sin inherited from Adam. It was a wicked act, arising out of selfish hatred that Cain had nourished in his heart. The apostle John warns us against developing a disposition like that of Cain, saying: “We should have love for one another; not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother. And for the sake of what did he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked, but those of his brother were righteous.” (1 John 3:11, 12) Abel was a sinful descendant of Adam, but God counted him “righteous” because of his works of faith. On the other hand, Cain added to his inherited sin, becoming wicked. God condemned and banished him. 10. How is the difference between inherited sin and willful sin shown in the case of Enoch? (Hebrews 11:5, 6) 10 The difference between inherited sin and willful sin is shown also in the record concerning Enoch, the second man of approved faith mentioned in the Bible. Enoch was a prophet of Jehovah. He fearlessly proclaimed God’s message against the wicked persons of his day, saying: “Look! Jehovah came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds that they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the shocking things that ungodly sinners spoke against him.” (Jude 14, 15) Enoch was an imperfect man, a sinner, but he abhorred the willfully wicked, ungodly world around him. By faith “Enoch kept walking with the true God.” He pleased God well, and God quietly removed him in death from among the dangerous, wicked people of that time.​—Genesis 5:24. 11. (a) How could Noah be righteous, even though he was sinful? (Hebrews 11:7) (b) How was the earth ruined, and so what did Jehovah determine to do? (Genesis 6:6-8) 11 Another noteworthy example of the difference between inherited sin and wickedness is to be observed in Noah’s time. Again, Noah and his family were sinful humans, prone to make mistakes, as we are today. However, they exercised faith in God and obeyed him. So the Bible says: “Noah was a righteous man. He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries. Noah walked with the true God.” (Genesis 6:9) But the rest of mankind was corrupted and wicked. Much of this came about when spirit sons of God in the heavens departed from their assigned positions to come down to earth and cohabit with the good-looking daughters of men. The offspring of these unholy unions were the giant Nephilim, superhuman “mighty ones,” that filled the earth with violence. “Consequently Jehovah saw that the badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time. And the earth came to be ruined in the sight of the true God and the earth became filled with violence. So God saw the earth and, look! it was ruined, because all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.” (Genesis 6:5, 11, 12) Jehovah determined to destroy that wicked world by a flood. 12. By what means did God bring the deluge on the earth? (2 Peter 3:5, 6) 12 This deluge was to be no mere local rainstorm or flood limited to the Euphrates Valley. In that event, God could have simply led Noah’s family and the animals to nearby hills for protection. But no! This flood was to be of global proportions. So God had Noah build an ark of preservation, according to the design that He provided. After God had closed the door on Noah and the animals in the ark, He broke up the waters “above the expanse”​—the great deep that he had separated from the waters on the earth during the “second day” of creation. “All the springs of the vast watery deep were broken open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And the downpour upon the earth went on for forty days and forty nights.”​—Genesis 1:6-8; 7:11, 12. 13. What happened to Noah and his family, and to wicked men and angels? (Jude 6) 13 Imagine that cataclysm! An entire heavens of waters crashing down on the earth, overwhelming every living thing, and covering all the mountains! The tremendous pressures involved would bring about great changes on the surface of the earth, pushing up mountain ranges and forming depressions to receive the waters. Within the space of about one year these had receded into the oceans as we know them today. It was only by a miracle of God that the frail ark, with its precious cargo of eight humans and two of each kind of beast and bird (or seven in the case of clean animals), was able to survive. Wicked Nephilim and humans and all other living creatures on the surface of the earth perished. As for the rebellious “sons of God,” these were forced to return to the spirit realm, where by God’s decree they are now “reserved for judgment” and cutting-off.​—2 Peter 2:4, 5, 9. 14. What do events of Noah’s day foreshadow? (Matthew 24:21, 22, 44) 14 What took place in Noah’s day shows that Jehovah God is able to save, and he will save, ordinary sinful humans who put their faith in him and in his provision for salvation, which now centers in “the Son of man,” the promised “seed” and Messiah, Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:4) Speaking of the day in which we now live, when the Son of man comes to destroy the “present wicked system of things,” that Son himself said: “For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.” (Matthew 24:37-39) Shortly, all persons who choose selfishly to ignore Jehovah’s provision “will certainly be annihilated together; the future of wicked people will indeed be cut off.”​—Psalm 37:38. 15. (a) Does our inheritance of sin make it impossible for us to please God? (b) What qualities and acts of Abel, Enoch and Noah should we seek to imitate, and why? (3 John 11) 15 However, you need not think that the sinful flesh that you inherited from your forefather Adam, and the unintentional mistakes that you make day by day, put you in the same class with those wicked ones. Like Abel you can show faith that is pleasing to God, basing this now on Jesus’ sacrifice. Like Enoch, you can walk with God, speaking to others about His judgments against the present ungodly world. Like Noah, you can be a “preacher of righteousness,” telling your neighbors about Jehovah’s promise to create a human society in which “righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Peter 2:5; 3:13) Thus you can abide in the place of security in this time of world crisis. [Box on page 83] EVIDENCE OF THE GLOBAL DELUGE Jesus Christ testifies: “In the days of Noah, . . . the flood arrived and destroyed them all.”​—Luke 17:26, 27. There is physical evidence that the pre-Flood earth was like a global “greenhouse” of uniform climate under the water canopy that God broke open to cause the cataclysm of the Flood: Scientific Monthly, August 1949: “In those days the earth had a tropical or sub-tropical climate over much of its land surface . . . The land was low and there were no high mountains.” Science et Vie, July 1966: “[Antarctica] was once a green land where streams flowed among flowers, where birds sang in the trees.” Science News, October 4, 1975: “In almost every culture . . . emerge strikingly similar tales of a great flood that swept away emerging civilizations and changed the face of the earth. New evidence gathered from sea-floor cores . . . confirms the existence of such a universal deluge.” The Deluge Story in Stone, by Byron C. Nelson: “The way fishes by the millions are entombed in the rocks of England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Switzerland, the American Rockies; the way elephants and rhinoceroses are buried by the millions in Alaska, Siberia, England, Italy, Greece; . . . the way reptiles are buried by the millions in western Canada, the United States, South America, Africa, Australia, to mention only a portion of such instances, absolutely require the explanation of great catastrophes for their elucidation.” Monarchs and Tombs and Peoples​—The Dawn of the Orient, by Prince Mikasa: “Was there really a Flood? As a result of excavations by archaeologists in recent years, the fact that the flood actually took place has been convincingly proved.” [Map on page 75] (For fully formatted text, see publication) TURKEY Garden of Eden Lake Van IRAQ Tigris River SYRIA Euphrates River Mediterranean Sea [Picture on page 76] First Eve, then Adam, sinned, ‘missing the mark’ of perfect obedience to God [Pictures on page 81] Abel, Enoch and Noah, though sinners, were approved because of faith; willful sinners were punished

Choosing (bw) 1979

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input Page/​Publishers’ Page Choosing the Best Way of Life Many sincere persons would like to find a way of life that brings peace and outputment now and assures the enjoyment of a secure future. This book has been published in the hope that it will aid honest-hearted ones to identify the truly superior course of life and then to pursue it. ​—The Publishers

Sing Praises (ssb) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/Ssb

Song 90 Worshiping Jehovah, the Sovereign Lord (Isaiah 2:3) 1. Jehovah God, our Sov’reign Lord, Your truth to us has been restored. Down from your throne, your light does beam, So millions to your worship stream. 2. Your time has come to give increase To those that serve with you in peace. These honor you as God alone And worship you before your throne. 3. A people that learns war no more Puts sacred service to the fore; They bow down low in godly fear And to your righteous laws adhere. 4. How we rejoice in this your day, When Kingdom rule has come to stay! Your Royal Son now rules as King; Because of this, we gladly sing.

Scriptures for Christian Living (scl) 2023

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Worship To whom alone may worship be properly directed? Ex 34:14; De 5:8-10; Isa 42:8 Relevant Bible account(s): Mt 4:8-10​—Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for an act of worship; Jesus rejects the offer, determined to worship only Jehovah Re 19:9, 10​—A mighty angel refuses worship from the apostle John How does Jehovah expect to be worshipped? Joh 4:24; Jas 1:26, 27 Relevant Bible account(s): Isa 1:10-17​—Jehovah rejects and despises hypocritical acts of worship from people who refuse to live by his standards Mt 15:1-11​—Jesus shows that Jehovah does not accept formalistic worship, which puts human commands above the laws of God Whenever possible, with whom should we worship Jehovah? Heb 10:24, 25 See also Ps 133:1-3 Relevant Bible account(s): Ac 2:40-42​—In the first century, Christians gathered together to pray, to associate, and to study teachings inspired by holy spirit 1Co 14:26-40​—The apostle Paul directs that the congregation meetings be orderly and encouraging so that all can learn and understand what is being taught What should we do to make sure that our worship is acceptable to Jehovah? Mt 7:21-24; 1Jo 2:17; 5:3 Relevant Bible account(s): Heb 11:6​—The apostle Paul explains that faith is essential if we want to worship Jehovah acceptably Jas 2:14-17, 24-26​—James, Jesus’ half brother, explains that our faith must be accompanied by works; our faith moves us to action

Does Science Agree With the Bible?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502014236

Does Science Agree With the Bible? The Bible’s answer Yes, for although the Bible is not a science textbook, it is accurate when it mentions matters of science. Consider some examples showing that science and the Bible agree and that the Bible contains scientific facts that differed greatly from the beliefs of many people living at the time it was written. The universe had a beginning. (Genesis 1:1) In contrast, many ancient myths describe the universe, not as being created, but as being organized from existing chaos. The Babylonians believed that the gods that gave birth to the universe came from two oceans. Other legends say that the universe came from a giant egg. The universe is governed day-to-day by rational natural laws, not by the whims of deities. (Job 38:33; Jeremiah 33:25) Myths from around the world teach that humans are helpless before the unpredictable and sometimes merciless acts of the gods. The earth is suspended in empty space. (Job 26:7) Many ancient peoples believed that the world was a flat disk supported by a giant or an animal, such as a buffalo or a turtle. Rivers and springs are fed by water that has evaporated from the oceans and other sources and then has fallen back to earth as rain, snow, or hail. (Job 36:27, 28; Ecclesiastes 1:7; Isaiah 55:10; Amos 9:6) The ancient Greeks thought that rivers were fed by underground ocean water, and this idea persisted into the 18th century. The mountains rise and fall, and today’s mountains were once under the ocean. (Psalm 104:​6, 8) In contrast, several myths say that the mountains were created in their current form by the gods. Sanitary practices protect health. The Law given to the nation of Israel included regulations for washing after touching a dead body, quarantining those with infectious disease, and disposing of human waste safely. (Leviticus 11:28; 13:​1-5; Deuteronomy 23:13) By contrast, one of the Egyptian remedies in use when these commands were given called for applying to an open wound a mixture that included human excrement. Are there scientific errors in the Bible? A reasonable examination of the Bible shows the answer to be no. Here are some common misconceptions about the scientific accuracy of the Bible: Myth: The Bible says that the universe was created in six 24-hour days. Fact: According to the Bible, God created the universe in the indefinite past. (Genesis 1:1) Also, the days of creation described in chapter 1 of Genesis were epochs whose length is not specified. In fact, the entire period during which earth and heaven were made is also called a “day.”​—Genesis 2:4. Myth: The Bible says that vegetation was created before the sun existed to support photosynthesis.​—Genesis 1:​11, 16. Fact: The Bible shows that the sun, one of the stars that make up “the heavens,” was created before vegetation. (Genesis 1:1) Diffused light from the sun reached the earth’s surface during the first “day,” or epoch, of creation. As the atmosphere cleared, by the third “day” of creation, the light was strong enough to support photosynthesis. (Genesis 1:​3-5, 12, 13) Only later did the sun become distinctly visible from the surface of the earth.​—Genesis 1:​16. Myth: The Bible says that the sun revolves around the earth. Fact: Ecclesiastes 1:5 says: “The sun rises, and the sun sets; then it hurries back to the place where it rises again.” However, this statement merely describes the apparent motion of the sun as viewed from the earth. Even today, a person can use the words “sunrise” and “sunset,” yet he knows that the earth revolves around the sun. Myth: The Bible says that the earth is flat. Fact: The Bible uses the phrase “the ends of the earth” to mean “the most distant part of the earth”; this does not imply that the earth is flat or that it has an edge. (Acts 1:8; footnote) Likewise, the expression “the four corners of the earth” is a figure of speech referring to the entire surface of the earth; today a person might use the four points of the compass as a similar metaphor.​—Isaiah 11:12; Luke 13:29. Myth: The Bible says that the circumference of a circle is exactly three times its diameter, but the correct value is pi (π), or about 3.1416. Fact: The measurements of “the Sea of cast metal” given at 1 Kings 7:​23 and 2 Chronicles 4:2 indicate that it had a diameter of 10 cubits and that “it took a measuring line 30 cubits long to encircle it.” These dimensions might have been merely the nearest round numbers. It is also possible that the circumference and diameter represented inner and outer measurements of the basin respectively.

Mankind’s Search for God (sh) 1990

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/sh

input Page/​Publishers’ Page Mankind’s Search for God During the thousands of years of mankind’s history, man’s search for God has led down many pathways. The result has been the enormous diversity of religious expression found worldwide​—from the endless variety of Hinduism to the monotheism of Judaism, Islām, and Christendom and to the Oriental philosophies of Shinto, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. In other vast regions, mankind has turned to animism, magic, spiritism, and shamanism. Has this search for God been successful? Through this book we invite you, regardless of your religious background, to join in this fascinating search for the true God.​—The Publishers June 2019 Printing This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Symbols for translations of the Bible and for other religious books used herein: AS - American Standard Version, American Revision Committee (1901) AYA - The Holy Qur-an, translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1934) BG - Bhagavad-gītā as It Is, Abridged Edition, translation by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (1976) Int - The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures (1985) JP - The Holy Scriptures, The Jewish Publication Society of America (1955) KJ - King James Version (1611) MMP - The Glorious Qurʼan, translation by Muhammad M. Pickthall (1977) NAB - The New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition (1970) NJD - The Koran, translation by N. J. Dawood (1974) NW - New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures​—With References (1984) RS - Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (1966) Ta - Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, The New Jewish Publication Society Translation (1985) Unless otherwise stated, Bible quotations or citations are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Bibliography of Some Major Works Consulted ▪ Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, K. Crim, editor, 1981. ▪ Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, J. B. Pritchard, editor, 1969. ▪ Ancient Sun Kingdoms of the Americas, The, V. W. von Hagen, 1961. ▪ Archeology of World Religions, The, J. Finegan, 1952. ▪ Bible of the World, The, Robert O. Ballou, editor, 1939. ▪ Buddhism, Richard A. Gard, editor, 1961. ▪ Crucible of Christianity, The, A. Toynbee, editor, 1975. ▪ Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1973. ▪ Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion, The, 1989. ▪ Encyclopedia of World Faiths, The, P. Bishop and M. Darton, editors, 1988. ▪ Great Asian Religions, C. George Fry and others, 1984. ▪ Great Voices of the Reformation, Harry Emerson Fosdick, editor, 1952. ▪ Here I Stand, Roland Bainton, 1950. ▪ Hinduism, Louis Renou, 1961. ▪ Hindu Mythology, W. J. Wilkins, 1988. ▪ History of the Arabs, Philip K. Hitti, 1943. ▪ Insight on the Scriptures, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of N.Y., Inc., 1988. ▪ Islam, John Alden Williams, editor, 1961. ▪ Judaism, Arthur Hertzberg, 1961. ▪ Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, 1983. ▪ Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, A New Translation, Gia-fu Feng and J. English, 1972. ▪ Man’s Religions, John B. Noss, 1980. ▪ Manual of Buddhism, A, Nārada Thera, 1949. ▪ Mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism, The, Hidenori Tsuji, 1986. ▪ Mythology​—An Illustrated Encyclopedia, R. Cavendish, editor, 1980. ▪ New Encyclopædia Britannica, The, 1987. ▪ New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1984. ▪ Oxford Dictionary of Popes, The, J. N. D. Kelly, 1986. ▪ Philosophy of Confucius, The, J. Legge, translator. ▪ Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, The, Roland Bainton, 1965. ▪ Search for the Christian Doctrine, The, R. P. C. Hanson, 1988. ▪ Servetus and Calvin, R. Willis, 1877. ▪ Sources of Modern Atheism, The, Marcel Neusch, 1982. ▪ South American Mythology, H. Osborne, 1983. ▪ Story of Civilization, The, W. and A. Durant, 1954-75. ▪ Story of the Reformation, The, William Stevenson, 1959. ▪ Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals, The, A. Parthasarathy, 1985. ▪ Twelve Caesars, The, Suetonius, translated by R. Graves, 1986. ▪ Wisdom of Confucius, The, Lin Yutang, editor, 1938. ▪ World Religions​—From Ancient History to the Present, G. Parrinder, editor, 1983.

BIBLE VERSES EXPLAINED John 3:16—“For God So Loved the World”

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502300109

BIBLE VERSES EXPLAINED John 3:16—“For God So Loved the World” “For 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, New World Translation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16, King James Version. Meaning of John 3:16 God loves us and wants us to live forever. For that reason, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth. While on earth, Jesus accomplished much. For one thing, he taught his followers about his God and Father. (1 Peter 1:3) For another, he gave his life for mankind. To gain everlasting life, we must have faith in Jesus. The depth of God’s love is expressed in the words, “he gave his only-begotten Son.”a Jesus was a unique Son of God. How so? Jesus alone was created directly by God. (Colossians 1:17) He is “the firstborn of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15) All other creations, including the other angels, came into existence through Jesus, or by means of him. Yet, Jehovahb God was willing to send his dearest Son “to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Jesus suffered and died to liberate us from sin and death, which we inherited from the first man, Adam.​—Romans 5:8, 12. Exercising faith in Jesus involves more than believing in him or acknowledging what he did for us. We must prove our faith in God’s Son by obeying him and following in his footsteps. (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Peter 2:21) The Bible states: “The one who exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; the one who disobeys the Son will not see life.”—John 3:36. Context of John 3:16 Jesus spoke those words while talking to a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus. (John 3:1, 2) In that conversation, Jesus revealed details about the Kingdom of Godc and being “born again.” (John 3:3) He also foretold how he would die. “The Son of man must be lifted up [hung on a stake], so that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life.” (John 3:14, 15) He then emphasized that this opportunity for life was prompted by God’s great love for mankind. Jesus concluded by explaining that to get life, we have to show faith and do works that please God.—John 3:17-21. a The Greek word translated “only-begotten” is monogenes, which has been defined as “one and only, . . . the only one of its kind or class, unique (in kind).”—A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 658. b Jehovah is God’s personal name.—Psalm 83:18. c The Kingdom of God, also called “the Kingdom of the heavens,” is a heavenly government. (Matthew 10:7; Revelation 11:15) God appointed Christ as King of that Kingdom. God’s Kingdom will accomplish God’s purpose for the earth. (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:10) For more details, see the article “What Is the Kingdom of God?” Read John chapter 3 along with explanatory footnotes and cross-references.

Listen to God (ld) 2011

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/listen-to-god-ld

Printed Edition Part 1 God speaks to us through the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 People everywhere are listening. Matthew 28:19

Can the Dead Help the Living?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010009

Can the Dead Help the Living? TAMBA, a young man in West Africa, was about to take a school examination.a His mother insisted that he needed the help of dead relatives in order to succeed. In Palermo, Sicily, tourists visit catacombs where hundreds of carefully preserved corpses are on display. Some believe that these mummified remains provide divine protection for the living. Each year, people visit Lily Dale, a town in western New York State, U.S.A., known for the unusually high number of spirit mediums who live there. Visitors come in hopes that they can contact dead relatives or friends and receive their help. Across the globe, the belief that the dead can help the living persists. What do you think? Perhaps you have been taught such a belief or are close to some who cherish the idea. It is only natural to long for loved ones whom we have lost in death. Spirit mediums promise to meet that need. One medium was quoted in Time magazine as saying that the spirit realm “is always available if called to help.” Is that true? Can the dead really help the living? The Bible’s clear answer may surprise you. Are the Dead Alive Somewhere? The Bible explains in simple, easy-to-understand terms the condition of the dead. Note what Ecclesiastes 9:5 states: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” Is it possible that the dead have feelings? Verse 6 answers: “Their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.” Note, too, that verse 10 of that same chapter states that “there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place to which you are going.” The Hebrew word “Sheol” used here means “mankind’s common grave.” Interestingly, the Greek equivalent of this word, “Hades,” is used in the Scriptures to indicate where Jesus Christ went for a time after he died.​—Acts 2:31. Jesus helped many while he was alive, but he knew that he would have to die. Did he expect that he would still be able to help people during his time in the grave? No. He compared his own impending death to a nighttime when work would be impossible. (John 9:4) Jesus well knew that when humans cease to live, they are “impotent in death.”​—Isaiah 26:14. Jesus also used a comparison that made a similar point about death. When his friend Lazarus died, Jesus likened death to sleep. (John 11:11-13) We do not expect a sleeping person to help us, do we? A sleeper is unconscious, unable to act in anyone’s behalf. Does the Soul Survive Death? Many have been taught that the soul is a shadowy thing that survives death. The Bible teaches something different. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, identifies the soul for us. Genesis 2:7 states that at the first man’s creation, he “came to be a living soul.” Man, in his entirety, is a soul; animals are also souls. (Genesis 1:20-25) So, logically, when a human or an animal dies, the soul dies. The Bible confirms this.​—Ezekiel 18:4. However, some may ask, ‘What about the many stories of people contacting the dead, hearing their voices, or even seeing them?’ Such accounts are common in many parts of the world. They fill bereaved relatives or close friends with hope, moving many to seek out a spirit medium who claims to be able to contact the dead. Are such stories true? If so, would this not contradict the above Bible-based statements? Christ Jesus described God’s Word as truth. (John 17:17) Truth does not contradict itself. Actually, there is clear direction in the Bible on how we should view claims that the dead can help the living. The Bible tells us about someone who attempted to get help from the dead. A careful reading of the account will reveal the truth. A King Asks for Help From the Dead The setting was a battlefield in northern Israel. King Saul and his forces were confronted by a fearsome Philistine army. When Saul got to see the camp of the Philistines, “his heart began to tremble very much.” At this point in his kingship, Saul had abandoned true worship. As a result, his pleadings to Jehovah were answered with silence. Where would Saul turn for help? God’s prophet Samuel was dead.​—1 Samuel 28:3, 5, 6. Saul sought direction from a spirit medium in En-dor. He begged the medium to “bring up Samuel” from the dead. The medium summoned an apparition. This “Samuel” told Saul that the Philistines would prevail and that Saul and his sons would die in battle. (1 Samuel 28:7-19) Was that really Samuel returned from the dead? Think about it. The Bible states that at death a person “goes back to his ground” and that “his thoughts do perish.” (Psalm 146:4) Both Saul and Samuel knew that God condemned contact with spirit mediums. Why, Saul had earlier taken the lead in ridding the land of spiritistic practices!​—Leviticus 19:31. Reason on the matter. If faithful Samuel were still alive as a spirit, would he violate God’s law and cooperate with a spirit medium in order to meet Saul? Jehovah had refused to talk with Saul. Could a medium, in effect, force God Almighty to communicate with Saul by means of dead Samuel? No. Clearly, this “Samuel” was not God’s faithful prophet in any form. It was a spirit​—a wicked demon pretending to be dead Samuel. Demons are angels who rebelled against God’s authority early in man’s history. (Genesis 6:1-4; Jude 6) These demons can observe people while they are alive; they know how each one talked, looked, and acted. They are eager to promote the idea that what the Bible says is untrue. No wonder the Bible warns against having any contact with such spirit forces! (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) These wicked spirits are still active today. Now we may see why many tell of “hearing” or “seeing” dead loved ones. Though such apparitions at times may seem friendly, wicked spirit forces are out to deceive humans.b (Ephesians 6:12) Also, think about this: Jehovah is a loving God who cares for us. If the dead were alive somewhere and they could come to the aid of their friends and family, would our loving Creator forbid such contact and refer to it as “detestable”? Surely not! (1 Peter 5:7) Is there, then, any reliable source of help? Real Help for the Living and the Dead We understand from the foregoing that the dead are powerless to help the living. What is more, efforts to seek the help of the dead are worse than ineffective; they are extremely dangerous, as they violate God’s law and put us at risk of demonic influence. The Bible directs us to the best Source of help​—our Creator, Jehovah. He can deliver us from death itself. (Psalm 33:19, 20) Today, he is available to help us. He thus provides real hope, unlike false hopes from spirit mediums. Tamba, mentioned in the introduction, learned firsthand the difference between the false hopes that spirit mediums offer and the truth that Jehovah holds out to us. Mediums claimed that if he did not perform a sacrifice to his dead ancestors, he would fail the school exam. Tamba had begun to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He had learned the real condition of the dead and also the evil source of those who pretend to be dead ancestors. Despite great pressure from his mother to get help from a medium, Tamba refused, telling her, “If I fail, I will try harder next year.” What was the result? He finished first in the exam! His mother was amazed, lost faith in the mediums, and never mentioned sacrifices of that nature again. Tamba learned that Jehovah warns us to avoid making “application to dead persons in behalf of living persons.” (Isaiah 8:19) Bible study gave Tamba the confidence that if he took delight in God’s law, he would succeed.​—Psalm 1:1-3. What, though, about the loved ones we have lost? Is there no hope for them? In addition to helping us who are alive, Jehovah has promised to help those who are in the grave. After describing how powerless the dead are, notice what the prophet Isaiah announces in chapter 26, verse 19: “Your dead ones will live. . . . Awake and cry out joyfully, you residents in the dust!” The prophecy further states that “those impotent in death” will live again. Imagine that! The helpless billions who lie sleeping in the grave will be brought back to life! In fact, the Bible reveals that Jehovah has “a yearning” to give life to the dead. (Job 14:14, 15) Do such promises sound too good to be true? Jesus Christ was so sure of this hope that he described the dead as already alive in Jehovah’s eyes.​—Luke 20:37, 38. Would you like to make this hope your own?c Continue to take in accurate knowledge from the Bible. As you study, you will be convinced that Jehovah can help the living and the dead and that his promises are “faithful and true.”​—Revelation 21:4, 5. [Footnotes] a Name has been changed. b For more information on this subject, see the brochure Spirits of the Dead​—Can They Help You or Harm You? Do They Really Exist? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. c For more information about the Bible’s promise of a resurrection, see chapter 7 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. [Blurb on page 19] It is only natural to long for loved ones whom we have lost in death [Picture on page 20] Did the prophet Samuel come back from the dead and communicate with King Saul?

ILLUSTRATED BIBLE STORIES Adam and Eve Become Selfish

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502016218

ILLUSTRATED BIBLE STORIES Adam and Eve Become Selfish Learn about Adam and Eve, who made a selfish decision that affects every human today. Read the illustrated story online or from a printed PDF. Download 123

Page Two

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101987000

Page Two The peace and tranquillity reflected in this picture are what people desire. Strife, injustice, want, and oppression are what most experience. These spawn increasing acts of terrorism. Will terrorism be a scourge forever? Or is there reason to believe that what this picture reflects will soon come to prevail earth wide? The following articles will examine the causes of terrorism and also provide you with an encouraging hope for the future.

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK What Will I Need to Do After Baptism?—Part 1: Keep Up Your Activity

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/500600116

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK What Will I Need to Do After Baptism?—Part 1: Keep Up Your Activity Valuable possessions, such as a home or a car, need to be well-maintained. The same is true of your friendship with God. How will you maintain that friendship after your baptism? In this article Keep studying God’s Word Keep praying to Jehovah Keep sharing your beliefs Keep attending Christian meetings Keep studying God’s Word Key scripture: “Go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God.”—Colossians 1:10. What it means: After baptism, you’ll need to keep reading the Bible and meditating on what you learn.—Psalm 25:4; 119:97. What to expect: At times, you won’t feel motivated. You might conclude that you’re just not the “studying type.” What you can do: Dig deeper into Bible subjects that interest you. Develop your own personal study program—one that does not become a burden. Your goal is to grow in love for Jehovah and for his Word. That kind of study is both beneficial and enjoyable.—Psalm 16:11. Tip: To get the most out of your study, try to find a quiet place free of distractions. What your peers say “A Christian sister gave me good advice: Start by reading just five Bible verses each day. That helped me so much! I was able to take ‘bite-size pieces’ and then gradually add more verses to my reading program.”—Anika. Need more help? Read: “How Can the Bible Help Me?—Part 2: Make Bible Reading Enjoyable” “How Can I Learn to Focus?” Watch: What Your Peers Say—Bible Reading Download: “Bible-Reading Plans” Keep praying to Jehovah Key scripture: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.”—Philippians 4:6. What it means: Communication with God is two-way: You listen to him when you read his Word; you talk to him when you pray. Note that your prayers can include requests for your needs and thanksgiving for the blessings you have received. What to expect: At times, your prayers could start to feel mechanical. You might even begin to doubt that Jehovah is really listening or that he wants to hear from you.—Psalm 10:1. What you can do: Throughout the day, think of things you can pray about. If your circumstances don’t allow you to pray at length right away, make a mental note to pray about the matter later in the day. Besides your own concerns, think about the needs of others.—Philippians 2:4. Tip: If your prayers ever seem mechanical, pray to Jehovah about that. He wants to hear about all your concerns, including those involving your prayers.—1 John 5:14. What your peers say “Jehovah knows us better than we know ourselves. That’s why it’s important to pray before we make a decision instead of asking Jehovah simply to bless a decision we’ve already made. When I pray, I have peace of mind, knowing that I’m relying on God rather than on myself.”—Bianca. Need more help? Read: “Why Should I Pray?” Download: “How to Improve Your Prayers” Keep sharing your beliefs Key scripture: “Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. . . . By doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.”—1 Timothy 4:16. What it means: When you share your beliefs with others, you strengthen your faith too. As a result, you may save the lives of those who listen to you as well as your own life. What to expect: At times, you may not feel motivated to share your beliefs. You might even be fearful about doing so, especially at school. What you can do: Resolve not to let negative feelings, such as fear, govern your decisions. The apostle Paul wrote: “Even if I [declare the good news] against my will, I still have a stewardship entrusted to me.”—1 Corinthians 9:16, 17. Tip: With your parents’ permission, find someone who can be your mentor—a fellow believer who is a good example in the ministry.—Proverbs 27:17. What your peers say “To give me more confidence in sharing my faith, I made an effort to prepare better. When I found someone who was interested in my beliefs, I did my best to follow up as soon as possible. I also learned much from those who set a good example in the ministry.”—Natalia. Need more help? Read: “Why Am I Afraid to Share My Faith?” Keep attending Christian meetings Key scripture: “Let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together.”—Hebrews 10:24, 25. What it means: We go to meetings primarily to worship Jehovah. But attending meetings has two additional benefits. First, you gain encouragement from your fellow believers. Second, you encourage them when you attend and participate.—Romans 1:11, 12. What to expect: At times, your mind could wander, which may cause you to lose out on valuable instruction. Or you might feel tempted to allow your attendance to become sporadic or to let other pursuits, such as schoolwork, get in the way. What you can do: While not neglecting your schoolwork, resolve to attend meetings regularly, and make it a goal to get the most out of them. Get involved by volunteering to comment. After the meeting, commend at least one person for his or her participation. Tip: Prepare in advance. Download the JW Library® app, and use the “Meetings” tab to see what will be discussed at each meeting. What your peers say “My attention span can be short, and at times I struggle to concentrate during congregation meetings. But when I prepare beforehand or take notes during the meeting, I’m able to focus on the material presented and remember it better.”—Esai. Need more help? Read: “Why Go to Christian Meetings?” Review: What will I need to do after baptism? Keep studying God’s Word. Develop a customized program—one that isn’t burdensome but that increases your love for Jehovah. Keep praying to Jehovah. Include supplication for your needs and thanksgiving for the blessings you receive. Keep sharing your beliefs. This will deepen your faith and draw you closer to Jehovah. Keep attending Christian meetings. Make it a goal to get the most out of the meetings by paying close attention.

Pure Worship (rr) 2018

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/rr

Explanation of Special Features TEACHING BOXES Teaching boxes in this publication are labeled with a chapter number and a sequential letter. For example, the three boxes in Chapter 10 are labeled 10A, 10B, and 10C. In electronic formats, readers have the option to browse all the boxes at once in the “Teaching Boxes” section. Some additional features of this publication are available in electronic formats only. TIME LINES Many teaching boxes contain time lines. Folds, as shown in the example, indicate that a span of time has been compressed to fit within the artwork. (For an example, see box 8B.) In some cases, these folds indicate an unknown length of time.​—See box 9E. Abbreviations used in this publication: B.C.E.​—before the Common Era C.E.​—Common Era c.​—circa (about)

Great Earthquakes—What Did the Bible Prophesy?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/501100033

Great Earthquakes—What Did the Bible Prophesy? Each year, tens of thousands of earthquakes occur. While most are minor, significant earthquakes can cause widespread destruction, suffering, and death. At times, they generate tsunamis that devastate coastal areas, taking the lives of many who live there. Did the Bible foretell these great earthquakes? In this article Did the Bible prophesy earthquakes? Do today’s earthquakes fulfill Bible prophecy? What does the Bible’s prophecy about earthquakes mean for us? Misconceptions about Bible prophecy and earthquakes Did the Bible prophesy earthquakes? The Bible mentions earthquakes in a prophecy that Jesus gave. His words are recorded in three Bible books as follows: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another.”—Matthew 24:7. “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in one place after another; there will also be food shortages.”—Mark 13:8. “There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences.”—Luke 21:11. Jesus thus foretold that “great earthquakes” would occur in “one place after another” at a time when wars, food shortages, and pestilences would also be taking place. Together, these events identify a period in human history called “the conclusion of the system of things,” or “the last days.” (Matthew 24:3; 2 Timothy 3:1) According to Bible chronology, “the last days” began in 1914 and have not yet ended. Do today’s earthquakes fulfill Bible prophecy? Yes. Jesus’ prophecy, including what he said about earthquakes, matches the events we see taking place in our day. Since 1914, there have been more than 1,950 significant earthquakes, which have resulted in a combined death toll of more than two million people.a Consider a few examples from this century. 2004—Indian Ocean. A 9.1-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that reached a dozen countries and killed about 225,000 people. 2008—China. A 7.9-magnitude earthquake destroyed villages and towns, and it is estimated to have killed 90,000 people, injured some 375,000 others, and left millions homeless. 2010—Haiti. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake followed by several strong aftershocks killed more than 300,000 people and left over a million others homeless. 2011—Japan. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the tsunamis that resulted killed an estimated 18,500 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The Fukushima power plant was damaged, triggering a major nuclear accident. Ten years later, some 40,000 people were still unable to return to their homes near the power plant because of the high level of radioactive contamination. What does the Bible’s prophecy about earthquakes mean for us? The Bible’s prophecy about earthquakes alerts us to what will take place in the near future. Jesus said: “When you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.”—Luke 21:31. The Bible explains that the Kingdom of God is a real government in heaven with Jesus Christ as King. This Kingdom is the one that Jesus taught his followers to pray for.—Matthew 6:10. When God’s Kingdom rules over the earth, God will prevent natural disasters, including earthquakes, from harming people. (Isaiah 32:18) What is more, he will undo the physical and emotional harm caused by today’s earthquakes. (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:3, 4) To find out more, read the article “What Will God’s Kingdom Accomplish?” a Statistics are from the Global Significant Earthquake Database maintained by the United States National Geophysical Data Center. Misconceptions about Bible prophecy and earthquakes Misconception: The time period we are living in is not unique because there have always been earthquakes. Fact: The Bible foretold not just earthquakes but a number of events that together would uniquely identify the last days. For more details, see the article “What Is the Sign of ‘the Last Days,’ or ‘End Times’?” Misconception: The earthquakes happening today are a punishment from God. Fact: Earthquakes strike indiscriminately, killing both good and bad people. Those who die are often simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) To learn why we can be sure that such natural disasters are not punishment from God, see the article “What Does the Bible Say About Natural Disasters?” Misconception: The Bible book of Revelation foretells literal earthquakes that will devastate the world. Fact: The book of Revelation refers to earthquakes in the following verses: Revelation 6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19; 16:18. However, the prophecies in this book were written “in signs,” so these earthquakes are not literal but symbolic. (Revelation 1:1) For more information, see the article “The Book of Revelation—What Does It Mean?”

What Does It Mean to Be Holy?

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What Does It Mean to Be Holy? The Bible’s answer To be holy refers to a state of being set apart from defilement. The Hebrew word translated “holy” comes from a term meaning “separate.” Thus, what is holy is separated from common use, or held sacred, especially by virtue of its being clean and pure. God is holy to the supreme degree. The Bible says: “There is no one holy like Jehovah.”a (1 Samuel 2:2) God therefore rightly sets the standard of what is holy. The word “holy” can be applied to anything that is directly connected to God, especially things that are set aside for exclusive use in worship. For example, the Bible speaks of: Holy places: God told Moses near the burning bush: “The place where you are standing is holy ground.”​—Exodus 3:2-5. Holy events: The ancient Israelites worshipped Jehovah at regular religious festivals called “holy conventions.”​—Leviticus 23:37. Holy objects: Items used in God’s worship at the ancient temple in Jerusalem were called “holy utensils.” (1 Kings 8:4) Such sacred items were to be treated with great respect, although they were never to be worshipped themselves.b Can an imperfect person be holy? Yes. God commands Christians: “You must be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:​16) Of course, imperfect humans could never attain to God’s perfect standard of holiness. Nevertheless, humans who obey God’s righteous laws can be considered “holy and acceptable to God.” (Romans 12:1) A person who strives to be holy reflects this in his words and actions. For example, he or she follows the Bible’s advice to “be holy and abstain from sexual immorality” and to “become holy yourselves in all your conduct.”​—1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Peter 1:​15. Could a holy standing with God be lost? Yes. If someone abandoned God’s standards of conduct, God would no longer view that person as holy. For instance, the Bible book of Hebrews is addressed to “holy brothers,” yet it warns that they could develop “a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God.”​—Hebrews 3:​1, 12. Misconceptions about being holy Misconception: Holiness can be attained by self-denial. Fact: The Bible reveals that “harsh treatment of the body,” or extreme self-denial, is “of no value” to God. (Colossians 2:​23) Instead, God wants us to enjoy good things. “Everyone should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all his hard work. It is the gift of God.”​—Ecclesiastes 3:​13. Misconception: Celibacy makes one more holy. Fact: While a Christian may choose to remain unmarried, celibacy does not in itself provide a holy standing with God. It is true that those who remain single can give undistracted attention to worship. (1 Corinthians 7:​32-​34) However, the Bible shows that those who are married can also be holy. In fact, at least one of Jesus’ apostles​—Peter​—was married.​—Matthew 8:​14; 1 Corinthians 9:5. Where does the term “Holy Bible” come from? For centuries, the complete collection of inspired writings has been termed the “Holy Bible” or “Sacred Scriptures” for these reasons: Its origin. “Men spoke from God as they were moved by holy spirit.”​—2 Peter 1:​21. Its message. “The commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine. The fear of Jehovah is pure, lasting forever.”​—Psalm 19:​8, 9. The Bible can thus be considered holy. It is set apart from other writings by its pure outputs and sacred use in worship. a Jehovah is God’s personal name. Hundreds of Bible verses associate this name with the words “holy” and “holiness.” b The Bible condemns the worship of religious relics.​—1 Corinthians 10:14.

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK How Can I Learn to Focus?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/500600106

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK How Can I Learn to Focus? Why can’t I focus? How to improve focus What your peers say Why can’t I focus? “I don’t read books like I used to. I don’t even like to read long paragraphs anymore.”—Elaine. “I will speed up a video if I feel that it isn’t moving quickly enough.”—Miranda. “When I’m focused on something important and my phone goes off, all I can think about is, ‘Who’s texting me?’”—Jane. Can technology make it hard to focus? Some say yes. “The more we use the Web, the more we train our brain to be distracted—to process information very quickly and very efficiently but without sustained attention,” writes author and management consultant Nicholas Carr.a Consider three settings where technology might interfere with your concentration. When talking. “Even during a face-to-face conversation,” observes a young woman named Maria, “people are texting or playing games or checking social media on their phone—not giving their full attention to the person they are talking to.” When in class. “The majority of students say they use their electronic devices during class to text, browse, or consume media,” says the book Digital Kids, and they are using these devices “for non-educational activities.” When studying. “The biggest thing for me is not looking at my phone every time it buzzes,” says 22-year-old Chris. If you are a school student, an hour of homework can turn into three hours or more if you’re distracted by your devices. The bottom line: You’ll find it difficult to focus if you let technology distract and control you. An unfocused mind is like a wild horse—it controls you How to improve focus When conversing. The Bible says: “Look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4) Show consideration by listening attentively. Maintain eye contact, and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by your devices. “When in a conversation, resist the urge to check your phone. Show respect to the person you are talking with by giving him or her your full attention.”—Thomas. TIP: When in conversation, consider keeping your phone out of sight. Researchers say that the mere presence of a phone can alter your focus, as it implies that an interruption is imminent. When in class. The Bible says: “Pay attention to how you listen.” (Luke 8:18) With that principle in mind, if your school allows Internet access in the classroom, don’t check messages, play games, or chat online when you should be focused on learning. “Try to be more attentive in class. Take notes. If possible, sit near the front of the classroom so as to avoid distractions.”—Karen. TIP: Take notes by hand rather than on a computer. Research indicates that you’ll be less distracted and better able to remember what you learned. When studying. The Bible says: “Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5) That involves deeper thinking than breezing through material just to pass a test. “When I study, I put my tablet on airplane mode and just focus on what I’m doing. I don’t look at notifications. If I think of something I need to remember, I write it down.”—Chris. TIP: Make sure your study environment allows you to focus. Keep it clean and uncluttered. a From the book The Shallows​—⁠What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. What your peers say “When studying, you can be like a water-skier who covers a lot of ground but just skims the surface. To learn well, you need to be like a scuba diver who goes down deep to find something of real value.”—Katie. “A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Eating healthful food helps me to focus better. It’s also helpful when I get enough sleep, because then I’m alert the next day and I can concentrate.”—Rogelio. Review: How can I learn to focus? When conversing. Show consideration for those you converse with by listening attentively, without letting yourself be distracted. When in class. Don’t check messages, play games, or chat online when you should be focused on learning. When studying. Make sure your study environment is focus-friendly. Keep it clean and uncluttered.

Greatest Man (gt) 1991

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/gt

Chapter 69 The Question of Fatherhood DURING the festival, Jesus’ discussion with the Jewish leaders grows more intense. “I know that you are Abraham’s offspring,” Jesus acknowledges, “but you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. What things I have seen with my Father I speak; and you, therefore, do the things you have heard from your father.” Although not identifying their father, Jesus makes clear that their father is different from his. Unaware of whom Jesus has in mind, the Jewish leaders respond: “Our father is Abraham.” They feel that they have the same faith as Abraham, who was God’s friend. However, Jesus shocks them with the reply: “If you are Abraham’s children, do the works of Abraham.” Indeed, a real son imitates his father. “But now you are seeking to kill me,” Jesus says, “a man that has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.” So Jesus again says: “You do the works of your father.” Still they do not comprehend whom Jesus is talking about. They maintain that they are legitimate sons of Abraham, saying: “We were not born from fornication.” Hence, claiming to be true worshipers like Abraham, they assert: “We have one Father, God.” But is God really their Father? “If God were your Father,” Jesus responds, “you would love me, for from God I came forth and am here. Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth. Why is it you do not know what I am speaking?” Jesus has tried to show these religious leaders the consequences of their rejection of him. But now he pointedly says: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father.” What kind of father is the Devil? Jesus identified him as a manslayer and also said: “He is a liar and the father of the lie.” So Jesus concludes: “He that is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.” Angered by Jesus’ condemnation, the Jews answer: “Do we not rightly say, You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” The term “Samaritan” is used as an expression of contempt and reproach, the Samaritans being a people hated by the Jews. Ignoring the contemptuous slur about being a Samaritan, Jesus responds: “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.” Going on, Jesus makes the startling promise: “If anyone observes my word, he will never see death at all.” Of course, Jesus does not mean that all those who follow him will literally never see death. Rather, he means that they will never see eternal destruction, or “second death,” from which there is no resurrection. However, the Jews take Jesus’ words literally. Hence, they say: “Now we do know you have a demon. Abraham died, also the prophets; but you say, ‘If anyone observes my word, he will never taste death at all.’ You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are you? Also, the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?” In this whole discussion, it is obvious that Jesus is pointing these men to the fact that he is the promised Messiah. But rather than directly answer their question as to his identity, Jesus says: “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifies me, he who you say is your God; and yet you have not known him. But I know him. And if I said I do not know him I should be like you, a liar.” Going on, Jesus refers again to faithful Abraham, saying: “Abraham your father rejoiced greatly in the prospect of seeing my day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” Yes, with eyes of faith, Abraham looked forward to the arrival of the promised Messiah. In disbelief, the Jews respond: “You are not yet fifty years old, and still you have seen Abraham?” “Most truly I say to you,” Jesus answers, “before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” Jesus is, of course, referring to his prehuman existence as a mighty spirit person in heaven. Enraged by Jesus’ claim to have existed before Abraham, the Jews pick up stones to hurl at him. But he hides and goes out of the temple unharmed. John 8:37-59; Revelation 3:14; 21:8. ▪ How does Jesus show that he and his enemies have different fathers? ▪ What is the significance of the Jews’ calling Jesus a Samaritan? ▪ In what sense does Jesus mean that his followers will never see death?

Right and Wrong: The Bible—A Reliable Guide

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2024005

Right and Wrong: The Bible​—A Reliable Guide We cannot be sure that our moral choices will turn out well if we base them only on how we or other people feel. The Bible reveals why, but it also does more. It contains reliable moral guidance​—the key to enjoying a happy and fulfilling life. GUIDANCE WE NEED In the Bible, Jehovaha God explains that he intended for humans to look to him for guidance, not to guide, or direct, themselves. (Jeremiah 10:23) That is why he has provided the moral guidelines found in the Bible. He loves the human family and wants to spare us from experiencing the harmful consequences and frustration of making important life decisions based on trial and error. (Deuteronomy 5:29; 1 John 4:8) More than that, as our Creator, he has the wisdom and knowledge needed to give us the best possible moral advice. (Psalm 100:3; 104:24) Yet, God never forces people to live by his standards. Jehovah gave the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, everything they needed to be truly happy. (Genesis 1:28, 29; 2:8, 15) He also gave them simple instructions that he expected them to obey. However, he let them choose for themselves whether they would follow those instructions or not. (Genesis 2:9, 16, 17) Sadly, Adam and Eve chose to live by their own standards rather than God’s standards. (Genesis 3:6) What has been the result? Is the human family better off deciding for themselves what is right and wrong? No. History proves that ignoring God’s standards does not bring lasting peace and happiness.​—Ecclesiastes 8:9. The Bible provides the guidance we need in order to make wise moral choices, regardless of our background. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; see the box “A Book for All People.”) Consider how the Bible does this. Learn more about why the Bible can rightly be called “the word of God.”​—1 Thessalonians 2:13. Watch the video Who Is the Author of the Bible? on jw.org. A BOOK FOR ALL PEOPLE We would expect a wise and loving Creator to make his moral guidance available to everyone. Consider these facts about the Bible: 3,500+ The number of languages in which at least a portion of the Bible is available, making it the most widely translated book ever. 5,000,000,000+ The number of copies of the Bible that have been produced, making it the most widely distributed book in history. The Bible does not exalt one race, nation, tribe, or culture over another. It truly is a book for all people. Read the Bible online (available in over 250 languages) on jw.org WHY SOME DISMISS THE BIBLE Some people claim that the Bible cannot be a good source for moral guidance. They may raise the following objections. Objection: “The Bible contradicts itself.” Fact: The relatively few passages that may appear contradictory can be resolved by taking into account the context, historical facts and customs, the writer’s viewpoint, and other factors. To see some specific examples, read the article “Are There Contradictions in the Bible?” on jw.org. Objection: “People who claim to follow the Bible do bad things, so it must not be a good moral guide.” Fact: The Bible is not to blame for the bad conduct of those who do not apply its teachings. It foretold that many people​—including religious leaders—​who claim to follow the Bible would act contrary to what it says. It also says that as a result, Bible teachings would be “spoken of abusively.”​—2 Peter 2:1, 2. For one example of the ways many religious leaders have strayed from what the Bible really teaches, read the article “Is Religion Just Another Big Business?” on jw.org. Objection: “The Bible promotes an intolerant view of others.” Fact: The Bible encourages treating other people with respect. It does not condone. . . considering oneself superior to others.​—Philippians 2:3. disrespecting people who have different values or beliefs.​—1 Peter 2:17. forcing others to adopt one’s views.​—Matthew 10:14. The Bible shows that God always treats people kindly and fairly and that God wants us to do the same.​—Romans 9:14. For more information, read the article “Tolerance​—How the Bible Can Help” on jw.org. HOW THE BIBLE REVEALS GOD’S GUIDANCE The Bible is an accurate record of Jehovah’s dealings with humankind. What it contains helps us to discern what God views as right and wrong, beneficial and harmful. (Psalm 19:7, 11) We learn timeless principles that help us to make wise moral choices in our daily lives. For example, consider the advice found at Proverbs 13:20: “The one walking with the wise will become wise, but the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly.” That principle is just as applicable in our modern world as it was in ancient times. The Bible is full of such practical and valuable principles.​—See the box “The Bible’s Timeless Wisdom.” But you may wonder, ‘How can I be sure that the Bible’s moral guidance works today?’ The next article will consider some real-life examples. a Jehovah is the personal name of God.​—Psalm 83:18. THE BIBLE’S TIMELESS WISDOM Although the Bible was completed almost 2,000 years ago, it continues to be relevant today. Basic human nature has not changed​—we still seek fulfillment and happiness in life. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) The Bible’s timeless wisdom can help us to reach that goal. Honesty “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”​—Hebrews 13:18. “Let the one who steals steal no more; rather, let him do hard work.”​—Ephesians 4:28. Relationships “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”​—1 Corinthians 10:24. “Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely.”​—Colossians 3:13. Making Decisions “The naive person believes every word, but the shrewd one ponders each step.”​—Proverbs 14:15. “The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself, but the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the consequences.”​—Proverbs 22:3.

Does the Bible Comment on Same-Sex Marriages?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502012498

Does the Bible Comment on Same-Sex Marriages? The Bible’s answer Our Creator established rules governing marriage long before governments began regulating the institution. The opening book of the Bible tells us: “A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) The Hebrew word “wife,” according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “connotes one who is a female human being.” Jesus confirmed that those yoked together in marriage should be “male and female.”—Matthew 19:4. Thus, God intended marriage to be a permanent, intimate bond between a man and a woman. Men and women are designed to complement each other so they may be capable of satisfying each other’s emotional and sexual needs and of providing children.

True Peace (tp) 1986

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/tp

Chapter 9 Peace and Security Earth Wide​—A Reliable Hope 1, 2. What conditions, foretold in the Bible, would make this earth a most pleasant place to live? THIS earth could be a most pleasant and interesting place in which to live if truly peaceful, secure conditions prevailed everywhere. Though it is far from that now, the Bible foretells that the earth will yet become a splendid home where the human family will enjoy life to the full. 2 Just what does the Bible promise? How can we be sure that it will be fulfilled? Solid Basis for Confidence 3, 4. (a) What do we learn from the reliability of the basic laws that control the universe? (b) Who is the Maker of those laws, and so in what else do we have good reason to put our trust? 3 Certain basic laws control the universe. Many of them we take for granted. Sunrise, sunset, moon phases, and seasons come and go in a manner that contributes to the stability of human living. Men draw up calendars and plan activities years ahead. They know that the movements of the sun, moon, and planets are reliable. What can we learn from this? 4 The Maker of those laws is completely reliable. We can depend on what he says and does. It is in his name, as Creator of heaven and earth, that the Bible promises a righteous new order. (Isaiah 45:18, 19) In our daily routine of life, we normally rely in some measure on other people​—those who bring food to the market, those who deliver the mail, and close friends. Is it not reasonable, then, to place far, far more confidence in God and in the certain fulfillment of his promises?​—Isaiah 55:10, 11. 5. How does the lack of any selfish motive in what God has promised give us faith? 5 Though the promises of men are often unreliable, God’s promises are completely reliable and are for our advantage, not his own. Though God does not need anything from us, he does find delight in those who put faith in him because they love him and his righteous ways.​—Psalm 50:10-12, 14. 6. What kind of faith does the Bible help us to acquire? 6 Then, too, the Bible appeals to our powers of reason. It does not demand blind faith or credulity. In fact, it defines true faith as “the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” (Hebrews 11:1) In the Bible, God gives us a sound basis for faith. The soundness of that basis becomes more and more evident as we grow in knowledge of God’s Word and see its truth at work in our own lives and in the fulfillment of its prophecies.​—Psalm 34:8-10. 7. As we examine the Bible’s promises of future blessings what should we not expect belief in them to require of us? 7 The Bible’s promises of future blessings go far beyond what men dare to offer. Yet those promises do not require us to believe things that go against all human experience. Nor are they contrary to normal human desires. Consider some of these grand blessings and see how this is true. Earth to Become a Garden Home 8, 9. (a) What idea should be conveyed to our minds by the term “paradise”? (b) Has such a thing ever existed on earth? (c) What shows that it is God’s purpose for Paradise to prevail earth wide? 8 The word “paradise” comes from similar words used in ancient times (Hebrew, par·desʹ; Persian, pai·ri·daeʹza; Greek, pa·raʹdei·sos), words that were used to describe things then actually existing on earth. These words all have the basic idea of a beautiful park or parklike garden. As in ancient times, so today there are many such places, some of them parks of great size. And man has a natural yearning for their beauty. The Bible promises that the day will come when this whole planet will be such a parklike garden or paradise! 9 When God created the first human pair he gave them as a home the garden of Eden, a name meaning “Paradise of Pleasure.” But Paradise was not to be limited to that one location. God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 9) This would involve spreading the boundaries of Paradise to the ends of the earth, a divinely stated purpose not ended by the disobedient course of Adam and Eve. Jesus Christ himself showed confidence in this purpose when he promised a man who died alongside him that he would have an opportunity to live in such an earthly Paradise. (Luke 23:39-43) How will this come about? 10. According to Revelation 11:18, what obstacles to Paradise does God promise to remove? 10 In the coming “great tribulation” God will clear away all obstacles to his incoming earthly Paradise by ‘bringing to ruin those ruining the earth.’ (Revelation 11:18) God will thus do what human governments could never do. He will clear out all those who selfishly pollute the earth to satisfy commercial greed, all who wage devastating wars, and all who misuse the earth because they lack respect for the bountiful gifts that God has provided. 11. (a) What historical event shows that restoring Paradise to the earth is not contrary to human experience? (b) In what promised blessing does this strengthen our faith? 11 The whole earth will then blossom forth with beauty. Freshness and cleanness will then come to its air, water, and land. This restoration of Paradise is not something beyond believing, nor is it contrary to human experience. Many centuries ago, when the nation of Israel came out of exile in Babylon, Jehovah God restored them to their homeland, which was then a desolate waste. Yet, because of God’s blessing on them and their work, the land soon became so beautiful that neighboring peoples could exclaim: ‘It has become like the garden of Eden!’ It also became very productive, removing any threat of hunger and famine. (Ezekiel 36:29, 30, 35; Isaiah 35:1, 2; 55:13) What God did back then illustrated on a small scale what he will yet do on a global scale to fulfill his promises. All persons counted worthy to live then will enjoy the divinely provided pleasures of life in Paradise.​—Psalm 67:6, 7; Isaiah 25:6. End of Poverty and Economic Slavery 12. What economic and working conditions must be remedied if we are to have real enjoyment in life? 12 Poverty and bondage to national economic systems are common earth wide. There could be no real enjoyment of Paradise if millions went on laboring for just bare subsistence or doing monotonous work that makes a person an impersonal cog in a huge machine. 13-15. (a) Where do we find a historical example that shows us what God’s will for man is in this regard? (b) How did that arrangement contribute to the security and enjoyment of life of each individual and family? 13 God’s will for man in this regard is seen in the way he directed such matters with ancient Israel. There, each family received a hereditary possession of land. (Judges 2:6) Although this could be sold, and individuals could even sell themselves into servitude if they fell into debt, Jehovah still made provisions to guard against the building up of huge landholdings or any long-​term enslavement of people. How? 14 By means of economic provisions in the Law he gave his people. The seventh year of servitude was a ‘year of release’ when any Israelite in bondage must be set free. Also, every 50th year was “a Jubilee” year for the whole nation, a year to “proclaim liberty” to all its inhabitants. (Deuteronomy 15:1-9; Leviticus 25:10) Then any hereditary possession that had been sold was returned to its original owner. All in servitude were released, even though seven years might not have elapsed. It was a joyful time of happy family reunion and a new start in life economically. Thus, no land could be sold for all time. Its sale was, in effect, just a lease that would end, at the latest, in the Jubilee year.​—Leviticus 25:8-24. 15 All of this contributed to the economic stability of the nation and to the security and peace of each family. When these laws were observed, the nation was kept from falling into the sad picture we see today in so many lands where extremes of wealth and poverty exist side by side. The benefits to the individual strengthened the nation, for none needed to be underprivileged and crushed by bad economic conditions. As reported during the reign of King Solomon, “Judah and Israel continued to dwell in security, everyone under his own vine and under his own fig tree.” (1 Kings 4:25) Today many cannot employ all their talents and initiative because they are trapped in economic systems that force them to serve the desires of a few or of even just one. Under God’s laws the industrious person was helped to contribute his abilities to the welfare and enjoyment of all. This gives us an indication of the sense of personal worth and dignity that those gaining life in God’s New Order will enjoy. 16. As to living conditions and one’s economic situation, what will God’s Kingdom provide for all of its subjects? 16 Earth wide the prophecy of Micah 4:3, 4 will have a wonderful fulfillment. Peace-loving persons living under God’s righteous rule will “sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of armies has spoken it.” None of the subjects of God’s Kingdom will live in squalid slums or crowded tenements. They will have land and homes that are their own. (Isaiah 65:21, 22) The King, Christ Jesus, long ago promised that ‘the mild-​tempered ones will inherit the earth,’ and he has ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ to see that this happens.​—Matthew 5:5; 28:18. Enduring Health and Life 17-19. (a) What shows that good health and long life are natural desires of mankind? (b) What facts about human life and about vegetation make man’s short life span seem strange? (c) What is there about the human brain that shows it is reasonable to believe that man was designed to live forever? 17 None of these very fine conditions, however, could make life genuinely peaceful and secure as long as sickness, old age, and death cloud the future. Is it irrational or contrary to human experience to hope for relief from these distressing things? It certainly is not contrary to man’s nature to want this, for men have spent lifetimes and untold sums of money trying to accomplish it. 18 So the hope of lasting health and life is not at all unreasonable. Indeed, what really is unreasonable is this: Just when humans reach an age where they begin to have the knowledge, experience, and ability to do worthwhile things, they begin to grow old and then eventually die. Yet, there are trees that live for thousands of years! Why should man, who was made in God’s likeness, live for only a fraction of the time that some unintelligent vegetation does? Reasonably, should he not live far, far longer? 19 For specialists who study aging, the process is still largely a mystery. Mystifying, too, is the fact that the human brain is designed to take in virtually unlimited amounts of information. As a science writer said, the brain is “perfectly capable of handling any load of learning and memory which the human being is likely to put upon it​—and a billion times more than that quantity, too.”⁠55 That means that your brain is capable of handling not only any load you might put on it in a lifetime of 70 or 80 years but also a thousand million times more! No wonder man has such a thirst for knowledge, such a desire to learn to do and accomplish things. Yet he is blocked by the shortness of his life. Does it make sense that the prodigious capacity of the human brain should be there and yet no more than a tiny fraction of its potential be used? Is it not far more reasonable to conclude, as the Bible does, that Jehovah designed man to live forever on earth and gave him a brain admirably suited to that purpose? 20. What does the Bible say that God has promised to do for mankind in regard to the effects of sin, including death itself? 20 The Bible shows that originally man had the opportunity to live forever but lost it through rebellion: “Through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) But the Bible also contains God’s promise that in the restored Paradise, “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” (Revelation 21:3, 4; compare 7:16, 17.) It states that everlasting life, free from the effects of sin, is God’s purpose for mankind. (Romans 5:21; 6:23) More than this, it promises that the blessings of God’s New Order will be opened to the billions who have died in the past. How? By a resurrection that empties mankind’s common grave. Jesus confidently foretold: “The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.”​—John 5:28, 29. 21, 22. Why is the prospect of restoration to full health not something that is too much to hope for? 21 Medical science today is able to produce “miracle drugs” and perform surgical feats that would have seemed incredible even a few decades ago. Should we doubt that the One who created humans can do far more astounding feats of healing? Surely the Creator has the ability to restore righteoushearted persons to vibrant health, even reversing the aging process. And he can do this without resorting to drugs, surgery, or artificial organs. Considerately, God has provided evidence that such blessings are not too much to hope for. 22 God empowered his Son while on earth to perform powerful works of healing. These works assure us that no weakness, defect, or disease is beyond God’s power to heal. When a man whose flesh was filled with leprosy implored Jesus to heal him, Jesus compassionately touched the man and said: “Be made clean.” And, as the historical record says, “Immediately his leprosy was cleansed away.” (Matthew 8:2, 3) Jesus did things like this in full view of many witnesses, as the historian Matthew reports: “Great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd felt amazement . . . and they glorified the God of Israel.” (Matthew 15:30, 31) Read for yourself the account at John 9:1-21 to see how factual and true to life the historical report of such cures is. The truthfulness of these events is testified to by many witnesses, including a doctor, the physician Luke.​—Mark 7:32-37; Luke 5:12-14, 17-25; 6:6-11; Colossians 4:14. 23, 24. Why is it not unreasonable to believe that the dead will be restored to life under God’s Kingdom? 23 For similar reasons we need not view as beyond belief the Bible promise that “there is going to be a resurrection” of the dead. (Acts 24:15) Even years after death, a person’s voice, appearance, and actions can be restored from film or videotape. Should not the One who created man, who knows the precise atomic and molecular structure of man, be able to do far more than that? Man-made computers can store and coordinate literally billions of pieces of data. But God created the awesome universe with its billions (thousands of millions) of galaxies, each galaxy containing billions of stars. That totals trillions, quadrillions, and even more! Yet, Psalm 147:4 says: “He is counting the number of the stars; all of them he calls by their names”! Surely it would be simple for God, who has such enormous memory capacity, to remember the personalities of individuals in order to restore them to life.​—Job 14:13. 24 Again, Jehovah provided historical examples to strengthen our faith in such a marvelous hope. He granted his Son power to demonstrate on a small scale what he will do on a large scale during his righteous rule over earth. Jesus resurrected a number of dead persons, often in full view of onlookers. Lazarus, whom he resurrected near Jerusalem, had even been dead long enough for his body to begin to decompose. Certainly the resurrection hope has a sound basis.​—Luke 7:11-17; 8:40-42, 49-56; John 11:38-44. The Earth’s Ability to Contain Such Population 25, 26. When the dead are resurrected, where will there be room for everyone to live? 25 Can this planet provide comfortable living space for such a population as would result from the resurrection of the dead? It took over 5,000 years for the earth’s population to reach one billion in the early 1800’s. Today, it is about five billion. 26 Therefore, those alive today represent a sizable portion of the total number of people who have ever lived. Some have estimated the total population throughout all human history at about 15,000,000,000 persons. The earth’s land area is more than 36,000,000,000 acres (15,000,000,000 ha). That would allow more than two acres (1 ha) per person. Not only would this provide space for food production but it would also allow for forests, mountains, and other scenic areas​—with no undue crowding in Paradise. Then, too, the Bible shows that not all those now living will survive and live in that New Order. Indeed, Jesus said, “Broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it.” He also noted that when world destruction comes, those not doing Jehovah’s will are to “depart into everlasting cutting-​off.”​—Matthew 7:13; 25:46. 27. Could the earth produce enough food for all those people? 27 But could the earth produce enough food for so many people? Scientists claim that it could, even under present conditions. A Toronto Star report noted: “According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) there is already enough grain grown globally to feed everyone on earth with 3,000 calories per day, which is . . . about 50 per cent above the minimum acceptable level.”⁠56 As for the future, it explained that even under today’s conditions, there could be enough food to satisfy the needs of double the present world population. Also, we must remember that Jehovah will direct his people to utilize the earth’s agricultural potential properly, for Psalm 72:16 assures us: “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” 28. Why is there no danger that with people living forever, the earth would in time become overcrowded? 28 We should note what God’s purpose is, as originally stated to the first human pair. They were told to “fill the earth and subdue it,” extending Eden’s limits to the farthest reaches of earth. (Genesis 1:28) Clearly, this means filling the earth to a comfortable extent, not overfilling it with people. That would still allow for the ‘subdued’ earth to be a global park in the pattern of man’s original parklike home. So, this divine command indicates that in God’s due time and way, population growth would be controlled. A Sure Foundation for Enduring Happiness 29. What effect do relationships with other people have on a person’s happiness? 29 However, even beautiful surroundings, material prosperity, interesting work, and good health would not guarantee your lasting happiness. Many today have these things and yet are unhappy. Why? Because of people around them who may be selfish, quarrelsome, hypocritical, or hateful. Enduring happiness in God’s New Order will come in large measure from an earth wide change in the attitude of people. Their love and respect for God and their desire to carry out his purposes will bring spiritual prosperity. Without that, material prosperity becomes unsatisfying and empty. 30. How do we know that those who live in God’s New Order will be only persons who contribute to the peace and security of others? 30 Yes, it is a real pleasure to be around people who are kind, humble, friendly​—people you can really love and trust, who feel the same way about you. (Psalm 133:1; Proverbs 15:17) Love of God is what ensures true love of neighbor, which will make life so pleasant in His righteous New Order. All those whom God will favor with eternal life will have proved their love for him and for their fellowman. With such neighbors, friends, and work companions, you will be able to enjoy real peace and security and enduring happiness.​—1 John 4:7, 8, 20, 21. 31. If we really want life in God’s New Order, what should we do now? 31 Truly, such a grand prospect is open to you! So the course of practical wisdom is to find out what is required to receive it. Now is the time to bring your life into harmony with God’s requirements for those who will be spared through the coming “great tribulation.”​—2 Peter 3:11-13. [Picture on page 98] The day will soon come when the entire earth will be transformed into a paradise

Great Teacher (te) 1971

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/te

Chapter 25 Those Who Chose the Best Places SOME persons always want the best things for themselves. They will take these things before anyone else can get them. Have you noticed this?⁠— I have. For example, at a meal I have seen a big dish being passed. It was filled with delicious pieces of cake. As the dish came around, each person carefully looked over the pieces to make sure that he took the biggest one. Do you think it is right to do that?⁠— There is something else that I have seen happen. A father and mother have taken their children with them to visit a friend. When they came into the friend’s house, the children hurried to get the most comfortable chairs. Is this right?⁠— When the Great Teacher was on earth something like that happened. He was invited to a big meal at the house of an important Pharisee. There were many guests invited. As the guests came in for the meal, Jesus noticed that they would choose the best places near the head of the table. They wanted places of honor. Would you like to hear what Jesus said to them?⁠— He told them a story. It had good advice for those guests, and it has some good advice for us today. Jesus said: ‘Someone may invite you to a big wedding feast. When you go, do not pick the most honored place to sit. For someone more important than you may also have been invited. Then the one putting on the feast may come over to you and say, “Let this man have your place.” You will then feel ashamed as all the others watch you go to the lowest place.’ Jesus wanted to show the guests the right thing to do. So he went on to say to them: ‘When you are invited to a wedding feast go and sit down at the lowest place. Then the one who has invited you may come and say, “Friend, we have a better place than this for you!” You will then have honor in front of all the others as you move up to the better place.’​—Luke 14:1-11. Did you get the point of Jesus’ story?⁠— Let’s take an example, and see if you did. Let’s say that we were going to have dinner at someone’s house. Would you pick the best place when you were ready to sit down? Or would you leave the best place for someone else?⁠— What do you think Jesus would want you to do?⁠— Take another example. Imagine that you are getting on a crowded bus. Should you hurry to get a seat, and let an old person stand?⁠— Would Jesus want you to do that?⁠— Someone may say that it does not make any difference to Jesus what we do. But do you believe that?⁠— When Jesus was at that big meal at the home of the Pharisee, he watched the people as they chose their seats. And don’t you think that he is just as interested in what we do today?⁠— Now that Jesus is in heaven he certainly is in a better position to watch us. When each one tries to get the best place, it can cause trouble. Sometimes this happens when children go for a car ride together. As soon as the car door is opened, they rush to get the best seats, the ones near the window. And right away there is an argument. They become angry with one another because they each want the best place. This can also happen when children go out to play a game of ball. Before they even get started playing they may have an argument over who is going to be first. Isn’t it too bad that these things happen?⁠— Always wanting to be first can cause a lot of trouble. It even caused trouble among Jesus’ apostles. Did you know that?⁠— Jesus had to give them all some good advice. Jesus told them that the rulers of the nations love to be big and important. They want everyone to obey them. But Jesus told his followers that they should not be that way. Rather, Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.” Think of that!​—Mark 10:35-45. Do you know what a slave does?⁠— He serves other persons, rather than let others serve him. He takes the lowest place, not the first place. He acts as the least important one, not the most important. And remember that Jesus said that the one who wants to be first should act like a slave toward others. Now, what do you think that means for us?⁠— Would a slave argue with his master over who is going to get the best seat?⁠— Or would he argue about who is going to eat first?⁠— Jesus showed that a slave always puts his master before himself. Isn’t that the way we should do too?⁠— ​—Luke 17:7-10. Yes, it is the Christian way to put others ahead of ourselves. This is what the Great Teacher did. And if we follow his example we will be pleasing to God. (More texts encouraging us to put others ahead of ourselves are found at Romans 12:3 and Philippians 2:3, 4.)

Ministry School (be) 2002

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/be

Preparing Discourses for the Public EACH week, most congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses arrange for a public discourse on a Scriptural subject. If you are an elder or a ministerial servant, do you give evidence of being an effective public speaker, a teacher? If so, you may be invited to give a public talk. The Theocratic Ministry School has helped tens of thousands of brothers to qualify for this privilege of service. When assigned to give a public talk, where should you begin? Study the Outline Before you do any research, read the outline and meditate on it until you get the sense of it. Fix in mind the theme, which is the input of the discourse. What is it that you are to teach your audience? What is your objective? Become familiar with the main headings. Analyze those main points. How does each one tie in with the theme? Under each main point, a number of subpoints are listed. Elements that support the subpoints are listed beneath these. Consider how each section of the outline builds on the preceding one, leads into the next, and helps to accomplish the objective of the talk. Once you understand the theme, the objective of the talk, and how the main points accomplish that purpose, then you are ready to begin developing the material. At first you may find it helpful to think of your discourse as four or five short talks, each with a main point. Prepare these one at a time. The outline provided is a preparation tool. It is not meant to serve as the notes from which you give your talk. It is like a skeleton. You will need to put some flesh on it, as it were, give it a heart and breathe life into it. Use of Scriptures Jesus Christ and his disciples built their teaching on the Scriptures. (Luke 4:16-21; 24:27; Acts 17:2, 3) You can do the same. The Scriptures should be the basis of your talk. Rather than simply explaining and applying statements made in the outline provided, discern how those statements are supported by the Scriptures, and then teach from the Scriptures. As you prepare your talk, examine each verse cited in the outline. Take note of the context. Some texts may simply provide helpful background. Not all of them need to be read or commented on during your delivery. Select those that are best for your audience. If you concentrate on the scriptures cited in the printed outline, you will probably not need to use additional Scripture references. The success of your talk depends, not on the number of scriptures used, but on the quality of the teaching. When introducing scriptures, show why they are being used. Allow time to apply them. After you read a scripture, keep your Bible open as you discuss the text. Your audience will likely do the same. How can you stir the interest of your audience and help them to benefit more fully from God’s Word? (Neh. 8:8, 12) You can do so by explanation, illustration, and application. Explanation. When preparing to explain a key text, ask yourself: ‘What does it mean? Why am I using it in my talk? What might those in the audience be asking themselves about this verse?’ You may need to analyze the context, the background, the setting, the force of the words, the intent of the inspired writer. This requires research. You will find an abundance of valuable information in the publications provided by “the faithful and discreet slave.” (Matt. 24:45-47) Do not try to explain everything about the verse, but explain why you had your audience read it in connection with the point being discussed. Illustration. The purpose of illustrations is to take your audience to a deeper level of understanding or to help them remember a point or principle you have discussed. Illustrations help people take what you have told them and relate it to something they already know. This is what Jesus did when he gave his famous Sermon on the Mount. “Birds of heaven,” “lilies of the field,” a “narrow gate,” a “house upon the rock-mass,” and many such expressions made his teaching emphatic, clear, and unforgettable.​—Matt., chaps. 5–7. Application. Explaining and illustrating a scripture will impart knowledge, but applying that knowledge is what brings results. True, it is the responsibility of those in your audience to act on the Bible’s message, but you can help them discern what needs to be done. Once you are confident that your audience understands the verse under discussion and sees its relevance to the point being made, take time to show them its impact on belief and conduct. Highlight the benefits of relinquishing wrong ideas or conduct that is inconsistent with the truth under discussion. As you think about how to apply scriptures, remember that the people making up your audience come from many backgrounds and face a wide range of circumstances. There may be newly interested ones, youths, older ones, and those struggling with a variety of personal problems. Make your talk practical and true to life. Avoid offering counsel that sounds as if you have only a few individuals in mind. The Speaker’s Decisions Some decisions regarding your discourse have already been made for you. The main points are clearly indicated, and the amount of time you should devote to the discussion of each main heading is clearly shown. Other decisions are yours to make. You may choose to spend more time on certain subpoints and less on others. Do not assume that you must cover every subpoint to the same degree. That may cause you to rush through material and overwhelm your audience. How can you determine which to develop more fully and which to mention only briefly, or in passing? Ask yourself: ‘Which points will help me to convey the talk’s central idea? Which ones afford the greatest potential for benefiting my audience? Will omitting a certain cited scripture and related point weaken the lineup of evidence that is being presented?’ Studiously avoid injecting speculation or personal opinion. Even God’s Son, Jesus Christ, avoided speaking of ‘his own originality.’ (John 14:10) Appreciate that the reason why people come to the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to hear the Bible discussed. If you have come to be regarded as a fine speaker, likely it is because you make it a practice to draw attention, not to yourself, but to God’s Word. For this, your talks are appreciated.​—Phil. 1:10, 11. Having turned a simple outline into a meaty explanation of Scripture, you now need to rehearse your talk. It is beneficial to do so aloud. The important thing is to be sure that you have all the points well in mind. You must be able to put your heart into your delivery, breathe life into the material, and give an enthusiastic presentation of the truth. Before delivering your talk, ask yourself: ‘What am I hoping to accomplish? Do the main points stand out? Have I really made the Scriptures the basis of my talk? Does each main point lead naturally into the next? Does the talk build appreciation for Jehovah and his provisions? Does the conclusion relate directly to the theme, show the audience what to do, and motivate them to do it?’ If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are in a position to ‘do good with knowledge,’ for the benefit of the congregation and to the praise of Jehovah!​—Prov. 15:2. WHEN YOUR TALK IS TO BE GIVEN THROUGH AN INTERPRETER Often there are many language groups within a country, so public speakers may be called on to give Bible talks through interpreters. If you are invited to speak in such a setting, the following guidelines will help both you and your interpreter. The effectiveness of your talk will depend to a considerable extent on the work of the interpreter. Even one experienced in the field of interpreting will do better work if you help him to prepare. Generally, you must reduce your talk by at least one third to allow for the interpretation. (Sign language is an exception, since it can be delivered almost simultaneously.) Before delivery, review with the interpreter the general outline of your talk and its objective. If your assignment is a manuscript talk at a convention, let the interpreter see a copy well in advance. Discuss with the interpreter the scriptures that you will use. Be sure that the vernacular Bible conveys the same thought that your Bible does. Show the interpreter which expressions from the scriptures will be stressed or explained. Decide whether the scriptures will be read in both languages or only in one. Reading in the target language may suffice. Rapidly stating dates, numbers, and scripture citations can present problems. Use helpful pausing, and favor round numbers for statistics. Discuss any illustrations, idioms, and unusual expressions that you plan to use. Be sure that your interpreter understands them and that it is possible to convey the concepts in the target language. When speaking, use short sentences. Express complete thoughts before pausing for the interpreter. (He renders thoughts, not necessarily all the words.) For consecutive interpretation, allow the interpreter to finish before you continue. The interpreter depends on your using good volume and enunciation.

Return to Jehovah (rj) 2015

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/return-to-jehovah-rj

PART ONE “The Lost One I Will Search For” The sheep is bewildered. Somehow, while nibbling grass in the pasture, it got separated from the other sheep. Now, it can see neither the flock nor the shepherd. Darkness approaches. Lost in a valley where predators roam, the sheep is defenseless. Finally, it hears a familiar voice​—that of the shepherd, who runs toward the sheep, picks it up, wraps it in the folds of his garment, and carries it home. JEHOVAH repeatedly likens himself to just such a shepherd. In his Word, he assures us: “I myself will search for my sheep, and I will care for them.”​—Ezekiel 34:11, 12. “The Sheep That I Care For” Who are Jehovah’s sheep? Simply put, Jehovah’s sheep are the people who love and worship him. The Bible says: “Let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep in his care.” (Psalm 95:6, 7) Like literal sheep following a shepherd, Jehovah’s worshippers are eager to follow their Shepherd. Are they flawless? No. God’s servants have, at times, become “scattered sheep,” “lost sheep,” and “like sheep going astray.” (Ezekiel 34:12; Matthew 15:24; 1 Peter 2:25) Even so, when a person drifts away, Jehovah does not abandon him as being beyond hope. Do you feel that Jehovah is still your Shepherd? How does Jehovah prove to be a Shepherd today? Consider three ways: He feeds us spiritually. “In a good pasture I will feed them,” Jehovah says. “They will lie down there in a good grazing land, and they will feed on choice pastures.” (Ezekiel 34:14) Jehovah has never failed to give us a refreshing variety of timely spiritual food. Can you think of an article, a talk, or a video that answered your prayer for help? Did it not convince you that Jehovah cares about you personally? He protects and supports us. Jehovah promises: “The stray I will bring back, the injured I will bandage, and the weak I will strengthen.” (Ezekiel 34:16) Jehovah strengthens those weakened or overwhelmed by anxiety. He bandages his sheep, helping them to heal if they have been hurt​—perhaps even by fellow believers. And he brings back those who have strayed and who may struggle with negative feelings. He feels responsible for us. “I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered,” Jehovah says. “The lost one I will search for.” (Ezekiel 34:12, 16) To Jehovah, a lost sheep is not a lost cause. He knows when a sheep is missing, he searches for that sheep, and he rejoices when he finds it. (Matthew 18:12-14) After all, he calls his true worshippers “my sheep, the sheep that I care for.” (Ezekiel 34:31) You are one of those sheep. To Jehovah, a lost sheep is not a lost cause. He rejoices when that sheep is found “Renew Our Days as in Those of Old” Why is Jehovah searching for you and inviting you to return to him? Because he wants you to be happy. He promises that “blessings will pour down like the rains” for his sheep. (Ezekiel 34:26) That is no empty promise. You have already seen the evidence firsthand. Recall your experiences as you came to know Jehovah. For example, how did you feel when you first learned the thrilling truths about God’s name and his purpose for humans? Do you remember how refreshing it was to be united with fellow Christians at assemblies and conventions? When you were able to share the good news with someone who showed genuine interest, did you not return home happy and deeply satisfied? You can regain those joys. “Bring us back to yourself, O Jehovah,” God’s servants of old prayed, “and we will readily return to you. Renew our days as in those of old.” (Lamentations 5:21) Jehovah answered that prayer, and his people returned to serve him with renewed joy. (Nehemiah 8:17) Jehovah will do the same for you. Still, returning to Jehovah is easier said than done. Consider some challenges of returning and how you can overcome them. To help you recall some of the joys of associating with God’s people, watch the video Our Whole Association of Brothers.

Choosing (bw) 1979

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/bw

Chapter 6 Submission to Authority That Is Rewarding 1. Why can we say that submission to existing arrangements is wise and beneficial? THERE can be wisdom in submission, in showing subordination to existing arrangements. Whatever apparent appeal it might have, total independence is undesirable, unrealistic. No one person on earth can do everything or know everything. Just as we are dependent on air, sun, food and water for life, so, too, we need other persons and what they can do for us if we are to benefit from life and to enjoy it. 2. How should the fact of Jehovah’s being the Supreme Sovereign affect our life? 2 Governmental arrangements, employer-employee relationships, family ties, association with the Christian congregation, our very living among people, all impose on us certain duties. We owe something in return for what we receive from others. Of primary importance in discharging these responsibilities toward humans is our recognizing the position of Jehovah God. As the Creator, he rightly is the Supreme Sovereign to whom we owe all things. In a vision, the apostle John heard 24 elders declare: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) Our making a similar acknowledgment of Jehovah as the Most High is not just a matter of words. In all our relationships, we can demonstrate that we are submissive to God’s will for us and acknowledge Jesus Christ as our appointed Lord. “FOR THE LORD’S SAKE” 3, 4. What are the ‘human creations’ to which we should be in subjection, and why can they thus be identified? 3 The apostle Peter forcefully presented this elevated view of the major reason for subjection to human authority. He wrote: “For the Lord’s sake subject yourselves to every human creation: whether to a king as being superior or to governors as being sent by him to inflict punishment on evildoers but to praise doers of good.”​—1 Peter 2:13, 14. 4 The ‘human creations’ to which we should be in subjection are the man-made ruling authorities. They are ‘human creations’ because men, not God, have created the positions of kings and lesser rulers or governors. The Most High has merely allowed such to come into existence and is tolerating them, as they do serve a useful purpose under the present conditions. Because governmental authorities exist by his permission, persons who rebel against them are revolting against the “arrangement of God,” a provision that he has as yet not seen fit to end and replace by a heavenly kingdom through his Son. (Romans 13:1, 2) In the days of the apostle Peter, the Roman emperor or Caesar appointed governors to administer affairs in the imperial provinces, including Judea. These governors were directly responsible to the emperor in maintaining law and order in the territory under their jurisdiction. As they carried out their duties, the governors would “inflict punishment on evildoers”​—robbers, kidnappers, thieves and seditionists. But they would also “praise doers of good,” that is, honor upright persons by giving them public recognition as men of merit and by protecting their person, property and rights. 5. For whose sake should we be in subjection, and why is he rightly called “Lord”? 5 It is not primarily to escape punishment and to procure “praise” for themselves that Christians are urged to be in subjection. But it is “for the Lord’s sake.” This Lord is Jesus Christ, for the apostle Peter earlier identified him as such. (1 Peter 1:3) The Scriptures speak of the Son of God as “Lord over both the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:9) He, therefore, occupies a position that no human ruler has ever held. As ‘Lord over the dead,’ Jesus Christ can summon them before him by restoring them to life. The scope of Jesus’ lordship extends even beyond his having authority over living and dead humans. After his own resurrection, the Son of God said: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Surely, it is wisdom on our part to submit ourselves to human rulers for the sake of One who has far, far greater authority than they do. 6, 7. How do we subject ourselves to human rulers “for the Lord’s sake”? 6 What is meant by subjecting ourselves to men in high governmental station “for the Lord’s sake”? Our recognition of Jesus Christ as our Lord is to be the motivating force behind proper subjection to rulers. The Son of God set the perfect example in this regard. He did not revolt against the demands of the governmental authority nor did he teach others to do so. Rather, he urged: “If someone under authority impresses you into service for a mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:41) ‘Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar.’​—Matthew 22:21. 7 At times governments may order citizens to register for various purposes, or they may call upon them to support certain community building and farming projects, perhaps in connection with construction of roads, dams or schools. (Compare Luke 2:1-3.) In all these matters, Christian conscience is, of course, to be considered. However, where there is no issue involved that would offend one’s Scripturally trained conscience, it can contribute to the advancement of the “good news” when the Christian does what he can to show himself both submissive and cooperative. It would be highly improper to agitate against any particular projects or to become outright rebellious toward governmental authority on any level. The Biblical injunction is to “be in subjection and [to] be obedient to governments and authorities as rulers, to be ready for every good work.” A belligerent, arrogant stand does not harmonize with the teaching and example of God’s Son.​—Titus 3:1, 2. “AS SLAVES OF GOD” 8. What benefits can come from proper subjection to rulers? 8 Showing how proper submission to authority can serve to further the cause of true worship, the apostle Peter writes: “For so the will of God is, that by doing good you may muzzle the ignorant talk of the unreasonable men.” (1 Peter 2:15) Christians, by doing what rulers regard as good, decent or law-abiding while, at the same time, preserving a good conscience before God, may receive commendation. This results in silencing ignorant men who may falsely charge servants of the Most High with being stubborn, insubordinate, antisocial, seditious or subversive. The laudable conduct of Christians thus proves to be the very best defense against having their good name defamed. 9, 10. Why is our subjection to governmental authority not like the subjection of a cringing slave to his master? 9 But does a Christian’s submission to rulers mean abject slavery to them, being totally subservient? The inspired answer is, No. The apostle Peter continues: “Be as free people, and yet holding your freedom, not as a blind for badness, but as slaves of God.”​—1 Peter 2:16. 10 As Christians, we have been set free from slavery to sin and death. (John 8:31-36) The Son of God has even emancipated us from the fear of a violent death, by means of which fear Satan the Devil has been able to keep men in slavery, maneuvering them, through the dictatorial orders of men, to act contrary to their own conscience. (Hebrews 2:14, 15) Because of being a free people, however, our conscience cannot be subservient to the dictates and threats of any man or group of men. Our submission to rulers is voluntary and is limited by the superior commands of the Supreme Sovereign, Jehovah God. We cannot become the abject slaves of any man, rendering unquestioning obedience without regard for divine law. As the apostle Peter pointed out, Christians are “slaves of God.” Hence, we gladly submit to the wishes of the governmental authorities to the extent that there is no direct conflict with our worship of the Most High. Otherwise, we must take the position voiced by Peter and the other apostles when before the Jewish supreme court: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.”​—Acts 5:29. A FREEDOM, WITH LIMITS 11. What attitude toward governmental authority would constitute an abuse of Christian freedom? 11 However, it would be wrong for us to live as though political governments had no authority over us, defying them in matters that are not out of harmony with divine law. Such disrespectful conduct constitutes a misuse of Christian freedom. The freedom that we enjoy is bounded by our being slaves of God. It provides no license for casting off proper restraints, indulging in badness or treating with contempt laws that may inconvenience us but which are designed to protect life and the environment. Rather, we should show by our conduct that we appreciate the good purpose behind traffic laws, antipollution regulations, hunting and fishing restrictions and the like. 12. What determines the kind of obligations that we have toward others? 12 Yes, we have obligations toward others. The nature of these duties is affected by the particular relationship that we have with Jehovah God and with our fellow humans. The apostle Peter points out these obligations and admonishes: “Honor men of all sorts, have love for the whole association of brothers, be in fear of God, have honor for the king.”​—1 Peter 2:17. 13. (a) Why are all humans deserving of honor? (b) What do we owe our spiritual brothers? (c) What should determine the kind of honor that is given to humans? (d) What do we owe to God alone? 13 All humans are the product of God’s creation and bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. That is why we rightly honor them, treating them with respect and impartiality. (Acts 10:34, 35; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6) The whole “association of brothers,” however, deserves far more than just the formal respect that is the due right of humans generally. To our brothers, we additionally owe deep love, affection. Moreover, while an earthly sovereign and lesser officials should be granted the honor for which their position calls, the Most High God alone is deserving of reverential, worshipful fear. Consequently, the honor that is given to any man must always be limited by a wholesome regard for Jehovah God and his commands. There is no objection, for example, to addressing rulers by their customary inputs when these do not attribute to them the kind of honor that belongs to God alone. But mortal humans are not the saviors of Christians nor the ones through whom all blessings come. (Psalm 146:3, 4; Isaiah 33:22; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:9-11) Hence, a genuine Christian does not address men in a way that calls into question his own fear of God and exalts rulers far above what their station requires. ARE ALL OFFICIALS DESERVING OF HONOR? 14, 15. (a) Why does the moral standing of a ruler or an official not affect whether the Christian will honor him? (b) What can we learn from the way in which the apostle Paul dealt with officials? 14 In view of the Biblical injunction to honor rulers, some persons may ask with reference to a certain official: ‘How can I respect or honor someone who may be morally corrupt?’ The point to keep in mind is that the moral standing of the official is not the basis for such honor. Rather, the authority that he represents and exercises calls for a certain kind of respect. If there were no regard for duly constituted authority, anarchy would reign, with consequent damage to society, including Christians. 15 The apostle Paul’s dealings with officials illustrate that what rulers are as persons has no bearing on the type of honor that should be shown them. Ancient historian Tacitus described Roman Governor Felix as a man who “thought that he could do any evil act with impunity,” and who, “indulging in every kind of barbarity and lust, exercised the power of a king in the spirit of a slave.” Still, out of regard for the office that Felix occupied, Paul respectfully opened his defense before this man with the words: “Knowing well that this nation has had you as judge for many years, I readily speak in my defense the things about myself.” (Acts 24:10) Despite the fact that King Herod Agrippa II lived in incest, Paul showed him due honor, saying: “I count myself happy that it is before you I am to make my defense this day, especially as you are expert on all the customs as well as the controversies among Jews.” (Acts 26:2, 3) Although Governor Festus was a worshiper of idols, Paul still addressed him as “Your Excellency.”​—Acts 26:25. PAYING TAXES 16. What counsel are Christians given at Romans 13:7? 16 Besides giving men the kind of honor that befits their authority, Christians are also under divine command to be conscientious about paying taxes. The Scriptures tell us: “Render to all their dues, to him who calls for the tax, the tax; to him who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to him who calls for fear [by reason of his authority, including the power of life and death], such fear; to him who calls for honor, such honor.” (Romans 13:7) Why is it right to pay taxes and to be honest in reporting income? 17. (a) Why should Christians view the payment of taxes the same as the payment of debts? (b) Why should Christians be exemplary in the payment of all taxes? 17 The ruling authorities render vital services to ensure the safety, security and welfare of their subjects. Included are the maintenance of roads, the provision of law-enforcement bodies, courts, schools, health services, postal systems and the like. For the services rendered, the government is eninputd to compensation. Hence, Christians rightly view payment of taxes or tribute as the payment of a debt. Just how the ruling authorities will thereafter use the taxes received is not the responsibility of the Christian. Misuse of tax or tribute receipts on the part of officials does not eninput the Christian to refuse to pay his debt. Under the present arrangement of things, he needs governmental services and, therefore, in good conscience, pays what is required. When it comes to paying off a debt to an individual, that person’s misuse of monies would not cancel one’s debt. Similarly, regardless of what governments may do, the Christian is not relieved of his duty to pay taxes and tribute. He is to be exemplary in conforming to the legal requirements in reporting income or the purchase of items on which duty must be paid. His conscientiousness in these matters prevents the bringing of reproach on him and the Christian congregation. It also puts true worship in a favorable light, to the honor of God and Christ. EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS 18. To what present circumstance can the Scriptural principles about the master-slave relationship be applied? 18 A Christian’s relationship to governmental authority is not the only relationship that calls for proper subjection. At his place of work, for example, he may be accountable to a supervisor or a superior. Back in the first century C.E., when slavery was common in the Roman Empire, many Christians found themselves working as slaves or servants. Appropriately, God’s Word discusses their obligations toward their masters. We today can apply the principles of conduct in the master-slave relationship to the employer-employee relationship. 19. What counsel did Peter give to Christian house servants? 19 Directing his counsel to house servants or domestics, the apostle Peter wrote: “Let house servants be in subjection to their owners with all due fear, not only to the good and reasonable, but also to those hard to please. For if someone, because of conscience toward God, bears up under grievous things and suffers unjustly, this is an agreeable thing. For what merit is there in it if, when you are sinning and being slapped, you endure it? But if, when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God.”​—1 Peter 2:18-20. 20. (a) How would a house servant be in subjection “with all due fear”? (b) What situations might have resulted in suffering for a Christian slave? 20 What did heeding this counsel require? While discharging his responsibilities as a slave, the Christian was to manifest proper fear or regard for his master, not wanting to displease him. This fear was to be shown even if the master proved to be inconsiderate, harsh or unreasonable in his demands. The master may have been a man who found fault even with work that was well done. He may have demanded that the Christian slave do things that were contrary to God’s law. Because of faithfully obeying the dictates of his godly conscience, the Christian slave may have suffered unjustly for refusing to steal or to lie for his master. At other times, too, the slave may have been the object of physical and verbal abuse. 21. What good could result from a slave’s patient endurance of mistreatment? 21 In harmony with Peter’s counsel, the Christian slave would not rise up against his harsh master. He would continue to do his work conscientiously, and patiently bear up under mistreatment. This course would be agreeable in God’s eyes, for it would not reflect unfavorably on Christianity. Others could see that true worship had exerted an influence for good on the slave. It could move them to investigate Christianity in order to find out how a mistreated slave could exercise such commendable self-control. By contrast, if a slave wronged his master and was severely disciplined for it, people would see no particular merit in his quietly taking punishment. 22. How would a Christian employee want to conduct himself at work? 22 Today a Christian who faces a particularly trying situation at work may be able to procure other employment. But this may not always be possible. He may be working under a contract or be forced to continue laboring under undesirable conditions because other jobs simply are not available. So his situation may differ very little from that of a house servant in the first century C.E. who could not get away from an unreasonable master. Therefore, as long as a Christian continues in the employ of someone else, he would do his utmost to perform quality work, and patiently and uncomplainingly put up with any abuse to which he may be subjected and which could not be stopped by Scriptural means. He also would continue to treat his employer with due respect and consideration. JESUS’ EXAMPLE​—AN ENCOURAGEMENT 23, 24. (a) Whose example can encourage us when we are subjected to mistreatment for doing what is right? (b) What did this one face, and how did he conduct himself? 23 Clearly, it is never easy for anyone to have to endure injustice. Happily, however, we have a perfect model to follow, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ. His example can be a real source of encouragement. In consoling mistreated Christian slaves, the apostle Peter pointed to the example of Jesus, saying: “In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely. He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth. When he was being reviled, he did not go reviling in return. When he was suffering, he did not go threatening, but kept on committing himself to the one who judges righteously.”​—1 Peter 2:21-23. 24 Thus the apostle reminded Christian slaves that one of the reasons for which they were called to be disciples of the Son of God was to demonstrate a spirit like his while subjected to unjust suffering. Especially on the final day of his life as a man on earth, Jesus Christ endured much. He was slapped, hit with fists, spit on, scourged with a whip (which was probably fitted with pieces of lead or bone or barbs to tear the flesh), and, finally, nailed to a stake like a criminal of the worst kind. Yet, he submitted to all these indignities, never reviling or threatening the men responsible for meting out such unwarranted treatment. Jesus Christ knew that his life course had been pure, but he did not take matters into his own hands to vindicate himself. He committed his cause to the Father, confident that his God and Father would render a righteous judgment in his behalf. We, too, can be sure that the Almighty takes note of any injustices that we may experience. He will balance the scales of justice, provided we continue to bear up patiently under suffering. Surely, if the sinless Son of God was willing to endure mistreatment, we followers of his have even greater reason to do so, recognizing that we are sinful creatures. 25. How have we benefited from Christ’s suffering? 25 The suffering that Jesus Christ underwent was actually for our benefit, giving us additional motivation for imitating him. This aspect is stressed in the apostle Peter’s further words: “He himself bore our sins in his own body upon the stake, in order that we might be done with sins and live to righteousness. And ‘by his stripes you were healed.’ For you were like sheep, going astray; but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.”​—1 Peter 2:24, 25. 26, 27. What effect should Christ’s suffering in our behalf have on us? 26 By reason of our being sinners, we are undeserving of the gift of life. The Bible tells us: “The wages sin pays is death.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus Christ, however, willingly took upon himself the penalty for our sins, dying sacrificially like a blameless, uncomplaining lamb in our behalf. Through his suffering the extreme penalty of a shameful death on a stake, the Son of God made it possible for believing humans to be set free from sin and to begin living a life of righteousness. Considering the suffering of Jesus Christ in our behalf, we should certainly be moved to show deep appreciation for what he has done for us. This requires that we imitate Jesus in all areas of life, including our being willing to undergo mistreatment for righteousness’ sake, as he did. Whenever we are subjected to injustices, we do well to think about the suffering that our Lord experienced. 27 Such contemplation can impress on our minds the importance of conforming to Christ’s example so that we do not miss the purpose of his great suffering for us. In our sinful state, we were in a pitiable condition, comparable to that of straying sheep without the guidance of a loving shepherd. This was so because, as sinners, we were alienated from our Great Shepherd, Jehovah God. However, on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice and our faith in it, a reconciliation has been effected. (Colossians 1:21-23) Hence, we have come under the loving care, protection and guidance of the overseer of our souls, namely, Jehovah God, and of his “chief shepherd,” Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 5:2-4) Truly, then, no amount of affliction for righteousness’ sake would be too great to bear in demonstrating our appreciation for what Jesus Christ has done. How far greater was Christ’s suffering in our behalf than any mistreatment that we may undergo for his sake! WORK ARRANGEMENTS WITH BELIEVERS 28, 29. (a) What counsel did the apostle Paul give to Christian slaves with believing owners? (b) Why was such counsel needed? 28 Not all Christian slaves in the first century C.E. however, had unreasonable masters at whose hands they endured mistreatment. On account of the existing social conditions at that time, even some Christians had slaves. When the slave and his master were disciples of the Son of God, both men needed to look at their spiritual relationship in the correct light. Directing his admonition to slaves with believing owners, the apostle Paul stated: “Let those having believing owners not look down on them, because they are brothers. On the contrary, let them the more readily be slaves, because those receiving the benefit of their good service are believers and beloved.”​—1 Timothy 6:2. 29 Why was this counsel needed? The believing slave was a joint heir with Christ and, therefore, enjoyed a spiritual equality with his believing master. Consequently, the slave needed to guard against reasoning that this spiritual equality annulled the secular relationship existing between them and the authority of the master in that relationship. Such an attitude could easily have led to a slave’s taking advantage of his master, not doing his best in discharging his duties. The apostle Paul’s counsel came to grips with any wrong conclusions that slaves may have drawn from their brotherly relationship with other members of the congregation. Because of being in such a relationship with their masters, they had even stronger reason to discharge their duties in a fine way. It was their privilege to do something for a Christian brother, and this should have been a source of great joy to them. 30. Why should a Christian today do his best if he is working under the supervision of a believer? 30 Similarly today, if a Christian works under the direction of a believing supervisor or is in the employ of a believer, he should want to do his very best. It is his brother who is getting the benefits from his labor. If he were to do poor quality work or to be self-sparing, he would be a disappointment and a source of irritation to this brother. (Proverbs 10:26) What lack of affection he would be showing for the brother whom he is under obligation to love!​—1 John 4:11. 31. What counsel did Christian masters have to keep in mind? 31 On the other hand, Christian masters or employers were not to disregard the fact that they, too, had a master, Christ. The realization of their being accountable to the Son of God was to affect the way in which they treated their slaves or workers. Commenting on this, the apostle Paul wrote: “You masters, keep dealing out what is righteous and what is fair to your slaves, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”​—Colossians 4:1. 32. What responsibility do we have toward believers who may be laboring or rendering services for us? 32 Furthermore, if Christian brothers are laboring or rendering services for us in the capacity of doctors, lawyers, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, repairmen and the like, we certainly would want to give them just compensation. Would it not be inappropriate to take advantage of our spiritual relationship by postponing payment to a Christian brother while using a large part of our earnings for lavish entertainment, luxuries or expensive vacations? In business matters, should we not want our fellow believers to get whatever they are eninputd to receive? It is certainly fine when we can thereby aid our brothers to make a living. If special consideration is shown us, we rightly regard this with appreciation, recognizing that our fellow believers are not obligated to give us special rates or to favor us over others. In all these matters, then, we can show that we want to do all things in a way pleasing to our heavenly Head, God’s Son. WIFELY SUBJECTION 33. (a) What admonition is given to Christian wives? (b) In 1 Peter 3:1, what is significant about the word meaning “in like manner”? 33 Marriage is still another relationship that calls for submission to a head. Therefore, Peter instructions his discussion of wifely subjection with his previous admonition about subjection under adverse conditions by starting out with the Greek word meaning “in like manner.” We read: “In like manner, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect.”​—1 Peter 3:1, 2. 34. Under what circumstance is the apostle Peter encouraging a wife to be in subjection, and why may this not be easy? 34 The circumstance under which Christian wives are here encouraged to be in subjection is an unfavorable one. When a husband does not accept the principles of God’s Word, he may make life very difficult for a Christian wife, being harsh and unreasonable in dealing with her. But this does not excuse her from acting in harmony with the fact that a husband is the head of the family. So, whenever his requests do not conflict with divine law, a Christian wife would want to do her utmost to please her husband. 35. How might a wife gain her husband “without a word”? 35 As the apostle Peter pointed out, her fine example may help the husband to become a believer. A wife’s thus gaining her husband “without a word,” however, does not mean that she would never share Scriptural thoughts with him, but she would let her commendable actions speak even louder than words. A husband would then be able to see that the conduct of his wife is chaste or pure in speech and action and that she has deep respect for him. 36, 37. According to Titus 2:3-5, to what should a Christian woman give attention in order to be an exemplary wife? 36 What the apostle Paul wrote about women provides still more details as to what may be expected from a Christian wife. In his letter to Titus, he stated: “Let the aged women be reverent in behavior, not slanderous, neither enslaved to a lot of wine, teachers of what is good; that they may recall the young women to their senses to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sound in mind, chaste, workers at home, good, subjecting themselves to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be spoken of abusively.”​—Titus 2:3-5. 37 According to this admonition, a woman should conscientiously seek to conduct herself in a manner revealing her appreciation of the fact that her whole life course comes under the view of Jehovah God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. She will work hard to use her tongue to build up and encourage others, not resorting to slander or hurtful gossip. Moderation in food and drink are certainly in order. As a wife and mother, the Christian woman is to be exemplary in her love, seeing to it that she is doing her part in providing nourishing meals and making the home a clean and pleasant place. Love for her husband and her children includes her being willing to put the family’s interests ahead of her own. A husband should not be able to find evidence that his wife is seriously neglecting her duties. But he should be able to see that, when compared with unbelieving women, she is indeed exemplary. BALANCED VIEW OF ADORNMENT 38. What counsel about adornment do we find at 1 Peter 3:3, and how should it be understood? 38 Important, too, is a wife’s keeping adornment in the right perspective. The apostle Peter stressed that a Christian wife is not to put the main emphasis on making herself attractive by means of showy adornment. He said: “Do not let your adornment be that of the external braiding of the hair and of the putting on of gold ornaments or the wearing of outer garments.” (1 Peter 3:3) In the first century C.E., women spent much time and effort in braiding their long hair into elaborate, attention-getting designs, including harps, trumpets, wreaths and crowns. Additionally, they adorned themselves with very ornate apparel and an abundance of gold chains, rings and bracelets. For a Christian woman, such extreme attention to physical adornment was inappropriate, as it would suggest that her main object in life was her own person rather than her being pleasing to Jehovah God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, women who live mainly for show or fashion are often the victims of pride, envy, and status seeking, which rob the mind and heart of a spirit of calmness and produce frustration and irritability. 39. Why should a wife not neglect her appearance? 39 However, this does not mean that a Christian wife would give little attention to her appearance. When similarly counseling against showy dress, the apostle Paul also said: “I desire the women to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind.” (1 Timothy 2:9) So a Christian wife does well to watch that she does not present an unsightly appearance to her husband by being careless about her dress, grooming and physical appearance. Furthermore, the Bible states that “the woman is man’s glory.” (1 Corinthians 11:7) Clearly, a lazy, unkempt woman is no credit or glory to her husband. She degrades his appearance in the eyes of others. And if the husband takes reasonable pride in his own appearance, by sloppiness his wife could be a source of much irritation. Hence, it is most desirable that a Christian woman’s dress and adornment indicate that she has good judgment in choosing what is modest, or decent, and becoming to her person. “THE QUIET AND MILD SPIRIT” 40. (a) What makes a Christian woman truly beautiful? (b) With what should “the quiet and mild spirit” not be confused? 40 Nevertheless, a Christian wife’s real beauty lies in what she is at heart. The apostle Peter wisely urged that her adornment “be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.” (1 Peter 3:4) This “quiet and mild spirit” is not to be confused with a veneer of outward sweetness. For example, a woman may be soft spoken and meekly submit, in word, to the wishes of the family head. Yet, she might, at heart, try to dominate her husband by being rebellious, plotting and scheming. 41. How might a woman determine whether “the quiet and mild spirit” is part of her permanent adornment? 41 In the case of the woman who genuinely possesses “the quiet and mild spirit,” this humble spirit is a reflection of her true inner self. How can a woman determine whether this “spirit” is part of her permanent adornment? She might ask herself: ‘What happens when my husband, on occasion, is inconsiderate, unreasonable or shirks his responsibility? Do I often flare up, become enraged and harshly censure him for his failings? Or, do I usually strive to remain calm inside myself and avoid open confrontation?’ A woman with a “quiet and mild spirit” is not just seemingly peaceful on the surface but like an active volcano inside herself, ready to erupt. No, under trying circumstances, she seeks to maintain a calm and even temperament both outwardly and inwardly, causing observers to be deeply impressed by the inner strength she shows and the kind way in which she handles herself. 42. According to 1 Peter 3:5, 6, who did have a “quiet and mild spirit”? 42 Such a “quiet and mild spirit” distinguished God-fearing women of pre-Christian times. Calling attention to this fact, the apostle Peter wrote: “For so, too, formerly the holy women who were hoping in God used to adorn themselves, subjecting themselves to their own husbands, as Sarah used to obey Abraham, calling him ‘lord.’ And you have become her children, provided you keep on doing good and not fearing any cause for terror.”​—1 Peter 3:5, 6. 43. What shows that Sarah was a ‘holy woman’ who hoped in God? 43 As one of the “holy women” of pre-Christian times, Sarah placed her hope and confidence in Jehovah. Unlike Lot’s wife who longingly looked back at Sodom, only to perish, Sarah willingly left the comforts of Ur and continued to dwell with her husband, Abraham, in tents for the rest of her life. Along with Abraham, she looked forward to a permanent abiding place under divine rulership. (Hebrews 11:8-12) Sarah certainly did not attach too much importance to material possessions and comforts. She lived in a manner that revealed a spiritual outlook. Sarah appreciated that God would richly reward her at the time of the resurrection. Similarly, Christian women today wisely make pleasing Jehovah God their main objective in life.​—Compare Proverbs 31:30. 44. What proves that Sarah had deep respect for her husband? 44 The beautiful Sarah had deep respect for her husband. When unexpected visitors arrived, Abraham felt no hesitancy in saying to his faithful companion: “Hurry! Get three seah measures [.6 bushel; 22 liters] of fine flour, knead the dough and make round cakes.” (Genesis 18:6) That very day Sarah referred to Abraham as her “lord.” Since she did so inside herself and not in the hearing of others, this clearly shows that she was, at heart, submissive to her husband.​—Genesis 18:12. 45. What shows that Sarah did not have a weak personality? 45 However, Sarah was not a woman of weak personality. When she noted that Ishmael, the son of the Egyptian slave girl Hagar, was “poking fun” at her own son Isaac, Sarah spoke out strongly to Abraham, saying: “Drive out this slave girl and her son, for the son of this slave girl is not going to be an heir with my son, with Isaac!” But that she was making a forceful appeal to Abraham, not improperly demanding or commanding, is shown by Jehovah’s approval of Sarah’s request. The Almighty noted the appeal made in the right spirit, and directed Abraham to carry it out.​—Genesis 21:9-12. 46, 47. (a) How can a woman who expresses strong views and takes initiative demonstrate that she is submissive? (b) What should we expect from a God-fearing woman? 46 Likewise, a submissive Christian woman need not be spineless or wishy-washy. She may express definite personal views and take the initiative in handling certain affairs that are of importance to the family’s happiness. But she would endeavor to have in mind her husband’s wishes and feelings, letting these guide her when making purchases, decorating the home or caring for other household business. If she is uncertain about his view on a particular activity or major purchase, she can avoid problems through prior consultation. By seeking to discharge her wifely duties in a way that is pleasing to God, she will also please her husband, not giving him any valid reason to find fault. Such a wife usually gains a position of honor and dignity in the family. Her situation proves to be like that of the capable wife described at Proverbs 31:11, 28: “In her the heart of her owner has put trust . . . Her sons have risen up and proceeded to pronounce her happy; her owner rises up, and he praises her.” A husband who is confident that his wife will act wisely and not endanger the welfare of the family would feel no need to lay down numerous rules designed to control unwise actions. There will simply be a fine understanding between them. In caring for family affairs, she will enjoy using her capabilities and initiative to the full. 47 To be a God-fearing woman in the Biblical sense, a Christian wife needs to be industrious and able to take the initiative in helping others. So she will not be a woman who lives virtually ‘in the shadow’ of her husband. (Compare Proverbs 31:13-22, 24, 27.) This is evident from the description of Christian women who qualified to be put on a special list in the first century C.E. We read: “Let a widow be put on the list who has become not less than sixty years old, a wife of one husband, having a witness borne to her for fine works, if she reared children, if she entertained strangers, if she washed the feet of holy ones, if she relieved those in tribulation, if she diligently followed every good work.” (1 Timothy 5:9, 10) Note that her record of fine works would go back to the time when she was “a wife of one husband.” So, we do not want to confuse a “quiet and mild spirit” with what may actually be only a lack of initiative and industriousness. BENEFITS FROM SHOWING A CHRISTLIKE SPIRIT 48. How can a Christian wife become more like the Son of God? 48 Since Christ is ‘a model for all his disciples to follow,’ a Christian wife will want to apply herself in becoming more like him when faced with unfavorable circumstances. (1 Peter 2:21) This requires that she be honest with herself in evaluating her words and actions. Then, by prayerfully considering the example of Jesus Christ and continuing to ask Jehovah God for the help of his spirit in becoming a better wife, she will come to have the “mind of Christ” to a greater degree. (1 Corinthians 2:16) Her advancement will become apparent to others. This is so because the more we think about the fine qualities and praiseworthy acts of someone whom we love, the more we will want to be like that one. 49-51. (a) Why is it always wise for a wife to apply Bible principles? (b) What fine benefits can result from faithful adherence to the Scriptures? (c) What “cause for terror” should a Christian woman not fear, and why? 49 Even when a husband is inconsiderate, unreasonable or shirks responsibility, a wife can have every confidence that applying Bible principles will get the best results possible under the circumstances. Little is gained by a wife who makes a big issue over every wrong decision that her husband has made, thus disregarding Scriptural counsel to be submissive. Humans are prone to defend themselves even when they are wrong. So, if a wife makes a ‘major case’ whenever her husband uses poor judgment, she may get a reaction that is opposite to what she is seeking. He may become more determined to ignore what she says in order to prove to her that he does not need her advice. On the other hand, if her reaction reflects an understanding of the fact that we sinful humans cannot altogether avoid mistakes in judgment, he may be far more inclined to give consideration to her thoughts the next time. He will find it easier to keep his pride from becoming too intimately involved in the matter. 50 By encouraging her husband in a kind, gentle manner, a Christian wife may cause him to think seriously about the way he is handling himself and then to start making changes in his life. While progress may be slow, a wife does gain an immediate reward. What is it? She avoids the tremendous emotional stress, bitterness and unpleasantness to which open confrontation with her husband would lead.​—Proverbs 14:29, 30. 51 A wife’s faithful adherence to the Scriptures in conduct and speech may not always cause her unbelieving husband to become a Christian. But she still has the satisfaction of knowing that her course is ‘well-pleasing to God.’ The commendable way in which she handles her responsibilities as a wife and mother is part of her record of fine works that is like a treasure deposited in heaven. That treasure will yield rich dividends in the form of divine blessings. (Matthew 6:20) Appreciating the importance of maintaining a good standing with God, she should “keep on doing good” and not fear any “cause for terror”​—any abuse, threats or opposition that may result because of her being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Instead of yielding to fear and forfeiting her relationship with Jehovah and his Son, she may view her experience as suffering for the sake of Christ. Thus she proves herself to be a daughter of submissive Sarah, a godly woman of faith. “ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE” 52. What is significant about Peter’s use of the Greek word meaning “likewise” or “in like manner” when counseling Christian husbands? 52 Just as a wife has certain duties because of her relationship with a husband, so does a husband because of his relationship with a wife. The apostle Peter reminded husbands of this, using the Greek word for “likewise” or “in like manner” to instruction his admonition to them with his previous counsel to wives, saying: “You husbands, continue dwelling in like manner with them according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one, since you are also heirs with them of the undeserved favor of life, in order for your prayers not to be hindered.”​—1 Peter 3:7. 53. What should govern the manner in which a husband dwells with his wife? 53 It is noteworthy that the inspired apostle, himself a married man, first calls attention to the fact that the manner in which a husband dwells or lives with his wife is to be governed by “knowledge.” (Mark 1:30; 1 Corinthians 9:5) Surely a husband would want to know his wife well​—her feelings, strengths, limitations, likes and dislikes. But, even more importantly, he should come to know what his responsibilities are as a Christian husband. By really knowing his wife and also knowing his own God-assigned role, a husband can ‘continue dwelling with his wife according to knowledge.’ 54. What does the exercise of headship require? 54 The Scriptures show that the husband is the head of his wife. But he is not an absolute head, for he is required to submit to the headship of Jesus Christ in handling family affairs. “The head of every man is the Christ,” the Bible tells us. (1 Corinthians 11:3) “Husbands,” wrote the apostle Paul, “continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it.” (Ephesians 5:25) Thus, the way in which the Son of God treats the Christian congregation serves as a model for husbands in discharging their family obligations. There certainly is nothing tyrannical or cruel about Jesus Christ’s exercise of headship over the congregation. He even gave up his life for it. Therefore, a husband’s headship does not eninput him to dominate his wife, putting her in a low, degraded position. Instead, it places on him the responsibility of being self-sacrificing in his love, being willing to put his wife’s welfare and interests ahead of his personal desires and preferences. 55. Since Jesus Christ is the example, what should Christian husbands do? 55 Since Jesus Christ is the perfect example for them, husbands do well to acquaint themselves with what he did in dealing with his disciples. More importantly, husbands should strive to conform to the pattern of the Son of God in discharging their family responsibilities. Consider just a few of the many things that Jesus Christ did while on earth in caring for his disciples. 56, 57. (a) How did the Son of God show genuine interest in the spiritual welfare of his disciples? (b) In view of Jesus’ example, what might a husband ask himself? 56 The Son of God was genuinely interested in the spiritual welfare of his followers. Even when they were slow to grasp vital matters, he did not become impatient with them. He took time to make things clear for them and saw to it that they really understood his teaching. (Matthew 16:6-12; John 16:16-30) When they continued to have a problem in having an appreciative view of their relationship to one another, Jesus repeated points on the need for humbly ministering to others. (Mark 9:33-37; 10:42-44; Luke 22:24-27) On his final night with them he fortified his teaching on humility by washing their feet, thus setting the example for them. (John 13:5-15) Jesus also took into consideration the limitations of his disciples and did not give them more information than they could comprehend at the time.​—John 16:4, 12. 57 A Christian husband might, therefore, ask himself: ‘How concerned am I about the spiritual welfare of my wife and children? Do I make sure that they really understand Bible principles? When noting wrong attitudes and actions, do I make it clear just why such are wrong and why changes should be made? Do I take into consideration their limitations and watch that I do not require too much?’ 58. How might a husband imitate Jesus’ example in considering the physical needs of his family? 58 The Son of God was also alert to take note of what his disciples needed from a physical standpoint. When the apostles returned to Jesus from a preaching tour and made report of their activity, he said: “Come, you yourselves, privately into a lonely place and rest up a bit.” (Mark 6:31) Similarly, a husband wisely sees to it that his wife and children have time for relaxation and refreshment from the regular routine of life. 59, 60. (a) How has Jesus Christ shown confidence and trust in his disciples? (b) How can this help a husband in exercising headship? 59 In exercising headship, Jesus Christ does not hem in the members of the congregation by a list of involved regulations. He gave them the really important commands and guidelines as a basis for their reaching proper decisions in handling the problems of life. His self-sacrificing love, coupled with his confidence and trust in the disciples, in effect, “compels” them to respond with like love, doing their utmost to please him.​—2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; compare 1 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:2, 3. 60 In a similar way, a husband’s showing confidence in his wife can do much to preserve a happy marriage. A wife who has little latitude to use initiative in caring for her responsibilities will soon lose joy in her work. She will feel stifled in using her knowledge, talents and abilities, resulting in frustration. On the other hand, when her husband entrusts certain important matters to her good judgment, she will have pleasure in handling things in a way that will delight her husband. “ASSIGNING THEM HONOR AS TO A WEAKER VESSEL” 61-63. (a) What do the Scriptures say about the way in which a husband should deal with his wife? (b) What things would a husband avoid if he indeed assigns an honorable place to his wife? (c) When it comes to important family matters, what should a husband be willing to do? (d) Why is it not enough to take into consideration merely the spoken word when making final decisions? 61 In dwelling with a wife according to his knowledge of her as a person and of his Scriptural responsibilities toward her, a husband would also be assigning her “honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one.” Because a woman’s bodily makeup imposes more physical limitations on her than is usually true of men, she is the “weaker vessel.” But she is to occupy an honorable or dignified standing in the family. The following words of the apostle Paul illustrate how a husband can assign honor to his wife: “In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation.”​—Ephesians 5:28, 29. 62 Husbands generally do not downgrade their own accomplishments, make themselves appear incompetent, subject their bodies to cruel treatment, and disregard their need for rest and refreshment. They do not want to have the reputation of being “good-for-nothings,” but desire a dignified standing in the eyes of others. If a husband is really a Christian, he will not make light of whatever weaknesses his wife may have, belittle her or otherwise make her feel low and degraded. He would accord his wife the same kind of dignity and consideration that he wants for himself, making her feel wanted, appreciated and needed. 63 For a wife to have an honorable position in the home, her husband needs to be willing to discuss family matters with her in a calm and reasonable way, getting her thoughts and ideas. The wife should be able to express herself freely, with the assurance that what she says in discussing serious matters will not be lightly dismissed but be given due consideration by her husband. (Compare Judges 13:21-23; 1 Samuel 25:23-34; Proverbs 1:5, 6, 8, 9.) Furthermore, a husband needs to be alert to take note of more than just the spoken word. Deep inner feelings can be revealed by the tone of voice, facial expressions or by lack of enthusiasm or spontaneity. (Compare Proverbs 15:13.) A husband who has come to know his wife will not ignore such things and blindly go ahead with something that might give rise to needless irritation. 64. When would a husband not give in to his wife, and why is this beneficial? 64 Of course, as head of the family, when a husband is thoroughly satisfied in his own mind that the interests of the family as a whole would be injured thereby, he would not give in to his wife’s desires. (Compare Numbers 30:6-8.) He recognizes that he is Scripturally obligated to uphold what he honestly believes is right, despite any emotional displays by his wife. For the husband to comply with his wife’s wishes against his better judgment would mean dishonoring God, who has entrusted the man with the position of family head. And if matters thereafter led to hardships for the family, this could embitter him toward his wife. On the other hand, his remaining firm for what he definitely believes to be the right course will benefit the family. If his decision is made prayerfully and in harmony with Scriptural principles, his wife may well come to see the wisdom of the decision made and be glad that her husband remained firm. This should enhance her respect for him and contribute to her happiness and that of the whole family. A SPIRITUAL REASON 65. What spiritual reason is there for a Christian husband to live with his believing wife “according to knowledge”? 65 There is a compelling reason for a Christian husband to live with his believing wife “according to knowledge,” granting honor to her. It is not just the benefit of increased peace in the family. The Christian apostle Peter showed to his fellow believers an even greater reason. He pointed out that husbands are ‘heirs with their wives of the undeserved favor of life.’ By reason of his sacrificial death, Jesus Christ opened up to both men and women the opportunity of being relieved from the condemnation of sin and death, with eternal life in view. Hence, a wife can have just as much of an approved standing before God and Christ as does her husband. There is serious reason then for a husband to exercise care that he does not treat his wife as if she were an inferior person having less value in God’s eyes than he does. 66. When marital affairs are not handled Scripturally, why does serious spiritual harm result? 66 When marital affairs are not handled according to the example of Jesus Christ with his congregation, this has a damaging effect on the spiritual state of both husband and wife. Yes, ‘prayers could be hindered.’ In a home where there is a readiness to quarrel, to take offense, to harbor grudges and to act with harshness and unreasonableness, it is difficult to appeal to God in prayer. Because of feeling condemned at heart, a person would not have freeness of speech. (1 John 3:21) Then, too, Jehovah God has set forth requirements for hearing prayers. He will not listen to appeals for aid from persons who are merciless, unwilling to forgive the trespasses of others. (Matthew 18:21-35) Only those who strive to harmonize their lives with his commands are given a favorable hearing. (1 John 3:22) Neither husbands nor wives who fail to imitate in their marriage the example of Jesus Christ with his congregation can expect to have divine assistance in dealing with their problems. On the other hand, faithful obedience to Scriptural admonition guarantees divine approval and blessing. Surely, this is a fine reward that comes from submitting to the headship of God’s Son. SUBMISSION IN THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION 67. According to Matthew 23:8-11, what attitude should exist within the Christian congregation? 67 Within the Christian congregation, there is also real need for recognition of Christ’s headship. This recognition will affect the attitude and conduct of the individual members toward one another. According to Jesus’ own words, his congregation was to be a brotherhood. He said to his disciples: “You, do not you be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas all you are brothers. Moreover, do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One. Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for your Leader is one, the Christ. But the greatest one among you must be your minister [servant, Kingdom Interlinear Translation].”​—Matthew 23:8-11. 68, 69. (a) Since the congregation is a brotherhood, what liberties should not be taken? (b) What did Timothy have to keep in mind when dealing with members of the congregation? 68 No one, therefore, is to play the prince in the congregation. But those who serve as elders and teachers in it are to imitate the Master, Christ, in humbly slaving for their brothers. However, since the congregation is a brotherhood composed of both young and old, male and female, individual members of the congregation are not free to take liberties that would violate the natural sense of propriety. The apostle Paul counseled Timothy: “Do not severely criticize an older man. To the contrary, entreat him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters with all chasteness.”​—1 Timothy 5:1, 2. 69 At the time the apostle wrote these words, Timothy was likely in his thirties. Although serving as an appointed elder, he was being admonished to keep in mind that he was still comparatively young. If an older man needed correction, Timothy was not to be harsh with him but was to appeal to him with the respectful bearing of a son standing before his father. (Compare the respectful way in which Jacob was entreated by his sons, as recorded at Genesis 43:2-10.) Older women, too, were to be shown the consideration and kindness that were due a mother. Not even with young men could Timothy take liberties, but he was to deal with them as he would with beloved fleshly brothers. Because of the strong attraction men feel toward the opposite sex, it was most appropriate that Timothy be cautioned to treat young women as his own fleshly “sisters with all chasteness.” This meant that, in his association with young Christian women, he was to remain chaste, pure or clean in his thoughts, words and actions. 70. (a) Why is a spirit of submissiveness needed in order to maintain proper conduct in the congregation? (b) What call help one in maintaining a submissive spirit? 70 In our relationship with other members of the congregation, we need a spirit of humility in order to keep our place and not violate the natural sense of decency and propriety. Rightly, then, the apostle Peter admonished: “You younger men, be in subjection to the older men.” (1 Peter 5:5) Young men should strive to cooperate with older men, especially the appointed elders of the congregation. It would surely be inappropriate for a young man to speak to older men or act toward them in a way that would be unthinkable if he were dealing with his own fleshly father. But what may a young man do to maintain a spirit of submissiveness? He may find it beneficial to think about the commendable qualities of older brothers and their record of faithful service. This can contribute toward deepening his love and appreciation for them.​—Compare Hebrews 13:7, 17. 71. What is meant by our ‘girding ourselves with lowliness of mind’? 71 Of course, Peter did more than encourage just the young men to be submissive to the older men. He continued: “All of you gird yourselves with lowliness of mind toward one another.” The original-language expression for “gird yourselves with lowliness of mind” carries the thought of tying such lowliness of mind on oneself with knots. That “lowliness of mind” was to be like an apron or a garment girded on by a slave. Hence, the spirit that Peter encouraged is one of willingness to serve and benefit others. How fine it is when we treat all in the congregation with respect and deference, according them the dignity that they deserve! This course leads to Jehovah’s blessing and favor, for Peter adds: “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.”​—1 Peter 5:5. 72. What rewards come from showing proper subjection? 72 Truly, our showing the kind of submission that harmonizes with the Holy Scriptures pays a rich reward. It will never worsen a bad situation but will give us a good conscience before God and men. Subjection to governmental authorities, employers, supervisors or an unbelieving husband can provide a fine witness respecting the value of true Christianity and may help others to become disciples of God’s Son, with eternal life in view. In our own case, we can rest assured that Jehovah God will richly reward us for having followed the course that is pleasing in his sight. Yes, proper subjection to authority is a vital part of our enjoying the best way of life now.

Great Teacher (te) 1971

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/te

Chapter 41 A Meal to Help Us Remember SUPPOSE someone gave you a wonderful gift. How would you feel about it?⁠— Would you just say, “Thank you,” and then forget all about the one who gave it to you? Or would you want to remember what he did?⁠— Jehovah has given a very wonderful gift to us. He sent his own Son to earth to die for us. Because of this we can get free from sickness and death. What a loving thing for them to do! Surely we do not want to forget what God and his Son have done for us, do we?⁠— Did you know that God’s Son gave us a special way to remember what he did?⁠— Would you like to hear about it?⁠— Just imagine you are in the upstairs room of a house in Jerusalem. It is nighttime. Let us see who is in the room. The Great Teacher is there. So are his apostles. They are lying on couches around a table. On the table there is some roast lamb, flat loaves of bread and red wine. But this is not a regular meal. They are having a special meal. Do you know why?⁠— This meal is to remind them of something very important that happened hundreds of years before. It was on the night when Jehovah set his people Israel free from slavery in Egypt. Jehovah told his people: ‘Kill a lamb for each family and put its blood on the doorposts of your houses.’ Then he said: ‘Go inside your houses and eat the lamb.’ They did that. And that same night God’s angel passed through the land of Egypt. In most houses the angel killed the firstborn child. But when the angel saw blood on the doorposts, he passed over that house. In those houses no children died. If you had been there, in which of the houses would you have wanted to be?⁠— The king of Egypt was frightened by what Jehovah’s angel did. He told the Israelites: ‘You are free. Get out of Egypt!’ So they loaded up their camels and donkeys and left. But Jehovah did not want his people to forget how he set them free. So he said: ‘Once a year you must eat a meal like the meal you ate tonight. And you should tell your children about what happened this night in Egypt.’ They called this special meal the Passover. Do you know why?⁠— Because that night God’s angel had ‘passed over’ their houses marked with blood. Remember? Jesus and his apostles are thinking about this when they eat the Passover meal. Afterward Jesus does something very important. Watch carefully. He picks up one of the leftover loaves of bread. After praying over it, he breaks it. He passes it to his disciples and says: “Take, eat.” Then he tells them: ‘This bread stands for my body that I will give when I die for you.’ Next Jesus picks up a cup of red wine. After another prayer of thanks, he passes it around. He says: “Drink out of it, all of you.” And he tells them: ‘This wine stands for my blood. Soon I am going to pour out my blood to free you from your sins. Keep doing this to remember me.’​—Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Did you notice that Jesus said they should keep doing this to remember him?⁠— No longer would they have the Passover meal. Instead, once each year they would have this special meal to remember Jesus’ death. This is called the Lord’s evening meal. Today we also call it the Memorial. Why?⁠— Because it brings back to our memory what Jesus and his Father have done for us. Will you go with me to the Memorial next time it is held?⁠— If you do, you will see some flat bread and red wine being passed around. What will the bread and wine make you think of?⁠— The bread should make us think of Jesus’ body. He was willing to give up that body so that we could have everlasting life. And what about the red wine?⁠— That should remind us of Jesus’ blood that was poured out when men nailed him to a stake to die. Jesus’ blood is much more precious than the blood of the passover lamb in Egypt. Do you know why?⁠— Jesus’ blood can bring us forgiveness of sins. Do you know what it will mean to have all our sins taken away?⁠— Then we will never do anything wrong again. And we will no longer get sick, grow old and die! We should think of that when we go to the Memorial. Should everyone eat the bread and drink the wine at the Memorial?⁠— No, Jesus told those who do: ‘You will have part in my kingdom and sit on thrones in heaven with me.’ That meant they would go to heaven to be kings with Jesus. Only those who are going to do that should take the bread and wine. But even if we do not eat the bread or drink the wine, we should attend the Memorial. Do you know why?⁠— Because Jesus gave his life for us too. When we go to the Memorial we show that we have not forgotten. We remember God’s wonderful gift through Jesus. (Other scriptures to read to show the importance of attending the Memorial are Luke 22:19, 20, 28-30; 1 Corinthians 11:27.)

ILLUSTRATED BIBLE STORIES Lot and His Family

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502013169

ILLUSTRATED BIBLE STORIES Lot and His Family Read about Lot, his wife and daughters, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Read the illustrated story online or from a printed PDF. Download 1234

Creation (ce) 1985

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ce

Chapter 18 The Bible​—Is It Really Inspired by God? 1. What ability does the Creator possess that humans do not? NO MAN can accurately foretell the future in detail. That is beyond human ability. However, the Creator of the universe possesses all the necessary facts and can even control events. Thus he can be spoken of as the One who is “telling from the beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done.”​—Isaiah 46:10; 41:22, 23. 2. What telling evidence would indicate that the Bible is inspired by God? 2 The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies. Have they been accurately fulfilled until now? If so, it would be a telling indication of the Bible’s being “inspired of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) And it would create confidence in further prophecies regarding events yet to come. Hence, it will be useful to review some prophecies already fulfilled. The Fall of Tyre 3. What was foretold concerning Tyre? 3 Tyre was a prominent seaport of Phoenicia that had dealt treacherously with ancient Israel, her southern neighbor that worshiped Jehovah. Through a prophet named Ezekiel, Jehovah foretold its complete destruction over 250 years before it happened. Jehovah declared: “I will bring up against you many nations . . . And they will certainly bring the walls of Tyre to ruin and tear down her towers, and I will scrape her dust away from her and make her a shining, bare surface of a crag. A drying yard for dragnets is what she will become in the midst of the sea.” Ezekiel also named in advance the first nation and its leader to besiege Tyre: “Here I am bringing against Tyre Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon.”​—Ezekiel 26:3-5, 7. 4. (a) How was the prophecy regarding Babylon’s conquest of Tyre fulfilled? (b) Why did the Babylonians fail to take spoils? 4 As foretold, Nebuchadrezzar [Nebuchadnezzar] did later overthrow mainland Tyre, The Encyclopædia Britannica reporting “a 13-year siege . . . by Nebuchadrezzar.”⁠1 After the siege it was reported that he took no spoils: “As for wages, there proved to be none for him.” (Ezekiel 29:18) Why not? Because part of Tyre was on an island across a narrow channel.⁠2 Most of Tyre’s treasures had been transferred from the mainland to that island part of the city, which was not destroyed. 5, 6. How did Alexander the Great destroy the island city of Tyre and fulfill in detail what had been prophesied? 5 But Nebuchadrezzar’s conquest did not “scrape [Tyre’s] dust away from her and make her a shining, bare surface” as Ezekiel had foretold. Nor was Zechariah’s prophecy fulfilled, which said that Tyre would be pitched “into the sea.” (Zechariah 9:4) Were these prophecies inaccurate? Not at all. Over 250 years after Ezekiel’s prophecy and nearly 200 years after Zechariah’s, Tyre was totally destroyed by Greek armies under Alexander the Great, in 332 B.C.E. “With the debris of the mainland portion of the city,” explains the Encyclopedia Americana, “he built a huge [causeway] in 332 to join the island to the mainland. After a seven months’ siege . . . he captured and destroyed Tyre.”⁠3 6 Thus, as predicted by Ezekiel and Zechariah, Tyre’s dust and debris did end up in the midst of the water. She was left a bare crag, “a place to spread nets upon,” as a visitor to the site observed.⁠4 So, prophecies spoken hundreds of years earlier were fulfilled in exact detail! Cyrus and the Fall of Babylon 7. What did the Bible foretell about the Jews and Babylon? 7 Also remarkable are the prophecies involving the Jews and Babylon. History records that Babylon took the Jews into captivity. Yet, about 40 years before this happened Jeremiah foretold it. Isaiah predicted it some 150 years before it happened. He also foretold that the Jews would return from captivity. So did Jeremiah, saying that they would be restored to their land after 70 years.​—Isaiah 39:6, 7; 44:26; Jeremiah 25:8-12; 29:10. 8, 9. (a) Who conquered Babylon, and how? (b) How does history verify the prophecy about Babylon? 8 This return was made possible by the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C.E. It was foretold by Isaiah nearly 200 years before it happened, and by Jeremiah about 50 years before it occurred. Jeremiah said that the Babylonian soldiers would put up no fight. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah foretold that Babylon’s protecting waters, the river Euphrates, “must be dried up.” Isaiah even gave the name of the conquering Persian general, Cyrus, and said that before him “the gates [of Babylon] will not be shut.”​—Jeremiah 50:38; 51:11, 30; Isaiah 13:17-19; 44:27; 45:1. 9 The Greek historian Herodotus explained that Cyrus actually diverted the flow of the Euphrates and “the river sank to such an extent that the natural bed of the stream became fordable.”⁠5 Thus, during the night, enemy soldiers marched along the riverbed and entered the city through gates that had been carelessly left open. “Had the Babylonians been apprised of what Cyrus was about,” Herodotus continued, “they would have made fast all the street-gates which [were] upon the river . . . But, as it was, the Persians came upon them by surprise and so took the city.”⁠6 Actually, the Babylonians were involved in drunken revelry, as the Bible explains, and as Herodotus confirms.⁠7 (Daniel 5:1-4, 30) Both Isaiah and Jeremiah foretold that Babylon would eventually become uninhabited ruins. And that is what happened. Today Babylon is a desolate heap of mounds.​—Isaiah 13:20-22; Jeremiah 51:37, 41-43. 10. What evidence confirms the release of the Jews by Cyrus? 10 Cyrus also restored the Jews to their homeland. Over two centuries before, Jehovah had foretold of Cyrus: “All that I delight in he will completely carry out.” (Isaiah 44:28) True to prophecy, after 70 years Cyrus returned the captives to their homeland, in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 1:1-4) An ancient Persian inscription, called the Cyrus Cylinder, has been found that clearly states the policy of Cyrus to return captives to their homelands. “As to the inhabitants of Babylon,” Cyrus is recorded as having said, “I (also) gathered all their (former) inhabitants and returned (to them) their habitations.”⁠8 Medo-Persia and Greece 11. How did the Bible foretell Medo-Persia’s rise to power and its fall to Greece? 11 While Babylon was still a world power the Bible foretold its conquest by a symbolic two-horned ram, representing “the kings of Media and Persia.” (Daniel 8:20) As foretold, Medo-Persia became the next world power when it conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.E. In time, however, “a male of the goats,” identified as Greece, “proceeded to strike down the ram and to break its two horns.” (Daniel 8:1-7) This was in 332 B.C.E. when Greece defeated Medo-Persia and became the new world power. 12. What did the Bible say about the rulership of Greece? 12 Note what was foretold to follow: “And the male of the goats, for its part, put on great airs to an extreme; but as soon as it became mighty, the great horn was broken, and there proceeded to come up conspicuously four instead of it.” (Daniel 8:8) What does this mean? The Bible explains: “The hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece; and as for the great horn that was between its eyes, it stands for the first king. And that one having been broken, so that there were four that finally stood up instead of it, there are four kingdoms from his nation that will stand up, but not with his power.”​—Daniel 8:21, 22. 13. Over 200 years after it was recorded, how was the prophecy about Greece fulfilled? 13 History shows that this “king of Greece” was Alexander the Great. But after his death in 323 B.C.E., his empire was eventually split up among four generals​—Seleucus Nicator, Cassander, Ptolemy Lagus and Lysimachus. Just as the Bible had foretold, “there were four that finally stood up instead.” Yet, as also foretold, none of these ever had the power that Alexander had. Thus, more than 200 years after this prophecy was recorded, it began to be fulfilled​—another striking confirmation of the Bible’s inspiration! The Messiah Foretold 14. What did one scholar say about the many prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ? 14 Especially remarkable are the scores of Bible prophecies regarding Jesus Christ. Professor J. P. Free observed: “The chances of all of these prophecies being fulfilled in one man are so overwhelmingly remote that it is strikingly demonstrated that they could in no wise be the shrewd guesses of mere men.”⁠9 15. What are some prophecies fulfilled in Christ that were beyond his control? 15 The fulfilling of many of these prophecies was completely beyond the control of Jesus. He could not, for instance, have arranged to be born of the tribe of Judah, or as a descendant of David. (Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1, 10; Matthew 1:2-16) Nor could he have maneuvered the events that led to his being born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-7) Nor would he have arranged to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15); that his enemies spit on him (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67); that he be reviled while hanging from the executional stake (Psalm 22:7, 8; Matthew 27:39-43); that he be pierced, but not a bone in his body be broken (Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 34:20; John 19:33-37); and that soldiers cast lots for his garments (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35). These are merely a few of the many prophecies fulfilled in the man Jesus. The Destruction of Jerusalem 16. What did Jesus prophesy regarding Jerusalem? 16 Jesus was Jehovah’s greatest Prophet. First, note what he said would happen to Jerusalem: “Your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side, and they will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being inspected.” (Luke 19:43, 44) Jesus also 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.”​—Luke 21:20, 21. 17. How was Jesus’ prophecy about armies surrounding Jerusalem fulfilled, and so how could people flee the city? 17 True to the prophecy, Roman armies under Cestius Gallus came against Jerusalem in 66 C.E. Strangely, however, he did not press the siege to its completion, but, as the first-century historian Flavius Josephus reported: “He retired from the city, without any reason in the world.”⁠10 With the siege unexpectedly lifted, opportunity was afforded to heed Jesus’ instruction to flee Jerusalem. The historian Eusebius reported that it was the Christians who fled.⁠11 18. (a) What happened in 70 C.E., less than four years after Roman armies had withdrawn from Jerusalem? (b) How complete was Jerusalem’s destruction? 18 Less than four years later, in 70 C.E., Roman armies under General Titus returned and encircled Jerusalem. They cut down trees for miles around and built a city-encircling wall, “a fortification with pointed stakes.” As a result, Josephus observed: “All hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews.”⁠12 Josephus noted that after a siege of about five months, aside from three towers and a portion of a wall, what was left “was so thoroughly laid even with the ground . . . that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited.”⁠13 19. (a) How severe was the distress that came upon Jerusalem? (b) Of what is the Arch of Titus now a silent reminder? 19 About 1,100,000 died during the siege, and 97,000 were taken captive.⁠14 To this day a testimony to the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy can be seen in Rome. There the Arch of Titus stands, erected by the Romans in 81 C.E. to commemorate the successful capture of Jerusalem. That arch remains a silent reminder to the fact that failure to heed the warnings in Bible prophecy can lead to disaster. Prophecies Now Being Fulfilled 20. In answer to what question did Jesus give the “sign” by which we could know that a great world change was near? 20 According to the Bible, an astonishing world change is near. Just as Jesus foretold events by which people in the first century could know of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem, so he also foretold events by which people today could know that a world change is near. Jesus gave this “sign” in answer to this question by his disciples: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”​—Matthew 24:3. 21. (a) What is Christ’s “presence,” and what is “the conclusion of the system of things”? (b) Where can we read about the sign that Jesus gave? 21 According to the Bible, this “presence” of Christ would not be in human form, but, rather, he would be a mighty ruler in heaven who will deliver oppressed humankind. (Daniel 7:13, 14) His “presence” would be during what he called “the conclusion of the system of things.” Well, then, just what was the sign that Jesus gave to mark the time when he would be invisibly present as ruler and when the end of this system of things would be near? In the Bible, at Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21, you can review the events that together make up the sign. Some of the major ones are as follows: 22. How have wars from 1914 onward been part of the sign, and how destructive were they? 22 GREAT WARS: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:7) From 1914 onward the fulfillment of this has been overwhelming. World War I, beginning in 1914, introduced the mass use of machine guns, tanks, submarines, airplanes, and also poison gas. By its end in 1918, about 14 million soldiers and civilians had been slaughtered. One historian noted: “The First World War was the first ‘total’ war.”⁠15 World War II from 1939 to 1945 was even more destructive, with military and civilian deaths rising to some 55 million. And it introduced a totally new horror​—atom bombs! Since then over 30 million more have been killed in scores of wars, large and small. The German newsmagazine Der Spiegel notes: “Not for a single day since 1945 has there been any real peace in the world.”⁠16 23. To what extent have food shortages afflicted the world since 1914? 23 FOOD SHORTAGES: “There will be food shortages.” (Matthew 24:7) World War I was followed by widespread famine. After World War II famine was worse. And today? “Hunger today is on a totally new scale. . . . as many as 400 million live constantly on the brink of starvation,” says the London Times.⁠17 The Globe and Mail of Toronto states: “More than 800 million people are underfed.”⁠18 And the World Health Organization reports that “12 million children die each year before their first birthday” from the results of malnutrition.⁠19 24. What increase in earthquakes has there been since 1914? 24 EARTHQUAKES: “There will be great earthquakes.” (Luke 21:11) A specialist in earthquake-proof engineering, George W. Housner, called the T’ang-shan, China, earthquake of 1976 “the greatest earthquake disaster in the history of mankind,” taking hundreds of thousands of lives.⁠20 The Italian journal Il Piccolo reported: “Our generation lives in a dangerous period of high seismic activity, as statistics show.”⁠21 On the average, about ten times as many have died each year from earthquakes since 1914 as in previous centuries. 25. What calamitous epidemics have there been since 1914 to fulfill part of the sign? 25 DISEASE: “In one place after another pestilences.” (Luke 21:11) Science Digest reported: “The Spanish-influenza epidemic of 1918 sped over the earth [and] took 21 million lives.” It added: “In all history there had been no sterner, swifter visitation of death. . . . had the epidemic continued its rate of acceleration, humanity would have been eradicated in a matter of months.”⁠22 Since then, heart disease, cancer, venereal disease and many other plagues have maimed and killed hundreds of millions. 26. How has lawlessness increased since 1914? 26 CRIME: “Increasing of lawlessness.” (Matthew 24:12) Murder, robbery, rape, terrorism, corruption​—the list is long and well known. In many areas people fear to walk their streets. Confirming this lawless trend after 1914, an authority on terrorism states: “The period up to the first World War was, on the whole, more humane.”⁠23 27. The prophecy about fear is undergoing what fulfillment today? 27 FEAR: “There will be fearful sights.” (Luke 21:11) Hamburg’s Die Welt called our time “the century of fear.”⁠24 Entirely new threats to mankind strike fear as never before. For the first time in history, such things as nuclear annihilation and pollution threaten to ‘ruin the earth.’ (Revelation 11:18) Escalating crime, inflation, nuclear weapons, hunger, disease and other evils have fed the fear that people have concerning their security and their very lives. What Makes It Different? 28. Why do the features of the sign occurring now identify our time as “the conclusion of the system of things”? 28 Yet, some point out that many of these things have happened in past centuries. So what makes their occurrence now any different? First, every event making up the sign has been observed by one generation​—the generation that was living in 1914—​of which millions still survive. Jesus declared that “this generation will by no means pass away until all things occur.” (Luke 21:32) Second, the effects of the sign are being felt worldwide, “in one place after another.” (Matthew 24:3, 7, 9; 25:32) Third, conditions have grown progressively worse during this period: “All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress”; “wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse.” (Matthew 24:8; 2 Timothy 3:13) And fourth, all these things have been accompanied by the change in people’s attitudes and actions as Jesus warned: “The love of the greater number will cool off.”​—Matthew 24:12. 29. How does the Bible’s description of “the final age of this world” match the moral condition of people today? 29 Yes, one of the strong evidences that we are now living in the foretold crucial time of the end is seen in the moral breakdown among people. Compare what you observe in the world with these prophetic words regarding our time: “You must face the fact: the final age of this world is to be a time of troubles. Men will love nothing but money and self; they will be arrogant, boastful, and abusive; with no respect for parents, no gratitude, no piety, no natural affection; they will be implacable in their hatreds, scandal-mongers, intemperate and fierce, strangers to all goodness, traitors, adventurers, swollen with self-importance. They will be men who put pleasure in the place of God, men who preserve the outward form of religion, but are a standing denial of its reality.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-5, The New English Bible. 1914​—The Turning Point in History 30, 31. (a) How did those living before 1914 view world conditions, and what did they think the future held? (b) In addition to the sign, what else does the Bible provide to show that we are in “the last days”? 30 From the human standpoint, the world troubles and global wars foretold in the Bible were far from the thinking of the pre-1914 world. German statesman Konrad Adenauer said: “Thoughts and pictures come to my mind, . . . thoughts from the years before 1914 when there was real peace, quiet and security on this earth​—a time when we didn’t know fear. . . . Security and quiet have disappeared from the lives of men since 1914.”⁠25 People living before 1914 thought that the future “would get better and better,” reported British statesman Harold Macmillan.⁠26 The book 1913: America Between Two Worlds notes: “Secretary of State Bryan said [in 1913] that ‘conditions promising world peace were never more favorable than now.’”⁠27 31 So, right up to the very brink of World War I, world leaders were forecasting an age of social progress and enlightenment. But the Bible had foretold the opposite​—that the unprecedented war of 1914 to 1918 would highlight the beginning of “the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1) The Bible also provided chronological evidence that 1914 would mark the birth of God’s heavenly Kingdom, to be followed by unprecedented world trouble.⁠28 But was anyone living back then aware that 1914 would be such a turning point in history? 32. (a) What were those who were familiar with Bible chronology saying about 1914 for decades before that date? (b) According to the accompanying chart, what have others said about 1914? 32 Decades before that date, there was an organization of people who were making known the significance of 1914. The New York World of August 30, 1914, explains: “The terrific war outbreak in Europe has fulfilled an extraordinary prophecy. For a quarter of a century past, through preachers and through press, the ‘International Bible Students’ [Jehovah’s Witnesses] . . . have been proclaiming to the world that the Day of Wrath prophesied in the Bible would dawn in 1914. ‘Look out for 1914!’ has been the cry of the . . . evangelists.”⁠29 A People Who Fulfill Prophecy 33. What additional part of the sign are Jehovah’s Witnesses fulfilling? 33 The Bible also foretold that “in the final part of the days” people from all nations would be going, figuratively, “to the mountain of Jehovah” where he would “instruct [them] about his ways.” The prophecy says that, as one result of such instruction, “they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. . . . neither will they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:2-4) The well-known record of Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding war is a clear fulfillment of this prophecy. 34. What evidence is there that Jehovah’s Witnesses have ‘beaten their swords into plowshares’? 34 Martin Niemöller, a Protestant leader in Germany before and after World War II, referred to Jehovah’s Witnesses as “serious scholars of the Bible, who by the hundreds and thousands have gone into concentration camps and died because they refused to serve in war and declined to fire on human beings.” By contrast, he wrote: “Christian Churches, throughout the ages, have always consented to bless war, troops and arms and . . . they prayed in a very un-Christian way for the annihilation of their enemy.”⁠30 Who, then, measure up to the identifying mark that Jesus gave concerning true Christians? He said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) As 1 John 3:10-12 makes clear, God’s servants do not kill one another. It is Satan’s children who do. 35. (a) What unifies Jehovah’s Witnesses? (b) Is their allegiance to God’s Kingdom Scripturally justified? 35 A common allegiance to the Kingdom of God and faithful adherence to Bible principles is what unifies Jehovah’s Witnesses into a worldwide brotherhood. They fully accept what the Bible teaches: that the Kingdom is a real government with laws and authority, and that soon it will govern the entire earth. It already has increasing millions of subjects on earth who are being shaped as the foundation for the civilization to come. Regarding the Kingdom, the prophet Daniel was inspired to write: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. . . . It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms [now existing], and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” (Daniel 2:44) Jesus gave priority to the Kingdom when he instructed: “You must pray, then, this way: ‘Our Father in the heavens . . . Let your kingdom come.’”​—Matthew 6:9, 10. 36. (a) What does God want publicized? (b) Who are doing it? 36 The many events in fulfillment of Bible prophecy since 1914 show that very soon God’s heavenly Kingdom will ‘crush and put an end to all other governments.’ And God wants this fact publicized, as the following important part of the sign shows: “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) Millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a worldwide brotherhood, are now fulfilling this prophecy. 37. Why will the end of this system of things at Armageddon be good news? 37 When the Kingdom has been preached to the extent that God wants, then the world will see, Jesus said, a “great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” This will culminate in the battle of Armageddon, and it will end Satan’s evil influence. It will cleanse the entire earth of wicked nations and men and will open the way for the incoming Paradise where “righteousness is to dwell.”​—Matthew 24:21; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 16:14-16; 12:7-12; 2 Corinthians 4:4. 38. (a) What has been established by the Bible’s record of fulfilled prophecies? (b) What do those prophecies concerning the future merit? 38 With so many fulfilled prophecies already to its credit, the Bible has indeed established itself as the book “inspired of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16) Accept it, then, “not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Also, since its Author, Jehovah God, is “the One telling from the beginning the finale,” you can have complete confidence in prophecies whose fulfillments are yet future. (Isaiah 46:10) And what is to come is truly marvelous. You will be fascinated as you read about it in the next chapter. [Blurb on page 216] Fulfilled prophecies create confidence [Blurb on page 222] The destruction of Jerusalem was foretold by Jesus [Blurb on page 226] Every event making up the sign is being observed by one generation [Blurb on page 227] “Before 1914 . . . there was real peace, quiet and security on this earth” [Blurb on page 229] “Neither will they learn war anymore” [Blurb on page 231] The Bible has established its credibility as a book inspired by the Creator [Box on page 228] 1914​—A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY Even after a second world war, many refer back to 1914 as the great turning point in modern history: “It is indeed the year 1914 rather than that of Hiroshima which marks the turning point in our time.”​—René Albrecht-Carrié, The Scientific Monthly, July 1951. “Ever since 1914, everybody conscious of trends in the world has been deeply troubled by what has seemed like a fated and predetermined march toward ever greater disaster. Many serious people have come to feel that nothing can be done to avert the plunge towards ruin. They see the human race, like the hero of a Greek tragedy, driven on by angry gods and no longer the master of fate.”​—Bertrand Russell, The New York Times Magazine, September 27, 1953. “The modern era . . . began in 1914, and no one knows when or how it will end. . . . It could end in mass annihilation.”​—The Seattle Times, January 1, 1959. “In the year 1914 the world, as it was known and accepted then, came to an end.”​—James Cameron, 1914, published in 1959. “The whole world really blew up about World War I and we still don’t know why. . . . Utopia was in sight. There was peace and prosperity. Then everything blew up. We’ve been in a state of suspended animation ever since.”​—Dr. Walker Percy, American Medical News, November 21, 1977. “In 1914 the world lost a coherence which it has not managed to recapture since. . . . This has been a time of extraordinary disorder and violence, both across national frontiers and within them.”​—The Economist, London, August 4, 1979. “Civilization entered on a cruel and perhaps terminal illness in 1914.”​—Frank Peters, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 27, 1980. “Everything would get better and better. This was the world I was born in. . . . Suddenly, unexpectedly, one morning in 1914 the whole thing came to an end.”​—British statesman Harold Macmillan, The New York Times, November 23, 1980. [Picture on page 217] Building the causeway to reach the island city of Tyre fulfilled Bible prophecy [Picture on page 218] Bible prophecy was fulfilled by the draining of the Euphrates River [Picture on page 219] This clay Cyrus Cylinder (shown vertically) tells of Cyrus’ practice of returning captives [Picture on page 220] Gold medallion depicting Alexander the Great, whose exploits were foretold in prophecy [Pictures on page 221] Jesus could not have arranged to fulfill many of the prophecies about himself [Picture on page 223] This wall relief inside the Arch of Titus, depicting treasures being carried off after Jerusalem’s destruction, is a silent reminder [Picture on page 230] When this system ends, survivors will enter a new system of righteousness

Examining the Scriptures—2022 2021

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/examining-the-scriptures/examining-the-scriptures-2022

July Friday, July 1 All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.​—Matt. 28:18. We must have a relationship with Jesus in order for our prayers to be answered. This calls for doing more than simply adding the phrase “in Jesus’ name” to our prayers as a formality. We must recognize how Jehovah uses Jesus in answering our prayers. Jesus told the apostles: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do this.” (John 14:13) Although Jehovah is the one who hears and answers our prayers, he has given Jesus the authority to carry out His decisions. Thus, before God answers our prayers, he sees if we have applied the counsel Jesus gave. For example, Jesus said: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14, 15) How important it is, then, that we treat others in the same kind way that Jehovah and Jesus treat us! w20.04 22 ¶6 Saturday, July 2 We are declaring the good news to you, for you to turn from these vain things to the living God.​—Acts 14:15. The apostle Paul discerned the interests of his audience, and then he adapted his presentation. For example, the crowd he spoke to in Lystra had little or no knowledge of the Scriptures. So Paul used arguments that they could relate to. He spoke of fruitful harvests and the ability to enjoy life. He used words and examples that his listeners could readily understand. Use insight to discern the interests of people in your territory and adapt your presentation. How can you find out what a person is interested in as you approach him or his home? Be observant. Perhaps he is gardening, reading a book, repairing a vehicle, or engaging in some other activity. If appropriate, why not use what he is doing to engage him in conversation? (John 4:7) Even a person’s clothing may say something about him​—perhaps it indicates his nationality, occupation, or favorite sports team. w20.04 11 ¶11-12 Sunday, July 3 Throw all your anxiety on [God], because he cares for you.​—1 Pet. 5:7. Because of severe anxiety, some brothers and sisters feel very nervous and self-conscious in everyday social situations. They may find it difficult to be in large groups, but they continue to attend congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions. They find it a challenge to speak to strangers, yet they talk to others in the field ministry. If that is true in your case, be assured that you are not alone. Many deal with similar struggles. Remember that Jehovah is pleased with your whole-souled efforts. The fact that you have not given up is proof that he is blessing you and giving you the strength you need. (Phil. 4:6, 7) If you are serving Jehovah despite enduring physical or emotional limitations, you can be confident that you are pleasing Jehovah. Many of us have physical limitations, yet we are enduring. (2 Cor. 4:16) With Jehovah’s help, we will all run the race to the finish! w20.04 31 ¶20-21 Monday, July 4 His invisible qualities are clearly seen . . . by the things made.​—Rom. 1:20. God’s wisdom is clearly seen in the way he constructed our home, the earth. (Heb. 3:4) The earth is unique because it has all the right conditions to sustain human life. In some respects, the earth is like a boat floating in the vast ocean of space. But there are key differences between a man-made boat, full of people, and our earth. For example, how long would the occupants of a literal boat survive if they had to produce their own oxygen, food, and water and if they could not throw any waste products overboard? The people in that boat would soon die. In contrast, the earth supports billions of living creatures. It produces all the oxygen, food, and water we need, and we do not run out of those vital supplies. Its waste products are not ejected into space; yet, the earth remains beautiful and habitable. How is that possible? Jehovah designed the earth with the ability to recycle resources. w20.05 20 ¶3-4 Tuesday, July 5 You certainly will not die.​—Gen. 3:4. Satan was in effect telling Eve that Jehovah is a liar. Satan thus became a devil, or slanderer. Eve was thoroughly deceived; she believed Satan. (1 Tim. 2:14) She put more trust in him than in Jehovah. That made it easier for Eve to make the worst possible decision. She decided to disobey Jehovah. She began eating of the fruit that Jehovah had forbidden her to eat. Afterward, she gave some to Adam. (Gen. 3:6) Think for a moment about what Eve should have said to Satan. Imagine that she had said something like this: “I do not know who you are, but I know my Father, Jehovah, and I love and trust him. He has given Adam and me everything we have. How dare you say anything bad about him? Go away!” How delighted Jehovah would have been to hear such loyal words from a loving daughter! (Prov. 27:11) But Eve did not have loyal love for Jehovah; neither was Adam guided by that quality. Lacking such love for their Father, Adam and Eve failed to defend his name against slander. w20.06 4 ¶10-11 Wednesday, July 6 The women proclaiming the good news are a large army.​—Ps. 68:11. Our sisters deserve to be commended for all they do in Jehovah’s service. That service includes constructing and maintaining buildings, supporting foreign-language groups, and volunteering at Bethel facilities. They assist in disaster relief work, help to translate our publications, and serve as pioneers and missionaries. In addition, wives help their husband to carry a heavy load in the congregation and in the organization. These responsible brothers would not be able to serve so fully as “gifts in men” were it not for the support of their wife. (Eph. 4:8) Wise elders realize that sisters are “a large army” of willing workers and that they are often among the most capable preachers of the good news. In addition, elders recognize that faithful, mature sisters are effective in helping younger sisters deal with challenges. (Titus 2:3-5) Certainly, our sisters deserve to be appreciated! w20.09 23-24 ¶13-14 Thursday, July 7 It is not a desirable thing to my Father who is in heaven for even one of these little ones to perish.​—Matt. 18:14. Jehovah does not forget those who once served him but who have temporarily stopped associating with his people; nor does he forget the work they did in his service. (Heb. 6:10) The prophet Isaiah recorded a beautiful illustration to show how Jehovah cares for his people. “Like a shepherd he will care for his flock,” Isaiah wrote. “With his arm he will gather together the lambs, and in his bosom he will carry them.” (Isa. 40:11) How does the Great Shepherd feel when one of his sheep strays from the flock? Jesus revealed Jehovah’s feelings when he asked his disciples: “What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the 99 on the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying? And if he finds it, I certainly tell you, he rejoices more over it than over the 99 that have not strayed.”​—Matt. 18:12, 13. w20.06 19-20 ¶8-9 Friday, July 8 If a man is reaching out to be an overseer, he is desirous of a fine work.​—1 Tim. 3:1. We view it as a privilege to serve Jehovah in any way we can. (Ps. 27:4; 84:10) If a brother is able to make himself available for a special privilege of service, that is commendable. However, when he receives an assignment, he should not think more of himself than is necessary. (Luke 17:7-10) His goal should be to serve others humbly. (2 Cor. 12:15) The Bible contains warning examples of people who thought too much of themselves. Diotrephes immodestly sought to have “the first place” in the congregation. (3 John 9) Uzziah proudly tried to perform a task that Jehovah had not assigned him to do. (2 Chron. 26:16-21) Absalom slyly tried to win the support of the public because he wanted to be king. (2 Sam. 15:2-6) As those Bible accounts clearly show, Jehovah is not pleased with people who seek their own glory. (Prov. 25:27) In time, pride and ambition lead only to disaster.​—Prov. 16:18. w20.07 4 ¶7-8 Saturday, July 9 Each one will carry his own load.​—Gal. 6:5. Some Christian families have moved to another country to seek refuge or to find employment. In such cases, their children may now be educated in the main language of their new country. The parents may also need to learn the main language in order to find employment. What if there is a local congregation or group in their mother tongue? Which congregation should the family attend? Should it be a congregation in which the main language of the country is spoken or a congregation in which the family’s mother tongue is spoken? The family head must decide which congregation his family will attend. Because this is a personal matter, he must consider what is in the best interests of his family. We need to respect the decision of the family head. Whatever he decides, let us accept his decision and welcome the family as a valued part of our congregation.​—Rom. 15:7. w20.08 30 ¶17-18 Sunday, July 10 God chose the weak things of the world.​—1 Cor. 1:27. If we want to gain power from Jehovah, we must not think that physical strength, education, cultural background, or material wealth determine how valuable we are. These things are not what make us useful to Jehovah. In fact, not many of God’s people are “wise in a fleshly way, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.” (1 Cor. 1:26) So do not view any supposed disadvantages as obstacles to serving Jehovah. Instead, view them as opportunities, a chance to see Jehovah’s power working through you. For example, if you feel intimidated by those who try to make you doubt your beliefs, pray for Jehovah to give you boldness when defending your faith. (Eph. 6:19, 20) If you are struggling to cope with a chronic disability, ask Jehovah to give you the strength you need to stay as busy as you can in his service. Each time you see Jehovah help you, your faith grows and you become stronger. w20.07 16 ¶9 Monday, July 11 [Seek] first the Kingdom.​—Matt. 6:33. If we are to put the Kingdom first in our lives, we must be like Abraham, who willingly made sacrifices to please God. (Mark 10:28-30; Heb. 11:8-10) Do not expect your life to be trouble-free. Even those who devote their entire life to serving Jehovah must still deal with problems. (Jas. 1:2; 1 Pet. 5:9) Today, we have more reason than ever to focus on the future. World events clearly show that we are in the final part of the last days of this system of things. Among the many blessings we will enjoy under Kingdom rule will be that of seeing our loved ones raised from the dead. At that time, Jehovah will reward Abraham for his faith and patience by bringing him and his family back to life on earth. Will you be there to welcome them? You can be if you, like Abraham, are willing to make sacrifices for God’s Kingdom, if you keep your faith despite problems, and if you learn to wait patiently on Jehovah.​—Mic. 7:7. w20.08 5-6 ¶13-14; 7 ¶17 Tuesday, July 12 Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life.​—Rev. 2:10. We know that if our enemies kill us, Jehovah will restore us to life. We are convinced that nothing they do can sever our attachment to Jehovah. (Rom. 8:35-39) What remarkable wisdom Jehovah has shown by giving us the resurrection hope! By means of it, he disarms Satan of one of his most effective weapons and at the same time arms us with unbreakable courage. If enemies of Jehovah threaten you with death, will you be willing to entrust him with your life? How can you know? One way is to ask yourself, ‘Do the small decisions I make each day give evidence that I trust in Jehovah?’ (Luke 16:10) Another question could be, ‘Does my lifestyle prove that I trust in Jehovah’s promise to care for my material needs if I seek his Kingdom first?’ (Matt. 6:31-33) If the answer to those questions is yes, you will be prepared for any trial that comes your way.​—Prov. 3:5, 6. w20.08 17-18 ¶15-16 Wednesday, July 13 Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright.​—2 Tim. 2:15. We need to become skillful in handling God’s Word. We can learn some of these skills at our meetings. But if we are to convince others that Bible truth is truly valuable, we need to stick to a regular routine of personal Bible study. We need to use God’s Word to strengthen our faith. This involves more than just reading the Bible. It requires that we meditate on what we read and do research in our publications so that we can correctly understand and apply the Scriptures. (1 Tim. 4:13-15) Then we will be able to use God’s Word to teach others. Again, this involves more than just reading a Bible text. We want to help our listeners to understand the verse and how it applies to them. By sticking to a regular schedule of personal Bible study, we can improve in our ability to use God’s inspired Word to teach others.​—2 Tim. 3:16, 17. w20.09 28 ¶12 Thursday, July 14 Consider closely [Jesus] . . . , so that you may not get tired and give up.​—Heb. 12:3. We can stay focused on the preaching work if we reflect on how much Jehovah is doing to help us. For example, he is providing an abundance of spiritual food in the form of printed and digital publications, audio and video recordings, and Internet broadcasts. Just think: On our official website, information is available in over 1,000 languages! (Matt. 24:45-47) Another way we can stay focused on preaching is by following Jesus’ example. He allowed nothing to distract him from bearing witness to the truth. (John 18:37) He was not enticed when Satan offered him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory”; nor was he tempted when others wanted to make him king. (Matt. 4:8, 9; John 6:15) He was not swayed by a desire for material riches; nor was he deterred by fierce opposition. (Luke 9:58; John 8:59) When we face tests of our faith, we can stay focused if we remember the apostle Paul’s counsel in today’s text. w20.09 9-10 ¶6-7 Friday, July 15 Become imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.​—1 Cor. 11:1. How grateful we are to have so many sisters working hard in the congregation! They participate at the meetings and in the ministry. Some share in maintaining the Kingdom Hall, and they show personal interest in fellow worshippers. Of course, they face challenges. Some provide care for elderly parents. Others endure opposition from family members. And still others who are single parents work hard to provide for their children. Why focus on giving support to sisters? Because the world does not always treat women with the dignity that they deserve. In addition, the Bible encourages us to give them support. For instance, the apostle Paul alerted the congregation in Rome to welcome Phoebe and “give her whatever help she may need.” (Rom. 16:1, 2) Paul came from a culture that treated women as being inferior. But as a Christian, he imitated Jesus and treated women with dignity and kindness. w20.09 20 ¶1-2 Saturday, July 16 Make disciples . . . , teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.​—Matt. 28:19, 20. To help Bible students to develop the desire to share the good news with others, we might ask them such questions as these: “How has accepting the Kingdom message changed your life for the better? Do you think that others need to hear this message? What can you do to help them?” (Prov. 3:27; Matt. 9:37, 38) Keep in mind that Jesus instructed us to teach others “to observe all the things” he commanded. That certainly includes the two greatest commands​—to love God and to love neighbor—​both of which are closely connected to the preaching and disciple-making work. (Matt. 22:37-39) In fact, love is the principal motive for sharing in the preaching work. Understandably for some Bible students, the thought of sharing in the preaching work may cause fear. But we can assure such students that with Jehovah’s help they will gradually be able to overcome the fear of man.​—Ps. 18:1-3; Prov. 29:25. w20.11 3 ¶6-8 Sunday, July 17 We have never stopped praying for you.​—Col. 1:9. When preparing for a Bible study, pray to Jehovah about the student and his needs. Ask Jehovah to help you teach from the Bible in a way that will reach the person’s heart. Keep in mind that your goal is to help him progress to baptism. The student also needs to communicate with Jehovah. How? By listening to and talking to Jehovah. He can listen to God by reading the Bible daily. (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3) He can talk to Jehovah by praying each day. So offer heartfelt prayers at the beginning and at the end of each study session, praying with and for your student. As he listens to your prayers, he will learn how to pray from his heart and sincerely address his prayers to Jehovah God in the name of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 6:9; John 15:16) Imagine how reading the Bible daily (listening to Jehovah) and praying (talking to Jehovah) will help your student draw ever closer to God!​—Jas. 4:8. w20.10 8 ¶8; 9 ¶10-11 Monday, July 18 Maintain the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace.​—Eph. 4:3. The desire for order and peace that marked the early Christians is evident in Jehovah’s organization today. (Acts 16:4, 5) To illustrate: If you were to attend a Watchtower Study in another congregation​—even in another land—​you would know how the study would be conducted and which article would be considered. Immediately, you would feel at home! What else but God’s spirit can account for this precious unity? (Zeph. 3:9, ftn.) What can you do? Ask yourself: ‘Do I promote unity and peace in the congregation? Am I obedient to those taking the lead? Can others depend on me, especially if I have responsibilities in the congregation? Am I punctual, helpful, and eager to serve?’ (Jas. 3:17) If you see room for improvement, pray for holy spirit. The more you allow it to mold your personality and influence your actions, the more your brothers and sisters will love you and value you. w20.10 23 ¶12-13 Tuesday, July 19 Become doers of the word and not hearers only.​—Jas. 1:22. God’s Word can act as a mirror for us. (Jas. 1:23-25) Most of us look in a mirror each morning before we leave home. That way, we can see if we need to make an adjustment before others see us. Similarly, when we read the Bible each day, we will see ways that we can adjust our thinking and our attitude. Many find it helpful to read the daily text each morning before they leave home. They allow what they read to affect their thinking. Then throughout the day, they look for ways to apply the counsel from God’s Word. In addition, we must have a study routine that includes reading and thinking about God’s Word each day. This may sound simple, but it is one of the most important things we can do to help us stay on the cramped road to life. In a sense, God’s Word acts like an X-ray machine, enabling us to see what is inside. But we must be humble if we are to benefit from the counsel we receive from the Bible or from God’s representatives. w20.11 18 ¶3; 20 ¶8 Wednesday, July 20 The congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number day by day.​—Acts 16:5. Although the first-century Christians were often persecuted, they also enjoyed periods of peace. How did the disciples use those opportunities? Those faithful men and women preached the good news without letup. The account in Acts says that they “walked in the fear of Jehovah.” They kept on preaching the good news, and as a result, they “kept on multiplying.” Jehovah obviously blessed their zealous preaching during times of peace. (Acts 9:26-31) The first-century disciples took every opportunity to spread the good news. As one example, when the apostle Paul recognized that a large door was opened to him while in Ephesus, he took advantage of the opportunity to preach and to make disciples in that city. (1 Cor. 16:8, 9) The disciples put forth great effort to declare “the good news of the word of Jehovah.” (Acts 15:30-35) What resulted? Today’s text tells us. w20.09 16 ¶6-8 Thursday, July 21 Death came through a man.​—1 Cor. 15:21. When Adam sinned, he brought disaster on himself and his descendants. We still feel the tragic effects of his disobedience. How different is the outcome made possible because God raised his Son! “Resurrection of the dead also comes through a man,” Jesus. “For just as in Adam all are dying,” the apostle Paul reasoned, “so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22) What did Paul mean when he said that “in Adam all are dying”? Paul had in mind Adam’s descendants, who inherited sin and imperfection from Adam and thus are in a dying condition. (Rom. 5:12) Adam is not among those who “will be made alive.” Christ’s ransom does not cover him, for Adam was a perfect man who willfully disobeyed God. The outcome for Adam is the same as what is ahead for those whom “the Son of man” will judge as “goats,” namely, “everlasting cutting-off.”​—Matt. 25:31-33, 46; Heb. 5:9. w20.12 5 ¶13-14 Friday, July 22 Jehovah . . . takes note of the humble.​—Ps. 138:6. If we do not get a certain assignment, think of the example of the faithful angels. During King Ahab’s reign, Jehovah invited the angels to suggest ways to fool the wicked king. A number of angels responded by offering ideas. But God chose one angel and told him that his suggestion would succeed. (1 Ki. 22:19-22) Did the other faithful angels become discouraged, perhaps thinking, ‘Why did I bother?’ We have no reason to believe that they did. The angels are truly humble and want all honor to go to Jehovah. (Judg. 13:16-18; Rev. 19:10) Fix in mind the privilege we have to bear God’s name and to announce his Kingdom. Assignments are not what make us precious to God. It is when we are modest and humble that we become truly lovable to Jehovah and to our brothers. So beg Jehovah to help you remain modest and humble. Reflect on the many fine examples of modesty and humility that are recorded in his Word. Willingly serve your brothers in any way you can.​—1 Pet. 5:5. w20.12 26 ¶16-17 Saturday, July 23 Accept the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word.​—Eph. 6:17. The helmet of salvation is the hope Jehovah gives us​—the hope that he will save us from death and will reward all those who do his will. (1 Thess. 5:8; 1 Tim. 4:10; Titus 1:1, 2) The hope of salvation protects our thinking ability. It keeps us focused on God’s promises and helps us to see problems in the right perspective. We wear this helmet by keeping our thinking in harmony with God’s thoughts. For example, we place our hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God. (Ps. 26:2; 104:34; 1 Tim. 6:17) The sword of the spirit is God’s Word, the Bible. That sword has the power to cut through deception and to liberate people from being enslaved to false teachings and harmful habits. (2 Cor. 10:4, 5; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Heb. 4:12) We learn to use that sword properly through personal study and through the training we receive from God’s organization.​—2 Tim. 2:15. w21.03 27 ¶4; 29 ¶10-11 Sunday, July 24 I . . . was on the island called Patmos for speaking about God and bearing witness concerning Jesus.​—Rev. 1:9. Even while confined for preaching about Jesus, the apostle John proved that he was thinking of others. For example, he recorded the revelation that he received and had it sent to the congregations so that they would know what “must shortly take place.” (Rev. 1:1) Then, likely after he was released from Patmos, John wrote his Gospel account of Jesus’ life and ministry. He also wrote three letters in order to encourage and strengthen his brothers and sisters. You can imitate John’s self-sacrificing life course and prove that you love people by what you choose to do with your life. Satan’s system would have you spend all your time and energy on yourself, trying to make money or to make a name for yourself. Instead, self-sacrificing Kingdom proclaimers all over the world spend as much time as they can preaching the good news and helping people to draw close to Jehovah. w21.01 10 ¶9-10 Monday, July 25 Jonathan began to love him as himself.​—1 Sam. 18:1. Jonathan could have been jealous of David. As King Saul’s son, Jonathan could have insisted that he was the rightful heir to the throne. (1 Sam. 20:31) But Jonathan was humble, and he was loyal to Jehovah. So he fully supported Jehovah’s choice of David as future king. He was also loyal to David, even when this incurred the wrath of Saul. (1 Sam. 20:32-34) Jonathan had tender affection for David, so he did not view him as a rival. Jonathan was a skilled archer and a courageous warrior. He and his father, Saul, had a reputation for being “swifter than the eagles” and “mightier than the lions.” (2 Sam. 1:22, 23) Therefore, Jonathan could have boasted about his own heroic exploits. However, Jonathan was not competitive or resentful. On the contrary, Jonathan admired David for his courage and reliance on Jehovah. In fact, it was after David killed Goliath that Jonathan began to love David as himself. w21.01 21 ¶6; 22 ¶8-9 Tuesday, July 26 The head of a woman is the man.​—1 Cor. 11:3. All Christians come under the perfect headship of Jesus Christ. However, when a Christian woman gets married, she comes under the headship of an imperfect man. That can present a challenge. So when considering a potential marriage mate, she would do well to ask herself: ‘What indication do I have that this brother will be a good family head? Do spiritual activities play an important role in his life? If not, what makes me think that he will be a good spiritual head after we get married?’ Of course, a sister also does well to ask herself: ‘What qualities will I bring to the marriage? Am I patient and generous? Do I have a strong relationship with Jehovah?’ (Eccl. 4:9, 12) The level of happiness a wife will experience in her marriage will depend to some extent on the decisions she makes before getting married. Millions of our Christian sisters set an excellent example in being submissive to their husband. They are to be commended! w21.02 8 ¶1-2 Wednesday, July 27 Step over into Macedonia and help us.​—Acts 16:9. In recent years, many publishers have made it their goal to learn another language so that they can expand their ministry and serve in a congregation where there is a greater need for Kingdom publishers. This is a personal decision that these Christians make in order to advance Kingdom interests. Although it may take years for them to become fluent in the new language, they accomplish much good. Their fine qualities and experience strengthen and stabilize the congregation. We value these self-sacrificing brothers and sisters! A body of elders would not hold back from recommending a brother to serve as an elder or a ministerial servant simply because he is not yet fluent in the language of the congregation. The elders will evaluate a brother based on the Scriptural qualifications for elders and ministerial servants and not on how well he speaks the language of the local congregation.​—1 Tim. 3:1-10, 12, 13; Titus 1:5-9. w20.08 30 ¶15-16 Thursday, July 28 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials.​—Jas. 1:2. People may think that they can be happy only if they have good health, a lot of money, and peaceful family relationships. But the type of joy that James wrote about is a part of the fruitage of God’s spirit and is not dependent on a person’s circumstances. (Gal. 5:22) A Christian gains joy, or a deep sense of happiness, from knowing that he is pleasing Jehovah and following Jesus’ example. (Luke 6:22, 23; Col. 1:10, 11) Like a flame burning inside the protection of a lantern, this type of joy burns within a Christian’s heart. It does not flicker when health fails or money is scarce. And it is not snuffed out by ridicule or opposition from family members or others. Rather than being put out, the flame burns brighter each time opposers try to extinguish it. The trials we face because of our faith confirm that we are true disciples of Christ. (Matt. 10:22; 24:9; John 15:20) For good reason, James could write the words of today’s text. w21.02 28 ¶6 Friday, July 29 A good word cheers [a heart] up.​—Prov. 12:25. As you come across Bible passages showing that strength comes from keeping calm and trusting in Jehovah, try to commit a few key verses to memory. You may find it helpful to read them aloud or to write them down and review them often. Joshua was commanded to read the book of the Law regularly in an undertone in order to act wisely. These reminders would also help him overcome the fear that he might otherwise have felt in his circumstances. (Josh. 1:8, 9) Many expressions found in God’s Word can give you peace of mind and heart in situations that would normally lead to feelings of anxiety or dread. (Ps. 27:1-3; Prov. 3:25, 26) At our meetings, we benefit from the instruction presented from the platform, the comments made by the audience, and the upbuilding conversations we have with our brothers and sisters. (Heb. 10:24, 25) We can also be greatly encouraged when we share our feelings with trusted friends in the congregation. w21.01 6 ¶15-16 Saturday, July 30 Become an example to the faithful ones.​—1 Tim. 4:12. When you got baptized, you showed great faith and trust in Jehovah. And Jehovah happily entrusted you with the privilege of becoming a member of his family. The key now is to continue to rely on Jehovah. It may seem that it is easy to rely on Jehovah when you must make life-altering decisions, but what about at other times? How important it is that you trust in Jehovah when making decisions, including those regarding entertainment, secular work, and life goals! Do not rely on your own wisdom. Instead, look for Bible principles that apply to your circumstances, and then act in harmony with that direction. (Prov. 3:5, 6) If you do so, you will make Jehovah happy and you will earn the respect of those in your congregation. Of course, like all of us, you are imperfect, and at times you will make mistakes. However, this should not prevent you from doing all you can in Jehovah’s service. w21.03 6 ¶14-15 Sunday, July 31 I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.​—2 Tim. 4:17. Are you dealing with opposition from members of your family? Or do you live in a country where the work of Jehovah’s people is severely restricted or even banned? If so, you might be encouraged by reading 2 Timothy 1:12-16 and 4:6-11, 17-22. The apostle Paul wrote this portion of Scripture while he was in prison. Before you read those passages, tell Jehovah about your problem and how it makes you feel. Be specific. Then ask Jehovah to help you discern principles in the accounts about Paul’s trials that will help you to know how you should respond to the challenge you are facing. Jehovah had warned Paul that he would have to endure persecution for being a Christian. (Acts 21:11-13) How did Jehovah help Paul? He answered Paul’s prayers and over time gave him power. Paul was assured that he would receive the reward that he had worked so hard to gain. Jehovah also moved Paul’s loyal friends to give him practical help. w21.03 17-18 ¶14-15, 19

Eastern Europe—A Religious Revival?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101991002

Eastern Europe​—A Religious Revival? THE suppression of freedom of expression over the last several decades in Eastern European countries has included severe restrictions on religion. Atheism was actively preached, and some cathedrals and churches were turned into museums of atheism, such as the one visited by many tourists in Leningrad. Any functioning clergy became the handmaidens of the current regime. With all places of worship, such as monasteries, churches, and mosques, officially closed in 1967, Albania was even proclaimed by Radio Tirana the “first atheist state in the world.” Now, with freedom blooming like spring flowers everywhere in Eastern Europe, what is happening to religion? As French writer Jean-François Kahn wrote: “Religion beset by repression can join hands with a nation beset by oppression. It happened yesterday in Iran. It is happening today in Soviet Azerbaijan. Tomorrow it could spread across Russia like wildfire.” Even now some religions are allying themselves with nationalistic ideals and aspirations and are becoming one of the main vehicles of political protest, sanctifying it by the presence of their Catholic and Orthodox priests and Lutheran pastors. So how is religious freedom faring in the new democratic atmosphere? How Things Have Changed! The major religions of Eastern Europe, especially the Catholic Church, have taken immediate action to get legal recognition from the new governments. For example, L’Osservatore Romano reported that “on 9 February [1990], an Accord was signed between the Holy See and the Republic of Hungary.” By this accord the two parties agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations. (The Vatican is viewed as a separate sovereign state.) Another report from the Vatican states that the Catholic Church of the Ukrainian Rite, suppressed in 1946, has requested legalization and has entered into discussions “with the Government and with the Russian Orthodox Church over practical questions regarding Church life in the Ukraine.” In April 1990 the pope visited Czechoslovakia and was greeted at the Prague airport “by dignitaries of Church and State, including . . . Mr. Vaclav Havel, President of the Republic.” (L’Osservatore Romano) A new religious climate is also developing there. The Catholic Church has always been a force to be reckoned with in Poland. Now, with its newfound freedom, it is flexing its muscles and campaigning to reintroduce religious classes in the schools. One priest stated: “Schools are the property of the nation. The Polish nation is over 90 percent Catholic. . . . With due respect for other religions, religious instruction in the school will restore the authority of the teachers, and . . . of the authorities because it deals with the ethical backbone of man.” A report on the Orthodox Church in Romania states: “The Patriarch and a number of bishops who collaborated with the [Ceauşescu] regime were forced to resign. A Commission was set up to revitalize the Church. Many former non-believers are turning to religion and filling the local churches . . . The Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church, forced to disband 40 years ago, has been allowed to reorganize.”​—Orthodox Unity, July 1990. Changes in Albania According to press reports, surprising changes are slowly taking place in Albania, a small mountainous country of three and a quarter million inhabitants, tucked away on the Adriatic Coast between Yugoslavia and Greece. The German newspaper Die Welt reported: “In Albania, the last stronghold of old-style communism in Europe, people have started to vote with their feet” by seeking refuge in Western embassies, from which they were then allowed to leave for Italy, Germany, and other countries. The report goes on to say: “In May 1990 Albanians were promised passports and the abolition of laws banning religious pursuits.” (Quoted from The German Tribune, July 15, 1990) As professor of history Denis R. Janz wrote: “The long and arduous struggle for total secularization seems to have been set aside.” However, he adds: “There is evidence . . . that religion has in fact been dealt a crushing blow in this society.” In this context Jehovah’s Witnesses are maintaining their customary and strict neutrality. On the basis of Bible principles, they do not get involved in political and nationalistic divisions. They trust in God to grant them a peaceful setting in which to fulfill their earth-wide commission of preaching God’s Kingdom.​—Matthew 22:21; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:13-15. So, what about Jehovah’s Witnesses in Eastern Europe? Have they prospered under ban? Is there religious freedom for them? [Picture on page 7] Will the people return to the churches of Eastern Europe?

Worldwide Security (ws) 1986

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ws

Chapter 22 The God of the “Prince of Peace” Becomes “All Things to Everyone” 1. In what does Jesus Christ set an example for all other creatures in heaven and on earth? SHORTLY after his resurrection, the “Prince of Peace” said to one of his disciples: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.” (John 20:17) With those words he acknowledged that his heavenly Father was also his God, the One alone whom he worshiped. In such worship he set an example for all other creatures throughout heaven and earth. 2, 3. (a) How does 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 28 describe Jesus’ special act of subjection to his Father? (b) What will be the grand result? 2 What a grand example the “Prince of Peace” will become to all perfected humankind when he loyally submits himself in a special way to the One who is the ideal Sovereign of all the universe! This will be matchlessly revealed at the close of his Thousand Year Reign over mankind, when he will have restored peace, security, and harmony to all the earth. In an unerring prophecy, we are assured of this: 3 “Next, the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has brought to nothing all government and all authority and power. For he must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. As the last enemy, death is to be brought to nothing. But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 28) Or as The Amplified Bible renders the latter part of verse 28: “So that God may be all in all​—that is, be everything to everyone, supreme, the indwelling and controlling factor of life.” 4. (a) How will earth’s inhabitants respond to the example of their adoptive Father? (b) What new aspect of submission will then exist? 4 When the “Prince of Peace” hands over the Kingdom to his God at the end of the Thousand Year Reign, earth’s inhabitants will be made aware of this act of their adoptive Father. With him as their Royal Example, they will likewise subject themselves in a new aspect to the Most High God. Now for the first time they will render loving submission directly to Jehovah, yes, worship, in all sincerity and truth, no longer requiring the priestly services of Jesus, not even when praying. 5. What will be the attitude of the 144,000 associate kings of Jesus Christ? 5 In this manner the Most High God again becomes King of all the universe with no royal representative for him either in heaven or on earth. It follows that the 144,000 associate kings whom Jesus Christ has redeemed from the earth will also bend the knee before the supreme Royal Ruler and will in this added sense acknowledge him to be the Universal Sovereign. Final Test Upon All Mankind 6. (a) What will happen to disobedient humans during Jesus’ Millennial Rule? (b) What will be the state of those whom Jesus turns over to his heavenly Father? 6 Recognizing Jehovah as the Supreme Judge, Jesus Christ desires that the all-necessary divine approval be expressed upon the work that Jesus has accomplished during his Millennial Rule. During that rule, those humans who refused to conform to the requirements of righteousness and who showed disobedience to the King will have been destroyed. Thus, those whom Jesus Christ turns over to Jehovah God, the final Judge, will be those obedient ones who have attained to human perfection. 7. (a) What will be put to a searching test after Jesus hands back the Kingdom? (b) How will perfected mankind be put to that test? 7 At that point it is time for the enduring nature of human devotion with regard to the Universal Sovereign, Jehovah God, to be put to the test. As in the case of Job, the question is: Do they love and worship God only for all the good things that he has done for them, or do they love him because of what he is in his very own self​—the Rightful Sovereign of the universe? (Job 1:8-11) But how will perfected mankind be put to a test of heart allegiance? The Bible answers: Satan the Devil and his demons will be loosed “for a little while” from the abyss in which they have been confined for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:3) By permitting the Devil to put restored mankind to the test, members of perfected mankind can be proved as to their individual integrity to God in a perfect sense.​—Compare Job 1:12. 8. (a) Upon being released from the abyss, what will Satan and his demons endeavor to do? (b) Those who allow themselves to be misled by the Devil and his demons will be taking what course of action? 8 Seven thousand years previously, Satan the Devil was able to induce the perfect Adam and Eve to sin by taking a self-seeking course of action. What methods of temptation Jehovah will permit Satan and the demons to employ after their release from the abyss the Scriptures do not say. But no doubt there will be an appeal to selfishness and to a desire for independence from God. Still a rebel himself against Jehovah’s sovereignty, the Devil will be intent on making rebels of mankind too. Exactly to what degree these released demonic forces will be successful is also not stated, but there will be enough human rebels to make an impression as of a large crowd. Sin on the part of any human creature, now perfected, will then be intelligently undertaken and, therefore, be deliberate, willful. It will signify departure from the worship of the only true and living God and a taking of the side of Satan the Devil. (Revelation 20:7, 8) Thus, in the case of these rebellious ones, Jehovah does not become “all things to everyone.” 9. (a) What will happen to those who do not keep integrity to Jehovah God? (b) How will the invisible realm be rid of all rebels? (c) What grand condition will then prevail throughout heaven and earth? 9 The loyal ones, however, refuse to give in to the arguments and pressures of the misled, nationalistic ones. Unhesitatingly, the loyal ones choose to let Jehovah be “all things to everyone” in their own case. For justice itself, Jehovah’s sovereignty must be strictly enforced. Consequently, all the satanically influenced rebels on earth will be wiped out of existence forever. Good riddance to them! The invisible realm of creation must also be rid of all rebels. So, to bring the universal purification to completion, Satan the Devil and all his demon hordes will be annihilated, blotted out of existence. Thus the heavens and the earth will be cleansed of every taint of sin. (Revelation 20:9, 10) Jehovah’s holiness will prevail everywhere. (Compare Zechariah 14:20.) The sacred name of the Most High Deity will be sanctified in heaven and on earth. All who live in heaven and on earth will joyfully do his supreme will. 10. In what ways will the earth for all eternity bear a distinction that no other planet will enjoy? 10 To all eternity our earth will bear a distinction that no other planet throughout endless space will enjoy, though the earth may not be the only planet that will ever be inhabited. Uniquely, it will be where Jehovah has indisputably vindicated his universal sovereignty, establishing an eternal and universal legal precedent. It will be the only planet on which Jehovah of armies will have fought “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” It will be the only planet to which God sent his dearest Son to become a man and die in order to recover the planet’s inhabitants from sin and death. It will be the only planet from which Jehovah will have taken 144,000 of its inhabitants to be “heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ.”​—Romans 8:17. Seraphs, Cherubs, Angels 11, 12. (a) What kind of spirit creatures did Isaiah see in a vision? (b) What interest do these have in us humans? 11 God, the glorious Source of all creation, celestial and terrestrial, will become “all things” not only to the 144,000 heirs with Christ but also to others in the heavenly realm. In chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah, we are given a glimpse into the heavenly courts. There we read: “I, however, got to see Jehovah, sitting on a throne lofty and lifted up, and his skirts were filling the temple. Seraphs were standing above him. Each one had six wings. With two he kept his face covered, and with two he kept his feet covered, and with two he would fly about. And this one called to that one and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of armies. The fullness of all the earth is his glory.’”​—Isaiah 6:1-3. 12 How highly favored Isaiah was to see the holiest One in all the universe seated upon his celestial throne attended by glorious seraphs! What an awesome vision that was, revealing the highly favored position that those seraphs occupied, for he is the All Holy One whose sacredness they acclaimed as they testified to his holiness by emphasizing it in a threefold way! The seraphs are interested in helping Jehovah’s worshipers to be holy as God is holy.​—Isaiah 6:5-7. 13. (a) What other kind of spirit creatures does the Bible reveal to us? (b) How is Jehovah described in relation to them? 13 Just as there is a variety of creature life down here on earth, bespeaking the power of Jehovah God, so there are also creatures of another kind in the spirit realm. The Bible discloses that these are the glorious cherubs, who must be very speedy in flight. (Psalm 18:10; compare Hebrews 9:4, 5.) Genesis 3:24 shows that after Adam and Eve had sinned against the holy God of heaven by partaking of the forbidden fruit, the Creator posted to the east of the way back into the Paradise of pleasure the cherubs along with “the flaming blade of a sword that was turning itself continually.” Jehovah is spoken of as “sitting upon the cherubs.” (Psalm 99:1; Isaiah 37:16) Thus he is shown to throne above the cherubs. 14. (a) What other kind of spirit creatures are not to be overlooked? (b) How numerous are they? 14 Not to be overlooked among the multitude of spirit creatures are the angels. There are many millions of them. (Daniel 7:9, 10) Among them are the angels assigned to minister to Jehovah’s worshipers on earth. Jesus warned that no one should stumble any of Jehovah’s worshipers for the reason that “their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:14) At the end of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness and after his victoriously resisting the three crucial temptations presented by the Devil, what a privilege it was for the angels to minister to the physical needs of the lean, hungry Jesus!​—Matthew 4:11. 15, 16. (a) Describe the familylike unity that will exist in heaven and on earth. (b) What reward from Jehovah will be given to those perfected humans who pass the test successfully? (c) How will Jehovah look upon the attainment of his original purpose? 15 Up in the heavenly realm, the glorious spirit inhabitants will be brothers to one another, whereas down here on the earth the perfected human family will be made brothers and sisters to one another. They will be in the image and likeness of God to the grand extent that Adam and Eve, fresh from the creative hands of Jehovah God, were in the ‘image and likeness’ of their Creator. (Genesis 1:26, 27) After passing the final test, the perfected humans will be granted the right to live forever and will lovingly be adopted as “the children of God,” rejoicing in glorious freedom, and become part of Jehovah’s united family in heaven and on earth.​—Romans 8:21. 16 With what pleasure and exultation of his entire being Jehovah God will look upon the attainment of his original purpose​—the matchless feat of having all things according to his primordial determination—​all creatures in an unbreakable loving unity with him! 17. In view of all of this, who will be able to refrain from doing what, in harmony with the words of the psalmist? 17 In the light of all of this, who will be able to refrain from blessing this wonderful divine Purposer? Not improperly lifting up his words of address to superhuman creatures, the psalmist says: “Bless Jehovah, O you angels of his, mighty in power, carrying out his word, by listening to the voice of his word. Bless Jehovah, all you armies of his, you ministers of his, doing his will.”​—Psalm 103:20, 21. 18. How does the psalmist conclude the book of Psalms? 18 The elated, inspired psalmist concludes the book of Psalms with these words of exhortation: “Praise Jah, you people! Praise God in his holy place. Praise him in the expanse of his strength. Praise him for his works of mightiness. Praise him according to the abundance of his greatness. Praise him with the blowing of the horn. Praise him with the stringed instrument and the harp. Praise him with the tambourine and the circle dance. Praise him with strings and the pipe. Praise him with the cymbals of melodious sound. Praise him with the clashing cymbals. Every breathing thing​—let it praise Jah. Praise Jah, you people!”​—Psalm 150:1-6. 19. (a) In what bond will the universe then be united? (b) What will all intelligent creatures, in effect, say? 19 The entire universe will be united at last in a perfect bond that will hold for eternity, the bond of the one worship of the heavenly Father because his children love and adore him above all. Yes, then it will be that all intelligent creatures will say, in effect, as the seraphs said: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of armies. The fullness of all the earth is his glory.” Then, indeed, the God of the “Prince of Peace” will have become “all things to everyone”​—forever and ever. [Pictures on page 188, 189] The entire universe will be united in peaceful worship of the Universal Sovereign

Imitate Their Faith She Acted Wisely, Bravely, and Selflessly

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2012012

Imitate Their Faith She Acted Wisely, Bravely, and Selflessly ESTHER slowly approached the throne, her heart racing. Imagine a hush falling over the great royal chamber in the Persian palace of Shushan, a silence so profound that Esther could hear her own soft footsteps and the rustling of her royal garments. She could not let her attention wander to the grandeur of the royal court, the graceful columns, the richly carved ceiling of cedars imported from distant Lebanon. She trained all her attention on the man seated upon the throne, the man who held her life in his hands. The king watched her intently as she approached, extending his golden scepter toward her. It was a simple gesture, but it meant Esther’s life, for by it the king excused her from the offense she had just committed​—that of appearing before him without a royal invitation. As she came to the throne, Esther reached out and gratefully touched the top of the scepter.​—Esther 5:1, 2.a Everything about King Ahasuerus bespoke his immense wealth and power. The royal garb of the Persian monarchs of those times reputedly cost the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet, Esther could see some warmth in her husband’s eyes; in his own way, he did love her. He said: “What do you have, O Esther the queen, and what is your request? To the half of the kingship​—let it even be given to you!”​—Esther 5:3. Esther had already shown remarkable faith and courage; she came before the king to protect her people from a plot to wipe them all out. So far, she had met with success, but greater challenges lay ahead. She had to convince this proud monarch that his most trusted adviser was a wicked man who had duped him into condemning Esther’s people to death. How would she persuade him, and what can we learn from her faith? She Wisely Chose “a Time to Speak” Should Esther have revealed to the king the whole problem in front of his court? Doing so might have humiliated him and given his adviser Haman time to dispute her charges. So what did Esther do? Centuries earlier, wise King Solomon was inspired to write: “For everything there is an appointed time, . . . a time to keep quiet and a time to speak.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7) We may imagine Esther’s adoptive father, the faithful man Mordecai, teaching the young woman such principles as she grew up under his care. Esther certainly understood the importance of choosing carefully the “time to speak.” Esther said: “If to the king it does seem good, let the king with Haman come today to the banquet that I have made for him.” (Esther 5:4) The king agreed and had Haman summoned. Can you see how wisely Esther spoke? She preserved her husband’s dignity and created a more suitable setting for revealing her concerns to him. No doubt Esther prepared that feast carefully, seeing to it that in every detail she catered to her husband’s preferences. The banquet included fine wine to encourage a happy mood. (Psalm 104:15) Ahasuerus enjoyed himself, and he was moved to ask Esther again what her petition might be. Was this now the time to speak? Esther thought not. Rather, she invited the king and Haman to come to a second banquet, on the following day. (Esther 5:7, 8) Why did she delay? Remember, all of Esther’s people were facing death by the king’s decree. With so much at stake, Esther had to be sure that the moment was right. So she waited, creating yet another opportunity to show her husband how highly she regarded him. Patience is a rare and precious quality. Though distressed and eager to speak her mind, Esther patiently waited for the right moment. We can learn much from her example, for all of us have likely seen wrongs that need to be put right. If we seek to convince someone in authority to address a problem, we may need to imitate Esther and be patient. Proverbs 25:15 says: “By patience a commander is induced, and a mild tongue itself can break a bone.” If we wait patiently for the right moment and speak mildly, as Esther did, even opposition as hard as bone may be broken. Did Esther’s God, Jehovah, bless her patience and wisdom? Patience Paves the Way for Justice Esther’s patience paved the way for a remarkable chain of events. Haman left the first banquet in high spirits, “joyful and merry of heart” that the king and queen favored him so. As Haman passed through the castle gate, though, his eyes fell upon Mordecai, that Jew who still refused to pay him special homage. Mordecai’s reasons had nothing to do with disrespect but, rather, with his conscience and his relationship with Jehovah God. Yet, Haman “was immediately filled with rage.”​—Esther 5:9. When Haman told his wife and friends of this slight, they urged him to prepare a huge stake, over 72 feet (22 m) tall, and then to ask the king’s permission to hang Mordecai on it. Haman liked their idea and immediately set about the task.​—Esther 5:12-14. Meanwhile, the king had an unusual night. “The king’s sleep fled,” the Bible tells us, so he had the official records of State read aloud to him. The reading included the report of an assassination plot against Ahasuerus. He remembered the affair; his would-be murderers were caught and executed. What, though, about the man who had exposed the plot​—Mordecai? Suddenly alert, the king asked how Mordecai had been rewarded. The answer? Nothing at all had been done for the man.​—Esther 6:1-3. Agitated, the king asked what court officials were available to help him correct this oversight. Of all people, Haman was in the king’s court​—early, it seems, because he was eager to secure permission to execute Mordecai. But before he could make his request, the king asked Haman how best to honor a man who had won the king’s favor. Haman assumed that the king had him in mind. So Haman devised a lavish honor: Clothe the man in royal garb, and have a high official parade him around Shushan on the king’s own horse, calling out the man’s praises for all to hear. Imagine the expression on Haman’s face when he learned that the man to be honored was Mordecai! And whom did the king assign to sing out Mordecai’s praises? Haman!​—Esther 6:4-10. Haman grudgingly carried out what to him was an odious duty and then rushed home in distress. His wife and friends said that this turn of events could only bode ill; he was bound to fail in his fight against Mordecai the Jew.​—Esther 6:12, 13. Because Esther was patient, waiting that one extra day to present her request to the king, Haman was given time to lay the basis for his own downfall. And might not Jehovah God have been behind the king’s sleeplessness? (Proverbs 21:1) Little wonder that God’s Word encourages us to show a “waiting attitude.” (Micah 7:7) When we wait on God, we may find that his solutions to our problems far exceed anything we might have devised ourselves. She Spoke Up Bravely Esther dared not test the king’s patience any further; at her second banquet, she had to tell all. But how? As it turned out, the king gave her the opportunity, asking again what her petition might be. (Esther 7:2) Esther’s “time to speak” had come. We may imagine Esther saying a silent prayer to her God before uttering these words: “If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if to the king it does seem good, let there be given me my own soul at my petition and my people at my request.” (Esther 7:3) Notice that she assured the king that she respected his judgment regarding what seemed good. How Esther differed from Vashti, the king’s previous wife, who had purposely humiliated her husband! (Esther 1:10-12) Further, Esther did not criticize the king’s folly of trusting in Haman. Rather, she begged the king to protect her from a danger to her own life. That request surely moved and amazed the king. Who would dare endanger his queen? Esther went on: “We have been sold, I and my people, to be annihilated, killed and destroyed. Now if we had been sold for mere men slaves and for mere maidservants, I should have kept silent. But the distress is not appropriate when with damage to the king.” (Esther 7:4) Note that Esther frankly exposed the problem, yet she added that she would have kept quiet about it if mere slavery had been the threat. This genocide, though, would be too costly to the king himself to keep quiet about it. Esther’s example teaches us much about the art of persuasion. If you ever need to lay bare a serious problem to a loved one or even to a person in high authority, a mixture of patience, respect, and candor can be of great help.​—Proverbs 16:21, 23. Ahasuerus demanded: “Who is this, and just where is the one who has emboldened himself to do that way?” Imagine Esther pointing a finger as she said: “The man, the adversary and enemy, is this bad Haman.” The accusation hung in the air. Terror filled Haman. Picture the volatile monarch’s face coloring as he realized that his trusted adviser had duped him into signing an order that would destroy his own beloved wife! The king stormed out into the garden to regain his composure.​—Esther 7:5-7. Haman, exposed as the scheming coward that he was, groveled at the queen’s feet. When the king came back into the room and saw Haman pleading with Esther on her couch, he angrily accused Haman of attempting to rape the queen in the king’s own home. That sounded the death knell for Haman. He was taken away, his face covered. One of the king’s officials then spoke up, telling the king of the huge stake that Haman had intended for Mordecai. Ahasuerus immediately ordered that Haman himself be hanged upon it.​—Esther 7:8-10. In today’s unjust world, it is easy to imagine that we will never see justice done. Have you ever felt that way? Esther never despaired, never turned cynical, never lost faith. When the time came, she spoke up bravely for what was right, and she trusted in Jehovah to do the rest. Let us do the same! Jehovah has not changed since Esther’s day. He is still more than able to catch the wicked and cunning in their own traps, just as he did Haman.​—Psalm 7:11-16. She Acted Unselfishly for Jehovah and for His People At last, the king learned who Mordecai was​—not only his loyal protector against assassination but also the adoptive father of Esther. Ahasuerus bestowed Haman’s position as prime minister on Mordecai. Haman’s house​—including his immense fortune—​the king gave to Esther, who placed Mordecai over it.​—Esther 8:1, 2. Now that Esther and Mordecai were safe, could the queen relax? Only if she were selfish. At that moment, Haman’s decree to kill all the Jews was making its way to every corner of the empire. Haman had cast lots, or Pur​—evidently a form of spiritism—​to determine the opportune time to carry out this vicious attack. (Esther 9:24-26) The day was yet months away, but it was fast approaching. Could disaster still be averted? Esther unselfishly risked her life again, appearing before the king once more without an official invitation. This time, she wept for her people, pleading with her husband to revoke the terrible edict. But laws passed in the Persian monarch’s name could not be revoked. (Daniel 6:12, 15) So the king empowered Esther and Mordecai to enact new laws. A second proclamation was sent out, giving the Jews the right to defend themselves. Riders sped to every part of the empire, taking the Jews this good news. Hope was kindled anew in many hearts. (Esther 8:3-16) We may imagine the Jews throughout that vast empire arming themselves and preparing for battle, which they could never have done without that new edict. More important, though, would “Jehovah of armies” be with his people?​—1 Samuel 17:45. When the chosen day finally came, God’s people were ready. Even many Persian officials were on their side now, as news had traveled far and wide about the new prime minister, Mordecai the Jew. Jehovah gave his people a great victory. He no doubt saw to it that, lest his people face terrible reprisals, their enemies suffered a thorough defeat.b​—Esther 9:1-6. Furthermore, Mordecai would never be safe to preside over Haman’s house while ten sons of that evil man still lived. They too were killed. (Esther 9:7-10) A Bible prophecy was thus fulfilled, for God had earlier foretold the complete destruction of the Amalekites, who had proved to be wicked enemies of his people. (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) The sons of Haman may well have been among the very last of that condemned nation. Esther had to take on her young shoulders her share of very heavy burdens​—such as royal edicts involving war and execution. It could not have been easy. But Jehovah’s will required that his people be protected from destruction; the nation of Israel was to produce the promised Messiah, the one source of hope for all mankind! (Genesis 22:18) Servants of God today are delighted to know that when the Messiah, Jesus, came to the earth, he forbade his followers from that time forward to take part in physical warfare.​—Matthew 26:52. Nonetheless, Christians do engage in a spiritual warfare; Satan is ever more eager to destroy our faith in Jehovah God. (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4) What a blessing to have Esther as an example! Like her, may we show faith by our wise and patient use of persuasion, by our courage, and by our unselfish willingness to stand up for God’s people. [Footnotes] a In the previous article in this series, we saw how the orphan Esther was adopted by her much older cousin, Mordecai, and was later chosen to be the wife of Ahasuerus, the king of Persia. The king’s adviser, Haman, hatched a wicked plot to exterminate Mordecai’s people, the Jews. Mordecai convinced Esther to approach the king to plead in behalf of her people.​—See the article “Imitate Their Faith—​She Stood Up for God’s People,” in the October 1, 2011, issue of The Watchtower. b The king allowed the Jews a second day to finish their conquest of their enemies. (Esther 9:12-14) To this day, the Jews commemorate that victory each year in the month of Adar, which corresponds to late February and early March. The festival is called Purim, named after the lots that Haman cast in his quest to destroy Israel. [Box on page 28] Questions About Esther Why did Mordecai allow Esther to marry a pagan unbeliever? There is no basis for the suggestion of some scholars that Mordecai was an opportunist who wanted Esther to wed the king for the sake of prestige. A faithful Jew, he would not have favored such a marriage. (Deuteronomy 7:3) Ancient Jewish tradition holds that Mordecai tried to prevent the marriage. It seems unlikely that either he or Esther, mere foreigners in a land ruled by an autocrat who held a godlike status, would have had much choice in the matter. In time, it became clear that Jehovah used Esther’s marriage as a means of protecting his people.​—Esther 4:14. Why does the book of Esther contain no mention of God’s personal name, Jehovah? Mordecai was evidently the inspired writer of the book. Perhaps the book was at first kept with official Persian records before it was taken back to Jerusalem. The use of Jehovah’s name might have moved worshippers of the Persian gods to destroy the book. In any case, Jehovah’s involvement in the story is clear. Interestingly, God’s personal name is concealed in the original Hebrew text by means of acrostics, wherein the phrasing appears to have been arranged deliberately so that the first or the last letters of successive words spell out God’s name.​—Esther 1:20, footnote. Is the book of Esther historically inaccurate? Critics level that charge against the book. However, some scholars have noted that the writer of the book showed a remarkably detailed knowledge of Persian royalty, architecture, and customs. True, no mention of Queen Esther has been found in surviving secular documents, but Esther would hardly be the only royal personage who was erased from public records. What is more, secular records do show that a man named Mardukâ, a Persian equivalent of Mordecai, served as a court official in Shushan at the time described in the book. [Box on page 29] A Prophecy Fulfilled In fighting for God’s people, Esther and Mordecai fulfilled another Bible prophecy. Over a dozen centuries earlier, Jehovah inspired the patriarch Jacob to foretell regarding one of his sons: “Benjamin will keep on tearing like a wolf. In the morning he will eat the animal seized and at evening he will divide spoil.” (Genesis 49:27) In the “morning” of Israel’s kingly history, Benjamin’s descendants included King Saul and other mighty warriors for Jehovah’s people. In the “evening” of that royal history, after the sun had set on Israel’s kingly line, Esther and Mordecai, both of the tribe of Benjamin, warred effectively against Jehovah’s enemies. In a sense, they also divided spoil, in that Haman’s vast estate went to them. [Picture on page 25] Esther humbly acknowledged the king’s mercy [Picture on pages 26, 27] Esther bravely pointed out the wickedness of Haman [Picture on pages 28, 29] Esther and Mordecai sent out proclamations to the Jews of the Persian Empire

Young People Ask, Volume 1 (yp1) 2011

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp1

CHAPTER 1 How Can I Talk to My Parents? “I tried really hard to tell my parents how I felt, but it didn’t come out right​—and they just cut me off. It took a lot for me to get up the nerve to express myself, and it was a complete failure!”​—Rosa. WHEN you were younger, your parents were probably the first ones you ran to for advice. You told them any news, big or small. You freely expressed your thoughts and feelings, and you had confidence in their advice. Now, though, you might feel that your parents just can’t relate to you anymore. “One evening at mealtime I began to cry and pour out my feelings,” says a girl named Edie. “My parents listened, but they didn’t seem to understand.” The result? “I just went to my bedroom and cried some more!” On the other hand, sometimes you might prefer not to open up to your parents. “I talk to my parents about many subjects,” says a boy named Christopher. “But I like it that sometimes they don’t know everything I’m thinking.” Is it wrong to keep some thoughts to yourself? Not necessarily​—as long as you’re not being deceitful. (Proverbs 3:32) Nevertheless, whether your parents don’t seem to understand you or you are holding back, one thing is certain: You need to talk to your parents​—and they need to hear from you. Keep Talking! In some ways, communicating with your parents is like driving a car. If you encounter a roadblock, you don’t give up; you simply find another route. Consider two examples. ROADBLOCK 1 You need to talk, but your parents don’t seem to be listening. “I find it difficult to communicate with my father,” says a girl named Leah. “Sometimes I’ll talk to him for a while and then he’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, were you speaking to me?’” QUESTION: What if Leah really needs to discuss a problem? She has at least three options. Option A Yell at her dad. Leah screams: “Come on, this is important! Listen!” Option B Stop talking to her dad. Leah simply gives up trying to talk about her problem. Option C Wait for a better time and bring up the subject again. Leah speaks with her dad face-to-face later, or she writes him a letter about her problem. Which option do you think Leah should choose? ․․․․․ Let’s explore each option to see where it would likely lead. Leah’s dad is distracted​—and thus unaware of her frustration. So if Leah chooses Option A, her screaming might seem to come out of nowhere. This option probably won’t make Leah’s dad more receptive to her words, and it won’t show respect and honor for him. (Ephesians 6:2) Really, then, this option leads to a no-win situation. While Option B may be the easiest course to take, it’s not the wisest. Why? Because “there is a frustrating of plans where there is no confidential talk.” (Proverbs 15:22) To deal successfully with her problems, Leah needs to talk to her dad​—and if he’s going to be of any help, he needs to know what’s going on in her life. Ceasing to talk accomplishes neither. With Option C, however, Leah doesn’t let a roadblock become a dead end. Rather, she tries to discuss the subject another time. And if she chooses to write her dad a letter, Leah might feel better right away. Writing the letter may also help her to formulate exactly what she wants to say. When he reads the letter, Leah’s dad will learn what she was trying to tell him, which may help him to understand her plight better. Option C thus benefits both Leah and her dad. What other options might Leah have? See if you can think of one, and write it below. Then write down where that option would likely lead. ․․․․․ ROADBLOCK 2 Your parents want to talk, but you’d rather not. “There’s nothing worse than being hit with questions immediately after a hard day at school,” says a girl named Sarah. “I just want to forget about school, but right away my parents start asking: ‘How was your day? Were there any problems?’” No doubt Sarah’s parents ask such questions with the best of intentions. Still, she laments, “It’s hard to talk about school when I’m tired and stressed.” QUESTION: What can Sarah do in this situation? As with the previous example, she has at least three options. Option A Refuse to talk. Sarah says: “Please, just leave me alone. I don’t want to talk right now!” Option B Go ahead and talk. Despite feeling stressed, Sarah begrudgingly answers her parents’ questions. Option C Delay the “school” talk but keep the conversation going on another topic. Sarah suggests that they discuss school at another time, when she knows that she’ll be in a better frame of mind. Then she says, with genuine interest: “Tell me about your day. How did things go for you?” Which option do you think Sarah should choose? ․․․․․ Again, let’s explore each option to see where it would likely lead. Sarah is stressed and isn’t inclined to talk. If she chooses Option A, she’ll still feel stressed but she’ll also feel guilty for blowing up at her parents.​—Proverbs 29:11. Meanwhile, Sarah’s parents won’t appreciate her outburst​—or the silence that follows. They may suspect that Sarah is hiding something. They might try even harder to get her to open up, which, of course, would frustrate her more. In the end, this option leads to a no-win situation. Option B is obviously a better choice than option A. After all, at least Sarah and her parents are talking. But since the conversation isn’t heartfelt, neither Sarah nor her parents are going to get what they want​—a relaxed, open discussion. With Option C, however, Sarah will feel better because the “school” talk has been delayed for now. Her parents will appreciate her effort to make conversation, so they’ll be happy too. This option likely has the best chance of success because both sides are applying the principle found at Philippians 2:4, which says: “Look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.”​—Today’s English Version. Avoid Sending Mixed Messages Remember, the words you say and the message your parents hear do not always match. For example, your parents ask you why you seem to be in a bad mood. You say, “I don’t want to talk about it.” But your parents hear: “I don’t trust you enough to confide in you. I’ll talk to my friends about the problem but not to you.” Try this exercise by filling in your answers. Imagine that you are facing a difficult problem and your parent offers to help. If you say: “Don’t worry. I can handle it myself.” Your parents may hear: ․․․․․ A better response from you might be: ․․․․․ The bottom line? Choose your words carefully. Deliver them in a respectful tone of voice. (Colossians 4:6) Think of your parents as your allies, not your enemies. And let’s face it: You need all the allies you can get if you are to cope with the challenges you have to deal with. IN OUR NEXT CHAPTERWhat if talking to your parents isn’t the problem​—it’s that each time you talk, you argue? KEY SCRIPTURE “I talk straight from my heart and speak sincerely.”​—Job 33:3, The Holy Bible in the Language of Today, by William Beck. TIP If you find it difficult just to sit and talk with your parent(s) about a problem, discuss the matter while you are walking, driving, or shopping together. DID YOU KNOW . . . ? Just as you may find it difficult to talk with your parents about serious subjects, they may feel awkward and inadequate when trying to talk with you about those same subjects. ACTION PLAN! The next time I feel I want to stop talking to my parents, I will ․․․․․ If my parent pushes me to talk about a subject that I am reluctant to discuss, I will say ․․․․․ What I would like to ask my parent(s) about this subject is ․․․․․ WHAT DO YOU THINK? ● What role does timing play in good communication?​—Proverbs 25:11. ● Why is talking to your parents worth the effort?​—Job 12:12. [Blurb on page 10] “Communicating with your parents isn’t always easy, but when you do open up and talk to them, you feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off your mind.”​—Devenye [Picture on page 8] Just as a roadblock need not be a dead end, you can find a way to get through and communicate with your parents!

KEEP ON THE WATCH! What Has Happened to Decency?—What Does the Bible Say?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/501100106

KEEP ON THE WATCH! What Has Happened to Decency?—⁠What Does the Bible Say? Decency is in decline. Rude patients yell at doctors; disrespectful restaurant patrons berate servers; unruly passengers assault flight attendants; delinquent children mock, threaten, and attack teachers; and some politicians get involved in scandalous conduct while other politicians try to stress their own decency. The Bible is a reliable guide for what constitutes decent behavior. It also explains why there is a lack of decency today. What has happened to decency? The decline in decency—behavior that is good, moral, and acceptable—is being seen around the world. According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans rated the state of moral values in the United States to be lower now than at any other time in the past 22 years. In another survey of more than 32,000 respondents in 28 countries, 65 percent said that the lack of basic human decency today is the worst they have ever seen. The Bible predicted the behavior that we see today. “There will be difficult times in the last days. People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, . . . unkind, [and] violent.”—2 Timothy 3:1-3, Good News Translation. For more information on how this prophecy is being fulfilled, read the article “Did the Bible Predict the Way People Think and Act Today?” A reliable guide to decent behavior In a world where decency is in decline, millions have found the Bible to be an excellent guide to good behavior. Its moral advice is “always reliable, now and forever.” (Psalm 111:8) Consider a few examples: What the Bible says: “All things . . . that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them.”—Matthew 7:12. Meaning: We should treat others kindly and respectfully, just as we want to be treated. What the Bible says: “Now that you have put away deceit, each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.”—Ephesians 4:25. Meaning: We should be honest in all that we say and do. For more information on this topic, please read: The Watchtower issue eninputd “Right and Wrong—A Guide You Can Trust.” The article “Tolerance—How the Bible Can Help.”

Reasoning (rs) 1989

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/books/reasoning-rs

Holidays Definition: Days usually marked by time off from secular work and school for commemoration of an event. Such days may also be occasions for family or community festivities. Participants may view them as being religious or as being largely social or secular affairs. Is Christmas a celebration based on the Bible? Date of the celebration M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia says: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N[ew] T[estament] origin. The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N[ew] T[estament], or, indeed, from any other source.”—(New York, 1871), Vol. II, p. 276. Luke 2:8-11 shows that shepherds were in the fields at night at the time of Jesus’ birth. The book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus states: “The flocks . . . passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”—(New York, 1962), Henri Daniel-Rops, p. 228. The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun.’ . . . The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time, and some Christmas customs are thought to be rooted in this ancient pagan celebration.”—(1977), Vol. 6, p. 666. The New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges: “The date of Christ’s birth is not known. The Gospels indicate neither the day nor the month . . . According to the hypothesis suggested by H. Usener . . . and accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the invincible sun). On Dec. 25, 274, Aurelian had proclaimed the sun-god principal patron of the empire and dedicated a temple to him in the Campus Martius. Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome.”—(1967), Vol. III, p. 656. Wise men, or Magi, led by a star Those Magi were actually astrologers from the east. (Matt. 2:1, 2, NW; NE) Although astrology is popular among many people today, the practice is strongly disapproved in the Bible. (See pages 144, 145, under the main heading “Fate.”) Would God have led to the newborn Jesus persons whose practices He condemned? Matthew 2:1-16 shows that the star led the astrologers first to King Herod and then to Jesus and that Herod then sought to have Jesus killed. No mention is made that anyone other than the astrologers saw the “star.” After they left, Jehovah’s angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to safeguard the child. Was that “star” a sign from God or was it from someone who was seeking to have God’s Son destroyed? Note that the Bible account does not say that they found the babe Jesus in a manger, as customarily depicted in Christmas art. When the astrologers arrived, Jesus and his parents were living in a house. As to Jesus’ age at that time, remember that, based on what Herod had learned from the astrologers, he decreed that all the boys in the district of Bethlehem two years of age and under were to be destroyed.—Matt. 2:1, 11, 16. Gift giving as part of the celebration; stories about Santa Claus, Father Christmas, etc. The practice of Christmas gift giving is not based on what was done by the Magi. As shown above, they did not arrive at the time of Jesus’ birth. Furthermore, they gave gifts, not to one another, but to the child Jesus, in accord with what was then customary when visiting notable persons. The Encyclopedia Americana states: “During the Saturnalia . . . feasting prevailed, and gifts were exchanged.” (1977, Vol. 24, p. 299) In many instances that represents the spirit of Christmas giving—an exchanging of gifts. The spirit reflected in such gift giving does not bring real happiness, because it violates Christian principles such as those found at Matthew 6:3, 4 and 2 Corinthians 9:7. Surely a Christian can give gifts to others as an expression of love at other times during the year, doing so as often as he wants to. Depending on where they live, children are told that gifts are brought by Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Père Noël, Knecht Ruprecht, the Magi, the elf Jultomten (or Julenissen), or a witch known as La Befana. (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1984, Vol. 3, p. 414) Of course, none of these stories are actually true. Does the telling of such stories build in children a respect for truth, and does such a practice honor Jesus Christ, who taught that God must be worshiped with truth?—John 4:23, 24. Is there any objection to sharing in celebrations that may have unchristian roots as long as it is not done for religious reasons? Eph. 5:10, 11: “Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them.” 2 Cor. 6:14-18: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹlial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? . . . ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing”’; ‘“and I will take you in, . . . and you will be sons and daughters to me,” says Jehovah the Almighty.’” (Genuine love for Jehovah and a strong desire to be pleasing to him will help a person to break free from unchristian practices that may have had emotional appeal. A person who really knows and loves Jehovah does not feel that by shunning practices that honor false gods or that promote falsehood he is in any way deprived of happiness. Genuine love causes him to rejoice, not over unrighteousness, but with the truth. See 1 Corinthians 13:6.) Compare Exodus 32:4-10. Notice that the Israelites adopted an Egyptian religious practice but gave it a new name, “a festival to Jehovah.” But Jehovah severely punished them for this. Today we see only 20th-century practices associated with holidays. Some may appear harmless. But Jehovah observed firsthand the pagan religious practices from which these originated. Should not his view be what matters to us? Illustration: Suppose a crowd come to a gentleman’s home saying they are there to celebrate his birthday. He does not favor the celebration of birthdays. He does not like to see people overeat or get drunk or engage in loose conduct. But some of them do all those things, and they bring presents for everyone there except him! On top of all that, they pick the birthday of one of the man’s enemies as the date for the celebration. How would the man feel? Would you want to be a party to it? This is exactly what is being done by Christmas celebrations. What is the origin of Easter and the customs associated with it? The Encyclopædia Britannica comments: “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians.”—(1910), Vol. VIII, p. 828. The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us: “A great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring. . . . The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility.”—(1913), Vol. V, p. 227. In the book The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop, we read: “What means the term Easter itself? It is not a Christian name. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the inputs of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name, . . . as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar. . . . Such is the history of Easter. The popular observances that still attend the period of its celebration amply confirm the testimony of history as to its Babylonian character. The hot cross buns of Good Friday, and the dyed eggs of Pasch or Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do now.”—(New York, 1943), pp. 103, 107, 108; compare Jeremiah 7:18. Are New Year’s celebrations objectionable for Christians? According to The World Book Encyclopedia, “The Romans dedicated this day [January 1] to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces—one looking forward and the other looking backward.”—(1984), Vol. 14, p. 237. Both the date and the customs associated with New Year’s celebrations vary from one country to another. In many places revelry and drinking are part of the festivities. However, Romans 13:13 counsels: “As in the daytime let us walk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts, not in illicit intercourse and loose conduct, not in strife and jealousy.” (See also 1 Peter 4:3, 4; Galatians 5:19-21.) What underlies holidays in memory of the “spirits of the dead”? The 1910 edition of The Encyclopædia Britannica states: “All Souls’ Day . . . the day set apart in the Roman Catholic Church for the commemoration of the faithful departed. The celebration is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful which at death have not been cleansed from venial sins, or have not atoned for past transgressions, cannot attain the Beatific Vision, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the mass. . . . Certain popular beliefs connected with All Souls’ Day are of pagan origin and immemorial antiquity. Thus the dead are believed by the peasantry of many Catholic countries to return to their former homes on All Souls’ night and partake of the food of the living.”—Vol. I, p. 709. The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Elements of the customs connected with Halloween can be traced to a Druid ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead (called Samhain), whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival of the dead was gradually incorporated into Christian ritual.”—(1977), Vol. 13, p. 725. The book The Worship of the Dead points to this origin: “The mythologies of all the ancient nations are interwoven with the events of the Deluge . . . The force of this argument is illustrated by the fact of the observance of a great festival of the dead in commemoration of the event, not only by nations more or less in communication with each other, but by others widely separated, both by the ocean and by centuries of time. This festival is, moreover, held by all on or about the very day on which, according to the Mosaic account, the Deluge took place, viz., the seventeenth day of the second month—the month nearly corresponding with our November.” (London, 1904, Colonel J. Garnier, p. 4) Thus these celebrations actually began with an honoring of people whom God had destroyed because of their badness in Noah’s day.—Gen. 6:5-7; 7:11. Such holidays honoring “spirits of the dead” as if they were alive in another realm are contrary to the Bible’s description of death as a state of complete unconsciousness.—Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ps. 146:4. Regarding the origin of belief in immortality of the human soul, see pages 101, 102, under the main heading “Death,” and pages 379, 380, under “Soul.” What is the origin of Valentine’s Day? The World Book Encyclopedia informs us: “Valentine’s Day comes on the feast day of two different Christian martyrs named Valentine. But the customs connected with the day . . . probably come from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place every February 15. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and Pan, the god of nature.”—(1973), Vol. 20, p. 204. What is the origin of the practice of setting aside a day to honor mothers? The Encyclopædia Britannica says: “A festival derived from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Formal mother worship, with ceremonies to Cybele, or Rhea, the Great Mother of the Gods, were performed on the Ides of March throughout Asia Minor.”—(1959), Vol. 15, p. 849. What Bible principles explain the viewpoint of Christians toward ceremonies commemorating events in a nation’s political history? John 18:36: “Jesus answered [the Roman governor]: ‘My kingdom is no part of this world.’” John 15:19: “If you [Jesus’ followers] were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.” 1 John 5:19: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (Compare John 14:30; Revelation 13:1, 2; Daniel 2:44.) Other local and national holidays There are many. Not all can be discussed here. But the historical information provided above gives indications as to what to look for in connection with any holiday, and the Bible principles already discussed supply ample guidance for those whose foremost desire is to do what is pleasing to Jehovah God.

Isaiah’s Prophecy II (ip-2) 2001

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/ip-2

Chapter Four “You Are My Witnesses”! Isaiah 43:1-28 1. How does Jehovah use prophecy, and how are his people to respond to fulfilled prophecy? THE ability to predict the future is one thing that distinguishes the true God from all false gods. But when Jehovah prophesies, he has more in mind than proving his Godship. As demonstrated in Isaiah chapter 43, Jehovah makes prophecy a proof both of his Godship and of his love for his covenant people. His people, in turn, are not to discern fulfilled prophecy and yet remain mute; they are to bear testimony to what they have seen. Yes, they are to be Jehovah’s witnesses! 2. (a) What is the spiritual condition of Israel in Isaiah’s time? (b) How does Jehovah open the eyes of his people? 2 Sadly, by Isaiah’s time Israel is in such a deplorable state that Jehovah considers the people spiritually disabled. “Bring forth a people blind though eyes themselves exist, and the ones deaf though they have ears.” (Isaiah 43:8) How can people who are spiritually blind and deaf serve Jehovah as his living witnesses? There is only one way. Their eyes and ears must be miraculously opened. And open them, Jehovah does! How? First, Jehovah administers severe discipline​—the inhabitants of the northern kingdom of Israel go into exile in 740 B.C.E., and those of Judah, in 607 B.C.E. Then, Jehovah acts with power in behalf of his people by liberating them and bringing a spiritually revitalized, repentant remnant back to their homeland in 537 B.C.E. In fact, Jehovah is so confident that his purpose in this regard cannot be thwarted that some 200 years in advance, he speaks of Israel’s liberation as though it has already occurred. 3. What encouragement does Jehovah give to the future exiles? 3 “This is what Jehovah has said, your Creator, O Jacob, and your Former, O Israel: ‘Do not be afraid, for I have repurchased you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. In case you should pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not flood over you. In case you should walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, neither will the flame itself singe you. For I am Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel your Savior.’”​—Isaiah 43:1-3a. 4. How is it that Jehovah is Israel’s Creator, and what assurance does he give his people in regard to their return to their homeland? 4 Jehovah has a special interest in Israel because the nation belongs to him. It is his own personal creation in fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. (Genesis 12:1-3) Thus, Psalm 100:3 says: “Know that Jehovah is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasturage.” As Israel’s Creator and Repurchaser, Jehovah will bring his people safely back to their homeland. Impediments, such as waters, flooding rivers, and fiery deserts, will not hinder or harm them, just as similar things did not slow their forefathers when en route to the Promised Land a thousand years earlier. 5. (a) How do Jehovah’s words comfort spiritual Israel? (b) Who are the companions of spiritual Israel, and by whom were these prefigured? 5 Jehovah’s words also give comfort to the modern-day remnant of spiritual Israel, the members of which are a spirit-begotten “new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Having stepped boldly before “the waters” of mankind, they have enjoyed God’s loving protection through figurative floods. Fire emanating from their enemies has not harmed them but, rather, has served to refine them. (Zechariah 13:9; Revelation 12:15-17) Jehovah’s watchcare has also extended to the “great crowd” of “other sheep,” who have joined God’s spiritual nation. (Revelation 7:9; John 10:16) These ones were prefigured by the “vast mixed company” that made the Exodus from Egypt along with the Israelites and also by the non-Jews who returned with the freed exiles from Babylon.​—Exodus 12:38; Ezra 2:1, 43, 55, 58. 6. How does Jehovah show himself to be a God of justice in regard to the ransoming of (a) fleshly Israel? (b) spiritual Israel? 6 Jehovah promises to deliver his people from Babylon by means of the armies of Media and Persia. (Isaiah 13:17-19; 21:2, 9; 44:28; Daniel 5:28) As a God of justice, Jehovah will pay his Medo-Persian “employees” a suitable ransom in exchange for Israel. “I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Ethiopia and Seba in place of you. Owing to the fact that you have been precious in my eyes, you have been considered honorable, and I myself have loved you. And I shall give men in place of you, and national groups in place of your soul.” (Isaiah 43:3b, 4) History confirms that the Persian Empire did conquer Egypt, Ethiopia, and nearby Seba, just as God foretold. (Proverbs 21:18) In 1919 by means of Jesus Christ, Jehovah similarly released the remnant of spiritual Israel from captivity. For his services, however, Jesus needed no reward. He was no pagan ruler. And he was liberating his own spiritual brothers. Besides, in 1914, Jehovah had already given him “nations as [his] inheritance and the ends of the earth as [his] own possession.”​—Psalm 2:8. 7. How does Jehovah feel toward his people, both in ancient and in modern times? 7 Notice how Jehovah openly expresses his tender feelings toward the repurchased exiles. He tells them that they are “precious” and “honorable” to him and that he ‘loves’ them. (Jeremiah 31:3) He feels the same way​—and even more so—​toward his loyal servants today. Anointed Christians have been brought into a relationship with God, not by birth, but by the operation of God’s holy spirit following their personal dedication to their Creator. Jehovah has drawn these ones to his Son and to himself and written his laws and principles on their receptive hearts.​—Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 6:44. 8. What reassurance does Jehovah give the exiles, and how will they feel about their deliverance? 8 Offering still more reassurance to the exiles, Jehovah adds: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. From the sunrising I shall bring your seed, and from the sunset I shall collect you together. I shall say to the north, ‘Give up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not keep back. Bring my sons from far off, and my daughters from the extremity of the earth, everyone that is called by my name and that I have created for my own glory, that I have formed, yes, that I have made.’” (Isaiah 43:5-7) Not even the remotest parts of the earth will be beyond Jehovah’s reach when the time comes to free his sons and daughters and to bring them back to their beloved homeland. (Jeremiah 30:10, 11) No doubt, in their eyes this liberation will eclipse the nation’s earlier deliverance from Egypt.​—Jeremiah 16:14, 15. 9. In what two ways does Jehovah relate his acts of deliverance to his name? 9 By reminding his people that they are called by his name, Jehovah confirms his promise to deliver Israel. (Isaiah 54:5, 6) What is more, Jehovah attaches his name to his promises of liberation. In so doing, he ensures that he will receive the glory when his prophetic word is fulfilled. Not even Babylon’s conqueror will be eninputd to the honor due the one and only living God. The Gods on Trial 10. What challenge does Jehovah put before the nations and their gods? 10 Jehovah now makes his promise to free Israel the basis for a universal court case in which he puts the gods of the nations on trial. We read: “Let the nations all be collected together at one place, and let national groups be gathered together. Who [of their gods] is there among them that can tell this? Or can they cause us to hear even the first things? Let them [their gods] furnish their witnesses, that they may be declared righteous, or let them hear and say, ‘It is the truth!’” (Isaiah 43:9) Jehovah places a formidable challenge before the nations of the world. In effect, he says: ‘Let your gods prove that they are gods by accurately foretelling the future.’ As only the true God can prophesy unerringly, this test will expose all impostors. (Isaiah 48:5) But the Almighty adds yet another legal stipulation: All who claim to be true gods must furnish witnesses, both to their predictions and to the fulfillment of these. Naturally, Jehovah does not exclude himself from this legal requirement. 11. What commission does Jehovah give to his servant, and what does Jehovah reveal about his Godship? 11 Being impotent, false gods can furnish no witnesses. Hence, the witness stand remains embarrassingly empty. But now comes Jehovah’s time to confirm his Godship. Looking toward his people, he says: “You are my witnesses, . . . even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and have faith in me, and that you may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none. I​—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior. I myself have told forth and have saved and have caused it to be heard, when there was among you no strange god. So you are my witnesses, . . . and I am God. Also, all the time I am the same One; and there is no one effecting deliverance out of my own hand. I shall get active, and who can turn [my hand] back?”​—Isaiah 43:10-13. 12, 13. (a) What abundant testimony do Jehovah’s people have to present? (b) How has Jehovah’s name come to the fore in modern times? 12 In response to Jehovah’s words, the witness stand soon overflows with a joyful throng of witnesses. Their testimony is clear and unassailable. Like Joshua, they testify that ‘everything Jehovah has spoken has come true. Not one word has failed.’ (Joshua 23:14) Still ringing in the ears of Jehovah’s people are the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and other prophets who, as with one voice, foretold Judah’s exile and their miraculous deliverance from exile. (Jeremiah 25:11, 12) Judah’s deliverer, Cyrus, was named well before he was even born!​—Isaiah 44:26–45:1. 13 In view of this mountain of evidence, who can deny that Jehovah is the only true God? Unlike pagan gods, Jehovah alone is uncreated; he alone is the true God.a Consequently, the people bearing Jehovah’s name have the unique and thrilling privilege of relating his wonderful deeds to future generations and to others who inquire about him. (Psalm 78:5-7) In a similar way, Jehovah’s modern-day Witnesses have the privilege of declaring Jehovah’s name in all the earth. In the 1920’s the Bible Students became increasingly aware of the deep significance of God’s name, Jehovah. Then, on July 26, 1931, at a convention in Columbus, Ohio, the Society’s president, Joseph F. Rutherford, presented a resolution eninputd “A New Name.” The words, “We desire to be known as and called by the name, to wit, Jehovah’s witnesses,” thrilled the conventioners, who approved the resolution with a resounding “Aye!” Since then, Jehovah’s name has gained worldwide prominence.​—Psalm 83:18. 14. Of what does Jehovah remind the Israelites, and why is this reminder timely? 14 Jehovah cares for those who bear his name honorably, viewing them as “the pupil of his eye.” He reminds the Israelites of this, telling them how he delivered them from Egypt and led them safely through the wilderness. (Deuteronomy 32:10, 12) At that time there was no strange god among them, for they saw with their own eyes the utter humiliation of all the gods of Egypt. Yes, the entire Egyptian pantheon could neither protect Egypt nor prevent Israel’s departure. (Exodus 12:12) Likewise, mighty Babylon, whose urban landscape is dominated by at least 50 temples to false gods, will be unable to check the hand of the Almighty when he frees his people. Clearly, “there is no savior” besides Jehovah. War-Horses Fall, Prisons Open 15. What does Jehovah prophesy concerning Babylon? 15 “This is what Jehovah has said, the Repurchaser of you people, the Holy One of Israel: ‘For your sakes I will send to Babylon and cause the bars of the prisons to come down, and the Chaldeans in the ships with whining cries on their part. I am Jehovah your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.’ This is what Jehovah has said, the One making a way through the sea itself and a roadway even through strong waters, the One bringing forth the war chariot and the horse, the military force and the strong ones at the same time: ‘They will lie down. They will not get up. They will certainly be extinguished. Like a flaxen wick they must be put out.’”​—Isaiah 43:14-17. 16. What will befall Babylon, the Chaldean merchants, and any would-be defenders of Babylon? 16 Babylon is like a prison to the exiles in that it prevents their return to Jerusalem. But Babylon’s defenses are no obstacle to the Almighty, the One who earlier made “a way through the [Red Sea] itself and a roadway even through strong waters”​—apparently those of the Jordan. (Exodus 14:16; Joshua 3:13) In a similar way, Jehovah’s agent, Cyrus, will make the mighty Euphrates recede, allowing his warriors entry into the city. Chaldean merchants plying Babylon’s canals​—waterways for thousands of commercial galleys and for barges carrying the Babylonian gods—​will whine in grief when their mighty capital falls. Like Pharaoh’s chariots in the Red Sea, Babylon’s swift chariots will be helpless. They will not save her. As easily as one extinguishes the flaxen wick of an oil lamp, the invader will snuff out the lives of any would-be defenders. Jehovah Leads His People Safely Home 17, 18. (a) What “new” thing does Jehovah prophesy? (b) In what way are the people not to remember the former things, and why? 17 Comparing his earlier acts of deliverance with what he is about to do, Jehovah says: “Do not remember the first things, and to the former things do not turn your consideration. Look! I am doing something new. Now it will spring up. You people will know it, will you not? Really, through the wilderness I shall set a way, through the desert rivers. The wild beast of the field will glorify me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I shall have given water even in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to cause my people, my chosen one, to drink, the people whom I have formed for myself, that they should recount the praise of me.”​—Isaiah 43:18-21. 18 In saying, “do not remember the first things,” Jehovah is not suggesting that his servants erase his past acts of salvation from their minds. In fact, many of these acts are part of Israel’s divinely inspired history, and Jehovah commanded that the escape from Egypt be remembered annually at the Passover celebration. (Leviticus 23:5; Deuteronomy 16:1-4) However, Jehovah now wants his people to glorify him on the basis of “something new”​—something they will experience firsthand. This includes not just their deliverance from Babylon but also their miraculous journey home, perhaps by the more direct desert route. In that barren land, Jehovah will make “a way” for them and will perform powerful works reminiscent of what he did for the Israelites in Moses’ day​—indeed, he will feed the returnees in the desert and quench their thirst with veritable rivers. So bounteous will Jehovah’s provisions be that even the wild beasts will glorify God and refrain from attacking the people. 19. How do the remnant of spiritual Israel and their companions walk upon “the Way of Holiness”? 19 Similarly, in 1919 the remnant of spiritual Israel were freed from Babylonish captivity, and they set off on a route Jehovah had prepared for them, “the Way of Holiness.” (Isaiah 35:8) Unlike the Israelites, they did not have to move through the burning desert from one geographical location to another, and their journey was not concluded after a few months with an arrival in Jerusalem. However, “the Way of Holiness” did lead the remnant of anointed Christians into a spiritual paradise. In their case, they remain on that “Way of Holiness,” since they still have to journey through this system of things. As long as they remain on the highway​—as long as they observe God’s standards of cleanness and holiness—​they remain in the spiritual paradise. And what a joy for them to be joined by a great crowd of “non-Israelite” companions! In sharp contrast with those who look to Satan’s system, both the remnant and their companions continue to enjoy a rich spiritual banquet at Jehovah’s hand. (Isaiah 25:6; 65:13, 14) Discerning Jehovah’s blessing on his people, many beastlike ones have changed their ways and glorified the true God.​—Isaiah 11:6-9. Jehovah Reveals His Hurt 20. How has the Israel of Isaiah’s day failed Jehovah? 20 In ancient times the restored remnant of Israel are a changed people when compared with Isaiah’s wicked generation. Of the latter, Jehovah says: “You have not called even me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of me, O Israel. You have not brought me the sheep of your whole burnt offerings, and with your sacrifices you have not glorified me. I have not compelled you to serve me with a gift, nor have I made you weary with frankincense. For me you have bought no sweet cane with any money; and with the fat of your sacrifices you have not saturated me. In reality you have compelled me to serve because of your sins; you have made me weary with your errors.”​—Isaiah 43:22-24. 21, 22. (a) Why can it be said that Jehovah’s requirements are not burdensome? (b) How do the people, in effect, make Jehovah serve them? 21 In saying, “I have not compelled you to serve me with a gift, nor have I made you weary with frankincense,” Jehovah is not suggesting that sacrifice and frankincense (a component of holy incense) are not required. Indeed, these are an integral part of true worship under the Law covenant. The same is true of the “cane,” which refers to aromatic calamus, a sweet-smelling ingredient of holy anointing oil. The Israelites have been neglecting the use of these in temple service. But are such requirements burdensome? No indeed! Jehovah’s requirements are light when compared with those of false gods. For instance, the false god Molech demanded child sacrifice​—something that Jehovah has never required!​—Deuteronomy 30:11; Micah 6:3, 4, 8. 22 If only the Israelites had spiritual perception, for then they would never ‘grow weary of Jehovah.’ By looking in his Law, they would see his deep love for them and gladly offer him “the fat,” the best part of their sacrifices. Instead, they greedily keep the fat for themselves. (Leviticus 3:9-11, 16) How this wicked nation weighs Jehovah down with the burden of their sins​—in effect, making him serve them!​—Nehemiah 9:28-30. Discipline Reaps Fruitage 23. (a) Why is Jehovah’s discipline well deserved? (b) What is involved in God’s disciplining of Israel? 23 Although severe, and deservedly so, Jehovah’s discipline achieves the desired results, making mercy possible. “I​—I am the One that is wiping out your transgressions for my own sake, and your sins I shall not remember. Remind me; let us put ourselves on judgment together; tell your own account of it in order that you may be in the right. Your own father, the first one, has sinned, and your own spokesmen [“interpreters,” footnote] have transgressed against me. So I shall profane the princes of the holy place, and I will give Jacob over as a man devoted to destruction and Israel over to words of abuse.” (Isaiah 43:25-28) Like all the nations of the world, Israel descends from Adam, “the first one.” Hence, no Israelite can prove himself to be “in the right.” Even Israel’s “spokesmen”​—her teachers, or interpreters, of the Law—​have sinned against Jehovah and taught falsehoods. In turn, Jehovah will hand his entire nation over “to destruction” and “to words of abuse.” He will also profane all those officiating at his “holy place,” or sanctuary. 24. For what primary reason will Jehovah forgive his people​—both ancient and modern—​yet, what are his feelings toward them? 24 Notice, though, that the resulting divine mercy will not simply be because of Israel’s contrition; it will be for Jehovah’s own sake. Yes, his name is involved. Were he to abandon Israel to permanent exile, his own name would be reproached by onlookers. (Psalm 79:9; Ezekiel 20:8-10) Likewise today, the salvation of humans is secondary to the sanctification of Jehovah’s name and the vindication of his sovereignty. Nonetheless, Jehovah loves those who accept his discipline without reservation and who worship him with spirit and truth. He demonstrates his love for these ones​—whether anointed or other sheep—​by wiping out their transgressions on the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.​—John 3:16; 4:23, 24. 25. What awe-inspiring things will Jehovah perform in the near future, and how can we demonstrate our appreciation now? 25 Furthermore, Jehovah will soon demonstrate his love for a great crowd of his loyal worshipers when he does something new in their behalf by delivering them through “the great tribulation” into a cleansed “new earth.” (Revelation 7:14; 2 Peter 3:13) They will witness the most awesome manifestation of Jehovah’s power ever seen by humans. The certain prospect of that event causes the anointed remnant and all those who will make up the great crowd to rejoice and to live each day in accord with that lofty commission: “You are my witnesses”!​—Isaiah 43:10. [Footnote] a In the mythologies of the nations, many gods are “born” and have “children.” [Picture on page 48, 49] Jehovah will support the Jews on their way home to Jerusalem [Pictures on page 52] Jehovah challenges the nations to produce witnesses for their gods 1. Bronze statue of Baal 2. Clay figurines of Ashtoreth 3. Egyptian triad of Horus, Osiris, and Isis 4. Greek gods Athena (left) and Aphrodite [Pictures on page 58] “You are my witnesses.”​—Isaiah 43:10

From Our Readers

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101987009

From Our Readers Hope for the Mentally Ill I must express my appreciation for the articles on mental illness. (September 8, 1986) Although suffering from schizophrenia and having been in a psychiatric hospital, I still did not understand or accept the diagnosis until I read your articles. I take medication once a month to control the symptoms, and I think it is a small price to pay to be able to function normally and feel well. B. B., England I just had to write and thank you for the articles on “Hope for the Mentally Ill.” There was mental illness in my family and family background. Your articles stated how mental illness is often a badge of shame, a malady draped with the language of contempt. That’s exactly how I felt. Your articles will enlighten many people, I’m sure, and help them to show more compassion for those who suffer from emotional disorders. J. R. F., United States My grateful thanks to you for the articles on “Hope for the Mentally Ill.” For six years now I have been suffering from schizophrenia without being aware of it and was even interned in a mental institution where, fortunately, they discovered what my problem was. Now under medication I feel practically normal, for which I thank Jehovah. Before reading the articles my knowledge of schizophrenia and its symptoms was limited. Now, however, with a better understanding of this ailment, how happy I am to know that even though there is no cure, it can be controlled and that in the near future Jehovah, through Christ Jesus, will put an end to all sickness. A. M. S., Brazil I am writing about the last sentence in the article “Mental Illness​—Is There a Cure?” It states: “Her faith helps more than any medication doctors have to offer.” Might this statement cause some in the truth to put off seeking medical help for mental problems? I. V. R., England We believe that statement should be understood in the context of the entire series of articles. It was shown that Irene needed to stay on her medication. But the point is that at best the medication, though necessary, was of limited value and had undesirable side effects. Her faith in Jehovah not only helps sustain her through these problems but gives her a sure hope of a complete cure in the new system under Christ Jesus, something far better than the limited benefits medicine can give her.​—ED. Down’s Syndrome I am writing concerning the item “Down’s Syndrome​—A Modern Approach,” dealing with newly developed cosmetic surgery to alter the appearance of children suffering from Down’s syndrome. (February 8, 1986) Although you take a strong attitude toward the blood issue, you deal with this subject in a favorable light. T. N., Japan The information was presented only as a news item, not as a recommendation. The last paragraph stated: “Of course, plastic surgery in such instances has its critics. And ‘Awake!’ does not endorse or recommend specific forms of therapy, recognizing that these are matters for personal decision.” Such an operation would be different from taking blood, something strictly forbidden in God’s Word.​—Leviticus 17:10-14; Acts 15:29.​—ED.

Young People Ask (yp) 1989

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/yp

Section 8 The Trap of Drugs and Alcohol Marijuana, cocaine, crack, booze. These have become as much a part of some teenagers’ lives as rock music. But regardless of what your peers may tell you, drugs and alcohol are a lethal trap. Why have alarming numbers of youths fallen into it? And what can you do to avoid falling in yourself?

Survival (su) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/su

Chapter 21 A Warm Welcome for Those Who Return 1. What kind of persons are being discussed in this chapter? THERE are many persons who at some time have had enough contact with Bible truth to know that Jehovah is the true God and to understand something about his purposes. Although they are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, they may have studied the Bible with the Witnesses. Or perhaps their parents were Witnesses. Many of these have attended some meetings at a Kingdom Hall. They may even have had some part in sharing the Kingdom message with others. But they have not devoted their lives to the doing of God’s will. Why not? 2. (a) Why did they wander away from Jehovah’s organization? (b) Why do they begin to wish they were back again? 2 The world offers attractions that they think they want, things that they feel will add to their enjoyment of life, and they wander away from Jehovah’s organization in their quest for such things. In time, however, some of these realize that they have not found the kind of life they expected. They wake up to the fact that if they continue as they are, they are going to perish with the world. They have not forgotten the security and spiritual abundance in Jehovah’s “house,” and they want to be there again. But will Jehovah accept them? A PRODIGAL SON RETURNS 3. (a) In the parable of the prodigal son, what description did Jesus give of a similar situation? (b) Whom does the father picture? 3 The answer is indicated in Jesus’ well-known parable of the prodigal son. As an illustration, Jesus told about a man who had two sons. The younger son asked his father for his share of the property. Having obtained this, he went to a distant country, where he recklessly squandered everything in a life of debauchery. He thus acted prodigally. When famine hit that country, the young man, in desperate need, was forced to herd swine, but he was not even permitted to eat their fodder. Shaken by the problems that overwhelmed him, he came to his senses. He called to mind how good life was for even hired men in his father’s house, and he determined to return. He would acknowledge his sinful course and ask to be received back, not as a son, but as a hired servant. (Luke 15:11-19) But after all the things he had done, would his father let him return? How would Jehovah, who was represented by the father in this parable, view the return of such a person? 4. How did the father receive his son when he returned? 4 Vividly portraying Jehovah’s feelings in the matter, Jesus continued: “While [the younger son] was yet a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and fell upon his neck and tenderly kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me as one of your hired men.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! bring out a robe, the best one, and clothe him with it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fattened young bull, slaughter it and let us eat and enjoy ourselves, because this my son was dead and came to life again; he was lost and was found.’ And they started to enjoy themselves.”​—Luke 15:20-24. HOW DOES THE PARABLE APPLY TODAY? 5. (a) Who was pictured by the elder son in Jesus’ parable? (b) Who, then, was represented by the younger son, the prodigal? 5 In this illustration the elder son, the firstborn, appropriately corresponds to “the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens.” (Hebrews 12:23) What about the younger son? He must represent a group other than the “little flock” who have the heavenly hope. Not all of the Lord’s “other sheep” fit the description of the younger son, but some do. Even before the ingathering of the “other sheep” became especially noteworthy, starting in 1935, there were persons who knew that Jehovah is the only true God. They knew of the hope of earthly life under his Kingdom, and they did not entertain for themselves any thought of being of “the congregation of the firstborn” with heavenly hopes. But instead of devoting themselves to Jehovah’s service, they became immersed in worldly pursuits. They took the “means of living” that God granted them, the time and the life that he allowed them to have, and used these for selfish personal gratification. But in 1935 when Jehovah’s servants first clearly understood the identity of the “great crowd,” many who corresponded to the younger son wholeheartedly offered themselves for service in the Father’s house. It was a time of rejoicing such as Jesus described in his parable. 6. In the fulfillment, how did some persons manifest the attitude of the older son, but was that true of all the remnant? 6 It is true that, at that time, not everyone shared in this rejoicing over the arrival of the class represented by the younger son. In his parable Jesus indicated that this would be the case. But not all the remaining ones of the “little flock” manifested such a spirit, and in his illustration Jesus left the way open for even those who were at first displeased, to share in the joy that Jehovah himself has when such sinners truly repent.​—Luke 15:7, 10, 25-32. 7, 8. (a) In more recent years, what has caused others to get far away from Jehovah’s household? (b) In what ways have some felt like the prodigal son? (c) Why should they return? 7 Since those events of the mid-1930’s, however, others have realized that they, too, are in certain respects like that prodigal son. They are well acquainted with Jehovah’s spiritual household, his visible organization, but their way of life has taken them far from it, as if to “a distant country.” They have not opposed Jehovah’s servants, but their own way of life has not been in accord with the standards of God’s Word. They may have built their entire life around their secular work and themselves but failed to give proper weight to their obligations before God and to the seriousness of the times in which we live. Some were offended by the imperfections of others then associated with the congregation and they did not patiently wait for Jehovah to correct matters. But into what conditions have all of these come when they isolated themselves from the household of faith? 8 In time, some have realized that they have become spiritually impoverished. They can see that whatever brief periods of pleasure they have are not bringing them lasting happiness. They may also find that their way of life is taking its toll physically, emotionally and spiritually. Inside they feel empty, as do all who are without God and have no hope. (Ephesians 2:12) They realize that the only time they were really happy was in Jehovah’s “house.” They want to return. Should they? What possible benefit can there be from continuing in their impoverished condition? Delay could be disastrous. If they keep clinging to the world, when it is destroyed they are going to lose their life. 9. (a) Why does Jehovah want such persons to return? (Ezekiel 18:23) (b) What is required on their part? 9 But can such persons return? Warmly Jehovah invites them to come back, and his visible organization extends loving help to those who do. (Zechariah 1:3, 4) What is required? As shown in Jesus’ parable, they must come to their senses, take the initiative to return and acknowledge that they have sinned against God. If they engaged in grossly unchristian conduct, they must give convincing evidence to the elders that they have now abandoned that way of life and are genuinely repentant. Their earnest desire must now be to serve Jehovah as part of his visible organization. (Luke 15:18-21; Proverbs 28:13) If that truly is what is in their heart, they can be sure that their leaving their bad ways and thoughts and returning to Jehovah will bring great joy. (Isaiah 55:7) However, for their own joy to extend beyond the pleasure of being warmly welcomed again at the Kingdom Hall, sound spiritual rebuilding is needed. BUILDING ON A SOUND FOUNDATION 10. (a) What attitude toward Jehovah’s requirements do repentant ones need to develop? (b) How can they cultivate a close personal relationship with Jehovah? 10 Especially is it important for any who return to Jehovah’s household to become well acquainted with the various features of Jehovah’s personality and to cultivate a close personal relationship with him. They need to realize that all that Jehovah requires of us is really for our own benefit. His commandments do not take the joy out of life but, instead, safeguard us against doing things that might bring a momentary thrill but lead to a bitter harvest. (Isaiah 48:17; Galatians 6:7, 8) When he disciplines us, it is because of his love for us. (Proverbs 3:11, 12) Personal study followed by meditation on what is learned, earnest prayer and regular meeting attendance will help us to learn to put our full trust in Jehovah, to look to him for direction in everything we do.​—Proverbs 3:5, 6. 11. How will those who had strayed be helped by (a) developing hatred for badness? (b) seeking understanding? (c) being consistent in applying godly standards? (d) learning to consider the outcome of anything they plan to do? (e) showing loving concern for others? 11 Those who strayed may have known what was right and what was wrong. But now they must also develop hatred for badness and they must continue to do so as long as it surrounds them. (Psalm 97:10) They will be helped in this if they seek not only knowledge but also understanding. First of all, this involves seeing things in relation to God. We need to recognize the various means by which he instructs us and how our reaction to his counsel affects our relationship with him. (Proverbs 4:7; 9:10) We must appreciate the importance of being consistent, applying Jehovah’s standards all the time, in everything we do. (Titus 2:11, 12; 1 Thessalonians 4:7) Care should also be exercised to consider not just momentary pleasure but what the outcome of our decisions may prove to be. (Compare Proverbs 20:21; 23:17, 18; Hebrews 11:24-26.) We should also be lovingly concerned about the effect on others of things we say and do.​—Romans 15:1, 2. 12. (a) Awareness of what as to Satan and his methods will help to safeguard us? (b) What is needed to win in this fight? 12 As Christians we will be greatly strengthened by realizing that we are in the midst of a spiritual warfare. Our principal adversary is Satan the Devil, along with his demons. By every means possible he seeks to divert us from the vital Kingdom work that Jehovah has given us to do. His objective is to entice us to set aside Jehovah’s standards, to become part of the world of which he is ruler. His snares often appeal to normal desires (for happiness, physical comfort, love and affection), but he urges us to give such desires a prominence that distorts their purpose or to satisfy them in improper ways. Only by making full use of the spiritual armor that God provides can we come off winners in this fight for our spiritual lives.​—Ephesians 6:11-18. 13. (a) How can we find refreshment for our souls? (b) Why does serving Jehovah in imitation of Christ really bring us happiness? 13 Jesus said that if we would come to him and take his “yoke,” we would find refreshment for our souls. (Matthew 11:29, 30) Taking a “yoke” upon oneself means serving. But serving Jehovah in imitation of his Son brings true refreshment. How so? Because it brings real freedom. We no longer are slaves of sin, in bondage to it, doing things we know we should not do and perhaps wish we were not doing. (John 8:32, 34-36) If our Christian personality is built on Jesus Christ as the foundation, we will appreciate his role in Jehovah’s purpose, we will listen to him and learn from him. He delighted to do his Father’s will. We will learn to do that too. (John 4:34; Psalm 40:8) Because of adhering to God’s moral standards we will be able to enjoy a clean conscience. Instead of living only for self, we will experience the happiness that comes from giving. (Acts 20:35) Life will come to have real purpose for us. Above all, we will have the joy of knowing that we have the approval of Jehovah himself, the Father of all who become his sons.​—Proverbs 10:22.

Sing Praises (ssb) 1984

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/Ssb

Song 62 Happy, the Merciful! (Matthew 5:7) 1. How happy are the merciful! In God’s eyes they are beautiful. They tell to all who love the right That God in mercy takes delight. At Calv’ry mercy God displayed, Provision for our ransom made. He offers mercy to the meek Because he knows our frame is weak. 2. Those merciful like God are blest; Through sins forgiven they have rest. They benefit by mercy shown Since Christ appeared before God’s throne. This mercy they would gladly share By preaching God’s Word ev’rywhere, By telling men: Be of good cheer Because the Kingdom now is here. 3. The merciful need have no dread When up before God’s judgment led; For mercy he’ll cause them to know, Since they, like him, do mercy show. O merciful may we e’er be And show that tender quality By using each occasion giv’n To imitate our God in heav’n. (POSTLUDE) How happy are the merciful! In God’s eyes truly beautiful.

Help for Victims of Torture

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102000009

Help for Victims of Torture BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN DENMARK “IT IS EASIER TO HEAL BROKEN BONES THAN TO HEAL A BROKEN SOUL.”—Dr. Inge Genefke. A YOUNG man strolls down a peaceful street in a European city and pauses to look at some merchandise displayed in a shop window. Suddenly, his hands tremble. His knees shake. He clutches his neck as if he were going to choke. In the window, he has just seen the reflection of two uniformed policemen. The young man has broken no laws, and there is no reason for him to be afraid. Yet, the mere sight of men in uniform takes him back to a place thousands of miles away and to a time years ago when he was a victim of torture. This could be the story of any one of millions of men, women, and even children. It could be the story of someone you know. The victim of cruel mistreatment may be a refugee or an immigrant who has moved into your neighborhood. His children may attend school with your children. You may know him as a quiet, calm, polite neighbor who generally keeps to himself. But outward appearances can be deceiving; they may conceal the inner turmoil that the victim feels as he grapples with memories of past physical and mental suffering. Any sight—or sound—may cause him to relive past horrors. One such victim explains: “Whenever I hear a baby cry, I think of people I heard crying in the prison. Whenever I hear a sweeping sound in the air, I remember the rod going up and down—the sound it made just before it hit me.” Torture is not the sole domain of political extremists and terrorist groups. In a number of countries, it is also employed by military and police forces. Why? Torture can be a quick and efficient way to obtain information, to extract a confession, to obtain incriminating testimony, or to take revenge. According to Denmark’s Dr. Inge Genefke, a leading expert on torture, in some cases governments “have come to power and maintain their position through the practice of torture.” One victim put it this way: “They wanted to break me so that others could see what happens to you when you criticise the government.” To many people the idea of inflicting torture on fellow humans is strictly reminiscent of the Dark Ages. After all, in 1948 the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” (Article 5) Some experts believe, however, that up to 35 percent of the world’s refugees have been tortured. Why is torture so widespread? How are victims affected, and what can be done to help them? The Aftermath Not surprisingly, many victims of torture flee their homeland to start a new life elsewhere. But while the locale may change, the suffering—both physical and psychological—continues. For example, the victim may experience feelings of guilt because of being unable to protect friends or relatives from mistreatment. He may also develop a profound mistrust of others, fearing that each person he meets could be an informer. “The torture victim is forever going to be a stranger,” says writer Carsten Jensen. “He has forever lost his trust in the world.” The result is a mixture of physical and mental trauma that can baffle the victim and anyone who sets out to help him. The physical problems can sometimes be treated readily, but not so the psychological. “In the beginning we thought, ‘All right, we’ll put their bones together—then they can walk home,’” admits Dr. Genefke. “But we soon learned that it was the pain in their hearts that was eating them up.” Nevertheless, Dr. Genefke notes: “It has been a surprise to learn that it is possible to relieve and to help victims, even if many years have passed.” In 1982, at Copenhagen’s National Hospital, Dr. Genefke along with other Danish physicians set up a small unit for treating refugees who were victims of torture. From these small beginnings grew a global network under the name International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). From its headquarters in Copenhagen, the council is directing relief work through more than 100 centers worldwide. Over the years, the council has learned much about treating victims of torture. How to Give Support It is often helpful for victims to talk about their experiences. “Some 20 years ago,” says a presentation sheet from the IRCT, “torture victims were often victims in a double sense. First by being exposed to the physical/psychological act of torture, and then second by not being able to talk about it.” Granted, it is not pleasant to talk about a topic as dismal as torture. But if a sufferer wishes to confide in a friend and the friend refuses to listen, the sufferer could sink deeper into despair. Therefore, it is important for the victim to be assured that someone cares. Of course, no one should pry into the personal affairs of another. Ultimately, it is up to the victim to decide if, when, and in whom he or she wants to confide.—Proverbs 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Most experts recommend considering both the physical and the mental aspects of torture. For some victims, rehabilitation requires professional help. Approaches to treatment include exercises in breathing and in communication.a Feelings of shame are usually among the first to be addressed. One therapist told a woman who had been repeatedly raped and beaten: “The shame you feel is normal and understandable. But remember that it is not yours. The shame belongs to the people who did this to you.” Concentration Camp Survivors During World War II, millions of people suffered horrible indignities in Hitler’s concentration camps. Among these were thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were persecuted because they refused to renounce their religious beliefs. Their faith undeniably helped them to endure such trialsome circumstances. How? Long before their incarceration, these Christians had been careful students of God’s Word. Thus, they were not puzzled when trials arose, nor did they blame God when their suffering did not immediately come to an end. Through a study of the Bible, the Witnesses had learned why God permits wickedness and how he will put an end to it in his due time. Bible study had taught them that Jehovah is “a lover of justice” and that he is outraged when men mistreat their fellow humans.—Psalm 37:28; Zechariah 2:8, 9. Of course, many of these concentration camp survivors have had to cope with the traumatic aftereffects of their ordeal. In doing so, they have been greatly strengthened by following the counsel of the apostle Paul. While Paul languished in a Roman prison, a situation that must have brought him considerable anxiety, he wrote to fellow believers: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 1:13; 4:6, 7. Through Bible study, these integrity keepers have learned that God has promised to make the earth a paradise, where the painful effects of indignities such as torture will eventually be erased. Jehovah’s Witnesses are sharing this Bible-based hope with their neighbors in more than 230 lands. Turbulent world conditions bring them into contact with many who have suffered because of man’s inhumanity to man. When they meet victims of torture, the Witnesses endeavor to share with these individuals the Bible’s promise of a bright future. How happy they are to spread the glad tidings of a future time when torture will be a thing of the past!—Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:4. [Footnote] a Awake! does not endorse any particular treatment. Christians should be sure that any treatment they pursue does not conflict with Bible principles. [Blurb on page 24] “NO ONE SHALL BE SUBJECTED TO TORTURE OR TO CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT.”—Article 5, Universal Declaration of Human Rights [Box on page 25] HOW YOU CAN HELP IF YOU ARE ACQUAINTED WITH SOMEONE WHO IS RECOVERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF TORTURE, THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS MAY PROVE HELPFUL: ● Show empathy. You might say: “I know there is a lot of trouble in the country you come from. How are you coping?”—Matthew 7:12; Romans 15:1. ● Do not pry or be too insistent about providing help. Rather, be kind and considerate. Let the victim know that you are willing to listen.—James 1:19. ● Avoid being overly helpful. Do not deprive the sufferer of his self-respect or his privacy. The idea is to share the burden with the sufferer, not to attempt to carry it completely.

Page Two

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101985000

Page Two Our time has witnessed tremendous progress in the field of rapid communications. Yet many do not communicate with members of their own family. What has contributed to the breakdown in family communication? How can it be improved? The following articles provide thought-provoking answers to these questions Family Communication​—Why The Breakdown? 3 Family Communication​—How Can It Be Improved? 4

What Does the Bible Say About Alcohol? Is Drinking It a Sin?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502015240

What Does the Bible Say About Alcohol? Is Drinking It a Sin? The Bible’s answer It is not a sin to drink alcohol in moderation. The Bible describes wine as a gift from God that can make life more enjoyable. (Psalm 104:14, 15; Ecclesiastes 3:​13; 9:7) The Bible also acknowledges the medicinal value of wine.​—1 Timothy 5:​23. Jesus drank wine during his time on earth. (Matthew 26:29; Luke 7:​34) In one of his well-known miracles, Jesus turned water into wine as a generous gift at a marriage feast.​—John 2:​1-​10. Dangers of overdrinking While the Bible mentions the positive aspects of wine, it condemns overdrinking and drunkenness. Thus, a Christian who chooses to drink alcohol would do so only in moderation. (1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 2:​2, 3) The Bible gives several reasons to avoid overdrinking. It impairs thinking ability and judgment. (Proverbs 23:29-​35) An intoxicated person cannot fulfill the Bible’s command to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason.”​—Romans 12:1. Overdrinking removes inhibitions and “the motivation to do what is right.”​—Hosea 4:​11; Ephesians 5:​18. It can lead to poverty and serious health problems.​—Proverbs 23:21, 31, 32. Heavy drinking and drunkenness displease God.​—Proverbs 23:20; Galatians 5:​19-​21. How much is too much? A person has had too much alcohol when his drinking puts him or others at risk of harm. According to the Bible, drunkenness is identified, not by a person’s passing out, but by such behavior as being disoriented, walking unsteadily, becoming outputious, or having slurred speech. (Job 12:25; Psalm 107:27; Proverbs 23:29, 30, 33) Even those who avoid getting drunk can still become “weighed down with . . . heavy drinking” and experience its serious consequences.​—Luke 21:34, 35. Complete abstinence The Bible also identifies times when Christians should avoid drinking alcohol altogether: If others would be stumbled by it.​—Romans 14:21. If drinking alcohol violates the law of the land.​—Romans 13:1. If a person cannot control his drinking. Those who suffer from alcoholism and other forms of alcohol abuse must be willing to take drastic action.​—Matthew 5:​29, 30.

Examining the Scriptures—2020 2019

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/brochures-and-booklets/examining-the-scriptures/examining-the-scriptures-2020

How to Use This Booklet On the following pages, you will find a scripture for each day and comments on that text. Although the text and comments may be read at any time, many find it advantageous to consider them in the morning. Then they can reflect on such thoughts throughout the day. Discussing the text as a family is most beneficial. Bethel families around the world do so at breakfast time. The comments are taken from the Watchtower (w) issues of April 2018 through March 2019. Figures following the date of the Watchtower issue refer first to the page(s) in that issue and then to the paragraphs where the material is found. (See illustration below.) Additional information on the subject matter can be found in the article itself.