Declaration Concerning the Divine Name
1. On what occasion throughout the earth was the Declaration Concerning the Divine Name presented for adoption, and by whom?
WE, as God-fearing men and women, who are met together in a general convention called the “Divine Name” District Assembly in ․․․․, this ․․․ day of ․․․․, 1971, feel ourselves stirred to make this Declaration, based on the Holy Scriptures, to the peoples of all races, colors, nationalities and languages:
2. What will come from the One who has the Divine Name, and to whom is that Name of importance and why?
2 THE DIVINE NAME is the personal name of the One from whom alone can, must and will come a new and righteous order, adorned by a peaceful Paradise over all the earth, amply filled with perfect human creatures dwelling together in love and happiness and in the reverential fear of the Divine Name. The knowledge of that name is of highest importance to all mankind. By calling upon that name in faith and confidence they will be saved from eternal annihilation, so as to enjoy the endless blessings that flow from the Divine One in his promised new order.
3. (a) What proper desire do countless thousands of good-hearted people have? (b) How have they been betrayed by those who have dominated over them religiously?
3 Today countless thousands of good-hearted persons have a sincere desire to know what the divine name is and the One to whom that name belongs, that they may come into harmonious relationship with Him and thus intelligently worship and serve Him and share in his loving favor. Those persons with such proper heart desires have been betrayed by their religious leaders, who have dominated over them and kept them in spiritual darkness, hiding from them the Divine Name and not making known to them the saving power of that Name. These clerical leaders in the religious realm known as Christendom possess the inspired sacred book that reveals the Divine Name and this book shows the indissoluble connection of that Name with the divine purpose to deliver all mankind from the enslaving control of human imperfection, human error and all operations of death.
4. Where may the results of such delinquency be plainly seen, and what course toward the Divine Name has not worked for the good of church people or of heathens?
4 The results of such serious delinquency on the part of the clerical leaders are plainly seen in the woeful religious condition of Christendom today, in which the hundreds of religious sects that call themselves Christian vainly try to come to a religious unity along with sectarian diversity. Beyond all denial, the ignoring of the Divine Name by professed Christians, the downgrading of it, the treating of it as being inconsequential as if it were replaceable by mere impersonal titles—all this has not worked out for the benefit of the church people of Christendom nor for the exaltation of that holy Divine Name among the “heathen” nations.
5. Of what affront are the clergy guilty, and what rescue work has been greatly hampered and hindered?
5 The religious clergy of Christendom have committed an affront against the Divine Name. Because of their doing so the rescue of the people from the disastrous course of the confused, turbulent, lawless world has been gravely hampered and hindered.
6. (a) From all the evidences since 1914, what have thoughtful people been led to conclude about the nations? (b) Upon what are the nations not calling for salvation, and their having no reliance thereon is due to what?
6 All the evidences that have been mounting up since the world-shaking year of 1914 lead thoughtful people to conclude that all nations are embarked on a suicidal course that spells annihilation for the whole human race. In their anguish and perplexity the nations are not calling upon the Divine Name for salvation from the calamitous consequences of their own willful works. Not even those nations that claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are doing so. The religious clergy of Christendom have given the nations no reasonable basis for reverencing the Divine Name and for putting reliance upon it as designating the one and only Source of life and salvation. By the clergy the nations have been kept in ignorance of the beneficent purpose of that One to bring in a workable government over all the earth for the imparting of life, happiness, prosperity and peace to all peoples without discrimination, as being one big human family, all being the earthly children of the one loving Creator. What has been the result?
7. As a result, how are the nations acting with respect to that Name?
7 All nations, including those of Christendom, not only are acting in ignorance of the Divine Name, but are pursuing their own selfish, unrealizable schemes in defiance of the Divine Name.
8. Near to the end of what have the nations come, and the time is at hand for what expression?
8 After about four thousand two hundred years since the building of the Tower of Babel in the land of Mesopotamia, all nations have come near to the end of the divine patience and self-restraint. The time is at hand for the One whose name is being ignored and defied to express himself, to make himself known by name to the defiant nations. He owes it to himself to do this.
9. To what stated purpose must He live up, and where and how many times has that purpose been set out, and to what effect?
9 In this connection he must live up to his often restated purpose, a purpose that has been on record now for three thousand four hundred and eighty-three years, yes, since when the divinely sent prophet Moses appeared before the ruler of Egypt and demanded that this Pharaoh let Moses’ people go free. In the Holy Scriptures, from the second book written by Moses down to the twenty-ninth book of the Holy Scriptures, the prophecy of Joel, the divine statement is set out for more than seventy times that individuals, peoples and nations “shall know that I am Jehovah.” (According to the American Standard Version of the Bible)
10. So, what is the Divine Name, and what must He do regarding it, when and with what results?
10 Whether the nations, the so-called Christian nations or the so-called pagan nations, like it or not, Jehovah is the Divine Name. For his own sake and for the salvation of the human race Jehovah himself must rise up and make his name known in a way that will go down in universal history imperishably. When he does so, the defiant nations must be defeated and destroyed in the approaching “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at that stage of world affairs called Har–Magedon. (Rev. 16:14, 16) Immortal God the Almighty will emerge vindicated as the rightful Sovereign of all earth and heaven. His name Jehovah will be crowned with undying glory.
11. Jehovah raised up Ezekiel to give what warning, and what happened to defiers of His name during Jerusalem’s siege and destruction?
11 In the seventh century before our Common Era Jehovah raised up the watchman Ezekiel to warn ancient Jerusalem of the impending “sword” of divine warfare against her because of her crookedness, her bloodguilt, her political and religious error. Thousands who defied the Divine Name perished miserably in the siege and destruction of that religious capital Jerusalem during 609-607 B.C.E.
12. Under the present circumstances, how would Jehovah not be acting according to divine rules of action, but how has he acted true to principle?
12 A situation more serious than that facing ancient Jerusalem confronts the nations of Christendom as well as all the non-Christian nations of today. Under these similar but worse circumstances Jehovah would not be acting according to his divine rules of action if he left the nations without warning of what awaits them, namely, the “sword” of divine warfare on a scale never before known in human history. True to principle, Jehovah has raised up his modern-day “watchman.” Since 1919, the next year after the end of World War I, Jehovah’s “watchman” has been sounding the warning to more and more nations as time has gone on.
13. Whom does twentieth-century history identify this “watchman” as being, and what testifies to the fact that he has been heard?
13 Twentieth-century history identifies this “watchman,” not as an individual man of a particular race or nationality, but as a group of dedicated, baptized, spirit-anointed Christians, to wit, the anointed remnant of Christian witnesses of Jehovah. International opposition and persecution against this “watchman” class testifies to the fact that this “watchman” class has been heard giving the warning throughout the earth and that this Christian group has played the foretold role in modern-day fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
14. Who count themselves favored in associating with that “watchman,” and what do they recognize to be their bounden duty and obligation, and why?
14 We, who are a “great crowd” of companion witnesses of Jehovah, count ourselves highly favored in associating with this “watchman” class and joining with it in sounding ever more widely the warning of the “sword” of divine warfare that is hanging as if by a slender thread over the head of all races, peoples and nations. Inasmuch as we have been made aware of this menacing situation through our study of Jehovah’s prophetic Word and through the trend of international events, we recognize our bounden duty and obligation to sound this timely warning in obedience to divine command.
15. Despite what prospect do we obey God as ruler, being impelled by what to this faithful course?
15 We well know that we shall encounter further antagonism and persecution for thus obeying God as ruler rather than men. But our love for Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and love for our fellowmen impels us to this faithful course of action.
16. (a) How do uncounted numbers feel at heart, along with what heart hunger? (b) What do we have that will meet their need, and what are we disposed to do in that behalf and to what end?
16 As we ourselves once were, likewise uncounted numbers of righteously disposed persons are sick at heart over what is taking place in this corrupt, anarchistic, unreliable world, especially in the religious part of it. They have a gnawing hunger in their hearts; they want to know and get in touch with the One who can really prove to be their Deliverer and Blesser. We, as Christian witnesses of Jehovah, are happy to confess that we have that which will satisfy their spiritual need, according to Jehovah’s loving-kindness to us through Jesus Christ. We do not dare and we are not disposed to keep the lifesaving enlightenment from Jehovah to ourselves; and therefore we will continue to shed forth the Bible light concerning the Divine Name, Jehovah, and his promised Kingdom by his Messiah Jesus. In this loving way we shall help all these truth-hungry persons to identify themselves as worthy to be spared when the “sword” of Jehovah strikes this wicked system, in order that they may survive into Jehovah’s new order where a Paradise earth will be provided for man’s everlasting home under God’s kingdom by Jesus Christ.
17. What resolve do we renew, and until when?
17 Accordingly, on this occasion, we renew our resolve to preach this good news of the Kingdom until Almighty God fulfills his declaration that “the nations shall know that I am Jehovah.”—Ezek. 39:7, AS.