Government That Can Satisfy the Needs of All
BY REASON of his Creatorship, Jehovah God is the rightful Sovereign of the universe. Even before human governments existed, yes, even before humans existed, he held that position. He has never given it up. However, due to the insurrection of our first parents, Adam and Eve, Jehovah God purposed to express his rulership over heaven and earth through a subsidiary government. By means of this government he will satisfy the needs of all. The governmental body itself is to be composed of persons taken from among earth’s inhabitants.
The Bible book of Daniel describes Jehovah’s deputy ruler as “someone like a son of man.” (Dan. 7:13) He appears in God’s heavenly courts and is given “rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him.” (Dan. 7:14) This “son of man” is later identified in the Holy Scriptures as Jesus Christ. (Matt. 12:40) The book of Daniel also speaks of the associate rulers of the “son of man” as “holy ones of the Supreme One.” (Dan. 7:27) In the last book of the Bible the number associated with Jesus Christ in rulership is shown to be 144,000.—Rev. 14:1-3.
Consider, now, the solid hope such a government offers to the world’s needy ones.
A KING WHO CARES ABOUT THE POOR
We can trust God’s deputy ruler, Jesus Christ, fully, as his most outstanding quality is that of unselfish, self-sacrificing love. In proof of this he left his home in the heavens, where he had everything. He “took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men.” Then he let himself be “brought just like a sheep to the slaughtering,” that by his death he might make possible everlasting life for those exercising faith in him.—Phil. 2:6-8; Isa. 53:7.
Jesus Christ can deal sympathetically with the afflicted and needy, for he knows what it means to be poor. Regarding his own human circumstances, he once remarked: “Foxes have dens and birds of heaven have roosts, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay down his head.” (Matt. 8:20) Moreover, Jesus’ heart went out to distressed people of all kinds. “He felt pity for them,” and was ever willing to help them. (Matt. 14:14) On one occasion a leper said to him: “Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus lovingly responded: “I want to. Be made clean.” (Matt. 8:2, 3) Would you not like someone so compassionate as your king? Does not Jesus’ past record give you confidence that the prophetic words respecting his rule will be fulfilled, “He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one”?—Ps. 72:13.
Though now occupying an exalted position in the heavens, Jesus Christ is just as loving, compassionate and concerned about humans as he was when on earth. He is just as impartial, ‘loving righteousness and hating lawlessness.’ (Heb. 1:9) God’s Word tells us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) Surely one who was willing to sacrifice his most precious possession—his life—to fill man’s need for deliverance from sin and death deserves our trust and confidence!
A LOOK AT THE KING’S ASSOCIATE RULERS
Those selected to be associate rulers with God’s Son must manifest the same kind of love, being willing to surrender their life in behalf of others. (John 15:12, 13) Like Jesus Christ, they must be lovers of right and haters of bad. Concerning them the Bible says: “No falsehood was found in their mouths; they are without blemish.” (Rev. 14:5) So their subjects will be given no double-tongued, hypocritical promises.
In all respects Jesus Christ set the perfect standard for those who would rule with him. Showing how they must humbly care for and lovingly serve the needs of his subjects on earth, he told them: “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them and the great men wield authority over them. This is not the way among you; but whoever wants to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister.” (Matt. 20:25-28) This assures us that their rule will have none of the undesirable qualities of imperfect human governments.
EARTHLY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE KING
At this point you may be wondering: Since God’s kingdom is a heavenly government, what kind of governmental operation will there be here on earth? Psalm 45:16 prophetically reveals that Jesus Christ will have princely administrators on earth. We read: “In place of your forefathers there will come to be your sons, whom you will appoint as princes in all the earth.” That means we may expect some of the faithful forefathers of Jesus, worthy men like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to be numbered among those who will occupy those princely positions. Additionally, some who will be princely representatives are even now serving in positions of responsibility in the true Christian congregation. Such men are neither ‘lovers of money’ nor “greedy of dishonest gain.” (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7) As spiritual shepherds they are “examples to the flock” and show loving concern for all within the congregation. (1 Pet. 5:2, 3) Their faithfulness now may mean being used in an even grander way in the earthly administration of God’s kingdom.
The subjects of God’s kingdom can be sure that their needs will be satisfied. Not only will Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ end poverty and hunger, but it will also bring good health and everlasting life to its devoted subjects. What Jehovah God will do by means of his kingdom is beautifully portrayed at Isaiah 25:6-8: “Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples . . . a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of wine kept on the dregs, of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of wine kept on the dregs, filtered. . . . He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.” Would not these grand conditions satisfy your needs?
It is indeed encouraging to know that Jesus Christ, his heavenly associate rulers, as well as his princely representatives on earth, will never abuse their authority. Jehovah God, who can discern every motivation and inclination of the heart, knows this for a fact. We, therefore, have no reason to doubt that our needs will be cared for in a loving and compassionate way. So would not life under the administration of God’s kingdom be truly desirable? But when will all this come about?