16. How might some refuse to drink the “cup,” but what was Jeremiah to say?

¹⁶ Some of the kingdoms mentioned may have put up a resistance to the aggressive Nebuchadnezzar in order to keep Jehovah’s decree from being carried out. But for their instruction the prophet Jeremiah was told to say: “This is what Jehovah of armies has said: ‘You will drink without fail.

Jer. 25:28, 29.

17. How have the nations shown their refusal to drink the “cup,” but how effective has this been?

¹⁷ Since the year 1919 C.E. nations have refused to drink the symbolic “cup” of Jehovah’s message of divine rage at the hand of the Jeremiah class. So they have taken action against Jehovah’s Witnesses, both the Jeremiah class and a “great crowd” of cooperating companions, even banning them and the free distribution of their printed Bible messages. But all of this in vain! Moved by Jehovah’s spirit, his obedient witnesses carry on their meetings and Kingdom preaching underground. They thus obey God rather than men who resist God. (Acts 4:19; 5:29) In the not distant future such political resisters will learn that driving Jehovah’s Witnesses underground will never prevent worldly rulers from drinking the “cup” at God’s own hand in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at the place symbolically called Har–Magedon.​—Rev. 16:13-16.