who possessed it in the days of the apostle Paul, although angels had been living for a very long time before then.

For the chosen few who receive the gift of immortality, death loses its sting forever. They are made eternally free from its power. “Then the saying will take place that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up forever.’ ‘Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?’” (1 Cor. 15:54, 55) As these receive the marvelous gift of immortality, faithful Christians not of this select group are assured that Jehovah will keep his promise to give eternal life to everyone exercising faith in him and his Son.—John 3:16.

Never Failing Our God in This Time of the End

THE Creator, Jehovah God, needs no one. He is wholly self-contained. He existed alone throughout a past eternity without ever feeling lonely, without feeling the need of anyone.

However, in his wisdom and love he saw fit at one point in that past eternity to begin to create creatures, the first of these being his only-begotten Son, the Word, the one later known as Jesus Christ. When Jehovah God and his Son made man they made him in their image, endowing him with certain attributes and faculties and giving him the freedom of choice, to do right, to obey and live or to do wrong, to disobey, and die. But regardless of what man would do, God would remain faithful, for he cannot deny himself.—2 Tim. 2:13.a

God’s purpose for Adam and Eve was that they should increase in number, subdue the earth and exercise dominion over the lower animals. (Gen. 1:28) As a test of their appreciation and worthiness God placed a restriction upon them; they were not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree. (Gen. 2:17) So long as Adam and Eve obeyed God’s laws they brought pleasure to him, even as we read: “A wise son is the one that makes a father rejoice.”—Prov. 10:1.

But when Adam and Eve rebelled they no longer brought God pleasure and joy and so he divorced them from his righteous organization of creatures and drove them out of the garden of Eden to die while eking out a meager existence from a cursed earth that brought forth thorns and thistles. (Gen. 3:19) However, Jehovah God was not frustrated or made helpless because Adam and Eve had failed him. He, being the universal Almighty Sovereign, will have his purpose regarding the earth and humankind carried out in spite of what any creatures may or may not do.—Isa. 55:11.

Since Adam’s day many other creatures have failed God. There was Esau who despised his birthright, showing himself to be a person not appreciating sacred things. (Heb. 12:16) Among other notable ones that failed Jehovah were Cain, Achan, King Saul and King Solomon. In fact, the entire nation of Israel, with but few exceptions, failed Jehovah at the time he sent his Son to earth. And then there was Judas Iscariot who so miserably failed God after having been an intimate companion of God’s Son for some three years. All these had privileges of serving God and all failed God because of their unfaithfulness. All shrank back for one reason or another so that God could no longer take pleasure in them.—Heb. 10:38, 39.

However, during all this time Jehovah God has had creatures, both spirit and human, that have not failed him. Included among these are his first-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and many others such as the faithful apostles. All these remained faithful and so brought pleasure to God, giving him an answer that he could make to the one taunting him, the Devil, Satan.—Prov. 27:11.

We who are living in this time of the end of this old world, as is apparent from the fulfillment of Bible prophecy—whom will we imitate? Those who failed God or those who proved faithful? Today God has a people that are proving faithful to him, carrying out his purposes, even as he foretold. (Isa. 43:10-12) This people he has enlightened by a knowledge of him and his purposes; he has put his spirit upon them and ordained them to be his witnesses. Will we individually keep integrity by right conduct, by never compromising, by