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Man’s Rule About to Give Way to God’s RuleThe Watchtower—1968 | October 15
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the rule of this earth for the saving of the human race.
GOD’S TIME AT HAND!
41. (a) Besides man’s urgent necessity for God’s rulership, what else of even greater importance needs consideration? (b) Will man give up his rule of earth peacefully, and, if not, what will be necessary?
41 However, man’s urgent necessity is not alone the thing that dictates that the Almighty God and Creator must take over the rulership of all the earth by his Messianic kingdom. God’s own self-appointed time dictates that he now reestablish his rule on earth. In spite of human rulers and their political supporters who feel that man’s rule absolutely has to be carried forward in order to avoid world disaster, God as a precise Timekeeper will follow his own time clock and at the exact time he will restore theocracy, God’s rule, to this planet, over all the earth. His time is near, which is why man’s rule is about to give way to God’s rule. Man’s rule will not give way peacefully, but human rulers will continue to fight against God’s kingdom to maintain their domination of all the earth. Man’s rule will therefore have to give way under defeat and destruction brought upon it in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at what is called Armageddon. (Rev. 16:14, 16) God’s rule will triumph and prevail on earth forevermore.
42. (a) When did man’s uninterrupted Gentile rule of earth cease, and how can we be assured that this is so? (b) What was established in 1914 to replant God’s rule in the earth?
42 It is not mere imagination for us to say that the Gentile Times of man’s rule under Satan’s rule ended in the year 1914 C.E. This bold fact is proved by the world war beginning that year and followed by famines, pestilences, earthquakes, religious persecution and international distress and perplexity, just as foretold by Jesus Christ in his prophecy on the “conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 24:3-12; Luke 21:10-19) The ending of the Gentile Times in that unforgettable year meant that God’s kingdom in the hands of descendants of the royal line of King David that was overturned at Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. was reestablished, not at earthly Jerusalem over in the Middle East, but in the heavens. Its authority was put into the hands of God’s resurrected Son, Jesus Christ, who as a man on earth was the rightful and permanent heir to the throne of King David. (Luke 1:26-37) That kingdom now rules at the “heavenly Jerusalem” far beyond any power of the Gentile nations to trample upon it. That heavenly kingdom of the Christ will be the divine means to replant God’s rule in the earth.
43. Through whom will Jehovah displace man’s rule, and what is to happen to the symbolic serpent who promoted man’s rule originally?
43 All honest persons who have lost faith in man’s rule have solid reason now to rejoice that man’s rule is about to give way to God’s rule. For over sixteen centuries Christendom has hypocritically prayed the “Lord’s prayer” but at the same time individual genuine Christians have also prayed the prayer, “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matt. 6:9, 10) The heavenly Father will without fail answer this prayer that was taught by his own faithful Son, Jesus Christ. The taking place of God’s will here on earth as also in the heavens means that God’s rule will displace man’s rule and will be enforced over all the earth by his kingdom in which his heavenly Son Jesus Christ reigns. He primarily is the Seed of God’s woman that was promised in the garden of Eden about six thousand years ago. He, then, is the particular One that will bruise the symbolic serpent, Satan the Devil, in the head. (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20) That symbolic Serpent was the One that promoted and maneuvered man’s rule in the earth ever since man rebelled in Eden.
44. (a) What parallel of survival forty-three centuries ago does a “great crowd” of earthly lovers of God’s rule look forward to today? (b) What will be their attitude under God’s rule in the new order on earth?
44 Forty-three centuries ago Noah and his family in the ark survived the end of the “world of ungodly people” through the flood. (2 Pet. 2:5; 3:5, 6) In a parallel fashion, in this generation a relatively “great crowd” of earthly lovers of God’s rule, who pray for his kingdom to come, will survive the violent end of man’s rule in the earth. Under God’s protection they will realize their hope of being preserved through the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Armageddon and of entering into God’s new order on earth. There they will wholeheartedly submit to God’s rule. They will not be like the faithless people of the prophet Samuel’s day and demand to have a visible, earthly, human king over them. They will rejoice in the invisible heavenly King whom Jehovah God has installed in royal power and will lovingly and faithfully obey him. Their blessings under God’s rule through this heavenly King, Jesus Christ, will be far greater than those enjoyed by the people under the reign of wise King Solomon.
45. In addition to preserving a “great crowd” through Armageddon, what else will God’s rule through his Messianic kingdom do?
45 Man’s rule today, reinforced by stockpiles of nuclear bombs, threatens to annihilate the whole human race. God’s rule through his Messianic kingdom will do more than preserve the lives of those who survive the war of Armageddon. It will restore to life on earth the unnumbered thousands of millions who died during the thousands of years of man’s rule. When a man on earth, Jesus Christ promised that there would be a resurrection of the dead for whom he laid down his perfect human life as a sacrifice. (John 5:25, 28, 29; 11:25, 26) As heavenly King he will see to it that such resurrection takes place. The wonderfulness of it all is beyond our powers to comprehend.
46. What opportunity will be offered mankind in God’s Messianic kingdom, and so in what should we now rejoice?
46 To all those granted the gracious favor of living in the paradise earth under God’s rule as enforced by his Messianic kingdom the opportunity will be offered of gaining endless life in human perfection and godliness, with perfect peace and security. Man’s rule could never bring this about. God’s rule will do so. How glad, then, we can be that man’s rule is now about to give way to God’s rule forevermore!
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Wise Use of Bible TractsThe Watchtower—1968 | October 15
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Wise Use of Bible Tracts
● In the United States a woman benefited from the wise use of Bible tracts. One of her workmates in her place of employment in Maryland was a witness of Jehovah. One day she asked the Witness questions about the various religions. Could they all be right? Since time was limited at her place of employment, the Witness gave her the Bible tracts Which Is the Right Religion? and What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?, encouraging her to read them. After reading them, she wanted more information; and a home Bible study was started. Four months after first receiving the Bible tracts, this woman was attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall and sharing in the Kingdom ministry.
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