wicked. He ordered the mina to be taken away from him, for he had not worked for his master’s kingdom. He was not for the king and so was classed with the citizens who hated and were against the king. He was punished along with those enemy citizens who were slaughtered at the king’s command. (Luke 19:13, 20-27) In one of Jesus’ other parables similar to this one, the good-for-nothing slave was thrown out of the master’s house “into the darkness outside,” there to weep and gnash his teeth along with all others out there. (Matt. 25:24-30) The king’s coming meant no joy for him!

55. For the slaves who did business with their mina apiece, what did the king’s coming mean?

⁵⁵ In the parable, the nine other slaves made a profit for the kingdom by doing business with their mina apiece. Their kingly master pronounced them good slaves and put them in charge of cities throughout his realm. They did not deserve to be slaughtered with the citizen enemies of the king. For them the king’s coming meant blessing and life. (Luke 19:15-19, 24-26) Will the coming of God’s Messianic kingdom mean something similar for us?

56. Whom do the slaves with whom the Lord left the minas picture?

⁵⁶ When Jesus Christ, as pictured by the man of noble birth, left this earth for the heavenly realm, he left behind him valuables in the hands of his followers pictured by the slaves who got a mina apiece with which to do business. These slaves pictured not just the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ nor just all his disciples of that time, but also his faithful followers of today, dedicated, baptized believers whom God has called to be joint heirs with the Messianic King in the heavenly kingdom.—Rom. 8:14-17.

57. (a) How many of those Kingdom joint heirs are still on earth, and what are they doing with the symbolic mina? (b) By whom have they been joined, and what will the coming of God’s kingdom mean for these?

⁵⁷ A remnant of these joint heirs are still alive on earth, actively increasing the valuable things of God’s Messianic kingdom by doing as Jesus said, at Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” They have now been joined by hundreds of thousands of persons who have heard this good news of God’s kingdom and who have forsaken the haters of God’s kingdom. They have made proof of their love of God’s kingdom by also taking up the preaching of it and the gathering of still other lovers of righteous government onto its side. As in the case of the remnant of Kingdom heirs, they will receive the king’s approval. They will be ushered, not into the heavenly kingdom as joint heirs with Jesus the Messiah, but into a “new earth,” an earth purified by the slaughter of all the enemies of God’s kingdom. That is what the coming of God’s kingdom will mean for them.—Rev. 14:1-5; 7:4-17; 21:1-5.

58. As regards the coming of God’s kingdom, why is this a dangerous time in which to be living, but what opportunity does it also present us?

⁵⁸ Now is the time for us to make a decision as we all unavoidably face the question, What will “God’s kingdom come” mean to you? It has to mean one of two things, either slaughter with the enemies and ignorers of that righteous divine government or life, peace, happiness and increased privileges with that kingdom. The long time between when the Kingdom Heir Jesus Christ went away to the “distant land” nineteen centuries ago and the coming of God’s kingdom with the Messiah on the throne is now far gone. Jesus foretold that the Kingdom would come suddenly for the executing of divine judgment toward friends and enemies of that heavenly government. So it is a dangerous time for us in which to be living! But if we sincerely desire God’s kingdom come to mean blessing to us, now is also an opportune time of uncertain length for us to get out from among the foes of God’s kingdom, so as not to perish with them.

59. Why is the present a time of great privilege, and how can the Kingdom news be made good news for one?

⁵⁹ The present is a time also of great privilege. On a scale grander than ever before Jesus’ prophecy is being fulfilled, inasmuch as this good news of God’s kingdom is now being preached all over the earth in at least 194 lands in 162 languages, to the inhabitants of the earth without regard for their race, color or present religion. (Matt. 24:14) Let us make the news of God’s kingdom good news for ourselves by accepting the news as true and putting ourselves on the side of God’s kingdom and then preaching the news to still others, that they may likewise make it good news for themselves. Let us thus help them also to survive the “day of vengeance on the part of our God.” (Isa. 61:1, 2) God’s kingdom in the hands of the Permanent Heir of King David is forever, and we can enjoy that princely rule of the Son of David forever by how we decide now.

60. How does Isaiah 9:6, 7 indicate that we can enjoy the princely rule of the Son of David forever?

⁶⁰ “For,” says the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6, 7 to the people of Jehovah God, “there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.”

61. How about the peace and the durability of his government?

⁶¹ Think of living on earth under the princely rule of this Son who was born nineteen centuries ago in Bethlehem of Judea. Glorified now in heaven, he will live up to the titles that Jehovah God confers upon him, namely, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. His princely rule will have no end. His peace for his subjects will have no end. In fact, his government will be firmly established and sustained perpetually by justice and righteousness. Under his rule what a place this earth will be!

62. By doing what can we feel and experience the grand meaning of the angelic chant of Luke 2:13, 14?

⁶² The coming of the kingdom that Jehovah God establishes with his Prince of Peace on the heavenly throne can mean eternal peace for you. The thing to do is to take the course now that gains for us the goodwill of Jehovah God. Then we can indeed feel and experience for ourselves the grand meaning of the chant of the host of angels at the human birth of the Son of God, “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of good will.” (Luke 2:13, 14; Isa. 61:1, 2) May you, our readers, make the coming of God’s kingdom by Christ mean peace to you.

“A Decisive Hour”

● Reflecting the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is declining in influence in South America, rather than converting all the world of mankind to Christ, the New York Times of February 28, 1964, carried this news item from Rome: “Pope Paul VI has appealed for more priests for Latin America where the Roman Catholic Church is ‘experiencing a decisive hour in its existence.’” Continuing with his remarks, the pope spoke of “the needs, the dangers” with which the church is confronted in South America and said that these are things with which the bishops whom he was addressing were well acquainted.