Prospects of Fearers of Jehovah for 1955

“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in Jehovah.”—Ps. 112:7, AS.

 1. On what basis may we entertain the best of prospects for 1955 and shout “Hallelujah”?

AS YOU face 1955 and the years beyond, do you feel like shouting “Hallelujah”? There is every reason for you to do so if you are a fearer of the One most high over all the earth, the God who alone has the name Jehovah. By practicing the fear of him you can entertain the best of prospects for 1955 and for all the years ahead, prospects of prosperity with happiness. That means a prosperity that will benefit you in heart as well as body and mind, for it is a spiritual prosperity that gives happiness now and leads to endless happy life in the righteous new world, the foundation for which God has now laid. When we come to know and appreciate that real prosperity with happiness comes from Jehovah God and is guaranteed to those who fear him, we cannot hold back from exclaiming “Hallelujah!” for that cry means “Praise Jehovah!”

 2. How does Psalm 112 open, and what marks it as unusual?

² “Hallelujah. Happy is the man that feareth the LORD, that greatly delighteth in his commandments.” That is the way the inspired song, Psalm 112, opens, according to the translation by a Jewish scholar of the last century.a “Hallelujah. Happy the man who reverences the Eternal, who finds rich joy in his commands!” is the way a translator of the present century renders the words from the original Hebrew language.b This opening exclamation makes Psalm 112 one of the many Hallelujah psalms of the Holy Bible. Another thing that marks this psalm as unusual is that it is an alphabetic psalm or acrostic psalm, in which each of its lines begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet of twenty-two characters in their regular order. Thus there are twenty-two lines to the psalm. Two letters of the Hebrew alphabet serve as initial letters to each of the first eight verses and three as initials to each of the last two verses. In this respect it is like the preceding psalm and it is its twin in structure.

 3. What makes Psalm 112 important for us to consider now? And therefore what personal questions arise?

³ But what makes Psalm 112 important for us to consider now is not merely that it describes the truly happy person on earth but especially that it is prophetic. It points forward and identifies the happy man or class of men in our own time. That is, it foretells not merely one individual, but a man in a collective sense, a composite man made up of many members who are alike happy for a common reason. Are you a member of this happy collective “man”? Or are you keeping company with this “man” in the most pleasant of companionships? To know, consider the psalm.

 4. To whom does Psalm 112 point prophetically, and how do we get the unerring answer to the question?

⁴ The inspired writer of the psalm, an Israelite or Jew, may have had a Jehovah-fearing Israelite or Jew in his own mind, not understanding the full prophetic value of what he wrote. (Dan. 12:8; 1 Pet. 1:10-12) Well, then, does Psalm 112 apply to the natural Jews or Israelites over in Palestine or elsewhere on earth today? How could the psalm thus apply? Will any unprejudiced person claim that the natural Jews or Israelites are a happy people, an outstandingly happy people, because some of them in various lands do enjoy a material prosperity and prominence? Are they even happy religiously? The true-to-fact answer must be No! There is a vital, critical reason why they do not fulfill the description of Psalm 112: it is because they neither fear Jehovah nor keep his commandments but persist in hiding his very name and trust in human traditions and follow the commandments of men in place of the Word and the commandments of the one living and true God. (Matt. 15:1-9; Isa. 29:13, 14) Who, then, is the class of people, the collective “man” of our day, to whom Psalm 112 points prophetically? We are not left to ourselves to make an answer that might call forth the indignant cry of partiality, racial prejudice or national pride! The divine Inspirer of the psalm himself supplies the unerring answer, using one of his writers of the Bible to quote from this psalm and apply it to the class of people whom God himself had in mind. It is the spiritual Israelites, those who are Jews inwardly, of whom there is a remnant of some thousands yet on earth. (Rom. 2:28, 29) In 1931, that they might be correctly identified before all the world, they embraced the name marked out in the Holy Bible and that has since become notable throughout the earth, Jehovah’s witnesses.—2 Cor. 9:9; Ps. 112:9; Isa. 43:10, 12, AS.

 5. According to the psalm, who should be the happiest people on earth in 1955, and why were they never happier?

⁵ Were the psalmist to behold this people who bear God’s name today he would again exclaim: “Praise ye Jah! O the happiness of one fearing Jehovah, in His commands he hath delighted greatly.” (Ps. 112:1, Yg) According to this, Jehovah’s witnesses should be the happiest people on earth in 1955 and ever after. And is their happiness really such as to excite comment like that of the psalmist? Yes. Never was the world more unhappy, for it is in its “time of the end” and it looks forward in dread of what it sees coming. Never have Jehovah’s witnesses been happier, for they know from the prophecies of God’s Word that they are living in the “time of the end” of this joyless world, now that God’s kingdom for which they have long prayed has been set up in the hands of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God in the heavens.—Luke 21:28.

 6. With what attribute is their happiness associated, and why?

⁶ Their happiness is not of a frivolous kind; it has a solid foundation. It is associated with the highest wisdom, the wisdom that is from above. It is because they fear Jehovah that they have this heavenly wisdom. The psalm preceding the one we are considering closes with the words: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” (Ps. 111:10, AS) Some understand the expression “beginning of wisdom” to mean the principal thing, the crowning feature, of all true wisdom. Fearing Jehovah begins real wisdom; we must have that fear of our Creator at the very start and we must retain that fear of him uppermost always.

 7. (a) What does fear of Jehovah do as respects the fear of man? (b) How is his name to be treated, and by whom is it so treated?

⁷ Having that fear makes it impossible that we fear man, for the fear of both at the same time cannot exist. The fear of the One makes a person wise for gaining everlasting life in the endless new world; the fear of the other is a foolishness that ends with the fool’s everlasting destruction in Gehenna. The most fearless man ever on earth said to his disciples: “Do not become fearful of those who kill the body but can not kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” (Matt. 10:28, NW) So fear of Jehovah counteracts and removes the fear of man and devil or of what these can do to us by God’s permission. Jehovah’s witnesses recognize Him as reverend, that is, as the one to be feared, and they bear and utter his name in a reverent manner. As the psalm preceding the one now under examination says: “Holy and reverend is his name.” Or, “Holy and to be revered is his name.” (Ps. 111:9, AS; Ro; RoPss) His is a “glorious and fear-inspiring name,” and it is because so-called “Christendom” as well as Jewry does not fear his name and carry out his law that it suffers the way it does. (Deut. 28:58, 59, NW) Jehovah has assigned great achievements and fear-inspiring things to his name. All peoples ought to praise it, but his holy name is respected as reverend and fear-inspiring only by men of good will among all the peoples and nations.—1 Chron. 17:21; Ps. 99:3; Mal. 1:14, Yg; Ro.

 8. How do such fear and wisdom manifest themselves, and in what does this result, even if there is suffering to undergo?

⁸ Fear of Jehovah and the wisdom from above show themselves in an obedience to His commandments, and this results in a happiness that cannot be taken away. In the face of general lawlessness, not only toward all constituted earthly authority, but primarily toward the authority of God the Creator, the witnesses of Jehovah like to be lawful, especially toward Him. Keeping his commandments is not grievous to them, even when there is a collision between his divine commandments and those of God-defying men. They consider themselves happy if obliged to suffer for sticking to the apostolic principle: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” (Acts 5:29, NW) Always this works out to the best results and hence the happiest results.

 9, 10. In what does this Jehovah-fearing “man” delight, and in which ones now, for example?

⁹ Concerning the happy fearer of Jehovah the psalmist says: “In His commands he hath delighted greatly.” (Ps. 112:1, Yg) He studies and determines which of the commands in Jehovah’s prophecies apply to this “time of the end” and then he delightfully carries these out. For that reason all the nations of the world today see Jehovah’s witnesses obeying Jehovah’s commandment through his Son Christ Jesus: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.” (Matt. 24:14, NW) The remnant of the Jehovah-fearing spiritual Israelites know they are shortly to be members of the heavenly “bride” of Christ. So they catch the spirit of Jehovah’s prophecies and now delightedly carry out the Revelation picture: “The spirit and the bride keep on saying, ‘Come!’ And let anyone hearing say, ‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.” (Rev. 22:17, NW) They invite and assist every thirsty person of good will that wishes to the life-giving water of Kingdom truth and then encourage and help them to say to still others, “Come!”

¹⁰ In happy obedience the Jehovah-fearing spiritual Israelites act as a watchman and warn all mankind of the coming of Jehovah’s sword of execution at the battle of Armageddon to destroy all haters, despisers and ignorers of Jehovah. They keep in mind God’s commission and command to them: “Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” (Ezek. 33:1-7; 3:16-21, AS) Zealously they inform themselves on God’s will, running to and fro through the pages of his Word that their knowledge may be increased. Also they do not forsake gathering themselves together at all arranged meetings, but they come together in study groups and in congregations and in large conventions that they may encourage one another, and all the more so as they behold the great day of God’s victorious fight drawing near. (Dan. 12:4; Heb. 10:25, NW) So they draw continual delight out of lovingly keeping God’s commands.

PERMANENCE OF HIS GENERATION

11. How do the Jehovah-fearing man’s seed become mighty upon earth?

¹¹ The haters of Jehovah cannot wipe out the Jehovah-fearing man. What is more, his household will continue on the earth. “His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.” (Ps. 112:2, AS) If we view the Jehovah-fearing man of the psalm as a collective person made up of all members of Christ’s spiritual congregation or “body,” then the man’s seed or offspring are the sheeplike persons of good will, the “other sheep.” The Right Shepherd has been using this collective “man” to gather these into one flock. Their everlasting destiny is in this earth cleansed and everywhere made a “garden of Eden” or “paradise of delight.” They will remain in it for all time. They become mighty in it, but not just automatically. No, but because the Jehovah-fearing spiritual remnant have ‘become their father through the good news.’ This remnant have preached to them the good news concerning the Kingdom and now they obey Jehovah’s command to inculcate his words in this seed of theirs. (1 Cor. 4:15; Deut. 6:4-6, NW) In their turn, the “seed” obey like children the inspired command at Ephesians 6:1-4 to be obedient and co-operative toward the Jehovah-fearing “man” who has fathered them by the power of “this good news of the kingdom.”

12. How are the “generation of the upright” now blessed?

¹² As the two lines of Psalm 112:2 are parallel in thought, the “generation of the upright [ones]” in line 2 is the same as “his seed” in line 1. Hence the upright ones are those spiritual Christians who form the Jehovah-fearing “man.” The remnant still on earth of this “man” are part of the “seed of Abraham” in whom all the families of the earth are to bless themselves. Already the remnant have become a means of blessing to this rising generation of “other sheep.” (Ps. 71:18; 145:4) As they are an “upright” class, the seed or generation that they father stand in direct line for a blessing. “All the day he is gracious and lending, and his seed is for a blessing.” (Ps. 37:26, Yg) But remember, too, that the seed or generation of the upright ones are prospective children of the “Everlasting Father,” Jesus Christ, who is primarily the Abrahamic seed of blessing. (Isa. 9:6, AS) The blessing that his “other sheep” are already receiving consists in their being turned away from their sins and being taken into the true worship and service of Jehovah God.—Acts 3:25, 26.

13. To what is their being mighty due, and how long will their mightiness last?

¹³ Since they are in a figurative sense the seed or generation of the Jehovah-fearing man of Psalm 112, they themselves become fearers of Jehovah, and this leads to wisdom and might. Due to the great number of them now within the New World society, into which they have flocked in their hundreds of thousands, they already occupy a strong position in the earth. Under the spiritual remnant of Christ’s body they are doing a mighty work of witnessing to God’s kingdom and expanding the New World society, but this they do, not by sheer force of numbers, but by the help of Jehovah’s spirit. (Zech. 4:6) Surviving the “war of the great day of God the Almighty,” they will continue to be mighty in the “new earth” of the new world for the post-Armageddon work. Their position in the cleansed earth will never be shaken, even during the “little while” that Satan and his demons are loosed from the abyss at the close of Christ’s millennial reign. Maintaining their Jehovah-fearing integrity during that trialsome “little while,” they will be blessed with receiving at Jehovah’s hand the grant of the right to everlasting happiness in the earthly paradise.—Matt. 25:40; Rev. 20:1-3, 7-15, NW.

14. Why will the riches of the nations not profit them in the day of God’s wrath, and so how is the Jehovah-fearing “man” advantaged in this regard?

¹⁴ Especially since the year 1919 God’s wrath has been upon all the nations belonging to Satan’s organization and it will reach its breaking point at the war of His great day. In that war the material wealth and riches will not profit the nations, for they do not have the righteousness of God. The only thing that will work for deliverance from death and destruction by Jehovah’s executional forces then will be his righteousness. (Prov. 11:4) The Jehovah-fearing “man” has this, he being ‘justified by his faith in God through Jesus Christ’ and also ‘engaging in righteous acts in God’s sight.’ (Rom. 5:1, 9; Rev. 19:8, NW) He has more than that. Psalm 112:3 (Yg) goes on to say: “Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness is standing for ever.”

15. What kind of riches and wealth does he have in his house?

¹⁵ In his house, or where he dwells within Jehovah’s theocratic organization, he has riches and wealth, but not the kind that takes wings and flies swiftly away like eagles toward heaven and out of reach. (Prov. 23:5) He has the riches and wealth that wisdom imparts, for divine wisdom says: “Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable wealth and righteousness.” (Prov. 8:18, AS) He has an heirship in God’s heavenly kingdom with Christ; and what could be more precious than that? He has the treasure of the ministry or service of God’s Word; and what on earth could be more honorable than that? He stores up treasures in heaven by living and working to gain God’s approval and blessing and a worthiness to receive the fulfillment of God’s promises. He lays up a foundation for what are riches in the new world. He is “safely treasuring up for [himself] a right foundation for the future, in order that [he] may get a firm hold on the real life.”—1 Tim. 6:17-19, NW; Matt. 6:20, 21; Rom. 8:15-17; 2 Cor. 4:1-8.

16. How is it that “his righteousness is standing for ever”?

¹⁶ But what is more important than riches and wealth in the house is this: “His righteousness is standing for ever.” That means his preservation in 1955 and forever, that he may continue on in his righteous course. It means that the results of his righteous acts will be permanent, not being wiped out at Armageddon, whereas the works of this wicked world will be burned up in that war and their effects be completely obliterated. By sticking to righteousness he keeps his integrity toward Jehovah, whom he fears, and by his being preserved for life in the New World righteousness is preserved in the earth, where we pray that God’s will may be done the same as it is up in heaven. The earth as God’s creation is properly the place for righteousness. The way of the defiers of Jehovah will vanish and their wickedness will vanish from the earth. (Prov. 2:21, 22) The seed or generation of the upright, Jehovah-fearing “man” will carry on like him in righteousness in the earth forever.

17. How was it true in his case that “unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness”?

¹⁷ The class that is today the Jehovah-fearing “man” once needed enlightenment and a brightening of their earthly situation. Many translators of Psalm 112 would bring out that thought in their rendering of Ps 112 verse 4. For instance, the American Standard Version renders it: “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and merciful, and righteous.” Historically, this was true of the spiritual remnant in 1919. At that time they were lying in the darkness of bondage and oppression under the great organization of darkness, mystic Babylon. They had been taken into captivity to the nations of this world during the years of World War I and deprived of their right of freely and fearlessly worshiping God according to his Word. The darkness of religious misunderstanding and of this captive condition was dispelled in 1919, when Jehovah God rose as a light to them and sent his Son Jesus Christ to free them from this spiritually killing bondage in Babylon and to put them back in their proper place and freedom inside God’s organization as his fearless witnesses. The prophet Micah had been used to foretell this: “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy [Babylon]: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.” (Mic. 7:8, 9, AS) Other prophecies had also announced in advance this brightening of the remnant’s earthly situation, such as Isaiah 60:1, 2; Psalm 18:8; Job 33:28; and Psalm 107:10-14.

18. How do other translators render this part of Psalm 112:4, and what obligation does this show resting on the spiritual remnant?

¹⁸ However, as Psalm 112 is describing the life and action of the Jehovah-fearing spiritual “man,” this verse may properly be translated from the Hebrew another way, to show the obligation that now rests upon the spiritual remnant. Thus various other renderings of Ps 112 verse 4 by other competent translators read as follows: “He hath arisen in darkness a light to the upright.” (RoPss) “Unto the upright he shineth as a light in the darkness.” (Soncino) “For the upright ones he arises [as] a light in the darkness.” (C. Kautzsch, German) “In the midst of the darkness he arises like a light for the upright hearts.” (Maredsous, French) “As a light in darkness he shines for the good.” (Bover-Cantera, Spanish) “In the darkness he beams as the light for the upright ones.” (Nácar-Colunga, Spanish) The “man” that meets this description is under obligation to do as Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. . . . Likewise let your light shine before mankind, that they may see your right works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens.” (Matt. 5:14-16, NW) Being enlightened by the heavenly Father, he must reflect the heavenly illumination to others by his right works, that the darkness-blinded ones may see and learn to know and fear Jehovah and glorify him. What a blessed privilege it is to enlighten others and thus drive back the forces of darkness!

19. With what other divine commandment does this link up that the remnant now delight to obey, and who benefit from their obedience?

¹⁹ This links up with another commandment that the Jehovah-fearing class now delight to obey, addressed to His great “servant” class: “Saying to them that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their pasture.” (Isa. 49:9, AS) This prophetic command must now be performed by Jehovah’s “servant” class, the “faithful and discreet slave” class, toward the “other sheep” that are still bound in Satan’s organization and held in the darkness of religious ignorance and hopelessness. Revelation 7:9-17 shows that this is how the prophecy of Isaiah must be applied in this era of deepening world darkness. By this action the “servant” class heed the command that applies to Zion, their heavenly mother, and hence to themselves as her spiritual children: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” (Isa. 60:1, 2, AS) Yes, “seen upon thee” only if Zion’s spiritual children rise as a light in the darkness. Only in that way can the upright ones of all nations come out of the world darkness to the bright-shining organization of light. The forces of darkness hate the light and try to escape its exposures by suppressing the light bearers. But the lovers of the light of Kingdom truth show their sheeplikeness by coming to the light and doing good to even the least one of Christ’s spiritual brothers.

20. By being “gracious, and merciful, and righteous” whom does the remnant resemble, and to whom must they show these qualities?

²⁰ This courageous work of enlightening the “other sheep” blindly stumbling about in the world’s gloom agrees well with the remainder of Psalm 112:4: “He is gracious, and merciful, and righteous.” In this how like Jehovah he is! For Ps 111 verse 4 of the preceding psalm says: “Jehovah is gracious and merciful.” (AS) And Jehovah, when declaring his name to Moses at Mount Sinai in Arabia, himself said: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious.” (Ex. 34:6, NW) The man that fears him copies him in these qualities by exercising them toward others. We need to exercise these qualities toward others, even as the heavenly Father did to us: “You must accordingly be complete, as your heavenly Father is complete.” “Continue becoming compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” (Matt. 5:48; Luke 6:36, NW) The fearer of Jehovah can copy him and display these qualities closely by endeavoring to enlighten the bedarkened “other sheep” and bringing them to the theocratic organization of light. However, he must also be gracious and merciful to his own brothers within the New World society, that all there may get along together in peace, harmony, purity and mutual helpfulness.—Eph. 4:1-3.

21. To what extent is the fearer of Jehovah “good,” and how does this mean blessing to his “seed” or “generation”?

²¹ Jehovah God is the only one really good within himself, he being goodness personified. The goodness of any of his creatures, including Jesus Christ himself, must all be borrowed from Jehovah God. Jesus himself said so, when he rejected the title “Good Teacher” by saying: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.” (Luke 18:18, 19, NW; AS) To the extent that the fearer of Jehovah copies him in kindness and generosity, he becomes good like him. “Good is the man—gracious and lending.” (Ps. 112:5, Yg) “The good man is gentle and gives.” (Fenton) Jehovah himself is gracious, gentle in dealing, undeservedly kind, and thus he gives to earth’s inhabitants, to wicked people and good, to righteous people and unrighteous. He is the Befriender of the poor and needy. The “man” that fears him makes it his aim to imitate him in these regards. He gives generously of his spiritual gifts, not expecting a material reward; and he does so gently, not trying to embarrass anyone, not threatening or reproaching or addressing in abusive terms even the ones that refuse the good news of the Kingdom unselfishly preached to them. He gives generously of the best thing he has to offer, the lifesaving Kingdom message. This course of action cannot help but mean blessing for his seed or generation, for it is by means of this very “good news” that he fathers this seed, even in his old age, so to speak. Long ago the psalmist stated the fact: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.” (Ps. 37:25, 26, AS) What a happy family they all are within the New World society!

22. According to Psalm 112:5, why should the New World society be a well-conducted organization?

²² The New World society of the Jehovah-fearing “man” and of his seed or generation must be a well-conducted organization. We should expect it to be, for Psalm 112:5 says of him: “He will guide his affairs with justice.” (Le) “He shall guide his affairs with discretion.” (Kirkpatrick) “Who conducts his business with justice.” (AT; Mo) “He shall sustain his affairs with justice.” (Ro) That is, he uses good judgment in conducting the affairs and safeguarding the interests of the New World society. He uses discretion in his choices of things; and in the appointing of overseers and of ministerial servants with the congregation of Jehovah’s sheep he tries to determine the divine will and select and empower men who have the spirit of God, men of Scriptural viewpoint, men with a sense of justice, and men who are progressive and concerned with making the organization prosper and increase to Jehovah’s glory. He is alert to the spiritual needs of the New World society and is always busy in making provision for these, that the members of the Society may all be kept in good spiritual condition, equipped to “contend for victory in the right contest of the faith” and strong and zealous to carry out Jehovah’s commandments with delight and do unitedly the work He lays upon the organization. Without partiality the “man” endeavors to help, educate and fit every member alike to be an active witness of Jehovah, a preacher of the good news of God’s established kingdom from door to door.—1 Tim. 6:12, NW.

23, 24. (a) Who try to move the Jehovah-fearing “man”? (b) But can he and will he be moved, and why or why not?

²³ In the case of a society thus guided, maintained and regulated what should we expect for 1955 and for the years following? Our reply comes from Psalm 112:6 (AS): “For he shall never be moved; the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.” In 1955 or at any time before the end of the battle of Armageddon the righteous fearer of Jehovah God cannot expect to escape the assaults and persecutions of this world; “in fact, all those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12, NW) The wicked of this world will try to make him totter, trying to involve him in conflicts with the political governments and bringing him into courts and passing laws making it illegal for him and his seed to exist, all this in order to move him out of the way and have his righteous, charitable activities suppressed and so bring about his spiritual death and destruction. But till now the enemy have been unable to move him off the earth or out of the field of witnessing, and they will be unable to do so in 1955 or at any later time. This spiritual Israelite “man” practices the fear of Jehovah, for which reason he will not be allowed to totter in his integrity.

²⁴ As it was prophetically stated for Jesus Christ so it is stated for his follower: “I have set Jehovah always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Ps. 16:8, AS) Jehovah, in whom he takes refuge, is his high tower and defense. His hope and citizenship are in Mount Zion above, where the King Jesus Christ reigns. Jehovah and his Mount Zion can never be moved. Most certainly, then, neither can Jehovah’s worshipers. He will shake all Devil-engineered, man-made things, the human kingdoms and the corrupt earth and the wicked seas of humanity, to their complete removal; but never will he let those who fear him be removed from the earth. The way he proceeds means destruction to his haters but life in the new world to his lovers. “The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. The righteous shall never be removed; but the wicked shall not dwell in the land.”—Prov. 10:29, 30, AS.

25. In what way will the righteous one be had in everlasting remembrance, and why is this important?

²⁵ Behold the good thoughts of Jehovah toward the righteous and upright ones! These are never out of his mind. He will never forget them. They will always live to him, even if it means he has to resurrect them from the dead. It is no wonder that Psalm 112:6 adds: “The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.” (AS) Or, more literally expressed: “An age-abiding remembrance shall the righteous man become.” (RoPss) The Jehovah-fearing, righteous man will always be something to remember on earth. To all eternity the inhabitants of earth will remember Jesus Christ, the most righteous man ever on earth, whose righteousness on earth even amidst Satan’s world worked for the salvation of humankind. Likewise men will always remember his righteous followers, including his remnant now. But more important by far than the remembrance by mankind in the new world is the remembrance by Jehovah God, for that means life eternal for the righteous class. The former wicked things of this world will be destroyed and be forgotten and never come to mind with any attractiveness, but righteousness will never be forgotten. Jehovah will always keep the righteous in remembrance and see that they enjoy life to the full, forever. What precious Scriptural thoughts these are! They offer us grounds for the brightest prospects for all fearers of Jehovah during 1955 and afterward.

[Footnotes]