announcing jehovah's kingdom - Watchtower Archive

JANUARY 1, 1948 SffieWATCHTOWER.. 13
prophecy at Psalm 16: 10: "Foreseeing this, he spoke of
the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell,
neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus hath God
raised again, whereof all we are witnesses." (Acts 2: 27, 31,
32, Douay) At this end of the world on the battlefield of
the universal war of Armageddon, the man-made political
states of all kinds will descend into hell, the Bible hell, to
remain; and then the Vatican, which insists on union of
church and state and which unites herself with political
states by concordats and other means, will descend into that
hell with her political paramours, never again to rise up.
Then the "gates of hell" will close over her and prevail over
her forever, and she will prove to be no more eternal than
the "transient" political-party press that 'bad the courage
to expose her.
That finish of the Vatican will prove it is not founded
upon "this rock". Moses said concerning God: "I will proclaim
the name of Jehovah: ascribe ye greatness unto our
God. The Rock, his work is perfect; ... For their rock is not
as our nock." (Deut. 32: 3, 4, 31, Am. Stan. Ver.) The
Vatican's rock is a man, an Italian aristocrat, but not the
Rock of ages, Jehovah. (Isa. 26: 4, Am. Stan. Ver., margin)
Christ Jesus is the only begotten Son of this Jehovah God,
the everlasting Rock. Hence, when speaking to 1>eter, Christ
Jesus likened himself to a rock; and Christ Jesus builds the
true church upon himself as the Rock. He, the Rock, died
for our sins and went down into hell, the grave; but its
gates did not prevail against him, because the third day
Aimighty God, Jehovah, the great Rock of ages, raised his
Son from the dead. Then the apostle Peter said to the
Jewish court: "Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man
stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was
set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of
the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other."-Acts
4: 10-12.
Thus Peter disclaimed being the Rock on which the
church is built. He agreed with our Savior that Christ Jesus
builds his church upon himself as the foundation Rock.
Therefore the members of the true church will not have the
gates of hell shut them in forever at death, but in due time,
at the establishment of God's kingdom, Christ Jesus raises
these faithful members of the church from the death condition
in hell. Thus the true church in heaven will be eternal
and reign with her foundation Rock Christ Jesus forever.
JOEL FORESEES JEHOVAH'S AVENGING
WHEN will Jehovah alone dwell in Zion and Judah
know Jehovah is our God? So mused the prophet
Joel as from the darkened Kidron valley he
watched the lengthening shadows of the western hills creep
up the towering temple porch that rose from the sacred hill.
Now only its crown was illuminated. Soon that too would be
in darkness. Within his heart he thought: J ehoram has been
reigning less than a year, but, already, ho\v dark the land
has got. Though the hills are .still forested, and the valleys
and plains give an abundance of fruit and grain; though the
cattle are sleek and the flocks are increased, and the pastures
are wide and green; though the brooks are not dry, and the
oil and wine are not lacking, and our land looks like an
Eden paradise; all is not right. That demon-worshiping
foreigner, Athaliah, who infests our holy city, has ensnared
her husband the king, and he, the nation. Baals appear in
every town, polluting the land. Though good Jehoshaphat
still lives, Jehoram has murdered faithful princes who in
every town used to teach us the law of our God. 'Kow the
dwellers in the land forget their teaching and prefer the
drunken revelries of Baal, which the new king sponsors.
When I remind them that Jehovah is our God, they only
scoff.-2 Chron. 17: 7.9; 21: 2-4, 6, 1I.
As Joel wondered when Jehovah would avenge his name
and faithful worshipers, he felt God's spirit clothe him.
He hears a zooming sound in the north. He sees the northern
sky is dark. The zoom increases as the darkness extends
overhead. The smoke-like cloud descends; it is locusts. "They
look like horses, they run like war-horses, as chariots rattle,
they leap on the hill-tops, like flames that crackle, consuming
the straw, like a vast army in battle array. They
rush on the city, run over the walls, climb into the houses
and enter the windows like thieves."-Joe12: 4,5,9, Moffatt.
Joel feels an urge to speak. The first words God's spirit
moves him to utter call attention to the unusualness of the
locust plague. One swarm after another brings about a complete
desolation of the land, sparing neither man nor beast.
No more wine for the Baalist topers; the vines are all ruined.
The whole land is doomed.-1: 2-6.
Famine results. The locusts consume even the bark from
the trees, leaving only the bare, bleached branches. The
prophet can hear the unfaithful priests howl and lament;
for lack of grain, wine and oil they cannot continue their
functions. Crop failures distress the farmers, and all men
forget their mirth. He warns the priests to turn to Jehovah.
Not even a prospect of crops remains; the barns are permitted
to go to ruin. The herds dwindle, the flocks perish;
prairie fires consume the pastures, the flames scorch all the
trees. The water-courses are all dry. But Joel rejoices to
hear one here and one 'there who heeds the warning and
cries out to J ehovah.-1 : 7-20.
Next, a command from Jehovah to blow a bugle-blast on
his sacred hill of Zion to warn them of the great and terrible
day of Jehovah. All the while, the locust pest and drought
increase in their intensity. The skies grow blacker; the heat,
more unbearable. The anguish of the Baal-worshipers
mounts. Joel can see the flush of anxiety upon their faces.
Nothing stops the orderly, tireless locusts. Jehovah's thundering
voice heard above the locust crackle leaves no doubt
that he is their leader. Joel, realizing how great and terrible
Jehovah's day of avenging is, trembling cries out: "Who
can abide iU"-2: 1-11.
The prophet hears from Jehovah what His devoted ones
can do to stand in the day of Jehovah: "Return to me with
your whole heart, and with fasting, and weeping, and
mourning." (2: 12, An Amer. Trans.) Jehovah calls all
repentant ones, young and old, male and female, to assemble
and the priests to plead for His people. In contrite expect-