jehovah reveals what “must shortly take place”

STUDY ARTICLES

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JULY 30–AUGUST 5

Jehovah Is “a Revealerof Secrets”PAGE 7 ˙ SONGS: 114, 117

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AUGUST 6-12

Jehovah Reveals What“Must Shortly Take Place”

PAGE 14 ˙ SONGS: 116, 54

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AUGUST 13-19

Why Put Jehovah’sService First?PAGE 20 ˙ SONGS: 66, 103

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AUGUST 20-26

“They Were Borne Alongby Holy Spirit”PAGE 25 ˙ SONGS: 37, 95

34567JUNE 15, 2012

DSTUDY ED I T I O N

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THE PURPOSE OF THIS

MAGAZINE, The Watchtower,

is to honor Jehovah God, the

Supreme Ruler of the universe.

Just as watchtowers in ancient

times enabled a person to

observe developments from

afar, so this magazine shows us

the significance of world events

in the light of Bible prophecies.

It comforts people with the

good news that God’s Kingdom,

which is a real government in

heaven, will soon bring an end

to all wickedness and transform

the earth into a paradise. It

promotes faith in Jesus Christ,

who died so that we might gain

everlasting life and who is now

ruling as King of God’s Kingdom.

This magazine has been pub-

lished by Jehovah’s Witnesses

continuously since 1879 and is

nonpolitical. It adheres to the

Bible as its authority.��

This publication is not for sale. It is

provided as part of a worldwide Bible

educational work supported by voluntary

donations. Unless otherwise indicated,

Scripture quotations are from the modern-

language New World Translation of the

Holy Scriptures—With References.

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34567�

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JUNE 15, 2012��

PURPOSE OF STUDY ARTICLES

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STUDY ARTICLES 1, 2 PAGES 7-18

What Bible prophecies can help you to

understand developments that lie ahead

on the world scene? These two articles

will examine the prophecies of the im-

mense image in Daniel chapter 2 and the

wild beast and its image in Revelation

chapters 13 and 17. See what insights

the Bible provides about the future.

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STUDY ARTICLE 3 PAGES 20-24

A person who submits to Christian bap-

tism agrees to put God’s interests first in

his life. Meditating on the decisions made

by devoted servants of Jehovah in Bible

times can encourage us to examine the

way we are using our time, energy, and

resources.

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STUDY ARTICLE 4 PAGES 25-29

This article shows how the prophets and

Bible writers were “borne along by holy

spirit” and why we can be sure that the

Bible is of divine origin. (2 Pet. 1:21) The

article also discusses what will help us to

maintain our appreciation for the Bible.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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3 “THE SECRET” WE LEARNED

FROM OUR SACRED SERVICE��

12 EIGHT KINGS REVEALED��

19 QUESTIONS FROM READERS��

30 BE WISE

—SEEK “SKILLFUL DIRECTION”��

32 KINDNESS MELTS BITTERNESS

COVER: To reach asmany people as possi-ble, witnessing is donein many locations andsituations. That in-cludes this floatingmarket in DamnoenSaduak.

THAILAND

POPULATION

66,720,000

PUBLISHERS

3,423

REGULAR PIONEERS

824

Vol. 133, No. 12 Semimonthly

ENGLISH

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is

published semimonthly by Watchtower

Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.;

L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,

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JUNE 15, 2012 3

THESE words of the apostle Paul have long beenof great encouragement to me and my wife, Oly.Like Paul, we have learned “the secret” by rely-ing fully on Jehovah while serving Him here inMadagascar.

When Jehovah’s Witnesses started studyingthe Bible with Oly’s mother in 1982, Oly andI were already engaged. I too accepted a Biblestudy, and Oly joined me later. We were marriedin 1983, got baptized in 1985, and immediatelythereafter commenced auxiliary pioneering. InJuly 1986, we became regular pioneers.

In September 1987, we began to serve as spe-cial pioneers. Our first assignment was a smalltown in northwest Madagascar where there wasno congregation. There are some 18 main ethnicgroups as well as countless clans in Madagascar,and social customs and traditions vary consider-ably. Malagasy is the official language, but thereare also distinct dialects. So we set about learn-ing the dialect spoken in our new assignment,and that helped us to be more readily acceptedin the community.

Initially, I gave a public talk every Sunday, af-ter which Oly would dutifully clap. We were theonly ones present. We also had the full programfor the Theocratic Ministry School, with Oly us-ing an imaginary householder. How relieved wewere when the visiting circuit overseer kindlysuggested that we modify the meetings!

Because the mail was unreliable, we did notreceive our monthly allowance regularly. Thus,we learned how to be low on provisions. On oneoccasion, we did not have enough money forthe bus fare to attend a circuit assembly, heldabout 80 miles (130 km) away. We recalled somegood advice from a fellow Witness: “Tell Jehovahabout your problems. After all, it is his work thatyou are doing.” So we prayed and decided to goon foot. Just before we left, however, a brotherunexpectedly visited us and gave us a monetarygift—just enough for the bus fare!

CIRCUIT WORK

In February 1991, I was appointed a circuitoverseer. By then, our small group had grown to9 publishers, 3 of whom were baptized, and we

“The Secret” WeLearned From OurSacred Service

AS TOLD BY OLIVIER RANDRIAMORA

“I know indeed how to be low on provisions, I knowindeed how to have an abundance. In everything and inall circumstances I have learned the secret of both how tobe full and how to hunger . . . For all things I have the strengthby virtue of him who imparts power to me.”—Phil. 4:12, 13.

had an average meeting attendance of 50. Afterbeing trained, we served a circuit in the capital,Antananarivo. In 1993, we were reassigned to acircuit in the eastern part of the country. Livingconditions there were very different from thosein the city.

To reach congregations and isolated groups,we traveled on foot, sometimes up to 90 miles(145 km) through densely forested mountains.We kept our luggage to the bare minimum. Ofcourse, whenever the circuit overseer’s publictalk included a slide presentation, as it some-times did in those days, our load was heavier.Oly carried the slide projector, while I lugged a12-volt car battery.

We often covered about 25 miles (40 km) aday in order to reach the next congregation.En route, we tramped up and down mountaintracks, traversed rivers, and sloshed throughmud. At times, we slept along the roadside, butwe usually tried to find a village where we couldseek lodging for the night. Sometimes we askedtotal strangers to let us stayovernight. After find-ing accommodations, we would begin to pre-pare a meal. Oly would borrow a cooking potand go to the nearest river or lake to fetch water.In the meantime, I would borrow an ax to chopfirewood for cooking. Everything took time. Oc-casionally, we bought a live chicken, which wethen had to slaughter and clean.

After the meal, we fetched more water forbathing. Sometimes we slept in the kitchen.When it rained, we might sleep leaning against a

wall, trying to keep ourselves dry from the leak-ing roof.

We always made it a point to witness to ourhosts. When we reached our destination, thekindness and hospitality of our Christian broth-ers and sisters were overwhelming. Their heart-felt appreciation for our visit made up for any in-conveniences we experienced along the way.

When staying in the homes of fellow Witness-es, we enjoyed helping them with the householdchores. This, in turn, freed them to join us in thefield ministry. We did not expect luxuries or spe-cial food, which our hosts could not afford.

VISITING ISOLATED GROUPS

We enjoyed visiting isolated groups, wherebrothers welcomed us with a schedule packedwith activity. We rarely had time to “rest up abit.” (Mark 6:31) At one place, a Witness cou-ple had invited all their Bible students—40 ofthem—to their home so that we could share intheir studies. Oly joined the sister in conducting20 or so studies, and I was with the brother forthe other 20. As one student left, the next studycommenced immediately. Later in the day, wetook a break to have the congregation meetings,after which the Bible study sessions resumed.The marathon day might end after eight o’clockin the evening!

Whenwe visited another group, all of us head-ed for a neighboring village about eight o’clockin the morning. We were all wearing old clothes.After a long trek through the forest, we reached

Madagascar, calledthe Big Red Island,is the fourth-largestisland on earth.Its soil is red, andnumerous uniquespecies thrive there

4 JUNE 15, 2012

the territoryabout noon. We put on clean clothesand immediately began preaching from door todoor. The homes were few and the publishersmany. So we covered the entire territory in about30 minutes. Then we headed for the next vil-lage. After preaching there, we faced the longtrek home. At first, this pattern made us a lit-tle discouraged. We had expended a lot of timeand effort but had engaged in the house-to-housework for only about an hour. However, the localWitnesses did not complain. They remained en-thusiastic.

One isolated group at Taviranambo was locat-ed near a mountaintop. There we found a Wit-ness family living in a one-room house. Anoth-er small structure nearby served as the meetingplace. Suddenly, our host began to call out ina loud voice, “Brothers!” From the next moun-taintop, a voice answered, “Oh!” Our hostcalled out again, “The circuit overseer has ar-rived!” The response came, “Yeah!” The mes-sage was apparently relayed to others living stillfarther away. Soon people began to gather, andwhen the meeting started, more than 100 werepresent.

TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES

In 1996 we were reassigned to a circuit closerto Antananarivo, in the central highlands. Thiscircuit also had its share of unique challenges.There was no regular public transportation tothe outlying areas. We were scheduled to visit agroup at Beankana (Besakay), about 150 miles(240 km) from Antananarivo. After some nego-tiation with the driver, we boarded a small trucktraveling in that direction. There were some 30other passengers in and on the truck, some lyingon the roof and others hanging on the back.

As so often happens, the vehicle soon brokedown, and we continued on foot. After we hadtrudged along for some hours, a large truck cameby. It was already packed with people and goods,but the driver stopped anyway. We got on, ac-cepting the standing-room-only situation. Laterwe came to a river, but the bridge was underrepair. Once again we set off on foot and final-ly arrived at a small village, where some spe-cial pioneers were living. Although no visit wasscheduled, we spent the time preaching withthem while waiting for the bridge to be repairedand for another means of transport to pass.

Traveling was oneof the biggestchallenges we faced

We enjoy sharing in Bible studies

It was a week before a vehicle came by, and weresumed our journey. The road was full of hugepotholes. We frequently had to help push the ve-hicle through knee-deep water, often stumblingand falling in the process. In the wee hours of themorning, we arrived at a small village, where wegot off. Leaving the main road, we continued onfoot through rice paddies, waist-deep in muddywater, toward our destination.

That was our first visit to the area, so we decid-ed to witness to some who were working in therice fields and to ask for directions to where thelocal Witnesses lived. How delighted we wereto discover that those workers were, in fact, ourspiritual brothers!

ENCOURAGING OTHERS TOENTER THE FULL-TIME MINISTRY

Over the years, it has brought us great joyto see the results of encouraging others to en-

ter the full-time ministry. While visiting one con-gregation that had nine regular pioneers, we en-couraged each pioneer to set the goal of helpingone other publisher to enter the pioneer ranks.When we visited six months later, the numberof regular pioneers had mushroomed to 22. Twopioneer sisters had encouraged their fathers,who were both elders, to become regular pio-neers. These brothers had, in turn, motivated athird elder to join them. A short while later, thethird elder was appointed a special pioneer. Lat-er, he and his wife began in the circuit work.What of the other two elders? One serves as acircuit overseer, and the other is a Kingdom Hallconstruction volunteer.

We thank Jehovah every day for his help, aswe recognize that we cannot accomplish any-thing in our own strength. True, we sometimesfeel tired and become ill, yet we are happy whenwe reflect on the results of our ministry. Jehovahmakes his work progress. We are happy to havea small share in it, serving him now as specialpioneers. Yes, we have learned “the secret” by re-lying on Jehovah, “who imparts power” to us.

We have learned“the secret”by relyingon Jehovah

JUNE 15, 2012

WHICH governments will be dominatingthe earth when God’s Kingdom bringsan end to human rulership? We know

the answer—it has been disclosed to us by the “Re-vealer of secrets,” Jehovah God. He enables us todiscern the identity of those governments throughthe writings of the prophet Daniel and the apostleJohn.

2 Jehovah revealed to those men a series of vi-sions involving a succession of beasts. He also toldDaniel the meaning of a visionary dream depict-ing an immense metal image. Jehovah had thoseaccounts recorded and preserved in the Bible forour benefit. (Rom. 15:4) He did so to strengthen ourhope that soon his Kingdom will crush all humangovernments.—Dan. 2:44.

3 Taken together, the accounts of Daniel and Johnnot only identify eight kings, or human rulerships,but also show the sequence in which those pow-ers would appear. However, we can accurately un-derstand those prophecies only if we comprehendthe meaning of the very first prophecy recorded inthe Bible. Why so? Because the outworking of thatprophecy is the uniting theme of the Bible. It is, ina way, the cord on which all other prophecies hang.

THE SERPENT’S SEED AND THE WILD BEAST

4 Soon after the rebellion in Eden, Jehovah made

1, 2. What has Jehovah revealed to us, and why has hedone so?3. In order to understand prophecy accurately, what do wefirst need to comprehend, and why?4. Who make up the seed of the woman, and what will thatseed do?

JEHOVAH IS“A REVEALER OF

SECRETS”

“Truly the God of youmen is a God of godsand a Lord of kingsand a Revealer ofsecrets.”—DAN. 2:47.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

��

What details about the future

has Jehovah revealed to us?

��

What do the first six heads of

the wild beast represent?

��

What relationship do we find

between the wild beast and

the image seen by Nebuchad-

nezzar?

7

8

a promise that a “woman” would pro-duce a “seed.”� (Read Genesis 3:15.)That seed would eventually bruise theserpent, Satan, in the head. Jehovah lat-er revealed that the seed would comethrough Abraham, belong to the na-tion of Israel, be a Judean, and be a de-scendant of King David. (Gen. 22:15-18; 49:10; Ps. 89:3, 4; Luke 1:30-33) Theprincipal part of that seed proved to beChrist Jesus. (Gal. 3:16) The secondarypart of the seed is made up of the spirit-anointed members of the Christian con-gregation. (Gal. 3:26-29) Jesus and theseanointed ones unite to form God’s King-dom, the instrument with which Godwill crush Satan.—Luke 12:32; Rom.16:20.

5 That first prophecy given in Edenalso stated that Satan would produce a“seed.” His seed would express enmi-ty, or hatred, for the seed of the wom-an. Who make up the seed of the ser-pent? All those who imitate Satan’shatred of God and oppose God’s peo-ple. Throughout history, Satan has or-ganized his seed into various politi-

� This woman represents Jehovah’s wifelike orga-nization that is made up of spirit creatures in heaven.—Isa. 54:1; Gal. 4:26; Rev. 12:1, 2.

5, 6. (a) How many great powers do Danieland John identify? (b) What do the heads of thewild beast of Revelation stand for?

cal movements, or kingdoms. (Luke 4:5, 6) However, only relatively few hu-man kingdoms have exerted a major in-fluence on God’s people, whether thenation of Israel or the congregation ofanointed Christians. Why is this factsignificant? Because it explains why thevisions of Daniel and John describe a to-tal of only eight such great powers.

6 At the close of the first century C.E.,the resurrected Jesus gave the apostleJohn a series of stunning visions. (Rev.1:1) In one of them, John saw the Dev-il, represented as a dragon, standing onthe shore of a vast sea. (Read Revelation13:1, 2.) John also saw a strange beastrise from that sea and receive great au-thority from the Devil. An angel laterindicates to John that the seven headsof a scarlet beast, which is an image ofthe beast of Revelation 13:1, represent“seven kings,” or governments. (Rev. 13:14, 15; 17:3, 9, 10) At the time of John’swriting, five of those had fallen, one wascurrently in power, and one had “not yetarrived.” What is the identity of thosekingdoms, or world powers? Let us con-

JUNE 15, 2012 9

sider each of the heads of the beast de-scribed in Revelation. We will also seehow the writings of Daniel added de-tailed insights into many of these king-doms, sometimes centuries before theycame into existence.

EGYPT AND ASSYRIA

—THE FIRST TWO HEADS

7 The first head of the beast repre-sents Egypt. Why? Because Egypt wasthe first major power to express en-mity toward God’s people. The de-scendants of Abraham—through whomthe promised seed of the woman wouldcome—grew numerous in Egypt. Then,Egypt oppressed Israel. Satan attempt-ed to wipe out God’s people before theseed could arrive. How? By motivat-ing Pharaoh to execute all male Israelitechildren. Jehovah thwarted that attemptand liberated his people from enslave-ment to Egypt. (Ex. 1:15-20; 14:13) Lat-er he established the Israelites in thePromised Land.

8 The second head of the beast rep-resents Assyria. This mighty kingdomalso attempted to wipe out God’s peo-ple. True, Jehovah used Assyria as hisinstrument to punish the ten-tribe king-dom for their idolatry and rebellion.However, Assyria then attacked Je-rusalem. Satan may have had thegoal of obliterating the royal line thatwould eventually lead to Jesus. Thatassault was not part of Jehovah’s pur-pose, and he miraculously deliveredhis faithful people by destroying theinvaders.—2 Ki. 19:32-35; Isa. 10:5, 6,12-15.

7. What does the first head represent, andwhy?8. What is the identity of the second head, andwhat did it attempt to do?

BABYLON—THE THIRD HEAD

9 The third head of the beast thatJohn saw represents the kingdom ofwhich Babylon was capital. Jehovah al-lowed the Babylonians to overthrow Je-rusalem and to take his people intocaptivity. Before permitting this hu-miliation, though, Jehovah warned therebellious Israelites that such a trage-dy would strike them. (2 Ki. 20:16-18) He foretold that the line of humankings who were said to sit on “Jeho-vah’s throne” in Jerusalem would be re-moved. (1 Chron. 29:23) However, Je-hovah also promised that a descendantof King David, one who had “the legalright,” would come and reclaim that au-thority.—Ezek. 21:25-27.

10 Another prophecy indicated thatthe Jews would still be worshipping atthe temple in Jerusalemwhen the prom-ised Messiah, or Anointed One, ar-rived. (Dan. 9:24-27) An earlier prophe-cy, written before Israel was takencaptive to Babylon, stated that this per-son would be born in Bethlehem. (Mic.5:2) If those prophecies were to be ful-filled, the Jews would have to be lib-erated from captivity, return to theirhomeland, and rebuild the temple. Butit was not Babylon’s policy to releasecaptives. How would that challenge beovercome? Jehovah revealed the answerto his prophets.—Amos 3:7.

11 The prophet Daniel was amongthe captives taken to Babylon. (Dan.1:1-6) Jehovah used him to revealthe succession of kingdoms that wouldfollow that world power. Jehovah

9, 10. (a) What did Jehovah allow the Babylo-nians to do? (b) In order for prophecy to be ful-filled, what would have to happen?11. The Babylonian Empire is pictured in whatdifferent ways? (See footnote.)

10

disclosed these secrets, using a num-ber of different symbols. For instance,he caused Babylonian King Nebuchad-nezzar to have a dream of an immenseimage that was made of various metals.(Read Daniel 2:1, 19, 31-38.) ThroughDaniel, Jehovah revealed that the goldhead of the image symbolized the Bab-ylonian Empire.� The world power afterBabylon is pictured by the breasts andarms of silver. What would that powerbe, and how would it treat God’s peo-ple?

MEDO-PERSIA—THE FOURTH HEAD

12 More than a century before Dan-iel’s time, Jehovah revealed through theprophet Isaiah details about the worldpower that would conquer Babylon. Je-hovah disclosed not only the mannerin which the city of Babylon would bedefeated but also the name of the con-queror. That leader was Cyrus the Per-sian. (Isa. 44:28–45:2) Daniel receivedtwo other visions regarding the Medo-Persian World Power. In one, the king-dom was depicted as being like a bearthat was raised up on one side. It wastold to “eat much flesh.” (Dan. 7:5) Ina separate vision, Daniel saw this dualworld power symbolized by a two-horned ram.—Dan. 8:3, 20.

13 Jehovah used the Medo-PersianEmpire to fulfill prophecy byoverthrow-ing Babylon and restoring the Israel-ites to their homeland. (2 Chron. 36:22, 23) However, this same power later

� Babylon is pictured both by the head of the im-age in the book of Daniel and by the third head of thewild beast described in Revelation. See the chart onpages 12-13.

12, 13. (a) What did Jehovah reveal about thedefeat of Babylon? (b) Why is Medo-Persia fit-tingly depicted as the fourth head of the wildbeast?

came close to eradicating God’s people.The Bible book of Esther records a plothatched by the prime minister of Persia,a man named Haman. He arranged forthe extermination of all the Jews wholived in the vast Persian Empire and seta specific date on which the genocidewas to happen. It was only due to Jeho-vah’s intervention that His people wereonce again protected from the animosi-ty of Satan’s seed. (Esther 1:1-3; 3:8, 9;8:3, 9-14) Medo-Persia, therefore, is fit-tingly depicted as the fourth head of thebeast of Revelation.

GREECE—THE FIFTH HEAD

14 The fifth head of the wild beast ofRevelation represents Greece. As Dan-iel had revealed earlier when he inter-preted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, thissame power is symbolized by the cop-per belly and thighs of the image. Dan-iel also received two visions that pro-vide remarkable details both about thenature of this empire and about its mostprominent ruler.

15 In one vision, Daniel saw Greecedepicted as a leopard with four wings,indicating that this empire would con-quer swiftly. (Dan. 7:6) In another vi-sion, Daniel described how a goat witha prominent single horn quickly killsa two-horned ram, Medo-Persia. Jeho-vah told Daniel that the goat symbolizedGreece and the large horn depicted oneof its kings. Daniel further recorded thatthe large horn would be broken and foursmaller horns would grow in its place.Even though this prophecy was writtenhundreds of years before Greece becamedominant, every detail came true. Al-exander the Great, the most prominent

14, 15. What details does Jehovah revealabout the ancient Greek Empire?

JUNE 15, 2012 11

king of ancient Greece, led the chargeagainst Medo-Persia. This horn was soonbroken, though, the great king dyingat the height of his power and at only32 years of age. Then, his kingdom waseventually divided among four of hisgenerals.—Read Daniel 8:20-22.

16 After conquering Persia, Greeceruled over the land of God’s people. Bythis time, the Jews were resettled in thePromised Land and had rebuilt the tem-ple in Jerusalem. They were still God’schosen people, and the rebuilt templewas still the center for true worship.However, in the second century B.C.E.,Greece, the fifth head of the wild beast,attacked God’s people. Antiochus IV,one of the heirs to Alexander’s divid-ed empire, placed a pagan altar on thegrounds of the temple in Jerusalem andmade practicing the Jewish religion acrime punishable by death. What an actof hatred by part of Satan’s seed! Soon,though, Greece was supplanted as theworld power. What would be the sixthhead of the wild beast?

ROME—THE SIXTH HEAD,

“FEARSOME AND TERRIBLE”

17 Rome was the dominant powerwhen John received the vision of thewild beast. (Rev. 17:10) This sixth headplayed a key role in the fulfillment ofthe prophecy recorded at Genesis 3:15.Satan used Roman officials to deliver ablow that temporarily crippled the seed,bruising it “in the heel.” How so? Theytried Jesus on the false charge of seditionand had him executed. (Matt. 27:26) Butthat wound soon healed because Jeho-vah resurrected Jesus.

16. What did Antiochus IV do?17. The sixth head played what key role in ful-filling Genesis 3:15?

18 The religious leaders of Israel con-spired with Rome against Jesus, and themajority of the nation also rejected him.Thus, Jehovah abandoned natural Israelas his people. (Matt. 23:38; Acts 2:22, 23)He now chose a new nation, “the Israelof God.” (Gal. 3:26-29; 6:16) That nationwas the congregation of anointed Chris-tians made up of both Jews and Gentiles.(Eph. 2:11-18) After Jesus’ death and res-urrection, the seed of the serpent con-tinued to express animosity toward theseed of the woman. On more than oneoccasion, Rome attempted to wipe outthe Christian congregation, the second-ary part of the seed.�

19 In the dream that Daniel interpret-ed for Nebuchadnezzar, Rome is depict-ed by the legs of iron. (Dan. 2:33) Dan-iel also saw a vision that well describesnot only the Roman Empire but also thenext world power that would grow outof Rome. (Read Daniel 7:7, 8.) For centu-ries, Rome appeared to her enemies tobe “fearsome and terrible and unusual-ly strong.” However, the prophecy fore-told that “ten horns” would grow fromthis empire and one in particular wouldgain prominence. What are these tenhorns, and what is the identity of thesmall horn? In what way does the smallhorn correspond to the description ofthe giant image seen by Nebuchadnez-zar? The article on page 14 will considerthe answers.

� Although Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 C.E.,that act of aggression was not part of the fulfillmentof Genesis 3:15. By that time, fleshly Israel was nolonger God’s chosen nation.

18. (a) What new nation did Jehovah choose,and why? (b) How did the serpent’s seed con-tinue to express animosity toward the seed ofthe woman?19. (a) How does Daniel describe the sixthworld power? (b) What will another article con-sider?

12

EIGHT KINGSREVEALED

Taken together, the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation

not only identify eight kings, or human rulerships, but

also show the sequence in which they would appear. We

can decipher those prophecies, as we understand the

very first prophecy recorded in the Bible.

PROPHECIES IN DANIEL

1. Egypt

2. Assyria

3. Babylon

4. Medo-Persia

5. Greece

6. Rome

7. Britain andthe U.S.A.�

8. League of Nationsand United Nations�

�During the time of the end,both kings exist. See page 19.

The immense image(Dan. 2:31-45)

Four beastsout of the sea

(Dan. 7:3-8, 17, 25)

The ramand the goat

(Dan., chap. 8)

Photo credits: Egypt and Rome: Photograph taken bycourtesy of the British Museum; Medo-Persia: Museedu Louvre, Paris

Throughout history, Satan has orga-nized his seed into various politicalmovements or kingdoms. (Luke 4:5, 6) However, only a relatively fewhuman kingdoms have exerted amajor influence on God’s people,

whether the nation of Israel or thecongregation of anointed Chris-tians. The visions of Daniel andJohn describe a total of only eightsuch great powers.

PROPHECIES IN REVELATION

The seven-headed wild beast(Rev. 13:1-10, 16-18)

The two-horned beastpromotes the

making of an imageof the wild beast(Rev. 13:11-15)

GOD’S PEOPLEN

atio

nof

Israel

Israel

of

God

Abraham

Daniel

John

2000 B.C.E.

1500

1000

500

B.C.E./C.E.

500

1000

1500

2000 C.E.

THE prophecies of Daniel and John correspondinways that allow us to understand the mean-ing of many present and future world events.

What canwe learn by comparing John’s vision of thewild beast, Daniel’s account of the fearsome beastthat had ten horns, and Daniel’s interpretation ofthe immense image? And what should a clear under-standing of those prophecies move us to do?

2 Let us address John’s vision of the wild beast.(Rev., chap. 13) As we saw in the preceding arti-cle, the first six heads of the beast represent Egypt,Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.All of those expressed hatred for the seed of thewoman. (Gen. 3:15) Rome, the sixth head, remaineda dominant political force for centuries after Johnwrote down his vision. Eventually, the seventh headwould take the place of Rome. Which political worldpower did that prove to be, and how would it treatthe seed of the woman?

BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES RISE TO POWER

3 We can identify the seventh head of the wildbeast of Revelation chapter 13 by comparing John’svision with Daniel’s vision of the frightening ten-horned beast.� (Read Daniel 7:7, 8, 23, 24.) The beastthat Daniel saw represented the Roman World Pow-er. (See the chart on pages 12-13.) In the fifth centu-ry C.E., the Roman Empire began to fragment. The

� In the Bible, the number ten often symbolizes a complete group—in this case, all the kingdoms that grew from the Roman Empire.

1, 2. (a) The prophecies of Daniel and John allow us to dowhat? (b) What do the first six heads of the wild beast repre-sent?3. What does the frightening ten-horned beast represent,and what do the ten horns picture?

JEHOVAHREVEALS WHAT

“MUST SHORTLYTAKE PLACE”

“A revelation by JesusChrist, which Godgave him, to show hisslaves the thingsthat must shortly takeplace.”—REV. 1:1.


��

Which parts of the immense

image symbolize the Anglo-

American World Power?

��

How does John depict the

relationship between the Anglo-

American World Power and

the United Nations?

��

How do Daniel and John portray

the end of human rulership?

14

JUNE 15, 2012 15

ten horns sprouting from the head ofthat fearsome beast represent kingdomsthat grew out of that empire.

4 Four of the horns, or kingdoms, thatsprouted from the head of the ferociousbeast receive special mention. Three areplucked out by another horn, “a smallone.” This was fulfilled when Britain, aformer outpost of the Roman Empire,grew to prominence. Until the 17th cen-tury, Britain was a relatively insignif-icant power. Three other regions of theold Roman Empire—Spain, the Neth-erlands, and France—were far more in-fluential. Britain plucked those powersout one by one, removing them fromtheir positions of prestige. By the mid-18th century, Britain was on its wayto become the dominant power on theworld scene. But it had not yet becomethe seventh head of the wild beast.

5 Though Britain gained dominance,colonies in North America broke away.Even so, the United States was allowedto grow mighty, protected by British na-val power. By the time the Lord’s day be-gan in 1914, Britain had built the largestempire in history and the United Stateshad become the greatest industrial pow-er on earth.� During World War I, theUnited States forged a special partner-ship with Britain. The seventh head ofthe beast had now emerged as theAnglo-American World Power. How didthis head treat the seed of the woman?

� Although the components of the dual worldpower have existed since the 18th century, John de-scribes it as it would appear at the start of the Lord’sday. In fact, the fulfillment of the visions recorded inRevelation takes place during “the Lord’s day.” (Rev.1:10) It was not until World War I that the seventhhead began operating as a united world power.

4, 5. (a) What did the small horn do? (b) Whatis the identity of the seventh head of the wildbeast?

6 Shortly after the start of the Lord’sday, the seventh head launched an at-tack on God’s people—the remainingones of Christ’s brothers on earth. (Matt.25:40) Jesus indicated that during hispresence, a remnant of the seed wouldbe active on earth. (Matt. 24:45-47; Gal.3:26-29) The Anglo-American WorldPower waged war with those holy ones.(Rev. 13:3, 7) During World War I, it op-pressed God’s people, banned some oftheir publications, and threw represen-tatives of the faithful slave class intoprison. The seventh head of the wildbeast as much as killed the preachingwork for a period of time. Jehovah fore-saw this dramatic event and revealed itto John. God also told John that the sec-ondary part of the seed would be revivedto increased spiritual activity. (Rev. 11:3,7-11) The history of Jehovah’s modern-day servants confirms that those eventstook place.

THE ANGLO-AMERICAN WORLD POWER

AND THE FEET OF IRON AND CLAY

7 What is the relationship betweenthe seventh head of the wild beastand the immense image? Britain—andby extension, the United States—grewout of the Roman Empire. What,though, about the feet of the image?They are described as an amalgam ofiron and clay. (Read Daniel 2:41-43.)This description coincides with thetime when the seventh head—the Anglo-American World Power—would come toprominence. Just as an iron structuremixed with clay is weaker than solidiron, so too the Anglo-American World

6. How has the seventh head treated God’speople?7. What is the relationship between the sev-enth head of the wild beast and the immenseimage?

16

Power is weaker than the power fromwhich it emerged. How?

8 At times, the seventh head of thebeast has displayed ironlike character-istics. For example, it proved its powerby winning World War I. During WorldWar II, the ironlike power of the seventhhead was also evident.� After that war,the seventh head at times still displayedironlike characteristics. However, fromearly on, that iron has been mixed withclay.

9 Jehovah’s servants have long soughtto understand the symbolic meaning ofthe feet of the image. Daniel 2:41 de-scribes the mixture of iron and clayas one “kingdom,” not many. The clay,therefore, represents elements withinthe sphere of influence of the Anglo-American World Power, elements thatmake it weaker than the solid iron of theRoman Empire. The clay is referred to as“the offspring of mankind,” or the com-mon people. (Dan. 2:43) In the Anglo-American World Power, people have ris-en up to claim their rights through civilrights campaigns, labor unions, andindependence movements. The com-mon people undermine the ability ofthe Anglo-American World Power toact with ironlike strength. Also, oppos-ing ideologies and close election resultsthat do not end up in a clear majorityhave weakened the power base of evenpopular leaders, so that they have noclear mandate to implement their poli-

� Daniel foresaw the terrible destruction this kingwould cause during that war, writing: “In a wonder-ful [awful] way he will cause ruin.” (Dan. 8:24) Forexample, the United States caused terrible ruin onan unprecedented scale when it dropped two atomicdevices on an enemy of the dual world power.

8, 9. (a) How did the seventh world powermanifest ironlike strength? (b) What does theclay in the feet of the image represent?

cies. Daniel foretold: “The kingdom willpartly prove to be strong and will partlyprove to be fragile.”—Dan. 2:42; 2 Tim. 3:1-3.

10 In the 21st century, Britain and theUnited States have continued their spe-cial partnership, often acting togetherin world affairs. The prophecies aboutthe immense image and the wild beastconfirm that the Anglo-American WorldPower will not be replaced by some fu-ture world power. This last world powermay be weaker than that represented bythe legs of iron, but it will not disinte-grate on its own.

11 Does the number of toes of the im-age have special meaning? Consider: Inother visions, Daniel mentions specif-ic numbers—for example, the number ofhorns on the heads of various beasts.Those numbers are significant. How-ever, when describing the image, Danieldoes not mention the number of toes.Therefore, the number seems no moresignificant than the fact that the im-age had multiple arms, hands, fingers,legs, and feet. Daniel does specificallymention that the toes would be made ofiron and clay. From his description, wecan conclude that the Anglo-AmericanWorld Power is the one that will be dom-inating when the “stone” representingGod’s Kingdom hits the feet of the im-age.—Dan. 2:45.

ANGLO-AMERICA AND

THE TWO-HORNED WILD BEAST

12 Though the Anglo-AmericanWorld Power is a mixture of iron andclay, the visions that Jesus gave to John

10, 11. (a) What is the future of “the feet”?(b) What can we conclude about the number oftoes?12, 13. The two-horned wild beast representswhat, and what does it do?

JUNE 15, 2012 17

show that this power would continueto play a key role during the last days.How so? John saw a vision of a two-horned wild beast that spoke like a drag-on. What does this strange beast repre-sent? It has two horns, so it is a dualpower. John is again seeing the Anglo-American World Power but in a specialrole.—Read Revelation 13:11-15.

13 This wild beast promotes the mak-ing of an image of the wild beast. Johnwrote that the image of the beast wouldappear, disappear, and then rise again.That is exactly what happened to an or-ganization promoted by Britain and theUnited States, one that was intended tounite and represent the world’s king-doms.� This organization appeared af-ter World War I and was known as theLeague of Nations. It disappeared withthe onset of World War II. During thatwar, God’s people declared that accord-ing to the prophecy in Revelation, theimage of the wild beast would ascendagain. And rise it did—as the United Na-tions.—Rev. 17:8.

14 John described the image of thebeast as “an eighth king.” Inwhat sense?It is not depicted as an eighth head

� See Revelation—Its Grand Climax at Hand! pag-es 240, 241, 253.

14. In what sense is the image of the wild beast“an eighth king”?

on the original wild beast. It is only animage of that beast. Any power it hascomes from its member nations, espe-cially from its key backer, the Anglo-American World Power. (Rev. 17:10, 11)But it does receive authority to act asa king to carry out a specific task, onethat triggers a chain of events that willchange history.

THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST

DEVOURS THE HARLOT

15 According to John, upon a scarlet-colored wild beast—the image of thewild beast—rides a symbolic harlot,dominating it. She bears the name “Bab-ylon the Great.” (Rev. 17:1-6) This harlotfittingly stands for all false religion, fore-most of which are the churches of Chris-tendom. Religious organizations havegiven their blessing to the image of thebeast and have tried to exert influenceover it.

16 However, during the Lord’s day,Babylon the Great has seen the wa-ters, the people who support her, dryup dramatically. (Rev. 16:12; 17:15) Forexample, when the image of the beastfirst appeared, the churches of Christen-dom—an influential part of Babylon theGreat—dominated the Western world.

15, 16. The harlot symbolizes what, and whathas happened to her support?

WHO MAKE UP “ALL THESE KINGDOMS”?

The prophecy at Daniel 2:44

states that God’s Kingdom “will

crush and put an end to all these

kingdoms.” That prophecy refers

only to the kingdoms pictured by

the various parts of the image.

What about all other human

governments? The parallel proph-

ecy in Revelation reveals the larg-

er picture. It shows that “the

kings of the entire inhabited

earth” will be gathered against

Jehovah on “the great day of God

the Almighty.” (Rev. 16:14; 19:19-

21) Hence, not only the kingdoms

of the image but also all other

human governments will be de-

stroyed at Armageddon.

18

Today, the churches and their minis-ters have lost the respect and supportof the masses. In fact, many people be-lieve that religion contributes to or caus-es conflict. An increasingly vocal andmilitant group of Western intellectualsis calling for the end of religion’s influ-ence on society.

17 False religion, however, will notjust fade away. The harlot will remain apotent force, attempting to bend kingsto her will until God plants an ideain the hearts of those in power. (ReadRevelation 17:16, 17.) Soon Jehovah willcause the political elements of Satan’ssystem, as represented by the UnitedNations, to attack false religion. Theywill destroy her influence and devas-tate her riches. Such an event may have

17. What will soon happen to false religion,and why?

seemed unlikely just decades ago. To-day, the harlot teeters on the back of thescarlet-colored beast. Even so, she willnot slip slowly from her seat. Her tum-ble will be sudden and violent.—Rev. 18:7, 8, 15-19.

THE BEASTS COME

TO THEIR END

18 After false religion is destroyed, thewild beast, Satan’s earthly political set-up, will be goaded into an attack onGod’s Kingdom. Unable to reach intoheaven, the kings of the earth will venttheir rage on those on earth who sup-port God’s Kingdom. The result is in-evitable. (Rev. 16:13-16; 17:12-14) Danieldescribes one aspect of the final battle.(Read Daniel 2:44.) The wild beast men-tioned at Revelation 13:1, its image, andthe two-horned wild beast will be de-stroyed.

19 We are living in the days of the sev-enth head. No more heads will appearon this beast before it is annihilated. TheAnglo-American World Power will bethe dominant world power when falsereligion is eradicated. The propheciesof Daniel and John have been fulfilledto the smallest detail. We can be con-fident that the destruction of false reli-gion and the battle of Armageddon willsoon come. God has revealed these de-tails in advance. Will we pay attentionto the prophetic warnings? (2 Pet. 1:19)Now is the time to take sides with Jeho-vah and to support his Kingdom.—Rev.14:6, 7.

18. (a) What will the wild beast do, and withwhat outcome? (b) Daniel 2:44 refers to God’sKingdom as destroying which kingdoms? (Seebox on page 17.)19. What confidence can we have, and it isnow time to do what?

JUNE 15, 2012 19

ˇ The giant metal image seen by King Nebu-chadnezzar does not represent all world powers.(Dan. 2:31-45) It depicts only the five that ruledfrom Daniel’s time forward and that had signif-icant dealings with God’s people.

Daniel’s description of the metal image con-veys the idea that the Anglo-American WorldPower would emerge from, rather than conquer,Rome. In the image, Daniel sees the iron in thelegs extending down through the feet and intothe toes. (In the feet and toes, the iron is mixedwith clay.)� That description indicates that theAnglo-American World Power would emergefrom the legs of iron. History bears out the accu-racy of that description. Britain, a former partof the Roman Empire, began rising to promi-nence in the late 1700’s. Later, the United Statesof America became a nation to be reckonedwith. However, the seventh world power of Bi-ble prophecy had not yet been formed. Why not?Britain and the United States had notyet acted together in a significant way.This occurred during World War I.

By that time, “the sons of the king-dom” were active mostly in the United

� The clay that is mixed with iron representselements within the realm of the ironlike Anglo-American World Power. Over time, this clay hasmade it difficult for that power to be as strong as itwould like to be.

States, their world headquarters being located inBrooklyn, New York. (Matt. 13:36-43) Membersof the anointed class were actively preaching incountries dominated by the British Empire. Dur-ing World War I, the British and American pow-ers forged a special bond when fighting mutu-al political enemies. They also, in the increasednationalism created by the war, expressed en-mity toward those who were part of the seed ofGod’s “woman,” banning publications they pro-duced and imprisoning those taking the lead inthe preaching work.—Rev. 12:17.

From the perspective of Bible prophecy, then,the seventh world power did not become estab-lished in the late 1700’s when Britain first beganits rise to prominence. Rather, it attained thatposition at the beginning of the Lord’s day.�

� This explanation updates the information discussed onpage 57, paragraph 24, of the Daniel’s Prophecy book and depict-ed in the charts on pages 56 and 139.

When did the Anglo-American World Power becomethe seventh world power of Bible prophecy?

Eight brothers from theWatchtower headquarters

were sent to prison in June 1918

WHEN you become a dedicated and bap-tized follower of Jesus, you take a veryserious step. Your dedication to God is

the most serious decision that you as an individualcan make. It is as if you are saying: ‘Jehovah, I wantyou to be my Master in every aspect of my life. I amyour servant. I want you to determine how I shouldspend my time, what my priorities should be, andhow I should use my resources and talents.’

2 If you are a dedicated Christian, this is basical-ly what you promised Jehovah. You are to be com-mended for your decision; it was the right and wisething to do. What, though, does your recognizing Je-hovah as your Master imply as to the way you useyour time? The examples of Noah, Moses, Jeremiah,and the apostle Paul can help us to examine thatquestion. Each of them was a whole-souled servantof Jehovah. Our situation is similar to theirs. The de-cisions they made with regard to their principal pur-suits can encourage us to examine how we are us-ing our time.—Matt. 28:19, 20; 2 Tim. 3:1.

BEFORE THE FLOOD

3 Jesus drew a parallel between Noah’s time andours. “Just as the days of Noah were, so the pres-ence of the Son of man will be,” he said. They were“eating and drinking, men marrying and women be-ing given in marriage, until the day that Noah en-tered into the ark; and they took no note until theflood came and swept them all away.” (Matt. 24:37-

1, 2. (a) What is indicated by a person’s dedicating himselfto Jehovah? (b) How can we profit by considering the choicesmade by Noah, Moses, Jeremiah, and Paul?3. How are our days similar to those of Noah?

WHY PUTJEHOVAH’S

SERVICE FIRST?

“My own mouthwill recount yourrighteousness, allday long yoursalvation.”—PS. 71:15.


��

What factors determined the life

course of Noah, Moses, Jeremi-

ah, and Paul?

��

What evaluation on your part will

determine how you use your life?

��

Why are you determined to put

Jehovah’s service first?

20

JUNE 15, 2012 21

39) Most of mankind today go abouttheir lives heedless of the urgency ofour times. They take no note of thewarnings that God’s servants proclaim.Many even deride the idea of God’s in-tervening in human affairs—as peopledid in Noah’s day. (2 Pet. 3:3-7) Yet, inthat hostile environment, how did Noahuse his time?

4 After being informed of God’s in-tentions and receiving his commission,Noah built an ark to preserve men andanimals alive. (Gen. 6:13, 14, 22) Noahalso proclaimed Jehovah’s impendingjudgment. The apostle Peter calls him“a preacher of righteousness,” indicat-ing that Noah strove to help his neigh-bors appreciate the gravity of their situ-ation. (Read 2 Peter 2:5.) Do you thinkthat it would have been reasonable forNoah and his family to focus their ef-forts on developing a business, gettingahead among their contemporaries, orestablishing a comfortable lifestyle? Ofcourse not! Knowing what lay ahead,they avoided such distractions.

THE CHOICES OF

AN EGYPTIAN PRINCE

5 Next, let us look at the example ofMoses. He was raised in an Egyptianpalace as the adopted son of Pharaoh’sdaughter. As a young prince, he was ed-ucated “in all the wisdom of the Egyp-tians.” (Acts 7:22; Ex. 2:9, 10) This ed-ucation was likely intended to preparehim for a career in Pharaoh’s court. Hecould have become prominent in themost powerful government of the day,

4. How did Noah use his time after receivinghis commission from Jehovah, and why?5, 6. (a) The education Moses received waslikely meant to prepare him for what? (b) Whydid Moses shun the possibilities offered to himin Egypt?

having the luxuries, privileges, andpleasures that such a position would af-ford him. But was enjoyment of thesethings Moses’ objective?

6 Because of the training that he re-ceived from his real parents early inlife, Moses likely knew what Jeho-vah had promised his ancestors Abra-ham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses exercisedfaith in those promises. He must havethought carefully about his future andhis loyalty to Jehovah. So when the timecame to choose between being an Egyp-tian prince or an Israelite slave, whatdid he decide? Moses chose “to be ill-treated with the people of God ratherthan to have the temporary enjoymentof sin.” (Read Hebrews 11:24-26.) Lat-er, he followed Jehovah’s guidance re-garding how he should use his life. (Ex.3:2, 6-10) Why did Moses do that? Be-cause he believed God’s promises. Heconcluded that there was no future forhim in Egypt. Indeed, that nation wassoon thereafter crushed by ten plaguesfrom God. Do you see the lesson in thisfor those dedicated to Jehovah today?

People gave no heed to Noah’s warning

22

Rather than focusing on a career or anypleasures of this system of things, ourfocus must be on Jehovah and his ser-vice.

JEREMIAH KNEW WHAT

WAS COMING

7 Another man who put Jehovah’sservice first was the prophet Jeremiah.Jehovah commissioned Jeremiah as hisprophet to preach a message of judg-ment on apostate Jerusalem and Judah.In a sense, Jeremiah lived “in the finalpart of the days.” (Jer. 23:19, 20) Heknew perfectly well that the system inwhich he lived would not continue as itwas.

8 What was the logical consequenceof Jeremiah’s convictions? He did nottry to build a future in that doomed sys-tem. What sense would there be in do-ing so? However, for a time Jeremiah’ssecretary, Baruch, did not see thingsclearly. So God inspired Jeremiah totell his secretary: “Look! What I havebuilt up I am tearing down, and whatI have planted I am uprooting, even allthe land itself. But as for you, you keepseeking great things for yourself. Do notkeep on seeking. For here I am bringingin a calamity upon all flesh, . . . and Iwill give you your soul as a spoil in allthe places to which you may go.”—Jer.45:4, 5.

9 We cannot be sure what “greatthings” Baruch was seeking for him-self.� We do know, though, that they

� See God’s Word for Us Through Jeremiah, pag-es 104-106.

7. How was Jeremiah’s situation similar toours?8, 9. (a) Why did Baruch’s thinking need to becorrected? (b) What should we have in mindwhen making plans?

were things with no future, things thatwould end when the Babylonians con-quered Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. Do yousee in that a lesson for us? Obtaininglife’s necessities requires that we makesome plans for the future. (Prov. 6:6-11)But how wise would it be to invest alot of time and energy in pursuits thatare not of lasting value? Granted, Jeho-vah’s organization continues to plan fornew Kingdom Halls, branch facilities,and other theocratic projects. These en-deavors, however, do have a futurebecause their objective is that of pro-moting Kingdom interests. It would beappropriate for all of Jehovah’s dedicat-ed people to set similar priorities whenthey make plans. Are you convinced inyour heart that you are “seeking firstthe kingdom and [Jehovah’s] righteous-ness”?—Matt. 6:33.

“I CONSIDER THEM AS

A LOT OF REFUSE”

10 Finally, let us consider the exam-ple of Paul. Before his conversion toChristianity, he had what seemed to bea promising future. He had studied Jew-ish law with one of the most famousteachers of his day. He had received au-thority from the Jewish high priest. Andhe was making greater progress in Ju-daism than were many of his contem-poraries. (Acts 9:1, 2; 22:3; 26:10; Gal.1:13, 14) Yet, all of that changed whenPaul realized that Jehovah was no lon-ger blessing the Jews as a nation.

11 Paul recognized that a career inthe Jewish system had no value fromJehovah’s point of view; it had no fu-ture. (Matt. 24:2) This former Phari-

10, 11. (a) On what had Paul centered his ef-forts prior to becoming a Christian? (b) Whydid Paul’s objective change completely?

JUNE 15, 2012 23

see went so far as to say that comparedwith his new, enlightened understand-ing of God’s purposes and the privilegeof the Christian ministry, what he oncethought was important he now consid-ered to be “a lot of refuse.” Paul aban-doned his pursuits in Judaism and ded-icated the rest of his days on earth topreaching the good news.—Read Philip-pians 3:4-8, 15; Acts 9:15.

EXAMINE YOUR PRIORITIES

12 Noah, Moses, Jeremiah, Paul, andmany others like them spent the ma-jority of their time and energy in theo-cratic pursuits. They are good examplesfor us. Of course, the greatest of all ofJehovah’s dedicated servants is Jesus.(1 Pet. 2:21) After being baptized, Je-sus devoted the rest of his life on earthto preaching the good news and honor-ing Jehovah. The obvious conclusion fora Christian who recognizes Jehovah ashis Master is that serving Him shouldhave priority in his life. Is it yours? Andhow can the pursuit of theocratic goalsbe reconciled with necessary secular ac-tivities?—Read Psalm 71:15; 145:2.

13 Over the years, Jehovah’s organiza-tion has repeatedly encouraged Chris-tians to consider prayerfully whetherthey could pioneer. For various rea-sons, the circumstances of some faith-ful servants of Jehovah do not allowthem to devote themselves to thepreaching work an average of 70 hoursper month. They should not feel badabout this. (1 Tim. 5:8) But what aboutyou? Is pioneering really beyond yourreach?

12. What did Jesus focus on after his baptism?13, 14. (a) All dedicated Christians are en-couraged to consider what? (b) What satisfac-tion can God’s people enjoy?

14 Reflect back on the joy that somany of God’s people had during theMemorial season this year. DuringMarch, a special provision allowed aux-iliary pioneers to choose whether theywould devote 30 or 50 hours to the fieldservice. (Ps. 110:3) Millions shared inauxiliary pioneer service, and congre-gations seemed to radiate exceptionalexcitement and joy. Could you arrangeyour affairs so as to experience similarjoy more often? At the end of each day,it gives a dedicated Christian great sat-isfaction to be able to say, “Jehovah, Idid everything I could in your service.”

15 If you are approaching the end ofthe schooling required of you, you mayfind yourself in good health and withfew responsibilities. Have you seriouslyconsidered entering the regular pioneerranks? No doubt, school counselors sin-cerely believe that it is in your best in-terests to pursue higher education andto plan for a secular career. Yet, theirconfidence lies in a social and finan-cial system that has no lasting future.On the other hand, by pursuing a theo-cratic career, you will be pursuing trulyworthwhile and lasting goals. And youwill be following Jesus’ perfect example.Such awise decision will make you hap-py. It will protect you. And it will showthat you are determined to live up toyour dedication to Jehovah.—Matt. 6:19-21; 1 Tim. 6:9-12.

16 Manyof God’s servants today worklong hours to care for the basic neces-sities of their families. Yet, some maybe working more hours than necessary.

15. What should be a young Christian’s objec-tive as regards secular education?16, 17. What questions arise concerning secu-lar employment and other pursuits?

(1 Tim. 6:8) The commercial world is do-ing its utmost to convince us that wecannot live without its many productsand every new model that comes on themarket. But true Christians do not wantSatan’s world to dictate their priorities.(1 John 2:15-17) As for those who haveretired from secular employment, whatbetter way to use their time than in thepioneer ministry, putting Jehovah’s ser-vice first?

17 All dedicated servants of Jehovahcan ask themselves: What is my prima-

ry objective in life? Am I putting King-dom interests first? Do I imitate Jesus’self-sacrificing attitude? Am I heedingJesus’ advice to follow him continually?Could I adjust my schedule in order todevote more time to the Kingdom-preaching work or to other theocraticpursuits? Even if my circumstances donot at the moment allow me to expandmy service, am I continuing to cultivatea self-sacrificing spirit?

“TO WILL AND TO ACT”

18 The zeal of God’s people is a joyto behold. However, some may not feelparticularly inclined to pioneer or qual-ified to do so—even if their circumstanc-es would allow it. (Ex. 4:10; Jer. 1:6)Then what? Might this not be a suitablesubject for prayer? Certainly. Paul toldfellow believers that Jehovah, “for thesake of his good pleasure, is acting with-in you in order for you both to will andto act.” (Phil. 2:13) If you do not feel mo-tivated to expand your ministry, ask Je-hovah to give you both the desire andthe ability to do so.—2 Pet. 3:9, 11.

19 Noah, Moses, Jeremiah, Paul, andJesus were all devoted men. They usedtheir time and energy to proclaim Je-hovah’s warning message. They did notallow themselves to be distracted. Theend of the present system of things isimminent; hence, all of us who havededicated our lives to God need to besure that we are continuing to do our ut-most in following these excellent Scrip-tural examples. (Matt. 24:42; 2 Tim. 2:15) By doing so, we can please Jehovahand reap his rich blessings.—Read Mal-achi 3:10.18, 19. About what might you pray, and whywould such a request be pleasing to Jehovah?

Have you seriously consideredentering the regular pioneer ranks?

JUNE 15, 2012

WHERE do we come from? Why are wehere? Where are we going? Why is theworld the way it is? What happens to us

when we die? People around the globe ask thesequestions. How would we know the answers tothese and other important questions if we did nothave the inspired Word of God? Without the HolyScriptures, our primary teacher would be personalexperience. With personal experience as our teach-er, could we ever have the same sentiments as thepsalmist had toward “the law of Jehovah”?—ReadPsalm 19:7.

2 The sad reality, though, is that some have al-lowed the love they first had for Bible truth to cooloff. (Compare Revelation 2:4.) They no longer walkin the way that pleases Jehovah. (Isa. 30:21) Thatdoes not have to happen to us. We can and shouldwork at maintaining our appreciation for the Bi-ble and its teachings. The Bible is an important giftfrom our loving Creator. (Jas. 1:17) What will help usdeepen our appreciation for “the word of God”? Akey is reflecting on how Bible writers were guided towrite the Scriptures. That involves calling to mindsome of the abundant evidence of its inspiration.Doing so should stimulate us to read from God’sWord daily and to apply its counsel.—Heb. 4:12.

“BORNE ALONG BY HOLY SPIRIT”—HOW?

3 Over a period of 1,610 years—spanning from1513 B.C.E. to 98 C.E.—some 40 different men

1. Why do we need the inspired Word of God?2. What will help us to maintain our appreciation for the Bi-ble as a precious gift from God?3. How were the prophets and Bible writers “borne along byholy spirit”?

“THEY WEREBORNE ALONG BY

HOLY SPIRIT”

“Prophecy was at notime brought by man’swill, but men spokefrom God as theywere borne along byholy spirit.”—2 PET. 1:21.

POINTS TO PONDER

��

How was God’s message trans-

mitted by holy spirit to Bible

writers?

��

What evidence proves that the

Bible is inspired of God?

��

What can you do daily to main-

tain your appreciation for God’s

Word?

25

26

wrote the Bible. Some were prophets“borne along by holy spirit.” (Read 2 Pe-ter 1:20, 21.) The Greek expression ren-dered “borne along” has the sense “tobear or carry from one place to anoth-er,” and it “can be variously rendered:be moved, be driven, let oneself bemoved.”� Acts 27:15 uses it in describ-ing a boat that was seized and moved,or driven along a certain course, by thewind. Bible prophets and writers were“borne along by holy spirit” in that Godcommunicated with, motivated, andguided them by means of his activeforce. That being the case, they wrote,not their own ideas, but God’s thoughts.Sometimes the inspired prophets andwriters did not even know the mean-ing of what they foretold or were writ-ing. (Dan. 12:8, 9) Yes, “all Scripture is

� A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament andOther Early Christian Literature.

inspired of God” and is free of humanopinions.—2 Tim. 3:16.

4 How, though, was God’s messagetransmitted by holy spirit to Bible writ-ers? Did they receive precise wordingor just ideas that they could express intheir own words? Consider how a busi-nessman might compose a letter. Whenprecise wording is important, he writesthe letter himself or dictates it to hissecretary word for word. The secretarytypes it, and the letter bears the busi-nessman’s signature. At other times, heprovides only the principal ideas, andthe secretary prepares the letter, usingher own style or vocabulary. The busi-nessman may then proofread the letterand have the secretary make any need-ed changes. In the end, the letter bearshis signature and is viewed as comingfrom him.

5 Similarly, some parts of the Biblewere supplied “by God’s finger.” (Ex. 31:18) Jehovah also used dictation whenprecise wording was crucial. At Exodus34:27, for example, we read: “Jehovahwent on to say to Moses: ‘Write down foryourself these words, because it is in ac-cordance with these words that I do con-clude a covenant with you and Israel.’ ”Likewise, Jehovah told the prophet Jere-miah: “Write for yourself in a book all thewords that I will speak to you.”—Jer. 30:2.

6 In most cases, though, thoughtsrather than specific words were mi-raculously conveyed to the hearts andminds of Bible writers, permitting themto choose their own words to expressthem. “The congregator sought to findthe delightful words and the writing ofcorrect words of truth,” states Eccle-siastes 12:10. The Gospel writer Luke

4-6. In what ways did Jehovah convey his mes-sage to the Bible writers? Illustrate.

A letter is viewed as coming from the personwhose signature it bears

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“traced all things from the start with ac-curacy, to write them in logical order.”(Luke 1:3) God’s spirit ensured that hu-man imperfection did not taint his mes-sage.

7 God’s great wisdom is made evidentin his use of humans to write the Bible.Words convey not just information butalso emotions and feelings. What if Je-hovah had used angels as writers? Couldthey have conveyed with a human touchsuch emotions as fear, sorrow, and dis-appointment, so common to mankind?By allowing imperfect men to choosethe wording for the ideas they receivedthrough holy spirit, God conveyed hismessage with warmth, variety, and theappeal of human emotions and feelings!

KEEP EVIDENCE IN SIGHT

8 Evidence abounds that the Bibleis the inspired Word of God. The Bi-ble acquaints us with God like no oth-er book of religion. For example, thewritings of Hinduism include booksof Vedic hymns, a collection of ritual-istic commentaries about these hymns,philosophical treatises called the Upa-nishads, and the epic stories knownas Ramayana and the Mahabharata. TheBhagavad Gita, a book containing mor-al instructions, is a part of the Mahabha-rata. Of Buddhism’s Tipitaka (Three Col-lections), one volume is mainly aboutrules and regulations of community liv-ing for monks and nuns. Another vol-ume deals mostly with Buddhist doc-trines. A third volume is a record ofthe oral teachings of the Buddha. Bud-dha himself did not claim to be a god,

7. How is God’s wisdom made evident in hisuse of humans to write the Bible?8. Why can it be said that the Bible is like noother book of religion?

and he said very little about God. Thetexts of Confucianism are an amalgamof records of events, moral rules, mag-ical formulas, and songs. Granted, theholy book of Islam teaches belief in oneGod and presents him as God who isomniscient and has foreknowledge, butit does not even reveal the name of God,Jehovah, which appears thousands oftimes in the Bible.

9 While most major books of religionsay very little, if anything, about God,the Bible acquaints us with Jehovah Godand his activities. It helps us to see themany facets of his personality. The Biblereveals God not only as an all-powerful,wise, and just God but also as a Godwho loves us. (Read John 3:16; 1 John 4:19.) Moreover, the Bible tells us: “Godis not partial, but in every nation theman that fears him and works righteous-ness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34,35) In a sense, the availability of the Bi-ble testifies to this truth. Linguists saythat of some 6,700 languages spokenin the world today, approximately 100

9, 10. What can we learn about God from theBible?

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cover 90 percent of the world’s popula-tion. Still, the Bible has been translated,either inwhole or inpart, into more than2,400 languages. Nearly everyone in theworld has access to at least parts of it.

10 Jesus said: “My Father has keptworking until now, and I keep working.”(John 5:17) ‘From time indefinite to timeindefinite Jehovah is God.’ So think ofall of his accomplishments! (Ps. 90:2)The Bible alone acquaints us with God’sactivities both past and present and re-veals what he will do in the future. TheScriptures also teach us what pleaseshim and what displeases him, and theyshow how we can draw close to him.(Jas. 4:8) Let us not allow any person-al pursuits or concerns to draw us awayfrom him.

11 The vast and reliable wisdomfound in the Bible also indicates thatthe book is from a Source higher thanman. The apostle Paul wrote: “Who hascome to know the mind of Jehovah, thathe may instruct him?” (1 Cor. 2:16) Thatverse is based on what the prophet Isa-iah asked those of his day: “Who hastaken the proportions of the spirit of Je-hovah, and who as his man of counselcan make him know anything?” (Isa. 40:13) The answer, of course, is no one. Nowonder that applying Scriptural counselon marriage, children, entertainment,association, industriousness, honesty,and morality brings superior results!We never get bad advice from the Bi-ble. Humans, on the other hand, aresimply not wise enough to recommendwhat always works. (Jer. 10:23) Their ad-vice is constantly being revised and up-dated as they come to realize that earli-er advice was flawed. “The thoughts of

11. What vast and reliable wisdom is found inthe pages of the Bible?

men,” says the Bible, “are as an exhala-tion.”—Ps. 94:11.

12 Another line of evidence that thetrue God is the Author of the Biblecomes from what history reveals aboutefforts made to destroy its message. In168 B.C.E., Syrian King Antiochus IVtried to seek out the inspired books ofthe Law to burn them. Roman Emper-or Diocletian’s decree to demolish themeeting places of the Christians and toburn their Scriptures was issued in303 C.E. The destruction continued fora decade. After the 11th century, popesled the efforts to suppress the spreadof Bible knowledge, opposing the trans-lation of the Scriptures into languagesof the common people. Despite such at-tempts by Satan and his agents, theBible has survived down to our day. Je-hovah has not permitted anyone to elim-inate his gift to mankind.

EVIDENCE THAT HAS

CONVINCED MANY

13 There is other evidence of the Bi-ble’s inspiration: the internal harmony,scientific accuracy, fulfilled prophecies,unusual candor, power to transformlives, historical soundness, and satisfy-ing answers to the questions mentionedin paragraph 1. Consider what helpedcertain ones to see that the Bible is fromGod.

14 Anwar� grew up as a Muslim in aMiddle Eastern country. While he was

� Some names have been changed.

12. The Bible has survived what efforts overthe centuries?13. We can point to what evidence of the Bi-ble’s inspiration?14 -16. (a) What convinced a Muslim, a Hindu,and an agnostic of the divine origin of the Bi-ble? (b) What evidence of divine inspiration ofthe Bible do you like to use in the ministry?

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temporarily living in North America, Je-hovah’s Witnesses came to his door. “Atthat time,” says Anwar, “I had a negativeopinion of Christian religions because ofthe Crusades and the Inquisition. How-ever, being a curious person by nature,I agreed to a Bible study.” Before long,Anwar returned home and lost con-tact with the Witnesses. Years later, hemoved to Europe, where he resumed hisBible study and came to this conclusion:“The fulfillment of Bible prophecies,the internal harmony of the Holy Scrip-tures, the absence of contradiction inthe Bible, and the love among Jehovah’sworshippers convinced me that the Bi-ble is God’s Word.”Anwar was baptizedin 1998.

15 Sixteen-year-old Asha comes froma devout Hindu family. “I prayed onlywhen I went to the temple or was goingthrough rough times,” she says, “butnever did I think of God when lifewas treating me well.” She continues:“When Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked onmy door, however, my life took a 180 de-gree turn.” Asha studied the Bible andcame to know God as her Friend. Whatconvinced her that the Bible is inspiredof God? She explains: “The Bible an-swered every question that I could ask.It helped me to have faith even withoutseeing God—that is, without my going toa temple to bow to an idol.”

16 Paula was reared a Catholic, but bythe time she was a young adult, she con-sidered herself an agnostic. Then some-thing happened. “I met a friend whomI had not seen in months,” she relates.“That was in the hippie era. When Isaw how he had changed—now clean-cut and happy—I asked him, ‘Whathappened to you, and where have youbeen?’ He said that he had been study-

ing the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnessesand proceeded to witness to me.” See-ing Scriptural truth exert such power at-tracted this former agnostic to the mes-sage of the Bible, and she accepted it asinspired of God.

“YOUR WORD IS

A LAMP TO MY FOOT”

17 The Bible is a marvelous gift thatJehovah has provided by means of hisholy spirit. Take delight in reading it dai-ly, and your love for it and its Author will

grow. (Ps. 1:1, 2) Open each study ses-sion with prayer, asking for God’s spiritto direct your thoughts. (Luke 11:13) TheBible contains God’s thoughts, so as youmeditate on what it says, you can makeGod’s thinking your thinking.

18 While you continue to grow in ac-curate knowledge of the truth, live bywhat you learn. (Read Psalm 119:105.)Peer into the Scriptures as you wouldinto a mirror. If you thus see that youshould make changes, do so. (Jas. 1:23-25) Utilize God’s Word as a sword to de-fend your beliefs and to cut away falseteachings in the hearts of meek ones.(Eph. 6:17) As you do so, be grateful thatthe prophets and men who were used topen the message of the Bible truly were“borne along by holy spirit.”

17. What can reading God’s Word daily andmeditating on it do for you?18. Why do you want to continue to learn fromthe Bible?

Read the Bible daily,and your love forits Author will grow

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In ancient times, traveling by sea was a chal-lenge that required experience. It was an artusually learned at the feet of longtime sailors,perhaps a helmsman. (Acts 27:9-11) Many an-cient paintings emphasize the importance of thehelmsman’s role by portraying him as being larg-er than others. To venture out into the open sea,seafarers learned about stars, winds, and otherpoints of reference. The Bible describes certainseamen as being “skilled,” using a term that canmean “wise.”—Ezek. 27:8; ftn.

Navigating life’s problems today can seem asarduous as going to sea in ancient times. Whatcan help us?

HOW CAN WE ATTAIN

“SKILLFUL DIRECTION”?

Having in mind the metaphor of life being likea voyage, consider this Biblical truth: “Awise per-son will listen and take in more instruction, anda man of understanding is the one who acquiresskillful direction.” (Prov. 1:5, 6) The Hebrew termrendered “skillful direction” can describe the ac-tions of the commander of an ancient ship. It im-plies the ability to guide and direct with skill.

Though it calls for effort, we can acquire “skill-ful direction” and learn to “sail” successfully onthe sea of life. As Proverbs indicates, we haveto let “wisdom,” “understanding,” and “insight”

work together. (Prov. 1:2-6; 2:1-9) And we can-not neglect seeking divine guidance, for even thewicked may know how to ‘steer’ for unjust ends.—Prov. 12:5.

It is vital, then, that we be diligent studentsof God’s Word. By such study, we can take inprecious information about Jehovah and the onewho best reflects Him, Jesus Christ. (John 14:9)We receive much wise counsel at Christian meet-ings. In addition, we can draw on the experienceof others, including our parents.—Prov. 23:22.

ANTICIPATE AND PLAN

“Skillful direction” is especially importantwhen we find ourselves in troubled waters, figu-ratively speaking. Doubts regarding what actionto take in a complex situation could paralyze us,with catastrophic results.—Jas. 1:5, 6.

BeWiseSeek“Skillful Direction”Life has been compared to a voyage. However, human

wisdom has often proved to be of limited value in helping

people to navigate through life successfully. Many have

experienced shipwreck in the stormy waters of life.

(Ps. 107:23, 27) Why is that metaphor fitting?

To emphasize theirrole, pilots were oftenportrayed larger thanother sailors

Su concessione del Ministero per iBeni e le Attivita Culturali. It isforbidden to reproduce or duplicate thisimage in any way or by any means.

JUNE 15, 2012 31

Interestingly, the term rendered “skillful direc-tion” is also used with reference to warfare. Weread: “By skillful direction [“by skillful strategy,”The Revised English Bible] you will carry on yourwar, and in the multitude of counselors there issalvation.”—Prov. 20:18; 24:6.

Like a strategist organizing a battle, we do wellto anticipate potential dangers to our spirituali-ty. (Prov. 22:3) For example, you may have to de-cide whether to accept a new job or a promo-tion at work. You would logically consider pay,travel time to and from work, and other details.However, there are other points to keep in mind:Will the type of work be compatible with Bibleprinciples? How might the hours, such as withshift work, affect my Christian activities?—Luke14:28-30.

Loretta, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, had agood job at a food-preparation company. Whenthe company was to relocate, Loretta was offeredan important position at the new place: “It’sthe chance of a lifetime,” the directors told her.“We’ve already found out that there’s a KingdomHall there.” But Loretta wanted to simplify herlife to serve the Creator more fully. She saw thatthe new post would leave her less time for Chris-tian activities. Hence, she submitted her res-ignation, though the director confided that shewas the only employee whom they really want-

ed to keep. Loretta, who now has been a regularpioneer for some 20 years, is convinced that thegood results obtained were directly related to herhaving planned with “skillful direction,” yes, inharmony with the advice found in God’s Word.She strengthened her relationship with Jehovahand has had the privilege of helping several to ac-cept Bible truth.

“Skillful direction” is certainly needed in thefamily. Raising children is a long-term job, andthe choices made in spiritual or material areasaffect the future of all in the family. (Prov. 22:6)Christian parents, for example, might ask them-selves: ‘By our conversations and example, arewe teaching our children spiritual values thatwill help them to cope wisely with adult life?Is our lifestyle helping them to understandhow to be content with a simple life and to fo-cus on their Christian ministry?’—1 Tim. 6:6-10,18, 19.

True success is not determined by the ma-terial or social goals that those in the world of-ten pursue. King Solomon understood this. Hewas inspired to write: “It will turn out well withthose fearing the true God, because they were infear of him.” (Eccl. 8:12) That certainly bears outthe wisdom of seeking “skillful direction” basedon and in harmony with God’s Word.—2 Tim. 3:16, 17.

www.jw.org w12 06/15-E

AN ELDERLY lady was particularly un-friendly when George and Manon,two Witnesses in the Netherlands, ap-

proached her with the good news of the King-dom. They learned that she had lost two hus-bands and a son in death and she was sufferingfrom severe arthritis. Though she calmed downsomewhat during the conversation, she never be-came really friendly.

George, however, suggested to Manon thatthey return with a bouquet of flowers for thelady because she seemed so lonely and bitter.When they did, the householder, Rie, was pleas-antly surprised. It was an inconvenient time forher, though, so an appointment was made for alater date. When George and Manon returned atthe arranged time, no one answered the door. Al-though they tried at different times, they did notfind her again. They even began to think that shewas avoiding them.

One day, George finally found Rie at home.She apologized for not keeping the appointmentand explained that she had been in the hospi-tal. “But you’ll never guess what I did after youtwo left,” she said. “I started reading the Bible!”

A pleasant discussion ensued, and a Bible studywas started.

As Rie studied the Bible, she was transformedfrom an embittered person into a happy, kindlady. Though housebound, she immediately be-gan to share her newfound faith with anyonevisiting her. Her health did not allow her to at-tend congregation meetings very often, yet shedelighted in having brothers and sisters visit her.On the day she turned 82, she attended a circuitassembly and was baptized in symbol of her ded-ication to God.

After her death just a few months later, a poemthat she had written was found. In it, she de-scribed the misery of loneliness in old age andstressed the importance of kindness. “Readingthat poem really touched me,” says Manon, “andI am so happy that Jehovah helped us to showkindness to her.”

Yes, Jehovah’s personal example prompts usto show such love and kindness. (Eph. 5:1, 2)Our ministry will be fruitful as we “recommendourselves as God’s ministers . . . by kindness.”—2 Cor. 6:4, 6.

Kindness Melts Bitterness

jehovah reveals what “must shortly take place”

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