How Our Needs Will Be Filled
“AFTER 30 years of international cooperation, the number of hungry people keeps on increasing,” said the director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He admitted that “the policy followed until now has been a failure.”
Given the present self-centered attitudes of the nations, no international efforts can ever be truly effective in solving the problem of providing basic necessities for all mankind. Something more is needed. What is that? Many thinking persons have concluded that what is needed is:
World Government
There has to be a world government with the authority and power to control the world’s resources and organize a proper distribution of goods, in order to make sure that no one suffers want. Is such a world government possible? Two attempts at world government, the League of Nations and the United Nations organization, have utterly failed to solve the problems caused by selfish nationalism.
So where can an effective world government be found? Evidently, it has to come from outside this world system of things. But is there such an authority with the capacity to organize a world government? Yes, there is one that has a record of deep concern for the welfare of humanity. That authority is God.
In this materialistic twentieth century, this may sound strange. Is it realistic to hope for world rulership by God? Is there any evidence that God is even interested in being a world ruler? And if so, would his rule be better than the man-rule that we have endured for so long?
A Realistic Hope
In the minds of many—even of many who believe in God—religious things are somehow separate from the “real world.” It is all right, for example, to speak of their going to heaven when they die. But they feel that it is not realistic to expect God to do something here on earth, such as actually ruling the world. Do you feel that way?
Have you ever considered how much we rely on God’s laws even now? The air we breathe, the rain, the sunshine, everything that makes life possible is governed by what is often called natural laws, actually God’s laws. Whether people profess to believe in God or not, they are completely dependent on God. (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17) Should it be surprising if God, whose laws control the wind, rain and sun, also set out laws to govern the affairs of mankind?
Besides, did you realize that, about 3,500 years ago, Jehovah God selected a people, organized them as a nation and provided them a government in which he was King? That nation was Israel, and one of their prophets later wrote: “Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Statute-giver, Jehovah is our King; he himself will save us.”—Isaiah 33:22.
God’s Rule and Its Results
How did it work out for the Israelites? As long as they kept God’s law, they prospered in every way. After the first forty-five years of God-rule, one of their leaders reported: “Not a promise failed out of all the good promise that Jehovah had made to the house of Israel; it all came true.”—Joshua 21:45.
The experience of the Israelites shows that it is quite reasonable to speak of rulership by God. Just as he ruled directly over that small Middle Eastern nation, he is able to rule the whole earth. Will he?
Two thousand years ago the Christian apostle John heard something that gives strong reason for us to be confident that God will act in behalf of humankind. John was granted a vision of things to come, and in the middle of that vision he heard the exultant cry: “The kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.” Then John heard the heartfelt expression: “We thank you, Jehovah God, the Almighty, . . . because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king.”—Revelation 11:15, 17.
This vision—inspired by God himself—foretold God’s taking over “the kingdom of the world.” Yes, he will be world ruler, and “his Christ,” Jesus, will be his appointed administrator. Thus we have a firm assurance that Jehovah God will have a world government.
This world government by God is the central theme of the Bible. Jesus taught us to pray for it in the Lord’s Prayer when he said: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:10) Through the mouths of many prophets Jehovah God pointed to this kingdom as the only means by which the deep-rooted problems of this world will ever be solved. Will it be more successful than man’s governments? Well, consider.
Water to Drink: Jehovah God is the Creator of the earth. He fully understands its ecology. To the prophet Amos he revealed that he “is calling for the waters of the sea, that he may pour them out upon the surface of the earth.” (Amos 9:6) He fully understands this planet’s water cycle and can exercise complete control over it.
While he was directly ruling the ancient Israelites, he promised: “Jehovah will open up to you his good storehouse, the heavens, to give the rain on your land in its season.” (Deuteronomy 28:12) As long as his people were faithful, he fulfilled that promise. And he is equally able to guarantee abundant water supplies for all under his world government.
Food to Eat: Experts say that one of the biggest obstacles to feeding the hungry is the barrier of nationalism. God’s world government has the power to tear down those barriers. The inspired prophet wrote: “[God] will certainly . . . set matters straight respecting mighty nations far away. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Micah 4:3.
Is such a thing possible? It is indeed. In fact, it is happening right now! There is a society of people numbering millions around the world who have already subjected themselves to God’s kingdom. They no longer view things in a narrow, nationalistic or racial way, but they view one another as brothers, working together to do God’s will. The existence of this body of people is a proof of the reality of God’s world government. Who are they? We are speaking of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jehovah God has promised that he will bless the earth and it will produce abundantly. Through the mouth of the psalmist, he said: “The earth itself will certainly give its produce.” “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” (Psalm 67:6; 72:16) Yes, under the world rule of God’s kingdom there will be no obstacle to this basic essential’s being richly supplied.
Clothing and Shelter: Jesus showed God’s loving concern for the physical welfare of his servants when he said: “Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor do they spin; but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. If, now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field, . . . will he not much rather clothe you?”—Matthew 6:28-30.
Yes, God cares for his servants even now. Jehovah’s Witnesses can vouch for the truth of this. Certainly, then, when his world government rules this entire earth, there will be no lack of anything essential for our happiness.
Will You Be a Part?
Does this world government sound inviting? Surely, any reasonable person would like to live under such a system. First, though, we must study the government’s constitution. This has already been published in the Holy Bible. We must learn the laws that have to be obeyed if we are to live under God’s government.
This may involve changes in our life. The self-centeredness that is so much a part of this system of things has no place in God’s arrangement. Subjects of God’s kingdom must love him with their whole being, and also love their neighbor as themselves. Moreover, continuing in practices such as lying, stealing, immorality, cheating, drunkenness and drug addiction would make us ineligible for life under that government.—Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
Is it worth the effort? Yes, indeed. Only Jehovah God knows how good life could be on this planet under the right kind of government. In the Bible he has given some indications. Those who now serve God sincerely already feel some of the happiness and peace of mind that will exist then.
According to all the evidence, very soon those who become subjects of God’s kingdom will get to see and enjoy the whole picture. Yes, events occurring in fulfillment of Bible prophecy today indicate that the kingdom of God is near and about to take over control from the divided, unsuccessful governments of this world. (Luke 21:25-28, 31; Daniel 2:44) Would you like to be a part of all of it? Why not now look into it further for yourself? Learn to have confidence in Jehovah God and his world government, the only solution to the problems of our day.
[Box on page 7]
Only God’s kingdom will provide all mankind with . . .
□ Plenty of good food
□ Ample pure water
□ Suitable clothing
□ Comfortable housing