Righteous Rule for All the Earth

HOW much mankind needs a righteous rule over all the earth! Everyone must agree that this planet today is no paradise. Poverty and hunger are the daily experience of millions of persons. Ugly cities rob earth of much of its natural beauty and poison the air and water around them. More and more cities are becoming “jungles” of crime, where people are afraid to leave their homes at night.

How different this is from God’s original purpose for man! But how good it is to know that God has not abandoned his purpose! For he assures us: “My word that goes forth from my mouth . . . will not return to me without results.” (Isa. 55:11; see also Genesis 2:8, 15; 1:28.) He will yet make this earth a glorious paradise.

Jehovah will soon bring to its end all the present wicked system. If you gain Jehovah’s approval now, you may be privileged to survive into God’s new system. What will this mean for you?

A RIGHTEOUS ADMINISTRATION

Mankind’s greatest need, for nearly six thousand years, has been to be brought back into full harmony with Jehovah God, his Creator. (2 Cor. 5:20) To restore righteousness to this planet Jehovah himself has made provision for “an administration at the full limit of the appointed times.” This administration or rule is by Christ’s kingdom. Evidence from the Bible reveals that the Kingdom has already come to power in the heavens and will soon take full charge of earth’s affairs. What is its main purpose in doing this?

The Bible answers: “To gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth.” (Eph. 1:9, 10) This administration is God’s means for bringing all those living on earth into full harmony with his heavenly rule. This is what we pray for when we say: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matt. 6:10.

What will this mean with regard to human relations? United in pure worship of their heavenly Father, people of all races and nationalities will live together as one family of brothers and sisters! (Acts 10:34, 35; 17:26) With God’s kingdom by his “Prince of Peace” ruling over the entire globe, the earth will no longer be divided politically. There will be no proud nationalism to arouse hatred, conflict and bloodshed.—Isa. 9:6, 7.

This will mean, then, that wars and fighting will cease. When God brings this present wicked system to its end, even the death-dealing weapons of war will be destroyed forever. The Bible says: “He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the wagons he burns in the fire.” (Ps. 46:8, 9; Ezek. 39:9, 10) So there will be no more newspaper lists of war casualties, no more war widows or war orphans, no more homes and cities bombed into ruins. What a blessing this will be for mankind!

From his heavenly throne Jesus Christ will administer earth’s affairs in a way that will bring lasting benefits. How wonderfully he has already demonstrated his qualifications, even laying down his own life on behalf of those who will be his subjects! Furthermore, the Bible record shows that nothing—temptations, pressures, reproach, even death itself—could turn Jesus aside from doing what is right. We can be sure, then, that under his rule there will be no oppression, injustice or corruption.—Isa. 11:2-5.

Would you not appreciate, also, a ruler who always speaks the truth? Jesus is that kind of person. (John 1:14; 18:37) And who would not feel drawn to one who shows genuine warmth and sincere interest in others? When Jesus traveled about declaring the good news, the Bible tells us, “on seeing the crowds he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:35, 36) He freely used the power that God had given him to heal the sick, both physically and in a spiritual way. While it would have been grand to live during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, it will be far grander to live on earth when he uses this power on behalf of all mankind.

Associated with Jesus in his heavenly kingdom will be 144,000 kings and priests taken from among mankind and made perfect by God. (Rev. 5:10) These, too, are persons who prove their love of righteousness down to the death.—Rev. 14:1, 4, 5; 2:10.

But will this heavenly government have any visible representatives? Yes, indeed! Why, even now the heavenly administration appoints faithful men as its representatives in the Christian congregation, doing so by means of God’s holy spirit. (Isa. 32:1, 2; Acts 20:28) So we can be confident that Christ will see to it that the right men on earth are assigned to represent the Kingdom government, for then he will be taking a direct hand in earth’s affairs.

Because these men represent the King in a special way, the Bible calls them “princes.” And Psalm 45, which is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, shows that some of these men will be from among Jesus’ earthly forefathers. These he will resurrect and appoint as “princes in all the earth.” (Ps. 45:16) Whether from among God’s servants of ancient times or from among those now serving the King, these will all have proved their loyalty to God and their love for their fellowmen. The same spirit of God that motivates their heavenly King will also guide them.

Neither race, nor color, nor place of birth will have any bearing on the way these princely representatives apply God’s righteous laws. (Deut. 10:17; Rom. 2:11) Following the example of their King, the “princes” will serve humbly and helpfully, bringing refreshment to their fellowmen. Yet they will be firm in upholding God’s righteousness.—Matt. 11:29; 20:25-28.

The earth having been cleansed of all evildoers, crime will never be allowed to take root again. (Ps. 37:9-11) Never again will there be a need for policemen, jails, handcuffs, burglar alarms, safes, locks and keys. Under the Kingdom’s righteous rule, you will know that anyone knocking at your door is a friend. There will be complete freedom from fear of any harm. Nevermore will anyone be afraid to stroll through a park at night to view the starry handiwork of the Creator. Even as is true of God’s congregation today in a spiritual way, so then in a literal way, “they will actually dwell in security, with no one to make them tremble.”—Ezek. 34:28.

But what of sickness and death? Will these, too, be removed? Let us examine the Bible answer.

How God Will Free Mankind from Sickness and Death

THE initial program of the Kingdom will cover a period of one thousand years. During that time Jesus Christ and the members of his heavenly government will serve not only as kings but also as priests of God on behalf of all their human subjects. (Rev. 20:6) Why?

Because all persons on earth will need to be “set free from enslavement to corruption” in order to have “the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:21) Even after the wicked have been destroyed, the earthly survivors will still be imperfect due to sin inherited from Adam. The wrong desires of their imperfect flesh will still be warring against the right desires of mind and heart. (Rom. 7:21-23) So, to be accepted fully in God’s family of sons, they first need the services of the heavenly priests of God. What will these do?

They will have a power that has been lacking in all human governments till now: the power to cleanse persons of sin and imperfection. This power rests in God’s heavenly priesthood by means of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. God’s Son and his associate priests will then apply the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice directly to all obedient ones. (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2) This provision is pictured in the Bible by the symbolic “river of water of life” that flows from the “throne of God and of the Lamb” and “the leaves of the trees . . . for the curing of the nations.”—Rev. 22:1, 2.

By making continual progress in righteousness and with the help of the heavenly priesthood, the subjects of God’s kingdom will then progressively grow young and strong, until they reach perfection of health in mind and body. They will be set completely free from the bondage