and worshiped God, saying: ‘We thank you, Jehovah God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king. But the nations became wrathful.’” (Rev. 11:15-18) Not nations called “heathen,” but nations making up Christendom, together with their priests and preachers, were first to ‘become wrathful’ in 1914, so as to break out in a world war for their own world domination. Their hostile attitude to the kingdom of the Lord God and of his Christ has not changed since. A second world war, beginning with the nations of religious Christendom, erupted in 1939. Since its close in 1945 more than eighty nations, under leadership of the nations of Christendom, have massed together in the United Nations organization, not to support the heavenly kingdom in the hands of Christ, who has the legal right to it, but to maintain world domination by earthly men.

40. By what have the nations refused to be led, and hence to what are they being gathered and by what?

⁴⁰ Satan the Devil and his demons are also against the Kingdom. The Revelation, written down by the apostle John, shows that. The nations inside and outside of Christendom have all refused to be led by the good news of God’s established kingdom as preached by Jehovah’s witnesses since World War I. Hence they have not been led into peaceful submission to the divine Kingdom; but, as John’s vision foresaw, they are being gathered by “expressions inspired by demons” under Satan the ruler of the demons to the “war of the great day of God the Almighty,” at Armageddon. (Rev. 12:1-12; 16:14-16) What will that mean for the nations? God tells us.

41. According to Isaiah 13:1, 5-9, what will come upon the nations?

⁴¹ There will be a destruction like that upon Babylon of old, at the hands of God’s forces. Says his prophet Isaiah: “They are coming from the land far away, from the extremity of the heavens, Jehovah and the weapons of his denunciation, to wreck all the earth. Howl, you people, for the day of Jehovah is near! As violence from the Almighty it will come. . . . Look! The day of Jehovah itself is coming, cruel both with fury and with burning anger, in order to make the land an object of astonishment, and that it may annihilate the land’s sinners out of it.”—Isa. 13:1, 5-9.

42. According to Zephaniah 1:2, 3, 14-18, what will come upon the nations?

⁴² There will be a destruction like that which came upon unfaithful Jerusalem by the king of Babylon. In the prophecy by Zephaniah we read: “‘I shall without fail finish everything off the surface of the ground,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.” “‘I shall finish off earthling man and beast. I shall finish off the flying creature of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked ones; and I will cut off mankind from the surface of the ground,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. ‘The great day of Jehovah is near. It is near, and there is a hurrying of it very much. The sound of the day of Jehovah is bitter. There a mighty man is letting out a cry. That day is a day of fury, a day of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick gloom, . . . And I will cause distress to mankind, . . . Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s fury; but by the fire of his zeal the whole earth will be devoured, because he will make an extermination, indeed a terrible one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.’”—Zeph. 1:2, 3, 14-18.

THE PLACE OF SECURITY

43. In the face of the threatening war, what do we urgently need, and who can and does provide it?

⁴³ In the face of the threatening “war of the great day of God the Almighty” there is urgent need for a shelter, a refuge, a place of security different from that which worldly-wise men are proposing for surviving a possible nuclear third world war. What men are proposing for human security during future world war by men will not be equal to the security needs during the coming war by God with men and Satan and his demons. Only God himself can tell us what security measures will be adequate, even as he told the godly Noah what security measures to take to survive the Flood that destroyed the wicked world system of 4,300 years ago. Almighty God alone is powerful enough to provide the place of safety and survival during his war for wiping out all enemies of his kingdom by Christ. He has provided the safe place, and he tells us how to get into it.

44. What right course to take does Almighty God advise through Zephaniah, and with what probability?

⁴⁴ To men, women and children who are living among nations and people that do not pale in shame because of their sins and opposition toward Almighty God, he says by the afore-quoted prophet Zephaniah (2:2, 3): “Before the statute gives birth to anything, before the day has passed by just like chaff, before there comes upon you people the burning anger of Jehovah, before there comes upon you the day of Jehovah’s anger, seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger.” It was very fitting that this probability of being hidden for taking the right course was held out by Zephaniah, because his name means “Jehovah Has Concealed.”

45. Immediately after such advice, what does Zephaniah tell about?

⁴⁵ Immediately after telling of the urgent need to seek the only possible place of being concealed against extermination, Zephaniah tells of the destruction to come upon the modern-day counterparts of the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Ethiopians and the Assyrians, all of whom, in their day, showed hatred of Jehovah’s kingdom at Jerusalem or Zion.—Zeph. 2:4-15.

46. In view of such advice, what should we cease to do, and what should we seek with Almighty God?

⁴⁶ This is reliable advice that leads to security, for it is God-given advice. Why, then, should we continue to be terrified at the shape of things to come and to suffer what Jesus Christ foretold, namely, “anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and its agitation, while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth”? (Luke 21:25, 26) Do not yield any more to the “expressions inspired by demons” and be led into a fight with the nations against God the Almighty and his kingdom by Christ. Listen to the good news of his kingdom now being preached everywhere by his witnesses before the end comes upon the Kingdom’s enemies. (Matt. 24:14) Seek peaceable relations with Jehovah God the Almighty, for upon his mercy depends all our security amid the war of his great day.

47. Who are the ones addressed in the advice given through Zephaniah, and how should we prove ourselves to be such kind of persons?

⁴⁷ Jehovah’s safety instructions are addressed to the “meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision.” Show yourself meek or humble before him, and do so by undertaking to practice his judicial decision. It is handed down in his holy Written Word. Jehovah’s witnesses today practice his judicial decision. They know what he has decided is his will for us to do in this most critical time. If, in the Lord’s Prayer, we pray to the heavenly Father, ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ then let us make an honest effort to find out what his will is now and then do it lovingly, in faith and obedience.

48. (a) Why does seeking Jehovah today mean more than it did in Zephaniah’s day? (b) What does seeking righteousness now mean?

⁴⁸ Seeking Jehovah today does not mean becoming a proselyte to political Zionism and to Judaism with its traditions of men. In Zephaniah’s day Judaism had not even been introduced. Seeking Jehovah now means more than it did in Zephaniah’s day; for in the prophet’s day the typical kingdom was still functioning with kings of David’s line on “Jehovah’s throne” at earthly Jerusalem or Zion. (Zeph. 1:1) Seeking Jehovah today means taking steps also to come into harmony with God’s Son who sits as King on Jehovah’s throne, at Jehovah’s right hand in the heavens far above our earth. After Jesus gave his footstep followers the Lord’s Prayer in which we pray, “Your kingdom come,” Jesus said to them: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:9-13, 33) All his Jewish followers left Judaism and took up seeking the kingdom of Jehovah’s Christ. (Gal. 1:13-17) They sought the righteousness that comes from Jehovah God through his Son Jesus Christ, who died as a perfect human sacrifice to relieve believing men and women of their sin and its penalty death.

49. (a) Why do we have today all the more reason to do like Jesus’ personal disciples? (b) Why can we seek Jehovah only through his kingdom?

⁴⁹ We today have all the more reason to do like them, for today the heavenly kingdom of the Christ is established. It has been in operation since the end of the seven times of the Gentiles in 1914. Now Jehovah is proceeding to put all of Christ’s enemies under his feet as though they were a footstool. We do not wish to be put under his feet to be crushed to death as his enemies; for it is written with respect to Christ’s battle action in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” that “he treads, too, the press of the wine of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty. And upon his outer garment, even upon his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Rev. 19:15, 16) His kingdom is the means for vindicating the sovereignty of Jehovah God as being universal, supreme. It is also the means for blessing all the families of the earth. It is the kingdom of Abraham’s Seed of blessing. We want the blessing, for that means eternal life in the new order of things under the Kingdom. We cannot seek Jehovah today except through the kingdom of his Son, the Mediator between God and men.

50. Where, then, is the place of security, and what prophecy in agreement with that fact did the apostle Peter quote at Pentecost?

⁵⁰ Here, then, is the place of security, namely, on the side of God the Almighty and of his Christ, and under their protection. When God elevated Christ to his own right hand after resurrecting him from the dead, God gave Christ a quantity or measure of the holy spirit to pour out upon his disciples on the earth. This outpouring of spirit began on the day of Pentecost in May of A.D. 33. The apostle Peter, one who got the spirit that day, told the crowd of eyewitnesses that this was the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy for the last days. Then Peter quoted these further words of Joel’s prophecy: “I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun itself will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. And it must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will prove to be the escaped ones, just as Jehovah has said, and among the survivors, whom Jehovah is calling.”—Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:1-36.

51. By the expressions Zion and Jerusalem, to what was Peter referring, and therefore on the side of what will the survivors be found?

⁵¹ Of course, the apostle Peter did not mean literal Jerusalem or Zion upon the earth; for Jerusalem that had clamored for Jesus’ death and that afterward persecuted his faithful disciples was horribly destroyed by the Roman legions, just thirty-seven years after that Pentecostal outpouring of holy spirit upon Peter and his fellow disciples. Peter, as well as Joel, whom Peter quoted, referred to the heavenly Jerusalem, the heavenly Zion, which is a symbol of God’s kingdom by his Christ. We must therefore seek the now established kingdom of Almighty God and his Christ. Only on its side and under it can we be among the survivors.

52. According to Joel, those doing what will get away safe, and what does the doing of this today mean?

⁵² The prophet Joel, whom Peter quoted, said concerning these days before the “coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah,” that “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe.” As we obey the prophet Zephaniah’s words to “seek Jehovah,” we must also do as Joel said, ‘call upon the name of Jehovah.’ Then we shall get away safe during the universal war of the great day. This now requires us to call on Jehovah through his reigning King Jesus Christ. It also means calling out Jehovah’s name publicly, just as his witnesses are doing in all nations, from city to city and from house to house, by word of mouth and by printed page. His name will be glorified by his kingdom, and his kingdom is the all-transcending issue today. So the good news of this kingdom is what seekers of Jehovah today must preach in all the earth for a final witness to all nations, before the end of these nations comes in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty.” Jehovah’s King, Jesus Christ, has commanded this witness to be given now.

53. By taking the right course, what does Zephaniah say may probably occur to you, and what does Psalm 91:1, 2 say is to be enjoyed?

⁵³ If, in this world’s “time of the end,” we take this plainly stated course, then, says the inspired prophet Zephaniah, “probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger.” (Zeph. 2:2, 3) O what security there is to be enjoyed in Jehovah’s place of concealment for us! What rest, what peace, what freedom from fear, what buoyant expectation of surviving through the day of his anger against the enemy nations of this world! The inspired psalmist beautifully describes the miraculous safety to be enjoyed there, saying: “Anyone dwelling in the hiding place of the Most High will procure himself lodging under the very shadow of the Almighty One. I will say to Jehovah: ‘You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God, in whom I will trust.’”

54, 55. (a) Under concealment, what may one look on and see? (b) Why will the reward of “length of days” be satisfying, and why will the salvation by Jehovah be eternal?

⁵⁴ Concealed under the shadow of his wings, just think of experiencing these words as the war of God the Almighty exterminates his wicked enemies: “A thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand; to you it will not come near. Only with your eyes will you look on and see the retribution itself of the wicked ones.” O, then, may we be wise and take advantage of the remaining time and seek Jehovah and call upon his name! For, says the Almighty God, “he will call upon me and I shall answer him. I shall be with him in distress. I shall rescue him and glorify him. With length of days I shall satisfy him, and I shall cause him to see salvation by me.”—Ps. 91:1, 2, 7, 8, 15, 16.

⁵⁵ “Length of days” in the new order of things after the “war of the great day of God the Almighty”—what a reward! It will be something satisfying, for the Kingdom in charge of that new order will be a blessing to men of good will. The salvation that God will cause those who seek him to see will be eternal, because his kingdom that brings salvation will endure forever and ever. So our security through the immediate future and for all time to come lies with his Kingdom. Our course will be life-rewarding if we seek it now.

56. Why may we hail the “great day of God the Almighty,” and what should we all join now in finding?

⁵⁶ All hail, then, to the “great day of God the Almighty”! Let it come speedily, for it means glorious victory for the true God Jehovah and a righteous government by his Christ for the everlasting blessing of all men of good will, living and dead. Join now with the happy witnesses of Jehovah’s kingdom in finding safe concealment for our “security during ‘war of the great day of God the Almighty.’”

City That Trusted in Fortifications

LACHISH was a city that thought itself secure and impregnable. Yes, its inhabitants put their trust in the city’s fortifications; they forsook Jehovah. Lachish was about thirty miles southwest of Jerusalem. Before advancing on Jerusalem King Sennacherib of Assyria determined to neutralize the stronghold of Lachish. “Now it came about,” says the Bible, “that Sennacherib the king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and proceeded to seize them. And the king of Assyria finally sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem.”—Isa. 36:1, 2.

Archaeological discoveries give us an idea as to the ferocity of the siege against Lachish. Massive reliefs of the siege were produced on orders of King Sennacherib. These reliefs, now in the British Museum, were discovered by Sir Austen Layard at the ruins of Nineveh. Describing the pictures carved on thirteen stone slabs, John Elder writes in Prophets, Idols and Diggers:

“Over them are written the words: ‘Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria, sat upon a nîmedu-throne and passed in review the booty [taken] from Lachish (La-ki-su).’ The walls of the city of Lachish are pictured on the summit of a steep mound. There are towers and projections with small barred windows; wooden railings and what look like round shields project from the parapet of the towers. . . .

“The walls and towers are alive with defenders shooting stones and arrows at the attackers. One can count no less than ten siege mounds which the attackers have raised against the steep glacis protecting the walls. These are built of brick, stone, soil, and the trunks of trees. There are seven battering rams rolled up to the walls on these runways. Each of the siege engines is mounted on four wheels and is leather-covered with a hood in front. Each shelters three men—one to work the battering ram or to use a crowbar with a point to pick stones out of the walls; another to shoot arrows from under cover of the hood; and a third to pour water from a long-handled ladle on the firebrands which the defenders rain down on the primitive tank. Upon this bas-relief everything is happening at once; the investment, the siege, the assault and the surrender.

“Archers are kneeling in the front ranks, in the next they are bending forward, and in the third they are standing upright, all portrayed as discharging arrows at the city’s defenders. Shield-bearers with wicker shields covered with hide are there to protect the archers, who also take shelter behind the ranks. There are slingers and spearmen. Ladders set up for escalading are tumbling from the walls; in a desperate effort to check the advance, the besieged are casting their chariots down on the heads of the attackers.”