heard; these things we must, as it were, “preach from the housetops.”

37. What shall we do if men misrepresent us and threaten us with death, and why?

³⁷ But what if men call us by evil names and misrepresent our work? “Do not fear them,” is our King’s command. What if they oppose our message and threaten to punish us with death? Do not become fearful of them, but, rather, fear Almighty God who can punish the wicked ones in Gehenna and can raise the faithful God-fearing ones to life in the realm of his glorious kingdom. (Matt. 10:26-28) Yes, fear Him and imitate his greatest Preacher, Jesus Christ, and keep preaching to the full demonstration of your faithfulness to God for his unfading glory. His kingdom with resurrection power will gain the everlasting victory.

Why the Changes in World Governments Since 1914?

TODAY is a time when the most firmly established institutions are falling or changing their principles and structures radically to avoid complete fall. Witness the decay of the colonial system of government and the unrest and instability created by rising tides of socialism and communism. Keen observers of history and world conditions note that the turning point in the affairs of men, especially as to government, was marked by the year 1914. Expressionsa such as “the turning point in our time,” “a dividing line in history,” “from the ‘golden age’ into a volcanic epoch,” “The last completely normal year in history was 1913,” “Ever since 1914 the world has been reeling drunkenly toward disaster,” are all quotations from such men concerning the year 1914.

There would be little comfort in these words were it not for the fact that Jehovah, the God of all comfort, has given us a complete answer to the questions that arise as to the cause of these changes, whether there is a purpose behind them or not, and the outcome. It is not for mere history that he preserved the record of the kingdom of Judah with its sad ending. It is so that we may get a correct answer to these very questions and have a sure, reliable guide in a time when nothing else is certain.

God was dealing with Judah to represent things that would take place on a far grander scale. He established the throne of David in Jerusalem and it was called “Jehovah’s throne.” But it was merely typical, for no earthly throne could really be that of the sovereign Ruler of the universe, God himself. It indicated that there would be One far greater than David who would permanently occupy the throne of world domination. This is corroborated by David himself, in speaking prophetically of the Kingdom to come.—Ps. 110:1, 2; Luke 20:41-44; Acts 2:32-36.

Jehovah God held world sovereignty or world domination in his hands. As long as the kings of Judah were faithful, no government in the world could overthrow them, but the time came when Jehovah decreed Judah’s overturn because it became wicked like the pagan nations and no longer reflected the righteous qualities of His sovereignty. This, of course, brought reproach upon God’s name and gave the nations a seeming reason to defame him. (Ezek. 36:20) Those who really desired to live under God’s righteous sovereign government were heartbroken by reason of the captivity that God permitted Babylon to exercise over Judah and the consequent reproach. This sad condition was feelingly summed up by their psalmist:

“By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down. We also wept when we remembered Zion. Upon the poplar trees in the midst of her we hung our harps. For there those holding us captive asked us for the words of a song, and those mocking us—for rejoicing: ‘Sing for us one of the songs of Zion.’ How can we sing the song of Jehovah upon foreign ground? If I should forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgetful. Let my tongue stick to my palate, if I were not to remember you, if I were not to make Jerusalem ascend above my chief cause for rejoicing. . . . O daughter of Babylon, who are to be despoiled, happy will he be that rewards you with your own treatment with which you treated us. Happy will he be that grabs ahold and does dash to pieces your children against the crag.”—Ps. 137:1-9.

THE MARCH OF WORLD POWERS

These Jews knew from Isaiah’s and Jeremiah’s prophecies that Babylon would be overthrown. (Isa. 47:1-3; Jer. 51:1-4) Daniel’s prophecies would give further details. Daniel was one of the young Jewish captives taken into exile with King Jehoiachin in 617 B.C.E. Daniel and three of his companions, after three years’ special training, were found eminently qualified when they were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar to serve as counselors. (Dan. 1:1-21) This was in the twelfth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingship, or in 614 B.C.E. In the second year after Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E., which would be the twentieth year of his kingship over Babylon but the second year of his exercise of world domination, he had a dream that was a prophecy from God. (Dan. 2:1) In the dream he saw a huge image with a golden head, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of copper and legs of iron, with feet of iron and clay. Daniel, interpreting the dream, explained that this golden head represented Nebuchadnezzar (which would include his dynasty) in the position of world domination, but he also said, “After you there will rise another kingdom inferior to you.” (Dan. 2:37-39) It was plain that Babylon would fall, but not by the kingdom of God, which was foretold to strike the image at its feet and to smash the image. Babylon’s fall would come at the hands of a world power represented by the breast and arms of the image, to succeed Babylon as world power. All these world powers, to the number of four after Babylon, would not be permanent, but would be followed by one that would be permanent, the kingdom established by the God of heaven.b Daniel said:

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will