Of the calamity that befell the Philistines, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible observes:

“Nebuchadnezzar put out any remaining sparks of Philistine independence. He deported both rulers and people, as the mention of the kings of Gaza and Ashdod and the princes of Ashkelon in the lists published by Unger and Weidner has shown.”​—Vol. 3, p. 795.

How forcefully the end of Ammon, Moab and Philistia testifies to the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy! The judgment of Jehovah God was indeed carried out against these hard-set enemies of his ancient covenant people, the Israelites. Truly the prophetic Word of God can be depended upon. As we read at Isaiah 55:11: “My word . . . will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.” So if we want to share in the blessings that Jehovah God has in store for those who love him, we do well to inform ourselves about his will and then live in harmony therewith.

Steadfast Despite Persecution by the Clergy, Nazis and Communists

As told by Ernst Seliger

MY WIFE and I between us have spent more than forty years in concentration camps and prisons. Why? Not because of wrongdoing or political involvement but because of our steadfast faith in God.

The clergy, as well as the Nazis and Communists, have opposed my participation in the work of preaching God’s kingdom. Yet, over the years, I have kept steadfast in my desire to be faithful in my service to God.

MY EARLY LIFE

Even as a youth I wanted to be a minister of God. One day when I mentioned this to my mother, she replied: “For that we are just too poor.” I was sad about that, but resigned myself to the idea that I could never become a minister. Instead, I would become a pharmacist.

Right after World War I ended in 1918, I began an apprenticeship in a pharmacy in Silesia, Germany. Due to the hardships I had to endure, I often contemplated ending my life. But a few months after my apprenticeship ended, a placard caught my eye. It announced the showing of the Photo-Drama of Creation, a slide and movie program put on by the Bible Students, or Jehovah’s witnesses.

I said to myself: “People who are sincerely studying the Bible are what I’m looking for.” The Photo-Drama lifted a veil from my eyes. I began to understand God’s purpose. I promptly ordered the seven volumes of the Studies in the Scriptures, published by the Watch Tower Society, and accepted invitations to attend Bible lectures. After making progress in learning Bible truth, I dedicated my life to God and was baptized in February 1923. A servant of God at last!