these things that are destined to occur.” (Luke 21:36) As parents, we will endeavor to set a fine example of spiritual appreciation and alertness for our children so that they too may stay awake and on the watch with us.

MOVING AHEAD WITH INCREASED CONFIDENCE

24. As to the nearness of the end, of what value to us is chronology?

²⁴ The chronology in the Bible is not there without good purpose. That chronology indicates that we are at the close of six thousand years of human history. While not revealing when God’s day of adverse judgment upon this wicked system of things will begin, this chronological fact does add one more reason to the many, many other reasons we already have for being confident that the remaining time is very short. It gives added support to these reasons as a basis for strong confidence in God’s word, that it is alive and powerful and will lead us on into a righteous new order.

25. With a solid basis for confidence, therefore, we will have what attitude?

²⁵ So, then, for the love of God, for the love of his Son, for the love of truth and righteousness, yes, for the love of life itself​—let us keep awake, show ourselves spiritually alive and active, today and every day, and we will succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur. Jehovah God, the God of truth, has given us his solemn “word,” and “none that rests his faith on him will be disappointed.” (Rom. 10:11) May He and his Son richly bless you, and may you continue serving faithfully, now and to all future time.

‘Who Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?’

◆ Just three days before his death, Jesus Christ gave his apostles a prophecy of things to take place after his death and resurrection, down to the conclusion of this world’s wicked system of things. Jesus’ words revealed that during all this long period of time there would be a “faithful and discreet slave” who would be giving God’s household “their food at the proper time.”​—Matt. 24:45.

How can we identify this “slave”? We need to look back to God’s words to his ancient nation Israel, to whom God said: “You are my witnesses, . . . even my servant whom I have chosen.” (Isa. 43:10) So Israel as a nation was here designated as God’s “servant” or ‘slave.’

However, the apostle Paul pointed out that, by then, natural Israel no longer constituted God’s “servant.” Why? Because the nation had rejected Christ, only a remnant of Jews exercising faith in him. Paul wrote: “For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code.”​—Rom. 2:28, 29.

Thus the ‘servant’ or “slave” that Jesus foretold must be the members of spiritual Israel on earth​—not an individual person, but a body. They would therefore be the spirit-begotten joint heirs with Jesus Christ, who are to share as kings with Christ in his heavenly kingdom during a thousand-year reign over the earth. (Rev. 5:9, 10; 20:4-6) Their duty while on earth has been to disseminate spiritual food among the members of the household of God, especially seeing that they are equipped spiritually to face the issues confronting them from time to time.