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OCTOBER  8,  1966 


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THE  REASON  FOR  THIS  MAGAZINE 

News  sources  that  are  oble  to  keep  you  awake  to  the  vital  issues  of  our  times  must 
be  unfettered  by  censorship  and  selfish  interests.  "Awake!"  has  no  fetters.  It  recognizes 
facts,  faces  facts,  is  free  to  publish  facts.  It  is  not  bound  by  political  ties;  it  is  unham- 
pered by  traditional  creeds.  This  magazine  keeps  itself  free,  that  it  may  speak  freely  to 
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CONTENTS 


A  Question  That  Needs  Answering  3 

Man  Created  Free  4 

Is  God  to  Blame  for  Man's  Wrongs?  7 

Who  Is  Principally  Responsible?  10 

Why  Has  Wickedness  Been  Permitted 

for  So  Long?  13 

How  Much  Longer  Will  It  Be?  17 


What  God  Has  Been  Doing 

on  Our  Behalf  21 

What  God  Will  Do  for  Man  in  Paradise     23 
What  You  Should  Do  Now  26 

"Your  Word  Is  Truth" 
Why,  Then,  Does  God 
Permit  Wickedness?  28 

Watching  the  World  30 


Volume  XLVII 


"If  is  already  the  hour  lor  you  to  awake.' 


ns   13:11 


Brooklyn,  N.Y.,  October  8,  1966 


Number  19 


A  Question  That  Needs  Answering 


T3E  history  of  the  human  family  is 
not  a  particularly  pleasant  one.  It  is 
filled  with  the  record  of  man's  inhumanity 
to  man.  Over  and  over  again  individual  or 
collective  acts  of  wickedness  have  plunged 
large  segments  of  humankind  into  bru- 
tality and  bloodshed.  As  man's  inventive- 
ness has  progressed,  so  has  his  capacity 
to  cause  grief. 

In  all  this  record  of  wickedness,  the 
innocent,  decent  people  all  too  often  suf- 
fer. They  are  frequently  victims  of  vio- 
lence, perhaps  losing  homes,  loved  ones, 
or  their  own  lives.  You  may  or  may  not 
have  experienced  these  things  personally. 
Yet  mental  suffering  due  to  injustices, 
unkindness  and  disloyalty  may  produce 
even  greater  misery,  and  you  are  not  likely 
to  have  escaped  such. 

Thinking  men  and  women  throughout 
the  ages  have  wondered  why  it  is  this  way. 
Sooner  or  later  they  ask  the  all-important 
question:  "If  there  is  a  God,  why  does 
he  permit  all  this  wickedness?"  Because 
of  not  having  found  the  answer  to  this 
critical  question,  many  have  abandoned 
belief  in  God.  In  fact,  today  some  are  even 
saying  that  "God  is  dead." 

Philosophers  and  religious  leaders 
throughout  the  ages  have  pondered  the 
problem.  Yet,  their  accumulated  ideas  are 
conflicting.  As  the  book  Basic  Teachings 
of  the  Great  Philosophers  (1945  edition, 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


page  296)  describes  it,  "One  philosopher 
will  offer  his  solution  and  many  will  hail 
it  as  the  answer.  But  it  will  not  be  long 
before  another  philosopher  will  discover 
and  point  to  errors  in  his  patterns,  will 
reveal  gaps  and  distortions,  and  will  pro- 
pose a  somewhat  different  solution,  one 
which  seems  to  him  more  nearly  perfect." 

And  why  is  this?  Because,  as  the  same 
book  comments,  even  a  great  philosopher 
"does  not  fashion  a  perfect  picture.  Only 
a  God  who  knows  all  experiences  of  all 
men  and  can  detect  the  finest  relations 
can  weave  a  perfect  pattern.  No  philoso- 
pher, however  great,  is  such  a  God." 

The  fundamental  truth  of  that  cannot 
be  denied.  No  man,  of  himself,  however 
v/ise,  can  answer  the  question  as  to  why 
God  permits  wickedness.  But  God  can. 
And  he  does! 

Consider  this  for  a  moment:  If  you 
wanted  to  know  the  views  of  someone, 
would  it  not  be  best  to  let  him  express 
himself  instead  of  listening  to  hearsay 
about  him?  Then,  since  it  is  God  who 
permits  wickedness,  it  would  only  be  fair 
and  right  to  listen  to  his  explanation  as 
to  why  he  has  allowed  wickedness  to  exist. 

To  begin  with,  let  us  examine  the  mat- 
ter of  how  man  was  created.  This  will 
aid  us  in  determining  how  wickedness 
could  ever  arise  within  the  human  family 
in  the  first  place. 

8 


WOULD  you  like  someone  to  dic- 
tate your  every  move  in  life? 
Would  you  appreciate  it  if  someone 
scheduled  your  every  living  minute  and 
then  forced  you  never  to  deviate  from 
that  course  by  even  a  hair's  breadth? 
Or  do  you  prefer  to  have  the  freedom 
to  choose  what  kind  of  work  you  will 
do,  where  you  will  live,  what  you  will 
eat  and  what  you  will  wear? 

The  answers  to  those  questions  are 
obvious.  No  balanced  human  wants  to 
lose  complete  control  of  his  life.  This  can 
be  seen  even  on  a  national  scale  where  peo- 
ple are  dominated  by  harsh,  dictatorial 
governments.  These  oppressive  govern- 
ments stifle  happiness  and  initiative.  They 
also  cause  such  pressures  of  resentment 
to  build  up  that  often  an  outbreak  is  made 
for  freedom. 


created  a  bad  thing? 
No,  it  was  a  good  thing.  The  Bible  is  ex- 
plicit in  informing  us  that  all  the  things 
God  created  were  good.  It  states:  "God 
saw  everything  that  he  had  made  and, 
look!  it  was  very  good."  (Gen.  1:31)  Cen- 
turies later  the  man  Moses  stated  of  the 
Creator:  "Perfect  is  his  activity." — Deut. 
32:4. 


Freedom,  a  Marvelous  Gift 

The  desire  for  freedom  is  no  accident. 
The  Bible  tells  us  that,  in  addition  to  life, 
God  gave  Adam,  his  first  human  creation, 
a  most  precious  gift.  That  marvelous  gift 
was  free  moral  agency.  Man  was  not  to 
be  a  human  robot,  an  automaton.  He  was 
endowed  with  the  ability  to  choose,  and 
that  is  an  ability  that  we  all  use  each  day. 
—Josh.  24:15;  Gen.  1:1,  26-28. 

If  God  had  purposed  that  humans  be 
merely  automatons,  machinelike,  he  would 
not  have  equipped  them  with  intellectual 
powers,  powers  of  perception,  judgment, 
decision  and  reason.  As  a  robot,  man 
would  no  more  have  need  for  such  mental 
faculties  than  would  a  piece  of  machinery 
or  a  vegetable. 

Was  the  freedom  with  which  man  was 


What  Human  Perfection  Means 

God  created  the  first  man  and  woman 
perfect,  that  is,  complete,  without  a  de- 
fect in  their  physical  organism.  But  did 
this  perfection  mean  that  they  could  do 
nothing  but  good?  No,  for  while  perfect, 
complete  in  their  mental  and  physical  fac- 
ulties, they  still  had  freedom  of  choice. 
If  they  were  compelled  to  do  what  was 
good,  then  it  could  not  be  said  that  they 
were  truly  free  to  choose. 

In  addition,  Adam  was  still  a  man,  an 
earthling,  made  of  flesh  and  blood.  He 
was  perfect,  it  is  true,  but  perfect  in  his 
limited  sphere  as  a  human.  For  instance, 
man  could  not  live  in  outer  space  without 
oxygen,  for  he  was  not  a  spirit  creature. 
Nor  could  he  stay  underwater  indefinitely 
without  special  equipment,  for  he  was  not 


AWAKE! 


a  sea  creature.  Also,  he  must  always  eat 
food  and  drink  liquids  to  stay  alive.  But 
these  and  other  human  limitations  did  not 
mean  he  was  less  than  perfect.  He  was 
still  perfect,  but  within  the  limits  of 
humankind. 

Nor  did  his  perfection  mean  he  knew 
everything.  He  would  have  to  learn  many 
things.  All  learning  did  not  come  auto- 
matically with  perfection.  In  fact,  even  of 
Jesus  Christ,  God's  Son,  who  as  a  man 
was  also  perfect,  we  read:  "Although  he 
was  a  Son,  he  learned  obedience."  So 
under  God's  direction  Adam  could  learn 
many  things  as  time  progressed.  He  could 
also  come  to  appreciate  more  fully  why 
God  is  the  only  one  worthy  of  his  worship, 
and  that  serving  God  is,  without  excep- 
tion, the  right  and  best  thing  to  do.  He 
could  see  how  wonderful  God  is,  what  a 
marvelous  gift  his  free  moral  agency  was, 
and,  of  his  own  free  will,  could  want  to 
serve  such  a  God. — Heb.  5:8. 

But  if  Adam  was  perfect,  how  was  it 
possible  for  him  to  go  wrong,  to  sin? 
Remember,  he  was  a  free  moral  agent. 
He  could  choose  to  ignore  vital  facts  of 
a  question,  or  to  arrive  at  a  decision  based 
on  one-sided  testimony.  He  could  also 
meditate  long  enough  on  what  was  wrong 
to  have  this  motivate  him  to  wrong  ac- 
tion, as  the  Bible  says:  "Each  one  is 
tried  by  being  drawn  out  and  enticed  by 
his  own  desire.  Then  the  desire,  when  it 
has  become  fertile,  gives  birth  to  sin." 
Adam's  perfection  would  not  immunize 
him  from  error  if  he  deliberately  refused 
to  ponder  well  both  sides  of  a  matter,  or 
if  he  continued  to  entertain  desires  that 
were  in  opposition  to  God's  law.  His  per- 
fection did  not  mean  he  was  infallible. 
— Jas.  1:14,  15. 

That  the  creature's  individual  will  and 
choice,  rather  than  perfection,  are  the 
determining  factors  readily  becomes  evi- 
dent. If  we  were  to  insist  that  a  perfect 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


man  could  not  take  a  wrong  course  where 
a  moral  issue  was  involved,  should  we 
not  also  logically  argue  that  an  imperfect 
creature  could  not  take  a  right  course 
where  such  moral  issue  was  involved?  Yet 
today  some  imperfect  creatures  do  take  a 
right  course  on  moral  issues  involving  obe- 
dience to  God,  even  choosing  to  suffer 
persecution  rather  than  change  from  such 
a  course;  while  at  the  same  time  others 
deliberately  engage  in  doing  what  they 
know  is  wrong.  Thus  not  all  wrong  ac- 
tions can  be  excused  by  human  imper- 
fection. The  deciding  factors  are  the  in- 
dividual's will  and  choice.  In  the  same 
way,  it  was  not  human  perfection  alone 
that  would  guarantee  right  action  by  the 
first  man,  but,  rather,  his  own  will  and 
choice  motivated  by  love  for  his  God  and 
for  what  is  right. 

God's  Guidance  Vital 

For  his  own  protection,  man  needed 
God's  guidance  and  direction.  He  was  not 
to  be  free  from  God  and  His  regulations. 
The  reason  why  is  so  vital,  so  fundamen- 
tal, that  unless  man  appreciated  its  sig- 
nificance, he  would  come  into  grave 
difficulty.  It  is  this:  Man  was  not  made 
to  govern  independently  of  God.  In  fact, 
he  could  not  live  without  God. 

God  did  not  give  man  the  right  or  the 
ability  to  govern  without  Him,  because 
it  was  never  purposed  that  man  be  in- 
dependent from  God,  his  Creator.  Free- 
dom was  to  be  relative,  maintained  within 
proper  limits,  limits  that  would  work  for 
man's  good  and  contribute  to  his  happi- 
ness. That  is  why  God  inspired  his  proph- 
et Jeremiah  to  write:  "I  well  know,  O 
Jehovah,  that  to  earthling  man  his  way 
does  not  belong.  It  does  not  belong  to  man 
who  is  walking  even  to  direct  his  step. 
Correct  me,  O  Jehovah."  It  also  explains 
why  the  Bible  counsels:  "Trust  in  Jeho- 
vah with  all  your  heart  and  do  not  lean 


upon  your  own  understanding." — Jer.  10: 
23,  24;  Prov.  3:5. 

So  while  man  was  perfect  as  a  physical 
organism,  he  must  have  the  guidance  of 
his  God  and  Creator  to  live  life  success- 
fully and  manage  his  affairs  properly.  If 
he  ever  stopped  accepting  divine  guidance 
and  direction,  his  mind  and  intellect, 
though  perfect,  would  no  more  resist  de- 
terioration than  would  his  perfect  body 
if  he  deprived  it  of  organic  food.  Man's 
positive  dependence  on  spiritual  food  was 
not  in  the  least  less  vital  than  his  depen- 
dence on  material  food,  a  fact  declared 
both  in  the  Mosaic  law  and  by  God's  own 
Son.  (Deut.  8:3;  Matt.  4:4)  If  man  were 
to  refuse  to  accept  the  guidance  of  Al- 
mighty God  over  his  life,  then  chaos 
would  result  in  the  human  ranks,  as  has 
happened. 

How  was  God's  guidance  expressed?  By 
His  regularly  communicating  with  the  hu- 
man creation,  as  the  first  and  second 
chapters  of  Genesis  show.  Their  Maker 
would  direct  them  by  talking  with  them 
and  by  giving  them  his  laws,  laws  that 
would  work  for  their  own  welfare. 

Hence,  man's  freedom  was  to  be  regu- 
lated by  wise,  just  and  loving  laws,  laws 
that  would  result  in  the  happiness  of  the 
entire  human  family.  These  laws  were  to 
serve  as  a  constant  reminder  that  the  wel- 
fare of  men  was  ever  dependent  upon  obe- 
dience to  their  Creator.  Because  free  mor- 
al agents  could  deviate  in  their  thinking 
and  go  in  a  way  that  would  be  hurtful 
to  themselves,  they  would  forever  need 
their  Creator  to  lead  them  in  the  paths 
of  right  knowledge  and  happiness. 

If  man  were  to  stop  trusting  in  God 
and  start  trusting  in  his  own  wisdom  alone, 
then  he  would  lose  his  happiness.  Has  this 
occurred?  Well,  what  do  we  see  on  earth? 
Do  we  see  the  entire  human  family  of  free 
moral  agents  united  in  a  bond  of  love, 
happy  and  thrilled  with  each  day  of  life? 


Or,  instead,  do  we  see  earth  filled  with 
suffering,  divided,  perplexed,  confused  and 
unhappy  people?  The  judgment  of  history 
and  of  our  own  time  is  that  the  latter  is 
true.  Man  has  lost  genuine  happiness,  and 
the  reason  why  is  that  he  has  abandoned 
the  guidance  of  God. 

The  Wrong  Choice 

With  the  freedom  to  choose,  our  first 
parents,  Adam  and  his  wife  Eve,  chose  to 
turn  their  backs  on  God.  Why,  Eve  even 
believed  that  by  departing  from  God's  law 
she  and  her  husband  would  become  God- 
like! So  they  broke  God's  plainly  stated 
regulation  and  turned  aside  from  his  di- 
rection. This  was  nothing  less  than  out- 
right rebellion  against  Almighty  God. 
—Gen.  2:16,  17;  3:1-6. 

However,  choosing  to  rebel  against  God 
would  mean  that  they  would  now  have  to 
get  along  without  the  blessing  and  guid- 
ance of  God.  That  is  what  they  chose, 
and  that  is  what  God  granted  them.  But 
man's  rejection  of  God  as  his  governor 
meant  that  the  Creator  would  no  longer 
sustain  him  in  perfection.  Outside  God's 
care,  the  human  organism  would  begin 
to  break  down,  until  eventually  death  over- 
took it.  God  said:  "In  the  sweat  of  your 
face  you  will  eat  bread  until  you  return 
to  the  ground,  for  out  of  it  you  were 
taken.  For  dust  you  are  and  to  dust  you 
will  return."  He  having  turned  to  sin,  his 
body  was  bound  to  degenerate.  The  close 
relation  between  the  emotional  state  and 
the  physical  state,  as  relates  to  human 
health,  is,  medically,  scientifically,  and 
Scripturally,  undeniable.  Compare  Genesis 
44:22,  29-34;  Proverbs  3:7,  8;  4:20-22; 
13:12;  14:30;  15:30;  16:24;  17:22. 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  Bible's  ex- 
planation of  matters  fits  the  facts.  Man 
was  created  perfect,  but  this  did  not  mean 
that,  as  a  free  moral  agent,  he  could  not 
choose  to  sin. 


6 


AWAKE! 


<9 


■  ■  *  7 ' 


>■?  < 


THE  calamity  that  came  upon  Adam 
and  Eve  was  their  own  fault.  God  had 
clearly  warned  them  of  the  result  if  they 
failed  to  obey  his  righteous  law;  yet  they 
chose  a  course  of  lawlessness  toward  God. 
But  what  about  all  the  wickedness  com- 
mitted in  the  thousands  of  years  since 
then?  Whose  fault  is  that?  Is  it  God's? 

The  Bible  shows  that  the  blame  for 
wickedness  lies  in  two  places;  one  is  with 
man  himself.  Let  us  examine  his  respon- 
sibility first. 

When  a  person  commits  a  crime,  who 
is  apprehended?  Would  it  be  right  to  put 
the  innocent  victim  on  trial  and  convict 
him  and  let  the  criminal  go  free?  No,  it 
is  the  criminal  who  is  responsible  for  the 
crime  he  committed.  We  cannot  hold  the 
innocent  one  responsible  for  a  crime  he 
did  not  commit.  In  like  manner,  we  must 
not  hold  God  responsible  for  crimes  he 
did  not  commit.  We  must  put  the  blame 
where  it  belongs,  on  the  criminals. 

Remember  that,  although  Adam's  off- 
spring, born  in  sin,  were  not  perfect,  they 
were  still  free  moral  agents.  They  were 


free  to  choose  to  do  right  or  wrong,  just 
as  you  are  to  this  day.  Though  by  nature 
they  would  commit  many  errors,  yet  when 
they  chose  to  do  wrong,  it  would  be  their 
own  fault.  That  is  why  the  Bible,  at  Deu- 
teronomy 32:5,  says:  "They  have  acted 
ruinously  on  their  own  part;  they  are  not 
[God's]  children,  the  defect  is  their  own." 
True,  many  innocent  people  who  try  to 
do  good  are  victimized  by  the  wicked 
deeds  of  others.  But  here  again,  the  in- 
nocent must  appreciate  that  it  is  the  wick- 
ed criminal  who  is  responsible  for  their 
hurt,  not  God.  Furthermore,  God  is  not 
oblivious  to  their  plight,  and  we  will  later 
see  how  he  has  taken  action  to  deliver 
them  from  their  unfortunate  circumstanc- 
es, and  to  erase  any  hurt  they  have  un- 
justly received. 

Tendency  to  Shift  Blame 

So,  then,  much  of  the  wickedness  per- 
petrated for  the  past  thousands  of  years 
can  be  traced  to  man's  own  doing.  He 
cannot  shift  the  responsibility  for  his  own 
wrongdoing  onto  God,  although  this  is 
what  many  try  to  do.  Why,  even  Adam, 
when  called  to  account  for  his  transgres- 
sion, tried  to  avoid  responsibility  by  say- 
ing the  cause  for  his  dereliction  was  "the 
woman  whom  you  [God]  gave  to  be  with 
me."  Since  God  gave  him  the  woman  who 
later  induced  him  to  rebel,  Adam  selfishly 
reasoned  that,  not  only  the  woman,  but 
God  himself  must  bear  responsibility  for 
his  wrong  action.  However,  it  was  not 
God  who  did  the  wrong.  And  the  Bible 
assures  us  that  "Adam  was  not  deceived." 
He  was  competent  to  make  a  choice.  His 
wrongdoing  was  his  own  fault. — Gen.  3: 
12;  1  Tim.  2:14. 

Throughout  history  humans  have  been 
plagued  by  a  tendency  similar  to  Adam's, 
to  blame  God  for  the  evil  that  befalls 
them.  In  the  case  of  some,  they  follow 
the  dictates  of  their  own  will  and  violate 


OCTOBER  8,  1966 


God's  laws.  When  they  are  apprehended 
for  their  lawlessness,  they  may  feel  that 
God  is  at  fault  for  not  preventing  the  out- 
come. But  why  did  they  break  God's  law? 

While  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  some 
persons  are  genuinely  perplexed  and  are 
seeking  to  know  the  reason  for  God's  per- 
mission of  wickedness,  the  sincerity  of 
many  others  who  strongly  criticize  God  is 
open  to  question.  Are  they  really  honest 
in  their  insistence  that  God  is  at  fault 
because  he  did  not  forcibly  prevent  man's 
deviation  from  righteousness  at  its  very 
inception?  Where,  then,  is  the  proof  that 
they  as  individuals  personally  desire  strict- 
er control  by  God  or  where  is  the  proof 
that  even  a  sizable  majority  of  mankind 
at  any  time  has  manifested  a  desire  that 
God  use  his  power  to  inhibit  their  wrong 
ways  or  block  them  in  their  wrong  pur- 
suits? If  they  do  not  want  this  for  them- 
selves, why  should  we  believe  they  really 
would  want  it  for  our  first  parents?  Are 
they  not  like  the  person  who  heartily 
cheers  law  enforcement  but  reacts  resent- 
fully when  a  traffic  policeman  approaches 
him?— Ezek.  18:29-32. 

When  entire  nations  behave  criminally, 
can  they  blame  God  if  disaster  befalls 
them?  If  they  cast  out  God's  command- 
ments, can  they  blame  God  for  their  suf- 
fering? When  human  governments  fail  be- 
cause they  are  not  doing  God's  will,  they 
are  to  blame  for  the  unhappiness  they 
bring  upon  the  people. 

Sickness  and  Disease 

But  what  about  all  the  suffering  that 
comes  from  sickness  and  disease?  Even 
persons  who  try  to  do  good  get  sick, 
through  no  fault  of  their  own.  And  an 
infant  can  get  some  illness  and  be  maimed 
for  life,  or  even  die.  Certainly  it  was  no 
fault  of  the  infant. 

In  regard  to  all  such  sickness,  disease 
and  pain,  we  must  put  the  blame  where 


it  belongs,  on  the  rebellion  of  Adam  and 
Eve.  Note  what  Romans  5:12  says: 
"Through  one  man  [Adam]  sin  entered 
into  the  world  and  death  through  sin,  and 
thus  death  spread  to  all  men."  Also,  Job 
14:4  declares:  "Who  can  produce  some- 
one clean  out  of  someone  unclean?" — Ps. 
51:5;  Luke  5:18-25. 

If,  as  an  example,  certain  human  par- 
ents ignore  the  divine  law  and  live  im- 
morally, and  so  contract  venereal  disease, 
whose  fault  is  it  if  their  children  are  born 
physically  or  mentally  impaired?  It  is  the 
fault  of  such  "unclean"  parents. 

So,  too,  our  first  parents  became  "un- 
clean," imperfect,  prone  to  sickness,  and 
finally  death.  They  could  only  pass  on  to 
their  offspring  what  they  themselves  had: 
imperfection,  sickness  and  liability  to 
death.  That  is  why  we  all  suffer  from  ill- 
ness and  disease  today. 

False  Religion  Shares  Blame 

The  traditional  religions  have  often  at- 
tributed to  God  the  calamities  that  man 
experiences.  Many  of  earth's  population 
are  taught  that  poverty,  filth  and  igno- 
rance are  God's  will  for  them.  Religious 
tradition  tells  hundreds  of  millions  in  some 
countries  that  a  cow  is  more  sacred  than 
a  man,  and  that,  even  though  the  man  may 
be  starving,  the  cow  cannot  be  used  for 
food.  But  God's  Word  says  it  can.  (Gen. 
9:3;  1  Cor.  10:25)  Thus,  religions  that 
are  not  based  on  God's  Word  increase 
man's  difficulties,  while,  at  the  same  time, 
saying  that  such  difficulties  are  the  will 
of  God. 

Other  millions  learn  from  different  sys- 
tems of  religious  tradition  that  it  is  God's 
will  for  a  few  political  and  religious  rulers 
to  dominate,  while  the  rest  of  the  popu- 
lation must  render  them  unquestioned 
obedience,  even  if  it  means  sacrificing 
their  lives  in  unrighteous  warfare.  The 
people  attribute  the  resulting  carnage  to 


AWAKE! 


God,  since  their  religion  teaches  them  it 
is  God's  will  for  them  to  kill.  But  God's 
Word  does  not  so  teach. — Acts  5:27-29; 
Jer.  2:34. 

No,  God  is  not  to  blame  for  the  hurt 
and  injustice  resulting  from  man's  own 
wrongdoing,  even  if  it  is  religious,  even 
if  it  is  claimed  that  this  is  from  God. 
Religious  systems  instituted  fiendish  in- 
quisitions during  the  "dark  ages,"  caus- 
ing the  torture  of  men  and  women.  But 
where  does  God  authorize  such  horrible 
crimes?  Nowhere!  For  example,  in  regard 
to  the  pagan  practice  in  ancient  Israel  of 
burning  children  to  false  gods,  Jehovah 
stated:  "They  have  built  the  high  places 
of  Topheth,  which  is  in  the  valley  of  the 
son  of  Hinnom,  in  order  to  burn  their 
sons  and  their  daughters  in  the  fire,  a 
thing  that  I  had  not  commanded  and  that 
had  not  come  up  into  my  heart."  When 
God  condemns  what  men  do,  he  can  hardly 
be  charged  with  the  blame  for  it. — Jer. 
7:31. 

Wrongs  committed  in  the  name  of  re- 
ligion are  especially  disgusting  to  God. 
As  Jesus  said  to  the  religious  leaders  in 
his  day:  "Woe  to  you,  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees, hypocrites!  because  you  resemble 
whitewashed  graves,  which  outwardly  in- 
deed appear  beautiful  but  inside  are  full 
of  dead  men's  bones  and  of  every  sort, 
of  uncleanness.  In  that  way  you  also,  out- 
wardly indeed,  appear  righteous  to  men, 
but  inside  you  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and 
lawlessness."— Matt.  23:27,  28. 

The  lawless  deeds  of  false  religion  can- 
not be  blamed  on  God,  for  he  does  not 
sanction  religious  hypocrisy  and  cruelty. 
The  mere  fact  that  a  religious  movement 
claims  a  long  history  of  hundreds  of  years 
should  not  be  allowed  to  blind  us  to  the 
truth.  If  it  is  operating  contrary  to  the 
clearly  expressed  will  of  God  in  his  Word, 
then  the  hurt  they  cause  is  strictly  of 
their  own  making. 


Proper  Attitude 

It  is  not  the  course  of  wisdom  for  in- 
nocent victims  of  wicked  deeds  to  blame 
God  instead  of  those  guilty.  There  are 
thousands  of  men  and  women  who  desire 
to  do  good  and  who  share  the  troubles 
produced  by  wicked  men,  but  who  pa- 
tiently wait  upon  God  for  the  realization 
of  all  the  good  promises  he  has  made. 
They  know  that  God  has  tolerated  wicked- 
ness and  wicked  people  for  a  reason,  but 
that  when  his  time  limit  is  up  the  wicked 
ones  will  be  called  to  account.  The  pa- 
tient, righteously  disposed  ones  will  then 
benefit.  The  Bible  counsels:  "Do  not  show 
yourself  heated  up  because  of  the  evil- 
doers .  .  .  Hope  in  Jehovah  and  keep  his 
way,  and  he  will  exalt  you  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  earth.  When  the  wicked 
ones  are  cut  off,  you  will  see  it." — Ps. 
37:1,  34. 

How  refreshing  it  is  to  know  that 
throughout  the  centuries,  and  especially 
today,  there  are  men  and  women  who, 
despite  their  endurance  of  trouble  and  op- 
pression, do  not  blame  God!  Instead,  they 
declare  as  did  the  apostle  Paul:  "What 
shall  we  say,  then?  Is  there  injustice  with 
God?  Never  may  that  become  so!" — Rom. 
9:14. 

This  attitude  is  the  right  one.  We  must 
not  accuse  God  of  acts  of  which  he  is  not 
guilty.  It  is  not  God  who  passed  imper- 
fection on  to  us,  but  our  first  human  par- 
ents. So,  too,  when  men  today,  of  their 
own  free  will,  do  wrong,  they  are  to  blame, 
not  God. 

However,  it  was  previously  stated  that 
the  blame  for  wickedness  lies  in  two 
places.  We  have  discussed  the  responsi- 
bility of  man  for  his  own  freewill  acts 
of  wrongdoing.  But  who  else  is  respon- 
sible for  the  wickedness  that  has  prevailed 
on  earth  for  so  long? 


OCTOBER  8,  1966 


."a3T3r*&> 


WHEN  criminals  operate  behind  a 
well-planned  organizational  setup, 
with  numerous  fronts  that  appear  to  be 
quite  law-abiding,  it  is  difficult  for  the 
man  in  the  street  to  penetrate  the  decep- 
tion or  believe  that  the  unseen  master 
schemers  even  exist. 

The  principal  wicked  ones  whose  crim- 
inal actions  and  policies  have  helped  bring 
untold  miseries  upon  the  human  family 
also  work  behind  the  scenes.  But  we  do 
not  have  to  be  in  ignorance  of  them,  be- 
cause God  has  exposed  their  workings  so 
that  all  who  desire  can  know  of  them  for 
their  own  information  and  protection. 

Origin  of  the  Principal  Wicked  One 

God  helps  us  to  identify  the  principal 
wicked  one,  the  cunning,  behind-the- 
scenes  criminal  responsible  for  Eve's  vio- 
lating God's  clearly  stated  law.  Who  was 
this  tempter  of  Adam's  wife  Eve?  Who 
induced  her  to  rebel  against  her  righteous 
Creator?  Who  started  wickedness  in  the 
universe? 

The  one  mainly  responsible  for  wicked- 
ness is  an  invisible  wicked  one.  His  in- 
visibility should  not  make  you  doubt  his 


existence.  The  very  existence  of  germs  as 
disease-causing  factors  was  once  doubted. 
Though  beyond  the  range  of  the  naked 
eye,  time  and  research  established  their 
existence.  Today  the  precise  cause  of  can- 
cer is  still  unknown,  but  scientists  do  not 
simply  shrug  their  shoulders  and  say, 
"Cancer  is  caused  by  cancer."  They  are 
certain  that  a  causative  factor  exists.  So, 
too,  wickedness  is  not  just  caused  by  wick- 
edness. It  had  a  start,  and  its  spread  and 
plaguelike  proportions  also  indicate  an  ac- 
tive infecting  source. 

When  did  this  invisible  one  first  make 
himself  evident?  In  the  third  chapter  of 
Genesis  we  read  of  a  serpent's  speaking 
to  the  first  woman  Eve,  and  speaking  in 
direct  opposition  to  Jehovah  God.  God  had 
said  that  disobedience  to  his  laws  would 
mean  death.  Now  the  serpent  said  the 
opposite:  "You  positively  will  not  die." 
In  fact,  the  serpent  went  on  to  tell  Eve: 
"Your  eyes  are  bound  to  be  opened  and 
you  are  bound  to  be  like  God."  Eve  be- 
lieved this  wicked,  lying  speech  and  dis- 
obeyed God.  Then  she  induced  her  hus- 
band to  join  her  in  rebellion. — Gen.  3:4,  5. 

But  who  actually  instilled  the  idea  of 
rebellion  in  the  mind  of  Eve?  Was  it  a 
mere  reptile,  a  snake  that  has  no  speech 
organs?  No,  there  must  have  been  some- 
one behind  the  serpent  making  it  appear 
as  if  the  snake  were  talking.  We  know 
that  a  skilled  ventriloquist  can  make  it 
appear  as  if  an  animal  or  even  a  dummy 
is  talking,  when  this  is  not  the  case  at 
all.  How  much  more  could  a  superhuman 
invisible  intelligent  creature  do  so!  The 
Bible,  at  Revelation  12:9,  identifies  that 
powerful  spirit  creature,  speaking  of  him 
as  "the  original  serpent."  He  is  clearly 
identified  as  being  Satan  the  Devil! 

Here,  then,  is  man's  hated  enemy  and 
the  one  mainly  responsible  for  all  wicked- 
ness throughout  the  earth  today! 


10 


AWAKE! 


Succumbed  to  Wrong  Desire 

Obviously,  the  God  'whose  activity  is 
perfect'  would  not  deliberately  create  a 
wicked  one.  (Deut.  32:4)  He  would  not 
create  intelligent  creatures  with  whom  he 
could  not  associate.  Such  would  be  con- 
trary to  reason. — Ps.  5:4-6;  15:1,  2. 

When  God  created  that  invisible  spirit, 
as  he  did  many  others,  that  creature  was 
perfect.  He  was  complete,  without  defect 
as  a  spirit  creation,  though,  like  Adam, 
not  infallible.  This  particular  creature  ap- 
parently was  interested  in  Adam  and  Eve 
and  the  Bible  shows  that  he  got  in  touch 
with  them.— Job  38:7;  Gen.  3:1-15. 

But  how  could  a  perfect  creature  of 
high  intelligence  turn  to  wickedness,  since 
that  spirit  creature  had  no  tempter,  as 
did  the  woman  Eve?  The  Bible  answers 
that  it  was  by  the  entertaining  of  a  wrong 
idea.  There  is  nothing  wrong  in  itself  with 
seeing  the  possibilities  in  a  certain  situa- 
tion. For  example,  a  person  in  someone 
else's  home  may  see  a  watch  lying  on  a 
table.  The  possibility  of  his  picking  that 
watch  up  and  putting  it  in  his  pocket  is 
evident,  but  he  may  not  even  consider  it; 
or,  if  the  idea  does  suggest  itself,  he  may 
immediately  dismiss  it.  But  if  he  retains 
the  idea  and  allows  it  to  develop  and  grow, 
then  the  process  of  wrongdoing  has  been 
initiated  and  he  may  well  commit  the  act 
of  wickedness  it  suggests. 

So,  too,  with  the  perfect  spirit  creature. 
The  possibility  of  using  the  human  pair 
for  his  own  purpose  rather  than  that  in- 
dicated by  God  was  mere,  and  he  not  only 
considered  it  but  also  failed  to  dismiss  it 
from  his  mind,  and  it  led  to  sin. — Jas.  1: 
14,  15;  1  Tim.  3:6. 

The  fact  that  God  granted  a  generous 
measure  of  intellectual  freedom  does  not 
make  him  responsible  for  everything  a 
creature  does.  Does  any  creature  need  to 
view  freedom  as  a  license  to  do  wrong? 
Do  you  feel  that  it  entitles  you  to  rob 


or  to  kill  your  neighbor,  or  vice  versa? 
Freedom  is  a  wonderful  thing,  but  it 
should  not  be  perverted.  The  Bible  says: 
"Be  as  free  people,  and  yet  holding  your 
freedom,  not  as  a  blind  for  moral  badness, 
but  as  slaves  of  God."— 1  Pet.  2:16. 

The  Ones  Principally  Responsible 

Responsibility  for  world  wickedness, 
then,  rests  primarily  with  Satan  the  Devil, 
He  is  the  one  to  blame,  as  the  Bible  ex- 
plicitly shows  at  1  John  5:19:  "The  whole 
world  is  lying  in  the  power  of  the  wicked 
one."  But  the  Devil  is  not  the  only  in- 
visible wicked  one.  The  Holy  Scriptures 
also  make  clear  that  Christians  "have  a 
fight,  not  against  blood  and  flesh,  but 
against  .  .  .  the  wicked  spirit  forces  in 
the  heavenly  places."  (Eph.  6:12)  So  other 
wicked  spirits,  demons,  are  also  respon- 
sible for  oppressive  wickedness. — Rev. 
12:9. 

But  why  did  angels  of  God  turn  them- 
selves into  demons?  Again  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  wrong  desire.  The  Bible  informs  us 
that  a  minority  of  angels  left  their  as- 
signed duties  due  to  improper  desire  and 
then  came  under  the  leadership  of  their 
fellow  rebel,  the  Devil.  (Gen.  6:2;  2  Pet. 
2:4,  5;  Jude  6)  Together,  they  have  caused 
all  manner  of  woes  for  men,  women  and 
children.  What  oppression  has  come  upon 
mankind  because  of  the  Devil  and  his  de- 
mons! The  Bible  tells  us,  for  instance, 
that  Jesus  Christ  "went  through  the  land 
doing  good  and  healing  all  those  oppressed 
by  the  Devil."  (Acts  10:38)  Yes,  the  Devil 
was  the  one  mainly  responsible  for  their 
unhappy  plight.  So,  too,  dishonesty,  cheat- 
ing, deception,  lying  and  terrible  crimes  of 
violence  have  been  perpetrated  and  wars 
instigated  throughout  the  earth  because  of 
the  Devil  and  demons!  (John  8:44;  Heb. 
2:14)  They  are  the  ones  principally  re- 
sponsible for  wickedness  on  earth! 


OCTOBER  8,  1966 


11 


Responsibility  for  Present  Woes 

The  Bible  foretold  that  there  would  be 
a  vast  increase  in  every  kind  of  crime  in 
our  day.  And  the  reason  for  this  is  shown 
clearly  by  the  Bible  to  be  that  Satan  and 
his  demons  have  been  cast  right  down  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  earth:  "Woe  for  the 
earth  and  for  the  sea,  because  the  Devil 
has  come  down  to  you,  having  great  anger, 
knowing  he  has  a  short  period  of  time." 
—Rev.  12:12. 

Other  prophecies  concerning  the  time 
in  which  we  live,  such  as  at  Second  Tim- 
othy chapter  3,  and  Matthew  chapter  24, 
tell  of  the  vast  wickedness  we  now  see 
on  every  hand.  This  has  come  about  be- 
cause demon-inspired  men  have  permitted 
their  minds  to  be  led  into  the  course  of 
wrongdoing.  Knowing  that  they  have  "a 
short  period  of  time,"  the  great  criminal 
Satan  and  his  demon  hordes  are  viciously 
trying  to  drag  down  with  them  as  many 
humans  as  they  can  overreach  and  coerce 
into  rebelling  against  God. 

A  principal  means  of  doing  this  on  a 
mass  scale  is  wicked  governments  that 
have  the  power  to  hurt  millions  at  a  time. 
In  fact,  the  Holy  Bible  fittingly  speaks  of 
human  governments  under  the  symbol  of 
injurious  and  destructive  wild  beasts. 
(Dan.  8:1-8,  20-25)  As  noted  in  the  thir- 
teenth chapter  of  Revelation,  Satan  him- 
self has  been  the  one  who  has  empowered 
these  ruling  authorities.  He  is  the  "god 
of  this  system  of  things."  (2  Cor.  4:4) 
He  it  is  who  has  instigated  their  oppres- 
sive rule,  their  horrible  wars,  and  their 
persecutions  of  God-fearing  persons.  He 
has  caused  these  governments  to  take  to 
themselves  rights  and  powers  that  only 
God  can  safely  exercise.  He  has  promoted 
all  the  blasphemies  against  God  that  those 
national  sovereignties  have  uttered.  Thus, 
when  we  see  nations  at  one  another's 
throats  today,  it  is  not  because  God  is 
their  ruler.  It  is  because  they  are  part 


of  Satan's  organization. — Luke  4:5-8. 
So  the  terrible  woes  of  wickedness  we 
see  at  the  present  time  are  not  from  Al- 
mighty God.  They  are  mainly  caused  by 
mankind's  great  enemies,  Satan  the  Devil 
and  his  hordes  of  demon  angels. 

Influence  over  Man  Not  Unlimited- 
While  the  self-made  Satan  the  Devil 
induced  Adam  and  Eve  to  join  in  his 
wicked  rebellion  against  God's  authority, 
we  must  remember  that  he  could  not  com- 
pel them  to  do  wrong.  Adam  and  Eve  were 
not  so  weak  and  incompetent  that  they 
were  unable  to  resist.  The  Bible  says: 
"Oppose  the  Devil,  and  he  will  flee  from 
you."  Our  first  parents  were  completely 
capable  of  telling  this  lying  spirit  creature 
that  they  would  not  go  along  with  him. 
Centuries  later  the  perfect  man  Jesus 
proved  that  this  could  be  done,  for  he  said 
to  Satan:  "Go  away,  Satan!  For  it  is 
written,  'It  is  Jehovah  your  God  you  must 
worship,  and  it  is  to  him  alone  you  must 
render  sacred  service.'" — Jas.  4:7;  Matt. 
4:10. 

Had  Adam  and  Eve  said  to  Satan  what 
Jesus  did,  the  human  family  would  not 
find  itself  plagued  with  such  wickedness 
today.  Hence,  while  Satan  was  the  chief 
culprit,  responsible  for  the  eventual  death 
of  Adam  and  Eve,  they  were  also  respon- 
sible, for  they  could  have  turned  aside 
his  wrong  suggestions.  But  they  did  not. 
What  they  did  caused  all  their  offspring, 
including  us,  to  inherit  imperfection,  which 
brought  with  it  sickness  and  death. — Heb. 
2:14. 

Yes,  Satan  and  his  demons  are  the  ones 
principally  responsible  for  past  and  pres- 
ent wickedness.  But  the  fact  that  all  this 
chaos  has  gone  on  for  such  a  long  time 
causes  thinking  persons  to  wonder  why. 
Why  has  God  permitted  wickedness  for 
so  long?  Why  has  it  gone  on  for  nearly 
6,000  years  now? 


12 


AWAKE! 


ALMOST  six 
thousand 
years  of  human 
history  have  pro- 
duced a  long  rec- 
ord of  suffering, 
tears  and  death. 
The  sympathetic 
mind  cannot  but 
feel  for  the  tormented  generations  of  the 
past,  as  well  as  for  our  own. 

Why  has  all  this  been  permitted  for  so 
long?  God's  Word  gives  the  definite  and  sat- 
isfying answers.  It  tells  us  of  the  various 
issues  involved  that  needed  settling.  It 
shows  us,  too,  that  in  God's  unsurpassed 
wisdom  he  is  following  a  course  that  will 
work  out  for  the  greatest  good  to  all 
creation. 

Are  you  sincerely  interested  in  learn- 
ing why  God  has  permitted  wickedness 
for  so  long?  Then  appreciate  that  there 
are  a  number  of  interrelated  reasons,  and 
that  only  a  full  explanation  truly  satis- 
fies. If  your  own  reputation  were  at  stake, 
would  you  feel  that  others  were  fair  if 
they  demanded  an  explanation  but  then 
walked  away  almost  as  soon  as  you  started 
to  talk?  Of  course  not!  So,  then,  let's  con- 
sider carefully  what  the  Bible  says  about 
why  God  has  permitted  wickedness  for  so 
long.— Prov.  18:13. 

Not  an  Issue  of  Superior  Force 

When  rebellion  broke  out  in  Eden,  God 
did  not  delay  in  taking  action.  The  third 
chapter  of  Genesis  shows  that  God  prompt- 
ly called  to  account  all  who  were  involved 
and  passed  sentence  on  them  in  harmony 
with  his  righteous  law.  (Gen.  3:8-19) 
However,  God  did  not  immediately  carry 
out  the  death  penalty  against  Adam  and 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


Jengt 


Eve,  but,  with  a  view  to  the  future  bless- 
ing of  their  then-unborn  offspring,  allowed 
them  to  produce  children.  (Gen.  22:18; 
Gal.  3:8)  How  grateful  we  should  be  that 
he  did  so! 

In  passing  judgment  on  that  rebel  spirit 
creature  who  had  made  a  Devil  out  of  him- 
self by  lying  against  God,  Jehovah  stated 
in  symbolic  language  his  purpose  for  the 
future.  (Gen.  3:15)  The  Devil  would  not 
be  immediately  destroyed  but  would  be 
allowed  to  exist  for  a  time  period  that  God 
himself  determined,  in  order  to  settle  for 
all  time  the  issues  that  had  been  raised 
there  in  Eden. 

Had  the  issue  been  simply  one  of  supe- 
rior power,  it  could  have  been  settled  by 
a  fight  to  the  finish  right  then.  But  there 
is  no  evidence  that  Satan  challenged  God's 
strength.  Rather,  the  account  in  Genesis 
shows  that  it  was  a  moral  issue.  He  dis- 
puted God's  truthfulness,  and,  as  revealed 
later  in  the  Bible,  he  called  into  question 
the  integrity  of  all  God's  creatures  toward 
God's  universal  sovereignty.  (Gen.  3:1-5; 
Job  1:7-12)  The  settling  of  such  an  issue 
in  a  satisfying  way  would  require  time. 

A  Set  Time 

As  we  look  back  on  the  history  of  God's 
dealings  with  mankind  revealed  in  the  Bi- 
ble, it  is  clear  that,  though  God  did  not 

13 


in  Eden  tell  those  who  were  in  rebellion 
against  him  how  long  he  would  tolerate 
wickedness,  he  himself  set  a  time  limit. 
Centuries  later  he  indicated  that  to  his 
prophet  Daniel  in  a  message  through  one 
of  His  holy  angels.  At  that  time,  long  be- 
fore the  start  of  our  Common  Era,  he  said 
concerning  the  end  of  this  wicked  system: 
"The  end  is  yet  for  the  time  appointed." 
■—Dan.  11:27. 

Nearly  six  thousand  years  from  Adam's 
rebellion  until  our  day  may  seem  like  an 
extremely  long  period  of  time  when  viewed 
from  the  standpoint  of  humans  who  live 
only  about  seventy  years.  But,  remember, 
it  is  God  who  set  the  time,  so  it  is  his 
viewpoint  that  counts.  Concerning  his  con- 
cept of  time,  the  Bible  tells  us  at  Psalm 
90:4:  "A  thousand  years  are  in  your  eyes 
but  as  yesterday  when  it  is  past,  and  as 
a  watch  during  the  night."  A  year  is  a 
long  time  to  a  child  who  has  lived  only 
five  years,  but  to  a  man  who  is  sixty  it  is 
comparatively  short.  Likewise,  to  God, 
who  lives  for  eternity,  a  thousand  years  is 
like  a  day!  From  his  standpoint,  his  tolera- 
tion of  wickedness  has  not  yet  lasted  six 
full  days. 

Certainly  that  has  been  no  injustice  to 
us.  It  is  because  of  God's  long-suffering 
that  we  have  had  opportunity  to  live  at 
all,  because  all  of  us  are  descendants  of 
Adam.  And  even  under  imperfect  condi- 
tions life  is  cherished;  yes,  even  in  sickness 
we  cling  to  it.  But  the  fact  that  God  did 
not  cut  short  his  long-suffering  at  some 
earlier  time,  but  has  allowed  it  to  continue 
until  our  day,  affords  opportunity  for  more 
than  a  brief  existence  for  us  under  imper- 
fect conditions. 

To  help  us  appreciate  this,  the  apostle 
Peter  wrote:  "Jehovah  is  not  slow  respect- 
ing his  promise,  as  some  people  consider 
slowness,  but  he  is  patient  with  you  be- 
cause he  does  not  desire  any  to  be  de- 
stroyed but  desires  all  to  attain  to  repen- 

14 


tance.  Furthermore,  consider  the  patience 
of  our  Lord  as  salvation."  (2  Pet.  3:9,  15) 
So  it  becomes  evident  that  God's  long- 
suffering  has  worked  for  our  blessing,  not 
our  harm.  Something  else  has  been  accom- 
plished, too,  and  it  is  likewise  for  our  bene- 
fit. 

Would  the  Way  of  Rebellion 

Produce  Good  Results? 

During  the  past  six  thousand  years  the 
Devil  and  men  alienated  from  God  have 
had  full  opportunity  to  work  out  their 
wicked  schemes.  By  his  course  of  action 
Satan  set  himself  up  as  a  rival  ruler,  chal- 
lenging God's  rulership.  By  inducing  men 
to  serve  him,  he  has  become  their  ruler 
and  their  god.  For  that  reason  he  is  called 
in  the  Bible  "the  ruler  of  this  world"  and 
"the  god  of  this  system  of  things."  (John 
12:31;  2  Cor.  4:4)  It  is  not  just  a  few 
particularly  wicked  persons  who  come  un- 
der his  control;  rather,  the  Bible  says  that 
"the  whole  world  is  lying  in  the  power  of 
the  wicked  one."  (1  John  5:19)  Also,  by 
inducing  other  angels  to  follow  his  rebel- 
lious course  he  became  "ruler  of  the  de- 
mons. "—Matt.  9:34. 

Would  this  way  of  rebellion  prove  suc- 
cessful? Would  rulership  that  endeavored 
to  ignore  God  ever  bring  lasting  benefits 
to  anyone?  True,  God  could  have  wiped 
out  the  rebellion  at  its  start,  but  that 
would  not  have  satisfactorily  settled  mat- 
ters. Therefore,  God  has  permitted  a  full 
measure  of  time  for  Satan  to  build  up  his 
organization,  and  for  men  to  arrive  at 
their  peak  of  military  might,  material 
prosperity  and  scientific  achievement.  In 
this  way  God  has  enabled  all  intelligent 
creation  to  see  the  consequences  of  re- 
bellion. 

What  is  the  result?  What  has  nearly  six 
thousand  years  of  rule  by  the  Devil  and 
men  alienated  from  God  shown?  Has  the 

AWAKE! 


course  of  rebellion  against  God  brought 
lasting  happiness? 

When  the  honest  person  ponders  past 
history  and  the  present  tragic  state  of  af- 
fairs in  the  world,  he  must  realize  how 
devoid  of  genuine  progress  the  record  is. 
All  kinds  of  government  have  been  tried, 
but  still  man  lacks  security  and  enduring 
happiness.  Can  one  speak  of  true  progress 
when  the  arrow  has  been  replaced  by  the 
atomic  bomb,  and  when  the  world  now 
staggers  on  the  brink  of  another  global 
war?  What  kind  of  progress  is  it  when 
men  send  rockets  to  the  moon  but  cannot 
live  together  in  peace  on  earth?  What 
good  is  it  for  man  to  build  homes  equipped 
with  every  convenience,  only  to  have  a 
family  torn  apart  by  divorce  and  delin- 
quency? Are  riots  in  the  streets,  destruc- 
tion of  property  and  life,  and  widespread 
lawlessness,  something  to  be  proud  of?  Not 
at  all!  But  they  are  the  fruitage  of  rule 
that  endeavors  to  ignore  God. 

Surely  God's  long  permission  of  rebel- 
lion and  its  resulting  wickedness  prove  to 
all  reasonable  men  that  satisfactory  rule 
of  earth's  affairs  is  impossible  apart  from 
God.  The  long  time  that  has  elapsed  has 
proved  rebellious  men  and  angels  a  dismal 
failure,  that  Satan  has  no  right  to  rule 
anywhere,  and  that  men  surely  were  not 
created  with  the  ability  to  direct  their  af- 
fairs apart  from  God.  Now,  with  the  rec- 
ord of  six  thousand  years  of  failure,  never 
can  it  be  said  that  the  Creator  did  not 
allow  sufficient  time  for  rebels  to  experi- 
ment. Never  can  anyone  rightfully  claim: 
'They  did  not  get  a  chance.'  Nor  can  any- 
one say:  'If  only  they  had  had  more  time.' 
The  allotted  time  has  been  ample  to  prove 
their  failure.  The  way  of  rebellion  has 
proved  to  be  an  absolute  disaster!  But 
God  will  not  allow  them  to  wreck  this 
earth.  Instead,  for  the  benefit  of  decent 
people,  he  will  "bring  to  ruin  those  ruin- 
ing the  earth." — Rev.  11:18. 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


Legal  Precedent  Established 

In  thus  allowing  the  Devil  and  rebel- 
lious men  time  to  carry  their  schemes  to 
their  limit,  God  has  taken  a  long-range 
view  of  matters.  Should  the  situation  ever 
arise  at  any  future  time  that  any  free 
moral  agent  abuses  his  freedom  of  choice 
and  calls  into  question  God's  way  of  doing- 
things,  would  it  be  necessary  for  God  to 
grant  him  time  to  make  good  his  theories 
or  charges?  Would  God  allow  wickedness 
to  exist  again  for  thousands  of  additional 
years?  Absolutely  not! 

Having  on  this  occasion  allowed  rebels 
to  continue  for  their  allotted  time  of  six 
thousand  years,  God  will  have  established 
a  legal  precedent  that  can  be  applied  any- 
where in  the  universe  and  throughout  all 
eternity.  It  will  already  have  been  amply 
proved  that  nothing  that  is  out  of  har- 
mony with  Jehovah  God  can  prosper.  God 
will  then  be  fully  justified  before  all  in- 
telligent creatures  in  swiftly  crushing  any 
rebel.  "The  wicked  ones  he  will  annihi- 
late."—Ps.  145:20;  Rom.  3:4. 

Satan  Proved  a  Liar 

In  the  days  of  the  Oriental  patriarch 
Job,  about  the  sixteenth  century  B.C.E., 
it  was  made  unmistakably  clear  that  man's 
integrity  toward  God  was  at  issue,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  matter  of  rulership.  Jehovah 
said  that  there  was  no  one  like  Job  in 
the  earth,  yet  the  Devil  sneered:  "Is  it 
for  nothing  that  Job  has  feared  God? 
Have  not  you  yourself  put  up  a  hedge 
about  him  and  about  his  house  and  about 
everything  that  he  has  all  around?  The 
work  of  his  hands  you  have  blessed,  and 
his  livestock  itself  has  spread  abroad  in 
the  earth.  But,  for  a  change,  thrust  out 
your  hand,  please,  and  touch  everything 
he  has  and  see  whether  he  will  not  curse 
you  to  your  very  face."  (Job  1:6-12)  Yes, 
Satan  challenged  that  he  could  turn  all 
men  away  from  God,  even  the  one  of  whom 

15 


God  would  say  "there  is  no  one  like  him 
in  the  earth." 

Already  Satan  had  been  trying  to  prove 
his  boast  since  Eden.  Adam  failed  God, 
but  men  of  faith  such  as  Abel,  Enoch  and 
Noah  proved  faithful  to  God.  They  served 
God  out  of  love,  not  for  material  gain. 
Job  too  declared:  "Until  I  expire  I  shall 
not  take  away  my  integrity."  (Job  27:5) 
Yet  Satan,  his  mind  warped  by  proud 
ambition,  refused  to  slow  down  in  his  in- 
sane course.  When  the  perfect  man  Jesus 
was  on  earth,  Satan  endeavored  to  bribe 
him  to  commit  just  one  act  that  would 
be  a  breach  of  integrity  to  God.  (Matt. 
4:9-11)  Even  when  slapped  around  by 
soldier  guards  and  then  nailed  to  a  stake 
to  die,  Jesus  held  fast.  The  Devil  used  his 
agents  to  put  Jesus  to  death,  but  he  could 
not  induce  him  to  break  his  integrity  to 
God.  (Phil.  2:8)  His  maintaining  integrity 
as  a  perfect  human  proved  that  Adam 
could  have  done  it  too. 

Satan  has  continued  to  bring  pressure 
on  those  who  are  followers  of  Christ. 
(Luke  22:31)  Clear  on  down  to  our  day 
he  has  'waged  war'  with  those  "who  ob- 
serve the  commandments  of  God  and  have 
the  work  of  bearing  witness  to  Jesus." 
(Rev.  12:17)  These  have  been  joined  by 
"a  great  crowd,  which  no  man  was  able 
to  number,  out  of  all  nations  and  tribes 
and  peoples  and  tongues,"  who,  though 
living  at  a  time  of  "great  tribulation," 
give  heartfelt  thanks  and  praise  to  Jeho- 
vah God  and  to  his  Son.  (Rev.  7:9,  10, 
14)  They  appreciate  the  moral  issue  at 
stake  and  even  under  the  most  adverse 
circumstances  are  glad  to  have  a  part  in 
contributing  to  the  overwhelming  evidence 
that  God's  way  is  right,  that  his  creatures 
endowed  with  free  moral  agency  are  able 
to  maintain  integrity  to  him,  and  that  they 
do  so  out  of  love. 


God's  Name  and  Power  Proclaimed 

Because  of  his  great  love  for  mankind, 
God  will  bring  an  end  to  wickedness.  At 
his  set  time,  he  will  end  the  rebellion  of 
man  and  the  Devil.  The  display  of  power 
he  will  unleash,  and  the  good  it  will  ac- 
complish, will  be  the  talk  of  ages  to  come! 

On  a  universal  scale  it  will  happen  as  it 
did  in  ancient  Egypt  when  God  told  a 
haughty  ruler:  "For  this  cause  I  have 
kept  you  in  existence,  for  the  sake  of 
showing  you  my  power  and  in  order  to 
have  my  name  declared  in  all  the  earth." 
(Ex.  9:16)  When  God  smashed  the  proud 
Egyptians  and  all  their  military  might, 
the  news  of  it  spread  far  and  wide.  Years 
later,  a  person  living  in  distant  Jericho 
said:  "We  have  heard  how  Jehovah  dried 
up  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  from  be- 
fore you  when  you  came  out  of  Egypt, 
.  .  .  Jehovah  your  God  is  God  in  the  heav- 
ens above  and  on  the  earth  beneath." 
—Josh.  2:9-11. 

Throughout  the  universe  will  that  be 
said  when  God  crushes  wickedness.  For 
all  eternity  men  and  angels  will  recount 
what  God  did  to  rid  the  universe  of  wicked- 
ness and  how  he  brought  blessings  to  all 
who  love  and  serve  him.  His  name  will 
be  proclaimed  throughout  heaven  and 
earth  when  he  settles  accounts  with  Sa- 
tan, his  demons,  and  wicked  people  on 
earth.  Then  "they  will  have  to  know  that 
[he  is]  Jehovah."— Ezek.  38:23. 

Proved  for  all  time  will  be  the  fact  that 
the  way  of  rebellion  against  God  does  not 
work  for  the  good  of  anyone.  Satan  will 
be  proved  to  be  the  most  monstrous  liar 
of  all  time,  and  no  god  to  follow.  A  legal 
precedent  will  have  been  established  once 
and  for  all  time  for  the  benefit  of  men 
and  angels. 

But  when  will  God  thus  act  to  wipe  out 
wickedness?  How  much  longer  will  it  be? 


16 


AWAKE.' 


ALL  honest-hearted  men 
and  women  every- 
where keenly  desire  to 
know  when  God  will  bring 
an  end  to  wickedness.  How 
much  longer  will  it  be? 

The  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ  were  keenly  inter- 
ested in  this  too.  They 
pointedly  asked  Jesus: 
"Tell  us,  When  will  these 
things  be,  and  what  will  be 
the  sign  of  your  presence 
and  of  the  conclusion  of  the 
system  of  things?"  Since 
his  second  presence  was  to 
be  invisible,  heavenly,  Je- 
sus gave  them  visible  signs 
that  would  combine  to 
mark  the  period  of  the 
"time  of  the  end,"  known 
also  as  the  "last  days."  Per- 
sons living  when  these 
events  occurred  could  know 
that  they  were  living  in  the  "last  days." 
—Matt.  24:3;  Dan.  11:40;  2  Tim.  3:1. 

However,  what  Jesus  prophesied  did  not 
occur  in  his  day  on  earth,  or  even  for  hun- 
dreds of  years  afterward,  nor  did  the  end 
come.  But  Jesus  realized  that  many  cen- 
turies would  pass  before  he  would  come 
again,  this  time  in  Kingdom  power,  and 
bring  an  end  to  wickedness.  During  all  this 
time  he  knew  that  men  would  fight  many 
wars.  That  is  why,  before  giving  the  vis- 
ible evidences  that  would  mark  his  second 
presence,  he  explained:  "You  are  going 
to  hear  of  wars  and  reports  of  wars;  see 
that  you  are  not  terrified.  For  these  things 
must  take  place,  but  the  end  is  not  yet." 
Certainly  such  wars  did  occur  during  the 
nineteen  hundred  years  down  to  our  day. 
—Matt.  24:6. 

"Time  of  the  End"  Begins 

Next,    Jesus    began    enumerating    the 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


world-shaking  events  that 
would  mark  his  invisible 
second  presence  and  the 
fact  that  mankind  had  en- 
tered the  "time  of  the  end." 
Have  we  in  this  generation 
seen  what  Jesus  said  to 
S^i"*  ■•*  look  for?  Yes,  we  have! 

**■"'"  -  First,  Jesus  said:  "Na- 
tion will  rise  against  nation 
and  kingdom  against  king- 
dom." Has  this  prophecy 
seen  fulfillment?  By  all 
means!  In  our  generation 
the  world  has  been  involved 
in  a  war  that  saw  the  mo- 
bilizing of  entire  nations 
and  kingdoms  in  such  a 
way  that  it  stood  out  as 
different  from  any  preced- 
ing war.  In  recognition  of 
the  fact  that  the  war  of 
1914-1918  was  different 
from  any  previous  one  in 
human  history,  historians  called  it  The 
Great  War  or  The  World  War.  It  was  the 
first  war  of  its  kind  in  history. — Matt. 
24:7,  8. 

Indicating  the  tremendous  change  that 
the  first  world  war  made  in  human  his- 
tory, the  New  York  Times  Magazine  of 
August  1,  1954,  said:  "The  first  war  .  .  . 
closed  a  long  era  of  general  peace  and  be- 
gan a  new  age  of  violence  in  which  the 
second  war  is  simply  an  episode.  Since 
1914  the  world  has  had  a  new  character 
.  .  .  Thus  the  first  World  War  marks  a 
turning  point  in  modern  history."  This 
generation  alone  has  experienced  the  ful- 
fillment of  this  part  of  the  sign  Jesus  gave. 
Jesus  included  other  features  to  look 
for,  too,  saying:  "There  will  be  great 
earthquakes,  and  in  one  place  after  anoth- 
er pestilences  and  food  shortages."  (Luke 
21:11)  How  true  has  this  description  of 
events  been  since  1914!  What  an  increase 

17 


we  have  experienced  in  these  calamities! 
Major  earthquakes  have  become  reg- 
ular occurrences.  On  March  6,  1960,  the 
New  York  Times  reported:  "Ten  or  more 
major  earthquakes  shake  the  earth  every 
year.  The  smallest  of  them  releases  about 
a  thousand  times  more  energy  than  an 
atomic  bomb  of  the  type  that  destroyed 
Hiroshima  and  Nagasaki."  Peru,  Morocco, 
Algeria,  Japan,  Chile,  Iran,  Colombia, 
Libya,  Yugoslavia,  India,  Alaska  and  nu- 
merous other  places  have  suffered  severe- 
ly from  earthquakes  in  just  the  past  few 
years. 

And  what  about  pestilences?  Following 
World  War  I  the  Spanish  influenza  alone 
took  about  20,000,000  lives.  And  of  food 
shortages  a  report  in  Look  magazine  of 
June  11,  1946,  observed:  "A  fourth  of 
the  world  is  starving  today.  Tomorrow 
will  even  be  worse.  Famine  over  most  of 
the  world  now  is  more  terrible  than  most 
of  us  can  imagine. . . .  There  are  now  more 
people  hunting  desperately  for  food  than 
at  any  other  time  in  history."  And,  be- 
cause of  the  population  explosion  that  has 
taken  place  since  1946,  the  Director  Gen- 
eral of  the  United  Nations  Food  and 
Agriculture  Organization  reported  in  1964 
that  half  of  the  world's  population  was 
then  suffering  from  hunger  or  malnutri- 
tion. Since  then  the  situation  has  not 
improved. 

All  the  other  features  of  the  sign  Jesus 
gave  have  also  found  fulfillment  since 
1914.  For  a  certainty  then,  1914  marked 
the  beginning  of  the  last  days!  This  be- 
ginning coincided  with  Satan's  ouster  from 
heaven  by  the  enthroned  King  Jesus 
Christ.  Speaking  of  this  unparalleled  time 
of  distress,  the  Bible  says:  "Woe  for  the 
earth  and  for  the  sea,  because  the  Devil 
has  come  down  to  you,  having  great  anger, 
knowing  he  has  a  short  period  of  time." 
—Rev.  12:12. 

We  are  in  this  "short  period"  of  woe 

18 


right  now!  Satan,  knowing  his  time  is 
limited,  turns  his  fury  upon  all.  In  every 
field  of  endeavor  he  influences  leaders 
and  common  man  alike  to  acts  of  selfish- 
ness and  violence,  and  all  the  world  is  in 
confusion.  Anyone  who  reads  a  newspaper 
or  listens  to  the  news  can  see  the  ful- 
fillment of  Bible  prophecy  in  our  day.  Of 
this  time  the  Bible  foretold:  "In  the  last 
days  critical  times  hard  to  deal  with  will 
be  here.  For  men  will  be  lovers  of  them- 
selves, lovers  of  money,  self-assuming, 
haughty,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to  par- 
ents, unthankful,  disloyal,  having  no  nat- 
ural affection,  not  open  to  any  agreement, 
slanderers,  without  self-control,  fierce, 
without  love  of  goodness,  betrayers,  head- 
strong, puffed  up  with  pride,  lovers  of 
pleasures  rather  than  lovers  of  God,  hav- 
ing a  form  of  godly  devotion  but  proving 
false  to  its  power;  .  .  .  wicked  men  and 
impostors  will  advance  from  bad  to  worse." 
—2  Tim.  3:1-13. 

When?  This  Generation! 

So  it  was  to  our  generation  that  Jesus 
referred  when  he  added  the  key  thought: 
"This  generation  will  by  no  means  pass 
away  until  all  these  things  occur."  (Matt. 
24:34)  The  generation  that  saw  the  be- 
ginning of  woes  in  1914  would  also  see 
the  end  of  Satan  and  his  entire  wicked 
system  of  things.  Some  who  were  alive 
then  would  still  be  alive  when  "the  end" 
comes. 

It  is  to  be  carefully  noted  that  the 
youngest  of  those  who  saw  with  under- 
standing the  developing  sign  of  the  end 
of  this  system  of  things  from  its  start  in 
1914  are  now  well  over  sixty  years  of  age! 
In  fact,  the  greater  part  of  the  adult  gen- 
eration that  experienced  the  start  of  the 
"last  days"  has  already  passed  away  in 
death.  The  generation  to  which  they  be- 
longed is  now  well  along  toward  its  com- 
plete passing  away. 

AWAKE.' 


The  time  left,  then,  is  definitely  limited, 
and  it  is  very  short.  Note,  too,  that  Jesus 
pointedly  said  "this  generation  will  by 
no  means  pass  away  until  all  these  things 
occur."  So  we  should  not  look  for  the 
passing  away  of  all  members  of  that  gen- 
eration. The  end  of  this  wicked  system 
of  things  will  come  before  all  members 
could  pass  away. 

"Times  of  the  Nations" 

Bible  chronology  also  verifies  that  the 
"last  days"  began  in  1914.  One  prophecy 
based  on  chronology  has  to  do  with  what 
Jesus  mentioned  when  he  stated  that  "Je- 
rusalem will  be  trampled  on  by  the  na- 
tions, until  the  appointed  times  of  the 
nations  are  fulfilled."  (Luke  21:24)  What 
Jesus  referred  to  was  a  definite  period 
of  time  when  God  would  have  no  repre- 
sentative government  in  the  earth.  The 
last  such  was  ancient  Israel,  with  its  capi- 
tal in  Jerusalem. 

In  the  year  607  B.C.E.  Jerusalem  was 
trampled  on  by  the  Babylonians.  Daniel 
4:16  notes  that  "seven  times"  would  pass. 
At  the  end  of  those  "times"  God  would 
set  up  his  heavenly  government,  his  King- 
dom, under  Christ  "in  the  midst  of  [his] 
enemies."— Ps.  110:2. 

Those  "seven  times,"  according  to  the 
Bible  timetable,  would  be  a  period  of  2,520 
years,  beginning  its  count  from  607  B.C.E. 
This  reckoning  of  time  brings  us  to  the 
year  1914.*  And  that  is  no  accident!  It 
harmonizes  completely  with  the  visible 
sign  Jesus  gave,  which  we  have  seen  ful- 
filled since  1914. 

6,000  Years  Completed  in  1975 

There  is  another  chronological  indica- 
tion that  we  are  rapidly  nearing  the  clos- 
ing time  for  this  wicked  system  of  things. 
It  is  the  fact  that  shortly,  according  to 
reliable  Bible  chronology,  6,000  years  of 


*  For  details,   see  "Your  Will  Be  Done  on  Earth," 
Watch  Tower   Bible   and  Tract   Society,   pages   94-103. 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


human    history    will    come    to    an    end. 

The  Bible  shows  that  when  God  began 
to  shape  the  earth  for  human  habitation, 
he  worked  for  six  "days,"  or  time  periods. 
From  the  indications  in  God's  Word,  each 
was  apparently  7,000  years  in  length. 
Then,  Genesis  2:2  states,  Jehovah  "pro- 
ceeded to  rest  on  the  seventh  day  from 
all  his  work  that  he  had  made."  This 
seventh  day,  God's  rest  day,  has  pro- 
gressed nearly  6,000  years,  and  there  is 
still  the  1,000-year  reign  of  Christ  to  go 
before  its  end.  (Rev.  20:3,  7)  This  seventh 
1,000-year  period  of  human  existence 
could  well  be  likened  to  a  great  sabbath 
day,  pictured  by  the  sabbath  day  God 
commanded  ancient  Israel  to  keep  after 
working  for  six  days.  (Ex.  20:8-10;  2  Pet. 
3:8)  After  six  thousand  years  of  toil  and 
bondage  to  sin,  sickness,  death  and  Sa- 
tan, mankind  is  due  to  enjoy  a  rest  and 
is  in  dire  need  of  a  rest.  (Heb.  4:1-11) 
Hence,  the  fact  that  we  are  nearing  the 
end  of  the  first  6,000  years  of  man's  exis- 
tence is  of  great  significance. 

Does  God's  rest  day  parallel  the  time 
man  has  been  on  earth  since  his  creation? 
Apparently  so.  From  the  most  reliable 
investigations  of  Bible  chronology,  har- 
monizing with  many  accepted  dates  of 
secular  history,  we  find  that  Adam  was 
created  in  the  autumn  of  the  year 
4026  B.C.E.  Sometime  in  that  same  year 
Eve  could  well  have  been  created,  directly 
after  which  God's  rest  day  commenced. 
In  what  year,  then,  would  the  first  6,000 
years  of  man's  existence  and  also  the  first 
6,000  years  of  God's  rest  day  come  to  an 
end?  The  year  1975.*  This  is  worthy  of  no- 
tice, particularly  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  "last  days"  began  in  1914,  and  that  the 
physical  facts  of  our  day  in  fulfillment  of 
prophecy  mark  this  as  the  last  generation 
of  this  wicked  world.  So  we  can  expect 

8  See  the  book  Life  Everlasting — in  Freedom  of  the 
Sons  of  God,  Watch  Tcwer  Bible  and  Tract  Society, 
pages  29-35. 

19 


the  immediate  future  to  be  filled  with 
thrilling  events  for  those  who  rest  their 
faith  in  God  and  his  promises.  It  means 
that  within  relatively  few  years  we  will 
witness  the  fulfillment  of  the  remaining 
prophecies  that  have  to  do  with  the  "time 
of  the  end." 

Which  prophecies  are  yet  to  be  fulfilled? 
According  to  the  Bible  book  of  Daniel,  the 
"king  of  the  north" 
(the  ruling  factors  of     [" 
totalitarianism,    par- 
ticularly world  com- 
munism)  and  the 
"king  of  the  south"     J 
(the  ruling  factors  of     ! 
democracy,   particu-  — ™— — =.— 

larly  the  Anglo-American  combine)  are  to 
climax  their  struggle  for  world  domination, 
resulting  in  considerable  agitation  and 
substantial  loss,  particularly  for  the  "king 
of  the  south."  (Dan.  11:40-43)  The  Bible 
also  foretells  that  God's  servants  will  be 
the  focus  of  a  final  all-out  attack  by  Sa- 
tan and  his  entire  organization  of  demons 
and  earthlings.  (Ezek.  38:1-16)  Addition- 
ally, that  great  empire  of  false  religion, 
called  in  the  Bible  "Babylon  the  great," 
is  to  experience  God's  adverse  judgment 
when  it  is  ripped  to  pieces.  (Rev.  18:2,  8) 
After  that  the  other  elements  of  Satan's 
system  will  go  down  in  destruction,  his 
commercial  and  political  systems,  both  of 
which  have  contributed  heavily  toward 
the  suffering  of  mankind.  Finally,  Satan 
and  his  demons  will  be  abyssed. — Rev. 
19:19-21;  16:16;  20:1-3. 

End  Near 

What  cataclysmic  times  are  fast  ap- 
proaching! A  climax  in  man's  history  is 
at  the  door!  How  vital,  then,  for  each  one 
who  loves  life  to  take  note  of  these  evi- 
dences of  history  that  point  to  the  near 
end  of  this  wicked  system! 


COMW&  IN  THE  NEXT  ISSUE 
»  What    Remedy   for   a   World    Torn 
with    Violence? 

a  The    Battle    Against    Mind-twisting    LSD 
„  When   Speech   Becomes   Pleasurable, 
a   Earth's    Giant    Seesaw — the    Monsoon. 


Of  course,  as  to  the  precise  day  and 
hour  of  the  end,  Jesus  noted  that  knowl- 
edge of  this  was  in  the  province  of  his 
heavenly  Father  alone.  (Matt.  24:36)  But 
when  a  brief  period  of  years  at  the  most 
separates  us  from  the  great  windup  of 
this  old  system,  the  vital  thing  is  to  stay 
spiritually  awake. — Luke  21:34-36. 

So  how  much  longer  will  it  be?  The 
answer  is:  'Not  long, 
for  the  end  of  wick- 
edness is  near.'  Not 
much  longer  will  Je- 
hovah God  tolerate 
the  wicked  system  of 
things  that  has  con- 
tinually reproached 
his  name  and  often  blamed  him  for  its  fail- 
ures. Not  much  longer  will  he  permit 
false  religious  systems  and  godless  poli- 
ticians to  deceive  the  people  and  run  things 
to  suit  their  selfish  inclinations.  Not  much 
longer  will  the  Almighty  permit  Satan 
and  his  demons  to  stay  active  at  the  earth. 
To  escape  the  threshing  that  God  will 
inflict  upon  this  wicked  system  of  things 
it  is  vital  that  we  quickly  heed  his  word 
of  warning  given  through  the  prophet 
Zephaniah:  "Seek  righteousness,  seek 
meekness.  Probably  you  may  be  concealed 
in  the  day  of  Jehovah's  anger."  (Zeph. 
2:3)  And  as  we  do  so  let  us  put  our  trust 
and  confidence  in  our  Great  Creator,  for 
he  is  not  merely  the  Thrower  Down  of 
enemies.  He  is  also  the  Builder  Up  of 
those  who  look  to  him  for  direction. 

In  fact,  he  has  from  ancient  times  been 
doing  things  on  behalf  of  all  those  who 
would  eventually  receive  the  gift  of  life 
at  his  hands.  He  has  been  showing  love 
for  us  long  before  we  could  ever  begin 
to  demonstrate  love  for  him.  Let  us  note 
what  he  has  been  doing  in  our  behalf 
during  the  long  period  of  wicked  rule  on 
earth. 


20 


AWAKE.' 


THE  rule  of  rebellious  men 


dragging  the  human  family 
steadily  downward  these 
many  centuries.  On  the 
other  hand,  Jehovah 
has  been  taking  posi- 
tive steps  to  uplift  and 
save  mankind! 

Our  Creator  has  not 
callously  ignored  the  suf- 
ferings   of    honest-hearted 
persons.  Rather,  during  all  the 
centuries  of  wickedness,  he  has 
been  making  loving  provisions  to  release 
humans  from  the  grip  of  sin  and  death. 

The  Ransom 

As  a  result  of  his  rebellion,  Adam  lost 
the  right  to  perfect  life  and  eventually 
died.  His  descendants  inherited  sin  and 
death.  But  God  has  provided  a  way  to 
restore  life  to  deserving  ones  of  Adam's 
offspring,  while  at  the  same  time  uphold- 
ing His  own  law. 

How?  By  a  ransom,  by  having  a  human 
creature  with  the  right  to  perfect  life  sur- 
render it  so  that  his  right  could  be  ap- 
plied on  behalf  of  others.  This  would  pro- 
ceed in  harmony  with  a  legal  principle 
that  God  himself  later  embodied  in  the 
Mosaic  law — "life  for  life."  This  would 
provide  relief,  not  for  the  willful  sinner 
Adam,  but  for  his  offspring,  who,  through 
no  choice  of  their  own,  suffered  the  ef- 
fects of  his  wrong. — Deut.  19:21,  Rev. 
Stan.  Ver. 

But  is  this  not  an  awkward,  roundabout 
way  of  going  about  it?  Could  not  God 
merely  have  decreed  to  free  Adam's  off- 
spring from  the  effects  of  Adam's  sin? 
No,  not  without  going  contrary  to  his  own 
laws.  And  nothing  causes  greater  disre- 
spect for  law  and  contributes  more  to  a 
breakdown  of  law  observance  than  for 
high  officials  to  sidestep  the  law.  The  high- 


Z?&$m 


& 


er  the  official,  the  greater  the 
damage.  So  the  highest  offi- 
cial, Jehovah,  set  the  exam- 
ple for  all  creation   by 
upholding    his   law.    By 
providing  a  ransom, 
|      God  acknowledges  the 
f      claims  of  his  own  jus- 
tice in  sentencing  Ad- 
am to  death,  and  the 
laws    of  inheritance   by 
which  we  inherit  sin  as 
Adam's  offspring.  At  the 
same  time  he  makes  provision 
for  relieving  deserving  ones. 

Since  the  life  that  Adam  lost  was  a 
perfect  one,  only  a  perfect  human  could 
provide  the  ransom.  But  no  natural  off- 
spring of  Adam  could  do  so,  for  all  were 
born  imperfect. — Ps.  49:7. 

Shortly  after  man's  rebellion,  God  be- 
gan giving  clues  regarding  the  one  he 
would  use  to  free  mankind  from  sin  and 
death.  Through  the  inspired  prophets  he 
revealed  much  information  about  this 
coming  Ransomer.  Then,  nineteen  cen- 
turies ago,  God  transferred  the  life  of 
his  only-begotten  spirit  Son  to  the  womb 
of  a  Jewish  virgin.  God's  Son  was  thus 
born  without  Adam's  imperfection. 

When  he  reached  maturity,  this  Son 
of  God,  Jesus  Christ,  maintained  integrity 
to  his  Father  under  the  severest  test  that 
Satan  could  bring  upon  him,  death  upon 
a  torture  stake.  He  willingly  laid  down  his 
right  to  the  perfect  human  life  he  had  as 
one  who  kept  all  of  God's  laws.  Jesus  could 
then  offer  the  value  of  that  life  to  God  to 
redeem  what  Adam  lost — life,  perfect  hu- 
man life.  Jesus  thus  "gave  himself  a  cor- 
responding ransom  for  all." — 1  Tim.  2:6. 
What  a  wonderful  thing  God  has  done 
for  man!  He  offered  his  dearest  creation 
so  that  humans  could  receive  everlasting 


OCTOBER  8,  1966 


21 


life!  As  the  Bible  puts  it:  "God  loved  the 
world  so  much  that  he  gave  his  only- 
begotten  Son,  in  order  that  everyone  exer- 
cising faith  in  him  might  not  be  destroyed 
but  have  everlasting  life." — John  3:16. 

The  Kingdom 

In  addition  to  providing  a  ransom,  God 
has  been  making  preparations  for  a  heav- 
enly government  that  will  carry  out  his 
purpose  to  make  earth  a  paradise  home 
for  righteous  people.  Knowing  that  man 
was  not  made  to  govern  independently 
from  him,  God  began  developing  this  gov- 
ernment to  administer  man's  affairs  in 
righteousness. 

Jehovah  inspired  the  recording  of  many 
prophecies  about  the  ruler  of  that  govern- 
ment, and  what  he  would  accomplish. 
When  Jesus  Christ  came  to  earth  he  ful- 
filled all  the  many  prophecies  about  that 
king-to-be.  Hence,  he  proved  to  be,  not  on- 
ly the  Ransomer,  but  also  the  future  ruler 
in  the  heavenly  government  over  man- 
kind. And  what  ruler  ever  accomplished 
in  a  lifetime  as  much  good  as  Jesus  did 
in  his  brief  ministry?  He  even  healed  the 
sick  and  raised  the  dead.  No  wonder  God- 
fearing persons  could  look  forward  to  his 
heavenly  rule  over  mankind! 

A  kingdom,  or  government,  also  has 
administrators.  Will  any  others  share  with 
Jesus  in  ruling  over  earth?  Yes.  The  eve- 
ning before  his  death  Jesus  promised  his 
close  earthly  associates:  "I  am  coming 
again  and  will  receive  you  home  to  my- 
self." Those  who  join  Jesus  in  heaven  be- 
come with  him  "a  kingdom  and  priests 
to  our  God,  and  they  will  rule  as  kings 
over  the  earth."  Together  with  Jesus,  this 
limited  number  make  up  the  heavenly 
government  that  will  bring  eternal  bless- 
ings to  humankind.— John  14:2,  3;  Rev. 
5:10;  14:1-3;  20:6. 

So  down  through  the  ages,  Jehovah  God 
has  laid  all  the  necessary  groundwork  for 


the  everlasting  happiness  of  the  human 
family.  And  now,  in  our  day,  he  has  taken 
a  direct  hand  in  earth's  affairs! 

Kingdom  Established  in  Heaven 

All  the  evidence  in  fulfillment  of  Bible 
prophecy  indicates  that  God's  heavenly 
kingdom  under  Christ  began  to  rule  in 
1914,  coinciding  with  the  beginning  of 
the  "time  of  the  end."  The  first  act  of 
the  Kingdom  was  to  cast  Satan  and  his 
demons  out  of  heaven  down  to  the  vicinity 
of  the  earth.— Ps.  110:1,  2;  Rev.  12:7-12. 

Since  that  time  God  has  caused  to  be 
carried  out  a  worldwide  preaching  work 
in  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  at  -Matthew 
24:14.  As  a  result,  many  thousands  of 
persons  from  all  nations  are  being  liber- 
ated from  bondage  to  Satan's  organiza- 
tion, particularly  the  false  religious  part. 

These  persons  acknowledge  themselves 
loyal  subjects  of  the  heavenly  kingdom 
and  are  demonstrating  the  effectiveness 
of  that  government.  Under  its  direction 
they  have  learned  to  become  law-abiding, 
moral  and  upright,  persons  of  integrity. 
They  no  longer  war  against  one  another. 
The  rioting,  hatred,  crime  and  hypocrisy 
that  disrupt  this  world  have  ceased  to  be 
problems  within  the  ranks  of  the  more 
than  one  million  witnesses  of  Jehovah, 
subjects  of  God's  now-ruling  heavenly 
government. — Isa.  2:4. 

The  United  Nations,  with  its  more  than 
a  hundred  member  nations,  has  not  been 
able  to  accomplish  what  God's  kingdom 
has  accomplished  among  its  subjects  in 
nearly  two  hundred  lands  today!  Why  is 
this  so?  Because,  "unless  Jehovah  himself 
builds  the  house,  it  is  to  no  avail  that  its 
builders  have  worked  hard  on  it." — Ps. 
127:1. 

Yes,  God's  government  is  the  only  right 
way,  and  it  is  working  marvelously  now! 
But  what  God  has  done  so  far  is  only  the 
beginning.  Much  more  will  come  shortly! 


22 


AWAKE! 


HOW  different  will  be  the  future,  when 
God  brings  an  end  to  wickedness!  In- 
stead of  sorrow,  sickness  and  death,  there 
will  be  happiness,  vibrant  health  and  ever- 
lasting life!  The  nightmare  of  the  past 
will  be  gone  forever.  The  joy  at  that  time 
will  far  outweigh  all  the  agony  man  has 
ever  experienced.  All  this  God  will  do  for 
man  in  paradise.  As  Psalm  145:16  says: 
"You  are  opening  your  hand  and  satis- 
fying the  desire  of  every  living  thing." 

Could  anyone  else  make  such  a  promise 
and  then  keap  it?  Be  assured  that  when 
God  promises  such  things  he  fulfills  them 
for  a  certainty.  Without  fail,  earth  will 
be  transformed  into  a  paradise  of  pleasure 
for  man's  eternal  delight! — Isa.  55:11. 

The  Wicked  Removed 

All  this  will  be  made  possible  by  the 
removal  of  the  wicked  at  the  end  of  this 
system  of  things.  No  more  will  there  be 
murder,  rape  and  robbery,  or  any  other 

OCTOBER  8,  1966 


crime.  Think  of  it!  No  more 
wickedness!  No  more  will  righ- 
teously disposed  persons  have  to 
suffer  at  the  hands  of  wicked 
ones.  As  Proverbs  10:30  prom- 
ises: "As  for  the  righteous  one, 
to  time  indefinite  he  will  not  be 
caused  to  stagger;  but  as  for  the 
wicked  ones,  they  will  not  keep 
residing  on  the  earth." 

With  wicked  humans  and 
wicked  demons  gone,  righteous- 
ness will  prevail  earth-wide.  Un- 
der the  benevolent  administra- 
tion of  God's  kingdom,  earth's 
inhabitants  will  no  more  learn 
what  is  bad.  On  the  contrary, 
"righteousness  is  what  the  in- 
habitants of  the  productive  land 
will  certainly  learn." — Isa.  26:9; 
Acts  17:31. 
Not  only  will  those  promoting 
wickedness  be  removed  but  there  will  also 
be  a  rolling  back  of  all  the  accompanying 
effects  and  the  resultant  evils  of  the  origi- 
nal rebellion  and  its  introduction  of  wick- 
edness. 

Health  Restored 

Yes,  God  will  also  eliminate  the  great 
unhappiness  brought  to  humans  by  poor 
health.  How  many  lives  have  been  taken 
by  cancer,  heart  trouble  and  other  dis- 
eases! Thousands,  yes,  millions  of  others 
have  suffered  by  being  crippled,  blind  or 
deaf.  Even  if  you  enjoy  a  measure  of 
health,  the  distressing  reality  in  this  sys- 
tem is  that  as  you  grow  old,  your  eyes 
dim,  your  teeth  decay,  your  hearing  dulls, 
your  skin  wrinkles,  your  internal  organs 
break  down,  until  finally  death  claims 
another  victim. 

However,  these  distressing  things  that 
we  inherited  from  our  first  parents  will 
soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past!  How  can  we 

23 


be  sure?  Do  you  remember  what  Jesus 
Christ  demonstrated  regarding  health 
while  he  was  on  earth?  The  Bible  relates: 
"Great  crowds  approached  him,  having 
along  with  them  people  that  were  lame, 
maimed,  blind,  dumb,  and  many  other- 
wise, and  they  fairly  threw  them  at  his 
feet,  and  he  cured  them;  so  that  the  crowd 
felt  amazement  as  they  saw  the  dumb 
speaking  and  the  lame  walking  and  the 
blind  seeing."— Matt.  15:30,  31. 

Imagine  the  overwhelming  happiness 
that  will  come  in  God's  new  order  as  all 
human  ills  are  eliminated,  not  just  in  one 
small  area,  but  earth-wide!  The  Creator's 
promise  is:  "No  resident  will  say:  'I  am 
sick.'  "  "At  that  time  the  eyes  of  the  blind 
ones  will  be  opened,  and  the  very  ears 
of  the  deaf  ones  will  be  unstopped.  At 
that  time  the  lame  one  will  climb  up  just 
as  a  stag  does,  and  the  tongue  of  the 
speechless  one  will  cry  out  in  gladness." 
— Isa.  33:24;  35:5,  6. 

Will  it  not  be  thrilling  to  wake  up  each 
morning  to  a  new  day  and  realize  that 
you  are  healthier  than  you  were  the  day 
before?  And  will  it  not  be  gratifying  for 
elderly  persons  to  know  that  thes^  will  be 
more  youthful  as  each  twenty-four-hour 
period  passes,  until  they  gradually  reach 
the  perfection  of  body  and  mind  that 
Adam  and  Eve  originally  enjoyed? 

Persons  who  enjoy  that  kind  of  health 
and  happiness  will  not  want  to  die,  for 
life  then  will  be  a  real  blessing.  And  they 
will  not  have  to  die!  Why  not?  Because 
even  death  will  be  done  away  with,  since 
mankind  will  no  longer  be  in  the  grip  of 
inherited  sin.  Jesus  Christ  "must  rule  as 
king  until  God  has  put  all  enemies  under 
his  feet.  As  the  last  enemy,  death  is  to 
be  brought  to  nothing."  We  also  read:  "He 
will  actually  swallow  up  death  forever." 
Thus  will  God's  promises  concerning  ever- 
lasting life  be  realized,  for  we  are  told: 
"The  gift  God  gives  is  everlasting  life  by 


Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." — 1  Cor.   15:25, 
26;  Isa.  25:8;  Rom.  6:23. 

Summing  up  the  benefits  that  will  flow 
to  the  human  family  in  paradise,  the  last 
book  of  the  Bible  says:  "And  [God]  will 
wipe  out  every  tear  from  their  eyes,  and 
death  will  be  no  more,  neither  will  mourn- 
ing nor  outcry  nor  pain  be  any  more.  The 
former  things  have  passed  away." — Rev. 
21:3,  4. 

Bringing  Back  Dead  Ones 

But  what  of  all  those  who  are  in  the 
graves?  What  of  your  dear  ones  who  have 
already  died,  such  as  a  mother  or  father, 
perhaps  even  a  young  child? 

Keep  in  mind  that,  while  on  earth,  Je- 
sus not  only  cured  the  sick  and  maimed, 
but  also  brought  back  dead  persons  from 
the  sleep  of  death  to  demonstrate  the 
wonderful  power  of  resurrection  God  had 
given  him.  Perhaps  you  recall  the  occa- 
sion when  Jesus  came  to  the  house  of  a 
man  whose  twelve-year-old  daughter  had 
died.  Addressing  himself  to  the  dead  girl, 
Jesus  declared:  "Maiden,  I  say  to  you, 
Get  up!"  What  was  the  result?  The  Bible 
tells  us:  "And  immediately  the  maiden 
rose  and  began  walking."  How  did  the 
people  that  saw  this  marvelous  miracle 
react?  "At  once  they  were  beside  them- 
selves with  great  ecstasy."  They  were 
overjoyed.  Their  happiness  could  hardly 
be  contained! — Mark  5:41,  42. 

In  paradise  Jesus  will  use  this  God- 
given  power  to  raise  the  dead,  because 
"there  is  going  to  be  a  resurrection  of 
both  the  righteous  and  the  unrighteous." 
(Acts  24:15)  How  great  will  be  the  joy 
earth-wide  when  group  after  group  of  dead 
persons  comes  back  to  join  their  loved 
ones!  No  longer  will  there  be  obituary 
columns  to  bring  sadness.  Instead,  there 
may  well  be  just  the  opposite:  announce- 
ments of  newly  resurrected  ones  to  bring 
joy  to  those  who  have  loved  them. 


24 


AWAKE! 


Perfect  Peace 

Peace  in  all  areas  of  life  will  be  realized. 
Wars  will  be  a  thing  of  the  past,  for  di- 
visive national  interests  will  disappear. 
"They  will  not  lift  up  sword,  nation 
against  nation,  neither  will  they  learn 
war  any  more."  (Mic.  4:3)  This  may 
sound  astonishing  in  view  of  the  growing 
international  crisis  today,  but  note  the 
Bible's  promise:  "Come,  you  people,  be- 
hold the  activities  of  Jehovah,  how  he 
has  set  astonishing  events  on  the  earth. 
He  is  making  wars  to  cease  to  the  ex- 
tremity 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. 

Peace  will  also  be  restored  between  man 
and  beast.  In  this  regard  God  declares: 
"For  them  I  shall  certainly  conclude  a 
covenant  in  that  day  in  connection  with 
the  wild  beast  of  the  field  and  with  the 
flying  creature  of  the  heavens  and  the 
creeping  thing  of  the  ground,  and  .  .  . 
I  will  make  them  lie  down  in  security." 
— Hos.  2:18. 

Just  how  great  the  restored  peace  be- 
tween man  and  beast  will  be  can  be  noted 
in  this  prophecy:  "The  wolf  will  actually 
reside  for  a  while  with  the  male  lamb,  and 
with  the  kid  the  leopard  itself  will  lie 
down,  and  the  calf  and  the  maned  young 
lion  and  the  well-fed  animal  all  together; 
and  a  mere  little  hoy  will  be  leader  over 
them."  Never  again  will  these  animals  be 
a  threat  to  man,  as  "even  the  lion  will 
eat  straw  just  like  the  bull." — Isa.  11:6-9. 

Earth  Transformed 

And  what  of  the  earth  itself?  It  will  be 
transformed  into  a  luxuriant  paradise. 
That  is  why  Jesus  could  promise  the  evil- 
doer that  was  executed  with  him:  "You 
will  be  with  me  in  Paradise." — Luke  23:43. 

Under  the  direction  of  God's  kingdom, 


earth  will  produce  plenty  of  good  things  to 
eat,  so  that  hunger  will  never  again  stalk 
millions.  "There  will  come  to  be  plenty 
of  grain  on  the  earth;  on  the  top  of  the 
mountains  there  will  be  an  overflow."  "The 
earth  itself  will  certainly  give  its  produce; 
God,  our  God,  will  bless  us."  "The  tree 
of  the  field  must  give  its  fruitage,  and 
the  land  itself  will  give  its  yield,  and  they 
will  actually  prove  to  be  on  their  soil  in 
security."— Ps.  72:16;  67:6;  Ezek.  34:27. 

No  more  will  there  be  slums  or  over- 
crowded dwellings.  Never  again  will  people 
live  in  fear  because  their  neighborhood 
is  overrun  with  crime  and  rioting.  "They 
will  certainly  build  houses  and  have  oc- 
cupancy; and  they  will  certainly  plant 
vineyards  and  eat  their  fruitage.  They  will 
not  build  and  someone  else  have  occu- 
pancy; they  will  not  plant  and  someone 
else  do  the  eating."  "They  will  actually 
sit,  each  one  under  his  vine  and  under  his 
fig  tree,  and  there  will  be  no  one  making 
them  tremble."— Isa.  65:21,  22;  Mic.  4:4. 

All  these  things,  and  more,  God  will  do 
for  man  in  paradise.  It  is  why  the  Bible 
can  say:  "The  meek  ones  themselves  will 
possess  the  earth,  and  they  will  indeed 
find  their  exquisite  delight  in  the  abun- 
dance of  peace.  .  .  .  The  righteous  them- 
selves will  possess  the  earth,  and  they 
will  reside  forever  upon  it." — Ps.  37:11, 
29. 

That  is  how  God  will  more  than  com- 
pensate for  the  wickedness  people  have 
suffered  during  their  lifetime,  particular- 
ly the  innocent.  Throughout  eternity  God 
will  shower  down  blessings  on  mankind, 
so  that  any  hurt  they  have  received  in 
the  past  will  fade  to  a  dim  memory,  if 
they  remember  it  at  all. — Isa.  65:17. 

Surely  you  want  to  live  in  that  marvel- 
ous earthly  paradise.  But  to  live  at  that 
time  and  enjoy  all  those  benefits,  what 
must  you  do  now? 


OCTOBER  8,  1966 


25 


ARE  you  appreciative  when  someone 
gives  you  something  of  great  value? 
Do  you  not  try  in  some  way  to  express 
that  appreciation?  Undoubtedly  you  do, 
for  it  is  a  natural  response. 

Really,  when  you  stop  to  consider  it, 
has  anyone  given  us  more  than  our  lov- 
ing Creator?  Think  of  it!  "God  sent  forth 
his  only-begotten  Son  into  the  world  that 
we  might  gain  life  through  him."  And 
what  glorious  prospects  that  has  provided 
— an  eternity  of  happiness  in  an  earth- 
wide  paradise!  Truly,  we  have  every  rea- 
son to  show  God  our  appreciation,  both 
in  words  and  in  deeds. — 1  John  4:9. 

But  how?  What  can  we  give  God  in 
return  for  his  goodness  to  us?  As  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  he  owns 
everything,  so  there  is  no  material  thing 
we  can  give  him.  However,  there  is  some- 
thing we  have  that  he  will  accept:  our 
devotion,  our  love,  our  obedience.  As  free 
moral  agents  we  can  choose  to  give  these 
to  whomever  we  wish.— Ps.  50:10-15. 

Take  God's  Side 

In  these  "last  days"  you  have  a  grand 
opportunity  to  show  love  for  the  God  who 
has  made  so  many  provisions  for  your 
benefit.  You  can  make  God's  heart  glad 
by  upholding  his  side  of  the  issue  regard- 
ing man's  integrity.  How?  By  being  firm 
in  applying  Bible  principles  in  your  home 
and  everywhere  else,  and  doing  it  even 
when  confronted  with  wicked  deeds.  By 
proving  yourself  unwavering  in  your  de- 
votion to  Jehovah  God  and  to  his  kingdom, 
rather  than  to  the  schemes  of  men  for 
running  the  world.  God's  invitation  is:  "Be 
wise,  my  son,  and  make  my  heart  rejoice, 


that  I  may  make  a  reply  to  him 
that  is  taunting  me."  Satan,  Je- 
hovah's chief  adversary,  is  the 
one  taunting  him.  His  endeavor 
is  to  break  down  the  integrity  of 
anyone  who  worships  Jehovah. 
By  your  faithful  course,  share 
in  proving  that  Satan  is  a  liar  and  that 
God  is  true.— Prov.  27:11. 

When  Satan  tried  to  turn  that  ancient 
man  of  faith  Job  away  from  God,  deluging 
him  with  troubles,  how  did  he  react?  We 
read:  "In  all  this  Job  did  not  sin  with  his 
lips."  What  a  delight  to  see  a  man  like 
that!  Such  a  resister  of  the  Devil  brings 
pleasure  to  God's  heart.— Job  2:10. 

You  can  be  like  him.  And  if  you  are, 
what  can  you  expect  from  God?  Note 
what  happened  in  Job's  case  after  the 
matter  of  his  integrity  was  settled:  "As 
for  Jehovah,  he  blessed  the  end  of  Job 
afterward  more  than  his  beginning."  That 
can  be  your  happy  lot,  too,  if  you  choose 
to  serve  God  and  uphold  his  righteousness. 
—Job  42:12. 

Take  In  Knowledge 

In  order  to  uphold  God's  side  of  mat- 
ters and  make  his  heart  glad,  you  must 
first  learn  what  he  v/ants  you  to  do.  You 
cannot  obey  God  if  you  do  not  know  his 
requirements.  Where  will  you  get  the 
knowledge  to  obey  God  and  resist  Satan 
and  his  wicked  crowd?  The  answer  is: 
"By  keeping  on  guard  according  to  [God's] 
word."  (Ps.  119:9)  Yes,  it  is  God's  Word, 
the  Holy  Bible,  that  provides  the  knowl- 
edge you  need  of  his  purposes  and  re- 
quirements. 

However,  having  a  Bible  in  your  home, 
and  taking  in  the  knowledge  it  contains, 
are  two  different  things.  If  you  do  not 
gain  an  accurate  understanding  of  it  and 
apply  it,  it  will  not  affect  your  life  for 
good.  It  is  like  having  the  most  delicious 
and  nutritious  food  in  your  refrigerator. 


26 


AWAKE! 


If  you  never  eat  it,  it  will  do  you  no  good 
whatsoever.  In  the  same  way,  the  Bible 
must  be  used,  digested,  to  equip  you  to 
do  the  will  of  God. 

True,  study  of  the  Bible  requires  time 
and  effort.  But  so  does  anything  worth 
while  in  life.  And  could  there  be  anything 
more  worth  while  than  working  toward 
everlasting  life?  Is  there  anything  greater 
than  doing  the  will  of  God  and  making 
his  heart  glad? 

But  do  you  find  the  Bible  difficult  to 
understand  by  yourself?  Do  not  think  it 
strange.  God  knows  that  assistance  is  re- 
quired to  understand  the  deeper  things 
of  his  Word.  The  Bible  itself  tells  us  about 
a  high  court  official  who  had  difficulty 
understanding  God's  Word.  A  servant  of 
God,  Philip,  noted  him  reading  aloud  from 
the  Scriptures  and  asked  him:  "Do  you 
actually  know  what  you  are  reading?" 
The  official  answered:  "Really,  how  could 
I  ever  do  so,  unless  someone  guided  me?" 
He  did  not  think  if  beneath  his  dignity 
to  ask  for  help.  You,  too,  will  want  to 
have  his  mental  attitude. — Acts  8:30,  31. 

Ask  for  assistance  in  learning  the  truths 
contained  in  the  Bible.  Ask  Jehovah's  wit- 
nesses to  study  the  Bible  with  you  free 
of  charge.  They  will  consider  it  a  privilege. 

Disassociate  from  Wicked  System 

Another  thing  you  should  do  now  to 
show  your  appreciation  for  God's  loving 
provisions  is  to  disassociate  yourself  from 
this  wicked  system  of  things.  God's  Word 
warns:  "Do  you  not  know  that  the  friend- 
ship with  the  world  is  enmity  with  God? 
Whoever,  therefore,  wants  to  be  a  friend 
of  the  world  is  constituting  himself  an 
enemy  of  God."  One  way  to  avoid  being 
a  friend  of  the  world  is  to  "abstain  from 
every  form  of  wickedness."  When  con- 
fronted with  wrongdoing,  say  as  did  the 
man  of  God  who  wrote:  "Get  away  from 
me,  you  evildoers,  that  I  may  observe  the 


commandments  of  my  God." — Jas.  4:4; 
1  Thess.  5:22;  Ps.  119:115. 

Disassociating  yourself  from  this  wicked 
system  also  means  abandoning  the  false 
religions  that  are  part  of  this  world.  The 
Bible  sharply  warns:  "Get  out  of  her  [the 
world  empire  of  false  religion],  my  peo- 
ple, if  you  do  not  want  to  share  with  her 
in  her  sins,  and  if  you  do  not  want  to  re- 
ceive part  of  her  plagues."  Hence,  you 
must  analyze  your  religion  to  see  if  what 
it  teaches  and  practices  is  in  harmony 
with  God's  requirements.  "Make  sure  of 
all  things,"  the  Bible  urges.  Do  not  assume 
that  your  religion  must  be  right,  for  the 
Word  of  God  clearly  shows  that  most  re- 
ligions are  wrong. — Rev.  18:4;  1  Thess. 
5:21;  Matt.  7:13,  14,  21-23. 

Not  only  should  you  abandon  false  re- 
ligion, but  you  will  want  to  associate  with 
those  who  practice  true  religion,  with 
those  who  put  Jehovah  God  first  in  their 
lives  and  prove  it  by  being  his  witnesses. 
This  will  work  for  your  upbuilding  and 
protection,  particularly  as  the  end  draws 
near.  It  is  "in  the  congregation  of  loyal 
ones"  that  you  will  be  able  to  do  as  Psalm 
111:1  declares:  "I  shall  laud  Jehovah  with 
all  my  heart  in  the  intimate  group  of 
upright  ones  and  the  assembly." — Ps.  149: 
1;  Heb.  10:25. 

Act  Now! 

This  wicked  system  is  fast  approaching 
its  end.  That  is  why  it  is  urgent  for  you 
to  learn  God's  will  and  then  do  it,  for  Je- 
hovah "is  guarding  the  souls  of  his  loyal 
ones;  out  of  the  hand  of  the  wicked  ones 
he  delivers  them."— Ps.  97:10. 

Do  not  put  off  lining  yourself  up  on 
God's  side.  Act  now,  for  his  day  for  exe- 
cuting the  wicked  is  near.  Do  not  let  it 
catch  you  unprepared!  Instead,  let  your 
attitude  be  like  that  of  the  psalmist  when 
he  said:  "Make  me  understand,  that  I 
may  keep  living." — Ps.  119:144. 


OCTOBER  8,  1966 


27 


'&(&2*v!S££-^Eq 


Why,  Then,  Does  God     '.     * 
»;       Permit  Wickedness?  -  - 

WE*    ' 

IT  CANNOT  be  avoided.  No  matter 
where  you  may  look,  wickedness  exists, 
and  people  are  suffering  and  dying. 
Throughout  the  ages  thinking  persons 
have  wondered  why  this  is  so.  How  did 
wickedness  get  started?  Why  has  God  per- 
mitted it  to  continue  for  so  long?  Will 
he  tolerate  wickedness  indefinitely?  Or 
will  he  end  it  soon?  It  is  likely  that  you 
have  asked  these  very  questions. 

To  understand  how  wickedness  began, 
it  is  vital  to  know  how  man  was  created. 
He  was  not  made  a  robot,  without  free- 
dom of  choice,  but  was  given  the  grand 
gift  of  free  moral  agency. — Josh.  24:15. 

But  was  not  the  first  man  made  per- 
fect? Yes,  at  Deuteronomy  32:4  the  Bible 
states:  "The  works  of  God  are  perfect." 
(Catholic  Douay  Version)  However,  that 
did  not  mean  man  knew  everything  or 
could  do  everything,  but  he  was  perfect 
in  that  he  was  without  a  defect  in  his 
physical  organism.  For  instance,  man  could 
not  live  in  outer  space  without  oxygen, 
or  live  underwater  indefinitely  without 
special  equipment.  He  was  perfect,  but 
within  the  limits  of  mankind. — Gen.  1:31. 

Just  as  man  was  created  with  the  need 
of  oxygen  to  breathe,  so  he  was  also  made 
with  the  need  of  God's  guidance.  He  was 
not  made  to  govern  independently  of  God. 
Why  not  locate  your  own  copy  of  the  Bible 
and  turn  in  it  to  Jeremiah  10:23.  If  it  is 
the  Authorised  or  King  James  Version, 
you  will  notice  there  how  a  humble  ser- 

28 


vant  of  God  expresses  the  need  of  God's 
direction:  "O  Lord,  I  know  that  the  way 
of  man  is  not  in  himself:  it  is  not  in  man 
that  walketh  to  direct  his  steps."  Though 
not  created  with  the  ability  to  govern  suc- 
cessfully without  God's  guidance,  man  was 
a  free  moral  agent  and  could  choose  to 
ignore  what  God  said  and  meditate  on 
wrong  thoughts.  That  is  what  the  first 
human  pair  did,  and,  as  a  result,  sin, 
wickedness  and  death  were  introduced 
into  the  world. — Jas.  1:13-15;  Gen.  2:17; 
3:6. 

Who  was  to  blame  for  this?  Certainly 
not  God.  When  humans  choose  to  ignore 
God's  laws  and  do  wrong,  they  are  re- 
sponsible for  the  consequences.  That  is 
why  the  Bible,  at  Deuteronomy  32:5  says: 
"They  have  corrupted  themselves,  their 
spot  is  not  the  spot  of  his  children:  they 
are  a  perverse  and  crooked  generation." 
(AV)  Adam  and  Eve  by  their  own  wrong 
choice  brought  sin  and  death  upon  them- 
selves. And  since  all  humankind  were  born 
from  their  degenerating  bodies,  the  sick- 
ness and  death  we  all  experience  were 
inherited  from  them. — Job  14:4;  Rom. 
5:12. 

Man,  however,  is  not  alone  in  respon- 
sibility for  wickedness.  Someone  else  is 
even  more  to  blame.  He  is  the  invisible 
spirit  creature  who,  in  contradiction  of 
what  God  said  would  be  the  penalty  for 
disobedience,  enticed  Eve  to  disobey,  say- 
ing: "You  positively  will  not  die."— Gen. 
3:1-4;  Rev.  12:9. 

But  what  caused  this  perfect  spirit  crea- 
ture to  rebel  against  God,  and  then  in- 
duce the  first  human  pair  to  join  in  the 
rebellion?  As  with  man,  it  was  due  to 
entertaining,  continually,  improper  de- 
sires. At  James  1:14,  15  the  Bible  ex- 
plains: "Each  one  is  tried  by  being  drawn 
out  and  enticed  by  his  own  desire.  Then 
the  desire,  when  it  has  become  fertile, 
gives  birth  to  sin;  in  turn,  sin,  when  it  has 

AWAKE! 


been  accomplished,  brings  forth  death." 
The  improper  desires  of  this  perfect  spirit 
were,  in  time,  translated  into  improper 
actions.  He  came  to  be  known  as  the  Devil 
and  Satan. — John  8:44. 

Yet,  why  has  God  permitted  Satan  and 
wickedness  to  continue  for  so  long?  For 
several  reasons.  By  his  rebellion  Satan 
the  Devil  challenged  God's  rulership  and 
at  the  same  time  raised  an  issue  as  to 
whether  any  humans  would  remain  true 
to  their  Creator-Ruler  under  test.  Also, 
who  spoke  the  truth  there  in  Eden  as  to 
the  result  of  disobedience?  Was  it  God  or 
Satan?  Furthermore,  could  rebellious  crea- 
tures attain  to  lasting  blessings  and  hap- 
piness while  ignoring  God's  rulership? 
Time  would  be  required  to  settle  these 
issues,  and  God  allowed  such  time.  So  no 
intelligent  creatures  could  ever  rightly  ac- 
cuse God  of  not  giving  the  rebels  oppor- 
tunity to  work  out  their  own  purposes. 
And  what  has  the  record  of  nearly  6,000 
years  proved?  It  has  proved  God  to  be 
right  when  he  said:  "There  exists  a  way 
that  is  upright  before  a  man,  but  the  ways 
of  death  are  the  end  of  it  afterward." 
— Prov.  16:25. 

But  how  much  longer  will  God  tolerate 
wickedness?  Jesus'  disciples  also  wanted 
to  know,  and  so  they  asked  him  about  it. 
In  answer  Jesus  gave  many  visible  evi- 
dences that  would  mark  the  "time  of  the 
end"  of  this  wicked  system.  These  includ- 
ed worldwide  war,  famines,  pestilences, 
widespread  earthquakes  and  an  increase 
of  lawlessness.  Are  not  these  the  things 
that  are  reported  on  almost  daily  in  the 
news?  Yes,  indeed;  and  historians  report 
that  they  are  the  characteristics  of  the 
generation  that  began  with  the  first  world 
war  in  1914.  But  why  such  an  increase 
of  woe  in  our  time?  The  Bible  explains: 
"Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and 
of  the  sea!  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto 
you,    having    great    wrath,    because    he 


knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time." 
—Matt.  24:7,  12,  34;  Rev.  12:12,  AV. 

This  means  that  very  soon  now  all  the 
wicked  will  be  destroyed  by  God!  (Ps.  145: 
20)  After  that,  God's  heavenly  govern- 
ment will  shower  down  upon  its  earthly 
subjects  blessings  beyond  compare.  Per- 
fect health,  boundless  vigor  and  freedom 
from  the  onslaughts  of  old  age  and  death 
will  be  realized.  (Isa.  35:5,  6)  Even  dead 
ones  will  be  resurrected  to  enjoy  these 
blessings.  (Acts  24:15)  Perfect  peace  and 
happiness  will  be  enjoyed  by  all  who  live 
in  that  restored  paradise. — Ps.  37:11,  29. 

What  should  you  do  in  view  of  the 
wonderful  things  God  will  do  in  your  be- 
half?  Why,  show  appreciation!  How? 
First,  by  learning  about  God  and  his  re- 
quirements. This  means  regularly  study- 
ing his  Word.  (John  17:3)  Then  separate 
yourself  from  this  wicked  system  that  is 
doomed  to  destruction.  Find  out  whether 
the  religion  you  practice  is  really  in  har- 
mony with  God's  Word,  for,  to  please 
God,  you  must  abandon  any  false  religion 
that  is  part  of  this  wicked  world.  Do  God's 
will,  and  in  this  way  add  your  testimony 
to  the  fact  that  Satan  is  a  liar  and  is  in- 
capable of  turning  all  men  from  serving 
Jehovah.— Prov.  27:11. 


Can  you  answer  these  questions?  For  answers, 

read  the  erfide  above. 
(1  )  What  questions  do  people  raise  concerning 
the  permission  of  wickedness?  (2)  Was  the  first 
man  a  robot  or  did  God  give  him  freedom  of 
choice?  (3)  In  what  sense  was  he  perfect? 
(4)  How  is  man's  need  for  God's  guidance 
expressed  in  the  Bible?  (5)  Why  is  God  not 
to  blame  for  the  sin  of  our  first  parents,  and 
for  our  present  imperfections?  (6)  Who  is  even 
more  to  blame  for  wickedness  than  man? 
(7)  How  was  it  possible  for  a  perfect  spirit 
creature  to  become  the  Devi!?  (8)  Why  has 
God  permitted  wickedness  to  continue  for  so 
long?  (9)  Is  the  end  of  wickedness  near? 
(10)  What  blessings  will  God's  kingdom  bring 
to  mankind?  (11)  How  can  we  show  our  ap- 
preciation for  what  God  has  done  for  us? 


OCTOBER  S,  1966 


29 


Era  of  Lawlessness 
#  David  Lawrence,  in  U.S. 
News  &  World  Report  for 
August  29,  said  editorially: 
"Historians  some  day  will 
write  that  the  United  States  in 
the  1930s  experienced  an  era 
of  anarchy  unparalleled  in  a 
free  country  governed  origi- 
nally by  a  written  Constitution 
and  once  dedicated  to  the 
principle  of  law  and  order.  We 
are  today  on  the  verge  of  a 
complete  breakdown  of  our 
governmental  structure."  Fed- 
eral and  state  governments, 
he  said,  face  severe  financial 
crises.  He  went  on  to  say  that 
city  governments  appear  to  be 
unable  to  protect  human  life; 
they  are  plagued  by  street 
demonstrations  and  criminal 
violence.  "Even  clergymen, 
who  are  supposed  to  preach 
doctrines  of  human  love  and 
conciliation,  have  joined  the 
mob,"  he  pointed  out.  What 
does  it  mean?  Jesus  Christ 
long  ago  foretold  that  this 
"increasing  of  lawlessness" 
would  mark  the  last  days  of 
this  wicked  system  of  things. 
—Matt.  24:12. 

Suicide  KIse 

#>  Saigonese  know  that  these 
are  critical  times  hard  to  deal 
with,  as  the  Christian  apostle 
Paul  long  ago  foretold  for  our 
day,  at  2  Timothy  3:1.  In  Sai- 
gon, South  Vietnam,  the  rate 
of  suicide  and  attempted  sui- 

30 


cide  is  almost  50  percent  high- 
er this  year  than  last,  it  was 
reported  on  August  27.  "Many 
of  these  are  young  people 
whose  psychology  has  been  de- 
formed, somehow,  by  the  war," 
said  Lieut.  Col.  Nguyen  Van 
Luan. 

$139,000,000,000  for  Anns 
#>  A  published  United  Press 
International  report  stated 
that  "the  cost  of  the  global 
arms  race  has  reached  stag- 
gering dimensions — more  than 
$130  billion  a  year.  This  is 
more  than  the  $125  billion 
being  spent  annually  in  the 
world  on  public  health  and 
education."  The  arms'  race 
amounts  to  $40  for  every  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  world. 
Readiness  for  war  seems  to 
have  become  the  principal  con- 
cern of  humankind.  Two  world 
wars,  the  first  of  their  kind 
in  human  history,  have  al- 
ready marked  this  generation. 
Jesus  foretold  this  for  the 
"conclusion  of  the  system  of 
things."— Matt.  24:3,  7. 

Earthquake  Jolts  Turkey 

<$>  Eastern  Turkey  was  struck 
by  a  devastating  earthquake 
on  August  20.  The  unofficial 
death  toll  passed  the  2,000 
mark  the  next  day.  There  were 
estimates  that  the  final  toll 
might  top  5,000.  Hundreds  of 
villages  were  reduced  to  rub- 
ble. "Great  earthquakes"  were 
a  sign  foretold  for  our  day. 


(Luke  21:11)  In  Turkey  official 
statistics  put  the  quake  toll 
for  the  twentieth  century  so 
far  at  more  than  40,000  dead. 
The  world's  most  catastrophic- 
earthquake  of  modern  times 
was  in  China  in  1920,  when 
180,000  people  died.  Three 
years  later  a  quake  razed 
Tokyo,  killing  143,000. 

Food  Shortage 

■#>  At  the  1966  annual  meeting 
of  the  American  Institute  of 
Biological  Sciences,  a  group 
of  scientists  agreed,  on  August 
15,  that  man  was  multiplying 
faster  than  the  food  supply 
and  that  a  catastrophe  was  in 
sight.  Dr.  Harrison  Brown  of 
California  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology stated  that  the  world 
population  would  be  at  least 
4,300.000,000  by  1980,  if  no 
major  disaster  strikes  before 
that  time;  but  food  produc- 
tion is  not  keeping  pace.  The 
Bible  writer  Luke  long  ago  re- 
corded under  divine  inspira- 
tion that  unprecedented  "food 
shortages"  would  be  part  of 
the  composite  sign  that,  not 
only  is  the  present  selfish 
system  on  its  way  out,  but 
also  "the  kingdom  of  God  is 
near."— Luke  21:11,  31. 

Dishonest  Employees 
<§>  Former  president  of  the 
Canadian  Institute  of  Char- 
tered Accountants,  Derek  Lu- 
kin,  said  that  there  has  been 
an  enormous  increase  in  the 
last  few  years  in  thievery 
among  trusted  employees.  He 
pointed  out  that  apparently 
honest  and  trustworthy  em- 
ployees have  embezzled  or  de- 
frauded $150,000000  from  Ca- 
nadian businesses.  "Lovers  of 
money,"  "disloyal" — that  is 
what  the  Bible,  at  2  Timothy 
3:1,  2,  said  would  characterize 
ungodly  men  in  the  "last  days." 

"Devil  in  Us" 

<$>  In  a  special  report  to  the 
New  York  Times,  August  24,  a 
correspondent  in  southeast 
Asia  stated  that  "from  the 
terraced  rice  fields  of  Central 

AWAKE! 


Java  to  the  exquisite  island 
of  Bali,  from  the  rubber  plan- 
tations of  Sumatra  to  the  fish- 
ing villages  of  remote  Timor, 
the  Indonesian  people  are 
troubled  by  the  heritage  of 
violence  bequeathed  by  the 
staggering  mass  slaughter  of 
Communists,"  which  followed 
the  abortive  Communist-sup- 
ported bid  for  greater  power 
in  Jakarta  last  September  30. 
It  has  been  estimated  that 
400,000  were  killed.  "There  is 
a  devil  in  us  and  when  it  gets 
loose,  we  can  run  amok  en 
masse,"  one  of  Indonesia's 
most  distinguished  writers 
said.  Yes,  the  Bible  agrees 
that  there  is  "a  devil"  in  back 
of  the  world's  violence.  "Woe 
for  the  earth  and  for  the  sea, 
because  the  Devil  has  come 
down  to  you,  having  great 
anger,  knowing  he  has  a  short 
period  of  time."  (Rev.  12:12) 
And  why?  Because  God's  king- 
dom has  been  established  in 
the  heavens  and  will  soon  put 
out  of  action  both  the  Devil 


and  persons  who  choose  to 
manifest  his  spirit. 

•There  Will  Be  Pestilences' 

#  The  dreaded  sleeping  sick- 
ness called  encephalitis  has 
taken  384  lives  so  far  this  year 
in  Japan  and  399  in  South 
Korea. 

In  South  Vietnam  a  plague, 
known  as  the  Black  Death 
in  the  Middle  Ages,  is 
spreading  throughout  the 
country.  The  spread  of  the 
disease  has  been  described  as 
"very,  very  serious." 

Heart  disease  and  cancer  re- 
main foremost  among  the  kill- 
ers in  spite  of  medical  re- 
search, and  venereal  disease 
has  reached  epidemic  propor- 
tions in  many  large  cities.  Yes, 
pestilences,  too,  were  foretold 
as  part  of  the  "sign." — Luke 
21:11. 

Preaching  Though  Persecuted 
<§>  In    nearly    two    hundred 
lands  around  the  earth  Jeho- 
vah's witnesses  are  preaching 


the  good  news  that  God's  king- 
dom has  been  established.  For 
this  they  are  persecuted,  as 
Jesus  foretold.  (Matt.  24:9) 
Recently  Greece's  Orthodox 
primate,  Archbishop  Chrysos- 
tomos,  said:  "The  Greek  Or- 
thodox Church  regards  the 
members  of  [Jehovah's  wit- 
nesses] as  enemy  No.  1."  He 
went  on  to  say:  "We  have 
repeatedly  appealed  to  the 
authorities  to  intervene  and 
prosecute  or  arrest  those  of 
them  who  engage  in  prosely- 
tism."  But  they  continue  to 
preach.  In  Greece  today  there 
are  10,668  of  Jehovah's  wit- 
nesses active  in  preaching 
about  God's  kingdom.  World 
wide  there  are  over  a  million, 
and  they  have  been  devoting 
over  14,000,000  hours  each 
month  to  their  preaching 
work.  As  Jesus  foretold  for 
these  "last  days,"  this  good 
news  of  the  Kingdom  estab- 
lished in  the  heavens  is  being 
preached  in  all  the  world  for 
a   witness. — Matt.   24:14. 


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CONTENTS 


Do  You  Want  a  New  Order  Free 
from  Lawlessness? 

Flood  of  Lawlessness  Engulfing 
the  Earth 

How  Do  They  Explain  It? 


The  Real  Causes  of  Today's  Lawlessness    14 


Protect  Yourself  from  Lawlessness 

God's  Word  Reforms  Lawbreakers 

"Your  Word  Is  Truth" 

Why  Do  the  Wicked  Prosper? 

Watching  the  World 


20 
26 

27 
29 


^""""^   "it  is  already  the  hour  for  you  to  awake."     0h 

— Romans   13:11  V^' 


Volume  XLIX 


Brooklyn,  N.V..  January  8,  1968 


Number  1 


WHAT  would  it  mean 
to  you  if  the  world 
were  free  from  lawless- 
ness? 

It  would  mean 
that  you  could  step 
out  of  your  home 
and  never  worry 
about  locking  a 
door.  You  could 
visit  any  neigh- 
borhood without  being  afraid.  You  could 
sit  in  any  park  late  at  night.  You  could 
talk  to  any  stranger  without  fear.  You 
would  never  have  to  be  concerned  about 
the  safety  of  your  home  or  your  loved 
ones. 

No  doubt  you,  as  most  persons,  want 
the  world  to  be  free  from  lawlessness.  Cer- 
tainly it  would  be  a  wonderful  thing  to 
live  in  a  new  order  where  nothing  would 
ever  mar  your  happiness  or  jeopardize 
your  freedom,  possessions,  life  or  loved 
ones. 

Will  there  ever  be  such  a  system  of 
things?  Will  all  the  energies  and  wealth 
now  lost  due  to  lawlessness  ever  be  chan- 
neled into  constructive  work?  Will  it  ever 
be  possible  for  everybody  to  enjoy  life 
under  such  secure  conditions? 

Judging  from  today's  news  everywhere, 
it  would  be  simple  to  conclude  that  an  or- 
der free  from  lawlessness  can  never  be  a 
reality. 

However,  do  not  dismiss  the  possibility 
of  living  in  a  new  order  that  is  free  from 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


FREE  FROM  LAWLESSNESS? 


lawlessness.  Why  not?  Because  such  an 
order  will  come  without  fail,  and  soon! 

Within  this  generation  the  world  will  be 
rid  of  all  lawbreakers!  Yes,  you  will  then 
be  able  to  forget  about  locking  your  door. 
You  will  then  feel  free  to  visit  anywhere 
and  talk  to  anyone.  You  will  never  again 
have  to  worry  about  the  security  of  your 
home  or  loved  ones.  And  the  world  will  be 
free  from  things  that  drive  many  to  law- 
lessness, such  as  poverty,  prejudice  and 
injustice. 

Because  a  new  order  that  will  be  free 
from  lawlessness  is  nearing  a  reality,  we 
invite  you  carefully  to  consider  the  articles 
that  begin  on  the  following  page.  First, 
these  articles  will  examine  the  trend  in 
lawlessness  today.  Then  they  will  analyze 
the  reasons  authorities  give  as  to  why 
such  lawlessness  exists  in  our  time.  Next 
they  will  discuss  the  more  important  caus- 
es for  this  lawlessness  and  when  and  how 
that  lawlessness  will  positively  end.  This 
issue  will  also  give  information  on  how  you 

3 


can  protect  yourself  from  lawlessness  now. 

First  of  all,  then,  let  us  examine  the 

extent  of  lawlessness  in  our  time,  in  this 

generation,  in  this  year.  Just  what  is  go- 


ing on  in  this  regard  throughout  the 
world?  How  widespread  is  lawlessness  to- 
day? What  damage  to  life  and  property  is 
involved?  What  are  the  facts? 


use  01 


AUTHORITIES  agree  on  this  central 
fact:  There  is  a  raging  flood  of  law- 
less activity  all  over  the  world.  And  it  is 
fast  increasing.  In  many  areas  it  is  out  of 
control.  Your  personal  safety  is  being 
jeopardized  as  never  before! 

This  epidemic  of  crime  is  not  confined 
to  one  type  of  society.  Not  only  the  under- 
developed countries  suffer  from  it.  Even 
in  the  most  prosperous  lands  there  is  an 
enormous  increase  of  lawlessness. 

Worldwide  Breakdown 

The  recently  retired  head  of  the  Royal 
Canadian  Mounted  Police,  G.  B.  McClellan, 

4 


stated  that  the  whole  world  was 
going  through  a  "major  interna- 
tional breakdown  in  respect  for  law 
and  order."  He  noted:  "Public  an- 
tagonism toward  the  police  is 
reaching  epidemic  proportions  all 
over  the  world,  not  only  in  those 
countries  which  we  are  wont  to  re- 
fer to  as  underdeveloped  countries, 
but  in  countries  which  have  been 
and  are  regarded  as  some  of  the 
most  highly  civilized  in  the  world." 
Similarly,  prominent  British  at- 
torney Lord  Shawcross  made  this 
observation: 

"Almost  everywhere,  including 
Soviet  Russia,  there  appears  to  be 
an  increase  in  crime,  and  partic- 
ularly,   alas,   in   juvenile   crime 

"Why  is  it  that  there  is  this  increase  in 
crime,  when  we  were  all  entitled,  perhaps, 
to  think  that  the  unexampled  prosperity 
which  we  enjoy  now,  the  better  education,  the 
rather  better  housing  conditions,  and  so  on, 
would  conduce  to  the  opposite  result?  I  wish 
I  knew  the  answer." 

One  part  of  the  increase  of  lawlessness 
that  particularly  bothers  authorities  is  the 
increase  of  violent  crimes.  In  England, 
J.  Bell,  writing  in  Crime  in  Our  Tims, 
said:  "The  most  striking  feature  of  crime 
today  is  the  increase  in  violence."  The  au- 
thor added:  "There  are  criminals  in  this 
country  [England]  today  who  appear  to 
have  reached  extremes  of  depravity  and 
savagery  not  seen  before  the  last  war,  at 
least  in  such  numbers." 

The  same  conclusion  was  reached  in  an 
exhaustive  study  of  crime  by  a  special 
Crime  Commission  in  the  United  States. 
Undertaken  at  the  President's  direction 

AWAKE! 


and  publishing  its  findings  in  the  report 
The  Challenge  of  Crime  in  a  Free  So- 
ciety, the  Commission  said:  "The  overall 
rate  for  violent  crimes  .  .  .  now  stands  at 
its  highest  point." 

Greater  Worry 

However,  there  is  another  trend  that 
experts  agree  is  cause  for  even  greater 
worry:  The  fantastic  rise  in  lawlessness 
among  young  people.  Of  this  the  book 
The  Psychology  of  Crime  said: 

"It  is  alarming  that  today  adolescents  are 
committing  the  same  types  of  criminal  activ- 
ities as  adults,  whereas  in  former  times  the 
type  of  crime  changed  as  the  person  grew 
older.  For  example,  young  people  used  to  be 
involved  in  more  youthful  types  of  crime, 
such  as  pranks  or  petty  stealing,  but  today 
they  are  committing  the  same  vicious  crimes 
as  adult  criminals — murder,  robbery,  rape, 
burglary,  vandalism,  and  automobile  thefts, 
not  to  mention  such  minor  crimes  as  purse 
snatching,  petty  thievery,  destruction  of 
property,  and  disorderly  conduct 

"Not  only  have  the  types  of  crimes 
changed,  but  there  has  been  a  tremendous 
and  disturbing  increase  in  the  number  of 
crimes  carried  out  by  young  people  today. 
. . .  The  increase  of  juvenile  delinquency  is 
not  restricted  to  the  United  States.  It  has 
occurred  in  many  countries  throughout  the 
world." 

Corroborating  this,  American  writer 
R.  Tunley,  in  Kids,  Crime  and  Chaos,  noted 
the  astonishing  juvenile  crime  in  various 
countries,  such  as  Sweden,  and  then  re- 
ported: 

"Turning  from  Sweden  to  Japan,  the  trav- 
eler finds  conditions  almost  as  astonishing. 
In  this  Oriental  country,  before  World  War 
II  children  were  said  to  be  among  the  most 
obedient  and  law-abiding  of  any  nation  on 
earth.  Obviously,  things  have  changed. . . . 

"The  ratio  of  crimes  committed  by  Japa- 
nese youngsters  when  compared  with  adults 
is  out  of  all  proportion  to  ours,  showing 
juveniles  acting  far  more  lawlessly,  com- 
pared with  their  elders,  than  ours  do Take 

one  category — violent  sex.  In  our  own  coun- 
try, juveniles  account  for  19  percent  of  the 


total  rapes.  In  Japan,  they're  in  the  majority 
— 52  percent 

"What  interested  me  particularly  was  that 
in  many  countries  abroad,  even  those  with 
low  rates,  there  was  a  new  and  alarming 
pattern  of  misbehavior 

"The  fact  is,  of  course,  that  juvenile  mis- 
behavior is  a  world-wide  phenomenon . . . 
Even  in  Russia... I  found  considerable  evi- 
dence of  juvenile  delinquency.'' 

Outracing  the  Population  "Explosion" 

Crime  is  rising  far  more  rapidly  than 
the  population  in  most  lands.  This  flood 
of  crime  prompted  a  Federal  judge  in  the 
United  States  to  say: 

"Society's  problem  with  those  who  will  not 
obey  law  has  never  loomed  so  large  in  our 
national  life  as  it  does  today. 

"People  murder  others  in  this  country  at 
the  rate  of  more  than  one  for  every  hour  of 
the  day. 

"There  are  more  than  140  crimes  of  theft 
every  hour;  assault  and  violence  and  rape 
grow  comparably. 
"The  murder  rate  is  10,000  humans  lives  a 


100%- 


90- 


80- 


__CRIIWE  INCREASE 

During  the  years  1960-1966 

crime  in  the  U.S.A.  increased 

at  a  rate  seven  times  that 

of  population  growth. 


70- 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


year,  which  is  higher  than  the  death  rate  in 
our  current  military  operations  in  Vietnam 
which  inspire  such  emotional  and  violent 
public  demonstrations. 

"And  the  growth  rate  of  crime  is  now  far 
greater  than  the  growth  in  our  population." 

Just  how  much  greater  than  population 
growth  is  this  surge  of  crimes?  In  the 
United  States  during  1966  there  were 
3,243,370  major  crimes — murder,  rape, 
robbery,  assault,  larceny,  auto  theft  and 
burglary.  This  was  an  increase  of  more 
than  11  percent  over  the  previous  year. 
The  population  increased  less  that  li  per- 
cent during  that  same  time.  Grouping  the 
years  from  1960  to  1966  together,  we  find 
that  the  United  States  population  in- 
creased 9  percent,  but  serious  crimes,  62 
percent!  That  means  lawlessness  increased 
seven  times  as  fast  as  population! 

Since  population  growth  is  referred  to 
as  an  "explosion,"  a  crime  rate  seven 
times  as  explosive  is  a  catastrophe.  And 
during  the  first  six  months  of  1967  major 
crimes  skyrocketed  17  percent  above  the 
same  period  the  previous  year.  This  is  at 
a  rate  of  about  ten  to  fifteen  times  the 
population  growth! 

Nor  is  the  increase  of  lawlessness  con- 
fined to  just  the  "ghetto"  areas  of  large 
cities.  True,  a  greater  proportion  of  crime 
does  occur  in  these  areas,  but  in  the  past 
few  years  the  rate  of  increase  in  the  sub- 
urbs has  been  greater. 

Rioting  Spreads 

Lawlessness  must  also  include  the  hurt 
to  life  and  property  resulting  from  riot- 
ing, for  whatever  reason.  Such  violence 
has  brought  great  distress  to  large  num- 
bers of  people  and  has  increased  greatly 
in  the  last  few  years. 

During  the  summer  of  1967  riots  took 
place  in  more  than  120  cities  of  the  United 
States.  At  least  117  persons  were  killed. 
Thousands  were  injured.  Property  damage 
was  over  $1,000,000,000. 


The  rioting  was  described  as  "anarchy," 
"rebellion,"  and  even  as  "guerrilla  war- 
fare." Police  and  national  guardsmen 
were  hard  pressed  to  maintain  order.  In- 
deed, in  Detroit,  thousands  of  regular  ar- 
my troops  had  to  be  dispatched  by  the 
American  government  to  quell  the  rioting. 
In  that  city  alone  at  least  41  persons  were 
killed,  2,000  injured,  5,000  made  homeless. 
Property  damage  was  estimated  at  500 
million  dollars!  Life  magazine  stated: 

"When  the  burning,  looting  and  killing 
were  over,  parts  of  Detroit  had  the  bombed- 
out,  jagged  look  of  European  cities  in  World 

War  II An  estimated  387  buildings  were 

destroyed,  2,700  businesses  and  stores  looted." 

One  resident  exclaimed:  "Hell  isn't 
when  you  die.  Hell  is  right  here  when 
you're  living." 

Commenting  on  the  riot,  the  Los  An- 
geles Times  of  July  30,  1967,  reported: 

"What  happened  in  Detroit  last  week  was 
not  a  race  riot  After  the  first  two  days  it 
was  not  a  riot  at  all.  It  became  the  highest 
development  so  far  of  the  new  anarchy  which 
takes  over  our  collapsing  urban  civilization 
from  time  to  time." 

Rioting  is  not  confined  to  the  United 
States.  Riots  have  occurred  in  many  other 
parts  of  the  globe  recently.  This  past  sum- 
mer in  Japan  thousands  of  rioters  repeat- 
edly clashed  with  police.  The  New  York 
Times  of  August  19,  1967,  reported: 

"Japan  has  a  problem  of  mass  violence 
among  the  underprivileged  minorities  in  the 
big-city  slums The  fray  last  night  fol- 
lowed the  pattern  of  similar  outbreaks  on 
many  sultry  nights  in  the  past  summers.  The 
roving  mobs  hurled  rocks  at  a  police  substa- 
tion, stoned  shops  and  private  homes,  broke 
windows  in  buildings  and  cars, . . .  and  beat 
any  policeman  who  could  be  seized." 

The  situation  all  over  the  world  is  not 
much  different.  As  Time  magazine  of  July 
28,  1967,  stated: 

"Violence  is  so  universal  and  elusive  that 
sociology  and  psychology  can  only  approxi- 
mate a  complex  truth.  Comparisons  with 
other  countries  are  illuminating  but  hardly 

AWAKE! 


conclusive.  The  U.S.  has 
certainly  experienced 
nothing  like  the  massacre 
of  400,000  Communists  in 
Indonesia;  nor  have 
Watts  or  Newark  ap- 
proached the  lethal  fury 
of  an  Indian  or  an  Arab 
mob." 

People  Are  Afraid 

More  and  more  peo- 
ple are  realizing  just 
how  much  lawlessness  there  is. 
One  consistent  reaction  has  been 
fear.   Of   the   situation   in   the 
United  States,  one  official  said: 
"American   cities   are   burning. 
You  have  more  and  more  crime.  Citizens 
are  terrified."  Of  this  fear  Time  said: 

"Fear  of  the  darkened  city  streets  has 
become  a  fact  of  urban  life.  The  memories 
of  bizarre  multiple  murders  linger  in  the 
mind — 13  people  dead  in  Austin  [Texas] 
from  a  sniper's  rifle,  eight  nurses  in  Chicago 
killed  by  a  demented  drifter.  The  recollection 
of  the  Kennedy  assassination  remains  part 
of  the  scene." 

Almost  daily  the  news  tells  of  similar 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


horrible  acts.  A  farmer 
in  Minnesota  kills  his 
wife,  sets  fire  to  his 
home,  killing  their  four 
children.  He  wounds 
himself  to  make  it  ap- 
pear as  though  it  was 
committed  by  outsiders, 
but  later  confesses.  A  Canadian 
family  of  nine — mother,  father, 
seven  children — are  slaughtered  by 
a  murderer.  The  only  survivor,  a 
four-year-old  daughter,  hid  under 
the  blankets.  Such  crimes,  repeated  over 
and  over,  drive  fear  deep  into  the  heart  of 
people. 

In  the  report  of  the  President's  Crime 
Commission,  it  was  found  that  43  percent 
of  those  interviewed  said  they  now  stayed 
off  the  streets  at  night  because  of  their 
fear  of  crime.  And  35  percent  said  they 
no  longer  spoke  to  any  strangers  because 
of  this  same  fear.  The  report  added: 


"Fear  of  strangers  has  greatly  impover- 
ished the  lives  of  many  Americans,  especially 
those  who  live  in  high-crime  neighborhoods 
in  large  cities.  People  stay  behind  the  locked 
doors  of  their  homes  rather  than  risk  walk- 
ing in  the  streets  at  night.  Poor  people  spend 
money  on  taxis  because  they  are  afraid  to 
walk  or  use  public  transportation.  Sociable 
people  are  afraid  to  talk  to  those  they  do 
not  know. . . . 

"When  fear  of  crime  becomes  fear  of  the 
stranger  the  social  order  is  further  damaged. 
As  the  level  of  sociability  and  mutual  trust 
is  reduced,  streets  and  public  places  can  in- 
deed become  more  dangerous The  re- 
ported incidents  of  bystanders  indifferent  to 
cries  for  help  are  the  logical  consequence  of  a 
reduced  sociability,  mutual  distrust  and  with- 
drawal." 

What  is  additionally  frightening  is  that 
there  are  far  more  crimes  committed  than 
are  ever  reported.  For  example,  burglaries 
occur  about  three  times  as  often  as  they 
are  reported,  rapes  even  more  often.  In 
some  areas,  only  one-tenth  of  certain 
crimes  are  ever  reported  to  police! 

Who  Are  the  Lawless? 

Who  are  these  lawless  elements  that 
cause  such  fear?  Are  they  all  sinister, 
mentally  deranged  types?  Are  they  all 
professional  criminals?  The  Crime  Com- 
mission's report  stated: 

"Many  Americans  take  comfort  in  the  view 
that  crime  is  the  vice  of  a  handful  of  people. 
This  view  is  inaccurate.  In  the  United  States 
today,  one  boy  in  six  is  referred  to  the  juve- 
nile court.  A  Commission  survey  shows  that 
in  1965  two  million  Americans  were  received 
in  prisons  or  juvenile  training  schools,  or 
placed  on  probation.  Another  Commission 
study  suggests  that  about  40  percent  of  all 
male  children  now  living  in  the  United  States 
will  be  arrested  for  a  nontrafflc  offense 
during  their  lives." 

Hence,  more  and  more  "ordinary"  citi- 
zens are  committing  lawless  acts.  Through- 
out the  world  millions  of  persons  regarded 
as  decent  "next-door-neighbor"  types  are 
being  apprehended  for  vicious  crimes. 

Of  course,  to  these  must  be  added  pro- 

8 


fessional  criminals,  those  who  make  a  ca- 
reer of  lawlessness.  The  "take"  of  orga- 
nized crime  runs  into  thousands  of  millions 
of  dollars  each  year.  Involved  in  this  are 
thousands  of  criminals  who  work  in  orga- 
nizations as  complex  as  large  corporations. 
They  supply  such  illegal  goods  and  services 
as  gambling,  narcotics,  prostitution  and 
other  forms  of  vice.  Estimates  of  the  mon- 
ey made  from  illegal  gambling  alone  run 
up  to  $50,000,000,000  a  year  in  just  the 
United  States! 

To  cope  with  all  this  crime,  "profession- 
al" and  "nonprofessional,"  what  is  re- 
quired? In  the  United  States  there  are 
some  420,000  law-enforcement  people 
working  in  about  40,000  separate  agencies. 
They  spend  more  than  $2,500,000,000  of 
the  public's  tax  money  trying  to  stem  the 
tide.  Yet,  the  tide  of  lawlessness  advances 
relentlessly. 

Toward  More  Lawlessness 

The  hard  facts  are  that  never  before  in 
history  has  there  been  such  a  tremendous 
surge  in  lawlessness  world  wide.  And 
every  indication  is  that  this  increase  will 
continue. 

Three  years  ago,  when  the  situation  was 
not  as  bad  as  it  is  today,  an  editorial  in 
the  New  York  Times  of  February  18, 
1965,  stated: 

"It  is  a  frightening  but  inescapable  thought 
that  the  world  has  drifted  apart  and  become 
more  fragmented  since  April  1963,  when 
Pope  John  made  his  notable  appeal  for  'a 
community  of  peoples  based  on  truth, 
justice,  love  and  freedom.' . . . 

"Throughout  history  different  elements 
operated  at  different  times  to  provide  an 
anchor,  an  amalgam,  a  source  of  unity  for 
societies.  There  were  family  bonds,  great 
monarchs,  great  empires,  the  world's  great 
religions  and,  in  modern  times,  political 
ideologies.  Today  none  of  these  factors  seems 
strong  enough  to  hold  societies  in  check  or 
to  unite  nations  and  peoples  in  peace. 

"This  is  an  era  that  has  lost  its  bearings, 

AWAKE! 


that  wanders  in  a  wilderness  crying  with 
rage  and  striking  out  in  its  pain." 

Why  has  all  this  happened?  Why  is  the 


world  being  flooded  by  this  rising  tide  of 
lawlessness  at  this  particular  time  in 
history? 


WHAT  puzzles  authorities  is  this:  Why 
such  increased  lawlessness  now,  in 
our  time? 

The  lawlessness  of  human  society  can 
be  likened  to  a  sickness.  For  every  sick- 
ness there  is  a  cause.  There  are  several 
basic,  root  causes  for  today's  increasing 
lawlessness.  Ignoring  these  root  causes 
would  be  like  your  refusing  to  eat  and  then 
wondering  why  you  are  undernourished 
and  hungry!  Yet,  these  underlying  causes 
usually  are  ignored  by  most  well-meaning 
criminologists  today! 

Instead  of  dealing  with  the  primary 
causes,  most  of  those  who  deal  with  law- 
lessness observe  only  the  surface  issues. 
We  may  compare  this  to  viewing  that 
small  portion  of  an  iceberg  visible  above 
the  waterline.  The  more  important  and 
larger  part  is  not  as  apparent,  being  be- 
low the  waterline.  So  too  with  lawlessness. 
The  more  important  causes  lie  beneath  the 
surface. 

However,  since  the  apparent,  above  the 
surface,  reasons  are  what  authorities  usu- 
ally give,  it  would  be  well  to  note  what 
these  are  first.  Then  we  can  examine  the 
far  more  important  causes  that  are  not 
so  apparent. 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


Rapid  Deterioration  Begins 

There  has  always  been  crime  in  man's 
history.  However,  authorities  agree  that 
there  came  a  time  when  a  definite  turn 
for  the  worse  was  made.  It  was  a  time  that 
contributed  greatly  to  the  rampage  of  law- 
lessness now  in  progress.  British  historian 
H.  R.  Trevor-Roper  tells  of  that  key  event: 

"It  is  instructive  to  compare  the  first  World 
War  with  the  second  . . .  the  first  war  marked 
a  far  greater  change  in  history.  It  closed  a 
long  era  of  general  peace  and  began  a  new 
age  of  violence  in  which  the  second  war  is 
simply  an  episode.  Since  1914  the  world  has 
had  a  new  character:  a  character  of  inter- 
national anarchy." 

Never  before  had  the  entire  world 
plunged  into  total  war.  Millions  of  the 
flower  of  mankind  were  taught  how  to 
hate  and  kill  on  an  unprecedented  scale. 
They  were  pulled  away  from  their  families 
and  brutalized  in  the  trenches,  on  battle- 
fields. Their  morality  suffered  a  stagger- 
ing blow.  Many  of  these  men  came  home 
from  war  cynical.  They  viewed  their  lead- 
ers, politicians  and  clergymen  as  untrust- 
worthy, selfish,  even  dishonest  and  hypo- 
critical. Hence,  their  thinking  was  never 
again  quite  the  same.  When  they  married 
and  had  children,  their  children  reflected 
the  partial  breakdown  of  morality  that 
they  had  suffered. 

9 


Poor  home  environment  a 
key  factor  in  delinquency 


These  children  then  grew  up  to  be  the 
soldiers  of  World  War  II  and  were  also 
brutalized  in  vicious  warfare.  In  turn, 
some  of  their  children  fought  later  wars. 

Can  anyone  really  expect  that  nations, 
particularly  the  youngest,  most  energetic 
and  impressionable  of  its  citizens,  can  be 
subjected  to  one,  two,  three  and  four  such 
shocking  experiences  as  mankind  has  lived 
through  since  1914  and  not  suffer  the  con- 
sequences? You  reap  what  you  sow.  The 
hatred,  killing,  plunder  and  chaos  sown  by 
nations  since  1914  have  produced  a  har- 
vest of  progressively  demoralized  people. 
The  human  family  is  reeling  from  these 
staggering  blows  to  its  mentality  and  mo- 
rality, for  few  things  are  as  immoral,  as 
lawless,  as  debasing  to  human  morality  as 
the  mass  murder  and  anarchy  perpetrated 
in  the  name  of  war. 

Breakdown  in  Home 

This  individual  breakdown  greatly  af- 
fected the  home.  Fathers  who  had  par- 
ticipated in   this   global   anarchy  would 

10 


generally  not  be  in 
the  same  condition 
as  had  been  their 
own  fathers  to  give 
children  training  in 
morality. 

Commenting  on 
this,  an  eminent 
criminologist,  Pro- 
fessor S.  Glueck  of 
H  a  r  v  a  r  d  Law 
School,  stated: 

"Parental  atti- 
tudes toward  disci- 
plining their  young 
have  changed  quite 
rapidly.  In  the 
home  and  outside, 
the  trend  has  been 
steadily  toward 
more  permissiveness — that  is,  placing  fewer 
restraints  and  limits  on  behavior. 

'Ifs  not  a  new  trend,  really.  Today's 
parents  themselves  are  the  products  of  some- 
what permissive  parents  of  the  time  before 
the  second  World  War." 

Does  anyone  really  imagine  that  such 
horrible  deeds  committed  in  war  could 
lead  the  world  to  improved  morality  in  the 
home,  to  parents'  encouraging  children  to 
be  more  lawful?  On  the  contrary,  as  the 
nations  spewed  out  hate,  prejudice,  injus- 
tice and  violence  internationally,  more  and 
more  individuals  imitated  these  lawless 
characteristics  locally. 

The  effect  this  has  had  on  young  minds 
has  been  enormous.  The  Crime  Commis- 
sion noted: 

"One  way  of  looking  at  delinquency  is  in 
the  context  of  the  'teenage  culture'  that 
has  developed  in  America  since  the  end  of 
the  second  World  War. ...  On  the  whole  it  is 
a  rebellious,  oppositional  society,  dedicated 
to  the  proposition  that  the  grownup  world 
is  a  sham. ... 

"It  may  be  a  short  step  from  distrusting 
authority  to  taking  the  law  into  one's  own 

AWAKE! 


hands,  from  sell-absorption  to  contempt  for 
the  rights  of  others, . . .  from  feelings  of 
rebellion  to  acts  of  destruction." 

When  the  older  generation,  especially 
the  rulers  of  the  world,  takes  young  ones 
to  task  for  their  lawlessness,  they  must 
ask  themselves:  From  whom  have  the 
young  learned  such  lawlessness?  If  the 
young  are  disillusioned  with  the  world,  can 
those  who  have  made  it  so  corrupt  and 
violent  excuse  themselves  from  blame? 

The  lack  of  security  among  nations  is 
reflected  by  a  similar  lack  in  the  family 
unit.  Children  are  not  as  needful  of  ma- 
terial security  as  they  are  of  emotional 
security.  When  their  emotional  security  is 
damaged,  the  likelihood  of  their  turning 
to  lawlessness  is  increased.  In  The  Psychol- 
ogy of  Crime,  author  D.  Abrahamsen  said: 

"The  most  significant  finding  was  that 
those  families  which  produced  criminals 
showed  a  greater  prevalence  of  unhealthy 
emotional  conditions  among  the  family  mem- 
bers— that  is,  family  tension — than  did  the 
families  of  the  nondelinquent  group.  This 

Crime  rates  are  higher  in  cities, 
particularly  in  slums 


family  tension,  manifested  mainly  through 
hostility,  hatred,  resentment,  nagging,  bick- 
ering, or  psychosomatic  disorders,  engen- 
dered and  maintained  emotional  disturbances 
in  both  children  and  parents  alike." 

Also  significant  was  the  finding  that 
there  are  twice  as  many  delinquents  from 
broken  homes  as  from  the  general  popu- 
lation. On  the  other  hand,  where  the  fa- 
ther was  strong,  took  a  good  lead,  was 
affectionate  and  loving  with  his  children, 
the  delinquency  rate  was  lower.  Of  this 
the  Crime  Commission  reported: 

"The  strong  influence  of  the  father 
over  his  son,  for  good  or  for  ill,  is  also 
very  significant.  When  father-son 
and  mother-son  relationships  are 
compared,  the  father-son  re- 
lationships appear  more  de- 
terminative  in  whether  or 
not  delinquent  behav- 
ior develops. . . . 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


"Perhaps  the  most  important  factor  in  the 
lives  of  many  boys  who  become  delinquent  is 
their  failure  to  win  the  affection  of  their 
fathers." 

So  authorities  maintain  that  the  way  to 
prevent  lawlessness  in  future  adults  is  by 
good  parental  care  and  training  of  chil- 
dren. But  this  ability  has  been  severely 
undermined  by  the  damage  done  to  the 
mentality  and  morality  of  parents,  partic- 
ularly the  male,  by  the  climate  of  anarchy 
in  the  world  since  1914. 

The  Industrial  Age 

Rapid  industrialization  has  also  con- 
tributed to  lawlessness.  When  large  indus- 
tries came  into  being,  people  left  rural 
areas  and  came  where  the  factories  were, 
into  the  cities. 

By  their  packing  into  cities,  the  more 
relaxed  and  emotionally  healthy  way  of 
life  in  the  country  was  lost.  In  time,  great 
sections  of  cities  deteriorated  and  became 
horribly  congested  slums.  Such  close  prox- 
imity of  people  had  a  detrimental  effect. 
As  the  Crime  Commission's  report  stated: 

"Delinquents  are  concentrated  dispropor- 
tionately in  the  cities,  and  particularly  in  the 
larger  cities.  . . . 

"When  so  many  people  are  living  and 
moving  in  so  small  a  space,  the  probability 
of  collisions  can  only  increase.  Crowding 
has  a  harmful  effect  on  study  habits,  atti- 
tudes toward  sex,  parents'  ability  to  meet 
needs  of  individual  children;  clearly,  crowd- 
ing intensifies  the  fatigue  and  irritability  that 
contribute  to  erratic  or  irrational  discipline." 

Interestingly,  the  rate  of  crime  per  hun- 
dred thousand  population  in  the  cities  was 
found  to  be  over  1,800.  The  rate  for  the 
suburbs  was  about  1,200.  The  rural  rate, 
however,  was  only  a  little  over  600!  So  for 
each  100,000  population,  the  crime  rate 
in  the  city  was  three  times  that  of  the 
rural  areas!  Clearly,  the  farther  man  has 
gotten  away  from  an  agricultural  society, 
the  worse  his  situation  has  become. 

City    life,    and    then    the    later    trend 


toward  suburban  living,  helped  to  separate 
the  father  from  his  family.  In  farm  life 
there  were  better  chances  to  develop  roots, 
to  make  the  family  a  closely  knit  unit.  But 
in  the  cities,  the  father  is  usually  gone  all 
day.  Often  both  parents  work,  sometimes 
one  at  a  night  job.  And  in  suburbs  fathers 
leave  early  in  the  morning  and  return  late 
at  night  The  book  The  Psychology  of 
Crime  notes: 

"A  parent's  frequent  absence  from  home 
often  leads  to  the  most  subtle  forms  of 
family  tension.  In  many  families  today  the 
father  plays  only  a  perfunctory  role,  mostly 
that  of  a  provider,  without  taking  an  emo- 
tional part  in  his  family's  life frequently 

little  attention  is  paid  to  him.  Consciously  or 
unconsciously  his  wife  and  children  feel  his 
absence  in  that  they  miss  a  man  upon  whom 
they  can  depend  for  guidance,  leadership,  and 
understanding." 

Material  Prosperity 

Another  reason  authorities  advance  for 
the  spread  of  lawlessness  is  material  pros- 
perity. Since  World  War  n  quite  a  few 
nations  have  had  boom  times,  producing 
more  goods  than  ever  before.  In  Kids, 
Crime  and  Chaos,  the  author  states: 

"Progress,  I  found,  was  recognized  as  a 
major  factor  in  delinquency  in  almost  every 
country  I  visited. ... 

"In  West  Germany,  which  has  lived 
through  an  extraordinary  phase  of  prosper- 
ity in  recent  years,  people  have  come  to 
realize,  sadly,  that  a  boom  carries  a  built-in 
train  of  delinquents 

"The  United  Nations,  following  a  London 
:  conference  on  the  subject  in  1960,  summed 
up  their  findings  in  a  report  which  said, 
somewhat  grudgingly:  'The  existing  data 
suggest  that  the  improvement  of  living  con- 
ditions^— what  is  called  a  better  standard  of 
living — does  not  necessarily . . .  reduce  juve- 
nile delinquency.' " 

The  flood  of  material  goods  is  adver- 
tised everywhere.  Most  persons  become  de- 
sirous of  these  goods.  Those  who  do  not 
have  the  money  to  buy  them  often  resort 
to  theft  to  get  what  they  want,  as  evi- 


12 


AWAKE! 


denced  by  the  fantastic  rise  in  burglaries, 
larceny  and  auto  theft. 

In  other  instances  husbands  must  work 
long  hours,  perhaps  holding  two  jobs,  just 
to  support  this  higher  standard  of  living. 
Everything  is  subordinated  to  acquiring 
material  goods.  Often  the  mother  works 
too.  The  effect  on  children,  as  noted  pre- 
viously, is  disastrous  because  not  only  will 
they  not  get  the  attention  needed,  but  by 
their  parents'  example  they  are  taught  to 
be  greedy  for  material  things.  Greed  and 
high  principles  are  not  companions. 

Permissive  Environment 

The  permissive  environment  of  today, 
whether  in  education,  in  television,  in  mov- 
ies or  in  literature,  has  also  contributed 
heavily  to  the  increase  of  lawlessness,  ex- 
perts agree. 

There  has  been  widespread  acceptance 
of  philosopher  Sigmund  Freud's  idea  that 
much  in  the  individual  that  is  suppressed 
should  be  released.  Many  have  gone  be- 
yond this  and  have  taught  that  there 
should  be  no  suppression  of  human  desires 
at  all.  The  concept  of  freedom  with  respon- 
sibility has  been  largely  replaced  by  the 
unhealthy  concept  of  freedom  without 
limit. 

Such  a  permissive 
environment  has 
played  havoc  with 
right  principles  and 
morality.  Of  the  ef- 
fect this  permissive- 
ness has  had  on  chil- 
dren, Crime  in  Our 
Time  says: 

"In  an  environ- 
ment where  moral 
standards  in  all  di- 
rections have  been 
lowered,  and  reli- 
gious standards  are 
almost  nonexistent, 
can  we  wonder  that 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


school  children  have  sexual  relations  with 
one  another  and  the  number  of  illegitimate 
births  among  very  young  girls  has  increased, 
as  also  has  the  amount  of  venereal  disease 
in  adolescents?" 

Permissiveness  has  saturated  the  enter- 
tainment and  publishing  fields.  Many  of 
the  movies,  television  programs,  books  and 
magazines  now  released  would  never  have 
been  tolerated  by  either  the  censors  or 
general  public  years  ago.  Today,  however, 
sexual  immorality,  perversion,  murder  and 
mayhem  are  steady  diets  for  the  viewer 
and  reader.  As  Time  magazine  of  July  28, 
1967,  said: 

"In  the  movies  and  on  television,  murder 
and  torture  seem  to  be  turning  Americans 
[and  other  nationalities]  into  parlor  sadists. 
A  recent  trend  on  the  stage  is  the  'theater 
of  cruelty,'  and  a  growing  number  of  books 
delve  into  the  pornography  of  violence." 
Concerning  this  trend,  reviewer  Bosley 
Crowther  wrote  in  the  New  York  Times 
of  July  9,  1967: 

"Something  is  happening  in  the  movies 
that  has  me  alarmed  and  disturbed.  Movie- 
makers and  movie-goers  are  agreeing  that 
killing  is  fun.  Not  just  old-fashioned,  out- 
right killing,  either,  the  kind  that  is  quickly 
and  cleanly  done  by  honorable  law-enforcers 
or  acceptable  competitors  in  crime.  This  is 
killing  of  a  gross  and  bloody  nature,  often 
massive  and  excessive,  done  by  characters 


13 


whose  murderous  motivations  are  morbid, 
degenerate  and  cold.  This  is  killing  of  the 
sort  that  social  misfits  and  sexual  perverts 
are  most  likely  to  do.  And  the  eerie  thing 
is  that  movie-goers  are  gleefully  lapping 
it  up. ... 

"The  passion  for  this  sort  of  thing  is  not 
exclusive  to  audiences  in  the  United  States. 
. . .  [these  films]  seem  to  me  as  socially 
decadent  and  dangerous  as  LSD." 

A  person's  physical  health  is  determined 
to  a  great  degree  by  what  he  eats.  A  per- 
son's mental  health  is  determined  to  a 
great  degree  by  what  he  exposes  his  mind 
to.  By  being  exposed  to  such  mental  rub- 
bish the  minds  of  millions  are  being  dis- 
torted away  from  what  is  wholesome.  And 
together  with  all  the  other  reasons  given, 
this  debasing  mental  food  gives  an  addi- 
tional push  to  lawlessness. 

These  and  a  few  other  reasons  are  most 
often  given  by  authorities  to  account  for 
increased  lawlessness  today.  Summing  up 


some   of  these   reasons,   the  President's 
Crime  Commission  said: 

"Crime  flourishes ...  in  city  slums,  those 
neighborhoods  where  overcrowding,  econom- 
ic deprivation,  social  disruption  and  racial  dis- 
crimination are  endemic.  Crime  flourishes  in 
conditions  of  affluence,  when  there  is  much 
desire  for  material  goods  and  many  oppor- 
tunities to  acquire  them  illegally.  Crime 
flourishes  when  there  are  many  restless, 
relatively  footloose  young  people  in  the 
population.  Crime  flourishes  when  standards 
of  morality  are  changing  rapidly. 

"Finally,  to  the  extent  that  the  agencies 
of  law  enforcement  and  justice,  and  such 
community  institutions  as  schools,  churches 
and  social  service  agencies,  do  not  do  their 
jobs  effectively,  they  fail  to  prevent  crime." 

All  these  are  apparent  reasons  for  law- 
lessness. But  they  are  only  the  top  part  of 
the  "iceberg"!  There  are  more  fundamen- 
tal causes  for  the  flood  of  lawlessness  now 
taking  place!  What  are  they? 


The  REAL  CAUSES 


Today's  Lawlessness 


ALL  the  foregoing  explanations  for  law- 
lessness given  by  authorities  are  use- 
ful and  important.  However,  they  do  not 
really  explain  why  all  these  things  happen 
in  the  first  place. 

Why  have  concepts  of  morality  loos- 
ened? Why  does  man  seem  bent  on  law- 
lessness? Why  is  this  generation  plagued 
by  more  lawlessness  than  ever  before? 
Why  did  World  War  I  mark  a  turning 
point?  Why  are  the  proposed  remedies 
failing? 

14 


Let  us  go  below  the  surface,  to  the 
main  part  of  the  "iceberg,"  the  part  that 
is  not  so  apparent  to  authorities. 

Fundamental  Laws 

The  root  causes  of  lawlessness  are  so 
important  that  to  ignore  them  is  to  put 
our  life  and  future  in  peril.  These  root 
causes  may  be  compared  to  fundamental 
laws  that  govern  the  earth  and  man. 

For  example,  if  you  throw  a  rock  from 
a  cliff,  which  way  will  the  rock  travel? 

AWAKE! 


Down,  of  course.  Why?  Because  the  law 
of  gravity  acts  upon  it.  Even  if  you  throw 
it  upward,  it  will  go  only  a  short  way  be- 
fore it  plunges  downward.  It  always  goes 
down,  in  harmony  with  the  law  of  gravity. 
If  you  stop  eating,  what  will  eventually 
happen  to  you?  Of  course,  you  will  get 
weak  and  die.  It  is  a  law  of  life  that  man 
must  take  in  food  to  stay  alive.  If  he  does 
not,  then  his  body  will,  without  fail,  begin 
to  break  down  and  eventually  collapse. 

Human  Behavior 

There  is  also  a  law  that  governs  human 
behavior.  Whether  authorities  recognize  it 
or  not,  this  law  is  in  operation  and  is  just 
as  binding  as  the  law  of  gravity,  as  man's 
need  for  food. 

What  is  this  law  governing  human  be- 
havior? The  Bible  writer  Jeremiah  put  it 
this  way:  "To  earthling  man  his  way  does 
not  belong.  It  does  not  belong  to  man  who 
is  walking  even  to  direct  his  step."  (Jer. 
10:23)  Later,  Jesus  Christ  said:  "Man 
must  live,  not  on  bread  alone,  but  on 
every  utterance  coming  forth  through  Je- 
hovah's mouth." — Matt.  4:4. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  such  state- 
ments? This:  Man  needs  to  feed  his  mind 
on  God's  Word  in  order  to  succeed.  Man 
was  never  created  with  the  ability  or  right 
to  govern  his  affairs  successfully  by  him- 
self, apart  from  God!  Very  simply,  God 
did  not  make  humans  with  that  capacity. 

This  fundamental  precept  meant  that 
man  must  always  look  to  a  superior  guide 
to  direct  his  steps  in  the  right  way.  Then 
he  would  be  successful.  From  where  would 
this  guidance  come?  Jeremiah  added: 
"Correct  me,  O  Jehovah."  (Jer.  10:24) 
He  recognized  that  man  must  depend  on 
his  Creator  for  guidance.  Any  guide  other 
than  this  would,  in  time,  fail,  and  man's 
affairs  would  positively  slide  downward  in 
disorder,  just  as  the  rock  thrown  from  a 
cliff  goes  downward. 


History  has  verified  this.  Mankind  has 
tried  every  idea  in  human  relations  that 
one  can  imagine.  All  types  of  philosophies, 
political  creeds  and  religions  have  been 
adopted.  Today  he  is  employing  what  he 
believes  to  be  the  best.  Yet,  the  human 
family  has  never  before  been  in  such  a 
mess!  The  reason  why  is  that  man  has 
abandoned  the  only  true  guide,  God  and 
his  wisdom,  and  has  substituted  for  it  hu- 
man wisdom. 

Some  do  recognize  this  basic  fact.  For 
instance,  one  of  the  members  of  the  Presi- 
dent's Crime  Commission  stated  in  the 
report: 

"Thorough  as  the  Commission's  studies 
have  been  and  comprehensive  as  its  valuable 
recommendations  are,  its  report  seems  defi- 
cient to  me  in  that  it  neglects  to  recognize 
godlessness  as  a  basic  cause  of  crime." 

The  basic  cause  of  crime  is  that  man- 
kind has  abandoned  God.  The  human  fam- 
ily has  done  so  for  a  long,  long  time.  Ex- 
cept for  a  small  minority,  people  in 
general  do  not  seriously  consult  the  rec- 
ord God  has  inspired  for  their  guidance, 
the  Holy  Scriptures.-— 2  Tim.  3:16,  17; 
1  Thess.  2:13. 

Even  the  religions  of  this  world  have 
abandoned  that  guide.  They  frequently 
downgrade  the  Bible  in  order  to  advocate 
their  own  opinions.  As  a  result  they  are 
divided,  conflicting  and  bewildered.  They 
are  no  more  able  to  offer  people  the  real 
solutions  for  their  problems  than  any  oth- 
er worldly  agency,  because  they  have  fall- 
en into  the  same  trap.  They  do  not  really 
listen  to  God's  clearly  expressed  will.  As 
God's  Word  states:  "Look!  They  have  re- 
jected the  very  word  of  Jehovah,  and  what 
wisdom  do  they  have?"  (Jer.  8:9)  So  it 
can  be  said  that  for  all  practical  purposes 
the  clergy  today  are  just  as  godless  as  the 
rest  of  the  world. 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


15 


Just  as  surely  as  a  rock 

travels  downward  due  to 

gravity,  so  the  course  of 

mankind  alienated  from  God 

has  been  one  of  degeneration. 


i  &  f i  S    * 


There  can  be  no  harmony,  no  unity,  no 
success  in  regulating  human  affairs  with- 
out taking  into  consideration  what  God 
has  to  say,  and  then  doing  what  he  says. 
Surely  the  inventor  of  a  machine  knows 
best  how  it  should  operate.  If  one  ignores 
the  specifications  for  operating  it,  the 
machine  breaks  down.  The  Creator  of 
man,  Jehovah  God,  knows  for  a  certainty 
how  human  society  should  operate.  But 
our  first  forefathers,  Adam  and  Eve,  and 
the  overwhelming  majority  of  mankind 
since  then,  have  ignored  God's  regulations. 
That  is  why  for  nearly  6,000  years  hu- 
man relations  have  been  degenerating,  go- 
ing downward,  like  a  body  without  food, 
like  a  rock  hurtling  downhill.  That  is  why 
this  system  of  things  is  now  floundering, 
gasping,  dying! 

When  people  ignored  the  fact  that  they 
were  not  designed  to  function  independent- 
ly from  God,  and  as  a  result  did  what  they 
thought  was  right  instead  of  what  God 


says  is  right,  the  re- 
sult  was  as  God 
foresaw:    "There 
^  exists  a  way  that  is 

upright  before  a  man,  but  the  ways  of 
death  are  the  end  of  it  afterward."  (Prov. 
16:25)  What  has  happened  to  man's  ef- 
forts is  as  Psalm  127:1  said  it  would  be: 
"Unless  Jehovah  himself  builds  the  house, 
it  is  to  no  avail  that  its  builders  have 
worked  hard  on  it." 

A  Second  Cause 

There  is  a  second  main  cause  for  law- 
lessness. It  has  to  do  with  something  we 
all  inherit.  When  our  first  parents,  Adam 
and  Eve,  rebelled  against  God,  they  took 
themselves  outside  of  God's  perfect  care. 
On  their  own,  independent  from  God,  they 
found  that  their  minds  and  bodies  began 
to  degenerate  because  God  no  longer  sus- 
tained them  in  perfection.  Finally,  death 
overtook  them.  (Gen.  3:1-19)  They  could 
thus  pass  on  to  their  children,  born  after 
their  rebellion,  only  what  they  themselves 
had,  imperfection  of  mind  and  body,  just 
as  God's  Word  states:  "Who  can  produce 


16 


AWAKE! 


someone  clean  out  of  someone  unclean? 
There  is  not  one." — Job  14:4. 

Every  person  born  from  human  parents 
is  thus  born  with  a  terrible  affliction,  a 
handicap — inherited  imperfection.  We  all 
inherit  a  tendency  toward  doing  what  is 
wrong.  (Ps.  51:5)  That  is  why  the  Bible, 
at  Romans  5:12,  says:  "Through  one  man 
[Adam]  sin  [lawlessness]  entered  into  the 
world  and  death  through  sin,  and  thus 
death  spread  to  all  men." — Compare 
1  John  3:4. 

Because  of  this  inherited  imperfection, 
"the  inclination  of  the  heart  of  man  is 
bad  from  his  youth  up."  (Gen.  8:21)  And 
Proverbs  22:15  adds:  "Foolishness  is  tied 
up  with  the  heart  of  a  boy."  That  is  why 
children  do  not  automatically  do  what  is 
right,  but  tend  toward  being  bad  and  need 
correction. 

Hence,  we  must  recognize  that  man  is 
born,  not  inclined  toward  doing  good,  but 
inclined  toward  doing  bad.  At  birth  a  hu- 
man is  not  like  a  young  tree  that  auto- 
matically grows  upright.  He  is  more  like 
a  loose  vine  that  will  drop  over  unless  it 
is  tied  to  a  strong,  upright  stake.  Such  a 
strong  upright  is  God's  Word.  It  sup- 
plies the  right  laws  and  principles  that 
can  guide  us  in  an  upright  course.  As  the 
inspired  psalmist  said  to  God:  "Your  word 
is  a  lamp  to  my  foot,  and  a  light  to  my 
roadway."  (Ps.  119:105)  When  these  high 
principles  are  applied  early  in  life,  there 
is  a  strong  likelihood  that  a  person  will 
grow  up  to  be  law  abiding.  That  is  why 
Proverbs  22:6  says:  "Train  up  a  boy  ac- 
cording to  the  way  for  him;  even  when  he 
grows  old  he  will  not  turn  aside  from  it." 

A  Third  Cause 

There  is  still  another  basic  cause,  a 
third  one,  for  the  vast  increase  of  lawless- 
ness that  has  taken  place  since  1914. 

Man's  rebellion  in  the  garden  of  Eden 


was  instigated  by  a  rebellious  heavenly 
son  of  God  who"  also  seduced  other  spirit 
sons  to  join  him.  He  wanted  rulership  in 
place  of  God.  Jesus  Christ  called  this  spirit 
rebel  "the  ruler  of  this  world."  (John  12: 
31)  In  fact,  this  invisible  spirit  creature 
who  became  Satan  the  Devil  offered;  Jesus 
rulership  over  "all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth  if  Jesus  would  join  in  rebelling 
against  God.  The  Bible  account  tells  us: 

"So  he  [Satan]  brought  him  [Jesus]  up 
and  showed  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
inhabited  earth  in  an  instant  of  time;  and  the 
Devil  said  to  him:  'I  will  give  you  all  this 
authority  and  the  glory  of  them,  because  it 
has  been  delivered  to  me,  and  to  whomever 
I  wish  I  give  it.  You,  therefore,  if  you  do  an 
act  of  worship  before  me,  it  will  all  be 
yours.'" — Luke  4:5-7. 

Jesus  refused  this  offer.  Yet,  he  did  not 
deny  that  the  Devil  is  the  invisible  ruler 
of  all  the  kingdoms  of  mankind!  Jesus 
knew  that  God  permitted  this  for  a  time 
just  as  he  permitted  human  rebellion  for 
a  time.  This  time  period,  now  almost  6,000 
years,  among  other  things,  has  demon- 
strated to  all  creation  how  disastrous  has 
been  the  rule  of  spirit  creatures  and  men 
alienated  from  God. 

The  "ruler  of  this  world"  had  a  smash- 
ing defeat  administered  to  him  not  long 
ago.  How  so?  The  Bible  states: 

"Down  the  great  dragon  was  hurled,  the 
original  serpent,  the  one  called  Devil  and 
Satan,  who  is  misleading  the  entire  inhabited 
earth;  he  was  hurled  down  to  the  earth,  and 
his  angels  were  hurled  down  with  him.  . . . 
"Woe  for  the  earth . . .  because  the  Devil 
has  come  down  to  you,  having  great  anger, 
knowing   he  has   a   short  period  of  time." 
—Rev.  12:7-9,  12. 
This  accounts  for  the  particular  intensi- 
ty of  lawlessness  since  1914.  Why?  Be- 
cause Bible  prophecies  and  the  events  in 
fulfillment  of  them  show  that  the  end  of 
the  Gentile  Times  in  1914  led  to  a  war  in 
heaven  that  resulted  in  the  ouster  of  Sa- 
tan and  his  demons  from  the  heavens 
down  to  earth.  That  ousting  of  Satan  was 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


17 


an  initial  step  that  God  took  to  rid  the 
entire  universe  of  lawlessness.  Satan  and 
his  demons,  chief  promoters  of  lawless- 
ness, know  that  their  doom  is  sealed.  They 
know  that  in  a  very  short  time  now  they 
and  all  lawless  elements  on  earth  will  be 
destroyed.  That  is  why  their  wrath  is  be- 
ing felt  on  an  increased  scale  since  their 
ouster  from  heaven.  Since  they  will  not 
be  allowed  to  rule  much  longer,  they  want 
to  ruin. 

So,  quite  unknowingly,  the  remark  of 
The  Sun  of  Clearwater,  Florida,  on  June 
6,  1960,  was  appropriate  when  it  stated: 

"For  30  years  the  opening  of  a  new  decade 
has  been  like  opening  a  can  of  devils." 

"The  Increasing  of  Lawlessness" 

a  Feature  of  "Last  Days" 

The  end  of  the  Gentile  Times  in  1914, 
followed  by  the  casting  of  Satan  and  his 
demons  to  earth,  began  the  "last  days"  for 
this  system  of  things.  God's  time  limit  for 
allowing  human  and  demon  rule  entered 
its  final  phase.  The  flood  of  lawlessness 
now  in  progress  is  a  direct  evidence  that 
we  live  near  the  end  of  this  lawless  system 
of  things. 

Jesus  himself  foretold  that  one  feature 
of  these  "last  days"  would  be  "the  increas- 


ing of  lawlessness."  (Matt.  24:12)  He  also 
foretold  that  this  generation  would  see 
"great  tribulation  such  as  has  not  oc- 
curred since  the  world's  beginning  until 
now,  no,  nor  will  occur  again." — Matt. 
24:21. 

Thus  since  1914,  Satan's  being  cast 
down  to  earth,  plus  the  already  long 
plunge  downward  by  humankind  alienated 
from  God,  began  a  terrifying  period  of 
lawlessness.  The  apostle  Paul  accurately 
described  this  time  in  these  words: 

"In  the  last  days  critical  times  hard  to 
deal  with  will  be  here.  For  men  will  be 
lovers  of  themselves,  lovers  of  money,  self- 
assuming,  haughty,  blasphemers,  disobedient 
to  parents,  unthankful,  disloyal,  having  no 
natural  affection,  not  open  to  any  agreement, 
slanderers,  without  self-control,  fierce,  with- 
out love  of  goodness,  betrayers,  headstrong, 
puffed  up  with  pride,  lovers  of  pleasures 
rather  than  lovers  of  God, . . .  wicked  men 
and  impostors  will  advance  from  bad  to 
worse."— 2  Tim.  3:14, 13. 

Historians,  statesmen,  educators  and 
others  recognize  that  something  cata- 
strophic has  been  taking  place  since  1914. 
Note  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Justice  Jackson 
in  late  1946  when  he  gave  his  final  testi- 
mony at  the  trial  of  Nazi  war  criminals 
in  Nuremberg,  Germany.  Mr.  Jackson 
said,  as  recorded  in  Tyranny  on  Trial: 


AW  A KE  ! 


"It  is  common  to  think  of  our  own  time 
as  standing  at  the  apex  of  civilization,... 
the  reality  is  that  in  the  long  perspective  of 
history  the  present  century  will  not  hold 
an  admirable  position . . .  These  twtKscore 
years  in  the  twentieth  Century  will  be  re- 
corded in  the  book  of  years  as  one  of  the 
most  bloody  in  all  annals.  Two  World  Wars 
have  left  a  legacy  of  dead  which  number 
more  than  all  the  armies  engaged  in  any 
war  that  made  ancient  or  medieval  history. 
No  half-century  ever  witnessed  slaughter  on 
such  a  scale,  such  cruelties  and  inhumanities, 
such  wholesale  deportations  of  peoples  into 
slavery,  such  annihilations  of  minorities. 
. . .  If  we  cannot  eliminate  the  causes  to 
prevent  the  repetition  of  these  barbaric 
events,  it  is  not  an  irresponsible  prophecy  to 
say  that  this  twentieth  century  may  yet  suc- 
ceed in  bringing  the  doom  of  civilization." 

The  causes  have  not  been  eliminated!  It 
is  impossible  for  man  himself  to  eliminate 
them!  That  is  why  the  world  continues  its 
downward  plunge  just  as  surely  as  the 
rock  thrown  from  the  cliff,  just  as  surely 
as  the  body  denied  food!  It  is  simply  be- 
yond man  to  remedy  the  causes.  Only  God 
can,  and  will. 

End  Near 

What  all  of  this  means  is  that  we  are 
fast  approaching  the  end  of  this  lawless 
system  of  things.  There  remain  very  few 
years  before  Jehovah  God  exercises  his 
right  to  take  over  all  control  of  earth's 
affairs  and  eliminate  lawlessness. — Jer. 
25:31-33. 

Until  God  acts  shortly,  men  and  demons 
will  continue  to  be  more  vicious,  more  de- 
graded and  more  immoral  as  this  system 
speeds  to  its  end.  (2  Tim.  3:13)  It  is  just 
as  a  former  United  States  Secretary  of 
State  noted  in  the  June  13,  1960,  issue  of 
U.S.  News  &  World  Report.  He  declared 
that  our  time  is  "a  period  of  unequaled 
instability,  unequaled  violence,"  and 
warned: 

"I  know  enough  of  what  is  going  on  to 
assure  you  that,  in  15  years  from  today, 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


this  world  is  going  to  be  too  dangerous  to 
live  in." 

Fifteen  years  from  1960  brings  us  to 
1975.  He  predicted  that  by  1975  this 
world  would  be  too  dangerous!  Interest- 
ingly, this  date  is  also  the  one  indicated 
by  the  most  reliable  Bible  research  as 
marking  the  end  of  6,000  years  of  rebel- 
lion of  men  and  demons  against  God. 

We  can  be  confident  that  soon,  now, 
Almighty  God,  Jehovah,  for  a  certainty 
will  bring  this  lawless  system  of  things  to 
an  end.  He  will  rid  the  world  of  lawless- 
ness by  smashing  the  hopeless  rule  of  men 
and  demons.  God  guarantees: 

"In  the  days  of  those  kings  the  God  of 
heaven  will  set  up  a  kingdom  that  will  never 
be  brought  to  ruin.  And  the  kingdom  itself 
will  not  be  passed  on  to  any  other  people. 
It  will  crush  and  put  an  end  to  all  these 
kingdoms,  and  it  itself  will  stand  to  times 
indefinite."— Dan.  2:44. 

Think  of  it!  God  himself  will  rule  the 
earth  by  means  of  a  heavenly  kingdom! 
No  more  will  the  governing  of  peoples  be 
left  up  to  humans!  The  superior  wisdom 
of  God  will  then  guide  all  mankind. 

Do  you  long  to  live  in  a  system  of  things 
free  from  lawlessness?  If  you  do,  then 
you  will  look  with  keen  anticipation  to 
the  end  of  this  lawless  system  of  things. 
You  will  long  to  see  the  fulfillment  of  the 
psalm  that  promises:  "Just  a  little  while 
longer,  and  the  wicked  one  will  be  no  more 
.  .  .  When  the  wicked  ones  are  cut  off, 
you  will  see  it." — Ps.  37:10,  34. 

While  that  will  mean  the  end  of  all  law- 
lessness, it  will  not  mean  the  end  of  all 
people.  Those  who  are  now  looking  to  God 
for  guidance  will  survive  into  that  lawful 
new  system.  They  have  confidence  that 
God-fearing  men  will  live  on  a  restored 
paradise  earth  forever.  As  the  loving  Cre- 
ator promises:  "The  world  is  passing  away 
and  so  is  its  desire,  but  he  that  does  the 
will  of  God  remains  forever." — 1  John 
2:17. 

19 


IN  THIS  time  when  "the  world  is 
passing  away"  the  rampage  of 
crime  will  continue  to  grow  in  in- 
tensity. As  Jesus  foretold,  the  im- 
mediate future  will  bring  an  "in- 
creasing of  lawlessness"  until  God 
brings  this  system  of  things  to  its 
end.— 1  John  2:17;  Matt.  24:12. 

Between  now  and  the  end  of  this 
lawless  system,  how  can  you  pro- 
tect yourself  and  your  loved  ones? 
What  can  you  do  to  avoid  being 
victimized  by  lawless  persons? 

Surprisingly  to  many,  one  of  the 
main  ways  to  avoid  being  victimized 
by  an  act  of  crime  is  to  control  your-, 
self! 

Self -Control 

What  does  self-control  have  to  do  with 
being  victimized  by  a  crime?  Note  what 
the  President's  Crime  Commission  re- 
vealed: 

"Many  crimes  are  'caused'  by  their  victims. 
Often  the  victim  of  an  assault  is  the  person 
who  started  the  fight,  or  the  victim  of  an 
automobile  theft  is  a  person  who  left  his  , 
keys  in  his  car,  or  the  victim  of  a  loan  shark 
is  a  person  who  lost  his  rent  money  at  the 
race  track,  or  the  victim  of  a  confidence 
man  is  a  person  who  thought  he  could  get 
rich  quick." 

This  is  particularly  true  of  crimes  in- 
volving bodily  harm,  such  as  murder  and 
assault.  In  the  report  Criminal  Homicides 
in  Baltimore  the  following  was  noted: 
"Almost  one-third  of  the  homicides  were 
precipitated  by  actions  of  the  victims,  with 
non-white   victims   f our  times   as  likely  to 
precipitate  their  own  deaths  as  whites.  An 
important     correlation     appeared     between 
alcohol  and  victim-precipated  cases." 

Almost  one  out  of  every  three  murders 
is  caused  by  the  victim's  provoking  the 
killer!  And  frequently  the  provoker  is  un- 
der the  influence  of  alcohol.  This  reveals 
that  a  lack  of  self-control  on  the  victim's 
part  is  often  responsible  for  his  difficulty. 
And  in  most  cases  the  killer  was  someone 


Protect 
Yourself 

from 


that  the  victim  knew — a  relative,  close 
friend  or  an  acquaintance.  Only  12  per- 
cent of  the  murders  analyzed  were  com- 
mitted by  total  strangers. 

It  was  also  found  that  two-thirds  of 
rape  victims  were  attacked  by  men  whom 
they  knew.  And  only  19  percent  of  all  men 
and  women  who  were  victims  of  bodily 
assault  were  not  acquainted  with  their  as- 
sailants. Unwise  acts,  a  lack  of  self- 
control,  on  the  part  of  the  victim  pro- 
voked, or  triggered,  many  of  these  attacks. 
As  the  New  York  Times  Magazine  of  June 
18,  1967,  commented: 

"Although  there  is  always  some  danger  in 
any  city  of  being  robbed,  perhaps  injured 
on  the  street,  and  a  considerable  danger  of 
being  burglarized,  what  people  have  to  fear 
most  from  crime  is  in  themselves:  their  own 
carelessness  or  bravado;  their  attitudes  to- 
ward their  families  and  friends,  toward  the 
people  they  work  for  or  who  work  for  them; 
their  appetites  for  drugs  and  liquor  and  sex; 
their  own  eccentricities;  their  own  perver- 
sities; their  own  passions." 

The  self-control  that  is  needed  is  a  prod- 
uct of  God's  spirit,  available  to  those  who 
follow  his  guidance.  (Gal.  5:22,  23)  You 
can  develop  self-control  even  if  you  do  not 


20 


AW  A  KE  ! 


practice  it  at  present.  It  is  an  essential 
link  in  avoiding  trouble. 

Putting  It  into  Practice 

You  can  put  self-control  into  practice  in 
many  ways.  For  example,  you  may  be  rid- 
ing public  transportation,  a  bus  or  a  sub- 
way that  is  crowded.  Someone  jostles  you, 
perhaps  making  a  nasty  remark  also.  What 
should  be  your  reaction?  Should  you  get 
rough,  or  insult  the 
jostler  back?  Far 
from  avoiding  trou- 
ble,  that  would 
more  likely  provoke 
it.  It  could  plant  the 
seed  of  violence  in 
someone  who  is  not 
being  restrained  by 
godly  principles. 

Wherever  you 
are,  at  work,  during 
recreation,  while 
traveling,  when 
shopping,  when 
dealing  with  neigh- 
bors, friends  or  rel- 
atives, it  does  not 
pay  to  give  an  of- 
fender 'a  dose  of  his 
own  medicine. ' 
God's  Word  accu- 
rately states:  "A 
word  causing  pain 
makes  anger  to 
come  up."  (Prov.  15:1)  This  is  why  so 
many  victims  have  themselves  to  blame. 
They  provoked  their  assailant.  On  the  oth- 
er hand,  that  same  proverb  counsels:  "An 
answer,  when  mild,  turns  away  rage." 
However,  if,  in  spite  of  your  using  a  mild 
answer,  the  other  person  continues  to  be 
belligerent,  what  should  you  do?  God's 
Word  wisely  tells  us:  "Before  the  quarrel 
has  burst  forth,  take  your  leave." — Prov. 
17:14. 


if  someone   jostles  you, 
will  you   let  yourself  get  drawn  into  a  fight? 


Some  may  consider  it  brave,  or  smart, 
to  ignore  such  godly  counsel.  For  example, 
there  were  two  couples  who  were  walking 
on  a  New  York  street.  Several  young  men 
made  uncomplimentary  remarks.  The  hus- 
bands reacted  swiftly  and  pummeled  the 
young  men.  It  seemed  they  had  won  a 
victory.  But  minutes  later  the  youths  re- 
turned with  the  rest  of  their  gang.  The 
husbands  were  brutally  beaten,  and  one 
was  killed.  What  a 
price  to  pay  for 
bravado!  How  much 
better  it  would  have 
been  to  ignore  the 
remarks  and  to 
'take  their  leave.' 

Another  Bible 
principle  that  can 
save  you  from  diffi- 
culty is  recorded  at 
Proverbs  26:17.  It 
says:  "As  one  grab- 
bing hold  of  the 
ears  of  a  dog  is  any- 
one passing  by  that 
is  becoming  furious 
at  the  quarrel  that 
is  not  his."  When 
riots  flare  in  or 
near  your  neighbor- 
hood, do  you  want 
to  see  what  is  going 
on  and  voice  your 
opinion?  Do  you 
take  to  the  streets  and  add  your  voice  to 
the  confusion?  The  Bible  advises  that  the 
best  thing  to  do  is  not  to  'grab  hold  of  it.' 
Let  it  alone.  Do  not  get  near  it  even  out  of 
curiosity.  There  are  no  winners  in  riots, 
only  losers.  Retire  indoors  or  to  a  safe  place 
until  the  danger  has  run  its  course. 

Not  Inviting  Trouble 

To  avoid  trouble  it  is  also  wise  to  avoid 
visiting  places  that  have  reputations  of 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


21 


being  haunts  for  criminals,  prostitutes  or 
homosexuals.  A  person  may  think  there 
is  no  danger  in  just  touring  such  places 
and  'seeing  the  sights.'  But  what  business 
does  a  person  wanting  to  avoid  lawless- 
ness have  there?  The  danger  of  being  a 
victim  of  lawlessness  increases  by  going 
where  it  abounds. 

Nor  should  we  invite  difficulty  by  in- 
sisting that  we  have  a  right  to  sit 
in  any  section  of  a  park  at  any 
hour.  Certain  places  in  parks,  in- 
deed, some  entire  parks,  are  dan- 
gerous after  dark.  It  is  not  the 
course  of  practical  wisdom  to  insist 
on  your  right  and  thus  take  the 
risk  of  being  robbed  or  assaulted. 

If  you  are  a  woman  or  young 
girl,  are  you  fearful  of 
being  molested  or  at- 
tacked? There  are  sev- 
eral things  you  can  do  to 
minimize  the  danger. 
One,  of  course,  is  to 
avoid  traveling  unaccom- 
panied down  dark  streets 
or  sparsely  traveled 
areas  that  are  considered 
unsafe.  Also,  what  about 
the  way  you  dress?  Do 
you  wear  suggestive,  re- 
vealing clothing?  Do  you 
think  it  is  fashionable  to 
wear  the  latest  mini- 
skirts? Remember,  those 
clothing  styles  have  been 
fashioned  by  people  who  do  not  have  godly 
principles  in  mind.  If  a  woman  or  a  young 
girl  wears  very  short  dresses  and  tight, 
revealing  clothing,  how  can  she  object  to 
being  treated  like  a  loose  woman,  since 
that  is  often  the  way  prostitutes  dress? 
By  dressing  like  loose  women,  one  makes 
herself  a  target  for  sexual  molesting. 

Similarly,  do  not  invite  criminal  activity 
22 


Do  you  dress  in  a  way 
that  invites  trouble? 


by  leaving  the  keys  in  your  car,  or  flash- 
ing large  amounts  of  money  in  public,  or 
overdressing,  such  as  with  a  showy  dis- 
play of  jewelry.  There  are  persons  who 
can  be  instigated  to  commit  a  crime  and 
who  will  commit  a  crime  if  the  opportuni- 
ty is  presented.  They  will  take  your  car 

if  the  keys  are 
there,  but  might 
not  otherwise. 
They  will  follow 
you  if  you  display 
large  amounts  of 
money,  but  might 
not  otherwise.  If 
you  overdress  and 
wear  much  jewel- 
ry in  public,  you 
may  attract 
thieves  who  would 
leave  the  more  unpre- 
tentious person  alone. 

Even  Christian  minis- 
ters who  call  on  people 
to  teach  them  the  truths 
of  the  Bible  do  not  in- 
vite trouble.  They  exer- 
cise caution  by  not  trav- 
eling alone  in  dangerous 
places,  particularly  at 
night.  They  use  wisdom 
acquired  from  God's 
Word,  which  states: 
"Two  are  better  than 
one  .  .  .  For  if  one  of 
them  should  fall,  the 
other  one  can  raise  his  partner  up.  But 
how  will  it  be  with  just  the  one  who  falls 
when  there  is  not  another  to  raise  him 
up?"— Eccl.  4:9,  10. 

Another  precaution,  particularly  in  high 
crime  areas,  can  be  the  owning  of  a  dog. 
Although  some  burglars  will  kill  the  dog 
to  commit  their  act  of  burglary,  still  even 

AW  A  KM! 


moral  suggestions,  she  will  not  do 
it.  She  is  being  asked  to  break 
God's  law,  so  she  will  resort  to 
screaming  or  anything  else  to  pro- 
tect herself,  even  if  the  criminal  does 
use  violence.  (Deut.  22:23-27)  In 
such  situations,  the  person  guided  by 
God's  laws  can  find  protection  by  ap- 
pealing to  Jehovah  God  in  prayer, 
calling  on  his  name  out  loud,  so  that 
the  assailant  can  hear  it.  The  Bible 
shows  there  is  protection  for  one  who 
respects  and  uses  the  name  of  God: 
"The  name  of  Jehovah  is  a  strong 
tower.  Into  it  the  righteous  runs  and 
is  given  protection." — Prov.  18:10. 


Will  you  struggle 
to  keep  your  money, 
and  perhaps  lose  your  life? 


a  small  dog  will  often  make  enough  dis- 
turbance  to    discourage   most   intruders. 

When   Confronted   by  Lawless  Persons 

However,  some  persons  bent  on  crime 
will  let  nothing  stop  them. 

Hence,  if  you  should  be  confronted  by 
a  person  who  thrusts  a  gun  or  knife  at  you 
and  demands  your  money,  what  should 
you  do?  Rather  than  endanger  your  life, 
give  the  money  to  him!  Your  life  is 
worth  far  more  than  any  material  pos- 
session you  have.  The  principle  here  is 
somewhat  the  same  as  when  Jesus  said: 
"Do  not  resist  him  that  is  wicked  ...  If 
a  person  wants  to  go  to  court  with  you 
and  get  possession  of  your  inner  garment, 
let  your  outer  garment  also  go  to  him." 
—Matt.  5:39,  40. 

Some  have  tried  to  be  'heroic'  and  have 
struggled  with  holdup  men.  But  many 
have  lost  their  lives  as  the  lawless  person, 
infuriated,  pulls  the  trigger  of  his  gun,  or 
lashes  out  with  his  knife. 

Yet,  in  the  case  of  a  Christian  wom- 
an, if  a  man  demands  she  submit  to  im- 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


Protect  Your  Children 

Mothers  and  fathers,  know  where 
your  children  are.  It  is  not  wise  to- 
day, even  for  convenience,  to  let  your  chil- 
dren go  alone  in  certain  neighborhoods.  It 
is  best  for  someone  to  accompany  them. 
Another  point  to  consider  is  this:  With 
whom  do  your  children  associate?  In  this 
regard  you  would  do  well  to  note  what  the 
book  Kids,  Crime  and  Chaos  states: 

"F.  M.  Thrasher,  in  his  intensive  study  of 
a  boys  club  in  New  York  City,  came  up  with 
the  distressing  news  that  boys  who  were 
members  of  the  club  had  a  larger  number 
of  delinquencies  than  boys  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood who  were  not  members.  Even  more 
distressing  was  the  fact  that,  while  18  per- 
cent of  the  boys  studied  were  delinquent 
when  they  first  joined  the  club,  after  they 
had  participated  for  a  while  in  the  club's 
activities,  the  delinquency  figure  rose  to  28 
percent. 

"Equally  shattering  was  the  revelation, 
not  long  ago,  that  among  all  the  boys  studied 
in  a  Pennsylvania  reformatory,  35  percent 
were  members  of  the  Boy  Scouts. 

"It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  in  a 
recent  pamphlet,  the  Children's  Bureau 
stated:  'Research  indicates  that  providing 
additional  recreation  facilities  in  an  area 
usually  does  not  bring  about  significant 
changes  in  the  volume  of  juvenile  delin- 
quency.'" 

23 


What  this  points  up  is  the  Biblical  prin- 
ciple that  it  is  not  the  job  of  outside 
agencies  or  clubs  to  train  children  cor- 
rectly. It  is  the  God-given  responsibility 
of  the  parents.  It  is  also  their  responsibili- 
ty to  provide  wholesome  recreation  for 
the  entire  family  and  not  to  push  their 
children  off  into  clubs,  parties  or  gangs 
where  they  are  not  supervised  by  their 
parents. 

Should  you  let  even  the  churches  of 
Christendom  take  over  the  training  of 
your  children,  to  teach  them  godly  prin- 
ciples? No,  for  these  churches  do  not  prac- 
tice those  principles.  The  Los  Angeles 
Times  this  year  declared: 

"The  ministers  and  the  priests  who  claimed 
leadership  may  have  had  it  for  an  hour  on 
Sundays,  but  not  for  much  longer. 

"It  is  a  rare  church  in  the  modern  strug- 
gling city  which  has  any  real  influence  over 

the  conduct  of  its  members To  the  poor, 

the  churches  are  as  distant  and  as  selfish  as 
the  politicians  and  the  businessmen." 

The  churches  have  so  little  influence  for 
good  because  they  have  abandoned  God's 
laws.  They  have  compromised  them  for 
their  own  interests.  They  water  down  the 
Word  of  God,  calling  it  myth  and  legend, 
or  discard  it  altogether.  They  are  not 
doing  God's  will.  During  wartime,  they 
support  both  sides  of  the  conflict,  even 
blessing  weapons  of  destruction,  yet  God's 
Word  clearly  says:  "A  slave  of  the  Lord 
does  not  need  to  fight,  but  needs  to  be 
gentle  toward  all."  (2  Tim.  2:24)  These 
churches  often  instigate  others  to  vio- 
lence, although  protesting  that  they  are 
against  it.  For  example,  recently  four 
prominent  civil  rights  leaders  stated: 

"Killing,  arson,  looting  are  criminal  acts 
and  should  be  dealt  with  as  such.  Equally 
guilty  are  those  who  incite,  provoke  and  call 
specifically  for  such  action." — U.S.  News  & 
World  Report,  August  7,  1967,  page  11. 

24 


Yet,  just  a  few  days  later,  one  of  the 
four,  a  prominent  religious  leader,  a  cler- 
gyman, "said  today  he  planned  to  'dis- 
locate' Northern  cities  with  massive  but 
nonviolent  demonstrations  of  civil  disobe- 
dience."— The  New  York  Times,  August 
16,  1967,  page  1. 

Such  massive  demonstrations  of  disobe- 
dience easily  lead  to  violence  and  have  of- 
ten done  so. 

No,  you  will  not  help  your  children  by 
letting  the  churches  of  this  world  take 
over  their  training.  The  most  important 
reason  why  this  is  so  is  that,  very  simply, 
God  has  abandoned  these  churches'.  He  is 
not  with  them.  Of  such  God's  Word  states: 
"They  publicly  declare  they  know  God, 
but  they  disown  him  by  their  works,  be- 
cause they  are  detestable  and  disobedient 
and  not  approved  for  good  work  of  any 
sort."  Jesus  Christ  similarly  said:  "Many 
will  say  to  me  in  that  day,  'Lord,  Lord 
.  .  . '  And  yet  then  I  will  confess  to  them: 
I  never  knew  you  .  .  .  you  workers  of  law- 
lessness."—Titus  1:16;  Matt.  7:21-23. 

Key  to  Success 

The  key  to  success  in  avoiding  lawless- 
ness for  yourself  and  your  children  is  the 
wisdom  that  comes  only  from  God.  No 
psychologist,  sociologist,  or  any  other  hu- 
man agency,  however  well  meaning,  can 
think  as  God  thinks.  Therefore  the  right 
solutions  to  problems  regarding  lawless- 
ness must  come  from  God.  These  he  has 
had  recorded  in  his  Word,  the  Bible. 

The  first  step  necessary  is  for  you  to 
begin  taking  in  knowledge  of  what  God 
considers  right.  As  Proverbs  3:5,  6  urges: 
"Trust  in  Jehovah  with  all  your  heart  and 
do  not  lean  upon  your  own  understanding. 
In  all  your  ways  take  notice  of  him,  and 
he  himself  will  make  your  paths  straight." 
What  about  your  children?  God's  Word 
counsels:  "Fathers,  do  not  be  irritating 
your  children,  but  go  on  bringing  them 

AWAKE! 


up  in  the  discipline  and  authoritative  ad- 
vice of  Jehovah." — Eph.  6:4. 

"But,"  you  may  ask,  "isn't  this  just 
theory?"  No,  it  is  not  just  theory.  It  is 
practiced  daily  by  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  persons  all  over  the  world.  These  are 
seriously  studying  the  Bible.  They  thus  lis- 
ten to  God's  voice.  Then  they  do  what  God 
says  to  do.  They  teach  their  children  to 
do  likewise.  They  associate  with  others 
who  do  the  same.  In  this  way,  they  coun- 
teract Satanic  pressures  and  the  tendency 
humans  have  toward  lawlessness.  That  is 
why  Jehovah's  witnesses,  who  are  Bible 
lovers,  are  known  world  wide  for  being 
law  abiding,  peaceful.  That  is  why  there 
is  ho  problem  among  them  of  increasing 
lawlessness.  You  and  your  children  can 
share  their  lawful  ways  and  security  by 
coming  into  association  with  them. 

No,  you  will  not  convert  the  world  to 
lawful  ways  by  your  studying  the  Bible 
and  learning  its  high  principles.  But  you 
will  be  building  a  lawful  and  peaceful 
home.  Your  household  does  not  have  to 
be  a  copy  of  the  lawless  world  outside. 
Built  on  the  right  foundation  of  God's 


Word,  your  family  circle  will  stand  firm 
under  the  lawless  pressures  of  today. 

By  your  doing  God's  will,  you  can  look 
forward  to  a  new  system  of  things  where 
there  will  be  no  more  lawlessness.  Even 
if  you  tried  to  find  a  lawless  person  then, 
you  would  not  be  able  to  do  so!  Regarding 
lawless  ones  God  promises:  "You  will  cer- 
tainly give  attention  to  his  place,  and  he 
will  not  be."— Ps.  37:10. 

That  will  mean  the  end  of  jails,  the  end 
of  police  forces,  the  end  of  armies,  the 
end  of  weapons  of  destruction.  It  will  also 
mean  the  end  of  man  rule  and  demon  rule 
that  has  brought  such  sadness  and  pain 
to  the  human  family. 

What  a  relief  it  will  be  to  live  in  that 
new  system  of  things,  where  you  will 
never  again  have  to  lock  your  door  or  fear 
for  the  safety  of  your  loved  ones! 

Soon,  the  lawful  new  system  will  be  a 
reality.  In  the  meantime,  the  best  pro- 
tection against  lawlessness  is  to  put  your 
trust  in  the  Creator,  Jehovah  God.  As  the 
Bible  promises:  "Jehovah  is  guarding  all 
those  loving  him,  but  all  the  wicked  ones 
he  will  annihilate."— Ps.  145:20. 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


25 


God's  Word  Reforms  Lawbreakers 


ARTICLES  IN  THE  NEXT  ISSUE 

•  Why  Many  Men  Shun  Religion. 


•  A  New  Kind  of  Furnace 
— the  Nuclear  Reactor. 

•  What    Is    Femininity? 


OVER  two  years  ago,  a  young  couple 
with  two  children  living  in  London, 
England,  came  in  contact  with  Jehovah's 
witnesses.  A  Bible  study  was  started  with 
them.  As  they  studied  the  promises  of  the 
Bible  and  saw  that  lawlessness  would  end, 
and  learned  about  the  incoming  new  order, 
they  desired  to  dedicate  their  lives  to  God. 
However,  both  of  them  had  been  violat- 
ing the  law  for  some  time.  They  were 
guilty  of  many  acts  of  stealing.  But  by 
their  study  of  God's  purposes  and  require- 
ments they  both  became  convinced  that 

they  must  settle    

their  debt  with  the 
law  of  the  land.  They 
saw  the  need  to  "pay 
back,  therefore,  Cae- 
sar's things  to  Cae- 
sar, but  God's  things 
to  God."   (Matt.  22: 

21)  They  wanted  to  have  a  good  con- 
science toward  both  God  and  man. — 1  Pet. 
3:21. 

The  young  wife  confessed  four  crimes 
and  her  husband  confessed  almost  forty, 
involving  property  valued  at  more  than 
£8,500  ($20,400).  Since  the  husband  had 
three  previous  convictions,  he  expected  to 
get  a  heavy  prison  sentence.  But  his  wife 
was  prepared  to  stand  by  him  and  care 
for  their  two  young  children  while  he  was 
in  prison. 

What  was  the  result?  In  the  newspaper, 
The  Mercury,  of  June  15,  1967,  under  the 
headline  "Why  a  Housewife  Confessed," 
the  following  was  related: 

"The  police  couldn't  catch  housewife  C — 

M — .  She  had  committed  four  crimes  but 

changed  her  job  and  her  address  so  often 

that  she  couldn't  be  traced. 
"Then  Mrs.  M —  started  reading  the  Bible 

. . .  and  later  walked  into  a  police  station 

26 


where  she  confessed  to  the  four  offences. 

"With  her  husband,  she  had  decided  to 
become  a  Jehovah's  Witness.  And  Mrs.  M — , 
a  mother  of  two  young  children,  felt  that 
the  only  way  to  *wipe  the  slate  clean'  was  to 
go  to  the  police. 

"  'She  came  purely  voluntarily/  a  police 
officer  told  Greenwich  Court . . . 

"The  magistrate  said  he  would  give  her 
credit  for  confessing  to  the  police  and  placed 
her  on  probation  for  a  year." 

What  of  her  husband?  The  Mercury  of 
July  13,  1967,  under  the  headline,  "The 
'Converted'  Raider  Confesses  All  His 
Crimes,"  said  the  following: 

"A  man  went  to  the 
police  and  confessed  to 
thefts  amounting  to 
thousands  of  pounds, 
because  he  wanted  to 
be    a   Jehovah's    Wit- 


ness. 

"And    at    Woolwich 

court    last    week,    24- 
year-old  F —  M pleaded  guilty . . . 

"Two  years  ago  M —  started  studying  the 
Bible.  Last  year  he  wanted  to  be  baptised 
into  the  Jehovah's  Witness  faith,  . . . 

"M — 's  wife  said:  'There  has  been  a  tre- 
mendous change  in  my  husband  during  the 
last  two  years.  His  Bible  studies  have  brought 
a  great  change  to  his  life.' ... 

"M — ,  who  had  three  findings  of  guilt  and 
three  previous   convictions,  was   placed  on 
probation  for  two  years." 
This  outcome  was  unexpected,  but  it 
delighted  the  couple.  It  is  to  the  credit  of 
the  court  that  they  recognized  a  sincere 
desire  to  turn  away  from  a  lawless  course. 
Now  that  this  family  has  learned  to  live 
by  the  guide  that  God  has  provided,  they 
find  great  peace  of  mind  and  security. 
With  accurate  knowledge  of  what  God  re- 
quires they  are  able  to  live  with  a  clear 
conscience  before  God  and  man.  They  can 
confidently  look  forward  to  the  future. 
—Acts  24:16. 

AWAKE! 


HAVE  you  ever  wondered  about  the 
seeming  injustices  of  life?  Those  who 
have  no  time  for  God  and  little  concern 
for  fellowmen  seem  to  prosper  and  live  in 
comparative  luxury,  while  those  who  love 
God  and  strive  to  live  in  harmony  with 
his  righteous  principles  often  find  their 
way  beset  by  obstacles  and  hardships.  In- 
deed, there  are  those  who  go  so  far  as 
to  assert  that  the  wicked  get  away  with  it 
and  that  the  honest  man  cannot  get  along 
in  this  world.— Mai.  3:14,  15. 

2  This  state  of  affairs  cannot  help  but 
be  puzzling  to  sincere  and  honest  persons 
until  they  are  convinced  of  its  basic  cause 
as  revealed  in  the  Bible.  Would  you  like 
to  get  your  Bible?  Then  look  up  the  text 
at  1  John  5:19;  there  it  is  written:  "The 
whole  world  is  lying  in  the  power  of  the 
wicked  one."  Does  not  that  explain  a  lot 
of  things  as  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
wicked? 

3  So,  while  Jehovah  God  is  the  Sover- 
eign Ruler  of  the  whole  universe,  includ- 
ing this  planet,  he  is  not  the  one  who  has 
organized  and  is  responsible  for  the  ac- 
tions of  the  nations  of  this  world.  The  in- 
visible wicked  one  who  is  responsible  for 
all  mankind's  woes  is  clearly  identified  in 
the  Bible  as  "the  original  serpent,  the  one 
called  Devil  and  Satan,  who  is  misleading 
the  entire  inhabited  earth." — Rev.  12:9; 
Matt.  13:38,  39. 

4  The  global  system  whereby  Satan  the 
Devil  keeps  in  line  all  the  nations  of  the 


world  is  likened  to  a  wild  beast,  for  it  is 
heartless  and  brutish  in  its  manner  of 
exercising  authority  over  humans.  Note 
what  the  apostle  John  saw  in  his  inspired 
vision:  "The  dragon  gave  the  beast  its 
power  and  its  throne  and  great  authority. 
.  . .  authority  was  given  it  over  every  tribe 
and  people  and  tongue  and  nation."  (Rev. 
13:2,  7;  compare  Daniel  7:19,  20,  23,  24.) 
No  nation  can  claim  to  be  exempt  from  the 
ruling  influence  of  this  global  political 
arrangement. 

5  And  since  Satan  controls  all  the  na- 
tions, it  is  evident  that  he  has  it  in  his 
power  to  enrich  materially  those  who  yield 
themselves  readily  to  his  anti-God  cam- 
paign. True,  God  protects  those  who  love 
and  serve  him,  but  he  does  not  guarantee 
them  material  prosperity  in  Satan's  sys- 
tem of  things.  He  does  guarantee  spiritual 
prosperity  and  the  necessities  of  life.  As 
the  psalmist  so  confidently  expresses  it: 
"A  young  man  I  used  to  be,  I  have  also 
grown  old,  and  yet  I  have  not  seen  any- 
one righteous  left  entirely,  nor  his  off- 
spring looking  for  bread." — Ps.  37:25. 

6  Now  we  can  better  grasp  the  words  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  his  disciples:  "If  you  were 
part  of  the  world,  the  world  would  be  fond 
of  what  is  its  own.  Now  because  you  are 
no  part  of  the  world,  but  I  have  chosen 
you  out  of  the  world,  on  this  account  the 
world  hates  you."  (John  15:19)  Sufficient 
reason,  is  it  not,  for  this  world  to  try  to 
deny  material  prosperity  to  the  followers 
of  Christ? 

7  Nevertheless,  Christians  should  never 
envy  worldlings  their  temporary  prosperi- 
ty, for  their  own  prospects,  if  they  con- 
tinue faithful,  far  outweigh  any  prosperity 
this  world  can  give.  (Prov.  2:21,  22)  This 
is  because  the  world  of  unbelievers  itself 
is  but  a  vain  and  temporary  thing,  for 
John  the  apostle  writes:  "Everything  in 
the  world — the  desire  of  the  flesh  and  the 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


27 


desire  of  the  eyes  and  the  showy  display 
of  one's  means  of  life — does  not  originate 
with  the  Father,  but  originates  with  the 
world.  Furthermore,  the  world  is  passing 
away  and  so  is  its  desire,  but  he  that  does 
the  will  of  God  remains  forever." — 1  John 
2:15-17. 

8  Happily  the  passing  away  of  this  pres- 
ent wicked  world  will  not  be  much  longer 
delayed.  The  Bible,  in  fact,  foretells  the 
sudden  action  that  will  put  the  wicked 
ruler  of  this  world  out  of  action:  "I  saw 
an  angel  coming  down  out  of  heaven  with 
the  key  of  the  abyss  and  a  great  chain  in 
his  hand.  And  he  seized  the  dragon  .  .  . 
And  he  hurled  him  into  the  abyss  and  shut 
it  and  sealed  it  over  him,  that  he  might 
not  mislead  the  nations  any  more  until 
the  thousand  years  were  ended."  (Rev. 
20:1-3)  Thus,  in  symbolic  fashion,  is  de- 
scribed how  the  wicked  activity  by  "the 
god  of  this  system  of  things"  will  come  to 
an  end. — 2  Cor.  4:4;  see  also  John  12:31. 

"That  desirable  event  is  to  come  soon, 
according  to  all  the  indications  of  Bible 
chronology  and  the  facts  of  today.  Mean- 
time, however,  while  Satan  still  rules  this 
system  of  things,  those  who  are  servants 
of  God  are  under  test.  (Rev.  2:10;  12:17) 
Will  they  go  on  serving  the  true  God  in 
spite  of  the  hatred,  the  persecution,  the 
discriminations  and  other  hardships 
brought  to  bear  upon  them?  Will  they 
give  out  and  capitulate  to  this  present 
wicked  system  of  things  and  its  god  just 
to  gain  the  temporary  enjoyment  of  the 
worldly  material  rewards? 

10  King  David  of  Israel,  himself  a  man 
who  showed  willingness  to  suffer  for  his 
worship  of  the  true  God,  outlined  the  right 
attitude  when  he  wrote:  "Better  is  the 
little  of  the  righteous  one  than  the  abun- 
dance of  the  many  wicked  ones.  For  the 
very  arms  of  the  wicked  ones  will  be 
broken,  but  Jehovah  will  be  supporting  the 


righteous  ones.  The  righteous  themselves 
will  possess  the  earth,  and  they  will  reside 
forever  upon  it."— Ps.  37:16,  17,  29. 

11  The  wicked  are  indeed  prospering  to- 
day, and  have  been  prospering  during  the 
long  centuries  during  which  Jehovah  God 
has  not  interfered  with  world  rule  by  Sa- 
tan. But  now  a  drastic  change  must  come. 
An  everlasting,  happy  and  peaceful  life 
will  be  the  reward  of  those  who  subject 
themselves  to  the  will  of  God,  whereas 
the  wicked  will  be  blotted  out.  So  wise 
persons  will  heed  and  find  great  comfort 
in  these  inspired  words  of  the  Bible:  "Do 
not  be  envious  of  those  doing  unrighteous- 
ness. And  just  a- little  while  longer,  "and 
the  wicked  one  will  be  no  more;  and  you 
will  certainly  give  attention  to  his  place, 
and  he  will  not  be.  But  the  meek  ones 
themselves  will  possess  the  earth,  and  they 
will  indeed  find  their  exquisite  delight  in 
the  abundance  of  peace."— Ps.  37:1,  10, 
11;  also  read  Ecclesiastes  8:11-13. 


%lmi  you  answer  these  sju.ssj'ito.jj?  *aj   j  c  .„  s  ;.„ 

read  the  sr?k?&  cL;  . 
( 1  )  Why  do  some  persons  assert  that  an  honest 
man  cannot  get  along  in  this  world?  (2)  How 
does  what  the  Bible  says  at  1  John  5: 19  help 
us  to  understand  why  the  wicked  prosper? 
(3)  Who  has  organized  and  now  controls  and 
misleads  the  nations?  (4)  In  view  of  Revelation 
13:  7,  why  can  no  nation  claim  to  be  free  from 
the  influence  of  Satan's  global  rule?  (5)  What 
does  God  guarantee  for  those  who  serve  him 
amid  Satan's  system  of  things?  (6)  Why  are 
Jesus'  true  followers  hated  by  all  the  nations 
of  this  world?  (7)  What  will  be  the  future  of 
this  wicked  world?  (8)  How  does  the  Bible 
give  assurance  that  Satan's  wicked  activity  will 
soon  come  to  an  end?  (9)  Meantime,  what 
kind  of  tests  come  upon  those  who  choose  to 
serve  God,  and  who  is  responsible  for  these 
tests?  (10)  How  did  King  David  rightly 
view  the  temporary  prosperity  of  the  wicked? 
(11)  What  assurance  does  Jehovah  give  as  to 
the  future  of  the  wicked  and  of  those  who 
maintain  faith  in  him? 


28 


AWAKE! 


_Tcmii.   ,w 


W@®iy® 


British  Devalue  Pound 

<§>  Britain,  on  November  18, 
devalued  the  pound  sterling  by 
14.3  percent,  from  $2.80  to 
$2.40.  The  move  was  made  in 
an  attempt  to  lower  the  cost 
of  British  goods  in  foreign 
countries  in  the  hope  that  ex- 
ports would  rise.  In  Britain  de- 
valuation means  higher  prices 
for  every  consumer,  especially 
for  imported  goods. 

Homosexuality  Defended 

<^  In  view  of  what  the  Bible 
says  at  Romans  1:27-32  about 
homosexuality,  that  it  is 
wicked  in  God's  eyes  and  "that 
those  practicing  such  things 
are  deserving  of  death,"  the 
pronouncements  of  clergymen 
who  claim  to  serve  God  but 
who  publicly  condone  such  im- 
moral practices  are  shocking. 
On  November  28  ninety  Epis- 
copalian priests  in  New  York 
state  and  vicinity  classified  ho- 
mosexual acts  between  con- 
senting adults  as  "morally  neu- 
tral" and  declared  that  in 
some  cases  such  acts  may  even 
be  a  good  thing.  Canon  Walter 
D.  Dennis,  of  the  Cathedral 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Divine, 
said:  "A  homosexual  relation- 
ship between  two  consenting 
adults  should  be  judged  by  the 
same  criteria  as  a  heterosexual 
marriage — that  is,  whether  it 
is  intended  to  foster  a  perma- 
nent relationship  of  love."  But 
is  that  what  God  says?  God 

JANUARY  8,  1968 


calls  it  a  base  perversion  that 
will  ultimately  bring  death. 

Crimes  Increasing- 

<$>  Police  Commissioner  How- 
ard R.  Leary  of  the  New  York 
police  department  said,  on  No- 
vember 22,  that  1967  showed 
an  "abnormal  bulge"  in  re- 
ported crimes  of  violence 
— murder,  felonious  assault 
and  robbery.  Statistics  made 
available  showed  a  13-percent 
increase  in  murders  and  a  15- 
percent  increase  in  felonious 
assaults.  In  robberies,  there 
were  25,653  complaints  during 
the  first  nine  months  of  1967, 
compared  with  15,208  for  the 
corresponding  period  of  1966. 
Youth  crimes  are  high.  Arrests 
of  juveniles — persons  under  16 
years  of  age — for  robbery  are 
up  43  percent  for  the  nine 
months,  it  was  reported.  The 
New  York  Times,  on  Novem- 
ber 29,  stated  editorially:  "The 
increased  number  of  crimes 
in  the  streets  is  both  statist!- 
cal  and  actual.  Things  look 
worse  on  paper  and  they  are 
also  worse  in  fact.  .  .  .  New 
Yorkers  can  sense  hostility 
roaming  the  streets.  . . .  People 
are  afraid  to  venture  out  after 
dark." 

Flash  Floods 

<$>  West  central  Portugal  was 
struck  by  torrential  rains  and 
swirling  floods  the  weekend  of 
November  26.  The  death  toll 
from  the  weekend  floods  rose 


to  427,  the  Interior  Ministry 
announced.  An  area  of  350 
square  miles  near  Lisbon  was 
reported  flooded.  Many  died 
when  houses  collapsed  under 
the  deluge  and  other  people 
drowned  in  flooded  lowland 
areas. 

Criminals  Hold  Upper  Hand 

<§>  Brooklyn  Borough  Presi- 
dent Abe  Stark  in  a  plea  for 
more  police  painted  a  grim 
word  picture  of  crime  in  New 
York  streets.  "Death,  robbery 
and  assault  are  no  longer 
news,"  Stark  said.  "Terror 
stalks  the  citizens  in  the 
streets."  "Here  in  Brooklyn, 
business,  social  and  religious 
activities  that  are  normally 
conducted  in  evening  hours  are 
grinding  to  a  halt.  Our  people 
are  convinced  crime  and  crimi- 
nals have  gained  the  upper- 
hand."  People  reveal  that  they 
are  desperate  and  afraid  for 
their  lives. 

"As  Acceptable  as  Whole  Blood" 

<§>  JAMA  Medical  News  for 
October  23  says:  "The  use  of 
Ringer's  lactate  solution  has 
become  as  acceptable  as  whole 
blood  in  shock  and  surgery  pa- 
tients. But  the  key  questions 
of  why  it  is  effective  and  how 
much  of  the  fluid  to  use  remain 
controversial." 

"Fed  Up"  with  Lawlessness 
<^  Richard  B.  Morris,  presi- 
dent of  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Real  Estate  Boards, 
told  the  organization's  conven- 
tion on  November  14  that  the 
people  of  America  are  fed  up 
with  lawlessness.  "We  have 
had  enough  of  the  downgrad- 
ing of  law  and  custom,  we 
have  had  our  fill  of  the  deni- 
gration of  the  police,  of  flag- 
burning,  of  sniping,  of  looting 
and  of  a  supersoft  attitude 
toward  the  criminal.  We  have 
had  altogether  too  much  of  the 
courts,  low  and  high,  taking 
the  shackles  off  the  criminal 
and  putting  them  on  the  offi- 
cers of  the  law.  . .  .  Fundamen- 
tal to  all  our  problem-solving 
must  be  the  re-establishment 

29 


of  law  and  order. ...  No  nation 
which  permitted  a  continual 
drift  Into  lawlessness,  such  as 
we  have  witnessed  this  past 
summer,  has  ever  endured." 

Pope  in  the  U.N. 
<#>  A  published  Associated 
Press  dispatch,  dated  Novem- 
ber 11,  stated  that  a  Vatican 
official  hinted  that  Pope  Paul 
might  ask  United  Nations 
membership  for  the  Holy  See. 
A  member  of  the  Vatican  state 
secretariat  told  a  news  con- 
ference: "In  principle  nothing 
prevents  the  Holy  See  from 
participating  in  the  UN  in  the 
future  as  a  member  state."  His 
remarks  were  immediately 
taken  as  a  trial  balloon.  The 
Vatican  has  had  observer  sta- 
tus at  the  U.N.  since  April  1964. 
The  Vatican  representative 
said  that  the  decision  rested 
solely  with  the  pope  and  that 
the  pope  would  have  to  decide, 
which  implied  that  the  pope 
was  considering  the  matter. 

In  Parochial  Schools 
<$>  Warren  Hinckle,  a  promi- 
nent lay  Catholic,  In  Novem- 
ber's Ramparts  Magazine, 
founded  by  lay  Catholics,  re- 
portedly tells  of  his  own  expe- 
rience in  parochial  schools, 
where  "one  gained  the  impres- 
sion that  reading  the  Bible 
might  not  be  a  good  idea  be- 
cause it  was  filled  with  danger- 
ous passages  that  only  the 
Church  could  properly  inter- 
pret for  you.  .  .  .  All  I  learned 
about  Jews  was  that  Christ 
had  kicked  them  out  of  the 
temple  for  money-changing 
(nobody,  nun  or  priest,  made 
much  about  Christ  being  a 
Jew,  too).  Adjectives  like  'per- 
fidious' were  applied  to  them 
in  the  prayers  we  had  to  mem- 
orize. A  course  in  anti-commu- 
nism was  required,"  writes 
Hinckle  of  his  Catholic  college 
training.  "I  found  my  experi- 
ence to  be  typical  of  other  dis- 
illusioned or  disenfranchised 
Catholics  who  have  gone 
through  Catholic  schools.  It  is 
therefore  no  wonder  that  there 
is  a  revolt  going  on  in  the 
Catholic  Church  in  America." 

30 


Church  in  Politics 
^>  A  published  report  from 
Rio  de  Janeiro  says  that  the 
extreme  left  wing  of  Brazilian 
politics,  which  was  all  but 
obliterated  by  a  military  revolt 
in  1964,  now  shows  sporadic 
signs  of  life.  Some  of  its  most 
active  elements  reportedly  are 
looking  to  Rome  and  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  Church  for  help. 
The  account  says:  "The  most 
articulate  voices  demanding 
social  reform  in  Brazil  today 
are  raised  by  Catholic  priests, 
and  the  only  activists  risking 
bloodshed  in  the  streets  are 
members  of  a  student  organi- 
zation which  has  its  roots  in 
the  church.  .  .  .  Only  in  the 
church,  and  in  the  student 
movement  it  spawned,  is  there 
any  really  organized  protest 
against  the  government  and 
the  military  men  who  chart  its 
course."  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
the  political  element  resents 
religious  meddling? 

Results  of  Drinking: 

<§>  Americans  alone  drink 
about  215,000,000  gallons  of 
alcoholic  beverages  a  year.  No- 
body knows  for  certain  how 
many  Americans  take  a  drink 
occasionally.  But  the  number 
of  alcoholics,  people  who  re- 
peatedly drink  too  much,  now 
is  estimated  at  4  to  5  million, 
about  4  percent  of  the  adult 
American  population.  Many 
claim  this  estimate  is  low.  Re- 
cent evidence  from  eight  states 
indicates  that  anywhere  from 
47  to  87  percent  of  the  drivers 
involved  in  fatal  accidents  had 
been  drinking.  In  1965,  auto- 
mobiles took  49,000  lives, 
caused  1,800,000  disabling  in- 
juries and  cost  about  $8,900,- 
000,000  in  property  damage, 
wage  losses,  medical  expenses 
and  insurance.  The  Bible  ad- 
vises moderation,  and  obvious- 
ly for  good  reasons. 

Former  Priests 

#  According  to  Time  for  No- 
vember 24,  in  the  past  18 
months  an  estimated  400 
priests  have  left  the  Roman 


Catholic  Church  in  the  United 
States.  Time  says:  "For  most 
of  them,  the  transition  to  secu- 
lar life  is  a  traumatic  experi- 
ence. Unless  a  cleric  enjoys 
private  means,  he  is  usually 
broke;  unless  he  has  close  rela- 
tives, he  has  no  place  to  stay. 
. .  .  Some  are  so  inexperienced 
in  the  ways  of  the  world  that 
they  show  up  for  job  inter- 
views wearing  sports  shirts.  A 
few  are  alcoholics.  Many  suf- 
fer from  psychological  prob- 
lems." These  former  priests 
generally  prefer  to  remain 
anonymous,  because  many  peo- 
ple still  remain  suspicious  of 
them.  As  one  priest  said:  "I 
don't  go  around  telling  every- 
one that  I  used  to  be  a  priest." 

What  Value  Religion? 
<$>  An  Iowa  State  University 
professor,  Dr.  Richard  J.  Van 
Iten,  associate  professor  of 
philosophy,  wrote  in  a  high 
school  newspaper  what  he 
thought  about  religion.  He 
said:  Religion  is  "the  rotten 
residue  of  generations  past." 
"There  is  little  in  it  (religion) 
of  value."  "Whatever  its  intrin- 
sic value,  our  religion  . . .  reeks 
of  the  pungent  sickening  odor 
of  man,"  Dr.  Van  Iten  wrote. 
Other  excerpts  from  his  guest 
editorial:  "We  (the  older  gen- 
eration) have  tried  religion. 
Too  frequently  it  has  tried  us. 
We  have  nothing  to  pass  on 
to  you  (the  younger  genera- 
tion)— except  whatever  you 
are  foolish  enough  to  receive. 
This  includes  religion  ...  Be 
religious— if  you  will.  But,  for 
man's  sake,  do  not  look  to  us 
for  help.  Those  who  cannot 
help  themselves  too  often  in- 
sist on  helping  others."  Much 
of  what  the  professor  says  is 
true,  but  he  fails  to  differen- 
tiate the  true  religion  from 
the  false.  As  a  result  he  shares 
with  the  failing  religions  In 
undermining  the  spiritual  and 
moral  values  of  others  and 
throws  a  greater  load  on  par- 
ents who  seek  to  give  proper 
guidance  to  their  children. 

AWAKE! 


The  "New  Morality" 
#  At  the  87th  annual  meeting 
of  the  West  Virginia  Council 
of  Churches  held  in  Parkers- 
burg,  one  of  the  principal 
speakers,  Dr.  Joseph  Fletcher, 
an  Episcopal  seminary  profes- 
sor, told  assembled  churchmen 
such  things  as:  "Unmarried 
love  would  be  infinitely  supe- 
rior to  married  unlove";  that 
he  had  "no  doubt  about  the 
divinity  of  Jesus"  but  some- 
times he  has  "trouble  believing 
in  the  divinity  of  God."  If  you 
are  wondering  why  the  low 
moral  tone  in  the  world  today, 
perhaps  you  can  see  the  clergy- 
man's words  as  a  contributing 
reason. 

Violence  in  Society 

^  Recent  civil  rights  demon- 
strations have  spilled  over  into 
violence.    And    one    alarming 


word  from  the  recent  Wash- 
ington march  is  that  "demon- 
strations are  all  over  . . .  from 
now  on,  it's  la  bombe  plas- 
tique."  A  group  of  delegates  to 
the  U.S.  Conference  on  Church 
and  Society  asserted,  on  Octo- 
ber 24,  that  violence  is  "an  in- 
herent fact  in  our  society" 
and  urged  churches  to  identify 
with  victims  of  violence.  Mo- 
tion pictures  and  television  are 
alive  with  violence.  One  movie 
is  proudly  advertised  as  "dirty 
— a  combination  of  lust,  impo- 
tency,  vulgarity,  nudity,  neuro- 
sis, brutality,  voyeurism, 
hatred  and  insanity  that  culmi- 
nates in  murder."  Without  a 
doubt  we  are  witnessing  the 
fruitage  of  a  decadent  society 
as  this  system  of  things  speeds 
to  its  end  at  God's  war  of  Ar- 
mageddon. 


Catholic  Revolt 

^  The  Washington  Merry-Go- 
Round  by  Drew  Pearson  re- 
veals a  real  revolt  within  the 
Catholic  church  in  America. 
This  revolt  has  "found  priests 
rebelling  against  the  hierarchy 
at  Catholic  University  in  Wash- 
ington, Father  William  Dubay 
calling  Cardinal  Mclntyre  of 
Los  Angeles  a  bigot."  Dubay, 
now  suspended,  urged  that  the 
church  give  up  its  tax-exempt 
status.  "If  the  Church's  $44  bil- 
lion of  tax-free  property  were 
taxed  at  normal  rates,"  the 
priest  pleaded,  "enormous  fed- 
eral benefits  could  go  to  the 
poor."  Of  the  180,000  nuns  in 
the  United  States,  The  Ladies' 
Home  Journal  estimates  that, 
in  1966,  3,600  cast  off  their 
robes  in  revolt  against  Church 
conservatism. 


JANUARY  8,  1968 


31 


Is  time  running  out  for  this  generation? 
What  witf  the  rWs  bring? 


OCTOBER  8,  I960 


THE  REASON  FOR  THIS  MAGAZINE 

News  sources  that  are  able  to  keep  you  awake  to  the  vital  issues  of  our  times  must 
be  unfettered  by  censorship  and  selfish  interests.  "Awake!"  has  no  fetters.  It  recognizes 
facts,  faces  facts,  is  free  to  publish  facts.  It  is  not  bound  by  political  ties;  it  is  unham- 
pered by  traditional  creeds.  This  magazine  keeps  it|elf  free,  that  it  may  speak  freely  to 
you.  But  it  does  not  >abuse  its  freedom.  It  maintains  integrity  to  truth. 

The  viewpoint  of  "Awake!"  is  not  narrow,  but  is  international.  "Awake!"  has  its 
own  correspondents  in  scores  of  nations.  Its  articles  are  read  in  many  lands,  in  many 
languages,  by  millions  of  persons. 

In  every  issue  "Awake!"  presents  vital  topics  on  which  you  should  be  informed.  It 
features  penetrating  articles  on  social  conditions  and  offers  sound  counsel  for  meeting 
the  problems  of  everyday  life.  Current  news  from  every  continent  passes  in  quick  review. 
Attention  is  focused  on  activities  in  the  fields  of  government  and  commerce  about  which 
you  should  know.  Straightforward  discussions  of  religious  issues  alert  you  to  matters  of 
vital  concern.  Customs  and  people  in  many  lands,  the  marvels  of  creation,  practical 
sciences  and  points  of  human  interest  are  all  embraced  in  its  coverage.  "Awake!"  pro- 
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disheartened  by  the  failures  of  a  delinquent  world,  reflecting  sure  hope  for  the  establish- 
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The  Bible  translation  regularly  used  in  "Awake!"  is  the  New  World  Translation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  1961  edition. 
When  other  translations  are  used,  this  Is  clearly  marked. 


CONTENTS 


"What's  This  World  Coming  To?"  3 

The  Year  1914  a  Turning  Point  5 

How  Do  We  Know  We  Are 

in  the  "Last  Days"?  7 

The  Sign  of  the  "Last  Days"  8 

What  Will  the  1970's  Bring?  13 


A  Grand  Future  Ahead  in 
I       God's  New  Order! 

A  Time  to  'Lift  Up  Your  Head'  in 
Confident  Hope 

What  Will  It  Cost  You? 
Watching  the  World 


17 

23 
27 
30 


"It  is  already  the  hour  for  you  to  awake."     |0V 

— Romans   13:11  \*J 


Volume  XLIX 


Brooklyn,   N.Y.,  October  8,  1968 


Number  19 


"I  'Z  %JTi  COAf/A/G  TV? 

runaway   train   or 
something — that    the    country    has    gone 
over  the  edge  and  there's  nothing  I  or 
anyone  can  do  about  it,"  said  a  doctor  in 
Los  Angeles. 

"Society  is  coming  apart  at  the  seams," 
stated  an  office  worker  in  Chicago.  "It's  a 
murder  epidemic,"  declared  a  Negro  stu- 
dent in  Atlanta. 

No  doubt  you,  like  most  people,  have 
been  horrified  by  the  increased  crime,  vio- 
lence and  assassinations  in  the  United 
States.  The  Wall  Street  Journal  of  June  6, 
1968,  observed:  "Many  converged  on  the 
appalling  and  dark  conclusion:  American 
society  is  sick  and  frighteningly  violent." 
Combat  of  Paris  said:  "America  is  mad." 

However,  the  problem  of  growing  trou- 
bles is  not  confined  to  just  one  country! 
In  every  nation  on  earth,  including  your 
own,  serious  difficulties  are  growing.  If 
you  live  in  a  large  city,  do  you  not  find 
that  violence  and  crime  are  spreading? 
Do  you  not  fear  to  walk  down  certain 
streets  after  dark?  And  when  there  is 
a  knock  at  your  door,  do  you  not  some- 
times hesitate  to  open  it  until  you  find  out 
if  it  is  someone  you  know? 

Even  in  formerly  peaceful  villages  and 
rural  areas,  people  are  being  shaken  by 


events,  if  not  by  the  larger  problems  of 
their  country,  then  by  such  things  as  the 
exploding  immorality  in  their  own  neigh- 
borhood, or  by  the  disruption  of  family 
life  on  a  scale  never  before  experienced. 

It  is  a  fact  that  everywhere  the  politi- 
cal, economic,  religious  and  moral  situa- 
tions are  deteriorating.  That  is  why  peo- 
ple all  over  the  world,  and  likely  you  too, 
ask:   "What's  this  world  coming  to?" 

An  answer  to  this  question  was  noted 
in  U.S.  News  &  World  Report  of  June  3, 
1968,  when  it  said: 

"A  climax  of  some  kind  seems  to  be 
approaching  the  world  over  .  .  .  It's  not  the 
U.S.  alone  that's  hit.  Uprisings  have  erupted 
in  France,  in  West  Germany,  in  Spain,  in 
Britain.  Communist  Eastern  Europe  is  af- 
fected. So  is  Red  China." 

Commenting  on  the  fact  that  the  prob- 
lem is  world  wide,  an  editorial  reprinted 
in  the  New  York  Times  of  June  10,  1968, 
stated: 


OCTOBER  8,  1968 


"The  American  people  will  misread  the 
meaning  of  Robert  Kennedy's  death  if  they 
view  it  solely  as  a  self-contained  American 
tragedy.  The  tragedy  is  the  result  of  the 
spillover  of  violence  and  volatile  tensions 
■  from  one  part  of  the  world  to  another.  .  .  . 

"We  are  at  the  end  of  the  age  of  purely 
national  or  even  regional  problems.  Com- 
bustibles for  setting  the  globe  afire  exist 
everywhere." 

Showing  how  rapidly  world  conditions 
now  are  building  up  to  some  sort  of  cli- 
max, this  same  editorial  added: 

"Throughout  the  entire  world  people  are 
caught  up  in  convulsive  change.  .  .  .  Issues 
that  formerly  took  a  century  or  more  to 
come  to  a  boil  are  in  constant  eruption. 
Everything  is  being  bunched  up — time,  space, 
nations,  peoples,  issues.  And  everything  has 
a  fuse  attached  to  it. 

"The  habits  of  nations,  always  variable, 
have  become  starkly  irrational." 

The  noted  columnist  Walter  Lippmann 
also  observes  that  a  climax  of  some  sort 
is  approaching,  saying  in  Newsweek  of 
October  9,  1967: 

"For  us  all  the  World  is  disorderly  and 
dangerous,  ungoverned  and  apparently  un- 
governable. Everywhere  there  is  great  anx- 
iety  and  bewilderment. ... 

"This  ...  marks,  I  believe,  the  historical 
fact  that  we  are  living  through  the  closing 
chapters  of  the  established  and  traditional 
way  of  life." 

World  leaders  see  these  critical  prob- 
lems mounting.  But  they  cannot  find  an- 
swers to  them.  As  was  said  about  United 
States  President  Johnson  recently:  "He 
has  consulted  the  wisest  men  he  knows 
and  cannot  figure  out  what  else  to  do." 
These  leaders  are  much  like  the  engineer 
on  a  runaway  train  speeding  downhill.  At 
the  end  of  the  hill  there  is  a  yawning 
canyon  the  bridge  over  which  has  been 
washed  out.  But  the  engineer  cannot  stop 
the  train,  for  the  brakes  have  failed!  Di- 
saster is  certain. 

What,  then,  does  all  of  this  world  trou- 
ble mean?  What  is  this  world  coming  to? 

Where  can  you  find  the  answers  to  such 


questions?  There  is  only  one  proven 
source,  a  source  that  this  world's  leaders 
are  ignoring.  That  source  of  answers  is 
the  Bible.  In  it  God  has  had  recorded  for 
our  benefit  all  the  information  we  need  to 
answer  these  questions.  "All  Scripture  is 
inspired  of  God  and  beneficial  for  .  .  .  set- 
ting things  straight."— 2  Tim.  3:16. 

What  does  the  Bible  show  as  to  the 
meaning  of  all  these  world  events?  It 
shows  that  for  this  unrighteous  world 
time  is  running  out  fast!  It  shows  that 
within  a  few  years  at  most  there  will  take 
place  a  climax  in  human  affairs  so  gi- 
gantic that  it  will  affect  every  person  on 
earth,  every  man,  woman  and  child.  It 
will,  without  fail,  affect  you. 

What  is  this  climax?  God  himself  will 
take  a  direct  hand  in  world  affairs.  He 
will  use  his  overwhelming  power  to  crush 
wickedness  and  wicked  people.  (Rev.  11: 
18)  This  act  of  God  is  called  "Armaged- 
don" in  some  Bible  versions. 

This  climactic  act  of  God  will  bring  to 
a  sudden  end  all  the  trouble  and  trouble- 
makers in  the  world  today.  It  will  pave 
the  way  for  an  entirely  new  system  of 
things  where  people  who  love  righteous- 
ness will  find  true  freedom  and  relief  from 
the  horrifying  conditions  of  today. 

So  what  is  this  world  coming  to?  The 
Bible  answers:  "The  world  is  passing 
away  and  so  is  its  desire,  but  he  that  does 
the  will  of  God  remains  forever."  (1  John 
2:17)  Yes,  this  violent,  crime-ridden,  war- 
torn  world  is  coming  to  its  end!  Time  is 
fast  running  out  for  it!  It  is  much  later 
for  this  world  than  you  may  think!  In- 
deed, it  has  only  a  few  more  years  of 
existence  left! 

Actually,  we  have  been  living  in  a 
transition  period  since  the  year  1914.  In 
that  year,  this  system  of  things  began  its 
downward  plunge.  It  became  like  that 
runaway  train  speeding  toward  a  chasm 
where  certain  destruction  awaits  it. 


4 


AWAKE! 


1914 

"LAST  DAYS"  BEGIN 


THE  year  1914  was  not  an 
ordinary  year.  According  to 
God's  timetable,  that  year  really 
ushered  in  what  the  Bible  calls 

the   "last   days"   for  this  system  of  things.— 2  Tim.   3:1. 

Notice  just  a  few  of  the  many  statements  of  historians, 

statesmen  and  editorialists  showing  the  significance  of  1914 

as  an  outstanding  time  marker,  a  turning  point  for  mankind. 


Normal  times  ended. 


"The  last  completely  'normal'  year  in  history  was  1913,  the 
year  before  World  War  I  began." — Washington,  D.C.,  times- 
Herald,  March  13,  1949. 


However,  is  this  not  just  an 
"American"  view?  No,  it  is 
the  view  of  authorities  all 
over  the  world. 


"Security  and  quiet  have  disappeared  from  the  lives  of  men 
since  1914.  And  peace?  Since  1914,  the  Germans  have  not 
known  real  peace  nor  has  much  of  mankind." — Konrad 
Adenauer,  chancellor,  West  Germany,  January  20,  1964. 
"In  the  year  1914  the  world,  as  it  was  known  and  accepted 
then,  came  to  an  end.  Far  more  than  any  year  before  or 
since  was  this  the  punctuation-mark  of  the  twentieth  century." 
— British  author  James  Cameron  in  the  book  entitled  "1914." 
"If  .  .  .  the  human  race  survives,  some  historian  in  the  next 
century  may  well  conclude  that  the  day  the  world  went  mad 
was  August  4,  1914."— London  Star,  August  4,  1960. 


August  4,  1914,  World  War  I 
began  developing.  But  did  not 
World  War  II  mark  an  even 
greater  turning  point?  No! 


OCTOBER  8,  1968 


"The  first  [world]  war  marked  a  far  greater  change  in  history. 
It  closed  a  long  era  of  general  peace  and  began  a  new  age 
of  violence  in  which  the  second  [world]  war  is  simply  an 
episode.  Since  1914  the  world  has  had  a  new  character:  a 
character  of  international  anarchy.  .  .  .  Thus  the  first  World 
War  marks  a  turning  point  in  modern  history." — H.  R.  Trevor- 
Roper,  British  historian,  August  1,  1954. 
"It  is  indeed  the  year  1914  rather  than  that  of  Hiroshima 
which  marks  the  turning  point  in  our  time,  ...  it  was  the  first 
world  war  that  ushered  in  the  era  of  confused  transition  in 
the  midst  of  which  we  are  floundering." — Scientific  Monthly, 
July  1951. 

5 


In  addition  to  anarchy  and 
confusion,  1914  brought  the 
era  of  total  war  and  of  un- 
precedented  insecurity. 


"The  world  as  man  knew  it  .  .  .  was  forever  ending,  and 
from  July  28  to  August  4,  1914,  the  leaders  and  the  led 
joined  in  pronouncing  the  death  sentence.  .  .  .  World  War  I 
was  the  end  of  the  Golden  Age,  the  beginning  of  Total  War." 
— Hanson  W.  Baldwin,  American  military  analyst,  July  26, 
1964. 

"If  ever  there  was  a  year  that  marked  the  end  of  an  era 
and  the  beginning  of  another,  it  was  1914.  That  year  brought 
to  an  end  the  old  world  with  its  sense  of  security  and  began 
the  modern  age,  characteristic  of  which  is  the  insecurity  that 
is  our  daily  portion." — A.  L.  Rowse,  Oxford  historian  and 
biographer,  June  28,   1959. 


Has  the  half  century  since 
1914  seen  any  return  to  nor- 
malcy? Or  has  the  plunge 
downward  picked  up  speed? 
Consider  the  facts. 


"A  deterioration  has  been  going  on  since  the  first  World 
War." — Dwighf  D.  Eisenhower,  former  president  of  the  United 
States,  September  13,   1965. 

"Since  1914  civilization  has  constantly  deteriorated.  Nowa- 
days it  is  on  the  verge  of  collapse."- — Newark  News,  Novem- 
ber 20,   1960. 

"We  seem  to  leap  from  incident  to  incident.  Suddenly  there 
is  a  new  emergency  and  men  die.  Since  1914,  great  empires 
have  collapsed  and  nations  hardly  known  then  are  now  world 
problems.  .  .  .  We  have  tried  war,  appeasement,  charity,  di- 
plomacy, the  League  of  Nations,  the  United  Nations.  These 
efforts  have  failed.  .  .  .  Obviously  something  happened  [in 
1914]  which  altered  the  course  of  .  .  .  life.  That  alteration 
has  not  been  for  the  better." — New  York  Journal-American, 
January  24,    1952. 


But  just  because  the  year  1914  is  rec- 
ognized as  a  turning  point,  does  that  in 
itself  make  it  the  start  of  the  "last  days"? 
What  confirms  this  conclusion? 

Both  in  Bible  chronology  and  in  the 
events  that  were  foretold  to  take  place 
from  1914  onward  we  find  confirmed  be- 
yond doubt  that  1914  was  the  beginning 
of  the  end  for  this  present  system. 

Briefly  stated,  in  the  Bible  there  is  a 
remarkable  prophecy  concerning  the  num- 
ber of  years  that  God  would  allow  the 
political  nations  uninterrupted  rule  over 
earth's  affairs.  The  time  allotted  by  God 
would  be  2,520  years  altogether. 

When  did  this  period  of  2,520  years 
begin?  It  began  when  God  permitted  the 
nation  of  ancient  Israel  to  be  overthrown 

6 


by  Babylon.  That  was  in  the  year  607 
B.C.E.  Thus,  the  "appointed  times  of  the 
nations,"  as  Jesus  Christ  later  called  them, 
began. — Luke  21:24. 

When  did  these  2,520  years  end?  Count- 
ing from  607  B.C.E.  to  1  B.C.E.  would  be 
606  full  years;  from  1  B.C.E.  to  1  C.E.  is 
one  year;  and  from  C.E.  1  to  C.E.  1914 
is  1,913  years.  Thus,  606  plus  1  plus  1,913 
gives  us  2,520  years,  ending  in  1914.* 

However,  is  this  prophecy  relating  to 
chronology  the  only  proof  that  1914 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  "last  days"? 
No.  There  is  far  more  to  the  matter  than 
that.  Consider  what  came  with  that  date 
1914. 


•  For  a  more  detailed  explanation  of  this  time 
period  please  see  the  book  "Babylon  the  Great  Has 
Fallen.!"  God's  Kingdom  Rules.',  pp.  174  to  181. 

AWAKE! 


HOW DO 

m/mow 

we  are  in  the 


HOW  can  we  be  sure  we  are  living  in 
the  period  of  time  called  the  "last 
days"?  Aside  from  chronology,  what  defi- 
nite proof  is  there  that  this  era  began  in 
the  year  1914?  How  long  a  time  is  cov- 
ered by  it?  When  will  it  end? 

The  phrase  "last  days"  comes  from  Bi- 
ble prophecy  such  as  that  recorded  at 
2  Timothy  chapter  3,  verse  1,  where  the 
apostle  Paul  states:  "In  the  last  days 
critical  times  hard  to  deal  with  will  be 
here."  It  is  the  same  time  period  that 
Jesus  Christ  referred  to  when  his  disciples 
asked  him  what  the  sign  "of  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  system  of  things"  would  be. 
—Matt.  24:3.  , 

This  time  period  has  a  definite  begin- 
ning and  a  definite  end.  It  is  similar  to 
the  last  day  of  a  week,  which  has  a  defi- 

OCTOBkR  8,  1968 


nite  beginning  at  midnight  and  a  definite 
end  twenty-four  hours  later.  During  the 
time  period  of  the  "last  days"  certain 
events  would  take  place,  after  which  God 
would  bring  the  period  to  an  end  by  crush- 
ing out  of  existence  this  present  wicked 
world. 

The  events  that  Jesus,  the  apostle  Paul 
and  other  Bible  writers  bring  to  our  at- 
tention were  all  to  take  place  within  the 
same  generation.  (Matt.  24:34)  These 
events  would  identify  which  generation's 
lifetime  would  embrace  the  "last  days," 
much  as  your  fingerprint  identifies  you. 
Your  fingerprint  contains  a  pattern  of 
marks,  or  lines,  different  from  what  any 
other  person  has.  Likewise,  the  "last  days" 
contain  their  own  pattern  of  marks,  or 
events,  that  all  come  together  to  form  a 
"fingerprint"  that  cannot  possibly  belong 
to  any  other  generation. 

Remember,  however,  that  it  is  not  just 
one  of  these  events  by  itself  that  is  cru- 
cial, although  each  is  highly  significant. 
ATI  of  them  must  come  together  in  the 
same  generation,  like  the  different  lines 
that  come  together  on  one  of  your  fingers 
to  form  your  fingerprint. 

Before  describing  these  identifying 
events,  Jesus  cautioned:  "You  are  going 
to  hear  of  wars  and  reports  of  wars;  see 
that  you  are  not  terrified.  For  these  things 
must  take  place,  but  the  end  is  not  yet." 
(Matt.  24:6)  True  to  his  words,  such 
things  did  happen  for  centuries  after  the 
time  when  Jesus  was  on  earth. 

Then,  Jesus  began  listing  the  world- 
shaking  events  that  would  constitute  a 
"sign"  marking  the  beginning  and  dura- 
tion of  the  "last  days."  (Matt.  24:3)  Let 
us  now  examine  some  of  these  events, 
and  others  foretold  in  the  Bible,  that 
make  up  this  sign.  Observe  how  they  have 
been  undergoing  fulfillment  since  1914. 


THE  SIGH 

OF  THE 


"NATION  WILL  RISE  AGAINST  NATION  AND  KINGDOM  AGAINST 
KINGDOM."    "TAKE    PEACE   AWAY."-Matt.  24:7;  Rev.  6:4. 


"[World  War  I] 
killed  more  men 
than  any  previous 
war,  and  it  was 
the  first  war  to 
suck  in  whole  na- 
tions, including 
civilians." — Life, 
March  13,  1964. 

"In  its  scope,  its  violence,  and  above  all,  in 
its-  totality,  it  established  a  precedent.  World 
War  I  ushered  in  the  century  of  Total  War,  of 
—in  the  first  full  sense  of  the  term — global 
war.  .  .  .  Never  before  1914-1918  had  a  war 
absorbed  so  much  of  the  total  resources  of  so 


many  combatants  and  covered  so  large  a  part 
of  the  earth.  Never  had  so  many  nations  been 
involved.  Never  had  the  slaughter  been  so  com- 
prehensive and  indiscriminate." — World  War  I, 
by  Hanson  W.  Baldwin,  1962. 

"Two  World  Wars  have  left  a  legacy  of  dead 
which  number  more  then  all  the  armies  engaged 
in  any  war  that  made  ancient  or  medieval 
history.  No  half-century  ever  witnessed  slaugh- 
ter on  such  a  scale,  such  cruelties  and  inhuman- 
ities, such  wholesale  deportations  of  peoples 
into  slavery,  such  annihilations  of  minorities." 
— Mr.  Justice  Jackson  at  Nuremberg  trial  of 
Nazi  war  criminals,  in  Tyranny  on  Trial,  by 
Whitney  R.  Harris,  1 954. 


"THERE  WILL  BE  FOOD  SHORTAGES 
ANOTHER."-Matt.  24:7. 


IN  ONE  PLACE  AFTER 


the  areas  in  color  get  less  than 
a  minimum  adequate  diet 

8 


"During  and  after  the  19-14-1918  war  fam- 
ine conditions  were  widespread  in  many  parts 
of  Europe.  Millions  died  in  the  Russian  famine 
alone." — Encyclopaedia   Britannica,    1946. 

"After  World  War  II,  there  occurred  the 
greatest  world-wide  shortage  of  food  in  his- 
tory."— World  Book  Encyclopedia,  1966. 

"The  world  food  situation  is  now  more  pre- 
carious than  at  any  time  since  the  period  of 
acute  shortage  immediately  after  the  Second 
World  War." — B.  R.  Sen,  Director  General  of 

AWAKE! 


United   Nations  Food  and  Agriculture  Organi- 
zation,  1 966. 

"Every  8.6  seconds  someone  in  an  underde- 
veloped country  dies  as  a  result  of  illness  caused 
by  malnutrition.  .  .  .  10,000  every  day.  Over 


3,500,000  every  year." — New  York  Times,  De- 
cember 29,  1967. 

"Everyone  admits  that  more  than  half  of  the 
world  is  undernourished,  with  many  starving." 
— Natural  History,  May  1968. 


'IN   ONE   PLACE   AFTER   ANOTHER    PESTILEN€ES."-Luke    21:11. 


"No  recorded  pestilence  before  or  since  has 
equaled  the  1918-1919  death  toll  in  numbers. 
In  those  two  years  an  estimated  21,000,000 
died  of  influenza-pneumonia  throughout  the 
world,  some  850,000  in  the  United  States 
alone." — The  Saturday  Evening  Post,  Septem- 
ber 26,  1959. 

"The  influenza  epidemic  of  1918  .  .  .  was  a 
pandemic  [universal  in  scope],  a  brutal  and 
savage  killer  that  stalked  the  world,  respecting 
neither  race  nor  color  nor  age.  ...  In  Alaska, 
entire  Eskimo  villages  were  wiped  out  before 
help  could  arrive.  In  India,  where  five  million 
persons  died,  burning  ghats  and  burial  grounds 


were  piled  with  corpses.  .  .  .  Only  two  places  in 
the  world  escaped:  St.  Helena  in  the  South 
Atlantic  and  Mauritius,  a  small  island  in  the 
Indian  Ocean." — Today's  Health,  October 
1967. 

"More  people  are  chronically  ill  for  longer 
periods  and  with  less  relief  than  ever  before." 
— New  York  Post,  December  6,  1 967. 

Disease  and  pestilence  continue  to  rage. 
Millions  die  each  year  from  cancer  and  heart 
trouble.  Venereal  disease  is  spreading  rapidly. 
Cholera,  typhoid  and  other  epidemics  occur  in 
country  after  country,  especially  in  Asia,  Africa 
and    Latin    America. 


"THERE   WILL   BE   .    .    . 
ANOTHER/'-Matt.  24:7. 


EARTHQUAKES    IN    ONE    PLACE    AFTER 


"In  this  cen- 
tury earthquakes 
have  killed  more 
than  900,000 
people.'' 
— C  hanging 
Times,  May 
1968. 


In  1915,  30,000  were  killed  at  Avezzano, 
Italy.  In  1920,  180,000  died  in  Kansu,  China. 
In  1923,  143,000  perished  in  Tokyo- Yokohama, 
Japan.  In  1935,  60,000  were  killed  in  Quetta, 
India.  In  1939,  23,000  died  in  Erzincan,  Turkey. 


In  1950  a  gigantic  quake,  one  of  the  most  vio- 
lent ever,  ripped  mountains  to  pieces  in  Assam, 
India. 

In  this  decade  alone — 1960:  5,700  were 
killed  in  Chile;  1  2,000  in  Morocco.  1962:  10,000 
died  in  Iran.  1963:  Skoplje,  Yugoslavia,  and 
El  Merj,  Libya,  largely  destroyed.  1964:  Gigan- 
tic quake  in  Alaska  unleashed  400  times  more 
energy  than  all  nuclear  bombs  ever  exploded. 
1965:  Devastation  in  Chile,  El  Salvador.  1966: 
3,000  were  killed  in  eleven  nations;  large  part 
of  Tashkent,  Russia,  destroyed.  1967:  Quakes 
rocked  Chile,  Colombia,  France,  Indonesia, 
Turkey,  Venezuela. 


"INCREASING  OF  LAWLESSNESS."-Matt.  24:12. 

"No  Filipino  is  safe  in  the  streets  today.  .  .  . 
thrill  killing,  vandalism,  and  general  mayhem  is 
steadily  increasing." — Philippine  Islands  Week- 
ly Graphic,  May  13,  1°64. 


"A  plague  of  lawlessness  and  violence  ...  is 
now  sweeping  the  globe." — New  York  Times, 
June  6,  1968. 

"Disco'rd  and  violence  now  are  emerging 
.  .  .  from  one  end  of  the  globe  to  the  other." 
—U.S.  News  &  World  Report,  June  1 0,  1 968. 

OCTOBER  8,  1968 


"We  can't  have  even  one  day  of  peaceful  life 
Seoul   because   in   the   evenings   the   streets 


become     streets     of     terror."— -South     Korean 
Chosun  Daily,  April  14,  1964. 

"Violent  crime  is  now  running  wild  ...  a 
virtual  explosion  of  crime.  .  .  .  Rising  disorder, 
drift  to  anarchy  and  mounting  lawlessness. 
Being  loosed  on  the  streets  in  city  after  city  is 


a  wave  of  violent  crime — murder,  rape,  assault. 
Racial  violence,  accompanied  by  arson  and 
looting  on  a  huge  scale,  sweeps  urban  areas 
as  police  stand  by  helplessly." — U.S.  News  & 
World  Report,  August  9,  1965;  June  17, 
1968. 


"BIS3BEDIENT  T ®  PAREMTS."-2  Tim.  3:2. 


"There  has  been  a  tremendous  and  disturbing 
increase  in  the  number  of  crimes  carried  out  by 
young  people  today.  ...  it  has  occurred  in 
many  countries  throughout  the  world." — The 
Psychology  of  Crime,  by  David  Abrahamsen, 
1960. 


there  appears  to  be  an  increase  in  crime,  and 
particularly,  alas,  in  juvenile  crime." — U.S. 
News  &  World  Report,  November  1,  1965. 

"The  'teenage  culture*  ...  is  a  rebellious,  op- 
positional society,  dedicated  to  the  proposition 
that    the    grownup    world    is    a    sham." — The 


'Almost  everywhere,  including  Soviet  Russia,      Challenge  of  Crime  in  a  Free  Society,  1967. 


'LOVERS  OF  MONEY."-2  Tim.  3:2. 


"Most  of  us  .  .  . 
love  money  much 
more  than  any  of  the 
things  it  will  buy.  It  is 
not  a  means  to  an 
end  for  us,  it  is  a  pas- 
sion."— The  Paper 
Economy,  by  David  T„ 
Bazelon,   1963. 


"In  our  investigations  we've  found,  as  an 
average,  that  one  out  of  every  three  employees 
is  basically  dishonest — which  means  he  will 
seek  ways  of  stealing;  that  [another]  one  out 
of  every  three  employees  will  be  dishonest  if 
given  the  opportunity." — Toronto  manager  of 
Pinkerton's  Detective  Agency,  in  Canadian 
Weekly,  September  7-13,  1963. 


"LOVERS  OF  PLEASURES  RATHER 
-2  T§m.  3:4. 

"Our  greatest  danger  is  in  the  decline  in 
religious  conviction  and  moral  character.  .  .  » 
It's  reached  a  level  that  should  be  a  great  con- 
cern."—-Michigan  Governor  George  Romney, 
Look,  September   24,   1963. 

"Adultery  seems  to  be  as  widely  practiced  as 
it  must  have  been  in  the  orgiastic  days  before 
the  Flood." — Pageant,  August  1957. 

"Not  only  have  vast  numbers  of  Americans 
lost  all  sense  of  the  sacred,  the  moral,  and  the 
ethical,  but  the  spiritual  leaders  from  both  the 
laity  and  the  priesthood  are  often  found  in  the 
forefront  of  this  irreligious  pursuit  of  comfort 

10 


THAU    LO¥IR§    Of    ®OD/ 


AWAKE! 


rather  than  conviction  ...  of  the  pleasant  life 
rather  than  the  meaningful  life.  .  .  . 

"The  criticisms  of  God  rank  well  above  almost 
all  other  criticisms  of  the  hour.  More  people — in 
more  ways  and  on  more  occasions — cast  doubt, 
hurl  darts,  and  throw  charges  against  God  such 
as  this  country  has  never  seen  in  all  of  its  his- 


tory."— United    States   Senator   Frank   Carlson, 
June  19,  1968. 

"We  are  not  living  in  ordinary  times.  .  .  .  The 
morals  with  which  we  have  grown  up  are  being 
cast  aside  ...  God  has  been  dethroned;  sex 
has  been  deified." — Brisbane,  Australia,  Cou- 
rier-Mail, June  15,  1964. 


"HAVING  A  FORM  OF  GODLY  DEVOTION  BUT  PROVING  FALSE 
TO  ITS  POWER."-2  Tim.  3:5. 


"The  church  has 
rarely  been  poorer 
spiritually  than  it  is 
today  ...  as  unlike 
the  apostolic  church 
of  the  first  century,  of 
the  Bible  concept  of 
the  church  of  Christ, 
as  is  possible  to  find. 
...  A  cursory  reading 
of  the  New  Testa- 
ment would  show  that  .  .  .  we  strain  at  gnats 
and  swallow  camels." — Two  clergymen  in  To- 
ronto Star  Weekly,  March  28,  1964. 


"The  majority  of  our  people  are  members  of 
the  Church,  but  are  really  unbelievers.  .  .  .  The 
spark  of  faith  perhaps  still  alive  in  them  has 
been  smothered  by  their  association  with  the 
Church." — Lutheran  Church  booklet  Mit  einan- 
der  fiir  einander  beten  ("Praying  with  One  An- 
other and  for  One  Another"),  Germany,  1963. 

"The  church  mouths  its  pious  phrases  .  .  .  but  , 
it  lulls  its  people  to  sleep."  People  are  leaving 
the  churches  "because  they  are  looking  at  the 
lives  of  the  church  as  we  are  living  it  and  they 
are  seeing  how  phoney  it  is." — Professor  of 
religious  education,  in  The  Christian  Index,  De- 
cember 14,  1967. 


'MEN  BECOME  FAINT  OUT  OF  FEAR."-Luke  21:26. 


"The  fact  is  that  today  the  biggest  single 
emotion  which  dominates  our  lives  is  fear." 
— David  Lawrence,  U.S.  News  &  World  Report, 
October   11,    1965. 

"At  all  levels  of  American  life,  people  share 
similar  fears,  insecurities  and  gnawing  doubts 
to  such  an  intense  degree  that  the  country  may 
in  fact  be  suffering  from  a  kind  of  national 
nervous  breakdown." — The  National  Commit- 
tee for  an  Effective  Congress,  December  25, 
1967. 

"More  than  120  rrfillion  Americans  would  die 


in  the  event  of 
a  Soviet  missile 
attack  ...  If  it 
were  to  include 
urban  centers, 
.  .  .  the  death 
toll  would  be 
149  million." 
— United  States 
Secretary  of  De- 
fense, N.  Y. 
Times,  February 
19,   1965. 


'RUINING  THE  EARTH. "-Re v.  11:18. 


"We  are  rapidly  destroying  our  planet  as  a 
habitat  for  [man]." — Natural  History,  May 
1968. 

OCTOBER  8,  1968 


"This  planet  is  approaching  'a  crisis  which 
may  destroy  its  suitability  as  a  place  for  human 
society.'  .  .  . 

11 


"Man  and  his  works  are  disrupting  the  nu- 
merous complex  and  interrelated  processes  upon 
which  this  planet's  web  of  life  depends.  Thus 
earth's   supply   of   available   oxygen   is    being 


depleted  .  . .  Large  bodies  of  water  are  steadily 
being  fouled  .  . .  the  precarious  balance  of  na- 
ture is  being  disturbed  on  a  scale  without  prec- 
edent."— N.  Y.  Times,  January   1,    1968. 


"THIS  GOOD  NEWS  OF  THE  KINGDOM  WILL  BE  PREACHED  IN 
ALL  THE  INHABITED  EARTH  FOR  A  WITNESS  TO  ALL  THE 
NATIONS;  AND  THEN   THE   END   WILL  €OME."-Mait.   24:14. 


"Jehovah's  witnesses  have  literally  covered 
the  earth  with  their  witnessing.  ...  If  may  be 
truly  said  that  no  single  religious  group  in  the 
world  displayed  more  zeal  and  persistence  in 
the  attempt  to  spread  the  good  news  of  the 
Kingdom  than  the  Jehovah's  witnesses." — These 
Also  Believe,  by  Charles  S.  Braden,  1950. 

"All  religion  is  anathema  to  the  Soviets.  .  .  . 
nothing  infuriates  them  quite  as  much  as  do 
Jehovah's  witnesses.  .  .  .  Pravda  reports  that 
the  Witnesses  are  becoming  increasingly  active. 
.  .  .  Faith  is  spreading,  and  all  the  mighty  re- 
sources of  the  state  seem  unable  to  destroy  it." 
— Toronto  Daily  Star,  July  2,  1960. 


"The  demand  for  Bible  literature  about  God's 
kingdom  on  the  part  of  the  people  throughout 
the  earth  has  been  so  great  in  the  last 
twenty  years  that  it  has  been  necessary  for  the 
Watch  Tower  Society  to  print  more  than  100 
million  bound  books  and  more  than  325  million 
booklets  .  .  .  more  than  1,300,000,000  Watch- 
tower  magazines  and  more  than  1,100,000,000 
Awake!  magazines.  .  .  .  Jehovah's  witnesses 
are  preaching  the  good  news  of  God's  kingdom 
in  197  lands  and  islands  of  the  sea.  Their  Bible 
literature  now  appears  in  165  languages." 
— 1968  Yearbook  of  Jehovah's  Witnesses, 
page  29. 


There  are  many  other  features  of  the 
sign  marking  the  "last  days."  But  the  ones 
listed  above  are  sufficient  to  show  how  Bi- 
ble prophecy  has  been  fulfilled. 

However,  some  persons  may  here  state: 
'Well,  wars,  famines,  pestilences,  earth- 
quakes, crime — these  are  all  features  of 
human  living  in  every  age.  It  would  not  be 
difficult  for  anyone  to  predict  that  they 
would  occur  again.  And,  such  a  prophecy 
could  apply  to  many  periods.' 

Is  this  true?  No,  it  is  not,  as  thoughtful 
reasoning  will  show.  It  is  one  thing  to 
foretell  such  events  or  conditions,  it  is  an- 
other thing  to  foretell  them  on  the  scale 
indicated,  as  affecting  the  entire  globe;  to 
foretell  that  they  would  occur  concur- 
rently in  only  one  generation;  to  fore- 
tell that  they  would  come  at  the  time  in- 
dicated in  Bible  prophecy.  That  is  why 
the  publishers  of  this  magazine  called  at- 


tention to  the  year  1914  as  far  back  as 
1879,  pointing  out  that  disastrous  condi- 
tions would  begin  then.  Indeed,  fifty-four 
years  ago,  the  New  York  World  of  Au- 
gust 30,  1914,  said: 

"The  terrific  war  outbreak  in  Europe  has 
fulfilled  an  extraordinary  prophecy.  For  a 
quarter  of  a  century  past,  through  preachers 
and  through  press,  the  'International  Bible 
Students'  .  .  .  have  been  proclaiming  to  the 
world  that  the  Day  of  Wrath  prophesied  in 
the  Bible  would  dawn  in  1914.  'Look  out 
for  1914!'  has  been  the  cry  ...  of  the  evan- 
gelists." 

Yet,  while  these  witnesses  of  Jehovah 
were  proclaiming  that  1914  would  bring 
the  worst  time  of  trouble  in  history,  what 
were  others  saying?  In  the  book  1913: 
America  Between  Two  Worlds  [1962]  au- 
thor A.  Valentine  notes:  "Secretary  of 
State  Bryan  said  [in  1913]  that  'condi- 
tions promising  world  peace  were  never 
more  favorable  than  now,'  and  Andrew 


12 


AWAKE! 


Carnegie  said  war  with  Germany  had 
never  'even  been  imagined.' " 

Thus,  right  up  to  the"  very  brink  of 
World  War  I,  prominent  world  leaders 
were  forecasting  an  age  of  social  unity 
and  enlightenment.  If  the  conditions  that 
have  come  since  1914  were  easily  pre- 
dictable, then  why  did  not  such  men  fore- 
see them  and  sound  the  warning? 

Still,  some  object  and  say:  'Oh,  it's  only 
the  population  increase  and  better  report- 
ing methods  that  make  things  seem  so 
much  worse  today.'  An  answer  to  this 
comes  from  the  following  news  report: 

.  "Washington,  May  31  (AP)— FBI  Director 
J.  Edgar  Hoover  assailed  today  those  who 
attempt  to  minimize  the  nation's  crime  prob- 
lem by  blaming  it  on  the  large  increase  in 
the  youthful  population  and  fuller  tabula- 
_  tions  by  police.  .  .  .  He  said  those  who  try  to 
'..  'explain  away  the  shocking  truth  behind 
crime  statistics'  are  doomed  to  failure." 


So  do  not  misread  the  evidence.  It  is 
all  there,  and  it  is  positively  overwhelm- 
ing, particularly  so  because  the  evidence 
has  continued  in  force  for  more  than  half 
a  century  now!  And  if  all  this  is  not  the 
fulfillment  of  Bible  prophecy  concerning 
the  "last  days,"  then  v  what  does  it  re- 
quire? What  more  could  be  expected  in 
the  way  of  fulfillment? 

For  your  own  welfare,  you  should  face 
the  fact  that  all  the  many  lines  of  the 
"fingerprint"  for  the  "last  days"  stand  out 
sharply,  crystal  clear.  They  allow  for  only 
one  meaning:  that  we  have  been  in  the 
"last  days"  since  1914! 

Crucial  questions  now  arise:  Is  there 
any  indication  in  God's  timetable  as  to 
how  much  time  there  is  left  before  this 
system  of  things  comes  to  its  end?.  Can 
we  know  how  many  more  years  remain 
for  this  violent  system  of  things? 


THE  fact  that  fifty-four  years  of  the 
period  called  the  "last  days"  have  al- 
ready gone  by  is  highly  significant.  It 
means  that  only  a  few  years,  at  most,  re- 
main before  the  corrupt  system  of  things 
dominating  the  earth  is  destroyed  by  God. 
How  can  we  be  so  certain  of  this? 

One  way  is  by  noting  what  Jesus  said 
when  he  gave  his  great  prophecy  about 
the  "last  days."  After  he  listed  the  many 
events  that  would  mark  this  period,  he 
also  stated:  "Truly  I  say  to  you  that  this 

OCTOBER  8,  1968 


generation  will  by  no  means  pass  away 
until  all  these  things  occur."— Matt.  24: 34. 

Jesus  was  obviously  speaking  about 
those  who  were  old  enough  to  witness 
with  understanding  what  took  place  when 
the  "last  days"  began.  Jesus  was  saying 
that  some  of  those  persons  who  were  alive 
at  the  appearance  of  the  'sign  of  the  last 
days'  would  still  be  alive  when  God 
brought  this  system  to  its  end. 

Even  if  we  presume  that  youngsters  15 
years  of  age  would  be  perceptive  enough 

13 


to  realize  the  import  of  what  happened  in 
1914,  it  would  still  make  the  youngest  of 
"this  generation"  nearly  70  years  old  to- 
day. So  the  great  majority  of  the  genera- 
tion to  which  Jesus  was  referring  has  al- 
ready passed  away  in  death.  The  remain- 
ing ones  are  approaching  old  age.  And 
remember,  Jesus  said  that  the  end  of  this 
wicked  world  would  come  before  that  gen- 
eration passed  away  in  death.  This,  of  it- 
self, tells  us  that  the  years  left  before  the 
foretold  end  comes  cannot  be  many. 

6,000  Years  Nearing  Completion 

There  is  another  way  that  helps  con- 
firm the  fact  that  we  are  living  in  the  final 
few  years  of  this  "time  of  the  end."  (Dan. 
12:9)  The  Bible  shows  that  we  are  near- 
ing the  end  of  a  full  6,000  years  of  human 
history.  What  significance  does  this  have? 

When  God  gave  his  laws  to  ancient  Is- 
rael, one  of  those  laws  involved  keeping 
the  sabbath  day  holy.  On  the  seventh  day 
of  the  week  there  was  to  be  no  labor.  The 
people  were  to  rest  from  all  their  toil.  (Ex. 
20:8-11)  The  Bible  states  that  "the  Law 
has  a  shadow  of  the  good  things  to  come." 
— Heb.  10:1. 

Revelation  chapter  20,  verse  6,  shows 
that  God's  heavenly  kingdom  will  rule 
over  the  earth  for  one  thousand  years 
after  the  end  of  this  system  of  things. 
That  millennium  will  bring  a  sabbathlike 
rest  to  the  earth  and  all  those  then  in- 
habiting it.  Hence,  the  first  six  thousand 
years  since  man's  creation  could  be  lik- 
ened to  the  first  six  days  of  the  week  in 
ancient  Israel.  The  seventh  one-thousand- 
year  period  could  be  likened  to  the  seventh 
day,  the  sabbath,  of  that  week. — 2  Pet. 
3:8. 

How  fitting  it  would  be  for  God,  fol- 
lowing this  pattern,  to  end  man's  misery 
after  six  thousand  years  of  human  rule 
and  follow  it  with  His  glorious  Kingdom 
rule  for  a  thousand  years!  This  Kingdom 

14 


Christians  have  prayed  for  during  many 
centuries. — Matt.  6:10. 

When  Do  6,000  Years  End? 

How  can  it  be  determined  when  6,000 
years  of  human  history  will  end? 

According  to  reliable  Bible  chronology, 
Adam  and  Eve  were  created  in  4026 
B.C.E.*  From  the  autumn  of 

4026  B.C.E.  to  1  B.C.E 4,025  years 

1  B.C.E.  to  1  C.E 1  year 

1  C.E.  to  1968  C.E 1,967  years 


Total  to  autumn  1968  ....  5,993  years 

This  would  leave  only  seven  more  years 
from  the  autumn  of  1968  to  complete 
6,000  full  years  of  human  history.  That 
seven-year  period  will  evidently  finish  in 
the  autumn  of  the  year  1975. 

Does  this  mean  that  the  above  evidence 
positively  points  to  1975  as  the  time  for 
the  complete  end  of  this  system  of  things? 
Since  the  Bible  does  not  specifically  state 
this,  no  man  can  say.  However,  of  this 
we  can  be  sure:  The  1970's  will  certainly 
see  the  most  critical  times  mankind  has 
yet  known.  The  deterioration  in  human 
relations — within  families,  communities, 
cities  and  nations,  and  between  nations 
—will  worsen,  not  improve.  (2  Tim.  3:13) 
If  the  1970's  should  see  intervention  by 
Jehovah  God  to  bring  an  end  to  a  corrupt 
world  drifting  toward  ultimate  disintegra- 
tion, that  should  surely  not  surprise  us. 

If  you  feel  that  this  is  painting  the 
picture  too  darkly,  consider  what  warn- 
ings the  hard  facts  have  forced  even  men 
of  this  world  to  express.  They  sense  that 
disaster  is  approaching,  but,  lacking  the 
Bible's  guidance,  they  do  not  know  what 
to  do  about  it.  That  is  why  U.S.  News  & 
World  Report  of  June  10,  1968  said: 

"What  is  developing,  as  many  experts  see 
it,  is  an  era  of  confusion  and  doubts  unlike 
anything  experienced." 


*  For  further  details  see  the  book  "All  Scripture  Is 
Inspired  of  God  and  Beneficial,"  ppl  283  to  286. 

AWAKE! 


1,656  YEARS 


6,000  YEARS  OF  HUMAN  HISTORY  ENDING  IN  1975 
857  YEARS        906  YEARS 


1,000 

T 


2,000 

T 


3,000 

T 


4026  B.C.E., 
MAN'S  CREATION 


2370  B.C.E.,       1513  B.C.E., 
NOACHIAN   ISRAEL'S  EXODUS 
FLOOD  FROM  EGYPT 


2,520  YEARS 
A_ 


4,000 

T 


607  B.C.E.,     29  C.E., 
JERUSALEM       JESUS 
DESTROYED   BAPTIZED 


1914  C.E.,  1975  C.E., 

"LAST  DAYS"  END  OF 

BEGIN  6,000  YEARS 


Concerning  political  instability,  former 
U.S.  Secretary  of  State  Dean  Acheson 
said  in  1960:  "I  know  enough  of  what  is 
going  on  to  assure  you  that,  in  15  years 
from  today  [or,  by  1975],  this  world 
is  going  to  be  too  dangerous  to  live  in." 
And  of  the  struggle  between  communism 
and  capitalism,  Intelligence  Digest  of  Au- 
gust 1967  said:  "The  facts  .  .  .  show  that 
the  forces  in  the  world  struggle  are  group- 
ing themselves  for  a  decisive  show-down." 

Everywhere  national  currencies  are  in 
trouble.  Alfred  Shaefer,  chairman  of 
Switzerland's  Union  Bank,  said  in  1968: 
"Everywhere  you  see  a  shakiness.  Time 
is  running  out.  Something  disagreeable 
could  happen  at  any  time." 

Large  cities  are  in  such  a  state  of  af- 
fairs that  efforts  to  patch  them,  up  have 
proved  hopelessly  insufficient.  The  air,  wa- 
ter and  land  are  becoming  polluted  to  the 
point  of  saturation.  Transportation  in 
many  nations  is  a  major  killer,  and  the 
crush  of  traffic  often  paralyzes  major  cit- 
ies for  hours.  Schools  and  colleges  are  in 
a  dilemma  as  to  maintaining  order. 

Drug  addiction  and  immorality  have 
reached  unimagined  extremes.  Law  en- 
forcement becomes  increasingly  difficult, 
with  the  public  often  apathetic  toward 
corruption  and  even  showing  violent  ani- 
mosity toward  the  police.  In  the  United 
States,  firemen  are  frequently  attacked 
when  answering  fire  calls. 

Nor  can  the  religious  systems  of  Chris- 

OGTOBER  8,  1968 


tendom  stem  the  tide,  for  they  too  are  in 
a  state  of  growing  chaos.  An  Associated 
Press -dispatch  on  November  24,  1967,  re- 
ported: 

"Christian  theology  .  .  .  today  is  in  a  state 
of  chaos,  many  of  its  experts  admit.  'Today, 
we  are  at  the  end  of  a  theological  era,  with 
the  old  theological  systems  a  shambles,' 
says  the  Rev.  James  I.  McCord,  president  of 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary." 

One  of  the  greatest  problems,  beyond 
man's  solving,  is  the  coming  food  short- 
age due  to  the  population  explosion.  In 
the  book  Famine — 1975!  food  experts 
W.  and  P.  Paddock  state: 

"By  1975  a  disaster  of  unprecedented 
magnitude  will  face  the  world.  Famines, 
greater  than  any  in  history,  will  ravage  the 
undeveloped  nations." 

"I  forecast  a  specific  date,  1975,  when  the 
new  crisis  will  be  upon  us  in  all  its  awesome 
importance." 

"By  1975  civil  disorder,  anarchy,  military 
dictatorships,  runaway  inflation,  transporta- 
tion breakdowns  and  chaotic  unrest  will  be 
the  order  of  the  day  in  many  of  the  hungry 
nations." 

And  the  Arizona  Republic  said  on  June 
2,  1968,  that  Professor  R.  Heilbroner  of 
New  York  "predicted  that  in  the  early 
1970's,  'the  greatest  catastrophe  the  world 
has  ever  known'  will  occur  when  popula- 
tion far  outstrips  the  available  food 
supply." 

Just  a  'Passing  Phase'? 

Some  will  object  and  say  that  these 
distressing  conditions  are  just  a  'passing 

15 


phase'  in  world  affairs.  "Things  will 
straighten  out  and  the  present  systems 
will  gradually  improve,'  they  may  say. 

But  on  what  basis  can  you  believe  this? 
Have  men  successfully  coped  with  these 
conditions,  or,  to  the  contrary,  has  history 
and  your  own  personal  experience  proved 
that  these  conditions  have  worsened? 

Ask  yourself:  What  is  the  trend?  Are 
men  becoming  less  selfish  and  more  lov- 
ing? Are  they  becoming  less  ambitious 
and  proud?  Are  they  tending  toward 
greater  humility,  greater  love  for  their 
neighbor  and  concern  for  his  welfare?  Is 
there  less  violence,  less  hatred  in  the 
world?  Is  it  more  peaceful,  less  dangerous? 

The  facts  answer,  No!  He  is  not  solv- 
ing his  problems.  Instead,  his  manage- 
ment of  earth  is  producing  crises  of  ever 
greater  proportions.  So  why  believe  that 
conditions  under  man's  rule  will  im- 
prove? Why  not  face  the  facts  as  stated 
in  the  Bible  that  this  present  system  is 
headed  for  a  crash,  but  that  before  it  goes 
to  pieces  completely  from  its  own  bad- 
ness, Almighty  God  is  going  to  step  in 
and  execute  his  judgment  upon  it? — Jer. 
25:31-33;  Rev.  18:1-8;  19:11-21. 

Change  Ahead  in  World  Government 

It  is  very  appropriate  for  God  to  bring 
an  end  to  man's  rule.  On  their  own,  in- 
dependent from  God,  men  and  nations 
have  brought  ever  greater  disaster  to  the 
human  family.  Unable  to  get  what  they 
want  by  legitimate  and  just  means,  they 
have  drenched  the  earth  with  the  blood 
of  innocent  people.— Isa.  26:21. 

Editor  David  Lawrence  acknowledged 
on  September  25,  1967:  "Unhappiness  on 
earth  is  man-made.  Our  key  weakness  is 
that  we  have  not  solved  the  problem  of 
self-government."  And  the  editor  of  In- 
telligence Digest  admitted  in  August  of 
1967:  "Only  God  can  settle  world  affairs. 
The  materialistic  concept  that,  by  his  own 

16 


unaided  efforts,  man  can  establish  lasting 
peace  is  directly  contrary  to  Christian 
teaching." 

However,  since  the  majority  of  humans 
and  their  leaders  do  not  really  want  God 
as  their  ruler,  they  will  have  to  be  taken 
out  of  the  way.  That  is  why  Bible  proph- 
ecy says  of  our  time:  "In  the  days  of  those 
kings  the  God  of  heaven  will  set  up  a 
kingdom  th&t  will  never  be  brought  to 

ruin.  And  the 
kingdom  itself 
will  not  be 
passed  on  to  any 
other  people.  It 
will  crush  and 
put  an  end  to  all 
these  kingdoms, 
and  it  itself  will 
stand  to  times  in- 
definite." (Dan. 
2:44)  What  a  re- 
lief this  will 
bring  to  those 
Who  are  sick  of 
all  the  bloodshed, 
strife   and   corruption! 

Those  who  submit  to  God's  require- 
ments will  be  protected  by  him  through 
the  coming  Armageddon  destruction  of 
this  system  of  things.  He  promises:  "Seek 
Jehovah,  all  you  meek  ones  of  the  earth, 
who  have  practiced  His  own  judicial  de- 
cision. Seek  righteousness,  seek  meekness. 
Probably  you  may  be  concealed  in  the  day 
of  Jehovah's  anger."— Zeph.  2:3. 

After  the  end  of  this  system  of  things, 
then  what?  A  new  day  will  dawn  for  the 
human  family!  Armageddon  survivors  will 
begin  to  enjoy  all  the  benefits  of  a  righ- 
teous new  order.  Just  what  will  conditions 
be  like  on  earth  then?  What  blessings  will 
flow,  to  the  human  family  during  this 
1,000-year  rule  of  God's  kingdom?  For 
your  own  encouragement,  examine  these 
conditions  arid  benefits  in  the  light  of 
God's  promises. 

AWAKM!: 


WHEN  God  puts  an  end  to  this  present 
system  of  things  shortly,  it  will  pave 
the  way  for  his  clean  new  order  for  earth. 
Armageddon  will  rid  the  earth  of  war, 
violence,  crime  and  injustice.  Divisive  gov- 
ernments, religions  and  economic  systems 
will  be  gone  forever. 

With  God's  heavenly  kingdom  the  only 
government  ruling  over  the  earth,  God's 


supreme  power  for  doing  good  will  be 
manifested  by  his  showering  down  bless- 
ings on  those  of  mankind  who  will  live 
in  that  new  order.  Following  are  a  few 
heartwarming  prophecies  from  God's 
Word.  Many  of  them  find  their  fulfillment 
primarily  in  a  spiritual  sense  now  among 
God's  servants.  But  they  also  foretell  lit- 
eral and  physical  blessings. 


NO  MORE  WAR  OR  CRIME-MANKIND  AT  PERFECT  PEACE 

Who  wilt  brirjg  total  disarmament?  "[God] 
is  making  wars  to  cease  to  the  extremity  of  the 
earth."— Ps.  46:9. 

All  survivors  of  Armageddon  will  have  al- 
ready done  this:  "THey  will  have  to  beat  their 
swords  into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into 
pruning  shears.  Nation  will  not  lift  up  sword 
against  nation,  neither  will  they  learn  war  any 
more." — Isa.  2:4. 

Why  will  that  peace  know  no  future  dis- 
turbance? "Evildoers  themselves  will  be  cut  off, 
.  .  .  the  wicked  one  will  be  no  more."^Ps.  37: 
9,    10. 


"And  my  people  must  dwell  in  a  peaceful  abiding 
place  and  in  residences  of  full  confidence  and  in 
undisturbed  resting  places." — |sq.  32:18. 

OQTOBER  8,  1968  < 


17 


MAM  &M®  iUilfAAIS  AT  m&m  WITH  QUE  AHOTHiH 


Neither  will  animalistic  men 
nor  literal  beasts  then  be  a 
danger. 

"The  wolf  will  actually  re- 
side for  a  while  with  the  male 
lamb,  and  with  the  kid  the 
leopard  itself  will  lie  down, 
and  the  calf  and  the  maned 
young  lion  and  the  well-fed 
animal  all  together;  and  a 
mere  little  boy  will  be  leader 
over  them.  And  the  cow  and 
the  bear  themselves  will  feed; 
together  their  young  ones  will 
lie  down.  And  even  the  lion 
will  eat  straw  just  like  the  bull. 
And  the  sucking  child  will  cer- 
tainly play  upon  the  hole  of 
the  cobra;  and  upon  the  light 
aperture  of  a  poisonous  snake 
will  a  weaned  child  actually 
put  his  own  hand.  They  will 
not  do  any  harm  or  cause  any 
ruin." — Isa.    11:6-9. 


^'^^HM^ff'^  ^ 


,,ul/(H'. 

HI,.    '!,'»- 

Vli,\i|# 


"And  for  them  I  shall  certainly  conclude  a  covenant  in 
that  day  in  connection  with  the  wild 'beast  of  the  field 
and   with    the    flying    creature    of   the    heavens    and    the 


creeping  thing  of  the  ground,  , 
down  in  security. "- — Hos.  2:18. 


I  will   make  them  lie 


m-^^^^J^SS 


18 


^^^^^: 


AWAKE! 


ELIMINATION  OF  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH- 
INTRODUCTION  OF  PERFECT  HEALTH  AND  EVERLASTING  LIFE 


All  persons  will  become  healthy, 
spiritually,  mentally  and  physically. 

"At  that  time  the  eyes  of  the 
blind  ones  will  be  opened,  and  the 
very  ears  of  the  deaf  ones  will  be 
unstopped.  At  that  time  the  lame 
one  will  climb  up  just  as  a  stag 
does,-  and  the  tongue  of  the  speech- 
less one  will  cry  out  in  gladness." 
— Isa.  35:5,  6.    , 

"And  [God]  will  wipe  out  every 
tear  from  their  eyes,  and  death 
will  be  no  more,  neither  will  mourn- 
ing nor  outcry  nor  pain  be  any 
more." — Rev.  21:4. 


Even  the  dead  will  come  back 
from  the  grave. 

"The  hour  is  coming  in  which  all 
those  in  the  memorial  tombs  will 
hear  his  voice  and  come  out." 
—John   5:28,  29. 

"The  sea  gave  up  those  dead  in 
it,  and  death  and  Hades  [the 
grave]  gave  up  those  dead  in 
them."— Rev.  20:13. 

OCTOBER  8,  1968 


God's  power  can  even  reverse  the  aging 
process. 

"Let  his  flesh  become  fresher  than  in  youth; 
let  him  return  to  the  days  of  his  youthful  vigor." 
—Job  33:25. 

"The  gift  God  gives  is  everlasting  life  by 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." — Rom.  6:23. 

"Everyone  exercising  faith  in  him  might  ... 
have  everlasting   life." — John   3:16. 


EARTH  TRANSFORMED  INTO  A  BOUNTIFUL  PARADISE 


The  fruits'  of  good  works  (Gal. 
5:22,  23)  will  be  matched  by  earth- 
ly fruitfulness. 

"the  mountains  and  the  hills 
themselves  will  become  cheerful  be- 
fore you  with  a:  joyful  outcry,  land 
the  very  trees  of  the  field  will  all 
clap  their  hands.  Instead  of  the 
thicket  of  thorns  the  juniper  tree  will 
come  up.  Instead  of  the  stinging 
nettle  the  myrtle  tree  will  come  up." 
— Isa.  55:12,  13. 

"The  wilderness  and  the  water- 
less region  will  exult,  and  the  des- 
ert plain  will  be  joyful  and  blossom 
as  the  saffron."— Isa.  35:1. 

"You  will  be  with  me  in  Para- 
dise."—Luke   23:43. 


Malnutrition  and  famine  will  be 
things  of  the  past; 

"Jehovah  of  armies  will  certainly 
make  for  all  the  peoples  ...  a  ban- 
quet of  well-oiled  dishes,  a  banquet 
of  wine  kept  on  the  dregs,  of  well- 
oiled  dishes  filled  with  marrow."— Isa. 
25:6. 

"There  will  come  to  be  plenty  of 
grain  on  the  earth;  on  the  top  of  the 
mountains  there  will  be  an  overflow." 
— Ps.  72:16. 

"Pouring  rains  of  blessing  there  will 
prove  to  be.  And  the  tree  of  the  field 
must  give  its  fruitage,  and  the  land 
itself  will  give  its  yield,  and  they  will 
actually  prove  to  be  on  their  soil  in 
security." — Ezek.  34:26,  27. 

"The  earth  itself  will  certainly  give 
its  produce;  God,  our  God,  will  bless 
us."— Ps.  67:6. 


20 


AWAKE! 


ALL  HOUSING  PROBLEMS  SOLVED 


No  slums;  no  crowded   living   conditions. 

"They  will  certainly  build  houses  and  have  occupancy  .  .  . 

They  will  not  build  and 
someone  else  have  occu- 
pancy; they  will  not  plant 
and  someone  else  do  the 
eating.  .  .  .  the  work  of  their 
own  hands  my  chosen  ones 
will  use  to  the  full.  They 
will  not  toil  for  nothing,  nor 
will  they  bring  to  birth  for 
disturbance."- — Isa.  65:21- 
23. 


No   need  for  protective   bars  and   locks. 

"They  will  actually  sit,  each  one  under  his  vine 
and  under  his  fig  tree,  and  there  will  be  no  one 
making  them  tremble." — Mic.  4:4. 


OCTOBER  8,  1968 


21 


Surely  you  want  to  live  in  such  a  won- 
derful new  order  as  God's  Word  describes. 
Think  of  it — no  more  war,  crime,  violence, 
poverty,  hunger,  poor  housing  or  sickness! 

What  a  blessing  these  conditions  will 
be  for  those  who  sincerely  love  righteous- 
ness! And  under  God's  loving  administra- 
tion by  his  appointed  King,  Christ  Jesus, 
all  mankind  will  become  one  united,  hap- 
py family.  From  heaven,  this  righteous 
rulership  will  guide,  assist  and  prosper  the 
activities  of  those  who  make  up  the  new 
earthly  arrangement  of  things.  Fulfilled 
will  be  the  Bible  prophecy:  "There  are 
new  heavens  [God's  kingdom]  and  a  new 
earth  [righteous  human  society]  that  we 
are  awaiting  according  to  his  promise,  and 
in  these  righteousness  is  to  dwell." 
—2  Pet.  3:13. 

The  new  system  will  certainly  fulfill  the 
promise  given  through  the  psalmist,  who 
said  of  the  loving  Creator:  "You  are  open- 
ing your  hand  and  satisfying  the  desire 
of  every  living  thing."  (Ps.  145:16)  All 
the  proper  desires  of  God-fearing  persons 
will  be  completely  realized  under  the  rule 
of  the  Kingdom  government.  Not  only 
peace,  prosperity  and  health,  but  also  the 
enjoyment  of  living  among  people  who  are 
honest,  decent,  loving  and  helpful. 

Nor  will  this  enjoyment  be  temporary. 
It  will  not  be  cut  short  by  death  after 
seventy  or  eighty  years  of  life.  For  God's 
Word  guarantees  the  elimination  of  death, 
saying:  "He  will  actually  swallow  up 
death  forever,  and  the  Lord  Jehovah  will 
certainly  wipe  the  tears  from  all  faces." 
(Isa.  25:8)  "The  righteous  themselves  will 
possess  the  earth,  and  they  will  reside 
forever  upon  it." — Ps.  37:29. 

Even  those  in  the  graves  will  have  an 
opportunity  for  life  in  God's  new  order, 
for  "there  is  going  to  be  a  resurrection 
of  both  the  righteous  and  the  unrigh- 
teous." (Acts  24:15)  In  this  way  the  res- 
urrected dead  will  be  in  position  to  prove 


their  loyalty  to  God  and  be  found  worthy 
of  living  forever  in  that  restored  paradise. 

But  will  not  this  planet  become  too 
crowded  with  so  many  millions  coming 
back  in  the  resurrection?  No,  that  will  not 
be  the  case.  Keep  in  mind  that  the  Cre- 
ator of  the  universe  regulates  the  thou- 
sands of  millions  of  heavenly  bodies  with 
a  precision  that  inspires  awe  in  man. 
Surely  God  is  capable  of  determining  and 
regulating  a  far  smaller  number  of  people 
to  live  comfortably  on  earth.  There  will 
be  no  problem  of  overcrowding  to  mar  the 
happiness  of  that  new  order.  Jehovah  will 
solve  any  problem  that  could  arise.  Hence, 
we  can  confidently  say:  "O  Jehovah  of 
armies,  happy  is  the  man  that  is  trusting 
in  you."— Ps.  84:12. 

Living  then  will  be  true  living,  in  the 
way  the  Creator  purposed,  free  from  the 
frustration,  irritation,  disagreeableness 
and  anxiety  that  characterizes  the  lives  of 
millions  today.  That  is  why  the  Bible  de- 
scribes the  condition  of  persons  then  in 
this  way:  "The  meek  ones  themselves  will 
possess  the  earth,  and  they  will  indeed  find 
their  exquisite  delight  in  the  abundance 
of  peace."  (Ps.  37:11)  Yes,  those  living  in 
that  new  order  will  experience  such  deep 
peace  and  contentment  that  every  day  will 
be  an  "exquisite  delight"  to  them. 

Do  you  not  agree  that  God's  purpose 
for  earth  and  man  in  the  near  future  is 
inspiring?  Certainly,  nothing  that  any 
man,  organization  or  government  on  earth 
today  has  done  or  ever  could  do  remotely 
compares  with  what  God  will  do  for  man 
in  His  new  order. 

Surely  no  one  today  can  deny  the  ur- 
gent need  for  a  change  in  the  direction 
in  which  men  and  nations  are  moving. 
Many,  in  fact,  long  for  such  a  change.  Yet 
they  hesitate  to  believe  in  the  prospect 
of  seeing  a  global  change  take  place  in  the 
near  future  by  God's  power.  Why?  Does 
their  doubting  have  a  sound  basis? 


22 


AWAKE! 


A  TIME  TO 


CONFIDENT  HOPE 


IL 


THE  evidence  that  we  are  far  along  in 
the  "last  days"  can  be  either  good 
news  or  bad  news  to  you,  depending  on 
the  position  you  take.  If  you  long  to  be 
free  from  a  rule  that  has  proved  both 
unsatisfactory  and  unrighteous  and  that 
is  torn  more  and  more  by  discord  and 
confusion;  if  you  really  love  what  is  right 
and  have  a  sincere  desire  to  do  the  will 
of  your  Creator,  then  this  evidence  should 
make  you  rejoice.  Why?  Because,  as  Jesus 
Christ  said:  "As  these  things  start  to  oc- 
cur, raise  yourselves  erect  and  lift  your 
heads  up,  because  your  deliverance  is 
getting  near." — Luke  21:28. 

A  perfect  government,  heaven-based 
and  with  heaven's  blessing  and  heaven's 
power  backing  it  up,  will  soon  take  com- 
plete control  of  this  earth.  In  this  way 
God  will  answer  the  prayer:  "Let  your 
kingdom  come."  What  better  news  could 
there  be? 

Still  some  persons  may  say:  "How  can 
you  be  sure?  Maybe  it  is  later  than  many 
people  think.  But  maybe  it  is  not  as  late 
as  some  persons  claim.  People  have  been 
mistaken  about  these  prophecies  before." 

The  Difference 

True,  there  have  been  those  in  times 
past  who  predicted  an  "end  to  the  world," 

OCTOBER  8,  1968 


even  announcing  a  specific  date.  Some 
have  gathered  groups  of  people  with  them 
and  fled  to  the  hills  or  withdrawn  into 
their  houses  waiting  for  the  end.  Yet, 
nothing  happened.  The  "end"  did  not  come. 
They  were  guilty  of  false  prophesying. 
Why?  What  was  missing? 

Missing  was  the  full  measure  of  evi- 
dence required  in  fulfillment  of  Bible 
prophecy.  Missing  from  such  people  were 
God's  truths  and  the  evidence  that  he  was 
guiding  and  using  them. 

But  what  about  today?  Today  we  have 
the  evidence  required,  aU  of  it.  And  it  is 
overwhelming!  All  the  many,  many  parts 
of  the  great  sign  of  the  "last  days"  are 
here,  together  with  verifying  Bible  chro- 
nology. 

Take  a  simple  illustration:  Suppose  on 
a  hot  day  at  the  beginning  of  summer, 
someone  told  you  that  winter  was  coming 
within  a  week  because  he  had  seen  some 
trees  without  leaves.  But  those  trees  could 
have  died  from  disease  or  age.  So,  by  itself 
that  would  not  be  enough  evidence  that 
winter  was  approaching.  Especially  so 
when  none  of  the  other  trees  had  shed 
their  leaves,  when  the  heat  continued  day 
after  day,  and  when  the  calendar  told  you 
it  was  just  the  beginning  of  summer.  You 

23 


could  rightly  dismiss  the  claim  of  winter's 
nearness  as  unfounded. 

What,  though,  if  months  later  you  went 
outside  each  day  in  the  afternoon  and 
found  the  temperature  approaching  the 
freezing  point,  with  dull  gray  clouds  scud- 
ding across  the  sky?  What  if  you  saw 
that  all  the  trees  that  were  not  ever- 
greens had. shed  their  leaves?  And  what 
if  you,  upon  inquiring,  found  that  the  au- 
tumn harvest  of  crops  had  taken  place 
weeks  ago,  and  that  the  migrating  birds 
and  animals  had  already  taken  leave  for 
warmer  climates?  What  if  your  calendar 
showed  that  the  autumn  months  were  at 
their  close? 

Would  you  still  doubt  if  someone  told 
you  that  winter  was  coming  very  soon? 
Would  you  say  he  was  just  guessing  or 
merely  expressing  his  own  idea?  Or  would 
you  acknowledge,  on  the  basis  of  solid 
evidence,  that  he  knew  the  facts  and  was 
telling  you  the  truth? 

After  expressing  the  many  parts  that 
make  up  the  sign  of  the  "last  days,"  Jesus 
used  a  similar  illustration  with  regard  to 
another  season,   summer,   saying:    "Note 


the  fig  tree  and  all  the  other  trees:  When 
they  are  already  in  the  bud,  by  observing 
it  you  know  for  yourselves  that  now  the 
summer  is  near."  (Luke  21:29,  30)  Then, 
as  recorded  at  Matthew  24:33,  34,  he  add- 
ed: "Likewise  also  you,  when  you  see 
all  these  things,  know  that  he  is  near  at 
the  doors.  Truly  I  say  to  you  that  this 
generation  will  by  no  means  pass  away 
until  all  these  things  occur."  We  today 
have  aU  the  many  parts  of  that  sign,  near- 
ly forty  of  them,  being  fulfilled  within  the 
same  generation,  and  we  have  God's  time- 
table, his  "calendar,"  showing  that  the 
time  has  nearly  run  out  for  the  present 
unrighteous  system  of  things.  This  is  very 
different  indeed  from  the  situation  with 
those  who  proclaimed  an  "end  to  the 
world"  in  earlier  generations. 

The  Majority's  Opinion 

Not  a  Sound  Guide 

We  need  to  realize  that  the  majority  of 
persons  will  not  be  moved  by  the  evi- 
dence that  God's  kingdom  has  drawn  near. 
Why?  They  are  not  really  interested  in 
God's  new  system  taking  over  control  of 

earth.  They  do 
not  want  to  sub- 
mit to  God's  rule, 
preferring  to 
pursue  their  own 
selfish  desires. 
These  people  will 
look  for  ways  to 
reject  or  ridicule 
the  evidence.  But 
they  merely  add 
to  the  evidence 
of  the  "last 
days,"  for  the  Bi- 
ble foretold:  "In 
the  last  days 
there  will  come 
ridiculers  with 
their    ridicule, 


24 


AWAKE! 


proceeding  according  to  their  own  de- 
sires and  saying:  'Where  is  this  promised 
presence  of  his?  Why,  from  the  day  our 
forefathers  fell  asleep  in  death,  all  things 
are  continuing  exactly  as  from  creation's 
beginning.'  "—2  Pet.  3:3,  4. 

Many  people  today  are  like  persons  on 
a  runaway  train  who  pay  no  attention 
when  someone  sincerely  tries  to  warn 
them  that  the  train  is  heading  for  di- 
saster. They  keep  on  with  their  club-car 
conversations,  discussing  matters  such' as 
wages,  prices  or  social  injustices.  Or  they 
keep  on  arguing  over  the  merits  of  politi- 
cal leaders,  the  latest  sports  events;  or 
reading,  drinking,  or  playing  cards. 

Do  not  such  persons  fit  the  description 
Jesus  gave,  saying:  "For  as  they  were  in 
those  days  before  the  floodj  eating  and 
drinking,  men  marrying  and  women  be- 
ing given  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that 
Noah  entered  into  the  ark;  and  they  took 
no  note  until  the  flood  came  and  swept 
them  all  away,  so  the  presence  of  the  Son 
of  man  will  be"?— Matt.  24:38,  39. 

Notice  that  Jesus  said  "they  took  no 
note."  But  despite  this  and  despite  the 
scoffing  of  the  majority,  "the  world  of 
that  time  suffered  destruction  when  it 
was  deluged  with  water."  (2  Pet.  3:6) 
But  note  please  that  Noah  and  his  fam- 
ily had  the  happy  experience  of  living 
through  that  destruction.  Why?  "Noah 
proceeded  to  do  according  to  all  that  God 
had  commanded  him.  He  did  just  so." 
—Gen.  6:22. 

A  Parallel  Situation  in  Jesus'  Day 

The  attitude  of  the  majority  when  Je- 
sus was  on  earth  was  no  different  from 
today.  They  placed  no  confidence  in  his 
warnings  nor  the  hope  he  announced. 

Jesus  told  the  Jewish  leaders  that  God 
had  abandoned  their  religious  system  be- 
cause of  their  willful  disobedience  and  re- 
ligious hypocrisy,   saying:    "Look!   Your 


house  is  abandoned  to  you."  (Matt.  23:38) 
He  warned  the  people:  "When  you  see 
Jerusalem  surrounded  by  encamped  ar- 
mies, then  know  that  the  desolating  of  her 
has  drawn  near.  Then  let  those  in  Judea 
begin  fleeing  to  the  mountains,  and  let 
those  in  the  midst  of  her  withdraw,  and 
let  those  in  the  country  places  not  enter 
into  her;  because  these  are  days  for  met- 
ing out  justice."— Luke  21:20-22. 

In  that  same  generation,  in  the  year 
66  C.E.,  Roman  armies  did  come  against 
Jerusalem,  besieging  it  as  Jesus  foretold. 
But  then,  those  armies  withdrew,  as  an- 
cient Jewish  historian  Josephus  said: 
"without  any  reason  in  the  world."  (Wars 
of  the  Jews,  Book  II,  Chapter  XIX,  sec.  7) 
Here  was  the  sign  Jesus  had  mentioned 
and  now  the  opportunity  to  act  upon  it! 
Christians,  confidently  believing  the  truth 
of  what  Jesus  said,  rapidly  abandoned  Je- 
rusalem and  all  the  surrounding  area. 
They  crossed  the  Jordan  River  to  the 
east,  getting  out  of  Judean  territory  al- 
together. 

Those  who  did  not  believe  Jesus,  or  at 
least  doubted  him,  ignored  the  sign. 
Thinking  the  Romans  would  not  be  back, 
they  resumed  their  routine  of  life.  In  fact, 
four  years  later,  in  70  C.E.,  during  a  re- 
ligious holiday  the  Jews  flocked  into  Je- 
rusalem by  the  hundreds  of  thousands. 
They  did  the  very  opposite  of  what  Jesus 
said  to  do! 

Just  at  that  time,  the  Roman  armies 
came  back  in  force!  They  quickly  sur- 
rounded Jerusalem,  trapping  more  than  a 
million  Jews  inside  the  city.  After  a  siege, 
those  powerful  armies  of  Rome  broke 
through  the  city's  defenses.  More  than  a 
million  Jews  died  due  to  famine  and  dis- 
ease or  were  slaughtered,  and  tens  of 
thousands  were  taken  captive.  Their  city 
and  its  religious  temple  were  put  to  the 
torch.  By  the  year  73  C.E.  all  Judea  had 
been  desolated.  Those  who  ignored  Jesus' 


OCTOBER  8,  1968 


25 


warning,  viewing  it  as  mere   "calamity 
howling,"  paid  with  their  lives. 

Yet,  during  this  very  time  of  horrible 
destruction,  the  Christians  who  had 
obeyed  Jesus  lived  in  blessed  security  in 
the  mountains  across  the  Jordan  River. 

No  Real  Excuse  for  Doubting 

Despite  all  the  evidence  surrounding 
them  in  proof  that  God's  kingdom  will  soon 
come  against  the  present  wicked  system, 
some  still  call  for  added  proof.  They 
would  like  some  obviously  supernatural 
phenomena  to  take  place  so  as  to  convince 
them  that  it  is  truly  later  than  they  had 
thought.  But,  when  a  group  of  religious 
leaders  wanted  Jesus  to  produce  some 
heavenly  display  to  cause  them  to  believe 
in  him,  Jesus  said  in  reproof:  "When 
evening  falls  you  are  accustomed  to  say, 
'It  will  be  fair  weather,  for  the  sky  is 
fire-red';  and  at  morning,  'It  will  be  win- 
try, rainy  weather  today,  for  the  sky  is 
fire-red,  but  gloomy-looking.'  You  know 
how  to  interpret  the  appearance  of  the 
sky,  but  the  signs  of  the  times  you  can- 
not interpret." — Matt.  16:1-3;  Luke  12: 
54-56. 

The  Bible  shows  the  true  meaning  of 
the  "signs  of  the  times"  in  which  we  are 
living.  If  we  believe  God's  Word  we  will 
rejoice.  Do  you  believe  it?  Or  are  you 
perhaps  influenced  by  persons  who  at- 
tempt to  discredit  and  downgrade  the  Bi- 
ble's reliability?  If  so,  you  should  not 
make  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  such 
criticism  has  true  scientific  basis.  Note, 
for  example,  what  Professor  R.  D.  Wilson 
said  in  A  Scientific  Investigation  of  the 
Old  Testament: 

"Whenever  there  is  sufficient  documentary 
evidence  to  make  an  investigation,  the  state- 
ments of  the  Bible  in  the  original  text  have  i 
stood  the  test. . » r 

"The  chronological  and  geographical  state- 
ments are  more  accurate  and  reliable  than 
those  afforded  by  any  other  ancient  docu- 
ments." 


The  famous  scientist  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
a  critic  of  ancient  writings,  said  after  ex- 
amining the  Scriptures:  "I  find  more  sure 
marks  of  authenticity  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment than  in  any  profane  history  what- 
ever." And  modern  archaeologist  W.  F. 
Albright  said  in  his  book  Archaeology  and 
Israel:  "No  major  contention  of  Scripture 
has  proved  unhistorical." 

So,  while  you  may  choose  to  doubt  the 
Bible's  authenticity,  if  you  have  never 
made  a  thorough  study  of  it,  then  you 
should  be  honest  enough  to  admit  either 
to  ignorance  of  its  contents  or  perhaps 
even  prejudice  against  them.  But  igno- 
rance or  prejudice  on  such  a  vital  subject 
and  in  a  time  such  as  we  are  now  experi- 
encing is  dangerous  indeed.  Now,  if  ever, 
men.  and  women  everywhere  need  to  re- 
examine their  outlook  on  life,  the  basis  for 
their  hopes  and  their  present  course  of  ac- 
tion, and  their  reason  for  their  beliefs  and 
convictions. 

We  sincerely  hope  that  you  are  one  who 
will  open-mindedly  consider  the  facts,  and 
that  your  faith  in  God's  justice  and  love 
and  in  the  truth  of  his  Word  continues 
unaffected  by  the  doubts  and  scofflngs  of 
a  world  that  blindly  rushes  on  in  a  di- 
sastrous course.  (2  Cor.  4:4;  Matt.  15:14) 
This  system  of  things  is  picking  up  speed 
in  its  downward  plunge.  Will  you  stay 
with  it  and  take  the  consequences,  or  will 
you  listen  to  the  counsel  of  God's  Word 
and  abandon  it? 

The  time  remaining  for  a  decision  is 
short.  The  opportunity  is  still  before  you, 
like  the  open  door  of  the  ark  built  by 
Noah  before  the  Flood,  and  like  the  open 
gates  of  Jerusalem  when  Rome's  armies 
temporarily  withdrew.  But  that  door  of 
opportunity  will  soon  close  for  all  time. 
Prompt  action  is  vital  if  you  would  be 
among  the  happy  survivors  of  this  pres- 
ent system's  destruction.  What  can  you 
do  and  what  will  it  require  of  you? 


26 


A WA KE ! 


WHAT 
WILL  IT  COST 


LIKE  a  train  about  to  plunge  into  an 
abyss,  this  system  of  things  is  about 
to  plunge  into  destruction.  Time  is  fast 
running  out  for  it! 

If  you  had  the  right  opportunity  to 
jump  from  a  train  that  was  heading  for 
certain  destruction,  would  you  not  do  so? 
True,  it  might  cost  you  a  severe  bruising; 
you  might  leave  behind  some  of  your  pos- 
sessions and  the  people  on  the  train,  but 
you  would  save  your  life. 

What  will  it  cost  you  to  have  the  hope 
of  living  through  the  end  of  this  wicked 
system  of  things?  What  will  you  have  to 
pay  to  gain  life  in  God's  new  order? 

The  cost  to  you  cannot  be  measured  in 
money.  The  apostle  Peter  once  said  to  a 
person  offering  him  money  for  benefits 
that  God  gives:  "May  your  silver  perish 
with  you,  because  you  thought  through 
money  to  get  possession  of  the  free  gift 
of  God."— Acts  8:18-20. 

Eternal  Life  a  Gift 

Similarly,  eternal  life  in  God's  new  or- 
der will  be  a  gift:  "The  gift  God  gives  is 
everlasting  life."  (Rom.  6:23)  You  can- 
not buy  that  with  all  the  money  in  the 
world.  And  no  human  agency  can  give 

OCTOBER  8,  1968 


you  that  life  either.  Man's  works, 
however  noble,  all  end  in  death. 
Even  the  sincere  attempts  by 
means  of  modern  medicine  can- 
not prolong  life  indefinitely.  In 
this  regard  the  New  York  Times 
of  October  30,  1966,  reported: 

"At  the  moment,  efforts  to  length- 
en the  life  span  seem  to  have 
broken  down.  ...  It  is  now  gener- 
ally agreed  that  no  single  factor  is 
involved  in  aging. . . .  the  conquest 
of  cancer,  heart  disease  and  the 
like  will  not  lead  to  a  dramatic 
increase  in  the  life  span.  Too  many 
weaknesses  are  built  into  the  hu- 
man frame  to  be  overcome." 

So  it  is  futile  to  look  to  money  or  human 
means  for  life.  Only  God  can,  and  will, 
give  eternal  life  to  deserving  ones. 

Deserving  ones?  Does  this  mean  that 
the  gift  of  life  will  not  come  to  everyone 
automatically?  This  is  just  what  it  means. 
While  the  gift  of  eternal  life  is  available 
to  everybody,  it  will  be  given  only  to 
those  who  meet  the  conditions  God  lays 
down.-^John  3:35,  36. 

What  the  Cost  Is 

God's  Word  states:  "The  world  is  pass- 
ing away  and  so  is  its  desire,  but  he  that 
does  the  will  of  God  remains  forever" 
— 1  John  2:17. 

That  is  the  key  to  eternal  life,  the  doing 
of  God's  will.  All  the  conditions  that  must 
be  met  are  included  in  that  framework. 
So  then,  if  you  want  to  survive  the  end  of 
this  wicked  world  and  be  given  the  gift 
of  eternal  life  in  God's  new  system,  you 
need  to  do  God's  will. 

It  is  only  logical  that  if  you  want  to 
live  in  God's  new  system  you  must  do  his 
will.  What  would  happen  if  God  allowed 
people  to  do  whatever  they  wanted  in  his 
new  system?  Crime,  violence,  bloodshed, 
hatred,  prejudice  and  injustice  would  be- 

27 


gin  all  over  again.  However,  this  will  not 
be  the  case,  for  God  will  not  again  allow 
such  conditions  to  prevail. — Isa.  11:9. 

Therefore,  there  must  be  law  and  order. 
And  the  highest  law  that  results  in  the 
best  order  comes  from  God.  That  is  why 
there  has  to  be  an  obeying  of  God's  righ- 
teous requirements.  These  requirements 
work  to  the  good  of  everyone,  including 
the  one  keeping  them.  Nor  are  they  bur- 
densome: "This  is  what  the  love  of  God 
means,  that  we  observe  his  command- 
ments; and  yet  his  commandments  are  not 
burdensome." — 1  John  5:3. 

Jesus  Christ  said:  "Come  to  me,  all  you 
who  are  toiling  and  loaded  down,  and  I 
will  refresh  you.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you 
and  become  my  disciples,  for  I  am  mild- 
tempered  and  lowly  in  heart,  and  you  will 
find  refreshment  for  your  souls.  For  my 
yoke  is  kindly  and  my  load  is  light." 
—Matt.  11:28-30. 

A  loving  God  will  certainly  not  put 
burdens  upon  you  that  you  cannot  carry. 
Keeping  God's  commandments,  doing  his 
will,  is  not  a  heavy,  depressing  burden. 
Instead,  it  is  refreshing,  uplifting,  light. 

Spend  Time  and  Effort 

To  do  God's  will,  you  must  first  know 
what  it  is.  To  find  that  out,  you  need  to 
spend  time  and  effort. 

Is  that  too  high  a  price  to  pay  for  learn- 
ing about  eternal  life?  Surely  not.  The 
first-century  Christians  willingly  spent 
time  and  effort,  as  have  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  sincere  Christians  today,  to  learn 
God's  will.  They  eagerly  looked  into  God's 
Word  to  determine  the  truth:  "They  re- 
ceived the  word  with  the  greatest  eager- 
ness of  mind,  carefully  examining  the 
Scriptures  daily  as  to  whether  these  things 
were  so." — Acts  17:11. 

There  is  no  substitute  for  this  taking  in 
of  Bible  knowledge.  Your  hope  to  gain 
eternal  life  depends  upon  it:  "This  means 

28 


everlasting  life,  their  taking  in  knowledge 
of  you,  the  only  true  God,  and  of  the  one 
whom  you  sent  forth,  Jesus  Christ."  (John 
17:3)  Yes,  the  only  way  to  survive  the 
end  of  this  wicked  world  and  to  gain  life 
in  God's  new  order  is  by  doing  God's  will. 
And  the  only  way  to  find  out  God's  will  is 
to  look  into  his  Word,  the  Bible. 

True,  this  may  take  some  time  and  ef- 
fort from  other  pursuits.  But  consider 
this:  you  now  probably  work  about  forty 
hours  a  week  to  make  your  living.  Or,  if 
you  are  a  housewife,  you  work  hard  all 
week  caring  for  the  needs  of  the  family. 
Yet,  this  investment  of  time  and  effort 
does  not  lead  toward  eternal  life  because 
even  ungodly  persons  do  as  much.  How- 
ever, with  far  less  time  and  effort,  you 
can  take  in  the  knowledge  that  will  start 
you  on  the  way  to  eternal  life. 

Do  Not  Be  Diverted  by  Opposition 

You  need  to  understand  that  not  all  per- 
sons have  respect  for  God  or  for  his  Word. 
Some  oppose.  Others  openly  ridicule. 
(2  Pet.  3:3,  4)  Do  not  be  surprised,  there- 
fore, to  have  opposition  arise  from  some 
of  your  friends,  or  even  from  close  rela- 
tives, when  you  begin  to  study  the  Bible. 

Jesus  himself  said  that  this  might  hap- 
pen. (Matt.  10:36)  If  this  does  happen, 
and  others  oppose  your  learning  God's 
will,  then  what?  Should  you  abandon  your 
study  of  God's  Word?  Remember,  the  Bi- 
ble says  of  men:  "Not  one  of  them  can 
by  any  means  redeem  even  a  brother,  nor 
give  to  God  a  ransom  for  him  .  .  .  that  he 
should  still  live  forever  and  not  see  the 
pit."— Ps.  49:7,  9. 

The  gift  of  eternal  life  will  not  come 
from  any  human,  only  from  God.  So  do 
not  let  anyone  divert  you  from  taking  in 
knowledge  of  God.  Indeed,  although  some 
may  oppose  you,  in  time,  with  patience 
and  tact  on  your  part,  and  with  evidence 
that  your  life  has  been  changed  for  the 

AWAKE! 


better  by  your  knowledge  of  God;  it  may 
influence  such  opposers  to  accept  God  and 
his  Word.— 1  Pet.  3:1,  2. 

Also,  what  good  would  you  do  for  op- 
posers  by  going  along  with  them  to  cer- 
tain disaster?  If  you  were  on  a  train  head- 
ed for  a  crash,  could  you  do  anyone  on  it 
any  good  by  staying  with  the  train  just 
because  others  refuse  to  leave?  All  you 
would  do  is  lose  your  own  life.  So  staying 
with  this  system  as  it  heads  toward  its 
end  will  not  benefit  anyone. 

No  Time  to  Lose 

The  end  of  this  wicked  system  is  ap- 
proaching rapidly.  It  is  much  later  than 
most  people  realize.  Hence,  there  is  no 
time  to  lose  in  working  for  survival. 

Do  not  be  misled  into  thinking  you  can 
ignore  the  matter  and  that  God  will  some- 
how favor  you  when 
the  end  comes.  No, 
you  cannot  gain 
eternal  life  without 
God's  approval,  and 
you  cannot  get  God's 
approval  without 
meeting  his  condi- 
tions: "Jehovah  is  with  you  as  long  as  you 
prove  to  be  with  him;  and  if  you  search 
for  him,  he  will  let  himself  be  found  by 
you,  but  if  you  leave  him  he  will  leave 
you.'*— 2  Chron.  15:2. 

Those  who  refuse  to  listen  to  God  will 
not  survive  the  end  of  this  system.  The 
Great  Judge  of  all  mankind  now  causes 
his  wisdom  to  cry  out  and  give  warning: 
"Because  I  have  called  out  but  you  keep 
refusing,  .  .  .  and  you  keep  neglecting  all 
my  counsel,  and  my  reproof  you  have  not 
accepted,  I  also,  for  my  part,  shall  laugh 
at  your  own  disaster,  I  shall  mock  when 
what  you  dread  comes,  ...  and  your  own 
disaster  gets  here  just  like  a  stormwind, 
when  distress  and  hard  times  come  upon 


you.  At  that  time  they  will  keep  calling  me, 
but  I  shall  not  answer;  they  will  keep  look- 
ing for  me,  but  they  will  not  find  me,  for 
the ']  reason  that  they  hated  knowledge, 
and  the  fear  of  Jehovah  they  did  not 
choose.  They  did  not  consent  to  my  coun- 
sel; they  disrespected  all  my  reproof.  So 
they  will  eat  from  the  fruitage  of  their 
way."— Prov.  1:24-31. 

But'  this  will  not  be  so  for  those  who 
do  take  in  knowledge  of  God,  who  listen 
to  his  counsel  and  reproof,  and  who  then 
apply  themselves  to  the  doing  of  his  will: 
"As  for  the  one  listening  to  me,  he  will 
reside  in  security  and  be  undisturbed 
from  dread  of  calamity."  (Prov.  1:33)  Of 
"this  kind  of  person  the  Bible  says:  "The 
upright  are  the  ones  that  will  reside  in 
the  earth,  and  the  blameless  are  the  ones 
that  will  be  left  over  in  it."— Prov.  2:21. 

Do  you  want  to  be 
"left  over"  in  the 
earth  when  this 
wicked  system  is  an- 
nihilated soon  at  Ar- 
mageddon? (Dan.  2: 
44)  Then  begin  tak- 
ing in  knowledge  of 
God  right  away.  How?  By  a  systematic 
study  of  the  Bible  with  those  who  love 
God's  Woyd  and  who  live  by  it.  Write  to 
Awake!  magazine  and  request  such  a  Bible 
study  in  the  privacy  of  your  own  home. 
A  qualified  minister,  one  of  Jehovah's  wit- 
nesses, will  be  sent  to  show  you  the  most 
practical  and  beneficial  way  of  under- 
standing your  Bible.  There  will  be  no  cost 
of  money  to  you.  But  it  will  cost  some  of 
your  time,  about  one  hour  a  week. 

You  have  no  time  to  lose  in  making 
friends  with  God,  because  time  is  rapidly 
running  out  for  this  wicked  system  of 
things.  It  is  very  close  to  plunging  into  the 
chasm  of  Armageddon.  Therefore,  take 
steps  quickly  to  work  for  survival  and  for 
eternal  life  in  God's  new  order. 


ARTICLES  IN  THE  NEXT  ISSUE 
What     Has     Happened     to     Respect    for 

Authority? 
Could    Noah's  Ark   Have    Held  All  Those 

Animals? 
Keep  Your  Teeth. 
Credit  Cards— Convenient  and  Dangerous. 


OCTOBER  8,  1968 


29 


Quake  Kills  Thousands 

4>  The  northeastern  province 
of  Khurasan  in  Iran  was 
struck  by  a  severe  earthquake 
on  September  2.  More  than 
10,000  people  were  killed.  Over 
one  hundred  villages  were  said 
to  have  been  destroyed  or 
damaged  and  100,000  persons 
left  homeless.  The  mud-brick 
homes  of  peasants  were  crum- 
bled easily  by  the  earthquake, 
which  was  said  to  be  as  strong 
as  the  one  six  years  ago  that 
killed  12,000  people  in  Iran. 
These  earthquakes  remind  us 
of  Jesus'  words  about  what  we 
might  expect  to  see  in  the  last 
days  of  this  system  of  things. 
—Matt.  24:7. 

Chile's  Disastrous  Drought 

#  The  worst  drought  in  102 
years  has  seriously  affected 
the  fertile  central  valley  of 
Chile,  threatening  the  live- 
stock, the  century-old  vine- 
yards, the  drinking  water  and 
electric  power  plants.  The 
drought  has  already  cost  the 
nation  $100,000,000.  A  modest 
estimate  of  the  deaths  due  to 
lack  of  water  and  fodder  is 
set  at  150,000  head  of  cattle. 
Some  300,000  sheep  are  said 
to  have  died.  Rural  families 
numbering  some  6,000  are  said 
to  be  badly  in  need  of  food 
supplies.  The  situation  in  Chile 
was  termed  by  officials  as  "ex- 
tremely serious." 

30 


Orthodox  Religion  Dying 

#  At  no  time  in  history  has 
the  future  of  religion  in  Chris- 
tendom been  so  uncertain.  A 
profound  revolution  in  reli- 
gious thought  is  sweeping  the 
churches.  These  were  the  con- 
clusions of  two  noted  Berkeley 
sociologists,  Rodney  Stark  and 
Charles  Gock.  The  authors 
pointed  out  that  religious  fer- 
ment and  skepticism  are  not 
new,  but  the  difference  this 
time  is  that  the  challenge 
comes  from  Christian  theo- 
logians. As  for  churchgoers, 
"a  near  majority  reject  such 
traditional  articles  of  faith  as 
Christ's  miracles,  life  after 
death,  the  promise  of  the  Sec- 
ond Coming,  the  Virgin  Birth, 
and  an  overwhelming  majority 
reject  the  existence  of  the 
Devil."  These  men  add, 
"Sooner  or  later  the  churches 
will  have  to  face  the  fact  that 
orthodoxy  is  dead." 

Moral  Standards  Repudiated 

<$>  "There  has  always  been  a 
widespread  violation  of  moral 
standards.  Today's  crisis  is  no 
different,"  many  persons  as- 
sert. But  there  is  a  difference, 
as  the  distinguished  Jewish 
philosopher  Will  Herberg  ob- 
serves: "The  moral  crisis  of 
our  time  consists  primarily  not 
in  the  widespread  violation  of 
accepted  moral  standards 
—when  has  any  age  been  free 
of  that? — but  in  the  repudia- 


tion of  these  very  moral  stan- 
dards themselves."  Explains 
Herberg:  "It  is  here  that  we 
find  a  breakdown  in  morality 
in  a  radical  sense,  in  a  sense 
almost  without  precedent  in 
our  western  history."  It  is  the 
present  unprecedented  moral 
breakdown  that  the  Bible 
pointed  to  as  an  identifying 
mark  of  "the  last  days." — 2 
Tim.  3:1-3. 

World  Diseases 

•#  According  to  the  World 
Health  Organization,  the  fol- 
lowing is  a  table  of  various 
diseases  in  the  world  today 
and  the  number  of  persons 
afflicted  by  them:  Schistoso- 
miasis— 200  million;  filariasis 
— 190  million;  hookworm — 450 
million;  onchocerciasis— 
50  million;  Chagas'  disease 
— 7  million;  leprosy — 11  mil- 
lion; trachoma— 400  million. 

Blood  and  Money 

<$>  During  World  War  II  the 
United  States  reported  292,131 
dead  in  battle  and  115,185  dead 
from  other  causes,  six  times 
as  many  as  were  killed  in  ac- 
tion in  World  War  I.  The 
money  costs  of  World  War  II 
are  said  to  be  $1,154,000,000,000 
— with  property  damage,  ex- 
clusive of  that  in  China,  com- 
ing to  $230,900,000,000.  There 
have  been  39  wars  fought  since 
World  War  II.  What  a  grand 
relief  mankind  will  experience 
when  God  makes  wars  to  cease 
from  the  earth! 

Alive  for  4,000  Years 

<$>  The  bristlecone  pines 
(Pinus  aristata)  that  cling  to 
the  11,000-foot  arid  peaks  of 
the  White  Mountains  of  east- 
ern California  furnish  remark- 
able proof  that  life  can  con- 
tinue for  thousands  of  years. 
A  careful  count  of  their 
growth  rings  reveal  them  to 
be  older  than  the  3,500-year- 
old  sequoias.  So  far,  more  than 
1,000  trees  have  been  found 
that  exceed  4,000  years  of  age, 
indicating  that  some  of  these 
may  have  begun  growing  soon 

AWAKE! 


after  the  great  Noachian  flood 
of  2370  B.C.E.  The  bristlecone 
pines  serve  to  strengthen  one's 
faith  in  the  Bible's  promise  of 
everlasting  life  in  God's  rap- 
idly approaching  new  order  of 
things.  We  are  assured,  "like 
the  days  of  a  tree  will  the 
days  of  my  [God's]  people  be." 
— Isa.  65:22. 

Flood  Verified 

<$>  Alaska  is  the  scene  of  dis- 
coveries that  are  of  keen  in- 
terest to  Bible  students  and 
scientists  alike.  According  to 
an  editorial  in  the  East  Liver- 
pool Review  on  July  26,  "scien- 
tists say  vast  herds  of  mast- 
odons and  other  animals  in 
the  Arctic  were  killed  without 
visible  sign  of  violence,  some 
of  them  before  they  could 
swallow  a  mouthful  of  food. 
And  they  were  frozen  so 
quickly  that  every  cell  of  their 
bodies  was  perfectly  preserved. 
Some  of  the  scientists  believe 


that  a  flood,  as  related  in  the 
Bible,  caused  the  quick  deaths. 
They  contend  that  a  vast  quan- 
tity of  moisture  suspended 
high  above  the  earth  created 
a  'greenhouse  effect'  which  ex- 
plains grass  found  in  the  stom- 
achs of  the  frozen  animals 
in  the  polar  regions.  When 
the  water  blanket  suddenly 
crashed  to  the  earth,  it  created 
the  flood  according  to  the 
theory.  Then,  with  the  in- 
sulating vapor  removed,  the 
polar  regions  suddenly  were 
plunged  into  a  'deep  freeze' 
and  millions  of  animals  were 
quick-frozen." 

Back-talking  Priests 

■$>  Popes,  as  a  rule,  are  not 
used  to  tongue-lashings  at  the 
hands  of  priests.  When  Pope 
Paul  VI  recently  spoke  out 
against  too  rapid  changes  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
the  Catholic  liberals  did  not 
hesitate  to  lash  back  at  him 
verbally,  while  the   conserva- 


tives looked  on  in  horror.  "The 
pope  is  afraid  his  position  is 
being  nibbled  away  at.  He 
wants  to  stop  anything  he  can. 
But  he  can't  stop  us  anymore. 
We  just  don't  pay  attention 
when  he  talks,"  said  a  teach- 
ing priest.  He  went  on  to  say 
that  liberal  priests  want  "com- 
plete honesty"  in  the  church, 
and  added,  "but  that's  some- 
thing you  just  can't  have  in 
this  church."  Speaking  for 
himself  and  other  liberals,  he 
went  on  to  say:  "The  more  the 
pope  says,  the  more  we  have 
to  disregard  him.  It's  exactly 
like  the  fabled  credibility  gap 
between  the  U.S.  government 
and  the  people." 

Criminal  Society 

<§>  There  was  an  all-time  high 
of  12,093  murders  in  the  United 
States  last  year.  Also,  almost 
three  times  as  many  of  Amer- 
ica's cars  are  stolen  each  year 
as  are  produced  in  the  Soviet 
Union. 


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low* you  can  ■  learn- for  yours©!!- 
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TKe  Bible  need  not  be  a  mysterious  book 
to  you.  Remember,  it  was  not  written 
for  just  a  few  men  to  read  or  to  under- 
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commission  to  teach  to  a  few  select  men. 
He  told  them  to  go  make  disciples  and 
teach  them  to  do  all  the  things  he  had 
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