TO A WORLD, a large part of which groans under the wicked aggressions of the totalitarian dictators and the other part of which stands in mortal fear thereof, the prophetic proof of the early END OF THE AXIS POWERS and of all oppressors comes indeed as great comfort to countless mourners. But what follows that end, to wit, the long-promised Theocratic Government with its unspeakable blessings to obedient men, is of still greater consolation. When Judge Rutherford delivered the speech on this comforting theme to the many thousands gathered in a national assembly on Saturday, August 9, 1941, in and about The Arena, St. Louis, Mo., the vast audience acclaimed the message with joyous applause and enthusiastically adopted the Resolution that followed.
For the comfort of yet other unnumbered multitudes Judge Rutherford's speech is gratefully published herein.
THE PUBLISHER
Author: J. F. RUTHERFORD
COPYRIGHT, 1941AND PUBLISHED BYWATCHTOWERBIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, INC.International Bible Students AssociationBrooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
BRANCH OFFICES:London, Strathfleld, Mexico City, Oslo, Cape Town,Berne, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, and other cities.Made in the United States of America
COMFORT ALL THAT MOURN
WHEN the people of all nations mourn; when all are in distress and greatly perplexed, there is need of diligence to ascertain the cause of distress and learn and give heed to the prescribed remedy for such.Never within the memory of man has there been on earth such general sorrow and mourning as now. Never a time when the people need comfort as they do now. Who can give the desired comfort?
The Creator of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, "whose name alone is Jehovah," is the God of all comfort. In the Bible, which is His Word, he has set forth the truth telling plainly why the people mourn and what is the complete remedy therefor. All persons who would have such information, and who would receive comfort, must resort to and give heed to the Word of God. All persons who are now of good-will toward Almighty God will do that very thing.
Christians are those persons who follow the lead of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are the servants of the Almighty God. As his servants
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they are duly and fully ordained and commissioned by the Almighty God to deliver His message of truth to all persons on earth who are of good-will toward Jehovah. The commission which Almighty God has given to each one of his faithful servants and followers of Christ Jesus is set down at Isaiah 61:1, 2, in these words: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to COMFORT ALL THAT MOURN."
This is the "day of vengeance of our God", and therefore the time when He will vindicate His holy name.
Before He exercises his power for the vindication of his name his servants must proclaim His great name throughout the earth. For several years past the witnesses for Jehovah have declared to the people throughout the earth the purpose of God to vindicate his name, and of his vengeance against all wickedness. The time draws near, therefore, for him to exercise his supreme power.
This is the day in which the people mourn, and this is the time when Jehovah's servants must carry the message of God's comfort to all that mourn. This is the time when the good news, or gospel, must be preached, as command-
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ed by the Lord, to all nations for a witness, and that preaching must be done by those who are devoted to Jehovah, and who therefore are Jehovah's witnesses. —Matthew 24:14; Isaiah 43:12.
Every follower of Christ Jesus who is in a covenant to do the will of God is and indeed must be a preacher of this gospel in obedience to the Lord's commandment. All such have, in obedience to God's commandment, separated themselves from the things of this world, and they must, as commanded, keep themselves "unspotted from the world". (James 1:27) They must devote all of their energies to preaching "this gospel of the kingdom" to the people that those who mourn may receive comfort. That is the present-day work of paramount importance to all who would live.Those in distress, and who mourn and who desire comfort, must fully realize that Almighty God is the fountain of life and source of all comfort and joy. (Psalm 36: 9) The Bible contains all of that needed information, which will comfort all who desire righteousness and peace. The faithful servants of God, receiving comfort from the Lord as set forth in the Bible, must bear that same message of comfort to them that are in trouble and who desire to hear the truth. Such is the present-day commission and work of Jehovah's witnesses.
The people are torn by war, famine, pestilence, and beset by all manner of wickedness. No longer are the people free to assemble, speak
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and worship God as He has commanded. All human remedies offered have failed, and in the world the people are without hope. The hour has struck when the people must turn to God and his Word if they would receive comfort and survive the terrible disaster that is impending and about to fall upon the nations.
CAUSE
What is the cause of the great mourning of the people of all nations? How it is possible for the people to have peace and joy? Those two questions are answered in the terse and forceful words of the Bible record at Proverbs 29: 2, to wit: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
The sorrow, distress and mourning of the people of all nations, therefore, as the Lord has stated, is because the wicked now bear rule and use that ruling authority to oppress the people and take away their liberties and the substance of their labor. The only remedy is the authoritative rule of the world by the King of righteousness. Those who now exercise faith in God and in his Word, and who obtain the truth from his Word, look forward with eagerness to the day when the righteous shall be in complete authority in all the earth. It is the truth that will make the people free from fear and mourning. Receiving the truth, their joy at once begins.
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From the Bible testimony both the wicked and the righteous must be definitely identified, and this must be done before any man can understand and appreciate the cause of the world distress and what is the true remedy therefor.
THE WICKED
The mighty wicked ruler is Satan the Devil. He is invisible to human eyes, but exercises tremendous power over men and nations. Associated with him is a host of wicked angels or demons, likewise invisible to human eyes, and at all times preying upon the people. That invisible, wicked rule is represented on the earth by visible agents that yield to and are controlled by the invisible demon-power. Those human agents generally are entirely blind to the fact that the demons exercise the real ruling power, and hence they are led blindly into deeds of wickedness. Concerning this it is written in the Bible that Satan, the god of this world, hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4: 3, 4) Those that believe not, hero mentioned, are the ones who do not have and exercise faith in God and in Christ, and who disregard the Bible as God's Word.
Satan is the "prince [god] of this world". (John 12: 31; John 14: 30) He is the 'chief of demons', meaning that he is the leader of all the demon host. (Matthew 9:34; Matthew 12:24,
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Am. Rev. Ver.) The rule of wickedness is over the entire earth; as it is written: 'The whole world lies in the wicked one.' (1 John 5:19) Since the year 1914 the sorrows and mourning of the nations have continuously increased, and the reason therefor is stated at Revelation 12:12 in these words: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth [meaning the rulers of the earth], and of the sea [meaning the peoples that bear up and support those nations]! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." The Devil knows his time is short because the due time is here when he must be ousted and when righteousness shall rule the world, and which good news, when proclaimed, brings comfort and joy to all who have faith in God and in his Word. The present is the transition period from the wicked to the righteous.
THE RIGHTEOUS
ALMIGHTY GOD, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, is the eternal, righteous One. (Psalm 116:5) "God is in the generation of the righteous." (Psalm 14:5) All his ways are righteous, and his commandments are righteousness. (Psalm 119:172) His beloved Son, Christ Jesus, whom Jehovah has made Lord and King of the world, is the express image of his Father JEHOVAH. (Hebrews 1:3) He is the world's rightful and righteous King, duly appointed and anointed by JEHOVAH to rule. (John 18:37) God's due
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time, when He shall rule, has come. His rule as King of THE THEOCRACY is of the greatest importance to all creation. Under His rule the righteous will of JEHOVAH shall be done in the earth, and for this reason -Jesus commanded all Christians to pray to God these words: 'Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is done in heaven.' (Matthew 6:10) Concerning Christ Jesus, the righteous King, it is written, at Isaiah 9:6: "The government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." When that righteous King rules the world in completeness the people shall rejoice. The hour for his unobstructed rule is at hand, and every person who gets life everlasting must take his place wholly on the side of the King of THE THEOCRACY and, doing so, will participate in the blessings to be administered. This good news, or gospel, must now be preached to the people that they may have hope and have an opportunity to choose Christ the King of righteousness and live, and, failing to do so, remain as supporters of the wicked rule and perish. Each person, therefore, must choose his own destiny. The obligation and commission of Jehovah's witnesses is to proclaim the truth of and concerning THE THEOCRACY, which will enable the people to intelligently choose.
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FACTS
The facts are indisputable, and therefore admitted, that the Nazis, Fascists and the mightiest religious organization on earth, acting together and designated as "the Axis powers", now rule from Norway to Egypt and within that realm the people mourn. That ruling power is opposed to the Kingdom of God under Christ and violently opposes everyone who advocates THE THEOCRACY.
Opposing the Nazi, religious combine is another mighty world power, carried on by the political and commercial strong men of those nations, and ably supported by religious leaders. That world power is generally known as the advocate of Democracy, and during the World War from 1914 to 1918 adopted and used the slogan: "This war will make the world safe for democracy." That ruling power does not advocate the kingdom of God and hence is against THE THEOCRACY.
PROPHECY
The Almighty God knew the end from the beginning and set down the words pertaining thereto, but hid the meaning thereof until his own due time to reveal the same. Mark well the Lord's prophecy describing those two great ruling powers and the end thereof. More than two thousand years ago JEHOVAH dictated His prophecy to Daniel, the servant of God, and it is written in the Bible. It appears that the mean-
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ing of divine prophecy is hidden from men until God's due time for the same to be understandable. God's due time is when He brings to pass events well known to all persons who desire to know, which events fit the prophecy, and the meaning of the prophecy is thereby made understandable.When God had completed the dictation of the prophecy here considered Daniel says: "And I heard, but I understood not; then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. . . . [Then] the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." —Daniel 12: 8-10.
"The time of the end" is now here. The sure and unfailing promise of Jehovah God is that now the wise shall understand. "The wise" are those who fear Jehovah God, who devote themselves to him and who serve him and his kingdom faithfully and truly. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments; his praise endureth for ever." —Psalm 111: 10.
IDENTIFICATION
This prophecy of Daniel tells of two mighty opposing ruling powers: one designated therein as "the king of the north", and the other designated as "the king of the south". The identification of these two kings is essential to an under-
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standing of the prophecy set out at Daniel 11:27-45. Those two kings are not mere men, but are world ruling powers, in which men play their parts as the servants of the wicked one, "the god of this world." Both of such ruling powers are instruments of the organization created and employed by Satan to keep the people in ignorance of Jehovah and his great THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, and Satan's purpose is to turn the people away from Almighty God and lead them into destruction. This he does in his endeavor to carry out the wicked challenge flung into the face of JEHOVAH centuries ago. Satan is the 'father of lies' (John 8: 44), and hence he causes both of his ruling powers to resort to lies in order to blind them and to blind the people to the truth.
"The king of the north" is that ruling power which is totalitarian and dictatorial, which rules and claims the right to rule the nations of the earth, and which is violently opposed to The THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT of JEHOVAH by Christ Jesus, and opposes and persecutes those servants of God who proclaim the coming and universal rule of the kingdom of righteousness. Politics and religion are the chief elements of "the king of the north". That ruling power began with Nimrod, the earth's first political, religious dictator, who compelled the people to worship him and to obey his commandments. From time to time that power has prevailed in the earth and today is represented in the "Axis combine",
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which seeks to rule the world and proclaims its purpose to set up once again the "Holy Roman Empire". It violently opposes THE THEOCRACY and persecutes those who support that righteous government.
"The king of the south" is the world ruling power which rules and claims the right to rule the nations of earth in the name of Democracy. The dominant elements of such power are commerce, politics and religion. It began with ancient Egypt, the first world power controlled by commerce, politics and religion. Today it is represented in the British Commonwealth of Nations and the nations supporting that empire. It does not advocate and support JEHOVAH'S THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT by Christ Jesus, and is therefore against the kingdom of God; as the King declared: "He that is not with me is against me." —Matthew 12: 30.
Due to the instructions received from their religious advisers both kings have false conclusions as to the Kingdom of God. Instead of recognizing JEHOVAH'S anointed King, Christ Jesus, who was enthroned in 1914, both "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" set themselves against THE THEOCRACY and their action is in fulfillment of God's prophetic words, to wit: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed." (Psalm 2:2) The Devil planted that ambitious desire in the minds of both kings to rule the earth, that
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he might bring about the destruction of the nations before Armageddon. Both strive for world domination. To that end they employ diplomacy and force, manifested particularly from 1914 to 1918 in the world. Then both sat at the same table to formulate a scheme to rule the world and the League of Nations was born.
At this point of the prophecy of Daniel (11:27), as it is written, "both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed."While they speak lies to each other, their chief lie is that they deny that Jehovah God is the supreme power and that Christ Jesus is the rightful ruler of the world by reason of his appointment from the great THEOCRAT, JEHOVAH GOD, and that his kingdom has now come. The Word of God plainly says that the table around which they sat is "the table of demons" (1 Corinthians 10:21, Am. Rev. Ver.) and that the chief of demons is Satan, who is the father of lies. Then the religious instructors announced that the League of Nations is the instrument of God to rule the world. The League of Nations, to which both kings subscribed, stood up and in substance said: "We will rule the world, instead of Christ, Jehovah's Anointed King." That marks the beginning of the public manifestation of the "desolating abomination" mentioned by Daniel and the Lord Jesus, Now both "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" stand
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where they ought not to stand and boastfully claim the right to rule the world, and concerning which Jesus says: "But when ye shall sec the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains." (Mark 13:14) Thus the Lord identifies the "abomination of desolation" and warns the people of good-will toward God that they must flee to the kingdom of God by Christ Jesus before the terrors of Armageddon fall upon them.
Now all the world witnesses "the king of the north" and "the king of the south" in the deadly grip of war, to determine which shall rule the world. The prophecy says that the purpose of both kings is "to do mischief", or wickedly, because they are both against JEHOVAH and His Kingdom by Christ Jesus. Then the prophecy adds: "It shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed." Their efforts shall not forestall JEHOVAH in establishing His government of righteousness. No power can successfully interfere with JEHOVAH in establishing his government of righteousness. No power can successfully interfere with JEHOVAH in carrying out his purpose. The Almighty God says: "I have purposed it, I will also do it." (Isaiah 46:11) The great God of Eternity, who sits in the heavens, shall have and does have both of these kings in derision and laughs at their futile efforts. —Psalm 2: 4.
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The prophecy of Daniel, at the eleventh chapter, proceeds to detail the struggle between "the king of the north" and "the king of the south", and definitely tells of the everlasting end of the totalitarian rule and that the Axis combine, the dictatorial rule, shall soon cease for ever. On this occasion it is not possible to relate the details of that prophecy, but, by the Lord's grace, The Watchtower will publish the same that the people of good-will may be enlightened and strengthened in hope for complete relief.
NEUTRALITY
Both of 'the kings' fight desperately for world domination. They are working great destruction upon the nations, increasing the burdens of all and causing the people to mourn greatly. What is the attitude of JEHOVAH'S covenant people concerning this controversy? Shall they take sides and fight either for "the king of the north" or for "the king of the south"? Almighty God commands that they must remain entirely neutral in the controversy. Because his covenant people are servants and representatives of THE THEOCRACY they must hold themselves entirely aloof from warring factious of this world. (2 Corinthians 10: 3, 4) In neutrality Christ Jesus takes the lead and commands all of the faithful supporters of his kingdom to follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21) To his faithful followers Jesus says: 'Ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the world; because ye are not of the world,
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and I have chosen you out of the world, you are opposed and hated by all nations for my name's sake.' (John 17:16; John 15:19; Matthew 24: 7-9) JEHOVAH'S covenant people are the representatives of THE THEOCRACY and must hold fast their integrity toward God and his kingdom. To do otherwise means their destruction everlastingly. JEHOVAH'S covenant people are now engaged in a work of the greatest importance to mankind, to wit, the directing of the people to the only possible means of peace, comfort and life. This one thing they must do.
The prophecy shows that in order to fight against the totalitarian forces of "the north" "the king of the south" becomes more and more dictatorial. Both adopt the same method or means, and as a result the burdens of the people greatly increase and they mourn bitterly. Such are the present-day experiences.
END
What, then, shall be the end of this great distress and mourning? Shall the totalitarian dictators succeed in controlling the earth! God's prophecy answers that to the full satisfaction of all who love righteousness. The prophecy tells that "the king of the north" receives information which proceeds from Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, and which greatly troubles the world powers, and "therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many, . . . Yet he shall come to his end,
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and none shall help him". (Daniel 11:44,45) That will mark the end of the rule of wickedness and will mean the end of mourning for the people.
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