Human Imperfection, Teboho Kibe [read a book .txt] 📗

This pouring out of the spirit on them was a visible sign that Jesus Christ had ascended to heaven and entered into God’s presence and offered to him the value of his human sacrifice. It was proof that Jesus Christ was now sitting at God’s right hand in heaven as the great Priest and King like the ancient Melchizedek, who was “priest of the most high God”. (Acts 2:1-36; Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1-27) Thus those faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who began to receive the holy spirit on that Pentecostal or Fiftieth day were released from the condemnation of sin and were freed from bondage to Satan the Devil, who is “god of this system of things”. The Holy Scriptures inform us that these anointed disciples who prove faithful till death will finally number 144,000. They, too, are to experience a spiritual resurrection from death, a resurrection to immortal life in heaven, there to reign with their Leader Jesus Christ in his heavenly kingdom of the righteous new world.—Rev. 14:1, 3; 2:26-28; 3:21.

THE GOVERNMENT OF EMANCIPATION

Now, after nineteen hundred years in which humanity in general has suffered, groaned and died in servitude to sin, imperfection, selfishness, Satan’s world-wide organization, and death, NOW has come the time to sound out the good news of the great Jubilee of the new world as by a blast on a trumpet. At man’s beginning the great Liberator Jehovah permitted mankind to come under bondage to sin, death and Devil, but he never purposed that mankind should forever continue in such bondage. Away back there in the paradise of Eden immediately after sin had entered into the world through Adam and along with it death and the rule of Satan the deceitful Serpent, Jehovah God sounded out a prophecy of liberation for mankind by a Liberator, the Seed of God’s woman. This Seed of his woman, God prophesied, would bruise or crush the head of the great Serpent, Satan the Devil, the originator of what is evil and bad. (Gen. 3:15) That Seed of God’s woman is his Son Jesus Christ. God is the great Timekeeper, the One who fixes times and seasons and who runs things exactly according to his scheduled time. So he fixed a definite time for Satan’s rule to end. That meant he also fixed a set time for himself to rule over the earth by his promised kingdom. We are now in the “time of the end” of Satan’s rule. It began some thirty years ago, in 1914. That date can be determined by the time schedule in God’s Book, the Bible.

There the “appointed times of the nations” ran out, because those nations are subject to Satan the Devil and are oppressors of God’s people. The nations, subject to the devilish enslaver, have misruled the earth and failed to bring liberation to the oppressed people. As their “appointed times” of power expired in 1914, the time then arrived for God the Creator to resume his power over the earth, his creation, the same as over all the rest of the universe. (Luke 21:24, NW) This he did by installing his kingdom in the heavens for the government of the earth and its peoples from then on, and this government he put in the hands of his anointed King, Jesus Christ. There need be no uncertainty about this in any honest person’s mind. Shortly before his sacrificial death Jesus foretold the sign which was to give evidence that we were in the “time of the end”, in the “consummation of this system of things”, and that the accomplished end of this oppressive world of slavery was drawing near. We now see the sign. Every informed person knows the world’s history since 1914. It began with the first total war, whole nation ranged against whole nation, entire kingdom against entire kingdom.

This first world war was attended by the horrors of food shortages, pestilence, earthquakes, violent persecution of true Christians who are heirs of God’s kingdom, failure of all peace efforts and peace alliances, rising fears of the nations with no knowledge of the way out by human means. ALL these experiences of this generation were foretold by Jesus Christ as stamping our time the “time of the end” of Satan’s world and the time for God’s kingdom to rule in the midst of all its enemies seen and unseen. Jesus said: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you, This generation will by no means pass away until all things occur.”—Luke 21:31, 32, NW.

God’s kingdom by his Son Jesus Christ is the one and only government of liberation. The great atonement sacrifice of Christ Jesus the High Priest has been presented in heaven, and during the past nineteen centuries his faithful followers have received the benefits of it through faith. Now in addition Jehovah’s theocratic government with Christ as King has been established. As the people’s emancipator it must completely destroy the Devil’s world organization, visible and invisible, and bring it to a complete end. This it will do at the universal war of Armageddon, the final battle toward which all the nations are now being marched under the influence of Satan and his demons.—Rev. 16:14-16.

With the covering of mankind’s sins now possible through Christ’s sacrifice and with God’s kingdom now set up, NOW is the time for proclamation of the Jubilee for all mankind to be blasted forth. Who is to proclaim it? Christ’s anointed followers and all persons of good will who receive the message with faith and joy. Jesus said: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.”

Jesus included this preaching of the Kingdom to all nations among the many features of the sign which would mark the “time of the end” and the time of his presence in the Kingdom. In a notable way since 1919 this good news of God’s established kingdom has been preached by Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere on earth to all nations. Every year this Kingdom witness increases in spite of religious, political, judicial and military opposition and persecution. Here, then, we have another powerful visible proof that the Kingdom for mankind’s emancipation is in power, ruling now in the midst of its enemies before it destroys them at Armageddon.—Matt. 24:3-14, NW; Mark 13:4-9; Luke 21:7-28.

When the Kingdom witness, the modern-day sounding of the Jubilee trumpet, has been given everywhere to the extent that God has decreed, then at his own appointed day and hour the battle of Armageddon will come suddenly like a thief upon Satan’s world. Its enslaving control over this earth and its inhabitants will be smashed and forever removed. All who continue in willful slavery to it will be destroyed with it. For this reason it is that NOW the Jubilee trumpet must be sounded by giving the witness to God’s kingdom, the government of everlasting life in a free new world. By the power of the truth concerning God’s kingdom the people of good will who hear the Jubilee trumpet must make their break for liberty from Satan’s world of slavery. They must flee to God’s kingdom as the rightful government of all mankind, the one and only answer to the prayer Jesus taught us, “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matt. 6:9, 10, NW) He also assured us, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He said, too, that God’s Word in the Holy Bible is the truth. (John 17:17) So now in this short period before Armageddon listen to the Jubilee proclamation, learn the truth, and then act upon it without further delay, that you may gain your freedom. Then, as free men and women, join your forces world-wide to “proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof”. By that course you may live through Armageddon and never die!

The righteous war of God at Armageddon will free mankind of Satan’s domination. Then the new world will begin and will complete mankind’s liberation. King Death will reign no more, but all the sinful effects of our birth from Adam which brought death will be removed from all those who obey God’s kingdom. Yes, death will be forced to release those whom it holds lifeless in the graves, for Christ Jesus will utter his voice and all those in the graves will hear his voice and come out. All will be taught the righteous requirements and the truth of the Most High God, and all the obedient will be lifted out of their sinful, imperfect condition to perfect manhood and womanhood.

Forever it remains true, “The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Ps. 24:1, AS) No more will greedy land barons monopolize the land, or wars for territorial expansion and for natural resources rage and ruin the earth’s surface and reduce the people to homeless poverty. Nor will soil erosion and exhaustion lay the land desolate and uninhabitable. The King Christ Jesus will allot each faithful subject a place in the earth to cultivate and enjoy to Jehovah the great Landowner’s pleasure. Under divine blessing the earth will become most fertile and will yield plenty for all human needs. Paradise will become an earth-wide reality.

The benefits of his perfect human sacrifice Christ Jesus the King will bestow upon all his obedient subjects, to fulfill the prophecy, “His name shall be called . . . Everlasting Father.” (Isa. 9:6, AS) Those who then prove their allegiance to the universal sovereignty of Jehovah and to his King will be declared worthy of the right to everlasting life in the endless world of peace, health and happiness.

Here, then, the great heavenly Liberator, Jehovah God, will vindicate the word which he has given, “that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:21, NW) Let the glorious good news of this liberty now at hand be loudly proclaimed throughout all the land to all of earth’s inhabitants. Do your part.

They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it. For all the peoples walk every one in the name of his god; and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.—Mic. 4:4, 5, AS.” What powerful public address he gave.Wow!

Governments “by the people” appear unsure of their political future. They are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with mounting problems.In the case of many democratic, capitalistic governments, economic growth and material prosperity have become almost synonymous. This has kept most people comparatively satisfied. But now the financial strength of the capitalistic world faces its greatest challenge. Economic growth has ground almost to a halt and, in some cases, reversed. Dissatisfaction is on the increase. What has happened?

Skyrocketing energy costs have dampened the fires of economic growth. This is threatening to tumble the living standards to which millions have become accustomed. Many people, therefore, feel that greater governmental control will definitely be needed to cope with the resulting problems.

The noted British historian Arnold Toynbee voiced the opinion that “progressively more severe” living standards will be forced upon industrial nations, creating growing social unrest among people who are used to having more. As a result, he predicts, “a new way of life—a severely regimented way—will have to be imposed by a ruthless authoritarian government” to force people to accept declining standards of living.

Even the then United States Secretary of State Kissinger warned that international rivalries could create economic crises that would force democratic governments to “move more and more to authoritarian models” while ‘Western civilization disintegrates.’

To increasing