Good News for Perplexed Humanity
There is good news. There is greater cause for rejoicing now than in any other time in history, despite the flood of woes that fills the earth. Learn what that cause is by reading the following.
IN THIS restless and discontented world good news is simply nonexistent. Therefore, for good news to come to perplexed humanity, it must of necessity come from a source apart from this world. And it does. In fact, it comes from the Creator of a new world, an entirely new system of things, wherein righteousness dwells, a world “having real foundations and the builder and creator of which is God.” While this might appear farfetched to skeptics and pessimists, yet this fact is becoming more pronounced with each passing day.—Heb. 11:10, NW.
To offset the good news of the irresistible approach of the new world, the old world ridicules and jeers, even whips up a hopeful spirit of its own. For example, the “spirit of Geneva,” which briefly lessened world tension and lifted hearts of humanity in hope, was one of such efforts. But the good news that was offered at the summit conference in Geneva was not in good faith, nor was it sincere or genuine. It was short-lived, and soon the cold war rose again.
This trend of crying peace, which is followed by disappointment, is in keeping with the prophet’s words: “They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” “We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!” “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” And who is there to deny that the heart of a perplexed humanity not only has been troubled but is sick unto death because of its deferred promises of peace?—Jer. 8:11, 15; Prov. 13:12.
Another hopeful spurt that has taken on shades of doom is the very religious boom itself. At first a religious revival sounded like good news, especially to the Western world, which is suffering from a bad case of agnosticism, atheism and materialism. But while worldly religion has gained in popularity and is now quite fashionable, there is a drop in morality, a rise in crime and corruption, an increase in adult and juvenile delinquency, and all this very noticeably among the churchgoing public.
In other words, the religious boom is not genuine, nor real, nor springing from deep within the hearts of humanity. It is a surface religion, therefore it cannot bring forth good fruit. The propulsive power behind the revival is not the spirit that says, “To do thy will, O my God.” (Ps. 40:8) Rather it is, “My will be done with Thy help.” The new religion endeavors to use God as an instrument and is not concerned about becoming an instrument of God. To try to use God for any purpose, no matter how apparently noble, is always wrong. Even to use him for the vital purpose of withstanding and ultimately defeating communism is to make of Him an instrument, and therefore wrong. He will not allow himself to be used that way. God will deal with all wicked governments in his due time. “Thus,” says Dr. Eugene Carson Blake, a leading Protestant spokesman, “the increase in religious interest becomes a possible danger. It may become tragic, indeed, if it becomes a prop and a justification for an essentially unreligious life instead of an aid to new moral and spiritual insights.”
Therefore, this growing religious sham is not good news. It is in fact a sign denoting the last days of this wicked system of things. Said Paul the apostle: “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, . . . lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away.” The prophet Hosea in type spoke of our day, saying: “Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land. There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish.” Because of its inherent corruption, it is impossible for the old world to nurture good news.—2 Tim. 3:1-5, NW; Hos. 4:1-3, AS.
WHAT AND WHERE IS GOOD NEWS?
As disagreeable as the above-described conditions may be, yet they are a sign of good things to come. How so? After recounting the wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes and fears that would engulf this generation, Jesus said to his disciples: “But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” The indication of deliverance from the present perplexing conditions is in itself good news. But the good news that Jesus had reference to was concerning the establishment of the kingdom of God, that long-promised government that is to bless mankind with peace, prosperity and everlasting life in a new world of righteousness. That is the good news, the gospel, that is to be “preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations,” before the accomplished end of this system of things. The fact that that kingdom government is here, now, today, in actual operation is the greatest piece of good news ever to hit the earth!—Luke 21:28; Matt. 24:14, NW.
But where is it? you ask. The Kingdom itself is a heavenly government; therefore it cannot be seen by human eyes. But the New World society that is an outgrowth of the Kingdom’s operation can be seen by men. It has been functioning on earth since 1919, with definite visible results. Therefore, the very presence of the New World society is a sign of the Kingdom’s establishment, hence good news and a cause for great rejoicing.
How can we be sure this is so? What proof is there? And why have not the nations acclaimed it? When did all this take place? The Bible answers.
The conferment of the Kingdom upon Jesus, according to prophecy, must be when the “seven times” of Satan’s uninterrupted rule of the nations expire. Those times had their beginning in 607 B.C., at Jerusalem’s destruction, and continued for seven symbolic times or 2,520 years. Those years came to their end A.D. 1914. The year 1914 marked the time of the setting up of the Kingdom government in the heavens. The establishment of a new universal government is the prime requirement for the bringing in of a new world. That is why at the time it is established the cry rings out: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king for ever and ever.”—Rev. 11:15, NW; Dan. 4:16, 25, 32.
By all the pious expressions from religious organizations of Christendom people are deceived into thinking that at the time God’s kingdom by Christ takes power the nations, especially the nations of Christendom, will rejoice and thank God and at once yield over their earthly sovereignty to his Christ. But the hypocrisy of false religion is shown in that just the opposite takes place. Jesus forewarned that it would be so. He said that those favoring his government would say: “We thank you, Jehovah God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king.” But as for the nations of earth at this assuming of divine power Jesus went on to say: “But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time . . . to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” The very fact that this rage of the nations breaks loose at the setting up of divine government for the earth constitutes part of the sign asked for by Jesus’ disciples. It occurred right at the end of the 2,520 years of Gentile rule. This fact shows that such rage is evidence that the end of the old world has come and the time for Kingdom rule has begun.—Rev. 11:15-18; Matt. 24:7, 8; Luke 21:7-28, NW.
The birth of the Kingdom A.D. 1914 meant that the end of Satan’s world was not far off, which, of course, is not good news to supporters of this dying system. But it is good news to perplexed humanity, because it means that a righteous new world of life, joy and peace is also not far off. The good news of this fact has been preached particularly since 1920, and continues to be preached in all the earth by an increasing number of Jehovah’s witnesses, in fulfillment of Matthew 24:14. Today the message goes out to more than 158 lands, with more than 642,929 proclaimers devoting upward of 85,832,250 hours during 1955 in bringing this good news to the attention of the people. Hundreds of millions of books, Bibles, magazines and tracts have been distributed and other means employed to announce this incontrovertible truth.
A world shaking has followed as a result of the deluge of information published, with people of all nations, kindreds and tongues coming to the New World society and exercising faith in its God. Last year alone, more than 63,640 individuals declared themselves for the new world by water immersion, thus becoming new active proclaimers of the good news. These along with hundreds of thousands of others form a society no part of this old world. They form a New World society by Jehovah’s Word and spirit. As such society, they have left behind old-world standards, political and religious traditions, squabbles, racial and religious hatreds, prides and rivalries, and numberless other divisive things. They keep themselves unspotted from the world.
As a clean, wholesome New World people they have God’s promise of surviving the universal war of this generation—Armageddon—and, as a united people, they will pass over into God’s new world of righteousness, there to enjoy the blessings of God forevermore. This grand prospect can be yours. Make it yours by giving heed to this good news of the Kingdom now being preached.