and that here there was an unconquerable movement, whose preaching, if it came true, would mean the end of all nations. Truly, preliminary to Armageddon and its violent removal of all nations, there has been a great unsettlement, commotion and shaking of the heavens, earth, sea and all nations of Satan’s world.

“THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS”

22. What did Haggai say was to come as a result of the shaking of Satan’s world, and how was this explained in 1886 and in 1931?

²² Haggai said that as a result of Jehovah’s shaking of Satan’s world something grand was to come in. What? “The desire of all nations shall come.” So says the King James Version, also Darby’s. “And the delight of all the nations shall come in,” says Rotherham’s translation. At first this was applied to the coming of God’s unshakable kingdom. In 1886 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book entitled “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” On page 266 this stated: “Thus man’s extremity will become God’s opportunity, and ‘the desire of all nations shall come’—the Kingdom of God, in power and great glory.—Hag. 2:7.” Forty-five years later the prophecy’s application was narrowed down to one individual, Jesus Christ the King. The magazine The Watch Tower, in its February 15, 1931, issue, presented an article on “His Temple” and said (¶ 33): “Christ Jesus, the Head of the Christ, primarily must be ‘the delight of all the people’ when they know him, because he is God’s representative. Jesus Christ came to the temple as the vicegerent of Jehovah. He is the ‘seed of promise’ and is the desire of all nations and peoples, even though they know it not yet.”

23. On what ancient version of the Bible was that interpretation really based, and why could that event here described not occur in 1918?

²³ This latter interpretation was based on the popular King James Version, which rendered Haggai 2:7 in agreement with the old Latin Vulgate. The Vulgate’s rendering as reproduced by the Catholic Douay Version reads: “And the Desired [One] of all nations shall come.” In the Roman Catholic liturgy at Advent time this is applied to Jesus’ coming to earth, not to his coming to the temple. His coming to the great spiritual temple of God for judgment work is understood to have taken place invisibly in the spring of 1918. But Haggai 2:7 is a prophecy of the restoration period of God’s people and therefore cannot be thrown back to 1918 before their restoration started. In the case of the ancient Jewish remnant Haggai 2:7 could not come true until after they had rebuilt God’s house. Due to their fear and negligence for sixteen years, this proved to be twenty-one years after they returned from Babylon. Likewise in the case of the spiritual remnant of today, the coming of what was desirable did not apply before they were restored from mystic Babylon in 1919 nor even in that year, when they were just getting started in the temple work.

24. Why does the Hebrew text itself forbid such an interpretation, and so how did the Greek Septuagint render the Hebrew?

²⁴ One other thing worthy of note: The original Hebrew text forbids Haggai 2:7 to be applied to the Lord Jesus at his coming to the temple in 1918. How so? In this way: Although the word translated “desire” or “Desired” or “delight” is in the singular number, yet the Hebrew verb accompanying it is in the plural. Centuries before the Latin Vulgate the Hebrews who translated the Greek Septuagint noted this fact. So they rendered the singular Hebrew noun in the collective sense and made their translation read: “And the chosen things [or, choice things] of all the nations will come.”

25. Accordingly, how do practically all modern translations render the Hebrew expression?

²⁵ Practically all the modern translations, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant, from the Hebrew try to bring out the force of the original Hebrew text in harmony with the Greek Septuagint.a The English Revised Version of 1884 rendered it: “And I will shake all nations, and the desirable things of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.” The American Standard Version of 1901, and also the Hebrew Leeser Version of 1905, and Nacar-Colunga Version of 1948 said: “the precious things of all (the) nations”; and the Hebrew Soncino edition said: “the choicest things of all nations”; An American Translation, Lienart and Crampon said: “the treasures of all the nations”; and Maredsous said: “the riches of all the peoples.”

26. How do other modern translations show that such thing would come in as a result of the shaking?

²⁶ Other translations indicate that Jehovah’s purpose in shaking all nations was that such thing might come in. In agreement with the German Kautzsch and the French L’École Biblique, the Revised Standard Version of 1952 reads: “And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts.” Moffatt goes farther and reads: “And shaking all nations till the treasures of all nations are brought hither and my House here filled with splendor (says the Lord of hosts).” That is, Jehovah’s shaking of all nations would produce certain results toward his house. What?

FULFILLMENT

27. How does Jehovah show us what to look for in the fulfillment, and what did Isaiah 66:10-14 say the remnant would see?

²⁷ Parallel prophecies from Jehovah’s mouth show us what to look for in the fulfillment of Haggai 2:7, and the developments of modern history prove Jehovah’s prophecies true in this respect. In giving the great restoration prophecy concerning his woman, his universal organization Jerusalem, when she brings forth the remaining ones of her seed as a theocratic nation from 1919 forward, Jehovah has his prophet Isaiah cry out for his people to hear today: “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her; that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will extend peace [prosperity, AT] to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and ye shall suck thereof; ye shall be borne upon the side [like a beloved child], and shall be dandled upon the knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And ye shall see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass.” (Isa. 66:10-14, AS) The remnant of the seed of God’s woman Jerusalem do see this now and their hearts rejoice, and they acknowledge that the hand of Jehovah has done it.

28. What does Isaiah 61:1-7 foretell in connection with the remnant?

²⁸ The same prophet uttered another prophecy on how Jehovah would restore his anointed witnesses from mystic Babylon and would commission them to preach good tidings, bind up broken hearts, proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the prison to bound ones, and comfort all that mourn. Then he added: “And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the priests of Jehovah; men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.” (Isa. 61:1-7, AS) Today in the theocratic land that was born in 1919 the anointed remnant enjoy a spiritual prosperity double in amount to what shame, dishonor and oppression they suffered during World War I.

29. What throws such prosperity of the remnant into bold relief, and why do the great crowd of good will acknowledge the remnant to be God’s ministers and priests?

²⁹ Throwing such prosperity into bold relief the strangers and foreigners of good will render services as plowmen, vinedressers and feeders of the flock, spiritually speaking, and Jehovah’s “ministers” and members of His “royal priesthood” draw help and benefit from such services. It is a never-ending source of joy to them. Anybody whatsoever may now show himself one of those strangers and foreigners of good will, ready and glad to serve God together with the remnant, no matter how great this crowd of good will becomes. But that is not so of the “royal priesthood” under Christ, whose number is limited to 144,000 members. It takes consecration to be admitted into that exclusive priestly body, and only Jehovah God can do the consecrating of those whom he calls to that high spiritual office. The good-will strangers and foreigners recognize this and acknowledge the spiritual remnant to be God’s ministers and Jehovah’s priests.

30. How, according to Zechariah 8:20-23, have ten men taken hold on the skirt of a Jew and gone up with him to worship?

³⁰ When Jehovah miraculously restored his remnant from Babylon in 1919 and set them to work in temple activity as his worshipers and servants it was an evidence to the sincere-hearted people of all nations who learned of it that Jehovah’s witnesses had a real God and that he was truly with them to deliver and bless them. They heard the anointed remnant, those who are Jews inwardly, encouraging one another to go up to Jehovah’s temple, saying: “Let us go speedily to supplicate Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also.” Then they wanted to go along, and they took hold on the remnant of spiritual Jews. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days shall ten men take hold, out of all languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you [people]; for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech. 8:20-23, Da) The God named Jehovah, whose deeds, promises and purposes are recorded in the Holy Bible, is the great magnet of attraction, and He is the One whom they are drawn to worship in company with the remnant of spiritual Jews. Already they number more than ten such men of good will to one such spiritual Jew. This would never have happened had the anointed remnant not gone up and done temple work at Jehovah’s house.

31. According to Isaiah 60:1-16, upon whom has Jehovah risen with glory, and what command is given therefore, and what was to follow obedience to this command?

³¹ When he was angry with them during the period of World War I, the remnant of the seed of his woman, “Jerusalem above,” were in deep gloom and darkness. But in 1919 Jehovah rose with favor upon his woman and the light of his favor was reflected to her anointed remnant on earth. His command to her also applied to her remnant, and oh how grand are the results that have accrued from their obeying the command: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but Jehovah will arise on thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. . . . Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee. . . . And foreigners shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. Thy gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive. For that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. . . . Thou shalt also suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”—Isa. 60:1-16, AS.

32. In answer to the question, Have the desirable things of all nations come in? how did Jehovah give a visible answer at Yankee Stadium in 1953?

³² With our eyes enlightened by these interpretative prophecies we have reached the time to ask, Have the desirable things, the precious things, the treasures, the choicest things of all the nations come in? You thousands of the anointed remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses who are here today, lift up your eyes and sweep them about this vast structure of Yankee Stadium and behold the tens on tens of thousands of people of good will from scores of nations and languages. There is the answer of Jehovah of hosts to the question. He has shaken all the nations by the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and the desirable things of the nations have come in already, and an untold number of them will yet come in before Jehovah consummates the great shaking by fighting the battle of Armageddon and totally removing the quaking heavens and earth of the Devil’s organization.—Hag. 2:20-23.

33. Along with the example of the ancient witnesses, with what has Jehovah today surrounded his spiritual remnant for their stimulation in the race to the finish?

³³ Once we of the remnant used to think that in the time of the greatest test, the final test, of the remnant before or at Armageddon it would become necessary for Jehovah God to raise from the dead the “so great a cloud of witnesses” of ancient times, the “princes” (estimated to be just seventy in all), to strengthen the spiritual remnant and give them divine assurance amid their toughest trial. But today look up, you remnant, see the so great cloud of modern witnesses with which Jehovah God has surrounded you, all of them showing the genuine faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets, even if they have to die for it behind the “Iron Curtain” or elsewhere. What more than this in the way of divine miracles can the anointed remnant ask for now? The loyal companionship and support of this “great crowd” of modern witnesses of Jehovah and their zeal and faithfulness in keeping his commandments are a powerful stimulus, along with the example of the “so great a cloud” of ancient witnesses, to run the race that is set before us to the finish, to victory!—Heb. 12:1, 2, NW.

34. How has Jehovah drawn them out of all nations, and to whom are they desirable and why?

³⁴ By the Kingdom witness that he anointed and sent his remnant out to preach Jehovah has drawn out of all the nations those whom he desires and whom his remnant properly desire, the people who are of such good will toward Jehovah that they dedicate themselves to him through Christ the reigning King. Poor, humble and ordinary these may be, and the nations may not prize these as of much account and may now turn to hate them; yet in Jehovah’s sight they are the choicest things that the nations have, because they respond to the Kingdom witness, they also take it up and they join the anointed remnant in heralding it to still others. To Jehovah their lives are precious and he will protect them from his executional forces at Armageddon and will confer upon them life and its sweet privileges in the new world. They are real treasures to Him, comparable to his faithful witnesses of ancient times.

HOW FILLED?

35. How have they shown they appreciate Jehovah’s claim on the silver and the gold, and how has Jehovah filled “this house with glory”?a

³⁵ Right on into the temple Jehovah brings them, that they may worship in pure, undefiled religion beside the anointed remnant there, for there is where their hearts are. They appreciate the divine statement: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts.” (Hag. 2:8, AS; Da) So when coming into his house of worship they come bringing their treasures of silver and gold, for they include all such treasures when they dedicate themselves and all they have to God through Christ. They gladly expend themselves financially and otherwise in order to carry on world-wide Kingdom-preaching until the world’s end comes at Armageddon. Thus with the coming in of the desirable things of all the nations the promise of Jehovah to his remnant of anointed temple workers has been fulfilled: “And I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah.” (Hag. 2:7, AS) Back there in 1919 it was the day of small things for the temple workers, things apparently so small as to be despised by the proud nations. But Jehovah’s prophecy guaranteed big results to that temple work, that resumption of his worship at his clean house: “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts.” (Hag. 2:9, AS) “The future splendor of this house shall be greater than the past.”—AT.

36. How has Jehovah already fulfilled his word that the latter glory of this house should be greater than the former?

³⁶ How true that is already today! Through the incoming of the desirable ones with their treasures of loving devotion and of theocratic service “day and night in his temple” the house of Jehovah’s worship has been filled with a glory that eclipses not only what occurred with Solomon’s temple but also what has occurred during all the nineteen centuries that Jehovah has been preparing the “living stones” for the erection of a complete temple, “a spiritual house.” Never has there been anything like this to adorn and magnify the house of Jehovah’s worship. The number of the spiritual remnant will get smaller year by year as Jehovah removes some of them from this earthly quarry of preparation and places them as “living stones” in the heavenly temple. But oh the throngs of hundreds of thousands of the choicest class of people out of all the nations that now crowd the house of Jehovah’s worship, and these being added to by the thousands from year to year! What glory, what impressive weight, this gives to Jehovah’s house, a glory never lessening but ever increasing as time marches on to Armageddon! Truly all nations must now know that Jehovah has a house of worship and that it is teeming with worshipers. His worship is a reality that cannot be stamped out any more than men could stamp out his “spiritual house,” his temple of “living stones.”

PEACE

37. What assurance does Haggai’s prophecy give us that the dissension and combat of the nations outside will not invade this house?

³⁷ The controversy, dissension and combat of the worldly nations outside will never invade the sacred precincts of Jehovah’s house of worship. Internal discord and fights will never break up the worship of the anointed remnant and their desirable companions of good will, and thus rob his house of its all-surpassing glory. “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts.” (Hag. 2:9, AS; Da) Not the United Nations, but Jehovah’s house of worship, is the only place of peace on earth today, and the nations of this world cannot take it away. It is the gift of Jehovah God to us.

38. In fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, 10 how has Jehovah cut off chariot, horse and battle bow from Ephraim and Jerusalem?

³⁸ When he foretold how his King Jesus Christ would come and be laid in heavenly Zion as the tried and tested foundation of the new world, Jehovah declared: “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off. And he shall speak peace unto the nations; and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river [Euphrates, once controlled by Babylon] to the ends of the earth.” (Zech. 9:9, 10, Da) Chariots, horses and the battle-bow were all ancient symbols of carnal warfare. At times the Israelites, divided under the kingdom headed by Ephraim and the kingdom headed by Jerusalem, used these implements of war in fratricidal combat against each other. But eventually Jehovah united Ephraim and Jerusalem as one people and cut off the war weapons from use against each other. Likewise with the remnant of his spiritual Israelites: No matter of what religious or political professions and loyalties they formerly were, Jehovah by his King unites them as one nation and he helps them by his holy spirit to worship and serve him in peace. The spiritual Israelites unitedly support Jehovah’s King.

39. Why is it not to the worldly nations that Jehovah’s King speaks peace today, and what are Jehovah’s witnesses therefore restrained from doing?

³⁹ His King, the “Prince of Peace,” will not confine his reign of peace to a united, peace-keeping spiritual Israel. Jehovah says: “He shall speak peace unto the nations.” How can that be, since Jesus Christ does not speak peace today to the nations of this world? He wields the iron scepter to smash all the nations to pieces like mere potter’s vessels at Armageddon. He defies all nations to fight him there, in accord with Jehovah’s proclamation to the nations: “Prepare war, arouse the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-knives into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. Haste ye and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together.” (Joel 3:9-11, Da) Under command to make this war proclamation to all the nations, Jehovah’s witnesses can not and will not join in with any pacifist organization in urging the national governments to cease from war in the name of Christianity. Jehovah’s witnesses will not lend any support to the Disarmament Resolution passed on April 8 this year by the General Assembly of the United Nations under the delusion of working for lasting peace among the worldly nations. To do such a thing would, for one thing, be useless. For another thing, and that the more important, it would be contrary to Jehovah’s command to his witnesses.

40. In seeking the answer to our question on the King’s speaking peace to the nations, what particular prophecy of Isaiah are we called to listen to?

⁴⁰ What, then, does the King’s speaking peace to the nations mean? When does it apply? Listen, and, as you listen, think of the coming in of the desirable things of all nations to Jehovah’s house of worship: “And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and Jehovah’s word from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall reprove many peoples; and they shall forge their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-knives: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”—Isa. 2:2-4, Da; AS.

41. When shall we have total and permanent disarmament of the worldly nations? Why?

⁴¹ The nations of this world are not the ones that pay attention to Jehovah’s judgments or that heed his reproof. Their disarmament conferences and resolutions are not for total disarmament but for mere limitation of armaments, and these have never led and will never this side of Armageddon lead the nations to forge swords into plowshares and spears into pruning knives and to lay down the sword and quit teaching war. When the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” strikes them, they will be fully armed with all the improved weapons of modern science, of many of which we now have no knowledge. But when Armageddon is finished, Jehovah’s King will have dashed all those anti-Kingdom nations to bits. Then first we shall have total disarmament of those nations and permanently so.

42. Who, then, of the nations is it that now heed Jehovah’s judgments and reproof, and how will they do so even at Armageddon? Why?

⁴² Hence it is the “great crowd” of desirable ones out of all such nations and peoples that now heed Jehovah’s judgments and reproof and now walk in the paths he teaches them from Zion and its temple. These now practice total disarmament, converting to peaceful, productive uses what was formerly devoted to mortal combat, laying down the sword that they literally used to raise against one another and learning such carnal warfare no more. When Armageddon strikes and Jehovah confounds his enemies, those enemies will turn every man his hand against his brother. Not so this “great crowd” that have come out of all nations to the highly-lifted “mountain of Jehovah”! They will lend every man a helping hand to his brother, that they may all stand united in the “peace of God that excels all thought.” This will be because they have all flowed together to the house of Jehovah, “the God of Jacob,” and there He enforces his purpose: “In this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts.”—Hag. 2:9, AS.

43. In witnessing what sight, how are we blessed, and how shall we be further blessed in this connection?

⁴³ Behold, then, his house of worship today filled with glory, gifted with divine peace. Blessed are we to live to witness this sight in vindication of Jehovah’s word. Blessed shall we be to abide in his house worshiping him purely, “in holy array,” and tirelessly working for the filling of his house with yet greater glory by helping all the remaining desirable ones of all the nations to come in.

Which Papers Do You Read?

“We are convinced that Catholics are the most tolerant of all people. They never hear another organization attacked from their pulpit, while they are taught that they must love every individual, friend or enemy.”—Our Sunday Visitor, January 25, 1953.

“The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia has listed 23 new cases of alleged persecution of Protestants in this predominantly Catholic country, including the murder of a Protestant lay preacher and the dynamiting of a Presbyterian chapel. . . . In another serious incident, the report said, a parish priest: with a revolver led the mayor and police of La Plata, in the Huila Department, in a shooting attack on a building where Protestant services were being held.”—Cincinnati (Ohio) Times Star, January 29, 1953.

Is that tolerance?