²⁹ Then, too, look at Egypt (U.A.R.) where Jehovah’s witnesses were arrested at the time of the 1967 Memorial celebration. They were kept in prison for months because they were preaching the good news about God’s kingdom. The Watch Tower missionaries were expelled from Egypt too, and many local Witnesses were subjected to extreme torture. The Society’s printery in Greece has been closed by Government decree, the preaching of the kingdom of God has been hindered in a number of the Arab states, and all the Watch Tower missionaries were expelled from Burma.

³⁰ Will such action on the part of nationalistic governments stop Jehovah’s Christian witnesses from preaching the good news? No! But they will be strengthened in the knowledge that Jehovah has passed final judgment and will shortly execute these, along with the rest of the world empire of paganistic religion. Jehovah’s decree is, Up with true worship, down with the false!—Jer. 1:10; Ezek. 25:15-17.

31, 32. (a) Why is Hezekiah a noble example for us? (b) How may we now follow in the foorsteps of the Greater-than-Hezekiah?

³¹ Jehovah’s witnesses have succeeded in their spiritual warfare, in the same way that Hezekiah was successful in putting down the troublesome Philistines. And how splendidly did the righteous stand of Hezekiah, on behalf of true worship, contrast with the apostasy of his predecessors and the paganism of his neighbors! “In Jehovah the God of Israel he trusted; and after him there proved to be no one like him among all the kings of Judah, even those who had happened to be prior to him. And he kept sticking to Jehovah. He did not turn aside from following him, but he continued keeping his commandments that Jehovah had commanded Moses. And Jehovah proved to be with him. Wherever he would go out, he would act prudently.”—2 Ki. 18:5-7.

³² May we, too, continue to act prudently, as we follow in the footsteps of the Greater-than-Hezekiah, Christ Jesus. May we be fearless in the face of threats by false religion and nationalistic governments, unflinchingly declaring God’s vengeance against this present Satanic system of things and comforting those who mourn at its unrighteousness. (Isa. 61:1, 2) Yes, may we keep ‘sticking to Jehovah,’ confident that he will ‘prove to be with us’ in our zealous worship and as we share in the eternal vindication of His name. But more concerning true worship’s triumph over nationalism in a future article.

Witness Impresses Priest

In the U.S. Catholic magazine of December 1966 a Catholic priest wrote what he thought of one of Jehovah’s witnesses who called at his door. He said: “If only I and others in the Church had the missionary zeal of this Jehovah[’s] Witness! His courage and fervor were reminiscent of John the Baptist (Gospel). The witness, also named John . . . , is only eighteen years old. He finished high school and left home in another state to come here and do missionary work. He attends five meetings a week, gives one hundred hours a month to home visiting and he supports himself. For a living he scrubs floors for stores, taking this evening work so he can visit homes during the day. He is living a life of dedication and self-sacrifice.” Not only this young man but thousands like him, young and old, are living a life of dedication and sacrifice, doing this out of love for God and their neighbors. In view of the times, they are putting forth strenuous efforts to help men escape the impending destruction of this wicked system of things. Listen to the Bible message they bring to you.