he declares: “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger.” (Zeph. 3:8, AS) Jehovah, through his Christ, will use great forces that he controls in nature in bringing overwhelming destruction to Satan and all who follow him on earth. It will be on a global scale, similar in magnitude to the flood of Noah’s day.—Jer. 25:31-34; 2 Pet. 3:5-7, 10.

49. (a) What is “Armageddon”? (b) Who only may survive Armageddon?

⁴⁹ In the Bible this destruction of wicked nations is called God’s battle of Armageddon. (Rev. 16:14-16) Only meek persons, who seek Jehovah and righteousness, may survive Armageddon into God’s peaceful new world. (Zeph. 2:3, AS; Isa. 26:20, 21) Concerning these the Bible says: “But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Ps. 37:11) The grand work of restoring paradise to the earth will then commence!

EDUCATION FOR ENTERING PARADISE

50. Why is this a most critical time, and hence what grand work is now being accomplished?

⁵⁰ Mankind is now passing through the most critical time in all history. Speaking of today’s troubled world and the “sign” of its approaching destruction, Jesus said: “Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.” (Matt. 24:34) It is the generation of people now living who have the opportunity of learning the Bible and surviving the world’s end. Jesus further prophesied concerning this day: “And 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.” (Matt. 24:14) The society known as Jehovah’s witnesses is vigorously doing this preaching work, with an ever-increasing band of 800,000 ministers active in 175 lands.—Isa. 43:10-12.

51. What steps should men of good will now take with regard to religion, and why?

⁵¹ Do you hear this witness? Do you realize its urgency? Do you want to survive out of this old world of confusion and sorrow into God’s new world of peace and joy? Then you must act, and act immediately! You must study to find the true religion. It is no longer safe to regard religion as a kind of furniture, something that has always been in the house but is necessary in your life only as it performs some social function. Nor can you afford to think that all religions are good and that all have the same goal. Many religions are selfish, and modern religion has failed to teach the hope of God’s new world, with its paradise earth. You must learn the Bible religion! Just as a proper secular education is necessary to fit a person for a place in everyday society, so a proper Bible education is necessary to equip one for entering the society that will survive to live in the paradise earth. (John 17:3; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Your safety and the whole future of yourself and your family depend on now studying the Bible, associating with the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses, dedicating yourself to your Creator, Jehovah God, and witnessing for him. Do not let the pursuit of material things or the cares of life rob you of this wonderful opportunity of life. Said Jesus: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things [the material necessities] will be added to you.”—Matt. 6:33.

52, 53. In what respect is the New World society different from other societies, and how has this been proved?

⁵² As you associate with Jehovah’s witnesses and God’s New World society, you will find it far different from any other society on earth. All in this society take to heart the first great command of the Bible: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Matt. 22:37) What overflowing love they have for their Creator, who gave them life, and who has also opened up the way to life in His new world, which includes the paradise earth! Moreover, they have great love for one another. (Matt. 22:39) This love and the practicability of uniting all mankind in love have been clearly demonstrated in their international assemblies. For example, over the eight days, July 27 to August 3, 1958, Jehovah’s witnesses met in the Divine Will International Assembly in New York city. It was then that two great stadiums, Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds, presented the spectacle of crowds totaling between 180,291 on the opening day and 253,922 on the final day, meeting in grand harmony to receive further education in the Bible. From 123 different lands they assembled, all brothers, united in bonds of true Christian love! So impressive was this display of harmony, that a New York Times report on the assembly was even incorporated in the U.S. Congressional Record, 1958, appendix, page A6907, from which portions are here quoted:

⁵³ “WITNESSES STYLED CITY’S BEST GUESTS—180,000 AT WORLD ASSEMBLY WIN PRAISE FOR COURTESY, QUIETUDE, AND NEATNESS . . . New Yorkers are unanimous in agreeing that the Witnesses’ conduct has been exemplary. . . . Their cleanliness is now almost legendary. . . . Courtesy has been their watchword. . . . Executive vice president of the New York Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, called the Witnesses ‘an asset to the community.’ He described their behavior as ‘out of this world.’”

54. (a) Why do Jehovah’s witnesses separate from this world? (b) What happy prospect is in store for them?

⁵⁴ Yes, “out of this world,” for these witnesses of Jehovah, gathered from ‘all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues,’ have separated from the world that is passing away. (Rev. 7:9; 1 John 2:15-17) Their hopes and affections are set on the glorious new world that Jehovah purposes to create. (Isa. 65:17, 18) They are convinced of God’s promises, and those who expect to live on this earth hope also to survive the end of this world, and to live on into the new world without ever dying. (Heb. 11:1, 6; John 11:26) Through the application of Christ’s sacrifice, they, together with the resurrected dead, will be renewed to human perfection. (Job 33:24, 25) Oh, happy, happy prospect!

55. (a) What intimate relationship will there be between Jehovah and his worshipers on earth? (b) What are some of the blessings in store?

⁵⁵ Continue, then, to study, and to grow in love and appreciation of Jehovah God, and His Son, and the heavenly government of righteousness. In describing the New World government and the blessings it will shower on mankind, the Bible prophecy says: “Look! the tent of God is with humankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them.” “God himself,” who is so far from the selfish, nuclear-crazed nations of this day, will be very close as a kind Father to all those who love and worship him in that new world. Indeed, there will be only the one religion, the true worship of Jehovah God, in the intimate relationship of children to Father. What a loving Father will he show himself to be! “And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be any more. The former things have passed away.”—Rev. 21:3, 4.

56. How can we be absolutely certain that Jehovah will “make all things new”?

⁵⁶ Thus the great miracle of establishing a paradise earth under a perfect heavenly government will be accomplished. It is as certain as that the sun will rise and set tomorrow. For the promises of Jehovah God, Creator of heaven and earth, are ever “trustworthy and true.” He it is who declares from his throne in heaven: “Look! I am making all things new.”—Rev. 21:5.

The Olive Tree—Literal and Spiritual

OF ALL the trees mentioned in the Bible the olive tree may be said to be of the greatest interest. The first reference to it is when Noah identified the leaf brought back by one of his doves as that of the olive tree.—Gen. 2:9; 8:11.

The leaves of the olive tree come in pairs and have a hoary or grayish-green appearance. At blossomtime an olive tree is weighed down with millions of blossoms, although less than 1 percent of these eventually bear fruit.

The olive tree is unique in its being both a leaf-bearing tree and an evergreen. It often reaches “an enormous age,” some trees living on century after century. An olive tree has “almost inexhaustible powers of regeneration, new trunks rising from the roots when the old ones have perished.”—McClintock & Strong’s Cyclopædia.

Of particular interest is the olive tree’s uniqueness as regards grafting. Branches of a wild olive tree when grafted on a cultivated olive tree produce excellent fruit. With other trees just the opposite is true, wild branches grafted on a cultivated tree produce only wild fruit.—Schaaf-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge.

In Palestine the evergreen olive tree was much appreciated for its shade and was among the trees whose branches were used to make booths during the festival of booths. Its fruit, the olive berry, was eaten or was pressed for its oil. Its oil was a basic food in Bible times, the widow of Zarephath subsisting on flour and oil. (1 Ki. 17:8-16) The oil also served as a medicament, as noted by both David and Jesus. (Ps. 23:5; Luke 10:34) The lamps in the holy place of the tabernacle and the temple were fueled with olive oil. (Ex. 27:20) It was also one of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil.—Ex. 30:24.

David, after telling of the end of the wicked, exults: “But I shall be like a luxuriant olive tree in God’s house; I do trust in the loving-kindness of God to time indefinite, even forever.” An unknown psalmist promises “everyone fearing Jehovah” that “your sons will be like slips of olive trees all around your table.” The prophet Hosea used a like figure to foretell spiritual Israel’s prosperity: “His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree.” And at both Zechariah 4:3, 11-14 and Revelation 11:4 the anointed footstep followers of Christ that bear witness in all the earth are likened to two olive trees.—Ps. 52:8; 128:1-3; Hos. 14:6, AS.

The anointing oil used to anoint the kings and high priests of Israel, and which had a number of ingredients with olive oil as the base, pictures God’s holy spirit or active force with which Jesus Christ and the members of his body are anointed. We also repeatedly read of the ‘oil of joy or gladness.’—Isa. 61:3; Heb. 1:9; Acts 2:33; 10:38.

Perhaps the most familiar use of the olive tree as a symbol is that by Paul at Romans 11:17-24. It gains added force and meaning in view of the foregoing. Thus Jehovah God, the “olive’s root of fatness,” certainly is of “enormous age” and has ‘inexhaustible regenerative powers.’ Jesus Christ as a trunk of that Tree once died, but the Root caused him to come to life again. And as with the literal wild olive tree—in contrast with other fruit trees—the grafting in of the Gentile wild olive branches is not for the purpose of improving the tree but that it might bear fruit acceptable to Jehovah God, which it could not otherwise do.

Analogies might also be drawn between the usefulness of the natural and the spiritual olive tree. As the one provides soothing natural shade, so does the other provide soothing spiritual shade. (Isa. 32:2) As the one made possible natural light, so the other is a spiritual light. (Matt. 5:14) As the one bears natural fruit, the other bears spiritual fruit. (2 Pet. 1:8) And as the one made possible physical healing, so the other makes possible spiritual healing.—Jas. 5:14-16; Rev. 22:2.