Jesus Christ in 33 C.E. and who accepted the abominable pagan thing instead of their king, Jesus Christ, when they cried out to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate: “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15) The Seventh World Power, backed by the clergy, became the instrument for the “god of this system of things,” Satan the Devil, in setting up the “image” of the wild beast, as foretold symbolically in Revelation 13:14, 15.

HUMAN RULE DISPLACED

Millions of people have suffered under the domination of the wild beast “with ten horns and seven heads” for centuries. (Rev. 13:1) Now the image of the beast is not helping the people or relieving them from the terrible things taking place in the earth, nor is it sheltering them from the worst disaster ever to come, namely, the destruction by Jehovah God at the battle of Har–Magedon. Many honesthearted people see that man-rule has brought increasing grief to the people. As God foretells in the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 9, these are “sighing and groaning over all the detestable things” that are being done. Men of this kind listen with faith to the proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom, telling of the relief God brings by his kingdom, which will rule the entire earth in righteousness after the end of the last human government. Jesus Christ loves such ones as his “other sheep” and they come under his protective hand. (John 10:16; Isa. 49:10; Rev. 7:13-17) To such ones the Bible says: “Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”​—Zeph. 2:3.

Soon, after the terrible holocaust that will mean the wiping out of the last human government, we will see the establishment of righteousness in the earth and, while God will have princes in the earth. men of tested faith and dependability, it will not be human government, for these men will merely carry out the decrees of the heavenly government of Christ Jesus. Then it will indeed take place that “trueness itself will sprout out of the very earth, and righteousness itself will look down from the very heavens. Also, Jehovah, for his part, will give what is good. and our own land will give its yield.”​—Ps. 85:11, 12; 45:16.

Let the People Hear Through Preaching

How important it is to let the people hear through our preaching! With Armageddon drawing on apace, more than ever before it is true that only those who ‘call on the name of Jehovah will be saved.’ But, as the apostle Paul so rightly observes, “How will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?”​—Rom. 10:13, 14.a

Clearly, here is stated your commission as dedicated Christians to preach so as to save lives. Because someone else preached, you have been able to get on the road to salvation by calling on the name of Jehovah. Are you now doing all you can so that others may do the same? The apostle Paul certainly did, and he himself urges us to ‘become imitators of him, even as he is of Christ.’​—1 Cor. 11:1.

Paul was an outstanding example of zeal in preaching. He made three extensive missionary tours, traveled literally thousands of miles in a day when travel on land was chiefly by foot and travel on sea was by sail, established a number of congregations, participated in the work of the early Christians’ governing body, wrote fourteen letters under inspiration, repeatedly was imprisoned and doubtless finally suffered martyrdom for his faithful preaching. While in most of these respects we could not think of imitating Paul, there are ever so many ways in which we can.​—2 Cor. 11:23-33.

For example, Paul became all things to people of all sorts, that he might win some. Once a ruthless persecutor of Christians to the death, he became as gentle as a nursing mother in teaching others. We today likewise want to be gentle and become all things to people of all sorts, meeting people on their own level, and so win them by the good news and not by our personality or learning.​—1 Cor. 2:2-5; 9:16-22; 1 Thess. 2:7.

Though Paul was able to preach effectively to learned philosophers and even kings, he did not neglect preaching from “house to house” and wherever he could find people willing to listen. Are we zealously doing the same?​—Acts 17:17-34; 20:20; 26:28.

More than that, we read that Paul preached “with boldness,” and that he preached “thoroughly.” (Acts 14:3; 20:21) Are we ever alert to preach with boldness, or do we at times shrink back from an opportunity for incidental witnessing because of the fear of man? And are we thorough in our preaching; among other things, making faithful use of the house-to-house record? One brother, witnessing in a Brooklyn apartment building one Sunday morning last October, on the top floor found only one out of seven families home. Returning on Wednesday evening to call on the not-at-homes, he found five of the six at home and one of these subscribed for the Awake! magazine.

How do we respond to the usual run of objections met at the doors? Do we let them turn us aside or do we give a thorough witness by offering some tactful reply?

There are still other ways in which the apostle Paul set a fine example for us to imitate as we let people hear through our preaching. He worked night and day so as not to become an expensive burden to others, making tents to pay his expenses. More than that, in spite of all the hardships he had to endure, he never grumbled, complained or rebelled. He learned in whatever circumstances he might find himself to be self-sufficient, to be content. Do we avoid needlessly burdening others in one way or another? Have we learned to be self-sufficient, content?​—Acts 18:1-4; Phil. 4:11-13; 2 Thess. 3:8.

Let us ever bear in mind as we let the people hear through our preaching that if the people believe the good news, not only will it be a means of their eventually gaining everlasting life, but, even now, by accepting the truth they will gain many blessings; they will find themselves living in a better moral climate, will know greater happiness and contentment, and will find that their relations with others are improving.​—Prov. 10:22; Rom. 12:18; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Tim. 6:6.

So let us be diligent to let as many people as possible hear through our preaching in the few short remaining years before Armageddon, and to do so in imitation of the apostle Paul!

[Footnotes]

Questions From Readers

● How could Jesus promise, as recorded at John 11:26, that those exercising faith in him would never die, since Christians do die?​—M. F., U.S.A.

As reported at John 11:25, 26 Jesus was, in effect, promising everlasting life. He said to Martha, the sister of dead Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; and everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all.” The import of these words is similar to his earlier statement: “Most truly I say to you, If anyone observes my word, he will never see death at all.”​—John 8:51.

The individuals hearing Jesus could, if they faithfully served God, have the expectation of reigning with Christ in heaven. (2 Tim. 4:18; Rev. 20:4, 6) After Jesus’ death and resurrection the call for members of the kingdom