day, at which she would make known her petition. At the end of the second banquet she answers the king’s third request for her petition with the well-chosen words: “If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request; for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, since the distress would not have been worth disturbing the king.” Coming at just this particular occasion, what a shock this news must have been to the king! No wonder he exclaimed in amazement: “Who is he, and where is he who dares presume in his heart to do so?” Where is he? Note here the wisdom of having Haman present at the banquet as she replies: “An adversary and an enemy, this wicked Haman.” Before the day was over Haman was hanging on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai, and Haman’s estate was given to the queen, who placed Mordecai in charge of it. Esther was well rewarded for her patience, courage, wisdom, and, above all, her trust in Jehovah.—Esther 7:1-10, An Amer. Trans.

The great enemy of the Jews was dead, but his work was yet to be undone, for his decree of destruction of all the Jews still stood. So Esther again ventured into the presence of the king, this time falling at his feet and beseeching him with tears to avert the evil planned by Haman, and again the king extended his scepter to her. Note how, with what eloquence she pleads, not for her own life, but for the life of her people: “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman. . . . For how can I endure to see the calamity that will come upon my people?”—Esther 8:2-6, An Amer. Trans.

In response to this petition the king authorized the making of a counter-decree, and so Mordecai wrote to all the Jews in the provinces to fight for their lives on Adar 13, and even to take the offensive against their enemies. The letters were sealed with the king’s signet and sent out by the fastest means at the disposal of the king. Moreover “Mordecai went from the presence of the king in royal garments . . . with a great crown of gold . . . and the city of Shushan shouted and was glad . . . and many from among the peoples of the land became Jews”.—Esther 8:8-17, An Amer. Trans.

Due to this turn in events the officials everywhere sided with Mordecai, Esther and the Jews; and, as a result, when that dreaded 13th day of Adar came, instead of all the Jews’ being destroyed, 75,000 of their enemies throughout the provinces licked the dust and in Shushan alone 500 perished. And while the decree permitted the Jews to despoil their enemies, the record states that “they laid not a finger on the plunder”.—Esther 9:10, Moffatt.

Commenting on this news King Xerxes asked his queen Esther what else she wished, and it would be given her. This being “a time to kill”, Esther requested that the Jews in Shushan be given another day to avenge themselves on their enemies, and that the ten sons of Haman, already slain, be hung on a gallows. And so while the Jews throughout the provinces rejoiced and celebrated on Adar 14, the Jews in the capital city of Shushan hung Haman’s ten sons on a gallows, most likely the very one their father had made for Mordecai and on which Haman himself was hung, and the Jews continued their work of avenging themselves on their foes with the result that 300 more fell. Then they feasted and rejoiced on the 15th of the month. Both Mordecai and Esther then sent letters to the Jews throughout the provinces ordaining the 14th and 15th of Adar as days for rejoicing; and the Jews to this day still celebrate these two days, known as the “feast of Purim” because of the lots “Pur” that Haman had cast to determine the day for the destruction of the Jews.

Jehovah’s servants can learn much from Esther’s wise example, especially now as legal conspiracy and lawless acts against them continue to increase. It emphasizes that there is indeed a time for silence, for avoiding the arousing of prejudices needlessly and being careful not to divulge information that the enemy could use to injure the Lord’s people and his work. It also shows that there is a time for speaking, for being bold and fearless, yet having full trust in Jehovah that he will come to their aid after they have done all they possibly can. It shows the need of being faithful and loyal to one another and the wisdom of listening to and being submissive to the instructions and counsel given by the mature and devoted servants of Jehovah whom he is using at the present time to direct his work in the earth. Additionally, the drama of Esther is fraught with prophetic significance, foreshadowing events in our day and giving us a glimpse into the near future, assuring us that the designs of the enemies of God’s people will fail, for he will preserve all those who love and serve him.

Letter

“ON THE DIVINE MANDATE”

October 9, 1949

Dear Brother:

Answering your recent letter regarding birth of children to the “other sheep” class surviving Armageddon:

The Watchtower has a number of times pointed out that Christ Jesus is not yet begetting earthly children and for this reason the present members of the “other sheep” class are not justified to life eternal on earth. The remnant of the anointed members of Christ’s body are likewise not the mother of the “other sheep” class of today, and it would not be right for the “other sheep” to address the remnant as either father or mother in a spiritual sense. During the thousand-year reign of Christ those who come forth from the tombs and gain eternal life are not spoken of as the children of the earthly princes but are said to be “equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection”. (Luke 20:35, 36, Am. Stan. Ver.) As their life on earth is gained through the sacrifice of Christ’s perfect humanity, he also is spoken of as their “Everlasting Father”. The life these get will be not a life in a spiritual way but in a very literally human or earthly way, and the “princes” do not give them this.

To speak of the “other sheep” that survive Armageddon who marry and bring forth children by intermarriage as being like the “sons of God” that married the daughters of men in Noah’s day is wrong. Their intermarriage is not a turning from the spiritual to the human or earthly, to produce a mongrel race of unapproved hybrids. To say that marriage after Armageddon and then producing children is turning from the spiritual to the carnal is the same as saying for the anointed Christians to intermarry and produce children is turning from the spiritual to the carnal. In cases the apostle Paul advised anointed Christians to marry “in the Lord”, and surely he was not telling them to turn from the spiritual to the carnal and produce a hybrid offspring disapproved by God and doomed to destruction. Nor when an anointed member of the remnant marries one of the “other sheep” and children result is it a dropping from the spiritual to the fleshly and the producing of mongrel children. At 1 Corinthians, chapter 7, the apostle says that where one member of a family union is not Christian, still the children of such union are holy and the unconsecrated husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unconsecrated wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Why, then, should it be different when Armageddon survivors of the “other sheep” marry, both being consecrated and divinely approved with survival, and then bring forth children? Their children will certainly not correspond to the gibborim or men of renown whom the “sons of God” and the daughters of men brought forth in Noah’s day.—Genesis 6:1-4.

Since both of these “other sheep” marrying are devoted to righteousness, then their children are conceived in righteousness and are righteous. You try to force into the word “righteous” the meaning of physical perfection. Evidently you have forgotten that the booklet ‘The Meek Inherit the Earth’ says, on page 28: “The marriage of these faithful and meek survivors of Armageddon will cause homes and family circles to spring up throughout the earth. Beautified earth will cheerily ring with the sweet voices of children, whom these devoted parents will conceive and bring forth in righteousness. Not yet perfected themselves, the parents will not be able to generate their children in perfection, but will do so in righteousness. They will thereafter bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord God and under the righteous supervision of the ‘new heavens’.”

The flood was a real physical catastrophe to the old ungodly world. The Battle of Armageddon will be likewise a physical catastrophe to this present evil world, and not something just spiritual. The ark of salvation that we enter is not a literal ark but is God’s organization; and as for Noah’s family’s not having children while in the ark, if the “other sheep” class’ now having natural children in the “ark” condition vitiated the picture of the childlessness of the ark’s occupants, then the anointed remnant’s having natural children now would also vitiate the “ark” picture or type. But it does not. Children born now are not born in fulfillment of the divine mandate reissued. When God reissued this mandate to marry and reproduce to Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:1, 7) the mandate was fulfilled in a typical way by a token fulfillment, 70 (10 X 7) generations being listed in Genesis, chapter 10, as springing from Noah and his sons. In the same way the fulfillment of the divine mandate reissued after Armageddon will be, not by crowding it with inhabitants to the saturation point, but by a token fulfillment that will allow for the resurrection of the dead with plenty of room for these resurrected ones. Thus, as pointed out in the Watchtower article “The Apostle’s Counsel on Wedlock”, February 1, 1947, page 45, column 2, footnote, God will show that he can have the divine mandate fulfilled in a very literal way in vindication of his world and he will give a faithful demonstration of its fulfillment. Those having part in its fulfillment will still ‘serve God in his temple day and night’ (Rev. 7:15), they will fulfill Deuteronomy 6:7 as to bringing up their children, and their children will fulfill Ephesians 6:1-3 as to obeying their parents, in the same way that the anointed remnant and their children are instructed to obey these divine commandments.

Faithfully yours in Theocratic service,

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

Field Experience

PREACHING DESPITE PHYSICAL HANDICAP

While group witnessing in Pasadena, California, finding very little interest, I came to a house on the corner. A goatish woman at the door cared more for her religious fodder than for the bread of life, so I went to a small house in the rear, and in response to my knock a voice answered, “Come in!” On entering I saw a man sitting in a wheel chair, his arms no longer than twelve inches, with no hands; his knee joints are at his hips, and his legs very short, and, of course, he is unable to walk. He was born that way. He at once recognized the Kingdom message as the truth, took three bound books, and later subscribed for The Watchtower and Awake! He had previously heard of J. F. Rutherford, a former president of the Watchtower Society. I proceeded with a home Bible study with him. He is self-supporting, a radio announcer, and leaves books with persons in Hollywood that would be difficult for others to reach. He now is a publisher, averages fifteen hours a month, makes back-calls and conducts Bible studies. His brother cares for him, and both attend the company studies. He plans to go to the New York assembly and be immersed. All this in six months’ time.—Publisher in California.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory . . . believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.—1 Peter 1:7, 8.