THE FALSE GOVERNMENTAL REFUGE

17. Since World War I, how and why have people turned increasingly to human government, and in spite of what preaching?

¹⁷ Meanwhile, in order to heighten our appreciation by means of a sharp contrast, let us take a look at a false governmental refuge that has been foisted upon mankind, reaching a climax in our day. Since the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the inability of man-made governments to rule mankind successfully has become more and more evident. And yet the people turn increasingly to human government, with more national governments being established since 1919 than in any comparable previous period. The former League of Nations, which died in the throes of World War II, had fewer than sixty member nations at that time. But the United Nations of today has one hundred and thirty-eight member nations. Local rule by the local people, not colonial empires, has been the guiding principle. This multiplication of man-made governments has gone on in spite of the ever-intensified preaching by Jehovah’s witnesses that God’s Messianic kingdom is mankind’s only and immediate hope. During the past sixty-one years hundreds of thousands have responded to this Kingdom message, but these two million advocates of God’s kingdom are far outnumbered by the overwhelming majority of earth’s four thousand million inhabitants. There is no gainsaying the fact that the vast bulk of humankind are manifestly not taking refuge under God’s kingdom as their only hope.

18. (a) What illustration of Jesus foretold two contrasting classes, and how so? (b) What did Jesus further say that gives the real point to many of his parables?

¹⁸ Should we be surprised that the greater part of mankind have shut their hearts and minds to the Kingdom gospel and prefer human political governments as their refuge in these troublous times? No, not if we are well acquainted with the prophetic scriptures of God’s Holy Bible. His Son, the Lamb Jesus Christ, foretold that it would be so. In one of his illustrations, he said: “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man that sowed fine seed in his field. While men were sleeping, his enemy came and oversowed weeds in among the wheat, and left.” He went on to say that the sorting out of the weeds from the wheat would wait until the harvest. Later, when explaining the parable, he said: “As for the fine seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; but the weeds are the sons of the wicked one,” and added that “the harvest is a conclusion of a system of things.” (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43) Keep in mind, too, the answer Jesus gave when his disciples asked him: “Why is it you speak to them by the use of illustrations?” Note, now, his reply: “To you [disciples] it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of the heavens, but to those people it is not granted . . . because, looking, they look in vain, and hearing, they hear in vain, neither do they get the sense of it; and toward them the prophecy of Isaiah [at chapter Isa 6:9, 10] is having fulfillment, which says, ‘By hearing, you will hear but by no means get the sense of it; and, looking, you will look but by no means see. For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive, and with their ears they have heard without response, and they have shut their eyes; that they might never see with their eyes and hear with their ears and get the sense of it with their hearts and turn back, and I heal them.’” (Matt. 13:10-15) This setting gives the thrust to many of Jesus’ parables. Is it not exactly the same today with the “weeds” at this “harvest,” the “conclusion of a system of things”? Their hearts and minds are shut.

19. (a) What similar warning did Paul give at Acts 20:27-30? (b) How did the “man of lawlessness” develop, ultimately forming what false governmental refuge?

¹⁹ Bearing on the same subject, we recall the warning that the apostle Paul gave to the elders of the congregation at Ephesus when he said: “I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:27-30) These false teachers would be very corrupt and, as Paul also foretold, would gradually form a composite “man of lawlessness.” (2 Thess. 2:3-12) It was already at work in the days of the apostles, but it did not take definite form until the fourth century when Emperor Constantine the Great forced a compromise with the so-called “bishops,” the false teachers of his day. So the adulterated Christianity that these “bishops” supervised was merged with the pagan Roman religion. This fusion religion became the State religion, and in this way Christendom was founded. It is a huge religious mass today and is thoroughly leavened with paganism, worldliness, badness, traditions of men, hypocrisy, doctrines of demons. Christendom made herself a part of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, and is the dominant part of that religious empire.​—Rev. 17:3-6; Gal. 5:9, 19-21.

1. What two symbolic women are mentioned in the book of Revelation and how are they identified?

ON LOOKING into the last book of the Bible, we find two symbolic women who are seen in sharp contrast with each other. The one is “Babylon the Great,” and the other is the “wife” of the Lamb of God. The first is branded as a “harlot.” The second, “the bride, the Lamb’s wife,” is a virgin. (Rev. 17:3-6, 15; 21:9) Both are religious organizations, the one unclean, the other clean. The “bride, the Lamb’s wife,” is the congregation of the 144,000 virginlike faithful followers of the Lamb Jesus Christ, all of them being spiritual Israelites. Babylon the Great is the world empire of false religion as derived from ancient Babylon. Hence, it is composed of all of those who practice religions in opposition to true Christianity. That is why the apostle John “saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.” (Rev. 17:6) The religion of the members of Babylon the Great is, therefore, not Christian, but Babylonish, hence false.

2. What is the relationship between Christendom and Babylon the Great, and how is this made evident?

² By becoming the dominant religious organization of the Roman World Power, Christendom was, in effect, a daughter of Babylon the Great, of whom it is said: “Upon her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.’” (Rev. 17:5) It is no wonder, then, that Christendom imitates her religious mother, of whom it is said: “With [her] the kings of the earth committed fornication, whereas those who inhabit the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” (Rev. 17:1, 2) Christendom enjoys intimate friendship with the world. This reminds us of the scripture at James 4:4: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” The many unions of Church and State in Christendom do not stand to her credit. They brand her as a spiritual fornicatrix, a meddler in world politics. She is condemned as a false and an unclean refuge for mankind.

3. How is the destiny of Babylon the Great, including Christendom, vividly portrayed?

³ What befalls Babylon the Great also befalls Christendom. There are no two ways about it. Revelation, chapter 17, though written in symbolic language, makes it unmistakably plain. Coming to the climax of the drama pictured in that chapter, we read: “And the ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast [on which Babylon the Great had been riding as mistress], these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire.” Not a pretty picture!​—Rev. 17:16.

FLEE FROM BABYLON THE GREAT TO GOD’S TRUE WOMAN

4. (a) At Revelation 18:4-8, what compelling cry did John hear, and why was it an urgent one? (b) How might some react to this cry, but what question must we all face today?

⁴ Not surprisingly, early in Revelation, chapter 18, we hear the urgent and compelling cry: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. . . . In one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong.” (Rev. 18:4-8) Have you heard and heeded that cry? Perhaps you say that you have seen the hypocrisy of the churches of Christendom and have left them, if indeed you ever reckoned to have membership in any one of them. There are many in our present generation who have no religious background at all, but who say in a vague sort of way that they believe there must be a God. Do you feel satisfied to be simply nonreligious? You could hardly claim to be in, or seeking to be in, a safe place of refuge if you are holding to such a negative and noncommitted attitude. In view of all the evidence of the approaching end of the present system of things, including Christendom, we must face the question: On whose side are we in this day of approaching climax?