17, 18. How did Jesus foretell that his anointed followers would sing this new song, and by whom must many millions admit it is being sung?

¹⁷ In his own prophecy Jesus foretold that his anointed followers must and would sing this new song. After mentioning the first world war along with famines, pestilence, earthquakes and religious persecution as marking the beginning of the end of this old system of things, Jesus said: “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) Now that we are in the time of the end since 1914, is the good news of the newborn kingdom being preached in all the inhabited earth, even to Communist Russia and its satellites?

¹⁸ The hundreds of millions of people all around the earth who are being reached by the Kingdom news, both publicly and by house-to-house preaching, are all obliged to answer Yes! By whom, then, no matter whom the facts show them to be? By Jehovah’s witnesses of today. Among them are found a remnant of anointed, fully dedicated Christians, heirs of the heavenly kingdom, but along with them there are now hundreds of thousands of persons of good will.

19. Who were prophesied to be the first to sing the song, but who are joining in great numbers in the singing?

¹⁹ All of them are obeying the divine command: “Sing to Jehovah a new song.” As foretold in Revelation 14:1-5, this remnant of the 144,000 heirs of the heavenly kingdom was to be first in learning and singing forth the “new song.” But already the tradition-breaking “new song” has become popular with hundreds of thousands of delighted hearers, and these people of good will are joining in the singing in all nations: “Jehovah himself has become king.” (Ps. 96:10) Since 1914 Jehovah rules even toward our earth, doing so by means of his enthroned and empowered King, Jesus Christ.

20. After the Kingdom’s birth what other new thing stirred heaven, and so what also does the new song tell about?

²⁰ The time rapidly approaches, therefore, for the reigning Seed of God’s woman to bruise the great Serpent Satan the Devil at the head, and all his devilish seed in heaven and in earth with him. Before this grand climax in the crushing of wickedness out of heaven and earth, but immediately after the birth of the Kingdom in the heavens while World War I was raging on earth, a new thing stirred the peacefulness of heaven. The prophetic picture of this unusual event tells us: “War broke out in heaven.” It was between the newly inducted King backed by his holy angels and the great Dragon, the original Serpent, Satan the Devil, backed by his unholy angels, his demonic seed. Finally the victorious angels under the King of kings sang out: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down . . . On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Rev. 12:7-12) The great Serpent and his demonic seed are furiously angry because they know that the time is now very short before the victorious Seed of God’s woman must bruise the Serpent in the head in the universal war of Armageddon. The new song tells of this ‘war in heaven’ and its victory for Christ.

21. To what are all the singers looking forward, which also forms part of the theme of the new song?

²¹ The old heavens of Satan and his demon spirits are on their way out. Soon mankind will feel their oppressive, demoralizing power no more. The new heavens of Jesus Christ, together with those of his faithful followers who have now joined him in the “first resurrection,” are ruling, holding off from destroying his enemies until all the men of good will have been gathered into the grand chorus of the new song, beside the anointed remnant of singers. All of these are looking ahead eagerly to the near future for the full establishment of a new world upon the ruins of this old world. They have in mind the apostle Peter’s words: “Awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved and the elements being intensely hot will melt! But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Pet. 3:12, 13) The coming world of the righteous new heavens and new earth also forms part of the theme of the “new song” to Jehovah.

22. In the new song, what passage not possible to be sung for over four thousand years has been sung since early in 1918?

²² But listen! Did your ears hear that remarkable passage in this distinctly different song? What? Why, something that could not be sung in previous generations of mankind for at least four thousand two hundred years. It is something that first began to be preached and heard since the Kingdom’s birth in 1914. It is something that Jehovah’s anointed remnant have been singing to men of good will since early in 1918. It has made countless millions laugh in unbelief, but it has cheered up heartsick men of good will and given them a thrilling expectation that they will enjoy realizing. It is this revealed Scriptural fact, namely, that a great crowd, without known number, of people of good will now living will never die. It may be that this unnumbered great crowd will yet grow to include millions of people now living. When those finally lined up on the side of God’s kingdom at the battlefield of Armageddon make themselves fully manifest, we shall know more definitely.

23, 24. In view of what words of Jesus is it important for people of this generation to remember Noah’s survival of the flood?

²³ But why does the new song arouse in the hearts of men of good will the hope of continuing to live on this earth without dying off? Well, do we remember the historic fact of how Noah and his family in the ark lived through the end of the former ungodly world and gave the human family its new start in this present world? It is important for people of this generation living since 1914 to call this ancient miracle of God to mind. Just why? Because, in Matthew 24:33-42, Jesus included the following words in his prophecy on the end of this world and his own coming into the Kingdom:

²⁴ “When you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as people were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. . . . Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Master is coming.”

25. Why is ours the generation of whom members will survive the old world’s end, and what is the hope of the anointed remnant?

²⁵ During our watch we have seen all the evidences that Jesus foretold to mark the time of the end of this world since 1914. We know that ours is the generation that began to see many of these predicted things come to pass. Ours is therefore the generation that must see all of them take place in fulfillment of Jesus’ word. Hence it is the generation that will see the end of this old world, just as it was the case in the days of Noah. As Noah and his arkload of family members and animals survived the end of that preflood world, so in fulfillment of that prophetic drama some witnesses of Jehovah like Noah and his family must survive the destruction of the old world of today. Such survivors of this generation will enter God’s world of new heavens and a new earth. The anointed remnant hope to become part of the new heavens, by dying faithful and sharing in the “first resurrection,” as the others of the 144,000 Kingdom heirs did.

26. How will it be possible for the other survivors to live without ever dying?

²⁶ The other survivors of good will hope to form the earthly society of the New World. By ever afterward rendering worship to Jehovah God and obedience to his kingdom of the Christ they will prove worthy of God’s gift of everlasting life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Consequently such faithful earthly survivors of the universal war of Armageddon will never die off the earth, but will forever inhabit the new paradise on earth under God’s kingdom. What joy will be theirs to welcome back people resurrected from the memorial tombs as the reigning King calls them out!—John 5:28, 29.

27. Why do we have every inducement to exercise faith in the new song, and how will we please Jehovah most in regard to the song?

²⁷ Have we reason to be unbelieving toward all the grand things contained in this new song to Jehovah? No, but on the foundation of his Word and the fulfillment of its prophecies we have every inducement to exercise faith in the new song. Concerning Jehovah God we are told: “The one seated on the throne said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also he says: ‘Write, because these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Rev. 21:5) It will please him and he will approve of us if we believe the new song that he has composed. It will please him still more if we prove our faith or belief by learning all the grand things of the new song and then singing it ourselves for all to hear, yes, for Him, too, to hear.

28. What will our obedience to the divine command to sing result in?

²⁸ “Sing to Jehovah a new song” is the divine command to us today. Happy are we if we obey and sing it out lovingly and fearlessly. It will mean our own salvation and the salvation of men of good will who hear us and join us in singing to the honor of Jehovah God and of his promised Seed, the King of the new world.

What Is the Christian’s Obligation?

Is it the duty of a Christian to try to reform the world and make it better? Many professed Christians answer that question in the affirmative. But does the Bible?

MANY persons have been taught to believe that many of the nations of earth constitute Christendom. Yet they admit much sin is in Christendom. Accordingly, they believe it to be their duty to help clean it up and also to reform heathendom. They hope that by their efforts in this direction this world will eventually