Take Courage as Deliverance Draws Near

“‘I am with you,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘to deliver you.’”—JEREMIAH 1:19.

1, 2. Why does the human family need deliverance?

DELIVERANCE! What a comforting word! To be delivered means to be rescued, set free from a bad, unhappy situation. This includes the thought of being brought into a much better, happier condition.

² How desperately the human family needs such deliverance at this time! People everywhere are burdened down and discouraged by difficult problems—economic, social, physical, mental, and emotional. The vast majority are discontented and disappointed with the way the world is going and would like a change for the better.—Isaiah 60:2; Matthew 9:36.

“Critical Times Hard to Deal With”

3, 4. Why is there a greater need for deliverance now?

³ Since this 20th century has experienced greater suffering than any other, there is a greater need for deliverance now than ever before. Today, well over a billion people live in dire poverty, and that number increases by some 25 million annually. Each year about 13 million children die from malnutrition or other poverty-related causes—more than 35,000 a day! And millions of older people die prematurely from various diseases.—Luke 21:11; Revelation 6:8.

⁴ Wars and civil disorders have caused untold suffering. The book Death by Government says that wars, ethnic and religious strife, and mass murder by governments of their own citizens have “killed over 203 million people in this century.” It further says: “The dead could conceivably be nearly 360 million people. It is as though our species has been devastated by a modern Black Plague. And indeed it has, but a plague of Power, not germs.” Writer Richard Harwood observed: “The barbarian wars of centuries past were alley fights in comparison.”—Matthew 24:6, 7; Revelation 6:4.

5, 6. What makes our time so distressing?

⁵ Adding to the distressing conditions of recent years is the huge increase in violent crime, immorality, and family breakdown. Former United States Secretary of Education William Bennett noted that in 30 years the U.S. population grew 41 percent, but violent crime grew 560 percent, illegitimate births 400 percent, divorces 300 percent, and the teenage suicide rate 200 percent. Princeton University Professor John DiIulio, Jr., warned of the growing ranks of young “super-predators,” who “murder, assault, rape, rob, burglarize and create serious communal disorders. They do not fear the stigma of arrest, the pains of imprisonment, or the pangs of conscience.” In that land, homicide is now the second-leading cause of death among those 15 to 19 years of age. And more children under the age of four die from abuse than from disease.

⁶ Such crime and violence are not confined to one nation. Most lands report similar trends. Contributing to this is the surge of illegal drug use that corrupts millions. Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald said: “International drug trafficking has become the world’s second most lucrative business after the arms trade.” Another factor is the violence and immorality that now saturate television. In many countries, by the time a child reaches the age of 18, he has seen tens of thousands of violent acts on TV and countless immoral ones. That is a significant corrupting influence, since our personality is shaped by what we regularly feed our minds.—Romans 12:2; Ephesians 5:3, 4.

7. How did Bible prophecy foretell the present bad conditions?

⁷ Bible prophecy accurately foretold this awful trend of events in our century. It said that there would be global wars, disease epidemics, food shortages, and increasing lawlessness. (Matthew 24:7-12; Luke 21:10, 11) And when we consider the prophecy recorded at 2 Timothy 3:1-5, it is like listening to nightly news reports. It identifies our era as “the last days” and describes people as ‘lovers of themselves, lovers of money, disobedient to parents, disloyal, having no natural affection, without self-control, fierce, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.’ That is exactly what the world is like today. As William Bennett acknowledged: “There are just too many signs of . . . civilization gone rotten.” It has even been said that civilization ended with the first world war.

8. Why did God bring the Flood in Noah’s day, and how does this relate to our day?

⁸ The situation now is even worse than before the Flood of Noah’s day, when “the earth became filled with violence.” Back then, people in general refused to repent of their bad ways. Thus, God said: “The earth is full of violence as a result of them; and here I am bringing them to ruin.” The Deluge ended that violent world.—Genesis 6:11, 13; 7:17-24.

No Deliverance by Humans

9, 10. Why should we not look to humans to provide deliverance?

⁹ Can human endeavors deliver us from these bad conditions? God’s Word answers: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.” “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Psalm 146:3; Jeremiah 10:23) Thousands of years of history have verified those truths. Humans have tried every political, economic, and social system imaginable, but conditions worsen. Had there been a human solution, it would have become evident by now. Instead, the reality is that “man has dominated man to his injury.”—Ecclesiastes 8:9; Proverbs 29:2; Jeremiah 17:5, 6.

¹⁰ A few years ago, former U.S. national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski said: “The unavoidable conclusion of any detached analysis of global trends is that social turmoil, political unrest, economic crisis, and international friction are likely to become more widespread.” He added: “The menace confronting humanity [is] global anarchy.” That assessment of world conditions is even more valid today. Commenting on this era of increased violence, an editorial in the New Haven, Connecticut, Register declared: “We seem to be too far gone to be able to halt it.” No, there will not be a halt to this world’s deterioration, for the prophecy about these “last days” also said: “Wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.”—2 Timothy 3:13.

11. Why will worsening conditions not be reversed by human efforts?

¹¹ Humans cannot reverse these trends because Satan is “the god of this system of things.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) Yes, “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19; see also John 14:30.) Rightly the Bible says of our day: “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.” (Revelation 12:12) Satan knows that his rule and his world are about to end, so he is like “a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.”—1 Peter 5:8.

Deliverance Near—For Whom?

12. For whom is deliverance nearing?

¹² The increasingly difficult conditions on earth are striking evidence that a vast change—indeed, a grand deliverance—is near at hand! For whom? Deliverance is nearing for those who pay attention to the warning signals and who take appropriate action. First John 2:17 shows what must be done: “The world [Satan’s system of things] is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—See also 2 Peter 3:10-13.

13, 14. How did Jesus emphasize the need to keep awake?

¹³ Jesus foretold that the corrupt society of today is soon to be swept away in a time of trouble “such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) That is why he cautioned: “Pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare. For it will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth. Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur.”—Luke 21:34-36.

¹⁴ Those who “pay attention” and “keep awake” will search out the will of God and do it. (Proverbs 2:1-5; Romans 12:2) These are the ones who will “succeed in escaping” the destruction soon to be brought on Satan’s system. And they can have complete confidence that they will be delivered.—Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 10:28-30.

The Principal Deliverer

15, 16. Who is the principal Deliverer, and why are we certain his judgments will be righteous?

¹⁵ For God’s servants to be delivered, Satan and his entire worldwide system of things need to be removed. This requires a source of deliverance far more powerful than humans. That source is Jehovah God, the Supreme Sovereign, the almighty Creator of the awesome universe. He is the principal Deliverer: “I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.”—Isaiah 43:11; Proverbs 18:10.

¹⁶ In Jehovah there is the ultimate degree of power, wisdom, justice, and love. (Psalm 147:5; Proverbs 2:6; Isaiah 61:8; 1 John 4:8) So when he executes his judgments, we can be certain that his actions will be righteous. Abraham asked: “Is the Judge of all the earth not going to do what is right?” (Genesis 18:24-33) Paul exclaimed: “Is there injustice with God? Never may that become so!” (Romans 9:14) John wrote: “Yes, Jehovah God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judicial decisions.”—Revelation 16:7.

17. How have Jehovah’s servants in the past expressed confidence in his promises?

¹⁷ When Jehovah promises deliverance, he will without fail accomplish it. Joshua said: “Not a promise failed out of all the good promise that Jehovah had made.” (Joshua 21:45) Solomon stated: “There has not failed one word of all his good promise that he has promised.” (1 Kings 8:56) The apostle Paul noted that Abraham “did not waver in a lack of faith, . . . being fully convinced that what [God] had promised he was also able to do.” Sarah likewise “esteemed [God] faithful who had promised.”—Romans 4:20, 21; Hebrews 11:11.

18. Why can Jehovah’s servants today be confident that they will be delivered?

¹⁸ Unlike humans, Jehovah is completely trustworthy, true to his word. “Jehovah of armies has sworn, saying: ‘Surely just as I have figured, so it must occur; and just as I have counseled, that is what will come true.’” (Isaiah 14:24) So when the Bible says that “Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off,” we can have full confidence that this will happen. (2 Peter 2:9) Even when threatened with destruction by powerful enemies, Jehovah’s servants take courage because of his attitude, reflected in his promise to one of his prophets: “They will be certain to fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for ‘I am with you,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘to deliver you.’”—Jeremiah 1:19; Psalm 33:18, 19; Titus 1:2.

Deliverances in the Past

19. How did Jehovah deliver Lot, with what parallel for our time?

¹⁹ We can be greatly encouraged by recounting some of Jehovah’s previous saving acts. For instance, Lot was “greatly distressed” by the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. But Jehovah took note of “the cry of complaint” against those cities. At the right time, he sent messengers to urge Lot and his family to get out of that area right away. The result? Jehovah “delivered righteous Lot,” “reducing the cities Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes.” (2 Peter 2:6-8; Genesis 18:20, 21) Today, too, Jehovah notices the cry of complaint regarding this world’s gross wickedness. When his modern-day messengers have completed their urgent witnessing work to the extent he wants, he will act against this world and deliver his servants as he did Lot.—Matthew 24:14.

20. Describe Jehovah’s deliverance of ancient Israel from Egypt.

²⁰ In ancient Egypt millions of God’s people were enslaved. Jehovah said about them: “I have heard their outcry . . . I well know the pains they suffer. And I am proceeding to go down to deliver them.” (Exodus 3:7, 8) However, after letting God’s people go, Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them with his mighty army. The Israelites seemed trapped at the Red Sea. Yet Moses said: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will perform for you today.” (Exodus 14:8-14) Jehovah parted the Red Sea, and the Israelites escaped. Pharaoh’s armies charged after them, but Jehovah projected his power so that “the sea covered them; they sank like lead in majestic waters.” Afterward, Moses exulted in song to Jehovah: “Who is like you, proving yourself mighty in holiness? The One to be feared with songs of praise, the One doing marvels.”—Exodus 15:4-12, 19.

21. How were Jehovah’s people saved from Ammon, Moab, and Seir?

²¹ On another occasion, the enemy nations of Ammon, Moab, and Seir (Edom) threatened Jehovah’s people with destruction. Jehovah said: “Do not you be afraid or be terrified because of this large [enemy] crowd; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not need to fight . . . Stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah in your behalf.” Jehovah delivered his people by proceeding to strike confusion into the ranks of the enemy so that they slaughtered one another.—2 Chronicles 20:15-23.

22. What miraculous deliverance from Assyria did Jehovah provide for Israel?

²² When the Assyrian World Power came against Jerusalem, King Sennacherib taunted Jehovah by saying to the people on the wall: “Who are there among all the gods of these lands [that I have conquered] that have delivered their land out of my hand so that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?” To God’s servants he said: “Do not let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Jehovah, saying: ‘Without fail Jehovah will deliver us.’” Then Hezekiah prayed fervently for deliverance, “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Jehovah, are God alone.” Jehovah struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, and God’s servants were delivered. Later, as Sennacherib worshiped his false god, his sons assassinated him.—Isaiah, chapters 36 and 37.

23. What questions need answering about deliverance today?

²³ We can surely take courage when we see how Jehovah in the past has wonderfully delivered his people. What about today? Into what dangerous situation will his faithful servants soon come that will require his miraculous deliverance? Why has he waited until now to bring their deliverance? What fulfillment will there be of Jesus’ words: “As these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near”? (Luke 21:28) And how will deliverance come for God’s servants who have already died? The following article will examine these questions.

Deliverance Into a Righteous New World

“They will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—PSALM 37:11.

1, 2. (a) How will Jehovah’s deliverance in our time differ from deliverances of ancient times? (b) Into what kind of world will Jehovah bring his people?

JEHOVAH is a God of deliverance. In ancient times, he delivered his people on many occasions. Those deliverances were temporary, for Jehovah did not in any of those instances permanently execute his judgments against Satan’s entire world. But in our day, Jehovah will soon perform the grandest deliverance of all for his servants. This time he will destroy every trace of Satan’s system earth wide, and he will bring his servants into a permanent, righteous new world.—2 Peter 2:9; 3:10-13.

² Jehovah promises: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:10, 11) For how long? “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5) However, before that happens, this world will undergo the greatest time of trouble it has ever known.

The “Great Tribulation”

3. How did Jesus describe the “great tribulation”?

³ In 1914 this world entered its “last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13) We are now 83 years into that period and are nearing its end when, as Jesus foretold, the following will take place: “There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) Yes, worse than even World War II, when some 50 million lives were taken. What a world-shaking time is fast approaching!

4. Why does God’s judgment come upon “Babylon the Great”?

⁴ The “great tribulation” will come with astounding suddenness, “in one hour.” (Revelation 18:10) Its outbreak will be marked by God’s execution of judgment on all false religion, which God’s Word calls “Babylon the Great.” (Revelation 17:1-6, 15) Ancient Babylon’s dominant feature was false religion. Modern Babylon is like her ancient counterpart and represents the world empire of false religion. She has played the harlot by compromising with the political elements. She has supported their wars and has blessed armies on opposing sides, resulting in people of the same religion slaughtering one another. (Matthew 26:51, 52; 1 John 4:20, 21) She has winked at the corrupt practices of her adherents and has persecuted true Christians.—Revelation 18:5, 24.

5. How does the “great tribulation” begin?

⁵ The “great tribulation” begins when the political elements suddenly turn on “Babylon the Great.” They “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.” (Revelation 17:16) Thereafter, her former supporters “will weep and beat themselves in grief over her.” (Revelation 18:9-19) But Jehovah’s servants have long expected this, and they will exclaim: “Praise Jah, . . . for he has executed judgment upon the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand.”—Revelation 19:1, 2.

God’s Servants Attacked

6, 7. Why can Jehovah’s servants be confident when attacked during the “great tribulation”?

⁶ Having destroyed false religion, the political elements turn on Jehovah’s servants. Satan, “Gog of the land of Magog” in prophecy, says: “I shall come in upon those having no disturbance, dwelling in security.” Thinking that they are easy prey, he attacks them with “a numerous military force . . . , like clouds to cover the land.” (Ezekiel 38:2, 10-16) Jehovah’s people know that this attack will fail because they trust in Jehovah.

⁷ When Pharaoh and his armies felt that they had God’s servants trapped at the Red Sea, Jehovah miraculously delivered his people and destroyed Egypt’s armies. (Exodus 14:26-28) During the “great tribulation,” when the nations feel that they have Jehovah’s people trapped, he again miraculously comes to the rescue: “In that day . . . my rage will come up into my nose. And in my ardor, in the fire of my fury, I shall have to speak.” (Ezekiel 38:18, 19) The climax of the “great tribulation” will then be imminent!

8. What supernatural events take place before Jehovah executes the wicked, and with what effect?

⁸ At some point after the “great tribulation” begins, but before Jehovah executes his judgment upon the rest of this world, supernatural events will occur. Note the effect they will have. “Then the sign of the Son of man [Christ] will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29, 30) “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, . . . while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth.”—Luke 21:25, 26.

“Your Deliverance Is Getting Near”

9. Why can Jehovah’s servants ‘lift their heads up’ when supernatural events occur?

⁹ At that particular time, the prophecy of Luke 21:28 applies. Jesus said: “As these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” God’s enemies will be trembling with fear because they will know that the supernatural events taking place come from Jehovah. But Jehovah’s servants will rejoice because they will know that their deliverance is getting near.

10. How does God’s Word describe the climax of the “great tribulation”?

¹⁰ Jehovah then delivers the death blow to Satan’s system: “I will bring myself into judgment with [Gog], with pestilence and with blood; and a flooding downpour and hailstones, fire and sulphur I shall rain down upon him and upon his bands . . . And they will have to know that I am Jehovah.” (Ezekiel 38:22, 23) All vestiges of Satan’s system are destroyed. The entire human society of God-ignoring people is annihilated. That is the Armageddon climax of the “great tribulation.”—Jeremiah 25:31-33; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21.

11. Why are Jehovah’s servants delivered through the “great tribulation”?

¹¹ Delivered through the “great tribulation” will be the millions of worshipers of Jehovah earth wide. These make up the “great crowd” who have come “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues.” Why are they delivered in such an awe-inspiring way? Because they render Jehovah “sacred service day and night.” So they survive this world’s end and are ushered into a righteous new world. (Revelation 7:9-15) Thus, they witness the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promise: “Hope in Jehovah and keep his way, and he will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.”—Psalm 37:34.

The New World

12. To what can Armageddon survivors look forward?

¹² What a thrilling time that will be—the elimination of wickedness and the dawn of the most glorious era in all human history! (Revelation 20:1-4) How grateful to Jehovah the Armageddon survivors will be to have entered a bright, clean civilization of God’s making, a new world, on an earth that will be transformed into a paradise! (Luke 23:43) And they will never need to die at all! (John 11:26) Indeed, from that point onward, they will have the amazing, marvelous prospect of living as long as Jehovah lives!

13. How does Jesus resume the healing work he began on earth?

¹³ Jesus, whom Jehovah has appointed as heavenly King, will oversee the miraculous blessings that the delivered ones will enjoy. When on earth, he opened blind eyes and deaf ears and cured “every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity.” (Matthew 9:35; 15:30, 31) In the new world, he will resume that great healing work but on a global scale. As God’s Agent, he will fulfill the promise: “[God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) Never again will there be a need for medical practitioners or undertakers!—Isaiah 25:8; 33:24.

14. What deliverance will come to Jehovah’s servants who have already died?

¹⁴ Also delivered will be all those faithful servants of God who died in the past. In the new world, they will be rescued from the clutches of the grave. Jehovah guarantees: “There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) Likely, “righteous” ones will be resurrected earlier and contribute to the expanding Paradise. How fascinating it will be for Armageddon survivors to hear the experiences of those faithful dead ones of long ago, now returned to life!—John 5:28, 29.

15. Describe some of the conditions to be experienced in the new world.

¹⁵ All those living will then experience what the psalmist said of Jehovah: “You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16) No more hunger: The earth will be restored to an ecological balance and produce abundantly. (Psalm 72:16) No more homeless people: “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy,” and each one will sit “under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.” (Isaiah 65:21, 22; Micah 4:4) No more fear: There will be no war, violence, or crime. (Psalm 46:8, 9; Proverbs 2:22) “The whole earth has come to rest, has become free of disturbance. People have become cheerful with joyful cries.”—Isaiah 14:7.

16. Why will righteousness permeate the new world?

¹⁶ In the new world, Satan’s propaganda media will have been removed. Instead, “righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn.” (Isaiah 26:9; 54:13) With wholesome spiritual instruction year after year, “the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) Upbuilding thoughts and actions will permeate mankind. (Philippians 4:8) Imagine, a worldwide society of people free from crime, egotism, jealousy—an international brotherhood where the fruitage of God’s spirit is produced by all. Indeed, even now such qualities are being cultivated by the great crowd.—Galatians 5:22, 23.

Why So Long?

17. Why has Jehovah waited so long before ending wickedness?

¹⁷ However, why has Jehovah waited so long to remove wickedness and deliver his people into the new world? Consider what had to be accomplished. Most important is the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty, his right to rule. By permitting enough time to go by, he has demonstrated beyond any doubt that human rule outside of his sovereignty has turned out to be a colossal failure. (Jeremiah 10:23) So now Jehovah is fully justified in replacing human rule with the rule of his heavenly Kingdom under Christ.—Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:9, 10.

18. When would the descendants of Abraham inherit the land of Canaan?

¹⁸ What has taken place during all these centuries is similar to what happened in Abraham’s time. Jehovah told Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan—but not for four hundred years “because the error of the Amorites [had] not yet come to completion.” (Genesis 12:1-5; 15:13-16) Here the term “Amorites” (a dominant tribe) likely represents the peoples of Canaan as a whole. So some four centuries would pass before Jehovah would enable his people to take over Canaan. In the meantime Jehovah let the nations in Canaan develop their societies. With what result?

19, 20. What kind of societies did the Canaanites develop?

¹⁹ The Bible Handbook, by Henry H. Halley, notes that at Megiddo, archaeologists found the ruins of a temple of Ashtoreth, goddess-wife of Baal. He writes: “Just a few steps from this temple was a cemetery, where many jars were found, containing remains of infants who had been sacrificed in this temple . . . Prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth were official murderers of little children.” “Another horrible practice was [what] they called ‘foundation sacrifices.’ When a house was to be built, a child would be sacrificed, and its body built into the wall.”

²⁰ Halley comments: “The worship of Baal, Ashtoreth, and other Canaanite gods consisted in the most extravagant orgies; their temples were centers of vice. . . . Canaanites worshiped, by immoral indulgence, . . . and then, by murdering their first-born children, as a sacrifice to these same gods. It seems that, in large measure, the land of Canaan had become a sort of Sodom and Gomorrah on a national scale. . . . Did a civilization of such abominable filth and brutality have any right longer to exist? . . . Archaeologists who dig in the ruins of Canaanite cities wonder that God did not destroy them sooner than He did.”—Compare 1 Kings 21:25, 26.

21. What similarity is there between the situation of the Canaanites and that of our day?

²¹ The wickedness of the Amorites had “come to completion.” So Jehovah was now fully justified in exterminating them. The same is true today. This world is filled with violence, immorality, and contempt for God’s laws. And since we are rightly appalled at the hideous child sacrifices in ancient Canaan, what of the sacrifice of tens of millions of young people in the wars of this world, far worse than anything in Canaan? Certainly, Jehovah is now fully justified in bringing this wicked system to an end.

Accomplishing Something Else

22. What is accomplished by Jehovah’s patience in our time?

²² Jehovah’s patience in these last days is accomplishing something else. He is allowing time to gather and educate the great crowd, already numbering more than five million. Under Jehovah’s direction, they have been formed into a forward-moving organization. Men, women, and youths are trained to teach others Bible truths. Through their meetings and Bible publications, they learn God’s loving ways. (John 13:34, 35; Colossians 3:14; Hebrews 10:24, 25) In addition, they are developing skills in construction, electronics, printing, and other fields in order to support the preaching of the “good news.” (Matthew 24:14) Likely such teaching and building skills will be widely used in the new world.

23. Why is it a privilege to be alive at this time?

²³ Yes, today Jehovah is preparing his servants to pass through the “great tribulation” into a righteous new world. Then there will be no Satan and his wicked world to contend with, no sickness, sorrow, and death. With great enthusiasm and joy, God’s people will proceed with the happy task of building a paradise, where every day will be an “exquisite delight.” How privileged we are to live at this climax of the ages, to know and serve Jehovah, and to realize that very soon we will ‘lift our heads up because our deliverance is getting near’!—Luke 21:28; Psalm 146:5.