“Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”

This text at Romans 10:13 holds out hope for people of all sorts. It also conveys a sense of urgency. It is our timely yeartext for 1998.

WITH a tone of great urgency, the prophet Joel foretold the coming of the day of Jehovah. And he identified the key to survival when he wrote: “It must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe.”—Joel 1:15; 2:1, 28-32.

Such a day of Jehovah came upon Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. It was a time when Jehovah executed judgment. Years in advance he had warned the inhabitants of Judah and of Jerusalem that they faced serious accountability for treating him with disrespect. Oh, they knew his name and made use of it, but they did not sincerely inquire of Jehovah for direction. They did not really feel that Jehovah would call them to account for what they were doing. (Neh. 9:26; Zeph. 1:4-6, 12) For them to call out to Jehovah in the day of distress would be a mockery, and Jehovah said that he would not listen. (Jer. 11:10, 11) But when Jerusalem was destroyed, lovers of righteousness such as Jeremiah, Baruch, Ebed-melech, and the sons of Jonadab were spared because they were earnestly seeking to do what is right and pleasing to God.

The apostle Peter explained that Joel’s prophecy also had a first-century fulfillment. Directed by holy spirit, Peter showed that what occurred at Pentecost 33 C.E. was in fulfillment of what Joel had written about the outpouring of God’s spirit before the coming of Jehovah’s day. That day of Jehovah came in destructive fury upon Jerusalem in 70 C.E. (Acts 2:16-21) However, about 14 years before that, the apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Rome and quoted from Joel 2:32. (Rom. 10:13) Why? To emphasize God’s impartiality toward Jews and Greeks. As the prophet had written, salvation was available to “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah.” But why did Christians in Rome need to be warned about a destruction that was to come upon distant Jerusalem? So that they would stay out of the danger zone. Any who went up to the Jewish Passover festival in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. were trapped when calamity came upon that city. But nearly four years before that, those who heeded God’s word through his Son had cleared out of that doomed city.—Luke 21:20-22.

An even more far-reaching day of Jehovah now lies immediately before us. The execution of Jehovah’s judgment will reach into every corner of the globe. But salvation is possible for everyone—no matter what his nationality, race, or language—who with full faith calls on the name of Jehovah and exercises faith in the sin-atoning sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. (Rev. 7:9, 10) Yet, Romans 10:14 asks: “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?” Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize the urgency of giving everyone that opportunity.