2:10-12 (AS): “Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.”

²⁶ To the meek and humble peoples of the earth who love righteousness he says: “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation that hath no shame; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah’s anger come upon you. Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”—Zeph. 2:1-3, AS.

²⁷ And to everyone he says at Zephaniah 3:8, 9 (AS): “Therefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent.” So listen to the pure language of Bible truth that his witnesses are talking and join with them in calling on his name with praise and in serving his cause in vindication of his rightful sovereignty over the earth, and all the rest of the universe. In that way you may be hid and preserved clear through the universal war of Armageddon and enter into the new world where righteousness and meekness will be the rule for all humans who live. That world will never come into the calamitous distress of this present wicked world, for it will be the lovely everlasting world of God’s creation by Jesus Christ.

A Small Christian’s Big Decision

Hero worship has been long with this world, though not approved by the Bible. It shows that worship is properly given only to Jehovah God and his royal Son, Christ Jesus. (Rom. 14:11; Eph. 3:14; Phil. 2:10, 11) It shows that the Christian must neither bow to images nor make images of even such good men as the apostles. (Ex. 20:3-5; Acts 10:26) Bowing, even to kings, cannot be justified by saying they represent the government. The three Hebrews received God’s blessing for not bowing before what was also an image of the government.—Dan. 3:1-30.

Recently this issue produced a big problem for a little 7-year-old Christian named Doreen in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was selected out of 10,000 students to present flowers to Princess Elizabeth. Thrilled over the honor and the large picture of her in a Vancouver newspaper, Doreen’s spirits were dampened when she learned that she must bow to the princess in violation of God’s instructions. Permitted by her parents to make up her own mind on the matter, she first decided the honor was too great to give up, then reconsidered and told the school authorities that Christ was her King and that she could not bow to creatures.

A Vancouver newspaper (the Daily Province) confused the matter, saying first that her refusal was “because she became frightened”, then that she had “probably been influenced by the family’s religious views”, and finally that it was a disturbing surprise to the school officials. Most certainly Doreen’s parents can rejoice to see their daughter turn down false worldly honors to obey her everlasting Father, Jehovah God. In doing so she set an example that all Christians can well follow.