34567MAY 2020

STUDY ARTICLES FOR:JULY 6–AUGUST 2, 2020

WHAT does the near future hold for Jehovah’s people?We do not have to guess. Bible prophecy gives us a win-dow through which we can see major events that will af-fect all of us. One prophecy in particular allows us to seewhat some of the most powerful governments on earthwill do. That account, recorded in Daniel chapter 11,traces the history of two opposing forces, the king of thenorth and the king of the south. A large portion of thatprophecy has already been fulfilled, so we can be confi-dent that the rest of it will also come true.

2 To understand the prophecy recorded in Daniel chap-ter 11, we need to keep in mind that it identifies only rul-ers and governments that have had a direct influence onGod’s people. And even though God’s servants make uponly a small portion of the world’s population, they areoften at the center of major world events. Why? Be-cause Satan and his entire system have one prime objec-tive—conquering those who serve Jehovah and Jesus.(Read Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 11:7; 12:17.) In ad-dition, the prophecy recorded byDaniel must harmonizewith other prophecies in God’s Word. In fact, we cancome to the right understanding of Daniel’s prophecyonly if we compare it with other portions of the Scrip-tures.

1. What does Bible prophecy reveal to us?2. As indicated at Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 11:7 and 12:17, whatfacts must we keep in mind when studying Daniel’s prophecy?

STUDYARTICLE 19

“The King of the North”in the Time of the End“In the time of the end the king of the south will engagewith him [the king of the north] in a pushing.”—DAN. 11:40.

SONG 150Seek God for YourDeliverance

PREVIEW

We are seeing evidencethat Daniel’s prophecyabout “the king of thenorth” and “the king ofthe south” continues tobe fulfilled. How can webe so sure? And why dowe need to understand thedetails of this prophecy?

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3 With those points in mind, we willnow examine Daniel 11:25-39. We willsee who the king of the north and theking of the south were from 1870 to1991, and we will see why it is reason-able for us to clarify our understandingof a portion of this prophecy. In thefollowing article, we will discuss Dan-iel 11:40–12:1, and we will clarify ourunderstanding of what that part of theprophecy reveals about the period fromthe 1990’s to thewar of Armageddon. Asyou study these two articles, it will behelpful to consult the chart “Rival Kingsin the Time of the End.” First, though,we need to identify the two kings in thisprophecy.

IDENTIFYING THE KING OF THE NORTHAND THE KING OF THE SOUTH

4 The titles “king of the north” and“king of the south” were initially givento political powers located north andsouth ofthe literal land of Israel.Whydowe say that? Notice what the angel whodelivered the message to Daniel said: “Ihave come tomakeyou understandwhatwill befall your people in the final partof the days.” (Dan. 10:14) Until Pente-cost 33 C.E., the literal nation of Israelwas God’s people. From then on, how-ever, Jehovah made it obvious that heviewed Jesus’ faithful disciples as hispeople. Therefore, much of the proph-ecy recorded in Daniel chapter 11 in-volves, not the literal nation of Israel,

3. What will we discuss in this article and the onethat follows?4. What three factors should we look for whenidentifying the king of the north and the king of thesouth?

but Christ’s followers. (Acts 2:1-4; Rom.9:6-8; Gal. 6:15, 16) And the identity ofthe king of the north and the king ofthe south changed over time. Even so,several factors remained constant. First,the kings interactedwithGod’s people ina significant way. Second, they showedby their treatment of God’s people thatthey hated the true God, Jehovah. Andthird, the two kings engaged in a powerstruggle with each other.

5 At some time during the second cen-tury C.E., the true Christian congrega-tion began to be overrun by false Chris-tians, who had adopted pagan teachingsand who were hiding the truths found inGod’s Word. From that time until thelate 19th century, there was no orga-nized group of God’s servants on earth.The weeds of false Christianity flour-ished and hid the identity of true Chris-tians. (Matt. 13:36-43) Why is that factsignificant? It indicates that what weread about the king of the north andthe king of the south could not applyto rulers or kingdoms that held powerfrom sometime in the 2nd century to thesecond half of the 19th century. Therewas no organized group of God’s peoplefor them to attack.� However, we canexpect that the king of the north andthe king of the south would reappear in

� For the reason stated here, it no longer seems appro-priate to list Roman Emperor Aurelian (270-275 C.E.) asa “king of the north” or Queen Zenobia (267-272 C.E.) asa “king of the south.” This updates what was published inchapters 13 and 14 of the book Pay Attention to Daniel’sProphecy!

5. Can we identify the king of the north and theking of the south from the 2nd century C.E. to thelate 19th century? Explain.

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The king of the south, theAnglo-American World Power,is depicted in a number ofdifferent ways in various Bibleprophecies. It is described as . . .

The Anglo-AmericanWorld Power in BibleProphecy

the feet ofiron and clay(Dan. 2:41-43)

a horn that grewfrom the head ofa fearsome beast(Dan. 7:7, 8)

the seventh headof the wild beast(Rev. 13:1)

the two-horned beast(Rev. 13:11-15)

“the false prophet”(Rev. 19:20)

the late 19th century. Why is that thecase?

6 From 1870 onward, God’s people be-gan to get organized as a group. It was inthat year that Charles T. Russell and hisassociates formed a Bible study class.Brother Russell and his close associatesacted as the foretold messenger who‘cleared up a way’ before the Messian-ic Kingdom was established. (Mal. 3:1)God’s people could once again be identi-fied! Were there any world powers onthe scene that would have a significantimpact on God’s servants? Consider thefollowing facts.

WHO IS THE KING OF THE SOUTH?7 By 1870, Britain had become the larg-

est empire on earth, and it had themost powerful military force. That em-pire was pictured as a small horn thatvanquished three other horns—France,Spain, and theNetherlands. (Dan. 7:7, 8)And it filled the role of the king of thesouth well into World War I. During thissame time, the United States of Ameri-ca had become the dominant economicpower and was forming a close partner-ship with Britain.

8 During World War I, the UnitedStates and Britain were welded into apowerful military alliance. At that time,Britain and its former colony becamethe Anglo-American World Power. AsDaniel foretold, this king had amassed

6. When could God’s people again be identified?Explain.7. Who was the king of the south well into WorldWar I?8. Who has been the king of the south throughoutthe last days?

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“an exceedingly large and mighty army.”(Dan. 11:25) Throughout the last days,the Anglo-American alliance has beenthe king of the south.�Who, though, hasfilled the role of the king of the north?

THE KING OF THE NORTH REAPPEARS9 In 1871, the year after Russell and

his associates formed their Bible studygroup, the king of the north reappeared.That year Otto von Bismarck was in-strumental in establishing the GermanEmpire. Prussian King Wilhelm I be-came its first emperor, and he appointedBismarck as the first chancellor.� Overthe next few decades, Germany becamea colonial power, controlling countriesin Africa and the Pacific Ocean, andbegan challenging the power of Brit-ain. (Read Daniel 11:25.) The GermanEmpire built a powerful army and thesecond-largest navy in the world. Ger-many unleashed them against its ene-mies in the first world war.

10 Daniel then points forward to whatwould happen to the German Empireand the military force that it had built.The prophecy states that the king ofthe north “will not stand.” Why not?“Because they will plot schemes againsthim. And those eating his delicacieswill bring his downfall.” (Dan. 11:25b,26a) Back in Daniel’s day, those eating“the king’s delicacies” included royal of-

� See the box “The Anglo-American World Power in BibleProphecy.”� In 1890, Kaiser Wilhelm II forced Bismarck out ofpower.

9. When did the king of the north reappear, andhow was Daniel 11:25 fulfilled?10. How was Daniel 11:25b, 26 fulfilled?

ficials in “the king’s service.” (Dan. 1:5)To whom does the prophecy here refer?It refers to high-ranking officials of theGerman Empire—including the emper-or’s generals and military advisers—whoeventually helped bring down the mon-archy.� The prophecy not only foretoldthe fall of the empire but also mentionedthe outcome of the war with the king ofthe south. Speaking of the king of thenorth, it states: “As for his army, it willbe swept away, and many will fall downslain.” (Dan. 11:26b) In the first worldwar, just as foretold, the German armywas “swept away” and many did “falldown slain.” That war proved to be thedeadliest in human history up until thattime.

11 Describing the time leading up toWorld War I, Daniel 11:27, 28 says thatthe king of the north and the king ofthe south would “sit at one table speak-ing lies.” It also says that the king ofthe north would accumulate “a greatamount of goods.” Again, this is whathappened. Germany and Britain toldeach other that they wanted peace, butthose statements proved to be lies whenthe war broke out in 1914. And in the de-cades before 1914, Germany grew rich,becoming the second-largest economyin theworld.Then, in fulfillment of Dan-iel 11:29 and the first part of verse 30,Germany fought with the king of thesouth but was defeated.

� They hastened the fall of the empire in a number ofways. For instance, they withdrew support for the kaiser,leaked sensitive information about losses in the war, andforced the kaiser to abdicate.

11. What did the king of the north and the king ofthe south do?

6 THE WATCHTOWER

THE KINGS FIGHTGOD’S PEOPLE

12 From 1914 onward, the two kingshave intensified their conflict with eachother and with God’s people. For ex-ample, in the first world war, both theGerman government and the Britishgovernment persecuted God’s servantswho refused to take up arms. And theU.S. government threw into prison thosewho were taking the lead in the preach-ing work. This persecution fulfilled theprophecy recorded at Revelation 11:7-10.

13 Then, in the 1930’s and especiallyduring the second world war, the king ofthe north attacked God’s people withoutmercy. When the Nazi party took con-trol of Germany, Hitler and his follow-ers banned the work of God’s people.The opposers killed hundreds of Jeho-vah’s people and sent thousands moreto concentration camps. Those eventswere foretold by Daniel. The king of thenorth was able to “profane the sanctu-ary” and “remove the constant feature”by severely restricting the freedom ofGod’s servants to praise Jehovah’s namepublicly. (Dan. 11:30b, 31a) Its leader,Hitler, even vowed that he would exter-minate God’s people in Germany.

A NEW KING OF THE NORTH RISES14 After the second world war, the

Communist government of the SovietUnion took control of the vast terri-

12. In the first world war, what did the king of thenorth and the king of the south do?13. In the 1930’s and during the second world war,what did the king of the north do?14. Who took on the role of the king of the northafter the second world war? Explain.

tories it had captured from Germany,and it became the king of the north.Like the totalitarian Nazi regime, theSoviet Union showed great hostility to-ward anyone who put the worship of thetrue God ahead of absolute obedienceto the state.

15 Soon after World War II ended, thenew king of the north, the Soviet Unionand its allies, launched his own assaulton God’s people. In harmony with theprophecy recorded at Revelation 12:15-17, this king banned our preaching workand sent thousands of Jehovah’s peopleinto exile. In fact, throughout the lastdays, the king of the north has pouredout “a river” of persecution in an un-successful attempt to stop the work ofGod’s people.�

16 Read Daniel 11:37-39. In fulfill-ment of that prophecy, the king of thenorth did not show any “regard for theGod of his fathers.” How so? The So-viet Union, with the goal of eliminat-ing religion, tried to break the power ofthe traditional religious organizations.To achieve that goal, the Soviet govern-ment had already back in 1918 issued anorder that laid the foundation for athe-ism to be taught in schools. How did thisking of the north “give glory to the godof fortresses”? The Soviet Union spentan enormous amount of money building

� As indicated at Daniel 11:34, Christians living under theking of the north experienced some relief from persecu-tion. This happened, for example, when the Soviet Unioncollapsed in 1991.

15. What did the king of the north do after WorldWar II ended?16. How did the Soviet Union fulfill Daniel11:37-39?

its army and producing thousands of nu-clear weapons to fortify its realm. Boththe king of the north and the king of thesouth eventually gathered enough fire-power to kill billions of people!

A RARE ACT OF COOPERATION17 The king of the north has support-

ed the king of the south in one key en-deavor; they “put in place the disgustingthing that causes desolation.” (Dan. 11:31) That “disgusting thing” is the UnitedNations.

18 The United Nations organization isdescribed as a “disgusting thing” be-cause it claims to be able to do some-thing that only God’s Kingdom can do—bring world peace. And the prophecy

17. What is “the disgusting thing that causes des-olation”?18. Why is the United Nations described as a “dis-gusting thing”?

says that the disgusting thing “causesdesolation” because the United Nationswill play a key role in the destruction ofall false religion.—See the chart “RivalKings in the Time of the End.”

WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOWTHIS HISTORY?

19 We need to know this history be-cause it proves that from the 1870’sto the early 1990’s, Daniel’s prophecyabout the king of the north and the kingof the south has been fulfilled. Sowe canhave faith that the remaining portion ofthe prophecy will also come true.

20 In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed.So who fills the role of the king of thenorth today? The next article answersthat question.

19-20. (a) Why do we need to know this history?(b) What question will we answer in the next arti-cle?

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ What three factors help usidentify “the king of thenorth” and “the king of thesouth”?

˛ Who fulfilled the roles of theking of the north and ofthe king of the south fromthe 1870’s to 1991?

˛ Why do we need to knowthis history?

SONG 128Enduring to the End

�1Scripture(s) Rev. 11:7; 12:13, 17;13:1-8, 12Prophecy “The wild beast” roamsthe earth for many centuries. In the timeof the end, its seventh head is wounded.Later, that head is healed and “all theearth” follows the beast. Satan usesthat beast to “wage war with theremaining ones.”Fulfillment After the Flood, human gov-ernments opposed to Jehovah emerge.Many centuries later, during WorldWar I, the British Empire is severelyweakened. It recovers when it is joinedby the United States. Especially in thetime of the end, Satan uses his entirepolitical system to persecute God’speople.

�2Scripture(s) Dan. 11:25-45Prophecy Rivalry between the kingof the north and the king of the southduring the time of the end.Fulfillment Germany and Anglo-American powers compete. In 1945 theSoviet Union and its allies become theking of the north. In 1991, the SovietUnion collapses, and in time, Russiaand its allies take over the role of theking of the north.

�3Scripture(s) Isa. 61:1; Mal. 3:1; Luke4:18Prophecy Jehovah sends his “messen-ger” to “clear up a way” before theMessianic Kingdom is established. Thisgroup sets out to “declare good newsto the meek.”Fulfillment From the 1870’s onward,C. T. Russell and his associates workzealously to explain Bible truths. Dur-ing the 1880’s, they begin to empha-size that God’s servants need to preach.They publish such articles as “Wanted1,000 Preachers” and “Anointed toPreach.”

Rival Kings in theTime of the End

The prophecies mentioned in this chart overlap one another.They prove in multiple ways that we are living in “the timeof the end.”—Dan. 12:4.

CHART NOT TO SCALE1870

KING OF THE NORTH

KING OF THE SOUTH

GERMANY (1871, king of the north identifiable)

GREAT BRITAIN (king of the south identifiable)

STARTING IN THE 1870’SRussell and his associates are the “messenger”

EARLY 1880’SZion’s Watch Tower encourages its readersto preach the good news

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�4Scripture(s) Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43Prophecy An enemy oversows a fieldof wheat with weeds that are allowedto grow and hide the wheat until theharvest time arrives; then the weeds areseparated from the wheat.Fulfillment From the late 1800’s on-ward, true Christians begin to be distin-guished from false Christians. Duringthe time of the end, true Christians aregathered and separated from falseChristians.

�5Scripture(s) Dan. 2:31-33, 41-43Prophecy The feet of iron and claybelong to an image made of variousmetals.Fulfillment Clay represents the radicaland popular elements within the sphereof the Anglo-American World Power.These elements weaken the ability ofthis world power to act with ironlikestrength.

�6Scripture(s) Matt. 13:30; 24:14, 45;28:19, 20Prophecy “The wheat” is gatheredinto the “storehouse” and “the faithfuland discreet slave” is appointed overthe “domestics.” The preaching of the“good news of the Kingdom” begins tospread to “all the inhabited earth.”Fulfillment In 1919 the faithful slaveis appointed over God’s people. Fromthat time onward, the Bible Studentsstep up their preaching activities. To-day, Jehovah’s Witnesses preach in over200 lands and produce Bible-basedmaterial in over 1,000 languages.

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TIME OF THE END BEGINS

1914 1917 1918 1919

ANGLO-AMERICA

1914-1918WORLD WAR I

DURINGWORLDWAR ISeventh headis wounded

1917 ONWARDSeventh head is healed,and wild beast recovers

1917 ONWARDThe feet of iron and clay emerge

1914 ONWARDHarvest season; weedsseparated from wheat

1919Anointed Christians gathered into the restored congregation

1919 ONWARDPreaching work intensifies

1914-1918 BRITAIN & GERMANYBible Students imprisoned

1918 UNITED STATESMembers from headquarters imprisoned

�7Scripture(s) Dan. 12:11; Rev. 13:11,14, 15Prophecy A two-horned wild beasttakes the lead in creating “an imageto the wild beast” and gives “breath tothe image.”Fulfillment The Anglo-American WorldPower takes the lead in creating theLeague of Nations. This organization issupported by other nations. Eventually,the king of the north joins the Leagueas well—but only from 1926 to 1933.Like the United Nations (UN) after it,the League is given praise that is dueGod’s Kingdom.

�8Scripture(s) Dan. 8:23, 24Prophecy A fierce-looking king brings“ruin in an extraordinary way.”Fulfillment The Anglo-American WorldPower has caused vast ruin. For exam-ple, during World War II, the UnitedStates caused terrible ruin on an un-precedented scale when it dropped twoatomic devices on an enemy of the dualworld power.

�9Scripture(s) Dan. 11:31; Rev. 17:3,7-11Prophecy The “scarlet-colored” beastwith ten horns ascends out of the abyssand is an eighth king. The book of Dan-iel refers to this king as “the disgustingthing that causes desolation.”Fulfillment The League of Nationsplunges into inactivity during WorldWar II. After the war, the UN is “put inplace.” The UN, like the League beforeit, is given glory that is due God’s King-dom. The UN will attack religion.

TIME OF THE END

CHART NOT TO SCALE

1920 1939 1945

GERMANY SOVIET UNION & ITS ALLIES

ANGLO-AMERICA

1939-1945WORLD WAR II

1920League of Nations founded

1945UN founded

Kingdom-preachingwork continues

1945Over 156,000 publishers

1933-1945 GERMANYOver 11,000 Witnessesimprisoned

1939-1945 BRITAINNearly 1,600 Witnesses imprisoned

1940-1944 UNITED STATESOver 2,500 mob attacks against Witnesses

1945-1950’sSOVIET UNIONThousands of Witnessesdeported to Siberia

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�10 �11Scripture(s) 1 Thess. 5:3; Rev. 17:16Prophecy The nations proclaim “peaceand security,” and “the ten horns” and“the wild beast” attack “the prostitute”and destroy her. Thereafter, destructionbefalls the nations.Fulfillment The nations may claim thatthey have achieved peace and security.Then, the nations supporting the UNdestroy the institutions of false religion.This marks the opening phase of thegreat tribulation. That tribulation willend with the destruction of the entireworld system at Armageddon.

�12Scripture(s) Ezek. 38:11, 14-17; Matt.24:31Prophecy Gog invades the land of God’speople. Then, angels gather the “chosenones.”Fulfillment The king of the north, actingalong with the rest of the world’s gov-ernments, attacks God’s people. Sometime after the beginning of this attack,the remaining anointed ones are gath-ered to heaven.

�13Scripture(s) Ezek. 38:18-23; Dan. 2:34,35, 44, 45; Rev. 6:2; 16:14, 16; 17:14;19:20Prophecy “The one seated” on a “whitehorse” completes “his conquest” by de-stroying Gog and his army. “The wildbeast” is “hurled into the fiery lake,”and the giant image is crushed.Fulfillment Jesus, the ruling King ofGod’s Kingdom, comes to the rescue.Together with his 144,000 corulers andhis angelic armies, he destroys the co-alition of nations, Satan’s entire politi-cal system.

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1991GREATTRIBULATION ARMAGEDDON

RUSSIA & ITS ALLIES

Remaining anointed onesgathered to heaven

1991Over 4,278,000 publishers

TODAYOver 8,580,000 publishers

2017 RUSSIAAuthorities imprison Witnessesand confiscate branch buildings

WE HAVE more evidence than ever before that we areliving at the end of the last days of this system of things.Soon, Jehovah and Jesus Christ will destroy all govern-ments that oppose the Kingdom. Before that event oc-curs, the king of the north and the king of the south willcontinue their conflict with each other and with God’speople.

2 In this article, we will consider the prophecy record-ed at Daniel 11:40–12:1. We will identify the current kingof the north and discuss why we can face with confidencethe challenges that lie ahead.

A NEW KING OF THE NORTH EMERGES3 After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, God’s peo-

ple in that vast region enjoyed “a little help”—a period offreedom. (Dan. 11:34) As a result, they were able topreach freely, and before long the number of publishersin the former Communist bloc rose to hundreds of thou-sands. Gradually, Russia and its allies emerged as the kingof the north. As discussed in the preceding article, for agovernment to fill the role of the king of the north or theking of the south, it must do three things: (1) interact di-rectly with God’s people, (2) show by its actions that it isan enemy of Jehovah and his people, and (3) competewith the rival king.

1-2. What will we consider in this article?3-4. Who has emerged as the king of the north? Explain.

STUDYARTICLE 20

Who Is “the King ofthe North” Today?“He will come all the way to his end, and there will beno helper for him.”—DAN. 11:45.

SONG 95The Light Gets Brighter

PREVIEW

Who is “the king of thenorth” today, and howwill he come to his end?Knowing the answersto these questions canstrengthen our faith andhelp prepare us for thetrials we will face in thenear future.

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4 Note why we can say that today theking of the north is Russia and its allies.(1) They have had a direct impact onGod’s people, banning the preachingwork and persecuting hundreds of thou-sands of brothers and sisters who live inareas under their control. (2) Those ac-tions show that they hate Jehovah andhis people. (3) They have been compet-ing with the king of the south, the Anglo-American World Power. Let us see howRussia and its allies have filled the role ofthe king of the north.

THE KING OF THE NORTHAND THE KING OF THE SOUTH

CONTINUE PUSHING5 Read Daniel 11:40-43. This part of

the prophecy provides an overview ofthe time of the end. The passage high-lights the rivalry between the king of thenorth and the king of the south. As fore-told by Daniel, in the time of the end,the king of the south would engage withthe king of the north “in a pushing,” orhe would “lock horns with him.”—Dan.11:40; ftn.

6 The king of the north and the king ofthe south continue to compete for worlddomination. For example, consider whathappened after World War II when theSoviet Union and its allies gained influ-ence over much of Europe. The actionsof the king of the north forced the kingof the south to form an internationalmilitary alliance, known as NATO. Theking of the north continues to compete

5. What time period is described at Daniel 11:40-43, and what happens during that time?6. What evidence is there that the two kings havebeen pushing each other?

with the king of the south in an expen-sive arms race. The king of the northfought his rival in proxy wars and insur-gencies in Africa, Asia, and Latin Amer-ica. In recent years, Russia and its allieshave spread their influence across theglobe. They have also engaged with theking of the south in cyber warfare. Thekings have accused each other of usingdestructive computer programs in an ef-fort to damage their economies and po-litical systems. And as foretold by Dan-iel, the king of the north continues hisattack on God’s people.—Dan. 11:41.

THE KING OF THE NORTH ENTERS“THE LAND OF THE DECORATION”

7 Daniel 11:41 says that the king of thenorth will enter into “the land of the Dec-oration.” What is that land? In ancienttimes, the literal land of Israel was con-sidered to be “the most beautiful of allthe lands.” (Ezek. 20:6) But what madethat land especially precious was that itwas the location where true worship waspracticed. Since Pentecost 33 C.E., that“land” is not a single, literal geograph-ic location; it cannot be, for Jehovah’speople are spread throughout the earth.Rather, “the land of the Decoration” to-day is the realm of activity of Jehovah’speople that includes such things as theirworship of Jehovah through meetingsand the field ministry.

8 During the last days, the king of thenorth has repeatedly entered into “theland of the Decoration.” For example,when Nazi Germany filled the role of

7. What is “the land of the Decoration”?8. How has the king of the north entered into “theland of the Decoration”?

14 THE WATCHTOWER

the king of the north, particularly duringthe second world war, that king enteredinto “the land of the Decoration” by per-secuting and killing God’s people. Af-ter World War II when the Soviet Uniontook on the role of the king of the north,that king entered into “the land of theDecoration” by persecuting God’s peo-ple, exiling them.

9 In recent years, Russia and its allieshave also entered into “the land of theDecoration.” How? In 2017, this cur-rent king of the north banned the workof Jehovah’s people and threw some ofour brothers and sisters into prison. Healso banned our publications, includingthe New World Translation. Further, heconfiscated our branch office in Russiaas well as Kingdom Halls and AssemblyHalls. After these actions, in 2018 theGoverning Body identified Russia andits allies as the king of the north. How-ever, evenwhen Jehovah’s people are se-verely persecuted, they refuse to partic-ipate in any action to subvert or changehuman governments. Rather, they fol-low the Bible’s counsel to pray for “allthose who are in high positions,” espe-cially when such ones are making deci-sions that could affect freedom of wor-ship.—1 Tim. 2:1, 2.

WILL THE KING OF THE NORTHCONQUER THE KING OF THE SOUTH?

10 The prophecy recorded at Daniel11:40-45 focuses mainly on the activi-ty of the king of the north. Does this

9. In recent years, how have Russia and its alliesentered into “the land of the Decoration”?10. Will the king of the north conquer the king ofthe south? Explain.

mean that he will conquer the king of thesouth? No.The king of the south will stillbe “alive” when Jehovah and Jesus de-stroy all human governments at the warof Armageddon. (Rev. 19:20) Why canwe be so sure? Consider what the proph-ecies of Daniel and Revelation indicate.

11 Read Daniel 2:43-45. The proph-et Daniel describes a series of humangovernments that have had an impacton God’s people. They are described asthe various parts of a giant metal image.The last human government in that se-ries is depicted as the feet of the imagethat are made of iron mixed with clay.The feet represent the Anglo-AmericanWorld Power. That prophecy indicatesthat the Anglo-American World Powerwill still be functioning whenGod’s King-dom strikes and destroys human govern-ments.

12 The apostle John also describes aseries of world powers that have hadan effect on Jehovah’s people. John de-picts these governments as being likea seven-headed wild beast. The seventhhead of that beast represents the Anglo-American World Power. This is signif-icant because the beast is not shown asgrowing any other heads. The seventhhead of this beast is still dominant whenChrist and his heavenly forces destroy italong with the rest of the beast.�—Rev.13:1, 2; 17:13, 14.

� For a detailed discussion of Daniel 2:36-45 and Revela-tion 13:1, 2, see the June 15, 2012, issue of The Watch-tower, pp. 7-19.

11. What does Daniel 2:43-45 indicate? (See cov-er picture.)12. What does the seventh head of the wild beastrepresent, and why is that significant?

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WHAT WILL THE KING OF THE NORTHDO IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

13 Aprophecy recorded by Ezekiel givessome insight into what may happen dur-ing the last days of the king of the northand the king of the south. If we view theprophecies of Ezekiel 38:10-23; Daniel 2:43-45; 11:44–12:1; and Revelation 16:13-16, 21 as speaking about the same time pe-riod and events, it appears that we canexpect the following developments.

14 Sometime after the start of the greattribulation, “the kings of the entire in-habited earth” will form a coalition ofnations. (Rev. 16:13, 14; 19:19) That co-alition becomes what the Scriptures call“Gog of the land of Magog.” (Ezek.38:2) That coalition of nations will makeone final all-out assault on God’s people.What will provoke the attack? Speak-ing of this time, the apostle John saw astorm of unusually large hailstones rain-ing down on God’s enemies. That sym-

13-14. Who is “Gog of the land of Magog,” andwhat may provoke him to attack God’s people?

bolic hailstorm may take the form ofa hard-hitting judgment message deliv-ered by Jehovah’s people. It could bethat this message provokes Gog of Ma-gog into attacking God’s people with theintention of wiping them off the earth.—Rev. 16:21.

15 This hard-hitting message and thefinal attack by God’s enemies may bethe same events referred to at Daniel11:44, 45. (Read.) There, Daniel saysthat “reports out of the east and out ofthe north” disturb the king of the north,who goes off in “a great rage.” The kingof the north intends “to devote manyto destruction.” The “many” referred toseem to be Jehovah’s people.� Danielmay here be describing the final all-outassault on God’s people.

16 This attack by the king of the north,

� For more information, see the May 15, 2015, issue ofThe Watchtower, pp. 29-30.

15-16. (a) To what event may Daniel 11:44, 45 bereferring? (b) What happens to the king of thenorth and the rest of Gog of Magog?

At the war of Armageddon,Jesus Christ and hisheavenly armies will destroySatan’s wicked world anddeliver God’s people(See paragraph 17)

acting along with the rest of the world’sgovernments, provokes the Almightyand brings on the war of Armageddon.(Rev. 16:14, 16) At that time, the kingof the north, along with the rest of thenations that make up Gog of Magog,comes to his end, and there will be “nohelper for him”.—Dan. 11:45.

17 The very next verse in Daniel’s ac-count gives more details about how theking of the north and his allies willcome to their end and how we will besaved. (Read Daniel 12:1.) What doesthis verse mean? Michael is anothername for our ruling King, Christ Je-sus. He has been “standing in behalf”of God’s people since 1914 when hisKingdom was established in the heav-ens. In the near future, he will “standup,” or take significant action, at thewar of Armageddon. That battle willbe the final event in what Daniel callsthe greatest “time of distress” in histo-ry. John’s prophecy recorded in Revela-tion refers to the time leading up to thisbattle as “the great tribulation.”—Rev.6:2; 7:14.

17. Who is Michael “the great prince” mentioned atDaniel 12:1, and what does he do?

WILLYOUR NAME BE“WRITTEN DOWN IN THE BOOK”?

18 We can face the future with con-fidence because both Daniel and Johnconfirm that those who serve Jehovahand Jesus will survive this unparalleledtime of distress. Daniel says that thesurvivors will have their names “writtendown in the book.” (Dan. 12:1) How dowe get our names in that book? We mustgive clear evidence that we have faith inJesus, the Lamb of God. (John 1:29) Weneed to get baptized in symbol of ourdedication to God. (1 Pet. 3:21) And wemust show our support for God’s King-dombydoing what we can to help otherslearn about Jehovah.

19 Now is the time to build trust in Je-hovah and his organization of loyal ser-vants. Now is the time to support God’sKingdom. If we do, we will be savedwhen the king of the north and the kingof the south are destroyed by God’sKingdom.

18. Why can we face the future with confidence?19. What should we do now, and why?

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ Who is “the king of thenorth” today?

˛ How has the king of thenorth entered into “the landof the Decoration”?

˛ What will happen to the kingof the north and the king ofthe south?

SONG 149A Victory Song

MAY 2020 17

“I am a timid person by nature,” explainsSara,� “and I don’t have a lot of self-confidence. So I feel uncomfortable when Iam with people who have a strong, aggres-sive personality. But I feel relaxed when I amwith someone who is mild and humble. I canopen up to that sort of person, share myfeelings, and discuss my problems. My bestfriends are like this.”

Sara’s comments reveal that mildness en-dears us to fellow humans. Mildnessalso pleases Jehovah. His Word exhorts us:“Clothe yourselves with . . . mildness.” (Col. 3:12) What is mildness? How did Jesus showmildness? And how can this quality make ourlives happier?

WHAT IS MILDNESS?Mildness is an inner, peaceful disposition. A

mild person deals with others in a gentle, kindway and is able to face life’s irritations withcalmness and self-control.

Mildness is a sign of inner strength. TheGreek word for “mildness” was used to de-scribe a wild horse that had been tamed. Thestrength of the horse remains, but patienttraining has bridled its raw power. Likewise,when we display mildness, we tame our un-ruly nature and deal peaceably with others.

‘I am not a mild person by nature,’ we maythink. We do live in a world where aggressionand impatience are common, so we may find

� Some names have been changed.

it a challenge to display a mild spirit. (Rom. 7:19) Clearly, it requires effort to cultivate mild-ness, but Jehovah’s holy spirit will help usto strengthen our resolve to reach our goal.(Gal. 5:22, 23) Why should we make the effortto cultivate mildness?Mildness is a quality that attracts people.

As Sara, quoted above, observed, we feel re-laxed in the company of a mild-tempered per-son. Jesus is an outstanding example of amild and kind person. (2 Cor. 10:1) Even chil-dren who hardly knew him wanted to be closeto him.—Mark 10:13-16.Mildness protects us as well as those

around us. If we are mild, we do not quicklyget frustrated or react angrily. (Prov. 16:32)

MILDNESSHow Does It Benefit Us?

LOVEJOY

PEACEPATIENCEKINDNESS

GOODNESSFAITH

MILDNESSSELF-CONTROL

18 THE WATCHTOWER

We thus avoid feelings of guilt that arise af-ter we hurt someone—especially a personwhom we love. And mildness protects thosearound us from suffering because of our un-restrained spirit.

THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF MILDNESSDespite his heavy responsibilities and busy

schedule, Jesus was mild-tempered towardall. Many in his day were struggling and load-ed down, and they needed refreshment. Howcomforted they must have felt when Jesussaid to them: “Come to me, . . . for I ammild-tempered and lowly in heart”!—Matt. 11:28, 29.

How can we cultivate the mildness that Je-sus displayed? We study God’s Word to learnhow Jesus interacted with people and han-dled difficult situations. Then, when we facesituations that test our mildness, we strive toact like Jesus. (1 Pet. 2:21) Consider threefactors that helped Jesus to be mild.Jesus was humble at heart. Jesus said

that he was both “mild-tempered and lowlyin heart.” (Matt. 11:29) The Bible mentionsthese two qualities together because mild-ness is closely connected with humility. (Eph.4:1-3) Why is that so?

Humility helps us to avoid taking ourselvestoo seriously or becoming overly sensitive.How did Jesus respond to those who unjustlycriticized him for being “a glutton” and “givento drinking wine”? He let his example stiflethe criticism, and he mildly pointed out that“wisdom is proved righteous by its works.”—Matt. 11:19.

If someone makes a thoughtless commentabout your race, sex, or background, why notmake the effort to respond mildly? Peter, aChristian elder in South Africa, says: “When Ifind myself irritated by what someone says,I ask myself, ‘How would Jesus react?’” Headds: “I have learned not to take myself tooseriously.”

Jesus understood human weakness. Je-sus’ disciples had good intentions, but some-times their imperfect nature hindered themfrom carrying out their intentions. For ex-ample, the night before Jesus died, Peter,James, and John failed to give him the emo-tional support he requested. Jesus recog-nized that “the spirit, of course, is eager, butthe flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:40, 41) Thanks tothis insight, Jesus did not get irritated withhis apostles.

Mandy is a sister who used to be very de-manding, but now she tries hard to imitateJesus’ example of mildness. She says, “I tryto accept human imperfection in all its fac-ets and to see the positive in others, some-thing that Jehovah certainly sees.” Could Je-sus’ compassionate view of human weaknessalso help you to deal mildly with others?Jesus left matters in God’s hands. Je-

sus accepted unjust treatment while he wason earth. He was misunderstood, despised,and tortured. Even so, he remained mild-tempered because he “entrusted himself tothe One who judges righteously.” (1 Pet. 2:23)Jesus knew that his heavenly Father wouldcare for him and deal with injustices at theright time.

If we get angry and try to fight a personalinjustice, we could easily overreact and makethings worse. That is why the Scriptures re-mind us: “Man’s anger does not bring aboutGod’s righteousness.” (Jas. 1:20) Even if ouranger is justified, imperfection may lead us toreact in a wrong way.

A sister in Germany named Cathy used tothink, ‘If you don’t stand up for yourself, noone else will.’ But when she learned to trust inJehovah, her attitude changed. “I no longerneed to be on the defensive,” she says. “I feelfree to act mildly, knowing that Jehovah haseverything under perfect control.” If you haveever been a victim of injustice, following Je-

sus’ example of trusting in God will also helpyou to maintain a mild spirit.

“HAPPY ARE THE MILD-TEMPERED”Jesus pointed out that mildness plays a

significant role in our happiness. “Happy arethe mild-tempered,” he said. (Matt. 5:5) Notehow mildness helps in the following situa-tions.Mildness defuses tension in marriage. “I

have said a lot of hurtful things to my wifethat I didn’t mean,” admits Robert, a brotherfrom Australia. “But rash words spoken in an-ger cannot be withdrawn. I felt so bad when Isaw how much I had hurt her.”

“We all stumble many times” in our speech,and our thoughtless words can threaten mar-ital peace. (Jas. 3:2) On such occasions,mildness helps us to remain calm and controlour tongue.—Prov. 17:27.

Robert worked hard to develop calmnessand self-control. What has been the result?“Nowadays, whenever a disagreement arises,I make a conscious effort to listen carefully, tospeak mildly, and not to allow myself to getupset,” he says. “My relationship with my wifeis so much better.”

Mildness helps us to get along better withothers. Those who are quick to take offenseend up with few friends. Mildness, however,helps us “to maintain . . . the uniting bond ofpeace.” (Eph. 4:2, 3) Cathy, quoted earlier,says, “Mildness has given me the power tomake every encounter with another person abit more pleasant, even though some peopleare difficult to deal with.”Mildness brings inner peace. The Bible as-

sociates “the wisdom from above” with mild-ness and peace. (Jas. 3:13, 17) A mild personhas “a calm heart.” (Prov. 14:30) Martin, whohas worked hard to develop the quality ofmildness, observes, “I am now more flexibleand less aggressive, and I enjoy more innerpeace and happiness.”

True, we may have to struggle to develop amild spirit. “To be honest,” says one brother,“even to this day, I boil inside with anger onsome occasions.” But Jehovah, who encour-ages us to pursue mildness, will help us inthis struggle. (Isa. 41:10; 1 Tim. 6:11) He can‘finish our training’; he can ‘make us strong.’(1 Pet. 5:10) In time, like the apostle Paul, wecan reflect “the mildness and kindness of theChrist.”—2 Cor. 10:1.

How can mildness help usin challenging situations?

JEHOVAH is a generous God. Think of some of the giftshe has given us: our beautiful and unique home, theearth; our marvelously designed brain; and his preciousWord, the Bible. By means of these three gifts, Jehovahhas given us a place to live, he has granted us the abilityto think and communicate, and he has answered themost important questions we could ask.—Read Psalm40:5.

2 In this article, we will briefly consider those threegifts. The more we meditate on them, the more we willappreciate them and the stronger our desire will be toplease our loving Creator, Jehovah. (Rev. 4:11) We willalso be better equipped to help those who have been mis-led by the false doctrine of evolution.

OUR UNIQUE PLANET3 God’s wisdom is clearly seen in the way he constructed

ourhome, the earth. (Rom. 1:20; Heb. 3:4) Ours is not theonly planet to orbit the sun, but the earth is unique be-cause it has all the right conditions to sustain human life.

4 In some respects, the earth is like a boat floating inthe vast ocean of space. But there are key differences be-tween a man-made boat, full of people, and our earth.For example, how long would the occupants of a literalboat survive if they had to produce their own oxygen,food, and water and if they could not throw any wasteproducts overboard? The people in that boat would soon

1-2. According to Psalm 40:5, what gifts has Jehovah given us, andwhy will we consider them?3. Why is the earth unique?4. Why can we say that the earth is better than any man-made boat?

STUDYARTICLE 21

Do You AppreciateGod-Given Gifts?“How many things you have done, O Jehovah my God, yourwonderful works and your thoughts toward us.”—PS. 40:5.

SONG 5God’s Wondrous Works

PREVIEW

This article will buildour appreciation forJehovah and for threeof the gifts that he hasgiven us. It will alsohelp us to reason withthose who doubt thatGod exists.

20

Jehovah’sGift of theWater Cycle

FRUITS, VEGETABLES,AND FLOWERSRain makes plants grow,giving us food to eat.Most plants also produceflowers for our enjoyment

BEAUTYAND ENJOYMENTRivers, lakes, and waterfallsbeautify the earth and bringus enjoyment

OTHER BENEFITSThe water cyclehas other benefits.For instance, theevaporation ofseawater producessalt

DAILY USEWe drink water and use it to makeother drinks, such as lemonade,

coffee, and tea. We also use waterfor cooking, cleaning, and bathing

22 THE WATCHTOWER

die. In contrast, the earth supports bil-lions of living creatures. It produces allthe oxygen, food, and water we need,and we do not run out of those vital sup-plies. Its waste products are not ejectedinto space; yet, the earth remains beau-tiful and habitable. How is that possi-ble? Jehovah designed the earth withthe ability to recycle resources. We willbriefly look at two of these brilliantly de-signed cycles, the oxygen cycle and thewater cycle.

5 Oxygen is a life-sustaining gas that isused by some living things, including us.It has been estimated that living crea-tures breathe in a hundred billion tonsof oxygen in a year. These same crea-tures breathe out a waste product calledcarbon dioxide. Yet, these living crea-tures never consume all the oxygen, andthe atmosphere never becomes chokedwith the “waste” gas, carbon dioxide.Why not? Because Jehovah also creat-ed organisms—from large trees to tinyalgae—that take in carbon dioxide andgive off oxygen. In a very literal way, theoxygen cycle confirms the words record-ed at Acts 17:24, 25: “God . . . gives to allpeople life and breath.”

6 Water in liquid form exists on earthbecause our planet is located at the per-fect distance from the sun. If it were justa little closer, all the water would boiloff, leaving a hot, lifeless rock. If theearth were just a little farther from thesun, all the water would freeze, turning

5. What is the oxygen cycle, and what does it con-firm?6. What is the water cycle, and what does it prove?(See also the box “Jehovah’s Gift of the Water Cy-cle.”)

the earth into a giant ball of ice. BecauseJehovah placed the earth at this ideal lo-cation, the earth’s water cycle can sus-tain life. The sun heats water in theoceans and on the earth’s surface andevaporates the water to form clouds.Each year, the sun evaporates nearly120,000 cubic miles (500,000 cu km)of water. This water stays in the atmo-sphere for about ten days before fallingas rain or snow. The water eventuallymakes its way back to the oceans orother bodies of water, and the cycleis repeated. This efficient, sustainablecycle proves that Jehovah is both wiseand powerful.—Job 36:27, 28; Eccl. 1:7.

7 How can we develop appreciation forour amazing planet and all that it sup-plies? (Read Psalm 115:16.) One way isby meditating on the things Jehovah hasmade. That will motivate us to thank Je-hovah each day for the good things hegives us. And we show that we appreci-ate the earth by keeping the part of itwhere we live as clean as possible.

OUR UNIQUE BRAIN8 The human brain is a marvel of engi-

neering. When you were in your moth-er’s womb, your brain was built accord-ing to a preset plan, and thousands ofnew brain cells were constructed everyminute! Researchers estimate that anadult’s brain contains close to 100 billionspecial cells called neurons. These cellshave been efficiently assembled into apackage that weighs about 3.3 pounds

7. What are some ways that we can show appre-ciation for the gift described at Psalm 115:16?8. Why can we say that our brain is a marvel of en-gineering?

MAY 2020 23

(1.5 kg). Consider just a few of thebrain’s amazing abilities.

9 Our ability to speak is a miracle.Think for a moment about the mechan-ics of speaking. With each word yousay, your brain has to coordinate themovement of some 100 muscles in yourtongue, throat, lips, jaw, and chest. Allthose muscles have to move accordingto precise timing if the words are tobe understood. Regarding the ability tospeak languages, a study published in2019 showed that newborn babies canpick out individual words. This findingreinforces what many researchers be-lieve—that we are born with the abilityto recognize and learn languages. Cer-tainly, our ability to speak is a gift fromGod.—Ex. 4:11.

10 One way we can show that we appre-ciate our gift of speech is by explaining

9. What proves to you that our ability to speak isa gift from God?10. How can we show that we appreciate the God-given gift of speech?

our belief in God to those who wonderwhy we do not accept the teaching ofevolution. (Ps. 9:1; 1 Pet. 3:15) Thosewho promote that doctrine would haveus believe that the earth and all life on itcame about by accident. Using the Bibleand some of the points we discussed inthis article, we can defend our heavenlyFather and explain to those who are will-ing to listen why we are convinced thatJehovah is the Creator of heaven andearth.—Ps. 102:25; Isa. 40:25, 26.

11 Our capacity to remember is amaz-ing. In the past, one author estimat-ed that the human brain has the abilityto remember information that would fillthe equivalent of 20 million books. Now,however, it is thought that our memo-ry capacity is much larger. What uniqueability do humans have?

12 Among all the creatures on earth,only humans have the ability to learnmoral lessons by remembering and an-alyzing past events. As a result, wecan adopt better values and change ourway of thinking and living. (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Col. 3:9, 10) In fact, we can trainour conscience to recognize the differ-ence between right and wrong. (Heb. 5:14) We can learn to show love, compas-sion, and mercy. And we can develop ahealthy sense of justice.

13 One way we prove that we appreci-ate the gift of memory is by choosing toremember all the times that Jehovah hashelped and comforted us in the past.

11. What is one reason why our brain is amazing?12. How does our ability to learn moral lessonsseparate us from the animals?13. In line with Psalm 77:11, 12, how should we useour gift of memory?

We show appreciation for the gift ofour brain by using it to honor Jehovah(See paragraph 14)

By the year 1800, printed copiesof the Bible in whole or in partwere available in some 70 lan-guages, but very few of thoselanguages were spoken in Africa.At the time, the African Bantulanguages did not have a writtenform. Things changed when indi-viduals, such as William Boyce

from England, went to Africa andlived with people who spoke un-written languages. Boyce helpedto develop a written form ofXhosa, and he, along with oth-ers, translated the Gospel ofLuke into that language. Pub-lished in 1833, this Gospel con-tained God’s name in all thesame places that it now appearsin the New World Translation.Boyce also discovered the keyto the complex grammaticalrules that govern not only the

Xhosa language but also thecomplete Bantu-language family.This opened the way for transla-tors to produce the Bible inmany other African languages.Today, the Bible or portions of itare available in over 1,000 Afri-can languages. Clearly, Jehovahwants people from every nationto have this gift!—Acts 10:35.

Making the BibleAvailable in AfricanLanguages

This will build our confidence that hewill also help us in the future. (ReadPsalm 77:11, 12; 78:4, 7) Another wayis by remembering the good things thatother people do for us and being grate-ful for what they do. Researchers havefound that people who are grateful aremore likely to be happy. We also do wellto imitate Jehovah regarding the thingshe chooses to forget. For example, Jeho-vah has a perfect memory, but if we arerepentant, he chooses to forgive and for-get the mistakes we make. (Ps. 25:7; 130:3, 4) And he wants us to do the samefor others when they are sorry for mis-takes they make that hurt us.—Matt. 6:14; Luke 17:3, 4.

14 We can show appreciation for themarvelous gift of our brain by using itto honor the One who gave it to us.Some choose to use their brain for self-

14. How can we show appreciation for the marvel-ous gift of our brain?

ish purposes—to set their own standardsof right and wrong. But because Je-hovah created us, it is only reasonableto expect that his standards are betterthan any standards we could set for our-selves. (Rom. 12:1, 2) When we live byhis standards, our life is peaceful. (Isa.48:17, 18) And we gain a clear purposefor living—to bring honor to our Creatorand Father and make him proud of us.—Prov. 27:11.

THE BIBLE—A UNIQUE GIFT15 The Bible is a loving gift from God.

Our heavenly Father inspired men towrite it because he cares greatly for hisearthly children. By means of the Bi-ble, Jehovah answers the most importantquestions we could ask, such as: Wheredid we come from? What is the pur-pose of life? And what does the future

15. How does the gift of the Bible reflect Jehovah’slove for mankind?

24 THE WATCHTOWER

hold? Jehovah wants all his children tolearn the answers to those questions, sothroughout the centuries he has movedmen to translate the Bible into many lan-guages. Today, the whole Bible or por-tions of it are available in over 3,000languages! The Bible is the most widelytranslated and distributed book in histo-ry. No matter where people live or whatlanguage they speak, most have the op-portunity to learn the Bible’s message

in their mother tongue.—See the box“Making the Bible Available in AfricanLanguages.”

16 We can prove that we appreciate theBible by reading it each day, meditatingon what it teaches, and doing our bestto apply what we learn. In addition, weshow our gratitude to God by doing allwe can to share its message with as manypeople as possible.—Ps. 1:1-3; Matt. 24:14; read Matthew 28:19, 20.

17 So far we have considered such God-given gifts as our home, the earth; ouramazingly designed brain; and God’s in-spired Word, the Bible. But there areother gifts that Jehovah has given usthat are invisible to our eyes. These un-seen treasures will be discussed in thenext article.

16. Based on Matthew 28:19, 20, how can weprove that we appreciate the Bible?17. What kind of gifts have we considered in thisarticle, and what will be discussed in the next arti-cle?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTION Page 23: A sister is learn-ing a foreign language in order to teach immi-grants the truths of God’s Word.

HOW CAN WE SHOW THAT WE APPRECIATE . . .

˛ the earth? ˛ our brain? ˛ the Bible?

SONG 12Great God, Jehovah

In 2019 the NewWorld Translation of the HolyScriptures was released in Xhosa—one of theover 180 languages in which this translation isnow available in whole or in part

NOTall treasures can be seen. In fact, the greatest trea-sures are unseen. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesusmentioned heavenly treasures that are vastly superior tomaterial possessions. Then he added this truth: “Whereyour treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21) Our heart will move us to pursue the things wetreasure, or value highly. We store up “treasures in heav-en” by gaining a good name, or standing, with God. Suchtreasures, Jesus explained, can never be destroyed orstolen.

2 The apostle Paul urges us to “keep our eyes . . . on thethings unseen.” (Read 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18.) Theseunseen things are treasures that include the blessings wewill enjoy in God’s new world. In this article, we will ex-amine four unseen treasures that we can benefit fromright now—friendship with God, the gift of prayer, thehelp of God’s holy spirit, and heavenly support we havein our ministry. We will also consider how we can showthat we appreciate these unseen treasures.

FRIENDSHIP WITH JEHOVAH3 The greatest unseen treasure is friendship with Jeho-

vah God. (Ps. 25:14) How is it possible for God to make

1. What did Jesus say about heavenly treasures?2. (a) According to 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18, what does Paul urge us tofocus on? (b) What will we discuss in this article?3. What is the greatest unseen treasure, and how is it possible?

STUDYARTICLE 22

Show Your Appreciationfor Unseen Treasures“Keep [your] eyes . . . on the things unseen. For the thingsseen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.”—2 COR. 4:18.

SONG 45The Meditationof My Heart

PREVIEW

In the preceding article,we considered severaltreasures from God thatcan be seen. This articlewill focus on treasures thatwe cannot see and how wecan show our appreciationfor them. It will also deep-en our appreciation for theSource of such treasures,Jehovah God.

26

friends with sinful humans and remaincompletely holy? He can do so becausethe ransom sacrifice of Jesus “takesaway the sin of the world” of mankind.(John 1:29) Jehovah knew in advancethat his purpose to provide a Savior formankind would not fail. That is why Godcould befriend humans who lived beforeChrist died.—Rom. 3:25.

4 Consider some pre-Christian menwho became friends of God. Abrahamwas a man who showed outstandingfaith. Over 1,000 years after Abraham’sdeath, Jehovah called him “my friend.”(Isa. 41:8) So not even death can sep-arate Jehovah from his close friends.Abraham is alive in Jehovah’s memo-ry. (Luke 20:37, 38) Another example isJob. Before an assembly of the angelsin heaven, Jehovah spoke confidentlyabout Job. Jehovah called him “an up-right man of integrity, fearing God andshunning what is bad.” (Job 1:6-8) Andhow did Jehovah feel about Daniel, whoserved God faithfully in a pagan land forabout 80 years? Three times angels as-sured that aged man that he was “veryprecious” to God. (Dan. 9:23; 10:11, 19)We can be certain that Jehovah longsfor the day when he will resurrect his be-loved friends who have died.—Job 14:15.

5 How many imperfect humans todayenjoy a close friendship with Jehovah?There are millions. We know this be-cause so many men, women, and chil-dren earthwide are proving by their con-duct that they want to be God’s friends.

4. Give some examples of pre-Christian men whobecame friends of God.5. What is required to enjoy close friendship withJehovah?

Jehovah’s “close friendship is with theupright.” (Prov. 3:32) This friendship ispossible because of their faith in Jesus’ransom sacrifice.On that basis, Jehovahkindly allows us to dedicate ourselvesto him and get baptized. When we takethese important steps, we join the mil-lions of dedicated, baptized Christianswho are enjoying “close friendship” withthe greatest Person in the universe!

6 How can we show that we treasureGod’s friendship? Like Abraham andJob, who remained faithful to God forwell over a hundred years, we must re-main faithful—no matter how long wehave been serving Jehovah in this oldsystem. Like Daniel, we must value ourfriendship with God more than life.(Dan. 6:7, 10, 16, 22) With Jehovah’shelp, we can endure any trials we faceand thus keep our close bond with him.—Phil. 4:13.

THE GIFT OF PRAYER7 Another unseen treasure is prayer.

Close friends enjoy sharing thoughtsand feelings with each other. Is that trueof our friendship with Jehovah? Yes! Je-hovah speaks to us through his Word,and in it he reveals to us his thoughtsand feelings. We communicate withhim in prayer, and we can share withhim our deepest thoughts and inner-most feelings. Jehovah finds pleasure inlistening to our prayers. (Read Prov-erbs 15:8.) As a loving Friend, Jeho-vah not only listens to our prayers but

6. How can we show our appreciation for God’sfriendship?7. (a) According to Proverbs 15:8, how does Je-hovah feel about our prayers? (b) How does Jeho-vah answer our prayers?

MAY 2020 27

28 THE WATCHTOWER

also answers them. Sometimes the an-swer comes quickly. At other times wemay have to keep praying about a mat-ter. Still, we can be confident that theanswer will come at the right time andin the best way. Of course, God’s an-swer may be different from what we ex-pect. For example, rather than remove atrial, he might give us the wisdom andstrength “to endure it.”—1 Cor. 10:13.

8 How can we show our appreciationfor this priceless gift of prayer? Oneway is by heeding the divine counsel to“pray constantly.” (1 Thess. 5:17) Jeho-vah does not force us to pray. Instead,he respects our free will and urges us to“persevere in prayer.” (Rom. 12:12) Sowe can showour appreciation by prayingoften throughout each day. Of course,we should include in our prayers expres-sions of thanks and praise to Jehovah.—Ps. 145:2, 3.

8. How can we show our appreciation for the giftof prayer?

9 The longer we serve Jehovah and ex-perience the ways he answers our re-quests, the deeper our appreciation forprayer should become. Take, for exam-ple, Chris, a brother who has been infull-time service for the past 47 years.“How pleasurable it is to have a time slotearly in the morning to linger in prayerto Jehovah,” he says. “What a refreshingexperience it is to talk to Jehovah as thefirst rays of the sun cause the dewdropsto sparkle! This moves me to thank himfor all his gifts, including the privilege ofprayer. Then after praying at the end ofthe day, what a pleasure it is to go tosleep with a clean conscience.”

THE GIFT OF HOLY SPIRIT10 God’s active force is another unseen

gift we should treasure. Jesus urged usto keep praying for holy spirit. (Luke

9. How does one brother feel about prayer, andhow do you feel about it?10. Why should we treasure God’s holy spirit?

MAY 2020 29

11:9, 13) By means of his spirit, Jeho-vah gives us power—even “power be-yond what is normal.” (2 Cor. 4:7; Acts1:8) With the help of God’s spirit, we canendure any trial we may be facing.

11 Holy spirit can help us handle our as-signments in God’s service. God’s spiritcan enhance our talents and abilities. Itenables us to carry out our Christian re-sponsibilities. We can honestly attributethe good results of our efforts, not toourselves, but to the help of God’s spirit.

12 Another way to show that we valueGod’s holy spirit is by praying that itwill help us detect any wrong thoughtsor desires in our heart. (Read Psalm139:23, 24.) If we make such a request,Jehovah, through his spirit, can makeus aware of wrong thinking or incli-nations. And if we become aware of awrong thought or desire, we should pray

11. In what way can holy spirit help us?12. According to Psalm 139:23, 24, we can prayfor holy spirit to help us do what?

for God’s spirit to give us the strengthto resist such a thought or desire. Thuswe will show that we are determined toavoid doing anything that would causeJehovah to stop helping us with his holyspirit.—Eph. 4:30.

13 We can deepen our appreciation forholy spirit by reflecting on what thatspirit has accomplished in our day. Be-fore Jesus ascended to heaven, he toldhis disciples: “You will receive powerwhen the holy spirit comes upon you,and youwill be witnesses ofme . . . to themost distant part of the earth.” (Acts1:8) These words are being fulfilled ina wonderful way. With the backing ofholy spirit, some eight and a half mil-lion worshippers of Jehovah have beengathered from every corner of the earth.Also, we enjoy a spiritual paradise be-cause God’s spirit helps us to cultivatebeautiful qualities, such as love, joy,

13. How can we deepen our appreciation for holyspirit?

What are some ways in which we can showour appreciation for unseen treasures?(See paragraphs 5, 8, 11, 18)

peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faith, mildness, and self-control. Thesequalities make up “the fruitage of thespirit.” (Gal. 5:22, 23) What a preciousgift holy spirit is!

HEAVENLY SUPPORTIN OUR MINISTRY

14 We have the unseen treasure of“working together” with Jehovah andthe heavenly part of his organization.(2 Cor. 6:1) We do so whenever we sharein the disciple-making work. Paul saidof himself and those who share in thiswork: “We are God’s fellow workers.”(1 Cor. 3:9) When we participate in theChristian ministry, we are also Jesus’ fel-low workers. Recall that after command-ing his followers to “make disciples ofpeople of all the nations,” Jesus said:“I am with you.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) Andwhat about the angels?What a blessing itis to be directed by angels as we declare“everlasting good news . . . to those whodwell on the earth”!—Rev. 14:6.

15 With such heavenly support, whatis being accomplished? As we sow theKingdom message, some seeds fall on re-ceptive hearts and grow. (Matt. 13:18,23) Who causes those seeds of truthto grow and become fruitful? Jesus ex-plains that no man can become his fol-lower unless “the Father . . . draws him.”(John 6:44) The Bible gives a specif-ic example of this. Recall the occasionwhen Paul witnessed to a group of wom-en outside the city of Philippi. Note

14. What unseen support do we have when weshare in the ministry?15. Relate a Bible example that shows the impor-tant part Jehovah plays in our ministry.

what the Bible says about one of them, awoman named Lydia: “Jehovah openedher heart wide to pay attention to thethings Paul was saying.” (Acts 16:13-15)Like Lydia, millions of others have beendrawn by Jehovah.

16 Who really is responsible for anysuccess we have in the ministry? Paulanswered that question when he wrotethese words about the Corinthian con-gregation: “I planted, Apollos watered,but God kept making it grow, so thatneither is the one who plants anythingnor is the one who waters, but God whomakes it grow.” (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) Like Paul,we should always give credit to Jehovahfor any success enjoyed in the ministry.

17 How can we show our appreciationfor the privilege of “working together”with God, Christ, and the angels?We cando so by zealously seeking opportuni-ties to share the good news with oth-ers. There are numerous ways to do this,such as by witnessing “publicly and fromhouse to house.” (Acts 20:20) Many alsoenjoy informal witnessing. When theymeet a stranger, they greet him in afriendly manner and try to start a con-versation. If the person responds favor-ably, they tactfully introduce the King-dom message.

18 As “God’s fellow workers,” we mustnot only plant seeds of truth but also wa-ter them. When an individual shows in-

16. Who should get the credit for any success weexperience in the ministry?17. How can we show our appreciation for “work-ing together” with God, Christ, and the angels?18-19. (a) How do we water seeds of truth?(b) Relate an experience that shows how Jehovahhelped one Bible student.

30 THE WATCHTOWER

terest, we want to do our best to followup on it or to arrange for someone elseto contact that person with a view tostarting a Bible study. As the study pro-gresses, we rejoice when we see how Je-hovah works on the heart and mind of apotential disciple.

19 Consider the example of Raphala-lani, a traditional healer in South Afri-ca. He loved what he learned from hisBible study. But he faced a big challengewhen he read what God’s Word saysabout communicating with dead ances-tors. (Deut. 18:10-12) Gradually, he al-lowed God to mold his thinking. Andin time, he quit his practice as a witchdoctor, though this meant the loss ofhis livelihood. Raphalalani, who is now60 years old, says: “I am very thankfulto Jehovah’s Witnesses for assisting mein so many ways, such as helping meto find employment. Most of all, I amthankful to Jehovah for helping me toclean up my life, so that now I can sharein the ministry as one of his baptizedWitnesses.”

20 In this article, we have consideredfour unseen treasures. The greatest oneof all is the privilege of having Jehovahas our closest Friend. That enables us tobenefit from the other unseen treasures—approaching him in prayer, experienc-ing the help of his holy spirit, and re-ceiving heavenly support in our minis-try. May we be determined to deepenour appreciation for these unseen trea-sures. And may we never stop thank-ing Jehovah for being such a wonderfulFriend.

20. What are you determined to do?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTIONS Pages 28-29: (1) Whileenjoying Jehovah’s creation, a sister meditateson her friendship with Jehovah. (2) The samesister asks Jehovah for strength to give a witness.(3) Holy spirit helps the sister to have the courageto share the Kingdom message informally. (4) Thesister conducts a Bible study with the person towhom she witnessed informally. The sister carriesout the preaching and disciple-making work withthe support of the angels.

HOW CAN WE SHOW OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE FOLLOWING UNSEEN TREASURES?

˛ The privilege of prayer ˛ The help of God’s holy spirit ˛ Heavenly supportin our ministry

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IN THIS ISSUE��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 19: July 6-12 2“The King of the North” in the Time of the End

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Study Article 20: July 13-19 12Who Is “the King of the North” Today?��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Mildness—How Does It Benefit Us? 17��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 21: July 20-26 20DoYou Appreciate God-Given Gifts?��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 22: July 27–August 2 26Show Your Appreciation for Unseen Treasures