. . . How can you expect us to believe that Jehovah wants us to preach lies to our neighbours? . . . I hope he will forgive me for having taking part in that for over twenty years.

By “lies” I take it that you are referring to the controversial year of 1914, and what we have been taught in connection with it, such as God’s kingdom having been born at that time, as you mention it in you letter.

Whether it is about 1914 or any other matter that we may have gotten wrong up until now, the question can be rightly asked: Should we be preaching at all at this time, or wait until we are absolutely certain that we have and understand correctly the whole range of truths? Having had a share in the preaching work for such a long time, you are of course familiar with the scripture where Jesus foretold, “And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come,” or according to Mark, “in all the nations the good news has to be preached first.” (Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10) Therefore, the “good news of the kingdom” must be preached, as foretold, before the end comes. I am sure that you had many joyous times and blessings during those twenty years when you participated in that preaching of the good news, because Jehovah has build joy into the doing of his will. So, what has changed?

Is the preaching of the good news of the kingdom now invalid because we have gotten details wrong? For how long has Jehovah been aware that we have been mistaken on some matters that we have made a part of our message? Just recently? About the same time you discovered it? Or has he known it all along? If Jehovah has known it from the beginning, has he made an issue of it as yet? Have not literally millions heard the message of the good news of the kingdom and responded to it by becoming worshipers of Jehovah? Perhaps, you yourself helped some of them during your many years as a proclaimer of the good news. Will they remain worshipers of Jehovah, when they discover that some of the things they were taught to believe have not been accurate and will, at Jehovah’s due time, be corrected, at the time when he will refine his people? (Zeph. 3:8,9; Zech. 13:9)

Please, bear in mind that the preaching of the good news of the kingdom is from Jehovah. He sent his Son, Jesus, to preach that good news. That is why the scripture tells us that, right from the beginning of his ministry, “Jesus commenced preaching and saying, ‘Repent, you people, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’” (Matt. 4:17) Where did Jesus get his message from? He said, “I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak.” And how important was it for him to preach this message? “Also, I know that this commandment means everlasting life. Therefore the things I speak, just as the Father has told me [them], so I speak [them].” (John 12:49,50)

Jesus taught his followers to also preach the kingdom good news. (Matt. 10:5-7; Luke 10:1,29-11) The first century Christians understood the importance of the preaching work. (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1,2) Although they were zealously fulfilling their assignment they certainly did not have a complete understanding concerning all the details of what it was that they were preaching. (Acts 1:7; Col. 1:23) Although some may have included their own ideas, that certainly did not make their preaching invalid. (Acts 15:1; 1 Tim. 6:20,21; 2 Tim. 2:18)

Jehovah has provided us with all the information we need in order to preach the simple message about his kingdom. And Jesus set us the example to not speak out of our “own impulse.” He himself only spoke the things his Father had told him. Has Jehovah not warned us many times not to go beyond the things written? (Prov. 30:5,6; 1 Cor. 4:6) And yet time and again we are eager to speak out of our own impulse, express our own personal opinions and understanding on matters that we then incorporate into our message regarding the good news of the kingdom. As can be seen, there are consequences in doing this. We may become a stumbling block to others or we may even be stumbled ourselves. But as I already said, that certainly does not invalidate the preaching assignment.

We must keep in mind that Satan does not want the good news of the kingdom to be preached, a message that centers on God’s means to bring peace and blessings to all mankind. It also exposes the Devil as the source of all the world’s woes. How can he stop it? He has tried everything: forbidding the preaching (Acts 4:18-20); persecution (Acts 8:1); intimidation, by causing suffering or even death to some proclaimers of the good news, hoping to scare others into quitting (Acts 12:12:1-5; 1 Peter 5:8). Satan has seen how these outright attacks upon God’s people have not proven very successful over the centuries, because of their faith in Jehovah and the message they preach. But he has always been quite effective by undermining that faith. By raising doubts in a person’s mind concerning the truthfulness, or the benefits, of what one has been told, he has succeeded in turning people away from obeying Jehovah. It worked for him the first time he tried that approach, in the Garden of Eden, when he planted doubts in Eve’s mind by getting her to question God’s simply stated command.

What would Satan have to do to get us to stop participating in the preaching of the only good news there is for all mankind? Persecution? Intimidation? Threats? Laws that forbid us to preach? How about the offering of some material possession? How much money would he have to offer you, for you to agree to stop preaching? Oh, you say you couldn’t be bought? What if some brother told you that we don’t need to preach? Or that the preaching work is finished, done, completed? Would any of these scenarios succeed in getting you to stop participating in what you know is an assignment from Jehovah, until “the end will come”? That is what many of our brothers in Europe faced during the Second World War, and a few actually did stop for the various reasons mentioned. Of course, Satan is still busy using them.

Today we can add another reason to the list: Some brothers tell us that the preaching work is still future, and that it is Jehovah’s will to preach the good news of the kingdom only after we have a correct understanding of all prophecies and we have been enlightened with the real truth. It seems that this tactic of Satan’s has proved very effective in influencing many former zealous preachers to slow down or quit altogether sharing in the preaching, putting it off for now until the anticipated future time. But what if the end comes instead? They have started to doubt the truthfulness of the simple message itself.

Do not allow others to cause you to doubt the importance of the preaching work. Stick with what you know for certain about God’s kingdom and what it will mean for obedient mankind. After all, it is a simple message that appeals to all right-hearted ones. Do not complicate it with matters that you feel are not scripturally proven at this time. Jehovah will not be displeased for obeying him by being active in the preaching assignment, even when we haven’t got all the details right. And he will not ignore the hard work of all those who shared in it. After sending seventy of his disciples out to preach the “kingdom of God” Jesus told them, “the worker is worthy of his wages.” (Luke 10:7; 1 Tim. 5:18; compare Matthew 25:14-30) Be assured that Jehovah will reward those who obey his command to preach and who do not allow Satan to slow them down or stop them from doing so. “Look! Jehovah himself has caused [it] to be heard to the farthest part of the earth: “Say, YOU people, to the daughter of Zion, ‘Look! Your salvation is coming. Look! The reward he gives is with him, and the wages he pays are before him.’”” (Isaiah 62:11)
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What I am asking about is the first 40-year period, the reign of Saul, and its significance, if any. The reason why I think that it is significant is because Jehovah deliberately chose Saul for that period, although he wasn't of the kingly line of Judah. If that wasn't a prophecy, then why was he chosen from the wrong line, and why did he reign exactly 40 years?

The period of his reign was marked by the fact that he served as a prophet TWICE, but we have no record of what he said. Then he opposed Jehovah's chosen one, and finally he was rejected. And all of this was the 40 years leading up to the reign of David.
Does the reign of SAUL have a prophetic significance? If so, whom or what does it signify?

Although Jehovah had allowed for the possibility that his people would one day want to have a king, he was not in favor of it. (Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1 Samuel 8:4-9; 12:17-19) Jehovah eventually told his people, “I proceeded to give you a king in my anger, and I shall take [him] away in my fury.” (Hosea 13:11)

Although Jacob prophesied on his deathbed concerning Judah, that “The scepter will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him the obedience of the peoples will belong,” this was a Messianic prophecy and had nothing to do with Jehovah giving the nation of Israel a king according to their demands. (Gen. 49:10) This was shown when Jehovah personally chose Saul, as first king, from the tribe of Benjamin instead of Judah.

Did Jehovah all along have in mind to replace Saul with a king of the line of Judah? That cannot be according to what Jehovah told Saul, after Saul’s first disobedient act, “At this Samuel said to Saul: ‘You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God that he commanded you, because, if you had, Jehovah would have made your kingdom firm over Israel to time indefinite.’” (1 Samuel 13:13) We see that had Saul proved to be an obedient and faithful king then Jehovah would have made his kingdom “firm over Israel to time indefinite,” although he was not of the tribe of Judah. Perhaps, if Jehovah would have blessed his faithful reign then it might have become a prophetic picture of the Messiah’s future reign.

When Jehovah chose David, “a man agreeable to his heart,” to replace unfaithful king Saul, it so happened that David was of the tribe of Judah, although I do not believe that it played a role as to why Jehovah chose David, seeing what Jehovah had told Saul. (1 Sam. 13:14) But because David was of the tribe of Judah Jehovah could make a covenant with David that he would not have made with Saul, had he proved faithful, namely that the Messiah would come from his line. (1 Chron. 17:11,14; Psalms 89:35,36; Matt. 22:41-45)

Due to what I have just pointed out I do not believe that Saul’s rule had any prophetic significance, otherwise we must conclude that Jehovah wanted matters to play out the way they did, Israel getting a king while Jehovah pretended that he was against it, and then choosing one from the tribe of Benjamin, all along purposing to replace him with a king of the tribe of Judah. That would make Jehovah wicked, telling Saul that he would have made his kingdom firm, when he had no intention of doing so. (Psalms 15:4b)

The Society at one time strongly believed in and taught “parallelism,” that is, everything that happened to God’s people in times past, as recorded in the Bible, was a type, a model of future events, to have a greater parallel fulfillment, especially for our time. They based this idea on what Paul wrote at Romans 15:4, “For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction.”

That is how they came up with the “Jonadab” class idea, for example, later called the “other sheep.” They even had an explanation some years ago as to why David had chosen five stones when he went against the giant Goliath, and what each stone was supposed to symbolize. Of course, the vast majority of these parallel applications are nowhere explained in the scriptures, as the Society has done, and in the process we have accumulated quite a large set of beliefs that are simply based on someone’s interpretation of the idea of “parallelism,” and nothing more.

At one time I was very impressed with their knowledge of these “deeper truths,” feeling that they must have received this understanding from Jehovah himself, since there was nothing in the Scriptures that explained any of it they way they did. Now, of course, I realize that if it is not in the Bible then it is not from Jehovah, just as we tell the people in our territory that we visit. It might make for interesting reading but we must be careful not to “go beyond the things that are written.” (1 Corinthians 4:6)

In harmony with Romans 15:4, there is a lesson to be learned, though, by king Saul’s bad example, and that is: anyone chosen and anointed must be careful to be faithful and obedient in all things, not presumptuously pushing ahead of Jehovah, otherwise Jehovah will replace the person with someone “agreeable to his heart.” Also, as noted in Proverbs 29:2, “when the righteous become many, the people rejoice; but when anyone wicked bears rule, the people sigh.” (1 Samuel 15:22,23)

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The following scripture uses the word tribulation more than once. Is any of the uses here identified with “The Tribulation”?

(2 Thessalonians 1:6-8) “6 This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for YOU, 7 but, to YOU who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. . .”

The word that we usually translate as "tribulation" comes from the Greek "thlipsis," which can mean sorrow, affliction, grief, and even a squeezing (in a way to cause pain and discomfort).

Jesus told his disciples that they would have tribulation because of following him. "In the world you are having tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33) He said that there would be those who would stumble because of such tribulation. "As for the one sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and at once accepting it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself but continues for a time, and after tribulation or persecution has arisen on account of the word he is at once stumbled." (Matt. 13:20,21) Such tribulation upon Jesus' disciples would especially be severe in the last days. (Matt. 24:9; 2 Tim. 3:1)

In 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 the apostle Paul refers to such "tribulation" in general that Christ's followers would experience. In verse 6, where he says, "it is righteous on God's part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you," he refers to any judgment that God executes upon his enemies who have caused sorrow, affliction, or grief to his people. He has brought his own tribulation upon many peoples and nations in times past for such reasons. Such a tribulation is the one he will bring upon Babylon the Great, when he will "exact punishment for you from her" and avenge "the blood of his slaves at her hand," by completely destroying her. (Rev. 18:8,20; 19:2; see Deut. 32:43)

However, the tribulation that God brings upon Babylon the Great is not the great tribulation spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:21, and again in Revelation 7:14. Babylon the Great is not the only one that has caused tribulation, suffering and persecution, to God's people. Satan has also used the kings of the earth to make tribulation for them. (Psalms 2:2; Daniel 7:24-26; Matt. 10:18) Paul has in mind this greatest of all tribulations, mentioned by Jesus, when he says that the Lord Jesus, from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, will bring vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus." This will be the “great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." Satan's entire political system, which has been in opposition to Jehovah from the beginning, will be totally annihilated and destroyed, along with any "who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus." (Daniel 7:26; Rev. 19:11-21) How will it be determined who it is that does not know God and has not obeyed the good news about our Lord Jesus? In the days to come Jehovah will maneuver events that will allow everyone to clearly demonstrate and give evidence as to where they stand in connection with this important issue. (Rev. 3:10)

So, as you can see, the word "tribulation" refers to different things in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; from the tribulation that we experience at the hands of opposers, to the tribulation that God has brought in the past, and will bring in the future, upon those who make tribulation for his people, to finally, by implication, the great tribulation “at the revelation of Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels,” at Armageddon.
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