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GOD’S KINGDOMWhat Will It Mean for You?You likely gathered from the preceding articlesthat God’s Kingdom means a lot to Jehovah’sWitnesses. And perhaps you were intrigued bysome of the future blessings of God’s Kingdom that were discussed. At the same time, youmay wonder if such promises are too good to betrue.You are wise to be cautious instead of believing everything you hear. (Proverbs 14:15) In someways, your caution could be compared to that ofthe ancient Beroeans.1 When they were first toldabout the good news of the Kingdom, the Beroeans accepted what they heard, but not simplybecause they wanted it to be true. Rather, they1 Beroea was a city in ancient Macedonia.8 THE WATCHTOWERcarefully examined the Scriptures “to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) In otherwords, the Beroeans compared the good newsthat they heard with what the Scriptures say. Intime, they became convinced that the good newswas in fact solidly based on God’s Word.Jehovah’s Witnesses warmly invite you to dothe same. By means of our free Bible study program, we offer you the opportunity to comparewhat Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about God’sKingdom with what the Bible teaches.In addition to your learning about God’s Kingdom, your study of the Bible can help youto find answers to some of life’s biggest questions.

What God’s KingdomMeans to HerWHAT DOESTHE BIBLEReally TEACH?Jehovah’s Witnesses can use thispublication to study the Bible with you.To request a free personal Bible study,ask any one of Jehovah’s Witnessesor fill in the form at www.jw.org.(See REQUEST A BIBLE STUDY on thehome page) Where did we come from?What is the purpose of life?Why does God allow suffering?What happens when we die?Will the earth be destroyed?What is the key to a happy family life?Above all, studying the Bible will help you to“draw close to God.” (James 4:8) In turn, the closer you draw to God, the more you will see howGod’s Kingdom can mean good things for you—not just now but forever. Jesus himself said inprayer to his Father: “This means everlasting life,their coming to know you, the only true God,and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”—John17:3. ˇRecently, a ten-year-old girl named Folake was assigned to write an essay forschool on the subject “What I Love Mostin This World.” Folake chose to writeabout why she loves telling others aboutGod’s Kingdom.“God’s Kingdom is a real government,” Folake explained. “But it’s invisible, so you can’t see it—even if you wearglasses!”Folake went on to write about blessings of the Kingdom that she especiallylooks forward to. Mentioning some ofthe problems that the Kingdom willsolve, she wrote, “I am sad when I seehomeless people living on the streets”as well as “kids starving to death in alldifferent parts of the world.” She added,“I’m happy again when I read Isaiah 65:21.” Regarding humans who will live under the rulership of God’s Kingdom, thatverse promises: “They will build housesand live in them, and they will plantvineyards and eat their fruitage.”Folake said that shealso looks forward to thetime when God, by meansof his Kingdom, will doaway with all sickness.In her essay, she quotedRevelation 21:4, whichsays that God “will wipeout every tear from theireyes, and death will beno more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” She concluded by stating again that speaking aboutJehovah and his Kingdom is what sheloves most in this world. Clearly, God’sKingdom has a special place in theheart of this young girl!

A CONVERSATION WITH A NEIGHBORWhen Did God’s KingdomBegin Ruling?—PART 1The following is a typical conversation that one of Jehovah’sWitnesses might have with a neighbor. Let us imagine thata Witness named Cameron has come to the home of a mannamed Jon.“KEEP SEARCHING” FOR UNDERSTANDINGCameron: Jon, I’ve really enjoyed the regulardiscussions we’ve been having about the Bible.1The last time we spoke, you raised a questionabout God’s Kingdom. You asked why Jehovah’sWitnesses believe that the Kingdom began rulingin the year 1914.Jon: Yes, I was reading one of your publications, and it said that God’s Kingdom started ruling in 1914. That made me curious because yousay that you base all of your beliefs on the Bible.Cameron: That’s right, we do.Jon: Well, I’ve read through the Bible myself.But I can’t remember ever seeing a passage thatmentioned the year 1914. So I went to an onlineBible and did a search for “1914.” Sure enough,the search engine said: “0 results.”Cameron: I have to commend you on twocounts, Jon. First, that you’ve read through theentire Bible. You must really love God’s Word.Jon: I do. There’s nothing like it.Cameron: I agree. Second, I want to commendyou for turning to the Bible when trying to findan answer to your question. You did exactly whatthe Bible encourages us to do: “Keep searching”1 By means of their free home Bible study program, Jehovah’s Witnesses often have systematic discussions about the Bible with their neighbors.10 THE WATCHTOWERfor understanding.1 It’s good that you are puttingforth effort like that.Jon: Thank you. I do want to keep learning. Infact, I dug around a little more and found someinformation about 1914 in this book we’ve beenstudying. It mentions a dream that a king had—itwas about a big tree that was cut down and thengrew back or something like that.Cameron: Ah, yes. That’s the prophecy recorded in Daniel chapter 4. It involves a dream thatKing Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had.Jon: Yes, that’s the one. I read the prophecyover and over. But to be honest, I still don’t seewhat it has to do with God’s Kingdom or the year1914.Cameron: Actually, Jon, even the prophet Daniel didn’t understand the full meaning of what hewas inspired to record!Jon: Really?Cameron: Yes. Here at Daniel 12:8, he says:“Now as for me, I heard, but I could not understand.”Jon: I’m not the only one then. That makes mefeel a little better.Cameron: The truth is, Daniel didn’t understand because it was not yet God’s time for humans to discern completely the meaning of the1 Proverbs 2:3-5.

prophecies in the book of Daniel. But now, in ourtime, we can understand them more fully.Jon: Why do you say that?Cameron: Well, notice what we read in thevery next verse. Daniel 12:9 says: “The words areto be kept secret and sealed up until the time of theend.” So these prophecies would only be understood much later, during “the time of the end.”And as we will soon discuss in our Bible study,all evidence indicates that we are now living inthat time period.1Jon: So, can you explain the prophecy in Daniel to me?Cameron: I’ll do my best.NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAMCameron: To begin, let me briefly summarizewhat King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream.Then we can talk about what it means.Jon: OK.Cameron: In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar sawan enormous tree that reached all the way toheaven. Then he heard God’s messenger command that the tree be cut down. However, Godsaid for its rootstock to be left in the ground.After a period of “seven times,” the tree wouldgrow again.2 This prophecy initially applied toKing Nebuchadnezzar himself. Although he wasa prominent king—like the tree that reached clearto heaven—he was cut down for “seven times.”Do you remember what happened?Jon: No, I don’t recall.Cameron: That’s all right. The Bible shows thatNebuchadnezzar lost his sanity, evidently forseven years. During that time, he was unable torule as king. But at the end of the seven times,Nebuchadnezzar regained his sanity and startedruling again.31 See chapter 9 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach?published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also available at www.jw.org.2 Daniel 4:13-17.3 Daniel 4:20-36.Jon: OK, I’m with you so far. But what does allof this have to do with God’s Kingdom and theyear 1914?Cameron: In a nutshell, this prophecy has twofulfillments. The first fulfillment happened whenKing Nebuchadnezzar’s rulership was interrupted. The second fulfillment involved an interruption of God’s rulership. So it is this second fulfillment that is related to God’s Kingdom.Jon: How do you know that the prophecy hasa second fulfillment in regard to God’s Kingdom?Cameron: For one thing, we find an indication in the prophecy itself. According to Daniel 4:17, the prophecy was given “so that peopleliving may know that the Most High is Ruler inthe kingdom of mankind and that he gives it towhomever he wants.” Did you notice the expression “the kingdom of mankind”?Jon: Yes, it says that “the Most High is Ruler inthe kingdom of mankind.”Cameron: Right. Who do you suppose is “theMost High”?Jon: I guess that’s talking about God.Cameron: Correct. So that tells us that thisprophecy is not only about Nebuchadnezzar. Italso involves “the kingdom of mankind”—that is,God’s rulership over mankind. And that makessense when we look at the prophecy in its context.Jon: What do you mean?THE BOOK’S CENTRAL THEMECameron: Time and again, the Bible book ofDaniel develops a central theme. It keeps pointing forward to the establishment of God’s Kingdom under the rulership of his Son, Jesus. Forexample, let’s turn back a couple of chapters.Would you please read Daniel 2:44?Jon: OK. It says: “In the days of those kings theGod of heaven will set up a kingdom that willnever be destroyed. And this kingdom will not beOCTOBER 1, 2014 11

passed on to any other people. It will crush andput an end to all these kingdoms, and it alonewill stand forever.”Cameron: Thank you. Would you say that thisverse sounds as if it is referring to God’s Kingdom?Jon: Hmm. I’m not sure.Cameron: Well, notice that it says that thisKingdom “will stand forever.” That’s true ofGod’s Kingdom, but it’s not something that wecan say of any human government, can we?Jon: No, I guess not.Cameron: Here’s another prophecy in thebook of Daniel that points to God’s Kingdom.It’s the prophecy recorded at Daniel 7:13, 14. Regarding a future ruler, the prophecy says: “To himthere were given rulership, honor, and a kingdom,that the peoples, nations, and language groupsshould all serve him. His rulership is an everlasting rulership that will not pass away, and hiskingdom will not be destroyed.” Is there anythingin this prophecy that sounds familiar?Jon: It mentions a kingdom.Cameron: That’s right. And not just any kingdom. Notice it says that this Kingdom wouldhave authority over “peoples, nations, and language groups.” In other words, this Kingdomwould have global rulership.Jon: I didn’t pick up on that, but you’re right.It does say that.Cameron: Also, notice what else the prophecy says: “His rulership is an everlasting rulershipthat will not pass away, and his kingdom will notbe destroyed.” That sounds a lot like the prophecy we just read at Daniel 2:44, doesn’t it?Jon: Yes, it does.Cameron: Let’s briefly review what we’ve discussed so far. The prophecy in Daniel chapter 4 was given so that people would know that“the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind.” This in itself indicates that the prophecyhas a bigger fulfillment than just the one involving Nebuchadnezzar. And throughout the bookof Daniel, we find prophecies about the establishment of God’s Kingdom under the rulership12 THE WATCHTOWERof his Son. Do you think it’s reasonable to conclude, then, that this prophecy in Daniel chapter 4 also has something to do with God’s Kingdom?Jon: I suppose so. But I still don’t see the connection with 1914.“LET SEVEN TIMES PASS”Cameron: Well, let’s go back to King Nebuchadnezzar. He was represented by the tree inthe first fulfillment of the prophecy. His rulership was interrupted when the tree was choppeddown and left for seven times—that is, when helost his sanity for a period of time. That periodof seven times ended when Nebuchadnezzar regained his sanity and resumed his rulership. Inthe second fulfillment of the prophecy, God’s rulership would be interrupted for a period of time—but not because of any deficiency on God’s part.Jon: What do you mean?Cameron: In Bible times, the Israelite kingswho ruled in Jerusalem were said to sit on “Jehovah’s throne.”1 They represented God in governing his people. So the rulership of those kings1 1 Chronicles 29:23.

was really an expression of God’s rulership. Intime, however, most of those kings became disobedient to God and most of their subjects followed suit. Because of the Israelites’ disobedience, God allowed them to be conquered by theBabylonians in 607 B.C.E. From that time on, nomore kings represented Jehovah in Jerusalem. Inthat sense, then, God’s rulership was interrupted. Are you with me so far?Jon: I think so.Cameron: So 607 B.C.E. marked the beginningof the seven times, or the period when God’s rulership would be interrupted. At the end of theseven times, God would install a new ruler torepresent Him—this time, someone in heaven.That’s when the other prophecies we read aboutin Daniel would be fulfilled. So the big questionis: When did the seven times end? If we can answer that question, we will know when God’sKingdom began ruling.Jon: I see. Let me guess—the seven times ended in 1914?Cameron: Exactly! You got it.Jon: But how do we know that?Cameron: Well, during his earthly ministry, Jesus indicated that the seven times had not yetended.1 So they must be a very long period oftime. The seven times started hundreds of yearsbefore Jesus came to earth, and they continueduntil sometime after he returned to heaven. Remember, too, that the meaning of the propheciesin Daniel was not to become clear until “the time1 In his prophecy concerning the last days, Jesus said: “Jerusalem [which represented God’s rulership] will be trampled onby the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) So the interruption of God’s rulership wasstill in effect in Jesus’ time and would continue until the lastdays.of the end.”1 Interestingly, during the late 1800’s,sincere students of the Bible were moved to examine this and other prophecies very carefully.They began to discern that the seven times wouldend in the year 1914. And major world eventssince then confirm that 1914 was indeed the yearthat God’s Kingdom began ruling in heaven. Itwas the year when this world entered its lastdays, or the time of the end. Now, I know this isprobably a lot to digest . . .Jon: Yes. I’m definitely going to have to go overthis again to get it all straight.Cameron: Don’t worry. It took me a while tosee how all the pieces fit together too. But at thevery least, I hope our discussion has helped youto see that Jehovah’s Witnesses do base their beliefs about the Kingdom on the Bible.Jon: For sure. I’ve always been impressed withhow you rely on the Bible for your beliefs.Cameron: And I can see that you have a similar desire. As I said, this is a lot to take in all atonce. You probably still have some questions. Forexample, we’ve established that the seven timesrelate to God’s Kingdom and that they began in607 B.C.E. But how, exactly, do we know thatthese seven times ended in 1914?2Jon: Yes, I’m wondering about that.Cameron: The Bible itself helps us to determine the precise length of the seven times.Would you like to examine that topic the nexttime I’m here?Jon: That sounds good. ˇ1 Daniel 12:9.2 See pages 215-218 of the book What Does the Bible ReallyTeach? Also available at www.jw.org.The next article in this series will consider Bible versesthat shed light on the length of the seven �․․․․․․․․․․․․․Do you have a particular Bible subject that you have wondered about? Are you curious aboutany of the beliefs or religious practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses? If so, do not hesitate to ask oneof Jehovah’s Witnesses. He or she will be pleased to discuss such matters with you.OCTOBER 1, 2014 13

THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVESMy life was allabout meMY PAST: For the first few years of my life, my family livedAS TOLD BY CHRISTOF BAUERYEAR BORN1951COUNTRY OF ORIGINGERMANYHISTORYPROUD, INDEPENDENTATTITUDE14 THE WATCHTOWERnear Leipzig, East Germany, not far from the Czech andPolish borders. When I was six years old, my father’s worktook us abroad—first to Brazil and then to Ecuador.At age 14, I was sent to a boarding school in Germany.Because my parents were far away in South America, Ihad to look out for myself. I became very self-reliant. Igave little thought to how my actions affected others.When I was 17 years old, my parents returned to Germany. At first, I lived under their roof. But my independent attitude made it impossible for me to integrate backinto the family. At the age of 18, I left home.I became increasingly restless, searching for a purposein life. After observing various lifestyles and movements,I became convinced that the best thing I could do with mylife was to use it to explore this beautiful planet before humanity destroys it.I left Germany, bought a motorcycle, and headed for Africa. Soon, though, I had to return to Europe for repairsto my motorcycle. Shortly thereafter, I found myself on abeach in Portugal. I decided to leave my motorcycle behind and find a floating means of transportation.I joined a group of young people who were preparing tosail across the Atlantic Ocean. Among them I met my future wife, Laurie. First, we sailed to the islands of the Caribbean. Then, after a short stay in Puerto Rico, we returned to Europe. We hoped to find a sailboat that wecould convert into a recreational boat. But after a shortsearch of just three months, the project came to an abruptend. I was drafted by the German military.I spent 15 months in the German navy. During thattime, Laurie and I got married and prepared to continueour traveling lifestyle. Shortly before my military service,we had purchased the hull of a lifeboat. While I was serving in the military, we progressively converted the hull

into a small sailing vessel. We planned to live init and keep exploring this beautiful planet. It wasat this point—after my military service but beforefinishing the vessel—that we were contacted byJehovah’s Witnesses and began to study the Bible.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: At first, I didn’tsee the need to change much in my life. I wasmarried to the woman with whom I was living,and I had already stopped smoking. (Ephesians5:5) As for our plans to travel the world, I thoughtthat devoting our lives to observing God’smarvelous creation was certainly a worthwhileendeavor.In reality, however, I did need to make changes—especially to my personality. Being extre

Oct 01, 2014 · However, Jesus also knew that God’s Kingdom would bring a permanent end to such problems.That iswhyJesusdidnotjustperform miracles; he also zealously declared “the good news of the Kingdom.” (Matthew 9:35) His mir-acles demonstrated on a small scale what God’s Kingdom will soon do earth wide. Consid