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34567OCTOBER 1, 2012

CorruptionWILL IT EVER END?

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, is to honor Jehovah God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe.Just as watchtowers in ancient times enabled a person to observe developments from afar, so this magazine showsus the significance of world events in the light of Bible prophecies. It comforts people with the good news thatGod’s Kingdom, which is a real government in heaven, will soon bring an end to all wickedness and transform theearth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who isnow ruling as King of God’s Kingdom. This magazine has been published by Jehovah’s Witnesses continuouslysince 1879 and is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripturequotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

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Printing Each Issue:42,182,000 IN 195 LANGUAGES

OCTOBER 1, 2012

FROM OUR COVER

3 Corruption—How Widespread Is It?4 Why Does Corruption Persist?5 Is It Possible to Be Honest in a Corrupt World?7 Corruption Will End!

REGULAR FEATURES15 Did You Know?

16 Learn From God’s Word—Can You Live Forever?

18 Draw Close to God—“The Ancient of Days Sat Down”

19 Imitate Their Faith—“An Excellent Woman”

25 Our Readers Ask . . .Does Happiness Depend on Marriage?

26 The Bible Changes Lives

30 For Young People—Guard Against Ambition!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE9 The Power of God’s Word on a Hindu Family

12 A Conversation With a Neighbor—Does God Punish People in Hellfire?

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ OCTOBER 1, 2012 3

“Our company provides services for a local government authority. We must oftenwait two or three months to receive payment for those services. Recently, though,

I received a phone call from a government worker. He offered to speed up thepayments—if we gave him some of the money as a kickback.”—JOHN.�

HAVEyou ever beenavictimof corruption? Perhapsnot ofthe kind mentioned above, but almost certainly you

have suffered the effects of corruption.According to Transparency International’s (TI) 2011 Cor-

ruption Perceptions Index,� “the vast majority of the 183countries and territories assessed score below five on a scaleof 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean).” Two years earlier, TIacknowledged that its 2009 annual report exposed the perva-sive reality of corruption: “It is clear that no region of theworld is immune to the perils of corruption.”

In some cases, the consequences of corruption can be di-sastrous. For example, Time magazine reported that “corrup-tion and carelessness” were at least partially responsible forthe very heavy death toll in the massive earthquake that

� Name has been changed.� “The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries according to their per-

ceived levels of public-sector corruption.”—Transparency International.

CorruptionHOW WIDESPREAD IS IT?

“Corruption isthe abuse of

entrusted powerfor private gain.

It hurts everyonewhose life, liveli-

hood or happinessdepends on the

integrity of peoplein a position of

authority.”—TRANSPARENCYINTERNATIONAL

1. The influence of sin.The Bible plainly states that we “are

all under sin.” (Romans 3:9) Like anincurable hereditary disease, sin “re-sides,” or is “dwelling,” within us. Forthousands of years, sin has “ruled”over mankind like a king. Its “law” iscontinually at work in us. Sinful incli-nations lead many to put their owninterests first or to center their liveson gaining material possessions or au-thority at others’ expense.—Romans5:21; 7:17, 20, 23, 25.

WHY DOES

CorruptionPERSIST?

“Man has dominated man to hisinjury.”—ECCLESIASTES 8:9.

THAT statement aptly describes thehistory of human rulership. It has beenresponsible for untold suffering andmisery. In all ages, well-intentionedpeople who have tried to establish amore just society were constantly foiledby greed and corruption. Why is thatso? Why does corruption persist?Basically, because of the followingthree unwholesome influences.

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Would you welcome more information or afree home Bible study? Please send yourrequest to Jehovah’s Witnesses, using oneof these addresses. For a complete list ofaddresses, see www.jw.org/contact.

America, United States of: 25 Columbia Heights, Brook-lyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn,NSW 1890. Britain: The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN.Canada: PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Ger-many: 65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St, Barrigada,GU 96913. Jamaica: PO Box 103, Old Harbour, St. Cath-erine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR00970. South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugers-dorp, 1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street &Laxmi Lane, Curepe.

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is published semi-monthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of NewYork, Inc.; L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societyof Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Pe-riodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY, and at addition-al mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Watchtower, 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofPennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.

Vol. 133, No. 19 Semimonthly ENGLISH

struckHaiti in 2010. It added further: “Build-ings rise with little if any input from engi-neers and plenty of bribes to so-called gov-ernment inspectors.”

Is there a lasting solution to the scourge ofcorruption? To answer that question, weneed to understand the basic causes of cor-ruption. We will consider these in the nextarticle.

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BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Do not model your be-haviour on the contemporary world.”—Ro-mans 12:2, New Jerusalem Bible.

Real-life experience: Guilherme is a success-ful Brazilian businessman. He admits that it isnot easy to be honest. “A business person caneasily begin to adopt dishonest practices, per-haps because of the pressure to meet compa-ny goals or to survive in a competitiveworld,”he says. “Many people regard giving and re-ceiving bribes as normal practice. When you

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE

HonestIN A CORRUPTWORLD?

“We wish to conduct ourselves honestlyin all things.”—HEBREWS 13:18.

ALTHOUGH our sinful nature, the worldwe live in, and the Devil can exertgreat pressure on us, we can resist theirinfluence! How? By drawing close toGod and by applying time-testedprinciples from his Word, the Bible.Consider two examples.

2. The influence of the wickedworld we live in.

Our world is characterized by greedand selfishness. In such an environ-ment, some people find it difficult tobe different. Driven by selfish am-bition, they become power hungry.They also develop a strong desire formore money and possessions—morethan they really need. Sadly, they arewilling to behave in a dishonest wayto achieve those goals. Rather than re-sisting unwholesome influences, suchpeople “follow after the crowd for evilends.”—Exodus 23:2.

3. The influence of Satanthe Devil.

Satan, a rebellious spirit creature,is “misleading the entire inhabitedearth.” (Revelation 12:9) He thriveson manipulating humans. He maycraftily exploit a person’s natural de-sire for material comfort and financialwell-being to the point that the per-son acts deceitfully.

Does that mean that we are merepuppets in Satan’s hands—that we areobliged to obey him when he pullsthe strings? We will learn the answerin the following article.

are an entrepreneur with heavy financial re-sponsibilities, it is a challenge to behonest.”

Even so, Guilherme has successfully resist-ed the pressure to be dishonest. He says:“Even in a permissive business environment,it is possible to be honest. You need to havestrong moral values. The Bible has helped meto see the benefits of honesty. An honest per-sonhas a clear conscience, an inner calmness,and self-respect. He can be a positive influ-ence on those around him.”BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “People who want to berich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps.They are caught by foolish and harmful de-sires that drag them down and destroy them.The love of money causes all kinds of trou-ble.”—1 Timothy 6:9, 10, Contemporary En-glish Version.

Real-life experience: Andre is the owner of acompany that installs security systems. Oneof his clients is a large soccer club. On one oc-casion, after a big game, Andrewent to the ad-ministration offices and presented an invoicefor the services he had performed. The finan-cial department was still busy counting themoney it had just received from the ticket

offices. As it was already late, the supervisorhurriedly paid the suppliers, includingAndre.

“On my way home, I noticed that thesupervisorhad overpaidme,” relates Andre. “Iknew that he probably would never knowwho had received the extra money. But I alsoknew that the poor man would have to paywhat was missing out of his own pocket! I de-cided to go back. I managed to push my waythrough a crowd of fans and return the extramoney. The supervisor was greatly surprised.No one had ever returned any money tohim.”

“That act of honesty earned the super-visor’s respect,” Andre continues. “A numberof years have gone by, but of all the originalsuppliers, I am the only one who still has acontract with the club. I’m grateful that ap-plying the Bible’s high moral principles hasearned me a good reputation.”

It is encouraging to know that we can, withGod’s help, resist corruptive influences. How-ever, individual efforts will never completelyroot out corruption. The causes go deep—toodeep for imperfect humans to solve on theirown. Does this mean, then, that corruptionwill never end? The final article in this serieshighlights the Bible’s encouraging answer.

“I’m grateful that applying the Bible’shigh moral principles has earned mea good reputation.”—ANDR

´E

“The Bible has helped me to seethe benefits of honesty.”—GUILHERME

DO YOU, like many people, fear that corruption is inevi-table and will never be completely eliminated? If so,

that fear is understandable. Throughout history, humanshave tried every conceivable form of government. Yet, theyhave never succeeded in permanently eliminating corrup-tion. Is there any hope that a time will come when all peo-ple will deal honestly with one another?

Happily, the Bible’s answer is yes! It tells us that God willsoon take action to rid our earth of corruption. How will hedo so? By means of his Kingdom, a heavenly governmentthat will completely transform our earth. This is the sameKingdomthat Jesus taught his followers to pray for. Inwhatis sometimes called the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, Je-sus said: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.”—Matthew 6:10, King James Version.

CORRUPTION

WILL END!“Hope in Jehovah and keep his way . . .When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.”—PSALM 37:34.

7

8 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ OCTOBER 1, 2012

Concerning the Ruler of that Kingdom, Je-sus Christ, the Bible foretells: “He will deliverthe poor one crying for help, also the afflict-ed one and whoever has no helper. He willfeel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one,and the souls of the poor ones he will save.From oppression and from violence he willredeem their soul.” (Psalm 72:12-14) Notethat Jesus has empathy for those who are vic-tims of corruption, and he will do somethingabout oppression! Is that not comforting?

In the hands of that compassionate andpowerful Ruler, God’s Kingdom will rid ourearthof corruption.How?Byeliminating thethree causes of corruption.

The Influence of SinAt present, we must all battle sinful ten-

dencies, which incline us to act selfishly. (Ro-mans 7:21-23) Still, there are good peoplewho want to do what is right. They exercisefaith in the ransoming value of Jesus’ shedblood, and they can receive forgiveness oftheir sins.� (1 John 1:7, 9) Such people standto benefit from God’s greatest act of love, aswe read at John 3:16: “God loved the world somuch that he gave his only-begotten Son, inorder that everyone exercising faith in himmight not be destroyed but have everlastinglife.”

For faithful people, God will do some-thing truly marvelous. In the coming newworld, he will eventually remove all traces ofsin, progressively raising faithful mankind toperfection and a righteous standing. (Isaiah26:9; 2 Peter 3:13) Never again will the influ-ence of sin cause anyone to act corruptly. Un-der the rule of God’s Kingdom, faithful hu-mans “will be set free from enslavement tocorruption.”—Romans 8:20-22.

� For more information on the ransoming value of Je-sus’ death, see chapter 5 of the book What Does the BibleReally Teach? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The Influence of the Wicked WorldWe Live In

Sadly, many today intentionally victimizeothers. They take advantage of the lowlyand the poor, and they influence others toact corruptly as well. The Bible admonishessuch individuals: “Let the wicked man leavehis way, and the harmfulmanhis thoughts.”If such corrupt individuals do repent, the Bi-ble promises that God “will forgive in a largeway.”—Isaiah 55:7.

However, God will have no choice butto remove those who stubbornly refuse tochange their ways. By means of God’s King-dom, the Bible’s promise will come true:“Hope in Jehovah and keep his way . . .When the wicked ones are cut off, you willsee it.”� (Psalm 37:34) With the incorrigiblywicked gone, faithful worshippers of Godwill no longer be victims of corruption.

The Influence of Satan the DevilForemost among hardened sinners is Sa-

tan the Devil. How thankful we can be thatJehovah will soon restrict Satan, preventinghim from influencing humans. Eventually,God will destroy Satan completely. Neveragain will that wicked monster be able to in-fluence people to act corruptly.

Granted, the idea that God will do awaywith all causes of corruption may seem tobe mere wishful thinking. You may won-der, ‘Does God really have the means tobring about such changes? If so, why hasn’the done it already?’ Those are good ques-tions, and the Bible provides satisfying an-swers.� We invite you to examine for your-self what the Bible teaches about the nearfuture, when all corruption will be gone for-ever.

� Jehovah is God’s name as revealed in the Bible.� For more information, see chapters 3, 8, and 11 of the

book What Does the Bible Really Teach?


IWILL never forget a breakfast gathering ofmy immediate family on Monday morn-

ing, August 22, 2005. My life was in the bal-ance, as I had a large tumor on my brain. Myhusband, Krishna, said a prayer, and then Ispoke to the family.

“I am going to the hospital for a high-riskoperation,” I explained, “so you must all beprepared for whatever the outcome may be. Ihave made arrangements for my funeral,should that be necessary. To those of youwho are worshipping Jehovah, please don’tgive up. To the rest of you, I beg that you ac-cept the offer of a Bible study and that you at-tend our Christian meetings. That way youmay be able to share my faith in a comingnew world in which God’s true worshipperswill live forever in perfect health on a para-dise earth.”

Before explaining the outcome of myoper-ation, allow me to tell you about my back-ground and how I came to know the trueGod.

My Hindu UpbringingMy family lived in a large wood-and-iron

house on a hill in the coastal city of Durban,South Africa. To get to the front gate of ourhouse, we first had to climb 125 steps fromthe main road in the valley below. Thosestairs led to a short, bushy pathway thatbrought us to an iron gate.On one side of thegate stood my grandmother’s temple, whichwas filled with pictures and images of Hindugods. Granny told me that I was a “temple

child” (mandir kı bacca, in Hindi) and thatthe gods we worshipped were responsible formy birth. Opposite this temple was a flight ofpolished red stairs, which led to the frontdoor. The house was large, with a long pas-sage, a big kitchen with a coal stove, sevenbedrooms, and a one-bedroom outbuilding.Those dwellings were shared by 27 of us,including my grandparents, my father, histhree younger brothers, his youngest sister,and their families.

It was not easy to care for the needs of sucha large family. But communal living keptthe family together and gave us many hap-py memories. The four daughters-in-law, in-cluding my mother, Gargee Devi, shared thehousehold chores. They took turns cook-ing meals and cleaning. My grandfather wasthe head of the house, and he bought thefood for the entire family. Every Wednesdaymy grandparents went to the market to buymeat, fruit, and vegetables for the week. Weused to sit under the shade of a pine tree atthe edge of the bank that overlooked the val-ley below as we waited for them to returnfrom the market. As soon as we spotted themgetting off the buswith their large baskets, wewould run down the 125 steps to assist inbringing the goodies home.

In our garden, we had a tall palm treein which birds called mynahs had builttheir nest. We would see them flying toand fro and could hear them chirping. Mygrandmother would sit on the stairs at thefront door and tell us stories, as if she were

THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD

ONA HINDU FAMILYAS TOLD BY NALINI GOVINDSAMY

interpreting the sounds the mynahs made. Ihave so many good memories of the life weshared in that home! We laughed, we cried,we played, we smiled, we shared—we enjoyedliving together as one big family. Most im-portant, this is where we began learningabout our Creator, Jehovah, and his Son, Je-sus Christ.

Prior to our learning about Jehovah, ourHindu worship included many daily rituals.We also had big celebrations at regular inter-vals, where we would invite guests to vener-ate the different gods and goddesses. At someof those functions, my grandmother wouldgo into a trance and communicate with spir-its, and at exactly midnight, animal sacrificeswere made to appease them. My grandfatherwas also well-known in the community forhis charitable contributions to the construc-tion and operation of public schools andHindu temples.

How We Found the TruthAbout Jehovah

In 1972, my grandfather became ill anddied. A few months later, one of my auntsnamed Indervathey, also known as Jane, ac-cepted the Watchtower and Awake! maga-zines from two of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Shefelt guilty that she had not invited them intoour home for a discussion. We had alwaysturned the Witnesses away. But the next timethey called, my aunt invited them in andspoke to them about a marital problem in-volving my uncle’s abuse of alcohol. Neigh-bors and relatives had encouraged my aunt to

consider a divorce. The Witnesses explainedGod’s view of marriage. (Matthew 19:6) Myaunt was impressed with the Bible’s adviceand with its promise of a better life to comehere on earth.� She changed her mind aboutleaving my uncle, and she began having aregular Bible study with the Witnesses. Whileshe studied in the lounge of our home, theother daughters-in-law listened to the discus-sion from their rooms.

Eventually, all of the daughters-in-lawjoined in the Bible study. Aunt Jane sharedwhat she learned and often read and ex-plained stories to us from the book Listeningto the Great Teacher.� When my uncles cameto know that my aunts were studying the Bi-ble, they began to oppose us. One of my un-cles took all our literature, including a Bible,and burned it. They abused us verbally andphysically for attending the meetings. My fa-ther was the only one who did not displaysuch an attitude; he never objected to ourlearning about Jehovah. All four daughters-in-law kept on attending meetings and grow-ing in their love for Jehovah God.

In 1974, my aunt Jane was baptized asone of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and my motherand other aunts soon followed. In time, mygrandmother gave up her Hindu religiouspractices. For many years I tagged along, at-tending all the Christian meetings. Then, at alarge convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a

� For more information on God’s purpose for the earth,see chapter 3 of the book What Does the Bible ReallyTeach? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.� Published by Jehovah’s Witnesses but now out of

print.

In Mother’s arms Our family home Near the 125 steps


Witness named Shameela Rampersad asked,“When are you going to get baptized?” I re-plied, “I cannot because nobody has everconducted a Bible study with me.” She of-fered to do so. At the next convention, on De-cember 16, 1977, I was baptized. Eventually,out of the 27 members of my family that hadlived together, 18 got baptized. But at thetime of my surgery, my father, Sonny Deva,was still a Hindu.

“Do Not Be Anxious Over Anything”The words recorded at Philippians 4:6, 7

have been a great help to me, especially af-ter I was diagnosed with a large brain tu-mor. Those verses say: “Do not be anxiousover anything, but in everything by prayerand supplication along with thanksgiving letyour petitions be made known to God; andthe peace of God that excels all thought willguard yourhearts and your mental powers bymeans of Christ Jesus.” It is difficult not to be“anxious over anything,” especially if you aretold that you are facing death at any time. Atfirst, I just cried, and then I prayed to Jeho-vah. From that time on, I experienced “thepeace of God that excels all thought.”

Jehovah God took hold of my right hand,as it were, and I truly felt that he led meall the way. (Isaiah 41:13) He helped meto explain boldly to the medical personnelmy determination to obey the Bible’s com-mand to abstain from blood. (Acts 15:28, 29)As a result, the surgeon and an anesthetistagreed to perform the operation withoutblood transfusion. Afterward, the surgeon ex-plained that the operationwas successful andthat the entire tumor had been removed. Healso said that hehadnot previously seen a pa-tient recover so rapidly after such major brainsurgery.

Three weeks later I conducted a Bible studyfrom my bed. At the endof the seventh week,

I begandriving again,wentout in the preach-ing work, and resumed attending meetingsof Jehovah’s Witnesses. I appreciated the as-sistance of my Christian brothers and sisterswho worked along with me in the evangeliz-ing work. They made sure that I was neveralone and that I got back home safely. I be-lieve that listening to audio recordings of theBible and focusing on the spiritual aspects ofmy life assisted in my rapid recovery.

I was also happy to learn that following mysurgery, my dad agreed to a Bible study withthe Witnesses. At the age of 73, he was bap-tized, and he is now serving Jehovah zealous-ly. Over 40 members of my extended familyare now united with us in worshipping Jeho-vah. Although my left visual fields have beendamaged and my skull is held together bymetal, I look forward to the time when Jeho-vahwill make “all things new” in the comingearthly Paradise.—Revelation 21:3-5.

I am blessed with a loving husband, whoserves as a Christian overseer, and a beautifuldaughter, Clerista, who is a support tome as Icontinue to serve as a full-time evangelizer.Jehovah God has richly blessed my ministry.Thus far, I have been able to helpmanyof myBible students to experience the power ofGod’s Word in their lives. Over 30 of themare now dedicated to God and baptized.

With a heart full of hope, I look forward tothe time when Jehovah God will deliver usfrom this painful system of things and leadus into an earthly paradise.

With my husband (left), mydaughter, and my parents


The following is a typical conversation thatone of Jehovah’s Witnesses might have witha neighbor. Let us imagine that a Witnessnamed Mauricio has come to the home of aman named Alejandro.��

Will God Punish Wicked People?Mauricio: It’s good to see you again, Ale-

jandro.Alejandro: It’s good to see you too.Mauricio: I’ve been thinking about some-

thing youmentioned the last time Iwas here.Alejandro: What’s that?Mauricio: You mentioned that you were

surprised when you heard that Jehovah’sWitnesses don’t believe in hellfire.

Alejandro: Yes, that did surprise me. And tobe honest, it’s hard for me to accept that youdon’t believe in it.

Mauricio: I appreciate your telling me that.I’m always interested in hearing the view-point of others. Since people have a lotof different ideas about hellfire, may I askhow you would explain what you believeabout it?

Alejandro: Well, I’ve always believed thatreally bad people go to hell when they dieand that they’re tormented there forever.

Mauricio: That’s a common viewpoint. Letme ask you, Alejandro, have you experiencedsome bad things in your life?

Alejandro: Yes.My sister was murderedfiveyears ago.

Mauricio: I’m so sorry to hear that. Youmust really miss her.

Alejandro: I do. I think about her every day.Mauricio: I’ve found that some people feel

strongly about hellfire because they’ve beenaffected by the actions of wicked people. Af-ter all, innocent victims want to see bad peo-ple pay for their actions.

Alejandro: Exactly! I want the man who isresponsible for my sister’s murder to pay forwhat he did to our family.

Mauricio: Those feelings are certainly nor-mal. The Bible teaches that God too is in-censed when innocent people are victimized—and he promises that he will punish thewicked. Notice what is stated here at Isaiah 3:11: “Woe to the wicked one!—Calamity; for

A Conversation With a Neighbor

Does God Punish Peoplein Hellfire?

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES enjoy discussing the Bible withtheir neighbors. Do you have a particular Bible subjectthat you have wondered about? Are you curious aboutany of the beliefs or religious practices of Jehovah’sWitnesses? If so, do not hesitate to bring up the subjectthe next time you come in contact with a Witness. Heor she will be pleased to discuss such matters with you.


the treatment rendered by his own handswill be rendered to him!” So we can be confi-dent that God will punish wicked people.

Alejandro: But how can that be if there’sno hellfire, as you say?

Mauricio: That’s a good question. In a nut-shell, the answer is that God punishes thewicked with eternal destruction. Considerwhat the Bible says here at 2 Thessalonians1:9. Would you please read that verse?

Alejandro: Sure. It says: “These very oneswill undergo the judicial punishmentof ever-lasting destruction from before the Lord.”

Mauricio: So you see, Alejandro, there’s nohope for wicked people because God punish-es them with eternal death. They have noprospects for life in the future.

Alejandro: I see what the verse says, but itjust doesn’t seem fair. Everyone dies. Don’treally bad people deserve a worse punish-ment?

What Does Justice Require?Mauricio: I can see that you’re a person

who cares about justice.Alejandro: I do, very much.Mauricio: That’s commendable. The truth

is, humans have a sense of right and wrongbecause God created us with it. He too cares agreat deal about justice. But when religiousleaders teach that God punishes people inhellfire, they are actually portraying God asvery unjust.

Alejandro: What doyou mean?Mauricio: Well, let me show you an exam-

ple. Are you familiar with the Bible accountof Adam and Eve?

Alejandro: Yes. God told them not to eatthe fruit of a certain tree, but they disobeyed.

Mauricio: Correct. Let’s take a look at theBible account together. It’s found at Genesis2:16, 17. Those verses say: “Jehovah God alsolaid this command upon the man: ‘Fromevery tree of the garden you may eat to satis-

faction. But as for the tree of the knowledgeof good and bad you must not eat from it, forin the day you eat from it you will positivelydie.’” So, what did God say would happen ifAdam ate the forbidden fruit?

Alejandro: He said that Adamwould die.Mauricio: That’s right. Just think: By his

sin, Adam caused the entire human race to beborn as sinners.� And yet, even in this case,did God say anything about being punishedin hellfire?

Alejandro: No.Mauricio: But if Adam andEve were in dan-

ger of being tormented forever, shouldn’tGod have warned them? Wouldn’t that bethe just and loving thing to do?

Alejandro: I would say so.Mauricio: Consider, too, what God said to

Adam and Eve after they sinned. Would youplease read Genesis 3:19?

Alejandro: OK. It says: “In the sweatof yourface you will eat bread until you return to theground, for out of it you were taken. For dustyou are and to dust you will return.”

Mauricio: Thank you. According to God’swords, where was Adam headed?

Alejandro: He said that Adamwould returnto the dust of the ground.

Mauricio: Precisely. Now, wouldn’t youagree that in order for someone to return to aplace, he has to have been there before?

Alejandro: Of course.Mauricio: Andwherewas Adambefore God

created him?Alejandro: He didn’t exist.Mauricio: That’s right. And you’ll notice

that there’s no mention of hellfire in God’sjudgment. Would it be fair for God to tellAdam that he was going back to the groundfrom which he had been made if he was real-ly going to a fiery hell?

Alejandro: No, that wouldn’t be fair.

� See Romans 5:12.


Does the Devil Carry OutGod’s Will?

Mauricio: There’s somethingelsewe mightconsider about the teaching of hellfire.

Alejandro: What’s that?Mauricio: Well, who do people usually say

is “in charge” of hellfire? Who supposedlypunishes the people that are in hell?

Alejandro: The Devil.Mauricio: Yet, the Devil is God’s worst ene-

my. If God sends people to a fiery hell to betormented by the Devil, wouldn’t that implya level of cooperation between God and theDevil?

Alejandro: Hmm. I never thought of it thatway before.

Mauricio: To illustrate the point—you’re afather, correct?

Alejandro: Yes, I have a son. He justturned 15.

Mauricio: Imagine that your son becomesvery rebellious. He does a lot of bad thingsthat saddenyou. What would you do?

Alejandro: I would try to correct him.Mauricio: I’m sure you would repeatedly

try to help him get backon the right track.Alejandro: Absolutely.Mauricio: Let’s say that despite all your ef-

forts, he rejects what you’re telling him.Eventually, you may feel that you have nochoice but to punish him in some way.

Alejandro: Yes.Mauricio: But what if you found out that

an evil man had been influencing your son,teaching him to do all those bad things?

Alejandro: I would be angry with thatman.Mauricio: Now, this iswhere Iwould appre-

ciate your comment. Knowing that a wick-ed, immoral man had influenced your sonagainst you, would you turn to that man andask him to punish your son for you?

Alejandro: Of course not. That wouldn’tmake any sense.

Mauricio: Really, then, does it make sensethat God would ask Satan the Devil—the veryone who influences wicked people—to pun-ish those same people?

Alejandro: No, I guess not.Mauricio: For that matter, if God wanted

the wicked to be punished, why would theDevil—God’s archenemy—comply with God’swishes and torment them?

Alejandro: I never thought of it that waybefore!

Jehovah Will End All WickednessMauricio: Rest assured, though. God will

take action against the incorrigibly wicked.Perhaps I could share one final scripture withyou that drives this point home. The scrip-ture is Psalm37:9.Would youplease read thatverse?

Alejandro: OK. It says: “Evildoers them-selves will be cut off, but those hoping in Je-hovah are the ones that will possess theearth.”

Mauricio: Thank you. Did you notice whatJehovah God will do to evildoers?

Alejandro: The verse says that God will cutthem off.

Mauricio: That’s right. In other words, hewill destroy them permanently. But goodpeople—“those hoping in Jehovah”—will en-joy life here on earth forever. Of course, thismay bring some questions to your mind. Forexample, why doesn’t God stop people fromdoing evil things in the first place? And if hereally intends to punish wicked people, whyhasn’t he done so already?

Alejandro: Interesting questions.Mauricio: Perhaps I can show you the Bi-

ble’s answers the next time we talk.�Alejandro: I would like that.

� For more information, see chapter 11 of the bookWhat Does the Bible Really Teach? published by Jehovah’sWitnesses.


ˇ “When you see Jerusalem surround-ed by encamped armies, then knowthat the desolating of her has drawnnear. Then let those in Judea beginfleeing to the mountains, and let thosein the midst of her withdraw.” (Luke21:20, 21) Jesus gave those instructionsto his disciples concerning the destruc-tion to come upon Jerusalem. Is thereevidence that the disciples heeded Je-sus’ warning?

Several decades after Jesus’ death, aRoman army commanded by CestiusGallus entered Palestine to put down arevolt. This invasion is confirmed byJewish historian Josephus, who lived atthat time. The legionnaires surround-

ed Jerusalem and seemed assured oftaking it. Suddenly, Gallus ordereda withdrawal. According to churchhistorian Eusebius, Judean Christiansseized this opportunity to flee to Pella,a city in a mountainous region of theDecapolis.

Some years later, in 70 C.E., anotherRoman army, commanded by Gener-al Titus, returned and besieged theJewish capital. This time the soldiersfinished the job left undone by Gallusand laid waste to the city. Hundreds ofthousands were trapped in Jerusalemand died.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did Christians flee from Judea before Jerusalem’sdestruction in 70 C.E.?

ˇ Bible accounts about the prophetsSamuel, Elijah, and Elisha refer to mencalled “the sons of the prophets.”When Elisha had Jehu appointed kingof Israel, for example, he dispatched“one of the sons of the prophets” toanoint him.—2 Kings 9:1-4.

Scholars believe that the term refersto a school of instruction or a coopera-tive association rather than the literaloffspring of prophets. According to theJournal of Biblical Literature, the mem-bers of these groups were probably in-dividuals who “devoted themselves toYahweh’s [Jehovah’s] service under aprophet who was . . . their spiritual fa-ther.” (2 Kings 2:12) The account of Je-hu’s anointing, in fact, refers to Elisha’s

envoy as “the prophet’s attendant.”—2 Kings 9:4.

“The sons of the prophets” appearto have lived simple lives. One suchgroup in Elisha’s time is spoken of asconstructing their own dwelling placeand using a borrowed ax. (2 Kings 6:1-5) That some in these groups weremarried is shown by the reference to awidow “of the sons of the prophets.”(2 Kings 4:1) Faithful Israelites evident-ly appreciated the sons of the proph-ets, and in one recorded instance,they supplied them with gifts of food.—2 Kings 4:38, 42.

Who were “the sons of the prophets”?

1. Why does our life seem short?Some tortoises live for 150 years, and some trees

for 3,000 years. By contrast, the human life span ismuch shorter. Yet, our life can be a lot more mean-ingful than that of a tortoise or a tree. Jehovah Godcreated humans with the capacity to enjoy music,sports, dining, learning, traveling, and meetingpeople. God put in our hearts the desire for life with-out end.—Read Ecclesiastes 3:11.

2. Can we really live forever?Jehovah lives forever. He does not die. He is the

Source of life, so he can give everlasting life to oth-ers. (Psalm 36:9; Habakkuk 1:12) Furthermore, hehas promised to grant everlasting life to those whoobey him. He will reverse the process of aging.—Read Job 33:24, 25; Isaiah 25:8; 33:24.

Jesus demonstrated by his powerful works thatwe can trust God’s promise of everlasting life in per-fect health. Jesus cured many types of diseases andeven resurrected people who had died.—Read Luke7:11-15,18,19, 22.

LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD

Can You Live Forever?

This article considers questions youmay have raised and shows where youcan read the answers in your Bible.Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleasedto discuss these answers with you.


3. When will everlasting life becomea reality?

God wants us to live forever, not in a world filledwith oppression and violence, but on a paradiseearth. He wants us to feel secure. (Psalm 37:9, 29;Isaiah 65:21, 22) As the earth is restored to Para-dise, millions who have died will return to life. Res-urrected people who choose to worship God andobey him will live forever.—Read Luke 23:42, 43;John 5:28, 29.

4. How can we gain everlasting life?We can receive endless life only from God. So, we

do well to draw close to him by getting to knowhim. The Bible likens taking in knowledge of God totaking in food. (Matthew 4:4) Eating food is enjoy-able, but obtaining and preparing our food re-quires effort. Similarly, taking in spiritual food re-quires effort. But what could be more worthwhilethan drawing close to God and receiving everlast-ing life?—Read Luke 13:23, 24; John 6:27; 17:3.

For more information, see chapter 3 of this book,published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

WHAT DOESTHE BIBLE

Really TEACH?

Becoming acquainted with Godis worth the effort

17


“NO MAN has seen God at any time,” says theBible. (John 1:18) God’s appearance is so

glorious that no creature of flesh and bloodcould possibly see him and yet live. (Exodus 33:20) However, in some reported cases, Jehovahgave selected men a vision of heaven. One suchman was the prophet Daniel. What he saw nodoubt filled him—and should fill us too—withawe. Notice how Daniel described what he wasprivileged to see in vision.�—Read Daniel 7:9,10.

“The Ancient of Days.” The title “Ancient ofDays,” which only Daniel uses, indicates “oneadvanced (or aged) in days.” (Daniel 7:9,13, 22)How advanced in age is Jehovah? Since he is the“King of eternity,” his existence stretches end-lessly into the past—and forever into the future.

(1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 25) God’s eternal exis-tence assures us that he is infinite in wisdom, forthe Bible associates age with wisdom. (Job 12:12) Granted, the idea of eternal existence is dif-ficult for our finite minds to grasp. But should wereally expect to grasp fully the incomparablywise God?—Romans 11:33, 34.

Notice that the Ancient of Days “sat down.”For what purpose? The surrounding verses pro-vide some clues, using such terms as “the Court”and “judgment.” (Daniel 7:10, 22, 26) Thus,in the vision, Jehovah was sitting down as

� Daniel did not really see God. Rather, God impressedvivid images upon his mind. Then, in describing what hesaw, Daniel used figures of speech, including anthropo-morphisms—the attributing of human characteristics toGod. Such word pictures help to make God comprehensi-ble to us and are not to be taken literally.

Judge. Whom would he judge? The nations ofthe earth, depicted earlier in Daniel’s vision asbeasts.� (Daniel 7:1-8) What kind of Judge is Je-hovah?

“His clothing was white just like snow, and thehair of his head was like clean wool.” White is asymbol of righteousness and purity. In its naturalstate, wool may be white in color. Thus, hair thatis like wool would be white. Can you imaginewhat Daniel saw? Do you see a white-hairedJudge clad perhaps in a robe of snowy white-ness? These word pictures assure us that Jeho-vah’s judgments are righteous and wise. He isthe kind of Judge who merits our deepest trustand respect.

“There were a thousand thousands that keptministering to him, and ten thousand timesten thousand that kept standing right be-fore him.” Who are these heavenly ministers?The Bible identifies the angels as “his [God’s]ministers.” (Psalm 104:4) Numbering perhapshundreds of millions, God’s angels are busy“carrying out his word” and “doing his will.”(Psalm 103:20, 21) Is that not further proof ofGod’s infinite wisdom? Who else but Jehovahcould keep such a vast heavenly army organizedand busy over aeons of time?

Daniel’s vision inspires confidence in Jehovah,the Ancient of Days. His judgments are righ-teous, and his wisdom trustworthy. Why notlearn more about how you can draw closer tothe all-wise God?

� For a discussion of Daniel’s vision of the beasts, seechapter 9 of the book Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

“The Ancient of Days Sat Down”

��

SUGGESTED BIBLE READING FOR OCTOBER:˛ Daniel 4–Hosea 14

��

He is the kind of Judge who meritsour deepest trust and respect


Were things finally starting to look up forthis young widow? She had attached herselfto her mother-in-law, Naomi, vowing to stickwith her and to make Naomi’s God, Jehovah,her own God. Together the two bereavedwomen had come to Bethlehem from Moab,and Ruth the Moabitess soon learned that Je-hovah’s Law made practical, dignified provi-sions for the poor in Israel, including for-eigners.� And now she found that some ofJehovah’s people, who lived under the Lawand were trained by it, showed a degree ofspirituality and kindness that touched herwounded heart.

One such person was Boaz, the wealthyolder man in whose fields she was gleaning.Hehad taken fatherly notice of her today. Shecould not help but smile inwardly when shethought of his kind words praising her forcaring for aged Naomi and for choosing toseek refuge under the wings of the true God,Jehovah.—Ruth 2:11-13.

Still, Ruth may have wondered about thelife ahead of her. As an impoverished foreign-

� See the article “Imitate Their Faith—‘Where You Go IShall Go,’” in the July 1, 2012, issue of The Watchtower.

er with neither husband nor child, howwould she support herself and Naomi in theyears ahead? Would gleaning suffice? Andwho would take care of her when she grewold? It would be understandable if such con-cerns weighed on her mind. In today’s hardeconomic times, many struggle with simi-lar anxieties. As we learn how Ruth’s faithhelped her through such challenges, we willfind much to imitate.

IMITATE THEIR FAITH

“An Excellent Woman”RUTH knelt by the pile of barley stalks she had gathered during theday. Evening was descending on the fields around Bethlehem, and

many workers were already wending their way up to the gate of the little city perchedatop a nearby ridge. Ruth’s muscles surely protested the long day’s labor, for she hadbeen working steadily since the morning. Still she kept at it, swinging a small rod or aflail down onto the stalks to loosen the grains. All in all, it had been a good day—betterthan she could ever have hoped for.

Ruth worked hard to care for herselfand Naomi


What Makes a Family?By the time Ruth finished beating out the

grain and gathering it all up, she found thatshe had gleaned about an ephah measure, or20 dry quarts (22 L), of barley. Her load mayhave weighed some 30 pounds (14 kg)! Shehoisted it, perhaps bundling it in a cloth andcarrying it on her head, and then made herway to Bethlehem in the gathering darkness.—Ruth 2:17.

Naomi was pleased to see her beloveddaughter-in-law, and perhaps she gasped insurprise as she saw Ruth’s heavy load of bar-ley. Ruth also brought some food left overfrom the meal that Boaz had provided for theworkers, and the two thus shared a simplemeal. Naomi asked: “Where did you glean to-day, and where did you work? May the onewho took notice of you become blessed.”(Ruth 2:19) Naomi was attentive; she sawproof in Ruth’s heavy load of provisions thatsomeone had taken notice of the young wid-ow and had treated her kindly.

The two fell into conversation, and Ruthtold Naomi about the kindness of Boaz.Moved, Naomi replied: “Blessed be he ofJehovah, who has not left off his loving-kindness toward the living and the dead.”(Ruth 2:19, 20) She saw the kindness of Boazas coming from Jehovah, who moves his ser-vants to be generous and promises to re-ward his people for the kindness they show.�—Proverbs 19:17.

Naomi urged Ruth to accept Boaz’ offer tokeep gleaning in his fields and near theyoung women of his own household so thatshe would escape harassment from the reap-ers. Ruth took that advice. She also “kept on

� As Naomi noted, Jehovah’s kindness is not restrictedto the living; it even extends to the dead. Naomi had losther husband and both sons. Ruth had lost her husband.Surely all three men had meant a great deal to both wom-en. Any kindness shown to Naomi and Ruth was, in ef-fect, kindness to the men who would have wanted thosedear women to be cared for.

dwelling with her mother-in-law.” (Ruth 2:22, 23) In those words we see once moreRuth’s hallmark quality—loyal love. Her ex-ample may move us to ask ourselves whetherwe honor the bonds of family, loyally sup-porting our loved ones and offering themhelp as needed. Jehovah never fails to noticesuch loyal love.

Were Naomi and Ruth somehow less thana family? In some cultures it is assumed thatthere must be someone to fill each role—hus-band, wife, son, daughter, grandparents, andso forth—for a family to be “real.” But Naomiand Ruth remind us that servants of Jehovahcan open their hearts and make even thesmallest, most bereft of families glow withwarmth, kindness, and love. Do you appreci-atewhat family you have? Jesus remindedhisfollowers that the Christian congregationcan provide family even for those who havenone.—Mark 10:29, 30.

“He Is One of Our Repurchasers”From the barley harvest around April until

the wheat harvest around June, Ruth keptgleaning in the fields of Boaz. As the weekspassed,Naomi nodoubt thought more aboutwhat she could do for her beloved daughter-in-law. Back in Moab, Naomi had beenconvinced that she could never help Ruthfind another husband. (Ruth 1:11-13) Now,though, she was beginning to think differ-ently. She approached Ruth and said: “Mydaughter, ought I not to look for a resting-place for you?” (Ruth 3:1) It was customaryin those days for parents to find mates fortheir children, and Ruth had become a truedaughter to Naomi. She wanted to find Ruth“a resting-place”—referring to the securityand protection that a home and a husbandmight provide. But what could Naomi do?

When Ruth first mentioned Boaz, Naomisaid: “The man is related to us. He is one ofour repurchasers.” (Ruth 2:20) What did that


mean? God’s Law to Israel included lovingprovisions for families who as a result of pov-erty or bereavement fell on hard times. If awomanwas widowedwhile still childless, shewas especially devastated because her hus-band’s name, his posterity, would be cut off,lost to future generations. However, God’sLaw allowed the man’s brother to marry thewidow so that she could give birth to anheir who might carry on her deceased hus-band’s name and care for the family proper-ty.�—Deuteronomy 25:5-7.

Naomi outlined a plan of action. We mightimagine the young woman’s eyes wideningas her mother-in-law spoke. Israel’s Law waslikely still new to Ruth; and many of its cus-

� The right to marry such a widow was evidently ex-tended first to the deceased man’s brothers and then tothe nearest male relatives, as was the right to inheritance.—Numbers 27:5-11.

toms were no doubt still quite foreign. Evenso, she held Naomi in such high regard thatshe listened carefully to every word. WhatNaomi advised her to do might have seemedawkward or embarrassing—even potentiallyhumiliating—yet, Ruth agreed. She meeklysaid: “All that you say tome I shall do.”—Ruth3:5.

Sometimes it is difficult for young peopleto listen to the advice of those who are olderand more experienced. It is easy to assumethat older ones do not really understand thechallenges and problems the young face.Ruth’s humble example reminds us that lis-tening to the wisdom of older ones who loveus and have our best interests at heart can bevery rewarding. But what was Naomi’s ad-vice, and was Ruth really rewarded for heed-ing it?

Ruth and Naomi helped and encouraged each other


Ruth at the Threshing FloorThat evening, Ruth made her way to the

threshing floor—a flat, hard-packed areawhere a number of farmers would take theirgrain for threshing and winnowing. The spotchosen was usually on a hillside or hilltop,where the breezes were strong in the late af-ternoon and early evening. To release thegrain from the chaff and straw, workers usedbig forks or shovels to toss the mixture intothe wind, which carried off the lighter chaffand allowed the heavier grains to fall back tothe floor.

Ruth watched discreetly as the workwound down in the evening. Boaz oversawthe winnowing of his grain, which grew intoa great heap. After eating heartily, he laydown at one end of the heap. This was evi-dently a common practice, perhaps designedto protect the precious harvest from thievesand marauders. Ruth saw Boaz settling downfor the night. The time had come to putNaomi’s plan into action.

Ruth crept closer, her heart racing. Shecould tell that the man was sound asleep. Sojust as Naomi had said, she went over to hisfeet, uncovered them, and lay down by them.Then she waited. The time passed. To Ruth,it must have felt like an eternity. Finally,around midnight, Boaz began to stir. Trem-bling from the cold, he stretched forward,likely to coverhis feet up again. But he sensedthat someone was there. The account reads:“Look! awoman lying at his feet!”—Ruth 3:8.

“Who are you?” he asked. Ruth replied,perhaps with a tremor in her voice: “I amRuth your slave girl, and you must spread outyour skirt over your slave girl, for you are a re-purchaser.” (Ruth 3:9) Some modern inter-preters have sought to imply that there weresome sexual undertones in Ruth’s actionsand words, but they ignore two simple facts.First, Ruth was acting according to the cus-

toms of the day, many of which are long lostto us. So it would be a mistake to view her ac-tions through the warped lens of today’sdebased moral standards. Second, Boaz re-sponded in a way that clearly shows that hesaw Ruth’s conduct as morally chaste andhighly commendable.

Boaz spoke, and no doubt his gentle,soothing tone comforted Ruth. He said:“Blessed may you be of Jehovah, my daugh-ter. You have expressed your loving-kindnessbetter in the last instance than in the first in-stance, in not going after the young fellowswhether lowly or rich.” (Ruth 3:10) “The firstinstance” referred to Ruth’s loyal love in ac-companying Naomi back to Israel and caringfor her. “The last instance” was the presentone. Boaz noted that a young woman likeRuth might easily have sought a husbandamong much younger men, whether rich orpoor. Rather, she wanted to do good not onlyto Naomi but also to Naomi’s deceased hus-band, to carry on the dead man’s name in hishomeland. It is not hard to see why Boaz wasmoved by this young woman’s unselfish-ness.

Boaz continued: “And now, my daughter,do not be afraid. All that you say I shall do foryou, for everyone in the gate of my people isaware that you are an excellent woman.”(Ruth 3:11) He was pleased at the prospect ofmarrying Ruth; perhaps he was not com-pletely surprised to be asked to be her repur-chaser. However, Boaz was a righteous man,and he was not about to act merely on hisown preferences. He told Ruth that there wasanother repurchaser more closely related tothe family of Naomi’s dead husband; Boazwould approach that man first and give himthe opportunity to become Ruth’s husband.

Boaz urged Ruth to lie down again and restuntil morning was near; then she could slipaway unnoticed. He wanted to protect herreputation as well as his own, since people


might wrongly assume that something im-moral had taken place. Ruth lay near theman’s feet again, perhaps with a mind moreat ease after he had responded to her petitionso kindly. Then, while it was still dark, Boazfilled her cloak with a generous gift of bar-ley, and she made her way back into Bethle-hem.

How satisfying it must have been for Ruthto contemplate what Boaz had said—that shewas known among all the people as “an ex-cellent woman”! No doubt her eagerness toget to know Jehovah and to serve him hadmuch to do with that reputation. She hadalso shown great kindness and sensitivity to-ward Naomi and her people, willingly adapt-ing to ways and customs that were surely un-familiar to her. If we imitate Ruth’s faith, wewill seek to treat others and their ways andcustoms with deep respect. If we do, we too

may find that we develop a reputation for ex-cellence.

A Resting-Place for Ruth“Who are you, my daughter?” Naomi said

when Ruth arrived home. Perhaps it was thedarkness that prompted the question, but Na-omi also wanted to know whether Ruth wasstill the same unattached widow or one withprospects of marriage before her. Ruth quick-ly told her mother-in-law of all that hadpassed between her and Boaz. She also pre-sented the generous gift of barley that Boazhad told her to give to Naomi.�—Ruth 3:16, 17.

� Boaz gave Ruth six measures of unspecified weight—perhaps to suggest that just as six work days were fol-lowed by a Sabbath rest, Ruth’s own days of toil as a wid-ow were soon to be followed by the “rest” that a securehome and a husband could provide. On the other hand,the six measures—perhaps shovelfuls—may simply havebeen all that Ruth could carry.

Ruth’s motives in seeking out Boaz were pure and unselfish

Wisely, Naomi urged Ruth to sit at homequietly that day instead of going out to gleanin thefields. She assuredRuth: “Themanwillhaveno rest unless hehas brought the matterto an end today.”—Ruth 3:18.

Naomiwas quite right about Boaz.Hewentto the city gate, where the city elders usuallymet, and waited until the man who was acloser relative passed by. In front of witness-es, Boaz offered the man the opportunity toact as repurchaser by marrying Ruth. How-ever, the man refused, claiming that doing sowould ruin his own inheritance. Then, be-fore the witnesses there in the city gate, Boazstated that he would act as the repurchaser,buying up the estate of Naomi’s dead hus-band, Elimelech, and marrying Ruth, thewidow of Elimelech’s son Mahlon. Boaz de-clared his hope that doing so would “causethe name of the dead man to rise upon hisinheritance.” (Ruth 4:1-10) Boaz truly was anupright and unselfish man.

Boaz married Ruth. Thereafter, we read:“Jehovah granted her conception and shebore a son.” The women of Bethlehemblessed Naomi and praised Ruth for be-ing better to Naomi than seven sons wouldhave been. Later, we learn, Ruth’s son be-came an ancestor of the great King David.(Ruth 4:11-22) David, in turn, was an ances-tor of Jesus Christ.—Matthew 1:1.�

Ruth was blessed indeed, as was Naomi,whohelped to raise the child as if hewere herown. The lives of these two women stand asvivid reminders that Jehovah God notices allthose who toil humbly to provide for theirown and who serve him loyally with his cho-sen people. He never fails to reward faithfulpeople who earn a reputation for excellencewith him, as did Ruth.

� Ruth is one of four women the Bible lists in the an-cestry of Jesus. Another one is Rahab, who was the moth-er of Boaz. (Matthew 1:3, 5, 6) Like Ruth, she was not anIsraelite.

Jehovah blessed Ruth with the privilege of becoming an ancestress of the Messiah


ˇ Does the Bible teach that you must be marriedin order to be fulfilled and happy? At firstglance, it might seem that God’s Word supportssuch an idea. How so?

According to the Genesis account, God sawthat it was “not good” for the first man Adam toremain alone. So God made Eve as a “comple-ment” for Adam. (Genesis 2:18) The word “com-plement” means that which makes somethingcomplete. From that account, we might con-clude that a person is not complete unless he orshe is married. Additionally, a number of Bibleaccounts portray matrimony as a source of bless-ings and joy. The story of Ruth is one example.

However, are such accounts really meant toteach us that Christians today cannot be happy,fulfilled, or complete unless they marry andhave children? That cannot be the case. Themost complete and fulfilled human who everlived was Jesus Christ. Yet, he remained single tohis death. Jesus, the wisest man who ever lived,was also the perfect reflection of “the happyGod,” Jehovah. (1 Timothy 1:11; John 14:9) Je-sus revealed what it takes to be happy, orblessed, in this world. (Matthew 5:1-12) He didnot include marriage in the list.

So, then, does the Bible contradict itself onthis subject? Not at all. We need to considermarriage in the context of Jehovah’s purpose.While he designed marriage to be a source ofjoy, intimacy, and comfort, the institution has attimes also played a key role in fulfilling certainaspects of his will. For example, God’s purposefor Adam and Eve was for them to “be fruitfuland become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis1:28) Neither Adam nor Eve could fulfill God’sstated purpose alone. Rather, each needed theother, and each completed the other in a specialsense.

Similarly, Jehovah had special purposes in-volving marriage and family life while he wasdealing with the earthly nation of Israel. Hewanted his nation to be populous so that itwould not be overwhelmed by its enemies. Healso purposed that the tribe of Judah producethe Messiah, who would rescue faithful man-kind from the effects of sin and death. (Genesis49:10) Faithful women of Israel thus viewed it asa special privilege to marry and bear childrenand as a source of shame and grief if they didnot.

What, though, about today? Does God’s an-cient command to “fill the earth” obligate Chris-tians now living on this teeming planet to marryand reproduce? No. (Matthew 19:10-12) Nordoes God any longer need to protect and ensurethe lineage of the Messiah or to shield the na-tion in which that Savior would be born. How,then, are Christians to view marriage and single-ness?

Really, both states can be described as giftsfrom God. As you know, a gift that is well-suitedto one person might be ill-suited to another.Marriage is a sacred arrangement that can pro-vide love, companionship, and a stable basis fora family. At the same time, the Bible realisticallynotes that those who marry in this imperfectworld will also face problems, or “tribulation intheir flesh.” As to singleness, Jehovah does notview it as a cause for shame or grief. Rather, hisWord states that singleness has certain distinctadvantages over marriage.—1 Corinthians 7:28,32-35.

The Bible thus presents a balanced view ofmarriage and singleness. Jehovah, the Origina-tor of marriage and the family, wants all of hisservants to be happy and fulfilled, whether theyare single or married.

OUR READERS ASK . . .

Does happiness depend on marriage?


MY PAST: I was born in thecity of Angol, in the beauti-ful south of Chile. I never met my father.When I was three years old, my mothermoved with my brother and me to the capi-tal, Santiago. We ended up living in a smallroom in a makeshift camp for the homeless.We used a public outhouse, and we got ourwater from a fire hydrant.

After about two years, the governmentgave us a small house. Unfortunately, ournew neighborhood was plagued with drugand alcohol abuse, crime, and prostitution.

Onedaymymothermet aman,whomsheeventually married. My stepfather was aheavy drinker. He would beat my motherand me. I often wept in private, wishing Ihad a father to protect me.

Even though my motherworked hard to provide forus, we were very poor. Whenwe were hungry, sometimesall we had to eat was pow-dered milk and sugar. For en-tertainment, my brother andI would sneak over to watchtelevision through a neigh-bor’s window. But one daythe neighbor caught us, andthat was the end of that!

When my stepfather wassober—which was not veryoften—he would buy mybrother and me somethingto eat. On one occasion he

bought us a small television. That is one ofthe few times I remember feeling happy.

At age 12, I learned to read. A year later, Iquit school and startedworking full-time. Af-ter work I would go out with adult work-mates to parties where we would get drunkand take drugs. Soon I was hooked.

When I was 20, I met Cati, and we eventu-ally got married. At first, all went well, butthen I returned to the life I had led before.My conduct went from bad to worse. It final-ly dawned on me that I was headed either tojail or to the grave. Worse yet, I was makingmy son Vıctor suffer the same things that Idid when I was young. I felt sad, I was angrywith myself, and I felt worthless.

THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVES

HOW did a man with a tragic upbringing become a happy, successful husbandand father? What moved a woman with many vices to clean up her life?Read what these people have to say.

“I felt worthless.”—V

´ICTOR HUGO HERRERA

YEAR BORN: 1974

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CHILEHISTORY: ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL


About 2001, two of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses visited ourhome, and Cati began tostudy the Bible with them.She talked to me about whatshe was learning. Out of cu-riosity, I also began to studythe Bible. In 2003, Cati wasbaptized as one of Jehovah’sWitnesses.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGEDMY LIFE: One day, I read Ruth2:12, which says that Jehovahrewards thosewho act in faith,seeking refuge in him. I real-ized that if I made changes, Icould please God and be re-warded by him. I noticed howoften the Biblecondemns drunkenness. The words of 2 Co-rinthians 7:1 had an impact on me. Thatverse urges us to “cleanse ourselves of everydefilement.” So I started to abandon my badhabits. As I did, at first my temper worsened,but Cati never stopped supporting me.

I finally quit my job because the pressureto smoke and drink was very strong. Al-though being out of work for a while meantgetting by on very little, it did give me moretime to study the Bible. That was when I real-ly began to make spiritual progress. Cati nev-er demanded more than I could give materi-ally, nor did she reproach me for our simplelifestyle. I’m truly grateful forher loving sup-port.

I gradually began to associate more closelywith the Witnesses. They helped me to ap-preciate that despite my lack of secular edu-cation, Jehovah values my sincere desire toserve him. The love and unity we saw in theChristian congregation had a profound ef-fect on our family. We had not found suchpeace anywhere else. In December 2004, Itoowas baptized.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I’ve experiencedthe truthfulness of Jehovah’swords recordedat Isaiah 48:17, where he says: “I, Jehovah,amyour God, the One teaching you to bene-fit yourself.” My mother and my brotherwere so impressed by my changes that theyare now studying the Bible. Even my neigh-bors rejoice to see how different I am andwhat a happy family we have.

I have a wife who loves God and whoviews me as her trustworthy companion andfriend. Even though I never knew my father,the Bible has taught me how to raise mythree sons. They respect me. Most impor-tant, they see Jehovah as a real Person,and they have grown to love him.

I’m truly grateful that despitemyunhappychildhood, Jehovahhas givenme the chanceto become a happy man.

“Even though I never knewmy father, the Bible hastaught me how to raise mythree sons”


MY PAST: I was born in So-fia, Bulgaria, in a middle-class family. My father leftour family when I was sixyears of age. That came as abig shock, and it caused metremendous emotional pain.I felt rejected and unworthyof being loved. As I got older,these feelings made me rebel.I became an angry, aggressiveyoung woman.

When I was 14, I ran awayfrom home for the first time.I often stole money from mymother and grandparents. Inschool Iwas always in troublebecause of my violent tem-per, and as a result, I was sent to five differentschools within only a few years. Three yearsbefore I should have received my diploma, Ileft school. I led a very immoral life. I becameaddicted to smoking cigarettes and marijua-na. I drank a lot, partied constantly, and be-came involved in drug trafficking. I couldn’tmake sense of living in a hopeless worldwhere people were suffering and dying. So Ilived only for each day’s pleasures.

In 1998, when I was 24 years of age, I wasarrested at the airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil,while engaging in illegal drug trafficking. Iwas sentenced to four years inprison.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: In2000, Jehovah’s Witnesses started visitingmy prison once a week. One of the Witness-es, Marines, was very kind to me. She awak-ened in me a desire to learn more about theBible. Since I had never heard of Jehovah’sWitnesses, I asked my fellow inmates whatthey could tell me about them. To my sur-prise, most of the people I asked reacted dis-

approvingly. One inmate told meto join any religion but Jehovah’sWitnesses. Her statement made me

even more curious; I wanted to find out whythese people were hated so much. I came tobelieve that it was because they practice thetrue religion. After all, the Bible says thateveryone who sincerely tries to follow Jesuswill be persecuted.—2 Timothy 3:12.

During that time, I was assigned towork inthe administration building of the prison.One day I found some boxes with olderWatchtower andAwake! magazines� in a stor-age room. I took the magazines to my prisoncell and started reading them. The more Iread, the more I felt like someone in aparched desert who had just found a well offresh water. Since I had much time on myhands, I studied the Bible every day for manyhours.

One day I was called to the prison office. Iexpected to be released from prison, so Iquickly collected my few belongings, saidgood-bye to my fellow inmates, and ran tothe office. However, when I arrived there, I

� Published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“I became an angry,aggressive youngwoman.”—NABIHA LAZAROVA

YEAR BORN: 1974

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: BULGARIAHISTORY: DRUG TRAFFICKER

learned that a new case, involving holdingfalse documents, had been filed against me.As a result, I was sentenced to two more yearsof imprisonment.

At first, I was crushed. But a couple of dayslater, I began to realize that this developmentwas a blessing in disguise. Although I hadlearned many things from the Bible, in myheart I still wanted to continue my previouslifestyle after being released from prison. Ineeded more time to change.

Sometimes I felt that it would be impossi-ble for God to accept me as one of his wor-shippers. But I meditated onpassages such as1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Those verses revealthat in thefirst centuryC.E., someChristianshad been thieves, drunkards, and extortion-ers before serving Jehovah. Yet, with Jeho-vah’s help, they changed. Their example wasa big encouragement to me.

Some of my vices were easy for me to giveup. For example, I broke free from drugabuse without much difficulty. But quitting

smoking was another story. I put up a hardfight for more thanayear before I finally suc-ceeded in breaking the habit. One thingthat helped was educating myself about thebad things that smoking does to a person’shealth. Above all, it was incessant prayer toJehovah that enabled me to quit.

As I drewcloser to Jehovah, I slowly startedto overcome the feelings of rejection I hadbattled with after my father abandoned us.The words of Psalm 27:10 touched me deep-ly. That verse says: “In case my own fatherandmyownmotherdid leaveme, even Jeho-vah himself would take me up.” I realizedthat I had found the best Father—one who

would never forsake me! Now my life had apurpose. In April 2004, six months after be-ing released from prison, I was baptized asone of Jehovah’s Witnesses.HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I am a happyperson. Free of destructive habits, I enjoymuch better physical and emotional healththan when I was younger. I enjoy a happymarriage, and I have a close friendship withmy heavenly Father, Jehovah. Among hisworshippers, I have found many fathers,mothers, brothers, and sisters. (Mark 10:29,30) I’m grateful that they saw potential inme—even before I saw it in myself.

At times, I am overwhelmed with feelingsof guilt because of my past. But I draw com-fort from knowing that in God’s promisednew world, bad memories “will not be calledto mind.” (Isaiah 65:17) In the meantime,myexperiences help me to be empathetic to-ward people who face similar challenges. Inthat sense, my past is an advantage. WhenI’m sharing in the Christian ministry, for ex-ample, I find it relatively easy to talk topeople who are drug addicts, alcoholics, orcriminals—without feeling prejudiced. I’mconfident that if I could make changes in or-der to please Jehovah, anyone can!

“I had found the bestFather—one who wouldnever forsake me!”


– ANALYZE THE SCENES.—READ 2 SAMUEL 14:25-33; 15:1-17; 18:9-17,30-33.

Describe the appearance of Absalom, as you picture him. (Reread 2 Samuel 14:25, 26.) ��

��

What do you imagine Absalom’s attitude and tone of voice were like as he triedto win the hearts of those coming to the king for justice? (Reread 2 Samuel 15:2-6.) ��

What do you perceive about Absalom’s personality from the incident recorded at2 Samuel 14:28-30? ��

��

— DIG DEEPER.

How had Absalom laid the groundwork for seizing the throne? (Clue: Read2 Samuel 13:28, 29. Amnon was David’s eldest son and hence heir to thethrone.) ��

��

Despite his ambition and attempts at self-glory, what does the manner of Absa-lom’s burial indicate as to how he was really viewed? (Reread 2 Samuel 18:17.) ��

��

What, do you think, might have contributed to Absalom’s ambitious spirit? (Forcomparison, read what is stated about Diotrephes at 3 John 9, 10.) ��

��

��

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Guard Against Ambition!Instructions: Do this exercise in quiet surroundings. As you read thescriptures, imagine that you are a bystander watching the events unfold.Visualize the scenes. Hear the voices. Feel the emotions of the characters.Let the account come to life.Main characters: David, Absalom, JoabSummary: Absalom attempts to usurp his father’s throne.

How was David affected by Absalom’s actions?(Clue: Read Psalm 3, which David wrote at thetime of Absalom’s revolt.) ��

��

��

˜ APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. WRITE DOWNWHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT . . .

The danger of an ambitious spirit. ��

��

The pain that a person’s actions can cause toothers, including his or her parents. ��

��

FOR FURTHER APPLICATION.

How might you fall into the trap of ambition?��

��

How can you avoid developing undue pride?��

��

™ WHAT ASPECT OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MOSTMEANINGFUL TO YOU, AND WHY?��

��

Suggestion: Imagine a different ending to thisaccount. What might have happened if Absalomhad been modest rather than ambitious?—Prov-erbs 18:12.

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Even in this troubled world, you can gain happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God, his Kingdom,and his wonderful purpose for mankind. If you would welcome further information or would like to havesomeone visit you to conduct a free Bible study, please write to Jehovah’s Witnesses at the appropriateaddress listed on page 4.

Is it possible to be honest in a corrupt world?SEE PAGE 5.

What effect did God’s Word have on a Hindu family?SEE PAGES 9-11.

What can we learn from the faithful woman Ruth?SEE PAGES 19-24.

How did a man with a tragic upbringing become ahappy, successful husband and father? SEE PAGES 26-27.

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