Our Readers Ask

Are Life’s Adversities Punishment From God?

Has a traumatic event in your life caused you to ask if God intends for you to suffer adversity? A sudden illness, a crippling accident, or an untimely death in the family may make us feel that we are being singled out by God for punishment.

Contrary to such thoughts, you should feel comforted that God wants people to be happy and free from harm. This is seen in the fact that when God created the first humans, he put them in “the garden of Eden,” a parklike paradise, where life would be free of all adversity.​—Genesis 2:15.

Regrettably, the first human pair chose to turn their back on this wonderful prospect and willfully disobeyed God. The result was calamitous not only for them but also for all their offspring, including us. Why? The situation can be likened to what results when a family head reneges on his agreement to pay rent​—the entire family get evicted from their home and are exposed to hardship and deprivation. Similarly, adversity has become the lot of all humankind since the first rebellion. (Romans 5:12) Many years later, the righteous man Job lamented that if his pain and suffering could be “put on scales,” they would be “heavier even than the sands of the seas.”​—Job 6:2, 3.

Another cause for adversity is our limited foresight. For example, imagine that a housing developer built and sold homes in a fire-prone area. Unaware of these facts, you bought one of these homes and lived in it. Would you not be making yourself and your family vulnerable to grave adversities? Any hardship that developed could hardly be viewed as punishment from God, could it? The reality is set out in the Bible: “Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps.”​—Proverbs 14:15.

It is comforting to know, however, that although we are all subject to adversity, God has purposed that very soon mankind will be liberated from it. When the time comes, you will never again experience, see, or even hear about adversities. Tears of sadness, pain, death, and mourning will have “passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) Also heartwarming is the promise that never again will people build houses and plant crops only to have them destroyed by wars or disasters. Rather, the work of their hands they will “use to the full.”​—Isaiah 65:21-25.

While you wait for God to eliminate adversity completely, what can you do now to minimize its effect? First and foremost, “do not lean upon your own understanding,” the Bible admonishes us, but “trust in Jehovah with all your heart.” (Proverbs 3:5) Look to him for guidance and comfort. Pay attention to the godly wisdom found in the Bible. It will help you to make wise decisions and protect you from those adversities that can be avoided.​—Proverbs 22:3.

Our Readers Ask . . .

What is a Kingdom Hall?

A Kingdom Hall is a house of worship used by Jehovah’s Witnesses for their religious services. There are tens of thousands of Kingdom Halls in use throughout the world. Each week, more than 105,000 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses meet in such halls.

Every Kingdom Hall has an auditorium where Bible study programs and lectures are held. In most auditoriums, a stage serves as a teaching platform for the conducting of meetings. Usually, seating is provided for between 100 and 300 people. The Kingdom Hall may also have one or more auxiliary classrooms, an office, and a small library containing Bible-related literature and reference works that can be used for research by any member of the congregation.

In a Kingdom Hall, however, you will not find any of the religious emblems and fixtures typically associated with the churches of Christendom. There are no altars, images, or crosses on display. Why not? Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the use of such items conflicts with the Bible’s command to “flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:14; John 4:24) Many churches and temples are ornate and lavishly decorated. By contrast, Kingdom Halls are designed to be functional and are modest in design. The emphasis is placed on the Bible instruction that takes place within the building rather than on the structure itself.

Why the name Kingdom Hall? Public gatherings at a Kingdom Hall focus primarily on the teachings of the Bible and its central message about “the kingdom of God,” the theme of Jesus’ ministry. (Luke 4:43) So the name Kingdom Hall, which was coined in the 1930’s, appropriately describes the purpose of these buildings​—to promote true worship and serve as a hub for the preaching of the “good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 24:14) Thus, Kingdom Halls are not used for social or commercial activities. Construction, operating costs, and support expenses are funded entirely by voluntary donations. A collection plate is never passed. Rather, there is a box in a fixed location for any who wish to make a contribution.

Kingdom Halls serve the same purpose in all parts of the world, but they are built in a wide range of sizes and styles. The design varies according to the building materials available locally, the climate, and the financial circumstances of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the area. Some buildings are constructed from brick, wood, and stone. Others might be open-sided structures, with bamboo walls and thatched roofs.

Visitors are always welcome to attend meetings at any Kingdom Hall. (Hebrews 10:25) In fact, a public meeting is held each week, focusing on a Bible-based theme that is of interest both to regular members of the congregation and to visitors. Why not visit the Kingdom Hall in your community?

Our Readers Ask

Is God’s Kingdom in Your Heart?

Many today believe that the answer to the above question is yes. For example, The Catholic Encyclopedia asserts: “The kingdom of God means . . . the ruling of God in our hearts.” The clergy commonly teach this idea. Does the Bible really teach that God’s Kingdom resides in human hearts?

Some think that Jesus himself first promoted the idea that God’s Kingdom lies within the hearts of humans. Jesus did say: “Look! The kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:21) Some translations here say: “The kingdom of God is within you” or even “inside you.” Are those accurate renderings of Jesus’ expression? Did he really mean that God’s Kingdom is found in human hearts?

First, consider what the human heart is. When referred to in the Bible, the figurative heart means the inner person, the source of a person’s thoughts, attitudes, and feelings. The idea that something as sublime as the Kingdom of God resides within the human heart​—in the way it changes and ennobles people, for example—​may sound appealing, but does it stand to reason?

The Bible tells us: “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate.” (Jeremiah 17:9) Jesus himself said: “From inside, out of the heart of men, injurious reasonings issue forth: fornications, thieveries, murders, adulteries, covetings, acts of wickedness.” (Mark 7:20-22) Consider: Cannot much of the misery that we see in the world today be traced back to the sinful hearts of humans? So how could God’s perfect Kingdom come from such a source? Really, the human heart could no more produce God’s Kingdom than a thistle could produce figs.​—Matthew 7:16.

Second, consider the audience Jesus was addressing when he spoke the words found at Luke 17:21. The preceding verse reads: “On being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them.” (Luke 17:20) The Pharisees were Jesus’ enemies. Jesus stated that those hypocrites were not going to enter God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 23:13) Now if the Pharisees were not to enter God’s Kingdom, could the Kingdom be in their hearts? Impossible! What, then, did Jesus mean?

In rendering these words of Jesus, a number of careful Bible translations use wording similar to that found in the New World Translation. Some say that the Kingdom is “among you” or “in the midst of you.” How was God’s Kingdom among those people at that time, including the Pharisees? Well, Jesus was the one whom Jehovah God appointed to be the King of the Kingdom. As the King-Designate, Jesus was right in the midst of those people. He taught about the Kingdom of God and even performed miracles, giving them a preview of what that Kingdom would accomplish. In a very real sense, then, the Kingdom was in their midst.

Clearly, there is no Scriptural support for the notion that the Kingdom of God is in the hearts of humans. Rather, it is an actual government, one that will effect dramatic changes on the earth, just as the prophets foretold.​—Isaiah 9:6, 7; Daniel 2:44.

Our Readers Ask . . .

Who Sent the “Star”?

▪ Have you seen nativity scenes or plays that depict three kings, or wise men, visiting the newborn baby Jesus as he lay in a manger? According to the story, God used a star to lead them to the stable in Bethlehem. Countless children have even memorized the names of those three kings​—Melchior, Caspar, and Baltazar. However, does that popular account match what the Bible actually says? No. In a number of ways, the story is inaccurate.

First, who were those men? In the original Greek, the Bible calls them neither kings nor wise men. They were magi, or astrologers. They were evidently practicers of the pagan art of divination based on the stars. The Bible record reveals neither the names nor the number of those visitors.

Second, when did those men visit? Not when Jesus was a baby in a manger. How do we know that? The Gospel writer Matthew says: “When they went into the house they saw the young child with Mary its mother.” (Matthew 2:11) Note that Jesus was no longer a newborn baby, but a “young child.” Mary and Joseph were no longer spending nights in a stable; rather, they were by then living in a house.

Third, who sent that “star” to lead the astrologers? Religious leaders commonly teach that God sent the “star.” Did he really? Remember, the “star” did not first lead those astrologers to Bethlehem. Rather, it led them to King Herod in Jerusalem. They revealed Jesus’ existence to that jealous and powerful murderer and even gave him strong reason for hating the child who was to become “king of the Jews.” (Matthew 2:2) Craftily, Herod told them to report back to him on the precise location of this child, claiming that he wanted to honor it as well. The “star” then led the astrologers to Joseph and Mary. So the astrologers were on a course that would have doomed the young child had God not intervened. Happily, he did intervene. So enraged was Herod when the astrologers did not report back to him that he ordered all the male children two years of age and younger in and around Bethlehem to be killed.​—Matthew 2:16.

Jehovah later referred to Jesus as “my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.” (Matthew 3:17) Consider: Would that loving, righteous Father select pagan astrologers​—practicers of an occult art forbidden in his Law—​as his messengers? (Deuteronomy 18:10) Would he use a star to lead them to the most dangerous and powerful murderer in the land, bearing a message sure to inflame Herod’s jealous hatred? Would God then use the same star and astrologers to reveal the spot where his helpless son lay?

To illustrate: A good military commander sends his best soldier on a dangerous mission into enemy territory. Would he reveal to the enemy where to find that soldier? Of course not! Likewise, Jehovah sent his Son to this dangerous world. Would He reveal to wicked King Herod where His Son lay as a defenseless child? Never!

Who, then, sent the “star,” or starlike object? Well, who had the greatest interest in seeing the child Jesus put to death, preventing him from growing up and fulfilling his mission on earth? Who seeks to mislead people and promotes lies, violence, and slaughter? Jesus himself identified the “liar and the father of the lie,” the one who “was a manslayer when he began”​—Satan the Devil.​—John 8:44.

Our Readers Ask

Did Three Wise Men Really Visit Baby Jesus?

Christmastime lore from South America to Eastern Europe to Asia depicts a Nativity scene with three kings, or wise men, bearing precious gifts for the babe Jesus. Is this story true? Does it line up with the facts? Let us see.

Two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, chronicle the birth of Jesus. These accounts show that only lowly shepherds from nearby fields visited Jesus at his birth. The so-called kings, or wise men, were in reality astrologers, not royalty, and they are not numbered. The astrologers did not journey to the side of a newborn in a manger but arrived when Jesus was a child and was living in a house. Their presence even jeopardized the life of Jesus!

Look closely at the account of Jesus’ birth by Bible writer Luke, and you will find that it says: “There were . . . shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks. And suddenly Jehovah’s angel stood by them, and . . . said to them: ‘. . . You will find an infant bound in cloth bands and lying in a manger.’ . . . And they went with haste and found Mary as well as Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.”​—Luke 2:8-16.

Only Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds were present with baby Jesus. No one else is listed in Luke’s report.

Now examine the account at Matthew 2:1-11 from the King James Bible: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem . . . And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother.”

Notice that the account states just “wise men,” not “three wise men,” and that they first traveled from the east to Jerusalem, not to the birth city of Jesus, Bethlehem. By the time they finally reached Bethlehem, Jesus was a “young child”​—no longer a baby—​and no longer in a stable but in a house.

Also, while the King James Bible uses the words “wise men” in describing these visitors, other translations use “Magi” or “astrologers.” According to A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, the expression “wise men” translates “a Greek noun which originally referred to Persian priests who were experts in astrology.” And The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines the word as “a wizard, sorcerer, a pretender to magic powers, a professor of the arts of witchcraft.”

Although astrology and witchcraft are still popular today, the Bible warns against their use. (Isaiah 47:13-15) They are forms of spiritism and are practices that Jehovah God abhors. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) That is why no angel of God announced the birth of Jesus to the astrologers. However, by means of divine intervention in a dream, they were warned not to report back to wicked King Herod, since he sought to kill Jesus. So “they withdrew to their country by another way.”​—Matthew 2:11-16.

Would true Christians want to perpetuate a fabled Nativity that distorts the truth surrounding the birth of Jesus? Surely the answer is no.

OUR READERS ASK . . .

Did Jesus Promise the Evildoer Life in Heaven?

The question arises because Jesus promised the criminal who was being executed alongside him a future life in Paradise. Jesus said: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Note that Jesus did not say where that Paradise would be. Did Jesus mean, then, that the evildoer would join him in heaven?

First, let us consider whether that evildoer met the qualifications for heavenly life. Humans with heavenly prospects have been baptized in water and with holy spirit and are thus spirit-begotten disciples of Jesus. (John 3:3, 5) Another requirement is that they conform to God’s moral standards and manifest such qualities as honesty, integrity, and compassion. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) They must also remain loyal to God and Christ till the end of their earthly course. (Luke 22:28-30; 2 Timothy 2:12) Only by meeting those requirements can they show themselves worthy of being resurrected and qualified for the weighty responsibility awaiting them in heaven, namely, serving as priests and kings with Christ over mankind for a thousand years.​—Revelation 20:6.

In contrast, the evildoer alongside Jesus lived as a criminal and died as a criminal. (Luke 23:32, 39-41) True, he showed a respectful attitude when he said to Jesus: “Remember me when you get into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) Nonetheless, he had not become a baptized, spirit-begotten disciple of Jesus, nor had he built a record of upright conduct and faithful endurance. Does it seem reasonable that Jesus would promise him heavenly kingship alongside his faithful followers who had proved their integrity?​—Romans 2:6, 7.

To illustrate: If a man asked your forgiveness for stealing your money, you might decide not to press charges. But would you trust him to run your business or to take care of your family? You would reserve such responsibilities only for those in whom you had the utmost confidence. Likewise, those who are given the hope of life in heaven must provide a solid basis for confidence that they will uphold God’s righteous standards when they rule over mankind. (Revelation 2:10) The evildoer, though apparently sincere in his last-minute plea, provided no such basis.

But did Jesus not tell the evildoer that he would be with him in heaven that very day? That could not be, since Jesus himself did not enter heaven that day. Instead, he was “in the heart of the earth”​—the grave—​for three days. (Matthew 12:40; Mark 10:34) Even after his resurrection, he remained on earth for 40 days before ascending to heaven. (Acts 1:3, 9) Thus, the evildoer could not have been in heaven with Jesus that day.

Into what Paradise, then, was the evildoer to enter? After resurrection, he will be in the earthly Paradise, over which Jesus will rule. (Acts 24:15; Revelation 21:3, 4) To learn more about that Paradise and God’s requirements, speak to any one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Our Readers Ask . . .

Is Jesus the Archangel Michael?

▪ Put simply, the answer is yes. The custom of being called by more than one name is common in many cultures. The same situation occurs with names in the Bible. For example, the patriarch Jacob is also named Israel. (Genesis 35:10) The apostle Peter is named in five different ways​—Symeon, Simon, Peter, Cephas, and Simon Peter. (Matthew 10:2; 16:16; John 1:42; Acts 15:7, 14) How can we be sure that Michael is another name for Jesus? Consider the following Scriptural evidence.

The Bible contains five references to the mighty spirit creature Michael. Three occurrences are in the book of Daniel. At Daniel 10:13, 21, we read that a dispatched angel is rescued by Michael, who is called “one of the foremost princes” and “the prince of you people.” Next, at Daniel 12:1, we learn that in the time of the end, “Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your people.”

A further mention of Michael occurs at Revelation 12:7, which describes “Michael and his angels” as fighting a vital war that results in the ousting of Satan the Devil and his wicked angels from heaven.

Notice that in each of the above-mentioned cases, Michael is portrayed as a warrior angel battling for and protecting God’s people, even confronting Jehovah’s greatest enemy, Satan.

Jude verse 9 calls Michael “the archangel.” The prefix “arch” means “principal” or “chief,” and the word “archangel” is never used in the plural form in the Bible. The only other verse in which an archangel is mentioned is at 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where Paul describes the resurrected Jesus, saying: “The Lord [Jesus] himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet.” So Jesus Christ himself is here identified as the archangel, or chief angel.

In view of the foregoing, what can we conclude? Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel. Both names​—Michael (meaning “Who Is Like God?”) and Jesus (meaning “Jehovah Is Salvation”)​—focus attention on his role as the leading advocate of God’s sovereignty. Philippians 2:9 states: “God exalted him [the glorified Jesus] to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name.”

It is important to note that the human birth of Jesus was not the beginning of his life. Before Jesus was born, Mary was visited by an angel who told her that she would conceive a child by means of holy spirit and that she should name the child Jesus. (Luke 1:31) During his ministry, Jesus often spoke of his prehuman existence.​—John 3:13;8:23, 58.

So Michael the archangel is Jesus in his prehuman existence. After his resurrection and return to heaven, Jesus resumed his service as Michael, the chief angel, “to the glory of God the Father.”​—Philippians 2:11.

Our Readers Ask

In What Way Are Jesus and His Father One?

“I and the Father are one,” said Jesus. (John 10:30) Some quote this text to prove that Jesus and his Father are two parts of a triune God. Is that what Jesus meant by this statement?

Let us take a look at the context. In verse 25, Jesus stated that he did works in the name of his Father. From verses 27 to 29, he talked about symbolic sheep whom his Father had given him. Both statements by Jesus would have made little sense to his listeners if he and his Father were one and the same person. Instead, Jesus said, in effect, ‘My Father and I are so close-knit that no one can take away the sheep from me, just as no one can take them away from my Father.’ It is much like a son saying to his father’s enemy, ‘If you attack my father, you attack me.’ No one would conclude that this son and his father were the same person. But all could perceive the strong bond of unity between them.

Jesus and his Father, Jehovah God, are also “one” in the sense that they are in complete agreement as to intentions, standards, and values. In contrast with Satan the Devil and the first human couple, Adam and Eve, Jesus never wanted to become independent of God. “The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing,” Jesus explained. “For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”​—John 5:19; 14:10; 17:8.

This strong bond of unity, however, does not make God and his Son, Jesus, indistinguishable from each other. They are two individuals. Each one has his own distinct personality. Jesus has his own feelings, thoughts, experiences, and free will. Nevertheless, he chose to submit his will to that of his Father. According to Luke 22:42, Jesus said: “Let, not my will, but yours take place.” These words would have been meaningless if his will could not differ from his Father’s. If Jesus and his Father were really one person, why did Jesus pray to God and humbly admit to not knowing things that only his Father knew?​—Matthew 24:36.

Members of many religions worship gods that are depicted as quarreling and fighting with their own family members. In Greek mythology, for example, Cronus overthrew his father, Uranus, and devoured his own children. How different this is from the oneness based on true love between Jehovah God and his Son, Jesus! And how this unity endears them to us! In fact, we have the incomparable privilege of being in union with these two highest Persons in all the universe. Regarding his followers, Jesus prayed: “I make request . . . that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you, that they also may be in union with us.”​—John 17:20, 21.

Thus, when Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” he was speaking, not of a mysterious Trinity, but of a wonderful unity​—the closest bond possible between two persons.

Our Readers Ask . . .

Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Preach From House to House?

▪ In the Bible, we find this command of Jesus to his followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, . . . teaching them.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) Does this apply to all Christians? Jesus’ earliest disciples understood that it does. For example, the apostle Peter stated: “He [Jesus] ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness.” (Acts 10:42) And the apostle Paul wrote: “Necessity is laid upon me. Really, woe is me if I did not declare the good news!”​—1 Corinthians 9:16.

Not only Paul and Peter but also first-century Christians in general acted on Jesus’ command. They made preaching the hallmark of their activity. (Acts 5:28-32, 41, 42) Jehovah’s Witnesses today endeavor to do so as well. They preach the same message as Jesus did, namely, “the kingdom of the heavens.”​—Matthew 10:7.

To whom should the Kingdom message be preached? Jesus indicated that it should be preached to all people everywhere. He told his disciples: “You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) He even foretold that before the end of this system arrives, “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness.” (Matthew 24:14) Accordingly, first-century Christians strove to speak with all people, not just personal acquaintances or individuals without a religion. (Colossians 1:23; 1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Likewise, Jehovah’s Witnesses today try to reach everyone.*

What is the most effective way to spread the Kingdom message? Jesus, who knew how to reach as many as possible, sent his disciples to cities, villages, and homes of the people. (Matthew 10:7, 11, 12) After Jesus’ death and resurrection, his disciples continued to preach “from house to house.” (Acts 5:42) As Jesus did, they too preached in informal settings and in public places. (John 4:7-26; 18:20; Acts 17:17) Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses use those same methods to preach to all people.

Jesus indicated that not everyone would listen. (Matthew 10:14; 24:37-39) Should that deter Christians from preaching? Consider this comparison: If you were part of a rescue team following a severe earthquake, would you stop searching simply because after a while only a few survivors were being found? No, you would persist as long as there was hope of saving one person. Jesus instructed his disciples to persevere as long as there is hope of finding some who will respond to the good news about God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 10:23; 1 Timothy 4:16) By searching out such ones from house to house, Jehovah’s Witnesses show love for God and for their neighbors, whose lives depend on hearing and responding to the Kingdom message.​—Matthew 22:37-39; 2 Thessalonians 1:8.

The magazine you are reading conveys that Bible message. For more information, please speak with Jehovah’s Witnesses the next time they call, or write to the publisher of this magazine.

[Footnote]

Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently preaching in 236 lands. Last year, they spent 1.7 billion hours in the preaching work and conducted 8.5 million home Bible studies worldwide.

Our Readers Ask

Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Not Go to War?

Jehovah’s Witnesses, wherever they live, have a long history of abstaining from carnal warfare between nations or between combatants within the same nation. “Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain a strict neutrality in time of war,” noted the Australian Encyclopædia half a century ago.

A major reason why the Witnesses refrain from taking part in war is that participating in such conflicts would violate their Christian conscience. Their conscience has been shaped by the commands and example of the Lord Jesus Christ. He directed his followers to love their neighbor. He also commanded: “Continue to love your enemies, to do good to those hating you.” (Luke 6:27; Matthew 22:39) When one of his disciples tried to defend him with a sword, Jesus told him: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) Thus, by word and example, he plainly showed that his followers are not to wield weapons of carnal warfare.

Another reason Jehovah’s Witnesses do not go to war is that they are members of a worldwide community of believers. War would pit brother against brother, and that would fly in the face of Jesus’ command to have ‘love among themselves.’​—John 13:35.

The above principles governing love are not mere theory to Jehovah’s Witnesses. As an example, examine their course of action during World War II, 1939-1945. In the United States, more than 4,300 Witnesses of Jehovah were incarcerated in federal prisons for refusing to perform military service. In Britain, upwards of 1,500, including more than 300 women, were imprisoned for declining to perform war duties. In Nazi Germany, upwards of 270 Witnesses were executed by State order for their refusal to take up arms. Under the Nazi regime, more than 10,000 Witnesses were incarcerated, either in prisons or in concentration camps. Witnesses in Japan suffered terribly as well. Any individuals who lost their loved ones on the battlefields of World War II​—or any subsequent war for that matter—​can rest assured that not a single one of Jehovah’s Witnesses was responsible for such deaths.

The view of Jehovah’s Witnesses toward war is eloquently expressed in the final words of Wolfgang Kusserow. In 1942 the Nazis beheaded this 20-year-old German because he refused to go to war. (Isaiah 2:4) He stated before the military tribunal: “I was brought up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, according to God’s word contained in the Holy Scriptures. The greatest and most holy law he gave mankind is: ‘You shall love your God above all else and your neighbor as yourself.’ Other commandments read: ‘You must not kill.’ Did our Creator have all this written down for the trees?”​—Mark 12:29-31; Exodus 20:13.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that only Jehovah, the almighty God, will bring permanent peace to the earth. They look to him to fulfill his promise that he will make “wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.”​—Psalm 46:9.