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~eWATCHTOWER

ing day of judgment wherein even the dead will rise
from the graves. Showing the disadvantage that the
Jews would have because of lack of faith and humility toward God, Jesus made out that they were worse
off than the out-and-out heathen, by saying: "The
Ninevites will stand up in the judgment against this
generation, and cause it to be condemned; for they
reformed at the warning of Jonah; and behold,
something greater than Jonah is here." (Matt. 12 : 41,
Diaglott) That is not saying that the rebellious Jews
of that time or generation who persistently persecuted Jesus and his apostles will rise in the judgment day of the world. At death they went to
Gehenna, but the Ninevites that repented will have a
part in the general resurrection of judgment, not to
be judges of the Jews, however. All judgment has
been given into the hands of Jehovah's Judge, Christ
Jesus, and he will therefore make all the dead in the
graves hear his rousing voice and come forth to the
opportunities of the New World under his kingdom.
So, what Jesus meant was this: Those Ninevites, by
their course of conduct during Jonah's preaching
among them, set up a standard of faith and humility
against which the Jews of Jesus' day and since could
be measured. The measurement was sure to be, not
favorable to the proud, self-righteous religious Jews,
but condemning toward them.
37 God's purpose in sending Jonah to the inhabitants of heathenish Nineveh was evidently to show
up the Jews in this respect. It also provided some
wonderful prophetic pictures, such as Jesus' resurrection from hell, which resurrection was a forerunner and guarantee of the resurrection of the repentant Ninevites and of all others in the graves. Jesus
was the Greater Jonah. His preaching laid the basis
for condemning the unrepentant, unreforming Jews
living in the days of the public ministry of Jesus
and his twelve apostles. To this day the vast majority of the natural Jews have failed to follow the
example of the Ninevites and have refused to repent
at the things preached by the Greater Jonah and to
turn to him as the true Messiah, Abraham's Seed.
For this reason they have turned down the divinely
provided way of salvation, and the Kingdom privileges have been extended to the Gentiles. Many of
37. With what purpose did God send Jonah to Nineveh to preach? and
how has thIs been fulfilled regardIng the Vreater Jonah since?

BROOKLYN,

N. Y.

these have had faith and humility like those ancient
Ninevites that repented at Jonah's warning of destructive judgment as about to be executed by J ehovah God upon their mighty and populous city.
S8 Justly the nation of natural Jews was cast out
of God's favor and organization, and the Kingdom
gospel was sent afar to all the nations. As at other
Gentile cities, at Antioch in Pisidia the apostle Paul
and the Levite Barnabas preached in the synagogue
to the Jews and to Gentile proselytes to Judaism.
Here is what happened to show that the judgment
went against the Jews and piled up against them till
Jerusalem was wiped out A.D. 70. "But when the
Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy,
and spake against those things which were spoken by
Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and
Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary
that the word of God should first have been spoken
to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 10, we turn
to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us,
saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles,
that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of
the earth." Unlike the majority of the Jews then,
"when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed."-Acts 13: 45-48.
au That was a serious charge made by the apostle,
that the unbelieving natural Israelites had judged
themselves unworthy of everlasting life. It was a
warning of everlasting destruction. That day of
national judgment for those natural descendants of
Abraham was climaxed by Jerusalem's destruction
by Roman military might in that fateful year 70.
But it was a portentous foreshadowing of something
future. It showed what was certain in the long
process of time to befall the Gentile nations among
whom the Kingdom gospel should be widely preached
and who profess to accept it. Bluntly stated, it was
an ominous foreshadowing of the judgment to come
upon Christendom in our marvelous twentieth century. But this and other questions on judgment we
leave to a supplementary article to explain, next
issue.
38. How did the judgment of Jews show up at Antioch In Plsldla?
39. (al Why was the apostle's charge against the Jews very serious?
(bl Wby was the nation's break-up a serIous portent for CbrlBtendom?

THE BIBLE'S AUTHOR
EFORE we can know the Author we must believe that
he exists. How can we believe1 By first having some
knowledge. Take in such knowledge by looking around
and reasoning upon what you see. Those flowers blooming in
your garden: out of the same soil grow the many floral
varieties of different hues and colors. Likewise from the

B

same soil spring the divers kinds of trees, bringing forth
different fruits at different seasons of the year. Some wisdom superior to man's must have arranged these things.
And some wisdom greater than puny man's must have
created the broad fields, the lofty mountains, the mighty
rivers, the restless oceans, and surrounded this earthly ball

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