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“Jehovah […] does not wish that any should be destroyed” (2 PET. 3:9).
1. Why can we say that we are living in an exciting time?
We are living in an exciting time because we can witness Bible prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes. For example, the book of Daniel tells us about a fight between the king of the North and the king of the South, who symbolize world powers in conflict for global dominance. This prophetic fulfillment shows us that we live in decisive times according to the Divine perspective.
Additionally, we are seeing the good news of the Kingdom of God being preached on an unprecedented scale, which is consistent with the prophecy of Isaiah 60:22.
Finally, in Matthew Chapter 24 from 45 to 47, Jesus promised that in the last days his followers will receive abundant spiritual food at the right time.
2. What can we be sure of, and what should we recognize?
We can be sure that Jehovah is guiding us to better understand the events that are to come.
In Proverbs 4:18, we see the path of the righteous, it is like the bright light of the morning that shines brighter and brighter until it is broad day. This means that as we move forward in time, Jehovah reveals to us more and more about his purpose and the events that will lead to the final fulfillment of his will. However, it is important to recognize that there are aspects of the future that we do not yet know, we do not have all the details about how certain prophecies will unfold.
Therefore it is wise and humble to recognize our limitations and trust that God will reveal to us what is necessary at the right time.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW
3. What were we saying before about what would happen to people once the great tribulation began, and why did we think this way?
In the past it was taught that once the great tribulation began, there would no longer be an opportunity for people to put their faith in Jehovah and survive Armageddon, the reasoning behind this interpretation was that just as Jehovah once closed the door of the ark that Noah and his family were safe within it at the beginning of the flood.
Similarly, it was thought that Jehovah would symbolically close the door of opportunity for salvation at the beginning of the great tribulation. However, this interpretation has been revised over time as greater understanding has been gained of the scriptures and how biblical prophecies apply.
4. Why don't we no longer say that everything that happened in the days of Noah has a greater fulfillment today?
What happened in the days of Noah has no greater fulfillment today, because the Bible does not explicitly establish it as a prophetic model for modern times. Although Jesus compared the days of Noah with the time of his presence, he did not indicate that all the elements of the flood account such as Jehovah's closing of the door of the ark were to have a greater fulfillment in the future.
The comparison of Jesus mainly highlights the attitude of the people in the days of Noah and in the time of his presence, in both times the majority of the people were unaware of the impending events and continued with their daily lives, until the arrival of the Divine judgment.
5. a) What did Noah do before the Flood? (Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20).
According to the texts we have just read, Noah demonstrated a lot of faith in Jehovah and demonstrated it in several ways. Noah obeyed Jehovah's instructions when building the ark, demonstrating his faith in the divine warning about the flood.
In 2 Peter 2:5 we see how Jehovah calls Noah a preacher which indicates that he warned another about the coming judgment. Although we do not know if Noah warned all the people who lived on earth of the flood.
5. b) How is our preaching similar to that of Noah?
Our preaching today resembles that of Noah in several ways, just as Noah warned about the flood, we about the Kingdom of God and the coming judgment urging people to repent and seek Jehovah. Noah demonstrated his faith with actions by building the ark. Similarly, those who hear the good news of the Kingdom of God must demonstrate his faith with concrete actions and a change in his lifestyle.
Noah probably could not warn every person on earth and we, despite our global efforts, also recognize that we will not reach every person before the end.
6, 7. Why can't we bring the good news to everyone before the end comes?
In Matthew 10:23, we see how Jesus told his disciples that they would not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man arrived, this implies that they would not be able to preach to all the people before his arrival.
Today there are several factors that prevent good news from reaching everyone. For example, millions of people live in places where there is no freedom to preach, which limits the reach of the Kingdom message.
Furthermore, hundreds of babies are born every minute, which causes the world population to constantly increase and makes it difficult to reach each individual with the message and although it is preached in more than 1000 languages, there are still many languages and dialects that need to be reached.
8. What might we ask ourselves? (See also images).
It is natural that questions arise about the fate of those who have not had the opportunity to hear the good news before the great tribulation arrives. We wonder: What will be the fate of these people and how will Jehovah and Jesus who have the job of judging Will they handle this situation?
Although we do not know with certainty what Jehovah will do with people who have not heard the good news before the beginning of the great tribulation, we trust in his justice and mercy. It is important to remember that Jehovah is not obligated to reveal all of his plans to us, but we can trust that his decisions will be fair and full of love.
ILLUSTRATION
What will Jehovah do with people who do not have the opportunity to hear the good news before the great tribulation comes? (See paragraph 8). c
9. What has Jehovah revealed to us in his Word?
Jehovah has revealed in his word that he has a merciful plan for those who did not have the opportunity to hear the Good News and change their behavior.
A prominent aspect of this plan is the resurrection of the unrighteous. In Luke 23:42 and 43 we read how Jesus promises the repentant evildoer that he will be with him in paradise, indicating the possibility of a future opportunity for redemption for those who do not. They had the opportunity to repent in life.
10. What else might we ask ourselves?
We may also wonder what will happen to the people who die during the great tribulation, specifically we might wonder if those people will be destroyed forever and not have the opportunity to be resurrected.
The Bible in 2 Thessalonians 1 from 6 to 10 indicates that those who will be permanently destroyed at Armageddon are those who openly oppose Jehovah and will not have the opportunity to be resurrected. However, the question remains about those who die during the great tribulation but from natural causes, accidents or at the hands of other people.
WHAT WE DO KNOW
11. What will the judgment that each person receives during Armageddon depend on?
The judgment each person receives during Armageddon will depend on how they treated Christ's brothers.
Jesus himself explained in Matthew 25:40 that those who have shown support and kindness toward the anointed will be considered like sheep and will receive favorable treatment. This judgment implies that those who have given their support to the Anointed Ones and by extension to Christ, will be treated like sheep, that is, they will receive a favorable judgment.
12, 13. What might some people do when they see the destruction of “Babylon the Great”? (See also images).
The possibility that some people will take Jehovah's side upon seeing the destruction of Babylon the Great is real and consistent with biblical precedents, even more so when these people remember that Jehovah's Witnesses had predicted this event for many years.
When that happens our duty is to show mercy and compassion by imitating the character of our heavenly father who always shows loyal love and truth. This reminds us that Jehovah's purpose is for everyone to have the opportunity to repent and find salvation.
ILLUSTRATION
Series of images: 1. A young woman sees the news on television that religious activities are prohibited. She holds a photo in her hand and reflects on the time she served Jehovah with her parents. 2. She Later she goes to her parents' house, who receive her with affection. There are riots in the street. Some will see the destruction of “Babylon the Great” and may remember that Jehovah's Witnesses had been announcing that this would happen for many years. (See paragraphs 12 and 13).
14, 15. Why do we know that someone's chance of living forever does not depend on when they die or where they live? (Psalm 33:4, 5).
According to this text we understand that the possibility of someone living forever does not depend on when they die, because Jehovah is the perfect judge and his decisions are always just and upright.
People may sometimes think that if a loved one who does not serve Jehovah dies before the Great Tribulation they will have hope of being resurrected. However, Jehovah's justice is not based on the time of death or where a person lives, because even if some people live in places where they have never had the opportunity to hear the message of the Kingdom, Jehovah will not consider them goats for that reason. .
16. What things do we know about Jehovah? (See also the image).
The teachings of the Bible reveal to us that Jehovah is a God of love, compassion and justice. He deeply values human life and offers opportunities for eternal life to those who love him and follow his commandments. We can trust that Jehovah will judge each person. in a fair and wise manner based on His perfect love and understanding.
ILLUSTRATION
The young woman comes out of the great tribulation together with her parents and other people. We can be sure that Jehovah will judge each person in the best way, because he is wise, just, and merciful. (See paragraph 16).
17. What will we see in the next article?
In the following article we will analyze all the reasons why preaching today is more important and urgent than ever.
We will see what reasons each of us has to continue announcing the good news of the Kingdom of God constantly to as many people as we can and without rest.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What don't we know about Jehovah's future judgments?
We do not know exactly how Jehovah will treat people who have not had the opportunity to hear the good news before the great tribulation, this includes specific details about his judgment and how Jehovah will handle each individual situation.
What do we know?
We know that Jehovah will resurrect the unrighteous who did not have the opportunity to learn about the good news and change their behavior, we also understand that during Armageddon people will be judged according to how they have treated Christ's brothers.
What can we be sure of
We can be sure that Jehovah is a wise, just and merciful judge, who deeply values human life and desires that all come to repentance. We trust that his judgment will be fair and equitable to each person based on perfect love and understanding of him.
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