Publication date
10/15/50
Volume
71
Number
20
Publication page
317
The WatchTower
Clergy voice unwarranted criticism
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1950/20/1950-20-13.html
lion 
God 
decreed 
his 
destruction, 
he 
has 
been 
permitted 
to 
continue 
his 
nefarious 
activity 
up 
to 
the 
present 
time 
as 
"god 
of 
this 
world". 
(Gen. 
3:15; 
2 
Cor. 
4:4) 
The 
purpose 
of 
that 
divine 
mandate 
being 
to 
have 
children 
brought 
forth 
in 
righteous­ 
ness 
and 
unto 
life, 
it 
follows 
that 
under 
such 
unrighteous 
con 
d 
i 
t 
ion 
s 
and 
with 
Adam 
and 
Eve 
under 
the 
sentence 
of 
death 
the 
mandate 
could 
not 
be 
carried 
out 
as 
originally 
purposed 
by 
Jehovah 
God. 
Since 
God's 
purposes 
do 
not 
change, 
we 
may 
con­ 
fidently 
expect 
that 
divine 
mandate 
yet 
to 
be 
fulfilled. 
Who 
will 
fulfill 
that 
divine 
mandate? 
Not 
Christians 
who 
hope 
to 
share 
heavenly 
glory 
with 
Christ 
Jesus, 
for 
the 
divine 
mandate 
is 
to 
be 
carried 
out 
on 
earth 
by 
human 
creatures. 
(See 
John 
14:2,3; 
1 
John 
3:2; 
Rev. 
20:5,6.) 
Glorious 
spirit 
creatures 
in 
heaven 
could 
not 
carry 
out 
such 
a 
command.-1 
Cor. 
15:43,44. 
Neither 
will 
the 
resurrection 
of 
the 
dead 
be 
the 
fulfilling 
of 
that 
divine 
mandate. 
(John 
5:28,29) 
True, 
it 
will 
contribute 
to 
the 
filling 
of 
the 
earth, 
yet 
such 
would 
be 
done 
by 
the 
power 
of 
God 
and 
not 
by 
crea­ 
tures 
in 
obedience 
to 
his 
mandate. 
Nor 
will 
the 
resurrected 
multitudes 
be 
priv­ 
ileged 
to 
do 
so, 
for 
Jesus 
plainly 
stated 
that 
such 
will 
not 
marry 
nor 
be 
given 
in 
marriage.-Matt. 
22:30. 
Who 
then 
will 
fulfill 
that 
divine 
man­ 
date? 
The 
facts 
show 
that 
today 
God 
has 
bestowed 
his 
spirit 
·upon 
many 
without 
~O 
THE 
first 
human 
pair, 
Adam 
and 
"L 
Eve, 
God 
stated, 
"Be 
fruitful, 
multi­ 
ply, 
fill 
the 
earth, 
and 
subdue 
it; 
have 
do­ 
minion 
over 
the 
fish 
of 
the 
sea, 
the 
birds 
of 
the 
air, 
the 
domestic 
animals, 
and 
all 
the 
living 
things 
that 
crawl 
on 
the 
earth!" 
(Gen. 
1:28, 
AT) 
That 
this 
is 
God's 
pur­ 
pose 
regarding 
the 
earth 
is 
also 
made 
clear 
at 
Isaiah 
45: 
18, 
where 
we 
are 
told 
that 
God 
formed 
the 
earth 
to 
be 
inhabited. 
Since 
that 
is 
God's 
purpose 
regarding 
the 
earth, 
it 
will 
be 
accomplished, 
for 
he 
further 
states: 
"I 
have 
spoken 
it, 
I 
will 
also 
bring 
it 
to 
pass 
; 
I 
have 
purposed 
it, 
I 
will 
also 
do 
it."-Isa. 
46:11. 
The 
command, 
"be 
fruitful, 
multiply, 
fill 
the 
earth," 
coming 
from 
Jehovah 
God 
him­ 
self, 
would 
therefore 
be 
an 
authoritative 
command, 
or 
a 
mandate; 
and 
he 
being 
the 
Divine 
One, 
it 
would 
be 
a 
divine 
mandate. 
When 
this 
divine 
mandate 
was 
given 
to 
our 
first 
parents 
they 
were 
perfect 
and 
righteous, 
for 
all 
God's 
work 
is 
perfect. 
(Deut. 
32:4) 
To 
assist 
them 
to 
continue 
in 
the 
way 
of 
righteousness 
and 
obedience 
and 
to 
protect 
them 
from 
evil, 
God 
' 
provided 
them 
with 
a 
guardian 
angel. 
(Ezek. 
28:13, 
14) 
However, 
this 
guardian 
angel 
became 
filled 
with 
pride 
and 
selfishly 
ambitious. 
To 
further 
his 
ambitious 
scheme 
he 
lured 
our 
first 
parents 
into 
a 
course 
of 
disobe­ 
dience 
resulting 
in 
their 
death. 
That 
cherub 
has 
since 
been 
known 
by 
the 
names 
Dragon, 
Serpent, 
Devil 
and 
Satan. 
(Rev. 
20:2) 
Although 
at 
the 
time 
of 
his 
rebel- 
::sal 
3 td > Y & Y {4 4 S es ACL} SS S&S ti KW oN O THE first human pair, Adam and Eve, God stated, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the domestic animals, and all the living things that crawl on the earth!” (Gen. 1:28, AT) That this is God’s purpose regarding the earth is also made clear at Isaiah 45:18, where we are told that God formed the earth to be inhabited. Since that is God’s purpose regarding the earth, it will be accomplished, for he further states: “I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”—Isa. 46:11. The command, “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth,” coming from Jehovah God himself, would therefore be an authoritative command, or a mandate; and he being the Divine One, it would be a divine mandate. When this divine mandate was given to our first parents they were perfect and righteous, for all God’s work is perfect. (Deut. 32:4) To assist them to continue in the way of righteousness and obedience and to protect them from evil, God’ provided them with a guardian angel. (Ezek. 28:13, 14) However, this guardian angel became filled with pride and selfishly ambitious. To further his ambitious scheme he lured our first parents into a course of disobedience resulting in their death. That cherub has since been known by the names Dragon, Serpent, Devil and Satan. (Rev. 20:2) Although at the time of his rebel 381 lion God decreed his destruction, he has been permitted to continue his nefarious activity up to the present time as “god of this world”. (Gen. 3:15; 2 Cor. 4:4) The purpose of that divine mandate being to have children brought forth in righteousness and unto life, it follows that under such unrighteous conditions and with Adam and Eve under the sentence of death the mandate could not be carried out as originally purposed by Jehovah God. Since God’s purposes do not change, we may confidently expect that divine mandate yet to be fulfilled. Who will fulfill that divine mandate? Not Christians who hope to share heavenly glory with Christ Jesus, for the divine mandate is to be carried out on earth by human creatures. (See John 14:2, 3; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 20:5, 6.) Glorious spirit creatures in heaven could not carry out such a command.—1 Cor. 15:43, 44. Neither will the resurrection of the dead be the fulfilling of that divine mandate. (John 5:28, 29) True, it will contribute to the filling of the earth, yet such would be done by the power of God and not by creatures in obedience to his mandate. Nor will the resurrected multitudes be privileged to do so, for Jesus plainly stated that such will not marry nor be given in marriage.—Matt. 22:30. Who then will fulfill that divine mandate? The facts show that today God has bestowed his spirit upon many without

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