• Can it be stated flatly that only baptized witnesses of Jehovah will survive Armageddon?—A. S., U.S.A.
It would be misleading to answer this question with either a simple “Yes” or a “No.” The Scriptural answer of necessity must be a “qualified” one, and it is easy to see why.
At 1 Corinthians 7:14 the Bible shows that God can consider as “holy” the minor children of a Christian parent. Though they are young and not yet to the point of being personally responsible to Jehovah, their parent is trying to develop in them a love of God and of the way of righteousness. It seems clear that at the time of the destructive war of Armageddon God will preserve them on the basis of the family merit of the Christian parent, even though the children are not yet dedicated and baptized.
The reply must also be “qualified” because the Bible does not pointedly say how God is going to handle certain unusual cases, such as those involving mentally retarded persons who never had the capacity to learn about Jehovah and his purposes. Regarding these unbaptized persons, it is possible that family merit may apply as in the case of minor, irresponsible children who have a faithful believing parent or guardian.
Nonetheless, these special instances do not diminish in any way the importance of dedication and baptism for those desiring God’s favor and protection through the destructive climax of this wicked system of things. God urges those truly interested in survival to seek righteousness and to call on him in faith. (Zeph. 2:2, 3; Joel 2:32) That obviously means that a person must do all in his power to do God’s will. And what is that will as regards baptism?
Jesus was baptized in water, setting an example for Christians. (Matt. 3:13-17; 1 Pet. 2:21) Among his final instructions to his disciples is the command to “make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) And one has but to read the book of Acts to see that early Christians recognized that baptism was a necessary step of obedience for all desiring God’s favor.—Acts 2:37-41; 16:30-33.
Neither the Watch Tower Society nor any human today can lessen the force of that indication of God’s will. There appears to be no Biblical reason for thinking that a person who had a reasonable knowledge of Bible truth and knew the importance of dedicating his life to God and being baptized, but who held back from doing so, would be preserved by God through the coming destruction.
We are aware that many hypothetical or “What if . . . ” cases can be raised, cases that seem to involve extenuating circumstances. What point, though, is there in speculating on these? Jesus’ illustration of the “sheep” and “goats” makes it plain that a time will come when the division between the “sheep” and the “goats” will be clear and final. (Matt. 25:31-46) Instead of looking for “loopholes” in God’s arrangement for salvation, what all humans who desire preservation need to do is take full advantage of God’s merciful opportunity to serve him. And they need to do so now, before it becomes too late to begin thinking about becoming a servant of Jehovah. The “sheep” who are preserved into “everlasting life” will be responsible persons who do God’s will as completely as possible. (1 John 2:17) The Bible shows without doubt that Jehovah’s will for humans today includes being baptized and being public witnesses of him.—Rom. 10:10.
Jesus compared our time, faced as it is with the end of this wicked system of things, to the days of Noah. (Matt. 24:36-39) And drawing on Noah’s experience, the apostle Peter added: “That which corresponds to this is also now saving you, namely, baptism, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the request made to God for a good conscience).” (1 Pet. 3:20, 21) So all who desire salvation ought to recognize how vital the step of baptism is.
w71 1/15, pages 63-64
It is important to understand what the Bible says about the destruction to come at the end of this system of things. In his illustration of the sheep and the goats Jesus indicated that a separating work would be done “when the Son of man arrives in his glory,” and that persons would be classed as either “sheep” or “goats.” (Matt. 25:31-46) In part, the basis for the separation would be the reaction of people to the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom. That preaching work is now being done by Jehovah’s witnesses. Jesus explained that those on earth who favorably responded to that message and treated kindly its bearers would be classed as “sheep” and would enter into “everlasting life.” The rest of mankind who did not respond favorably to the preaching work and offered no aid to those who carried the Kingdom message would be classed as “goats” and would go, not into a temporary death, but into “everlasting cutting-off” at the time when judgment is executed.
But some persons, appreciating that millions of people are to be resurrected and given an opportunity to serve God, wonder if the millions of individuals living today who apparently have never heard the Kingdom message preached will be everlastingly destroyed without ever having had a witness about God’s purposes. It is true that at present it appears that there are vast numbers of mankind who have not heard the Kingdom preaching. Also, from what the Bible says and from conditions in the world, we know that we are in the “last days.” But we do not know just how much more will be accomplished in preaching the Kingdom message before the end comes. (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Matt. 24:3-13) If at the end of the second world war someone had said that the Kingdom preaching would be carried out, by more than a million publishers, in over 190 lands, including communistic countries, many might have found that hard to believe. Yet, Jehovah has blessed his people, and that is exactly what is being accomplished. So, if it is Jehovah’s will to have this message personally carried to the millions on earth who seemingly have not yet heard it, that will be accomplished. If he chooses, he could see to it that this message is spread in ways that we cannot yet imagine. Jesus did foretell that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14) We can rest assured that God will see that the preaching work is done to his satisfaction. After that “the end” comes.
Then those who correspond with “goats,” whether in China or elsewhere, will be pronounced “cursed” and will not be permitted to survive that “end” into God’s new order of things. Since these go into symbolic “fire” (like the Devil and his angels), their punishment will be everlasting. They will never be resurrected.—Matt. 25:41-46.
“Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—Ps. 37:10, 11.
w65 9/15, pages 575-576
We cannot be dogmatic about this matter, as God is the judge. However, if Jehovah God expresses an adverse judgment against certain individuals, and does this through his King Christ Jesus at Armageddon, there must be some sort of finality to God’s decision. If so, those destroyed by the judgment of God in the battle of Armageddon are really destroyed. Ezekiel chapter 9 appears to refer to Armageddon, and verse 6 states, “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark.” Those unmarked by a favorable reception of God’s warning receive no mercy from him. This is no injustice on God’s part. If it were a case of absolute justice he would spare no one, as everyone, young or old, is an imperfect sinner. It is only through the exercise of his love and mercy that anyone is preserved through Armageddon or is resurrected.
Children are affected by the course of their parents, and parents are warned that their iniquity is visited on their offspring unto the third and fourth generation. (Ex. 20:5, 6) Parents are commanded to instruct their children in God’s way, and if in these last days parents refuse to heed the divine instruction and warning they bring destruction upon themselves and their small children at Armageddon. (Deut. 6:6, 7; Eph. 6:4) According to justice God can leave such children dead, for, as Ezekiel showed, all die in their iniquity. (Ezek. 3:17-19; 33:1-6) Parents should remember that their wrong course unfavorably affects their children and may bring their offspring to destruction at Armageddon, just as a right course on the part of parents may put their small children in the way of preservation during Armageddon and opportunity for eternal life in the new world to follow.
w50 11/15, page 463
