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man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of 
Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah 
and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 
Thus saith the Lorp, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against 
your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to 
his house; for this thing is from me”’.—1 Ki. 12: 21-24. 
This divine intervention did not come because of any 
godliness on the part of the ten-tribe kingdom, but was to 
preserve the fulfillment of a prophecy that had foretold 
just such a national schism as due to follow in the wake 
of Solomon’s fall into demon-worship. (1 Ki. 11: 29-86) 
Actually, the northern kingdom of Israel quickly out- 
distanced in wickedness and demonism the two-tribe king- 
dom to the south. Religious idolatry so honeyeombed Israel 
that it was not long before the priests and Levites located 
there abandoned their cities and suburbs and went up to 
Judah and Jerusalem to abide. In their wake came “out 
of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek 
the Lorp God”. This influx of righteously disposed Israel- 
ites from the ten tribes in rebellion greatly strengthened 
the kingdom of Rehoboam, and for three years the southern 
kingdom held true to Jehovah God and prospered. 
(2 Chron. 11:13-17) It was during this early part of his 
reign that Rehoboam himself also acted to strengthen the 
Judean kingdom. He built numerous fortified cities, and 
manned and adequately provisioned fortresses throughout 
the land. —2 Chron. 11: 5-12. 
With the increase of strength and security came sclf- 
reliance and worldliness, and not long thereafter, trouble. 
Rehoboam and his people forsook Jehovah God and pro- 
voked him with their religious sins. They turned to doing 
all the abominations of the heathen nations round about, 
building high places and setting up images, and lustfully 
indulging in lewd religious rites in groves established for 
that purpose. (2 Chron. 12:1; 1 Ki. 14: 22-24) The pro- 
tecting hand of the Almighty Jehovah was withdrawn, and 
over the land like a flood rolled the armies of Egypt. Twelve 
hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen and foot soldiers 
without number invaded the land under the leadership of 
Shishak king of Egypt. Before the hordes of the “king of 
the south” fell the fenced or walled cities of Judah, and 
it was not long until Shishak’s armies wheeled into battle 
array before the gates of Jerusalem itself—2 Chron. 12: 2-4. 
But before the military disaster overwhelmed the Judean 
stronghold Jehovah God determined that its backsliding 
inhabitants and king should know the reason why. Into the 
grave council session of Rehoboam and the princes of Judah 
(Continued from page 354) 
date message, showing how peace is certain to come, and the 
human makeshift for world-wide peace and security will fail, so 
that people now need to be warned and to be given straight 
Scriptural instruction. Reading the booklet and its several features 
will make you want to pass it out to others. Out of regard for 
the importance of this information at this most unusual, destiny- 
shaping time, the WaTcHToWER Society would like to aid you in 
seeing that “The Prince of Peace” gets the wide circulation that 
will most benefit the people. Therefore we make a special offer 
of 30 copies of this beautiful booklet to all our Watchtower 
readers on a contribution of just $1.00, all mailed to the one ad- 
dress postpaid. Thereafter you can join the scores of thousands 
who will begin cireulating “The Prince of Peace” during December, 
She WATCHTOWER. 
Brooxxyy, N. Y. 
walked Shemaiah the prophet, and in one sentence he 
pinned onto religion the responsibility for the crisis: “Thus 
saith the Lorp, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I 
also left you in the hand of Shishak.” The false gods of 
heathen religion to which Judah had turned in forgetful- 
ness of Jehovah the true God were powerless to deliver 
their worshipers from Shishak’s hosts; they had only 
effected a breach between God and the typical Theocracy. 
Rehoboam and the princes quickly sought to close the 
breach by humbling themselves and admitting Jehovah’s 
righteousness. Thereby complete destruction of the city 
was averted and a partial deliverance effected: Shishak 
took the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the house 
of the king, and also carried off the shields of gold belong- 
ing to the king’s guard stationed at the palace entrance. 
—2 Chron. 12: 5-12. 
Rehoboam launched his career as king in harshness, and 
at its close seventeen years later the divine verdict was, 
“He did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek 
the Lorp.” After his early choice to be an oppressor it is 
true that he heeded God’s command not to set in motion 
military action against the rebelling ten tribes; but the 
record shows that Jater he warred continually with Israel 
under Jeroboam. Moreover, after three years he wearied 
of well-doing and plunged into demon-worship; and when 
he repented to stave off disaster and further reverses at the 
hands of Egypt he apparently was not truly repentant 
deep within his heart, for he thereafter did evil in God’s 
sight and merited divine disapproval. (2 Chron. 12:14, 
15) His death and burial were at Jerusalem.—2 Chron. 
12: 16. 
The policy of harshness does not pay off favorably for 
rulers. Rehoboam found that it precipitated a rebellion. An 
Egyptian Pharaoh before him had stubbornly followed a 
hard-hearted course right into the Red sea and his death. 
Many of this world’s rulers that have come after him have 
learned too late that the oppressor’s days of success are 
numbered. Modern dictators lived long enough to see their 
dream eastles of world domination tumble. Present world- 
builders who seek to whip all nations into line under a 
United Nations arrangement for domination will fare no 
better in the end, when Armageddon breaks. The resulting 
erash will eliminate not only harsh visible rulers and world 
organizations, but also the invisible demons and their head 
Satan. Then no more policies of harshness, but kindness 
and blessings without rebellions for an eternity of Jehovah’s 
kingdom rule. 
giving it to whomsoever you will either gratis or on the regular 
contribution announced on page 354, just as you choose. 
1947 CALENDAR 
The yeartext for 1947 is “Oh praise Jehovah, all ye nations”. 
(Ps. 117:1, 4m. Stan. Ver.) The Society’s new calendar fea- 
tures this over a composite three-color picture that differentiates 
it from any previous calendar and shows the tangible agencies 
that will be used for time to come in extending the call of the 
yeartext to earth’s many nations. The calendar date-pad beneath 
is a real service reminder, designating the six testimony periods 
and the special objectives of the alternate months. The contribu- 
tion is 25c a calendar, mailed postpaid, or $1.00 for five copies 
to one address, 
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