Jehovah's Witnesses, as a group, have long believed that God's Kingdom is ruling in heaven, and will soon rule over the earth. Each individual Witness came to know this through study of the Holy Scriptures and the prophecies contained in them. Since Christians are commissioned to preach this "good news of the Kingdom," we must be able to explain this belief to others.

Tonight's assignment in the Reasoning book takes a look at a question which could arise in our ministry. What if someone says about the Kingdom: "It won't come in my lifetime!" ?

Basically, there are two points to keep in mind: 1) the Kingdom has to come in someone's lifetime, and generations of people have wondered if it would be in theirs. And 2) there is strong evidence in the Bible that how we live now can have an effect on whether we continue to live under God's rule in the future -- whether it came in our lifetime or not.

For the first point, we have Scriptural examples of others who wondered when God's Kingdom would come. The apostles of Jesus Christ wanted to know, and the answer he gave is one we know to be very important today. It is always appropriate to share these words from either Luke chapter 21 or Matthew chapter 24. Let's look at Jesus' answer in Matthew 24, verses 3- 14.

"While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying 'Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?' And in answer Jesus said to them: 'Look out that nobody misleads you; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will mislead many. You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress. Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. And 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.' "

When a person says the Kingdom won't come in his lifetime, you might think of predictions of weather. Seeing a dark cloud mass and hearing far-off thunder, a person would know a storm is approaching. But he wouldn't know, most-likely, when the rain would begin -- or even if the storm would miss his town at all. Because he doesn't know these things for sure, should he forget about taking steps to protect himself and his property -- like closing windows, grabbing an umbrella, or putting up the top to his brand new convertible sport car? Jesus gave specific signs, and it's up to us individually to pay attention to them.

This brings us to the second point: of showing that we want to be a part of God's Kingdom. Let's look at Matthew 25: 31 - 33.

" 'When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.' " The account goes on to tell us the goats will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the sheep into everlasting life.

Though Jesus is not yet separating goats from sheep, we do have the opportunity now of identifying ourselves to him as being one or the other: sheep-like or goat-like.

Again, we are commissioned to share the good news of the Kingdom with any who want to hear. Let's make good use of the Bible in convincing people that, in their very own lifetime, Jesus Christ is ruling as King, and his prophecies and signs are being fulfilled.