COVER SUBJECT | GOD’S KINGDOM—WHAT CAN IT MEAN FOR YOU?
Why Be Interested in God’s Kingdom?
Millions of people around the world rest their hope on God’s Kingdom. They follow the pattern set by Jesus, who taught his followers to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.”—Matthew 6:10, King James Version.
Ironically, while many people are keenly interested in God’s Kingdom, most religions seem to give little attention to it. In this regard, historian H. G. Wells noted how remarkable it is that Jesus gave “enormous prominence . . . to the teaching of what he called the Kingdom of Heaven” and yet, said Wells, this teaching has “comparative insignificance in the . . . teaching of most of the Christian churches.”
Unlike those churches, Jehovah’s Witnesses put great emphasis on God’s Kingdom. Consider: Our main journal, which you are now reading, is published in 220 languages. Nearly 46 million copies of each issue are printed, making it the most widely distributed magazine in the world. And what is this journal’s principal message? Notice its full title: The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. *
Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses go to such great lengths to announce, or advertise, God’s Kingdom? For one thing, we believe that God’s Kingdom is the central message of the most important book in the world—the Bible. Moreover, we are convinced that God’s Kingdom is the only real solution to the problems facing humans today.
In directing attention to God’s Kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses are endeavoring to follow the example of Jesus. While on earth, he made God’s Kingdom the focal point of his life and ministry. (Luke 4:43) Why did the Kingdom mean so much to Jesus? And what can it mean for you? We invite you to consider the Bible’s answers, as discussed in the following articles.
^ par. 5 Jehovah is the name of God as revealed in the Bible.