Endnotes
1. How We Can Know Babylon the Great?
How we manage to know that “Babylon the Great” stand for all false religion? (Revelation 17:5) Here some of the thing them that help us to know:
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She controlling people all over the world. The Bible say that Babylon the Great sitting on “crowds and nations.” She get “kingdom over the kings of the earth.”—Revelation 17:15, 18.
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She can’t be politician or big business person. “The kings of the earth” and “the merchants” will survive when Jehovah destroy her.—Revelation 18:9, 15.
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She spoiling God name. The Bible call her prostitute because she can put her hand in politics to get money and other good-good things from the governments. (Revelation 17:1, 2) She can fool people from all over the world. And she na make plenty people to die.—Revelation 18:23, 24.
2. What Time the Messiah Was Suppose to Come?
The Bible say that 69 weeks was coming to pass before the Messiah come.—Read Daniel 9:25.
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What time the 69 weeks started? It started in 455 B.C.E. That the same time Governor Nehemiah went to Jerusalem “to restore and to rebuild” the city.—Daniel 9:25; Nehemiah 2:1, 5-8.
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The 69 weeks that was how long? In some Bible prophecy them, one day stand for one year. (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6) That mean, one week stand for seven years. So in this prophecy, 69 weeks equal to 483 years (69 weeks x 7 days).
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What time the 69 weeks finish? When you count from 483 years to 455 B.C.E., you will come to the year 29 C.E. a That the exact year Jesus was baptize and Jehovah choose him to be the Messiah!—Luke 3:1, 2, 21, 22.
3. Treatments That Call for Blood
They get some treatments that they can use the person own blood. Some of this treatment them not correct for Christians. For examples, some people can give their blood to other people, or they can keep their own blood somewhere for doctor to use it on them later. Christians not suppose to do that.—Deuteronomy 15:23.
But they still get other ways that the doctor them can use blood, and each person can decide to accept it or not. For example, they get blood tests, hemodialysis, hemodilution, cell-salvage or heart-lung bypass machine. b Each Christian must decide how their blood will be use when they taking operation, doing medical test or the time they taking treatment. That not all the doctors can do this thing them the same way. So before agreeing to do any operation, medical test, or a particular treatment, each Christian need to find out exactly how the doctor will use their blood. Think about this question them:
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Suppose some of my blood will pass through machine outside my body, and maybe the blood will even stop flowing for some time? My conscience will allow me to feel that the blood still part of my body? Or it not part of my body again so they must waste it “on the ground”?—Deuteronomy 12:23, 24.
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Suppose I coming do certain treatment, it will be alright to take out some of my blood, change part of it, and put it back in my body? Base on what I na learn from the Bible, my conscience will allow me to do it?
4. When Marry People decide to Separate
The Bible tell husband and wife not to separate. It make it clear that separation not give any of them the right to marry different person. (1 Corinthians 7:10, 11) But, in certain situations, some Christians can decide to separate.
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When the man refuse to support his family: The husband refuse to provide for the family to the point that the family not get what they need to live.—1 Timothy 5:8.
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Serious physical abuse: Bad treatment or physical abuse can reach to the point that somebody health or life can be in danger.—Galatians 5:19-21.
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When one person relationship with Jehovah in danger: When somebody stopping their mate from serving Jehovah.—Acts 5:29.
5. Holidays and Celebrations
Christians can’t take part in holidays that will not make Jehovah happy. But each Christian must decide how to handle certain situations when it come to holidays base on what they learn from the Bible. Think about this example them.
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When someone wish you happy holiday. Maybe you can just say, “Thank you.” If the person want learn more, you can explain why you can’t celebrate the holiday.
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When the person you marry to not Jehovah Witness, tell you to join their relatives for program during a holiday. If your conscience allow you to go, before you go, explain to your partner that you will not take part in any pagan custom.
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Your boss man add your money up during the holiday season. You think you must refuse the money he add there? It depend on the situation. First, think about whether your boss man giving you the money because it part of the holiday celebration or he just want tell you thank you for your hard work.
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Someone give you gift during the holiday season. Maybe the person say: “I know that you can’t celebrate this holiday, but I want give you this gift.” Maybe the person just want do good for you. But you must also think whether the person trying to test your faith or really want make you celebrate the holiday with them. After you really understand it, then you can decide whether to accept the gift or not. In all our decisions, we want have good conscience and be faithful to Jehovah.—Acts 23:1.
6. Sickness That can Spread
Because we love people, we very careful so that we can’t spread bad sickness to others. So when we know that we get bad sickness that can spread or we think that maybe we get it, we must be careful. We do this because the Bible say: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”—Romans 13:8-10.
How somebody who get sickness that can spread can show love to other people? They must not try to show love to people by doing things like hugging or kissing. They must not get vex or feel bad if some people decide not to invite them to their homes because they want protect their family. And before getting baptize, the person must inform the coordinator of the body of elders about his sickness so that they can make arrangements that will protect the other people that also getting baptize. When somebody who get sickness that can spread thinking about getting marry, they must be willing to do blood test. When you do this, you will show that you care about other people. The Bible say: “look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.”—Philippians 2:4.
7. Business and Legal Matters
We can avoid plenty problems by putting all contracts and business matters in writing, even if the agreement between us and our Christian brother and sister them. (Jeremiah 32:9-12) But still sometime, Christians can be having some small-small problems with each other about money business or other thing them. they must settle the problem quick and in a peaceful way. They must settle the problem among theirself.
But how we must settle serious problem them like cheating and saying bad things about somebody to spoil their name? (Read Matthew 18:15-17.) Jesus gave us three steps to follow:
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Try to settle the problem among yourselves. —See verse 15.
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If it not work, ask one or two mature persons in the congregation to go with you to settle it.—See verse 16.
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If it not still work, that the only time you must let the elder them to know about it.—See verse 17.
We must try our best not to carry our brother them to court, because it can make people to think bad about Jehovah and the congregation. (1 Corinthians 6:1-8) But, they get some problem them that only court can settle. For example, to get divorce, get legal right to take care of a child, get support after divorce or separation (alimony), insurance claims, to prove that you not get enough money to pay your debt (bankruptcy), or probating wills.
Any Christian who go to court to settle this kind na problem them in a peaceful way not going against any Bible counsel. If that serious crime like rape, child abuse, violence, major stealing, or killing business, then Christian can report it to the government and he will not be going against Bible counsel.
a From 455 B.C.E. to 1 B.C.E. that 454 years. From 1 B.C.E. to 1 C.E. that one year (they were not having zero year). So, from 1 C.E. to 29 C.E. that 28 years. All in all we get 483 years.
b To understand this treatment them better, see “Questions From Readers” in the October 15, 2000, issue of The Watchtower.
