“I have a message from God for you.”

(Judges 3:20)

As Christians we are confident “that the wicked will soon be no more.” (Awake!, February 22, 1994, page 19) How will this promise come true? God gave a prophetic picture through Judge Ehud. The account shows how “the wicked” – that is, all people who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses – will come to their end. Ehud visited Eglon “in his cool roof chamber. Then Ehud said: ‘I have a message from God for you.’ … Then Ehud drew the sword from his right thigh with his left hand and plunged it into his belly … Ehud went out … closing the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locking them.” – Judges 3:20-24.

Eglon believed that Ehud would have “a message from God” for him – exactly like the people in our witnessing territory think that we would have “a message from God” for them. (Keep on the Watch!, page 7) But now “the slaughter work [must] go on,” thus we need to draw our sword and tell the homeowner: “That sword is the teaching of God!” (Judges 6:17, ERV; The Watchtower, January 15, 1972, page 52) This way we will “destroy all goatlike ones” in our witnessing territory. (What Does God Require of Us?, page 13) Afterwards we should leave the house and lock the door, according to Ehud’s example.

“Let the one who has no sword sell his outer garment and buy one [now],” according to Jesus’ unequivocal command in Luke 22:36. “We should not think that Jehovah is going too far … nor should we feel sorry for those executed by God’s [servants].” (The Watchtower, January 15, 1972, page 52). “The destruction … [must be] thorough.” – Insight on the Scriptures, volume II, page 799.