And from the other side of the WTS mouth:
*** w08 9/15 p. 9 Jehovah Is “the Provider of Escape” for Us ***
What About Physical Protection?
8 As individuals, we know that our immediate physical protection is not guaranteed. We take the position expressed by the three faithful Hebrews who refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold. Those God-fearing young men did not presume that Jehovah would miraculously protect them from physical harm. (Read Daniel 3:17, 18.) As matters turned out, Jehovah did deliver them from the flames of the fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:21-27) Even in Bible times, however, miraculous deliverance was the exception rather than the rule. Many faithful servants of Jehovah died at the hands of opposers.—Heb. 11:35-37.
9 What about today? As “the Provider of escape,” Jehovah certainly can deliver individuals from perilous situations. Can we definitively say whether Jehovah did or did not intervene in specific cases? No. Still, an individual who has escaped a dangerous situation may feel that Jehovah intervened. It would be presumptuous for others to take issue with his feeling. At the same time, we must realistically acknowledge that many faithful Christians have died as a result of persecution, as was the case during the Nazi era. Others have died under tragic circumstances. (Eccl. 9:11) We might ask, ‘Did Jehovah fail to be “the Provider of escape” for faithful ones whose lives were cut short?’ That could hardly be the case.
*** w10 1/15 p. 9 par. 10 Belonging to Jehovah—An Undeserved Kindness ***
That psalm begins: “Anyone dwelling in the secret place of the Most High will procure himself lodging under the very shadow of the Almighty One. I will say to Jehovah: ‘You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God, in whom I will trust.’ For he himself will deliver you from the trap of the birdcatcher.” (Ps. 91:1-3) Notice that God promises to protect those who love him and trust in him. (Read Psalm 91:9, 14.) What sort of protection did he mean? Well, Jehovah protected some of his ancient servants physically—in some cases to preserve the genealogical line leading to the promised Messiah. However, many other faithful men were imprisoned, tortured, and killed in devilish attempts to turn them away from faithfulness to God. (Heb. 11:34-39) They found the needed courage to endure because Jehovah protected them spiritually from the danger of breaking their integrity. Therefore, the 91st Psalm can be understood as a promise of spiritual protection.
*** w04 12/15 p. 13 par. 7 Jehovah Is Our Helper ***
Indeed, the writer of Psalm 121 was confident that the almighty Creator watches over his servants with the gentleness of a caring shepherd and the vigilance of an alert guard. We have every reason to share the psalmist’s confidence, for Jehovah does not change. (Malachi 3:6) Does this mean that we will always receive physical protection? No, but as long as we look to him as our Helper, he will safeguard us against all things that could bring us spiritual harm.
*** w02 12/15 p. 15 par. 10 “He Will Draw Close to You” ***
How, though, does Jehovah guard his people? His promise of protection does not guarantee us a problem-free life in this system; nor does it mean that he is obligated to work miracles in our behalf. Nevertheless, Jehovah does provide physical protection for his peopleas a group. After all, he would never allow the Devil to efface true worshipers from the earth! (2 Peter 2:9) Above all, Jehovah protects us spiritually.
*** w94 11/1 p. 22 Courageous Faith of Our Rwandan Brothers ***
The plight of our Rwandan brothers reminds us that in these “last days,” men will be “fierce” and “violent.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Today’s English Version) And while Jehovah does not promise his people miraculous protection from physical dangers, he does promise to safeguard their spirituality and relationship with him and, during Christ’s Millennial rule, to resurrect those who now perish. (Psalm 91:1-10)
*** w85 9/1 pp. 5-6 You Can Walk With God ***
Another benefit was pointed out by a discerning woman named Abigail. She told King David: “When man rises up to pursue you and look for your soul, the soul of my lord will certainly prove to be wrapped up in the bag of life with Jehovah your God.” Imagine that! When threatened by his enemies, David’s life would be under Jehovah’s protective custody as if it were a precious object carefully wrapped up for safekeeping. Although this does not necessarily imply that physical protection will always be given God’s servants, He is sure to protect the eternal interests of those who walk with him today!—1 Samuel 25:29; compare Psalm 116:15.
*** w78 1/15 p. 23 pars. 44-45 How God’s Kingdom Can Benefit You ***
In time of crisis or persecution, such togetherness brings special benefits. Here is an example: During the civil war in Lebanon, Jehovah’s Witnesses in that land kept together, and they had remarkable experiences. During a district assembly, 117 of the Witnesses assembled in a private home. Just after the last sister had entered, a rocket exploded right outside the door. But everyone within was safe. Throughout the meeting, rockets and mortar fire fell around them like rain, shaving off lampposts and peppering the surrounding buildings with shrapnel, but not a single thing hit the apartment where they were gathered. On another occasion, the homes of two families of Jehovah’s Witnesses were in an area that was undergoing shelling. They debated whether they should risk going out to the meeting, but decided not to ‘forsake the assembling of themselves together.’ (Heb. 10:25) When they returned home it was to find that one house had been completely destroyed by a bomb, and the other house had been so sprayed with shrapnel that no one could have survived in it. They had lost all their material possessions, but—most important—they themselves were still alive!
45 Does this mean that Jehovah’s Witnesses will always have physical protection, under all circumstances? Not necessarily so. At least two of Jehovah’s Witnesses were killed by sniper fire in Lebanon, and there have been times, too, when they have died in disasters such as earthquakes.
And in 1975 this interesting statement:
*** w75 6/15 pp. 377-378 pars. 10-13 Looking to the Future with Confidence ***
Should we expect, moreover, that because Jehovah is on our side he will miraculously intervene to protect each one of us personally from death or injury during the “great tribulation”? Both Psalm 91:7-12 and Proverbs 3:25, 26 have been mistakenly cited by some as supporting this view. The psalm says: “A thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand; to you it will not come near.” Lest we read into this text more than it states, we must ask ourselves if Moses is here talking about the coming “great tribulation” and is declaring a blanket protection for individual servants of God then. This would hardly be so when we remember that centuries later Paul showed that up to his time the devoted followers of Jehovah had undergone mockings, scourgings, prisons, tribulations and many other persecutions, even violent death. However, we can be assured that, as a group, Jehovah will protect them from being exterminated by their enemies during the “great tribulation,” and He, himself, will not touch them during his executing of adverse judgments.—Heb. 11:36-38.
11 Does Solomon, the writer of the aforementioned proverb, give us reason to expect divine protection from all physical harm? He said: “You will not need to be afraid of any sudden dreadful thing, nor of the storm upon the wicked ones, because it is coming. For Jehovah himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence, and he will certainly keep your foot against capture.” Does that not seem to be evidence that Jehovah God will not permit his loyal followers to be kidnapped or arrested during the “great tribulation”? We must not forget that Solomon wrote what he did, not with us of today in mind, but more pertinently for the benefit of those living under his kingdom. (Prov. 1:1-4; 3:25, 26) Viewing his words in that way, we appreciate that he was giving the Israelites advice that would help them to live upright lives and benefit them in daily living. In this way they would be kept from “capture.” What kind of capture? Well, for instance, from the enticements of a prostitute who walks the streets in search of a victim. (Prov. 5:3-14) We can see that his words are excellent counsel for us too. But they are not an assurance that we will not be arrested, anymore than faithful Jeremiah was immune from arrest in Jerusalem’s “time of the end.” (Jer. 37:15, 21) Nor can we expect that during the “great tribulation” some may not have to lose their lives for loyally upholding their Christian integrity, even as the apostle James lost his life. (Acts 12:1, 2) Nevertheless, we do have divine protection. How?
12 We have evidence that God is protecting us now as a class. For instance, if such were not the case, we would have been wiped from the face of the earth long ago by Satan. Still, individually, some may die of old age and sickness during the “great tribulation” or, like our brothers in Malawi, from persecutions. Can we, in the face of such possibilities, still look to the future with confidence? Most assuredly! Jesus declared that the dead will hear his voice and will come forth in a resurrection. (John 5:25-29) This, then, nullifies, cancels, the effects of death. No, the Bible does not promise that Satan will let up on his testing of each one of us during the coming “tribulation,” but are we not comforted to know that Jehovah God will not forget us if we fall into death because of our faithful service to him then?
13 The protection of us, as a group, will continue right on through the destruction of Babylon the Great and the war at Har–Magedon into the New Order.
