YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH Isa.

43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new w orld.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er* stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

*8?
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue:

CONTENTS

Abbreviations ased

in

4
8
14
15
21
28
29
31

The Watchtower for the following Bible versions

AS AT Da -

American Standard Version

An American Traaslation
J. N. Darbys version
D p - Catholic Douay version
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott
Le - Isaac Leesers version

Unless otherwise indicated,

the

LXX
Mo
NW
Ro
RS
Yff

- The Septuagint Version

- James Moffatts version

- New World Translation

- J. B. Rotherhams version
- Revised Standard Version
- Robert Youngs version

Bible used Is the

2,300,000

Five cents a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

W h y Bother About Religion?

Modern History of Jehovahs Witnesses
Part 25: Expansion in Europe
and Africa (1945-1955)
Exclusive Devotion
Heaven Can W a it
Choose W hom You W ill Serve
My Load Is Light
Serving with Jehovahs Channel
of Communication
The Triumphant Kingdom Assemblies
of 1955, Part 3
Questions from Readers

King James Version

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Hollamlisb
Uocano

Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi
Zulu

Monthly
Arabic
Chinese
Cibemba
Cisbona
Greek
HiligaynonVisayan
I bo
Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan

Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese
Silozi
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St.. Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W?. 2
7 /Jamalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 30, Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad. 21 Taylof St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$1.7 2
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y .,
Act of March 3, 1 879. Printed in U.S.A.

'T ^ rtnozcriciricy
JEH O VAH S
KINGDOM

Why Bother About Religion?

Many people today are apathetic toward religion. A part of this is religions
fault. What does the true religion really offer, and what should it mean to you?

ANY people question the value of

religion today. Its values, they
think, are mainly social, psychological,
psychiatric or perhaps moral. Thus if they
are mentally well adjusted and consider
their morals satisfactory, many of them
see little reason for doing much about re
ligion. Even when the churches try to offer
methods of preserving the economic sys
tem, of challenging communism or of stav
ing off another war, their proposals do not
meet the response they would like, for
many people think that those things could
be handled better by experts in the par
ticular fields that are involved.
But true religion has a far more impor
tant mission. It does not try to get God to
serve us, but shows how we should serve
him. It is not just a means to an end, a de
vice through which one can get God on
ones side in business, social, political or
other activities. Rather, it includes a sub
missive obedience to the universes Su
preme Sovereign.
It is only through having a knowledge
of the instructions the Bible contains that
we can know what Gods commands are
and how to serve him. For this reason
true religion must involve Bible educa
tion. It must provide the Biblical knowl
edge that is missing from so many lives
today. What further information will the

Bible provide? It shows the reason for

earths present difficulties, that ours are
the last days of Satans wicked rule, and
that the present critical times spring
from Satans anger at knowing his destruc
tion is near. This information marks ours
as an important time, and stirs its hearers
into obedience to the Scriptural command
to preach this good news earth-wide.
2 Tim. 3:1; Rev. 12:12; Matt. 24:14,
Those who understand Gods Word will
be stirred, just as first-century Christians
were, into active participation in the work
of voluntarily teaching others about this
good news, really obeying the command to
be always ready to make a defense before
everyone that demands of you a reason for
the hope in you. 1 Pet. 3:15,
This right knowledge about Gods Word
offers a great deal: the explanation of
earths present difficulties, a firm under
standing of their outcome, and an under
standing of the facts that Jesus said really
do lead to everlasting life. (John 17:3)
Vast multitudes of people have recognized
that this information is vital, preaching it
to the amazing extent that other material
in this special issue of The Watchtower
relates. Will you follow their good example,
studying Gods Word, learning his pur
poses, and teaching these to others?
3

MODERN HISTORY of

trenched, formidable positions of the Eu

ropean mind?
Since 1880 the Watch Tower Societys
literature has been circulating in Europe.
In time the three centers, Britain, Central
Europe (headed by Switzerland) and
Northern Europe (headed by Denmark
and Sweden), became the strongholds of
Jehovahs witnesses. From these points the
entire continent was served, with Germany
eventually becoming a most fruitful field
of expansion. During both World War I
and World War II these three centers sur
vived intact and became generating points
for quick revivals for all other parts of Eu
rope. In 1942 the witnesses operated in
thirteen countries, with 22,796 active min
isters on the continent of Europe, not
counting the German associates whom Hit
ler had banned and imprisoned. At the
close of the second world war there was
a rapid reopening of activities in banned
countries, sparked by a survey tour by
President Knorr and his secretary, M. G.
Henschel, during the winter of 1945-1946.b
By 1947 the revived witnesses in nineteen
countries of Europe reported 74,196 min
isters in the field service. In 1946 the So
ciety began to send some Gilead-trained
missionaries into Europe, and in this year
it spent money, a hundred thousand dol
lars, in opening up branch offices and pur-

UROPE with its population of nearly

400 million is the home of Western
civilization. Politically Europe seems to
be the center of struggle for world power
and has been so ever since the Greeks un
der Alexander established European as
cendency over Asiatic and African powers
nearly 2,300 years ago. Culturally Europe
is the seat of old-world pagan-influenced
learning, music, art, drama, sports and
philosophy, which occupy the minds of
millions. The full scale of European think
ing includes the rightist conservative mind,
which is rooted in ancient family aristoc
racy, class privilege (castes) and traditions
perpetuated by Roman Catholicism. It
hates change, hates intrusion, thinks itself
exclusive, superior and remote from all
new thinking. The shades of thinking vary
toward the center, where there is the lib
eral mind that is largely the product of
the Protestant Reformation democratically
and progressively desiring only gradual
change. In theory they think all men are
created equal and that each man by his
own capitalistic or socialistic efforts can
attain security and salvation. To the ex
treme left of the scale of European think
ing we find the radical mind of atheistic
thought eager for revolutionary change
toward mass control and distribution of
wealth. Materialism is the system that
makes man merely a number or cog in a
vast national machine.
What chances does true Christian think
ing have in the battle against such en

a Watch Tower, 1881, October-November, pp. 5, 6;

W January 15. 1955, p. 48.
h W 1946, pp. 14-16, 28-31. 45-48. 63. 64. 92-95, 110-112,
141-143.
4

January 1, 1956

chasing printing equipment.0 Recovery has

been rapid. Results in gathering the other
sheep have been astounding. In 1955 there
were 227,374 active European ministers of
the witnesses. Of these, 278 were Gileadtrained missionaries, working full time.
This amazing postwar expansion has not
been undertaken without opposition direct
ed from Communist sources. As Russia
gradually lowered the iron curtain in Eu
rope after 1948, thousands of the witnesses
found themselves subjected to persecution
as severe as, if not worse than, under Nazi
occupation. After only three or four years
of freedom from concentration camps thou
sands again had to return to such devilish
institutions or be sent to work as slaves in
Russian mines or, still worse, be banished
to Siberia. In the East Zone of Germany
alone 1,016 men and women of the wit
nesses have been sentenced to a total of
6,865 years in prison and fourteen have
been killed.d
Take for example the tragic story of the
witnesses in Poland. In 1939, before World
War II began, there were 1,039 ministers
valiantly withstanding bitter persecution
from the fanatic Catholic Hierarchy, which
had subjected the witnesses to a catacomb
existence for years.e Release from Nazi
tyranny in 1945 was sweet but proved to
be short-lived. The Polish witnesses began
quickly to reorganize theocratic worship in
their land. In 1946 they reached a new
peak of 6,014 ministers. Then in 1947 Gil
ead missionaries arrived to aid them
further in organizing for expansion. By
1948 there were 10,385 active ministers
preaching and in 1950 the amazing total of
18,116 was reached.* Nothing seemed to be
able to stop these courageous Polish fightc 1947
d 1954
e 1940
f 1951

Yearbook,
Yearbook,
Yearbook,
Yearbook.

p.
p.
p.
p.

254.
161.
160.
26.

SfieW ATCHTOW ER

ers for true worship in gathering Jehovahs

sheep. In 1950 Poland found itself behind
the iron curtain. The witnesses were banned
in that year, the branch office was closed
and leaders were arrested, not to be heard
from again, and the Gilead missionaries
were deported. Once again the Polish wit
nesses went underground to their former
catacomb activities to keep the torch
of Christian worship brightly blazing for
the many other sheep still desirous of flee
ing to Jehovahs place of safety.
In Czechoslovakia the witnesses like
wise manifested themselves as true fight
ers for Christian freedom. Before Hitler
took away the freedom of this progressive
democracy in central Europe in 1938 there
were 1,166 active ministers. During Hit
lers time, underground activity kept alive
a limited association among Jehovahs wit
nesses in Czechoslovakia. In 1945, with the
downfall of Hitler, the work was quickly
revived and for the year 1946 there were
1,209 active witnesses. When Czechoslo
vakia began to disappear behind the iron
curtain in 1948, the witnesses were banned,
their branch office was closed down and
many were arrested. Did this stop the ex
pansion of the ingathering work? No. In
1950 there were 2,882 active preachers of
k 1950

Yearbook, pp. 141-143.

B rooklyn , N. Y.

SReWATCHTOWER.

Jehovahs kingdom and in 1951 the num

ber grew to 3,705.h Similar experiences can
be reported for the witnesses in Commu
nist Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary1 and
Romania.k Even in Russia itself in 1948
there were more than eight thousand min
isters of Jehovahs kingdom actively keep
ing up, in many clever, ingenious ways, the
Bible-preaching service.1 Thousands also
are reported to be banished in Siberia,
from whom there has been no word of con
tact. For the year 1954 it was grand to see
that there were 64,123 witnesses of Jeho
vah still active in all these countries be
hind the iron curtain."1
The picture of European expansion is re
markably shown in the accompanying
table."
Year

Number
of Lands

Number
of Ministers

Number of
Preaching Hours

1942
1947
1952
1955

13
19
24
24

22,796
74,196
158,867
227,374

5,344,006
12,819,994
19,147,879
23,720,651

Nearly twenty-four million hours a year

of Christian preaching is certainly a mighty
force to bombard the European mind. In
Jehovahs mercy this campaign continues,
that honest-hearted Europeans may free
themselves from their bondage of wrong
thinking to that of a new hope of everlast
ing life in Gods new world. In 1955 there
was one active minister of Jehovahs wit
nesses for every 1,746 of the population. In
1955 in Europe the greatest witness ever
given there by Jehovahs witnesses was
given on both sides of the iron curtain.
Though still a small minority, they Eire a
growing minority whose voices are being
heard in every part of the continent.
h 1952 Yearbook, p. 246.
i Increase from 130 ministers in 1944 to 1,164 in 1954.
j Growth from 837 ministers of 1946 to 3,265 in 1954.
k Expansion from 2,191 preachers in 1946 to 6,072 in
1954.
1 1949 Yearbook, p. 223.
m 1955 Yearbook, p. 38.
n 1954 Yearbook, p. 273.

AFRICA

Spiritually, Africa used to be called the

dark continent because of its paganism.
But since 1945 the advances made by true
Christianity through Jehovahs witnesses
no longer leave this continent of 203 mil
lion as an unenlightened area of the world.
In the northern part of this vast continent
the Mohammedan mind dominates. This
type of thinking is fanatical, religious, un
reasoning and highly sensual. Women hold
an inferior status and polygamy is widely
practiced. Morals are very corrupt, disease
is rife, living is hard, education is lacking
and higher spiritual values are not appre
ciated. As for the Europeans on this conti
nent, they reflect a superior attitude, hold
a state of mind similar to that of their
cousins in Europe and maintain segrega
tion from the black and colored natives.
Then as to the African, his mind is
deeply rooted in heathen customs and su
perstitions. He holds loyalty to his patri
archal system of tribal society. He has a
settled dislike for and suspicion of the con
quering and exploiting white masters. The
African has little natural affection and does
not understand what it means to love ones
neighbor or even his wife and children.
Wives are bought in exchange for cattle,
according to their tribal system, in order
to produce children and thus build up the
local village. They have a belief in the de
parted spirits of the forefathers, who
can help them or punish them, depending
on the suffrages of the living. Moreover,
there has been a mind to do business
with such spirits, not on a basis of love
for them, but on the basis of fear and gain
ing a material advantage in exchange for
prescribed animal sacrifices. Cruel witch
doctors have been the unloving agents to
keep this system operating.
How have Jehovahs witnesses coped
with such a variety of European, Moham
medan and primitive pagan thinking? In

Ja n u a r y

1, 1956

the early 1900s the Watch Tower Society

began to have associates in South Africa
and established a branch office there, and
then in the 1920s the educational work be
gan to move northward into African sec
tions. Also in the 1920s beginnings were
made in British West Africa, where soon
a branch office was established and the
work was pushed inland. In the early
1930s work was started in Egypt to spread
over slowly across the top of Africa.
Through this three-pronged move, by 1942
some 10,070 witnesses were found in eleven
African lands. Then in 1947 Gilead mis
sionaries began to be sent into Africa,
twenty that year. December, 1947, January,
1948, and then again in 1952 the Societys
president visited almost all the branches in
Africa, talked with the African witnesses
and studied their preaching problems.0 The
number of active witnesses kept growing
until, in 1955, there were 98,146 with 108
Watch Tower missionaries in thirty-four
lands. This is a 875 per cent increase in
thirteen years!
This has required a great amount of edu
cational work and patient training on the
part of the unselfish European ministers of
the witnesses and their Gilead mission
aries. Schools had to be operated to teach
many of the Africans to read and write.
Practically every angle of congregational
organization had to be simplified, and rules
and practices had to be introduced from
no previous conception of matters Biblical.
Christian moral standards had to be intro
duced, of one wife to a husband in mar
riage properly legalized, fornication put
away and cleanliness insisted upon before
permanent association with the Society
could be permitted. The African mind has
one obvious characteristic, that of being
imitative. The white and long-trained na
tive ministers socially mix with these
eager newly interested Africans and set be
fore them a good example of Christian
0 W 1948, pp. 61-64, 77-80.

STkWATCHTOWER.

love and loving association. The African

quickly detected this as not hypocritical
but sincere and genuine. The Africans are
being granted equal Christian dignity as
they mature. In this way Christian love
and warm fellowship are being inculcated
to develop correct Christian thinking and
higher standards of association, that they
may take an equal position along with
their New World society brothers in other
parts of the earth. While these Africans
are not encumbered with modern com
forts of life, they have time to study
the Bible to learn about Gods new world.
They are building up hope of gaining ever
lasting life.
The moral and intellectual transforma
tion of the African witnesses is an amaz
ing spectacle even to the secular gov
erning authorities. The following table in
dicates the swells of Christian increase in
Africa that give promise for many more
of Jehovahs other sheep in that continent
to be gathered into the one fold.
Year

Number
of Lands

1942
1947
1952
1955

n
17
32
34

Number
of Ministers

Number of
Preaching Hours

10,070
24,896
72,228
98,146

2,200,163
6,298,189
15,460,243
20,222,817

The method of preaching from house to

house by Jehovahs ministers and making
of return calls to hold Bible studies with
newly interested ones is carried on in
Africa uniformly, just as it is in other
parts of the earth, according to the pattern
set by Jesus and the apostles nineteen hun
dred years ago. In this manner over
twenty million hours of Christian preach
ing from the Bible in various native ver
sions was done during 1955 in what was
formerly dark Africa. During 1955 there
were 98,146 or one minister of Jehovahs
witnesses for every 2,068 people living in
Africa.
(To be continued)

r tc i< ^ :'voTiN
I

L *

Jehovah
your God am a
exactingexclusive
exclusivedevotio
devotio
exacting
Ex. 20:5, NV/.

EHOVAH, the living God, has the right

to demand exclusive devotion. He is the
Maker of man and of the earth upon which
man lives. All mankind should bring glory
and praise to this One, the only Sovereign
Ruler, for he himself said: I am Jehovah,
that is my name; and my glory will I not
give to another, neither my praise unto
graven images. (Isa. 42:8, AS) Jehovah
himself reveals that he first made the
earth. Then from earths dust he created
our first parents, Adam and Eve, and
placed them in Eden, a paradise home. Je
hovah told these two persons to fill the
earth, subdue it, and make the whole globe
a paradise for their offspring. These two
disobeyed God. They preferred to follow
the words of another creature, joining him
in his rebellion against Jehovah. For re
belling, Adam was sentenced to death.
(Gen. 3:19) Through one man sin entered
into the world and death through sin, and
thus death spread to all men. (Rom. 5:12,
NW) Mankind, still in the loins of their
first parents, thus became subjects of the
god of this world, Satan the Devil.
2Today mankind lives on this earth, not
by right, but by the undeserved kindness
of the true God. Not until he chooses to do
so will the Almighty God interfere with the
false god, the ruler of this world, Satan.

1. Why may mans Maker rightly require exclusive de

votion from every human?
2. How and when will the disputed issue of Jehovahs
sovereignty be settled?

,
six thousand, years have
Already nearrL rebellion in Eden; still
passed since
ed that first disrespectJehovah has * w Satan) to remain. Howful creature (
not tolerate Satans disever, Jehova ^ predictively he said:
respect foreve, ^
kept yQU in exist_

For
cnce, for

ik n iic a r in

vp ars

hi

sake of showing you my powhave my name declared

e r a ?i the earth. (Ex. 9:16; Rom. 9:17,

W
The time for final settling of this is
sue as to who rules supreme has now come.
Jehovah will receive exclusive devotion
from all free creation when the false god,
Satan, is abyssed in the war of the great
day of God the Almighty at Armageddon.
Rev. 16:13-16; 20:1-3,
3Students of the Bible have knowledge
of Gods purposes, and they know that he
sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to lay down his
life as a perfect sacrifice in order to re
deem mankind from death. This was done
1,923 years ago. Jesus proved himself
worthy of being Jehovahs vindicator, and
in 1914 Christ Jesus was placed in a posi
tion to rule. His first act in establishing
the kingdom of his Father was to cast the
Devil with all of his demon hordes out of
heaven down to the earth, and with that
done we now are very near to the war of
t e great day of God the Almighty. Then
6 va 1 wil1 show his sovereign power and
tling the disputed *Uc,haye already been taken for setnow avoid making
W How may prudent persons
K a ratal mistake?

Ja n u a r y

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

prove that all devotion is exclusively his.

Persons who love righteousness have given
to the Sovereign Ruler exclusive devotion.
We are living in wonderful days when Godgiven prophecies about the end of this sys
tem of things are having fulfillment. All
persons should acquaint themselves with
the Bible, read it, study it and get accurate
knowledge of it. For if we practice sin
willfully after having received the accurate
knowledge of the truth, there is no longer
any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a
certain fearful expectation of judgment
and there is a fiery jealousy that is going
to consume those in opposition. (Heb.
10:26, 27, NW) By right thinking, by
thinking the way God teaches us to think,
we shall be happy to give exclusive devo
tion to the Sovereign Rul
er of the universe. There
will be no fear of the ex
pected judgment.
4
The system of things
in which mankind now find
themselves keeps them in
a very morbid state of mind. Concern
ing the future, many have no hope.
Such live only in the present, saying:
Let us eat and drink, for
tomorrow we are to die.
(1 Cor. 15:32, NW ; Isa.
22:13) Men are hateful,
lustful, selfish believing
the only way to gain hap
piness is by conquest of
others. They seek this
false happiness through
conquest in business, in
politics, in religion; and
often whole nations try to conquer other
nations. This world and its people are de
voted to selfishness. This will lead to world
destruction. There must be a change, and
there will be.

5
Today men worship themselves or oth
er men in high places. They make of them
selves idols and love to have it so. People
today are no better in this respect than
those of centuries gone by. History shows
us the worship of stone gods, goddesses,
four-footed animals, fish, birds. All kinds
of creatures have been carved in wood or
stone, then put on pedestals for people to
prostrate themselves before. Even Gods
chosen people, the Israelites, bowed them
selves down before images made of metal,
stone or wood; and what was the result?
Here is Jehovahs command through Mo
ses: You must not bow down to them
nor be induced to serve them, because I
Jehovah your God am a God exacting ex
clusive devotion, bi'inging punishment for
the iniquity of fathers up
on sons down to the greatgrandsons and great-greatgrandsons in the case of
those who hate me. (Ex.
20:5, NW ) T h e w h o l e
world knows that it has
chosen gods to worship
other than Jehovah; and
today mankind, wittingly
or unwittingly, are against
the Sovereign Ruler.
6
There is one archenemy of Jehovah,
Satan the Devil, whom the Scriptures
call the god of this sys
tem of things. (2 Cor.
4:4, AW ) That false god
wants to turn every per
sons heart and mind away
from Jehovah God, to hate
him even as Satan and his
demons hate Jehovah. The Devil has
done and is doing everything conceiv
able to blind the minds of unbelievers and
5. Mankinds present and past ways of worship prove
what?
6. How has Satans activity affected Jehovah and earths
inhabitants?

10

STieWATCHTOWER.

he puts forth strenuous effort to mislead

and blind believers too. He wants all men
to worship any object, no matter how de
grading, selfish and loveless. He will go to
any limits to debauch mankind. But no
matter what maneuvers the Devil makes,
no matter how loud the propaganda to
praise men and worship them, and no mat
ter how severe the pressure of persecu
tion on true followers of Jehovahs en
throned Christ, the true God still demands
of his genuine worshipers exclusive devo
tion. For Jehovahs witnesses there is no
room for compromise. They must not bow
down to any other gods or serve them. If
they do they die, for Jehovah will not tol
erate any worship of men or idols.
7
The life that Jehovah gave to man
the very beginning was a gift, and man, by
being obedient to his Maker, was free to
use this life to praise and worship Jehovah
and so maintain his own life. Obedience to
his Maker was essential. The doing of the
Sovereigns will is required of every person
living on earth and of every creature in the
universe. Gods Son, Christ Jesus, gained
eternal life through obedience, thus show
ing exclusive devotion to Jehovah. The
Israelites, on their long trek through the
wilderness after they were brought out of
the land of Egypt, many times failed in
their worship of God. But throughout all
of this period Jehovah God was very mer
ciful toward faithless Israel. There were
occasions, one after another, that would
have given Jehovah just reason to destroy
the whole nation. However, for his own
names sake and because of the promise he
had made to their forefathers, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, he kept on dealing with
them as his chosen people. For centuries
those stiff-necked Jews went their way and
continued to bow down to other gods, for
getting the true worship of the One who
7, 8. (a) Why is obedience to Jehovah essential?
(b) What results of obedience and of disobedience may
we profitably compare?

B rooklyn , N. Y.

gave them their daily needs, and by their

actions said: Every one that doeth evil
is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he
delighteth in them. (Mai. 2:17,
About
a thousand years after being delivered
from Egypt the Israelites actually used
these words, showing how corrupt the na
tion had become. Can anyone think that
the only true God of the universe can allow
such disrespect to go on forever?
8 Later, in Pauls day, the situation was
even worse, and he sized up humankind in
this manner: Although asserting they
were wise, they became foolish and turned
the glory of the incorruptible God into
something like the image of corruptible
man and of birds and four-footed creatures
inand creeping things. Therefore God in
keeping with the desires of their hearts
gave them up to uncleanness, that their
bodies might be dishonored among them,
even those who exchanged the truth of
God for the lie and venerated and rendered
sacred service to the creation rather than
the One who created, who is blessed for
ever. Amen. Rom. 1:22-25, NW.
ARE TODAYS PEOPLE BETTER?

9Today some humans may think they

have advanced since the days of the Roman
Empire, or that they are not like the
Israelites, the Greeks or the Egyptians.
But are the people today any better in their
thinking and in their worship? Look at the
so-called heathen nations. They still bow
down before their gods of wood, stone and
metal. But the Christian nations surely
they are better! On the contrary, they too
are still bowing down before crosses, altars
and images or dolls supposed to be the
virgin and other saints. Not only in re
ligious practice do we find men, women
and children bowing down before their own
handmade images and pictures of dictators
9, 10. How does the worship practiced by so-called
heathen peoples compare with that of Christendom?

January 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWEFC

11

but we find many worshiping statues of of Jehovahs spokesmen of the past and
great men, heroes of war, and praying be present he has given that we may not be
fore eternal flames or a monument for overreached by Satan, for we are not
an unknown soldier ! Are they not wor ignorant of his designs. 2 Cor. 2:11, NW.
shiping the dead, who they claim have died,
12
Today the world is under the influence
not in vain, but to make the world safe and guidance of the god of this world,
for democracy ?
who has blinded the hearts and minds of
10
Have these millions of men and womenthe people in it. He has blinded them so
who have died in world wars made the that they will not see who is the Sovereign
world safe for democracy or for any of Ruler of the universe or understand his
mankind? No; today Christendom bows purposes. That wicked one does not want
low and honors her war dead, just like man to live; he wants him to perish in
millions of so-called heathens who for cen Jehovahs war at Armageddon. Mankind,
turies have been worshiping all their dead by continuing in their works of the flesh
ancestors. Today, in Christendom, men and which are fornication, uncleanness, loose
women seriously trust in carnal weapons conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism,
and in strong men whom they see, and they hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, con
actually worship such leaders. This is the tentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken
world of today. Wherein do they worship bouts, revelries, and things like these
the true and living God, Jehovah? Many will go on to the day of destruction. That
claim that all this ancestor and image is exactly what the Devil wants. Those
worship, regardless of what it is, brings one who practice such things will not inherit
closer to God. But does it? To which deity Gods kingdom. Gal. 5:19-21,
does it bring you closer to the god of
WHO GIVE EXCLUSIVE DEVOTION?
this world, Satan the Devil, or to the
Sovereign Ruler, the living God, Jehovah?
Today upon earth there is a New
Today mankind is worshiping idols World society of men, women and children
just as much as did the ancient Israelites who are determined to give exclusive devo
and the pagans of olden time. Jehovah re tion to the true God, Jehovah. They are
jected his chosen people because they were done with the works of the flesh, for they
not giving him exclusive devotion. Today have been washed clean in the blood of
Jehovah God will be casting off a whole Jehovahs faithful Son, our Lord Jesus
world, yes, most of more than two billion Christ. (Eph. 1:5-7,
NNow they m
now living, because they willfully choose bring forth fruitage of the spirit, which
not to recognize the Sovereign Ruler. (Jer. is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,
25:32,33, AS) It is time for everyone to goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.
turn to the living God, Jehovah, to study (Gal. 5:22, 23, NW) These sound principles
his Word, and to learn his way of life eter of right living may and must be followed
nal. This whole world is lying in the by anyone desiring now to survive and en
power of the wicked one, said John. joy the approval of the Sovereign Ruler.
(Matt. 13:19; John 12:31; 1 John 5:19, By making the mind over, that is, by
NW) In the very beginning Satan was suc thinking now as Jehovah wants you to
cessful in misleading Eve and through her think, by thinking beneficially, uprightly,
to trip up Adam and to turn them both you surely will equip and prepare yourself
away from true worship. The wise counsel
11, 12. Why is true worship timely today?

13. What essential requirements for New World living

may now be recognized, and by whom?

12

f&eW ATCHTOW ER,

Brooklyn , N. Y.

for New World living. Every person who raised us up together and seated us togeth
survives the war of the great day of God er in the heavenly places in union with
the Almighty will have proved to his fel Christ Jesus, that in the coming systems of
lows, as well as to himself and to the true things there might be demonstrated the
God, that he or she really wants to be obe surpassing riches of his undeserved kind
dient to Jehovah, giving him exclusive de ness in his graciousness toward us in union
votion and joyfully worshiping him in his with Christ Jesus. By this undeserved
new world of righteousness forever.
kindness, indeed, you have been saved
14
The issue of sovereigntyWho rulesthrough faith; and this not owing to you,
supreme? must be settled; but Jehovah it is Gods gift.Eph. 2:1-8, NW.
chooses his own time. In many centuries
15 Exclusive devotion Jehovah God is be
now past he has proved that integrity ing given by all of these, for they are be
keeping persons can be faithful even under ing built up together into a place for God
extreme adversity. He has proved this by to inhabit by spirit. (Eph. 2:22,
all kinds of men and women from every Now even more people of all nations, kin
nation, kindred and tongue. When Jesus dreds and tongues are coming to worship
Christ was upon earth nineteen hundred Jehovah. Indeed, a great crowd are
years ago he opened up the way for will manifesting themselves in these days along
ing ones of mankind to be reconciled to with the remnant or remaining ones of the
Almighty God. A new nation was being little flock. These all are brought into
created that would truly bring glory and one fold under Jehovahs one Shepherd,
Honor to Jehovah God. That nation, con Christ Jesus. These other sheep, as the
sisting of 144,000 and called the little Bible calls them (John 10:16), know too
flock (Luke 12:32), Jehovah destined to that Jehovah their God is a God exacting
become joint heirs with Christ Jesus in his exclusive devotion, and that he will not
heavenly kingdom to rule and reign with tolerate any rivalry; therefore they have
him for a thousand years. Furthermore, separated themselves from the world. All
Paul wrote to them, it is you God made in the one fold heed Jesus statement
alive though you were dead in your tres that he was in the world but not a part of
passes and sins, in which you at one time it (John 17:14-16), and: Keep on, then,
walked according to the system of things seeking first the kingdom and his (Jeho
of this world, according to the ruler of the vahs] righteousness, and all these other
authority of the air, the spirit that now things will be added to you. Matt. 6:33,
operates in the sons of disobedience. Yes, NW.
among them we all at one time conducted
16 Seeking first the kingdom of God de
ourselves in harmony with the desires of mands of one exclusive devotion to Him.
our flesh, doing the things the flesh and the The now-established kingdom of God vindi
thoughts willed, and we were naturally cates Jehovahs name and word. About
children of wrath even as the rest. But forty years ago its first operation or act
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great was to cast the Devil from his position of
love with which he loved us, made us alive rival in heaven. (Isa. 14:12, AS; Rev. 12:9,
together with the Christ, even when we NW) Now Satan and his invisible hordes
were dead in trespasses by undeserved can operate only in earths vicinity. Here,
kindness you have been savedand he too, their ousting is due. Here, too, the is14, 15. (a) Why has Almighty God selected certain hu
mans to become his Sons associates in heaven? (b) Who
comprise the one fold under Jehovahs one Shepherd?

16. Why is it necessary now for every human to recog

nize Jehovahs sovereignty?

January 1, 1956

SKeW ATCHTOW ER

13

sue of sovereignty or unrivaled rulership vessel to make what it will look like, the
Jehovahs now-established kingdom will glory it shall have, whether it should be
settle. (Isa. 9:7; Dan. 2:44,
I Jeho one of great beauty or just one for common
vah your God am a God not tolerating use. After the potter has made many beau
tiful specimens
rivalry. (Ex. 20:5,
NWmargin)
Jehovah and set them upon his shelf
will not give his glory to any other person. for people to see, the persons looking at the
His principles of truth and righteousness work of the artist do not worship or praise
will be carried out. From now on, in the the vessel. Honor or glory is not given to
mind of every living creature, universe what is created; but the complimentary
wide, his identity as the Supreme Sover remark, the praise, goes to the one that
eign and his name Jehovah must stand formed the vessel. We should think a per
alone! (Isa. 2:11; Hab. 2:20, AS) You son quite unbalanced who stood before a
must not bow down to another god, be piece of pottery, praising it and glorifying
cause Jehovah is exclusively devoted to his it; but if he spoke complimentary words to
name. He is a God exacting exclusive de its creator we could understand his ex
pression.
votion.Ex. 34:14, NW ; Fenton.
18Jehovah is the potter. He is the maker.
LET YOUR NAME BE SANCTIFIED
He has produced these beautiful creatures
17
Jehovah cannot tolerate any otherupon earth. He shaped them. He formed
name to stand equal with his. He is above them. He gave them their loveliness and
all. At one time he was alone, with all the made them attractive. He did more. He
power and authority in the whole universe. gave them life. It is Jehovah, then, who is
This supremacy he never has given and to be complimented. He is the one who
never will give to another. Everything that should receive the adoration, exclusive de
was made, created, brought forth, given votion. We are the things made. We glorify
life, was at the instance of this One, Jeho our Maker, in the same way that the vessel
vah. Creation is his work. He is the source of a potter would bring honor to its crea
of all life. He can create and destroy when tor. It is Jehovah God that has brought
he desires. But Jehovah, the eternal One, us into existence. He is the one to whom
from everlasting to everlasting, is the crea credit is due. He does not need to tolerate
tive God who wishes other persons to en any rivalry, nor will he.
joy life; hence he gives life as a gift. (Ps.
WALK NOT AFTER OTHER GODS
90:1-17, AS) In Jehovahs doing so, how
1
9
In
these days of great selfishness and
ever, he requires that his creature must
striving
among nations and people there
recognize him as Sovereign Ruler and give
are
too
many
individuals that want praise
him exclusive devotion. There is no room
rather
than
to
give praise. In requiring
for competition or rivalry. When Jehovah
created man and woman he did not create praise they become rivals of God. The
them to be worshiped. They were to be the Devil told Eve that if you eat of this tree
worshipers. Jehovah is in the position of of knowledge of good and evil you will be
a potter. He makes the clay of the ground like God. This idea is still instilled in man,
into a form for his pleasure. The clay on and man wants to be worshiped, even
the potters wheel is subject to his fingers. though he is nothing just dust of the
ground, clay formed into a beautiful creaIt is for the potter to decide the kind of
17, 18. What claims of Jehovah should every human
creature properly recognize today?

19, 20. (a) What is indicated by any human creatures

desire for praise? (b) What examples of disrespect
toward Jehovah serve as warnings to us?

14

SfreWATCHTOWEFL

ture by the Sovereign Ruler of the universe

and given life by that Creator. But the
living creature does not want to praise his
Creator. He becomes proud, haughty, selfimportant; and it is not long until he be
gins to tell God wherein He is wrong. It is
a common thing to read in newspapers the
comments of Christendoms clergy, and to
see how they criticize the Bible, Gods
Word. Many clergymen have written books
on higher criticism, going so far as
denying the ransom sacrifice of Christ Je
sus. They claim to be Christians but deny
Christ himself as the Son of God. How
could such be Christian?
20 Other clergymen of Christendom go
so far as to call Jehovah a bully, thus
bringing the Sovereign Ruler of the uni
verse to a low, despicable position in the
minds of those whom this One created. All
of this is done to bring disrespect to the
Sovereign Ruler and to bring praise to the
one who was created, a man. Christendom
and its representatives are not giving ex
clusive devotion to Jehovah. They are in
terested in their own aims, their own na
tion, their national wars; even believing
that Catholics and Protestants in one coun
try are more blessed, more greatly favored,
them Catholics and Protestants in another
country. Where is their unity, their broth
erly love? Is it just vain words?
21 There is only one true God, and one
people living upon this earth, all from
21. For what other reasons is exclusive devotion to
Jehovah of first importance now?

Brooklyn,

Gods original creation; and in his due

time all will be of one nation, having one
God. He will not tolerate rivalry. His king
dom will endure forever. All mankind who
refuse to get in line with true worship will
be annihilated, destroyed, there being no
place in his universe for rebels. You must
not walk after other gods, any gods of the
peoples who are all around you, (for Jeho
vah your God in your midst is a God exact
ing exclusive devotion,) for fear the anger
of Jehovah your God may blaze against you
and he must annihilate you from off the
surface of the ground. (Deut. 6:14, 15,
NW) This statement is so definite and
positive: You must never have any other
gods against my face, or, as the margin
says, You must never have any other gods
in defiance of me. (Deut. 5:7, NW) But
still there are many persons today who
worship this world and this system of
things, all of which is in defiance of Gods
righteous kingdom. On the one hand, they
pray, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matt.
6:10); and, on the other hand, they go for
ward and support the United Nations or
ganization, which is definitely set against
Gods enthroned King Christ Jesus. Reli
gionists have supported and keep on sup
porting todays United Nations and yester
days League of Nations. Indeed they went
so far as to say that this League was the
political expression of Gods kingdom. Is it
not plain to see that they are setting up
something of their own in defiance of
Jehovah?

Heaven Can W ait

ft J. J. Scherer, a Lutheran clergyman in Richmond, Virginia, tor nearly 50 years,
told a group of Roanoke ministers his view on going to heaven: If tickets were
offered me, one for a stay in heaven and the other in Virginia, I would choose
the ticket to Virginia. I want to go to heaven but not today. Dallas Times

Herald, June 29, 1955.

N. Y.

'C

&

WHOM YOU WILL

OW strange it is that todays
world leaders have not heeded
the words of Joshua! For Joshua served the
same God the leaders of Christendom claim Jehovah so as to serve other gods. They
to be serving. He said: Fear Jehovah and see the triumphant kingdom of Jehovah
serve him with integrity and in truth and God already established in the heavens,
remove the gods that your forefathers and they see Satan the god of this world
served on the other side of the River and has been cast down to earth, and they
in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. Now if it is understand the present woe among inhab
bad in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose ited of earth because the Devil has come
for yourselves today whom you will serve, down to them. Soon the Devil and his
whether the gods that your forefathers whole demonic organization will be abyssed
who were on the other side of the River because of not giving exclusive devotion to
served or the gods of the Amorites in the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, Jeho
whose land you are dwelling. But as for vah.
3Men and women who want to live, not
me and my household, we shall serve Jeho
die,
must give to Jehovah exclusive devo
vah. At this the people answered and said:
tion.
Each of such must willingly choose to
It is unthinkable on our part to abandon
dedicate
his life to Jehovahs service and
Jehovah so as to serve other gods. (Josh.
follow
his
24:14-16,
NW) But though the world lead commandments. By following the
ers do not think that way, that is the way commandments of God he proves that he
Jehovahs witnesses think. At some time loves God. He shows obedience to the will of
in their lives every one of the New World God. If you observe my commandments,
society of Jehovahs witnesses was a part you will remain in my love, just as I have
of the old world. But they no longer are observed the commandments of the Father
going to serve the gods east of the Euphra and remain in his love. (John 15:10, NW)
tes River, that is, the gods of Babylon, or This means all Jehovahs commandments.
the gods of Egypt, which put their trust in Some individuals want to choose which
military strength. Instead, Jehovahs wit commandments they will keep. For exam
nesses have heeded the words: Get out ple, one will say it is not necessary to be
of her, my people, if you do not want to baptized and symbolize his dedication of
share with her in her sins, and if you do himself to Jehovah God. He feels that as
not want to receive part of her plagues. long as he is associated with Jehovahs
Rev. 18:4,
NW.
witnesses he will gain Jehovahs blessing
2The other sheep realize Jehovah, and be taken into the new world of right
their God, brought them up out of Babylon. eousness. He feels: I dont want to be tied
They willingly came and will not abandon
3-5. (a) One having chosen to dedicate himself to Jeho
vah, what other steps of obedience then are rightly
taken? (b) May one properly question the need for
water immersion, and why do you so answer?

1, 2. As to their respective ways of thinking, how do

todays world leaders and the witnesses of Jehovah
differ?
15

16

3TieW A T CHTO W E R .

up so tightly with any organization; so I

will not be baptized; Ill go witnessing, but
Ill keep myself free. It is not a matter of
being tied with an organization. Rather,
if you want to live, it is a matter of giving
exclusive devotion to Jehovah God. One
refusing to be baptized thinks baptism will
obligate him and place greater responsibil
ities upon him. Remember, he already has
the responsibility when he has the knowl
edge. One cannot bargain with God. If he
wants life, he gives exclusive devotion to
Jehovah God; he keeps Gods command
ments and he walks in the footsteps of
Christ Jesus and gladly is baptized as an
open, public confession of his dedication.
* Sometimes a visiting circuit servant
finds a congregation of fifty-five publish
ers, all going out regularly every month,
preaching the good news of the Kingdom
and joyfully serving. But on checking the
records he finds that twenty of the fiftyfive have not been baptized. He wonders
why and makes inquiry. He finds that they
think that if they symbolize their dedica
tion to Jehovah God too great a responsi
bility will be put upon them. Ask yourself,
Do they really love Jehovah? Are they in
terested in exclusive devotion to him, or
do they want to keep one foot in the old
world and one in the new? When Jehovah
set out a course of action for his Son,
namely, to be baptized in water, then cer
tainly that course of action must be fol
lowed by everyone that wants to live eter
nally in Gods new world. No individual
decides whether baptism is right or wrong.
A person dedicating himself to Jehovah
God and wanting life in the new world
must know it is compulsory to be baptized.
Some privately think of it as a silly formal
ism, but in effect such say that they are
wiser than God. They flippantly conclude
that this being baptized is old-fashioned!
Even some might say: Well, that is the
only point I disagree on; otherwise, I ac-

Brooklyn, N . Y.

cept Gods Word. When further examin

ing, you will find he disagrees also on many
other simple things, putting himself in
the position of a critic, criticizing the Crea
tor. And here he, the critic, is only a ves
sel. Has the one created a right to question,
criticize or find fault with what the Sover
eign Ruler demands of any one of his
creatures? (Rom. 9:20,
When Jeho
vah shows water baptism is a symbol of
our dedication, then that is what every
Christian should want to do.
5Was it not said by Jesus: Go therefore
and make disciples of people of all the na
tions, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the holy spir
it, teaching them to observe all the things
I have commanded you. And, look! I am
with you all the days until the consumma
tion of the system of things ? (Matt.
28:19, 20, NW) Any individual who wants
to live and gain Jehovahs favor must be
humble before Jehovah God and recognize
the provision that his Son made for his
redemption, and at the same time carry
out His commandments. That is why Peter
said: Repent, therefore, and turn around
so as to get your sins blotted out, that
seasons of refreshing may come from the
person of Jehovah and that he may send
forth the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven, indeed, must contain within
itself until the times of restoration of all
things of which God spoke through the
mouth of his holy prophets of old time. In
fact, Moses said: Jehovah God will pro
duce for you from among your brothers a
prophet like me. You must listen to him
according to all the things he speaks to
you. Indeed, any soul that does not listen
to that Prophet will be completely de
stroyed from among the people. (Acts
3:19-23, NW) Listen, then; for these com
mands are not too much for any creature.
6There may be things that a person does
6. How is understanding gained?

Ja n u a r y

1, 1956

17

SEeWATCHTOWER.

not understand, things that just now are

not entirely clear. But the light shines
more and more until the perfect day.
(Prov. 4:18, RS) The more one studies
Gods Word and the more one lives by the
commandments of God, the more he sees
how reasonable it is; and life eternal is
within his grasp. Gods Word is more than
common sense. It is wisdom from on high.
Follow it.
NOT OF THIS WORLD

7Jehovahs witnesses are peaceful, want

ing only to be exclusively devoted to Jeho
vahs kingdom work. They know their
position on earth is to represent God and
him alone. Worldly governments do not
want their constituents to be neutral as far
as this world is concerned. However, when
one gives exclusive devotion to Jehovah
God he will not be mixed up with this
worlds politics, religions or commercial
movements. While in the world he is not
a part of it. All so minded seek first the
kingdom of heaven and Jehovahs right
eousness, and then all other things will be
added to them. Matt. 6:33, AW.
8Todays Christian minister cannot live
according to the moral code of the old
world, wherein it winks its eye at adultery
and fornication, thinks it is smart to be
drunk. Forgetting and forsaking fine coun
sel Jehovah has set forth in his Word, more
and more persons have become delinquent.
Also, more worried have become each na
tions leaders concerning the delinquency.
Now any violation of Gods Word shows
disrespect for the Sovereign Ruler and his
enthroned Christ. Wickedness of the world
as described by Jude warns us how it
might infiltrate into the congregation of
God. And concerning those who try to cor
rupt the true followers of Christ he said:
These men are murmurers, complainers
7, 8. What right attitude toward this world is main
tained by one dedicated to Jehovah?

about their lot in life, proceeding accord

ing to their own desires, and their mouths
speak swelling things, while they are ad
miring personalities for the sake of their
own benefit. (Jude 16, AW ) Such, of
course, are not giving exclusive devotion
to Jehovah God; and the scripture tells us
that we cannot mingle ourselves with peo
ple of this kind or worship their gods or
serve them, for fear the anger of Jehovah
your God may blaze against you and he
must annihilate you from off the surface
of the ground. Deut. 6:15, AW.
SLAVE OR MASTER?

9 Exclusive devotion to Jehovah God is

a very serious requirement. Let us consider
it now from Jehovahs viewpoint. Exclu
sive means keeping others out, or exclud
ing. It means single or sole, or singly de
voted. No one can be included in Gods
position. He is exclusive. Everyone else
stays outside this most honored position
that he only can hold. He is alone in his
exalted place in the universe. He will not
include anyone else with himself. His glory
he does not share with another. Christ Je
sus appreciated the very exclusive position
his Father held in the universe; and on
this point Paul wrote: Christ Jesus, who,
although he was existing in Gods form,
gave no consideration to a seizure, namely,
that he should be equal to God. No, but
he emptied himself and took a slaves form
and came to be in the likeness of men.
More than that, when he found himself in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient as far as death, yes, death
on a torture stake. (Phil. 2:5-8, NW)
Again Jesus himself said: I am going my
way to the Father, because the Father is
greater than I am. John 14:28, NW.
10 Satan the Devil chose to try to push
9, 10. (a) How may we describe the exclusiveness of
Jehovah? (b) What right and wrong attitudes toward
Jehovah are exemplified for us by Christ Jesus and
Satan ?

18

SReW ATCH TO W ER

B r o o k ly n , N .Y .

Jehovah God out of this exclusive position; the Father with all your heart, mind, soul
and, of course, Satan has not given to Jeho and strength; secondly, Love your neigh
vah exclusive devotion, for he seriously bor as yourself. Here again this puts Jeho
considers being like the Most High, and he vah God in a singular or unique position,
has put it into the minds of all creation exclusive, separated from all other love. He
that they should be as God, knowing good is outstanding and in a position alone, as
and evil; in other words, that they should Sovereign. Love goes directly to him with
be judges, deciding what is right and out any sharing of that love. That is exclu
wrong in the universe. So we often find sive devotion. The similar second com
clergymen disputing, challenging, the Word mandment is that we love our neighbors
of God, claiming portions of the Bible are as we love ourselves. Although this love
just fairy tales; and thus they have set takes in a greater sweep, embracing hu
themselves up as God, qualified to question mankind, who in turn can love us, yet no
and dispute with Almighty God. What one human becomes exclusive in this un
selfishness on our pant. Our love for neigh
pride!
11A humble person, devoted to Jehovah, bor can include all mankind. But as to the
would be filled with zeal and piety. Devo Creator, he alone claims and rightly is
tion means an eager inclination or a given exclusive devotion. Loving our neigh
strong attachment; an ardent love or affec bor as we individually love ourselves is not
tion for one. Devotion has to do with ones exclusive, though proper. We do not wor
religiousness. Today one who understands ship the neighbor, but just show love. With
true religion carries on genuine worship, Jehovah our love involves worship, service,
even as Jesus predicted: The hour is com obedience; and in this he tolerates no
ing, and it is now, when the genuine wor rivalry.
shipers will worship the Father with spirit
13
Jesus showed the principle of this in
and truth, for, indeed, the Father is look dividual love, for he was very well ac
ing for such kind to worship him. (John quainted with his Father, so well acquaint
4:23, AW ) Anyone giving Jehovah God ex ed that he could say, when one knew the
clusive devotion will not allow anything Son he also knew the Father. Jesus said
else to break into that devotion or to mar . . . No one comes to the Father except
it. Jehovah cannot tolerate it; therefore through me. If you men had known me,
the individual should not let anything in you would have known my Father also.
terfere. Ones devotion to Jehovah God Setting forth the principle of exclusive de
must be filled with love. It must be an ar votion to Jehovah God and his kingdom,
dent love, a single love to Jehovah God Jesus also pointed out that greater love
not a love that can be divided with some for the Kingdom and the vindication of
one else.
Jehovahs name is more important than
12
On Exodus 34:14 the translation ofthe love of neighbor. The creatures only
the French (
AbbeDrioux Version, 1884)
approach to the heavenly Father now is
puts it this way: God wants to be loved through the Son; therefore Jesus said:
uniquely that is, he wants to be loved Everyone, then, that acknowledges his
in a class by himself, singularly. When up belief in me before men, I will also ac
on earth Christ Jesus mentioned two com knowledge my belief in him before my
mandments. First, said he, you must love Father who is in the heavens. And, then,
11, 12. (a) What is included in genuine worship of Jeho
vah? (b) How are love of God and love of neighbor
comparable ?

13, 14. How is this comparison made clearer by Jesus?

and how may we benefit by understanding it now?

January 1, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER

to show how great must be this love for

the Father that is shown through the Son,
Jesus says: He that has greater affection
for father or mother than for me is not
worthy of me; and he that has greater
affection for son or daughter than for me
is not worthy of me. And whoever does not
accept his torture stake and follow after
me is not worthy of me. John 14:6, 7;
Matt. 10:32, 37, 38, NW.
14After Jehovahs war at Armageddon
all survivors will know him and give him
their first love. Even today Jehovahs wit
nesses must give him such love through
the Son, Christ Jesus; and that puts us in
a unique relationship with our Creator, for
he is a God that wants to be loved unique
ly. The Father is looking for such kind
to worship him. That worship will be with
spirit and truth, and it will be exclusive.
There is no one else involved in this love
and worship; hence it stands alone.
15 When one is so exclusively devoted, it
suggests another unique relationship be
tween the two, that of master and slave.
Jehovah is the Master because he is the
Creator, the Owner; and it is required of
the creature or owned one to do the will of
his Master. Jehovah is the exclusive and
sole owner of the creature. He made him.
Jehovah God arranged for his Son to pur
chase the human family; so the scripture
says: You were bought with a price; stop
becoming slaves of men. (1 Cor. 7:23,
NW) In his letter to the Corinthians Paul
set forth a very interesting discussion
about slaves: In whatever state each one
was called, let him remain in it. Were you
called a slave? Do not let it worry you, but
if you can also become free, rather seize
the opportunity. For anyone in the Lord
that was called a slave is the Lords freedman: likewise he that was called a free
man is a slave of Christ. You were bought
15. Scripturally, how is the position of a slave properly
viewed ?

19

with a price; stop becoming slaves of men.

In whatever condition each one was called,
brothers, let him remain in it associated
with God. 1 Cor. 7:20-24,
16 In early Christian times it did not
make any difference to God or Christ Jesus
if people were free men or slaves. They
could still be called to the high position of
joint heirship with Christ Jesus in heaven
ly glory. But no matter what condition
they found themselves in, bond or free,
such became slaves of Christ; and it was
only in that manner that they could be
come associated with God. Now, too, the
person who comes to Jehovah and dedi
cates himself through Christ Jesus to Jeho
vahs service makes himself Gods slave. In
this action the Christian is not hypocrit
ical but sincerely pleased to give exclusive
devotion to the Sovereign Ruler and to
carry out the will of the Father, just as the
Son showed obedience to the command
ments of his Father. This slavelike rela
tionship comes from the heart. It is the
dedicated ones innermost desire. In his
heart he has the proper inclination toward
God. For him it is natural to want to obey
the true God. It is such an individuals de
liberate choice to be a slave. It is the dedi
cated persons preference to put himself in
this slavelike relationship to the rightful
Master, Jehovah.
SLAVE TO TIME INDEFINITE

17 In days of ancient Israel sometimes it

became necessary for the Hebrew to sell
himself into slavery. Gods Word tells us:
In case you should buy a Hebrew slave,
he will be a slave six years, but in the
seventh he will go out as one set free with
out charge. If he should come in by him16. Ones choice to be a slave of Jehovah today denotes
what?
17, 18. (a) Anciently, in Israel, why might one become
a slave to time indefinite ? (b) What wholesome les
sons may todays Christian minister draw from this
ancient practice?

20

f& eW ATCH TOW ER

Brooklyn, N. Y.

self, by himself he will go out. If he is the

owner of a wife, then his wife must go out
with him. If his master should give him a
wife and she does bear him sons or daugh
ters, the wife and her children will become
her masters and he will go out by himself.
But if the slave should insistently say, I
really love my master, my wife and my
sons; I do not want to go out as one set
free, then his master must bring him near
to God and must bring him up against the
door or the doorpost and his master must
pierce his ear through with an
awl and he must be his slave
to time indefinite. Ex. 21:
2-6,
NW.
18Here we find a man in
slavery, wholly devoted to his
master, and he goes so far as
to say: I really love my
master. For a Christian,
too, this is the right
frame of mind to be in.
Always he should see
himself in the slavelike
position, eager to serve
the Master, Jehovah, who
has given him life and all its blessings. No
one should ever want to be free from Jeho
vah God, to go his own way. The Devil was
the first one to hold this wrong desire and
his end will be destruction.
19Jehovah God rightfully demands ex
clusive devotion. But when this exclusive
devotion is given to the Sovereign Ruler of
the universe it must be given on the choice
of the individual. He will not be forced to
it. He must desire to give it, willingly,
gladly. No one will drive him into this
position or push him into the service of
Jehovah God. But because of his study of
Gods Word, his wanting to do Jehovahs
will, it is his inclination, his preference,
to be in full harmony with God and Gods

purposes and to be his slave, even as Jeho

vahs Son Christ Jesus was delighted to
do the commandment of his Father.
20
One who has dedicated himself to Je
hovahs service certainly is like this He
brew slave who is willing to be a slave to
time indefinite. As to members of the
New World society, this means for eter
nity. Jehovah so loved the world that
he sent his only-begotten Son to this
earth so that those on earth who choose to
believe on him might have everlasting life.
He arranged for his Son to
purchase the human family.
There are many who will
refuse to recognize them
selves as slaves and come
under this purchase price
and will choose to go their
own way, but that way of
theirs, which is the way of
this world, will mean
their death. John 3:16;
1 John 2:17,
21
The memory
righteous is blessed; but the
name of the wicked shall
rot. (Prov. 10:7, AS) Those who refuse
the ransom will die eternally and thus be
annihilated, never having any existence.
Just as Jehovah God recorded through his
prophet Jeremiah: They shall sleep a
perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the
King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts.
(Jer. 51:57, AS) All persons who have
dedicated their lives to the service of Jeho
vah God must realize that being a Chris
tian is a serious thing; and, as expressed
by Moses, You must not take up the name
of Jehovah your God in a worthless way,
for Jehovah will not leave the one unpun
ished who takes up his name in a worth
less way. (Ex. 20:7, NW) One should not
think that because he has dedicated him
self to Jehovah God and was baptized in

19, 20. How does ones freedom to choose appear here

in our study?

21 Choosing to serve Jehovah brings what obligations?

Ja n u a r y

1, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

21

water, God now is obligated to do every

thing for him. God certainly will carry out
his part of the agreement in blessing and
caring for one; but the slave, who says that
he will give exclusive devotion to Jehovah
God, must also carry out his part of the

arrangement. He must show that he is a

slave, and an obedient one of the Sover
eign Ruler. Ones life is dependent on his
true, genuine worship, and the Father is
looking for such kind of worship, for he
is a God exacting exclusive devotion.

"%
rOST people in the world take
C y Y j . course of least resistance, and
they follow the way of the great majority,
which leads into sin and eventually death
and annihilation. Some think that being a
Christian is a very difficult task, and great
er than they can bear in this wicked world.
Many do not mind being Christians, so
called, of Christendom, where they can
practice all the self-indulgences, carrying
on the lusts of the flesh as Christendom
approves; and they feel that they are do
ing all right. But to be a real Christian,
one who is walking in the footsteps of
Christ Jesus, is considered in the minds of
most people a hard thing to do. But how
can we harmonize the supposedly difficult
task of being a Christian with the expres
sion of Christ Jesus, who said: My load
is light ? Let us see what Jesus said:
Come to me, all you who are toiling and
loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take
my yoke upon you and become my dis
ciples, for I am mild-tempered and lowly
in heart, and you will find refreshment for
your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my
load is light. Matt. 11:28-30, NW.

the2Just what does Jehovah God require us

as Christians to do? As we examine the
Scriptures we find that the first thing is
to preach the Triumphant Kingdom mes
sage throughout all the world for a witness
to all nations. All people are able to talk in
some language and express their feelings
and their thoughts. And if one has a real,
deep feeling of devotion to Jehovah God
and has the mind of Jehovah as expressed
in his Word, then he will preach good news
to others. This in itself certainly is not a
difficult task. Those of mankind who have
been toiling and slaving in the Devils or
ganization and have made themselves
slaves to it Jesus invites to leave their
loaded-down condition and come to him
and be refreshed. Jesus does not ask you
to take the yoke upon yourself and do all
the work alone. The marginal rendering
of this expression Take my yoke says,
Get under my yoke with me. In other
words, pull the same load and do the same
thing that Jesus did when he was upon the
earth. His assigned work was to preach
to the lost sheep of Israel and get them in
line for the blessings of Gods kingdom.
Not only Jesus himself did such preaching
but he sent his disciples out to the villages

1. How do Christendoms supporters think of ones be

coming a footstep follower of Jesus?

2, 3. (a) What does Jehovah require of his dedicated

servants? (b) How did Jesus himself comply with that
requirement and arrange for others to do so?

22

SffieWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn, N . Y .

to preach the good news of the Kingdom.

At his feet he wanted them to become
learners of Jehovahs purposes and then
to tell them out on every occasion.
3In reading the life of Christ in the four
Gospels we do find that Christ was a mildtempered person, lowly in heart; and all
those who came to him found refreshment
for their souls. The sick, on being healed,
were anxious to tell what happened; and
for his immediate followers the only re
sponsibility he placed upon them was to
preach, to talk to others and bring them
comfort. He told them to go from house
to house, from village to village, from city
to city, from country to country. And this
great expansion work of going to non-Jews
from country to country began seven years
after Jesus began his preaching. First of all
the message was to go to the Jews to give
them full opportunity to hear the divine
message; and this message was presented
in a most simple manner, merely by a
speaking program. Certainly that yoke was
kindly. It was not a heavy load placed up
on anyone.
* Well, where does the difficulty arise in
being a Christian? Certainly it is not the
preaching that is difficult. It is the opposi
tion that the Devil brings up against those
mild-tempered and lowly in heart who do
the work that Jesus has assigned to Chris
tians to do. Jesus warned us that the op
position would be intense, but the work
that he gave Christians to do would be
light. It would not be a heavy load, more
than they could bear. In his sermon on the
mount Jesus said: Happy are the pure in
heart, since they will see God. Happy are
the peaceable, since they will be called
sons of God. Happy are those who have
been persecuted for righteousness sake,
since the kingdom of the heavens belongs
to them. Happy are you when people re-

proach you and persecute you and lyingly

say every kind of wicked thing against you
for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since
your reward is great in the heavens; for
in that way they persecuted the prophets
prior to you.Matt. 5:8-12,
3
Jesus, describing conditions that would
exist in the earth in these last days when
this good news of the Kingdom should be
preached, says concerning Christians: But
before all of these things people will lay
their hands upon you and persecute you,
delivering you up to the synagogues and
prisons, you being haled before kings and
governors for the sake of my name. It will
turn out to you for the purpose of a wit
ness. (Luke 21:12, 13,
All this per
secution comes from the Devils crowd be
cause Christians are doing a good thing,
giving Jehovah exclusive devotion. Just be
cause you go about peacefully preaching
the good news, which directs the attention
of people to the Sovereign Ruler of the
universe and to true worship, the Devil
with his demons and his whole organiza
tion will oppose you. So, then, we see the
thing that is hard is the stand we must
take against the Devil and persecutors
whom he raises up against human crea
tures for being faithful to God. The Devil
has always been a cruel taskmaster, but
Jehovah God through his Son Christ Jesus
has given us a work not difficult to do. It
is merely to preach. It is this kind, simple
Kingdom truth that we bring to people
that the Devil objects to. The communistic
nations, the democratic nations, the reli
gionists, the politicians, the commercialists, all object to the persistent earth-wide
heralding of Gods wonderful triumphant
kingdom for the blessing of all mankind.
The objectors do not want it! They are
opposed to Gods kingdom. But despite all
the opposition that comes against Jeho-

4. Where does the difficulty arise in being a Christian

preacher ?

5, 6. (a) Who now comprise opposers of the preachers

of Jehovah's Kingdom message? (b) How do those
preachers regard that opposition?

January 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

vahs witnesses they move forward in

greater numbers and with greater zeal
than ever before in carrying out exclusive
devotion to the Sovereign Ruler, Jehovah.
They are dedicated to God for doing this
service.
6They know by experience that Jesus
words are true: My load is light. They
also know that if they take up this load and
get under the yoke with Christ Jesus they
are going headlong into opposition from
the Devils organization. But despite the
opposers activity, Jehovahs witnesses in
the year 1955 have had the grandest fieldservice report ever offered in honor of
Jehovahs name and in defense of his Word.
They have been bringing the whole tithe
into the treasure house of God, and he has
opened up the windows of heaven and
poured out a blessing till there was no
place for it. (Mai. 3:10, Da) Each year
Jehovahs witnesses recount the blessings
that Jehovah has bestowed upon them by
sending in a report, which indicates the
joy and pleasure they have had in preach
ing this good news of the Kingdom. (See
chart for activity of Jehovahs witnesses
in different parts of the world.)
HIGH LIGHTS OF 1955 SERVICE REPORT

7During the field-service year of 1955,

ending with the month of August, there
was an average of 570,694 ministers
preaching the good news of the Kingdom
in 158 lands. This is an increase of 44,770
more than in 1954; or an 81 per cent in
crease in the average number of persons
going out in the field service monthly,
talking to others concerning the Kingdom.
Many newly interested individuals began
preaching for the first time, and this
brought the peak of publishers up to
642,929 for the 1955 service year.
7. World-wide, how many shared in this preaching work
in 1955?

23

8 One of the great joys of the year was

the bountiful blessing Jehovah poured out
upon his servants during the Triumphant
Kingdom Assemblies of Jehovahs wit
nesses. In the thirteen conventions held
during ten weeks there were 403,682 in at
tendance at the public lecture. But what
brought greater joy to the hearts of all
those who have dedicated themselves to
Jehovah God was that 13,016 other sheep
were baptized during the ten-week period.
Throughout the entire service year many
more persons were determined to give Je
hovah God exclusive devotion; and in the
twelve months of the year 63,642 individ
uals were baptized by complete water im
mersion, declaring themselves to take on
the light load of preaching this good news.
This places responsibility upon those al
ready associated with the New World so
ciety for years, and that is to train these
new ones and bring them on to maturity
and help them see their privilege of being
regular congregation publishers as well as
advancing into pioneer service and special
assignments as missionaries in other parts
of the earth.
9 Today there are 17,011 full-time or
dained ministers working throughout the
world. To these ranks there could be added
many more; and the Society confidently
hopes that those who can arrange their
affairs to get into the full-time minis
terial activity will do so, for in this field
there is an abundant blessing. A slight
decrease in the number of pioneers has
appeared during 1955 service year, there
being 254 fewer full-time ministers than in
1954. We sincerely hope that this becomes
reversed during the 1956 service year, and
that many more will feel confident that
Jehovah will open up the windows of heav8. What added blessings from Jehovah did many of
those preachers share during 1955?
9-12. (a) What features of the report concerning full
time preachers are noteworthy? (b) Concerning litera
ture distribution? (c) Concerning other increases in
1955?

1955 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF JEHOVAHS WITNESSES WORLD-WIDE

Country
U S. of America
Alaska
Bermuda
Fr. Equ. Africa
Guam

1954
Av.
Pubs.
153,969
129
18
582
32

1955
Av.
Pubs.
163,875
124
23
810
36

Iceland
Islands (Light)
Israel
Argentina
Australia

6
4
18
2,939
6,874

9
4
18
3,504
7,603

American Samoa
Fiji Islands
New Caledonia
Papua
Solomon Islands

3
48
18
1

%Inc. Peak
over Pubs.
1955
1954
187,120
6
138
28
28
952
39
45
20

Av.
Pio.
Pubs.
5,809
6
2
2
2

No.
Public
Meetgs
122,249
61
12
90
2

19
11

10
4
23
3,865
8,354

3
4
4
126
314

113
24
2,226
4,286

1
110
294

8 167
47
3 New
37 106
1

17
59
4
61
1

4
3

13
104

1
1

50

Av. Bible
Back-Calls Studies
98,343
8,017,490
72
6,331
27
1,751
272
160,646
30
1,960

Total
Hours
24,878,721
19,237
4,026
102,825
7,090

New
Subs.
609,403
777
252
189

2,654

5,578
2,916
2,170
253,814
437,748

4,790
4,473
7,830
563,674
1,142,125

107
86
70
11,980
21,787

1,275
1,032
967
374,505
717,773

1,682
1,381
2,827
288,043
330,372

10
18
21
2,491
3,640

1,111
4,382
42
326
124

7,914
9,778
198
4,640
190

87
349
6
7

1,269
8,407
87
216
82

3,437
4,038
36
818
70

46
57
2
16
1

No. of
Total
Congs Literature
3,484 14,342,195
12,284
5
1
4,172
7
3,974
1

Individual
Magazines
18,093,164
14,934
1,523

18
3,443
96
3,686
116

23
3,880
101
3,911
127

28
13
5
6
9

37
4,390
116
4,547
144

94
14
81
5

9
2,907
92
2,155
96

1
167
2
91
5

342
246,273
14,546
227,460
9,489

6.194
542,770
26,363
476,327
19,834

24
3,231
306
4,446
115

229
353,809
12,733
229,763
8,269

1,162
239,167
9,129
176,109
8,136

32
1,893
150
1,628
71

Bolivia
Brazil
British Guiana
British Honduras
British Isles

146
6,662
387
92
27,145

149
7,931
441
101
28,073

2
19
14
10
3

163
9,391
509
125
31,639

39
168
46
20
836

121
4,247
381
102
24,695

4
163
18
5
716

19,232
526,886
53,547
9,352
2,412,847

64,752
1,080,086
104,103
36.330
3,786,711

1,302
19,676
668
131
51,883

30,572
414,892
71,843
16,155
2,834,402

23,078
385.250
36,401
14,430
1,527,494

232
4,146
528
201
12,953

Eire
Malta
Burma
Canada
Ceylon

189
6
106
23,944
63

179
7
104
25,306
78

45

6
24

182
8
124
29,178
93

15
799
15

168
5
48
15,094
90

5
1
1
732
2

22,579
412
28,612
1,495,021
15,019

81,096
1,179
32,060
2,961.707
30,418

304
22
460
45,208
493

18,098
306
7,722
1,743,286
11,602

24,116
710
12,804
865,009
10,695

162
7
134
9,627
87

Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba

885
26
478
1,604
9,428

1,034
47
612
1,749
9,656

17
81
28
9
2

1,172
56
662
2,078
10,488

96
3
71
41
314

778

24
1
16
41
288

65,265
731
62,530
33,991
291,487

215,650
7,498
174.529
208,702
1,292.733

4,832

139,524

439
760
5,075

967
1,050
5,789

58,358
40,560
361,529

98,422
4,598
75,457
60,870
412,811

1,297
93
891
1,058
6,340

Cyprus
Denmark
Faroe Islands
Greenland
Dominican Republic

355
7,507
7

356
8,101
8
29
9
3 New
425
30

372
9,207
11
3
478

20
117
3
2

97
5,269
27

10
193
1

8,502
411,658
3,928
584
1,042

55,547
855.942
4,455
478
44,789

327
6,047
99

7,147
458,444
2,310
207
114

21,416
337,831
1,101
278
23,199

289
3,269
4
2
399

Eritrea
Finland
France
Algeria
Morocco
Saar
Senegal
Tunisia

328
228
235
9
292
55

265
259
10
321
61

16
10
11
10
10

319
280
11
357
78

35
22
2
36
11

119
197
11
280
235

6
8
1
10
5

35.548
13,132
1,016
25,945
4,007

76,355
53,713
2,014
82,417
24,030

1,016
792
160
1,061
104

35,004
13,387
1,177
37,137
2,989

33,390
19,510
816
31.335
8,682

371
186
14
377
138

2
5,516
8,056
39
2

2
5,810
8,512
47
3

5
6
21
50

3
6,665
9,883
69
4

196
111
5

1
5,938
5,918
51

377
186
1

93
364.446
540,994
11,338
241

231
762.232
880 144
12,833
197

12,857
9,996
450
4

17
394,906
513,236
8,853
125

88
231,823
383,514
9,726
67

2
2,517
2,910
65
2

624
5
15

663
10
29

6
100
93

754
12
35

6
2
3

319
1
16

31.146
2,503
6,081

76.687
4.265
5,222

725
106
159

38,720
9G0
3,567

35,219
2,035
2,111

191
12
13

11
1

B r o o k lyn , N .Y .

Ecuador
Egypt. .
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
El Salvador
Ethiopia

17

gfceWATCHTOWER

Western Samoa
Austria
Bahamas
Belgium
Luxembourg

2,905
368
10
1,432
688

3,191
466
15
1,482
1,170

392
3
76
2

949
228

30,982
3,877

784
120

29
26
14
12
267
50
20
93

54,635
6,466
3
54
138
5,573
114
141
8
510
232
948
447
104
973
218
31
16
5
3,238
65

4
9
18
5
3
2
34
17
46
44
19
73
10
2
4
2
111
5

35
54
1,612
30
85
28
554
180
415
455
162
672
160
13
29
1
693
12

1
4
247
2
6
1
15
8
17
17
2
43
6
1
2

10
27
50
4
70

3,751
525
21
1,785
1,407

94
76
2
74
51

7
419
6 100
74
1 New
2

501
7
86
2
2

9
7
50
79
13
12
37
25
25
23
7

6,820,946
1,496,439
545
16,439
48,768
363,798
17,087
21.090
3,771
96,169
48,399
156,385
105,870
31,094
209,623
35,182
6,823
5,256
1,920
403,217
12,331

52,630
1,614

114
2

3,781,175
130,093
46
925
2,633
92,310
4,750
9,641
3,625
32,652
16,937
71,462
22,298
28,878
89,249
29,452
4,201
5,450
1,077
197,865
2,210

3,048
417
9
160
227

148
16
1
31
21

117,925
162,599
9,194
2,099
90,337

472,192
160,251
5,089
236,157
222,390

27
4
4

589
8
60

11

24,936
1,386
1,295
18
121

69,936
4.987
12,344
68
219

49
63
2,131
242
115
120
1,436
607
4,529
1,179
553
1,374
1,848
172
347
42
2,451
87

3,855,630
104,613
108
629
1,432
78,596
2,863
8,705
1,937
51,810
21,302
87,453
44,540
3,208
45,104
23,998
1,901
3,180
293
135,311
2,156

2,550,011
383,051
327
5,615
12,786
189,691
7,961
6,525
1,923
36,985
17,066
58,436
37,954
12,745
66,064
14,946
1,610
1,725
656
188,912
5,920

20,163
3,783
2
59
152
1,443
113
52
12
484
274
885
527
227
677
233
15
28
10
1,600
64

1,130
3,399
177

103,587
105,671
8,751

3,838

45,395

156,347
69,254
2,712
109,723
81,760

2,855
800
19
638
708

834
102
60
2
1

12,007
1,033
659
6
17

19,383
1,622
3,476
11
45

184
13
35

14,029
12,858
1,255
9,619
1,033

146
55
2
39
3

923
7,387
57
3,547
603

3,822
6,061
435
3,615
219

43
56
16
42
3

58
Syria
Leeward Islands (Antigua) 48
2
Anguilla
60
Dominica
8
Montserrat

86
52
3
69
8

48
8
50
15

114
60
3
77
9

5
5
1
3
1

28
82

4
1

92
12

3
1

2,391
5,943
120
2,949
376

19
50
6
100
10,486

23
56
7
144
11,873

21
12
17
44
13

26
64
7
160
14,633

2
4
1
15
187

40
32
18
165
6,030

2
2
1
5
436

1,248
4,774
425
14,748
319,621

4,564
11,701
1,522
61,090
1,363,396

7
24
6
321
7,969

1,329
5,499
334
11,014
346,534

2,050
3,797
203
13,922
376,603

21
47
3
178
5,727

8,274
Netherlands
Neth. Antilles (Curacao) 102
98
Aruba
6
Bonaire
252
Newfoundland

8,692
99
86
8
262

5
33
4

9,854
113
99
10
323

159
8
7
1
19

3,104
35
83
8
230

153
2
2
1
26

240,549
13,163
8,296
833
18,760

1,054,202
21,983
19,887
3,172
38,291

4,112
760
563
42
1,019

448,647
22,548
14,169
970
23,951

400,100
9,711
7,192
1,022
12,230

2,932
94
93
12
119

New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Cameroun
Dahomey

1,898
148
16,057
1,043
441

2,214
169
18,666
1,673
583

17
14
16
60
32

2,519
190
19,830
1,991
796

73
25
844
27
26

1,286
122
12,650
2,679
294

82
9
503
38
23

130,507
18,374
203,858
27,866
3,266

286,627
50,034
4,134,773
471,092
198,635

5,212
764
3,192
382
72

215,996
24,380
124,458
13,168
1,954

97,058
19,550
751,993
199,757
37,198

1,077
256
10,575
1,093
668

Northern Rhodesia
Belgian Congo
Kenya
Tanganyika
Uganda

22,381
51
3
242
6

24,377
67
2
266
8

9
31

26,951
181
3
336
11

106

2,882
2

95
2

356
2
1
13
1

111,020
73
47
3,476
192

4,238,670
14,445
363
73,480
578

5,555
13
13
97
20

88,507
7
40
435
159

888,568
5,551
213
13,591
113

15,481
83
4
329
3

Norway
Nyasaland
Portuguese E. Afr.
Pakistan

2,359
11,855
206
63

2,568
12,137
158
64

9
2

2,917
13,153
192
78

70
447
4
11

1,265
11,160
200
113

125
328
4
3

215,124
43,839
277
10,176

310,791
2,878,690
31,023
23,426

3,782
1,036
9
526

222,233
37,083
281
7,013

114,874
828,967
9,095
9,034

811
9,454
119
78

Nevis
St. Kitts
St. Martins
Liberia
Mexico

10
33

SfceWATCHTOWER.

Lebanon
Iraq
Jordan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia

48,446
5,861
3
34
114
4,693
100
130
5
474
204
812
407
94
883
197
28
11
3
2,829
52

1956

Jamaica
Japan
Okinawa
Taiwan
Korea

44,492
5,465
2
19
101
4,190
73
104
4
384
209
756
410
73
703
173
25
3
2
2,356
27

J a n u a r y 1,

Germany, West
Gold Coast
Gambia
Ivory Coast
Togo
Greece
Turkey
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Guatemala
Haiti
Hawaii
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia (Java)
Sulawesi
Sumatra
Timor
Italy
Libya

570,694

ssssss;

525,924

8ag
05
r-T^CMION

CMO tO tO CO

8888$

rH

grtm m as SN
38N88 toegoooo SaS**
16,044

30,868,527

85,832,250

1,008,221

36,500,383

rH

356,260

CQrH

rH
17,011

r-t 00 tO CON

642,929

326
47
3,839
227
497
10,684
4,772
1,166
1,608
520
13
218
109
85
56
2,149
41
1,846
25

Individual
Magazines
66,338
20,110
73,925
359,878
1,909
151
104
153,993
4,931
143
3,261
905
19,837
7,972
30
505,376
192
830
118
5,969
605
3,937
522
142,198
3,867
16,467
658,840
366,106
10,883
85,639
27,675
412
7,120
6,785
3,323
1,564
78,116
478
72,935
12
321,966

ffl

753
5
1,025
1,311
70,551

New
Subs.
1,678
562
1,692
12,128
114
11
8
7,587
224
5
81
11
261
851
1
17,618

Av. Bible
ick-Callsi Studies
884
61,713
11,417
58,812
743,320
9,815
1,540
568
67,606
4,295
234
1,278
7
451
142
15,171
125
7,546
1
59
8,194
654,532
2,649
8,555
5,627
3,852
2,009
78
5,580
125
9,034
12,851
796,379
295
31,370
134
9,615
2,528
316,080
1,738
175,883
207
16,324
1,226
90,587
513
34,108
1,146
9,536
5,388
6,119
3,493
804
69,783
20
607
905
85,923
555
12,564
45,751
,992,094
CO

otal

682
4
886
1,215
64,997

Total
Hours
159,027
30,622
142,753
3,501,356
25,740
2,009
1,318
174,912
7,356
406
3,340
1,847
34,312
19,607
210
3,002,284
6,756
35,181
25,623
7,885
6,136
16,013
44,069
3,169,752
47,701
28,722
831,509
403,130
52,402
244,589
95,833
3,952
29,857
15,131
14,047
9,865
173,631
1,615
219,760
45,406
5,932,418

337,456

t-N tO r -^

S3888

611
2
775
985
58,095

n Snnt?
100
5,735
2,026
175
1,221
933
13
113
94
64
46
530
10
530
112
22,261

31
168
10,776
327
134
6,307
3,474
194
1,321
521

n
to

ssac*0
tH
tH

21
127
10,530
251
107
5,789
3,265
171
1,218
484

9,784
325
166
105
17
27
11
160
11,167

Total
No. o
Cong' s Literature
48,228
31
11,980
58,565
296,646
13,410
458
250
1
144,985
22
2
2,989
162
1
1
963
761
14,341
23,071
254
444,455
553
1,558
433
9,400
725
5,115
1
637
11
151,336
299
11,243
10
14,818
3
340,983
297,169
31,264
55,473
14,579
360
4,287
1,691
1,846
1,352
39,929
20
963
21
68,883
81
26,743
3,136
317,878
t-HOOCOiH

689

16
9

485
28
2
9
11
248
35

No.
Public
Meetgs
617
90
467
6,345

rand

00

15
116
119
5
13,835
30
103
137
30
46
40
195
11,870
366
173
7,350
3,980
213
1,454
571

10
106
102
2
12,253

*838

New

1
70
2

Av.
Pio.
Pubs.
52
12
67
889
9
r-IOOtONCO

1955 %Inc;. Peak

over
Pubs.
Av.
1955
Pubs . 1954
22
1,025
906
205
188
460
563
22,898
24,169
147
188
18
22
200
24
rHoo

4
105
94
2
11,668

1954
Av.
Pubs.
745
175
346
20,690
111
22
81

9SI

LL
Lf8n
f6L

Country
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
Azores
Madeira Islands
Puerto Rico
St. Croix (V.I.)
St. Johns (V.I.)
St. Thomas (V.I.)
Tortola (V.I.)
Sierra Leone
Singapore
North Borneo
South Africa
Angola
Basutoland
Bechuanaland
Mauritius
St. Helena
South-West Africa
Swaziland
Southern Rhodesia
Spain
Surinam
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Trinidad
Barbados
Carriacou
Grenada
St. Lucia
St. Vincent
Tobago
Uruguay
Falkland Islands
Venezuela
Yugoslavia
5 Other Countries

26
S&eWATCHTOWER.
Brooklyn, N .

a
co
a
a

N~

uo
00

Y.

en and pour out a

blessing greater than
the pioneers can con
tain, even as he is do
ing for all of his serv
ants in overflowing
measure. All of these
ministers not only
preach the good news
from house to house
and conduct Bible
studies, but leave
printed sermons with
the people in the form
of Bibles, books, book
lets and magazines,
as well as tracts and
other p u b lica tio n s
that will aid a person
to gain a clear under
standing of what Je
hovahs purposes are
in these last days.
10
During the year
2,927,062 bound vol
umes were distribut
ed along with 27,941,465 pamphlets. In ad
dition to this, 36,500,383 individual copies
of the Watchtower
and Awake! maga
zines were distributed
from house to house
world-wide in forty
different languages.
New subscriptions to
the number of 1,008,221 were taken for
these two magazines,
which shows the in
tense interest on the
part of the general
public in the message
Jehovahs witnesses
have.

Ja n u a r y

1, 1956

SReW ATCH TOW ER.

11There is a way in which each individ

ual can show God that he loves him and
wants to worship him; and this way is by
staying close to Jehovahs organization,
bringing in the tithes to the storehouse,
which includes attending meetings, giving
comments, going from house to house
preaching, carrying on back-call and Bible
study activity in the homes of the people,
attending public meetings and making
what material contributions can be made
to the organization to advance the King
dom interests locally and world-wide. Sure
ly Jehovahs witnesses have been doing
this in 1955. Throughout the world there
are now organized 16,044 congregations
where regular studies are held; and these
congregation publishers who have been at
tending such meetings spend much time, in
addition to worshiping in the Kingdom
Halls, in their going from house to house
preaching the good news. In fact, 85,832,250 hours were spent in house-to-house,
village-to-village, city-to-city, country-tocountry preaching even including iron cur
tain countries that strenuously object to
the work of Jehovahs witnesses. And
when interested people were found, backcalls were made to the extent of 27,143,319,
and eventually these turned into Bible
studies numbering 337,456 home Bible
studies conducted every week throughout
the year in the many languages that the
missionaries and publishers of the King
dom speak. There is very marked interest
in the work Jehovahs witnesses are doing,
because at Memorial time, April 7, 1955,
878,303 persons gathered at Kingdom Halls
and celebrated the death of Christ Jesus;
and, of these, 16,815 profess to be of the
little flock.
12 So the work of Jehovahs witnesses
goes on grandly. Jehovahs blessing is truly
upon his New World society. And when we
look back over the past ten years we see

27

what prosperity Jehovah has brought to

his people. In 1945 there was an average of
127,478 publishers sharing in the preach
ing work. But today we have an average
of 570,694.
13 As we compare accomplishments of
1955 with previous years we find it is away
ahead of any other year in announcing the
triumphant kingdom. Because of the suc
cess of Jehovahs witnesses many religion
ists have accused the Watch Tower Society
of being a book-selling organization. But
when one looks over the annual report of
the Society surely he can see that all those
who have devoted themselves to the inter
ests of the Kingdom are ordained minis
ters, interested in preaching and in placing
in the hands of the people things that will
bring blessings to them. And so the printed
sermons that are published in the Watchtower magazine, the books and the book
lets that are distributed in great numbers,
have brought untold comfort to the hearts
and minds of the people. In order to keep
up with the demand on the part of the
public for the message that Jehovahs wit
nesses are bringing them, it has been neces
sary to print 86,590,360 magazines The
Watchtower and Awake! and 46,792,097
Bibles, books and booklets, world-wide.
These publications could never be printed
in such large quantities were it not for
the contributions made by Jehovahs wit
nesses themselves to the Society.
14 It should be kept in mind that thirty
years ago the Watch Tower magazine was
being offered at a dollar contribution for a
years subscription. Then came the de
pression and inflation and todays
world prosperity with great increases in
costs of paper, ink, machinery and build
ing; but still, after all these years have
passed with stupendous changes in the
13, 14. What effects of the steadily increasing distribu
tion of magazines and other Watch Tower publications
offset religious critics claims?

28

W ATCH TOW ER.

Brooklyn, N . Y .

world, the Watchtower magazine is being work very difficult and tries to throw every
offered to the people at one dollar a year obstacle in its way that he can to slow it
for a subscription, twenty-four copies. If down or turn Gods servants away from
it were not for the generosity of Jehovahs true worship. In this he will fail, for in the
witnesses in supporting the printing of end all persons who gain eternal life will
these sermons, this extensive distribution give to Jehovah God exclusive devotion.
could never be accomplished. Furthermore, He will be alone in the universe as the
if it were not for the zeal and the devotion Sovereign Ruler, even as he is now, only
that all of these witnesses are giving to with opposition. In that new world of
Jehovah God, this distribution could never righteousness all the opposition of Satan
be reported here. It is their labor of love the Devil and his demons, and all those
that makes it possible for the New World who side with him, will be destroyed,
society to put the literature out in such annihilated, moved out of existence; and
there will remain true worshipers in the
tremendous quantities.
entire earth, all giving to God exclusive
15
To do this work is a joy to the heartdevotion. Jehovah puts the test to every
of every one of Jehovahs servants; and one today. Are you willing to meet the
they fully agree with Christ Jesus when test?namely, Bring the whole tithe into
he said: My load is light. Our work is to the treasure-house, that there may be food
preach this good news of the Kingdom. in my house, and prove me now herewith,
The Devils organization, the archenemy saith Jehovah of hosts, if I open not to
of Jehovah God, is trying to make this you the windows of the heavens, and pour
you out a blessing, till there be no place
15. How do Jehovah's devoted servants regard their
for
it. Mai. 3:10, Da.
preaching responsibilities?

Serving with Jehovah's Channel of Communication

IS

EHOVAH has a channel of communica John the Baptist. Then men were favored
tion on earth? Yes, even as earthly gov with the most direct line possible, Jesus
ernments have channels of communication Christ. He who had from of old personally
for their subjects, so the great Ruler of the heard Jehovahs words at his mouth and
universe, Jehovah God, ever since he who had served as a channel of communi
placed intelligent creatures upon this cation to angels and to men, both directly
earth, has had channels of communication, and indirectly, now was serving as Jeho
but always only one at a time, to make vahs direct channel of communication to
known to men his will and purposes re men.
While serving thus he also trained oth
garding them. Thus Adam, in that he was
used to inform Eve of Gods law, served as ers, around whom a continuous channel of
communication could be established so that
a line of communication.*
Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and espe there would be no interruption upon his
cially Moses, likewise served as Jehovahs returning to heaven. Ever since the pour
channels of communication in their day. ing out of the holy spirit at Pentecost the
After Moses certain judges and then a long anointed followers of Christ have thus
line of prophets did likewise serve until served as a channel of communication,
making known Jehovahs purposes as these
* For details see The Watchtower, May 15, 1955.

January 1, 1S56

29

WATCHTOWER.

became progressively clearer. This has re

sulted in bringing startling information
even to angels: This was to the end that
now to the governments and the author
ities in the heavenly places there might be
made known through the congregation the
greatly diversified wisdom of God. Eph.
NW.
3:10,
Today Jehovah has again a channel of
communication in the earth, through which
he is causing Proverbs 4:18 (.AS) to be
fulfilled: The path of the righteous is as
the dawning light, that shineth more and
more unto the perfect day. Among the
evidences pointing to the anointed Chris
tian witnesses of Jehovah as a group being
that channel are these: their witnessing

to Jehovahs name and established king

dom; their accepting the entire Word of
God; their keeping separate from the
world, and their being persecuted by all
nations.
Those who appreciate the foregoing
facts will gladly serve with Jehovahs chan
nel of communication in this day by mak
ing public declaration in the Christian
congregation, by witnessing to the truth at
every opportunity and by so arranging
their affairs that they can have the great
est possible share in preaching the good
news of the Kingdom. Are you a dedicated
Christian witness? If so, are you making
the most of your opportunities of serving
with Jehovahs channel of communication?

I I
RIUMPNANT

O F

//

INGDOM

1955

many lands were to meet for five days in the

fourth of the 1955 assembly series. In addition
to the Cotton Bowl the large livestock pavilion
PART 3
nearby in the Fair Park was to be used for the
DALLAS, TEXAS, JULY 13-17, 1955
holding of a simultaneous convention in Span
ish. To this the friends from all Latin-American
lands were invited. The program was accord
H ER E were about 500 friends out at the
ingly printed in English and Spanish.
Dallas airport to welcome the Societys
Because of the intense heat that was expected
president and his two traveling compan
in the open Cotton Bowl from a broiling after
ions on their arrival Tuesday evening, July 12,
noon sun, no meetings were programmed for
by plane from Los Angeles. Movie photogra
afternoons. The afternoons were left open for
phers were on hand to record the event, and
field service by the conventioners; and the presi
KRLD-TV telecast the arrival over channel 4
dents meetings with the servants of districts,
that night. About thirty-live out-of-town news
circuits and congregations, usually held in the
papers had published advance news releases
morning, were held under cover in the early
concerning the coming convention at the Cot
afternoon. A ll assembly sessions were timed
ton Bowl. Famous throughout the United
for mornings and evenings. The practicalness
States, the Cotton Bowl is the second-largest
of this could be better appreciated after the
stadium in the South, having a seating capacity
temperature rose to 101 degrees Fahrenheit
of 75,347; and here witnesses of Jehovah from

30

SfteWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

the first afternoon and then climbed to 104

degrees F. the second afternoon. A t the Van
couver (B.C.) assembly thousands of witnesses
of Jehovah had braved the cold and rain; here
in Dallas they braved the heat and also a sud
den downpour. Here also the assembly took
on an international touch, with ten delegates
from Hawaii and other brothers from Argen
tina, India, Alaska, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba and Puerto Rico,
besides those from forty states of the American
union.
Running with sweat, the president delivered
his opening address in the morning to an audi
ence of 8,172, in the Cotton Bowl. A t the same
time the same speech was being delivered in
Spanish by the vice-president to 745 of Jeho
vahs sheep at the Livestock Pavilion. This
totaled up to 8,917 for these simultaneous ses
sions. Instead of dropping for the night ses
sions, the attendance increased to 10,658. Dur
ing the final half hour over at the Pavilion the
president by means of an interpreter spoke to
980, fo r a while answering prepared written
Bible questions and then speaking extempo
raneously to them on advisable things, which
they much appreciated. To their surprise and
joy he released to them the new booklet in
Spanish, This Good News of the Kingdom.

ceived international attention, fo r messages,

telegrams and cablegrams from brothers in
Latin America and distant lands, including
those in the Orient, kept pouring in with greet
ings and prayers for this assembly.

Incidentally, tonight, far to the east, in New

York city, 500 Europe-bound delegates entrained
for transportation to Quebec City, there to
board two ocean liners, chartered by the Watch
Tower Society, the Arosa Star and the Arosa
Kulm. They were given a big send-off by New
York brothers who had to remain behind. From
other directions other brothers also were con
verging on Quebec City, and on the afternoon
of the following day, Thursday, July 14, the
Star and the Kulm steamed down the Saint
Lawrence River with 1,589 joyful conventioners
aboard, bound for the international assembly
in London, England.

Late Saturday night it rained and there were

heavily clouded skies Sunday morning. This
morning there were six interesting delegates
to the assembly. A t Seagoville, some sixteen
miles to the southeast of Dallas, there were six
young witnesses of Jehovah detained at a fed
eral correctional institution because of holding
fast to their integrity to Him. The request was
made to the prison warden that these might be
permitted to be brought to the nearby assembly
to share in the Sunday morning sessions. The
warden applied to the Director of the Bureau
of Prisons at Washington and he authorized
their attendance. So eight seats were reserved
at the Cotton Bowl, and the prison warden and
a guard brought the six young men to the as
sembly and they all occupied the reserved seats.
After the closing remarks by the president
the entire group were taken to the assembly
cafeteria and treated to a free dinner. About
twenty young men volunteering their services
at the cafeteria recognized the warden, shook
hands with him and expressed appreciation of
how nicely he had treated them when they too
were at Seagoville. The warden was much im
pressed by their kindly attitude. Also, the po-

In Fort W orth, Texas, this Thursday morn

ing two stations telecast some of the activities
at Dallas. This evening a thunderhead came
up to cool off the atmosphere, and there was
lightning, also wind. For a time the Cotton
Bowl became a dust bowl, and it was neces
sary to fasten down things on the speakers
platform. From then on the convention tem
perature moderated somewhat. The nights at
tendance for both English and Spanish was
13,426, and all were thoroughly enjoying the
spiritual feast. The convention here also re-

The Friday morning baptism had eightyseven Spanish-speaking ones among the total
of 468 immersed. Because of the racial dis
tinction that still dominates the local situation,
the thirty-five candidates of African extraction
were immersed in Exline Park swimming pool,
all the others in the Randall Park swimming
pool. But where one is baptized makes no differ
ence; in any place this symbol of baptism de
notes the same obedience to the divine will.
Similarly the assembly at Dallas was one inter
national assembly, although the language dif
ference separated 1,738 Spanish-speaking Satur
day night from the 14,341 English-speaking
assembled in the nearby Cotton Bowl. Among
the telegrams received this Saturday were two
interesting ones: the first from the Arosa Kulm
assured us here that the 795 passengers aboard
were remembering the Dallas assembly; the
second from the Arosa Star also bespoke that
the 794 aboard had us, 16,079 here, in mind
and heart. The two chartered ships bound for
England were then cruising off the shores of
Labrador.

Ja n u a r y

1, 1956

31

SReWATCHTOWER.

lice at the Fair Park were impressed by the

unusual co-operativeness and cleanliness of the
conventioners. One policeman confessed he had
never taken an interest in us before. You peo
ple have something! " he added. But religious
prejudice kept the newspaper publicity down
to 517.5 column inches.
Incidentally, today during the progress of
the Dallas assembly two Flying Tigers at
New York city's Idlewild airport took to the
air loaded almost to capacity with convention
ers availing themselves of early flight facilities
across the Atlantic to be on hand for the Lon
don (England) assembly the following week.
The public lecture on W orld Conquest Soon
by God's Kingdom was billed for eight
oclock tonight in both English and Spanish.
During the hour-and-a-half program that pre
ceded this a threatening storm cloud began ap
proaching from the southwest and fanned out
over Dallas. A ll other clouds closed in with it
to form a pitch-black cloud mass over the city,
from which lightnings flashed. The effect on
the thousands of the public who m ay have
thought of attending the public lecture in the
open, coverless Cotton Bowl can be imagined.
So only 14,825 turned out for the talk by the
president in the Bowl and 1,508 for the same

talk in Spanish by the vice-president in the

Pavilion, or a total of 16,409. As soon as the
president under the drapeless canopy on the
platform began to speak, down came a heavy
rain. Fortunately he had donned his raincoat
and rubber overshoes, but thousands before
him in the Bowl moved back under cover of
the corridors beneath the stands. Many, how
ever, kept sitting under umbrellas in the rain
in full view of the speaker, who offset the sud
den difficulty by endeavoring to make this his
best delivery yet of this powerful lecture. The
rain beating down on the tin top of the canopy
over him produced a background noise over
the loud-speakers, but the message continued
going out till its grand climax and the release
of the free booklet to this faithful audience.
Over at the Pavilion the booklet was released
for the first time in Spanish and elicited a great
applause that kept up till the speaker departed
for the airport with the president to fly to New
York city. The conventioners now began to de
part to share their blessing with those back
home, and the nine congregations in Dallas
with a total of more than 700 active Kingdom
ministers were left to take advantage of all the
fine effects of the assembly upon the inhabit
ants of Greater Dallas.
(To be continued)

pleteness, for that would leave no room for

the resurrected multitudes that are to come.
Gen. 1:28, NW .

W h at is meant by a token fulfillment of the

procreation mandate? Is not its fulfillment to
be more than just a token? A . L., United States.
The general mass of mankind, those who
practiced vile things, will not be brought into
the new world by resurrection until the
thousand-year reign is well along and paradi
saic conditions have overspread the earth. (John
5:28, 29; Luke 23:43, N W ) It is the survivors
of Armageddon that will join in carrying out
the command to be fruitful and become many
and fill the earth with righteous offspring. But
their fulfilling of this command cannot be un
derstood to mean populating the earth to com

Hence, rather than a complete fulfillment of

the procreation mandate it is a token fulfill
ment. It will constitute a token of what God
could accomplish. It will demonstrate Jeho
vahs power to populate the earth with a right
eous race by means of human procreation, as
purposed at the time of creation. W e have an
example of such a token fulfillment in Noah's
perfect number of generations ( 1 0 X 7 = 70)
after the flood. (Gen. 9: 1) So the filling of the
earth by the other sheep surviving Armageddon
will betoken or represent or demonstrate Jeho
vahs power to accomplish the procreation m an
date in this way, and hence m ay be called a
representative fulfillment or a token fulfillment,
but not a complete one that would leave no
room for the later resurrection of those who
practiced vile things.

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

February 5: Exclusive Devotion, 111*18. Page 8.

February 12: Exclusive Devotion, 1119-21, and
Choose W hom You W ill Serve/ HI-16.
Page 13.
February 19: Choose W hom You W ill Serve/
1117-21, and My Load Is Light. Page 19.

W*

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The W atchtower, do you remember

Why true religion must involve Bible edu
cation? P. 3, f|3.
^ What three conflicting attitudes compose
European thinking? P. 4, Hi.
P^ What advances have been made in recent
years even in conquered Poland? P. 5, Ti2.
P^ What religious attitudes made Africa a
spiritually dark continent? P. 6, 113.
P^ What major problems Christian expansion
has met in Africa? P. 7, Hi.
Why there are so many false forms of

worship, and what would result from follow

ing them? P. 9, 1)6.
P^ Whether

baptism

really

is

necessary?

P. 16, 114.

P^ Whether really walking in Jesus footsteps

is too hard a thing for you to do? P. 21, l i l .
How many new subscriptions for the
Watchtower and Awake! magazines were
taken last year? P. 26, II10.
P^ Who, in ancient times, served as Jeho
vah s channels of communication? P. 28, H3.

32

'^ T T T L O U T ie iT IL g

JANUARY 15, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

THE TABLE OF D EM O N S VERSUS

THE TABLE OF JEHO VAH

RELIGION BECOMES A FAD

THE TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM*

ASSEMBLIES OF 1955
W TB& T S

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS J E H O V A H Isa .43:12

T H E PU RPO SE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advances as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
well the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times, God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W a tchtow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H . K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

P r in t in g t h is iss u e :

CONTENTS
Religion in Form Only

35

Religion Becomes a Fad

36

Something Radically W ron g

Modern History of Jehovahs Witnesses
Part 26: Expansion in Asia
and the Pacific Area

39

Field Experience

43

The Table of Demons versus The

Table of Jehovah

44

One Body of Partakers

55

The Triumphant Kingdom Assemblies

of 1955 (Part 4)

61

40

Abbreviations asid In The Watchtower lor th. following B ill* versions

AS A T Do Dy ED

he

American Standard Version

An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
- The Emphatic Diaglott
- Isaac Leesers version

Unless otherwise

indicated,

the

L X X
M o
N W

Ro
RS
Yg

- The Septuagint Version

- James Moffatts version

2,300,000

F iv e c e n t s a c o p y

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

New World Translation

J. B. Rotherham's version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Youngs version

Bible used is the

King James Version

Semimonthly
Indonesian
Afrikaans
Cebu-Vlsayan
Italian
Clnyanja
Japanese
Danish
Norwegian
English
Slovenian
Finnish
Spanish
French
Swedish
German
Tagalog
Twi
Hollandlsb
Ilocano
Zulu

Monthly
Arabic
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
Greek
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo
Kanareee
Korean
Malayalam
Pangaslnan

Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese
Slloxi
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Bd.. Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
$1
England, 84 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamaiea, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0. Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Afrlea, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinldad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$1.7 2
Bsmittanees should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well aa new address.
Entered as second class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y .,
Act of March 3, 1 87 9. Printed in U.S.A.

'T ^ n rioziT icirig

JEH O V AH S
KINGDOM
J a n u a ry 1$, 1956

Num ber 2

E ARE living in a world of outward garments. (Matt. 23:5, NW) These

appearances. Outward appearanc scripture-containing cases or phylacteries
es are often deceptive. This can hardly be were leather cases containing strips of vel
illustrated more strikingly than by the case lum on which were written the words of
of the Pharisees. After the return from Exodus 13:1-10, 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4Babylonian captivity, Pharisaism became 9; 11:13-21. These phylacteries, worn on
the faith of the orthodox Jews; in Jesus the forehead or on the arm, became an im
day the profession of Pharisaism became portant appendage of the Pharisees ap
very popular, even a fad. To be a Phari pearance, so much so that some wore them
see meant respectability. Outwardly the ostentatiously broad. This was either that
Pharisees appeared wholly righteous, in they might have the more written on them,
deed, the most religious of men. Always or that, the characters being larger, they
numbered in their ranks were men of sin might be the more visible; thus they could
cerity and of the highest standing. Yet acquire greater esteem among the people.
For this reason Jesus said to them:
what do we find? That the Pharisees took
a prominent part in plotting the death of Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo
crites! because you re
Jesus. How can we ex
sem ble w h itew ash ed
plain that? By under
graves, which outward
Outward show is no substitute for^
standing that the Phari
inner worth. Especially is this true
ly indeed appear beauti
sees were religious fad
in religion, for God looks upon the
ful but inside are full of
dists; they had religion
heart. Why, then, do some people
dead mens bones and of
in form but not in truth.
practice religion but prove false to
every kind of unclean
In the twenty-third
its power? Is the present boom in
religion
a
sign
of
true
faith
or
just
ness. In that way you
chapter of Matthew we
a
hollow
fad?
READ
THIS
ARTICLE
also, outwardly indeed,
read how Jesus scath
AN D THE ONE FOLLOWING.
ap p ear r ig h te o u s to
ingly denounced these
religious faddists: All
men, but inside you are
the works they do they do to be viewed full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matt.
NW.
by men; for they broaden the scripture- 23:27, 28,
Just as a wolf in sheeps clothing is
containing cases that they wear as safe
guards, and enlarge the fringes of their more dreadful to the unsuspecting flock,
35

36

SReWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

so those outwardly righteous religionists

were a great source of peril to others. Je
sus emphasized this by using another force
ful illustration: Woe to you, because you
are as those memorial tombs which are not
in evidence, so that men walk upon them
and do not know it! (Luke 11:44, NW)
Since the law of Moses considered unclean
those who had touched anything belonging
to the dead, the Jews took care to have
their tombs whitewashed each year, that,
being easily discovered, they might be
avoided. But the Pharisees their unclean
ness was not apparent, they were hidden
graves, unsuspected tombs! The people
stumbled on the Pharisees, not knowing
they had touched death and were defiled.
Outward show but no inner worth: that
was the religion of the Pharisees. They
were the kind of religious faddists well de
scribed by Christs apostle as men cor
rupted in mind and despoiled of the truth,
thinking that godly devotion is a means of
gain. But not only the Pharisees were
faddists. The entire Jewish nation was
deeply religious; their form of godly devo
tion was highly impressive but inwardly

their religion was hollow. Most of them

stumbled on Jesus, rejecting him as the
Messiah; not only that, but in the days of
the prophets they showed that their godly
devotion rested on a substratum of selfish
ness. So Jesus told the religious faddists:
You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied
about you, when he said: This people hon
ors me with their lips, yet their hearts are
far removed from me. 1 Tim. 6:5;
Matt. 15:7, 8, NW.
The case of the religious faddists in Je
sus day is most significant now. Why? Be
cause Christs apostle foretold as a con
crete sign of the last days of this present
wicked system of things that there would
be a boom in religion Pharisaical religion.
Do we see it? Do we see multitudes of peo
ple who have religion in their confessions,
their catechisms, their prayers, their songs,
their books, their oaths and their mottoes
but are yet destitute of the power of godly
devotion? In short, do we see people who
have religion in form but not in truth? For
the views of prominent clergymen on these
questions see the following article.

does the American president open his

cabinet meetings with silent prayer, not
only is there a meditation room for prayer

in the Capitol in Washington, not only do

religious books appear week after week on
best-seller lists, not only have the words

January

15, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER.

37

zine for September 20,1955,

In God we trust been in
USE OF RELIGION
Dr. Blake raised the provoc
scribed on United States
ative question: Is the re
postage stamps, but what is
ligious
boom a spiritual
more significant is that
bust?
His
answers, too,
church construction has
suggested
that
religion has
reached an all-time high as
become a fad.
the pews of established
But why should religion
churches overflow. More
become
a fad? Because peo
over, statistics in the Year
ple
are
finding
that religion
book of American Churches
can often get them what
for 1956 show that 97,482,they want. This is the opin
711 Americans are now
ion of leading clergymen.
church members about 60
Declared cleric Henry Knox
per cent of the population.
Sherrill, presiding bishop of
This compares with a fig
the Protestant Episcopal
ure of only 16 per cent a
Church in America: Much
century ago. Apparently
of the revival of religious
people are interested in re
interest seems to place the
ligion, stated yearbook edi
emphasis on using God for
tor Dr. Benson Y. Landis,
to an unprecedented degree in modern our own purposes of success, of health, of
freedom from burdens and strain. (Look,
times. What does all this mean?
The consensus of opinion among promi September 20, 1955) Agreeing with this is
nent clergymen who have recently spoken cleric James A. Pike, dean of New York
on the subject is that the religious boom citys Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
means little because it is more hollow than Said Dean Pike: In the realm of personal
religion, there is a tendency to seek to
sound, more of a fad than of faith.
use
God as one of a number of resources
Thus it was that cleric C. Newman Hogle
to
enable
us to get what we want and enjoy
of New Yorks First Methodist Church in
life
as
we
would. True religion puts God
Jamaica, Queens, agreed with Billy Gra
first
and
us
second; its true prayer is: Thy
ham that the current religious boom is in
a number of ways hollow. (New York will be done with our help; not my will be
done with Thy help. New York Times,
T i m e s ,September 12,1955) And preacherwriter Bernard Iddings Bell, canon of the September 6, 1955.
A similar appraisal of the religious boom
Episcopal Church, said: Religion has be
was
expressed by Dr. Blake in his Look
come a fad. Theres an awful lot of people
magazine
article. It has become fashion
joining the church, but what it means I
able
now,
says cleric Blake, to make an
dont know. Im not sure it means any
instrument out of God by using religion
thing___ Its too easy to be in the church.
(Time, January 17, 1955) Also expressing for selfish ends. Explains Dr. Blake: Con
the view that the religious boom may be cern is expressed today that many people
just a fad or a shadow is Dr. Eugene G. with a new religious interest are attempt
Blake, a leading Protestant spokesman and ing to turn that interest into magic; to use
president of the National Council of God for their own purposes rather than to
Churches of Christ in the United States. serve God and find his purposes. To try to
Writing in a feature article in Look maga- use God for any purpose, however noble,

38

SEeWATCHTOWER.

is always wrong. . . . The concern of the

churches is that there appears to be a
growing interest in what a religion can do
for a man, without an accompanying moral
concern about what a religious man ought
to be and do.
In what ways are the masses using re
ligion for their own selfish gain? Rabbi
William F. Rosenblum of New Yorks Tem
ple Israel suggested that much of the re
vival is just a flight from fear. Dr.
Landis, editor of the American churches
yearbook, suggested that the awesome
destructive power of atomic energy may
have something to do with it. And Dr.
Blake aptly raised the question whether
the religious boom is the parallel of fox
hole religion in the age of atomic fission.
Closely related to those who use reli
gion to escape from fear are the peace-ofmind seekers, those who go to church to
be soothed and lulled by music, prayer and
psychology. Of these Dr. Blake writes:
Perhaps the most popular religious move
ment in American churches today is the
effort to purvey peace of mind to anxious
men. Here again, we need to remember
that a Christian ought to be poised in spir
it, an integrated person above the fear and
anxiety neuroses that affect so many mod
em men. . . . The Christian Gospel must
not be distorted to give a sense of peace to
men where there is no peace and ought not
to be.
Another reason why religion is becom
ing a fad is its use in the quest for suc
cess, the kind of success qualified by the
word financial. Of this Dr. Blake writes:
Mammon is dressed up in modem clothes
and the word of Jesus is changed from:
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you, to the slightly different
but idolatrous, Believe in the Man up
stairs and he will make you prosperous
and successful.

B rooklyn, N . Y.

Also throwing light on the fad for reli

gion is the increase in the number of people
who crowd the offices and haunts of the
Father Divines, the Oral Roberts and the
Prophet Joneses and the hundreds of other
purveyors of faith who suggest that they
have direct commissions from God to pro
vide everyone with health. Of the teeming
adherents of faith healers, Dr. Blake
writes: Modem man, worried about the
security of his job, is also neurotically con
cerned about his health. . . . People would
not go to healers unless they believed
themselves sick and knew nowhere else
to go.
The dread of communism also illumi
nates the religious fad, for people have
come to view religion as the instrument to
combat communism. Here again, says
Dr. Blake, to try to use God or religion
even for this vital purpose is to make an
instrument out of God. Similarly, Dean
Pike comments: We are told that we
should return to religion to strengthen us
against communism. Of course we are
against communism and if as a people we
were truly devoted to Godwith Him first
in our lives we would be secure and noth
ing would disturb our peace. But to seek
to use God, who is everlasting, as a means
to attain something that is earthbound
something that is part of the passing show,
namely, our particular national interest
is to turn things completely around.
New York Times, September 6,1955.
Then there is the feeling prevalent
among religious faddists that church at
tendance is a useful family practice and
not unhelpful to ones reputation. Of this
gleaming cloak of respectability furnished
by religion, philosopher John Dewey wrote:
It seems to me that the chief danger to
religion lies in the fact that it has become
so respectable. It has become largely a
sanction of what socially exists a kind
of gloss upon institutions and conventions.

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER

(The Christian Century, July 13, 1955) It

is this mantle of respectability that many
religious faddists find expedient to wear.
But the use of religion as a cloak of re
spectability does not conceal the worlds
moral rottenness. The greatest morals de
cline in history brands the present reli
gious revival as hollow. Though church
membership in the United States has
grown faster than the population the grim
fact remains that crime has grown faster
than church membership. Thus Dr. Blake
writes: Today in our country, it is a cause
of worry that morality seems to be on a de
cline at the moment when there appears to
be a religious boom. Then he declares:
Religion without morality is no religion
at all.
So vising religion as a blind for moral
badness is another of the instruments used
by faddists. Of course, there is nothing

39

wrong with such things as the desire for

health, the desire for success and the de
sire for peace. But when they are made
into objects of mans ultimate concern,
declares Dr. Blake, then they become
idols and their devotees fanatics. Then re
ligion is just a fad, the thing to do. Then
our faith is but a shadow, a spiritual bust.
What the modern world is experiencing,
then, is a boom all right, but it is a boom
in false religion. This in itself is most sig
nificant. For a boom of false religion, an
precedented number of religious faddists
all this constitutes further evidence of the
last days sign: Know this, that in the
last days critical times hard to deal with
will be here. For men will be lovers of
themselves, . . . having a form of godly
devotion but proving false to its power.
2 Tim. 3:1-5, NW.

50RIETHIRG RRDICniLV UIR0I1G

C. Back in 1879 a noted pastor wrote about the lack of mental alertness on the
part of a large number of parishioners. W h y this mental stagnation? Pastor
T. Dewitt Talm age gave his answer in the Christian Herald of January 23, 1879;
the answer is enlightening today; W hen I was a layman, worshiping in the
pews, I noticed that religion was very often associated with dullness. . . . I
noticed what every layman notices and remarks, that there is something rad
ically wrong in the Church of God at this day. In our boyhood days we tried
every kind of art to keep awake in church. W e ate caraway-seed, and cloves,
and cinnamon, and held up one foot until it began to ache, and pinched ourselves
until we were black and blue. Or we got stimulus from an older brother who
stuck us with a pin. . . . W h at is the use of hiding the fact that there is much
sleeping done in the churches? Many of our churches are great Sunday dormi
tories. Men who are troubled at home with insomnia and cannot sleep on the
pillow at night, find in churches sometimes the needed anodyne. I f we do not
keep our audiences awake, it is the fault of us, the clergy, and not the fault
of the people.

Insight into the Spiritual Famine

Under the heading Wanted Good Jokes a publication called Bowman's Facts
and Fun for Farmers recently contained the following request: I want all the
new, clean, mild or hilarious jokes I can get. I cannot get too many of them.
The request was signed Rev. R. B. Fisher, Medina, Ohio.

theless, Jehovah has some of honest and

contrite heart in these lands who are being
hunted out by His witnesses.
In 1942 the vast continent of Asia was
practically untouched as far as Jehovahs
witnesses were concerned. In that year 406
ministers were reported active in six
lands, mostly in or near India. In Japan the
work was banned during the war years.
From March to May, 1947, the Societys
president, together with his secretary,
made an extensive tour throughout the Far,
Middle and Near East visiting witnesses in
Asiatic lands.b Arrangements were made
to open missionary centers in all these
various countries visited. At first in 1947
only seventeen missionaries were sent, but
by 1955 there were 186 missionaries scat
tered in 18 lands of Asia, including Ja
pan. Language has been a great barrier
and the missionaries have worked hard
to communicate with the peoples in their
own tongue. From 406 in 1942 the number
of active ministers in Asia rose to 4,541
in 1955. After much difficulty solid foun
dations have been laid in such countries
as Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, Burma,
Thailand, India, Korea, parts of China and
finally in Japan.0
Actually Asia should be called the
dark continent as far as true Chris
tianity is concerned. Note the following
small beginnings.3

Hi SIA, the largest of the continents, is

C . / a gigantic land mass. What success
do Jehovahs witnesses have in preaching
to its 1,272 million inhabitants?4 The an
swer is that they find it slow and difficult to
make progress, but progress there is. Asia
is the home of heathendom. It is the center
of Eastern culture. It is the nursing ground
for the great non-Christian religions of Mo
hammedanism, Hinduism, Buddhism and
Confucianism. This gives rise to a compli
cated, conglomerated state of mind that is
difficult to describe. Asiatics are steeped in
tradition and ancient folklore. No matter
how illogical or unreasonable a matter may
seem to the Western mind, to the Eastern
mind it is accepted as fact without proof.
Their complicated languages reflect a state
of early confusion stemming from the days
of the confusion of tongues at Babel. The
Asiatic mind finds it difficult to accept new
ways, to simplify and to make advanta
geous changes. They fear conversion and
dislike others offering them help. Many
continually live in a realm of unreality and
refuse to face modern facts of life. The
abounding of idolatry, ancestor worship
and immorality (practically no moral re
straints exist, through having no concep
tion of sin) has brought the mentality of
the Asiatic very low; so low, in fact, that
many lead an existence not far from that
of animals. To such a degree of debasement
has the Devil driven these masses. Never-

b W 1947, pp. 236-240, 251-256.

I f f 1951, pp. 588, 6S1-637; 1948 Yearbook, p. 165;
1950 Yearbook, pp. 189, 190.
d 1954 Yearbook, p. 273; 1956 Yearbook, pp. 32-37.

a 1955 World Almanac; statistics do not include the

U.S.S.R.
40

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

Year

Number
of Lands

1942

406

93,223

1947
1952

8
19

1955

18

475
2,274
4,541

140,661
504,301
915,269

Number of
Ministers

Number of
Preaching Hours

Today there is only one of Jehovahs wit

nesses for every 280,000. What need there
exists for the preaching of the good news
in this continent! But now that a solid
start has been made, the power of Gods
Word will reach out until many more in
this vast human sea of spiritual darkness
transform their thinking to that of pure
Christianity.
ISLANDS OP THE PACIFIC

Completing our world survey of the

global expansion of Jehovahs witnesses,
we finally come to the beautiful islands of
the Pacific including the Philippines, Aus
tralia, New Zealand and the many others.
In this vast expanse of the Pacific
live more than 110 million islanders
made up of Polynesians, Asiatics and
Europeans. In some respects their lot
is better than that of those masses
on the mainland of Asia. Asiatic cul
ture, thinking and religion hold con
siderable influence over these insular
inhabitants. European political dom
ination having been exercised over
these islands for generations, demo
cratic ways, too,
are manifest. So
here the Eastern
mind meets the
W estern mind,
this resulting in
a m ix tu re o f
th in k in g. Con
siderable educa
tion secularly is avail
able for a large seg

41

ment of the population. The Bible has been

circulated here in several languages for
more them a century. All this has made for
easier Christian development and expan
sion. The people do not live at such a rapid
pace of life. They are friendly and quite
readily receive Jehovahs witnesses as wel
comed visitors.
In Australia the witnesses had estab
lished a branch office of the Watch Tower
Society away back in 1903, and they had
in course of time expanded from there to
New Zealand and other islands. Though
the Pacific war was still at its height in
1942, nevertheless three lands reported
4,275 active ministers. N. H. Knorr and
M. G. Henschel made a flying trip early in
February, 1947, to all the major centers
in the Pacific, holding conventions, seek
ing out places for missionary homes and
making plans for wide-scale expansion
In this same year thirteen Gilead mission
aries reached some of these islands to
commence their
educational work.
By 1955 the num
ber of missionar
ies had increased
to 85. The num
ber of native is
land ministers of
the witnesses for
1 9 5 5 h a d i ncreased to the
amazing number
of 38,325.
Let them give glory unto Jeho
vah, and declare his praise in the
islands. (Isa. 42:12,
This
is truly having a literal fulfill
ment in our times since 1945,
as can be seen from the follow
ing figures.1
e W 1947, pp. 140-144, 171-176.
f 1954 Yearbook, p. 273; 1956 Yearbook, pp. 32-37.

42

STkWATCHTOWER.
Year

1942
1947
1952
1955

Number
of Lands

Number of
Ministers

Number of
Preaching Hours

3
6
12
19

4,275
7,385
26,690
38,325

701,037
1,390,228
3,590,037
5,421,019

Powerful preaching is under way in the

Pacific to enable thousands more of Jehovahs other sheep to find their way to
the theocratic New World society in
Beulah land. In 1955 there was one min
ister of Jehovahs witnesses for every 2,800
islanders. Light of the new world is
reaching out to these faraway places.
Not one place is overlooked by Jehovahs
Right Shepherd. May the hours of pro
claiming Jehovahs glorious name continue
to increase as more ministerial proclaimers
take up the gladsome preaching of the
good news.
This global expansion study may be
summarized in the following total picture
of the preaching work accomplished by
Jehovahs witnesses world-wide, including
1955.s
EARTH-WIDE REPORT
Year

1942
1947
1952
1955

Total
Lands

Total
Ministers

54
86
127
158

115,240
207,552
456,265
642,929

Total
Preaching Hours

28,464,352
43,842,305
68,703,699
85,832,250

This represents a tremendous effort in

carrying out Jesus commission: This
good news of the kingdom will be preached
in Jill the inhabited earth for the purpose
of a witness to all the nations, and then
the accomplished end will come. (Matt.
24:14, NW) So for earths present popula
tion of 2,400 million there is one of Jeho
vahs ministers serving for each 3,732 in
habitants. Still Jesus words are applica
ble: Yes, the harvest is great, but the
g 1954 Yearbook, p. 273; 1956 Yearbook, pp. 36, 37.

B rooklyn, N . Y .

workers are few. (Matt. 9:37, NW) The

scope for continued global expansion is
very great. May Jehovahs way of mercy
be held open for a while longer to enable a
larger proportion of earths present gener
ation to come to the light of true Christian
thinking.
All this global Christian activity has re
quired organization and planning. Millions
of Bibles have had to be distributed. Other
millions of Bible publications and text
books have had to be written, printed and
translated into a hundred different lan
guages. This work is not done by paid
workers but is activity that is volunteered
by dedicated and devoted ministers of Je
hovah. Great amounts of money are con
tributed and millions of preaching hours
are unselfishly spent in carrying out such
a global educational program of preaching.
The world headquarters of the Watch
Tower Society are located in Brooklyn,
New York, and from there through 78
branch offices the administration is ef
fected.11 Printing plants manned by Bethel
workers (full-time volunteers) are oper
ated in Brooklyn; Wiesbaden, Germany;
Berne, Switzerland; Jakobsberg, Sweden;
Elandsfontein, South Africa; Sydney, Aus
tralia; Toronto, Canada; and London, Eng
land. Minor printing operations are under
taken at practically each branch office. The
world-wide staff of Bethel office and fac
tory full-time workers serving at the
Brooklyn headquarters and the 78 branch
es numbers 1,101.*
In addition to the 1,814 Gilead-trained
foreign missionaries there is a large staff
of pioneer and special pioneer (local) mis
sionaries of 15,197. These are full-time
ministers who make a great constructive
contribution to the preaching campaign.
The methods of preaching are uniform
throughout the world. The Watchtower
h 1956 Yearbook, p. 66.
i 1956 Yearbook, p. 66.

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

43

SfieWATCHTOWEFL

magazine now regularly appearing in fortyone languages, 2,300,000 copies of each

issue, maintains a uniform, spiritual feed
ing service. In this manner a remarkable
world-wide unity of thinking, devotion and
activity has been attained and is being
maintained.
Already Jehovahs witnesses speak the
one pure language, the language of Bible
truth. Jehovahs sacred revelations for man
are brought together and preserved in the
greatest book, the Bible. Jehovah is no re
specter of nationality and he has given this
treasure of His Word to all lovers of right
eousness. The Bible has universal appeal

and is powerful in overthrowing all false

thinking. Jehovahs witnesses are ever
busy studying these Scriptures to work up
arguments and proofs that can be used to
help people in their local territories to
become free from traditional wrong think
ing. Missionaries spend hours and years in
studying to communicate in native foreign
languages. Jehovahs witnesses put forth
this great effort as a contribution of love
to aid their world neighbors. Additionally,
all this loving activity adds up to produc
ing a shout of global praise to the Univer
sal Sovereign, Jehovah. Heb. 4:12, NW.
(To be continued)

Field Experience
From the W atch Tower Society's
Nigerian Branch

C. Sunday morning we all gathered to

advertise the public meeting. Every house
in the village would be called on with a
personal invitation. The people soon real
ized that something important was on!
C. I went straight to the village head and
told him m y mission. He was very pleased
and assured me of his co-operation. The
time arrived, we fixed our microphones
and made everything ready. The people,
having never seen sound equipment be
fore, had already gathered in a crowd of
over 700.
C. The local religionists were not pleased
that Jehovah's witnesses should assemble
the largest crowd the village had ever
seen. N or were they pleased about the
subject, Christian Conduct in an Ungod
ly W o rld ," for they feared there was
something in store for them in view of the
bad seeds they had sown in the village.
They could get no co-operation from the
village head, who told them, 'You often
ring your bell to call people to come and
hear you. W h y should I stop Jehovahs
witnesses? I never try to stop you.

L The lecture begun, these religionists

started their nuisance tactics, but the au
dience was solidly for us. The religionists
formed themselves into a group and be
gan dancing and shouting, but the sound
equipment was too powerful and drowned
them out. Frustrated, they rushed over
to the church and began clanging the bell.
No success. Then they rushed to their
homes and gathered up all their native
drums and paraphernalia and started
making a tremendous din. That was
enough! Angrily, members of the audi
ence demanded silence. N o result. Infuri
ated, they rushed at the religionists,
ripped their drums away from them and
dragged them to an em pty house nearby
and locked them in, setting a guard.
C. The lecture over, the 854 people pres
ent showed their warm appreciation but
warned us to remove our sound equipment
before the rowdies were let out, otherwise
they would try to destroy it. Then the door
was opened. Instead of pouring out fight
ing mad, as everyone expected, there was
silence. Like Satan in the abyss, they were
lying around the floor fast asleep.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Ps. 8:3, 4, AS.

The TABLE OF DEMONS

V

The TABLE OF JEHOVAH

HE altar of God is called a table,

because the sacrifice offered upon
it is compared to food. (Ezek. 41:22)
Hence it is the priests that serve at this
sacrificial table: The priests the Levites,
the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of
my sanctuary when the children of Israel
went astray from me, they shall come near
to me to minister unto me; and they shall
stand before me to offer unto me the fat
and the blood, saith the Lord Jehovah:
they shall enter into my sanctuary, and
they shall come near to my table, to min
ister unto me. (Ezek. 44:15,16,
In a
complaint against priests that failed of
their duty he said: Ye offer polluted bread
upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein
have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The
table of Jehovah is contemptible. And
when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is
no evil! and when ye offer the lame and
sick, it is no evil! . . . my name shall be
great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah
of hosts. But ye profane it, in that ye say,
The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the
fruit thereof, even its food, is contempt
ible.Mai. 1:7, 8,11, 12,
2Priests presenting Gods food on his
altar must be clean in habits: They should
prove themselves holy to their God and
they should not profane the name of their

Yow cannot be drinking the cup of Jeho

vah and the cup of demons; you cannot be
partaking of
the table of
table of demons. 1 Cor. 10:21,
God, because they are those presenting
Jehovahs offerings made by fire, the bread
of their God, and they must prove them
selves holy. And the priest must make
it smoke on the altar as food, an offering
made by fire to Jehovah. To be accepted
on Jehovahs altar table the sacrificial food
must be sound, without defect. Lev. 21:
6, 21; 3:11; 22:21, 25,
3The table of demons is the altar on
which sacrifice is offered to them. The de
mons are unseen wicked spirit intelligenc
es, and the ancient Israelites were repeat
edly tempted to sacrifice to them. They
went sacrificing to demons, not to God,
gods whom they had not known, new ones
who recently came in. Yea, they sacri
ficed their sons and their daughters unto
demons, and shed innocent blood, even the
blood of their sons and of their daughters,
whom they sacrificed unto the idols of
Canaan; and the land was polluted with
blood.Deut. 32:17,
Ps. 106:37, 38,
AS.
4In the first century of the Christian era
the followers of Christ in pagan lands were
put to a test as regards animals sacrificed
to pagan idols. A part of the sacrificial ani-

1. Why is Jehovahs table called by that name, and

what complaint did he have against those serving at it?
2. Why should the priests prove themselves holy, and
how must the sacrificial food be in order to be accepted ?

3. What is the table of demons, and who were im

properly led to sacrifice to them?
4. To what test were first-century Christians put, and
how did the governing body decide on the question?
44

and the

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER.

45

mal was offered upon the idol altar, a por anyone should see you with your knowl
tion was assigned to the idol priests, and edge reclining at a meal in an idol temple,
the rest of the flesh was consumed by the will not the conscience of that one who is
worshipers, in a feast either in the temple weak be emboldened to the point of eating
or in a private house. However, because of foods offered to idols? Really, by your
financial need or for selfish gain, some knowledge, the man that is weak is being
gave the flesh to the butchers to sell in the ruined, your brother for whose sake Christ
meat market or shambles. As this flesh died. But when you people thus sin against
had been offered up to idols and to the your brothers and wound their conscience
demons represented by them, the ancient that is weak, you are sinning against
Israelites looked on it as something de Christ. 1 Cor. 8:1, 4, 10-12,
testable and defiling to eat of such flesh.
6
But there was more than the matter
What should the Gentiles who became of conscience. There was the danger of
Christians do in this matter? The govern liability of committing the sin of idolatry
ing body of the first-century Christians by eating things offered to idols. In bring
met to discuss the question and then de ing argument to bear against committing
cided that the necessary things were: idolatry in this manner the apostle Paul
To keep yourselves free from things sac uses the fact that those sanctified Chris
rificed to idols and from blood and from tians to whom he wrote celebrated the
things killed without draining their blood Lords evening meal, or, the Lords
and from fornication. Acts 15:22-29, supper, as it is called, the yearly memo
NW.
rial of the Lord Jesus death. 1 Cor. 11:
5
In the ancient pagan city of Corinth,20, NW.
7
The course of Pauls argument throws
Greece, there was a synagogue of Jews,
and as a result of Pauls preaching a num light on the meaning of the Lords evening
ber of them, including the
presiding officer of the syn
agogue and his household,
became Christians. Many
other Corinthians also be
came Christians. In Corinth
there was a shambles, or
meat market, where flesh
of animals that had been ceremonially
offered up first to idols was sold. In his
first letter to the Corinthian Christians,
beginning with its eighth chapter, the meal, and we arrive at truth by following
apostle Paul discusses the question con it. He says: Now these things became our
cerning the eating of foods offered to examples, for us not to be persons desiring
idols. He advises against eating such in injurious things, even as they desired
order that Christians without the proper them. Neither become idolaters, as some
knowledge and understanding might not be of them did; just as it is written: The peoshocked at the sight or be tripped into doing
6. What more was there to it besides conscience, and
something against their conscience. For if why should the sanctified Christians avoid the danger?
5. Against eating what foods did Paul advise the Chris
tians, and why for the sake of ones brother?

7. Hence what does the apostle Paul say at 1 Corin

thians 10: 6-22 in his argument in which he refers to the
Lords evening meal?

46

SfceWATCHTOWER

rooklyn

N. Y.

pie sat down to eat and drink, and they its fullness. If anyone of the unbelievers
rose up to revel boisterously [before the invites you [to his home or to a feast] and
golden calf]. Neither let us practice forni you wish to go, proceed to eat everything
cation, as some of them committed forni that is set before you, making no inquiry
cation [together with the worship of Baal on account of your conscience. But if any
of Peor], only to fall, twenty-three thou one [not your unbelieving host, but a Chris
sand of them in one day___ Therefore, my
tian brother of weak conscience] should
beloved ones, flee from idolatry. I speak as say to you: This is something offered to
to men with discernment; judge for your a god, do not eat on account of the one that
selves what I say. The cup of blessing disclosed it and on account of conscience.
which we bless, is it not a sharing in the Conscience, I say, not yours, but that of
blood of the Christ? The loaf which we the other person. For why should it be
break, is it not a sharing in the body of that my freedom is judged by another per
the Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, sons conscience? If I am partaking [of
although many, are one body, for we are flesh] with thanks [to God], why am I
all partaking of that one loaf. Look at that to be spoken of abusively over that for
which is Israel in a fleshly way: Are not which I give thanks? Therefore, whether
those who eat the sacrifices sharers with you are eating or drinking or doing any
the altar? What, then, am I to say? That thing else, do all things for Gods glory.
what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or 1 Cor. 10:25-31,
NW.
that an idol is anything? No; but I say that
SHARING WITH DEMONS
the things which the nations sacrifice they
sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I
9
When anyone eats flesh that was of
do not want you to become sharers with fered to idols and does so with the thought
the demons. You cannot be drinking the of honoring the idol by his eating, what is
cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you. he doing? He is partaking of the table of
cannot be partaking of the table of Jeho demons; he is making himself a sharer
vah and the table of demons. Or are we in with the demons; he is having communion
citing Jehovah to jealousy ? We are not or participation with them. How so? Ex
stronger than he is, are we? 1 Cor. 10: amine again the above-quoted verses
6-22,
NW.
(1 Cor. 10:18-21, NW) and you will see
8
Hence it would be advisable for athat the apostle Paul uses fleshly Israel as
Christian not to go to an idol temple to eat an illustration and asks: Are not those
a meal, the meat of which has been offered who eat the sacrifices sharers with the
to the temple idol. Why? To avoid giving altar? The eaters of the sacrifices were
weak-minded observers the thought that not merely the priests but also the Israelites
one is worshiping the idol and to avoid the who furnished the sacrifices. Concerning
danger of yielding compromisingly to idol the priests Paul asks in the preceding chap
worship. As for the flesh that is sold in ter: Do you not know that the men per
the makellon, or meat market, Paul goes forming sacred duties eat the things of the
on to say: Everything that is sold in a temple, and those constantly attending at
meat market keep eating, making no in the altar [Jehovahs table] have a portion
quiry on account of your conscience, for for themselves with the altar? (1 Cor.
the earth belongs to Jehovah, and so does 9:13, NW) However, when the Israelites
8. So why would it be well to avoid going to an idol
temple to eat or well not to eat if a Christian brother
shows the flesh was first offered to idols?

9. By eating flesh in honor of demons what is one doing,

and what illustration of this does Paul draw from the
sacrificing by the Israelites?

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

f&eWATCHTOWER.

presented peace-offering sacrifices or com

munion sacrifices, then the Israelites also
ate some of the sacrifice. (Lev. 7:11-37)
The blood of the communion sacrifice was
sprinkled upon Jehovahs altar, and the
fat was burned upon the altar, as Jeho
vahs direct part of the sacrifice. The fat
of it was his bread or food. (Lev. 3:11;
7:14, 22-26; 9:18-20; 17:5-7; 21:6; 22:25)
The breast and right leg of the communion
sacrifice became the priests
who officiated at the sacrifice.
(Lev. 7:28-36; 9:21; 10:14,15)
The remainder of the flesh was
eaten by the Israelites who pre
sented the communion sacrifice.
.
Lev. 7:15-:
10
T hus
the Israel
ite s w h o
a te f r o m
t he com
munion sac
rifice were
sharing
with or having communion with the altar on
which it was sacrificed. That altar belonged
to Jehovah God; it was Jehovahs table
upon which his food was offered to him by
his priests. Hence by eating of the same
communion sacrifice of which the fat was
offered as food to Jehovah God, the Israel
ites were having communion or a meal in
common with him. They were already his
people by his choosing them and by the
covenant that he had made with them
through the mediator Moses. But now by
partaking of the communion sacrifice along
with his priest and his altar they were
having special communion with Jehovah
God. They were partaking of the typical
table of Jehovah. Thus the fitness of the
name communion sacrifice, although the
Greek Septuagint Version of the Hebrew
10. By eating from the communion sacrifice what were
the Israelites having, and so what can we say about the
name of the sacrifice?

47

Scriptures calls it a peace sacrifice and a

sacrifice of salvation. 1 Sam. 10:8; 11:15;
13:9; 1 Ki. 3:15; 8:63, 64; 9:25; Lev. 3:1;
22:21, LXX.
11
To enjoy this special communion with
God at his table the Israelites were forbid
den to sacrifice to the demons: They must
bring [their animals] to Jehovah to the
entrance of the tent of meeting to the
priest and they must sacrifice these as com
munion sacrifices to Jehovah. And the
priest must sprinkle the blood upon Jeho
vahs altar at the entrance of the tent of
meeting and he must make the fat smoke
as a smell of appeasement to Jehovah. So
they should no longer sacrifice their sacri
fices to the goat-shaped
d em ons. Lev. 17:5-7,
NW.
12
For a like re
worshiper of the living
and true God should
avoid idol sacrifices, ar
gues Paul. Not that the
idol in itself is anything
more than the gold, sil
ver, stone, wood or other
material of which it is
made. Nor that the thing
s a c r ific e d to the idol
takes on any new quality or value that
changes it from being still a creation of
Jehovah God. But that lifeless, material
idol represents a demon. All the gods of
the peoples are idols; but Jehovah made
the heavens. (Ps. 96:5,
All the gods
of the nations are demons [devils]. But
as for the Lord, He made the heavens.
(Septuagint, Thomson; Bagster) So when
a worshiper at a sacrificial feast ate part of
the animal sacrificed to the idol, he was
partaking of the table of demons, for
11. To enjoy this communion with God what does
Leviticus 17: 5-7 show the Israelites were obliged to do?
12. Is it because the idol and the animal sacrificed to
it amount to anything, or just why is it that Paul ad
vises against eating from such sacrifice, in 1 Corin
thians, chapter 10?

48

SfieWATCHTOWER

the idol altar belonged to the demons.

When he drank of the wine cup at such a
sacrificial feast he was drinking from the
cup of demons. He was becoming a
sharer with the demons, having commun
ion with them. That is why Paul said to
the Christians at Corinth: The things
which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice
to demons, and not to God, and I do not
want you to become sharers with the de
mons. You cannot be drinking the cup of
Jehovah and the cup of demons; you can
not be partaking of the table of Jehovah
and the table of demons. Jehovah is jeal
ous; he demands exclusive devotion.
13 But to what does Paul here refer by
this cup of Jehovah and this table of
Jehovah ? It is connected with the cup
and the loaf that Paul is using in his argu
ment as to why Christians should avoid
any confusion about foods offered to
idols. Says he: The cup of blessing which
we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood
of the Christ? The loaf which we break,
is it not a sharing in the body of the
Christ? (1 Cor. 10:16,
Here Paul
refers to the cup and the loaf that the
Lord Jesus Christ used when he set up
the Lords evening meal, or Lords
supper, commonly called communion
throughout Christendom. Hence, before we
bring Pauls argument forward to its appli
cation to us today, let us turn back nine
teen centuries to what Jesus did in the
year 33 (A.D.).
THE LORDS EVENING MEAL

14 Four of Jesus disciples, Matthew,

Mark, Luke and Paul, give us detailed de
scriptions of what took place then. Mat
thew was personally there as one of the
twelve apostles. Paul received his informa13. With what does the apostle Paul there show the
cup of Jehovah and the table of Jehovah to be
connected ?
14. Where did Jesus arrange to celebrate his last passover, and with whom, and why with them?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

tion about it from the Lord by direct

revelation. (1 Cor. 11:20, 23) All the ac
counts differ somewhat in language and in
some details, but all unitedly establish the
main features. As a faithful Jew according
to the flesh, Jesus gave instructions for
celebrating the passover at Jerusalem, the
holy city where Jehovah had placed his
name. (Deut. 16:1-7) With whom did Jesus
celebrate this his last passover that night?
Not as in previous years with his family,
that is, with Mary his earthly mother and
with her sons, Jesus half brothers. Of
course, she and her sons were at Jerusalem
for the passover, for the next afternoon
Mary was at the torture stake on which
Jesus was hanged and he talked to her
from it. Her other sons had doubtless
brought her up to Jerusalem for the passover. However, as passover celebration
groups at Jerusalem were small, generally
about ten, Jesus arranged to celebrate this
final passover with his twelve apostles. At
the table he said to them: I have greatly
desired to eat this passover with you be
fore I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat
it again until it becomes fulfilled in the
kingdom of God. (Luke 22:15, 16,
So Jesus had something special in mind for
this passover night. What? The setting up
of a new supper or evening meal for them.
15
Here is how it proceeded and what
Jesus said, according to Matthew, who was
there: As they continued eating, Jesus
took a loaf and, after saying a blessing, he
broke it and, giving it to the disciples, he
said: Take, eat. This means my body.
Also he took a cup and, having given
thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink
out of it, all of you; for this means my
blood of the covenant which is to be
poured out in behalf of many for forgive
ness of sins. But I tell you, I will by no
means drink henceforth any of this product
15. What is Matthews description of the Lords eve
ning meal?

January 15, 1956

S&eWATCHTOWER.

49

of the vine until that day when I drink it

new with you in the kingdom of my
Father. Finally, after singing praises, they
went out to the mount of Olives.Matt.
26:26-30,
NW.
16The whole loaf that Jesus took was of
unleavened bread or an unfermented cake.
No leaven was legally allowed in Jewish
houses at passover nor for seven days
afterward. (Ex. 12:8, 15, 17-21; 13:6-10)
Jesus did not slice the loaf with a knife.
The loaf of unleavened bread was flat and
brittle. So he broke it as was the usual
way when eating bread at all meals in
those days. (Matt. 15:36; 14:19; Mark
8:6, 19; Luke 24:30; Acts 27:35) First,
however, he pronounced a blessing; he
blessed God. This is why Luke and Paul,
in their accounts, say he offered thanks:
Also he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it,
and gave it to them, saying: This means
my body which is to be given in your be
half. Keep doing this in remembrance of
me. (Luke 22:19,
NW1
So no special meaning need be attached to
his breaking the loaf; he did this in order
to distribute it to them, as when he fed
the five thousand and then the four thou
sand.
17But Jesus did put a special meaning
upon the loaf that he broke and gave them:
This means my body which is to be given
in your behalf. By these words he did not
perform a miracle, transmuting or tran
substantiating the loaf, changing it from
unleavened dough into human flesh. He
still had all his own flesh; he had to have
all his flesh, unblemished, with nothing
taken away from it, in order to offer him
self as a perfect sacrifice. His body had
to be like the passover lamb of which they
had just eaten and which lamb pictured
him, the Lamb of God that takes away the
sin of the world! In what way? In this

way: The sheep should prove to be sound,

a male, a year old, for you. Yes, like that
of an unblemished and spotless lamb, even
Christs. So he did not transmute the
loaf, but merely used it to symbolize his
body. John 1:29 and Ex. 12:5 and 1 Pet.
1:19,
NW.
18His body? Yes; his own body, his
whole body, head and all, that he was to
give for them. Jesus meant his own body,
the body with which he next associates his
own blood when speaking of the cup. For
thirty-three and a half years that body
had held the blood that was to be poured
out on the torture stake at Calvary. The
life of that fleshly body was its blood.
When he came to John to have that body
baptized Jesus quoted Psalm 40:6-8 and
applied it to himself: Hence when he
comes into the world he says: You did
not desire sacrifice and offering [of
beasts], but you prepared a body for me.
You did not approve of whole burntofferings
Cor.
11:23,and
24) sin offering. Then I said,
Look! I am come (in the roll of the book
it is written about me) to do your will, O
God.
Heb. 10:5-7, NW.
19 Since that body was to be given for his
disciples, he did not take it back at his
resurrection from the dead, but Almighty
God his heavenly Father prepared another
body for him, not on earth but in heaven,
a spiritual body, a building from G od ,. . .
everlasting in the heavens. (2 Cor. 5:1,
NW) In his natural, earthly body Jesus
bore reproaches from the lips of opposers.
Christ suffered in the flesh, and in spite
of it all he kept his integrity toward God
untarnished. The apostle Peter also says:
Even Christ suffered for you, leaving you
a model for you to follow his steps closely.
He committed no sin, . . . He himself by
imputation bore our sins in his own body
upon the stake. (1 Pet. 4:1; 2:21, 22, 24,

16, 17. (a) What did Jesus do with the loaf of bread?
(b) Why did Jesus not transmute or transubstantiate
the loaf into his own flesh?

18. Which body did Jesus mean by my body ?

19. What did Jesus bear in that body, and through it
what did he open up for his disciples?

50

SEeWATCHTOWER.

NW ) He gave up his human existence, his

existence in the flesh, for his disciples.
Thus he opened up the way for them to
go to heaven, a way of entry into the holy
place by the blood of Jesus, which [way]
he inaugurated for us as a new and living
way through the curtain, that is, his flesh.
Heb. 10:19, 20,
NW.
20 Jesus was not merely flesh, some blood
less incarnation or materialization. He
came to ransom human children of blood
and flesh, and so it is written: Since the
young children are sharers of blood and
flesh, he also similarly partook of the same
things, that through his death he might
destroy the one having the means to cause
death, that is, the Devil. (Heb. 2:14, NW)
Hence in setting up this evening meal that
his disciples were to celebrate in remem
brance of him Jesus called attention to the
part that his blood was to perform. He
took the cup, full of what he said was the
product of the vine. Then, having given
thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink
out of it, all of you; for this means my
blood of the covenant which is to be
poured out in behalf of many for forgive
ness of sins. (Matt. 26:27, 28, NW ; Mark
14:23, 24) This cup means the new cove
nant by virtue of my blood, which is to be
poured out in your behalf. (Luke 22:20,
NW) Thus Jesus remarked on the special
use that his blood was to serve, namely,
the putting into force of a new covenant
with the forgiveness of the sins of many
disciples. So he gave blood and flesh for
them.
21 Note, please, that by his words Jesus
was not likening his blood to that of the
passover lamb. It is true that the passover
lamb typified Jesus, the Lamb of God.
It is also true that the blood of the pass20. What part was Jesus blood to perform, and how
did Jesus point to this at the evening meal?
21. Why was Jesus here not likening his blood to that
of the passover lamb, but whose words was Jesus here
quoting ?

Brooklyn, N . Y .

over lamb in ancient Egypt was splashed

on the doorposts and lintels of the Israel
ites houses for Jehovahs destroying angel
to see and so pass over their houses with
out slaying their first-born children and
animals inside. Just like that, the disciples
of the Lamb of God must have their hearts
sprinkled from a wicked conscience and
openly confess his blood. (Ex. 12:7, 21-23;
Heb. 10:19, 20, 22; 9:14,
So, too,
they are ransomed with precious blood,
like that of an unblemished and spotless
lamb, even Christs. (1 Pet. 1:19, NW)
However, it was not the blood of the
passover lamb that put into force the law
covenant which the prophet Moses medi
ated. It was not the blood of the passover
lamb that was sprinkled upon the law book
of the covenant and upon the people, Moses
then saying: Here is the blood of the
covenant that Jehovah has concluded with
you as respects all these words. (Ex.
24:7, 8, NW) No, it was the blood of differ
ent animals; and because Jesus was point
ing forward to the making of a new cove
nant between Jehovah God and his dis
ciples, he quoted Moses words, blood of
the covenant, and applied these words to
his own blood.
22
What animals were slain at the inau
guration of the former covenant at
Mount Sinai? Concerning them the apostle
Paul writes: A covenant is valid over
dead victims, since it is not in force at any
time while the human covenanter is living.
Consequently neither was the former cove
nant inaugurated without blood. For when
every commandment according to the Law
had been spoken by Moses to all the people,
he took the blood of the young bulls and
of the goats with water and scarlet wool
and hyssop and sprinkled the book itself
and all the people, saying: This is the
blood of the covenant which God has laid
22. According to the apostle Paul, what animals were
slain at the inauguration of the former covenant at
Mount Sinai?

January 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWEFL

51

as a charge upon you. (Heb. 9:17-20,

NW) Goats as well as young bulls were
slain to provide blood.
23 Now notice the kind of sacrifices that
they offered for inaugurating the old law
covenant in the third month after the
passover: After that [Moses] sent young
men of the sons of Israel and they offered
up burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as
sacrifices, as communion offerings to Jeho
vah. Then Moses took half the blood and
put it in bowls, and half the blood he
sprinkled upon the altar [Jehovahs table].
Finally he took the book of the covenant
and read it in the ears of the people. Then
they said: All that Jehovah has spoken
we are willing to do and be obedient. So
Moses took the blood and sprinkled it upon
the people and said: Here is the blood of
the covenant that Jehovah has concluded
with you as respects all these words.
Ex. 24:5-8, NW.
24 Notice that there were not only burnt
offerings but also communion offerings.
These latter were usually of small cattle
such as sheep or goats, and Paul shows
that these communion offerings included
goats. This means that not only Jehovah
got the fat of such communion sacrifices
but also the priests got the right leg and
shoulder of them, and, if the priests did
not get all the rest of such communion
sacrifices on this occasion, then Israels
representatives, the seventy of the older
men of Israel, ate the rest of the com
munion sacrifices. Thus all of Israel by
means of its priests and its representative
men had communion with Jehovah God at
his altar when the old law covenant was
inaugurated. The blood of all those bulls
and goats slaughtered there at Mount Sinai
pictured the blood of Jesus Christ, the
mediator of Jehovahs new covenant, for

the blood of those animals was mixed

together in bowls and was then sprinkled
upon the law book and people. It is writ
ten of Jesus: He entered, no, not with the
blood of goats and of young bulls, but with
his own blood, once for all time into the
holy place and obtained an everlasting re
lease for us. (Heb. 9:12, NW) Jesus died
sacrificially to provide his blood.
25 Jehovah promised to do away with the
old law covenant and provide a new cove
nant by a prophet greater than Moses. This
he stated in Jeremiah 31:31-34. As re
spects his part in the new covenant Jeho
vah said: I will forgive their iniquity,
and their sin will I remember no more.
Now for iniquity to be forgiven and sin to
be legally removed something was neces
sary as a basis for this new covenant.
What? Shed blood. Hebrews 9:22, which
follows the account of the inaugurating of
the former covenant, says: Yes, nearly all
things are cleansed with blood according to
the law, and unless blood is poured out no
forgiveness takes place. NW.
26 So it was necessary for the blood of
Jesus as a perfect human sacrifice to be
poured out in order to release us from the
condemnation of sins and transgression,
from which condemnation we could not be
released by the animal sacrifices under the
former law covenant. (Heb. 9:15, NW)
Since the new covenant promised Gods
forgiveness of sins and since the wine in
the cup pictured Jesus clean, perfect life
blood necessary to that new covenant,
Jesus rightly said: This means my blood
of the covenant which is to be poured out
in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.
(Matt. 26:27, 28, NW) Those Christians
who are taken into the new covenant and
who thus become spiritual Israelites are

23, 24. (a) According to Moses, what kind of sacrifices

were offered for inaugurating the old law covenant?
(b) What was done with the flesh and what with the
blood, and whose blood was pictured by such?

25. What did Jehovah at Jeremiah 31: 31-34 promise to

provide, and why was blood necessary as a basis for it?
26. So what did Jesus rightly say at the Lord's evening
meal, and who, then, properly drink of the cup?

52

Sf&eWATCHTOWER.

properly the Christians entitled to drink of

the cup of the Lords evening meal.
DRINKING HIS BLOOD

27 By drinking the cup the Christian spir

itual Israelites picture themselves as being
in the new covenant and as receiving the
benefit of it, Gods forgiveness of sins
through Jesus blood. By drinking that cup
they picture themselves as drinking his
blood. By drinking that cup they picture
themselves as being benefited, not con
demned. By drinking Jesus blood in that
pictorial way they are drinking, not con
demnation to themselves, but, instead, life
benefits, for there is life in that blood. By
figuratively drinking his blood through
faith they are not condemned to death, no
more than by eating his body, his flesh,
figuratively through faith, can they be con
demned as eating forbidden food to their
death. Instead, they benefit themselves to
life everlasting.
28 Jesus presented the matter from that
standpoint when he said to the Jews, many
of whom were shocked: Most truly I say
to you, He that believes has everlasting
life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers
ate the manna in the wilderness and yet
died. This is the bread that comes down
from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it
and not die. I am the living bread that
came down from heaven; if anyone eats
of this bread he will live forever; and, for
a fact, the bread that I shall give is my
flesh in behalf of the life of the world.
. . . Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
man and drink his blood, you have no life
in you. He that feeds on my flesh and
drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I
shall resurrect him at the last day; for
my flesh is true food, and my blood is true
drink [not death-dealing, not illegal drink].
27. By drinking from that cup in what covenant do they
picture themselves as being and as how affected?
28. How did Jesus present the matter from that stand
point, in John, chapter 6?

B rooklyn, N . Y .

He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my

blood remains in union with me, and I in
union with him. Just as the living Father
sent me forth and I live because of the
Father, he also that feeds on me, even that
one will live because of me. This is the
bread that came down from heaven. It is
not as when your forefathers ate and yet
died. He that feeds on this bread will live
forever. Simon Peter said that these were
sayings of everlasting life. John 6:4758, 68,
NW.
29Jesus gave flesh as well as blood in be
half of the life of his followers. He sym
bolized both of these essentials to gaining
everlasting life by the loaf and the cup of
wine at the evening mead that he set up.
He stated that the cup of wine represented
the literal blood necessary to validating the
new covenaint. In a parallel mamner, the
loaf that he broke and distributed must
equally have a literal humam value; it must
meain his body of flesh which he gives for
the life of those who gain the new world.
30 Drinking his blood does not meain un
dertaking the responsibility for his death,
but means gratefully accepting it by faith
and imbibing the benefits of his lifeblood
poured out in sacrifice. Those who de
manded Jesus death by hanging on the
torture stake were the ones that were
shocked at the thought of drinking his
blood and that refused to drink it by faiith.
It was those men who undertook the re
sponsibility for his death aifter governor
Pontius Pilate had said: I am innocent
of the blood of this mam. They said: His
blood come upon us and upon our chil
dren. (Matt. 27:24, 25,
Later the
Jewish Supreme Court objected to the
apostles: You are determined to bring
the blood of this mam [Jesus] upon us,
29. What two essentials did Jesus give for the life of
his followers, and to correspond with the cups meaning
what must the loaf mean?
30. What does drinking his blood mean, but what did
those Jews shocked at the thought of such do?

January 15, 1956

fEeWATCHTOWER.

and yet they refused to drink Jesus blood

figuratively and thus show they were inno
cent.Acts 5:27, 28,
31 For thus faithlessly refusing to drink
his blood those Jews were not brought into
the new covenant and did not drink the
only life-giving true drink to salvation.
Many were priests. Hence the apostle says
concerning those priests who refused Jesus
sacrifice and who kept on serving at the
material altar in Herods temple in Jerusa
lem: We have an altar from which those
who do sacred service at the tent have no
authority to eat. For the bodies of those
[atonement day] animals whose blood is
taken into the holy place by the [Jewish]
high priest for sin are burned up outside
the camp [of Israel]. Hence Jesus also,
that he might sanctify the people with his
own blood, suffered outside the gate [of
Jerusalem]. Let us, then, go forth to him
outside the camp, bearing the reproach he
bore. (Heb. 13:10-13,
Those who go
forth to him outside this old system of
things drink his blood figuratively by faith.
They are entitled to drink it emblematical
ly from the cup at the Lords evening
meal. Each one of them fully esteems the
blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified. (Heb. 10:29,
They worth
ily eat of the emblematic loaf because they
can say: By the said will [of God] we
have been sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all
time.Heb. 10:10, NW.
SHARERS WITH JEHOVAH RATHER
THAN WITH DEMONS

32 Does what is said in the foregoing

paragraphs harmonize with the apostle
Pauls words in 1 Corinthians 10:16-21?
31. What does Paul say concerning those Jewish priests
who refused to drink, and so who is entitled to drink
Jesus blood emblematically at the Lords evening meal?
32, 33. (a) By eating of the communion sacrifice with
whom were the Israelites having communion, and why
so? (b) How did idol worshipers share with the demons
and drink their cup?

53

It should do so; and does it? There Paul

is talking about sacrifices, those to demons
and those to Jehovah God. These sacrifices
were in the nature of communion sacri
fices, and the altars upon which they were
offered were likened to tables, because
sacrificial food was offered upon them.
That upon which sacrifices were offered to
Jehovah God He himself called the table
of Jehovah. (Mai. 1:7, 12,
When a
communion sacrifice was offered to Jeho
vah, a drink offering of wine was also com
manded to accompany it, to be poured upon
the altar. (Num. 15:8-16; Ex. 29:40; 30:9)
When the worshipers ate their allowed por
tion of the communion sacrifice they were
partaking of the table of Jehovah and
they were partaking with thanks. By
eating the sacrifices, the fat of which had
been burned on the altar, the blood being
sprinkled upon it, they were sharers with
the altar. That altar belonged to Jehovah
God; it was his table upon which his food
was offered. So by sharing in a sacrifice
with Jehovah they were in reality sharing
with Jehovah; they were having commun
ion with him, enjoying food together.
33 Likewise when idol worshipers sacri
ficed to the demons and ate their portion
of the sacrifice, they were partaking of
. . . the table of demons. They were thus
sharers with the demons ; they were hav
ing communion, company, association,
with the demons, enjoying food with them.
When they drank from a cup of wine at
the feast in honor of the demons, they
were drinking . . . the cup of demons.
This shows what occurs when one partakes
of the Lords evening meal.
34 By making the above comparison, the
apostle Paul indicates that the Lords eve
ning meal is to be viewed as a sacrificial
meal. What, then, are the loaf which we
break and the cup of blessing which we
34. By this comparison, how is the Lords evening meal
to be viewed, and so what are the loaf and the wine
cup to be discerned as meaning?

54

SffieWATCHTOWER-

Brooklyn, N . Y .

bless to be understood as meaning? The each year at the Lords evening meeil?
loaf of unleavened bread is to be discerned The cup of blessing which we bless, is it
] in the
as the body of the Christ, which he gave not a sharing [Greek,
to God for the life of the world, his sinless blood of the Christ? The loaf which we
] in
flesh, which is true food. The cup of wine break, is it not a sharing [
over which Jesus gave thanks is to be dis the body of the Christ? Yes, but sharing
cerned as the blood of the Christ, with in these things with whom? Of course, it
which he validated the new covenant, and is a sharing with all the congregation of
which is true drink. This complete sacri God, with all who have been sanctified
fice of the Christ is here viewed as being in union with Christ Jesus, called to be
like the communion sacrifice at the inaugu holy ones. (1 Cor. 1:2, NW) That is to
rating of the covenant, the fat of which say, with all the spiritual Israelites who
was made to smoke on Jehovahs altar are in the new covenant.
36
But is that all? Is that as far as the
and the blood of which was divided, half
of it being sprinkled upon Gods altar and apostle Pauls argument goes here? No!
the other half of it being sprinkled first Because we are also sharing with Jehovah
upon Gods law book and then upon the God, and primarily with him. Just as par
people taken into the covenant. The great taking worshipfully of sacrifices offered to
altarlike arrangement upon which Christs idols means to become sharers with the
sacrifice is offered up the apostle Paul calls demons, so our partaking of the one great
the table of Jehovah, and of this table sacrifice to Jehovah, Christs sacrifice once
the Christians in the new covenant par for all, means to become sharers with Je
take. The cup of Christs blood, which is hovah, to have communion with him. We
sprinkled upon Jehovahs great altar ar accept as a sacrifice for us Christs sacri
rangement and upon the symbolic book of fice that was offered to Jehovah. Of course,
his new covenant, is the cup of Jehovah, Jehovah does not share in the literal loaf
and it is symbolized by the wine cup of the of unleavened bread and in the literal cup
of wine at the Lords evening meal, but he
Lords evening meal.
35
The Christians in the new covenantshares in the real flesh and blood of which
who drink of the wine cup and eat of the the loaf and cup are mere emblems. By
loaf of unleavened bread show by this ac jointly partaking of this one and only ac
tion that they are partaking of the human ceptable sacrifice to God, the benefits of
sacrifice of Christ, both of its blood and which he makes available to us, we and He
of its flesh. They are thus picturing how are parties to one new covenant. Yes, and
they are drinking the cup of Jehovah we are having a sharing together, a com
and partaking of the table of Jehovah, munion, a partnership with him, just as we
being sharers with the altar. They are do in the matter of divine enlightenment.
picturing how they are partaking of the On this it is written: That which we have
benefit of forgiveness of sins and of salva seen and heard we are reporting also to
tion through Christs blood-and-flesh sacri you, that you, too, may be having partner
koino n
] with us. Furthermore,
i'a
fice. So now the big question is, With whom ship [
koino n
] of ours is
i'a
are they sharing or having communion, this partnership [
companionship, association, when doing the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
this by faith each day and symbolically If we make the statement, We are having
35. By partaking of the loaf and cup, of what larger
things do Christians picture themselves as partaking,
and with whom on earth do they have a visible sharing?

36. But with whom primarily are they sharing, and of

what things? And how is this true of divine enlight
enment also?

January 15, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER,

55

partnership [
-'a
coin
J] with him, and
brators of the Lords evening meal, you
yet we go on walking in the darkness, we cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and
are lying and are not practicing the truth. the cup of demons; you cannot be partak
However, if we are walking in the light as ing of the table of Jehovah and the table
he himself is in the light, we do have part of demons. So the apostle Paul says. Do
nership
[Jcoino-ni'a]with one anothernot
andbecome unevenly yoked with unbe
the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from lievers. For . . . what fellowship [
all sin. 1 John 1:3, 6, 7,
ni'a] does light have with darkness? . . .
37The choice, then, is between Jehovah And what agreement does Gods temple
God and the demons. No course of com have with idols? For we are the temple of
promise, no being lukewarm, no limping the living God. (2 Cor. 6:14-16, NW ) By
upon two different opinions, like crutches, trying to divide up your love, your devo
can be acceptable. There must be a full, tion, your worship and your service be
undivided worship of the one true God Je tween Jehovah God and the demons, you
hovah or of the false demon gods. If those are acting out a lie if then you attend the
Christians in the new covenant come to Lords evening meal and partake of the
gether to eat the Lords evening meal, emblems. By that you pretend to have
doing so in remembrance of him, and they fellowship with the God of light or to share
then partake of the emblems, the loaf and with him, but you are not actually doing
the cup of wine, then they are declaring so at all. You are fooling yourself. You
that they are partaking of the table of are acting hypocritically. You are walk
Jehovah and that they are sharers with ing in the darkness, . . . are lying and are
the altar of Jehovah. For this reason they not practicing the truth. You are incit
have to be all for him. They cannot divide ing Jehovah to jealousy, for he is a God
their worship and service. They cannot exacting exclusive devotion. He will not
also participate in the sacrifices that the accept a divided love. (Ex. 34:14, NW)
nations of this world (including Christen Such inciting of Him leads to serious conse
dom) are offering to the many idols of quences. Why? Because, as Paul asks, we
are not stronger than he is, are w e?
various kinds in this modem age.
38At one and the same time, you cele- (1 Cor. 10:22, NW ) No, we are not. So
we have no measure of strength able to
37. So the eaters of the Lords evening meal must be
withstand and overpower the destruction
all for whom, and why so?
that he brings upon us for inciting him to
38. How could partaking of the emblems of the Lords
evening meal be acting a lie, and to what would it be
jealousy. Ps. 78:58-64.
inciting Jehovah, to what consequences?

"O n e !Bod v or .Parta]leers

jj

HOSE Christian spiritual Israelites

who are in the new covenant should
be undivided in their worship and service

1. How should eaters of the Lord's evening meal be in

their worship and service of Jehovah, and to what one
body does Paul refer in arguing for this?

of Jehovah both individually and as a con

gregation. That is why, after speaking of
the cup and loaf of the Lords evening
meal, the apostle says to such ones: Be
cause there is one loaf, we, although many,

56

SfreWATCHTOWER

are one body, for we are all partaking

[eating] of that one loaf. (1 Cor. 10:17,
NW) To which body does Paul here refer
by the words one body ? Not to the per
sonal, fleshly body of Jesus which is sym
bolized by the loaf of unleavened bread.
No, but to the entire congregation of spir
itual Israelites of which Jesus Christ is the
spiritual Head. This congregation under
him is later spoken of in this same letter
of Paul as Christs body: Now you are
Christs body, and members individually.
And God has set the respective ones in the
congregation. 1 Cor. 12:27, 28,
2 In the first three chapters of this let
ter Paul shows that the congregation,
Christs body, should be undivided in its
thinking and acting. It must therefore be
undivided in its stand toward the Lords
evening meal and toward all that it obli
gates a member of the congregation to be
and to do. If all members partake of the
Lords evening meal, then they should
stick together and be one body. When set
ting up the Lords evening meal Jesus used
just the one loaf, and he did so to indicate
that those partaking of the loaf or Jesus
body of flesh were just one body under
him their Head. Those spiritual Israelites
in the new covenant who partake of the
one unleavened loaf are having a meal to
gether in common. By this they picture
that they are one body, partaking of
the same benefits and privileges, eating at
the same spiritual table. No matter how
many they are, still they are one body,
for they are all partaking [eating] of
that one loaf. Jehovah God is not sharing
with them in this one body, for he is not
a member of it. Jesus Christ is the Head of
that one body, but is under Jehovah.
The head of the Christ is God. (1 Cor.
11:3, NW) As Head, Jehovah accepted
Jesus sacrifice.
2. Jesus used just one loaf at the evening meal to indi
cate what fact, and why is it that Jehovah does not
share in the one body that Paul mentions?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

3In itself the one unleavened loaf does

not symbolize this one body under Jesus.
That loaf symbolizes the human body that
Jesus sacrificed. The act of eating that
loaf in common participation is what in
dicates that all the eaters are one body,
Christs body. By partaking of the flesh
and blood of Jesus Christ they have all re
ceived justification from God or have been
declared righteous. This justification of
them in the flesh has not been an end in
itself. That is, the matter did not stop
there, but this justification or declaring
them righteous was given them for a spe
cial purpose. What? To serve as a steppingstone toward their being sacrificed with
Christ and then being begotten by Jehovah
God to become his spiritual children, a
holy nation, a people for special posses
sion, in a new covenant with him. (Rom.
5:1, 2, 9; 8:15-17; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 2:9)
Then as his spiritual children with a hope
of heavenly life Jehovah God anointed
them with his spirit, to make them mem
bers of Christs body. By this he brought
them into the covenant for the heavenly
kingdom, the covenant that Jesus men
tioned right after the Lords evening meal,
saying to his faithful apostles: You are
the ones that have stuck with me in my
trials; and I make a covenant with you,
just as my Father has made a covenant
with me, for a kingdom, that you may eat
and drink at my table in my kingdom, and
sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes
of Israel. Luke 22:28-30, NW.
* Thus we can appreciate how necessary
their being justified or declared righteous
now through faith is. They sire sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all time. Each one of them
3. (a) So what act indicates that they are all one
body ? (b) By partaking of Christs flesh and blood
what have they received from God and to what further
privileges has this served as a steppingstone ?
4. By what two things have they been sanctified, and so
their participation in the Lord's evening meal marks
them as what?

January 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

values the blood of the covenant by which

he was sanctified. (Heb. 10:10, 29,
These are the facts that they symbolize by
partaking of the loaf and wine cup. Their
joint participation in the Lords evening
meal marks them as exclusive, as one sanc
tified body under Jesus Christ the Head.
Their sanctification they must maintain.
1 Thess. 4:3, 7.
'H ence as one united, sanctified body
they recognize that they not only enjoy
certain privileges in common but also have
certain responsibilities. And in this respect
they must remember Jesus in the flesh. He
did not come down from heaven to earth
just to enjoy the flesh, to enjoy life in the
flesh, like the disobedient sons of God
of Noahsday. (G en.6:l, 4; 1 Pet. 3:19, 20)
He was born of a woman and made flesh
in order to make special use of that flesh
in Jehovahs service. He suffered in that
body, bearing upon it the torture stake of
reproach, thus leaving a model to us who
are in the flesh. In that body he did Jeho
vahs earthly work, even having it baptized
in water and afterward preaching the good
news of Gods kingdom. He offered it in
sacrifice, and so his body was not cast into
Gehenna but was buried in a new, unused
memorial tomb. (Luke 23:53; Isa. 53:9)
Those whom he benefits must follow his
steps.
* Those who partake of the Lords eve
ning meal must, like the Lord Jesus, serve
Jehovah God. Their mortal bodies must be
quickened or made alive through his spirit
that resides in them. (Rom. 8:10,
They must obey the entreaty: Present
your bodies a sacrifice living, holy, accept
able to God, a sacred service with your
power of reason. (Rom. 12:1, NW) They
must lay down their lives sacrificially in
5. As respects their responsibilities, why must they re
member Jesus in the flesh?
6, 7. What, therefore, must be true of their mortal
bodies, and how must they all as one body keep worthy
to eat the Lords evening meal?

57

Jehovahs service, thus using up their

earthly lives but also living like Christ.
Says Paul: Always we endure everywhere
in our body the death-dealing treatment
given to Jesus, that the life of Jesus may
also be made manifest in our body. . . .
that the life of Jesus may also be made
manifest in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor.
4:10, 11, NW) The mortal bodies of those
eating the Lords evening meal must be
kept clean from immorality. To them Paul
says: The body is not for fornication,
but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the
body. Do you not know that your bodies
are members of Christ? Shall I, then, take
the members of the Christ away and make
them members of a harlot? Never may
that happen! . . . you do not belong to
yourselves, for you were bought with a
price. By all means, glorify God in the body
of you people. 1 Cor. 6:13, 15, 19, 20,
NW.
7 Our bodies are slaves of Jesus, brandmarked. (Gail. 6:17, NW ) Our bodies are
not for demonism, for Satan the Devil is
the head of that religion. But Jesus Christ
is the Head of his body, the congregation.
This body is called, not to division, not to
racial hatred, not to nationalism, but to
peace and unity. (Col. 3:15; Eph. 2:14-18)
It must keep clean from the leaven of
malice and wickedness and keep united as
one body, worthy to eat of the one loaf
symbolically at the Lords evening meal
and by faith each day.
8When drinking the wine cup the body
members must remember Christs blood,
for by it they have received the forgive
ness of sins, leading to their justification,
and they have been taken into the new
covenant. Hence special responsibilities
have come upon them, and by drinking of
the wine in the cup, which cup pictures the
cup of Jehovah, they want it understood
8. In drinking the wine cup why must they remember
Christs blood and also the special responsibilities that
have come upon them?

58

3ReWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn, N . Y.

that they recognize these responsibilities. of God that they were not celebrating it in
That is, they must be ministers of a new the right way, Paul said: When you come
covenant and serve the ends of that cove together to one place, it is not possible to
eathave
the become
Lords evening meal. . . . In this I
nant. (2 Cor. 3:6,
NW) They
a royal priesthood, being spiritual priests do not commend you. For I received from
of God and underpriests of Jesus Christ the Lord that which I also handed on to
the High Priest. This means they offer to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in
God the spiritual sacrifices of praise and which he was going to be handed over took
of good works. It involves death, too, their a loaf and, after giving thanks, he broke
dying a sacrificial death like Jesus, shar it and said: This means my body which is
ing in his sufferings and submitting to a in your behalf. Keep doing this in remem
death like his to vindicate Jehovahs uni brance of me. He did likewise respecting
versal sovereignty. It means, as a priest, the cup also, after he had the evening meal,
having nothing to do with the table of saying: This cup means the new covenant
demons and the cup of demons, but giv by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as
ing Jehovah exclusive devotion and putting often as you drink it, in remembrance of
his worship foremost in life and keeping me. For as often as you eat this loaf and
the knowledge of him on their lips and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the
serving as a message bearer for Jehovah, death of the Lord, until he arrives.
to turn many away from unrighteousness 1 Cor. 11:20-26, MW.
to His worship. (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Phil. 3:9-11;
11 Especially during the Lord Jesus ab
Mai. 2 :6 ,7 ) It is written that they will con sence from them in the flesh it was neces
quer Satan the Devil because of the blood sary for them to celebrate in remembrance
of the Lamb and because of the word of of his personal death until he came again
their witnessing. Rev. 12:11,
to receive them to himself in heaven. And
since he does not begin gathering his oth
WHEN AND HOW TO CELEBRATE
er sheep till after he comes again, we can
9 The Lords evening meal celebration is appreciate why the Lords evening meal
not like baptism. Baptism in water is per was meant for Jesus little flock, which is
formed once, at the beginning of ones the congregation, his body, of 144,000
Christian course, to symbolize publicly members. John 10:16; Matt. 25:31, 32.
that a person has dedicated himself to God
12 How often must it be celebrated? Je
through Christ. But as regards the cele sus indicated how often by starting the
bration of the Lords evening meal Jesus Lords evening meal on passover night,
said at the time he set it up: Keep doing Nisan 14 in the Bible calendar, and then
this in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19, telling his disciples to keep doing it. That
NW.
is, on that same passover date, which came
10 It must be regularly celebrated in or only once a year. It is most fitting to cele
der to keep him in mind as to what he brate it yearly at that time, because on
means to the celebrants. Paul emphasizes that date Jesus gave his literal body as a
the requirement to celebrate regularly. sacrifice on the torture stake and poured
When telling the Corinthian congregation out his lifeblood of the new covenant for
9. As to celebration, how is the evening meal not like
baptism?
10. Why must it be celebrated regularly, and in con
firmation how did Paul describe the Lords evening
meal?

11. Until what event was it necessary for them thus to

remember him, and how does this show for whom this
celebration was meant?
12. How often must it be eaten yearly, and how often
has it been eaten down to now?

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER.

59

the forgiveness of sins. That was the day come absent from the body and to make
of the death of the Lord, and that was our home with the Lord. Therefore we are
the date to observe his death by the Lords also making it our aim that, whether hav
evening meal and thus to proclaim his ing our home with him or being absent
personal death. But although eaten only from him, we may be acceptable to him.
once each year on the night of Nisan 14, 2 Cor. 5:1-3,6-9, NW.
it has been eaten often during the nine
15 So the remnant, while still absent from
teen centuries of the life of the Christian him due to their flesh, seek to be accept
congregation down to now. And this year it able to him by obeying his command to
will therefore be eaten by the remnant of eat the Lords evening meal in remem
the members of Christs body on Mon brance of him from whom they are absent.
day night, between sundown and mid If in this sense they are still absent from
night, March 26, 1956. Thus beginning on him, then from this standpoint he has not
Nisan 14, A.D. 33, the Lords evening meal come for them and turned mere remem
has been eaten 1,923 times till now, and brance into actual sight of him and pres
preparation is being made to eat it this ence with him in heaven. So the remnant
year.
of his body must keep on eating the
13
But why was eating it not disconLords evening meal on earth until they are
tinued after October, 1914, when the Lord glorified, even after surviving Armageddon.
Jesus came into his kingdom at Jehovahs
16When coming to celebrate the Lords
right hand in the heavens? Why was it not evening meal this Nisan 14 or March 26,
discontinued, at least, after Jehovah God 1956, after sundown, they should come
came to his spiritual temple accompanied with the right mental attitude and the
by Jesus Christ as his messenger of the proper heart appreciation to observe it in
covenant in the spring of 1918? Matt. a way worthy of the occasion, with full
25:31; Mai. 3:1.
evaluation of the meaning of the Lords
Well, at the time of either of those evening meal. Paul advised the careless,
events Jesus Christ did not take his fol thoughtless, self-centered Corinthians that
lowers from their fleshly condition into his way, saying: Consequently, whoever eats
personal presence. He left them in the flesh the loaf and drinks the cup of the Lord
and hence they were still absent from the unworthily will be guilty respecting the
Lord. Regarding this Paul says to them: body and the blood of the Lord. First let
We know that if our earthly house, this a mein approve himself after scrutiny, and
tent, should be dissolved, we are to have a thus let him eat of the loaf and drink of
building from God, a house not made with the cup. For he that eats and drinks eats
hands, everlasting in the heavens. For in and drinks judgment against himself if he
this dwelling-house we do indeed groan, does not discern the body. That is why
earnestly desiring to put on the one for us many among you are weak and sickly and
from heaven, so that, having really put it quite a few are sleeping in [spiritual]
on, we shall not be found naked. . . . while death. But if we would discern what we
we have our home in the body, we are ourselves are, we would not be judged.
absent from the Lord, for we are walking However, when we are judged, we are
by faith, not by sight. But we are of good
15. Therefore, to be acceptable to him, what will they
courage and are well pleased rather to be- continue to celebrate, and till when?
13, 14. How have the remnant of his followers been
absent from him even since 1914 and also 1918?

16. With what inward condition should one come to

celebrate the Lords evening meal, and what did Paul
say to the Corinthians on this?

60

SHeWATCHTOWER.

disciplined by Jehovah, that we may not

become condemned with the world. Conse
quently, my brothers, when you come to
gether to eat it, wait for one another. If
anyone is hungry, let him [first] eat at
home, that you may not come together
[to one place] for judgment [with the
world]. 1 Cor. 11:27-34, NW.
17 True, Jesus did set up the Lords eve
ning meal after they had eaten the passover and at the same table. But that was
due to the circumstances and the relation
ship of the two things. However, we may
not eat an ordinary meal together at the
congregational meeting place to fill our
selves with food and drink and then add
to it the Lords evening meal as a sort of
climax of the eating and drinking. The
Lords evening meal must be kept separate
from ordinary evening meals. For, by his
evening meal, we use the loaf and cup to
symbolize our partaking of spiritual bene
fits that, in the case of the remnant, mean
everlasting heavenly life for them. They
must treat the occasion and the emblems,
the loaf and the cup, worthily. To partake
of these unworthily is worse than not par
taking at all, for, by partaking in an un
worthy, disrespectful way, one brings
Gods condemnation upon oneself, to die
with the world.
18 Why so? Because, having once known
the Lord, he now fails to discern the
body that the Lord offered in sacrifice. It
is as if he said: The table of Jehovah is
contemptible, and so the sacrifice upon
it is not unblemished, perfect: The table
of Jehovah is polluted. (Mai. 1:7,12, AS)
It is approaching the guilty action of the
unfaithful who impale the Son of God
afresh for themselves and expose him to
17. Why must the Lords evening meal be kept separate
from ordinary meals, even though Jesus set up the eve
ning meal right after the passover at the same table?
18. Why does one eat and drink judgment against him
self if he does not discern the body, and so what
should one do who receives Jehovahs disciplinary judg
ment?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

public shame and who have trampled

upon the Son of God and . . . esteemed as
of ordinary value the blood of the covenant
by which he was sanctified. So he is guilt
ily heading for a punishment much more
severe than that of one who broke the old
law covenant. He is heading for a death
from which there is no sacrifice for will
ful sin to deliver him. He will expose him
self to Jehovahs fiery jealousy that is
going to consume those in opposition.
(Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-31, NW) So let him
benefit by the corrective, disciplinary judg
ment that Jehovah gives him. Let him dis
cern what he himself is, and reform. If he
has been at fault, yet he should obey the
command and eat the Lords evening meal,
but do so discerning the Lords sacrificed
body and asking forgiveness for his sin.
Then let this celebration strengthen him to
follow Christs steps more closely during
the coming year.
19
Only the remnant of spiritual Israel
ites who are in the new covenant as mem
bers of Christs body may now partake of
the Lords evening meal. Yet the great
crowd of worshipers of Jehovah out of
all nations, peoples, tribes and tongues may
attend as observers. They have come up to
the exalted mountain of Jehovah, to the
house of the God of Jacob, and now when
coming to the Lords evening meal they
should discern that they are coming into
the emblematic presence of the table of
Jehovah and of the cup of Jehovah.
(Rev. 7:9; Isa. 2:2,3, AS) By this they
should let it be known that they shun the
table of demons and are giving their ex
clusive devotion to Jehovah, and that they
confess that their only way of approach to
Jehovah is through the sacrifice of his
great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.
19. When coming to the Lords evening meal, what
should the great crowd from all nations discern, and
how will they receive the greatest blessing from the
celebration ?

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

Doing so, they will find themselves in harmony with the remnant of partakers and
they will be united with them as one
flock under Jehovahs one Right Shepherd. (John 10:14-16, NW ) With these
they will enjoy the greatest blessing from

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., JULY 20-24, 1955

It was a testimony to the desirableness of

their patronage that for the third time in five
years Jehovahs witnesses were invited to hold
their 1955 international assembly in New York
citys great stadium run by the Yankee base
ball team. W ith a play on baseball language,
the New York Times published a partial view
of the great crowd there on the opening day
under the caption Jehovahs Witnesses Bring
a Different Kind of Teamwork to Yankee Sta
dium. Printed under that was the legend:
W ith second base transformed into a flowerbanked pulpit, Jehovahs Witnesses open their
Trium phant Kingdom Assem bly.
Yes, it was theocratic teamwork of the New
W orld society that made all the preparations
for the assembly, then got the stadium ready
and equipped for the five-day meet, and finally
carried on the assembly to its successful con
clusion. This turned out to be the greatest of
the series of five summer assemblies on the
North American continent, and the attendance
surpassed the preliminary estimate. Though
international, this was not a single world as
sembly; so no Trailer City was needed this
time as in 1950 and 1953, but Yankee Stadium
itself proved ample fo r the total attendance.
Opened officially with a ringing address of wel
come by the Canadian branch servant, P. Chap
man, this fifth assembly of the series moved
along with an enthusiasm and a verve that
showed the assembly series was by no means

61

the celebrating of the Lords evening meal

and they will be calling the table of Jehovah honorable and Christs sacrifice on
it unpolluted and altar-honoring, all to the
praise and glory of the only living and
true God, Jehovah.
growing stale anywhere. Many were the mis
sionaries and delegates present from foreign
lands to relate experiences, and the list of
speakers was most varied. The assemblys be
ing in New York city allowed fo r many of the
Societys headquarters men to serve on the
program besides N . H. Knorr, the president.
This opening day attendance ran up to 29,972,
giving promise of a good crowd for Sundays
climax.
Hundreds of French-speaking brothers were
here, especially from Quebec Province, Canada,
and also m any Spanish-speaking. So meetings
were arranged and held in French and Spanish
at opposite ends of the grandstand, lower decks,
Thursday, Friday and Sunday, of two hours
duration each. The first all-French meeting was
attended by 375, and the simultaneous Spanish
meeting by 245.
The W atch Tower Societys radio station,
W B B R , had a department at the center of the
mezzanine deck of the grandstand and made
recordings of select speeches. These it began
reproducing on its broadcasts from Thursday
morning forward.
It was about two oclock this Thursday after
noon that the convention chairman opened a
cablegram from the Societys branch office in
London, England, reading: Adverse decision.
All three against us. Thus this day the threejudge court of appeals, the Second Division of
the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland,
affirmed the January decision of the trial judge,
Lord Strachan, against Jehovahs witnesses,
namely, that the young witness, a pioneer and
at the same time servant of the Dumbarton
congregation, was not a regular minister
within the meaning of the 1948 National Service
Act and so was not exempt from call-up for
military service. This left an appeal to the
British House of Lords at London as the only
next human step to take. This adverse decision
against Jehovahs witnesses in Britain provided
an excellent background against which to speak
for the Societys legal counsel and attorney,
H. C. Covington, when he addressed the assem-

62

35eWATCHTOWER

bly this same evening at 7:30 on the subject

Activity and Life versus Inactivity and Death.
In introducing him the temporary chairman
advised the assembly of the adverse decision
of that day and remarked that, if the appeal
to the House of Lords should fail, then the only
course left would be to appeal to the highest
court of the universe, that of the living God,
Jehovah, and there we, His witnesses, would
win without fail. Though this was the hottest
July in New Yorks record and the temperature
rose to 96 degrees F., the record for 1955 till
then, the assembly attendance also rose, to
32,045 fo r this powerful speech.
Friday morning the conventioners rejoiced
to see 1,374 present themselves acceptably for
water baptism, a number fa r in excess of that
anticipated. Tonight, after releasing the new
booklet against spiritism to his audience of
34,258, the president directed some words spe
cially to these newly baptized ones, that this
booklet would be of particular help to them
as they had now taken sides with Jehovah
against Satan the Devil and all his demons.
Today the convention made news even in New
Yorks Chinatown, and the Chinese Journal
came out with a sizable article about the as
sembly.
This evening the Societys chartered conven
tion ship Arosa Star anchored at Southampton,
England, with its 794 passengers, including two
instructors of the W atchtower Bible School of
Gilead and also the farm servant of Kingdom
Farm on which the school is located. So these
three could not attend the Yankee Stadium
assembly. Later in the day the other chartered
liner, Arosa Kulm, put in to the same port with
its 795 passengers.
The Yankee Stadium assembly was following
the general pattern of the entire series of sum
mer conventions, but Saturday morning some
thing distinctive was added the graduation ex
ercises of the 25th class of the Watchtower
Bible School of Gilead.
A t 10:15 a.m. the exercises began, with the
president, Brother Knorr, presiding. On the
grass to the right of the platform sat the 102
members of the graduating class, in bright
sunshine from a cloudless, azure sky. A t the
school most of the students had studied Span
ish, but others from Canada, French, and six
had studied Japanese under a fellow student,
a form er Japanese Buddhist. First to be intro
duced to speak to them was the Spanish in
structor. He said: You do not have to fear

Brooklyn, N . Y.

depression and loss of gains as do persons who

graduate from schools of the old world. None
theless, he warned them that you have to put
up a fight to stick to your work from here on
out. He urged them to aim at the immediate
goal of their special training: to be active and
fruitful in Gods service. The mathematics in
structor next gave farewell remarks. Today
you graduate, but you dont have to look for
a job. . . . W h at you have is more than a mere
job. It is a profession, your lifes career, and
you put your heart into it. He urged them to
advance in knowledge and in teaching ability,
to excel as servants of God, always recognizing
and co-operating with the Society.
For the Kingdom Farm fam ily with whom
the graduates had worked after school hours
the assistant to the farm servant now spoke.
He held before them as graduates the picture
of ultimate triumph. For their works sake
they should pay constant attention to them
selves and their teaching, never losing out on
love, zeal, devotion, joy, not letting themselves
be disturbed in foreign assignments by health,
homesickness, loneliness or worldly attractions.
M ay their class picture hanging on Gileads
wall make him glad, yes, make Jehovah glad,
by their always being triumphant.
The next speaker, the vice-president, remind
ed the graduates to be always a sweet odor to
God and to life seekers by everywhere making
the fragrant knowledge of God perceptible.
They should learn to love the assignment to
which they are sent, not fleeing from it like
Jonah, but remembering that there, too, God
leads them in his triumphal procession. Their
faithful work will never be in vain.
Other words of greeting and well-wishing
followed, but they were from absent ones whose
messages were read by the presidents secre
tary. From form er graduates and others in
widely scattered lands they came. From the
Arosa Star came the radioed message that
was held for reading on graduation day: In
mid-Atlantic our thoughts with graduation
class. M ay Jehovah use you trained ministers
to bless multitudes. This was signed: Schroeder, Friend [Gilead instructors] and Markus
[farm servant].
Then the president himself spoke. He based
his loving counsel on 1 Peter 1:12-14. Prophetic
witnesses of old had interested themselves in
Jehovahs purposes. Even the angels of heaven
desired to look into these things and to know
their fulfillment. These same important things

Ja n u a r y

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

should call forth the same keen interest on the

part of these graduates. They should always
keep this interest at high pitch, thus be always
moved to study into these matters, and be en
thusiastic and zealous for working in harmony
with these things and making them known to
others, to Jehovah's praise. Let us never be
stingy with what we have to offer our heavenly
Father. The responsibility rests upon you to
bring about the vindication of Jehovah's nam e."
Came now the time fo r the president to hand
out diplomas. In the alphabetic order of their
names the graduates filed onto the platform
from the right and around before the micro
phone where each received the precious gradua
tion envelope, the president announcing the
graduate's future assignment as he handed out
the envelope. Encouraging and appreciative
applause rose from the great audience of more
than 23,000 as each assignment was heard. The
graduates had come from sixteen different
lands; they were now assigned to serve Jeho
vah in twenty-four lands, north, south, east
and west. For the first time two were assigned
to missionary service in Taiwan or Formosa,
where the eighteen-year-old ban against Jeho
vah's witnesses had been lifted only this past
May.
It was now the turn of the twenty-fifth class
of Gilead to respond. They did so, with a reso
lution read by a brother in the graduating
class. The resolution expressed heartfelt thanks
for all that had made their training at Gilead
possible and it voiced their resolves for the
future. They would make Jehovah more known,
walk faithfully in Christ's steps, hold fa st to
Gods Word, fearlessly keep separate from this
old world till it ceases to exist forever, work
with Jehovah's visible organization, fulfill all
responsibilities and privileges bestowed upon
them, and humbly serve their brothers and all
good-will persons yet to be gathered in one
loving and united N ew W orld society destined,
by Jehovah's undeserved kindness, to live
through Armageddon and endlessly in God's
new w orld." A fellow student seconded the m o
tion to adopt this resolution. The entire gradu
ating body applauded in its united adoption. A
song was joined in by all the assembly, then a
prayer by the president brought the blessed
graduation exercises to a close at 12:20 p.m.
The temperature of 100 degrees F. was defied
this afternoon by 35,753 who heard the presi
dent talk on Jehovah Is in His H oly Tem ple"
and then release the new book on surviving

63

Armageddon. Comments were heard, such as,

O h !" To think we are living in this d a y!
That's wonderful! and You can see that
Jehovah is in his holy temple just from this
talk." Increasing appreciation of the assembly
showed itself in a still larger crowd of 36,280
tonight.
The rain Sunday morning ceased before the
morning sessions at the stadium began. A t the
French meeting at noon there was an enthu
siastic crowd of 443, and at the public lecture
in Spanish there was a crowd of 500 to hail
the release of the new booklet in Spanish on
the same subject. From Ciudad Trujillo, Domin
ican Republic, under a Roman Catholic dictator
that has banned Jehovah's witnesses, the broth
ers telephoned in their greetings to the assem
bly, saying: A ll here wish you Jehovah's bless
ing there."
The skies continued cloudy, but the public
turned out to hear W orld Conquest Soon by
God's Kingdom " at 3 p.m. The listeners num
bered 55,009, or more than five thousand above
the number expected. A t the close of the presi
dent's talk there was sustained applause, and
on being informed of his flight tonight to Brit
ain the great crowd clapped out a God speed"
to him. A few minutes before the closing ses
sion, the closing rem arks" by the president, it
began to rain, becoming quite heavy for a
while. The remarks that rewarded the 45,144
that remained were greatly enjoyed. They took
to heart the reminder that children are not to
be considered too cute to be corrected; that it
is inconsistent with Isaiah 2:2-4 fo r parents to
provide children with w ar toys; and that chil
dren should love parents and not think they
are entitled to charge their parents money for
services their parents want them, or ask them,
to render. Young witnesses follow bad exam
ples when they copy the notoriously worldly
movie stars as to their dress, their conduct, etc.
W e are a separated people, smelling differently
by exhaling godliness and the knowledge of
God. God has not been stingy with us; at this
series of summer assemblies we have received
five new releases, five new theocratic publica
tions by the W atch Tower Society. W e are ex
periencing an expansion period and building
new factories and branch buildings therefor.
Till now, at the five assemblies, a total of
3,976 were baptized, and there was a total audi
ence of 171,701 for the public lecture. But now
the European assemblies were before us, with
a great participation expected. W ord from Ger-

64

SfceWATCHTOWER

many advised that already requests for room

ing accommodations for 61,000 at the Nurem
berg assembly had been received from fiftythree lands. Thoughtfully appreciation was ex
pressed toward all who had joined in making

Brooklyn, N . Y.

the third Yankee Stadium assembly such a

success; song and prayer followed, and the as
sembly was all over at 6:19 p.m. The rain, too,
had stopped.
(To be continued)

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

February 26: The Table of Dem ons versus

The Table of Jehovah, 111-19, Page 44.
March 4: The Table of Demons versus The
Table of Jehovah, H20-38. Page 50.
March 11: One Body of Partakers. Page 55.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

How the Pharisees1 example shows that re
ligious appearances may be deceptive? P. 3 5, Hi.

^ How eating of flesh sacrificed to Jehovah

was an act of communion? P. 47, flio.

How Jesus scathingly denounced the re

ligious faddists of his day? P. 36, Til.

^ Whether Jesus miraculously changed the

communion loaf into his flesh? P. 49, ffi7.

Why religion is becoming so popular, and

what is wrong with its boom now? P. 3 7, H4.

Whether drinking Jesus' blood condemns

to death his body members? P. 52, 1f27.

^ What special problems Christian expan

sion faces in Asia? P. 40, Hi.

^ Why Jesus used just one loaf in institut

ing the Lord s evening meal? P. 56, fl2.

I* How many work at Watch Tower offices

and printing plants world-wide? P. 42, 114.

^ When the Lord s evening meal should be

eaten? P. 58, Hi2.

^ Why real priests of God must have clean

habits? P. 44, H2.

I* What counsel the Watch Tower s presi

dent gave graduating missionaries? P. 62, 1J8.

FEBRUARY 1, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

CAUTIOUS A S SERPENTS
A M O N G WOLVES

CONSCIOUS OF YOUR SPIRITUAL NEED?

THE TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM
ASSEMBLIES OF 1955

WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-Isa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
well the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

P r in t in g

CONTENTS
Conscious of Your Spiritual Need?
W h y the Crisis of A ll Mankind?
M odem History of Jehovahs Witnesses
Part 27: The International
Assem bly of 1946
Showing a W ealth of Good W orks
Cautious as Serpents Am ong W olves
From Gileads Twenty-sixth Class to
the President
Cleric Comments on Christmas Customs
The Triumphant Kingdom
Assemblies of 1955
Questions from Readers

67
68

72
75
76
90
91
92
95

Abbreviations used in Tho Watchtower tor the followini Bible versions

AS AT Da Dy ED L e

American Standard Version

An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
The Emphatic Diaglott
- Isaac Leeser's version

Unless otherwise indicated.

LXX

- The Septuagint Version

Mo

NW
Ro
RS
Yg

the Bible used is

James Moffatt's version

New World Translation
J. B. Botherham's version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Young's version
the King James Version

t h is is s u e :
2 ,3 2 5 ,0 0 0
F iv e c e n ts a c o p y
PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Semimonthly
Indonesian
Afrikaans
Italian
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Japanese
Danish
Norwegian
English
Slovenian
Finnish
Spanish
French
Swedish
German
Tagalog
Twi
Hollandlsb
Zulu
llocano

Monthly
Polish
Arabic
Chinese
Portuguese
Russian
Cibemba
Cishona
Sesotho
Greek
Siamese
HiligaynonSilozi
Slovak
Visayan
Ukrainian
Ibo
Kanarese
Urdu
Xbosa
Korean
Yoruba
Malayalam
Pangasinan

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
7 /Sooth Afriea, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 2
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by International
money order only. Notice of expiration (w ith renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second class matter at Brooklyn, N .Y.,
Act of March 3, 1 87 9. Printed in U.S.A.

-/ir m o u n c ir io
JEH OV AH S
KINGDOM

ERE a person not aware of his phys

ical needs he would soon die from
hunger, thirst, exhaustion or exposure, or
land in a mental institution. Thus the lonely
traveler in the dead of winter will freeze
to death because the numbing power of
cold makes him unconscious of his danger.
People often take drugs in order not to be
conscious of their need of rest. Scientists
have discovered that it is because the walls
of the stomach come together when it is
empty that one feels the pain of hunger
and thus becomes conscious of his need
of food. Obviously it is our senses and
nerves that make us conscious of our
physical needs so that we will do some
thing about supplying those needs that we
may stay alive and enjoy lifes blessings.
But what about our spiritual needs? Are
we conscious of those? That it is possible
for us not to be conscious of our spiritual
needs Jesus Christ made clear in his Reve
lation to John, where, among other things,
he says the following to the lukewarm
Christians of Laodicea: Because you say:
I am rich and have acquired riches and
do not need anything at all, but you do
not know you are miserable and pitiable
and poor and blind and naked, I advise you
to buy from me gold refined by fire that
you may become rich, and white outer
garments that you may become dressed

and that the shame of your nakedness may

not become manifested, and eyesalve to
rub in your eyes that you may see. Rev.
3:17, 18, NW.
The fact is that by far the majority of
mankind are not conscious of their spirit
ual need, any more than the antediluvians
were aware of their danger when Noah
preached to them. Because this being con
scious of ones spiritual need is so rare and
at the same time the first requirement
Jesus began his sermon on the mount
with the words: Happy are those who are
conscious of their spiritual need. Inciden
tally, how much more meaningful and fit
ting is this rendering of the
World
Translation than the usual blessed are the
poor in spirit. Matt. 5:3, NW.
Why are those who are conscious of
their spiritual need happy? Because only
when we are aware of our true condition is
there any hope for improvement. Only if
we appreciate how soiled we are, in a
spiritual sense, that there is not a right
eous man, not even one, will we look for
spiritual soap and water, the cleansing
power of Gods Word and the merit of
Christs sacrifice, to wash us clean. Only
when we appreciate that we have strayed
like sheep, and are lost, will we look to the
Right Shepherd, Jesus Christ, to guide us
in the right way. Only if we are conscious
that it is not in mere man to direct his
67

68

5JEeWATCHTO W E R

own steps will we look to Gods Word.

Only if we appreciate our weakness, that
the arm of flesh cannot save us, will we
look to Jehovah for help. Rom. 3:10, NW;
Jer. 10:23.
Those who are conscious of their spirit
ual need are happy because they are hum
ble. God opposes the haughty ones, but he
gives undeserved kindness to the humble

B rooklyn , N . Y.

ones. Because those who are conscious of

their spiritual need are lowly and contrite
Jehovah says that he dwells with them.
Truly, happy are those who are conscious
of their spiritual need. Are you conscious
of your spiritual need? Then read on, for
the purpose of this magazine is to help all
those who are of that mental attitude.
Jas. 4:6,
NW.

of all mankind?
What does the present crisis really mean'
hy is it more severe tfian any previoui
ne, and what can you do about it? If yoi
ally want to know the wise course todays

OLITICAL leaders have a great deal

to say about todays crisis. So do re
ligious leaders, newspaper writers, atomic
scientists and others. However, this article
is not about the worlds crisis. Rather, it is
about your crisis, the one that you as an
individual face today.
A crisis is a time when a vital decision
must be made. Consider an example: An
airplane pilot flying over a vast ocean
through a stormy night finds he is low on
gasoline. Nearing the shore he knows that
he must decide immediately whether to
take the chance of ditching his plane in the
sea, or whether if he throttles back and
flies carefully he will have just enough gas
oline to reach shore, get over the thickly
settled city and land safely at the airport.
This is a crisis. The decision must be
made immediately; it cannot be
put off. Also, it must be well in
formed, based on sound knowl
edge of how far the plane is from
the airport, the amount of gaso
line it has and the distance it will

fly on that gasoline. Upon his de

cision rests the pilots own life
and the lives of many others.
A different type of crisis was
faced by the Christian congrega
tion in Jerusalem in the year 66. More than
thirty years earlier Jesus had said that
when the city was surrounded by armies
they should flee to the mountains. Now the
city was surrounded. The crisis, or point of
decision, had come. Would they heed Jesus
warning and flee the city? Yes, these Chris
tians made the wise choice, abandoning
their home city and moving into the moun
tains across the Jordan, just as Jesus had
instructed. This right decision enabled them
to escape being killed in the terrible destruc
tion that came upon Jerusalem A.D. 70.
Now, you are not flying an airplane, nor
living in Jerusalem in the year 66, but you
do face an equally grave crisis today. Like
the pilots decision, it is a matter of life
or death that cannot be put off. It must be

February

1, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER.

69

who loves righteousness and hates the

worlds abominations? Then heed the
warning regarding the wicked system that
God will destroy: Get out of her, my peo
ple, if you do not want to share with her
in her sins, and if you do not want to re
ceive part of her plagues. (Rev. 18:4,
NW) Take the right course now and re
ceive Jehovahs protection through the
time of trouble that earth faces.
There is nothing impossible about Gods
YOUR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
abolishing the wicked conditions earth now
Why does this crisis concern you as an faces. He has done it before. During the
individual? Because the world has already flood of Noahs day the global, total flood
passed its point of crisis. It has made its piled up for forty days and did not sink
decision, and its decision was the wrong into basins until an entire year had passed.
one! It is because the world has taken the Truly a catastrophe worse than countless
wrong course that Christians, even back in H-bombs, this was a destruction that wiped
Jesus day, were separate from it. Jesus said out both the population and civilization
to his followers: If you were part of the then in existence! Destruction came upon
world, the world would be fond of what is those who refused to change their wrong
its own. Now because you are no part of the attitude toward God or who had paid no
world, but I have chosen you out of the attention to the warning God had given.
world, on this account the world hates Noah, a preacher of righteousness, had
you. (John 15:19,
NWThis
old worlds
faithfully
proclaimed the warning, but the
crisis has passed. Its doom was long ago people did not listen. They did not think
stated in the Bible and foretold in the di God would destroy their system. And Jesus
vine prophecies. But the end of the world said of our day: Moreover, just as it oc
will not mean the end of earth and all curred in the days of Noah, so it will be
mankind. It will mean only the end of this also in the days of the Son of man: they
wicked worldly system. Thus survival is were eating, they were drinking, men were
possible: Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of marrying, women were being given in mar
the earth, that have kept his ordinances; riage, until that day when Noah entered
seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may into the ark, and the flood arrived and de
be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovahs stroyed them all. (Luke 17:26, 27, NW)
anger. (Zeph. 2:3,
So while the However, eight human souls who served
worlds doom is set, you as an individual Jehovah were spared. Thus God can and
can take the right course and receive Gods will destroy a condemned world, though
protection.
individuals who take the right course can
Whether or not you will survive depends survive.
upon your attitude and your course of ac
WHAT CAUSED THE PRESENT CRISIS?
tion now. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied
In order to understand the present crisis,
with this corrupt world? Are you a part
of it, or have you kept yourself free from you must understand the reason for it. And
its corruption? Are you willing to get out by understanding it you will be able to
of Satans system and be marked as one make the right decision. The reason that
made immediately, and it must be well in
formed, based upon an accurate under
standing of where we are in Gods purposes
and the amount of time that remains for
us. Just as in Jerusalem A.D. 66, Jehovah
has commanded a specific course for his
servants to take, the sign that he indicated
has become evident, and the only question
that remains is, Will you do what he in
structs?

70

SfreWATCHTOWER.

the greatest crisis has come now is because

now is the time for settling the greatest of
all issues. This is an issue that was raised
by Satans rebellion nearly 6,000 years ago.
Today many people scoff at the idea that
Satan even exists, let alone that his re
bellion caused earths troubles.
But their scoffing is proved ridiculous by
the Bibles clear statements on the matter.
It shows that the one who became the Devil
was originally an exalted spirit creature,
but that nearly 6,000 years ago he chal
lenged the sovereignty of the great Crea
tor, Jehovah. He charged that under stress
no men would keep integrity to their Crea
tor. Later, regarding the faithful man Job
he said: Put forth thy hand now, and
touch all that he hath, and he will renounce
thee to thy face. Job 1:11, AS.
Yes, Satan thinks he can turn all men
from God. A great portion of the earth has
followed himso much, in fact, that 1 John
5:19 (INTW) says: The whole world is
lying in the power of the wicked one.
Satans doom, and that of his wicked or
ganization, is sealed. But, as an individual,
yours is not. You can decide whether you
will, as Satan said you would, reject keep
ing integrity to Jehovah God; or whether
you will, as many faithful men all down
through the centuries have done, meet
your crisis successfully, proving Satans
challenge false and showing that even un
der opposition you will serve Jehovah.
Rev. 20:1-3.
W H Y SO VITAL N OW ?

The reason that your decision is so vital

today, however, is because the time has
come for the fined settling of this issue. In
fact, the first steps in its settling have
already occurred. As Revelation 12:7-12
(i^W) foretold, Satan has been hurled
down to earth, and there is woe for the
earth and for the sea, because the Devil
has come down to you, having great anger,

B rooklyn , N . Y .

knowing he has a short period of time. It

is during the lifetime of our present gener
ation that this has happened! It is since the
year 1914 that unusual and unexplained
difficulties, such as Jesus described in
Matthew 24, have come upon the earth as a
direct result of Satans anger.
Thus, Satans time is short. The destruc
tion of his entire wicked system at Arma
geddon is near. The fulfillment of Bible
prophecy shows it, the count of time shows
it, and true Christians are definite about
it! The facts concerning this are being
preached world-wide to all nations, so that
none can say he did not hear it. Will you
investigate this message? Will you be wiser
than those who lived in Noahs day and
made the wrong decision in their thne of
crisis, and than those who lived in Jesus
day, who paid no attention to the warning
that he gave? Will you see why so many
people have intelligently made the wise
decision today, having put aside the cor
rupt ways of Satans old world, and are
holding firmly to the righteous ways of
Jehovahs new world?
Jehovah has made a loving provision
that enables you to do this. He provided
his own Son as a ransom to pay back what
Adam, through his disobedience, lost for
the human race. Paul explained: For the
wages sin pays is death, but the gift God
gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our
Lord. (Rom. 6:23,
N
Yes, Jesu
vided the perfect life such as Adam lost
when he rebelled against God. Thus, just
as through the disobedience of the one man
[Adam] many were constituted sinners,
likewise also through the obedience of the
one person [Christ] many will be consti
tuted righteous. Rom. 5:19,
But remember that this ransom is not
forced upon you. It makes it possible for
you to receive Gods protection at the bat
tle of Armageddon, but as Adam had to
show obedience if he would receive Gods

F ebruary 1, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER.

blessing, so you must be obedient to the

one who makes the ransom possible, Je
hovah God, and to the ransomer, Christ
Jesus.
YOUR COURSE DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY

You must decide whether you will take

advantage of the ransom that has been pro
vided or whether you will ignore it. Jesus
likened those who would benefit from it
to sheep, and those who would not benefit
from it to goats. You can be like a goat, be
ing stubborn, refusing to be led by the great
Shepherd, wanting your own way instead
of Gods. Or like sheep you can be meek
and teachable, receiving the benefit of
Christs ransom and everlasting life.Matt.
25:31-34, NW.
How can you qualify as a sheeplike one?
First, you must gain knowledge of Jehovah
and Christ Jesus, becoming familiar with
Gods Word, learning what he promises for
his servants and what he expects of them.
It is easy to see why this knowledge is so
vital. How could you have confidence in
Gods promises without even knowing what
they are? How could you take the course
he commands without knowing what it is?
How could you have confidence in his king
dom without knowing what it will do? And
how could you know Him if you do not
even know what he has said? Thus, in
prayer to his Father, Jesus said: This
means everlasting life, their taking in
knowledge of you, the only true God, and
of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus
Christ. John 17:3,
After gaining that knowledge, you must
put it into practice both by right conduct,
which is vital for Christians, and through
telling it to others, which is equally im
portant in showing your appreciation for
this vital message. Paul told Timothy that
a slave of the Lord must be qualified to
teach. A slave of God must love God
enough that he will obey the instructions

71

to tell others the good things he has

learned, and he must love his fellow man
enough to let him know what God has said
about the crisis men now face. Really zeal
ous activity in this service is the course of
more than a half-million gospel preachers
who have met their crisis successfully to
day. Will it be your course? 2 Tim. 2:24,
NW.
To help you decide, let us summarize
what has been considered here. First, we
have seen that each individual faces a crisis
today, a crisis that involves vital factors
of health, freedom and life. When this time
of crisis ends the present system of things
will be destroyed, but some men will sur
vive. The crisis was brought on long ago
by Satans original rebellion, and its spe
cial severity now is due to the fact that the
final settling of the issue that that rebel
lion raised is at hand. The right course is
to accept Christs ransom, to take in
knowledge of Jehovah God and Christ Je
sus, to practice right conduct and to par
ticipate in the preaching.
Why should you take this course? Be
cause now is the time when all mankind
must go one way or the other. And by mak
ing the right decision you can have the un
speakable privileges of sharing in the vin
dication of Jehovahs name, of aiding oth
ers to get life and of attaining real happi
ness now and forever in Jehovahs new
world. But now is the time! The decision
must be made now!
When it is firmly made, your crisis will
be passed, you will have chosen the right
course. Then you will begin to understand
the full meaning of Psalm 145:16 that says
in praise to God: Thou openest thine
hand, and satisfiest the desire of every liv
ing thing. By examining Gods Word,
trusting in his promises and obeying his
instructions you can then hold firmly to
that wise and blessed decision. Will you,
with His help, do so?

MODERN HISTORY of

Part 27
THE IN TER N ATIO N AL A SSE M B L Y O F 1 9 4 6

EHOVAHS witnesses are not only

preachers of Jehovahs new world of
righteousness but also practicers of New
World principles. Already they have begun
to conform themselves to New World stand
ards of living, rejecting many old-world
ways, customs and prejudices. They realize
they are passing through a transition pe
riod when the old world system of things
is to pass completely off the global scene
and when the New World system of things
has commenced to appear for the perma
nent control of this beautiful earth. As we
noticed before in this historical study,
since 1919 a theocratically organized New
World society has come to the fore with
Jehovahs blessing. Its foundation and
structure are Biblical, being ordained and
directed by the true God, Jehovah. His
Right Shepherd, Christ Jesus, keeps ex
panding the enclosure-like organization as
a gigantic fold of sheeplike humans, to em
brace crowds more of these other sheep
from every part of the earth. Preaching
and Bible education are necessary to iden
tify one as a rescued sheep, who then
gives evidence of his dedication by water
baptism. This means that such a new
foundling must thereafter grow up spirit
ually to become a worshiper of Jehovah
and His minister to preach, because that is
the chief work at present of all those in
the theocratic New World society. Follow
ing such right steps there must be a main
taining of clean and regular association

with the local congregational unit of the

society. Such a rescued sheep no longer
conducts himself independently as a wan
dering lost sheep but, rather, he responds
to direction from the shepherding author
ity. As a properly guided sheep he rejoices
in righteous association in the fold.
Wholesome association and fellowship
for His sheeplike worshipers is what the
Universal Shepherd, Jehovah, has provided
through his organization. When God
brought the millions of Israelites out of
Egypt he guided them lovingly through his
undershepherd Moses to whom he spoke:
The seasonal festivals of Jehovah that
you should proclaim are holy conventions.
(Lev. 23:2, NW) During their wilderness
travels and years later at Jerusalem mil
lions of the Israelites assembled three
times a year for as many as eight days of
festival at a time. These were happy occa
sions of mass association and fellowship.
These holy conventions were times of unit
ed worship of Jehovah their God. Music
and singing likewise marked these as occa
sions of rejoicing. They were times for the
hearing of the law and the word of God
read and discussed. Many were the ar
rangements necessary to lodge and feed
such a host of conventioners. Young and
old met new friends, renewed old acquaint
ances, and heard exciting reports during
these exhilarating days of happy associa
tion and celebration. At the close of these
vast assemblies the Israelites returned to
72

February 1, 1956

^eW A T C H T O W E R

their local units or communities feeling

spiritually refreshed to continue in their
faithful course before Jehovah. Truly the
living God, Jehovah, is a happy God who
delights in the happiness of his people.
1 Tim. 1:11; Deut. 14:24-27, NW.
Assemblies of Jehovahs witnesses in
these modem times have been an outstand
ing feature in their growth and develop
ment even as in the ancient days of Israel
and also those of the apostles of Christ
Jesus and other early Christians. These
have supplied that need for wider fellow
ship, for broadening of ones vision and for
spiritual stimulation to greater works of
faith and true worship. Prior to 1918 the
yearly conventions were rather localized or
sectional, none involving attendances over
4.000. a From 1919 to 1937 the largest as
sembly held at any one point rose to 25,000
in the United States.6 In this latter period
few of the brothers from outside the United
States were able to attend to lend much
of an international fellowship to gatherings
there. From 1938 to 1944 there were sev
eral multicity conventions meeting simul
taneously in several English-speaking coun
tries tied together by radiotelephone facil
ities. This arrangement of assembly began
to bring the witnesses together interna
tionally as far as the spoken word for one
way hearing was concerned. There was,
under this arrangement, no interchange of
communication among the respective mul
ticity segments of the far-flung gathering.
The largest of these was the fifty-city con
vention of 1938 with London, England, as
the key city, where the combined attend
ance at the climactic public meeting was
150.000. c All these multicity gatherings
gave the administration of the Society
much experience in planning for conven
tions. With this background in mind some
thing new was planned for the period fol Watch Tower 1911, p. 371.
b 1938 Yearbook, p. 47.
c Consolation, Oct. 5, 3938, p. 18.

73

lowing World Weir II, a truly international

assembly with a massive gathering at one
central point where all assembled together
in one physically present multitude.
That first of the series of great inter
national assemblies was held at Cleveland,
Ohio, from August 4 to 11, 1946. It was
called the Glad Nations Theocratic As
sembly. The citys Municipal Stadium, its
surrounding grounds and the adjoining
city Auditorium were all engaged as prem
ises for this vast assembly. Delegates came
from thirty-two countries outside the Unit
ed States as well as from every state inside
the country. Sessions were held in twenty
different languages. For the opening day
there was a total attendance of 50,000. At
the public lecture on the final Sunday 80,000 packed out the stadium to hear the talk
The Prince of Peace delivered there by
N. H. Knorr, the Societys president. Some
of the high lights of the assembly were the
release of the Bible textbook
for Every Good
tW
orkhe new magazine
Awake! (successor to Consolation) and the
new preaching instrument
God Be
True . In Lake Erie not far from the con
vention grounds 2,602 were immersed. An
other matter to be long remembered was
the presidents revealing of a proposed vast
expansion program in connection with re
building the Bethel headquarters and also
greatly enlarging the printing factory at
117 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York.
Branch offices in six countries were also to
be enlarged. This four-million-dollar ex
pansion program in four years was enthu
siastically accepted by the 58,000 in at
tendance at that session.*5
Bringing such a mass of people together
for eight days of Christian worship at one
point poses many problems. An outstand
ing problem is that of accommodation. A
well-designed system was worked out for
this Cleveland assembly which has become
d The Messenger, Aug. 12, 1946, p. 27.

74

fEeW ATCHTOW ER,

the pattern for all future national and in

ternational assemblies of the witnesses.
For weeks before the convention scores of
full-time pioneer workers were asked to
volunteer and, if accepted, brought to
Cleveland for preconvention services. Most
of this staff were assigned to the rooming
accommodation department. Along with
congregation publishers these special work
ers made house-to-house calls and visited
hotels to list accommodations for conventioners at various prices after inspecting
the rooms offered. The convention office
staff registered these rooms and sent out
assignments to the witnesses as fast as
the brothers wrote to the Convention Com
mittee specifying their requirements. In
this manner almost all conventioners were
notified ahead of time as to their accommo
dations. The practice of arranging for the
witnesses to stay in the homes of the local
townspeople has proved to be a powerful
witness, because it brings the public in
close touch with the thinking and clean
living of Gods transformed people. The
kindness, loving consideration and deport
ment displayed by these visiting witnesses
made a deep impression on the minds of
many householders, who themselves have
now become witnesses as a result.
At previous conventions held in 1937 at
Columbus and in 1941 at St. Louis many
American and Canadian witnesses had pre
ferred to camp in tents or bring their trail
ers (caravans) for convention-time accom
modation. So at the Cleveland assembly a
large Trailer Camp of Jehovahs witness
es was operated on the outskirts of Cleve
land. Large fields were rented for the con
vention period, on which an orderly de
signed little city was laid out with streets
and small allotments of sufficient size for
the erection of tents or the parking of trail
ers. Sanitation, water, ten miles of electric
cable and utility buildings were provided
for this nomadic overnight community of

B rooklyn , N . Y .

20,000 witnesses. Traffic control and ad

ministration of the city were in the
hands of a staff of 550 volunteer witnesses
who operated the entire project within the
governmental health regulations of that
county. A public-address system was in
stalled to relay the convention sessions at
the stadium to those of the Trailer Camp
who could not get down to the stadium
itself.
The feeding of scores of thousands at
mealtimes three times a day has become a
major undertaking. The cafeteria system
of serving meals was found to be the most
practical, and this experience had been
gained at the many previous national as
semblies held in the United States. For the
Cleveland assembly a special plastic, sec
tional feeding tray had been designed,
which facilitated the catering immensely.
Five mechanical tray-washing machines
were uniquely designed, built and operated
for this convention. This tray system for
cafeteria serving has become the practice
at all conventions large and small of the
witnesses in many parts of the earth since.
Fast-moving lines of thousands of conven
tioners were directed to pass to one of the
several serving lines where, after receiving
a tray and cutlery, volunteer workers made
servings of prepared dishes into the tray
sections according to the choice of the cus
tomer. From the serving line the crowds in
motion with their trays of food were di
rected to other halls or tents where waisthigh tables were provided upon which the
trays were placed for the food to be eaten
while standing. Whites and colored, young
and old people from many countries mixed
together during these pleasant mealtimes
to exchange stories and reports of their
field-preaching activities back home or dis
cuss matters pertaining to the current con
vention sessions and happenings. All were
in smiles as the vast family of thousands

February 1, 1956

75

SEeWATCHTOWER.

was being fed in a flowing system of order

ly helpfulness on the part of everyone. The
food was wholesome, clean, well cooked by
an amazing kitchen organization of volun-

teers and offered at a set price per meal to

all except the pioneers, who were granted
free meal tickets by the Society.
(To be continued)

SHOWING A WEALTH OF GOOD WORKS

ORE than ever before do men of
the world make material wealth
their goal. However, the Bible shows that
all such striving is a twofold folly: Those
who are determined to be rich fall into
temptation and a snare and many senseless
and hurtful desires which plunge men into
destruction and ruin. Yes, such striving
brings neither peace and happiness now nor
life in the future. 1 Tim. 6:9,
The wise course is to do just the opposite,
strive to be rich or wealthy in giving, to be
rich in right works, for by these we can
safely treasure up for ourselves a right
foundation for the future so that we can
get a firm hold on the real life. And not
only does wealth of good works give us a
firm hold on the real life but it also gives
us many blessings now, for the generous
man will be enriched; and he who waters
will himself be watered. 1 Tim. 6:18,
NW; Prov. 11:25,
AT.
What kind of works are here referred
to? Not just any good words, for Jesus said
that in the judgment day certain ones
would claim to have done great works in
his name but he would not recognize them.
The kind of works that count with God are
those that Jesus primarily did, namely,
bringing honor to his Father by making
known his name and bringing comfort to
men of good will by preaching the good
news of the Kingdom. Jesus himself
showed that his miracles were incidental to
his preaching the truth. Matt. 7:23;
24:14; John 6:26, 27, NW.
* For details see The Watclitower, August 1, 1955.

Of course, before we can be showing

wealth in this kind of right works we must
take in knowledge of Jehovah and his Son,
knowledge of his purposes and his king
dom. And then we must avail ourselves of
the training program so that we can be
come skilled preachers, for only those who
are skillful in their work will be permitted
to stand before the Kings Jehovah and
Christ. Our goal must be the winning of
Gods approval because of our handling his
Word aright, because of being fully com
petent, completely equipped for every good
work. John 17:3; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16, 17,
NW.
We should strive not only for quality in
our work but also for quantity, because
there is much work to be done, few to do it
and little time in which to do it. So preach
the word, be at it urgently in favorable
season, in troublesome season. Once we
obtain the right perspective of this work
we shall find it very refreshing, so much
so that we simply shall not be able to re
frain from speaking out, even as Jeremiah
and Elihu, Jobs real friend, both discov
ered. 2 Tim. 4:2, N W ; Jer. 20:9; Job
32:20.
Since minding the flesh means death,
whereas the minding of the things of the
spirit means peace and life, how foolish to
be ensnared by materialism! So let us keep
on showing a wealth of good works and
have peace and joy now and enjoy endless
life in Gods new world. Matt. 6:24; Rom.
8 :6 ,

NW

 Look! 1 am sending you forth as sheep amidst

wolves; therefore prove yourselves cautious as ser
pents and yet innocent as doves. Be on your guard
against
men
. Matt. 10:16, 17, NW ; Luke 10:3.
3Jesus was sending them
SHEEP among
wolves has little forth to preach good news,
power of its own to protect itself against which should have been grabbed at by
being devoured. A sheep, therefore, must people that had become disgusted with hu
rely upon its shepherd to protect it against man governments: As you go, preach,
wolves. It wants to serve the good purposes saying, The kingdom of the heavens has
of its shepherd and not be devoured by drawn near. Also, wherever you enter
ravenous wolves. So it obeys its shepherds into a city and they receive you, eat the
things set before you, and cure the sick
voice.
2
Wolfishness is displayed by many leadones in it, and go on telling them: The
ing men who ought to be sheeplike because kingdom of God has come near to you.
they claim to be Christians. If a man claims (Matt. 10:7 and Luke 10:8, 9, NW) And
yet sending them out to preach such a
to be a Christian he is a hypocrite if he is
winsome message would be putting them
really a wolf in sheeps covering, disguised
seemingly at the cruel mercy of wolves.
to take advantage of sheeplike persons.
Who, then, were the wolves?
Jesus Christ likened his true followers to
4 A wolf or wolfish person is an enemy
sheep and himself to a shepherd that pro
not only of the sheep but also of their Right
tects them against voracious wolves. He Shepherd. The wolf does not gather the
preserves them to serve his good purposes, sheep with the shepherd but scatters them;
and they must obey his voice in order to he is not for the Right Shepherd Jesus but
enjoy his protection, provision and service. against him. (Luke 11:23) The wolf does
To his twelve special representatives, his not believe in the unity of the Christian
twelve apostles, he said: Look! I am send flock but scatters them to pick them off
ing you forth as sheep amidst wolves. And one by one and devour them to satisfy his
to seventy others besides those apostles he greed. Inasmuch as Jesus was then sending
said similarly: Look! I am sending you forth the Kingdom preachers among the
forth as lambs in among wolves.Matt. Jewish people exclusively, these wolves
were to be found among the Jews who
10:16 and Luke 10:3,
claimed to be Gods people, the most re1. Upon whom must a sheep endangered by wolves rely,
and why?
2. To what animal did Jesus liken his true followers,
and against whom did he warn them?

3. What message were they sent forth to preach, and

yet at whose cruel mercy would it seemingly put them?
4. Who were the wolves then referred to?
76

February 1, 1956

77

3TjeW A T CH TO W ER

ligious people then on earth. They were re kingdom of God, the kingdom of the heav
ligious wolves, who preyed upon the lost ens, has drawn near more fully now than
sheep of the house of Israel. Matt. 10:6. when Jesus sent out the twelve apostles to
5
That the wolves in his day included repreach, for in 1914 Jehovah God took to
ligious persons opposed to the preaching of himself his great power and seated his Son
the good news of Gods kingdom and perse Jesus Christ, upon the throne to rule as
cuting his sheeplike followers for preach king in the midst of his enemies and thus
ing it, Jesus showed in his further words the kingdom of God came into power in the
to those whom he sent forth: Be on your heavens. On earth war raged among the
guard against men; for they will deliver nations over the issue of world domination
you up to local courts and they will scourge and in the invisible heavens also war raged
you in their synagogues. Why, you will be but the newborn kingdom triumphed and
haled before governors and kings for my Satan the Devil and his demons were
sake for the purpose of a witness to them hurled down to the earth, to await the
and the nations. When they persecute you full end of their world at the battle of
in one city, flee to another; . . . And do not Armageddon. Particularly after the close
become fearful of those who kill the body of World War I in 1918 it became the due
but can not kill the soul; but rather be in time for this good news of the newborn
fear of him that can destroy both soul and kingdom to be preached wherever the
body in Gehenna. (Matt. 10:17, 18, 23, earth is inhabited. It became necessary for
28,2VW) When told that King Herod Anti- Jesus Christ, now enthroned in power, to
pas wanted to kill him, Jesus called him a act upon his very own prophecy and send
fox. (Luke 13:31, 32) Before Jerusalem out preachers of this good news of the
was destroyed in 70 (A.D.) the wolves at Kingdom. Once again he has to send out
tacked Jesus sheep, killed many of them his faithful followers as sheep amidst
and scattered them with great persecution. wolves. The worst wolves and the most
But wherever the sheep were scattered wolves have proved to be in the religious
they preached Gods message. Thus the land of Christendom. It has proved to be
persecution helped to spread the good news a den of wolves to the sheeplike preachers
instead of stamping it out. The sheep knew of Gods kingdom. Ask the only ones that
how to meet the attacks of the wolf packs. are preaching this good news of the new
born kingdom, Jehovahs witnesses. They
Acts 8:1-5.
BToday Jesus words, Look! I am send know. You, too, know about their experi
ing you forth as sheep amidst wolves, take ences with the wolves.
in also all the earth outside of the land of
Israel. Since A.D. 1914, when World War I
broke out, Jesus command to his sheeplike
followers applies: This good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the inhab
ited earth for the purpose of a witness to
all the nations, and then the accomplished
end will come. (Matt. 24:14, NW) The
5. With what warnings did Jesus show the wolves
included religious persons, and what did these do before
A.D. 70 to the sheep?
6. Why do Jesus words at Matthew 10: 16 take in all
the earth today?

HOW LIKE SERPENTS

7How are the Kingdom preachers to sur

vive amidst wolves and still stay sheeplike,
harmless, obedient to their Shepherds
voice? Our Shepherd has told us how. After
forewarning his disciples of the wolves all
around he said: Therefore prove your
selves cautious as serpents and yet inno
cent as doves. Be on your guard against
7. How are the Kingdom preachers to survive amidst
wolves and still stay sheeplike?

78

SfreWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn , N. Y.

Abraham did not return to Ur of the

Chaldeans he had left Ur forever at Gods
command but went down to Egypt. Abra
ham may have heard of the incident, now
found recorded on a papyrus, of where an
Egyptian Pharaoh, influenced by his princ
es, sent armed troops and took another
mans beautiful wife away for his own
harem. Near Egypt Abraham told Sarai
to hide the fact that she was his wife:
They will certainly kill me, but you they
will preserve alive. Please say you are my
sister, in order that it may go well with me
on your account, and my soul will be cer
tain to live due to you. Pharaoh took
Sarai
make her his wife, but Jehovah
serpentto did
plagued Pharaoh and his house, calling to
his notice that Sarai was Abrahams wife.
So Pharaoh returned her, but complained
to Abraham for not having been told the
full facts that might have prevented this.
Gen. 12:10-20,
NW.
11
Years later Abraham was in Philistine
country at Gerar. And Abraham repeated
concerning Sarah his wife: She is my sis
ter. Why? As Abraham later explained
to Abimelech king of Gerar who had taken
Sarah: It was because I said to myself,
Doubtless there is no fear of God in this
place and they will certainly kill me be
cause of my wife. And, besides, she is truly
my sister, the daughter of my father, only
DOES CAUTION ALLOW FOR DISGUISE?
not the daughter of my mother, and she
*In the ancient Hebrew Scriptures we became my wife. And it came about that,
find many examples of where Jehovahs when God caused me to wander from the
servants used caution among them Abra house of my father, then I said to her:
ham, Sarah, Isaac, David and Jonathan. This is your loving-kindness which you
Did they disgrace themselves as liars in may exercise toward me: At every place
doing so? Let us examine the background where we shall come say of me, He is my
brother. Very likely Sarah was preg
of their actions.
nant
with her only son Isaac at this time.
10 To escape a severe famine in Palestine
Almighty God acted to prevent Abimelech
8. (a) How did the serpent act in Eden, and why?
from defiling Sarah by warning him in a
(b) What question, therefore, raises itself?
9. In the Hebrew Scriptures among whom do we find
dream, saying: But now return the mans
examples of caution, and what question do we ask

men. (Matt. 10:16, 17, NW) You must

be wary, then, as serpents. (R. Knox)
Show yourselves therefore as sly [sharp]
as serpents. Utlcole Biblique
Jerusa
lem, French.
8 Six thousand years ago the serpent
mentioned as being in Eden did not have to
fight against a ravenous wolf. It found
itself watched by an innocent, unsuspect
ing woman. The account reads: Now the
serpent proved to be the most cautious of
all the wild beasts of the field that Jehovah
God had made. So it began to say to the
woman: Is it really so that God said you
must not eat from every tree of the gar
den? (Gen. 3:1,
Whe
N
T
not have to protect itself against a wolf.
Hence it did not withdraw cautiously but
thrust its attentions upon the woman Eve.
Why? To deceive. The apostle Paul says:
The serpent seduced Eve by its crafti
ness. The woman was thoroughly de
ceived and came to be in transgression.
(2 Cor. 11:3 and 1 Tim. 2:14, NW) Behind
the scenes the Devil maneuvered the ser
pent into its deceptive actions and words,
making it act craftily, with the intent of
injuring. Its lie induced human disobedi
ence. Death followed to mankind. In being
cautious as serpents may we use such
craftiness against wolves?

concerning them?
10. What experience did Abraham have with Pharaoh
of Egypt on account of Sarai?

11, 12. What experience did Abraham have with Abim

elech king of Gerar on account of Sarah?

February 1, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

wife, for he is a prophet, and he will make

supplication for you. So keep living. When
returning Sarah King Abimelech gave
Abraham a thousand silver shekels and
said to Sarah: Here it is for you a cover
ing of the eyes to all who are with you,
and before everybody, and you are cleared
of reproach. At Abrahams supplication
God healed Abimelech and his wife and
slave girls so that their wombs were opened
again to bear children. Gen. 20:1-18, NW.
12 If we call Abraham on the above two
occasions a liar and prevaricator, we are
obliged to ask, Did Jehovah God use a liar
and a faithless coward to supplicate him
to heal Abimelech who had acted in his
innocence? To understand Gods action to
ward his prophet Abraham we should think
not merely of Gods faithfulness to his
covenant with Abraham but of the circum
stances back there.
13Whether in Egypt or in Palestine,
Abraham was in enemy territory and need
ed to exercise caution. He wanted to live
to carry out Gods purpose toward him.
He saw good to use strategy toward those
who might be provoked to injure or kill
him in Jehovahs service. He could have
gone to war with them; with 318 of his
household slaves he had once put to rout
the armies of four kings from Mesopotamia
who invaded Palestine and carried off his
nephew Lot and his household. But Abra
ham chose to mountain peaceful relations
with the inhabitants of lands where he so
journed. He was not disposed to go to war
with them over his wife.
14 In those days before Jehovah made
his law covenant with Abrahams descend
ants through the mediator Moses, women
were expendable. Remember how Lot of
fered to let the howling mob of Sodomites
13. In what territory did Abraham find himself, and
what relations was he minded to maintain with the
inhabitants thereof?
14. What two instances show that women were expend
able in those ancient days, and so what was Sarah will
ing to do toward preserving the life of Abraham?

79

have his two marriageable or espoused

daughters for their lust in order to protect
the lives of the two men whom he had as
guests in his house. (Gen. 19:1-8) Remem
ber how the old man of Gibeah offered his
virgin daughter and his guests concubine
to a like mob of Benjaminites in order to
protect the religious Levite whom he was
entertaining. Finally the Levite himself
took his concubine wife, whom he was tak
ing back home, and put her outside the
house at the mercy of the mob, to her
death. (Judg. 19:1-3, 10-28) So Abraham
represented Sarah as his sister to prevent
violent controversy over his wife. Sarah
recognized Abraham as her lord and agreed
to the arrangement, willing to take the
consequences of the arrangement. She was
willing to do her part to preserve the life
of Jehovahs prophet, with whom He had
made his covenant. Abraham looked upon
this as an expression of her loving-kindness
to him, and Sarah viewed it in the same
way. 1 Pet. 3:5, 6.
15
But critics do not view it that way.
They view Abraham wholly as a lying, pre
varicating, weakling coward, and not a
cautious strategist in an enemy land filled
with wolves. Since God saw good to keep
Abraham in his covenant and to protect
Sarah undefiled for her husband, may we
see in this line of strategy a picture? Abra
ham is elsewhere used to picture Jehovah
God and Sarah is used to picture Jehovahs
heavenly womanly organization that pro
duces the promised Seed the Christ. So we
may see in Abrahams conduct how, over
the centuries, Jehovah has seemed to re
pudiate his organizational wife or hide her
wifely relationship to him. He withheld
from her the promised Seed so long and he
also lets those on earth who are her spirit
ual children suffer at the hands of men and
devils, seemingly without divine protec
tion. All this has given the enemy the
15. What picture may we see in Abrahams line of
strategy, and why?

80

SfreWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn , N . Y .

wrong impression and they have felt free

to try to defile the representatives of Jeho
vahs wifely organization. But in fulfill
ment of his covenant respecting Christ
Jehovah has protected them amid their
trying situation and has delivered them
in their integrity. Gal. 4:21-31; Isa.
54:5-8.
18 Following his father Abra
hams example, Isaac likewise spoke
of his wife Rebekah as his sister to
the men of the same city of Gerar.
Her true connection with Isaac was
discovered by King Abimelech, who
then said to Isaac: A little more
and certainly one of the people
would have cohabited with your
wife and you would have brought
guilt upon us! King Abimelech
should have added: If Jehovah had
permitted it! Peaceable Isaac explained
his strategy, saying: I said it [that she is
my sister] for fear I should die on her
account. After that brush with King
Abimelech over Rebekah Jehovah con
tinued to bless Isaac to the extent that the
Philistines became envious of him.Gen.
26:1-11, NW.
17 We may view Isaacs handling of mat
ters with his wife Rebekah from the same
standpoint as that of Abraham with Sarah.
Abraham and Isaac may have had a fear,
but they did not in fear make an ungodly
alliance with pagan kings for self-protec
tion. Hence we may not apply to them the
stinging rebuke of Isaiah 57:11-13 (RS):
Whom did you dread and fear, so that
you lied [played the traitor, AT], and did
not remember me, did not give me a
thought? Have I not held my peace, even
for a long time, and so you do not fear me?
I will tell of your [self-] righteousness and
your doings, but they will not help you.

When you cry out, let your collection of

idols deliver you! Jehovah always deliv
ered Abraham and Isaac because they
shunned the world.
18 Rahab the harlot innkeeper of Jericho
generally comes in for
condemnation as a de
ceiver. She took the
two spies from the
nearby camp of
Israel into her
house, because
she feared their
G od J e h o v a h .
/
When the king of
Jericho sent men and
demanded that she bring
out the two spies, should
she have led the kings officers
up to the rooftop and brushed
away the stalks of flax laid in rows over the
men, thus exposing their concealment and
thus handing them over to suffer the fate
of spies? Would that have been trusting in
their God to protect them? Would that
have pleased Jehovah and shown she had
faith in him and had adopted his cause?
Did it not require strength of faith in Jeho
vah to refuse the kings demand and to
turn his officers away with a misdirection?
She said: Yes, the men did come to me
and I did not know from where they were.
And it came about at the closing of the
gate by dark that the men went out. I just
do not know where the men have gone.
Chase after them quickly, for you will
overtake them. Was she immorally lying
there?
19 Remember that there was war then.
The enemies did not deserve to learn the
truth to the hurt or endangerment of Je
hovahs servants. In wartime it is proper to
misdirect the wolfish enemy. While the
kings misdirected men were gone in a vain

16. How did Isaac copy his father in this, and what
expression did Jehovah God make after this?
17. Though having a fear, what did Abraham and Isaac
not do, and so how did Jehovah act toward them?

18. Why does Rahab generally come in for condemna

tion as a deceiver?
19. How do we know whether Rahab was immorally
lying there?

February 1, 1956

SEeW ATCHTOW ER

pursuit, Rahab helped the two spies to

escape over the city wall. Gods Word com
mends her action as the practical proof of
her faith: In the same manner was not
also Rahab the harlot declared righteous
by works, after she had received the mes
sengers hospitably and sent them out by
another way? So the lives of Rahab and
her relatives were spared when Jerichos
walls were tumbled down and all the other
cityfolk were wiped out. Josh. 2:1-24;
6 :17-23 and Jas. 2:25,
20David, the killer of the Philistine giant
Goliath, was cautious as a serpent toward
the wolfish King Saul and others. David
withdrew from the jealous, murder-minded
King Saul in time of danger, never once
trying to strike back to Sauls injury. See
ing that Saul had declared war on innocent
David, Davids friends used war strategy
to protect him. Sauls daughter Michal
helped her husband David escape through
a window. She held back Sauls officers
with the announcement,
He is sick. She substitut
ed an image for David in
his bed and, when the bed
with the image was carried
to King Saul and Michals
work for Davids escape was
exposed, she said to her in
dignant father: He him
self said to me, Send me
away! Why should I put you to
death? King Saul called it decep
tive trickery. It was in effect war strat
egy for protecting the innocent. Michals
brother Jonathan, who loved David, also
used strategy to throw his insanely jealous
father off Davids track. 1 Sam. 19:9-17;
20:17-42, NW.
21 David, in flight, came to the high
20. How did David and his wife Michal and his brotherin-law Jonathan use caution toward King Saul, and why?
21. How did David protect high priest Ahimelech from
feeling under obligation toward King Saul, and how
was Doeg rewarded for acting as informer against
David?

81

priest Ahimelech at Nob. When asked why

he came alone, David concealed his move
ments, saying: The king himself com
manded me as to a matter, and he went on
to say to me, Let no one know anything
at all of the matter concerning which I am
sending you and concerning which I have
commanded you. (1 Sam. 21:1, 2, NW)
This protected the high priest from feel
ing under any pressure to betray Davids
whereabouts to King Saul. Doeg the Edom
ite, Sauls chief shepherd, was there at the
time. When he reported it to Saul, Doeg
was rewarded by Saul with the order to
kill the high priest and eighty-four of his
underpriests. God rewarded Doeg differ
ently. He inspired David to compose
Psalm 52 against the malicious Edomite
informer, as the psalms superscription
shows. 1 Sam. 21:1-7; 22:6-19, NW.
22
David took refuge in the land of Philistia with Achish the king 6f Gath. When the
Philistines discovered who he was and sug
gested to the king that David was a
security risk, David became
afraid of wolves. So he
disguised his sanity un
der their eyes and began
acting insane in their
hand and kept making
cross marks on the doors
of the gate and let his
saliva run down upon his
beard. King Achish re
fused to have him around
and let him go with his
life like a harmless idiot. Thus David was
able to get out alive and to the cave of
Adullam. However much his pretended
insanity before King Achish worked to
ward his escape, yet David was inspired to
write Psalm 34 and thank Jehovah for
blessing his strategy and giving him deliv
erance from King Achish. In verses 12, 13
22. How did David use caution toward King Achish of
Gath, and was it with any sense of self-condemnation?

82

31ieWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn, N .

Y.

sel allowed for David to escape to safety

and to prepare for the battle to regain his
throne. Jehovah blessed Hushais strategy
according to Davids own instructions and
frustrated Ahithophels counsel in answer
to Davids prayer.
24When two men were detected bearing
word from Hushai to David in the wilder
ness, a woman like Rahab proved at hand.
The two men hid in the courtyard well of
her husband. The woman spread a cover
ing over the well top and heaped up cracked
grain upon it. When Absaloms servants
came and asked about the two message
bearers, the woman said to them: They
passed on from here to the waters. After
Absaloms servants were off on a vain
hunt, the two men came out of the well
and made their way to David. All this war
strategy baffled the enemy, but it worked
toward Davids success in battle against
Absalom and for his restoration to Israels
throne. 2 Sam. 15:31-34; 16:16-19; 17:
18-23, NW.

David says: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he
may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil,
and thy lips from speaking guile. Thus
Psalm 34 expresses no sense of sin and
wrongdoing by David for having given
King Achish the wrong impression in or
der to effect his escape. (1 Sam. 21:8 to
22:1, NW) Later David returned under
different conditions and was assigned by
King Achish to live at Ziklag. Again David
used war strategy toward this enemy of
Davids people Israel and concealed his
true movements from him. So Achish did
not molest David and his men. 1 Sam.
27:2 to 28:2; 29:3-11.
28 In time David became king over Israel
at Jerusalem. When his son Absalom con
spired against him to seize the throne,
Davids most trusted counselor Ahithophel
turned traitor against him and joined the
conspiracy. While in flight from Jerusalem
David learned of Ahithophels traitorous
ness. At this David said: Turn, please,
the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness,
0 Jehovah! How did David act in har
mony with this prayer? When Hushai the
Archite wanted to join him in his flight,
David sent him back to Jerusalem, saying:
If you return to the city and you actually
say to Absalom, I am your servant, O King.
1 used to prove myself the servant of your
father, even I at that time, but now even I
am your servant, then you will certainly
frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for
me. Was David teaching Hushai to lie?
Hushai returned and professed to become
the servant of Absalom. In a choice be
tween Ahithophels counsel and Hushais
Absalom and his men preferred Hushais.
Frustrated, Ahithophel went home and
strangled himself, Judaslike. Hushais coun-

25
In a true confession David prayed:
Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou
God of truth. (Ps. 31:5,
Since Jeho
vah is the God of truth, can we find lies
in the mouths of his prophets? Take the
case of his approved prophet Elisha. Be
cause Elisha repeatedly exposed to the
king of Israel the lyings in wait of the
Syrian armies, the enraged king of Syria
sent a big military force and surrounded
the city of Dothan to capture Elisha. When
it began its assault on the city, Elisha
prayed to Jehovah: Please, strike this
nation with blindness. Jehovah answered.
So he struck them with blindness accord
ing to the word of Elisha.

23, 24. (a) When in flight from Absalom how did David
instruct Hushai, and how did Jehovah react toward this?
(b) How did a woman prove herself like Rahab toward
Davids two informants?

25, 26. (a) What question arises concerning the proph

ets of the God of truth ? (b) How did Jehovah vindi
cate Elisha from the charge of being a liar and a
cursed misleader of the blind?

THE STRATEGY OF JEHOVAHS PROPHETS

February 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

83

26Did Elisha now turn liar to these blind

Syrians and bring himself under the curse:
Cursed is the one who causes the blind to
go astray in the way ? (Deut. 27:18,2VW)
For we read: Elisha now said to them:
This is not the way and this is not the city.
Follow me and let me conduct you to the
man you look for. However, he conducted
them to Samaria. Instead of surrender
ing himself to them as the man they were
looking for at Dothan, he led them away
from Dothan to Samaria to the king of
Israel. But he did not do this for their in
jury; he did it to magnify Jehovahs power,
superiority and mercy before all the Syri
ans. We read: And it came about that as
soon as they arrived at Samaria Elisha
then said: O Jehovah, open the eyes of
these that they may see. Immediately
Jehovah opened their eyes and they got to
see, and here they were in the middle of
Samaria. They saw that they had been
misled with their eyes wide open and by
the very man they had looked for. They
must have been very frightened as well
as amazed. But Elisha showed he intended
them no harm. He prevented the king of
Israel from striking them and had him
spread a feast for them, thus heaping coals
of fire upon their heads. Then he sent them
back unharmed to Syria. In place of mak
ing himself a moral liar here, Elisha used
war strategy to divert the Syrians from
their wrong purpose and Jehovah God co
operated with Elisha in this maneuver.
Thus Jehovah vindicates Elisha against the
cry of Liar! 2 Ki. 6:8-23, NW.
27 The case of an earlier prophet also pre
sents itself. For his own names sake Jeho
vah had enabled King Ahab of Israel to
gain a second victory over the Syrians,
yes, and to capture King Benhadad him
self. Displeasingly to Jehovah, who had de-

livered the enemy Benhadad into his hand

for death, King Ahab let him go, with a
covenant or treaty between them at that.
So Jehovahs prophet had a man strike him
and wound him. Now how did this prophet
notify Ahab of his sin and its consequenc
es? We read: Then the prophet went and
stood still for the king by the road and he
kept himself disguised with a bandage over
his eyes. Was this disguise a misleading
imposition upon an innocent, unsuspecting
man? But this disguise was not all. For as
the king was passing by the prophet cried
out and said to the king: Your servant
himself went out into the thick of the bat
tle and, look! a man was leaving the line
and he came bringing a man to me and then
said, Guard this man. If he should in any
way be missing, then your soul will have
to take the place of his soul or else a talent
of silver you will weigh out. And it came
about that as your servant was active here
and there, why, he himself was gone.
28
Was there any truth in that? You will
call it a lie. Why, then, did Jehovahs
prophet tell it? It was really an illustration
of what King Ahab had done, or took in
the same principle; only the prophet did
not make Ahab the offender in the illus
tration, but made himself the offender.
Thus Ahab could feel free to pronounce an
impartial judgment according to the prin
ciple of this type of conduct, because his
judgment was against another man not
recognized as a prophet. That was why the
prophet told what the critics would call a
lie. But it drew wicked King Ahab to an
impartial expression of judgment: At this
the king of Israel said to him: Thus your
own judgment is. You yourself have de
cided. But the king of Israel had in fact
uttered judgment upon his own self; he had
decided against himself, for the prophet
now undisguised himself and said to Ahab:

27. How did an earlier prophet put himself under an

appearance of deceiving and lying to King Ahab after
he let Benhadad go?

28. Why does this son of the prophets go down in Bible

history as a strategist and not as a liar?

84

SnkWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn , N . Y .

This is what Jehovah has said, For the Then, to show up the liars, Micaiah added:
30 Hear the word of Jehovah: I certain
reason that you have let go out of your
hand the man devoted to me for destruc ly see Jehovah sitting upon his throne and
tion, your soul must take the place of his all the army of the heavens standing by
soul and your people the place of his peo him, to his right and to his left. And Jeho
ple. (1 Ki. 20:35-42,
This son of vah proceeded to say: Who will fool Ahab,
the prophets goes down in Bible history, that he may go up and fall at Ramothnot as a liar, but as a strategist, and to his gilead? And this one began to say some
vindication his prophecy against Ahab thing like this, while that one was saying
something like that. Finally a spirit came
came true.
29
King Ahab went home judged worthyout and stood before Jehovah and said: I
of death according to his own judgment. myself shall fool him. At that Jehovah said
Later he seized Naboths vineyard after to him: By what means? To this he said:
the murder of this man by false witnesses I shall go forth and I shall certainly be
under Queen Jezebels orders. This brought come a deceptive spirit in the mouth of all
Jehovahs further pronouncement of death his prophets. So [Jehovah] said: You will
sentence upon Ahab. Moreover, the de fool him and, what is more, you will come
spised dogs were to lick up his royal blood, off the winner. Go out and do that way.
his queen was to be eaten up by dogs and And now here Jehovah has put a deceptive
all his household were to fall to be eaten spirit into the mouth of all these prophets
up by dogs and birds like so much carrion. of yours, but Jehovah himself has spoken
calamity
concerning you.
(1 Ki. 21:20-24,
NW) Time came
for Ahab
31 For this the false prophet Zedekiah
to go to his execution, and lies played an
important part in the death march and struck Micaiah on the cheek with a remark
even implicated God. How? Ahab got King meaning that he, and not Micaiah, had
Jehoshaphat of Judah to ally himself with Jehovahs spirit or that Jehovahs spirit
him in war against Ramoth-gilead then had spoken true by him but the lying spirit
had passed to Micaiah. To keep the court
held by the Syrians. To pry into the future
record straight, Micaiah said that Zedekiah
King Ahab religiously consulted his false
would one day see whether that was true.
prophets, about four hundred of them. When King Ahab sent Micaiah off to prison
They prophesied favorably, saying: Go to a bread-and-water diet till his return
up, and Jehovah will give it into the kings in victory, Micaiah said: If you return at
hand. Thus they tied in Jehovah with all in peace, Jehovah has not spoken with
their lying. At King Jehoshaphats re me. (1 Ki. 22:1-28,
NA
habs d
quest for a recognized prophet of Jehovah battle despite his disguise at RamothKing Ahab had the hated Micaiah brought gilead, followed by the dogs licking his
before them. When Micaiah sarcastically blood off his chariot, proves that Jehovah,
mimicked Ahabs lying prophets, Ahab put not a deceptive spirit, had spoken by Mi
Micaiah under oath to tell the truth. Micai caiah.
ah did so, foreseeing that Ahabs armies
32 But how had one of Jehovahs spirit
would be scattered like shepherdless sheep. creatures become a lying or deceptive spir29, 30. (a) How did King Ahab bring upon himself
further pronouncement of death, with added features,
and how did lies lead to his death march and implicate
Jehovah? (b) By what vision did Micaiah show up
Ahabs prophets as liars?

31. How was it shown that Zedekiah was false and that
Jehovah had spoken by Micaiah?
32. Why did one of Jehovahs spirit creatures volunteer
to fool King Ahab, and did he become responsible for
the lying by Ahabs prophets?

February 1, 1956

fEeWATCHTOWEFL

85

it and how could the God of truth authorize cuted criminal for canines to lick, and
him to become a deceptive spirit in the Jehovah the God of truth stood exonerated
mouth of all of [Ahabs] prophets ? In this of lies. 1 Ki. 22:29-38; 2 Chron. 18:1-34.
way: Ahab wanted to be encouraged in a
34 Do we have to turn to the ancient past
suicidal plan of action by lying prophets. to see this manner of divine operation at
He showed this when he imprisoned Micai- work? No! We see Jehovah acting accord
ah for telling the unpleasant truth. Lies ing to this same rule of action today in this
were what Ahab wanted to hear to his own twentieth century, to fulfill his own warn
death; so Jehovah was agreeable to Ahabs ing prophecy. His prophecy written by
hearing lies then because Ahab was sen means of the apostle Paul reads: The
tenced to death and the time for his execu coming of the lawless one by the activity
tion was at hand. Jehovah did not interfere of Satan will be with all power and with
by exercising his spirit upon Ahabs proph pretended signs and wonders, and with all
ets to make them tell the truth, as when wicked deception for those who are to per
one of his angels turned the prophet ish, because they refused to love the truth
Balaams curse into a blessing upon Israel. and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon
One of Jehovahs spirit creatures saw the them a strong delusion, to make them be
need of the lie to prevail to induce Ahab lieve what is false, so that all may be con
on to his own execution, by having the liars demned who did not believe the truth but
outnumber the truthtelling Micaiah. A had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess.
spirit creature from Jehovah God has pow 2:9-12, RS) The peoples of this world now
er to make a creature talk, even a dumb face Armageddon and are about to perish
brute like Balaams ass. So he offered to there in horrifying numbers. Why? Be
exercise his power upon Ahabs prophets cause the truth is not available for them?
to speak, just to speak, letting them speak No; for Jehovahs witnesses are preaching
out of their own hearts what they wanted the good news of his triumphant kingdom
to speak to please the one supporting them, in all the inhabited earth for a witness to
their king. Thus the spirit creature or all nations. It is really because the people,
angel was responsible, not for their lies, as the years of this Kingdom proclamation
but merely for their speaking.
by Jehovahs witnesses in more and more
33
Jehovah was agreeable to the angelscountries have proved, refuse to love the
doing this, because He wanted to show that truth and so be saved from destruction at
it is disastrous to rely on lying prophets Armageddon. They prefer the wicked de
and also because it was time for his sen ception that accompanies the activity of
tence of death to be executed upon Ahab. Satan since he was ousted from heaven,
He knew that Ahab desired to be fooled and they prefer the deception because they
by the lie, especially when the liars were have pleasure in unrighteousness.
so many. Hence Jehovah told the spirit
35 The Bible translation we quoted says,
creature that the operation of his power God sends upon them a strong delusion,
upon Ahabs prophets would open the way to make them believe what is false. Are
for them to utter the death-dealing lie, we to understand, then, that God originates
and it would win out over the faithful the strong delusion to make them believe
warning of Jehovahs prophet Micaiah. It
34. Why do we not have to look to the ancient past to
did and Ahab shed his blood like an exe- see this manner of divine operation at work, and why
33. Why did Jehovah authorize the spirit creature to
fool Ahab, and how did he exonerate himself of lies?

are the peoples about to perish in horrifying numbers?

35. Why is Jehovah not the source of the strong
delusion or operation of error ?

86

SEeW ATCHTOW ER

B rooklyn , N . Y.

37 In view of the above-given Scriptural

examples Jesus was in harmony with the
spirit of Jehovah God in instructing his
apostles when he sent them out as sheep
among wolves: Prove yourselves cautious

as serpents and yet innocent as doves.

Since the unchristian wolves declare war
upon the sheep and choose to make them
selves fighters actually against God, it
is proper for the inoffensive sheep to
use war strategy toward the wolves in the
interests of Gods work. No one against
whom this strategy is used is unrighteous
ly hurt because of it, whereas the sheep
or those interests that deserve to be pro
tected are safeguarded. God does not oblige
us to show the stupidity of sheep and play
into the hands of our fighting enemy. We
should meet the seed of the Serpent, the
offspring of vipers, with the cautious
ness of serpents. Foreseeing danger, we
should cover ourselves against the wolves
that prey upon Jehovahs flock. Oppres
sive wolves will enter in among you and
will not treat the flock with tenderness,
. . . Therefore keep awake, says Paul.
(Acts 20:28-31, NW) A prudent man
seeth the evil, and hideth himself. Prov.
22:3,
AS.
38 It is proper to cover over our arrange
ments for the work that God commands us
to do. If the wolfish foes draw wrong con
clusions from our maneuvers to outwit
them, no harm has been done to them by
the harmless sheep, innocent in their mo
tives as doves. The action is not out of a
liars hatred. He that hideth hatred is of
lying lips; and he that uttereth a slander
is a fool. A lying tongue hateth those whom
it hath wounded. Prov. 10:18; 26:28, AS.
39 We cannot condemn as a liar and de
ceiver the witness of Jehovah that was
about to cross the border line back into
Nazi Germany and who took Bible litera
ture with her at the risk of her freedom.
She put the literature in the baby carriage
at the feet of her baby and covered it over

36. How, then, does Jehovah send it upon them without

becoming responsible for their perishing?
37. Why was Jesus in harmony with Jehovahs spirit in
instructing his disciples to be cautious as serpents
among the wolves?

38. If the wolfish foes draw wrong conclusions from our

maneuvers, why are the sheep still innocent and harm
less?
39. What cases are briefly described that may not be
called those of a liar and deceiver?

falsehood? No; he is not the source of any

lie. Referring to his prophecy and his
covenant, his Word says: God is not a
man that he should tell lies, neither a son
of mankind that he should feel sorry. Has
he himself said it and will he not do it, and
has he spoken and will he not carry it
out? The Eminence of Israel will not
deceive. (Num. 23:19 and 1 Sam. 15:29,
NW) So Jehovah is not the source of the
strong delusion or operation of error.
36 How, then, does he send it upon
them? In that he does not prevent it but
permits it to go to them, just as he did in
the case of King Ahab. In the Scriptures the
Hebrew verb meaning send is many times
translated let go, as when Jehovah said
to Pharaoh: Send my people away
Yg); or, Let my people go. (AV; AS; RS;
at Ex. 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3)
Therefore the New World Translation vin
dicates Jehovah God in rendering 2 Thessalonians 2:11: So that is why God lets
an operation of error go to them that they
may get to believing the lie. God does not
make them believe the lie any more than
he originates the lie, but he lets it go to
them because they prefer the error in oper
ation. So he lets them use their own free
will and become responsible for their own
destruction at Armageddon. But first in
mercy he gives them full warning by his
witnesses. The warning is heeded by those
who accept the love of the truth that
they might be saved. NW.
NOT LYING AGAINST THE TRUTH

February

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

87

with unwashed baby diapers. When the David who was driven by Saul into the
Nazi officer inspected her carriage, dug cave of Adullam and other caves, then their
down into it and got his hand in touch with underground worship is not a work of de
the wet, dirty diapers, he quickly with ceit and lies because it is not done above
drew his hand in disgust. He let her cross ground under greedy eyes of the wolves.
the border, and with her the literature (2 Sam. 23:13; 1 Sam. 22:1; 24:3-10; 1 Ki.
went in to feed many of the oppressed, 18:4,13) The hypocrisy and deceit lie with
brutally treated sheep under Hitlers re the wolves who openly make of Gods house
gime. Then there is the witness who was a cave of robbers. Mark 11:15-17, NW.
working from house to house with a basket
41 Serpentlike caution is to be exercised
of literature. Enemies reported her to the only while the sheep are among wolves or
police as a woman with a shirtwaist of a in contact with them. Jesus did not advise
certain color. So around the corner she this among the congregation of Jehovahs
took out a shirtwaist of another color and people, for all of these are sheep. So it is
made a change, then walked back down as much a rule for spiritual Israel of today
the same street and past the officer on her as it was for natural Israel of old: You
trail, and escaped being identified. There people must not steal and you must not de
is the brother, too, who was sentenced to ceive and you must not lie any one to his
the quarries from which no one was known associate. And you must not swear in my
to come out alive. As a musician he was name to a lie, so that you do profane the
spared the killing quarry work, but he was name of your God. I am Jehovah. (Lev.
not mindful of only his own life. At risk 19:11, 12,
NW) In these days since A.D.
of his own privilege as the musical enter 1919 when Jehovah has restored the rem
tainer of the camp officer, he smuggled por nant of spiritual Israel and their dedicated
tions of food to his underfed brothers sen companions to his pure worship, his pro
tenced to backbreaking quarry work and phetic instructions are: These are the
was able to keep them alive. When at last things that ye shall do: Speak ye every
deliverance came, not only he but those man the truth with his neighbor; execute
whom he had fed contrary to Nazi regula the judgment of truth and peace in your
tions emerged with him from the place of gates; and let none of you devise evil in
doom.
your hearts against his neighbor; and love
no
40
To this day the history of Jehovahs false oath: for all these are things that
witnesses is ever-new with like cases of I hate, saith Jehovah. (Zech. 8:3, 16, 17,
their outwitting the wolves by exercising AS) The apostle Paul himself applies these
due caution in the face of danger while words to sanctified Christians, the Israel
they are engaged in a good, loving work of God. Eph. 4:25; Gal. 6:16.
according to Gods will and command. Such
42 Being under no necessity to outwit or
outwitting of oppressors of the sheep is use strategy toward our sheeplike brothers
not a failure to render therefore unto to lead them off the track, we need not put
Caesar the things that are Caesars ; it is on a pretense to cover over proper conduct.
a courageous, sensible way of rendering Peter (Cephas) once put on a pretense be
first unto God the things that are Gods. fore the brothers at Antioch, Syria. Pri(Matt. 22:21,
AS)If the wolfish enemy
41. Among whom is such serpentlike caution not to be
drives Jehovahs people underground like exercised, and how does Paul show this?
40. Why is the outwitting of the oppressors of the sheep
not a failure to render Caesars things to Caesar?

42. Do we need to put on a pretense before our brothers

to cover over proper conduct, and how did Paul show
whether ?

88

fKeW ATCHTOW ER.

Brooklyn , N . Y .

vately he lived the same as any non-Jewish prophet Samuel. Before ever Saul made re
Christian but publicly he acted like a Chris port to Samuel, Jehovah informed him of
tian according to Jewish practice for Sauls disobedience in not devoting every
fear of being criticized by Christian visi thing of the Amalekites to destruction.
tors from Jerusalem. The apostle Paul re Saul tried to give a religious flavor to his
buked him for not acting truthfully but keeping the best of the plunder and King
acting outwardly in support of wrong doc Agag himself alive, but Samuel exposed
the rebellious, presumptuous hypocrisy,
trine and practice. Gal. 2:11-14,
43
We do not have anything wrong tosaying: To obey is better than a sacrifice,
cover over from wolfish enemies, but if to pay attention than the fat of rams.
there is anything wrong we cannot cover (1 Sam. 15:22, NW) Lying to God never
it over from Jehovah. We dare not lie succeeds.
45 We dare not lie against Gods Word,
against him. Ananias and his wife Sapphira
tried to lie to God for the sake of putting adding to it or taking away from it, read
on an all-out generous appearance before ing into it what it does not say and deny
the apostles and the rest of the Jerusalem ing, passing over or explaining away what
congregation. Peter asked Ananias: To it does truthfully say. Every word of God
what end has Satan emboldened you to is tried: . . . Add thou not unto his words,
play false to the holy spirit. . . ? . . . You lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a
have played false, not to men, but to God. liar. (Prov. 30:5, 6, AS) We may not tell
The holy spirit in Peter sharpened his per untruths in his name, for that puts God in
ceptions to see that Ananias was trying to the light of a liar. Let God be found true,
lie to God, and the spirit immediately killed though every man be found a liar. (Rom.
Ananias. After he dropped dead and was 3:4, NW) In Jeremiahs day the false
carried away, his wife came in and put the prophets prophesied lies in Jehovahs name
spirit in Peter to the test, by trying to keep and lied against his purpose, foretelling in
up the pretense. Peter asked: Why was his name what he had not foretold. There
it agreed upon between you two to make a fore Jehovah was against them. He exe
test of the spirit of Jehovah? Instantly cuted judgment against them at Jerusa
lems destruction in 607 B.C. (Jer. 23:25;
she dropped dead. Acts 5:1-10,
41 Similarly, at Jerichos fall Achan tried 27:15) Religious liars like them today can
to act out a lie before his brother Israelites not escape a like judgment but will meet a
and test the detective power of Gods spirit. like end at Armageddon.
46 Never swear falsely in Jehovahs
Contrary to strict orders from God he
seized some of the tabooed spoil of the name. Jehovah declares that at his temple
cursed city of Jericho and hid it under the he will be a swift witness against . . .
ground of his tent. The deceptive work did the false swearers. (Mai. 3:5, AS) Never
not escape Jehovahs notice, and his spirit take an oath in his name and then tell lies
caused the exposure of Achan as the greedy as a sworn witness. Rahab of Jericho was
troublemaker for Israel. He and his house under no oath in Jehovahs name to tell
hold were stoned to death in due punish the facts to the kings officers and hence
ment. (Josh. 7:1, 10-26) Later King Saul was not a false swearer or a false witness.
tried to lie to God and to his spirit in the A faithful witness will not lie; but a false
43. Against whom do we not dare to lie, and how did
this show itself in the case of Ananias and Sapphira?
44. How did Achan try to act out a lie? ahd how was
King Sauls attempt to lie to God exposed?

45. How may we lie against Gods Word and put him
in the light of a liar, and with what end to ourselves?
46. Why must we not swear falsely in Jehovahs name,
and how do we show we do not love a false oath?

F ebruary

1, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER

89

witness uttereth lies. (Prov. 14:5,

A faithful witness does not love a false
oath. So he tells the truth as he swore to
do. What he does speak will be the truth.
If he speaks at all he will tell the truth. To
the extent that he chooses to talk he will
state the truth. If for conscientious reasons
he refuses to tell everything he will be will
ing to suffer the consequences if he be
judged deserving of a penalty. He refuses
to tell everything, not to escape punish
ment, but facing punishment for conscien
tious reasons. Even Jesus kept silent be
fore Pilate, refusing to answer though
knowing Pilates power. John 19:8-11.
4TNever take an oath to do a thing and
then prove false to it by failing to do what
you swore to do. That means to prove false
to the oath of Jehovah. It means swear
ing falsely in making covenants. (Hos.
10:4, AS; RS) Shimei, who cursed the
fleeing King David, swore in Jehovahs
name to Solomon not to budge outside
Jerusalem the rest of his days. When he
proved false to his oath by leaving Jerusa
lem to recover two escaped slaves, King
Solomon said to him on his return: Why,
then, did you not keep the oath of Jehovah
and the commandment that I solemnly
laid upon you? For proving false to Jeho
vahs oath Shimei died with his blood upon
his own head. (1 Ki. 2:36-46, NW) Like
wise Zedekiah, Jerusalems last king of
Davids line, acted a lie against the oath
of Jehovah.
4SThis oath in Jehovahs name King
Zedekiah made before King Nebuchadnez
zar of Babylon to guarantee that he would
be obediently subject to his Babylonian
overlord. After eight years of keeping this
covenant he looked to Egypt for help and
rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, thus de-

spising the oath of Jehovah and suggest

ing that nothing could be guaranteed by
Jehovahs name. Therefore thus saith the
Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath
that he hath despised, and my covenant
that he hath broken, I will even bring it
upon his own head. (Ezek. 17:13, 16-21,
AS; 2 Chron. 36:13) Zedekiah felt how
Jehovah hated false oaths and false swear
ers, when his city fell, his sons were killed
before his eyes, his own eyes were then
blinded and he was carried off captive to
die in Babylon.
49 The nation of Israel (excepting a
faithful remnant) was a large-scale exam
ple of proving false to the oath of Jeho
vah, entering into a covenant with him
by an oath and rebelliously failing to carry
out that covenant. (Dan. 9:11; Ezek. 16:59;
Deut. 29:12-14, NW) The nation of Israel
and Shimei and Zedekiah are examples of
warning to us not to treat lightly our own
oath of Jehovah in dedicating ourselves
to him through Christ and then not carry
ing out that dedication faithfully in full
obedience to his will. His command to us
is: Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah.
(Isa. 43:10,12, AS) His King Jesus Christ
reigns since A.D. 1914 and the Kings com
mand to us is: This good news of the king
dom will be preached in all the inhabited
earth for the purpose of a witness to all the
nations. (Matt. 24:14,
In Jehovahs
name we are sworn to obey these com
mands. The word of the inspired wise man
to us is: Keep the kings commandment,
and [that] on account of the oath of God.
(Eccl. 8:2, Da) This we will determinedly
do.
50 In carrying out our Kings instructions
for preaching in the field we will follow his

47. What does taking an oath to do something and then

not doing it mean, and how did Shimei who once
cursed David illustrate the consequences of this?
48. How did King Zedekiah act a lie against the oath
of Jehovah, and how did he feel Jehovahs hatred of
false oaths and swearers?

49. How is the nation of Israel as well as Shimei and

Zedekiah a warning example to us, and what two
commands from God and King are we sworn to obey?
50. So what will we do as respects the wolves and as
respects God and his sheep?

90

SfeW ATCH TOW ER .

counsel to be cautious as serpents and in

nocent as doves among the wolves. We
will be true to Gods purpose, proclaiming
it and working in harmony with it. We will
be true to his Word, publishing it in its
purity and preaching no falsehoods
in his name. We will be true to his
spirit, never putting it to the test
with false, hypocritical conduct with
in his organization but letting his

fr o *

rooklyn

N. Y.

spirit move us to a truthful course of con

duct before all his sheep. To them we will
speak the truth for their edification and
protection, never betraying them to the
fangs of the wolves. As sheep among
wolves we will keep preaching under
our Shepherds care until all wolves
are destroyed and all his sheep are
safe upon the green pastures and be
side the still waters of his new world.

Gileads Twenty-sixt/,
T H E

P R E S ID E N T

November 8, 1955
Dear Brother Knorr:
Sufficient time has now elapsed since re
ceiving the abundance of fresh spiritual
provisions at the Triumphant Kingdom
assemblies to evaluate to some degree at
least their immense worth to us. We have
had the great joy of studying some of these
new publications since coming to Gilead,
and the unanimous reaction of the Twentysixth Class of the Watchtower Bible School
of Gilead is that hearty thanks be ex
pressed to Jehovah for these expressions of
His great love.
Adequate words fail us to express the
real depth of our appreciation for the in
creased light and understanding we have
received from these instruments. The book
let What Do the Scriptures Say About
SurvivalA fter Death ? is a most dynamic
expose of the demon-supported fallacy of
life after death. With its references to in
cidents from all parts of the earth, this
booklet will have world-wide appeal. It
honestly constructs the arguments of the
spiritualists and then batters them to rub
ble with logic, science and, most power

fully, the Word of the Living God, Jeho

vah. It will be a masterful weapon in the
hands of Jehovahs servants in identifying
and exposing the source and channels of
these devilish utterances.
In the field of practical ministerial in
struction we now have Qualified to Be
Ministers. This compact and diversified
handbook covers all phases of the ministry
of Jehovahs witnesses. The information
on the history of worship, both clean and
unclean, dramatically contrasts the integ
rity and devotion of Jehovahs organiza
tion in ancient and modern times with the
corrupt and anti-God thinking of the pa
gans and the more reprehensible apostates.
All who will diligently apply this wealth
of God-given instruction will be adequate
ly qualified to be ministers.
You May Survive Armageddon into
Gods New World: certainly this inviting
prospect will have a most urgent appeal to
all hungering and thirsting for righteous
ness now. As they watch the unfolding of
the 42 Types and Prophecies of the
Earthly Heirs of the New World they
cannot but see how they can be included

F ebruary

1, 1956

91

S&eWATCHTOWER

in the complete fulfillment of the prophe

cies at the present time. In this day when
the explosion of the human bomb seems
imminent they will be able to identify the
only death-proof shelter within Jeho
vahs new system of things, their presence
in that ark assuring their preservation
even through the universal conflict of Ar
mageddon. What an optimistic outlook!
Recognizing that Adonay' is at his tem
ple and is now directing his attention to
this earth through the remaining ones of
his temple stones on earth, we are most
happy to ally ourselves with these coura
geous fighters for pure worship. Since our
class is a cross section of a typical con
gregation today, being made up of a few
of the Lords anointed and a majority of
the other sheep, we have been delighted
to see Jehovahs loving-kindness and pur
poses for these last days as respects both
groups. Those of us of the great crowd

are happy to publicly express our heart

agreement with the anointed remnant and
then joyfully join them to see and imitate
their zeal for Jehovah just as Jehonadab
joined himself with Jehu.
In answer to the books dedication let
ter, the Twenty-sixth Class of Gilead has
enjoyed the book and now does want to
proclaim its good news of Jehovahs estab
lished kingdom more than ever before.
Be assured that our hearts and prayers
are always with those at the headquarters
and with you, Brother Knorr. As we pursue
our studies here at Gilead we look for
ward to the time when we shall be resum
ing our full-time service in the field, then
to spread abroad all the wealth of informa
tion made available to us now. We do most
warmly thank you for all the loving
kindness of Jehovahs organization.
Your brothers working for survival,
Tw

e n t y -s ix t h

C lass

of

G il e a d

Cleric Comments on Christmas Customs

^

A Christmas speech in 1954 by preacher Robert T. Schleiter of St. Theresas

church in Hutchinson, Kansas, was published in the Hutchinson News-Herald (De

cember 22, 1954). Taking a dim view of the Christmas customs, cleric Schleiter
said: Running low on money, friend? Charge it, its Christmas! Spend all you
like, and forget it, until you receive our combined collection letter and N ew Years
card on January 2. . . . So far, in an instance of exceptional restraint, no one has
used H oly Night as the theme song of a commercial. But there is music in the
Christmas air, Heaven knows, twenty-seven times an hour, from loud-speakers in
the street calling attention to Christmas Plumbing Specials, on the radio, on behalf
of the Dry Cleaners with the Christmas Spirit, and in the stores, we hear W hite
Christmas. Another 27 times we hear Jingle Bells. . . .
There was a day, in our innocence, when Christmas cards came from friends
and carried no sales pitch. W e have fixed that, too, in our zeal to devaluate. Please
accept this memo pad to remind a busy man of his appointments, reminding you,
too, that whenever you need false teeth, Dr. Glazel, the production-line dentist,
extends friendly credit. A Merry Christmas from a hotel where you stopped three
years ago only long enough to discover it was a mistake. A Merry Christmas from
a couple of insurance men, a dealer in kitchen-linoleum, and a roofer who wishes
you joy and hopes your roof leaks. And a Merry, Merry Christmas from a smallloan company, which is thinking of you, as a hawk of a tired pigeon.

proceeding down the mighty St. Lawrence

River, the passengers enjoying the grand river
scenery. Meals were served in three sittings.
Right from the first morning arrangements
were made to conduct a morning worship pro
gram for each of the three sittings, the same
as at the Brooklyn Bethel home. Bethel broth
ers were scheduled to lead these programs,
which consisted of reading the days Bible text,
followed by questions and answers in discus
sion of the text, after which the sum-up was
made by reading the 1955 Yearbook comment.
The Bethel brother then offered prayer for the
entire assembled congregation. The ships wait
ers did not serve the food until the ten-minute
program was over. This began a daily program
specially arranged by a committee appointed
by the W atch Tower Society. For instance,
aboard the Star the very first afternoon a series
of lectures and other educational features be
gan to be given in the ships lounge and cafe
parlors. During the nine days the lectures of
fered instruction on the Bible, on health, travel,
money, convention photography, care of teeth,
the W atch Tower Societys history, legal and
field-activity reports, and there were half-hour
studies on elementary conversation in Italian,
German, French and Swedish, the foreign lan
guages the conventioners would encounter on
the Continent. On the third day of sailing the
passengers were treated to the rare spectacle
of fourteen icebergs. During the night the ships
passed fourteen more, all detected by the radar
system. The ships crews were thoroughly wit
nessed to and became very friendly, finding out
directly and personally that Jehovahs witness
es are not fearsome Communists as they had
been misinformed. So the farewell party with
the crew, carried on under theocratic super
vision, was an altogether happy, upbuilding
time for everybody.
Friday, July 22, at 6 p.m. the Star came to
anchor in the harbor of Southampton, and the
Kulm arrived later. Next morning not only the
immigration officers came aboard but also a
reception committee made up of Jehovahs
witnesses. They made general announcements
pending the conventioners train journey to Lon
don. Ashore, the immigration authorities and
the customs service gave rapid clearance to the
arriving delegates, the luggage of these not
even being looked through by the customs. Un
usual courtesy was manifested. Even the sea
had been kind, the Atlantic being as calm as
a millpond during the entire trip across. Noah
and his seven theocratic fellow passengers in

EN ROUTE TO EUROPEAN ASSEMBLIES

H OR TLY after midnight the chartered

plane bearing the president and other
servants of the Society took off from Idlewild
airport with England as its destination. This was
one of forty-two of such flights in planes espe
cially scheduled and chartered by the Watch
Tower Society to transport conventioners to
England, there at London to begin the series of
European assemblies. The flying together of con
ventioners was a pleasurable experience for
them and apparently also for the plane crews.
For instance, at the close of the flight that land
ed passengers at the airport outside London at
12:55 p.m., Tuesday, July 26, the Pan American
W orld Airways plane's captain said over the
loud-speaker: This has been the happiest group
of people we have had aboard in a long time.
The seventy-two conventioners aboard applaud
ed in appreciation.
The sea voyage by passengers on the char
tered ships, T. S. Arosa Kulm and the Arosa
Star, was specially enjoyable and profitable.
The ships became in fact floating convention
halls. Thursday afternoon, July 14, the pas
sengers, from all parts of North America,
boarded the ships at Quebec City, Canada, 795
the Kulm and 794 the Star. The Kulm got away
first, about 5:15 p.m., and the Star about an
hour later. Next morning the ships were still
92

F ebruary

1, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

the ark would have enjoyed this trip with mod

em witnesses of Jehovah. On the Southampton
docks boat trains awaited the disembarking
witnesses, to convey them speedily to London.
LONDON, ENGLAND, JULY 27-31, 1955

For the London international assembly dele

gates from fifty-six foreign lands converged on
the worlds largest city, even from Japan, South
Africa and Argentina, South America. In one
of the greatest mass movements of people in
history chartered planes and ships brought
4,500 assembly delegates from North America
alone. Rooming accommodation requests, 21,000
of them, far exceeded those for the internation
al assembly at W em bly Stadium four years ago.
The London Bethel home put up twenty-five of
the Societys long-time servants from abroad.
Delegates in general were put up in the many
hotels and in the homes of brothers or of hos
pitable outsiders. The rooming work was a
delight, commented one worker who had gone
from house to house in quest of rooms for conventioners.
The place of assembly for five days was the
Rugby Union Ground at Twickenham, Middle
sex county, which is adequately served by Lon
dons transport system. Devoted to amateur
Rugby football games, the Twickenham Sta
dium is maintained by a group of wealthy men
and is not rented out. But now it was. A clergy
man complained: You do not rent the stadium,
and now, when you do, it is of all persons to
Jehovahs witnesses. The secretary of the
Rugby Football Union warned him not to at
tack the renting witnesses of Jehovah: If you
put out one pamphlet against them, they will
put out twenty. One night in the month pre
ceding the assembly, as reported in the British
news, the Church of England, Roman Catholic
and Free Church leaders in the Twickenham
area issued a joint statement referring to the
rally Jehovahs witnesses were to hold on the
Rugby football ground at the end of July. The
statement was sent to all ministers and priests
in the area. One of the three signers, the lead
ing Roman Catholic priest in the borough,
said: W e felt that it was necessary to make
it clear to people that Jehovahs witnesses
have no connection with any of the Christian
churches and that they in fact reject our com
mon belief. Most likely these three clergymen
were specially sent a copy of the booklet

Christendom or Christianity Which One Is

the Light of the World ? after the London

93

assembly was over. Millions of copies of this

booklet had been distributed in thirty languages
in eighty-eight lands by a special campaign of
Jehovahs witnesses during April and May,
1,173,106 copies being distributed then in the
British Isles alone.
Volunteer preassembly workers to the num
ber of 250 gave the stadium, with its three
grandstands east, north and west, and its con
crete steps at the south for standees, a face
lift, scrubbing the place out. Tenting was erect
ed outside to the west to house a cafeteria
capable of supplying 125,000 hot meals during
the five-day assembly. There were two kitchens
and serving marquees with a boiler on wheels
at the dishwashing tent; also there were four
marquees, each 205 feet long and with a total
of one mile of tables for the eaters. There were
eighteen serving lines to fill their food trays,
and a good dinner was served at 2/6 , or 35c.
During the convention, at recommendation of
the American army, which had inspected the
cafeteria at Yankee Stadium, M ajor Faulkner
of the British W a r Department came accom
panied by his wife and inspected the cafeteria
service. He said he could see that love ran the
cafeteria here. Here, as at Vancouver and at
American assemblies, the military or civil de
fense authorities inspecting were impressed
with the general organization and efficiency.
The Twickenham Stadium assembly set the
pace for all the European assemblies as to the
high pitch of enthusiasm and warm apprecia
tion of Jehovahs provisions through his vis
ible organization. This was true from their
reception of the chairmans address of welcome
and from the presidents initial talk. How that
crowd of 23,041 occupying the three stands of
the stadium did applaud his talk and, thrilled,
what a welcome they gave to his release of
Volume II of the New World Translation of the
Hebrew Scriptures! Four movie cameramen
were out on the green field taking shots of the
president for Movietone News. Twelve coun
tries had requested pictures of the assembly
here and so Movietone New s was obliged to
act. They covered Brother Knorrs entrance on
the field and his release of the Bible Volume II.
Thursday afternoon Brother Knorrs talk re
ceived special applauses as he injected into his
discussion of Qualified to Be Ministers refer
ences to the ministerial case that had lost out
in the appeal court in Scotland just the preced
ing week and that was now being appealed to
the British House of Lords. The 22,659 intent

94

SfreWATCHTOWER,

listeners gratefully received the new book for

ministers released at the close of this talk.
N ot just the thousand estimated, but actu
ally 1,183 were baptized Friday morning. The
march of the candidates to the immersion at
the Twickenham Municipal Baths, less than a
mile away, amazed the observing police along
the route, especially at their crossing of a main
thoroughfare on the way there. A t the after
noon session the attendance rose to 23,110. The
book Jehovah's Witnesses the New World
Society was announced as obtainable at the
close of the session for a guinea (or 21 shill
ings) a copy, and the 4,000 copies available
went out like a shot before the evening ses
sion. Tonight the 22,398 hearing how to triumph
over wicked spirit forces prolonged their ap
plause at Brother Knorrs release of the new
booklet against spiritism, which has such a
following in Britain.
Saturday morning the last of the Flying
Tigers from America got in with its load of
eager conventioners. This afternoon, among
those giving experiences from the platform
was a man on a week's parole from Wakefield
prison. W hile in prison on his fourth conviction
as a housebreaker, he got the good news of the
Kingdom from a fellow inmate. A fter three
months he applied to the governor asking to
change his religion, then he stated his reasons
to the Church of England vicar, had the W atch
Tower Societys prison minister visit him and
was allowed to change his religion. As the as
sembly neared he applied to the governor to
be let out on parole in order to take advantage
of this assembly and be immersed. Contrary to
his expectation, his request fo r a weeks parole
was granted and yesterday morning he was one
of the 483 men immersed.
Attendance was up to 24,675 this afternoon.
Brother Knorrs speech Jehovah Is in His Holy
Tem ple evoked repeated, warm, sustained ap
plauses more than anywhere else heretofore,
and when he released and named the book

You May Survive Armageddon into God's New

World they applauded to the echo, for more
than a quarter of a minute. Tonight a still big
ger crowd came, 26,009. Although the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) newsreel men
had run out of film in taking convention shots,
still there was no showing of any of the scenes
on the national television tonight.
Ideal convention weather continued over
Sunday, the climactic day. The morning attend
ance was 25,154, which excited the question,

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

W ill the public meeting this afternoon surpass

in attendance the 36,315 at W em bley Stadium
four years ago? Besides all the other publicity
two million handbills had been provided for
distribution in and around London for adver
tising the lecture W orld Conquest Soon by
Gods Kingdom. In preparation for a still
larger crowd, thousands of cushions were pro
vided for the free taking of those who might
have to occupy the standees section of un
roofed concrete steps to the south of the green
football grounds. N ot in vain! These bleach
ers behind the speakers stand were quite
filled for the public talk. The biggest crowd
yet warmed up to the talk with more than the
usual applauses, and when the public attend
ance was announced as 41,970 there were waves
of applause. The secretary of the Rugby Foot
ball Union, an army colonel, was pleased with
our large attendance and orderly gathering. He
spoke of our coming again. The crowd applaud
ed for Gods blessing upon Brother Knorr as
he prepared to depart for the Continent on his
public lecture tour. They did not seem to want
to stop applauding. Hundreds were still occupy
ing the bleachers when he gave his closing
remarks to 31,535. They rejoiced to learn that
plans were under way to build a new Bethel
home and printing plant for Britain on the out
skirts of London.
During the evening hour between 7 and 8
for the first time Jehovahs witnesses made
news on British radio and television. The BBC
broadcast an interview with a convention offi
cial and also excerpts of Brother Knorrs public
talk, to be transmitted to America. Also for a
minute and a half BBC newsreel televised shots
of the baptismal procession and of the immers
ing of candidates. Both at 9 and 10 p.m. the
BBC news gave short details of the Twicken
ham Stadium assembly. Hitherto the then non
commercial, monopolistic BBC has treated Je
hovahs witnesses with silent contempt as be
ing an insignificant group. Now all this vocal
and visual publicity by the BBC is expected
to heighten somewhat in the minds of the
British public their estimate of Jehovahs wit
nesses. It was equivalent in value to millions
of pounds spent in commercial advertising and
was more potent than all newspaper reports
(of which there were unusually m any for this
assembly) to change the public attitude favor
ably.
Tonight Brother Knorr had a mimeographed

F ebruary

1, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER-

letter, which he had composed, airmailed out

from the stadium to all the branches and m is
sionary homes throughout the earth. In it he
gave a brief description of the six assemblies
of the series thus far. This letter was highly
appreciated in the several hundred places
where it was received, and brought much joy.

To what extent is a householder obligated to

see to it that the meat he purchases is drained
of blood? Should a guest, knowing it is the
custom of the country not to drain the blood
from certain meats, such as fowl and rabbit,
keep silent and eat, or should he mention that
the practice is unscriptural and refrain from
eating? D. W ., England.
In countries where it is the general practice
to drain the blood from butchered animals it
hardly seems necessary to make specific inquiry
at the time of purchase, or when eating meat
prepared in a home or restaurant of such lands.
However, if it is the custom of a country not
to drain the blood from certain meats, the
purchaser would be aware of this and could
hardly disclaim responsibility for eating the
blood. A variety of excuses and flimsy reason
ings m ay be offered in justification of eating
things strangled or unbled, but none of them
are valid in view of the explicit Bible ruling:
For the holy spirit and we ourselves have
favored adding no further burden to you, except
these necessary things, to keep yourselves free
from things sacrificed to idols and from blood
and from things killed without draining their
blood [from things strangled, margin] and from

yy

95

The London assembly now over, a great tide

of 7,500 conventioners began to sweep across
the English Channel by plane, by special trains
and boats to share in the remaining assemblies
of the summer series, those at Paris and Rome
being next.
(To be continued)

fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves

from these things, you will prosper. Good health
to y o u r Acts 15:28, 29, N W .
If you are a guest in a home where meat
from things strangled is served, you should
not eat it. If the host or hostess is not a witness
of Jehovah you m ay not choose to state your
reason, or you may, depending on circumstances
known to you. However, if the one serving the
meat is one of Jehovahs witnesses it is proper
to call the wrong practice to his attention, for
his own spiritual welfare as well as in explana
tion of why you are not partaking.
This case is not the same as that of meats
sacrificed to idols. W hen such meat was part of
a sacrificial meal at a pagan temple or else
where and constituted a partaking with the de
mon gods represented by the idols, it was for
bidden to Christians. But sometimes not all the
meat from the sacrificial animal was used in
this w ay; it was turned over to the shambles
or meat market for selling to others. Under
these circumstances Christians could buy and
use this meat, or eat such meat served to them
in the homes of others. They need make no in
quiry. Only if another Christian, less mature
and perhaps with a weak conscience, thought
the eating of this m eat was wrong would the
mature Christian refrain from eating, in order
not to stumble his weaker brother. There was
no real wrong in eating this meat that was no
part of a sacrificial meal. This situation cannot
be compared with the eating of things stran
gled, which eating of unbled meat is wrong at
all times and in all places. 1 Cor. 8:1-13;
10:25-33.

"Teddy Heat " &i5cipline

^ Modern parents, in this age of delinquent youngsters, can take a lesson from
the mother teddy bear, the koala. W hen baby koalas are really naughty,
writes Ivan T. Sanderson in his new book Living Mammals of the World, the
mother turns them over her knee and spanks them on their bottoms fo r minutes
on end with the flat of her hand, during which time their screams are soul-rending.

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

March 18: Cautious as Serpents Am ong W olves,

U -24. Page 76.
March 25: Cautious as Serpents Am ong W olves,
If25-50. Page 82.

V V CHECK YOUR MEMORY VV

After reading this issue of The W atchtower, do you remember
^ Whether Rahab was condemned for mis
directing those who would kill God s serv
ants? P. 80, 1fi9.

^ Why knowing about your spiritual need

leads to happiness? P. 67, 114.
^ Why not the world's, but your individual
crisis is the most important today? P. 69, 1fl.

^ Whether Elisha s misleading of the Syrians

was considered lying? P. 83, H2 6 .

& How God has made it possible for you to

receive what Adam lost? P. 70, 116.

How Christians have outwitted those who

tried to stop their work? P. 86, If39.

& How to survive the crisis you face today?

P. 71, Hi.

\* What examples show the foolishness of

lying to Jehovah? P. 88, Tf43.

& When the first of the international assem

blies of Jehovah s witnesses was held, and
what happened there? P. 73, If2.

1^ How important it is to conform to sworn

oaths? P. 89, 1147.

I* Why it is a twofold folly to make material

wealth your goal? P. 75, If 1.

^ What good use was made of ship travel

time by assembly-bound witnesses of Jeho
vah? P. 92, If2.

^ How first-century persecution actually

helped spread the Christian message? P. 7 7,
1f5.

How far a householder should go to see

that the meat he buys has been bled? P. 95, If3.

96

n
If

\I

tr
1 Jl!1I1
'f [;

The

jf t n T L O T t T i c m g

FEBRUARY 15, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

TRIUMPHING OVER
W ICKED SPIRIT FORCES
DO YOU BELIEVE ONLY
WHAT YOU CAN SEE?
WHY BELIEVE IN GOD
THE TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM
ASSEMBLIES OF 1955
QUESTIONS FROM READERS
WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . That elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc*
es as the light on God's purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 * 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex*
i t y and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it aoes not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the world's time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W a tch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christ's
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint*heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on God's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
well the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W a tchtow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah."John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

P r in t in g t h is iss u e :

CONTENTS
Do You Believe Only W h at You Can See?

99

100

W h y Believe in God
M odem History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Part 28: International Assemblies
(1946-1950)

105

Turning Tables on the Pranksters

107

Soviets Printing Bibles

107

Triumphing over Wicked Spirit Forces

108

The Triumphant Kingdom Assemblies

of 1955

121

Questions from Readers

126

Announcements

127

Abbreviations used la The Watehtower lor ttao follow lm BIM o versions

AS
AT

D t# E D L e -

D a

American Standard Version

An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
The Emphatic Diaglott
Isaac Leesers version

UnleflB otherwise indicated,

LXX
Mo
NW
Bo
R S
Yg

2,325,000

F iv e c e n t s a c o p y

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

The Septuagint Version

James Moffatt s version
New World Translation
J. B. Rotherhams version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Young s version

the Bible used is the King James Version

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Indonesian
Cebu-Visayan
Italian
Cinyanja
Japanese
Danish
Norwegian
English
Slovenian
Finnish
Spanish
French
Swedish
German
Tagalog
Hollandish
Twi
Ilocano

Monthly
Arabic
Polish
Chinese
Portuguese
Cibemba
Russian
Cishona
Sesotho
Greek
Siamese
Siloxi
HlligaynonSlovak
Visayan
Ukrainian
Ibo
Urdu
Kanarese
Xhoea
Korean
Yoruba
Malayalam
Zulu
Pangasinan

Yearly subscription rate

Watch Tower Society offices
America, U.S., 117 Adams 8 t., Brooklyn 1. N.Y.
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
Jamalea, 151 King St., Kingston
7/New Zealand, G .P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /Soith Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
T /Trinldad. 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port o f Spain
$ 1 .7 2
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery o f money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by International
money order only. Notice of oxpiratlon (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N .Y .,
Act of March 3 , 1 8 7 9 . Printed in U.S.A.

$
T/-

'T ^ T T n o x in c iric y

JEH O V AH S
KINGDOM
February 15, 1956

Do

You

Num ber 4

B
e
liv
Q nly'W hat.You Can S$e?.
flowing between your eyes and this page,
invisibly carrying sounds and voices and
even television pictures? No, you cannot
see them. They are invisible. But certainly
you would not argue that just because you
cannot see them such radio waves do not
exist, and that the entire process of radio
and television is a fabulous hoax to delude
gullible people. Such an argument would
be ridiculous. True, all you have seen is
the evidence that radio waves exist, the
result of their work. But the effect (the
sounds and voices in your radio and pic
tures on television) must have a logical
cause (the waves that bring them) and
this leads you to accept the understandable
explanation that radio waves actually are
a reality, even though you have never
seen them.
Then, too, how long ago was it that you
last saw an atom, or the even smaller elec
trons, protons and neutrons of which atoms
are composed? You never did? Many peo
ple who contend that they believe only
what they can see are quite convinced of
the existence of these minute particles, and
frequently are heard expressing great fear
over the way they believe something they
have never seen may drastically affect the
future of the world.
Thus, the statement I believe only what
I can see is false and misleading. Every
one believes things he cannot see. He be-

i|OMETIMES you hear people say:

........||j I believe only what I can see.
What they really mean is that since they
cannot see God they do not believe he exists.
The fact that they cannot see him, they
think, is sufficient justification for their
lack of belief in God, and for their lack of
interest in anything that points to Gods
Word, the Bible, for an explanation of the
reason for earths present difficulties. But
is their position a sound one? No. Their
statement is not even true. They believe
many things that they cannot see.
As an illustration, take the example of
electricity. Have you ever seen electricity?
What does it look like? What color and
shape is it? Can you watch the wires that
bring it into your house and say: Here
comes some electricity now ? Well, then,
if you cannot see it, why should you still
believe that electricity exists? You believe
it because you see its effect, you see the
work it does. When you flip on the light
switch, electric current flows through the
wires, meets resistance in the bulbs fila
ment, and light is produced. The fact that
the light is produced is clear evidence to
you that electricity, which you have never
seen, actually does exist, and therefore
you accept and believe that fact.
Further, have you ever seen the radio
waves that are at this moment passing
through the room in which you are sitting,

99

100

WAT CHTOWER

lieves them because he sees the effects pro

duced by these unseen things. Invisible
electric current produces heat and light;
unseen radio waves produce sound and pic
tures; minute particles within the atom
can be made to release tremendous power.
But what does this have to do with be
lief in God? It has a great deal to do with

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

God, for just as the effects produced by

invisible electricity, radio waves and atom
ic particles prove that these things exist,
so the fact that there is an invisible Crea
tor, an Almighty One whose name is Jeho
vah, is proved by the equally clear observ
able effects of his power. What effects?
The following article answers.

Is that belief
logical? What are
the evidences
for it?
Why should you
accept the Bible
as being
God s Word?

{1

OME people say they believe only what

they can see. We reply most emphati
cally: Believe it! Yes, believe what you can
see! The apostle Paul said the visible crea
tion shows Gods power: For his invisible
qualities are clearly seen from the worlds
creation onward, because they are under
stood by the things made, even his eternal
power and Godship. (Rom. 1:20, NW)
Most people do believe that the things they
see are proof of Gods existence. A Gallup
Poll survey showed that even in presum
ably materialistic America 96 percent
of the people interviewed said they believe
in God. They have looked at the order and
majesty of the world around them, at the
existence of man and at the Bible itself
and have seen convincing arguments that
God does exist.
One writer put it this way: If we start
with an open mind, ready to believe or not
believe according to the evidence, it is

quite probable that we shall

discover that it is easier to be
lieve in God than to decide
that plants, animals and man himself, body
and mind, had their origin as the product
of blind, purposeless chance. It is perhaps
fitting to add that many persons do not
wish to believe in God. They realize that
it would rebuke their past and change their
future to an unpleasant degree if they
did. 1
What do you think about the origin of
the universe itself? Was it pure chance,
just an accident, a combination of many
fortuitous events? Or does it bear witness
to the existence of another mind that is
higher, more intelligent, and that existed
long before man did? Remember that the
universe is not chaos, as it might well be
if it were accidental, but is in order. Does
this indicate to you that conscious thought
is responsible for it? that it was designed
by an intelligent creator?
1 Modern Discovery and the Bible, A. Rendle Short,
page 79.

101
SEeWATCHTOWER
Are the orderly laws that extend from regarded as a highly improbable event, and
the light-year expanse of the starry heav as such can be assumed not to have oc
ens to the tiny atoms that compose all mat curred. 3
ter just an accident? Are the exact mo
The question is simple: Did matter, or
tions of the heavenly bodies that form the der, the marvelous universe and the un
standard for our timepieces an accident? explainable miracle of life occur purely
Did accidents produce earth and man and through the outworkings of chance, or
all living creation not just one such acci were they produced through the design of
dental occurrence, but a whole series of a great Creator? The former is so im
thousands of millions of them that marvel plausible that it takes more faith to believe
ously combined, without other accidental in the materialistic theory of evolution
happenings occurring that would destroy than it does to believe in God! It remains
it all?
true that the heavens declare the glory
Is a power greater than chance involved of God; and the firmament sheweth his
in the universes origin? Scientist Arthur handywork. Ps. 19 :1; Job 9 :8 ; Isa. 40:
H. Compton said of the parts of the tiny 26; Jer. 10:12.
atom: If the simple yet prolific set of
pushes and pulls to which the electrons are
EVEN GREATER MARVELS
subject result from pure chance, then
But there is much more to be considered.
chance is more ingenious than the most Man, through the diligent use of his intel
clever of our scientists. 2
ligence, has attained great accomplish
Not only do the origin of matter and the ments, but even in simple things natures
order in the universe present problems for wisdom came long before mems. Aeons be
those who deny the existence of a Creator, fore man developed levers they existed in
but there is the far greater problem of the animals bodies. Unknown time before man
origin of life itself. There was a time when made his first force pump the heart exist
spontaneous generation (called abiogenesis, ed. Further, valves to control the move
meaning origin from nonlife) was believed ment of fluids exist in the heart and veins.
to produce life. Worms developed out of Brushes to remove mucus are found in the
putrid flesh, lice from dirt, frogs from the windpipe. Electric batteries have been the
mud of pools, etc. But Pasteurs experi possession of eels from time immemorial.
ments of nearly a hundred years ago de Heatless light is manufactured by glow
molished that theory. If it is
worms and fireflies. Heavier-thanargued that abiogenesis does not
air flying has long been the pre
occur now but did occur in bygone
rogative of birddom. Were these
ages, that is merely speculation.
things just accidents, just the
It is not a scientific argument,
outworkings of chance, or is there
since it would not be based upon
an intelligence behind them that
observation and experiment, but
is far greater than mans? That
rather upon blind assertions that
they were an accident is far more
can neither be observed nor
difficult to believe than is the
proved. Dr. J. Gray, a leading ex
Christian view that they were
perimental zoologist, explained:
created!
The spontaneous origin of living
Further, mans intelligence lets
from inanimate matter must be
him plan for the future. But how
F ebruary 15, 1956

2 Mans Destiny in Eternity, page 9.

3 Modern Discovery and the Bible, page 43.

102

afteWATCHTOWER.

is one to explain the same foresight that is

evident even in the unreasoning parts of
nature? A tree produces seeds so there will
be other trees when it is dead. Is this of
importance to the tree? A squirrel stores
nuts for the winter. What gave it the fore
sight to do so, and how does it know that
the weather will turn cold? A bird produces
eggs to perpetuate its kind. Why burden
itself with offspring? Instinct does it?
Nature perhaps? That is just begging the
issue. Wherever you look Supreme Intel
ligence is present, it cannot be bypassed.
One authority explained: The less a
living animal seems able to think, owing
to the inferiority of its organs, the more,
judging by the acts of wisdom of which
it is capable, does it become evident that
some One has thought for it. 4 If no Crea
tor exists, who could have done that
thinking?
But even more amazing is human life,
which presents the greatest problems for
those who deny creation. Why do the atoms
and elements of the body combine to make
organic compounds that conspire to de
velop various tissues and organs and to
perform their functions in a unified struc
ture that goes so far beyond the capabil
ities of these atoms and elements as they
normally exist? What intelligent force pro
duced this? Nature? Then why not call
it by the name of the Supreme Being
who produced the laws of nature, namely,
Je h o v a h ?

Nature has many wonders, and the de

velopment of a new human life is one of the
most amazing. With no conscious thought
on the mothers part the bones, nerves,
eyes, ears, feet, hands, heart, lungs and
many other such structures and organs are
produced in a manner that no human can
explain. Is it by accident that the human
4 English naturalist Jonathan Franklin, as quoted by
Charles E. Sajous in Strength of Religion as Shown by
Science, page 171.

rooklyn

N. Y.

cells follow such a carefully outlined proc

ess? Without a question of doubt there is
an Intelligence far greater than mans be
hind such production of life! Why hide the
identity of that Intelligence by refusing to
call it God?
When evolution says that creation did
not occur, just remember that evolution
does not know the origin of matter, the
origin of life, how the tremendous gaps be
tween the various life forms are to be filled,
or the reason for the marvelous wisdom
called nature. Marvelous laws that the
wisest of scientists have spent decades,
even centuries, trying to fathom did not
come into being by chance. Believe what
you can see! Accept the fact that there was
an intelligent creation and therefore an in
telligent Creator, Jehovah God!
KNOW THE CREATOR!

Reason, referred to above, reduces the

stumbling blocks and misunderstandings
that stand in the way of many persons
accepting God, but we are not basically in
terested in your accepting just what logic
and reasoning have to say about him. Far
more important is what he has to say about
himself. It would be unreasonable to think
that, having created man, the Creator
would now leave us without an explanation
of why not all is in harmony in the world
today. The Bible gives that reason. It
shows why trouble and hardship exist, and
it shows that soon these will end with the
destruction of the great rebel, the instiga
tor of wickedness, Satan the Devil. Thus,
of our day it says: Woe for the earth and
for the sea, because the Devil has come
down to you, having great anger, knowing
he has a short period of time. Rev.
12:12, NW.
If the Bible were just another book of
mans imaginations it would be of little
value. But it is far more than that. It is a

F ebruary

15, 1956

103

SKeWATCHTOWER

book that shows us what God is like, re

lates his instructions, gives evidences of
his power and majesty and is a prime
builder of faith.
The Bible is its own greatest proof of its
reliability. First, those who had a part in
its writing contended that it was from God.
David said: The spirit of Jehovah it was
that spoke by me, and his word was upon
my tongue. Paul wrote: All Scripture is
inspired of God and beneficial for teach
ing. And the holy spirit spoke before
hand by Davids mouth. And Peter said:
Prophecy was at no time brought by
mans will, but men spoke from God as
they were borne along by holy spirit.
2 Sam. 23:2; 2 Tim. 3:16; Acts 1:16;
2 Pet. 1:21, NW.
Yet the Bible does not just claim to be
from God; it proves that claim! Gods chal
lenge to those who claim divine inspiration
is: Let them approach and tell us what is
to happen: . . . Tell us the things that are
coming hereafter, that we may know that
you are gods. (Isa. 41:22, 23,
This
test is conclusive because no man, of his
own power, can reliably and in detail fore
tell specific future events. How does the
Bible meet this test? Victoriously! Note
the following examples of its reliable, ac
curate and detailed prediction of such fu
ture events a power that no man has, a
power that comes from God.
Years before Judah fell to Babylon the
prophet Jeremiah not only foretold that
fall, but specified the exact seventy-year
length of the land of Judahs desolation,
and said that at the end of that seventy
years Babylon would be destroyed, becom
ing a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, a
horror and a hissing, without an inhabit
ant. How could any man have predicted
the nations captivity, the exact length of
the lands desolation and the time and
manner by which the conquering nation
would itself fall into ruin? Yet this proph-

ecy came true exactly as foretold, despite

the fact that, as one writer said: None
but a madman would have dreamed of
prophesying the overthrow of Babylon in
the days when Isaiah and Jeremiah were
alive. The Babylonians were among the
fiercest warriors of their day. They had
conquered the world and bent it to their
yoke. 5 The accurate predictions made by
Isaiah and Jeremiah unquestionably prove
that their claim to have been true prophets
of God really was true. Jer. 29:10; 51:37,
AT.
Further, in Daniel 8:3-8, 20, 21 it was
shown that the Medo-Persian empire would
succeed Babylon as a world power. The
Median power would come first, and the
Persian power would follow and surpass it
in strength. After the Medo-Persian vic
tory over Babylon the Grecian empire
would cast Medo-Persia down. Later the
mighty Grecian empire would split into
four separate parts. All of these things oc
curred exactly as predicted, the fined event
occurring more than two centuries later
when Alexander the Great cast MedoPersia down, and then when, at Alexan
ders death, his empire was split into four
parts, each ruled by a different general.
How utterly impossible it would have been
for ordinary men to make such amazing
advance predictions as are common in the
Bible!
MODERN PROOFS

Would you prefer present-day examples

to these ancient ones? Modem examples of
the fulfillment of such amazing prophecies
are equally convincing. For more than
thirty-four years prior to the outbreak of
world violence in 1914 (or since 1880) The
Watchtower had faithfully and regularly
pointed to 1914 as marking the end of the
Bibles Gentile times or times of the
0 Internal Evidence of Inspiration, Harry Rimmer,
page 207*

104

SHeWATCHTOWER

nations. 6 It showed from the Scriptures

that the end of the times of the nations
would be marked by the worst time of trou
ble earth had ever known. Before World
War I started many people had scoffed,
but the Bibles prediction held true. The
Bible writers could not of their own knowl
edge have known these events, or even
have guessed at them, so far in advance.
Such specific advance predictions cannot
be mans wisdom, but again the Bible pre
diction held true!
In Revelation 17:8 it was foretold that
mans political peace organization (the
League of Nations) would go into the abyss
of nonexistence, as it did during World
War II, and would later come to life again,
as it did in the United Nations, but that it
would not succeed in its promise to bring
lasting peace. Would any man have known
this on his own? Again the Bible predic
tion, written nearly 1,900 years in advance,
has held true!
This Book of books has stood the test,
coming through with flying colors! Its re
liable prediction of the future vindicates
its claim to inspiration and proves its
genuineness. And further, the existence of
this obviously inspired book proves un
questionably that its Inspirer, Jehovah
God, does exist!
The most important source of faith in
God is the Bible itself. If you lack such
faith, it is probably through lack of study
of that Book; if you wish to gain faith you
can do it through studying it. True faith
is not blind but well informed. It is based
6 Watch Tower, March and July, 1880. See also Issue of
December, 1879, and pages 83 and 189 of Three Worlds
or Plan of Redemption, published in 1877.

~Tha J2ute ofo

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

upon facts, logic, understanding and trust.

Such faith must be sought, and is gained
through the pages of the Book of faith, the
Bible. As Paul wrote: Faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom. 10:17.
The Bible describes faith as the assured
expectation of things hoped for, the evi
dent demonstration of realities though not
beheld. Faith is the sum of our beliefs con
cerning Jehovah God and his kingdom. It
is our confidence in him that has been de
veloped through our examination of what
is contained in the Scriptures. It is our
well-founded conviction that things do
exist that we cannot see, that these things
can be laid hold upon with confidence and
that the promises made in Gods Word will
be kept.Heb. 11:1, NW.
In summary: we believe many things
that we cannot see. We believe them be
cause we can see evidence of their working.
Similarly, we can see like evidences of
Gods activity. The existence of matter, the
marvel of life, the amazing intelligence in
nature, the scope of the human mind, the
miracle of birth, the unerring accuracy of
the Bibles ability to predict the future, and
the amazing extent of its ability to engen
der faith in the minds of its readers all
these and many other evidences point to
the sure existence of a Supreme Intelli
gence, an almighty and all-wise Creator,
who is identified in the Bible as being
named J e h o v a h . The next step, after rec
ognizing that God exists, is to look into
his Word, the Bible, to see how it builds
faith and what he requires of you.

Hooki

A recent survey shows Americans spend more money on comic books each year
than on elementary and secondary school textbooks. The survey, made by the
Bureau of Public Administration at the University of California, says many hun
dreds of thousands of dollars worth of comics are sold each year about four times
the combined annual book-purchasing budgets of all public libraries in the country.

MODERN HISTORY of
Part 28
IN T E R N A T IO N A L A SSE M B L IE S (1 9 4 6 -1 9 5 0 )

HE 1946 Cleveland assembly further

set a pattern as to operating depart
ments required for efficient mass congre
gating of Witnesses.4 Needed was a volun
teer service department, to register volun
teer workerswilling to serve their broth
ers during convention time in whatever
operating department an assignment was
given them. On the first day of the 1946
convention 1,100 had been assigned to
work. An engineering department was
necessary to assure functioning of all
mechanical equipment. An installation de
partment of skilled craftsmen made all
necessary temporary erections of cafeteria
equipment, putting up of the platform, en
larging electrical and plumbing facilities,
and similar preparations. A first-aid de
partment, comprising doctors and nurses,
took care of those who needed health at
tention. Other departments that functioned
as parts of the great convention establish
ment were lost and found, transportation,
attendants, publicity, information, publicaddress system, bookroom, convention or
chestra and music, administration, chair
mans office (which supervised the pro
gram) and editorial. The editorial depart
ment published five convention reports
containing pictures and comment on con
vention events during course of the assem
bly. For the eight-day assembly 650,000
copies of the Cleveland convention report
known as The Messenger were printed.
Experiences, joys and spiritual uplift

a 1954 Yearbook, pp. 39-45.

shared by scores of thousands at the 1946

Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly in
Cleveland proved to be just a sample of
what was to be in store for Jehovahs peo
ple at the 1950 Yankee Stadium world as
sembly. It was called Theocracys In
crease Assembly of Jehovahs Witnesses,
meeting in New York city July 30 to Au
gust 6,1950. What a joyous eight-day theo
cratic festival it was never to be forgot
ten by those who attended! The war hav
ing now ended by some five years, it was
possible for ten thousand non-American
witnesses from sixty-seven different coun
tries to travel to New York for this truly
world assembly. Hundreds came from wartorn Europe itself. Other hundreds came
from Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Asia, too, was represented. Latin Ameri
cans came by the hundreds and many also
from isles of the Pacific. Thousands came
from Canada. All these world travelers
journeyed in every conceivable way, by
sea, by rail, by air. The influx of foreigners
was so great in New York city for the days
prior to the convention that the U.S. Im
migration Service blundered, bringing cer
tain discriminatory indignities upon visit
ing witnesses that later were vigorously
protested by the convention. In spite of the
difficulties 79,247 attended the opening day
of this colossal gathering. The recordshattering number of 123,707 attended the
last day at the public meeting to hear
N. H. Knorr speak on Can You Live For
ever in Happiness on Earth?
105

106

SHeWATCHTOWER

The convention organization, patterned

on the Cleveland style, was set in motion
months prior to the assembly. The rooming
accommodations for 75,000 conventioners
amounted to the greatest, most concen
trated room-hunt ever held up to that time.
A trailer city was established forty miles
away from the stadium, in New Jersey.
Here thousands of witnesses were accom
modated in a well-organized, well-serviced,
well-administered community of 15,000 in
habitants. When opening day arrived the
entire convention machine, including all its
member departments with a total staff
running into the thousands of volunteer
workers, went into high gear to assure a
most successfully operated assembly within
the limited and congested area of Yankee
Stadium. The functioning of the conven
tion proved to be such a modern spectacle
from every angle that great publicity re
sulted in the national and international
press, the radio and television. The So
cietys radio station WBBR broadcast most
of the sessions of the entire convention to
a potential audience of millions.
The opening day, Sunday, July 30, was
entitled Gilead Graduation Day, which
signified the principal opening event. Near
ly 80,000 heard the graduation proceed
ings in the afternoon when the Watchtower
Bible School of Gilead graduated 120 stu
dents of its 15th class. The graduation ad
dress was entitled The Way of Success,
as delivered by the schools president,
N. H. Knorr. At the opening session that
morning the first surprise occurred, the
release of a book of new, delightfully com
posed songs of praise. For the eight days
thereafter the vast throng had fellowship
in learning these new songs. On the Mon
day, Jehovahs Undeserved Kindness
Day, foreign-language sessions were held
in the morning in various parts of Yan
kee Stadium and then general sessions
in the afternoon and evening, giving re

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

ports by branch servants from various

countries. The effective booklet Defend
ing and Legally Establishing the Good
News was released on this day. Tuesday,
Theocratic Devotion Day, saw the re
lease of the attractive new-size Watchtower magazine. Also on this day 84,950
enthusiastically adopted the stinging reso
lution against communism offered at the
conclusion of the key address The In
crease of His Government. The booklet
Evolution versus The New World made its
existence known at this time.
Preach the Word Day, Wednesday,
August 2, proved to be one of historic mo
ment when the Societys president pre
sented to an amazed and totally surprised
audience the New World Translation of the
Christian Greek Scriptures amid height
ened expressions of enthusiasm and de
light. The morning, afternoon and evening
sessions of Missionary Day, Thursday,
were devoted to hearing exciting reports
from Gilead missionaries. Also on this day
3,381 were immersed. Friday was Branch
Day, filled with news of world-wide theo
cratic expansion. Knowledge of God Day
on Saturday was highlighted by the release
in Spanish and English of the new book
This Means Everlasting Life . On Sun
day, New World Living Day, the climax,
123,707 came to hear the heart-stirring
public talk Can You Live Forever in Hap
piness on Earth? Truly a spiritual feast
of fat things was abundantly set before
Jehovahs witnesses at this till then grand
est of assemblies.15
Before leaving the convention city the
witnesses were invited to visit the beauti
ful new Bethel headquarters at 124 Colum
bia Heights and also the vastly expanded
printing factory at 117 Adams Street in
Brooklyn. For several days after the as
sembly thousands passed through to see all
b Report of Theocracys Increase Assembly of Jeho
vahs Witnesses, 1950.

F ebruary

15, 1956

107

SEeW ATCH TOW ER,

the points of interest at these two centers

of theocratic activity. The new Bethel
home had been dedicated January 30,1950,
and the new factory April 3 of the same
year.0 The full occupancy of these two
modernly equipped buildings completed the
vast expansion program approved so en
thusiastically at the 1946 Cleveland as
sembly.
The new Bethel building is a well-de
signed ten-story brick structure with a
three-story tower at its top, visible to all
river and bridge traffic. Inside Bethel one
finds a lovely lobby leading to elevators
and also to a well-appointed lounge. Below
there is a colorful Kingdom Hall with seat
ing capacity of 500. Next below is the large
dining hall, seating 450, and kitchens. The
modernistic studios and Watchtower organ
of radio station WBBR also are located in
this building. On its eighth floor is a de-

lightful library. The home also contains the

offices of the Societys president as well as
the offices of its treasurer, the legal depart
ment and editorial rooms. In this building,
too, are rooms sufficient to house 450 Bethel
workers, together with laundry and other
household-service departmental quarters.
The new factory building contains the
general offices of the Society as the head
quarters of the American branch. How
ever, most of this other new building (com
pleted in 1950) is devoted to printing oper
ations on huge presses and other machines
of latest design to facilitate efficient high
speed book, booklet and magazine produc
tion. The Watchtower and Awake! maga
zines are printed at and distributed from
this plant. Here also is done printing of
Bibles and many other publications of the
Society.d
(To be continued)
d Watchtower 1950, pp. 221-224.

c 1951 Yearbook, pp. 33-35.

Turning Tubles nn the Pranksters

Halloween has its origin in demonism, in the religious teaching that the dead
are not dead but are more alive than ever. On that night mischievous youngsters
call at the homes of their neighbors and demand a treat in the w ay of food or
money or else they will do some mischief, a trick. How one of Jehovah's wit
nesses handled the situation at the last Halloween is shown in the follow ing:
^ On the night of October 31, a group of youngsters dressed up as witches and
goblins called and demanded the usual 'trick or treat.' They were told that we did
not have the usual treat but that if they returned in a few minutes we would tell
them a Bible story. So they left to make a few more neighborhood calls. In the mean
time we got our Bible out, but wondering whether they would return or not. Sure
enough they did, and they were told the story of King Saul and the witch of Endor,
which was tied in to an explanation of the real nature of Halloween. The children
enjoyed it so much that they chose to visit a good while and when they left they
said: 'Thats the best treat that weve had all n ig h t.'

Savceta
In spite of the Communists official position that religion is an opiate for the
people, they have been unable to stamp out the peoples' need for religion or their
clamor for the Bible. Thus the New York Times, September 4, 1955, tells that the
Soviet Union's printing houses are producing 25,000 Bibles, containing both the
Old and New Testaments, on popular request. The printing is being done under
the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church, which also will have charge of dis
tribution. Just another link in the chain of evidence that the word spoken by
Jehovah endures forever. 1 Pet. 1:25, NW.

^WllAPHING

"W e have a fight, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments,
against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the
wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. Eph. 6.12, NW .

las II, was under arrest and shortly to be

'TVEMONS TO WRECK executed on July 17, 1918, in Siberia.
CJL/SOCIETY P s y c h ic Whether general revolution was to spread
phenomena are attracting the all over the earth, to be followed in a chain
attention of some of the great reaction by society-wrecking anarchy, was
est men of the land. These men not certain. For long many had understood
claim that they are able to com the Bible prophecies to read that way, and
municate with the dead. That they receive now events seemed working in that direc
messages from some hidden source cannot tion, with mankind helpless in the vicelike
be questioned. This psychic science is called grip of the demons. It was a time to inform
Immortalism. In truth and fact it is demon oneself on the long-range purpose of the
ism. And these demons, exercising greater demons. But more months of 1918 passed.
power over the human mind, will, as the Suddenly in November World War I came
Scriptures foreshow, soon wreck all so to a halt, an armistice was signed between
the warring sides, leading to a peace, an
ciety.
2
With this spine-tingling introductionuncertain peace indeed that was to last
the magazine The Watch Tower in its is only ten months more than twenty years.
sue of March 1, 1918, proceeded to advise Still it left human society, although bleed
its readers to examine what the Holy Scrip ing and crippled, far from a total wreck.
tures had to say on the subject of spirit What had happened? Had the demons
ism. During those dark days of World plans miscalculated or had they been mis
War I it did appear to Bible students that interpreted?
the demons, the enemies of mankind, were
3
By demons we mean wicked spirits
about ready to wreck all human society. of the invisible realm. To peoples of the
Little did the world then realize that in Orient the subject of demons is nothing
visible, superhuman forces had operated to strange, for demons play a large part in
plunge human society into its first world their religions. But by demons we mean
war in 1914. Amid the throes of war, revo malicious spirit creatures, not those gro
lution had broken out in Russia, the Bol tesque creatures described by these Orien
sheviks had seized control of the govern tals, but the powerful, superhuman spirit
ment and the former Russian czar, Nicho- creatures of which the scriptures of the
Holy Bible speak.
1, 2. What Scripturally predicted manifestations of de
mon power are now seen to have occurred during the
time of the first world war?
108

3. Biblically speaking, what are demons?

F ebruary

15, 1956

SfieW ATCHTOW ER

109

4True believers in God, true, informed belief that departed spirits hold inter
Christians, take the subject of the demons course with mortal humans by means of
very seriously. The outstanding champion physical phenomena, as by rapping, or dur
of Christianity, the apostle Paul, warned ing abnormal mental states, as in trances
us to be most serious about the demons, or the like, commonly manifested through
for when we are in a life-and-death fight a medium; it is the theory that mediumwith those stronger than we are we have istic phenomena are caused by spirits of
to be serious. In one of the fourteen books the dead.
of the Bible that he wrote he said: You
7
Spiritualism is about four thousand
at one time walked according to the system years old, but it has staged a vigorous mod
of things of this world, according to the em reappearance in the West. The Ameri
ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit can spiritualistic movement had its begin
that now operates in the sons of disobedi ning in 1848 with the young Fox sisters of
ence___ Put on the complete suit of armor
Hydeville, New York, who later moved to
from God that you may be able to stand Rochester, New York, to continue with
firm against the machinations of the Devil; their mediumship there, attracting nation
because we have a fight, not against blood wide attention. However, for about a hun
and flesh, but against the [non-blood-and- dred years before the start of the Ameri
flesh] governments, against the authori can phase of spiritualism, Germany and
ties, against the world-rulers of this dark Switzerland had their spiritualists who de
ness, against the wicked spirit forces in veloped or believed in psychic phenomena
the heavenly places. Eph. 2:2; 6:10-12, almost identical with those connected with
NW.
the American movement. They had spirit
5 Paul wrote those words directly to vision, spirit writing, foreknowledge of
Christians at Ephesus. Quite a number of coming events from the spirit realm, and
them had practiced magical arts and, after daily direct communication with inhabit
accepting the word of Jehovah preached ants of the spirit realm. From America the
by Paul, they brought their books togeth movement spread into England, the two
er and burned them up before everybody. most active spiritualists there being D. D.
Others of them had worshiped the demons Home, a remarkable medium, and W. Stainat the world-famous temple of the goddess ton Moses, an Episcopal minister and an
Artemis [Diana] of the Ephesians. (Acts Oxford man. For years these two startled
19:13-20, 27, 28,
NW ) So those
Christians
England.
At seances Mr. Home used to
at Ephesus felt the full force of the apostle
pick up live coals from the fire by the
Pauls words; they had had experience with
handful and carry them around without
the demons.
being burned. He trained many of his
* More and more people of Christendom
pupils to do the same thing, and he him
are becoming aware of the existence of
these spirits, such as the demons are. How? self was even known to wash his face in
Through the spread of the religion gener fiery flames unharmed. The phenomena of
ally known as spiritualism. As defined spiritualism became so notorious that they
by the dictionary, spiritualism is the be led to investigation, serious, scientific in
lief or the religious movement based on the vestigation. Many came away from these
investigations convinced clergymen, phi
4, 5. Why is a serious attitude regarding the demons
necessary and Scriptural?
losophers and other men of learning and
6-8. What is spiritualism? How has it affected learned
of science. As to their conclusions regardmen and others?

110

SfteWATCHTOW ER,

B rooklyn, N. Y.

reason Ameri
it is also called Immortalism, and
ing spiritualism
TheEncyclopedia
was
first
called so by a Protestant clergy
cana (volume 25, 1929 ed.) says:
man.
In
1909
the New York World pub
8 The conclusions of the higher intelli
lished
an
interview
with this clergyman,
gences who have expressed themselves as
namely,
Bishop
Samuel
Fallows of the Re
being convinced of the reality of Spiritual
formed
Episcopal
church,
Chicago, Illinois,
ism may be summed up as follows: Through
in
which
he
said:

There
are great truths
mediumship is proved the continuity of life
in
Spiritualism.
Many
Spiritualistic
phe
beyond the grave; it is no longer a religious
nomena
we
cannot
understand,
but
we
have
dogma but a living fact. Spiritual intelli
gences are as anxious to communicate with to admit them. I have called the new sci
us as we with them, but the lower and ence Immortalism because it depends for
grosser intelligence seem to be the nearest its existence upon the immortality of the
to us, and most likely to be heard from in soul, in which we all believe, and the pres
communication, and they like to imperson ervation of identity beyond the grave. Im
ate great individuals and personal deceased mortalism is simply Spiritualism with all
friends of those present. This is held to ac the fraud and trickery eliminated. On ac
count for much of the information that count of these frauds Spiritualism has been
comes through, and is valueless. For many shunned by many right thinking people,
years the Banner of Light, published in but immortalism will claim their most
Boston, was the leading organ of this cult. earnest attention. Four years earlier he
In common with other Spiritualist papers said: As a Christian and a believer in the
it has disappeared. They have apparently Bible, I must believe in communication be
given way to Psychological publications tween the two worlds that in which we
and New Thought periodicals. While the live and that to which our friends have
great public includes a vast number who gone. . . . I believe in apparitions, how
are virtually Spiritualists, they are less ever, and think it possible that there are
and less known by that name, but are affili persons possessed of a certain mysterious
ated with New Thought, Mental Science, psychic power which enables them to make
Theosophy, Oriental cults, Psychical Re of their spirits a channel, as it were,
search and other modem movements. Spir through which the earth-bound spirit can
itualistic teaching is largely in accord with communicate with the friend from the oth
er side. The Watch Tower, June 1,1905;
the writings in the Bible.
December
1,1909.
9 In harmony with this last statement of
10
Says Johannes Greber in the introduc
the Americana, it is the claim of many
spiritualists that this psychic religion is tion of his translation of The New Testa
based on the Bible or that the Bible sup ment, copyrighted in 1937: I myself was
ports and agrees with spiritualism. Espe a Catholic priest, and until I was fortycially is this true of Catholic and Protes eight years old had never as much as be
tant clergymen who have become spiritu lieved in the possibility of communicating
alists. They claim that the Bible teaches with the world of Gods spirits. The day
survival after death or the immortality of came, however, when I involuntarily took
the human soul, which is the teaching my first step toward such communication,
upon which spiritualism rests. For this and experienced things that shook me to
the depths of my soul.. . . My experiences
9, 10. (a) How is the widely held doctrine of the im
are related in a book that has appeared in
mortality of the human soul related to spiritualism?
(b) Clergymen of Christendom have chosen what atti
both German and English and bears the
tude toward spiritualism?

ebruary

15, 1956

WATCHTOWER

title, Communication with the Spirit- which ex-priest Greber believes helped him
World: Its Laws and Its Purpose. (Page in his translation.
15, If 2, 3) In keeping with his Roman
TRY THE SPIRITS
Catholic extraction Grebers translation is
12However, when the apostle John says,
bound with a gold-leaf cross on its stiff
front cover. In the Foreword of his afore Try the spirits, or, Test the spirits, he
mentioned book ex-priest Greber says: does not mean for us to dabble in spiritual
The most significant spiritualistic book ism and get in touch with the spirits by
is the Bible. Under this impression Greber means of spirit mediums, ouija boards
endeavors to make his New Testament or planchettes or other spiritistic para
phernalia and try out which is a good spirit
translation read very spiritualistic.
11
Spiritualism claims that there areand which is a bad one. By spirits here
good spirits and bad spirits and that it does John is referring, not to invisible spirit
not want to have anything to do with the creatures, but to the purpose, the intent or
bad spirits but tries to communicate only the motivation of the prophesying or public
with the good spirits. At 1 John 4:1-3 the declaration made by men respecting God
An American T
Bible says: Beloved, believe not every and Christ. Hence
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are tion reads: Do not believe every inspired
of God: because many false prophets are utterance, but test the utterances to see
gone out into the world. Hereby know ye whether they come from God, for many
the Spirit of God: Every spirit that con- false prophets have come out into the
fesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the world. And the New World Translation
flesh is of God. And every spirit that con- reads: Do not believe every inspired ex
fesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the pression, but test the inspired expressions
flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit to see whether they originate with God. To
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that test these inspired utterances or inspired
it should come; and even now already is it expressions of the prophets or mouthpieces
in the world. Grebers translation of these of various religions to see whether they
verses reads: My dear friends, do not be are inspired by Gods spirit or not, we do
lieve every spirit, but test the spirits to not have to go to spiritualist seances or
learn whether they come from God. For mediums. Long ago Jehovah God inspired
many false spirits have emerged from the his prophet Isaiah to say: Bind up the
abyss and gone out into the world, and are testimony, seal the teaching among my dis
speaking through human mediums. This is ciples. And when they say to you, Consult
how you can find out whether a spirit the mediums and the wizards who chirp
comes from God: every spirit who con and mutter, should not a people consult
fesses that Jesus Christ appeared on earth their God? Should they consult the dead
as a man, comes from God. While every on behalf of the living? To the teaching
spirit who seeks to destroy belief in Jesus and to the testimony! Surely for this word
as our Lord incarnated does not come from which they speak there is no dawn. They
God, but is sent by the adversary of Christ. will . . . be thrust into thick darkness.
You have been told that such spirits would (Isa. 8:16, 19-22, RS) Obediently those
come, and they are already appearing in who seek true, reliable information con
the world. Very plainly the spirits in cerning the human dead and future events
go to Jehovahs teaching and testimony as
11, 12. (a) What is a questionable translation of 1 John
4: 1-3? (b) What right understanding of this passage is
found in the Bible.
derived from its accurate translation?

112

SHeWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn, N. Y.

13 But, someone will protest, the spirit its mistakes and falsities. In view of past
ualists themselves claim to go to the Bible mistakes, and the crimes and atrocities it
also. Yes, but this is all as a bait, as a has committed in the name of its founder,
disguise, to calm the conscience and to the Church today should be humble and
entice one into spiritualism as something penitent instead of arrogant and reaction
Biblical, Scriptural, having Gods approval ary.Pages 120, 131.
and being thoroughly Christian. It follows
15 In the index of this book we read these
the tactics of false apostles of Christ, of references under the heading Bible :
whom the true apostle Paul wrote: Such Advocates barbaric cruelties; evidence of
men are false apostles, deceitful workers, divine inspiration lacking; not Word of
transforming themselves into apostles of God; now taken less seriously; of no his
Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself torical value; other faiths just as effica
keeps transforming himself into an angel cious; stories cannot be verified; stories
of light. It is therefore nothing great if his preached as if true; study of, waste of
ministers also keep transforming them time; stumbling block to Spiritualism; to
selves into ministers of righteousness. be read as other books, etc. We also read
(2 Cor. 11:13-15, NW) So the hidden aim under the heading Jehovah : Not the
is to get you to believe less and less in the creator; ordered war ; and under the head
Bible and to rely more and more on your ing Jesus : Many lived similar lives; no
experiences with observed phenomena of historical evidence that he lived; resurrec
spiritualism, to get you to perverting the tion of, doubtful tradition; The Talmud,
Bible and believing just the opposite of account of; virgin birth, death and resur
what it teaches, yes, to destroy your faith rection copied from other saviour-gods;
in the Bible. This is illustrated in the case virgin birth thought of later, etc. Page
of the prominent British spiritualist Arthur references accompany such topical entries.
Findlay. In his book
T
Rock16of
Truth
or
The
evidence
is clear that the spirits
Spiritualism The Coming World Religion with whom this leading spiritualist com
(thirteenth impression, 1949) he says:
municates are against the Bible and its
14 All impartial students of the past can Author Jehovah God and his Son Jesus
come to no other conclusion than that the Christ. Why so? Because the Bible and
belief in the inspiration of The Holy Bible, Jehovah and Jesus Christ are against those
though it has given strength and help to spirits; which Mr. Findlay admits, when he
millions, has nevertheless been one of the says the Bible is a stumbling block to
greatest hindrances to the progress of hu Spiritualism. We do not have to dabble
manity. This being so, is it not strange that in spiritualism to find out whether those
this book is still called Holy and The spirits with which this religion communi
Word of God in any civilized place of wor cates are good or bad spirits. They are all
ship? . . . How different indeed would bad spirits, for they are all acting out a
much of the world have been had the Bible lie, the way the ruler of the demons,
never been considered inspired, and how Satan the Devil, did at his beginning in
much happier Christendom will be when Eden. As admitted by Bishop Fallows, who
all come to look on it as they do other coined the word Immortalism to take
books, admiring its beauties, but ignoring away the reproach upon mediumistic com
munication with spirits, spiritualism rests
13-15. (a) Does the Bibles teaching as summarized by
Paul justify the claims of spiritualists? (b) How does a
recognized writer on spiritualism inform and counsel his
readers regarding the Bible?

16. Is it rightly said that the Bible is a stumbling

block to spiritualism, and why?

F ebruary

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

upon the teaching of the immortality of

the human soul, hence of survival after
death of the human body.
17 Only one writer of the Bible, the apos
tle Paul, mentions immortality, and his
three mentions of it do not refer to the
human soul at all, but refer to the resur
rected Jesus Christ and to the resurrected
faithful followers of Christ. The apostle
Paul himself states that the human soul is
the human creature himself, not some un
seen, untouchable, spiritual something that
resides inside the human body, in it but not
of it, and able at the bodys death to de
part and take up separate residence in the
spirit realm. Paul quotes the inspired de
scription of the creating of the first human
soul, at Genesis 2:7, by saying: The first
man Adam became a living soul. (1 Cor.
15:45, 53, 54, N W ; 1 Tim. 6:14-16) The
human soul is not immortal and therefore
cannot survive the death of its body.
18 Yes, indeed, the Bible is a stumbling
block to Spiritualism, for from its first
book to its last it teaches that the human
soul is mortal and dies, ceasing to exist.
(Gen. 12:13; 17:14; 19:19, 20; 37:21 and
Rev. 8:9; 12:11; 16:3,
The Bible
teaching concerning the mortality of the
human soul reaches its most pointed ex
pression in Jehovah Gods own warning:
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezek.
18:4, 20) This plain-spoken, unchanging
teaching of all the Scriptures blasts the
very foundation from under the spiritualist
movement. It proves that the spiritualists
do not communicate with the immortal
souls of the human dead in a spirit world
but do communicate with the demons, bad
spirits, and that spiritualism is simply a de
ceptive misnaming of demonism. When
spirits take on a false identity, pretending
to be spirits of the human dead in order
to support the lie that the dead are not
17, 18. (a) Scripturally, how are immortality and the
human soul accurately defined? (b) Spiritualisms
basic claims are how affected by those Bible definitions?

113

dead, but their souls are immortal and have

survived after death, as the spirit did who
impersonated the prophet Samuel to King
Saul by the spirit medium of Endor, then
they are all bad. They are lying spirits,
even if they do make some correct pre
dictions of the future, for they are acting
under a false identity, doubly deceitful.
(1 Sam. 28:3-20) They are denying the
need of the resurrection under Gods king
dom for the human dead to live again.
19 Jesus Christ once said: God is a Spir
it, and those worshiping him must worship
with spirit and truth. (John 4:24, NW)
Since he himself dwells in the spirit realm,
he knows full well who these spirits are
and he warns his people against having
anything to do with them. He forbade his
theocratic people to let those who practiced
spiritism of any kind live among them,
saying: As for a man or woman in whom
there should prove to be a mediumistic
spirit or spirit of prediction, they should
be put to death without fail. They should
pelt them to death with stones. Their own
blood is upon them. Lev. 20:27, NW.
20 Instead of using these spirits as chan
nels of prophecy, Jehovah God raised up
his prophets, particularly the great Proph
et Jesus Christ. Hence he said to his peo
ple: There should not be found in you
anyone who makes his son or his daughter
pass through the fire, anyone who employs
divination, a practicer of magic or anyone
who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one
who binds others with a spell or anyone
who consults a spirit medium or a pro
fessional foreteller of events or anyone who
inquires of the dead.. . . For these nations
whom you are dispossessing used to listen
to those practicing magic and to those
who divine, but, as for you, Jehovah your
19, 20. (a) As for spiritistic practices, Jehovahs people
of the past and present are given what mandatory ad
vice by his authorized spokesmen? (b) What penalty is
now applicable for ones failure to listen to Jehovahs
Chief Spokesman, and why?

114

3TkWATCHT0WER

B rooklyn , N. Y.

INSANITY THROUGH OBSESSION

God has not given you anything like this.
23The purpose of the demons through
A prophet from your own midst, from
your brothers, like me [Moses], is what spiritualism is not merely to destroy your
Jehovah your God will raise up for you faith in Gods Word the Bible but, more
to him you people should listen. (Deut. than that, to gain possession of your mind
body, to control you completely, thus
18:10-15,
NW) And since the apostleand
Peter
said that Jehovah had raised up his Son leading you to insanity. Even the East
Jesus Christ as that great Prophet, to Indian spiritualist V. D. Rishi, in his book
whom to listen, the choice is one of either Spiritualism in India, admits the danger of
listening to him or listening to the demon obsession with resulting insanity and re
spirits by means of spirit mediums. (Acts fers to cases. Under the subheading Pit3:20-23,
NW) The true ChristiansFalls
are of Communications he says: Dur
obliged to shun spiritualism and listen to ing our stay in Delhi we could once witness
Jehovahs Chief Prophet Jesus Christ, for a tragic case of obsession which clearly
the apostle Peter said: Indeed, any soul brings home the pit-falls of spirit-commu
that does not listen to that Prophet will be nication. . . . This is a warning and an
completely destroyed from among the peo eye-opener to those who try these methods
ple. Deut. 18:18, 19,
unsystematically without caring to have
21 Jesus showed where he stood respect some preparatory knowledge. It reflects
ing the demons by casting out more than a no discredit on the subject [?] but on the
legion of them who possessed people. He persons who practise it in an unscientific
empowered his twelve apostles and the manner. (Pages 175-178) Under the sub
seventy evangelists to cast out demons by heading How the Table Tilts? Rishi
use of his name, and in the last book of says: Regarding the qualifications neces
the Bible he pictured his glorified congre sary for good mediumship a spirit said:
gation in heaven as a glorious city and . . . Spirit communication does not cause
said: Outside are the dogs and those who any derangement in the mediums brain
practice spiritism and the fornicators and if practised moderately. (Page 180) But
the murderers and the idolaters and every the Bible furnishes cases showing that
one liking and carrying on a lie [as spirit spiritism does cause derangement of the
ists do]. Rev. 22:14,15, NW ; Matt. 4:24; obsessed persons mind, especially where
8:28-33; 10:1, 8; Luke 8:1, 2; 9:1; 10:1, a number of demons control a man.
17-20.
24 On January 23,1906, the London Daily
22 Spiritualism is not spiritual, but is one Mail devoted nearly a page to the subject
of the works of the flesh, having nothing Are the Dead Really Communicating?
to do with Gods kingdom, for the apostle and, among other things, said: As far
Paul said: Now the works of the flesh are back as 1877 Dr. L. S. Forbes Winslow
manifest, and they are fornication, un wrote on spiritualistic madness. Ten
cleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice
thousand unfortunate people are at the
of spiritism, . . . and things like these. As
present
time confined in lunatic asylums
to these things I am forewarning you, the
on
account
of having tampered with the
same way as I did forewarn you, that those
who practice such things will not inherit supernatural. . . . I could quote many inGods kingdom. Gal. 5:19-21, NW.
23. Is or is not humans insanity possible through con
21. What other Bible testimony reveals the true posi
tion of Jesus on spiritistic practices?
22. How did Paul classify the practice of spiritism?

trol by demons, and why?

24-26. What pertinent points in the testimony of physi
cians and other observers link insanity and the prac
tice of spiritism?

F ebruary

15, 1956

3HeWATCHTOW ER.

stances where men of the highest ability

have, so to speak, neglected all and fol
lowed the doctrines of spiritualism only to
end their days in a lunatic asylum. (The
Watch Tower, March 15,1906, pages 87,88)
In a pamphlet entitled The Nature of In
sanity; Its Cause and Cure, J. D. Rhymus
shows that in many cases insanity is mere
ly demoniacal possession or obsession and
quotes a letter from a Philadelphia physi
cian, dated November 12,1884, in which he
says: Judge Edmonds of New York [a
noted spiritist] has recently expressed the
opinion that many so-called lunatics in
asylums are only under the influence of
spirits. The Judge himself said, Some
fifteen cases of insanity, or rather obses
sion, I have been instrumental in curing.
This I said to the Academy of Science, in
New York. The Judge has had Catholic
priests, after a thorough trial of their holy
water and prayers, send [to him] their
mediumistic members when wickedly dis
ordered, to be demagnetized and released
from the grasp of obsessional spirits.
The Watch Tower, July 15, 1897, pages

115

26 The percentage of inmates of insane

asylums or mental hospitals who were vic
tims of demon obsession was once estimat
ed as half their population. Testifying to
demon possession of present-day inmates
of mental hospitals, in the Autumn Edition,
1952, of the Official Quarterly Newsletter
of the International Spiritualist Federation
entitled Yours Fraternally, Mrs. Rita
Barki of Leeds, England, tells of her visit
with her husband and daughter to Brazil:
Our first call was made at a modern hos
pital, situated in beautiful grounds over
looking the hills of Rio. The hospital is
divided into two wings, one being for gen
eral cases including a maternity section
and a surgical section. . . . The other wing
is for mental diseases. When a mental case
is admitted, a medium is in attendance as
well as a psychiatrist to determine whether
the case is one of obsession or of mental
unbalance. If the case is decidedly an ob
session, it is treated by the medium and
after the obsessing entity is excluded the
case is handed over for rehabilitation by
trained psychiatrists. . . . Spiritualism in
Brazil has complete constitutional free
210, 211.
25
Dr. Edgar M. Webster, member of thedom of action and expression although the
mental section of the American Medical Church, which is mainly Catholic, is, of
Association at the beginning of this cen course, opposed on principle. A most im
tury, said: I often see the spirits who portant point is that no medium or healer
cause insanity in my patients and at times can charge for services or demonstrations.
I even hear their voices. Persons who are Pages 5-7.
spoken of as helplessly insane are frequent
ly simply lost under the overwhelming con WHEN IS SATAN DIVIDED AGAINST HIMSELF?
27 Here we have published cases of where
trol of a spirit or, at times, a crowd of spir
its. . . . A large percentage of the insane spirit mediums are used to exorcise or cast
are persons who have attempted to become out demons. Since these demons belong to
spiritualistic mediums and who, by laying Satan the ruler of the demons, does this
themselves open to spirit influence, have mean that Jehovah God is using these spir
found the wrong or an evil spirit taking it mediums or priests or other clergymen
advantage of their susceptibility for the of Christendom who may expel demons?
purpose of giving vent to spiritual desires Never! For spirit mediums and those who
and ideas through an earthly medium. represent religions that teach the basic lie
The Watch Tower, August 1, 1905, 27. Can the exorcising of demons by any of Christen
doms clergy or even by spirit mediums be Scripturally
page 229.
justified, and why?

116

SReWATCHTOWEFL

of spiritualism, immortalism or the immor

tality of the human soul are detestable to
God. He would not touch them except to
destroy them at the coming battle of Ar
mageddon, as he destroyed King Saul of
Israel at the battle of Mount Gilboa for
asking of a spirit medium to make in
quiry of the dead.Deut. 18:12; 1 Chron.
10:13, 14,
NW.
28 Well, then, if Satan is doing the cast
ing out, has he become divided against
himself? This question reminds us of how
the religious Jewish Pharisees accused Je
sus, saying: This fellow does not expel
the demons except by means of Beelzebub,
the ruler of the demons. Then Jesus, show
ing that Gods kingdom has nothing in
common with the demons, replied: If Sa
tan expels Satan, he has become divided
against himself; how, then, will his king
dom stand? Moreover, if I expel the demons
by means of Beelzebub, by means of whom
do your sons expel them? This is why they
will be judges of you. But if it is by means
of Gods spirit that I expel the demons, the
kingdom of God has really overtaken you.
Matt. 12:22-28, NW.
29 Jesus was opposed to Satan the Devil,
the ruler of the demons. At the end of
the third temptation in the wilderness Je
sus told Satan to get away from him. At
the close of his earthly life, just before he
was betrayed by Satans agent Judas Is
cariot, Jesus said to his faithful apostles:
The ruler of the world is coming. And
yet he has no hold on me. (Matt. 4:10;
John 14:30, NW) Jesus died for preaching
the kingdom of God, which is destined to
destroy the kingdom of Satan at the battle
of Armageddon shortly, and what Jesus
taught upheld Gods side of the controversy
over universal sovereignty. His casting out
unclean spirits or demons supported the
truth and prophecy of Gods Word. If,
28, 29. Why was Jesus reply to his accusers, on how
he expelled demons, unanswerable?

B rooklyn , N. Y.

now, Jesus cast out demons by means of

Satan their ruler, then Satan was indeed
divided against himself, for he was using
his worst enemy on earth to cast out de
mons, not in support of the Devils side,
but in support of Gods side.
30 The case is different, however, when
spirit mediums and other false religionists
cast out demons or perform other kinds of
healing by means of the ruler of the de
mons. In that case Satan is using those who
are on his side and teaching his doctrines,
and his use of them to cast out demons
works to the support of his false teachings
and demonic kingdom. By using them he is
not divided against himself, but by this
seemingly good work of undoing the case
of demon obsession for which he himself
is responsible Satan himself keeps trans
forming himself into an angel of light, to
advance his power and influence over the
deceived.
31 To warn us that the expelling of de
mons in his name and the performing of
many other wonderful works in this day of
his second presence, invisibly, in Gods
kingdom, was not Gods will, Jesus said:
Not everyone saying to me, Master, Mas
ter, will enter into the kingdom of the
heavens, but the one doing the will of my
Father who is in the heavens will. Many
will say to me in that d ay : Master, Mas
ter, did we not prophesy in your name, and
expel demons in your name, and perform
many powerful works in your name? And
yet then I will confess to them: I never
knew you at all. Get away from me, you
workers of lawlessness. Matt. 7:21-23,
NW.
32In the first century of the Christian
era the apostles and seventy evangelists of
Jesus Christ did cast out demons miracu30, 31. Demon expulsion by false religionists and spirit
mediums differs in what essential ways from such ex
pelling as done by Jesus?
32. Why is casting out of demons, as done by apostles
and evangelists Jesus himself sent forth, not proper
practice for todays Christian witnesses of Jehovah?

F ebruary 15, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

lously in his name. But the miraculous gift

of the holy spirit to cast out demons has
ceased being imparted, since the death of
all those twelve apostles of the Lamb,
as Paul foretold it would. (1 Cor. 13:8-11)
Today the witnesses of Jehovah God are
not empowered to cast out demons as a
sign of their being Christian witnesses of
Jehovah. Neither are Jehovahs witnesses
authorized to do as they were commanded
in the days of the typical theocracy of
Israel, to kill off all spirit mediums and
those who inquired of them or
practiced occult arts, as King
Saul did. (1 Sam. 28:3) They
may not imitate the action
reported in the Pittsburgh
(Pennsylvania) Press of June
16, 1946, believe it or not:
W itchery in 1515! 500

Swiss women were burned

as witches in 2 months
600 women were burned
in one German town, and
during the year one judge
alone condemned 15,000
____
witches. But Jehovahs
witnesses are under divine command to
keep all spiritism, which is demonism, out
of the theocratic organization, keeping on
the full suit of armor from God as a de
fense against the assaults of the wicked
spirit forces. They must also preach the
message of the Kingdom, the truth, which
Jesus said will set you free, and this will
drive away all influence of the demons
from all victims who seek to be freed from
the enticements or the tightening grip of
the demons.
33
Teaching those who are the targets
assault by the demons to pray to Jehovah
God through Jesus Christ is also a power
ful means to keep the demons at a distance
and to rout them. Deuteronomy 18:11
33. What are wrong and right ways for breaking demon
power now?

117

speaks of one who binds others with a

spell.
(NW) The mistake is oftentimes
made of thinking Gods power insufficient
to break the spell that a voodooist or other
demonist may cast upon one and hence go
ing to another agent of the demons, a witch
doctor, to break the power of the spell.
Thus the relieved person is obliged to
thank the Devil and his demons rather
than God Almighty for his deliverance.
This glorifies the Devils organization
rather than Jehovah God; it gains, not
divine favor but disfavor, and indebts one
to the Devil and weakens ones defense
against him. Prayer, keeping ones mind
filled with the things of God and keeping
regularly active in Je
hovahs service will
break the e n e m y s
power and fortify one
to resist his further
assaults.
34
Inasm
miraculous gifts of the
spirit have passed
away, we do not at
tempt to do miraculous works such as
those religious workers of lawlessness per
form whom the Master Jesus Christ will
tell to get away from him because they do
not act according to Gods law. We remem
ber the apostle Pauls words, If anyone
contends even in the games, he is not
crowned unless he has contended according
to the rules. (2 Tim. 2:5,
So in order
to be crowned with Gods approval through
Christ we want to do what He has made
lawful. The work that he has legalized for
this time of the worlds end is that foretold
ofby Jesus Christ: This good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the inhab
ited earth for the purpose of a witness to
all the nations, and then the accomplished
end will come. (Matt. 24:14, NW) By do34. In this time what unlawful works should be avoided
and what lawful work should we clearly understand
and do?

118

STieWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn , N. Y.

ings in different newspapers, such as The

First Lady Enjoys Having Her Fortune
Told and Eisenhowers Peek into Fu
ture. The Bible as well as ancient secular
history shows that kings and emperors as
well as the religious leaders engaged in
spiritism, seeking information, guidance
and help from the demons. Today the
wicked spirit forces are making victims of
persons high in political and religious cir
DEMONS DRIVING HUMAN SOCIETY
cles even in Christendom. History, Biblical
TO ARMAGEDDON
35 We are living in the wicked day. It and secular, shows that this practice al
is especially in this day that we are ordered ways led to destruction of kingdoms and
to stand firm in the full suit of armor empires. It will lead to the same result
against the onslaughts of the wicked spirit now, at the battle of Armageddon.
37 The wicked spirit forces are now closer
forces in the heavenly places and to use the
to
all mankind than ever before. This is
sword of the spirit, that is, Gods word,
because
Gods kingdom by Christ was
against these unseen, superhuman forces
established
in the heavens in 1914. War
by obeying Gods law and preaching this
broke
out
in
heaven immediately and the
good news of the kingdom in all the in
high
heavens
were forever cleared of the
habited earth. We are not surprised at the
presence
of
Satan
and all his demon angels.
spread of spiritism, which is demonism,
Defeated
in
that
war
with Gods newborn
even into the highest places of political
kingdom,
those
demons
and their ruler
government.
were
hurled
down
here
to
the
earth. Being
36 We take it as only a further evidence
in
a
Tartarean
darkness
as
to
the
details of
that the political governments of Christen
Gods
purpose,
they
may
have
thought
that
dom are no part of Gods kingdom when
Armageddon
was
immediately
at
hand
and
the magazine People, in its issue of
that
their
being
imprisoned
in
an
abyss
for
March 10, 1954, comes out with the an
a
thousand
years
was
therefore
near.
So
nouncement Capital A strologers: Top
they
might
then
have
been
bent
on
wreck
Leaders Seek Her Advice Jeannes Call
ers Include Mamie Eisenhower, Washing ing human society in order to destroy
ton Officials. In a Washington that con especially Jehovahs people who were then
stantly scans the horizon for whats ahead, in a captive condition to human society.
Jeanne Dixon stands out like a beacon. The policy of Satan and his demons who
Using a crystal ball, she has looked into have been the gods and invisible governors
the future, come up with so many astound- of this world is, Rule or ruin, but particu
ingly accurate predictions that today some larly with the ruin of Jehovahs witnesses
of the capitals top leaders and business in mind.2 Pet. 2:4, NW ; Rev. 12:17.
38 However, Almighty God prevented
men call on her regularly. This news con
this
and foiled the demons reckless plan.
firmed the well-known Drew Pearsons
It
was
not his purpose to abyss the demons
column published throughout America
in
1918
or to let them wreck human soAugust 22 to 24, 1953, and carrying head-

ing this work till the end of this world

comes at Armageddon we are sure to have
the enthroned King Jesus Christ class us
as workers of lawfulness and tell us to
come near to him as those approved by his
heavenly Father and worthy of being
spared through Armageddon into Gods
new world.

35. Todays spread of spiritism makes necessary what

protective practices by us?
36. What do Biblical and secular records show regard
ing spiritistic practices of political and religious leaders?

37. Scripturally, who today constitute the principal

target of enraged wicked spirit forces, and why?
38. Why have Jehovahs people of our day kept on suc
cessfully withstanding assaults of those wicked spirit
forces ?

F ebruary

15, 1956

Sfie WATCHTOWER.

119

ciety as a climax to World War I. He did because the Devil has come down to you,
not let his victorious King Jesus Christ having great anger, knowing he has a short
press the war in heaven as far as the Ar period of time. Little wonder, then, that
mageddon feature of the great tribula the scientific men of the Devils world have
tion upon Satans organization invisible eventually invented the atom bomb and the
and visible. Jehovah halted that war in hydrogen bomb and other terrifying means
heaven with the casting of them out of of wholesale slaughter. It was war for
heaven and down to this earth in order that world domination that speeded up the ap
he might let Satan and his demons remain plication of the discovery of splitting the
here in their debasement of defeat for a atom, and not the benefits of peace. How
short period of time before Armageddon. demonic that was!
Thus he cut short the great tribulation
40 Not through the crystal ball of psychic
upon Satans world. (Matt. 24:21, 22) He mediums or spiritism, but by the prophetic
did this, not for the sake of the demons, symbols of The Revelation we see what
but for the sake of his chosen ones, to goes on in the invisible realm surrounding
enable them to escape destruction with hu our earth where Satan and his demons are
man society of this world. This has meant now held down. We see Satan and his de
a constant fight by Jehovahs witnesses mons not gaining victory over Jehovahs
with these wicked spirit forces at specially witnesses, not gathering them like goats
close range. Yet till now they have been to a stubborn final fight against God Al
able to stand firm against the machina mighty at Armageddon. Instead, John the
tions of the Devil. Eph. 6:11; Rev. 12: writer of The Revelation saw, and look!
13-17,
NW.
the Lamb [Christ] standing upon the
39
The full suit of the armor of Godmount Zion, and with him a hundred and
and the wielding of the sword of the spir forty-four thousand having his name and
it, that is, Gods word, and the offering of the name of his Father written on their
prayer and supplication on every occasion foreheads. In addition to the 144,000
have enabled Jehovahs witnesses to make spiritual conquerors with Christ on the
this unyielding stand and so to remain un heavenly Mount Zion, John saw the great
hurt by the heavy concentration of de crowd of others from all nations and
mons now at this earth. But for humanity tongues worshiping and serving God con
in general it has meant their being urged stantly at his spiritual temple. Rev. 14:1;
on in the way that leads to destruction at 7:9-15,
NW.
Armageddon. Concerning this Revelation
41 Whom, then, did John foresee and
12:10-12 (JVW) cries out: The accuser of whom do we now see victimized in the
our brothers has been hurled down, who gathering made by Satan and his wicked
accuses them day and night before our spirit forces? Says John: I saw three un
God! And [our brothers] conquered him clean inspired expressions that looked like
because of the blood of the Lamb and be frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon
cause of the word of their witnessing, and and out of the mouth of the wild beast and
they did not love their souls even despite out of the mouth of the false prophet.
the danger of death. On this account be
They are, in fact, expressions inspired by
glad, you heavens and you who reside in
them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, 40. What do Gods true worshipers, who obediently fol
39. What Scripturally foretold conditions have prevailed
on earth since the recent debasement of the Devil and
his spirit allies?

low his Lamb, now see in the invisible realm around

our earth?
41. Whom did John foresee and whom do we now see
as victims of Satan and his earth-confined spirit allies?

120

SEeWATCHTOWER

demons and perform signs, and they go

forth to the kings of the entire inhabited
earth, to gather them together to the war
of the great day of God the Almighty.. . .
And they gathered them together to the
place that is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon
[or, Armageddon]. Rev. 16:13-16,
margin.
42 Jehovahs witnesses do not follow the
demon-led kings of the entire inhabited
earth to their battle lines at Armageddon.
They follow the Lamb [Jesus Christ] no
matter where he goes. (Rev. 14:4, NW)
He goes to face all of Satans world at Ar
mageddon. By our following him to that
battle position there we can triumph over
the wicked spirit forces even now during
this time of the end. At Armageddon we
shall witness his own triumph over them.
THE FIGHT MUST GO ON!

43 The fight against the wicked spirit

forces is not yet over for Jehovahs wit
nesses. The adversary, Satan the Devil, is
trying to hold his position as a cosmocrat.
He and his demons are cosmocrats, worldrulers, as the New World Translation calls
them at Ephesians 6:12. Particularly since
the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.
and the overthrow of Gods typical theoc
racy then they have exercised a wicked
cosmocracy. Now they are opposed to Je
hovahs witnesses because these preach
another cosmocracy, the good news of
Gods rulership of the new world by Christ.
Jehovahs witnesses need to watch, fight
and pray as never before.
44 It is true that Jesus said concerning
this time of his presence in his invisible
kingdom: Just as the days of Noah were,
so the presence of the Son of man will be.
42. Observing what God-given formula ensures continu
ous security and triumph for Jehovahs witnesses over
the wicked spirit forces?
43. Why is it needful now, as never before, for us to
watch, fight and pray?
44. In what respects are our days like Noahs, before the
flood?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

(Matt. 24:37,
)In the days of Noah
W
N
before the flood there were disobedient
spirit sons of God that materialized in hu
man bodies without the aid of mediumship
and married the daughters of men and
raised unusual offspring called Nephilim,
evidently supernormal giants, who helped
to corrupt mankind and fill the earth with
violence. (Gen. 6:1-4, 11, 12, NW) How
ever, the likeness of these days of the Son
of mans presence to those of Noah before
the flood does not mean we are to expect
similar materializations of the demons and
their visibly meddling in human affairs.
No more this than that they should inter
marry with the daughters of men today
and raise a new crop of Nephilim for de
struction at Armageddon. The demons are
now spirits in prison restrained by God
from directly materializing. But they do
not have to materialize in order to accom
plish their purpose. It is sufficient that in
the practice of spiritualism they seize
mainly upon the bodies of women to serve
as spirit mediums. (1 Pet. 3:18-20, NW)
Already, more than forty years since the
Kingdoms establishment in 1914, the wick
ed spirit forces have shown their ability
to exercise their cosmocratic power, with
out materializations, to spread spiritual
ism, to corrupt mankind, to cause the earth
to be filled with violence and to lead the
worldly rulers of all kinds of political sys
tems to a showdown fight against Al
mighty God and his Christ at Armageddon.
The wicked spirit forces have succeeded
in misleading the entire inhabited earth,
but not the New World society of Jeho
vahs witnesses.
45
Instead of being influenced by the re
ligious and political propaganda, policies
and movements of the visible rulers of this
world, Jehovahs witnesses have refused
to go along with this world and become a
45, 46. Triumphing now and final triumph result how
for Kingdom-preaching members of Gods New World
society ?

F ebruary

15, 1956

part of it. They have kept separate in full

dedication to Jehovah God through his
Christ. Courageously they have exposed
the demon-inspired expressions that have
issued from the mouths of the symbolic
Dragon and his political wild beast and
false prophet; they have warned others
against the machinations of the Dragon
the Devil; and they have preached the
powerful message of true liberation from
the power of the wicked spirit forces, this
good news of the kingdom. Steadily this
proclamation of the good news has pushed
back the unseen control of the wicked spir
it forces, and hundreds of thousands have
come into the New World society where
the spirit of Jehovah prevails. Here we

PARIS, FRANCE, AUGUST 3-7, 1953

To crown a successful year of Kingdom
service in the field of witnessing in France,
along came the second international assembly
of Jehovahs witnesses in Paris during the
closing month of the 1955 service year. In the
world-wide campaign month of April when
the Memorial of
C h r i s t s d e a th
w a s celebrated
and the new book
let (
Christendom
m r n p iB

or
Christianity
W h ich O n e Is
th e Light of the
World ?) was re

121

SEeWATCHTOWER.

VELDHIVB

leased, the 183

congregations of
J e h o v a h s wit
nesses in France attained a new
peak in number o f Kingdom pub
lishers, namely, 9,883, which be
speaks an increase of 23 percent
over the previous service year. And at the Memo
rial celebration, although only 225 partook of
the emblematic bread and wine, there was a
total attendance of 11,894. A ll o f these were now
to play host to the assembly o f their brothers
from the most lands ever to be represented at
such a gathering in Paris. In Paris and its
suburbs there are about 2,500 witnesses. A
record attendance was expected, and the or-

stand firm, fighting with the spiritual

weapons of our theocratic warfare and
praying, triumphing constantly in the pow
er of the Lord and in the mightiness of his
strength.
46
Final triumph is in sight! Suddenly as
in the days of Noah it will be ours, when
Jehovahs day comes as a thief in the night
and this world is abandoned to its destruc
tion at Armageddon, all spiritism and the
wicked spirit forces are put out of action,
and we of the New World society are taken
along with the triumphant King Jesus
Christ into the demon-free new world of
righteousness under Gods universal sover
eignty. 2 Pet. 3:10-14, NW.

ganization at
Paris of the
N e w W o r ld
society made
ready for it.
F r e n c h m isA S S E M B L IE S
sionaries
g
raduated
OF
from Gilead,
F r e n c h p io
neers and congregation publishers engaged for
many weeks in securing rooms in hotels and
private homes to fill the m any rooming-accom
modations requests.

THE

T R IU M P H A N T
K IN G D O M

1955

Paris great indoor arena,

the Velodrome dHiver or
Sports Palace, was engaged
for the assembly. Four years
ago the first international
postwar convention of Jeho
vahs witnesses in France
was held in this same Palais
des Sports, and at that time
10,456 attended the public meeting and 351 were
baptized. In the meantime the organizational
magazine, The Watchtower, in all languages
came under ban in France. However, the eternal
God, Jehovah, who has made his people a watch
man class, continued to feed his people spiritu
ally, and they have grown in spiritual maturity
and in numbers in that land of Roman Catholicism and communism. From the Paris branch

122

STieWATCHTOWER.

office it is just a fifteen-minute walk down the

Rue de la Tour (Tower Street) and across Passy
Bridge over the Seine River and one square be
yond Grenelle Quay to the Sports Palace. Just
three blocks to the north the 1,000-foot-high
world-famed Eiffel Tower rears itself.
Besides the thousands of foreign delegates
who converged here, a special train with 1,200
Polish brothers from the northeast of France
pulled into the city. Because of the dominant
languages to be spoken at this assembly the
printed program carried its Information for
Conventioners in French, English and Polish,
and signs of welcome and guidance around the
Sports Palace were also in the same three lan
guages. Announcements from the platform
were likewise made in those three languages.
The literature on the book counters was in
many more languages. Though many Polish
brothers now understand French, special meet
ings in Polish were held Thursday, Friday and
Saturday from 10 a.m. till noon, and the at
tendance ran up to 577 Saturday morning.
Besides providing for the spiritual needs, the
convention committee provided an ample cafe
teria toward the rear of the flower-adorned
platform, where substantial meals vivified con
ventioners at regular intervals, being conven
iently served from many assembly-line food
counters. Here, too, as at all the preceding
Triumphant Kingdom assemblies, a fine large
orchestra guided and gave stimulus to hearty
singing of Kingdom songs. W hile the majority
were singing in French, many visiting delegates
sang in English.
For the official opening of the assembly the
9,701 who attended thronged the building, fill
ing the ground-floor arena in front of the plat
form and sitting on the tiers of seats on the
sides of the bowl, some even being in the top
gallery away up above. In this velodrome they
were watching not a bicycle race but the run
ners in the race for the prize of life eternal
in Jehovahs new world. Am ong those runners
were fourteen from dictator-ruled Portugal,
many from Portuguese-speaking Brazil, and
also about thirty-five from Spain under Francos
regime. These brothers are acquainted with
dictatorships under which full religious priv
ileges are granted to only the Roman Catholic
Church and so here, at this magnificent free
assembly in Paris, they were deeply stirred.
Tears welled up in Spanish eyes at seeing for
the first time such a crowd of their brothers,
Jehovahs witnesses, thousands upon thousands

Brooklyn, N . Y.

of them, in open assembly and without fear of

police. W hat if they could not understand the
languages of the platform speeches! Just the
same, they felt great joy at being among their
brothers, the one big fam ily of God, Jehovah.
They marveled and thrilled at the freedom that
they witnessed as their brothers moved about
on the streets of Paris openly identifying them
selves with lapel badges as Jehovahs witnesses,
advertising the assembly and its public talk,
and passing out literature and preaching the
message from door to door without hindrance.
Filled they were with many vivid impressions
to tell upon their return to their brothers at
home under dictatorship!
Most of the speakers from North America
spoke in English and their talks from the plat
form were translated into French by competent
interpreters. French speakers on the program
presented their talks with the same fervor and
vigor as those who spoke in English. The Paris
branch servant gave the address of welcome in
French. Brother Knorr, the president, gave his
opening talk tonight on The Triumphant M es
sage of The Kingdom, and at its close he re
leased the book What Has Religion Done for
Mankind? in French. The reaction of the audi
ence was very joyful.
From 1:20 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. five special trains
took many visiting delegates to Rome, which,
of course, affected the attendance at Paris. The
great mass movement of delegates through the
Continent from convention to convention by all
the complicated prearrangements skillfully
made by the New York headquarters of the
Watch Tower Society was now under way. It
was an invasion of theocratic warriors from
abroad, unparalleled in any age of earth. Con
cerning this the August 5 European edition of
the paper The Stars and Stripes, published at
Darmstadt, Germany, for the U.S. armed forces,
said on its page 3:
P aris , Aug. 4 (A P ) More than 4,000 per
spiring Jehovahs Witnesses from every state
in the union flocked to a garish Paris sports
arena for an afternoon of sermons yesterday
[Wednesday], then grabbed their bags for the
next stop on their tour of Western Europe.
Members of the pacifist sect, each wearing a red
and yellow tag proclaiming The Coming Con
quest of the W orld by the Kingdom of God,'
make up what is probably the biggest mass
movement of Americans through Europe since
the Allied invasion during W orld W a r II.
From Rome five special trains later took

F ebruary

15, 1956

SfkWATCHTOWEFt

thousands of conventioners to cities in Switzer

land. The edition of Wednesday, August 10, of
the Berne Daily (Berner Tagblatt) published a
picture of delegates arriving there and headed
the accompanying article Invasion in Berne:
2000 Witnesses of Jehovah." The article went
on to say: Swiss Berne experienced during two
days the invasion of more than 2000 witnesses
of Jehovah, predominantly from the United
States. The people of all shades of color with
the pinned-on little placard Jehovahs witness
es' dominated for a time the street scene and
especially the numerous colored' ladies of every
age and build attracted prolonged looks at
themselves. Far more than 4000 witnesses of
whom some hundreds stopped in Zurich and
Geneva traveled in two special ships and 42
special airplanes from the States to Eu
rope, to go here from convention to convention,
beginning in London, then in Paris."
The second day of the Paris convention fea
tured the president twice on the program, and
after his evening talk against spiritism he sur
prised and delighted his audience with the pres
entation of the booklet Basis for Belief in a New
World in French. The following morning he
had to fly to Italy to climax the opening day of
the three-day international assembly at Rome.
A t Paris Friday morning, in the Sports Pal
ace, 774 candidates answered with a firm Owi/"
to the questions put to them by the French
speaker on baptism. They were then trans
ported fifteen kilometers out from the Palace
to Ville de Chatenay-Malabry, where they were
immersed in the Piscine Municipale, an indoor
pool, before m any witnesses. An eight-year-old
boy and an eighty-three-year-old lady were
among those baptized. Even a blind woman
braved the waters in Jehovah's strength. Two
former spiritists were baptized; this man and
his wife greatly appreciated Brother Knorrs
talk last night against demonism, alias spirit
ualism.
Saturday night Brother Knorr returned by
air from Rome to Paris and was on hand to
give three speeches on Sunday. There was a
grand turnout of Parisians to hear his widely
advertised public talk, for the attendance at
the Sports Palace soared up to 16,500 persons,
who fairly overflowed the assembly place.
Highly pleased, too, was Brother Knorr on
seeing the lively responsiveness of this audi
ence and he felt great joy at releasing to them
the booklet World Conquest Soon by God's
Kingdom in French. The record attendance had

123

been realized and the foreign brothers rejoiced

along with their French brothers. Enemies
were frightened; and, as has been its custom
after large gatherings of the New W orld so
ciety, a local French Roman Catholic news
paper published a lengthy article against Jeho
vahs witnesses, misrepresenting them as pre
dicting that the world was to end August 21.
One of Frances most widely heard radio sta
tions made a broadcast about our assembly. It
fixed for us the date of the world's end at
August 21, 1955. Also on the station's own
initiative it added in that broadcast that Jeho
vahs witnesses had already announced the
world's end 427 times without success. Thus
this sensational date" made the rounds of
numerous dailies of Europe, including one in
Lisbon, Portugal, and not leaving out one in
Lausanne, Switzerland. The August 11 edition
of the French Feuille DAvis of Lausanne pub
lished a lengthy refutation of this misrepresen
tation on its page 19.
Jehovahs witnesses in France came away
from their successful assembly determined to
push ahead with their work until Armageddon
breaks out at an hour and a day known not to
any man but only to God and his Christ. In
consequence of the assembly at Paris the num
ber of active Kingdom publishers should soon
be reaching a new peak of over 10,000 for all
France.

ROME, ITALY, AUGUST 5-7, 1955

All Italy took note of the first international
assembly of Jehovahs witnesses in Rome, Au
gust 5-7. The enemies first attacked, with some
injuries, but later they turned to ridiculing. One
section of the Italian press, while graciously
announcing the assembly in Rome, claimed
that the date of this assembly had suddenly
been advanced in view of the extreme nearness
of the end of the world. The effect of this ridi
cule, however, was only to advertise Jehovahs
witnesses and to focus more public attention
on their Rome assembly.
The location of the assembly was enough to
excite public attention; it was the Palazzo dei

Congressi delV Esposizione Universale di Roma

(Palace of Conventions of the Universal E x
position of Rom e). The Protestant sects in Italy
were stupefied at what Jehovahs witnesses
were doing. They asked: How did Jehovahs
witnesses get the P alazzo?" This building
owned by the Italian government was one of
numerous Exposition buildings constructed by

124

3HeW A TC H TO W ER

the late Fascist duce Mussolini, meant by him

for the W orlds Fair of 1942. Left unfinished
by him, it was finally modernized and readied
for use at a cost of two million dollars. It is an
edifice of commanding appearance, surmounted
by a sort of squared dome and with a fagade
of fourteen tall pillars fronted by a spacious,
sloping, tesselated pavement with grooves be
tween its angular stones. A ll in all, very im
pressive! It contains a beautiful large conven
tion hall, with natural lighting; also smaller
halls and many conference rooms. Inside and
outside it presents a neat, trim, clean appear
ance. Standing atop a hill, it can be seen from
other distant heights of Rome. It is situated to
the southeast of Vatican City on the other side
of the Tiber River.
Jehovahs witnesses contracted to have the
exclusive use of the Palazzo for their assembly.
Suddenly, on July 18, the permission to occupy
the building was revoked by the prime minis
ters office, with the assemblys scheduled open
ing just eighteen days ahead. A ll inquiry as to
why brought no explanation. The manager and
others in his office agreed that one single source
of influence, very high up, had exerted pressure
to have the engagement for the Palazzo can
celed. Three days followed with feverish search
for a new hall theaters, racetracks, stadiums,
etc. with very poor results. W hen the brothers
were about at the end of hope, a telephone call
came to the W atch Tower Societys Rome
branch office: Cabinet reconsiders and will let
you have the building as at first contracted!
Evidently other pressures had begun to exert
themselves. Indeed, the hand of Jehovah God
itself was not shortened. Finally the cabinet
of the national government of Italy had met,
deliberated and had come forth with this de
cision that Jehovahs witnesses should, after
all, be permitted to use the Palazzo according
to the original agreement.
So in ample time Jehovahs witnesses moved
in and set up their departments of convention
services, using many of the conference rooms.
For the first time the Palazzo electrician had
to wire up the edifice so extensively, at our cost,
to transmit the convention proceedings to
halls, corridors and various other quarters of
the great structure. A thousand dollars was ex
pended for renting chairs for the expected
crowd.
It is not allowed for non-Roman Catholic
religious organizations to hold public demon
strations and to advertise public meetings and

B rooklyn, N . Y.

invite people in general to any event. So 1,000

personal letters of invitation were sent out to
persons known to be interested or friendly.
There were no handbills for free distribution,
yet there were thousands of personal invita
tions directly by word of mouth, and the So
cietys magazines The Watchtower and Awake!
carried notices of the Rome assembly in many
languages throughout the earth. N ot to be
ignored, either, is the great public demonstra
tion that the conventioners themselves put on
by wearing, right here in Rome just as at all
other assembly cities, the miniature-placard
badges on coat lapel or shirtwaist. These
badges announcing the assembly and its public
meeting provoked great curiosity and inquiry
that called for an answer by the wearer, who
took advantage of this opening to give a wit
ness and invitation. This demonstration even
invaded Vatican City as the sight-seeing, badgewearing conventioners by hundreds went
through its buildings open to the general public.
The printed convention program gave In
formation for Conventioners in Italian and
English, indicating also which lectures were
to be in English and interpreted in Italian.
Friday morning, August 5, the assembly in
the sumptuous Palazzo dei Congressi was offi
cially opened with an address of welcome by
the convention chairman, a representative of
the W atch Tower Society; and to the special
joy of the native Italians present he released
for the first time the magazine Awake! in their
own language, telling them it would appear
twice a month from then on. This opening day
was crowned by the final speech at night, given
by the Societys president who had flown there
that day from the Paris assembly. For the
Italian brothers it was a supreme moment
when, through an interpreter, Brother Knorr
finished discussing The Triumphant Message
of 'The Kingdom* and announced, holding it
aloft, the new book in Italian, New Heavens
and a New Earth . The crowd there astonished
the news reporters. The 4,200 in attendance
packed out the beautiful, double-balconied main
hall. For the first time this had occurred in
the Palazzo. Convention crowds of that size are
unusual in Italy. Release followed upon re
lease in Italian. A t the conclusion of his talk
Saturday morning on Jehovah Is in His Holy
Temple, the president presented a new Italian
publication, the 32-page booklet This Good
News of the Kingdom . Shortly after he left

F ebruary

15, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

Rome by air to return to Paris the Society's

vice-president arrived by plane from Paris, to
take up where the president had left off. That
night after the closing speech to 2,859 he dis
played the 64-page booklet Basis for Belief in
a New World as another Italian newcomer.
Another notable event: 378 candidates pre
sented themselves at the baptismal talk this
afternoon and were thereafter quietly baptized,
to create no public spectacle. Nine buses were
used to transport them to the distant baptismal
site.
A number of Roman Catholic priests and
nuns in their religious garb tried to crash the
gates but were told by the doorkeepers that
this was a private meeting and was only for
the invited. The invited were truly an inter
national gathering from twenty-eight countries
and islands, the Philippine Islands, Cyprus, the
British Isles, etc. About 150 came up from
Sicily, and the delegation of native Italians in
cluded not just men but also women. Many of
the Italian brothers are quite poor under the
prevailing circumstances. To bring children
along to the assembly could not be afforded;
so these had to be left at home and one mem
ber of the fam ily was sent as a representative.
Some seemed to be living just on bread as their
solid food, which they brought with them. Some
packed their suitcases not with clothes but with
bread and cheese and with windfall olives, to
live on at the three-day assembly. During those
days the brothers ate 3,882 m eals; 818 free
meals were served at the cafeteria to pioneers.
Pleasant it was to see many brothers eating
box lunches while sitting out under trees of
the parklike grounds. Roomless, some slept on
park benches, but not on the Universal Exposi
tion grounds; sleeping there was charged for.
Quite a number of German-speaking brothers
camped on the Exposition tenting grounds.
There were 3,741 rooming accommodations for
the foreign delegates, 2,750 for Italian broth
ers. Seventy brothers slept under the stars.
In Rome it is better to hold the principal
meeting in the morning than in the afternoon.
So the Sunday lecture on W orld Conquest
Soon by God's Kingdom was programmed at
10:30 a.m. The day was sunshiny. The main hall
of the Palazzo and its two balconies were filled
with 2,700, hundreds of others were in the
adjacent auditorium, while others sat on chairs
and benches in the corridors and in the elegant
lobby, listening by loud-speakers. The total at
tendance numbered 4,351, the majority of them

125

being Italians. Clear through the talk by the

vice-president (through an interpreter) that
eager audience in Christendom's religious capi
tal were very responsive, somewhat galvanized
by the force of the situation and circumstances,
and with loud joy they received the new Italian
booklet containing the full, unexpurgated text
of this challenging public lecture, under Jeho
vahs imprimatur and with the nihil obstat
of Jesus Christ.
That afternoon the program was resumed
and many stayed until the closing remarks and
packed out the main auditorium once more.
Again and again they gave vent to their glad
ness at the report on the series of international
conventions thus fa r and the account of ex
pansion operations and activities of Jehovah's
visible organization. A t the finale of the assem
bly a number were seen to be weeping with
emotion. Said one conventioner from Switzer
land: M y heart aches from happiness.
Eleven startled newspapers carried reports
about the assembly, and there were seventeen
editions. Up till Sunday morning there had been
seven meters in the news columns. The Italian
people were stirred by this international as
sembly, and they especially appreciated the at
tendance of the m any foreign brothers. Many
return-visit references were handed in to the
full-time pioneer publishers. The assembly
toned them up for the entire month. Summer
months are generally poor in Italy as fa r as
field activity is concerned, and the month of
August has always registered the poorest re
port of active publishers. In the April campaign
with the booklet Christendom or Christianity
Which One Is the Light of the W orld"? there
was a new maximum number of 3,238 publish
ers reporting, a 37 percent increase. But in
July, in anticipation of the international as
sembly, there was a participation by 2,948, a
25 percent increase in publishers. In the assem
bly month of August there was participation
by 3,044, a 29 percent increase. The usual slump
had been broken. For the first time the August
report of publishers went up in a fine flourish
for the close of the 1955 service year. E arly
progress is looked for in the 1956 service year
and it is expected to reach the mark of 4,000
publishers for all Italy soon.
A fter the assembly the brothers began send
ing special copies of the booklet Christendom

or Christianity Which One Is the Light of

the W orld"? to the clergy of all denominations
and religious editors for their notification and

126

S&eWATCHTOWEFt

their comment. Quite a few letters have been

received from the clergy. Almost all of them
were insulting expressions; two were found on
the favorable side. One was received written by
the hand of the sixty-four-year-old Giacomo
Cardinal Lercaro, archbishop of Bologna, a
noted social worker, who is cited as one of the

A number of readers have written in propos

ing a question like this: How can we harmonize
Genesis 1:11-13 where it mentions the earths
bringing forth vegetation on the third creative
day with Genesis 2:5, 6, which the New World
Translation renders as follow s: Now there
was as yet no shrub of the field found in the
earth and no vegetation of the field was as yet
sprouting, because Jehovah God had not made
it rain upon the earth and there was no man
to cultivate the ground. But a vapor went up
continually from the earth and it watered the
entire surface of the ground ?
The New World Translation words this in
harmony with the New Commentary on Gen
esis, by F. Delitzsch, D.D., which reads: And
no plant of the field was yet upon the earth,
and no herb of the field had as yet sprung up:
for Jahveh Elohim had not yet caused it to rain
upon the earth, and men there were not to till
the ground. And a mist went up from the earth,
and watered the whole face of the ground.
(Pages 115, 117) Also The Holy Scriptures of
the Old Testament, in German, by the Hebrew
grammarian E. Kautzsch, translated into Eng
lish, reads: But there was not as yet upon
earth any shrub upon the plains, and as yet no
plants sprouted upon the plains; for Jahwe
God had not yet made it rain upon the earth,
and men were [as yet] not there, to cultivate
the ground; but a mist kept rising from the
earth and watering the whole surface of the
earths ground. (Brackets his)

The Book of Genesis, by Thomas J. Conant,

also reads: Now there was yet no plant of

Brooklyn, N . Y.

best prospects for the next pope. His letter of

acknowledgment was not an abusive one, but
at least took note of Jehovahs witnesses. It is
up to the witnesses in Italy to exemplify the
true Christianity to Jehovahs glory and to the
ingathering of all his other sheep there under
his one Shepherd, Christ Jesus.

the field in the earth, and no herb of the field

had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not
yet caused it to rain on the earth, and there
was no man to till the ground. And there went
up mist from the earth; and it watered all the
face of the ground. Also the Notes Critical
and Practical on the Book of Genesis, by George
Bush, page 53 of Volume I, says in the footnote
with reference to the word before appearing
in the King James Version Bible: The Hebrew
particle (DID terem) rendered 'before may
mean 'not yet, namely, 'and every plant of the
field was not yet in the earth, and every herb
of the field had not yet sprung up, which sub
stantially agrees with the form er rendering
of the King James Version. An American Trans
lation reads similarly; so does M offatts A New
Translation of the Bible.
The above verses are not out of harmony
with Genesis 1:11-13; they could not be. Jesus
Christ quoted from both chapter one and chap
ter two of Genesis, and the apostle Paul did
likewise, and thus two witnesses established
that both accounts are true and hence in agree
ment with each other. Matt. 19:4-6; Mark
10:3-9; 1 Cor. 15:45, 47; 6 :1 6 ; 2 Cor. 4 :6 ; Eph.
5 :31; Col. 3 :1 0 ; Heb. 4:4, 10.
Accordingly Genesis 2:5, 6 quoted above must
apply to the third day of creation described in
Genesis 1:9-13. But first it describes the earths
condition just after Jehovah God had made the
dry land appear and before he had commanded
the earth to bring forth grass and seed-bearing
vegetation and fruit-bearing trees. Persons
who take the King James Version or a similar
versions rendering to be correct interpret its
rendering to mean that God started off such
plant life perfect, that is, full-grown, without
its germinating from the seed. But this does
not necessarily have to be so, not according to
the reading of the New World Translation and
of other versions. A t any rate, for a time the
earth was lifeless, without plant life and with
out animal and human life. The earth was also

F ebruary

15, 1956

SfieW ATCHTOW ER

rainless. To provide for the coming plant life,

Jehovah God duly provided an irrigation sys
tem, not by rain but by a vapor for all the
earth, aside from such rivers as Genesis 2:10-14
indicates there were. So when God caused vege
tation to cover the dry land, that did not alter
the general conditions with reference to the
great water canopy revolving away out in space
far above the earth.
Rain was not necessary to cause the vegeta
tion to grow or to keep growing, any more than
man was needed to cultivate the earth and
make the vegetation grow or keep growing.
Genesis 2 :5 does not say that the vegetation
could not grow because God had not made it
rain and had not created man to cultivate the
ground. God started off the vegetation without
rain and without man, because God produced
the necessary moisture that made rain and man
unnecessary. Hence the very next verse (6)
starts off with the conjunction But, and goes
on to say that a vapor regularly went up from
the earth and irrigated the entire surface of
the ground all around the globe. This, of course,
was under the great water canopy fa r out in
space that was to fall much later on in Noah's
day and be followed by rains and the rainbow.
How dense the rising vapor or mist was we are
not informed, but it provided more than a mere
dew. It was still enough to water the surface
of the ground inside and outside the garden of
Eden when man was created and put there
toward the close of the sixth creative day; and
the vapor did not make the general atmosphere
uncomfortable for man.
So this vapor aside from what rivers there
were was able to keep the plants in a continu
ally flourishing condition until the flood and to
do so without rain. The issue of The Watch-

121

tower of September 15, 1954, pointed out, on

page 573, paragraph 38, how even a mere dew
was more potent in reviving certain plants than
when the ground itself was watered and how
from dew such plants were able to store up
water around their roots even to the weight of
the plant or more. How much more would this
be true from the third creative day forward
in the case of a vapor that regularly ascended
over all the earth and which indicated that
the earth's surface held moisture. Instead of the
waters coming down from clouds in the sky
to irrigate the earth, Gods W ord says the vapor
went up, and this state of affairs continued on
until after sinner Adam was driven out of the
garden of Eden to cultivate the ground as a
farmer, yes, even until the flood of Noah's
day and the first rainbow.
The next verse, Genesis 2 :7 , skips all the
in-between history of Genesis 1:14-25 concern
ing the breaking through of light upon the
earth's surface and the producing of creature
life in the sea, bird life in the air and the sub
human creature life on earth. It goes into de
tail about the creation of man, more so than
Genesis 1:27 does. But with man's creation and
being put in the garden of Eden it is not to be
reasoned from Genesis 2 :5 that now it began
to rain upon the earth and man began working
like a farmer, plowing the ground and scatter
ing seed and harvesting the yield. His cultivat
ing of the earth like that came after he was
run out of the garden of Eden, and Cain imi
tated Adam and became a cultivator of the
ground. (Gen. 4:1-3, N W ) Thus man and rain
did not precede God's creation of the vegeta
tion on earth, and Genesis 1:9-13 and Genesis
2:5, 6 are found to be in agreement.

Brooklyn,

SReW ATCHTOW ER

128

N. Y.

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

April 1: Triumphing over Wicked Spirit Forces,
111-22. Page 108.
April 8: Triumphing over Wicked Spirit Forces,
1123-46. Page 114.

vV

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

l* What is wrong with saying: I believe
only what I can see ? P. 99, Hi.

What the human soul really is? P. 113, H17.

1*

Whether meddling in spirit mediumship

can actually lead to insanity? P. 114, H23.

What unanswered problems those who de

ny the existence of a Creator face? P. 101, H3.

What are the wrong and the right ways

to break voodoo and other demonic spells?
P. 117, 1133.

What answer can be made to people who

say they do not believe in God? P. 100, H2 .

What proves that the Bible really was in

spired by God? P. 103, 1f2.

^
How the huge assemblies of Jehovah s wit
nesses are operated so efficiently? P. 105, 111.

^
How the activity of wicked s p i r i t creatures
today is like their activity in Noah s time, be
fore the flood? P. 120, H44.

Why informed Christians must take the de

mons existence very seriously? P. 109, H4.

How many people were at Jehovah s wit

nesses amazing assembly in Catholic France?
P. 123, H3.

^
Whether the Bible, in saying try the spir
its, approves seances and mediumship?
P. i l l , If 12.

What Rome s startled newspapers did

about Jehovah s witnesses assembly there?
P. 125, H5.

**

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, oestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , P r e s i d e n t
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue:

CONTENTS
Bridle Your Tongue

131

Attaining Victory in Christian W arfare

132

Proving Ourselves the Right Kind

of Ministers

135

Modern History of Jehovahs Witnesses

Part 29: International Assemblies (1951) 136
Religion Only on Surface

138

Avoid Sicknesses of Mind and Heart

139

Keeping Up with the Truth

144

The Triumphant Kingdom Assemblies

of 1955

152

Questions from Readers

159

Abbreviations osed in The Watchtower for the following Bible versions

AS AT Da Dy ED Le -

American Standard Version

An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
The Emphatic Diaglott
Isaac Leeser s version

Unless otherwise indicated,

the Bible

LXX
Mo
NW
Ro
RS
Yg

- The Septuagint Version

2,350,000

Five cents a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

James Moffatt's version

New World Translation
J. B. Rotherham's version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Youngs version

used Is the

King James Version

Somimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
HoUandish
Ilocano

Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Monthly
Arabic
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
Greek
HillgaynonVisayaa
I bo
Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan

Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese
Siloal
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad. 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 2
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by International
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y .,
Act of March 3 , 1 87 9. Printed in U.S.A.

'T ^ rtnoxcriciru y
JEH O VAH S
KINGDOM
M arch 1, 1956

Num ber 5

your indignation, implying that such im

moral actions are common, that other peo
ple do these things, talk about them, listen
to them, so you might as well follow their
example.
Some men laugh at dirty jokes and re
sort to profanity because of the pressure
to be accepted as a regular fellow by
those who consider these things a sign of
real manliness. But the real man is the
one who has the strength to resist it, re
fusing to stoop to obscene jests. Profanity
often is a blustering to be tough on the
part of someone who does not know enough
to be right. Certainly you do not want to be
in that class; so tighten up your determina
tion to be a man about it. Dirty speech
does not make a real man, but a moral de
termination to do right does!
Bad habits are easy to form, hard to
break. But with courage they can be bro
ken: But now really put them all away
from you, wrath, anger, injuriousness,
abusive speech, and obscene talk out of
your mouth. Do not be lying to one an
other. Strip off the old personality with its
practices, and clothe yourselves with the
new personality which through accurate
knowledge is being renewed according to
the image of the one who created it. (Col.
3:8-10, NW) The Scriptures are not half
hearted on this matter, but positive and

x x r \ UT of the abundance of
the heart, Jesus said,
the mouth speaks. Does what comes out
of your mouth show that you have a clean
heart? Or are the good things that come
out of it sometimes contaminated with
filth? Profanity, dirty language and ob
scene jokes are common today, and their
bad example contaminates the hearts and
mouths of many persons. Matt. 12:34,
NW.
Yet, the Christian can in no way go
along with this trend. Paul wrote: Let
fornication and uncleanness of every kind
or greediness not even be mentioned among
you, just as it befits holy people, neither
shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor
obscene jesting, things which are not be
coming, but rather the giving of thanks.
For you know this, recognizing it for your
selves, that no fornicator or unclean person
or greedy person which means being an
idolaterhas any inheritance in the king
dom of the Christ and of God. Eph.
5:3-5,
NW.
Your mind captains your ship, directing
your course; why becloud its judgment
with filth that subtly suggests that you
might as well do what the words say, ra
tionalizing the obscene actions that the
filthy words and stories describe? The rep
etition of such stories will wear away
131

132

3EeWATCHTOWEFL

B rooklyn,

N .Y .

definite. Loose use of your tongue can

cancel out all the good that you do, for,
if any man seems to himself to be a formal
worshiper and yet does not bridle his
tongue, but goes on deceiving his own
heart, this mans form of worship is fu
tile. Jas. 1:26, NW.
Dirty language is unseemly, unbecoming
and inexcusable on the part of a Christian.

It can be the symptom of a dirty mind. It

can lead to filthy actions. But he will real
ize that right speech used in the right way
can lead in the right direction. What kind
of heart will you have? What words will
mirror it? What kind of speech will you
continue to use? For a Christian there can
be only one answer to those questions. Will
that right answer be yours?

VT O LONGER can war be considered

a medium of practical settlement
of international differences. The enormous
destruction to both sides of closely matched
opponents makes it impossible for the win
ner to translate it into anything but his
own disaster, Science has clearly out
moded it as a feasible arbiter. So declared
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.
Even if scientific realism forces the abo
lition of war, still the Christian soldier
must go on fighting before final victory is
attained and realized. His warfare cannot
be abolished in this world or by it. His is
a continual, lifelong conflict, a daily battle,
with no furloughs, no truces, no armistices.
While Christians pursue peace with all

people, they are, never

theless, the g r e a te s t
warriors the world has
ever known. Their fight
is in the interest of that
which is good, true,
noble, pure and godly.
Theirs is a battle for
righteousness. And they are encour
aged by the apostle Paul to contend
for victory in the right contest of the
faith. Heb. 12:14; 1 Tim. 6:12,
Who are these fighters whom Paul
calls upon to fight? They are men
and women of all walks of life who
have given themselves over to God
in full dedication. These recognize
the Kings authority and commands. Paul
was not addressing the world in general,
nor was he addressing Christians in name
only who have never dedicated them
selves to God to take up the fight of faith.
Pauls appeal was directly to those of faith,
wholly devoted to Jehovah. It is to these
that the instructions come respecting the
fight that is now on. 2 Tim. 2:19, NW.
Against whom do Christians fight? Their
battle is not against their fellow creatures
nor with carnal weapons. They are com
manded to love one another and do good
to their enemies, to keep themselves re
strained under evil, instructing with mild
ness those not favorably disposed, as per
haps God may give them [the evildoers]
repentance leading to an accurate knowl-

March

1, 1956

S&eWATCHTOWER

edge of truth. Christians are commanded

to return good for evil, gentleness for rude
ness, kindness for discourtesy; that the
wicked world may discern that there are
such things as the spirit of God, the spirit
of love, generosity, kindness, and that not
all are actuated by the malevolent spirit
of selfishness that controls its degraded
systems. 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Matt. 5:44, NW.
The Christians fight is against all un
righteousness, which is sin. For six thou
sand years sin has been paying regularly
the terrible penalty death, with all its ac
companying woes of sickness, pain, sorrow
and trouble. Yes, sin is a formidable ene
my. And the one who influenced the first
man into sin and slavery is another adver
sary of ours, namely, Satan the Devil. Not
that Christians directly battle with the
Devil. He is a mighty spirit angel that
could reduce them to nothing in no time.
Their fight with him is by resisting his in
fluences, deceptions and endeavors to mis
lead them back into sin, hence against God.
Paul makes this point plain, saying: We
have a fight, not against blood and flesh,
but against the governments, against the
authorities, against the world-rulers of this
darkness, against the wicked spirit forces
in the heavenly places. 1 John 5:17;
Eph. 6:12,
NW.
Yes, Satan is a mighty foe. He is the
great instigator of all the various influ
ences with which the Christian must battle.
It is his cunning, his wiles, that supervise
the war against the devoted servant of
God. This servant must battle against the
spirit and disposition of the world under
satanic control. The worlds mind, the mo
tives that actuate it, its ambitions, its pride
of life, the deceitfulness of riches all these
things, these wrong views of matters as
seen from a purely worldly standpoint, he
must resist and fight against if he would
attain victory. This is his daily warfare.
1 John 2:15-17.

133

Finally, he must fight against flesh his

own flesh. Ever since Adams fall from
perfection the flesh has been conducive to
mental, moral and physical degradation.
Its tendency is toward bad continually.
And only as the warrior of Christ gets rid
of the blinding influences and perverted
tastes and desires, ambitions and hopes and
loves, which sin cultivates in the flesh, only
in proportion to that will he get to see mat
ters in their true light and begin to have
a conception of his own degraded condition
and thereby be in a more favorable position
to combat it. Gen. 6:5.
Never in Christian warfare must the
flesh be underestimated as a potent enemy.
It is to its degraded desires that Satan ap
peals. These he seeks to encourage in their
warfare against the renewed Christian
mind. It is through these warped desires
that the spirit of the world gains closest
approach, that it captures and leads the
soldier of Christ back to the slavery of sin.
Christians are, as it were, beset on every
hand with enemies, plotting their disaster
and re-enslavement. They, therefore, must
fight and keep on fighting. They must fight
for themselves, fight for their right to
preach, fight for victory over their own
weaknesses, fight against delusions and
snares of the adversary. No wonder, then,
that they are urged to be continually
watchful, to be on guard, and are constant
ly admonished to put on the complete suit
of armor from God, lest they become care
less with their freedom and fall victim to
the adversary and lose out on victory.
Aware of the enemy flesh, Paul said: I
browbeat my body and lead it as a slave,
that, after I have preached to others, I
myself should not become disapproved
somehow. All faithful fighters imitate
Paul. They keep strict watch over their
flesh. Eph. 6:11; 1 Cor. 9:27; Rom. 7:1425,
NW.

134

SEeWATCHTOWER

SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP AND WEAPONS

Without the superior leadership of Jeho

vah God and Christ Jesus and the warring
equipment that these provide for the Chris
tian soldier, the contest would be a very
unequal and fruitless one indeed. There
fore the warrior of Christ says, Thanks
be to God for the Captain of our salvation,
Jesus Christ, who redeemed us from slav
ery of sin with his own precious blood.
Thanks be to God for the great armory of
his Word, from which we obtain the helmet
of salvation. Thanks be to God for the
breastplate of righteousness, for the shield
of faith, of trust, of confidence. Thanks be
to God, he says, for the sandals, the prep
aration to endure hardness patiently. And
thanks for the sword of the spirit, the
Word of truth, which is a defense by which
we can resist the adversary and come off
completely victorious through him that
loved us. Acts 2:37-39; Rev. 19:11-16;
Eph. 6:13-20; Rom. 8:35-39,
Christians fight not only for themselves,
but for their brothers too. They are ready
and willing to die for their brothers if
necessary. They are ready to assist, to en
courage, to help them in little acts of serv
ice as well as in larger matters. They also
find great pleasure and profit in defending
the honor of Jehovahs name and the maj
esty of his righteous government. They are
valiant and fearless in battle, carrying the
fight into the strongholds of the enemy to
release all who are yet held captive by Sa
tans wicked organization. Neh. 4:14.
They wage war in a systematic and intel
ligent manner, fighting strictly according
to the directions of their Captain Christ
Jesus. They fight the good fight of faith
by making their minds over, by putting
away and utterly routing from their own
hearts and dispositions all wrath, anger,
injuriousness, abusive speech, obscene talk,
every defilement of flesh and spirit, per-

B rooklyn, N . Y .

fecting holiness in Gods fear, by stripping

off the old personality with its practices
and clothing themselves with a new person
ality, which, through accurate knowledge,
is being renewed according to the image of
the one who created it. 2 Cor. 7:1; Rom.
12:2; Eph. 4:17-32; Col. 3:2-10, NW.
Theirs is a fight of faith in every respect.
It is a fight under an unseen leader and
against an unseen foe; only by faith do
they recognize the Captain of their salva
tion, and only by faith in his Word do they
recognize the wily leader who opposes
them. By faith they accept Gods Word
and its conclusions. Christians fight for a
freedom and a glory of the verity of which
they have no knowledge except as they
accept it by faith. And it is against this
Christian faith that the whole ungodly,
satanic world, plus sin and the weaknesses
of fallen flesh, are allied. Therefore, only
by having the faith that God inspires will
the warrior of Christ be able to stand and
come off victorious. This is the conquest
that has conquered the world, our faith.
1 John 5:4, NW.
It is not enough just to enlist in Jeho
vahs army, but it is mandatory to go to
his armory, his Word, the Bible, and there
painstakingly put on the whole armor that
he has provided. Whoever does not follow
this course will be sure to fail in battle.
Armor alone does not secure victory. More
is required. With the armor on the Chris
tian must fight as God through Christ di
rects, remaining loyal even unto death.
Rev. 2:10.
Remember always, victory in Christian
warfare must come through faith in Jeho
vah God and Christ Jesus. Therefore, with
a view to ultimate victory, we join Paul in
saying: Thanks to God, for he gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Heb. 2:10; 1 Cor. 15:57,

Proving Ourselves the Right Kind of Ministers

OST persons professing to be
Christians content themselves
with believing on Jesus, going more or less
regularly to church on Sundays and trying
to keep the Ten Commandments. But, as
all Christian witnesses of Jehovah well
know, to be a Christian requires much
more. Jesus Christ did not content himself
with merely visiting the synagogue on the
sabbath and trying to keep the Law. He
kept busy making known his Fathers
name and kingdom as a minister of Jeho
vah.
As he himself said: For this purpose I
have been born and for this purpose I have
come into the world, that I should bear
witness to the truth. And also: The Son
of man came, not to be ministered to, but
to minister. The Greek verb here trans
lated to minister is
and means
to be a servant, and so to be a minister
is to be a servant. Every Christian must
therefore be a servant. Of whom? Of Jeho
vah, primarily, but also included is the
serving of ones neighbor. John 18:37;
Matt. 20:28, NW.
However, merely being a minister is not
enough, we must prove ourselves to be the
right kind of ministers.* That means we
must continually make progress, advance
to maturity, by making our minds over, by
keeping clean from this old world, by ever
becoming more able ministers, and par
ticularly must we assist others to become
mature ministers. We must follow Jesus
steps closely, as Peter tells us. He not
only preached but he also trained others
so that they could teach still others all the
things he had commanded them. 1 Pet.
2:21; Matt. 28:20, NW.
Emphasizing this obligation to teach
others, Paul wrote to his young friend in
* For details, see The Watchtower, February 1, 1955.

the ministry, Timothy: The things you

heard from me with the support of many
witnesses, these things commit to faithful
men who in turn will be adequately quali
fied to teach others. In fact, proving our
selves the right kind of ministers depends
upon our teaching our brothers, as Paul
also wrote Timothy: By giving these ad
vices to the brothers you will be a right
kind of minister of Christ Jesus, one nour
ished with the words of the faith and of
the right teaching which you have fol
lowed closely. 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Tim. 4:6,
NW.
So that all things may take place de
cently and by arrangement, let each ma
ture minister co-operate with his local con
gregational organization in this matter of
assisting others, not being choosy as to
who it is that is assigned to him, but glad
to train him, for mutual upbuilding and the
advancement of the witness work. On the
one hand, the right kind of minister will
set a good example, in neat appearance, in
knowledge of the truth and tactful presen
tation, in punctuality and dependability,
and in zeal and in adhering closely to
organization instructions. And, on the oth
er hand, he will be careful not to over
whelm the one whom he is training, nor
to become overbearing or show impatience
in dealing with him. 1 Cor. 14:40, NW.
Yes, let all right kind of ministers also
imitate Jesus in their training work. He
said: Come to me, all you who are toiling
and loaded down, and I will refresh you.
Take my yoke upon you and become my
disciples, for I am mild-tempered and low
ly in heart, . . . For my yoke is kindly and
my load is light. By effectively preaching
the Word and by training others to preach
we shall be proving ourselves the right
kind of ministers. Matt. 11:28-30, NW.
135

MODERN HISTORY of

Part 29

IN T ERN ATIO NAL ASSEM BLIES (l951>

T THE 1950 Yankee Stadium con

vention in New York city the presi
dent of the Watch Tower Society an
nounced that during the summer of 1951
the international family of witnesses would
meet in Europe in a series of assemblies
there, and that all should then begin to plan
to attend. The year 1951 came, with no
third world war to prevent this series of
European theocratic festivals, which were
called Clean Worship assemblies. The
first of this grand series met in London,
England, August 1-5, at the vast Wembley
Stadium, to which thousands from forty
different nations flocked by train, car, boat
and plane. There 36,315 attended to hear
the public talk Will Religion Meet the
World Crisis? delivered by N. H. Knorr.
This convention was well organized with
various departments, on lines similar to the
1950 New York convention. The thousands
were fed by cafeteria, and accommodations
were available in hotels and private homes
throughout London.
The program was particularly spiritually
instructive and very refreshing to all. An
unusually splendid orchestra was organized
to direct the singing. At this happy assem
bly 1,123 were immersed. The major pleas
ant surprise was the release of the new
study book entitled What Has Religion
Done for Mankind? There was also re
leased a series of four new tracts for effec
tive public field service. The lectures at
this convention were given in English prin
cipally. However, there were sessions in

Danish, Finnish, French, German, Hollandish, Norwegian and Swedish. The inter
national fellowship was sweet. None hesi
tated to talk to fellow witnesses seen all
over London and recognizable by the neat
lapel badges all conventioners wore. From
London many of the witnesses traveled to
the Continent to share in further assem
blies, to meet thousands of their foreign
associates who were unable to come to
London.3A joyous international assembly next
followed in Paris, France, meeting at the
Palais des Sports August 9-12, with 10,456
attending the public lecture. Witnesses
from twenty-eight countries were repre
sented at this first assembly of witnesses
for all France in fourteen years. There 351
were baptized. Much enthusiasm prevailed
during this instructive, theocratic fourday festival. All convention departments
worked well to serve meals and supply ac
commodations, and an orchestra of fifty
musicians led the singing; and did the
French brothers sing heartily!
Rotterdam in the Netherlands was the
next center for Clean Worship assembly
August 17-19, meeting in the Ahoy build
ing, the sports arena. There 285 were im
mersed. For the many who could not afford
to be accommodated in private homes six
large tents supplied with straw came to be
the sleeping chambers for 3,600 conven
tioners. The native witnesses were espea Report of the Clean Worship Assembly of Jehovahs
Witnesses, London, 1951, pp. 3-32; Watchtower, 1951,
pp. 707-715.
136

M arch 1, 1956

SfiieWATCHTOWER,

dally busy in advertising the Sunday pub

lic meeting, which was attended by 10,775,
the largest of the Societys gatherings in
that country.^ All who had fellowship at
this assembly left with their hearts
warmed through and through for those
sturdy New World brothers of the Nether
lands.
It was like living in the woods in the new
world for three days during the interna
tional assembly at Frankfurt am Main,
Germany, August 24-26, 1951. The large
Sports Stadium and the neighboring Cycle
Racing Bowl as an overflow auditorium
were rented for this largest of German
assemblies. Much advance preparation had
been made in getting ready for this gi
gantic convention, and 4,901 convention
volunteer workers helped to make this as
sembly a huge success. Adjoining the main
stadium in the large wooded park there
was erected a large tent city with streets
bearing Biblical names. Several of these
tents were used for the various depart
ments, and there was a cafeteria, which
had a railroad locomotive supplying steam
for the unique kitchen arrangement that
made it possible to feed 30,000 persons
an hour. But the majority of this tent city
was for the accommodation of 27,000 conventioners who could not afford to pay
lodgings in hotels or private homes in
Frankfurt itself. A well-conducted orches
tra of 150 musicians enter
tained the convention and led
in assembly singing.
The program was similar to
that at the London assembly.
There was a release of the
German edition of Equipped,
for Every Good WorTc . Also,
2,373 were baptized. Excellent
newspaper and radio publicity
was obtained. Sunday the con
vention reached its climax
b W 1951, pp. 756-7G3.

137

with an attendance of 47,432 hearing the

public lecture by N. H. Knorr. Then at the
close of the sessions followed a never-to-beforgotten spontaneous German farewell
song sung by the throng, commending to
God Brother Knorr and his fellow witness
es who had come from twenty-four nations.
The German brothers, who have been de
nied the opportunity of traveling in num
bers to other countries, especially appre
ciated the rich fellowship with all their
hundreds of foreign guests during these
blessed assembly days.c
Inasmuch as the activities of the wit
nesses in East Germany have been under
ban by the Communists since August, 1950,
it was not possible for many of them to get
to the Frankfurt assembly. For this reason
a special one-day convention was arranged
for the following Tuesday in the West zone
of Berlin, where a resume of all the prin
cipal lectures and items of interest was pre
sented by several of the original speakers
themselves. The assembly took place in the
pleasant outdoor amphitheater called the
Woodland Stage (Waldbuehne), and 13,563 attended this stirring four-hour pro
gram. It is estimated some 8,000 were from
the Communist East zone. As Brothers
Knorr and Frost and others addressed
them, they drank in every word and were
spontaneous in their applause for freedom
and against dictatorial methods being ap
plied to Jehovahs witnesses.
The dispersal of this multi
tude was likewise one never to
be forgotten as they, too, sang
affectionate parting songs. With
smiles of spiritual satisfaction
and after brief exchanges of
greetings with their Western
witness friends, the Eastern
zone brothers, young and old,
c W 1952, pp. 25-29, 56, 57: 1952 Yearbook, p. 140.

138

B rooklyn, N . Y .

SEeWATCHTOWEFL

walked determinedly back to the subway

trains, to be carried to the center of Berlin
where all had to negotiate carefully their
safe infiltration into the Soviet sector of
the city. Many had risked their lives and
spent most of their earnings to make it to
this one-day convention, but to them it was
worth it all. They went back to their home
territories to minister amid trying times,
not knowing what day they, too, might next
be shut up in prisons and concentration
camps along with many of their associates
already incarcerated. It would have been so
much easier to stay in the freedom of the
Western sector. But by going back, there
indeed was a display of genuine courage
and devotion to theocratic duty.3
The 1951 assembly campaign continued
to roll on into northern and central Eu
rope. At the Copenhagen, Denmark, assem
bly there were 6,912 at the public meeting.
For the dual assemblies at Vaasa and Hel
sinki, Finland, the combined peak attend
ance was 5,750.e Stockholm, Sweden, was
the next convention city, with 6,211 at
tending. Lillehammer, Norway, had 2,391
hear the public lecture.* The largest assem
bly ever held by the witnesses in Austria
d W 1952, pp. 58, 59.
W 1952, pp. 89-94.
f W 1952, pp. 121-125.

occurred in Vienna, with 4,467 attenders.s

This 1951 series was concluded by the
American conventions being held in Wash
ington, D.C., October 12-14, at Griffith
Stadium, with a peak attendance of 57,500.
What an energetic assembly program
this 1951 series proved to be in stimulating
theocratic fellowship, knowledge and ex
pansion!11 These public-meeting conven
tion figures further demonstrate what an
important part these assemblies are play
ing in the global ingathering of Jehovahs
other sheep. Here is evidence of an irresist
ible theocratic expansion among spiritually
awakened mankind.
Throughout 1952 Jehovahs witnesses
continued to have their normal local cir
cuit and district assemblies, which like
wise share in the process of drawing to
gether more and more of Jehovahs people
away from Satans Babylonish world. No
world assembly was scheduled for 1952, be
cause everyone was planning for the longannounced international convention of
1953 to be held in New York city. This was
to be a repeat of the famous 1950 Yankee
Stadium gathering, but on a far larger
scale.
(To be continued)
1952, pp. 153-157.
h W 1952, pp. 185-190.

kW

Religion Only on Surface

C. N ot all clergymen gain great satisfaction out of noting the increase in church
membership in the United States. A few appraise this for what it really is, a sur
face manifestation that of itself has little significance. One such is Charles Rosengarten, president of the United Synagogue of America. As quoted in the New York
Times, November 18, 1955, he had the following to say: I do not measure growth
in numbers but in depth and profundity. Naturally I am pleased with additional
numbers, but that must be regarded [at best, it might be added] only as an indica
tion of the need of religious answers to the problems of life not the fulfillment
of that need. Religion is more than prayer, Mr. Rosengarten went on to say.
Religion is more than Lent commitments. It is the dedication of every part of
one's being and every aspect of human existence. That, it might be added, is what
religion meant to the early Christian witnesses of Jehovah who lived nineteen
centuries ago and is what it means to their spiritual descendants today.

A V O IP
SICKNESSES OR
" "HERE are killers stalking the

earth far more deadly than

the plagues of cancer and heart dis
ease. Those killers produce spiritual
death from which there is no restora
tion in the present t i m e _____
nor in the system of
things to come. Satan
Our heart is not turned
woman. To the Israelites it
and his brood of demons
back , neither have our steps
are those killers. They
was declared of Jehovah:
declined fro m thy w a y."
Ps. 4 4 : 1 8 , AS.
I am Jehovah who is heal
have been cast down to
ing you. Of Jesus reputa
the earth to bring woes
tion for healing it is writ
of spiritual troubles up
on mankind. Satan as a fiendish physician ten: And he went through the land doing
keeps most of earths inhabitants spiritual good and healing all those oppressed by
ly sick to bring them to eventual death out the Devil. And Jehovahs power was
of Gods favor. By every means at his dis there for him to do healing. Ex. 15:26;
posal he seeks to blind the minds and cor Acts 10:38; Luke 5:17,
rupt the hearts of mankind. He seeks to
3By Jehovahs undeserved kindness his
turn their hearts back from Jehovah that witnesses have succeeded in becoming free
their steps will not lead them toward the from Satans paralyzing religious control.
new world of righteousness. Satan especial They have gone to the right doctors for
ly does this by promoting public and pri help. Have the doctors made them spiritu
vate false religious formulas that produce ally whole overnight as by a miracle? No!
spiritual sleeping sickness and other dire Rather it has taken them years to make
spiritual diseases. From such sicknesses it their minds over and to fortify their hearts
is difficult for their victims to be aroused to with truth. Such has been necessary to
seek the services of the true doctors who overcome the poison of false religion that
administer the right medicine that brings had saturated their minds and hearts.
genuine spiritual cures. Matt. 12:32; Rev. Years of spiritual healing have been in
volved, necessitating years of study and
12:12,
NW.
spiritual refreshment under the guiding
2Who are those true physicians? None
direction of these master physicians. They
other than Jehovah God himself and his have been submitting themselves to a con
loyal assistant, Christ Jesus. Both of these tinuous healing program, which has been
know all the secrets in connection with leading them from one progressive spirit
mans wonderful mind and heart because ual position to another still higher. They
they were the creators of the first man and are seeking spiritual perfection in the new
1. In the earth today what is the situation as to spiritual
sickness, and who is responsible for it?
2. Who have proved to be the true physicians?

3, 4. (a) How and to what extent have Jehovahs people

been spiritually healed? (b) What foolish course should
be avoided, and why?
139

140

SffieWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N . Y.

world after Armageddon. How are you and his sayings that he was one of the
keeping up with this great spiritual reju true physicians through whom this right
spiritual medicine is administered. He
venation program now under way?
said: You will know the truth, and the
* In our keeping up, let us not be foolish
truth will set you free. . . . I am the
as some are who, after a short period of way and the truth and the life. When
spiritual healing, deceive themselves by leaving the earth Jesus gave assurance
thinking they are fully restored and there that this healing balm of truth would
by cut loose from Jehovahs healing or continue with his followers. He said that
ganization. In no time such have a serious he would send them the spirit of the
relapse of still worse spiritual sickness. truth as a helper which the world cannot
Soon the death doctors of Satan get hold receive, because it neither beholds it nor
of them and they make sure that they will knows it. You know it, because it remains
spiritually die as an enemy of God. Thus it with you and is in you. John 17:3; 8:32;
may be that in faltering today by not ad 14:6,16,17, NW.
vancing in Jehovahs healing program one
6
The true physicians, fully understand
may reach fatal disaster tomorrow as con ing the make-up of man, know how to ad
cerns his everlasting welfare in the new minister the spiritual healing balm of truth.
world.
They created man wonderfully in the
5
The right healing medicine used by theimage of God. This imageship not only ap
great physicians, Jehovah God and Christ plies to mans natural endowment to a
Jesus, is that provided by means of the limited degree of the attributes of love,
holy spirit, the active force emanating wisdom, power and justice, but also to
from God. This revealed Word of God is mans faculties of intelligence to appreciate
likened to eyesalve that is rubbed into and use those attributes for his good. The
ones eyes of understanding to bring about Bible describes these faculties of intelli
and
the healing of ones spiritual eyesight. This gence by the use of the words
conscience.
Our
entire
nervous
system
com
balm of Gods applied Word is far greater
than any wonder drug or miracle vac prising the brain, the spinal cord and the
cine that man has been able to discover. vast network of nerves picking up the per
(Rev. 3:18) Such divine medicine is not ceptions of sight, hearing, smell, touch and
available for administration through Sa taste actually is the physical instrument
tan, the false physician, nor through any used by our faculties of intelligence to re
of his religious agencies of so-called divine ceive and convey thoughts and communica
tions and control actions.
healing. This effective
healing balm of Gods un
7
The Bible uses the
folded Word is also known
word mind in different
as the truth, which
ways in connection with
brings about right think
mans faculties of intelli
ing by the right knowl RIGHT KNOWIEDGJ
gence. The first meaning
edge of you, the only true
CHRIST refers to the ability that
God, and of the one whom
y o u s e n t f o r t h , Jesus
6. How did the true physicians
originally create man, making it
Christ. Jesus demonstrat
possible to respond to spiritual
ed by his healing works
healing?
5. What is the right healing medi
cine, and how does it work?

7. Show from the Bible one mean

ing of the word mind.

March 1, 1956

2fEeWATCHTOWER.

141

man has of gathering informative facts, to

reason on those facts and to come to cer
tain conclusions as to those facts or sup
posed facts. For example, when studying
we might say, I am going to keep my
mind on that Watchtower lesson. By such
statement we mean to keep our minds at
tentive to absorb all the information con
tained therein. Of those Paul found in
Beroea he noted that they were ready
with open minds to receive and to reason
upon the true Biblical facts. For they
received the word with the greatest readi
ness of mind, carefully examining the
Scriptures daily as to whether these things
were so. Observe, too, how Mary used her
mind to reason out concerning the
angels message to her. But she was deep
ly disturbed at the saying and began to
reason out what kind of greeting this
might be. Acts 17:11 and Luke 1:29,
NW.
8Another way in which the word mind
is commonly used is with reference to the
ability to hold in memory the facts we have
previously collected and reasoned upon.
Often we say, I will keep those points in
mind, meaning to put them into our mem
ory for future recollection. Occasionally it
is good to stir up those memories to adjust
our actions, which may have become lax.
To Titus Paul wrote: Continue reminding
them to be in subjection. Jehovah, the
Great Master Intelligence, likewise has
memory. Did not Jehovah remember
them, and came it not into his mind?
Titus 3:1,
;Jer. 44:21,
W
N
9 In the mind is where reasoning on the
acquired information takes place, to come
to certain definite conclusions. When these
conclusions are reached we are enabled to
make intelligent decisions. Paul called upon
all the Corinthian brothers to come to the
same knowledge of the truth. This v/ould

lead them all to united right thinking, thus

avoiding divisions. There should not be
divisions among you, but that you may be
fitly united in the same mind and in the
same line of thought. (1 Cor. 1:10, NW)
Then if one thinks wrongly on things of the
fallen flesh, wrong desires are aroused that
influence ones course in a downward way.
For those who are in accord with the flesh
set their minds [mental attention] on the
things of the flesh. (Rom. 8:5, NW ) Fol
lowing wrong desires and faulty determina
tions over a period of time we are found to
form a set design of decisions or a pattern
of determinations. This entire pattern of
conclusions governing our personal con
duct may be so far off the beam of right
conduct that a radical about-face of con
duct is required. This is the situation in
which one finds himself when he becomes
a true Christian. An entire new pattern of
thinking is required to make one over into
a new personality. Concerning this Paul
wrote: Quit being fashioned after this
system of things, but be transformed by
making your mind over, that you may
prove to yourselves the good and accept
able and complete will of God. Rom.
12:2 and Col. 3:9, 10,
10
So we can have various attitudes of
mind. For example, we might describe a
person as being a high-minded person,
meaning one who thinks high things of
himself. On the other hand, we might say
such a person is a humble-minded man,
meaning one who thinks lowlily of him
self. Such was the mental attitude of Christ
Jesus. Paul counsels that all Christians
should endeavor to maintain the same
humble attitude of mind and disposition
as was exemplified by Jesus. Keep this
mental attitude in you which was also in
Christ Jesus. Peter confirms this advice.
Therefore since Christ suffered in the

8. Show from the Bible a second meaning of mind.

9. How does the mind aid in making decisions?

10. Which of various attitudes of mind should we

imitate?

142

SHeWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

flesh, you, too, arm yourselves with the the mind or by constant outside influence
same mental disposition. (Phil. 2:5 and and association the heart can be reached
affected. It is the long-term develop
1 Pet. 4:1,
NW) The word spirit and
is some
times used to refer to ones impulsive dis ment of this state of ones affections that
position or inclination, which is largely in is described as ones heart condition. For
fluenced by the mind. He whose spirit this reason a person can develop a good
[disposition, temper] is without restraint heart condition or a bad heart condi
is like a city that is broken down and with tion, depending on whether it is kindly
toward Jehovah or whether it is hardened
out walls. Prov. 25:28,
Jehovah, the all-wise Creator, has against Jehovah.
13 Solomon wrote: Keep thy heart with
thoughtfully equipped man with another
all
diligence; for out of it are the issues of
faculty of mind that the Bible calls con
life.
Literally, the heart as an organ is
science. Conscience is an inward realiza
located
about in the center of our organ
tion or sense of right and wrong that ex
ism.
As
an inner central pump it continu
cuses or accuses one. A Christians percep
ally
receives
blood through the large vena
tion of right and wrong must be constantly
cava,
then
sends
the blood through the
developed or educated from Gods Word of
pulmonary
circuit
and
finally sends out the
truth so that he will be sure he is constant
blood
through
the
aorta.
Similarly our seat
ly making the right decisions. By making
of
affection
keeps
receiving
thoughts and
decisions in harmony with Jehovahs Word
impressions
from
the
mind
and
the nervous
such a servant will at all times have a clear
system.
In
reverse
direction
almost
con
and good conscience. He will not be accus
stantly
feelings
and
expressions
of
love
or
ing himself of wrongdoing. Paul shows that
hate
flow
outward
from
this
inner
depth
to
a weak conscience is due to lack of knowl
reflect
the
real
personality
of
the
creature
edge. There is not this knowledge in all
persons; but some, being accustomed until on the inside. Truly, then, out from this
now to the idol, eat food as something sac figurative heart the issues of life flow,
rificed to an idol, and their conscience, as because the very outcome of ones exist
it is weak, becomes vile. All things are ence results from the expressions of this
clean to clean persons [persons guided by a heart; hence the eternal destiny of the
Bible-trained conscience]. But to persons creature can be affected by the heart con
defiled and faithless nothing is clean, but dition that is built up. (Prov. 4:23, AS)
both their minds [mental ability] and their If he wants life, he has to watch his seat
consciences are defiled. 1 Cor. 8:7 and of affection and keep it spiritually healthy.
Many so-called psychiatrists claim
Titus 1:15, NW.
to be able to read the mind of individuals,
but only Jehovah God and Christ Jesus can
KEEPING THE HEART
12 A related item to consider here is that thoroughly read the hearts of men. Said
which the Bible calls the heart. Heart in David: Solomon my son, know the God
this most common Biblical sense is the seat of your father and serve him with a com
of love and affection, hence of motive, and plete heart and with a delightful soul, for
the center of direction and drive. By medi all hearts Jehovah is searching and every
tation, study and reflection on the part of inclination of the thoughts he is discern
ing. (1 Chron. 28:9, NW) Jesus, too, has
11. Show from the Bible what conscience is and what
should be done about it.
12. What is the common Biblical use of the word
heart, and how can it be developed?

13. How is Proverbs 4: 23 to be explained ?

14, 15. (a) Who can truly read mans heart, and why?
(b) How does one strengthen his heart condition?

March 1, 1956

STkWATCHTOWEFL

143

this discerning power over the heart or wise course, the heart condition of the
seat of affection that induces a creature to well-entrenched, long-time servant of Jeho
think or reason a certain way in his mind. vah is strong enough to right him immedi
But Jesus, discerning their reasonings, ately to resist such temptations. A strong
said in answer to them: What are you heart condition also keeps one balanced
reasoning out in your hearts? Luke against all storms of opposition and assures
5:22,
NW.
one of a proper, steady course of right
15 Since Jehovah is searching only for eousness.
17 Where Satan succeeds in planting
those men of good will who are of good
doubt
and wrong thinking in the minds of
heart condition, it is vitally necessary that
weakhearted
ones, he keeps them deflected
we become stronghearted for Jehovah in
or
off
balance
for a period of time, which
our motives, love, intentions, drive and af
fection. It is only by allowing the seeds of results in serious spiritual sickness. Such
truth that enter our minds as we study spiritually sick ones need the services
Jehovahs Word of truth to be absorbed quickly of the true physicians, Jehovah
down deep into the right kind of soil of and Christ Jesus, that they may be re
our affections or hearts that the strength turned to healthy spiritual balance. Note
ening takes place. Indeed, let them take the following scriptures that reveal Satans
firm root there that an abundance of right agelong tactics of keeping the minds of
eous fruitage of the spirit may be pro most men blinded to the truth and, instead,
duced. Upon that righteous foundation of occupied with fleshly, earthly thoughts
collected spiritual treasures let us develop that do not lead to a righteous heart con
also a heart acceptance of right principles. dition. The god of this system of things
Not only words of truth but experiences in has blinded the minds of the unbelievers,
Jehovahs ministerial service and also that the illumination of the glorious good
trials of integrity create lasting impres news about the Christ, who is the image
sions upon the mind. The effect of this of God, might not shine through. (2 Cor.
strengthens ones heart condition immeas 4:4, NW) Their god is their belly, and
urably. Be strong, and let your heart their glory consists in their shame, and
take courage, all ye that hope in Jehovah. they have their minds upon things on the
earth.as(Phil. 3:19, NW ) You who were
(Ps. 31:24,
AS)The longer one serves
a faithful, dedicated servant and keeps up once alienated and enemies because your
with the truth, the more stouthearted he minds were on the works that were wicked,
becomes as a valiant fighter for Jehovahs he now has again reconciled. (Col. 1:21,
NW)
Satan has ever sought to steal the
name. Matt. 13:23,
NGal.
5:22.
minds
of men that he might corrupt their
16 A strong, well-fortified heart condition
hearts,
leading them to certain spiritual
can be likened to a flywheel of a motor
death.

I am afraid that somehow, as the

which, when in rotation, is difficult to stop
serpent
seduced
Eve by its craftiness, your
but keeps rolling on, overcoming any mo
minds
might
be
corrupted away from the
mentary interference or inertia. If the per
sincerity
and
the
chastity that are due the
son should momentarily be thrown off
Christ.
2
Cor.
11:3,
balance or deviated due to temptations by
18 Surely in this time of the worlds end
Satan or other evil ones to follow an unwe are not ignorant of Satans designs. Nor
16, 17. (a) To what may it be likened and of what ad
are we unaware of the great importance of
vantage is it to have a strong heart condition? (b) How
does Satan take advantage of the weakhearted ones, and
what is the result?

18. What should we do as to our mind and heart?

144

SHeWATCHTOWER.

keeping up with the truth. Now we see

how necessary it is to keep our minds pro
tected by the helmet of salvation and our
hearts covered with the breastplate of
righteousness by a love of righteousness.
(Eph. 6:14,17,
NW) All this
carry out Jesus commandment: You
must love Jehovah your God with your
whole heart [seat of love and motive] and
with your whole soul [all physical powers]
and with your whole mind [mental powers

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

to gather information and to reason].

(Matt. 22:37,
N W )Said the psal
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts; and see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the
way everlasting. (Ps. 139:23,
enables
us to
24,
AS)In the following article an exami
nation will be made of Jehovahs progres
sive supply of truth and how to acquire a
greater grasp of the Word of life. 2 Cor.
2:11,
NW.

You were running well. Who hindered

you from keeping on obeying the truth?
Gal. 5:7, NW.

EHOVAH as mans loving Crea

tor and Benefactor has made
ample provision for his servants
to worship him with their whole mind
and heart. In fact, the close, warm
relationship that Jehovah establishes be
tween himself and his true worshipers
requires the building up of the mind and
heart. This is best done by keeping up with
the truth. When keeping up with the flow
of new truth there is a continual meeting
of the minds and hearts between God and
man. The giving of money and offering of
material sacrifices now bring a measure of
delight to the living God. But he especially
seeks the fruit of lips of those who serve
him and praise him from the heart. (Heb.

1. Why is a continuous meeting of minds and hearts

between God and man necessary, and what has been
provided toward that end?

13:15, NW) When rejecting the mate

rialistically-minded, cold-hearted, un
progressive King Saul, Samuel said:
Jehovah will certainly find for him
self a man agreeable to his heart,
and Jehovah will commission him as a
leader over his people. (1 Sam. 13:14;
15:22, NW) That man in harmony with
Jehovahs heart proved to be the beloved
David, who later was anointed king.
As Jehovah demonstrated throughout
Davids theocratic career, God has brought
forth an abundant store of truth from
which each servant can draw priceless
treasures of knowledge and wisdom to feed
his eager mind and to fill his receptive
heart. For out of the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaks. The good mem out
of his good treasure sends out good things,

March 1, 1956

SFfieWATCHTOWER.

145

whereas the wicked man out of his wicked vast judgment organization of holy ten
treasure sends out wicked things. Matt. thousands to bring execution of destruc
12:34, 35, NW.
tion upon all of Satans viperlike organiza
2In harmony with this Jesus taught thattion of wicked ones.-Jude 14,15, NW, mar.
Then by Abrahams day, 3,739 years
the true religion was nonmaterialistic, that
it was the worshiping of Jehovah God ago, true religion not only included all that
Enoch put faith in but also was enlarged
with spirit and truth. (John 4:24,
Such true religion is actually an ever- to put reliance in the record of Gods ex
expanding intelligent worship of Jehovah emplary dealings with Noah before the
as guided by Gods holy spirit. The true flood. There a global picture had been made
religion is based on a series of heaven- of the preservation of a minority of right
originated communications of truth that eous ones who survived to a cleansed earth
have been made known and recorded from while a whole wicked world of unrighteous
Adams time to that of the apostle John. ones was destroyed. Abrahams religious
These communications from heaven make diet for the mind and heart further in
an appeal to the mind and heart of the cluded a recognition of the Noachian rain
true worshiper and hence are essentially bow covenant decreeing the sanctity of life
spiritual. Therefore the one complete reli on earth after the deluge. (Gen. 6:13, 14;
gion progressively revealed throughout the 9:2, 3,13) As a man of faith, Abraham had
entire Bible makes up the true religion his New World hope vastly strengthened
today. To be up to date on the true religion by Jehovahs special covenant word and
one must keep up with the expansion of oath, which became unalterable legal foun
true religion and be familiar with all its dations for a new world. Here God assured
the minds of his worshipers when he prom
steps of development.
3In Enochs time, about 4,994 years ago, ised that the New World deliverer would
the true religion included Gods Edenic descend through Abraham, saying: By
heart-stirring promise to send a mighty means of your seed all nations of the earth
Seed, a deliverer, who would vindicate Je will certainly bless themselves. (Gen.
hovahs name against Satan by establish 22:17, 18, NW) True religion did not lead
ing a righteous New World system without Abraham to materialism by attempting to
end. Doubtless Enochs clean worship also build a man-made organization and thus
included the following of Abels pattern by run ahead of Jehovah. No, he was await
offering animal sacrifices, which pointed ing the city [New World organization]
having real foundations and the builder
forward in spiritual hope toward the great
and
creator of which [city] is God. (Heb.
ransom sacrifice necessary for the redemp
11:10,
NW) To Isaac and Jacob came
tion of man from his disability of sin and
further
revelations of truth. It was re
death. (Gen. 3:15; 4:4; 5:23,
While
vealed
to
Jacob before his death that the
walking in the ways of the true God Enoch
line
of
the
Seed, the King, would come
was rewarded by receiving a further reve
through
his
fourth
son Judah, from whose
lation from heaven as added truth for the
descendant
the
New
World kingdom scep
true religion. By vision Enoch was en
ter would not depart. Gen. 49:10.
couraged to maintain integrity by being
5
Moses, the great man of God, died 3,428
shown that ungodliness does not pay, be
years
ago.
However, during his long miniscause Jehovah will call into operation a
2. How has the true religion developed?
3. What was truth that Enoch kept up with?

4. How did Abraham keep up with the truth?

5, 6. (a) How did true religion expand in Moses time?
(b) What truth was new in Davids time?

146

SfreWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N . Y .

try true religion advanced greatly due to pertained to the fall and restoration of
the many heavenly communications con Jerusalem and was spiritual food indeed
veyed through him. All these new truths for the minds and hearts of the faithful
were added to the true religion of Abraham, minority of Israel. While these prophecies
Isaac and Jacob. The large amount of legis had their miniature fulfillments upon flesh
lation of the law covenant through Moses ly Israel, yet longer shadows were cast of
with its more than six hundred laws set out good to be fulfilled in later times to a far
a vast blueprint or pattern of details, cast more glorious spiritual Israel of God. Then
ing prophetic shadows of the New World through the prophet Daniel came heavenly
kingdom to be established by the Seed, the prophetic truths concerning the rise and
King destined to come through Abraham. fall of the Gentile kingdoms leading to the
As part of the expanded true religion there time when the New World kingdom of Mes
were bound by law upon the Israelites siah would appear on the global scene to
systems of sacrifices, sabbaths, festivals, break in pieces and consume all these oldtithes, priesthood, cleansings and other world kingdoms. In victorious vindication
duties of exclusive devotion of mind and this kingdom would stand forever. Then
heart toward their invisible King, Jehovah. 2,397 years ago the last of the Hebrew
Scriptures was written, Malachis proph
Exodus, chapters 19 to 23.
6 On the throne of united Israel 3,020 ecy, setting forth truths as to Jehovahs
years ago King David of the tribe of Judah coming to the temple for judgment in com
was wielding in a typical way the prom pany with His angel of the covenant to
ised kingdom scepter. Jehovah made a arrange for a cleansed priesthood to lead in
covenant with David, later known as the pure worship for the new world. Ezek.
loving-kindnesses of David, where it was 21:27; Gal. 6:16; Mai. 3:1, Da.
promised that the long-foretold Messiah,
CHRISTIAN ADVANCE IN TRUTH
the Seed, would be of his lineage. (Acts
8
For more than four hundred years the
13:34,
NW ) Jehovah said: He is the one
that will build me a house [temple] and I communication line from heaven was si
shall certainly establish his throne firmly lent. Suddenly 1,958 years ago a rush of
forever. I myself shall become his father contacts was established in 3 B.C. and
and he himself will become my son. 2 B.C. in connection with the birth of the
(1 Chron. 17:12, 13,
The truth was son of David in Bethlehem who was des
also revealed that this future Davidic Mes tined to be the seed of Abraham, the
siah would serve as a priest-king after the Deliverer-Seed of Gods heavenly woman
likeness of Melchizedek. Ps. 110:4.
like organization. Once again true religion
7Finally 2,562 years ago the Davidic was divinely enriched, this time by mes
dynasty became dormant when King Zede- sages given through Zechariah, Mary,
kiah was deposed and the throne was de Elizabeth, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon
clared unoccupied in 607 B.C. By this time and Anna, the prophetess. Thirty years
all the prophecy of Isaiah and most of the later this one, Jesus, became Jehovahs
communications through Ezekiel and Jere Christ when he was anointed as Kingmiah and some of the minor prophets had designate of the new world. His phenom
been proclaimed and released for public enal preaching campaign of three and onedistribution. This flood of prophetic truths half years released a veritable flood of
7. What was added to true religion by 607 B.C. ? In
Daniels time? In Malachis time?

8. (a) How were the 400 years of silence as to heavenly

revelations broken? (b) What happened to true religion
during the first century A.D. ?

March 1, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER.

147

new truths that stirred and filled the minds century did not follow the forward exam
and hearts of those conscious of their spir ple of Abraham and Moses. Rather they
itual needs as had nothing theretofore. He were like many of their unfaithful fore
vigorously expounded and laid foundations fathers who did not keep up with the truth,
for a spiritual kingdom of heaven which became materialistically-minded and re
was to be the fulfillment of Israels hope fused to feed their minds and hearts spirit
and fondest dream. Following Jesus im ually. Stephens Jewish contemporaries
palement as mans ransomer, additional had become apostate. They had forsaken
sacred secrets continued to flow through the true religion. They had resisted the
the apostles of Christ. The final revelations holy spirit. In his masterful defense before
were released to John 1,860 years ago in the Jewish Sanhedrin, Stephen describes
the year 96 (A.D.). Thus a long, strongly how the true religion remarkably advanced
woven cord of heavenly revelations over and expanded as to the divine purposes
a period of more than four thousand years from Abrahams day to Solomons time
has been preserved for us in the sixty-six by means of the holy spirit. Then in
books of the Bible. Therein are contained Stephens conclusion he denounces the
the sacred oracles or holy words of truth spiritually sick men of his generation for
progressively revealed by holy spirit. There their failure to keep up with the truth by
on record and available for all is Gods pro saying: Obstinate men and uncircumcised
gressive supply of spiritual treasures. From in hearts and ears, you are always resist
this ever-expanding spiritual banquet table ing the holy spirit; as your forefathers did,
there is food for all to feed the mind and so you do. Acts 7:51,
heart richly. Luke, chapters 1 and 2.
11
Even though Bible writing ceased from
9
As we have seen, Abraham, Moses andthe days of the apostles, yet now, with the
the faithful prophets were among the many restoration of pure worship since 1919,
who kept up to date with the truth to forti true religion continues to be progressive.
fy their spiritual requirements. They kept This is so because there is an ever-expand
up to date as the truth was revealed to ing spiritual feeding by us upon the fulfill
them by the holy spirit up to their time. ments of the many prophecies recorded in
These loyal servants of Jehovah were the Bible. These fulfilled prophecies give
forward-looking in religious outlook. They details concerning the establishment of
did not fall back into a static position, into Jehovahs new world in this time of the
a rut of tradition. To them the true religion end. These modern-day fulfilled evidences
was a dynamic one, one of action, that richly fill the mind with new facts and
moved on to newer privileges of under strengthen the heart with increased hope
standing and service. They were always and reliance upon Jehovah. But as in
alert for new revelations through the holy Stephens day, so today most of the people
spirit concerning their great hope of the shut their minds and hearts away from
coming new world. Hence God is not Jehovahs rich provision. They have fallen
ashamed of them, to be called upon as their away from true Christianity and thus have
God, for he has made a city [New World become spiritually sick. They follow the
organization] ready for them. Heb. Catholic and Protestant religions, which
11:16, NW.
are chained to fourth-century pagan creeds.
But the Jews of Christian Stephens They are unprogressive as to Bible truth
9, 10. (a) Why is the course of Abraham exemplary?
(b) What was the position of most of the Jews in
Stephens time?

11, 12. (a) Today how is true religion progressive?

(b) Are there any who resist the holy spirit today, and
how?

148

SfteWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

and enlightenment. Therefore they too

fight against the truth and resist Gods
holy spirit. The apostle Paul correctly de
scribes these when he writes: So these
also go on resisting the truth, men com
pletely corrupted in mind, disapproved as
regards the faith. (2 Tim. 3:8,
These
finally resist the holy spirit to the point
where they commit blasphemy, which car
ries a sentence of spiritual death. From
this sentence there is no forgiveness.
Whoever blasphemes against the holy
spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is
guilty of everlasting sin.-Mark 3:29,
12We who are now on the way to spirit
ual perfect health must not be the kind to
shrink back from the forward movement
of the truth as directed by the holy spirit.
If we should, then we merit Jehovahs
curse of second death. Now we are not the
kind that shrink back to destruction, but
the kind that have faith to the preserving
alive of the soul. (Heb. 10:39,
Hav
ing now pointed out why there is the ur
gent need for us to fill our minds and hearts
with the truth, the next question is, How
may this wisely be done?
13Today, as consistently in the past, the
true religion is connected with Gods spe
cially directed people on earth. These peo
ple are a theocratically organized people
now known as the New World society of
Jehovahs witnesses. They form an inter
national society of ministers to undertake
the most important work on earth today,
the preaching of the good news of Jeho
vahs established kingdom. (Matt. 24:14)
Can we afford to be like some who look
upon this sacred ministry as though it did
not require any particular preparation? Or
like others who say there is no need to
keep up with Gods communications to his
ministers?
14 The angels in heaven are described as

Gods ministers. From a study of those

angels who appeared on earth to carry out
special missions from the heavenly court
of Jehovah, all seemed to be fully informed,
alert, accurate in their delivery of the di
vine message, and conducted themselves
with a dignity befitting the Almighty One
who sent them. (Dan. 7:10) As another
example, take even the worldly govern
ments that have strict requirements for
their ministers of state. These political
ministers are required to be experts, first,
as to the basic law of their country; second,
as to the operating policies supplied in the
dispatches from their governing superiors;
and, third, as to maintaining association
with fellow ministers of equal rank for
beneficial exchange. How much more, then,
should we who are Gods earthly ministers
need to become expert as to, first, the basic
written Word of our God; second, the oper
ating policies supplied in the current com
munications from Jehovahs theocratic or
ganization; and, third, maintaining asso
ciation with our fellow Christian ministers
at the meetings for spiritual upbuilding!
18 In connection with the first point note
how Joshua, who represented Jehovah in
governmental matters in Israel, was told
what was a key to success in his ministry
to God and where to obtain his basic
knowledge of truth. This book of the law
should not depart from your mouth and
you must in an undertone read in it day
and night in order that you may take care
to do according to all that is written in it,
for then you will make your way success
ful and then you will act wisely. Like
Joshua we give attention to this counsel
from Jehovah. The Bible is indeed our
basic source of truth. It sets forth prin
ciples of the government we represent.
Josh. 1:8,
NW.
10 The Word of God was written under

13, 14. (a) What should Jehovahs witnesses recognize,

now that they are under true religion? (b) Give ex
amples of what is required of ministers.

15, 16. (a) What is exemplified in the case of Joshua?

(b) How should one look upon the Word of God?

M arch 1, 1956

Me WATCHTOWER

the inspiring power of Jehovahs holy

spirit. On this matter Paul wrote: For it
is to us God has revealed them through his
spirit, for the spirit searches into all things,
even the deep things of God. This means
that by reading from the Sacred Scriptures
our minds dwell upon knowledge that is
spiritual, from a supernatural source. By
our minds taking in this spiritual informa
tion we become spiritually-minded and
guided. It might be said that between the
covers of our Bibles in many languages we
have translations of the captured sayings
of the holy spirit. Truly, what an amazing
treasure we hold in our hands when we
take up the Holy Scriptures! 1 Cor. 2:10,
NW.
17Was it unreasonable for Jehovah to re
quire his minister Joshua to read from the
Biblical law every day? Surely not. Jesus
repeated the words of Moses when he said:
Man must live, not on bread alone, but on
every utterance coming forth through Je
hovahs mouth. Truly, then, it is well for
each of us to feed daily upon Gods spiritual
word of truth that we may maintain a
wholesome level of spiritual-mindedness.
Like Joshua we should adopt a personal
practice of reading from the divine Word
every day. Matt. 4:4, NW.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

18 A few practical suggestions are now

presented for such a personal Bible-reading
program. Why not read each morning from
the Bible the entire chapter surrounding
the days text in the Yearbook or in the
non-English issues of The Watchtower?
This will supply you immediately with rich
supporting material for a stimulating study
of the mornings text and comments. Read
ing a chapter each day would mean that
one would get to read 365 chapters a year
or about a third of the entire Bible. Try to
17, 18. (a) Is it unreasonable to seek to read the Bible
daily? (b) What is one suggestion as to Bible reading?

149

epitomize each chapter as you finish read

ing it. See whether you can find the central
theme of the chapter.
]9A second suggestion would be to set
aside half an hour a day for straight Bible
reading. Either a half hour before break
fast when ones mind is fresh or in the eve
ning before going to bed. In doing such con
secutive Bible reading the primary object
should be not just to cover a given budget
of pages. Rather try to absorb something
of lasting value from what is read. Seek to
retain one or more basic principles or
points of divine counsel each day. Memo
rize those points and repeat them the next
day.
20 For a third suggested program, why
not read each day a group of related scrip
tures on a given Bible subject from the
book Make Sure
of Things ? Th
practice enables the mastering of Bible
proofs for ministerial use in the field serv
ice. By such practice small Bible sermons
may thus be worked up daily for use in the
door-to-door ministry.
21A fourth suggested practice has as its
objective the eventual mastering of the en
tire Bible. This program requires the con
secutive reading of one or two chapters
daily. When the chapter has been carefully
read try to sum up the entire chapter in
the expression of one leading thought. See
whether this leading thought is contained
in one of the verses in the chapter, which
you might mark as the theme verse for
that chapter. Always try to reduce that
leading thought to just a few words that it
would be well to write down and hold in
memory. When a given Bible book has thus
been outlined try to summarize the entire
Bible book by means of one leading
thought, theme or subject. Take as an ex19, 20. What are set forth as a second and a third
suggestion?
21, 22. (a) What is a fourth suggestion for Bible read
ing? (b) What is accomplished by this suggested pro
gram?

WATCHTOWER

150

ample the book of Philippians, which one

might outline as follows:
Theme of Philippians: Loving encourage
ment to faithfulness.
Chapter

Theme Verse

14

Leading Thought

Defending the
good news.
Keep the right
mental attitude.
Pursuing for
the prize.
Guard heart and
mental powers.

22 When at other times outstanding scrip

tures are desired to be remembered always
associate them with the theme verse or
leading thought you have already estab
lished for that chapter. Thus file them
away in your mental filing faculty under
the right theme headings. In this manner
you will obtain an amazingly tight grip on
the Word of life. Instead of having to
memorize the 773,696 words of the King
James Bible in its 31,102 verses to say that
one knows the Bible, one merely has to
remember a few theme words for each of
the 1,189 chapters of the Bible to become
a master of it for practical ministerial use.
23 Having now considered a daily Bible
reading program to maintain an ever-fresh
spiritual familiarity with the Scriptures,
the minister must also arrange to keep
abreast with the communications through
Jehovahs theocratic organization. For this
service Jehovah God, the Great Interpreter
of prophecy, again uses his holy spirit to
unlock the sacred secrets and to communi
cate these to his ministers. Jesus, speaking
to his disciples, said: I have many things
yet to say to you, but you are not able to
bear them at present. However, when that
23-25. (a) What provision has been made for a minister
of Jehovah to keep up with communications from His
organization? (b) How should one seek to build an
ever-brightening objective picture of the new world?

B rooklyn, N . Y .

one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he wifi

guide you into all the truth, for he will not
speak of his own impulse, but what things
he hears he will speak, and he will declare
to you the things coming. John 16:12,
13,
NW.
24 Heretofore we have learned how, since
1918, Jehovah has showered his approval
upon the faithful and discreet slave class
of the anointed remnant and has appointed
them over his domestics to give them
their food at the proper time. (Matt.
24:45,
NW) As we know, that faithful
and discreet slave class uses the Watchtower magazine to bring us, who are Gods
domestics, the current spiritual commu
nications necessary for our further spiritual
upbuilding. For this reason it is highly ad
visable to set aside a certain time each
week for private study and research work
in connection with the Watch Tower pub
lications. If we should unwisely put off this
personal study, we are in effect closing our
ears to messages that the physician Jeho
vah considers vital for our present spirit
ual good health.
25 When keeping up with the progressive
ness of the true religion by this means of
better studying The Watchtower, we
should at the same time seek to build an
ever-brightening objective picture of the
new world. Jehovahs witnesses are truly
a people with a brilliant vision. Keep striv
ing to get this vision ever more vivid. As
Gods newly revealed purposes advance to
clarity they must be placed in proper re
lationship to purposes already understood.
By fitting every new Watchtower point o f
information into an over-all picture of pur
pose, you will experience ability to preach
more effectively. The clearer you have in
mind the major pattern that is developing
as to Jehovahs great kingdom govern
ment, the more clearly you will be able to
represent that government.

arch

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

151

28
There is yet a final point to considerspirit as an organizational helper. That
in our keeping up with the truth. While helper is also present at every circuit and
daily Bible reading of Gods Word is basic, district assembly. All national and inter
and while keeping up with the spiritual national conventions of Jehovahs witness
communications discussed in The Watch- es likewise have this unique spiritual bless
tower is important, there is yet a third ing. It is quite manifest that Jehovahs
operation of the holy spirit that we must holy spirit does not rest upon the denomi
consider. It is where the holy spirit oper nationally divided gatherings of the spirit
ates as a remarkable organizational agency, ually sick people of the false religious
as a helper to the congregational whole. organizations. But long experience shows
Speaking to his disciples collectively, Jesus that Gods holy spirit does reside wonder
promised: But the helper, the holy spirit fully with his people! Knowing this to be
which the Father will send in my name, a fact, then, it means that in order for us
that one will teach you all things and bring to keep up with the truth we must unfail
back to your minds all the things I told ingly be present at every official meeting of
Gods people with whom we are actively
you. John 14:26, NW.
27 This helper, or paraclete, is an in associated. Can we conceive of a minis
visible active force manifested with guid terial angel in heaven finding an excuse
ing aids that come upon an entire assem for not being present when Gods court
bly of true Christians. This spirit under officially meets in heaven? Certainly not.
Jesus direction is a means by which he So likewise we as Gods ministers should
fulfills the promise: For where there are not have excuses for being absent from
two or three met together in my name, meetings.
29 Fellowship and association at Bible
there I am in their midst. (Matt. 18:20,
meetings
are uplifting, strengthening and
NW) It is because of this very promise that
encouraging.
None of us can afford to do
Gods holy spirit as a helper is experienced
without
this
provision
for mutual spiritual
upon every convention of Jehovahs people.
help.
How
many
of
us
have said: I have
Each and every one present receives a
studied
my
Watchtower
at home but I
peaceful stimulating effect by attending
never
realized
that
that
point
was there
the official meetings of Jehovahs minis
until
we
discussed
it
at
the
congregation
ters. While we are assembled together this
same holy spirit enables our minds to ab study! This proves that Gods helper, the
sorb spiritual information more readily, holy spirit, worked upon the congregation
and enables us to register united heart re al whole to emphasize that important point.
30 Now we truly see that keeping up with
actions of praise to our great Creator and
the
truth actually means keeping up with
to show love toward our associates all
Gods
holy spirit. In this forward surge of
around us. Annoying opposition, too, is
Gods spirit in this twentieth century,
overcome.
28 So whenever the local congregation Christ Jesus as Jehovahs champion con
officially meets for the service meeting, the quers the world. He continues to lead forth
Watchtower study or the weekly book to the final conquest at Armageddon. In
study, there will be present Gods holy his triumphal procession he leads us as his
happy followers on earth by the unfailing
26, 27. What is a final service now rendered Jehovahs
power of Gods holy spirit. Are we keeping
witnesses by Gods holy spirit?
28, 29. What reasons are there why it is vitally neces
sary to attend all the official meetings of the local con
gregation and assemblies arranged by the Society?

30. What all Is involved in keeping up with the truth at

the present time?

152

STkWATCHTOWER.

up with his victory march? Are we in step

with his undefeated organization? That is
for each of us to make sure individually. If
we keep up with the spirit under Christ
Jesus direction we shall not die spiritually

TRIUMPHANT
KINGDOM "

Assemblies

Brooklyn, N .

Y.

to be dead forever as the rest of the world,

but we shall surely obtain the glorious prize
of everlasting life in the new world. He
who is sowing with a view to the spirit will
reap everlasting life. Gal. 6:8, NW.

baptized. But now the entire stadium and its

Steintribuene and all its surrounding grounds
were rented at a cost of about five thousand
dollars.
A ll the organizing skill of the German
brothers had to be called into play, for a
camp was to be established adjacent to the
stadium. They set themselves to build huge
canvas-covered structures and to erect tents
and lay out the ground for a Kleinstadt
\
(Little City) to accommodate 37,000
campers. Five general camping lots
were arranged, called respectively in
Bible terms Gilgal, Hebron I, HeL
bron II, Carmel and Ramah. Mass
^
lodging at a cheap cost was pro
vided for, the sexes being segre
gated to different tents. About 100,000 square
meters of ground were thus covered over with
canvas. In these tents the convention servants,
also the then German branch servant and his
family, had their lodging. In each of those tall,
long, canvas-covered structures 600 persons
could be accommodated. In the camps Carmel
and Ramah some 4,500 small individually owned
tents, many pup tents, sprang up in due time.
The camper slept on straw, loose or in sacks,
and hundreds of tons of straw had to be brought
in sixty cars and put up in 31,000 sacks by A u
gust 9 and distributed. Toilet facilities had to
be provided on a large scale. Tents also had to
house the twenty-eight departments of service
for the direction and maintenance of the as
sembly activities, and a great kitchen and
cafeteria besides refreshment stalls needed to
be set up.

f if e
NUREMBERG, WEST

GERMANY,

AUGUST 10-14, 1955

The greatest and the most international as

sembly of Jehovahs witnesses ever to take
place on European soil convened at the ancient
city of Nuremberg, W est Germany, during the
second week of August. From all parts of the
world the friends were especially wanting to
attend this assembly, so that finally the tens on
tens of thousands of requests for rooming ac
commodations emanated from sixty-two differ
ent lands. Four years previous, at the inter
national convention at Frankfurt, 47,432 as
sembled for the public lecture and 2,373 were
baptized; and in view of the still larger crowd
expected for the 1955 assembly the vast Zeppelinwiese (Zeppelin Meadow) at Nuremberg
in Bavaria was selected. Here at the Zeppelinwiese the late Nazi fuehrer Adolf Hitler used
to stage his great military party rallies and to
speak from its imposing Steintribuene (Stone
Tribune), shrieking to his party followers in
the great stadium before it. Here, in hope of
a Nazi victory, he wanted to have the peace
treaty of W orld W a r II signed. In this stadium
it is possible to seat 84,000 persons. In 1953 the
German witnesses of Jehovah held a convention
here on one side of the stadium in front of the
pompous Steintribuene, with a public-meeting
attendance of 55,240, and less than 3,000 were

Weeks in advance hundreds of preconvention

workers had to volunteer their services and en
gage in erecting the necessary structures.
Streets and lanes were laid out and given
Bible names and names mindful of the theo
cratic organization. The number ran up as high
as 800 workers finally. Thus the Nuremberg
assembly had the attractions of a stadium as
sembly and a vast camp city all rolled together
into one. To serve the conventioners with hot,
palatable food the temporary kitchen em-

M arch

1, 1956

Me WATCHTOWER.

ployed 400 workers, including sixty-four pro

fessional cooks; and there were sixty 200-liter
kettles to cook three times daily 35,000 portions
of food, and three refrigerator cars from the
railroads. Four dishwashing machines, each
able to clean thirty-two plates every nine sec
onds, were installed. There was a regular bak
ery also.
Arrangements were made not only for thou
sands to lodge in the camps but for others to
room in the hotels and private homes of the
residents of Nuremberg. This called for a
house-to-house canvass for rooms by volunteer
workers. The religious organizations of W est
ern Germany did not want the assembly in
Nuremberg, Hitlers form er party city. The re
ligious authorities in the Catholic stronghold
of Munich (site of Hitlers unsuccessful beerhall Putsch ) tried to prevail upon the city
fathers of Nuremberg to refuse the Zeppelinwiese to Jehovahs witnesses, but the Nurem
berg authorities resented this meddling or dic
tation from Munich and, in the language of a
local bank agent, told the Munich religionists
to go to their creedal hot place. The religious
organizations of Nuremberg now let their at
titude toward Jehovahs witnesses become pub
licly known and tried to create difficulties by
stirring up religious prejudice. The Office of
Congregational Service in the EvangelicalLutheran Church in Bavaria circulated a sixpage leaflet setting out why Evangelicals should
not offer rooming quarters to the conventioners. The front page of the leaflet contained in
large letters Visit by Jehovahs Witnesses
Watchtower Society N ew W orld Movement
not wanted! And on the reverse side of this
were just the words To be torn off and pasted
on the door! The churches left nothing untried
to make clear to church members their posi
tion against the witnesses. In newspaper arti
cles, in handbills and in sermons they formu
lated their blunt attitude of refusal. W e must
turn down the teaching of 'Jehovahs wit
nesses/ said a circular that the Roman Cath
olic clergy had distributed in July. But fairminded, honest-hearted people treated all this
with resentful contempt and opened their
homes to Jehovahs witnesses, to receive the
blessing that this would mean to themselves.
Conventioners lodging with them had wonder
ful experiences and were instrumental in get
ting many of them to sessions of the assembly,
to see and hear for themselves.

153

The Steintribuene from which the assembly

speeches were to be given was adorned with
Kingdom symbols. The tremendous white m ar
ble structure is unusual in itself. It is 300
meters or 984 feet long. Up its front side as
cends a flight of seventy-five steps to a colon
nade on top, consisting of a double row of
columns, thirty-six in front and in back, on
each side of the central unit, or in all one
hundred and forty-four columns. A t the center
is a broad raised platform, at the middle of
which, to the front, is the canopied speakers
stand. Upon the stone baldachin or huge centerpiece forming the background for the speakers
stand was suspended a great blue hanging, with
graceful folds, and upon this was fixed a sym
bol of Christs 'rod of strength : a tremendous
human hand extending from part of a sleeve
and holding a great eight-meter-long scepter
surmounted by a crown beneath which were the
four heads, to the front a m ans head denoting
love, to the right a bulls head denoting divine
strength, to the rear a lions head denoting
justice, and to the left an eagles head denoting
wisdom. This scepter with hand weighed 770
pounds. Above this blue curtain and atop the
centerpiece of the Steintribuene was mounted
a golden, bejeweled seven-horned crown eleven
meters long, four and a half meters high, weigh
ing 3,310 pounds, or 1,500 kilograms. Potted
flowers and many shrubs and trees provided
more platform adornment. Atop the colonnade,
and flanking the crown on each side, stood large,
golden, red-bordered letters 3.4 meters high,
spelling out in German the words Triumph
ant Kingdom, the assembly motto. This whole
platform decoration was a most beautiful sight
at night when floodlights were playing upon it.
To the right below the platform at street
level was located the orchestra, which grew to
180 pieces under a capable conductor, seated
under large umbrellas of red-and-white bars.
In front of the Steintribuene ran a broad street,
which was appropriately called Kingdom Street
and which separated it from the extensive semi
oval stadium. To the left (west) of the Stein
tribuene, at a distance, was situated the main
entrance of the ground, flanked by two tall
white watchtowers with a sign suspended be
Jehovah s W itnesses T r iu m ph an t
tween:
K ingdom A ssembly 1955.
The Zeppelinwiese stadium is a field of vast
expanse walled in by tiers of seats on a struc
ture that has thirty-four white sustaining tow
ers, with a set of steps between each two towers

154

SFEeWATCHTOWER

and a broad entrance at the middle of rear of

the stadium. Atop the wall all around appeared
sixty-one signs bearing the names of the lands
from which the delegates were coming, from
Alaska all through the list in alphabetic order,
with Germany as last out of courtesy. Eight
thousand rented chairs, placed orderly on the
field in front of the Steintribuene, augmented
the seating of the stadium. A t street intersec
tions movement to and from the stadium was
directed by brothers with a bluish-white stick
acting as traffic officers. Nearby stood columns
bedecked with signs pointing out the directions
to the m any locations and facilities on the
grounds. There to the left (west) of the sta
dium, behind a fringe of trees, lay the waters
of the lake Grosser Dutzendteich (Great Dozen
Pond).
The day before assembly opening fifty-six
special trains rolled into the NurembergDutzendteich Station, from 6:11 a.m. till 10
p.m., the first coming from Paris, the last today
from Holland, and in between trains from
Switzerland and Austria and most trains from
all parts of W est Germany. Over four thousand
brothers made their way to the assembly pre
cariously crossing the border from East Ger
m any under Communist rule. Many conventioners arrived by plane. Under the efficient sys
tem in operation they all located their accom
modations. For the rest of that week the streets
of Nuremberg swarmed with conventioners
wearing their distinguishing badges. Special
streetcars, No. 2 Dutzendteichen, were provided
extra, and were jam m ed with Jehovahs wit
nesses. Placards advertising the public meeting
were outside on streetcars.
Wednesday, August 10, a great throng of
63,332 honored the very opening of the assem
bly and heard the mornings address of welcome
by the then German branch servant, E. H.
Frost, for m any years a victim of Hitlers con
centration camps. Yes, even the great New
York Times took notice, and with all the news
thats fit to print printed at very bottom of
page 3 of its August 11 issue this:

60,000 Witnesses at Rally. N uremberg, Ger

many, Aug. 10 (Reuters) More than 60,000
persons from sixty countries took part today
in the opening ceremony of an international
congress of the Jehovahs Witnesses religious
sect.
For the first days afternoon sessions the
audience directly in the stadium or in camps
served by loud-speakers swelled to 67,412. At

B rooklyn, N . Y .

the opening of the evening sessions sprinkle

turned to heavy rain, but a vast crowd stayed
on to listen to the speakers and also the So
cietys president, who had now arrived. Am ong
the days speakers were five from Brooklyn
Bethel, three of whom spoke directly in Ger
man. The rain had stopped when the president
gladdened the great throng by his appearance
and spoke on The Triumphant Message of The
Kingdom. He also served them with a printed
message, releasing to them the booklet Basis
for Belief in a New World in German. Report
ing on this opening day the 8 Uhr-Blatt ( Eightoclock Paper) said in bold type next day: The
Greatest Preaching Campaign of A ll Times . . .
Marvelous Discipline marks the camp life . . .
W ith clockwork precision the program of the
Assemblies of Jehovahs witnesses runs, which
in its organizational feature presents something
unique.
Thursday morning, with the field service or
ganization now in full swing, sixty-four buses
left from in front of the cafeteria tent, loaded
with Kingdom publishers bound for their terri
tories; others went out into the field activities
from other locations. Newspapers announced
that thousands went out into the field service,
which extended itself over Nuremberg and
Fuerth and also embraced Erlangen, Hersbruck,
Markterlbach, Cadolzburg and other places.
Americans took part and especially visited the
civilian American families living in Nuremberg
and Fuerth.
This day, too, special trains began running
to Weisbaden, over a hundred miles to the
northwest. Thus thousands of conventioners
were able to visit the W atch Tower Societys
German branch there and make a tour of in
spection of the Bethel home and the printery,
including the new factory building and its big
presses. In spite of the many absent on this
excursion the afternoon attendance was 68,400,
to hear the president and to hail the release of
four new tracts in German. Tonight when the
president was talking to 68,497 on the theme of
spiritism a storm seemed impending, but the
clear spot in the sky continued overhead and
the thunders continued in the distance. In town
it did rain, but not out here at the assembly.
Friday morning presented a spectacle that
stirred ones soul to the depths the great mass
baptism. A t the speakers bidding the candi
dates rose from their seats in the center of the
stadium in front of the Steintribuene. The two
determinative questions as to their worthiness

M arch

1, 1956

3fteWATCHTOWEFL

for baptism they answered with a firm Ja! but

the stadium is so big that their affirmative an
swers seemed to be a long time in reaching all
parts of the vast audience, to awaken great
applause. Then after the prayer for divine bless
ing upon them the immense body of candidates
moved toward the baptismal site. In solid mass
they moved out onto Kingdom Street and in a
mass formation that choked the street from
one side to the other they marched eastward
led by brothers holding aloft signs To the
Immersing. The enormous throng of observers
waved at them, while the orchestra played
Kingdom songs. Thousands trailed behind the
4,333 candidates as they moved slowly along
and turned off Kingdom Street to the Schwimmbad. There in a large shallow pool alongside the
main public swimming pool four lines of immersers served the candidates. It was good to
see the Scriptural procedure in action here, just
one immerser (not two) taking an individual
candidate and submerging him, in the same
way that just the one immerser, John the Bap
tist, dipped Jesus beneath Jordan's waters.
Nearby in a building equipped with warmwater tanks and large bathtubs the infirm,
invalid and crippled candidates were taken
care of. Among all those baptized the youngest
was a seven-year-old boy, the oldest an eightyseven-year-old woman. A one-legged man was
baptized. The sun shone genially as the mass
baptism carried on into the noon hour.
This afternoon 74,678 thrilled to the presi
dents talk on Jehovah Is in His Holy Temple
and his release of the book New Heavens and
a New Earth in German.
Tonight conventioners heard the radiocast of
a Sender in the Eastern or Communist-ruled
zone of Germany, warning that all Jehovahs
witnesses from the Eastern zone who were at
tending the international assemblies in Nurem
berg and Berlin would be arrested upon their re
turn home. This Communist warning was heard
also in Berlin. The thousands of brothers from
East Germany were not frightened thereby.
Heavy rainfall about 7 a.m. Saturday was fol
lowed by a clearing up of the weather for the
rest of the day at Nuremberg, and the assembly
attendance continued well up into the seventy
thousands. The assembly today was not favored
with a talk by the president, as he had been
billed for morning, afternoon and evening ap
pearances at the assembly in Berlin. A t Nurem
berg airport at 10:45 a.m., fifty-five convention
ers including delegates from the Philippine

155

Islands, Hong Kong, Australia, the Virgin

Islands, Britain, Canada and America boarded
the Air France liner Ciel de Champagne and
were soon aloft, flying over Communist East
Germany in the direction of Berlin to the north
east. A t 12:30 p.m. the plane landed at the
great Tempelhof airport in the American zone
of W est Berlin. A ll fifty-five were hospitably
received and assigned to their lodgings and then
went out to the Waldbuehne (Woodland Stage)
in the British zone, for the international assem
bly out there. But more of this later.
A t the Nuremberg assembly Sunday proved to
be an unforgettable day fo r the thousands of
delegates from scores of foreign lands. In the
morning the president, Brother Knorr, flew
back with his party from Berlin, arriving at
11:55 a.m., in good time for his public address
at the Zeppelinwiese at 3 p.m. A s the hour for
the lecture of world importance neared, a great
flood of humanity was streaming into the spa
cious stadium. The proportion of badged con
ventioners to the number of incomers grew less
and less until it seemed that all Nuremberg
was coming in, actually more than 20,000 of
them. Many hosts of conventioners were among
those coming. Said the Cologne magazine Neue
Illustrierte of August 20: The Zeppelin Field
upon which Adolf Hitler once proclaimed the
rooting out of Jehovahs witnesses was fully
occupied. As the speaker with his interpreter
took his stand on the podium he was welcomed
with applause. As the speech progressed, 107,423
listened intently, even the hard-of-hearing in a
special tent where hearing apparatus was
provided and a hundred machines made record
ings for reproduction. W hen the speaker fin
ished and presented the booklet on the subject
in German, this tremendous audience, spread
out before him in full view, thanked him with
a continuing, roaring applause!
Shortly a half-hour speech in German by
the registrar-instructor of the W atchtower Bi
ble School of Gilead followed, and by then it
had begun to rain. W hen the president began
his closing remarks the rain was pounding
hard, but his audience in the great stadium
stayed on, raincoats and umbrellas over them
or none at all. A s his delightsome remarks con
tinued, the rain slowed down, the skies became
less leaden. He read a letter that expressed
the feeling that the North American brothers
had at the display of hospitality shown by the
European brothers to visiting delegates, and
especially at the Nuremberg assembly. He also

156

3fceW A T CUTO W E R

said that Jehovahs witnesses had not assem

bled at the place of the form er Nazi party meet
ings for tasting a spiteful triumph over their
form er persecutors; solely the great roominess
of the grounds had been the deciding factor in
choosing Nuremberg as the assembly place.
H e thanked all those who had self-sacrificingly
helped in behalf of the assembly and spoke
feelingly of the warm love.
W hen Brother Knorr finished, the rain was
past. B y this time thousands had come out of
the sheltering tents to fill Kingdom Street. Then
he pointed out to his audience the appearing of
a large rainbow. W h at a sight! W h at an ending
with the co-operation of the living Gods own
handiwork! The brothers were breathless; tears
welled in many eyes. It would take a strongwilled person to hold back his feelings now,
was the tenor of many remarks. There was a
song, then a prayer of thanks to Jehovah, bring
ing the assembly to a proper close.
A s Brother Knorr was about to leave the
lofty platform separated by the broad Kingdom
Street from his audience he waved his hand
kerchief. Response was immediate; the whole
throng changed to what appeared as one big
mass of waving white flowers. Countless num
bers surged forward, across Kingdom Street
and up the flight of marble steps and swarmed
around Brother Knorr, hemming him in. He
was a long time making his way through, per
sonally greeting as many of them as he could.
The demonstration of Christian brotherly a f
fection stirred the emotions of all beholders.
N ow it was departure time. Theocratic effi
ciency and training on the part of the German
brothers marked this also. The march of the
homeward-bound brothers to buses and trains
was directed personally and by large signs. At
the Nuremberg-Dutzendteich railroad station
the first of the forty-nine special trains (with
the special mark Je and a number) got away
about 8:45 p.m., bound for Saarbruecken; the
last train (Je 148) departed at 2:50 next morn
ing.
According to the newspapers, the Zeppelinwiese seems no more to be spacious enough for
any future gathering of Jehovahs witnesses.
The adjacent Maerzfeld (March Field), the
mammoth project that Hitler began building
with towers and a Coliseum and vast military
drill place, would better suit the need. But the
1955 Nuremberg assembly made news. Besides
the special edition for Jehovahs witnesses, the
press there published about twenty meters of

Brooklyn, N .

Y.

column space of text and pictures on the assem

bly. As the special edition itself was also about
twenty meters of column space, the assembly
got all together about forty meters of column
space in positive news reporting. In working
together with the editors of the local news
papers the members of the assembly press de
partment heard repeatedly how the blackgarbed clergy of both big churches had taken
great pains to influence the editors to report
as little as possible about the assembly. One
editor-in-chief said: You will really hardly
believe it, how the 'Blacks kept at our heels!
The news reporters, for the most part friendlily
disposed, again and again expressed their won
derment at the way the assembly went off with
out friction. One asked: Just tell me, Did you
practice everything beforehand, so that every
thing runs along so w ell? Often these news
men expressed their disgust at the opposition
propaganda by both great religious system s:
They have made immortal fools of themselves
and have only helped, so that yesterday you
people had such a grand success with 107,000
listeners. The many foreign delegates im
pressed them greatly.

BERLIN, GERMANY, AUGUST 12-14, 1955

The Waldbuehne (Woodland Stage) of Ber
lin has been the site of other conventions of
Jehovahs witnesses. A t a three-day district
assembly there in July, 1949, the 17,232 witness
es attending adopted a Resolution of Protest
against the Communist authorities o f East
Germany, and 33,657 attended the public talk.
Then on August 28, 1951, after the great Frank
fort assembly in W est Germany, a one-day
assembly was held at the Waldbuehne. In spite
of the Communist ban upon Jehovahs wit
nesses 13,563 assembled to hear the president
and other representatives of the Society address
them. Also the following day 237 were baptized.
Realizing that our brothers in the eastern
Communist zone of Germany would be unable
with ease and safety to cross the border into
Western Germany to attend the 1955 interna
tional assembly, the W atch Tower Society ar
ranged for an assembly in W est Berlin to run
concurrently with the last three days of the
Nuremberg assembly. True, over 4,000 East
Germans did risk crossing the border to get to
Nuremberg, but the majority crossed over the
boundary from East Berlin into W est Berlin
and made their w ay to the beautiful convention
place. The Waldbuehne, or Woodland Stage, is

M a r c h 1,

1956

SEeWATCHTO W ER,

a large amphitheater built on the slope of a

hill surrounded by fine green woods. It is in
the British zone and near the Olympia Stadium
built by Hitler for athletic games. From the
parquet below in front of the platform to the
top of this amphitheater the vertical height is
twenty-eight meters, or about ninety-two feet.
The radius of the half circle of seats is 110
meters, or about 361 feet. W ith the seats that
were rented and placed in the parquet space the
Waldbuehne was able to seat 21,500 in the
upper ring, middle ring, lower ring, parquet
and loge.
Roundabout
the circle from
w h i c h four
lanes led down
to the top of
the amphitheater there
were various
assemblyservice instal
lations. To the
left, off Glocke n t u r m
( Clocktower)
Street was lo
cated a large
cafeteria set
up, with kitch
en and dishwashing department and eating tent.
In addition, refreshment stands were to be
found conveniently about the grounds. Behind
the speakers platform of the amphitheater was
located the orchestra, back of a trellis on which
appeared in German the 1955 yeartext. Then
behind the orchestra a large panel reared itself
on which, against a white background, appeared
the assembly motto, Triumphant Kingdom.
This sounding-board panel was surmounted by
a great crown of seven horns, like that at
Nuremberg. The identification name Jehovahs
witnesses in white standing letters flanked the
huge panel. Viewed from the lofty concourse
above, the amphitheater presented a beautiful
appearance.
In all Berlin there are about 4,400 witnesses,
but about 2,500 of them flew to Nuremberg. So
the m ajority of those attending the Berlin as
sembly were from the Eastern zone of Ger
many. Despite this, there were 9,122 at the
chairmans address of welcome Friday morning,
the Societys Berlin representative serving in
this capacity. The attendance increased to

157

10,537 in the afternoon to hear the Societys

legal counsel, H. C. Covington, speak on Activ
ity and Life versus Inactivity and Death. He
had the great pleasure of introducing to them
the four new tracts in German. The Societys
secretary-treasurer and
Gileads registrarinstructor also spoke in the evening. This night
the warning to Jehovahs witnesses from the
Communist zone radio station was heard here
in Berlin as well as at Nuremberg.
Saturday morning the days events began
with the baptism of 870, Gileads instructor on
public speak
ing giving the
baptismal talk
in G e r m a n .
President
Knorr topped
the m o r n i n g
with his ini
tial talk, at
the close of
which he presented the
booklet Basis

for Belief in a
New World in
German. A ft
er talks by
the then Ger
m an b r a n c h
servant, the Canadian branch servant and the
presidents secretary, Brother Knorr addressed
an afternoon audience of 12,122 and delivered
a blasting expose of spiritism.
The beginning of the evenings program was
featured by fifteen minutes of greetings, briefly
extended by eleven delegates respectively from
New York city, England, Virgin Islands, Hong
Kong, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Sudan, Philippine
Islands, Australia and Gold Coast. This delight
ful quarter of an hour was presided over by the
Brooklyn Bethel kitchen chef, who also acted
as interpreter from English into German. The
Berliners were quite excited at seeing brothers
of different shades of color, and a great throng
of unrestrainable boys and girls left their seats
and pressed right up to the front of the plat
form, several deep along its whole length, right
under the nose of speaking delegates, as they
listened with upturned faces and big, wondering
eyes. Tonight it was the turn of a Berlin audi
ence of 13,047 to rejoice when Brother Knorr
released to them in German the book (eNew
Heavens and a New Earth". Five thousand

158

arHeWATCHTOWER

copies, hard bound, printed at our Brooklyn

factory, were on hand and were quickly grabbed
up. East zoners were favored with free copies.
This climaxed Brother Knorrs third and final
speech of the day, but in view of his return
to Nuremberg next morning he added many
extemporaneous words of farewell, which were
deeply appreciated. To add to their joy he an
nounced that immediately afterward the film
"T h e New W orld Society in Action would be
shown for the benefit of the thousands of East
Germans who had not yet viewed it. So after
the closing prayer a screen was erected before
the trellis back of the platform and 7,500 of
the conventioners remained to see the motion
pictures. Repeatedly throughout they burst in
to applause.
To escape identification by any spies East
zone brothers wore badges here bearing no name
o f person and no name of congregation. Having
no songbooks at home, the E ast zoners sang the
Kingdom songs from memory at the Waldbuehne. The singing led by a thirty-flve-piece
orchestra was especially rich-sounding in this
amphitheater.
Sunday morning the special convention plane
flew back to Nuremberg, but the vice-president
along with others remained in Berlin. The
brothers streamed forth from their mass quar
ters at the Olympia Stadium and other lodging
places to the Woodland Stage for the morning
sessions. The 11,114 in attendance, especially
the East zoners, were greatly comforted and
strengthened at hearing the hour speech "C au
tious as Serpents Am ong W olves, in German.
The 3 p.m. public lecture by the vice-president
was well advertised by handbills and other
means, including forty-eight banner signs sus
pended between temporary pole supports
throughout W est Berlin. The display of these
signs was at first opposed by the city govern
ment, but through the magnanimous argument
of one of the senators the objection to the signs
was pushed aside. A fine orchestral presenta
tion regaled the early comers, and the Waldbuehne loosely filled up with 17,729 for the
discussion of "W o rld Conquest Soon by God's
Kingdom, in German. In unbroken, silent at
tentiveness they listened to the talk to its end
and then gave way to pent-up feelings at the
release of the speech in booklet form in Ger
man.
An intermission followed. Then the assembly
servant addressed the 15,449 that remained, on
"S ta y Awake, Stand Firm, Grow Mighty. As

B rooklyn,

N .Y .

he spoke storm clouds rolled up and massed

overhead. About ten minutes after the vicepresident began giving the "closing remarks
in German, taking his audience on a quick tour
of all the 1955 international assemblies from
Chicago on till now, down poured a heavy rain.
Thousands kept their seats in the rain. Down
the sheer sides of the amphitheater the rain
water rushed to dam up in pools in front of the
platform and behind the retaining w all of the
lowest amphitheater seats. Toward the close of
the remarks after 6 p.m. the rain eased off.
The appreciative listeners did not seem to want
to leave off clapping. But then came the last
song, No. 91, "Blessed Zion, and the final
prayer, and God's kingdom had scored another
triumph in the German assemblies. The com
bined public attendance for Nuremberg and
Berlin (107,423 and 17,729) was 125,152, and the
total number immersed (4,333 and 870) was
5,203.
That evening the Eastern zone brothers be
gan making their way back home across the
dividing line of battle-scarred Berlin, on the
Communist side of which stood the signs read
ing "Beginning of the Democratic Sector of
Greater Berlin. Greatly uplifted and strength
ened, they returned in the fear of Alm ighty
God, not of weakling man. The following after
noon the vice-president went to the offices of the
American Berlin radio station R IA S (Radio
caster in American Sector). There he recorded
a 14 h-minute speech in German regarding God's
kingdom, the closing words of which speech
were addressed directly to brothers in E ast Ger
many to encourage them and assure them they
have an interest in our prayers. This was to
be broadcast over R IA S during the "H o u r of
Worship Sunday, September 18. (It was. Even
in the Netherlands this splendid m essage was
heard.) A t the time there were 1,400 brothers
under confinement in Eastern Germany, and the
first brother to be seized by the Communist
persecutors in 1951 had recently died because
of brutal treatment, but faithful. The Saturday,
August 13, 1955, issue of 8 Uhr-Blatt ( Eighto'clock Paper) came out with red headlines at
the very top of the first page, "Rounding Up of
Jehovahs W itnesses. Then in black bold type,
"W a v e of Terror in the Soviet Zone. Berlin,
August 13 A new wave of terror against ad
herents of the religious society of Jehovah's
witnesses rolled over the Soviet zone. A fter a
number of months of quiet the advices about

M arch

1, 1956

159

SKeWATCHTOWER.

new persecutions of the believers increase in

recent days. It is estimated that more than a
thousand of them are to be found in SovietGerman prisons and correctional houses. The
most of the prisoners have to do forced labor.
. . . [Page 2 :] Since 1951 the society has been
forbidden in the Soviet zone by the communistic
holders of power. . . . In spite of all bans and
persecutions the power-holders in the Soviet
zone have till now not succeeded in smashing
the tight holding together of the believers. Pub
lic demonstrations are no longer possible for

Did Adam die as a result of being ousted

from the garden of Eden and having to eat the
imperfect food that grew outside? L. D.,
United States.
It was not the eating of food outside the
garden that Adam was warned against, but the
partaking of certain fruit growing inside the
garden, namely, the tree of the knowledge of
good and bad: But as for the tree of the
knowledge of good and bad you must not eat
from it, for in the day you eat from it you will
positively die. (Gen. 2:17, N W ) N ot that the
fruit of this tree was poisonous; to the con
trary, the woman saw that the trees fruit
was good for food and that it was a delight to
the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look
upon. So she began taking of its fruit and eat
ing it. Afterward she gave some also to her
husband when with her and he began eating it.
The harm came in what the eating in disobedi
ence to Jehovah symbolized, namely, that the
first human pair thought they could decide for
themselves what was good and what was bad.
Disobedience resulted in their having guilty

them. . . . Faith and the holding together gives

them a strength that has not till now been able
to be overcome by the leaders of the SED. . . .
As always it is again stirring to see how entire
families come out of the most remote villages
in these days into free Berlin. . . . Repeatedly
the State Security Service has tried to send
secret police and agents among Jehovahs wit
nesses. Terror trials speak a clear language.
However, faith lives on out beyond the walls of
correctional houses.
(To be concluded)

consciences: Then the eyes of both of them be

came opened and they began to realize that
they were naked. Hence they sewed fig leaves
together and made loin-coverings for them
selves. Gen. 3:6 , 7, N W .
It was this rebellious disobedience that
brought upon them Jehovahs sentence of death.
They were ousted from the garden and in the
sweat of their brows had to eke their exist
ence from the soil, but it was not the eating
of this food that killed them. It was disobedi
ence that brought death, not food. But food
was partly Jehovahs means of execution, now
that man was sentenced to death and imperfect.
Food was not the total factor. Jesus when a
man on earth was perfect, had the right to life,
and could have lived forever on earth as a
perfect man. Some challenge this, saying he
would have become imperfect and died by
reason of eating o f our present food supply.
But if food would do this, the process must
have started during the thirty-three and a half
years that he lived, and if this was so then
Jesus was no longer perfect at the time he
died, and therefore not A dam s equal and not
a qualified ransomer. But we know that Jesus
was a perfect man, A dam s equal, when he died
and that he is the qualified ransomer. His per
fection was not marred by the food he ate. Food
is not the total factor. It is not what you eat
or refrain from eating that governs, but wheth
er you obey or disobey Jehovah. So it was also
in Adam s case.

'theofi Jlifje
No adequate explanation, apart from creative activity, has been offered of
the origin of life upon the earth. Dr. A. Rendle Short, Modern Discovery and

the Bible, page 229, edition of 1943.

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

April 15: Avoid Sicknesses of Mind and Heart,
and Keeping Up with the Truth, Kl-4.
Page 139.
April 22: Keeping Up with the Truth, H5-30.
Page 145.

vV

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

Why profanity or obscene jokes must not
be used by the Christian? P. 131, If2.
Against what and whom the Christian
must fight? P. 13 3, Hi.
How Paul pointedly stressed our obliga
tion to teach others? P. 135, H4.
^
Why Jehovah s witnesses who had escaped
East Germany went back? P. 13 7, If4.
Why there is so much spiritual sickness
today? P. 139, 111.

I * Where to find the holy spirit s sayings?

P. 148, Hi6.
^
What excellent study method will give
you a good and practical knowledge of the
Word of life? P. 149, H2l.
^
When and where Jehovah s witnesses
greatest assembly on European soil was held?
P. 152, Hi.

What it was like for 4,333 persons to be

baptized at one place on one day? P. l54, H7.

What conscience is, how to develop it,

and how to keep it clear? P. 142, If 11.

What renewed wave of Communist perse

cution was reported in August? P. 158, H6.

t*
What true religion is based upon, and
what it really is? P. 145, If2.

Whether the food he found outside Eden

is what caused Adam s death? P. 159, H3.

160

1i .i.
III?
;

/In n o u rL c iy ju f
M ARCH 15, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

FULL-TIME SERVICE
-A GLORIOUS TREASURE
IS THIS TREASURE FOR YOU?
PEACE OF MIND THROUGH
ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE
MODERN HISTORY OF
JEHOVAHS WITNESSES
QUESTIONS FROM READERS
WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH-Isa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
well the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .
*

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue:

Peace of Mind Through

Accurate Knowledge
M odem History of Jehovahs Witnesses
Part 30: International Assembly 1953
Church Leaders in a Dilem ma
Appreciation of Memorial Article
Full-Time Service a Glorious Treasure
Letter of Appreciation
Is This Treasure for You?
W h y an Agnostic

165
168
168
169
175
176
182

The Triumphant Kingdom Assemblies

of 1955

183

163

Questions from Readers

191

The Next Issue a Special Issue!

191

Abbreviations used in The Watchtower for the following Bible versions

AS

- American Standard Version

A T - An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
The Emphatic Diaglott
Isaac Leesers version

Da Dy ED Le -

Unless otherwise indicated,

LXX
Mo
NW
Ro
RS
Yg

- The Septuagint Version

- James Moffatts version
New World Translation
J. B. Rotherham s version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Youngs version

the Bible used is the

King James Version

2,350,000

Five cents a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Indonesian
Cebu-Visayan
Italian
Cinyanja
Japanese
Danish
Norwegian
English
Slovenian
Finnish
Spanish
French
Swedish
German
Tagalog
Twi
Hollandisb
llocano

Monthly
Arabic
Polish
Chinese
Portuguese
Cibemba
Russian
Cishona
Sesotho
Greek
Siamese
Silozi
HiligaynonSlovak
Visayan
Ukrainian
Ibo
Urdu
Kanarese
Xbosa
Korean
Yoruba
Malayalam
Zulu
Pangasinan

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 30, Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad. 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1.72
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N .Y.,
Act of March 3, 1 87 9. Printed in U.S.A.

-y^TXTLOziTzciriqr

J EH OV AH S
KINGDOM
M a r c h 15, 1956

Num ber 6

THROUGH ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE

OW can you protect yourself from conditions, knowledge to cope with the
insanity and neurosis in a world growing number of problems that multiply
gone mad? The number of books faster and reach critical climaxes more
and movies that have catapulted psychiatry sharply, knowledge that will give assur
into the news have not supplied the an ance and create peace. This means that the
swer. Nor have the countless experiments information we store in our minds must be
through hypnotic medicine paraldehyde, of the choicest, the very best for upbuild
electric shock, miracle drugs, barbiturates ing. Certainly, this would exclude propa
or bromides, group therapy, vapor baths, ganda, gossip, lies, false religious traditions
etc., provided adequate remedy. More and any other kinds of degrading ideas,
than half of all hospital beds in the United influences or impressions. What should be
States are now occupied by the mentally put in the mind is told to us by the apostle
illmore than the victims of polio, cancer, Paul: Finally, brothers, whatever things
heart disease and all other illnesses com are true, whatever things are of serious
bined. Statistics cruelly predict that one concern, whatever things are righteous,
out of every ten Americans will at some whatever things are chaste, whatever
time be hospitalized for severe mental things are lovable, whatever things are
well spoken of, whatever virtue there is
illness.
How to guard the mind against mental and whatever praiseworthy thing there is,
c o n tin u e considering
crack-up should, there
fore, be of serious con
t h e s e t h in g s . T h e
Mental illness is the biggest single
th in g s w h ich you
cern to all. The Crea
health problem in the world. What you
can do to guard against mental break
learned as well as ac
tor of the mind showed
down is explained.
cepted and heard and
man how this can be
saw in connection with
done. It is primarily
by building the mind up with right kind me, practice these; and the God of peace
of knowledge, knowledge capable of re will be with you. Phil. 4:8, 9, NW.
After applying the mind to accurate
sisting the heightened tempo of modem
living and its nerve strain, knowledge knowledge and right thinking, there is the
that will still the anxieties and fears need of following up knowledge with a
stemming from wars and failing world complete reliance and trust in God and
163

164

3EeW ATCH TO W E ft

what he says. As Paul further explains:

Do not be anxious over anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication
along with thanksgiving let your petitions
be made known to God, and the peace of
God that excels all thought will guard
your hearts and your mental powers by
means of Christ Jesus. Only to the extent
that we rely on God and trust him and his
Word shall we have peace. Phil. 4:6, 7,
NW.
One truth cannot be overemphasized,
namely, that words, whether good or bad,
symbolize ideas. And ideas are what move
men to act. Gods Word the Bible contains
his words, his ideas. It is Gods words, his
ideas, that we must get into our minds. In
order for them to be powerful they must
have an effect upon our thinking and our
course of life. If these words are received
into good and honest hearts and minds
they guide the servant of God in a proper
course of action, which will result in last
ing life to him and to the exaltation of the
God whose commandments are obeyed.
Simply to have a book called the Bible in
their possession without applying the
things that God has caused to be set out in
that book is of no benefit to the possessors.
The following of theocratic principles is
what brings peace, not simply the knowing
of them. Because the Bible is true, living
and powerful, it stands in the world as a
bulwark against the flood of hurtful propa
ganda. It alone offers a safeguard for the
minds and hearts of men.
HEALTHFUL WORDS

The Bible is a book of spiritual and men

tal health. How so? Because not only does
it build up the mind with appreciation for
God and his purposes, inspiring faith, con
fidence and trust in him, but also it helps
guard the mind against subtle encroach
ments by demonic expressions and wiles
and builds it up to stand in this evil day.

B rooklyn, N. Y.

We are not in doubt concerning this. Paul

admonished Timothy: Keep holding the
pattern of healthful words which you heard
from me with the faith and love that are
in connection with Christ Jesus. 2 Tim.
1:12-14, NW.
Healthful words? Yes, most definitely.
Healthful in the sense that Gods words
create hope in us and bring joy and com
fort, which are healing. Jehovah is the
living God. His words are living, effective
and powerful in our minds. They strength
en and brace up the mind to a point of
peace that excels all thought. This too is
healing. In his first epistle to his com
panion, Paul said: If any man teaches
other doctrine and does not assent to
healthful words, those of our Lord Jesus
Christ, nor to the teaching that accords
with godly devotion, he is puffed up with
pride, not understanding anything, but
being mentally diseased over questionings
and debates about words. 1 Tim. 6:3, 4,
NW.
It is obvious that the old world does not
have this peace. Neither do the wicked
have it. They are puffed up with pride.
Their minds are diseased, not understand
ing anything. I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to
him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will
heal him. But the wicked are like the
troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its
waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no
peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Isa.
57:19-21,
AS.
Perfect peace of mind is attainable, but
it necessitates our being in total agreement
with the God who gives peace and with his
righteous nation. Note the prophets
words: Open ye the gates, that the right
eous nation which keepeth faith may enter
in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee; because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in Jehovah for
ever; for in Jehovah, even Jehovah, is an
everlasting rock. Isa. 26:1-4, AS.

March 15, 1956

fEeWATCHTOWER-

Take in right knowledge that you may

learn to trust in the great Jehovah. Build
up your mind with his Word of truth. Rely
confidently on it. Hence brace up your
minds for activity, keep completely bal-

165

anced and set your hope upon the unde

served kindness that is to be brought to
you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, and
the God who gives peace will be with you.
1 Pet. 1:13-16,
NW.

MODERN HISTORY of

IE New World Society Assembly of

Jehovahs Witnesses at New Yorks
Yankee Stadium, announced well in ad
vance, became a historic reality July 19-26,
1953.
Americas greatest religious assembly of
all time it turned out to be. Peak attend
ance for the culminating Sunday, 165,829,
filled the stadium and nearby overflow
places to utmost capacity. From ninetysix different countries of earth the wit
nesses had come. Sessions were held in
twenty languages.
Accommodating such vast numbers for
eight days was a gigantic undertaking.
Every available sleeping place in New York
city was engaged by the rooming commit
tee. But accommodated they were. Trailer
City was located at the same place in New
Jersey, near Plainfield, as for the 1950
world assembly, but covered far more
ground. Its population rose to the unbe
lievable total of 45,453. In a feat that was
the worlds largest mass immersion, 4,640
were baptized. This massive assembly made
world news for eight days and for weeks
thereafter by every news medium of the

timepress, radio, newsreel film, tele

vision^
The old world became sadly aware that
now there was on the global scene a chal
lenging New World society, clean, upright,
growing, full of divine blessing and favor.
False religion began to be eclipsed by the
shoutings of praises to Jehovah by His
true worshipers in all the earth. Earth
wide, multitudes of people and their rulers
have come to hold an awesome respect for
Jehovahs witnesses and their activities.
The witnesses of Jehovah are not a
laughing matter, echoed a Vatican-guided
American periodical late in 1955 with a
picture of the 1953 Yankee Stadium assem
bly; and then added: Catholics, of course,
should have nothing to do with them nor
their literature, particularly when an in
tensified campaign in a given district at
tracts swarms of Witnesses. . . . Two les
sons can be learned from these misguided
people; the lesson of intense devotion to
the Faith, and the lesson of enthusiastic,
eager Catholic Action that counts no cost. b
a Report of New World Society Assembly of Jehovah's
Witnesses, Yankee Stadium, New York city, July 19-26,
1953, pp. 1-96.
b The Catholic Home Messenger, August 1955, pp. 14,
15, 28.

166

3^eWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

During the eight days of that grand as noon when during the lecture Walk in the
sembly a veritable shower of new publica Name of Jehovah Our God for Ever the
tions was released to the conventioners for New World Translation of the Hebrew
themselves and for distribution to the pub Scriptures, Volume I, was released to an
lic in New York city and throughout the eager audience. On Thursday, Asia Day,
earth. A total of 3,073,675 pieces of litera aside from the colorful reports from that
ture passed across the bookroom counters continent, the lecture New World Society
during those eight days. Among the new Attacked from the Far North was re
ceived
with rapt attention. Africa Day
releases the
New World Translation
of the
Friday,the
and Europe Day Saturday.
Hebrew
S c r i p t u r e s V
, olumewas
I, headed
The high light on Saturday was Brother
list. Others included the new books
Sure of All Things and "
Heavens and Knorrs lecture Flight to Safety with the
a New Earth , as well as the booklets Basis New World Society. Sunday, July 26,
for Belief in a New World,
the Islands of the Pacific Day, brought the
Word and A fter Armageddon Gods New convention to its climax with the public
World, in addition to many publications in lecture After Armageddon Gods New
World. Speakers from all over the world
languages other than English.
The administration and organization of shared on this great eight-day platform of
this record-setting convention were superb, highest education.
The theme of Jehovahs new world, em
involving over twenty thousand volunteer
workers. The feeding of the thousands was phasized so aptly at that historic gather
prompt, fast moving, with better service ing in New York, continues to ring in the
and better food than even the 1950 assem memories of the witnesses. The bountiful
bly cafeteria a wonder in its time. Full information they had received they took
of spiritual instruction, counsel, new light back home with them and were eager to
of truth and demonstrations as to the min carry out the Resolution adopted on the
istry and practical New World living was Monday at Yankee Stadium, which defined
the 1953 eight-day program. Almost all the New World society and declared their
sessions were broadcast by the Societys determination to be held together by the
indissoluble ties that bind all together
radio station WBBR.
Opening with Earths Four Quarters without distinction according to race, col
Day, Sunday, July 19, the graduation of or, language, tribe or nation, and to con
Gileads twenty-first class was featured. tinue to measure up to their commission
Here were 127 trained students from of being Jehovahs witnesses.0 Though
twenty-eight countries who received as being Scripturally informed as to Satans
signments for missionary work in forty- forthcoming world-wide attack on the New
four lands. North America Day brought World society, none of the witnesses went
into view branch-servant and missionary home fearful. Rather they returned joyful
reports of that continent in addition to and happy, knowing that their great God
Brother Knorrs talk Living Now as a and Protector, Jehovah, would see them
New World Society. Tuesday, Islands of through the future attack, provided they
the Atlantic Day, brought reports from now would do their duty as to the min
that part of the world. South America istry. The apostolic way of the houseDay on Wednesday brought thrilling re
c For the full text of this historic resolution adopted
by 125,040, describing the origin, structure and purposes
ports of expansion there. A high point of of
the New World society, see the 1953 Convention Re
port, pp. 3, 4. and The Watchtower of August 15, 1953.
the convention was reached in the after- pp.
507-509.

March 15, 1956

167

SEeWATCHTOWER.

to-house ministry had been stressed to

them, and all were ready to increase their
preaching efforts.
In months that followed July, 1953, ex
tension conventions were held on all five
continents. All were organized along sim
ilar lines and had locally adapted forms of
the one program. It was heart-stirring to
see the organizational initiative displayed
by skilled witnesses in all parts of the
earth, marshaling together available equip
ment to make their local national assem
bly a success. The attractive platform set
ting at Yankee Stadium has been imitated
again and again on a smaller scale but,
nevertheless, colorfully, prettily. Even
Africas natives worked days ahead of time
in erecting skillfully designed and engi
neered gigantic booths or outdoor-stadium
assembly places, and other structures for
sleeping dormitories. Electric light they
generated out in the bush to keep volun
teer workers supplied in sunless hours as
this construction work proceeded to com
pletion according to schedule. Supplied,
too, were plumbing and water needed for
field kitchens to enable the cafeteria sys
tem to operate in theocratic style.
Whether in Australia, Africa, Europe or
the Americas, Jehovahs witnesses are ac
customed to new ways of communed feed
ing, fellowship, overcoming construction
problems and other obstacles. Their new
found unity and vision and understanding
of the one new world under Christ Jesus,
Jehovahs King, make them truly a new
people. No mountain of opposition dis
courages them or dampens their zeal for
their living God. Children come along with

their parents to these vast theocratic festi

vals and learn to embrace New World ways
very quickly. These 1953 conventions and
other organizational activities of the So
ciety have been dramatically captured in
the film entitled The New World Society
in Action.
Assembling of Jehovahs people in large
gatherings is part of the practical trans
formation of their thinking and acting. All
are given similar convention experiences,
the same spiritual information, and they
register the same reaction of thanks to
Jehovah. In loving unity convention
prayers of praise to Jehovah are offered.
Even the mass singing of Kingdom songs
manifests a united heart attitude. On these
memorable occasions Jehovahs angels
busily stand guard, furnishing His prom
ised invisible protection. (Heb. 1:14,
Now is Jehovahs due time for this visible
assembling arrangement for his people, and
he decrees this angelic protection. Just as
in the days of creation when Jehovahs
active force was moving to and fro over
the surface of earths waters, so at these
great conventions Jehovahs holy spirit
continually operates back and forth over
the assembled multitude to energize right
operation and to bring success to the spirit
ual feeding program. (Gen. 1:2,
Therefore, just as in Moses day, these
gatherings of today are holy conven
tions. When one assembles with Jehovahs
witnesses he literally feels an atmosphere
of security, peace, joy and happiness,
which are assured by reason of services
rendered by Jehovahs angels and his spirit.
(To be concluded)

And let us consider one another to incite to love and right works, not forsaking
the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging
one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.
Heb. 10:24, 25, NW .

Church Leaders in a Dilemma

tf TH E latter part of 1955 the Northwest
Synod of the United Lutheran Church of
America had three heresy trials involving
the clergymen Crist, Gerberding and Wrigley.
Regarding the first of these the public press
reported that Crist denied that Adam was re
sponsible for m ans sinfulness, claimed that
prayer is not answered by God, that prayer
possesses only that spiritual force which en
courages the petitioner to help himself or be
of active service to others, denied the virgin
birth of Jesus, the resurrection and ascension
of Christ, and developed such naturalistic ex
planations of the miracles of Jesus Christ as
the following, relative to the miracles of feed
ing the multitudes with a few loaves and
fishes: Perhaps He prevailed on those who
had brought lunch to share it with those who
had not.
C. Commenting on these trials The Christian
Century, undenominational weekly, in its issue
of November 23,1955, had the following to ob
serve, among other things: Luther was an
ample and volatile Christian, who said a lot
of different things at a lot of different times.
. . . [It is] hard to imagine anyone claiming
to know precisely what definitive Lutheranism
is. . . . The trouble with Crist and Gerberding
and W rigley is that they believed what they
were taught in their Lutheran seminaries.
And those seminaries are related to the whole
church. So sooner or later the denominational
authorities are going to have to decide what
is to be done with synod executives and local

ministers who cashier other ministers for

taking seriously what they have been taught
in denominational schools.
C. The editor next commented that he felt the
same way as did these clergymen, saying:
The rest of us complain that the assured
results of the best scholarship never seem to
get to the congregations. Small wonder, if
banishment is the fate of the few who make
the effort! He then derives comfort from the
words that one of the foremost theologians
of the United States, Reinhold Niebuhr, vicepresident of Union Theological Seminary, sent
to the congregation of one of these pastors:
I will consult with some of m y colleagues be
cause I think that Christian leaders should
definitely support these young men, whose
teachings are not heretical at all but in con
formity with the main body of Christian con
viction in the church.
C So the assured results of the best [twen
tieth-century theological] scholarship are the
opinions expressed by Crist, namely, have no
faith in the Bible as the W ord of God and give
its accounts no more credence than if they had
been written by any novelist or historian of
doubtful intelligence or integrity. So says the
editor of one of the foremost Christian
weeklies of the United States. And such is in
conformity with the main body of Christian
conviction, according to the vice-president of
the Union Theological Seminary. Truly today,
the blind are leading the blind. Matt. 15:14.

appreciation of memorial article

I never did before.
This coming Memorial will be the most
blessed one of my life due to this loving pro
vision of Jehovah through his organization.
Im sorry to take your time in this way for
I realize, more especially since seeing the New
World film, how valuable every minute of your
time is. But I cannot be content to let such a
great blessing go unacknowledged.
May our Sovereign God Jehovah continue to
use and bless you all, to the honor of his name
and the feeding of his sheep.
Your sister in Christ,
H. G. M.

January 21, 1956

Dear Brothers:
W ords can never tell how I thank and praise
Jehovah for the January 15 Watchtower les
sons on " T h e Table of Demons versus T h e
Table of Jehovah. And I want to thank you,
his loving slaves, as the instrument to bring
this good food to his people.
Always m y heart has longed to discern our
Lords human body in the loaf, but I have tried
to suppress the thought in obedience to what
I thought The Watchtower taught. Now I can
really comprehend the altar arrangement of
Jehovah and see the perfect sacrifice upon it as
168

Full-Time Service
--3 blOriOUS 1reasure

ran

F or w here you r treasure is,

there you r heart will b e a lso.9
Matt. 6 . 2 1 , W T .

S A handful of grain of moie

value than a handful of dia
monds? Is a tumbler of water more
to be desired than a tumbler of
pearls? Is a bottle of oxygen more
to be treasured than a bottle of
rubies? We can say neither yes nor
no to these questions, because the circum
stances a person is in determine his set
of values. To a starving man, isolated in
some remote part of the earth, a hand
ful of grain would mean more than a
handful of diamonds. A thirsty man in
a parched desert would spurn a tumbler
of pearls for a tumbler of water. And
a man suffocating from pneumonia would
treasure a bottle of oxygen above a bot
tle of rubies. In each case the values
are different from what would normally
be the case, because life is at stake. Life
means more than precious gems; for with
out life such things cannot be enjoyed.
Therefore, when examining a treasure we
should consider the reasons for its value
and why we should set our heart upon it.
'-'The precious gems in the earth were
placed there by the Creator for mans en
joyment, and there is no question about
their being desirable treasures. But so also
are food, water and air things essential
for sustaining life. These too are treasures
given to man by a loving Creator. But

should we place our

heart upon obtaining
material treasures,

Since the enjoyment

of them is only tem

porary? Should the
needs, the desires and
the pleasures of the
flesh be evaluated so
highly that they are
made the reasons for
living, the goal in life ?
Would not the means
by which a person
could obtain eternal
life be a much more
practical goal?

SERVING THE LIFE-GIVER

3 Since Jehovah God is the Creator of

earths many treasures and is the Giver of
eternal life, the wise man will place his
heart upon serving Him. Lasting enjoy
ment and true satisfaction come to those
who serve this great loving Giver of every
good and perfect gift full time. Here is a
glorious treasure exceeding by far the
many other treasures upon which a person
might place his heart. It is a treasure that
can bring eternal life. It is, therefore, of
the utmost importance that a person
should have the proper evaluation of it. He
should see it in the right perspective. He
should understand the reasons why it is
invaluable. By gaining accurate knowledge
about it he will develop the mental attitude
that Jehovah meant for his creatures to
have toward his service.
3Jehovah had definite purposes in mind
when he began creating living, intelligent
creatures untold ages ago. He did not cre
ate them merely for companionship, for he
was not lonesome. He was self-sufficient
and not dependent upon anyone else. Then

1. What should we consider when examining a treasure?

Why?
2, 3. (a) Why would the man of wisdom not place his
heart upon material treasures? (b) What does he place
his heart upon, and why should this be properly
evaluated ?

4. What was Gods purpose in creating living, intelli

gent creatures?
169

170

SHeWATCHTOWEFL

why did he create? He did so because it

pleased him to create and to allow others
to enjoy his goodness, companionship and
wisdom. He desired to share life unselfishly
with others. And so he surrounded himself
with hundreds of millions of mighty spirit
creatures who were able to enjoy directly
his radiant glory. It was his purpose that
they should serve him continually, faith
fully performing the tasks he assigned
them. They were thus given the glorious
treasure of full-time service. He meant for
them to devote their time to bringing hon
or and glory to his name, to enjoying his
goodness and love and to absorbing wisdom
from him. Because he is the source of wis
dom his thoughts are precious and of the
utmost value to his creatures. How pre
cious also are thy thoughts unto me, O
God! How great is the sum of them! Oh
the depth of Gods riches and wisdom and
knowledge! How unsearchable his judg
ments are and past tracing out his ways
are! Ps. 139:17,
;Rom.
S
A
5 At their various duties the angels joy
fully served the interests of their loving
Creator. They did not push these duties
aside as secondary to personal interests.
No, they gave their undivided attention
and their full energies and abilities to serv
ing the great Sovereign of the universe.
Nothing was of greater importance to
them. Those sent out as messengers went
without hesitating for a moment. There
was no holding back or the least sign of
unwillingness to accept an assignment.
They delighted to do Jehovahs will be
cause that was where their heart was. They
found joy in serving him full time.
6The first of these spirit creations was
given many special duties, among which
was the creating of the heavenly hosts.
5. How did the angels regard full-time service of the
Creator?
6. What were some of the special duties assigned to
Jehovahs first creation?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

This mighty Son of God joyfully devoted

his energies to this task, finding pleasure
in the full-time service of his God and
Father. Since he was appointed as a special
spokesman for Jehovah, he was called The
Word. Regarding him John 1:1-3
says: Originally the Word was, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was a
god. This one was originally with God. All
things came into existence through him,
and apart from him not even one thing
came into existence. And then the apostle
Paul tells us: He is the image of the in
visible God, the firstborn of all creation,
because by means of him all other things
were created in the heavens and upon the
earth, the things visible and the things
invisible.Col. 1:15,16,
7He gladly accepted whatever assign
ment God gave him. He did not consider
full-time service a glorious treasure in one
section of the universe but undesirable in
another. It made no difference to him
where he was assigned to serve so long as
11:33,
he could be of use to his God and Father.
His attitude was well expressed at Psalm
40:8 ( AS ): I delight to do thy will, O
my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.
He has shown this same humble attitude
and willingness to serve throughout his
long career of full-time service. He said on
one occasion: I seek not my own will but
the will of him that sent me. (John 5:30,
NW) This has been his mental attitude
from the very beginning. He is, therefore,
an example that all other creatures would
do well to follow.
8
When Jehovah purposed to bring forth
the material universe and to make one of
the material bodies a paradise home for
intelligent, fleshly creatures, it was the
Word who was assigned to carry this pur
pose to fruition. And so with the pattern
and power supplied by Jehovah God, he
7, 8. (a) What was his attitude toward full-time service?
(b) Did a long period of service on one assignment dis
courage him?

March 15, 1956

fEeW ATCHTOW ER.

proceeded with the work of material crea

tion. Although the forming of the earth
and the preparing of it for life were tasks
requiring a great period of time, the Word
did not lose interest in his work. He did
not allow billions of years on the same as
signment to dishearten him and cause him
to quit. He stuck to his job and faithfully
worked at it until it was finished.
9By such faithful service he proved his
dependability and was therefore given oth
er assignments. One of these strongly ap
pears to have been the delivering of the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He had
the responsibility of leading them by a
pillar of fire by day and a pillar of cloud by
night. And then when the people reached
the foot of Mount Horeb, it was evidently
this beloved Son of the Most High who
transmitted the divine Law to the Israel
ites through Moses. Regarding this mighty
spirit Son, called Michael, Daniel 12:1
(AS) says that he is the great prince who
standeth for the children of thy people.
Certainly the angel who had guided them
and faithfully conveyed Gods instructions
to them, as well as punished them for dis
obeying the divine Law, would be the one
who would stand prince over Gods chosen
people.*
10The most difficult assignment for the
Word came when Jehovah had him give
up life in the heavenly realm as a glorious
spirit creature and take up full-time service
on the earth as a man. Although this as
signment meant being made lower than the
angels and involved a sacrificial death
while he was on earth, it did not cause the
Son to reject the assignment. He humbly
agreed to do whatever the great Sovereign
decreed. And so it is written at Philippians
* See the book New Heavens and a New Earth ,
pages 26-30, flU 10-15.
9. What did he prove by sticking to his assignment, and
what did this bring him?
10. What was the only-begotten Sons most difficult as
signment, and how did he react to it?

171

2:5-8
(NW): Keep this mental attitude
in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who,
although he was existing in Gods form,
gave no consideration to a seizure, namely,
that he should be equal to God. No, but he
emptied himself and took a slaves form
and came to be in the likeness of men.
More than that, when he found himself
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient as far as death, yes,
death on a torture stake. In spite of the
trials and hardships that came upon Gods
only-begotten Son on this particular assign
ment, he did not for one moment think
about quitting and dropping out of the full
time service of his heavenly Father. He
valued that above his personal feelings, his
personal comfort and even his life.
11 No matter what circumstance Christ
was in, he always had the proper evalua
tion of the glorious treasure of full-time
service. His evaluation did not change when
circumstances changed, as do the evalua
tions of those who place their heart upon
material possessions. He knew there was
no need even to consider comparing the
value of his Fathers service with any of
the luxuries and comforts of this world,
not even with the necessities of life. He
once said: My food is for me to do the
will of him that sent me and to finish his
work. (John 4:34, NW) He rejected the
riches, honor and power of this entire
world in preference for Jehovahs service.
(Matt. 4:8-10,
NW) To fulfill this assig
ment, as he had fulfilled other assignments,
was all that interested him. This godly
service was of far greater value to him,
because it meant Jehovahs approval and
eternal life.
12 The example of godly service set by
this beloved Son is without question the
finest any creature could follow. His bil
lions of years of faithful full-time service
11, 12. (a) Did Christ have the proper evaluation of the
treasure of full-time service? (b) What has he shown by
his actions?

172

STieWATCHTOWER

and humble willingness to accept and per

form whatever assignment was given him,
as well as his endurance under trial, clearly
prove his deep love for the Father. Here is
a splendid example of apprecia
tion for the treasure of full-time
service, and it well illustrates the
proper evaluation of that treasure.
SERVICE HAS VARIED

13 The manner in which crea

tures have been privileged to
serve Jehovah God full time has
varied. The only-begotten Son,
as we have seen, served in more
than one manner. And when we
examine the records of faith
ful full-time servants on earth,
we find this to be true with
THY
them too. Not all served in the
same way. Noah, for example,
received an assignment to do a witness
work. He was to preach a warning of the
violent end that was due to come upon the
antediluvian world, and, in addition to
that, he was to construct an ark for the
preservation of the creatures, human and
beast, that God would designate. This was
the manner in which Noah was to render
service to Jehovah. It was a service of the
utmost importance. He could not, there
fore, place it secondary to personal ven
tures and interests. Since his heart was in
the full-time service of the Creator, he
stuck to his assignment until it was finished.
14 The same was true of Moses, who
gave up shepherding in order to serve
Jehovah full time. He too remained stead
fast in that service. His manner of service
differed from that of Noah, however, as
it was an assignment to look after Jeho
vahs interests with regard to the nation
of Israel. It proved to be a very difficult
13. (a) Has this treasure been confined to one manner
of service? (b) How did Noah serve?
14. How did Moses have reason to be discouraged?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

assignment, because of the complaining,

stubborn and rebellious disposition of the
people. Although this caused him to be
very discouraged on a number of occasions,
he did not run away from his re
sponsibilities of leadership, leav
ing its problems for someone else
to wrestle with. To quit and run
away would have meant giving
up the treasure of full-time serv
ice, and Moses preferred to bear
the load before doing that. So he
stuck to his job in spite of occa
sional d iscou ra g em en t. His
heart was in the service of his
God. Heb. 3:2, 5.
15
Another form of fu
service was that performed by
the tribe of Levi. It was set
WILL.
apart from the twelve tribes of
Israel for temple service. The
Levites were assigned to devote all their
attention to performing the various duties
in connection with the nations worship.
Therefore their continual service was to
be at the tabernacle or in connection with
it. This treasure of full-time service of God
was to be their inheritance, as is pointed
out at Deuteronomy 10:9 (NW) : That is
why Levi has come to have no share and
inheritance with his brothers. Jehovah is
his inheritance, just as Jehovah your God
had said to him. Certainly their inherit
ance was far greater than the land re
ceived by the twelve tribes.
10Later, when prophets were raised up
among the Israelites, we find a still differ
ent form of full-time service. Jehovah used
them to sound warnings to the wayward
nation of Israel. This they faithfully did
in spite of the abuse that was heaped upon
15. (a) What inheritance did the Levites receive?
(b) How was their service assignment different?
16, 17. (a) Did the prophets have reason to be dis
couraged? (b) What examples can you give of some
who did not quit full-time service because of dis
couragement ?

March

15, 1956

fffkWATCHTOWER.

173

them. Brothers, take as a pattern of the couraging circumstances. But in spite of

suffering of evil and the exercising of pa his trials and discouragements he did not
tience the prophets, who spoke in the name lose his keen appreciation for the invalu
of Jehovah. Look! we pronounce happy able treasure of full-time service. 1 Ki.
those who have endured. (Jas. 5:10, 11, 19:2, 4, 9, 10.
18King David had this same appreciation
NW; 2 Chron. 36:16) So although they
were not well received and had good reason for Jehovahs service. He served full time
to be discouraged, they did not quit. What as a divinely appointed king to the nation
could be more discouraging than to know of Israel. That was his assignment, an as
that, before one spoke, the people would not signment that was distinctly different from
listen? Jeremiah had to contend with that. what was given to the prophets. As an
God told him: And thou shalt speak all anointed king over Gods chosen people,
these words unto them; but they will not he had the distinction of being representa
hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto tive of the sovereign power of the great
them; but they will not answer thee. (Jer. Ruler of the universe. For that reason it
can be said that he sat on the throne of
7:27,
AS) What would you do if you were
faced with a similar situation today? Jehovah. This expression is used at
Knowing before you even began speaking 1 Chronicles 29:23 regarding Davids son
that your efforts would be fruitless, would Solomon, when he was crowned king the
you give up? Would you quit Jehovahs second time. On that occasion the treasure
full-time service because you felt your of full-time service as a theocratic king
labors were in vain? Or would you cling passed from David to Solomon, but Solo
to that treasure and fulfill your commis mon failed to maintain the proper evalua
sion as Jeremiah did? The Bible indicates tion and appreciation of it throughout his
that this was more or less the situation lifetime, as his father David had done.
19To David, however, nothing brought
faced by all the prophets who were sent to
the nation of Israel. And though I sent all greater joy than serving the interests of
my servants the prophets, early and late, his God. At one time he expressed the de
from the day that your fathers came out sire to dwell in the house of Jehovah all the
of the land of Egypt even to this day, they days of his life. (Ps. 27:4) He thus clearly
neither listened nor inclined their ears to revealed where his heart was. He had no
me, but stiffened their necks, and behaved desire to be anywhere else than in Jehovahs
worse than their fathers. (Jer. 7:25, 26, service. He sincerely yearned for Jehovahs
AT) The prophets had the proper evalua praises to be sung among the nations and
tion of the treasure of godly service and so for the Creators marvelous works to be
clung to it in spite of such discouraging proclaimed far and wide. This desire was
circumstances. The peoples attitude did beautifully expressed in the thanks he gave
Jehovah at the time the ark was brought
not alter their set of values.
17
Even when Elijah thought he was theto Jerusalem and placed in the tent he
only one in all Israel who had not forsaken had prepared for it alongside his palace.
Jehovahs worship, he did not think for a Here was the heartfelt expression of one
moment that he should give up his assign who was fully devoted to Gods service and
ment as a prophet. He stuck to it until who looked upon it as the most precious
Jehovah took him. Like other faithful of all treasures. David opened his expresprophets he maintained integrity to Jeho
vah God under the most trying and dis-

18. In what manner did David serve full time?

19. How did David regard the treasure of full-time
service, and what was his desire?

174

STieWATCHTOWER.

sion of thanks by saying: Thank Jehovah,

call upon his name, make his deeds known
among the peoples! Sing to him, make
melody to him, talk of all his wonderful
acts. (1 Chron. 16:8, 9,
This making
known of Jehovahs acts and talking of his
marvelous works is the form of service that
the Greater David introduced a consider
able time later.
THE KINGDOM MINISTRY

20 Up to now we have seen how the treas

ure of full-time service has been enjoyed
in different ways throughout the ages.
Persons of faith carried on their service
in various manners, depending upon the
assignment God had given them. But with
the coming of the Greater David, Christ
Jesus, a new form of full-time service was
introduced. It was the doing of the very
thing David spoke about the making
known of Jehovahs acts among the people
of the world. It was time to declare the
good news of Jehovahs kingdom. This new
work was appropriately launched by the
One anointed to be King of the Kingdom.
21 This was a new assignment for Gods
only-begotten Son, who, thirty years before
his anointing as King, had been bom to
Mary as a perfect human, his life force
having been transferred from the heavens
to Marys womb. So, at the age of thirty, as
the anointed King he proceeded to launch
this new way of serving the Creator. In
order that others might know how this
service was to be rendered, Christ set the
example by going from place to place
preaching the good news of the Kingdom
and the wonderful acts of God. Here was
an educational work that was unparalleled.
It was a work of gathering together per
sons who would be worthy of the gift of
eternal life. (John 17:3) Christ devoted
his full time to this assignment and carried
20, 21. What new way of serving Jehovah full time was
introduced by Christ?

ro o klyn

N. Y.

it to completion, as he had done with every

other assignment his Father had given him.
22 Before the days of Christ the treasure
of full-time service was limited to just a
few individuals, but the Kingdom ministry
changed that. It finally made this treasure
available to people of all nations, so that
anyone might take hold of it. John and his
fellow fisherman Andrew were the first of
thousands to embrace it in this new form.
When Jesus offered it to them and later to
Peter, they did not hesitate to accept it.
The same was true of James the brother
of John. Regarding this Matthew 4:18-22
(NW) says: Walking alongside the sea
of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon who
is called Peter and Andrew his brother,
letting down a fishing-net into the sea, for
they were fishers. And he said to them:
Come after me, and I will make you
fishers of men. At once abandoning the
nets, they followed him. Going on also
from there he saw two others who were
brothers, James the son of Zebedee and
John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee
their father, repairing their nets, and
he called them. At once leaving the boat
and their father, they followed him.
As he had promised, Christ instructed
them and made them fishers of men. They
now concentrated their time and energies
on the work of proclaiming the magnificent
purposes of Jehovah God.
23The apostle Paul was outstanding in
this regard. He devoted his all to the min
istry. Although he underwent many severe
trials, he never gave the slightest thought
to quitting the full-time service. Regarding
some of his experiences 2 Corinthians
11:24-27
(NW) says: By Jews I five time
received forty strokes less one, three times
I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,
three times I experienced shipwreck, a
22. (a) What change did the Kingdom ministry make
with regard to the treasure of full-time service?
(b) How did some respond to the invitation to make
this treasure theirs?
23. How did Paul view full-time service?

175
SEeWATCHTOWER.
night and a day I have spent in the deep; I do indeed also consider all things to be
in travels often, in dangers from rivers, in loss on account of the excelling value of the
dangers from highwaymen, in dangers knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. On
from my own race, in dangers from the na account of him I have taken the loss of all
tions, in dangers in the city, in dangers in things and I consider them as a lot of ref
NW) Thus the thing
the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in use. (Phil. 3:8,
dangers among false brothers, in labor and this world, upon which people set their
toil, in sleepless nights often, in hunger hearts, Paul considered to be refuse, to com
and thirst, in abstinence from food many pare with the treasure he had of full-time
times, in cold and nakedness. For a person service of God in the Kingdom ministry.
24
Does it not seem foolish to place your
lacking the proper evaluation of the treas
ure of full-time service these would have heart upon a great deal of refuse and to
been good reasons for quitting. But not so make it your goal in life? Is it not fool
with Paul. He cherished this treasure too hardy to make that your treasure? Since a
greatly even to entertain such a thought. persons evaluation of diamonds, pearls and
rubies is completely changed by the circum
No amount of hardship and abuse could
stances he is in, is it not wiser to set your
cause him to let this treasure go. Neither
heart upon a treasure whose value never
did he permit the attraction of material changes? A treasure that can mean eternal
comforts, financial security or precious life? Jesus once said: For where your
gems to change his set of values. He con treasure is, there your heart will be also.
sidered all that the world offered in a ma (Matt. 6:21,
NW) Now, where is your
terial way as loss when compared with the heart? Is it where his heart is, on the glori
ministry and its life-giving truths. Regard ous treasure of full-time service?
ing this he said: Why, for that matter, 24. What is the wise course for a person to take?
M arch

15, 1956

Letter of
December 11, 1955
Dear Brother Knorr:
It occurs to me that you have probably heard
many times expressions of appreciation by
brothers who have enjoyed rich spiritual bless
ings during the year 1955. But I am anxious to
add another word. Often do I think of the great
responsibility that you have before Jehovah.
And it is so obvious that you have his rich
blessings. That must give you great peace and
joy.
I never expected to have such joys with my
brothers in many lands as I had the past sum
mer in Europe. And the Society did a wonderful
service to the brothers in making that trip
possible. It was a tremendous task. I hope, too,

App_>
that you have another New W orld Society
movie of it. The public seems to like the close
ness that the pictures bring and so do the
brothers who remain at home.
And the spiritual food that constantly flows
from the temple is most thrilling and satisfy
ing. New light is coming from the temple and
about the temple. I have just read carefully
the December 15, 1955, Watchtower. W onderful
light! It will aid much in causing all to see the
value of bringing all the tithes' into Jehovah's
house.
Rejoicing with you in this great day of Jeho
vah, I am
Your fellow servant with much love,
H. L. P.

the

you 6y
com L
brothers, to present your
holy, acceptable to God, a
with you r power o f reason
Rom .

I HE British crown jewels are the most

the Kingdom min
dazzling collection of gems in the istry, and must al
world. They form a priceless treasure that ready be engaged in that ministry to the
has been admired by multitudes. But al extent that his time permits.
though many have longed to possess some
of these gems, there is not the remotest
PROPER MENTAL ATTITUDE
chance they ever will. However, there is a
3
To those who would like to serve God
treasure they can possess that is of far the apostle Paul says, as recorded at Ro
greater value than the crown jewels. Since mans 12:2 (NW): And quit being fash
this treasure does not possess its value be
ioned after this system of things, but be
cause of rarity, it is available to all who transformed by making your mind over,
want it. But certain things are required of
that you may prove to yourselves the good
an individual before he can possess it. He
and acceptable and complete will of God.
must therefore carefully consider these re
That means a person must reverse his set
quirements and then decide whether this
of values. Instead of looking upon material
treasure is for him.
riches as the world does, he must look upon
2
The treasure of unequaled value is thethem as Paul did. He will not give them
full-time service of the great Source of life, the predominant position in his life that
Jehovah God. Since it brings eternal life he once did. What he now places the most
to the one who reaches out for it and holds value upon is the service of the great Lifeon to it, what jewel collection could possi Giver, Jehovah God. In this way he ceases
bly compare with it? What is a precious to be fashioned after this present system
stone or a whole roomful of such stones of things. He dedicates his life to the do
in comparison with life? Little wonder is ing of Gods will as did Jesus, who said:
it, then, that the apostle Paul considered Let not my will, but yours take place.
such things as refuse, in comparison with (Luke 22:42, NW) He also adopts the men
the knowledge and service of God! This, tal attitude expressed by David: I delight
of course, is a set of values entirely in re to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is
verse of that possessed by the world. That within my heart. (Ps. 40:8, AS) He then
is why the decision to reach out for the engages in the Kingdom ministry along
treasure of full-time service is a grave one with others who have made this dedica
that requires careful consideration. A per tion. These dedicated ones now form a
son must know what he is doing. He must New World society of faithful witnesses
have an understanding and appreciation of who give testimony to the supremacy and
purposes of Jehovah God.
1, 2. (a) What treasure is of unequaled value, and to
whom is it available? (b) Why is it a grave decision to
seek possession of this treasure?

3. What should a Christians mental attitude be?

176

M arch

15, 1956

fnkWATCHTOWER.

177

second to personal interests. It should be

of first importance. Those who fail to place
it first have not as yet changed their set
of values and been transformed from being
fashioned after this present world or sys
tem of things. They do not, as yet, evaluate
the treasure of full-time service above the
riches of the world. To present yourself to
God means to give yourself completely over
to his service. It means devoting your time,
your energies, your abilities, your posses
sions to the doing of Gods will, not to do
ing your own will. This is a sacred service
that is pleasing and acceptable to him. But.
to be this, it must be done with your power
of reason. You must fully understand what
you are doing and why you are doing it.

4The majority of these dedicated Chris

tians have obligations and responsibilities
that prevent them from devoting all their
time to the Kingdom ministry, but that
does not mean they should not seek the
treasure of full-time service if it is at all
possible for them to do so. There are some,
however, who feel that they would accept
without question an angelic-delivered in
vitation to serve in Jehovahs heavenly
courts along with the mighty angels, but
yet close their ears when full-time service
in the Kingdom ministry is mentioned. If
they are willing to serve God full time at
one place in his universe, why should they
be uninterested in serving him full time at
some other place? Does the location of his
service or the different manner in which it
is carried on change its value? Are they
willing to give Jehovah full-time service
only when there are no hardships and per
secution involved? Do they forget that
when they made their dedication to God
and symbolized it by water baptism they
died to their former course of life? By
going beneath the water they indicated
that they had. When they came up, they
were to live from then on doing Gods will.
If they are able to do so, do you not think
God expects them to devote their full time
to the doing of his ministry?
5If you are one who has made this dedi
cation and are in position to give Jehovah
full-time service, why are you not doing
so? Did you not mean it when you dedi
cated your life to him? Did you die to your
own selfish course of life, or are you still
putting it first? The apostle Paul says:
Present your bodies a sacrifice living,
holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service.
(Rom. 12:1, NW) That does not mean to
consider Jehovahs service as an incidental
thing, to be done whenever you have spare
time. It is not something that is to come

6
If you have made the full-time service
your treasure and have placed your heart
upon it, then you will want to be in that
service. But keep in mind that it is not
something that can be jumped into just be
cause a person is momentarily stirred up.
It is a valuable treasure that cannot be
taken lightly or grasped only temporarily.
So before a person enters the full-time
ministry he should give careful considera
tion to it. He should remember that the
difficulties he experiences in the part-time
ministry will be greatly multiplied in the
full-time ministry. He should examine the
requirements and decide whether he is able
to meet them. He should consider the cost.
Is it too high for him? Does he have to
relinquish too much in the way of personal
interests, pleasures and material posses
sions? It is a decision that must be made
because of ones love for God and his will
ingness to serve. He must have a genuine
love for Jehovah and for the service of that
Supreme One before he can even consider
reaching out for this treasure. He must be

4. What is the attitude some take toward full-time

service ?
5. What kind of service is pleasing to Jehovah?

6. (a) Should a person jump into the full-time service?

(b) What are some basic requirements for this service,
and why are they essential ?

NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SEeWATCHTOWER
keenly interested in the Kingdom ministry ganization has dedicated persons who are
and in the expansion of the theocratic or willing to devote their full time to the
ganization. He should be mature in the Kingdom ministry? At Acts 16:9
Scriptural truths that come to him through it is recorded that the apostle Paul had a
this organization. All this is essential, be vision of a man of Macedonia standing, be
cause those who take up the full-time serv seeching: Step over into Macedonia and
ice as the apostles did become special rep help us. Since Paul was serving Jehovah
resentatives of it. Others look to them for full time he was free to go to this other
a mature understanding of the Scriptures country and there direct persons of good
and a zealous example in the Kingdom will in the way to life. He gave no thought
to himself or to his own interests. He had
ministry.
7 Once you have taken this forward step, Jehovahs interests at heart and was will
you should not step back. The full-time ing to go wherever he was directed.
9This obedience and willingness to serve
service of God is not a temporary occupa
tion. It is not something to be done for a are what Jehovah God expects of those
few months or a few years and then who accept the treasure of full-time serv
dropped when you are tired of it. Those ice. Persons who are stubborn and selffaithful persons who took up this service willed are of no value to him. He wants
in ages past clung to it in spite of discour servants who delight to do his will and
agement and hardships. They did not gladly obey whatever instructions are
allow themselves to become weary in well given them through the theocratic organi
doing full time. (Gal. 6:9,
Once they zation. As Christ showed humility and
entered full-time service they stayed in it. obedience, so should his followers. They
The Kingdom ministry today is no easier should, therefore, be willing to go wherever
than the service assignments they had. It the organization sends them. They should
has many hardships and difficulties. So do show the willingness of the prophet Isaiah,
not enter it with the idea that it is easy who said: Here am I; send me. (Isa.
and then quit when you find that it is not. 6:8, AS) A person with this mental atti
tude is eager to do Jehovahs will, and he
MUCH FULL-TIME SERVANTS CAN DO
will not hesitate to accept greater privi
8In Jehovahs earthly organization there leges of service when they are offered him,
are many places for full-time servants. It such as those of a pioneer publisher.
10When engaging in the full-time service
has a big work to do in carrying out his
command to proclaim the good news of the as a pioneer, a person has little time for
Kingdom in all the inhabited earth. There personal pursuits. It is a work that re
are many people that must be reached and quires careful budgeting of time. The pio
instructed in Gods Word of truth. People neer minister must preach from house to
by the tens of thousands are responding to house, make back-calls and conduct home
this good news, but, as Jesus foretold, the Bible studies. He must meet the quota of
harvest is great, but the workers are few. hours set by the theocratic organization.
(Matt. 9:37, NW) More full-time workers In addition to this he must work with the
are needed to care for the Masters harvest. local congregation of Jehovahs dedicated
How can persons in isolated areas or in servants by helping those who need assist
distant lands be reached unless Gods or- ance in the Kingdom ministry. Some pio-

178

7. Is the full-time service to be looked upon as a tem

porary occupation?
8. Why are full-time servants needed?

9. What does Jehovah expect of those who accept his

treasure ?
10. Why must a pioneer have personal organization?

arch

15, 1956

179

SfreWATCHTOWER.

neers may be given positions as overseers

within the congregations, which is an
added privilege of service for them. They
must also take the lead in showing love,
mercy and understanding. Besides keeping
up their personal study, which is essential,
they must take care of their personal
needs, which may include a part-time secu
lar job. To keep up such a busy schedule
the pioneer minister must have personal
organization. He must have each day
planned in advance. So full-time service
as a pioneer is not easy. It is hard work
and therefore requires persons who are
mature in Scriptural understanding, per
sons who find delight in proclaiming Jeho
vahs praises, persons who are not afraid
of work.
11 The full-time servant who proves to be
a diligent pioneer has the prospect of being
invited to attend the Watchtower Bible
School of Gilead, for special training in the
ministry. Here he will receive advanced
instruction in the Scriptures as well as
training for carrying on the Kingdom
ministry in other countries. He is thus pre
pared to render special service to Jehovahs
organization in much the same manner as
the apostle Paul did. At Gilead he learns
to have greater appreciation for the or
ganization, how it functions, the need for
it, and his relationship to it. Since Gilead
is designed to broaden a ministers knowl
edge and understanding of Scriptural
truths, the best way to prepare for it is to
study diligently the publications regularly
provided by the theocratic organization.
He must keep up with the latest spiritual
food coming from Jehovahs table.
12 When a student at Gilead graduates
he should have a much keener appreciation
of the treasure of full-time service. He will
gladly accept whatever territory assign11. What is the prospect before a diligent pioneer, and
how may he prepare for it?
12. How should a Gilead graduate consider his assign
ment?

ment he is given, and will go there with

the intention of staying at least three
years. If he returns home for a visit at the
end of that time he will want to go back
to his foreign assignment and continue in
Jehovahs full-time service there. He will
put forth every effort to stick to his assign
ment no matter how unpleasant or dis
couraging it may be. He will not consider
quitting, but will always keep in mind the
splendid examples of steadfastness in full
time service left by Gods faithful servants
of ancient times. He will eventually be
come accustomed to the strange surround
ings and peculiar habits of the people in
his assignment if he makes up his mind
to do so. In time he will look upon it as his
home and will find the people of the New
World society as lovable there as in other
countries.
SERVING AT BETHEL

13 In order that the Kingdom ministry

may be organized and that dedicated Chris
tians may be kept supplied with Bibles and
Bible study aids, it has been necessary for
the theocratic organization to have socalled Bethel homes throughout the
world. The ministers who live and work at
these homes are persons who have em
braced the treasure of full-time service.
They spend their full time caring for Jeho
vahs interests. In whatever land a Bethel
home, which is the name given branch
offices of the Watch Tower Society, is lo
cated, it is the hub of theocratic activity
there. It is dedicated to the service of the
Most High and is indeed the house of
God, as the name Bethel means.
14 When a dedicated Christian steps for
ward to full-time service, it may be that
he will choose to serve at Bethel. If he
meets the requirements and his application
is accepted, he steps into a wonderful fea13. Explain the purpose of Bethel.
14, 15. How should Bethel be viewed?

180

SflkWATCHTOWER.

ture of full-time service. But to appreciate

Bethel fully he must see Jehovahs organi
zation as a whole and the vital spot Bethel
holds in it. He must not visualize Bethel
as a monastery, where people live in seclu
sion, spending all their time in meditation
and prayer. It is far from being anything
like that. It is instead a place of great ac
tivity. It is a place where a person is ex
pected to be productive, not unproductive.
Not only must a person look after the
duties assigned him there, but he must be
active in preaching the good news of the
Kingdom as well.
15 All who have come into the New World
society should have a proper understand
ing of Bethel. Persons who look upon Beth
el as a good place for training indifferent
or obstinate children should change their
view, because Bethel is no such place. It
is the house of God, a place where dedi
cated ministers of Jehovah devote their
full time to honoring and praising him as
well as serving the interests of the Chris
tian organization. It is not a school for
correcting troublesome children. It is not
designed to do the work parents have failed
to do. Persons who come to Bethel should
be ministers who are representative of
Jehovahs witnesses world-wide. They
should be persons the theocratic organiza
tion is pleased to have in such a responsi
ble place of service.
16 Bethel service should never be taken
lightly. No one should apply for Bethel
with the attitude of giving it a try. This
is full-time service and one should enter
it with full intentions of sticking to it. If
you were invited to serve in Jehovahs
heavenly courts, would you say: Well, Ill
give it a try and see if I like it ? There
may be many things you would like to do
better than serve full time in the Kingdom
ministry, since it is hard work, but that is
16, 17. (a) With what attitude should a person enter
Bethel service? (b) How long should he stay?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

not what should be considered. Serving

Jehovah is your obligation, your respon
sibility, what you have agreed to do if you
have made a dedication to him. So those
who give themselves to the full-time serv
ice must do so because they love the great
Sovereign and want to serve him as a slave.
If you give yourself to Jehovah as a slave,
then it is a question of not what is pleasing
to you but what is pleasing to Him. Thus
Bethel is not something just to try out. It
is a blessed privilege of service that should
be cherished and held in the highest regard.
17
The fact that a person may not find
Bethel as he anticipated it is no reason for
him to quit after working for only a few
days, a few weeks or a few months. A
person coming to Bethel should come with
the determination to stay at least three
years no matter what trials he may en
counter. In fact, the Bethel application
specifically says: If your application is ac
cepted and you enter the Bethel service,
will you remain faithfully at such post of
assigned duty for three years or longer?
If an applicant says yes, then he should
mean yes. Remember what Ecclesiastes
5:4 (AS) says: When thou vowest a vow
unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath
no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou
vowest. That means the theocratic organi
zation expects Bethel applicants to be per
sons of integrity who will keep their agree
ment to serve at least three years in full
time service at Bethel. It is naturally hoped
that he will stay in this particular field of
full-time service much longer. Lifelong
service at Bethel is the real goal and has
been met by many faithful Christians.
MANY TRIALS

'* It must be kept in mind that when a

person enters the full-time service of the
Creator there are bound to be many trials.
18. (a) What should the full-time servant expect?
(b) Give examples of individuals who had reason to be
discouraged but did not quit.

March

15, 1956

SBeWATCHTOWER.

181

This was true with the faithful men of of full-time service, do you cherish that
ancient times who embraced this treasure; treasure enough that you could preach for
so it should be the expected thing today. forty or fifty years with no one responding
It was even foretold by the apostle Paul, to your preaching, and yet not let go of
who said: All those desiring to live with that treasure? Could you go to an assign
godly devotion in association with Christ ment, knowing in advance that not a single
Jesus will also be persecuted. (2 Tim. person will heed your warning message,
3:12,
WBut
N
) persecution for proclaiming and yet stay on that assignment for years
the good news of the Kingdom and holding without quitting? It takes courage to do
fast to Christian integrity is only one of that. It takes determination. It takes ap
the trials a full-time servant must contend preciation of Jehovahs service. It takes
with. Discouragement, for example, is a real love for Him. Jehovahs servants of
trial that pioneers and missionaries must ancient times had these qualities; do you?
contend with continually. Working day
20 We must not give up in doing what is
after day with little or no results is very right, for in due season we shall reap by
discouraging, and the natural tendency is not giving out. (Gal. 6:9,
In order
to say: Whats the use? That is precisely not to give out a person has to study Gods
what Satan wants you to conclude. He does Word constantly and meditate upon it. Not
not want you to serve Jehovah either full only must he meditate upon the marvelous
time or part time. He wants you to quit. blessings that Jehovah has promised for
But think how discouraging it may have those who endure in faithful service, but he
been for Noah, who preached for forty or must reflect upon the splendid examples
fifty years with absolutely no results ex of steadfastness that can be found in the
cept the response of his immediate family. Bible. If persons of past ages could hold
Was he discouraged to the point where he up under trials and discouraging circum
quit Jehovahs full-time service? Did he stances, then you can too. They were hu
let go of that wonderful treasure just be man just as you are. At 1 Corinthians
cause people of his day did not respond to 15:58 (NW) the apostle Paul gives this
his preaching? And what about Jeremiah? sound advice: Consequently, my beloved
God told him before he even began preach brothers, become steadfast, unmovable, al
ing that the people would not listen to him. ways having plenty to do in the work of
But did Jeremiah say: Whats the use? the Lord, knowing that your labor is not
Did he allow discouragement to silence his in vain in connection with the Lord.
lips? Did he quit his assignment and tell Therefore, even if your preaching may
God that it was a waste of time? He did seem to be fruitless, your labor is never
not. He stuck to it, even as Noah did. These in vain. Your daily service is a sacrifice of
two faithful men knew they were doing praise to Jehovah, and that alone is reason
Gods will, serving his interests, even enough to be steadfast in full-time service.
though their preaching fell upon deaf ears.
21 Gods servants are bound to have many
By continuing on their assignment in spite obstacles and temptations come upon them.
of this indifference, they proved their But did Christ and other faithful men allow
integrity.
such things to take the treasure of full
19
But what about you? If you are onetime service away from them? Their minds
who has made a dedication to serve the and hearts were fixed upon one thing
Most High and have embraced the treasure
19, 20. What does it take to stick in full-time service?

21. What have some persons allowed to happen, and

what question does this raise?

182

3TieWAT CHTOW ER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

faithfully serving Jehovah. They allowed of serving the great Life-Giver full time
nothing to interfere with that. There are unattractive to you? Do you hold back
persons today, however, who once pos because you find no delight in doing Gods
sessed the treasure of full-time service as will all the time?
23
On the other hand, if you decide that
pioneers but failed to have this mental at
this
treasure
is for you and you reach out
titude. They allowed their part-time secu
to
embrace
it
to make it yours, then make
lar work to entice them into laying aside
up your mind that you are going to hang
pioneering in order to take up full-time
on to it with all your strength. Never let
secular work. Now, where is their heart?
Is it in doing Gods will or in doing their it go. Do not quit the full-time service when
own will? Is their treasure in material rich persecution comes upon you. Do not quit
es or in full-time service? Since we know when your spirit becomes low because of
that Satan accuses us of loving ourselves discouragement. Do not quit when lured by
more than God, we never want to give him financial gain. Do not quit because of
weariness from long years of service. In
grounds for that accusation.
stead of quitting, hold on to that treasure
22
If you happen to be one who is a dedi
of full-time service. Hold on more firmly
cated servant of God and you are free of
than you would the crown jewels if they
obligations, or could be free of them, why
were yours. Never allow your eyes to be
have you not made the treasure of full
come dull to its resplendent beauty. Never
time service yours? Do you serve Jehovah
lose appreciation for it. Rejoice over it as
God out of love or for selfish reasons, as
the angels have rejoiced over it, as the
Satan charges? If you serve him out of
patriarchs, the prophets and the apostles
love, then why do you hold back from giv
rejoiced over it and cherished it. Never
ing him full-time service since it is possible
forget that its rewards are eternal, its
for you to do so? Is this treasure not for
blessings beyond compare.
you? Is it only for others? Is the thought
22. What searching questions can a person ask himself ?

23. When a person gains the treasure of full-time serv

ice, what should he be determined to do?

W hy an Agnostic
C. In giving his Credo of an agnostic in Look magazine, November 3,1953, Bertrand
Russell listed among his reasons for being an agnostic the Bibles contradictions,
claiming that in one place the Bible forbids a childless widow to marry her hus
bands brother and in another place commanded it. In this article he did not give
any Scriptural citations. However, in his book Human Society in Ethics and Politics,
he does cite the two texts, Leviticus 20:21 and Deuteronomy 25:5. And how do they
read? W here a man takes his brothers wife, it is something abhorrent. It is the
nakedness of his brother that he has laid bare. They should become childless.
In case brothers should dwell together and one of them has died without his
having a son, the wife of the dead one should not become a strange m ans out
side. Her brother-in-law should go to her and he must take her as his wife and
perform brother-in-law marriage with her. (New World Trans.) It does not take
much learning to appreciate that these two texts refer to entirely different situa
tions, the one to adultery and the other to the law of levirate marriage, which applied
only in the event of a married mans dying before he had any offspring. It is
all very simple, but apparently not to a learned university professor, scientist and
philosopher of more than eighty years, especially when such a one happens also
to be an agnostic!

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN,
AUGUST 17-21, 1955
For the many foreign dele
gates it was now a choice of
the Scandinavian assembly at
Stockholm or the Dutch assem
bly at The Hague, Nether
lands, or parts of both. Those
assembling at Stockholm rep
resented twenty-three distinct
lands, including such places as
Lapland and the Philippine
Islands. Five thousand
of the Danish brothers
came over from Den
mark, and two thou
sand
four
hundred
brothers from N orw ay
came also, and nearly
one thousand from Finland. About 2,000 were
from overseas.
The holding of a large-scale international as
sembly in Swedens capital was good for the
interests of the New W orld society in that land.
The Swedes, who have a national state church,
have fallen away from the churches, incline
to ridicule the religious clergy, and lean to
worldly intellectuality, becoming very material
istic. So the exalting of spiritual interests as
displayed in the preparations for the Stockholm
assembly and in the advertising of it by Jeho
vahs witnesses and, finally, in the assembly
itself with all its features and activities, was an
eye opener for the Swedes. The Stockholm
newspapers broadened their attitude to give
over 2,860 column inches of space to news
about the assembly. Reporters interviewed offi
cials of the W atch Tower Society shortly after
their arrival. For the first time in Swedish
history the radio news broadcasting came out
with reports of the assembly: the first days
gathering, the baptism and the public meeting
on the last day.
On the southern outskirts of Stockholm lies
the big football and runners ground, the sports
place known as the Johanneshovs Idrottsplats,
owned by the city government. Here everything
was made ready for the assembly. On the
grounds to the south were located the cafeteria
and other installations for supplying needed
services and conducting the field witnessing.
The cafeteria had twelve feeding lines, and
there was an overhead bridge for delivering
needed supplies of food to the lines, without any
blockade. The food trays, for the manufactur
183

ing of which the tools had first

to be made, were slotted, so
that they could be shoved over
a monorail past each attendant
who put on an item of food,
so that the tray was delivered
with the full meal, a plenteous
one, on it to the eater. Though
the military authorities had
not been allowed by the gov
ernment to let Jehovahs wit
nesses hire some equipment
for their cafeteria, the
w ay the feeding was
done so impressed the
authorities that they
had a committee of
military officers, in ci
vilian clothes, there to
study the arrangements.
Near the southeast corner of the stadium
stood a white tower flanked by portions of a
wall, where the Guards and Attendants de
partment was stationed. To provide shade for
the seats on the east, north and west sides of
the stadium, canopies made of a heavy grade
of bed linen were run out on stout poles. Over
the speakers platform itself there was such a
canopy that spread out overhead like a white
sail. Designed by a brother who was a sailor,
they were firmly tied with sailor knots that
withstood the tugging winds. In front of the
platform five rows of potted flowers ran out
like a spray onto the green playing field. The
grandstand to the south was uncovered.
The entrances to the stadium were marked
with large letters of the alphabet. As stated in
the instructions on the printed program, those
speaking or understanding Swedish were to use
entrances A to H and O and P, seating them
selves in those sections; those speaking Danish,
entrances J to M ; and those speaking Eng
lish, entrances I and N. This located all the
Swedish-speaking to the east and south, and all
the Danish-speaking to the west and north,
and the English-speaking in between. There
was a purpose in this, for this was a trilingual
assembly. Accordingly on the platform stood
three microphones. The center microphone the
English speakers used; the one to the left the
Swedish speakers, and the other to the right
the Danish speakers. The left microphone
served the loud-speakers that were directed to
sections occupied by those understanding Swed
ish. The right microphone served the loud-

184

3TkW A TC H TO W E R

speakers directed to the Danish sections. When

English speakers addressed the assembly, the
center microphone was connected by direct wire
with earphones on the heads of the Swedish
and Danish interpreters to the English speak
ers left and right, and the two interpreters
gave the Swedish and Danish translations
simultaneously, so reducing the time consumed
in translation. Thus each section of the audi
ence heard the speeches, each according to its
own tongue. This system worked well, without
an undistinguishable babel of sounds. A special
interpreter served the deaf and dumb.
H arvest was going on in Sweden as well as in
other parts of Europe, but it was spiritual
harvesttime also. In April of this year Sweden
gathered out a new maximum number of King
dom publishers, 7,350, which denoted a 27 per
cent increase over the preceding year. There
had been no rain for six weeks, and the Stock
holm assembly opened Wednesday with a warm
day under clear blue skies. The afternoon ad
dress of welcome on Responsibility and Stew
ardship was delivered in Swedish by the
Societys Swedish branch servant and simul
taneously in Danish by a Danish district serv
ant. The afternoon sessions were capped by the
address of the Societys president before an
audience of 13,151. A fter this stirring address
on The Triumphant Message of T h e King
dom he brought them further happiness by
announcing that henceforth the Swedish edi
tion of The Watchtower and Aivake! would be
printed with covers in two colors. The Swedish
branch was now equipped with a press for do
ing this work. Tonight the sessions finished
with a nice flourish when Brother A. H. Mac
millan, over fifty years in the service of the
Society, gave the answers to Bible questions.
Brother Macmillan recalled how he had been
in Stockholm back in 1920, when he spoke in a
high school to an audience of some 175. It was
now an overflowing pleasure to be back and
behold how the organization in Scandinavia
had grown since then.
Thursday morning hundreds of conventioners
went out by bus, train and car to Jakobsberg,
a suburb of Stockholm, to visit and inspect the
Societys branch offices there. The building is
quite new, it having been occupied only since
April, 1954. Touring the building, the conven
tioners were highly pleased to see how modernly in all respects the place is equipped, with a
neat, comfortable Bethel home, offices, a King-

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

dom Hall and a printery outfitted with presses

from Switzerland, Germany and America, one
of them being the two-color press.
In the afternoon the Societys president great
ly encouraged the conventioners for their fur
ther Kingdom service by his invigorating talk
on Qualified to Be Ministers. For the Scandi
navians he had a pleasant surprise, the booklet
Basis for Belief in a New World, in Swedish,
and also the second or revised edition o f the
book <(Let God Be True in Danish. The broth
ers were very glad to get these new publica
tions for their further, expanded ministry. As
the president was to depart that day for the
assembly in Holland the 14,052 in attendance
requested with applause that he take along
with him their love and greetings for those
assembled at The Hague. The assembly attend
ance rose to 15,169 tonight, when the presidents
secretary addressed them on Be Filled with
Accurate Knowledge.
Friday mornings event captured a prominent
place in the Stockholm papers. Never had such
a mass baptism been witnessed in Scandinavia.
The candidates numbered 854 and included an
eleven-year-old girl of African extraction from
New York city. The baptismal talk was given
in Swedish and Danish simultaneously, and
after the two questions the affirmative answers
<(Ja! rang out across the field, not quite simul
taneously from both groups of candidates. The
baptism itself took place five and a half miles
away from the stadium, at Skrubbasand. Ad
jacent to this lake and its beach or Sand is
a large woods and here there was a tent city
where about 4,000 delegates slept in their own
tents. As no transmission line served this wood
land camp, it was necessary for the brothers
encamped here to attend the sessions at the
stadium or idrottsplats; they had fine cars and
motorcycles for doing so.
There were six roped lines of entry into the
waters at the small beach where the baptism
was carried on, and so about thirty every
minute were baptized, each one by one immerser, except in extraordinary cases. Some can
didates had to be carried out into the waters.
How satisfied their faces looked as they came
out of the waters! Hundreds witnessed the bap
tism, and overhead a helicopter circled, taking
a picture that was published in the evening edi
tion of Expressen. But all the papers had nu
merous pictures of that event. Said one daily:
It was in every respect the most remarkable
baptism that has ever been performed in Stock-

M arch

15, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER,

holm. Said another: The solemn act took

place without either hymn singing or prayer.
What was said at the preceding meeting at
Johanneshov was considered sufficient. The
whole procedure, however, was impressive and
dignified. For the first time the temperature
climbed to 90 degrees Fahrenheit today.
During the night it had rained, but the rain
stopped before the Saturday sessions began and
then the sun came out. People had been saying
that Jehovahs witnesses would bring rain, and
about 1 p.m. down came a soaking rain. But
the conventioners found ample shelter under
the saillike canopies around the stadium, and
the rain stopped before the afternoon sessions
began. Throughout the day there was quite an
array of speakers, and Brother Knorr got back
from Holland in time to finish off the day with
his speech to 16,034, on Jehovah Is in His
Holy Temple. An international trio of releases
followed: the book This Means Everlasting
Life in Swedish; Make Sure of All Things
in Danish; and What Has Religion Done for
Mankind? in Norwegian. W h at rejoicing there
was over these provisions from Jehovahs
table! Brother Knorr rejoiced to behold their
joy of appreciation. Sunday morning he served
them again with his talk on Triumphing over
Wicked Spirit Forces.
The public meeting was indeed a grand
climax to a very enthusiastic convention. The
stadium was so packed that a few hundred lis
teners were sitting on the green playing field.
This great audience there comprised mainly
those who listened in Swedish, besides those
who listened in English. W h at about those
speaking Danish? They were obliged to meet
separately in the tents of the cafeteria to hear
the talk. The combined audience totaled up to
21,708. M ay the appreciation with which they
listened to the talk signify that world con
quest soon by Gods kingdom will mean ever
lasting life to them in Gods new world. They
received the booklet on the public lecture in
Swedish with much joy.
Of this public audience 15,804 remained to
hear the presidents closing remarks and were
further refreshed thereby. They were given
greater incentive to press on in the service of
Gods established kingdom after this assembly.

THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS,

AUGUST 17-21, 1355
The five-day Hague assembly ran concurrent
ly with the assembly in Stockholm. This famous

185

city in the Netherlands is the seat of the per

manent court of arbitration for the peaceful
settlement of international disputes, the jurists
of which court nominate a list of persons from
which the members of the United Nations Inter
national Court of Justice are elected. In view
of what this international body serves and of
what Jehovahs witnesses serve, it seems quite
striking that one of the series of Triumphant
Kingdom assemblies should be held at The
Hague. This city, too, is at present the loca
tion of eight congregations of Jehovahs wit
nesses. These and other congregations surround
ing were privileged to engage in the rooming
work from April 28 onward. This resulted in
obtaining 6,931 accommodations, of which
5,250 were in private homes and 1,681 in hotels ;
and 20,000 pieces of literature were placed dur
ing this canvass for rooms.
The site obtained for the assembly was the
spacious Houtrusthallen, a low building, square,
measuring about 325 feet each way. A great
part of its roof is glass, so that the lighting of
the Woodland Rest H alls is good. To the right
low evergreen trees cover the grounds, but to
the left is a large playing field. There a tent
city of 3.7 acres offered nearly 65,000 square
feet of space, and the cafeteria, first aid and
others of the twenty-seven departments were
put up. In all the tents good sound equipment
was installed. Another tent city outside The
Hague served as a camping site for 600 con
ventioners.
Inside the auditorium of the Houtrusthallen
the platform was bedecked with flowers and
above was hung the 1955 yeartext in Dutch.
The floor was filled with movable chairs and to
the far rear there was a tier of seats. Here for
the five assembly days milled thousands of
delegates from twenty-five different lands, A fri
cans in native dress, Filipinos, W est Indians
and others.
Wednesday afternoon the address of wel
come was received by a sizable audience of
5,433 and they were favored with the release
of the booklet After Armageddon God's New
World in Dutch. The Societys legal counsel,
Brother Covington, was here for the first part
of the assembly and held an interview with
fifteen news reporters. A t the close of the day
he gave a rousing speech on Activity and Life
versus Inactivity and Death. By then the audi
ence had grown to 6,560. It was very much
alive and alert to hear Gods Word and to
respond.

186

fEeWATCHTOWEFL

Thursday afternoon the convention was

pleased to receive a new instrument for Gods
service, another booklet in Dutch entitled This
Good News of the Kingdom . This was re
leased by one of the Societys directors after
his speech on Qualified to Be Ministers. By
the close of the day the audience had grown
more numerous, being now 7,399, and every
body was feeling the glow that the sense of
growth imparts within the New W orld society
of Jehovahs people. They had also been well
fed spiritually throughout the day.
The talk W h at Dedication Means to Me
given as the last thing Thursday night pre
pared many for the symbolizing of their dedi
cation to God on Friday morning. There were
445 that presented themselves for baptism.
Their immersion took place in the North Sea
nearby, at Scheveningen beach. There the
brothers witnessing this mass baptism formed
a great V down to the sea and sang songs while
the candidates marched in between to their
baptism. M any of the public were on the board
walk as observers, and till well along in the
afternoon there were little circles of conventioners discussing the Bible in Dutch with
questioners.
In the afternoon the Societys president, who
had flown down from Stockholm, made his first
appearance on the platform, and there was a
fine audience of 7,996 to welcome him. To the
blessing of hearing his -speech The Triumphant
Message of The Kingdom there was added
the joy of having released to them at his hand
the new book in Dutch entitled W hat Has Re
ligion Done for M ankind? The president
favored the assembly that night with another
address exposing spiritism and explaining to
them how to triumph over the wicked spirit
forces with which we have to carry on a theo
cratic warfare. This being his final speech to
them before his return to Stockholm, Brother
Knorr spoke words of farewell to them, but
words inspiriting them. The 8,208 there espe
cially rejoiced when he told them of the So
cietys plans for constructing a new and larger
branch office and Bethel home for Holland. The
work in the Netherlands has outgrown the pres
ent branch building in Amsterdam, the parlia
mentary capital. The assembly appreciated the
president's visit, though brief, very much.
A t the assembly hall a fifteen-minute record
ing was made for the radio. It contained an in
terview and the questions asked were about
the theocratic organization and the mass bap-

B rooklyn, N . Y .

tism. This was later broadcast. For the third

time since W orld W a r II Jehovahs witnesses
were on the Netherlands radio.
Saturday evening the Societys vice-president
arrived by air at Amsterdam and motored to
The Hague, to follow up other members of the
Brooklyn Bethel fam ily and Gilead graduates
and native Dutch speakers on the days pro
gram. His speech on Avoiding the W ine Press
of Gods W rath was translated into Dutch
and was concluded with his releasing the new
Dutch publication Basis for Belief in a New
World . This was received with warm apprecia
tion by the 9,604 in attendance. Throughout the
day 2,272 of the conventioners engaged in the
field service.
Sunshine and warmth bathed the final day
of the assembly. There was a goodly Sunday
morning audience of 8,844 out for the program
of four talks, preceded by a half hour of the
discussion of the days Bible text, songs and ex
periences. Also messages from other lands,
South Korea, etc., were read, thrilling the
audience.
Excitement heightened, however, as the big
public event drew near. The lecture World
Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom had been
well advertised. Twelve daily newspapers car
ried advertisements Thursday and Saturday,
besides ads in four weekly papers. There were
thirty-two overhead car signs, thousands of
window cards, large and small, 120 being very
large (about 2 by 3 feet), a thousand small
window signs for streetcars and buses, 750
placard walkers, 450,000 handbills, and 180
bicycles with placards that paraded through
The Hague in groups of five to ten, 500 carbumper signs, and eighteen street banners, four
of which were suspended at strategic points in
the outside cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
There were 60,000 of the first personal invita
tion letter and 95,000 of the second invitation
letter, for mailing. Eight theaters in The Hague
and nearby Leiden showed the advertisement of
the public talk for one month, with an esti
mated total audience of 453,000. Another thing
that was organized for the first time in the
Netherlands was a press conference. Notifica
tion was given to thirty-eight different papers
and representatives of about fifteen papers
came. This press conference was no doubt the
reason why several articles about the assem
bly appeared also in papers in other big cities
of the Netherlands, something that had not
happened before. Then, too, there were the

March 15, 1956

187

SEeW ATCHTOW ER

badges worn by the thousands of conventioners.

The 4 p.m. public meeting had been well ad
vertised; it was well attended. Attending were
not merely the estimated 12,000 but a total of
15,360 crowded the great hall and filled even
the cooler cafeteria tents. They followed the
lecture with intelligence and keen delight. Ap
plauses rang out periodically. These reached
a climax of applause when the lecture itself in
booklet form was announced and released as
a gift. During the brief intermission that fol
lowed some thousands departed, but 11,642
eagerly waited for the closing remarks of the
Societys vice-president. Throughout these the
audience were very expressive of their stirred
feelings and there was an extended applause at
the close. It is always good to see such an over
flow of appreciation and gratitude to Jehovah
God at the very close of such an assembly. It
denotes that those assembled have been satis
fied with His goodness and are filled with
strength-giving joy.
Never had there been so m any comments in
the Netherlands press as during this assembly
year of 1955. There have been at least 128 arti
cles published, and the total newspaper space
reached at last 533 column inches, a figure
that m ay need some revising as clippings con
tinue to come in. A tremendous witness was
given by the presence of so many of Jehovahs
witnesses from abroad, and especially because
they wore those badges. For some weeks after
the assembly many newspapers were comment
ing on the strangers from abroad who were
seen walking along the streets with their badges.
Indicative of how much good the European
assemblies have done for the brothers alone
comes this letter, dated September 11, from
Haarlem, Netherlands:
W e, 1,055 witnesses of Jehovah, at our cir
cuit assembly in Haarlem, just having gone
over all the experiences we had this summer at
one or more of the series of international con
ventions, feel we ought to assure you and
through you the Society and all those of the
New World society who thought good to use
their means to visit the European conventions,
how much we appreciated the lovable associa
tion and brotherly fellowship with all our broth
ers from abroad. W e want to assure all those
that we received much encouragement out of
their mere presence in our midst, and more so
when we were able to speak a few words with
them. In addition to our gratefulness to Jeho
vah for the many new and wonderful releases

and the spirit He gives His people, we want

to express our thankfulness to all those who
supported Jehovahs organization in Europe in
this way.

HOMEWARD BOUND
The homeward trek now began for most of
the foreign delegates. The good ship Arosa
Kulm had already departed with its more than
seven hundred joyful, convention-filled passen
gers on August 16, from the Columbus Pier at
Bremerhaven, Germany. But the following week
the Arosa Star pulled away from Gothenburg,
Sweden, on August 22. Am ong the flights in
chartered planes homeward were the thirtyfive that left from Schiphol, the airport near
Amsterdam. M any of the flights were post
poned; in fact, most of them. One of the news
papers, De Telegraaf, of August 31, made the
following comment under the heading 'W it h
out Complaint : The witnesses of Jehovah who
in large numbers have come from America to
the Netherlands are without competition the
most obliging air passengers in the world. Fre
quently it happens that they have to hang
around for hours because the departure of their
plane (belonging to a chartering company
abroad) has been delayed for some plausible
reasons or not, which cannot be held against
the direction of the airport. No complaint is
heard from their lips.
Two air passengers, members of the Brooklyn
Bethel family, flying from Am sterdam Sunday,
August 21, stopped off in Newfoundland to
participate in a three-day assembly there. This
was held the following week end, August 26-28,
at Corner Brook, some 150 miles to the west
of Gander airfield and near the Gulf of St.
Lawrence. About sixty Newfoundlanders had
attended the European assemblies, still they
enjoyed this provincial assembly with its pro
gram borrowed from the series of international
assemblies. The public talk, delivered by the
brother from the office of the Societys presi
dent, was heard with enthusiasm by 475, the
rain during the talk not dampening their high
spirits at all. Also twenty-three were immersed.

HELSINKI, FINLAND, AUGUST 25-28, 1955

The final assembly of the entire series of
thirteen was held in Helsinki, Finland, north
east across the Baltic Sea from Stockholm.
This four-day assembly was held in a great hall
that had been built for exhibitions. Outside
the hall a kitchen was built on a field, and big

188

SEcWATCHTOWER-

cooking utensils rented from the army were in

stalled. B-Messuhalli was reserved for the as
sembly cafeteria and for refreshments. This,
their biggest feeding arrangement yet, proved
adequate for offering 2,500 meals three times
a day. Am ong the cake specialties offered was
one decorated with the 1955 yeartext, Psalm
112:7.
This Finnish assembly witnessed a change in
the attitude of the newspapers as far as Jeho
vah's witnesses were concerned. By using the
sample copies of the newspapers from other
European conventions brothers made personal
calls on the newspaper editors. They were shown
how these newspapers wrote good articles about
the assemblies of Jehovahs witnesses. As a re
sult, at the first day of the convention Helsingin
Sanomat, TJusi Suomi and Hufvudstadsblad,et
sent their reporters to interview the president,
Brother Knorr. M any questions were asked by
them about the purpose of our work, how ex
tensive it is, and about the beliefs of Jehovahs
witnesses differing from other religions, our
reaction to communism and to the state, etc.
W e judge from their writings that they re
ceived a satisfactory answer to the questions
from Brother Knorr.
Every day there was delivered to the biggest
newspapers an epitome of Brother Knorrs
talks. This news material was delivered to the
editors personally with an invitation to the
next days sessions. A t the baptismal service
reporters from Hufvudstadsbladet and Nya
Pressen and also the editors and photographers
from the weeklies Kuva-Posti and Viikko-Sanomat were present. In addition to taking pictures
these reporters interviewed Jehovahs witnesses.
One witness was asked about taking part in
the military service. He told the reporter that
he has five brothers and that four of them
have been in military service. Hence he had not
spread any propaganda against military service,
not even to his own brothers, and, of course,
not to the ones who are in the age to be drafted.
He especially stressed that this matter is a
personal decision of each one and no one can
or has the right to influence others in their
personal opinion. The answer seemed to satisfy
the questioner, for he was so much interested
that he promised to come to Messuhalli himself
to listen to the assembly program.
As a special feature the newspapers were
very favorable to the assembly at this time.
Even such papers as Suomen Sosiaalidemokraatti, which earlier had strictly refused to

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

write anything, this time published very well

all their news material, and they even searched
out material about the baptism themselves. All
the newspapers added pictures in their articles;
especially Nya Pressen published big pictures
about the baptism in the important places, both
in the front and back pages. The amount of
news material that the newspapers gave in
covering the assembly amounted to 4,750 col
umn millimeters.
As an example of the tone that the news
papers used in covering the assembly we quote
the columnist Serp from Helsingin Sanomat
Sunday, August 28:
Jehovahs witnesses are here in a confer
ence, and placard carriers are their messengers,
who bear witness to their beliefs to the world,
defying wondering looks, smiles and even ridi
cule. Brave people, indeed. I do not know for
what ideal I would dare to make myself such
a spectacle.
But I hope that some personal critic would
say who could worthily and orderly carry such
a placard, that not every willing person could
hang them on himself.
There was an old woman, who from the
upper part of her body was quite flat, but
around the stomach she was rather round, with
the result that the placard folded in half and
rested on the stomach in a position of a seat
of the chair.
A ll honor to this old woman, for seeing and
publishing about her could inspire hardly any
thing but uplifting thoughts.
A t the assembly 645 brothers applied for vol
untary service, wanting to serve brothers in
this convention. The greater part of these
served in the kitchen and cafeteria.
The high points of the program were the talks
of Brother Knorr and his secretary, M. G.
Henschel. During his talks Brother Knorr re
leased two new books in Finnish: Make Sure
of All Things" and New Heavens and a New
E a r t h Surprised and delighted the brothers
were to receive these publications, for they will
improve their service. They obtained 3,500
copies of both books.
From the Arosa Star, at sea, the following
radio message was sent to the Helsinki assem
bly: Hearty greetings, 792 joyful fellows re
turning America Arosa Star. Schroeder Kurzen
Eicher.
The rooming department had started their
work three months earlier and they arranged
rooming for 2,568 persons. Many more had come

March 15, 1956

to their relatives and friends, so that all togeth

er 4,000 persons were accommodated. In looking
for rooms the publishers used 2,743 hours.
The first day 3,575 brothers were present. The
number increased to 4,693 by Saturday evening.
Also 186 symbolized their dedication by immer
sion. Forty-two cars were used by the trans
portation department, which served to bring the
brothers to the immersion place and to bring
good-will persons to the public lecture. A t the
public meeting there were 6,940. This was the
first time for such a large attendance at a pub
lic meeting. Two halls were used, both being
packed out. A hard shower right in the middle
of the talk did not affect the meeting.
The assembly closed with the brothers very
appreciative and hoping that Jehovah will in
the future favor them with further assemblies
like this to build them up spiritually to work
like a New W orld society.
re su m e

Thus the 1955 service year of Jehovahs wit

nesses was brought to glorious climax. Among
outstanding features that marked this as an ex
traordinary year were (1) the presentation
world-wide of the lecture Christendom or
Christianity Which One Is The Light of the
W orld ? on April 3, which was immediately
followed by the release of the 32-page booklet
bearing that same title, and the record dis
tribution of over ten million copies of that book
let in thirty distinct languages and in eightyeight lands during April and M ay; (2) the
Memorial celebration the following Thursday
night, April 7, the attendance at which 863,973
surpassed any previous wortd-wide record;
(3) the concluding of the four-month Watchtower subscription campaign with the securing
of 562,228 new subscriptions for that magazine
and its companion Awake! in forty languages;
(4) the expansion of the number of publishers
of the Kingdom message to a new maximum of
625,256 in 156 lands outside the iron curtain
during the Memorial month of April; and
(5) the incomparable summer series of thirteen
Triumphant Kingdom assemblies in as many
cities and in nine countries.
The public attendance at the public lecture
W orld Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom and
the numbers baptized at the assembly cities
are distributed as follow s:
City

Chicago, 111.
Vancouver, B.C.

189

SfceWATCHTOWER

Public Attendance

Baptized

42,116
21,877

620
500

Los Angeles, Calif.

Dallas, Tex.
New York, N. Y.
London, England
Paris, France
Rome, Italy
Nuremberg,
W est Germany
Berlin, Germany
Stockholm, Sweden
The Hague,
Netherlands
Helsinki, Finland
Totals

36,290
16,409
55,009
41,970
16,500
4,351

1,014
468
1,374
1,183
785
378

107,423
17,729
21,708

4,333
870
854

15,360
6,940

451
186

403,682

13,016

The literature releases were as follows:

English
Volume II New World Translation of the Hebrew
Scriptures
Qualified to Be Ministers
What Do the Scriptures Say About ((Survival After
Death ?
You May Survive Armageddon into Gods New World
World Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom
Spanish
This Good News of the Kingdom
World Conquest Soonby Gods' Kingdom
French
What Has Religion Done for Mankind?
Basis for Belief in a New World
World Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom
Italian
Awake! (semimonthly)
New Heavens and a New Earth
This Good News of the Kingdom
Basis for Belief in a New World
World Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom
German
Basis for Belief in a New World
4 new tracts
New Heavens and a New Earth
World Conquest Soonby Gods Kingdom
Swedish
Basis for Belief in a New World
This Means Everlasting Life
World Conquest Soonby Gods Kingdom
Norwegian
What Has Religion Done for Mankind?
Danish
Let God Be True (2d edition)
Make Sure of All Things
New Heavens and a New Earth
Hollandish (Dutch)
After ArmageddonGods New World
This Good News of the Kingdcrm
What Has Religion Done for Mankind?
Basis for Belief in a New World
World Conquest Soonby Gods Kingdom
Finnish
Make Sure of All Things
New Heavens and a New Earth
World Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom

The blessing that this series of assemblies

was to all who put forth the effort to attend
was immeasurable. Letters of appreciation have
been received by the Society that are typical
of the blessings that have been enjoyed by all.

190

SfreW A T CHTOWEFL

For instance, from France comes a letter to

Brother Knorr in which the writer says: Re
gretting not to have been able to reach you
through the huge crowd while in Paris, I wish
to do so by these few lines. First let me tell you
of the splendid hours I passed in Paris. W hat a
genuine stimulus that was! Im sure everyone
looks forward to the joy of the 1956 assembly.
M ay Jehovah bless you abundantly.
From England, from two who have been
pioneers for thirty years, come these lines:
W h a t a wonderful time we have all had at the
conventions. Jehovah has indeed been good to
us. So many blessings, and our hearts are full
of gratitude for his love and care over us. W e
are now writing to thank you very much for all
your many kindnesses. Each time the post
brings the magazines we feel so grateful and
we do want you to know how much we appre
ciate your love . . . also all the books at the
convention. The talks Pursuing M y Purpose in
Life were grand to listen to.
From New Jersey, U .S.A .: I have just re
cently returned from the Triumphant Kingdom
assemblies that were held abroad. Within these
few lines I wish to thank the brothers for the
tremendous effort that made these assemblies
such a great success. Without such well-laid
plans many would have been unable to attend.
It was a great witness to the glorious name of
Jehovah. Again I thank you.
From Belgium: The purpose of this letter is
to express the appreciation of our publishers in
Belgium and Luxembourg for the kind hospital
ity that was shown them during the assem
blies by the English, French, German and Hollandish brothers and sisters and people of good
will. It is indeed a very great privilege to be
associated with other members of the New
W orld society and to get acquainted with more
and more friends in the different countries we
visited during the assemblies. It is not only a
great privilege to be a member of the New
W orld society, but it is also a great privilege
to visit the different theocratic assemblies, to
see the glory of Jehovah and to witness the
coming into Jehovahs temple of many thou
sands of good-will persons. The final session of
the Nuremberg assembly is unforgettable, and

Brooklyn, N . Y.

I am sure that the brothers and sisters who

saw it appreciate very much the wonderful
working of Jehovahs spirit on His organiza
tion.
From South A frica: Now that we are back
at home after a wonderful trip, having enjoyed
both spiritual and physical refreshment, we
would like to express our appreciation first to
our heavenly Father for the spiritual food pro
vided, and also to the Society fo r the loving
care that was exercised to ensure our comfort
while traveling and also in our accommoda
tions. W e have never ceased to marvel at the
mass of detail that was included in the plans
made surely there was nothing forgotten. W e
hope our experiences and enthusiasm will make
other publishers plan to attend the next inter
national assembly wherever it may be held.
W e look forward now to a repetition of many
of the good things we had in Europe in our
own assembly to be held in October. Surely the
blessings are pressed down and running over.
Following the assembly in each place pri
vate letters were mailed to the religious clergy
and editors, enclosing a copy of the booklet

Christendom or Christianity Which One Is uthe

Light of the World ? In many cases indignant,
insulting letters have been received where ac
knowledgment of receipt of the booklet has
been made. So the religious leaders of this
world refuse the spiritual relief that is avail
able for them amid the famine for hearing
the word of Jehovah that rages throughout
this world, even Christendom. Some of the let
ters were kind and wished Jehovahs witnesses
well. M ay at least some of these few come out
of darkness. But Jehovahs witnesses continue
to show the due appreciation for all the rich,
spiritual store that he has opened to them.
Great masses of the afflicted people, too, are
gradually coming to an appreciation of the
plenteousness with which Jehovah has blessed
his people. This has been manifested by the
great percentage of the public that was present
at the address W orld Conquest Soon by Gods
Kingdom. Again we say, Gods kingdom has
scored another resounding victory in the suc
cessful Triumphant Kingdom assemblies of
1955.

(f& d a t (ZkancQ?
^ As we learn more about our world, the probability of its having resulted by
chance processes becomes more and more remote. Arthur H. Compton in
The Human Meaning of Science, page 62.

 1 Kings 15:33 states that in the third year

of Asa the king of Judah Baasha became king
over Israel and reigned twenty-four years.
However, 2 Chronicles 16:1 says that Baasha
came against Judah in the thirty-sixth year of
the reign of Asa. H ow could this be, when
Baashas reign had ended ten years before?
W . M., England.
To harmonize the descrepancy between
1 Kings 15:33 and 2 Chronicles 16:1 the chronologist archbishop Usher dated the thirty-sixth
year in A sas reign from the split of the one
nation into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel,

at the end of Solomons reign. So in the margin

of our edition of the Authorized Version Bible
you will find under marginal note 1 at 2 Chron
icles this note concerning the thirty-sixth year:
That is, from the rending of the ten tribes
from Judah, over which Asa was now king.
Likewise Jewish commentators quote the
Seder Olam, which suggests that the thirtysixth year was reckoned from the existence of
the separate kingdom of Judah, which corre
sponded to the sixteenth year of Asa (Rehoboam 1 7 years, Abijah 3 years and A sa 16 years).
Some might think that at 2 Chronicles 16:1
the sixteenth year of A sa s reign might have
been meant instead of the thirty-sixth, but the
recent Interpreters Bible announces the dis
covery of a stele that confirms the use of thirtysixth. So it appears that the correct view is
that the thirty-sixth year of 2 Chronicles 1 6:1
refers, as suggested, to the count from the divi
sion of Israel into two kingdoms.

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

April 29: Full-Time Service a Glorious Treas
ure. Page 169.
May 6:

v'v'

Is This Treasure for You? Page 176.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The W atchtower, do you remember

ment take them out of full-time service?
P. 172, Hi6.
What new way of serving God full time
was introduced by Christ? P. 174, H2 1 .
I* What treasure that you can have is of
even more value than the famed British crown
jewels? P. 176, 112.

U * How, in these troubled times, to guard

your mind, protecting it from crack-up?
P. 163, U2.
How perfect peace of mind is attainable,
even now? P. 164, 115.
^
What America s largest religious assembly
was, and where it was held? P. 165, 113.
^
What timely example shows that truly
the blind lead the blind religiously today?
P. 168, 114.
I** When a handful of grain is of more value
than a handful of diamonds? P. 169, Hi.
^ Why God created living creatures? P.
169, 1f4.

l> What to consider before deciding an f u l l

t i m e service, and what basic requirements
you will face? P. 177, H6.
How to stay strong in Jehovah s service,
not giving out? P. 181, 1120.
How many people attended the thirteen
Triumphant Kingdom assemblies through
out North America and Europe last year?
P. 189, H4.

^
What outstanding examples the Bible
gives of those who would not let discourage

192

APRIL 1, 1956
Semimonthly

M A K IN G ALL M A N K IN D O NE
UNDER THEIR CREATOR

SHINING AS THE
LIGHT OF THE WORLD1
MODERN HISTORY OF
JEHOVAHS WITNESSES
WTB&TS

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atchtow er* stands as a watchman atop a tower,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

*8 ?
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue:

CONTENTS
Making A ll Mankind One Under
Their Creator

195

A Space-Fiction Style Bible?

208

Communist Leaders Fear Bible Truth

209

Shining as the Light of the W orld

218

Questions from Readers

219

Modern History of Jehovahs Witnesses

Part 31: Ending the Fourth, Beginning the
Fifth Decade of Kingdom Operation 220
Announcements

2,500,000

Five cents a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

224

Abbreviations assd in The Watchtower far the followlm Bible versions

A 8 - American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
A T - An American Translation
M o - James Moffatt's version
D a - J. N. Darby's version
N W - New World Translation
D y - Catholic Douay version
R o - J. B. Rotherham's version
E D The Emphatic Diaglott
RS - Revised Standard Version
L e - Isaac Leeser s version
Yg
- Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Indonesian
Cebu-Visayan
Italian
Cinyanja
Japanese
Danish
Norwegian
English
Slovenian
Finnish
Spanish
French
SwedMi
German
Tagalog
Hollandish
Tvti
llocano

Monthly
Polish
Arabic
Chinese
Portuguese
Cibemba
Russian
Cishona
Sesothu
Siamese
Greek
Silozi
HiligaynonSlovak
Visayan
Ukrainian
I bo
Urdu
Kanarese
Xbosa
Korean
Yoruba
Malayalam
Zulu
Pangasinan

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
A astral la, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamaiea, 151 King St., Kingston
l/ ~
New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
7 /Soath Afrlea, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St.. Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$1.7 2
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notlee of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two Issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send you old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.,
Act of Month 3 , 1 87 9. Printed in T .S.A.

-.1

^7m 0unciny
JEHOVAHS KINGDOM
April 1, 1956

Number 7

takes on special interest. It is the public talk

L L m a n k i n d that N. H. Knorr, president of the Watch Tower traditional differences

should be one! Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania, is now and others. The results
All mankind will yet in the course of giving to audiences in the major of these have been so
be made one. Happy cities of the southwest Pacific and of the Far calamitous that they
will be that time! It East during his ten-week tour, beginning Feb eloquently argue for
ruary 29 of this year and taking in Haw aii,
will mean far more Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, the speedy making of
than tying mankind Indochina, the Philippine Islands, Formosa, South all mankind one in a
together by means of Korea and Japan, as well as Alaska. Read this true way.
2
travel and communica and see how appropriate his message is for us all.
sive influences man
tion and by interna
kind is steadily being
tional alliances. Never
before has mankind been more closely tied broken up into fragments. It is no wonder
together by such means than now. Yet that world leaders are seriously concerned
never was mankind more seriously divided over the lack of oneness and are seeking to
than now. We talk of the human family, unite mankind before we are broken up in
but we do not act like one. On every level of to Still smaller fragments by atomic and
human society and in every field of activity hydrogen bombs. Recently one religious
and thought differences meet us, such as clergyman said that the great sin of human
racial differences, national differences, re society is fragmentation. There seems to
ligious differences, language, money, social,
--------- *
1. As a human family how should all mankind be, but
what is their actual condition?

2. According to the
teacher Jesus, what
condition keeps up?

195

sure rule stated by the Christian

will happen if mankind's divided

By the

196

SfEeWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

be some force trying to make humankind

fly apart in every direction, so that we have
come near to the state of affairs foretold by
the Christian Bible when every mans hand
will be against his neighbors. (Zech. 14:13;
Isa. 19:2) Disastrous selfishness is being
given free rein by mankind today, and it
has at last become uncontrollable by the
human spirit. The continuance and spread
of division throughout the earth must end
up later in only one grand result. Jesus, the
great Christian teacher, said that if a na
tion is divided against itself it comes to
desolation, and if a city or household is
divided against itself, it will not stand;
and if Satan the Devil is divided against
himself, how can his kingdom stand?
(Matt. 12:25, 26) That principle or rule of
action stated by Jesus may be a homely
one, but history bears out its truthfulness.
So, then, mankind divided against itself
cannot continue existing.
3 Men seek to heal the great breach by
various schemes that they propose. But
look at these schemes! Why, there are even
great differences among them, and this
very disagreement of human plans for
making mankind one is divisive in its
effect. Since 1918 the totalitarian scheme
has pushed forward to a challenging posi
tion and has caused a deep split among men.
4Totalitarian political rule may be re
cent, but there has long been totalitarian
religious rule. There are religious systems
that are totalitarian in their rule. History
shows one of the oldest of these to be the
Roman Catholic religious system. By its
spokesmen the claim is made that the sal
vation of all mankind rests upon the obe
dience of everybody to the pope at Vatican
City. Because it considers itself to be the

only agency for human salvation, that reli

gious system has undertaken the program
of world conquest. Today, after all its fail
ure to conquer, it has no more changed its
final goalworld Catholicism than has
the Russian Soviet changed its ultimate ob
jective world communism.
5 Religious systems of a totalitarian kind
cannot of themselves bring about world
control by strictly religious means. They
have had to call upon the strong arm of
the political state in order to enforce out
ward harmony of the people with their
religious ideas, doctrines and demands.
Where these totalitarian religionists are
in the majority this use of force has re
sulted in the practice of intolerance; but
where they are in the minority they call
for toleration and plead for it and demand
it. Just as soon as they get the upper hand,
then they abuse their power and position
and they themselves practice intolerance
and all other methods to take away reli
gious liberty from others. Yet oneness has
not come this way.
6 A system contrary to totalitarian rule
is that of so-called democracy. What is
democracy? There are various definitions
of it. The United States of America and
other Western countries have their defini
tion of it. Russia and its satellites have
their definition of what real democracy,
that is, peoples rule, is. For instance,
right at the boundary line dividing Berlin
between East and West, on the Russian
side stands the sign saying, Beginning of
the Democratic Sector of Greater Berlin.
So there is great confusion in defining the
same word. Hence one group may speak of
democracy and another group may speak
of democracy and yet they will mean
opposite things. Not only is there the po
litical definition of democracy, but there

3. What is really the effect of men's schemes for mak

ing mankind one?
4. What is one of the oldest totalitarian religious 'sys
tems, and has it changed its final goal?

5. How have totalitarian religious systems acted to

bring about religious oneness, but with what success?
6. How do the East and the West and also religion stand
with regard to what democracy is or means?

A pril 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

197

is the religious definition, the Roman Cath sive and other reasons some advocate a
olic one. If we go to the Catholic Encyclo united Europe. Likewise, others propose
pedia and read the article on democracy Pan-Islamism, a union of all the Moham
we learn that in the year 1901 Pope medan countries in one political body.
Leo XIII issued a letter to all Roman Cath Meanwhile, ambition for world domination
olic bishops throughout the world, in which causes cold wars to be waged in the post
he defined democracy according to Catholi war period of peace. Along with these a
cism. He summed it up as being Catho battle for the control of the peoples minds
lic Action, and the ones taking part in goes on, great propaganda barrages being
Catholic action were termed Christian hurled over boundaries into other lands to
Democrats. Our latest newspapers inform influence the people there mentally. In an
us that the Christian Democrats are active effort to overcome the language barrier a
on the European scene today. All this does committee of linguists appointed by the
not produce democratic oneness.
United Nations recently invented a new
7
Today the hot question under debatelanguage called Inter-lingua.
is: Can mankind be one under these two
TIME HAS TOLD
systems, democratic and totalitarian? Can
these two systems keep living side by side,
9
Time has told how effective the various
ruling at the same time on the earth? A plans and schemes of men are in bringing
political attempt at holding
about world unity or less
them together is the organi
disunity. Have the thirtyzation of the United Na
eight years of the Commu
tions. The United Nations of
nist experiment proved so
today is really the successor
lull of blessings that now
to a failure, the now burie<$^ipf|
ri | mmmwewant
all mankind......
made
...............
..
League of Nations. Thj|||fp|
Illfpaie by totalitarian rule? No!
League was proposed by
those who know it for
American president W o n a i^
Ifpwhat it is. In practice it
produces a police state. As
row Wilson, but was m
joined by his country,
a whole it is dominated by
fearfear on the part of
1955 the United Natl
gggp men high and low. The men
grew to a membership wSmtm
high up who are in seats of
seventy-six nations, w itli^ISS
'
control are in fear lest there
further nations trying t o ^ g
get in but long being blocked o f f e W o r ^ t e f popular uprising to try to overthrow
the other. All member nations have held them, and they are suspicious of one anoth
onto their own national sovereignties, thus er. They are afraid of the dreadful purge,
that they will be purged from the party be
preventing a stronger oneness.
8
Some, not satisfied with the United Nacause of some unintended misstep. The peo
tions, argue for world government, with a ple underneath are also in a constant state
world capital city and with all the rest of of fear that they will be punished if they do
the earth divided up into states, but these not line up with the men in power. The
without national sovereignty. For defen- freedom that is boasted of proves to be the
mere freedom to join the Communist party
7. What hot question is now under debate, and what
world organization now tries to help answer the ques
tion, and how?
8. What other schemes for unification do men propose
and act upon?

9, 10. (a) What has time told regarding the Communist

experiment? (b) Why is the totalitarian system feared
today?

198

SfceWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N . Y .

or to vote for its candidates. So a uniform cal Republican party bring in such an in
ity is forced on everyone below; all ele corruptible government after he became
ments religious, political, literary, educa president of the United States of America?
tional, publicity, business, agricultural, sci Ask the Socialist party! Ask the Demo
entific, medical, social, theatrical, yes, all cratic party! Ask those who mix in politics,
fields of human endeavor are regimented not us. Then you will find out the disagree
and everything is lined up like a monolith ment. Democracy shies away from the oneunderneath those few who are on top. State party state such as exists in totalitarian
worship is demanded of everybody be lands. It has rival political parties, but
neath, but this state worship is not will this rivalry blocks unselfish, united co
ingly paid by everybody.
operation for common good, so that there
10 The totalitarian system, therefore, has is no real oneness.
to be enforced by compulsion and is at war
12
Not all democracies are alike. Not all
with all democratic individuality, with prefer the American kind. Today democ
free undertakings and private ownership racy is a popular term. During World
of property. Today it is looked upon as a War I Woodrow Wilson as American
threat to the free world. It is feared be president invented the slogan, Make the
cause of its aggressiveness, because of its world safe for democracy! Ever since
merciless methods, because the state is a then democratic efforts have been made
law to itself, in that it determines what is in many parts of the earth. By many
right and what is wrong in its own eyes. that slogan Make the world safe for de
So today totalitarian rule is the broad mocracy! has been interpreted to mean,
basis for a divided East and West.
Make the world democratic. But not all
11 Well, then, do the people generally
the world wants to be democratic, and
want democracy? No, for not everything
not all who want to be such look to
they see about it is good. In America
America as the model democracy. M. A.
democracy is infested by men who are out
Thomas, a clergyman from India, at an
for their own selfish interest. The peoples
assembly in Dayton, Ohio, of the Division
rule is being misguided by crafty politi
of Foreign Missions of the National Coun
cians and perverted by self-seekers. Dis
cil of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.,
honest, selfish interests seize the oppor
December 5, 1955, declared that neither
tunity to take control. Free enterprise is
American democracy nor American Chris
allowed, yes, but it leads to cutthroat com
tianity could be taken seriously so long as
petition or to monopoly or to forming
racial segregation was common practice
international trade combines. In sections
in many areas. (New York Times, Decem
of the land freedom is stifled by men who
bers, 1955) At the seventh national assem
consider themselves to be the law locally.
bly of the United Church Women held in
When running for the American presi
Cleveland, Ohio, a number of clergymen
dency back in 1952 General Eisenhower
spoke. According to the New York Times
said at St. Louis, Missouri, that the only
of November 9, 1955, the United States
way to get an incorruptible government
plays directly into the hands of Commu
was to axe out the present administration,
root and branch, and replace it with incor nists by not understanding the desire of
ruptible men and women. (New York the masses in Asia and Africa to control
T i m e s ,September 21, 1952) Did his politi12, 13. (a) What have some understood the slogan
11. What facts show up about American democracy,
and why is there no real oneness under it?

Make the World Safe for Democracy to mean, but

how do Asia and Africa take to democracy? (b) What
has democracy no mandate to do to the world?

April

1, 1956

STkWATCHTOWER,

their own destinies the Reverend Dr.

James H. Robinson told the 3,000 dele
gates. . . . The Reverend Dr. M. A. Thomas
. . . warned that democracy would not
have a ghost of a chance in Asia unless
a radical social and economic adjustment
took place soon.
13 No, democracy has been given no man
date to democratize this world. She must
allow other people throughout the earth
the freedom to choose their own local or
national government. That is their right.
Unhappily, however, this does not make for
mankinds oneness.
14Religious clergymen criticize, but
world religions can offer no solution to
mankinds problem. In 1950 the Roman
Catholics celebrated a Holy Year. Pope
Pius XII called it the year of the great
return, hoping and praying that the Prot
estant sects would return to the religious
fold of the so-called Mother Church. The
year 1950 passed, but the great return
of the Protestant branches of religion to
oneness with Vatican City did not happen.
Protestants are not only divided from Vati
can City but divided among themselves.
In August, 1952, the Third World Con
ference on Faith and Order was held at
14. (a) How was Pope Pius XII disappointed about
religious unity in 1950? (b) What did the religious con
ference at Lund, Sweden, in 1952 have to say about re
ligious unity?

199

Lund, Sweden, and reports were drawn

up by its five subcommittees on how to
attain unity among Christian churches on
doctrine, worship and communion. These
reports revealed such wide differences in
idea and interpretation that, to quote the
New York Times of August 26, 1952,
Archbishop Athenagoras of the Orthodox
Church of Cyprus asserted: We may look
for church union two centuries hence, but
not before. At the close of the two-week
conference the New York Times of August
29 reported: The worlds divided churches
have failed in their efforts to map a blue
print for a united Christendom, their rep
resentatives declared today at the conclu
sion of a two-week conference. We have
not resolved our differences nor brought
forth before the world a simple method of
achieving unity, the report to the Third
World Conference on Faith and Order
stated. Now the great question is, Can the
people of Christendom and of the rest of
mankind wait two centuries for unity of
the human race? The threatening future
answers No!
15
So, surveying the most prominent hu
man schemes and proposals, we see that
no one of them has swung the whole world.
None of them has proved big enough
singly, nor have they proved big
enough all together, for the job.
They have merely divided and
\
splintered human efforts. Men
will never come forth with
a successful unifier.
NOT JUST A DREAM

18 Is, then, the unit

ing of mankind in
15. So what do we see re
garding human schemes
and proposals for unity?
16. Why is the uniting of
mankind in brotherhood
no mocking dream, and
what failure by men has
made their own schemes
fail in this?

200

3EeW ATCHTOW ER

Brooklyn, N . Y.

brotherhood just a mocking dream? No! them at the beginning made them male and
But why not? Have not the schemes and female and said: T o r this reason a man
efforts of man all failed to take this broth will leave his father and his mother and
erhood of man idea out of the dream will stick to his wife, and the two will be
realm and put it into reality? Yes, but even one flesh ? So that they are no longer two,
then it is not a dream, for it is the will of but one flesh. (Matt. 19:4-6,
Gen.
the one all-important Ruler, whom men 2:21-24) So we are all one flesh, all human,
have not taken into consideration, man of the dust of this one earth upon which
kinds own Creator. What has proved im we live. At death we all return to its dust,
possible for imperfect, selfish, dying man the lighter-colored races as well as the
is possible for God our Maker. His will darker-colored races, there being no abso
certainly will be done on earth just as it is lute white. As one dies, so dies the other,
done up in heaven. He gave all mankind both under one common curse of death, so
just one common start in life. Hear what that no race is superior to any other in
an Asiatic, the Christian apostle Paul, said this regard. (Eccl. 3:18-21) We can all
to the European philosophers at Athens, intermarry. By such marriage of any race
Greece, nineteen hundred years ago: The or color with any other come children,
God that made the world and all the things children not of mixed blood but of one
in it, being, as this One is, Lord of heaven blood, although through different family
and earth, does not dwell in handmade lines. The specialized marrying within a
temples, neither is he attended to by hu certain family relationship has made cer
man hands as if he needed anything, be tain features, traits and other things more
cause he himself gives to all persons life pronounced in the children of such inbreed
and breath and all things. And he made ing, still the blood is one human blood.
out of one man every nation of men, to
18 Why, then, are we not all one? The
dwell upon the entire surface of the earth, evidence is that man sprang from an Ori
and he decreed the appointed seasons and
ental cradle, not an Occidental cradle, from
the set limits of the dwelling of men, for an Asiatic one, not a European or African
them to seek God,. . . For by him we have one. So why should the West dominate the
life and move and exist, even as certain East? Recently at New York city the fa
ones of the poets among you have said, mous German Pastor Niemoeller predicted
T o r we are also his progeny. (Acts that the end of the white mans domina
17:24-28,
NW) Men have failed to
seek
tion
was near at hand. (New York Times,
this God and follow his ways. So their own November 12, 1955, page 8) But why any
schemes have failed.
human group dominate? Why not all live
17
Under the skin we are all one. Noas one?
matter where people live on earth, we are
19 Where did all our present disunity
all alike as to body, although of a different
have its start? To begin with, mankind on
skin color. Why? Because God the Creator
earth was at one with God the Creator and
started off mankind from just the one
with his invisible spirit sons in heaven,
man, Adam. This first mans wife, Eve,
for all were creatures of the one Creator.
God built up from a rib taken from Adams
But what is the Creators name, so that we
body. Is that a childish idea? No; for Jesus
Christ himself said: Did you not read [in 18. Because of mans cradle of birth, why should the
West not dominate the East? Whose domination is
the Holy Scriptures] that he who created predicted soon to end?
17. Why are we all one as to body, flesh, dying, mar
riage and blood?

19. (a) With whom was mankind at one to begin with?

(b) What is the Creators name, and how does Egypts
experience show we should not brush his name aside?

A pril 1, 1956

SFReWATCHTOWER.

201

may know about whom we are talking? family from which mankind could get a
Down south in Egypt, almost thirty-five new, righteous start, Noahs family. From
centuries ago, the Israelites asked Gods Noahs three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth,
prophet Moses: What is his name? God sprang the three great branches of the one
told Moses to answer: Jehovah the God human family, beginning from Mount
of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Ararat in Asia, where the great ark landed
the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has in which Noahs family had lived through
sent me to you. This is my name to eter the flood. Gen. 8:4,15-18; 9:18,19.
nity, and this is the memorial of me to
22 For a while now there was oneness
generation after generation. Now do not between God and mankind. Then Satan the
brush this name aside with contempt. Devil took advantage of mans free will
Egypts ruler Pharaoh snarled at Moses: and his inherited sinfulness and began
I do not know Jehovah at all and, what is breaking up the oneness between Noahs
more, I am not going to send Israel away. descendants and God. Later at Babylon in
As a result Pharaoh and his Egypt suffered southwest Asia those who were disunited
great punishment from Jehovah God, with God tried to unite in a scheme against
Pharaohs many chariots and military Gods good purpose toward mankind. To
forces finally being drowned in the Red Sea break up their unity in a wicked scheme
like trapped rats. Ex. 3:13-15; 5:1, 2; God miraculously broke up their oneness
of language by causing them to speak sud
14:23 to 15:19,
NW.
20 One of Jehovahs heavenly, spiritual denly many languages different from that
sons started the disunity in Gods great of Noah, and he provided no interpreters.
family in heaven and on earth. He set him So, being unable to understand one an
self against Jehovah God in order to gain other, they scattered from Babylon. Today
control over mankind, just as Pharaoh 2,796 languages have been counted by
opposed Jehovah to try to keep control officers of the French Academy. Later
over the Israelites as his slaves. In the Babylon became strong enough to establish
Hebrew language Jehovah God called this the Babylonian empire to dominate the
unfaithful sons name Satan, which means world. But in less than a century Jehovah
opposer, adversary. Because this oppos God caused the Babylonian world power
ing spirit told the first lie by slandering to be destroyed. His witnesses who were
God to deceive the mother of all mankind held captive in Babylon he set free to
into sin against Him, Jehovah God called restore his pure worship to Jerusalem.
(Isa. 43:8-21, AS) From Noah onward the
Malshin,or Devil. This name means
him
faithful
witnesses of Jehovah God since the
slanderer. (Job 1:6, 7; Rev. 12:9; 20:2)
flood
have
kept at one with God.
Complete, universal oneness will come first
2
3
The
Christian
apostle John wrote to
after Satan the Devil and his followers are
his
fellow
Christians:
We know we origi
destroyed.
nate with God, but the whole world is lying
21 The tenth man in line of descent from
in the power of the wicked one. (1 John
the first man Adam was Noah, who walked
5:19,
NW) How true that saying is needs
in harmony with God. When the great
no discussion here. The wicked one, Satan
earth-wide flood came it drowned all who
the Devil, has tried to bring unity to his
were at disunity with God. It left just one
20. Who started the disunity in Gods great family, and
what d id God call him, and why?
21. From whose family did mankind get a new, right
eous start, and when and where?

22. How was mankinds disunity started again, and

what did Babylon have to do with our many languages
and with world domination?
23. How has Satan the Devil tried to unify his world,
but with what success?

202

STaeWAT CHTOW ER.

Brooklyn, N . Y.

own world by blotting out Jehovahs wit of all our sinfulness and dying is one man,
nesses, who would not be one with his the saving of all obedient mankind by just
world. He even brought about the death of one perfect human redeemer or rescuer
Jehovahs greatest witness, Jesus Christ was made possible. That one could not be a
the Son of God from heaven. But Almighty son of sinner Adam. That one had to be the
God raised his faithful and true witness Son of sinless God. So Jehovah God sent
from the dead on the third day and later his only-begotten Son from heaven. How?
had him return to heaven. (Rev. 1:5; 3:14; He transferred his Sons life from heaven
John 18:37) Satan the Devil has never to the womb of the virgin Jewess Mary
been able to blot out Jehovahs witnesses that he might be born as a perfect hu
nor to unify even his own servants, with man creature. Jehovah God himself gave
whom Jehovahs witnesses do not mix as him the name Jesus, which name means
respects their politics, religion, social insti Jehovah is salvation. (Matt. 1:18-25;
Luke 1:26-35) Christ means Anointed
tutions or commercialism.
24 Satan will never be able to unify his One, and Jesus became Christ at thirty
visible organization on earth. How can he years of age after he was baptized in water,
do so when he himself broke up the one for then Jehovah God anointed Jesus with
ness of the living universe when the perfect his holy spirit from heaven to be the
man Adam was living in his paradise home, High Priest and King of a righteous new
the garden of Eden? Satan cannot supply world.Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-23; Acts
the perfect bond of union, which is sincere 10:37, 38.
26
The Son of God did not come to earth
love. He cannot supply such unifying love
to his visible organization because he hates to remain a perfect man forever. To be
love, for he most of all hates God, who is come a perfect man he had to give up his
love. Love is from God. (1 John 4:7, 8, heavenly body and power and position.
16,
NW) Today there is one dominating Likewise, to return to heaven he had to
question that Satans visible organization give up his perfect human flesh, bones and
faces. It is not the question, All mankind blood, that he might become a spirit person
under democracy or all mankind under again. A spirit does not have flesh and
communism? No, but the dominating ques bones. Flesh and blood cannot inherit
tion is, All mankind at disunity under Gods kingdom. (Luke 24:39 and 1 Cor.
NW)Gods loving purpose toward
Satan the Devil or all mankind at one 15:50,
under God their Creator? Almighty God mankind was for Jesus to give up his hu
will settle that question, not man. This will man life as a perfect sacrifice to God, thus
to buy willing mankind back from sin and
mean an eternal blessing to us.
its
punishment death. Hence as through
25 The first perfect man, Adam, joined
the
sin of one perfect man (our first hu
his wife Eve in breaking away from God.
man
father) death came upon us all, so
His sin of disobedience brought imperfec
tion and death not only upon himself but through the sacrificial death of one perfect
also upon all his offspring, including us man, Jesus Christ, everlasting life can
today. (Rom. 5:12) Because we are one come to all of us who accept his sacrifice.
as a human family and because the source We can appreciate, therefore, how true the
words are: The wages sin pays is death,
24. (a) Why can Satan never unify his earthly organi
but the gift God gives is everlasting life by
zation? (b) What dominating question does it face, and
who will settle it?
25. How was the saving of all obedient mankind made
possible through one human redeemer, and how did
Gods only-begotten Son become that one?

26. Why did the Son of God not come to earth to re

main a perfect man forever, and hence what is Gods
gift to us through his Son?

A pril

1, 1956

SikWATCHTOWER.

203

Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23,

28 God Almighty has the power to estab
27
So in justice and in love Jehovah Godlish this heavenly government for making
has set before us the heart-warming hope all creation one. He also has the power to
that all mankind will be made one under rid this earth of all opposition to the rule
their Creator and his Christ. Not only has of such a government. He will do away
he purposed it and foretold it in the Holy with all the causes of disunity among man
Bible, but, as we have seen, he has the kind. How? By pleading with all the dis
righteous means to make it come true. united forces? No! Gods written Word
Just how his Son Jesus Christ will be the says he will do it by one swift stroke at
one by whom this oneness under God the the coming universal war of Armageddon,
Creator and Father will be realized we sweeping away this present old world of
read: When [Jesus] found himself in disunity. Satan the Devil is the cause of
fashion as a man, he humbled himself and all this lack of unity. So God will destroy
became obedient as far as death, yes, death Satans organization in heaven and on
on a torture stake. For this very reason earth. Satans invisible organization in
also God exalted him to a superior position heaven is behind all the wickedness and
and kindly gave him the name that is above disunity on earth today. Therefore God
every other name, so that in the name of will destroy it. As for Satans visible organ
Jesus every knee should bend of those in ization, which is dominated by politics,
heaven and those on earth and those un selfish commercialism and false religion
der the ground, and every tongue should and which makes gain of mankind, God
openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord will pull up this organization from its
to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. deep-rooted position and thus clear the
earth. Then he will create a complete new
2:8-11,
NW)Besides that, in verse 1, chap
world
with a new invisible rule and a new
ter 13, of Romans we read: Let every soul
earthly
society.
be subject unto the higher powers. For
2
9
Jehovah
God has the one system for
there is no power but of God. Yes, power
making
all
mankind
one. He supplies the
belongs to God. (Ps. 62:11,
So one
necessary bond of unity, and that bond is
future day all the universe must be unified
love. All mankind are really hungering for
under the all-powerful Ruler of all creation,
love, first of all, love from God, and then
Jehovah God the Creator. He creates the love from one another. God has recom
one government that all creatures in mended his love to mankind. How? His Son
heaven and in earth must bow to, acknowl Jesus Christ told how when he said: God
edge and obey. He has already appointed loved the world so much that he gave his
the ruler for that government. It is his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone
once sacrificed Son Jesus Christ, who has exercising faith in him might not be de
now been glorified in heaven, with full stroyed but have everlasting life. (John
power and authority to rule. All persons 3:16, NW) In turn, all mankind must love
alive in heaven and earth must line up God and one another. Doing so, they will
under him, whether they are angels or obey the two great commandments of the
universe; as stated by Jesus: You must
men, and all sensible persons who love
love Jehovah your God with your whole
everlasting life will wisely do so.
27. (a) So what hope has God set before us and what
means does he have to make it come true? (b) Why
will there be just one government, and so under whom
will all lovers of life line up?

28. How will God swiftly do away with all the causes
of disunity among mankind?
29. (a) By supplying what quality does God have the
system for making mankind one? (b) So what two great
commandments must we keep?

204

3HeWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn, N . Y.

heart and with your whole soul and with whom our Creator provides is his own liv
your whole mind. This is the greatest and ing Son, Jesus Christ, who died as a per
first commandment. The second, like it, fect man for us but who now lives as an
is this: You must love your neighbor as immortal spirit in his original heavenly
yourself. And Jesus showed that your home. It is even so written: The first
neighbor is your fellow man, even if he is man Adam became a living soul. The last
just now of a nation different from yours, Adam became a life-giving spirit. (1 Cor.
NW)On earth Jesus Christ was a
such as a Jew or a Samaritan. (Matt. 15:45,
Jew by nationality, and
22:37-39,
NW;Luke 10:
the Jews were separated
29-37) Those who seek
from the other nations by
mankinds oneness must
their God-given law. But
come together to a com
Jesus fulfilled the pur
mon love of their great
pose of that law. By dying
Creator and Life-Giver,
as a sacrifice, not for Jews
Jehovah God, and to a
only but for all mankind,
love of his Son whom he
he took away the division
provided as the sacrifice
between Jew and every
and ransomer for man
other nation. He made it
kind and whom he has
possible for people of all
appointed as King of the
nations to become Chris
new world. Then, too,
tians and become one
they must love their fel
flock in the united wor
low man, because, if they
ship of the one God, Je
do not love their fellow
hovah. Eph. 2:11-19.
man whom they see and
31
In the coming new world Jesus will be
with whom they must live here on earth,
then they really do not love God whom come the immortal father of all mankind
they do not and cannot see. God loves our to give them perfect human life on a para
neighbor; we must love our neighbor too. dise earth. Jehovahs own prophecy says:
30
Further, to make all mankind one For unto us a child is born, unto us a son
Jehovah God provides for us a new father is given; and the government shall be upon
in the righteous new world. Adam the his shoulder: and his name shall be called
first man was the father he provided back Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Ever
there in the garden of Eden. But that lasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the in
father brought death upon all of us his crease of his government and of peace
children by not staying perfect and en there shall be no end. (Isa. 9:6, 7,
titled to life. He broke his Creators com By being born as a perfect human and
mand and law. So Adam proved to be a sacrificing his human life as a High Priest
death-giver, not a life-giver for us. He he heals the breach between us and our
died because of his sin. All the generations Creator. Just as all mankind are now one
of his offspring have died one after the flesh and family because of coming from
other, and we are dying. So Adam did not the first man Adam, so all rescued man
become our everlasting father. The one kind will become one in the new world be
cause of becoming children of the Governor
30. (a) Why do all mankind need a new father?
(b) Whom did God provide to be such, and how did
this one take away the division between the Jews and
other nations?

31. How will saved mankind become one through one

fatherhood ?

A pril 1, 1956

flkW ATCHTOW ER

and Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Fa

ther. His own Father is God the Creator.
Through Jesus, therefore, all saved man
kind will have one Grand Father or Great
Father, Jehovah.
32All mankind will have to keep in con
nection with that one first Source of life,
the Creator of all. If all hold to Him in love
they will all hold together in love, as one
family. There will be no human family
quarrels and hatreds. Their everlasting life
they will gain through no human father,
but each and every one will gain it direct
from the one life-giving spirit, the Ever
lasting Father. This will make them all one
nationality, one race, and their Everlasting
Father will teach them one language.
33 The Creator of the New World govern
ment has now put it upon the shoulder of
the Everlasting Father, Jesus Christ in
heaven. This is in line with the prayer
Jesus taught his followers to pray to God:
Your kingdom come! Your will be done
on earth as well as in heaven! (Matt.
6 :9 ,10, AT) In the year 1914 Jehovah God
put the government upon his Sons shoul
der. The Bibles timetable backed up by
world events fulfilling Bible prophecy
proves that. Hence the making of all man
kind one under their Creator will soon be,
no more a hope, but a delightful reality.
That Government, established in the heav
ens, has permitted no more disunity up
there. It has dislodged from there Satan
the Devil and his invisible organization of
demons. It has hurled them down to the
neighborhood of our earth. These wicked
spirit forces of Satan and his demons are
responsible for the woeful conditions in
this world today. The only thing in which
this present world is unified is in opposing
God and his government upon Christs
32. Why will there be no family quarrels and hatreds,
and why will they be one race with one language?
33. When was the New World government put upon
the shoulder of the Everlasting Father, and when will
no more disunity be allowed here on earth?

205

shoulder. For that reason it befits the God

of the new world to destroy this old world,
this system of things that has Satan the
Devil as its god and ruler. (Rev. 12:7-13,
17; 2 Cor. 4:4) Since the ousting of Satan
and his demons from heaven no more dis
unity has been allowed up in Gods holy
heavens; no more disunity will be allowed
down here on earth after the universal war
of Armageddon now so near. Rev. 20:11
to 22:3.
THOSE ENJOYING ONENESS TODAY

34 In this world of disunity, is there today

no oneness of men under the Creator of
mankind? There is! Such oneness exists
within the theocratic flock of Jehovah God.
His flock are the people whom he addresses
in his Word, saying: Ye are my witnesses,
saith Jehovah, and I am God. (Isa. 43:12,
AS) These witnesses are primarily a rem
nant of the anointed followers of Jesus
Christ, who have a heavenly calling to
reign with him on his heavenly throne for
the blessing of all the families of the earth.
In addition to these, the Great Shepherds
flock now includes hundreds of thousands
of people from all the families of the earth.
Jesus Christ spoke of these as his other
sheep. He said the time had to come, and
it has come in our day, when he would
gather these other sheep and bring them
together with the remnant of his Kingdom
joint heirs, and they would all be one
flock under one shepherd. Still godly
harmony continues among them.
35 As a public evidence of this oneness of
Jehovahs people, look at their eight-day
international assembly during July, 1953,
held at Yankee Stadium, New York city,
and known as New World Society Assem
bly. Attending that assembly were more
than 125,000 delegates of all colors and
34. Among whom today does oneness under the Creator
exist on earth?
35. What public evidence of this was given in 1953 in
New York city?

206

SfieWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

languages from ninety-six lands. Monday 4:3-6) They are now active in 158 lands.
of the assembly was called North America But no matter in which land they live, no
Day, Tuesday Islands of the Atlantic Day, matter of what color they are, of what na
Wednesday South America Day, Thursday tionality, of what language, they stick to
Asia Day, Friday Africa Day, Saturday gether. Their oneness is a tried and tested
Europe Day and the final Sunday Islands fact of today.
38 That oneness will carry over into Gods
of the Pacific Day; and appropriate reports
and experiences were given to harmonize new world. By all the proofs from the Bi
with those days. On Sunday, July 26,1953, ble and by all the world events and condi
the attendance shot up to 165,829, who tions that support those proofs, we know
came to hear the public talk, After Arma that the new world is at hand. Mans efforts
to make this old world one and keep it run
geddon Gods New World.
ning
will fail. Gods Word says that mans
38
For more recent evidence of this one
very
efforts to bring about a unifying of
ness of the Creators flock on earth on a
the
human
race would be part of the evi
much wider scale, look at the record of the
dences
that
we have reached the end of
Triumphant Kingdom assemblies held
this
old
world,
that we are at the verge of
by Jehovahs witnesses from June 22
the
battle
of
Armageddon
which will de
through August 28,1955. These assemblies
stroy
Satans
world
organization,
and that
were held during ten successive weeks in
we
are
at
the
threshold
of
Gods
new
world.
thirteen major cities of North America,
His
Word
says
that
the
time
must
come
Britain and Europe, in nine languages.
when
they
will
say,

Peace
and
security!
There Jehovahs people of his New World
society flocked together from more than as though they had gained their objective
sixty lands to total more than 300,000 dele of world unity. Then, says the Christian
gates. In imitation of Jesus Christ 13,016 apostle Paul, whenever it is that they are
were baptized in water, and a grand total saying this, sudden destruction will be in
of 403,628 heard the public talk World stant upon them as birth pains upon a
woman with child, and they will by no
Conquest Soon by Gods Kingdom.
means escape complete destruction at
37 Jehovahs witnesses, as members of his
Gods hand. 1 Thess. 5:1-3, NW.
New World society, are determined to
39At Armageddon the battle will be uni
maintain this earth-wide oneness. Up till
versal, for all of Gods organization will be
now their oneness has proved to be un
arrayed against Satans organization. It
breakable, in spite of all the persecutions
will be a battle of two worlds in collision,
that have been heaped upon them, in spite
of all the political differences that have the old world and the new. The new world,
divided Catholics, Protestants and Jews, in Gods creation, will come out the winner
and it will bring in earth-wide oneness of
spite of world wars and lesser wars that
mankind. No, more than that, universal
have caused Catholic to fight against Cath
oneness! Unity will pervade heaven, where
olic and Protestant against Protestant. The
spirit of Satans world has divided Chris all the angels are lined up under Gods
tendom against itself. But the one loving King, Jesus Christ, and with him they
spirit of Jehovah God has kept Jehovahs will fight the battle of Armageddon.
witnesses one throughout the earth. (Eph. Jehovahs witnesses on earth will not need
36. What evidence of this was given on a much wider
scale in 1955?
37. In spite of what has their oneness proved unbreak
able till now?

38. How do we know that the new world is at hand,

and when will complete destruction from God suddenly
come upon the old world?
39. Which world will win at Armageddon, and what will
it bring in for all those on Gods side?

April

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

to take part in that battle at all. To them

it is said: The battle is not yours but
Gods. (2 Chron. 20:15, NW ) They look
to Jehovah God to fight the battle by Jesus
Christ and to vindicate his sovereignty
over
allthe universe.
40 All those, therefore, who now make
their peace with God and become one with
him and his government upon Christs
shoulder will come under his approval,
hence under divine protection at Arma
geddon. They will be hidden under divine
power when that great cataclysm will del
uge the old world with destruction. Those
who are now seeking God and striving to
know his will and to do it will have a divine
preservation. As one flock they will pass
into the new world, just as Noah and his
family passed through the flood that wiped
out the wicked world of that day. With this
united flock of witnesses and servants of
Jehovah God the new earth will begin.
It will remain forever. After describing the
destruction of this present world the apos
tle Peter says: There are new heavens
and a new earth that we are awaiting ac
cording to his promise, and in these right
eousness is to dwell. 2 Pet. 3:13,
41 The government of the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace, will rule as
the new heavens over the new earth.
The survivors of Armageddon will already
be his one flock of Jehovahs witnesses,
a New World society already organized.
That oneness of all human survivors under
their Creator and his King will never be
broken up. The Prince of Peace will not
only preserve the peaceful oneness of the
survivors but also make others one with
them. What others? At present the power
of death separates all those who are sleep
ing in the memorial tombs or graves from
40. What will those under Gods approval experience at
Armageddon, and with whom will the new earth
begin ?
41. What will happen to the oneness of the Armageddon
survivors, and how will still others be made one with
them on earth?

207

the living. By the power of the Almighty

God the Everlasting Father will unite the
dead with the living by resurrecting all in
the tombs who are in Gods memory for
a reawakening to life on earth. When God
resurrected Jesus Christ to life nineteen
hundred years ago it was a guarantee not
only that he would resurrect Christs
anointed followers to immortal life in heav
en but also that he would resurrect all the
earthly entombed ones to life in the new
earth. (John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:12-20)
Jesus Christ will reign a thousand years
after Armageddon and these resurrected
ones will have abundant opportunity dur
ing his reign to come to oneness with all
those living under their Re-creator and his
King. Everlasting destruction faces those
who refuse to become one with God
through Jesus Christ.
42Painting a word picture of the oneness
and harmless peace of mankind under their
Creators King, his prophecy says: Right
eousness shall be the girdle of [the Kings]
waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his
loins. And the wolf shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with
the kid; and the calf and the young lion
and the fatling together; and a little child
shall lead them. And the cow and the bear
shall feed; their young ones shall lie down
together; and the lion shall eat straw like
the ox. And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child
shall put his hand on the adders den. They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover
the sea. Isa. 11:5-9,
43 To gain that new world of everlasting
oneness of mankind under our Creator it is
absolutely necessary for us to gain that
knowledge of Jehovah now, before the
42. What word picture does Jehovah give us through
Isaiah the prophet of the oneness and harmless peace
of mankind under their King?
43. To gain the new world of such oneness why is
knowledge necessary, and where is it at hand for us?

208

SFiieWAT CHTOWER

battle of Armageddon. In proof of this it is

written that God will bring tribulation
upon those who disturb his people at the
revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven
with his powerful angels in a flaming fire,
as he brings due punishment upon those
who do not know God and those who do not
obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.
These very ones will pay the penalty of
everlasting destruction from before the
Lord and from the glory of his strength.
(2 Thess. 1:6-9, NW) It is also written:
My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge. (Hos. 4:6) Why be destroyed
at Armageddon for lack of knowledge?
The lifesaving knowledge is at hand for
you. Where? Among Jehovahs witnesses,
for if the Creator had not given them the
knowledge he could not say to them: Ye
are my witnesses, saith Jehovah.
** For the sake of gaining more knowl
edge associate henceforth with the New
World society of Jehovahs witnesses. It
is the only organization on earth today that

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

is really practicing godly harmony and

oneness under the one Shepherd Jesus
Christ. It is the only visible organization
that today offers the hope and the assur
ance to mankind of living through the un
avoidable world catastrophe at Armaged
don and surviving into Gods new world.
45 Accept this good news gladly. Prove
that it is the truth, Gods truth, found in
his infallible Word, the Holy Bible. Keep
meeting with Jehovahs witnesses. Study
the Bible with them. Accept the Bible liter
ature they present to you. Act on their
offer to come even to your private homes
and take up a personal home Bible study
with you, and learn more of these glorious,
hope-inspiring truths of the Bible. Make
them your own. Let them transform your
mind. Let them alter your living for ever
lasting life in the new world. Set your hope
on Gods promise and stick by it. Dedicate
yourself to be one with him the Creator.
Serve and obey him as ruler rather than
worldly men. Continue, then, in the way
that you now find yourself in by reading
this message. Keep at one with the unbreakably united New World soci
ety of the Creators witnesses.
With them love and serve
Him now when he by
Jesus Christ is begin
ning to make all obe
dient mankind one
under theirCreator.
45. What are we exhorted
to do now when Jehovah
is beginning to make all
obedient mankind one un
der their Creator ?

0 Space - 'Tiction Stifle Siltle?

An Associated Press dispatch from Bristol, England, says an Anglican bishop sug
gested rewriting the Bible to get children interested in it. Said Dr. F. A. Cockin: Many
parents care very little about what happens to their children when they go to Sunday
School and the children themselves are no longer interested in old things like the Bi
ble. If we were to rewrite the Testaments in terms of space fiction the church might
achieve much. The church of England must be in very sorry straits as regards its
efforts to teach religion to children.

 Ever since the Bolshevik

revolution, the only new Bi
bles seen in Russia have been
a few smuggled into the coun
try from abroadmostly in
foreign languages, reported
the United Press foreign news
editor last December. He add
ed: Since the revolution, a
Biblew o rn and tattered
though it may be has been a
cherished possession to many
a Russian family.
Since 1917 the Soviet lead
ers have had nearly forty
years to show what they could
do with their theory of gov
WILL W O RLD'S M O S T WIDELY READ
ernment; and as the years
B O O K C O N T IN U E UNDER SO VIET BAN?
have flown by, those dictators
RUTH originates with JEHOVAH. have piled up a mountain of proof against
He speaks the word and it never re themselves as haters of God, haters of peo
turns to him void. Lies he does not origi ple who choose to worship Almighty God
nate, for it is impossible for God to lie. with spirit and truth; yes, those Soviet
Falsehoods are plentiful and cheap; they leaders have proved themselves shallow,
unreasonable, more and more covetous,
do not last. As time passes, man-made
senselessly oppressive, domineering, and
imaginations, reasonings and lies fade,
even ruthless murderers in the name of
wither and vanish, but the truth of Jeho
their state. True, they have tried to do
vah endureth for ever. Your word is many things on a grand scale in a vast sec
truth, said Jehovahs faithful Son, Christ tion of this little earth. And today, smiling,
Jesus. To the Jews that believed him Jesus chuckling and gloating, they proudly boast
also said: You will know the truth, and of their achievements, their deeds in ad
the truth will set you free. This truth now vancing themselves, in serving their god,
written in the Bible the Russian leaders their own belly! Phil. 3:19.
At whose expense have they been doing
fear. Isa. 55:11; Heb. 6:17-20,
all their
Psalm 117,
AS;John 17:1-17; 8:31,32,
NW. achieving, all their advance
ment ? Glimpses behind their iron cur
There is no God, insisted leaders of
tain have been few and far between. But
Soviet communism when they, after 1917,
now, little by little, the glimpses are piling
first set themselves to rule millions, yes, up. A few weeks ago a Dutch correspondent
and in years to come billions of earths wrote:
inhabitants. (Ps. 14:1; 2:1-12) To prove
Among the big cities of the Soviet
they could get along without God one of Union one will find various very extensive
their first acts under their newly made communities that have never been named.
state was to ban the Bible, the worlds The travelers visit Leningrad, Moscow,
Kiev, Odessa, Tashkent. But who knows
most widely read book.
209

210

f&eWATCHTOWER

the name Vorkuta, in the far north of

European Russia, on the map southeast of
Nova Zembla; or Norilsk in northwest
Siberia; or the names Karaganda and
Iwdjel? Still in these places we have to deal
with extensive barrack-cities. The popula
tion of Vorkuta is estimated at 120,000
men and women; that of Norilsk at 400,000;
that of Karaganda at 150,000.
These are a few of Russias many labor
camps, penal institutions, where the unde
sirable are put to work. Here godless com
munism has its slave labor. These humans
are not all prisoners of war, by any means.
Hundreds of thousands of them are the
people of Russia, born there, who thought
it not too wrong to do a little thinking of
their own and express it. Here they are by
the millions, punished by being put to work
in mines, clearing woodlands, building
little villages for the Communist govern
ment to settle them with more desirable
citizens, who will support and advance the
communistic regime. Even Russia cannot
keep all its captives imprisoned forever.
Now, from time to time, some taken captive
during the war are returning from these
Russian camps to freer lands. Through
their words the picture of the life millions
are living in such barrack cities becomes
much clearer.
But our story has to do with the most
widely read book with those who are
seriously interested in the Bible. Even to
days Russian leaders may feel they have
practically killed belief in God, or have so
fully advanced their state that thought is
no longer given to the worship of the living
God. Now the Russian section of their
Orthodox Church bows to the wishes of
the Soviet leaders, so they have the re
quired co-operation of Russian Orthodox
clergy in Russia. How about those not of
the Russian Orthodox system; for example,
what about Jehovahs witnesses?

ro o klyn

N. Y.

In the summer of 1955 while an officer of

the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
was in Europe he talked with the Dutch
correspondent above mentioned. By per
sons who had returned from Russia that
writer had been told that as far as Je
hovahs witnesses were concerned they
showed unusual solidarity in Soviet prison
camps. They even gained the sympathy of
some of the guards and officials. He added
that these witnesses of Jehovah were
known as very serious Bible students; that
in these camps they were proclaiming the
invisible presence of Christ and the doom
of this present system of things; that while
not all of them were in prison camps, they
had to live underground in Russia and
they had a very strong following. This
gentleman further stated that during a cer
tain time a whole isolated village was
closed off and everyone within that village
was captured and sent to camp, because
they had all become known as Jehovahs
witnesses.
Additionally, the Dutch writer empha
sized that millions of persons in Russia
who do believe in the Orthodox patriarch
and the metropolitan consider that those
clergymen are only servants of todays
atheistic Soviet regime; hence, the official
Russian Orthodox Church has fallen into
disfavor with many people. On the other
hand, the teachings of Jehovahs witnesses
are being caught up by more and more
people in Russia.
Meek persons will always seek the truth,
and their oppressors are in fear of what
will happen if the meek ones get together.
Jesus said: Happy are the mild-tempered
ones, since they will inherit the earth.
(Matt. 5:5, NW) However, these mildtempered ones know it is dangerous to
preach in Russia, but Jehovahs witnesses
are doing it, and they are flourishing.
Among many there is a noticeable awaken
ing as to spiritual need. Many have had

A p r il

1, 1956

fflieWATCHTOWER

enough of communism, and not all minds

have been smothered with the foolish
teaching. (Ps. 53:1) In fact, there seem to
be millions who believe in a Supreme Being
when they consider the land, the sky, the
trees, the grass, the flowers and the vegeta
tion. Such natural evidence even the Soviet
dictators have not wiped away.
TO SLAVE CAMPS WITH THEM!

Although the Soviet leaders with their

secret police still try to search out Jeho
vahs witnesses in order to put them in
their slave camps, even inside such camps
the witnesses continue to preach Jehovahs
established kingdom. (Dan. 2:44; Matt.
6:9-13) When believers in Gods Word are
taken away from their own homes to lands
where labor camps are situated, as soon as
they arrive in these institutions they are
immediately received by other lovers of
the Bible, Gods Word, and they are com
forted and come under their protection,
because these know the method of the
camp, and it is not long until they are
strengthened to the point of witnessing to
still other prisoners. Their zeal is not de
stroyed because they are in prison. They
use the situation to do greater works of
ministry.
On another occasion in 1955 the Watch
Tower Societys president talked with one
of Jehovahs witnesses recently released
from these Russian prison camps. There
he had lived a lifetime in six years. His
story was that of one of a pure heart filled
with zeal, and it was touching. He being a
devout student of the Bible, it made no
difference to him whom he talked to, slave
or free, or even to one wearing a commu
nistic uniform. For preaching Gods Word
to Russian soldiers who requested informa
tion in Communist-occupied territory out
side Russia, he was arrested, taken to
Russian commanders and questioned time
after time. The only thing they could find

211

against him was that he talked the Bible

to those Russian soldiers who had come to
him and asked him about the Word of God.
Because he helped those soldiers read the
most widely read book, he was sentenced
to ten years hard labor in Russia. His trip
to Russia was indescribable. He and other
prisoners were transported in cattle cars,
and for days were treated worse than
cattle, without any relief. During his six
years in Russia he had been transferred
from one camp to another, and had worked
in more than fifty different camps, includ
ing some in Siberia. In every one of these
prison camps he had found from ten to
fifteen and more Jehovahs witnesses.
One time there were brought into a
camp forty-eight Russian prisoners, men
and women. They had been hunted out and
arrested in Russia and now were assigned
to the camp he was in. By telling them the
many good things he had learned about
Jehovahs Word before he was taken to
Russia, it was his pleasure to help these,
new in the truth, to continue in their faith
ful course. From them he was happy to
learn that the truth that had reached the
western part of Russia in the early years
of Soviet rule was now penetrating deep
inside Russia; in fact, it had reached across
the whole land. This brought great joy and
encouragement to keep on faithfully in
Jehovahs service no matter where he was.
Meeting other Russians who were Jeho
vahs witnesses, he learned how Jehovahs
witnesses were hunted by the police, just
like rabbits. He learned firsthand how
Communist leaders feared the Bible truth
and tried to crush it. For preaching Gods
kingdom, for which Jesus taught his dis
ciples to pray, many have been sentenced
to twenty-five years in prison. He told that
three small villages had been circled by
the secret police at 3 a.m., and that every
one of Jehovahs witnesses had been fer
reted out and taken away in the darkness

212

SKeWATCHTOWEFL

of night, to disappear forever, as far as

those villages were concerned.
In one of the camps to which he had
been transferred he met a Bible-owning
Ukrainian, who somehow had smuggled a
Bible into the camp. The book was well
worn. He had been used to reading it se
cretly at night, not letting even this wit
ness of Jehovah see what he was reading,
until one night the witness caught a
glimpse of the pages.
He turned to the
U k r a i n i a n and
asked : Do y ou
know what you are
reading?
The
U k r a i n i a n said:
How do you know
what I am reading?
And the answer
was: I know you
are reading the Bi
ble, but do you un
derstand what you
read? (This recalls
Philips inquiry to the Ethiopian who was
reading the book of Isaiah and confessed he
needed help to understand it, and Philip
kindly helped him. Acts 8:26-39.) So this
prisoner from a far country, taken into the
depths of Russia, had the opportunity of
helping this Ukrainian to come to a knowl
edge of the truth about Jehovahs estab
lished kingdom.
A number of weeks after they had studied
quietly together (in their beds, which were
the upper bunks) and had read from the
Bible under cover, the commander of the
camp caught them reading the Bible. In
fact, for a number of evenings this camp
commander had listened behind the bed
to what these two men were saying one to
the other about Gods purposes and the
wonderful hope held out in the Scriptures
for humans seeking to do Jehovahs will.
Then the commander revealed himself and

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

told the men they should be far more care

ful to keep the Bible better hid, for it was
unlawful to read and discuss the Scrip
tures. He did not take the Bible away from
them, but warned them to take more cau
tious measures, because he himself might
not always be there, and neither would
they; for it would not be long before they
would be transferred to some other camp.
It was Jesus who said: Happy are those
h u n g e r i n g an d
thirsting for right
eousness, since they
w ill be f i l l e d .
Matt. 5:6, NW.
This sta lw a rt
servant of Jehovah
God, who has now
been released from
the Russian camp
and returned home
to his native land,
pointed out that
when the prisoners
of war or condemned
ones from Russia or its satellite countries
were first taken into these camps they
were put on a starvation diet and made to
work until they would practically die on
their feet. It had been the Soviet policy
thus to kill off these prisoners. In recent
years, however, things have changed. Those
at the head of government have found out
that they have some good slave labor here;
and now they are offering premiums to the
workers in the camps to do more work and
serve better. Better food and care are being
given the prisoners, because slave labor is
cheap, even cheaper than communistic
labor.
The Soviet government is really fearful
of its slave labor. These Russian prison
camps are surrounded by barbed wire and
watched by guards who always have angry
dogs on a leash. Death road is a strip of
land three meters wide, all around the

A p r il

1, 1956

Sle WATCHTOWER.

camp. Anyone who steps on that ground

is soon dead, either by being shot imme
diately, without being asked any questions,
or by having mad dogs run him down.
Russians and those seized in other coun
tries and taken to Russia are slave labor
ers, serving the state. In many instances
they have done Russia no harm and have
never said a word about the Soviet gov
ernment, nor have they entered into espio
nage against it. They had minded their
own business in the lands where they had
lived before being taken to Russia. But
the Communists needed men and women,
slaves to build up a degraded nation; and
at the same time they are afraid of their
slaves. They have no love for their slaves,
nor have the slaves love for their masters.
Russia is a country living in fear, even
fear of its own concentration camps. As in
the case of this one witness of Jehovah, so
with all Russian prisoners: they are kept
no longer than three or four months in a
camp, then are moved on to another. In a
camp of some 4,000 people, 200 of them
will be taken away every few days to other
prisons and new persons will be brought
in to take their places. The Russian leaders
fear the forming of some internal organiza
tion among these great masses of untrusted
people, who, someday, might be able even
to overpower the guards and take posses
sion of some of their territory. What a
way for rulers to live in fear of man, not
Jehovah God! How true the Word of God,
the book they hate: He that oppresseth
the poor reproacheth his Maker.Prov.
14:31,
AS.
When this witness of Jehovah had finally
served his sentence and was released a few
years early because of an amnesty, he
returned home to find that his wife had
died of grief a few months after he had
been seized. His children had been taken
away and put in other homes. But he
rejoiced to come back to brothers still

213

devoted to the service of Jehovahs king

dom. All that he wants to do now is to
preach this good news of Jehovahs king
dom; for he knows there is no hope for
this old world or for any part of it. The
Communists are afraid of Bible truth, but
the truth made this brother free even all
the years he was in a Russian slave camp.
Jesus said: Happy are those who have
been persecuted for righteousness sake,
since the kingdom of the heavens belongs
to them. Matt. 5:10,
MUCH GOING ON INSIDE RUSSIA

Inside Russia Jehovahs witnesses must

carry on their work as early Christians
worked among Jews and Romans. Happy
are you when people reproach you and
persecute you and lyingly say every kind
of wicked thing against you for my sake.
Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward
is great in the heavens; for in that way
they persecuted the prophets prior to you.
(Matt. 5:11,12,
NW) The persecuted o
faith in Jehovah God and in his kingdom
keeps them going, and they would rather
die than compromise with any part of this
old world.
Back in 1948 several of Jehovahs wit
nesses in Russia were mimeographing The
Watchtower and printing material based
on Bible teaching, then distributing this
throughout the land to the best of their
ability. But the Communist leaders fear
Bible truths, and their secret police traced
these ministers down. All their printing
apparatus, paper, ink and other materials
were seized and the men were arrested and
taken off to slave camps.
The big question that the secret police
were asking was, How can we get rid of
Jehovahs witnesses? Everywhere they
found them not bad people, just people
who wanted to read and talk about the
most widely read book in the world, The
Holy Bible. The Soviet officials were able

214

2ffteWATCHTOWER

to disband and disorganize Jehovahs wit

nesses for a while, but it was not long before
Jehovahs witnesses were again organized
within Russia and had set up new publish
ing centers, there to mimeograph and send
out the truth as they received it. Commu
nist leaders were set on getting all the
circuit servants and congregation servants,
and when some of those were found they
were given twenty-five-year sentences and
imprisoned.
During the years following the second
world war it was practically impossible for
the brothers to hide
Watchtower or
any of the Societys publications, or even
the Bible. The secret police were on the
search for everything Christian, and when
they found out that a person was one of
Jehovahs witnesses or accused of being
one, they would search his home, dismount
stoves, tear off the roof, even destroy the
whole house, to discover the hiding place
for the Bible or Bible literature in order to
have evidence of Christian propaganda,
and then they would send him away to
a slave camp. In those years it was impos
sible for the brothers to meet in daylight.
They carried on their family Bible studies
mostly in cellars, in the woods, and other
inaccessible places. Brothers seldom had
opportunity to study with others in their
own home. Group study of The Watchtower
was impossible, but a regular study was
held in homes where the family could get
together, all windows and doors being
closed and locked. But what a happy fam
ily! They could talk about truth, Gods
Word, and worship Jehovah, the Sovereign
Ruler of the universe, even in a dictatorial
country like Russia. The truth made these
people free, even though they lived under
an oppressive state. Happy are those who
are conscious of their spiritual need, since
the kingdom of the heavens belongs to
them. Matt. 5:3, NW.

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

Because of the love of truth on the part

of many, from 1948 to 1951 Jehovahs wit
nesses continued to grow throughout all
Russia, and this to the great disturbance
of the Communist leaders. Recently reports
have come out of Russia stating that in
1951, on April 1, 7 and 8, the Communists
carried out a great purge. These are dates
unforgettable by Jehovahs witnesses in
Russia. On these three days all of Jehovahs
witnesses that could be found in Western
Ukraine, White Russia, Bessarabia, Molda
via, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia more
than seven thousand men and women
were arrested and carried off. They were
not allowed to take with them clothing or
food. Whole families were loaded in carts,
carried to railroad stations and there put
in cattle cars and sent far away. All these
arrests were made at night, and if the
gathering of Jehovahs witnesses had not
been completed by 7 a.m., they waited
until dark on that day. Then came the
exodus! Thousands of Jehovahs witnesses
were moved across country and hundreds
of thousands of supposedly free Russians
heard Jehovahs witnesses singing songs
of praise to Jehovah and talking the truth
as their trains passed. This great group of
Jehovahs witnesses was taken away to
forests for the clearing of the land, and for
the first winter they had to live on roots
and nuts. Being distributed over a wide
guarded forest area, they were told: Clear
the forest; build houses; remain here for
ever; work if you want to live. Their spirit
was not diminished. They worked; they are
living; their faith is strong and they con
tinue to preach the good news of Jeho
vahs established kingdom.
Today, in the vast country of Russia,
truly every mans hand is against his
neighbor. There everyone has been taught
to watch the person next to him, and espe
cially to fight against Jehovahs witnesses.
No matter who you are, you are under

p r il

1,

1956

S&eWATCHTOWER

surveillance; and when

mail for you comes to a
post office it is read by
the postal clerks. The
only way Jehovahs mes
sages of comfort and
truth can go from one to
another is by personal
carrier. When Jehovahs
witnesses are found they
are given a trial. They go
to a courtroom and be
fore a judge, but it does
no good to hire a lawyer
to defend one. In many
instances the government
appoints a lawyer to dea person, but even
so appointed for a
witness of Jehovah takes
the role of accuser rather than defense
lawyer; for if he does otherwise and puts
up a good case, he himself might be sent
to the slave camp. So the Soviet system
metes out justice.
If there is a witness of Jehovah in some
territory, he is known far and wide, be
cause there is a great deal of undertow.
People talk. Not everyone squeals to the
authorities, because many hope that some
day they themselves will be free from this
ruthless reign. With their own Russian
Orthodox Church failing them, since it is
a state church, they seek
out lovers of truth.
Happy are those
who mourn, since
they will be com
fo rte d . Matt.
5:4, N W .
FROM COMMUNIST
TO CHRISTIAN

In Russia now
there is a woman,
a witness of Jeho-

215

vah, who, after much suffering, is still

preaching the good news of Jehovahs king
dom. Her story since 1942 is typical of hun
dreds of others. In 1942, when an active
Communist, she was deported by the Nazis
to Germany, together with other Russian
civilians. There she worked with a market
gardener and in a manufacturing plant,
spreading her communistic ideas. Soon
Hitlers Gestapo found her. She was sent
to a Nazi concentration camp. Here, out
of contact with her fellow Communists
and alone, she began to lose faith in the
Communist organization because it had
failed her. She began to think about
God, talked to some people, and finally
met Jehovahs witnesses. While in the
Nazi camp she was baptized and became
a very diligent student of the Scriptures.
After learning the truth she began to
talk to other Russian women. One day
the camp commander came to see these
Russian women and to this woman he said:
Who are you? She answered, I am one
of Jehovahs witnesses. The commander
insisted that that was not true: You are
a Russian. Then to this Nazi the sister,
with emphasis, said: God is not only God
of the German people but of all people.
She was let go unp u n i s h e d , ai
this strength
ened her to

216

SfreWATCHTOWER,

preach even more diligently among the

Russian women. Finally a group of these
women learned the truth in their own
language.
After the war had ended in 1945 and
Hitlers concentration camps had been
broken up, this woman, with many other
Russian women, returned to Russia. Now
a prayer of a German sister, told to them
while they were in the Nazi camp, became
the prayer of each one of these witnesses
of Jehovah, liberated Russian women: I
thank you, Jehovah, Father, that you have
given me what I desired, to speak to the
Russian people.
It brought them joy to be released and
go back to Russia; but it was not long be
fore the Communist secret police were on
their trail. They were found, and because
they preached the kingdom of God, pointing
out to others the comforting words from
the Bible, these women were sentenced to
twenty-five years in slave camps. But even
there today these Russian sisters, who had
learned the truth in German concentration
camps, are still preaching in the prison
camps of Russia, where they now live, all
to the honor and glory of Jehovahs name.
This particular former Communist woman,
now a witness of Jehovah, is still a regular
Kingdom publisher; now, of course, in the
slave camp of the Soviet government she
had once served. Why? Because she be
lieves Gods Word as written in His book,
the Bible. She dared to preach its good
news in Russia. For that she is doing build
ing work in the forest, as a slave, helping
to transform the forest into settlements
that later will be turned over to Commu
nist people. When finished with that task
she will be removed to another place of
hard labor.
In one of these many camps throughout
all Russia where Jehovahs witnesses are
located the truth has been preached so
much that even some of the guards have

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

taken it up. People who have worked in

offices that control these camps have also
gained a knowledge of the truth. Their hav
ing received the truth impels them now to
preach the good news. In time even some
of such guards and office workers have
been put into prison, being sentenced fif
teen years and ten years. For what? Be
cause they studied the Bible; they talked
the truth; they declared themselves to be
Jehovahs witnesses. All of these convicted
persons have been separated into different
camps and sent to different parts of Russia,
so that they could not form a strong group
of their own.
DEPORTATION SCATTERS PREACHERS

Jehovahs witnesses in Russia say that

because they are scattered throughout all
of these camps (and we know for a cer
tainty that they are in more than fifty dif
ferent camps, according to the report pre
viously set out in this article) the Kingdom
good news is being constantly preached in
all parts of this vast country of Russia.
They, by no form of imagination, could
know where to find money to travel 10,000
kilometers (more than 6,000 miles) to
preach the Kingdom message. But now the
Communist government itself has sent
them from one end of the country to the
other to work in these slave camps; and, as
they see it, the government has paid their
fare to new territories to preach the King
dom message. In all parts of Russia Jeho
vahs witnesses are working; some, the
greater number indeed, in work camps,
others in isolated sections that they are not
allowed to leave. Still others continue
working in cities and villages, uncaught
up to this moment. Remember how Saul
[of Tarsus] dealt outrageously with the
congregations of Jehovahs people, invad
ing one house after another, and, dragging
out both men and women, he would turn
them over to prison. However, those who
had been scattered went through the land

A p r il

1, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER,

217

declaring the good news of the word. years ago there were seven publishers in
Acts 8:3, 4, NW.
Moscow, but they were all deported. Mos
Our brothers in Russia have not been at cow is one of the few capitals in the world
all backward in trying to get greater free where there is not one single witness of
dom for the preaching of the Kingdom Jehovah. But the truth is known there.
message, and they have given the Commu The Communist government has been in
nist government opportunity to recognize formed of Jehovahs witnesses; they have
Jehovahs witnesses as a religious organi made too many of them their slave la
zation. In 1948 they sent a petition through borers not to know them. In every coun
the minister of the interior to the Pre try behind the iron curtain the Communist
sidium of the Supreme Soviet Council of organization is trying to fight, beat down
the U.S.S.R. This petition described the and wipe out Jehovahs witnesses in Po
work of Jehovahs witnesses in Russia. They land, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary,
received no answer; so a small delegation East Germany and in Russia itself. But
of three brothers went to the Ministry of they cannot destroy them or their message.
the Interior at Moscow and presented the The truth has made these people free, and
petition in person. Questioned as to where they will continue to be free and preach
they came from, they said: From the this good news of Jehovahs established
Ukraine. Therefore they were advised to kingdom for a witness to all who hear.
go to the Ministry of the Interior of the
In Russia it is impossible for an indi
Ukraine, Soviet Socialist Republic, at Kiev. vidual to live his own life and just serve
The brothers went from Moscow directly God and love his neighbor as himself. No,
to Kiev and presented the petition to the he must become a slave to the state; he
minister of the interior. There it appeared must hail the state; he must worship the
that the officials of the Ministry had been state. But not Jehovahs witnesses! They
prepared for their coming, for after pre have turned to Gods Word and prefer to
senting the petition these three witnesses follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus.
of Jehovah were offered certain proposals (1 Pet. 2:21) When Jesus was upon earth
by the government: Will Jehovahs wit he told the rulers that he was in the world
nesses serve in the army? Will you partici but no part of it. (John 18:36,37) And that
pate in the elections of the Soviet govern is the way Jehovahs witnesses look at
ment? Will you submit to every decree of life today. (John 17:13, 14, 16) We are in
the state and collaborate with other reli the world, but we are no part of it. The
gious organizations? To all three questions world carries on its own business in the
the brothers answered in the words of way it pleases. Jehovahs witnesses do not
Jesus apostle Peter: We must obey God interfere and they will not. As long as
rather than men. (Acts 5:29, AS) The Jehovah God allows man-made nations to
representatives were allowed to walk out remain and operate, there is no reason for
of the office of the Ministry of the Interior, Jehovahs witnesses to interfere with their
but within a few days their homes were ways of life, and they will abide by all man
raided; they themselves were searched and made laws unless those laws conflict with
later sentenced to long terms of imprison Gods law.
ment.
Regardless of what country Jehovahs
In one place in Russia it was possible for witnesses are in they have the assignment
120 persons to be present at a Memorial to be ministers of Jehovahs kingdom, rep
celebration. This is the exception. A few resentatives of Christ Jesus. (Isa. 43:10-12;

218

SfreWATCHTOWER,

52:7, 8; 61:1-3; Matt. 24:14; 2 Cor. 5:20)

So, even in Russia, with their Bibles they
press on preaching the good news inside
and outside prison camps. (Matt. 24:9;
28:19, 20; Mark 13:9-11; Luke 21:12, 13;
Rev. 2:10) They celebrate the Memorial,
privately or together, in cellars, in woods,
in camps, isolated. They are ready to meet
any obstacle and try to overcome it, but
they will not compromise with this old
world. Joel 2:4-9; Phil. 1:28.
The Bible is in Russia to stay. Jehovahs
witnesses use it; and while the United
Press last year reported that the most
widely read book in the world will be
available again in Russia next month
[meaning January, 1956], it has been
under ban by the Communists for thirtyeight years. Even now, as United Press
pointed out, only a few Bibles
will be printed: The type had
been set, and priests in the Mos
cow patriarchate were reading
the final proofs. The first print
ing, set for January, will be small,
since the church has to buy the
paper and pay the government
for the printing; but in time the
church hopes to distribute the

ro o klyn

, N .Y .

new Bible all over the Soviet Union.

Will the Bible be released in great quan
tity throughout Russia?
When it is, Jehovahs witnesses will ex
plain it to the people. As long as the Com
munist leaders and their supporters are
afraid of the truth, this new Bible of theirs,
in the Russian language, may get only a
limited distribution while the communistic
regime continues. Certainly it will not be
released to Jehovahs witnesses, for in
their hands it is like dynamite. So it con
tinues under ban to them.
Will the worlds most widely read book
be widely read in Russia before Jehovahs
war at Armageddon? Rev. 16:13-16; Jer.
25:32, 33; Isa. 34:1-4; Zeph. 2:1-3; Acts
2:19-21.
Now only those who seek Jehovah, hun
gering for truth and righteous
ness, yes, only those who want to
fight the right contest of the
faith (1 Tim. 6:12,
only
those who are willing to lay
down their very lives for truth
(Rev. 12:11), are the ones that
will ever see and understand the
Bible, not only in Russia but in
all the rest of the world.

(Be sure to read in our next issue the firsthand story of a man who was one of the seven thousand
turned into the woods in Russia, mentioned on page 214 of this issue. His personal story is titled,
I Lived in Exile in Siberia." Dont miss it!)

Shining as the Light of the W orld

t t r r RULY sweet is the light, and pleas1 ant to the eyes. Apt as are those
words regarding the light of the sun, they
are even more fitting regarding the spirit
ual light which shines from the great Sun,
Jehovah God, the Father of the celestial
lights. Spiritual light brings freedom from
bondage, hope of everlasting life and com

fort, love and joy. Eccl. 11:7, Bo; Jas.

1:17,
NW.
Today, however, more than ever before
darkness shall cover the earth, and thick
darkness the peoples, because Satan has
blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that
the illumination of the glorious good news
about the Christ, who is the image of God,

A p r il

1, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER

might not shine through. And blinded also

by their pride, stubbornness and greed,
men prefer darkness to light and so they
vainly seek guidance from the creeds of
Christendom, from its philosophers, from
its materialistic science and from the poli
ticians. But there are a few who truly love
righteousness and who humbly seek God,
if they might grope for him and really find
him. Isa. 60:2, RS; 2 Cor. 4:4; Acts
17:27,
NW.
For the benefit of such kind of persons
God sent his Son Jesus Christ, who is the
true light which gives light to every kind
of man. While on earth Jesus himself di
rectly served as this light, telling the peo
ple of his Fathers name, purposes and will
for them, but with his ascension to heaven
he appointed his followers to serve in his
stead as light bearers: You are the light
of the world. A city cannot be hid when
situated upon a mountain. People light a
lamp and set it, not under the measuring
basket, but upon the lampstand, and it
shines upon all those in the house. Like
wise let your light shine before mankind,
that they may see your right works and
give glory to your Father who is in the
heavens. John 1:9; Matt. 5:14-16,

An answer in the November 15, 1955, Watch-

tower said Jehovah could, if he wished, destroy

even an immortal creature. The booklet What

219

To serve properly as lights of the world

our lamps must be filled with oil and their
wicks must be trimmed; that is, we must
have a good knowledge of Gods Word and
present its message effectively. That re
quires study; it requires attending congre
gational meetings; it requires taking ad
vantage of ministerial training.
As Christs followers we can confidently
let our light shine, for it is equal to any
tests of reason and honest investigation.
Our motives are pure, because we are not
peddlers of the word of God as many men
are, exploiting Gods Word for selfish
gain. And in shining forth we do not call
attention to ourselves, for we know that
this treasure of service as light bearers is
in an earthen vessel, all the glory going
to Jehovah. It is being done, not by might,
nor by power, but by my spirit, saith Jeho
vah of hosts. 2 Cor. 2:17, NW ; Zech.
4:6,
AS.
Do you appreciate your privileges as a
light bearer? If you do, you will keep
strict watch that how you walk is not as
unwise but as wise persons, buying out the
opportune time for yourselves. Eph.
5:15, 16, NW.

The statement in the booklet about survival

after death refers to immortality according to
its basic meaning of deathlessness, indestruct
ibleness. The other statement about Gods abil
ity to destroy even an immortal creature rested
upon the view that he is absolutely almighty
without any limitation upon his own power by
even himself. So this latter statement presented
what seems in accord with this view. However,
it enters into the realm of speculation, because
it is in fact based on a speculative question.

stroyed from the universe. W hich is correct?

Hence we are letting the statement in the

booklet stand, in accord with the meaning of
absolute immortality as conveyed in the H oly
Scriptures. A fuller discussion on this m ay be
expected in time in the columns of The Watch-

J. L., United States.

tower.

Do the Scriptures Say About Survival After

Death ? says that if the demons had originally
been created immortal they could not be de

MODERN HISTORY of
Part SI
THE

ENDING THE FOURTH, BEGINNING

FIFTH DECADE OF KINGDOM OPERATION

vahs witnesses with dread forebodings of

the future. Undisturbed, they went on to
give a still greater witness to Gods estab
lished kingdom by putting more preaching
ministers in the field. In that March a new
high number of 154,367 ministers reported
time spent in preaching,1*followed by a still
higher peak of 169,015 in April,e in Ameri
ca. In other nations, too, the increase was
going on. So by the close of the 1954 serv
ice year a new world-wide peak of 580,498
preachers was attained, a jump of 60,516
over the preceding year.d Door-to-door
sermons from the Bible of three to eight
minutes length were now specially recom
mended, and also ten- to fifteen-minute
sermons in making return visits upon in
terested persons. All the congregations
were brought into accord with a training
program to have qualified, experienced
ministers to give personal training to irreg
ular ones or less successful ones or to newly
interested persons in the most effective
ways of preaching in the field. More atten
tion also began to be placed on putting out
individual copies of
TWatchto
Awake! at every opportunity, besides ob
taining subscriptions for these magazines.
April 3, 1954, saw the entry of a new
feature, the film entitled The New World
Society in Action, of one hour and twenty
minutes length. On that night this film
was shown for the first time outside Brook
lyn headquarters to an audience of 1,110

rIE kingdom of the heavens with

Jesus Christ in power as King at his
Fathers right hand ended its fortieth year
of rule amid its enemies in 1954, about
October 1. It began ruling amid World
War I in 1914; it ended its fortieth year
amid the cold war between the East and
West blocs of Kingdom enemies that fol
lowed World War II. Jehovahs witnesses,
knowing well the times and seasons of
Gods purposes, approached and entered
the Kingdoms fortieth year without join
ing in the dire predictions that some reli
gionists were making about 1954 on the
basis of their ideas of parallel time periods
in historical events. They entered 1954
planning and arranging to do still greater
works in Kingdom service.
Their long fight in Quebec Province,
Canada, to establish the right to preach
the Kingdom news to the Catholic popula
tion there had been rewarded with a fivejudge majority decision in the Supreme
Court of Canada, at Ottawa, October 6,
1953, which ruled that Jehovahs witnesses
have the right to put out their religious
literature in Quebec.a Future efforts by the
adversaries of free speech and free worship
in Quebec to block the application of this
Supreme Court decision showed that they
took it in bad grace, as enemies among
whom Christ had to rule with an iron rod.
The exploding of two new models of
hydrogen bombs in the Pacific Ocean by
America in March, 1954, did not fill Jeho

b Informant, May, 1954.

c Informant, June, 1954.
d 1955 Yearbook, pp. 38, 42.

a Awake! Nov. 22, 1953, pp. 3-11.

220

A pril 1, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

at a New York City circuit assembly. To

date it has proved a mighty instrument in
visually acquainting all viewers with the
magnitude of the Societys organization, its
institutions, its field activities, its largescale conventions, its smooth, efficient
functioning and the spirit by which it is
moved. In the territories of the Watch
Tower Societys branch offices, even in
Taiwan during the eighteen-year-long ban
upon Jehovahs witnesses, the film was ex
hibited to large appreciative audiences. By
the close of the 1955 service year this mo
tion picture, with accompanying commen
tary, had been shown to 2,379,549 persons.e
The year 1954 proved to be a notable
one for assemblies. During the summer, be
ginning with the Boston (Massachusetts)
assembly on June 24, 1954, four-day dis
trict and national assemblies were held
around the globe, including assemblies even
in such places as Pakistan, Thailand, Indo
nesia, South Korea, besides other places
on six continents and the islands of the
seas. Eighty of these assemblies brought
out a total public audience of 427,000 and
more, and a total of 14,509 were baptized.
The Berlin assembly took the lead, with
22,500 present to hear Gods Love to the
Rescue in Mans Crisis and with a bap
tism of 1,022. At the Toronto (Ontario)
district assembly a fifth day was added to
accommodate the graduation of the 116
students of the twenty-third class of the
Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. The
effect of all these assemblies became quite
evident in the New World society.*
Quite appropriately in 1954, the seven
tieth year from when the Watch Tower
Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania was
incorporated December 13, 1884, the So
ciety completed construction of an out
standing building in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl
vania, to house its registered offices. On
* W June 15, 1955, pp. 361-364; Nov. 15, 1955, pp. 680683.
< W Dec. 1. 1954, pp. 713-720.

221

September 4, 1954, the building was dedi

cated by officers of the Society, and on
Friday, October 1, 1954, the first annual
business meeting of the Society was held
there with its president as chairman. An
attendance of 820 overflowed from the
main auditorium, which seats 500, to the
auxiliary auditorium in the basement of
the building.^
The year 1955 opened the fifth decade
for Gods established kingdom to rule amid
its enemies. The early part of the year was
marked by outstanding legal decisions. On
January 7, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the
Lord Judge of the Court of Sessions handed
down the decision that Jehovahs witness
es are a religious denomination but their
pioneer publishers and congregation serv
ants are not regular ministers of religion
within the meaning of the 1948 National
Service Act of Britain. The adverse part
of this decision was appealed to a threejudge High Court of Justiciary in Edin
burgh, only to have an unfavorable deci
sion rendered by all three judges July 21,
1955.h On this an appeal is now being made
to the House of Lords, London, England,
the final court of appeal for the British
Empire. However, in America, on March 14,
1955, the Supreme Court at Washington,
D.C., ruled favorably on three cases of
Jehovahs witnesses, that the witnesses
must be considered sincere conscientious
objectors to carnal warfare of this world
even though they are willing to fight a war
at Gods command, a theocratic war, not
an earthly kind. On these grounds the
Court reversed the convictions of three
witnesses who had refused induction into
military service.* But in Poland, accord
ing to reports by news dispatches and ra
dio, five witnesses of Jehovah were ar
rested on the false charge of being spies
for political America and were sentenced
s W Dec. 15, 1954, pp. 745-747.
h W June 1, 1955, pp. 329-332.
i Awake! June 22, 1955, pp. 3-8.

222

5EeWATCHTOWER

in March, 1955, to years of imprisonment.

Mark 13:9 and Luke 21:12 were still being
fulfilled upon Jehovahs witnesses in this
time of the end.
For the general guidance of all King
dom publishers in their field activities the
new service booklet of 64 pages on
Preaching Together in Unity was re
leased on January 1,1955. To increase the
publication of literature, especially the
magazines, in the spring of the year the
Watchtower Society began building its new
thirteen-story factory across the street
from its present nine-story factory in
Brooklyn. As a judgment against the en
tire system of worldly religion came the
challenging message under the title Chris
tendom or ChristianityWhich One Is
the Light of the World ? This message
exploded upon the world Sunday, April 3,
1955, by the simultaneous delivery of a
uniform public address on that subject by
speakers in thirty languages the world
over. At the close of the address all speak
ers announced the release of the new 32page booklet upon the same subject, copies
of which were given free to all in attend
ance. Throughout the earth well over a
half million attended this powerful lecture.
According to the presidents letter of Feb
ruary 10,1955, it had been expected to pub
lish ten million copies of the booklet in ten
languages. But the Societys branches were
so eager for the message that it was pub
lished in thirty languages and more than
21,000,000 copies were printed.J
Distribution of the booklet to the out
side public followed at once upon the heels
of the public lecture. Thousands of newly
interested persons took a hand in the dis
tribution for the first time. This produced
a new peak of Kingdom publishers of 625,256, during the month of April. Thoroughly
aroused, the friendlily disposed people
turned out in unprecedented numbers the
j Informant, March to June, 1955.

Brooklyn, N . Y .

following Thursday night, April 7, to cele

brate the Lords evening meal, to run up a
total attendance of 878,303, of whom, how
ever, only 16,815 partook as the remnant
of the heavenly Kingdom class.k During
April and the following month of May the
new booklet moved out into eighty-eight
lands, to reach a phenomenal circulation in
just two months time, even in lands where
Jehovahs witnesses were banned, such as
the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Spain,
Portugal and Eastern Germany. The clergy
of Christendom came in for direct atten
tion later.1Along with this blitz distribu
tion Jehovahs witnesses wound up their
special January-to-April campaign for new
Watchtower subscriptions by obtaining
562,228 new magazine subscriptions by the
close of April, and that in forty languages.
Thirteen Triumphant Kingdom assem
blies next dominated the scene, occasioning
the movement of hundreds of thousands of
Jehovahs witnesses from over sixty lands
to the thirteen assembly sites, all at their
own expense. Five-day assemblies these
were, with a uniform program, the climax
of which was the public address by the So
cietys president or its vice-president on
the theme World Conquest Soon by
Gods Kingdom. In weekly succession the
series moved forward from June 22 at
Chicago, Illinois, to Vancouver, B.C., Cana
da, to Los Angeles, California, to Dallas,
Texas (in Spanish and English), to Yankee
Stadium, New York city (for the third
time), across the Atlantic to Twickenham
(London), England, to Paris, France, to
Rome, Italy (simultaneous with the last
three days of Paris), to Nuremberg, Ger
many, to Berlin, Germany (simultaneous
with the last three days of Nuremberg), to
simultaneous assemblies at Stockholm,
Sweden, and The Hague, Netherlands, and
finally to Helsinki, Finland, August 25-28.
The leap of the assembly series across the
k 1956 Yearbook, p. 40.
i Informant, June, 1955, p. 2.

A pril 1, 1956

STieWATCHTOWER.

223

Atlantic from North American to Euro third graduation exercises of a class of

pean shores witnessed the greatest mass the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, the
movement of conventioners from the 102 graduates making up the twenty-fifth
Americas in history, over 4,500 of them."1 class of the school since its founding Feb
During the series the public address was ruary 1 of 1943.p To these have now been
delivered thus in nine countries and in nine added the 106 graduates of the twentylanguages to a total of 403,682 hearers. sixth class, whose graduation exercises
The number of those baptized totaled took place at Gilead Sunday, February 12,
13,016. From the assemblies a flood of new 1956. Missionary graduates are now sprin
literature poured out over the world: Vol kled all over the earth in a hundred lands
ume II of the
New World Translation
of To these missionaries the
and islands.
the Hebrew Scriptures, Qualified to Be Min Watch Tower Society has recently added
isters, What Do the Scriptures Say About more special pioneers in many lands, to
Survival After Death ? You May Survive augment the ingathering of other sheep.
Armageddon into Gods New World and
The year 1956 has already experienced
the public-address booklet World Conquest steps toward better management and regu
Soon by Gods Kingdom. After the close of lation of the organization. The zoning of
the assembly in each country 257,124 copies the earth into ten zones has taken place,
of the unprecedently distributed booklet each zone embracing a number of the So
Christendom or Christianity Which One cietys seventy-seven branches. Over each
Is
the Light of the World ? were mailed of the ten areas is a zone servant. Janu
world-wide by individual witnesses to each ary 1, 1956, the first of the zone servants
of the religious clergymen and editors of inaugurated this zone work of inspecting
religious publications in their territory. branches. February 29 the Societys presi
What acknowledgments of receipt of the dent himself departed by air from Brook
booklet were received varied from vicious lyn on a ten-week tour of the South Pacific
or deploring to qualifiedly agreeing or and Far East to visit the Societys branch
kindly."
es there, to address assemblies and congre
At the end of August the 1955 service gations of Jehovahs witnesses and to ad
year ended. How? With a marked expan dress the public in major cities on the
sion in the New World society and its ac subject Making All Mankind One Under
tivities. The monthly average of preaching Their Creator.
witnesses rose to 570,694 for the 158 lands
Thus till now Jehovahs witnesses have
reporting, whereas once a peak of 642,929 made an inerasable, everlasting record in
publishers was reached. A total of 63,636 modern history. This record will yet be
were baptized. The total hours of field added to before they finish their prepreaching went up to 85,823,250, accom Armageddon witness, all with praise and
panied by increases in the distribution of credit to the only living and true God,
Bibles, books, booklets, magazines and whose witnesses they have been privileged
tracts." Yankee Stadium also witnessed its to be.
m The Stars and Stripes (European edition), August 5,
1955.
n W Dec. 1, 1955, to Mar. 15, 1956.
o 1956 Yearbook, pp. 32-41, 286-289.

p Awake! Oct. 8, 1955, pp. 27, 28;

1956 Yearbook,
pp. 62, 63.
<iW Apr. 15, 1956; Awake! Mar. 22, 1956.

XT' 'V
to

6 . to

' K

..

.tvi:

n o t ' u ;

; L i b i t

it

<?

'At , ' . ..

iv ' -.3 7 ' >

'
>q
3its f' .otl K?noilnov|. .> to jo o iv-.-rit
'tor;.
'Xr ! t
, tio.ato . 8i .. . a?A
r. a- sttfvns sifttoto a-ril foil , 3dr Brt; aCJ
ocir. ottb 29 itrtifo
its
.
"o."
: jo -... ,, a ; ae.:.-

m -w

a
'

.it

17

.0

'"\h
>
-

fe -

' . i i

fiilB S

fc

.;

is

-ic

*di f*?y o lift

to

' bnofi :
ijmsfer - .1

. *7' ? fffc -.>

i!. n sm-fi'ir :

it

oT dfifiW

7 "IS; . fir. 7 3 3 0 0 i j iffc fc <- < ior<i

yku;dK
"

ic -T i

id - * .i-' d vfl

%:

V?, ;

'

V \ ,

so
i

p3 f

r - '3

..
fl

aa . v

-3M: Id 17
. i-i'-joev

. to

to aoUi'

t o *f~>U - f

sri'T'

. r. oUr for VT

ijC m i

a r .tW 'ii

:/* n d n t e WOJ. lbaEi

t v d o n o t o u o\ -

29' JOT' k- ",

: ^oct rtstodr* .-aifc

a io

86
d:

a. .:>oq?.,
-to.

X ,y i G

to <i'. ' ..f.

*'i .-a h T '^ s a i

-.or

u;

" 0

tc- HI

fetti

3dt to Jqi'-n
y-l.. d to'tuoi 4ss'f-f*to r , -on',

to.

io

:jff5Cn ' - b
3

.o

dr,

to,:>

< '

t 82 IB&j
i

it,

to'

to

0*

>ik

f --iO ft! : dr vf

v.}! v?a

W- FT lil t

o iW f

;.ii

fjj "

O'!

Tie j::

tk
,v

-nb>.t

f .

J 4 at

'; 7

' k

' it, 'tf/od : ; />

;it rr

.U (BOlU
t t!X

JU;

. uto

u i* h o m

'n
.%! o j bCr!.>B
..iw >.;a ?8f r / r' *.86rir a
.
.
' -

s-Atoik

><-

f.'

fit: '92 r G. -i:'

; a to
! :.is '*
it - ;t .- f
u ft ,d;
v .toH
on >
'
7 1'
.SHi-fe, -r tosgotsva . . Hi.',- 831 .j . :
t
.7'.-;-

tfc
i slit_. ;o

,0 T ; if &9

.....

. , .

3. 8 .:
-

- .-..7

i ;rru ;f? - ft '-tx

a mtS a
037' ,dr ,T* >j

. "

' f I . tC. ?s :

^ n n o u n o in g

APRIL IS , 1956
Semimonthly

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

ACTIVITY A N D LIFE VERSUS

IN ACTIVITY A N D DEATH

THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE'

WAS JESUS A 60D-M AN?
WTBtTS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES

SAYS J EHOVAH. Isa. 43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G ods W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc*
es as the light on God's purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 * 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex*
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f tne world's time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christ's
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint*heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W a tchtow er .

*8
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y.. U. S. A.
N. H. K no r r , President
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

P r in t in g t h is iss u e :

CONTENTS
227
229
233
237

W h y Exam ine the Bible?

They A re W ithout E xcuse"
I Lived in Exile in Siberia
W a s Jesus a God-Man?
Gilead's 26th Graduation
a Happy Occasion
Activity and L ife versus
Inactivity and Death

240
241

Gaining the Prize of Life

by Active Training Now
Questions from Readers

248
253

Announcements

256

Check Your Memory

256

Abhrovlntlons

AS AT Da Dy ED Le -

in

la Tbs Watchtower for tho followini Bible version*

American Standard Version

An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
The Emphatic Diaglott
Isaac Leeser's version

Unless otherwise Indicated,

the

LXX
Mo
NW
Ro

RS
Yg

- The Septuagint Version

~ James Moffatt's version
- New World Translation
- J- B. Rotherham's version
- Revised Standard Version
- Robert Young's version

Bible used Is the

King James Version

2,500,000

F iv e c e n t s a c o p y

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Semimonthly
Monthly
Afrikaans
CebU'Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
HoUandish
Ilocano

Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twl

Watch Tower Society offices

Arabic
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
Greek
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo

Kan arose
Korean
Malayalam
Pangaainan
Polish
Portuguese
Russia n
Sesotho

Siamese
Silozi
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America, U.S., 117 Adams St.. Brooklyn 1, N.Y.

$1
A astral Ia, 11 Beresford Rd.. Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 1 50 Brldgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 84 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jataalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zetland, G .P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /Soith Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trlnidad, 21 Taylor SL, Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1.7 2
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office Is located, by international
money order only. Netiee of expiration (w ith renewal blank) is sent at
least two Issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within m e month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y..
Act of March 3 , 1 8 7 9 . Printed in U.S.A.

'T ^ n n o u n c irig
JEH O VAH S
KINGDOM

lO D A Y S c le r g y
men are fond of
such statements
asT Now the way I see
it is, As I understand
it, or Well, thats your
understanding. H o w
different this is from Jesus position! Never
did he say: Now as I see it, so-and-so is
right, implying that someone else might
see it a different way. W ith Jesus and the
apostles doctrines were either right or
wrong, true or false, there was no halfway
ground, no gray, indefinite, in-between
shade between truth and error.
Why is there this difference between the
view of todays religious leaders and that of
Jesus and his apostles? Well, Jesus and his
apostles knew the truth. They were con
vinced of the genuineness of what they
taught. They never considered the Bible as
a fiddle on which just any old tune could
be played, but they recognized that the
Hebrew Scriptures, the part of the Bible
that had thus far been written, was the
genuine Word of God, to be followed ex
plicitly. Yet many of todays clergymen
take just the opposite view, seeming to be
more concerned with other matters and far
less convinced of the importance of their
doctrine and the genuineness and clarity
of the Bible as a sure guide.
Though Jesus was the Son of God he did
not assume that he had the right to by
pass the inspired writings. Rather, he set

the outstanding exam

ple by basing his au
thority squarely upon
those Scriptures. That
Scriptural way is log
ical, for since the Bible
was inspired by Jeho
vah God and since Jesus was his repre
sentative, certainly Jesus would be in har
mony with that inspired writing.
Jesus did not repel the tempter, Satan,
with Well, thats your understanding.
But he did repel him by three times refer
ring to what had been written. Further, to
prove that Johns work was preliminary to
his he referred to what was written; to ex
plain his casting the money changers out of
the temple he referred to what was writ
ten, and to explain his coming betrayal,
death and even the confusion his followers
would suffer at that time he again referred
to what was written. Matt. 4:4, 7, 10;
11:10; 21:13; 26:24, 31.
He condemned the self-righteous Phari
sees by quoting words written by Isaiah.
In the synagogue at Nazareth he read his
commission to preach written in the same
book of Isaiah. In answer to the question:
By doing what shall I inherit everlasting
life? he referred to what was written in
the law of Moses. He explained from the
inspired Writings that he would be rejected
and killed. He said: All the things written
in the law of Moses and in the Prophets
and Psalms about me must be fulfilled.

~WAy Sxanune,

THE BIBLE?

227

228

STieWATCHTOWER.

And he even pointed out how the written

prophecies had foretold his resurrection
on the third day. Mark 7:6; Luke 4:1721; 10:25, 26; 18:31-33; 24:44, 46, NW.
What an outstanding knowledge of the
Hebrew Scriptures! And what an outstand
ing example he set for us by basing his ac
tivity not upon human ideas, but upon
Gods written Word!
Jesus disciples, too, were well acquaint
ed with the Scriptures and recognized their
importance as a reliable guide. They saw
that Jesus fulfilled prophecies long ago
written, and they called attention to this
in their writings. Paul many times re
ferred to the Hebrew Scriptures, showing
that he too was familiar with them, re
lied upon them and recognized their im
portance. He wrote: I believe all the
things set forth in the Law and written in
the Prophets. Yes, these early Christians
proved conclusively that they did not lean
to their own understanding, but that they
did believe, accept, know and conform to
the things already written in Gods Word,
the Holy Bible. Acts 24:14; Luke 3:4;
John 2:17; 12:14,15; Acts 13:29, 33, NW.
Why is a right knowledge of the Bibles
contents so vital? Because you cannot re
ceive salvation and righteousness through
your own power or in any other way
than through the provision that Jehovah
has made. And the Bible shows what that
provision is and what you should do about
it.
Paul said Jesus became responsible for
everlasting salvation to all those obeying
him. But note those words: To all those
obeying him. To obey you must know his
instructions. Where could you learn them
except from the Holy Scriptures? The
apostle told of no other place when he
wrote to young Timothy: From infancy

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

you have known the holy writings which

are able to make you wise for salvation
through the faith in connection with Christ
Jesus. Heb. 5:9; 2 Tim. 3:15, NW.
Such sound faith is not blind, but is in
formed. It is based on facts, logic, under
standing and trust. It is based on a knowl
edge of God and his purposes, of the reason
for the ransom and of the result of it. And
that knowledge leads you to exercise a
sound faith in both Jehovah God and his
Son Christ Jesus. The Bible, the book that
builds this faith, is powerful. It can change
your life, remold your goals, transform
your personality.
But, if the Bible has such power, why
are so many of todays religions so spirit
ually weak? Because their leaders are too
fond of telling you the way they see it, of
the philosophy they have developed. They
are more concerned with their theories of
the service the clergy should render than
Gods own instructions about what they
should teach. And it is also because, all too
often, even when they do refer to the
Scriptures they make ridiculous applica
tions of them to support their own pre
conceived notions rather than sticking to
what the Bible really teaches.
There are those, however, who, like
Jesus, the apostles and the rest of the firstcentury Christians, will conform their lives
and their beliefs to what was written. Their
faith is strong, their course is wise, and
their knowledge, when acted upon proper
ly, leads to salvation. Such faith and knowl
edge are within your grasp. They come
from examining this book and obeying its
instructions. Thus, there is every reason
for you to gain an accurate knowledge of
the Bible and its contents. Will you act
upon these sound reasons and do so?

hey are without excuse

w

Truth is available and there is no

excuse for not knowing about the Creator.

HO are without excuse?

L et S crip tu re answ er:
What can be known
about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to
them. Ever since the crea
tion of the world his invis
ible [essence], namely, his
eternal power and deity,
has been clearly perceived
in the things that
have been made.
So they are with
out excuse. (Rom.
1:19, 20, RS) Yes,
they are without ex
cuse, those who deny
the existence of the
true and living God,
Jehovah. Atheists are
on the increase ac
c o r d in g to G allup
polls. False religion
has repelled many
people from coming
to know God. But the
truth is now avail
able to all honesthearted persons. So
there is no excuse for
not knowing the Cre
ator and Supreme
Sovereign of the uni
verse, Jehovah God.
Why are they with
out excuse? Because
creation testifies to
Gods existence: His
invisible qualities are
clearly seen from the

229

worlds creation onward, because they

are understood by the things made, even
his eternal power and Godship. Jehovahs
prophet admonishes: L ift up your eyes on
high, and see who hath created these.
Does not what we see in the sky testify
to Jehovahs power? Why, even a person
with low intelligence who sees an automo
bile for the first time does not believe that
all its parts just happened to put them
selves together. There had to be in
telligent supervision to pro
duce such a complex crea
tion; yet how much more
complex is the least of
Gods creation that our;
eyes behold in the sky! %
Rom. 1:20, N W ; Is a .fl
40:26,
AS.
So the heavens speak of Gods
glory: The heavens [both the
literal heavens and the new
heavens ] are telling the glory
of God, and the sky shows forth
the work of his hands. Day unto day pours
forth speech, and night unto night declares
knowledge. There is no speech, nor are
there words; their voice is not heard; yet
their voice goes forth through all the
earth, and their words to the ends of the
world. Ps. 19:1-4,
A
Jehovahs power and other perfections
may be known from the beauty, excellence,
variety and immensity of his creation.
And, indeed, the scale of perfections evident
in the universe implies the existence of an
absolute standard, a perfect Being. So as
Christs apostle said: They are without
excuse. Rom. 1:20.

230

SfreWATCHTOWER
ORDER AND HARMONY IN NATURE

The order in the universe speaks of

Gods glory. Everything in nature is so
definitely planned and has such a purpose
ful design that it shows intelligent plan
ning. Why, it has taken the best minds of
great scientists to discover only a few of
the laws of nature. Are laws made by acci
dent? What intelligent planning exists in
regard to our earth! The suns distance
from the earth is just right. The moons
distance from the earth is just right. The
earth is tilted on its axis just right. The
mixture of gases is just right. The relation
ship between plants and animals is just
right. What infinite wisdom is behind that
cycle in nature! Animals take in oxygen,
exhale it again combined in carbon di
oxide while plants take in carbon dioxide
and exhale oxygen. An accident? Unthink
able!
How obvious that the earth was pre
pared for man! Said one medical author
ity: There are probably a thousand con
ditions which would have to be fulfilled
before man could inhabit the earth. Not
only must there be light, many kinds of
food, water, proper atmosphere, appro
priate temperature, the nitrogen cycle, etc.,
but there are hundreds of chemical reac
tions in the body which contribute to mans
life processes. The chance that all condi
tions for life would have been fulfilled by
pure chance is one in billions. It is very
evident that the earth was prepared for
man. This fact alone proves the existence
of a conscious God. The Physician Ex
amines the
B i b l e ,p. 318.
A man who delved profoundly into the
secrets of nature was Thomas A. Edison.
He invented the phonograph and the elec
tric light bulb and patented more than a
thousand other inventions. Asked one day
whether he believed in God, Edison re
plied: After years of watching the proc
esses of nature, I cannot doubt the exist-

Brooklyn, N . Y .

ence of a Supreme Intelligence. The exist

ence of such a God can, to my mind, almost
be proved from chemistry. Readers
Digest, April, 1954.
THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE AND INTELLIGENCE

The existence of living creatures whose

nonexistence is possible implies the exist
ence of a necessary Creator. Man cannot
create life from the elements. Yet are we
to think that the elements created man?
We can take a lesson from the beasts, the
birds and the fish. Said Job: Ask now
the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and
the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell
thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall
teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall
declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all
these, that the hand of Jehovah hath
wrought this?Job 12:7-10,
Yes, even the eye of an eagle can teach
us a lesson, can direct us to the Author
of life. So impressed with created things
was Sir Isaac Newton, the English mathe
matician, physicist and astronomer who
conceived the idea of universal gravitation,
that he said: Whence is it that nature
does nothing in vain; and whence arises all
that order and beauty which we see in the
world? . . . How came the bodies of ani
mals to be contrived with so much art and
for what ends were their several parts?
Was the eye contrived without skill in op
tics, or the ear without knowledge of
sounds? . . . And these things being right
ly despatched, does it not appear from
phenomena that there is a being incorpo
real, living, intelligent? Optics, by Sir
Isaac Newton, Bk. IH, Query 25.
The more that scientists study the uni
verse, the more they must recognize a Su
preme Intelligence behind it. Albert Ein
stein, the noted physicist, is said to have
peered deeper into the secrets of the uni
verse than any other mem. The secrets he
has fathomed made him no atheist, as he

A p r il

15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER

admits: It is enough for me to contem

plate the mystery of conscious life perpetu
ating itself through all eternity; to reflect
upon the marvelous structure of the uni
verse, which we can dimly perceive, and
to try humbly to comprehend even an
infinitesimal part of the intelligence mani
fest in nature.
Another reason why those who refuse to
recognize Jehovah as Creator are without
excuse: intelligence exists. If man arose
without intelligent guidance, why should
he have intelligence? Can unintelligence
create intelligence? Why, even men with
the keenest intelligence cannot create in
telligence that is superior to their own.
Oh, they have made robot brains. In the
mathematical field they are superb. Yet
they are not more intelligent than man.
A distinguished mathematician and logi
cian of Princeton University, Alonzo
Church, has carefully analyzed electronic
calculators and mechanical brains. He
said: No machine can ever solve all prob
lems solvable by a live mathematician.
Yet atheists believe that intelligent man,
though he cannot create life or even any
thing more intelligent them himself, was
created by a force with no intelligence.
Does it make sense?
To say that there is no Supreme Intelli
gence is to say that the universe has
evolved something higher than itself, it
has created intelligence. And to think that
anything can create something it does not
itself possess is the most vacuous kind of
empty-headed reasoning.
INSTINCTIVE AWARENESS OF GOD

Man is endowed with an instinctive

awareness of God, an awareness that
should prompt all men to glorify Jehovah.
Indeed, the mind is compelled by the law
of its own being to conceive of some abso
lute and infinite Best. It is compelled to
believe that every effect has a cause. So

231

there must be an uncaused First Cause

that possesses within himself the reason
for his existence.
Nature abhors a vacuum; so does man
the idea of a Godless universe. The urge
to worship is a powerful instinct. An arti
cle in Womans Home Companion for
April, 1954, contained a subtitle that said:
We all feel an urge for God as powerful as
our instinct for sex and hunger, says a
daring new school of psychiatric thought.
The instinctive demand by all for a Su
preme Being argues that One exists.
Another aspect of the instinctive urge
to worship is that it is universal. It exists
among men of all races, all nationalities.
Even atheists worship something, though
it may be their own philosophical atheism.
The urge to worship is so widespread that
if there were no God it would be impossi
bly difficult to imagine why people should
spontaneously reach the conclusion that
there is one.
THE BIBLE AND FULFILLED PROPHECY

Still another reason why atheists are

without excuse: They have the Bible, Gods
revealed Word. Its prophecies and fulfill
ments alone prove that this is a Book
whose authorship could not be of men. Be
fore the mighty empire of Babylon fell, the
Bible foretold it. (Jer. 51:37) The Bible
foretold the successive rise of Medo-Persia,
Greece, Rome and the Anglo-American
empire. (Dan. 8:3-25; Rev. 17:10-14) One
Bible scholar counted 332 distinct prophe
cies that were fulfilled in Christ. A mathe
matician figured out that the chance of one
mans fulfilling all those things was one in
eighty-four followed by ninety-seven zeros!
These and other prophetic accuracies prove
beyond any question that a superhuman
Intelligence was behind the Bible. That
Intelligence is the Author, Jehovah God.
The arguments of atheists show that
they have not really studied the Bible.

232

SlkWATCHTOWER

Rather, they have listened to the clergy

of Christendom who have taught lies con
cerning Jehovah God, such as the one that
he is the proprietor of a roasting com
partment for human creatures called pur
gatory. This hell of literal fire and other
false doctrines such as trinity and im
m ortality of the soul have turned some
people away from God even before they
investigate his Word. The Bible does not
teach such unreasonable doctrines. They
are taught by false religion, not by true
Christianity. The atheist has erred in that
he has wrongly assumed that the false re
ligions of Christendom are of God. Rather,
they are of the Devil. 2 Cor. 4:4.
So it does no good for the atheist to point
to the ghastly persecutions, inquisitions
and wars for which the so-called Christian
religion has been responsible. The Bible
declares such religions false: They pub
licly declare they know God, but they dis
own him by their works.-Titus 1:16,
Many atheists claim that the world al
ways existed, that it never started. But sci
ence has proved such reasoning wrong.
The discovery of radioactivity has proved
that there could be no past eternity of mat
ter. And the confirmation by Palomars
200-inch Hale telescope of the expanding
universe also proves the atheists wrong.
Life magazine in its issue of December 20,
1954, featured a major article on the ex
panding universe. It presented the latest
scientific opinion: All the clues of science
point to a time of creation when the cosmic
fires were ignited and the vast pageant of
the present universe brought into being.
And this time was five billion years ago.
In these last days of Satans world
there is a very special reason why atheists
are without excuse: the Christ-foretold
preaching of the good news of Gods king
dom by Jehovahs witnesses and the dem
onstration by Jehovahs witnesses that
true Christianity does exist. (Matt. 24:14)

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

Christendom has not lived by Bible stand

ards; this should be plain to the atheists.
That Jehovahs witnesses do should be
equally plain. Further, the news of Jeho
vahs new world and how it will end pain,
sorrow, suffering and death shatters basic
atheistic teaching. Rev. 21:1-4.
Atheists boast of being men of reason
and vision. So did the ancient philosophers.
Todays atheists think in much the same
foolish manner in which even the wisest
of ancient philosophers discoursed about
God, not excepting Socrates or Plato. Who
can read their works without being struck
with the empty-headedness of their reason
ings, as well as with the stupidity of their
nonsense when speaking about God? The
Bible well says: They did not glorify him
as God nor did they thank him, but they
became empty-headed in their reasonings
and their unintelligent heart became dark
ened. So like the ancient philosophers of
yesterday are the atheistic philosophers
of today: They are in darkness mentally,
and alienated from the life that belongs to
God, because of the ignorance that is in
them, because of the insensibility of their
hearts. Who says there is no Clod? The
fool said in his heart, There is no God.
Rom. 1:21; Eph. 4:18, N W ; Ps. 14:1,
Since there is compelling and over
whelming evidence that Jehovah is the
true and living God, Creator and Supreme
Sovereign of the universe, the plea of ig
norance cannot be admitted in its full lati
tude except for idiots. The atheists cannot
plead ignorance. The agnostics cannot
plead ignorance. The evildoers cannot plead
ignorance. The idolaters cannot plead ig
norance. For if they are willing to exercise
their faculties and employ their minds in
diligent search, men have within their
reach the means of coming to know Jeho
vah God. So Gods decree is: They are
without excuse.

November, 1955, being a German

citizen, I was able to return to my
native land after four and a half years in
exile in Siberia. However, many of Jeho
vahs witnesses from Memel territory,
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bessarabia and
the Ukraine, as well as other parts of Rus
sia, who do not possess a German citizen
ship, still find themselves in that cold land.
I was asked by many of them to make a
report to Jehovahs witnesses in other
parts of the world.
While Russian
forces occu
pied d iffe r e n t
p a rts o f G er
many I was
living in East
Prussia,
Memel. For
being one of
Jehovahs wit
nesses I had alrea d y spen t
over six
years in dif
ferent pris
ons and in
s titu tio n s
under the Hitler regime. When Hitler or
dered the evacuation of Memel [now Klai
peda] almost all o f the inhabitants of this
territory fled into Germany. I did not take
part in this flight. I could not become
reconciled to the idea of seeking refuge
under the Hitler regime that had brought
such indescribable sorrow to Jehovahs
witnesses. I had also thought that the Com
munists would show a little leniency to
Jehovahs witnesses who had suffered so
much under Hitlers regime. How wrong I
was! I am more convinced than ever that
this world is directed and led by its in
visible ruler Satan.
As for the persecution of Jehovahs wit
nesses the communistic form of govern
ment has revealed itself to be a true imi
233

tator of Hitler and his nationalist party.

With the oncoming of the Russians the
clergy and preachers fled and deserted
their sheep behind them. A t this time
many of Jehovahs witnesses, seeing these
people in distress, had the opportunity of
preaching to them concerning Gods king
dom. Often Jehovahs witnesses were asked
to preach to them. The result was that a
number of new congregations came into
existence in this part of the land. Many
persons dedicated themselves
to Jehovah and were bap
tized in water. The
few copies of The
Watchtower that
w e h ad w ere
studied at the
r e g u la r ly held
m eetin gs. There
they were not only
studied, but re
printed and dis
tributed among
the populace.
All o f this was
n ot h idden
from the eyes
of the Russian se
curity police. Many times we were taken
into custody and released after long hear
ings dealing with the teachings and the
organization of Jehovahs witnesses. We
knew that the secret police sent spies into
the congregation in order to find out what
we were discussing. We had nothing to
hide. We were preaching Gods Word and
looking to Gods kingdom as the only hope
of the world. As late as 1949 I was able to
speak to nearly 300 persons in attendance
at one meeting. Isaiah 25:6-8* was my
* Isaiah 25:6-8 (AS) reads: And in this mountain will
Jehovah of hosts make unto all peoples a feast of fat
things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full
of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will
destroy in this mountain the face of the covering that
covereth all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all
nations. He hath swallowed up death for ever; and the
Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces;
and the reproach of his people will he take away from
off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken it.

234

SFEeWATCHTOWER.

scripture text. I pointed out from these

texts how Jehovah would richly bless those
who served him and that death would be
swallowed up in victory and that Jehovah
would wipe away tears from off the faces
and the reproach of his people would be
taken away from off the earth, for Jeho
vah had spoken it.
The next day I was arrested while walk
ing down the street. I spent two days in
police custody and was then set free again
after many long hours of questioning. Sev
eral days later I had to reappear before
the security police. There I was told to
write up an accurate report of Jehovahs
witnesses organization. A report was
made about the already established king
dom of Jehovah God, together with many
other timely truths. It was also pointed out
that Jehovahs witnesses had been horribly
persecuted under the Hitler regime and
that on October 7, 1934, telegrams from
congregations of Jehovahs witnesses in
many lands were sent to the Reich Chan
cellery in Berlin, all of which read the
same, Your ill-treatment of Jehovahs
witnesses shocks all good people of earth
and dishonors Gods name. Refrain from
further persecuting Jehovahs witnesses;
otherwise God will destroy you and your
national party.
There is no question in my mind that
this report was sent to the headquarters of
the security police in Moscow. The first
severe blow came against Jehovahs wit
nesses in this part of Russia in September,
1950. One night all able-bodied brothers
and several sisters were picked up by the
security police and taken to the security
ministry prisons in Vilna. Here they were
held in custody for half a year, when sen
tences finally came through from Moscow
for almost all of them to be imprisoned in
the penitentiary for ten years. After six
months of nerve-racking questioning and

B rooklyn, N . Y .

persecution the nerves o f many were

shocked. Many had suffered severely be
cause of the harassment they underwent
during investigation. Some of these were
then taken from the penitentiary and
placed in work camps. Many had to work
underground in coal mines. Some were sent
as far north as the infamous camp known
as Vorkuta. There are still some of our
brothers working in this place.
It is very cold there. There is no vegeta
tion of any kind in this location, and the
winters are long, the summers short. Many
of the brothers became disabled invalids
because of the superhuman requirements
of the cruel communistic regime. Some of
these were then sent to their families in
Siberia.
At the end of March, 1951, the second
wave of persecution came. The ones who
had not heretofore been arrested, such as
the old men, women, children and infants
and others not gathered up, were taken
into Russian custody. None were spared,
but all were taken in trucks to freight
trains headed for Siberia. Only a very few
personal belongings could be taken with
them, a little flour, a few clothes, and some
were able to take their beds. Everything
else fell into the hands of the police author
ities. At this time all the baggage was care
fully searched by the Communists, to see
if there were any Bibles or Watch Tower
literature in their midst.
From Vilna we saw two large freight
trains, each of them being made up of
about fifty cattle cars. It was in these that
Jehovahs witnesses, out of sill the territo
ries, were taken away to a land to die, or to
try to live. The cars were overcrowded.
There was no place to sit. Food was strange
and very inferior. Jehovahs witnesses gave
thanks and praise to their heavenly Fa
ther during all of these difficult times.
Encouragement from one to the other
was given. By the discussion of Jeho-

A p r il

15, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER.

vahs Word all were given com fort and

courage to press on regardless of what
happened. The words that they had
brought to people to com fort them at the
end of this world were now a great com
fort to these Jehovahs witnesses packed in
cattle cars. Loud was their singing of
Kingdom songs, but later even this was
forbidden by the Soviet soldiers.
After thirteen days all the witnesses of
Jehovah reached their destination, travel
ing day and night in cattle cars. Then we
were informed: As enemies of the State
you are exiled for life to Siberia. Give up
any hope you may have of ever being able
to return to your homeland.
Jehovahs witnesses were now scattered
as work slaves to different collective farms
between Tomsk and Irkutsk and some even
beyond that location. It was only Jehovahs
protection and help that gave us strength
to face this situation. Ahead of us was a
life haunted by hunger. Supplies that some
of us brought along were soon used up. The
collective farms were not exactly in good
condition. The leaders of these Soviet agi
tation centers did not think to provide the
undernourished sufferers with bread be
fore the new harvest came in. Institutions
for welfare work are not to be found in
the Soviet paradise.
However, with Jehovahs witnesses
brotherly love takes over. In this way even
the poorest were helped with the scanty
food we had. During the first two years a
number of the banished ones died because
of the heavy afflictions laid upon them.
Very heavy work was placed especially up
on the women. During the wintertime,
with snow on the ground, they were sent
into the forest to cut wood, because there
was no time to do this work during the
brief summer. The winters in Siberia last
for seven months without letup. Spring
and autumn are unknown. Added to that

235

are cold spells, when the temperature sinks

to 50 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit).
Much fuel is necessary in this country, and
this is one of the main problems for the
exiles in Siberia. There are many large
forests in Siberia, but to get the wood from
the forest to your home is very difficult
work. To gather firewood a person really
needs a horse and sleigh, but these poor
displaced persons must ask, yes, actually
beg the one in charge for any assistance of
this kind. To the elderly ones this life is al
most unbearable. Their strength does not
permit them to do farm work, and when a
person is sixty or seventy years old carry
ing home a load of firewood on his back
is not an easy task.
It hurts me to speak about the housing
situation in Siberia. During most of my
period in exile I lived in one room, together
with four families, including children. Be
sides that we had a small kitchen with a
makeshift stove made of tin, on which
we had to cook our food. Whenever the
snow thawed our house was flooded.
Through all of these conditions Jehovahs
witnesses in exile helped one another
whenever they could. Some of them started
to build their own little huts outside their
working hours on the farms. Even though
they were able to put up their own homes
and to make them a little more livable
there was still much to be desired.
While I was in one of these slave camps
in Siberia the first two years the days
wages for a worker, male or female, on a
collective farm were one-half to one kilo
of grain, that is, one and one-tenth to two
and one-fifth pounds. Since the death of
Stalin the living standards have improved
somewhat. The grain allotment has im
proved and a small amount of money has
been given to the slave laborers so that
now they do not have to go hungry or
freeze as much as they had to heretofore.
Amidst all of these conditions Jehovahs

236

SReWATCHTOWER

witnesses still keep on studying the Word

of God as they have the opportunity, and
they depend greatly on their memories,
talking to one another and com forting one
another as they have the opportunity. Our
plea still is: If only we had Bibles and
new Watchtowers!
All of Jehovahs witnesses in these slave
camps throughout Russia continually pray
to Jehovah God and have full faith that
some day they will be freed from these
conditions. In these prison camps and out
side, through all Russia, the Russian peo
ple are accepting the truth in
even greater numbers. One
sister reports: I have approximately thirty girl
students to look after
^
who eagerly absorb
every word I speak
a b ou t th e K in g
d om . T h e r e a r e
many people in Russia
who today want to know
about Gods kingdom and are
eager to hear the truth. It is al
ways a joy to read a letter from
other Kingdom publishers in Russia
and to hear of their experiences in prison
camps. By their being sentenced to prison
they have been drawn much closer togeth
er and to Jehovah. Day by day each one is
receiving a better understanding of Jeho
vahs theocratic organization, and all are
more determined to present to the great
Judge the proof of their faithfulness in
preaching. By Jehovahs undeserved kind

Brooklyn, N .

Y.

ness they are determined to maintain their

integrity and prove worthy of everlasting
life.
I
know that these displaced ones on col
lective farms are not hiding their light un
der a bushel basket. Rather, they are let
ting their light shine.
In November, 1954, the Moscow Russian
newspaper Pravda reported a well-known
Communist party leader as saying: Com
munism has become so entrenched through
out the world today that the fight against
the different religions can be discontinued.
In the past after our ascension to
power this fight was necessary.
Now, however, since the youth
p a r ticu la r ly have been
properly trained, every
one surely must come
to the conclusion that
Communism alone can
bring true peace and pros
perity to mankind. But Je
hovahs witnesses are firmly
convinced that true peace and
prosperity for all mankind will be
realized only through Gods kingdom
now at hand under their great Prince
of Peace, Christ Jesus.
I will soon be seventy-seven years old.
I was reached by the Society through their
ministers a few months before the out
break of the first world war in 1914. I
have had the privilege of being one of
Gods ministers all of these years, and now
that I have returned from Russia my only
wish is to spend the rest of my earthly
life in the service of Jehovah.

Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake, since the
kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. Happy are you when people
reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every kind of
wicked thing against you for m y sake. Rejoice and leap
for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens;
for in that way they persecuted the
prophets prior to you. Matt.
5:10-12, NW .

UlflS JfSU

us as to what hap
pened at Nicaea, in
h is b o o k W o r l d
Christianity (page
NCARNATION is the
72): The East was
teaching in Christen
seething with more
dom that God is Man
violent dispute over
and Man is God in the
the correct theolog
Person of Jesus Christ.
ical interpretation
This belief is called the
of Christs person.
central doctrine of Chris
Hence Constantine
tianity. Catholic and
summoned all the
most Protestant church
b i s h o p s o f the
es thus teach that Jesus
Church to assemble
was a God-Man. But, like
at Nicaea in 325.
other doctrines taught by
The 318 b ish op s
the clergy, this one, too,
who responded rep
defies logic and reason. Indeed, theologians resented only about a sixth of the bishops
admit that no human philosophy can fully of the Empire. As in all ecumenical coun
explain it. It is contradictory and it is cils, they came predominately from the
confusing. But since the Bible says that East. Constantines principal ecclesiastical
God is not the author of confusion, our advisor, Bishop Hosius of Spain, presided,
interest is quickened by the questions: with the emperor at his right hand. The
How did the incarnation teaching origi weight of imperial influence swayed the
nate? Does the highest authority of all, decisions. The early form of the Nicene
Gods Word, really teach that Jesus was Creed was the outcome. Thus pagan Con
Almighty God masquerading as a man? stantine, concerned more with politics
1 Cor. 14:33.
than with religion, swayed the decisions
The doctrine that Jesus was a God-Man and determined what Christendom in gen
did not crop up until long after Jesus eral believes to this very day. So Christen
death. Then the teaching developed gradu
doms acceptance of the theory of Jesus
ally. It was crystallized A.D. 325 at the
being a God-Man rests on a pagan emperor.
Council of Nicaea. At this council a pagan
Not until the Council of Chalcedon in
emperor, Constantine, directed affairs.
451
was the
incarnation doctrine defined.
Merrills Essays
inEarly Christian
His
tory says: It is not likely that Constan What is eye-opening about that council, as
tine cared very much about what doctrine well as the one at Nicaea, is that they
should come off victorious in the discus solved matters by absorption. Some said
sions and votes. He did not aspire, like Jesus was man. Some said Jesus was God.
Henry VIII of England, to be a theologian. The council, made up of deflected Chris
But he wanted harmony in the Church for tians, decided Jesus was God-Man. So each
political reasons. . . . He doubtless hoped of the embattled contestants could accept
in advance that decisions might be reached the formula with reasonable satisfaction
by the simple device of underscoring that
acceptable to both sides.
One of Americas noted theologians, phrase which embraced his own interest.
Henry P. Van Dusen, further enlightens Dr. Van Dusen says in his World Chris-

237

238

SEeWATCHTOWER.

tianity: The upshot of three centuries of

heated controversy in two successive phas
es was the Catholic Churchs resolute re
fusal to choose its return of a firm if
somewhat befuddled both . . . and to the
disputants insistent either . . . or. Nicaea,
Constantinople, Chalcedon are the succes
sive landmarks on the tortuous route. . . .
At Chalcedon a century and a half later
than Nicaea the same method of solution
was even more baldly employednot
eith er. . . or but both . . . and, a solution
by inclusion rather than by rejection at
whatever cost to logical coherence and
rationality.
Has your understanding of Christ Jesus
been influenced by the Council of Chalce
don? Most professed Christians do not even
know that the council was responsible for
defining the doctrine; and yet the formula
of Chalcedon, writes Dr. Van Dusen on
page 75, met its dilemma by affirming,
side by side, the contradictory contentions
of the two disputant parties, without seri
ous attempt at reconciliation. Some way
out of a dilemma! And so Chalcedons defi
nition of Christs nature ( two natures,
without confusion, without division, with
out separation,. . . not divided or separated
into two persons but one ) has been called
with reason, as Dr. Van Dusen says, to
the logical mind, distilled nonsense.
THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION BY GOD

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

flesh! Jesus was not God himself, because

even in his prehuman existence he was a
created spirit called the W ord. The Word
was a mighty spirit creature and as such
may properly be called a god but not
the God. Hence an accurate translation
of John 1:1 (NW) reads: Originally the
Word was, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was a god.
This scripture does not say that the
Word always existed. Only Jehovah God
is from everlasting to everlasting. (Ps.
90:2) There was a time when the Word
was created. Jesus gave true facts concern
ing himself at Revelation 3:14 (2VW),
where he said: These are the things the
Amen says, the faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation by God.
So Jesus, in his prehuman existence, was
the very beginning of Jehovahs creation.
Thereafter Jehovah used the Word in pro
ducing all other creations: He is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
all creation, because by means of him all
other things were created. (Col. 1:15,16,
NW) When Gods firstborn came to
earth, the life force of the Word was trans
ferred from heaven to the egg cell in the
womb of Mary. This meant that the Word
had to lay aside his heavenly glory, his
spirit life. This he did: Christ Jesus, who,
although he was existing in Gods form,
gave no consideration to a seizure, namely,
that he should be equal to God. No, but he
emptied himself and took a slaves form
and came to be in the likeness of men.
Phil. 2:5-7,
NW.

Regardless of what any council or man

says about Jesus nature, the only reliable
authority is Gods Word itself, of which
Jesus said: Your word is truth. (John
17:17,
NW) This Word of God reveals that "A LITTLE LOWER THAN ANGELS
Since Jesus as the Word emptied him
Jesus is the Son of God, not Jehovah God
himself. Concerning his relationship to his self of his heavenly glory, he was no
Father, Jesus explained: The Father is mighty spirit in a babys fleshly clothing
greater than I am. (John 14:28,
just pretending to be ignorant like a new
Jesus condemned hypocrisy; yet what glar born infant. Jesus was truly made flesh.
ing hypocrisy he himself would be guilty of His apostle John writes: So the Word be
if he had been Almighty God garbed in came flesh and resided among us. (John

A p r il

15, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER.

239

have died at mans hands; and if he did not

1:14,
NW) When the Word became flesh
he was no longer a spirit creature. Indeed, really die, again we see that the ransom
he had to be a man in the real sense to could not have been provided. But the Bible
fulfill this scripture: We behold Jesus, is clear that Jesus did provide the ransom
who has been made a little lower than and that he was a man, not God clothed
angels, crowned with glory and honor. If in flesh: For there is one God, and one
Jesus had been a God-Man, he could not mediator between God and men, a man
have been really lower than angels. Nor Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corre
is it reasonable to think that the great sponding ransom for all. Ex. 21:23, 24;
NW.
Sovereign of the universe, of whom it is 1 Tim. 2:5, 6,
written that at no time has anyone beheld
But now what of 1 Timothy 3:16, which
God, would take up human form and be says in the King James Version that God
lower than angels. Heb. 2:9; 1 John was manifest in the flesh ? This is not an
4:12,
NW.
accurate text. In fact, nearly all the ancient
There were times when angels appeared manuscripts and all the versions, including
as men, as when two angels appeared to the Latin Vulgate, have in their text He
Lot. (Gen. 19:1) Such would be a case of who instead of God. Most modem trans
true incarnation. It is noteworthy that the lations choose He. Thus the New World
angels visiting Lot materialized as full- Translation renders it properly: He was
grown men, not as babies. If Jesus had made manifest in flesh, meaning the
been a mere incarnation, then it would not Word, who became the mem Christ Jesus.
So what have we learned? This has be
have been necessary for God to transfer
his life to an embryo in the virgins womb come overwhelmingly clear: (1) The Coun
and to have Jesus bom as a helpless infant, cil of Chalcedon, instead of rejecting the
subject to human parents; he could still bad, mixed the error that Jesus was God
have remained a spirit person and mate with the truth that he was man, thus wind
rialized a fully developed fleshly body just ing up with distilled nonsense ; (2) Jesus
as the sons of God did in Noahs day and in his prehuman existence was not God but
Gods Son, the beginning of the creation
as the angel Gabriel did before Mary.
by God ; (3) Jesus had to be a real man,
INCARNATION NULLIFIES THE RANSOM
not a God-Man, to be lower than angels ;
One of the cardinal teachings of the Bi (4) if Jesus had been a spirit masquerad
ble is the ransom. Sin and death came upon ing in human flesh, there would have been
mankind when a perfect mem, Adam, trans no need for him to be bom a baby, and
gressed Jehovahs law. For obedient man (5) to provide the ransom sacrifice Jesus
had to die a perfect man, nothing more,
kind to be released from the condemnation
nothing less.
of sin and death, a ransom must be paid.
The inevitable conclusion is that Gods
It must be the exact equivalent of the per
Word does not teach that Jesus was a Godfect man Adam, for Gods law requires
Man. It teaches that on earth he was a
exactness: You must give soul for soul, perfect man, a perfect human organism.
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, Those who teach that he was a God-Man
foot for foot. So for Jesus to provide the teach false religion. They violate the rule
ransom he must be a perfect man, no set down by the apostle of Christ: Do not
more, no less. Further, if Jesus had been go beyond the things that are written.
NW.
a spirit garbed in flesh he could not really 1 Cor. 4:6,

Gilead's 26 Graduation
Occasion

H ERE can
you attend a
graduation as happy
and heart-w arm ing
as those held at the
W a tch to w e r Bible
School o f Gilead? No
other place on this
earth offers such a
unique and reward
ing experience. Here
the students, rela
tives and friends bubble over with the joy
of Jehovah. And this seemed to be especial
ly true of the graduation of the twentysixth class. The 106 students who had come
from eight different lands had been as
signed to do missionary work in twentytwo different countries. About half the
class was made up of district and circuit
servants and their wives.
On graduation day, Sunday, February 12,
1956, the skies were gray and a heavy
blanket of snow covered the campus. Long
before the program began at nine oclock
every seat was taken and 2,796 persons
had crowded the main auditorium, the
classrooms, the dining room, the basement
and library to hear, if not also to see, the
program. After a song and a prayer and a
few opening remarks by N. H. Knorr,
president of the Watch Tower Society as
well as of the Watchtower Bible School, he
called on the Kingdom Farm servant and
the four instructors to say a few farewell
words to the class. Many encouraging tele
grams were read. Then President Knorr
spoke on Christians Must Be Happy.
He appealed to the audience to exercise
faith and trust in the great God Jehovah
and to believe and to take Him at his
Word. Christendom, he said, has the same
Bible Jehovahs witnesses have, but her
representatives lock themselves up in mon

asteries or walk about

with long faces and
wear mournful garb.
T h e i r parishioners
are worried and trou
bled. They are sigh
ing and crying. Jeho
vahs witnesses, on
the other hand, say
Christians must be
happy. W hy? Because
we are serving the
happy God Jehovah. We cannot imagine
him as being happy and at the same time
picture his angels in his heavenly courts
sad and mournful, can we? Of course not.
The Bible tells us that his angels are hap
py. Why, then, should not his people on
earth be happy? They too shout for joy!
Christendom lacks faith, and lack of
faith means lack of happiness. Jehovahs
witnesses are established in their faith.
And it is because of their faith in Jehovah
that they can be happy. The doubting ones,
liars, fornicators, all who violate Gods
laws, are not really happy. There is abso
lutely no reason to doubt Jehovah. He
does not lie. He changes not. We have
every reason to trust him and his Word.
Once we do, then we shall be truly happy.
In conclusion the speaker urged his
audience to keep conscious of their spirit
ual needsto keep their minds stayed on
Jehovah, who gives happiness. Each stu
dent then received an envelope contain
ing a gift from the Society. Those graduat
ing with merit received a diploma. A reso
lution, expressing the gratitude of the
class to Jehovah, to the schools president
and to all who made Gilead possible, was
read and seconded and adopted by the stu
dent graduates. In the afternoon, begin
ning at two oclock, students from the
platform gave warm expressions of their
appreciation and personal experiences. This
was a lovely climax to the joyous occasion.

th

240

applause greets the victor who finally prevails!

Afterward the great throng floods the streets of
Corinth, talking of nothing but these events for days.
The winner is more highly honored than any other
person on the entire isthmus. Idolized as a national
hero, he possesses the
crown of ivy leaves or,
in later times, of pine
leaves. Gifts are poured
upon him and the city
gives him a large pen
sion for life. Cicero said
that
a Greek city cele
Contend fo\
brated its athletic winner more them Rome
in the
feted its greatest general on his return
from conquering a nation.
im. 6:12, NW.
2Knowing all about the games at Cor
inth, Paul compared the activity o f the
YOU want to see a packed stadi- early Christians, Jehovahs people, to ath
1 / um, jammed with excited people? letic contests. By referring to runners,
Then just turn your mind back to ancient wrestlers and boxers in athletic contests
Corinth, and to its huge athletic stadium. he sharply illustrated the rewards of ac
Every two years that citylargest, richest tivity and the danger of inactivity. The
and most festive of all Greece was the Christians to whom he wrote knew the
scene of the nationally famous Isthmian games well. Some at one time or another
athletic contest. For many days the con had undoubtedly been among the shouting
test held the spotlight for all Greece. The crowds at the stadium. They could not
games were not mere sports. They had a avoid knowing about the games, for they
religious background. Moreover, the people were the topic of conversation everywhere
regarded athletes as symbols of military they went. The requirements of the con
preparedness. Every soldier must be a testants produced powerful examples
highly trained athlete. Sports commanded which apply to Christians today. The mod
national attention even more than today.
ern Olympic games, named for the ancient
During the games no more seats could be
Olympic contests of Greece, forcefully re
had; all standing room was crowded. Now
mind
us of the applicability today of Pauls
the athletes march onto the field, about
words
about the ancient games. 1 Cor.
twice the size of the playing field at Yan
9:24-27;
Phil. 3:13,14.
kee Stadium in New York city! The crowd
3Paul saw each Christian as a contestant
is charged with excitement as it appraises
the contestants. As the intensely contested in a giant stadium, as a spectacle before
events begin, every neck in the vast throng men and angels. Satan the Devil had chal
is stretched in order not to miss a single lenged Almighty God that men on earth
detail. Shouts of encouragement ring out could not maintain integrity to Jehovah.
for laboring champions. Mighty groans of Paul remembered that Jehovah had endespair betray losing favorites. Deafening

ACTIVITY
AND UFC

INACTIVITY
AND DEATH

2. Why was Pauls reference to the Greek games so apt?

3. In what ways did a victorious athletes life cut out
a fitting pattern for us, and in respect to what issue?

1. How did the ancient Greeks regard and react to their

athletic events and heroes?
241

242

SReWATCHTOWER

ro o klyn

N. Y.

tered faithful Abel and many after him testants day and night, from beginning of
onto his side of the contest. He showed that training, to ensure against cheating. They
Jehovah was the founder of the Christian enforced rigorous training. The require
team captained by Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. ments of training prompted Paul to use it
4:9; Heb. 11:4; 12:1,2, WW) The Corin to illustrate points in his letters. Could
thian Christians knew well how aspiring one participate in the event before he had
athletes dedicated their whole lives to faithfully trained? No! Such training for
gaining the prize. Before they came to the us Paul emphasized, saying: On the other
stadium they regularly performed feats as hand, be training yourself with godly de
difficult as those in the contest. They did votion as your aim. For bodily training is
not get their beauty of body, grace of per beneficial for a little, but godly devotion
formance, power and endurance from just is beneficial for all things, as it holds prom
a few weeks preparation. For the athlete ise of the life now and that which is to
to be sufficiently prepared required years come. 1 Tim. 4:7, 8, NW.
of hard work by his actually doing the
6
The theocratic organization, like a
things performed in the games. He was team, keeps the rules of Jehovah. It comes
required to lead a very strict life, with off with the crown of triumph. But will
proper habits. The carefree life of dissipa every participant be winner? Entrants
tion indulged in by many Corinthians must number thousands. Not all of them win.
be avoided. In many ways, as all Corin Some lose because they do not obey the
thian Christians could understand, the life rules. In the field of contest what do we
of the victorious athlete cut out an appro see? Many disobey the rules by not train
priate pattern for the Christian to follow. ing or not running. Can they win without
4The importance of keeping team rules following the rules? Paul answered:
and training rigorously had to be perma Moreover, if anyone contends even in the
nently impressed on the mind of the suc games, he is not crowned unless he has
cessful contestant. Each took a vow to ad contended according to the rules. (2 Tim.
here strictly to all rules and training re 2:5, NW ) Disobedience by inactivity
quirements. His restricted life was devoted makes them quit the contest. Matt. 10:
wholly to practice sessions and training. 22, NW.
1But you must know the rules before
A criminal or spotted life disqualified one.
you
can
obey them. How can you qualify
The failure to obey rules kept one out of
unless
you
know what the rules are? They
the contest. So too we must comply with
are easy for all to know, because they are
all rules. An athlete might be first to
in your Bible. Jehovahs organization
reach the goal, yet if he had not complied
makes it easy for you to know the rules by
with all the rules he would forfeit the publishing theocratic aids. The rules may
prize. Even though we ran to the end we be learned at congregation meetings, at
might lose the prize by not keeping the service centers and in personal study.
rules. Paul emphasized this when he said:
RULES
For fear that somehow I was running or
8 First, one must enter his name on the
had run in vain. Gal. 2:2,
8
Sworn judges enforced rules of thelist of contestants. The sponsor of the
ancient contest. They lived with the con- 7. Before we can obey the rules we must first have
4-6. How was the importance of keeping the rules shown
back there, and how does this apply to Christians?

what?
8. How does one get his name on Jehovahs list of con
testants?

A pril 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

243

event, Jehovah God, must know him to be

10Another rule governs eating. Ancient
a contender. You must recognize our team contestants had to follow a strict diet. The
leader, Jesus Christ. (John 6:44,
You theocratic contestant must eat only at Je
must follow in Jesus steps. What did Jesus hovahs table. (1 Cor. 10:21, N W ; Mai.
first do? He dedicated himself to do his 1:12, AS) Meeting attendance must be reg
Fathers will. He said: I am come to do ular. To be prepared one must eat Jeho
your will. (Heb. 10:7-9,
Ps. 40:8) vahs food at the proper time. (Matt.
So you must be dedicated, then be bap 24:45, N W ; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) He must fix
tized. Are you? If not, you are not in the his attention on what is said in Gods
contest. So first get your name on the list Word. Participation in the study meetings
of Jehovahs contestants! Isa. 55:6,
is necessary to digest the food thoroughly.
9
The essential rules are: Get knowledgeWithout it one will not become strong for
and wisdom and also obey them. Wisdom the contest, and he needs solid, not liquid,
cannot be obtained without knowledge. food. Paul said to immature Christians:
Knowledge and wisdom are a defense. Although you ought to be teachers in
(Eccl. 7:12) This means study. You may view of the time, . . . you have become
not gain a perfect knowledge of all the such as need milk, not solid food. . . . But
solid food belongs to mature people, to
finer details of many revealed truths. But
those who through use have their percep
you can and must understand, however,
tive powers trained to distinguish both
the main features of the truth to enter the right and wrong. Heb. 5:12-14, NW.
contest. You must be able to preach the
11You need to eat the meat on the theo
fundamentals of the truth at any time
cratic training table. Eat elsewhere or
called upon and to act as a teacher of oth
nowhere, and you have no power. The
ers. (1 Pet. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:2,
Knowl
time may come when you will not have
edge and wisdom will prevent your follow
The Watchtower available. The Bible may
ing your own way. Trust in [Jehovah]
be your only available weapon. Unless you
with eill your heart, and rely not on your
have fed abundantly on The Watchtower
own understanding; in all your ways ac
you may not be able to wield the sword
knowledge him, and he will make straight
of the spirit, therefore not able to win the
your paths. (Prov. 3:5, 6, AT) Many fall
contest. You may not be able to wield it
out of the running path. They try to solve
because you failed to store up spiritual
problems according to the wisdom of this
strength in your mind by studying The
world and lose out in the race. (1 Cor.
Watchtower. Do not wait until the final
3:19) King Saul thought he was right
contest to get a tight grip on the sword
when he did his own will. (Prov. 14:12;
of the spirit. Paul said that if you get a
16:25) Samuel reproved him for not rely
tight grip you will not run in vain or
ing on God: To obey is better than a sac
work hard in vain. (Phil. 2:16, NW ) You
rifice. (1 Sam. 15:22, NW ) So be obedi
should fill your mind with Gods Word.
ent. Do Jehovahs work in Jehovahs way.
You can then draw on Jehovahs strength
It is the way Jehovah has marked out
to keep alive in the final contest. For the
through his organization. That alone
word of God is alive. Heb. 4:12, NW.
counts!
9. What are the essential rules, and what causes some
to fall out?

10, 11. (a) How do ancient diet rules apply to us?

(b) Why should we abundantly feed on spiritual pro
visions now?

244

SEeWATCHTO W ER.

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

11Jehovah has made no exception to this through one contest than we are getting
rule: Stick to training. No contestant ready for another. For Jehovahs organi
runner, wrestler or boxercan avoid train zation in this world there is always a con
ing and expect to win. Not only will he test somewhere, and there is training go
have sore muscles from lack of training ing on in the organization in some part of
but he will lose. Jehovahs team of right the world.
eous contenders started with Abel. The
14 Many triumphs there are in different
contest with the wicked spirit forces in parts of the world; for example, look at
heavenly places does not end until Arma our brothers in concentration camps in
geddon. The theocratic team is like a mod Germany. They came through World
em Olympic team. It does not wind up at War II victoriously. In the United States,
the end of the first contest. Many other Canada and elsewhere there have been
contests follow year after year. Also, a jail sentences by the thousands, mob ac
football team trains and then has a con tion, bans and proscriptions and, by Jeho
test, trains and then another contest, un vahs undeserved kindness, his witnesses
til the end of the season. Would it not be have come through victoriously. But tri
a tragedy for the team if, when the con umph in one contest in one country does
test begem, the players had no endurance not mean that we have won out finally and
and gave out at the start of the game from the team is ready to disband.
lack of training? So we must train until
the end of the season at Armageddon. This
DANGER
we keep up by regularity in meeting at
15 Many, successful in the contest dur
tendance, by being out in the service sev ing persecution years, have since violated
eral times each week or every day and by the rule of continuous training. They are
personal study.
now out of the race and off the team. Many
13
Now let us get the picture clear. Thesuffered loss of jobs and separation from
theocratic organization does not meet just families because they were willing to en
one event. But rather it is a continuous dure all things to win Jehovahs approval.
series of events. Mark you, it is only imme In that contest some who went to prison or
diately before Armageddon that world concentration camps thought the race was
pressure will be upon the whole, world over when they were released. They left
wide organization, everywhere at one time. the field of contest and quit training. They
Before then, however, pressure comes on ran, not the marathon race, but only the
the organization in one country, yet in an dash or sprint, and then dropped out.
other there is none. In each country there There is nothing more heart-rending than
is a division of the theocratic team. When to see a runner fall out of a race because
some divisions are, so to speak, running or of lack of training. We have been warned
hurling the discus, other divisions are in through Gods Word that trouble every
the boxing or wrestling contest. While where in the earth is near. Remember, we
some are under pressure, others are get were told the attack will come from Gog
ting ready to meet it later. But all divisions and from the north. Training is essential
of the team are always in a state of readi to endure beyond the crucial point of the
ness for the contest. We are no sooner race or contest.
12, 13. (a) Until when shall we need to train. for and
run in the race? (b) What tactics do Satans agents
use, and how does the theocratic organization counter
act these?

14. What victories have been won, yet what does this
not mean?
15, 16. What course by some highlights what Scriptural
warning ?

A pril 15, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

Formerly all of us looked for the re

turn of the faithful witnesses of old as
princes. Jehovah later revealed that those
who are princes servants of his organi
zation are now here among us. Some then
lost their enthusiasm about seeing the
resurrected princes. Does not this show
what Jesus said would happen, that the
love of many will cool o ff ? (Matt. 24:12,
AW ) Many contestants who went to prison
during the hard time of persecution sol
emnly vowed to Jehovah that, when re
leased, they would fight and run in the con
test with all they had. But when they got
free and were able to carry it out they for
got their solemn promise to give all to
Jehovah God.
17 When a section or division of the theo
cratic organization has a great contest of
persecution in a country there are propor
tionately more active participants on the
team there than in time of training. The
impetus of that division of the team in
creases. They bubble over with zeal. They
throw everything they have, including life
itself, into the contest. They see activity
is what counts and so they are very active.
The latest news of theocratic battle is
anxiously awaited. There is no time for
indifference, for negligence or for personal
misunderstanding. The contest is on with
them. Jobs and property hold none back.
Every weight that makes the contest more
difficult is shed. All are willing to do any
thing to win, even to live in tents and en
dure hard times. They brace up their
minds for activity. (1 Pet. 1:13, AW )
There are more volunteers for full-time
service; Bethel service has a long waiting
list. Then there are many entrants; they
want to get into the contest and help win.
18The danger to many is, not the contest
of persecution, but the peacetime training.
17. What effect upon Christians does persecution often
have?
18. What opportunities do peacetime conditions bring,
but what course do many pursue?

245

What does this contrast mean? Do we ask

Jehovah to bring more persecution? Cer
tainly not. This contrast is made to em
phasize that always we must prepare for
other contests ahead. At this time in some
countries we have opportunity to get ready
for a real contest. But many take it easy.
They soft-pedal on training. With marvel
ous opportunities in the full-time service
we see the team short of pioneers, a slow
down in congregation publishers and the
Bethel service begging for volunteers!
Few respond. Can we not see that this pe
riod of apparent peace in different coun
tries is no time for such conduct? Why, it
is suicide, is it not?
19
Know for sure, your peacetime train
ing should be extremely severe. It must be
as hard as the final contest itself. The
harder the preparation the easier will be
the victory. Look back at the training for
the ancient games at Corinth. Runners
put weights on their feet in training. Box
ers wore heavy uniforms and practiced on
sandbags. For the contest runners took the
weights off and stripped themselves. Ob
serving this Paul said we should put off
every weight and the sin that easily en
tangles us, and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us. (Heb. 12:1,
NW) Train for future contests with trials,
dangers and obstacles. You win or lose,
depending on how you train for the con
test. So peacetime training before persecu
tion starts for you means greater activity
for you, regularity in service, attendance
at all meetings, thorough personal study.
It is fatal to take it as a time to slacken
your hands. Zeph. 3:16.
20Consider a recent modern race. A wellknown British runner ran the mile race
in less than four minutes. A world record!
Do you think he could have done it had he
not trained regularly, not sparing himself
19, 20. What should be the nature of peacetime train
ing, why, and how was this illustrated?

246

SHeWATCHTOWER.

ro o klyn

, N .Y .

but giving everything in practice for the am ruined if I do not preach. (1 Cor. 9:16,
contest? Of course not. Do you realize that AT) Fail to preach now and the wicked
many in that race did not make it? They ones loss of life will be charged up against
lacked the endurance. One man collapsed you. Preach now and you will not be re
on the track. If we win in the final contest sponsible for their death. (Ezek. 33:8, 9)
Once we enter, we cannot be absent at
we must thoroughly train now.
21
Some shun training today by activetraining time. And training time is now,
and regular witnessing from door to door brothers, not tomorrow. Inactivity means
and regular group study because the world we are as good as dead. Quit training and
does not look with favor on such training. quit the race and we are dead in Gods
They dream of proving their integrity sight. Do not be dead in the sin of inactiv
when the future test comes in prison or ity. Be active now and live tomorrow,
concentration camp. They will be beaten, brothers!
defeated, because they did not train for the
WHERE TO KEEP THE EYE FIXED
strenuous contest. Training now by study
23
Another rule was, keep the eye on the
ing and preaching regularly and building
up ones ability in the ministry is a major prize the crown of ivy leaves. Today
part of the contest itself. Jehovahs wit some Christians lose sight of the prize held
ness work today is being done primarily out to them. It is not wrong to keep your
outside prison. The time may come for the eye on the crown of life. The reason is that
doing of the witness work everywhere un it is God-given. Jehovah causes desire for
derground or in prison. But this may be the reward to spring into our hearts. Make
an immediate prelude to the end at Arma it your own. The reward is worth running
geddon. (Isa. 43:10, 12,
Rev. 2:10, for. It is of no use to say: I am so glad to
2VW) Why wait until the dictator, the con be in the truth and I shall serve Jehovah
centration camp or the prison bars of the whether I get a reward or not. Be careful;
Devil surround you? Can you wait until do not spurn Gods goodness. He put the
the witness work by his people is over to promise before your eyes for a reason. It
do it? No, a thousand times no! Get into is so that you will reach out and run to the
the contest now before Jehovahs strange end to get it. Make sure that you at all
times see the reward. As an example of
act at Armageddon! Isa. 28:21, AS.
"2 A fixed rule of training is that the this, suppose an earthly father wants his
word of Jehovah must be preached. All the son to pass his school examinations. He
prophets of old did not put off preaching promises him a bicycle if he succeeds. That
until tomorrow. Jeremiah said that the boy will extend himself. Every hour he can
word of God was like a fire burning within get will be used to gain knowledge to pass
his bones and he could not keep it in; he the examinations. He sees the prize while
had to get it out to preach! (Jer. 20:9) he studies. He dreams about it. He suc
Jesus, who started this race for us, was ceeds because he wants the bicycle. Jeho
anointed by Jehovah to preach. (Luke vah has held out to us, his children, a far
4:18) We must follow in his footsteps and greater prize, everlasting life. It is proper
preach. Our main job, like his, should be for us to keep the prize before us as an in
the ministry. (1 Pet. 2:21) Paul said: I centive to run, because our race is very
difficult. While we seek the prize, it is the
21. Where and how can we train for severer future
contests ?
22. What is another fixed rule of training as shown by
what words of Jeremiah, Jesus and others?

23, 24. (a) Upon what must we keep our eyes fixed, and
why? (b) What is our goal, and why will some not
reach it?

A pril 15, 1956

3HeW AT CHTOWER

247

giver of the prize that we love and we want at the things that are behind? If you do,
to please him.
you will stumble and fall out of the race.
24Why do so many fail? Because they Do not let things behind hinder you from
do not pay attention to this goal of life getting ahead. Phil. 3:13.
26 Those who entered into the ancient
eternal. Paul wrote: Brothers, I do not
yet consider myself as having laid hold on wrestling contest or boxing bout had to
it; but there is one thing about it: . . . keep their eyes on their adversary all the
stretching forward to the things ahead, I time. In the modem theocratic contest
am pursuing down toward the goal for the failure to do so entraps many today. In
prize of the calling above and which God some divisions of Jehovahs team many
extends in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13, 14, look for an adversary to come in the form
AW ) The calling above applies to those of dictators, security police or mobs. They
of the anointed class. But the call to the fail to see in their own contest that the
other sheep is also from above. Life real adversary is invisible to human eyes.
eternal on earth is to the other sheep Have you become inactive? If so, you have
just as much to be desired as life in heaven, failed to see that we are not fighting a
the crown of life, is desired by the blood-and-flesh enemy. Through the eyes
anointed ones called of Jehovah. (Rev. of Paul we see our enemy. He said that
2:10, AW ) What is the difference? One is we have a fight, not against blood and
a finer prize, but both bring eternal life, flesh, but against . . . the wicked spirit
and it is life that we want. Some allow forces in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:12,
vision of Jehovahs purpose, his kingdom N W .
27Do you look for a blood-and-flesh ad
and his theocratic work to grow dim. They
will not study privately and do not attend versary instead of an invisible foe? Then
study meetings. They have no vision. Such you show you have lost your spiritual eye
will not successfully reach the goal. Where sight. You have been ambushed by the in
there is no vision the people perish. (Prov. visible enemy. Brothers who are alert real
29:18) In the race have you lost sight of ize now that these days are more danger
the prize? Keep the prize before your eyes ous than when the Nazis controlled Ger
and you will stay on the track and not get many and mobsters ruled in the United
States, when persecution was rampant al
sidetracked by the Devil and lose life.
25 Another rule of running is that the most everywhere. Now as never before the
runner must not look back, nor look behind Devil and the demons oppose Jehovahs
him as he runs. Some come into the race work in democratic lands as well as in dic
and run well for a while. But later they be tator nations. Like Paul, Peter also warns:
gin to feel that they have left something Keep your senses, be watchful. Your ad
behind. They turn their heads and look be versary, the Devil, walks about like a roar
ing lion, seeking to devour someone.
hind to consider whether to go back to
(1 Pet. 5:8, AW ) A roaring lion throws
their earlier course of living. Pleasures,
the prey that he is stalking off guard by
business, old-world friends, or other things,
roaring with his head close to the ground,
haunt their memories and cause them to
so the prey cannot determine the location
fall out of the race of integrity keeping.
of the roaring lion! Are you not deceived
For this sort of deflection Jehovah put
and do you keenly see the invisible beastLots wife out of the race. Do you look back
25. Why may we not look back?

26, 27. Who is our real enemy, and why is the present
time especially dangerous?

248

SlkW ATCH TO W ER

ly adversary stalking you at your heels?

If you see him you will put all the energy
you have into running for the final contest;

ro o klyn

, N .Y .

yes, more energy than you would if you

saw merely the secret police at your heels
or the mob at your doorstep! Rev. 12:12.

Gaining the Prize of Life

by Active Training Now
HOSE who are
h a lfh e a rte d are
hated by Jehovah and by
Christ Jesus. (Ps. 119:113,
AS; Hos. 7:8) Oh, they want
the prize of life all right. They
like to be with the witnesses of
Jehovah, but they are lukewarm
about it. They want to feel the
excitement. They like the cele
brating. Yet they do not do any
thing to give cause for celebrating. Be
cause they are neither hot nor cold, Christ
Jesus will vomit them out of his mouth.
(Rev. 3:14-16) They will lose the race.
2
Those running in the ancient games
Corinth knew it meant they had to put
every ounce o f strength into the contest.
One Greek runner anciently ran the
twenty-four stadium lengths, enduring
right to the end and coming in first. As the
crown was being placed on his head he
dropped dead. He had attained the goal. He
had triumphed! But how about us? Do we
put the race first in order to endure to the
end? Jesus admonished us to seek first the
Kingdom and Jehovahs righteousness.
(Matt. 6:33) Only by doing this can we
win. Do not let anythingfamily, business,
pleasure, desires, or anything else inter
vene in the contest. It will put in jeopardy
your triumph.

1. How do Jehovah and Jesus Christ view the half

hearted, and why?
2-4. What must we do and have, and what does it
take to win?

3
termine to stick in the
contest until final victory.
What good does it do a run
ner to have a strong body if he
is weak-willed? He will run un
wisely or, like a poor boxer in
training, he will beat the air in
stead of the punching bag. (1 Cor.
9:26) He is sure to lose because
he will have no endurance. He
needs mental determination to have en
durance. Your heart must be in the race
and it must be strong, permanently fixed,
trusting in Jehovah. (Ps. 112:7, AS)
atWholehearted you must be for completing
the contest. Yes, determine to overcome all
obstacles! If you do, it is more than half
the race. As a runner, you must know the
pace required by the race. Is it a short race
or a long one? Does it call for pacing or
racing the lim it? A champion boxer or
wrestler must have a good mind. He can
not be a brute bull with no sense. So with
us, it is not a matter of just strong legs and
a weak mind. We cannot merely walk from
door to door, but we have strong minds
and in our sermons we hit the target with
the Bible. Run wisely! Use knowledge of
the Bible and intelligence to win the race
or to get victory. Build yourself up and
equip yourself with a knowledge of Gods
Word. You have heard of the endurance
of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah
gave. Jas. 5:11, NW.

Un

A pril 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

4
Jesus said that he that has endured
the end is the one that will be saved.
(Matt. 10:22, NW) W ill you keep endur
ing? If you do not, you will lose. Adopt
Pauls words: For I am convinced that
neither death nor life nor angels nor gov
ernments nor things here nor things to
come nor powers nor height nor depth nor
any other creation will be able to separate
us from Gods love that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Rom. 8:38, 39, NW.
Haphazard training means lost races.
Do not publish spasmodically. You will run
with uncertainty if you do. Paul did not.
Be regular in training to be qualified. You
cannot run in fits and starts. It is not just a
burst of energy here and easing off there
that wins. Do you think you can redeem
your lagging behind by a spurt of activity
for a while and then slip away and let no
one see you for weeks? You cannot. The
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to
the strong. (Eccl. 9:11) The Assyrian
Sennacherib had the superior army and
the strength, but it was the surrounded
King Hezekiah, who had faith in Jehovah,
that won. Remember the old fable about
the hare and the tortoise? True, the hare
darted almost out of sight but the tortoise
won the race. But wait! You know Jeho
vahs sure Word is better than any man
made fable. Why did Hezekiah win? Was
he swift? Was he strong? He won because
he submitted himself to Jehovah, in prayer.
Hezekiah then accepted Jehovahs answer.
Through his prophet Isaiah, Jehovah said
to Hezekiah: I will defend this city to save
it, for my own sake and for the sake of my
servant David. (Isa. 37:35,
That night
Jehovahs angel slew the enemy a hun
dred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians.
(2 Kings 19) In our fight, too, it is not just
one punch and the enemy is out. We must
keep on striking many telling blows. So it
5. (a) Why will not haphazard and spasmodic training
make us winners? (b) What caused Hezekiah to win?

249

tocannot be just one set of scriptures or one

sermon to use in the witness work. For
them to be varied we must have many and
versatile ones, and then keep on using
them aright in offense and in defense of
the good news.
The rule is that to participate in the
boxing match or test of combat the fighter
must be fearless. Thus we must be fearless
in witnessing, confident of our spiritual
strength and of handling the word of truth
aright. Fighting in a contest is mentioned
by Paul in addition to frequent references
to running. (1 Cor. 9:26; 1 Tim. 6:12;
2 Tim. 4:7) Remember, preach and be op
posed! When opposed, what will you do?
Will you be afraid and quit? If so you will
be disqualified and put out of the contest.
Jehovah says: The cowards and those
without faith and . . . all the liars, their
portion will be in the lake that bums with
fire and sulphur . . . the second death.
(Rev. 21:8, NW) Have fear of man and it
will lead to a snare, the loss of the prize
of life. (Prov. 29:25) The fear of Jehovah
is the beginning of wisdom. Ps. 111:10,
AS.
7
Ancient contests were won by a team
or lost by a team, not by one participant.
It took javelin throwers, discus hurlers,
wrestlers, jumpers, boxers and runners to
make up a team. The theocratic organiza
tion is a great team. Each of us is a small
unit in it. One member cannot do without
the others. For the body, indeed, is not
one member, but is many. (1 Cor. 12:1426, NW) Let us think only of the teams ac
complishments. When the race is won or
victory comes, the team, not the individual,
obtained it. Let honor come and credit go
to the leader of the team, Christ Jesus. It
takes the consideration of each for all, and
of all for each. Then we have real team6. Whom may we not fear? why? and whom must we
fear?
7. Contests being won or lost teamwise teaches us what
lessons?

250

SfieWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

work. There are many parts to a vast ma individually control ourselves in order to
chine. For it to operate without friction be triumphant.
it must have lubrication. Jehovahs spirit
10 Let us end our consideration of the
and resultant unity are to our organiza rules and their effect with the greatest of
tion what oil is to the machine.
all the rules, love. Paul said that if we do
8 Another rule of contest bans bad asso not have love we are (1) as sounding brass
ciation. Old-world friends cling to some. or clashing cymbal ; (2) as nothing, and
Some foolishly cling to old-world friends. (3) as not profited at all. (1 Cor. 13:1-3,
Paul admonished: Do not be misled. Bad NW) Jesus laid down the rule when he
associations spoil useful habits. (1 Cor. said: You must love Jehovah your God
with your whole heart and with your whole
15:33,
NW ) Even some in the organization
have old-world habits. All are leaven. soul and with your whole mind and with
Leaven works its way into your whole life. your whole strength. . . . You must love
If you do not separate from bad associa your neighbor as yourself. There is no
tions you will lose the race. (1 Cor. 5:9, other commandment greater than these.
10; 6:9, 10) This is breaking training and Mark 12:30, 31, NW.
leads to softening our spiritual muscles.
11 Realize that there is no time to waste.
It is not whether an associate is a good (Eph. 5:16; Rev. 10:6, NW) Learn well
fellow. A good fellow may be good com the rules and how to apply them. Practice
pany. But is he theocratic company? If not, these things. Keep the rules and you will
then shun him. Run only with those run achieve victory and avoid disaster. The
ning the race. Remember the old proverb: final rule, then, as stated by Jesus, is that
Birds of a feather flock together. You we keep all the rules of the race or contest.
may also recall the old story of the farm If you love me, you will observe my com
ers swan that always swam among the mandments. (John 14:15, NW) All the
cranes. The cranes were destroying the rules must be complied with. Not one can
farmers crops. So he determined to shoot be violated with impunity.
them. He killed the cranes and with them
OUTSTANDING CONTENDERS WHO WON
also his beautiful swan, his prize bird. Do
12We cannot here leave this subject of
not be caught at Armageddon like this
participants in the theocratic contests
beautiful but unfortunate swan.
9Paul wrote that every man taking without considering some of Jehovahs
part in a contest exercises self-control in outstanding contenders for the faith, fear
all things. . . . [Accordingly] I browbeat less fighters and runners who endured.
13 The greatest contestant of all on Jeho
my body and lead it as a slave, that, after
vahs team is our Leader, Jesus Christ.
I have preached to others, I myself should
Since he is our pattern, let us first con
not become disapproved somehow. (1 Cor. sider him. (1 Pet. 2:21) The first outstand
NW) The ancient contestantsing
con
9:24-27,
obstacle placed before him in his race
trolled their conduct, their lives, eating was the opportunity to obtain all the king
habits, associations, drinking and pleas doms of this world. Steadfastly Jesus kept
ures. They avoided any and all things that in the race by answering the Devil: Go
detracted from or neutralized their train away, Satan! For it is written, It is Jehoing. So too must we theocratic contestants 10, 11. What is the greatest rule? the final rule? and
8. Why are bad associations so very dangerous?
9. To avoid being disapproved what must we exercise?

how are these related to each other?

12-14. How did Jesus demonstrate himself an outstand
ing winning contender, gaining what reward?

A pril 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWEFL

251

vah your God you must worship, and it is thians eleven, verses 23 to 27 (NW). He
to him alone you must render sacred serv said he was in prisons more plentifully,
in stripes
to an excess, in near-deaths
ice. (Matt. 4:10,
NAnother
hurdle
Satan placed in Jesus race was Peter and often. By Jews I five times received forty
his human, godless thinking. Peter took strokes less one, three times I was beaten
Jesus aside and raised strong objection with rods, once I was stoned, three times I
about threatened injury to Jesus. Peter experienced shipwreck, a night and a day
said: Be kind to yourself, Master. Was I have spent in the deep; in travels often,
Jesus slowed up by this? He answered: in dangers from rivers, in dangers from
Get behind me, Satan! You are a stum- highwaymen, in dangers from my own
blingblock to me. (Matt. 16:22, 23, NW) race, in dangers from the nations, in dan
Before Pilate also Jesus contended for the gers in the city, in dangers in the wilder
faith by telling him: For this purpose I ness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among
have been bom and for this purpose I have false brothers, in labor and toil, in sleep
come into the world, that I should bear less nights often, in hunger and thirst,
witness to the truth. John 18:37, NW. in abstinence from food many times, in
14 Shortly afterward Jesus was entirely cold and nakedness. Later Paul added:
on his own, without companions. He was I have run the course to the finish, I have
alone in the race to the end and was de observed the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7, NW.
16
Earlier examples of outstanding faith
serted by his associates, but he was faith
in
Jehovah
are Shadrach, Meshach and
ful right to the last. He put everything
Abednego.
These
three faithful Hebrews
he had into the race, life itself. He was
were
commanded
to
bow down and worship
stripped of his clothes, nailed to the stake,
the
golden
image
erected
in the plain of
wearing on his head a crown of thorns. It
Dura.
Would
they
refuse
to
do so at the
appeared to all that Jehovah had complete
cost
of
being
cast
into
the
fiery
furnace?
ly abandoned him. In the eyes of Satan and
Having
entered
the
race,
they
stayed
in it,
his earthly agents Jesus died as a criminal.
calmly
reminding
the
king:

O
Nebuchad
Speedily Jehovah reversed the scene, right
before the eyes of Satan. Within three days nezzar, we have no need to answer you in
Jehovah rewarded Jesus with a resurrec this matter. If it be so, our God whom we
tion to life eternal, and a few weeks later serve is able to deliver us from the burn
Jesus ascended to the right hand of his ing fiery furnace; and he will deliver us
God and Father. Ps. 110:1, AS; John out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it
known to you, O king, that we will not
20:17, NW.
15 Jesus Christs first follower known to serve your gods or worship the golden
have run his course faithfully after Jesus image which you have set up. Their bold
finished his was Stephen. He completed his defiance infuriated the king. He command
contest in the clutches of his enemies. He ed that the furnace be heated seven times
preached even as they were stoning him as hot as usual and the three men be cast
to death. He ran and won the victory into it. They flinched not, they refused to
crown. Death did not cheat him of his re bow down and remained in the contest.
ward. Another winner was Paul, who over They were thrown into the intensified
came many obstacles put in his path of the roaring fire. As a reward from Jehovah,
they came out of the flames unsinged and
race. Consider his report at Second Corin15. What example did Stephen give of a victorious con
tender? Paul?

16, 17. How did the three Hebrews and Samson show
themselves to be on the winning team ? with what
outcome for each?

252

SEeWATCHTOWER,

ro o klyn

N. Y.

were triumphant through their faith and to death during his lifetime. Judg. 16:
endurance. Dan. 3:1-27, RS.
28-30, NW.
17
Let us not forget Samson. In the cus 18
Another mighty contestant was David.
tody of his enemies till his hair had grown Even in youth he personified fearlessness.
long again Samson was grinding in the He could not be frightened out of the con
prison house. He thought of the indignities test. He was bold in Jehovah. Goliath had
committed against
defied Almighty God and his people. Young
h is G od Jeh ov ah
David was overflowing with righteous in
and against himself
dignation at this affront to his God, Jeho
as he was lashed by
vah. He angrily demanded: Who is this
the jeers and taunts
uncircumcised Philistine, that he should
and cut by the whip
defy the armies of the living G od? . . .
of his Philistine ene
But David said to Saul, Your servant used
mies, who had bored
to keep sheep for his father; and when
out his eyes. His
there came a lion, or a bear, and took a
feelings worked up
lamb from the flock, I went after him and
to t h e ir h ig h est
pitch and he was about to burst with smote him and delivered it out of his
mouth; and if he arose against me, I
determination to vindicate Jehovahs
caught
him by his beard, and smote him
name. He knew his life was imperiled in
and
killed
him. Your servant has killed
his final contest. To vindicate Jehovahs
both
lions
and
bears; and this uncircum
name Samson put his whole heart and
cised Philistine shall be one of them, see
strength into the final fight in the temple
ing he has defied the armies of the living
of the Philistine celebrators of Dagon. He
God. Fearless, David came forward to
knew the contest would take his life. Yet the contest. Although but a youth, he
he declared: Lord Jehovah, remember courageously met the bully, the giant Go
me, please, and strengthen me, please, just liath. To that Philistine David declared:
this once, O God, and let me avenge myself You come to me with a sword and with a
upon the Philistines with vengeance for spear and with a javelin; but I come to
one of my two eyes. With that Samson you in the name of [Jehovah] of hosts,
braced himself against the two middle the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
pillars upon which the house was firmly have defied. Note the contrast: a giant
established, and got a grasp on them, one covered with armor, an expert man of war,
with his right and the other with his left opposed by a mere lad in his shepherds
hand. And Samson proceeded to say: Let togs, equipped only with a slingshot and
stones! But did David desert the field of
my soul die with the Philistines. Then
contest? Was he fearful of losing life? Did
he bent himself with
he leave the battle? Unquaveringly he
power and the house
shouted: This day [Jehovah] will de
fell upon the axis lords
liver you into my hand, and I will strike
and upon all the peo
you down, and cut off your
ple that were in it, so
head; . . . that all the earth
that the dead that he
may know that there is a
put to death in his own
death came to be more
18. In what particular contest did
David prove to be a mighty con
than those he had put
tender?

A p r il

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

253

God in Israel. (1 Sam. 17:26, 34-36, 45, phantly toward the prize of life ? Or will you
46,
RS) At that David, sling in hand, unbe one of the inactive covenant-breakers
erringly aimed the stone at the giants or sluggards, drifting to your doom of ever
forehead! It hit the mark! Jehovah gave lasting death? (Rom. 1:28-32) Do not be
David the triumph. The giant fell dead. an inactive sluggard, too lazy even to feed
Because of his fearlessness and love of yourself, and die. (Prov. 19:24; 14:14, RS)
Jehovah, David is named as one of those Remember, if you are not actively for Je
who met Jehovahs approval. (Heb. 11:32- sus you are against him and must face the
34) He is sure of his prize of triumph.
fate of his enemies. (Matt. 12:30) Have
19Some of these triumphant contenders you wandered off the racecourse into the
for the faith Paul listed among Jehovahs mire of inactivity? Take hold of yourself
ancient witnesses to encourage us today and swing back quickly! The most thrilling
to run continually in the triumphant man and final of all contests, Armageddon, is
ner that they did. For us Paul wrote: So, just ahead. By our activity let us all tri
then, because we have so great a cloud of umphantly put up a hard fight for the
witnesses surrounding us, let us also put faith. Jude 3,
NW.
off every weight and the sin that easily en
21 Under Jehovahs searching gaze, may
tangles us, and let us rim with endur all of us at seeing the triumphant kingdom
ance the race that is set before us, as we established in the heavens determine to
look intently at the leader and perfecter escape inactivity and death. Let us, in
of our faith, Jesus. Heb. 12:1, 2,
stead, by activity, win the prize of tri
20Now the question is: Will you be one umph, LIFE in the new world under Jeho
of the active Christians running trium- vahs kingdom.
22Jehovah our God bless you as you
19. Why did Paul list some of these triumphant con
tenders at Hebrews 11?
contend for victory in the right contest
20-22. What course leads to death, and what course to
of the faith. 1 Tim. 6:1 2, NW.
winning the prize of life in Gods new world?

W e are still at agreement with what the book

Light, Volumes I and II (published in 1930), had

A t Revelation 14:1, 3 (NW) we read: And

I saw, and look! the Lam b standing upon the
mount Zion, and with him a hundred and fortyfour thousand having his name and the name
of his Father written on their foreheads. And
they are singing as if a new song before the
throne and before the four living creatures and
the persons of advanced age; and no one was
able to master that song but the hundred and
forty-four thousand, who have been purchased
from the earth. W h o are the persons of ad
vanced age here mentioned? C. F., United
States.

to say on the matter. Since these elders or

persons of advanced age are part of a sym
bolic vision and are symbolic in their meaning,
we can determine whom they picture only by
noting features that mark them and by com
paring these with scriptures that identify the
ones who are to bear these features.
The first mention of them, at Revelation 4:4,
10, states that they are twenty-four in number,
that they are in heaven and sit on thrones
around God's throne, that they are dressed in
white outer garments, and wear golden crowns
on their heads, and that they worship God,
falling down from their thrones before him and
ascribing the source of rulership to him by
casting their crowns before him.
These features argue that they picture the
144,000 followers of Jesus Christ the Lam b of
God, although symbolically these persons of

254

SEeWATCHTOW ER.

advanced age are only twenty-four in number.

This number is twice twelve, and, as illustrated
in the twelve tribes of Israel, the number
twelve stands fo r a completeness of nationhood
and of organization theocratically. Twice that
number, twenty-four, would stand for that same
thing in twofold measure or in a higher de
gree. Revelation 21:14 speaks of the twelve
apostles of the Lam b, but there are twentyfour persons of advanced age and so there is
no reason to confuse the two. In other words,
although the twelve apostles were promised to
sit with Christ in heaven on twelve thrones to
judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28),
the twenty-four persons of advanced age stand
for more than the Lam bs twelve apostles. They
include the twelve apostles and stand for the
complete nation of spiritual Israel, under the
King Jesus Christ, the complete theocratic gov
ernment under the King of kings, Jesus Christ.
In the ancient typical nation of Israel there
was a priesthood composed of the male de
scendants of its first high priest Aaron. These
priests did not all serve together at the tem
ple continuously, all the time, but only at the
great national festivals appointed by God.
Otherwise they served in divisions, each divi
sion a week at a time each half year. Now note
that King David established twenty-four divi
sions of these priests to serve in their turn at
the temple. John the Baptists father Abijah
belonged to the eighth division; the sons of
Maaziah made up the twenty-fourth division.
(1 Chron. 24:1-19, N W ; Luke 1:5-24, 57-67, N W )
The twenty-four divisions of the priests under
Israels high priest argues that the twenty-four
persons of advanced age picture the 144,000, for
these not only reign with Christ but will also
be priests of God and of the Christ. They
form a royal priesthood. Rev. 20:6 and 1 Pet.
2 :9 , N W .
Like the twenty-four elderly persons they will
sit on thrones in heaven before God, not merely
the twelve apostles but all the 144,000 members
of Christs body. And I saw thrones, and there
were those who sat on them, and power of
judging was given them. . . . And they came
to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for
a thousand years. Jesus Christ promised all
the 144,000 followers who would overcome that
they would sit with him in his throne as he sat
with his heavenly Father in his throne. (Rev.
2 0 :4 ; 3:2 1 and Luke 22:28-30, N W ) As kings on
thrones they would properly wear crowns on

Brooklyn, N . Y.

their heads as Jesus Christ does and just as the

twenty-four elderly persons are pictured as
doing. (Rev. 6 :2 ; 14:14, 15; Ps. 21:1-3) The
144.000 while on earth are warned to hold fast
what they have, that no one m ay take their
crown. They are promised the crown of life, of
glory and of righteousness for proving faithful
to the end. (Rev. 3 :1 1 ; 2 :1 0 ; 2 Tim. 4 :8 ; 1 Pet.
5:4 ) W e know of no others who are promised
crowns in heaven; so the twenty-four elderly
persons must as a symbol restrict itself to the
144.000 overcomers.
Since it is granted to the bride class of the
Lamb of God to be arrayed in bright, clean,
fine linen, for the fine linen stands for the
righteous acts of the holy ones, the twentyfour elderly persons well picture that fact by
themselves being dressed in white outer gar
ments, to depict a righteous, holy group. (Rev.
19:7, 8, N W ) In being elderly or persons of
advanced age thdy are not older than the
Lamb of God, for he is the oldest of Gods crea
tions and was used to create all other creatures,
including the symbolic twenty-four persons of
advanced age. But by becoming mature Chris
tians and brothers of Gods oldest creation
they take on an outstanding eldership or ad
vancement of age or special degree of maturity
just like experienced judges and like senators
in a lawmaking body.
According to Revelation 5:6-10 (NW), when
the Lamb of God took the scroll out of the hand
of God to open it and to cause remarkable
revelations the four living creatures and the
twenty-four persons of advanced age fell down
before the Lam b, and these elderly persons
had each a harp and golden bowls that were
full of incense, and the incense means the
prayers of the holy ones. And they sing a new
song, saying: You are worthy to take the
scroll and open its seals, because you were
slaughtered and with your blood you bought
persons for God out of every tribe and tongue
and people and nation, and you made them to
be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they
will rule as kings over the earth.
In the Greek text the masculine gender of the
participle used shows that the having of the
harps and golden bowls applies to the persons
of advanced age and not to the four living crea
tures (neuter). Revelation 14:1-3 shows that it
is the 144,000 who, like the twenty-four elderly
persons, sing a new song and accompany them
selves on the harp. In Israel the twenty-four
courses of priests offered up incense at the tern-

A p r il

15, 1956

fKeWATCHTOWER.

pie at the time of prayer; which fact identifies

the twenty-four persons of advanced age with
the 144,000 kings and priests, for their bowls
are full of incense,.which incense is the prayers
of the 144,000 holy ones.
And who is it that, like the twenty-four elder
ly persons, sing the new song about the Lamb's
death and his purchasing followers out of the
earth to make them kings and priests more
than the 144,000 themselves do? N o one on
earth can master that new song before the
144,000 royal priests do. They heartily agree
with all faithful ones in heaven and earth in
ascribing worthy things to the Lam b of God
and they fall down and worship God in appre
ciation. Rev. 5:13, 14.
A fter Jehovah God takes his rightful power
to himself and the kingdom of the world be
comes the kingdom of the Lord Jehovah and
of his Christ the members o f the 144,000 Chris
tians do just the same as the twenty-four per
sons of advanced age are pictured as doing,
fall down from their enthroned position and
worship God and thank him for taking over
his universal sovereignty and beginning to rule
as king toward the earth and then declare his
day of wrath against the wrathful nations and
his day of judgment concerning the living and
the dead.
Hence the prophetic picture of Revelation
11:15-18 concerning the twenty-four elderly
persons is fulfilled in the members of Christ's
body, his holy congregation, including the rem
nant of it yet on earth. They are promoting
this proclamation of the message of Gods
kingdom by Christ and of his day of vengeance
and of his time of judgment. The fact is that
they, like Jesus Christ, have been anointed with
Jehovah's spirit to proclaim this very message.
Isa. 60:1-3, AS.
It is one of these persons of advanced age or
presbyters that comforted the apostle John
with the assurance that the Lam b of God had
conquered so as to open the scroll in God's
hand and its seven seals. (Rev. 5:5 , NW) It is
also one of these twenty-four elderly persons
or presbyters that informed John that the
great crowd" with palm branches ascribing
their salvation to God and his Lam b were a
growing class of the present time of the end,"
namely, the other sheep" of the lamblike
Shepherd Jesus Christ. Rev. 7:13, NW.
This informant elderly person or presbyter
pictured in his action how the remnant on
earth of the 144,000 were privileged in the

255

year 1935 to disclose through the columns of

The Watchtower that the long-misunderstood
great crowd" of Revelation 7:9, 10 are the
other sheep" with an earthly destiny, whom
Jehovah's Right Shepherd must now begin to
gather, bringing them to a oneness with the
remnant of the spiritual little flock." This dis
closure in 1935 made the remnant rejoice very
much and, like the twenty-four presbyters in
Revelation 7:11, 12, the remnant fell down
gratefully and worshiped God, agreeing with
a hearty Amen to what the great crowd were
ascribing to God and Christ. Rev. 7:13-17, NW .
Finally, at the fa ll of Great Babylon, the
twenty-four presbyters fa ll down with the four
living creatures and worship the enthroned
Jehovah God and take up the call to praise
Jehovah and say: A m en! Praise Jah, you
people!" So they take up the great Hallelujah
chorus that is sung by all holy creation repre
sented by the four living creatures. (Rev. 19:4,
N W ) And the remnant of the 144,000, who were
themselves once captive to Great Babylon, will
also take up the Hallelujah chorus and will
lead in it on earth when Jehovah executes his
final judgments on that wicked organization
of Satan the Devil.
So viewed from all the circumstances and
actions of the twenty-four persons of advanced
age in The Revelation, they must represent the
144.000 faithful members of Christ's body. A
place was reserved for them in heaven from
the Edenic time when Jehovah God spoke of
the seed of his woman, which seed is to bruise
the Serpent in his head. (Gen. 3 :15) Jesus
Christ told his disciples that he was to ascend
to heaven to prepare that place up there for
them. (John 14:1-3) So all these thousands of
years there has been a reservation for them
up there, although scripture and fact show
none of the 144,000 began to take a position
in that reserved place above until 1918.
Everything had to be done with that reser
vation for the 144,000 in mind. W hatever the
144.000 have done down here on this earth has
been done in the face of that heavenly reserva
tion, hence before the twenty-four persons of
advanced age, as it were. Just as the two
horned beast (the British-American dual pow
er) performed before the great sea beast with
seven heads (Satan's visible organization under
seven successive world powers, including the
two-horned beast), so the 144,000 on earth have
performed before their symbolic representation,
the twenty-four persons of advanced age. (Rev.

256

SfteW ATCH TOW ER .

13:1-14; 19:20, N W ) But even while on earth,

the 144,000 faithful members of Christs body
have been seated . . . together in the heavenly

Brooklyn, N .Y .

places in union with Christ Jesus." There is

where the remnant thereof finds itself today,
Eph. 2:4-7, N W .

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

May 27: Activity and Life versus Inactivity and
Death, H 1-24. Page 241.
June 3: Activity and Life versus Inactivity and
Death, H 25-27, and Gaining the Prize of
Life by Active Training Now. Page 247.

vV

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

I^ Why right knowledge of the Bible is so
important? P. 2 2 8 , H3.

**

^
Why there is no excuse for being in doubt
about the existence of God? P. 229, H2.

How the Christian s race is like that of the

athletes who compete in games? P. 241, H3.
^
How long the Christian must continue
training? P. 244, Hl2.

Why real Christians are truly happy?

P. 240, H3.
^

How, in 1951, a great number of Jeho

vah s witnesses were forcibly transported
across Russia to Siberian exile? P. 234, H5.

**

^
Whether persecution has broken the faith
of Jehovah s witnesses in Russia? P. 236, Hi.

What the greatest rule for Christian vic

tory is? P. 250, HlO.

^
How the idea that Jesus was a God-Man
mixes truth and falsehood? P. 238, Hi.

Who the twenty-four persons of advanced

age mentioned in Revelation are? P. 253, H8.

How to endure in God s service? P. 248,

H3.

M A Y 1, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

ACCURATE KNOW 1EDGE

TO PLEASE JEHOVAH
YOUR PERSONAL STUDY

TRUE RICHES AND TRUE FRIENDS

THE CLERGY AND THE ROOK
WTB&TS

^ i.ii

"YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchm en could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G ods W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G od s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous tim es/ G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K no rr , President
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

CONTENTS

P r in t in g

The Clergy and the Book

259

Good News fo r Perplexed Humanity

261

Loving in Deed as W ell as in Word

264

True Riches and True Friends

265

Clergyman Says Serpent Told Eve

the Truth

268

Pursuing M y Purpose in Life

A s Told by Gertrude Steele

269
273

Your Personal Study

279

Questions from Readers

286
as Goats ?

287

AbtmiatlMS ate* fa Tfc* Watchtewer fir the feilewiag Bible versions

American Standard Version

L X X - The Septuagint Version
An American Translation
M o - Jamas Moffatt's version
J. N. Darbys version
N W - New World Translation
Catholic Douay version
Ro - J. B. Rotherham's version
- The Emphatic Diaglott
R S - Revised Standard Version
Le - Isaac Leeser's version
Yg - Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise Indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version
AS
AT
Da
Dy
ED

is s u e :

2 ,5 5 0 ,0 0 0

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Holland!,h
Ilocano

F iv e

c e n ts

copy

Monthly

Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Arabie
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
Greek
HiligayuouVisayan
Ibo

Watch Tower Society offices

Accurate Knowledge to Please Jehovah

Too Quick to Label Some

t h is

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pang agin an
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho

Siamese
Siloai
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhoaa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N Y.

$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W'.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34
Craven
Terrace, London, W. 2
J/Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.O.
B oi 3 0 , Wellington, C.1
7 /Soutb Africa, Private
Bag, P .0. Elandsfuntein, Transvaal
7 /Trinldad, 21
Taylor
St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 2

Remittances
at

be

should
sent to office in your country in eompU&nce with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only.
(with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires.
when sent
our office
be
effective within one month. Send your
new
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.,
Act of March 3, 187 9 Printed in U.S.A.

to
aa well ae

Notiee of expiration
may
expected
address.

Change of address

did

'^ n n o u r ic ir ig
J EHOVAHS
KINGDOM
M a y 1, 1956

|USTICE is turned back, and right

eousness stands afar off; for truth
has fallen in the public squares, and
uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking.
Thus Gods Word shows a direct relation
ship between delinquency and a lack of ap
preciation of the truth, which Jesus de
fined as the Word of his Father, Jehovah
God. Isa. 59:14, 15,
John 17:17.
And the facts bear out the position of
the Bible. Never have there been so much
immorality and corruption and crime and
never has there been so little appreciation
for the Word of God. Oh yes, the Bible con
tinues as a best seller, but its contents are
seldom searched out, and much less its les
sons applied to daily living. Thus a survey
made in 1954 showed that 65 percent of
Jews, 56 percent of Roman Catholics and
32 percent of Protestants never or practi
cally never read the Bible. And another,
published in 1955, showed that more than
half the people of the United States could
not even name one of the four Gospels.
But is it at all surprising that people
should pay ever less and less attention
to the contents of the Bible, in view of the
lowly opinion the clergy have of it? Al
though Paul wrote that "all Scripture is
inspired of God, yet according to a recent
survey only 38 percent of all ministers be

Num ber 9

lieve the Bible to be wholly free from leg

end or myth, and only 4 percent of stu
dents in theological seminaries have such
implicit faith. A Guide to the Religions
of America, page 236, by Rosten.
Nor need we wonder that seminary stu
dents have such little faith in the Bibles
being free from legend or myth, in view of
the position taken by their professors.
Thus in a letter to The Christian Century,
one R. T. Stamm, Ph.D., D.D., professor of
Greek and the New Testament at the
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettys
burg, Pennsylvania, had the following com
ments to make regarding the blind de
structive agony and the reckless career
of Samson, whom he placed in the same
category with modem militarists, East and
West: Like all other men driven by hate
in their hearts, he could work miracles
with the materiel he had jaw-bones, foxtorches and sheer brute strength. The peo
ple he killed were just as dead as the
60,000 inhabitants of Hiroshima. Sam
son was a genius at picking quarrels, bom
to stir up trouble as the sparks fly upward,
and the time was ripe for his exploits. . . .
Some patriots actually said that Samsons
doings were inspired by the Lord God him
self for the purpose of starting a war of
extermination against these enemies of his
chosen people.
259

260

SHeWATCHTOWER,

However, it was not fanatical Israelite

patriots but none other than Jehovahs
angel who had said: He it is who will
take the lead in saving Israel out of the
hand of the Philistines. And note also
that the apostle Paul mentions Samson
with approval: For the time will fail me if
I go on to relate about Gideon, Barak, Sam
son, Jephthah, David as well as Samuel
and the other prophets, who through faith
defeated kingdoms in conflict, effected
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped
the mouths of lions. When the inspired
apostle records Jehovahs approval, who is
this Stamm that he should thus deprecate?
Like professor, like seminary students,
like laity. Heb. 11:32, 33,
And like modern rabbi. Thus Jakob J.
Petuchowski, writing in the Jewish reli
gious monthly Commentary, argues that
Jews should also do missionary work, and
among the advantages he claims that Juda
ism has over Christianity he lists his view
regarding sin: Nor, again, is sin . . . some
thing transmitted through the generations
from a mythical Fall. A man is respon
sible only for his own acts . . . Confession
to God . . . remorse, and avoidance of the
same sin when temptation arises again, are
the sole means of restoring his harmonious
relation with God. He thereby not only
discredits the Genesis account of original
sin but all the many references to it in the
rest of the Hebrew Scriptures as well as
all that they have to say about the need of
an atoning sacrifice. How much of the Bi
ble has Rabbi Petuchowski left? Is it any
wonder that nearly two thirds of the
Jews never read the Bible even though it
contains the history of their race?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

Typical of the faith-destroying propa

ganda of Protestants is the editorial in
The Christian Century relative to the rais
ing of Lazarus. It asks: Did Jesus really
raise the dead? Answering its question it
states: It seems pretty clear that the men
who wrote the Gospels thought he did.
They lived in an entirely different [intel
lectual] climate from curs. They had been
brought up on the story of Elisha and they
remembered how he brought the son of the
Shunammite woman back to life. We live
in a different world. We know that things
beyond our comprehension happen. . . .
Nevertheless, we have a high regard for
the regularity and orderliness by which
God operates the universe and it is not
easy for us to imagine that God would
arbitrarily set aside all his laws to bring
the dead to life, not even to demonstrate
his power or to show forth his glory.
Then as a sop to those who might disagree,
the editorial goes on to say: We would
be wise, however, to reserve our judgment
on such matters. These are matters be
yond our immediate experience about
which we have not factual evidence.
And again we ask, Is it any wonder that
people neglect reading the Bible when a
professed Christian weekly takes such a
dim view of Jesus ministry and miracles?
The very purpose of the miracles was to
provide something beyond our immediate
experience, and to those who believe the
Bible to be the Word of God its testimony
is factual evidence. Jesus himself
stressed the point that his miracles were
his credentials: The works themselves
that I am doing, bear witness about me
that the Father dispatched me. John
5:36,
NW.

Jesus answered them: I told you and yet you do not believe. The works which I
am doing in the name of my Father, these bear witness about me. But
you do not believe, because you are none of m y sheep. M y sheep
listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
- John 10:25-27, NW.

there is no peace." We
looked for peace, but
no good came; and for
a time of health, and
behold trouble! Hope
deferred maketh the
heart sick. And who
is there to deny that
the heart of a perplexed
N THI!
humanity not only has
discontented w orld
been troubled but is sick
good news is simply
unto death because of its
nonexistent. Therefore,
d e fe r r e d p rom ises o f
for good news to come
p e a c e ? Jer. 8:11, 15;
to perplexed humanity,
Prov. 13:12.
it must of necessity
Another hopeful spurt
come from a source
that has taken on shades
apart from this world, And it does. In of doom is the very religious boom itself.
fact, it comes from the Creator of a new At first a religious revival sounded like
world, an entirely new system of things, good news, especially to the Western
wherein righteousness dwells, a world world, which is suffering from a bad case
having real foundations and the builder of agnosticism, atheism and materialism.
and creator of which is God. While this But while worldly religion has gained in
might appear farfetched to skeptics and popularity and is now quite fashionable,
pessimists, yet this fact is becoming more there is a drop in morality, a rise in crime
pronounced with each passing day. Heb. and corruption, an increase in adult and
juvenile delinquency, and all this very
11:10, NW.
To offset the good news of the irresist noticeably among the churchgoing public.
In other words, the religious boom is not
ible approach of the new world, the old
world ridicules and jeers, even whips up a genuine, nor real, nor springing from deep
hopeful spirit of its own. For example, the within the hearts of humanity. It is a surspirit of Geneva, which
face religion,
briefly lessened world tension
therefore it can
There is go od news. There is
and lifted hearts of humanity
not bring forth
greater cause for rejoicing now
in hope, was one of such ef
good fruit. The
than in any other time in history,
forts. But the good news that
propulsive power
despite the flood of woes that
was offered at the summit
behind the reviv
fills the earth. Learn what that
conference in Geneva was not
al is not the spirit
cause is by reading the following.
in good faith, nor was it sin
that says, To do
cere or genuine. It was short
thy Will, O my
lived, and soon the cold war rose again. God. (Ps. 40:8) Rather it is, My will be
This trend of crying peace, which is fol done with Thy help. The new religion en
lowed by disappointment, is in keeping deavors to use God as an instrument and is
with the prophets words: They have not concerned about becoming an instru
healed the hurt of the daughter of my peo ment of God. To try to use God for any pur
ple slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when pose, no matter how apparently noble, is

261

262

Sf&eWATCHTOWER

always wrong. Even to use him for the vital

purpose of withstanding and ultimately de
feating communism is to make of Him an
instrument, and therefore wrong. He will
not allow himself to be used that way. God
will deal with all wicked governments in
his due time. Thus, says Dr. Eugene
Carson Blake, a leading Protestant spokes
man, the increase in religious interest be
comes a possible danger. It may become
tragic, indeed, if it becomes a prop and a
justification for an essentially unreligious
life instead of an aid to new moral and
spiritual insights.
Therefore, this growing religious sham
is not good news. It is in fact a sign denot
ing the last days of this wicked system of
things. Said Paul the apostle: In the last
days critical times hard to deal with will
be here. For men will be lovers of them
selves, lovers of money, self-assuming,
haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to par
ents, . . . lovers of pleasures rather than
lovers of God, having a form of godly de
votion but proving false to its power; and
from these turn away. The prophet Hosea
in type spoke of our day, saying: Jehovah
hath a controversy with the inhabitants
of the land, because there is no truth, nor
goodness, nor knowledge of God in the
land. There is nought but swearing and
breaking faith, and killing, and stealing,
and committing adultery; they break out,
and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall
the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish. Because of its
inherent corruption, it is impossible for
the old world to nurture good news.
2 Tim. 3:1-5, NW ; Hos. 4:1-3, AS.
WHAT AND WHERE IS GOOD NEWS?

As disagreeable as the above-described

conditions may be, yet they are a sign of
good things to come. How so? After re
counting the wars, famines, pestilences,

ro o klyn

N. Y.

earthquakes and fears that would engulf

this generation, Jesus said to his disciples:
But as these things start to occur, raise
yourselves erect and lift your heads up, be
cause your deliverance is getting near.
The indication of deliverance from the
present perplexing conditions is in itself
good news. But the good news that Jesus
had reference to was concerning the es
tablishment of the kingdom of God, that
long-promised government that is to bless
mankind with peace, prosperity and ever
lasting life in a new world of righteousness.
That is the good news, the gospel, that is to
be preached in all the inhabited earth for
the purpose of a witness to all the nations,
before the accomplished end of this system
of things. The fact that that kingdom gov
ernment is here, now, today, in actual oper
ation is the greatest piece of good news
ever to hit the earth! Luke 21:28; Matt.
24:14,
NW.
But where is it? you ask. The Kingdom
itself is a heavenly government; therefore
it cannot be seen by human eyes. But the
New World society that is an outgrowth of
the Kingdoms operation can be seen by
men. It has been functioning on earth since
1919, with definite visible results. There
fore, the very presence of the New World
society is a sign of the Kingdoms estab
lishment, hence good news and a cause for
great rejoicing.
How can we be sure this is so? What
proof is there? And why have not the na
tions acclaimed it? When did all this take
place? The Bible answers.
The conferment of the Kingdom upon
Jesus, according to prophecy, must be
when the seven times of Satans uninter
rupted rule of the nations expire. Those
times had their beginning in 607 B.C., at
Jerusalems destruction, and continued for
seven symbolic times or 2,520 years. Those
years came to their end A.D. 1914. The

May

1, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER

year 1914 marked the time of the setting

up of the Kingdom government in the
heavens. The establishment of a new uni
versal government is the prime require
ment for the bringing in of a new world.
That is why at the time it is established
the cry rings out: The kingdom of the
world has become the kingdom of our Lord
and of his Christ, and he will rule as king
for ever and ever. Rev. 11:15, NW ; Dan.
4:16, 25, 32.
By all the pious expressions from reli
gious organizations of Christendom people
are deceived into thinking that at the time
Gods kingdom by Christ takes power the
nations, especially the nations o f Christen
dom, will rejoice and thank God and at
once yield over their earthly sovereignty
to his Christ. But the hypocrisy of false
religion is shown in that just the opposite
takes place. Jesus forewarned that it would
be so. He said that those favoring his gov
ernment would say: We thank you, Jeho
vah God, the Almighty, the one who is and
who was, because you have taken your
great power and begun ruling as king. But
as for the nations of earth at this assuming
of divine power Jesus went on to say: But
the nations became wrathful, and your own
wrath came, and the appointed time . . .
to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.
The very fact that this rage of the nations
breaks loose at the setting up of divine
government for the earth constitutes part
of the sign asked for by Jesus disciples.
It occurred right at the end of the 2,520
years of Gentile rule. This fact shows that
such rage is evidence that the end of the
old world has come and the time for King
dom rule has begun. Rev. 11:15-18; Matt.
24:7, 8; Luke 21:7-28,
The birth of the Kingdom A.D. 1914
meant that the end of Satans world was
not far off, which, of course, is not good
news to supporters of this dying system.

263

But it is good news to perplexed humanity,

because it means that a righteous new
world of life, joy and peace is also not far
off. The good news of this fact has been
preached particularly since 1920, and con
tinues to be preached in all the earth by an
increasing number of Jehovahs witnesses,
in fulfillment of Matthew 24:14. Today the
message goes out to more than 158 lands,
with more than 642,929 proclaimers devot
ing upward of 85,832,250 hours during
1955 in bringing this good news to the
attention of the people. Hundreds of mil
lions of books, Bibles, magazines and tracts
have been distributed and other means em
ployed to announce this incontrovertible
truth.
A world shaking has followed as a result
of the deluge of information published,
with people of all nations, kindreds and
tongues coming to the New World society
and exercising faith in its God. Last year
alone, more than 63,640 individuals de
clared themselves for the new world by
water immersion, thus becoming new ac
tive proclaimers of the good news. These
along with hundreds of thousands of others
form a society no part of this old world.
They form a New World society by Jeho
vahs Word and spirit. As such society,
they have left behind old-world standards,
political and religious traditions, squabbles,
racial and religious hatreds, prides and
rivalries, and numberless other divisive
things. They keep themselves unspotted
from the world.
As a clean, wholesome New World peo
ple they have Gods promise of surviving
the universal war of this generation Ar
mageddon and, as a united people, they
will pass over into Gods new world of
righteousness, there to enjoy the blessings
of God forevermore. This grand prospect
can be yours. Make it yours by giving heed
to this good news of the Kingdom now
being preached.

Loving in Deed as Well as in Word

Y SHOWING love in word we can
often be very helpful. By words
about Gods kingdom, we, as Christian
ministers, can encourage and strengthen
those who are toiling and loaded down,
even as Jesus showed: Come to me, all
you who are toiling and loaded down, and
I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you
and become my disciples, for I am mildtempered and lowly in heart, and you will
find refreshment for your souls. For my
yoke is kindly and my load is light.
Matt. 11:28-30,
NW*
Comforting and strengthening as words
may be, there are times when more, when
deeds, are required. To illustrate: When a
person is famished with thirst he needs
nothing more urgently than a drink of
fresh cool water. But if he were famished
from hunger, water alone would not be of
much help. So, when more is needed, mere
ly to love in word, which costs us little
more than does water, will not be of much
help, if any. Yes, in such instances the
word without the deed is as dead as faith
without works is dead. How fitting, there
fore, the counsel of the loving apostle
John: We are under obligation to sur
render our souls for our brothers. But
whoever has this worlds means for sup
porting life and beholds his brother having
need and yet shuts the door of his tender
compassions upon him, in what way does
the love of God remain in him? Little chil
dren, let us love, neither in word nor with
the tongue, but in deed and truth. 1 John
NW.
3:16-18,
Of course, loving in deed costs us some
thing; it may be our time, our money, our
strength, our nervous energy, as when oth
ers try our patience and self-control, and
at times even our lives may need to be
* For details see

T h e W a tc h to w er,

September 15, 1954.

risked. Thus many reports come through

from behind the iron curtain telling of
brothers risking their freedom and lives
in order to help others gain their freedom
and life. That is loving in deed.
As members of a family circle, husband,
wife, parent, child, brother and sister, each
one has many opportunities to be loving
in deed as well as in word, and a study of
Gods Word will help us to see our priv
ileges. And particularly as members o f the
New World society do we have opportu
nities to love our neighbor in the local
Christian congregation.
Almost invariably meeting attendance
suffers when the weather is bad, but
should it? Not to the extent that it does.
We are loving in deed when we come to
the congregational meetings regardless of
the weather and even though we may not
feel as well as we should like. If we have
an auto we can be loving in deed by bring
ing others to the meeting or by helping
them to get out in the field ministry.
We are also loving in deed when we
make contributions to the local and world
wide preaching work to the extent of our
means; and when in a material way we
assist our needy brothers, not overlooking
full-time servants, who, while not actually
needy, are so situated that material aid
will enable them to serve more fully. Also
by sharing in the training program we can
be loving in deed, and even by such a trifle
as sitting with someone at a meeting.
While the New World society justly has
a reputation for showing love to one an
other, let us strive to do so still more, even
as Paul prayed in regard to the Philippians, who had shown so much love in deed:
I continue praying, that your love may
abound yet more and more. Phil. 1:9,
NW.

264

Your
Contribution
Prospects express
a p p r e c i a t i o n for
the true r i ch e s a n d
love for the true Friends.

WHO

arf^ne most valuable friends

1UI U JflTT5iTrhave? And what are the
most valuable riches that a mem can
have? Human friends can fail us. So the
most valuable Friends anyone can have
are Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. And
since material riches can also fail us, the
most valuable riches anyone can have are
a knowledge of the good news of Gods
kingdom and the privilege of sharing that
news with others. These are true riches.
But if God is going to entrust to us true
richeshis kingdom interests and its con
tinued service we must first be faithful
in what is least: we must be faithful in
using what earthly riches, what material
wealth we have. The Son of God stressed
this point at Luke 16:10, 11, 13 (NW ) :
The person faithful in what is least is
faithful also in much, and the person un
righteous in what is least is unrighteous
also in much. Therefore, if you have not
proved yourselves faithful in connection
with the unrighteous riches, who will en
265

trust you with what is true? . . . You can

not be slaves to God and to riches.
One who is a slave to earthly riches can
not be Gods friend. Why? Because he is
not faithful in what is least. He has not
proved himself faithful with unrighteous
riches. How, then, could he prove faith
ful with the true riches, Kingdom inter
ests? To be Gods friend we must use our
earthly goods in the right way. This does
not mean that we can buy Gods friend
ship. No one can do that. Simon could not
buy the gift of imparting the holy spirit.
To him Peter said: May your silver per
ish with you, because you thought through
money to get possession of the free gift
of God. Nor can money buy Gods pro
tection when this system of things comes
to its end at Armageddon: Neither their
silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
them in the day of Jehovahs wrath.
Acts 8:20,
;Zeph. 1:18,
W
N
How is money used, then, in making
friends with God? It must unselfishly be
used in advancing what God is interested
in the Kingdom by which he will vindi
cate his holy name. This shows apprecia
tion for the true riches; it shows love for
true Friends, Jehovah and Christ Jesus.
Why is the friendship of the true Friends
so vital to us? Because without being
friends of Jehovah and Christ one cannot
receive the undeserved favor of life. The
rich man in Jesus parable of Luke, chapter
twelve, failed to make friends with his
wealth. He thought only of enjoying his
wealth by himself. There came a time
when his earthly riches failed him: God
said to him: Unreasonable one, this night
they are demanding your soul from you.
Who, then, is to have the things you stored
up? So it goes with the mem that lays up
treasure for himself but is not rich toward
God. At death earthly riches fail every
man. For that reason Jesus advised:
Make purses for yourselves that do not
wear out, a never-failing treasure in the

266

SfreWATCHTOWER.

heavens. 1 Pet. 3:7; Luke 12:20, 21;

12:33, NW.
THE SELF-BENEFITING USE OF MONEY

Most people do not seem to give any

thought to laying up a never-failing treas
ure in the heavens. They think only of
laying up treasures on this earth. Storing
up earthly riches is not really the selfbenefiting use of money. Jesus pointed this
out at Luke, chapter 16, when he gave the
parable of the unjust steward:
A certain man was rich and he had a
steward, and this one was accused to him
as handling his goods wastefully. So he
called him and said to him: What is this
I hear about you? Hand in the account of
your stewardship, for you can no longer
manage the house. Then the steward said
to himself: What am I to do, seeing that
my master will take the stewardship away
from me? I am not strong enough to dig,
I am ashamed to beg. Ah! I know what I
shall do, so that, when I am put out of the
stewardship, people will receive me into
their homes. And calling to him each one
of the debtors of his master he proceeded
to say to the first: How much are you
owing my master? He said: A hundred
bath-measures of olive oil. He said to him:
Take your written agreement back and sit
down and quickly write fifty. Next he
said to another one: Now you, how much
are you owing? He said: A hundred cormeasures of wheat. He said to him: Take
your written agreement back and write
eighty. And his master commended the
steward, though unrighteous, because he
acted with practical wisdom; because the
sons of this system of things are wiser in
a practical way toward their own genera
tion than the sons of the light are. Luke
16:1-8, NW.
What was the key point of the parable?
Jesus explained: Also I say to you, Make
friends for yourselves by means of the un-

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

righteous riches, so that, when such fail,

they may receive you into the everlasting
dwelling-places. Luke 16:9, NW.
Jesus was not here commending dis
honesty, but he was recommending wise,
farsighted, practical, self-benefiting action.
Persons of this world are shrewd to bene
fit themselves by making many friends,
especially friends who are in position to
do them good. They often make such
friends by the shrewd use of their money.
Of course, such persons have their own
future interests in mind; still from a
worldly viewpoint that is sound wisdom.
It really is the self-benefiting use of
money. Should the sons of the light be
less wise than worldlings? Should they be
less farsighted? Should they be less pru
dent in the self-benefiting use of money?
Of course not! Of all people the sons of
the light know who mans true Friends
are. Of all people the sons of the light
should make their friendship by means
of the unrighteous riches.
The religious Pharisees, who heard Je
sus parable of the unjust steward, were
money lovers. They claimed to be sons
of the light, but they were not wise in the
use of their money. They piled it up for
themselves and did not really make friends
with God, and Christ Jesus they killed.
But the unjust steward was farsighted. He
feathered his own nest by reducing debts
owed to his master. By taking a selfbenefiting course of action in regard to
money he made friends. He did not have
to worry when he was turned out of his
job; his friends would welcome him into
their homes. So the sons of the light
should be wise enough to make true
friends now. But how?
By helping advance the interests of
Gods kingdom. This requires not only our
time and energy but wise use of the un
righteous riches. When we contribute to
the upkeep of Kingdom Halls, when we

May

1, 1956

3fieWATCHTOWER

obtain literature to preach the good news,

when we use our automobile or ride on a
bus, streetcar or a subway to go to a
Bible study, we increase the interests of
Gods kingdom in our own territory. Eut
we can also use the unrighteous riches
to increase Kingdom interests world-wide.
How? By materially assisting the channel
that Jehovah is using to preach the good
news in all the world for a witness. That
channel is the faithful and discreet
slave ; it is made up of the anointed rem
nant of Jehovahs witnesses, who have
long used the Watch Tower Bible & Tract
Society of Pennsylvania as their legal serv
ant.Matt. 24:45, NW.
The Watch Tower Society is interested
in further earth-wide expansion of the
Kingdom good news. To that end the So
ciety now operates seventy-eight branch
offices throughout the world. It has sent
more than 1,800 graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead to a hundred
different lands. To assist Jehovahs wit
nesses in their witness work the Society
prints Bible literature. Full-time ministers
obtain much of this at rates far below cost
of printing and shipping. Where does the
money come from? From contributions.
It is the privilege of the sons of the
light to set aside some of the unright
eous riches for use in advancing Kingdom
interests earth-wide. For the Society to
plan for further expansion it seems best
that those able to contribute through the

267

year advise the Society in advance as to

what they hope to give. Such an expression
is not a pledge. It is merely a statement of
what one hopes to give. It is properly
termed your contribution prospects. How
may you express yourself in this matter?
By writing a card or letter to the Societys
branch office of the country in which you
live. For the United States address your
card or letter to: Watch Tower Bible and
Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Treasurers
Office, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn 1,
N. Y.
What should the card or letter say?
Something to this effect: It is my hope
that during the next twelve months I shall
be able to donate to the work of preaching
the good news of the Kingdom about the
amount of $ _______ , which contributions
I shall make in such amounts and at such
times as prove to be convenient to me and as
I am prospered by the undeserved kindness
of Jehovah God through Christ Jesus.
[Signed] On page 258 is a list of branch
office addresses; a complete list is found at
the back of most Society publications.
It is true that money cannot enrich God.
All the gold and silver are his. So to use
wisely the unrighteous riches is l'eally
the least we can do for the true Friends.
For being faithful in what is least they will
entrust you with more and lovingly wel
come you into the everlasting dwellingplaces of the new world. Be wise. Serve
mans true Friends, not riches.

Pkyiician, 4/*al
C. In the early part of February, 1956, the W orld Council of Churches met in
Sydney, Australia, to consider Christianitys plans and strategy for Southeast
Asia. One of the speakers addressing the Council was the dean of Yales Theo
logical Seminary, Dr. Pope. In discussing the problems facing them, Dr. Pope,
among other things, made the following significant statement: Divided and rent
asunder in its own life, the church itself speaks in broken accents and sometimes
seems to add to the confusion of tongues. The nations of the world might under
standably reply to the churchs plea for international unity and peace: Physician,
heal thyself. Time , February 13. 1956.

Clergyman Says Serpent Told Eve the Truth

Time and location: Sunday evening De
cember 11, 1955, at the home of a fam ily of
three former Methodists in Cortland, New
York.
Occasion: A prearranged Biblical discus
sion of the subject trinity.
C. Participants: The senior pastor of the
Methodist Church of Cortland at one end of
the dining-room table and at the other end
one of the instructors of the Watchtower Bi
ble School of Gilead.
Onlookers: The fam ily of three lovers of
Bible truth and four of the local witnesses of
Jehovah.
<3 Proceedings: A spiritual duel lasting an
hour and a half. Having been cornered sev
eral times, many of his arguments reduced to
absurdities and consequences forced against
him time and again by the Gilead instructor,
the clergyman gave abundant evidence of his
gross apostasy. For example, he said that the
law of Moses was imperfect, which is counter
to Romans 7:7, 14; that Jesus, at Luke 24:44,
made an error by implying that Moses was
the writer of the first five books of the Bible,
and that the Bible contradicts itself at several
points. He admitted that the teaching of hu
man immortality was of pagan Greek origin
rather than from the Bible. Without shame he
also admitted that the gaudy Christmas farce
was purely pagan but justified it on the
grounds of its spirit of giving. But to climax
his self-expose as a son of his actual father
(John 8 :44) the clergyman openly confessed

that Satan told Eve the truth when he said

she would not die after eating of the fruit of
the tree. (Gen. 3:1-5) In other words, Jehovah
God was a liar and Satan should be accepted
as an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14.
Result: Finally the clergyman took flight
in continued confusion. The fam ily of former
Methodists were convinced that Jehovahs
witnesses are in the light and have the true
religion of the Bible. Methodism was demon
strated to be false.
C. Clergy bedfellows: Note the following
higher-critic, clergy exposition offered on
Genesis the third chapter, which is in support
of this clergymans diabolical pattern of
thinking. But the serpent, a demon hostile
to God, told man the truth. He was thus no
subtle tempter but, in intention at least, a
benefactor of the human race. Man, thus en
lightened, ate of the tree and became like
God, knowing good and evil. The potential
threat to Gods supremacy had thus become
actual, so God, acting decisively and at once,
drove him from the garden lest he should put
forth his hand and take also of the tree of
life, and eat, and so make the threat perma
nent. Vol. I, The Interpreter's Bible, 1952,
page 501.
C. Biblical advice: So these also go on re
sisting the truth, men completely corrupted
in mind, disapproved as regards the faith.
. . . from these turn away. 2 Tim. 3:8, 5,

NW .

H e ll O f ends and Heaven Bores

Christendoms clergy, offering parishioners the heaven or hell alternatives,
sometimes are not very enthusiastic about their own spiritual servings. In fact,
one cleric in England not only is disgusted with the traditional concept of hell but
is also unattracted by the traditional concept of heaven. Speaking to the Conference
of Modern Churchmen in Oxford, England, Canon J. S. Bezzant, dean of Saint
Johns College in Cambridge, said that the traditional imagery description of
heaven no longer seemed desirable. As to hell, he said that the hideous pictures
of it must have issued from morbidly diseased minds. Declared the cleric:
L Purgatory and hell have now in effect been banished by the reformers, and
we are left with little more than a sentimental notion that all who die are forth
with in paradise or heaven. This involves a conception of God so generally tolerant
as to be morally indifferent and perverts the immortal hope from a moral and
spiritual stimulant into a narcotic. . . . There is no reason to suppose we know
more about life after death than a caterpillar on a leaf knows what it is like to
fly in the air. . . . If hell offends, heaven bores. New York Post, July 29, 1955.

>68

to meet one of the hardest tests of my life

the following summer. Sister Golden (and
how golden are the memories of her tender
care in those years) was helping me to get
to the meetings and in the service every
week and this activity with such an un
popular religious group was not befitting
the wife of a successful businessman.
One day your grandfather told me hed
give me just thirty days to burn every book
and magazine I had and forget all about it,
or he was going to leave. What I would do
alone with three babies I did not know, but
As
told
by
Ger Steele
there was one thing I did know and that
O YOU are all ready for bed and want was that I had found the truth. So I looked
me to tell you a story, Jan. Now that him straight in the eye and firmly said,
you are a regular publisher and say that You dont need to give me thirty days.
you want to be a pioneer some day, how This is the truth; I know it is the truth and
would you like for me to tell you the story Ill never give it up. He started to pack
of how I became a pioneer and how I be to leave, but since his lawyer advised him
gan to pursue my purpose in life?
not to act hastily, things smoothed over
Oh! Id like that, grandma.
for a while.
Well, it was Tommie and Duggies grand
In 1925 we were moved from Chickasha
mother who first knocked at my door in to Hutchinson, Kansas. He thought that
the summer of 1922 in Chickasha, Okla by getting me away to where there was no
homa, with the booklet Millions Now Liv one to help me get to the meetings Id soon
ing Will Never Die. A few weeks
forget all about the
later she brought me The Harp
truth. I can see
of God. The sweetest music
the expression
ever played on the harp
on his face
could not have been sweet
yet as I cas
er to me than the way all
ually told
those Bible doctrines were
him that Je
made to produce one harmo
h o v a h s wit
nious tune of praise to God.
nesses had all
The following months were very
their meetings in the
busy ones. Your daddy was bom that Octo house that was just across the street.
ber. Uncle Dave wasnt walking yet and
I
have precious memories of that close
your Uncle Don was only two and a half association I had with those dear friends.
years old. I had to do all my own work, I was so impressed by a sister who took her
so the only chance I had to read was to four children in an old Ford to pioneer iso
get up early. At five oclock Id build a lated territory in the hills of Kentucky.
fire in the coal stove and read an hour be Hearing of her joyful experiences and how
Jehovah provided for their needs gave me
fore breakfast.
It was the understanding I gained in a longing to be a pioneer.
In 1927 we moved back to our home
those early morning hours that enabled me

269

270

SlieW AT CHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

town in Wichita, Kansas. All the boys were pose in life; but those following months
now in school; so I had greater opportuni were very hard ones. There was a wound
ties of service and a keener desire to pur so deep that only time filled with service
sue my purpose in life to be a pioneer. As to Jehovah could heal. I found myself very
the months rolled by I thought of it more inefficient to fill the role of both father and
and more. I just couldnt get it out of my mother. There were times when a firm,
mind. Then one night I thought of the idea stem hand of a father was needed. I read
of having my laundry done with the differ over and over again the chapter on Paren
ence in the congregation and pioneer rates. tal Obligations in the sixth volume of
Id do my ironing at night and thus have Studies in the Scriptures, but I realized
two extra days each week for service. how far short I came and I prayed for
I took out a territory near my home and Gods spirit to make up for my lack. How
when the boys left for school at 8:30 a.m. I do praise him, for in spite of my failures
I was ready to go to my territory. I re I was blessed to see all three of my children
turned at 11:30 a.m. and had lunch pre take up full-time service!
pared when they arrived at 12:10. When
Until 1935 I pioneered only the nine
they left at 1 p.m. I went to my territory months of the school term. Nineteen
till 4 p.m., when school was out. Sometimes forty brought many changes. Uncle Don
Id have twenty shirts to iron at night. Id married. Your daddy graduated from high
be tired from the days service; so I learned school, so all financial support from their
to iron sitting on my kitchen stool. How father was withdrawn. The remaining
often I felt more refreshed and rested when three of us talked it over and agreed it
I finished than when I began!
would be best for each of us to be respon
I
was very happy, but soon tests begansible for himself rather than try to keep
to come. I fell short of the required hours the home going on their meager incomes.
and had to admit it was poor management
I
got in touch with the zone servant and
of home affairs, for I knew I could over told him I was now free to go anywhere
come a few days of sickness and other ob I was needed. He gave me a list of towns
stacles if Id keep going and not waste min where the business districts had not been
utes over nonessentials.
worked for many years. I worked in vari
Then came the depression of 1929. That ous cities until 1941 when I was selected
winter grandpa lost his job, but that as one of a group of four to work as a spe
proved to be a blessing. He no longer cial pioneer in Newton, Kansas.
showed opposition and was more humble.
Our concentrated efforts soon aroused
Those months were happy ones but very opposition and we were threatened with
short lasting. A new job with money in his arrest if we appeared on the streets again.
pocket changed everything. I was given The next Saturday we were picked up and
just two weeks to change my course and locked behind bars for two days till bond
be home morning, noon and night. It was was arranged. And who do you think my
my religion, he said, that drove him to little jail partner was? A young girl who
admitted immorality. The admonition, had come to live with me, so she could
But if the unbelieving one proceeds to pioneer after she graduated from high
depart, let him depart, fittingly applied school. She was called to the second class
and at the end of his designated two weeks of Gilead, then worked as a missionary
he left.
two years in Cuba till she became a cripple
I continued to pioneer, pursuing my pur with arthritis and had to come back. Later

May 1, 1956

5ReWATCHTOWER

she became your mother. Mother! Yes,

Jan. She was arrested four times and I
three. We were fined $75 or thirty days in
jail. We appealed the case but in the mean
time we continued house-to-house work
and back-calls. We were arrested once
more and locked behind bars again. That
time I got dreadfully sick. I had to take
three months off to recuperate but I re
joice in my privilege of suffering, for all
the court proceedings were well attended
and the way was opened for a greater
witness.
Our next assignment to Ottawa, Kansas,
was also colored with police interference.
This time we were better prepared and
profited by the mistakes made in the New
ton case. Jehovah gave a sweeping victory
from start to finish.
From Ottawa I was sent to Grand Island,
Nebraska. I had many blessings there but
my greatest thrill came one day when I re
ceived a long letter from the presidents
office. How my heart thumped! Could it be
what I so much longed for? Yes, an invita
tion to Gilead. I made my last visit to
Leavenworth federal prison where all three
of the boys were serving three- and fouryear sentences for their integrity to Jeho
vah. I wish you could have seen their faces
beam with joy as I told them. They were as
excited as I was about my going to Gilead
and not a thought of no more visits.
You loved it at Gilead, didnt you,
grandma?
Yes, Jan, that was one of the happiest
experiences of my life, and I do treasure
those memories.
But the momentous thrill came when I
received my foreign assignment to Puerto
Rico. In just three weeks our group was
eating our last meal in the United States
at Brooklyn Bethel and then we were taken
to board ship, the Marine Tiger. Four days
later we arrived in Puerto Rico. It was a
different world. Their customs, though

271

strange, were very interesting. The beauti

ful mountains, the flowering trees and
shrubs have been our constant delight. We
were too busy to be disturbed by the vari
ous noises, poverty, etc. We were happy to
have a real hope to offer such a friendly
people who were so responsive to the King
dom message. It was our God-given assign
ment and we loved it.
At nearly every house we were invited
inside so we could sit down and be at ease
in every way, except that we could not find
words to say fully what was in our hearts.
The patience and kindness of the people
were overwhelming and we were deter
mined to learn the language at any cost.
We had lots of fun at that, too. My partner
still reminds me of how I said eggs
(huevos) for Thursday (jueves) for many
a month.
Expectation was high as we advertised
our first public meeting and our cup of joy
was full as we saw our Kingdom Hall
packed out. After six months the Ponce
congregation was organized and some of
those form a part of the thriving congre
gation of 123 publishers today.
In May, 1948, my partner Gladys and I
were called to replace vacancies in the
Santurce home. That month the congre
gation averaged 43 in attendance at the
Watchtoioer study. In seven years I have
seen that congregation grow and divide five
times and our Santurce unit last month
had an average attendance of 110 at the
Watchtower study. As I look back over
those years and see that, for five years,
from almost every territory assigned to
me, some publishers came out, and one a
pioneer, I rejoice in the part Jehovah has
given me, as he gave the increase.
After spending three and a half years in
a foreign assignment it is quite thrilling to
take a leave of absence and vacation and
recuperate in the United States, but not to
remain. Gladys was forced to remain be-

272

SfteWAT CHTO W R

cause of illness and I have keenly felt the

loss of her congenial, loving companionship
these last five years. In a recent letter she
said: Those years in Puerto Rico were
the happiest of my life and Id not trade
them for anything in the world. I was
never homesick for the U.S.A., but I sure
ly have been for Puerto Rico. And that is
just how I feel about it, too.
But dont you get homesick for Uncle
Don, Dave and us sometimes, grandma?
Although your uncles and aunts, Don
and Earlene and Dave and Julia, are mis
sionaries in Korea and the Philippines, yet
we seem so near, for distance is a small
factor when minds and hearts are fixed on
Jehovah and his kingdom. It is just as Je
sus said, Everyone that has left houses
or brothers or sisters or father or mother
or children or lands for the sake of my
name will receive many times more in this
period of time. (Matt. 19:29, NW) How I
wish you could know some of those parents

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

and brothers and children I have in Puerto

Rico!
Jan, I hope you never lose your desire
to be a pioneer and if Armageddon should
be still ten or fifteen years in the future,
wouldnt you like to be a missionary?
Of course, grandma.
True, youll have many trials and youll
miss your parents when at times it may
seem you have no arm of flesh to lean upon,
or you may be misunderstood or deeply
hurt, but that is when youll draw nearer
to Jehovah. Youll turn to his Word, and
as he talks to you and you listen youll lose
those burdens. My love for you cannot
spare you from either the discipline or the
joy that comes from learning to pursue a
right purpose in life, that most excellent
way. Yes, pioneer missionary service af
fords a most excellent opportunity to learn
that most excellent way, the way of love,
that leads up, up, yes, all the way up that
highway to eternal life in Jehovahs new
world.

But It Is the Truth!

C. The schoolteacher of a certain Florida second grade had asked her pupils to
write a Christmas story. The children were to ask her about any words they
could not spell and she would write them on the blackboard where she had
already written such words as Christmas, stocking and Jesus. Eight-yearold Richard asked her how to spell celebrate and birthday. A fter young
Richard had finished his story the teacher, noting what he had written, exclaim ed:
Richard, this is not nice! W hat had he written? W h at he had learned from
his mother, who is one of Jehovah's witnesses: There is no Santa Claus. Christ
mas is not Jesus' birthday. W e do not celebrate Christmas.

Christian Africa Pagan America

C. There used to be a time when Americans viewed virtually all the Africans as
pagans. Apparently the time has come for the Africans to view the Americans as
pagans. According to preacher Roger Coon, a Christian A frica m ay be sending
missionaries soon to convert a pagan America. Said preacher Coon as he boarded
a steamer in Portland, Maine, to return to Nigeria: Much of the grotesquely huge
jewelry hanging from the ears, necks and wrists of so many sophisticated Ameri
can women surpasses the adornment of African pagans. Some of the rhythms
blared out of jukeboxes, he added, seem adaptations of the nervous beat of jungle
drums. I believe, declared cleric Coon, the average W est Africa schoolboy knows
more about the Bible than does his counterpart in America. Aberdeen, Scotland,
Evening Express, October 13. 1955.

ing him in prayer in the

way that he has approved
through Christ Jesus. Do
not seek to impose your
will on God, but call to
mind how Jesus taught
us to pray: Our Father in the heav
ens,
let your name be sanctified. Let
Be filled with the accurate
your kingdom come. Let your will
knowledge of his will . . . in
order to walk worthily of Je
come to pass, as in heaven, also upon
hovah to the end of
earth. (Matt. 6:9, 10, NW) Our
fully pleasing him as
j
earnest desire then should be to know
you go on bearing fruit
T
the will of God, that we may do what
in every good work.
\<
-C o l. 1.9.10, NW.
'I
is right. As David humbly said:
Teach me thy way, O Jehovah.
(Ps. 27:11, AS) Now act consistently
with your petition to God and study the
textbook he has provided you, the Sacred
Scriptures, and then follow its good coun
sel. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and
light unto my path. I have sworn, and have
confirmed it, that I will observe thy right
eous ordinances. . . . Accept, I beseech thee,
the freewill-offerings of my mouth, O Jeho
who have a right heart
vah, and teach me thine ordinances. My
condition appreciate the need
soul is continually in my hand; yet do I not
of doing that which is wellforget thy law. The wicked have laid a
in the sight of God. Although
snare for me; yet have I not gone astray
the world may exert pressure to cause
from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have
them to follow in the way that is ap
I taken as a heritage for ever; for they are
proved by the majority, they stand firm
the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined
in devotion to the Almighty God. They
my heart to perform thy statutes for ever,
wisely recognize that the way of man
even unto the end. (Ps. 119:105-112, AS)
is not in himself; it is not in man that
We
can concur in that wholesome expres
walketh to direct his steps. (Jer. 10:23,
sion
of the psalmist only if we have made
AS) What may seem right in the eyes
a
careful
study of the Bible and filled our
of sin-laden man may not be right in
the eyes of God. So be wise, trust in Jeho heart with the truth to the extent that
vah with all thy heart, and lean not upon now it overflows with praise to Jehovah
thine own understanding: in all thy ways before our fellow men.
acknowledge him, and he will direct thy
3
But what is the trend in modern-day
paths. Prov. 3:5, 6, AS.
religion? Is it to practice the worship
2
How can we acknowledge him in allthat is clean and undefiled from the stand
things? By humbly seeking him, approach- point of our God and Father, or is it to
attend the church of your choice ? (Jas.
1. What type of person looks to Jehovah for guidance,
and why?
2. What did both Jesus and the psalmist show to be
the proper attitude toward Gods Word?

3. Why is the old worlds view of its religion and of

Bible principles unwise?

273

274

SSeWATCHTOWEFL

Brooklyn, N . Y .

approves. He did in Eden and at the time

1:27,
NW ) Conceited man may sort
through the contents of Gods Word, ac of the Flood, and certainly he made it
cepting part and rejecting most as useless clear to the children of Israel. While they
or undesirable. He may reject as imprac were in slavish servitude in Egypt he
tical in this modern world the counsel, turned his attention to them and brought
Love your neighbor as yourself, or he about a marvelous deliverance. They were
may make a name for himself by writing witnesses to the ten plagues that famished
a newspaper or magazine column in which the false gods of Egypt and left them in
he quotes a few Bible texts that he con humiliating defeat. They experienced Je
siders to be good psychology. In so doing hovahs triumphal deliverance of them
he may acquire a sizable following of per through the Red Sea and surely had im
sons who think he is wonderful, and who pressed on their minds the fact that he is
are pleased with his work. But consider: the true God. Yet it was only a few months
Am I seeking to please men? If I were yet later, when gathered at the foot of Mount
pleasing men, I would not be Christs Sinai while Moses was up in the mountain,
they
turned aside to the
slave. (Gal. 1:10,
N It that
would
be disobediently
far
better to pay attention to the good advice worship of a golden calf in imitation of the
given in Gods Word: You should listen idolatrous animal worship of the Egyp
to the voice of Jehovah your God by keep tians. Though they knew that this was
ing all his commandments that I am com contrary to the will of God, they rebelliousmanding you today, so as to do what is ly followed their own pleasure. Oh, they
right in the eyes of Jehovah your God. did not leave Jehovah out altogether, but
they certainly did not honor him by declar
Deut. 13:18, NW.
8
What Jesus preached was right, buting their unholy celebration a festival to
it did not always please his hearers. When Jehovah. (Ex. 32:1-5, NW) For contin
he lashed out in denunciation of the re ued failure to obey the voice of Jehovah
ligious leaders of his day, branding their that entire generation died in the wilder
doctrines as the God-dishonoring tradi ness. They did not enter the Promised
tions of men, they were offended. After Land. Yes, their offspring entered it, but
they had heard more of the plain truths first Moses firmly warned these against
he preached, they were sure they did not the unfaithful course of their forefathers
like them and they sought to kill him. But and said: You should listen to the voice
of Jehovah your God by keeping all his
uncompromisingly he kept on, reassuring
commandments that I am commanding
ly telling those who continued to listen:
you today, so as to do what is right in the
If you remain in my word, you are really eyes of Jehovah your God. Deut. 13:18,
my disciples, and you will know the truth, NW.
and the truth will set you free. (John
8
In the first century after Christ Saul
8:31, 32, NW) On the other hand, if we set of Tarsus, a Pharisee educated at the feet
aside that pure word for the sophistries of of Gamaliel, became well known. Saul was
men, we lose the freedom that God gives. unusually zealous in his religion and an
Jehovah God has always made clear ardent persecutor of the Christians. In
for his people what form of worship he fact, it was while en route to Damascus
with letters from the high priest author4. Show how Jesus set the right example in freely
speaking the truth.
5. How did Jehovah make clear to Israel the right form
of worship, but what course did they follow?

6. By what means was Saul of Tarsus led in opposition

to the God-approved worship practiced by first-century
Christians?

May

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

275

izing him to seize the Christians there that exercise faith in him put them out of har
he was converted to the truth. But why mony with God himself. They were not
should Saul, a Pharisee and no doubt well doing what was right in the sight of Jeho
acquainted with the Hebrew Scriptures, vah God.
which the Christians also accepted and be
8
The lack in the worlds religious or
lieved in their entirety, so violently oppose ganizations today is the same. While they
the ones holding the Christian faith? He do possess the Bible, Gods written revela
himself answers: You, of course, heard tion of his will for our day, they lack accu
about my conduct formerly in Judaism, rate knowledge. The inspired apostle aptly
that to the point of excess I kept on perse expresses the situation when he says:
cuting the congregation of God and devas Although they knew God, they did not
tating it, and I was making greater prog glorify him as God nor did they thank
ress in Judaism than many of my own age him, but they became empty-headed in
in my race, as I was far more zealous for their reasonings and their unintelligent
the traditions of my fathers. (Gal. 1:13, heart became darkened. Although assert
14, NW) It was the tradition of men that ing they were wise, they became foolish
had goaded him on in opposition to the and turned the glory of the incorruptible
truth.
God into something like the image of
7
Paul never forgot his experience, but,corruptible man and of birds and fourrather, used it as the basis for sound ad footed creatures and creeping things.
vice to others. (Col. 2:8) It made him real And just as they did not approve of hold
ize that it is possible to have the Sacred ing God in accurate knowledge, God gave
Scriptures and even know their contents, them up to a disapproved mental state, to
but, because of the influence of human do the things not fitting. (Rom. 1:21-23,
tradition, to fail to understand their in 28, NW) Yes, they do profess to know God,
struction accurately. In his forceful letter supporting large religious organizations
to the Romans he pointed to just such a and offering prayers in the name of his
circumstance as being the problem of Son. Creation, many will admit, testifies
other Jews in his day. I bear them wit to the existence of a Supreme Being, and
ness that they have a zeal for God; but they may even agree that the Bible is his
not according to accurate knowledge; for, Word. But the fact remains that they do
because of not knowing the righteousness not glorify him as God. They publicly
of God but seeking to establish their own, declare they know God, but they disown
they did not subject themselves to the him by their works, because they are de
righteousness of God. For Christ is the testable and disobedient and not approved
accomplished end of the Law, so that for good work of any kind. (Titus 1:16,
everyone exercising faith may have right NW) Instead of giving glory to him, they
eousness. (Rom. 10:2-4,
As Paul heap reproach upon his name and word by
says, they were zealous in their faith, no professing to accept it as the basis of their
doubt having a knowledge of the Scrip religion and then failing to adhere to its
tures from hearing them read weekly in principles of Christian love and justice.
the synagogue. But their failure to under Reversing matters from their proper state,
stand accurately that Christ had fulfilled they seek to employ God as a convenient
the Law and that now it was necessary to instrument to serve their pleasure. They
7. How did the apostle Paul forcefully show that one
acquainted with the Bible could still fail to please God?

8. How does the Jack of accurate knowledge affect

modern-day religions of the world?

276

fReWATCHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

matter of their merely developing a more

charming personality, but it is a matter
of accepting what God has provided and
then keeping it renewed by regularly
drawing on his storehouse of accurate
knowledge as a guide to daily life. A hazy
understanding of the Bible will not have
this effect; only an accurate knowledge of
Gods Word can reach deep enough to
make the change.
MAKING WAV FOR ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE
10The effect on their lives is far-reach
9
Not all follow this course, to be sure.ing, governing the things they talk about,
Those who sincerely seek the truth find it. what they do and even the motive that is
They follow the course of practical wisdom behind their actions. Through a study of
outlined at Colossians 3:9, 10 (N W ): the Bible a new world opens to their
Strip off the old personality with its prac view a new world to learn about, a new
tices, and clothe yourselves with the new world to live for. Their interest is no
personality which through accurate knowl longer in selfish pursuits, but they echo
edge is being renewed according to the the psalmists words: Great is Jehovah,
image of the one who created it. When and greatly to be praised; and his great
they carefully study Gods Word in order ness is unsearchable. Ps. 145:3, AS.
to understand his will accurately, it is
11Jehovah himself initiates the change
clear that frequent or even occasional by now fulfilling his promise recorded in
loose living with the world does not prop Zephaniah 3:9 ( A S ) : For then will I turn
erly fit with Christian ways into the life to the peoples a pure language, that they
of the same individual. So they pay atten may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to
tion to the advice to put away the old per
serve him with one con
sonality which conforms to your former
sent. Through his theo
course of conduct and which is being cor
cratic organization he
rupted according to his deceptive desires;
has made available a
b u t__ be made new in the force actuating
great increase in knowl
your mind. (Eph. 4:22, 23,
They
edge, which persons of
get right down to the bottom of the matter
good will readily accept.
by changing the force that actuates their
(Dan. 12:4) They recog
mind. For as he thinketh within himself, nize the requirement for Christians set
so is he. (Prov. 23:7,
So they refrain forth by Paul: Now I exhort you, broth
from filling their mind with old-world ers, through the name of our Lord Jesus
philosophy and filth and instead become Christ that you should all speak in agree
well acquainted with the clean truth sup ment, and that there should not be di
plied by God. And now they put on the visions among you, but that you may
new personality which was created accord
be fitly united in the same mind and
ing to Gods will in true righteousness and
in the same line of thought. (1 Cor. 1:10,
loving-kindness. (Eph. 4:24, NW ; Ps.
How far-reaching a change is made in their lives?
119:9-16) Notice, please, that this is not a 10.
11. (a) In what way has Jehovah made it possible for
men to serve him with one consent ? (b) How is the

scheme how to accomplish their desires,

and then in effect tell God to approve.
While these men claim to be wise accord
ing to the standards of the world, their
foolishness is shown in failure to acknowl
edge the supremacy of the true God. Al
though they are always learning, they are
never able to come to an accurate knowl
edge of truth. 2 Tim. 3:7,

9. How is a real change effected in the lives of those

who sincerely seek the truth?

difference between accurate and defective knowledge

illustrated in Judges chapter 12?

May 1, 1956

S&eWATCHTOWEK

277

NW) To meet that Christian standard you With such deficient, inaccurate instruc
need a clear understanding of the truth. tion how can they be expected to respond
Certainly we do not want to be like the zealously for Christian duty? For truly,
forty-two thousand Ephraimite fighters if the bugle sounds an indistinct call, who
against Jephthah whose very speech be will get ready for battle? 1 Cor. 14:8,
trayed that they were not on his side,
NW.
although they firmly protested that they
13 The call for willing service in the
were not from the enemy camp. When ranks of the King Christ Jesus now rings
asked to say the password Shibboleth out in unmistakable clarity in the ears of
the best they could do was say Sibboleth. a great crowd of persons of good will.
It was similar, but not the same. They lost (Matt. 24:14; Rev. 22:17) They respond
their lives. Today, too, what the clergy of by associating themselves with the New
Christendom teach may sound quite like World society. But service anywhere in
what Jehovahs witnesses teach; that is, to the New World society requires action,
those not well acquainted with the Bible. because it is a progressive, forward-looking
But when ones ears are attuned to the society. It sees beyond the wreckage of
pure ring of truth through accurate knowl this old world to the blessings of life in the
edge, those who love the truth take their new world. And right now those associated
stand with those who are fighting to up with it are constructively equipping them
hold true worship. Judg. 12:1-6.
selves for life under that righteous ar
12
Many of the religious clergy of Chrisrangement. Thousands yearly associate
tendom note this zealous activity of Jeho themselves with the organization and, as
vahs witnesses and point to it as an exam babes, build themselves up on the milk of
ple, urging their church members to great the Word. Yet it is impossible to stay a
er activity, but generally with little suc babe and still be in the New World so
cess. Why? Because they lack accurate ciety. For everyone that partakes of milk
knowledge. They are taught to believe in is unacquainted with the word of right
God, but they incorrectly conceive him to eousness, for he is a babe. But solid food
be a mysterious trinity. (Isa. 42:8; John belongs to mature people, to those who
14:28) They learn to pray the model through use have their perceptive powers
prayer taught by Jesus, but while praying trained to distinguish both right and
Our Father in the heavens, let your name wrong. For this reason, now that we have
be sanctified, they are told that he is a left the elementary doctrine about the
nameless Lord or God. The result is un Christ, let us press on to maturity. (Heb.
N W )The New World society
certainty. As they continue with the 5:13 to 6:1,
prayer they say: Let your kingdom come. moves ahead, and we must move with it!
Let your will come to pass, as in heaven,
14 Even those associated for many years
also upon earth. Yet they may be well with Jehovahs organization find that
aware that their religion is lending its sup study must not cease. And the more they
port to the man-made United Nations, apply themselves to such study, the more
which is then lauded by them as Gods earnestly they say as did Paul: Oh the
kingdom on earth, although the Scrip depth of Gods riches and wisdom and
tures say that Gods kingdom is estab
13. Why do countless persons of good will respond to
lished by him, not by mem. (Dan. 2:44) service with the New World society, and what course
12. What lack prevents most of the church members of
Christendom from zealously spreading their belief?

must they now pursue?

14. What characteristic of true worship makes constant
study necessan' and interesting?

278

SlieWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

knowledge! (Rom. 11:33,

Their that you may make sure of the more im
study of the Bible does not become unin portant things, so that you may be flaw
teresting or needlessly repetitious, because less and not be stumbling others up to the
Yes,
the path of the righteous is as the dawn day of Christ. (Phil. 1:9, 10,
ing light, that shineth more and more unto Christian love must be guided by accurate
the perfect day. (Prov. 4:18, AS) And knowledge and discernment of Gods will,
so, even as the first-century Christians and our attention should be centered on
progressed in their understanding of Bible the more important things. We are plainly
prophecy, of their relation to worldly gov told who is to be the first object of our
ernments, of organizational responsibility love. You must love Jehovah your God
and of doctrinal truths, the modern-day with your whole heart and with your
Christian society also finds the light of whole soul and with your whole mind,
Bible truth growing ever brighter. (Acts and, Jesus added, your neighbor as your
2:16-21; 5:29; 15:13-20; 1 Cor. 5:9-13) self. (Matt. 22:37-39, N W ; 1 John 5:2, 3;
Through the faithful and discreet slave 3:14) But that does not include the old
class they have had drawn to their atten world. Do not be loving either the world
tion the birth of the Kingdom A.D. 1914, or the things in the world. If anyone loves
and the presence now of a faithful class of the world, the love of the Father is not in
N W )True love, we are
other sheep in their midst with pros him. (1 John 2:15,
pects for everlasting life on earth. (Rev. told, does not rejoice over unrighteous
12:1-5; John 10:16) Such other sheep ness, but rejoices with the truth. (1 Cor.
they have learned are referred to as the 13:6, NW) Thus, accurate knowledge en
precious things of all nations at Haggai ables us to direct our love toward Jehovah
2:7 (AS). They have had clarified their God and the ones he approves and the
understanding of Zephaniah 2:1, 2 as ap things he loves and it helps us to avoid
plying to Christendom, instead of being the snare of sentimentally showering at
addressed to Jehovahs people. They now tention on the world that is in opposition
appreciate that Jesus preaching to the to God.
spirits in prison, referred to at 1 Peter
16
If it is your desire to be well pleasing
3:19, was a preaching of judgment to those to your Creator, then avail yourself of
disobedient spirit creatures who are re every opportunity to grow in an accurate
strained in Tartarean spiritual darkness knowledge of his Word. This is right and
and that it must have been done after acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God,
Jesus resurrection and ascension to heav whose will is that all kinds of men should
en. Indeed, true worship is not stagnant, be saved and come to an accurate knowl
bound to Middle Ages religious dogmas, edge of truth. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4, NW) In
but it is alive and progressive.
the early Christian congregation he pro
15
Jesus said that his disciples would bevided apostles, prophets and missionaries
outstandingly distinguished by the quality to train the brothers for ministerial work,
of love. (John 13:35) But that love must building them up in accurate knowledge so
be properly directed to be acceptable. And they would be equipped for the assignment.
this is what I continue praying, that your (Eph. 4:11-13) Now, too, he has consid
love may abound yet more and more with ered the needs of his servants and supplied
accurate knowledge and full discernment, them with the sustenance of truth and an
15. What quality particularly distinguishes a Christian,
but what shows that accurate knowledge is necessary
to direct its use?

16. What is needed if we are to please Jehovah, and

how has he made provision for us to acquire it?

May 1, 1956

279

SEeWATCHTOWER

organization to help equip them for their

assignment as ministers. To please Jeho
vah fully you must accurately know his
will. Be filled with the accurate knowl
edge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
discernment, in order to walk worthily of
Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him

as you go on bearing fruit in every good

work and increasing in the accurate
knowledge of God. (Col. 1:9,10, AW ) To
please Jehovah thus you must apply your
self to a careful study of his Word. As you
contemplate this study assignment, con
sider how you can do it well.

Do your utmost to present yourself

approved to God, a workman with
nothing to be ashamed of, handling
the word of the truth arighV*

2 Tim. 2:15, NW.

STIIDV

IS Jehovah himself who has

opened to the view of his people
the glorious vision of the new world set out
in his Word. He it is who has pointed them
to their privilege of serving now as a New
World society, and he has now brought
his people to their present position, poised
for entry into the actual new world. He
knows full well their needs for endurance
at this crucial time and he fulfills his
prophetic promise: And in this mountain
will Jehovah of hosts make unto all peoples
a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on
the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of
wines on the lees well refined. (Isa. 25:6,
AS) This strengthening feast we regularly
receive through the loving administration
of the faithful and discreet slave. (Matt.

______
1. How has Jehovah richly blessed the spiritual position
of his people in this day?

24:45-47, W ) It comes
to us in rich portions
through the columns of
The Watchtower, through
the bound books and
booklets, instructions re
ceived at congregational meetings and at
larger assemblies of Jehovahs people.
2
It is only those who are conscious of
their spiritual need, those hungering and
thirsting for righteousness, that gather
to this table provided by Jehovah, here
to be sustained with food for everlasting
life. (Matt. 5:3, 6; John 17:3, AW ) They
are the ones that rejoice at the fulfillment
of the promise: Bring ye the whole tithe
into the store-house, that there may be
food in my house, and prove me now here
with, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not
open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it. (Mai. 3:10,
AS) Now that they have come near and
2. Who respond to his invitation to the feast, and what
is their attitude toward the superabundant provision
made?

280

fikW'AT CHTOYVER.

B rooklyn, N . Y.

beheld this marvelous provision, will they us through his organization, we do not
leave? Will they say that Jehovah requires want to be stumbled as were the Phari
too much of them, that there are too many sees; rather, ask a mature brother to try
meetings, that there is too much to study? to make them plain.
Will they spurn the table of Jehovah? Or
4It at once becomes apparent that to be
will they accept this provision of Jehovah properly nourished from Jehovahs table
and yet miss its purpose, heaping rich spir we must go about it in a systematic way.
itual portions before themselves and then If we only snatch bites of food on the run
failing to take time to consume the feast? and swallow them hurriedly, we can hardly
(Ps. 23:5; 2 Cor. 6:1) No, but we raise expect to enjoy physical health. Regular
our voices in heartfelt thanks to God for eating habits and proper mastication of
his undeserved kindness, glad that he has food are essential. Is not the same true of
made our cup to run over with his loving our spiritual diet? Each day we should set
provisions. And, showing this expression aside time for study; if possible, at a time
on our part to be sincere, we set ourselves when our mind is alert. It should be done
to diligent study, congregationally and per at regular times and in a proper manner.
sonally, to assimilate the spiritual food.
Then when you set aside time, hold to it.
* While much study of old-world litera Your spiritual health depends on it. If
ture is a weariness of the flesh, the life- you are eating dinner when a friend comes
giving waters of truth that flow from the in, do you just shove the food aside and
throne of God are refreshing and of them carry on idle conversation instead? No;
we delight to partake. (Eccl. 12:12) True, you probably invite him to join you at the
some of it may be hard to grasp at first, table. Well, then, when you are studying
but, as Jesus told the Samaritan woman at The Watchtower or your Bible and a friend
the well of Sychar, if we drink of this comes in and asks, What are you doing?
water of truth that he provides we shall do you say, Oh, nothing, and set it
never get thirsty again. (John 4:13, 14) aside? Why not rather invite him to join
Jesus apostles, too, although they found you? For the sake of your spiritual health,
some of his instruction at first difficult to do not treat lightly your habits of spiritual
understand, recognized what Jesus offered feeding.
as sayings of everlasting life, and they
5Congregational study is a requirement
stuck with him. (John 6:68,
When for the New World society, but personal
they failed to grasp the point of his teach study is a prerequisite to worthwhile con
ing they did not lazily let it pass, but said: gregational studies. Do you have the happy
Make the illustration plain to us. (Matt. privilege of reading a portion of the Bible
15:15,
NW) When we fail to get the at
fullthe ministry school? (Rev. 1:3) Then
import of an argument in The Watchtower study it carefully in advance so you can
or when we do not grasp the meaning of a properly convey the instruction it con
scripture, do we stay with it even as tains. Remember, it is a living word! Pre
97-year-old Jacob wrestled all night with sent it that way. Do you regularly study
the angel to receive a blessingand thus the material for the service meeting in
reap the blessing of increased understand advance? Your ability to retain and apply
ing? (Gen. 32:24-28) If we do not at first the instruction there given will be greatly
understand the instructions Jehovah gives
3. (a) What effect does a study of the truth have on us?
(b) What should be done with more difficult study ma
terial ?

4. Illustrate the need of proper spiritual feeding.

5. (a) What is a prerequisite to instructive congrega
tional meetings? (b) How will it benefit us individually
nnd as a congregation ?

MAY 1, 1956

2TzeWATCHTOWEFL

281

increased if you do. When you attend the for congregational meetings, you feel that
congregation book study, the
it just cannot all be done. As a servant in
study, the ministry school and service the congregation you may feel that with
meeting, do you really enjoy them to the service activity and servants duties, there
full? It is a pleasure to take in the truth, is no time left for all this personal study.
but there is more happiness in giving But, on the other hand, consider this as
than there is in receiving. (Acts 20:35, another field of theocratic activity in
NW) That happiness is yours if you hold which you want to take the lead and aid
fast the public declaration of your hope by others. Remember, a requirement of over
oral expression of your faith in congrega seers is that they be qualified to teach.
tional meetings. Consider your brothers by This requires personal study on your part.
making a contribution to the study and, Pay constant attention to yourself and
when you give, give your best. Whatever to your teaching. Stay by these things, for
you are doing, work at it whole-souled as by doing this you will save both yourself
to Jehovah, and not to men. (Heb. 10:23- and those who listen to you. (1 Tim. 3:2;
25; Col. 3:23,
NW ) To do this4:16,
you NW)
must Your good example will lead
personally study your lesson in advance. others of the Lords sheep in the right way
* The Christian congregation is a minis and will help them to acquire good habits,
terial organization by means of which in service and study, as ministers of God.
this good news of the kingdom is being So give careful consideration to the re
preached in all the world for the purpose sponsibility laid upon you by the instruc
of a witness. It is now mature, well tion at 1 Peter 5:2, 3 (NW), which says:
equipped to carry out its commission. Shepherd the flock of God in your care,
What about you? Have you kept pace with not under compulsion, but willingly, . . .
the organization and are you equipped to becoming examples to the flock.
share in this Kingdom ministry? You may
FINDING TIME OR OCCASION FOR IT
have taken the forward step of sharing in
8 Are you in some branch of the full
the preaching work, but now strive to
time service, in the field or at a Bethel
make your hours of service the most pro
home? Actively carrying out your minis
ductive of fruit to Jehovahs praise. Paul
try all day, you may find yourself bypass
counsels: Keep your balance in all things,
ing necessary study. But to fully accom
. . . thoroughly accomplish your ministry.
plish your ministry diligent personal
(2 Tim. 4:5, NW) To accomplish your
study is mandatory. Just as a doctor who
ministry thoroughly you must be properly
does not take time to keep up with the ad
equipped for it. That requires study of
vances in medical science is of everthe truth, and to get it done you must set
diminishing value to his clients, so the
aside time for it just as you do for field ministry of one who does not regularly
service. 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
apply himself in careful personal study
' Perhaps as you consider the great need constantly lessens in force and effective
for personal study, reading the Bible, care ness. Even he becomes vulnerable to the
snares of the wicked one. On this account
fully going through each issue of
Watchtovoer and Awake! and preparing take up the complete suit of armor from
God, that you may be able to resist in the
6. How does personal study affect our service, and what
wicked day and, after you have done all
is the only way to be sure we will actually do that
needed studying?
7. How will servants in the congregation view personal
study ?

8. What view of personal study will those in full-time

service take?

282

STieWATCHTOWER.

things thoroughly, to stand firm. Eph.

6:13, NW.
9No matter what your position in the
New World society, no matter how busy
you may be with family obligations or
with Kingdom interests, keep in condition
for the theocratic fight! Remember Gid
eons little band of three hundred warriors
as they pressed on to the fight. Although
they did not get down on their knees to
drink, yet they made sure they were re
freshed. They kept their eyes toward the
work ahead, but they knew they must be
fit to undertake it, and so must we. Judg.
7:5-7.
10 While much personal study can best be
done alone, some find that they benefit
greatly by studying in company with a
close friend or their marriage mate, that
there may be an interchange of encourage
ment. (Rom. 1:12, NW) In their case this
serves, not to supplant congregational
study meetings, but to equip them better
for participation in such meetings. Par
ents, heeding the Bible command to bring
up their children in the discipline and
authoritative advice of Jehovah, may find
it advantageous to do this studying as a
family group. Ample opportunity is afford
ed for such study in a family consideration
of the daily Bible text, study of
Watchtower and discussion of the Awake! arti
cles, preparation for the congregational
meetings and in regular consecutive read
ing of the Bible itself. The father, Who is
not only a material breadwinner for the
household but also looks after their spirit
ual growth, should organize such study
and then see that the schedule is followed.
(Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:6, 7) However, when
not all members of the family are in the
truth, that obligation may fall to the
mother. (2 Tim. 1:5) Theocratic children,
9. Even though we are busy, why is personal study so
necessary ?
10. How might theocratic family groups arrange their
study ?

Brooklyn, N . Y .

too, will delight to take advantage of the

provision, that they may remember their
Creator in the days of their youth. They
will not use their youth as an excuse for
indifference, but will want to be exemplary
in faith and service to others of their own
age and even to those of older years. They
accept the good counsel given Timothy:
Let no man ever look down on your
youth. On the contrary, become an exam
ple to the faithful ones in speaking, in con
duct, in love, in faith, in chasteness. While
I am coming, continue applying yourself
to public reading, to exhortation, to teach
ing. ! Tim. 4:12,13,
11The problem now to be met, by both
young and old, is how to carry on this per
sonal study in the most profitable manner.
Why is it that one individual is able to
learn and grasp new thoughts more quick
ly than another? Apart from natural abil
ity, it is usually because he has adopted
proper study habits and has replaced care
lessness with systematic effort. It is easier
to study the right way than to poke along
in the wrong way.
12While the ability to cover material
rapidly is often desirable, it is not always
the best thing to do; it is far more impor
tant to be able to retain and use what we
read. However, you can strive to improve
your ability in reading by practicing until
you learn to read phrases and thoughts in
stead of words. The result will be not only
proper coverage of more material, but also
thoughts instead of mere words will be
conveyed to your mind. What we learn
must make a lasting impression on our
mind. That requires concentration, which
means focusing attention on just one thing
at a time. Here some have adopted the
erroneous view that they must force their
mind to dwell on a subject, but will a forced
or tense mind work most efficiently? In11. Why is it that some learn faster than others?
12. Offer suggestions on how to remember what is
studied.

May 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

283

stead of forcing your mind, cultivate keen of the blows as the soldiers insolently slap
interest in the subject at hand. You will his face. As you place yourself there in
naturally become absorbed in the mate the street before the governors palace in
rial, dismissing from mind all irrelevant Jerusalem, feel the press of the crowd.
ideas and concerns, and then concentration Taste the dust stirred up by the feet of
is easy. As you study keep interest alive the milling people. Hear the mob led by
by constantly analyzing the mate
the robed Pharisees as they shout:
rial to ascertain how it can be
^
Take him away! Impale him!
used. Determine of what prac
Disgust will seize you when
tical benefit it will be to
they say: We have no king
you. Does it help you to un
but Caesar ; your heart
derstand better the world
will pound as the tension
around you? Will it help
of the scene grows. Yes,
you to meet the problems
live it; then you will re
of life? Does it clear up
member it. Your mind is
some questions to which
fed by the five senses:
you did not previously know
touch, taste, sight, smell
the answer? Can you see in
and hearing. Consequently,
when you employ imagination,
it an illustration or argument
that can be used by you in mak
allowing all your senses to con
ing clear to another the truths
tribute freely, your mind will
of Gods Word? We remember
be completely engrossed, con
the things that particularly
centration will be complete
and the impression made will
interest us. Worldlings may
be deep and lasting.
remember juicy bits of gos
14Arguments and reasons in support of
sip about their neighbors. The interest of
Jehovahs people is in the new world of doctrines may be difficult to visualize, but
righteousness; so they remember the things with hearing them stated and seeing them
that concern New World living and the in print you can couple the memory
Creator of the new world, Jehovah God. strengthening factor of association. Con
sider the reasonableness of the statements
2 Pet. 3:13.
13
Concentration is also strengthened byyou read, the reason the statement is made,
imagination. Much of the Bible is com proof of its truthfulness and illustrations
posed of historical narrative and prophetic of its application. Consciously associate all
illustrations. Therefore, when applying these together. See each of these factors
your mind to a study of the Scriptures, in its relation to the others, and when you
call one to mind the others will be brought
use imagination and the several senses to
forth with it to complete the picture.
picture the subject vividly. For example,
15There may be some objection based on
consider the trial of Jesus before Pilate. Do
prejudice or on religious doctrine that is
not merely read words, but visualize every raised by the people in your territory.
detail of the occasion. (John 19:1-16, NW) That objection hinders you from present
Feel the chill morning air. See Jesus ar ing the Kingdom message to them. What
rayed in a purple robe, the crown of thorns
14. How can proofs and arguments best be remembered?
pushed down on his head. Feel the sting 15.
(a) Why must the Christian minister spend time to
13. What else makes possible complete concentration?

study out refutation of objections? (b) Even with a

busy schedule, how can he And time to do this?

284

STieWATCHTOWER

can be done? In order to thoroughly ac

complish your ministry you will want to
cultivate the ability to overcome those ob
jections. But when? Perhaps you arrive at
the congregational meeting place ten or
fifteen minutes before the study, or you
may arrive at the service center a little
before the others. Why not use that time
wisely? Exchange suggestions. Practice
them on one another. Discuss how to re
fute the objection without raising antago
nism, but rather stirring up curiosity or in
terest in our work. Perhaps an apt illus
tration will help to put across the point
while side-stepping prejudice. Analyze the
scriptures you wish to use so they will be
presented most effectively. Work up new
sermons for house-to-house and back-call
work in the same way. Such discussions as
a part of your personal study program re
quire very little extra time and will not
be at all like work, but, rather, enjoyable,
stimulating, and at the same time they will
equip you to be a more able minister.
Prov. 27:17.
IMPRESSING KNOWLEDGE ON ONESELF

IS Some try to acquire information by

memorizing, but it is laborious and arti
ficial. And while you might be able to re
peat word for word the statement you
want, unless you fully understand it you
will not be able to use it effectively. For
that reason it is usually better to grasp
thoughts, not words. Toy with new ideas,
view them from different aspects, consider
their value, put them into your own words;
then they are yours. Even when you do
want to commit some material to memory,
as, for example, a Scripture text, before
you do so be sure you understand the
thought it contains and its value. If you
do, it will be far easier to learn and to
retain.
16. Instead of merely memorizing, what does a wise
student do?

Brooklyn, N . Y .

17When you do study you may find it

advantageous to underscore certain points
if the publication you are reading is your
own. These marks can be used to designate
weak points in your mastery of the sub
ject, or they can set forth the principal
thoughts of the article. This should never
be too extensive, but key words or phrases
will at a glance help you to recall the
thoughts presented. Such underscoring is
of particular benefit for purposes of re
view and participation in congregational
discussion of the material. It will aid you
to locate the main points and to recon
struct quickly in your mind the essence
of the material.
18There are many who get what might
be termed a nearsighted view of the sub
jects they study. Many false religious or
ganizations have such a view of the Bible.
They see only the few isolated texts upon
which they base their belief. They fail to
consider the context; they fail to see the
entire Bible as the inspired Word of God.
The Kingdom theme, which runs from
Genesis to Revelation, escapes their view.
Their concept of God is distorted and,
although they may ever be learning, they
never come to an accurate knowledge of
the truth. Do not imitate them. 2 Tim.
3:7.
19 When you study try to view the sub
ject in its entirety. Tie each thought in to
the central theme, ascertaining its relative
importance. When you find the answer to
the question on one paragraph of the
Watchtower lesson, make it a point to note
the relationship of that particular answer
to the theme of the study. Observe the
logical build-up of arguments and illustra
tions as the theme is developed, paragraph
17. How might one underscore study material? Of what
benefit is it?
18. What gives some a distorted view of the Bible*s
contents ?
19. How would one properly proceed with the stud\
of a Watchtower article with a view to appreciating
and remembering fully the points for use in his min
istry?

May

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

285

by paragraph, to present just one complete

picture, well balanced and with all its de
tails properly and proportionately placed.
When you finish reading the article, delib
erately pause and mentally reconstruct
that picture, either by use of subheadings,
topic sentences, questions at the bottom
of the page or key thoughts you have un
derscored while reading. Let your mind
run through the outline of arguments and
scriptures that developed the subject
theme. Then close the magazine or book
and see if you can do it again without look
ing at the printed material. It will take
only a minute or two to do this, but then
it will be firmly imbedded in your mind.
It will be yours to use. We want the things
we learn from Gods Word and through
his organization to stay with us as a guide
to Christian living and as equipment for
use in the ministry. That is why it is
necessary for us to pay more than the
usual attention to the things heard by us,
that we may never drift away. Heb.
2:1,
NW.
30You may already apply these prin
ciples to some extent. At the conclusion of
your weekly congregation book study, do
you have a closed-book review of impor
tant points of the lesson? Does the Watchtower study conductor give a comment and
highlight some part of the lesson once or
twice during the study? Now, why not ex
tend those principles farther? Do the same
thing for yourself while you read each
article in The Watchtower. After you have
considered the days text from the Year-

booh, close the book and see if you can

concisely express its essence in one sen
tence. Do the same with your personal
Bible reading. As you finish reading each
chapter try to epitomize it for yourself.
See if you can ascertain the central theme
of the chapter or the essence of the entire
Bible book, and then note the relationship
of each verse to that central thought. Try
to see the entire book as a well-arranged
whole, observing the relationship of
thoughts to one another. Your apprecia
tion of things learned will be greatly en
hanced because you will understand the
setting, background and relationship of
the statements made. It will make it much
easier for you to locate Scripture texts, to
remember arguments, and to use them
effectively in overturning false doctrine
and establishing right worship. 2 Cor.
10:4, 5.
21 You want to advance with the New
World society. You want to be equipped
for an effective share in the ministry.
Then apply these principles we have dis
cussed in your personal study. Do your
utmost to present yourself approved to
God, a workman with nothing to be
ashamed of, handling the word of the truth
aright. (2 Tim. 2:15,
Look at the
ingathering work before us. Consider the
privileges of service that await you as you
expand your ministry. Look ahead to the
vast reconstruction and educational work
that lies beyond Armageddon. Set your
mind to equip yourself for a greater share
in this God-given work, and Jehovahs
blessing will surely be yours.

20. How can these principles of study be applied to

reading of the days text, to Bible reading, and with
what benetlt?

21. Why will all in the New World society be diligent

in their study and strive to improve their study habits?

Ponder over these things, he absorbed in them, that your advancement may be
manifest to all persons. Pay constant attention to yourself arid to your
teaching. Stay by these things, for by doing this you will save both
yourself and those who listen to you . 1 Tim. 4:15, 16, NW.

on page 229 you come down to something that

paragraph 7 was not discussing. You come
down to the finish of the earthly journey o f the
bride class, during which journey the majority
of this bride class had never seen the Bride
groom in the flesh. (John 3:29) So paragraph 7
above and the fourth sentence of paragraph 13
on page 228 are not contradicted by para
graph 14, which now says: The m ajority of the
members of the bride class have finished their
earthly journey and have rendered their call
ing and choosing firm for them selves/ B y the
first resurrection' . . . they have been raised to
heavenly life in the likeness of their Bride
groom and been united to him at the temple.
This majority of paragraph 14 includes Peter
him self; the majority of paragraph 7 did not.
To avoid contradiction we must not take things
out of their context.

In the new book, You May Survive Armaged

don into God's New World, page 223, para
graph 7, is the statement: The majority of
the bride class have never seen the Bride
groom. This statement seems to contradict the
first part of paragraph 14, which states: The
m ajority of the members of the bride class
have finished their earthly journey . . . and
been united to him at the temple. How are we
to understand these statem ents? R. R., United
States.
Paragraph 7, page 223, of You May Survive
Armageddon into God's New World is not con

Did the apostle Paul fight wild beasts in the

arena, as seems likely from 1 Corinthians 15:32
( NW) : If, like men, I have fought with wild
beasts at Ephesus, of what good is it to m e ?
M. H., United States.

trary to the facts. It likens the Christian con

gregation in its travel through this world to
Rebekah traveling to meet her espoused bride
groom Isaac, whom she had never seen. Peter,
writing to Christian temporary residents
scattered throughout provinces in Asia Minor,
says to them : A t the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Though you never saw him, you love
him. Though you are not looking upon him at
present, yet you exercise faith in him. (1 Pet.
1:7, 8, N W ) They had not seen him on earth,
but Peter had and also John. A t 1 John 1 :1
(NW) he says: That which was from when
a beginning was made, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have viewed attentively and our hands felt,
concerning the word of life. The bride class
continues down till today, nineteen centuries
since Peter wrote, and so paragraph 7 on
page 223 is correct: The m ajority of the bride
class have never seen the Bridegroom, yet they
love him victoriously over this world and keep
their virgin chastity amid this world." If Peter
was talking about seeing the Bridegroom glori
fied in heaven, then none of the Christian con
gregation, not even a minority of them, not
even Peter, John or Paul, had ever seen him.
For, says 1 John 3:2, whenever he is made
manifest we shall be like him, because we
shall see him just as he is. NW .

The Watchtower, April 15, 1944, commented

on this text as follows: There is no reason to
think other than that during the years that
the apostle Paul spent in Ephesus he was taken
by his enemies and put in the arena to fight
with wild beasts and was miraculously deliv
ered by the Lord, just as Daniel was saved from
the lions.
From Ephesus Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
It seems to me that God has put us the apos
tles last on exhibition as men appointed to
death, because we have become a theatrical
spectacle to the world, both to angels and to
men. (1 Cor. 4:9, N W ) There was a stadium in
Ephesus and in its arena gladiators fought
while thousands looked on. Sometimes men who
were appointed to die were put on exhibition
by having to face wild beasts in the arena, the
sentence of death against them being executed
in this way, while multitudes witnessed the
gory spectacle from the seats of the theater or
stadium. It is very possible that the apostle Paul
was put through such an ordeal, except that he
was miraculously delivered from the wild
beasts, just as on another occasion he was de
livered from harm when bitten by a viper, and
just as Daniel was delivered from the den of
lions. Acts 28:3-6.

The above paragraph is not discussing the

resurrection at all. So when you skip six pages
of the book and come down to paragraph 14

Many contend that Paul spoke figuratively

when he referred to fighting beasts at Ephesus,
286

May

1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

claiming that he meant his conflicts with brut

ish, bestial men that opposed his preaching
work. They say a Roman citizen such as Paul
would hardly be thrown into the arena. Also,
that if such an outstanding event as deliver
ance from the arena had occurred Paul would
have mentioned it more specifically and Luke
would have detailed it in the Acts of Apostles.
There is a possibility that Paul spoke figura
tively and that the beasts he had in mind were
his human opposers.
However, mere silence on Luke's part does
not disprove a literal deliverance, and it can
hardly be claimed that Paul did not mention
it, in view of his words at 1 Corinthians 4:9,
and more especially his later comment at
15:32. He m ay not have given details in this
epistle, because other detailed reports m ay have
already reached the Corinthians. Certainly
some outstanding ordeal was undergone by
Paul at Ephesus and the Corinthians seemed
acquainted with it, for Paul referred to this
overwhelming experience without detailing it
when he soon wrote again to the Corinthians:
W e do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers,
about the tribulation that happened to us in the
province of Asia, that we were under extreme

287

pressure beyond our strength, so that we were

very uncertain even of our lives. In fact, we
felt within ourselves that we had received the
sentence of death. This was that we might have
our trust, not in ourselves, but in the God who
raises up the dead. From so likely a death he
did rescue us and will reseue us; and our hope
is in him that he will also rescue us further."
2 Cor. 1:8-10, N W .
These words would certainly fit a fight with
beasts in the arena and a deliverance there
from by Jehovah. They seem too strong to de
scribe or refer to the mob raised by Demetrius
the silversmith, as some contend. Anyway, in
stead of on Paul the pressure then was more
on his traveling companions, Gaius and Aris
tarchus, and on Alexander. Paul, though will
ing, did not even go into the theater, his dis
ciples not permitting him so to risk himself.
(Acts 19:23-41) Paul was not one to exaggerate
the persecution inflicted on him. He mentions
many ordeals in passing without even detail
ing them, among which were near-deaths
often." One of these near-deaths could have
been a fight with wild beasts in the arena at
Ephesus. 2 Cor. 11:23-27, N W .

Too Quick to Label Some as "Goats"?

C. A full-time minister writes from Arizona: I was given a certain section of
territory in which to preach from house to house with the observation that others
had found only goats' in it.

, The first time I covered this territory every door was slammed. The second
time I did not take any literature with me nor did I ring any doorbells. I just
talked over the fence to those standing in their yards. It was a new housing
project and I commented on the things that I noticed that were favorable, any
thing to get a conversation started. Many had trouble making things grow and
this gave me an opportunity to tell about what conditions would be like in the
New W orld. Then with a cheery I'll be seeing you again,' I passed on.
L The next time I called I was invited inside most of the homes, where I was
able to show from the Bible how close we are to the Kingdom Jesus taught us
to pray for, at the same time placing literature. There seemed to be little interest
in the territory for individual home Bible studies; so, finding a place where a
group study could be held, I invited the housewives to it. Fifteen came the first
night. W hile some dropped out on following nights, others took their place and
when I had to turn the study over to another minister after some months because
of leaving this city, twenty were attending regularly. This summer one of the
witnesses there told me that this study is now being held in her home and that
from forty-five to fifty attend it each w eek."
C. And this w as supposed to be a neighborhood where only goa ts" were to be
found!

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

June 10: Accurate Knowledge to Please Jeho
vah. Page 273.
June 17: Your Personal Study. Page 279.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

How lack of right knowledge affects today s
churches? P. 275, US.

V0

Why many people pay less and less at

tention to the Bible? P. 259, 113.

v*

Why even the religious boom has not

brought good news to humanity? P. 2 6 1 , II4.

What amazing effect the truth has upon

the lives of those who accept it? P. 276, 119.

Why this is the greatest time for rejoicing

that man has ever known? P. 262, ]\2.

I* What lack prevents most church members

from zealously spreading their belief? P. 27 7,
H12.

V 0 How to show love in deed as well as in

word? P. 264, 116.

p* What great feast is spread for us today?

P. 279, m .

Who the most valuable friends you can

possibly have are? P. 265, If1.
**

V
Why one person learns faster than an
other? P. 282, fill.

How one of Jehovah s witnesses did housew'ork, raised her children and still served as
a full-time pioneer minister? P. 269, 1!9.

m0m-0-0

How to remember the things you study?

P. 284, H19.

Why the old world s view of religion is

unwise? P. 273, 113.

Whether the apostle Paul fought wild

beasts in the arena at Ephesus? P. 286, 116.

**

288

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

M A Y 15, 1956
Semimonthly

YOUTH IN THE
N E W WORLD SOCIETY
CAREFUL LIVING HELPS AVOID
LIFE'S PITFALLS
IS THE QUEENSHIP
OF MARY SCRIPTURAL?
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA
LANGUAGE AND ITS PURPOSE
WTB&TS

LI!

,ii fl.'i-iV*'!
iPilj

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PU RPO SE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

%
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary
N. H. K n o rr , President

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue:

CONTENTS
W h y Are the Clergy Discouraged?

291

Is the Queenship of M ary Scriptural?

293

The Great Pyramid of Giza

297

N ot Too Young to Listen and Learn

300

Language and Its Purpose

301

Youth in the New W orld Society

304

Careful Living Helps Avoid L ifes Pitfalls 309

False Shepherds W ail

318

Questions from Readers

319

Announcements

320

Check Your Memory

320

A b k e v ittiM S a u i I r The Watchtower far tba following Bible versions

The Septuagint Version

James Moffatts version
New World Translation
R o - J. B. Rotherhams version
RS - Revised Standard Version
Yg - Robert Youngs version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version
A8

- American Standard Version

AT - An American Translation
Da - J. N. Darby's version
Dy Catholic Douay version
ED * The Emphatic Diaglott
Le - Isaac Leeser's version

LX X Mo NW -

2,550,000

Five cents a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Hollandish
Ilocano

Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Watch Tower Society offices

Monthly
Arabic
Armenian
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
Greek
HiiigaynonVisayan
lb o

Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho

Siamese
Silozl
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.

$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.O. Box 30, Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinldad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compUance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U.S.A.

^ y 4 ri7 zo u 7 zc i7 za

JEH OVAH S
KINGDOM
M a y 15, 1956

Number 10

What does this mean? That the clergy

are doing almost everything except preach
ing the pure truths of the Bible. Has this
getting away from Bible preach
ing been beneficial for the cler
gy? Financial
ly, yes. B u t
some ministers
are honest with
them selves.
Thus one minister who sent in his survey
questionnaire commented: In addition to
the matters covered in the questionnaire,
I would like to mention the fact that I
feel that there are a good many minis
ters who feel rather lost. Im among
them. We simply cannot see where we are
going in the church. Our churches are
successful. We gain more members, we
have more at church, we have bigger
budgets, we have more activities, we have
better Sunday school materials, and so on.
But we cant see that we are making much
of a difference in our communities or in
the lives of the individual members of our
communities. This disturbs me.New
York Times, April 5, 1955.
If a good many Protestant clergymen
feel lost because they are not making
much difference in the lives of their parish
ioners, what of honest-hearted Catholic
priests? As we look about North and South
America and Europe, do we see Catholic
priests making much difference in the lives

ANY hon
est-hearted
clergymen are becoming
discouraged. A surpris
ing number are even
quitting their jobs. But
why? Do not clergymen
enjoy great prestige? Do
not most of the clergy enjoy financial se
curity? Are not the clergy enjoying the
greatest religious boom in history?
True, but not sill is well. This is seen
in the results of a survey made not long
ago among the Protestant clergy. To find
out how ministers function as pastors of
churches in the United States, the survey
sponsors, the Russell Sage Foundation and
the Union Theological Seminary, sent de
tailed questionnaires to 1,600 ministers.
The sponsors received replies from 1,150
ministers in forty-seven states. The min
isters represented twenty-two Protestant
denominations. This is what the survey
found: (1) Churches are becoming more
like social centers than places of worship.
(2) Todays preacher is not so much
preacher as he is organizer, counselor,
promoter, financier, psychologist, admin
istrator, socialite and entertainer. The role
of being a preacher, said a spokesman for
the survey, is one of declining impor
tance. New York Times, April 4, 1955.

C/LERGY
DISCOURAGED?

291

292

31kW A TC H TO W E R

of their parishioners? Are a good number

of them also discouraged?
In 1948 a priest who spent fifteen years
in the Franciscan order quit the Catholic
Church. According to an Associated Press
report of January 22, 1954, such as that
which appeared in the Bergen (New Jer
sey) Evening Record of that date, ex-priest
Emmett McLoughlin said: The number of
priests quitting the priesthood is kept as
secret as possible. Why? The news report
continued: McLoughlin, who left the
priesthood in 1948 and now is superintend
ent of Memorial Hospital, Phoenix, Ari
zona, said 30 percent of all Roman priests
leave Rome and that as many as 75 per
cent might quit if it were not for fear of
hell, fear of family, fear of the public, and
fear of destitution, deprivation, and in
security.
If Catholics were surprised at a state
ment asserting that 75 percent of all
priests might quit Rome if it were not for
their fears, and if Protestants were sur
prised that a good many ministers felt
lost, they were still hardly as surprised as
many Jewish persons last year when a
rabbi with twenty-six years service re
signed from the pulpit of Greater Miamis
oldest synagogue. In the Miami Herald of
February 26,1955, Rabbi Max Shapiro told
his story. He explained his reasons for
quitting his job by asking questions:
Why then, after two thirds of my ac
tive life, and after 26 years of apparent
successful ministry, did I resign? There
are three questions an honest minister
asks of himself and of his congregation:
Do I reach the individuals whom I seek
to reach? Do I guide the people who need
guidance? Do I touch the lives I seek to
touch? The minister finds it very difficult
to give an affirmative answer.
Explaining how the preaching role has
been relegated to the background, Rabbi
Shapiro went on to say: Does the minis-

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

ter have nothing more offered to him than

an opportunity to keep busy running from
place to place, assume various offices, lend
his name to all organizations and move
ments? Of the ministry Rabbi Shapiro
asked: Does it offer him nothing more
than a rushing to banquets, visiting the
elite, flattering the rich, and playing to
audiences who come to be entertained, not
uplifted and thus acquiring for himself a
big name and the favorable attentions
generally reserved for lights in the thea
ter, politics or sports?
There are many times in the life of a
minister when he wonders whether he
should go on. Many of my colleagues stat
ed: I wish I had your courage to quit.
Were it not for fear, then, there would
be a mass quitting among the clergy.
Honest-hearted clergymen are discour
aged. Why? Because they are doing vir
tually nothing to change the lives of their
parishioners, to make them live according
to Bible principles. And why are they such
failures? It must be that the religion they
represent is not the true religion of the
Bible! In the book Protestant Catholic
Jew, published last year, author Will Herberg finds todays religions, whether Prot
estant, Catholic or Jewish, not faithful to
what he calls the Biblical true faith.
But we do not need Mr. Herbergs book
to discern this fact. It is the quality of peo
ple that a religion produces that is the key
test to whether a religion is true or false.
Look about Christendom. Then read the
Bible. Gods Word says: They publicly
declare they know God, but they disown
him by their works. Titus 1:16, NW.
True religion changes peoples lives. It
produces right works, right conduct, right
action. It inspires and encourages people.
It holds forth Gods new world of right
eousness as mankinds only hope. It is the
purpose of the Watchtower magazine to
aid you in the practice of this true religion.

it

TEP by step the Roman Cath

physical, human body with him to
olic Church has elevated
heaven. Flesh and blood cannot
Mary to where she now stands
i n h e r i t G o d s k i n g d o m .
in a position of equality with
1 Cor. 15:44, 50,
God in that church and per
Despite the unscripturalforms the functions of both
ness of these dogmas, the
Jesus Christ and the holy
Roman Catholic pope Pius
spirit. Thequeenshipof Mary
XII energetically builds up
is not determined by any ref
on these sandy traditional
erence to the Bible or to
foundations. In the autumn
Christ. It is founded solely up^
of 1954 he elevated Mary to
on the traditions and authority

new glory and new heights by

of the Roman Catholic Church.
symbolically crowning her the
When one inquires for the factu
reigning queen of heaven and of all
al basis in Scripture or in history for the creation. He also proclaimed that every
doctrines of the immaculate conception May 31 should be set aside as a special
and the bodily assumption of Mary, which feast day to the queenship of Mary. Mary
doctrines have opened the way for the ac is being hailed by such titles as Queen of
clamation of Mary in our day, the common all hearts, Queen of Peace, Queen of
reply given is a part of a famed theological the Universe, Queen of Heaven and
epigram: Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit God Earth, Mistress of all creation, plus such
could do it; it was fitting that
popular desig natio ns as
He should do it; therefore He
Mother of the United Na
Why is Mary nowhere
actually did it, that is, did the
tions, Mother of Ameri
referred to in the Bible as
a queen? Upon what is
things the above dogmas af
ca, Mother of the Atomic
her queenship said to be
firm, namely, keep Mary free
Age,
Our Lady of Televi
based? Answers to these
from Adamic sin, spare her
sion,

Queen of Education
questions will aid you to
body from the corrupting pow
render exclusive devotion
and Queen of the Home.
to the One
er of death, raise her fleshly
to whom it
body, blood and all, into the
courts of heaven itself, without
having it undergo any change.
A far greater authority than the medieval
Franciscan tradition, the apostle Paul, boldly
declares that none of the above doctrines have any
basis in fact. Paul says: Through one man sin entered
into the world and death through sin, and thus death
spread to all men because they had all sinned. Paul
did not exclude Mary, a fleshly descendant of Adam,
from this rule. Paul does, however, exclude Jesus
Christ, because Jesus was not the son of Joseph, a
descendant of the man Adam. Jesus was a Son of God,
born not from a fleshly will or from mans will, but
from God. Rom. 5:12; Heb. 7:26; Luke 1:34, 35,
As for the assumption dogma, Paul argues that no
one, not Mary nor even Jesus himself, can take his

Ike

QUEENSHIP
Wlo/uj

SCRIPTURAL

293

294

f&eWATCHTOWER.

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

ample of her conduct. If you follow her,

Roman Catholic theologians represent you will not stray; if you pray to her, you
Mary as coredeemer and comediatrix with need not despair. If you think of her, you
Christ. She is seen performing many func will not err; sustained by her, you will
tions that, in the Christian Greek Scrip never fail; protected by her, you need not
tures, are exclusively associated with Jesus fear; guided by her, you will walk un
Christ and the holy spirit. Nations are wearied. If she smiles upon you, you will
being urged to call upon Mary in their succeed. The pope expressed firm con
hour of danger, difficulties and doubts. fidence that through Mary mankind will
The attention and devotion given to Mary little by little progress along this way of
in the Roman Catholic world now equal, salvation and she will guide the rulers of
nations and the hearts of their peoples
even exceed, that given to Jesus Christ.
The activities of Jesus Christ are being toward concord and charity. Our Sun
removed farther away from direct contact day Visitor, October 17, 1954.
If Mary performs the above functions,
with human life by Catholic authorities.
Christ is being regarded as living aloof what is there left for God and Christ to
from mankind. He is no longer seen as do? If Mary intercedes, directs and teaches
the only One who intercedes before God mankind, what is the assigned work of the
in behalf of fallen humankind. Mary now holy spirit? If Mary occupies the foremost
is pictured as the copartner and cointer position in our hearts, what place does
cessor, transmitting prayers from earth to God occupy? Does not the elevation of
God. In fact, in all that has to do with Mary obscure the headship and activities
salvation, with the achievement of human of Christ over his church? Does not it
welfare and the establishment of peace on minimize his earnest and undying concern
earth, Mary figures as prominently as does for the members of his church body and
for all who call upon him in spirit and in
Jesus Christ.
Note how an official Catholic publica truth? Is not all this glorifying of Mary
tion,
OurSunday
b
isunscriptural?
V
estows honor
upon Mary and equates her work with
THE BIBLE DETHRONES MARY
that of Jesus Christ, the holy spirit and
The
Roman
Catholic Church hails Mary
God himself: The name Mary is said to
as

a
bright
star
in the blackness of night,
mean Star of the Sea. Mary is set in the
as
a
beacon
in
the
storm that threatens to
heavens as a bright star in the blackness
engulf
civilization,
whereas the Bible
of night, as a beacon in the storm that
says
that
Jesus
is

the
root and the off
threatens to engulf civilization. Mary is a
spring
of
David,
and
the
bright morning
teacher given us by God to correct His
erring children, to set our feet in the path star. Instead of Marys being the beacon
of justice. Mary manifests herself in a light, Jesus is hailed as the light of men
special manner as the bright Morning Star the light of the world. The prophet
and the Seat of Wisdom. Place an un Isaiah foretold that Christ would be raised
wavering confidence in Mary. In danger, a signal over the peoples. While Mary
in difficulties, in doubts, think of Mary. is nowhere referred to in the Scriptures as
Call upon Mary. Never let her name be teacher, Jesus is frequently called by
absent from your lips or absent from your that title. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews,
heart. If you would obtain the help of her said to Jesus: Rabbi, we know that you
prayers, do not neglect to follow the ex- as a teacher have come from God. Jesus,
MARY MADE EQUAL TO GOD AND CHRIST

15, 1956

295
SEeWATCHTOWER,
in fact, counseled: Do not you be called der your feet shortly. Prov. 2:6, 7; Ps.
Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas 46:1-3; 145:18, 19,
SR
A
om. 16:20,
all you are brothers. Moreover, do not call
NO MENTION OF MARY BY APOSTLES
anyone your father on earth, for One is
your Father, the heavenly One. Neither
The elevated position that Mary holds
be called leaders, for your Leader is one, in the Catholic world is certainly not in
the Christ. Rev. 22:16; John 1:4; 8:12, accord with the Scriptures. When examin
NW; Isa. 62:10,
A T; John 3:2;
Matt.the
23:Bible record has to say about
ing what
8-10,
NW.
Mary, we are amazed at the scarcity of
The inspired Scriptures declare that comment. Only one mention is made of her
Jehovah the Almighty God and his Son outside the Gospels. Neither the apostle
Christ Jesus, the holy spirit and Word of Paul, nor the apostle Peter, nor Judas, the
truth are to be helpers, teachers, educators, servant of Jesus, nor James, the brother
directors and counselors in Gods organi of Jesus, make so much as one single men
zation. But nowhere is Mary mentioned as tion of her in all their inspired writings.
such. Isaiah stated: And all thy children Mary is conspicuous by her absence of
shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall mention. Paul makes frequent references
be the peace of thy children. Regarding to faithful women, but never mentions
Gods Word the psalmist wrote: Thy Mary. Why such silence? There can be
word is a lamp unto my feet, and light only one answer. The exalted offices of
unto my path. Of the holy spirit Jesus queen of the universe, queen of heaven
said: I will request the Father and he and all creation, are purely man-made and
will give you another helper to be with you have no basis in fact. Marys pre-eminence
forever, the spirit of the truth, which the was among women only, because the
world cannot receive. But the helper, Messiah was to be born of her: Blessed
the holy spirit which the Father will send are you among women, and blessed is the
in my name, that one will teach you all fruit of your womb! Luke 1:28, 42, NW.
But the apostles were not alone in their
things and bring back to your minds all
the things I told you. Isa. 54:13; Ps. silence. Jesus himself very carefully re
frained from giving any special attention
119:105,
;A
SJohn 14:16, 17, 26,
Catholic theologians call Mary the Seat to his earthly relatives, never once grant
of Wisdom ; the Bible says: Jehovah ing to them any pre-eminence, but always
giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh emphasizing his personal relationship with
knowledge and understanding. Catholics his Father. Whoever does the will of my
are directed to call upon Mary in their Father who is in heaven, the same is my
hour of danger, difficulty and doubts; brother, and sister, and mother. The
Gods Word tells us that God is our refuge earliest account of Jesus as a child begins
and strength, a very present help in trou with his saying to his parents: Did you
ble ; that Jehovah is nigh unto all them not know that I must be in the house of
that call upon him, to all that call upon my Father? And his last words were:
him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of Father, into your hands I entrust my
them that fear him; he also will hear their spirit. There are at least 150 Scriptural
cry, and will save them. Catholics look references in which Jesus is mentioned in
to Mary to subdue violence beneath her close association with his Father, but there
foot, but Gods Word assures us: The is absolutely not one reference where Jesus
God who gives peace will crush Satan un- expresses any affiliation with his mother.
M

ay

296

SfTieWATCHTOWER.

There is not one single instance where he

addresses her as mother. He invariably
refers to her as woman. What have I
to do with you, woman? Woman, see!
your son! Matt. 12:46-50; Luke 8:21;
2:49; 23:46; John 2:4; 19:26,
Nowhere in the Bible is Mary seen as a
mediatrix or intercessor, or as a co-worker
with Jesus in the role of human salvation.
Jesus stands alone in these offices, saying:
Apart from me you can do nothing at all.
If anyone does not remain in union with
me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried
up, and men gather those branches up and
pitch them into the fire and they are
burned. If you remain in union with me
and my sayings remain in you, ask what
ever you wish and it will take place for
you. No matter what you ask the Father
in my name he might give it to you. In
stead of Gods servants performing all
their actions through Mary, with Mary, in
Mary, and for Mary, as taught by the
Roman Catholic Church, the inspired Paul
extols Gods mercy and wisdom, and says:
Because from him and by him and for
him are all things. To him be the glory
forever. Amen. John 15:5-7, 16; Rom.
11:33-36,
NW.
PAGAN BACKGROUND EXPOSED

Marys exaltation is part of a deliberate

ly planned and carefully executed scheme
on the part of the Roman Catholic Church
to revive the ancient form of worship of
the queen of heaven, as was practiced in
the pagan nations of ancient Babylon,
Egypt and Rome; and also in the unfaith
ful ancient nation of Israel. Herodotus,
from personal knowledge, testifies that in
ancient Egypt the queen of heaven was
the greatest and most worshipped of all
the divinities. The historian Alexander
Hislop writes that according to the Chal
dean doctrine, Semiramis, the mother and
later the wife of Nimrod, when exalted to

ro o klyn

, N . Y.

divinity under the name of the queen of

heaven, came to be worshiped as the Holy
Spirit incarnate. Nonnus, speaking of the
Babylonian queen of heaven, calls her the
hope of the whole world. She is also re
ferred to as mistress of all creation.
Hislop further says that it was this same
goddess who was worshiped at Ephesus,
whom Demetrius, the silversmith, charac
terized as the goddess whom the whole
province of Asia and the inhabited earth
worships. All of these titles, which were
once applied to pagan goddesses, are now
attributed to Mary. Acts 19:27, NW.
The ancient nation of Israel fell victim
to this form of idolatry. Instead of to
Mary, the Hebrew women offered cakes
in the streets of Jerusalem to the Baby
lonian goddess, Astarte. They burned in
cense to the queen of heaven and poured
out drink offerings to her. The people open
ly defied God and his Word to carry out
their wicked practices. For their willful
wickedness God reduced them to slaves
and completely devastated the land. Will
God react differently today? He says of
himself: I, Jehovah, change not. Jer.
44:15-19; Mai. 3:6, AS.
Aside from Babylonian paganism and
Catholic tradition, there is absolutely no
authority whatsoever for the present wor
ship of Mary or any other woman as the
queen of heaven. It would be well, there
fore, to heed the apostle Pauls advice:
Look out: perhaps there may be some
man that will carry you off as his prey
through the philosophy and empty decep
tion according to the tradition of men, ac
cording to the elementary things of the
world and not according to Christ. Even
if we or an angel out of heaven, says the
apostle, were to declare to you as good
news something beyond what we declared to
you as good news, let him be accursed. Be
cause as the apostle Peter sums up regard
ing Christ Jesus: There is no salvation in

May

15, 1956

SBeWATCHTOWER.

anyone else, for there is not another name

under heaven that has been given among
men by which we must get saved. Let

297

these inspired words of God, not the tradi

tions of men, guide you in your worship.
Col. 2:8; Gal. 1:8; Acts 4:12, NW.

before Christ), the

Great Pyramid was
built by Cheops, one
of the Shepherd kings
who invaded Egypt
and easily subdued it,
closed all the temples
and then compelled
one and all to labor
for them. A hundred
thousand men la
boured constantly and
were relieved every
three months by a
fresh lot. It took ten
years oppression of
Product o f the true worship
or the false?
the people to make the causeway for the
conveyance of the stones, a work not much
HE Great Pyramid of Giza is one of inferior, in my judgment, to the pyramid
the seven wonders of the ancient itself. This causeway was three fifths of a
mile long, sixty feet wide and reached a
world. It is the largest of nine pyramids
found in Giza, in the valley of the Nile. height of forty-eight feet, was built of
The Great Pyramid is 486 feet high, or polished stone, and [was] covered with
about the height of a modern 40-story carvings of animals. . . . The Pyramid it
building, and each of its four sides is 764 self took twenty years to build. The two
feet long; its base covers thirteen acres. lesser pyramids of Giza, Herodotus tells
The ratio of its height to the perimeter of us, were built by Cheops brother and son.
its base is the same as that of the radius
There has been much speculation as to
of a circle to its circumference, a most the reason why these pyramids of Giza
remarkable feature according to some were built, and in particular why the Great
mathematicians and astronomers. Its four Pyramid was built. Some have disposed of
sides line up perfectly with the four di the problem by claiming that it was built
rections of the compass.
solely as a tomb for Cheops, but is it rea
The date that Herodotus gives for its sonable that a ruler would direct all the
building would make the Great Pyramid resources of a land such as Egypt toward
about three thousand years old today, but the building of a tomb, and that for thirty
others insist that he is mistaken and that years? Others have concluded that it was
it was built about four thousand years ago. built to house royal treasure, but the cost
According to Herodotus and Manetho involved in building such a structure far
(Egyptian historian of the third century exceeded all the value of whatever treasure

298

SEeWATCHTOWER.

a king might want to place in it! Others

have ventured the opinion that it was built
to serve as a temple, but that likewise does
not seem to be the right explanation, as its
smooth and slanting sides made access to
its entrances very difficult.
Because none of these theories fully and
satisfactorily explain the purpose of build
ing the Great Pyramid, others have de
veloped the hypothesis that it was built un
der divine inspiration; that perhaps Melchizedek was its builder and that God pro
vided it as a witness in stone to corroborate
the Bible. Such men as John Taylor of
London, Professor Smyth and Dr. Edgar
of Scotland advocated the theory* that
the measurements of the Great Pyramid
and particularly the measurements of its
internal passageways and chambers, were
full of Scriptural meaning.
What are the facts? Is the Great Pyra
mid truly a witness to Jehovah? Was it
built by his true worshipers to corroborate
the Bible, or was it built by the devotees
of pagan religions?
NOT OF DIVINE ORIGIN

First of all let us note that since Gods

Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to
our path, and was furnished so that we
might be fully competent, completely
equipped for every good work, there is
no unfulfilled need that the Great Pyra
mid with its measurements would serve.
Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:15-17, NW.
Jehovah God used some forty writers
over a period of sixteen centuries to pro
vide us with his Word. Is it reasonable to
conclude that even before Moses began to
write the Pentateuch God caused a mas
sive structure to be built that was to cor
roborate his Word? Rather, is it not an
insult to God to hold that he felt it neces
sary to corroborate his inspired Word by
some mute edifice? And that its meaning
* Bible Students also held to this thought prior to 1928.

ro o kly n

, N. Y.

should be hidden from man for several

thousand years and revealed only at a
time when the structure had been robbed
of all its external beauty?
Further, is it reasonable to hold that
God would direct the construction of a
building covering thirteen acres of ground,
consisting of 90 million cubic feet of quar
ried stone, with stones as much as thirty
feet long and estimated to weigh as much
as 880 tons each, when all such work had
to be done by slave labor? The very fact
that the memory of the invading Shepherd
kings who constructed these pyramids was
so detested by the Egyptians for genera
tions afterward would certainly put the
building of the pyramids in the class of
Pharaohs building program rather than
that of King Solomon.
Besides, if the Great Pyramid were
built at Gods command should we not ex
pect to find some reference to its construc
tion in Gods Word, the Bible? The Bible
tells us of the building of Solomons tem
ple and that built under the direction of
Governor Zerubbabel; also of the building
of a water aqueduct by King Hezekiah, yes
and also of the building of the tower of
Babel, but not a word about any of the
pyramids. Relevant to this argument also
is the fact that none of the structures de
scribed in Gods Word employ the design
of a pyramid.
The fact also cannot be gainsaid that
none of the measurements given in the
Great Pyramid throw light on the allimportant issue of universal sovereignty
or why God has permitted evil. Remark
able as some of its measurements seem to
appear, it also cannot be denied that these
have led to false hopes resulting in disap
pointments and none of them serve any
purpose in magnifying the name of Jeho
vah and preaching this good news of the
kingdom, nor are those who put so much
store by the Great Pyramid sharing in such

May

15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

preaching work. If there are facts about the

Great Pyramid that cannot be explained
solely on the basis of human wisdom,
then in view of all the foregoing we have
no alternative but to conclude that it must
have been accomplished by means of de
mon power rather than by the active force
of Jehovah God.

299

to Jehovah. While it would be impossible

for a literal structure to be both in the
midst and at the border of a literal land,
this can be true in a figurative sense. The
witnesses of Jehovah are today found in
the midst of or throughout modern Egypt,
that is, Satans world; and yet in another
sense it can be said that they are also at
its border in that they are standing at its
THE ALTAR TO JEHOVAH
edge, ready to pass over into the new
One Scripture text that has been used in world after the battle of Armageddon.
times past to support the position that the That they are to serve as witnesses is
Great Pyramid is of divine origin reads: stated time and again in the Scriptures:
In that day shall there be an altar to Jeho Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, . . .
vah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and and I am God. And as for their being a
a pillar at the border thereof to Jehovah. sign, note the words of the Greater Isaiah,
And it shall be for a sign and for a wit Christ Jesus, in which he refers to his fol
ness unto Jehovah of hosts in the land of lowers as children given him: Behold, I
Egypt; for they shall cry unto Jehovah be and the children whom Jehovah hath given
cause of oppressors, and he will send them me are for signs and for wonders. Isa.
;Heb. 2:13.
S
A
a saviour, and a defender, and he will de 43:10-12; 8:18,
liver them. By an ingenious set of lines an
Regardless of how interesting, fascinat
attempt was made to show how the Great ing or intriguing the mathematical, chron
Pyramid was both in the midst of the land ological and astronomical implications of
of Egypt and at the same time at its bor the Great Pyramid of Egypt might be, they
der. But no literal structure could literally fade into insignificance when compared
be both in the midst and at the border of with the great work Jehovah is having
a literal land. Isa. 19:19, 20,
done today by his altar in the midst of
However, the Bible does use the term Egypt and his pillar at the border. What
Egypt in a figurative sense, as at Revela the people need today is not just an im
pliedofcorroboration of Bible chronology
Wwhere
N
)
the condition
tion 11:7, 8 (
Gods servants in 1918 and 1919 is de but the truth regarding the great issue
scribed as follows: And when they have to be settled, Who rules supreme, Jeho
finished their witnessing, the wild beast vah God or Satan the Devil? They need to
that ascends out of the abyss will make war see the clear line of demarcation that exists
with them and conquer them and kill them. between Gods organization and that of the
And their corpses will be on the broad way Devil, and they must be shown the urgency
of the great city which is in a spiritual of seeking Jehovah, righteousness and
sense called Sodom and Egypt, where their meekness before it is too late. Zeph. 2:1-3.
Lord was also impaled.
Since all the evidence points to the fact
The term altar as used in the above that the Great Pyramid was not construct
scripture means a place of sacrifice, and ed at Gods direction, for Christians to
today Gods people are offering sacrifices take it seriously would be tantamount to
to Jehovah in the midst of antitypical going down to Egypt for help. (Isa. 31:1)
Egypt, Satans world. They are also serv Not by means of a pagan slave-labor-built
ing as a pillar, as a monument or witness pile of stone but by means of his Word, his

300

SlkWATCHTOWER

organization and his active force, his holy

spirit, Jehovah God is training his dedi
cated servants for the ministry.
THE LIKELY MOTIVE

There remains but one question. Since

it is clear that the Great Pyramid was not
built at the direction of Jehovah, and since
it appears that it was not built solely to
serve as a tomb nor as a storehouse for
treasure nor as a temple for pagan wor
ship, can any satisfactory explanation be
given of Cheops motive for having it built?
Yes, there is one theory that has much
to recommend it and that is based on the
prominence that the Great Pyramid gives
to the sciences of mathematics and astron
omy. It is known that in ancient times
astronomy and astrology were considered
as one. And from Scriptural and secular
history it is apparent that the Chaldeans
excelled in both. And it further appears
that Cheops and those with him, who con
quered Egypt with apparently so little
effort, came from Chaldea. Therefore, in
view of the mysterious influence which
astrologers ascribe to special numbers,

TVot

ro o klyn

N. Y.

figures, positions, and so forth, the care

with which the Great Pyramid was so
proportioned as to indicate particular as
tronomical and mathematical relations is
at once explained.
And further, when we consider that the
Chaldeans from the earliest times pursued
the study of alchemy in connection with
astrology, by which they hoped to dis
cover the philosophers stone, and by
which in turn they believed they would be
able to transmute base metals to gold and
silver and at the same time discover the
secret of life, then we can find a justifica
tion for the building of the Great Pyramid,
as a monument erected to astrology with
the hope of discovering the fundamental
secrets of life and all matter. The Great
Pyramid, R. A. Proctor.
Thus, this most logical explanation of all
as to the reasons underlying the construc
tion of the Great Pyramid of Giza would
indicate that it certainly was not built by
those engaging in the true worship of Jeho
vah God but by those devoted to astrology,
a manifestation of Devil religion, and was
built in furtherance of such religion.

Jooyoung to 'Listen and Learn

That children at an early age can listen and learn is apparent from the following
heart-warming experience told by a missionary in K orea: About two months ago
three little boys (ages about 5, 7 and 9) began attending our meetings. They came
every time and soon all three had their own Bible and Watchtower. As each scrip
ture was cited they would bury their little noses in their Bible and follow along. A t
first none of the brothers seemed to know anything about them. I tried several
times to talk to them but just couldnt get a response. Finally we learned the cir
cumstances. The boys parents had been killed during the war and since that time
they have been shifting mostly for themselves. They live together in a tiny place
and the eldest is the mother. They are handsome youngsters but dont look like
children at all. This is common here where so many have been robbed of their
babyhood by the war. Last Thursday evening the seven-year-old one gave his first
talk at the theocratic ministry school. He looked spick and span, as neat as a pin,
and the other two appeared very proud of him. He read like a bullet, as is typical
here, and to hear the words of life come from that dear little heart brought a tear
or two. A fter the meeting I spoke to the three of them and told them how pleased
Jehovah was to welcome them to his fam ily, and for the first time I saw them
smile.

jCm^uoae
|ANGUAGE is a gift of
the great Creator,
the Giver of every
good gift and every perfect
present. Even the great
Am erican lexicographer,
Noah Webster, declared:
Language as well as the
faculty of speech was the immediate gift
of God. Use it well. Jas. 1:17, NW.
Jehovah expresses his will through the
spoken word. With him it is inherent,
alive, exerting awesome power, fulfilling
his purposes. His word never returns to
him void. God thundereth marvellously
with his voice; great things doeth he,
which we cannot comprehend. So shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth, says Jehovah. It shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it. Job 37:5; Isaiah
55:11.
Speech when properly used reflects the
beauty and glory of its Maker, Jehovah.
Like apples of gold in a setting of carved
silver is a word that is aptly spoken. An
apt utterance is a joy to a man; and a word
in season how good it is! In creating
creatures of different stations in life, God
granted them the gift of speech. The Logos
became Gods spokesman, capable of per
fectly conveying the thoughts and pur
poses of Jehovah to all creation. Angels
became messengers, with vocal powers to
sing and to communicate with man and
301

God. On earth the inspired

Record shows that the
first man Adam was
made with a fine set
of vocal organs and
a tongue of far great
er agility and flexibil
ity than that of the
other crea tu re s on
earth created before
him. Though it be true
that the cries of the lower
animals are language in so
far as they give expression
to their state of mind, and
that they have a vocal means
of communication, yet such
ability could not compare with
mans far-surpassing ability to articulate
speech, to divide sounds up into syllables
and words and by arrangement or combi
nation of these to have a vocabulary and
speak distinctly and connectedly. Prov.
25:11; 15:23,
AT.
Rather than his learning to speak by imi
tating the animals, beginning with grunts
and growls, as is taught by evolution, the
facts as set down in the book of Genesis
are that Adam made almost immediate use
of his powers of speech by bestowing names
upon the various animal creations. This
took the quality of reasoning, the exercise
of reflection, thinking and judging, the
inner action of the mind and the outward
expression in words. The naming of animal
creation took a sizable vocabulary. This
was in essence an intelligence test.
Also, when Adam took Eve to himself as
wife, he spoke out intelligently, saying:
This is at last bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh. This one will be called Woman,
because from man this one was taken.
While language has changed, man to this
very day says in substance the same thing
when he selects a wife for himself. Eve,
too, was endowed with the same power of
expression as Adam, namely, to speak, us-

302

SmeWATCHTOWER

ing words and phrases; a language to ex

press their mutual ideas and fellowship.
They knew that language is for the pur
pose of exchanging thoughts, a means of
communication of a message or a com
mandment, to converse with each other.
Eve was well equipped for this purpose.
This made her an ideal helper, a comple
ment of the man. She was also equipped
to pass this wonderful gift to her offspring.
Gen. 2:23,
NW.
SPEECH A SOCIAL ACTIVITY

Language is not instinctive with human

kind, as communication is with the lower
animals. The art of speech must be taught
him. With humans, then, speech is pro
gressive. Instinct differs from intelligence
in that intelligence resides essentially in
the variability of the means it uses, where
as instinct is invariably an inherent force
of law. A. W. Holmes said: A goose flies
by a chart which the Royal Geographical
Society could not mend. Colton declared:
Though reason is progressive, instinct is
stationary. Five thousand years have add
ed no improvement to the hive of a bee, or
the house of a beaver, and, we might add,
to the language of the wild. But with hu
mankind language has changed.
With humankind speech is a social ac
tivity. Man cannot live without the co
operation of his fellow men. The chief pur
pose of speech among men is to secure this
co-operation and thus achieve some form
of self-realization, to accomplish his de
sires and to be a reflecting glory to the
Creator. Eve showed that she fully under
stood this basic truth, when she said to the
serpent: Of the fruit of the trees of the
garden we may eat. But as for eating of
the fruit of the tree that is in the middle
of the garden, God has said, You must
not eat from it, no, you must not touch it
for fear you may die. This command was
first given to her husband Adam, and

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

using speech Adam communicated the law

perfectly to his wife, which she by her
own expression showed she understood.
The communicative process is completed
only when the speaker gets a response by
word, look, gesture or even silence (for
silence is sometimes eloquent), which will
enable him to judge the attitude of the
listener and hence the degree of his own
success or failure. Even a fool, when he
holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he
that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of
understanding. Eve by her expression
demonstrated that she fully understood the
reason for speech. Gen. 3:2, 3; 2:16, 17,
NW ; Prov. 17:28.
ONE VOCABULARY

For over 1700 years after mans creation

it could still be said: Now all the earth
continued to be of one language and of one
set of words [or, one vocabulary, mar
gin]. Confusion of languages came as a
result of an act of God. It was Jehovahs
reply to a God-defying people, who endeav
ored to establish a union of mankind, a
world government with headquarters at
Babel. The Scriptural account of this reads:
And Jehovah proceeded to go down to see
the city and the tower that the sons of
men had built. After that Jehovah said:
Look! They are one people and there is
one language for them all, and this is what
they start to do. Why, now there is nothing
that they may scheme to do that will be
unattainable for them. Come now! Let us
go down and there confuse their language
that they may not listen to one anothers
language. Accordingly Jehovah scattered
them from there over all the surface of the
earth, and they gradually left off building
the city. That is why its name was called
Babel, because there Jehovah had confused
the language of all the earth and Jehovah
had scattered them from there over all the
surface of the earth. Gen. 11:1,5-9, NW.

303
SfreWATCHTOWER.
After the breakup at Babel men began on all flesh, enabling people of good will to
to drift to all parts of the earth. Because learn and to speak the language that does
men were not bound together by close com lead to life. That time came A.D. 33. Men
munication ties, differences of speech, even and women learned that the pure language
among those of the same language group, was the speech of the pure worship of Al
would quickly crop out, dialects would mighty God, Jehovah. The spirit of God
spring up, and eventually new languages empowered them on this occasion to speak
would be born, similar to and yet distinct in different languages and those gathered
from the parent language. Restless factors at Jerusalem were able to understand the
kept the worlds tongues in a fairly con good news of the Kingdom. The apostle
stant state of change. Distance or physical Peter, using his powers of speech to speak
barriers, wars and conquests, perhaps cli forth the pure language, climaxed his dis
mate, an effort to eliminate more difficult course with these words: And then any
sounds or sound combinations, and a desire one that calls upon the name of Jehovah
to imitate prominent or popular persons will be saved. Acts 2:1-21, NW.
all these have played their part, until today
Now, in these days of the complete and
the babel of tongues has reached an incred final fulfillment of Joels prophecy, there
ible figure of 2,796 tongues; some spoken exists among those who live in hope of a
by millions, others by only a few hundred. new world a language that is truly inter
While the reputable English language national, surmounting all barriers and be
contains some 700,000 words, the language ing spoken by persons of many, many
of the Aranta tribe in the interior of Aus tongues. It is pure and not difficult to ac
tralia is limited to 400 to 500 words. This quire if the student is sincere. It was fore
tiny vocabulary is not due to lack of in told at Zephaniah 3:9 ( A S ) : For then will
telligence on the part of its speakers. Ap I turn to the peoples a pure language, that
parently extreme isolation has enabled they may all call upon the name of Jeho
them to get along with this vocabulary. vah, to serve him with one consent.
This pure language is being spoken to
PURE LANGUAGE
day by Jehovahs people in all nations,
Language is unquestionably a barrier uniting them in bonds of love and Christian
but not necessarily a divisive force. Unity brotherhood, despite their native tongues.
can be attained despite the language bar It unites them in giving testimony to Jeho
rier through the practice of the pure lan vahs name and kingdom. Thus, even
guage. The pure language is the perfect though Jehovahs witnesses are scattered
understanding of Jehovahs purposes as over the face of the earth in more than 159
recorded in his Word the Bible, and as that lands, yet through the power of Gods spirit
purpose was revealed by Jesus Christ. Pure and the pure language they are united as
language is truth free from all religious one New World society. Worldly barriers
adulteration. It was given to Adam and are no obstacle to them.
Eve, but was perverted shortly thereafter
Learn the pure language, for not only
when the serpent, the Devil, spoke for a will it help you to communicate and make
selfish purpose to lead man to creature friends with peoples of all nations, but it
worship. Since that day only a few have will bring life to you and your listeners;
learned the pure language.
and, most important of all, you will be
The prophet Joel foretold the time when using speech for its intended purpose, that
the holy spirit of God would be poured out of giving glory to Jehovahs name.
May 15, 1956

jfj:

Jp

I
give you good coun
sel, turn not from m y
teaching.
.. attend
what
I say, bend your
ear to m y words; never
lose sight o f them, but
fix them in your mind;
tothose who find them,
they are li f e
Prov. 4:2, 20-22, Mo.

ODAYS youth is tomor

sifter parents, teachers and other
rows manhood. Therefore the
influences to which he may be
quality and maturity of the man
subjected or exposed. To follow
hood of tomorrow are dependent
the proper pattern is illustrated
upon education and training that
by the Master Teachers saying:
are given youth today. One of youths I set the pattern for you, that, just as I
training centers should be the home, with did to you, you should do also. However,
Christian parents as the teachers. Mature in contrast with this many pattern them
teachers in the Christian home will use as selves according to events of the past or
the leading textbook Gods Word the Bi the conduct of more than just an individ
ble, and such background will furnish the ual, perhaps after a group; or possibly aft
proper background for youth today in er an educational system with any of a
preparation for a proper place in the New variety of special philosophies, or after the
World society.
national or local political pattern, or even
2
Teaching and training in the worldthe policies of commercial organizations
generally are as varied as the teachers and their associates are affiliated with or are
their traditions and philosophies. As a influenced by. So that improper patterns
result, what a variety of mental food is might be shunned, it is written: Now
presented for consumption, particularly these things went on befalling them as ex
for the younger generation! We are what amples and they were written for a warn
we eat, some authorities theorize. Our ing to us upon whom the accomplished
minds become what we feed them. Since ends of the systems of things have ar
the mind directs or influences the person, rived. John 13:15; 1 Cor. 10:11; 1 Tim.
immediately we sense how important is a 6:20,21,
NW.
proper mental diet. The mind is fed by the
3
Man was endowed with the ability to
educational systems, in the home and in procreate his own kind. It was purposed
the Christian congregation directly by that in the process of development within
hearing the spoken word. There is also the a certain number of years the offspring
indirect way, vitally important, and that would develop physically, this requiring
is by example, because even the ten-year- about twenty years. This majority is
reached if normal good food is supplied.
1. What determines the good qualities of youth in the
New World society?
2. What factors are involved in teaching and rearing
children?

3. What governs physical growth? Why is spiritual food

more important?
304

Ma y 15, 1956

flkWATCHTOWER.

Of course, a stronger body is developed if

exercised or trained by hard work. But
such success in itself develops only up to a
certain point and is spoken of only in an
incidental way by the apostle Paul when
he stated: Bodily training is beneficial
for a little. Since such has little bearing,

305

* The first training that a child receives

during its first ten years, in most cases,
is from its parents or its immediate guard
ians. The child is given a number of dos
and donts at first, and is gradually made
familiar with elementary terms that affect
it. Often this training is treated lightly,
parents sometimes thinking that a child is
too young. Whether parents admit it or
not, the very young mind can take in much
information, and it is during this period
that many lasting traits are established.
Frequently the child is shrewd enough
even to train parents to wait upon it and
to have its own way. This is not the Chris
tian way, however, as parents are told:
Train up a child in the way he should
go. The child is imperfect and sinful (not

innocent and sinless as some of the clergy

would lead many to believe) and needs its
steps directed to a righteous course. The
childs own choice often would lead it in an
erroneous and selfish way. Jeremiah of old
aptly confessed: I know, O [Jehovah],
that the way of man is not in himself, that
it is not in man who walks to direct his
steps. How true that is especially of man
as a child! Prov. 22:6; Jer. 10:23, R8.
5As an illustration of child rule in the
home, this occurred in a Christian home.
The child pleaded and raised a fuss
about a certain type of food it wanted
and did this in a demanding way. The
mother yielded and prepared the food.
When the food was set before the
child he decided he did not want it
after all. The mother coaxed, but when
the child feigned illness the mother took
the food away. Under his breath the
child was heard to say: Well, I really
got out of that one! In this instance there
was no discipline and the child was de
veloping the trait of selfishness and was
becoming self-centered. Parents may not
always realize it, but children test them
too. An instance to show this occurred
when a four-year-old boy, when his food
was set before him, threw it on the floor
when the mother stepped out of the room.
A mild scolding resulted, whereupon the
mother placed more food before him. This
was treated similarly in the absence of the
mother. It was explained to him that some
day he would be grown and would have
children of his own, and, when asked what
he would do if his child threw his food on
the floor, he unhesitatingly responded: I
would whip him. He knew what was right
and that proper corrective measures
should have been administered. From an
educational viewpoint he must have been
somewhat disappointed in his parents.

4. Why is it important to start training children at a

very tender age? And why can they not be permitted
to make their own decisions?

5. (a) Why is real discipline so imperative? (b) By

example show what happens when parents are lax in
the enforcement of their commands.

food, and its value and effect should be

considered for youth in the New World
society. This is especially so in view of
Pauls stronger words to young Timothy:
Godly devotion is beneficial for all things,
as it holds promise of the life now and that
which is to come. 1 Tim. 4:8, NW.
EARLY TRAINING

306

3fieWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn, N . Y .

Children in similar circumstances could other contacts. It is also well to have in

not look to their parents as a proper ex grained in the childs mind the counsel
ample of rearing children. Training is not given by Paul when he stated: Do not be
just a matter of presenting information misled. Bad associations spoil useful hab
for the mind, but it is also a matter of its. ! Cor. 15:33, NW.
living up to it. Mere words will never
7Some parents feel that with all the de
train a slave; he understands, but he will linquency and corruption in the public
not obey. He who pampers his servant school system, it might be better not to
from childhood will in the end gain noth send their children to the public schools.
ing but ingratitude. It is not that children However, when a child continually re
do not know better; often they know what ceives right parental and theocratic train
is right and proper, but they will not al ing during the formative years by regular
ways perform this unless disciplined. To meeting attendance and sharing in the
support further the thought that the obey ministry school and door-to-door witness
ing of a command is not left to a childs ing, he will be able to withstand the fiery
discretion, it is of interest to notice what missiles of the Devil in school or any
Jehovah stated concerning Abraham: For where else. While in school he can shun
I have become acquainted with him in or the extracurricular activities that are so
der that he may command his sons and detrimental to him. This is particularly
his household after him so that they shall true when we observe that contemporaries
keep Jehovahs way to do righteousness. in school often resort to unfair tactics in
There was never any thought that the games and use foul and scurrilous lan
child would decide the matter, but the guage in their associations with others.
parent made decisions for the child. Prov. Close contact with such ones would be a
29:18,19,
Mo;29:21,
Gen. 18:19,
NW.
temptation
to follow a like course and
* Noting that it was so vitally important adopt similar practices. We are admon
3800 years ago that the parents instruct ished by Paul: Let a rotten saying not
children, we can see how much more so it proceed out of your mouth, but whatever
is true in the twentieth century when pa saying is good for building up as the need
rental oversight is lax and delinquency may be, that it may impart what is favor
rampant. Truly, then, Christian parents able to the hearers. Let all malicious bit
should spend time teaching and molding terness and anger and wrath and scream
the young minds with proper knowledge ing and abusive speech be taken away
and then administering proper discipline, from you along with all injuriousness.
if necessary, that will help them to carry Eph. 4:29, 31,
NW.
out what they have learned. Learning to
8 The youthful mind can be strong and
do what they have been told, and properly can demonstrate this by resisting the false
doing it and continuing to do itthis will attractions of the world whether in school
be easier as the building, so to speak, takes or out of school. We have observed how
shape. Not only that, it will strengthen the many youthful ministers have undergone
mind of the child to discern between right persecution without ever a thought of
and wrong and so fortify the mind against wavering. Many are of the same mental
false doctrine and contamination of erro attitude as was Timothy, of whom Paul
neous secular training in the schools and 7. How may parents be helpful to the children when
6. Why is much time required on the part of parents
to train children properly?

they go to school?
8, 9. Why is strong faith essential to the young minis
ter while in school? What will enhance it?

May

15, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER

307

wrote: I recollect the faith which is in can a young man keep life clean? Truly
you without any hypocrisy, and which such a question is in the mind of those
dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and upright ones who desire to keep them
your mother Eunice, but which I am con selves separate from the corruption and
fident is also in you. Timothys later delinquency of this world. The answer is
course of preaching and steadfastness in given: By keeping to thy word. I store
the ministry certainly confirms Pauls thy word within my heart, to keep myself
opinion in this regard. We can also notice from sinning against thee. If the teaching
that the genuine strength of faith was con principles outlined in schools were in con
ditioned by the good foundation of Tim formity and harmony with this, children
othys early instruction. Similar Christian would be of the same frame of mind to
education now is the responsibility of the ward what is right and toward school
parents and then the same strong mani rules. Today, however, many children, and
festation of faith may be expected from youths generally, have little respect for
the children. When the foundation there school authorities because there is no en
for is well laid, the mental attitude of the forcement of rules and there is lack of
child will, of his own choice, be aimed at high principles. Acts 18:3, 4,
Ps.
Mo.
and directed on what has been foremost 119:1, 6, 8, 9, 11,
in the mind of the parents. If this has been
PRESENT-DAY DELINQUENCY
the full-time ministry, he will likewise di
rect and select his educational courses
10
But what happens to a teen-age boy
while in school so that the quality of his or girl when adherence to Gods laws is not
ministry will be enhanced. 2 Tim. 1:5, stressed as a part of early training? Look
NW.
about and see! There are saddened par
9
Selection of trades that lend thements, perplexed educators and civil author
selves to part-time work in order to main ities whose rod of discipline is held back
tain oneself as Paul did in the full-time by false ideas, allowing for increasing de
ministry will be kept in mind. With such linquency and juvenile crime of every sort.
a well-planned beginning a child need not Because Gods Word is not the sole author
be like the unstable and skeptical youth of ity and guide for training, responsible
the world with his unhappy and unsteady authorities are divided on the manner of
future, wondering where he can put his what discipline to use, with many psychol
trust. He will be of the same frame of mind ogists going so far as to state that to dis
as was the psalmist: Happy are they who cipline a child is to show hatred for it.
live uprightly, living by the Eternals The results of these divided opinions our
law! For those who live by Jehovahs law, newspaper headlines summarize every day,
showing respect for it, there will be no fear recording the deeds of modern undisci
and uncertainty. The youthful minister plined children. But Gods Word plainly
can have joy and peace, as shown in the says: The rod of correction gives wisdom;
sixth verse of the same psalm: No shame but a child who is left to himself brings
befalls me when I heed thy commands. disgrace on his mother. Chastise your
And, I will obey thee: never do thou for son, while there is still hope of him, and
sake me. Herein lies a petition on the do not let him run to ruin. Prov. 29:15,
part of the one that receives instruction AT; 19:18, Mo.
that he may obey even more. In further
10. What happens in schools when there is no disci
admonition the psalmist continues: How pline? Why?

308

Brooklyn, N . Y .
SfieWATCHTOWEFL
11A haphazard and slipshod manner of increases and the results are that even a
educating children results in their having child is known by what he does. Prov.
;20:11, Mo.
S
A
an improperly trained mind, a mind that 22:15,
tends toward idleness. Parents are respon
PROPER CHRISTIAN TRAINING
sible for this when they fail to guide their
14 Contrast this with a Christian-trained
children aright and keep them busy. Solo
mon wrote: When hands are slack, the young man or woman who has a pure out
roof will leak, showing that slothfulness look and a solid hope instilled by the sure
in thinking and in action leads to a condi Word of God. The result of such is right
tion of ruin, contrary to Gods admoni eousness, peace, health and, above all, the
tion that we consider the busy ant as a sensible desire to serve the righteous God,
proper pattern. Busy children do not get Jehovah. It is pleasing to Jehovah that
into mischief. Every school childs note young men and women volunteer their
book may well have copied in full on its lives in service to him, free from crime and
first page the Bible verses about the busy sin and all the unrighteous deeds practiced
by the youth of the world, having in mind
ant.Eccl. 10:18; Prov. 6:6-8, Mo.
12 Let us now look further at undisci living only clean and upright lives to his
plined youth. Often, today, fourteen-year- praise. In Jesus day when some foolishly
old boys are held in high esteem by other tried to prevent such righteousness-loving
teen-age hoodlums when the roughest, children from coming to him he rebuked
toughest one of them all is able to reign those who would prevent them, saying:
over them in their gang, imitating grown Let the young children come to me, do
up mobsters, as the boys (and sometimes not try to stop them, for the kingdom of
girls among them) mimic the older hood God belongs to such kind of persons. Truly
lums as they step out in the night to rob, I say to you, Whoever does not receive the
rape, murder and terrorize. They resort to kingdom of God like a young child will by
and become slaves of dope to the extent of no means enter into it. He took the
being unable to see even a glimmer of hope children into his arms and began blessing
for a better life. What a picture of gloom! them, laying his hands upon them. This
Instead of being trained for righteousness, provided for them an opportunity for
such youngsters become trained for sin. All genuine happiness. They were free to come
this can be traced back to the comic-book to Jesus and he unhesitatingly invited
fad in kindergarten days, to the radio, them to do so. He said concerning them:
TV and movie crime-thrillers that con Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
sume nearly every school-free waking mo you have furnished praise. Mark 10:14ment of such delinquents. After thus learn 16; Matt. 21:16, NW.
ing about the many kinds of crime they
15 His invitation to them to sing Jeho
brazenly step out into a sin-laden world to vahs praises meant too that it was proper
practice what has been preached to them.
for them to make a dedication to do Jeho
13 Truly it can be seen that foolishness
vahs will. Faithful children today want to
is bound up in the heart of a child, thus
indicating to us that folly is a natural tend serve Jehovah lovingly and loyally and to
ency of youth and, when not removed by follow in the same way that their devoted
the parents or responsible ones, such folly 14. (a) What will be the attitude and conduct of the
11. What will result when idleness is permitted?
12, 13. (a) What has contributed to delinquency in the
schools today? (b) How does folly manifest itself?

Christian-trained youth? (b) Is Jehovah cognizant of

young children? How does he use them?
15. Under what conditions and at what age are dedica
tion and baptism proper for a child?

ay

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

parents are going. Some may ask, then,

Would it be proper for me in my early
teens to make such a dedication vow and
symbolize this by water immersion? Since
many children are baptized each year at
circuit assemblies and other conventions of
Jehovahs people, can it be said that this
is the proper course for these young min
isters to take? Of course, if they do not
know in their own mind what they are
doing, then they are not ready to take
this vital and important step. The definite
age as to when baptism or dedication is
appropriate cannot be designated. If a
child has sufficient knowledge of Almighty
God, Jehovah, and his righteous purposes
and adheres faithfully to the upright prin
ciples set down in his Word, if the child
has reached the age of accountability and
desires to make a dedication to Jehovah,
it is in order for him to do so and it is
then proper to take the step of baptism by
water. Taking this essential and direct step
toward life, the young minister will not be

HELPS
AVOID

S^O a n Y parents argue

that they have tried
everything to apply the
admonition of Jehovah
in training their children to understand
their proper place in the New World so
ciety, but to no avail. Have you? Have you
1. What questions arise relative to cultivating good
habits for children?

309

found in the position of the unrighteous.

Dedication is an essential step and neces
sary to gain the approval of Jehovah God.
Take note of the wise counsel of Solomon
in this respect: Remember also thy Crea
tor in the days of thy youth, before the
evil days come. . . . Fear God, and keep
his commandments; for this is the whole
duty of man. For God will bring every
work into judgment, with every hidden
thing, whether it be good, or whether it
be evil.Eccl. 12:1, 13, 14,
18 So, then, as parents, let us take heed
to Gods Word. As children, take heed will
ingly, gladly to obey! Even before you are
twenty-one, try always to show good sense
and strength and keep your guard up. You
boys of seventeen and eighteen, remember
that you are now entering manhood; you
must make right decisions. You are becom
ing tomorrows men and each of you can
be ready as a man today.
16. What responsibility falls on the shoulders of youth?

B a n ish w a yw a rd
w ord s ; . . . keepaclear
path b efore yo u , . . .
spurn not the Eternal9s
s c h o o lin g , n e v e r b e
weary o f his disci
pline. P rov. 4 : 2 4 ,
2 6 ; 3 : 1 1 , M o.

tried habit, for in

stance? How about
the good habit of
discussing the daily
Bible text each
morning? Can you picture what a firm
groove that would imbed in the childs mind
and how it would help to keep before the
child the purposes of God? Then, too, how
about having a regular Bible study right in

310

WATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N . Y .

the home for the benefit of the entire fam because an obedient child is generally very
ily? Does your family study The Watch- fond of a father and mother who mete out
tower together some evening before the discipline in the proper way. Most of us
meeting? This also can become a good hab have observed how children respect par
it for children and parents alike, resulting ents who enforce their words with penal
in much joy to all. How about the regular ties, if necessaryand do not let their
habit of meeting attendance? Being pres words die as mere idle threats. Most per
ent at every Watchtower study can be sons have respect for one who makes his
come such a strong habit that it will not word good, and that includes children.
be jeopardized by light excuses for staying Children, be admonished therefore: Be
away from this important meeting. Other obedient to your parents in union with the
congregation meetings also are important Lord, for this is righteous: Honor your
and should be included in the weekly father and mother ; which is the first com
budget of time and become good habits. mand with a promise. And, too, you par
Humans are habit-forming; so why not ents who love your children, reprove the
children for their good even as those
cultivate good habits very early in life?
2
Just having our children with us at thewhom Jehovah loves he disciplines, as in
meetings, however, is not adequate. Here fact he scourges everyone whom he re
they will be expected to pay attention and ceives as a son. Discipline is not pleasant
not play, draw pictures or have side attrac at the time, but corrects for righteousness.
tions. They should be taught that there is Eph. 6:1, 2; Heb. 12:6, 11, NW.
3
Good habits include good manners.
a time for things other than play. It may
require the rod of correction to impress Christians should have the best of man
the necessity for being quiet and paying ners. Parents who display good manners
attention, but, when properly applied, such in their daily contact with their children
measures need not be repeated often. and fellow man will have children who dis
Sometimes a young boy of five or six will play the same good manners. We are ad
monished: Maintain your conduct right
begin to get restless in the meeting and
among the nations, that, in the thing in
start fussing, disturbing many. His father,
which they are speaking against you as
sitting beside him, will try to quiet him. evildoers, they may as a result of your right
He continues fussing and the father starts works of which they are eyewitnesses
to get up to take the boy out. The boy glorify God in the day for his inspection.
does not want to gohe has been outside For the Lords sake subject yourselves to
with his daddy before and has lost every every human creation. This good conduct
round. So now junior becomes quiet for the is, in essence, good manners. It is a polite
rest of the meeting. Thus we see that when ness that stems from a love of God and
discipline is firmly and kindly applied so neighbor. 1 Pet. 2:12, 13, NW.
* Parents and children alike can benefit
as to be remembered, it will be beneficial.
Kind application may not always be soft by following the perfect example set by
application. Such discipline is not an in the perfect gentleman, Christ Jesus. He
dication of hatred on the part of parents, practiced the rule of good manners: Do
2. (a) What is required of children while attending
meetings? (b) What example do we have illustrating
proper discipline at meetings on the part of parents,
and what is the reaction on the part of the child when
given chastisement?

3. How may good manners be included in the cultiva

tion of good habits?
4, 5. (a) How is Christ Jesus the proper example of
good manners? (b) How should good manners be exer
cised?

ay

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

to others as you would have them do to

you. However, his good manners did not
come from some rule book written by men,
but sprang from a sincere heart and by his
cultivating good habits and putting into
practice from youth the righteous prin
ciples of Almighty God, especially His law
of love. Matt. 7:12; Luke 6:31,
5Well-mannered parents set the proper
example by being courteous to all, under
all conditions. They are respectful to their
inferiors (children, the mentally ill, less
fortunate ones, etc.), as well as to their
equals (their brothers) and those regarded
as superiors (servants in special capacity,
rulers, kings and governors). Some think
good manners are a coat that you put on
when you go out to visit people. But a
truly well-mannered person is one who be
haves properly all the time. The place to
teach and to learn the best of manners is
in the Christian home.
6 Often young people are quick to be
little or mock parents or other grown-up
men and women, shunning their sound
counsel. This is true when they take as
their standards the dealings of this world.
In following such a course often gossip is
resorted to, to undermine and belittle the
older and more mature servants of Jeho
vah. Do you use the malicious instrument
of gossip? If you refrain from this practice
early in life, it is not likely that you will
adopt it later in life. Failing to show
proper respect, therefore, is nothing more
than a brazen display of rebellion, and it
must be avoided by every youthful minis
ter as well as those older and mature in
Jehovahs service. The Scriptural admoni
tion given by the apostle Paul is appro
priate for youth and, of course, not to be
overlooked by parents: Only behave in a
manner worthy of the good news about the
6, 7. (a) What pitfalls confront youth that may be
detrimental if youth is not curbed? (b) What Scrip
tural counsel is given as to right conduct?

311

Christ, . . . fighting side by side for the

faith of the good news. In harmony with
that you well know how, as a father does
his children, we kept exhorting each one
of you, and consoling and bearing witness
to you, to the end that you should go on
walking worthily of God who is calling you
to his kingdom and glory.Phil. 1:27;
1 Thess. 2:11,12, NW.
7By following such a course Christian
children will avoid the pitfalls common to
undisciplined youth. One who fails to take
sound counsel is likened to one who is void
of understanding and easily overreached
and enticed. The Preacher, Solomon, illus
trated how succumbing to temptation leads
to a disastrous end: I looked . . . and I
beheld among the simple ones,. . . a young
man void of understanding. He continues,
And he is enticed to follow her, like an
ox moving to the slaughter, like a dog
cajoled to the muzzle, like a bird fluttering
straight into the net never dreaming its
life is in danger, till its heart is pierced by
an arrow. Now, my son, listen to me,
attend to what I say: never let yourself
swerve to her ways, never wander on her
paths; her house is the road to the grave,
it leads down to the chambers of death.
Rather than this, allow your path to be
lighted by Gods Word and thus avoid the
snares of the Devil. In earnest prayer peti
tion Jehovah: Oh rescue me, save me,
. . . for thou art my hope, O Lord, I have
trusted thee from youth, . . . Thou hast
been teaching it from my youth. . . . My
lips shall ring with joy and praise, even the
life which thou hast saved. Prov. 7:6, 7,
AS; Prov. 7:21-25, 27, Mo; Ps. 71:2, 5, 17,
23, Mo.
WARNING OF IDOLATROUS PRACTICES

8All Jehovahs servants today must be

alert to the wiles of the Devil. All should
8. What happens when idolatrous schemes are not
recognized and shunned?

312

SfieWATCHTOWER

be aware and have the ability to recognize

the subtle schemes of idolatry and con
cealed snares that may deliver one into the
clutches of the adversary. Lack of heed to
Gods Word victimized the children of
Israel. Bad associations corrupt good mor
als, of youth and adults alike. That is why
the Israelites were exhorted by Jehovah,
who said concerning violent reproachers:
They should not dwell in your land, that
they may not cause you to sin against
me. In case you should serve their gods,
it would become a snare to you. Ex.
23:33; Deut. 7:16,
NW
'Christian children of the King would
consider it unimaginable to follow the
course of false religion. But what about
the many other shrouded contrivances of
false worship that call for us to be equally
vigilant? Satan is the god of this system of
things and is therefore the god of false
worship of any kind, and there are many
varieties. You are servants of the one you
obey.Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13; Rom.
6:16,
NW.
10 For instance, we often see grown-up
men and women glorifying science and
medicine. We observe them turning to
every form of creature worship. Children
too idolize, just as their parents do. Even
eighteen-year-old boys and girls glory and
revel in senseless entertainment many
hours and when left to themselves become
worshipers of self-satisfying pleasures, just
as the pleasure-mad parents, whose exam
ple they witness. This is as the apostle Paul
foretold: They will be lovers of pleasures
rather than lovers of God. Some merely
glorify movie stars and kings of jazz.
Others, taught to revel in deeper sins,
glorify crime and sex and become intoxi
cated with these idol practices of this cor
rupt world. Deadly bait are all such injuri
ous practices when permitted to seep into
9, 10. Why should children be alerted to snares of
idolatry ?

B rooklyn, N . Y .

the heart and mind of youth, weakening

the strong and ensnaring the weak, break
ing down the walls of protection provided
by the sure Word of God. Death is the
penalty for worshiping false gods of any
kind. This would include the serving of
creatures in a worshipful way; loving
pleasure to the extreme and setting ones
affections on those things that would turn
us from the true worship of Almighty God.
So, then, can even those who are still un
der twenty-one ignore the sound advice,
Little children, guard yourselves from
idols ? 2 Tim. 3:1-4; 1 John 5:21, NW.
LOVE AND DESIRE FOR WEALTH ENSNARE

11 Money, too, has become an idol of this

age. Those of this present system of things
have become money-mad, and are at a
point where they will stoop to any un
scrupulous means to attain it. This insati
able desire has become responsible for
much of the thievery and many of the
other crimes of the twentieth century. Re
sorting to these crimes is in violation of
Jehovahs right principles as given in his
Word, and is not compatible with Chris
tian living. Any person guilty of such
crimes would have no place in the New
World society. In fact, if one persisted in
continuing to share in these wrongdoings
it could lead to disfellowshiping from the
Christian congregation, regardless of age.
12Inasmuch as the gaining of wealth is
the main objective of many grownups of
this system of things, children undoubted
ly will show the same passion for accumu
lating money or its equivalent. Hence,
again, we see the importance of the proper
molding of the minds of the youths in the
New World society. While it is true that
11. What are some forms of idolatry that are extremely
subtle in overreaching youth? What penalty would
result ?
12. (a) How and why has the love of money become
such a snare to people? (b) How should Christians
evaluate the proper position of money and its use in
their lives? In their childrens lives?

ay

15, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER

money is a defense and a convenient com

modity to possess, yet the Christian par
ents should instill in the minds of children
true values as emphasized in the Scrip
tures, namely: Knowledge does more good
than money, it safeguards a mans life.
Since children will be of the same under
standing in this respect as the parents,
theocratic parents will have the proper
perspective in accumulating wealth, being
sure that it is always in subjection to the
important thing in ones life, the ministry.
Money should be a means to an end, rather
than an objective in life. We can readily ob
serve from this that parents can do severe
injury to children if they are too liberal
with allowances, giving them too much to
spend. Children need to be restrained in
this regard for their own good. It may be
advantageous for the schoolboy to have a
part-time job, earning his own money and
thereby learning its actual evaluation and
how to handle it judiciously.
13 How much more important are the
riches that one lays up for himself in
heaven! The Scriptures emphasize in Prov
erbs: She is a tree of life to them that
lay hold upon her: and happy is every
one that retaineth her. In contrast, Paul
wrote to Timothy: The love of money is
a root of all sorts of injurious things, and
by reaching out for this love some have
been led astray from the faith and have
stabbed themselves all over with many
pains. It is not the possession of money
that is necessarily evil, but the relative
concern and esteem one places upon its
possession as an achievement. Prov. 3:18,
AS; 1 Tim. 6:10, NW.
ADVANCED EDUCATION

14 Since the love of money and the ad13. How valuable are true riches? What sober thought
should all have of monetary wealth?
14. Why should extreme care and thoughtfulness be
exercised relative to an individuals deciding whether
to seek education beyond high school or not?

313

vent of materialism have a strong influ

ence on young and old alike, they play an
influential part in the decisions made by
youth as to their future course of life.
Many Christian children see their contem
porary graduating classmates planning to
enter college, usually with the intent of
becoming successful by obtaining either a
good position in life or some degree of
prominence, which are both measures of
success today. But can this be viewed as
a course of wisdom di
rected from a theocratic
v i e w p o i n t ? Frequently
the question arises in the
mind of youth: Would
it be proper for me to en
ter c o l l e g e ? Will the
broadening of my educa
tion enhance my capabil
ities later as a theocratic
minister? Whether a person
should or should not seek such
higher education is dependent
on the individual and what he desires to
gain from life, present and future. Up to
this point he has been successfully guided
by theocratic parents in harmony with god
ly principleshe is a successful young min
ister. Now, again, as many times before,
he comes to a point in life where he must
make a decision, and here too the parents
can come to the fore as counselors. Being
a sincere young Christian minister, he
wants to make a right decision. He must
decide whether his ambitions are toward
the popular trend of materialism or not
whether he desires to get ahead in the
world, to attain a high position and honor
and esteem of men which a college educa
tion subsequently leads to. In making his
decision he must bear in mind the ques
tion: How will this affect my position in
the New World society and my relation
ship toward Jehovah God? College is too

Jl__ II

314

SFEeWATCHTOWER-

often a tool of the old world and is shaped

so as to be used later in accomplishing its
ideologies and to enhance success accord
ing to old-world standards. It follows, too,
then, that such a course could turn ones
mind away from theocratic education and
principles. It would therefore be necessary
for one to consider whether he is strong
enough to practically divorce himself from
theocratic association for at least four
years while filling the mind with old-world
thoughts and principles.
15 It is not the acquiring of true scien
tific knowledge or that on many other sub
jects, which is in full accord with the Word
of God, that is detrimental, but rather the
vehicle in which it is conveyed is often
saturated with the ideas of men conflicting
with Gods thoughts, such as the evolution
theory as to the origin of man and other
theories and hypotheses that are not com
patible with the Bible. Taking in knowl
edge of pure mathematical science, phys
ics, chemistry, engineering, history, etc.,
is very commendable and necessary for ad
vancing and improving standards for peo
ple to enjoy in this the twentieth century,
and this may well continue into the new
world when done in harmony with Gods
right standards. However, as transmitted
to the students through modern unprinci
pled political ideologies, and therefore ques
tionable, through the unscrupulous com
mercial methods, and through the allied
doctrines of modern Christendom, it may
have an adverse effect on the students
mind.
16 One of the greatest risks would be
the temptation to share in the many and
varied campus activities, including wild
parties and the like that could easily lead
to weakening the moral standards required
of Christians. The same would also be true
15. Is the acquiring of scientific knowledge or other
courses detrimental? What is liable to bend thinking
in the wrong direction?
16. What should students particularly avoid?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

of so many other extracurricular attrac

tions that would jeopardize the integrity
of God-fearing youth. No one is to submit
himself to unnecessary circumstances that
would lead one into the snares of the ever
wily foe, Satan.
17 When one realizes that the doctrine of
evolution and other philosophies of men
contrary to the Word of God are a part of
higher education, he must consider wheth
er he possesses adequate resistance to
withstand the influence of erroneous
teachings. Would it not be true that such
information would be replacing the good
and healthful information of Gods Word
that one had gained earlier in life under
the direction of theocratic parents? It is
highly improbable that one would be
strong enough to separate himself from
theocratic association and service to Al
mighty God for such a period of time and
still expect to remain in the truth. Finally,
and extremely important, what would one
select for a profession that would tend to
enhance ones ministry?
18 In pursuing a course of higher educa
tion, one would acquire wisdom. But after
what fashion? Bear in mind that the in
stitutions of this system of things promul
gate their ideas and may easily lead one
into submission and cause one to measure
success according to their standards, since
the sons of this system of things are
wiser in a practical way . . . than the sons
of the light are. Today they pride them
selves on being very practical-minded.
And the lesson for us? Also I say to you,
Make friends for yourselves by means of
the unrighteous riches, so that, when such
fail, they may receive you into the everlast
ing dwelling-places. Luke 16:8, 9, NW.
17. (a) Why is the contamination of school courses
with philosophies of men dangerous? (b) What further
questions confront the person contemplating the pur
suit of higher education?
18. What type of wisdom is likely to be gained, and
what may be its effect?

Ma y 15, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWEK

19We are admonished to remain sepa

rate from the world, and yet we would
be filling our minds with the principles of
this world. We are counseled not to miss
meetings, yet this would unquestionably
result. We are strongly urged to study to
show ourselves approved unto God ; in the
old world we would be studying to gain
wisdom and approval of men. Be doers
of the Word and not hearers only, we are
taught; but by following the course of
higher education we would have little time
to be hearers or doers of the Word of God.
20 Gods approval is upon no part of the
old world, and that includes its institu
tions of learning that promulgate its
philosophies. Such wisdom adds nothing
to the stature of an individual as a minis
ter of Jehovah, because that is not its in
tended purpose, nor is it designed with this
objective.
21Constructive education and training
are spoken of by Paul in his words ad
dressed to the Ephesians, including assign
ments for this purpose: And he gave
some as apostles, some as prophets, some
as missionaries, some as shepherds and
teachers, with a view to the training of
the holy ones for ministerial work, for the
building up of the body of the Christ, un
til we all attain to the oneness in the faith
and in the accurate knowledge of the Son
of God, to a full-grown man, to the meas
ure of growth that belongs to the fullness
of the Christ. Why this? In order that
we should no longer be babes, tossed about
as by waves and carried hither and thither
by every wind of teaching by means of the
trickery of men, by means of craftiness
in contriving error. But speaking the
truth, let us by love grow up in all things
. . . that you no longer go on walking just
19, 20. (a) For the young Christian minister who seeks
higher education, what risks are involved? (b) Why
would we not expect it to have Gods approval?
21. What constitutes constructive Christian education,
and of what value is it?

315

as the nations also walk in the unprofitable

ness of their minds. Go on walking as
children of light,. . . and quit sharing with
them in the unfruitful works which belong
to the darkness. Is present higher educa
tion under old-world standards compatible
with these words of the apostle? The two
are no more miscible than oil and water.
Eph. 4:11-17; 5:8, 11,
22 When a person dedicates his life to
Jehovah, his lifetime vocation is that of
being a minister and everything else not
only gives way to it but is molded to ac
complish the requirements laid upon a
minister by Jehovah. He will not permit
his attentions to be divided by any other
pursuits or desires. This being the case,
how much more profitably could the young
man or woman spend the corresponding
or equivalent four years or more in the
full-time preaching; perhaps even going
to Gilead and then participating in the
missionary service or other special assign
ments, or even sharing in Bethel service.
Then full heed would be given to the ex
pert advice: Pay constant attention to
yourself and to your teaching. Stay by
these things, for by doing this you will
save both yourself and those who listen
to you. 1 Tim. 4:16,
23 Today many young people are of the
frame of mind that they are to judge as
to what is right and what is wrong. Often
we hear the expression, I am doing what
is right ; I am doing good, I am not hurt
ing anyone. Appropriately, then, the
question might be proposed, According to
what standards? Seemingly it is a course
that is right in their own eyes, just as it
was in the days of Israel when there was
no king. This accounts for much of the
confusion of today, and here again we find
22. (a) What is the vocation of a dedicated young man
or woman? (b) What must be the relative position of
other interests in life? What may be his most cherished
goal?
23. What common error of judgment is frequently made
by youth today?

316

SfieWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn, N . Y .

in the proper selection of a mate. Jehovahs

rules on this matter are clear, beginning
with what constitutes eligibility for mar
riage. Parents should be just as concerned
as was Abraham when he selected a mar
MORAL STANDARDS AND
riage partner for his son Isaac. On this mat
CONTEMPLATION OF MARRIAGE
ter Isaac had respect for his God-fearing fa
24
When it comes to making decisionsther. Although he lived among Canaanites
perhaps the most trying years of youth and their young women, none of these
are the teens, when girls enter womanhood could be considered for Isaac, because they
and boys begin taking on the characteris were not in covenant relationship with
tics of manhood. This opens up an entirely Jehovah. Paul passes the same wholesome
new view of life to them. So far the par information on to Christians, saying:
ents should have had the complete con Marry only in the Lord. How can separa
fidence of the children, and this should tion from the world be maintained when
continue. Young men and women should one selects a mate from the world and then
be able to continue to bring to father and lives so intimately as husband and wife?
Gen. 24:3, 4, 37; 1 Cor. 7:39,
mother their questions about
25
Since the Bible stresse
life and the meaning of the
importance of singleness, that
changes they are experienc
is even a better course. Paul
ing. They expect correct
explains: The single man
answers. Youth is entitled
is anxious for the things of
to learn more than just
the Lord, how he may gain
the casual explanations
the Lords approval. But
of life by listening to
the married man is anx
stories about the birds
ious for the things of the
and bees and flowers!
world, how he may gain
Now they are entitled
the approval of his wife,
to continue receiving
and he is divided. One
instructions in the fun
who chooses this better
damentals of life too.
course of singleness
Parents are the Godappointed ones to give this vital informa must bear in mind that along with it
tion. Youth expects it and is entitled to it chastity is required. If it is impossible for
from you, fathers and mothers. This in a young man or a woman to live a conti
cludes proper conduct toward the opposite nent life, Paul advises: But if they do
sex. Likewise, it includes respect for the not have self-control [gift of singleness],
moral code established, not by man, but by let them marry, for it is better to marry
Jehovah God. When children reach these than to be inflamed with passion. (1 Cor.
NW) Such young people
years of life and subsequently think of mar 7:32-34, 9,
riage, the parents should again properly fill their teens or older are prospective Chris
the role of instructor so the son or the tian children of the King, Christ Jesus,
daughter will understand what is required and their behavior toward the opposite sex
youth has adopted the same pattern.
Even in the immature state of youth, they
are making up their minds as to what is
right or not, and the results are obvious.

24. (a) What other subjects of instruction come within

the scope of parental duty? Why? (b) What is so im
portant regarding eligibility for a marriage partner?

25. (a) Why is singleness so highly regarded in the

Scriptures? Under what conditions? (b) What practices
must be avoided?

Ma y 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

317

CONCLUSION
must be clean and above reproach. Just
because those in the world revel in drink
27 Parents have wonderful opportunities
ing sprees, heavy necking and petting, this today to rear children that meet Gods
is no reason for any of Jehovahs serv standards and have his approval. No herit
ants, young or old, to let their guard down age can be greater than this. Nothing
and fall into a similar course of degrada could possibly bring greater happiness to a
tion. The end of such conduct should be successful parent than to witness children
kept in mind. Excessive drinking and over growing to manhood and womanhood shar
eating leads to dulled senses and a lack of ing in the service of Almighty God.
resistance to temptation. Petting arouses
28 Youths properly instructed, trained
the sex impulses. Such desires improperly and disciplined truly have a place in the
carried too far lead to gross immorality. New World society at this time. They are
God-fearing persons cannot carry on as the indeed a glory to parents, to the congrega
godless world does. Certainly parents have tion and, above all, to Jehovah and His
a solemn obligation to bring up their chil obedient and faithful King-Son, Christ
dren with a clear understanding of these Jesus. Young ministers will shun all prac
fundamentals of life as well as to warn tices and instructions tending to attract
them of the pitfalls.
their attention to old-world materialism,
26
By the time of majority youth shouldearthly successes and desires, which are
have a clear understanding of marriage nothing more than ensnaring pitfalls of the
and what it means. The fact that one third adversary. Instead, the most cherished
of the marriages today end up in divorce ambition of young people either single or
on every kind of grounds should not mean married could be that of Bethel service in
that marriage should be taken lightly, as Brooklyn or at one of the Watch Tower
observed in this modem age. Divorcing
branches, the full-time service as a Gilead
mates on grounds other than adultery and
graduate in missionary or other assign
marrying another still constitutes a viola
ments
or in the full-time pioneer ministry
tion of Gods covenant on marriage and
ranks.
Being a Christian minister of Jeho
could not have Gods approval. No forni
cator or unclean person . . . has any in vah is the grandest position that todays
heritance in the kingdom of the Christ youth can occupy or be trained for. It is
and of God. It is important that young the course that leads to endless life, can
men and women be acquainted with these be a channel through which others will
facts of life in order to share in marriage receive such life and, best of all, wins the
in conformity with Gods will. They will blessings of the living God, Jehovah. You
realize that married Christians stay mar young ministers of today, then, do become
ried and have proper respect for the Scrip tomorrows mature, loyal, faithful serv
tural arrangement: Let marriage be hon
ants and representatives of Jehovahs New
orable among all, and the marriage bed be
World society, to his praise!
without defilement, for God will judge for
nicators and adulterers. Eph. 5:5; 1 Cor. 27. What opportunities are set before parents that
bring joy to their hearts?
6:9, 13; Heb. 13:4,
NW 28. What will be the cherished ambition or goal of the
26. How should a young Christian view marriage?

young minister, and what may be his position in the

New World society?

Strip off the old personality with its practices. Col. 3:9 , NW.

False Shepherds Wail

on the subject, some, such as Gerhardt, Quenstedt and Calov, holding that the earth would
be literally destroyed, whereas others, such
as Luther himself and Brenz, held that only
the form of this earth would pass away, the
clergymen were asked with which group they
agreed. W ith Luther, of course! was the
reply.
^ W hen it was pointed out that Luther did
not believe the literal earth would be de
stroyed and that Lutheran theologians were
divided on the subject, they insisted that their
Cyclopedia said no such things, and upon be
ing shown in black and white they endeavored
to misconstrue the plain statements. Clearly
they had not been aware of this disagreement
among their own theologians. One of them,
losing his temper, leaned across the table and
shouted that it was ridiculous fo r ignorant
laymen to tell them what they believed, etc.
^ The husband countered by saying that the
beliefs of Jehovahs witnesses made more
sense. A t this point one of the clergymen
sneered: You, with your stupid, lousy little
minds, must jam all the scriptures together so
they make sense. That is the most stupid and
lousy doctrine I ever heard.
In the course of the evenings discussion the
clergymen said that God was frustrated be
cause all are not going to be saved even
though he would like them to be. W hen the
time came for them to leave the one seem
ingly with more authority got up and said:
I just have this to say, this has been the most
disgusting, most disappointing night of my
life, and if I had known it would be like this
I would never have come. A fter some further
remarks on the subject of hell the other
two clergymen also left.

HE clergy of Christendom have arrogated

to themselves the role of shepherds of
their flocks. Neglecting to feed the sheep,
they wail when they note Jehovahs true shep
herds feeding the sheeplike ones, for it means
a spoiling of their pastures. An illustration of
this is the following experience that took place
in a town in New York state the latter part
of 1955.
"g The wife had been studying with Jehovahs
witnesses intermittently for some time, but
the husband only for a few weeks, when they
wrote their Lutheran pastor that they wanted
to become Jehovahs witnesses. Thereupon he
made a call and for two hours vainly tried to
make them change their minds. A t his in
stance a meeting was arranged with the wit
nesses and the subject of the trinity was dis
cussed.
g A t its conclusion the husband said to his
pastor: Mr. B-------, the first round goes to the
witnesses. I never really knew what the trin
ity was, and now that I do, I know it doesnt
make sense. The pastor replied: Of course
it doesnt make sense. But when the Bible
doesnt make sense, neither should we.
g It was agreed to have another discussion
the following week on the subject of hell.
However, he later phoned saying he would not
be able to keep the appointment but would be
glad to come the next week and bring a friend
along. In the meantime the witnesses, by
means of a Lutheran Cyclopedia, posted them
selves on just what the Lutheran theologians
did teach on various religious subjects. The
following week the pastor came with not just
one friend, but two, both of whom were also
clergymen, one of whom seemed to have more
authority than the others.
<g During the discussion of hell the question
came up as to whether or not hells fire was
literal. The one with more authority stressed
that it was literal, hell was a hot place. When
he was shown that the Lutheran Cyclopedia
held that the fire was not literal he became
very angry and endeavored to deny that he
had said it was really hot in hell.
<g Next the subject of the end of the world
came up. The clergymen held that it would be
literally destroyed and cited as proof 2 Peter
3:10. A s the witnesses had found that Luther
an dogmaticians disagreed with one another

TT

The couple rejoiced over the victory the

truth had gained. Since then they are having
an ever-increasing share in preaching the
good news of the Kingdom and are feeding
regularly at Jehovahs table spread for them
at the local Kingdom Hall.
Hark, the cry of the shepherds, and the
wail of the lords of the flock! For the L ord is
despoiling their pasture. Truly those prophet
ic words of Jeremiah, written some twentyfive centuries ago, are finding fulfillment in
our day. Jer. 25:36, RS.
318

 In the Revised Standard Version of the Holy

Bible, published in America in 1952, the divine
name Jehovah does not appear at all, not even
in the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
According to the Preface of this 1952 Version
the word Lord has been used instead of God's
name. Would it therefore be right for us to
read the name Jehovah wherever the word
Lord occurs in connection with God that thus
God's name might be put in its proper place?
No, it would not be right to do so. W h y not?
For this reason: In the Revised Standard Ver
sion, the same as in the Authorized or King
James Version, the divine name Jehovah has
been substituted for by the title L ord printed
in all capital letters or by the other title G od
printed in all capital letters. W here the titles
Lord or God do not occur in all capital
letters, then it does not translate the divine
name Jehovah. For example, in chapter one
of Genesis the title God occurs m any times, but
it does not translate the divine name in the
Hebrew and hence God has only an initial
capital letter and the other letters are small or
in lower case. In the Hebrew text the divine
name Jehovah begins to occur first in chapter
two of Genesis, and there the Revised Standard
Version renders it by the title L ord in all
capital letters. However, in Genesis 15:2 we
find the expression Lord G od with the title
G od in all capital letters but not so the title
Lord. This is because the title G od trans
lates the divine name Jehovah but the title
Lord does not do so here.
In Genesis 15:2 the word Lord applies to
Jehovah all right but it translates the Hebrew
word pronounced Ad'Orna'i or Ad-omY This
Hebrew word means M aster or Lord and
is applied only to Jehovah God. So it describes
Jehovah God as being M aster or Lord. Hence
in the Hebrew text the Hebrew expression for
Lord G od is Ad-o-ni' Ye-ho-urih' The Ameri
can Standard Version and the New World
Translation translate this expression into Eng
lish as Lord Jehovah. In the Hebrew Scrip
tures this expression Ad*o*m' Ye'ho*wih' or
Lord Jehovah occurs over three hundred
times, beginning with Genesis 15:2. In the one

prophetic book of Ezekiel alone this expression

Lord Jehovah occurs 214 times, beginning
with Ezekiel 2 :4 . In all of these hundreds of
cases the Revised Standard Version and the
Authorized or King James Version use the word
G od in all capitals instead of Jehovah, be
cause it would be foolish to translate this He
brew expression the Lord L ord.
So, aside from the name Jehovah there is a
special title, Ad-o-na'i or Ad-o-nV, which ap
plies to God alone, and which describes him
as Lord or Master. In places in the accepted
Hebrew text the title Ad-omV occurs by itself,
as at Psalms 68:32 and 136:3, and hence the
word Lord properly appears in the English.
There is another Hebrew expression that ap
plies exclusively to Jehovah, namely, ha-A-don'.
This expression is properly translated the
Lord in English. It occurs a limited number
of times, namely, at Exodus 2 3 :1 7 ; 34:23; Isa
iah 1:2 4 ; 3 :1 ; 10:16, 33; 1 9 :4 ; Micah 4:13 and
Malachi 3:1. It would be improper, therefore,
for anyone when reading these verses to sub
stitute the divine name Jehovah for the title
the Lord.
Also in Hebrew the expression for Lord
Jehovah is not the same as the expression for
Jehovah God. This fact is hidden in many
translations of the Bible because the transla
tors try to hide the divine name by using in
stead the word L ord in some places and the
word G od in other places. The New World
Translation does away with all this confusion
of thought by rendering the divine name Jeho
vah where it appears in the Hebrew and by
rendering the title Lord or The Lord where it
appears in the Hebrew text.
W hen the W atch Tower publications quote the
Bible from any translation that hides the divine
name by substituting the L ord or G od fo r it,
our publications will sometimes insert the
name Jehovah in brackets after the L ord
or G od in order to identify who is meant.
Likewise when anyone reads aloud to others
from a Bible version that does not use the
divine name, it would be honest and proper to
read the Bible verse or verses just the way
the translators of that version rendered the
text, and after reading the words the L ord or
G od the reader could make the comment that
this expression means Jehovah or is Jehovah
in the original Hebrew text. In that w ay a
writer or a reader cannot be accused of m is
quoting or misrepresenting any translation
that conceals the divine name by substitute
words.

319

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

June 24: Youth in the New W orld Society, and
Careful Living Helps Avoid Life's Pitfalls,
111-5. Page 304.
July 1: Careful Living Helps Avoid Life's Pitfalls, II6-28. Page 311.

vV

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The W atchtower", do you remember

Where today's clergymen really have fall
en short? P. 292, H6.
How the apostle Paul disproved the popu
lar religious view regarding Mary? P. 293, H3.
^
How men have tried to put Mary in a
position that really belongs only to Jesus?
P. 294, H5.
^
Whether the apostles worshiped Mary?
P. 295, A3.
^
When and how the Great Pyramid of Giza
was built? P. 297, U2.
^
What, most likely, was the real purpose
of the pyramids? P. 300, 112.
I* Whether man s first speech was in grunts
and growls like that of the animals? P. 301, 114.
^
Why worldly barriers do not divide Jeho
vah s witnesses? P. 303, U6.

Why the training of children should start

at a very tender age? P. 305, U4.
What will enable a child to overcome the
delinquency and corruption encountered at
school? P. 306, H7.
^

^ What good home habits can be of lifelong

value to your child? P. 309, Hi.
^
What your children are expected to do
during congregational meetings? P. 310, H2.

^ What dangers youths face in today's high

er education? P. 314, Hi7.
What fundamentals regarding petting,
morals and the like you should teach your
child? P. 316, H25.
How some Bible translations hide God's
true name? P. 3 l9 , H6.

320

JUNE 1, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

KEEP PACE WITH

THE N EW W ORLD SOCIETY
KEEP PACE BY CONFORMING
TO THEOCRATIC REQUIREMENTS
JESUS AND THE JEWS

IS SINCERITY ENOUGH?
WTB&TS

'YOU ARE MY WITNESSES. SAYS

JEHOVAH Isa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
well the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1. N. Y.. U. S. A.
N. H. K no rr , President
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

P r in t in g t h is is s u e :

CONTENTS
Is Sincerity Enough?

323

Jesus and the Jews

324

Luther Fights Then Compromises

329

W ielding the Spiritual Sword Against

Wicked Spirit Forces

332

Pursuing M y Purpose in Life

333

Keep Pace with the New W orld Society

336

Keep Pace by Conforming to

Theocratic Requirements

342

Questions from Readers

350

Announcements (District assemblies, etc.)

351

Ablrtvlitions asetf in T M Watchtower for the following Bible versions

- American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
- An American Translation
Mo - James Moffatts version

fk M k

2,550,000

F iv e c e n t s a c o p y

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

- J. N. Darby's version
NW - New World Translation
*- Catholic Douay version
Ro - J. B. Rotherham's version
- The Emphatic Diaglott
RS - Revised Standard Version
- Isaac Leesers version
Yg - Robert Young's version
otherwise indicated, the Bible used if the King James Version

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hollandisb

Uocano
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Watch Tower Society offices

Monthly
Arabic
Armenian
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo

Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho

Siamese
Silozi
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America. U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1 , N.Y.

$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 1 50 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 1 0, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /~
Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G .P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor S t., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as weU as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U.S.A.

-y^rvT zo u T Z cirtcf

JEH OVAH S
KINGDOM
June 1, 1956

'TV

C^5INCE
Ik ^ U A N Y persons say that if you are
sincere in your belief that is enough. They
argue that divine judgment swings on the
hinges of sincerity rather them correctness.
It is not so much a matter of right belief
as it is of sincere belief. Sincerity is neces
sary, but is it enough?
There is a way which seems right to a
man, but its end is the way to death. The
wrong way does not lead to the right des
tination just because the lost one is sincere.
Prov. 14:12, RS.
Jesus said to his followers: The hour
is coming when everyone that kills you
will imagine he has rendered a sacred
service to God. Will Jehovah approve the
killing of Christians on the grounds of sin
cerity?John 16:2, NW.
The apostle Paul said of those who were
sincere but incorrect: I bear them wit
ness that they have a zeal for God; but not
according to accurate knowledge; for, be
cause of not knowing the righteousness of
God but seeking to establish their own,
they did not subject themselves to the
righteousness of God. Rom. 10:2,3, NW.
These persons were sincere; they were
also stubborn. They were so intent in prov
ing that they were right they had no time
to learn what God said was right. They
were not sincerely meek, but were sin
cerely stubborn, idolizing their own will

323

Number 11

QMXHMjVl/'?

and way and refusing to subject them

selves to the will and way of God.
Sincerity is necessary, but it is not
enough. Those who are truly sincere will
change when they learn they are wrong.
Because of their sincerity Jehovah extends
them mercy. So it was in the case of the
apostle Paul, who wrote: Formerly I was
a blasphemer and a persecutor and an inso
lent man. Nevertheless, I was shown mercy,
because I was ignorant and acted with a
lack of faith. 1 Tim. 1:13, NW.
Jehovah requires more than sincerity:
What doth Jehovah require of thee, but
to do justly, and to love goodness, and to
walk humbly with thy God? How is it
possible to do justly and to practice good
ness without knowing what Jehovah con
siders just and good? How can one walk
humbly with God unless he knows the way
or path of God? He cannot walk stubborn
ly in his own way and at the same time
walk humbly in Gods way. Mic. 6:8,
A person who is truly sincere will
change when he is proved to be wrong.
How sincere, actually, is the person who is
shown from his own Bible that the soul
that sinneth, it shall die, yet continues to
believe the soul is immortal? How sincere
is the one who still believes God and Christ
are equal in a trinity after reading in his
own Bible Jesus words: My Father is
greater than I ? How sincere is the one

324

SReWATCHTOWEFL

who is shown from his own Bible that the

wages of sin is death, but continues to
argue that sins punishment is eternal tor
ment? Ezek. 18:4; John 14:28; Rom. 6:23.
Is it not possible that many who say sin
cerity is enough are just wanting to take
their own course while giving it the stamp
of Gods approval? It is so easy to go your
own way complacently while hiding behind

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

the claim of sincerity. Oftentimes stub

bornness lurks behind the cloak of sincer
ity. When it does not, when the sincerity
is genuine through and through, its pos
sessor changes when ways are proved
wrong. If there is no effort to learn what
is right, if there is no change when belief
is proved wrong, then there was never
present any genuine sincerity.

rejection and persecution and death. Isa. 8:14.

Nevertheless, Jesus did cause thousands and thou
sands of individual Jews to switch over from Judaism
to Christianity. Christianity rests on a Jewish founda
tion; all the apostles and early
disciples of Jesus were Jews.
Though the majority of these
'iJjliy did the Jews
Jewish Christians were drawn
stumble over Je
from the humbler walks of
sus nineteen cenlife, many of them were for
turies a g o?
merly scribes and priests and
Why is he now
Pharisees. (Acts 6:7; 15:5)
an even great
Jewish characteristics have
er stumbling
not changed. If racial traits
stone to the
did
not prevent thousands
Jews? What facts
from
accepting Jesus then,
are a key to open
these
traits cannot now be
minds long closed
rightly
blamed for Jewish re
on this subject?
jection of Jesus Christ. Why
did so many Jews accept him
ESUS could turn water into wine. He then, but do so few now?
He did perform miracles then that Chris
could stop the wind and calm the waves
and walk on water. He could feed thou tians cannot duplicate now. These were
sands with a few loaves and fishes. He impressive and striking and attracted
could cure cripples, cleanse lepers, make great crowds, but Jesus did not stress the
the blind see and the deaf hear. He could miracles. Miracles inspire awe and amaze
ment and gain attention, but it is the gain
even raise the dead to life.
But he could not convert the Jewish ing of accurate knowledge that converts,
that makes the mind over and changes the
nation.
He did not expect to. He knew that Isa personality from old ways of thinking and
iah had foretold that he would be for a acting to new ways of Christian thought
stone of stumbling and for a rock of of and conduct. Because more prophecies
fence to both the houses of Israel. Gods have been fulfilled now than in Jesus day
word would not be voided. He expected there is more knowledge available for

June

1, 1956

325
SEeWATCHTOWER
preaching now than there was then, so had to attend sessions for Catholic reli
this should offset the inability to perform gious instruction, and each week a Cath
miracles today. Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:9; olic teacher was commissioned to preach
theology in the synagogues. Many false
Prov. 4:18.
If the Jewish nature has not changed, and ridiculous charges were raised against
and with more knowledge now, which has the Jews, such as when a red bread mold
more power than miracles to effect a last appeared on the wafers used in communion
ing and enduring conversion, why are so the priests said Jews had stabbed it, killing
few Jews accepting Jesus today? Has Christ again and making the wafer bleed.
something happened between Jesus day Often Jews were charged with killing Cath
and ours that explains the increased re olic children and using their blood for the
sistance to accepting Jesus as Messiah? passover celebration. These charges tossed
like firebrands among the Catholic rabble
Yes.
inflamed them to commit the most horrible
outrages against the Jews. Whole Jewish
ATROCITIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES*
During this period the Roman Catholics communities were annihilated, thousands
ruled in western Europe. They placed op of Jews were burned at the stake, massacres
pressive restrictions on the Jews. Jews made ghetto streets run red with blood.
All of this was done in the name of
were limited to certain kinds of employ
ment, could own no landed property, and Jesus. It was to avenge the death of Jesus.
were officially stamped by the Catholic Jews were given the ultimatum: accept
Church as perfidious. They were herded baptism or be put to death. Their children
into ghettos to live, which they could leave were stolen from them and baptized, never
during the day but had to be back into to be seen again by the parents. Thousands
by nightfall, when a Christian guard of Jews were forcibly baptized to become
locked the only gate to the ghetto. They nominal Christians only, while thousands
were forced to wear the yellow Jew-badge, of others refused and suffered torturous
about which the Dominican priest Pater deaths. When Jews heard the Crusaders
Constant wrote: How was it otherwise were coming they often killed their children
possible not to lose sight of the odd com and then themselves. Those who did not
panion whom the compassionate hospital were trampled under the feet of the horses
ity of the church had imposed upon the of these cruel, coarse plunderers, or put
C h ris tia n ? E v er sin ce the g rea t be to the sword, or burned alive in their
trayal at Mount Cal
homes or synagogues. Many times
vary the spirit of
the record shows that the Jews
the Iscariot had in
died martyrs deaths with the
fested the Jew is
words The Lord our God
race. In the heart of
e v e ry Jew th ere
flows a t r a i t o r s
blood.
Jewish ch ild re n
Source of material in
this section is mainly from
Chapter III of Anti-Semi
tism Throughout the Ages,
by
Count
Hei nr i c h
Coudenhove-Kalergi.

riding on

II

M . Z e c h ? : ? . ___ T

326

SfteWATCHTOWER

is One on their lips, a protest against the

unscriptural trinity doctrine that Jesus is
God. Jews were wrongly charged with deicide, or murder of God.
During the Spanish Inquisition public
burning, called auto-da-fe, that is, act of
faith, was widely used against the Jews,
and one historian writes: For three cen
turies Europe witnessed the terrible spec
tacle of the smoke of carbonized innocent
victims ascending to the sky. Thousands
of Jews died in this way, and this diabol
ical horror was perpetrated as an act of
faith! What kind of religious faith would
command such acts? Certainly not the
faith delivered by Jesus Christ, the meek
and lowly one, the one who advocated
turning the other cheek, the one who said
do not refrain just from murder but even
from anger. Yet the history of the Middle
Ages is a sickening carnage wreaked on
innocent persons by those who claimed
that they were thereby serving Jesus! In
his name they robbed, plundered, mas
sacred, burned and annihilated hundreds
of thousands of persons just because they
were Jews. What preposterous, diabolical
blasphemy!
In our day one Catholic theologian tried
to wash the churchs hands of this blood by
saying that in the case of the Inquisition
the state executed the sentences. But this
church would never let Jews living cen
turies after Jesus death escape responsi
bility for it by saying the Roman soldiers
impaled Christ. In both cases it was the
religious leaders that goaded the state into
its murderous action. Nor was it Catholi
cism alone that committed these atrocities
against the Jews. In one of his works Mar
tin Luther called the Jews liars, blood
hounds, poisonous otters, spiteful serpents,
children of Satan, and declared that had
he the power he would assemble their
scholars and under the threat of tearing
their tongues out of their throats would

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

make them confess Christian teaching. It

is nauseating to read of such human de
pravity. And as the seemingly endless
pages of horror upon horror unfold the
senses numb and the mind reels and stag
gers under the ungodly impact of such
inhuman fiendishness.
NO CAUSE FOR STUMBLING

If those so-called Christians repre

sented Jesus, can you blame Jews for de
spising the name? If their efforts to con
vert are proper missionary activity, can
you condemn the Jews for detesting the
term missionary? Centuries of persecution
and torture and death have rolled over the
Jews since Jesus day, and these things
have been done to Jews in the name of
Jesus and in the guise of missionary activ
ity. That is the great difference in the
Jews in Jesus time and the Jews now; that
is why individual Jews accepted him more
readily then than they do now.
The Jewish people have been shamefully
persecuted and misrepresented. And the
most misrepresented Jew of them all is
Jesus! He has been grossly misrepresented
by the very ones claiming to serve him,
to speak for him, but who instead are by
their fruits identified as the offspring of
Satan. (Matt. 7:20; John 8:44) How could
any intelligent person read just one page
of Jesus words recorded in any one of
the Gospels and still think the religious
murderers of the Middle Ages represented
Christ Jesus? When did he ever assail the
Jews with false charges, or rouse rabble
elements against them, or forcibly baptize
them? When did he ever burn a Jew at the
stake for not accepting him as Messiah?
By what ridiculous stretch of the imagina
tion, then, can it be said that those who
do such things are following in the foot
steps of Jesus ? Some who have lived in mod
ern times have committed such atrocities
against Jews. Who has forgotten Hitlers

Ju n e

1, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

attempted genocide of the Jews? He was

also a Roman Catholic, never excommuni
cated despite repeated requests to that
effect, and his avowed aim was to re
establish the Holy Roman Empire, an em
pire characterized by just such Jewish
persecution and slaughter that Hitler re
vived.
None of such fiendishness is representa
tive of Jesus. He was a Jew, showed love
toward Jews, confined his preaching to
Jews, healed the diseases of many Jews,
forgave the sins of many Jews, and when
he laid down his life it was for Jews as
well as for others. The Jesus of the Bible
is so different from the one taught by
orthodox religions of Christendom. If Jews
will investigate this difference, learn of it,
it will chip off much of the falsehood that
makes Jesus such a stumbling stone to
them. Their cause for stumbling will
shrivel. They will see Jesus as he was and
is, not as false Christians represent him
to be.
WHY THE JEWISH NATION REJECTED JESUS

But why did not the Jewish nation ac

cept Jesus when he came centuries ago?
They saw him as he was. They had no false
picture of him as Jews today have. Why
did they reject him as Messiah? At that
time the Jews were restive under Roman
domination, were smarting under the Ro
man yoke. They anticipated a Messiah that
would come as a great military figure to
smash Roman power and break that yoke
from off Jewish necks. Jesus did not meas
ure up to these expectations, these hopes.
They were disappointed in him and his
talk of submissiveness under Rome dis
pleased them. He exposed the hypocrisy of
Jewish religious leaders, which first net
tled them and finally enraged them to the
point of demanding his death. As an un
resisting lamb he was led to the slaughter.

327

Many prophecies in the Hebrew Scrip

tures foretold Messiahs coming. For in
stance, this Messianic promise: For to us
a child is born, to us a son is given; and
the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Fa
ther, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and of peace there will be
no end, upon the throne of David, and over
his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold
it with justice and with righteousness from
this time forth and for evermore. And
this one: I saw in the night visions, and
behold, with the clouds of heaven there
came one like a son of man, and he came
to the Ancient of Days and was presented
before him. And to him was given domin
ion and glory and kingdom, that all peo
ples, nations, and languages should serve
him; his dominion is an everlasting domin
ion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Isa. 9:6, 7; Dan. 7:13, 14, RS.
In fulfillment of these prophecies the
Jews expected a Messiah who would set
up a victorious earthly kingdom that
would remain forever. But they overlooked
this vital point: Messiah was foretold to
come twice, once as a sacrifice to die for
obedient men, and then as a reigning king
over an everlasting government. In their
anxiousness to be delivered from Rome
and be politically exalted immediately they
overlooked the necessity of the first pres
ence and had eyes only for the glorious
second presence. They looked for Messiah
to come in the clouds of heaven and set
up an everlasting earthly government. In
stead he came riding on the foal of an ass
recommending submission to the Roman
yoke!
How unattractive to those Jews! Of him
they could well say: He had no form or
comeliness that we should look at him, and
no beauty that we should desire him, and

fEeWATCHTOWER

328

they could add: He was despised, and we

esteemed him not. These Jewish senti
ments for Messiah at his first coming were
foretold in the fifty-third chapter of Isa
iah, and this chapter goes on to show that
Messiah would be led like a lamb to the
slaughter when he makes himself an of
fering for sin and when he shall make
many to be accounted righteous; and he
shall bear their iniquities. Only after this
first coming and ignominious death as a
sin-offering would he come again with
everlasting kingdom power, as Jehovah
said: Therefore I will divide him a por
tion with the great, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong; because he poured
out his soul to death, and was numbered
with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin
of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.
RS.
So at his first coming Jesus fulfilled
Zechariah 9:9, RS: Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter
of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he, humble
and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of
an ass. And he fulfilled Isaiah chapter 53
about dying a sacrificial death, despised
and hated and classed with sinful trans
gressors.
It is at his second presence that he
comes in clouds or in invisible heavenly
kingship, and it is then that he is given
an everlasting dominion from Jehovah that
will administer peace and righteousness to
all obedient mankind. Then will Isaiah
9:6, 7 and Daniel 7:13, 14 be fulfilled, at
the second presence and not at the first
as the Jews nineteen centuries ago errone
ously expected. If he had set up his ever
lasting kingship then, when would the
prophecies of Isaiah chapter 53 and Zecha
riah 9:9 have fulfillment? The Jews back
there were looking for the wrong signs,
for the wrong presence of Messiah, so they
failed to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Never

ro o klyn

N. Y.

theless, thousands of individual Jews did

recognize him, accept him, and become the
first Christians. Today Jews and others
can see the signs Jesus foretold for his
second presence, for that time is here.
WITNESSING TO JEWS TODAY

When the apostle Paul witnessed to per

sons he adapted his words to their needs,
to their viewpoints. He kept in mind what
their background was. He said: To the
Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain
Jews, and added: I have become all
things to people of all kinds, that I might
by all means save some. So should we
keep in mind the false concept Jews have
of Jesus because of past and present lies
and atrocities in his name, misrepresent
ing him. We should rout this false picture,
exposing the fraudulent Christians. Show
the two comings, and that nineteen centu
ries ago the Jewish nation rejected Jesus
because they looked for the wrong coming.
Show the prophecies Jesus fulfilled the
first time he came, and the ones now un
dergoing fulfillment at his second presence.
Point out that soon Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob and Moses will be back, resur
rected to act as princes in the new earth
and inherit the promises long ago made to
them. Depict the blessed conditions of
unity among men then, with health and
happiness and everlasting life for all obe
dient ones. 1 Cor. 9:20, 22,
The Jewish religious leaders of ancient
time demanded Jesus death as a service
to Jehovah God, and Jesus rightly applied
Isaiahs words to them: You hypocrites,
Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when
he said: This people honors me with their
lips, yet their hearts are far removed from
me. It is in vain that they keep paying
respect to me, because they teach com
mands of men as doctrines. (Matt. 15:79,
NW ; Isa. 29:13) Past and present so-

June 1, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

called Christians have persecuted and

killed Jews and others in the name of Jesus
and in imagined service to God, and to
them also Isaiahs above words apply. But
many thousands of the common people,
Jews, accepted Jesus long ago, and hun
dreds of thousands of the common people
today are accepting him in this time of his
second presence.
Talk about Jesus to the Jews. Do not

329

avoid the subject. But show understand

ing of Jewish thinking, erase the false pic
ture given by false religionists and Cru
saders and Inquisitioners, ancient and
modern. But talk about Jesus to the Jews,
try to remove the cause of stumbling.
There is no salvation in anyone else, for
there is not another name under heaven
that has been given among men by which
we must get saved. Acts 4:12, NW.

Cutfyer jigfyts tfyort Compromises

L u t h e r is
. to be remembered
not only as the man who
first translated the Bible
into German, but as the successful chal
lenger who courageously defied the allpowerful domination of the popes of Rome.
Unwittingly Luther lit the match that
finally set off the powder barrel of mount
ing opposition to Catholicism.
Martin Luther was bom in 1483 at
Eisleben in Prussian Saxony. After a
stormy religious career, untouched by the
murderous hands
of Romes agents,
Luther died a nat
ural death Febru
ary 18,1546. Bom
a miners son, he
had had a stern
upbringing.
L u th e r s father
was able financially to send him
to the well-known University
Erfurt in 1501; in 1505
he graduated with a
Master of Arts degree.
At the desire of his
father, who was some

tM

' a r t in

what anticlerical, Luther entered Erfurts

law school in May, 1505. Two months later
he suddenly renounced the world and en
tered the monastery of the Augustinian
convent at Erfurt.
In 1507 Luther was consecrated to the
Roman Catholic priesthood and later be
came associated with the teaching staff of
the University of Wittenberg. As an
Augustinian monk and priest he made a
pilgrimage to Rome in 1510. The corrup
tion, irreligion and vice that Luther wit
nessed among the priests in Rome greatly
d istu rb ed him.
Years later he
said that he would
not have missed
seeing Rome for
a hundred thou
sand florins; for
I might have felt
s o m e apprehen
sion that I had done injustice
to the Pope; but as we see, so
we speak. 1
Returning from Rome
to Germany he pursued
his studies in the Latin
Bible that was available

330

SReWATCHTOWER

to him and also continued to teach theology

at Wittenberg University. By the winter of
1512-1513 his inner struggle of conscience
became such that he began to make an in
dependent study of basic Catholic teachings.
Finally on October 31,1517, enraged at the
Catholic Churchs campaign of selling in
dulgences, which to him amounted to divine
bribery, the selling of forgiveness of sins,
Luther nailed his now-famous 95 protests
on the church door of Wittenberg. This one
act touched off what became known as the
Protestant Reformation. Luthers many
delighted friends, eagerly employing the
then very new art of printing, quickly re
produced and widely circulated this stir
ring protest so that within two weeks all
Germany was informed and the righteous
were moved to indignation and opposition.
At last someone had come along with
courage to bell the cat, that is, to expose
publicly the prowling, dangerous catlike
papal hierarchy.2
Shocked by this rebellion in Germany,
the pope of Rome finally issued a bull of
excommunication against Luther in 1520,
dismissing him from the Catholic Church.
Ignoring this action of the pope, Luther
continued as a priest to preach and teach.
On December 10, 1520, Luther, in public,
spectacularly consigned this papal written
decree to the flames. He also released for
wide publication his great reform treatises,
the Address to the German
, The
Babylonic Captivity of the Church and
The Freedom of a Christian Man.3
The next year, 1521, Roman emperor
Charles V called for an assembly at the
city of Worms of high church dignitaries
and German princes to hear Luthers de
fense against the popes orders. After a
two-hour defense spoken in German, re
peated for two hours in Latin, Luther con
cluded: Unless I am convinced by the
testimony of Scripture or by an evident

ro o klyn

N. Y.

reasonfor I confide neither in the pope

nor in a council alone, since it is certain
that they have often erred and contradict
ed themselves I am held fast by the
Scriptures adduced by me, and my con
science is taken captive by Gods Word,
and I neither can nor will revoke anything,
seeing that it is not safe or right to act
against conscience. God help me. Amen. 4
Incidentally, in April, 1523, nine nuns
escaped from the convent of Imptsch near
Grimma, fled to Wittenberg and appealed
to Luther for protection. Among them was
nun Catharina von Bora, whom Luther
married in 1525, in further defiance of the
Catholic Church. In time they came to
have six children, three sons and three
daughters.5
LUTHERS ORIGINAL DOCTRINAL VIEWS

During the years that followed Luther

made the first translation of the entire
Bible into German. He also made great
progress in his Scriptural studies, coming
to some very accurate glimpses of Bible
truth. Note the following quotations from
Luthers early works, which were printed
and widely distributed.
J e h o v a h : In an exposition o f Jeremiah
23:1-8 Luther says: . . . but this name
Jehovah belongs exclusively to the true
God. From Ein Epistel aus dem
eten Jeremia, von Christus reich und
Christlichen freyheit, gepredigt durch
Mar. Luther, Wittenberg, 1527.
S o u l M o r t a l : I permit the Pope to
make articles of faith for himself and his
faithful such as the soul is the substan
tial form of the human body, that the soul
is immortal, with all those monstrous opin
ions found in the Roman filth-pile of reso
lutions. From Assertio Omnium Articulorum M. Lutheri, per Bullam Leonis, X
(Luthers Works, Vol. 2, folio 107, Witten-

Ju

n e

1, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER.

331

berg, 1562), first published in 1520. Also now known as the Augsburg Confession.
Zions Watch
Tower,1905, p. 228.
Melanchthon wrote up this creedlike docu
ment and presented it at Augsburg before
D e a t h D e f i n e d : Therefore the Scrip
ture calls death a sleep. For as one falls the assembly of Emperor Charles V to
asleep, he, when he awakes in the morn gether with his princely and hierarchic
ing, knows nothing about how the falling corulers to effect a reconciliation between
asleep happened, nor about the sleep itself, the vast number of followers of Luther
nor the awakening, so shall also we on the and the Roman Catholic Church. In this
last day arise with haste and not know way Melanchthon and Luther hoped to
either how we came into death or through bring about an internal cleansing of the
death.
Kyrkopost,1 band., no. 29, papal
par. 9,church by inducing her to reform
sid. 259.6 See also Watch Tower Reprint, some of her ways. But the assembly flatly
rejected this proposal. Luthers supporters
Vol. 1, p. 408.
were
left holding the bag of compromise,
R e s u r r e c t i o n : Hereof it must follow
which
was full of half truths and repudia
that they who lie in the graveyard and
tions
of
some of Luthers earlier right
sleep under the ground do not sleep as
views.
profound as we do on our beds. For it may
The Augsburg Confession, in part, says
happen that your sleep is so profound that
you must be called ten times before you concerning the trinity and souls of the
hear once. But the dead will hear at the wicked suffering eternally: Our churches,
first calling of Christ, and awake, as we with common consent, do teach, that the
here see of this young man and of Laza decree of the Council of Nicaea concern
ing the Unity of the Divine Essence and
rus. Evang. Luk. 7. 11-17, par. 8.6
concerning
the Three Persons, is true . . .
State B et w een D ea t h a n d R esurrec
of
the
same
essence and power, who also
t i o n : Let this be unto you an excellent
are
coeternal,
the Father, the Son and the
alchemy and a masterpiece that does not
Holy
G
host.
.
.
that, at the Consummation
turn copper or lead into gold for you, but
of
the
world,
Christ
shall appear for judg
changes death into a sleep and your grave
ment
and
shall
raise
up all the dead; He
into a sweet room of rest, and all the time
elapsing between Abels death and the last shall give to the godly and elect eternal
day into a short little while. The Scripture life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men
gives this consolation everywhere.
and the devils He shall condemn to be tor
kopost, 1: a band., no. 109, par. 39-47, mented without end. Articles I and
sid. 434-436.
XVII.7
Upon this sacrifice by compromise, the
t r u t h s a c r if ic e d f o r a c o m p r o m is e
Augsburg Confession, many of the presentNeither Luther nor his present-day ad day separate Lutheran sects were founded.
mirers have held fast to these and many Thus Luthers great fight for truth was
more original Scriptural teachings advo largely marred by unscriptural compro
cated by Luther. Regrettably, those ad mises.
mirers of his have followed a course of
1 H i s t o r y o f t h e C h r is
6 I b i d ., pp. 456, 462.
watering down and compromise.
tian
C h u rch
by Schaff,
6 L u t h e r a n d T h e F in a l
Vol. VI, pp. 105, 109, 111,
R e fo r m a t i o n by J. Lee,
For example, by 1530 Luthers friend 112, 125, 126, 130.
pp. 30, 31.
2 I b i d ., pp. 135, 156.
7 T h e M a k in g a n d M e a n
Melanchthon, who was a Greek scholar, had
in g o f t h e A u g s b u r g C o n
3 I b i d ., pp. 206, 213, 220,
227, 247.
f e s s i o n by C. Bergendoff,
persuaded him to be party to a proposal
1930, pp. 33, 76.
4 I b i d ., pp. 287, 305.

^ Wielding the Spiritual Sword Against Wicked Spirit Forces

ITH but few exceptions survival

after death is believed in by Prot
estant and Catholic and Jew, as well
as by the countless Oriental and prim
itive religions. That is why many bereaved
persons turn to spiritualism for comfort,
hoping to get in touch with their dead
loved ones. At times they seem to succeed.
Materialists, denying both the possibility
of any survival after death and the exist
ence of spirit entities, have no satisfactory
explanation of spiritualistic phenomena.*
The Bible alone has a satisfactory ex
planation, it showing that there is a case
of mistaken identity. In brief, it tells that
God created invisible creatures long before
he made the earth and man and that one
of these rebelled at the time Adam and
Eve were in Eden, making himself into
Satan the Devil. In Noahs day other spirit
creatures joined Satan in his rebellion,
thus making themselves demons. Since the
Deluge all these have been confined in a
state of darkness known as Tartarus.
These, by impersonating the dead, would
give the lie to the Bibles plain statement
that the dead know not anything.Ezek.
28:14, 15; 2 Pet. 2:4, 5; Eccl. 9:5,
The Israelites were forbidden to have
anything to do with demonism; Jesus when
on earth repeatedly cast out evil spirits
from possessed persons; and Paul warned
that the practice of spiritism will debar
one from Gods kingdom. Lev. 19:31;
Gal. 5:20,
NW.
As dedicated Christians who desire Gods
approval and life in Gods new world not
only must we avoid spiritism ourselves,
but we must wield the sword of the spirit,
that is, Gods word, against the govern
ments, against the authorities, against the
* For details please see
15, Oct. 1, 1955.

T h e W a tc h to w er,

Sept. 1 and
332

world-rulers of this darkness, against the

wicked spirit forces in the heavenly plac
es. That means to use Bible truth to ex
pose the lies behind which spiritism as well
as all other false teachings operates. Eph.
6:17, 12, NW.
With strong confidence in the Bibles
authenticity we can therefore urge the
people to consult it rather than the dead
for enlightenment. (Isa. 8:19, 20) And
Gods Word plainly shows that at creation
man came to be a living soul, that the
soul that sins shall die, and that in death
man has no advantage over the beasts.
It also shows that only Jehovah God
originally had immortality and that this
gift he is bestowing upon a select few, in
cluding his only begotten Son, and that in
his due time all those in the memorial
tombs will hear [Jesus ] voice and come
out, either to a resurrection of life or to
one of judgment. Gen. 2:7, N W ; Ezek.
18:4; Eccl. 3:19, RS; John 5:28,29,
By diligently and skillfully wielding the
spiritual sword against wicked spirit forces
we shall let God be found true, though
every man be found a liar, and we shall
be fulfilling our commission to comfort
all that mourn. (Rom. 3:4, NW ; Isa. 61:2)
The sword of the spirit is not all that we
need. No, we must put on the complete
suit of armor from God, and that includes
having our loins girded about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteous
ness. Also we must have our feet shod
with the equipment of the good news of
peace and must take up the large shield
of faith and the helmet of salvation. And
last, but not least, we must keep on pray
ing, looking to God for guidance, help and
protection. Thus we shall triumph in our
warfare against wicked spirit forces.
Eph. 6:11-20,
NW.

As

toldby Harry W. ^Arnott

HE joys and blessings of the April 3,

1955, talk and the activity that fol
lowed, and the Memorial season with its evi
dent blessing from Jehovah, have made me
want to put in writing my story. It begins
around July, 1939, for it was then that,
during a visit to our home by my grand
mother, I first got to know of the truth
from her. And right from the start I got
to learn some lessons that have stood me
in good stead during all the years since.
Granny had been active in the witness
work since 1915, yet during all that time
from 1915 to 1939 she had seen little, if
any, direct fruits from her Kingdom
preaching. So you can imagine her joy
at helping me to take my stand. Since
then she has had other like blessings, but
her patience during those years was a real
example to me. She gave me good Scrip
tural counsel also. I well remember her
taking me aside one day, just after I had
begun to take an active share in the serv
ice, and before she concluded her stay with
us, and saying: Here is something always
to keep in mind: never allow yourself to
become discouraged or stumbled by some
thing one of the brothers may say or do.
Remember that you are serving Jeho
vah, not men. If you stick to Je
hovah and his or
ganization you will
n o t e o w r o n g .

333

In March, 1940, I was immersed, en

rolling the following June as a pioneer.
From then on I really began to pursue my
purpose in life, and in all the years since
I have been most thankful that all my
energies have been in Kingdom service.
I
know that in these days there is a need
in many lands for one to have a part-time
job to care for the necessities of living
when one is a general pioneer; but right
from the start I was grateful that I was
able to get along without the need for such.
Not that I had any finances of my own, or
any outside help. I did not. I believe that I
had about 6 (about seventeen dollars) as
my total wealth when I entered the pioneer
service at the age of 18, and I received no
financial assistance from home. Some may
feel that was foolhardy. Maybe it was; but
I trusted in Jehovah, and though I learned
to be low on provisions sometimes, yet I
was not without what was essential. Look
ing back, Im glad it was that way, for so
many seem to have missed the joys of pio
neer service because there were certain
things, certain material possessions, a cer
tain amount of money laid up, that were
needed before the step of pioneering could
be taken and they just never seem to get
to take the step. So I never did take a parttime job. But later, in 1942,1 was assigned
to special pioneer work in Britain as part
of the expansion into isolated territory, and
the Societys financial provision was really
appreciated.
While I was consistently pursuing my
purpose in life, the only break in the past

334

STieWATCHTOWER

fifteen years of pioneer service was invol

untary. That was during the war years
when I wanted to continue my ministry
but others thought differently and put me
in prison. I really count myself fortunate
to have shared this kind of experience with
other brothers and sisters, who also had
objection to breaking their exclusive devo
tion to Jehovah. It proved to be a most
strengthening experience, although a test.
With so much time on my hands (the first
seventeen weeks I was locked up on my own
for nineteen out of twenty-four hours, and
even during the five hours of communal
labor I was not allowed to talk to anyone)
I had time for meditation. Then all the
doubts I had ever had about the truth
came back to mind: Was I throwing away
my life for a pipe dream? Was I just be
ing carried away by some youthful emo
tional experience? Just why was I going
through with these experiences? Then
what Paul wrote also came to mind: Keep
testing whether you are in the faith, keep
proving what you yourselves are. And,
despite my many shortcomings, it was the
greatest encouragement to find that in my
heart I did love the truth and wanted to
please Jehovah. Now I had no doubts that
it was the truth, and though I might fail,
the truth would endure; so with Jehovahs
help I determined to stick to the truth.
What helped at that time was that along
with these prison experiences had gone
some wonderful times in the service in the
special pioneer work. One particular as
signment to isolated territory always sticks
in my mind. I had a fine partner, who since
has gone through Gilead, along with his
wife, and they now are in South Africa.
The Christian love and companionship we
shared was a wonderful blessing to both
of us and made the work all the more a de
light. Within weeks of arriving in that
isolated assignment we had twenty studies
going in the one town, and within the year

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

it was possible to organize a new congre

gation. Seeing the productive seed of
Gods Word thus reproduce in such a short
time was a happy thrill. There was hard
work along with the joyful experiences, of
course, including cycling some sixty miles
some days to care for studies in the scat
tered farms up in the hills. But that taste
of real pioneering quickened the desire to
do missionary service some day, Jehovah
being willing. Quite vividly I recall cycling
home around midnight after ten or twelve
hours service. As we went along we would
talk over the blessings of the day, or often
marvel at the wonders of the universe, as
the stars and moon shone at their best in
that crisp, clear air of northern Scotland.
When I first heard of Gilead I wanted to
go. I guess there was the thought of going
places in the spirit of adventure. But I
felt, too, that it was the only logical step
to taketo register for Gilead when the
opportunity came. If I held back I felt I
would be putting a restriction on the or
ganizations use of me. If I did register and
was not called, then that was that. But it
certainly is best to let Jehovah direct us
in our assignments, and since I had dedi
cated my life to do Jehovahs will, I could
think of no valid reason for ceasing to pur
sue my purpose in life.
Next to dedication and going into the
full-time service, Gilead was the most im
portant step in my life. So much has been
said about the training at Gilead that there
is little I can add. But I believe that it was
not my learning much that was new that
impressed me most (although I did learn
many new things), but rather that Gilead
was like taking the truth and handling it
anew, bringing together the many things
learned (and mostly dimmed from lack of
use) and fitting them together into one
brilliant, clear picture, thus deepening
more than ever before our appreciation
and understanding of the truth.

Ju

n e

1, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER

After Gilead I was sent to Northern

Rhodesia, and here until now I have been
for nearly eight years. And what eventful
years! On arrival I did some special pioneer
work, having some happiest months in see
ing many Europeans here accept the truth.
It was a privilege to help establish new con
gregations. At first, however, I felt the cli
mate might get in the way of my keeping
on in this assignment. To most folks it is an
equable climate, but I found it most ener
vating. I began to get bouts of heat exhaus
tion. Once while speaking at an assembly I
collapsed in the middle of the talk. Though
I w eis tempted to ask for a change of as
signment, Im glad so far that I didnt ask
definitely to be moved. It hasnt turned out
as bad as I had imagined. Once again it has
been the spiritual blessings in the assign
ment that have encouraged me to keep go
ing. If it wasnt for that and Jehovahs
help by his spirit Eind his orgEinization, I
might have quit, for the flesh is weakI
know mine is. But just to be at one of the
Etssemblies of the African brothers here, to
listen to the singing, to have the privilege
of tEilking to them and to see how eagerly
and intently they follow each point of
counsel and instruction as the program de
velops, makes it all worthwhile.
After being here for six years I got mar
ried to a graduate of the same class of
Gilead. We both worked at the branch.
There followed the happiest months of my
life, shsiring a blessed compEinionship with
a lovely girl wholly devoted to Jehovsih
and an ideal helpmate. We had waited a
long time, both of us, to share such a happy
companionship and we were determined
by Jehovahs help to use this added bless
ing to his praise. Then, just five months
after we were mcirried, my wife was killed
in a car accident. That was a little less
than a year ago, so the event still is eEisy to
recall. I was in the accident myself, but
escaped without any serious injury. I was

335

able to resume work at the branch within

a day or two. But for a while I was stunned
by the tragedy. It was then I learned
to appreciate what a wonderful blessing
the truth is, and especially to have the
privilege of full-time service. There is no
doubt that true spiritual healing comes
from Jehovsih, and the closer we are to
him and his organization, the more we are
actively participating in the things of the
New World society, the more effective is
the healing.
So here I am in Northern Rhodesia after
seven and a half years of varied experi
ences, all of which have strengthened my
hope euid trust in Jehovah. I know that it
has not been in my own strength that I
have kept on in full-time service. There is
the temptation (and I fall into it some
times) of being self-reliant, instead of re
lying entirely on Jehovah. On the other
hEind, there is the danger of becoming de
spondent, feeling incapable of handling an
assignmentagain not relying on Jeho
vah. So I have been especially thankful
these past years for the continual counsel
from the faithful Eind discreet slave, to
help us always to look to Jehovah, giving
the best we can and leaving the results to
him; for he is the One who cam keep us in
his service. Thsinkfully rejoicing now in
my privilege as branch serveint, my desire
is to continue in full-time service right on
down till Armageddon, and, of course, be
yond, in the new world, by Jehovahs un
deserved kindness, and to do so in what
ever capacity JehovEths organization wants
to use me. I hope I shall have the necessary
health and strength to do that Eind, above
all, keep the right condition of heart and
mind, following along wherever Jehovah
through his reigning King, Christ Jesus,
leads his people. I am glad I started the
pioneer work and pursued my purpose in
life. Jehovah has certainly added his bless
ing.

rect it to
accom plish
his p u rp ose
a c c o r d in g to
HE New World society is an expand his divine will. Therefore Jehovah is the
ing society of ministers, extending its One responsible for its being, its phe
influence to the ends of the inhabited nomenal growth and its success. Rightly
earth. It is a living, moving, breathing or then, all praise and honor go to him. As
ganization, whose spiritual prosperity is the apostle Paul so aptly stated: What,
unequaled in the history of Christianity. then, is Apollos? Yes, what is Paul? Minis
Everywhere it turns, its influence exerted ters through whom you became believers,
inspires the attention of honest-hearted even as the Lord granted each one. I plant
people. It is a beacon light in this dark ed, Apollos watered, but God kept making
world, holding forth words of hope and life it grow; so that neither is he that plants
to all who come within its borders. It is anything nor is he that waters, but God
imperative today that those who wish to who makes it grow. Now he that plants
live in the new world of righteousness keep and he that waters are one, but each per
pace with the New World society. Why? son will receive his own reward according
Because, soon now, it will usher all its to his own labor. For we are Gods fellow
members safely through the greatest of workers. You people are Gods field under
all tribulations, the war of Armageddon, cultivation, Gods building. Being Gods
and bring them into a bright new world of building, his field under cultivation, the
Gods making, where mankind will enjoy New World society reflects the mind of
everlasting peace, prosperity and happi Jehovah toward mankind, by expanding
ness. Matt. 24:21,
NW true worship in the earth, by moving
ahead with increased knowledge, by pro
2
Behind the success of this wonder
viding for the spiritual growth and pros
working organization is its Builder and
perity, by keeping step with its head,
Maker, Jehovah God. He alone could con
Christ Jesus, who is showing the way unto
ceive such a marvelous arrangement for
the perfect day. 1 Cor. 3:5-9,
Ps.
the preservation of his people. He alone
has the power to sustain so great an under 127:1.
3
Before man could ever expect a new
taking during these perilous times. And
world,
Jehovah God began to build its
he alone has the wisdom and spirit to difoundations and inspire hope in it. He
1. What is the New World society, and why is it im
moved men to write and to utter propheperative that lovers of righteousness keep pace with it?

2. (a) Why can we say that Jehovah is behind the

New World society? (b) In what way does the New
World society reflect the mind of Jehovah?
336

3. How has Jehovah inspired hope in the new world,

and how has this hope influenced men?

Ju n e

1, 1956

fHeWATCHTOWEFC

337

cies concerning the world to come wherein same faith and willingness in Gods prom
righteousness is to dwell. These prophecies ise as did Abraham and his wife Sarah?
became a source of immeasurable joy, The fact that Abraham did not inherit the
hope and courage to men of good will in promise in his lifetime did not deter Isaac
every generation. They gave men the need or Jacob from following Abrahams foot
ed impetus to move ahead in faith and to steps in exercising faith in God and from
look forward to their ultimate fulfillment.
recommending the same course to their
When Jehovah commanded Abram: Go
children. Jesus said of Abraham: Abra
your way out of your country and from
your relatives and from the house of your ham your father rejoiced greatly in the
father to the country that I shall show prospect of seeing my day, and he saw it
you, Abram unhesitatingly obeyed, be and rejoiced. So great was the faith of
cause he believed Gods promise of a new these patriarchs in Gods promise that
world. Paul tells us that Abraham obeyed they were willing to give all things, even
God in going out into a place which he their very lives, that they might inherit
was going to receive as an inheritance, the promise of the new world.John
and he went out although not knowing 8:56; Heb. 11:39, NW.
where he was going. By faith he resided
5
Moses exercised the same faith in
temporarily in the land of the promise as Gods promise. He who had been reared in
in a foreign land, and dwelt in tents with the courts of Pharaoh esteemed the re
Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of proach of the Christ as riches greater than
the very same promise. For he was await the treasures of Egypt. Moses responded
ing the city having real foundations and to Gods call when eighty years of age,
the builder and creator of which is God. leaving the life of a shepherd behind to
It was Abrahams great desire to live in become Jehovahs witness to Pharaoh and
Jehovahs new world of prom
a leader of the
ise that enabled him to leave
nation of Isra
his homeland and content him
el. In Israel we
self with life as a temporary
have an exam
resident, in tents, so that he
ple of how a
could inherit the promise.
w hole nation
Sarah, his wife, willingly
found hope in
joined him in
Jehovahs
his sojou rn s,
prom ise o f a
thus displaying
new world. Paul speaks of a great cloud
h er f a i t h in
of witnesses putting aside every weight
Gods promise.
so that they could become sharers in the
Through faith
promise. Heb. 11:26, 27; 12:1, NW.
they w alked
aChief of this great cloud of witnesses
ahead to a new
was Christ Jesus: Who, although he was
land with hope in a new world. Gen. existing in Gods form, gave no considera
12:1-3; Heb. 11:8-10,
tion to a seizure, namely, that he should
4 The question remains, Are we willingbe equal to God. No, but he emptied him
to do the same, that is, to exercise the self and took a slaves form and came to
be in the likeness of men. More than that,
4-6. (a) Who were others that regarded this promise
of a new world? (b) How did Jesus demonstrate his
when he found himself in fashion as a
willingness to share in Jehovahs promise?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SEeWATCHTOWER.
man, he humbled himself and became obe self in a life of dedication to the principles
dient as far as death, yes, death on a tor of Christianity. It calls for taking up the
ture stake. For this very reason also God torture stake and partaking of some of
exalted him to a superior position. Jesus the hardships and sufferings Jesus left be
gave his all, which was more by far than hind. It means the forsaking of ones own
all the human race could possibly give, so personal ambitions and desires to accumu
that he could share in Jehovahs promise late wealth and prestige and power. The
of a new world. He illustrated his willing prophet Job said: If I have made gold
ness to do this in several parables: "The my hope, and have said to the fine gold,
kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure Thou art my confidence . . . I should have
hidden in the field, which a man found and denied the God that is above. So to fol
hid, and for the joy he has he goes and low Christ means to give up the old world,
sells what things he has and buys that the whole world and life, if necessary. It
field. Again the kingdom of the heavens is calls for full allegiance and loyalty to
like a traveling merchant seeking fine Christianity, such as a soldier gives to the
pearls. Upon finding one pearl of high cause of independence and freedom. Paul
value, away he went and promptly sold all makes this point plain, saying: No man
the things he had and bought it. So com serving as a soldier involves himself in the
pletely had Jesus divested himself that he commercial businesses of life, in order that
was able to say to a certain scribe that de he may meet the approval of the one who
sired to follow him: Foxes have dens and enrolled him as a soldier. Christians fol
birds of heaven have roosts, but the Son of lowing Christ must stand ready to respond
man has nowhere to lay down his head. for duty with the same willingness of the
Rather than bemoaning the loss of all prophet Isaiah, who, when hearing the
things Jesus recommended this course to question: Whom shall I send, and who
his followers, if they would make the King will go for us? replied: Here am I; send
dom. Phil. 2:5-9; Matt. 13:44-46; 8:20; me. Having no attachments to this old
Col. 1:15, 16,
NW.
world he was free to respond to Jehovahs
7Jesus knew what it would take to con call. This was the enviable lot that faithful
quer this world; so he said: If anyone men, such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
wants to come after me, let him disown and others, had through their faith. This
himself and pick up his torture stake and must be the lot of all those who keep pace
follow me continually. For whoever wants with the New World society. Matt. 16:
NW;Job 31:24, 28,
2 Tim. 2:4,
to save his soul will lose it; but whoever 24-27,
loses his soul for my sake will find it. For NW ; Isa. 6:8.
what benefit will it be to a man if he gains
CALLED ON TO GIVE ALL
the whole world but forfeits his soul? or
8
When
establishing Christianity Jesus
what will a man give in exchange for his
Christ
called
on his followers to exhibit
soul? For the Son of man is destined to
come in the glory of his Father with his this same faith, the faith of Abraham. And
angels, and then he will recompense each his immediate apostles showed they had
one according to his behavior. Therefore, this faith. Note particularly with what
to follow Jesus Christ means to practice willingness they responded to Jesus call,
Christianity; it means a disowning of one- Come after me. The inspired account

338

7. (a) For attaining the new world, what advice did

Jesus give? (b) What does it mean to follow Christ?

8. What did Jesus call on his followers to do, and how

did they respond?

June 1, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

339

says of Peter and Andrew, who were fish is its own evil. The principal thing was
ing with their nets at the time Jesus beck the Kingdom; in comparison all other
oned to them: At once abandoning the things faded into nothingness. Paul ex
nets, they followed him. Of James and pressed how he felt about it: On account
John, who were called when repairing of him [Christ] I have taken the loss of
their nets, the record says: At once leav all things and I consider them as a lot of
ing the boat and their father, they fol refuse, that I may gain Christ. And the
lowed him. When a disciple desired to apostle John reasoned in this way: The
turn back to bury his father, Jesus replied: world is passing away and so is its desire,
Keep following me, and let the dead bury but he that does the will of God remains
their dead. The thought here is that they forever. What better reason could be
let nothing stand in their way; occupation, given as to why to abandon this world and
family, friends were not considered all dedicate oneself completely and unreserv
essentials. These were placed in a second edly for the kingdom of God? If it took
ary position and that more desirable thing, absolute faith and trust in Jehovah and
the kingdom of God, was placed first in Christ Jesus to keep pace with the growing
their lives. There were no months of sav Christian church of the first century, does
ing before leaving their jobs, nor a cau it require less today? Matt. 19:27; 6:32tious weighing of matters to see whether 34; Phil. 3:8; 1 John 2:17,
it would be worth it or not. Nor did the
10
Faithful obedience to the commission
apostles question, What is there in it for to go and make disciples of people of all
me? Rather, their response was immedi the nations has caused the Christian con
ate, displaying great faith in Jehovah, his gregation to grow until today it is repre
Son and the arrangement made for their sented in all the earth by devoted minis
continued existence. Matt. 4:18-22; 8:22, ters declaring this good news of the
NW.
established kingdom of God. Particularly
9
Jesus had impressed his followers within the last thirty-seven years hundreds of
the value of making the Kingdom. To at millions have come to hear of the divine
tain it would be worth all cost. He empha government of the new world. Out of these
sized the need of self-sacrifice, hard work, millions, hundreds of thousands have rec
endurance and patience to attain the goal ognized this to be Gods life-giving mes
of faith, which is the salvation of our souls. sage for this day. These have responded
He stressed that to follow him continually with the same faith and joy as did the
would mean for one to be free from world prophets of old and the disciples of Jesus,
ly ties and obligations. Food, clothing, and have dedicated their lives to God
shelter and the other necessities of life through Jesus Christ and have joined in
were made incidentals. For all these are holding aloft this brilliant torch of the
the things the nations are eagerly pursu Kingdom. All together, these Christian
ing. For your heavenly Father knows you
witnesses form a society no part of this
need all these things. Keep on, then, seek
old world. They are for Gods new world
ing first the kingdom and his righteous
ness, and all these other things will be of righteousness; therefore they form a
added to you. So, never be anxious about New World society. Matt. 28:19, 20;
NW.
the next day, for the next day will have 24:14,
its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day 10. What has been the result of faithful response to the
9. How were they to evaluate their Kingdom privileges?

command to make disciples of peoples of all the

nations ?

340

STkWATCHTOWER

11 Now as members of the New World

society, are they required to make the
same sacrifices and display the same faith
as those Christian witnesses of the first
century? Yes. Because there is no separate
set of rules of conduct or of ministry for
Christians of any century. They all follow
the same Exemplar, Christ Jesus. Peter
wrote: In fact, to this course you were
called, because even Christ suffered for
you, leaving you a model for you to follow
his steps closely. Paul admonished: Be
come imitators of me, even as I am of
Christ. And again: Be imitators of those
who through faith and patience inherit
the promises. For all the things that
were written aforetime were written for
our instruction, that through our endur
ance and through the comfort from the
Scriptures we might have hope. There
fore, in addition to Christs perfect exam
ple, we have in writing the example of
Abraham and of all the prophets before us
as profitable lessons for us to study if we
are to keep pace with the New World so
ciety. 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 Cor. 11:1; Heb. 6:12;
Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11,
12 It is becoming increasingly clear that
for anyone of us to keep pace with the New
World society we must respond with the
same readiness and willingness to Jeho
vahs directions as did the faithful prophets
and apostles. We cannot allow ourselves to
be tied down to this old world and at the
same time think that we can keep step with
this Christian society of ministers. We
must be free to answer calls as did Abra
ham and Moses, willing to move and leave
behind old-world interests. We must be
eager to answer the Masters call: Come
be my follower, and answer it in the com
plete sense that Peter did: We have left
all things and followed you. To leave be11. Are members of the New World society required to
make the same sacrifices as Christian witnesses of the
first century?
12. What must be the mental attitude of those keeping
pace with the New World society?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

hind all things, not with a longing, as

did Lots wife, but rather with no regrets,
and with joy that such an opportunity has
been extended to us to fulfill. As Paul, who
gave up all, said: I am ready not only to
be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for
the name of the Lord Jesus. This should
be our determination and devotion. Mark
10:21; Matt. 19:27; Acts 21:13,
13
There are, however, still some Chris
tians who think it possible to live in the
New World society and the old world at
the same time. But even these who appear
slow to learn are finding the task increas
ingly difficult. Their dedication has not
been complete. They have not truly left
all things and followed Christ. Their
dedication has been one with reservations,
with strings attached. They still yearn
for the luxuries and pleasures of the pass
ing system of things. They know that to
keep up with the New World society de
mands time, and old-world pleasures de
mand time. Consequently there is a test
of ones affections, a pulling in different
directions, with tension and frustration
resulting. An unstable person, divided in
mind, is displeasing in Jehovahs sight.
In fact, says James, let not that man
suppose that he will receive anything from
Jehovah; he is an indecisive man, unsteady
in all his ways. Draw close to God, and
he will draw close to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,
you indecisive ones. Give way to distress
and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be
turned into mourning, and your joy into
dejection. Humble yourselves in the eyes
of Jehovah, and he will exalt you. Those
who insist on leading double lives are not
truly humble. They are always found crowd
ing the line of demarcation. They choose to
ignore Jehovahs wise counsel. Reluctant
to break clean with the old world, they
13. What can be said of those still clinging to the old
world, and what admonition can be given them?

June 1, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER.

341

hang on by the skin of their teeth to the

new, until the old world drags them com
pletely away into oblivion. It is dangerous
to try to straddle the line, and impossible
to be a slave to two masters. For either
he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will stick to the one and despise the
other. You cannot be slaves to God and to
Riches. Jas. 1:7, 8; 4:8-10; Matt. 6:24,
NW.

15 But that is not all there is to care for.

There are congregation studies and meet
ings to attend and support. These call for
thought and preparation in advance. Our
personal studies must not be neglected,
neither must our family obligations. The
least entanglement with the old world can
be a hindrance and hamper our progress
to the new world. That is why Jesus ad
vised those who would follow him to dis
own themselves and take up the torture
NO ROOM FOR INDECISION
stake and follow him continually. Paul
14
The increased pace now of the Newcounseled similarly: Let us also put off
World society allows no place for indeci every weight and the sin that easily en
sion. Even a slight hesitation means tangles us, and let us run with endurance
ground lost. And the more and longer we the race that is set before us, as we look
hesitate means only that so much more intently at the leader and perfecter of our
distance must be gained if we are to keep faith, Jesus. If we heed this wise admoni
up with the New World society. It means tion, to keep pace with the New World so
that greater effort and determination must ciety will not be nearly so difficult as it
be put forth. The tragic truth is that dis is to those burdened down with the things
tance lost almost always proves disastrous, of this lif e. Heb. 12:1,2; Matt. 16:24,
because the onward march of the New
16To be unnecessarily tied down to this
World society is unrelenting, pressing for old world only tends to dampen our spirit;
ward to the perfect day. It takes faith, it impedes our progress and destroys the
courage and determination to keep pace joy we normally get from serving Jehovah.
with it. Especially now, since more and In fact, if old-world pursuits are not con
more of our time is demanded. There are trolled, they will bring us to a dead stop.
pioneer, missionary and Bethel service Every member of the New World society
calls to answer with a Here am I; send should concern himself with his progress
me. More attention is to be devoted to toward the new world. He should ask him
the house-to-house ministry, the training
self: Where do I stand in relation to the
of new Kingdom publishers, the making of
New World society? Am I keeping pace
back-calls on those who show interest in
the Kingdom message, and home Bible with it? Am I neglecting New World inter
studies to be conducted with people of good ests for old-world pursuits? Are my re
will. All of this demands time, our time sponses to theocratic calls like those of the
and vital force. But since it is dedicated faithful prophets and apostles? Or am I
time, then it rightly belongs to Jehovah. letting secular interests swallow up my
You do not belong to yourselves, for you time? To a moral rich young man who
were bought with a price. By all means, desired to get everlasting life, Jesus said:
glorify God in the body of you people. One thing is missing about you: Go, sell
Pay back . . . Gods things to God. Isa. what things you have and give to the poor,
6:8; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Matt. 22:21,
and you will have treasure in heaven, and
14, 15. (a) Why is there no room for indecision now?
(b) Why does it take determination and courage to
keep pace with the New World society?

16. What should every member of the New World so

ciety ask himself?

342

afreWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N . Y .

come be my follower. But he grew sad hundredfold now in this period of time,
at the saying and went off grieved, for he houses and brothers and sisters and moth
was holding many possessions. After look ers and children and fields, with persecu
ing around Jesus said to his disciples: tions, and in the coming system of things
How difficult a thing it will be for those everlasting life. Jesus, in other words,
with money to enter into the kingdom of told Peter that the Christian does not lose
God! Do not let money, materialism, a thing by giving up the old world, nor
things of this world, keep you from gain does any Christian witness of Jehovah lose
a thing by doing the same for the sake of
ing life. Mark 10:17-30,
17
It was after Jesus conversation withkeeping pace with the New World society.
the young man that Peter said: Look! We gain a hundredfold of all that we give
we left all things and have been following up, and more. The anointed remnant will
you. Jesus replied in this way: Truly I gain in addition thereto a glorious life in
say to you men, No one has left house or the heavens as Christs bride, and the oth
brothers or sisters or mother or father or er sheep of the Lord will gain everlasting
children or fields for my sake and for the life on a paradise new earth. All this for
sake of the good news who will not get a not losing faith, but believingly moving
ahead with the New World society in its
17. Does a Christian lose anything by breaking clean
journey to the new world.
from the old world?

KEEP PACE

by to

Theocratic Requirements

ITH the setting up of Jehovahs I

give you orders that you observe the
kingdom in the year 1914 (A.D.) commandment in a spotless and
a great responsibility fell upon the anoint
hensible way until the manifestation of our
ed witnesses of Jehovah God and all who Lord Jesus
C h r i s t . 1 Tim. 6:13
professed Christianity. Would they arise to
declare this good news of the established man arrives, will he really find this faith
kingdom in all the inhabited earth for the on the earth? Glancing back over the
purpose of a witness to all the nations, or years to 1918, when Jehovah came to his
would their faith fail them, cause them to temple, we can sincerely thank God that
sink into the hopeless oblivion of this old he did find this faith on the earth, the
world? Faith and trust in Jehovah and his faith of Abraham. He found men and wom
Word was a requirement to be met before en who were wholly devoted to him as
they could be used by God as his witnesses. Almighty God Jehovah and who abandoned
Therefore, Jesus asked: When the Son of all things of this world and loved not
their lives unto death. Luke 18:8; Matt.
1. What was the great responsibility that fell upon the
anointed witnesses of Jehovah and professed Christians
19:27; 24:14; Rev. 12:11, NW.
following A.D. 1914?

June 1, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER-

343

2Those years from 1914 to 1918 were

trying years. The enemy had considerably
demolished their earthly visible organiza
tion, but was unable to destroy their love
and devotion to God. Their faith in him
remained undying. It was with these de
voted ones that Jehovah began building a
new earthly organization, a New World
society, under the established kingdom of
God. These faithful ones collectively, Jesus
appointed over all his belongings. Imme
diately they felt the urgency of their re
sponsibility and trust. And since they were
free of any ties with mystic Babylon they
were able to move right into the work at
hand, the fulfilling of their commission to
declare to the ends of the earth the good
news of Jehovahs kingdom. With Gods
spirit upon them and much work to do,
the anointed remnant came to life and a
brilliant, divinely blessed future loomed
before them as they formed the nucleus of
the New World society. Matt. 24:45-47,
NW; Ezek. 37 :1 -1 4 ; Rev. 11:11.
3The words of Isaiahs prophecy began
to have fulfillment: Arise, shine; for thy
light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is
risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the
peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee,
and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And
nations shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up
thine eyes round about, and see: they all
gather themselves together, they come to
thee; thy sons shall come from far, and
thy daughters shall be carried in the arms.
Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and
thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; be
cause the abundance of the sea shall be
turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations
shall come unto thee. And the sons of
them that afflicted thee shall come bending
unto thee; and all they that despised thee

shall bow themselves down at the soles of

thy feet; and they shall call thee The city
of Jehovah, The Zion of the Holy One of
Israel. After 1919, and especially since
1935, great crowds of people, out of all
nations and tribes and peoples and tongues,
began to assemble to the New World so
ciety for theocratic instruction. Gods uni
versal organization became known as The
city of Jehovah, The Zion of the Holy One
of Israel. Isa. 6 0 :1-5, 14,
Rev. 7 :9 ;
Mic. 4 :1 -5 .
4
Now that these meek ones have come
to Jehovahs theocratic organization, it
is only right that they conform themselves
to his requirements; because only by so
doing will they be able to keep pace with
the New World society. Among the first
requirements is the need of recognizing
the theocratic organization; that through
the faithful and discreet slave class Je
hovah is providing his flock with spiritual
food at the proper time. Also, study and
association are joyful requisites, a means
of keeping up with the ever-increasing
light of understanding beamed forth
through the New World organization. The
need of discarding old-world habits and
ambitions must be realized. Squabbles,
racial and religious hatreds, national tradi
tions, prides and rivalries and numberless
other divisive theories and practices pecu
liar to the old world must be seen as things
gladly to be tossed aside as belonging to
this system of things that is passing away.
All forms of worldly selfishness, jealousies,
envies, egotistic ambitions, religious sec
tarian wars, persecutions of one another
all manifestations of the spirit of this
dying system and its god, Satanmust be
abandoned to this old world. There is no
place for them in the new system of things.
And it is only as we conform ourselves to
these theocratic requirements that we

2, 3. (a) Why and how were the anointed remnant used

by Jehovah? (b) What words of Isaiah began to have
fulfillment ?

4. Why is it necessary for the meek to conform them

selves to Jehovahs requirements, and what are some
of those requirements?

344

f&eWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

of Christ. What sort of example was this

apostle? Under inspiration, here is what
he said of himself: I call you to witness
this very day that I am clean from the
EXERCISING SELF-CONTROL
blood of all men, for I have not held back
5 The journey to the new world calls for from telling you all the counsel of God.
self-control. Moses after serving diligently Therefore keep awake, and bear in mind
and faithfully for many years as a servant that for three years, night and day, I did
of Jehovah did not enter the Promised not quit admonishing each one with tears.
Land, because at one time he lost self- And now I commit you to God and to the
control. He allowed himself to be driven word of his undeserved kindness, which
to anger, and in a moment of rage he failed word can build you up and give you the in
to sanctify Jehovah in the eyes of Israel. heritance among all the sanctified ones.
This cost him the privilege of entering the 1 Cor. 11:1; Acts 20:26-32,
Promised Land. Those traveling today to
7
New World servants must copy Pauls
the antitypical Promised Land must be on fine example so they too can be examples
guard against losing control. Self-control for good to the many tens of thousands
is moderation and self-discipline in all coming into the New World society each
things. Paul counseled the Philippians: year. These new ones seeing this fine ex
Let your reasonableness become known ample in conduct set before them will be
to all men. As we give up habits of the moved to imitate the servants and thus
old world and take up the habits of the keep pace with the New World society.
new, we want to find ourselves adopting That is why Paul forcefully stated: The
a reasonable, sensible course in all things overseer should therefore be irreprehenthat we do. The wise mans advice is: Be sible, a husband of one wife, moderate in
not righteous overmuch, and do not make habits, sound in mind. The servant cannot
yourself overwise; why should you destroy afford to permit his habits to get out of
yourself? Be not wicked overmuch, neither hand. The flock of God look to him for
be a fool; why should you die before your proper leadership. Some habits may very
time? This means self-control, a knowl easily become immoderate unless selfedge of when to begin and when to end. control is exercised. This is especially true
Not becoming all one-sided or lopsided but of the eating and drinking habits. We are
balanced in all things is an important fea counseled that neither gluttons nor drunk
ture in keeping pace with the New World ards will inherit the kingdom of God.
Overeating shows a lack of judgment. It
society. Phil. 4:5,
Wccl.
N
E 7:16,17, RS.
saps ones energy and makes one mentally
6 It is incumbent upon every traveler to sluggish and sleepy. Overdrinking causes
the new world, and especially so upon the loss of control of oneself. A drunkard lacks
servants, to set proper examples. Each poise, dignity and respectability. How can
servant should so conduct himself as to be a drunkard represent the theocratic or
able to recommend his course to others. ganization with a clean conscience? Im
Each should be able to say as did the apos possible! Drunkenness impedes progress
tle: Become imitators of me, even as I am and dishonors the congregation of God
and its Christ. It certainly does not befit
5. How does self-control aid in keeping step with the

shall be able to keep pace with the New

World society. Jas. 3:13-18; 4:1-4; Matt.
24:45, 46, N W .

New World society?

6. What should each member of the New World society

be able to recommend?

7. Why cannot the servant permit his habits, and espe

cially his eating and drinking habits, to get out of line?

Ju n e

1, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

345

those keeping step with the New World

society. Therefore Paul advises overseers
to be moderate in habits, . . . not a
drunken brawler, not a smiter, but reason
able. And to Christian women his advice
is: Be serious, not slanderous, moderate
in habits, faithful in all things. And to
the household of God he says: Whether
you are eating or drinking or doing any
thing else, do all things for Gods glory.
1 Tim. 3:2,3,11; 1 Cor. 9:25; 10:31, NW.
8Conforming to Gods requirements al
lows the Christian witness to live a bal
anced and happy
life. It brings satis
faction. And godly
devotion is a means
of gain. To be sure,
it is a means of
great gain, this god
ly devotion along
with self-sufficien
cy. It helps the
Christian to appre
ciate that he is just
one of a great body of praisers reflecting
Gods glory; that his conduct reflects on
the entire Christian organization, either
aiding or impeding progress with the New
World society. 1 Tim. 6:5, 6,
9To form good habits is not easy in an
imperfect world, because habits are not
formed automatically. Good habits must
be thoughtfully cultivated by hard work.
And for the most part good habits are the
fruits of the spirit of God, a result of the
diligent application of his Word. Bad or
improper habits will inevitably put us out
of step and draw us away from the New
World society. So check your habits and
progress. Ask yourself: Would Jesus have
behaved as I did? How would he have
handled this matter demanding selfcontrol? Copy his example. If about to en-

10
Newcomers must learn to fall in line
with the principles and policies of the New
World society and to act in harmony with
them, so that all may function smoothly
for the welfare and blessing of all within
the organization, to the glory of God the
Father. Sometimes it becomes rather diffi
cult for some of our new associates to
make this change. They are prone to be
a little rebellious or unruly. But to become
genuinely a part of the New World society
it is imperative that proper respect for
theocratic arrangement and order be
shown. A humble, obedient mental atti
tude is required. We cannot permit dis
positions and trends of the old world to
influence our thinking and actions once
we have come into the New World organi
zation. The old world we have left behind,

8. What sort of life should the Christian endeavor to

1ive ?
9. How can we check our habits?

10, 11. In what way should New World policies and

principles and the faithful and discreet slave class be
viewed ?

ter upon a doubtful course, ask yourself:

Will this course enrich or corrupt my ap
preciation of the Creator? What will hap
pen if I let things develop to the fullest
extent? Will the fruit be theocratic, rea
sonable, practical? Or will it be detrimen
tal to my spiritual welfare? Keep Pauls
words in mind: Keep testing whether you
are in the faith. Keep testing to see
whether you are in pace with the New
World society, by checking your mental
attitude, your disposition, your conduct
and your progress. Keep maturing not only
horizontally, that is,
onward with the
years in the truth,
but upward too, ver
tically in spiritual
ity, a p p recia tion ,
love and understand
ing. Keep proving
what you yourselves
are. 2 Cor. 13:5,
NW.
OBEDIENT TO THEOCRATIC REPRESENTATION

346

SSeWATCHTOWER

so why not leave it all behind for all time?

Why try to drag its policies and methods
into the New World arrangement? Its poli
cies have not benefited the old world; how
will they be of any value to the new? Only
by a conscientious effort of making over
our minds, by refusing to be fashioned aft
er this system of things, shall we be able
to prove to ourselves the good and accept
able and complete will of God. Rom.
12:2,
NW.
11 Since the faithful and discreet slave
has been entrusted with all the Masters
goods, then let us view with proper men
tal perception that whatever the faithful
slave does is for our good. The slave is
thereby fulfilling its own obligation before
Jehovah in getting His work done. There
fore the slaves will is Jehovahs will. Re
bellion against the slave is rebellion
against God. A proper mental attitude to
ward the slaves direction is a part of keep
ing pace with the New World society.
12 A tendency among the rising genera
tion is to exalt individuality freethinking, they call it. The freethinker ex
presses an individual desire for independ
ence. He resists being tied down to any
set rule or regulation. He has his own way
of doing things, which to him always ap
pears better. Submission to theocratic au
thority or representation becomes hard for
him. He feels cramped for space, as if he
were hemmed in on all sides by instruc
tions. Everyone in the New World society
is out of step but him. He always seems to
know a better way for things to be done.
His course is one puffed up with pride and
self-esteem. If he is not careful to rectify
his waywardness, big-headedness, his
pride will lead him to a disgraceful fall.
Better always to recognize in the Scrip
tural way the theocratic arrangement that
brought us the truth and to fall in line
with it than to resist its direction simply
12. Why is the road of the freethinker dangerous to
follow ?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

because at times we do not understand

why things are done the way they are.
Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, and
lean not upon thine own understanding: in
all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will
direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own
eyes; fear Jehovah, and depart from evil.
Pride goeth before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to
be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to
divide the spoil with the proud. Let these
words suffice. Prov. 3:5-7; 16:18, 19,
13 Obedience to and respect for theo
cratic representation are a requirement in
Jehovahs organization. Let the older men
who preside in a right way be reckoned
worthy of double honor, especially those
who work hard in speaking and teaching.
(1 Tim. 5:17,
NW) Jehovah is respo
for the organization of his creatures and
delegates power and authority to these and
directs what honor should be given them.
Now God has set the members in the
body, each one of them, just as he pleased.
Earthly overseers represent Jehovah in
their assignment just as much as heavenly
ones do. Be in subjection to one another
in fear of Christ. Let wives be in subjec
tion to their husbands as to the Lord, . . .
In fact, as the congregation is in subjec
tion to the Christ, so let wives also be to
their husbands in everything.. . . The wife
should have deep respect for her husband.
This demonstrates the need for order and
respect within the Christian congregation
for delegated authority. 1 Cor. 12:18;
Eph. 5:21-33,
NW.
14 When Gabriel told Zechariah that he
was to have a son, Zechariah did not be
lieve the angel. Zechariah showed lack of
respect through disbelief. Therefore the
13. How do the Scriptures show the need for obedience
to and respect for theocratic representation?
14-16. (a) How is respect for theocratic representation
illustrated in Zechariahs case? (b) In the case of Paul
with the high priest Ananias? (c) In the case of David
and King Saul? (d) Michael the archangel and the
Devil?

Ju

n e

1, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWEFL

347

angel said to him: I am Gabriel, who the other hand, when Michael the arch
stands near before God, and I was sent angel had a difference with the Devil and
forth to speak with you and declare the was disputing about Moses body, he did
good news of these things to you. But, not dare to bring a judgment against him
look! you will be silent and not able to in abusive terms, but said: May Jehovah
speak until the day that these things take rebuke you. Yet these men are speaking
place, because
you not believe
my of all the things they really do
abusively
words. Just the same, they will be ful not know, but all the things they do under
filled in their appointed time. Gabriel stand naturally like the unreasoning ani
was Jehovahs representative. His words mals, in these things they go on corrupting
were not to be questioned. Disrespect to themselves. Peter launched a similar
this authority brought a severe punish charge against the disrespectful and law
less: Daring, self-willed, they do not
ment from God. Luke 1:19, 20, NW.
15
When Ananias ordered that Paul betremble at glorious ones but speak abusive
slapped on the mouth, Paul said to him: ly, whereas angels, although they are
God is going to strike you, you white greater in strength and power, do not
washed wall. Do you at one and the same bring against them an accusation in abu
time sit to judge me in accord with the sive terms, not doing so out of respect for
Law and, transgressing the Law, command Jehovah. But these men, like unreasoning
me to be struck? Those standing by said: animals born naturally to be caught and
Are you reviling the high priest of God? destroyed, will, in the things of which they
Paul then apologized, saying: Brothers, are ignorant and speak abusively, even
I did not know he was high priest. For it suffer destruction in their own course of
is written, You must not speak injuriously destruction, wronging themselves as a re
of a ruler of your people. On other oc ward for wrongdoing. Jude 8-11; 2 Pet.
casions before kings and rulers of this 2:6-13, NW.
17 The faithful servant will be careful to
world, Paul was always very careful to
show
due respect to authority at all times,
show due respect. How much more so
appreciating
that these representatives
should we be respectful to those to whom
speak
in
the
name of Jehovah. When
Jehovah delegates authority! Acts 23:1Ananias
and
Sapphira
lied to Peter, the
5, NW.
apostle
told
them:

You
have played false,
18
King Saul threatened Davids life on
not
to
men,
but
to
God.
They paid with
many occasions. Yet, when it was within
their
lives
for
this
lack
of
respect
to Jeho
Davids reach to take Sauls life, he said:
vah
and
his
representative.
Korah
rebelled
Who can put forth his hand against Jeho
against
the
leadership
of
Moses
and
Aaron,
vahs anointed, and be guiltless? David
but
Moses
showed
that
Korahs
disrespect
displayed fear of God and deep respect for
his appointees by refusing to lay a hand was more far-reaching than that. Moses
on Saul. (1 Sam. 26:9; Ps. 105:14,15, AS) said: By this you will know that Jehovah
Jude draws a contrast between the conduct has sent me to do all these deeds, that it
of persons like men of Sodom and Gomor is not of my own heart: If it is according
rah and the cities about them and that to the death of all mankind that these
of Michael. Of the wicked, he said: These people will die and with the punishment
men, too, indulging in dreams, are defiling of all mankind that punishment will be
the flesh and disregarding lordship and 17, 18. What serious consequences of showing disrespect
to authority are highlighted in the cases of Ananias and
speaking abusively of glorious ones. On his wife Sapphira, Korah, Miriam and Aaron?

Sf&eWATCHTOWER.

348

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

19 Peter declared that Jehovah is not

partial, but in every nation the man that
fears him and works righteousness is ac-

ceptable to him. Therefore, dispose of

old-world ideas that Jehovahs organiza
tion is filled with favorites. There are
no favorites. If you fear him and do works
of righteousness, then you are his favorite
as much as anyone else. In the congrega
tion, servants are chosen for their quali
fications and ability to serve. The congre
gation should show them the respect be
fitting their assignment, because this is
Jehovahs means of dealing with you and
you with Him. Do not weaken your theo
cratic relationship by stumbling over the
flesh you may not personally like. Be
cause, says Paul: From now on we know
no man according to the flesh. Even if we
have known Christ according to the flesh,
certainly we now know him so no more.
Consequently, if anyone is in union with
Christ, he is a new creation; the old things
passed away, look! new things have come
into existence. If we are prone to look at
any faulty man of flesh, that will tend to
lessen our appreciation for his theocratic
position, his responsibility as Jehovahs
slave. If we see this principle of theocratic
representation clearly, we will not insist on
our own rights and interests, but will fol
low the wise counsel of Jehovahs ap
pointees. These are gifts in men from
Jehovah. They will help us work out our
salvation to the honor of God and to the
vindication of his great and holy name.
Acts 10:34, 35; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; Eph.
4:8,
NW.
20
Therefore, to keep pace with the New
World society means many things for us.
It means a life of dedication, self-sacrifice,
being wholly and unreservedly devoted to
Jehovah God as Christ Jesus was and now
is. It means for us to get rid of old-world
habits and conform ourselves to Jehovahs
requirements. It means recognizing the

19. Why is it not advisable to look at faulty man of

flesh?

20. What, then, does it mean to keep pace with the

New World society?

brought upon them, then it is not Jehovah

that has sent me. But if it is something
created that Jehovah will create and the
ground has to distend its mouth and swal
low up them and everything that belongs
to them and they have to go down alive
into Sheol, then you will certainly know
that these men have treated Jehovah dis
respectfully. By their rebellious conduct,
Korah and his cohorts sinned against
their own souls. Such men oppose, not
men, but God. Acts 5:1-6; Num. 16:1-38;
Acts 5:38, 39,
NW.
18The serious consequences of showing
disrespect are also highlighted in the case
of Miriam and Aaron, who disregarded
Moses as Jehovahs chosen spokesman: Is
it just by Moses alone that Jehovah has
spoken? they asked. Is it not by us also
that he has spoken? For their untheocratic behavior Miriam was struck with
leprosy. Only because of their repentant
attitude and Moses intercession in her be
half was Miriam cleansed. Yet, Jehovahs
displeasure at Miriams conduct is evident
in His words to Moses: Were her father
to spit directly in her face, would she not
be humiliated seven days? Let her be
quarantined seven days outside the camp
and afterward let her be received in. Both
brothers and sisters should take to heart
a warning from this, that to speak abu
sively or disrespectfully of authority, Je
hovahs representatives, is a sin serious
enough to remove one outside the camp,
the theocratic organization. Let it be
known that it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God.Num.
12:1-15; Heb. 10:31,
IMPARTIAL GOD

Ju n e 1,

1956

STieWATCHTOWER.

349

faithful and discreet slave, and showing We shall thrill in theocratic expansion. We
due respect to those in authority. It means shall glow with the spirit at the increase
proving ourselves what we really are. In of knowledge and understanding. We shall
substance this all means to observe the reap with joy what we have sown. Our
commandment in a spotless and irrepre- conviction will be strong, our faith im
hensible way. 2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:14, movable, our appreciation deep, our joy
NW.
will abound with the full assurance that
we
21
If we do this, we shall mature by are in step with the New World society
Jehovahs undeserved kindness. We shall of God, whose guidance and direction not
become aware of the bountiful blessing it only will feed us well spiritually in the last
is to keep in step with his organization. days of this old world, but will keep us
alive on into the New World of righteous
21. How will keeping pace with the New World society
ness
and for evermore.
benefit us?

Preaching to Fellow

W ork ers

^ Ever since the Society held its 1955 series of international assemblies in Europe
it has been receiving glowing letters of appreciation and reports of interesting ex
periences enjoyed by the writers because of their having attended these conventions.
Among such is the following by a witness in Virginia, who was among the 795 pas
sengers on the chartered ship the Arosa K ulm : For sixteen years I have been
employed at the D.P. Manufacturing Company and all m y fellow employees know
that I am one of Jehovah's witnesses. Upon m y telling of m y plans to attend the
European assemblies this summer, the company gave me a fine write-up in its
monthly magazine. A s a result, upon m y return many asked questions about the
trip. In fact, I had the opportunity to speak to six different shop groups, with a
total of 220 attending, the largest group having 114. I was given thirty minutes for
these talks and took advantage of the opportunity to witness to them concerning
Jehovah's name and kingdom. Three of the shops invited me to give the talk in
place of their usual safety meeting and at the other three I took the place of their
regular Bible classes, which were being conducted by Sunday School teachers
during lunch hours."

Ridicule Proves Toothing

C Recently a reader of Our Simdciy Visitor, The Most Widely Circulated Catholic
W eekly in the W o rld ," wrote it relative to its slur on Jehovah's witnesses. In reply
the associate editor of the paper, R ev." R. Ginder, said: But if you have had much
to do with the Witnesses you must by now have realized that it's not a religion
its a disease of the mind. I mean it. Its a frenzy that seems to eat out certain
sections of their intelligence. It makes them bullheaded, impervious to argument,
and utterly incapable of handling the truth." It was that way when Jesus was on
the earth. Unable to answer his argument his opposers said: H e has a demon and
is mad. And Paul had the same experience even as Jesus foretold his followers
would have. W hen Paul was making his defense before Governor Festus, in the
presence of King Agrippa, Festus interrupted him to exclaim : You are going mad,
Paul! Great learning is driving you into m adness!" It is therefore not surprising
that the Christian witnesses of Jehovah today receive like reproach. John 10:20;
Acts 26:24, NW .

 In the book You May Survive Armageddon

into God's New World, on pages 281, 282, para
graph 14, it speaks of Hobab as the brother-inlaw of Moses the prophet, whereas page 283,
paragraph 16, quotes Judges 4:11, N W , which
states that Hobab was the father-in-law of
Moses. H ow does the book harmonize with itself
in treating Hobab in this double relationship to
M oses? B. G., United States.
The name Hobab m ay be one name but it
m ay apply to two separate individuals, namely,
to a father and to his son. Numbers 10:29,
which is quoted on page 282, says of Hobab the
son whose sister Zipporah Moses married:
Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel
the Midianite, the father-in-law of M oses: W e
are pulling away for the place about which
Jehovah said/ ( N W ) Since Reuel the Midian
ite was Moses father-in-law, then Reuels son
Hobab was the brother-in-law of Moses. This
Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses is the one
whom the chapter in the book is discussing as a
prophetic picture of the present-day great
crowd of the other sheep whom Jesus Christ,
the greater Moses, is gathering to his fold
today.
The chapter continues to discuss this same
Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses in para
graph 16, but in the midst of this paragraph
it quotes Judges 4:11 according to the New
World Translation, which reads: Incidentally

(food

Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the sons of Hobab, whose son-in-law Moses
was. In rendering Judges 4 :11 thus the New
World Translation is in agreement with the
literal translation by Dr. Robert Young, by
J. B. Rotherham and by J. N . Darby, also the
translation of the Jewish Publication Society,
Moffatts translation and An American Translation. True, the American Standard Version
does read: Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses,
but in the marginal reading it says: or, fatherin-law. And the Revised Standard Version
reads: Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. So
the decision of the m ajority is to make the
translation read according to what the original
Hebrew says.
According to this, then, the name of M oses
father-in-law was the same as that of his
brother-in-law, namely, Hobab. Thus in the
Scriptures several names are assigned to Moses
father-in-law. In Exodus 2:16-22 he is called
Reuel; in Exodus 3 :1 he is called Jethro; in
Judges 1:16 he is called Qeini in the Hebrew,
or the Kenite, whose son-in-law Moses w as.
The fact is that the rabbis of the Jews say that
Moses father-in-law had seven names.
If, however, we persist in arguing that Hobab
was only the name of the son of Reuel and was
the name of only the brother-in-law of Moses,
then we must understand Judges 4:11 to mean
that Hobab was Moses' father-in-law only in a
representative capacity. That is to say, Hobab
acted representatively for his father Reuel who
likely was now dead.
So from either understanding of the matter
the book You May Survive Armageddon into
God's New World is not at disagreement with
itself, neither is the New World Translation of

the Hebrew Scriptures.

4jtm!

W h at is your opinion about the subject of h ell? Pastor Emeritus Oluf Rothe,
one of Denmarks most noted clergymen, was asked by a newspaper on the occa
sion of his 50th anniversary as a Protestant priest. He answered: Hell simply
was a dumping place outside Jerusalem where the refuse from the city was in
cinerated. W hen Jesus talked about somebodys going to hell he meant that the
person did not deserve anything better than being taken to the dumping place.
And the Gehenna here mentioned was so vast that refuse was incinerated there
day and night from thence the entire doctrine of hellfire originates which has
been diligently employed to scare man for 2000 y ears! Arbeiderbladet, Oslo,
Norway, November 29, 1955.
350

SFEeWATCHTOWER

352

Brooklyn, N. Y.

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

July 8: Keep Pace with the New W orld Society.
Page 336.
July 15: Keep Pace by Conforming to Theo
cratic Requirements. Page 342.

THE W O R LD TURNED UPSIDE D O W N

1914 a year written with fire and blood in the history of man. The world
war itself and still more the conditions that followed turned all accustomed
notions and ideas upside down and inside out. Time was to m and splintered,
ripped in two we entered an altogether different era, morals became different,
grosser and rougher than ever. Bokken Lasson in the Norwegian periodical
Alt for damene, August 14, 1954.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The W atchtower, do you remember

U * What, in addition to being sincere, you
must do to be approved by God? P. 323, 116.
What atrocities turned the Jews away
from Christianity? P. 325, 113.
Why, while so many Jews accepted Jesus
in his day, so few do now? P. 326, 113.

the dead is? P. 332, U2.

V * What reasons prompted one of Jehovah s
witnesses to accept missionary training? P.
334, 112.

^
What facts about true Christianity should
interest Jews today? P. 328, 113.
What bribery prompted Luther to make
his famous protests? P. 329, fl5.
^
How Luther had the right view of what
happens after we die? P. 331, Ifl.
What the true explanation of talking with

I*

^ What marvelous results the New World

society is producing? P. 336, Hi.
What course to take to conquer the old
world, attaining the new one? P. 338, H7.
What specific requirements must be met
in order to conform to God s way now?
P. 343, H4.
^
Why freethinking
346, Hl2.

is dangerous?

P.

y4nnow noinci
JUNE 15, 1956
Semimonthly

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

W A G IN G THE RIGHT WARFARE

FIGHTERS FOR TRUTH
GETTING AND GIVING
THE THOUGHTS OF GOD
APPROACHING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
VISIT TO THE PACIFIC
WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH-Isa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it aoes not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
well the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

*?
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r b , President
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

t h is is s u e :
2,550,000
F iv e c e n ts
PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES
Semimonthly
Monthly

P r in t in g

CONTENTS
The Book of Books
Getting and Giving the Thoughts of God
Nobody but Jehovahs Witnesses
Approaching the Presence of God
W agin g the Right W arfare
Fighters for Truth
Only God H as an Answer to It
Visit to the Pacific

355
357
360
361
364
369
376
377

Clergyman Thanks God for

Jehovahs Witnesses
The Extent of Materialisms Growth

382
382

Questions from Readers

383

Abbreviations used in The Watchtower for the following Bible versions

A S American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
A T - An American Translation
M o - James Moffatts version
D a - J. N. Darby s version
N W - New World Translation
D y Catholic Douay version
R o - J. B. Rotherham s version
E D The Emphatic Diaglott
R S - Revised Standard Version
L e - Isaac Leeser s version
Y g - Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version

Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hollandisb

Ilocano
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Watch Tower Society offices

Arabic
Armenian
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo

Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho

a copy
Siamese
Silozi
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.

$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /Sooth Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$1.75
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as weU as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U.S.A.

y ^ r m o u r z c ir iq r

JEH OVAH S
KINGDOM
June 15, 1956

kH GIVE me
that Book!
At any price give
me that Book of
God. Here is knowl
edge enough for me.
Let me be a man of one Book. That one
book, the greatest of all books that John
Wesley so desired, is Gods Word the Bible.
Men in all ages, of all national
ities and in all walks of life have
sung the praises of the Book of
books.
George Washington, the first
president of the United States,
hailed the Bible in these words:
It is impossible to rightly govern the
world without God and the Bible . . . He
is worse than an infidel who does not
read his Bible and acknowledge his obliga
tion to God.
President John Adams called the Bible
the best Book in the world. President
Thomas Jefferson had this to say: I have
always said and always will say that the
studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will
make better citizens, better fathers, better
husbands . . . The Bible makes the best
people in the world.
President Abraham Lincoln considered
time studying the Bible well spent: I am
profitably engaged in reading the Bible.
Take all of this Book upon reason that you
can, and the balance by faith, and you will

"O

N u m b e r 12

live and die a better man.

President Theodore Roosevelt
remarked: To every man who
faces life with real desire to do
his part in everything, I appeal
for a study of the Bible. Presi
dent Woodrow Wilson closely linked the
destiny of America with the daily study of
the Bible. I have a very simple thing to
ask of you, he said. I ask every man and
woman in this audience that from this day
on they will realize that part of the destiny
of America lies in their daily
perusal of this great Book.
President John Quincy Adams
saw in the Bible a storehouse of
wisdom, knowledge and virtue.
Of himself he said: My custom
is to read four or five chapters
of the Bible every morning immediately
after rising. . . . It seems to me the most
suitable manner of beginning the day . . .
It is an invaluable and inexhaust
ible mine of knowledge and vir
tue. General Douglas MacArthur
prefers to do his reading be
fore going to bed: Believe me,
sir, never a night goes by, be I
ever so tired, but I read the
Word of God before I go to bed. Daniel
Webster, statesman, lawyer and student of
literature, recalled: From the time that,
at my mothers feet or on my fathers
knee, I first learned to lisp the verses from
the sacred writings, they have been my
355

356

STkWATCHTOWER.

ro o klyn

N. Y.

daily study and vigilant contemplation. Cultivate an acquaintance with a firm

Ralph Waldo Emerson called the Bible belief in the Holy Scriptures. This is your
the most original book in the world. The certain interest. William E. Gladstone,
Scottish national poet Robert Burns said: statesman, recognized that the Bible builds
I have taken tooth and nail to the Bible real men. I have known ninety-five great
and am got through the Five Books of men of the world in my time, he said,
Moses and halfway in Joshua; it is really a and of these, eighty-seven were all fol
glorious book. The Scottish essayist and lowers of the Bible.
historian Thomas Carlyle called the book
The Bibles Author gave this counsel:
of Job one of the grandest things ever This book of the law should not depart
written with pen. The English poet and from your mouth and you must in an un
prose writer Walter Savage Landor de dertone read in it day and night in order
clared that the Bible contains more speci that you may take care to do according to
mens of genius and taste than any other all that is written in it, for then you will
volume in existence. Sir Isaac Newton, make your way successful and then you
natural philosopher and mathematician, will act wisely. Josh. 1:8,
stated: I find more sure marks of authen
A psalmist praised the wisdom of this
ticity in the Bible than in any profane counsel: Oh how love I thy law! It is my
history whatever.
meditation all the day. Thy command
The American educator William Lyon ments make me wiser than mine enemies;
Phelps once said: I thoroughly believe in for they are ever with me. I have more
a university education for men and women, understanding than all my teachers; for
but I believe a knowledge of the Bible thy testimonies are my meditation. I un
without a college course is more valuable derstand more than the aged, because I
than a college course without the Bible. have kept thy precepts. I have refrained
And ex-President Herbert Hoover stated: my feet from every evil way, that I might
The study of the Bible is a post-graduate observe thy word. I have not turned aside
course in the richest library of human ex from thine ordinances; for thou hast
taught me. Ps. 119:97-102, AS.
perience.
A prophet and king, Jesus Christ, hailed
The Bible is much more. The Scrip
tures contain a declaration of the mind and the words of God as truth: Your word is
will of God . . . They ought also to be read, truth. He said that every utterance com
believed and fulfilled in our day. We ac ing forth through Jehovahs mouth was
cept them as the words of God Himself, necessary for life. John 17:17; Matt. 4:4,
said William Penn. Merchant John Wana- NW.
maker had this to say: I cannot too great
The apostles of Jesus Christ also praised
ly emphasize the importance and value of the Word of God. Paul declared: All
Bible studymore important than ever Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial
before in these days of uncertainties, for teaching, for reproving, for setting
when men and women are apt to decide things straight, for disciplining in right
questions from the standpoint of expedi eousness, that the mein of God may be
ency rather than upon the eternal prin fully competent, completely equipped for
ciples laid down by God Himself.
every good work. And Peter added: The
American statesman, scientist and phi word spoken by Jehovah endures forever.
losopher Benjamin Franklin advised: 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 1 Pet. 1:25,

ORDS are the

bullets used in
the war for mens minds,
and they are fired from
every weapon in the ar- ^
senals of propaganda.
They incessantly drum
on our ears and seek to
fill our minds with the
thoughts and promises of
men. In tireless waves
they come to brainwash
everyone into conformity, dis
solving and rinsing from the mind
any thoughts that contradict their
message. If they can deluge the mind
continually other thoughts will have no
room, will be crowded out. That is the
strategy of the sustained fire of these ver
bal bullets, the purpose of their churning
in like the ocean surf. And different groups
fire at our minds with different doctrines,
deluge us with varying propagandas.
But whose thoughts are right? Whose
contain the highest wisdom? Whose words
will prove to be true? Whose promises will
be fulfilled? Do you know any man who
is completely free of all wickedness, who
is wholly righteous? Jesus said: Nobody
is good, except one, God. Paul quoted:
There is not a righteous man, not even
one. Hence the Bible counsels: Let the
wicked forsake his way, and the unright
eous man his thoughts; and let him return
unto Jehovah. Why to Jehovah God?
Listen: For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and
returneth not thither, but watereth the
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,
and giveth seed to the sower and bread to
the eater; so shall my word be that goeth

357

C h in ee the maker
is greater than what
it makes, the human
brain is superior to
the thoughts it pro
duces. And it follows
that the God who
made our brain is far
greater than it is,
and his thoughts are
more lofty than ours.

forth out of my mouth: it shall not return

unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing whereto I sent it. Mark 10:18;
Rom. 3:10, NW ; Isa. 55:7-11,
When God created man he gave man a
brain capable of thought. Some of the
thoughts of man are beautiful and wise and
reflect the marvels of the brain able to con
ceive them. But Jehovah made this brain.
It is the product of his thinking, only a
minute reflection of his limitless wisdom.
Mans loftiest thoughts must always be
light-years below Gods thoughts, just as
the earth is below the incomprehensible
heights of the heavens. Only a vain fool
would try to compete with Gods thinking.
A grasshopper would have more chance of
outwitting a man. Jehovahs thoughts are
infallible. His word is always true, finding
fulfillment, never returning to him void.
Its expressed purpose is always accom
plished, just as the falling rain and snow
fulfill their mission to water the earth to

358

S&eWATCHTOWER

ro o klyn

N. Y.

make it produce food for man and beast. for understanding; if thou seek her as sil
Each passing year piles higher the rub ver, and search for her as for hid treas
bish heap of mans broken promises and ures: then shalt thou understand the fear
erroneous thoughts, but the word spoken of Jehovah, and find the knowledge o f God.
by Jehovah endures forever. By getting For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his
the thoughts of God we can get wisdom mouth cometh knowledge and understand
that is higher and more reliable than ing: he layeth up sound wisdom for the
mans. Jehovahs words will guide us in the upright; he is a shield to them that walk
right way and we can hold on to them in integrity. So we must seek and search
with confidence: The words of the wise out his thoughts by studying the Bible, for
are like goads; and collections which are it is in that book that he has laid up sound
given by one teacher are like nails driven wisdom for us. To know and understand
with a sledge. In ancient times goads, his thoughts will shield our mind from
long sticks with iron points, were used to the brainwashing propagandas of worldly
keep oxen moving in the right direction. men. Prov. 2:1-7, AS.
Wise words from God will keep us moving
As a man thinks, so is he. Changed
in the right way, and if we stray into thinking changes the man, but no appar
wicked ways they will prick our conscience ent change is genuine if the thinking re
and cause us to change our course. Like mains the same. To serve Jehovah one
nails sledged into a board, these wise must oust the thoughts of men that contra
words given by the one true God, Jehovah, dict the thoughts of God. Any conversion
will hold fast and support us, steady and short of this is only surface sham. Put
stabilize us. Jesus said he did not speak away the old personality which conforms
his own thoughts but those of God, and to your former course of conduct, Paul
that any who heard and obeyed those say said, adding: Be made new in the force
ings were like a discreet mem who built actuating your mind. It is an accurate
his house on a rock foundation. Men who knowledge of Gods thoughts that makes
refused to do this were building on sand us over: Strip off the old personality with
and when the storm came their houses its practices, and clothe yourselves with
would collapse. Any who build their hope the new personality which through accu
on the promises of men are building on rate knowledge is being renewed. We are
sand. 1 Pet. 1:25,
NE
ccl.
no12:11,
longer shaped by worldly thinking and
propaganda: Quit being fashioned after
GETTING THE THOUGHTS OF GOD
this system of things, but be transformed
Jehovahs created works declare his by making your mind over, that you may
glory and power and reflect his wisdom, prove to yourselves the good and accept
but they do not convey to us his specific able and complete will of God. Eph.
thoughts or precepts. These we must get 4:22, 23; Col. 3:9, 10; Rom. 12:2, NW.
from his words recorded in the Bible. Will
Note the admonition, Prove to your
you receive those words, listen to them, selves. If you can prove to yourself from
try to understand them? My son, if thou the Bible the thoughts of God you have
wilt receive my words, and lay up my adopted, no brainwashing will sweep them
commandments with thee; so as to incline from your mind. It is not enough to know
thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thy what you believe; know why you believe it.
heart to understanding; yea, if thou cry The U.S. News & World Report, Febru
after discernment, and lift up thy voice ary 24, 1956, published an interview with

June

15, 1956

359
SEeWATCHTOWERan army major on the subject, Why Did Word, get his thoughts, entrench them
Many GI Captives Cave In? He said an through knowledge and understanding,
amazing one third of all the American and apply them in our daily lives.
prisoners became either Communist sym
GIVING THE THOUGHTS OF GOD
pathizers or collaborators during their
stay in Communist prison camps. The
One of Gods words or commands is to
reason he gave was that they had no thor preach his thoughts to others. We must
ough knowledge of democratic principles apply this in our lives. It will help entrench
and lacked real loyalties and convictions his thoughts deeper in our own minds
based on deep understanding. When asked while we impart them to others. And
about those with religious convictions, he though getting these thoughts of God
said if those convictions were deep and brought us much happiness and content
were a part of their daily life the men ment of mind, we shall find that giving
could resist successfully, but if their reli them to others brings even greater happi
gion was a foxhole religion picked up on ness, just as Paul quoted Jesus as saying:
the battlefield during an intense emotional There is more happiness in giving than
experience or crisis it did not sustain them there is in receiving. Acts 20:35, NW.
over a long period of time. It was not real
To preach effectively we must have a
ly a part of them. It must be an active, good knowledge of Gods thoughts and we
working, practical, meaningful moral code must study to present them with force and
of their own, not just a set of abstract conviction. Our words of preaching must
ideas, but a way of living among others. enter minds already filled with words of
worldly propagandas, with the thoughts of
An article in the New York Times
azine, May 9, 1954, discussed Communist worldly men. Ours must be powerful and
brainwashing techniques and concluded: convincing to crowd out what is already
There is only one form of immunization there. Paul said: The weapons of our
against the totalitarian attack on human warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by
convictions. That one way was shown to God for overturning strongly entrenched
be having deep convictions and thorough things. For we are overturning reasonings
understanding of your belief. Otherwise, and every lofty thing raised up against the
the article said, you will become an easy knowledge of God, and we are bringing
and willing victim, howling with the every thought into captivity to make it obe
wolves in the woods. Jesus spoke of dient to the Christ. Erroneous thoughts
wolves in sheeps clothing trying to rob of men are entrenched in many minds.
men of their faith in God by lying propa Often these thoughts are contrary to Je
gandas, and Revelation 16:14 (NW) speaks hovahs Word. These falsehoods must be
of the lies of Satan and his organization overturned before those minds can think
by which men are herded into a fight with the thoughts of God and conform their
God: They are, in fact, expressions in ideas to the teachings o f Christ Jesus.
NW.
spired by demons and perform signs, and 2 Cor. 10:4, 5,
they go forth to the kings of the entire
Though these thoughts are worth far
inhabited earth, to gather them together more than silver or gold, it is difficult to
to the war of the great day of God the give them away. By his flood of propagan
Almighty. So to resist the brainwashing da the god of this system of things has
propagandas of Satan and his world sys blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that
tem, we must thoroughly study Gods the illumination of the glorious good news

360

STieWATCHTOWER-

about the Christ, who is the image of God,

might not shine through. Satan keeps
millions in the dark by filling their mind
so full of trivialities and falsehoods that
no room remains for enlightening truths
about Jehovah. Through his demonic men
tal assaults Satan thinks for these mil
lions, implanting his thoughts in their
mind and filling their heart with his ways,
yet doing it so subtly that they think these
thoughts are their own. We usually believe
what we want to believe, and one thing we
like to believe is that we do our own think
ing. Hence it is not too hard for clever
propagandists to make us think their
thoughts are ours. They plant the thought
and nourish it, but do it so subtly that we
think it is our own. 2 Cor. 4:4, NW.
We may not be overreached by Satan,
for we are not ignorant of his designs. We
should know the clever tricks of his propa
gandists. They are many, but to mention
just one, unsavory labels are stuck on any
thing that they oppose. If one is intellectual
he is an egghead. If he likes good music
he is a longhair. If he has good manners
he is a sissy. If he reads good books he is
a bookworm. If he takes his true worship
seriously he is a fanatic. But if he breezes
airily by the better things, not being over
ly serious, he is a regular fellow. But to be
pushed around by such social pressure, to
be shoved and maneuvered by a fear of

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

labels, is to show a pathetic immaturity, an

inability to think for ourselves, a lack of
intelligent convictions. We should gain ac
curate knowledge for ourselves, in order
that we should no longer be babes, tossed
about as by waves and carried hither and
thither by every wind of teaching by
means of the trickery of men, by means
of craftiness in contriving error. 2 Cor.
2:11; Eph. 4:14,
NW.
Why be tricked by crafty men into
adopting their thoughts, especially when
those men have themselves been snared
by Satan and pumped full of his poisonous
subtleties and like ventriloquists dummies
chatter them out under his unseen direc
tion? Why allow yourself to be brain
washed by dupes oblivious to their own
mental bondage? The brains of millions
need a washing, but not with the political
or religious propagandas of this system of
things under Satan. Rather, everyone
needs regular cleansings with the bath of
water by means of the word of Jehovah
God, to get his thoughts instead of mans
or Satans. Then all will rest content in
the highest possible wisdom: The wisdom
from above is first of all chaste, then
peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full
of mercy and good fruits, not making par
tial distinctions, not hypocritical. Eph.
5:26; Jas. 3:17, NW.

Nobodybut Jehovah's "Witnesses

C The April 16, 1956, Newsweek published an interview with a German youth
from East Germany. He had been indoctrinated by the Russians, though not a
card-carrying Communist. W hen asked about the books that were read he replied:
W e read Russian and German classics, hardly anything else. And the B ible?
his interviewer asked. (Laughter.) Nobody but Jehovah's witnesses reads the
Bible. That doubtless accounts for their success in withstanding the brainwash
ing techniques of the Communists.

,!w*ws

/40B
1513 B.C., to the occasion when Jehovah
by his holy angel approached the families
of Israel and stood before them in Mount
Sinai on the peninsula of Arabia. Jehovah
had said to Moses: Go to the people, and
you must sanctify them today and tomor
row and they must wash their clothes. And
they must prove ready for the third day,
because on the third day Jehovah will
come down before the eyes of all the people
upon Mount Sinai. And you must set
bounds for the people round about, saying:
Guard yourselves against going up into
the mountain, and do not touch the edge
of it. Anybody touching the mountain will
positively be put to death. No hand is to
touch it, because he will positively be
stoned or will positively be shot through.
Whether beast or man, he will not live.
At the blowing of the rams horn they
themselves may come up to the mountain.
Ex. 19:10-13, NW.
For three days the people were sancti
fying themselves, washing their clothes
and otherwise purifying and preparing
themselves to meet their great Deliverer
who had just released them from Egyptian
bondage. And on the third day when it
became morning it came about that thun
ders and lightnings began occurring, and
a heavy cloud upon the mountain and a
very loud sound of a trumpet, so that all
the people who were in the camp began to
tremble. Moses now brought the people
out of the camp to meet God, and they
went taking their stand at the base of the

T o MOST true Christians prayer is one

o f their most sacred acts of worship. They
realize that they are invited by the Most
High Ruler of the universe to approach
personally into his august presence and
petition him for their needs, and this fills
them with the greatest respect and awe.
With some persons, however, this very
willingness of the living God to consider
their problems and their wants leads to
lack of courtesy, to disrespect, often to
audacious impudence.
These view the all-wise Counselor as a
back-yard philosopher and miracle mak
er to whom they can run whenever all
else fails; or they speak of him as the
man upstairs with whom they cam idly
chat about all the trivial affairs of a hum
drum life. To such people prayer is merely
an outlet for pent-up emotions, a goodluck charm, a surcease from loneliness,
a solace for sorrowful longing. With many
this might be intended innocently and sin
cerely but it demonstrates a total lack of
understanding and appreciation of the re
lationship mankind have as completely
dependent inferiors to the self-sufficient
though loving Supreme Sovereign.
Suppose, for a moment, that such per
sons could be transported back in time to
361

362

STieWATCHTOWER

mountain. And Mount Sinai smoked all

over, due to the fact that Jehovah came
down upon it in fire, and its smoke kept
ascending like the smoke of a kiln, and
the whole mountain was quaking very
much. When the sound of the trumpet be
came continually louder and louder, Moses
began to speak and God began to answer
him with a voice.Ex. 19:16-19,
A t such an awesome display of Jeho
vahs glory surely we too would tremble.
It was at this time that Jehovah began to
organize the families of Israel into a na
tion and gave them a body of laws and
established for them a means of regular
approach into his presence as their God
and King. This was through the sacred
tabernacle and all of its furnishings, and
it was in this way of presenting them
selves that Jehovah gave us the typical
pattern that we must follow today if we
are to be accepted into his presence. On
this point we have the inspired testimony
of the apostle Paul. Heb. 9:9, 10.
In the tabernacle the most sacred arti
cle of furniture was the ark of the cove
nant. Situated in the innermost room or
Most Holy, it denoted to the Israelites
the presence of Jehovah God on earth in
their midst. It meant that any one of them
could come before Jehovah and petition
him for blessings or forgiveness of wrong
doing. But it was not possible for these
people to run to him at will in any way of
their own choosing. In spite of the fact
that Jehovah was hereby making himself
accessible to the least person in the nation
and even to the strangers among them
only one man out of the entire nation,
the high priest of Israel, was permitted to
stand before the ark in Jehovahs presence.
Furthermore, in spite of the inspired
workmanship that went into the superb
design and fashioning of the arks actual
structure and in spite of the great intrinsic
wealth that was represented in this one

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

article alone, comparatively only a very

few mortal men ever saw it. But why
would Jehovah give such a careful pattern
and inspire craftsmen to fashion such a
beautiful article of worship if it were only
to be hidden from the eyes of the worship
ers? Certainly among other reasons would
be to impress upon mankind the awesome
presence of Jehovah God and the need that
man has to study carefully to approach
him in a way that is acceptable and in
keeping with his position as the greatest
Personage in the universe.
The Scriptural description of the ark
and its cover is brief. (Ex. 37:1-9) It was
a box made of wood, the close-grained
and durable orange-brown-colored wood of
the species acacia tortilis or acacia seyal
that still grows plentifully in the Sinai
peninsula.1 It was three feet nine inches
long and two feet three inches wide and
high.2 Then it was overlaid inside and out
side with pure gold. Just how the gold
plate was applied is not stated, but it was
likely more than just gold leaf. And unlike
the walls of the temple later built by
Solomon, the box itself was no doubt solid
ly covered. As to the design of the side
walls, again nothing is reported, but there
is indication at least that there might have
been com er posts that terminated in feet
as rests at the bottom. This would corre
spond also with the table that was used in
the outer room or Holy for the bread of
Presence.3 (See Exodus 37:13, 14.) As one
reason for this conclusion it is stated that
rings were attached above its four feet,
which could not mean at the very bottom of
the ark, because gold-covered poles were
inserted through the rings to carry it and
this would make it top-heavy. (Ex. 37:3,
NW) So the feet must have extended up
ward as com er posts to the border that
encircled the ark at the top and it was no
doubt here, just under the border, that the
rings were attached.

June 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

This border or molding ( crown, AV)

has also occasioned considerable conjec
ture, although it is generally believed to
have extended above the sides of the ark
sufficiently to keep the cover securely in
place during the march when the ark was
borne on the shoulders of the priests. It is
also believed to have been of a general
cable design, since that of the table is
compared with it and this seems to answer
the description.4
The cover must certainly have been an
art treasure in itself. It was made of a slab
of pure gold and there were upon the top
two cherubs of exquisite hammered work.
These were so situated, one at each end,
that they faced each other, and since this
cover or mercy seat represented the
throne of Jehovah, the cherubs can only
be imagined in some posture of reverence.
The account does not describe them or
even suggest their general appearance. It
merely states: And they came to be
cherubs spreading out two wings upward,
screening over the cover with their wings,
and their faces were each to the other.
The faces of the cherubs proved to be to
ward the cover. (Ex. 37:9, NW) From
this meager description an almost unbe
lievable variety of pictorial reconstruc
tions has been attempted. These cherubs
have been represented as being everything
from four-footed human-headed animals to
figures of women with long hair. The
reasonable conclusion is that they resem
bled men. Cherubs were posted at the en
trance to Eden with a flaming blade of a
sword. (Gen. 3:24) Men use swords. Ezek
iel envisioned and described certain cher
ubs who appeared in a special and distinct
form of a highly symbolic nature. But
their general appearance was that of men.

363

(Ezek. 1:5; 10:20-22) However, it cannot

positively be stated what these golden
cherubs here looked like.
Although the mercy seat pictures Jeho
vahs throne in heaven, it is not to be
thought that Jehovahs presence was rep
resented as being confined to this small
space between the cherubs. (Heb. 9:24)
The Scripture records that Jehovah rides
above the cherubs. (Ps. 99:1) Here, in
the Most Holy of the tabernacle, shone
the so-called Shekinah light of Jehovahs
presence. How high above the cherubs it
had its source or extended we do not know,
but it was a sign to all Israel that Jeho
vahs favor continued with his people. So
powerful and magnificent was this pres
ence, manifested through the ark and its
accompanying Shekineh light in the Most
Holy, that any unauthorized person who
even touched the ark when it was carried,
all covered over, from place to place died
on the spot.
In the awesome manner in which Jeho
vah appeared to Israel at Sinai, in the lov
ing care with which he provided for those
who properly approached him and in the
speedy execution of his wrath many times
against those who treated his presence
with audacity, Jehovah has demonstrated
to us the proper manner and reverential
attitude of the true Christians approach
in prayer. Only through the great High
Priest, Christ Jesus, who himself person
ally appears before the heavenly throne
for us, can we have our petitions recog
nized.
1 Moldenke, H. N., Plants of the Bible, pp. 22, 24.
2 Based on a cubit of eighteen inches (actually, 17.6
in.) Harper's Bible Dictionary, p. 813; Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 11th Ed., Vol. 26, p. 604, footnote 1.
3 Hastings, J. A., Dictionary of the Bible, p. 663.
4 Ibid., pp. 663, 665.

Jesus said to him: I am the way and the truth and the life .
No one comes to the Father except through m e John 14:6, NW .

WAGING TH E
RIGHT
W ARFARE
" For
the weapons
of our warfare are not
fleshly, hut powerful by God for overturn
ing strongly entrenched
2 Cor.
1 0 :J f,N W .
N THE Word of Jehovah it is written:
For everything there is a season, and
a time for every matter under heaven . . .
a time for war, and a time for peace. For
centuries the nations have been waging
war among themselves, just as Christ fore
told that there would be wars and rumors
of war during the period before the com
plete end comes to this present system of
things. Now we are living at the climax
of centuries of waiting. It is a time when
peace has been taken from the earth.
Eccl. 3:1, 8, RS.
2 Have you been taught to believe that
all the miseries and heartaches, the cruel
ties and barbarisms of war have been
brought by God? Is it reasonable to think
that a God of love, wisdom and mercy
would originate the waste and ruin, the
loss of precious life, that come with war?
Certainly not. Rather, James 3:14-16;
4:1-4 shows that the greed, conflicts, wars
and disorders are all of demonic origin,
from Satan, the god of this world, who
is ruining the earth in his lustful desire
for power as a rebel against Jehovah. His
control over the nations is clearly reflected
in their way of thinking. For from the
least of them even unto the greatest of
them every one is given to coveteousness;
and from the prophet even unto the priest

every one dealeth falsely. So degenerate

have they become that we see the clergy
invoking the blessing of God on the carnal
wars of the nations as they put national or
religious interests above Gods Word, cry
ing: Peace, peace; when there is no
peace.Jer. 6:13, 14.
3What is the best course for honest men
to follow in the midst of this world confu
sion? Should we drift with the crowd, or is
there a surer and better way mapped out
for us? The Scriptures counsel us that just
as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so Jehovahs ways and thoughts are far
higher than ours. We do well to consider
his way, not rejecting it lightly. Consider
seriously what the Bible says about the
right kind of warfare and see if it is not
far more practical than the course of the
nations. The end of those who follow their
own course is well described for us. De
spite their crimes against mankind they
are so calloused and unashamed that
they cannot even blush; but they shall fall
among them that fall; at the time that I
visit them they shall be cast down, saith
Jehovah. W hy? Because they have bro
ken the rainbow covenant, the law of Jeho
vah respecting the sanctity of life-blood,

1, 2. What are some causes for war today ?

3. Why should we be guided by the Scriptures?

364

June 15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER

365

and have brought his wrath and indigna been spread by the wicked spirit forces in
tion against the nations and against their heavenly places, who themselves are held
armies. (Jer. 6:15,
AIsa.
The
in 34:1-4)
dense darkness
because of their re
results of all the wars to date have not bellion. How well they have succeeded is
brought a sureness of peace, only an un seen in the widespread ignorance of the
Bible, even in Christendom. Faithful
easy, armed makeshift.
The wars of the nations are against churchgoers show abysmal ignorance of
blood and flesh. The Bible instruction for Gods purposes, apart from memorizing a
Christians is to fight a spiritual warfare. few key scriptures. This is not surprising,
The weapons of our warfare are not flesh since many are instructed not to read pub
ly, but powerful by God to the accom lications concerning the Bible unless they
plishment of his purpose. In order to pur are first approved by the church. They for
sue this spiritual war we must know the get the invitation from God himself:
reason for the fight and what we are fight Come now, and let us reason together.
ing against. This is no hand-to-hand com As a result darkness covers the earth and
bat or a struggle for supremacy through gross darkness the people. (Isa. 1:18;
superior scientific methods of destruction. 60:1-3, 19, 20) Combating the effect of
In chapter six of Ephesians Paul tells us it this spiritual apostasy is one of the fore
is a fight not against blood and flesh, but most works o f a Christian. Just as Gide
against the governments, against the au ons men broke open the pitchers they held
thorities, against the world-rulers of this to let their torches shine brightly to the
darkness, against the wicked spirit forces consternation of the enemy, so Jehovahs
in the heavenly places. In no sense does servants in the earth are letting the light
this mean we are to fight against or op of truth be seen from the darkest com er
pose the human governments of our day. of Christendom to the darkest com er of
In fact, we are told to pray for kings and pagandom.
rulers that we may continue to lead peace
6
One feature o f the spiritual warfare
ful and quiet lives, accomplishing the work that brings the greatest joy is the releas
God has assigned. Jesus told his disciples: ing of the prisoners, the proclaiming of
If my kingdom were of this world, then liberty to the captives and the opening of
would my servants fight. (John 18:36) the prisons to those who are bound. This
The fight the apostle Paul referred to is done by patiently teaching the truth to
above in his letter to the Ephesians is men of good will, gradually pulling aside
against the spiritual organization of Sa the veil of superstition and religious dark
tan, which has dominated and controlled ness to which they have become accus
the earth for centuries. 2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. tomed from childhood. When they are
6:12; 1 Tim. 2:1-3, NW.
finally freed through a knowledge of the
'T h e effect of this powerful demonic truth, their joy is as great as that of a
control over the people has been to blind captive who is liberated or as a blind man
the minds of the unbelievers to the light to whom sight is restored. To accomplish
of truth. A veil has been cast over the this we must do as Paul says: Preach the
good news so that those perishing cannot word, be at it urgently in favorable season,
discern or comprehend it. Confusion and in troublesome season, . . . keep your bal
darkness with regard to Gods will have ance in all things, suffer evil, do mission
ary work, thoroughly accomplish your min4. What is spiritual warfare?
5. How have many been blinded to the truth, and what
can we do to aid them?

6. Explain Christian warfare and its benefits.

366

SEeWATCHTOWER-

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

istry. The apostle Paul goes on to say: carry on their ministry among the people
I have fought the right fight, I have run scattered on the Caribbean islands. In oth
the course to the finish, I have observed er places Jehovahs people have been
the faith. (2 Tim. 4:2-7,
This is mobbed, ridiculed, deported, separated
the kind of warfare no earthly nation need from loved ones, have suffered imprison
fear, for it is in the best interests of the ment and even death, but still have re
people. It promotes a knowledge of God mained faithful as true fighters. They
and a love for him and our fellow men. have brought their message in peace, but
This fight is a constructive one, building it has been rejected with violence. This is
up those of good will mentally, morally a time not only of war among the nations,
and spiritually. Its benefits are lasting in but also of intensive spiritual warfare for
value, leading to life, with Gods favor. the proclamation of the truth.
There are none of the usual aftereffects of
INVINCIBLE EQUIPMENT
war that foster bitter enmity and slavery
8
What can we do to have a share in this
while ravaging the face of the earth. In
stead, godly Christian warfare unites men battle on behalf of God? As with any sol
of all kinds and from all nations in the dier, to fight we must know our equipment
bonds of enduring peace and mutual under well. We should understand the reasons for
the fight and be convinced that they are
standing through the Word of God.
7
In all parts of the world Jehovahs witright. Drawing on his many experiences
nesses are sharing in this fight to advance and long years of missionary service, Paul
Bible knowledge. They have taken the itemized the main pieces of Christian bat
fight against darkness to the homes of tle equipment. He spoke first of having
the people, just as Jesus and the disciples the loins girded about with truth. This
did before them. Paul knew from firsthand indicates that the truth must be always
experience what a fight the ministry close to us; we must be girded with it as
meant, as he recounted for us the incensed with an essential support. This is a far
fury o f the religious mob in Ephesus who different attitude from that of some who
for two hours cried out: Great is Artemis push aside a discussion of the Scriptures,
of the Ephesians! in an attempt to intim carelessly protesting, I have my church.
idate the early Christians. (Acts 19:28, They put on a cloak of godliness once or
NW) He told also of the plots against him, twice a week but cast it aside the remain
of the jailings, beatings, dangers on sea ing time. Such ones do not even examine
and on land, the hardships and privations the texture or quality of what they assume
that he endured in his fight to spread the is truth, being unversed even in the creed
knowledge of Christ. (2 Cor. 11:23-27) of their faith, much less conversant with
The fight has not abated down to this day, the Word of God. But an accurate knowl
but Jehovahs witnesses have continued edge of truth is essential to a Christian.
with their peaceful ministry despite mobs, By our not knowing the difference be
bans and imprisonment. In Trinidad, for tween true and false worship, we shall be
example, four Watch Tower missionaries unable to share in the fight to expose
were recently declared to be undesirable error. (Isa. 28:17, 18) True Christians are
visitors, although no reason was given, not divided. They know there is one true
when they brought their motor vessel to faith as recorded in the Bible. They be
port to refuel and get supplies in order to lieve Jesus statement, Your word is
7.

Give examples of the fight to uphold pure worship. 8.

Why must we gird ourselves with truth? How?

Ju n e 15, 1956

SffieWATCHTOWER.

truth, and they act in keeping with it.

By this knowledge they are able to cast
off the fetters of ritual and tradition and
bring their minds to oneness with God.
For such freedom Christ set us free.
Therefore stand fast, and do not let your
selves be confined again in a yoke of
slavery. G al.5:1; Eph. 6:14; John 17:17,
NW.
9Next we must put on the breastplate
of righteousness. If we preach the truth
we must live in keeping with it in right
eousness; otherwise we are hypocrites, not
true servants of Jehovah. Our service must
be whole-souled, never halfhearted. Those
who give in to the inclinations of the flesh
by immoral conduct are warned that they
will never inherit Gods kingdom, and
even a little corruption will quickly fer
ment and spoil all our good works in Gods
sight. Such fleshly desires war against the
interests of our soul and must be warded
off by means of the breastplate of right
eousness. Gal. 5:9, 13; 1 Pet. 2:11,
10 Stand firm, therefore, . . . with your
feet shod with the equipment of the good
news df peace. (Eph. 6:14, 15, NW) This
is the message and com fort Jehovahs wit
nesses bring to the people. It is the same
announcement Jesus gave prominence to
when he declared: This good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the in
habited earth . . . and then the accom
plished end will come. (Matt. 24:14, NW)
Today Jehovahs witnesses throughout the
world are telling the people the good news
that Christ is now enthroned in heaven
and that we are living in a time of change
that will bring lasting peace to all men of
faith through Gods kingdom. How beau
tiful upon the mountains are the feet of
him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings
of good, that publisheth salvation, that
9. What protection is the breastplate of righteousness?
10. What good news are we commanded to spread?

367

saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isa.

52:7,
AS)What is wrong with that mes
sage of peace and hope? Even the feet of
these couriers of good news appear beauti
ful in the sight of our God. Yet this mes
sage of peace is like an open declaration of
war to Satans organization.
11 Therefore we are warned to take up
the large shield of faith, with which you
will be able to quench all the wicked ones
burning missiles. We can expect to be
under attack in this warfare, and we need
faith in Jehovah in order to carry on. By
faith we can conquer the world, overcom
ing any hindrances that may stand in our
way to faithful service. Strong faith will
prevent us from being discouraged, even
though our patient preaching does not
have the immediate effect we should like
to see. Noah did not get discouraged or
give up after years of preaching. He knew
God was true. Isaiah says: Jehovah, who
believed our report? . . . All day long I
have stretched out my hands toward a peo
ple that is disobedient and talks back.
Yet he did not give up, and Paul cites this
example to the Romans because he under
stood that even though many did not be
lieve, the work of God was still being ac
complished. But we cannot have faith
without a foundation of knowledge on
which to establish it. The greater our ac
curate knowledge of God and the more we
use it, the more protective will be our
shield of faith. Eph. 6:16, 17; Rom. 10:
16, 20, 21, NW ; Isa. 53:1; 65:2,
12 Accept also the helmet of salvation
as part of your equipment, Paul advises.
He well knew how God in his undeserved
kindness had become the author of ever
lasting salvation for us through Christ.
This provision is a gift that we must ac
cept in order to receive its benefits, as it
is not forced on anyone. Paul saw the ful11. (a) How is faith a protection and how is it gained?
(b) Give past examples of great faith.
12. How do we receive the helmet of salvation?

368

SReWATCHTOWER

Ailment of many prophecies, so he wrote:

Now is salvation nearer to us them when
we Arst believed. (Rom. 13:11, .AS) This
is doubly true for Christians today because
we are living in the generation that will
see the salvation of men of faith. (Rev.
12:10) Those in line for salvation are easi
ly identiAed, not because of some peculiar
garb, but by their faith and works. They
let their light shine by Aving and preach
ing as Christian witnesses for Jehovah.
13A very important piece of equipment
for the spiritual warfare is the sword of
the spirit, that is, Gods word. (Eph. 6:17,
NW) This is essential for both defensive
and offensive actions. (2 Cor. 6:2-10)
What good is a soldier without his weap
on? or how long will he last in battle if he
does not know how to use it? In like man
ner, for a minister of the gospel to have a
Bible without being able to use it effective
ly and to And scriptures is to render him
self helpless in spiritual warfare. Yet many
of the clergy And themselves in such posi
tion today. Rejecting the Word of Jehovah
by denying its authenticity or inspiration,
what wisdom is in them? Accept the sword
of the spirit, Paul says. He commended
the Beroeans for their diligent considera
tion of the Scriptures and their acceptance
of what was proved. We should do as they
did. It is by this Word that God reveals
his purpose and his will for mankind and
his requirements for life. With this sword
of the spirit we are armed for the attack
and made mighty through God for the pull
ing down of strongly entrenched things.
14 Paul continues his inspired counsel:
While with every form of prayer and sup
plication you carry on prayer on every oc
casion in spirit. And to that end keep
awake with all constancy. Prayer pro
vides our means of access to and communi
cation with Jehovah through Christ, our
13. Why are we glad to take up the sword of the spirit,
and how is it used?
14. What prayers will God hear?

Brooklyn, N . Y .

Leader and Commander in this spiritual

war. We must petition God for his spirit to
give us strength and guidance in every
time of need. We can be assured he will
hear our prayer if it is in accord with his
will; whereas he refuses to listen to the
prayers for selAsh interests regularly of
fered by the blood-drenched Aghters of the
old-world system. (Isa. 1:15; Eph. 6:18,
NW) As to keeping awake with all con
stancy, this is certainly necessary for a
soldier, but especially so for Christians
today in this time o f urgency. As Christ
foreknew, his coming has been unobserved
by the world in general, even though it is
announced publicly by Jehovahs witness
es. The m ajority sleep on, not aroused by
the rejoicing over the sign o f his presence.
Rev. 16:15, N W ; Matt. 24:42-44.
15 Lastly, every tighter for Jehovah must
have the ability to make known the truth
to others. As Paul said: That ability to
speak may be given me . . . with all free
ness of speech to make known the sacred
secret of the good news, . . . that I may
speak in connection with it with boldness
as I ought to speak. (Eph. 6:19, 20, NW)
Even though writing as an ambassador in
chains, Paul did so freely and with bold
ness, because he fully understood the issue
and the reason for the tight. The Christian
soldier gets this knowledge by means of
Gods Word of truth. From this source also
he draws the courage that comes with
faith. Being well equipped in all these
ways with the weapons of light or of right
eousness, do not now timidly draw back.
The night is well along, the day has drawn
near, and this is the time for action!
Rom. 13:12.
16 Blessed be Jehovah my rock, who
teacheth my hands to war, and my Angers
to tight. (Ps. 144:1, AS) Yes, the equip15, 16. How do we share in spiritual warfare? What
provisions have been made for us?

Ju n e

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

ment for battle, a knowledge o f the foe,

strength and courage to press on, all these
are wisely provided by Jehovah. We must
do our part, however. Just as drill and
training precede any human battle, so with
the spiritual warfare. Jehovah knows what
we need and is aware of our requirements,
but we must use his provisions. What are
they? Study, association and service. Each
plays an essential part in equipping and
preparing us. Study includes both intense
and constant personal study and also shar
ing actively in congregational studies, all a
part of the training program to prepare us
for the fray. From association we draw

369

encouragement and confidence and are as

sured of the wholehearted support of our
brothers. No one has a chance in a fight if
he stands alone; so association is vital.
Then in the service we have the opportu
nity to test our equipment, strengthen our
knowledge and get accustomed to using
the sword of the spirit. Use these provi
sions of Jehovah to the full and, after you
have done everything within your power,
God will supply what is needed for victory.
For we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the power beyond what is nor
mal may be Gods and not that out of
ourselves. 2 Cor. 4:7-11,

D
Go

Qo
QAMxJlL^j. to share
in the ranks of Jehovahs fight
ers for truth? Anyone who dedi
cates himself to Jehovahs serv
ice will qualify, whether mem or
woman, young or old, if he ob
serves the requirements. Paul
spoke o f being the right kind of
soldier of Christ Jesus ; for just as
we must wage the right warfare, so
we must be the right kind of soldier
to have Gods approval. We must be
devoted to the ministry and willing
to share the hardships and persecutions
that attend it along with many joys and
blessings. As a right kind o f soldier of
Christ Jesus take your part in suffering
evil. (2 Tim. 2:3,
The kind of
soldier a person really is shows up in
the fight. Can he be depended on for any
assignment or is he absent from meetings
and irregular in service? Is he dependable
and steady, or more like a drifting merce1. Who qualifies for the ministry?

onwaging the right warfare, holding faith

and a good conscience, which some have
thrust aside and have experienced ship
wreck concerning their faith.

nary who is looking first to his own inter

ests? It is not men we are serving, but
God. We are not called before a human
tribunal if we neglect our duties; it is Je
hovah who examines us. 1 Cor. 4:1-4.
2Many times we must not only carry our
own load of service, but also lend a help
ing hand to others who need help. It is well
known that the highest battle casualties
occur when soldiers fight their first bat2. How do we manifest a spirit of love toward our
brothers ?

370

SfteWATCHTOWEFL

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

ties and before they become skilled in days of the Christian organization such
fighting. Just as a father looks after his disciplinary action was necessary, just as
children carefully, so the seasoned veter it is on occasions today. An early case is
ans of spiritual warfare must help the new mentioned: Hymenaeus and Alexander
ones through their first skirmishes to con belong to these, and I have handed them
tinue on walking worthily of God. (IThess. over to Satan that they may be taught by
2:11, 12) Furthermore, a well-trained discipline not to blaspheme. 2 Cor. 10:6;
regiment of soldiers has a pride in its 1 Tim. 1:20, NW.
achievements; and while a Christian will
4As the soldiers in Israel had to keep
not get swelled up with personal pride, he clean by sanctification for their warfare un
should have a good spirit and delight in der Gods leadership, today we must keep
working with his brothers. For God gave a good conscience by living according
us not a spirit of cowardice, but that of to his requirements. Behave in a manner
power and of love and of soundness of worthy of the good news about the Christ,
mind. Therefore do not become ashamed in order that, whether I come and see you
o f the witness about our Lord. 2 Tim. or be absent, I may hear . . . that you are
1:7, 8, NW.
standing firm in one spirit. (Phil. 1:27,
3Besides advising us to prove ourselves NW) Some of the ways to walk worthily
worthy to be in the ranks of Christian are described as being with complete low
fighters through such qualifications, Paul liness of mind and mildness, with longstresses another requirement: Live accord suffering, putting up with one another in
ing to our faith. He wrote to Timothy love, earnestly endeavoring to observe the
(1 Tim. 1:18-20,
NW): This
mandate
oneness
of theI spirit in the uniting bond of
commit to y o u ,. . . that by these you may peace. Eph. 4:1-3, NW.
go on waging the right warfare, holding
5Even more pointedly, Galatians 5:19-21
faith and a good conscience, which some describes the works of the flesh, including
have thrust aside and have experienced such things as fornication, idolatry, spirit
shipwreck concerning their faith. Paul ism, jealousy, anger and drunkenness,
had good reason for mentioning this, be and states that those who practice such
cause some in his time had tried to sub things will never inherit Gods kingdom.
vert the faith, resisting the truth to an Thus in order to qualify in Gods sight to
excessive degree; and he warned that such share in the spiritual warfare under the
ideas would be as deadly as gangrene if leadership of Christ, the Christian must
permitted to take hold. Just as a soldier shun such things and must demonstrate
who is hesitant or indecisive might well instead the fruitage of Gods spirit. He
pay with his life, so may we if we do not cannot be a witness in name only, but must
hold firmly to our faith. We must let God hold to faith and a good conscience, which
prove to be true by faith and confidence means a conscience trained in keeping with
in his Word. Hang on to it as to life itself. Gods Word. While our conduct may ap
Those who try to destroy the faith of oth pear proper in the sight of our friends, we
ers will be disciplined by Jehovahs or must remember that God discerns the se
ganization and removed from the ranks. cret intents of the heart. At the time of our
Paul told the Corinthians: We are hold dedication to Jehovah we not only vow to
ing ourselves in readiness to inflict punish
put away the filth of the flesh but also
ment for every disobedience. In the early
3, 4. What are some of the requirements of the ministry?

5, 6. How may some be disqualified from the ranks of

Jehovahs fighters?

Ju

n e

15, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER.

make the request to God for a good con

science toward God. (1 Pet. 3:16, 17, 21,
NW) So we war against the inclinations
of the flesh, being strengthened in the
fight by the spirit of God. 1 Cor. 10:13;
Rom. 7:23.
6 Paul knew that just being associated
with Gods people would not ensure one of
life, nor would having a share in the serv
ice unless we live and serve as befits Chris
tian warriors. He did not want to be among
those who run the race of faith and share
in preaching to others, only to find himself
disqualified from the prize of life. (1 Cor.
9:24-27) For anyone in Jehovahs service
to follow a rebellious, stubborn course not
only will bring punishment to himself but
may very likely bring reproach on the
cause he serves and cause the faith of oth
ers to be shaken. A powerful illustration
of this was seen in the case of Achan, when
as a soldier for Israel he violated Jeho
vahs commands. As a result of his tres
pass thirty-six of his fellow men died be
cause Jehovahs blessing was withdrawn.
Because of this one unfaithful act of will
ful disobedience Achan and his family and
possessions were all destroyed.Joshua
chapter 7.
ORGANIZED BATTLE ACTION

7In the army a soldier cannot act on his

own. He needs the help of others for sup
plies and fighting support. He looks to his
officers for instructions and leadership. In
like manner Christians today work togeth
er in an organized manner, accepting the
leadership God provides through his vis
ible organization and through appointed
servants, with one soul fighting side by
side for the faith of the good news, and in
no respect being frightened by your op
ponents. This very thing is a proof of de
struction for them, but of salvation for
7. What effect does Christian oneness have on the
enemy ?

371

you; and this indication is from God, be

cause to you the privilege was given in
behalf of Christ, not only to put your faith
in him, but also to suffer in his behalf.
(Phil. 1:27-29, NW ) We depend on God
more than on any individual. For not the
one who recommends himself is approved,
but the man whom Jehovah recommends.
All our efforts are of no avail without his
support. That is why Paul said: But he
that boasts, let him boast in Jehovah.
2 Cor. 10:18, 17, N W ; Jer. 1:19; Ps.
35:1-10.
8
Understanding more fully now the de
tails about our equipment and the qualifi
cations necessary to engage in the fight,
what problems may we expect to face? No
army goes into battle without first feeling
out the enemy to determine its weaknesses.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Therefore we do well to examine the
structure and methods of operation of Sa
tans organization. Organization? Yes.
Jehovah God scored a triumph over it by
means of Christs faithfulness to the death
on the torture stake; as it is written: He
has taken it out of the way by nailing it
[the law condemning Christians] to the
torture stake. Stripping the governments
and the authorities [of Satans organiza
tion] bare, he exhibited them in open
public as conquered, leading them in a tri
umphal procession by means of it. (Col.
2:14, 15, NW)* Jesus, when on earth as
a man, had to war against those demon
governments and authorities, resisting the
temptations presented by Satan their chief
and casting out more than a legion of de
mons from unfortunate persons obsessed
by these wicked spirit forces. After the
birth of Gods kingdom in heaven A.D.
1914 Jehovahs King Jesus Christ and his
angels launched a war against Satan and
* See The Watclitower of October 15, 1955, pages
629-631, ffff 26-31.
8, 9. Describe the demon organization.

372

Brooklyn, N . Y .
SEeWATCHTOWER.
his demons and cast these wicked angels fight soon to come at Armageddon, when
out of heaven down to the vicinity of our Jehovah fights against Satan, the modernearth. Therefore we are warned to be on day Gog, and his demonic hordes. Ps.
special guard against these demons now 34:7,
AS.
11 These are the days of real fighting for
massed here. Rev. 12:1-12.
9In his letter to the Ephesians the apos Jehovahs servants, as Satan brings woes
tle Paul again makes reference to Satan like a flood over earths people and wars
the Devils invisible organization of de against those who observe the command
mon powers, naming the severed parts of ments of God and have the work of bear
this unseen organization arrayed against ing witness to Jesus. (Rev. 12:17, NW)
us. He tells us how to stand firm against The Scriptures indicate that he will be
the machinations of the Devil, who is not come so successful in his scheme to blind
of blood and flesh. Because we have a the peoples minds to the truth that the
fight, not against blood and flesh, but hour is coming when everyone that kills
against the governments, against the au you [Jesus disciples] will imagine he has
thorities, against the world-rulers [cosmo- rendered a sacred service to God. (John
crats] o f this darkness, against the wicked 16:2, JVW) This is a fight of truth against
spirit forces in the heavenly places. (Eph. error, of Jehovah against Satan, and we
be proud to have the privilege of serv
6:11, 12,
NW) It is these wickedcan
spirit
forces now restrained at the earth that in ing in the proclamation of truth.
12 Paul tells us: Put on the complete
spire the misleading expressions that come
out of the mouth of the dragon and wild suit of armor from God that you may be
beast and false prophet, to march earths able to stand firm against the machina
kings to the battle of Armageddon. Rev. tions of the Devil. This indicates he has
a line of attack to break down our faith
16:13-16,
NW.
10Ezekiel, chapter 38, tells of the en and integrity. What are some of these
circlement of Gods people as these live in burning missiles that we must guard
apparent defenselessness throughout the against? Eph. 6:11, NW.
13 A Christian may find himself under
earth in unwalled villages, while Satans
hordes come against them like a storm constant attack in his own home. Regard
with darkness and threatening destruction. ing this Jesus said: Do you imagine I
But are Jehovahs people helpless and de came to give peace on the earth? No, in
fenseless? Not while they have on the deed, I tell you, but rather division. For
fighting equipment Jehovah has provided. from now on there will be five in one house
They are within his protective care, just divided, three against two and two against
as surely as the prophet Elisha was when three. They will be divided, father against
an army detachment of the king of Syria son and son against father, mother against
surrounded him at Dothan. On that oc daughter and daughter against her mother,
casion Jehovahs angelic hosts protected mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and guarded Elisha, but blinded the enemy and daughter-in-law against her motherSyrians. (2 Ki. 6:14-19) Jehovah still pro in-law. Indeed, a mans enemies will be
tects and cares for his servants lest Satan persons of his own household. He that has
overwhelm them. Thus protected, we can greater affection for father or mother than
for me is not worthy of me; and he that
look fearlessly ahead to the showdown
10. How does Jehovah protect his people from anni
hilation ?

11, 12. What is the cause of the controversy, and how

do we respond?
13. How can we demonstrate affection for Christ?

Ju n e 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWEFL

373

has greater affection for son or daughter

than for me is not worthy of me. (Luke
12:51-53; Matt. 10:36, 37, NW) It is very
difficult to stand up under the test of con
stant family opposition and ridicule against
the truth. To overcome this we need the
large shield of faith, which is strengthened
by the truth, and to carry on prayer on
every occasion in spirit. We must keep
seeking the Kingdom interests first. If we
give in to family pressure and forsake our
worship of Jehovah, we shall lose the bat
tle and shall be cut off from vital associa
tion with the brothers.
14 Another trap always ready to snare us
is entanglement with commercial interests
because of love of what the present system
offers. Demas, Pauls companion in the
ministry, was one who stepped aside in this
way. As Paul put it: Demas has forsaken
me because he loved the present system of
things. (2 Tim. 4:1 0 ,
We cannot
serve two masters acceptably, nor can a
soldier serve two causes at the same time.
No man serving as a soldier involves him
self in the commercial businesses of life,
in order that he may meet the approval
of the one who enrolled him as a soldier.
(2 Tim. 2 :4 , NW) Paul had to work to
support himself, but he never permitted
it to stop his ministry, and we should take
the same point of view. There is no need
for us to store up for the future. All we
need, as with any soldier, is provisions for
the day, and with food and clothing we
should be content.
15However, Satans most successful ma
neuver to mislead the people is by propa
ganda contrary to Gods Word. From the
time in Eden when he deceived Eve by
promising her a knowledge of good and
evil he has been subtly misrepresenting
the truth and fostering religious deception.
Down through the centuries he has built

up false doctrines and ideologies until the

world is now divided, with a man against
his brother in every feature of life, includ
ing worship. Now is the time to walk again
in the old ways of truth, tearing down the
stronghold of error and building up knowl
edge of God. By doing this we can resist
Satan and have a share in freeing those he
has held in mental servitude. For the
weapons of our warfare are not fleshly,
but powerful by God for overturning
strongly entrenched things. For we are
overturning reasonings and every lofty
thing raised up against the knowledge of
God, and we are bringing every thought
into captivity to make it obedient to the
Christ.2 Cor. 10:4, 5,
16
What is truth? Pilate asked. Most
persons credulously believe that the faith
of their parents is the true one. But taking
into account only the more than 260 socalled Christian denominations, we
would have about one chance in 260 of
being raised in the Scriptural one faith,
one hope. So intelligent inquiry is neces
sary in order to determine the truth about
Gods purposes; we cannot be simply lulled
into a false sense of assurance and drift
along with a perhaps demonically origi
nated religious inheritance. In making
such inquiry we can be grateful that Jeho
vah, like a loving father, has provided for
our instruction and guidance by revealing
his will to us in the inspired pages of the
Bible. Once we come to a clear understand
ing of the Scriptures, we should not be on
the defensive with regard to our faith, but
on the offensive, fighting the spiritual war
fare to share our knowledge with others.
Rather than a frontal attack on false wor
ship Paul advises the use o f strategy in
order to gain the most persons. And so to
the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might
gain Jews; to those under law I became as

14. Why did Paul warn against commercialism?

15. In what way can we resist Satan?

16. (a) How can truth be determined? (b) How can it

best be presented to others?

374

SEeWATCHTOWEFL

under law, though I myself am not under

la w ,. . . I have become all things to people
o f all kinds, that I might by all means save
some. But I do all things for the sake of
the good news, that I may become a sharer
of it with others. Paul did not compro
mise the truth by his preaching, but he
used tact and discernment in his presenta
tion. He considered how he might most
effectively attack and tear down the men
tal barrier of error, thus freeing his hear
ers for joyful acceptance of the truth.
1 Cor. 9:20-23, NW.
AVOIDING BEING A BATTLE CASUALTY

17
We have been greatly privileged
have been assigned to share in this minis
try, and we want to treasure that oppor
tunity and use it rightly. If we say we have
love for God, then we must show it by ex
celling in the ministry. This means study
ing hard for accurate knowledge and full
discernment, making sure of the important
things, so we shall not stumble anyone,
and having a real zeal for service. (Phil.
1:9-11) Having this correct knowledge and
using it rightly means the difference be
tween life and death in this fight. (Eccl.
7 :1 2 ) It serves to guide men from the
divisions and disunities of this world to a
oneness of mind and action, possible only
in Jehovahs service. As the great crowd
of people from all nations respond to the
invitation to assemble in the household
of faith, they learn Jehovahs way and
walk in his path. No longer do they lift
up the sword against one another in nation
alistic enmity, for now theirs is the good
fight of faith. Thus spiritual war promotes
lasting peace based on truth and coupled
with love for God and neighborsome
thing carnal fighting has never achieved.
Eccl. 9 :1 8 .
lsAre there casualties in this spiritual
17. How do we demonstrate love for God and neighbor?
18, 19. What dangers do we face? How are they over
come?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

war? Yes, even with all the equipment

given for our protection some are bound
to fall by the wayside if they become in
different. However, we have no cause for
fear if we keep the right mental attitude.
We should in no respect be frightened by
our opponents or give in to the fear of
men. (Isa. 41:11, 12) We know that as
long as Satan continues his activities we
are in for a fight, but we do not want to
miss out on the opportunities before us:
For a large door that leads to activity
has been opened . . . but there are many
opposers. (1 Cor. 16:9, W ) Have you
boldly stepped through that door into ac
totive service?
19 Though many ridicule the truth, there
is no reason for us to fall prey to their
negative thinking or to slide into an
apathetic state. Noah had the whole
world of his time massed against his
New World thinking, but he did not give
up the fight. Indifference is a type of
spiritual sickness a part of Satans germ
warfare. If you had a possibly fated mal
ady, you would try to get over it as quickly
as possible. We can do the same with spir
itual sickness with the help of our brothers
and the treatment provided by Jehovah.
Now is no time to follow our own ideas,
everyone doing what appears best to him.
It would be impossible to win a battle
fighting in such a haphazard manner. In
stead we need to have one mind on mat
ters, the mind of the Lord, fighting shoul
der to shoulder in the service and support
ing meetings, holding to faith and a good
conscience.
20The amazing thing is that after all
the struggle to uphold the truth and live
according to it, fighting off the attacks of
Satan, we do not become weak and ex
hausted. We do not finally show signs of
battle fatigue or shock. All these trials
20, 21. What Scriptural encouragement do we have to
continue in right warfare?

Ju n e

15, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER.

work to our good to strengthen us spirit

ually, for spiritual warfare is upbuilding.
Let us exult while in tribulations, since we
know that tribulation produces endurance;
endurance, in turn, an approved condition;
the approved condition, in turn, hope, and
the hope does not lead to disappointment;
because the love of God has been poured
out into our hearts through the holy spirit
which was given us. (Rom. 5:3-5,
However, no one will receive the rewards
of his fighting unless he continues faithful
to the end, fighting the right fight and
serving the faith. The final reward we look
for is life itself, and nothing can compare
with that, as it is the greatest reward of
all. Even though we lose our life now as
faithful witnesses, still we have the pros
pect of life in the new world through the
resurrection. So contend for the victory in
the right contest of faith. Rev. 2:10;
1 Tim. 6:12, NW.
21Besides the promise o f life, there are
many other rewards from day to day that
sustain us in our hope. These come not
from looting or spoiling, but are spiritual
bounties of great value. These rewards are
bound up with the two great command
ments to love God with all our heart, mind,
soul and strength and our neighbor as our
self. The closer we stay to these right re
quirements, the greater our blessings. We
must put God first in our life and serve
him with all our strength. A soldier when
called to arms drops everything to respond
to the call; so it is with Christian warfare.
Even family ties do not take precedence
over the enlistment cry, Be my follower,
for Jesus said: Let the dead bury their
dead, but you go away and declare abroad
the kingdom of God. Luke 9:59,60, NW.
22 Once having started in Gods service,
do not turn back as many of the warriors
under Judge Gideon did, thus missing out
on the final victory. Remember, No man
22. Contrast old-world and new-world fighters.

375

that has put his hand to a plow and looks

at the things behind is well fitted for the
kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62,
The
greatest blessings come with abundant
service. Therefore those who are in posi
tion to share in the full-time ministry,
such as the pioneer service, have a won
derful opportunity to enjoy the rich bless
ings Jehovah showers on those whole
heartedly serving him. These full-time
workers are truly in the front ranks of the
fighters in this spiritual warfare, often
carrying the full fury of the attack as they
advance the fight in new territories. De
spite all trials, however, they can have
confidence in Jehovah, even perfect peace
of mind. What a difference from the anxi
ety and worried outlook of the soldier on a
war-tom battlefield as he waits for the
signal to attack! (Isa. 26:3, 4; Rom. 8:6)
His mind is not thinking about the com
mandment to love his neighbor, but quite
the opposite. But it is by keeping this com
mand that spiritual warfare becomes fully
rewarding. It may take months and even
years of patient instruction and care, but
there are few joys to compare with the de
light of helping a person grow and become
strong in a knowledge of the truth. You
can show such ones how to reflect the light
of truth to those still in darkness. Lead
them into active combat with the sword
of the spirit, holding high the torch of
truth and light like soldiers of the Greater
Gideon, Christ Jesus. (Judges 7; Dan. 12:3)
Have you personally had the privilege
of helping to free some of the crowds of
people held in darkness by the wicked
spirit forces under Satan? This is the goal
for each fighter for the new world, and the
rewards of sharing this prospect of life
with others who love righteousness and
peace are rich indeed.
23 Spiritual warfare does not leave a trail
23. How is spiritual warfare a building and cultivating
work?

376

B rooklyn, N. Y.
fflieWATCHTOWER
of carnage over the face of a scorched as a build-up to the great climax o f world
earth with children bloated from starva affairs at Armageddon? (Isa. 6:11; Eccl.
tion, their parents crippled or dead and 8:8) At that time Jehovah through his
their homes destroyed. To those causing Field Marshal, Christ Jesus, will move with
such devastation Jehovah has declared vengeance to crush Satans world organi
that he will bring to ruin those ruining zation, both visible and invisible, pulveriz
the earth, with Satan as chief among them. ing the visible earthly part and hurling the
Instead of evil fruits, the fruits of the spir invisible demonic part into the abyss of
it and of spiritual warfare are good. It is a deathlike inactivity for the thousand years
work of planting, cultivating and building of Christs reign. In this war of the great
up in a spiritual sense. Men and women of day of God the Almighty the servants of
all nations are being brought together in Jehovah on earth will have no part with
understanding, love and trust. A New earned weapons. Our work comes now as
World society is being built up; not a
the right kind of sol
diers for Christ. Gods
secret society, but a free
part comes at Arma
speaking society of those
geddon. (Ps. 46:9;
who are real Bible Chris
Rom. 12:17-21; Rev.
tians. They are building up
19:11-16, 19) Until
a highway, clearing out
stones of stumbling, and
that time we must
directing people along it to
continue waging the
right kind of warfare,
life in the new world. This
not the conflicts of
is the right kind of warfare
the visible part of Sa
now being commanded by
Jehovah and directed by
tans orga n iza tion ,
Christ Jesus.
but the war of truth
24
How long will this con
against error, of right
troversy continue? For our part we shall religion against false religion, never slack
continue with the preaching offensive of ing in zeal or in faith, forgetting the
truth as long as Jehovah permits; or, things behind and stretching forward to
as Isaiah put it, until the cities are the things ahead, as Paul did. (Phil. 3:13,
wasted and desolated. There is no fur NW) By doing so we shall be given the
lough for us; but who wants a furlough victory by Jehovah and be rewarded with
when he has the grand privilege of peace and life in his new world o f right
doing this preparatory work on earth eousness. (2 Pet. 3:13) Now is the time
for war; after Armageddon is the time for
24. How and when will Jehovah bring an end to the
peace.
great controversy?

"O N LY GOD HAS AN ANSWER TO IT"

^ The United Press dispatch, March 29, 1956, reports that air force secretary
Donald Quarles said that Russia and the United States are approaching a point
in the arms race where neither side will dare attack the other. Subcommittee
member Charles Deane of North Carolina declared: It looks like we have reached
a point where only God has an answer to it. The air secretary replied: Yes . . .
But I think somebody said that God helps those who help themselves. W hom
was the air secretary quoting? Certainly not God nor his W ord the Bible, for
there is no hindrance to Jehovah to save by many or by few . 1 Sam. 14:6, NW .

 E BR UARY, 1956, was a busy month for

Jehovah's witnesses on the Hawaiian Islands.
They were getting ready for a convention and
the third visit of the president of the W atch
Tower Bible and Tract Society, N . H. Knorr,
accompanied by Don A. Adam s. Assembly
dates were set for March 2 to 4, but February
was the month of preparation. It was an
important event coming up for Jehovah's
witnesses, and advertising it in as many
ways as possible was an important part of
the preliminary work. F ifty thousand handbills
were printed and used as personal invitations
in Honolulu, inviting people to come to the
public lecture. Nine hundred posters and plac
ards were placed in advantageous positions
to attract the public. A special series of no
tices was run in the local papers to heighten
interest. Several interesting articles about the
work of the Society were published before and
during the assembly, and news co-operation
was good.

of the public to respond by telephone calls.

The climax of the advertising was reached
on Sunday, March 4, when this widely adver
tised lecture, Making A ll Mankind One Under
Their Creator, was tape-recorded and rebroad
cast by KPOA, a local station, immediately
following the live delivery of it at the assem
bly place, the American-Chinese Club Pavilion.
So the W atch Tower branch office, through its
public relations department, did excellent work
in trying to get the islanders to hear this im
portant message.
The president and his secretary were sched
uled to arrive on Pan American Airways at
6:30 in the morning on March 1, but they got
in a little ahead of time. Even at this hour just
before dawn there were about 75 local Jeho
vah's witnesses on hand to give them a typical
Hawaiian welcome, as m any present placed
fragrant fresh flower leis around the visitors'
necks until they were piled high. And there
were smiles and hearty welcomes so typical
of the Hawaiian publishers. A fter a few pic
tures were taken by brothers and newsmen,
Brothers Knorr and Adam s were whisked away
to the branch office and missionary home, there
to look into local problems and make final as
sembly arrangements.

Television was used for the first time in

Hawaii by the witnesses to demonstrate the
international flavor of this Exclusive Devotion
assembly of Jehovah's witnesses. A special tele
vision program was presented by the local wit
nesses in native costume and in six languages,
including English, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean,
Chinese and Ilocano. This was very successful
in announcing the public meeting topic, M ak
ing A ll Mankind One Under
Their Creator. Certainly
there was oneness here of
the m any nations represent
ed. The radio was used, too,
to reach a still greater in
visible audience with spot
announcements and inter
views. A special program
was arranged in the Japa
n e s e language using a question-and-answer a r r a n g e lent, which caused many

The American-Chinese Club Pavilion was

fixed up beautifully for the assembly. The stage
was a mass of colored trop
ical plants and flowers,
this variety of Hawa
plants gave the Pavilior
exotic look. There v
large wall panels on e
side of the stage, and
one on the left as you f;
the platform showed tin
tent of the work of J
vahs witnesses on the
waiian Islands in 1945.
islands themselves were
377

378

SEeWATCHTOWER,

out o f cocoa-colored material and placed in their

proper position on a sea of dark aqua. Lightercolored stars indicated the five organized H a
waiian congregations, while chartreuse-colored
letters announced that there were 102 Kingdom
publishers living on the islands in 1945. On the
opposite side a similar panel dated 1955 showed
the islands with seventeen brilliant stars and
indicating 948 publishers. This display showed
ten years growth at a glance. Both panels
were encircled with huge leis, giving it a dis
tinctive Hawaiian touch.
W ith many conventioners of different nation
alities it was a problem to operate a cafeteria;
so the meals were quite varied but enjoyable.
And to the American visitors the meals were
unique. The whole assembly had a Far Eastern
atmosphere and the grounds were surrounded
with palms and tropical vegetation. O f course,
the big thing was the spiritual food that the
representatives from several islands came to
hear. This Exclusive Devotion assembly proved
to be the biggest gathering yet fo r the Hawai
ian brothers.
On the opening day Brother Knorr spoke on
the subject Christians Must Be Happy. He
pointed out that Jehovahs witnesses are the
most fortunate people, fo r they have learned
the w ay of salvation. They are in advantageous
circumstances, with a close relationship to God,
knowing the w ay to life and with good cause
to be happy. He presented m any scriptures to
show that even under persecution and trial a
Christian can be happy. Happiness comes from
getting knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
Happiness is assured because of ones faith and
belief. W h a t he said was certainly reflected in
the happy faces and in the joy expressed by
those present at the assembly. The peak attend
ance at the Friday sessions was 874.
Saturday a baptism was arranged and thirtyeight persons symbolized their dedication to
Jehovah God by being immersed. A ll of them
were taken to a nearby beach and dipped be
neath the waves of the blue Pacific.
On Saturday afternoon the program was de
voted to the pioneer service. One portion was
handled by a chairman who interviewed four
pioneers whose total years in full-time service
ran more than a hundred. Their remarks
and experiences were an incentive to others,
and showed that by careful planning and by
depending on Jehovahs spirit one could have a
full and happy life in this blessed pioneer
service in Jehovahs New W orld society. There

Brooklyn, N . Y.

was much talk that day about pioneer service,

and there is room for more pioneers and spe
cial pioneers on the islands of Hawaii.
On Saturday evening Brother Adam s gave a
stirring talk on The Right Kind of W a rfa re .
He showed that Christian service should not be
overshadowed by the m odem world o f material
ism. He likened this present situation to ones
looking through a plate-glass window to see a
clear view of the new world and its blessings.
If the window is kept clean and ones vision
of New W orld activity is clear and Kingdom
truths are kept in view, then one will keep
seeking first the Kingdom. But once one allows
the window to get dirty or coated over with
gold or silver, commercial interests, then it
automatically becomes a mirror and all one can
see is himself. Then the New W orld vision goes
out of view. The talk was very practical and
stimulating to the 903 ministers who were pres
ent at this session.
Sunday brought the big event looked fo r
ward to by all the witnesses of Jehovah. They
were eager to see what the results of all their
advertising and preliminary preparations would
bring as fa r as the public lecture was con
cerned. A ll were overjoyed to see the Pavilion
packed out and overflowing. The tents that
were erected outside the Pavilion in anticipa
tion of this extra crowd were filled too. Excel
lent attention was given to Brother Knorr as
he developed his theme showing that the great
Creator was going to bring all mankind into
one new world and that mankind, regardless
of nationality, color o f skin or language, would
be made one under their Creator. H e pointed
out that now is the time for people to take
their stand in order to gain everlasting life.
W hen the count was taken it showed there
were 1,355 who had come from all walks of
life and of different nationalities to hear this
encouraging discourse, which has already been
published in the April 1 issue of The Watchtower.
A ll of Jehovahs witnesses, along with many
of the people of good will at the public meeting,
stayed to hear the president give his final talk,
which was announced at the public meeting.
It dealt with Jehovahs witnesses in Russia, and
it was inspiring to learn how Jehovahs spirit
is manifest on his people despite almost insur
mountable obstacles put in the way of Jeho
vahs witnesses in Russia to stop them from
preaching the good news of the Kingdom. The
Hawaiian brothers were delighted to hear of
the zeal of brothers in Russia and it made them

Ju n e

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

more determined than ever to continue on and

make the good news of the Kingdom heard in
every nook and corner of the islands. The
brothers were also enthusiastic about sending
their love and greetings to the brothers in all
parts of the world, particularly to those in the
South Pacific, where the two visitors were to
be traveling.
There is still much to be done on the Hawai
ian Islands in the way of preaching the good
news, because there are still hundreds of thou
sands of people who have not yet taken their
stand for the Kingdom. But it is certain that
within a few years there will be very few who
have not yet had the opportunity to hear about
the wonderful provisions that Jehovah God has
made to bring all mankind into one society un
der their Creator.

ON TO THE FIJI ISLANDS

Because of a hurricane in the South Pacific
the Pan American airline announced to all
travelers that planes going in that direction
would be grounded for twenty-four hours. So it
was not until Tuesday evening at 10:30 that
Brothers Knorr and Adam s left a group of
more than 200 at the airport to be on their
way to the South Pacific. A short stop was
made at Canton Island for refueling. This is
just a narrow strip of land, a coral island far
out in the Pacific. The travelers landed there
just before dawn, and it was surprising how
quickly darkness changes to daylight on this
Pacific island. It takes only a few short minutes.
Away again, it was not long before the
travelers reached Fiji, but because of high
winds and heavy rain the plane could not
get in to the airport at Nandi at once. As the
clouds hung low over the field the plane circled
for about an hour until informed that the ceil
ing had lifted sufficiently for the plane to
come in on the landing strip. On the ground
the rain was pouring down. Even as the plane
came in over the island it was observed that
the roads were covered with water and great
lakes had been formed. Surely the hurricane
had been felt in this vicinity. Several brothers
were on hand to meet the visitors at the Nandi
airport. Arrangements had previously been
made for Brother Adam s to address a conven
tion at Suva while Brother Knorr was to con
tinue on a connecting plane to New Zealand,
where a convention had already started in
Auckland. The hour spent talking to the broth
ers was delightful, but then the time came for

379

Brother Adams and the group to make their

way to Suva, sink or swim.
A taxi was hired and the brothers started on
their way over the muddy roads and through
deep puddles to Suva, 130 miles away on the
other side of the island. Before long they came
to a swollen river that no truck or car could
go through unless it could submerge and come
out the other side. But not having that kind
of vehicle they got out of the taxi, rolled up
their trousers, took off their shoes and socks
and waded out to a rowboat equipped with an
outboard motor. The newly formed stream was
fast flowing to the ocean, but the amateur
navigator got them across safely. Again they
had to hire a taxi, which carried them a few
more miles, and then they went through the
same procedure crossing the second swollen
stream to reach the Land Rover, with which
they were to drive on to Suva. They finished
the journey in this, but it was rough going and
many times the water in the road came up as
high as the axles. Once they had to cross a
flooded part of the road by driving along a
railroad trestle, but after many harrowing ex
periences, never to be forgotten, the brothers
reached Suva an hour before the public talk.
The convention was in session and all the
brothers were delighted to know that the spe
cial representative from headquarters had got
ten there and now they could hear him talk
on Making A ll Mankind One Under Their
Creator. Brother Adam s had picked up a cold
in Honolulu because of the change in climate,
and now, with this rough travel and his getting
wet coming to Suva, his voice was not in the
best condition. He started to give the public
talk but after about twenty minutes his voice
failed; so he handed his manuscript to the
chairman, the circuit servant, Brother Heiberg,
who did a masterful job of presenting the m a
terial even though he had never seen the copy
before. The brothers were overjoyed with the
message, as were also the public who had come
to the talk, to the number of 170 in all at
Suvas Town Hall.
By this time the rains had just about stopped
and the weather was much better. The next day
the convention continued and Brother Adam s
was able to give two lectures on the work of
Jehovahs witnesses, providing the brothers
with good spiritual food. To all the attenders it
seemed as though joy had no bounds as Jeho
vahs witnesses came together fo r their first
full-scale assembly ever to be held in Fiji.

380

SfceWATCHTOWER

A t the Kingdom H all the brothers had pre

pared a unique platform with live banana trees
bearing fruit, flowers, multicolored crotons and
Fijian tapa and woven mats to decorate it.
Conventioners came from Samoa 600 miles to
the east, from the island of Rotuma 400 miles
to the north and from the two main islands of
the Fiji group. W ith such a mixture of South
Sea islanders, the scene was bright with color.
The Fijians with their sulus, the Samoan lavalavas and Indian saris all helped to decorate
the auditorium. There were signs around the
walls painted in the Fijian, Hindustani, Samo
an and Rotuman languages. There were no
racial difficulties, as all had gathered together
for one purpose as a part of Gods New World
society. These good people from different places
in the South Pacific said: Now we really know
what an assembly is, meeting with brothers
from overseas and from different islands. It
was a small assembly, but truly lively.
Interesting experiences were given at the
Fijian assembly concerning the work in the
islands and the splendid progress that is being
made. A special pioneer working in Samoa
told of one schoolboy who accepted the truth
and stuck by it even though his family dis
owned him and forced him to leave home. He is
living with the brothers now and growing
stronger daily in maturity and understanding.
Though he lost his home for the sake of the
Kingdom, now, as Jesus said concerning similar
cases, he has brothers and sisters a hundred
fold, as well as the hope of life in the new world.
The circuit servant told of hearing of a group
of interested persons on one of the islands.
W hen he tried to make arrangements to enter
the island to help them get organized for
theocratic activity, the officials advised that
there were no accommodations, so they had to
refuse him entry. But when the people of good
will heard of that, they arranged to set aside
a plot of land and build a place for him to
live so that he can come and help them learn
more of the truth and of Gods new world of
righteousness. He hopes to be able to visit these
scattered sheep on his next trip through the
islands.

ACTIVITIES IN NEW ZEALAND

W hile Brother Adams and his companions
were making their way to Suva, Brother Knorr
was delayed at the Nandi airport (Fiji) owing
to the fact that one of the engines on the plane
got so wet they had to dry out certain parts

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

before they could go on. Finally he got away

and, after twenty-four hours of traveling from
Honolulu, he arrived in New Zealand near the
close of the days convention sessions. Friday,
Saturday and Sunday were busy days filled
with meetings with circuit and district servants
and pioneers, an interview on the radio and
with giving discourses to the brothers at the
convention. The Carlaw Park Football Ground
had been chosen for this Triumphant Kingdom
assembly of Jehovahs witnesses as there was
no other place in Auckland, New Zealand, that
they felt would hold the Sunday attendance.
Having the sessions outdoors made it very
pleasant. They did not expect rain, but the
hurricane that came near Fiji started south
and some of the rain it brought along fell
during the latter days of the assembly, but
not enough to interfere with the sessions, as
the program went right ahead, rain or shine.
They had arranged for the speakers plat
form out in the playing field and it was fixed
up with beautiful shrubs, flowers and ferns.
During the evening sessions it was brightened
by colored lights scattered through the floral
display, which added to its beauty. But one eve
ning while Brother Knorr was speaking as the
rains came down, these hot light bulbs began to
explode, which added to the adverse speaking
conditions. The first days attendance at the
Auckland assembly was 1,726. This was just
200 short of New Zealands previous best con
vention attendance. The next day the attend
ance rose to 2,200, and by Saturday it had
climbed to 2,317. Saturday morning was of
great interest as 173 new ministers dedicated
their lives to the service of Jehovah and sym
bolized it by water baptism. This was almost
double the number of any previous group bap
tized at one time in New Zealand.
All the talks that were delivered during the
sessions by local speakers were those that
were used at the Triumphant Kingdom assem
blies throughout North America and Europe
the previous summer. The brothers found them
to be most enlightening and encouraging and
they were strengthened to continue on in the
service of Jehovah. The speeches of Brothers
Adams and Knorr were all different from those
of the summer of 1955. Brother Adams flew
in on Saturday night from Fiji. His plane was
a little behind schedule, but a few brothers
picked him up and rushed him to the conven
tion grounds, where he was scheduled to talk
at 7 p.m. He got there about 7:07, but the

Ju n e

15, 1956

SffceWATCHTOWER.

brothers had telephoned from the airport to

keep the program going until he arrived.
In discussing problems with the different
brothers concerning New Zealand, especially
with the circuit servants, it was learned that
practically all the large towns within the coun
try have congregations and there is very
little isolated territory. They have more than
2,500 publishers to preach to the 2,131,000 inhab
itants of New Zealand. W hile this gives each
publisher an average of about 840 people to talk
to, still it must be remembered that there are
approximately 2,128,500 persons who do not
have the truth. By proper organization and
coverage of the territory all these can be given
the opportunity to learn of the new world, and
the brothers in New Zealand are determined
to give the territory systematic coverage and
let the people decide whether they will choose
God's kingdom or hold on to the old world of
unrighteousness. Sometimes Jehovah's witness
es may feel content in that they have one pub
lisher for perhaps every four or five hundred
people in a land. W hile the average may be
good and shows a healthy condition as far as
giving ministerial service to all the population,
still one must never lose sight of the tremen
dous numbers of people who still do not accept
Jehovah and the way to life eternal. This is
the case in New Zealand. The brothers are very
confident that within a short time they will
have 3,000 publishers, probably this year; but
they too appreciate that the witness work is
not done, even though there is no isolated
territory.
The president of the Society made arrange
ments to send special pioneers into some of the
larger cities and block off a section of the city
for a concentrated effort. It has been found
that the more a territory is covered by the
witnesses of Jehovah the faster the congrega
tion grows. Jehovah's witnesses should never
be satisfied with their progress, for as long as
Jehovah wants this gospel of the Kingdom
preached in all the world for a witness they
must be diligent in their service. They must
plant and water and Jehovah will give the
increase.
Sunday morning broke with an overcast and
a little drizzle of rain, but this did not keep the
witnesses from attending the morning ses
sions. Brother Adam s gave the concluding Sun
day morning talk, Offering a Sacrifice of
Praise to God, which was truly a fitting con
clusion to the mornings feast.

381

Around noon the sky cleared and by three

o'clock, the time announced for the public meet
ing, the people were flowing into the grounds
to hear the widely publicized talk not widely
publicized by the newspapers or radio stations,
but by Jehovah's witnesses. A ll were happy to
learn that 3,510 were there to hear this im
portant lecture given by the president of the
Society. The fact that there were 1,200 of the
public from Auckland who attended this lec
ture certainly shows that there are m any who
are interested in the message of God's kingdom.
Many people turned in their names as wanting
more information, and undoubtedly the work
will grow very rapidly in Auckland. It is the
city of activity in N ew Zealand, and the So
ciety is planning to purchase property in that
city and move its branch office from W elling
ton to Auckland. O f course the brothers in
Auckland are very enthusiastic about this and
are eager to see the branch office of the W atch
Tower Bible and Tract Society established in
their midst. The brothers in Auckland will give
good support to the construction of this build
ing. W hile Brother Knorr was in Auckland he
spent considerable time visiting different loca
tions, finally deciding on a lot to buy and draw
ing up rough sketches of the kind of building
that might be constructed. W hile the capital of
the country is Wellington and the branch
office is there, still Auckland is the faster
growing city. It is the first port of call for
commerce coming into the country and will
bring things to New Zealand at least a week
earlier than by having them go to Wellington
and then be redistributed. The work in New
Zealand certainly has moved ahead by leaps
and bounds, the publishers jumping from 536
to 2,519 in the last ten years, with bigger pros
pects for the next few years.
In the concluding talk to all the brothers the
president of the Society gave them information
about the work in Russia and pointed out that
no amount of brainwashing or harsh treatment
of Jehovahs witnesses will dampen their zeal
for the preaching of the Kingdom message.
Certainly the brothers working behind the iron
curtain as well as in Russia are not retarded
in their activity because of persecution, but
they remain happy in Jehovah and in the work
that is committed to their care. I f our brothers
in Russia and other parts of the world can
work with such zeal in lands where there are
such unfavorable conditions, why, certainly
Jehovahs witnesses in lands favorable to free-

382

S&eWATCHTOWER

dom o f speech should accomplish much more.

The prospects in N ew Zealand are great for
future ingathering.
Immediately after the convention was over
a flying trip was made to Wellington to check
the branch office, and ways and means were
worked out for further expansion. Then the
brothers flew to Christchurch, where a public
meeting had been arranged for Wednesday
night. Not many of the witnesses of Jehovah
had returned to this large city on the South
Island, as many traveled by car and boat and
some were on their holidays. So probably there
were not more than a hundred of the 130 pub
lishers in Christchurch in attendance at the
Wednesday night meeting, but even so the
total attendance came to 257. The people were
very much interested in the thoughts expressed
and it is believed that this meeting will aid the
local congregation to grow still more because

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

of the interest aroused by the advertising and

by the lecture itself.
New Zealand is a beautiful country. Flying
from the northern part to the southern part
gives one an opportunity to see a great variety
of scenery, snowcapped mountains, cone-shaped,
the sea, rugged hills and green pasture. Just
to the west of Christchurch is a range of moun
tains referred to as the Southern Alps, and
away to the south, it is said, the terrain is
some of the most beautiful in the world, with
fiords, mountains and luxuriant growth. Of
course, New Zealand is a great sheep country
and it is a common sight to see these peaceful
animals roaming over the hills. It makes one
think of Jesus' words, Other sheep I have
which are not of this fold, and these also I
must gath er/ The gathering work goes on in
New Zealand all to the honor and glory of
Jehovah's name.

Clergyman Thanks Sod for Jehovah's Witnesses

H Toward the end of September, 1955,
the W atch Tower Society received the fol
lowing letter from a Baptist clergyman in
New York city.
Dear Brothers:
It gives me great pleasure to write
these few lines and I trust that they
will also bring to you some pleasure. My
sole purpose in writing is to thank God
that I have found the truth. Let me make
myself clear, I am not a member of your
Society as yet. But I am a minister and
have between seven and nine churches
that I serve. About two years ago I met
Mr. J. M ------- , and he spoke to me about
this truth. Being a minister I listened and
invited him to come to m y home. As I

heard him talk I realized that I knew very

I little; m y people, however, did not know
| that. M y training had been chiefly in the
1 dramatic sphere and from an emotional
standpoint and was based on a theology
that does not mean much to me now.
I had a number of your books and I
studied fLet God Be True9. To sum it up,
| I am now a black sheep among the Bap
tist clergymen who held their convention
! a few weeks ago in Tennessee. But m y
| people say that m y sermons are very good
but so unusual, and they are requesting
that I hold Bible studies with them, which
I am doing to the extent possible.
In conclusion I again want to thank
God for you. And m ay he continue to bless
such men as J. M -------. [Signed ]"

The EKftent of materialism's Growth

C. Dr. Albert W iggam 's Let's Explore Your M ind" column, syndicated in many
American papers, asked the question: Do men's wants increase faster than their
necessities?" It answered: It is estimated that a century ago the average man
had 72 wants, of which 16 were regarded as necessities. Today, the average man
is estimated to have 474 wants, 94 of which are regarded as necessities. A century
ago, 200 articles were urged upon the average man by salesmanship but today
there are 32,000 articles which require sales resistance. Man's necessities are
few his wants, infinite." Has your spiritual growth come anywhere near to equal
ing your increasing material wants?

brought low ; or, better translated: the song

of tyrants become low (Roth,); the singing of
the terrible is humbled . Young

Is the heat by the shade of a cloud (Isa.

25:5, AS) a reference to the destructive heat
and cloud accompanying explosion of an atomic
bomb? M. E., Illinois.
The answer to this question is definitely N o!
B y trying to apply in this w ay this Bible ex
pression as found in the American Standard
Version one is taking it out of its context. Note
how Isaiah 25:5 (AS) reads in fu ll: As the
heat in a dry place wilt thou [Jehovah] bring
down the noise of strangers; as the heat by
the shade of a cloud, the song of the terrible
ones shall be brought low. W h a t is Isaiahs
prophecy here doing? N ot calling attention to
the heat to be found under the atomic-explosion
cloud of mushroom shape, but showing how
Jehovah God in this time of the end would
reduce the heat of trial and persecution upon
his witnesses by the cloud of his presence and
protection. On a hot day a cloud gives welcome
relief by its shade; it brings down or reduces
the heat. Jehovah God does likewise by his
cloud.
Here it is appropriate to quote from The
Watchtower of October 15, 1943, which com

Speaking of those who partake of the Lords

evening meal unworthily, the January 15, 1956,
Watchtower said on page 60, paragraph 18:
So let him benefit by the corrective, discipli
nary judgment that Jehovah gives him. Let
him discern what he him self is, and reform.
I f he has been at fault, yet he should obey the
command and eat the Lords evening meal, but
do so discerning the Lords sacrificed body and
asking forgiveness for his sin. Then let this
celebration strengthen him to follow Christs
steps more closely during the coming year.
Does this mean a disfellowshiped person should
partake of the loaf and wine at the Lords eve
ning m eal? M. P., Germany.
This has no reference to persons that are in
a disfellowshiped condition, but to only those
who are continuing in the body of Christ but
who are yet subject to sin and who therefore
commit sins fo r which the sacrifice of Christ
provides the basis for forgiveness. A disfellow
shiped person is no member of Jehovahs
congregation and m ay not be served the em
blems by those serving at the celebration of
the Lords evening meal. Jesus did not serve
Judas the emblems but sent him out of the
house before instituting the Lords evening
meal. John 13:21-31; Matt. 26:20-25; Mark
14:10-21.
I f a disfellowshiped person desires to par
take of the Lords evening meal he should show
full repentance by going to the service commit
tee of the congregation from which he has been
disfellowshiped and let them examine him as to
the sincerity of his repentance and his willing
ness to be put on probation. I f he satisfies this
service committee, then they m ay reinstate him
and put him on a period of probation, and they
will so advise the congregation. I f he shows
good deportment during the time of his proba
tion and up to the celebration of the Lords
evening meal, then he m ay be served the em
blems at the celebration with sincere apprecia
tion of Gods forgiveness through the things
symbolized by the emblems. Then his participa
tion in the Lords evening m eal should strength
en him to continue on conducting him self prop
erly through the rest of his probation period
and onward after it has ended and the rein
statement is full and complete, no longer quali
fied by any probationary restraints.

ments on Isaiah 2 5 :5 :
B y the cloud o f his presence with them,
bringing divine approval and blessings for
their faithfulness under stress, he has over
shadowed them and made the heat of religious
ferocity endurable. The Son of God [Jesus
Christ] at the temple is with them in the fur
nace of fire. (Dan. 3:19-25) Their understand
ing that the primary issue of Gods universal
domination is bound up with their holding fast
their integrity toward him enables them to
stand up immovable against the stormy blast of
the religious, political, judicial and commercial
conspiracy beating incessantly against them.
The noisy demonstration with which the Baby
lonish tyrants start out their campaign of
warfare against Jehovahs witness work is
brought down to a murmur of bitter disappoint
ment as their fight against God comes to
nought. W ell did the prophecy [Isaiah 25:5]
say: The branch o f the terrible ones shall be
383

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

July

22:

W agin g

the

Right

W arfare,

and

Fighters for Truth, If1-4. Page 364.

July 29: Fighters for Truth, 1f5-24. Page 370.

MM

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The W atchtower, do you remember

U * What attitude the first president of the
United States took toward the Bible? P. 355,

^ How to resist religious persecution even

within your own home? P. 3 72, If 13.

If2.
U*

How to avoid being a Christian battle

casualty? P. 374, 1fl8.

How to get the highest wisdom? P. 3 5 8 ,1T2.

How to have a faith that resists brain

washing? P. 358, If4.
^

^
How a large attendance was attracted to
Jehovah s witnesses Hawaiian assembly? P.
377, Ifl.

What wrong view of prayer many people

have? P. 361, If2.

^
How the number of Jehovah s witnesses in
New Zealand compares with the population?
P. 381, 111.

^
What the ark of the covenant looked like?
P. 362, T4.
^
How the Christian s warfare differs from
the world s? P. 365, If4.

^
How man s material wants compare in
number with his necessities? P. 382, IF7.

I* Why saying 1 have my church is in

sufficient? P. 366, H8.

Whether Isaiah s reference to heat by

the shade of a cloud predicted atomic ex
plosions? P. 383, IF2.

How to remain equipped for Christian

warfare? P. 368, 1fi6.

**

384

A n n o u n cin g
JULY 1, 1956
Semimonthly

W HAT DEDICATION M EA N S
TO ME

THE BIBLE OR TRADITION

-W H IC H IS M ANS GUIDE?
RISE UP TO THE OPPORTUNITIES
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT TO AUSTRALIA
AND INDONESIA
W TB& T S

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on God's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

CONTENTS

P r in tin g

Rise Up to the Opportunities

The Bible or Tradition W hich Is
M ans Guide?
Pursuing M y Purpose in Life
W h a t Dedication Means to Me
W h y One Must Be Baptized
Necessary Arrangements for
a Baptismal Service
Presidential Visit to Australia
and Indonesia
Declaring Our Hope Unwaveringly
in Meetings
Questions from Readers

387
389
393
396
402
408
409

American Standard Version

An American Translation
J. N. Darbys version
Catholic Douay version
The Emphatic Diaglott
Isaac Leeser s version

Unless otherwise Indicated,

LXX
Mo
NW
Ro
RS
Yg

is s u e :

2,550,000

Five cents a copy

The Septuagint Version

James Moffatt's version
New World Translation
J. B. Rotherham's version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Youngs version

the Bible used is the

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hollandish

Uocano
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Watch Tower Society offices

Monthly
Arabic
Armenian
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo

Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotbo

Siamese
Silozi
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America, U.S. , 1 1 7 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.

$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /$1
Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., iPark Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
T /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
T /South Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
T /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5

V-

414
415

Abbreviations ssed In The Watchtower" for the following Bible versions

A S
A T
Da
Dy
ED
he

th is

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Ring James Version

Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with

regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) Is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as weU as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed In U.S.A.

'y ^ rv n o x tn c iria

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM
Ju ly 1, 1956

N u m b e r 13

"RISE UP TO THE OPPORTUNITIES"

/ HIS letter to the Youngstown,
Ohio, Vindicator was pub
lished December 11, 1955:
There seems to be a continual beseech
ing from the pulpits of the Protestant cler
gy to their flocks, to exert themselves
more towards Bible reading. How nice!
But it is evident that is as far as it goes.
The evidence is that very few Christians
read their Bible, because they really dont
understand them.
I am well aware of the facts and figures
proving that more Bibles are sold annually
than any other book. However, are they
honestly being read? If not, why not? Be
cause to the very large majority, Bible
reading becomes boring and weary due to
many passages which require explanation
that the average Christian can seldom find
unless he seeks out his pastor. This of
course he would hardly do because his
pastor is usually attending to other busi
nesses and just wouldnt have the neces
sary time. Besides, what is Sunday school
for? The usual average twenty-five min
utes allotted for such study could hardly
be called ample towards giving to under
stand this book.
I write this in defense of those so-called
quasi Christians who would become better

ones if Bible instruction time were made

available to them.
Being a layman Im sure that I know
the feelings of these so called flocks much
better than do their pastors. Putting it
mildly, our Protestant ministers would be
amazed at how most of their people yearn
for more such understanding. The answer
could be in organizing a competent body
that would teach the Bible perpetually and
not just five or six weeks out of one year.
So it will take money. Should people be
offered such an opportunity of study, the
monetary support they may offer in return
could be surprising. It or anything similar
should at least be tried.
I, for one, am tired of listening to a lot
of negatives as regards the laxity of the
layman towards his Bible and other
things. Most all Protestant clergymen have
had wonderful training and because of it
more is expected of them than of the laity.
Why then dont they themselves rise up to
the opportunities that may even be their
responsibilities? [Signed] A C h r i s t i a n .
This letter mixed with appeal and com
plaint merits careful thought. He says the
average person needs help to understand
what he reads in the Bible. That is true,
for when Philip the evangelist saw the
387

388

SaeWATCHTOWER

Ethiopian official reading Isaiah and asked

if he understood what he read the Ethio
pian replied: Really how could I ever do
so, unless someone guided me?Acts
8:31,
NW.
Philip took time, then and there, to
guide him in his study. That is the first
business of a minister; other business is
secondary. Did not Jesus emphasize this
work of spiritual feeding when he asked
Peter three times if he loved him? And
when Peter answered yes three times Je
sus response was Feed my young lambs,
Shepherd my little sheep, Feed my lit
tle sheep.John 21:15-17, NW.
As the letter of A Christian says, socalled quasi Christians would be better
ones if instruction time were made avail
able to them. It is made available, but
from another source. From Jehovahs wit
nesses, who, like Philip, will take the time
to study with any who desire to learn more
about what they read in the Bible. It is
not a chore for the witnesses, but a pleas
ure, for they agree with Jesus view:
There is more happiness in giving than
there is in receiving. Much happiness
comes when receiving the truth, but more
results from giving it to others. Acts
20:35, NW.
I will send a famine in the land, not a
famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of Jehovah.
Jehovah himself sends this famine among
his professed worshipers because they have
been so negligent of their godly duties
that even what little truth they had is
taken from them. So no wonder people in
these negligent religious systems yearn for
spiritual food and drink. To seek for sus
tenance in those systems is to seek in vain.
If those who realize their spiritual need
seek its fulfillment elsewhere they will be
come happy: Happy are those who are
conscious of their spiritual need. Amos
8:11,
AS;Matt. 5:3, NW.

B rooklyn, N. Y .

The writer of the letter asks for perpet

ual teaching of the Bible, not just five or
six weeks out of the year. Jehovahs wit
nesses offer teaching regularly, going to
homes to conduct Bible studies one night a
week, for a year or more. So it will take
money, the writer says, and expresses
willingness to pay. Oddly enough, it takes
money to get false teaching, but none to
get true spiritual food: Ho! everyone that
is thirsty, come to the waters, and he that
has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come,
buy grain without money, and wine and
milk without price! Why should you spend
money for what is not bread, and your
earnings for what does not satisfy? If you
but listen to me, you shall eat what is good,
and shall delight yourselves with rich
nourishment. Incline your ear, and come to
me; listen, that you may live! There is no
charge for the teaching services of Jeho
vahs witnesses. They obey the words of
Jesus: You received free, give free.
Isa. 55:1-3, AT; Matt. 10:8, NW.
The clergy are asked to rise up to their
opportunities and responsibilities. Through
Isaiah Jehovah said they would not: My
watchmen are all of them blind, without
any sense; they are all of them dumb dogs,
that cannot bark, but lie down dreaming,
loving to slumber. And the dogs are
greedy, they cannot be satisfiedsuch are
shepherds who have no intelligence they
have turned all of them to their own way,
each without exception to his own gain.
Jesus said that because of their teaching
tradition instead of truth they did not en
ter the kingdom themselves and kept oth
ers out. The traditional creeds are con
trary to the Bible, and the clergy oppose
the peoples studying the Bible with Jeho
vahs witnesses. After telling these reli
gious leaders, You have made the word
of God invalid because of your tradition,
Jesus counseled his followers: Let them

July 1, 1956

be. Blind guides is what they are. If, then,

a blind man guides a blind man, both will
fall into a pit. Isa. 56:10, 11, AT; Matt.
15:6, 14,

389

STkWATCHTOWER.

NW

The writer called for the clergy to rise

up to their opportunities. We call for spir
itually hungry persons like the writer to
rise up to theirs. Jesus said: Look! I am
standing at the door and knocking. If any
one hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come into his house and take the eve-

ning meal with him and he with me.

When Jehovahs witnesses stand at your
door and knock remember Jesus words
to his witnesses: He that receives you
receives me also. And, Where there are
two or three met together in my name,
there I am in their midst. That is now the
way to have a spiritual meal with Christ.
That is your opportunity. And your re
sponsibility. Rev. 3:20; Matt. 10:40; 18:
20, NW.

The BIBLE or TRADITION

W hich i5 man 5 g u id e
V

t t c r HY word is a lamp to
J_ my feet and a light to
my path. Those words are
found in the Bible, a Book that
not only contains Gods Word
but is Gods Word. That Word
is an inspired lamp. It lights
our paths. Ps. 119:105,
But some say that tradition
is a lamp that provides equal
light, if not greater light than
Gods written Word. Especially
true is this of the Roman Cath
olic Church. The traditions of
the Roman Catholic Church
are placed alongside and, in ac
tual practice, above Gods writ
ten Word, for the churchs
mountain of tradition has all

Long ago a man of un

derstanding said that
when there is no vision
the people perish. To
avoid the dire results
of lacking spiritual vi
sion man needs a sure
guide. This article will
help you choose the
right guide the guide
your life depends on.

but extinguished the inspired

lamp of the Bible to its flock.
No 'The Bible is NOT Our
Sole Guide! The Early Chris
tians Never Saw the Bible!
These are titles of advertise
ments sponsored by the Knights
of Columbus organization that
have recently appeared in a
number of magazines and news
papers. Designed to persuade
people to accept tradition, these
advertisements say:
The Savior did not com
mand us to read anything, but
he did command us to hear his
church. We do not agree with
the modem theory that the Bi
ble is the one and only source

390

fEeWATCHTOWER.

of religious truth. The Bible is notand

was not intended to be the sole source of
Christian teaching and belief. Early cen
tury Christians never saw the complete
Bible. It was 400 years after Christ died
before the books of the Bible were assem
bled into their present form. And it was
1400 years before printing was invented
and the mass distribution of the Scriptures
became possible. If Christ had intended the
Bible to be the sole guide to His teaching,
would He have allowed this delay?
Do these Knights of Columbus state
ments prove that the Bible is not mans
sole guide and that tradition is a necessary
lamp?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

What was Jesus attitude toward the

written Word, the holy Scriptures? From
the Knights of Columbus advertisement it
would appear that Jesus never told anyone
about the importance of studying the
Scriptures. Yet, according to the Catholic
Douay Bible, Jesus told the Jews in Jeru
salem: Search the scriptures, for you
think in them to have life everlasting; and
the same are they that give testimony of
me. (John 5:39, Dy) Search the scrip
tures, said Jesus.
Though Jesus told the Jews to search
the Scriptures, the Jews spent their time
following tradition. By Jesus time the
Jews had accumulated a large mass of
traditions. When a question had to be
settled, did Jesus appeal to these tradi
tions? Never! Always Jesus appealed to
Gods written Word as being final and
authoritative. In Jesus day the complete
Bible was the inspired Hebrew Scriptures,
from the first book of Moses to the proph
ecy of Malachi. Jesus made these a light to
his path. When the question came up: Is
it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on
every kind of grounds? Jesus appealed
to Genesis chapter two as the final answer

B rooklyn, N . Y .

on the subject. When the Devil tried to

break Jesus integrity with tempting offers,
Jesus turned the tempter back by appeal
to the written Word, saying three times,
It is written.Matt. 19:3-8; 4:1-10,
How do errors, mistakes and misunder
standings come about? By not doing as
Jesus did, by not searching the Scriptures.
To a group of tradition-following religious
leaders the Son of God said: Did you
never read this scripture? One group of
religious leaders were all mixed up about
the doctrine of the resurrection. Why were
they completely in error and teaching
error to their followers? Said Jesus to the
clerics: You are mistaken, because you
know neither the Scriptures nor the power
of God. As regards the resurrection of the
dead did you not read what was spoken to
you by God? Thus Jesus stressed the vital
importance of reading and following the
Scriptures. Mark 12:10; Matt. 22:29, 31,
NW.
NO MODERN THEORY

When the Son of God ignored tradition,

indeed condemned it, and made the writ
ten Word his sole guide, he set an example
for all Christians. Said the apostle Peter:
Christ suffered for you, leaving you a
model for you to follow his steps closely.
(1 Pet. 2:21,
N W )For a Christian to f
low his steps closely, he must make the
Bible his sole guide. When the Knights of
Columbus say this view of the Bible is a
modem theory, they again fall into
error. It is neither modem, in the sense
of being a recent view, nor a theory. It
is Christs teaching.
After his resurrection Jesus continued
to show his opposition to tradition. Of one
of Jesus post-resurrection appearances,
the Bible says: And commencing at Moses
and all the Prophets he interpreted to
them things pertaining to himself in all
the Scriptures. Yes, Jesus went to all the

Ju ly 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

Scriptures, never tradition. To a group of

his disciples the resurrected Jesus said:
These are my words which I spoke to
you while I was yet with you, that all the
things written in the law of Moses and in
the Prophets and Psalms about me must
be fulfilled. Then he opened up their minds
fully to grasp the meaning of the Scrip
tures. Luke 24:27, 44, 45, NW.
That it is to the Scriptures that Chris
tians must look for guidance and not to
tradition, Jesus also showed after he as
cended into heaven. At the proper time
God gave Jesus the Revelation. Christ,
through his angel, gave the Revelation to
his apostle John. Warning against any ad
dition to the written Word of God, Jesus
said: I am bearing witness to everyone
that hears the words of the prophecy of
this scroll: If anyone makes an addition
to these things, God will add to him the
plagues that are written in this scroll.
Following tradition, tradition that often
conflicts with the Scriptures, is adding to
the written Word. Rev. 22:18,
The apostles of Christ never followed
tradition; they went by the written Word.
Take, for example, Peter. At the temple in
Jerusalem Peter quoted the writings of
Moses and referred to the prophets from
Samuel on and those in succession. (Acts
3:22-25, NW) Never did Peter say that
tradition was the lamp to guide our paths.
It was of the written Word Peter said:
We have the prophetic word made more
firm, and you are doing well in paying
attention to it as to a lamp shining in a
dark place. (2 Pet. 1:19,
The Bible
is this lamp, not tradition.
EARLY CHRISTIANS HAD COMPLETE BIBLE

According to the Knights of Columbus

advertisements the early Christians did not
have the complete Bible. They use this as
an argument to support the Catholic
Churchs use of tradition. Yet what the

391

early Christians had of Gods written

Word was complete in the sense that
they had all that was necessary for salva
tion. Timothy had read the Bible, the He
brew Scriptures, from his youth. Though
he did not have all the Bible books that we
have today, he had all that was necessary
for Gods approval. Wrote the apostle Paul
to Timothy: From infancy you have
known the holy writings which are able to
make you wise for salvation through the
faith in connection with Christ Jesus.
2 Tim. 3:15, NW.
When the Knights of Columbus say that
the early Christians never saw the com
plete Bible, they Eire using specious rea
soning. It sounds good. But, really, what is
complete? To the early Christians all the
writings that had been written up to any
specific time constituted the complete Bi
ble. Though the Bible canon kept growing
until the apostle John finished his writing
about A.D. 98, yet whatever had been writ
ten under Gods spirit up to any particular
time was all that was necessary.
What of the Knights of Columbus state
ment that it was 400 years after Christ
died before the books of the Bible were as
sembled in their present form? Again they
are wrong. By A.D. 98 the writing of the
so-called New Testament or Greek Scrip
tures was complete. These books were
brought together in the second century
long before the development of the Roman
Catholic Church, which dates from the
time of the launching of fusion religion by
the Roman emperor Constantine in the
fourth century. Says The Encyclopaedia
Britannica: It is certain that by the end
of the 2nd century a collection of apostolic
documents is generally recognized as au
thoritative Scripture.
Say the Knights of Columbus: It was
1400 years before printing was invented
and the mass distribution of the Scriptures
became possible. Again their attempt to

392

Brooklyn, N. Y .
fEeWATCHTOWER.
belittle the lamplike importance of the plained: To be sure, Jesus performed
Scriptures is deceptive. For what differ many other signs also before the disciples
ence does it make whether the early Chris which are not written down in this scroll.
tians had printed Bibles or manuscript But these have been written down that
copies? Both are the written Word of God. you may believe that Jesus is the Christ
The early Christians were Bible publish the Son of God, and that, because of believ
ers. On this Bible scholar Goodspeed writes: ing, you may have life by means of his
In the Middle Ages publication as a name.John 20:30, 31,
How clear it is, then! The things that are
business practically disappeared. The copy
ing of manuscripts was still carried on to vital for us to know are written down. The
some extent in the Scriptoriums of some things that we need to know, all the things
convents and palaces, but for the most part we need to know in order to believe that
it was single copies that were made, and Jesus is the Christ and to gain everlasting
there seems to have been none of the old life by means of his name these have
wholesale production; copies were not been written down.
from dictation, as they had been in the
In fact, we are warned to be on guard
ancient book factories. C h ris tia n ity against nonscriptural traditions. Said the
Goes to Press.
apostle Paul: Look out: perhaps there
may be some man that will carry you off
WRITTEN WORD COMPLETELY EQUIPS US
as his prey through the philosophy and
The more we search the Scriptures the empty deception according to the tradition
clearer it becomes that Gods written Word of men. Col. 2:8, NW.
completely equips the Christian. True, the
Christ Jesus was so thoroughly opposed
Knights of Columbus, in their advertising, to nonscriptural tradition that he would
quote with great frequency the conclusion never allow his teachings to be carried
of the gospel of John. But does that sup down unrecorded. Jesus asked the religious
port the view that nonscriptural tradition leaders of his day: Why is it you also
is necessary? Let us see.
overstep the commandment of God because
John said in his conclusion: There are, of your tradition? Then Jesus explained
in fact, many other things also which the effect of this tradition: You have
Jesus did, which, if ever they were written made the word of God invalid because of
in full detail, I suppose, the world itself your tradition. (Matt. 15:1-6, NW ) Since
could not contain the scrolls written. Jesus warned against nonscriptural tradi
John 21:25,
NW.
tion, certainly he would not use such a
The apostles words certainly do not method for handing down vital truths.
mean that Jesus authorized a body of un
Let Gods written Word be a lamp to
recorded Christian traditions. No, what your feet and a light to your path. It will
John meant is this: that there were many do the job completely, with no need for
other things that Jesus did and many oth nonscriptural tradition: All Scripture is
er words that he uttered that would not inspired of God and beneficial for teaching,
be put down in writing. There are at least for reproving, for setting things straight,
two obvious reasons for this: (1) It would for disciplining in righteousness, that the
not be practical because of quantity to man of God may be fully competent, com
write down every word Jesus spoke and pletely equipped for every good work.
NW.
(2) it would not be necessary. As John ex- 2 Tim. 3:16, 17,

hot Spanish territory, but had fun dodg

ing the police as we witnessed and placed
quantities of books and booklets. After the
convention we went to the factory in
Brooklyn and had sound equipment mount
ed on our car and were invited to dinner
at Bethel. With a new pioneer every little
thing is a big thing, so I can say we were
thrilled to talk with Brother Rutherford,
who encouraged us to continue on in our
work. After some sight-seeing around New
told
by Rosa May York
Dreyerwe journeyed south to Fort Smith,
Arkansas, singing all the way.
ITTLE did I realize what the future
For the next seven months we worked
held for me when I told my freshman
only
business territory in southern cities,
high-school teacher that I wanted to be
a Baptist missionary to China. On finish including Hot Springs, Arkansas; Natchez
ing school I had learned enough of the and Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Lafayette
truth to get that idea out of my head. In and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Oh, I could
my perplexed state I became a teacher, but write pages and pages about the things
found it harder every year to do and teach that happened during those seven short
all that the public school system required. months how we got into all the factories
In the spring of 1936, after reading the and witnessed to all the employees and
article in The Golden Age, Serving God how, of course, sometimes we were thrown
or Mammon, which set forth the many out; how the French police in Lafayette
lies taught by the school textbooks, I made trailed us every day and pulled the sound
up my mind to pursue my purpose in life car in on a wrecker; how we enjoyed supriends in their houseboat on the
to be a pioneer. My problem: Was I justi
Mississippi River; how we
fied in cutting off my financial in
enjoyed witnessing to occu
come from my widowed mother
pants of old mansions, such
and six younger brothers and sis
as General Lees and Gen
ters? I decided that since some of
eral Grants, around Natch
them could take on the financial!
ez; and how we used the
load, why not let them?
sound car evenings for in
I began my pioneer career Sep-1
viting people to take sides
tember 1, 1936, with another girl
% with Jehovah (by means of
from my home congregation of St.

,,
beautiful quartet numbers
Joseph, Missouri. Within two weeks
and hour lectures.) Those
she got married; so in Muskogee,
Oklahoma, my first official assignment, I daily pioneer experiences were so much in
found another partner and we worked along contrast with school experiences that I
went around singing like a bird out of a
with a married couple who had a car.
In October we took in the Newark, New cage.
You may wonder whether I had any
Jersey, convention. The trip and all events
were one big thrill for me. Those were financial difficulties in the beginning. No,
days of trouble in Newark. We worked in I did not; nor have I had any during my

393

394

WATCHTOWER.

eighteen years of pioneer service. A very

precious letter from the Society came to
me with my first pioneer assignment. It
sounded like dear Brother Sullivan talking
to new pioneers. It cited Matthew 6:25-34
and in substance said: Your heavenly
Father feeds the fowls of the air and
clothes the grass of the field. Will he not
do that much and more for you? He has
said he will, and invites you to prove him.
I have proved Jehovah; and he has proved
true to his word.
Now let me go back to the end of my
first nine months of pioneering. My part
ner and the married couple stopped pio
neering and went to their respective
homes. Without a partner again, I too went
home for three months, at my brothers
invitation, to work part of the local con
gregations rural territory. He provided
me with a car and gasoline.
In September of 1937 I went to the con
vention in Columbus, Ohio, with all my
possessions in two suitcases, hoping to find
another partner, and I did. She was Shirley
Hendrickson, a kind, honest, jolly person
that has proved for seventeen years to be
a valuable asset in my pioneer life.
Shirley and I started out together in the
Cincinnati, Ohio, pioneer camp. I had been
one of the 200 chosen at the Columbus con
vention for special pioneer work, so by the
early part of November we were at our
new assignment in Waterbury, Connecticut.
In Waterbury I met a young sailor pre
paring to become a Navy chaplain. For
over an hour he detained me with many
questions and finally took only a booklet,
as he had only a nickel besides enough for
a pack of cigarettes, as he later told me.
However, because of his apparent interest
in the organization, I returned to see him
the next morning with a gift of the Year
book and left him the address of the King
dom Hall. On that week end I was out of the
city, but learned that he had attended the

B rooklyn, N . Y.

Watchtower study. The following Thurs

day he was at the service meeting, where
an Informant article on smoking was con
sidered. That was the end of his wasting
money on cigarettes. For the next two
weeks he accompanied me in the service
and decided that he wanted to be a pioneer.
Realizing that he did not have much
knowledge, he took two weeks off to study.
Two months from the day I met him he
became a pioneer. Yes, he stuck. I saw him
with his family at Yankee Stadium.
Happily we trudged along over New
Englands snow and ice, with a book bag
and spare package of books and lunch in
one hand and a phonograph in the other,
which sometimes served to ward off a
vicious dog or to save one from a fall on
the ice. From Waterbury we went to
Torrington, Connecticut. It is a pleasant
memory that there we had the privilege
of helping a young brother and sister to
get started in the service. Now they are
missionaries in Italy.
From Connecticut we went to Massa
chusetts : first to Pittsfield, then to Leomin
ster, where we worked in a group of five
special pioneers. Placements were few
there in French Catholic territory, but a
brother and sister opened both their home
and icebox to all five of us without any
charges.
Our next assignment was Fitchburg, fol
lowed by Boston. On my contacting the
congregation servant there, he put a letter
into my hands from the Societys legal
department advising me to teach at the
Kingdom School in Sudbury, a town twenty
miles out of Boston. This brought tears
to my eyes and to Shirleys too; but, con
tinuing to pursue my purpose in life, I
accepted it as an assignment from Jehovah
through his organization. Though all was
not rosy during those two school terms, I
did not get rusty as far as the service was
concerned. I had the use of a big, old Pack-

Ju ly 1, 1956

WATCHTOWER

ard in which I took a dozen children in

the service on Saturday and Sunday be
sides two afternoons each week.
In May of 1940 I left Sudbury to resume
my pioneer work, but it was not until the
following December that Shirley and I got
together again, this time in San Antonio,
Texas. Because of the circumstances under
which we lived, the hardest year of our
pioneer life was spent there. But since we
went there under the authorization of
Brother Rutherford, we stuck it out. In
due time Jehovah always has some way
of taking his servants out of a difficult
situation. He delivered us by giving us a
special pioneer assignment, first in Alice,
Texas, then in Aransas Pass, where we
were when our questionnaires for Gilead
came.
Gilead! Something entirely new before
us! In a few weeks we found ourselves
transported from sunny Texas to the snowcovered grounds of Gilead. It was now the
first Sunday in February of 1943. The
next day we guinea pigs of the first class
took our places for work I mean it was
work for me; but I was so happy to be
there. My joyful experiences at Gilead
were to me like a nights pleasant dream of
things in the New World.
The five short months quickly passed
and Shirley and I and two others then
spent two years pioneering in Texas border
towns, waiting for entrance into our for
eign assignment, Mexico. There in Eagle
Pass one day I met a real sheep rubbing
away on a washboard. After a bit of read
ing and a little study help she accepted the
truth and became a wonderful publisher.
Her whole family too soon became part of
the New World society.
On May 21, 1945, we entered Mexico as
instructors. Twenty-one were originally
He

395

assigned here; eleven have stuck. These

eleven I am sure will say with me: I
would not by choice be anywhere else.
Pioneering for nine years in this one city
(Mexico City) has given me a joy I had
not experienced before: that of seeing 175
publishers increase to over 1,300 and one
unit subdivide into 20. There has also been
a special satisfaction and joy derived from
taking the Kingdom message to people who
have never had a Bible in their hands and
then see them, in my presence, take down
their images and saints and destroy them.
Placements have been very good all
along and Ive found it very easy to start
studies; but new studies are always being
started and others dropping off. Generally,
women here are slaves to their husbands,
so even though they accept the truth many
of them are unable to attend the meetings
and go in the service.
When we have an assembly in the city
I feel as a happy mother of many children
feels at a family reunion. I get hugs and
kisses from all sides from different ones
that I have studied with during the past
nine years and who now are publishers in
the various twenty units. And to see there
publishers to whom I had taken the truth,
with their companions of good will, makes
me feel like a proud grandmother.
I
have certainly experienced the fulfill
ment of Jesus words: No one has left
house or brothers or sisters or mother or
father or children or fields for my sake and
for the sake of the good news who will not
get a hundredfold now in this period of
time. (Mark 10:29, 30, WW) Though I do
not know what tomorrow holds for me, I
hope I can continue pursuing my purpose
in life in my foreign assignment until the
houses are without inhabitants.

thathas endured to the finish is the one that will be saved.

Matt. 24:13, NW .

dedication
to

lay and with great

haste such individu
als should straight
en themselves out
and line up with Je
h o v a h s clean re
J A u m
s
quirements in order
that they may enjoy
the blessed privileg
es that come only
j v
t .
with dedication to Jeho
vah.
I AM COME
) DO YOUR WILL.'; X / >
4
In the thi
Heb. 10:9, NW.I)
undedicated persons are
found those who have
sufficient knowledge and
see
the
responsibility
dedication brings,
lEDICATION to Jehovah God is a
but
who
for
one
reason
or another at
divine requirement that none who will
tempt
to
side-step,
escape
or postpone
live in Gods new world can overlook or
their
dedication.
These
individuals
also
escape. And yet today there are many
like
the
truth.
They
enjoy
the
message
thousands of persons associated with the
growing New World society who have not about the new world and its promised
up to this time made a dedication. Millions blessings. They like Jehovahs witnesses.
even
of readers of
TineWatchtower They
have not
as attend our meetings. Still
they
take
the attitude of waiting until
yet taken this very important step. Have
a
more
favorable
time to dedicate them
you ever given serious thought to this sub
selves.
Some
of
these
persons like to think
ject? Generally speaking, those who have
not yet taken this step see themselves un that it is safer not to make a dedication
and thus to avoid the danger of being un
der one of three headings.
faithful
to such an obligation. Others, per
2 First, there are those who are babes
haps
for
business reasons or because of
in the truth and who as yet are not strong
their
associates,
try to avoid the stigma
enough and do not have sufficient knowl
the
old
world
attaches
to Jehovahs wit
edge to take this serious step. Such should
nesses.
Still
others
love
the pleasures and
be very diligent to study and learn what
easy
ways
of
the
old
world.
Some even may
Jehovah requires of them in this regard.
be
too
proud
to
go
preaching
from house
3 Second, there are a few individuals who
know that dedication is a divine require to house, and so they think they can evade
ment, and who desire to take this step, but, this responsibility by not making a dedi
being comparatively new in the truth, they cation and yet somehow enter the Ark of
have not had sufficient time to strip off preservation before the flood waters of
their unclean habits or straighten out their Armageddon break loose. How foolish all
mixed-up married-life affairs. Without de- these excuses! What dangerous and false
reasonings! Make no mistake about it,
1. Why is it important to study the subject of dedi
ones stand toward dedication to Jehovah,
cation?
2. Why have certain individuals not made a dedication,
and what should they do about it?
3. What prevents some from making a dedication?

4. Describe the dangerous position a third class of

undedicated persons find themselves in.
396

July 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

the God of the triumphant kingdom, is

now a life-or-death choice that no one can
side-step, escape or indefinitely postpone!
And just as important as making a dedi
cation is being faithful in keeping it.
Therefore let all persons, both dedicated
and undedicated ones, ask themselves:
What does dedication mean to me?
5Jehovah demands and exacts exclusive
devotion. In the very first words written
by the finger of God this great truth was
emphatically set forth. I am Jehovah your
God, . . . You must never have any other
gods against my face [or, any other gods
in defiance of me]. You must not make for
yourself a carved image or a form like
anything . . . You must not bow down to
them nor be induced to serve them, be
cause I Jehovah your God am a God exact
ing exclusive devotion. (Ex. 20:2-5,
margin; Deut. 9:10) Again this exclusive
God tells us: You must not bow down to
another god, because Jehovah is exclusive
ly devoted to his name. He is a God ex
acting exclusive devotion. (Ex. 34:14,
NW; F. Fenton) On one occasion in the
early history of the nation of Israel, if it
had not been for the quick action on the
part of Phinehas, grandson of High Priest
Aaron, in tolerating no rivalry toward
Jehovah, the Israelites would have been
exterminated because of Jehovahs in
sistence on exclusive devotion. (Num.
25:11, NW) Consequently, if you do not
want the anger of Jehovah to blaze
against you so that he must annihilate
you from off the surface of the ground,
then, as Deuteronomy 6:14,15 (NW) says,
you must not walk sifter other gods, any
gods of the peoples who are all around
you, (for Jehovah your God in your midst
is a God exacting exclusive devotion).
6 Just look at the gods the peoples all
5. What do the Scriptures say Jehovah demands of all
of us?
6. To what are people of the old-world system devoted,
and with what results?

397

around us in the old world are serving.

Some idolize themselves. They are proud,
high-minded, and put their personal honor,
reputation and dignity above all else. Oth
ers make their belly their god, think only
of themselves, and seek at all times the
pleasures and gratifications of the flesh.
Still others give their devotion and praise
to other creatures or things. Money, power
and influence are the almighty things to
many people and they will make great
sacrifices to gain these goals. And so it is
in the old world today: people are so de
voted and dedicated to their personal in
terests, their businesses, their professions,
their careers, or they are so taken up with
their hobbies, their pets or their fancies,
that they have no time to devote attention
to the pure worship and service of the
only living and true God, whose name
alone is JEHOVAH. Ps. 83:18.
7
When a person comes out of and aban
dons this old system of things it is only
reasonable that he should stop loving and
serving its many false gods. Jehovah is ab
solutely right when he insists that such a
person give his exclusive devotion to Him.
The apostle John appreciated the rightness
of this divine requirement and so he wrote
to Christians: Do not be loving either the
world or the things in the world. If any
one loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him; because everything in the
world the desire of the flesh and the de
sire of the eyes and the showy display of
ones means of life does not originate
with the Father, but originates with the
world. Furthermore, the world is passing
away and so is its desire, but he that does
the will of God remains forever. Such a
person, who does the will of God instead
of his own will, makes a dedication to God
to do so, for that is what dedication en
tails. 1 John 2:15-17,
7. What advice does 1 John 2:15-17 give us?

398

fFEeWATCHTOWEFL
WHY MANY REFUSE TO DEDICATE

8 Some individuals upon hearing the

Kingdom message preached by Jehovahs
witnesses are well pleased with the sample
of spiritual food off Jehovahs bountiful
table. It tastes good and they come to our
meetings for more, but instead of eating
exclusively off Jehovahs table they at
tempt to supplement their diet with
crumbs off the Devils table. Refusing to
dedicate themselves wholly and completely
to the living God, Jehovah, they attempt
to follow a course of compromise. After
nibbling and picking at Jehovahs good
table they turn around and expend their
strength and time serving the interests and
pleasures of this old world, all of which is
contrary to the sacred Scriptures. How
ever, are we able to be friends of the old
world and friends of God at the same time?
No indeed, we are not, for Jehovah your
God is a consuming fire, a God exacting
exclusive devotion. (Deut. 4:24,
Jesus emphatically declared: No one can
be a slave to two masters; for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or
he will stick to the one and despise the
other. You cannot be slaves to God and
to Riches. (Matt. 6:24,
Or as the Al
mighty himself puts it: I Jehovah your
God am a God not tolerating rivalry.
(Deut. 5:9, NW, margin) Such divine
edicts leave absolutely no room for a dedi
cated person to compromise.
9 Again, some may allow the cares and
anxieties of this fast-moving, highly com
petitive, war-threatened world to weigh
them down and prevent them from giving
exclusive devotion to Jehovah. Jesus para
ble foretold that some people would readi
ly accept the word of truth as soil accepts
the sowers seed, allowing it to take root
and sprout, but at the same time they
8. Why is compromising in devotion to Jehovah such
a dangerous course?
9. Jesus gave what counsel to those so concerned with
material things that they fail to make a dedication?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

would also permit weed seeds to grow up

until the anxiety of this system of things
and the deceptive power of wealth choke
the word, and such ones would become
unfruitful. (Matt. 13:22, NW) How much
better it would be for such burdened ones
to heed Jesus counsel! He said: Stop be
ing anxious about your souls as to what
you will eat or what you will drink, or
about your bodies as to what you will
wear. So never be anxious and say: What
are we to eat? or, What are we to drink?
or, What are we to put on? For all these
are the things the nations are eagerly pur
suing. For your heavenly Father knows
you need all these things. Keep on, then,
seeking first the kingdom and his right
eousness, and all these other things will
be added to you. Putting Kingdom inter
ests first, not second or third, but ahead of
all other considerations in our lives, means
nothing less than full and complete dedi
cation to Jehovah God. Matt. 6:25, 31-33,
NW.
10 To worship Jehovah, that is, to be ex
clusively devoted to him, means that one
serves him as a willing slave serves his
master. To serve means to obey, and those
who obey Jehovah do so out of love for
him. (John 14:23, 24) Love is, in fact, the
sum and substance of the whole law and
commandments of God, as Christ Jesus
verified: You must love Jehovah your
God with your whole heart and with your
whole soul and with your whole mind and
with your whole strength [or, vital force].
(Mark 12:30 and Deut. 6:5, NW) That
certainly leaves nothing out; and to love
and serve Jehovah to that extent means
nothing less than complete dedication to
him.
11The Founder of Christianity not only
preached this fundamental commandment
from Gods law for others to follow but he
10. How far should one go in loving and serving Jehovah?
11. When it comes to dedication what example did
Christ Jesus set for us?

July 1, 1956

399
SEeWATCHTOWER.
himself also put it into practice in his own 2:21) You cannot imagine apostles like
life by wholeheartedly and unequivocally Paul and Peter making excuses and trying
dedicating himself to do Jehovahs will, as to dodge or postpone their following the
we read: I [Jesus] said, Look! I am come dedicated footsteps of Jesus, can you?
(in the roll of the book it is written about Not at all! Paul even recommended that
me) to do your will, O God. (Heb. 10:7, we imitate him even as he imitated Christ
NW ; Ps. 40:7, 8) Once setting his mind Jesus. 1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 2 Thess.
NW.
and heart on this course of dedication at 3:7, 9,
the age of thirty, Jesus never faltered or
FOLLOWING THE GREATEST EXAMPLE
wavered, never attempted to substitute for
13That true followers of Christ should in
Gods will his own will. I cannot do a sin
gle thing of my own initiative, Jesus said. like manner dedicate themselves to the
I seek not my own will but the will of doing of Jehovahs will is shown by Jesus
him that sent me. I have come down words: If anyone wants to come after
from heaven to do, not my will, but the me, let him disown himself. (Luke 9:23,
will of him that sent me. In fact, doing NW) One who disowns himself disowns
Gods will was just as important to Jesus his personal possession of himself or his
as eating food to stay alive. To quote him: choice of a life career and seeks, instead,
My food is for me to do the will of him to learn what is Jehovahs will and pur
that sent me and to finish his work. pose concerning his future, and then to de
port himself accordingly. He ceases doing
John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38,
12
Can you imagine Christ saying he washis own will and, instead, always diligently
too busy with his carpenter duties to take seeks to learn and do Gods will. If then
on the responsibilities of dedication as your disowning of your personal choice of
Jehovahs minister? Or can you picture a course or way of life in order that Gods
Jesus taking the attitude that the work will may be done by you brings ridicule,
of preaching from house to house was be reproach and all manner of hardships and
neath his dignity or that it required too persecutions, perhaps even cruel torture
much of his energy and time? To the con and imprisonment in a totalitarian work
trary, of Jesus it was prophetically writ camp; still that, according to the Bible, is
ten: I delight to do thy will, O my God; only ones reasonable service to God; and
thy law is within my heart. I have told that is all Jehovah requires. I entreat
the glad news of deliverance in the great you, wrote the apostle Paul to his Chris
congregation; lo, I have not restrained my tian brothers at Rome, by the compas
lips. (Ps. 40:8, 9, R8) Certainly those of sions of God, brothers, to present your
you who really want to be Christians bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable
would not want anyone to call you pagans to God, a sacred service with your power
or godless heathen, would you? But to be of reason. Rom. 12:1, 2, NW.
14 It is true that dedication places a
true Christians you must follow in the
footsteps of Christ Jesus, for Christ left heavy load of responsibility upon one. And
us the true pattern or example, even as to faithfulness in carrying that load is man
his very first step in making a dedication datory! For this reason some readers who
of himself to do the will of his Father, have not yet dedicated themselves to the
Jehovah. And in even that first important Great Person, Jehovah, may hesitate to
step of his we should follow him. (1 Pet. 13. What does it mean to disown oneself?
12. What, then, is required of ail true Christians?

14. Should one hesitate to make a dedication because

some fail to keep dedication vows?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SfkWATCHTOWERstep forward and say, not to men, but to lake that bums with fire and sulphur. This
Jehovah, as Isaiah said: Here I am! Send means the second death. (Rev. 21:1, 7, 8,
me. (Isa. 6:8, RS) And is it because you NW) If you exercise faith and dedicate
fear you might fail to meet the require yourself entirely to Jehovah, then his spir
ments? You may know some persons or it of courage he will put upon you, as Paul
may have heard of certain persons who assuringly wrote: God gave us not a spirit
made a dedication and then failed to live of cowardice, but that of power and of love
up to it. They, you say, are hypocrites and and of soundness of mind. Therefore do
you do not want to be a hypocrite. Well, not become ashamed of the witness about
if you hate hypocrisy (and you should), our Lord, neither of me a prisoner for
are you playing the hypocrite by claiming his sake, but take your part in suffering
to be a Christian and yet refusing to dedi evil for the good news according to the
cate your whole life as the willing servant power of God. (2 Tim. 1:7, 8, NW ) In
or slave of the living God, Jehovah, even as stead, then, of looking at wrong examples
Christ did in setting the example for every set by the fainthearted and by cowards, is
one of his true followers? Or do you mere it not right, yes, much better to fix atten
ly think of such examples of weaklings tion on the long line of faithful conquerors
who failed in order to justify yourself for held before us in the Bible?
postponing the making of your own dedi
16
Christ Jesus was a conqueror, not a
cation? If so, then you can point to Judas coward. From the beginning and through
Iscariot as another who broke faithfulness out his years on earth he stood up and
under the test. And do not forget to think fought against the Devil and his demons
soberly of Satan the Devil, who deliberate like a lion; in fact, like the Lion of the
ly turned away from his devotion to Jeho tribe of Judah. Early Christians, includ
vah, abandoning his responsibilities. Satan ing Jesus faithful apostles, likewise were
and Judas and other unfaithful ones cer anything but cowards. Also, men like
tainly are warning examples of a way of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David; women
life to be avoided, shunned, not copied or like Sarah, Rahab, Deborah and Jael and
followed.
the many others in the long line of coura
15
You too by nature may be weak, algeous, covenant-keeping witnesses of Jeho
ways fearful of failing. By nature you may vah that extends back to righteous Abel
be a coward. But if you ever hope to live were wholly dedicated to Jehovah and they
in Jehovahs everlasting new world you firmly stood their ground even when fac
must strip off this spirit of fear and of ing death at enemy hands. But were their
cowardice. There is no doubt about this, lives shipwrecked? No, not at all, for they
for Jehovah himself revealed his true way, had a strong anchor of hope in Jehovahs
of which John wrote, saying: I saw a supreme power even to resurrect the dead.
new heaven and a new earth, for the for And so today Jehovahs faithful dedicated
mer heaven and the former earth had slaves, numbering upward of six hundred
passed away, . . . Anyone conquering will thousand, have Gods spirit of power and
inherit these things, and I shall be his of love upon them; and this makes them
God and he will be my son. But as for the fear-free, undaunted, zealous, courageous
cowards and those without faith . . . and fighters for truth and righteousness against
all the liars, their portion will be in the terrific odds. Heb. 11:4-39; 12:1, 2.

400

15. Why should we dispel the spirit of cowardice from

our lives?

16. What outstanding examples, both past and present,

are there of fear-free, dedicated servants of Jehovah?

1, 1956

401
fReWATCHTOWEFL
A PERSONAL CHOICE
for yourselves today whom you will serve,
17 All humans, including all of us, are whether the gods that your forefathers
bom sinners and from birth are under con who were on the other side of the River
demnation to death without a right to life, served or the gods of the Amorites in
by reason of the first man Adams trans whose land you are dwelling. But as for me
gression of Gods command. Everlasting and my household, we shall serve Jeho
NS
o each one
life is therefore an undeserved gift from vah. (Josh. 24:15,
the Life-giver, Jehovah; and he has chosen you undedicated persons has today the
to make this gift available to any willing same freedom to choose, a choice of life
human, but only through Christ Jesus. or death. If you deliberately refuse to dedi
(Acts 3:23; 4:12; Rom. 5:19; 6:23; 1 Cor. cate yourself to Jehovah God in this judg
15:22) The only way, then, to win ever ment day of his in which we now are liv
lasting life is to accept it on the terms ing, your life will end at Armageddon, if
upon which it is given by God; that is, by not before, as a condemned sinner without
confidently coming through Christ to the right to life and even without hope of a
Life-giver, Jehovah, and willingly dedicat resurrection. On the other hand, in choos
ing oneself to serve him now and forever ing Jehovahs way that leads to life you
more. This dedication to God must be will willingly and with great delight wholly
made gladly and voluntarily. It is a per dedicate your heart and your mind, your
sonal choice and no one can make it for strength and your substance, to Jehovah
another. It is not a choice to be made un God and his triumphant kingdom.
19
Count the cost, yes, by all means!
der coercion either. One should not make
Study
over
what it is going to require of
such a dedication just to keep peace in the
you
in
this
world. (Luke 14:26-33) How
family or because one feels he is under
ever,
measure
what you give alongside
pressure to do so. No one is compelled to
what
you
are
promised
by Jehovah. Have
choose the only way that leads to life. The
you
anything
that
you
did
not receive from
choice is each individuals personal respon
Jehovah
in
the
first
place,
except your
sibility. As Moses said: I have put life and
power
of
devotion
and
praise
and willing
death before you, the blessing and the
service?
So
all
you
have
you
gladly
dedi
malediction, and you must choose life in
cate
to
God.
What
you
already
have
re
order that you may keep alive, you and
ceived
from
him
you
give
him
for
the
un
your offspring. And how does one now
choose life? The next verse explains: By speakable privileges and blessings con
loving Jehovah your God, by listening to tinually bestowed upon Gods dedicated
his voice and by sticking to him, for he is servants! He puts his spirit and power up
your life and the length of your days. In on them and gives them authority to be
other words, you choose life by dedicating called by his name and to speak in his
yourself entirely to Jehovah your God, to name as his witnesses. Amid this doomed
obey him forever. Deut. 30:19, 20, NW. and dying old world these dedicated serv
18 Joshua also emphasized the fact that ants of God are the happiest people living.
dedicated service to Jehovah is a personal Their hope to survive Armageddon, in vin
choice for each one to make. Now if it is dication of Gods word and name, removes
bad in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose fear of that oncoming tempest and they
confidently expect to live forever in a new
17. From what source comes life, to whom is it offered,
world with new heavens and an earth-wide
and how is it obtained?
Ju

ly

18. What choice does every informed person have to

make?

19. Is dedication to Jehovah worth what it costs?

402

S&eWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn , N . Y.

paradise of perfection. Certainly much de no time to postpone dedicating ones life

pends now upon making a dedication; to Jehovah God. So do not put off to
everything depends upon faithfulness to tomorrow what should be done now when
you appreciate what dedication means and
that dedication. Luke 9:59-62.
what
blessings it brings. If you have real
20
For the past several years great multi
faith
and hope and are a person of good
tudes, numbering more than 50,000 a year,
will
toward
God, and you have sufficient
have been coming forward and dedicating
knowledge
and
understanding and appre
themselves to the living God, Jehovah. Ask
ciation
of
dedication,
and if you are moral
yourself, What does dedication mean to
ly
and
Scripturally
clean,
then this day,
m e? With Armageddon coming on apace,
in
the
secret
of
your
prayer,
you should
the favorable time for salvation is now, not
solemnly
vow
to
Jehovah
God
that you
later. Now, not later, Gods patience is
will
henceforth
and
forever
worship
and
waiting for all who want to live to seek
serve
him
exclusively,
and
that
you
will
him while he can yet be found. Now, not
later, is the time to flee to the theocratic do his will as set forth in his written Word,
mountains for safety. Now, therefore, is the Bible, come what may. If that is what
you do, why not afterward be baptized?
20. What reasons make it most urgent for good-will
Then
Jehovah will bless you richly!
persons to dedicate themselves to Jehovah now?

HE
and
ities of
creatures
animals.

desire to worship their Maker

God is one of the many qual
the mind that places human
on a plane far above the lower
This desire is instinctive and

1. What instinctive desire do human creatures have,

and how can it be really satisfied?

hereditary and all mankind possess it. The

most primitive races as well as the most
highly advanced peoples of eartheven
the so-called godless ones of human so
ciety all possess some measure of this in
born desire to worship a superior or some
object that the worshiper secretly consid
ers to be higher and more honorable than
himself. It was Jehovah God that im
planted this desire to worship in the first
human pair, and he did so that they might
worship their Creator and Benefactor,
which was for their good and for their
proper guidance. It was not long, however,
before the rebel Satan succeeded in turn
ing the worship of the first pair away from
their Creator, and since then the majority
of humankind have indulged themselves in
many false religions in an effort to satis
fy their desires to worship. So when an
honest person learns the truth he gladly
abandons his false religion and turns to the
pure, clean worship of the Most High
God, whose name alone is JEHOVAH.
Ps. 83:18.

Ju l y

1, 1956

ffEeWATCHTOWER,

403

2
As a result of the great prison-breakingminister to others by this course of study.
work now being directed by Christ Jesus, In due time you find in your heart a burn
tens of thousands of men and women each ing desire to share in this preaching work.
year, more than a thousand a week on the But this work is not done by hired worldly
average, are gaining their freedom from men and women. No, only God-ordained
the prison houses of false religions. How ministers share in itonly persons upon
can one break away from false religion? whom the spirit of Jehovah rests. You
With each of you there must be first a learn that Jehovah gives his spirit only
turning to Jehovah, for where the spirit to those who wholly and unreservedly
of Jehovah is, there is freedom. You must dedicate themselves to him, through Christ
then put faith in God and his precious Jesus. You have therefore recently made
promises, for without faith it is impossi or will make in time a solemn dedication
ble to win his good pleasure. At the same of yourself to Jehovah, because dedication
time each of you, newly turned to learn of to Jehovah God is a divine requirement.
Jehovah and his ways, must keep studying
4In making this dedication you must
the Bible, for you must realize that in it determine in your heart and mind that
sure contained the revealed purposes of henceforth you will serve Jehovah God
Jehovah concerning man and what Jeho with everything you have, with all your
vah requires of him for life. Gal. 5:1; heart and soul and vital force. You real
2 Cor. 3:16, 17; Heb. 3:12; 11:6, NW.
ize that only by making this dedication
8
In your progressive study of the Biblecan you get life from Jehovah through
not only do you learn the basic doctrines of Christ Jesus. The seriousness of this you
Jehovahs righteous system of things, but begin to realize. Jehovah has no pleasure
you also grow in understanding of the in those who make vows and then break
deeper things of Gods Word. You begin to them. The importance and seriousness of
appreciate the great issue that was long all this you must come to understand and
ago raised by Jehovahs chief enemy, Sa fully appreciate. But why, after secretly
tan the Devil, and the need for Jehovah making such a solemn dedication to the
to vindicate his Word and name completely living God in ones own mind and heart,
in his battle at Armageddon, now near. must one be baptized in water? Is water
By study you learn where we are on the baptism necessary, is it a divine require
stream of time; that we are in the last ment, and must it be a public baptism by
days of this dying old satanic system of total immersion?
things, but that before its full end comes
5 Our English word baptism is drawn
this good news of Jehovahs triumphant from the Greek word baptisma, from the
kingdom first is being preached as a wit verb meaning to dip, submerge, immerse.
ness to all the nations. All this takes time, It contains not the slightest thought of
for only after a period of diligent system sprinkling. So to be baptized in water one
atic study of Bible doctrines and laws, must be plunged into it and be totally sub
and Bible history and prophecy, can you merged from head to foot. Instead of this
come to understand and appreciate these being an initiating secret rite, performed
great truths. Actually, a student of Gods in hiding or in seclusion, baptism accordWord is in training, becoming equipped to
2. What are the first three steps taken by those being
set free by the truth?
3. What further progress does one make in knowledge
and understanding that eventually leads to dedication?

4. What questions concerning baptism and dedication

are sometimes raised?
5. (a) What is the basic meaning of baptism ?
(b) Why is it necessary that baptism be performed
before witnesses?

B rooklyn , N. Y .
SEeWATCHTOWER,
ing to the Scriptures is an open, formal sinners, a fulfiller of the law, not a break
John
ceremony, like a marriage ceremony, that er of it. (Heb. 7:26; Matt. 5:17,
is carried out publicly as an announcement recognized this fact and tried to prevent
or testimony before witnesses to establish such baptizing of this holy one, but Jesus
legally that which an individual has al answered him, saying: Let it be, this
ready determined in his heart and mind. time, for in that way it is suitable for us
(2 Cor. 13:1; Matt. 18:16; Deut. 19:15) to carry out all that is righteous. Jesus,
When one makes an unconditional dedica having reached the age of thirty, now was
tion to Jehovah he becomes an alien to this dedicating himself without reservation to
old devilish world. Therefore dedication is do Jehovahs will henceforth and forever;
like taking out citizenship in the new and as a symbol of this Jesus found it very
world, and the formal ceremony of baptism suitable and righteous that he be bap
is in effect an oath before witnesses con tized.Matt. 3:13-15, NW.
firming this fact. Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 2:11,
AN APPROVED SYMBOL
NW.
8 And how was water baptism a suitable
Baptism is of divine origin. Nineteen
symbol
of Jesus dedication? Completely
centuries ago John the baptizer [the fore
giving
himself
up to the hands of the one
runner of Christ] turned up in the wilder
baptizing
him,
willingly and without re
ness [in the spring of A.D. 29], preaching
sistance,
showed
Jesus was giving himself
baptism of those repenting for forgiveness
over
without
reservation.
Being lowered by
of sins. (Mark 1:4; Acts 13:24,
The
John
into
the
water
backward
and com
nation of Israel was under the law cove
pletely
submerged
in
the
water
well
illus
nant established at Mount Sinai, but they
trated
how
Jesus
had
become
dead
and
had sinned against that covenant that was
given for the purpose of leading them to the buried to his former course in earthly life.
Messiah. (Gal. 3:24) Now the Messiah was Had he not been raised out of the water
about to appear, hence the need for repent it might well have been his death. So be
ance and a return to Jehovah on the part ing raised up showed he was being made
of the covenant-breaking Jews. This was alive to the doing henceforth of Jehovahs
Johns message, one calling for repentance, will. In all respects and details, therefore,
a turning back to Jehovah ; and as an water baptism is a suitable and right
open public testimony of this before wit eous symbol of personal dedication.
9Jesus showed his approval of water
nesses John baptized those thus repenting
before Jehovah. (Luke 1:16, 17, NW) baptism, not only by his own act in sub
Hence Johns baptism was for a particular mitting himself to be baptized, but also by
people at a particular time and for a par the specific commandment he gave shortly
before ascending on high. To his faithful
ticular purpose.
7 In due time Jesus came down to those footstep followers Jesus said: All author
same Jordan waters and requested John ity has been given me in heaven and on
to baptize him. But Jesus was no sinner the earth. Go therefore and make disciples
against the law covenant. Indeed, he was of people of all the nations, baptizing them
guileless, undefiled, separated from the in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the holy spirit, teaching them to ob
6. John the baptizer came to what people, at what
serve all the things I have commanded you.
time, and for what purpose?

404

7, 8. (a) Why did John protest against baptizing Jesus?

(b) How was water baptism a suitable symbol of Jesus
dedication ?

9. Concerning baptism what commandment did Jesus

give and to what extent has it been carried out?

Ju l y

1, 1956

fKeWATCHTOWER.

405

And, look! I am with you all the days un and his followers since Pentecost baptism
til the consummation of the system of in water is a symbol of dedication, a con
things. (Matt. 28:18-20,
Some days firmatory sign visible to others that testi
later, at Pentecost, upon hearing Peters fies to them that the one being baptized
stirring talk on dedication which stabbed has given himself to Jehovah to do His
them to the heart, about three thousand will, cost what it may.
Jews, we are told, embraced his word
11But what did Christ mean when he
heartily and were baptized. Some three said that one should be baptized in the
and a half years later, the first of the un name of the Father and of the Son and of
circumcised non-Jewish (or Gentile ) the holy spirit ? First, the name of the
nations, the Italian army officer Cornelius, Father includes more than just his self
with his relatives and intimate friends, given name, the Hebrew tetragrammaton,
all together many people, was baptized translated Jehovah. The name of the
in water in symbol of complete dedication Father refers to the Parenthood, the
to God. Now we are down here at the con rightful sovereignty and peerless authority
summation of the system of things and that Jehovah holds. He is the Universal
Christ Jesus is, as he said he would be, di Sovereign, Creator of the heavens and the
recting this work of discipling and baptiz earth, the almighty, supreme Source of
ing people of all the nations in great num life. The great issue confronting the whole
bers. Acts 10:22, 24, 27, 47, 48,
universe that must be settled at Arma
geddon
centers around the office and au
10
Today, then, in the case of true Chris
thority
of
this Eternal Father of light and
tians, what is the meaning of baptism? The
truth.
Being
baptized in the name of the
same as in Jesus case. Christ left us a
model to follow closely. (1 Pet. 2:21, NW) Father shows that one appreciates and
If anyone wants to come after me, let him recognizes the unique position, power and
disown himself and pick up his torture authority of Jehovah the great Theocrat.
12 Second, being baptized in the name of
stake day after day and follow me continu
ally. In fact, whoever is n o t . . . coming the Son likewise shows that one appreci
after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke ates the high authority and office that
9:23; 14:27, NW) To disown oneself would Jehovahs beloved Son Christ Jesus now
be to give up the ownership of oneself and, holds since his resurrection by Jehovah.
instead, give oneself to God as his slave, Of that faithful Son we read: His name
taking up the doing of Gods will. Down to will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
the very end that is what Jesus did, as he God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
expressed it again and again during that (Isa. 9:6, RS) So for you who now believe
last night on the Mount of Olives: Not as Jehovah not only is this holy Son your
I will, but as you will. Not what I want, Savior, Ransomer and Redeemer, but he is
but what you want. Not my will, but also Gods Anointed King of the new world,
yours take place. (Matt. 26:39, 42; Mark the great High Priest after the order of
14:36; Luke 22:42, NW) Baptism in Jesus Melchizedek, the worthy Vindicator of
case was not to symbolize his repentance Jehovahs universal sovereignty and name.
of sins against the law covenant and nei
13Third, one rightly recognizes also the
ther is it such in our case. Baptism of Jesus
11. To be baptized in the name of the Father shows
was not for remission of Adamic sins and what?
What does it mean to be baptized in the name
neither is it such with us. With both Jesus 12.
. . . of the Son ?
10. To true Christians what does water baptism mean?

13. What function is filled by Gods holy spirit? Hence

to be baptized in its name shows what?

406

SEeWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn , N. Y .

systems even before letting them baptize

him. So the act of being baptized is not the
important thing, but, rather, that which
the act symbolizes is the element of im
portance.
15 There is an instance recorded in the
Scriptures where this very situation arose.
At Ephesus a certain Jew interested about
twelve men in his message to the point
of baptism, but he knew only about Johns
baptism and that is what he preached to
them. Some time later the apostle Paul
di
visited this city and found them, and after
he inquired whether they had received the
holy spirit they confessed to Paul they did
not know what he was talking about. Then
Paul asked them: In what, then, were
you baptized? They said: In Johns bap
tism. Paul in straightening them out on
this point evidently explained how Johns
baptism was for Jews who had sinned
against the law covenant, and inasmuch as
that covenant now had been fulfilled and
nailed to Christs torture stake by Jehovah
it was no longer in effect. On hearing
BAPTIZED A SECOND TIME
this, the account goes on to say, they
14
Often the question is asked whethergot baptized [all over again, but this time]
one baptized previously in a ceremony per in the name of the Lord Jesus. It was
formed by some other religious group then that they received a goodly measure
should again be baptized when coming to of Gods holy active spirit. Acts 18:24,
an accurate knowledge of the truth and 25; 19:1-7; Matt. 5:17; Rom. 10:4; Col.
making a dedication to Jehovah. Because 2:13, 14, NW.
of what has been already said, now there
16 From all we have been considering
is compelling reason for also saying, Yes, here it is manifest that water baptism of
one must be baptized again. Obviously, by true Christians is not a simple, trivial cere
any of such religious systems one was mony of initiation into an organization of
never in reality baptized in the name of men. Rather, baptism is a very serious act
the Father and of the Son and of the holy linked with life, for it involves the making
spirit, because had he been so baptized of a vow before Almighty God. Ecclesias
he would have appreciated the authority tes 5:4-6
(AT) says: When you make
and office of such true Higher Powers. And vow to God do not delay in fulfilling it; for
if previously dedicated to Jehovah, the in he has no pleasure in fools! What you vow,
dividual would have separated himself fulfil! . . . say n o t . . . It was a mistake.
from such God-dishonoring Babylonish 15. Why was it necessary for those at Ephesus to be

office and function filled by Gods holy

spirit. Instead of being the third person of
some pagan triune god, the holy spirit is
the active force of Jehovah God that he
supplies to willing humans for their united
ly accomplishing his will and purpose. The
holy spirit was the force that inspired the
prophets of old to write Gods holy Word.
It was the force that directed the early
Christians after their resurrected, spiritguided Head and Master ascended to heav
en. (Luke 4:18-21; Acts 2:16-18; 2 Pet.
1:21,
NW ) The holy spirit is the same
vine active force that is directing Gods
theocratic organization in the earth today,
and that upholds and continually actuates
all of Gods dedicated ministers. Therefore,
being baptized in the name of the holy
spirit shows or testifies that such baptized
one recognizes this invisible active force
of God, willingly submits to its actuating
him, and desires to be guided and con
trolled by it at all times according to the
will of the living God.

14. Even though previously baptized, should one after

making a dedication to Jehovah be baptized again?

baptized the second time?

16. To true Christians why is baptism such a serious
matter?

Ju l y

1, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER

407

Persons who are not true to their word always did the will of his Father and wit
and their agreement, Paul tells us, are nessed for him. Your being baptized in the
deserving of death. (Rom. 1:31, 32; Num. name of the holy spirit can take place only
30:2-4,
NW) It is therefore proper forprovided
the
you recognize that it is Jehovahs
minister talking to candidates to ask those active force and operates on those who
who desire to be baptized to stand up and love Jehovah and are willing to do his com
answer certain questions. Before the min mandments. At John 14:15-17 (NW) Jesus
ister proceeds, he should allow time for said to his apostles: If you love me, you
the candidates to rise and then he may will observe my commandments; and I will
request the Father and he will give you
make remarks to the following effect:
another helper to be with you forever, the
TO APPLICANTS FOR BAPTISM
spirit of the truth. Jesus has also taught
17 When the resurrected Jesus Christ us that Jehovahs Word is truth, and by
was yet on earth he stated: All authority your constant study of his Word of truth
has been given me in heaven and on the you will understand Jehovahs will. (John
earth. This was some time before his as 17:17) You will see the marvelous work
cension to heaven. He was very specific that Christ Jesus did and is doing, and you
then in speaking to his disciples, for he will recognize the power of Jehovahs spirit.
19 Therefore now with your mouth make
said: Go therefore and make disciples of
people of all the nations, baptizing them a public declaration of your faith by an
in the name of the Father and of the Son swering these two questions that I shall
and of the holy spirit, teaching them to ask you, and let your answers be hearable,
observe all the things I have commanded that all those about you may be witnesses
you. And, look! I am with you all the days to the declaration that you solemnly make:
until the consummation of the system of
20 (1) Have you recognized yourself be
things. (Matt. 28:18-20, NW) Under this fore Jehovah God as a sinner who needs
command Jehovahs witnesses are going salvation, and have you acknowledged to
forth throughout the world to make dis him that this salvation proceeds from him
ciples of all sorts of people.
the Father through his Son Jesus Christ?
18 You baptismal applicants have become
21 (2) On the basis of this faith in God
learners or disciples of Christ and there and in his provision for salvation, have you
fore you have come to know the Father. dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to
You have taken to yourself the name of the do his will henceforth as he reveals it to
Father in that each of you calls himself you through Jesus Christ and through the
one of Jehovahs witnesses. Therefore you Bible under the enlightenment of the holy
want to be baptized in the name of the spirit?
22 All of you who answered Yes to
Father. Jesus said his disciples should also
be baptized in the name of the Son, and these questions should be baptized with
you have also taken his name, for you are out hesitation or delay. You have sufficient
Christians. You as such must follow the knowledge and understanding of what you
high principles that he stood for and be are doing and God holds you responsible
to carry out his will by being baptized in
anxious to walk in his footsteps, for he
water.
17. By what authority are Jehovahs witnesses discipling
and baptizing people of all nations?
18. Why are baptismal applicants anxious to be baptized
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
holy spirit ?

19-22. (a) What two questions should be asked of per

sons desiring to be baptized? (b) If able to answer
yes to these questions, should a person hesitate or
delay to be baptized?

408

SEeWATCHTOWER,

23 Keep always in mind Jehovahs tri

umphant kingdom and its glorious King,
Christ Jesus, who blazed the way as our
Leader and Commander. Have the same
mental attitude he had toward Jehovah, as
described in Psalm 40:8 ( A S ) : I delight
to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is
within my heart. Ah, yes! remember
Jehovahs law, his infallible written Word
the Bible! Study it carefully, walk accord
ing to its guidance and direction, for it is
a light to your path. Remember Jehovahs
spirit! Allow it to govern your every activ
ity, for it is far stronger than the spirit
of the Devil. Remember Jehovahs organi
zation! Stay close to it at all times, for it
is like a mother to you, to nourish, feed,
discipline and protect you.
24 You will want to remember this day
of your water baptism; so make a perma
nent record of it for future reference. This
day, which has a relationship to your ordi
nation and commissioning by God, is cer
tainly a great day and a happy occasion
in the life of each of you, for today you
are announcing before many witnesses
that you have abandoned your former
ways of false religion and have chosen
forever to worship Jehovah with his true
23. After being baptized, what should a person always
remember?
24, 25. What course will bring dedicated and baptized
Christians their greatest happiness, together with peace
of mind and contentment?

B rooklyn , N. Y.

witnesses. And in turning to the pure wor

ship and service of your Creator you have
received many wonderful things at His
bountiful hands. All of this has made you
very happy, but since there is still more
happiness in giving than in receiving, you
will not be content just to have and enjoy
these good things by yourselves. You will
therefore be very zealous in urging others
in this world of many false religions like
wise to take sides with Jehovah and join
with you in singing his praises. Following
such a godly course you are bound to have
great gladness of heart with peace of mind
and contentment even now before the bat
tle of the great day of God Almighty at
Armageddon and to have, in the ages to
come, overflowing joy and happiness with
out measure, all to the honor, glory, praise
and vindication of the Word and name of
the living God, Jehovah! The minister then
would say: Let us all bow our heads in
prayer to Jehovah.
26 With these thoughts in mind and their
hearts turned toward God now the candi
dates should go to the baptism place and be
immersed in water. Forever thereafter
each one so dedicated and baptized should
preach Jehovahs kingdom and live accord
ing to the written Word of God, for he
must continue to prove himself one of
Jehovahs witnesses.

Necessary Arrangements for a Baptismal Service

Hi T ASSEMBLIES baptismal programs
C / l must be handled in an orderly man
ner because of the very serious nature of
the occasion. Therefore the first day of an
assembly the one in charge should check
with the brother handling the music and
arrange for a song, say number 57 of the
book Songs to Jehovahs Praise, Take

Sides with Jehovah! to be used at the

conclusion of the talk, a song that will
nicely tie in with the closing remarks.
Before the talk song number 74, Dedica
tion, may well be used.
Also, the one in charge should check
ahead of time with the attendant depart
ment and those arranging for transporta-

Ju l y

1, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER

tion to the immersion pool, so that proper

announcements can be made for the guid
ance of all concerned.
Attendants assigned to assist the candi
dates should be fully informed the night
before, so each understands which exits
will be used and how the candidates will
file out of the assembly place.
On the occasion of the baptismal talk,
five minutes before the hour the speaker
and the chairman should be on the plat
form and the chairman should invite all
present to seat themselves. Candidates
should sit in a reserved section directly in
front of the platform. Then two minutes
before the hour let the chairman call the
assembly to order by announcing the sing
ing of song number 74. If it is in the morn
ing, the chairman or some other chosen
brother can offer a short opening prayer
asking for Jehovahs blessing on the days
program and activities, whereupon the
chairman will introduce the speaker.

409

At the conclusion of the talk the speaker

himself should offer an appropriate prayer
particularly in behalf of the candidates.
Following the concluding prayer, the chair
man can say: Let us sing song number 57,
Take Sides with Jehovah! and as we sing
the candidates to be baptized, together
with those accompanying them, can leave
for the pool. The rest of us will remain for
the next part of our program.
It may be necessary in large assemblies
to point out clearly which exits candidates
are to use, or to instruct whether those in
the front or back rows are to leave first,
etc., making all such instructions brief and
clear.
Have in mind that when candidates are
asked by the speaker to stand they will
remain standing until he finishes his re
marks to them and prayer is offered and
they file out. This impressive conclusion of
the talk will benefit the whole assembly, as
the closing remarks are being specially
directed to the candidates.

'

A U S T R A L IA and
F T E R the Triumphant Kingdom assem
bly in Auckland, New Zealand, the next
stop for Don A. Adam s and the Society's
president, N . H. Knorr, was Sydney, Australia.
But in order to get there they had to fly from
Christchurch, N . Z., by w ay of Melbourne.
They were to leave at five o'clock on the eve
ning of Thursday, March 15, but after their
large plane had taxied out to the end of the
runway and stayed there while the crew tested
the engines for about a half hour, the plane
returned to the air station. It was not until
10:30 that the repair was m ade; so the travel
ers had to fly all night, arriving in Melbourne,
Australia, at 3:15 in the morning. Here a

brother had waited up all night for them. A fter

they were cleared through customs and immi
gration, it was a pleasure for the travelers to
be with him as he drove them many miles to
his home, arriving there about 4:30. The trav
elers got to bed at 5 a.m. and had to rise again
at 6 a.m. in order to get to the airport to catch
their plane to Sydney, which left at eight
oclock.
As soon as they arrived at Sydney the broth
ers meeting them rushed them off to a radio
station, where Brother Knorr had an inter
view with a popular commentator, and this was
broadcast two hours later on the noon news
broadcast. Brother Knorr had not made his ap-

410

SHeWATCHTOWER.

pearance at the convention grounds as yet, but

this broadcast was put on over the loud
speakers, so all the conventioners learned that
Brothers Adam s and Knorr had arrived.
The Australian branch office had arranged
for a big national convention, and brothers
came from all parts of Australia. Special trains
were arranged for the brothers from Perth,
the most western point of the continent. The
largest special train ever arranged for brought
Jehovahs witnesses across the entire land to
Sydney. It was reported that the Perth special
was the biggest train-ticket sale ever made, and
a check was given to the railroad company for
14,000. This train was twice the length of the
regular W est-East Express, as it carried 436
delegates. Other special trains were arranged
to bring the brothers from Melbourne, Brisbane
and other points. Thousands of others came by
car, ship, chartered bus and by plane. It had
been ten years since a national assembly em
bracing all the country had been held. It was
good to see brothers coming from all parts of
the land, some even coming from Perth by
car, taking twelve days. They had to cross the
famous Nullarbor Plain with its barren sur
face completely devoid of water for a thousand
miles. This illustrates the earnest desire in
the hearts of Jehovahs witnesses to meet to
gether and have fellowship together and wor
ship the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. All
were enthusiastic. A real fam ily spirit existed
at the assembly, and the brothers at Sydney
did everything they could to make the visitors
welcome and comfortable.
A t the Sports Grounds there had been pre
pared in advance in the center of the playing
field a giant stage 150 feet long with a dais 30
feet by 15 feet and a canopy 15 feet by 8 feet.
Built within the two hedged wings were huge
letters spelling Triumphant Kingdom. When
these were illuminated at night it was a very
impressive sight. The whole platform was beau
tiful and restful to the eyes. In a field adjacent
to the convention grounds were located several
large tents that housed the cafeteria and other
departments of the convention organization.
Australia had been going through a terrible
rainy season; in fact, many parts of Australia
were flooded. Thousands upon thousands of ani
m als were drowned and people were made
homeless. The rains still continued and it rained
every day of the assembly, not continuously,
but sufficiently to let everyone know that the
rains were not over.

B rooklyn, N . Y .

The convention was in session from M arch 14

to 18 and by Friday evening the attendance had
grown to 3,646, at which time Brother Knorr
spoke after an absence of five years. His kindly
and mature talk was much appreciated by all.
Every day of the convention was filled with
helpful counsel, and the illustrative talks de
livered by Brother Adams made a very firm
impression on everybodys mind. Saturdays fea
ture was most impressive because brothers who
were working in the Pacific islands gave their
experiences, which brought real thrills to those
listening. Here was a vast new field, almost
untouched, and it was the responsibility of the
Watch Tower Societys Australian branch to
get workers into this territory. The circuit serv
ant, who had attended the convention in Fiji,
was also in attendance at this assembly and he
told of his many experiences at the different
islands of the Pacific. The audience responded
many times with applause.
A fter several hours of pioneer experiences on
work in the Pacific a special meeting was held
by Brother Knorr for all those interested in
going to work on these islands in secular em
ployment or as special pioneers. The meeting
was held in one of the large tents and 300
brothers, including single brothers and sisters
and married couples, some with children, came
to get the information as to how they could
get to one of these islands and obtain employ
ment. A ll who were willing to go to these
islands turned in their names and addresses so
the Society could try to find employment for
them as secular workers. The idea is to get
people on these islands who are in the truth
and, even though they can put in only congre
gation time as publishers, still the islanders
will have the Bible explained to them and
little congregations can be developed quickly.
So congregation publishers can take on a load
of responsibility that is usually given to pio
neers, special pioneers and missionaries.
It was pointed out to them at this meeting
that any who wanted to enter the special pio
neer work could do so and the Society would
see about getting them to the islands. But as
a usual thing the way to get to these islands
is not by the missionary or pioneer route but
by being employed. There are many trades
men needed, such as plumbers, mechanics, car
penters, engineers and others. A t the conclusion
of the meeting it was really thrilling to see
the brothers turning in their names and ad
dresses as an indication of their desire to take

Ju l y

1, 1956

WATCHTOWER.

up this new field, and then they talked to the

brothers present who were already in the is
lands to find out how to make application for
employment and what was required. It would
be a big step for each one to take his wife
and fam ily with him and start life anew to
preach the Kingdom message in places where
it has not as yet been spoken.
The day before that Brother Knorr had a
meeting with pioneers who were interested in
the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, and
129 attended that session. Many came to the
Saturday meeting with the hope of getting into
the missionary work more quickly. Of the 129
present there were sixty-five who filled out
preliminary applications, expressing their de
sire to come to Gilead and someday be sent by
the Society into foreign fields as missionaries.
Saturday was really a service day, because
in the morning all the congregation servants
and circuit servants, to the number of 315, as
sembled together and Brother Knorr gave them
an hours talk on field activity and then an
swered questions for an hour. It was felt that
by this fourth day of the convention the broth
ers were truly enthusiastic about the great
work yet to be done in the earth and many
were seeing their w ay clear and taking steps,
even adventurous ones, to advance the King
dom interests in places large and small in the
Pacific. Some of the islands have only two to
three thousand people on them and some of
the villages where missionaries and congrega
tion publishers work have but two to three
hundred inhabitants. Already there are on these
islands twenty-five congregation publishers who
moved out from Australia since Brother
Knorrs last visit there five years ago, but it
is hoped that we can have at least a hundred
more within the next few years to get into
these little places, which are reported to be
bits of paradise scattered over the blue Pacific.

THE PUBLIC MEETING AND AFTER-ACTIVITIES

The convention was coming to a conclusion
much too quickly, and Sunday was the big day
that everyone was looking forward to. A t the
morning session there were 3,791 and, despite
the pouring rain, many sat in the open space to
enjoy the lectures. B y noon it let up and be
came quite cool. H eavy clouds overhead threat
ened all the time, but the rains had ended for
that day. A little before three the people moved
in in big crowds. The stands were packed out
and the seats set in the paddock before the

411

speakers stand were soon all taken and hun

dreds were standing. W hen the count was
taken there were 8,149 present. Announcement
was made that shortly after the public talk
the president of the Society would speak again,
on conditions in Russia and their effect on Jeho
vahs witnesses, and 6,573 remained.
Australia is a growing country. Thousands
are emigrating there from all parts of Europe.
It was no surprise to find twenty-two different
nationalities represented at this assembly. For
the first time in Australia meetings were ar
ranged in different languages and 95 attended
the German session, 69 the Greek, 31 the Dutch,
63 the Italian, and 42 the Polish. Then, too,
there were some from the Pacific islands, both
natives and Australians, who worked out there
but came to Sydney for the big assembly.
Many of these people had felt the ravages of
war and the persecutions of Hitler or Stalin
or of other European countries, so it was most
interesting to observe how the brothers listened
with almost breathless silence to what Brother
Knorr had to say about actual experiences of
their faithful companions under the Commu
nist regime. This last discourse will be long
remembered and quoted and undoubtedly
struck deep into the hearts of all present. The
singing of song 16 brought to a conclusion
another Triumphant Kingdom assembly, but
for many of the visiting brothers it was not
over yet. On Monday about a thousand came
to the branch office at Sydney and inspected the
Societys Bethel home and factory at Strathfield, which is a suburb of Sydney. M any others
visited some of the new Kingdom H alls that
were built in Sydney recently to see how the
construction was accomplished. A fter seeing
the fine Kingdom H alls the congregations have
built in Sydney, when these visitors return to
their own territory they will probably want to
build one of their own.
Monday morning Brother Knorr had a meet
ing with all the circuit and district servants
in one of these Kingdom H alls, outlining the
work of the circuit servants, answering their
questions and preparing for greater expansion
in the country through their efforts.
By Thursday, right after the convention, a
number of the brothers were going to the
theaters in Sydney to see the newsreel of the
baptism that took place in Sydney just a few
days earlier. One of the large newsreel com
panies had its cameraman at the baptism and
got some fine scenes, and it was reported that

SfteWATCHTOWER,

412

the news commentary was wonderfully stated,

Brooklyn,

N.Y.

brothers in the city of Jakarta who were doing

telling of the 220 brothers who were baptized.

some preaching work. Now

This screening began on Thursday, and within

in attendance, some of them coming from all

just a few days the m ajority of the theaters

the principal islands in this newly formed gov

throughout the nation would be showing these

ernment of Indonesia. It was good to renew

pictures.

Undoubtedly

millions

of

there were 223

persons

old acquaintances again and the visitors en

throughout Australia will learn of this wonder

joyed meeting many new faces. Here was proof

ful convention and of the New W orld society

that good response to the preaching of the

through this publicity and it will give Jehovah's

message of the Kingdom was had during the

witnesses from one end of the country to the

five-year period, for there was a new peak

other the opportunity to tell why the brothers

of publishers in Indonesia of 261. In addition to

were baptized in water and what the Kingdom

this many of the Dutch people who had learned

of heaven means.

the truth and also Eurasians had emigrated to

The days after the convention were spent in

checking the office records and seeing what
could be done to advance the work in Australia
and the islands of the Pacific. The time moved
much too fast to handle all that was necessary
even though the travelers were delayed one
day because the airline discontinued a flight.
They were put on the following days flight to
Jakarta. A good crowd was at the airport to
say good-by, all hoping that it would not be
five years again before somebody came to
Australia from the American office. But all felt
greatly refreshed because of the wonderful
Triumphant Kingdom assembly and
because of the constant, healthy
growth of the New W orld society
in Australia.

Europe in the past five years. M any capable

CONVENTION AND MEMO

RIAL IN INDONESIA
The next stop, a day
late, was Jakarta, Indone
f c U $ T R
sia. The flight was long
and tedious, but there were
some beautiful sights, like
a towering 12,000-foot high
volcano with a crater big
enough to swallow a town.
The hundreds of little is
lands below were emerald
green with sparkling silver
rims around them, making
them look like jewels in the sea. The conven
tion was already under way and in session

brothers had been developed and there were

now several strong, healthy congregations on
the three large islands with isolated groups
on other islands round about the principal ones.
In the city of Jakarta alone there were two
Indonesian units and one Dutch-speaking unit.
In

this

fast-moving,

overcrowded

city

of

Jakarta it was difficult for the brothers to find

accommodations for the visiting brothers, but
it was finally accomplished. In order to hold
the sessions it was necessary to engage three
different halls. A cafeteria setup was
arranged in the back yard of the
home of one of the brothers. For
quite a few this was the first
assembly and also the first
time a number of the broth
ers had left their native
island. This shows the pow
er the truth has on the
brothers to make them
want to assemble together
Sydney *
in these last days. A ll were
very grateful for the provi
sions that Jehovah God
made for them in their
young theocratic lives. For
some of them it meant eight
days of traveling by boat
over 1,400 sea miles, and
owing to the fact that many of them were poor
they could not use comfortable cabins but set

Al/j

when the visitors landed at Jakarta. On getting

up camp on the decks of the ships they traveled

to the convention hall the president observed a

on. Still others came by train from the thriving

great change since his first visit to Indonesia

congregation of Surabaya.

in March, 1951. Then there were only twenty

All the brothers were happy and eager to

J u l y 1,

1956

3eWATCHTOWER.

get out into the field service, and wonderful

experiences were had. It was a pleasure for all
to be sitting in the audience and listening to
different brothers from various parts of the
country deliver discourses and take part in the
demonstrations. Here is a new organization,
young and vigorous, with not many in it who
are mature, but still they are trying and suc
ceeding in being one. It was a most educational
convention. One missionary remarked that the
service meeting would have been a credit to a
convention anywhere in the world.
Jehovahs spirit can accomplish
much in a short time when the
individuals heart is right toward
him. The missionaries that are in
this land have warm hearts. They
can look back over the short peri
od of years of hard work as they
see these students they have
helped taking part in the pro
gram and co-operating so well
with such fine results. It makes
them feel well rewarded for having
left their homes and countries to
travel over thousands of miles across land and
sea to a new land with a new language and
new people. Here they have found new brothers.
The congregation of Gods people in assembly
certainly appreciated the good words presented
by Brothers Adam s and Knorr and they were
indeed grateful for the announcement that the
Watchtower magazine would be increased from
twelve pages to sixteen and glad to hear the
complimentary remarks on what good work
the Indonesian brothers were doing with the
Watchtower magazine in their own language.
They are now printing as high as 5,000 copies
of The Watchtower, which is translated and
printed right there in Jakarta. Back in 1952
the magazines study article used to be trans
lated from English and stenciled, but as the
work grew and the demand for the magazine
became greater the work of printing the m aga
zine was turned over to a local printer. In
1952 the first issue was 250 copies. Now in
1956 the April 1 issue had grown to 5,000 copies.
The audience was overjoyed to know the m aga
zine would be of sixteen pages, and then they
were surprised even more when they were told
that when the regular edition of The Watchtower stayed at 5,000, because of their good
efforts in distributing it, the Society would
translate the Awake! into the Indonesian lan

413

guage. This good news was received with typ

ical New W orld society enthusiasm. Magazine
distribution by the publishers in Indonesia is
splendid, and it is easy to distribute the maga
zine in a number of languages. Placing twentyfive magazines in store-to-store or even houseto-house work in an hour is not difficult for a
publisher, and distributing forty magazines in
a mornings witnessing work is not unusual. One
of the missionaries obtained nine new subscrip
tions in the store-to-store work in one morning.
People who live in Indonesia appre
ciate very much that the magazine
is published in their own lan
guage. A s the Society does not
have m any publications in In
donesian, the stressing of the
Watchtower magazine in week
ly distribution, it is felt, should
cause the circulation of the
magazine to grow very rapidly.
On Sunday morning, March
25, everyone was made espe
cially happy as the branch servant de
livered a very excellent discourse on
dedication and water baptism. Although he has
been there less than five years as a missionary,
he speaks very fluently in the native tongue.
Sixteen brothers from various parts of the farflung territory answered in the affirmative to
the baptismal questions put to them.
In the afternoon a meeting was held with
pioneers, missionaries and those interested in
pioneer work. Brother Knorr had the opportu
nity of answering questions and encouraging a
number to take up the pioneer service. He
pointed out that some who even had good
records as congregation publishers might be
able to get right into the special pioneer work
and would not have to begin pioneering first,
if they were willing to devote all their time to
the preaching of the good news in some island
section. It is believed the response will be good.
There were about thirty in attendance at this
meeting.
The talk Making A ll Mankind One Under
Their Creator was delivered Sunday afternoon
at five oclock in the Gedung Kesenian and trans
lated into Indonesian. This talk could not be
publicly advertised, as at the moment no public
meetings are allowed, but religious organiza
tions may have their own meetings and persons
interested in their work m ay attend. Two
hundred and seventy-one persons came to the

414

f&eWATCHTOWER.

assembly and 241 remained to hear the closing

remarks relating to experiences that Jehovahs
witnesses are having behind the iron curtain.
Certainly, it was pointed out, if under such
conditions they can preach and maintain their
integrity, then we here living under much more
favorable conditions should be determined to
preach and extend our ministry at every op
portunity while conditions are still favorable.
The convention was brought to a close on a
high note, but for those in Indonesia it meant
another day of blessing because the time was
at hand for the yearly celebration of the me
morial of the death of Jesus Christ.
Monday evening, March 26, was the 14th day
of Nisan, and after six oclock on this day
Jehovahs witnesses around the world would
be keeping the memory of the wonderful sacri
fice that Christ Jesus laid down or offered on
Jehovahs altar. Eating his flesh and drinking
his blood in symbol, they were partaking of the
communion sacrifice pictured in the Hebrew
Scriptures. It is in this part of the world that
the day begins, so probably those in Jakarta
were among the first to celebrate the feast at
Jehovahs table, to be followed by thousands in
Asia and then Europe and finally North and
South America, all celebrating the same eve
ning meal. Here at Jakarta 268 were gathered
together, along with hundreds of thousands of
others elsewhere, but only one of this group
partook of the emblems. Everyone else did not,
indicating they are of the other sheep and
looking forward to gaining perfect earthly life
in the new world of righteousness under the
kingdom of heaven, but at the same time recog
nizing the wonderful provision Christ Jesus

B rooklyn, N. Y .

made and recognizing him as King with the

government upon his shoulders.
There is still a great work to be done in
Indonesia. This is just a new country that has
acquired independence and liberty and selfgovernment. There is a great reconstruction
work that must go on. Along with this recon
struction work of Indonesia, Jehovahs wit
nesses have a very important announcement to
make, namely, that Gods kingdom is the hope
of all mankind. Back in the year 1947 there
were only thirteen publishers. Today there are
261 and these must serve over 80 million in
habitants who speak more than 200 dialects.
So a great work lies ahead of the few publish
ers there. The missionaries were a great help
to the few publishers in the land when they
arrived in 1951, but today circuit work is or
ganized as well as district work. The circuit
and district brothers travel great distances to
serve the congregations and the Society is
pleased to be able to pay these expenses to
bring the proper instruction and comfort to
Jehovahs witnesses in all the islands. The re
sponse has been very good over a period of
years until now they have reached a new peak
of 261 publishers. Jehovahs witnesses every
where rejoice that they are moving ahead so
well and maturing so fast.
Many of the Indonesian brothers were at the
airport to say good-by to Brothers Knorr and
Adams as they prepared to fly away to Singa
pore. In two hours time they flew over many
islands of Indonesia, and, when they came
down at the airport, here again there were
about thirty brothers to give them a hearty
welcome to the pleasant city of Singapore.

Declaring Our Hope Unwaveringly in ^Meetings

PERSON of good will drinks in
the truth that is handed to him
at the door or on revisiting him. As he
grows in knowledge and understanding he
begins to feed himself at the home Bible
study, but still only with milk. Advancing
still more he attends the congregational
meetings, where he feeds on more solid
spiritual food. Then, as he reaches matu
rity, he prepares well for these meetings

so that he can take part in them and help

feed others. Where do you fit in?
Paul counseled: Let us hold fast the
public declaration of our hope without
wavering, for he is faithful that promised.
And let us consider one another to incite
to love and right works, not forsaking the
gathering of ourselves together, as some
have the custom, but encouraging one an
other, and all the more so as you behold

Ju l y

1, 1956

WATCHTOWER.

415

the day drawing near. Heb. 10:23-25, these things, be absorbed in them, that
NW*
your advancement may be manifest to all
Yes, we must do more than just gather persons. How can our advancement be
together; we must make public declara made manifest to all persons in the congre
tion of our hope in the congregation, in gation if we fail to comment as opportu
cite one another to love and right works nity affords? 1 Tim. 4:13-15, NW.
and give encouragement. Jesus declared
Of course, to declare our hope unwaver
Gods name to his brothers and in the ingly at meetings, to build up others, we
midst of the congregation praised him with must prepare our lessons in advance. Only
song. (Heb. 2:12,
NW ) Bythen
eachshall
one of
weushave something helpful to
commenting there is an interchange of say and be able to say it with confidence.
Do not let fear of making a mistake keep
encouragement.
Then too, by commenting we are heed you silent. Better speak up and be corrected
ing the command: Keep testing whether than give expression to wrong thoughts
you are in the faith, keep proving what when preaching from house to house. By
you yourselves are. (2 Cor. 13:5, NW) practice you will become more proficient
We may think we understand a matter, but in commenting. How often have you com
we prove to ourselves that we really do mented at the congregational meetings in
when we explain it to others. Note also the past month? Are you unwaveringly de
Pauls counsel to Timothy: Ponder over claring your hope in these meetings at
every opportunity?
* For details see The Watchtower, January 1, 1956.

present tense of the verb see, namely, sees,

as in the King James Version, does not bring
out accurately the singular meaning of the
verb here in the aorist tense, the catching of a
person, as you say, red-handed, in the act.

Is not the New World Translation of the

Christian Greek Scriptures verbose, for in
stance, in using catches sight o f for sees
at 1 John 5:16 and undeserved kindness for
grace ? J. S., United States.
You do not state whether you have studied
the koin6 Greek of the Bible or not, but, if not,
then, because of your unfamiliarity therewith,
the way the New W orld Translation Committee
renders some Greek verbs and terms and ex
pressions in English m ay seem strained to you
or verbose. But not so according to one ac
quainted with the Greek. The Greek verb ren
dered catches sight o f in the New World
Translation is in a peculiar tense of the Greek
language, the aorist, and refers not to a repeti
tion of acts or to a continuing action but to
just one instance of the act. The use of the

Likewise with the expression undeserved

kindness. It is simply because people do not
understand the meaning of this Scriptural
Greek word in its several uses that the New
W orld Translation Committee made the mean
ing unmistakable by the use of the above ex
pression. In English the word grace has four
teen or more different meanings. Which one
does it mean, as at John 1 :14 ( A V ), full of
grace and truth ? Does it mean there grace
fulness ? Or favor ? Or the grant of tem
porary immunity ? Or w hat? The New World
Translation leaves no doubt as to the meaning
but renders it undeserved kindness, in keep
ing with the context, as, for instance, the suc
ceeding verse 17.
So we appreciate the New World Translation
for its attention to detail and its sincere effort
to bring out the exact shade of meaning of the
original koin Greek rather than bring out a
slipshod translation with an equivocal meaning.

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

August 5: W h a t Dedication Means to Me.
Page 396.
August 12:
W h y One Must Be Baptized.
Page 402.

v-V

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

Where permanent help in understanding
the Bible can be found? P. 388, j[4.

Whether dedication to Jehovah is worth

what it costs? P. 401, 1fl9.

Whether Jesus appealed to tradition or to

the written Scriptures? P. 390, If3.

I*

What baptism really means? P. 405, If 10.

I*

Why baptism is so serious? P. 406, 1fi6.

^
Whether first-century Christians had a
complete Bible? P. 391, If4.

What new method will expand the preach

ing work on the South Pacific islands? P. 410,

Whether John was recommending tradi

tion when he said many things Jesus did were
not included in the Scriptures? P. 392, If4.

15.

What growth Jehovah s witnesses have ex

perienced in Indonesia during the last five
years? P. 412, If2.

l * What prompted one of Jehovah s witness

es to accept the full-time ministry? P. 393, If2.

^ What especially great joy comes after a

number of years in full-time service? P. 395,

^
Why you should never be afraid of mak
ing a mistake in commenting at a congrega
tional meeting? P. 4 i5 , If3.

What false goals the world seeks? P. 397,

Whether the New World Translation

uses more words than are necessary? P. 415,

If6.
^

If6.

15.

416

*:,'*?*\At ;*K:

nn& uneing

7%
Semimonthly

THE DIVINE INTERESTS

INDIVIDUAL HUMAN INTERESTS
COMMUNITY OR CONGREGATIONAL
INTERESTS
THE THREE WORLDS
STOP EVIL, START GOOD
WTB&TS

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G ods W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
well the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. K no r k , President
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah.John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13

P rin tin g

CONTENTS
Stop Evil, Start Good
Concentrating on the W rong Kind
of Poverty
The Three W orlds
Is This Good Advice?
The Showy Display of Ones Means
of L ife
The Divine Interests
Individual Human Interests
Community or Congregational Interests
The Presidents Visit to Singapore
and Thailand
Questions from Readers
Originally No Clergy-Laity Distinction

th is

issu e :

2 ,6 0 0 ,0 0 0

F ive

cents

a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

419
420
421
425
427
428
431
436
442
446
447

Abbreviations ised i s The Watchtower for the following Bible versions

A S - American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
A T An American Translation
M o James Moffatt's version
D a - J. N. Darby s version
N W - New World Translation
D y - Catholic Douay version
R o - J. B. Botherham s version
E D - The Emphatic Dlaglott
R S - Revised Standard Version
L e - Isaac Leeser s version
Y g - Robert Youngs version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hollandish

Ilocano
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Watch Tower Society offices

Monthly
Arabic
Armenian
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
Hiligaynon-Visayan
Ibo

Kanarese
Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho

Siamese
Silozl
Slovak
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

America, U.S.,, 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.

$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd. , Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.O. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U.S.A,

-j/l^zT zoztT zcirigr

JEH O VAH S
KINGDOM
J u ly 15, 1956

N u m b e r 14

The apostle Paul told the Christians at

Rome: Return evil for evil to no one.
^
m
He gave similar counsel to
those at Thessalonica: See
that no one renders injury for
injury to anyone else. This is
easy to preach but hard to practice, but
Paul both preached it and practiced it:
When being reviled, we bless; when be
ing persecuted, we bear up; when being de
famed, we entreat. Rom. 12:17; 1 Thess.
5:15; 1 Cor. 4:12, 13,
Jesus had this high degree of godliness,
and we are told to take him as a model to
follow: When he was being reviled, he
did not go to reviling in return. When he
was suffering, he did not go to threatening,
but kept on committing himself to the one
who judges righteously. In fact, to this
course you were called, because even
Christ suffered for you, leaving you a
model for you to follow his steps closely.
1 Pet. 2:23, 21, NW.
The usual practice among men is to be
decent to those decent to you, to respect
those respecting you, to be angry with
those angry with you, to strike those strik
ing you. To do this is to let others shape
you, determine your conduct, make you
what you are. Actually, they make you
what they are, making you take on their
own sinful image. If you have high stand
ards of conduct, why forsake them for the
low standards of others? Why let the evil
of others be stronger than your own good-

HE way to stop a vicious cycle of evil

is to break through it with good. As
long as evil is met with evil and hate calls
forth hate and violence stirs violence in
return, the whirlpool of wickedness will
spin faster and those in it will be sucked
under. Just as it takes a physically power
ful man to swim against a whirlpool, it
takes a spiritually strong one to go against
a cycle of evil by doing good. It is more
than a measure of manliness; it is a meas
ure of godliness.
Jesus said so: You heard that it was
said: You must love your neighbor and
hate your enemy. However, I say to you:
Continue to love your enemies and to pray
for those persecuting you; that you may
prove yourselves sons of your Father who
is in the heavens, since he makes his sun
rise upon wicked people and good and
makes it rain upon righteous people and
unrighteous. For if you love those loving
you, what reward do you have? are not
also the tax collectors doing the same
thing? And if you greet your brothers
only, what extraordinary thing are you
doing? Are not also the people of the na
tions doing the same thing? You must ac
cordingly be complete, as your heavenly
Father is complete. Matt. 5:43-48,

419

B r o o k l y n , N. Y .
SEeWATCHTOWER
ness? To let this happen is to deny your make money, they buy their food, so why
self, what you stand for, the principles you thank God for it? So they reason. The
hold dear. Copy Jesus, who holds true to farmer can plant seed and water and cul
what he is, unchanged by the weaknesses tivate it, but he cannot make it grow:
of those around him: If we are unfaithful, Neither is he that plants anything nor is
he remains faithful, for he cannot deny he that waters, but God who makes it
grow. Tracing the source of your bless
himself. 2 Tim. 2:13,
If you are strong enough to stop a cycle ings soon ends up at God. This is inescapa
of evil with good, you may start a cycle of bly true, for both good persons and bad.
NW.
good. A soft answer turns away wrath. 1 Cor. 3:7,
But bad persons refuse to acknowledge
This soft answer does not come from your
weakness but springs from your strength, their indebtedness to God. The love God
and the wrathful one senses this truth. sows toward them falls on sterile soil and
Since so many persons return like for like, all that results is indifference or unbelief.
your breakthrough with goodness switches But it is different with grateful persons,
the cycle from evil to good. A liberal man with Christians. The outpouring of Gods
will be enriched, and one who waters will love calls forth a loving response: As for
himself be watered. Cast your bread us, we love, because he first loved us. The
upon the waters, for you will find it after most vital feature of Gods love is his pro
many days. It may take some time for vision of Jesus the Ransom: The love is
your goodness t o bring in a harvest of good in this respect, not that we have loved
from others. You cannot sow seed one day God, but that he loved us and sent forth
and reap wheat the next. Nevertheless, his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our
whatever a man is sowing, this he will sins. Few indeed show proper response to
also reap; so let us not give up in doing this loving provision by actively loving
what is right, for in due season we shall God: This is what the love of God means,
reap by not giving out. Prov. 15:1; that we observe his commandments.
1 John 4:19, 10; 5:3,
11:25; Eccl. 11:1, RS; Gal. 6:7, 9,
Jehovah God sowed love toward man
So break up a cycle of evil by doing
kind, and he reaps love from those not in good. Do not let yourself be conquered by
sensible to his goodness. God created the the evil, but keep conquering the evil with
earth we live on, the air we breathe, the the good. And be responsive to goodness
plants and animals we eat, and the water from others. Especially respond, with lov
we drink. Many take all this for granted, ing obedience, to the love God showers on
never thanking him. They work, they us.Rom. 12:21, NW.

420

@ on ca n tta tin y on
C

ik e

W to n y K in d off

Timemagazine, January 9, 1956, told that many a Bible Belt (southern part
of the United States) church found itself in a strange position during the
Christmas season of 1955; it was running out of poor to whom to give Christmas
baskets of food, clothing and toys. However, judging by the results of polls con
ducted in the United States as to the peoples religious literacy and especially as
to their familiarity with the Bible, can it be that the churches are concentrating
on the wrong kind of poverty? There certainly are many spiritually poor, and
Jesus said that those who were conscious of their spiritual poverty were happy.
W ere the churches to concentrate on ending spiritual poverty they would not
be running out of opportunities for doing good.

ically to refer to Gods

servants on the earth.
The Bible speaks of three worlds.
No longer need anyone be
W hen the B ible
speaks of an earths
confused about..
perishing, then, it does
not refer to the literal
earth. For Gods Word
says of the earthly
LMOST everyone knows of
g lo b e : Th e earth
Jesus words at John 3:16
which he hath estab
when he said: God loved the world
lished for ever. (Ps.
so much that he gave his only78:69, AS) So when
the Bible says that an
begotten Son, in order that everyone
earth was destroyed or
exercising faith in him might not be
is to be destroyed, it
destroyed but have everlasting life.
means the s y m b o l i c
Yet the very same Bible writer, the
earth, that is, the
apostle John, wrote in his epistle
visible human part of
these words: Do not be loving
a world, the human so
either the world or the things in the
ciety under its social
world. If anyone loves the world,
arrangement.
the love of the Father is not in
Likewise the term heavens is often
him. (1 John 2:15, NW) Would God tell
us not to love that which he loves? Contra used symbolically to refer to the invisible
diction in the Bible? No; if there is contra rulers of a world spirit creatures, wheth
diction, it is only in the minds of those who er wicked or righteous.
know nothing of the three worlds.
THE ANCIENT WORLD
Where do we learn about the three
When Adam joined Eve in rebellion
worlds? In the Bible, at 2 Peter chapter
against their God and Creator, a corrupt
three. Here the apostle speaks of (1) the
world began. Under the unseen influence
world of that time or the heavens in an of a powerful spirit creature who became
cient times and an earth that suffered de known as Satan the Devil, wickedness in
struction in Noahs day; (2) the heavens creased on the earth. Telling of the in
and the earth that are now and (3) the creased evil, the Bible record says: The
new heavens and a new earth. 2 Pet. earth came to be ruined in the sight of the
3:5-13,
NW.
God and the earth became filled with vioNW
Striking it is that all three worlds are lence. Gen. 6:11,
Why had violence gripped the earth?
associated with a heavens and an earth.
Does this mean that there have been or One reason was that an undisclosed num
will be other earthly planets? No. In the ber of holy angels in heaven disobeyed
Bible the word earth, as with the word God. How? By leaving their proper heav
heavens, is not always used in its literal enly dwelling place to live on the earth.
sense. At Psalm 96:1 (AS), for example, It came about that when men started to
the Bible says: Sing unto Jehovah, all grow in numbers on the surface of the
the earth. Here earth is used symbol- ground and daughters were born to them,

422

STieWATCHTOWER.

then the sons of God began to notice the

daughters of men, that they were goodlooking, and they went to taking wives for
themselves. (Gen. 6:1-3,
Soon after
the sons of God materialized as men and
married the daughters of men conditions
grew worse.
This was because the offspring bom to
the unholy unions were hybrids, human
freaks, monsters. They were larger than
the average man, and they had incredibly
great vitality because of having angelic
fathers. These freakishly powerful off
spring were called Nephilim. They terror
ized the earth, filling it with violence.
Who made up the heavens of that
ancient world? Since the sons of God or
the fathers of the Nephilim really domi
nated the earth, they with Satan the Devil
formed a heavenly control body, a sym
bolic heavens over mankind. There was
also a symbolic earth of that ancient
world. This was the morally corrupt human
society. Thus there was a heavens in an
cient times and an earth. 2 Pet. 3:5,
That ancient heavens and earth were
wicked. God determined that they had to
go: I am going to wipe men whom I have
created off the surface of the ground.
(Gen. 6:7, NW) God disclosed this fact to
Noah, a man who detested the wicked con
ditions of that world and who loved right
eousness. God instructed Noah to build a
big three-story ark. Noah did as God com
manded. Noah also was active as a preach
er of righteousness. But the people of that
time, except for Noahs wife, three sons
and their wives, were not interested in
righteous conditions. As to Gods purpose
to wipe out men by a flood, the wicked
world did not believe it would happen. The
world scoffed at Noah and ridiculed him
for his ark-building.
But one day in November, 2370 B.C.,
the time came for the end of the ancient

B rooklyn, N . Y.

world. Says the Bible: The floodgates of

the heavens were opened. And the down
pour upon the earth went on for forty days
and forty nights. And the waters became
overwhelming and kept increasing greatly
upon the earth, but the ark kept going on
the surface of the waters. And the waters
overwhelmed the earth so greatly that all
the tall mountains that were under the
whole heavens came to be covered. Thus
he wiped out every existing thing that was
on the surface of the ground, from man to
beast. The scoffers, who scoffed at the
idea that God would destroy a wicked
world, scoffed no more. Gen. 7:11,12,18,
19, 23,
NW.
The end of that ancient world took in
both heavens and earth. The symbolic
earth, the visible human part of that
corrupt ancient world, perished but the
planet earth remained. The symbolic
heavens was likewise destroyed, since
the spirit sons of God were forced to dematerialize and go back to the spirit realm.
Concerning the Bringer of that worlddestroying flood, the Bible says: He did
not hold back from punishing an ancient
world, but kept Noah, a preacher of right
eousness, safe with seven others when he
brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly
people. 2 Pet. 2:5,
THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD

Some time after the flood of Noahs day

the world in which we live began. Noah
gave the earth a clean start. But not long
after the flood wickedness cropped up
again. What happened? Under the influ
ence of the Devil men fell away from the
righteous example set by Noah.
The global flood had not destroyed the
Devil or the disobedient sons of God. Be
cause of their disobedience the spirit sons
of God were not allowed to go back to
Gods holy organization. Left in darkness
by being debarred from Gods enlighten-

Ju l y

15, 1956

f&eWATCHTOWER.

423

ing counsels, the disobedient sons of God eating and drinking, marrying and giving
were now spirits in prison. (1 Pet. 3:19, in marriage, until the day that Noah en
NW) The Devil made himself ruler of the tered into the ark; and they took no note
spirits in prison and became the ruler until the flood came and swept them all
of the demons. The Devil and his demons away, so the presence of the Son of man
thus constitute the heavens of this wick will be. (Matt. 24:38, 39, NW) Engrossed
ed world.
in the pursuits of life, people today do not
Aptly, an apostle of Christ Jesus called want to hear the warning of this present
this world this present evil world. (Gal. worlds end; they, like the people of the
1:4) So this present world does not orig ancient world, scoff at the idea that a
inate with God. It is controlled by the wicked world will be destroyed. So today
Devil, of whom the Scripture says: The most people take no note of the warning
whole world is lying in the power of the of this worlds end now being sounded by
the New World society of Jehovahs wit
wicked one. 1 John 5:19,
Is this present evil world destined to nesses. Some people scoff and laugh at the
continue indefinitely? No, God has set a idea that God will step in and end this
date for its end. According to the sign of world.
It is not unusual that people should ridi
the last days, that end will come during
this generation. The means by which God cule the last days sign of Christs second
will wipe out this present world is a war in presence. It was certain to be this way.
heaven and earth. The Bible calls this in In the last days, said the apostle Peter,
visible and visible war by the symbolic there will come ridiculers with their ridi
cule, proceeding according to their own de
name Armageddon. Rev. 16:16.
Gods Word contains numerous refer sires and saying: Where is this promised
ences to this heaven-fought war that will presence of his? Why, from the day our
end this evil world. For example, it is re forefathers fell asleep in death, all things
ferred to as the war of the great day of are continuing exactly as from creations
2 Pet. 3:3, 4,
God the Almighty, that is, the great and beginning.
But why are the scoffers scoffing?
terrible day of Jehovah, the day of Jeho
vahs anger, the day of vengeance of our Should not the destruction of the ancient
God, the day of wrath and of the re world serve as a warning that God can
vealing of Gods righteous judgment, the do it again? Yes, it should! But men do
day of judgment and of destruction of the not wish to be reminded of the end of this
ungodly men. It means the revelation of world; on purpose they avoid thinking
the Lord Jesus from heaven with his pow about it; they want to believe that all
erful angels in a flaming fire, sudden things will continue exactly as from
destruction, and great tribulation such creations beginning. For selfish reasons
as has not occurred since the worlds be they try to erase all memory of the an
ginning until now, no, nor will occur again. cient world and its watery end.
Rev. 16:14,
;Mai. 4:5; Zeph. 2:2; But
W
N
Isa. it will do them no good to ignore
61:2,
AS; Rom. 2:5; 2 Pet. 3:7; 2 Thess.
the truth, as the apostle explains: Ac
1:7, 8; 1 Thess. 5:3; Matt. 24:21,
cording to their wish, this fact escapes
As it was in Noahs day during that their notice, that there were heavens in
worlds time of the end, so it will be today. ancient times and an earth standing com
The great Prophet Christ Jesus said: As pactly out of water and in the midst of
people were in those days before the flood, water by the word of God, and by those

424

SEeWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

means the world of that time suffered de neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain
struction when it was deluged with water. be any more. The former things have
But by the same word the heavens and the passed away. Rev. 21:4, NW.
Never, never throughout all eternity will
earth that are now are stored up for fire
and are being reserved to the day of judg the new world end or its blessings cease
ment and of destruction of the ungodly flowing to all the perfect men and women
living
the
men. (2 Pet. 3:5-7,
NYes,
Godon
will
doearth. This Jehovah guaran
it again! He has promised it in his Word. tees: For as the new heavens and the
new earth, which I will make, shall re
NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH
main before me, saith Jehovah, so shall
The destruction of this worlds symbolic your seed and your name remain. And it
heavens and earth will not leave a void. shall come to pass, that from one new
No, but it will make way for a whole new moon to another, and from one sabbath to
world: But there are new heavens and a another, shall all flesh come to worship be
new earth that we are awaiting according fore me, saith Jehovah. And they shall go
to his promise, and in these righteousness forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the
men that have transgressed against me.
is to dwell. 2 Pet. 3:13,
The new world will never be corrupted; Isa. 66:22-24,
AS.
After Armageddon the survivors will go
it will ever remain a righteous world. The
Devil and the demons, who make up the forth and look upon the dead bodies of
heavens of this world, will never become those Jehovah has slain. Over two billion
the heavens of the new world. At Arma dead! The carcasses of those who refused
geddon the Devil and his demons will be to love the new world that God loved so
abyssed for a thousand years; then, at the much that he gave his only begotten Son!
end of the thousand-year reign of Christ, The carcasses of those who loved this pres
they will be hurled into the lake of fire, a ent evil world, which we are commanded
symbol of everlasting destruction.
not to love. Their dead bodies will be un
The new heavens, made up of Christ Je buried, food for worms, birds and beasts.
sus and 144,000 faithful Christians ran They will be objects of abhorrence to all
somed from among men, will never turn righteous surviving flesh. Then throughout
corrupt. And the new earth will remain for endless time, throughout sill seasons of the
ever righteous. You can be an inhabitant year, from month to month, from week
of that righteous new earth and enjoy its to week, all human flesh will come to wor
everlasting blessings. Of the new earth ship Jehovah and to give glory to the God
Gods Word says: Death will be no more, of the righteous new world.

Hungary-. Education in Church

C.From Budapest, American newspaper publisher Eugene Pulliam sent his papers
a report on religion in Hungary: In keeping with the new Soviet line of 'sweetness
and lig h t/ the Communist high command in Hungary revised its policy of perse
cution of priests and pastors. A program of so-called co-operation between state
and church was inaugurated. Instead of being scolded and threatened for believing
in God and attending church, people are now urged to go to Mass and to church.
. . . Never has Hungary witnessed such a revival of church attendance. . . . Of
course, there always is a catch: a requirement that priests and pastors should
read each Sunday a short 'sermon' extolling the Communist philosophy." Time,
October 17, 1955.

< s

THIS

w I T wrong to refuse
to argue with Je
hovahs witnesses? That is
the question answered in
the Catholic magazine Mes
senger of the Sacred Heart, February,
1956. The questioner explained: Once all
the members of my family were Catholics,
but now some of them have become Jeho
vahs witnesses, and they are causing all
of us great trouble with their persistent
arguments on points that we dont know
enough about to discuss intelligently.
The magazine advised the Catholic to
refuse to discuss these Bible questions with
Jehovahs witnesses, and added: It is a
mistake for a Catholic to search in book
after book for precise answers to every
question they can think of. Further con
cerning the witness it advised: If merely
listening to his questions is deeply disturb
ing, and if he persists in forcing his ques
tions on his victim, then it would be jus
tifiable to refuse to see such a person.
But in case you do talk with one of Jeho
vahs witnesses, here is the advice offered:
Listen to the question with an assumed
air of empty-headed politeness. Do not seem
to be offended, but only uninterested. Or
you might say: I dont see how that argu
ment, by itself, proves the point you are
driving at. Have you any other proofs to
425

offer on the same

point? He may
have more to say;
or he may begin
to have a feeling
o f inadequacy
a n d frustration.
If he has more to
say, you can re
ply, I still dont
see how t ha t. . .
and so on. You
will be right in
what you say, and
you will be mak
ing him carry the
whole burden un
til he is exhaust
ed. Then you can offer him a cup of tea and
a piece of cake.
Is this good advice? Is it Christian ad
vice? Will the Bible confirm it or condemn
it?
No surprise is caused by a religious split
in a family. Jesus said this would happen:
For I came to cause division, with a man
against his father, and a daughter against
her mother, and a young wife against her
mother-in-law. Indeed, a mans enemies
will be persons of his own household. He
that has greater affection for father or
mother than for me is not worthy of me;
and he that has greater affection for son or
daughter than for me is not worthy of me.
Matt. 10:35-37, NW.
But when this split occurs because of
conflict between Jesus true teachings and
false religion, who would you think could
discuss the matter intelligently and who
would you think could not do so because
of lack of knowledge? Is it not reasonable
to expect Jesus true followers to be able
to answer, and those in false religion to
confess inadequate knowledge? And would
true Christians be advised not to search
for precise answers to the questions raised?

426

f&eWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N. Y.

WHAT THE BIBLE ADVISES

did not glorify him as God nor did they
To the contrary, the apostle Peter him thank him, but they became empty-headed
self advised Christians to be always ready in their reasonings and their unintelligent
to make a defense before everyone that de heart became darkened. Although assert
mands of you a reason for the hope in ing they were wise, they became foolish
you. The Bible advises a very diligent and turned the glory of the incorruptible
search be made to acquire knowledge: If God into something like the image of cor
thou cry after discernment, and lift up thy ruptible man and of birds and four-footed
voice for understanding; if thou seek her creatures and creeping things. Rom.
as silver, and search for her as for hid 1:21-23, NW.
treasures: then shalt thou understand the
Well, surely there can be no objection to
fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge the advice to offer the witness a cup of
of God. Then shalt thou understand right tea and a piece of cake, can there? Ordi
eousness and justice, and equity, yea, narily that would be a commendable thing,
every good path. Discretion shall watch a response to a generous impulse from the
over thee; understanding shall keep thee: heart. But is that the spirit behind this
to deliver thee from the way of evil, from advice? Is it not a planned and premedi
the men that speak perverse things. tated rebuke, a pose of saintliness toward
1 Pet. 3:15,
N W ; Prov. 2:3-5,
11, 12, a part of the assumed air of
an 9,
opposer,
AS.
empty politeness? There is a Bible objec
The mind of the righteous ponders how tion to such sham hospitality: Eat thou
to answer, says the Bible. And if this not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,
pondering mind has searched out the an neither desire thou his dainties: for as he
swers and has the knowledge of God it will thinketh within himself, so is he: eat and
not be confounded by men who speak per drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not
verse things. Listening to questions will with thee. The morsel which thou hast
not be so deeply disturbing to it that eaten shalt thou vomit up. Prov. 23:6-8,
its possessor will have to refuse to talk to AS.
the questioner. Jesus is the model for
APPEAL TO FAIRNESS
Christians, and he did not fear to discuss
When
met
by empty-headed politeness
religion nor was he deeply disturbed by
such discussions. He had the truth; his and a parroted request for more proof, the
opponents did not. So they were the ones witness of Jehovah could give additional
deeply disturbed and refusing to talk fur proof, read from the Catholics own Bible,
ther: And nobody was able to say a word and a spark of interest might be kindled.
in reply to him, nor did anyone dare from But if no such spark is struck the experi
that day on to question him any further. enced witness will soon sense the insin
Prov. 15:28, RS; Matt. 22:46, NW.
cerity in the requests for more proof and
Does the Bible advise an assumed air will do well to meet the problem with a
of empty-headed politeness when reason frank appeal. The witness of Jehovah might
ing with others? It does not advise assum say:
ing airs of any kind, for that is hypocrit
Yes, I do have more proof, but I have
ical. And it specifically condemned the a feeling you dont really want it. You lis
empty-headed reasonings of some who ten, but your mind seems closed. Many
claimed to know God but who used images times persons have closed their minds to
in worship: Although they knew God, they us, and usually it is because of what a

Ju l y

15, 1956

SKeWATCHTOWER

friend or relative or clergyman has said

about us. Sometimes they will tell what
has been said, sometimes they just shut up.
I dont know whether that is the case here
or not, but if it is, just let me say this. Be
fair and let me hear the charges. The Bi
ble says you should. Gods law said that if
one man was accused by another they
should be brought face to face and both
sides heard by judges. It is at Deuteron
omy 19:17, 18 ( N W ) : The two men who
have the dispute must stand before Jeho
vah, before the priests and the judges who
will be acting in those days. And the judges
must search thoroughly. You must decide
in this case, but before you do, search
thoroughly. Hear my side. The Bible says
its a shame if you dont: If one gives an
swer before he hears, it is his folly and
shame. Prov. 18:13,
Its only fair. But more than that, its
only Christian to do so. If I am wrong and
you are right, as a Christian you should
show me my error. The Bible says at Prov
erbs 3:27 (RS): Do not withhold good
from those to whom it is due, when it is
in your power to do it. If you have the
truth, please dont withhold it from me. If
God has comforted you with the truth, it
is so you can comfort others with it: The
God of all comfort, who comforts us in all

427

our tribulation, that we may be able to

comfort those in any kind of tribulation
through the comfort with which we our
selves are being comforted by God. (2 Cor.
1:3, 4,
NW) If you have Gods truth and
I dont, comfort me with it. Isaiah 1:18
(AS) says: Come now, and let us reason
together, saith Jehovah: though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow. If my sins are as scarlet, reason with
me and show me my errors so I can clean
up and become like snow in Gods sight.
The Bible says to do unto others as you
would have others do unto you. If you
didnt have the truth and others did, youd
want them to tell it to you. If you do have
it and I dont, please tell me. Do unto me
as you would be done by. I think I have the
truth; I came here to tell it to you. If I
dont have it, I want it. Peter changed his
religion to become a Christian. Ill change
mine to become one, if need be. Now Ive
been frank with you. Will you please, in a
spirit of fairness and Christian love, be
frank with me and tell me your objections
so I can either answer thenxor be helped?
It is believed that such a Scriptural ap
peal will reach the heart of sheeplike per
sons and will dissolve any ill-advised, hypo
critically assumed airs of empty-headed
politeness.

' <EJta Sfiou/ij d is p la y o| Ones ^Ueans o{ Sftje'

To keep up with ones neighbor in the material things of life is a popular prac
tice. Observing this, Benjamin Franklin once said: "O f what use is this pride of
appearance for which so much is risked, so much is suffered? It cannot promote
health, or ease pain; it makes no increase of merit in the person, it creates envy,
it hastens misfortune. True it is. Misfortune and disaster will devour those who
plunge into the snare of trying to keep up with their neighbors, just as surely as
this demon-controlled world will pass out of existence at Arm ageddon: "E v e ry
thing in the world the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy
display of ones means of life does not originate with the Father, but originates
with the world. Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but
he that does the will of God remains forever. 1 John 2:16, 17, New World Trans.

for the general safety gradually more

and more rules on how to drive and
the control of motor traffic had to be
made by the government. And so it
has been with almost all inventions
of mankind; new interests have been
_,V/v^Vv^J
created among men with the result
that many people have desired to con
cern themselves with such new inter
ests. In consequence laws or rules of
action have become necessary to maintain
tending to _
30, Mo.
order among all having such interests.
waZ [Jehovah J.n3What, then, is an interest? An inter
EHOVAH God made man to be curi est is a concern, an advantage.*1 It is a use
ous to search out new things. From of power in a certain direction for a satis
the beginning the whole story of curi faction. It is a field of effort to do some
ous mankind has been one of contin thing. Also it is the carrying out of a given
ually developing newer interests as purpose. Likewise it is the exertion of the
a result of his searchings into Jehovahs
will to participate in a thing. Both singly
rich treasure house of the earth. Such fas and collectively, all intelligent creatures,
cinating new interests required laws to be also the Creator himself, are parties with
maintained for orderly civilization to ex wide ranges of ever-increasing interests.
pand. Thus for Jehovahs witnesses, who The going from one performance of inter
are seeking greater knowledge of theocrat est to another execution of interest is the
ic government and divine legal principles, very zest of existence. The carrying out of
the subject of interest is a basic one and interests in a set pattern is an enjoying
needs considerable fundamental attention. of life itself.
Furthermore, if man has come to acquire
4 It must be observed at this point that
interests the question arises, Does God not all fields of interest become the subject
have any interests, and if so what are they? of governmental supervision. But when a
Then of what concern are such possible di government takes notice of a new interest
vine interests to us as Christians?
that it feels requires supervision for the
2
The subject of interest is closely assocommon good, it proceeds to describe and
ciated with the subject of law. Indeed be define the interest and then arranges for
fore laws are made governing human con the control of it by a government agency.b
duct, interests in certain fields of action By so doing the government makes a new
must exist, become apparent or be antici law or a series of laws that set out rules
pated. For example, no laws were required creating rights and duties with respect to
in connection with the operation of motor that new field of interest. A right is de
cars before motorcars were invented. As fined as a legal advantage. For every new
long as there were two or three motorcars right brought into existence there must be
in existence no laws would be necessary. an equal and opposite duty. For example,
But as soon as many people began to mani
a B o u v i e r s L a w D ic t i o n a r y , p. 576.
fest interest in operating automobiles, then
b H a n d b o o k o f E le m e n t a r y L a w , by W. D. Smith, p. 97.

THE
D IV IN E
EKESTS

1. What subject is to receive attention, and how do

such matters arise?
2. Before laws are made what must come to view, and
why? Give examples.
428

3. What are interests? Who have them, and how are

they related to living?
4. How are legal rights and duties created? Give ex
amples.

Ju

ly

15, 1956

429

SEeWATCHTOWER,

motorcar drivers have the right to operate

their cars under license on an unobstructed
highway within the lawful speed limit. All
others have the duty to grant the driver
the clearance of way to drive his car along
the highway at the legal speed. No one
should get in his way to hinder his move
ment, otherwise he would be denying him
his right of way to drive along safely.
USE OF INTERESTS

5 Interests may be used in a bad way or

may be used in a good way. If they are
used in a harmful, bad way they produce
evil, sorrow and, truly, unhappiness. But
if they are used in a wholesome, good way
they produce joy, contentment and, above
all, happiness. Where the interest is used
in a course of badness the results will build
up a record of fault. Such a record of fault
will then bring punishment. On the con
trary, if the interest is used in a course of
goodness the results will build up a record
of merit. Such a record of merit will then
bring reward.
6 For example, Adam was selfishly inter
ested in retaining Eve as his wife. In pur
suing this interest it was necessary for
him, undeceived, to join Eve in the bad
way of rebellion against his sovereign God.
5. How may interests be used, and what is the out
come?
6. Contrast the way Adam pursued an interest and its
outcome with that of Jesus course.

This course of badness built for Adam a

record of fault (or sin). In turn this record
of fault brought him the punishment of
death. In contrast, note the interest of
Jesus to become mans redeemer. Jesus
carried out this interest in a good way,
keeping Gods every law and will even to
the point of giving his life on the torture
stake. (Phil. 2:8) This course of goodness
resulted in a record of merit. This merit
then brought him the reward of a resurrec
tion to endless life. Adams one trespass
produced a fault, which has passed con
demnation upon all men as sinners, where
as the one act of Jesus produced a merit
through his lifeblood that makes possible
a declaring of [men] righteous for life.
Rom. 5:18, NW.
JEHOVAHS INTERESTS

7 Of all persons in the universe the great

God Jehovah himself has the widest range
of vital interests. The pursuing of his mul
titudinous interests brings him immense
delight. These divine interests are made
clear in the expressions of his divine will
and are evident in the purposes he sets
out. Jehovah is a dynamic God, a God of
action who does things and accomplishes
amazing achievements. His every expres
sion of will is perfect and his every pur
pose is flawless. Remember the former
things of old: for I am God, and there is
none else; I am God, and there is none like
me; declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times things that are not
yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure; . . . yea, I
have spoken, I will also bring it to pass;
I have purposed, I will also do it. Isa.
46:9-11,
AS.
8All Gods interests are executed in a
good way, never carried out in a course of
7. How is it that Jehovah has interests? What scripture
proves this?
8. How are the divine interests always carried out?
Why so?

430

B rooklyn, N . Y.
SflkWATCHTOWER
badness. Upon the completion of his gi condemnation, and to take their stand now
gantic interests of creation the record on Gods side of the issue of universal
reads: After that God saw everything he sovereignty. (Matt. 24:14; Rev. 18:4) Fi
had made and, look! it was very good. nally, in this generation it is Gods great
to prove his sovereign rulership by
(Gen. 1:31,
NW) Of his absolute will
goodness
Jesus testified: Nobody is good, except vindicating his name at Armageddon in de
one, God. (Mark 10:18,
For this stroying every vestige of Satans organiza
reason Gods goodness always brings him a tion visible and invisible. Rev. 16:16.
record of merit that in turn yields the re
10 Since Jehovah God is the Sovereign
ward of happiness and exhilarating re Ruler he legally recognizes all his own in
freshment. It is because of this that he is terests. As we have noted earlier, when
called the happy God. ITim . 1:11,2VW. interests are recognized by a government
9
It might be asked, What are some ofrights are created. This means, then, that
Gods interests today affecting the earth the highest legal rights in the universe,
and mankind in general? One of his major inherent rights, belong to God in his carry
interests or purposes is to have this richly ing out of his sovereign pleasure or con
endowed earth robed in paradisaic beauty cerns, interests. Thus divine interests have
and populated with righteous inhabitants a priority. Matt. 6:33.
who are in harmony with the Living God
11 How should these divine interests con
by becoming his loving subjects. For thus cern us? Very vitally! Jesus set the pattern
saith Jehovah that created the heavens, when he dedicated his life to the doing of
the God that formed the earth and made Jehovahs will and by continuing in har
it, that established it and created it not a mony with Gods every divine interest. Of
waste, that formed it to be inhabited. Jesus it is written: Look! I am come . . .
(Isa. 45:18, AS) Another interest is his to do your will, O God. (Heb. 10:7,
announced program to rid this earth of We too must be in full accord with the
wickedness through his chosen Seed, his divine will and always be in line with His
King Christ Jesus. (Gen. 3:15) It is also divine interests. This we do by each one of
his will by means of a Kingdom-Seed or us dedicating his life to the doing of Jeho
ganization, Christ Jesus the King and vahs will and then symbolizing this by
144,000 chosen ones as his bride, to permit water baptism. We cannot be passive as to
all good-will peoples of the nations to the divine interests. We cannot sit on the
bless themselves. (Gen. 22:18, NW) fence and be indecisive about these uni
Again, according to his majestic will he versal interests. We must become active by
has taken keen interest in establishing a being conscious of these divine interests and
New World system, including a new heav of our relation to them. (1 Chron. 26:30,
ens planted in 1914 and a new earth found Mo) Indeed our present and future salva
ed in 1919, reflected on earth now in a tion lies in being identified with Gods
New World society. (Isa. 51:16) Today every interest in connection with this
that society of Jehovahs witnesses is earth. Gods goodness ever being mani
vigorously preaching the message of the fested in his divine interests, happiness
established Kingdom to aid all righteously supreme will be our lot by maintaining the
inclined ones to forsake Satans old-world divine interests in favorable balance with
system, which is doomed under community our other interests.
9. What are some of the divine interests today affect
ing earths inhabitants?

10, 11. (a) Why do the divine interests have priority?

(b) How should these divine interests concern us?

Individual Human Interests

Keeping
aneye, not in personal interest upon just your own
matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others.
Phil. 2: It,
'NTERESTS of feeding, mat- common ancestor, Adam. Such
.ing, building of nests and interests set there by God in a
raising offspring have been fundamental form carry with
granted by God to the lower cre them divine legal recognition as
ation of land creatures, flying rights delegated by God. Rights
creatures and sea creatures. By delegated to man are less than
instinct they fulfill these interests over a Gods own inherent rights, which fact,
limited but satisfying life span. They feed therefore, gives pre-eminence to the divine
on the provisions God has given them the interests and their execution.
right to partake of. Observe intently the
3 For this reason some law authorities
birds of heaven, because they do not sow refer to these natural rights in man as the
seed or reap or gather into storehouses; law of nature. As man depends absolutely
still your heavenly Father feeds them. upon his Maker for every thing, it is neces
(Matt. 6:26, NW) But, unlike these of the sary that he should, in all points, conform
lower creation, which are guided by invol to his Makers will. This will of his Maker
untary laws of instinct, man has been cre is called the law of nature. For as God
ated with a high degree of intelligence. He when he created man, and endowed him
has been entrusted with the amazing gift with freewill to conduct himself in all parts
of a free will. Using these faculties, man of life, he laid down certain immutable
was originally made to undertake, develop laws of human nature, whereby that free
and appreciate a wide range of interests or will is in some degree regulated and re
concerns in an unending life span of happi strained, and gave him also the faculty of
ness to the praise of his Creator.
reason to discover the purport of those
2
The seeds of certain basic interestslaws. a
have been implanted in every man and
4 Another law authority defines the law
woman by reason of their human nature as
of nature as: That law which God, the
designed by their Creator. According to
sovereign of the universe, has prescribed
mans free will these seeds can be devel
to all men, not by any formal promulga
oped wisely or unwisely. No matter where
tion, but by the internal dictate of reason
man is located on this globe, the same
alone. . . . The primitive laws of nature
basic interests are found in natural man
may be reduced to six, namely: (1) combecause all have descended from the same
1. How does man differ from the lower creation as to
undertaking interests?
2. Why do mans basic interests not vary from one
part of the earth to the other?
431

a C o m m e n ta r ie s o n t h e
Blackstone, Vol. I, p. 26.

Laws

of

E n g la n d ,

by Wm.

3, 4. What do law authorities describe as the law of

nature ?

432
parative sagacity, or reason; (2)
self-love; (3) the attraction of the
sexes to each other; (4) the tender
ness of parents towards their chil
dren; (5) the religious sentiment;
(6)sociability. b
6
What human interests are dis
closed to view by the first of the
above laws of nature? Unlike the
animals, man is a highly sagacious
or intelligent creature. He can
reason things out. He is able to dis
tinguish moral good from moral
bad. He also may be held account
able for his actions and how he
uses his interests. Man is affected
by happiness and unhappiness.
Hence natural man has inborn in
terests to be informed, to gain
knowledge, to dig out the facts, to
reason upon the evidence and to
make decisions. When unperverted,
man has a natural tendency to use
these interests in a good way, thus
building up a record of merit that brings
him rewards of happiness.
6 Jehovah God started man with a whole
some natural interest in knowing the truth.
This natural urge has been deflected to
some extent, whereby the cleverness of
man has been turned in the way of bad
ness. Such badness produces a record of
fault that brings unhappiness. However
dull these interests have become under
Satans long misrule, there still remain to
day natural interests of considerable de
gree together with their attendant natural
rights.
7 For this reason Jehovahs witnesses
try continually to stimulate these natural
interests. First, with respect to them
selves they try to keep theocratically inb Bouviers Law Dictionary, 1934, p. 671.
5. Man by nature being made sagacious and reasoning,
what individual interests result?
6, 7. What do Jehovahs witnesses do about mans nat
ural interests to know the truth?

B rooklyn, N .

Y.

formed and built up intellectually

in the truth of Gods Word. Second
ly, as friendly neighbors they try
to visit personally as many men
and women as possible to lay be
fore them intelligently for their
fair consideration the truth con
cerning Jehovahs revealed pur
poses in this time of the end. Jeho
vahs witnesses follow the pattern
set by Jesus and his apostles, who
made house-to-house calls in har
mony with this natural field of
human interests.
8
The second law in nature
volves the matter of self-love. The
Bible confirms the existence of this
basic principle in human nature
put there by God. It is written:
You must love your fellow as
yourself. I am Jehovah. (Lev.
19:18,
NW) These strong righ
self-love impel each one of man
kind toward his own preservation,
to defend his life and body from injuries, to
avoid what may be hurtful and to pro
vide all things needful to continue his ex
istence. These self-interests cover a wide
field and spark many other fields of hu
man interests.
9
Wholesome self-love or self-interest de
veloped to a moderate degree is a good
and proper thing and leads to a course of
merit that produces rewards of happiness.
But where the degree of self-love or selfinterests develops to the exclusion of ones
neighbor or fellow man, then a course of
badness has been embarked upon. In such
cases self-love turns into extreme selfish
ness. This leads to troubles or faults for
which one has to be responsible. He must
pay in the form of adversity, a punishment
that brings unhappiness. 2 Tim. 3:2-5,
NW.
8. What individual interests arise from self-love ?
9, 10. Are self-interests wrong? To what extent may
they be developed?

Ju l y

15, 1956

433

3TieWATCHTOWER

10 There is nothing wrong for a human

to be interested in his own physical and
spiritual welfare. False religious doctrines
such as self-naughting or character de
velopment to the extent where one be
comes self-effacing by deadening all desire
as taught by Buddhism and some false
Christian sects are things advocating
error. Such are teachings contrary to
human nature, doctrines that stand in con
flict with this basic trait of self-love that
God originally and rightly planted within
perfect man. It is the wise balance of love
for God and love for self that prompts one
to seek righteousness, that impels one to
serve Jehovah with all ones heart so that
he may ultimately receive Jehovahs smile
of approval for everlasting life. Keep
working out your own salvation with fear
and trembling. Phil. 2:12,
11 Another basic principle in human na
ture is the attraction of the sexes to each
other. God created man that way,
male and female. They exist as
counterparts to each other. (Gen.
1:27; 2:20-22, NW) This has been
provided to carry out Gods di
vine interest to populate the earth.
(Gen. 1:28; Isa. 45:18) The at
traction of the sexes gives rise to
a wide variety of individual hu
man interests. Some of such basic
interests and their attendant dele
gated rights are to marry, to have
a family of children, to have a
home, and to earn a livelihood.
This also means that husband and
wife have a mutual and exclusive
right over each other. (1 Cor.
7:2-5, NW) Where these individ
ual human interests are pursued
in a way of goodness a record of
merit is established and a reward
of genuine happiness is achieved.
11. What individual interests arise from the
natural principle of the attraction of the
sexes to each other?

If a contrary course is followed, unhappi

ness is the end thereof. No outsiders may
invade the field of mans private interests
in connection with his proper marriage.
However, according to Jesus counsel man
must confine his sex interests to the one
mate.Matt. 19:4-9.
12
The tenderness of parents toward their
children is likewise a basic principle in hu
man nature. Children from their birth are
wholly unable to provide for the least of
their necessities. But the paternal and ma
ternal love of the parents supplies for this
weakness. This parental interest and care
of the young is one of the most powerful
laws in nature. This field of interest re
quires the parents to supply protection,
food, clothing, education and discipline and
to use coercive means for the childs good
when the situation so requires.0 Particu
larly mothers, in discharging this field
of interest wisely in the way of goodness,
are heavily occupied and find it
almost a full-time undertaking.
But it yields its blessings and joys
too. Prov. 17:6.
RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT
AND SOCIABILITY

13
The desire to venerate, praise,
look up to or seek counsel for
problems from a true or fancied
higher power sparks another set
of natural interests put in man by
his Creator. The religious senti
ment which leads us naturally
towards the Supreme Being is one
of the attributes which belong to
humanity alone; and its impor
tance gives it the rank of the
moral law of nature. 0 Hence it
is this very principle in mans
c Bouviers. Law Dictionaryt 1934, p. 671.
12. What interests arise from the principle of
tenderness of parents toward their children?
13. What is the religious sentiment," and
how has Satan sought to exploit this?

434

SEeWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

nature that Satan sought to exploit from that the rights of all shall be respected. 3
the beginning in causing Adam and Eve No normal human creature desires to live
to embrace false religion and thus rebel a life of a hermit, alone by himself in a
against their God. Ever since then Satan secluded spot. Rather, the warm friendship
has produced religions of many different and the active association of our likevarieties to capture these religious inter minded fellow men are keenly desired.
ests and fancies of most men. In this way Where developed in a wholesome way, such
he has kept their minds and devotion away social interests bring joy and contentment.
Only criminals and those not mentally re
from the true God. 1 Cor. 8:5, 6,
But in all ages there have been the sponsible are put away from social contact.
18
In harmony with these natural inter
minority of men who have used this basic
religious sentiment to lead them toward ests of sociability Jehovahs witnesses to
the true God and to maintain their active day are being gathered together into everfaithful worship of him. Today Jehovahs wider circles of congregations taking a per
witnesses are of that unperverted minority sonal interest in their brothers as they
who visit the people in their homes not form a remarkable New World society
only to give them accurate knowledge from today in 160 different lands. Keeping an
the Bible but also to make a direct appeal eye, not in personal interest upon just your
to the peoples natural desire to venerate own matters, but also in personal interest
a higher power by urging them to accept upon those of the others. (Phil. 2:4, AW )
the true religion and thus come into active All righteously disposed sheeplike persons
worship of Jehovah, their true God and are being aided to see that it is to their
Creator. (John 4:23, 24, NW) No matter best individual interests of present safety
where man lives on this earth he has a and future life to flee now to Jehovah
fundamental right from his Creator grant Gods New World society, the one true
ing him religious freedom to serve the true fold of sheep under Christ Jesus shepherdGod Jehovah and gain happiness and life, ship. John 10:14-16,
17
In addition to these basic individual
or serve any false religious delusions of his
choosing that lead their devotees to un human interests revealed by the law in na
happiness and death. Like Joshua of old ture, numerous others exist, such as sports,
Jehovahs witnesses say to the people to recreation, the cinema and theater, pho
day: Choose for yourselves today whom tography, motoring, travel, music, nature
you will serve, whether the pagan gods of study, watching the TV, games, the many
your forefathers or Jehovah. But as for sciences, the numerous other arts and a
ourselves, we shall serve Jehovah.Josh. host of additional ones as knowledge and
24:15,
NW.
inventions of man uncover new fields of
15
The last of the six natural principlesinterests. But time is too short for any one
in man that affect his individual human person to share individually in all these
interests is that of sociability. The need interests now. There are not enough hours
which man feels to live in society is one in a day to do everything. So the individ
of the primitive laws of nature whence ual must be selective in choosing his in
flow our duties and rights; and the exist terests aside from those nature imposes
ence of society depends upon the condition upon him as heretofore examined.
14. How have a minority of men used this basic re
ligious sentiment ?
15, 16. (a) What interests come from mans natural de
sire of sociability ? (b) How do these interests affect
Jehovahs witnesses?

d Bouviers Law Dictionary, 1934, p. 671.

17, 18. (a) What other individual interests exist? (b)
What should be done with them and why? (c) How
should we look upon anothers interests?

Ju l y

15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWEFL

18 The dedicated Christian must sacrifice

many worldly interests, so called, in order
to balance his individual interests with the
divine interests and his newly acquired
community (congregational) interests dis
cussed in the next article. The Christian
can wisely retain only those individual in
terests that keep building him merit with
Jehovah God that he may reach the happy
goal of everlasting life in the new world.
Each Christian minds his own business as
to his individual interests and lives quietly
with his fellow Christians by not criticiz
ing others as to their individual affairs.
They follow the apostle Pauls advice as to
private matters: Make it your aim to live
quietly and to mind your own business.
1 Thess. 4:11,
NW.
19 We have come to the point of time
where Satans old-world society lies wholly
condemned to destruction. No amount of
merit built up by single righteous persons
or by a group of religious reformers can
save it. The present situation is exactly like
the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jehovah
said to Abraham that if He could find fifty
righteous inhabitants of Sodom the merit
of such would be of value sufficient in Gods
sight for the cities of the plain with their
wicked to be spared from divine destruc
tion. Abraham, having doubts that such a
large number as fifty righteous persons
could be found with a meritorious record,
finally pleaded with Jehovah to settle
eventually for just ten righteous persons.
But even ten persons of merit could not be
found. Gen. 18:22-33.
20 So angels were sent to warn right
eous Lot, his wife and their two daughters,
19. Can any amount of merit be built to save this old
world? What Bible example illustrates this?
20. How is the sort of individual action now important
illustrated? Why take such action?

435

four persons in all, to flee together as a

family for safety. These four were put on
individual notice and it was to their in
dividual interest to take action. They did
take action, but Lots wife turned back
and lost her life because of weakening in
faith. Thus only three under individual
merit received the reward of being saved
from fiery destruction. (Gen. 19:15-26)
Today God puts on notice all righteously
inclined individuals to exercise individual
interest so as to obtain accurate Bible
knowledge showing them how to flee from
the Babylonish old-world society now
doomed to extinction. Get out of her, my
people, if you do not want to share with
her in her sins, and if you do not want to
receive part of her plagues. Rev. 18:4,
NW.
21
Each of us individually now can make
the right decisions that will build for us a
record of merit with Jehovah God as right
eous ones. If we make wrong decisions that
bring us disability, fault or sin, our stand
ing will become that of a wicked one be
fore God. Note the individual responsibil
ity or accountability described in the
Scriptures: The soul that sinneth, it shall
die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of
the father, neither shall the father bear the
iniquity of the son; the righteousness
[merit] of the righteous shall be upon
him, and the wickedness [fault] of the
wicked shall be upon him. But if the wick
ed turn from all his sins that he hath com
mitted, and keep all my statutes, and do
that which is lawful and right, he shall
surely live, he shall not die. Ezek. 18:
20, 21,
AS.See also Deuteronomy 24:16;
Jeremiah 31:29, 30.
21. How do the Scriptures describe individual account
ability today?

Prove yourself faithful even with the danger of death, and I will give you
the crown of life. Rev. 2:10, NW .

community interests. Carrying

this to the extreme would be
come communism, where the
community interests outweigh
the individual interests almost
to the latters exclusion.
2The taking on of greater
community interest proved to
be the experience of the Israel
ites when their
countrified na
tional communi
ty during the pe
riod of the judg
es was changed
to that of a na
tional communi
For the body, indeed, is not one member, but is many:
ty
organized un
1Cor. 12:1k, NW.
der a human
OCIABILITY being one of the basic king. Before the organization of the king
principles in human nature, man has dom under Saul and then David, when their
always desired to live in social groups. theocratic community responsibilities were
Such has enabled him to enjoy fellowship not very large in number, the Israelites had
and to share in joint enterprises where much time to develop what was right in
combined interests are undertaken for the their own eyes as to their individual inter
common advancement. This has meant ests of personal pursuits. In those days
that each individual mem has had to give there was no king in Israel. What was
up some of his time spent for individual right in his own eyes was what each one
interests to undertake joint or collective was accustomed to do. (Judg. 21:25,
interests for the larger group with which The prophet Samuel foretold what in
he associates. In sacrificing some of his creased interests or burdens of taxation
own freedom of action in exchange for and services to the king personally would
community responsibilities, the individual be involved in such a kingdom government
receives collective benefits that lead to under an imperfect human king. (See
greater happiness than if he operated by 1 Samuel 8:10-18.) But in spite of Sam
himself. The Bible supports this principle uels objection the Israelites pleaded for a
of working together for the greater good. kingdom government. And it came to be
Two are better than one, because they that increased organization under imper
have a good reward for their labor. . . . fect kingship was their lot for a period of
and a threefold cord is not quickly bro 510 years.
ken. (Eccl. 4:9, 12,
The greater
3 What is here demonstrated and proved
mans association becomes with a com by Israels long experience with kings is
munity the more he surrenders of his in that ruler interests, good or bad, become
dividual interests and the greater are his

OMMUNITY

ONGREGATIONAL

INTERESTS

1. Why are persons desirous of living and working to

gether in communities? Is this communism?
436

2. What was Israels experience in becoming a kingdom?

3. Explain Proverbs 29:2 as to ruler interests and
community interests.

Ju l y

15, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER

437

part of the communitys interests, bring the ruler of the smallest community, the
ing accountability to the community for family unit, and from him rising up the
good or bad. When local or national rulers scale to larger communities the rulers of
use their ruling interests for the good of these respective levels are the ones who
the people, community merit is built up considerably affect the communitys good
and the community prospers in reward. ness or badness. Where a member of a
But when the rulers use their powers for family commits a terrible crime, such a
selfishness and badness, then community one brings disgrace upon the entire family
fault is quickly produced, resulting in and indeed upon the whole local village or
much sorrow and oppression of the people. town community. Where a national ruler
It is written: When the righteous are in like Hitler became bad, the entire country
power, the people rejoice; but when the was punished and reproached.
wicked bear rule, the people groan. (Prov.
5 Old-world-society communities today
29:2,
AT)For King Davids fault in havinghave many different interests, some of
a census taken of Israel that was against which are as follows: providing for the
Gods will, Jehovah brought punishment general education of the children, postal
of a pestilence upon the entire nation so service, police protection of persons and
that seventy thousand persons died. property, fire protection, building of roads,
(2 Sam. 24:1, 10, 15) Later, of a king of removal of sewage and refuse, promoting
the northern kingdom of Israel it was writ general health, operating of parks, preser
ten: And Omri kept doing what was bad vation of natural resources, election of
in the eyes of Jehovah and came to do rulers, payment of taxes, taking general
worse than all who were prior to him. security measures (war), and many other
(1 Ki. 16:25,
NW) For a recordgovernmental
of a good
matters. Jehovahs witnesses
king we read: In his days the land had still in the midst of the old-world society
no disturbance for ten years. And Asa have certain obligations to perform in con
proceeded to do what was good and right nection with those communities wherein
in the eyes of Jehovah his God. (2 Chron. they reside. (John 17:15) For example,
NW) The reflection upon the
en are fully law-abiding to local and na
14:1, 2,
they
tire community of good and bad rulership tional rules consistent with the Bible, obe
has been mans experience from ancient diently pay their taxes and publicly main
times to this very present hour, regard tain the peace. They endeavor, however, to
less of the level of ruling power on which reduce their old-world community inter
the rulers have exercised their authorities. ests to a bare minimum. Why so?
4
By a community is meant a social 6 Because a New World society has come
group of human creatures residing togeth on the scene, of which Jehovahs witnesses
er in a general area and sharing a similar are the members. They heed Jesus counsel
heritage. As to the old-world society the to pay back, therefore, Caesars things
smelliest form of the community is the [governmental requirements] to Caesar,
family unit and from there the size rises but Gods things [divine requirements] to
in order to include the village, town or God. (Matt. 22:21, NW) Gods things are
city, then the county, next the state or based on his divine interests, which we acprovince, and finally the entire country
5. Give examples of some of these old-world society
or nation. The father would be considered interests. Do they bring obligations to Jehovah's wit
4. What and who are considered communities and
rulers in the old-world society?

nesses ?
6. Why do Jehovahs witnesses seek to reduce their oldworld community interests to a minimum?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SHeWATCHTOWER.
knowledge as being of supreme importance the local servants are appointed for their
and higher than those of the local commu good qualifications by the governing body
nities. From our study of the sacred Scrip of the New World society through the
tures and from physical facts we see that branch office. None of these servants (cor
the divine interests indicate the forming responding to rulers) are democratically
of such a New World society made up of elected to office. When appointed, they
Christian congregations. For this reason serve in their respective positions until
we are more concerned with congregation others are assigned to take on the respon
al interests. These we shall now proceed to sibilities. In fulfillment of Isaiahs proph
examine in some detail.
ecy, I will also make thy officers peace,
the general leadership has been one of
CONGREGATIONS OF NEW WORLD SOCIETY
goodness, which has built up merit for the
7 Up to the beginning of the year 1956 congregations and brought the reward of
The
there were 16,044 congregations of Jeho Jehovahs blessing. (Isa. 60:17,
vahs witnesses established in 160 different few servants who turn to a course of bad
lands. All together these thousands of con ness are quickly removed to prevent bring
gregations are brought into one world ing in congregational contamination. How
wide community known as the New World ever, when some of the congregation have
society of Jehovahs witnesses. The central followed the bad leader then those of the
governing body is located in Brooklyn, congregations have been disfellowshiped
New York, where the legal corporation too by the New World society to avoid the
known as the Watch Tower Bible & Tract spreading of community fault, or to keep
Society of Pennsylvania is used to direct the leaven of badness from affecting other
the global interests. From the headquar congregational groups. The congregation
ters the administration is directed through must be kept clean, the servants and their
seventy-eight branch offices, which in turn associates. Now, then, what are some of
supervise the individual congregations in the various congregational interests today
their assigned territory.
and are they the same as those of the
Christian
congregations in the days of the
8 Each individual congregation forms a
apostles?
local community of Christian ministerial
9
A chief interest of these congregations
associates residing in the local area and
is
to
assemble
for joint worship of the liv
having the same Christian training and
background. Today as in Pauls time each ing God Jehovah through Jesus Christ.
congregation is made up of many individ Those assembling have been called out by
ual members but working together as one Jehovah into a knowledge of the truth and
entire body, each member making a high to recognize Jesus Christ as their savior
ly necessary contribution to the organiza and King. Not any one can become an asso
tional whole. (1 Cor. 12:14-25, NW) These ciate of these congregations. Rather only
congregations are organized according to those who are morally and spiritually
clean and who have dedicated themselves
the same pattern as the congregations of
as Jehovahs witnesses. This is in harmony
Christians in the first century. They have
with Jesus words: No man can come to
a theocratic form of government where all me unless the Father, who sent me, draws

438

7. Describe the greater community of Jehovahs wit

nesses today.
8. How does Paul describe the local congregation ? What
kind of government do these congregations have today,
and how does Isaiah 60:17 apply thereto?

him,. . . It is written in the Prophets, And

they will all be taught by Jehovah. Every9. Describe a chief interest of a congregation today.

July 15, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER

one that has heard the Fathers teaching

and has learned comes to me. (John
6:44, 45, AW ) Each week meetings are
held where congregational prayers are
offered and songs of praise to the living
God are sung. (Acts 4:24) Sectional, re
gional, national and international assem
blies are periodically held in worship of
the true God in spirit and in truth.
Another interest of the congregation
is to take in life-giving knowledge of Jeho
vah God and Jesus Christ. (John 17:3,
AW) At their weekly meetings the con
gregations make a study of the Scriptures
and of the Bible study publications pre
pared by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract
Society of Pennsylvania. A uniform spirit
ual feeding program is maintained to keep
all the congregations advancing together
world-wide in the course of Christian ma
turity. Their unitedly feeding together on
Gods Word, the Bible, enables Jehovahs
holy spirit to serve as an organizational
force to stimulate the minds of all present.
For individual Christians to receive the
guidance of Gods holy spirit they must
come together congregationally under com
munity interests. Matt. 18:20; John 14:
26,
NW.
11Additionally it is the purpose of each
congregation to conduct a theocratic min
istry school for the training of all its asso
ciates to improve their ministry, or, as
Paul said, with a view to the training of
the holy ones for ministerial work. (Eph.
4:12, AW ) The local congregations have
also the outstanding interest of carrying
out their commission to preach the good
news of the established Kingdom. (Matt.
24:14) To accomplish this interest the con
gregation is organized for field-preaching
service, having received an appointed ter
ritory in which to preach to the public
from house to house. The preaching work
is done in an orderly and systematic way.
10-12. Describe additional congregational interests.

439

All local associates co-operate toward car

rying out this preaching service as a unit
ed congregation.
12 The local congregation of Jehovahs
witnesses is an object of attention and a
spectacle to those on the outside. For this
reason they have as their interest to let
your light shine before mankind, that they
may see your right works and give glory to
your Father who is in the heavens. (Matt.
5:16, AW ) In this respect they fulfill Pe
ters words: That you should declare
abroad the excellencies of the one that
called you out of darkness into his wonder
ful light. (1 Pet. 2:9, AW ) It is in connec
tion with this congregational interest that
they delight to proclaim the greatness and
excellencies of Jehovahs name. For this
reason the congregation has a jealous in
terest to keep itself morally and spiritually
clean beyond reproach to bear the name
of the living God Jehovah properly.
13 The congregations cannot take on any
of the defiling interests, immoral practices
or pagan customs of the old-world society.
These are utterly rejected as unclean. Any
who are guilty of misconduct as to sex re
lations, loose conduct in general, drunken
ness, thievery, lying and defrauding are
summarily cut off from the congregation
by disfellowshiping to avoid community
contamination. (Jude 4-10) No true Chris
tian may have sex relations with any other
than his marriage mate. Any other sex
relations with the opposite sex naturally
or with those of the same sex unnaturally
are considered wicked, shocking and re
volting. Such base practices are not a mat
ter of private individual interest as some
perverted ones try to claim, but since
always two or more are involved in such
acts these deeds are at once a violation
of the congregational interests of moral
cleanness, requiring immediate disfellow13. What bad actions are against the congregations in
terest to keep clean, and why? What Biblical examples
are recalled?

440

JEeWATCHTOWEFL

Brooklyn, N . Y .

shiping. (Rom. 1:26, 27, 2VW) Jehovahs members of the congregation uphold and
witnesses remember the Biblical example advance the congregational interests in the
where the tribe of Benjamin failed to cut course of goodness, then these are contrib
away from their midst the sex criminals uting toward the congregational merit
of Gibeah and thus brought community that brings rewards of blessings, prosper
accountability or responsibility upon the ity, expansion and happiness to all asso
entire tribe. The entire tribe was punished ciated. Consider some interesting exam
almost to the point of extermination, ples of congregational merit contributed
25,000 men being put to death. (Judg. by those who pursued a way of theocratic
19:1, 25, 27-30; 20:39-48) They also recall goodness. Isaiah prophesied that the right
the case of the fornicator found in the eousness of the faithful Jewish remnant
Corinthian congregation, which brought established sufficient merit to warrant
divine displeasure for their failure to dis- Jehovahs restoring Israel to the land of
fellowship until the apostle Paul urged Judah for theocratic worship in 537 B.C.
such proper action immediately to save the and not permitting Judah to lay destroyed
entire congregation from total rejection. forever like Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isa.
1 Cor. 5:1-4.
1:9; 10:22) Demonstrating the possibility
14
When one violates the community inof a meritorious righteous servants saving
terest or pursues a course of badness with an entire city Jeremiah records: Run ye
respect to the congregational interests he to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
commits a fault by which, if it is not prop and see now, and know, and seek in the
erly dealt with, the whole congregation broad places thereof, if ye can find a man,
will become contaminated and accountable if there be any that doeth justly, that
for Gods displeasure. The Bible illustra seeketh truth; and I will pardon her. (Jer.
AS)A similar illustration is recorded
tion that a little leaven or yeast of badness 5:1,
will spoil the whole loaf or congregation at Ezekiel 22:30.
is a true one; just as one bad apple in a
18In the Greek Scriptures we have fur
basket, if not removed, will spoil all the ther discussions of community merit being
apples in the basket. This requires the alert established by servants of Jehovah. The
righteous-minded servants or rulers of the righteousness of the apostle Paul produced
congregation to be quick to preserve the sufficient merit for God to save the 276
cleanness of the congregation. Following passengers who were aboard the same ship
are some more Biblical examples of where Paul was on during his shipwreck experi
bad individuals brought congregational re ence. Have no fear, Paul. You must stand
sponsibility or accountability threatening before Caesar and, look! God has saved
punishment upon the entire group when all your fellow voyagers for your sake.
the guilty ones were not removed at once. (Acts 27:24, 37,
NW) Concerning
See Leviticus 20:1-5; Numbers 16:19-35; days where we now are Jesus said: Un
Deuteronomy 21:1-9; Joshua 7:1, 11-26.
less those days were cut short, no flesh
would be saved; but on account of the
BUILDING UP MERIT
chosen ones [the merit of the anointed
16 On the other hand, where faithful remnant of Jehovahs witnesses who re
14. When one violates the community interest how is
pented for their shortcomings in 1919]
this viewed? What should be done about it, and why?
those
days will be cut short. Matt. 24:
15, 16. (a) When one upholds the congregational inter
ests, what happens? (b) Give Biblical examples of merit
22,
NW.
established.

Ju ly 15, 1956

441
SfieWATCHTOWEFL
17 This study of congregational interests
19
By your consistent course of right do
shows that it behooves all the associates of ing demonstrate to the new ones how it is
Jehovahs witnesses to follow a course that advisable to lower their degree of individ
contributes goodness toward ones local ual self-interests that they may have time
congregation. When one becomes a mem to embrace the highly desirable congrega
ber of the local congregation by associa tional interests. Show how necessary it is
tion, he obtains delegated rights and duties to balance our own individual interests
as a minister of Jehovah. Therefore, you properly with the divine interests that
who are such faithful ministers, seek the must be brought into the picture as well
local congregations advancement, share in as the congregational interests. Show them
its preaching campaign, enlarge its repu why it is that, when there is a disfellowtation as being the local official representa shiping, it is for the congregational good
tive of Gods holy organization, keep the and for maintaining its record of clean
organization clean, live up to the exalted ness with Jehovah God. Reason with them
name of Jehovah that rests upon his wit that it is the Biblical principle found at
nesses and walk orderly as an example to Deuteronomy 19:13 (NW) that is fol
all the new ones being brought into the lowed: Your eye should not feel sorry for
local congregation. The congregation being him, and you must clear away the guilt of
united in love, Paul fittingly describes the innocent blood out of Israel, that you may
organizational bearing of opposition and have good. All evildoers must be ejected
sharing of joys when he writes: If one from the congregation as advised by Paul:
member suffers, all the other members You hand such a man over to Satan for
suffer with it; or if a member is glorified, the destruction of the flesh, in order that
all the other members rejoice with it. the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord. 1 Cor. 5:5, NW.
1 Cor. 12:26, NW.
20Regardless of how upright and whole
18 As a congregational minister of Jeho
vah, be determined individually never to some one may be in pursuing a full pro
contribute any badness to the congrega gram of private individual interests he will
tions theocratic record by any faulty not make the new world of righteousness.
course on your part. When one enters fel Jehovah God is not dealing with individ
lowship of a congregation of Gods people uals as such. He has provided an organiza
he must answer for any failures to bear tion on earth that is being trained to ac
wisely any congregational interests. The cept increased congregational interests. As
congregation through its leaders or serv the divine Kingdom government of heaven
ants has the duty to reprimand any who increases its influence on earth, more and
step out of line from sharing the common more community interests will come to the
interests in the right way. Otherwise, if New World society until after Armaged
no reproofs were made, the entire congre don all community interests on earth will
gation would become contaminated by come into its hands. (Isa. 9:7) As in the
your evil. The servants themselves must days of Noah and in the days of Moses,
be righteous and discharge their duty to God is dealing with a congregational so
safeguard the congregational interests ciety of people. It is as a vast unified flock

with justice and mercy.

17, 18. (a) How should ministers of Jehovahs witnesses
work together, and why? (b) What responsibilities have
the servants as to congregational interests?

19. What can be demonstrated to newly interested ones,

and how?
20. How is Jehovah dealing with people on earth today
and in the future? What adjustments should be made
in harmony with Matthew 11:29, 30?

442

STkWATCHTOWER.

of sheeplike ones that we are being led by

the Right Shepherd Christ Jesus. We hear
his voice, accept his kingly leadership and
come into his foldlike organization. (Ezek.
37:24) So adjust your business and per
sonal affairs, reduce your unnecessary in
dividual interests, take on a balanced pro
gram of divine and congregational inter-

PRESIDENTS VISIT
m

SINGAPORE

HP

B rooklyn, N . Y .

ests that will lead you on the way of life.

Become yoked in harness with Christ Je
sus, who lovingly said: Take my yoke
upon you and become my disciples, for I
am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and
you will find refreshment for your souls.
For my yoke is kindly and my load is
light. Matt. 11:29, 30, NW.

in order to look after other interested persons.

However, those still in an immature state were
not able to stand up under pressures and temp
tations of the old world. So the president of the
Society gave good counsel to the missionaries
and others, that they should keep on studying
with the immature ones until they had finished
the books Let God Be Trite and This Means
Everlasting Life, even though the person had
dedicated himself to Jehovah and the doing of
his will. Such helpful studies will enable those
new in the truth to grow to full maturity and
stand firm.
No one having dedicated himself to
Jehovah God can ever let up in studying.
The time never comes when one knows
it all. He must keep on preparing himself with
the aid of the stronger brothers, to bear his
own load of responsibility in due time. A num
ber of those previously associated with the
Society, whom the president had met there
five years before, had drifted back to oldworld living. To the missionaries this was
disappointing, and they were very much con
cerned. However, the organization is still
strong because many new ones have come
in. But now it is the responsibility of those
taking the lead to strengthen those within the
organization so they will stand firm and en
dure even to the end of this system of things.
Arrangements had been made for an inter
view over Radio M alaya, and this was taken
care of on Wednesday evening, March 28.

THAILAND

I r y IG things have taken place in the British

colony of Singapore. W a r s scars are
healed. A ll the streets are alive with business.
Fine broad roads have been built, leading from
the new modern airport; and in just ten min
utes the two visitors from the W atch Tower
Societys headquarters were in the branch office
and missionary home at 33 Poole Road. During
their stay many things needed to be checked
in connection with the branch and how to ex
pand the preaching work. One big problem con
sidered was how to hold the interest of those
who had studied with the missionaries and asso
ciated with the New W orld society. In past
years many had dedicated their lives to Jeho
vah but then drifted back into the old world.
It m ay be that some good-will persons, after
coming to the point of making their dedication,
were left too soon to stand on their own feet.
The mature witnesses m ay have believed that
since the newly interested ones had come to
know the fundamentals of Bible teaching they
now would continue to make progress without
any assistance. Often publishers would quit
studying with those who were now dedicated,

NORTH INTO MALAYA

Crowded into the busy schedule was a trip
by Brother Knorr and Brother Yaremchuk, the
branch servant, to Kuala Lumpur. This is the
capital of the Federation of Malaya, a depend
ency of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
Since 1951 the Watchtower and Awake! m aga
zines have been banned in this country. By ad-

Ju l y

15, 1956

WATCHTOWER

vance arrangement the Society's president now

was to see the Minister of Hom e Affairs, Inche
Bahaman bin Samsuddin, about having the re
strictions lifted. W hen the plane in which the
branch servant and the president were travel
ing arrived at Kuala Lumpur airport another
plane had just come in, carrying the Chief
Minister of the Federation. Consequently the
airport was crowded with officials, movie
cameramen and many of the public, all present
to greet the Chief Minister. A royal welcome
was given him on his return from Bangkok.
And it was at this busy place that the two
brothers met the government official they had
come to see the Minister of Home Affairs,
and also Mr. Tan, secretary of the party in pow
er, who had arranged for the interview. The
four then got into a limousine and headed for
town. On the w ay they found themselves in
the midst of the Chief Minister's entourage,
and it was impressive to see police and soldiers
in line along the way, saluting the men in the
cars as they passed.
Before long they reached the Home Affairs
Ministers office and proceeded to get right
down to business. The old file concerning ban
ning of the Societys publications (which file
had been built up during m any years by the
former British Colonial government) was
brought out, and the Minister read aloud some
of the accusations it contains against the
W atch Tower Society and Jehovahs witnesses.
One of the principal points raised was that
Jehovahs witnesses would not obey all the
laws of the land, but if those laws conflicted
they would instead obey Gods law, thus they
would constitute a danger to the security of
the country. The charge was made, too, that
the witnesses attack other religions and creeds,
and particularly that The Watchtower attacks
the Islamic religion.
A very friendly discussion ensued between
Brother Knorr and the two government offi
cials. The Societys president had the opportu
nity to explain in detail the position of Jeho
vahs witnesses and the work of the Society.
Stressed was the fact that the government
never had found occasion to accuse Jehovahs
witnesses of violating any of its laws, even
though they do put Gods law ahead of m ans
law. Also it was pointed out that anyone who
lives by Gods high principles of truth and
righteousness would certainly never be found
interfering with any government action or vio
lating its laws of moral decency and conduct.

443

Furthermore, it was shown that Jehovahs wit

nesses never have been promoters or starters
of any disturbances or riots anywhere. During
the discussion the case was mentioned of the
girl who was brought up as a Moslem but had
been seized by the Catholics and taken to a
Catholic institution. The child was of Catholic
parents. But taking her into a Catholic institu
tion caused a riot in the land. The riot was a
result of different religious beliefs, and some
were killed and m any injured; yet the govern
ment never took occasion to ban the Catholic
Church because of this incident.
Nevertheless, the Minister argued that such
a disturbance might happen because we do not
agree with other religious creeds. (This is the
same argument that the British Colonial office
has used all over the world. Jehovahs witness
es never have caused any disturbances or riots,
but because they might some day they are
banned or their publications are banned.) In
reply it was shown that in the early days of
Christianity the apostles went about preach
ing the resurrection of Christ Jesus and that
there is no salvation in anyone else though
government officials then insisted they had to
stop teaching this doctrine. And they called
them, and commanded them not to speak at all
nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and
John answered and said unto them, Whether
it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto
you more than unto God, judge ye. For we can
not but speak the things which we have seen
and heard. (Acts 4:12, 18-20) How strange it
is that with only about fifteen of Jehovahs
witnesses in all the Federation of M alaya they
are considered a danger to the security of the
country and are not allowed to distribute a few
Watchtower and Awake! magazines to bring
comfort and help to the people!
Brother Knorr explained that the expression
of different ideas brings progress to the people
of any nation. If there were never disagree
ment there would never be improvement of old
ideas. If every religion had to stand still and
no one were permitted to discuss doctrine or
prove error, no progress would ever be made
in understanding the true God. The Bible is a
forward-looking book and stimulates progres
sive thinking. That is why Europe and America
are the way they are today, because they broke
away from the stagnated Roman Catholic sys
tem of things. They wanted to make progress
and get away from the traditions of false wor
ship they had been in for ages.

444

SflieWATCHTOWER

The Minister agreed that this was all right

for educated people, but not for the people of
M alaya, many of whom lack education.
Brother Knorr insisted this is the time for
enlightenment and that truth should be allowed
free circulation, not to cause disturbance but
to help men seek the w ay of real life.
A ll in all it was a friendly discussion, and the
facts were clearly set before the Minister as to
the Societys position. It was shown that Jeho
vahs witnesses never have caused riots or dis
turbances anywhere in the world. They are not
the instigators of trouble but have love for the
people they serve in every land. It is the truth
that makes one free and any
people who want to be free
love to allow the truth to en
ter in.
W h at the final outcome will
be is not known. W hen Brother
Knorr returned to Singapore
he sent a letter to the Minister,
having put into writing some
of the things previously dis
cussed and making a formal
request for the lifting of the
ban on the Watchtower and
Awake! magazines. It m ay take considerable
letter writing and further discussion, we believe,
to have the ban lifted. M alaya is a Moslem land
and they do not like Christian beliefs to be
spread freely.

SINGAPORE ASSEMBLY
The branch servant and Brother Knorr re
turned after dark that evening to Singapore.
From the air, on that clear night, Singapore
was a beautiful sight, with multicolored, spar
kling lights of the city like a huge treasure
chest full of precious jewels.
Friday, March 30, dawned with a clear blue
sky over Jalan Besar Stadium where Jehovahs
witnesses began their assembly. The tempera
ture was about 90 degrees, but the slight breeze
across the spacious football field helped to keep
the speakers and audience relatively comfort
able. A t 4 p.m. the public meeting was to be
held, with the discourse Making All Mankind
One Under Their Creator to be delivered by
Brother Knorr. There were 491 in attendance.
It was an international audience with Chinese,
Tamils, Sikhs, Eurasians, Indonesians and oth
ers, many in their colorful national dress. Some
day soon all of these persons of good will will
be made one under their Creator.
A fter this big first day the assembly moved

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs witnesses.

Fine experiences were given at the convention
as well as interesting talks. One Ceylonese
brother recounted how he was born of Buddhist
parents and ran away from home at thirteen
to join a Hindu monastery in the Himalayas,
where he lived with monks and learned the
art of yoga. Not being satisfied after years
of this training, he migrated to Malaya, where
he met with different Christian sects, but
still dressed with his long hair and the beard
of the Sadhu (Hindu priest). A fter reading a
single tract this brothers eyes were opened.
He soon shaved his beard, cut his long hair
and removed his flowing robes
and quit using his miracu
lous powers. He is now dedi
cated to the service of the liv
ing God, Jehovah, and preach
es the good news of Jehovahs
established kingdom.
The Triumphant Kingdom
assembly at Singapore brought
abundant rich blessings to all
those in attendance. Eleven
B AN GK O K
persons of good will symbol
ized their dedication to Jeho
vah by water immersion. Am ong them were
three young sisters from Penang in Malaya, who
came into the truth on their own just by read
ing a book. They have made wonderful prog
ress and during their one hour off at school
each day they have gone out witnessing from
house to house. It was a joy to have them at
the assembly and to see their youthful zeal,
as they ranged in age from fifteen to seventeen.
The Singapore convention was a real success,
and Jehovahs blessing was upon it.
Brothers Knorr and Adams were scheduled
to leave Singapore for Bangkok Saturday,
March 31, at 9:35 a.m. The president gave his
final remarks to the conventioners at eight
oclock that morning and then learned that the
flight was delayed. In fact, it was postponed
several times during the day. Finally he spoke
a second time, which meant that he had spoken
four times in all to the assembly in addition to
the public talk. Further delays kept the two
brothers there all night and they did not get
away until Sunday for the next stop, Bangkok,
Thailand.

SIAMESE CONVENTION
Meantime the branch servant at Bangkok
was very much excited. Already the travelers
were a day late. The president of the Society

Ju l y

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

was scheduled to speak at Chiengmai at four

oclock Sunday afternoon, but because the air
plane was a day late it appeared impossible for
him to get to Chiengmai in time for the public
meeting. Early Sunday morning the branch
servant sent a telegram to Chiengmai telling
the brothers to put on a substitute speaker.
When Brothers Adam s and Knorr arrived at
Bangkok at 1 p.m. they found that Brother
Babinski had persuaded the Thai Airlines to
hold up the 1 p.m. plane until they could clear
customs and immigration and go through the
regular formalities to get aboard. So at 1:20
the plane rolled down the runway and headed
for Chiengmai. The three had much to say
and, of course, there still was a little hope that
should the plane make no stops en route to
Chiengmai they might reach there by four
oclock. It proved to be a through plane and
the group arrived at 3 :4 0 in the afternoon. A
car was at the airport to pick up the passengers
and they reached the convention hall at ten
minutes to four.
There were 348 in attendance to hear the talk
Making A ll Mankind One Under Their Crea
tor as it was interpreted into the Thai lan
guage. It was a thrilling day and Jehovahs
witnesses and the missionaries in their midst
were overjoyed that the brothers arrived on
time for the public talk at least. The convention
continued the next day with great enthusiasm
and eighteen were baptized. There was an
average of 173 of Jehovahs witnesses in attend
ance at this convention in the northern part
of Thailand.
The day after the convention, while Brother
Knorr was having a discussion with all the
missionaries on their work and problems that
afternoon, the telegram came, saying that
Brothers Knorr and Adam s would not reach
Chiengmai in time for the public talk. It was
just as well that the telegram had not gotten
through, as everything went according to
schedule.
In this country the Buddhist religion predom
inates, and it is not uncommon to find Buddhist
priests in the meetings of Jehovahs witnesses.
The Buddhists are in high hopes that things
will take a big change for the better, as they
believe that Buddhas prophecy of 2500 years
comes to its fulfillment in 1957. Just what im
provements will be made in the world in 1957
is not entirely clear, as there are different ideas
put forth by the various priests, but 1957 ap
pears to be their great year. So the mission-

445

aries have quite a difficult time convincing the

people that the new world of righteousness of
which Jehovahs witnesses speak is different
from what the Buddhist priests talk about.
But many persons are willing to listen and hear
what the witnesses have to say about the king
dom of Jehovah God.
It is a pleasure to witness among these peo
ple. Approaching a typical little wooden or
bamboo home built up on stilts, one climbs the
stairs and then takes his shoes off before join
ing them on the floor of the porch, where they
sit and listen as he talks to them at length,
giving the message of hope. A t alm ost every
home he has opportunity to talk at length and
the people listen with interest as the witness
presents the sermon from the Thai Bible and
then offers the publications. This is one country
where it is possible to use the sermon at almost
every home, even though in the next room one
m ay see their Buddhist shrine with flowers and
food set out on the altar. Some of the most
zealous pioneers in the country have come from
such a background to join with the New World
society in announcing a real hope to the people.
During the stay in Chiengmai there was a
big festival at the Buddhist temple and thou
sands turned out to enjoy it, with a carnival
spirit. Vendors of m any different foods ap
peased the appetites of the crowds while games
of skill, music and dancing interested others.
Finally in came a long, slow-moving procession
from one of the neighborhood wats, bearing
gifts for the temple. First came the priests
bearing standards to lead the throng, followed
by several men beating drums and m etal pieces
to attract attention; then the gracefully danc
ing temple girls moving to the rhythm of the
drums, with a slow dance step. Prominent in
the procession was the money tree with leaves
of money the contribution of the people to
their temple. This was followed by a float illus
trating an event in Buddhas life as it was re
counted in chanted verse by the singer who
followed in a little cart. The float was pulled
along by a number of the people who took a
place on the rope in front of it while a crowd
of others from the wat brought up the rear
of this typical religious procession. It would
take a long time to convert all these people to
Christian belief. It could never be done; for
only those with a sheeplike disposition actually
will pull away and avoid being slain at A rm a
geddon.
A t the next stop, Bangkok, time was spent

446

SEeWATCHTOWER,

to check the branch office of Thailand and see

what could be done to help advance the work
of Jehovahs witnesses throughout the coun
try. On W ednesday evening Brother Knorr
spoke to fifty-seven of the local congregation.
W onderful improvements have been made in
the city of Bangkok since Brother Knorrs
last visit there. It is good to see the advance
ment made by the country in hygiene and liv-

A person I was preaching to insisted that

such things as airplanes were here long ago,
and as proof she quoted Ecclesiastes 1 :9 about
there being no new thing under the sun. W h at
is the correct understanding of this text?
D. M., United States.
A fter years of observation and profound
meditation King Solomon wrote under inspira
tion by God concerning the repetition of nat
ural events: Vanity of vanities! A ll is vanity.
W h a t does man gain by all the toil at
which he toils under the sun? A generation
goes, and a generation comes, but the earth
remains for ever. The sun rises and the sun
goes down, and hastens to the place where
it rises. The wind blows to the south, and goes
round to the north; round and round goes the
wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All
streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow, there they
flow again. A ll things are full of weariness; a
man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied
with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
W h at has been is what will be, and what has
been done is what will be done; and there is
nothing new under the sun. Eccl. 1:2-9, RS.
In the above the inspired writer describes the
viewpoint, not of exuberant youth or of appre
ciative servants of Jehovah, but of the aging
person alienated from God. It is the outlook
that gradually comes over persons of this old
system of things as time overtakes them, weak
ens them, wears them down. They see their
generation going out of existence and a new
one coming in to take their place on the earth

Brooklyn, N . Y.

ing conditions in this short period of time. But

it was especially good to see the new peak of
publishers in Thailand and to observe that
the missionaries were working diligently on
learning the language and were able to speak
in the tongue of the people. Arrangements were
made to open up new territory, sending mission
aries in to take care of the interest and estab
lish congregations.

that remains forever. When they were young

with their life span ahead of them it looked
long, but now that it is nearly spent and they
look back on it in their old age it seems to
have been no more than a breath. The literal
meaning of the Hebrew word translated
vanity is breath, and it is used to proclaim
that this life is as fleeting and transitory as
a breath and that the toil of the man alienated
from God is futile, lacking in any abiding gain
for him. His generation is just one of many,
preceded by undetermined ones and to be fo l
lowed by more, just one of a long repetition of
generations coming and going on an earth that
endures.
A s analogies to this repetition the inspired
writer points to the sun that rises, sets, and
hurries around to where it will rise again; to
the winds that blow and circle and return to
repeat their circuits again and again; to the
streams that run to the sea without filling it
because water is evaporated from it and car
ried inland by wind and condensed as clouds
that shed rain to replenish the rivers and keep
them running to the sea. Throughout their
life persons see this repetition of natural
events, and as they become old and energies
wane, eyes dim, ears dull, joints stiffen and
the other senses fade, they lose the zest for
living they had in youth, and the repeating
days and nights, worries and toils, fill them
with an unutterable weariness, a sense of frus
tration and futility. Their eye is not satisfied
with seeing this endless repetition, nor is their
ear satisfyingly filled with hearing it over and
over again. It is in this setting of natural
events, within the scope of these narrated
cycles in nature, that the statement occurs that
there is nothing new under the sun. W e can
not properly take the statement out of its set
ting and apply it to everything. There are new
things invented and made but they follow the
principles which God has already established

July 15, 1956

447

SEeWATCHTOWER.

and applied in nature and there is nothing new

in the cycles in nature Solomon outlined.
And at the time of writing Solomon was in
spired and he did not have this pessimistic,
futile outlook himself, as some scholars claim.
He did not consider godly works a vanity, but
summed up his writing thus: The end of the
m atter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep
his commandments; for this is the whole duty
of man. For God will bring every deed into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether
good or evil. (Eccl. 12:13, 14, R S ) W ork done
in obedience to the commands of Jehovah
would bring a judgment of approval from God.
But toil for material things rather than spirit
ual treasure is vain, and this is realized by
weary old persons who have so spent their
lives alienated from Jehovah God. Even living
becomes a chore to them, the natural cycle of
events becomes wearisome to them.
However, in the new world the repetition
of the natural cycle of events will not be vain
or wearying. Exhausted old persons will not
exist then, for all the obedient will return to
the days of their youth and each new day will
be viewed with the zest of the young. Persons
will have the spring of youth and the knowl
edge of the old, the wisdom of gray hair with-

'OiapittatCy Tfo
Each year m any Protestant churches in
the United States have what is called Lay
mens Sunday," on which a layman shares the
pulpit with the clergyman. Commenting on
this clergy-laity distinction on such a Sunday,
Dr. Sockman, one of America's foremost Prot
estant clergymen, pointed out that originally
there was no distinction between clergy and
laity." Dr. Sockman had previously observed
that the activities of the laymen were needed
to supplement the declining effectiveness of
clerical preaching." He urged laymen to have
a part by preaching to their friends, because
there is something disintegrating about hear
ing without doing," to have our emotions
moved without acting" tends to make those
emotions flabby." A ll very true, Dr. Sockman,
but so long as the clergy-laity distinction re
mains, and the laity pay the clergy to do the
preaching in spite of its ineffectiveness, there
will be little preaching by the laity. Since
originally there was no clergy-laity distinction,

out the gray hair, the experience of the aged

without their aches. N o more will youthfulness
be limited to the young, but it will be lavished
on those with the maturity and wisdom to use
it perfectly. No feelings of frustration and
futility will m ar the recurring days and nights
and seasons, the natural cycles of wind and
rain and sun.
There need be none even now. If we appre
ciate Jehovah, his goodness as Creator, and see
in natural phenomena his glory and power, we
delight in each new day and night. Our view
even now is like the psalmist's, and not that
of an old person alienated from God: The
heavens proclaim God's splendour, the sky
speaks o f his handiwork; day after day takes
up the tale, night after night makes him
known; their speech has never a word, not a
sound for the ear, and yet their message
spreads the wide world over, their meaning
carries to earth's end. See, there is the suns
pavilion pitched! He glows like a bridegroom
leaving his chamber, exults like a hero to run
his course; he sets out from one end of heaven,
and round he passes to the other, missing
nothing with his h e a t!" Jehovah's wonderful
invisible qualities are clearly seen reflected in
his visible creations. Ps. 19:1-6, M o; Rom. 1:20.

DistinctCo*t
why not drop it and go back to the apostolic
custom of having all preach and that without
remuneration?
Abolish the Laity ?

That it is possible for a Labor leader to give

good advice to clergymen is seen from the
following: Albert Whitehouse, an official of
the United Steelworkers of America (CIO),
was a guest speaker at the American Baptist
Convention held at Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Expressing his concern over the fact that so
many of those who join a church do not re
main with it, he suggested: Perhaps we
should abolish the laity and all become
preachers of our faith. W e should move out
of the church building and into the commu
nity." Could it be that Mr. Whitehouse has
learned that Jehovah's witnesses have been
doing that very thing for many years, which
in part accounts for their remarkable in
crease?

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

August 19: The Divine Interests, and Individu
al Human Interests, H1-18. Page 428.
August 26: Individual Human Interests, H19-21,
and Community or Congregational Inter
ests. Page 435.

vV

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

u * How to stop a vicious cycle of evil?
P. 419, 111.

Why the real Christian must sacrifice

many worldly interests? P. 435, Hi8.

I> What the Bible means when it speaks of

the earth s being destroyed? P. 421, H4.

^
Why Jehovah s witnesses reduce their
old-world community interests to a bare min
imum? P. 437, H6.

What marvelous event will follow the

present world s end? P. 424, Hi.

What a chief interest of the Christian con

gregation today is? P. 438, H9.

Why we should search for precise an

swers to religious questions? P. 426, Hi.
Why it is wrong to refuse to discuss re
ligion? P. 427, Hi.

How newly dedicated people can be helped

to hold onto their marvelous privileges?
P. 442, Hi.

^ Which of God s interests really affect

men today? P. 430, H9.

^
Why religious discussion is a good thing?
P. 443, H4.

Whether it is wrong to love oneself?

P. 432, H9.

What can prevent your life from becom

ing vain and wearisome? P. 447, Hi.

&

148

y 4 n n o u n cir]L g
AUGUST 1,1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

JEHO VAHS M ESSAGE A G AIN ST

G O G OF M A G O G

IS THE GOLDEN RULE ENOUGH?

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT TO BURMA,

THE PHILIPPINES AND HONG KONG
W TB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F TH E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O ur magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W ord . That elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on God's purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 -3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W hen it observes this generation afflicted
with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, war, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the world's time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new w orld.
Thus viewed, The W atchtow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, it announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od's W o rd . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times, G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

%
WATCH TOWER
117 Adams Street

PUBLISHED BY THE
BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

N . H . K norr , P r e s id e n t

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

CONTENTS

P r in t in g

451
452

Making the Fragrance of the Knowledge

of God Perceptible

455

Pursuing M y Purpose in Life

Jehovah's Message Against Gog of M agog

456
460

Delivering Satan's Death Notice

467

Schoolteachers Accept the Truth

474

Presidential Visit to Burma,

the Philippines and Hong Kong

475

Questions from Readers

479

Announcements

480

Abbreviations used in The Watchtower* for the following Bible versions

AS
AT

- American Standard Version

- An American Translation
D a - J. N. Darbys version
D y - Catholic Douay version
E D - The Emphatic Diaglott
h e - Isaac Leesers version
Unless otherwise indicated,

L X X

Mo

N W

Ro
RS
Yg

The Septuagint Version

James Moffatt s version
New World Translation
J. B. Rotherham s version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Young s version

the Bible used is the

t h is

is s u e :

2 ,6 5 0 ,0 0 0

F iv e

c e n ts

a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Dusty Bible N o Laughing Matter

Is the Golden Rule Enough?

King James Version

Semimonthly
Afrikaans
llocano
Cebu-Visayan Indonesian
Cinyanja
Italian
Danish
Japanese
English
Norwegian
Finnish
Slovenian
French
Spanish
German
Swedish
Tagalog
Greek
Hollandish
Twl

Monthly
Kanarese
Arabic
Korean
Armenian
Malayalam
Burmese
Pangasinan
Chinese
Polish
Cibemba
Portuguese
Cishona
Hiligaynon- Russian
Sesotho
Visayan
Siamese
Ibo

Silozi
Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rate

Watch Tower Society offices
America, U.S. , 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, .N.Y.
$1
8 /Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
$1
Canada, 1 50 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 1 0, Ontario
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7/
New Zealand, G.P.O. Box 30,, Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0 . Elandsfontein , Transvaal
7 /$1.75
Taylor
St.,
Woodbrook,
Port
of
Spain
Trinidad, 21
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (w ith renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. 8end your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U.S.A.

-jd riT L O Z c ric iriq r

J EH OV AH S
KINGDOM
August 1, 1956

Number 15

down and the floods came and

the winds blew and lashed against
that house, but it did not cave
in, for it had been founded upon
the rock-mass. How can you
build up a Christian way of liv
ing on a safe rock foundation
without knowing and doing ac
cording to the sayings of Christ?
Matt. 7:24, 25, NW.
If Bibles collect dust instead of readers
they are like mountains of gold that are
never mined. If their possessors do not read
them how can the sayings of Jesus become
known? And how can his sayings be
obeyed if they are never known? To many
the Bible is a closed book because they
never open it. To many who do open it it
is still closed to their understanding. It was
closed to the sincere Ethiopian officer who
was reading the book of Isaiah, for when
Philip asked him if he understood what he
was reading he replied: Really how could
I ever do so, unless someone guided me?
So Philip guided him and he understood
and was baptized. Acts 8:31, NW.
The needed guidance may be in the form
of oral preaching, as it was in the case of
the Ethiopian. Or it may be in printed
form, as in the case of the Bible helps pub
lished by the Watch Tower Society. This
magazine is one of those Bible helps. It is
the official journal of Jehovahs witnesses.
It points our attention to the sayings of
Jesus and to the urgency of obeying those

M o

ughing Matter
.

HERE is a touch of absurdity about

dusty Bibles in Christian homes that
borders on the humorous. Supposed Chris
tians who do not read their basic textbook
are a joke to some. They are about as
funny as an engineer who never studied
his engineering books, but it is no joke to
cross one of his bridges. They are about
as funny as a surgeon who never read his
books on anatomy, but you would stop
laughing if he came into the operating
room and started a haphazard probing in
to your body with a knife in search of your
appendix.
How can the Christian follow in the
footsteps of Christ if he does not know the
course Christ took? How could you do as
Christ did and speak as he did without
learning what he did and said? It is in the
Bible that one learns his words and deeds.
After his famous sermon on the mount
Jesus said: Everyone that hears these
sayings of mine and does them will be lik
ened to a discreet man, who built his house
upon the rock-mass. And the rain poured

451

STieWATCHTOWER
B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
sayings. If we open The Watchtower and their Bible reading to the last one fourth
read it, it will open the Bible to our under of the Bible and brush aside as outdated
standing when we read the Bible.
the first three fourths of it.
Jehovahs witnesses must not let their
To get the good out of a Bible help it
Watchtowers collect dust, as some persons must be opened and read. To get the good
do their Bibles. Jehovahs witnesses do not out of the Christians basic indispensable
take the Watchtower magazine just so it textbook, the Bible, it must be opened and
can be seen around the house, like some read. To fail to do so is no joke. It is no
supposed Christians who have Bibles in joke to cross a weak bridge. It is not funny
their homes just for the sake of appear to be operated on by an incompetent sur
ances. The witnesses read and study all the geon. Still less is it a laughing matter to
Watchtower magazine, not just parts of it, jeopardize our chance for eternal life by
like some professed Christians who limit letting our Bibles grow dusty.

H* the
G

R
D

tlnoucjk?

HRIST Jesus stated the so-called

M any people lead what they call a good life." By
golden rule: All things, there
fore, that you want men to do to you,
this they mean that they do no harm to others
you also must likewise do to them.
and often do them good in a material way. "Will
(Matt. 7:12, NW) Following this rule
this lead to everlasting
life? Or is more re
of neighbor love is necessary for gain
ing everlasting life in Gods new world.
Some think, though, that keeping the woman also had a sister called Mary, who,
golden rule is all that God requires. But however, sat down at the feet of the Mas
have we really discharged our duty toward ter and kept listening to his word. Martha,
God by just doing good to others? Do the on the other hand, was distracted with at
Scriptures show that the golden rule is tending to many duties. So, she came near
enough?
and said: Master, does it not matter to
Actually, when we turn to Gods Word, you that my sister has left me alone to at
we find that one can lose out on everlast tend to things? Tell her, therefore, to join
ing life even though he be engaged in a in helping me. In answer the Master said
program of constructive good works. This to her: Martha, Martha, you are anxious
is a major point made by Christ Jesus him and disturbed about many things. A few
self. The Bible writer Luke tells us about a things, though, are needed, or just one.
time when Jesus was invited to a home:
For her part, Mary chose the good portion,
A certain woman named Martha re and it will not be taken away from her.
ceived him as guest into the house. This Luke 10:38-42, NW.

A ugust 1, 1956

fHeWATCHTOWER.

Engrossed, apparently, in preparing

many dishes for a meal, Martha was dis
tracted with attending to many duties.
Her intentions were good; she wanted to
do all the good she could for Jesus.
Marthas sister Mary, however, sat down
at the feet of the Master and kept listen
ing to his word. Mary sensed the impor
tance of knowledge, the knowledge of God
and his purposes. Martha, busy about so
many household things, was irked, and
she requested Jesus to instruct Mary to
join in helping me. The Master then set
Martha straight as to what really was im
portant. He said that she was anxious
and disturbed about many things, that
there was only one thing that was really
important and that Mary had chosen this
good portion.
What, then, is the meaning for us? This:
that service to others is not enough; that
it is possible to be distracted with attend
ing to many duties that, though kind and
worthwhile in themselves, may cause us to
lose out on everlasting life. A program of
highly useful activity is not in itself enough.
LISTENING TO HIS WORD

Jesus told Martha that Mary had cho

sen the good portion because Mary kept
listening to his word. Mary had indeed
chosen a good portion, for as Simon Peter
once told Jesus: You have sayings of ever
lasting life. Since the taking in of this
knowledge of sayings of everlasting life is
placed by the Son of God on a higher level
of importance than rendering service to
others, we see Jesus point: that the doing
of good to our neighbors must be in its
proper relation to our regularly sitting
down at the feet of the Master and lis
tening to his word. John 6:68,
The true Christian, then, must be like
Mary. By his course of action he must
show that he really believes Jesus words:
Man must live, not on bread alone, but on

453

every utterance coming forth through Je

hovahs mouth. Matt. 4:4, NW.
The words of Jehovah are found in the
Bible. It is to that Book we must turn.
From it we can acquire knowledge of Jeho
vah and his purposes. There is no substi
tute for this knowledge. It is vital. Salva
tion depends on it. Declared an apostle of
Christ: This is right and acceptable in
the sight of our Savior, God, whose will is
that all kinds of men should be saved and
come to an accurate knowledge of truth.
(1 Tim. 2:3, 4, NW) Stressing the impor
tance of accurate knowledge Jesus said in
prayer to his heavenly Father: This
means everlasting life, their taking in
knowledge of you, the only true God, and
of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus
Christ. John 17:3, NW.
Since knowledge means life, the con
verse must be true: lack of knowledge
means death. This was true with the an
cient nation of Israel. When they became
stubborn and refused to take the teaching
of Jehovah, God told them through his
prophet: My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge: because thou hast rejected
knowledge, I will also reject thee. (Hos.
4:6, AS) If we fail to put forth the effort
to obtain accurate knowledge, God will also
reject us; he will count us as not being
rightly disposed for everlasting life.
Acts 13:48, NW.
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

When, through study of the Scriptures,

we come to an accurate knowledge of the
truth, we realize that there is a command
ment grander in scope and importance
than the golden rule of neighbor love.
The Son of God gave us the right perspec
tive on this matter when he explained:
You must love Jehovah your God with
your whole heart and with your whole soul
and with your whole mind. This is the
greatest and first commandment. The sec-

454

SEeWATCHTOWER-

ond, like it, is this: You must love your

neighbor as yourself. On these two com
mandments the whole Law hangs, and the
Prophets. Matt. 22:37-40, NW.
How clear it is now! There are two com
mandments of life. Both are essential. We
must live by both rules to be worthy of
everlasting life. But one commandment is
greater than the golden rule of neighbor
love; that is the commandment to love
Jehovah God with your whole heart and
with your whole soul and with your whole
mind.
How do we show this kind of love for
God? The Bible answers: This is what the
love of God means, that we observe his
commandments; and yet his command
ments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3,
NW) Though we may keep the golden
rule as well as humanly possible, yet if we
fail to observe Gods other commandments,
we fall short in our love for God. That is
serious.
Before one can observe Gods command
ments, he needs to know what they are.
This again brings us back to the vital need
of obtaining an accurate knowledge of
Gods Word. We can understand now why
Jesus told golden-rule-minded Martha that
Mary had chosen the good portion, because
Mary chose to get knowledge. Without
knowledge we cannot know what Gods
commandments are; without knowledge of
these commandments it is impossible to
keep them, and unless we keep them we
fall short of the greatest commandment of
them all.
REQUIREMENTS FOR LIFE

The requirements of God are not oneday-a-week requirements; they extend into
daily living. True Christianity really does
something for a person; it changes him.
His whole outlook on life is changed; he
becomes a new personality. Notice how
far-reaching Gods command is: Strip

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

off the old personality with its practices,

and clothe yourselves with the new person
ality which through accurate knowledge is
being renewed according to the image of
the one who created it. (Col. 3:9,10, NW)
To do this, one must really be humble; he
must be a lover of righteousness. This God
requires: Before the day of Jehovahs
anger come upon you. Seek ye Jehovah,
all ye meek of the earth, that have kept
his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek
meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the
day of Jehovahs anger. Zeph. 2:2,3,
The new world will be completely right
eous. This old wicked world must go. Soon
now it will be destroyed at Armageddon.
So God requires: Since all these things
are thus to be dissolved, what sort of per
sons ought you to be in holy acts of con
duct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting
and keeping close in mind the presence of
the day of Jehovah, through which the
heavens being on fire will be dissolved and
the elements being intensely hot will melt!
2 Pet. 3:11, 12,
NW.
We must constantly study Gods Word,
and help others in a spiritual way. Others
need to know of Gods new world and of the
nearness of Armageddon. The way to show
neighborly love and our love for God is
to tell others about Jehovahs purposes.
This is what the New World society of
Jehovahs witnesses is doing. You can
share in the work Jesus commanded for
these last days: This good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the in
habited earth for the purpose of a witness
to all the nations, and then the accom
plished end will come.Matt. 24:14, NW.
Spiritual giving is following the golden
rule. But above all, coupled with holy
acts of conduct, it shows that our love for
God is complete. The golden rule, in its
narrow sense of just doing physical good
to others, is not enough.

Making the Fragrance of the Knowledge of God Perceptible

MONG Gods many gifts to man is
the sense of smell. It not only gives
man much pleasure but at times also serves
to warn of harm, from stuffy rooms to poi
sonous odors. And a beautiful odor not
only is a pleasure to smell but also is re
freshing, stimulating and invigorating.
Incidentally, it has been well observed that
the sense of smell, unlike that of sight or
hearing, man has been unable to duplicate.
Because of the pleasure and benefit we
receive from a delightful fragrance, God
likens the knowledge of himself to such a
fragrance. This knowledge of him certainly
is beautiful, refreshing, stimulating and in
vigorating; yes, so much so that it brings
happiness and everlasting life to all that
keep taking in this fragrance. And this
has been especially true since Christ
gained the triumph over Satan and his
demon horde and cast them down to earth.
John 17:3; Rev. 12:9,
Aptly describing the part Christians
play in spreading this fragrant knowledge
Paul wrote: Thanks be to God who al
ways leads us in a triumphal procession in
company with the Christ and makes the
odor of the knowledge of him perceptible
through us in every place! 2 Cor. 2:14,
NW.*
One might think that such a beautiful
life-giving odor would be appreciated by all.
But not so; for, as Paul goes on to show:
We are a sweet odor of Christ among
those who are being saved and among
those who are perishing; to the latter ones
an odor issuing from death to death, to the
former ones an odor issuing from life to
life. Only to the few who sigh and cry
because of the abominations they see in
Christendom, who love righteousness and
are conscious of their spiritual need, is this
* For details see The Watchtower, October 15, 1955.
455

knowledge of God a beautiful, life-giving

fragrance, which they inhale deeply to
their benefit. Such may be said to have
good noses.2 Cor. 2:15, 16, NW.
But for the great majority of people
today, those who are lovers of worldly
pleasures rather them lovers of God and
worshipers of creatures rather than wor
shipers of the Creator, the fragrant knowl
edge of God is a death-dealing plague. And
no wonder, since they are in love with this
wicked old world and this knowledge tells
of its destruction. All such might be said
to have bad noses and to them Jehovahs
servants stink!
But regardless of how the people react
to our fragrant message, as dedicated min
isterial servants of Jehovah we have the
obligation to make the fragrance of the
knowledge of God perceptible to all. Just
as the stopper of a perfume bottle must
be taken out and some of the perfume
daubed upon the skin or clothes to make
its fragrance perceptible to others, so with
our fragrant knowledge of God. We must
open up, we must speak out, we must iden
tify ourselves as one of those having this
fragrant knowledge so that it may be per
ceptible to all. If some are offended and
hold their noses shut, as it were, we may
not feel embarrassed or ashamed. We
should prefer it to be otherwise; but the
fault lies with their noses, not with our
fragrant message!
So let us be generous with this fragrant
knowledge of God, using it freely, even as
we have received it freely. Let us give lov
ers of righteousness the full benefit of this
fragrance so that they also can realize the
joy of being in Jehovahs triumphal pro
cession, making the fragrance of the
knowledge of God perceptible to still others.

well acquainted with him in the Spanish

class at Gilead.
In 1939 I attended the convention in
New York city and had a very exciting
time riding the subway and seeing the big
city for the first time, not to mention the
riot at Madison Square Garden during the
V^'i?;
WmMm&
public talk on Sunday. I arrived in New
<< .
York with $4 in my pocket and came home
with $1 left.
$ggg
In 1940 I attended the Detroit, Michi
gan, convention, where the book Religion
^As told by Thomas 7^ Yeatts
was released. There I saw Brother Coving
N REVIEWING how I have been pur ton for the first time. Also by a friend
suing my purpose in life I find many I was introduced to my wife-to-be, a red
shortcomings. On the other hand, due to headed girl from Syracuse, New York, who
the undeserved kindness of Jehovah God signed up for the pioneer work at that con
there is much more to be thankful for than vention and has been pioneering ever since.
to be sorry about. Even though I was
In the spring of 19411 was arrested (for
brought up in the truth, I have not taken the first time in my life) along with about
it for granted but have always been con forty others while doing magazine street
scious of the fact that the truth is some work at a circuit assembly at Staunton,
thing very special, a gem of great price.
Virginia. We were held at police head
I
am the oldest of a large family thatquarters about an hour while Brother
was brought up on a farm quite isolated Macmillan went over and read the Su
from any congregation of Jehovahs peo preme Court decision to the city attorney,
ple. Therefore, when we moved nearer to who said he had no idea we had such a
a city in 1931 I began to be active in the sweet victory. He called up the chief of
witness work at the age of 17. In those police and said to let us go. We went back
days there was no training program. A on the street and placed all the magazines
brother just gave me some books and said: we had. In the same year I attended the
Go to that house. I went, but I was very St. Louis convention. By this time I had
nervous. It just happened that the people become a congregation servant. In October
of 19411 received my questionnaire for the
of the house were of good will and they
army, which was a whole year after I had
helped me considerably. By the end of the
registered for the draft. In November,
first day I felt like a veteran publisher. about two weeks before Pearl Harbor,
From 1931 to 1938 I was a busy congrega while still a congregation publisher, I re
tion publisher. In 1938 I attended my first ceived a 4-D classification as a minister
convention of any consequence at College exempt from military service, and that I
Park, Maryland, and heard Brother Ruth kept throughout the war without once
erford speak from London, England, on appearing before my draft board.
Fill the Earth and Face the Facts. At
In the spring of 1942 a young pioneer
that convention I was immersed and also brother passed through our town and,
saw Brother Edward Keller for the first among other things, said that I should
time, but seven years later became very show more appreciation for my ministers

my Purpose
in Life I

456

A ugust 1, 1956

3ReW ATCHTOWER

classification and enter the full-time pio

neer ministerial service. By this time I had
a new car and was making good wages in
addition to doing my ministerial service.
Some of the local congregation were hold
ing me back (it was not hard) by saying
I should let someone making less money go
in the pioneer work. However, on July 4,
1942, I declared my independence and
started pioneering. There was a booklet
campaign on and I placed about 400 that
month. I kept close account of my income
and expenses and ended the month with $10
more than I had at the beginning. Since
that time I have never been especially hard
up for money and have certainly never
missed a meal.
I had a car and no trailer; my fiancee
had a trailer and no car; so we decided
the best thing to do was to get married.
After the Cleveland convention in Sep
tember, 1942, I drove over to Syracuse
against the advice of some of my Southern
friends and got my Yankee wife and her
trailer and we continued to pioneer in
Virginia with success and happiness.
About a year before this I had
filled out an application for Bethel
service and had almost forgotten
it. A week or so after we were
married I received a letter from
the Society saying that if I still
was single I might report to King
dom Farm at South Lansing, New
York. I informed the Society that
I was no longer single but if there
THOMAS
was an opening for a married
couple we should both be glad to come.
Shortly we received a letter from Brother
Knorr saying that there was no opening
then but to continue on in the pioneer
work and Jehovah would bless us. We did,
and Jehovah has blessed us.
In June, 1944, I became a special pio
neer. We were sent to Appalachia, Vir
ginia, a coal-mining town just over Big

457

Black Mountain from Kentuckys Harlan

County. There the people were a bit rough
but very kindhearted and generous when
they got to know you. We met and made
friends that still are among our best. This
was the first time I had ever been away
from home for more than ten days at a
time and it was really tough on me. I have
never felt as far from home in my foreign
assignment (2,000 miles from home) as I
did in those mountains only 200 miles
away. That training was just what we
needed for Gilead and a foreign assign
ment. All male pioneers had been mobbed
out of Harlan County but there were two
faithful old sisters pioneering there and
they had me over nearly every month for
some duties. The first funeral service I
ever conducted was in Harlan County with
a mobster looking over my shoulder to see
if I was reading from the King James Bi
ble (I was). The first Memorial service I
ever conducted and the first public talk I
gave were there.
But on that assignment the outstanding
experience was in Appalachia, Virginia.
One morning, while going from
house to house in the better sec
tion of town, I left a Kingdom
News with a pleasant lady. Later
I was coming out of a gate when
a man came charging along the
street like a mad bull, heaping
abuse on me, saying that I should
be run out of town, etc. He was a
local doctor. A few months later
R. YEATTS
I went up the mountain on a cold
snowy night to have a study with a young
man of good will and found him very ill. He
asked me if I would go downtown and call
this same doctor for him. I did. Over the
phone the doctor said, Do you have a
car? Yes, sir. Well, youll have to take
me up there because Im not going to drive
my car up that mountain tonight; pick me
up at the hospital. It was dark when the

458

SEeWATCHTOWER.

doctor came out, so he could not see me

well. I kept quiet while he chatted along
about progress of the war (that was about
the time of the Battle of the Bulge). When
we were about a mile up the mountain he
said: By the way, who are you? He was
really nonplused when I told him. I waited
and took him back to town. That was a
bucket of coals on his head. I never heard
any more about being run out of town.
While we were on this special assign
ment we attended the convention in Buffa
lo, New York, in 1944; and there we filled
out preliminary applications for Gilead.
We had heard so much about how strenu
ous the course at Gilead was that my wife
was against the idea. I told her that it
would do no harm just to go and hear
what Brother Knorr had to say to pros
pective Gileadites. We sat away in back
and in the end did turn in our applications.
In December, 1944, we received our ap
plications for Gilead. My wife suggested we
send them back blank, but I said: Lets
fill them out and tell them that you are not
very well and we wont be called anyway.
We did that and in June, 1945, we received
the call to report for the sixth class.
A few months before we went to Gilead
we had a visit from a zealous circuit serv
ant who walked with a slide rule and
measured nearly everything he came to.
When we arrived at Gilead the first person
we met was our circuit servant. I said:
Dont tell me you are going through
school with us. He: No, they brought
me here to teach. I gave him a laugh but
was really surprised when I found out he
really was our mathematics teacher.
Gilead was a wonderful experience and,
while it was a busy time, it was certainly
not so hard as we had been led to believe.
I led quite a normal life at Gilead, going
in the service nearly every Saturday and
Sunday, and reading my Watchtower and
Awake! from cover to cover as I have al-

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

ways done since I could read. I also kept

up a normal correspondence with my fam
ily and friends.
From Gilead we were assigned to work
with the congregation in Bayonne, New
Jersey. It was one of the nicest assign
ments we ever had and local friends treat
ed us royally. We shall never forget them.
Our foreign assignment was the Nether
lands West Indies and we arrived in Wil
lemstad, Curagao, N.W.I., on May 16,1946.
At a small gathering the first night the
brother offering a prayer thanked Jehovah
so fervently for our arrival that we could
never think of abandoning them. At that
time the housing situation was very bad in
Willemstad and for six months we had it
pretty tough until we finally got a decent
house. The water was terrible and we had
one spell of dysentery after another, but
we did not get discouraged. The local
friends very kindly brought several kinds
of herbs to help.
It has been said that after one gets
through Gilead and to his foreign assign
ment the excitement is over and the hard
work begins. But for me the excitement
has never stopped. What makes life inter
esting, especially for Jehovahs ministers,
is not conditions, not the scenery, not even
the language, but people, and you have
them in every assignment.
One thing that did make us feel sad was
that after we had been here about a year
and a half my father died suddenly. We
had really expected to see him again, as
he appeared to be in such good health
when we left the States. He was a faithful
witness that brought up a large family in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
At the 1953 Yankee Stadium convention
our whole family was together for the first
time in eight years. This convention was
not only a landmark in the history of the
New World society but in the history of
my family too.

ugust

1, 1956

STzeWATCHTOWER.

In 1950 Brother Knorr visited the Neth

erlands West Indies for the first time and
set up a branch office and I was assigned
as branch servant and still hold that post
by Jehovahs undeserved kindness. Being
a branch servant in a small place means
that at times you also act as district serv
ant and again as circuit servant, which is
more excitement. I shall never forget the
first time we went to the island of Bonaire.
When we arrived for the public lecture
there were more than a hundred people
standing around. We said: What a nice
crowd! When only about thirty came in
side we thought the others were bashful,
but we soon found out rocks began to
rain on the tin roof like hail in Egypt, fire
crackers went off, the people beat on buck
ets and yelled. What a racket! Im sur
prised until now that somebody did not get
hurt that night. But most of the people
have changed. When we showed The New
World Society in Action film in the theater
in Bonaire recently it was packed out and
some present were those earlier trouble
makers, and they liked the film.
In a foreign assignment one does not
always have to learn another language, but
usually you do; and that is something in
teresting. Even though you never learn to
speak it perfectly you will learn to under
stand it, and that is a thrill. Here we
learned Papiamento.
When I first came to Curacao I was ar
rested for the second time in my life, for

459

the same thing, street magazine work. I

was taken to the police station but when I
explained the nature of my work and that
it was not commercial the desk sergeant
told me to continue, much to the chagrin
of the policeman. The very next day I was
going from house to house and a Dutch
man invited me in to explain my mission to
his wife. When leaving I said to him: You
look familiar; where have I seen you be
fore? He laughed and said: Im the desk
sergeant that let you go yesterday. I did
not recognize him without his uniform.
Jesus certainly knew what he was say
ing when he said that whoever gave up
home and family for his sake and for the
sake of the good news would find a hun
dred in this time and everlasting life in
the world to come.
While letters and packages from home
occasionally are not a necessity to a suc
cessful missionary career, they can be a
source of extra pleasure. Every Watchtower and Awake! is like a letter from
home, always full of surprises, always
something new. Here are included only a
few of the many experiences I have en
joyed. Volumes would be required to tell
them all, such as, for instance, showing the
film The New World Society in Action for
the governor and his family in his back
yard.
Many say: Oh, if I could only live my
life over again. I say, If I could my goal
would be the same, to pursue my purpose
for a life of praise to Jehovah my Creator.

THE WIDOW'S MITE UNACCEPTABLE

C. The Jersey Journal, March 26, 1956, said: Msgr. P. B. OConnor, pastor of
Queen o f Peace Roman Catholic Church, North Arlington, startled his congrega
tion yesterday. To those of you who have not been here since last Palm Sunday,
the pastor said, I want to say that we do not accept silver in the collection basket.
In fact, I am thinking of getting a basket which, if any coin is dropped into it it
will automatically ring a bell and fire two shots in the air. It is reported that
after this pastoral admonition, the collection baskets were as green as the palm s.

JEHOVAHS MESSAGE
\

TEHOVAH the God of systematic order

J has a due time and a fixed schedule

for all his purposes. For everything

there is an appointed time; and
there is a time for every purpose under the
heavens: . . . for [God] has set a time for
every purpose and for every deed. (Eccl.
3:1,17, AT) Man can depend upon it: there
is a time for the sun to rise and a time
for the sun to set; there is a time for the
high tide and a time for the low tide.
Time and tide, in fact, wait for no man,
for they are not dependent upon man
but are ordained by God. So it is with
all that Jehovah does or purposes to do.
2Gods purpose declared ahead of the
time of its occurrence is called divine
prophecy. It is really history written in
advance, for without fail the event comes
to pass in due time just as its infallible
Author says it will. For you know this wisdom and might are his. And he changfirst, that no prophecy of Scripture springs eth the times and the seasons; he removeth
from any private release. For prophecy kings, and setteth up kings; . . . he revealwas at no time brought by mans will, but eth the deep and secret things; he knoweth
men spoke from God as they were borne what is in the darkness, and the light
along by holy spirit. All Scripture is dwelleth with him. Furthermore, when
inspired of God. (2 Pet. 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. Daniel was brought before the great king
of the Babylonian empire to interpret a
3:16,
NW) And since Almighty God as
sumes full responsibility for the carrying dream he confessed that only Jehovah God
out of his purposes he is properly spoken was able to reveal such prophetic secrets.
of as the Fulfiller of prophecy. The Author Said Daniel: The secret which the king
and Fulfiller of prophecy is also the un hath demanded can neither wise men, en
erring Interpreter and Revealer of the chanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show
same, for he alone knows the end from the unto the king; but there is a God in heaven
beginning. Do not interpretations belong that revealeth secrets, and he hath made
to God? Gen. 40:8,
NW. to the king Nebuchadnezzar what
known
3
Gods prophet Daniel recognized theseshall be in the latter days. . . . But as for
basic truths, as he declared: Blessed be me, this secret is not revealed to me for
the name of God for ever and ever; for
any wisdom that I have more than any
1. Is Jehovah God dependable?
living,. . . the great God hath made known
2. Explain how Jehovah is the Author, Fulfiller and
to the king what shall come to pass here
Interpreter of Bible prophecy.
3. In proof that only Jehovah God can foretell future
after: and the dream is certain, and the
events what did Daniel say?
460

GOG AND HIS ALLIES

5
of Magog? Some
lexicographers have
t h o ug ht the name
Gog comes from a
root word meaning
high, m o u n t a i n , 2 or
high or over-topping, as
the summit of a great moun
tain, and hence figuratively iden
tifies one that is gigantic, great
of stature, powerful, warlike. 3 The latest
interpretation Biblical lexicographers think the name
thereof sure. (Dan. 2: Gog is drawn from the Sumerian word
20-22, 27, 28, 30, 45,
Of a gug, meaning darkness. 4 This opinion
truth, Jehovah the God of purpose, the all agrees well with Gogs identity as Satan
wise, all-powerful and eternal One, is fully the Devil. Christ Jesus after his resur
capable of declaring ahead of time his ma rection associated Satans authority with
jestic purposes and then, in his due time, darkness when he said to Saul of Tarsus:
interpreting such Bible prophecies as they I am sending you, to open their eyes, to
are fulfilled or are about to be fulfilled.
turn them from darkness to light and from
4
The historical events of the past fortythe authority of Satan to God. This same
years global wars, earthquakes, food Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apos
shortages, sickness and sorrow, crimes and tle, likewise referred to Satans rule as
calamities, hatred and persecution of gos the authority of the darkness. Acts
pel preachers, etc. establish beyond any 26:17, 18; Col. 1:13,
question of doubt that we are living in the
6
All related facts show that the cryptic
last days of this old world under Satans name Gog refers to Jehovah Gods arch
rule, otherwise spoken of in Scripture as enemy, Satan the Devil, since his ouster
the consummation of the system of from heaven after A.D. 1914. Concerning
things. (Matt. 24:3, N W ; Mark 13; Luke this we read: And war broke out in heav
21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5) In this connection it is en: Michael and his angels battled with the
most significant to read in Bible prophecy dragon, and the dragon and its angels bat
that Jehovah God says that after many tled but it did not prevail, neither was a
days, in the latter years and in the place found for them any longer in heaven.
latter days, where we now find ourselves, So down the great dragon was hurled, the
he would have a special message delivered original serpent, the one called Devil and
against Gog of Magog. This stated purpose Satan, who is misleading the entire inhab
of Jehovah was recorded more than 2,500 ited earth; he was hurled down to the
years ago in the book of Ezekiel, chapters earth, and his angels were hurled down
38 and 39, and is now in the course of
* Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Robert Young.
fulfillment.1
8 Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesias
tical Literature, McClintock & Strong.
4 Bibel-Lexikon (German), Haag, 1953.

1 For a more detailed study of this prophecy see The

Watchtower, October 1, 1953.
4. Where are we on the stream of time, and why is this
of great significance?
461

5. What gives a clue to Gogs identity?

6. Why is Satan the Devil referred to as Gog of Ma
gog, especially since A.D. 1919?

462

SEeWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

with him. Hence, woe for the earth and that they are on Gogs side and against
for the sea, because the Devil has come Jehovah and his Christ. Giants of com
down to you, having great anger, knowing merce and industry, and the big invest
he has a short period of time. (Rev. 12: ment and banking financiers of interna
7-9, 12,
NW) From and after A.D. tional
1914 power and intrigue, are also in this
even to the present day darkness covers same Satanic camp serving very well Gog
the earth and gross darkness the people. of Magog and his organization. Why do
This is the period of time when the Devil, the nations rage, and the peoples meditate
the god of darkness and despair, easily a vain thing? The kings of the earth set
misleads earths inhabitants. The time themselves, and the rulers take counsel
since his being ousted from heaven is the together, against Jehovah, and against his
short period of time just before the com anointed [Jesus].Ps. 2:1, 2, AS; Acts
plete end of Satans system of things. Yes, 4:25-30.
this is the time referred to in Ezekiels
3
The rulers of this world are certainly
prophecy as the latter years and latter against Jehovah, and against his anoint
days of the rule of darkness and oppres ed, for Christ emphatically declared: My
sion by Gog, of the land of Magog. In kingdom is no part of this world. Christs
the prophecy the land of Magog, be true and faithful footstep followers, Jesus
cause of the uncertainty of its ancient said, are no part of the world just as I am
location, well pictures the invisible, de no part of the world. This is why true
graded region in the vicinity of the earth Christians are taught to pray for Jehovah
where Satan and his demons are now held Gods kingdom under Christ to come. They
under divine surveillance since their being are not taught to pray for the continuation
of this present devilish world that will
thrown out of heaven.
7Gog of Magog is the invisible god and soon pass away at Armageddon. (John
But do
wicked ruler of the present global system 18:36; 17:16; Matt. 6:9, 10,
the
clergy
of
Christendom
pray
as
Christ
of things. (John 12:31; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4;
said they should? No, not at all! As a
Eph. 2:2) As such he is the head of a
class they form a strong religio-political
monstrous organization composed of in
brotherhood with the temporal powers and
visible wicked demons that were hurled thus endorse and put their stamp of ap
down to earths vicinity as well as of many proval on the present system of things,
visible earthly associates and allies. It is which is in opposition to Christs kingdom.
therefore not at all surprising that the Furthermore, they are continually heard
chieftains of the earth, the high and to pray for this worlds prosperity and suc
mighty, the visible rulers of the nations, cess. From their pulpits and over the radio
give their full support and strength to the the clergy laud the leaders of this world
and bless anti-Christ schemes for peace
god of this world and his system.
such
as the organization of the United Na
8 Politicians and statesmen may be
tions.
Whenever in such countries as the
blind to these facts, nevertheless, by their
international conferences, peace pacts, United States of America the legislative
treaty agreements and by their oath-bound bodies open their sessions the official voice
leagues and alliances, they demonstrate of a clergyman is heard calling down di
vine blessings upon the deliberations. Thus
7. What elements make up Gogs organization?
8. How do the political and commercial powers identify
themselves as allies of Gog of Magog?

9. What about the clergy of Christendom, are they also

allied with Gog of Magog? Explain.

463
SHeWATCHTOWER
by the company they keep the religious armies are many and they are powerful.
leaders of this world show they are also Besides Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal: . . .
adulterous friends of this world, hence [there are] horses and horsemen, all of
enemies of Jehovah God. Jesus told a them clothed in full armor, a great com
similar class of religionists in his day: pany with buckler and shield, all of them
You are from your father the Devil and handling swords: Persia, Cush, and Put
you wish to do the desires of your father. with them, all of them with shield and
Jas. 4 :4 ; John 8:44, NW.
helmet; Gomer, and all his hordes; the
10 The strong-arm agencies and military house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts
strategists of the world, backed up as they of the north, and all his hordes; even many
are in almost every nation by practically peoples with thee. To all of such in the
unlimited financial support and regiment ancient past Jehovah delivered his divine
ed manpower, are unquestionably deployed message, pictorial of how in these last days
by Gog of Magog. The same is true with he would have a similar message delivered
most of the wizards of scientific discovery to all the hordes of Gogs modern organi
and invention, who, together with a host zation.
of research technologists and specialists,
WHAT IS JEHOVAHS MESSAGE?
are feverishly laboring to improve and
12
This is no message of a mere man. It
strengthen Gogs Offensive and defensive
engines of war. News agencies and propa does not spring from human imagination
ganda organs of this world, by the skill of or ingenuity. In the prophecy Ezekiel did
their writers and orators and through the not speak of his own initiative. Rather, he
medium of public press, radio, cinema and confessed over and over again that the
television, continually praise and extol the message was of divine origin, from the
virtues of this present system of things, great Almighty Jehovah God himself.
this present evil world, and thus they And the word of Jehovah came unto me,
too serve well as tools of Satan. Mention saying, Son of man, set thy face toward
can also be made of the many ethical and Gog, . . . and prophesy against him, and
cultural associations, as well as social, edu say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold,
cational and judicial bodies, who, wittingly I am against thee, O Gog. (Ezek. 38:1-4,
or unwittingly, give active aid and support AS) In verses fourteen and seventeen of
to Gogs world organization. In one way or
this same chapter the point is again em
another and with untiring effort they at
phasized, and still again in chapter thirtytempt to build up, improve and perpetuate
the rule of the nations that are under Sa nine, verses one, five, ten and thirteen
tans control, all in opposition to Gods the prophet declares that this is truly
kingdom by Christ. He that is not on my Jehovahs weighty message. Likewise to
side is against me, said Jesus, and he day, full credit and responsibility for the
that does not gather with me scatters. message against Gog of Magog rightfully
belong to Jehovah God. As Ezekiel was
Matt. 12:30,
NW.
11 Gog of Magog certainly has a great merely the spokesman used by God, so also
host of earthly allies, both willing and un are those today who are privileged to
willing ones. As Ezekiels prophecy says speak in the name of Jehovah as his mes
witnesses.
(38:3-6,
AS), Gogs forces and alliessage-bearing
and
A ugust 1, 1956

10, 11. Name some other elements of this world that

show they are under Gogs control and domination.

12. Both in type and antitype who is credited with this

message against Gog?

464

SEeWATCHTOWER

18 The content of this message is one of

warning and doom delivered to Gog and
his allies; it is really a summons served
on Satan to Armageddons impending de
struction. Jehovahs message in substance
is this: You, Gog, and the vast hordes un
der your command, pay attention to this
now is the time to muster all your forces
and resources, for your violent end is very
near. You have observed how my faithful
witnesses have been gathered out of Baby
lonish captivity and now dwell securely
in peace and unity, enjoying a full meas
ure of spiritual prosperity, and, seeing all
this, you meditate in your wicked and
covetous heart to attack their seemingly
defenseless congregations as if such were
unwalled villages. But watch out! For
when you descend as a cloud to destroy my
faithful people then I will stop you cold
in your attack and all the earth will know
that I am Jehovah. I am now warning you,
Gog, and those under your control, that
my wrath will soon arise and the fire of
my jealousy will shortly burst forth upon
you in all its devastating fury. In fact, so
great and terrible will that display of di
vine vengeance be that even the fish and
the birds and the creeping things of the
earth, yes, and all mankind, shall quiver
and shake. Imagine! even great mountains
shall be thrown down and every walled
fortress will be leveled to the ground! Ter
ror will fill the hearts of your allies and
they will turn their own lethal weapons of
destruction on one another. Indeed I will
rain upon you and those supporting you
an overflowing and devastating flood of
hailstones and sulphurous fire. How foolish
then to think that you will escape! The
whole earth and all that dwell in the heav
ens above will know that I am Jehovah!
Ezekiel 38, 39.
13. What is the substance of the warning Jehovah gives
Gog and his allies?

B rooklyn, N . Y.

14It is not necessary for Jehovah to

carry out a sneak attack to catch his ad
versary Gog off balance in order to gain
the victory. Jehovahs power and might
are so great he arranges the time and
place, invites the enemy to prepare for the
showdown fight, and even foretells in de
tail and long in advance what the final re
sults will be. Proclaim this to the nations:
Let it be war! Rouse up your warriors,
muster your fighting men, march! Ham
mer your ploughshares into swords, your
pruning-hooks into lances. Let your weak
lings think them warriors, let your cow
ards think them heroes! Let the nations
rouse themselves and march to Judgment
Valley, for I will sit in judgment there,
on all the nations round. In with the sickle!
the harvest is ripe! Come, tread the
winepress, tread it, it is full; the troughs
are overflowing with their wickedness.
What a din of hordes, what a din within
the valley of the Verdict! For the Eternals
day [the day of Jehovah, AS] is near,
within the valley of the Verdict. Joel
3:9-14, Mo.
15 So devastating that slaughter, the
dead will cover the ground as manure
spread over a field. Prophesy all this
against them; tell them: The Eternal
[Jehovah, AS] will roar from on high,
. . . The din resounds to the worlds end,
for the Eternal arraigns the nations, he
indicts all mankind, and puts the wicked
to the sword. Then shall the victims of the
Eternal lie all over earth, from end to end,
like dung on the face of the ground, un
wailed, ungathered, unburied. Howl and
cry, you rulers, roll in the ashes, you lords
of the flock! Tis high time you were slain,
and slain you shall be, falling like choice
lambs. No escape for the rulers, no way for
14. In giving this warning message how does Jehovah
display his matchless power and supremacy?
15. In the light of Bible prophecy is it reasonable to
think that any of Gogs allies will survive Armageddon?

A ugust

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

465

the lords of the flock to flee! Jer. 25: of Armageddon will be happy and will
30, 31, 33-35,
Mo.
greatly rejoice to have a share in prepar
16In the wake of Armageddons carnage, ing the earth for a global paradise of
disease and pestilence from the rot and de beauty and perfection under the reign of
cay would plague the survivors were it not the King Christ Jesus. But first, before
for the fact that Jehovah sends forth an
that happy day, this message against Gog
invitation to the birds and beasts to attend
must be delivered in its completeness.
this great slaughter. Speak unto the birds
of every sort, and to every beast of the
WHO DELIVER THE MESSAGE?
field, Jehovah says, and say to them, As
18 Though the message against Gog of
semble yourselves, and come; gather your
Magog
is of divine origin, yet Jehovah is
selves on every side to my sacrifice that I
pleased
to use human creatures as his
do sacrifice for you, . . . Ye shall eat the
dedicated
and ordained messengers to
flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood
of the princes of the earth. This certainly speak in his name and by his authority.
shows the contempt in which Jehovah These are therefore properly called Jeho
holds the proud and haughty of Gogs sys vahs witnesses. The prophets of old were
tem, letting the wild beasts and vultures witness-bearing messengers and as such
feed upon them as worthless carrion! were prototypes of Jehovahs witnesses
Ezek. 39:17, 18,
AS. today. Commissioning Ezekiel as his
17With such a glorious feast of victory spokesman, Jehovah said: Son of man,
concluded, only the bones, bones from one go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and
end of the earth to the other, will be left speak with my words unto them. . . . All
for burial. What a task that will be for my words that I shall speak unto thee
receive in thy heart, and hear
the survivors, to cleanse the
with thine ears. And go, get
earth of every remaining evi
thee to them of the captivity,
dence of Gogs forces! Even
unto the children of thy peo
with the work well organized
ple, and speak unto them, and
it will take seven months, Je
tell them, Thus saith the Lord
hovah says, just to bury the
Jehovah; whether they will
bones. Scouting corps will be
hear, or whether they will for
sent out on a full-time basis to
bear [whether they will listen
search the land thoroughly
or refuse to listen, M o.].
and, when bones are found,
y il
...-fori am
Ezek. 3:4, 10, 11, AS.
markers will be set up for
~j
a CHILD
those with the spades and /
^
19 Concerning another one of Gods faith
shovels who follow. (Ezek.
*
ful witnesses, Jeremiah, we read: Now
39:14, 15) Those privileged to share in the word of Jehovah came unto me, say
that cleanup work will not view it as a re ing, . . . I have appointed thee a prophet
volting and disgusting assignment but will unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord
rejoice to be alive when Gogs long and Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak;
oppressive rule has come to an end and for I am a child. But Jehovah said unto me,
when the wicked are no more. Survivors 18. Who are privileged to deliver Jehovahs message
16. Jehovahs message to Gog includes what special in
vitation?
17. What happy work of the future awaits Armaged
dons survivors, but first, what must be done?

against Gog and his allies, and how was Ezekiel a good
picture of these?
19. (a) As one of Jehovahs witnesses what authority
was conferred upon Jeremiah? (b) To whom was he
sent to deliver Jehovahs message?

466

SReWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever . . . Then said I, Lord, how long? And he
I shall send thee thou shalt go, and what answered, Until cities be waste without in
soever I shall command thee thou shalt habitant, and houses without man, and
speak. Be not afraid because of them; for the land become utterly waste. Isa. 6:5,
I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jeho 8, 9, 11,
AS.
vah. Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and
21 Jehovahs witnesses today, like the
touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto Lords ancient witnesses, are under heavy
me, Behold, I have put my words in thy responsibility before the Most High God.
mouth: see, I have this day set thee over We are therefore ambassadors substitut
the nations and over the kingdoms, . . . ing for Christ, as though God were making
therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and entreaty through us. (2 Cor. 5:20,
speak unto them all that I command thee: As true Christians substituting for Christ
be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay they follow the course and example he set.
thee before them. For, behold, I have made He was a messenger or witness for Jeho
thee this day a fortified city, and an iron vah, but not a self-appointed one. (Mai.
pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole 2:7; Job 33:23; Rev. 1:5; 3:14) His mes
land, against the kings of Judah, against sage was Jehovahs message. He did not
the princes thereof, against the priests speak of his own initiative. (John 5:19, 30;
thereof, and against the people of the land. 7:28; 8:28, 42) So likewise it has been with
And they shall fight against thee; but they Jehovahs witnesses in this twentieth cen
shall not prevail against thee: for I am tury. They have not appointed themselves
with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee. to be Gods witnesses. Jehovah has made
Jer. 1:4-10, 17-19,
the appointment. They did not so much
20
Isaiah was another pictorial type ofas choose their name, Jehovahs wit
Jehovahs witnesses in modern times. The nesses. God did. (Isa. 43:9-11; 44:8) To
prophet, when given a vision of the Lord start with they were but a child, un
Jehovah in his temple, cried out: Woe is trained and inexperienced, yet by applying
me! for I am undone; because I am a man themselves to a diligent study of Jehovahs
of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst revealed Word and with Gods holy spirit
of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes and blessing upon their efforts they be
have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts. came adequately qualified for their divine
The remnant of Gods witnesses A.D. assignment. Not that we of ourselves are
1918, when the Lord Jehovah came to the adequately qualified to reckon anything as
antitypical temple for judgment, were in a issuing from ourselves, but our being ade
similar undone and unclean condition be quately qualified issues from God, who has
cause of inactivity, compromise and bond indeed adequately qualified us to be min
age in modem Babylon. But as in Isaiahs isters.2 Cor. 3:5, 6,
case so also in modern times, Jehovah in
22 So to the ends of the earth these quali
his loving-kindness removed the iniquity fied and authorized messengers of Jehovah
of his people and forgave them their sins have been hastening, national boundaries
and then gave them even greater privileges and linguistic barriers notwithstanding.
of service. I heard the voice of the Lord, Nothing seems to hinder their preaching
saying, Whom shall I send, and who will
Are Jehovahs witnesses today adequately qualified
go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send 21.
to deliver Jehovahs message, and how so?
me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, 22. (a) To what extent have Jehovahs witnesses ac
20. In what particular respect was Isaiah a fitting pic
ture of Jehovahs message-bearing witnesses today?

cepted the assignment conferred upon them? (b) What

are some of the interesting questions that will be an
swered in the following article?

ug ust

1, 1956

STkWATCHTOWER

activity. As with Jeremiah violent storms

of persecution and hateful opposition have
raged against them, but such things have
not stopped Jehovahs witnesses. Neither
have they shrunk back out of fear or be
cause of the edicts of kings, princes, dic

467

tators, popes or priests. How well they

have prospered in their assignment, to
what extent they have delivered Jehovahs
message against Gog of Magog, and what
the results have been, will be considered
in the next article.

are very good reasons why Jehovah God

in these last days passed over all
others and chose what at the time
was a small and obscure group
of people to speak in his name
and by his authority as his
witnesses. Whom else can
7926 w
A
TO
God trust to speak for him?
Admittedly he cannot use
agnostics and atheists, who
. A6 AIN ST SATAN
say there is neither a Jeho
AND FOR JEH O V A H
vah
God nor a Satan the
* TH
E
AND T o n
,E PEOPLE
Devil. He cannot use the
p aga n -w orsh ip in g heathen,
who have never heard of Him
and who prefer to serve a multi
tude of false gods. Most certainly
He will not use the self-seeking, proud
and haughty rulers of this world who,
like Pharaoh of old, sneeringly say: Who
is Jehovah? Jehovah uses only those faith
ful and loyal to him, men and women of
proved integrity, and for this reason he re
fuses to use the clergy of Christendom,
since out of fear of men or for some other
selfish reason they compromise with and
are friends of Gods very enemies.*
2
Jehovahs witnesses, on the other hand,
meet the exacting qualifications set by the
Almighty Jehovah for those who are priv
ileged to deliver his highly important mes
sage against Gog of Magog. These witness
es are fully obedient to Jehovah under all
circumstances and especially under diffiTESTIM O N Y
TH E R U LE R S
O F T H E WORLD

FR EED O M
FO R T H E P E O P L E S
1920
d e c l a r a t io n

ftp/
/

Av * itih g

atMck

D E L IV E R IN G
SATANS DEATH

NOTICE
How art thou
fallen from heaven,
. . . Yet thou shalt be
brought down to Sheol, to the
uttermost parts of the pit. Jeho
vah of hosts hath sworn, saying,
Surely, . . . as I have pur
posed, so shall it stand.
Isa. 14:12, 15, 24,
Am . Stan. Ver.

|S THE previous article stated,

Jehovahs witnesses, of all peo
ple, are the ones commissioned
by God to deliver his special mes
sage just prior to this worlds end.
The message is one of doom directed
against Gog of Magog, that is, Satan
the Devil, and against his allies. And there
1. Who have been chosen to deliver Jehovahs message
against Gog of Magog, and why these to the exclusion
of others?

k u ie r s

* See page 462, paragraph 9.

2. (a) What high qualifications do Jehovahs witnesses
meet? (b) Name a few of those in the past that dis
played similar characteristics, and describe the source
of their strength.

468

31kWATCHTOWER

cult situations when put to the test by the

adversary. They are fearless of the Devil
and his dupes. They are stouthearted and
courageous, having implicit trust in and
reliance on the Divine Power that backs
them up. (Deut. 31:6, 7; Josh. 1:6, 9, 18;
Ps. 27:14; 31:24; Hag. 2:4; Zech. 8:9, 13;
1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:10; 2 Tim. 1:7) They
are not pusillanimous cowards, recreant
sissies, or weak-kneed poltroons, for
such types of craven individuals are an
abomination in Jehovahs sight. (Deut.
20:8; Judg. 7:3; Eph. 4:14; Jas. 1:6-8;
Rev. 21:8) The qualities displayed by
Jehovahs faithful witnesses today are the
same as those possessed by Jehovahs rep
resentatives in the past upright men and
women of action like Gideon and Deborah,
Barak and Jael, Jephthah and Rahab
who through faith defeated kingdoms in
conflict, . . . from a weak state were made
powerful, became valiant in war, routed
the armies of foreigners. (Judg. 4:4-9;
Heb. 11:31-34,
NW) But not
strength or through their own craftiness
and ability did they come off more than
conquerors. It was not because of natural
strength of mind or body but by Jehovahs
spirit that they were able to endure the
trials and sufferings
that came upon
them. Zech. 4:6.
3
David is another
good example of one
having the desirable
qual i ti es Jehovah
approves in his wit
nesses. He was the
youngest and appar
ently the most ob
scure one of the fam
ily, considered by his
3. How did David measure
up to the requirements as
a spokesman and witness
for Jehovah?

Brooklyn, N. Y.

elders fit only to be a keeper of the sheep

out in the wilderness, while his older broth
ers, wise and important in their own eyes,
looked after what they considered the more
honorable affairs. But Jehovah seeth not
as man seeth; for man looketh on the out
ward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on
the heart. So Jehovah passed by these
brothers that thought so highly of them
selves and their personal qualifications.
David, though but a youth, undeveloped
and small of stature when measured along
side a mighty man of war like Saul, was
nevertheless equipped with those essential
qualities that make for success as one of
Jehovahs witnesses. (1 Sam. 16:3-13,
He loved righteousness and had a perfect
hatred for those that blaspheme and re
proach Jehovah God. When faced with
overwhelming dangers his full confidence
and trust was in the unlimited power of
the Most High God. Note how this beloved
witness
of Jehovah delivered the death
in
their own
notice to that overtowering and frightening
representative of the Devil, the giant Go
liath. Thou comest to me with a sword,
and with a spear, and with a javelin: but
I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of
hosts, the God of the armies
of Israel, whom thou hast
defied. This day will Jeho
vah deliver thee into my
hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thy head from off
thee; and I will give the
dead bodies of the host of
the Philistines this day un
to the birds of the heavens,
and to the wild beasts of
the earth; that all the earth
may know that there is a
God in Israel, and that all
this assembly may know
that Jehovah saveth not

A ugust 1, 1956

3TieWAT CHTOWER

with sword and spear: for the battle is

Jehovahs, and he will give you into our
hand. With those challenging words David
eagerly dashed forward, felled the monster
with a well-aimed slingstone right between
the eyes, and with Goliaths own sword cut
off his ugly head! 1 Sam. 17:45-47,
4The inspired apostle Paul wrote: Put
on the complete suit of armor from God
that you may be able to stand firm against
the machinations of the Devil; because we
have a fight, not against blood and flesh,
but against the [non-flesh-and-blood] gov
ernments, against the authorities, against
the world-rulers of this darkness, against
the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly
places. On this account take up the com
plete suit of armor from God. (Eph. 6:1013, NW) Search the world over and you
will find no other group of people aside
from Jehovahs witnesses that have put on
such armor from God. Thus equipped
they are the only group of people that are
capable of standing up against and battling
the Devil and his demon forces. Jehovahs
witnesses, therefore, are fully qualified and
are able and willing to deliver Jehovah
Gods message against Gog of Magog and
his hordes, and this the history of the past
thirty-five years shows they have been
doing.
LOOK AT THE RECORD!

5As long ago as September 10,1922, more

than 10,000 of Jehovahs witnesses in con
vention at Cedar Point, Ohio, adopted a
Resolution that said in part: We as
[Gods] witnesses hold and testify as fol
lows, to wit: . . . That Satan, long the god
of this world, has deceived the statesmen,
financiers and the clergy, by inducing
them to believe that by international
4. Explain why Jehovahs witnesses are the only ones
capable of delivering Satans death notice.
5. What challenging proclamation was hurled into the
face of Gog and his allies at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1922?

469

agreement or other combined efforts they

can bring the desire of all nations; That
all the worlds present organization con
stitutes the visible part of Satans empire
or organization, and that Satans empire
must now fall before the forward march
of the King of glory; That all international
conferences and all agreements or treaties
resulting therefrom, including the League
of Nations compact and all like compacts,
must fail, because God has decreed it thus;
. . . We further hold and testify that this
is the day of Gods vengeance against Sa
tans empire visible and invisible. More
than 45,000,000 copies of this challenging
proclamation were hurled into the face of
Gog of Magog and his visible allies through
out the world. A stunning blow indeed, but
only the beginning of a long series of such
plaguing denunciations from Jehovah by
the mouth of his witnesses.
6
The following year (1923) on August
25, in Los Angeles, California, another
convention of Jehovahs witnesses unani
mously adopted another fiery resolution
entitled A Warning. It was one of the
strongest denunciations ever delivered
against those who pretend to be Chris
tians, but do not believe in the Bible as
Gods inspired Word of truth, who repu
diate the doctrines of the fall of man and
his redemption through the blood of Jesus
Christ, which class is made up of apostate
clergymen and the principal of their
flocks, who are worldly men of strong
financial and political influence, which
class exercises the controlling influence
and power in the denominational organiza
tions. These are the ones under Gogs in
fluence and control who have with selfish
design, the resolution declared, invaded
the schools, colleges, seminaries and uni
versities with their God-dishonoring doc
trines of higher criticism and evolution,
6. The following year what Warning was served on
Gogs earthly allies?

470

SEeWATCHTOWER

[and] have led the people into gross error

and destroyed the faith of multitudes in
the inspired Word of God. Millions of
copies of this resolution, together with
the supporting argument entitled All Na
tions Marching to Armageddon, were free
ly distributed throughout the earth.
7In July, 1924, at another international
assembly of Jehovahs people, in Colum
bus, Ohio, a resolution designated Indict
ment was adopted and later, in printed
form, distributed to the ends of the earth.
Among other things it said: We believe
and hold that it is Gods due time for his
displeasure to be expressed against wicked
systems that have blinded the people to the
truth. . . . We present and charge that Sa
tan formed a conspiracy for the purpose of
keeping the peoples in ignorance of Gods
provision for blessing them with life, lib
erty and happiness; and that others, to wit,
unfaithful preachers, conscienceless profit
eers, and unscrupulous politicians, have
entered into said conspiracy, either willing
ly or unwillingly; That unfaithful preach
ers have . . . willingly made commercial
giants and professional politicians the
principal ones of their flocks. We present
and charge that the clergy have yielded to
the temptations presented to them by Sa
tan and, contrary to Gods Word, have
joined in said conspiracy.
8 Again Jehovahs witnesses, at a big
convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Au
gust 29, 1925, sent out a Message of
Hope addressed To All Peoples of Good
Will, which said in part: For centuries
man has been the victim of oppression,
war, famine, sickness, sorrow and death.
. . . The causes for this deplorable condi
tion are that man by reason of original
sin fell from perfection; and that Satan
the enemy of God and all righteousness is
7. What satanic conspiracy was specifically mentioned
in the 1924 Indictment"?
8. Again, in 1925, the responsibility for mankinds de
plorable conditions was fixed upon whom?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

the invisible ruler or god of this evil world

and by his various agencies has turned the
minds of many peoples away from God and
from his truth. The greatest crisis of the
ages is impending and about to fall, be
cause the old world has ended and Satans
lease of power is done. Knowing this, and
that his time is short, the Devil is trying
to overwhelm the peoples with a great
flood of false and deceptive doctrines and
to turn their minds completely away from
Jehovah.
9
With these yearly denunciations of Gog
of Magog coming in such close succession
the Lords witnesses hardly had time to
distribute one to earths far corners before
another blast against Gog was sent forth.
So it was, only ten months later, A T e s t i
m o n y t o t h e R u l e r s o f t h e W o r l d in
the form of another resolution was adopted
by Jehovahs faithful witnesses assembled
in Royal Albert Hall, London, England, in
May, 1926. It read in part: World powers
are designated in the Scriptures under the
symbol beast for the evident reason that
they are the result of the combined effort
of the commercial, political and ecclesias
tical leaders of men and are influenced and
dominated by Satan, the god of this world,
and have been, and are, military, harsh,
cruel and oppressive, and manifest the
spirit of Satan, their invisible ruler, or
god; . . . divine prophecy now fulfilled,
and in the course of fulfilment, bears testi
mony to the fact that Satans lease of pow
er is done, and that the old world has
ended, . . . by reason of the blinding in
fluence of Satan the minds of the rulers
and the ruled are turned away from the
true God, and the evil forces are gathering
the whole world unto the great battle of
the Lord God Almighty; that there is now
impending a time of trouble such as the
world has never known, during which con9. What fearless warning was sent forth from Londons
Royal Albert Hall as A Testimony to the Rulers of
the World in 1926?

A ugust

1, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

471

flict Satans powerful organization shall

fall never to rise again.

11
The following year another milestone
in history was reached. The most exten
sive and expensive radio hookup in his
SATANS DOOM BROADCAST
tory, to quote the New York Times, in
AROUND THE WORLD
which 107 radio stations covering the
10
The power of the printing press aidedUnited States and Canada, and shortwave
greatly in making known these divine pro channels carrying the message to foreign
nouncements as millions upon millions of lands, was arranged for August 5, 1928.
printed copies were widely circulated in This sensational hookup used 33,500 miles
many languages. Now, in 1927, a new force of telephone lines and 91,400 miles of tele
was added to this message against Gog of graph lines, with more than 500 telephone
Magog, namely, the power of radio broad experts superintending the network. What
casting. History was made in Toronto, was the occasion? The broadcasting once
Canada, in July of that year when an ad again of Jehovahs message against Gog of
dress entitled Freedom for the Peoples Magog! It was in the form of a resolution en
was broadcast over the largest hookup of titled Declaration Against Satan and for
radio stations up until then. Fifty-three Jehovah. Jehovahs people assembled in
stations from the Atlantic to the Pacific, international convention in Detroit, Michi
plus shortwave facilities, were used. On gan, the resolution said, do declare them
that occasion another important resolu selves against Satan and wholly for Jeho
tion was broadcast that, to quote a portion, vah of hosts, and emphatically announce
declared: As Christians and witnesses to further these vital truths, to wit: . . . That
the name of Jehovah God we deem it our Satan the Devil has caused strife amongst
privilege and duty to call your attention to the nations and is responsible for all the
the following vital facts: . . . That the in cruel wars, wicked murders, all heinous
visible ruler of the nations of Christen crimes and other corrupt acts that have
dom or organized Christianity, so called, been committed; that until now Jehovah
is Satan the Devil, who has fathered the has not restrained Satan from the exercise
scheme of forming organized Christianity of power and influence over man, . . . that
to deceive the people and to keep them in for many centuries Satan has been the in
subjection to himself and his agencies. visible ruler of the world, constantly de
. . . That the kings and rulers of the earth, faming the name of Jehovah God and
to wit: those constituting the said unholy working great injury to men and nations;
alliance, have been duly notified that God That Jehovah promised that in his due
has set his King upon his throne and that time he would restrain Satan and establish
his kingdom is at hand; but they refuse a righteous government in the earth that
to understand or to take heed, and they men might have an opportunity for life
walk on in darkness. Therefore God has everlasting in happiness; . . . That because
decreed and declared that there shall come Satan will not surrender his wicked rule
upon the world a time of tribulation such over the nations and peoples of the earth,
as never was known; and that during that Jehovah of hosts with his anointed execu
trouble Christendom or organized Chris tive officer Christ Jesus will press the con
tianity, so called, and all of Satans organ flict against Satan and all of his forces of
evil, and henceforth our battle-cry shall
ization shall be destroyed.
10. What historic event occurred in 1927 to give impetus
to this message of doom being delivered against Gog
of Magog?

11. What was the occasion when the history-making

Declaration Against Satan and for Jehovah" was
adopted in 1928?

472

WATCHTOWER

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

be, THE SWORD OF JEHOVAH AND OF

HIS ANOINTED; that the great battle of
Armageddon soon to begin will result in
the full restraint of Satan and the com
plete overthrow of his evil organization.
At the conclusion, the resolution was en
thusiastically adopted by a vote not only
by the visible audience of upward of
12,000, but also by the far-greater number
in the unseen radio audience.
11Again Columbus, Ohio, this time
July 26, 1931, and again a warning was
sounded, addressed To t h e R u l e r s a n d
t o t h e P e o p l e . It said in part: B e it
k n o w n : That there is but one true and
Almighty God, whose name is Jehovah, the
Most High; that there is but one Redeemer
of man, whose name is Christ and whom
God has anointed and installed as King of
the world; and that his Kingdom is now
come, and is the hope of the peoples of
the world. That Satan, the Devil, is the
great enemy of God and of man. For cen
turies he has been the invisible ruler of the
world, and has brought great reproach up
on the name of God and has led men into
degradation; that the condition of suffer
ing and distress now in the earth is due to
the wickedness of Satan and his agents;
that the time has come, as God declares,
when Satans rule shall for ever end; that
in 1914 Satan was cast out of heaven down
to the earth; that within a short time from
now Jehovah by Christ will destroy Sa
tans power and organization in the earth;
that before so doing, however, it is the
expressed will and commandment of Jeho
vah God that his message of warning shall
be delivered by his witnesses to the rulers
and to the people. Immediately following
this convention 165 other conventions
throughout the world echoed the same
themes of the Columbus assembly and
adopted similar resolutions.

13The intervening years from and since

1931 have been filled with similar denun
ciations and exposes of Gog of Magog and
his nefarious allies, and it is certain that
this important wouk will not slow down or
cease until it is finished at Armageddon.
For example, when the New World So
ciety of Jehovahs witnesses gathered in
Yankee Stadium in New York city for an
eight-day assembly, July 19-26, 1953, the
112,700 at the evening session of the fifth
day heard a talk entitled New World So
ciety Attacked from the Far North. In
that stirring forthright discourse not only
were Gog and his allies identified but also
the strategy they will use in their last
all-out attack upon the Lords faithful peo
ple was revealed and described in detail.
It was certainly another timely warning
from Jehovah, for the whole world to hear;
therefore it was later published in the Oc
tober 1, 1953, issue of the Watchtower
magazine, which issue had a circulation of
1,650,000 copies in thirty-nine languages.
And now that message continues to go
forth in the book
YouMay Survi
geddon into Gods New World, released in
English in 1955, the first edition of which
was one million copies, and the twentieth
chapter of which is entitled Awaiting the
Attack by Gog of Magog.
But over the years what has the de
livering of this caustic message against
Satan the Devil accomplished or what pur
pose has it served? First of all, never lose
sight of the all-important fact that this is
Jehovahs message that he long ago pur
posed should be delivered against Gog of
Magog in these closing years of Satans
wicked rule. Surely the Lord Jehovah will
do nothing, except he reveal his secret un
to his servants the prophets.. . . The Lord

12. In 1931 what two great truths were called to the

attention of The Rulers and The People, and how
was this message further expanded throughout the
earth?

13. Has the delivering of Jehovahs message against Gog

of Magog slowed down or ceased since 1931?
14. What effect has this warning message had upon Gog
and his allies?

t h e u r g e n c y o f t h e s e f in a l y e a r s

1, 1956

473
S^eWATCHTOWER.
Jehovah hath spoken; who can but proph never fail. Jehovahs faithful witnesses will
esy? (Amos 3:7, 8, AS) Of course Jeho stand the enemys fire and will thus prove
vah is under no obligation to warn the their integrity under the test. There is no
wicked of their error, but because of his doubt, then, the message of warning
long-suffering with these vessels of wrath against the Devil and all those under his
that are only fit for destruction Jehovah cruel rule will continue until the cities or
warns such of their impending execution organizations of this old system of things
even though the message only hardens are no more to be found.
their already stony hearts. That is what
18 Many people of good will are deceived
happened in Pharaohs case, and he was a by Satan and are held by him as captives
fitting picture or type of the Devil. This against their own will. So the sounding of
exposure of Gogs global operation infuri this warning message serves another very
ates this wicked one and he schemes how good purpose. Its loud and continuous
to silence Jehovahs witnesses for making proclamation awakens these people of
these things known. This is why he causes right heart condition, opens their blind
his earthly agencies to heap so much per eyes, and leads them out of the Devils
secution and suffering upon them in an captivity into the glorious freedom of the
effort to hinder and stop their preaching truth, thus enabling them to escape the
activity. We may confidently expect that execution of Jehovahs judgment that will
Gog of Magog in his maddened desperation fall upon the Devils organization in the
will in the future attempt to make even near future. More than a half million of
greater efforts to wipe out Jehovahs faith such lovers of righteousness have already
ful witnesses completely. That final des fled for safety in these comparatively few
perate attack, however, will mark the be short years since this proclamation began.
ginning of Armageddon.
Here, then, is tangible evidence that the de
15
So the proclaiming of this messagelivering of this message of warning has not
under these adverse conditions serves a been in vain, but rather has been attended
good purpose in that it puts the message- by overwhelming prosperity and success.
bearers to a test. Will they obey Jehovah As the Proverb says, a trustworthy en
God and continue to proclaim Gods or voy insures success. And again it is writ
dained message or wifi they water it down, ten: Like a draught of snow-cooled water
sugar-coat it with compromise, or will in the time of harvest is a faithful mes
they quit altogether and run for cover? senger to those who send him; he refreshes
Will they stick to the organization Jeho the spirit of his master. (Prov. 13:17;
vah is now using in the earth or will they 25:13, AT) The Master Jehovah has in
attempt to break away from the theocratic turn smiled with approval upon his trust
organization and set up one of their own worthy witnesses and their work, and has
design and making? Here and there an indeed refreshed and sustained them over
isolated individual who stops walking in the years. No doubt a great multitude of
the counsel of Jehovah may drop out and other people of good will must yet hear
turn back, as Lots wife did, but the organ and flee to safety as this proclamation con
ization as a whole will not fail in its dedi tinues a little longer.
17 The urgency of the times cannot be
cated purpose, because Jehovahs purposes
A

ug ust

15. What effect has the opposition to this message had

upon Jehovahs witnesses, and what assurance is there
that this message will continue to be preached until
Armageddon?

16. The serving of Satans death notice has had, and

will yet have, what effect upon people of good will?
17. Why is it necessary to emphasize the urgency of the
times?

474

SfreWATCHTOWER-

Brooklyn, N. Y.

immorality, the crimes and calamities and

woes, yes, mans greatest enemy, Satan
the Devil, will shortly be abyssed for a
thousand years!
18What a privilege, then, you witnesses
of Jehovah have! In the long line of wit
nesses extending from Abels day on down
to now it is your privilege to be standing
among those who are now delivering Sa
tans death notice! Do not neglect so rare
and so sweet a privilege! Do not delay and
do not retard serving this weighty and
urgent notice. Remember, Jehovahs bless
ing and prosperity will continue upon all
those who obey his will and serve his pur
pose and faithfully deliver this divine mes
sage, for surely as Jehovah has purposed,
so shall it stand. Isa. 14:24, AS.

emphasized too strongly. The time is short,

much shorter than when this proclamation
began, and there is no time to lose. Arma
geddon draws on apace. It is now almost
forty years since Satan was cast out of
heaven down to this earth. The climax of
all ages is fast approaching. Jehovahs
Word and name are about to be completely
vindicated. The one that challenged Jeho
vahs universal sovereignty in the first
place, he who boasted he would be like
the Most High, is about to be brought
down to the pit, the abyss. (Rev. 20:1-3,
NW) Just think of itthe one responsible
for this worlds ignorance, superstitions
and fears, the one responsible for man
kinds fallen condition of sin, sickness,
sorrow and death, the one responsible for
all the wickedness in the earth, all the
wars and famines, the delinquency and

18. Do you count it a privilege to be one of Jehovahs

witnesses today? Why so?

Sclioo&eachefts Accept tfie <0T/tt4

From the Watch Tower Society's Nigerian branch
I am writing to tell you that two out
of four teachers at this school have now
become Jehovah's witnesses. They have
joined us in the grand work of promoting
true worship. A ll together, including m y
self, we are five in number. W hen I first
started to preach to m y fellow teachers
they would joke about it and start argu
ing. But as time went on they began to
listen intently and asked many reasonable
questions. A t our last circuit assembly
these two teachers were baptized. It was
a delight to see these two new brothers
returning from the assembly full of joy,
rejoicing in the truths set forth in The
Watchtower and responding to the call by
saying Send m e !"
Because of their stand for the truth,
the members of the Apostolic church tried
their utmost to turn them away, but all
to no avail. Finding their efforts failing,

)
|

]
I
|
I

)
I
i

they began abusing us by calling us

bigots," intolerant," etc. But these new
brothers were not moved. They have all
the latest publications and have obtained
new Bibles. They are filled with love and
enthusiasm and are continually studying.
The more they go into the field the more
and better are their experiences.
Now the headmaster of the school and
the other teacher are paying much atten
tion. The headmaster even brings Let
God Be True with him to school and
is studying it very seriously.
The fifth teacher, although not yet
baptized, has already started preaching.
One brother told me that he saw this
teacher preaching near the court at the
week end. Unable to answer a question he
called the brother over for help. The three
of us teachers who are brothers now give
our students regular talks about Jehovah
God and the new world after school is over.

was rushed off by car to Radio Burma,

where he gave a fifteen-minute discourse
over the only radio station to serve Ran
goon. It was a real pleasure to talk with
the men at the radio station and to pre
sent to them publications of the Society.
Monday (April 9) was spent in the branch
office and there were discussions with
the missionaries about the work. It was
emphasized that it is absolutely essential
for the missionaries to take greater inter
est in the language. W here missionaries
learn the language of a country greater
progress is made. However, for the last
two years Burma has been standing still
as far as an increase in publishers is concerned;
and it is believed that one of the principal rea
sons is that the missionaries have not put forth
sufficient effort to speak the tongue of the coun
R R IV IN G in Burma, Brother Knorr was
try. W hile they m ay argue that the m ajority of
greeted at the Rangoon airport by fifty of
the people speak English, still if that were true,
the brothers. It was enjoyable to see the mission
why publish the Burmese Watchtower? Its first
aries there and to join with them in their assem
issue was released at the convention, and if we
bly. They had arranged the convention in their
need magazines in Burmese it certainly indi
own Kingdom Hall. On Saturday, April 7, five
cates that those working in the country need
were baptized. By Sunday evening the number
the language. The very fact that one speaking
in attendance had increased to 115. Mission
at a convention must speak through an inter
aries and others were in Rangoon from M an
preter shows that Burmese is necessary to
dalay, having come down by train. It was a
communicate with the people, and therefore
dangerous trip and they had to have a troop
those representing the Society should speak that
train traveling right ahead of the passenger
tongue fluently. The missionaries were im
train to protect the passengers from bandits
pressed with these points, and it is believed
and revolutionists. It is not uncommon for the
they now will study diligently. Maybe with
bandits to blow up bridges or put bombs on the
greater effort on their part to reach the people
tracks. Sometimes trains are delayed a whole
in their own tongue progress will be made in
day while bridges are being repaired. The gov
that country. W e can only pray and hope that
ernment is trying to bring peace to the coun
Jehovahs blessing will be upon the instructions
try, but there have been many years of vio
given and that if there are other people of
lence in the northern part of Burma. In the
good will in that land they will be found and
big cities there is peace and general prosperity
gathered into the N ew W orld society. Burma
and business goes on as usual. It is amid these
is a big field and there is much more work to
conditions that the missionaries and publishers
be done, but to accomplish it greater effort
of Jehovahs kingdom are preaching good news.
must be put forth by the missionaries and con
gregation publishers. This good news of the
The public meeting was held in the Town
established kingdom must be preached. It is
Hall. There were seven Buddhist priests who
their responsibility to do it.
sat in the front row, attired in their yellow
robes, while others were scattered throughout
Brother Knorr left at 2 :4 5 a.m. Tuesday,
the audience, which numbered 268 in all. The
April 10. His plane went by w ay of Bangkok,
audience was very much interested in what was
Thailand, where at four oclock that morning
being said about Making A ll Mankind One Un
he was greeted by some of the publishers. Here
der Their Creator ; and 165 stayed to hear the
Brother Adam s rejoined him for the trip on
closing remarks by the president and the con
to Manila. The plane made a stop at Hong
cluding discourses of the convention that con
Kong for a few hours, but by seven oclock that
tinued there at the Town Hall.
evening Brothers Knorr and Adam s were met
at the Manila airport by a happy throng.
As soon as the meeting closed Brother Knorr

475

476

SEeWATCHTOWER.

TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM ASSEMBLY AT MANILA

For months the brothers in the Philippines
had been preparing for a national assembly.
M any of the witnesses of Jehovah had to ar
range to travel long distances to Manila. In
order for them to make the trip some had to
make special arrangements raising pigs and
other farm commodities, which had to be sold
to provide transportation expenses. A t Manila
1,800 brothers had attended a special meeting
to handle the housing problem. It was esti
mated that 12,000 brothers would be traveling
to M anila; so ample space had to be obtained.
For six weeks the brothers covered the terri
tory around the Rizal Memorial Football Sta
dium, and 8,338 accommodations were listed.
The majority of these were fo r free rooms,
which shows the warm hospitality of the Fili
pino people toward Jehovahs witnesses coming
to this assembly. W eeks of work were neces
sary to prepare for a cafeteria and refresh
ment stands, but all of these were in readiness
for the big gathering.
A t the beginning of the assembly week the
usual dry season for the Philippine Islands was
rudely interrupted by a freak typhoon, which
caused continual rain in Manila, but this did
not dampen the zeal of the brothers in making
preparations for the three-day assembly, Fri
day, Saturday and Sunday. Two hundred
brothers came by boat from far-off Davao, a
city on the island of Mindanao. For six days
they traveled, braving the stormy weather, and
now were met in Manila by a crowd of happy
brothers. As the delegates from Davao landed
each one was given a neatly printed map of
Manila and vicinity that showed the assembly
place, convention headquarters, branch office
of the Society, and addresses of the 26 King
dom H alls in the Manila area.
On Wednesday morning m any witnessed a
spectacular sight: Lined up on both sides of
the road that passes the Stadium were fortyfive chartered buses, some carrying 200 broth
ers each, from faraw ay Cagayan, Northern
Luzon. Brothers were pouring into the assem
bly city in small and large groups. By this
time, too, the storm had passed and the usual
hot, sunny weather returned to make the pre
assembly work easier. By Friday morning all
was in readiness, even though a crew of 200
brothers had to work all night to get the foot
ball field fixed up with sound equipment and
to arrange the platform. The speakers stand,
covered by a colorful plastic canopy, was erect-

Brooklyn, N. Y .

ed in the center of the playing field, and beau

tiful flowers and other decorations were ar
ranged in a tasteful display.
The convention was opened by Brother
Stewart, the branch servant and convention
chairman. His talk and all that followed were
given in English and simultaneously translated
into Tagalog and Ilocano. The audience that
sat to the north of the speakers stand heard
the talk in Ilocano, while the center section
directly in front of the platform heard it in
English, and those to the south heard it in
Tagalog. Each interpreter wore earphones so
he would not be confused by hearing another
dialect. In these islands eighty-six dialects are
used, but the two main dialects were used
during the assembly so the m ajority of the
brothers in attendance could understand.
Many interesting experiences were given at
the convention. One special pioneer who had
been in her assignment for only four months
reported that although there was no interest
in the town when she arrived, twelve persons
of good will had accompanied her to the as
sembly and two of them would be baptized.
Many special pioneers going into isolated terri
tory find good-will persons quickly and soon
build up congregations.
The first days sessions concluded with a talk
by the president, heard by 11,460. Immediately
after conclusion of the evening session the
brothers were invited to stay a little longer to
hear an 8:30 broadcast over the radio. Brother
Knorr was being interviewed by two noted ra
dio personalities on a program called News
Scoop. N orm ally this program is thirty
minutes in length, but the interviewers be
came so interested in the subject matter that
it ran for forty-five minutes. The brothers said
that this interview in the Philippines gave a
tremendous witness because it was over one of
the most widely-listened-to programs. In the
forty-five minutes the doctrines and the work
of Jehovahs witnesses were discussed, and
Brother Knorr was able to tell of the expan
sion of the work of Jehovahs witnesses.
The baptism was arranged for Saturday
morning at eight oclock, and at that time
10,000 of the brothers were in the Stadium. The
witnesses were divided into nine groups, accord
ing to their dialects; and upon request they
came forward to the running track in front
of the platform to hear and respond to the
two questions that were propounded at the
end of the discourse. Although these candidates

A u gust

1, 1956

477

SfceWATCHTOWEFL

spoke m any different languages, each one heard

and answered these questions in his own dia
lect, because the questions were translated
from English to Tagalog, Ilocano, CebuVisayan, Hiligaynon-Visayan, Benguet, Pampango, Ibanag and Pangasinan by competent
brothers. It was a real thrill to see these 434
brothers of many tongues who had dedicated
themselves to Jehovah, all speaking one pure
language the truth of Gods Word.

all these brothers and sisters were unmarried,

so they could spend the good years of their
youth in the full-time work before settling
down to the obligations and responsibilities of
married life. They were a very happy group,
and it is clearly seen that Jehovah is blessing
their efforts richly. M any of these brothers are
enjoying great increases in their assignments
as those of good will hear the truth and join
with them in the service work.

The visiting brothers gave the same talks

at this convention in the Philippine Islands that
they had given at other places. By Saturday
night the attendance reached a peak of 11,567.
The brothers who heard the stirring narrative
by the president on the work in Russia were
shocked by the story of brutality and persecu
tion, but thrilled by the integrity of their fel
low servants behind the iron curtain. The won
derful endurance, the unity and strength of the
harassed brothers in Russia are stimulating
to Jehovahs witnesses everywhere.

E arly the next morning Brothers Knorr,

Adams and Barry boarded a plane for Hong
Kong. They left behind them memories of the
largest and happiest assembly ever held in the
Philippines, and a strong determination on the
part of the Filipino brothers to apply the coun
sel given and to do their share in bringing the
whole tithe into the storehouse of Jehovahs
temple. Mai. 3:10, AS.

Sundays program was a full one. Along with

Brother Adams, Brother Barry, the Japanese
branch servant, spoke in the morning. The
days program was brought to a climax at five
oclock in the evening when the public lecture
was delivered. As Brother Knorr began his
talk the sun was low in the sky and there was
plenty of cool shade for the crowd that packed
the stadium and overflowed into the bleachers
to the left and the right of the platform. There
were 17,259 in attendance, which meant at least
5,000 persons of good will had been gathered
to hear this message on Making A ll Mankind
One Under Their Creator. A s the tropical sun
set on the final day of the Triumphant King
dom assembly all who had gathered together
felt strengthened and comforted and deter
mined anew to carry on in the great work as
signed to them by Jehovah to preach the good
news of his kingdom everywhere.
In recent years tremendous strides have been
made in the ingathering work in the Philippines.
In 1945 there were 2,000 preaching the good
news, but in only ten years this number in
creased to over 24,000. The brothers there are
enthusiastic and they like to talk. O f course,
when they do talk it is the truth that first
comes to their mind, and so it has spread rapid
ly throughout the country. M any of the broth
ers are sincerely trying to put Kingdom in
terests first in their lives. In checking the pio
neer records it was found that of the 500 pio
neers and thirty-five circuit servants almost

ONWARD TO CHINA

Within a few hours the plane the three broth

ers were in was skimming low through the hills
that very closely surround the Hong Kong air
port. (This is one airport that travelers hope the
pilot knows his w ay around in in order to land
safely.) The missionaries and local brothers
who were waiting for their arrival were happy
to greet them. In Hong Kong there is much
activity. Many big changes are under way.
Even as the group left the airport they ob
served a crew of workmen busily cutting away
at rock and dirt of a large hill, leveling it off
to provide more space for this crowded city.
This was being done in numerous places. A p
proximately 2,250,000 people are jammed into
the small area of the free port of Hong Kong
and adjacent Kowloon. M any of these are ref
ugees from the mainland of China, who have
come to Hong Kong in the past five years. Pour
ing into an already overcrowded city, and with
no place to go, they were forced to get along
the best they could in little wooden or corru
gated-tin shacks. This situation has now been
much improved, however. A fter the big fire in
December had destroyed large sections of the
squatter areas, the government quickly moved
in and erected concrete apartments fo r the
people. W hile these buildings provide just the
bare essentials, still they have greatly im
proved the situation and the people now have a
roof over their heads and do not have to live in
the streets.
Because of Hong K ongs political connection
with the mainland of China it has been possible

478

WATCHTOWER

to keep in touch with the brothers in Shanghai.

There they continue to do well in gathering to
gether the other sheep, even though it is al
most impossible to do house-to-house work
without interference. Brother Knorr was very
happy to receive a letter from the brothers in
Shanghai while visiting Hong Kong, and ex
cerpts follow :
Greetings in the name of Jehovah to your
self and the brothers traveling with you from
your brothers up here in Shanghai. The Shang
hai congregation rejoice in the opportunity you
now have to meet with their brothers in Hong
Kong. How sorry we are that it will not be
possible fo r you to come to us up here, or for
any of us to come down and meet you there.
This is because of circumstances entirely beyond
our control, but we shall be thinking of you
all the time and offering prayers to Jehovah
fo r his blessing and spirit to be upon your visit
to Hong Kong and other congregations here in
Asia. W e can but hope that the day is not too
fa r away when we ourselves can enjoy the
pleasure of your visit.
W e want to take this opportunity of send
ing you our heartfelt love, and to ask you to
convey our love to all our brothers you will
meet on the rest of the trip to the East and
carry it back home with you to the Bethel fam
ily at Brooklyn.
Be assured at all times of our sincere de
sire to press on in Jehovah's kingdom service,
spreading the Kingdom good news by any way
we can find, sticking close to the New World
society, living and acting the way it does, this
by Jehovah's undeserved kindness through
Christ Jesus our reigning King. W e are so very
grateful for all the help we are getting through
such mediums as the latest Bible literature re
leased at last year's summer gatherings, and
the steady flow of truth that comes regularly
to us through Jehovah's present channel of
communication. W e pray we shall be allowed
the continued freedom to put such spiritual
food to good use in gathering yet more in this
large city to the only place of safety, the New
W orld society under the triumphant kingdom
of our God Jehovah.''
A ll of Jehovahs witnesses throughout the
world appreciate the love and zeal of their
brothers in Shanghai, China, and will delight
to remember them in their prayers.
In Hong Kong the convention had gotten off
to a good start on Sunday at the Social Club
on Nathan Road in the heart of Kowloon and

Brooklyn, N. Y.

it gathered momentum now with arrival on

Monday of the three brothers from Manila.
Brother Barry gave a fine talk to the brothers
in the afternoon while Brother Knorr spent the
time at the branch, considering problems of
the brothers in that territory with the branch
servant. Every minute was put to use as the
schedule called for only two full days in Hong
Kong. In the evening Brothers Knorr and
Adams spoke to the brothers. It was good to see
their rapt attention and how they quickly made
notes or looked up the scriptures mentioned,
in their Chinese Bibles. There is a very fine
congregation in Kowloon and also at Hong
Kong. A large number of young people are
associated with these congregations and many
of them do well in the service as they enjoy
studying and learning new things.
However, at the missionary meeting the next
morning it was learned that in recent years
many have associated with the organization for
a time, learned the fundamental truths, only
to drop by the wayside as victims either of
the heat of opposition from their families or of
apathy. W h at could be done? It was explained
that just because a person begins to associate
with the congregation and goes out in the serv
ice does not mean he is mature and able to
stand up against opposition and continue in the
faith. Accurate knowledge is needed and con
tinued association, so the brothers were en
couraged to show patience and love with the
newer ones by continuing to study with them
until they are thoroughly grounded in the truth
and have achieved a measure of maturity.
In this connection it was observed that lan
guage was still a barrier for the missionaries,
preventing them from best serving their
Chinese-speaking brothers. Due to the fact that
there are several dialects of Chinese spoken in
this area and since many of the people speak
English fluently, the brothers had not felt it
necessary to work hard on learning the lan
guage. Yet at the meetings all the talks were
being interpreted. The Watchtower was being
translated into Chinese. So obviously there was
a need to communicate with the people in the
tongue they know the best. Arrangements have
been made for the missionaries to concentrate
on mastering the language now, and it is be
lieved that this will greatly help them in serv
ing the common people. Even the aid of the
congregation was enlisted by Brother Knorr, as
he advised the brothers never to speak to the

ug ust

1, 1956

fFieWATCHTOWEFL

missionaries in English, but only in Chinese un

til they learned to speak it fluently. A fter this
talk one little Chinese girl came up to Brother
Knorr and told him that she wanted him to
learn Chinese too, so she was only going to
talk to him in Chinese. It is hoped all the
Chinese brothers and sisters will now become
teachers and the missionaries their pupils in
the Chinese language.
For most of the sessions there were between
80 and 100 in attendance, which made it pos
sible to meet m any of the brothers and hear
of their experiences. Tuesday evening was the
climax of the assembly. The public talk was

Revelation 13:18 (N W ) states: Here is

where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has
intelligence calculate the number of the wild
beast, for it is a man's number; and its number
is six hundred and sixty-six." W h at is meant
by this number? E. J., United States.
The suggestion that this number refers to the
pope of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is not
Scriptural. It could not apply to the office of
pope. It is the number of a beast. The Bible
uses beasts to symbolize beastly human govern
ments, as is the case in Daniel, chapter 7. In
Revelation chapter 13 wild beast" is used to
symbolize Satan's visible organization, so it is
this organization whose number is said to
be 666.
From the first human political government
at Babylon down to our day, governments by
men have had three principal elements: reli
gious, political and commercial. N ow the num
ber 666, three orders of six together, names
or represents these three elements of Satan's
beastly visible organization. W h y six? Because
the Bible uses six to represent imperfection.
Seven designates spiritual completeness or per
fection, and six is short of that and therefore
is incomplete or imperfect. The number 666 in
the original language is denoted by three differ
ent alphabetic letters or symbols in the Greek
text, namely, ^ (600), g (60) and $ (6).
Six symbolizes imperfection, which is abomi

479

scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Boy Scouts H all in

Kowloon. The publishers and missionaries were
busy bringing their friends and gathering up
those of good will to hear this important mes
sage and all were delighted to have 294 in at
tendance. Still this is just scratching the sur
face in this populous territory and much work
is yet to be done. The brothers were encouraged
to get in the pioneer work if at all possible, to
help fill the need for mature workers in this
territory. And as those of the N ew W orld
society in Hong Kong continue to plant and
water the seeds of truth, all will look to Jeho
vah to give the increase manyfold.

nable in God's sight, and therefore reprehen

sible. Six hundred would attach to the most
reprehensible element, which is false religion.
It is the false religions of the world that hypo
critically pose as worshiping God but actually
misrepresent him and either lead people away
from God or turn them against him by their
falsehoods and blasphemies. Rather than look
ing to God and Christ and the heavenly king
dom, these religions love money and extol po
litical substitutes fo r that kingdom. Moreover,
it is the religious clergy that bitterly oppose
the preaching of the good news of Christ's
kingdom by Jehovah's witnesses, and stir the
other two elements of Satan's visible system
to oppose also.
The commercial element is more reprehen
sible than the political element, because it
wields more power behind the scenes, whereas
the political class are the willing, loud-talking
tools in the public eye. Therefore the 60 well
represents the commercial element and 6 the
political element. A ll together the three ele
ments make up Satan's visible organization
and the number 666 represents these combined
elements that are imperfect and reprehensible
in God's sight.
The number suggests selfish gain because in
olden times King Solomon's annual revenue
was 666 talents. Also, the dimensions of Nebu
chadnezzars golden idol-image, which the three
faithful Hebrews refused to salute and adore,
were sixty cubits high and six cubits broad.
And wicked Goliath, who fought against God's
nation Israel, had a brother giant with six
digits on each hand and on each foot, and
pictured Satans visible dictatorial organization
that claims to be the higher powers" instead
of acknowledging Jehovah and Christ as such.

480

f&eWATCHTOWER,

So six represents a completeness only in mans

sight and falls short of the completeness or
perfection that God designates by the number
seven. 1 Ki. 10:14; Dan. 3 :1 ; 1 Chron. 2 0 :6 ;
Rom. 13:1.
Because six falls short of Gods perfect num
ber seven, it is called a mans number and

B rooklyn, N . Y .

attaches to the visible organization of men un

der Satan, the god of this world, and which
organization is symbolized by the wild beast.
So it is with this meaning in mind that this
number of the wild beast is said to be a
mans number. It is not Gods perfect number
of spiritual completeness.

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 2: Jehovahs Message Against Gog
of Magog. Page 460.
September 9: Delivering Satans Death Notice.
Page 467.

W CHECK YOUR

MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

What can really help you to understand
the Bible? P. 451, 114.

Who Gog is and why it is appropriate

that he is from Magog ? P. 46l, 116.

I* What shows that just doing constructive

good works is not enough for the Christian?
P. 453, 111.

Why Jehovah chose the obscure people

that he did? P. 467, Ifi.

I* What is even more important than loving

your neighbor? P. 453, 117.
Where you can find history written in
advance? P. 460, tl2.

What effect the serving of Satan s death

notice has had upon people of good will?
P. 473, If 16.
What increase Jehovah s witnesses have
had in the Philippines since 1945? P. 477, lf3.
^

 ^ rm o ic ric in ff
AUGUST 15, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

JUDGE, O JEHOVAH!

WERE THE TEN TRIBES LOST?

COMMUNISTS CONTINUE TO PERSECUTE
JEHOVAHS WITNESSES
PRESIDENT SERVES IN TAIWAN,
OKINAWA AND JAPAN
WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc*
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 * 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex*
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er* stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint*heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W a tchtow er .

WATCH TOWER BIBLE

117 Adams Street
N. H. K norr , President

PUBLISHED BY THE
AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
G r an t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

CONTENTS

P r in t in g

Communists Continue to Persecute

Jehovahs Witnesses

483

W ere the Ten Tribes L ost?

485

Judge, O Jehovah!

489

Maintaining Integrity

497

Early Church Fathers and the Trinity

504

President Serves in Taiwan,

Okinawa and Japan

505

Finding Sheep in Death Row

510

Questions from Readers

511

Announcements

512

Abbreviations nsd In The Watchtower

for the following Bible versions

LXX American Standard Version

Mo An American Translation
N W
J. N. Darbys version
Ro Catholic Douay version
RS The Emphatic Diaglott
Yg Isaac Leesers version
Unless otherwise Indicated, the Bible used is
AS AT Da Dy ED Le -

t h is

iss u e :

PUBLISHED

Semimonthly

The Septuagint Version

James Moffatts version
New World Translation
J. B. Rotherhams version
Revised Standard Version
Robert Youngs version
the King James Version

Afrikaans
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hollandlsh

lloc&no
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

IN

2 ,7 0 0 ,0 0 0
F iv e c e n ts a
THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

copy

Monthly
Arabic
Armenian
Burmese
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo

Kanareso
Korean
Malayalam
Pangaslnan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese

Silo*!
Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xbosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Watch Tower Society offices

Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
7 /Jamalca, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /Sosth Afrlea, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (w ith renewal blank) is sent at
least two Issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N .Y.,
Printed in U.S.A.

'T ^ riT zou T icirig

JEH O VAH S
KINGDOM
August 15, 1956

Number 16

One s tr ik in g e v i
dence of the insincerity
of the Communists ap
pears in their treat
fo
ment of Jehovahs wit
nesses. They step up
the arrests of the wit
nesses, th ou g h they
relea se o th e r p o lit ic a l p rison ers.
Proof of this is seen in the report ap
pearing in the Berlin Daily Mirror, June 9,
1956, under the heading No Persecution
on Account of Faith in Soviet Zone?
which had the following to say about the
situation in East Germany:
During recent weeks groups of political
prisoners of nearly all categories were re
leased from prison institutions in the So
viet Zone before serving out their terms.
One category, however, comprising 1/15 of
all political prisoners was not represented
among those released: Jehovahs wit
nesses. On the contrary, new arrests have
taken place in Altenburg, Rostock, and
Magdeburg and that as late as April and
May.
Though Jehovahs witnesses avoid hav
ing anything to do with any kind of po
litical intrigue or conspiracy this being
also a part of their confession of faith
they have been accused of being spies, diversionists and foreign agents. Moreover,

* * * *
C M t fa u e
fr & u e c u te

JEHOVAHS W ITNESSES
AN those do good who are accustomed
to doing bad deliberately? No more
than a leopard can change his spots. Thus
Gods Word answers at Jeremiah 13:23.
Today the predatory, bloodstained, in
tolerant totalitarian leopard of commu
nism claims to have changed his spots. In
his overtures for friendship with the West
his spokesmen are making loud and pro
fuse pretensions o f reform, blaming all his
past misdeeds on one Stalin.
Those who are inclined to indulge in
wishful thinking have been quick to con
clude that because the communistic leop
ard has changed his tactics and propa
ganda line he has also had a change of
heart. But actions speak louder than
words, and, in view of the facts, the warn
ing of a wise ruler of long ago is apropos:
"Eat thou not the bread of him that
hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his
dainties: For as he thinketh within him
self, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to
thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Prov. 23:6, 7,
AS.

483

484

SEeWATCHTOWER.

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

they have been charged with violating the West Berlin, a Memel German who had
infamous Article 6 (aimed at circulating just returned from the Soviet Union, re
prejudicial rumors, instigating boycotts ported that thousands of members of their
and imperilling peace), and this, sifter Gen denomination are still in Siberian prison
eral Prosecutor Melzheimer had announced camps. The person who returned reported
that he had been imprisoned in 1951 be
a revision of that Article.
Till now all proceedings against these cause of his faith, and that in spite of the
accused ones have been held with the pub ban the witnesses of Jehovah keep on
lic debarred. Neither relatives, friends nor preaching their faith inside the camps.
witnesses for the defense have been per
Why does this fierce and powerful leop
mitted to take part. Since August 8, 1950, ard of communism take such ruthless ac
2,814 witnesses have been arrested, 1,299 tion against the peace-loving witnesses of
of whom are still in prison. Only in a very Jehovah within his borders? One reason
few cases were the sentences reduced. In doubtless is that there is no propaganda
73 cases a verdict has not even been given value in releasing them. Another is that
or made known. Thirty-four witnesses of the Communist leopard fears Bible truth.
Jehovah have died in prison or perished Truth is so much more powerful than ly
because of inhuman treatment. The aver ing communistic propaganda. And further,
age sentence is upward of six years; four Jehovahs witnesses stand by the Scrip
teen have received life terms.
tural principle that Jehovah God comes
Until 1954 these prisoners were not first and Caesar can have only that which
allowed to work. Often they had to wear God does not require. Communism, de
red ribbons around the arm and leg, which manding to be recognized as supreme, has
meant no reading of books, no playing therefore a consuming hatred for all those
chess and no attending of occasional
who put God first, who unequivocally re
movies, as well as living in isolation. As the
fuse to compromise. Matt. 22:21.
witnesses do not eat blood sausage, and
So long as Jehovahs witnesses by the
this is often the only kind of meat served,
they have also suffered from a lack of thousands languish behind Communist
prison bars and barbwire fences and more
nutrition.
Grotewohl [prime minister] has re are being arrested, the propaganda line
peatedly stated that there is no persecu about communisms having had a change
tion because of faith in the DDR [Ger of heart must be branded as sheer hypoc
man Democratic Republic]. However, if risy. The free world, so called, should be
proof of this is ever to be given, then the thankful for the example of Jehovahs
gates of freedom must finally open for the witnesses, whose fearless and uncompro
witnesses of Jehovah also.
mising stand against totalitarianism sets
That this persecution is not limited to in such bold relief the ruthlessness, the in
East Germany is seen from the report ap
tolerance and the hypocrisy of the Com
pearing two days later in another Berlin
munists.
paper, the
Mondays-Echo,June 11,
1956. No question about it, the Com
munist
leopard has not changed his spots.
Under the page-wide headline: Thousands
Happy are you when people reproach
of Jehovahs Witnesses Languish in Si
you and persecute you and lyingly say
beria, the report stated:
Berlin (A P ). At an assembly of Jeho every kind of wicked thing against you for
vahs witnesses held over the weekend in my sake.-Matt. 5:11, NW.

W ERE THE TEN TRIBES

Are the English-speaking nations the descendants
of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel? Are they God's
chosen instrument for the blessing of all mankind?
What do the facts and the Bible show?

i.T hap
pened to
the ten tribes of
Israel after their
being taken cap
tive in 740 B.C.?
Did they become
w h olly extinct?
Or did some members of them unite with
the remnant of the two-tribe kingdom of
Judah and thus survive? Or did they get
lost to reappear as the ancestors of the
English-speaking people of the world?
Among those who called the attention
of Christendom to the ten lost tribes in
times past was one David Reubini, a six
teenth-century impostor. Because of his
scheme for freeing Palestine from the
Turks he succeeded in gaining an inter
view with the pope and persuaded him that
he was of the tribe of Reuben and that the
other nine tribes also were extant. Reubini
received letters of recommendation from
the pope for his project. However, his
prestige in Roman Catholic circles was
short-lived when it became apparent that
his messianic ambitions as a Jew were his
chief concern!
On the basis of the theory that the Brit
ish were descendants of the ten lost
tribes many Jews emigrated to England
in the seventeenth century. The modern
apostle of this theory was one Richard

Brothers, an Englishman, who in 1822 pub

lished a treatise entitled Correct Account
of the Invasion of England by the Saxons,
Showing the English Nation to Be the
Descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes. To
day well over two million persons hold to
this theory and are known as AngloIsraelites.
The Anglo-Israelite theory is that short
ly after the Assyrians took the ten tribes
captive in 740 B.C. the Scythians appeared
for the first time in Babylonia and shortly
thereafter showed up in the British Isles.
A similar argument is made in behalf of
certain other peoples, such as the Khumri. This is supposed to account for the
dominating role that the British people
have played in the past three centuries in
politics, commerce and religion, and for
their controlling one fourth of the earths
surface and population until recent times.
It is also claimed that the Hebrew and
English languages are strikingly similiar
and that the love of liberty of Englishspeaking peoples goes back to these Israel
ites.
It is further held that the present royal
family of England has descended from
certain Danites who came to Ireland long
centuries ago; that these brought with
them the stone on which Jacob slept, and
that this stone is the very one used when
a king or queen is crowned in England,
485

486

SaeWATCHTOWER.

the Stone of Scone in Westminster Abbey.

The Anglo-Israelites put much stress on
the similarity of names. The tribe of Dan
is seen in such names as Danzig, Danube,
Danish, etc. Jack is supposed to be a cor
ruption of Jacob, and Gods words to
Abram, I will make your name great,
are said to be fulfilled in the name Great
Britain. The isles mentioned in the Scrip
tures are taken to mean the British Isles.
The Anglo-Israelite theory also puts
great confidence in the Pyramid of Giza
as being of divine origin although their
pyramid theories received a great setback
in 1953, when something unusual was sup
posed to happen on the basis of pyramid
measurements. The Anglo-Israelites also
hold that, after the division of the nation
of Israel into two kingdoms, Israel always
refers to the ten-tribe kingdom and Judah
to the two-tribe kingdom. The Messianic
prophecies as well as those telling of Is
raels restoration and prosperity are made
to apply to the English-speaking nations.
Incidentally, the Anglo-Israelites are not
agreed among themselves as to who in all
are included in the descendants of the ten
lost tribes, some including practically
all the Nordic peoples of Europe while oth
ers only the English-speaking people.
ANGLO-ISRAELITE THEORY DISCREDITED

Regarding this theory

Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Vol. I, p. 686, states: It as
sumes that the English are descended from
the lost 10 tribes of Israel; but the theory
is untenable on any scientific grounds, for
the tribes vanished through absorption in
neighboring peoples and were not lost in
any real sense.
After summing up the arguments in
favor of the theory, the Jewish Encyclope
dia, Vol. I, p. 60, states: Altogether, by
the application of wild guesswork about
historical origins and philological analo
gies, and by slavishly literal interpretation

ro o klyn

, N . Y.

of selected phrases of prophecy, a case was

made out for the identification of the Brit
ish race with the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel
sufficient to satisfy uncritical persons de
sirous of finding their pride of race con
firmed by Holy Scripture. It also shows
that the term isles does not refer to the
British Isles, as the original word simply
means distant lands, not islands.
And says another: Using the same
method of the similarity of names, it is
possible to prove that the American In
dians are descendants of the ancient
Greeks: the Kiowas came from Chios, the
Croatans from Crotona, the Aleuts from
Eleusis, the Chilkats from Chalkis! . . .
Actually, there is no mystery about the
fate of the Ten Tribes. Most of those exiled
to Media died of harsh treatment; the
Assyrians were the Nazis of their day;
the few survivors intermarried with and
were swallowed up by the natives of the
region. Time, September 28, 1953.
NO TRIBES LOST

However, the strongest proof that the

Anglo-Israelite theory is not true is found
in the Bible itself, for it shows that at all
times there were some of the ten tribes
associated with the two-tribe kingdom of
Judah. Thus we read that after the cleav
age into two kingdoms King Rehoboam of
Judah continued to reign over the sons of
Israel that were dwelling in the cities of
Judah. Also of King Asas reign, more
than thirty years later, we read that be
cause of his instituting reforms a great
number from various tribes of Israel de
serted to him because they saw that
Jehovah his God was with him. So, long
before Israel was led away captive, Israel
ites in great number were living in the
kingdom of Judah. 1 Ki. 12:17; 2 Chron.
15:9, NW.
Secondly, the Scriptures leave no doubt
that both Israel and Judah were involved

A ugust 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

in the return from Babylonian captivity.

Perhaps not many of the ten-tribe king
dom returned, but not many of the twotribe kingdom did either, that is, compara
tively speaking. Thus we read: For though
thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the
sea, only a remnant of them shall return.
(Isa. 10:22, AS) It would seem therefore
that the some 55,000 that returned to
Palestine were only a small part of the
number of Israelites living in Babylon at
the time Cyrus issued his liberation decree.
That the return from Babylon was un
derstood to be a representative return of
all the twelve tribes is apparent from a
number of facts. For example, we find far
more references to Israel than to Judah
in the postexilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah. We should not find any references
to Israel if the Anglo-Israelite theory were
correct. Then again, we repeatedly find the
expression all Israel applied to the re
turned exiles, in just the same style that
Nehemiah speaks of King Solomons being
made king over all Israel. (Ezra 2:70;
Neh. 13:26) And that the returned exiles
considered themselves as one, as represent
atives of all the twelve tribes, is further
seen by their presentation at the temples
inauguration as a sin offering for all
Israel twelve male goats, according to the
number of the tribes of Israel. Ezra
6:1 7,
NW.
This uniting of the two kingdoms was
foretold in prophecies that had a miniature
fulfillment at that tim e: Behold, I will
take the stick of Joseph, which is in the
hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel
his companions; and I will put them with
it, even with the stick of Judah, and make
them one stick, and they shall be one in
my hand. . . . I will make them one nation
in the land, upon the mountains of Israel;
and one king shall be king to them all; and
they shall be no more two nations, neither
shall they be divided into two kingdoms

487

any more at all. Then also the prophecy

was true that Ephraim shall not envy
Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
Ezek. 37:19, 22; Isa. 11:13,
And thirdly, the fallacy of the AngloIsraelite theory is further demonstrated
by the Christian Greek Scriptures, in which
the Jews are referred to as Israel some
seventy-five times. Jesus repeatedly stated
that he was sent to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel, not just to the lost sheep
of the house of Judah, but to all twelve
tribes. There is also record of a prophetess
Anna, of Ashers tribe, serving at the
temple. And when Jesus was impaled on
the torture stake we find the terms King
of the Jews and King of Israel used
interchangeably. Matt. 10:6; Luke 2:36,
N W ; Matt. 27:37, 42.
Consider: if only those of the two tribes
had returned to Palestine, why would Pe
ter on the day of Pentecost say: There
fore let all the house of Israel know for a
certainty that God made this Jesus Lord
and Christ? And if ten of the twelve tribes
had gone to the British Isles and were lost,
why would James, under inspiration, ad
dress his letter to the twelve tribes? Note
also Pauls words: Our twelve tribes are
hoping to attain to the fulfillment of this
[resurrection] promise by intensely ren
dering him sacred service night and day.
How could Paul make such a statement if
ten of the twelve tribes were lost and no
longer trying to serve God? Acts 2:36;
26:7; Jas. 1:1,
NW.
PROMISES TO SPIRITUAL ISRAEL

An Anglo-Israelite writes: Every Brit

on is born to a great inheritance, and
therefore a great responsibility. But
Gods Word shows that ties of flesh are no
grounds for boasting: There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
freeman in the Christian congregation.
Yes, from now on we know no man ac-

488

B ro o k ly n , N. Y.
S&eWATCHTOWER.
cording to the flesh. Gal. 3:28; 2 Cor. Israelites may apply the prophecies re
garding the Rock and Stone to Britain
5:16, NW.
The Scriptures further show that Jesus and the United States, but the inspired
proved to be a stone of stumbling and a apostle Peter applies such prophecies sole
rock of offence to both the houses of Is ly to Christ Jesus. (Acts 4:11, 12; 1 Pet.
rael. Jesus words, Your house is aban 2:7, 8) Anglo-Israelites may arrogate to
doned to you, apply to the temple of themselves Isaiah 43:10 (A S), but the
both the houses of Israel; all twelve tribes facts show that no worldly nations but
were rejected and not just the two tribes only the Christian witnesses of Jehovah
of Judah and Benjamin. Isa. 8:14, AS; are serving as Jehovahs witnesses.
Matt. 23:38, NW.
Today the English-speaking nations are
The law arrangement was but a shad losing the initiative to the Communist na
ow of the good things to come, it was tions and the end of their domination of
merely a tutor leading to Christ. (Heb. world affairs may be in sight. But even if
10:1; Gal. 3:24, NW) As it was replaced by such is not the case, the fact remains that
a new system of things, so natural Is the political corruption, the economic in
rael was replaced by spiritual Israel. The stability, the adult and juvenile delinquen
promised seed of Abraham is not the ten cy and the religious hypocrisy and confu
lost tribes any more than it is the two sion of the English-speaking nations are
tribes. The inspired apostle Paul identifies glaring proof that by no stretch of the
the Seed as Christ, and says to Christians: imagination can the marvelous prophecies
If you belong to Christ, you are really telling of endless peace, great prosperity
Abrahams seed. (Gal. 3:16, 29,
At and happiness and the triumph of right
Revelation, chapters 7 and 14, we see that eousness by means of the Messiah and spir
this seed of Abraham consists of the Lamb itual Israel be applied to them.
of God and a spiritual Israel of 144,000
No, the ten tribes of Israel were not lost
members. These will be priests of God to reappear as the English-speaking na
and of the Christ, and will rule as kings tions. Many of them were found right
with him for the thousand years. Rev. along with the two-tribe kingdom before,
20:6,
NW.
during and after the Babylonian exile
Anglo-Israelites may apply Isaiah 54 to down to the time of Jerusalems desola
English-speaking nations, but the apostle tion of A.D. 70, since which time no de
Paul under inspiration applies that proph scendant of Jacob can prove to which tribe
ecy to Gods wife or heavenly organization he belongs. And Gods prophecies concern
that brings forth so many spiritual chil ing Israels restoration and prosperity ap
dren in Gods due time that she has to ply to his spiritual Israel, a heavenly or
spread out her tents. (Gal. 4:26, 27) Anglo- ganization whose head is Jesus Christ.

Echo off the Inquisition

A t the beginning of this century a priest named Harney of St. Peters Roman
Catholic church in New Brunswick, New Jersey, made a statement that sounded
like an echo of the Inquisition: I do not doubt, if they were strong enough, that
the Catholic people would hinder even by death if necessary the spread of heretical
errors among the people, and I say rightly so. New York Herald, M ay 7,1901, p. 5.

injustice, falsehood, crime and

immorality are rampant and
spreading. Law-enforcing and
welfare agencies, if themselves
untainted, find their problems
constantly multiplying. True,
"Jehovah ministereth judg
in the world there still are
some honest persons, but too
ment to the peoples: judge
often those in political offices
me, O Jehovah, according to
look for graft, bribes and
my righteousness, and to
gifts. Integrity is almost en
mine integrity that is in me."
tirely forgotten. Also, there
still are persons on earth who
Ps.7:8,AS.
appreciate the value of in
tegrity. These include such as the physi
cian interested not merely in his profits but
in the health of his patient; the lawyer
who fights not merely for a large fee but
ODAY we live in a period of judg for justice for his client; the clerk or the
ment. The great Judge is dividing the laborer who toils not just for silver but
to give genuinely good service; and the
righteous from the wicked. (Mai. 3:16-18,
AS) Those who maintain soundness or in person who truly loves honesty and does
tegrity receive his approval. Those who do not merely practice being honest because
not recognize God and who do not obey the it is good policy. Refreshing as it is to hear
good news about his enthroned Son, our of integrity kept among men, there is yet
Lord Jesus, receive his adverse judgment. a more important consideration; namely,
(2 Thess. 1:5-10; 1 Pet. 4:17, NW) De the keeping of integrity with God. Such
scribing the lack of integrity among the integrity-keeping by Jehovahs slaves is
professed people of God, his prophet Hosea praiseworthy and beautiful in his eyes. He
said: Hear the word of Jehovah, ye chil will judge and in due time he will reward
dren of Israel; for Jehovah hath a contro those practicing it.
8When we turn our minds away from
versy with the inhabitants of the land, be
cause there is no truth, nor goodness, nor the downward course of men and from
knowledge of God in the land. There is their self-made standards of conduct and
nought but swearing and breaking faith, consider instead the infinite Creator, we
are amazed at his holiness, his perfection.
and killing, and stealing, and committing
The exactness of his justice, the depth of
adultery; they break out, and blood touchJehovahs wisdom, his long-suffering and
eth blood. Hos. 4:1, 2, AS.
obliging love and his irresistible power
2These words predictively tell of a con
cause the understanding creature of flesh
dition that in our day is increasing to an
and blood to stand in wonder at the revealarming degree. World-wide hypocrisy,

---------1, 2. As to what creatures does Jehovah now express

his judgment, and why?

3, 4. (a) Why is accurate knowledge of Jehovahs standards essential now? *b) How may human creatures justly exercise their free will?

490

B rooklyn, N . Y .
SfkWATCHTOWER.
5 Jehovah himself sets us an example of
lation of those attributes of his Creator.
From intimate acquaintance with his Mak perfect soundness or integrity. He always
er, Moses wrote of him: Who among the keeps his word and may always be relied
gods is like you, O Jehovah? Who is like upon. At Mount Sinai his prophet Moses
you, proving yourself mighty in holiness? informed the children of Israel in saying:
The One to be feared with songs of praise, You well know that Jehovah your God is
the God, the faithful God, keeping cove
the One doing marvels. (Ex. 15:11,
He it is that created man in his own image, nant and loving-kindness in the case of
with perfect freedom to exercise his own those who love him and those who keep
attributes of justice, wisdom, love and his commandments to a thousand genera
power as occasion required, yet wisely tions. (Deut. 7:9, NW) To us who live
guided in their right use by the statement today on earth he still manifests his love
of Gods law. That divine law was given and faithfulness in numberless ways. Jeho
not to restrict man in the proper exercise vah is righteous in all his ways, and gra
of his liberties but merely to guard him cious in all his works. (Ps. 145:17,
against improper use of these powers, so In other right words, the prophet David
wrote of Gods dependability: As for God,
as not to injure others or himself.
O bedience to Jehovahs expressed law his way is perfect: the word of Jehovah is
4
was a test of mans integrity. Appreciation tried; he is a shield unto all them that take
of his Creator should have prevented man refuge in him. For who is God, save Jeho
from taking any false step contrary to vah? And who is a rock, besides our God,
Gods instructions, regardless of the in the God that girdeth me with strength,
ducing cause. As an inferior to a superior, and maketh my way perfect? (Ps. 18:
man owed obedience, devotion and alle 30-32, AS) It is, then, only the course of
giance to his sovereign God, his lawgiver wisdom and prudence for men to give heed
and judge. Surely the offspring of the per to Gods instruction, for his word is re
fect Creator should properly reflect his liable and trustworthy and all his com
Makers perfection. To do less would be mandments are faithful. Keeping these will
inconsistent. Although free to exercise his enable one to maintain integrity and there
will, as free as his Maker, in thankfulness fore to be adjudged worthy of the reward
mein should use his freedom to choose to of life.
do only right; hence to act constructively
WHAT IS INTEGRITY?
and in agreement with the work of his
Integrity translates the Hebrew word
Father. Jehovah does not maliciously or tom and its feminine form tummah', both
mischievously destroy his own good crea of which occur in the Hebrew Scriptures.
tion. He is a God not of disorder but of Their meaning, as given by Prof. James
peace. (1 Cor. 14:33, NW) Why should Strong (1890), is completeness, (moral)
man act ruinously, destructively? Why innocence ; and by Prof. Robert Young
cause disorder? Why bring bad and injuri (1879), perfection, integrity, simplicity.
ous effects into the perfect workmanship These significant definitions call to mind
of his Father? Such misfortunes resulted the words of Jesus to the Pharisee who
from mans failure to maintain soundness, was versed in the law: You must love
holiness, integritymans failure to heed
5. Prudent persons follow what course now, and with
the counsel of his perfect Lawgiver, the what result?
6, 7. (a) What is integrity? (b) What are some illustra
Judge of all the earth. Gen. 18:25, NW. tions of its grandeur?

u g u st

15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWEP.

491

Jehovah your God with your whole heart rooted in its own sure place. Those who
and with your whole soul and with your have integrity are like vessels of utility
whole mind. This is the greatest and first gracing the rich table of a noble house. In
commandment. The second, like it, is this: such a setting a simple pitcher of water
You must love your neighbor as your can serve a good purpose when whole or
self. (Matt. 22:37-39,
To the young unbroken; but if the pitcher leaks, it is as
rich man Jesus also said: If you want to useless as a person of marred integrity.
be complete, go sell your belongings and Consequently Paul admonished: Now in
give to the poor and you will have treasure a large house there are vessels not only of
in heaven, and come be my follower. gold and silver but also of wood and earth
(Matt. 19:21,
NW ) In these enware,
sayings and
of some for an honorable pur
Jesus we sense the depth of meaning to be pose but others for a purpose lacking
given to our word integrity generally honor. If, therefore, anyone keeps clear of
defined as state or quality of being com the latter ones, he will be a vessel for an
plete, undivided, or unbroken; moral honorable purpose, sanctified, useful to his
soundness; uprightness of qualities; hon owner, prepared for every good work.
NW.
esty. Although the word integrity does 2 Tim. 2:20, 21,
not appear in the Authorized Version of
* Our first human parents turning aside
the Christian Greek Scriptures, the above from righteousness and their thus losing
references show that the key thought is by integrity furnished a basis for the charge
no means lacking, and the word does oc by the unfaithful one who became Satan
cur at Titus 2:7 in the Catholic Douay and that all worshipers of Jehovah served him
Confraternity versions and in the Revised merely for the reward or bribe bestowed
Standard Version, it being translated un by him on them, and that, when tried, all
corruptness in the New World Transla would turn against Jehovah. That rebels
tion. Its importance to the royal priest boast before heavens holy angels was that
hood is clearly called to our attention in even integrity-keeping Job, when put to
the breastplate worn upon his heart by the test, would renounce God to his face.
Israels high priest. In it were the u-rim' (Job 1:8-11) Ever since, Satan has been
and
tum-mimwhich word tum mim ' is the
the accuser of Christs brothers and all
plural number of tom. The expression other true worshipers of Jehovah. The
Urim and Thummim is understood to true God, having taken the initiative by
mean lights and perfections, implying inviting Satans challenge and accepting it,
that the priesthood must be integrity has given Satan ample time to prove his
keeping light bearers. Ex. 28:30, NW, point, knowing that on this issue of integ
margin.
rity the faithfulness and unfaithfulness of
1What a beautiful quality integrity is! all creatures can be determined. On this
In Jehovah it is comparable to a great test the loyal creatures can be separated
mountain, immovable, dependable, un from the lawless, and the wickedness o f
changeable. In human integrity-keepers of Satan clearly revealed. In ancient time the
past time it may be likened to a firm boul issue was sharply drawn. Through display
der on a rockbound coast. Against it waves of his love and mercy, and at great cost to
of an angry sea may dash; surging waters himself, Jehovah purposed to rescue some
and spray at times may wholly cover it; 8, 9. (a) How has Jehovahs righteous judgment pre
filth and scum may surround it; yet there vailed against the agelong challenge by Satan? (b) What
excellencies of Jehovah can we profitably copy for win
it stands uncorrupted, unmoved, firmly ning his approval ?

492

SfceWAT CHTOW ER

B rooklyn, N . Y .

from among the sin-cursed descendants of pressed it: Till I die I will not put away
Adam who, appreciating the issue in mine integrity from me. (Job 27:5,
volved, chose to maintain their integrity. Will you be judged by Jehovah to be one
these
present-day maintainers of sound
(Rev. 1:4-6,
NW) These, servingofGod
not
for selfish gain but out of love, uphold his ness, an integrity-keeper?
side of the issue. (Prov. 27:11) Because of
10Without integrity it is impossible to
Jehovahs gracious arrangement of unde win Gods judgment of approval. But, you
served kindness such integrity-keepers he may ask, how can I become an integrity
eventually judges to be approvable.
keeping witness of Jehovah? By repenting
8The rebels challenge to Jehovahs sov of your form er wrong course, by exercis
ereignty and mans failure to keep integ ing faith in the ransom sacrifice of Christ
rity did not disconcert or disturb the Crea and then by dedicating yourself to Jeho
tor in the least. In himself he had all the vah, for exclusively and eternally serving
needed power to cope with any situation. him. It means disowning yourself, setting
Quickly he could and did rally his heavenly aside your personal choices and prefer
organization, his woman or wife, to his ences and, instead, adopting Gods fol
support. He purposed that one from among lowing Christ continually in doing the will
this organization would be the seed or in of God as revealed in his written Word.
strument that would be permitted first to This is walking according to the new
be bruised by Satan and then, in turn, world, a very happy way, a way contrary
would bruise the serpents head. (Gen. 3: to this old corrupt system of things. In
15) He decided to select 144,000 integrity- walking that way many have experienced
keepers from among men, who, by follow deliverance from Satans power through
ing the example of this seed, Christ, would Gods spirit and organization in tests under
demonstrate their fitness to be adjudged which flesh and blood alone would have
worthy of living and reigning with him as failed. Having made this vow of dedica
his bride, the Lambs wife. (Rev. 14:1-4) tion one must now fulfill it, for God has no
These comprise the capital organization, pleasure in covenant-breaking fools. When
the new heavens of the new world, which thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to
will undo the works of Satan and restore pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools:
peace on earth to men of good will. (Rev. pay that which thou vowest. Better is it
21:1-3) To select, test and finally judge that thou shouldest not vow, than that
these integrity-keepers has required a long thou shouldest vow and not pay. (Eccl.
period of time, a period in which the right 5:4, 5; AS) Are you amazed? Are you in
eous and the wicked have lived side by clined to ask: Who, then, can be saved?"
side, the latter repeatedly reproaching the To a like question Jesus answered: With
name of Jehovah by word and deed. On men this is impossible, but with God all
Gods part this required great patience and things are possible. (Matt. 19:26, NW)
long-suffering; it required his refraining Never can we let the requirements of this
from immediately destroying the wicked. obligation fade from our minds. Whatever
So also on the part of the evil-hating sphere of activity we undertake, whatever
integrity-keepers, Jehovahs w itn esses; commitments we might make, whatever
these have remained steadfast, immovable ambitions we might seek to gratify, Jeho
in their devotion to God, always having vahs rightful claim, yes, his prior claim,
plenty to do in the work of the Lord.
10. Why now is the obligation of one dedicated to Jeho
(1 Cor. 15:57, 58, NW) Aptly Job ex- vah of highest importance?

A u g u st

15, 1956

3fteWATCHTOWER-

to our exclusive devotion we must take

into consideration. Accordingly, his prior
claim upon us must limit or nullify other
undertakings. Keeping integrity in his
sight, according to the way he judges us
as his exclusively devoted ones, must be
foremost and first in our lives.
11 To guide us in his right and joyful
way, for his own names sake Jehovah
lovingly admonishes us: My son, be wise,
and make my heart glad, that I may an
swer him that reproacheth me. (Prov.
27:11) Proof that Satans accusation is
false and that he is a liar can be estab
lished only by the integrity-keeping course
of each one of us. Only then can Jehovah
judge us as worthy of his approval. Will
you gladly offer yourself as proof by re
maining true to God? Christ Jesus our
exemplar did; and he makes it possible for
each of us to do as he did. He loved right
eousness; he hated iniquity or lawlessness;
therefore God anointed him with the oil
of gladness above his fellows. (Ps. 45:7)
You too can have gladness by winning
Gods approving judgment now through
keeping integrity. Without his approval
there is no gladness. In failure to keep in
tegrity there certainly is no gladness, but
there is a certain fearful expectation of
judgment. (Heb. 10:27,
For the
joy that was set before him Jesus endured
the torture stake, despised the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand o f the
throne of God. (Heb. 12:2,
He made
the Fathers heart glad; the Father made
Jesus heart glad too. From the time of his
dedication onward, when the heavens were
opened to him and Gods spirit descended
like a dove upon him, he was made glad
by the reassuring words: This is my Son,
the beloved, whom I have approved.
(Matt. 3:17, NW) Shortly after this, when
Jesus was tempted by the Devil to give to
11. Jehovah's approval of Christ Jesus after test indi
cates what as to Jesus followers?

493

him just one act of worship, Jesus reply

Go away, Satan! For it is written, It is
Jehovah your God you must worship, and
it is to him alone you must render sacred
service must have made Jehovahs heart
very glad. (Matt. 4:10, AW ) Throughout
his entire ministry Jesus could say to his
Father: As for me, thou upholdest me in
mine integrity, and settest me before thy
face for ever. Ps. 41:12, AS.
JUDGED WORTHY TO LIVE

12
From very early in mankinds history
men have lived who merited Jehovahs ap
proval because they kept integrity. Their
test was not for the purpose of determin
ing whether the dedicated men are per
fect in word or deed or in personality or
not. That test was to determine whether
they are completely and immovably de
voted to Jehovah and his theocratic gov
ernment or not. Faithful men and women
mentioned in the eleventh chapter of He
brews maintained integrity when put to
the test even though many of them suf
fered horrible punishment. Of them the
world was not worthy. In their lives we see
illustrated examples of integrity.
About 6,000 years ago the first o f
these, Abel, successfully passed the test,
winning Gods judgment of approval. In
the brief recorded account of Abels life
we see that the issue involved was that of
pure worship. Both Cain and Abel brought
offerings to God, but since their offerings
were different we may reasonably infer
that there was disagreement between the
two brothers as to what was the right way
of worship. God settled the dispute by ac
cepting Abels offering and rejecting
Cains. Mere formalism, lip service in
deed, anything short o f true faith are
never acceptable to God and prevent one
12, 13. (a) How did pre-Christian witnesses of Jehovah
demonstrate their worthiness of life? (b) What issue
was involved in the test upon Abel, and how in his case
was that issue settled?

494

B rooklyn, N . Y.
SEeWAT CHTOW ER
from seeing His righteous requirements. against him. (Jude 14, 15, NW ) Thus is
It is only through the recognition of a highlighted the requirement to declare
sacrificial victim in atonement for sin, and Jehovahs warning of coming judgment.
proper faith in that sacrificed life, that one Because the wicked refuse to heed, their
can now approach God. (Heb. 9:19-22, destruction follows. Now we, even as
NW) Abel, innocent of any wrong, main Enoch, may walk with Jehovah by confid
tained his integrity through right worship; ing in him, receiving his counsel, co-oper
whereas his brother, through false reli ating in achieving his objective and gladly
gion, became a murderer. Satan deter sharing in the vindication of his holy name.
mined to make an example of Abel to
15 Like Enoch, Noah walked with the
others, showing them what to expect God. Of him it is written, Noah was a
should they refuse submission to him. righteous man. He proved himself fault
Jehovah approved Abel because of his pure less among his contemporaries. (Gen.
worship, and it was for this that he suf 6:9, NW) Noah went along with Jehovah
fered death at the hand of his enraged in the execution of Jehovahs purpose,
brother. By faith Abel offered God a sac serving as his witness, his loyal friend and
rifice of greater worth than Cain, through companion. As time passed the line of de
which faith he had witness borne to him marcation between false and true worship
that he was righteous, God bearing wit ers became more pronounced. Outstanding
ness respecting his gifts, and through it he, in Noahs career was the fact that for
although he died, yet speaks. (Heb. 11: many years before the flood he was a
4, NW ) Because ancient animal sacrifices, preacher of righteousness. (2 Pet. 2 :5 )
such as Abels, were merely typical of bet Amid a generation of ridiculers he demon
ter and greater things that have now come, strated his faith by his great work of
God does not require animal sacrifices to building the ark as Jehovah directed. It
day. Rather, he is well pleased with the provided Gods salvation for Noah and his
sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of household. Immediately sifter the flood he
lips which make public declaration to his established true worship. (Gen. 8:15-20,
name. Heb. 13:15, NW.
NW) Noah may frequently have expressed
14 Such approved public declaration even himself in words similar to those of Psalm
Enoch, the seventh man in line from 26:11: But as for me, I will walk in mine
Adam, fearlessly made. He refused to be integrity: redeem me, and be merciful un
frightened from his course of integrity to me. Jehovah did adjudge Noah as
despite the growth of false worship in his worthy of mercy by preserving him
day. His walking with the true God, Jeho through the flood when the ungodly were
vah, is the first recorded instance of such destroyed.
faithful action. Of Jehovahs judgment
18 Next consider anew Jehovahs approv
coming upon all the ungodly Enoch proph ing judgment of Abraham. By faith Abra
esied: Look! Jehovah came with his holy ham, when he was tested, as good as of
myriads, to execute judgment against all fered up Isaac, and the man that had glad
and to convict all the ungodly concerning ly received the promises attempted to offer
all their ungodly deeds that they did in an up his only-begotten son. (Heb. 11:17,
ungodly way and concerning all the shock NW) Abraham never wavered in obediing things that ungodly sinners spoke
14, 15. (a) In giving proof of his integrity, what ex
emplary conduct marked the career of Enoch? (b) Of
Noah?

16, 17. (a) As to Abraham, upon what was the judg

ment of Jehovah based? (b) How does the life course of
Sarah further illustrate the high value of maintaining
integrity?

A ugust 15, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER

495

ence. Obediently he left his own country

and wandered in a foreign land. Obedi
ently he readily attempted to offer up his
own son, through whom all of Gods prom
ises were to be fulfilled. Obediently he in
structed his household in true worship.
1TAbrahams wife, Sarah, Jehovah also
judged as having exercised faith of con
quering power. Therefore she also is dis
tinguished among the great cloud of wit
nesses surrounding us. (Heb. 12:1,
Satan tried to have her defiled so she
would be unfit to bring forth a promised
seed. Esteeming Jehovah faithful, who had
promised, she maintained integrity by ob
serving the proper theocratic relationship
to her husband, and with him she triumph
antly became heir of the favor of endless
life.
18Best known to us as a man whom
Jehovah judged with approval is Job of
the land of Uz, whose name means hated,
harassed, persecuted. Although not in the
direct fleshly line of the promised seed,
Job feared God and shunned evil. Satan
probably thought: When I turn his wife
against Job he will give up just as Adam
did; so Jehovah will have to condemn Job
as he condemned Adam. But no, Job was
different. When by Jehovahs toleration
Satan stripped Job of all his rich earthly
property, even his loving children, and
caused him intense physical suffering and
mental anguish and to be reproached by
his wife and harassed by his three friends,
Job still held fast his integrity. Fearlessly
he hurled the false accusation back into
Satans face, proving Satan a liar. Job
maintained fidelity to what he believed to
be right, regardless of extraneous influ
ences brought to bear against him. He
insisted on his own innocence of any will
ful wrongdoing and still maintained his
faith in and devotion to his Maker, Jeho-

vah. Jehovah rewarded Job with restored

health, with twice as much wealth, an
equally large fam ily and the high esteem
of his form er critics and persecutors,
whom Jehovah now required to come to
Job for intercession to obtain forgiveness
from Jehovah. What an example of endur
ance! No wonder James wrote: Look!
we pronounce happy those who have en
dured. (Jas. 5:11,
NW)Adam, in co
with Job, had been the receiver of every
thing and had been deprived of nothing
when Jehovah put Adam to the test of in
tegrity, in which he failed.
18 Finally, for our present study, Jeho
vahs judgment as to Moses claims closest
consideration. Satans philosophy is that
every man has his price. But the riches of
Egypt could not buy Moses. When grown
up, he refused to be called the son of Phar
aohs daughter, choosing to be ill-treated
with the people of God rather than to have
the temporary enjoyment of sin. By faith
he left Egypt, but not fearing the rage of
the king, for he continued steadfast as
seeing the one that is invisible. (Heb.
11:24-27,
N W )His demonstrating faith
fulness in service, in risking life itself be
fore Pharaoh and in leading a stubborn,
faithless people for forty years amid many
provocations, won for Moses Jehovahs ap
proval, in these words: My servant Moses
. . . being entrusted with all my house.
. . . Why, then, did you not fear to speak
against my servant, against Moses? He
that constructed all things is God. And
Moses as an attendant was faithful in all
the house of that one as a testimony of
the things that were to be spoken after
wards. (Num. 12:7, 8; Heb. 3:4, 5, NW )
Today, too, faithfulness in service without
compromise is among the elements of ex
clusive devotion that Jehovah, the Judge

18. What lessons may we draw from the patience of

Job?

19. How was faithfulness without compromise shown in

the life of Moses?

496

iTieWATCHTOW ER,

of all the earth, rightfully exacts from

every dedicated servant of his.
20 Now summing up these desirable qual
ities, namely, the practice of pure worship,
walking with the true God, serving as one
of Jehovahs witnesses, obeying his in
structions, exercising faith of conquering
power, showing endurance under stress
and faithfulness without compromise, we
rightly think of them all as manifest per
fectly in one person, Christ Jesus. To him
there is no equal among Jehovahs crea
tures. Providing the ransom sacrifice for
obedient humans did not itself require that
Jesus suffer reproach and persecution and
finally pass out of this life in disgrace like
a condemned criminal, seditionist and
blasphemer. That part of the potion in the
cup was poured into it by the Father to
test to the limit the integrity of this Son
of God and to prove the Devil a liar in his
charge against Gods Son and to show
Jesus unswerving support of his Fathers
universal sovereignty.
21 Christ Jesus faithful apostles and oth
er early Christians followed his steps. To
Jehovah they too proved themselves de
pendable. They were exposed to reproach
es, tribulations, imprisonment and plunder,
but they forgot not that they had an abid
ing possession in Jehovahs new world.
Perseverance in keeping integrity will pay
off shortly to all now in the New World
society.
JUDGED WORTHY TO DIE

22No understanding person desires to

break his bond of friendship with his
Creator. But some have done so with dis
astrous consequences to themselves. Heav
ens chief rebel and his long treasonable
course is outstanding. He forsook his as20. What seven desirable qualities were perfectly ex
hibited in what one person?
21. How and why did early followers of Christ Jesus
pass the test of integrity?
22. Disloyalty of Jehovahs chief enemy and his spirit
associates provides what warning examples?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

signed honorable position of praising the

Most High and chose instead to reproach
Jehovah and to lead man to rebellion and
destruction. In the role that this chief rebel
chose to play there is no love, joy or peace.
He aspired to exalt himself above his asso
ciates, but will shortly be brought down
to the abysstotal, deathlike inactivity
for a thousand years the uttermost
parts of the pit. (Isa. 14:15, AS; Rev.
20:1-3, 1 W ) His disloyal steps were fol
lowed by the first human pair. Eves faith
less acts, followed by Adams willful one,
brought to both of them disappointment,
suffering and death, and added woes to
their offspring. Integrity-breakers have
their price, and it may be as low as a little
self-gratification. Recalling the days be
fore the Flood, we find that some of Jeho
vahs holy angels materialized in human
form, desiring sexual intercourse with hu
man flesh, contrary to Gods law. Here was
Satans master stroke. Now he would have
supermen brought forth by the sons of
God. These materialized angels married
daughters of men and to them these bore
children called Nephilim or giants. This
hybrid offspring did much to fill the earth
with violence in the time of Noah. That
generation failed to keep integrity. Against
them Jehovahs adverse judgment was ex
pressed. There Satan saw his magnificent
scheme frustrated when the floodgates of
heaven were opened and his civilization on
earth was washed out.
23
Almost thirteen centuries later Saul
the son of Kish was in line for many priv
ileges when God chose him to rule as Is
raels first king. At that time Saul con
sidered himself quite unworthy, for he said
he had come from the smallest tribe and
his family was the least of all the families
of Benjamin. He should have kept in mind
the words of the man of God to the un23, 24. What additional examples of broken integrity
contrast sharply with examples of others who main
tained integrity?

ugust

15, 1956

SheWATCH TO W E R

497

faithful house of Eli: Those honoring me cause of pure worship, will be resurrected;
I shall honor, and those despising me will but Satan, who originated false worship,
be of little account (1 Sam. 2:30, NW) will be destroyed. Enoch by faith walked
But King Saul was disobedient to instruc with God; but Adam, who heard Gods
tions and failed to keep integrity, turning voice, deserted Jehovahs way. Abraham
instead to demonism. He lost his kingdom was obedient under a great test; but King
and his life. One of the original twelve Saul was disobedient even in a little thing.
apostles of Jesus forsook all to follow the Sarah exercised conquering faith, but Eve
Master. But though Judas Iscariot had manifested none whatever. Job held to his
many privileges, he let Satan enter his integrity despite the loss of all things, but
heart, surrendered to wickedness and be Judas discarded integrity for selfish gain.
came a traitor. For failure to keep integ Moses rejected the lusts of Egypt and
rity he lost his joy and took his own life. served amid hardships; but the rebellious
24
Upright men are guided by theirspirit sons of God yielded to unnatural
honesty; but faithless men are ruined by desires and forsook their heavenly assign
their crookedness. (Prov. 11:3, AT) In
ment. Let none of us become blameworthy
view of this, consider: Is Jehovahs judg
by Jehovah as breakers o f integrity and
ment for integrity-keeping worth while?
All breakers of integrity have come to a reap his death penalty for covenant-break
sad end. You would not want to be judged ers. Rather let us hold dear the glorious
as having followed their steps, would you? treasure of service, ever keeping in mind
Contrast, then, the mentioned examples of that Jehovah judges, as David said, ac
integrity-keepers with these examples of cording to my righteousness, and to mine
integrity-breakers. Abel, who died for the integrity that is in me. Ps. 7:8, AS.

w ^ ^ integrity
Who shall ascend into the bill of
and
who shall stand in his holy place?" Ps. 24:3,

EHOVAH could have de

stroyed his enemies, including the en
tire human race, long before this time
their lack of integrity and their opposition
to him. H istorys pages tell of uncounted

1, 2. (a) Why has Jehovah long tolerated evildoers?

(b) How is vindication of Jehovah linked with his wit
nesses maintaining integrity today?

bloody deeds, with but few outstanding in

dividuals marked therein as those of whom
the world was not worthy. Only through
Jehovahs great m ercy and forbearance has
the human race been permitted to live. This
period of tolerance of evildoers has pro
vided ample time for testing human integ
for
rity and for the gathering of the little
flock of those who are not of the world as
well as thousands of the great crowd of
other sheep. Jehovahs purpose is to give
a mighty witness to his name before the

498

SHieWATCHTOWER.

worlds end, and this was foreshadowed in

his dealings with Pharaoh of ancient
Egypt. That ruler pictured Satan the
Devil, mans greatest foe, the god of this
world or system of things. By Moses
mouth, Jehovah informed him: By now
I could have thrust my hand out that I
might strike you and your people with
pestilence and that you might be effaced
from the earth. But, in fact, for this cause
I have kept you in existence, for the sake
of showing you my power and in order to
have my name declared in all the earth.
Ex. 9:15,16, NW.
*God was entirely within his right in
choosing to delay the execution of his ene
mies until his own due time. Who can find
fault with him for this? If, now, God,
although having the will to demonstrate
his wrath and to make his power known,
tolerated with much longsuffering vessels
o f wrath made fit for destruction, in order
that he might make known the riches of
his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he
prepared beforehand for glory, namely, us,
whom he called not only from among Jews
but also from among nations, what of it?
(Rom. 9:22-24, NW ) We are glad for the
undeserved kindness extended to us and
we are happy to inform others during this
limited time in which it is still available.
(2 Pet. 3:15) For Jehovah will wipe out
all worldly nations in his impending war
at Armageddon and thereby, at last, after
waiting 6,000 years, vindicate his holy
name. We gladly enter with him into ful
fillment of his purpose, proclaiming his
name and mighty deeds throughout the
earth; and thus we can maintain integrity.
Rom. 10:13, NW.
Jehovah having willingly endured re
proach for good ends, it is becoming to us
to endure, maintaining integrity, for the
same reason. Remaining true to our God
3. What three enduring and endearing qualities will
integrity-keepers continuingly exercise toward God and
all his obedient creatures?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

is only a reasonable requirement. To whom

else could we be true? Who else is worthy
or deserving? There are none like Jeho
vah, none who have his qualities and lov
ing purpose, none who have done so much
for us. Do we have the qualities for being
true, for maintaining integrity? In the
past we promised to keep integrity, and
that for good and sufficient reasons. Today
those reasons are just as good. Keeping
integrity today is just as possible as at any
other time. Should there be any doubt in
your mind, you can think back, Where did
you come from ? Why did you start out on
this road in the first place? (Heb. 2:1;
10:32) Jehovah did not fail you at any
time that you earnestly called upon him.
Keep calling upon him in prayer; prove to
him your sincerity, and he will deliver you.
This is our testing period. This is the
destiny-making time. Those serving the old
world will, in the end, be disappointed
with its destruction; but those showing
love, confidence and hope in the new world
of Jehovahs creation will exultingly share
its joys and blessings for maintaining in
tegrity.
4
Gods law sets a right rule of action or
principle, and his Word shows illustrations
of its proper application. For example, the
first commandment of his basic law given
to ancient Israel is: I am Jehovah your
God, who have brought you out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of slaves. You
must never have any other gods against
my face. (Ex. 20:2, 3, NW) Its applica
tion is illustrated in Jesus sermon: No
one can be a slave to two masters; for
either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will stick to the one and de
spise the other. You cannot be slaves to
God and to Riches. (Matt. 6:24, NW) A
further application is in the statements:
4-6. (a) How is maintaining integrity shown in Jeho
vah's first commandment and in its application? (b) In
his second commandment? (c) In his third command
ment?

A ugust 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWEFt

499

You were bought with a price; stop be three Hebrews' refusal to bow before
coming slaves of men. (1 Cor. 7:23,
Nebuchadnezzars golden image on the
Little children, guard yourselves from plain of Dura, regardless of threatened
idols. 1 John 5:21,
death in a fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:4-6,
5
The second commandment prohibits16-18) (3) Daniel's refusal to surrender
making a carved image; it forbids one to his privilege to pray to Jehovah, in face
bow down to such or to be induced to serve of being thrown into a den of lions accord
such, because Jehovah is a God exacting ing to Medo-Persian law. (Dan. 6:7-10)
exclusive devotion. Jesus applied this com These instances prove how keepers of in
mandment in refusing to bow to Satan or tegrity always respect and obey Jehovahs
to render an act of worship to him. (Matt. word. Today Jehovahs witnesses do like
4:8-10) Jesus apostles Peter and John ap wise, as historical accounts and court
plied it in refusing submission to the records abundantly confirm.
Sanhedrin, which forbade them to speak
8 To prevent our losing integrity the
of Jesus. They replied: Whether it is Creator has lovingly supplied abundant
righteous in the sight of God to listen to safeguards and adequate instruction. One
you rather than to God, make your deci of such aids is personal and congregational
sion. But as for us, we cannot stop speak study of Gods Word the Bible. What a
ing about the things we have seen and storehouse of spiritual riches is contained
heard. (Acts 4 :1 9 , 20, NW ) They main in Gods Word! In no situation that can
tained integrity.
confront us, in no difficulty or problem, is
8The third commandment states: You its advice or counsel inadequate. To con
must not take up the name of Jehovah tinue walking in its progressively shining
your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah light we need to study the Bible with the
will not leave the one unpunished who aid of theocratically provided study helps.
takes up his name in a worthless way. This magazine and kindred publications
(Ex. 20:7, NW) Jesus applied it by show are Jehovahs provision on his table, and
ing we were not to involve Jehovahs name we should be ungrateful were we to neglect
in our promises and oaths and then not or despise such provision. (Luke 12:33-37;
say or do the truth and thus swear falsely Matt. 24:45-47) It strengthens our faith
or perjure ourselves. Israels dreaming when we use that provision; it increases
prophets did that, prophesying false things our hope and promotes growth of love.
in Jehovah's name. So Jehovah destroyed Never think that you get too much spirit
those God-dishonoring false prophets. (Jer. ual food during a week. Brothers at the
23:16-32, AS) Gods sacred Record shows Brooklyn headquarters of the Watch Tow
other similar examples, to guide his serv er Society normally find they are partici
pating in meetings and listening to Gods
ants aright. Ps. 119:105, AS.
Word during more than ten hours each
week. In addition they do private study.
EXAMPLES OF INTEGRITY
7Among many examples of integrity, Do you hear Gods Word for five hours or
here we can profitably recall three well- less, with very little private study? Proper
known ones: (1) Josephs maintaining in feeding on spiritual food gives us strength.
tegrity by refusing to commit adultery with Isaiah said: They that wait for Jehovah
Potiphars wife. (Gen. 39:7-12) (2) The shall renew their strength; they shall
7. What three ancient examples of integrity-keeping
are strikingly matched today?

8. In what practical ways may today's integrity-keepers

constantly enlarge faith, hope and love?

500

ffieWATCHTOWER.

mount up with wings as eagles; they shall

run, and not be weary; they shall walk,
and not fa in t Isa. 40:31,
What advice did the aged Paul give to
youthful Timothy, who was
to continue shepherding Je
hovahs flock? He told him
to continue applying him
self to public reading, to
exhortation, to teaching; to
ponder over these things, be
absorbed in them, that his
advancement might be man
ifest to all. (1 Tim. 4:13-15,
NW) By doing that, we also shall be neither
inactive nor unfruitful in the accurate
knowledge of Jesus Christ and in good
works. (2 Pet. 1:8, NW) Peter and John
were able to give a unique testimony before
the Jewish Supreme Court because they had
been with Jesus and learned of him. (Acts
4 :1 3 ,1 4 ) Stephen, a man full of faith and
holy spirit, by his knowledge confounded
the enemies of the good news, and they
could not hold their own against the wis
dom and the spirit with which he spoke.
(Acts 6:5, 10, NW) Our Bible studies are
upbuilding because those participating
have studied. A public lecture about Jeho
vahs kingdom is inspiring, helpful and
instructive because each assigned speaker
has devoted much thought and time to its
preparation through study. The brothers
came to the meeting to give, not just to
receive. Sometimes a hostess spends much
time in preparing material food, but an
extra-big meal is not required, nor any
entertainment practice common to the old
world. Marthas sister Mary, by choosing
to take in spiritual knowledge, was com
mended by Jesus for having chosen that
better part. Luke 10:38-42.
9. For maintaining integrity, how may we apply sound
counsel Paul gave Timothy?

Brooklyn, N . Y .

10To prevent loss of integrity Christian

assemblies are another aid. Jehovah com
manded males in Israel of old to appear be
fore him three times each year at the place
which he chose, in addi
tion to their weekly gath
ering. Most frequently the
entire family came along
for worship. What was the
purpose of those assem
blies? Deuteronomy 31:12
(NW) explains: Call the
people together, the men
and the women and the
little ones and your temporary resident
who is within your gates, in order that
they may listen and in order that they
may learn, as they must fear Jehovah your
God and take care to carry out all the
words of this law. All assemblies, whether
local or national or international, are for
Jehovahs witnesses men, women, chil
dren, and every newly interested person of
good will. Here we are together to listen,
to learn, to fear and to obey all of Jeho
vahs words. Paul advised: Let us con
sider one another to incite to love and
right works, not forsaking the gathering
of ourselves together, as some have the
custom, but encouraging one another, and
all the more so as you behold the day
drawing near. Heb. 10:24, 25, NW.
11Jehovah has also provided the priv
ilege of prayer to aid us in keeping integ
rity. Every faithful servant o f God has
prayed and ceases not to pray. Victory
over our adversary the Devil would be im
possible without prayer. But to be heard,
prayer must be offered in sincerity to
Jehovah in the name of Jesus. The prayer
should be for Jehovahs name to be sancti
fied, for his kingdom to come, and for his
10, 11. (a) Why and how are larger assemblies of Jeho
vahs witnesses essential aids for maintaining integrity?
(b) Why is proper prayer to Jehovah another essential
aid?

ug u st

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

501

will to come to pass on earth as in heaven. ruling principle in his organization. There
Those first things for prayer were put in fore if we have the love of God we shall
that prominence by Jesus. (Matt. 6:9-13, love our brothers; for how can we love God
NW) To what earthly ruler could you find whom we have not seen if we do not love
immediate access with matters that to him our brothers whom we see? Love binds us
may appear trifling? Not one. The eyes of to God and his organization in an unbreak
Jehovah are toward the righteous, and his able attachment, making us serve others
ears are open unto their cry. (Ps. 34:15, because we have their eternal welfare at
AS) Let us therefore approach God with heart. Of that John wrote: For this is
praise and thanksgiving, pouring out our what the love of God means, that we ob
hearts to him in behalf of others includ serve his commandments; and yet his com
ing first Himself and His enthroned King mandments are not burdensome. (1 John
and His dedicated people, as well as our 5:3, NW) Of course not; they are for our
selves individually. James wrote: A right good and their observance brings us many
eous mans supplication when rendered blessings now and eternal life in the end.
with earnestness has much force. (Jas. This is how love has been made perfect
with us, that we may have freeness of
5:16,
NW,margin) We may request Jeho
vahs holy spirit, wisdom and understand speech in the day o f judgment, . . . There
ing, forgiveness and deliverance and neces is no fear in love, but perfect love throws
sary material things. Paul wrote: Do not fear outside, because fear exercises a re
be anxious over anything, but in every straint. Indeed, he that is under fear has
thing by prayer and supplication along not been made perfect in love. (1 John
with thanksgiving let your petitions be 4:17, 18, NW) The more them half a mil
made known to God. (Phil. 4:6, NW) lion Kingdom publishers now active regu
Better a poor man, who walks in his in larly in announcing Jehovahs kingdom
tegrity, than one who is crooked in his show they have Gods spirit of love, having
ways, although he be rich. Prov. 19:1, thus far conquered the fear of man and
Devil and delighting to keep integrity.
AT.
13
This is not the time for anyone to be
12To keep us approvable by him God
also gave us his spirit. It is not a spirit come overcharged with the cares of this
of cowardice, but that of power and of love life, to become bogged down by unneces
and of soundness of mind. (2 Tim. 1:7, sary weights and burdens. It is not the
NW) There is no soundness of mind in this time to take a side stroll in bypaths lead
old system of things. It is entirely out of ing away from faithful performance of
course, lacking in love and integrity as duty. Do not neglect Jehovahs service
those qualities are now measured by the through p r e o cc u p a tio n with material
Judge of all the earth. (Isa. 28:16,17, AS) things, such as secular work, family life,
In the old world often it is a question of or personal pleasure. God will be angry if
whom you know and not what you are; and you beg off because you value earthly
frequently business or professional ethics things more than heavenly. Luxuries of the
replace simple honesty. However, through present, such as the latest model automo
his Word Jehovah has revealed himself as bile, you do not need in order faithfully to
the personification of true love; he has care for New World interests. Many soshown us how love, not selfishness, is the 13-15. (a) For thoroughly accomplishing our God-given
12. Jehovahs spirit of love plays what part in our main
taining integrity?

ministry what nonessential practices may we thought

fully curtail? (b) For the same end, what right prac
tices may we increase and intensify?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SHeWATCHTOWEFL
called good things of this old world can be in seizing political power that other hu
come snares to us in our New World activ mans have, or replacing it by another.
ity. Instead, by taking our God-given com Jehovahs Christ is already the King of
mission to heart and storing up heavenly his New World, and in due time the po
treasure by helping others into the New litical rulers in all this earth will become
W orld society, we practice the Scriptural keenly conscious of that also. (Rev. 11:15advice to Gods ministers: You, though, 18, NW) Our work is to announce Jeho
keep your balance in all things, suffer evil, vahs kingdom under Christ and to liber
do missionary work, thoroughly accom ate people of good will from Satans snare
and his wicked spirits, even as we our
plish your ministry. 2 Tim. 4:5, NW.
selves have been made free by Jehovahs
ITS IMPORTANCE IN ALL OUR RELATIONS
truth. (Ps. 117,
AS;John 8:31, 3
14Integrity enters into every feature of Only in this way can God-fearing persons,
the Christians life. Loyalty and obedience as well as we, keep integrity.
16
Having agreed, from the time of our
are required of us in all things. Obedience
often has been a hard lesson for former dedication onward, to follow the Lamb,
children of disobedience to learn. How im Jehovahs enthroned King of the new
portant, then, to have a good conscience world, we can, under his leadership, con
and to follow the leading of Gods spirit quer the old world and the wicked one. By
and not the inclination of the flesh! Peter faithfulness, by keeping integrity, we place
admonished: Hold a good conscience, so in Jehovahs hand the answer to Satans
that in the particular in which you are malicious challenge the answer that Sa
spoken against they may get ashamed who tan cannot refute, the answer that proves
are speaking slightingly of your good con him to be a false accuser. For this pur
duct in connection with Christ. For it is pose the Son of God was made manifest,
better to suffer because you are doing namely, to break up the works of the
good, if the will of God wishes it, than be Devil. And they conquered him [Satan,
cause you are doing evil. (1 Pet. 3:16,17, the false accuser of Christs brothers] be
NW) Remember, keeping integrity never cause of the blood of the Lamb and because
was easy; and the Devil and his hordes of the word of their witnessing, and they
will make it even harder because he has did not love their souls even despite the
but a short time. Do not let yourself be danger of death. And this is the conquest
conquered by the evil, but keep conquering that has conquered the world, our faith.
the evil with the good. Rom. 12:21, NW. 1 John 3:8; Rev. 12:11; 1 John 5:4,
15 Put on the complete suit of armor
11But how does integrity influence our
from God that you may be able to stand relation to our brothers? Jehovah now
firm against the machinations of the Devil; gives special privileges and responsibilities
because we have a fight, not against blood to servants in a congregation who willingly
and flesh, but against the governments, take the lead in labor and in care for Jeho
against the authorities, against the world- vahs sheep. (Acts 20:28, NW) Mature
rulers of this darkness, against the wicked publishers can aid others in the house-tospirit forces in the heavenly places. (Eph. house ministry, taking them along, show
6:11,12, NW) Our fight is not against hu ing them how to preach and training them
man creatures or human governments. By
16, 17. (a) How are invisible but very powerful foes of
now the rulers in every land should know Jehovahs people continually conquered now? (b) With
in Jehovahs New World society how does maintaining
that Jehovahs witnesses are not interested integrity concern us?

502

A ugust

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

to become fellow witnesses. Husbands too

will remain true to their wives, and wives
to their husbands. (Eph. 5:33,
In
tegrity-keeping parents will similarly teach
and train their children. Children, be obe
dient to your parents in union with the
Lord, for this is righteous: Honor your
father and mother ; which is the first com
mand with a promise. Eph. 6:1, 2,
19And how will integrity affect our re
lation to the worldly? Our commission is
to do good to all, to injure none. (1 Thess.
5:15, AW ) As far as possible our preach
ing and teaching work should be intensi
fied as the worlds end draws near. This
means to read from the Bible to the people
in their homes, at their doors, wherever
possible outside and inside prison walls.
Integrity maintained in camps of hard la
bor proves that now also Jehovah protects
his people in the lions den. There they are
happy because persecuted for righteous
ness sake. They do not complain, because
the spirit of glory, even the spirit of God,
is resting upon them. (1 Pet. 4:13-17, NW)
Neither repetition of lies nor any propa
ganda flood of falsehoods can erase the
word of God from their minds and hearts.
No brainwashing can quench their burning
faith, for they will be ready to punish all
disobedience when their own obedience is
fulfilled. (2 Cor. 10:3-6,
We are not
double-minded. With firmness and discre
tion we resist Satans browbeating meth
ods. (1 Pet. 5:6-11, NW ) But strange as it
may seem, we who have our physical free
dom stand in greater danger than our
thousands of imprisoned brothers. (Heb.
18, 19. As integrity-keepers, what are our daily respon
sibilities and privileges toward so-called outsiders,
whether unfriendly or friendly?

503

13:3, NW) Can we let trifling things in

terfere? Do we slack the hand? Do we
make excuses? There is ingathering work
to be done, a battle to be won! (Eccl. 11:4,
AS) So daily give praise to Jehovah. Let
us daily buy out the opportune time for
ourselves, because the days are wicked.
Eph. 5:16, AW .
19 The integrity-keeper has clean hands
and a pure heart because as a faithful
watchman he continues to give the warn
ing. (Ezek. 3:17-19,
With faithful
David of old he can say: I have not sat
with men of falsehood; neither will I go
in with dissemblers. I hate the assembly
of evildoers, and will not sit with the
wicked. I will wash my hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Jeho
vah; that I may make the voice of thanks
giving to be heard, and tell of all thy won
drous works. Jehovah, I love the habita
tion of thy house, and the place where thy
glory dwelleth. (Ps. 26:4-8, AS) The up
right find the way of Jehovah a stronghold
to them. He is a shield to those who walk
in integrity. It guides and preserves them
to everlasting life. (Prov. 10:29; 2:7; 11:3;
Ps. 25:21) Satan and his crumbling or
ganization alone will try to keep us from
going on to maturity and pressing on to
victory. Jehovahs prophets of old endured
and were faithful. With them Christ Je
sus, his apostles and other faithful early
Christians jubilantly joined in saying Keep
integrity! And now our present-day broth
ers, enduring great persecution, constant
ly add their voices in urging us to keep
integrity! Jehovahs mighty organization
invisible and visible stands ready to help
us maintain integrity.

Churchgoers Seldom Disappointed

C. The Louisville Times of January 10, 1956, in its column entitled N am es in the
N ew s had the following item: The Rev. Roy O. McClain of Atlanta, Georgia,
told the Texas Evangelistic Conference that the average person today goes to
church expecting little and is seldom disappointed.

EARLY CHURCH FATHERS A N D THE TRINITY

CCOR DING to the trinity the Father,
the Son and the holy spirit are three
persons of one godhead, coequal, cosubstantial and coeternal. Those teaching it claim
that the so-called church fathers also taught
the trinity, and since they lived so close to
the apostles themselves it must be that the
apostles also believed and taught the trinity.
But did these church fathers1 believe in a
trinity as held by Christendom? Note the fol
lowing quotations from these men as pub
lished in The Church of the First Three Cen
turies, by Dr. A. Lamson.

f
I

Origen , who died about A.D. 253, said:

The Father and the Son are two things, as to
their essence, but one in consent, concord, and
identity of will. Compared with the Father,
the Son is a very small light. He explained
John 10:30 (N W ), which states, I and the
Father are one, by referring to Acts 4 :3 2 :
And the multitude of them that believed were
of one heart and of one soul. And also ob
served that the Father who sent him is alone
good, and greater than he who was sent.

4 Cl em en t , who died about A.D. 100, was

severely castigated by certain Catholic theo
logians because he termed the Son of God a
creature. He once stated that the most per
fect, and most holy thing, and most command
ing, and m ost regal, and by fa r the most
beneficent nature, is that of the Son, which
is next to the only omnipotent Father. If
thou wilt be initiated [become a Christian],
then shalt thou join in the dance around the
uncreated and imperishable and only true
God, the W ord of God hymning with us.
J u s t in M artyr, who died about A.D. 165,
explained his belief regarding Jesus to a Jew
as follow s: There is another God or Lord
under the Creator of the universe, who is also
called Angel, because he announces to men
what the Creator of the universe . . . wishes
to declare. He who is said to have appeared
to Abraham, to Jacob and to Moses, and is
called God, is other than the God who made
all things. I say, in number, but not in will,
for he never did any thing except what the
Creator of the universe willed him to do
and say.

H ippolytus , who flourished in the first part

of the third century, and who, says The Cath
olic Encyclopedia, was the most important
theologian and the most prolific religious writ
er of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantinian era, held that the Father is one God, the
first and only One, the Maker and Lord of all.
He had nothing co-eval with him. . . . But he
was One, alone by himself, who, willing it,
called into being what had no being before.
L actantius , of the fourth century, wrote:
Before this glorious world arose, God, the
Maker and Disposer of all, begat a holy, in
corruptible, and incomprehensible Spirit, who
is called his Son, and although through him,
he afterwards created others an innumerable
host, whom we call angels, yet he has
thought that first-begotten alone worthy of
the divine name o f Son.

I renaeus , who died about A.D. 200, rea

soned that if the Son did not blush to refer
the knowledge of that day to the Father
[M ark 13:32], neither do we blush to reserve
the solution of difficult questions to God. Our
Savior used this expression that we might
learn from him that the Father is over all;
for The Father is greater than I.
T ertullian , who died about A.D. 230, made
similar observations: The Father is differ
ent from the Son, as he is greater; as he who
begets is different from him who is begotten;

he who sends, different from him who is sent;

he who does a thing, different from him by
whom it is done. And again, God produced
the Son, that by him he might produce the
universe. Christ does nothing except by the
will of the Father, having received all power
from him. There was a time when the Son
was not. Before all things, God was alone,
himself a world and place, and all things to
himself.

+
504

Quotations by the foregoing could be multi

plied and others, such as by Cyprian and
Dionysius, could be given, to the same effect.
And while not every statement of theirs may
perfectly coincide with the light as it now
shines on Gods W ord, there can be no doubt
about the fact that none of these believed in
a trinity in which God the Father, God the
Son, and God the H oly Ghost are coequal, cosubstantial and coeternal.

others. It would be eight hours before they

could reach the assembly site beyond the
mountains. The first stage of the journey
was a thirty-minute plane hop from Taipei to
Hualien. This gave them opportunity to see
some of the mountain terrain for which Tai
wan is famous. Peaks rising more than
14,000 feet, and capped by snow, are skirted
by tropical foliage and giant ferns.
A fter a stopover in Hualien the group set
off down country by gasoline train. Now
they had left the world of electricity, mod
ern conveniences and comfort. Instead of
the tractor, the caribou lazily plods the rice
paddies and dirt roads. Agricultural imple
ments are most primitive. For a livelihood
Jehovahs witnesses here have to work on
their farm s from dawn till dark to produce
their two rice crops a year. It takes real
zeal to find time for the all-important sow
ing and harvesting of Kingdom service.
Finally the brothers arrived at their desti
nation, the village o f Fuyuan. The young
green rice shoots in the paddies were looking
their best. It was a quiet, peaceful village,
basking in the noonday sun. The brothers
were escorted by some of the publishers to
the local Kingdom H all, for a fifteen-minute
walk. This was one of the thirty Kingdom
H alls recently constructed in Taiwan since
the lifting of the ban on the W atch Tower
Societys work. Built of bamboo and earth,
with straw-thatched roof, it was spotlessly
clean. A t the rear of the building was a new
immersion pool, specially constructed for this
E D N E S D A Y afternoon, April 18, Broth
assembly and measuring some 30 feet by 15
ers Knorr, Barry and Adam s flew from
feet. A clear mountain stream ran into one
Hong Kong to Taipei, where they were
end of the pool, which emptied at the other
met by the two missionaries recently assigned
side into the nearby rice paddies. The travelers
to that city, as well as by a number of local
happily learned that here, during the morning
brothers. These brothers are rejoicing in the
session of this one-day assembly, 123 persons
tolerance that the government is now showing
had been immersed.
to Jehovahs witnesses. Certainly any govern
Am ong those immersed were a number of the
ment that lifts restrictions on freedom of wor
mountain people, of whom some 50 were in
ship and opens up its territory to the proclama
attendance at this assembly. According to gov
tion of Jehovahs kingdom is to be commended.
ernment restriction, no one in the valley is
While the government of Taiwan continues its
allowed to enter the mountain territory, as the
life-and-death struggle against the Chinese Com
men of the mountains are considered danger
munists, Jehovahs witnesses in that land are
ous. However, about eighteen months previous
now able to comfort the people in the knowl
ly one of the mountain people, on a visit to the
edge that Gods kingdom will shortly sweep
valley, had contacted Jehovahs witnesses and
communism and all other form s of dictatorial
learned about Gods kingdom. Back to the
rule from the face of the earth.
mountain he went and preached where no one
April 19 was to be the day of Taiwans first
else was permitted to go. One by one his own
theocratic assembly. The travelers rose early
people listened, until now there are eighty perthe two missionaries, three visitors and two

SERVES

Zaiwan, Okinawa
and{Japan
W

505

506

SfteWATCHTOWER.

sons associated in that area, of whom more

than forty are Kingdom publishers. The moun
tain people are notorious for their unclean liv
ing and drunken brawls; but those of them
who have become Jehovah's witnesses have
made a complete change and now are living
exemplary moral lives, to the amazement of
the surrounding tribesmen. It certainly was
happifying that many of these people could
attend this first assembly of Jehovah's wit
nesses in Taiwan.
W hile the brothers rested and took lunch at
the Kingdom H all they learned that the assem
bly had originally been planned and set up on
a neighboring field. However, two days before,
the field's owner, a Catholic, had backed out of
his contract. The brothers obtained another
site nearby, but torrential rains hampered their
moving the equipment. It seemed that the as
sembly would be washed out." But the broth
ers toiled on through the storm until every
thing was set up at the new site. As though it
were a smile of approval on their zeal, the sun
shone forth brightly on the morning of the
assembly.

ASSEMBLY AT FUYUAN
The Taiwan brothers showed themselves to
be masters of organization. Although this was
their first assembly it had everything that the
big 1953 Yankee Stadium assembly had had.
In fact, all that these brothers knew about
assembly organization was what they had seen
in the motion picture The New W orld Society
in A ction." There were all the departments,
including Lost and Found," First Aid, Terri
tory and others. The cafeteria was a marvel
of simplicity and cleanliness. A row of ovens
had been constructed from baked earth, and
here the rice and meat were cooked. There
was an assembly line, where the brothers in
turn made up rice cakes, put in the meat and
put the lunch into a packet wrapped in a large
green banana leaf. The lunches were then
stored in racks until mealtime. The food had
been paid for in advance by voluntary con
tributions from the brothers, so that now all
the conventioners, even those who had been
unable to contribute, could line up and each
take his lunch in turn.
The setting of the assembly field was m ag
nificent. Its location was the greenest of val
leys, beside which great mountains towered
skyward. Green rice paddies, papayas, banana
trees and tropical palms surrounded the broth-

BROOKLYN, N . Y .

ers on every side. On the assembly field itself

a tall platform had been built in the form of
a watchtower, and this was beautifully decked
out in tropical foliage and flowers. Even the
stalls where assembly departments operated
were bedecked with the same tropical flowers.
The field was filled with benches constructed
from bamboo, and the happy-looking people
occupying these seats were themselves dressed
brightly, like the surroundings. W hile the sun
shone straight down in the heat of the day,
the field was an ocean of colored and floral
sunshades, mingled with black umbrellas. Each
of Taiwan's thirty congregations sat around
a pole bearing the congregations name. In
Taiwan it is the custom for the sexes to be
segregated at meetings, men sitting on one side,
women on the other. Here Jehovahs witnesses
too had observed this custom until one year
ago. Now, at this assembly, they were all sit
ting in fam ily groups. W h y the change? Be
cause they had seen the movie The New W orld
Society in Action." They had noticed the pic
tured fam ily groups and they wanted to do
everything like their brothers all over the
world. So out went tradition; and father, moth
er and the children all sat together to enjoy
the assembly.
During the morning the brothers had enjoyed
talks on Exclusive Devotion," 1,600 attending
that session. No one came late for the assem
bly. Most of the brothers had arrived at 4 a.m.
by train from the south. It was 1,600 attend
ance from start to finish! None, not even the
children, walked around during the sessions.
W hile the assembly was in progress all re
mained as glued in their seats, attentive, lis
tening. If one, because of having traveled all
night, did start to doze, an attendant flicked his
ear, as a reminder to keep listening.
When Brother Knorr and his party arrived
at 2 p.m. they were treated to a song session by
all in attendance. There was no musical accom
paniment, but all sang in perfect harmony, as
they followed the conductor's directions. These
were Oriental Kingdom songs the message of
Jehovahs glorious kingdom set to folk music
written by the Taiwan brothers. Particularly
moving was their persecution" song, which
had helped them fight through many a year of
anxiety. This was music and singing that
sprang from Oriental hearts devoted to Je
hovah.
A t 2:15 p.m. Brother Knorr commenced his
public address Making A ll Mankind One Un-

A u g u st

15, 1956

507

SfieWATCHTOWEFL

der Their Creator. A s with all the talks that

afternoon, it was necessary to interpret from
English into an Oriental language and then
into the local tribal Am i language. These hum
ble children of the soil understood the mes
sage well. It went straight to their hearts and
to the hearts of many local good-will persons
who now had assembled with Jehovahs wit
nesses, to make the total attendance 1,808. A l
most the entire population of the village was
there to hear Brother Knorr speak.
Following a thirty-minute intermission three
more practical talks on Jehovahs service car
ried the program on through to 7 p.m. Dusk
was now falling and the umbrellas had disap
peared, so that there was an unobstructed view
of a field full of smiling faces. It had been a
long day, but still all listened intently and the
young children continued to sit quietly with
their parents. Came the closing song and
prayer, and now it was time for Brother Knorr
and those with him to leave to make the train
connection. The audience stood, remaining in
one body while waving a united farewell to the
visitors as they started along the road.
The return train journey gave further oppor
tunity of happy association, for many conventioners traveled by the same train. As each
group alighted at its home station, all of them
would come to the window by Brother Knorr
and shake hands heartily before they walked
off into the night. W e learned that one of these
groups would have to walk across country one
and a h alf hours, and then wade a swift-flowing
mountain river before they could reach their
home village. In that village all families ex
cept one are Jehovahs witnesses. Here, too, we
noticed something contrary to Oriental custom,
which often makes a slave of the wife. Many
of the husbands were now carrying the babies
on their backs, thus showing consideration,
after this tiring day, for the weaker vessel,
the wife. A s elsewhere in the New W orld so
ciety, there is a fine spirit of co-operation and
love, and an overflowing happiness, among
Jehovahs witnesses of Taiwan. The visitors
were happy, though tired; and at the train
journeys end when, in Oriental style, they had
to sleep on the floor at a Hualien hotel, they
slept soundly and well.
Shortly after noon on April 20 the plane
carried them back to the capital, Taipei, and
there they spent several enjoyable hours with
the two missionaries at their Taipei home. The
missionaries have made a fine start in learning

the Chinese language. Although m any people

in Taipei can talk some English and would like
to study in English, the missionaries have in
sisted from the beginning that their good-will
students use the Chinese literature fo r Bible
lessons. A fter three months they have more
than twenty studies in Chinese, and are making
some good progress with these. That same eve
ning the visiting brothers took another plane
for Tokyo, Japan.

OKINAWA
At 8 p.m. the plane came down for a thirtyminute stop at Okinawa. The entire local con
gregation, American, Filipino and Japanese,
was there to give the travelers a hearty wel
come. It was indeed wonderful to see these dif
ferent nationalities welded into one people,
praising Jehovah. Their field service report for
the previous month had shown a peak of 26
publishers (60-percent increase), and these
26 publishers had jointly placed the astounding
total of 2,662 copies of the Japanese Watchtower and Awake! in just that one month. As
one of the Japanese special pioneers (newly
assigned there) said: This is a pioneers para
dise. The brothers left Okinawa with happy
memories of a congregation united in praising
Jehovah.

JAPAN
Arrival time in Japan was 1:10 a.m. on
April 21. Considering the early hour it was sur
prising to see a group of more than twenty mis
sionaries on hand to meet the travelers. The
Tokyo assembly, which started the same day,
was held in a beautiful new hall of up-to-date
Western construction, the Nakano-Ku Kokaido.
In preparation for the assembly there were dis
tributed 200,000 handbills, 2,500 window cards
and 20,000 copies of a special issue of the Japa
nese Awake! carrying the story of this assembly
as well as of the world-wide assemblies of re
cent years, with m any pictures. Newspapers
also gave good publicity, announcing the as
sembly and Brother Knorrs arrival. For the
first time in Japan extensive house-to-house
rooming work was done and many visitors
were accommodated in the peoples homes. This
resulted in a fine witness, helping many to take
an interest and to attend the assembly.
Lapel badges advertising the assembly caused
great curiosity. As these were to be seen every
where on the trains and in the streets, it was
not unusual to be stopped by someone wanting
to read your name and where you came from,

508

SfteWATCHTOWER.

giving plenty of opportunities to witness. Two

publishers traveling by train from Kyoto to
Tokyo witnessed the whole length of their car
and placed m any magazines.
Saturday, 7:30 a.m., found publishers from
all over Japan and Okinawa at breakfast in
the cafeteria, which had been set up in a ban
quet hall across the street from the assembly
hall. This banquet hall was leased to us for
the entire assembly, and some seventy of the
brothers slept there each night. Each morning
they rolled up their beds and stored them in
cupboards, so that the floor space could be used
for the cafeteria. A s the conventioners sat at meals on the
matted floor before low lac
quered tables they could look
out over a lovely old Japanese
garden that surrounded the cafe
teria. The assembly hall itself
was striking in appearance, and
for the three days of the assem
bly the spring sunshine streamed
through the hairs front wall of
glass that was forty feet high.
In the field on the first morning were more
than 200 publishers doing magazine work and
advertising the assembly. The smallest publish
er, complete with placard and handbills, was
just four years old. Meanwhile, at the hall,
more than eighty pioneers and prospective pio
neers heard good counsel from Brother Knorr.
Afterward one said: I feel a hypocrite that
I did not become a pioneer earlier! The Satur
day afternoon attendance was 425, and these
thrilled to Brother Knorr's talk on Christians
Must Be Happy. The whole audience was tak
ing notes and constantly flicking Bible pages
to find the scriptures being quoted. As a happy
surprise at the conclusion of this session, there
came announcement of the booklet Songs of
Praise to Jehovah in Japanese.
Some fine experiences were told by Japanese
special pioneers who are working out in addi
tional cities and finding much interest. One
fam ily of three special pioneers, now working
in a territory where the very strict Buddhist
Nichirenshu sect predominates, after just three
months' work reported thirty studies and six
new publishers active with them in the field.
Another special publisher called at a lodging
house operated by the Tenrikyo sect, an off
shoot from Shinto. A n elderly lady showed
good interest, a study was arranged and con
ducted in a low voice to avoid opposition. The

B rooklyn, N .

Y.

lady herself is now witnessing to all who come

there.
The special pioneers brought newly interested
persons with them to the assembly. Another
interested person, who could not make the trip
with the others, traveled all night so he could
join his friends at the assembly the next morn
ing and then immediately on arrival went with
them in the service his first time. Special pio
neers from one town reported that in eight
months they had fourteen studies and two pub
lishers. One of these special pioneers, while
street witnessing, was handed an envelope ad
dressed to the W atch Tower
Parson. In it were some Bible
questions. N ext week the same
person came back to the street
location and collected the an
swers. An invitation to a pub
lic talk was given to him and
he came. A study was started,
but still he would not tell the
publisher where he lived. H av
ing had experience with the
churches, he was afraid of be
ing booked for contributions.
However, when he finally con
vinced himself of the genuineness of Jehovah's
people, he later willingly gave his address. Now
he was in attendance at this assembly in Tokyo.
Baptismal service was held in a natural hotspring pool at one of the assembly lodging
houses. Fifty-four were immersed.
On Saturday evening Brother Adam s' talk
hit right out at one of the obstacles to the
Japanese opposition from their own families.
Micah 7 :6 has real meaning for many of the
young publishers in Japan. One of such, who
had received much opposition because of com
ing to the assembly, said she was greatly com
forted. Her parents had argued with her till
two o'clock in the morning, but she persisted
and came, and now is filled with the further
desire to break right away and become a pio
neer. Another, considering pioneer service,
said: This talk really hit the point.
Brother Knorr's public talk Making All
Mankind One Under Their Creator was most
enthusiastically received. The fruits of weeks
of diligent advertising now were seen in the
hall filled with 974 eager listeners, a big in
crease over the 400 brothers who had been
attending throughout the assembly. O f the
974, 660 stayed on to hear Brother Adam s' talk

A ugust 15, 1956

5HeWATCHTOWER

that followed after an intermission. Some ex

pressions that were heard afterward:
This organization shows real hope for unit
ing the world.
Jehovah's witnesses are not interested in
money, as other religions are.
A wonderful talk for the new interest; any
one could understand well.
To cope with the crowd after the public talk
box lunches were provided for the first time
at an assembly in Japan. These lunches could
be taken anywhere and eaten, and proved very
successful.
By the time Brother Knorr came onto the
platform for his final talk on Monday evening,
enthusiasm had reached its highest peak. There
was spontaneous and enthusiastic applause.
The thrilling story of Jehovah's witnesses in
Russia was relayed to an attentive audience
through fine interpretation. Several times
clapping broke out. W h a t a joy to realize that
the brothers even in iron-curtain countries are
active and fighting along with Jehovah's or
ganization world-wide! A ll left the assembly
with hearts filled with joy, determined to put
more into the service here where we are free.
On the evening following the assembly Broth
er Knorr met with the fifty-five missionaries in
Japan, at the branch home, and an informal
dinner and a pleasant evening of association
were enjoyed by all. The missionaries in Japan
have done fine work over the past seven years.
W hen the first missionary came to Japan after
W orld W a r II, there were no Kingdom pub
lishers reporting. However, March, 1956, had
just brought a new peak of 567 publishers, a
21-percent increase over the previous year, and
of these more than forty are native Japanese

509

pioneers. Particularly interesting in the March

report was the new peak of 20,368 magazines
placed. The publishers are rejoicing in having
both the Watchtower and Awake! magazines
in Japanese. These magazines are arousing
much interest among the people of Japan.

AN INTERESTING BACK-CALL
Last summer, while returning from the Eu
ropean assemblies to N ew York, Brother Knorr
had witnessed to the passenger in the seat next
to him on the plane. H e happened to be Mr.
Ohama, president of W aseda University, one
of Japan's great universities, having an en
rollment of 25,000 students. Brother Knorr sent
Mr. Ohama some of the Kingdom literature in
Japanese. Later, when he heard that Brother
Knorr would be coming to Japan, he invited
him to give a lecture at the university in the
language students' auditorium. This meeting
took place on Wednesday afternoon, April 25,
Brother Knorr speaking through an interpreter
to an audience of 386 professors and students,
who listened most intently. They applauded
enthusiastically at the close of the talk. Broth
er Knorr was then invited to tea with the
professors, and this gave a further opportunity
to talk about the work of Jehovahs witnesses
to the faculty. B y their questions they showed
that they had followed the address very closely.
It was a most enjoyable and pleasant experi
ence for Brother Knorr. The local missionaries
are hopefully following up this interest.
So another delightful visit and encouraging
assembly came to a close. The six days in Ja
pan had passed all too quickly but with good
memories of happy hours; and then the three
brothers departed again, this time for Korea.

H O S P ITA LS , T A K E

N O T IC E !

A personal testimony from one of Jehovah's witnesses said: Due to hemor

rhage after the birth of m y baby I bled for six hours and was practically
unconscious when I was rushed to the hospital at Abington, Pa. The doctor said
I had lost two thirds of my blood and without blood transfusions I had no chance
of recovery. M y husband, on his own, sent out and obtained two bottles of Dextran
and insisted that it be administered. In view of his insistence the doctors de
cided to use me as a test case. I responded to the Dextran so well that the
attending physician commented: T h a t is amazing stuff. It was absorbed imme
diately and she is showing wonderful improvement.' M y recovery was far speedier
than the doctors expected and I had no untoward effects afterward. Today, two
and a half years later, I am still enjoying good health. That was the first intro
duction to Dextran had by the medical staff of the Abington Hospital. Today
they carry a supply of it for similar emergencies. Trusting that this m ay be of
interest to others, I remain [signed] Mrs. C. C. H .

fin d in g Sheep in 'D e a t h R o w "

U ST as it is quite impossible to judge a
person by first impressions or by their
initial reactions at the door when you are
presenting the Kingdom message, so one can
not always judge by his past course in life
whether a person has a heart of good will.
This fact was strikingly brought to our atten
tion by a letter from a minister of Jehovahs
witnesses who visits the United States Dis
ciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas.

C. This minister has been given permission

by the authorities to visit those within the
prison who have manifested interest in the
good news of Jehovahs kingdom. Quite a
number of the inmates have progressed in
their study of the Bible to the point that they
have become Jehovah's witnesses, even though
incarcerated for various past crimes.

H It is quite striking to know that even men

in death row have become active witnesses,
not in some last-minute emotional death-bedrepentance outburst, but with intelligent faith,
realizing that even though the hours that re
main m ay be few, they must be devoted to
doing what Jehovahs will is, as revealed in
his W ord. Here is what the minister who
visits these men in death row reports:

bring him out of his place of confinement.

The baptism was performed in a large bath
tub in the prison hospital. The unusual thing
is that four guards stood by and heard the
baptismal discourse. The prayer and the bap
tism itself was witnessed by the Comman
dant, who is the one who sets the time and
orders the executions carried out, three of
which were done recently. In attendance also
were his assistant, a major, and eight guards,
all of top noncommissioned rank.

C. Brother Z is certainly maturing in his

study and he witnesses to other prisoners.
The other man in death row could neither
read nor write, but with Brother Z s help he
has trained himself to read and is studying
the Bible.

C. This letter is in regard to m y visit with

the men in death row1 of this prison. A t pres
ent two of the three men being visited there
are still in this confinement, condemned to
death.
C Brother Z was baptized by me on Decem
ber 12. Prior to now this has not been re
ported. The circumstances surrounding this
baptism no doubt are different from most, in
that extreme caution was taken by the mili
tary with this man since it was necessary to

L The third m an form erly confined to death

row (for two and a half years) has had his
sentence changed to life imprisonment and
expects eventually to be moved to a Federal
prison. H e now attends the meetings for Jeho
vahs witnesses regularly each week along
with three men of good will. A ll these assem
bling here in the Disciplinary Barracks cer
tainly thank Jehovah for his Word, his organi
Its Only a Business
zation and his spirit. Their thanks go out to
C. Under the heading Priests Demandi Union
W afor
gesthethe
Ithaca,
ew which
York, are to
Jehovah
latest
BibleNaids
Journal of January 19 printed an Associated
Pressindispatch
that saidlibrary.
that in
!; be found
this institutions
Ahmedabad about a hundred priests have
a union
to fight
for an
higher
!; C.formed
In the hour
of Jesus
death
evildoer be
wages and improved working conditions.
they
are
employes
of who
an spoke
ll Contending
friended Jesus
and
rebuked
those
industry, the priests have asked the Bombay
state of
government
to bring
them
| abusively
him. Exercising
faith
in Jesus
under the minimum wages act and allow
to Christ,
take their
before
a state
!| them
as the
this case
evildoer
said:
Jesus, reindustrial tribunal. How unlike the true]i religion,
is ayou
service
of God,
memberwhich
me when
get into
your not
kingdom.
self, and in which mature ministers shepherd
flock
. , not Iunder
[! And the
Jesus
saidoftoGod
him. : . Truly
tell you tocompulsion, but willingly, neither for love
dishonest
gain,
but eagerly.
1 Pet. Those
!; of
day,
You will
be with
me in Paradise.
5:2, NW .
|! coming to Christ today in the same faith can
;!
510
I

entertain the same promise despite their past

conduct. Luke 23:42, 43, N W .

A t the moment it m ight seem wise to un

burden oneself of the problem by having the
baby adopted, but it would be against the
motherly instincts and as time passed there
might be bitter regret because of this course.
It would be against natural affection, although
in these last days o f critical, difficult times we
are told that many persons would be having
no natural affection. It would seem better to
follow the principles of motherly affection and
love for offspring and the keeping of a clear
conscience. Even the principles of Christian
faith would seem to be violated by failure to
look after the child one brought into existence.
Paul wrote: Certainly if anyone does not pro
vide for those who are his own, and especially
for those who are members of his household,
he has disowned the faith and is worse than a
person without faith. 2 Tim. 3 :3 ; 1 Tim.
5:8, NW .

I f an unmarried pregnant woman who has

made arrangements for the baby to be adopted
comes to a knowledge o f the truth before the
baby is born, should she then feel obligated to
keep the child in order to teach it the truth
of God's W o rd ?
One m ay argue that if the baby is adopted it
will have more in a material way and will not
have to bear the stigma of illegitimacy. But
spiritual provisions are more vital than mate
rial things, and if necessary the social stigma
can be avoided by the mother's moving to
another place.
Jehovah commands the parent: These words
that I am commanding you today must prove
to be on your heart, and you must inculcate
them in your son and speak of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk on the
road and when you lie down and when you get
up." How could a parent do this if she gives
her baby aw ay? How could she give it the
right start in life: Train up a child in the
way he should go: and when he is old, he
will not depart from it ? Deut. 6:6, 7, N W ;
Prov. 22:6.

So it would seem more courageous and more

Christian to bear the burden of keeping and
rearing the baby, facing whatever consequences
that might follow, such as loss of reputation.
Especially so now that the mother has come
to a knowledge of the truth and is in position
to teach the truth to her offspring and per
haps make it possible for it to live forever in
a new world of righteousness. The person find
ing herself in this difficult position must make
her own decision as to the course she will
follow.

^
W
o
n
d
e
u
HW
^ays oj oftsfi
C. Scientists are ever coming up with new evidence as to the strange and won
derful ways o f fish. In Scotland W . M. Shearer has produced proof that sea
trout return not only to the fresh water stream in which they were spawned but
to the very same little inlet, even the same stretch of gravelly bank. Shearer dis
covered this by capturing, tagging and liberating sea trout in the many inlets of the
River Dee. A year later he recaptured six of these fish, each one in the same
inlet where it had been caught originally. In the United States John Briggs of the
University of Florida also came up with something new. He found evidence to sup
port a belief that the first fish returning to a spawning ground swim at once to its
outer reaches. The reason for this? W hy, to leave room for later arrivals. That is
real intelligence! Obviously, giving the fish the credit is not enough, as the God
fearing man Job explained: But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee;
and the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and
it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. W h o knoweth
not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this, in whose hand is
the soul of every living thing. Job 12:7-10, AS.
511

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
The W atch Tower Bible and Tract Society of
Pennsylvania will hold its annual meeting of
members on Monday, October 1, 1956, at ten
o'clock in the forenoon at the registered office
of the Society, which is located at 4100 Bigelow
Boulevard, com er of Parkman Avenue, in Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania.
Members of the corporation should be certain
that the secretarys office has the proper ad
dresses to which to mail the usual letter of
notice advising them of the meeting and in
which the proxy forms are enclosed. W e need
to have all the proxies returned to the office
of the secretary of the Society not later than
the 15th of September. Each member should
complete and return his proxy promptly wheth
er he is going to be at the meeting personally
or not.

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 16: Judge, O Jehovah! H1-21.
Page 489.
September 23: Judge, O Jehovah! ft 22-24, and
Maintaining Integrity. Page 496.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

vV

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

^
Why God
P. 497, til.

What treatment Jehovah s witnesses are

receiving in the Eastern Zone of Germany?
P. 484, til.

has

let

evildoers

remain?

How early church fathers showed that

they did not believe in the trinity? P. 504, 112.

What is the strongest proof that the

Anglo-Israelite theory is false? P. 486, tI6.

^
How a new congregation was organized
among the mountain people of Taiwan? P.
505, 115.

What the definition and interesting back

ground of the Bible word integrity are?
P. 490, U6.

Under what unusual circumstances prison

ers at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, have be
come Jehovah s witnesses? P. 5 t o, U3.

What seven desirable qualities to copy are

summed up in Christ Jesus? P. 496, 1120.

5 12

y 4 n n o u n c in g
SEPTEMBER 1,1956
Semimonthly

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

THE DIVINE O R IG IN OF
M ARRIAGE
MARRIAGE UNDER IMPERFECT
CONDITIONS
HAS GODS PURPOSE FOR MANKIND
FAILED?

WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa. 43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G od s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W a tch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous tim es/ G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

WATCH TOWER BIBLE

117 Adams Street
N. H. K n o r r , President

PUBLISHED BY THE
AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue: 2,750,000

CONTENTS
He Made Out of One Man Every Nation 515
H as Gods Purpose for Mankind Failed?

517

Triumphing Over Enemies by Kingdom

Preaching

520

Pursuing M y Purpose in Life

521

The Divine Origin of Marriage

525

Marriage Under Imperfect Conditions

533

Outstanding Assemblies in Korea

and Alaska

539

Questions from Readers

543

Announcements

544

Check Your Memory

544

Abbreviations iso4 ia Tho Watchtower for the follow im Bible versions

- American Standard Version L X X - The Septuagint Version

- An American Translation
Mo - James Moffatt's version
- J. N. Darbys version
NW - New World Translation
Catholic Douay version
Ro - J. B. Botherham's version
-* The Emphatic Diaglott
R8 - Revised Standard Version
- Isaac Leaser's version
Yg - Robert Youngs version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used Is the King James Version
AS
AT
Da
Dy
ED
Le

PUBLISHED IN THE
S e m im o n t h ly
Afrikaans
French
Japanese
Arabic
German
Norwegian
Cebu-Visayan Greek
Slovenian
Cinyanja
Hollandisb Spanish
Danish
llocano
Swedish
English
Indonesian Tagalog
Finnish
Italian
Twi

Five cents a copy

FOLLOWING LANGUAGES
M o n th ly
Armenian
Korean
Burmese
Malayalam
Chinese
Pangasinan
Cibemba
Polish
Cishona
Portuguese
Hiligaynon- Russian
Visayan Sesotho
Ibo
Siamese
Kanarese
Silozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhusa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

Watch Tower Society offices
for semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Bd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions eost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

'T ^ rvn o ztn cirig

J E H O V A H S
K IN G D O M

He made
out of
one man ri

write and study

the Bible. Then
these people start
moving forward.
They learn from
the Bible that the
Catholic Church
has not taught them the truths of Gods
Word. They become Jehovahs witnesses.
Many of them may be colored or Puerto
Ricans or Mexicans, but that does not
make them undesirable in the eyes of Jeho
vahs witnesses. Jehovah God calls them
desirable, when foretelling the time that
they would start coming into his organiza
tion, coming in from all nations and races:
And I will shake all nations, and the de
sirable things of all nations shall come, and
I will fill this house with glory, saith the
L ord of hosts. Their numbers swell the
volume of the voices that sing Jehovahs
praises and fill the earth with words ex
tolling his glory. Hag. 2:7, English Re
vised Version.
These peoples may not seem desirable
to the proud religions of orthodox Chris
tendom, but they are to true Christianity,
and the Bible foretold that the majority
of true Christians would be drawn from
the lowly rather than from the lofty: For
you behold his calling of you, brothers,
that not many wise in a fleshly way were
called, not many powerful, not many noble;
but God chose the foolish things of the
world, that he might put the wise men to

b E V E R Y NATION

9 R IE ST John
L J a. O Brien
wrote about Jehovahs witnesses in the na
tional Catholic Action weekly
Sunday
Visitor,May 20, 1956. To show that the
witnesses as a group were unattractive and
undesirable, priest OBrien said that basic
ally their numbers were made up of poor
persons, relief cases, workingmen and the
mentally and economically underprivileged.
Pursuing this argument, OBrien then
added:
According to the Christian Century for
July, 1955, every fifth witness is colored.
The masses of newly transplanted Puerto
Ricans of New York and the Mexicans of
California and the Southwest have contrib
uted substantial numbers to the sects
membership. Indeed, the organization is
making some of its most sizeable gains
in backward countries where illiteracy
abounds.
Primarily the backward countries where
illiteracy abounds are Catholic countries
where the Catholic Church wields great
power and controls the educational facil
ities. When Jehovahs witnesses preach
there they teach the people to read and

515

516

SReWATCHTOWER.

shame, and God chose the weak things of

the world, that he might put the strong
things to shame; and God chose the ignoble
things of the world and the things looked
down upon, the things that are not, that
he might bring to nothing the things that
are, in order that no flesh might boast in
the sight of God. 1 Cor. 1:26-29,
Jehovahs witnesses do not believe in
prejudice or discrimination or segregation
because of race or color. Where communi
ties are democratic enough to allow it,
Jehovahs witnesses of different races and
colors meet together in one congregation.
Colored persons, Puerto Ricans and Mexi
cans, along with all other races and colors,
are in the bride of Christ and are in heaven
with God. They are not segregated in heav
en; they should not be on earth. But there
are many things on earth that should not
be. These evils will be erased from earth
at Jehovahs war called Armageddon and
they will not exist in his New World of
righteousness. Jehovahs witnesses cannot
convert the world, do not try to, but await
Gods destruction of it. Only in the new
world that follows will prejudice and dis
crimination and segregation completely
end.
It is the good news of this incoming new
world that Jehovahs witnesses preach.
When they come to your door with this
message, do you listen? Do you welcome
them into your home for a Bible discus
sion? If you are a Catholic you certainly
should, according to priest OBrien. He
says it is the Catholics duty to do so:

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

The simple, untutored sincere members

who constitute the rank and file o f the
witnesses are hungering for food and are
being fed husks. Their zeal is worthy of
a better cause. We must welcome them
into our homes, let them quote their dozen
memorized texts, then show them from
the Scriptures the blinding evidence of the
divinity of Christ, the establishment of
His Church on earth, His bestowal of au
thority upon it to teach all mankind and
His promise to be with it all days even
unto the consummation of the world. No
matter how pestiferous and cantankerous
the misguided witnesses may be, they are
the children for whom Christ died and
whom He loves and wishes to have in His
fold. They are our brothers, and we must
love them, be patient with them, pray for
them and help lead them to Christ.
Jehovahs witnesses hope that the Cath
olic people heed this advice. The witnesses
will consider it a privilege to enter the
homes of Catholics and present their mes
sage and also to listen to the Bible evidence
that Catholics wish to present to them. It
is by such discussions that truth is learned
and that Jehovah gathers into his fold all
persons of good will toward him, regard
less of nation, race, language or color. All
men seeking God are equal and desirable
in his sight and in the sight of his true
people, because he made out of one man
every nation of men, to dwell upon the
entire surface of the earth.Acts 17:26,
NW.

v9 S=oi/g U/ltli ^ktli

The following letter was sent to the Federation of Churches in the United
States and forwarded by them to the Society: I would be obliged if you would
get me on to a branch church of Jehovahs witnesses to take a Bible study course
by correspondence and become a minister of the gospel. I am a member of the
Baptist Church for many years but I am afraid Ive not been given enough work
to do. By reading the Gospel tracts and magazines of Jehovahs witnesses I ve
fallen deeply in love with their doctrine. I am anxiously waiting an early reply,
A. G. T., London.

HAS GODS PURPOSE

FOR M A N K IN D
W hat is G o d s pur
pose for mankind?
Has it failed or will
^
s jT y o t be realizecf e r f l
must wir ^ to 6ene^
fit from it?

of all knowledge and the Personification

of wisdom. Isa. 42:8,
IS GODS purpose for mankind the
But why speculate on what Gods pur
_______conversion of the world to the sopose is when he has given us his wellcalled Christian religions? That is what authenticated Word for the very reason of
the majority of the sects of Christendom revealing to us his purpose for mankind?
teach. These also hold that the earth is
Failure to make his purpose known to in
merely the temporary home of man, that
telligent creatures would be both unjust
mans destiny is heaven and that someday
and
unloving and so not at all like God.
the earth will be consumed by fire.
Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing,
Definitely disagreeing with such beliefs
are the deists who, while believing in the except he reveal his secret unto his serv
existence of God, deny the inspiration of ants. Amos 3:7, AS.
the Bible. These hold that God, once hav
GODS PURPOSE FOR MANKIND
ing created the universe, including the
What is Gods purpose for mankind? His
earth and man, is not directly concerned
with what goes on upon the earth but lets purpose he made known by a mandate he
gave the very first human pair in Eden.
mankind go its own way.
If Gods purpose for mankind is the con Incidentally, all mandates or commands
version of all men to any or all sects of issuing from God, the divine One, are di
Christendom it has signally failed. How vine mandates. To distinguish this one
so? Because not only is earths population from all other divine mandates it there
increasing at a greater rate than are the fore seems best to speak of it as the pro
sects of Christendom, but even in Chris creation mandate. And of what did this
tendom comparatively few can be said to procreation man
be true Christians.
date consist? Of
God is the great First Cause. Of himself th ree spec if ic
he says: I am Jehovah, that is my name. commands:
And that name literally means he causes
First of all, Be
to be. For God to be the Great Causer, fruitful and be
and yet not have a purpose, why, that come many and
would be unthinkable. It would indicate a fill the earth ;
lack of intelligence, and God, above all with righteous
others, is The Intelligent One, the Source c r e a t u r e s , o f
5 17

518

SfieWATCHTOWER,

course, like Adam and Eve, having a right

to life, living in harmony with their Crea
tor and dwelling in happiness and at peace
with one another. Secondly, and subdue
it, that is, the earth; by making all the
earth a paradise even as was the specially
prepared garden of delight in Eden. And,
thirdly, have in subjection all the lower
animals. Man was to be a wise and loving
ruler, not over fellow humans, but over
the lower, unreasoning, brute creation.
Gen. 1:28,
NW.
Note that God said nothing to Adam
and Eve about going to heaven. Neither
did he tell them that someday the earthly
globe was to be destroyed. Rather he told
them that they would live as long as they
obeyed a certain commandment. We must
therefore conclude that mans destiny was
earthly, not heavenly. And so we read:
The righteous shall inherit the land, and
dwell therein for ever. But how could
they if someday it were to be destroyed
by fire? Ps. 37:29,
A
What a marvelous prospect Gods pur
pose held out to mankind! What a testi
mony that procreation mandate was to
Gods love, justice, wisdom and power! Yet
today, some six thousand years removed
from the time God gave that mandate, do
we see Gods purpose for mankind prac
tically realized? Far from it!
Instead of mans making the earth a
paradise he has so exploited it that large
areas are barren because of dust storms
and soil erosion. Destructive wars have
ruined other large sections and now scien
tists warn that production of atomic
energy may eventually make the entire
earth uninhabitable.
Likewise man has failed to exercise
wise, just and loving dominion over the
lower animals. Instead, man has abused his
charges, causing them much needless suf
fering, and has wantonly slain them for
commercial gain or for sport, even to the

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

extent of completely wiping out some

species. And far from filling the earth
with a happy and righteous race of hu
mans having the right to life, man has
filled the earth with an unrighteous,
wretched and dying race.
Why this apparent failure of Gods pur
pose for mankind? Because of original sin,
caused by the rebellion of one of Gods
spirit creatures who was placed in charge
of the earth and man, and who, because of
his rebellion, is now known as Satan the
Devil a record all too well known to need
detailed repeating here. Gen. 3:1-19;
Rom. 5:12.
Does that mean that Gods purpose for
mankind will not be realized? Not at all.
None of Gods purposes ever fail. How
could they, when he is both all-knowing
and all-powerful? As he himself assures
us: I have purposed, I will also do it.
Isa. 46:11,
AS.
Actually it is merely a matter of Gods
purpose for mankind being temporarily
interrupted, which God permitted for very
good reasons. Such as? To demonstrate his
superiority over a rival even when that
one is given practically free rein, and also
to prove that he can have creatures that
will prove true to him in spite of all the
temptations and persecutions that Gods
enemy Satan can bring against them. For
an example see the book of Job.
GODS PURPOSE WILL YET BE REALIZED

How will Gods purpose for mankind yet

be realized? Necessarily, by removing the
condemnation resting upon mankind be
cause of Adams transgression. This God
made possible by having his Son come to
earth and take mans place in death. As
we read of Jesus: See, the Lamb of God
that takes away the sin of the world! Yes,
even as the sin of one perfect man, Adam,
brought death to the human race, so the
sacrifice of one perfect man, Jesus, opens

Se p te m b e r 1,

1956

Sf&eWATCHTOWER,

the way for all lovers of righteousness to

get life. John 1:29,
However, before mankind can receive
the benefits of Jesus sacrifice or ransom,
Satan and all his cohorts, both visible and
invisible, must first be put out of the way,
as they would obstruct all such activity in
behalf of man. This Jesus Christ and his
invisible armies will do at Armageddon, at
the war of the great day of God the Al
mighty. In that universal war all those on
earth who do not take their stand for
Jehovah will be destroyed, whereas Satan
and his invisible hosts will be hurled into
an abyss of deathlike inactivity for a thou
sand years.Rev. 16:14, 16; 20:1-3, NW.
Armageddons survivors, the lovers of
Jehovah and righteousness, will then see
Jesus prayer being fulfilled: Let your
will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon
earth. That will mean a new heavens and
a new earth in which righteousness will
dwell.Matt. 6:10; 2 Pet. 3:13, NW.
That heavenly kingdom of God, which
will realize Gods purpose for mankind,
consists of a King, Jesus Christ, and 144,000 royal associates. These associates are
chosen from among men, are an exception
to the rest of mankind and will be the only
ones ever taken to heaven. Rev. 14:1, 3.
As the seed of Abraham, Christ and his
associates will bless all mankind. Under
their Kingdom rule the effects of sin and
death will gradually be removed. Their

519

first subjects, the Armageddon survivors,

the great crowd of Revelation 7 (NW),
will share in a token fulfillment of the
procreation mandate, bringing forth chil
dren in righteousness. They will also exer
cise wise, just and loving dominion over
the brute creation and subdue the earth,
making it a paradise. And then those in
the memorial tombs, or in Gods memory,
will hear Jesus voice and come out.
John 5:28, 29,
NW.
At the end of the 1,000-year Kingdom
rule Satan and his demons will be loosed
so as to try all those dwelling on earth.
All who succumb to selfish temptation will
be destroyed with Satan and his demons.
Those that withstand the test will be de
clared righteous by God and given the
right to everlasting life. Then Gods pur
pose will be fully realized as all mankind
enjoy endless life in an earthly paradise,
unitedly worshiping Jehovah in spirit and
in truth and dwelling together in happi
ness, love and peace.
Would you like to share in Jehovahs
glorious purpose for mankind, so certain
to be realized, and that soon? Then give
him the exclusive devotion all his crea
tures owe him and he rightfully requires
of them. To help you give Jehovah exclu
sive devotion is the purpose of the Watch
Tower publications and the activity of
Jehovahs witnesses. Accept the help they
offer, to your lasting benefit.

SiU
utteA(fadfiv t s4 c c id e ttti
*8? Because of improper religious education imperfect men often blaspheme God
by blaming him for accidents, as though God should continually perform mira
cles to protect men from the consequences of their own folly. Thus a M r. Joseph
Jenkins, Sr., of N ew Jersey, upon hearing that an auto accident had for the fourth
time in five years claimed a grown son of his, said: I dont know w hy God has
to take m y boys this way. His spouse gave him sm all comfort, fo r she also
blamed God, saying, "T h e Lord gives them to us and the Lord takes them away.
God does not cause automobile accidents. It is blasphemy to blame him fo r
mechanical failure or errors of judgment on the part of m en! A s the Scripture
says: Tim e and chance happen to them all. Eccl. 9:11,

Triumphing Over Enemies by Kingdom Preaching

ESUS foretold: This good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the in
habited earth. (Matt. 24:14,
This
good news, however, is not that preached
by the various missionaries for the past
nineteen centuries. How could it be when
such have had no proper conception of
what Gods kingdom is? Besides, Jesus
said that this preaching would be a feature
of the sign marking his second presence.*
This particular good news of the King
dom therefore relates to the kingdom of
God as established in this time of the end.
Bible chronology pinpoints its having been
set up in 1914. This kingdom will wipe out
all wickedness and cause Gods will to be
done on earth as in heaven, ushering in
paradise.
Though this preaching is good news it
has many enemies. As foretold, the rulers
of the world, and especially communistic
rulers, have taken counsel against God and
his King Jesus Christ. They oppose all
who preach Gods kingdom, because it is to
rule all nations with a rod of iron and
dash them to pieces like a potters vessel.
It follows then that when Dean Pike,
prominent New York city clergyman, says
that being a Christian is such a safe
thing, he is not referring to those who
genuinely follow Christ by preaching his
established kingdom. They do not find it a
safe thing anywhere on earth. Throughout
the entire world their religious foes level
any old charge to incite persecution.
But in spite of all this opposition Jeho
vahs witnesses continue to preach the
good news of the Kingdom. They are tri
umphing over their enemies in doing so.
In New York city alone the number of
their congregations has increased from one
in 1935 to 57 in 1956. And even in Com-

For details see The Watchtower, October 15, 1955.

520

munist Russia their numbers are increas

ing amazingly and that even though they
refuse to compromise one iota and have to
carry on their work entirely underground.
If, as Dean Pike also said, communism is a
religion and it takes a better religion to
defeat it, Jehovahs witnesses have that
better religion.
What accounts for their triumphing over
their enemies or theirs being a better re
ligion? For one thing, the manner in which
they carry on their work. Not only do they
have ordained ministers preaching from
the public platform, but each one of them
is an ordained minister and preaches.
Where? At the doorsteps of the people, in
the market places, in the homes and as op
portunity affords no matter where they
may be. Whether worldly courts recognize
them as ministers or not, they know they
have dedicated themselves to Jehovah God
to do his will, they know he has command
ed them, through his Son, to preach the
Kingdom and they are preaching.
And, chief of all, their triumphing is
owing to their having the courage that
only God can supply. They have what it re
quires to conquer the world, namely, faith.
(1 John 5:4) They refuse to become part
of the world, to live like it and for it. They
are doing Jehovahs work, and if Jehovah
is for them none can be against them and
triumph. Having the truth they have the
zeal that Jesus showed, a consuming zeal.
And their triumphing is also due to Jeho
vahs spirit: Not by might, nor by pow
er, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of
hosts. Yes, in 1914 the Kingdom pro
ceeded to conquer its enemies in the heav
ens; at the present time it is triumphing
over its enemies by Kingdom preaching
and at Armageddon the triumph will be
completed.Zech. 4:6, AS.

ters encouraging publishers to become pio

neers I really worried because I was not
one. Oh yes, I had dedicated my life to
serve Jehovah, many years before; but it
seemed I thought pioneering was not for
me, as I was not strong physically. But fi
nally, after hearing one of those letters
read and realizing how much I was worry
ing because I was not putting in as much
time in field service as I should, I made a
definite decision to arrange my affairs and
become a pioneer. I gave up my job as a
r^As
toldby Esther M. Kydell
secretary and my private office in a swanky
N December 25, 1948, I set foot
New York skyscraper. It was easy to say
in my foreign assignment as a
missionary in South Americas good-by to it all, as I always was sitting
Venezuela. So quickly has the dreaming about walking down a nice coun
time flown by that I now remem try road every day with a bookbag under
ber that happy day as though it were yes my arm and looking for houses where I
terday; and as I look back over the past might offer someone a drink of the water
years I realize how good Jehovah has been of life. I was walking on air the first day
to me and how rich have been the blessings I started pioneering, for I knew Jehovah
received from him while pursuing my pur had helped me gain that goal. I had faith
pose in life in the foreign field. Through that he would hear my prayer for help to
Jehovahs visible organization we have make the proper decision, and he did.
been well provided for and everything
While I was pioneering in various parts
possible has been done to keep us happy of the United States the blessings were
in our assignments.
without number. The education I gained in
At present I get so wrapped up in what meeting various kinds of people, living in
I am doing that I wholly forget that I have different parts of the country, going in
not always been a missionary. As in all and out of jails here and there, all added
other things, I did start but I did not be to making pioneering interesting, to say
come a missionary overnight. It was a the least. But the most important thing of
gradual process. That takes me back about all was the privilege of teaching so many
a score of years when, on April 15, 1936, people the truth of Jehovahs purposes
I started pioneering. That day I shall never for them. I remember so many per
forget, for it
sons who said:
was one of the
Teach me to
happiest of my
pray; I dont
life. For a long
k n o w h o w.
time I had been
Read to me
thinking of pio
from the Bible;
neering, and ev
I cannot see.
ery time the So
God must have
ciety sent out
sent you to me.
one of those let
Thank you for
521

522

SKeWATCHTOWER

calling at my door; your message has

meant so much to me. I could go on and
on as I sit here recalling those faces. To
day these same ones are experiencing the
blessings I received back there. Was I
ever sorry I made the decision to be a pio
neer? No, never; not for one moment.
I
was so happy being a pioneer that
could have kept on being one in my home
land, but something more wonderful hap
pened. I was invited to go to Gilead in the
spring of 1945. This was beyond my fond
est dreams. I remember as a child how I
sat for hours reading the convention re
ports (as we called them back in the days
of the pilgrims ), and I often wished I
could go around to different places and
preach. The few reports from foreign lands
entranced me. Little did I realize that one
day I should have the opportunity to go to
some other part of the world as a mis
sionary. I was delighted.
Gileads fifth class included me. I hadnt
heard too much about Gilead from anyone,
except that it was wonderful. It was more
than that: I felt as if I had stepped right
out of this old world into the New World.
I accepted it all as a marvelous gift from
Jehovah and I shall forever be grateful for
the training I received there. It helped
me to have a far-deeper appreciation
of Jehovahs organization, both invisible
and visible. It showed me my obligation
to serve Jehovah efficiently with kindness
and love, as only love and kindness were
shown me there. It showed me how to
study the Bible and get the most out of it.
It showed me how to express myself clear
ly, and most of all how to keep my mind
and heart centered on serving Jehovah and
filled with worthwhile things. Ever since,
I have diligently tried to follow that pat
tern. Gilead shall always be dear to my
heart; I loved every minute of it. I should
think every pioneer who is able would love
to go to Gilead and be trained for foreign

B rooklyn, N . Y .

missionary work. I am glad I did. Look

where I am today: in Venezuela, South
America. Was I sorry I made the decision
to go to Gilead? No, because I made that
decision also with the help of Jehovah,
feeling sure he would help me through that
training period.
I In July, 1945,1 graduated and was eager
to go into a foreign field and put into prac
tice all the things I had learned. I did not
go at once, but kept busy and happy being
a missionary in the United States until at
last, in December, 1948, I became one of
six happy missionaries scheduled to sail
on the Grace Line steamer for Maracaibo,
Venezuela. We were so excited we could
hardly wait until we got out of New York
harbor; then we would feel we were really
on our way.
After eight days of sailing we began to
see land. Our foreign assignment! The hot
air that blew in our faces felt as though it
was coming from a furnace. Hundreds of
tin roofs gleamed in the sun. It looked like
a desert town in a sea of sand. I was so
glad to get off the boat that it all looked
good to me, and I was thankful to Jehovah
that we had arrived safely. What the fu
ture held for me in this strange land I did
not know; nor was I worried, as I had suffi
cient faith in Jehovah that as I continued
pursuing my purpose in life he would take
care of me.
As I write I am smiling while thinking
about the six of us getting off that boat,
each one loaded down with suitcases, boxes
of candy and cake, heavy winter over
coats, hats, gloves, stockings and the
temperature 100 degrees. The perspiration
started pouring off and we all started
giggling and laughing so much we could
hardly stop. There was not a speck of
shade anywhere. A native brother met us,
along with a brother from another town
who spoke English. Here we were with a
vocabulary of a few Spanish words, no

Septem ber

1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

place to stay and not understanding one

tenth of what the native brother was say
ing, and nearly cooking in the tropical
sun. The brother who spoke English told
us of a family who might take us in. They
had a little house but he thought it would
accommodate all of us. The husband had
just become interested and the wife was
not opposed. They had two children; so
we six would make ten. We went to look
for this little house and found it on a sand
pile. We were more than welcome to share
the house with them, but by the time we
put our 15 or more trunks, 40 cartons of
literature, and all our heavy clothes and
bundles inside there was hardly room to
turn around. They didnt mind. But where
were we going to sleep? That was easy.
They strung up four more hammocks here
and there and my sister and I made a nice
bed out of book cartons. Was this a hard
ship? No, it was a real experience. We
had never had living quarters like these,
and never shared a home with kinder peo
ple than they. Though they were very
poor, and the husband out of work, their
faces beamed with happiness to have us
with them. Our conversation was very
limited, but a month later when we moved
to our own missionary home, they cried,
and so did we. They could not understand
why we could not continue to live with
them. We knew Jehovah would bless this
family for their kindness to us. In 1953
the father and mother attended the New
World Society Assembly at Yankee Sta
dium in New York, and the following year
the mother and her two children were sum
mer pioneers. These dear friends will never
know how much their kindness meant to
us. We gladly accepted this humble pro
vision as coming from Jehovah and that is
why we liked our assignment from the
very first day we set foot in it.
Soon we had our missionary home fur
nished comfortably. We organized a con-

523

gregation made up of the one brother, a

few people of good will and the six of us.
The congregation grew rapidly and by
1954 there were two units in this city.
Two days after we had landed in Mara
caibo we started out in the territory, plac
ing much literature. At each door we gave
a brief witness, but we did not understand
a word the people said. I think they
thought it was easier to take the literature
than to try to make us understand they
did not want it. Two weeks after our ar
rival the Catholic priests announced that
we had come. They described each one of
us over the radio, telling the people not to
take anything from us. That was fine!
Now everyone in town knew who we were
and many were the times when people
came up to us to ask for books and Bibles.
Often we had placed our first book by
7 a.m. Because of the heat the people rose
early and so did we.
We worked hard and found many people
of good will with whom we conducted
studies with our meager knowledge of
Spanish. I shall always remember with a
great deal of pleasure one of the first
studies I had. The lady could not read, so
I had to read to her. I could not read very
well, but between us we figured out what
the paragraphs said. She soon became a
publisher and her husband wanted the
book read to him. By this time I could read
a little better and explain a little more;
but as time went on I realized I had to
make a real effort to learn the language
fast, as here were sheep who wanted infor
mation right away and could not wait until
I took my own good time learning the lan
guage. Learning a foreign language was
for me not easy but was interesting, and
more satisfying as I came to understand
what people were talking about. Daily we
bought a newspaper and tried to read it.
I studied books on the country and found
Venezuela a very interesting land to be in.

524

SfteWATCHTOWER.

To this day I keep up with its events and

happenings, all of which makes me feel
that I belong here.
After working three and a half years
in Maracaibos heat, we were transferred
to Barquisimeto, an interior city, much
cooler. An entirely different type of city,
its people are very fanatical, poor, and
much more than half of them cannot read.
That meant we had to work a little harder
to find the sheep, and now we have in this
place a strong, growing, clean organiza
tion. Our hearts go out to these people;
they are so blinded by the Catholic priests
who continually warn them against us and
the Bible. One day while I was witnessing
in a store a Catholic priest stepped up and
grabbed a booklet from my hand, tore it in
four pieces and tried to hand it back to me.
I told him it was my property and he
would have to pay for it. He fished around
in his skirts and came up with the price
of the booklet. He didnt utter a word.
When the saints are carried from one
church to another thousands of people
walk in the streets, carrying lighted can
dles. Most of them have never seen a Bible,
nor do they know who Jehovah is. One
woman told me she had her own god and

Brooklyn, N . Y .

ran into the house and came out with an

image of Mary. She said: This is my god.
What better career could I have chosen
for pursuing my purpose in life than to be
a foreign missionary and have the priv
ilege of introducing the Bible, Gods holy
word of truth, to these people? Where
could I have received more blessings than
have been mine in this missionary assign
ment? Often I think of the rich blessings
I would have missed had it become neces
sary for me to return to my home land
during the first few months or first year in
my assignment I would not have learned
a new language, nor learned to live in the
tropics, where I can enjoy the beautiful
flowers that bloom all year round, eat new
foods, see congregations spring up where
the truth had never been heard of, and
associate with the other sheep of a dif
ferent race.
I
could just go on and write a book on
the joys of being a missionary, but I think
the time can be better spent by me in
preaching and Ill let the pages be the
other sheep, and bind them in love and
gild the edges in happiness. Thanks be to
Jehovah for giving me the privilege of
being a missionary.

Jesus said to him: If you want to be complete, go sell your belongings and give
to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.
Matt. 19:21,

Christ

Was!No Objection to Prosperity"

C. Foremost advocate of divine healing in the United States is one Oral Roberts.
In February, 1956, he visited Australia and, while putting on a healing campaign
at Sydney, registered at the city's lavish hotel, the Glen Ascham, under an assumed
name. W hen newspaper reporters discovered the subterfuge, Roberts replied:
Christ has no objection to prosperity." But if Christ has no objection to prosper
ity and Roberts had a clear conscience why did he register under an assumed
nam e? Because of fear of m an? Could it be that he feared some persons might
make an unfavorable comparison between Roberts choosing the most exclusive
hotels and the example and teaching of the One whom Roberts professes to
follow, Jesus Christ?

mals and plants that mate or pair.

That Creator or Maker is God, the
producer of all the universe seen
and unseen.
2
The Creator faithfully confess
es or owns up to a marriage con
nection. He names himself as a
party to a marriage. He puts it on
record, in writing. He swears to
carry out the proper obligations of
the marriage and to make it fruit
ful with children. This remarkable
record reads: Thy Maker is thy
husband [
o'eVro ow ner]: Jeho
b
vah of hosts is his name, and thy
Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
the God of the whole earth shall
he be called. For Jehovah hath
called thee as a woman forsaken
and grieved in spirit, and as a wife
"Jberefore,what
Qodhas yoked together
of youth, that hath been refused,
let no man put apart."
saith thy God. . . . For this is [as]
JWatt.
t 9 ! N T Vthe
. waters of Noah unto me, since
I have sworn that the waters of
ARRIAGE is a close union Noah should no more go over the earth:
between two parties. The so have I sworn that I will no more be
main party to the marriage is called the wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the
husband. The other or lesser party to it is mountains shall depart, and the hills be
called the wife. The lesser party or wife removed; but my loving-kindness shall not
may be a single person or individual or it depart from thee, neither shall my cove
also may be an organization made up of nant of peace be removed, saith Jehovah,
two or more persons. But the organiza that hath mercy on thee. . . . And all thy
tion, because it is made up of a number of children [shall be] taught of Jehovah, and
persons, does not form a number of wives; great shall be the peace of thy children.
it forms just one organizational wife, be Isa. 54:5-13,
Da, margin.
cause all the members of the organization
3
These words were spoken by the mouth
are in one union to the one husband. The
of
the
prophet Isaiah or written by his
marvelous idea of marriage to a wife,
hand
at
or near the ancient city of Jeru
whether as a single person or as an organ
salem.
But
the words were inspired or
ization, was not thought out nor worked
out by man nor by any of the animals low inbreathed into the prophet by Jehovah
er than man and before man. Marriage God in heaven and they were really ad
was first thought of and set up by the dressed to some wifelike person or some
Creator, the Maker of man and of the ani wifelike organization in heaven. The words
2, 3. (a) With what words does God faithfully own up
to marriage obligations? (b) To whom were these
words really addressed?

1. (a) What is marriage? (b) Who is its main party,

who may the lesser party be, and who first thought
of it?
525

526

SfreWATCHTOWER-

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

were spoken not alone for the benefit of

this wife but also for the benefit of her
children on earth. Who or what is this
wife? One of her children, the Christian
prophet Paul, writes to other Christian
children of hers and says: The Jerusalem
today . . . is in slavery with her children.
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she
is our mother. Then he quotes from Gods
own words to her in the very same chapter
of Isaiahs prophecy. At last Paul ends his
proof of their being children of Gods heav
enly wife or woman by saying: Where
fore, brothers, we are children, not of a
servant girl, but of the free woman. For
such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore
stand fast, and do not let yourselves be
confined again in a yoke of slavery. Gal.
4:25 to 5:1,
NW.
The earthly Jerusalem of which Paul
4
wrote nineteen centuries ago was later de
stroyed, but it was a city with over a mil
lion people in it when it was destroyed.
It was a city organization. The free Jeru
salem above is also an organization. The
enslaved earthly Jerusalem also used to be
called Zion, from the name of one of its
hills. The Jerusalem above is also called
Zion in Gods own Word, the Holy Bible.
Heavenly Zion will never be destroyed, for
Jehovah God has sworn that his loving
kindness to her will never depart, nor will
his covenant of peace be removed. His
heavenly wife or woman, the Jerusalem
above, is the heavenly, invisible organiza
tion throughout the universe, his universal
organization. He is the Maker of his wife
or woman, and so his universal organiza
tion is composed of all his heavenly crea
tures in it. They are subject to him, their
Creator, and they are united to him as an
organization in a holy union that will
never end.

5Before Jehovah began to create his

universal organization he was all by him
self in endless space. Before ever this heav
enly organization was he was God, an eter
nal, everlasting Being, hence without be
ginning even as he will be without end,
ever blessed. Without overstatement David
the king of Israel could pray: Blessed be
Jehovah, the God of Israel, from everlast
ing and to everlasting. (Ps. 41:13, AS)
The prophet Moses, who wrote the account
of earths creation, could say to the Lord
Jehovah: Before the mountains were
brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed
the earth and the world, even from ever
lasting to everlasting, thou art God. Ps.
90:2,
AS.
6 Did he ever need a wife or a living or
ganization in holy union with him? No!
Did he ever feel the need of such a wife?
No! Was it good for him to be alone? Yes.
Everything that gave him pleasure and
happiness was in himself; he felt no need
of any kind, and his being entirely alone
never hurt him or filled him with lone
someness. His being alone from everlasting
never spoiled him, never made him selfcentered or introverted and never made
him so that he could not begin to enjoy the
company of creatures. He did not need a
wife to help him produce children. Full
creative power was all in himself. No wife
demanded offspring by him or obliged him
to give her offspring. Why, then, after
being alone from eternity did he begin to
create? Because he is love. He saw the
way to express his love and let creatures
enjoy his love. And so, not induced by
anything outside, but being moved by his
own perfect love, he himself willed to
create. His heavenly creatures now know
this fact, for they say to him: You are
worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive
the glory and the honor and the power, be-

4. What was earthly Jerusalem or Zion, and of what

is the heavenly Jerusalem composed?

5. What does the Bible say about Jehovahs existence?

6. (a) Why did God not feel the need of a wife?
(b) Then why did he create?

S e p t e m b e r 1,

1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

527

cause you created all things, and because No! He was Gods Son, and this in a way
of your will they existed and were creat shared by no other creature. He was Gods
only-begotten Son in that he was the
ed. Rev. 4:11,
N W ; Delitzsch.
first and only one to whom God gave life
CREATING A WIFE
directly, through no channel. (John 3:16;
7The first one whom the Almighty God 5:26; 6:57) As a Son and a fellow worker
Jehovah created speaks for himself, identi he was one with God, never acting con
fying himself to us, so that there is no trary to God. That is why he once said:
mystery. He is the one who was once down I and the Father are one. (John 10:30,
here on earth nineteen hundred years ago AS) Because of being one with his heaven
and who is now known as Jesus Christ. ly Father he was always subject to him
Speaking from heaven in a vision to his be and never rebelled against his Fathers will.
loved apostle John on earth, he said: I am
9
For unknown time the Father and his
Ale only-begotten Son were together, finding
the First [the Firstborn,
uscript] and the Last, and the living one; full pleasure in each others company.
and I became dead, but, look! I am living Then Jehovah his Father willed to use him
for ever and ever,. . . These are the things in creating other creatures in heaven. Ac
the Amen says, the faithful and true wit cordingly this joint creative work went
ness, the beginning of the creation by ahead and as time went on a great host of
God. (Rev. 1:17, 18; 3:14,
The angels were created, all of them sons of
First and the Last, and the beginning of God because from him the power of life
the creation by God ? Yes. He was the sprang, so that with him is the fountain
First whom the alone God Jehovah cre of life. (Ps. 36:9) To all these Jehovah
ated by himself, unaided. He was also the God addressed himself by his only-begot
Last whom Jehovah God created by or ten Son, thus making him the Word of
through no one else. In this way he was God or Gods mouthpiece to all other sons.
the beginning of Gods creation, not the They became Gods heavenly household
beginner of Gods creation. This first crea and God organized them all under his onlyture of God became a man and died as a begotten Son, that all together they might
human sacrifice and was raised from the do the great Creators will, each one doing
dead and returned to heaven. So he was his assigned part, smoothly co-working
also the first to be raised by Gods direct, with all others and co-working with the
unaided power and he is the last to be thus Creator their spiritual Father. In that
raised, for God now uses him to resurrect way, after creating all these spiritual sons,
all the others dead in the graves. He was God made them an organization, his uni
thus the beginning of a new creation versal heavenly organization, because it
of God. 2 Cor. 5:17.
lives and operates throughout the universe.
8 After bringing this first creature into He married this universal heavenly or
existence Almighty God empowered and ganization to himself, binding it to himself
used him to bring into existence all other in an unbreakable union as his co-worker
creatures. (John 1:2, 3; Col. 1:15-18) Well, and helper. With his faithful only-begotten
then, was this first creature Gods heaven Son as the leading one in this organization
ly wife because God used him as his agent God was sure that this organizational wife
or instrument in creating all other things?
would be kept at one with him in loving
7, 8. (a) Who was the first one God created, and in
what ways was he the first and the last? (b) What
was the relationship of this one to God, and why?

9. How did Gods organization come into being, and in

what sense did God marry it?

528

SfreWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N . Y.

devotion and submission. Jehovah as Mak

er was her Head and God. Her becoming
his organizational wife did not make her a
goddess, a Queen of Heaven that later
on deserved to be worshiped by men and
women here on earth. Jer. 44:1719, 25; 7:18.
10
In due time Jehovahs
organizational wife was fa
vored with seeing this
principle of marriage put
into action in a new
way, in a new place
here on the earth.
When the Creator by
his only-begotten Son
laid the foundations of
this earth for his good pur
poses, all these other sons of
God shouted in applause. On
the third creative day of pre
paring this earth it was intense
ly interesting for them to see
Gods wisdom in mating certain forms of
plant life, even causing some plants to unite
in order to reproduce their kind. On the
fifth day they saw God create innumerable
kinds of fishes and sea animals that were
paired or mated in order to bring forth
their young, and then also many kinds of
flying creatures and bird life. The apply
ing of the marriage principle progressed
still farther on the sixth creative day
when God caused the earth to bring forth
land animals, wild and domestic and crawl
ing or creeping, none without its mate.
(Gen. 1:11-13, 20-25; Isa. 34:15, 16, Mo)
In these unions of plant and animal life
were to be seen the arrangement of male
and female working together for a com
mon purpose, the drawing powers of sex
operating to bring them together. The
word sex means the dividing of the vari-

ous kinds of creature life into male and

female forms and is actually drawn from
the Latin word meaning to cut or divide.
Nevertheless, the purpose of this sex di
vision is not the producing of a disunion,
but is rather for producing a un
ion, a combining of forces to
produce a combined result,
neither sex being complete
without the other, each
sex being so constructed
as to attract the other
and carry out a certain
function. Some forms
of life are asexual, yet
reproduce.
11
For
years, from the third crea
tive day down into the sixth
creative day, the arrangement
of sex played a great part in
keeping plant and animal life
going on this earth. God saw
that all this was good, but it was not the
end of his purpose toward the earth. It
was really preparatory, leading up to a
crowning feature. The seven thousand
years of the sixth creative day were draw
ing to their close when Jehovah God spoke
to his only-begotten Son, his co-worker in
this earthly creative work. And God went
on to say: Let us make man in our image,
according to our likeness, and let them
have in subjection the fish of the sea and
the flying creatures of the heavens and
the domestic animals and all the earth and
every creeping animal that is creeping
upon the earth. (Gen. 1:26, 1VW) This
creature called man or Adam was to be
higher than all preceding forms of con
scious life. What made man better and
able to have these lower creatures in sub
jection was that he was made in the image

10. When, where, and how did God bring sex division
into being before the creation of man, and for what
purposes ?

11. (a) What was the crowning feature of Gods earth

ly creation and when was this created? (b) Why was
he able to have the lower animals in subjection?

thou

Septem ber

1, 1956

fHeWATCHTOWEFL

and likeness of God and his only-begotten

Son, this Son himself being the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn of all crea
tion. (Col. 1:15, AS) This was new for
the earth.
12 First God prepared a home for this
creature man. Like no other planter, God
made it a paradise, a sizable garden park,
an improvement even over the rest of the
earth outside, where the lower animals
roamed and reproduced their kind before
dying. In a separate creation from them
God then produced the first man or Adam.
Then Jehovah God proceeded to form the
man [
a darn]' out of dust from the ground
[a-da-mah'] and to blow into his nostrils
the breath of life, and the man came to be
a living soul. Gen. 2:7, 8,
13 From the invisible the Creator spoke
to man and told him he had been created
and settled in the garden of Eden to cul
tivate it and to take care of it. This doubt
less meant taking care of the tree of the
knowledge of good and bad, but man or
Adam was commanded not to eat from it.
To do so would be disobedience to God.
So it would be sin, and the punishment for
such a sin would be this: In the day you
eat from it you will
positively die. (Gen.
2:15-17, NW) Then
God acquainted the
man or Adam with the
flying creatures and
wild animals that he
was to have in subjec
tion to him, and God
let him name each
one, and each ones
name stuck. Adam in
terestedly inspected these creatures. He
12. What kind of place did God prepare for man, and
how was man created?
13. What privileges and obligations did Adam receive,
and in what vital respect was he different from the
lower animals?

529

saw that they were of a flesh different

from his. He saw how they mated and
had sexual connection and how they
brought forth their young, also how they
lived out their life span and died, leaving
their offspring behind them to preserve
their kind. But Adam did not need to die;
he did not need to produce offspring to keep
in existence his kind, human kind. If he
continued faithfully to worship his Creator
as God and to obey all his commandments,
including the one forbidding him to eat
of the tree of the knowledge of good and
bad, he could live forever and be the care
taker of paradise and hold the lower ani
mals always in subjection. Gen. 2:19, 20.
HUMAN WEDLOCK BEGINS IN PARADISE

14 Adam felt no desires of sex. As a per

fect man he was balanced and not divided
as to sex. But would he have any compan
ions like himself?
How would he get
them? That was
within the purpose
of God and it was
not mans part to
try to counsel or
advise or dictate to
God. But God had
not left even him
self without creatures in
his own image and like
ness, first his onlybegotten Son and then
his other heavenly sons,
all of whom together
made up his organiza
tional wife. Was it his
purpose to leave Adam
alone of his kind?
15 Of all the animals that Adam named
he could call none of them his fellow man
or Ish (Hebrew). He found himself alone
14-16. (a) What lack did Adam note, and what could
God have done to supply Adams need? (b) How did
God supply Adams lack, and for what further purpose?

530

SEeWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn, N .

Y.

of his kind; he must do his work all by 23, 2VW) God had now divided the femi
himself. He could converse with no one but nine characteristics from Adam and put
his God or Gods heavenly representative them in this woman or Ish-shah' and thus
in the invisible realm a wonderful, soul- produced the human sexes. In the fatherly
satisfying, all-surpassing experience for blessing that he now gave them as a mar
Adam. By creation Adam was a human ried couple he set before them the work
son of God. (Luke 3:38) Was God satis that he authorized them to carry on to
fied with only one human son of God on gether. As it is written: And God pro
earth? Just as God had foreseen and fore ceeded to create the man in his image, in
known it, he saw and knew the state of Gods image he created him; male and fe
matters now in actual fact: for man there male he created them. Further, God blessed
was found no helper as a complement of them and God said to them: Be fruitful
him. Adam stood out different from all and become many and fill the earth and
the lower animals; he had no mate with subdue it, and have in subjection the fish
which to reproduce his kind. God could of the sea and the flying creatures of the
have produced other men just like him heavens and every living creature that is
from the dust of the ground, each one creeping upon the earth. This is the
separate and distinct from Adam, each an book of Adams history. In the day of
immediate creation of God. But that would Gods creating Adam he made him in the
not have resembled the pattern of life likeness of God. Male and female he cre
found in other kinds of earthly creatures. ated them. After that he blessed them and
To harmonize with the life-patterns of called their name Man in the day of their
those forms of earthly life and to fulfill being created. (Gen. 1:27, 28; 5:1, 2,
Gods purpose concerning man it was not NW) So human marriage is a divine ar
best for him to remain alone. And Jeho rangement and should be viewed as holy.
"W h en Jehovah God caused Adam to
vah God went on to say: It is not good
for the man to continue by himself. I am sleep soundly and removed one of his ribs
going to make a helper for him, as a com and used it as a base with which to build
plement of him. (Gen. 2:18-20,
Adams wife, was he foreshadowing some
How did Jehovah God do so?
thing future, something four thousand
18
He performed what may be called theyears later? No. He was not foreshadow
first operation of painless surgery. Hence ing that his Son Jesus Christ would be
Jehovah God had a deep sleep fall upon the come the only other Adam, the last
man and, while he was sleeping, he took Adam, and would fall asleep in death as
one of his ribs and then closed up the flesh a human sacrifice for his bride, the con
over its place. And Jehovah God proceed gregation of his 144,000 followers, and that
ed to build the rib that he had taken from Almighty God would raise him from that
the man into a woman and to bring her deep sleep of death and afterward present
to the man. The man was overjoyed to him with his spiritual bride, his faithful
receive and accept her at his heavenly congregation, in heavenly glory. (1 Cor.
Fathers hand, and he named her to show 15:45; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 21:2, 9) Had
she was part of himself. Then the man God done this, it would have meant that
said: This is at last bone of my bones and he peered into Adams future, that he let
flesh of my flesh. This one will be called himself foresee that Adam would sin by
Woman [or Ish-shah'\, because from man
[or Zsfe] this one was taken. (Gen. 2:21-

17. Why was God not making a prophetic picture of

Christ and his bride by the manner in which he created
Eve?

Septem ber

1, 1956

5HeWATCHTOW Eft

531

eating from the forbidden tree of the

knowledge of good and bad. Thus God
would have foreordained that Adam should
break his law and come under the sentence
of death and that Jesus Christ should die
as a corresponding ransom to save his
144,000 followers from among Adams
descendants that these might become a
bridal organization, a wife to Jesus Christ
in heaven. To have foreordained that
Adam should sin would have made Jeho
vah God responsible for his sin, whereas
God is not responsible for sin and is not
bound to make a sacrificial atonement
for it.
18 Rather than foreshadow and fore
ordain something by the way he created
Eve, Jehovah God was copying on an
earthly level a great heavenly pattern of
his own. As Eve was taken from Adam
and was really bone of his bones and flesh
of his flesh, so Jehovahs universal organ
ization, his heavenly organizational wife,
was taken from himself. It was a creation
emanating from himself without pain and
beginning with his Word, his only-begotten
Son, and finally taking in all his holy
angels of heaven. This holy organization
of them all he presented to himself as his
woman, his wife, whom he will never
divorce, for she will never be estranged
from him, come a Devil even.
19Because the first woman was taken
from the first man instead of being made a
distinct creation, not only was she one
flesh with him but also all the human fam
ily that sprang from them is one flesh.
This fact made her mans closest relative
on earth. For this reason he should stick
to her. God pronounced this bond of hus
band and wife to be the closest relationship
of two humans on earth, closer than that
of a son to a father and mother, and hence

the husband should stay with the one to

whom he was closest, his wife. In Eden
after uniting the man and the woman in
wedlock God said: That is why a man
will leave his father and his mother and he
must stick to his wife and they must be
come one flesh. (Gen. 2:24,
Thou
sands of years later certain self-wise ones
brushed aside this genuine account of the
ideal human marriage in the paradise of
Eden and the Son of God said to them:
Did you not read that he who created
them at the beginning made them male
and female and said: For this reason a
man will leave his father and his mother
and will stick to his wife, and the two will
be one flesh ? So that they are no longer
two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God
has yoked together let no man put apart.
(Matt. 19:4-6,
NW ) The Christian a
tle Paul gave his measure of support to
the trueness of this marriage account by
quoting from it in his argument and say
ing: For, The two, says he, will be one
flesh. (1 Cor. 6:16, NW) A married
mans place, therefore, was to be, not with
his papa and mamma, not with his gang,
his mens association or his social club, but
with his closest partner, his wife. He was
to stick to his wife, not send her back home
to her father who gave her to him. He was
to permit no one to get in between.
20
When God took the male and female
characteristics or qualities that were com
bined in balance in the original Adam and
divided them between the sexes he did not
mean to start any battle of the sexes in
the paradise of Eden. He did not mean to
start any competitive coexistence between
the sexes. Though the man Adam had the
feminine properties divided from him and
embodied in his wife, he was still left per
fect; he was still in Gods image and like-

18. Of what was Eves creation an earthly copy?

19. (a) What facts and scriptures show a husbands
closeness to his wife? (b) And, therefore, where is his
rightful place?

20. (a) What did God not mean, and what result did
he purpose in creating Eve? (b) Why would the mar
riage of Adam and Eve not result in deformed or un
balanced children?

532

SEeWAT CHTOWER,

Brooklyn, N .

Y.

ness. Eve, with the female characteristics not say he was going to give Adam a boss,
controlling in her, was likewise perfect, a head. Adam already had a head. His
but she was one flesh with Adam. One flesh Creator God was his Head. He did not need
does not hurt itself; it does not fight itself. another. A complement is not a head. In
The living cells of the flesh combine togeth Hebrew or the language of Gods creation
er, hold together in various organs and tis account the word for complement means
that which is in front of one, in
sues, according
sight of one as if standing op
to the law of
posite. It is not something in
the great Or
opposition but is a coun
ganizer,
Jeho
terpart, something that
vah God. So it
matches one, something
was to be with
that looks or goes suit
the two sexes,
ably and properly
for they are in
with one, making a
reality just one
nice balance. The
flesh. They were
woman, and no
to complement
lower animal fe
each other, the
male, was a satone to supply to
is fy i n g match
the other what
for Adam and
the other felt it
so was a com
needed, and vice
plem ent fo r
versa. God so
him, especially
organized the
two sexes that they found their greatest as she had the bodily organs by which
happiness and contentment by co-operat she could become the mother of his
ing together in doing the perfect will of children. (Lev. 18:23) She could produce
their heavenly Father. The marriage of a the eggs that would provide the bodies of
woman from his very own bone and flesh his children, but only he as the head of the
to Adam would not result in odd children, married couple could pass on the life
sperm that would start life in her eggs. He
overbalanced in any direction, showing
was the first to have human life and his
unusual peculiarities or deformities. The
wife received her life by being made from
man and woman were both perfect. Per his rib, and it was proper that he continue
fection united with perfection produces to be the transmitter of life to his chil
perfection. A perfect son of Adam and dren. The man had his function, the wom
Eve married to a perfect daughter of an had her function, subordinate to him
theirs would bring forth a perfect child. and dependent upon him. So according to
21
That this was Gods will in dividingGods will the woman was to be her hus
Adam and producing the sexes male and bands helper, and a helper is not a boss,
female God stated at the time he went dictator or commander. A helper takes or
ahead to produce a wife for Adam. God ders and works with the one that takes on
said: I am going to make a helper for this help. The woman could now furnish
him, as a complement of him. God did a necessary help to Adam in carrying out
Gods command to them to become many
21. In what ways was woman to be a helper and a com
and fill all the earth with a perfect human
plement, and why did Adam now look balanced?

S e p t e m b e r 1,

1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

533

family. Standing beside the lordly lion and were never married in Eden. It is first
his lioness or beside any mated pair of ani after this couple found themselves outside
mals in Eden, Adam no longer looked one of Eden some time later that, we read,
sided, incomplete, for now his perfect now Adam had intercourse with Eve his
mate, his wifely complement and helper, wife and she became pregnant. In time she
stood beside him. Everything matched. gave birth to Cain. (Gen. 4:1, NW) Adam
The sight was lovely. It was good in the and Eve knew that the purpose of the
Creators eyes.
sexual connection was to bring forth chil
22
When Jehovah God brought this perdren. So in their perfection and with per
fect woman to the awakened man in Eden fect self-control and without shame at
and pronounced his blessing upon them their nakedness and without feeling pas
and set their joint duties before them their sion at the sight of each others unclothed
marriage was consummated. It did not re body they refrained from having sexual
quire any physical sexual union between union and conceiving children while in
them first to consummate their marriage. Eden. Nevertheless, they were fully mar
If that sexual connection were first neces
ried and were bound to cleave to each oth
sary to make the marriage a real, valid,
er lovingly in faithfulness. Jehovah God,
binding one, then Adam and his woman
the divine marriage-maker, had yoked
22. (a) When did Adam first have relations with his
them together. No creature could rightly
wife, and what does this show as to when the first
marriage was consummated? (b) In their perfection
put them apart.
what was their attitude toward each other?

ARRIAGE has been put under

much stress and strain by imper
fection. Imperfection is due to sin. Sin is
unrighteousness, disobedience to the per
fect laws of Jehovah God. The marriage of
Adam and Eve in Eden was a perfect one
because it was performed by Jehovah God,
all of whose activities are perfect, all of
whose ways are justice. (Deut. 32:4,
The taking of a rib from Adam and along
with it the female characteristics that
were originally in him did not make him
unhappy. Gods presentation of these
things back to him in the form of a per1. What had God meant marriage to bring to man and
to accomplish?

feet woman for his wife ushered him into

a happiness he had never known before.
His wedding day in Eden was a most happy
one. The marriage that it inaugurated was
meant to be a continuously happy one and
was to lead to the unspeakable happiness
of being fruitful and bringing forth perfect
children of their kind. God himself who
had united them would be happy at all
this, for thus his purpose in creating the
earth would be fulfilled, to have it in
habited. Gen. 1:26-28; Isa. 45:18.
2 What, then, interrupted the complete
2. (a) What interrupted the complete happiness of the
first human pair? (b) How had Adam taught his wife,
and by doing what would he show his love for God
and her?

534

f&eWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

happiness of human marriage and brought the punishment for the breaking of Gods
it under imperfect conditions? First of all, law. She did not think her husband had
it was a failure to recognize the right re been deceived by what God said as to the
lations that God had set up between the breaking of his law. She did not think that
husband and the wife and their refusal to she ought to decide or lay down the rule
hold to those relations. Adam and Eve be as to what was good and what was bad.
longed to each other, just as a head and a She was a real helper to Adam and fitted
body belong to each other. For Adam was perfectly into his life and found safety and
formed first, then Eve. (1 Tim. 2:13, happiness in doing so. Then a lawbreaker,
NW ) Adam taught Eve. He toured her a marriage-disturber, presented himself to
around the paradise garden of Eden with her while she was by herself. By means of
which he was fully acquainted. He told her a serpent in the garden of Eden he asked
the names that he had given to the ani her for information. She told him what
mals. Most important of all, he told her her husband had told her. Then the ser
how to live forever in this paradise of pent, or the unseen one speaking by the
pleasure as the mother of a perfect human serpent, did not here resort to any gossip
family by telling her the special com by idly talking trivialities or by repeating
mandment of Jehovah God. This wets some a lie. He did what Jesus Christ said he did.
thing special, preceding the instructions He directly lied, and made himself the
that God gave to both of them regarding father of all lies. (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:3)
the food for all creatures. (Gen. 1:28-30) Right off he contradicted what Adam had
As stated to Adam alone, Gods special told Eve and what God had first told
command was: From every tree of the Adam. The serpent said to the woman:
garden you may eat to satisfaction. But You positively will not die. Then, pre
as for the tree of the knowledge of good tending to know the actual facts about that
and bad you must not eat from it, for in forbidden tree, he continued: For God
the day you eat from it you will positively knows that in the very day of your eating
die. (Gen. 2:16, 17,
This command from it your eyes are bound to be opened
now applied also to Eve, for she was a part and you are bound to be like God, knowing
of him; she was one flesh with him. Even good and bad. (Gen. 3:1-5, NW) The real
as he had taught her this divine command, purpose of the Serpent, Satan the Devil, in
it was his responsibility as head over her opposing and slandering God this way was
to enforce this life-protecting law. If he to begin breaking up the marriage union
loved her he would enforce this law, be between Jehovah God and his organiza
cause to do so would be also to love him tion wife, his woman, that is to say, his
self. She was part of his own bones and universal organization of holy creatures,
flesh, and naturally he would not hate his to which Adam and Eve then belonged.
own bones and flesh. By this law enforce
*Did Eve, out of regard for her mar
ment Adam would specially love their pre riage relationship, now reply: What right
cious Life-giver, Jehovah God, whom they have you to contradict the word of my hus
were to love more than themselves or each band, and what right have you to contra
other.
dict the word of his God who gave me to
3
For a time Eve submitted to the headhim? Shall I subject myself to you, a mere
ship of her husband. She did not question
3. (a) What was Eves course until a lawbreaker pre
sented himself to her? (b) What did Satan do to ac
complish what purpose?

4. (a) How should Eve have responded, but whose word

did she take in preference to whose? (b) Why was
Eves a case of marriage insubordination, and what
prompted her?

Septem ber

1, 1956

SfKeWATCHTOWER.

535

beast, instead of to my husband, my God- and knowing no sexual shame but tasting
appointed head? No! Nor was it a case of the temporary sweetness of the fruit she
had stolen from the forbidden tree and had
Eves taking the word and law of God
preference to the word of her husband. eaten in secret from her husband, Eve
Here it was a case of taking the serpents self-conceitedly went and offered some of
word in preference to the word of her hus the forbidden fruit to Adam. Now what
should he do?
band
inharmony with the word of Jeho
6
Adam at once knew that Eve had been
vah. Here were two witnesses, Jehovah
deceived
by the serpent and had sinned.
himself and Adam, against the one false
Gods
Word
says: Adam was not deceived,
witness, the great Serpent. In safe respect
but
the
woman
was thoroughly deceived
for her human head Eve should have said
and
came
to
be
in
transgression. (1 Tim.
that she would first consult her husband
2:14,
NW)
Eve
did
not speak or act for
and see whether he approved of eating the
him
her
head.
The
head
was to decide and
forbidden fruit contrary to Gods com
Adam
must
either
approve
of her sin by
mand, for he knew God better than she
joining
her
knowingly,
willingly,
in eating
did. Rather than look for her husband and
the
stolen
fruit
or
disavow
her
act and
go over Gods law with him, Eve looked at
stop
it
immediately
from
becoming
the
the forbidden fruit from the new viewpoint
practice
in
his
household.
Jehovahs
theo
presented to her by a beast. She let desire
for it form in her. Her desire led her into cratic law, later stated to the nation of
temptation, and induced her to take action Israel, agreed with this, declaring: In
and thus sin was conceived. This concep case a woman should make a vow to Jeho
tion of sin was bound to give birth to the vah or she does bind herself with a vow
death penalty. (Jas. 1:14, 15) So she be of abstinence . . . if she should at all hap
gan taking of its fruit and eating it. (Gen. pen to belong to a husband and her vow
3:6,
NW) She ran ahead of her husbandshould be upon her or the thoughtless
and put her own intelligence above that of promise of her lips that she has bound
her head, her husband. She was grossly upon her soul, and her husband has heard
deceived, but just the same it was a case it and has kept silent toward her on the
day of his hearing it, then her vows must
of marriage insubordination.
stand or her abstinence vows that she has
5
Eve ate the forbidden fruit in outright
bound upon her soul should stand. But if
disrespect of God as her heavenly Sover
her husband on the day of hearing it
eign and of her husband as her head. The
should forbid her, then he has annulled her
Bible account does not say that at once her
vow that was upon her or the thoughtless
conscience smote her and she realized that
promise of her lips that she bound upon
she was stark naked, making her feel pan
her soul, and Jehovah will forgive her.
icky and want to hide from the opposite
(Num. 30:3, 6-8,
NW So Adam
sex, from her husband. Proverbs 9:17, 18
have reproved Eve and let God be true and
(RS) tells us: Stolen water is sweet, and
the Serpent the Devil a liar, thus vindicat
bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he ing himself as no party to her breaking
does not know that the dead are there, of Gods law. God had appointed him head.
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol He should have respected Gods appoint
[mankinds common grave]. So, totally ment and resisted Eves acting as head in
deceived, not scared of the death penalty, making decisions.
5. What immediate effect did Eves eating of the fruit
not have, but instead what effect did it have?

6. What theocratic law, later stated, shows the course

Adam should have taken, and why is this so?

536

fHeWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N . Y .

BAD CONSEQUENCES FROM

MARRIAGE DELINQUENCIES

them became opened and they begem to

realize that they were naked. Hence they
THad Adam loved himself, loving life sewed fig leaves together and made loinfor himself and his offspring, he would coverings for themselves. Gen. 3:6, 7,
have refused to accept forbidden fruit at NW.
his wifes hand. He would have shown her
9Between the man and his wife a barrier
the right course by refusing, for she was had now formed, even though represented
his own flesh. Had he loved God more than only by fig leaves sewed together. Not feel
himself, including his wife, he would have ing clean-looking before his wife, Adam
turned down her offer and kept Gods com could not feel clean-looking before his God.
mand. He would rather part with his wife He no longer felt comfortable in commun
than part with his God. Acting the role of ing with God; in place of eagerly looking
a real husband, he would have respected forward to it, he now fled from it. So when
his own divinely appointed headship and they heard the approach of Gods invisible
made the right decision for himself and presence Adam as well as Eve hid behind
his house. He would have shown strength trees. God called for him, not for his wife.
and measured up to his responsibility and Adam told God he did not feel presentable
kept his integrity toward God. But Adam before him. Well, then, why? Had Adam
looked not toward God. He looked at his eaten of the forbidden fruit? Well, not di
wife who was holding out the fruit to him. rectly from the tree, but he had eaten from
Now a desire for her, not as a helper and his wifes hand in order to please his wife.
complement to carry out Gods procreation Why, then, had the woman been the one to
mandate but as a means of satisfying his eat right from the forbidden tree? The
flesh, formed in him. He was enticed by woman now admitted that she had not acted
it. Giving more mind or attention to it so smart. She said: The serpent deceived
than to the pleasure of obeying Gods com me and so I ate. (Gen. 3:8-13,
She
mand, he weakened. He disowned, rejected never thought the aftereffect would be like
his own headship as husband. He listened this.
to his wifes voice, not Gods. He accepted
10So God turned to the great Serpent
the forbidden fruit and put it to his mouth. Satan the Devil, who had now put the mar
8
He stuck to his wife, yes, in wrong, butriage of Adam and Eve under great diffi
parted company with his God and Father. culty. But if the Serpent Satan the Devil
Undeceived, he willfully joined the Serpent for one moment thought that he could
Satan the Devil in rebelling against God. break up the marriage between Jehovah
Without describing the mental battle or God and his woman, his heavenly uni
the emotions that were called forth, the versal organization under his only-begotten
Bible simply says: Afterward she gave Son, he was absolutely mistaken. Cursing
some also to her husband when with her Satan the Devil to a low-down existence
and he began eating it. Now both had that would feed on mere dust, Jehovah
sinned, but Adams sin was the greater sin God the Great Husband mentioned his
because he was more responsible. No more own woman. He decreed for his woman
could they look at each other in a pure, a course of action different from the one
natural way. Then the eyes of both of Eve took, saying: I shall put enmity be
tween you and the woman and between
7. Had Adam refused the fruit Eve offered what would
he have shown? and by accepting it what did he show?
8, 9. What was the result of Adams preferring his wife
to God? And how did they answer to God?

10. (a) What marriage would Satan not be able to

break up, and why? (b) What did God decree for Sa
tan and his seed?

Septem ber

1, 1956

STkWATCHTOWER.

your seed and her seed. He will bruise you

in the head and you will bruise him in the
heel. (Gen. 3:14, 15, A7W) His heavenly
organizational wife would stick to him in
love but would hate the Deceiver, the
Serpent, Satan the Devil. Her offspring or
children would resist the Serpents deceit
ful offspring or seed. The injury that her
offspring would give the great Serpent
would be worse than the injury the Ser
pent would give her offspring, which would
result in a temporary limp. It would be
in a more vital spot and would leave the
Serpents head crushed in, with destruc
tion to all his seed. Gods organizational
wife or woman would to all eternity
have fruit to show that would bear the
name of her Husband, Jehovah.
Jehovah now predicted that human
marriage would from then on have its diffi
culties and married couples would have
tribulation in their flesh. The womans
position in the marriage arrangement
would be specially difficult, and what Jeho
vah said about it in Eden has not proved
untrue after six thousand years of expe
rience. To the woman he said: I shall
greatly increase the pain of your preg
nancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth
children, and your longing will be for your
husband, and he will dominate you.
(Gen. 3:16, NW) The husbands domina
tion of the woman was not a mere allow
ance of him to dominate if he wanted to or
if she was willing to submit to it. His
domination of her was as sure to operate
as the increase in the pain of her preg
nancy was to come and she was to bring
forth children in birth pangs. Despite all
this she would long to have a husband. She
would consider it an embarrassment, a re
proach, not to have a husband. She would
look upon it as a frustration, a defeating
of the purpose of her sex, if she were not
11. What did God predict for human marriage from then
on, and why would womans position be especially
difficult?

537

to have children, a disappointment to her

self and a disappointment to her husband.
Let him be owner, dominator. Only give
her marriage with children.
12 How humiliating it must have been
to the appointed head of the married cou
ple when God began his death sentence
upon Adam by saying: Because you lis
tened to your wifes voice. Yes, it was all
because of this. He listened to the creature
instead of the Creator, who commanded
him not to eat from the tree of the knowl
edge of good and bad. In the effort to
please his wife with the hope of not los
ing her, Adam the husband did something
that brought consequences that were not
pleasing to her. So he was certain to fall in
her estimation and respect. His lack of
wisdom showed up in the results. He lost
for her the paradise home. He lost his posi
tion as an approved son of God to plead
with God for her and gain some considera
tion for her, deceived woman that she was.
He left her with no sufficient protection
against the further deceptions and the at
tempted misrule of Satan the Devil. If she
did not die first, he might himself die and
leave her a widow, without a husband.
With him she was driven out of the garden
of Eden to die disowned of God. Gen.
3:17-24,
NW.
13 Gods Word tells us very little of the
married life of Adam and Eve outside the
paradise garden of Eden. It was not a
happy life, that is sure. As each one looked
at the other and recalled the respective
part that each had played in bringing
about this sad result, neither one could be
happy in the other. Adam had now lost
his perfect self-control. It was first outside
of Eden that he had sex relations with his
wife. It was no happy occasion when he
saw her writhing in her birth pangs to
12. Trying to please his wife brought what results upon
Adam?
13, 14. Why could their life outside of Eden not have
been a happy one, and what was responsible for this?

538

B rooklyn, N . Y .
SBeWATCHTOWER.
bring out their first child, a son. This boy, ful, in spite of all that the malicious
Cain, turned out to be a murderer, a killer marriage-disturber has tried to do against
of his own brother, an assassinator of the it. The seed of Jehovahs woman has been
first human witness of Jehovah, faithful brought forth and soon will crush the Ser
Abel. Cain came under the curse of the pents head and see that justice is done to
God of whom Abel was a witness. He was the universal sovereignty of the Most High
marked for execution, for destruction by God. In harmony with his own marital
no one but God himself. His married life happiness Jehovah God originally purposed
with one of his sisters in the land of that the married life of his faithful sons
Fugitiveness was not a happy one.Gen. and servants here on earth should also be
4:1-17; 1 John 3:12; Heb. 11:2, 4; 12:1.
a pleasurable experience, with no tribu
Adam and Eve lived long enough to lation in their flesh that must now un
see increasing bad fruitage from their im avoidably come because of the imperfec
perfect married life. The marital estate of tion of each and every married couple and
none of their offspring turned out to be because they are living in a worldly system
completely blissful. What was responsible of things the god of which is Satan the
for all this? In the first place, the failing Devil. (1 Cor.'7:28, NW) In token of this,
of the first man and his wife to love God in the days of Noah Jehovah God cleared
unitedly and more than each other. Along out all the married couples who were a
with lack of love for God and as a result part of the corrupt, violent world of that
of it, each one failed to respect the God- time by sinking them under a mountainassigned places of husband and wife in the high global flood for a whole solar year.
marriage arrangement and to live up to In those days men were marrying, women
the responsibilities and the obligations of were being given in marriage, until that
that place. Adam, as the head, was fore day when Noah entered into the ark. But
most in responsibility for all this. Pointing God spared alive through the flood only
to him as chiefly responsible for all the four married couples, all of whom were
sinfulness and death that have come to us witnesses of Jehovah, namely, Noah and
who have been bom as a result of their his wife, and their three sons, each mar
damaged marriage, the Word of God the ried to one wife. Luke 17:26, 27, NW.
Judge says: Through one man sin entered
16
The preflood world was entirely gone
into the world and death through sin, and when these four married couples stepped
thus death spread to all men because they out of the ark on Mount Ararat to start
had all sinned . . . death ruled as king life anew on the cleansed earth. The cir
from Adam down. (Rom. 5:12-14,
cumstances were then almost like those
So the injury caused by the mismanage when Adam and Eve were inside Eden. All
ment of the marriage arrangement origi the earth outside was without human in
nally set up by God can be very far- habitants, for which reason God blessed
reaching and disastrous.
them and gave them a command to bring
15 Jehovah Gods own marriage to his forth children and fill the earth with them.
organizational wife, his universal organi Apart from the four couples on Mount
zation in heaven, has continued unbroken Ararat human creatures were to be found
and in happiness, and has been most fruit- nowhere else on earth. So in support of his
15. (a) What can be said about Jehovahs own mar
riage? (b) What was Jehovahs purpose regarding man
kinds marriage, and what did he do in token thereof
in the days of Noah?

16. (a) What were the immediate postflood circum

stances as regards marriage? (b) What blessing did
God bestow on those survivors, and what has this meant
until now?

Septem ber

1, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

original purpose for the earth God blessed

those surviving four married couples, after
they had revived the worship of Jehovah
God on the dried land. And God went on
to bless Noah and his sons and to say to
them: Be fruitful and become many and
fill the earth. . . . And as for you men, be
fruitful and become many, make the earth
swarm with you and become many in it.
(Gen. 9:1-7, NW) That meant the making
of many marriages during the thousands
of years till now. Today, as a result, the

KOREA

A s

LS TO Kingdom work,
Korea is really bustling. In
April, 1956, 1,506 publishers were energetically
preaching in m ajor cities and many isolated
regions of the country. N ew ly interested per
sons are constantly coming to the congrega
tions, wanting to know about the work and
why Jehovah's witnesses are so different. The
people are especially amazed but very grate
ful to see American missionaries preaching
from door to door and speaking to them in
their own language. W hen Christendom's cler
gy, particularly those of Koreas strongest
churches (Presbyterian and Methodist) talk
against the work of Jehovahs witnesses, the
people become all the more curious. Even
among unbelieving people there is high respect
for the Bible. It is common to see Bibles in
peoples hands as they walk along the streets.
For these reasons working in Korea is very
fruitful.

539

earth swarms with people, and marriages

continue to multiply. Under the growing
imperfection of the married couples and
the conditions under which they live this
has led to many complex marital problems.
How can these be handled in a way that
pleases Jehovah God and that will result
to the lasting happiness of those involved
in marriage? How these are being handled
in the New World society will be explained
at length in forthcoming issues of The
Watchtower.

A ll of Jehovahs witnesses in Korea

were happily anticipating the assem
bly in Seoul, April 27-29. The brothers
worked hard and quickly to complete
arrangements. Indeed they do every
thing swiftly. In the Korean language
two of the m ost frequently used terms
are, There is no time and Do it fa st.
The brothers engaged a school audi
torium fo r all sessions except Sun
day's public lecture. Since a larger
crowd was expected the swimming
pool stadium located inside Seoul Sta
dium grounds was also obtained. Post
ers had been put in every streetcar in
the city as well as window signs all
around town. Days ahead the sisters
were busy preparing huge quantities
of rice, fish and various Korean dish
es. As these arrangements progressed, excite
ment mounted. The brothers talked of nothing
but the convention.
Finally April 27 came. That morning some
800 brothers had met at the various congrega
tions for field service. No announcement had
been made concerning the arrival time of the
Societys representatives and it did not seem
likely that m any of the brothers would be able
to go. However, the branch servant and the
missionaries did arrange to meet the visitors.
Because of a head wind the plane was late,
but by 12:30 p.m. four busloads of Korean wit
nesses of Jehovah were on hand at the airport
not too much of a surprise, in view of the
known disposition of these earnest brothers.
Scores of them, representing Seouls flourish
ing congregations and other congregations, were
vigorously shaking hands, snapping pictures

540

SHeWATCHTOWER.

and discussing Scriptural questions, with their

Bible pages fluttering in the breezes. Koreans
discuss the truth everywhere. Most of the sis
ters were dressed in their full costumes, Koreanstyle colorful, delightful. Blue lapel badges
identified all as Jehovah's witnesses.
The plane having landed, its giant door
opened and soon Brothers Knorr, Barry and
A dam s came out smiling at nearly 500 brothers
who had been waiting to welcome them, the
brothers waving and joyful. W h a t a sight! As
Brother Knorr walked down the ramp he was
greeted by the branch servant and Brother
Yuh W a n Chang, who is Minister of Recon
struction for the Republic of Korea. The visi
tors greatly appreciated the stirring enthusi
asm and sincerity of the huge welcoming dele
gation.
That afternoon the convention opened at the
Hui Moon Middle School auditorium. Even be
fore the session started the hall was filled to
capacity. Benches were provided to sit on, ex
cept in the front part of the auditorium, where
straw mats had been placed. B y peoples sitting
on the floor the space available is conserved
for seating more people, and Koreans are used
to sitting on the floor. Eager, bright faces,
young and old, listened to the address of wel
come in Korean by Don L. Steele, branch serv
ant for Korea. Then followed discourses by
local brothers and missionaries. That evening
the local brothers were thrilled to hear Broth
er Knorr talk to them for the first time. The
1,330 in attendance went home refreshed and
happy, but eager for more. Here in a struggling
country, a new republic, Jehovahs witnesses
are really alive, preaching about Jehovahs
new world of righteousness.
A chilly but bright and bracing Saturday
morning brought everyone together early for
the baptismal discourse. A s the talk was con
cluding the speaker asked the candidates to
stand. It was indeed wonderful to see 303 rise
from an audience of about 600. There were 202
women and 101 men. This ratio of 2 to 1 was
particularly encouraging, as two years before it
had been three women to every man. Then man
power was really short, but now many more
men are associating with the New World so
ciety. Am ong the candidates was an American
soldier who had come into the truth during the
previous eight months; also an ROK army
generals wife and the daughter of a former
prime minister of Korea.

B rooklyn, N . Y.

A fter the prayer the candidates filed out to

the waiting chartered buses. In time the buses
arrived at the Han River bridge on the north
bank, and minutes later hundreds of happy
people were walking along in the sand to a
place about a quarter of a mile away, where
the baptizing was done.
To reflect on that lovely scene also served
to recall that just three years before over these
same hills soldiers were crawling and fighting
a bloody war. Now all appeared peaceful. The
slopes had been gracefully landscaped, includ
ing patches of green grass and a few houses
scattered here and there. In midsummer the
river is filled with floating concessions and
small pleasure boats, where thousands lazily
spend afternoons escaping city heat. Those at
tending this assembly were glad it was being
held during chilly weather.
A t the baptismal site a small house was used
as a dressing room, divided into two sections.
Brothers and sisters quickly changed clothing
and then, five at a time, walked courageously
into the cold, cold water. The chilling air did
not hold back any of the dedicated ones. Once
before in early winter they had broken the ice
for an immersion.
As hundreds viewed the immersion, 515 oth
ers were busy in the field service. Service ar
rangements for the entire assembly were di
rected from the local congregations. Each of
the seven Kingdom Halls in the city (except
one) is within twenty minutes walking dis
tance of any other one. Although Seouls popu
lation now is 1,500,000, living space is very
crowded, making the citys general area very
small. Because of the zealous activity of the 700
publishers in Seoul, every home has been called
on several times. The work of Jehovahs wit
nesses is well known, making Seoul the mostoften-worked city on the Asian mainland.

UNUSUAL INTEREST OF THE KOREAN PUBLIC

During the assembly week the public rela
tions department gave careful consideration to
publicity. Good write-ups appeared in every
newspaper in Seoul, as well as several pub
lished pictures of Brother Knorr. There were
also excellent articles in some of Koreas lead
ing magazines. In addition, a radio interview
for Brother Knorr was arranged. It was con
ducted by a young woman who is employed as
an announcer on a leading station in Seoul.
She is studying with one of the missionaries.

Septem ber 1,

1956

STieWATCHTOWER

Sunday was the climax of the convention

with Brother Knorr's public discourse Making
All Mankind One Under Their Creator. Chilly
air and brilliant sunlight beaming down on
those seated and standing around the huge
empty swimming pool inside the Seoul Stadium
grounds made an ideal atmospheric setting for
the widely advertised address. People kept
pouring in until it became obvious that it was
to be a capacity crowd. A s for Jehovah's wit
nesses present, their joy was overflowing to
see their expectations exceeded and the evident
blessings of Jehovah thus manifested. The
crowd having settled itself, a chorus of broth
ers sang Kingdom songs over the microphone.
During the ninety-minute lecture delivered by
the Society's president through an interpreter,
the 3,473 assembled were listening carefully,
the majority copying the Scripture citations in
their notebooks. To see that throng (more than
half of whom were persons of good will)
brought real happiness, especially to the mis
sionaries who love working in Korea.
A fter the lecture hundreds of that audience
orderly and quickly boarded chartered street
cars, riding back to the school for the assem
bly's closing sessions. Exactly one hour later,
despite heavy traffic, 1,408 had reassembled to
enjoy Brother Adam s' final talk and concluding
remarks by Brother Knorr. Then, after one
more delicious meal of rice, kimchi and other
flavorful dishes, the brothers left the campus
and headed for home. Filled with new truths
and admonition, they talked of the work ahead
to find others like themselves who want to
know Jehovah.
This first national assembly of Jehovah's wit
nesses in Korea not only stimulated the already
marvelous zeal of the brothers but helped all
to appreciate how necessary it is to advance to
maturity. In Korea people usually see the truth
very rapidly. Even people in high positions do
not allow their pride to hold them from ad
mitting their religious belief to be wrong. Once
convinced, they become very diligent about
studying and preaching. An example of this
was an interesting experience related at the
assembly.
A prominent prosecuting attorney and his
wife were contacted by one of the missionaries
about a year ago and a study was arranged.
As Presbyterians, both strongly believed the
doctrines of that religion. During the ensuing
months the lawyer, Mr. Kim, reserved two
hours from his work every Thursday afternoon

541

for a very detailed study of the Bible. So it

took a great deal of Scriptural proof to con
vince them, but slowly and surely they came to
see the truth. They stopped supporting the
church, despite protests of the wife's father,
a prominent local minister. Mr. Kim was sent
on business to America by the Korean govern
ment and he has since visited Brooklyn Bethel
and factory. He has enjoyed preaching in New
York, but writes that he is eager to return to
his homeland to help in the preaching there.
Recently his wife has become very zealous in
the service and she was immersed at the as
sembly.
Monday, April 30, through Thursday noon,
M ay 3, Brothers Knorr, Adam s and Barry
visited the branch office to discuss missionary
and branch matters. It was pointed out too
that missionaries in Korea have a special re
sponsibility to bring the vast multitudes, who
have quickly come into the organization, to
full maturity. They are diligent in this respect
and try hard to do this. To accomplish this,
the need to master the language was stressed
as the most important step toward becoming
an effective missionary. In just a year's time
the new missionaries have done w ell; but only
by becoming qualified to speak fluently in the
language of the people can a missionary con
vey Scriptural and organizational points to
brothers and persons of good will. A ll who re
ceived the benefit of the wise and loving coun
sel were greatly appreciative and eager to
carry out the president's suggestions.
For all, these were a busy six days, and
though the missionaries were sorry to see the
visitors leave they were eager to put to good
use the things they had learned. A s the depart
ing plane faded from their view and finally dis
appeared into the blue sky, these ministers of
Jehovah firmly turned around fo r looking at
their country and their responsibilities to its
inhabitants. W ith thankfulness in their hearts
they reflected upon the precious privilege they
have to serve Jehovah fu ll time in such a
sheep-filled land as Korea.
The three travelers now had to return to
Japan where Brother Barry would remain
while Brother Knorr and Brother Adam s went
on to Alaska. On the flight back to Tokyo the
scenery was outstanding, the plane soaring
high above the rugged, picturesque terrain of
Korea, then over the Sea of Japan and on by
the beautiful mountain Fujiyama. Pleasant it
was to be again with the missionaries in Tokyo

542

SfieWATCHTOWER

for two days. This time there was no earth

quake as there had been a week earlier just
before Brother Knorr spoke at the service
meeting in one of Tokyos Kingdom Halls,
when he had started his speech by saying,
That was m y initial nervousness.

ALASKA
A t the Tokyo airport Saturday evening
(M ay 5) at 6 :30 Brother Adam s and Brother
Knorr waved good-by to a happy crowd of
missionaries and others of Jehovahs witnesses.
A ll that night and a good part of the next day
they flew over the Aleutian Islands, finally
landing at Anchorage, Alaska, at 2:30 Satur
day afternoon. How strange one feels to live
the same day twice! Again they had crossed
the international date line. Before boarding
the plane to Fairbanks a few hours were spent
with a brother and a sister who were unable to
go to the convention. They had met the visitors
at the airport, showed them the modern, fast
growing city of Anchorage, and then took them
to the new Kingdom H all one which any con
gregation anywhere could be proud of. W hile
the structure was not quite finished, one could
see this was due to become an outstanding as
sembly place for Jehovahs witnesses.
The plane to Fairbanks took off in the late
afternoon, but the sun still shone brightly on
the snow-capped hills around Anchorage and
on the mountain range to the north an awe
inspiring sight. The thick layer of snow blan
keted the rugged peaks and lowly valleys as
fa r as the eye could see. Towering above every
thing was M t. McKinley, North Americas
highest point (20,300 feet above sea level),
higher above the surrounding country than
any other mountain in the world. Although this
m ajestic peak was almost fifty miles to the
west of the route to Fairbanks, it stood out
prominently on the landscape as a monument
to the unfathomable power of its Creator. Its
summit under favorable conditions affords a
panorama o f an area over 200 miles in diameter.
W ithin an hour after arriving at Fairbanks
the brothers were at Carpenters Hall where
the convention was being held, and a few min
utes later Brother Knorr delivered his first
discourse to an audience of 152. It was very
pleasant to be with this small group. Here
everyone was speaking English and this al
lowed fo r warm fellowship with the brothers
after the talks and during mealtimes. The
public meeting on Sunday packed out the hall

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

with 231 in attendance, and the brothers were

indeed overjoyed with this largest group ever
assembled together for a public meeting of
Jehovahs witnesses in any part of Alaska.
On the previous day nine had been baptized,
this bringing great joy to the missionaries and
others who had served faithfully in Alaska.
One of the brothers had prepared a baptismal
font in his basement, as ice prevented an out
door immersion. Alaska, as some probably
think, is a hard territory in which to work.
Indeed it is, but the missionaries who have gone
there love it and feel right at home. The same
is true of m any other brothers who have made
just one trip to Alaska. They feel the fresh
ness of the air and the freedom of that great
expanse of land and decide to m ake it their
home. W hen they go out in the deep snows of
midwinter to witness, the people usually in
vite them right into their homes and excellent
Bible discussions can be carried on. Since F air
banks is so near the Arctic Circle the days are
very short in winter, but in spring and summer
it never really gets dark. In fact, while the
convention was on the sun rose at 2 :5 1 in the
morning. If one is used to getting up at dawn,
he would find it a little early in Alaska. A ll
during the assembly beautiful sunshine pre
vailed.
The brothers had arranged for a fifteenminute interview on the radio as well as two
television programs the day following the as
sembly. The local congregation was very glad
to get all this publicity as they felt it would
help the territory greatly by preparing the
people for their next ministerial visits.
The day before they were to leave, Brother
Knorr and Brother Adam s had the pleasure of
being with the missionaries and eating moose
steaks well prepared by one of the brothers in
the missionary service. It was a joy to discuss
with them the marvelous increase of the work
in Alaska. Eight years had passed since these
same missionaries had been visited here by
the Societys president, but they continue faith
fully carrying on in their service.

HOMEWARD BOUND
New York was the next stop, but before get
ting there thousands of miles had to be covered.
The first stretch was flight over interesting
Yukon Territory of Canada. A stop was made
at Whitehorse, where a number of brothers who
had traveled by car from Fairbanks over the
Alaskan highway the day before boarded the

September 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

plane for the short one-hour hop over the moun

tains to their home congregation at Juneau,
Alaska. Here again a group came to the air
port to meet the travelers headed for New
York. These little thirty-minute refreshers
along the way certainly made the heart glad,
both for the travelers and for the local congre
gation publishers. From the plane a fine view
was enjoyed of the beautiful glacier of Menden
hall, as well as of the snow-capped mountain
range along Canada's west coast. From the
Seattle airport Mt. Ranier could be seen in all
its glory as a tall cone standing above the low
clouds.
The transcontinental flight in the United
States was rapid. It was good to see from the
air the fine new structure the Society had been
building since the summer of 1955 (now com
pleted) at Brooklyn. Thus ended ten weeks of
traveling, meeting missionaries, branch serv-

543

ants, special pioneers, circuit and district serv

ants and many thousands of other publishers
of Jehovahs kingdom in far-flung areas of the
South Pacific and Far East. Love shown by all
these made ones heart glad and the Societys
traveling representatives rejoiced that they had
had the opportunity of serving their brothers
and having wonderful fellowship with them in
these many lands. Truly Jehovah and his en
throned King continue gathering together the
'other sheep from every nation, kindred and
tongue, and the time draws nearer when all
surviving mankind will be made one under
their Creator. The thousands of Jehovahs wit
nesses in all these countries expressed their
warm love and greeting to all their fellow
workers world-wide, and are determined to
stick together in the N ew W orld society, giving
Jehovah exclusive devotion.

JL
way, and for that reason God did not hear or
answer Saul.

1 Samuel 28:6 (NW) says: Although Saul

would inquire of Jehovah, Jehovah never an
swered him, either by dreams or by the Urim
or by the prophets. But 1 Chronicles 10:14
(NW) says about Saul: And he did not in
quire of Jehovah. How can these two texts
be harmonized? N . M., Hawaii.
Apparently Saul made inquiry of Jehovah,
but not in the right w ay or with the right m o
tives. His heart was not clean in the matter and
Jehovah could see this, so no answer was given
to Saul from God. Then Saul turned to the
witch of En-dor, or to the spirit medium located
there. He made inquiry of the spirit medium, a
practice condemned by God. Saul went through
certain form s of inquiring of God, but he did
not make inquiry of God in an upright, clean

A person today m ay pray to God, but i f the

person is wicked or prays wrongly God does
not hear the prayer. You do ask, and yet you
do not receive, because you are asking for a
wrong purpose, that you m ay expend it upon
your cravings for sensual pleasure. If one
turns away his ear from hearing the law, even
his prayer is an abomination. The L ord is
far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer
of the righteous. Jas. 4:3, N W ; Prov. 2 8 :9 ;
15:29, RS.
In one sense it m ay be said that a person
prays, in that he goes through the form of
praying. But it may be said in another sense
that he does not pray, since he does not do it
in the way that is acceptable to God and as a
result his prayer is never heard by God. So in
the same way 1 Samuel 28 :6 m ay say Saul
inquired of God because he went through the
form of inquiry, and 1 Chronicles 10:14 m ay
also say correctly that Saul did not inquire of
God, meaning he made no proper, acceptable
inquiries.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
The W atch Tower Bible and Tract Society of
Pennsylvania will hold its annual meeting of
members on Monday, October 1, 1956, at ten
o'clock in the forenoon at the registered office
of the Society, which is located at 4100 Bigelow
Boulevard, com er of Parkman Avenue, in Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania.
Members of the corporation should be certain
that the secretarys office has the proper ad
dresses to which to mail the usual letter o f
notice advising them of the meeting and in
which the proxy forms are enclosed. W e need
to have all the proxies returned to the office
of the secretary o f the Society not later than
the 15th of September. Each member should
complete and return his proxy promptly wheth
er he is going to be at the meeting personally
or not.

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 30: The Divine Origin of Marriage,
!f 1-20. Page 525.
October 7: The Divine Origin of Marriage,
JI21, 22, and Marriage Under Imperfect
Conditions. Page 532.

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

What advice Roman Catholics have been
given regarding Jehovah s witnesses? P. 5l6,

Who God s wife or woman is? P. 526,

H4.

U3.

Why marriage is holy? P. 530, fll6.

Whether Adam expected to go to heav

en? P. 5 1S, Hi.
l*

^ How the woman was to be a helper

and complement for man? P. 532, tl2l.

Why earth s missionaries have failed to

preach the good news of God s kingdom?
P. 520, lit.

Why Eve s sin was a direct case of mar

riage insubordination? P. 534, H4.

What a Gilead graduate says about full

time missionary service? P. 522, fi2.

How many of Jehovah s witnesses are

actively preaching in Korea? P. 539, 111.

544

/In n o z m e irig
SEPTEMBER 15, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

MARRIAGE CEREMONY AND

REQUIREMENTS
THE REAL BOOK OF FREEDOM

W T B it T S

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES

SAYS JEHOVAH

Isa. 43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G ods W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W a tch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
watch by regularly reading The W a tchtow er .

WATCH TOWER BIBLE

117 Adams Street
N. H. K norr , President

PUBLISHED BY THE
AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue: 2,800,000

CONTENTS

PUBLISHED

IN

THE

S e m im o n t h ly

Learn How to Learn

The Real Book of Freedom
Consider the Facts
Let Us N ot Envy One Another
Jamaican Youth Teaches Schoolmates
From Catholic Seminary to
Jehovahs Witnesses
Gilead Graduates Its Twenty-seventh Class
Theocratic Marriage in an Alien World
Marriage Ceremony and Requirements
Questions from Readers

547
548
552
553
556
557
559
560
567
575

Ahtrm rlatiMs a t * la Tha Watchtower for the followini Bible versions

A S - American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
A T An American Translation
M o - James Moffatts version
D a - J. N. Darby's version
N W - New World Translation
Dy
Catholic Douay version
R o - J. B. Rotherham's version
E D The Emphatic Diaglott
R 8 - Revised Standard Version
La Isaac Leaser's version
Y g - Robert Young s version
ttalesa otherwise Indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version

Afrikaans
French
Arabic
German
Cebu-Visayan Greek
Cinyanja
Hollandish
Danish
Uocano
English
Indonesian
Finnish
Italian

Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Five cents a copy

FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Monthly
Armenian
Burmese
Chinese
Cibemba
Cishona
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo
Kanarese

Korean
Malayalam
Pangasinan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese
Silozl

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rales

Watch Tower Society offices
for semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$t
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand. G.P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions eost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

/-y 4 n 7 z o z c n c iria

J EHOVAHS
KINGDOM

ROWING up requires
learning how to learn.

To grow up spiritually
a Christian needs to
learn how to learn. This is
because C h ris tia n ity is
based on a learning proc
ess; the true Christian must
continually take in lifegiving knowledge. He must
do this to be pleasing to
God, whose will is that
all kinds of men should
be saved and come to an
a ccu ra te k n ow led g e o f
truth. 1 Tim. 2:3, 4, NW.
A Christian must learn that he is never
too old to learn. He must learn that learn
ing is a cumulative process: the more he
learns the more he realizes the need to in
crease in accurate knowledge of the truth.
Not only that, but learning must be pro
ductive; like a tree it must some day be
gin to bear fruit. So learning should make
a Christian fruitful in spiritual good works.
What is the purpose of learning? That
you may be filled with the accurate knowl
edge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
discernment, in order to walk worthily of
Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him
as you go on bearing fruit in every good
work and increasing in the accurate knowl
edge of God. Col. 1:9, 10,
Some professed Christians seem to be
ever learning, but they never attain an 547
accurate knowledge of the truth; and they

never become fruitful. They

are unable to take Gods
Word, the Bible, and open up
its rich meaning to others.
Such ones are like those per
sons the apostle wrote of
who were always learning
and yet never able to come
to an accurate knowledge of
truth. (2 Tim. 3:7,
So what is wrong?
No one can come
to an accurate knowl
edge of the truth un
less the teaching he
re c e iv e s a c t u a l l y
leads to the truth. Jesus said there would
be many false Christian teachers in these
last days. So the Christian who has
learned how to leam will make sure of all
things. He will keep testing whether he
has accurate knowledge and is in the
faith. This requires a willingness to ex
amine what he has already learned to
make sure that it is the right kind of
teaching, that it is in harmony with the
standard for accurate knowledge, the Bi
ble. 1 Thess. 5:21; 2 Cor. 13:5, NW.
Even with the right teaching some are
ever learning and never growing up. What
is wrong? The Bible says: The fool multi
plies words but wise men store up knowl
edge. There may be too much talking.
Some people just like to talk. They like to
talk more than listen. If one spends more
time multiplying words than storing up

548

SEeWATCHTOWER

knowledge, such a person may be ever

learning but never able to come to an ac
curate knowledge of truth. Talk has its
place; it must not be allowed to crowd out
listening and diligent personal study.
Eccl. 10:14; Prov. 10:14, AT.
The unproductive ever-leamer usually
has curiosity; he may just want knowledge
for selfish purposes. Or it may be that he
does not take time to digest what he
learns. That requires thinking and apply
ing learning to oneself. Sometimes it is a

ro o klyn

N. Y.

matter of curiosity coupled with a flabby

will. One must learn to make decisions.
The biggest decision a person must make
in life is whether to serve Jehovah and his
Son. Said Jesus: He that is not on my
side is against me. It takes courage to de
cide for truth. But God gives not a spirit
of cowardice, but that of power and of
love. Matt. 12:30; 2 Tim. 1:7,
Life depends on growing up spiritually.
There is no time to waste. Learn how to
learn.

Does it sound strange that

the truth in a book can make
men free? How can it do this,
and why? This article answers.

TH Y should man need a book to

W
be free today? you may ask.
Does not the world have greater political
understanding, more liberties, greater
knowledge and more extensive education
them ever before? Indeed, knowledge has
increased and literacy and the means of
spreading information have expanded at
a tremendous pace. But still, in a real
sense, the world is neither physically nor
mentally free.
The world is not free when more than
one out of every three of its peoplenear
ly a billion persons are under the con
trol of totalitarian communism, and when
smaller totalitarian systems continue to
exist even within the so-called free
world.

Nor is the world free while wars

and threats of wars hang ominously
over its head and while so much of the re
sources of nations is directed either toward
aggression or defense.
Nor is the world really free as long as
slavish anxieties, neuroses and mental ill
nesses hold so many people in bondage
that the presidents commission for the
study of national health recently called
emotional disabilities the United States
foremost health problem.
Nor can the world really say it is free
as long as religious falsehood and moral
bankruptcy hold it in bondage to error
and corruption. People are not really free
who are held in subjection to false reli
gious traditions. Yet so many contradic
tory things are taught in todays churches
that some of them must be false. In the

September 15, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

United States alone there are at least 23

groups of Baptists, 15 divisions among the
Brethren, 15 divisions of the Eastern Or
thodox Church, 7 kinds of Pentecostals,
10 groups of Presbyterians, 21 divisions
among the Methodists, 9 divisions among
the Friends, 20 groups of Lutherans and
13 kinds of Mennonites. Certainly not all
of these groups could be right, because
they disagree with each other; so some
must be in slavery to falsehood.
Even further, the scoffing of science
keeps many people away from the true
source of freedom. This scoffing leaves the
impression that true science contradicts
the Bible. Yet modern discovery has de
molished many of such theories. For ex
ample, the radiocarbon clock has dis
proved some of the fantastic ages that
scientists have attributed to various forms
of life. One instance was where they had
said a destroyed spruce forest in Wiscon
sin was an amazing 125,000 years old.
This figure was at least 91 percent wrong,
for the radiocarbon clock brought the for
ests age down to a mere 11,000 years. Yet
some persons still put their confidence on
the shifting sands of such false theories
rather than on the solid rock of Gods
Word that remains always the same.
So the world is still in need of both
physical and mental freedom, as well as
freedom from all false ideas that lead men
into error and away from truth and light.
Where can this true freedom be found?
The Bible is the book of such freedom. It
shows (1) why man is in bondage today,
(2) how to get a really free mind now
and (3) how to gain permanent freedom
of both body and mind under the right
eous new conditions that are so near at
hand. What does it say about these things?
THE LOSS OF FREEDOM

The Bible says that men are in bondage

because of Satans rebellion and Adams

549

fall. It tells us that originally man was

created free, that he was free in both
body and mind, and that he was put into
a free world that knew neither sin nor
unrighteousness nor death. What changed
these conditions? A spirit creature re
belled, became Satan and led men away
from God. He led them away by promising
the first woman, Eve, that through dis
obeying God your eyes are bound to be
opened and you are bound to be like God,
knowing good and bad. Gen. 3:5, NW.
Of course, that was a false promise of
freedom. Adam and Eve were free to do
everything that was right. But accepting
Satans false promise that they would be
better off by doing wrong brought them
into the greatest slavery. They now be
came slaves to sin and to death and to the
great adversary Satan himself, and they
passed this slavery on to their descend
ants. Satan was the real enslaver of man
kind, and even today the fight for true
freedom is still against this same adver
sary, Satan. This is why Ephesians 6:12
and 1 Timothy 4:1
(Ntell us th
Christians fight is against wicked spirit
forces in the heavenly places, and against
misleading inspired utterances and
teachings of demons.
But Satans wicked influence covers far
more than just spiritual matters. Some
times you hear people say about a par
ticular dictator: He acts like the Devil
himself! There is often more truth to
that statement than is realized. The
worlds rulers certainly can do the Devils
bidding, oppressing men and bringing
them into both physical and mental slav
ery. That the nations themselves would
thus be in bondage to Satan is shown in
Revelation 16:14, which says that ex
pressions inspired by demons would per
form signs, and they go forth to the kings
of the entire inhabited earth, to gather

550

STieWATCHTOWER

them together to the war of the great day

of God the Almighty. NW.
Satan does all that he can to keep all
mankind so busy with their troubles and
with earths difficulties that they will not
take time to stop and look around and get
their bearings and to learn from the real
book of freedom that it is Satan who is
actually leading this world, and that he
really is the one who is responsible for its
wars, troubles and death.
THE SOURCE OF FREEDOM

So true freedom does not come through

mans power. If man could find real free
dom by himself then the modem super
wise twentieth-century world could throw
off its mental shackles, throw out its psy
chiatrists, tear down its mental hospitals,
abolish its slave-labor camps, remove its
dictators, prevent new dictators from re
placing them, and exercise the freedom
that self-effort would bring. But man can
not do these things on his own. He tries,
he makes some improvements, but the
basic problems remain. There have been
wars since earliest times, there have been
totalitarian dictators since the first gov
ernments sprang up on the earth, and ac
cording to anthropologist George Peter
Murdock of Yale University, psychiatry is
the lineal descendant of the medicine man
who let others become herbalists and
bonesetters and confined his practice to
curing the ills of the mind. Why do these
earliest of problems still plague the twen
tieth-century world? Because the people
who are promising freedom from them
cannot overcome Satans power. They can
only deal with the symptoms, not the real
cause. While they are promising them
freedom, they themselves are existing as
slaves of corruption. 2 Pet. 2:19, NW.
Does this mean that there are no free
people? No, it does not mean that. There
are people today who are free even when

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

thrown into jail or prison. There are peo

ple in Communist slave-labor camps today
whose mental attitude makes them freer
than most of the worlds people. They
have the same freedom of mind that men
of God in ancient times had. Noah was one
of such ancient men. Even when a worlds
end was at hand he did not cower in a
paralysis of fear, but wisely obeyed God
and lived through the flood that cleansed
the earth of a corrupt system. Moses, too,
was free from fear even when obeying
God subjected him to the anger of Egypts
mighty Pharaoh. Hebrews 11:27 (NW)
says: By faith he left Egypt, but not
fearing the rage of the king, for he con
tinued steadfast as seeing the one that is
invisible.
Of course, Christ Jesus was the most
outstanding example of such freedom, and
he opened the way to real freedom for
others who would accept it. He did this
by providing the ransom that can cancel
out the slavery that Adams disobedience
brought upon mankind. Romans 5:18
(NW) says: So, then, as through
[Adams] one trespass the result to men
of all kinds was condemnation, likewise
also through [Christs] one act of justifi
cation the result to men of all kinds is a
declaring of them righteous for life.
Yes, Christ is Gods chief liberator of
man. He will free men from all kinds of
slavery. He will free earth from its wars,
disease, oppression and death. And he will
bring perfect peace from Gods hand.
You have prayed for him to do this.
You have asked in prayer to God: Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven. For Gods will to be
done all badness must be gone; Satans
wicked rule must come to its end. Christ
would not have taught us to pray for this
if it were not going to happen. He did
teach us to ask for it, however, and it will
happen!Matt. 6:10.

Septem ber

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

Would it bring you great peace of mind

to know for a certainty that Gods will is
soon to be done throughout the earth as
it is in heaven? The book of freedom gives
you that confidence. It shows that the
heavenly part of this new system of things
has already been established, and that the
earthly part is in process of development.
It gives proof that within the lifetime of
people who are now living Gods will is
going to be done throughout the earth,
just as it is in heaven. The Bible is the
book of greatest freedom because it tells
how you can live at that time, and under
its blessings.
Revelation 12:12 (NW ) says of our
day: On this account be glad, you heav
ens and you who reside in them! Woe for
the earth and for the sea, because the
Devil has come down to you, having great
anger, knowing he has a short period of
time.
These woes have come upon mankind
since the year 1914. The wars, famine,
earthquakes, earth-wide persecution of
true Christians, increased lawlessness,
global fear and insecurity, and even the
juvenile delinquency and todays earth
wide Kingdom-preaching were all foretold
as a part of the great sign that would
mark the time when Satan had been cast
down to earths vicinity and when Christs
kingdom was being established. The fact
that these things have come upon our gen
eration marks ours as the time for the end
of Satans wicked rule, and for the accom
panying establishment of really righteous
conditions. Matt. 24:6-21; Luke 21:26;
2 Tim. 3:1-3.
REGAINING FREEDOM

All of this information is from the real

book of freedom. This book, the Bible, also
says much more about our day. Do you
want to benefit from the life-giving in
formation that it contains? Then you must

551

read that book for yourself. You must

study other publications, like this one,
that will help you to understand it. And
you must associate at congregational
meetings with other people who are gen
uinely interested in what this true book
of freedom really does say. Remember:
When there is a turning to Jehovah, the
veil is taken away. Now Jehovah is the
spirit; and where the spirit of Jehovah is,
there is freedom. 2 Cor. 3:16, 17,
But perhaps you say: All that sounds
good, but I just dont have the time to do
it. Many people say that, but is it really
true? The baseball fan keeps up with the
standings of his team. Business people
read their trade papers. Multiplied mil
lions of persons spend time every week
reading magazines and newspapers or at
tending movies. All of these may be en
joyable or even profitable at times, but
actually the reason why people find time
to do them is that they want to do
them. Do you want freedom and life? Are
freedom and life as important to you as
the baseball scores, or a current magazine,
a movie or TV program? If so, then you
really will find time to study the book of
true freedom, and to associate with and
study with other people who are likewise
concerned with these important things.
A happy fact is that you do not have
to do this all by yourself. Jehovahs wit
nesses, who are just as busy as you are,
will take their own time to come to your
home and to help you to gain this needed
knowledge of Gods Word. Then, as you
gain this Bible knowledge, you will begin
to see how God thinks, how he looks at
things, how he does things, and what his
rules and practices are. Your mind will be
gin to change. You will fill it with good
things. You will no longer think just as
the world thinks. You will no longer be
enslaved by its selfish course, or by its
fears. You will have obeyed the instruc-

552

f&eWATCHTOWER-

tion to quit being fashioned after this

system of things, but be transformed by
making your mind over, that you may
prove to yourselves the good and accept
able and complete will of God. Rom.
12:2, NW.
What you think directs what you do,
and when you think and do good things
you will use your freedom to live a clean,
upright, moral life. You will keep separate
from the way of mankinds chief enslaver,
Satan, who is soon to be destroyed, and
you will be able to live through his de
struction into the righteous new condi
tions that will follow. Under those new
conditions of Gods righteous kingdom

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

there will be no unjust rulers, no fear of

war, no emotional disabilities, no religious
falsehoods, nor any scoffing at the true
source of freedom. All of these problems
will have been solved through the appli
cation of right principles under the lead
ership of the new systems king, Christ
Jesus.
So, by accepting and believing the Bible,
the true book of freedom, and by studying
and following it, you too can receive men
tal freedom now, and complete physical
freedom, too, under the blessings of Gods
righteous kingdom, which soon will bring
lasting peace to this earth and to all the
godly people who will live upon it.

CONSIDER THE PACTS

5

'vetlity a D ia llin g ?

C. Commenting on the diversity of religions in America, cleric W alter Donald

Kring of Unitarian Church of A ll Souls, New York, recently said, according to the
New York Tim es of October 17, 1955: It would seem to me that one of the greatest
contributions of America to the world has been the concept that actually there is
a better chance to find truth if it is sought in as many ways as possible. I f this
diversity of religions is such a blessing, Christ's apostle did not know about it.
Or is it that cleric Kring does not know what Christ's apostle wrote? I exhort
you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you should all speak
in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may
be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought. 1 Cor. 1:10, N W .

^Jgnoltieilm in D ita e l
C. People often suppose that, of all m odem states, the rulers of Israel would be
among the most religious. A correspondent for a famed newspaper recently found
otherwise. In his article The People of Israel, reporter John Beavan wrote in
Britains Manchester Guardian W eek ly of December 8, 1955: In spite of the con
cessions it has made to the Orthodox parties, the State has remained remarkably
secular, and public men are required neither to believe nor to practice. Indeed, they
pay less lip-service to organized religion than is required of agnostic Englishmen
in official positions. But more often they are religious in a wider sense. Agnostic,
humanist, or rationalist views are expressed with a fervor and conviction I have
not found elsewhere in recent years. Somewhere in every conversation it is neces
sary to speak of the dignity of man.' Scuttled, then, are any claims that the
modern nation of Israel has any connection with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy!
The prophesied return was to restore true worship of Jehovah. This has been
fulfilled upon spiritual Israel, not natural Israel.

ers unhappy. It is torment for a

jealous person to speak well of
the person he envies. In fact, the
jealous person shies away from
the one he envies. This leads to
another manifestation of envy.
This is coolness. The jealous
person is cold and unfriendly to
ward the one he envies. Though
the one who is the object of envy
may sense this coolness and even
put forth an extra effort to be
friendly, it is of no use. The en
vious person has closed the door
HE ability to enjoy the successes of of his heart. Cruel this is, but jealousy is
others is an important mark of Chris cruel as the grave. Song of Sol. 8:6
tian maturity. One is not mature who is
A DEADLY SIN
jealous of anothers ability or success.
When not all in a Christian congregation
The danger of envy is great. It is like an
are spiritually mature, the problem of infected wound. The infection spreads. It
envy or jealousy can crop up. But it can breeds further infection. It begets all kinds
be conquered. It can be overcome by the of causes for friction and division in a
power of Gods spirit. Thus an apostle of Christian congregation. For one thing, a
Christ wrote: If we are living by spirit, jealous man often likes to belittle the per
let us go on walking orderly also by spirit. son he envies. A selfish, begrudging spirit
Let us not become egotistical, stirring up is now at work. The envious one likes to
competition with one another, envying one make all kinds of remarks to other people
another. Gal. 5:25, 26,
to try to reduce the stature of the person
Just what is envy? It really is an ex he envies, for the envious tend to praise
pression of selfishness, of too much self- only that which they can surpass; that
love. It manifests itself by discontent or which surpasses them they find fault with
ill will at anothers good fortune because or belittle. Thus the envious man shows
one wishes it had been his. So a jealous he is completely unbalanced: He who be
person resents the success of another. If littles his neighbor lacks sense. Prov.
he cannot have such success himself he 11:12, RS.
does not want to see it in others. Envy is
When envy occurs in a Christian congre
gation the situation is very serious. If the
selfishness at work.
Envy manifests itself in a variety of one envied is a servant in the congrega
ways. Usually there is a failure to rejoice tion, the work of advancing the good news
over another persons success. A jealous may be hindered. Why? Because the jeal
person is full of envy; he cannot rejoice ous person does not co-operate whole
with those who rejoice. He does not live heartedly with the one he envies. He fails
up to the Bible command: Rejoice with to give full help. He fails to put Gods work
people who rejoice; weep with people who ahead of self. If not checked, envy can
weep. (Rom. 12:15,
A jealous per continue its infectious growth. It can beget
son is not happy himself and he makes oth hatred and hatred can beget strife. True

553

554

e e WATCHTOWEFl

it is that where jealousy and contentious

ness are, there disorder and every vile
thing are.Jas. 3:16, NW.
Few things can more thoroughly em
bitter the human spirit and poison brother
ly relationships than the spirit of envy. It
is of special interest to notice what place
jealousy is given in order of vices by Bible
writers. Comparing anger and jealousy,
wise King Solomon said: Wrath is ruth
less, and anger a torrent; but before jeal
ousy who can stand? (Prov. 27:4, AT)
Anger is like a torrential flood. True, the
flood leaves ruin in its wake, but the flood
at least subsides. There is some relief. But
jealousy it is overwhelming. It is like the
incessant dropping of water on stone. It
never stops, it just keeps on and on. Even
as a mighty stone cannot stand up under
the unending dropping of water, so a man
finds it intolerable to associate with an
envious individual. There is no relief.
There was no relief for Abel. His brother
Cain envied him. Righteous Abel received
the blessing of Jehovah God; Cain did not.
Cain turned jealousy into hatred; his
hatred begot strife and that strife led to
murder. Jealousy is a deadly sin. If not
conquered, it brings ruin. For jealousy,
fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects,
envies are all works of the flesh. And
of these Christs apostle emphatically de
clares: As to these things I am forewarn
ing you, the same way as I did forewarn
you, that those who practice such things
will not inherit Gods kingdom.Gal.
5:19-21, NW.
APPEAL TO SELF-INTEREST

How can one conquer jealousy? Selfinterest ought to be enough. True, it is

self-love that sparks jealousy. But when
one truly understands what jealousy leads
to, how destructive it can be, genuine selfinterest ought to actuate a Christian to

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

put away all moral badness and all deceit

fulness and hypocrisy and envies. 1 Pet.
2:1,
NW.
A Christian who thinks does not want to
go back to the world. Then why go back
to worldly practices? Says the Bible:
Even we were once senseless, disobedient,
being misled, being slaves to various de
sires and pleasures, carrying on in mali
ciousness and envy, hateful, hating one
another. (Titus 3:3,
The Devil
would like to turn all Christians back into
the old world. That would mean everlast
ing death. Now the envious person gives
Satan a beachhead, for he is putting on
the works of darkness. The Bible command
is: Let us therefore put off the works be
longing to darkness and let us put on the
weapons of the light. As in the daytime
let us walk in good behavior, not in revel
ries and drunken bouts, not in illicit inter
course and loose conduct, not in strife and
jealousy. Rom. 13:12, 13, NW.
Then there is this matter of self-interest
as viewed from the standpoint of ones
physical health. It is now known that cer
tain emotions, such as jealousy, anxiety
and worry, can cause bodily or physical
disturbances. So the wrong kind of emo
tions can harm your body. Gods Word
says: A sound heart is the life of the
flesh: but envy the rottenness of the
bones. (Prov. 14:30) One really interest
ed in his welfare, both spiritually and
physically, will want to conquer jealousy.
LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS

There is a powerful way to conquer

envy: by the way of love. Love is not
jealous. (1 Cor. 13:4, NW) Love knows
no jealousy; it feels no envy. Love casts
out jealousy. Look at Jonathans love for
David. Jonathan was the eldest son of King
Saul, the one who would have inherited
his fathers throne, but Jehovah gave the
kingship to David. From the human stand

Septem

ber

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

point, Jonathan should have been fiercely

jealous of David. But not so. And why?
Because the love between them was great.
Love had cast out all jealousy.
Christian love places God and his or
ganization above oneself. Some brothers in
a congregation are more gifted than oth
ers. These may have certain inborn abil
ities and manifestations of Gods spirit
that others do not have. These gifted ones
should not be envied. They are Christs
gift to the congregation. These gifts in
men are given with a view to the train
ing of the holy ones for ministerial work.
(Eph. 4:7-12, WW) So what if others do
have abilities that you do not yet have or
may never have? Be glad. Be glad because
these gifted ones contribute to the con
gregations upbuilding and equipment for
the ministry. So benefit from such gifted
brothers. Enjoy their services. Rejoice
with them in their successes. They were
given for your profit, not for your envy.
Pangs of envy and jealousy can easily
crop up when we look on those more splen
didly endowed than ourselves, especially
if such ones are in our age group. But
true love is strong. It is strong enough to
endure differences in endowment, just as
Christian love is strong and pure enough
to endow with graciousness and humility
those who are so privileged. Love is not
jealous, it does not brag, does not get
puffed up. 1 Cor. 13:4,
Love feels no envy. Love actuates one
to appreciate abilities in others no matter
what the relative effect may seem to be on
ones own position. If you think of the
upbuilding of Gods organization, you will
not be conscious of self. Those who are
truly mature rejoice in the greater suc
cess of another even in a sphere similar
to that occupied by themselves.
When a Christian congregation meets
for study, benefit from the comments of
your brothers. Do not envy them. What if

555

some can comment in more appropriate

language, more expressive words? It is all
for your profit, for the congregations bene
fit. Whether you are listening or comment
ing yourself, keep your mind on the idea.
Think of ideas as impersonal, as something
for all to benefit from. If your mind is ab
sorbed in the idea there will be no room
for envy of the person expressing the idea.
What if some brothers are more effec
tive in advancing the good news than
others? Be glad. Be glad for them. Be
glad for the organization.
When envy crops up it hinders Gods
work. A brother or a sister in a congrega
tion may be exceptionally zealous. That
one may turn back-calls into studies and
studies into Kingdom publishers faster
than any others in the congregation. Cer
tain brothers may note this ones fine zeal
and effectiveness and by comparison feel
that they suffer. They become envious.
They may treat the zealous one inconsider
ately and fail to give needed help. Such
envious persons are unbalanced. They are
putting themselves ahead of Gods organi
zation. They fail to understand that Chris
tians are not competing. Mature Christians
are not trying to see who is the most zeal
ous, who is the best public speaker, who
can make the finest comments or who can
place the most literature. So let us not be
come egotistical, stirring up competition
with one another, envying one another.
(Gal. 5:25, 26, NW) Rather, let us be en
couraging one another, and all the more so
as you behold the day drawing near.
Heb. 10:25,
NW.
BE ON GUARD AGAINST JEALOUSY

Jealousy is such a despicable, shameful

emotion that those who are jealous do not
like to admit it even to themselves. Their
own consciences may despise and detest
jealousy. Then why do they become jeal
ous? It is often because they are not on

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SBeWATCHTOWER
Guard further against jealousy by doing,
guard against jealousy. Envy is sinister.
It can slip into ones unconscious mind. as the apostle says, nothing out of con
One does not need to say to himself, Well, tentiousness or out of egotism, but with
Im jealous of that person, before he lowliness of mind considering that the oth
shows envy by his actions. You know what ers are superior to you. (Phil. 2:3, NW)
the manifestations of jealousy are, such as This does not mean that a Christian should
coldness, unfriendliness, belittling others. speak slightingly of his own abilities, al
If you detect these manifestations in your ways disparaging himself. That kind of
self at any time, stop and think. Think humbleness lacks sincerity; usually it is
deep enough to pull out any roots of jeal nothing but a cover for vanity. But what
ousy that may have found fertile soil in the apostle means is that a Christian
the unconscious mind. Said Jesus: Be on should look to the larger good, leaving
the alert and on guard against every kind himself entirely out of account, with low
liness of mind considering that the others
of covetousness. Luke 12:15,
The way to guard against jealousy is to are superior to you. True humility, like
put away the old personality which con love, guards against envy.
Envy profits nobody. The Devil envied
forms to your former course of conduct
and to put on the new personality which Jehovah; the Devil will lose everything.
was created according to Gods will in true Envy brings one to ruin. So why be en
righteousness and loving-kindness. (Eph. vious of one another? Even right now the
4:22-24, W ) Then you will be armed with envious are in a sad state of affairs: they
the right mental attitude, the kind one. are tormented not only by troubles that
Says Romans 12:16 ( NW) : Be minded the old world brings but also by all the
the same way toward others as to your good that happens to others. What a miser
selves. You do not begrudge yourself abil able existence! So let us not envy one an
ities or success. So do not begrudge others other. Show real maturity. Rejoice with
what you enjoy and appreciate in yourself. those who rejoice. Encourage others to
Really, be minded the same way toward greater success in Jehovahs service. That
is the way of true Christian love.
others as to yourselves.

556

Jamaican youth Teaches Schoolmates

C . So keep strict watch that how you walk is not as unwise but as wise persons,
buying out the opportune time for yourselves, because the days are wicked. That
those who heed this admonition of Paul as found at Ephesians 5:15, 16 (2S7W) are
blessed in their doing so is apparent from the following experience of a Jamaican
youth: I am a student in secondary school where there are classes in religious
knowledge. During m y first attendance at one of these classes the subject of the
trinity came up. Right away some of the students put up their hands and told
the teacher that I was one of Jehovahs witnesses and that I did not believe in a
trinity. I was asked to explain and so stood up and from the Bible showed why
Jehovahs witnesses do not believe the trinity teaching. The students were so con
vinced of the correctness of our position on the trinity that when the teacher tried to
defend the trinity, using a Catholic publication to back him up on the trinity, the
students jeered him. He was dismayed and dismissed the class. I explained to him
afterward that that Catholic book was without support, whereas the Bible was
authentic. He then said to me, In the future when you hear me say anything con
trary to the Bible, you let me know and I will let you explain it to the students.

HE following are some of my experi

ences during my preparation for the
priesthood in the Catholic religion until
I became one of Jehovahs witnesses.
In my youth I was a lad full of life and
illusions about the Catholic religion. A new
and zealous priest in my home town of
Arroyo Arenas in the Havana Province
assisted me in becoming very punctual in
church attendance and in joining the Cath
olic Action youth group. This same priest
also organized the Knights of Columbus
organization for adults. I was in two of
these groups that attended the San Carlos
and San Ambrosio seminaries. To me this
was really outstanding, as I considered the
Catholic Church the true preserver and
holder of Gods worship and truths.
However, I must confess that at times
doubts entered my mind on subjects like
this, for instance: God says not to kill and
yet Catholics of different nations kill each
other. Why? I asked the priest one day and
he said: Well, they dont shoot with the
idea of killing. His answer impressed me
but didnt satisfy me.
After serving as the priests assistant
for about five years I was sent among a
group of priesthood aspirants to Belen, a
well-known Catholic school for spiritual
retirement. We were to remain silent
five days, not uttering a word, meditating
and reading about the lives of saints of
the Catholic Church. One evening, when I
was about to eat my dessert in this place
of retirement, a priest came up from be
hind me and took away that big, generous
bowl of ice cream, saying: Offer it to the

557

Lord. I refused even to think of protest

ing, because a priest had done this. Later
I read in the Bible that Jehovah desires
obedience, not sacrifice.
Sometime later I was called upon to
represent my school in a contest that the
archbishop of Havana had arranged for
as to the best-prepared student on the
catechism of Catholic doctrine. Immedi
ately after this contest I began preparing
to enter the regular seminary for the
priesthood. The wife of an ex-president of
Cuba, together with a priest, bought me
the necessary garments and clothing re
quired for the course. I am from a poor
family and I had no money.
Upon entering the seminary I had to
spend another week of meditation as to
whether I really and fully desired to be
a priest. Not a word could be spoken dur
ing that week. I decided that I did want to
be a priest. The first four years of the
seminary are spent in studying the Span
ish language to as close to perfection as
possible. I was allowed three outings a
yearone on my saints day and two on
the days of the saints of my parents. These
studies are carried on under the strictest
discipline.
However, after one of my outings I be
came sick and was unable to return to the
seminary. I dropped the seminary career.
Years went by and my faith in the church
waned. I was working for a bus company
during this time.
One day a new employee was assigned to
work with me. I could tell by his speech
that he was different; his reasoning was

558

3TieWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

different. On one occasion a political shoot

Everything seemed so good that I decided
ing took place in the city and five persons to take the Bible to the priest. I had al
lost their lives. I asked him something ready begun to talk about the Bible and
about their being brought to justice. He the priest knew about it before I saw him.
said that there was no such thing as jus The people in our town had seen me many
tice in this world, all of which sounded un times in processions and religious parades;
usual to me but true.
so the radical change was the subject for
Later he pointed out to me in an argu much talk. When I visited the priest in the
ment that what I was saying about the church he first offered me a cigarette and
soul was wrong. He suggested I read the a picture of a saint, both of which I re
Bible. I then went to our local priest and fused. He began telling me about his re
asked for a Bible. He told me that if that cent visit to Rome where he saw the ab
individual should give me a Bible I should solute holiness in the face and hands of
bring it to the priest to have him explain the pope.
it to me.
Then he started to reprimand me se
I
was then invited by the new employeeverely for studying the Bible, to which I
to accompany him to the Kingdom Hall. replied that I believed no mans word, only
Finally one Sunday I went with him. I the Bible, the Word of God. He then said:
previously had heard a woman say any So you think that the Catholic Church is
day is a good day to read the Word of God the harlot of the Revelation? As I indi
and that expression Word of God stuck cated she was close to it he became very
with me. So when I went to the Kingdom angry and ended our conversation.
Hall I thought of it immediately. However,
He then published a smearing article in
I had a strange sensation there among his church magazine against those people
those people. I had always hated Protes who are always selling Bibles in the street
tants and repudiated the idea, and here I and he labeled such as in contrast to doc
was in a Protestant temple! I was surely tors of divinity, doctors of coffee. Since
observing everything around me.
then this same priest has read some of the
Inwardly I liked the speakers talk, his Watch Tower publications, but there is no
comments on the year 1914 and the pleas evidence of his believing them. Not long
ing ovation given him by the audience. ago I presented him with the book
Afterward many of those present showed Equipped for Every Good World and
me many prophecies in the Bible, espe Evolution versus The New World. I told
cially so when they learned I had studied him Armageddon was at the door. He said
in a seminary. I got a Bible and started he was convinced of his religion the same
reading it from Genesis onward. Upon as I was of mine.
reading Matthew chapter 23 I made up my
Today my wife and I and two children
mind to quit Catholicism forever. Chap are publishers of the good news. I pray
ter 24 convinced me of the nearness of the Jehovah will help us to be faithful to the
end.
end.

/ will h ear w hat God Jehovah will apeak; fo r he will speak p ea ce unto his people,

and to his sain ts: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation
is nigh them that fe a r him, that glory m ay dw ell in our land.
Ps. 85:8, 9,

Gilead Graduates Its Twenty-seventh Class

HE intermittent shade of low-flying
clouds combined with gentle summer
breezes provided pleasant comfort for
open-air assembly on Gileads campus. It
was the week end of July 28 and 29. The
setting was one of natural beauty and the
occasion one of rejoicing. It was the gradu
ation program for the twenty-seventh class
of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead
and 4,420 persons had assembled.
All day Saturday was a time of warm
Christian fellowship and then at seven
oclock in the evening 2,634 assembled for
the weekly Watchtower study. The Soci
etys president called for twelve volunteers
from the student body and these, assem
bled on the platform, demonstrated that
even in small congregations of Jehovahs
witnesses interesting and instructive stud
ies may be conducted if everyone pre
pares and participates in the discussion.
The Watchtower study was followed by
music by members of the student body.
Sunday morning the program began at
nine. After song and prayer the Societys
president, N. H. Knorr, introduced each
of the schools four instructors, who of
fered final words of counsel. Congratula
tory messages from around the world were
read next, and then N. H. Knorr delivered
the graduation address. The subject: Irreprehensible Witnesses.
He made clear to all present that being
a witness for Jehovah God is a grave re
sponsibility as well as a joyful privilege.
He warned of the many pitfalls that may
endanger the position of one of Gods min
isters. Materialism ranked high on this list
of dangers. The witness of Jehovah must
always be keen to distinguish by Gods
Word the difference between material ad
vantages and blessings from Jehovah God.
Prosperity in material things is not the
blessing that Jehovah gives his people now,

but rather his blessings are spiritual and

make his ministers spiritually strong in his
service. He warned against covetousness
the
and, citing Proverbs 28:16, showed that
the anxieties of this life and desires for
material things possessed by others lead to
disappointment and death. To maintain
happiness he recommended the Christian
course of shunning materialism and turn
ing to full-time service of Jehovah God.
Following the graduation discourse the
108 members of the twenty-seventh class
filed across the platform, where each was
presented a white envelope containing a
personal message from the president, a
gift from the Society to aid the graduate
to continue in the full-time service, a pic
ture of the twenty-seventh class and, for
those who had achieved scholastic marks
of merit, a diploma from the school. As
each graduate received his gift ministerial
assignments were announced. It was noted
that whereas these ministers had come
from six different countries their assign
ments would scatter them to twenty lands
around the earth. Joy filled the hearts of
all as their thoughts turned to new fields
of service awaiting them.
A member of the class then read an ex
pression of gratitude addressed to the So
cietys president. It was subsequently de
clared to express the sentiments of the en
tire group and was adopted as an expres
sion of their gratitude to Jehovah and his
organization, which had arranged for the
Gilead training they had received.
The two-day program ended with ex
pressions of appreciation from the gradu
ates themselves. Twenty-three representa
tives of the class spoke and in their brief
expressions was a unanimous appeal to all
those attending to consider the joys of full
time service and missionary work as being
something attainable for them too.

559

tyheocratfc ^M arriage

ALIEN WORLD
S /

Y o u m u st form no m a r r ia g e a llia n c e w ith

them . Y o u r d a u g h te r y o u m u st not g iv e to
his son, a n d his d a u g h te r y o u m u st n ot ta k e
for y ou r son. For he w ill turn y o u r son
from f o llo w in g m e a n d they w ill c e rta in ly
serve other g o d s Deut. 7 : 3 , 4, N W .

by the invasion of sin and death the mat

ter has become a very complex one be
|UMAN marriage came from the cause of all the different ceremonies, cus
lofty thoughts of the Most High toms, arrangements and laws that have
God. It was started by him in an grown up among the many nations, peo
earthly paradise with a perfectly mated ples and tribes. We should be confused or
couple. Since it came from a pure, divine uncertain unless we had Gods Word to
source, it is something highly dignified. guide us and hold us to the divine princi
Worthily of its Source, it ought to be en ples of marriage. Those principles apply to
tered into and fulfilled according to the his people all over the earth, without ex
will of the God who blessed this marriage ception. By sticking to them and putting
union. That is what makes it theocratic or them above all the arrangements of men,
subject to the rule of God. That, therefore, we shall be giving to God what belongs to
is what calls forth his blessing and makes God while at the same time we can give to
marriage safe and ensures it happiness.
Caesar (or to human governments of this
2
The will and rule of God are lovinglyalien world) what belongs to Caesar. This
written out for all married persons or for is the Christian rule of action. Matt.
all who think of marrying, in his inspired 22: 21.
3
When Jesus Christ was on earth nine
Word, the Holy Bible. If we seek true hap
teen
hundred
years ago he did not get
piness in marriage or want wisdom to
married.
He
was
the perfect Son of God
handle marriage problems aright we will
from
heaven
and
he
had not come to this
go to Gods Word and learn and be guided
earth
to
get
married
and settle down and
by the principles that it sets forth gov
become
a
human
father,
tied down to this
erning marriage. During the thousands of
earth.
Jehovah
God
had
set
before his Son
years since marriage was disadvantaged
Jesus Christ a far grander fatherhood

1. Why is marriage highly dignified, and what makes

it safe and ensures its happiness?
2. (a) For marital happiness and wisdom to handle
marital problems what should we do, and why? (b)
What has made the matter so complex, and how can
we give both God and Caesar their due?
560

3, 4. (a) What kind of fatherhood did God set before

Jesus, and when did Isaiah 9:6, 7 begin to have fulfill
ment? (b) In what way and because of pursuing what
course does Jesus become a better father to us than
Adam?

Septem ber

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

561

that would be of benefit to untold num Jesus Christ in heavenly glory could pass
bers of the human family, living and dead. on everlasting life to us if we would accept
When Jesus was born of a godly Jewish it. Thus he becomes a better father to us
virgin in the little city of Bethlehem, then than Adam.
5 In addition to giving Jesus Christ
what God had foretold about him began
to come true, and Gods people on earth greater glory in heaven Jehovah God also
could take up His prophetic words and rewards his loving, self-sacrificing Son
say: Unto us a child is born, unto us a with a bride, a wife. She is not an angel
son is given; and the government shall be nor any other individual creature. Just as
Jehovahs woman or wife is an or
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
ganization of creatures, his universal or
called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
ganization, so the bride that he gives to
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of his Son is an organization of faithful, holy
the increase of his government and of creatures, his 144,000 footstep followers
peace there shall be no end, . . . The zeal called from among mankind, who accept
of Jehovah of hosts will perform this. his sacrifice for them. They are likened to
(Isa. 9:6, 7, AS) Take note that he was a glorious heavenly city full of inhabit
to live up to the names of Counsellor and ants. (Rev. 21:2, 9-23) After these prove
Everlasting Father besides those other their virgin faithfulness to Jesus Christ
titles. By marrying a human bride and till their death God resurrects them to
raising his own human family he could heavenly life and marries them as a com
not become an Everlasting Father to us pany to his Son. Rev. 2:10; 19:7; 20:4, 6.
who are children of our first father Adam
TERMS OF ESPOUSAL (ENGAGEMENT)
who sinned and plunged us into death.
4
No, but Jesus Christ now stands ready 6 John the Baptist introduced the first
in heaven to become the Everlasting Fa of Jesus followers to him. He had much
ther of all humans who want a life-giving joy at taking these initial steps toward the
father, a father able to provide everlasting marriage of Gods Son. John said: He
life for them and to be a father to them that has the bride is the bridegroom. How
everlastingly. Jesus Christ came into that ever, the friend of the bridegroom, when
wonderful position because he did not get he stands and hears him [talking to the
bride class], has a
married on earth
great deal of joy
but, instead, put
on account of the
aside the opportu
voice of the bridenity of becoming
g r o o m . This, in
the father of his
deed, has been ful
own human family
filled as my joy.
by laying down his
(John 3:29,
human life for us.
So
John turned
A lm ig h t y God
raised him from
5. With what kind of
the dead and exalt
wife does God reward
his Son?
ed him to heaven
6. Who have had a share
in bringing members of
and accepted his
Christs bride into asso
ciation with their Head,
h u m a n sacrifice
corresponding to what
foroursakes. Thus
human custom?

562

STkWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

over the bride class to Jesus Christ. The his son and heir Isaac. He instructed the
apostle Paul also had the joy of bringing oldest servant of his household as a
members of the bride class into association friend of the bridegroom to go outside
with Christ and of preparing them for of Canaanland northward to the home of
their heavenly union with him. Having his relatives, his own brothers family, and
espoused, betrothed or engaged them to pick a girl for Isaac, as they were believ
Christ, he properly felt a deep concern ers in Jehovah God. Gen. 24:1-9, 34-41.
that they must stay undefiled, faithful and
8There was a sensible, faithful reason
fit to be joined to Christ after their en for this. It was in order to safeguard the
gagement period. He said: I am jealous faith of the son in the true God by marry
over you with a godly jealousy, for I per ing him to a fellow believer. Bad associa
sonally promised you in marriage to one tions spoil useful habits. (1 Cor. 15:33,
husband [not two or more] that I might NW) The intimate married life of a be
present you as a chaste virgin to the liever with an unbeliever could lead to the
Christ. But I am afraid that somehow, as spoiling of the believers faith in God and
the serpent seduced Eve by its craftiness, thus bring about his spiritual death and
your minds might be corrupted away from his everlasting destruction at the hands
the sincerity and the chastity that are due of the God to whom he was unfaithful.
the Christ. (2 Cor. 11:2, 3,
This He could be influenced to this by his mar
corresponds well with the procedure of riage partner just as Adam was by Eve.
mankind in general toward forming a The ones starting this sad result and lay
marriage. There is no wife-stealing, but an ing the foundation for it were the con
engaging, espousing, betrothing or prom tractors for the marriage. God foresaw
ising of the girl to the man. A period of this possibility, no, rather, this likelihood.
time follows before the girl is actually So before settling his chosen people, the
given to the man and the two are united ancient nation of Israel, in Canaanland,
in the privacy of their own place of abode. he gave them this as one of his laws, not
7
According to Gods Word a marriageas a piece of advice: You must form no
of any of his people was arranged for by marriage alliance with [the pagan inhab
the parents of both the boy and the girl itants]. Your daughter you must not give
or by a go-between, one whom John the to his son, and his daughter you must not
Baptist calls the friend of the bride take for your son. For he will turn your
groom. For Christs bride John the Bap son from following me and they will cer
tist was careful to pick persons dedicated tainly serve other gods. Deut. 7:3, 4,
to Jehovah God and baptized repentant NW.
Jews looking for the promised Messiah or
9The disastrous future history of the
Christ. Paul the apostle was also careful Israelites shows the accuracy of that
to pick dedicated, baptized persons. He warning and the justice of that law. Do
picked non-Jews as well as Jews now that not become unevenly yoked with unbe
the wedding invitation was authorized to lievers. (2 Cor. 6:14, NW) So be theo
go to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. cratic, loyal to Jehovah God, in picking a
That was theocratic procedure. In pagan marriage partner either for yourself or
Canaanland there were many girls, but for your child or friend. Keep clear of
Abraham refused to take any of them for responsibility for spiritual shipwreck. Do
7, 8. (a) What Scriptural examples illustrate care in
picking a mate? (b) What sensible and Scriptural rea
sons are there for doing this?

9. What does loyalty to Jehovah indicate as to picking

a marriage mate and performing a marriage ceremony?

September 15, 1956

^eW ATCH TOW ER.

not lay hands hastily, untheocratically, on

a marriage mate for anyone: neither be
a sharer in the sins of others; preserve
yourself pure. (1 Tim. 5:22, NW) Wheth
er a marrying agent of the New World
society will solemnize the marriage of
such an unequally yoked pair is left to his
own conscience. If he does decide to per
form the ceremony at the Kingdom Hall
or elsewhere, he is merely acting as an
agent of the state government and he does
at least have an opportunity to point out
to the worldly or undedicated person the
responsibilities of marriage to a Christian
and to encourage that person to become
one of Jehovahs witnesses like his part
ner.
10 Abrahams marriage agent presented
many valuable gifts to the girl Rebekah
and to her brother and her mother before
taking Rebekah away from her home to
bring her to Isaac. (Gen. 24:22, 30, 50-53)
In some countries or among some peoples
the custom has grown up, and even the
local law takes recognition of the custom,
of paying bride money for the woman or
of giving dowry. Among some peoples the
dowry is given to the man by the parents
of his bride. But more generally the dowry
is the gift or the reward that the man or
his parents give to the bride or for the
bride as a consideration for the marriage.
In Africa among some tribes the bride
price is called lobola and it is demanded
by and given to the brides father or his
oldest brother, her uncle. It may consist
of either money or cattle or both. This
lobola may even be required in order to
satisfy the local customary law so as to
gain a registration of the marriage at the
village place of record.
11 Basically is there anything wrong
with this? No. Isaacs son Jacob paid for
his wives Leah and Rachel with fourteen
10-12. (a) What customs have arisen regarding dow
ries? (b) What Scriptural examples show such are not
wrong? (c) But what would be wrong, and why?

563

years of work for their father Laban.

(Gen. 29:18-28) David the giant killer
paid two hundred foreskins of the enemy
Philistines for his wife Michal, King Sauls
daughter. (1 Sam. 18:20-27) Even Jesus
Christ delivered up himself for his bride,
the Christian congregation of 144,000.
(Eph. 5:25) Jehovah gave nothing for
his woman, because he is the Maker of
her, his holy universal organization. (Isa.
54:5) So there is nothing improper in giv
ing a bride price to the father for the loss
of his daughter whom he reared and edu
cated. What is wrong about a bride price
or lobola is the abuse that is made of it.
It is wrong, unchristian, untheocratic, to
treat it, not as a compensation, but as a
means of making money off ones own
child or children, and then charge exces
sively or extort more than what is right
or require what works a hardship.
12 God hates all extortioners, including
bride-price extortioners, who commercial
ize their own daughters. Any such greedy
person that claims to be a Christian puts
himself in the way of excommunication or
disfellowshiping from the Christian con
gregation any and every time that he com
mits extortion in the case of lobola or
bride price. Paul said: Now I am writing
you to quit mixing in company with any
one called a brother that is a fornicator or
a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler
or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even
eating with such a man. . . . Remove the
wicked man from among yourselves.
(1 Cor. 5:11, 13, NW) The extortioners
price is unreasonably high, inconsiderate
of the circumstances and calls for more
than a fair compensation for the loss of a
daughter. The mans greed for money will
especially be shown up when his high
price makes it impossible for a Christian
to procure his daughter and he will hold
out for his excessive price and marry her
off to a pagan who can afford it. It dis-

564

SfieWATCHTOWER

plays a lack of love of the brothers, but

an injurious love of money. 1 Tim. 6:10.
13 The accepting of bride money from a
worldling in any amount in order to mar
ry a dedicated Christian daughter to him
is untheocratic. It does not imitate Jeho
vahs strict law to Israel. It endangers the
daughters eternal welfare, thus to put her
in subjection to an undedicated worldling.
It disqualifies a brother at least for cer
tain special service privileges in the Chris
tian congregation. He may not be excom
municated for this action, just as a par
ent elsewhere who allows a son or a
daughter to marry outside the New World
society may not be disfellowshiped nor
even the son or daughter that thus mar
ries outside the Lord, outside the truth.
But such persons are not good material
for congregational overseer or ministerial
servants. They are poor examples of the be
lievers. Where sons or daughters have re
fused to be married off to pagan world
lings they have not failed to obey the com
mandment to honor their father and their
mother, inasmuch as these have not shown
themselves to be in union with the Lord
in making a marriage alliance with the
world. The resisting sons and daughters
are trying to remain in union with the
Lord, which is right. Eph. 6:1-4, NW.
14 Should a Christian pay bride money?
Yes, if that is the prevailing custom and
he or his parents cannot get the girl want
ed in any other way. If the making of
some gifts according to the ability of the
bride seeker will be accepted as a token
or sign of appreciation and of devotion to
the bride, that would be well to do. There
is to be no bride-stealing. Hence pay for
what you want if you cannot explain your
13. (a) Why should a father not accept money from a
worldling for a Christian daughter? (b) Where parents
violate Scriptural rule what course may sons and
daughters pursue, and why?
14. (a) When would it be proper for a Christian to
pay for a bride? (b) Yet why is it advisable for par
ents to forego the requiring of bride money?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

Christian position and gain some allow

ance or get it free. A person generally
pays the worlds price for goods bought.
The fact that bride price or lobola is
abused does not make it wrong in itself.
Paul as a full-time minister was entitled
to support by the congregation that he
served, but he did not accept it or demand
it, in order not to abuse his privilege and
miss Gods approval. He did accept a
gift from the congregation at Philippi.
(1 Cor. 9:6-18; Phil. 4:15-18) Paul re
fused to make a money gift to the Roman
governor Felix because he did not want
to stoop to bribery but wanted to be set
free for plain justice alone. (Acts 24:26,
27) So it is advisable for Christian parents
to forego the requiring of bride price or
dowry in order to guard against imitating
this world and abusing the privilege and
causing spiritual troubles. But we must
let each ones conscience guide.
15
A Christian wife married to an un
believer that demands bride price for a
daughter cannot control the matter but
she can make suggestions to him. Where
Christian brides have been gained by pay
ment of bride money, they should not
pride themselves or feel humiliated be
cause of the largeness or the smallness of
the bride money paid. No Christian wife
should humiliate another by reminding
her that she is a cheap-price bride, nor
should a Christian husband do this to
shame his wife. He is under divine com
mand to love his wife and she to love him.
(Eph. 5:25, 28-33; Titus 2:4) If there is
love of our brothers this unwise compar
ing of ourselves with one another or this
taunting another will not be done. The
number of wives who have been taken
without payment of bride price outdoes
more and more the number who are
15. (a) What view should an African Christian wife
take of bride money? (b) If village registration is de
nied because of nonpayment of bride money what
should be done?

Septem ber

15, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER.

gained for a price, and this larger number

of wives are not to be reproached for that
fact. Where an African marriage has been
undertaken with no payment of lobola or
bride price and the village registration
will not record the marriage for that rea
son, the married couple should not worry.
They can and should register the marriage
with their local congregation. There es
pecially it is most vital, for the married
pair to be in good standing with the New
World society.
NO TRIAL MARRIAGE, BUT CLEAN
ENGAGEMENT

16When a parent accepts bride money

and gives his daughter in marriage, the
resulting marriage is permanent. Unless
the bride now turns out adulterous in vio
lation of her wifely obligations, the mar
riage may not be canceled merely because
her husband becomes dissatisfied and de
cides to get rid of the girl and sends her
back to her father and demands the re
turn of his bride money. According to
the law of Gods Word marriage cannot
be canceled by the mere accepting back
of the girl and the returning of the bride
price. Hence a Christian father cannot see
himself free to remarry his daughter to
another man either for lobola or for no
bride price at all. To do this would be to
cause his daughter to commit adultery,
unless in the meantime her husband who
dismissed her has married again, or has
sexual connections with another woman,
or has died.
17 A man may not agree to a certain
bride price or dowry and now make a part
payment and feel authorized to take his
future bride and have sex relations with
16. (a) How enduring is a marriage based on bride
money? (b) Therefore what may the brides father not
do save for what conditions?
17, 18. (a) When the bride money is not paid all at
once, when only may the man have intercourse with
the woman? (b) How did Gods law distinguish be
tween virgins engaged and virgins not engaged?
(c) What does seducing a virgin merit, and why?

565

her and make a trial marriage with her.

If not satisfied, he is not authorized by
Gods law to return the girl and get the
part payment of the bride price back. Till
he has finished paying his dowry he has
no right to have sexual connection with
her. He is merely engaged to her, and to
unite with her sexually during this en
gagement period is to defile her and to
commit immorality, fornication. In an
cient Israel when a girl was engaged to be
married to an Israelite, she was consid
ered as sanctified to him and was treated
the same as if married to him. She was
treated differently from a virgin not en
gaged who had relations with a man. In
case a man should seduce a virgin who is
not engaged and he has cohabited with
her, he is to obtain her without fail as his
wife for the purchase price. If her father
flatly refuses to give her to him, he is to
pay over the money at the rate of pur
chase money for virgins. Ex. 22:16, 17,
N W ; Deut. 22:28, 29.
18
Not so with an engaged girl: In case
there happened to be a virgin girl engaged
to a man and a man has found her in the
city and cohabited with her, then you
must bring them both out to the gate of
that city and pelt them with stones and
they must die, the girl for the reason that
she did not scream in the city and the
man for the reason that he humiliated
[whom?] the wife of his fellow man.
(Deut. 22:23, 24,
NW) So when th
gin Mary was found pregnant during the
time of her engagement to Joseph, he
wanted to put her away or divorce her se
cretly to prevent her being stoned as an
unfaithful engaged virgin. (Matt. 1:18,
19) In Mexico and Singapore a marriage
can be annulled because immorality was
found to have been committed by the
woman during her engagement. A mans
seducing a virgin and violating her vir-

566

fKeWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

ginity and then making her feel obligated

to marry him is no pure, Christian step
toward marriage. It is a ground for disfellowshiping the violator from the Chris
tian congregation, and also the virgin if
she passionately consented to the viola
tion.
19During the espousal or betrothal pe
riod, if the engaged boy and girl had sexual
relations with each other, this would be
illegal relationship, because the marriage
has not yet been legalized and the couple
pronounced man and wife with full mar
riage privileges. It does not matter if they
do confine the sex act to just themselves;
it is still moral uncleanness, fornication.
It is a taking of license to do something
without getting a legal license. It is in
continence or lack of self-control over the
sexual appetite. It is a loosening of con
duct by the engaged pair, hence a work of
the flesh that wars against the spirit. If
parents permit this or even countenance it
and arrange for it, they are delinquent,
failing of their theocratic duty. There is
good reason here for disfellowshiping the
engaged couple for committing fornication
with or without pregnancy resulting, and
also the parents because of looking on
fornication with sanction and approval.
2 Pet. 1:6; Gal. 5:19-21.
20A marriage agent of the congregation
cannot perform the marriage of such an
unclean engaged couple while they are
disfellowshiped. It is a spiritually curative
step for the immoral engaged couple to
confess their sin to God and then to the
congregation committee and express re
pentance and prove their repentance by
refraining from further unclean relations
between themselves and submit to the pro
bation period and requirements that the

congregation committee imposes upon

them before it can allow them a religious
marriage.
21 It is against good judgment, there
fore, for parents to allow or even encour
age a daughter of fifteen or sixteen years
to go a long distance from home and get
a job and rent a room just to be near her
boy friend to whom she is engaged. Like
wise it means exposing young persons to
fornication where parents allow a single
couple, a boy and a girl, to take a vacation
trip or a cycling and camping tour to
gether for a week or two. For the two va
cationers to camp out together puts them
in the way of temptation that can and
often does lead to fornication. Says the
apostle Paul: Keep yourselves free from
every form of wickedness. 1 Thess. 5:
22,
NW.
22 It falls to each ones duty to watch
jealously this divine counsel to marry only
within the ranks of the dedicated people
of Jehovah God, who are faithful follow
ers of his Son Jesus Christ. In places
where the girls outnumber the marriage
able brothers a temptation exists to mar
ry them off to worldly persons just to see
that they get a husband or that the par
ents are relieved of a burden. On the other
hand, where there are fewer marriageable
girls than there are brothers there is a
passionate pressure to ignore Gods law
and warning and to marry outside of
union with the Lord, outside the New
World society. Anyone doing so or arrang
ing for another to do so must take the
responsibility before the God of pure,
theocratic marriage and must see his guilt
for any evil consequences that follow from
this unequal yoking.

19, 20. (a) Why may engaged persons not have sex re
lations with each other, and what responsibility falls
on parents in this regard? (b) What congregational
action does fornication merit, and then when only may
such ones marry religiously?

21. To keep young persons from being exposed to for

nication what may their parents not allow?
22. When is there particular temptation to marry out
side of union with the Lord but with what responsi
bility and guilt?

Septem ber

15, 1956

ffkWATCHTOWER.

23 Because of so many serious things

that are tied in with the solemn arrange
ment of marriage, each one should inves
tigate his intended mates background
thoroughly and then determine whether
it would be theocratic or lead to happy
bonds to propose marriage or to accept a
marriage proposal. If one enters a mar23. (a) To ensure happy, theocratic marriage what
steps should be taken? (b) How should marriage be
kept after it is once entered into?

567

riage engagement, then one should keep

it clean by pure moral conduct that one
may have presented to himself an unde
filed mate as in the case of Jesus and his
bride: that he might present the congre
gation to himself in its splendor, not hav
ing a spot or a wrinkle or any of such
things, but that it should be holy and
without blemish. Eph. 5:27, NW.

to the brides home and took her away to

her new home. There was a procession
homeward by the couple amid a joyful
group of celebrators. So the wedding be
came public property and was registered
on the public consciousness, and on his
bringing her home there was a wedding
feast that was joined in by all the invited,
as arranged by the bridegrooms parents.
Happy were those who were invited to the
wedding evening meal. The bride did not
keep her betrothed lover waiting before
she put in appearance. She waited for him,
all dressed up in her
prettiest, ready to be
given to him by her
father or guardian.
Matt. 1:24; 22:111; 25:1-10; John 2:
1-11; 3:29; Mark 2:
19; Isa. 61:10; 62:5;
Rev. 19:7, 8; 21:2,
9-11.
2It must be remembered that the first
Christians were Jews, or Israelites, even
as Jesus himself was. Reasonably, then,
these Jewish Christians carried over their
marriage customs and arrangements from
their former Jewish social system to the
new Christian system of things. But one
thing is to be noted without fail, that

MARRIAGE CEREMONY
AND REQUIREMENTS
Fi/to kks of the Bible written exi l l 's pressly to and for Christians
give no form of marriage ceremony for
them. They do show that after the mar
riage was arranged for by the parents and
through a go-between or marriage agent
there was an engagement period of about
a year in the case of virgin girls. Then on
the wedding evening the bridegroom went
1. What wedding customs prevailed among the Israel
ites?

2. What facts regarding marriages are apparent from

the Bible record?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SEeWATCHTOWER.
from the days of Abraham forward there all the way. So a marriage license was not
was no priest, Levite or other religious necessary in his case. But his taking her
official present to perform any marriage as wife was witnessed by more than four,
ceremony. Yet the marriage was valid and it was registered in the records of
and recognized by Jehovah God. It was Abrahams theocratic establishment and,
also registered at the city or village re of course, it is recorded in the Bible to
cording office, and births resulting from day. There was no religious ceremony
the marriage union were also recorded about it, although Gods will was sought
there. The two genealogical records of Je and recognized all the way through.
sus were doubtless copied from the town
4There is no account of a religious cere
records of Bethlehem by Matthew and mony for Isaacs son Jacob when marry
Luke. This leads to the question, By whom ing Leah and Rachel. (Gen. 29:18-30)
may valid Christian marriages be solem Neither did Jehovah God in all his hun
nized? Is a civil or nonreligious marriage dreds of laws to his chosen people Israel
just as binding as a religious one, or is order and outline a religious marriage
marriage a sacrament and so valid only ceremony for them. The right and duty
when religious?
to solemnize marriages was not assigned
3 No, marriage is not a sacrament re to the priestly family of Aaron or the Le
quiring the presence and performance of vite temple servants at all. The marriage,
a religious clergyman or a Christian min from the time of the engagement through
ister. As Gods prophet, Abraham was to the uniting of bride and groom in his
his accepted priest for a large household, fathers home, was all of private, family
but there is no record that he was there arrangement without priestly or Levite
when his oldest servant brought Rebekah participation (outside of the tribe of Levi
from Mesopotamia to Isaac in the Negeb itself). It was publicized to all the com
of Palestine. Isaac was walking alone, munity, was duly witnessed and then was
meditating, and the servant brought Re registered at the local recording office;
bekah to him and related to Isaac just which was why Joseph was required to
how he had obtained her for him. After go with his companion Bethlehemite Mary
that Isaac brought her into the tent of to their native city and get registered in
Sarah his mother. Thus he took Rebekah the days of the Roman emperor Caesar
and she became his wife. But this taking Augustus. Luke 2:1-6,
of her as wife had public witnesses, name
5When Jesus performed his first mir
ly, Abrahams marriage agent and the acle, at Cana, in the province of Galilee,
men who were with him and Rebekahs he was at a wedding celebration. But he
nurse and her other lady attendants. was not invited there to officiate as a min
(Gen. 24:2, 54, 59-61, 66, 67,
Isaac ister, for he was not of the priestly family
had not taken out any marriage license, of Aaron nor of the tribe of Levi and was
any more than it is necessary to do so in not recognized as a religious minister. He
some countries today. Isaacs father Abra was invited there with his mother and
ham, the head of the theocratic organiza his disciples merely as a guest, because
tion, had authorized it and Jehovah God the city was near his former place of carwho was looked to for guidance had di
4. (a) What did the law not outline regarding mar
riages? (b) Marriage was what kind of affair and
rected the steps of the marriage procedure how
was its binding nature emphasized?

568

3. What does the Bible show regarding the manner in

which Isaacs marriage took place?

5. At the marriage at Cana what part only did Jesus

play and what did he not do as regards marriage
among his followers?

Septem ber

15, 1956

3EeW AT CHTOW ER,

569

penter business. So he did not sanctify marriage of such incoming persons as

the marriage while there, but provided binding and still having effect. Where Je
the best of wine for the further enjoyment hovahs witnesses do not have authorized
of all present. (John 2:1-11) In all his ministers of their own to officiate at a
commandments to his twelve apostles and marriage, they can conscientiously go to
his evangelists he never told or commis the appointed government offices and have
sioned them to solemnize anybody's mar a valid, divinely recognized marriage per
riage, but left the matter of marriage formed by a state officer.
just as it was among Jehovahs people.
7In lands where the government au
He never turned marriage into a sacra thorizes, requires and recognizes only a
ment within the exclusive power and un civil marriage, the Roman Catholic
der the sanction solely of the apostles or Church does not look upon the civil mar
Christian ministers.
riage as valid and requires Catholics to
6
Is, then, a religious marriage strictlybe married afterward by a priest in a re
necessary? No. Is a civil marriage author ligious wedding. For instance, recently
ized by Gods Book the Bible? Yes, and when the Catholic prince of Monaco mar
in this regard Christians may give to ried the Catholic Hollywood motion-pic
Caesar what belongs to Caesar. In most ture star, the New York Times (April 20,
countries of Christendom a civil marriage 1956) reported: The 32-year-old Prince
performed by an appointed officer of the and his 26-year-old bride, who were mar
state is either allowed or absolutely re ried in a civil ceremony yesterday in the
quired. So no social or religious stigma Palace, were united in the eyes of the
rightfully attaches to a civil marriage, Church by the Bishop of Monaco, Mon
and the Most High God recognizes the signor Gilles Barthe. They received the
civil marriage of his dedicated people and blessing of Pope Pius XII through his
holds them bound by it. In some lands Nuncio in Paris, Monsignor Paolo Marella.
inside and outside of Christendom the gov . . . She went to her place before the white
ernments recognize marriages performed marble altar first, custom giving way to
by the Roman Catholic priests and by a sovereigns right to be waited upon. The
ministers of other recognized religions. Prince joined her a few moments later.
8 Of course, the Roman Catholic reli
These ministers it licenses to perform
marriages in religious buildings or at cer gious marriage after the civil wedding has
tain registered places. Along with these no legal value, nor does the religious cere
the appointed ministers of Jehovahs wit mony afterward of any other religious
nesses are authorized or licensed to' sol system. But where possible, or where re
emnize the marriage. In all these cases the quested, Jehovahs witnesses may hold a
officiating minister of religion acts as a religious meeting with the groom and his
servant of the state in legalizing the mar bride afterward. This meeting is not nec
riage. Hence, too, such marriages are essary and is no marriage and it is not
binding and have Gods recognition. When held as if to add any legal value to the
persons come into the New World society civil marriage already performed. It is
who have been married by the religious held to give the newly married couple
wholesome, timely Bible admonition and
ceremonies of any of these authorized re
How does the Roman Catholic Church view civil
ligions, Jehovahs witnesses recognize the 7.
marriages, as shown by what recent event?
6. What is the Scriptural position regarding civil mar
riages required by law?

8. Of what value is a religious meeting with the bride

and groom after the civil marriage has been per
formed ?

570

S&eWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N . Y.

10
Where tribespeople have married ac
counsel on the opportunities and obliga
tions of marriage and to bring the mar cording to the tribal custom before they
riage more prominently before the local get the Kingdom truth and enter the New
congregation and to give a witness to Je World society, their marriage still binds
hovahs matrimonial arrangement before them and is recognized. A remarriage is
all persons of good will present. This also not necessary, but it is proper to record
affords a good time and occasion for the the tribal marriage with the New World
marriage to be registered with the con society by signing a Declaration of Mar
gregation and notice of it to be filed with riage if there has been no civil registra
tion with the government. But in a cer
the congregations record.
tain
land there might be a benefit legally
9
What is done before the congregation
for
a
man and his family to have such
is done before God, just as in ancient Is
tribespeople
remarried under the civil law
rael what was done before the judges or
of
the
land.
For unmarried tribespeople
rulers was done before God. (Ex. 21:6;
who
become
part
of the New World so
22:8, 9, 28, N W ; R8) What if there is an
ciety
we
recommend
a civil marriage, as
African marriage between Christians and
it
carries
with
it
greater
advantages and
the marriage is held in one town or vil
secures
greater
protection
from the law,
lage but it has to be registered with the
which
makes
provision
for
the wife and
government in a distant city, not conven
children
after
death
of
her
husband.
Cer
ient for the newlyweds to get to right
tainly
for
former
pagans
to
marry
ac
away? At the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs
cording
to
the
pagan
custom
is
a
step
witnesses a Declaration of Marriage
can be filled out. This does not have any backward, and if there were unscriptural
legal value and does not take the place of pagan rites connected with it then it
a civil registration, but it does have rec would be making a compromise with this
ognition among Gods people. It testifies world, a denial of faith, and might call
before the New World society that the for a disfellowshiping.
newly united couple acknowledge that
11A dowry or bride-price marriage be
their marriage is in force and binding, fore one becomes a Christian does not
and that they will register it with the need to be supplemented by an expensive
Civil Law as soon as it is convenient. This remarriage. Coming into the truth and
Declaration of Marriage is then filed dedicating oneself to God does not make a
with the records of the congregation and previous bride-price marriage null and
the Watch Tower Societys office, and the void nor does it declare or make such per
newlyweds can enter into marriage rela sons who were married tribal-style and
tions until they get registered civilly. who are continuing in such marriage for
Thus the Society has a record of the mar nicators. To help in relieving persons of
riage during the time that the civil gov great matrimonial expenses the records
ernment may not have it, and by its serv that the New World society requires are
ants the Society can check, after an allow
drawn up and kept free of charge. If a
ance of time, to see whether the proper
(a) What is it proper for those married by tribal
civil registration has been made and the 10.
custom to do? (b) What kind of marriages are recom
for tribespeople belonging to the New World
married couple have complied with the mended
society, and why?
11, 12. (a) Why does a bride-price marriage not need
law.
9. When the law requires registration at a distant city
not convenient to the newlyweds what can be done
about it?

to be repeated upon ones coming into the truth?

(b) What assistance may congregations give toward
civil registrations? (c) What do reason and theocratic
rule indicate as to showers, invitations, weddings, re
ceptions?

Septem ber

15, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

congregation wants to pay or help pay for

civil registration of the marriage of any
of its members, this is a very practical
thing to do by those who willingly want
to help bear this expense. It is not obliga
tory upon any members of a congregation
to give a shower, that is, to get together
and bestow a mass of presents upon a
prospective bride for her use and enjoy
ment after marriage. A shower is a pri
vate matter and to share in it must be
left to each ones unpressured choice.
12 Showers and wedding announce
ments should be made privately, and not
from the platform of the Kingdom Hall
or by other notices in the Kingdom Hall.
As for sending out formal printed invita
tions to ones wedding and the reception
afterward, reasonableness should be ex
ercised. Some who are not intimate ac
quaintances or are merely speaking ac
quaintances or who live at distances mak
ing it impractical for them to accept and
act on a wedding invitation resent having
a wedding invitation thrust upon them be
cause of the feeling of obligation under
which it puts them. Wedding ceremonies
may be held at the Kingdom Hall at any
time that these will not interfere with
meetings or other service arrangements.
Receptions following weddings should not
be held at the Kingdom Hall, converting
it into a place of entertainment.
13The wearing of rich clothes is not
necessary for a civil marriage. The main
thing is to be dressed neatly, becomingly,
and, as a Christian, to be spiritually wellclothed with love, humility, obedience and
faithfulness. A wedding ring may not be
customary or may be beyond ones means.
The marriage estate is not everywhere
symbolized by a wedding ring. It is no es
sential part of a marriage ceremony. Fail
ure to give a wedding ring is not to ones
13. How should one be dressed for a wedding, and why
is the lack of a ring no discredit?

571

discredit. Even where the wedding ring is

recognized as marking a married woman
and serves notice upon anyone with pas
sionate desires, some may conscientiously
object to featuring a ring in the ceremony,
having in mind the pagan origin of the
customary wedding ring in Christendom.
In some places the marriage estate of a
woman is indicated by the style of dress
that she wears or the new piece that she
adds to her garments. Locally this is just
as effective as a finger ring, in fact more
noticeable. A wedding ring amounts to
nothing if there is no real tie or if the
marriage tie is not respected. A passion
ate woman will not let a ring keep her
from committing adultery. The use of a
ring in a marriage ceremony should there
fore be left to each ones decision accord
ing to conscience and local custom.
14
For a Christian Gods Word rules out
polygamy, regardless of how a national
or tribal government may rule on it. A
Christian man may not be polygynous;
a Christian woman may not be polyandrous. If a polygamist wants to come into
the New World society, dedicating him
self to God through Christ, he may keep
only one of the wives that he may have
gained by dowry or bride price or lobola.
He will have to dismiss the others and
send them back home, the way the priest
Ezra and the Jewish governor Nehemiah
had the Israelites do that had violated
Gods law against marrying with pagans.
(Ezra 10:1-44; Neh. 13:23-31) If a wom
an accepting the Kingdom truth is mar
ried to a polygamist where this is legal
or customary, what should she do? She
should explain to him the step that she
has decided to take and the obligations
before God that this will lay upon her as
a Christian and a witness of his. Then
14. (a) Upon coming into the truth what must a po
lygamist do? (b) And upon accepting the truth what
should a woman do that is married to a polygamist
where this is legal or customary?

572

Brooklyn, N. Y.
SikWATCHTOWER.
she must take the consequences of her cause he wants to keep a woman inferior,
stand. Let the polygamist return her to dependent upon him. If she wants his sup
her parents or guardians and reclaim the port in a home that he provides, she must
dowry that he gave for her, and thus free stick faithful in morals to him. But where
her. Gods law pronounces her relations as he wants her to stick to him he may
with the polygamist fornication, not a not want to keep her always. If he is not
marriage. Continuing in this relationship legally bound to her by marriage, he can
debars her from being baptized, although at any time that he chooses feel free to
she may attend meetings and talk the leave his consensual partner and the chil
dren and take up such a life with another
truths of Gods Word to others.
woman. So the women desire a legal mar
CONSENSUAL AND COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE
riage for the protection of themselves and
15
This leads to the subject of common-their children, but the man may selfishly
law marriage. Such is a marriage accord refuse to legalize their union.
ing to common law (not civil or canon
16A postwar reason for many to live
law), a marriage without a legal civil together without marriage is that the
ceremony or religious ceremony, but woman is receiving an allowance from the
where the man and the woman privately government as a war widow or otherwise
decide to live together as man and wife, and she would lose this if she remarried.
so making it a consensual marriage also. So she and the man agree to live together
There is no dowry or bride price given in without marriage to keep the government
such a case. Often in lands where the allowance coming to her, and the illegiti
canon law of a church governs and con mate children of this union are taught to
sensual marriage is not legally recognized keep up this pretense by calling the man
the two in such a consensual arrangement uncle, not father.
would like to marry legally but the mar
17 Oftentimes a consensual marriage is
riage fees demanded by the clergy who started by the girls letting the man have
hold it a sacrament are not within the intercourse with her on his mere promise
means of the couple; they are too poor. to marry her. Then after he starts having
The necessary legal steps, such as pre relations with her he takes up living with
senting a birth certificate that may not her and never takes the legal steps. But
exist, are hard steps to take. Or it may a promise to marry is no Scriptural
be that the national government under ground for beginning intercourse. Even
no circumstances allows legal divorce, or engaged persons are Scripturally forbid
the getting of a divorce from a mate even den to indulge in intercourse during their
on Scriptural grounds is such an expensive betrothal period. Trial marriages that are
and long-drawn-out matter. So the undi not legalized but merely make a test of
vorced person who wants to remarry pri whether the couple can get along together
vately enters into relations with another are not right, for Gods law pronounces
person of the opposite sex to live as man them outright fornication, immorality.
and wife. This is a case of their living to Some states do recognize common-law
gether without marriage. But very often marriage so that it is a real binding mar
a man undertakes consensual marriage be- riage with legal obligations; but many
15, 16. (a) What is common-law marriage and what is
consensual marriage? (b) What circumstances and
mental attitudes account for many living in such an
arrangement?

17. (a) How does common-law marriage often begin,

and why is this wrong? (b) What is one result of
common-law marriages, and how are these legalized in
some lands?

S e p t e m b e r 15, 1956

^EeW ATCHTOWER.

573

states and countries (even Catholic lands)

that do not recognize it do nothing about
consensual marriage. As a result it is very
prevalent in most lands, and in most places
the neighborhood accepts it as a regular
thing. Thus many illegitimate children
are bom; in one country we know of up
to fifty-five percent of the children, in
another up to eighty percent. In some
lands a consensual-marriage couple are
entitled to a legal civil or religious mar
riage after they have lived together for
a minimum number of years or after a
child has been born. The court may then
rule it a legal marriage automatically.
The de facto marriage may be regis
tered with the government on the appli
cation of one or both consensual partners.
18The New World society does not rec
ognize consensual marriage and commonlaw marriage as complete. That does not
mean we dare not preach the truth to per
sons living in such a marriage. At Jacobs
fountain in the Samaritan city of Sychar
Jesus himself talked privately to a Sa
maritan woman who had had five hus
bands and whose man then having rela
tions with her was not her husband. To
this woman Jesus preached salvation and
even confessed that he was the promised
Messiah or Christ. (John 4:4-30) If the
truth could not be preached to the immor
al, how could Paul mention fornicators,
adulterers and sodomites as unfit for Gods
kingdom and then say to faithful Chris
tians: Yet that is what some of you
were ? 1 Cor. 6:9-11,
19 No one coming into the New World
society is permitted to enter into a con
sensual marriage or a common-law mar
riage thereafter. As for those who are
already in it when the Kingdom message
reaches them, they must legalize their

marriage with an appropriate legal cere

mony before they may be baptized in wa
ter in symbol of their having dedicated
themselves to God. So they must expressly
recognize the legal obligations of marriage
as well as put themselves within the pro
tection and other benefits of the law by
having the marriage registered and legal
ly recognized. They must have the birth
of their children certified legally and
must acknowledge their being the parents
of them. Then, too, the New World so
ciety makes and keeps record of this le
gal marriage. As it is written: In what
ever condition each one was called, broth
ers, let him remain in it associated with
God. (1 Cor. 7:24,
He cannot be
associated with God in it if the condition
is unclean.
20
Suppose a consensual wife accepts the
truth and she wants to have the marriage
legalized and registered but the man for
selfish reasons absolutely refuses to be
talked into it by the woman. The New
World society will recognize the marriage
as de facto provided the helpless wom
an promises and signs a written statement
that she will be faithful to this consensual
partner as to a husband and will get the
marriage legalized as soon as she can get
the man to legalize it. Hence she herself
may not thereafter cancel this de facto
marriage by herself separating from the
man. This temporary recognition of her
de facto marriage gains for the woman
no legal benefits but it does result in spir
itual benefits to her. Her dedication to
God may now be looked upon as accepted
by Him and she may be baptized in water
and treated as a member of the congrega
tion and entitled to privileges of preaching
the Kingdom message. As the apostle Pe
ter advises wives, she will try to bring the

18. What scriptures show that we are to witness to

those living in common-law marriage?
19. What does the New World society require of its
members as regards common-law marriage and con
sensual marriage ?

20. (a) Under what conditions can a consensual mar

riage be recognized, and under what obligations does
this place the woman? (b) In what circumstances must
a woman refuse to have anything to do with her one
time consensual husband?

574

f&eWATCHTOWER

man into the truth and thus bring him

to an eagerness to legalize their de facto
marriage and register it. The registration
of a marriage is an obligation that a cou
ple owe to the community in which they
live, declaring their relationship as man
and wife by law before all the community
and before the government under which
they live. A man who loves his wife will
legalize and register his marriage to her
proudly. If a consensual husband will not
legalize the marriage and if the woman is
not dependent and if she does not choose
to declare herself before Gods congrega
tion as his bound wife, she must tell the
man to stay away and have nothing fur
ther to do with him. She must live single
till she can enter legal marriage. In lands
or states where the law recognizes com
mon-law marriage, this marriage may be
dissolved only by legal steps taken by one
or both of the marriage mates.
21
In many Catholic-controlled lands
man will carry on two or more consensual
marriages at the same time. Here a case
presents itself of where two of his women
take up the message of Gods kingdom,
21, 22. (a) What must a man do if the truth finds him
in consensual marriage with two wives? (b) If one or
both women accept the truth what is their responsi
bility?

A D D E D

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

the man also accepting the message or

not doing so. How can the dedication of
any one or all of them be viewed as ac
ceptable to God and how can a baptism in
water be performed in symbol thereof? If
the man takes the truth, he must decide
which of the two or more women he wants
as his wife and get legally married to her
and have no further relations with any
of the others. If he does not come into the
truth, it is then up to the two women.
Both cannot continue relations with the
same man in support of fornication. One
must arrange with the man to be his one
woman and get him to legalize their mar
riage or she must declare herself before
the congregation as bound to him as his
chosen woman until legalization is possi
ble. The other woman must recognize this
arrangement and have no further rela
tions with the man. Otherwise, both wom
en must have nothing further to do with
athe man, especially if he is still carrying
on other consensual arrangements with
other women. They cannot be rendering
wifely privileges to a polygynous man.
22 More on this discussion of marriage
problems and of the Scriptural view of
singleness will appear in the next succeed
ing issue of The Watchtower.

A T T R A C T I O N

C. Restaurants are noted for using atmosphere to attract customers. Not long ago
the Broadway Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas, decided to improve on its
usual after-services refreshment attraction by also adding atmosphere. An old
fashioned Sunday service was called for and parishioners came attired in oldfashioned clothing. Other atmosphere features included oil lamps, lantern light
ing, music by pump organ and segregation of the men and women in the church
pews. This is being done, explained the pastor, not to provide entertainment,
but in an effort to recapture the atmosphere and spirit o f our forefathers. In
view of the dearth of spiritual knowledge in the world, it seems that Christendoms
churches need Bible truths more than they do atmosphere, for the scene of
this world is changing permanently at Armageddon. 1 Cor. 7:31, 2VW.

 Matthew 20:29 and Mark 10:46 speak of Je

sus healing the blind beggar Bartimaeus as
Jesus was leaving Jericho, but Luke 18:35 re
ports the event as Jesus was entering Jericho.
How can this contradiction be explained?
B. F., Canada.
The book A rch a eolog y and B ible H istory, by
Joseph P. Free, makes an interesting sugges
tion on this matter on page 295: Just before
the Lord met Zacchaeus at Jericho, he healed
the blind in the same vicinity. In Matthew it
says that this healing took place as Christ left
Jericho, whereas in Luke the indication is that
it took place on the way into Jericho. Some
have suggested that these were two different
events, and that is a possibility. Archaeology,
however, has thrown additional light on this
apparent discrepancy. Early in the twentieth
century A.D. excavations were made at Jeri
cho by Ernest Sellin of the German Oriental
Society (1907-1909). The excavations showed
that the Jericho of Jesus* time was a double

N sss

C /V e

city. The old Jewish city was about a mile

away from the Roman city. In the light of
this evidence, it is possible that Matthew is
speaking of the Jewish city which Christ had
left, whereas Luke is speaking of the Roman,
at which Christ had not yet arrived. Thus, on
his way from the old to the new city, Christ
met and healed the blind Bartimaeus. There
fore, if these three passages in Matthew, Mark,
and Luke refer to the same event, there is not
any contradiction; and if they refer to differ
ent healings, there of course would be no con
tradiction.
This well illustrates the folly of arguing
that the Bible contradicts itself, as some do.
A complete knowledge of the facts of the times
in which the events occurred clears up what
seems to be a contradiction when viewed cen
turies later and without the complete back
ground knowledge. Also, these apparent con
tradictions prove that there was no collusion
among the different writers of the Bible or the
copyists of the manuscripts. Such obvious con
tradictions, apparently, as the above one
would certainly never occur. The fact that
such seeming contradictions are in the Bible
proves there is no collusion among its writers,
and when the full facts are brought to light
even the seeming contradiction itself disap
pears.

tenable

C. Arnold J. Toynbee, one of the foremost living historians, cannot be credited

with faith in the Bible as Gods inspired Word. He holds that Christians should
recognize all higher religions as revelations of what is good and right, and not
claim exclusiveness. It is therefore of interest to note how Toynbee, on the basis
of the Bible, points up the weakness of Zionisms claim to Palestine. Toynbee
accuses Zionists of an importunity which verged upon impiety in their attempt
to take out of Gods hands the fulfillment of Gods promise to restore Israel to
Palestine on Gods own initiative. He points out that Israel was given no in
alienable right to Palestine but that her possession of that land depended solely
upon Gods favor and Israels obedience to Gods commandments and that Zion
ism ignores these conditions. In thus leaving Gods will and Israels conduct out
of his reckoning, the Zionist parted with the spiritual ground which was the only
sure basis for the Jews title to the soil of the holy land, according to him.
Toynbee goes so fa r as to say that the surest way for Israel to lose title to the
holy land is for Zionism to stray into the delusion that a conditional grant from
Alm ighty God was an inalienable birthright. (A Study o f H istory, Vol. V III,
page 601) N o question about it, the great Giver of every good gift and every per
fect present sets his conditions: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the
good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword.
Isa. 1:19, 20, AS.
575

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

October 14: Theocratic Marriage in an Alien
World. Page 560.
October 21: Marriage Ceremony and Require
ments. Page 567.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

Whether the Christian minister will per
form a marriage between a Christian and an
unbeliever? P. 562, H9.
^
When a Christian may pay for a bride?
P. 564, Hl4.
^
What a wedding was like among the an
cient Israelites? P. 567, Hi.
^
Whether a Christian may have a civil rather
than a religious marriage? P. 569, 116.
I* What a polygamist who becomes a Chris
tian must do about his several wives? P. 5 71,
Hi4.
What explains the apparent contradiction
between Matthew and Mark about where Je
sus healed the blind beggar? P.. 5 75, fl2 .

I* Why many professed Christians are al

ways learning, yet never really come to a
knowledge of the truth? P. 547, H4.
Why men are in such bondage today?
P. 549, U3.
^
Where real freedom can be found? P. 55t,

ill.
What change the Bible can make in your
life? P. 551, 116.
1^ How the problems of envy or jealousy can
be conquered? P. 553, Hi.
I* How to overcome one s envy of more
gifted brothers? P. 555, Hi.
^
What impressed a former Catholic on his
first visit to a Kingdom Hall? P. 558, #3.

576

^ n n o ttru rin g

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

OCTOBER 1, 1956
Semimonthly

M ARRIAGE O BLIGATIONS
A N D DIVORCE

HOW WILL GOD'S KIN G D O M COME?

FLAGS AND RELIGION

W TB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES

SAYS J EHOVAH. I

34
S
3:12

T H E PU RPO SE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal tow ers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from w hich
w atchm en could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
new s. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, fo r it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom , G ods W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G od s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 -3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h en it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But w ith bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new w orld.
Thus viewed, T he W a tch tow er' stands as a watchm an atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by C hrists
enthronem ent in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs w ith spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill w ith glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, com forts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for you rself how
w ell the tw o m atch, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and view s religious new s generally.
Be w atchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atch tow er .

%
PUBLISHED BY THE
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H . K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue: 2,800,000

CONTENTS
Flags and Religion
How W ill Gods Kingdom Com e?
The Rafter in Her Own E ye
Marriage Obligations and Divorce
H e That Marries N ot Does Better
Not So Safe to Be a Christian
W riting the Human Recommendation
Letter with Gods Spirit
Questions from Readers
Professional Ear Ticklers
Announcements
Check Your Memory

PUBLISHED

579
581
584
585
598
605
606
607
607
608
608

AUreviatlM* a s * la The Watchtower far tfca following tibia versions

AS - American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
A T - An American Translation
Mo - James Moffatt's version
Da - J. N. Darbys version
NW - New World Translation
Dy Catholic Douay version
Ro - J. B. Rotherham's version
KD - The Emphatic Diaglott
RS - Revised Standard Version
Le - Isaac Leesers version
Yg - Robert Young's version

Unless otherwise Indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version

IN

THE

S e mi mo n t h l y
Afrikaans
French
Arabic
German
iebu-Visayan Greek
Cinyanja
Hollandish
Danish
llocano
English
Indonesian
Finnish
Italian

Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Five cents a copy

FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

M onthly
Armenian
Burmese
Chinese
Clbemba
Cishona
HiligaynooVisayan
I bo
Kanarese

Korean
Malayalam
Pangaslnan
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese
Sllozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

Watch Tower Society offices
for semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Aistralia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 1 0, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0 . Wellington, C. 1
7 /Soeth Afriea, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions eost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

'T ^ T r n O Z l T l c i T Z G

J E H O V A H S
KIN G D O M
October 1, 1956

N u m b e r 19

and Religion
ATRIOTIC fer
vor often caus
es persons to manifest
an ardor and zeal that
resembles r e li g i o u s
devotion. This influences them not only to
give to Caesar the things that are Caesars
but at times even to give Caesar that which
belongs exclusively to God. Such persons
might be said to confuse religion with poli
tics. A common example of such patriotic
fervor is the devotion that many tender to
the flag of their nation.
Note, for example, what the Encyclope
dia Americana, Vol. 11, page 316, has to
say about human attitude toward such
flags: The flag, like the cross, is sacred.
Many people employ the words or term
Etiquette of the Flag. This expression is
too weak, too superficial and smacks of
drawing-room politeness. The rules and
regulations

relative

to

human

attitude

accepted method. The

u n c o v e r in g o f th e
head is also recog
n iz e d as a s a lu te .
Placing hat above the
heart or hand on left breast is also es
teemed reverential.
That such devotion to the flag should be
customary is not at all surprising in view
of the fact that early flags were almost
purely of religious character, according
to The Encyclopaedia Britannica. That au
thority and others show the development
of flags. In the hope of assuring victory
pagan soldiers at first carried their idols
and carved images with them into battle.
Then they made miniatures of their carved
idols, which they placed on the end of
staffs. Later they painted representations
of their idols on cloth and fastened these
to the staffs. Thus is seen the evolution
from carved idols to modern flags.
It was because of this fact, no doubt,
that the Jews of the time of Christ had
such an antipathy to national emblems. To
them such emblems were a violation of
Gods command: You must not make for
yourself a carved image or a form like any
thing that is in the heavens above or that
is on the earth underneath or that is in the
waters under the earth. You must not
bow down to them nor be induced to serve

toward national standards use strong, ex

pressive words, as, Service to the Flag,
Respect for the Flag, Reverence for the
Flag, Devotion to the Flag.
And as regards saluting the flag, this
authority, among other things, has the fol
lowing to say: In the United States the
salute with the right hand, while the per
son stands at attention, is the common and
579

580

SfieWATCHTOWER

them, because I Jehovah your God am a

God exacting exclusive devotion. Ex.
2 0 :4 , 5,
NW.
Thus history tells of the time Pilate
transferred the headquarters of his army
from Caesarea to Jerusalem. O f course,
the soldiers took along their standards that
bore the image of the emperor. Knowing
the Jewish temper, they cautiously brought
these standards into the city at night, hop
ing to avoid an uproar. But when the Jews
discovered these standards in their holy
city of Jerusalem they stormed down to
Pilate at Caesarea in large crowds, de
manding that these standards be removed.
On the fifth day of the discussions Pilate
had the Jews suddenly surrounded by Ro
man soldiers threatening them with death
if they did not break off their entreaties.
However, the Jews vowed they would rath
er die than allow the desecration of their
sacred city by such idolatrous emblems.
Pilate found it expedient to yield.
Early Christians were likewise extreme
ly careful to avoid even the suspicion of
compromise with the state or secular rule
as regards their devotion. Regarding the
Christians of the first three centuries
Neander, foremost authority on that pe
riod, states: While they showed the most
conscientious obedience to the government
in everything which was not against the
law of God, thus willing to give to Caesar
the things belonging to Caesar, they re
fused to pay any of those species of ven
eration to the emperors that were in
vogue then, such as offering incense to the
busts of the emperors.
To what extent modern patriotism can
become religious ardor and the things be
longing to God be given to Caesar can be
seen from the following report that ap
peared in the Diario de Justiga, Febru
ary 16, 1956, page 1906, Federal Capital,
Brazil:

B r o o k l y n , N . Y.
F lag D a y

In a public ceremony presided over by

the vice president of the [Military Su
preme] Court, on the 19th of November,
honors were shown to the Brazilian flag.
Exactly at 12 oclock, the national emblem
was hoisted on the principal mast of the
Supreme Court building.
A fter the flag was hoisted, Minister
General of the A rm y Tristao de Alencar
Araripe expressed himself concerning the
commemoration in this manner:
In expressive symbolism human in
genuity has decreed that, under the pro
tection of the flags, millions of beings live,
with the eyes of their spirit and heart
turned heavenward, full of confidence,
faith and hope.
It should be said that they, the flags,
form a great canopy suspended above the
vastness of our fatherland under whose
protective shadow the people live happily,
make progress and consciously affirm the
sovereign right and safety of a respected
place in the friendly relationship with oth
er peoples.
In this beneficent role the flags have
become a divinity of patriotic religion
which imposes worship, commandments
and services and dispenses favors and bene
fits. The flag is venerated and worshiped,
every moment of ones life, with profound,
pure and almost inborn sentiments of love,
gratitude and respect, and with the visible
manifestations of a ritual which, far from
being mere convention, has infused itself
into our habits of life, as normal and spon
taneous obligations, in its highly affective
aspect.
The flag is worshiped, just as the
Fatherland is worshiped, not with the
mere rationalism of a devotion calmly ac
cepted and exercised, but in the paroxysm
of a passion which leads us to an unre
strained and unconditional veneration for
all the good, the grand and the useful that

October 1, 1956

581

STieWATCHTOWER.

the Fatherland expresses. The flag is ven

erated, just as the Fatherland is venerated,
giving to it all of oneself and placing above
ones own self even the sacrifice of ones
life, in order that they m ay be magnified
and glorified.
Worship, veneration, sacrifice, mark
well the divine essence of this symbol and
of the sentiments which unite men through
love for themselves and through dedication
to the common good. It is fitting that on
this day, consecrated to the unforgettable
divinity the national flag emphasis be
given to this worship and this veneration
which is not just homage, but is, above all,
prayer, supplication and reaffirmation of
obligations assumed. Prayer that from its
Power there m ay radiate exhalations to
stabilize the unity of all Brazilians for the
greatness of Brazil and the greater happi
ness of its people.
I pray that the Flag m ay always be
the lofty and worthy Flag of a Brazil re
spected and happy.

Reaffirmation of obligations assumed,

both publicly and within our very inmost
being, to comply each one with his role
as Brazilian, so that by means of the effort
of each one there m ay hover above the
skies of Brazil the immense canopy that
guarantees our blessedness as a nation and
as free and happy men.
Be eternal, Flag of Brazil.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, empha
sized that while giving Caesars things to
Caesar we must also give Gods things to
God. And what are Gods things? Exclu
sive devotion, namely, You must love
Jehovah your God with your whole heart
and with your whole soul and with your
whole mind and with your whole strength.
(Mark 1 2:3 0 , N W ) W ould not, therefore,
ones veneration and worship of the flag,
every moment of ones life, and that in
the paroxysm of passion that is unre
strained and unconditional be a giving to
Caesar the things that belong exclusively
to God? Think it over.

ipui'P
Jesus taught us to pray
for the coming of God's
kingdom. What is that
kingdom? Who are its
rulers and its subjects?
How will it come?
T Evanston, Illinois, in the summer
of 1954 the W orld Council of
Churches met. Commenting on the two
opposing views presented at that religious
gathering, the bishop of London said:
There were the Germans with their ideal
ism who thought the kingdom of God has
nothing to do with this world, whereas the

Americans, like
C h a r lie T a ft,
thought that if you
had the requisite num
ber of gadgets and the right kind of plumb
ing you could have the Kingdom of God
tomorrow . Christian Science Monitor,
July 9, 1955.

582

ffkWATCHTOWER.

According to a Roman Catholic author

ity,1 In the mouth of Christ the kingdom
means not so much a government to be at
tained or a place as it does a tone of
mind. One leading Protestant authority
states that the kingdom of God has no
political designs, and that its prime ele
ment is mind, pius, devoted to God and
pleasing God. Christs kingdom is com
posed of all who are true to him in faith
and life. 2 And according to another,
Christs kingdom is primarily a religious
conception, not political or economic,
though it will have political and economic
consequences. It is that condition in human
life in which the will of God as revealed in
Jesus Christ is in control. 3
W h at is the kingdom of God? Christ
ruling in the hearts of m en? And how does
it come? B y all Christians going to heav
en? Or by the advance of m odem civiliza
tion? Or by the conversion of the world?
THE THEME OF THE BIBLE

The Kingdom is the theme of the Scrip

tures from Genesis to Revelation. God re
ferred to it when he foretold the triumph
of righteousness by the Seed of the woman
bruising the head of the Serpent. And he
revealed still more about his kingdom
when he promised Abraham that all the
families of the earth would bless them
selves in his seed. Gen. 3 :1 5 ; 2 2 :1 7 , 18.
B y means of the kingdom of Israel God
foreshadowed Kingdom blessings, particu
larly by the peaceful and prosperous reign
of Solomon. Time and again in the Hebrew
Scriptures we read of Jehovahs reigning.
Miriam and her companions sang of it and
so did the psalmist. Daniel and other
prophets foretold the coming of the King
and Gods kingdom.
And the kingdom of God certainly was
the theme of Jesus preaching. He an1 Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 8, pages 646, 647.
2 McClintock & Strongs Cyclopaedia, Vol. 5, page 90.
3 Harpers Bible Dictionary, page 367.

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.

nounced, The kingdom of the heavens has

drawn near, and taught his followers to
pray, Let your kingdom come. He com
mands us to keep on, then, seeking first
the kingdom and his righteousness. Time
and time again he illustrated various as
pects of his kingdom, likening it to a
treasure, to a pearl of great price, to a
mustard seed, etc. And when he rode into
Jerusalem, mounted upon an ass, as was
the custom with the kings of ancient Is
rael, he let the people hail him : Blessed
is he that comes in Jehovahs name, even
the king of Israel! That was in fulfillment
of a prophecy uttered hundreds of years
before. Matt. 4 :1 7 ; 6 :1 0 , 33; John 1 2 :1 3 ,
N W ; Zech. 9 :9 .
A REAL GOVERNMENT

The Scriptures show the kingdom of God

to be a real government with a heavenly
king and associate rulers, a domain and
subjects. It is not merely a rule of Christ
in the hearts of men, a mere tone of the
mind. It is The Theocracy. Theocracy?
Yes, an exercise of might (
) by God

(Theos).
W hat has caused confusion is the ex
pression the kingdom of God is within
you, of Luke 1 7:2 1 , as found in some ver
sions, as well as an overlooking of the fact
that Jesus was here addressing the hypo
critical, greedy, faithless Pharisees. Cer
tainly the kingdom of God was not in those
men. Correctly translated this expression,
together with its context, reads: On be
ing asked by the Pharisees when the king
dom of God was coming he answered them
and said: The kingdom of God is not com
ing with striking observableness, neither
will people be saying, See here! or,
There! For, look! the kingdom of God is
in your midst. (Luke 1 7:2 0 , 21,
See also A V and AS margin; R S; E D ;
ETberfelder, German.) The Jewish Ency

clopedia in quoting this text also calls at-

O c t o b e r 1, 1956

583

SEeWATCHTOWER.

tention to the fact that according to the

Aramaic it should read among you.
Jesus could say that the kingdom of God
was in their midst because he, its king,
was present.
Jesus Christ proved himself worthy to
be the king of Gods kingdom by his faith
fulness to God and his unselfish service to
his fellow man. He humbled himself and
became obedient as far as death, yes, death
on a torture stake. For this very reason
also God exalted him to a superior posi
tion. B y his sacrificial death Jesus pur
chased the human race and therefore will
be able to bestow everlasting life on all
his obedient subjects. H is kingdom will
therefore be a paternalistic one. Fitting,
therefore, are the Scriptural designations
given him, such as Wonderful, Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. Phil. 2 :8 , 9, N W ; Isa. 9 :6 ,
Sharing his Kingdom rule will be his
bride, not a lone woman, but a body of
associates, a royal fam ily of 144,000 mem
bers. The apostle John had a vision of
them: And I saw, and look! the Lamb
standing upon the mount Zion, and with
him a hundred and forty-four thousand
having his name and the name of his Fa
ther written on their foreheads. . . . These
were purchased from among mankind as
a firstfruits to God. These are the foot
step followers of Christ who have been
specially called and chosen by God. Being
found faithful unto death, they will be
part of the kingdom that will bless all the
families of earth as the spiritual Seed of
Abraham. Rev. 1 4 :1 , 4; Gal. 3 :1 6 , 29,

NW .
That Jesus promised his followers rulership in a real or organized kingdom or
government the Scriptures clearly show:
Your Father has approved of giving you
the kingdom. To the one that conquers
I will grant to sit down with me in m y
throne, even as I conquered and sat down

with m y Father in his throne. And again,

I covenant with you for a kingdom, that
you m ay sit upon thrones. Yes, they will
rule as kings with him for the thousand
years. Luke 1 2 :3 2 ; Rev. 3 :2 1 ; Luke
2 2 :2 9 , 30; Rev. 2 0 :6 ,
HOW WILL IT COME?

Some have concluded that coming with

out observation means that Gods king
dom will come without the use of force.
But in view of the fact that Gods W ord
shows that the whole world is lying in the
power of the wicked one, and that friend
ship with the world is enmity with God,
it would be unreasonable to expect the
kingdom of God to come by the whole
worlds converting to Christ. Preaching
the good news of the Kingdom is not for
the purpose of converting the world but
merely for the purpose of a witness to
all the nations. 1 John 5 :1 9 ; Jas. 4 :4 ;
Matt. 2 4 :1 4 ,
NW.
The nations of earth are opposed to
Gods kingdom and therefore God com
mands his Son: A sk of me, and I will give
thee the nations for thine inheritance, and
the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession. Thou shalt break them with a
rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potters vessel. And so God com
mands: Be wise, O ye kings; be instruct
ed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah
with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss
the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in
the way. Ps. 2 :8 -1 2 , AS.
Note also the tenor of Daniels proph
ecy: In the days of those kings shall the
God of heaven set up a kingdom which
shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sov
ereignty thereof be left to another people;
but it shall gradually convert all na
tions? No, but it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms, and it
shall stand for ever. Dan. 2 :4 4 , AS.
And particularly does Revelation de-

584

fReWATCHTOWER

scribe how Gods kingdom will come. All

nations will be gathered to the war of
the great day of God the Alm ighty, to
the place that is called in Hebrew H a rMagedon. Jesus Christ and the heavenly
armies with him will carry on war in right
eousness. He will smite the nations with a
long sharp sword and will shepherd them
with a rod of iron. A fter destroying the
wicked nations of earth he will hurl his
invisible enemies, Satan and his demons,
into the abyss of deathlike inactivity to
remain there for a thousand years. Rev.
1 6:1 4 , 16; 1 9:1 1 -1 5 ; 2 0 :1 -3 ,
The physical facts show that we are
living in the days of the fulfillment of these
prophecies. God is therefore having the
good news of his kingdom preached world
wide so that all men of good will may seek
Jehovah, righteousness and mildness, and

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.

so be spared during the battle of Arm aged

don even as Noah and his family were
spared during the Deluge and came forth
from the ark upon a cleansed earth. These
will furnish the nucleus of the earthly do
main of Gods kingdom. During the 1,000year reign of Christ the earth will be made
a paradise, all those in the memorial tombs
will be resurrected and all obedient ones
of mankind will be gradually restored to
perfection. Zeph. 2 :2 , 3.
Then Satan and his demons will be
loosed for a final testing and all manifest
ing selfishness will be destroyed together
with Satan and his demons. Thus the king
dom of God will accomplish Gods purpose
by causing his will to be done on earth as
in heaven and will vindicate him as the
rightful Sovereign of the universe. Rev.
20:7-10.

The Rafter in Her Own Eye

C

In the New York Daily News, November 4,1955, the following dispatch appeared:
Brothels W arm , So Prices Go Up 4 Cents. Rome, Nov. 3, 1955. Under the law,
Italian hotels and apartment houses do not have to turn on central heating until
December 1. But brothels must turn on the heat November 1. Because of this years
unseasonably cold weather, this quirk in the law has made the 800 legalized houses
practically the only warm places in the country, and business has boomed. Today
the madames boosted their prices 10 per cent throughout the country and in the
northern provinces they slapped on a general admission charge of 25 lire (four
cents) to discourage those who drop in just to thaw out. The prices are regulated by
the government, and now range from $.33 tp $1.65.
C. In the United States and other Protestant lands such as Great Britain, the
Roman Catholic Church poses as the guardian of public morals and lashes out
against planned parenthood, indecent literature and vulgar movies. However, in
view of this situation in a country 99.7-percent Roman Catholic for more than a
millennium, the words of Jesus are appropriate: How can you say to your brother:
Allow me to extract the straw from your eye ; when, look! a rafter is in your own
eye? Hypocrite! first extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see
clearly how to extract the straw from your brothers eye. Matt. 7:4, 5, NW.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, nor standeth in
the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in
the law of Jehovah; and on his law doth he meditate day and night.
For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous; but the
way of the wicked shall perish. Ps. 1:1, 2, 6, AS.

That is why a man will leave

his father and his mother and
he must stick to his wife and
they must become one flesh."
Gen. 2:24, NW .

OR his followers Jesus Christ put mar with you. Let your fountain be blessed to
riage back where God had started it in you, and get your enjoyment from the wife
the garden of Eden. God gave the per of your youth. A lovely hind, a graceful
fect man Adam one wife, making him
doe let her breasts intoxicate you always,
monogamous. The Christian that is justi
with her love be continually ravished.
fied or declared righteous in Gods sight
W hy, m y son, should you be ravished with
may have no more than one living wife. In the wife of another, and embrace the
the congregation the overseers, who are bosom of an adulteress? (Prov. 5 :1 5 -20 ,
spiritually older m en, and the ministerial AT) Committing adultery makes the guilty
servants m ay be husbands of one wife one subject to disfellowshiping from the
only. They are the men to be followed as ex New World society.
amples of the flock, and so all other mar
3
God created the sexes particularly for
ried persons in the flock may have only the peopling of the earth by bringing forth
one living marriage mate. (1 Tim. 3 :1 , 2,
children. (Gen. 1 :2 7 , 28) In his law to
12,
N W ; Titus 1 :5 -7 ) Christians must stickIsrael God provided that a wife should
to their marriage mates in faithfulness, in have from her husband her sustenance,
love, so remaining in it associated with
her clothing and her marriage due, un
God.
diminished. This means she has the right

- This does not permit a man to commit

adultery or have sex relations with any
other woman. He should be satisfied with
and draw delight from sexual relations
with only his wife; as it is written: Drink
water from your own cistern, running wa
ter from your own well. W h y should your
springs be scattered abroad, your streams

to have children if she wants them. (Ex.

2 1:1 0 , 11, N W ) This was shown by Gods
law of brother-in-law marriage, whereby
the brother-in-law was obliged to marry
the widow in order to give her a child and
thus raise up the name of his dead brother
and not leave his brothers widow child
less. (Deut. 2 5 :5 -1 0 ) A man was also en

of water in the streets? Let them be for

titled to have children by his wife. That is

yourself alone, and not for strangers along

why, when the call to the arm y of Israel

1. What marriage rule must prevail among Christians,

as shown by what scriptures?
2. From whom only may a man draw sexual delight?

3. (a) What did Gods law provide that a wife should

receive from her husband? (b) How did that law safe
guard a mans marriage rights?
585

586

SffieWATCHTOWER.

came to him, if he was simply engaged to

marry a girl he could not be drafted till
after the engagement was over and he was
fully married. Even then he could not be
drafted until he had lived a year with her
as a married man and had the opportunity
to have a child by his wife and see and en
joy it. (Deut. 2 0 :1 -5 , 7 ; 2 4 :5 ) The wifes
claim on the man preceded that of the
army, for her sake and for the sake of the
fam ily name. He must give her the mar
riage due. She must give him his due.

4 A fter the great flood Jehovah God re

peated to Noah and his fam ily the mandate
to have children. But there is now no pro
creation mandate laid upon Christians.
Otherwise, no Christian should remain
single and childless. So no Christian obli
gation exists now before the battle of
Armageddon to have children. To keep as
free as possible for the direct service of
God in preaching the good news of his
kingdom, some Christian couples may
choose to remain childless, thereby avoid
ing parental obligations and keeping un
burdened. If there were now in force a pro
creation mandate from God, all married
members of the New W orld society would
choose to have children immediately, and
not delay it till after Armageddon, if possi
ble. Although under the original procrea
tion mandate from God Adam and Eve did
not have any children in the garden of
Eden for what time they were there. It
was not for their failing to conceive chil
dren at once that they were driven out.
N o married couple should be criticized for
refusing or failing to have children now
before Armageddon.
5 This is not saying that married couples
should not give each other the sexual due.
This is not saying that, before getting mar
ried, they should make an agreement and
4. What may Christian couples choose to do and that
without censure?
5. What misconceptions have caused celibate marriages,
and why have these never fared well?

Brooklyn, N . Y .

enter a common vow before God to live a

celibate life even after marriage, having
no sexual relations but merely enjoying
each others companionship. N o one should
think that this is raising marriage to a
spiritual level and keeping it on an exalted,
unfleshly plane, and so belittling the m ar
riage of others who have sexual relations.
If a married couple does not want to pay
marriage dues, then the man and woman
should not marry at all and not subject the
mate to deprivation of what is natural and
craved naturally. B y celibacy they are not
putting their marriage on a level higher
and holier than that of others. They cannot
change Gods honorable sexual arrange
ment. Celibate marriages have therefore
never fared well.
6 The others are not degrading their
married life by intercourse, but are fol
lowing an honorable, rightful course. There
is no proper marriage for so-called Pla
tonic friendship just because the end of
the world is so near. If an engaged couple
think natural connections are carnal, then
why wed at all? W h y have one of the
opposite sex so close to one all the time,
in the most intimate privacy? If it is not
good or spiritually upbuilding to touch a
woman, why live so intimate with her even
in celibate marriage? Be natural, be nor
mal, do not be falsely idealistic. Do not be
like some Irish Catholic girls who are in
the news, who get married but refuse to
give their husband his due because they
want to imitate Jesus mother M ary and
remain ever virgin. The apostle Peter
instructed them never to handle their m ar
ried life that way, but to recognize their
husband as their lord. (1 Pet. 3 :5 , 6)
The apostle Paul, who at least once set the
apostle Peter straight, wrote:
7 Now

concerning

the

things

about

which you wrote, it is well for a man not

6, 7. Celibate marriages involve what inconsistencies,
and what advice does Paul give in this regard?

October 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

to have intercourse with a woman; yet,

because of prevalence of fornication, let
each man have his own wife and each
woman have her own husband. Let the
husband render to his wife her due; but
let the wife also do likewise to her hus
band. The wife does not exercise author
ity over her own body, but her husband
does; likewise, also, the husband does not
exercise authority over his own body, but
his wife does. Do not be depriving each
other of it, except by mutual consent for
an appointed time, that you may devote
time to prayer and m ay come together
again, that Satan m ay not keep tempting
you for your lack of self-regulation. How
ever, I say this by way of concession, not
in the way of an order. 1 Cor. 7 :1 -7 ,

587

to be his wife. H is married followers

must also love their wives. Husbands,
continue loving your wives, just as the
Christ also loved the congregation and de
livered up himself for it, . . . let each one
of you individually so love his wife as he
does himself; on the other hand, the wife
should have deep respect for her husband.
(Eph. 5 :2 5 , 33, 2VW) To some former
pagans the command to love ones wife
may sound strange, but a Christian is un
der orders to do so. He should love her by
deeds as well as words, being concerned
how he m ay gain the approval of his
wife as far as he conscientiously can.
(1 Cor. 7 :3 3 ,
N W ) He should sit with h
in congregational meetings, he should
study the Bible at home together with her
and build up a oneness of spiritual inter
ests with her. This m ay be difficult at first
or unusual.

8 The everlasting life of a married per

son depends upon his faithfulness to his
marriage contract. Jehovah, accompanied
10
But as a husband begins showing love
by his Messenger of the covenant, is now
at his spiritual Christian temple and warns in little ways of expressing it and notes
that he has come near to judgment and will the pleasure of his wife over it he will find
be a swift witness against adulterers. (Mai. that he likes it. He will want to do it some
more
3 :1 , 2, 5,
Da)The apostle Peter says
thatand to enlarge it. It will become nor
a Christian husband should treat his wife mal, natural for him to do so. He will grow
understandingly and as a fellow runner in in appreciation that this is a showing of
the race for everlasting life in the new the spirit of God, the fruitage of which is
world. His words are: You husbands, con love. In turn, let no wife reproach her hus
band, saying: You dont love me. You
tinue dwelling in like manner with them
according to knowledge, assigning them never show it. Let her notice his little,
honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine embarrassed ways of showing love for her
one, since you are also heirs with them of and then let her reveal sincere pleasure at
the undeserved favor of life, in order for this and also voice appreciation of this, to
your prayers not to be hindered. (1 Pet.
enhance his happiness. The common pos
3 :7 , N W ) A Christian will therefore not session of the truth and the likeness of
abuse his wife either physically or spiritu their dedications to God and their hope of
ally. If he does not help his wife and chil gaining life together everlastingly in the
dren to gain life in the new world, how
new world ought to provoke a sympathy
could he be expected to help outsiders to
and love between them. This will help so
do so?
much amid the difficulties of married life
9 Jesus Christ loves his bride, who is
today.
8. (a) Why is faithfulness in marriage important?
(b) What counsel does Peter give husbands?
9. How should husbands love their wives, and what are
some of the ways in which they can show this?

10. How can husbands and wives enhance each others

happiness, and what common possession ought to pro
voke love between them?

588

SEeWATCHTOWER.

B ro o klyn , N. Y.

11 Let the wife show deep respect for her grab hold of whatever legal grounds they
husband, acknowledging him as her mar can to break the marriage tie, such as
ried head. (1 Cor. 1 1 :3 ) Let wives be mental cruelty, laziness, refusal of conju
in subjection to their husbands as to the gal rights, drunkenness, insanity, incur
Lord, because a husband is head of his able disease, desertion or abandonment,
wife as the Christ also is head of the con barrenness, sodomy, bestiality, criminality,
incompatibility, change of ones religion,
gregation, he being a savior of this body.
In fact, as the congregation is in subjec and so on, besides adultery. But are all
tion to the Christ, so let wives also be to these legal grounds Scripturally right,
valid for the Christian? Jesus Christ is
their husbands in everything. (Eph. 5 :2 1 24,
N W ; also Titus 2 :3 -5 ) Besides thisJehovahs Counselor for us. The Jewish
example of the Christian congregation Pharisees once tested him with this ques
toward Jesus Christ, the Christian wife tion: Is it lawful for a man to divorce
has the still loftier example of the subjec his wife on every kind of grounds? Jesus
tion and obedience of the universal organ did not answer those questioners by refer
ring to the Roman Caesars laws concern
ization of God toward the Lord Jehovah.
inga wife
divorce. He referred to the superior
(Isa. 5 4 :5 ,
AS) It is interesting for
to note the recommendations of March 20, law of the Most High God and showed
1956, of Great Britains third Royal Com there is but one ground for divorce adul
mission on Marriage and Divorce. Among tery or moral unfaithfulness.
the factors that it listed as contributing
13
In reply he said: Did you not read
to the rising divorce rate in Britain was that he who created them at the beginning
the new position of women as equals made them male and female and said:
rather than inferiors in marriage partner
For this reason a man will leave his
ships. It is only reasonable to expect that father and his mother and will stick to his
the ignoring of Gods all-wise arrangement wife, and the two will be one flesh ? So
for human marriage would lead to trouble that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
and the wrecking of more and more mar Therefore, what God has yoked together
riages. The purpose of all the advice of let no man put apart. They said to him :
Gods W ord to married couples is, not only W hy, then, did Moses prescribe giving a
to guide them in making their life together certificate of dismissal and divorcing her?
more enjoyable and helpful toward gaining He said to them : Moses, out of regard
eternal life, but also to keep them living for your hardheartedness, made the con
together, to help them avoid divorce. cession to you of divorcing your wives, but
New York Times, March 21, 1956.
such has not been the case from the be
DISSOLUTION GROUNDS:
LEGAL AND SCRIPTURAL

12 B y the laws of states and nations to

day divorce is granted on a number of
grounds. Persons who have lost or killed
their love for their marriage mate try to
11. (a) What does Gods Word require of wives, and
in what has failure to do so resulted? (b) What is the
purpose of all Scriptural advice to married couples?
12, 13. (a) Upon what various grounds do the laws of
man allow divorce? (b) But what did Jesus say was the
sole valid ground?

ginning. I say to you that whoever divorces

his wife except on the grounds of fornica
tion and marries another commits adul
tery. (Matt. 1 9 :3 -9 ,
W hen again
in the house the disciples began to ques
tion him concerning this. And he said to
them: Whoever divorces his wife and
marries another commits adultery against
her, and if ever a woman, after divorcing
her husband, marries another, she com
mits adultery. (Mark 10:10-12,

O c t o b e r 1, 1956

SikWATCHTOWEFL

Everyone that divorces his wife and mar

ries another commits adultery, and he that
marries a woman divorced from a husband
commits adultery. Luke 1 6:1 8 , N W .
14 Adultery is unloving and is a breaking
of Gods commandment. (Rom. 1 3 :8 -1 0 ;
Ex. 2 0 :1 4 ; Acts 2 1 :2 5 ) The adulterer is
already married and yoked together as one
flesh with his legal mate. But adultery is
a putting apart what God has yoked to
gether. The adulterer pulls away from his
legal mate and makes himself one flesh
with a third person. Three do not make
one flesh, but two do become one flesh. A
persons being one flesh must be with only
one other, not with two others or more.
Addressing himself to anointed Christians
who were members of Christs spiritual
body or congregation, the apostle Paul
wrote: Do you not know that your bodies
are members of Christ? Shall I, then, take
the members of the Christ away and make
them members of a harlot? Never may
that happen! W hat! Do you not know that
he who is joined to a harlot is one body?
For, The two, says he, will be one flesh.
But he who is joined to the Lord is one
spirit. Flee from fornication. Every other
sin which a man m ay commit is outside
his body, but he that practices fornication
is sinning against his own body. W hat! Do
you not know that the body of you people
is the temple of the holy spirit within you
which you have from G od? 1 Cor. 6 :1 5 19,
NW.
15 Many of those here addressed were
married persons. Having sexual connection
with their married mates was not taking
them away from membership in Christs
body, for ones wife is ones own flesh and
one is uniting with what is ones own. But
when married Christians commit adultery
or single Christians commit fornication,
even with a religious temple prostitute,
14, 15. Adultery results in what sin against one's own
body, and how does Gods Word regard an adulterer?

589

they do something of which God and

Christ do not approve. They are taking
their bodies that belong to Christ and be
coming one flesh with a sinner, a fornica
tor or a harlot. W hen committing adul
tery or fornicating, a Christian sins
against his own body. He is misusing it,
contrary to his owner Christ. The adulter
ous Christian also sins against his wife,
who is properly one flesh with him. He is
breaking his unity with her, thus hurting
himself, hating himself because he hates
his wife whose flesh he rejects. An anoint
ed Christian cannot take himself as a
member of Christs body and make himself
one flesh with an illegal person, a forni
cator or a fornicatrix, a harlot, for Jesus
has no connection or oneness with such an
unclean person. Unless the Christian re
pents and reforms from his immoral
course he shows he prefers union, not with
Christ, but with the immoral person, and
hence he ceases to be in union with Christ.
He is not one in spirit with Christ. He
ceases to be part of the virgin class that is
espoused to Christ. A confirmed adulterer
or fornicator is no Christian. He is no wit
ness of Jehovah. Jehovah God does not
make adulterers or fornicators his wit
nesses. 1 Cor. 5 :1 1 -1 3 .
16
Since this uniting sexually with an
illegal person makes a married person one
flesh with someone outside the marriage
union, it is only adultery that really breaks
the marriage union, snapping the yoke
with which God has made the married
couple one flesh. Therefore Jesus said that
only adultery is the ground that God al
lows for divorce. Unless adultery has bro
ken the yoke of marriage, a divorce would
not be proper or would not really take
effect before God. Divorce courts of this
world, when decreeing a divorce on
grounds other than adultery, are not actu16. What only breaks the marriage union, and. there
fore, what kind of divorce does not free one for re
marriage ?

590

SfieWATCHTOWER

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.

ally putting apart what God has bound to out legally. Under such circumstances any
gether. The divorced persons are still one one marrying a person only legally de
flesh with each other, still man and wife. clared a widower or widow is taking a risk
Thus neither one is free to remarry, for or chance and must be willing to face any
to remarry would mean to commit adul turn of events.
tery. A man who divorces his wife on unIMPOTENCE, UNCLEANNESS, INSANITY,
adulterous grounds exposes her to adultery
CHANGE OF RELIGION
by a remarriage and also exposes himself
18 The Rabbinical law of the Jews laid
in a like way. A man who marries a wom
an not divorced for adultery by herself or emphasis on the duty of the marital act.
by her husband commits adultery with It allowed the wife to divorce her husband
her, uniting himself with flesh that still who, because of his physical disability, was
unable to give her this due for a period of
belongs to another man.
11
Death dissolves a marriage. A widowersix months. Likewise a husband could di
vorce his wife because of her inability to
or widow is therefore free to remarry. A
married woman is bound by law to her hus produce children. But mere impotence on
band while he is alive; but if her husband the husbands part Jesus did not recognize
dies, she is discharged from the law of her as a ground for divorce. The wedding pro
husband. So, then, while her husband is cedure that has legally been carried out
living, she would be styled an adulteress before witnesses made the marriage both
if she became another m ans. But if her binding and valid, just as it did for Adam
husband dies, she is free from his law, so and Eve in Eden. Where a man is impotent
that she is not an adulteress if she becomes today the married couple in their desire
another mans. (Rom. 7 :2 , 3, N W ) Ones for children might agree for the wife to
husband or wife m ay be known to be dead receive the seed of another man by artifi
through war or a catastrophe but may not cial insemination. Some law courts have
happen to be registered as dead or the rec already held that artificial insemination
ords m ay not be at hand to verify the is adultery and that children produced by
such means are illegitimate. The recent
death. Or ones marriage mate m ay disap
pear and be absent so long that the law British Royal Commission on Marriage
of the land pronounces him dead. B y this a and Divorce recommended as a ground for
person is legally declared a widower or divorce the wifes acceptance of artificial
widow. Such a one m ay conscientiously insemination by a donor of seed without
remarry. B y remarrying he takes upon her husbands consent. Such a divorce
himself the responsibility for the outcome, would be Scriptural. But where the hus
and he must live in full submission to the band consented it would be grounds for the
new obligations. God knows the actual disfellowshiping of both man and wife.
facts and he judges in accordance with W h y? Because it is a virtual committing
them, and he determines whether the re of adultery, and both man and wife con
married person is suitable for life in the sented to the immoral act. The husband
new world or not. If a mate legally de in effect gave her to another man to re
clared dead should put in appearance again ceive the seed of copulation, and the wife
and want his legal mate restored to him, gave herself to a man not her husband to
the matter would have to be straightened become the mother of a child by that other
17. (a) Why Is a widow or a widower free to remarry?
(b) What may persons declared legal widows or widow
ers do, yet what responsibility must they accept?

18. (a) How do Gods law and mans laws differ re

garding impotence as a ground for divorce? (b) Re
garding artificial insemination?

October 1, 1956

SfceWATCHTOWER

mem with whom she was not one flesh. It

is an adulterous course, and the fact that
the husband adopts the child does not do
away with the fact that he consented to
the adulterous use of his wife. Lev. 15:
16-18, 32, 33; 1 9 :2 0 ; Num . 5 :1 2 , 13,
19 Neither is a wifes barrenness a true
ground for divorce. Because of her barren
ness for many years, even up to more than
twenty-five years, Abraham did not divorce
Sarah, nor Isaac Rebekah, nor Jacob
Rachel, nor the priest Zechariah Eliza
beth.* The sons of Noah did not divorce
their wives for barrenness during all the
years that the ark was under construction
and until two years after the flood. (Gen.
6 :1 8 ; 1 1 :1 0 ) N or did Jehovah divorce his
woman, his universal organization, be
cause of her barrenness or failure to bring
forth the Messiah for more than four thou
sand years. Isa. 5 4 :1 -1 3 .
20 Sodomy (or the unnatural intercourse
of one male with another male as with a
fem ale), Lesbianism (or the homosexual
relations between wom en), and bestiality
(or the unnatural sexual relations by man
or woman with an animal) are not Scrip
tural grounds for divorce. They are filthy,
they are unclean, and Gods law to Israel
condemned to death those committing such
misdeeds, thus drastically putting these
out of Gods congregation. But such acts
are not adultery with the opposite sex,
making the unclean person one flesh with
another of the opposite sex. (Rom. 1 :2 6 32) Yet there is a penalty of disfellowshiping attached to them. They will keep a
Christian out of the heavenly kingdom and
out of Gods new world, and that means
being destroyed like beasts from all future
Gen. 11:30; 17:17 : 25:19-26 ; 29:31; 30:1, 2, 22-25;
Luke 1:5-7, 18, 24, 57.
19. What Scriptural examples show barrenness is not
a ground for divorce?
20. (a) How does Gods Word regard filthy sex perver
sions? (b) Yet why are these no valid grounds for di
vorce with purpose of remarriage?

591

life. The minding of the flesh means

death, it means enmity with God, for
it is not under subjection to the law of
God, nor, in fact, can it be. So those who
are in harmony with the flesh cannot
please God. They cannot gain the prize
of everlasting life from him. (Rom. 8 :6 -8 ;
1 Cor. 6 :9 , 10; Gal. 5 :1 9 -2 1 ) Such filthy
things by a mate m ay make life unbearable
for the clean married person and are
grounds for separation only, though some
courts grant a divorce on such grounds.
Such separation does not free one to re
marry and enter thus into adultery. W rites
Paul: To the married people I give in
structions, yet not I but the Lord, that a
wife should not depart from her husband:
but if she should actually depart, let her
remain single or else make up again with
her husband; and a husband should not
leave his wife. (1 Cor. 7 :1 0 , 11, N W )
Only if one of the separated couple com
mitted adultery under the stress of the
separation would there be Scriptural basis
for the innocent to procure a divorce and
be free to remarry.
21
Should ones marriage mate in the
course of time go insane or contract an in
curable disease or a loathsome one, this
is no true basis for getting a divorce. In
this case the unfortunate mate must be
treated just as an injured member of ones
body or as ones child by ones mate. The
mate should be treated with proper care,
not be cut off from relationship by legal
divorce. Despite the ailment the sick mate
remains one flesh with the healthy one and
deserves full attention and faithfulness as
his own flesh. This displays love for ones
flesh and helps to lighten the terrible situa
tion, rather than worsen it. In this way
husbands ought to be loving their wives
as their own bodies. He who loves his wife
21. (a) Why are mental illnesses or Incurable or loath
some physical diseases no grounds for divorce ? (b) Rath
er, such conditions provide the opportunity for exer
cising what?

592

fnkWATCHTOWER,

loves himself, for no man ever hated his

own flesh, but he feeds and cherishes it,
as the Christ also does the congregation,
because we are members of his body. For
this reason a man will leave his father and
mother and will stick to his wife, and the
two will be one flesh. (Eph. 5:28-31,
N W ) The faithful mate will not forsake
the other during illness either mental or
physical. B y Gods law the healthy one is
not freed to do so. Naam ans wife was not
freed from him because he was a leper
whose terrible disease only a miracle of
Alm ighty God could cure. (2 Ki. 5 :1 -4 ,
8-14) A t a wedding the mates usually vow
to take each other for better or for worse.
22 Some law courts take as a ground for
divorce the change in religion on the part
of ones mate. According to God and Christ
this is not right. This law case assumes
th a t, a t m a r r ia g e ,
both the husband and
the wife were mem
bers of the same reli
gious system, so that
now the ones change
of religion creates a
home difficulty on a
most vital point. By
adopting the new re
ligion the one chang
ing becomes an unbe
liever toward the re
ligion of the other
mate. Though this may be a bitter experi
ence for the mate that retains the former
religion it is no real reason for him to
separate from the other either by legal ac
tion or by mutual consent. On this Paul
writes:
23 If any brother has an unbelieving
wife, and yet she is agreeable to dwelling
22-24. (a) Why is a change or difference in religion no
grounds for separation or divorce? (b) What advice
does Paul give mates in such situations, and what
should determine whether a Christian should leave his
unbelieving mate?

B r o o k l y n , N . Y.

with him, let him not leave her; and a

woman who has an unbelieving husband,
and yet he is agreeable to dwelling with
her, let her not leave her husband. For
the unbelieving husband is sanctified in re
lation to his wife, and the unbelieving wife
is sanctified in relation to the brother;
otherwise, your children would really be
unclean, but now they are holy. But if the
unbelieving one proceeds to depart, let him
depart; a brother or a sister is not in servi
tude under such circumstances, but God
has called you to peace. For, wife, how do
you know but that you will save your hus
band? Or, husband, how do you know but
that you will save your w ife? 1 Cor.
7 :12 -16 , N W .
24
So difference of religion, either from
before marriage or only since getting mar
ried, is no reason why a couple should sep
arate. It is no basis
for a divorce that
would free them to
marry others. If the
husband should be
lieve and come into
Gods truth before his
wife does, he should
stick to his wife if his
change of religion
makes no difference
with her or even if
she objects. The thing
is, Does she want to
continue living with him under the cir
cumstances, which his accepting the truth
should really make better circumstances?
If she does, then he should not leave her.
His staying with her gives him the oppor
tunity to talk the truth to her, or at least
live the truth before her, and possibly by
this course help her to accept the truth and
get salvation to life in Gods new world.
This opportunity holds true also for the
wife who believes the truth and still re
mains with her husband.

O c t o b e r 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

25 Since the unbelieving one is still one

flesh with the believer, the unbeliever for
this reason alone gains some recognition
from Jehovah God. God considers their
children, not as unclean, but as holy, and
the believer will try to bring them up in
true holiness that, at the age of under
standing, they too might of their own
choice dedicate themselves to God through
Christ. The unbeliever is not automatically
made a saint or one of Gods holy ones, but
the believing mate has dedicated every
thing to God and treats the unbeliever
from that standpoint. The sanctified be
liever will accordingly treat the unbeliever
as God would want it to be done, and that
will be all toward aiding the unbeliever to
see and accept the truth and also come in
to relationship with God.
26 If the unbeliever does not respond to
this sanctified treatment, there is still no
reason to leave such one. The move toward
separation must or should be taken by the
unbeliever. In some cases this move m ay
be a virtual abandonment by the unbeliev
ers mistreating the believer so badly that
it is practically unbearable to live together
further. But, as in the case where even fel
low believers might separate from each
other over some disagreement, the believer
must remain single until the departed un
believer commits immorality and so pro
vides grounds for proper divorce. (1 Cor.
7 :1 0 , 11) The believers attitude toward
the separated mate m ay be like that ex
pressed in Labans words to Jacob against
any violation of the marriage alliance:
Let Jehovah keep watch between me and
you when we are situated unseen the one
from the other. (Gen. 3 1 :4 9 , N W ) Jeho
vah God watches whether there is any vio25. How does God consider the children of such mar
riages, and how should the believing mate treat the un
believing one?
26. (a) What may unjust treatment make necessary, but
why is this no ground for divorce with right to re
marry? (b) What should be the attitude of separated
mates, as noted by Laban's words?

593

lating of the marriage covenant. He ob

serves who is the guilty mate and deter
mines whether there is Scriptural ground
for divorce to free one for remarriage.
This must be, not so-called spiritual adul
tery, but physical adultery.
27 The inspired James did write: Adul
teresses, do you not know that the friend
ship with the world is enmity with God?
Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend
of the world is constituting himself an ene
m y of God. (Jas. 4 :4 , A W ) But this spir
itually adulterous friendship with the world
is no ground for divorce. W h y not? Be
cause this mere friendship does not make
anybody one flesh with one of the oppo
site sex adulterously. True, an unbeliever
is a friend of this world. However, the
apostle Paul did not argue from this that
a believer had the right and good cause to
leave the unbelieving mate. To the con
trary, it was perfectly proper, and alto
gether moral, for them to keep living to
gether if the unbeliever was agreeable to
this. B y this keeping together as a couple
the unbeliever might be helped toward
salvation in the new world, which help
would not be possible if the two were said
to be improperly living together and the
believer was therefore said to be conniv
ing at spiritual adultery by the worldling.
MERCIFUL TREATMENT OF A MATE

28 Christ limited the grounds for a di

vorce that frees one for remarriage to
adultery. This does not give either mar
riage mate the allowance to abuse or neg
lect the other. This limitation to adultery
only emphasizes the divine arrangement
that the married couple are one flesh, and
should stick together in mutual care, come
better or come worse. This is the decree of
27. Why is spiritual adultery no basis for Scriptural
divorce, and why is it well for a believer to continue
with an unbeliever?
28. (a) Limiting divorce to adultery does not give mates
what allowance? (b) How are some of mans laws par
tial in contrast with Gods law?

594

SfEeWATCHTOWER.

B r o o k l y n , N. Y .

the infallible Judge of the Supreme Mar

riage Court. In some lands the law does
not make the adulterous conduct of the
husband a legal ground for the wife to di
vorce him, but makes only the morally
loose wife the one that can be divorced
for adultery. But according to Gods ruling
through Christ, if the husband is immoral,
it allows a woman to put him away legally
and free herself for remarriage without
becoming an adulteress by this action.
That is why Jesus said: W hoever divorces
his wife [unscripturally] and marries an
other commits adultery against her, and if
ever a woman, after divorcing her hus
band, marries another, she commits adul
tery. (Mark 1 0 :1 1 ,1 2 ,
So Jesus was
not setting up for husbands a standard dif
ferent from that for wives when he said in
his sermon on the mountain: Moreover
it was said, W hoever divorces his wife, let
him give her a certificate of divorce. How
ever, I say to you that everyone divorcing
his wife except on account of fornication
makes her a subject for adultery, seeing
that whoever marries a divorced woman
commits adultery. (Matt. 5 :3 1 , 32,
God is not partial. To him adultery by the
husband is just as bad as that by the wife.

reads the heart. Although this is adultery

in the mans heart and although he may
not be divorced by his wife on this ground,
covetousness toward someone other than
ones marriage mate, if not blocked, leads
to physical adultery.

in his heart. (Matt. 5 :2 7 , 28, N W ) He is

ten to even the supervisory committee of

30
If ones mate does commit adultery
one has the right to forgive and not sue for
divorce, provided the guilty one shows
proper repentance and earnestly asks for
forgiveness and promises not to repeat but
be faithful to the marriage vow. If the
innocent one does not forgive the offending
mate, then the offender must be disfellowshiped by the congregation and the inno
cent mate is authorized by the Scriptures
to get a legal divorce if possible or desired.
This is a private matter. If, say, the hus
band forgives the wife, he continues to
give her the marriage due, trusting in God
to forgive her. Then there is no reason
for the wife, whom he treats as one flesh
with him, to be exposed and punished by
the Christian congregation with disfellowshiping, thus undoing the reunion that
the husbands forgiveness has mercifully
brought about. Hatred stirs up strife, but
love covers all offenses. (Prov. 1 0:1 2 , RS)
Have intense love for one another, because
29
So let no husband covet another manslove covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet.
wife, nor look upon any other woman with 4 :8 , N W ) M y brothers, if anyone among
desire to have with her the relations that you is misled from the truth and another
he owes exclusively to his wife. Let the turns him back, know that he who turns
proverbial married business executive or a sinner back from the error of his way
office man beware that he does not fall in will save his soul from death and will cover
love with his lady secretary, married or a multitude of sins. (Jas. 5 :1 9 , 20, 2VW)
single, and take liberties with her. Jesus Moreover, if your brother commits a sin,
said: You heard that it was said, You go lay bare his fault between you and him
must not commit adultery. But I say to alone. If he listens to you [and admits his
you that everyone that keeps on looking sin, expresses his sorrowful repentance
at a woman so as to have a passion for her and begs forgiveness], you have gained
has already committed adultery with her your brother. If the sinner refuses to lis
already guilty in the sight of God, who
29. Why may a man not look upon a woman not his
wife with the desire to have relations with her?

30, 31. (a) When may an innocent mate forgive the

other that has sinned? (b) What course should the
congregation pursue where forgiveness is granted?
Where refused?

O ctober 1, 1 9 56

5ReW AT CHTOW ER

595

32 In the case of a faithful husband, cer

tainly he may be expected to put his wife
on probation, closely watching her and
helping her to keep from repeating sin,
31
If, in imitation of God and in obediand the congregation will rely upon him
ence to Christ, the husband has forgiven to do so. Otherwise the congregation would
consider him as not presiding properly
his repentant wife and held back from
punishing her legally as he might, how has over his own household and hence not
the congregation a right to punish her qualified to hold any responsible office with
with excommunication and to put a spirit spiritual oversight in the congregation. In
ual barrier between the husband and his that case, too, the congregation would
step in, because he is not conducting his
wife, whom he is trying to help reform?
The congregation should co-operate in the home affairs in a Christian manner, and
reform effort. But, what if, before the would take action against man and wife.
husband decides to forgive his wife, the The person with whom the adultery was
congregation disfellowships her? If the committed may be a member of the con
husband afterward forgives her for Scrip gregation. If so, that person must be distural reasons, this does not automatically fellowshiped and thus stripped of service
lift the excommunication of her from the privileges and positions and Christian fel
congregation, for the matter is now direct lowship. If after disfellowshipment that
ly in the congregations hands. She must one shows the fruitage of repentance and
deal directly with the congregations su seeks to get back into the congregation,
pervisory committee and must satisfy it that one m ay be reinstated and put on a
by taking the necessary steps to be fully long probation, for at least a year, and
then, being found on good behavior, he
taken back into the congregation. (Com
m ay be formally relieved of the restric
pare paragraph 41, last fourteen lines.) A
tions imposed upon him and be fully re
similar handling of the matter would take
place if it was the faithful wife that for ceived back. 1 Cor. 5 :1 -5 , 13; 2 Cor. 2:
gave the husband, not under any compul 5-11.
the Christian congregation of which the
sinner is a member, he must be excommu
nicated, said Jesus. Matt. 18:1 5 -1 7 , 21,
22, NW .

sion or insistence or threatening on his

part, but because of his unmistakable re
pentance and primarily with the loving de
sire to help recover her husband spiritu
ally. The wife does not exercise authority
over her own body, but her husband does;
likewise, also, the husband does not exer
cise authority over his own body, but his
wife does. (1 Cor. 7 :4 ,
Consequent
ly, during the time that she was proving
the sincerity and thoroughness of his re
pentance and reform efforts, she would
exercise a vigilance concerning his con
duct and help him to keep morally and
spiritually clean, fit to be associated with
the Christian congregation.

33 W hen a congregation withholds an excommunication action because of the inno

cent mates prior forgiveness, this does not
mean that the guilty mate may not and
should not be deprived of any special re
sponsibilities or service privileges in the
congregation. Here, not excommunication,
but the qualifications for special service
positions in the congregation are involved.
The guilty mate, by adultery, has misrep
resented the congregation and disqualified
himself and should not be kept in any rep
resentative or responsible position. The
32. (a) What course must the forgiving husband pur
sue if he does not want congregational action to follow?
(b) What action should the congregation take against
the one with whom the adultery was committed?
33. From what suitable congregational action does the
innocent one's forgiveness not protect the guilty mate?

596

SfteWATCHTOWER

B r o o k l y n , N . Y.

and the apostle Paul would respect the

treatment that the husband might extend
his guilty wife. Consequently it was only
the repentant man that Paul later on rec
ommended to be reinstated by the con
gregation and saved from Satans designs.
34The forgiveness of a guilty mate calls 36 This forgiveness of a marriage mate
to mind the prophet Hosea, whom Jehovah that repents is radically different from
instructed to take his adulterous wife back letting a wife commit adultery and then
collecting what is called woman damages
and who obediently did so. (Hos. 1 :3 -6 ;
3 :1 , 2) Long before that, in the days of from her violator. Some polygamists keep
Israels judges, an unnamed Levite jour a number of concubines for the express
neyed a distance and took his adulterous purpose of prostituting them, just to col
concubine back, but not to prostitute her. lect woman damages over and over
A t the Benjaminite city of Gibeah he again on the same concubine. This is worse
turned her loose to the mob that stormed than prostituting ones own daughter.
(Lev. 1 9:2 9 , N W ) If a person forgivingly
the house where he was lodging. But he
takes
an erring mate back again it should
did not put her at the mobs mercy because
be
without
collecting such damages. Tak
he failed to love her. He did so only to pre
ing
the
financial
damages condones the
vent his sacred office as a Levite from
being profaned by forced sodomy or adultery and makes commerce of it. For
effeminacy. He did not approve of the giving the guilty and seeking no financial
mobs violation of his wife or concubine. damages keeps the innocent one clean. It
Indignantly he made it an issue that he makes him appreciate more the sinfulness
put before the whole nation of Israel. He of the unclean course rather than the com
provoked the shocked eleven tribes of mercial profit possible by the wicked pros
Israel to punish the guilty city and the tituting of a wife.
37 Before coming to a knowledge of Gods
tribe of Benjamin by a war that almost
brought the wiping out of the guilty tribe. truth and his requirements a person might
This vindicated the other eleven brother have legally divorced his mate on unscriptribes as being upholders of the purity of tural grounds and then remarried. If this
the nation. Judges, chapters 19 and 20. person is now holding onto the new m ar
35
In the adultery case handled by theriage and accepts the Kingdom message,
apostle Paul, at 1 Corinthians 5 :1 -1 3 , Paul the Christian congregation cannot do any
ordered only the man guilty of fornication thing about altering his marriage estate.
put out of the congregation as a leaven It must accept him in the civil status in
like poisonous influence. If the woman was which Gods message finds him, trusting in
a member of the congregation, why did not Gods forgiveness of his wrongdoings be
Paul, with his apostolic authority, also fore he knew better, his sins of ignorance.
order the congregation to disfellowship But the Christian congregation must re
the equally guilty woman in the case? She quire that he be found living true to his
was the wife of the guilty m ans father, obligations in his second legal marriage.
Otherwise, it could not believe that his
innocent m ates forgiveness does not pro
tect the guilty mate from the congrega
tions power of action to remove the dis
qualified person and to have in office
persons above reproach and offering no
stumblingblock to others.

34. What are some Israelite examples of husbands for

giving guilty wives?
35. In the case of the Corinthian brother who committed
fornication with his fathers wife, what consideration
may have induced Paul to order only the guilty man to
be excommunicated?

36. Why may not financial damages be taken for

adultery?
37. What may those do who, before coming into the
truth, remarried after an unscripturai divorce, and
why?

October 1, 1956

^KeWATCHTOWEFL

dedication to God was accepted and it

could not grant him any baptism in water.
38 If a married Christian commits adul
tery, the Christian mate m ay want to di
vorce. However, in order to bring no un
necessary reproach upon Jehovahs peo
ple by the unclean unfaithfulness of one
of his witnesses, the Christian congrega
tion should first excommunicate the un
faithful member. Then the clean, innocent
mate can take public court proceedings
against the unfaithful as one who is now
not a member of the congregation, not one
of Jehovahs witnesses. Thus the theo
cratic organization suffers no public shame.
39 All in all, it is the duty of the Chris
tian congregation to take note of the basic
reason for a divorce by a member or by
a married couple of the congregation. If
the reason is unscriptural, the congrega
tion must observe the course of the di
vorced afterward. The immorality cause
of a divorce m ay not always be stated in
the petition for divorce or in the judicial
decree. In some lands the reason for the
grant of divorce m ay be stated as injures
graves et publiques ( serious and public
injuries ). Nearly always this means adul
tery; however, to protect innocent ones
who could be affected by reproach or pub
lic embarrassment, the ground for divorce
may be worded thus. The congregation
should inform itself of the specific reason.
It cannot excommunicate any member just
for divorcing on unscriptural grounds, but
if that member remarries before the death
or immorality of the divorced mate, the
congregation would disfellowship this mem
ber for adulterous remarriage.
40 W hen a Christian merely asks Gods
forgiveness for the course he has taken in
38. If a Christian wishes to divorce an unfaithful dedi
cated mate what should the congregation first do?
39, 40. (a) If an unscriptural divorce is obtained what
must the congregation observe regarding the divorced
ones and when must it take action? (b) Why does re
pentance after an unscriptural divorce not free anyone
for remarriage?

597

unscripturally divorcing his mate, it does

not free him to remarry. His being forgiven
his sins in general does not cancel or annul
the legal marriage that was dissolved on un
scriptural grounds. It does not change his
married status. If it did, then the divorcer
of another on unscriptural grounds would
not be committing adultery by remarrying.
Remember this: a marriage broken up by
unscriptural divorce either before or after
one dedicates oneself to God is not really
dissolved in Gods sight by asking for his
forgiveness of sins; any more so than Gods
forgiveness of the sins of a criminal in
prison would cancel his prison sentence
and free him to walk out the prison gates
at will. Hence remarriage without Scrip
tural permission or authorization is adul
terous and the congregation will disfellowship the offender. Likewise, if a Christian
married a worldly person that was di
vorced on unscriptural grounds, that Chris
tian is committing fornication and should
be disfellowshiped. Rom. 7 :2 -4 ; 1 Cor.
7 :3 9 .
41
A n improper remarriage will make a
divorce effective and will free the innocent
party to continue in the congregation and
to remarry if that innocent one chooses to
do so. However, the one improperly re
marrying must be disfellowshiped as com
mitting adultery, and thus comes into a
dangerous condition that threatens his
eternal existence. He who commits adul
tery has no sense; he who does it destroys
himself. (Prov. 6 :3 2 , RS) Only reinstate
ment can save him. But the unscripturally
remarried person m ay not be fully taken
back into the congregation on mere repent
ance. He, after reinstatement, must be
subject to a sufficiently long period of pro
bation, at least a year, to let him show the
fruits of a sincere repentance together
41. (a) What does an improper remarriage do for the
innocent party that remains single? (b) What action
must be taken toward the party improperly remarrying,
and from what would such a party be barred ever after?

598

SfteWATCHTOWER,

B r o o k l y n , N . Y.

it, and there is no unrighteousness in

with a right respect for marriage. His
legal remarriage still holds good before him. (Ps. 9 2 :1 5 , A S ) Happy are the
the law of the land and must have proper Christians that are faithful to the divinely
legal grounds in order to be dissolved in imposed obligations of their marriage.
court. Even if his former, unscripturally They uphold the true dignity and honor
divorced wife should die or remarry after ableness of this divine institution. They
take to heart the Christian command
he did, he is not thereby automatically re
instated. He must still repent, confess, ment: Let marriage be honorable among
make application for reinstatement and all, and the marriage bed be without de
submit to the probation period. If the re filement, for God will judge fornicators
pentance bears the required fruitage of a and adulterers. (Heb. 1 3 :4 , N W ) They
proper fulfillment of his obligations in the enjoy not primarily the pleasures of the
new legal marriage and if then he is fully fleshly relationship but chiefly the spirit
readmitted to the congregation, he is ever ual opportunities that this close union of
after disqualified from holding any official, the two sexes affords them. This fulfills
exemplary, responsible office or privilege the idealness of marriage and earns Gods
in the congregation. His private past in the approval and blessing. It makes wedlock a
help toward gaining salvation and serving
truth is not a good example.
42
Marriage true and clean is a privilegethe Most High God. It vindicates Jehovah
from Jehovah God. He himself arranged God in lovingly instituting this provision
for mans joy and for fulfilling the divine
42. Why are those who uphold the divinely imposed
purpose.
obligations of marriage happy?

MARRIES

j f A R R IA G E has joys and

C / V L blessings that God pur
posed it to have. B y the attrac
tion that he put into play be
tween the sexes it is normal for
man and woman to marry, not
even leaving out Christians who
are in the flesh. However, for
Christians Gods W ord does not take the
view of some tribes or peoples that a man
has not reached his full estate unless he
1. (a) What proves that an unmarried man is not half
a man? (b) What is the only kind of bride Jesus Christ
will ever have?

is married, so that if he is not married

he is only half a man. To take this
view means to downgrade Jesus
Christ, for he died a virgin, a single
man, at the age of thirty-three and a
half years. He died unmarried accord
ing to his heavenly Fathers will. But
by this course of self-control and
obedience he wins a spiritual bride, a
congregation of 144,000 faithful followers
who love him with a love surpassing that
of a man for a woman, of a husband for a
wife. This spiritual bride whom the Father

O ctober 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

599

unites to his Son in heavenly beauty and

radiance is the only wife that Jehovah
God has authorized Jesus Christ to have.
John 3 :2 9 ; Rev. 1 9 :7 ; 2 1 :2 , 9-14.

Scripturally allows freedom to m arry be

fore the battle of Armageddon. The power
ful inducing reason for virginity is Gods
kingdom.

2 The young prophet Jeremiah held back

from marriage because Jehovah God, like
a father, forbade him to marry and have
children inasmuch as it was the time of
the end for the Jewish kingdom of the
line of David. (Jer. 1 6 :1 -4 ,
The apos
tle Paul did not avail himself of his au
thority to lead about a sister as a wife,
even as the rest of the apostles and the
Lords brothers and Cephas. (1 Cor. 9 :5 ,
N W ) The overtowering reason why many
Christians in the time of the end of this
wicked world stay single must be consid
ered and, if understood, wins no reproach
but high respect.

* Jesus called such voluntary virgins

self-made eunuchs. A fter he told his dis
ciples that adultery alone was the ground
that God allowed for divorce, his disciples
soberly said: If such is the situation of a
man with his wife, it is not advisable to
m arry. In commenting on that saying
Jesus said: N ot all men make room for
the saying, but only those who have the
gift. For there are eunuchs that were bom
such from their mothers womb, and there
are eunuchs that were made eunuchs by
men, and there are eunuchs that have
made themselves eunuchs because of the
kingdom of the heavens. Let him that can
make room for it make room for it.
(Matt. 19:10-12, N W ) They do not make
themselves eunuchs by physically castrat
ing themselves as did the religionist
Origen, who produced the famous Hexapla edition of the Old Testament in the
third century. They do it by making room

3 A Christian bereaved o f a mate by

death m ay remarry but m ay choose not to
do so. In the case of a Christian woman,
if her husband should fall asleep in death,
she is free to be married to whom she
wants, only in the Lord [or, only if he is
in union with the L o rd ]. But she is happier
if she remains as she is. (1 Cor. 7 :3 9 , 40,
NW ) Married Christians may still remain
spiritually virgin toward Christ by not
becoming adulterous friends toward this
world and its womanlike systems: These
are the ones that did not defile themselves
with women; in fact, they are virgins.
(Rev. 1 4 :1 -4 , N W ) W ith commendable
virtue many Christians, virgins whether
men or women, may choose to remain sin
gle, though making no vow to do so. They
remain virgin, not because there is a
Christian rule forbidding to m arry in
this time of the end, in these later pe
riods of tim e. (1 Tim. 4 :1 -3 , N W ) The
New W orld society has no such rule. It
2. What other examples do we have of Gods servants
who did not marry?
3. (a) What may bereaved mates choose to do, and why
can married Christians be virgins spiritually? (b) For
what powerful reason only do some remain virgins?

for it in their hearts, willingly resolving

to keep themselves physically in the un
married state like that of a eunuch who
could not marry, the state of singleness.
W hat keeps them from marrying is not
necessarily a vow of celibacy nor self
castration or some physical disability, but
is their overpowering desire to apply them
selves to the service of Gods kingdom as
fully as possible, and the more so now that
the Kingdom was established in the heav
ens in 1914 and this good news of the
kingdom must be preached in all the in
habited earth for the purpose of a wit
ness to all the nations, because the com
plete end of this doomed world is con
stantly getting closer.
4. How do some make themselves eunuchs for the sake
of Gods kingdom?

600

3ReWATCHTOWER

5 A s Jesus himself said, not all Chris

tians make room for the saying about the
advisability of not marrying under pres
ent uncertain, imperfect, evil-infested con
ditions. Only those who have the gift
do. A gift ? Yes, but not one by being
b o m a eunuch or by some miraculous be
stowal of powers from God. The privilege
of staying unmarried is a gift that God
holds out to all single persons who become
followers of his Son Jesus Christ. But not
all avail themselves of this gift; not all
make room for it. Y et there are many who
take under consideration all the circum
stances and conditions that have to do with
them as Christians, and also the opportu
nities and Kingdom service privileges that
are set before them. They look ahead to
see what the outcome of a certain course
of action or a certain life relationship with
another might be. They weigh the married
estate and its dues and limitations against
the single state and its possibilities, all this
with a regard for Jehovahs precious
treasure of service. A fter serious study
of the matter they make an intelligent de
cision, a firm resolve, to stay as they are,
single. They then avoid entanglements that
might obligate them to leave their single
ness.
6 To fill up the void that they might
naturally feel because of not having a be
loved marriage partner, they plan and
strive to fill up their lives with all the
service to God that they can, becoming
full-time servants of his if that is possible,
undertaking all the engagements of service
that they can. Keeping fully occupied in
the divine service holds their hearts and
their attention riveted on the urgent work
now to be done in the short remaining
time. This self-application rewards them
with joys and blessings that counterbal5. How does one receive the gift of singleness?
6. (a) How do these fill up their void, and what bless
ings result therefrom? (b) How do these fortify them
selves for their chosen course?

Brooklyn, N. Y.

ance anything that their flesh might at

times try to persuade them that they are
missing by not being married to a Chris
tian mate. Self-control is one of the fruits
of Gods spirit, one of the important things
that every Christian must add to his
knowledge, faith and virtue. So they spe
cially cultivate the spirits fruitage of selfcontrol in order to hold onto their single
ness. (Gal. 5 :2 2 , 23 and 2 Pet. 1 :5 , 6, N W )
They strengthen and fortify this specially
directed self-control by looking at the ad
vantages they enjoy by this and the unde
sired things that they avoid by this. Be
sides that, they plan and make provision to
enjoy their singleness to the full, to get the
greatest benefit out of it. This is not self
ish. It is not depriving someone else of
the opposite sex of a marriage due, but
it is enjoying that to which they are en
titled, while they let married couples en
joy that to which they are entitled. Pri
marily it is done to the pleasing and praise
of Jehovah God and in the interest of his
kingdom by Christ.
7 B y way of example, there are hundreds
of Christian women who have gone single
into foreign missionary fields. The local
population wonder how they manage to
keep single, and the married native women
may incline to pity these missionaries as
undergoing a great deprivation and hence
a hardship. But by the spirit of Jehovah
they give themselves fully to the mission
ary work and experience unspeakable joys.
They are not to be pitied. W hile they may
pity many of the native women for being
married under the prevailing conditions,
they do not pity themselves but feel like
Jephthahs daughter.
8 W hen Judge Jephthah her father broke
the news that the vow he had made to win
7. What fine examples are there of keeping single, and
why are these not to be pitied?
8, 9. (a) How did Jephthahs daughter view the vow her
father made regarding her? (b) What blessings were
hers, and what does like singleness win and gain today?

O c t o b e r 1, 1 9 5 6

SffieWATCHTOWEFL

601

victory in battle obliged him to devote her tioned as virgins, that prophesied. Acts
to a life of singleness in full-time service 2 1 :8 , 9 , N W .
at Jehovahs house, did she pity herself?
EACH ONE HAS HIS OWN GIFT FROM GOD
Judge from this reply of hers: M y father,
if you have opened your mouth to Jeho
10
Married life has its joyous, satisfying
vah, do to me according to what has gone privileges and these are a gift from God.
forth from your mouth, since
Singleness, too, has its own
Jehovah has executed acts
peculiar privileges and op
of vengeance for you
portunities and these are
upon your enemies,
a gift from God. Which
the sons of A m
gift do you want?
Paul, in discussing
m on .
She
had
this, wrote: But I
something real to
wish all men were
bewail and she did
as I myself am [he
bewail the virginity
not leading around
to which she had to
any sister as a w ife ].
be devoted in fulfill
Nevertheless, each one
ment of Jephthahs
has his own gift from
vow, but for only a short
God, one in this way, an
time, two months in isola
other in that w ay. Then turn
tion with her sympathetic girl
ing his attention from the married Chris
companions.
9
A fter that she gave herself over totians and their marital gift, Paul went
service full time at Jehovahs blessed on to recommend his own unyoked condi
house. She died single, and that without tion to those having no married mate,
the hope of enjoying married life in Gods saying: Now I say to the single persons
new world after she is resurrected from
[virgins] and the widows, it is well for
the dead. But what a record she made for them that they remain even as I am. But
herself in vindication of Jehovahs right
if they do not have self-control, let them
ful sovereignty over heaven and earth!
marry, for it is better to m arry than to
And while she lived on in her virginity at
be inflamed with passion. 1 Cor. 7 :7 -9 ,
Gods house she regularly received en
NW.
couragement to be faithful in her privi
Those being almost consumed with
leges close to God. From year to year the
passion
did not have the cultivated gift o f
daughters of Israel would go to give com
self-control
that Jesus mentioned. Because
mendation to the daughter of Jephthah the
of the prevalence of fornication in this
Gileadite, four days in the year. (Judg.
corrupt
1 1 :3 4 -4 0 ,
N W ) Singleness maintained
in world, it was and is better for
the interest of Gods cause, not by ones those on fire with passion and distracted
being imprisoned in some monastery or by its flames to give up their singleness
convent, but by preaching the Kingdom
tidings publicly and from house to house,
wins Gods good pleasure and gains com
mendation from those who are dedicated
to God. In Scripture the four daughters of
Philip the missionary are favorably men-

or their widowhood and safeguard them

selves against fornication by having a legal
marriage mate. In harmony with this Paul
wrote concerning younger widows in the
10, 11. (a) For whom is singleness the best course?
(b) For whom marriage?

602

SfieWATCHTOWER

congregation: The one that goes in for

sensual gratification is dead though she is
living____ when their sexual impulses have
come between them and the Christ, they
want to marry, having a judgment because
they have disregarded their first expres
sion of faith. A t the same time they also
learn to be unoccupied, gadding about to
the houses, yes, not only unoccupied [in
preaching w ork], but also gossipers and
meddlers in other peoples affairs, talking
of things they ought not. Therefore I de
sire the younger widows to marry, to bear
children, to manage a household, to give
no inducement to the opposer to revile.
Already, in fact, some have been turned
aside to follow Satan. 1 Tim. 5 :6 ,1 1 -1 5 ,

NW.
12 The way for younger widows to
avoid following Satan by indulging in for
nication or a misuse of time and energy is
to specialize on Gods direct service as far
as possible. They can take as a strengthen
ing example Anna, a prophetess of the
tribe of Asher. This woman was well
along in years, and had lived with a hus
band for seven years from her virginity,
and she was a widow now eighty-four
years old. How did she occupy her time,
employ her abilities?
13 This w ay: She was never missing
from the temple, rendering sacred service
night and day with fastings and supplica
tions. W as her long widowhood left un
rewarded? Never, and in her old age her
widowhood was crowned with the privilege
of seeing the promised Messiah as the
babe Jesus. Joseph and M ary had brought
him to the temple where she served God.
And in that very hour she came near and
began returning thanks to God and speak
ing about the child to all those waiting for
Jerusalems deliverance.

(Luke 2:36-38,

N W ) So this keeping of ones widowhood

12, 13. What example did Anna give younger widows,
and what was her reward?

B rooklyn, N. Y .

for a long time can be done and this will

not fail of its sweet reward in Jehovahs
service. 1 Tim. 5 :3 -5 , 9, 10, N W .
14 Nineteen centuries ago Paul remarked
that the time left is reduced and that
the scene of this world is changing. That
is why he wrote: I want you to be free
from anxiety, and advised married Chris
tians not to let their marital privileges
take precedence over their spiritual oppor
tunities and obligations. In discussing the
matter of anxiety he now showed the ad
vantage of being free of marriage ties and
dues: The single man is anxious for the
things of the Lord, . . . But the married
man is anxious for the things of the world,
how he m ay gain the approval of his wife,
and he is divided. Further, the single wom
an, and the virgin, is anxious for the things
of the Lord, that she may be holy both
in her body and in her spirit. However, the
married woman is anxious for the things
of the world, how she may gain the ap
proval of her husband. But this I am say
ing for your personal advantage, not that
I may cast a noose upon you, but to move
you to that which is becoming and that
which means constant attendance upon the
Lord without distraction. (1 Cor. 7 :2 9 35, N W ) This advice was of personal ad
vantage to Christians nineteen hundred
years in the past. It is no less of personal
advantage to us now since the Kingdom
was bom in the heavens A .D . 1914 and
the time left of this old worlds time of
the end has been reduced by more than
forty years and not very much appears
yet to be left.
15 Remember that no free Christian is
forbidden to m arry whether he is an over
seer, a ministerial servant or just a preach
ing member of a congregation, a widower
14. What advantages do the single have over the
married ?
15, 16. Who is free to marry in the New World society
and who may best stay single for the sake of Gods
kingdom?

O ctober 1, 1 9 56

3fieWATCHTOWER

or a bachelor. Singleness is forced upon no

Christian qualified for marriage. Whoever
can muster up enough self-control and
proper regulation of his life course as to
hold back from marriage in this present
wicked system of things for the sake of
Gods kingdom m ay do so, crowding out
other attractive things that he may make
room for this gift. Let him that can make
room for it make room for it, said Jesus.
But if he cannot do so and thinks a change
is better, then he m ay do so. Paul wrote:
16 But if anyone thinks he is behaving
improperly toward his virginity, if that is
past the bloom of youth, and this is the
way it should take place, let him do what
he wants; he does not sin. Let them marry.
But if anyone stands settled in his heart,
having no necessity, but has authority
over his own will and has made this deci
sion in his own heart, to keep his own
virginity, he will do well. 1 Cor. 7 :3 6 ,
37, N W .
17 Back there, when Paul wrote that, it
was nineteen centuries before the battle
of Armageddon, which will be followed by
marriage privileges for the other sheep
of the Lord Jesus who survive the battle.
Those Christians faithfully dying single
back there did so without hope of any
future human marriage on earth because
they hoped in a heavenly resurrection to
be part in Christs bride up above. So vir
ginity back there had no thought of a mere
postponing of marriage on earth till after
Armageddon.
18 Nineteen centuries later the Christian
that marries now in this time of the end
because he feels the necessity does not
sin. Likewise, the Christian that keeps
his own virginity will do well. Y et the
resulting privileges are different, which
leads Paul to write: Consequently, he also
17. Those remaining single in Pauls day did so without
any prospect of what?
18. What may be said of him who marries, and yet
why can it be said that singleness is the better way?

603

that gives his virginity in marriage does

well, but he that does not give it in m ar
riage will do better. A better course is
also open to widows who could remarry.
Since her husband has fallen asleep in
death, she is free to be married to whom
she wants, only in the Lord. But she is
happier if she remains as she is, not re
bound to a new husband for as long as he
lives faithful in this world. W e can have
faith that singleness is the better way,
the happier way, because this counsel is
the opinion of the apostle Paul, who cer
tainly thought he also had Gods spirit at
the time of writing this. 1 Cor. 7 :3 8 -40 ,

NW .
MARRIAGE AFTER ARMAGEDDON

19
A s far back as 1885 The Watchtower
has assured its readers that human mar
riage will continue after the battle of
Armageddon has destroyed this old alien
world and will continue as long as God
sees fit according to his original purpose
for this earth to be inhabited with his
righteous earthly sons and daughters.*
Death cancels the marriage bond. A rm a
geddon will not cancel the marriage bond
of those married witnesses of Jehovah who
survive it together, any more than the
global flood canceled the marriage bond
of Noah to his wife and that of their three
sons to their wives. But after they had
come out of the ark of survival and had
renewed Jehovahs worship in the earth,
he blessed them and said to them : Be
fruitful and become many and fill the
earth. Noah had already borne the fruit
age of three sons, and now those sons were
commanded to become fruitful, each son
by the one wife that he had. In that pro* See The Watchtower as of February 1, 1947, and
its article The Apostles Counsel on Wedlock and the
footnotes thereto on pages 45, 46.
19. (a) When was it first published that human mar
riage will continue after Armageddon, and what does
dissolve marriage? (b) What blessing and command was
given the survivors of the Flood?

604

fTzeWATCHTOWER.

phetic drama Noah pictured the Everlast

ing Father Jesus Christ and Noahs wife
pictured the spiritual bride of Christ.
20 A fter Armageddon the couples sur
viving will continue in their marital union.
Others surviving in a different state, wid
owers, widows, virgin men and virgin
women, will be privileged to marry.
W hether there will be an imbalance be
tween the available men and the available
women surviving need not worry us now.
Marriage then will be regulated by the
Everlasting Father whom Jehovah God
uses to fight the battle of Armageddon and
to bruise the great Serpent, the wicked
marriage disturber, in the head. So the
Everlasting Father Jesus Christ will have
redeemed his earthly children through
Armageddon just as much as Jehovah re
deemed Noah and his fam ily through the
Flood and as Jehovah redeemed the Israel
ites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea.
A s all those redeemed ones belonged to
Jehovah God, so all the Armageddon sur
vivors will belong to their Redeemer Jesus
Christ. A s Everlasting Father to his earth
ly daughters he will give in marriage
whomsoever of them he pleases and to
whomsoever he chooses. That way there
will be no poor selection of mates, and no
one will experience a disappointment after
marriage.
21 No one receiving a bride will pay a
bride price to the Everlasting Fatherhood.
All being his children, all being of one
Fatherhood, they may be intermarried
regardless of previous race or of color, as
he may choose. Marriage, then, will be
fruitful with children born of righteous
parents, God not increasing the pain of
pregnancy of their mothers, thus treating
these differently from Eve, who took the
lead in eating the forbidden fruit and then
20. Who will regulate marriage after Armageddon, for
whom, and with what result?
21, 22. What marriage conditions will then prevail?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.

used pressure upon her husband to induce

him to eat and sin. Gen. 3 :1 6 .
22 Then husbands and wives will co
operate faithfully to stay within the para
dise that will be restored to earth by their
work and their childrens work and by
Jehovahs blessing through the Everlasting
Father Jesus Christ. The proper places of
husband and wife in the marriage union
will therefore be observed and mutual obli
gations will be fulfilled. Besides Gods
spirit, their approaching closer and closer
to human perfection will make this easier
and more enjoyable to do. Luke 2 3 :4 3 .
23 The populating of the earth with their
children and their childrens children will
proceed with full regard for the coming
resurrection. Jesus said that all those who
are in the memorial tombs will in due time
hear the voice of the Everlasting Father
and come forth to a resurrection with
precious opportunities for everlasting life
in human perfection on earth. (John 5 :2 8 ,
29, N W ) Aside from marriage privileges,
the other sheep surviving the battle of
Armageddon will have untold privileges of
service opened up to them by the resurrec
tion of the dead, and these privileges will
continue even after the purpose of m ar
riage has been fulfilled and childbearing on
earth ceases and husbands are relieved of
the obligation to give their wives children.
Acts 2 4 :1 5 .
24 Thus Jehovahs purpose in beautifying
this earth with human marriage will be
gloriously accomplished. B y Jesus Christ
the Everlasting Father, Jehovah God will
give eternal proof that marriage was cer
tain to be a complete success on earth.
Marriage will have worked in full harmony
with his purpose in creating the earth and
putting perfect man upon it, namely, to
fill an earthly paradise with a perfect,
23. What other privileges will the other sheep surviving
Armageddon have?
24. Then what heavenly and earthly proof will there be
that marriage is a complete success?

O ctober

1, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER.

605

tion in heaven under Jesus Christ. Jehovah

as an affectionate Grand Father and his
universal organization as a tenderhearted
Grand Mother will forever join in express
ing their loving-kindness to their grand
children, their God-fearing offspring on
earth.

righteous human family, in full vindica

tion of his bringing in the irreproachable
arrangement of marriage. N ot only will
eternally saved mankind on the paradise
earth rejoice evermore but also the great
heavenly Husband Jehovah and his faith
ful, beloved wife, his universal organiza-

NO T SO SAFE TO BE A C H R IST IA N
E A N James A. Pike of New York Cathe
dral said he sometimes felt it was un
fortunate that being a Christian is such
a safe thing. W hen this orthodox clergyman
said that, it is very doubtful that he was think
ing about Jehovahs witnesses, who preach
Gods kingdom. To be one of Jehovahs wit
nesses is not so safe a thing, as the following
experience will show:
Jf In eastern Germany the work of Jehovahs
witnesses is banned as it is in all Communistcontrolled lands. But the young man of whom
we speak was not one of Jehovahs witnesses;
he had just heard of them and had at one time
just briefly glanced through some of their
literature. But he soon found out that even to
breathe the words of Christianity can be a
dangerous matter today.
^ One day, slightly over a year ago, he was
traveling from W est Berlin to eastern Ger
many to attend his fathers funeral. On the
train he struck up a conversation with some
of the travelers. They comforted him with
words of religion, but he, forgetting for the
moment that he was in eastern Germany, said
he found great comfort in what the Bible had
to say regarding the dead and the hope of a
resurrection.
Immediately his travelers associated him
with Jehovahs witnesses, because it seems
that no other religion of any significance in
Communist lands professes any belief in the
Bible. Before the young man knew it he was
taken off the train by the Communist VP
(Peoples Police) and was arrested. Instead of
getting to his fathers funeral, he landed in an
East German court and was sentenced to one
year in the penitentiary.

*:*

*
&
*

U? W hile in prison he came in contact with

some of Jehovahs witnesses who had been
arrested and tried in the same way. There in
prison for the first time he learned about
Jehovahs witnesses, who they were and what
they believed. In fact, while in prison he decided that was what he wanted to be one of
Jehovahs witnesses. Some time later he was
baptized in water as a symbol of his dedication and new life.

W hen he returned to W est Berlin after

missing his fathers funeral he was a year old% er, much wiser, a servant of the Most High
j* God and very grateful for his experience and
for having tasted some of the sufferings of
% Christ.

His mind reflected on the words of Peter

and Paul, who said: Beloved ones, do not
be puzzled at the burning among you which
X is happening to you for a trial, as though a
* strange thing were befalling you. On the con*> trary, go on rejoicing forasmuch as you are
sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, that
you m ay rejoice and be overjoyed also during
| the revelation of his glory. If you are being
X reproached for the name of Christ, you are
X happy, because the spirit of glory, even the
* spirit of God, is resting upon you. In fact,
all those desiring to live with godly devotion
| in association with Christ Jesus will also be
persecuted. 1 Pet. 4:12-14; 2 Tim. 3:12, NW.
X ^ So, contrary to Dean Pikes statement,
Christians still find being a Christian is not so
* safe a thing in this world. But they are happy
* for it, because it proves them Christians in
deed and not in name only.

Writing the Human Recommendation Letter with God's Spirit

O D A Y professional people like to dis
play in their offices the diplomas they
received from their college or university.
These documents testify to their being
qualified and cause others to have con
fidence in them. They might therefore be
said to be printed letters of recommenda
tion signed with pen and ink.
Although Christendoms clergy also like
to point to the diplomas they received from
institutions of higher learning to prove
that they are ministers, such diplomas do
not prove that they are genuine Christian
ministers of the true God Jehovah. One
of the best Christian ministers of Jehovah
was the apostle Paul, yet he had no such
diploma or letter of recommendation. But
he had letters of far greater merit. And
what were they? He tells us:
Do we, perhaps, like some men, need
letters of recommendation to you or from
you? You yourselves are our letter, in
scribed on our hearts and known and being
read by all mankind. For you are shown
to be a letter of Christ written by us as
ministers, inscribed not with ink but with
spirit of the living God, not on stone tab
lets, but on fleshly tablets, on hearts.
2 Cor. 3 :1 -3 , N W *
O f course, before Paul could be such a
minister he had to have the light from God
shine upon him, he had to repent of his
sinful course and accept Gods mercy, had
to call upon Gods name and to have his
sins washed away in the blood of Jesus
sacrifice, and had to make a public confes
sion of his faith by being baptized. W hat
was required of Paul is also required of all
who would be Gods ministers.
And how did Paul write his human
recommendation letters by Gods spirit?
W hile working as a tentmaker at Corinth

he preached every sabbath in the syna

gogue to win over both Jews and Greeks.
In time he became more intensely occu
pied with the word of God, staying in
Corinth about a year and a half. When
Paul left there was a Christian congrega
tion there that was a letter of recommen
dation. And it was written by Gods spirit,
for Pauls preaching was done by the spirit
of God through Paul. Acts 1 8:1 -5.
The same is true of Christian ministers
today. W hile the governments of Christen
dom m ay refuse to recognize their Scrip
tural ordination, they have far better let
ters that they themselves have been used
to write and that show their divine ordina
tion. Yes, far better than any handwritten,
typed or printed letters.
Their letters are written on human
hearts by means of Gods holy spirit in that
they manifest the fruitage of the spirit,
which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, selfcontrol. (Gal. 5 :2 2 , 23,
This fruit
age of Gods spirit motivates them to go
from house to house and stand on street
corners in search of human tablets of the
hearts, on which to write. And it causes
them to call back and conduct Bible stud
ies with all who show any likelihood of
letting the spirit of God write on their
hearts. And Gods spirit causes these min
isters to stay with these persons, bringing
them to congregational meetings and as
sisting them to have a share in the preach
ing work also.
Soon these take their stand, dedicate
themselves to do Jehovahs will and are
baptized, giving public testimony that they
now also are ministers of Jehovah. Thus
they are read by all men, letters proving
that the Christian witnesses of Jehovah
are ministers.

* For details see The Watchtower, November 1, 1955.

606

 Would Adam and Eve in Eden ever have

been permitted to eat of the tree of the knowl
edge of good and bad? D. A., United States.
After quoting Genesis 2:15-17, the book New
Heavens and a New Earth says on pages 72
and 73: According to this, man would not die
for not eating from the tree of knowledge but
would die for eating from it while prohibited.
This implies that the time would come when
the eating of this fruit would not be prohib
ited. This tree symbolized the power or ability
to determine and decree what is good and bad.
After Adam and Eve had proved their obedi
ence to Jehovah over a period of time and had
shown a conformity with God's judgment as
to what was good and what was bad, after
they had absorbed the divine principles gov
erning right as against wrong conduct, then it
may be that Jehovah would have permitted
them to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge
of good and bad. This would show that their
training under God had equipped them to do
this in harmony with Gods judgment of such
matters and that they could now correctly de
termine what was good and what was bad.
But Adam and Eve did not wait, did not ex
perience the necessary period of training and
divine instruction, and they failed the test
when they ran ahead of Jehovah and ate of
the then forbidden fruit. So they never did
come to the point where they could properly

judge or determine with sureness what was

good and what was bad. N or have their de
scendants, who inherited sin and imperfection.
In the Scriptures there is nothing to show that
with the restoration of the earthly paradise
under Gods kingdom by Christ the tree of the
knowledge of good and bad will be restored
to test mankind. A s page 352 of the abovementioned book says: The test on earth will
not be by any replanted tree of the knowledge
of good and bad. By the close of the millen
nium perfected humankind will have gone
through good and bad by actual experience.
The test will be by means of the same one
that led mankind astray at the beginning of
their history, Satan the Devil, together with
his demons.
Concerning Christ Jesus it is written at Isa
iah 11:10 (AS): And his resting-place shall be
glorious. Does this resting place refer to the
sabbath rest during the thousand-year reign of
Christ? J. H., United States.
This does not refer to the sabbath rest, but
to the heavenly abode of Christ Jesus. During
his ministry on earth Jesus did not have a
permanent abode, but said: Foxes have dens
and birds of heaven have roosts, but the Son
of man has nowhere to lay down his head.
(Matt. 8:20, NW) In contrast, Jesus has a glo
rious resting place in heaven. A similar use of
resting place as an abode is found at Ruth 3 :1
( NW) : Naom i her mother-in-law now said to
her: M y daughter, ought I not to look for a
resting place for you, that it m ay go well with
you? In saying this Naom i was taking steps
to get a permanent home or abode for Ruth.
So at Isaiah 11:10 the glorious resting place
for Christ refers to his place of heavenly abode.

Ptofiessional aX "Ticklets
H In the United States there is an organization called the National Laugh Founda
tion. It recently gave out its 1956 awards. The winners were a politician and a
clergyman. The awards go to Adlai Stevenson and Bishop Fulton Sheen for what
the foundation calls their contributions to the humor of the nation. The Laugh
Foundations awards could not help but remind thinking Christians of the Bible
prophecy for the last days when there will be a period of time when they will not
put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will
accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled. 2 Tim. 4:3, NW.
607

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

October 28: Marriage Obligations and Divorce,
II 1-20. Page 585.
November 4: Marriage Obligations and Divorce,
If 21-42. Page 591.
November 11: He That Marries Not Does Bet
ter/ Page 598.

THE WAY TO PEACE WITH GOD

W orld peace is the sincere desire of all
honest-hearted men. Whether it can be attained

After reading this issue of The Watchtower*, do you remember

^
What the Christian must do if his mate
goes insane? P. 591, Tf2 1.

* * Why the Jews of Jesus* day were so vig

orously opposed to national emblems? P. 5 79,
115.

V
Whether an adulterous mate must be di
vorced? P. 594, 1130.

How today s churches disagree on what

God s kingdom is? P. 581, TT6.
^

v*

What advantage the single have over the

married? P. 602, II14.

What the Bible s theme is? P. 582, If3.

Whether God s kingdom will come by the

world s converting to Christ? P. 583, 114.

What letter of recommendation Paul had,

greater than anything written with ink? P.
606, If3.

^
What rights God says the wife should
have from her husband? P. 585, 113.

Whether Adam would ever have been per

mitted to eat of the tree of knowledge? P.
607, If2.

What the only valid ground for divorce

is? P. 589, If 16.
^

608

 ^Irm o xcn c in q

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM
Semimonthly

OFFER TO G O D A SACRIFICE
OF PRAISE
OFFER YOUR SACRIFICES
OF PRAISE ARIGHT
WHEN WILL GODS KINGDOM COME?
IS GOD A SEGREGATIONIST?
W TB4TS

T H E PURPOSE OF T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, warn o f danger, or announce good
news. O ur magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G ods W ord . That elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G od s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 -3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W hen it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, war, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atchtow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to what is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, ft announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, com forts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G ods W o rd . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
w ell the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

?
PUBLISHED BY THE
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H . K norr , President
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue: 2,800,000

CONTENTS

PUBLISHED IN

Is God a Segregationist?
W hen W ill Gods Kingdom Com e?
The Hands in the Scriptures
Sylvester I, the Man W ho W a sn t There
O Ye of Little Faith
Pursuing M y Purpose in Life
Offer to God a Sacrifice of Praise
Problems in Bible Translation
Offer Your Sacrifices of Praise Aright
Children Respond to Discipline
Bible Questions Stump Clergymen
Questions from Readers
Mans Rightful Role

611
613
616
617
619
620
625
631
632
637
638
639
639

Abbreviations ssed in The Watchtower tor the following Bible versions

AS - American Standard Version
LXX - The Septuagint Version
Mo - James Moffatts version
AT - An American Translation
NW - New World Translation
Da - J. N. Darbys version
Ro - J. B. Rotherham's version
Dy - Catholic Douay version
RS - Revised Standard Version
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott
Yg - Robert Youngs version
L e - Isaac Leesers version
Unless

otherwise

indicated,

the

Bible used is

the

King James Version

THE

S e m im o n t h ly
Afrikaans
Arabic
Cebu-Visayan
Cinyanja
Danish
English
Finnish

French
German
Greek
Hollandisb
llocano
Indonesian
Italian

Japanese
Norwegian
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Twi

Five cents a copy

FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Monthly
Armenian
Burmese
Chinese
Clbembs
Cishona
HiligaynonVisayan
Ibo
Kanarese

Korean
Malayalam
Pangasin&n
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Sesotho
Siamese
Silozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

for semimonthly editions
Watch Tower Society offices
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
Australia, 11 Beresford Bd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
VJamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
VNew Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
South Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
* ?/Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$1.75

$1
8/$1
T/-

Monthly editions cost half the above rates.

Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

~ y4 n rio zi7 T .ci7 T .cy

J E H O V A H S
K IN G D O M
O c to b e r 15, 1956

U5

First, God
does not say
that he cre
ated the rac
es distinct
from one ano t h e r . In
stea d, he
s a y s that
they all are one. Eve . . . was the mother
of all living. Of the three sons of Noah
. . . was the whole earth overspread. God
hath made of one blood all nations of
men. These are the things the Bible says.
When such differences arise, between what
men have said and what the Bible says,
whom do you believe, God or men? Gen.
3:20; 9:19; Acts 17:26.
Further, the Bible does not say that God
scattered men because they began to inte
grate. The scattering was at Babel, and all
the men there were of the same general
family anyway, this being only a short
time after the Flood. Integration was not
the issue; false religion was. When the men
at Babel went to build us a city and a
tower, whose top may reach unto heaven;
and . . . make us a name, lest we be scat
tered abroad upon the face of the whole
earth, then God divided these false wor
shipers, not according to color, but accord
ing to language. So, again, the Bible does
not support the segregationists claim.
Gen. 11:4.

Ioutfit?
OME people say that God is the one
who segregated the races; others say
that racial segregation is just the opposite
of the Christian principle of love. Last
June 27 the American Baptist Association
unanimously adopted a resolution putting
God on the side of segregation. According
to reports in the public press this resolu
tion included these four points:
God created the races distinct from one
another. God scattered the races over the
face of the earth at a time when they at
tempted to integrate and become one
(Genesis 11:8). All flesh is not the same
flesh (1 Corinthians 15:39) and just as
animals, fishes, and birds are of a flesh
peculiar to their kind . . . so He has also
drawn the lines of demarcation between
the black and white races. A great seg
ment, if not the majority, of the Negro
population of the South does not desire
integration.
The American Baptist Association rep
resents only a small part of the Baptists
in America, but these arguments are quite
common and they deserve investigation.
The following paragraphs will consider the
four points made in this resolution.

611

N u m b e r 20

612

SffceWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

The resolution continues: All flesh is both of whom were non-Israelites, and
not the same flesh (1 Corinthians 15:39) both of whom became ancestors of Jesus.
But still some segregationists say: If
and just as animals, fishes, and birds are
of a flesh peculiar to their kind . . . so He God didnt segregate the races, then why
has also drawn the lines of demarcation are they of different colors? Skin color,
between the black and white races. But slant of the eye, color of the hair, etc., are
1 Corinthians 15:39 says: There is one inheritance factors. All the variations, in
kind of flesh of men, another flesh of cluding the many shades of skin color that
beasts, another of fishes, and another of the human race knows, were available in
birds. On its face this text disproves the the genes provided in the first man and
American Baptists argument. It says there woman. Skin color is a result of the genes
is one kind of flesh of men, not two kinds, a person inherited, just as blonde hair or
as these people say. Again, whom will you blue eyes are. God allowed for great vari
ety, but it is mans activity that has put
believe, God or man?
The final point: A great segment, if not one group into a superior position over
the majority, of the Negro population of another.
Far from teaching segregation, the Bi
the South does not desire integration.
ble
condemns it. Paul publicly rebuked
This statement, whether true or false, is
Peter
for being ashamed to be seen with
of no point to our discussion here, for it
the
uncircumcised
Gentile Christians. And
has no effect on whether God can be
he
wrote:

There
is
neither Jew nor Greek,
blamed for segregation.
.
.
.
for
you
are
all
one
in union with Christ
Some people argue that the colored race
Jesus.
Gal.
3:28,
NW
was sentenced to a secondary status by
But
whether
the
Bible
teaches
it
or
not
Noah after the flood, in that he cursed
Canaan, the son of Ham. However, the the issue of segregation will remain. Ac
facts show that the colored race sprang tually, it is one of the most power-charged
not from Hams son Canaan but from his issues of our times. Even many people who
son Cush. Therefore not even Noahs curse think they oppose segregation actually
as recorded at Genesis 9:26, 27 can be used practice it when the issue comes to their
to argue that God is responsible for segre neighborhood instead of its being in the
other persons.
gation.
Then what should the true Christian do
Some people argue that God segregated
the Israelites. But this too dealt with re about it all? He does not spend his time
ligion, not with race. The Law given to trying to solve all such social problems,
Israel said: You must form no marriage because neither Jesus nor the apostles
alliance with them. Your daughter you took such a course. They did not agi
must not give to his son, and his daughter tate against Romes occupation of Pales
you must not take for your son. For he tine or even against the actual slavery
will turn your son from following me and that was common then. They stayed free
they will certainly serve other gods, and from such issues so that they could do their
Jehovahs anger will indeed blaze against far more important work of pointing to
you and he will certainly annihilate you in Gods kingdom as mans only hope.
a hurry. (Deut. 7:3, 4,
However,
Today true Christians follow that good
the Israelites could marry people who ac example. They follow the Christian prin
cepted true worship. Salmon married Ra- ciples of love, pointing to the blessings of
hab, and Boaz married the widow Ruth, Gods kingdom as the only real solution to

October 15, 1956

f&eWATCHTOWEFC

all of earths problems, and announcing

that under that kingdom rule there will
be no segregation on any basis but a one
ness of all mankind under their Creator,
Jehovah God.
Men of all races are examining the Scrip
tures. They are seeing this wise course and

613

are teaching others of the glorious condi

tions of peace that Gods kingdom soon will
bring to earth. The blessings that this Goddirected kingdom will provide will prove
once and for all that God really does love
all men who serve him, and that he is no
segregationist.

Do you pray, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"? If
so, then you will be interested in knowing G o d s time for that prayer to be answered.

JUST government, wisely admin

istered, has ever been the desire of
all honest men. But without a knowledge
of Gods purposes men have groped blind
ly, hoping against hope that some day such
a government would be realized. However,
as the years roll by it seems that man has
ever less reason for hoping, and certainly
the world situation today does not warrant
any optimism. If there ever is to be a right
eous rule on earth God himself will have to
bring it about.
And that he will, for none other than his
own Son assured us of a righteous rule
that someday would benefit all mankind,
when he taught his followers
to pray: Let your kingdom
come. Let your will come to
pass, as in heaven, also upon
earth. Think what that
means Gods will done on
earth as it is in heaven! No
more war, no more wicked
ness, injustice and crime,
no more disease, pain and
d e a t h !Matt. 6:10, AW.

Because 1,925 years have passed since

Jesus taught his followers that prayer,
many professed Christians have lost faith
that it ever will be answered. Thus
Christian Century, June 29, 1955, edito
rialized regarding the situation in the Unit
ed States: The difficulty over here these
days is to find churchmen who believe that
the Kingdom of God can ever be realized,
much less that it is around the corner.
But how can we doubt that Jesus prayer
will be realized? He would not have told us
to pray for it if it were impossible, would
he? Besides, did he not also say that with
God all things are possible ? Churchmen
who doubt that someday the
kingdom of God will be real
ized are blind guides, with
out faith and without under
standing of Gods Word.
They are Christians in name
only. Matt. 19:26, AW.
So let us first of all fully
settle it in our minds that
Jesus prayer will be an
swered, that Gods kingdom

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
STieWATCHTOWER
will someday be realized. But when? some ords on wars fought previous thereto, or
may impatiently ask. Will it be another for more than nineteen centuries. Luke
1,925 years, or perhaps even longer? No, 21:10, NW.
it will not. Fulfillment of Bible prophecy
And there will be great earthquakes.
shows that the realization of the kingdom Without a shadow of doubt these words
of God is just around the corner. In fact, have also seen marked fulfillment since
the Bible shows that the kingdom of God 1914. Statistics show that for the 2,000
has already been established and that for years that men have been keeping records
some forty years. How could that be? What of earthquakes up until 1914 some 4,700
is the proof?
lives were lost each year. But since 1914
earthquakes have been taking an average
FULFILLED PROPHECY GIVES PROOF
of 24,200 lives annually. And in recent
The Bible gives two lines of proof locat years the tempo of major earthquakes has
ing the time of the establishing of Gods stepped up still more.Luke 21:11, NW.
kingdom: one is that of chronology and
The same is true regarding Jesus proph
the other is the fulfillment of prophecy. ecy that there will be in one place after
Regarding Bible chronology, suffice it to another pestilences and food shortages.
say that on the basis of time periods indi The Spanish influenza took twenty million
cated in the books of Daniel and Revela lives between 1918 and 1922. According to
tion, as far back as 1877 the date 1914 was one authority this was the proudest figure
given as the time for the coming or estab ever reached by one of the diseases in his
lishing of Gods kingdom. This information tory known to us. Neither the dreaded
was first published by the first president of plague, nor typhus, nor leprosy reaped such
the Watch Tower Society in the pamphlet a harvest with one single attack during
The Three Worlds and shortly thereafter the Middle Ages.
in the columns of The Watchtower.
And as for famine or food shortages.
So thirty-seven years before 1914 it was Here again the evidence is conclusive. The
announced that Bible chronology pin facts show that the famines that followed
pointed that year as the time for the be World Wars I and II affected more than
ginning of Gods kingdom, even though at twice as many people as did the four
the time not all the details were clearly major famines of 1016,1344,1790 and 1877.
understood. And this date has had the
Continuing, Jesus foretold that his fol
strongest possible corroboration in the ful lowers would be hated and persecuted by
fillment of Jesus great prophecy as re all nations. World Wars I and II furnished
corded at Matthew chapters 24 and 25, the excuse for the enemies of true Chris
Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21. In tians to vent their spleen upon them. As
proof thereof note the following:
a result the work of preaching the good
In that prophecy Jesus stated, among news of Gods kingdom was banned in
other things, that nation will rise against many lands, thousands of its preachers
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. were imprisoned, thousands of others were
Have we seen that prophecy fulfilled since mobbed, and today thousands of still oth
1914? We certainly have. According to one ers continue to suffer in lands dominated
Harvard University professor there have either by religious or political totalitarian
been many, many times as much havoc governments. Jesus further stated that
wrought by war since 1914 as during all men would become faint out of fear and ex
the time that men have been keeping rec- pectation of the things coming upon the

614

615
SfieWATCHTOWER,
earth. Certainly the mad race for suprem sus Christ is its king and he said of him
acy in air power and in nuclear weapons self that the world would see him no more.
gives abundant proof that men are very (John 14:19) And according to Revelation
apprehensive regarding the future. Luke 14:1 and 20:6 he will have 144,000 others
associated with him in the heavens and
21:12-26.
Other features of Jesus prophecy iden therefore also invisible to human eyes.
tifying 1914 as the time of the establishing These associate rulers he has been selecting
of the Kingdom are the increasing of law since Pentecost.
The Kingdom was born in 1914, for at
lessness and the preaching of this good
news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited that time God commanded his Son: Rule
earth for the purpose of a witness to all the thou in the midst of thine enemies. Reve
nations, after which the accomplished lation 12:1-12 shows what followed the
end is to come. There is no question about birth of the Kingdom, there pictured by
the increase in delinquency and crime; and the birth of a man child. There was war in
as for the preaching of this good news of heaven; Jesus Christ, as Michael, and his
the Kingdom world-wide, the 1956 Year angels fought against the dragon Satan and
book of Jehovahs Witnesses shows that his angels, resulting in Satan and his de
this is being done in some 160 different mons being cast down to earth. At that
lands and islands of the sea, and that by time woe was pronounced upon those on
more than 640,000 Christian ministers of earth because of Satans having come down
to them with great wrath, knowing that
Jehovah. Matt. 24:12, 14, NW.
his
time is short. This accounts for the in
Jesus mentioned many other features,
creased
evil and woes since then. Ps.
which space does not permit going into,
110
:
2
.
that further established the date 1914. And
We might illustrate all this with the
so does the apostle Pauls prophecy at
birth
of the United States. Born on July 4,
2 Timothy 3:1-7, telling of the perilous
1776,
it took a seven years war before its
times of the last days. And especially does
thirteen
colonies gained their independence
Revelation 11:15-18 point to 1914, for it
from
England.
The years between 1776 and
tells of the beginning of Gods kingdom as
1783
can
be
compared
to the years between
being followed by the nations becoming
1914
when
the
Kingdom
was born and the
angry. Certainly since 1914 the nations of
time
when
the
battle
of
Armageddon will
earth have raged as never before. (For a
be
fought,
which
will
mark
the full end
listing of some thirty more features of the
of
this
wicked
old
system
of
things
and the
Kingdom Sign please see
Sure of
beginning
of
Kingdom
blessings
for
those
All Things , pages 337 to 344.)
on earth who survive that battle. Rev.
16:14, 16.
WHEN KINGDOM BLESSINGS?
God has arranged for this intervening
But perhaps at this point someone will
time
so that men of good will can hear the
ask: If 1914 marks the coming or birth
message
of the Kingdom and identify
of Gods kingdom, where is it? Where
themselves
as the sheep, which Jesus
are the Kingdom blessings and why are
places
at
his
right hand. (Matt. 25:31-46)
conditions on earth growing worse in
stead of getting better? We cannot see When this work has been completed the
the kingdom of God because it is a heaven battle of Armageddon will be fought, in
ly, spiritual, and therefore invisible, king which all the goats will be destroyed and
dom; humans can see it only by faith. Je- Satan and his demons be cast into the abyss
O ctober

15, 1956

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SEeWATCHTOWEFL
of deathlike inactivity. This cannot be very of that kingdom in our generation but also
far off, for Jesus said that the generation its blessings for mankind. And let all who
that saw 1914 will by no means pass away wish to enjoy those blessings continue not
until all these things occur. Matt. 24: only to pray for it to come in its complete
34,
NW.
ness but also to live in harmony with its
So let all men of good will who long for a righteous requirements, giving their alle
righteous rule on earth take hope. The giance to it and making it known to others.
kingdom for which Jesus taught us to pray Yes, let all these keep on, then, seeking
is certain to be realized, and the fulfillment first the kingdom of God and his right
of Bible prophecy locates not only the birth eousness.Matt. 6:33,

616

J b e Hands in the Scriptures

H E hands, by reason of the wonderful way
in which they serve man, truly demon
strate the Creators love and wisdom.
They being so useful and capable of so much
skill, it is not surprising that they come in
for much attention in the Scriptures, being
referred to, literally and symbolically, some
two thousand times.
The literal hand was used for measuring.
Thus the handbreadth was three inches and
the span nine inches or a half cubit.
^ W hile nowhere do we read of the hands
being clasped or folded in prayer as religious
pictures so often show, the Bible repeatedly
tells of those praying spreading out their
palms or lifting up their hands to heaven.
W hen an oath was sworn in Jehovahs name
the right hand was raised, as when Abram
swore that he would touch none of the re
covered goods of the king of Sodom at the
time he rescued his nephew Lot.

Handshaking was used to make certain a

promise, as when certain Israelites promised
Ezra that they would put away their foreign
wives. (Ezra 10:19, N W ) And when Paul and
Barnabas were sent forth to preach to the
nations the pillars of the early church gave
them the right hand of joint participation.
Gal. 2:9 , NW .
Going surety for another, or giving a
pledge, was indicated by striking the hands
together in the presence of witnesses.

i? Hands were laid upon a person by those

with authority to appoint such a one to a
certain office, as when Moses laid hands on
Joshua, thereby commissioning him. Likewise
the apostles laid their hands upon the seven
that were to serve as ministerial assistants in
the distribution of food. Also the holy spirit
was repeatedly received by reason of the
apostles laying their hands on certain ones.
When Aaron and his sons were consecrated
for the priesthood their hands were literally
filled with offerings and figuratively 'filled
with power, which is the meaning o f the
Hebrew word there translated variously
consecrate, install and ordain. And
when an atonement for sins was made the
hands were laid upon the animal victim.
Lev. 8:33, NW .
The Bible also speaks of the hands of sin
ners having spots on them or being full of
blood and they are urged to wash their hands,
by faith, repentance and right works. Pilate,
feeling guilty, washed his hands literally as a
symbol of disclaiming any responsibility for
Jesus death.
The Bible often speaks of Gods hand, his
right hand being a symbol of favor. Chris
tians are told to humble themselves under
Gods power or mighty hand. The hand of
Jehovah being upon one means that his power
is exercised toward that one, either for good,
blessing and protection, or for punishment
and destruction, as the one may deserve.

As to his powers in this regard

the Catholic Encyclopedia points
out: As the supreme teacher of
the Church, whose it is to pre
scribe what is to be believed by
all the faithful, and to take
measures for the preservation
and the propagation of the faith,
the following are the rights
which pertain to the pope:
(a) it is his to set forth creeds,
and to determine when and by
whom an explicit profession of
faith shall be made. 2 As to the
calling of assemblies the same
authority says further: The
legislative power of the pope
carries with it the following
rights: . . . (b) if he legislates
with the aid of a council, it is
his to convoke it, to preside, to
direct its deliberations, to con
firm its acts. 3
In view of the significance of the Nicene
Creed as a basic confession of faith of
Catholics as well as Protestants, its origin
and the men responsible for it should be of
interest to all professed Christians. So, in
answer to our opening question, let us con
sider the part played in this historic drama
by Sylvester I, Saint, Pope.
This was the era of Constantine the
Great, when the public position of the
Church so greatly improved, a change
which must certainly have been very no
ticeable at Rome; it is consequently to be
regretted that there is so little authorita
tive information concerning Sylvesters
pontificate. At an early date legend brings
him into close relationship with the first
Christian emperor, but in a way that is
contrary to historical fact. *
-------

HILDREN of the Roman

Catholic Church are told
not to accept any doctrine that
does not originate with the
church. Further than that,
they are told that the ordi
nary priest and even the bish
ops are not authorized to in
terpret the Bible. It is said
that only the popes, as vice
gerents of Christ Jesus and
successors of Peter, the apos
tle, are infallibly directed in
faith and morals. Many sin
cere Catholic people have
strictly adhered to this policy with little
or no question.
Would it surprise and perhaps shock
such persons to know that the very founda
tion teaching of their religion and their
church was formulated and established by
an assembly of priests and bishops without
ever receiving approval of the pope during
whose pontificate the council was held?
The Catholic Encyclopedia, under the
heading Nicene Creed, states: As ap
proved in amplified form at the Council of
Constantinople (381), it [the Nicene
Creed] is the profession of the Christian
Faith common to the Catholic church, to
all the Eastern churches separated from
Rome, and to most of the Protestant de
nominations. 1 Would it not be reasonable
to suppose, in view of the basic nature of
this creed, that the pope himself was instrumental in formulating it?

2 Ibid., Vol. XII, p. 269.

3 Ibid., Vol. XII, p. 269.
4 Ibid., Vol. XIV, p. 370.

1 The Catholic Encyclopedia, edition of 1913, Vol. XI,

p. 49.
617

618

SFEeWATCHTOWER,
NO POPE AT COUNCIL OF NICAEA

Perhaps, though, we might be able to

find more positive evidence as to his fulfill
ing his position of pope in calling the Coun
cil of Nicaea. Again we are disappointed:
It is not historically known whether the
emperor in convoking the Council acted
solely in his own name or in concert with
the pope; however, it is probable that Con
stantine and Sylvester came to an agree
ment. . . . The Council was opened by Con
stantine [not Sylvester] with the greatest
solemnity. The emperor waited until all
the bishops had taken their seats before
making his entry. . . . He had opened the
session as honorary president, and he as
sisted at the subsequent sessions, but the
direction of the theological discussions was
abandoned, as was fitting, to the ecclesias
tical leaders of the council [not to the
pope]. The actual president seems to have
been Hosius of Cordova [again, not Syl
vester, who was not even there], assisted by
the popes legates, Victor and Vicentius. 5
As to these latter two named, they were
ordinary priests and apparently the only
ones attending from Rome. Their names
merely appear among the list of signatures
at the end of the documentary record of the
council and there is no indication in this
record that they had any special authority.
But since only the pope has the right to
determine when and by whom an explicit
profession of faith shall be made, he must
certainly have made some outstanding de
cree as to the acceptance of these funda
mental teachings! Again we quote: It is
not certain whether Constantine had ar
ranged beforehand with Sylvester concern
ing the actual convening of the council, nor
whether there was an express papal con
firmation of the decrees beyond the sig
natures of the papal legates. 6 And since
there is no evidence in the record itself
'/b id ., Vol. XI, pp. 44. 45.
Ibid., Vol. XIV, p. 371.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

that Victor and Vicentius acted for the

pope, it makes Sylvesters authorization
even less certain.
There is one more point to consider. In
one of our quotations it was stated that the
Nicene Creed as approved in amplified
form at the Council of Constantinople
(381), . . . is the profession of the Chris
tian Faith. Was official confirmation final
ly given on this occasion? Turning again
to our Catholic authority we read: The
First Council of Constantinople (Second
General Council) was called in May, 381,
by Emperor Theodosius,. . . to confirm the
Nicene Faith, . . . and was presided over
by Miletus of Antioch [again, not the
pope]; . . . According to Photius7 Pope
Damasus approved it, but if any part of
the council were approved by this pope it
could have been only the aforesaid creed. 8
Sincere Catholics, as well as Protestants,
might well ask themselves, In the matter of
this most important Christian Creed, who
did actually fulfill the position of pope,
Sylvester I, the one officially so designated
by the Catholic Church, or Constantine,
secular ruler of Rome and only a short time
previously converted to Christianity ?
The unmistakable evidence, even from
Catholic authority, points directly to Con
stantine. It was Constantine, not Sylvester,
that convened the Council; it was Con
stantine, not Sylvester, that presided; it
was Constantine, not Sylvester, that issued
the decrees. In fact, Sylvester was not even
there. And it is not unnoteworthy that at
the time of his action Constantine bore
the title that has since then been reserved
for the popes, that is, the title Pontifex
Maximus. 9
In view of its background, then, all pro7 Photius (born c. 815) usurped patriarchate in 857,
was deposed, restored and again deposed and excom
municated in 886. Although he is considered by Catholic
authorities as an early father he is also viewed as a
dissident and as responsible for the schism which finally
came 1043-58.
8 Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 308.
9 Ibid., Vol. XII, p. 270.

October 15, 1956

STieWATCHTOWER-

fessed Christians would do well to view the

Nicene Creed with suspicion. This becomes
even more certain when its teachings are
given unbiased scrutiny in the light of
Jehovah Gods inspired Word, the Bible.
Such careful analysis will convince all
truth-seeking persons that the Nicene
Creed is something beyond what was de-

'0

Ye

N D E R the above title the Valley News of

Hanover, N ew Hampshire, of April 11,
1956, published the following commonsense editorial:
Every once in a while some public official
creates a situation that leaves the rest of us
wondering if he ever heard of freedom, de
mocracy, and political and human rights. A t
the very least these actions imply a lack of
faith in the peoples understanding of free
dom. A t the most, they are a gross and arbi
trary display of official ability to make a
mountain out of a molehill. The latest official
to breach freedoms ramparts is Vermont
Adjutant General Francis Billado. A group of
Jehovahs Witnesses planned an area meet
ing in Bennington. They sought to use the
National Guard Armory. They signed a for
mal and legally binding lease of the building
as did representatives of the National Guard.
The Witnesses then publicized their meeting
among their assemblies.
^ Then, like a bolt out of the blue, more
than a month after the contract had been
signed and the Witnesses had concluded ad
vance publicity arrangements, General Billado
abruptly cancelled the contract. He cited as
his reason the possibility of trouble a riot
or something. The Witnesses, being essen
tially peaceful people, have chosen not to
make a legal fight to enforce the lease. One
of two things is plainly evident: Either the

619

dared as good news by Jesus apostles, in

cluding Peter, and therefore subject itself
to the curse or anathema pronounced by
Paul at Galatians 1:8
However,
even if we or an angel out of heaven were
to declare to you as good news something
beyond what we declared to you as good
news, let him be accursed.

of Little Faith'
Guard and Billado did not know anything
about the Witnesses when they signed the
contract or they were subject to pressure
from the outside. If the form er is the case,
then it is an amazing show of ignorance on a
high official level. If it is the latter, then
Billado has the duty to speak out forthrightly
naming names and revealing why he believes
that there is a possibility of trouble.
The Jehovahs Witnesses are a sect that
has demonstrated over and over again that it
is capable of conducting orderly meetings.
Their national assemblies have been so well
organized and run as to excite admiration
from those who have watched them in opera
tion. Their beliefs are not generally popular,
yet the sect is one of the fastest growing re
ligious bodies in America. The great majority
of Americans have a pretty firm grip on the
principles of freedom. W hen they see a prom
inent official backing away from a legal com
mitment because of the possibility of trouble,
they have good reason to wonder.
Governor Johnson has been quoted as
saying that he plans to obtain full informa
tion about the incident. W e hope that he does
just that and if, as we strongly suspect, there
is no evidence of a clear and present danger,
no possibility of trouble a riot or something
he will have the courage to set the matter
straight publicly.

0*/ian2mi2Sio(i
C. The new book The Dead Sea Scrolls by Millar Burrows brings up the question
as to whether these scrolls change the Bible as we know it. The author answers
with a categorical nay. In fact, both the Isaiah manuscript and the Habakkuk
text confirm, as Burrows writes, that the essential truth and the will of God
revealed in the Bible . . . have been preserved unchanged through all the vicissi
tudes in the transmission of the text.

o 4s

told by Victoria Dougaluk^

the past few years, while

studying at the homes of people of good
will or associating with Jehovahs peo
ple in general, I often have heard re
marked: With all your experiences you
should write a book about your missionary
life. I being out daily in the service and
having such a full schedule, this was, of
course, quite impractical. However, it was
recently suggested that I write, not a book,
but a few high lights that stand out during
years that I have been pursuing my pur
pose in life as a missionary. Confidentially,
I think a book would be simpler, as there is
so much that can be said.
So back to the year 1939 when my moth
er, a resident of Chippawa, Ontario, Cana
da, after having frequented all the church
es in the district looking for the truth,
finally found in the Bible, with the aid of
Watch Tower publications, what satisfied
and continues to satisfy her. In spite of her
patiently showing us the contrast between
true and false religion, I continued to go
to the Roman Catholic church, where I was
a member of the choir, youth organization
and catechism class. I remember her tact
fully pretending to teach me to read her
native Ukrainian tongue while at the same
time choosing scriptures containing prom
ises of Kingdom blessings for me to read.
Her patience was rewarded when one Sun
620

day, of my own free will, I left the church

and waited outside for mass to finish so as
to walk home with my sisters. The congre
gation servant and other brothers were
just passing, taking my mother in door-todoor work. Seeing me on the church steps
at such an early hour, they stopped and
asked if I would join them. I was very hap
py to do so. At the time there was a girl
of my own age in the car, who encouraged
me very much and told me I had done the
proper thing by leaving, as I could not par
take from two tables.
At that time I was twelve, and ever
since I have always appreciated the energy,
patience and time the brothers of that
area spent in training me, never feeling
I was too young to bother with. In Septem
ber, 1940, I dedicated myself to Jehovah,
along with my mother and a younger sister.
Shortly after this a pioneer from
Newfoundland came to visit our congrega
tion servant. He was brought to our home
so that we might hear some of his experi
ences. I recall sitting there entranced and
saying, one day I would be a missionary
like that. This brothers encouraging words
stayed with me and were emphasized when,
in 1942, I attended my first assembly in
Cleveland, Ohio. There I met many full
time workers and they all seemed such a
happy lot. So I questioned them about their
activities and resolved that as soon as pos
sible I would put in my application for full
time pioneer service.
In October, 1943, at the age of 16, 1 be
gan to pursue my purpose in life, my new
career. After a short period of working
alone in the rurals on my bicycle I was as
signed to the city of Toronto, Canada,
along with another sistera complete
stranger to me. It was not long to remain
that way.
I like to think back of the kindness of
the Toronto branch office in getting me
settled, and of the love that the brothers

O ctober

15, 1956

SueW ATCHTOWER

showed in feeding, clothing and sheltering

me. Being away from home and very
young, I had much to learn and appreciated
the counsel of the older ones in the truth.
Bringing my Bible students to the meet
ings and watching them graduate to pub
lishers was my dream come true. What a
privilege to be used by Jehovah in this
way! I was very happy in thus having a
share in the vindication of Jehovahs name.
After a year my sister joined me in the
full-time service, having been encouraged
by the experiences I had related in my let
ters. This brought a change of assignment
to another congregation. At the time my
sister was 15; so again I mention what a
help the older brothers were in aiding us
to grow to maturity. We had many inter
esting Bible studies in this assignment, our
study book at the time being Children. One
study was with a family of deaf-mutes. At
first it seemed a real barrier, our not being
able to talk to each other; but soon I found
it was quite simple to talk with my hands
and make myself understood. The family
accepted the truth and came along in the
door-to-door work, using small cards that
explained the purpose of their call. They
moved shortly after
ward and it was a
thrill to know that
they attended the
1953 Yankee Stadi
um assembly in New
York, t r a v e l i n g
2,000 miles to do so.
H avi ng acquir ed
this new means of
thought communication, later on I was
able to carry on studies with four other
deaf-mute families.
Six months later I received an invitation
to the special pioneer ranks. Our assign
ment was an isolated territory in the sub
urbs of Toronto, Ontario. Having been told
to go as soon as possible, we immediately

621

made inquiry as to accommodation. That

very afternoon we moved, making arrange
ments to stay with a family for a week.
It became our home for a year and a half.
Special pioneering called for more hours,
more back-calls, this resulting in more ex
periences, more blessings. We would leave
very early in the morning, taking our
lunch, which we would eat in the huge
cemetery nearby, and returning only after
nightfall. We often witnessed to the care
takers and remember their astonishment
at our fearlessness in such a place. One
worker subscribed for The Watchtower
and took the address of the Kingdom Hall
nearest his home.
The sister we lived with often came
along, spending the entire day with us, add
ing variety and pleasant companionship.
In fact, the fellowship of the entire congre
gation we attended at the time did much
to build us up spiritually for what was yet
to come.
In our assignment we were very content,
lacking nothing; but I will admit that
secretly we were entertaining the thought
of one day being sent to the Province of
Quebec. We had heard of the persecution
o f th e b r o t h e r s
there, because of
th e ir p r e a c h i n g
work, how many of
them were mobbed,
beaten and impris
oned. We beg a n
thinking like this:
We have our youth,
strength and health;
why, an assignment like that would be
ideal for us, as we want to have a real
share in the fight for freedom along with
the brothers already there.
You can imagine our excitement when
one day not only did my sister receive an
invitation for special pioneering, but both
of us were asked to go to Montreal, Quebec,

622

SffteWATCHTOWER.

to carry on our ministry there. We also

heard that our younger sister was starting
her third successive year as a summer pio
neer, intending to join us in due time.
Before our leaving for Montreal others
also had been invited to Quebec and we
were called in to the Toronto branch.
The importance of learning French was
stressed; the customs of the people were
explained, and we were encouraged in gen
eral. This gave us a fine start.
May 1, 1946, saw two excited and nerv
ous sisters pulling into the big city of
Quebec Province. Thankfully we were met
by a brother who was then in charge of the
legal affairs in Montreal. We were taken
aside for a meeil, then to the weekly service
meeting of the congregation to which we
had been assigned. At that time only one
congregation was holding meetings, and
I shall never forget coming out of the hall,
my head feeling the size of a pumpkin,
having tried so hard to understand all that
had been said, in French. I recall listening
to an English-speaking pioneer answering
questions in French, and how much I ad
mired his having made such progress. I
was determined to do likewise.
It wasnt long before we were experienc
ing what we had at one time read about.
My sister was arrested and taken regularly
to the juvenile court and I was a regular
attendant at the recorders court, so much
so that the judge one day informed me that
I was the biggest nuisance that had ever
come into the place. We had many oppor
tunities of witnessing, not only to the court
personnel but to other prisoners. A great
bond of love grew up between the brothers
who shared prison experiences; one occa
sion I specially recall: Several of us had
been brought in together and as the bail
would come through, the oldest, or those
with families at home, were released first.
In the end two of us remained. Six days
passed, we not knowing when our turn

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

would come. Finally bail came through, but

only for one. The French sister with me
said, Two or nothing ; so gave up her im
mediate freedom to stay on with me. This
was appreciated more than words could ex
press. Eventually Jehovahs witnesses came
to be very much respected for their fight
for freedom, as all attempts to discourage
us failed. Their efforts to deaden our zeal
made us all the more determined to carry
on and find the sheep in that area.
This, however, was not our biggest prob
lem. It was the French language. We real
ized that the only way we could be of help
to the French people would be to talk to
them in their own language; so having
moved in with a family having no knowl
edge of English, we set about on this task.
We wore out dictionaries. We would put
into practice every new word learned, un
til slowly words finally came to make sense,
then phrases, then thoughts or ideas. There
would be hearty laughs at our attempts,
but the French people were very helpful
in explaining what we wanted to know.
Brother Knorrs visit to Montreal in the
latter part of 1946 meant a great deal to
the Quebec pioneers. Sixty-six of us were
invited to Gilead for the ninth class (1947),
to be trained for special missionary work
in Quebec Province.
At Gilead we learned French grammar
along with all the other essential topics.
It was just the impetus we needed to get
back into the field, having renewed
strength, new refutation and increased
knowledge. The unity and love manifest
there trained us in how to live our every
day lives as well. The young girl who had
encouraged me when I first left the church
steps, never to return, attended the same
Gilead class as I. Our having been to Gilead
meant that now more was required of us;
but by our having Jehovahs spirit, His
Word and His organization (for which we
continually give thanks), all obstacles were

O ctober

15, 1956

5HeW A T CH TO W ER

overcome and we continued to enjoy the

blessings of full-time pioneering.
In October, 1949, my sister and I were
sent to the town of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec,
an isolated territory thirty-five miles out
side of Montreal. A friend drove us out to
look for accommodations. Everywhere we
inquired the people would say: I will have
to phone my priest to see if it is permissi
ble to rent to non-Catholics. After trying
several places we finally found a woman
who agreed to rent us her front room with
the intention, as she later admitted, of con
verting us to the Catholic faith.
At that time we were petitioning the
people for a written Bill of Rights for
Canada. The first week the majority signed,
agreeing freedom of religion was every
ones right. Sundays sermon brought a
change of scene. The parish priest an
nounced that no one was to sign, that we
were Communists, that we were the
foolish virgins of the parable, etc. Our
landlady was warned to put us out after
two weeks. One morning she told us to
leave the house within two hours or our be
longings would be put on the street. She
cried as she informed us, adding that this
was not her own idea. Taking our clothes
to the train-station lockers, we began an
other search for lodgings, but to no avail.
We were obliged to return to Montreal and
for the next three days our time was spent
hiking back and forth between these two
cities looking for another home. We found
it on the citys outskirts, with a very openminded family that even after having been
insulted in the local papers refused to put
us out.
After a time we were arrested, charged
with selling Bibles. Upon our trial we won.
This stopped the mobbing that had become
a daily routine and also gave us police pro
tection. Later we were joined by two other
missionaries and in due time we had the
joy of establishing a new congregation.

623

Several persons took a firm stand for the

truth, being obliged to leave town to look
elsewhere for work. To us, though, it be
came real home, and the territory being
almost entirely French we were able to
progress in the language. On many occa
sions people took us to talk to the local
priests at their presbytery, not believing
that we had the good Bible. These dis
cussions strengthened us as we realized
how little these seminary and theologically
trained men knew of the Scriptures. One
even objected: How do you expect me
to discuss the Bible? I am a priest, not a
Bible student. Another, a Dominican
Father, swore at us during a discussion
in a closed retreat building when we
showed him in his own Bible that his proof
of a trinity taken from 1 John 5:7 was
an interpolation. The young man who had
driven us there was disillusioned, having at
first promised us that though he did not
know the answers to our questions surely
the Fathers would.
September (1951) began another adven
ture in our missionary life. We were as
signed with a classmate to Trois Rivieres,
Quebec, eighty-three miles north of Mon
treal, along with five other newly gradu
ated missionaries of Gileads seventeenth
class. At the beginning they were stran
gers to us, but, we being able to find only
two rooms to accommodate the eight
of us, it was not long before we became
acquainted. Our first day of service began
by a visit to the local chief of police. This
was to inform him of our arrival and in
tentions, so as to spare his men the need
to make unnecessary investigation of false
charges, which expectedly would be phoned
in, that we were Communists. After we
explained the method of our work, he
wished us much success. Eight missionaries
working every day soon brought the com
ment that an army had invaded the town.
At first the priests tried several means to

624

3fteWATCHTOWER.

stop our working there, even following us

from door to door to warn the public. A
call to the police one day, to arrest us, was
foiled when the police, on seeing who it
was, drove right past. When we obtained
larger quarters our home became a King
dom Hall.
Many upon whom we called commented
on the fact of eight girls living together in
peace. That alone proved to them that we
had a peaceful organization and that Gods
spirit prevailed. Living in very close quar
ters, every one of us learned much and
found that our particular individual way
of doing certain things was not always the
right way; so each in turn gave in to do
better. We found that when there was or
ganization there was peace. Living togeth
er for over two years united us as a real
family, and when the time came to leave
we realized what a strong bond had been
established.
Now something new awaited us: an es
tablished congregation. Faithful pioneers
had worked very hard to build up this
group under very trying circumstances.
Like Moses, we felt quite incapable of tak

B rooklyn,

ing over, but knowing that our strength

lay in Jehovah, we prayerfully took up our
responsibilities. Soon we found the pub
lishers responding and co-operating to fur
ther the Kingdom interests, and our moun
tain melted away to a molehill. A year
later we were still increasing and very
much enjoying our association with these
other sheep who are in so great need,
though gradually growing to maturity.
My sister, who had accompanied me for
over ten years, now has left for another as
signment along with another member of
the family, my brother-in-law; but in her
place my younger sister (a pioneer of three
years), along with her husband (a full
time servant of five years), came into Que
bec Province. In being thus privileged to
be used by Jehovah I have been very hap
py. Pursuing my purpose in life as a mis
sionary has proved it.
Now I am pursuing my purpose in life
in a different capacity. After spending
some time at the Toronto Bethel home, I
married and became a member of the
Brooklyn Bethel home, where I now live
and serve as Mrs. C. A. Steele.

(fa ti Truth from

IV tajapeti

The 1956 Yearbook of Jehovah*8 Witnesses shows that today there are forty
witnesses of Jehovah in South-West Africa. However, back in 1945 there was but
one lone witness. Recently this lone 1945 witness was visited and he told how he came
to be one of Jehovahs witnesses. Back in 1929 while working in a mine he kept
getting eggs from a nearby farmer. These eggs were individually wrapped in
paper, pages from a certain book. The printed matter on these pages struck a spark
of interest and he kept on reading them, wondering where the book came from.
Then one day the last page of the book was reached and on it he found the name
and address of the W atch Tower Society. He wrote to the Society in Germany,
obtained literature and soon thereafter took his stand for the truth. Today, at
the age of seventy, he continues, a faithful witness for Jehovah.

JH

N. Y.

IRRELEVANT

A t the Texas Evangelistic Conference, attended by

preacher Roy O. McClain of Atlantas First Baptist Church
cent of what he does and of what most other preachers
related to the kingdom of God as Mother Goose. The
uary 10, 1956.

some 3,000 Baptists,

said that about 25 per
do is about as much
Atlanta Journal, Jan

way. Would it work?

Jehovah said not:
With such a gift
from your hand, will
he show favor to
any of you? They
lEHOVAH accus ed
w e r e c u r s e d as
the Jewish priests
cheats, because they
of the fifth century before
had vowed, had the
Christ of despising his name
means to pay the
and of saying: The table of
vow, but selfishly
Jehovah is contemptible.
balked at doing so:
(Mai. 1:6, 7, AS) Feigning
Cursed be the cheat
shock and amazement, those
who has a male in
r e l i g i o u s leaders asked
his flock, and vows
wherein they had done this.
it, and yet sacrifices
Jehovah answered: When
to the Lord what is
you offer blind animals in
b lem ish ed .Mai.
sacrifice, is that no evil? And
1:8,9,14,
when you offer those that
2
are lame or sick, is that no
grossly sinful and
evil? Present that to your
presumptuous thing
governor; will he be pleased
for a nation to do
with you or show you favor?
that claimed to be
The law covenant required
J e h o v a h s people?
animal sacrifices, and the
For the people to
"W E RENDER A S BULLOCKS
priests were offering these.
bring diseased sac
THE OFFERING OF OUR LIPS."
But it also required the offer
rifices
and for the
HOS. 14:2, AS.
ing of sound, unblemished
priests to offer them
animals, and this the priests
on Jehovahs table
were not doing. Instead they picked out the was a most contemptuous way to treat
inferior ones, the sick and the lame and the Almighty God, a relegating of him far be
blind, and offered them on Jehovahs altar low their human rulers that they would
or table. Thus they despised his name and never dream of treating so shabbily and
treated his table with contempt. They would insultingly. Had you lived in those days,
not for a moment think of presenting such you would not have shown such contempt
sickly offerings to their human governor for Jehovahs table, would you? Or would
you have? Do you do it now? Many, many
when seeking to please him and gain his
persons do. But how can they, you ask,
favor. Yet when entreating the favor of the
when animal sacrifices are no longer of
Most High God they held back the un fered on an altar? There are offerings to be
blemished animals and offered him the in made now that are likened to those animal
ferior pickings that cost them little or sacrifices made then, and the ones made
nothing, being practically worthless any- now must be as clean and sound and un1. How did Jewish priests say Jehovahs table was con
temptible, and what was Jehovahs reaction?

625

2, 3. What sacrifices comparable to animal sacrifices do

Christians offer today?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
STkWATCHTOWERblemished as the ancient animal sacrifices the cost too high to sacrifice unblemished
were to be. What are these modern sacri animals and so substituted the culls, the
fices? Are you making them? And are leftovers. The Israelites gave fine animals
yours sick or healthy, lame or sound, blind to human governors to gain favor, and
Christendoms millions give their best in
or enlightened?
time
andwith
effort to serve national leaders
3Hosea 14:2
(AS) states: Take
and
worldly
employers to get favor and
you words, and return unto Jehovah: say
prestige,
reward
and fleshly comforts.
unto him, Take away all iniquity, and ac
Jesus
said:

Pay
back
Caesars things to
cept that which is good: so will we render
Caesar,
but
Gods
things
to God. The
as bullocks the offering of our lips. If we
modern
tendency
is
to
pay
over
everything
have drifted from Jehovahs favor we are
to
this
world
and
its
works
of
the flesh,
to take words expressing repentance and
including
what
belongs
to
God.
Only
from
requesting forgiveness and with these
the
leavings
and
scraps
of
their
time
and
make a return to him, offering these words
energy
will
they
even
consider
giving
to
as sacrificial bulls. And not only to ex
Jehovah.
From
these
leftovers
they
may
press repentance but also to declare pub
licly Jehovahs name and praise are words offer a trifle of effort to give the appear
to be offered, just as harvest fruits were ance of devotion to God. Luke 20:25,
under the Mosaic law: Through him let us
5
What does this amount to? To saying:
always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, The table of Jehovah is contemptible. To
that is, the fruit of lips which make public saying his table shall have on it only the
declaration to his name. So today words, scraps and leftovers. The words sacrificed
the bullocks and fruits of our lips, are to on his table should constitute nourishing
be offered to Jehovah as a sacrifice of spiritual food, but if your Christian speech
praise. The Christian must offer words of is no more than parroting the memorized
truth and sound doctrine, words that mag creeds and religious traditions that Jesus
nify Jehovah and his purposes, and espe said made void Gods Word, then certainly
cially now must the Christian offer right you are polluting Jehovahs table. (Matt.
words about the good news of Gods new 15:6) If the bullocks of your lips are words
world of righteousness. Heb. 13:15, NW. teaching such pagan doctrines as immortal
4
Christians claim to follow in Christssoul, though the Bible says, The soul that
steps, which would include a vow to offer sinneth, it shall die ; and eternal torment
up the verbal fruits and bullocks that he for sinners, when Gods Word says, The
did. Like the Israelites with acceptable ani wages sin pays is death ; and trinity, in
mals in their flocks, the millions claiming spite of Jesus statement, The Father is
to be Christian have acceptable words greater than I am, then those verbal bul
available to them. The Bible, widely circu locks are sick and lame and blind and any
lated in hundreds of languages, is filled one feeding upon them will be spiritually
with these words. To offer them from their sick and crippled and unenlightened. (Ezek.
lips Christians need only pay out the time 18:4; Rom. 6:23; John 14:28, NW) Mil
and effort necessary to take them into lions who think they are Christians recite
mind and heart. But the majority of Chris words without real understanding and go
tendoms millions count this cost as too through religious formalisms and rituals
much, just as unfaithful Israelites thought and ceremonies, just as the ancient Jews

626

4. In this matter of sacrifice, how is Christendom like

the reprehensible Jewish priests?

5. How do many who claim to be Christians pollute

Jehovahs table?

O ctober

15, 1956

SfteWATCHTOWER.

went through the formalism of sacrificing

by offering blemished animals. Such ones
draw near to Jehovah with their mouth
and honor him with their lips, but their
heart is far removed from him; hence
Jehovah says of them: Their religion is a
mockery, a mere tradition learned by
rote. Isa. 29:13, Mo.
6 True Christian witnesses of Jehovah
will not act so contemptuously toward Je
hovahs table. They make it their first con
cern to take the choice words of the Bible
and offer them as the fruits and bulls of
their lips. They use the words that are
sound and enlightening and productive of
spiritual health, even if in these last days
the backsliding majority will not put up
with the healthful teaching. (2 Tim. 4:3,
NW) There is yet a minority of many
thousands who are conscious of their spir
itual need, and as they turn from the doc
trinal offerings of orthodox religions that
have been polluted with ancient paganisms
and modern philosophies and scientific
speculations, and turn to the Bible truth
served up by Jehovahs witnesses, they will
be spiritually nourished and satisfied. So
we must be sure that we have studied to
gain the right answers, the forceful words
and the clear explanations that will mag
nify Jehovah and his Word and purposes.
They must not be vague and sickly and
weak, but so powerful that they overwhelm
and crowd out of our listeners mind the
false words implanted there. The necessary
words are in the Bible; we must get them
out for use as a sacrifice of praise.
BIBLE READING

7If our word sacrifices are not the good

ones available from the Bible, if we are
too lazy mentally to ferret out the best
ones, then the spiritual food we set on
6. What will true Christian witnesses of Jehovah be
diligent to do?
7. What must we do to get sound wisdom from the
Bible?

627

Jehovahs table will not be adequate and

will seem contemptible to others, unable
to offset their opposing beliefs or argu
ments. Only by previous study can we an
swer effectively: The heart of the right
eous studieth to answer. And we have to
dig into the Bible for these truths as a
miner labors for precious metals: My son,
if thou wilt receive my words, and lay up
my commandments with thee; so as to in
cline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thy
heart to understanding; yea, if thou cry
after discernment, and lift up thy voice for
understanding; if thou
seek her as silver, and
search for her as for
hid treasures: then
shalt thou understand
the fear of Jehovah,
and find the knowledge
of God. For Jehovah
m
giveth wisdom; out of The heart of the righteous
studieth to answer."
his mouth co m e th
Prov. 15:28.
knowledge and under
standing: he layeth up sound wisdom for
the upright; he is a shield to them that
walk in integrity. Jehovah has laid up
sound wisdom for us in the Bible; if we
seek it diligently he promises that we shall
find it. Prov. 15:28; 2:1-7,
8
We should read the Bible regularly. The
king of Israel was commanded to write
in a book for himself a copy of this law
and he must read in it all the days of his
life. In those days copies of the Holy
Scriptures were scarce and few persons
had individual copies, so public readings
were commanded: You will read this law
in front of all Israel in their hearing. On
a special occasion soon after Israels entry
into Canaan there proved to be not a word
of all that Moses had commanded that
Joshua did not read aloud in front of all
the congregation of Israel, together with
the women and the little ones and the tern8. What precedents are there for regular Bible reading?

628

S&eWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

porary residents who walked in their and Jesus promised his assistance when
midst. Centuries later King Josiah read even only two come together to learn: For
in their ears all the words of the book of where there are two or three met together
the covenant that had been found in the in my name, there I am in their midst.
house of Jehovah, and the result was a Matt. 24:45; 18:20, NW.
national purge against demon worship.
10
Just as the one reading in private may
Many more centuries later public reading need help, so those listening to public read
was still regularly done: For from ancient ing are benefited by accompanying ex
times Moses has had in city after city those planations. During his reign King Jehoshawho preach him, because he is read aloud phat sent princes and Levites and priests
in the synagogues on every sabbath. to teach in the cities of Judah : And
Deut. 17:18, 19; 31:11; Josh. 8:35; 2 Ki. they began teaching in Judah and with
23:2; Acts 15:21, NW.
them there was the book of Jehovahs law,
9
Today we are more fortunate, withand they kept going around through all
rotary presses printing Bibles by the mil the cities of Judah and teaching among the
lions of copies. Anyone thirsting can easily people. Certainly this program of educa
drink the waters of life by having and tion in the Scriptures involved more than
reading a Bible of his own. But sometimes merely reading the law; it undoubtedly
reading alone is not enough. One may need included explanations and applications of
help in understanding, like the Ethiopian the law and exhortations to obedience.
that Philip the evangelist saw reading the After the captivity Governor Nehemiah
book of Isaiah. Do you really know what had the law read aloud from daybreak till
you are reading aloud? Philip asked him. noon and the people listened attentively,
Really how could I ever do so, unless but words in addition to those written were
someone guided me? he replied. Philip spoken to be sure everyone understood:
gave the needed guidance to a right under And they continued reading aloud from
standing. (Acts 8:26-38, 7VW) Today in the book, from the law of The [true] God,
struction to supplement Bible reading is it being expounded, and there being a put
provided by Jehovah through his faithful ting of meaning [into it], and they con
and discreet slave organization that he tinued making explanation in the reading.
promised would serve spiritual food at Jesus did public reading in the synagogue
the proper time. Much of this help is giv at Nazareth, and, when finished, he ex
en through the distribution of printed Bible plained: Today this scripture that you
study aids, and with these an individual just heard is fulfilled. It is likely that he
can gain an enlarged understanding from said more than the brief record preserves.
his Bible reading. Within the compass of After listening to public reading in a
a few pages one of these aids may gather synagogue the apostle Paul, upon invita
all the scriptures that are scattered tion from the presiding officers, discoursed
throughout the Bible on a given subject, at some length, and it was appreciated so
thus saving the student time and also en much that the people entreated him to
suring that he will overlook none of the speak on the following sabbath also, and
texts essential to a full understanding. the next sabbath nearly all the city gath
Even with these printed aids the new stu ered together to hear the word of Jeho
dent often needs help from another person, vah. Paul instructed young Timothy to
9. Why is Bible reading alone not enough, and what
additional help is available?

10. What instances show public Bible reading included

explanations?

O ctober

15, 1956

3fieW A TC H TO W ER

exhort and teach along with public read

ing: Continue applying yourself to public
reading, to exhortation, to teaching.
2 Chron. 17:7-9; Neh. 8:3, 8; Luke 4:1621; Acts 13:15-44; 1 Tim. 4:13,
ATTENDING MEETINGS

11 Both private and public Bible reading,

accompanied by discussion and explana
tion, whether printed or oral, contribute
much toward getting from the Bible the
words we need to offer acceptable verbal
bullocks. But today Jehovah through his
visible organization gives additional assist
ance by arranging congregational meet
ings. At these meetings he spreads a spirit
ual table for us, and by staying away we
say this table is contemptible, despise it as
of no real worth. Yet it is vital to us, to
our spiritual nourishment and strength,
both as individuals and as a congregation
of Christians. At meetings we can declare
our hope before others by commenting, and
by their comments hear their hope de
clared; we can encourage others by com
menting, and by their comments be en
couraged ourselves. This is especially vital
in this present time of the end: Let us
hold fast the public declaration of our hope
without wavering, for he is faithful that
promised. And let us consider one another
to incite to love and right works, not for
saking the gathering of ourselves together,
as some have the custom, but encouraging
one another, and all the more so as you
behold the day drawing near. Heb. 10:
23-25, NW.
12 Congregations of Jehovahs witnesses
assemble several times weekly. One meet
ing is a public lecture designed especially
for newly interested ones, but the entire
congregation should be in attendance and
everyone will learn something. And who
would make the public welcome if the con11. Why is attendance at congregational meetings today
vital ?
12. What meetings are sponsored by the congregation?

629

gregation were not present? If you are as

sociated with the congregation you should
be there to make new ones welcome and
to answer their questions. The Watchtower
study is vital. Everyone in the congrega
tion should study the lesson, attend, listen,
comment and show friendliness toward all,
especially new ones. The theocratic min
istry school trains the congregation in
what to say, how to word it, and how to
deliver it to others in ministerial service.
Systematic Bible reading is a part of the
course of study. The service meeting is an
other training session, specializing in in
struction in house-to-house witnessing, de
livering sermons at the door and conduct
ing Bible studies inside the homes. No one
deeply concerned about offering unblem
ished bullocks and fruits of the lips will
miss the service meeting. One other congregationally sponsored meeting is the
book study held in private homes strate
gically located in all parts of the congre
gations territory. In these small study
groups Bible study aids are used, and the
smallness of these groups makes it easy
to get acquainted, comment and assist one
another to offer to God unblemished sacri
fices of praise.
13
The congregations, with their appoint
ed servants and scheduled meetings, are
organized to make us grow into mature
Christians, able to withstand the succeeding
waves of godlessness by which Satan tries
to overthrow us. This is as it was in the
days of the apostles: And he gave some as
apostles, some as prophets, some as mis
sionaries, some as shepherds and teachers,
with a view to the training of the holy ones
for ministerial work, for the building up
of the body of the Christ, until we all attain
to the oneness in the faith and in the accu
rate knowledge of the Son of God, to a
full-grown man, to the measure of growth
13. How will congregational meetings improve us as
Christians ?

630

3TieW A T CH TO W ER

B rooklyn, N . Y.

that belongs to the fullness of the Christ; subtle snares that keep us from meetings
in order that we should no longer be babes, we shall soon give out: So let us not give
tossed about as by waves and carried hith up in doing what is right, for in due season
er and thither by every wind of teaching we shall reap by not giving out. Gal.
NW.
by means of the trickery of men, by means 6:9,
of craftiness in contriving error. By your
15 If we are alone and knocked about by
attending meetings and commenting you the world we are apt to lose courage, think
can keep testing whether you are in the ing we are alone in our integrity and must
faith. If your comments go astray others surely be overwhelmed. Long ago the
more mature can bring you back to the prophet Elijah had been zealous for Jeho
right thought. How else can you as a con vah and to escape fulfillment of a dire
gregation meet the divine requirement threat against him he fled for his life. While
that all speak in agreement and be fitly holed up alone in a cave, Elijah was queried
united in the same mind and in the same by Jehovah: What is your business here,
line of thought ? Eph. 4:11-14; 2 Cor. Elijah? The prophet replied: I have ab
13:5; 1 Cor. 1:10,
NW. solutely tolerated no rivalry against Jeho
14
But the value of attending congregavah the God of armies, for the sons of
tional meetings does not end with learning Israel have left your covenant, your altars
and coming to a oneness of mind and im they have torn down and your prophets
proving the sacrifice of praise we offer to they have killed with the sword, so that I
Jehovah. There is a value from just the only am left and they begin looking for
association together. There seems to be a my soul to take it away. Elijah felt that
concentration of Jehovahs spirit there he was the only one left interested in Jeho
that buoys up our own spirits theocrat- vahs cause; but not so: I have let seven
ically. Most of us have to spend so much thousand remain in Israel, all the knees
time out in the world rubbing shoulders that have not bent down to Baal and every
with corrupt persons, hearing their irrev mouth that has not kissed him. (1 Ki.
erent and foul talk and observing their 19:13, 14, 18, NW) Regular meeting at
base practices, that when we go to congre tendance will keep us in strengthening
gational meetings it is like passing from a touch with our brothers.
city slum to an exhilarating mountain re
16 Satan likes to divide and conquer, scat
sort. Bad associations spoil useful habits, ter the flock and pick off the strayed in
but good associations erase harmful habits dividuals. The congregation must stick to
and put good ones in their place. (1 Cor. gether for mutual help. If we are alone who
15:33, 2VW) Scattered out in the seas of will help us up when we fall? If we are
humanity alienated from Jehovah we are alone it is harder to keep our zeal for Jeho
like tiny islands in constant danger of vah hot. Together we can help warm over
being worn down to the seas level by the the cooled zeal of inactive ones. These prin
endless surf, but when we come together ciples are shown at Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
we draw strength from one another to be
(RS): Two are better them one, because
come a strong land impervious to the they have a good reward for their toil. For
assaulting seas. We take on fresh courage if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but
and fearlessness, renewing our strength woe to him who is alone when he falls and
to resist the world. But if we give in to has not another to lift him up. Again, if
14, 15. Why is association together at congregational
meetings important to Jehovahs witnesses?

16. Why is it foolish for a Christian to isolate himself,

to try to go it alone?

O ctober

15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

631

two lie together, they are warm; but how of the lips we must take teaching from
can one be warm alone? And though a man Jehovah. Take it through Bible reading.
might prevail against one who is alone, Take it by systematic study. Take it at con
two will withstand him. A threefold cord gregational meetings. Especially there
is not quickly broken. If we fall, if our does Jehovah spread a spiritual meal on
zeal cools; if we go under when Satan at his table. Come and get it! Do you have
tacks, we shall be unable to offer public your meals of physical food served in bed?
sacrifices of praise to Jehovah. To avoid If you value them enough to go to the table
this calamity we must not forsake assem for them, do you not value the more im
bling together. Do not be a lone sheep, for portant spiritual food that much? Jehovah
a sheep away from the flock is a lost sheep. does not cater to laziness by serving spirit
Faithful servant shepherds of the congre ual meals in bed or at homes away from
gation strive diligently to restore lost sheep congregational meeting places. Go to the
to the fold of the New World society.
table, go to the Kingdom Hall! Unless we
(Matt. 18:12-14) So do not overestimate
do all these necessary things we are not
your spiritual strength and think you can
go it alone pursuing selfish interests, flout being diligent in getting the words we need
ing the sound principle of assembling to for sound, healthful and enlightening sac
gether: The recluse seeks his own selfish rifices of praise. We shall fall shamefully
interests; he quarrels with every sound short of the inspired exhortation: Do
your utmost to present yourself approved
principle. Prov. 18:1,
17
If we are to get in our possession acto God, a workman with nothing to be
ceptable fruits and unblemished bullocks ashamed of, handling the word of the truth
aright. 2 Tim. 2:15,
17. How must we take teaching from Jehovah?

C, No other book has been translated into more languages than the Bible. A t least
one book of the Bible has been translated into 1,084 different tongues. How many
more tongues are there that do not have the Bible yet? About 2,000. But these are
mostly tribal tongues spoken mainly in New Guinea, Africa, Southeast Asia and
among the South American Indians. So the remaining tongues are not spoken by
many, probably by much less than five percent of the worlds population. To bring the
Bible to people who speak these tribal tongues often presents big problems to
Bible translators. There are just not enough words in these languages to make
literal translation possible. Local idioms, often amusing and odd to Englishspeaking people, must be used. According to an official of the American Bible
Society the Gbeapo people of Liberia have no word for prophet ; the word has
to be translated Gods towncrier to be understood. The word worship in the
language of the Cuicatec Indians of Mexico becomes wagging ones tail before
God. And in the tongue of the Chokwe tribe in South Africa the phrase he
smote his breast has to be phrased he beat his head. This is because smiting
ones breast, to these tribesmen, is a gesture meaning approval. So if the phrase
were translated literally, it would mean just the opposite of what is intended
it would convey the meaning expressed in English by the phrase he patted him
self on his back.

O F F E R

Let your utterance be

a lw a y s
with
gra c io u s
ness, se aso n e d with salt,
so as to know ho w you
o u gh t to give an answ er
to each o ne .

Y O U R

C o l. 4:6, N W .

a r ig

h t

IOSAIC law re
quired that sac
rifices be seasoned with
salt: Every offering
of your grain offering
you will season with
salt, and you must not allow the salt of the
covenant of your God to be missing upon
your grain offering. Along with every offer
ing of yours you will present salt. Why?
Salt is a preservative and prevents putrefac
tion. To offer anything fermented was for
bidden, and salt with the offering prevented
this. Forestalling change by decay, salt as
sured permanence, and was used in conjunc
tion with a covenant to show the unchange
ableness of it, the permanence of it. Among
ancient peoples it was a sign of friendship
to eat salt together and denoted perpetual
fidelity and loyalty. The one sacrificing
communion offerings on Jehovahs altar
was considered as a partaker with Jehovah;
so the use of salt with the sacrifices indi
cated partaking of salt with him, which
symbolized perpetual loyalty. Lev. 2:13,
NW.
2Because the true followers of Jesus, by
example and by preaching, would be an in
fluence to preserve from putrefaction and
moral decay, Jesus called them the salt
of the earth. Salt is also mentioned in connection with their words of preaching:

Let your utterance

be always with gra
ciousness, seasoned
with salt, so as to
know how you ought
to give an answer to
each one. (Matt. 5:
13; Col. 4:6,
NW) Christians do not of
grain or meat sacrifices to Jehovah as the
nation of Israel did, but they do offer a
sacrifice of praise by the words of their
lips, and these are likened to bulls and
fruits. Just as Israels material sacrifices
were to be accompanied by salt, so the
Christians words, the symbolic bulls of his
lips, are to be seasoned with salt. This
means the utterances are to be pure in
truth, to have a preserving effect upon
both the speaker and the hearer, and to be
loyal and faithful to Jehovah, not despis
ing his name or making his table appear
contemptible. The words offered are to be
appetizing to lovers of righteousness. Salt
is an appetizing condiment in the food
of both man and beast: Is a tasteless
thing eaten without salt? The oxen and
young asses that till the soil will feed on
salted fodder. (Job 6:6; Isa. 30:24,
So the word sacrifices of Christians are to
be seasoned with spiritual salt, not being
tastelesS( insipid and corrupt( but being

1. What is symbolized by salt?

2. What does it mean for Christians to season their
word sacrifices with salt?

appetizing, friendly, faithful and with pre

serving power.

632

O ctober

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

DOORSTEP SERMONS

3Do you know how you ought to answer,

to offer spiritual sacrifices, with gracious
ness, seasoned with salt? Just as it was in
the days of Christ and the apostles and
early disciples, so today it is at the doors
and in the homes of the people that these
verbal sacrifices are most frequently and
most effectively offered. Do you give ad
vance thought and preparation to your
doorstep sermons, so as to know how you
ought to give an answer to each one you
meet at the door? On this initial visit it is
especially important to find words that are
plain, simple and pleasing, not controver
sial: The Speakers aim was to find pleas
ing words, even as he set down plainly
what was true. If some controversy arises,
however, be always ready to make a de
fense before everyone that demands of you
a reason for the hope in you, but doing so
together with a mild temper and deep re
spect. A slave of the Lord does not need
to fight, but needs to be tactful toward all,
qualified to teach, keeping himself re
strained under evil, instructing with mild
ness those not favorably disposed, as per
haps God may give them repentance lead
ing to an accurate knowledge of truth.
Eccl. 12:10, Mo; 1 Pet. 3:15; 2 Tim.
2:24, 25, NW.
4We should not be diffident and apolo
getic in our manner or bearing, but re
member that we represent the Creator of
the universe and have his backing. You
are convinced that you are speaking the
truth? Then let that conviction show in
your delivery. You are sincere? Let it shine
through. You are enthusiastic about the
truth? Make that manifest to them by
your tone of voice and expression of face.
Certainly you go to them as a friend; so
be warm and friendly, conversational and
3. Why is it necessary to give advance thought and
preparation to doorstep sermons?
4, 5. What counsel about sermons as to delivery and
our attitude is given, and why is it important?

633

direct. Draw them into the conversation by

asking questions, by inviting their com
ments. Approach each door with the
thought that the one behind it is a sheep,
a friend, and let your interest and concern
for him show. Have this positive attitude
for each householder; before you think
differently of him make him prove his dif
ference. Do not let the goat at the last
door sour you with a negative attitude for
the next door. Each door deserves your
best and should not get less just because
it may be in the midst of a tough territory.
5
Have you ever read a paragraph, the
eye seeing every word, yet at the end find
you remember nothing of what you read?
Your mind had wandered elsewhere. Or
have you ever sat in a lecture hearing the
words, but suddenly realize you remember
nothing of what the speaker said for the
past ten minutes because your mind
strayed? Similarly, when a householder
comes to the door he may appear to be
listening to you, yet his mind is busy think
ing of excuses, or noting your dress, or
considering your
personality. H e
may be forming
an impression of
you, without your
words in his ears
really registering
on his mind. How
ever, just as your
m ind w ill not
wander if the paragraph you are reading
is both interesting and well written, and
just as it will not stray if the speaker
you are hearing expresses good thoughts
with earnestness and enthusiasm, so the
householders mind will be on your ser
mon if it is thoughtful, clear and inform
ative and presented with warm sincerity
and deep conviction. Impressions are
formed and decisions made not just by

634

SEeWATCHTOWER,

Brooklyn, N . Y .

7In the sermon on the mount Jesus con

what we may say but by how we say it
sidered the everyday worries and anxieties
and how we look when we say it.
6
Assuming that we dress neatly but notthat were troubling the people, what they
gaudily, and that we forget ourselves and would eat and drink and wear. Jehovah
let our friendly interest, sincerity, convic knows these things are needed and will
tion and enthusiasm shine through to the supply them to humans just as he does for
householder, the content of the sermon it birds and even vegetation, Jesus said.
self demands our attention. It must be good Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom
in our own eyes, must make us enthusias and his righteousness, and all these other
tic with its points, if we are to pass on any things will be added to you. Doing this,
enthusiasm to others. If it leaves us cold personal anxieties will vanish and instead
it will never warm up anyone else. So for you will have the peace of God that ex
the sake of your delivery get a sermon that cels all thought. So, as Jesus did, we must
pleases you very much. You may get ideas note the personal, individual worries and
from others, but do not use them unless concerns of the people and embrace them
they fill you with enthusiasm. Otherwise in our sermons. These sermons should be
you will give it spiritlessly and it will be adaptable to the mental levels and attitudes
received the same way. Have a theme, keep of our hearers, as were those of Paul: I
directing your points to this one target. have become sill things to people of all
Make it practical, of personal application kinds, that I might by all means save
to the householder. Everyone is interested some. Matt. 6:33; Phil. 4:7; 1 Cor. 9:22,
in himself; many are not deeply interested NW.
8If we memorize our sermons they will
in others. You may talk about world con
lack
flexibility and adaptability. If they
ditions wars, famines, pestilences, calam
are
to
be versatile and maneuverable to
ities but if these things have not touched
conform
to the different situations that
the householder personally or do not
arise
at
the
doors we should memorize no
threaten to soon he will not be too con
more
than
a
brief outline. There are many
cerned. People have become calloused to
familiar
texts
that we can discuss for a
large-scale suffering, to mass misery. If
few
minutes
without
notes. We talk about
they or members of their immediate fam
them on the spur of the moment with ease
ily suffer from these woes they take a per
and confidence. So pick out three or four
sonal interest. So if you talk on world woes
of these very familiar scriptures, memoriz
try to bring them down to the personal ing only their location in the Bible. Then
level of the householder. If you discuss look them up in order at the door, reading
widespread juvenile delinquency, for ex and commenting briefly on each one. Un
ample, bring it home to him by showing burdened by memorized words that would
the way to safeguard his own children from sound mechanical, your mind is free to
it. The Kingdom is the remedy for all trou cope with ideas as you supply the neces
bles, but show them it will solve their little sary words extemporaneously, just as you
personal worries, not just the big world do daily in conversation. Only then will
wide woes. Oftentimes the latter are too your sincerity and enthusiasm be manifest;
big and gigantic and staggering to be only then can your natural personality and
grasped.
warmth and friendliness shine through.
6, 7. What
sermons ?

suggestions are given as to content of

8. After our sermons are prepared, how should we fix

them in our mind for presenting at the door?

O ctober

15, 1956

3TieWATCHTOW ER,

You can have alternate texts for use in dif

ferent situations. You can list in the back
of your field-service Bible several group
ings of texts, each group comprising your
notes for a sermon.
STARTING YOUR SERMON

9Many persons go from door to door for

a variety of purposes, and when the bell
rings the householder is often somewhat
annoyed by the interruption and comes to
the door determined to dismiss you quick.
She has several stock excuses, but probably
does not settle on one until she has taken
a quick look and listened and jumped to a
conclusion about you. Then she will break
in with one. You have heard them often
and may be able to refute them very log
ically, but after she has said it she is likely
to stick to it, pride not letting her back
down on it. If you could foresee the excuse
and refute it before she voices it her pride
would not be involved and she might hear
you out. Perhaps after a very brief intro
duction of yourself you might abruptly
say, before she has selected one of the
common excuses: You know, when we
call at the door some people immediately
say, . . . and state one of these excuses.
It may not be the one she would have used
this time, but very likely she has often
used it and may be taken aback momentar
ily when you cite it. She may be a bit curi
ous about your next words dealing with
this excuse she sometimes uses. Make them
good, catchy, to hold her interest, and per
haps she will hear your sermon through.
10After briefly stating why you are call
ing, you might say: You know, when we
call like this some persons say, Oh, I dont
need anything today. But listen to what
Jesus said about those who say they need
nothing: You say: I am rich and have
9. What suggestion is given for coping with common
excuses ?
10. How might you deal with the statement, I dont
need anything today ?

635

acquired riches and do not need anything

at all, but you do not know you are miser
able and pitiable and poor and blind and
naked. He didnt mean they are literally,
of course, for that would have been obvious
to them. He meant that in a spiritual way
they were in this destitute condition.
Then, sifter using Revelation 3:17 (NW)
to cope with the excuse, you use two or
three additional texts to complete your
sermon. You might use Amos 8:11 to show
that the spiritual famine is widespread and
that despite the existence of many church
es the people are not being spiritually fed,
though many think they are. Read Mat
thew 5:3 to show that those conscious of
their spiritual need will be satisfied. At
this point you might present the literature
offer and state that these publications pro
vide spiritual food, and prove it to them
by having a specific paragraph picked out
to read, one that contains a particularly
tasty point of information.
11
Another example: So often when we
call people tell us theyre busy. Its good to
be busy, because God hates idlers. But we
shouldnt be so busy with lesser matters
that we refuse time to the more important
things. One time Jesus was at the home of
two sisters. Mary was listening to him ex
plain the truth of God, and Martha com
plained because she was not helping with
housework. Heres the account: Martha,
on the other hand, was distracted with at
tending to many duties. So, she came near
and said: Master, does it not matter to
you that my sister has left me alone to
attend to things? Tell her, therefore, to
join in helping me. In answer the Master
said to her: Martha, Martha, you are
anxious and disturbed about many things.
A few things, though, are needed, or just
one. For her part, Mary chose the good
portion, and it will not be taken away from
11, 12. How might you use in your sermon and refute
the excuse, Im busy ?

636

ffkW ATC H TO W E R .

her. Jehovah and Jesus speak to us

through the Bible. If we wont listen to
them, why expect them ever to listen to us
when we get in trouble and cry out to them
for help? Luke 10:40-42, NW.
12 Or one might say this: Some come to
the door and say theyre too busy; but you
know, if I offered them a hundred dollars
they wouldnt be too busy to accept it. Yet
listen to what the Bible says: Happy is
the man who finds wisdom, and the man
who gets understanding, for the gain from
it is better than gain from silver and its
profit better than gold. She is more pre
cious than jewels, and nothing you desire
can compare with her. Long life is in her
right hand; in her left hand are riches and
honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of
life to those who lay hold of her; those who
hold her fast are called happy. If they
arent too busy to take money, surely they
shouldnt be too busy to take in knowledge
that leads to everlasting life.Prov.
3:13-18,
RS.
13 After saying that many tell you, be
fore finding out why you are there, that
they are not interested, you might con
tinue: But do you know what the Bible
says about people who answer before they
hear a matter? Listen: If one gives answer
before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
You would not want to use this after a
householder says he is not interested. It
would be too blunt then; it would be like
calling him foolish and shameful. But if
you raise this point first you can use the
text above, Proverbs 18:13 (RS), because
you are applying it to other people that do
this, not to the one you are addressing. The
same is true of the following example.
14 In some materialistic countries where
people have plenty they brush you off by
13. How could you refute the excuse, Im not inter
ested ?
14. What is frequently said in lands of plenty, and how
can it be handled?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

saying they are satisfied. You know, some

people refuse to listen and say, Oh, Im
getting along all right; Im satisfied. Well,
God is not interested in people who are
satisfied. Hes interested in those who are
dissatisfied. Long ago he marked some for
preservation, saying: Go through the city,
through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon
the foreheads of the men who sigh and
groan over all the abominations that are
committed in it. Today Jehovah is inter
ested in those who love righteousness, and
such ones certainly are not satisfied with
the corrupt, wicked conditions in the earth
today. What decent person could be satis
fied with these rotten conditions? They
want clean government, an end to immo
rality, a halt of hypocrisy. They would also
like health and life for themselves and
their families, for all lovers of righteous
ness. The present evil conditions make
them sigh and groan and long for some
thing better. After this use of Ezekiel
9:4 (RS), you might use Matthew 5:4 to
show these mourning ones will be comfort
ed, that now their desire for spiritual food
will be supplied by God, and in the new
world of righteousness all their desires will
be met by Jehovah, using Psalm 145:16
and Revelation 21:4 to establish these
points.
15
You might even raise common reli
gious reactions, such as: Sometimes per
sons say to us, I believe if I am sincere
God will save me; thats all he requires of
me, just to do what I think is right. But
that isnt what the Bible says: There is
a way which seems right to a man, but its
end is the way to death. Thereafter you
might use such texts as Galatians 1:8 and
John 17:3 to show we must follow truth,
not human ideas of what is right. In the
above refutation of this sincerity excuse,
Proverbs 14:12 (RS) was used. You might
use with equal fittingness such texts as
15. What further suggestions are given?

O ctober

15, 1956

f&eWATCHTOWER.

John 16:2, Acts 26:9 or Romans 10:2, 3.

There is much variety we can get in our
sermons. Think of excuses used, of com
mon religious objections, of anything that
might catch interest, then ferret out a
quick rebuttal, preferably a scripture, as
that will get you into your Bible sermon
quickly. The above examples are to show
possibilities, not necessarily to be used by
you. Work out definite approaches and
develop points with scriptures that suit
you, that please you, that make you enthu
siastic so you can deliver your sermon with
personal enthusiasm and conviction. What
has been said about the doorstep sermon
also applies to the back-call sermon. The
only difference is that you may use one or
two more scriptures and enlarge on them a
bit more. The same counsel
given about delivery and men
tal outlines of doorstep ser
mons applies to the longer backcall sermon inside the house.
16 Let us do our utmost to be
16. What shall we now do?

637

approved ministers of Jehovah God, dili

gently studying his Word to get from it the
acceptable sacrifices of praise, the unblem
ished bullocks and fruits of lips devoted to
him. Meditate on his truth, going over it in
your mind, shaping it for public presenta
tion, putting it in the best form so that it will
appeal to the yet-scattered other sheep, so
that it cannot be overturned by opposition
from goats. Present it with graciousness,
mildness, tactfulness and with the sym
bolic salt ordained to accompany our spirit
ual sacrifices of praise. Then they will be
words that are loyal and true and faithful to
Jehovah, words of permanence, words with
preserving power for those who hear them
and accept them and obey them. With such
sacrificial words we shall never
be guilty of making Jehovahs
table contemptible. We shall be
privileged to pass out from it
Jehovahs feast of fat things
for all people of good will in
all nations.

Children Respond to Discipline

^ A mother writes regarding her efforts at training four children: I thought I
had tried everything, as the saying goes, to make m y children behave, still they
were rebellious and antagonistic in our everyday relations. I had been a witness
of Jehovah for five years, but m y husband was violently opposed and I was for
bidden to read any of the W atch Tower publications to the children. W hen it was
stressed that it was the parents' responsibility to see that children had daily Bible
instruction I decided to set aside time for daily Bible reading. This raised a howl
of protest from m y boys, ages 7, 5 and 3, as it always seemed to come at their
most enjoyable time. A fter the account of creation they lost interest and the howls
grew louder as I turned off the television every night and announced it was time
for Bible reading. Many times I sat with the Bible in one hand and the rod of
correction in the other. However, day by day the antagonism eased and now, three
years later, they not only are willing listeners but ask to have the Bible read and
take part in reading and even want me to quiz them on what we have read. The
effects of this habit have truly been far-reaching. N ot only are they getting a good
knowledge of what is in the Bible, but our fam ily relationships have greatly im
proved and the need for discipline has lessened. And it has also helped to bring
them to the top of their classes at school, the result of the practice of reading
aloud and sounding out difficult words."

Bible Questions Stump Clergymen

PON the urging of some of their relatives
two women witnesses of Jehovah attended
a Lent midweek service at a New Jersey
Presbyterian church. This they did, however,
only because they were assured that there
would be an opportunity to ask questions by
means of question cards, the asking of which
might help to expose error.
<g A s the group entered the church each was
given a card with space for two questions.
There were three clergymen on the platform
and while the guest clergyman was speaking,
a rather young man compared with the resi
dent clergyman who had been preaching for
some forty years, these two witnesses wrote
out their questions. Upon the conclusion of the
talk the clergyman who was host asked the
ushers to collect the question cards. As the
only ones who had written out any questions
by then were the two witnesses, their ques
tions were at once used.
<g The first question was: In view of the
definition of the trinity, which states that the
Father, Son and holy spirit are all equal in
power, substance and eternity, how is it that
even in the heavens the Son is in subjection
to the Father? 1 Cor. 1 1 :3 ; 15:28, etc.
*g The host read the question and as he did
so his face turned colors. The guest came for
ward slowly with head bowed, thinking hard
and with his hands clasped behind his back.
Then he shrugged his shoulders, raised his
hands in a gesture of hopelessness and said
with a sheepish grin: W ell now, that's a very
deep question and I'm sure that the one who
asked it won't be satisfied with this answer
it would take about an hour to fully answer
it and that is that the trinity is a divine
mystery and we are not expected to under
stand it. W ith that he sat down.
g Then the second question was read: W hy
are we led to believe that immediately after
death we go to heaven or to hell, when, as
Christians, our whole faith is based on the
resurrection, which the Bible tells us will not
take place until after the world's end, at
which time Christ will raise all those in his
m em ory?
*g Again the guest clergyman repeated his
gestures of helplessness and the audience, as
well as the two clergymen on the platform,
smiled. Finally he said, These are very diffi
cult questions tonight, at which everybody

uU

4,
638

chuckled. He then repeated that it would take

too long to answer this question and that even
then it would not satisfy the one who had
asked it. If anyone wanted to speak to him
after the service it would be all right, but it
should be borne in mind that there would be a
new members' get-together afterward. He con
cluded with, W e need not worry about the
hereafter anyway, we must be concerned with
living good lives now.
*g The next question read asked why the
cross should be used so much by Christian
religions in view of its pagan origin. For the
third time the audience saw this clergyman
admit his being stumped by a Bible question,
this time also he shaking his head. Then he
remarked that there were different kinds of
crosses, illustrating them with his hands, and
added that it did not make any difference
where the cross originated.
<g Then came the fourth and last question
posed by the witnesses: In view of 1 Corinth
ians 1:10, where Paul says Christians should
have no divisions among them and that they
should all speak the same thing, how is it that
there are so many different religions all pro
fessing to be Christian?
g This time the clergyman who was the host
and who had been reading the questions chose
to answer. He told that when he first became
a clergyman there were some twenty-seven
different Presbyterian groups but now, be
cause of the fight for unity, there were only
eight, and within a few months they expected
it to be only seven. He confessed that the dis
unity among Protestants was a disgrace, but
added that they were putting forth every
effort toward unity.
*g By this time some twenty more cards were
being held aloft but there was no more time
for questions. In closing, the host thanked the
guest and said to him : I'm certainly glad
that I didn't have to answer those questions
tonight! The people filed out in pensive mood;
the witnesses, however, were silently rejoicing.
<g Truly the clergymen of Christendom today
are the counterpart of the religious leaders
of Isaiahs day, concerning whom it was writ
ten: And all vision is become unto you as
the words of a book that is sealed, which men
deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read
this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it
is sealed. Isa. 29:11, AS.

 W ill the resurrected ones of the anointed

class now with Christ in heaven share in the
destruction work of Arm ageddon? K. R.,
United States.
This question has recently been asked by
many because of the statement on pages 338
and 339 of You May Survive Armageddon into
Gods New World, as follow s: On the other
side will visibly be seen the remnant of spirit
ual Israel and an unnumbered crowd of 'other
sheep/ their companions, all backed up by the
unseen hosts of heaven under Jesus Christ, the
King of kings and Lord of lords, together with
those of his anointed followers already resur
rected. Ezekiel 38:8-12; Revelation 2:26-29.
W hat is there said may not specifically an
swer the question in so many words, but the
scripture cited, Revelation 2:26-29, does. Verses
26 and 27 iN W ) read: And to him that con
quers and observes m y deeds down to the com
plete end I will give authority over the nations,
and he shall shepherd the people with an iron
rod so that they will be broken to pieces like
clay vessels, the same as I have received from
my Father. Christs Father, Jehovah God, says
of him: Ask of me, and I will make the na
tions your heritage, and the ends of the earth
your possession. You shall break them with a
rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a pot

MAN'S

ters vessel. So this is what Christ has received

from his Father, authority over the nations to
smash them at Armageddon, and this same au
thority is extended to the resurrected anointed
ones now with Christ in heaven. Ps. 2:8, 9, RS.
The same truth is understood in Revelation
17:12-14 (2S7W): And the ten horns that you
saw mean ten kings, who have not yet received
a kingdom, but they do receive authority as
kings one hour with the wild beast. These have
one purpose, and so they give their power and
authority to the wild beast. These will battle
with the Lamb, but, because he is Lord of lords
and King of kings, the Lam b will conquer them.
Also those called and chosen and faithful with
him will do so, namely, all the 144,000.
Neither the anointed remnant nor the other
sheep on earth when Armageddon strikes will
fight the political nations in a fleshly way.
Though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage
warfare according to what we are in the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly,
but powerful by God for overturning strongly
entrenched things. For we are overturning
reasonings and every lofty thing raised up
against the knowledge of God, and we are
bringing every thought into captivity to make
it obedient to the Christ. Jehovahs earthly
witnesses, whether of the heavenly or of the
earthly class, expose religious falsehood, point
the way to true worship, and warn the un
repentant nations of their coming smashup at
Armageddon. Only the invisible heavenly forces
with Christ, including the resurrected anointed
ones, fight at Armageddon and dash the nations
to pieces like a potters vessel. 2 Cor. 10:3-5,

NW .

RIGHTFUL

ROLE!

Trouble began for the human race when the first man Adam failed to hold to
his rightful role as head of the fam ily and yielded to the voice of his wife. Trouble
still continues for mankind because fathers have not kept to their rightful role
as head of the fam ily, a Washington psychiatrist recently stated. Dr. John R.
Cavanagh, as reported in the New York Times of March 14, 1956, called on fathers
to resume their rightful role as head of the family. Man must accept this
responsibility for which he was designated by God and nature, he said. M any
wives, he observed, need help in making decisions that the inadequate, dependent
men of this generation are not able or not willing to provide. Describing the plight
of many of todays families, the psychiatrist said: When man abdicated his re
sponsibility in the home he forced his wife into a position of leadership for which
she is not prepared. A t the same time, the male children were deprived of paternal
supervision. This too frequently results in weak, passive males inadequate to take
over the leadership in the home because they never learn independence of fem ale
leadership.

639

WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

November 18: Offer to God a Sacrifice of

Praise. Page 625.
November 25: Offer Your Sacrifices of Praise
Aright. Page 632.

CHECK YOUR MEMORY v V

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

I** Whether God says he created the races
distinct from one another? P. 6 l l , 114.

^
What offerings, like the ancient sacrifices,
Christians must make today? P. 626, 1f3.

Why men differ in color? P. 612, US.

I * Why attending congregational meetings

is so urgent now? P. 629, 1111.

Why many people have lost faith in God s

promised kingdom? P. 613, 1J4.
I* Why, if the Kingdom has come, conditions
actually are getting worse? P. 615, 114.
Since Catholics believe only the pope
really interprets the Bible, what astounding
fact surrounds the famed Council of Nicaea?
P. 618, Hi.
What unusual experiences have been had
in discussing the Bible with priests? P. 623,
113.

Why it is so foolish for a Christian to

think he can go it alone? P. 630, Hl6.
^

I * Why sacrifices were seasoned with salt?

P. 632, Hi.

Why you cannot afford to be too busy to

hear the truth? P. 636, Hl2.
Whether Christ s resurrected body mem
bers will share in Armageddons destruction
work? P. 639, H3.
^

 ^ T tn o u ricin g

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

NOVEMBER 1, 1956
Semimonthly

CHRISTIAN W ORSHIP A N D
PRESERVATION OF VIRTUE

HOW TRUE CHRISTIANS VIEW POLITICS

WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES

SAYS JEHOVAH

isa. 43:12

T H E PU RPO SE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G od s W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G od s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
watch by regularly reading The W a tchtow er .

%
PUBLISHED BY THE
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N . H . K n o r r , President
G r a n t S u i t e r , S e c r e ta r y

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue: 2,800,000

CONTENTS
The Need for Solitude
H ow True Christians View Politics
Hebrew W eights and Money
Pursuing M y Purpose in Life
Christian Worship and Preservation
o f Virtue
Turn to the New W orld Society
Supporting the Service at Jehovahs
House Fully
Questions from Readers
Announcements
Check Your Memory
Abbreviations used In Tbo Watchtowsr for
AS - American Standard Version
LX X
AT - An American Translation
Mo
Da - J. N. Darbys version
N W
D y - Catholic Douay version
Iio
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott
RS
Le - Isaac Leeser's version
Yg
Unless otherwise

indicated,

the

643
645
649
653
657
663
670
671
672
672

the following Bible versions

- The Septuagint Version
- James Moffatta version
- New World Translation
- J. B. Rotherham s version
- Revised Standard Version
- Robert Youngs version

Bible used Is the

King James Version

Five cents a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

Semimonthly
Monthly
Afrikaans
French
Japanese
Armenian
Korean
Arabic
German
Norwegian
Burmese
Malayalam
Cebu-Visayan Greek
Slovenian
Chinese
Pangasinan
Cinyanja
Hollandish Spanish
Cibemba
Polish
Danish
Ilocano
Swedish
Cishona
Portuguese
English
Indonesian Tagalog
Hiligaynon- Russian
Visayan Sesotho
Finnish
Italian
Twi
Ibo
Siamese
Kanarese
Silozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

Watch Tower Society offices
for semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 7South Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions cost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your cou n try in com pliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office Is located, by International
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. 8. A

T ^ r iT io z iT ic ir ig

J E H O V A H S
K IN G D O M
November 1, 1956

N u m b e r 21

< a > J L ii,

EHOVAH commands us to meditate;

and to meditate we need solitude. We
are to meditate on Jehovahs Word, not
just for mental exercise or personal en
richment of thought or to philosophize,
but to be better able then to go preach
it to others. Serious meditation, not day
dreaming, is hard work. The mind is like
a balky mule; it takes a few licks and
kicks to get it moving. And it takes soli
tude so that outside interferences will be
cut to as near nothing as possible.
Writing in the December 1,1954, Chris
tian Century, Simeon Stylites said: In so
many ways we, as a people, have declared
war on solitude and meditation. We are
lost without a set or a bunch. The worst
possible calamity is to be alone. If you
enjoy anything alone, you are antisocial
and ought to be rushed to the psycho
analysts couch, or better still to the men
tal hospital.
And in the January 11, 1956, issue of
this journal this writer said: At last it
is here portable TV! Lets all stand up
and sing the doxology. For this is the
climax of a long line of inventions and
appliances designed to prevent a person
from ever being reduced to the necessity
of meeting himself. It will save us along
with that other instrument of deliverance
from the horrors of solitude, the portable

643

radio from what many up-to-date mod

erns regard as the worst fate possible: to
be left alone without any gadget to pro
tect them from the necessity of rubbing
two thoughts together.
Neither this world nor its god Satan
wants people to think for themselves. Sa
tans propaganda floods out through world
ly channels to mold all minds into a con
formity with his system of things. On
page 66 of The A ge of Conformity Alan
Valentine says: Americans spend so much
time in sodden absorption in radio, tele
vision and press that little is left for other
communication or recreation. Inner re
sources for self-entertainment are atrophy
ing from lack of use, and personal thought
is being made unnecessary by the accept
ance of predigested opinion from favorite
commentators. And on page 113 he adds:
The average American has not warmly
accepted the highest flights of the creative
mind. He prefers intellectual showmen or
barkers who do not tax his brain or imagi
nation too heavily.
Many like thinking only if others do it.
They will absorb themselves in television

644

SfceWATCHTOWER

quiz and panel shows to listen to others

think, but shun such mental exercise them
selves. They would like to have knowledge,
to know all the answers, but not enough to
work for it; just as they would like to have
a strong physique, but not enough to do
the exercise necessary to get it.
Youth, following in the adult footsteps,
has the same aversion to solitude and med
itation. Psychologist Robert Lindner says
that one main source of youths troubles
today lies in the abandonment of that
solitude which was at once the trademark
of adolescence and the source of its deep
est despairs as of its dubious ecstasies.
And frequently this solitude was creative.
From it sometimes came the dreams, the
hopes and the soaring aims that charged
life henceforward with meaning and con
tributed to giving us our poets, artists,
scientists . . . But youth today has aban
doned solitude in favor of pack-running,
of predatory assembly, of great collectiv
ities that bury, if they do not destroy, in
dividuality. Into these mindless associa
tions the young flock like cattle. The fee
they pay for initiation is abandonment of
self and immersion in the herd . . . This
innovation can yield no social gain. For it
is in solitude that the works of hand, heart
and mind are always conceived. In the
crowd, herd or gang, it is a mass mind
that operates a mind without subtlety,
without compassion, uncivilized.
The necessity of solitude and the diffi
culty of getting it are discussed by Anne
Morrow Lindbergh in Gift from the Sea:
We seem so frightened today of being
alone that we never let it happen. Even if
family, friends, and movies should fail,
there is still the radio or television to fill
up the void. Women, who used to complain
of loneliness, need never be alone any
more. We can do our housework with soapopera heroes at our side. Even daydream
ing was more creative than this; it de-

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

manded something of oneself and it fed

the inner life. Now, instead of planting
our solitude with our own dream blossoms,
we choke the space with continuous music,
chatter, and companionship to which we
do not even listen. It is simply there to
fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there
is no inner music to take its place. We
must re-learn to be alone. . . .
The world today does not understand,
in either man or woman, the need to be
alone. How inexplicable it seems. Any
thing else will be accepted as a better ex
cuse. If one sets aside time for a business
appointment, a trip to the hairdresser, a
social engagement, or a shopping expedi
tion, that time is accepted as inviolable.
But if one says: I cannot come because that
is my hour to be alone, one is considered
rude, egotistical or strange. What a com
mentary on our civilization, when being
alone is considered suspect; when one has
to apologize for it, make excuses, hide the
fact that one practices itlike a secret
vice! Actually these are among the most
important times in ones life when one is
alone. Certain springs are tapped only
when we are alone. The artist knows he
must be alone to create; the writer, to
work out his thoughts; the musician, to
compose; the saint, to pray.
It is the refreshing spiritual springs that
are tapped by true Christians when they
meditate in solitude on Jehovahs Word,
and when they come together in meetings
each one has more to contribute to the
discussion, and when they go preaching in
the homes of the people they have thoughts
substantial enough to withstand opposing
error, overturn it, bring wayward thinking
into harmony with Jehovahs Word. Jesus
sought both solitude and people, one as a
time to take in and the other as a time to
give out. And he is a model for you to fol
low his steps closely. 1 Pet. 2:21; 2 Cor.
10:3-5; Luke 4:42; 5:16, NW.

garding politics. Thus the book

Christianity and the Roman Gov
e r n m e n t by E. G. Hardy speaks of
Christians and their aver
ts all civic duties and offices.
ler book, On the Road to Civil,A World History, by Hec
tSigman, tells us: Christians
sed to share certain duties of
citizens. . . . They would
$|d-political office.
fere those early Christians
in not trying to better the
Christians are being urged to
by
taking part in politics?
participate in politics. W hat
should the true Christian d o?
iuld they be? They had
Should he try to change the
Jesus, the Founder of
w orld? O r should he change
himself to harmonize with
jtianity, and his apostles to
Christianity?
them.
ie Textbook of Christianity,
*tjfts us why those early Chris
tians shunned politics. It shows that a fun
IOLITICS is more and more in the damental principle of Christianity is sepa
Inews. And more and more people are rateness from the world. And the early
turning to politics, either by becoming Christians changed their lives to live up to
members of political parties or by voting this requirement for right worship. Said
for party candidates. Amid the growing the Bible writer James: The form of wor
popularity of politics is heard the voice of ship that is clean and undefiled from the
religion. This voice too talks politics. But standpoint of our God and Father is this:
sermonizing on political matters is not all; to care for orphans and widows in their
religion urges professed Christians to be tribulation, and to keep oneself without
active politically, as did Pope Pius XII, spot from the world. Adulteresses, do
who, according to the New York Times of you not know that the friendship with the
July 23, 1956, urged Roman Catholics to
world is enmity with God? Whoever, there
day to take an active part in politics. But
fore, wants to be a friend of the world is
even without clerical exhortation, the
masses of professed Christians are so im constituting himself an enemy of God.
mersed in politics that many are more ac To delve into politics would mean to show
tive politically than religiously. All this friendship for the world, and to show
friendship for the world would mean to
prompts some questions.
But seldom do people stop to ponder make oneself an enemy of God. That is
these questions: Is it by plunging into why the early Christians shunned politics.
politics that a person demonstrates he is Jas. 1:27; 4:4, NW.
a follower of Christ? Is this quest to better
GODS KINGDOM NO PART OF THIS WORLD
the world through politics the example set
by Jesus and the early Christians?
But why should true Christians shun
We can read in history books about the politics when they could do much, seem
position taken by the early Christians re ingly, to better the world? The answer is,
OR EGON

645

646

SfieWATCHTOWER

as the Bible shows, that true Christians

do not advocate or preach democracy,
socialism, communism or any other form
of human government as a remedy for the
worlds woes. What Christians preach is
a heavenly government, the kingdom of
God. And that kingdom is not part of this
world. Said Jesus: My kingdom is no part
of this world. If my kingdom were part of
this world, my attendants would have
fought that I should not be delivered up
to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is
not from this source. John 18:36,
Gods kingdom is no mere social reform.
It is the government that will rule the
universe. To make way for the universal
rule of Gods kingdom, the Bible shows,
the political governments of this world
must be destroyed. Not from men will
come this destruction, but from God. De
clared the prophet Daniel: In the days of
those kings shall the God of heaven set up
a kingdom which shall never be destroyed,
nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to
another people; but it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms, and it
shall stand for ever. Dan. 2:44,
So the early Christians were careful not
to meddle with politics. They knew that
Gods kingdom is destined to destroy all
political governments and that those in
volved in politics would be enemies of God
and hence also in line for destruction.
Vigorously the early Christians preached
the Kingdom hope of the world. They
showed the utter futility of trusting in hu
man rulers. The apostle Paul wrote: Now
we speak wisdom among those who are
adults, but not the wisdom of this system
of things nor that of the rulers of this sys
tem of things who are to come to nothing.
We are still living in what the Bible calls
this present wicked system of things.
But soon now at the impending war of
Armageddon the rulers of this world will
come to nothing. Those persons friendly

ro o kly n

N. Y.

with the world are in line for the same

fate. 1 Cor. 2:6; Gal. 1:4, NW.
Jesus wanted his followers to live and
not suffer destruction with this evil world.
So he urged them, not to participate in
politics, but to stay separate from the
world. He set the example himself and al
ways lived up to his words: I am no part
of the world. John 17:16,
On one occasion the populace of Galilee
wanted Jesus to plunge into politics. The
people saw that Jesus was righteous and
wise and they realized that he would make
the ideal political ruler. They may have
felt that Jesus was merely throwing away
his opportunities by preaching a future
kingdom when he could have a kingdom
right there and then. How did Jesus re
spond to the crowds popular draft? There
fore Jesus, realizing they were about to
come and seize him to make him king,
withdrew again into the mountain all
alone. No politics for Jesus! John 6:15,
NW.
CHANGE YOURSELF TO FIT CHRISTIANITY

The attitude of that crowd gives us an

idea as to what the masses today try to
do to Christianity. That group was not
really interested in living Christianity. Oh,
they were greatly interested in the by
products of Christianity, but hardly at all
in Christianity itself. They reasoned, If
he will give us loaves and fishes, better
houses, shorter hours, bigger wages and
the means to lighten our work and add to
our leisure, then let us follow him and
make him our ruler. For their own selfish
purposes they wanted Jesus to be made
king; they wanted Jesus to change Chris
tianity. But Jesus did not change
re
quirement of Christianityseparateness
from the world to suit men. If they want
ed to be Christs followers they would have
to change themselves to fit Christianity.

N ovember 1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

The attitude of the masses today is little

different. As a result, to the masses Chris
tianity is a watered-down faith, a faith
that has been adulterated, toned down and
altered to suit the moods of those who did
not like the Christian requirements as they
stood. Though the Bible is clear on the
Christian requirement of separateness
from the world, most people who call them
selves Christian quickly change that re
quirement to suit themselves. But the true
Christian does not alter the requirement;
he alters himself to suit the requirement.
The Bible command is: Quit being fash
ioned after this system of things, but be
transformed by making your mind over,
that you may prove to yourselves the good
and acceptable and complete will of God.
Rom. 12:2, NW.
For a Christian to participate in the
worlds politics is to fashion himself after
this system of things. Rather, the Chris
tian changes himself, if he is to be a true
Christian, according to the acceptable and
complete will of God. So after learning
what Gods requirements are, a change in
the person, not the requirements, must be
made. Put away the old personality which
conforms to your former course of conduct
and which is being corrupted according to
his deceptive desires. The change in the
person results in a new personality, fash
ioned not after this world but after Gods
will: Put on the new personality which
was created according to Gods will in true
righteousness and loving-kindness. Eph.
4:22-24,

NW

One who puts on the new personality

cam no longer be a part of this world. He
must follow closely in the footsteps of
Christ Jesus, who said of his followers:
They are no part of the world just as I
am no part of the world. If you were
part of the world, the world would be fond
of what is its own. Now because you are
no part of the world, but I have chosen you

647

out of the world, on this account the world

hates you. John 17:16; 15:19,
No part of the world that is the
stand taken by true Christians. This does
not mean withdrawing oneself from asso
ciation with all people of the world and
living a hermits life in the seclusion of a
monastery. No, Jesus did not become a
monk to keep himself unspotted from the
world. He did a preaching work, visiting
the people in their homes; and yet he kept
himself from friendship with the world.
Jesus wanted no part of this world be
cause he knew that the political powers of
this world are by and are under the ruler
of this world, the god of this system of
things, Satan the Devil. The whole world
is lying in the power of the wicked one.
John 12:31; 2C or.4:4; 1 John5:19, NW.
How clear now why friendship with the
world means enmity with God! This world
is ruled by Gods archenemy, the Devil.
Friends of this world, then, must be ene
mies of God. How can Christians involve
themselves in worldly politics and expect
Gods approval? They cannot! Do not be
loving either the world or the things in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love
of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15,
NW.
Christ Jesus truly had the love of his
Father, Jehovah. At all times he kept him
self without spot from the world. Even
when offered rulership of this world Jesus
rejected it, retaining his love for his Fa
ther and his Christian separateness from
the world. The Bible tells us: The Devil
took him along to an unusually high moun
tain, and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world and their glory, and he said to
him: All these things I will give you if you
fall down and do an act of worship to me.
Then Jesus said to him: Go away, Satan!
For it is written, It is Jehovah your God
you must worship. Matt. 4:8-10, NW.

648

SfiieWATCHTOWER

THIS WORLD AND ITS POLITICS DOOMED

The Devil controlled all the kingdoms of

the world in Jesus day; he still does. But
soon now the ruler of this world will be
put out of the way and this present wicked
system of things forever come to its end.
True Christians, then, demonstrate that
they are followers of Christ, not by trying
to patch up this world or reform it through
politics, but by declaring the good news of
the kingdom that will destroy this world.
No matter how many votes are cast for
the rulers of this system of things it is
doomed. No amount of political campaign
ing, no number of professed Christians in
politics and no amount of prayers for this
world by the clergy or politicians will save
it from certain destruction. The world is
passing away and so is its desire, but he
that does the will of God remains forever.
1 John 2:17, NW.
When this world comes to its fiery end
at the war of Armageddon, all the rulers of
the earth and their supporters, no matter
of what political ideology or religious be
lief, will be against Jehovahs King of kings
and Lord of lords, Christ Jesus. The Reve
lation account says: I saw the wild beast
and the kings of the earth and their armies
gathered together to wage the war with
the one seated on the horse and with his
army. The political powers will go down
in defeat before Christ Jesus and his heav
enly armies and will be hurled into the
fiery lake that bums with sulphur, the
Gehenna of everlasting destruction. Rev.
19:19-21,
NW.

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

After this wicked system of things has

been destroyed and Satan the Devil put
out of the way a new world of righteous
ness begins under the Kingdom. The King
dom will give mankind a perfect govern
ment and, not only that, but the opportu
nity for everlasting life. The survivors of
Jehovahs war of the great day of God
the Almighty will enjoy a righteous new
world that will be one world. For there
will be but one government, and that gov
ernment will be heavenly. Politics will be
gone, and gone for good. The politics that
have divided men of all religions and
caused men of the very same religion to
kill one another for political systems will
be gone for all time. Rev. 16:14, NW.
You can enjoy the everlasting blessings
of the righteous government or kingdom
that will embrace all this earthly globe in
its rule. To do so means changing oneself
to harmonize with the requirements of
Christianity, paramount of which is the
command to be no part of this world.
Today the Christian witnesses of Jeho
vah, like the witnesses of Jehovah in the
early days of Christianity, keep unspotted
from the world. They conscientiously re
frain from taking part in the politics of
this world, yes, even from voting. They
know that political participation not only
would be futile but would bring Gods dis
approval. Maintaining the true Christian
view of politics will help you keep un
spotted from this wicked system of things
and gain everlasting life under the perfect
government of the post-Armageddon new
world.

W h ere is the wise

m an? W h ere the scribe? W h ere the debater o f this system of
things? Did not God m ake the wisdom o f the world foolish? F or since, in the
wisdom o f God, the world through its wisdom did not get to know God,
God saw good through the foolishness o f what is preached to save those
believing. . .
.Because a foolish thing o f God is wiser than men,
and a weak thing o f God is stronger than men. . . and God
chose the ignoble things of the world and the things looked
down upon, the things that are not, that he might bring
to nothing the things that are. 1 C or. 1:20-28, N W .

weight. It consisted of pieces

of silver that were weighed to
determine value. Jeremiah 32:
10 (AS) speaks of a similar
payment: And I subscribed
the deed, and sealed it, and
called witnesses, and weighed
him the money in the bal
ances. This money bore no
O N E Y h a s n o t al
stamp of authority.
w ays been c o n v e n
iently carried in a change
With this system of ex
purse ready for use. The
change it was necessary to have
time was, and still is in
along balances, weights and some
some places, when payment
silver in order to pay a debt. For
of a debt was made in cat
the most part these weights con
sisted of stones, and later lead
tle. A little large for ones
wallet, but nonetheless ac
pieces, hung from ones girdle in
a pouch. However, at Lachish
ceptable for c o m m e r c i a l
purposes. In ancient Baby
and e l s e w h e r e a number of
weights have been unearthed
lonia rates of exchange were
that are shaped as crouching
worked out for such items
lions, bulls, geese and ducks. It
as oxen, sheep, dates, oil,
may be that a similar reference
barley and silver. Even to
is involved when the Hebrew
day some contracts may
text at Genesis 33:19 says that
stipulate payment in sugar,
dried fish, cattle or com , or if not stipu Jacob purchased a field for one hundred
kesitahs, which possibly means lambs. That
lated, they may be accepted.
It is of interest to note that this early may have designated the weight used or it
form of exchange is reflected in the term may have been a coin with the likeness of
pecuniary, signifying, pertaining to or a sheep stamped on it; but this is quite
consisting of money. It comes from the early to say definitely that it was a coin
Latin
pecus,which means cattle, in
anduse.
Consistent with the practice of using
which was apparently the first money of
stones of specific weights is the Hebrew
the Romans. The Bible relates that barter,
word
eben,or stone, which also means
or exchanging cattle and goods as pay
weight. Considerable accuracy was possi
ment, was resorted to by all Egypt and ble through these weights. But in Baby
Canaan during the severe famine of the lon, and elsewhere, this use of unmarked
eighteenth century B.C. Gen. 47:14-17. money gave rise to considerable fraud. A
merchant might use two sets of weights,
MONEY WAS WEIGHED
one for buying and another for selling.
Money is mentioned in that Bible ac That such practice did exist is shown by
count, but this does not mean money as Jehovahs specific condemnation of it for
we know it today. This is shown by the his people: You must not come to have in
related account in Genesis 43:20,21, where your bag two sorts of weights, a great one
reference is made to the money in full and a small one. Diverse weights, and
649

650

d e WATCHTOWEFL

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

diverse measures, both of them alike are silver as their commercial standard of
an abomination to Jehovah. (Deut. 25:13, value.
N W ; Prov. 20:10,
ASLayards
Since studies
money had been weighed out for
reveal that Babylon had a royal and a com so long, it is not surprising to learn that
mon set of weights, used to give the king monetary designations are also designa
the advantage in all business transactions tions of weights. Principally, there are five
to which he was a party; also there were divisions: the gerah, bekah, shekel, maneh
heavy and light weights in use, the latter and talent. The Bible itself gives us much
being just half as heavy as the former.
information on their value in relation to
We are not to assume from this discus one another, but it is rather difficult to say
sion that their currency was totally void of definitely what their specific values are
any specific size or shape, only weights in terms of present-day science of weights
having a definite shape. Indications are and measures.
to the contrary. Although the pieces were
COMPARATIVE VALUES
not officially stamped with a designation
of value, many of the smaller units in com
Exodus 38:25, 26 (NW) gives us the key
mon use were no doubt of a recognized to the relationship of the talent and the
value, since they were used so often. The shekel: And the silver of the ones regis
account in Genesis 24:22
seems to tered of the assembly was a hundred tal
indicate this: Consequently it came about ents and one thousand seven hundred and
that, when the camels had finished drink seventy-five shekels by the shekel of the
ing, then the man took a gold nose ring of a sanctuary. The half shekel for an individ
half shekel in weight and two bracelets for ual was the half of a shekel by the shekel
her hands, ten shekels of gold was their of the sanctuary, for every mein who was
weight. These rings were of a specific serving according to those who were regis
and known weight. Aside from ornamenta tered from twenty years of age and up
tion, they may also have served as money. ward, amounting to six hundred and three
This was later true of Egyptian money as thousand five hundred and fifty. A half
well. In Assyria, however, it is reported shekel from each of 603,550 persons would
that silver and gold bars or wedges were yield 301,775 shekels of silver. The ac
used for money. This is reflected in the count tells us that this is equal to one hun
Bible account that tells of Achans taking dred talents and 1,775 shekels. That means
these as loot from Jericho. Josh. 7:21. that each talent contained three thousand
During this early period of time and shekels.
even in Davids day gold was not the ordi
Talent is our word for the Hebrew kiJcnary medium of exchange. It was simply kar, which means circle, round or oval.
used as an article of merchandise, a pre Maneh is from a root meaning to count
cious metal in most cases, but not the or reckon. The Greek mina means a por
standard of value. You may recall that tion, that is, a subdivision of the talent;
Abraham paid for the field he purchased sixty manehs equaled a talent. Shekel
from Ephron the Hittite with silver, four comes from an expression in Hebrew
hundred silver shekels current with the meaning to weigh, and it did actually sig
merchants. (Gen. 23:16, W ) This prac nify the common unit of weight. Weight
tice was true among others besides the was usually expressed in terms of shekels.
Hebrews, for the Midianites, Philistines Bekah, the half shekel, is from the Hebrew
and Syrians, among others, also employed for a cleft or fraction; it signifies a divi

N ovember 1, 1956

fEeWATCHTOWER.

sion or a half. And the gerah, or bean or

kernel, was similar to the grain now used
in weighing. This gerah was one-twentieth
of a shekel; as Leviticus 27:25
says: The shekel should amount to twen
ty gerahs.
Some feel that the Hebrew talent may
have been equal to 115 pounds troy. If such
was the case, then figuring gold at $32 an
ounce and silver at 88 cents an ounce, we
should be presented with a picture like
this: In silver the gerah would be worth
about 2 cents, the bekah 20 cents, the
shekel 40 cents, the maneh $20.24 and the
talent $1,214.40. In gold the value of the
gerah would be about 74 cents, the bekah
$7.36, the shekel $14.72, the maneh $736
and the talent $44,160. Although other
authorities do not give exactly the same
figures, still this gives us something to
start with, and from here the relative
weight and value of the other denomina
tions may be figured. On our scale one
talent equals sixty manehs; a maneh is
fifty shekels; each shekel is two bekahs
and the bekah is ten gerahs.
Some question may arise as to the rela
tion between the shekel and the maneh in
view of Ezekiel 45:12, which says, And
the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty
shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen
shekels, shall be your maneh. This would
appear to say that the maneh has sixty
shekels instead of the fifty mentioned
above. However, many scholars prefer the
Greek reading of the text as given in the
Codex Alexandrinus: Five shekels are
five, and ten shekels are ten, and fifty
shekels shall be your maneh. In other
words, the weights were to be honest and
according to the accepted standard, nei
ther more nor less.
BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Applied to Bible accounts what light

does this throw on our understanding of

651

the texts? Well, did you ever wonder how

much money Josephs brothers accepted
when they sold him into Egyptian slav
ery? In terms of the value of equivalent
silver in our day the twenty pieces of
silver would be only about $8. (Gen.
37:28) Later on the Mosaic law stipulated
the price of a slave as thirty pieces of sil
ver, which would come to around $12.
(Ex. 21:32) Remember, it was for thirty
pieces of silver that Judas was willing to
betray Jesus.Matt. 27:3.
We have often read the account of Haman and his hatred for the people of God,
but it is difficult to conceive of a man as
filled with bitterness toward anyone as he
was toward the Jews. The account at
Esther 3:9 {NW) tells us about it, saying:
If to the king it does seem good, let there
be a writing that they be destroyed, and
ten thousand silver talents I shall pay into
the hands of those doing the work by
bringing [it] into the kings treasury.
Can you imagine a man with such hatred
that he was willing to pay $12,144,000 to
have the object of his hatred removed?
Every Bible reader is acquainted with
David, and most of us have some idea of
the picture David and Goliath must have
presented as they faced each other on the
battlefield. Goliath was insulted as he saw
the lad David coming out with a simple
sling in his hand. There in front of young
David stood a giant, his height being six
cubits and a span, or nine feet nine
inches. And there was a helmet of cop
per on his head, and he was clad with a
coat of mail, of overlapping scales, and
the weight of the coat of mail was five
thousand shekels of copper. And there
were greaves of copper above his feet and
a javelin of copper between his shoulders.
And the wooden shaft of his spear was
like the beam of loom workers, and the
blade of his spear was six hundred shekels
of iron. (1 Sam. 17:4-7, NW) His coat

652

SEeWATCHTOWER.

of mail alone weighed over 157 pounds and

just the head of his spear came to almost
19 pounds. But this metal-clad monstrosity
did not cause David to turn back in dis
may. Fully confident that Jehovah was
with him David went through with his
assignment and came off victorious.
It is often observed in these Bible ac
counts, especially in the Law of Moses,
that weights, or payment of money, were
to be figured according to the shekel of
the sanctuary. What was that shekel of
the sanctuary, as it is so often called?
McClintock and Strongs Cyclopaedia views
the matter this way: The Weight of the
Sanctuary, or Weight of the Temple (Exo
dus 30:13, 24), was probably the standard
weight, preserved in some apartment of
the Temple, and not a different weight
from the common shekel; for though
Moses appoints that all things valued by
their price in silver should be rated by
the weight of the sanctuary, he makes no
difference between this shekel of twenty
oboli, or twenty gerahs, and the common
shekel. (Volume 10, pages 900, 901) In
other words, the expression may indicate
nothing other than that the weight should
be accurate, following the standard
weights kept by the priests in the temple.
Since the practice was to weigh silver to
determine its value, counting money was
rare, and then it was probably done only to
get an estimate of value. (2 Ki. 12:10)
When coins came into use, of course, it was
different. But in Israel this was not until
after their exile in Babylon.
COINS

The Lydians in Asia Minor were prob

ably the first to issue coins, doing so to
ward the end of the eighth century B.C.
History shows that staters, made of an
alloy of gold and silver called electron,
were struck at Lydia about that time. It
was along in the sixth century B.C. that

ro o klyn

, N. Y.

the practice reached Persia, where a thick

gold coin, the daric, featuring the king
kneeling and holding a javelin, was issued.
The Jews became acquainted with these
coins through Persia, no doubt taking
some back to Jerusalem with them. (Ezra
1:4) The post-captivity books of Ezra,
Chronicles and Nehemiah make reference
to them. (Ezra 2:69; 1 Chron. 29:7; Neh.
7:70-72) Later Grecian and Roman cur
rency circulated in Palestine, and at times
even the Jews coined money.
By Jesus day a strange complexity of
coins was in use around Jerusalem. When
Jews traveled to the temple from foreign
lands they brought their own money with
them. The Greeks had brought in their
talent (smaller than the Hebrew talent)
and mina, and the drachma and stater or
tetradrachma coins; now the Romans used
the denarius, quadrans and assarion. But
this money was not accepted for contribu
tions in the temple. Whether the poll tax
or a freewill offering, it had to be pre
sented in the native coin.
Thus arose the need for money-changers.
They set up stalls for business in the city
and at the time of the passover they actu
ally moved into the temple area, setting
up their tables in the Court of Gentiles.
They made about three cents profit on just
a single half shekel change. Their dishon
esty and selfishness were entirely out of
harmony with the true worship that should
have been practiced there. Twice during
his earthly ministry Jesus overturned
their tables, spilling their money and de
nouncing their commercializing of the wor
ship there. John 2:14-16; Matt. 21:12,13.
On one occasion as Jesus, using an illus
tration, spoke to his disciples he said: The
kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a
householder, who went out early in the
morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
When he had agreed with the workers for

ovem ber

l, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

a denarius a day, he sent them forth into

his vineyard. (Matt. 20:1, 2,
This
statement of one denarius, or about 17
cents, as an acceptable days wage at that
time sheds much light on Revelation 6:6,
which says: And I heard a voice as if in
the midst of the four living creatures say:
A quart of wheat for a days wage [de
narius, rendered penny in the King James
Version and shilling in the American
Standard Version], and three quarts of
barley for a days wage; and do not harm
the olive oil and the wine. (NW) That

<-As told by A. C Attwood

HIS story goes back more than twen

ty years. It was in 1935 that I began
to know the truth. My father, a retired
businessman, was nominally a Roman
Catholic but in practice a complete agnos
tic. A sick man, he took no part in the
drama to follow. He died in 1939. Mother
was an Anglican, a pillar of the local
church. My sister was educated in Roman
Catholic convents, while my brother and
I were brought up in the Church of Eng
land. I was the youngest.
My parents liked the idea of mine, to be
an architect. But father insisted that I
work in an office for a year to get business
experience before beginning the necessary
training. After that I went to the Bristol
School of Architecture. While I was in the

653

denarius represented a days wage a great

deal of money for a single quart of wheat.
The text speaks of real famine, just as
Jesus foretold at Matthew 24:7.
Application of your knowledge of Bib
lical weights and money does not take
much time, but it may add considerably
to your appreciation of the accounts you
read. Next time you see in your Bible a
reference to some one of the units of
weight or money stop and think what it
means in the standard that you use each
day.

office the turning point in my life came.

Returning one day after the midday
break, I met a lady at the top of the ele
vator. She was waiting outside the office
door. She opened her bag and showed me
a selection of books and booklets on Bible
topics. I always had been a Bible lover and
took a booklet. It was called World Re
covery. When I started to read it I became
completely absorbed. It was quite different
from anything I had ever read before.
Reaching home, I began looking up words
like Armageddon in dictionaries and
encyclopedias. I must have read that book
let half a dozen times. My curiosity was so
aroused that I wrote to London for the
catalog advertised on the back. Then I
ordered every booklet published by the
Society up to that time, including all the
old ones like Crimes and Calamities, etc.
I devoured them all, one after another.
Then all the bound books, from The Harp
of God to Jehovah. I started on Creation,
then the Light books, and finally all the
rest. I was only seventeen. I was a regular
churchgoer along with mother. Even be
fore I got that booklet I was beginning to
entertain grave misgivings about the
church. Now I could see nothing good in it
and realized that I just had to get out. As
I read the publications I soon saw the ob-

654

SEeWATCHTOWER.

ligation to preach. So I started on mother,

passing over the books and urging her to
read. I also ordered a hundred booklets
from London and spread them all over the
village. During all this time no one had
called nor had I seen any of Jehovahs
witnesses anywhere. As I lived eight miles
out of town in the heart of the country,
this was not surprising.
At this point things began to happen.
Angered by the exposure of the clergy,
mother began opposing. I started protest
ing about going to church but was forced
to go against my will. So I began a sitdown strike, refusing to participate in the
church service. I folded booklets inside my
hymnbook and sat there reading them de
spite mothers angry glares and indignant
prods. In the meantime I became a sub
scriber for the Watchtower and Golden
A ge magazines. Several of the latter got
into mothers hands and the cartoons just
maddened her. After weeks of violent rows
and upsets at home I finally won the
church-attendance struggle and was al
lowed to stay home.
Being all alone in the truth, I yearned to
have association. So I wrote to London and
asked if there was anyone in Bristol I
could get in touch with. They sent me
Brother Hardings address. He was the
local service director. I wrote for the
times of the meetings and also explained
what was happening at home. As soon as
I got his reply I ran away to the meeting
the very next Sunday, cycling the eight
miles into Bristol. The meeting consisted
of a recorded lecture on the terrible
image of Daniels prophecy, with a dis
cussion afterward. I took a full part in the
discussion (for the questions seemed very
easy), at which everybody in the hall
turned round and stared at me. When they
learned who I was I got much encourage
ment and laid the foundation for pursuing

ro o klyn

, N.

Y.

my purpose in life and for friendships that

have lasted to this day.
On my reaching home the storm burst
in all its fury. It lasted for weeks and
weeks, but I never once missed a meeting
after that first Sunday. October, 1936,
there was an assembly in Bristol. I ran
away from home to attend and was bap
tized. Things then eased up a bit and early
in 1937 I was able to attend the big Memo
rial convention in Liverpool. But that was
only the lull before an even worse storm.
Violent threats, hysterical ravings, floods
of emotional tears, and all that kind of
thing, became a daily occurrence until it
became clear that to live in that house and
stay in the truth was impossible.
Resolved to leave home, I resigned from
the School of Architecture and began to
look for a job. I got one as a draftsman.
I packed up and left home, having made
arrangements to live with one of the
brothers in Bristol.
Then began the happiest moments of my
life. In August I got time off to attend the
international assembly in Paris, an event
I shall never forget as long as I live. It
was there that I decided that full-time
service was the only course for me. In
November, 1937, I enrolled as a pioneer.
The Society assigned me to a rural terri
tory in Norfolk (England), where I joined
another pioneer. We worked together hap
pily for four months, cycling many miles
visiting farms and country villages. Then
I got an assignment to go to Lincoln and
serve as pioneer-congregation servant.
There were about sixty or seventy publish
ers there. The congregation was in a bad
way, torn with dissension and very sick
spiritually. I got a wonderful blessing at
Lincoln and am happy to say that condi
tions improved in a short time, thanks to
Jehovahs undeserved kindness.
Although I was only nineteen years of
age, one privilege after another was heaped

ovem ber

1, 1956

fEeWATCHTOWER.

655

upon me and my life was one perpetual were taking place in the organization and
joy. How happy I was that I had entered there was quite a bit of testing for every
the full-time service! Being young and body. Those years in Bethel were filled
somewhat impetuous, I got plenty of with many privileges as well as hard expe
knocks, but soon learned, and these ex riences. I served as congregation servant
periences have been valuable since. Sep of five different London units, was sent
tember, 1938, came Brother Rutherfords out to care for various assemblies and en
visit to London and the great lecture Face joyed many other privileges.
the Facts. I was sent to Birmingham as
With the coming of 1945 the dark years
convention servant. After that the zone of war drew to a close and with it a change
work began and I was among the first zone for me. I was sent out from the Bethel as a
servants appointed. I was sent to York servant to the brethren, or circuit servant,
shire and spent a happy year visiting the as we now call them. For over a year I was
congregations. The following year I was back visiting congregations. And how I
convention servant at Leeds for the Gov enjoyed it! Not that I did not appreciate
ernment and Peace convention. Then I Bethel life. I did. But after the long years
was transferred to the neighboring zone of war and the many nerve-racking expe
in Lancashire, where I did another year riences it was a relief to get out into the
of this work. But just before my transfer field for a change. I just put everything I
World War II burst upon the inhabited had into that service and I still think that
earth. With the coming of war young men that year was about the happiest I have
like myself were faced with military con ever spent pursuing my purpose in life.
scription and other forms of war service. In the winter of 1945-46 I met Brother
I was now twenty-one. Like everybody else Knorr at Sheffield and there filled out my
I had to register and in due time I was preliminary application for Gilead. In May,
called before a conscientious objectors 1946, with seven others I set sail for
tribunal to have my case heard. The judge America. We were the first eight to go
seemed to be a fair-minded man and his from England.
questions were easy. I answered clearly
After arrival in the States, my first two
and to the point and he gave me uncondi months were at the Brooklyn Bethel and
tional exemption. What a happy moment! factory. Then came the Cleveland conven
I could now carry on my full-time service tion. After that a little while at Kingdom
uninterrupted.
Farm, followed by the opening of the
October, 1940, just after the bombing of eighth class of Gilead in September, 1946.
London had begun, I was called in from After graduation, a weeks rest in Canada
the field to become a member of the Bethel with friends and then pioneering in New
family. I was in Bethel for almost five York city, while waiting for a ship for
years. It was not easy carrying on during Nigeria, which was to be my assignment.
the air raids, particularly during the first After a months pioneering I was called
winter. At one time we had raids for ninety into the factory for training, which lasted
consecutive nights without a break. While for two months. Then we set sail, three of
carrying on the work during the day, we us for Nigeria and two for the Gold Coast,
would often have to be up part of the all on the same ship.
night and several times had to join in fire
We arrived in Nigeria June 21,1947, and
fighting, including fires on the Societys here a new chapter in my life opened. I
property. Also at that time many changes have now been here almost eight years and

656

SEeWATCHTOWER

I certainly think this is one of the finest

assignments anyone could possibly have.
Just think: when we got here there were
about 3,500 publishers in the country. And
how many today? Almost 20,000! Would
you not like to have an experience like
that? It has not been easy by any means.
There have been many hard problems,
many difficult experiences. I have learned
a great deal since I have been here. It has
been a real thrill to see the way the Afri
can brothers have progressed. To see them
abandon polygamy, clean up their lives by
abandoning untheocratic customs and be
come fully dedicated mature ministers has
brought me indescribable joy. During my
years in Nigeria I have traveled the length
and breadth of the land, served dozens of
assemblies and enjoyed many wonderful
experiences. During all these years I have
been in the Bethel home in Lagos and so
have been in a good position to witness
the increase.
After a few years in Nigeria another
problem presented itself. The work began
to open up in the surrounding French ter
ritories and some of these were placed
under the Nigerian branch. To care for the
work required someone with a knowledge
of the French language. Various attempts
were made to find someone but without
success. So I came to the conclusion that
the only solution was to learn the language
myself so that the work could be cared
for. It was a hard problem. I had last
studied French at school over seventeen
years ago and had forgotten it all. Also
Bethel life does not give one much oppor
tunity for studying a language and the
tropical climate makes one very tired in
the evenings. However, realizing that the
work demanded it, I set to work in earnest,
providing myself with the necessary text
books. Inside a year I began dealing with
all the French correspondence that was
coming into the office. Now I can read and

ro o klyn

N. Y.

write the language without difficulty. At

present we have almost fifty French con
gregations and nearly 2,500 publishers to
care for outside Nigeria. For the past two
years I have been in touch with a French
Gilead graduate and every time I write a
letter in French I send him a copy and he
marks on it any improvements or correc
tions necessary. So I am also getting ex
pert tuition by post.
There is much more that I could say
about my experiences in Nigeria, but space
does not allow. It makes me happy to think
that at the age of thirty-seven I have spent
twenty years in the truth, almost eighteen
of which have been in the full-time service.
And that full-time service has been contin
uous, without any break whatever. It is true
that I have been away from England for
almost ten years, but that does not worry
me. Since I have been here mother has died
and I am sorry to say she remained an
embittered hater of the truth to the end.
I have not seen my brother for nineteen
years and have seen my sister only once in
the same period. I do not even know their
whereabouts. But Jesus told us that those
who followed him would be separated from
fleshly parents and relatives, but would
gain many more in the New World so
ciety. Although I have no home of my
own I know that if I ever do get back for
a visit there are dozens of doors that will
open to me without my even asking.
And now I want to urge upon all young
people who have been blessed with the
truth to launch out into the service. Grasp
every privilege that is placed before you.
That is what I did. And just think of the
blessings I have had! Would you not like
to enjoy the same things? Get into the
full-time work. Stick to it. Go to Gilead if
you have the chance. Then go off to your
foreign assignment and stick to it. Jehovah
will never let you down. I know that from
experience in pursuing my purpose in life.

F i n a l l y , b ro th ers, w hatever
things a re tru e, whatever
things a re o f seriou s c o n
cern , w h a tever things are
righ teou s, w hatever things
are chaste, w ha tever things
are lova b le, w hatever things
are well sp o k e n o f , whatever
virtue th ere is and whatever
p raisew orthy thing th ere is,
con tinue con sid erin g th ese
things. Phil, 4 : 8 , N W .

whatever praiseworthy thing there is, con

tinue considering these things. (Phil. 4:8,
NW) The fact is that today virtue is truly
N EVERY side men are con appreciated by but a minority. How about
fronted with evidences of Jeho you? Do you wish to turn away from those
vah God that they cannot es who are without virtue? Significant is the
cape. Even though he is denied, prophetic passage, so well known: But
questioned and belittled, his su know this, that in the last days critical
premacy and righteousness stand un times hard to deal with will be here. For
shaken, and constitute complete assur men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
ance for those who worship him. (Ps. money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphem
14:1; 53:1-4) Is this true even today, when ers, disobedient to parents, without grati
the times are so critical and when men in tude, with no loving-kindness, having no
general do not love God? Yes, this is espe natural affection, not open to any agree
cially true now, because the extremes of ment, slanderers, without self-control,
unrighteousness on every hand not only fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers,
constitute a great sign of deliverance of headstrong, puffed up with self-esteem,
lovers of Jehovahs righteousness, but, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of
additionally, make the righteousness of God, having a form of godly devotion but
Jehovah stand out by wonderful contrast. proving false to its power; and from these
turn away. (2 Tim. 3:1-5, 1VW) The fore
Luke 21:28-33; Psalm 36.
going
descr ibe s men l a c k in g virtue,
2
Men find it hard to deal with these crit
from
whom
Christians must turn. It shows
ical times, but not because they keep their
contrast and controversy between that
thoughts on things that are virtuous.
which is virtuous and that which is not.
Rather, it is because they do not obey the
3
If there were no such things as the ele
injunction, Whatever virtue there is and
ments that constitute virtue, this scripture
1. In what do lovers of righteousness now And assurance ?
2. Who appreciate v.irtue, and what must these do?
657

---------3. What proves that the qualities of virtue do exist?

658

SEeWATCHTOWER.

ro o klyn

N. Y.

would have no force. Virtue does exist,

however. The very fact that there are vital
issues and controversies between right
eousness and unrighteousness is proof that
such good qualities of virtue do exist. This
issue or controversy involving virtue is
also shown at Titus 1:16 (NW), which
states: They publicly declare they know
God, but they disown him by their works,
because they are detestable and disobedi
ent and not approved for good work of any
kind. Consistently, Gods Word reveals
wrongdoing in contrast with Jehovah God
and his righteousness, so in spite of claims
to godliness, the words of the old world
prove that it is not in harmony with Jeho
vah God.
4Materialistic Bible-haters cannot deny
that the principles of virtue are in exist
ence. By their claim of materialism and
efforts to rule out Jehovahs Creatorship
and Godship they attempt to rule out vir
tue as well. In order to deny God they must
deny high moral values; or, in order to
deny high moral values they must deny
the existence of Jehovah. Such denial is
an impossibility. Virtue and high moral
values do not originate with inanimate
things nor do they originate with the lower
animate creation, which are not in the
image and likeness of God. Man it is who
was created in Jehovahs image and like
ness. (Gen. 1:26, 27) Were man not so
created but were he like the lower ani
mate or inanimate creation, he would not
find himself in a controversy involving
virtue. The very fact that he does so find
himself proves the existence of a virtuous
God; otherwise virtues and the controversy
involving them would never be.
5 If man is the same as fish, flying crea
tures, domestic animals, creeping animals,
why does he have a vocabulary expressing

thoughts of virtue, morality, integrity,

faith, hope, loyalty, honesty and other
qualities of worship? Lower animals do
not profess or practice such qualities.
These qualities are exclusive upon earth
with men, and their existence is proof that
Jehovah God exists and is righteous and
that materialistic-minded men are wrong.
From those who are going contrary to
God, defaming Jehovahs name, denying
virtue, from such individuals and organi
zations turn away, if you would have Gods
approval and if you would have life!
6Jehovah is a God of love, justice, wis
dom and power. He is the God of integrity,
is dependable, loyal, honest, moral. In fact,
the words we use to express mens noble
thoughts and their understanding and ap
preciation of these good and high quali
ties are inadequate to describe fully the
righteousness of Jehovah. Not only do
these high qualities exist, but the fact that
they are possible of attainment by men is
a wonderful assurance to those who love
righteousness. The Almighty has always
been seeing to it that his worship is pre
served in the earth. The preservation of
Jehovahs worship has meant the preser
vation of human life upon the earth. It has
also meant the preservation upon earth of
virtue, so that in our day it is possible for
us to consider these things.
7As God and King of those who serve
and worship him, Jehovah is the great
Theocrat, the God-Ruler, and it was under
this righteous Theocrat that man was
created to live. The great arrangement of
Jehovah God at the head as the Theocrat
and of righteous creatures serving under
and worshiping him constitutes a theo
cratic organization. One of the character
istics of this theocratic organization has
ever been the cutting off of those creatures

4. How do virtue and issues involving it prove the exist

ence of the righteous God, Jehovah?
5. Show a distinction between man and lower creation,
and point out the result this makes possible for you.

6. What kind of God is Jehovah, and what has he

preserved ?
7. Describe the theocratic organization and one of its
characteristics.

ovem ber

1, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

659

and organizations that refuse to be virtu

ous, that refuse to uphold the principles
of righteousness marking the theocratic
organization.
8An instance of the operation of this
principle is found in the casting of man out
of Eden. (Gen. 3:23, 24) Some time there
after another great cutting off was accom
plished by cleansing the earth with water,
in which an ungodly world was destroyed.
Through this cleansing a great preserva
tion was accomplished, preservation of hu
man and animal life upon the earth and of
Jehovahs worship, that it was not extin
guished, and the preservation of virtue.
There can be no doubt about the qualities
of integrity and worship being involved
at the time of the Flood. Gen. 6:5-22.
9Man was helpless, in a position of com
plete dependency upon Jehovah for the
blessings of his temporary life and cer
tainly for any possible hope of everlasting
life. Jehovah had indicated his purpose to
effect deliverance in vindication of his
name, but as far as individual men were
concerned, each must take action definite
ly in evidence of his possession of qualities
of virtue. If they did not do this they would
not be exerting themselves on Jehovahs
side of the issue or standing for his su
premacy and in justification of his right
eousness. A course of unrighteousness is
a denial of righteousness and therefore a
denial of the righteous God. Such a course
persisted in establishes the individuals dis
interest in righteousness, therefore his
lack of interest in the promised New World
in which righteousness is to dwell. (2 Pet.
3:11-13, NW) The great cutting off and
cleansing by the Flood having passed into
history, survivors and their descendants
had before them the wonderful opportu
nity of upholding those things that Jeho
vah God approved. This course of action

10 Progressing with his purpose and us

ing persons who willingly identified them
selves with him and his worship, Jehovah
organized the typical theocratic nation of
Israel. In actually, but also pictorially, de
livering them from bondage to the world
power of devil-worshiping Egypt, he ac
complished the cutting off or the disfellowshiping of an entire pagan world, separat
ing his people, Israel, therefrom. The typ
ical theocratic nation Israel must stand
clean for the worship of the only true God,
thus preserving within its national bound
ary the high qualities of clean worship,
the virtues of righteousness.
11The law of God was given to Israel
through Moses as Mediator and was based
upon principles of righteousness, which do
not change. Jehovah was Israels God, Law
giver, King and Judge. (Isa. 33:22) In
order that poor judgment or selfish action
on the part of individuals in Israel should
not result in violation of righteous prin
ciples, personal as well as national prob
lems were brought to Moses for decision.
His was a mind directed by Gods spirit
and operating in harmony with the prin
ciples of his law. This kindly assistance
proved to be a task too great for one man,
and so Moses proceeded, with Jehovahs
approval, to make a division of religious
judicial authority, appointing other men to
responsibility in the theocratic organiza
tion to assist in the application of the law
of God and conformity therewith in mat-

8. Give instances of cutting off and of preservation.

9. Individually, what must men do involving virtue,
and why?

10. To Israel were given what privileges?

11. Explain the purpose and development of judgment
within typical Israel.

constituted worship of Jehovah, the exer

cise of virtue involving the basic attribute
of love and including keeping of integrity,
faith in Jehovahs word, sure hope in his
promises, loyalty to him and his cause,
honesty before him and before man, moral
ity in things personal and public.
THE TYPICAL PRESERVATION

660

STieWATCHTOWER

ters large and small. The positions occu

pied by Moses and the men whom he ap
pointed were not merely empty and honor
ary, but were important and practical and
for the specific purpose of righteous judg
ment. Concerning these theocratic appoint
ments we read: And Moses proceeded to
choose capable men out of all Israel and
to give them positions as heads over the
people, as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of
hundreds, chiefs of fifties and chiefs of
tens. And they judged the people on every
proper occasion. A hard case they would
bring to Moses, but every small case they
themselves would handle as judges. Ex.
18:25, 26,
NW.
12The rule of procedure controlling the
Israelite organization was the law of Jeho
vah. The responsible ones in the organiza
tion taught the law to the people and the
people had the responsibility of informing
themselves concerning the law of God.
They knew what the principles of worship
were and they knew the detailed applica
tion of those principles, in regard to the
matters with which the law dealt, matters
national, family and personal. Provisions
were made to atone for sins and weak
nesses of the fallen Israelite flesh. The
various features of the law were designed
to keep the nation in harmony with God,
worshiping him, always acknowledging
him, and, furthermore, to keep alive and
vital the quality of love of God and neigh
bor and the elements of virtue in all mat
ters. Jehovah was not going to allow his
worship and its good qualities to be elimi
nated from the earth, but, rather, to be
preserved in typical Israel.
13 Sometimes it was necessary for dras
tic measures to be taken for the preserva
tion of these good qualities. There was no
watering down of theocratic standards to
12. In respect to Gods law, what responsibility was
borne by those of Israel?
13, 14. What drastic measures were provided, and for
what purpose?

ro o klyn

N. Y.

please those who had a greater love for

unrighteousness than they had for right
eousness. Offenders, insisting on going be
yond the atonement provisions, were
killed, and the congregation of the Israel
ites had a direct responsibility in their
death. Religion or worship was not sep
arated from governmental and economic
matters of the nation, because acknowledg
ment of Jehovah must be present in all
features of their life. So the law provided,
In case a prophet or a dreamer of a dream
should arise in your m idst. . . saying, Let
us walk sifter other gods, whom you have
not known, and let us serve them, you
must not listen to the words of that proph
et or to the dreamer of that dream, be
cause Jehovah your God is testing you to
know whether you are loving Jehovah
your God with sill your heart and all your
soul. . . . And that prophet or that dreamer
of the dream should be put to death, . . .
and you must clear out what is evil from
your midst. Deut. 13:1-5, NW.
14
The death penalty was not confined to
the false prophet or dreamer because in
case your brother, the son of your mother,
or your son or your daughter or your cher
ished wife or your companion who is like
your own soul, should try to allure you in
secrecy, saying, Let us go and serve other
gods, . . . you must not accede to his wish
or listen to him, nor should your eye feel
sorry for him, nor must you feel compas
sion, nor cover him protectively, but you
should kill him without fail. Your hand
first of all should come upon him to put
him to death, and the hand of all the people
afterward. And you must stone him with
stones and he must die, because he has
sought to turn you away from Jehovah
your God, who has brought you out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.
Then all Israel will hear and become afraid
and they will not do anything like this
evil thing again in your midst. (Deut.

ovem ber

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER

661

choose, and you must go to the priests, the

13:6-11,
NW) What if an entire commu
nity went bad and turned against the wor Levites, and to the judge who will be act
ship of the righteous God Jehovah? Then ing in those days and you must make in
that entire community was to be annihi quiry and they must hand down to you the
lated.Deut. 13:12-18.
word of the judicial decision. Then you
15The foregoing was to ensure the pres must do in accordance with the word that
ervation of Jehovahs worship without pol they will hand down to you. . . . In accord
lution and the keeping of his righteous ance with the law that they will point out
commandments, thereby also preserving to you, and according to the judicial de
the qualities of virtue in general. Virtue cision that they will say to you, you should
has reference to moral practice or action do. You must not turn aside from the word
conformative to the standard of right, ex that they will hand down to you, to the
cellence and integrity of course, upright right or to the left. And the man who will
ness of conduct, rectitude, morality. It is behave with presumptuousness in not lis
not a mere abstaining from harm but it is tening to the priest who is standing to
an active quality or power, whether of minister there to Jehovah your God or
physical or moral nature, of strength, to the judge, that man must die, and you
courage and valor. It has reference to ex must clear out what is bad from Israel.
cellence of any kind, merit, worth, value, And all the people will hear and become
chastity, purity. Since the righteous God, afraid and they will not act presumptu
Jehovah, is the author of all these virtuous ously any more. Deut. 17:8-13, NW.
17 This was not bloodthirstiness. It was
elements, his worship is involved in them
all, and a departure from his worship is a action on Jehovah Gods part to preserve
departure from all virtue. Therefore the the line of the Seed of promise, which
extermination of devil worshipers from eventually came in the person of Christ
Israel by the death of those false religious Jesus. Through this provision of ransom
practitioners served to preserve true wor and priestly office filled by this faithful
servant of Jehovah there is set before men
ship and virtue.
16The seventeenth chapter of Deuter the possibility of everlasting life in the
onomy outlines procedures wherein Israel New World of righteousness. We thank
ites must have courage to bear truthful God that he took positive action to pre
witness against any detestable to Jehovah serve intact and uncontaminated the line
and also courage to put forth their hands of descent of the Seed of promise and pre
first of all to kill the offenders, in which served likewise upon the earth his worship
action they were to be followed by all the in holy devotion to righteousness.
18 Among the personal sins or transgres
people, in order to clear out what is bad
sions which were condemned by God in his
from your midst. (Deut. 17:7,
Those who disagreed with the righteous law to Israel, and which had to be avoided
judgments of the priests were themselves by those who would worship Jehovah in
to be killed. In case a matter for judicial purity and in truth, were robbery, adultery
decision should be too extraordinary for and drunkenness, to name just three. These
you, . . . then you must rise and go up to literal violations of virtue not only were
the place that Jehovah your God will wrong in themselves but were adopted
15. Define virtue and show how religion is involved in
its practice.
16. The law relative to presumptuousness places what
emphasis on pure worship?

17. Through these strict features of the law to typical

Israel, what good result was furthered?
IS. Were literal or symbolic transgressions forbidden,
or both?

662

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
3fieWATCHTOWER
Scripturally as symbols of spiritual sins, fied us to be ministers of a new covenant,
that is, sins not in respect to material not of a written code, but of spirit; for the
things affecting the individuals relation written code condemns to death, but the
ship to Jehovah God, but in respect to un spirit makes alive. (2 Cor. 3:2-6, NW)
seen things affecting the individuals re It is noted that Paul is not saying that
lationship to Jehovah. The literal practices there is a letter of the law and a spirit of
themselves, however, even after they came the law and that there is a contrast be
to stand for spiritual transgressions, were tween the two and therefore we may vio
not permitted in Israel. This is emphasized late the letter of Gods law but keep its
in respect to the antitypical theocratic spirit. That is not the situation. Rather,
Christian organization that came on the what Paul is pointing out here is that there
scene at the termination of the Mosaic law is a difference between the written code of
covenant under which Israel was organ the law given to the Israelites through
Moses and the spirit of God. The spirit of
ized.
God upon Christians develops in them fruits
THE CHRISTIAN ANTITYPE
19Moving forward with his purposes of righteousness and enables them to re
looking to the complete vindication of his main separate from the ungodly condemned
name, Jehovah came to the time when he world. The written code condemned the
would provide both the termination and the Israelites to death, but the spirit of God,
prophetic fulfillment of the law to Israel through the operation of the new covenant
in his beloved Son Christ Jesus. Jesus be based in the ransom of Christ Jesus, leads
gan the development of some things new, men to everlasting life. There is the con
different from the typical theocratic na trast. Can we for a moment presume that,
tion of Israel, namely, the real theocratic while the individuals of the nation of Is
Christian organization. While the law rael under the law covenant were prohib
covenant with Israel did terminate with ited from practicing the depraving things
Christ Jesus and has not been in effect that mankind in general then carried on,
since his impalement and ascension to Christians are any the less obligated to
heaven, nevertheless, the righteous prin refrain from these practices? No, of course
ciples of the law continue in full force, and, not. On the contrary, the positive Chris
in fact, with even greater force and effect tian commands to righteousness are more
upon those of the Christian organization. penetrating than the negative commands
With the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ of the Mosaic law; and the spirit of God
as a basis, Jehovah developed the Christian upon those who serve him in Christian
worship now in the activity of the New
congregation under the new covenant.
World
society enables them to keep in
20 God . . . has indeed adequately qualitegrity with the sure hope of gaining per
19. What great change did Jehovah provide through
Christ Jesus?
fection to righteousness in the glorious
20. As to Christian virtue, what may be said with
future.
definiteness?

(2onipicuoui

try"Tkait -@(t3ence

g W hen preacher Alan W alker of the Methodist Church in Australia addressed

550 church leaders in Silver Bay, New York, he said that teen-agers were con
spicuous by their absence in American churches. He suggested that Protestant
churches had allowed their Sunday Schools to interfere with teen-agers attend
ance at regular worship services, and that when they leave the Sunday School
they leave the church. New York Times, July 16, 1956.

new World Society

the t h e o c r a t i c Christian needed to be organ
congregation we have an or ized and the individ
ganization permanently devoted to carry uals in the congregations
ing out Jehovahs purposes, and the one taught and trained in the
organization that preserves in the earth Christian ministry. Christians, novices and
the virtues of God. Jesus referred to the experienced alike, must be kept within the
Christians as a preservative of human life, bounds of Christian propriety and operat
of Jehovahs worship and of virtue, when ing on theocratic principles; otherwise,
he stated, You are the salt of the earth. corruption would interfere with the tri
(Matt. 5:13, NW) This salt, now seen in umph of the Christian congregation in its
the New World society, has responsibilities God-appointed tasks.
3
There was, therefore, in the Christian
that it cannot avoid, to the end that Jeho
congregation, a delegation of duties, which
vahs righteousness will be upheld, which
delegation of duties or assignment to spe
privilege and obligation fall upon all who
cial privileges and responsibilities came to
engage in Christian worship.
dedicated men who gave evidence of
2
Christ Jesus launched the Christianspiritual maturity and of faithfulness to
congregation. Following his impalement, their duties and assignments. Such ap
resurrection and exaltation to heaven he pointments were made by the governing
sent to his associates the spirit and power body of the early Christian congregation
of his heavenly Father that they might as centered in Jerusalem, comprising the
push on with the expansion of true wor apostles and other mature Christian men,
ship as the early Christian congregation. and their representatives in their behalf.
The Christian good news was to be Such appointees shared the ministry com
mon to all Christians. They had organiza
preached, men had to grow spiritually
tional duties to care for in the congrega
strong to stand against the corruption of
tions in which they were located and with
the ruling Roman Empire, congregations which they served. Care and oversight of
1. What kind of organization is the Christian congre
gation ?
2. In the early Christian congregation what needs were
to be filled?
663

the respective congregations required the

3. Show the provision made to meet the needs and re
quirements of the Christian congregation.

664

STkWATCHTOWER

overseer Christians to see that the congre

gation itself and the individuals therein
walked in the paths of virtue.
4 In the third chapter of First Timothy
are set out qualifications that must be met
by one who would be appointed as an over
seer in the Christian congregation. He
should not be a reprehensible person, a
bigamist, an immoderate man without selfcontrol, unstable of mind and disorderly,
a hater of his fellow man, a drunkard,
quarrelsome, or a money lover, not a per
son fostering juvenile delinquency or a
novice, or a crook in business matters.
Concerning overseers the statement is:
Also let these be tested as to fitness first,
then let them serve as ministers, as they
are free from accusation. (1 Tim. 3:10,
NW ) And the things you heard from me
with the support of many witnesses, these
things commit to faithful men who in turn
will be adequately qualified to teach oth
ers. 2 Tim. 2:2, NW.
5This was the uniform arrangement
throughout the Christian congregations
and the method for appointing responsible
men to care for each of the congregational
flocks, even as far away as in Antioch, as
we read: Now in Antioch there were
prophets and teachers in the local congre
gation. (Acts 13:1, NW) Addressing the
Philippians Paul says: Holy ones in union
with Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
along with overseers and ministerial serv
ants. (Phil. 1:1, NW) To these ministe
rial servants and overseers and assistants
in the theocratic Christian organization
the members of the clergy class of Chris
tendom bear no resemblance. The theocrat
ic servants neither claim nor attempt to
lead their flocks in politics, social reform,
psychiatry, gambling or pagan religious
doctrines and practices. Instead, such serv4. Who could be properly appointed to special ministry?
5, 6. How general was this procedure of appointment,
and to what extent were the appointees like the clergy
of Christendom?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

ants are recognized because they have

studied and taught the Word of God and
the laws of Christ; they have preached
Jehovahs kingdom, Christs ransom, the
resurrection, the New World and, in it all,
they have insisted that the individuals
composing the Christian congregation
were to be virtuous or be expelled.
6 On these lines, then, the early church
was organized and operated, and neither it
nor the word of God that it preached is
responsible for the conditions that came
following the death of the apostles. Then
the Christian organization went into cap
tivity to the pagan world and a hybrid
emerged, the fusion religion of paganism
and false Christianity. Christianity and
Christendom are not the same, they are
on opposite sides of the issue involving
clean worship and virtue.
7 Having the spirit of his God, aware of
the opposition of Satan and the conditions
surrounding the Christian organization,
with eyes to the future and speaking under
inspiration, the apostle Paul from Miletus
sent to Ephesus for the mature men of the
congregation, and said to them: And now,
look! I know that all of you among whom
I went preaching the kingdom will see my
face no more. Hence I call you to witness
this very day that I am clean from the
blood of all men, for I have not held back
from telling you all the counsel of God.
Pay attention to yourselves and to all the
flock, among which the holy spirit has
appointed you overseers, to shepherd the
congregation of God, which he purchased
with the blood of his own [Son]. I know
that after my going away oppressive
wolves will enter in among you and will not
treat the flock with tenderness, and from
among you yourselves men will rise and
speak twisted things to draw away the dis
ciples after themselves___ You must assist
7. (a) Discuss the circumstances and content of Pauls
prophecy of Acts, chapter 20. (b) Was it fulfilled to the
extinction of truth and virtue?

N ovember 1, 1956

t e WAT CHTO W ER

665

those who are weak and must bear in mind message of the Kingdom. Those who
the words of the Lord Jesus, when he him had faith in the promises of Jehovah
self said, There is more happiness in giv had faith in and looked for the estab
ing than there is in receiving. (Acts lishment of the kingdom of heaven in
20:18-35,
NW) True to Pauls forecast
the
Jehovahs
due time. As the time ap
flock of God was beset by wolves from proached for the birth of this righteous
within and without and history records government Jehovah had a work done in
how comparatively feebly glowed the light the earth, moving Christians through the
of truth throughout the ages that followed. understanding of his word of truth to make
Yet, in spite of this captivity of the Chris progress in Christian doctrine, organiza
tian congregation, the principles of Chris tion and practice. With a beginning, small
tianity did remain alive and Gods Word, though not to be despised, in the latter
by his power, was preserved throughout years of the nineteenth century the pre
the centuries and comes to us pure and paratory work of announcing the kingdom
of God over earth began.
dependable today.
Christians f o r m e d them
TO THIS YOU MAY TURN
selves into a nonsectarian
society, and into congrega
8Today there is some
tions for systematic Bible
thing else with us, however,
study and ministry. Having
in addition to this Word of
seen the evils of clergy rule,
God, which is likewise made
they first organized them
possible by Jehovahs spirit.
selves along d e m o cr a t i c
That is the New World so
lines, with each congrega
ciety, extending through
tion t h r o u g h democratic
out the earth, composed of
vote conducting its own af
men and women of all na
fairs. Later some progress
tions, each of whom has
toward theocratic rule was
come to Jehovah God in
made. Came the year 1931,
dedication, giving evidence
at which time the official
of having Jehovahs ap
proval and spirit as each shares in the Society that they had formed for the sys
work of expansion of pure worship. How is tematic carrying on of their work took a
it possible that, in a world that has reached forward step, looking toward the restora
a new low in depravity, there can be a tion of theocratic rule among Christians
society devoted to the new world in which upon earth.
righteousness is to dwell? (2 Pet. 3:13,
10
The following year, 1932, the congre
NW) Is there actually a society or group gations of Jehovahs witnesses throughout
of Christians upon the earth that insists the world brought themselves under theo
upon virtues being practiced by its mem cratic procedure, with the manifest bless
bers and associates to which you may ing of Jehovah, until today we find the
turn? Yes!
earth-wide New World society operating
9 As the apostle Paul pointed out in his as did the early Christian congregation,
closing speech to the mature men of the noncommercially, nonpolitically, voluntar
Ephesus congregation, he preached the ily on the part of each individual in it.
There now is, therefore, the proper theo
8. Today what provision is actually with us?
9, 10. What development led up to re-establishment of
cratic control over the Christian congrega
theocratic rule?

666

SHeWATCHTOWER.

tion, which control had not existed since

the captivity of which Paul warned.
11Who controls the organization, who
directs it? Who is at the head? A man? A
group of men? A clergy class? A pope? A
hierarchy? A council? No, none of these.
How is that possible? In any organization
is it not necessary that there be a directing
head or policy-making part that controls
or guides the organization? Yes. Is the liv
ing God, Jehovah, the Director of the theo
cratic Christian organization? Yes!
12 Because of the vital fact that the law
that governs the operation of the theocrat
ic New World society is the Word of Jeho
vah God, and because of the fact that the
heaven-enthroned Christ Jesus is Jeho
vahs Executive Officer carrying on his
work in the earth, and because of the fur
ther fact that the spirit of God by Christ
Jesus is operating through his Word and
upon the hearts and minds of his dedicated
servants, the New World society is theo
cratic, meaning God-ruled.
13Does Christ Jesus come to earth and
make appointments of the individual min
isterial servants, overseers and assistants
and other such ministers throughout the
congregations in the earth? No. Then how
are such appointments made? They are
made by the visible governing body asso
ciated with the legal agency or Society,
which in 1884 witnesses of Jehovah incor
porated for that purpose, now named
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of
Pennsylvania. They are theocratic because
they act in accordance with the great
Theocrats written Word and with the
model organization of the early Christian
church or congregation as launched by
Christ Jesus. Farfetched, do some say?
But let those who contend that Jehovahs
11. Who directs the Christian New World society?
12. What vital facts prove the foregoing answer?
13. (a) How are appointments of ministerial servants
made? (b) Prove such appointments are theocratic,
(c) Over whom is theocratic control?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

witnesses are not a theocratic organization

point out wherein they are not. In word
and in deed, in doctrine, organization and
practice, the New World society endeavors
sincerely to conform to the Word of Jeho
vah God and to insist on its principles, and
therefore it is a Scriptural, Christian, theo
cratic or God-directed organization. It is
through his Word that Jehovah expresses
his mind to his people. There is no other
organization in Christendom that con
forms to the Bible pattern or model. Only
the New World society of Jehovahs wit
nesses insists that those within its ranks
do conform to the Scriptural pattern in
matters both personal and congregational.
This theocratic control and direction is not
over all men; it is not even over all who may
come in contact with it, or may be asso
ciated with the congregations of Jehovahs
witnesses, or attend their meetings. An
individual must willingly submit or bring
himself under the beneficent control by his
personal dedication to Jehovah God; and
so the theocratic control and direction is
only over dedicated ones.
14 The present delegation of duties to the
servants in the congregation and the other
special representatives of the theocratic
organization is for specific purposes. These
must feed the flock of God, shepherding
faithfully and with love. They must help
Jehovahs people everywhere to study the
Bible, grow in maturity, be trained in the
field ministry, preaching the good news of
the Kingdom to others, and they must pre
serve virtue in the congregation through
out the New World society organization.
This is necessary that corruptness, inde
cency of any kind, not be allowed to creep
in and contaminate.
15 As we have previously observed, in the
nation of typical Israel corruption of pure
worship brought death to the wrongdoer.
14. For what purposes are theocratic appointments?
15. In what way is the theocratic principle of cutting
off found in the New World society?

667
SKeWATCHTOWER.
In the Christian congregation the members therefore really an act of love, love on the
of the congregation do not take the life of part of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, on
an offender. There is, however, a Christian the part of the theocratic organization it
cutting off or disfellowshiping. This is not self and on the part of the servants in the
a taking of human life, but it is an expul congregation who properly take the action
sion from fellowship with the congregation directly. This is so because it is done not
of dedicated servants of Jehovah God, a in malice or unkindness but in obedience
disfellowshiping from the New World so to the righteous laws of Jehovah. It is an
ciety. This is necessary, following the ex act of faithfulness; failure to keep the or
hausting of the other provisions of Chris ganization clean would be unfaithfulness.
tian rule for handling such matters, and It has a threefold purpose, (1) that of
it is accomplished by the mature judgment keeping clean the Christian congregation
and considered action of the appointed of the New World society; (2) helping the
servants in the Christian congregation. offender, if possible, through this drastic
This is their responsibility. If faithful, they means, should it be that he can be im
must discharge this responsibility, without pressed with his error and duly repent of
passion, for the interests of all concerned it before Jehovah God; (3) it is in the in
and for the honor of Jehovah and the terests of those who observe the action
taken, both as to assuring them of the
cleanliness of his organization.
correctness of the theocratic organization
ATTITUDE TOWARD DISFELLOWSHIPMENT
and as a warning to them of the serious
16The offenses that make disfellowship ness of deviation from proper conduct.
ing necessary include those which brought
18
There are these various offenses, some
punishment at the time of the early Chris of which we have named, that serve to
tian congregation. Such offenses include weaken the individual and the congrega
persistence in lying, stealing, dishonest tions if persisted in. Most of them we can
practices in business, sexual offenses, recognize as being offenses against an
teaching of false doctrine, repudiation of other person, depriving the other of cer
Jehovahs provision by Christ Jesus, re tain rights and therefore showing a lack of
bellion against the theocratic organization, love. But some seem to have difficulty in
causing dissension, slander, backbiting and understanding why the sexual offenses
other wrongs. These we know are not vir should be so objectionable to the Christian
tuous and we cannot imagine such things organization and why they are so strongly
being practiced by Jehovah God or by his condemned by God himself in his Word,
Son Christ Jesus.
the Bible. It is the great Creator and Fa
17 The Christian law in these matters ther who has made his provision for the
does not ignore mans weakness nor does transmission of human life, and this is a
it overlook the ransom provision of Christ very wonderful and sacred thing. We have
Jesus and Jehovahs forgiveness and all received of its benefits, because we are
mercy. The disfellowshiping procedure living. If we accept its benefits we, of
takes all of these into consideration and is course, accept Gods method, and the ac
really a last resort after all other provi ceptance of the benefit and the method by
sions have failed to maintain or to restore us makes it encumbent on us to accept
cleanliness and virtue. Disfellowshiping is Gods regulation of the entire process.
N ovember 1, 1956

16. Enumerate offenses that require cleansing.

17. In what ways is disfellowshiping an act of love?

18. Compare sexual offenses with other transgressions

of Christian law.

668

STkWATCHTOWER

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

21 We cannot glorify God in this or in

Some might argue that sexual offenses do
no harm, not even to the willing partici other matters if we refuse to be subject to
pants themselves; so wherein is it so the regulations that he laid down. Do the
wrong? Lying, yes! Stealing, yes! Such members of Jehovahs other sheep have his
things deprive another of what is his due. spirit on them? They do. Therefore they
But an offense such as adultery or forni dare not sin against their own bodies. The
cation, is it not different? Since it is so times in which we are living, which are
commonly practiced in the old world, how critical and hard to deal with, demand ex
can it be so bad for the members of the acting preservation of virtue and they de
mand this not only of the members of the
New World society to practice?
19
Perhaps the apostle Paul encounteredremnant of the body of Christ but also
such or similar reasoning. In any event in of the members of the Lords other
the sixth chapter of First Corinthians he sheep, of all who compose or hope to com
shows that religion is involved, stating in pose the New World society. Back in his
part: Flee from fornication. Every other time Paul made reference to what he called
sin which a man may commit is outside his the prevalence of fornication. It is no less
body, but he that practices fornication is prevalent now.
sinning against his own body. What! Do
22 What about the privilege and respon
you not know that the body of you people sibility of the entire congregation in this
is the temple of the holy spirit within you matter of preservation of virtue? We re
which you have from God? Also, you do call that in the case of typical Israel it was
not belong to yourselves, for you were the congregation, the people, who executed
bought with a price. By all means, glorify the death sentence upon offenders who
God in the body of you people. 1 Cor. were worthy of it under the law of Jeho
6:9-20, NW.
vah God. In the Christian congregation all
"H e r e Paul is addressing members of must sincerely wish to preserve Jehovahs
the body of Christ. But does this mean that virtues among men. They must respect the
this commandment to abstain from sexual decision of the servants in such a matter
impurities is not binding upon the Lords as disfellowshiping. This is supported by
other sheep, who constitute the great ma Titus 1:5-16: Make appointments . . .
jority of those in the New World society? that he may be able both to exhort by the
That could not be the conclusion, but, teaching that is healthful and to reprove
rather, this injunction to moral cleanliness those who contradict. . . . unruly men, . . .
is equally binding upon all servants dedi shut the mouths of these, . . . keep on recated to God. Why? Because his spirit is pi'oving them with severity, . . . They pub
upon his dedicated people as a group or licly declare they know God, but they dis
body and as individuals. These other sins own him by their works, because they are
that are condemned, such as lying, steal detestable. We see from this that un
ing, teaching wrong doctrines, and rebel ruliness is not to be permitted. Unruliness
lion, are sins outside the body of the in would be a second violation, and a second
dividual member of the Lords other violation would not do good nor help the
sheep but the sins of adultery and forni first violation of Gods law constituting
cation are sins against the individuals own
the basis for the disfellowshiping action.
body, which should be used to glorify God.
19. How does Paul show religion to be involved?
20. Why must the Lords other sheep abstain from
sexual impurities?

21. To glorify God, what must we do?

22. What about the privilege and responsibility of the
entire congregation in this matter of preservation of
virtue ?

N ovem ber

1, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER-

669

Ones questioning the decision respecting small or serious, there must be real re
the disfellowshiping action would be in pentance, which means sadness of heart.
consistent with ones profession of faith In the case of a disfellowshiped person, in
in God and his word and ones profession order for the disfellowshiping to work for
of the desire to see the word of God operate his good and possibly to reinstatement, the
among his people. It would be inconsistent heart must be cut, the mind must be hurt,
with our joining in the New World society there must be a real sincere longing for
in its wonderful work of expansion of clean virtue on his part, which lohging will lead
worship. It would show a lack of trust, to repentance.
whereas a co-operation by all in the con
24
For genuine worship and preserva
gregation and a conformance to the dis tion of Gods virtue, the entire congrega
fellowshiping that was done in behalf of tion is under test. Following the obedient
all is showing trust by those who are in course brings Jehovahs blessing. Thereby
fellowship. Therefore it is necessary that all in the congregation show consistently
all in the congregation accept the policy their dependence on Jehovah through
of the congregation. To the Thessalonians, Christ Jesus for everything; for the truth
Paul wrote: Now we request you, broth itself, for his spirit enabling us to main
ers, to have regard for those who are work tain our integrity and to perform our min
ing hard among you and presiding over istry, and for even the common blessings
you in the Lord and admonishing you, and of life. Where counsel and guidance and
to give them more than extraordinary con even severe discipline are applied and re
sideration in love because of their work. ceived, whatever virtue there is, whatever
1 Thess. 5:12-27, NW.
praiseworthy thing there is, such is from
23
Anger on the part of the disfellow-Jehovah God through Christ Jesus. The
shiped person is not associated with his theocratic New World society, decade after
repentance. A person is not both repentant decade, consistently continues to merit
and angry; therefore there must not be
our wholehearted support and co-operation
any misplaced pity and misplaced sym
as Christians worshiping Jehovah God in
pathy. Must the heart be made sad then?
Yes, disfellowshiping should make the the preservation of virtue, in his virtuous
heart sad. On the part of the erring in triumphant kingdom. Turn to the New
dividual, for any violation of Gods laws, World society!
23. To what extent must an erring individual be sad
dened because of his sin?

24. In what action can we show our dependence upon

Jehovah and our love of his virtue?

R Jesuitical Prayer
C The Roman Catholic Jesuit magazine America, in its issue of March 31, 1956,
said in an article entitled Our Brother, the Jew the follow ing: On Good Friday
the Church bids us pray * . . . that our Lord and God may take away the veil
from their hearts, so that they, too, may know Jesus Christ Our L o rd / However,
the Jesuits published in their magazine only part of the Good Friday prayer
a phrase from the middle of it. In its more complete version this famous prayer
runs as follow s: Let us also pray for the perfidious Jews; may the Lord our God
remove the veil from their hearts so that they, too, m ay acknowledge Jesus Christ
our Lord. Alm ighty Eternal God, Thou who dost not exclude from Thy compassion
even the perfidious Jews, listen to our prayers which we offer on behalf of this de
luded people, so that they see and recognize the light of Thy truth which is Christ
and m ay be rescued from their darkness by the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Supporting

theService

OME 2,300 years ago God said to an

Israelite remnant restored to their na
tive land: Bring the whole tithe into the
treasure-house, that there may be food in
my house, and prove me now herewith,
saith Jehovah of hosts, if I open not to you
the windows of the heavens, and pour you
out a blessing, till there be no place for it.
Mai. 3:10, Da.
Since all the things written aforetime
were written for our instruction, how do
the foregoing words apply to Jehovahs
servants today? What is pictured by the
tithe? In what ways can we bring tithes
into Jehovahs house? Have Jehovahs
people in this day made a test of Jehovah,
not by their doing evil or foolishly, but by
bringing in the whole tithe, and has Jeho
vah proved true to his promise?*
The tithe or tenth could not picture our
all, since it was made regularly year by
year, whereas we bring our all once, when
we dedicate ourselves to Jehovah. Rather,
bringing the tithe pictures our regularly
supporting the service at Jehovahs house
in token of or as a symbol or a proof of
the fact that we have dedicated our all.
This we can do in various ways.
For one thing, we can give material sup
port by contributing toward the upkeep of
the local Kingdom Hall, toward the send
ing of missionaries to foreign lands, toward
assembly expenses and toward helping pio
neers to stay in the full-time service.
And we can also bring spiritual tithes
to Jehovahs house. How? By attending all
the congregational meetings arranged for
Jehovahs worship and our benefit, and not
only by attending these but by preparing
ourselves in advance. Then we shall be able
to make a spiritual contribution toward
Jehovahs worship to the extent that we

For details see The Watchtower, December 15, 1955.

670

are allowed to do so. Additionally we can

welcome the stranger that shows up at the
public lecture as well as assist others to
attend if we are in position to do so by
providing transportation.
But doubtless the most effective way in
which we can fully support the service at
Jehovahs house is by personally sharing
in preaching the good news of the King
dom in the homes, on the streets and from
the public platform, and also by making
good use of every opportunity for inciden
tal preaching to those with whom we have
business dealings, to those alongside whom
we happen to work or who chance to be
our traveling companions. This obligation
to preach falls upon all. Even shut-ins can
have a share by writing letters and making
use of the telephone. So let none think
that they can slight supporting the service
at Jehovahs house in this way simply
because they support it in other ways.
Particularly since 1919 have Jehovahs
people been making a test of Jehovah by
thus bringing their whole tithe to his
house of worship. With what result? They
have received many evidences of his favor,
blessing and protection. They have tri
umphed over their enemies. They are
bringing forth the fruitage of the spirit.
They have a clean organization. They have
Jehovahs name upon them. Their spiritual
condition is that of Beulah, a land that is
married, and upward of 600,000 of them
are preaching this good news of the King
dom every month.
Even the world notices the prosperity
and happiness of the servants of Jehovah
and especially do men of good will call
them happy. Are you sharing in the spirit
ual prosperity and happiness? You will be
if you are supporting the service of Jeho
vahs house fully.

 Page 170 of You May Survive Armageddon

into God's New World speaks of tribulation
as a windstorm and says we are now in the
calm center or eye of the hurricane. Page 181
speaks of the time of tribulation, its being cut
short, and its resumption, and this tribulation
seems to be used to involve Armageddon. Does
this mean Armageddon has started, that we are
in a lull in the battle at this tim e? And on
page 199 Armageddon is used to mean Gods
visible organization rather than a battle. How
is this so? D. B., United States.
The word Armageddon is from the Hebrew
expression Har M egiddo, which means Moun
tain of Megiddo. This was a strategic spot in
the land God gave to his chosen people and in
its vicinity armies gathered for battles. Har
Megiddo means mount of assembly of troops.
Being in the land of Jehovahs people, it would
be a place of assembly of his servants or troops,
and so the symbolic Armageddon or mountain
of Megiddo is the assembled, gathered witnesses
of Jehovah now on earth that are soldiers for
God and Christ in the present theocratic war
fare of Kingdom truth against entrenched re
ligious lies. W ith this meaning in mind page
199 says: The kings or rulers of the entire in
habited earth march against Gods visible or
ganization, the symbolic Armageddon or moun
tain of Megiddo for a decisive fight.
Long ago Jehovah foretold through his
prophet Ezekiel that Gog of Magog, meaning
Satan since he and his demons were thrown
out of heaven down to earths vicinity, would
be lured into attacking Jehovahs visible or
ganization because of its spiritual prosperity.
Revelation 16:14 (2VW) tells of the demon-in

spired propagandas that go forth to the kings

of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them
together to the war of the great day of God
the Alm ighty. And verse 16 adds: And they
gathered them together to the place that is
called in Hebrew H ar-M agedon. The kings
and rulers of earth are all gathered against
the symbolic Armageddon, the place of Jeho
vahs visible troops, Gods visible organization.
There will be fought the war of the great day
of God the Alm ighty, and, as is often the case
with battles, it is known by the name of the
place where it is fought, in this case, the battle
of Armageddon.
The battle of Armageddon has not started yet.
When the book speaks of our now being in the
calm center or eye of the hurricane it is re
ferring to hurricane tribulation that Jehovah
had Christ start against Satan and his demons
in heaven A.D. 1914 and which will end with
their total defeat. The tribulation started A.D.
1914 and effected the pitching of Satan and his
demons from heaven to the vicinity of earth,
but it then abated, was cut short, to allow for
the preaching of the good news of Christs es
tablished kingdom and the separation of the
peoples of the nations into sheep and goat
classes. W e are now in this calm period. Arm a
geddon, the hurricanes climax, ends it.
Soon now the tribulation will take up again
where it left off and finish the execution of
judgment against Satan and his organization,
visible and invisible. Then we shall be out of
the eye of the hurricane and into the final
part of the great tribulation likened to a wind
storm or hurricane. It is only this final part
of the tribulation, and not the first part, that is
called Armageddon. It is the final part where
Gog of Magog is lured forth to attack and to
gather the visible nations against Gods visible
organization, to have come upon him Jehovahs
destructive war of Armageddon. Satan was yet
up in heaven when the first part of the tribula
tion came A.D. 1914, and that first part did not
fulfill the Armageddon prophecy.

Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce
anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come
upon you. Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his
ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be
hid in the day of Jehovah's anger. Zeph. 2:2, 3, AS.
671

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

December 2: Christian Worship and Preserva
tion of Virtue. Page 657.
December 9: Turn to the New W orld Society.
Page 663.

vV

CHECKYOUR MEMORY v V

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

^ Why man s inner sources of entertain
ment are disappearing? P. 643, 114.

^
What marvelous result placing just one
booklet produced? P. 653, 114.

Why men find it so hard to deal with

earth s present conditions? P. 65 7, 112.

What position early Christians took to

ward politics? P. 645, 113.

^
How the existence of virtue proves God s
existence? P. 658, Tf4.

^ What attitude true Christians must take

toward politics today? P. 645, 115.

&

What equipment one had to have to de

termine the value of money in Bible days?
P. 649, H4.

What virtue really is? P. 661, 1115.

What qualifications Christian overseers

must meet? P. 664, 114.

How the New World society is truly Godruled? P. 666, Hi3.

^
How much, in today s money, Joseph s
brothers received for selling him into Egypt?
and how much Judas received for betraying
Christ? P. 651, 113.

What the ancient tithe pictures? P. 670,113.

Whether Armageddon has started? P. 67 1 ,

114.

672

NOVEMBER 15, 1956

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

Semimonthly

FAITHFUL STEW ARDSHIP

BLESSINGS THROUGH SERVICE

MARY A DISCIPLE, NOT A QUEEN

WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-Isa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G od s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W a tch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, h ow accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

WATCH TOWER BIBLE

117 Adams Street
N. H. K norr , President

PUBLISHED BY THE
AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
G r a n t S uiter , Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

Printing this issue:

CONTENTS
Does the Bible Agree with Your Church?
Jehovahs Judgment Days
M ary a Disciple, Not a Queen
The Chief W a s Impressed
Israels W onderful W a y in W orship
Preaching by W riting Letters
Faithful Stewardship
Contrast
Blessings Through Service
W h y Christendom Starves Spiritually
Questions from Readers
Announcements
Check Your Memory

675
677
681
684
685
688
689
695
696
702
703
704
704

Abbreviations ised in The Watchtower tor the following Bible versions

AS - American Standard Version
LXX - The Septuagint Version
A T - An American Translation
Mo
- James Moffatt's version
Da - J. N. Darbys version
2VW
- New World Translation
Dy - Catholic Douay version
Ro
- J. B. Rotherham's version
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott
RS
- Revised Standard Version
Le - Isaac Leesers version
Yg
- Robert Youngs version
Unless otherwise indicated,

the

Bible used is the

King James Version

2,800,000

PUBLISHED IN THE
S e m im o n t h ly
Afrikaans
French
Japanese
Arabic
German
Norwegian
Cebu-Visayan Greek
Slovenian
Cinyanja
Hollandish Spanish
Danish
Ilocano
Swedish
English
Indonesian Tagalog
Finnish
Italian
Twi

Five cents a copy

FOLLOWING LANGUAGES
M o n t h ly
Armenian
Korean
Burmese
Malayalam
Chinese
Pangasinan
Cibemba
Polish
Cishona
Portuguese
Hlligaynon- Russian
Visayan Sesotho
Ibo
Siamese
Kanarese
Silozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

Wateh Tower Society offices
for semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
7 /England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
7 /Sodth Africa, Private Bag, P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /Trlnidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions eost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

- p ^ r T T io z c n c ir ia

JEH OVAH S
KINGDOM
November 15, 1956

Number 22

to read the greatest Book in

the world, of which God him
self is the Author? Could it
be that there really is a differ
ence between what the Bible
says and what the church has
taught? A Catholic Informa
tion Society pamphlet says:
Catholics, not looking for a
complete description of their
beliefs in the Bible, are not
surprised when they do not
find such words as Pope or
Purgatory mentioned. *
But are they surprised? Do
ANY people think that their re they ever wonder why the apostles, who
ligion does not encourage the read were supposed to be such good Catholics,
sound so little like it, never even once men
ing of the Bible. Writing in the London
Catholic Herald Michael de la Bedoyere tioning the pope, or the name of their
said that despite the fact that he had had church, or the cardinals, or the trinity, or
very exceptional opportunities of what purgatory, or the mass, the holy eucharist,
might be called high-level Catholic train indulgences, the use of images, holy days,
ing, never was anything done to stimulate or processions; why they never called one
him to read the New Testament, let alone another His Holiness, Reverend or Fa
ther, and why they failed to mention so
the Old.
Yet pamphlets approved by church lead many other things that are so common in
ers say: The Roman Catholic Church con the church? When reading the Bible you
siders the Bible the greatest Book in the would think that the apostles had an en
world. . . . God is the Author. Why does tirely different religion.
the Church encourage the reading of the
And, for a fact, they did!
Bible? Because she knows that in order to
It is amazing what you would learn by
grow, to develop spiritually, to become ma
* These three quotations are from The Holy Bible, a
ture Christians, we must be nourished by Treasure of the Catholic Church, under the Imprimatur
of Patrick A. OBoyle, archbishop of Washington, page 6;
Why Catholics Should Read the Bible, Imprimatur
God.
Francis Cardinal Spellman, archbishop of New York,
page
But why have they not really been urged page 5.7; and When Roman Catholics Read the Bible,

<'_tJ

^
Y

D oes
THE
B ib le
A g ree
WITH YOUR
C h u rch ?

675

676

STieWATCHTOWER,

listening to the apostles and their inspired

writings. By reading 1 Timothy 3:2-5 you
would learn that a bishop ( 1 ) may have
a wife, and ( 2 ) is instructed regarding the
rearing of his children. A bishop may have
children? How different from the churchs
practice today!
By reading 1 Timothy 4:1-3 from the
Catholic Douay Version you would learn
that it is those who would depart from
the faith, giving heed to spirits of error
and doctrines of devils, who would forbid
to marry and command abstinence from
meats. Might this not shock even a priest
who read it on a Friday? It is what the
Catholic Bible says, however, and it was
written under inspiration by Paul, one of
the greatest of the apostles!
Matthew 23:9 might raise a further
question in your mind. It records Jesus
statement: Call none your father upon
earth: for one is your father, who is in
heaven. (Dy) A priest might tell you that
Catholics are surprised that non-Catholics
should quibble when they call their priests
Father when n o n - C a t h o l i c s address
their own male parent as Father. But
if you had read Jesus statement for your
self you would know that Jesus was not
talking about what you call your male
parent, but was talking about what you call
your religious leader! Would it shock you
to read in your Bible that Jesus himself
forbade his followers to use such titles?
Consider even the mass. According to
the church, the mass is the unbloody re
newal of the Sacrifice of our Lord upon the
cross. But Hebrews 10:11,12 says that in
contrast with the sacrifices of the Jewish
priests that had to be offered regularly,
Christ offered one sacrifice for sins.
Would it surprise Catholics to know that
this one sacrifice was sufficient, and that
the mass is not needed?
And what about 1 Corinthians 15:50?
Would it surprise people who believe, as
an article of faith, that Marys human body

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.

went to heaven to read in the Catholic

Bible that flesh and blood cannot possess
the kingdom of God ? And will they be
even further surprised as their continued
reading shows them that nowhere in the
Bible is any exception made to this rule,
not even for Mary? Surely if the doctrine
were true the apostles would have been
sufficiently enthused about it to have writ
ten it down!
But Protestant religions, too, directly
ignore the Bibles specific statements. Is
the Protestant who believes that the soul
never dies shocked when he leams that it
does? You can read it for yourself at Eze
kiel 18:4; 18: 20 and Acts 3:23.
Or is the Protestant who believes that
the wicked are eternally tormented in hellfire shocked to read at Ecclesiastes 3:19
that dead men, like dead animals, are out
of existence? Or is he shocked when he
learns that the same Hebrew and Greek
words were translated both hell and
grave in our English Bibles, and there
fore that hell is no hotter than the cold
graves in the neighborhood cemetery?
Gods written Word is the sword of the
Spirit. It divides between what is true
and what is false. It can cut deep in doing
so. It disagrees with much of what is
taught in todays churches, and for those
who will accept it it slashes away false
hood and uncovers long-hidden truths.
Eph. 6:17.
The Bible presents problems for people
who say you should call religious leaders
Father, who say that clergymen must
not marry, that meat cannot be eaten on
certain days, that Christs sacrifice must
be renewed through the mass, that the
wicked are burned forever in hell and that
the soul never dies. But who is the reliable
authority on religion, men or God? The
answer is obvious; so study Gods Word,
see if it agrees with your church, and
change your belief if it does not!

OST religions of Christendom

teach that God has two judg
ment days for each person: an
individual or particular judgment day,
said to take place at ones death, and then
the general judgment day, which is sup
posed to take place at the end of the world
and at which time, it is said, the soul is to
be reunited with the body. Since ones des
tiny is supposed to have been fixed at death,
it is not at all clear why there need be an
other judgment day.
As has been noted in these pages time
and again, the Scriptures do not teach that
man has a soul that at death goes either
to heaven or to a limbo, purgatory or place
of eternal torment. Rather they teach that
at death man remains asleep, unconscious,
until the resurrection provided he is re
corded in Gods memory. At that time
there will be a day of judgment.
Before considering that judgment day
as well as others mentioned in the Bible,
let us first note that the great Judge is
no other than Jehovah God. Abraham ad
dressed him as Jehovah, the Judge of all
the earth. Yes, Jehovah is our judge.
Being the Creator, the Most High, the King
of eternity and the great Lawgiver, he
677

rightly holds all creatures accountable to

him.Gen. 18:25,
NW;Isa. 33:22
And it is a great comfort to know that
Jehovah is a Judge who is not only right
eous but also merciful: With Jehovah our
God there is no unrighteousness or par
tiality or taking of a bribe. He is Jeho
vah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to
anger and abundant in loving-kindness and
truth, preserving loving-kindness for thou
sands, pardoning iniquity and transgres
sion and sin, but by no means will he give
exemption from punishment. At the same
time there is the sobering thought that
the eyes of Jehovah are in every place,
keeping watch upon the evil and the good.
We do well, therefore, to fear Jehovah.
2 Chron. 19:7; Ex. 34:6, 7, N W ; Prov.
15:3, AS.
Jehovahs judgment days are periods of
time in which he takes an accounting. They
may be comparatively brief or last a thou
sand years. Usually there is a period of
testing followed by an execution of judg
ment. Jehovahs adverse judgments are
irrevocable and mean annihilation, for he
says, I, Jehovah, change not. For lovers
of righteousness Gods judgment days are
not occasions to be dreaded but occasions

678

SEeWATCHTOWER.

for rejoicing: Let the heavens be glad,

and let the earth rejoice . . . before Jeho
vah; for he cometh, for he cometh to judge
the earth: he will judge the world with
righteousness, and the peoples with his
truth. Mai. 3:6; Ps. 96:11, 13,
Gods Word calls attention to a number
of judgment days. The first one took place
in Eden and the next one in the days of
Noah. Among the others are the one that
took place in the days of Lot, that which
befell the nation of Israel between A.D. 29
and A.D. 70, the present judgment day that
will reach its climax at the battle of Ar
mageddon, the one of a thousand years
that will immediately follow that and then
the final test that will climax that judg
ment day.
JEHOVAHS PAST JUDGMENT DAYS

Jehovahs judgment days are made im

perative by reason of his supremacy and
justice. His judgment days are always a
time of taking an account with his crea
tures, and the first time he did this was
in Eden immediately after the rebellion
of the covering cherub and Adam and
Eve. His authority having been outraged
by a willful breaking of his law, Jehovah
took drastic action by divorcing the cover
ing cherub from Gods heavenly organiza
tion and by casting Adam and Eve out of
Eden. The eventual destiny of all three was
to be annihilation. However, even here
Gods mercy was shown in that God did
not at once execute Adam and Eve. This
allowed for them to have offspring, and
for the obedient ones of these to regain
eventually that which Adam had lost for
them.
The next judgment period the Scriptures
tell about seems to have begun possibly
fifty years before the great Deluge and
lasted until the waters actually fell; for it
was after Noahs sons had grown to ma
turity and married that God commanded

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

Noah to build the ark. Wickedness and vio

lence made it necessary that God again
take action. That this likewise was a time
both of executing justice upon the wicked
and showing mercy to the righteous can
be seen from Peters words that God did
not hold back from punishing an ancient
world, but kept Noah, a preacher of right
eousness, safe with seven others. That
the destiny of those antediluvians was
everlasting destruction Peter also makes
clear. See 2 Peter, chapter 2,
And since Peter also includes Sodom
and Gomorrah in the foregoing reference,
we know that those who perished by Jeho
vahs fiery judgment in Lots day also had
their eternal destiny sealed. Here again
extreme wickedness and violence made a
judgment day by Jehovah necessary and
again mercy was shown, to Lot and his
family.
With the warning message of John the
Baptist a judgment day began for the na
tion of Israel. He told that the ax was
already lying at the root of the tree and
that soon one would appear who would bap
tize that nation with fire, a symbol of de
struction. After John came Jesus, who
preached a message both of good news and
of warning for about three and a half
years. Particularly beginning with Pente
cost his followers took up the preaching
work. Those who accepted the truth and
Christ became part of the Christian con
gregation and escaped Jehovahs judgment
of execution at the hands of the Roman
armies A.D. 70.
All those who failed to heed the message
of truth were either destroyed at that time
or taken captive. That their perishing at
that time meant eternal destruction is ap
parent from Jesus words to the religious
leaders of the time: Serpents, offspring of
vipers, how are you to flee from the judg
ment of Gehenna? And that this destruc
tion also included their flock Jesus also

N ovem ber

15, 1956

STkWATCHTOWER

indicated: If, then, a blind man guides a

blind man, both will fall into a pit. Pre
ferring their hypocritical, ear-tickling re
ligious guides to Christ, the unrepentant
people deserved the same destiny as their
false guides.Matt. 23:33; 15:14,
THE PRESENT JUDGMENT DAY

Coming down to our day for another of

Jehovahs judgment days we find that it
has several aspects. First of all, it is a day
of judgment for the Christian congrega
tion of God, the bride of Christ. From the
prophecy at Malachi 3:1-3 it is seen that
when Jehovah comes to judge these he has
associated with him his Son, Jesus Christ.
In fact, Jesus once stated: For the Father
judges no one at all, but he has committed
all the judging to the Son.John 5:22,
NW.
From the fulfillment of such prophecies
as that found at Matthew 24 we know that
since 1914 we have been living in the day of
Jesus second but invisible presence. And
even as Jesus came to Gods literal temple
three and a half years after his appearing
as the Messiah, so the physical facts show
that the year 1918 marked the appointed
time for the judgment to start with the
house of God. By the house of God is
meant the congregation of God, the body
of Christ, who have been bom again by
means of Gods spirit. 1 Pet. 4:17, NW.
Those who had fallen asleep in death
and who had been faithful until death were
resurrected and given their heavenly re
ward. Those Christians then on earth pro
fessing to be of the body of Christ were
judged and separated. The unfaithful were
cast off into the outer darkness, whereas
the faithful were purified so that they were
from then on able to offer God fitting serv
ice by keeping clean from the old world and
preaching the good news to the meek and
warning of Gods day of vengeance.

679

Because of the establishing of Gods

kingdom in the heavens, which fact the
Scriptures associate with Christs return,
the present is also a time of judgment of
men and nations. Christ has been en
throned as King and therefore the rulers
of earth are commanded to give their alle
giance to him, even as noted in Psalm 2.
However, not only have these refused to
do so, as seen by their ignoring the King
dom announcement, but they have set up
their own substitute, the United Nations,
and have showed their opposition even to
the point of persecuting the Kingdom an
nouncers. Because of all this they will per
ish at the rapidly approaching battle of
Armageddon.
While the rulers and the nations as such
have sealed their destiny by rejecting
Gods kingdom, at the present time there is
still opportunity for all men of good will
to take their stand for Jehovah and his
kingdom. That is one of the chief purposes
for publishing this magazine and similar
literature. This is a merciful provision of
Jehovah and why he has delayed the cli
max of the present judgment day. If you
are wise you will take advantage of this
period of mercy by heeding Jehovahs com
mand: Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of
the earth, that have kept his ordinances;
seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may
be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovahs
anger. Zeph. 2:3, AS.
We seek Jehovah by studying his Word,
for therein he reveals himself to us; and
that is also the way to seek righteousness,
for it makes clear to us what Gods right
eous requirements for us are. Of course,
you will need help, even as did the early
disciples of Jesus, and standing ready to
help you are the ministers of the New
World society, Jehovahs witnesses. They
will be only too glad to come into your
home and study the Bible with you.

680

SfieWATCHTOWER

Additionally, it will be necessary for

you to associate with others who are like
wise endeavoring to carry out Gods right
eous requirements, for we are counseled
not to forsake the assembling of ourselves
together. As you grow in knowledge and
understanding you will see your privilege
of following in Jesus footsteps by dedicat
ing yourself to do Gods will and being
baptized even as he was. By leading a clean
Christian life, by keeping separate from
this old worlds commercial and political
schemes, and by sharing in preaching the
good news about Gods kingdom you can
hope to have Gods approval and be among
those who will survive the climax of this
judgment period, the battle of Armaged
don. You will show yourself to be one of
the sheep that are spared to enter Gods
new world, during whose judgment day of
a thousand years Satan and his demons
will be bound.
THE FUTURE JUDGMENT DAY

Christ Jesus will be the Judge in this

thousand-year judgment day and he will
have associated with him his footstep fol
lowers, even as Pauls words indicate: Do
you not know that the holy ones will judge
the world? According to Revelation chap
ters 7 and 14 those associate judges will
number 144,000. 1 Cor. 6:2,
During the first part of that thousandyear judgment day you, if an Armageddon
survivor, will have the great privilege of
sharing in a token fulfillment of the pro
creation mandate first given to Adam and
Eve and restated to Noah and his sons.
That means you will be able to bring forth
children in righteousness, exercise loving

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

dominion of the lower animals and help

restore the earth to a paradisaic state.
Then all those still in the memorial tombs
will hear the voice of the everlasting Fa
ther, Jesus Christ, and come forth to a
resurrection of judgment. It will doubtless
be your privilege to help welcome these
back from the grave and then instruct
them in the ways of righteousness.
Then, when all these have been awak
ened from the dead and gradually reach
mental, moral and physical perfection, for
which purpose the thousand years have
been set apart, Christ and his associates
will step aside and Jehovah himself will
administer the final test, even as Paul
shows at 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. This final
test will be brought about by a releasing
of Satan and his demons from their state
of deathlike inactivity. All who are selfish
at heart will be misled by him and manifest
it by open rebellion against Gods arrange
ment upon earth. Having revealed what
was in their heart, they will then be exe
cuted by Jehovah, along with the Devil
and his demons. This is spoken of as the
lake of fire, which really means the second
death.Rev. 20:7-10, 14,
Thus we see that Jehovahs judgment
days are both righteous and merciful and
are cause for rejoicing by all lovers of
righteousness. By these judgment days
God will vindicate himself as the rightful
Sovereign; he will demonstrate his ability
to enforce his righteous judgments and
yet realize his wise and loving purposes
regarding his creatures. And even as his
first judgment day meant the loss of para
dise, so his final judgment day will mean
the full restoration of it.

W hen I say unto th e w icked, O wicked m en, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost
n ot speak to warn th e w icked from his w a y ; that w icked man shall die in his
iniquity, hut his blood will I require a t th y hand. N everth eless, if thou
warn th e w icked o f his w ay to turn from it, and he turn not fro m his
w a y ; he shall die in his iniquity, hut thou hast delivered th y soul.
E zek. 33:8, 9, AS.

come to me? For, look! as the sound of

your greeting fell upon my ears, the infant
i IMS'.Ct i??*: i; ' in my womb leaped with great gladness.
Happy, too, is she that believed, because
there will be a complete performance of
those things spoken to her from
Jehovah. Elizabeth was right; Mary
A D IS C IP L E , N O T A Q U EEN
was being richly blessed by Jehovah
>
and she was happy to be His servant.
/' / f
Mary showed good sense in her response.
' HERE was a most unusual Her privilege of service had not made her
occurrence in the Galilean proud or boastful, for she gave the glory
town of Nazareth. It was to God. My soul magnifies Jehovah, and
not to the daughter of a my spirit cannot keep from being over
king, but to the humble daughter of Heli joyed at God my Savior; because he has
who was soon to be married to the young looked upon the low position of his slave
carpenter Joseph, that the angel Gabriel ap girl. For, look! from now on all genera
peared with the greeting, Good day, high tions will pronounce me happy; because the
ly favored one, Jehovah is with you. powerful One has done great deeds for me,
Quite naturally Mary was disturbed at the and holy is his name, and for generations
greeting. What did it mean? The angel con after generations his mercy is upon those
tinued: Have no fear, Mary, for you have who fear him. He has performed mightily
found favor with God; and, look! you will with his arm, he has scattered abroad
conceive in your womb and give birth to a those who are haughty in the intention of
son, and you are to call his name Jesus. their hearts. He has brought down men of
This one will be great and will be called power from thrones and exalted lowly
Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God ones; he has fully satisfied hungry ones
will give him the throne of David his with good things and he has sent away
father, and he will be king over the house empty those who had wealth. He has come
of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to the aid of Israel his servant, to call to
of his kingdom. There were no promises mind mercy, just as he once said to our
of a jewel-bedecked crown for her. She forefathers, to Abraham and to his seed,
would bear the son, but he would be the forever. (Luke 1:39-55,
While she
king. She was not presumptuous or de expressed heartfelt gratitude for the un
manding of more for herself, but respond deserved kindness shown to her by God,
ed: Look! Jehovahs slave girl! May it she directed all honor to him: He was the
take place with me according to your dec one magnified, the powerful One who does
laration.Luke 1:28-38,
great deeds; his name is holy.

r l-oni

A SONG OF PRAISE

BLESSED AMONG WOMEN

Mary soon made a trip to Judah to visit

Elizabeth, who greeted her with this state
ment inspired by God: Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of
your womb! So how is it that this privilege
is mine, to have the mother of my Lord

But what of the statement, all genera

tions will pronounce me happy ? Does it
not indicate special praise and glory is due
this one privileged to be the mother of
Gods Son? No; It is Jehovah your God
you must worship, and it is to him alone

681

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
SKeWATCHTOWER
May she be pronounced happy as the
you must render sacred service. (Matt.
Mediatrix of mankind? Let God have the
4:10,
NW) Nor is even relative worship
to be given by one bowing before her say as to the truth of the matter by accept
image. You must not make for yourself ing the statement in his Word: There is
a carved image. . . You must not bow down one God, and one mediator between God
to them nor be induced to serve them, be and men, a man Christ Jesus, who gave
cause I Jehovah your God am a God exact himself a corresponding ransom for all.
ing exclusive devotion. I am Jehovah, 1 Tim. 2:5, 6 , NW.
that is my name; and my glory will I not
Certainly all will agree that Marys was
give to another, neither my praise unto a happy lot as the earthly mother of Jesus,
graven images. When John bowed before but her lot as a disciple of Jesus was a
even a living angel he was reproved: Do source of even greater joy. When Jesus was
not do that!. . . Worship God. Ex. 20:4, on one occasion teaching a crowd, a woman
5, NW; Isa. 42:8, AS; Rev. 19:10, NW.
raised her voice in sincere expression, say
In what way, then, is she pronounced ing, Happy is the womb that carried you
happy? Is it because of being the woman and the breasts that you sucked! That
spoken of prophetically in Genesis 3:15? is to this day the feeling of many. But
No, for the woman that was to bring forth Jesus corrected the woman: No, rather,
the serpent-bruising Seed, later promised Happy are those hearing the word of God
to come through the line of Abraham, is and keeping it! It was in this that Mary
identified in Galatians 4:26 as Jerusalem found her greater happiness. Luke 11:27,
above, the universal organization of God. 28,
NW.
Gen. 22:18.
QUEEN OF HEAVEN
Is she declared happy because of being
the woman referred to in the symbolic
Mary is much spoken of in Catholic
account of Revelation chapter 12? Again, groups as the Queen of Heaven and the
No. It could not possibly be discussing the Queen of Peace. This is not a new
human birth of Jesus. The Revelation was thought, for early apocryphal writings as
given to John in the year 96 (A.D.), years cribed great honor to her as the Mother
sifter the birth of Christ, and it is intro of God. But let us go back much before
duced with the clear statement that these that, into ancient Babylon with its pagan
events were yet future. Rev. 1:1.
religion, to find its beginning. Under the
Is her joy, then, as Co-Redemptrix of name of the Mother of the gods, the god
the human race? St. Alphonsus Liguori dess queen of Babylon became an object of
ascribes that position to her by saying, almost universal worship. The Mother of
There is no one . . . who can be saved or the gods, says Clericus, was worshipped
redeemed but through thee, O Mother of by the Persians, the Syrians, and all the
God. But the Bible firmly declares: Jesus kings of Europe and Asia, with the most
Christ the Nazarene,. . . there is no salva profound religious veneration. How did
tion in anyone else, for there is not an the practice creep into the Christian
other name under heaven that has been world? The worship of the goddess-mother
given among men by which we must get with the child in her arms continued to
saved. (Acts 4:10-12,
And Revela be observed in Egypt till Christianity en
tion 7:10 excludes Mary when it says: tered. . . . With the generality it came only
Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated in name. Instead, therefore, of the Baby
on the throne, and to the Lamb.NW.
lonian goddess being cast out, in too many

682

N o v e m b e r 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

683

cases her name only was changed. She Let us therefore draw near with confidence
was called the Virgin Mary, and, with her to the throne of grace. . . . In the Liguori
child, was worshipped with the same idol book, pronounced, as will be recalled, with
atrous feeling by professing Christians, as out error by two popes, we read (p. 130):
formerly by open and avowed Pagans. The Holy Church . . . commands a worship
peculiar
to Mary.

The Two
Babylons,by Alexander
Hislop.
Note, too, the madonnas of Christendom.
On page 37 of this same work, Mary:
Until Raphael departed from the conven Mother of Jesus or Queen of
the
tional, Mary was never painted with the author quotes further from The Glories of
Hebrew features of her people and with Mary: Of other saints we say that they
the dark eyes and hair so common to them. are with God; but of Mary alone can it be
She, like most of the pagan madonnas, has said that she was so far favored as to be
usually been portrayed with golden hair not only herself submissive to the will of
and blue eyes, just as the goddess-queen God, but even that God was subject to her
of Babylon. There is yet another remark will. And on page 49 Pope Pius IX is
able characteristic of these pictures worthy quoted as concluding his definition of the
of notice, and that is the nimbus or pecu dogma of Marys immaculate conception
liar circle of light that frequently encom with the words: Let the children of the
passes the head of the Roman Madonna. Roman Catholic Church . . . proceed to
. . . The disk, and particularly the circle, worship, invoke and pray to the Blessed
were the well-known symbols of the Sun- Virgin Mary. And so the worship of Mary,
divinity, and figured largely in the sym Queen of Heaven, has come to replace the
bolism of the East. . . . The same was the worship of God in the lives of millions.
case in Pagein Rome. Apollo, as the child
Just who is this Queen of Heaven,
of the Sun, was often thus represented. ascribed greater authority than Christ and
The Two Babylons, page 87.
of whom it is said that even God was sub
In considering the work of St. Alphonsus ject to her will ? Surely not the humble
Liguori, The Glories of Mary, written about Mary who magnified Jehovah and was his
1750 and pronounced without error by willing servant. No, but she is the Baby
Popes Pius VII and Leo XIII, Charles lonian queen of heaven of whom God
Amlin draws a few rather pointed compari himself says at Jeremiah 7:16-20 (AS):
sons on the glory given to the Catholic Therefore pray not thou for this people,
Queen of Heaven : In the Liguori book neither lift up cry nor prayer for them,
we read (p. 92): All power is given to thee neither make intercession to me; for I will
(Mary) in heaven and on earth, and noth not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do
ing is impossible to thee. In the Catholic in the cities of Judah and in the streets of
Bible we read (Matt. X X V n i:1 8 ): And Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and
Jesus drew near and spoke to them, saying, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women
All power in heaven and on earth has knead the dough, to make cakes to the
been given to me. In the Liguori book queen of heaven, and to pour out drinkwe read (p. 257): Mary . . . is that throne offerings unto other gods, that they may
of grace to which the Apostle Paul, in his provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me
epistle to the Hebrews, exhorts to fly with to anger? saith Jehovah; do they not pro
confidence. In the Catholic Bible we read voke themselves, to the confusion of their
(Heb. IV : 14-16): Having therefore a great own faces? Therefore thus saith the Lord
high priest . . . Jesus the Son of God . . . Jehovah: Behold, mine anger and my

684

SfieWATCHTOWER.

Marys meekness, sincerity and love of

righteousness fit her well as a devoted
disciple of Jesus. Nowhere do we find her
with a halo on her head and richly decked
out as the glorified Queen of Heaven.
After Jesus death she was not glorified in
the Christian congregation. In fact, very
little is said about her. The last mention of
her in the Bible shows her with the other
faithful followers of the Lord in an upper
room giving her worship to God. (Acts
1:13,14) When she died her body returned
to the dust, and there she slept in death
until Gods due time to raise her with other
faithful ones to life as a spirit creature in
heaven. 1 Cor. 15:44, 50; 2 Tim. 4:8.

wrath shall be poured out upon this place,

upon man, and upon beast, and upon the
trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the
ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be
quenched. Worship of a Queen of Heav
en or a Queen of Peace is not the way
to honor God, but recognition of the God
of peace and of his appointed Prince of
Peace is.
DISCIPLE OF JESUS

What a contrast there is between the

humble mother and disciple of Jesus de
scribed in the Bible and the gold- and
jewel-bedecked images of the Queen of
Heaven adored and worshiped by men!

ty cyf
The district servant was busy overhauling
the Societys panel truck after arriving at the
assembly site. It was out in bush country
of Northern Rhodesia and the trip had been
made over rough dirt roads. To keep any ve
hicle in good condition under these circum
stances requires constant attention. So here
he was, busy on the job, and not in exactly
the kind of attire to receive a formal visit,
when there appeared on the scene a small pro
cession, a superior chief and his attendants,
personal clerk, interpreter, etc.
A fter a few minutes of form al exchanges,
the chief nodded to one of his attendants, who
immediately presented the district servant
with a dozen eggs without doubt a friendly
visit.
^ Along with many others, this chief has
been undergoing a change of heart toward
Jehovahs witnesses. Just a few years ago he
had no time for the witnesses, for he thought
they were political troublemakers. Now he is
an ardent backer and defender of Jehovahs
witnesses, finding them to be the greatest
peacemakers ever to bless his district. Taking
up the story the district servant writes:

Brooklyn, N. Y.

a s i$ m v x esse'i>
t

When the news trickled through to the

chief that Jehovahs witnesses were having
1 their circuit assembly in his area, that was his
cue to get busy. First he calmed the uneasi
ness of a European superior, who, not know
ing the nature of the assembly, feared there
might be trouble. Next, at every court hear$ ing which he attended he commanded that the
accused should be present at this assembly.
U Then he called in all the village headmen under
him and in no mean terms told them that if
they themselves failed to attend or if they did
not notify the village people and encourage
them to be present then he personally would
I see that they were charged with negligence of
duty. As though this were not sufficient, he
made a public decree that all the officials and
officers and people of his own village must
honor the assembly by their presence!

^ Although not one of Jehovahs witnesses,

the chief talks highly of these cheerful peace
makers. And as he says, 'Peacemakers are
here to stay.

No doubt about it, the chief was impressed.

-WOtS'D^t^FluL
&

V N

IUUUL

JUUU

f\ S f
/

U / O T V S 'm p

OULD you im' agine a small two-room

house, on a lot seventy-five by one
hundred and fifty feet, worth two mil
lion dollars? Why, you say, a house
that costly would be a palace! And if
it were a building that small it would
have to be gold-plated! Yes, it would,
and yet it is not all a fiction of the im
agination. The glorious tentlike palace
of Jehovah God was just such a struc
ture and it was a reality. It was the
tent of meeting, the wonderful way of
Israel into the presence of the Most
High in worship, the tabernacle in the
wilderness.
So resplendent was the tabernacle
of Israel in appearance, so magnificent
in appointment, and yet so simple was
it in engineering details that it could
not have had its birth in the mind of
man. Still, one group of higher critics
states, The tabernacle as here pre
sented never actually existed. It is a
product of the priestly imagination.
They claim that priests added the
account of the building of the taber
nacle to the Scriptures after the
Babylonian exile in order to illus
trate a new theological conviction. 1
This is a denial not only of Moses
writings but also of Zechariahs, for
this latter prophet spoke of the days
of these priests as a time of restora
tion of true worship, not that of a
1 The Interpreters Bible, Vol I, page 1027.
685

new theological conviction.

Zech. 8:1-13.
Despite the opinion of such
men, Gods own Word says
that the design was received
under inspiration by Moses
from the great Architect of
the universe, Jehovah God
himself. (Ex. 25:9) Christ
Jesus accepted this state
ment. More than five cen
turies after the exile, and therefore after
the account is supposed to have been tam
pered with, Jesus had these same Scrip
tures in the form we now know them today
and he said in his prayer to Jehovah, Your
word is truth. (John 17:17, NW) True
Christians, then, can rely with confidence
on the description of the tabernacle as it
has been preserved for us.
The tabernacle was so simple in its con
struction that the account has little, actu
ally, to say about the way it was to be put
together and this very lack of description
has caused confusion among those who
have tried to reconstruct it. Some have
pictured it as a tent with sloping sides and
a ridge pole down the center,2 but this
conception requires too many structural
details not mentioned or even suggested
in the textual account. Other factors also
rule out such a conception as impossible.
PANEL FRAMES

The point most open to discussion in the

description of the tabernacle is the term
translated boards in most versions of the
Bible. This term is now understood to be
frames. 3 (Ex. 26:15, A T; Knox; The In
terpreters Bible) The New World Trans
lation of the Hebrew Scriptures at this
text renders the term panel frames with
the footnote, Panel frames, rather than
2 As, e.g., Fergussons reconstruction, Smith's Bible
Dictionary, Vol. IV, page 3197.
3 Harpers Bible Dictionary, page 722. Also, A New
Standard Bible Dictionary, page 880.

686

SHeWATCHTOWEFL

boards, which would have been solid tim

bers and hence of ponderous size and
weight. These were twenty-seven inches
wide by nine inches thick and fifteen feet
high or long and heavily plated with pure
gold. This means that, if they were solid
boards,* each of the forty-six would weigh
about a thousand pounds.4 That would
make the entire structure well over twenty
tons. A preponderant weight!
It is evident, therefore, that they were
not solid but were fashioned much like a
modem window frame. Each frame had
two tenons on the bottom that fitted neat
ly into holes in socket pedestals of silver,
two socket pedestals to each panel. These
socket pedestals were flat slabs of pure
solid silver weighing about eighty-six
pounds each5 and they served as a founda
tion base for the building. Three wadis of
the building were panel frames but the en
tire east wall was a finely woven hanging
that served as a screen or door. Ex. 26:
17-21, 36; 38:27.
On the outside of each panel frame were
rings through which gold-plated bars were
inserted to bind the frames together as one
wall.6 Evidently to simplify its erection,
ten panel frames on each side and the six
at the rear were first joined by bars at the
top and the bottom of each section. It ap
pears that these bars met at the rear cor
ners and locked in some way at the two
corner posts. Next, the ten panel frames
forming the forward half of each side wall
were set in place and similarly joined by
bars at the top and bottom. Then a single
bar on each of these three sides was in
serted in rings the full length of the wall.
These joined the two sections of each side
4 A New Standard Bible Dictionary, page 880.
6 Avoirdupois weight or 115 pounds troy. (Ex. 38:31
(NW), footnote c ) Since the length (13V2 inches) and
width (9 inches) of these slabs or plates was determined
by the size of the panel frames that they supported,
allowing a hole for the tenon of 2 ^ x 3 x 6 inches, their
height could not have been much more than 2V2 inches.
Those authorities who make these socket pedestals about
a cubit (18 inches) high ignore the maximum weight
of one talent assigned to each.
Hastings Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. IV, page 660.

B rooklyn, N .

Y.

wall together and further secured the

corners.7 The entire structure was fifteen
feet wide and high by forty-five feet long,
outside measure. Ex. 26:16-18, 22, 26-29.
The frames thus being set side by side
would form a double row of panels all
around the three sides of the building.8
The upright members of each frame, with
the upright members of the frame adjoin
ing it, would make pillars of gold nine
inches square. Between these golden pil
lars, and each set in its own magnificent
frame of pure gold, were the cherubs, giv
ing mute but eloquent testimony that this
was the place of Jehovahs residence in
Israel. These cherubs were exquisitely em
broidered on the fine twisted linen cover
ing that next commands our attention.
THE COVERINGS

This covering was in two parts, each

composed of five uniformly sized strips
joined together to make a tent cloth thirty
feet long by forty-two feet wide. One of
these cloths covered thirty feet of the
framework toward the front and the other
covered the back fifteen feet and the rear
wall of the framework. Since they were
only forty-two feet wide they did not quite
reach to the ground on either side of the
building and therefore the ends would not
be affected by ground moisture. Where
the edges of these two large tent cloths
met they were joined with loops of blue
thread and gold hooks. Being in two parts
they were much easier to handle in erect
ing and dismantling the tabernacle when
the Israelites were on the march. The
cherubs were so arranged in the pattern
of the cloths that, when the cloths were in
place over the framework, each cherub
stood within a windowlike opening of the
wall, as it were, looking in.9 Ex. 26:1-6.
1 Cooks Commentary on Exodus, page 375. However,
he inadvisably interprets the bars as being inside the
structure.
8 Hastings Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. IV, page 661,
illustration.
Ibid.

N ovem ber

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

To protect this elegant linen covering

from the ravages of sun and rain three
outer coverings were made. One, of goats
hair, was no doubt tightly woven with per
haps a satiny sheen and would serve as a
cushion for the other coverings of ram
skins and seal skins. It is of interest that
dimensions are given for only the one outer
covering, that of goats hair, and it over
lapped the linen covering on each side by a
foot and a half. In spite of this the goats
hair tent cloth, like the linen one, would
not quite touch the ground.10
The outer two coverings, though, were
no doubt made to reach to the ground and
all must have been held securely in place
by tent pins11 and ropes, perhaps these
even being sewed into the seams of the
pieces that made up the various cloths.
Another feature of all three of these outer
coverings was the additional strip for the
forward half of the covering. This half of
the tent cloth was made of six strips in
comparison with the five strips composing
the forward half of the linen covering. This
sixth strip of tent cloth was folded double
and was used as an overhanging at the
front of the tabernacle to form something
like a small canopy or porch.Ex. 26:7-14.
THE TWO ROOMS

The tabernacle was divided into two

rooms by a curtain of material similar to
the linen tent cloths. It was also em
broidered with cherubs, blue thread and
wool dyed reddish purple and coccus scarlet
material being used. This was hung on four
stately pillars of gold under the hooks of
the linen covering. The first room of the
building would therefore be thirty feet long

687

and the second room would be a perfect

cube of fifteen feet. Inside this second room
was the most precious piece of furniture
of the entire palace. Ex. 26:31-33.
At the front and outside as an entrance
was the screen mentioned earlier. This was
suspended from five magnificent gold pil
lars that rested on copper socket pedestals.
(Ex. 26:37) Another hanging similar to
the curtain and the screen was the door
of the courtyard in which the palace was
situated. This made an entrance thirty
feet wide.12 All the pillars and their socket
pedestals for the courtyard were gleaming
copper. Ex. 27:9-18.
What an awe-inspiring sight this mag
nificent temple of the wilderness must have
been for the worshiping Israelites! And
how thankful we, as recipients of the in
spired Record, should be to know that its
description has been faithfully preserved
for our learning! Whether we see it clearly
in the reconstruction or not we know that
it was not fiction, for if it were, then our
hope would be in vain. This is certain from
the apostle Pauls words where he de
scribes the tabernacle as a reality and then
says: This very tent is an illustration for
the appointed time that is now here, and
in keeping with it both gifts and sacrifices
are offered. However, . . . when Christ
came as a high priest . . . he entered, no,
not with the blood of goats and of young
bulls, but with his own blood, once for all
time into the holy place and obtained an
everlasting release for us. Heb. 9:9-12,
NW.
Higher critics, lacking vision, may scoff
and discount the record, but true Chris
tians believe with Jesus, Your word is
true.

10
Although its dimension is exactly the same as the
12
In describing the hangings that served as a sevenmeasure over and down both sides of the framework,
and-one-half-foot fence around the courtyard Moses as
some allowance must be made for the bars that fit on
signed one pillar to each seven and one half lineal feet
the outside of the frame and that would necessarily in
of material. In this way he spoke of twenty pillars to
crease this over-all measure somewhat. Kennedy (ibid.,
each side and ten pillars to each end. Thus corner posts
>age 661) calculates the nine-inch width of the wall as
were counted only once and the total pillars was sixty.
ncluding the bars (6 inches for the frames and 3 inches
That means that the door into the courtyard was ac
for the bars).
tually suspended from five pillars. Ibid., page 657.
11 Ibid., page 662.

Preaching by Writing Letters

EE

ACH dedicated Christian witness of Jeho

vah is under obligation to preach the good

news of the Kingdom. O f course, the most
effective way to do this is by going from house
to house. Some, however, because of disease,
old age or other crippling infirmity, are un
able to share in the house-to-house activity.
M any of these are making good use of their
opportunities by writing letters containing
the good news of God's kingdom.
Thus one writes: Because of a stroke
three years ago I am no longer able to go
from house to house, and so I witness by writ
ing letters. Recently I wrote such a letter to a
woman who had suddenly lost her husband.
This woman then came to see me and told how
much m y letter had helped her. I was able to
give her a further witness and to make ar
rangements for a home Bible study the follow
ing week. The study is progressing fine and
she witnesses to everybody she m eets."
Another shut-in writes: A t present I have
been confined to the bed for over a year. I
cannot sit up at all but still I am writing let
ters and sending out lots of literature. While
in alm ost four years I have only gotten four
subscriptions for T he W a tch tow er, placed a
Bible and several bound books, I have also
placed hundreds of magazines and booklets."
This sister spends from 65 to 85 hours a
month writing letters. She has been in this
sanitarium six and a half years, but received
the truth only some four years ago. The last
time she was permitted to leave the sanitar
ium, some three years ago, she was able to
be immersed.
*8. Another infirm sister, who is 72 years old,
devotes some 100 hours each month writing
letters in which she includes booklets. The
congregation reports that her letters have
paved the way for many an effective witness
at the door by those able to go from door to
door. From one woman she received the fol
lowing letter:

i
J

\
J
J

i
I
J
I

J
[

i
!

j
j

t
j
!
J

J
j

D e a r ---------- , I want to thank you for the

nice letter I received from you yesterday. To
begin with I am Catholic, and do love m y religion very much. I don't know how you received m y address, but I was very much impressed and interested in your letter. I think
it is wonderful to be so sincere and enthusiastic in a persons religion. Most people won't
sit down and take time out like you do, to
write and tell others about our wonderful and
loving Master. I am sure God appreciates your
work. I have a good friend who belongs to
Jehovah's witnesses, or the same religion as
yours, a very wonderful person like yourself
and doing a great job in the missionary field.
So thank you again and m ay God bless you."
A t one of the Societys Bethel homes a
brother, close to eighty years old, unable to
climb stairs because of heart trouble, sends
letters of comfort together with literature to
those whose addresses appear in the obituary
column because of having lost a loved one. He
also uses a list of names and addresses, ob
tained from a commercial agency for a small
fee, of persons professing to be Christians
who would like to correspond with others
professing to be Christians. He sends a short
letter of self-introduction, which he accompa
nies with tracts, booklet or magazine, and
invites an expression on the literature enclosed after it has been read. He has received
some very fine replies from various parts of
the world.
^ Nor would we overlook those who are too
crippled to write letters and who witness by
using the telephone, or who supplement their
letter writing by phone calls. One sister, who
for many, m any years was bedridden, made
good use of the telephone, which she had right
at her bed, until she was no longer able to
witness in this way either because of crippling
arthritis.

Then he began to say to th em : The harvest, indeed, is grea t, but th e w ork ers
are fe w . T h erefo re beg th e M aster o f th e harvest to send out w ork ers into
his harvest. H e that listens to you listens to m e too. And he that disre
gards you disregards m e too. M oreover, he that disregards m e
disregards also him that sent m e forth . L uke 10:2,16,N W .

FAITHFUL
STEWARDSHIP
**ttwfeed, everyone to whom much
much will be demanded
f w w <har<M^of much, they will
demand more t n W TffSual o f him."
luke 12=48. NW .

STEWARD is
after or guar
man
agement of either real or personal estate or
3 Paul clearly recognized his responsibil
of both. A chief steysS^J^comes in effect ity for his charge when he wrote: You
an overseer, an administrator, a governor. have heard about the stewardship of the
Stewardship and responsibility go hand in undeserved kindness of God which was
hand. Having responsibmtj&nfeans being given me with you in view, that by way of
answerable for the discharge of a duty or a revelation the sacred secret was made
trust; being accountable to a rightful supe known to me. I became a minister of this
rior; being able to rjegpotjd or answer for congregation in accordance with the stew
ones conduct and obligation; being one ardship from God which was given me in
your interest to preach the word of God
who is trustworthy.
thoroughly. According to the glorious
2
The apostlePeter expjpsgf& a^close
good news of the happy God, with which I
connection between stewm^|j|> ail|^re
was entrusted. Just as we have been
sponsibility when he says: In proportion
proved by God as fit to be entrusted with
as each one has received a gifty-tSe'ft in the good news, so we speak, as pleasing,
ministering to one another as the right not men, but God, who makes proof of our
kind of stewards over Gods undeserved h e a r ^ ^ ^ B ^ 3:2, 3; Col. 1:25; 1 Tim.
kindness which is expressed in various
ways. And Paul says: Let a man so ap
4Jehovah God through Christ Jesus has
praise us as being subordinates of Christ entifusted great interests into the care of
and stewards of sacred secrets of God. Be the true people of God in these last days.
sides, in this case, what is looked for in This Is^-utfhost concern to all dedicated
stewards is for a man to be found faith to Jehovahs service. To all Gods slaves
ful. For an overseer must be free from or stewards the following illustration is
accusation as Gods steward, not self-willed, given: A certain man of noble birth . . .
not prone to wrath, not a drunken brawler, calling ten slaves of his . . . gave them ten
not a smiter, not greedy of dishonest gain, minas and told them: Do business till I
but a lover of strangers. 1 Pet. 4:10; come. . . . Eventually when he arrived
1 Cor. 4:1, 2; Titus 1:7, 8 ,
3. How did Paul recognize his responsibility as a
steward ?
4. With what responsibility do Jehovah and Christ Jesus
give interests into the care of the stewards?

1. What responsibility has a steward?

2. Mention some Scriptural requirements for a steward.
689

690

B r o o k lyn , N .Y .
S&eWATCHTOWER.
home after having secured the kingly things are from God, who reconciled us to
power, he commanded to be called to him himself through Christ and gave us the
these slaves to whom he had given the ministry of the reconciliation. (2 Cor.
silver money, in order to ascertain what 5:17, 18, NW) Keep watching the min
they had gained by business activity. Then istry which you accepted in the Lord, that
the first one presented himself, saying: you fulfill it. (Col. 4:17, NW) You,
Lord, your mina, by trading, went up to though, keep your balance in all things,
ten minas. So he said to him: Well done, suffer evil, do missionary work, thoroughly
good slave! Because in a very small matter accomplish your ministry. (2 Tim. 4:5,
you have proved yourself faithful, accept NW) These are a few of the many scrip
authority over ten cities. But a different tures showing some of the precious inter
one came, saying: Lord, here is your mina, ests given into the care of Gods people,
that I kept laid away in a cloth. You see, namely, the Word of Jehovah, the name of
I was in fear of you, because you are a Jehovah, the kingdom of God, the ministry
harsh man; you take up what you did not of reconciliation and work of evangelists.
deposit and you reap what you did not
The interests entrusted must be in
sow. With that he said to those standing creased, for the rule of Scripture is fixed:
by: Take the mina from him and give it To everyone that has, more will be given;
to him that has the ten minas. But they but from the one that does not have, even
said to him: Lord, he has ten minas! . . . what he has will be taken away. (Luke
I say to you, To everyone that has, more 19:26, NW) This is a rule of justice. En
will be given; but from the one that does couragement is given to the industrious.
not have, even what he has will be taken Those who go out of their way to do things
away. (Luke 19:12-17, 20, 21, 24-26, should have their opportunities of King
NW) Here is shown how the King handed dom service enlarged. Those who work for
interests of the Kingdom into the custody increase Jehovah blesses, and gives them
of his slaves and expected increase. Ap increase. The ones who are negligent and
proval for increase, disapproval for failure slothful lose what they have. Therefore
to increase, are definitely expressed. The we must treasure our opportunities of
same principle is emphasized by the illus Kingdom service with great care and come
tration of the talents, at Matthew 25:14-30. into line with the Scriptural rule. The re
There can be no standing still.
ward for faithful, diligent service is great
The Lord Jesus certainly committed er responsibility. Walking in the fear of
interests to the care of his disciples when Jehovah and with fervent prayer is the
he said: I have given your word to them. way to qualify for increased privileges.
I have made your name manifest to them.
SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLE
I have given them the glory which you
have given me, in order that they may be
7
There are many Scriptural examples,
one just as we are one. (John 17:6,14, 22, but only one will be dealt with now and
NW) The kingdom of God will be taken that is the experience of Joseph. The bless
from you and be given to a nation produc ing of Jehovah was with Joseph because of
ing its fruits. (Matt. 21:43, NW) Have faithful stewardship, and it is to our profit
no fear, little flock, because your Father to consider his record. There is one thing
has approved of giving you the kingdom.
Why must interests of the Kingdom be increased, and
(Luke 12:32, NW) Then Paul states: All 6.
is this reasonable, and why?
5. State some of the interests committed to the disciples.

7. What advantage is there for us in considering Joseph

and his stewardship?

N ovem ber

15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER

sure and that is that prosperity comes

through friendship with Jehovah. It is in
teresting to note that, in the first six verses
of Genesis chapter 39 (NW), mention is
made five times that Joseph had Jehovahs
favor. But Jehovah proved to be with
Joseph so that he turned out a successful
man . . . And his master got to see that
Jehovah was with him . . . everything he
was doing Jehovah was making turn out
successful in his hand. . . . Jehovah kept
blessing the house of the Egyptian due to
Joseph, . . . Jehovahs blessing came to be
upon all that he had in the house and in the
field. As a result note the further success
stated: Finally he left everything that
was his in Josephs hand, and he did not
know what was with him at all except the
bread he was eating. A marvelous record
of a faithful steward fully discharging his
responsibility.
8
Joseph feared God. A person who
more afraid of displeasing Jehovah than
he is of displeasing humans can be trusted.
To walk with Jehovah is a blessed state,
and Gods slaves are always happy in their
service regardless of the assignment. The
friendship of Jehovah must be sought after
and prayed for, and attained by doing those
things that will gain it. There is no better
companion for a journey, and happy are
those who realize Jehovahs presence with
them wherever they are, for then no place
is lonely. He is with us in the severest of
triads, and even the loss of something or
someone will make us cherish his fellow
ship more than ever before. If Jehovah is
truly with us then he is just as near on
land or sea, in any country or condition.
He is our friend and companion; yes, the
fear and fellowship of Jehovah are the best
protection we could ever have. The glory
of Jehovah is reflected in the blessedness
and happiness of his children. Because of
8. Mention some of the blessings of friendship with
Jehovah, as clearly indicated by the experiences of
Joseph.

691

our acknowledging him in all our ways he

directs our paths. O happy people of Jeho
vah to have such companionship and as
surances!
9
Temptations will still come to those
who are faithful stewards of Jehovah God.
Even though conscious of his blessing we
are not immune from dangers and there
fore must always walk in the fear of Jeho
vah. And so it was with Joseph, for a
dreadful experience came into his life. The
record states: Moreover, Joseph grew to
be beautiful in form and beautiful in ap
pearance. Now after these things it came
about that the wife of his master began
to raise her eyes toward Joseph and say:
Cohabit with me. But he would refuse
and would say to his masters wife: Here
my master does not know what is with me
in the house and everything he has he
has given into my hand. There is no one
isgreater in this house than I am, and he has
not withheld from me anything at all ex
cept you, because you are his wife. So how
could I commit this great wickedness and
actually sin against God? Joseph, when
she persisted and grabbed him by his gar
ment, left his garment and took flight.
Here, then, is the safe course for faithful
stewards to take today. When confronted
with temptation, flee from it, for if you
try to reason it may mean you will lose
the battle. Flight is the safe way. Do so
in haste, as when running from a poison
ous snake; get out of danger. See how
Joseph got protection in his instant recog
nition of the fact that the suggestion was
actually sin against God. The fear of
Jehovah will likewise be our safety. Do not
sin against God. No one goes extremely
wicked all at once, but, rather, weakens
gradually. On the other hand, by the fear
of Jehovah one departs from evil and is
safe. Gen. 39:6-9,
NW
9. Show how stewardship can bring temptations, and
how these may be successfully met.

692

SEeWATCHTOWER-

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

THE BLESSING OF JEHOVAH

cuses to escape blame. It is of no use for

Every one of Gods people desires his a steward who is seeking approval to say
blessing. The blessing of Jehovah, it or do those things that let one out and so
maketh rich; and he addeth no sorrow avoid the charge laid on ones shoulders
therewith. (Prov. 10:22, AS) The bless for not giving attention to some matter.
ing of the Lord is upon the head of the One is not dependable when he sidesteps
righteous, it enriches him and grief of responsibility, neither will Jehovah be
heart shall not be added to it. {Septua- pleased with such conduct. If one is to ob
gint) It is also written: And you must tain the blessing of Jehovah, then his must
remember Jehovah your God, because he be a self-sacrificing spirit, not one of selfis the giver of power to you to make indulgence, which leads a man to please
wealth, in order to carry out his covenant himself rather than Jehovah. It means hav
that he swore to your forefathers, as at ing honesty, purity, fidelity, loyalty and
this day. (Deut. 8:18,
Everything dependability.
depends upon Jehovahs blessing, but it is
FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE
never given for the accomplishment of a
12
Jesus said: Who really is the faithful
selfish purpose, only to accomplish his
will. When acceptable to Yahweh are the and discreet slave whom his master ap
ways of a man even his enemies doth he pointed over his domestics to give them
cause to make peace with him. (Prov. their food at the proper time? Happy is
16:7, Roth.) The blessing of Jehovah is ob that slave if his master on arriving finds
tained by doing those things he commands, him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will
by really pleasing him. Certainly we must appoint him over all his belongings. (Matt.
not act on our own initiative unless it is 24:45-47, NW) Those belonging to Jeho
first approved. Jesus said: When once vahs organization know that the faithful
you have lifted up the Son of man, then and discreet slave is a class made up of
you will know that I am he, and that I do the faithful remnant of Gods anointed
nothing of my own initiative, but just as ones, gathered now in one company and
the Father taught me I speak these things.
working together under the direction and
And he that sent me is with me; he did not
authority of the governing body of the
abandon me to myself, because I always
Watch
Tower Bible and Tract Society.
do the things pleasing to him. (John
Readers not yet associated with Jehovahs
8:28, 29,
NW) Jesus was a faithful steward
and carried his responsibility and so gained witnesses may have a little hesitation in
a full reward. He is our perfect example. accepting this statement, but the manifes
11
To be enriched by Jehovahs blessingtation of Jehovahs blessing upon the ac
we must be always busy in his service. This tivities of this class of anointed Christians
means diligence, real effort being put forth will certainly aid you to appreciate the
at all times, and having great patience and truth of it and will surely cause any doubts
determination to attend to the work on or misgivings to disappear. As a result it
hand and see it is done, following through will bring happiness to you, because you
with assigned tasks. Certainly it does not will be helped to see that the Most High
mean to evade responsibility, to make ex- God, Jehovah, is now dealing with his peo
ple and his blessing is with them.
10. Why is Jehovahs blessing essential, and how can it
be gained?
11. What course must be followed and what shunned to
gain Jehovahs blessing?

12. Who is the faithful and discreet slave, and why do

you say so?

N ovem ber

15, 1956

fRe WATCHTOWER.

13 The official magazine of the Society is

The Watchtower and it has been published
since July, 1879, and never has one issue
missed publication. It has now reached a
circulation of 2,800,000 copies of each is
sue and is printed in forty-six languages.
It would help the reader just to turn to the
inside of the front cover and read there the
purpose of the magazine. You will see it
warns of danger, announces good news,
always sees things Scripturally, is alert to
what is going on, points the way of escape,
announces Jehovahs kingdom, feeds
Christs spiritual joint heirs with spiritual
food, cheers men of good will with glorious
prospects of eternal life, and in the inter
ests of salvation it keeps sharp and faith
ful focus on Bible truths. Here are ex
pressed the aims, ideals and policies of the
Society. It has gained success and the
blessing of Jehovah.
14 The faithful and discreet slave was
appointed over the household to give them
their food at the proper time. This has
been done faithfully. Truths pertaining to
the Kingdom, the second presence of Christ,
the fulfillment of prophecy, Satan and
his world and the end of his world have
been served as rich, nourishing spiritual
food to the household of faith for seventyseven years. It is written: Every public
instructor, when taught respecting the
kingdom of the heavens, is like a man, a
householder, who brings out of his treasure
store things new and old. (Matt. 13:52,
NW) As food has been supplied more has
been provided, for there is no lack of spirit
ual food. No one hears of a famine for
food in Jehovahs organization. He would
feed them also with the finest of the wheat;
and with honey out of the rock would I
satisfy thee. (Ps. 81:16, AS) Outside the
13. What publication amply expresses the aims and
policies of the Society, and with what result?
14. (a) How has the faithful and discreet slave class
discharged its domestic responsibilities? (b) Contrast
the conditions inside and outside the Lords household.

693

household is a famine: Behold, the days

come, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will
send a famine in the land, not a famine of
bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hear
ing the words of Jehovah. And they shall
wander from sea to sea, and from the north
even to the east; they shall run to and fro
to seek the word of Jehovah, and shall not
find it. (Amos 8:11, 12, AS) There is
that scattereth, and increaseth yet more;
and there is that withholdeth more than is
meet, but it tendeth only to want. (Prov.
11:24, AS) As a result Jehovahs people
are spiritually strong and vigorous, being
well cared for by the steward class. Con
stant care of the household has gained
Jehovahs blessing, and this is a fulfillment
of prophecy. So those who would have the
same blessing must perform the same kind
of service.
15
This same anointed remnant, or slave
class, has faithfully carried its responsibil
ity in seeing to it that the Bible alone has
been our guide. True doctrine has produced
pure worship. Discarding theories and tra
ditions of men and organizations, it has
held tenaciously to the book of wisdom,
Gods Word. Jehovahs witnesses now
know the Bible is true, as stated: Sanc
tify them by means of the truth; your
word is truth. (John 17:17,
Today
the word of God is bound up in them. The
sacred pronouncements of God have been
committed to them. Yes, the valuable
treasure of divine revelation has been
lodged with this faithful slave class. It is
a testimony and a law to which God attests.
We do not add or take from these. They
are letters from Jehovah God to his peo
ple, proclamations under seal, safely de
posited now with his faithful ones. Paul
declares: Keep holding the pattern of
healthful words which you heard from me
with the faith and love that are in connec15. What outstanding service has the steward class per
formed with Jehovahs help and blessing? And how does
Paul refer to it?

694

3TkW ATCHTOW ER-

tion with Christ Jesus. This beautiful trust

guard through the holy spirit which is
dwelling in us. (2 Tim. 1:13, 14,
This steward is now the custodian of the
pure Word of Jehovah God. (Isa. 8:16, AS)
This fact is a fulfillment of prophecy,
bringing with it Jehovahs blessing. If you
also would receive the blessing, then hold
to the truth and believe with all your heart
and act upon it.
16 Another responsibility entrusted to
this faithful class that has received atten
tion and been accomplished has been the
gathering together of the chosen ones, as
foretold at Matthew 24:31 (NW ) : And
he will send forth his angels with a great
trumpet-sound and they will gather his
chosen ones together from the four winds,
from one extremity of the heavens to their
other extremity. In November, 1880,
Watchtower published an article entitled
Gathering to Christ, using as the key
text Psalm 50:5: Gather my saints to
gether unto me; those that have made a
covenant with me by sacrifice, clearly
showing that the gathering was not after
death but on earth at the end of the system
of things. This gathering continued until
in 1918 thousands were assembled to be
judged when Jehovah suddenly came to his
temple. (See The Watchtower of Novem
ber 15, 1955, page 695.) Since 1918 the
judging has gone on, cleansing this temple
class, refining and purifying them so they
will form a building for Jehovah to inhabit
by spirit. (Eph. 2:22, NW) No other or
ganization on earth has endured the trials,
the purging, the heat, the persecution. In
fact, no other body of people has the evi
dences of Jehovahs severity, chastisement,
mercy and undeserved kindness as this
people.
17 For nearly forty years now Jehovahs
16. What very practical work has been accomplished by
this faithful steward prior to and since 1918?
17. How have Jehovahs dealings with this servant class
demonstrated their relationship to him as foretold?

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

dealings with them have been demonstrat

ed. Thousands have been rejected and
turned out of the organization because
they were sinners and hypocrites. The
sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath
seized the godless ones: Who among us can
dwell with the devouring fire? who among
us can dwell with everlasting burnings?
(Isa. 33:14, AS) The next few verses show
who shall abide. Those of the anointed
remnant who have withstood the fire of
Gods judgment and have abode his wrath
and displeasure are now happy, Isaiah
33:17 (AS) stating: Thine eyes shall see
the king in his beauty: they shall behold
a land that reacheth afar. O happy blessed
anointed of God, your land is good, your
King is with you! Now is fulfilled: One
body there is, and one spirit, even as you
were called in the one hope to which you
were called; one Lord, one faith, one bap
tism; one God and Father . . . until we all
attain to the oneness in the faith,. . . to a
full-grown man, to the measure of growth
that belongs to the fullness of the Christ.
(Eph. 4:4-6, 13,
N W )This also is
fillment of one of the great signs of the
end of this evil system of things. Hence
Jehovahs blessing is seen so much in evi
dence. Would you also have his blessing?
Then join with Gods anointed in their
service, with unity and in praise of Jeho
vah God, working under their direction
in peace.
18
After the work of gathering together
the remnant of the anointed, the little
flock, other gathering has to be done. Jesus
said: And I have other sheep, which are
not of this fold; those also I must bring,
and they will listen to my voice, and they
will become one flock, one shepherd.
(John 10:16, NW) And at Revelation 7:9
(NW ) : After these things I saw, and,
look! a great crowd, which no man was
18. What more extensive activity must yet be brought
to a successful conclusion in what limited time period?

N ovem ber

15, 1956

SfteW ATCHTOW ER

695

able to number, out of all nations and good news of the kingdom will be preached
tribes and peoples and tongues, standing in all the inhabited earth for the purpose
before the throne. The gathering of this of a witness to all the nations, and then the
great crowd of "other sheep has been accomplished end will come. (Matt. 24:14,
going on since the year 1931, particularly
NW) The King was enthroned in heaven
since 1935, until now the number gathered in 1914 as earths rightful ruler. The King
far exceeds the number of those who were dom is here. True it is that much work has
anointed first to do the gathering. It is had to be done by the King in preparation
like a miracle. The number recognized as for the removal of the old kingdom of Sa
of the anointed on earth today is about tan and we are very close to the final show
16,000 and yet the number of those gath down. Before this happens it is essential to
ered and proclaiming the Kingdom mes gather all the little flock and the great
sage is now 642,000. This is only through crowd and to warn the world of its end.
Jehovahs blessing, and it is marvelous in But the glorious good news of the King
our eyes. He has given prosperity and dom will be preached world-wide. Since the
success to this great work and yet there year 1922 in a very special way this good
may be hundreds of thousands more to be news of the established kingdom has been
gathered before the great and dreadful proclaimed; yes, more than thirty-four
day of Jehovah, before the world destruc
years of intensified advertising of earths
tion at Armageddon. Can you see his won
new King and the Kingdom. This message
derful blessing today? Do you also want
his blessing? If so, then do the same works is being preached in 160 lands by more
as performed by those who have gained than 642,000 ministers. The world has
this blessing. The way is open before you; heard the proclamation and is without ex
no one will hinder, indeed many will glad cuse. So a world-wide fulfillment of proph
ly help you to get this blessing. This ac ecy is taking place before our eyes, all this
complished ministry is also a fulfillment under the direction and with the authority
of prophecy and cannot be denied success of Jehovahs faithful and discreet slave
class. His blessing has been and is today
fully.
upon
the great work. Do you desire Jeho
19
The King Christ Jesus gave promise
that one of the signs of the times proving vahs favor and blessing? Then follow the
the end of Satans world would be: This lead and course set by this faithful class
and go forward and tell others of the King
19. What other marvelous fulfillments of prophecy may
dom and its blessings.
be seen as unfolding since A.D. 1914?

C O IU R R ST
C. In a fifteen-minute speech at St. Peters Basilica the pope said recently that
the Roman Catholic Church cannot shun politics. According to the N ew York

T im es o f July 23, 1956, Pope Pius X I I urged Roman Catholics today to take an
active part in politics. But Christ Jesus urged his followers to take an active part
in preaching the good news of the Kingdom. As to politics a follower of Christ
wrote under inspiration: Do you not know that the friendship with the world is
enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend o f the world is
constituting him self an enemy o f God. Jas. 4 :4 , N W .

HE reader will have observed how

the faithful remnant of Gods anoint
ed have increased their privileges and
gained more responsibilities. They have
increased more than a hundredfold. Us
ing the interests of the Kingdom indus
triously, energetically and prayerfully,
they have been helped by Jehovah to pros
per in the service. Jehovah has made it a
success, he has made the work prosper.
This faithful steward class is receiving the
mark of Gods approval and is happy. Look
carefully at the years of diligent, enthu
siastic, unselfish service that have been
devoted to the ministry, so that you may
see the way to take to gain the same favor
and approval. You now have the honor and
benefit of seeing an actual demonstration
before your eyes of a class receiving the
approval of the Most High God. He is well
pleased with them.
2 Out of obscurity the name of the true
God, Jehovah, has been lifted. His name
has been blasphemed, ridiculed and re
proached, but Jehovahs people have lifted
it on high. His Word commands: In that
day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jeho
vah, call upon his name, declare his doings
among the peoples, make mention that his
name is exalted. (Isa. 12:4, AS) Think
of all the religious organizations claiming
to be Christian, and who among them all
is declaring the name Jehovah and an-

1. What has caused the anointed remnant to increase

Kingdom interests a hundredfold?
2. (a) Why has one organization exclusively proclaimed
Gods name? (b) How is this a fulfillment of prophecy
pertaining to the end of the world?
696

nouncing that his name Jehovah is exalted?

None but one. Strange though it may
sound, the only people performing this
Jehovah-honoring ministry are Jehovahs
witnesses working under the direction of
the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society,
the legal administrative body of Gods
anointed remnant. Today hundreds of
thousands of Christians are calling upon
the name of Jehovah for salvation and pro
tection. The name has been set in its right
place in the minds and hearts of all these
people. Years ago they did not know that
name, and probably when a minister called
at the home, saying, I am one of Jehovahs
witnesses, they wondered what it meant.
Who was Jehovah? Why have witnesses?
Now readers of The Watchtower know.
Yet the day will come when one will not
need to go to his neighbors door, for Gods
prophet declares: And they shall teach
no more every man his neighbor, and every
man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah;
for they shall all know me, from the least
of them unto the greatest of them, saith
Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity,
and their sin will I remember no more.
(Jer. 31:34, AS) And what a grand work
this has been! Actually bearing his re
proach, but loving him all the time! Shortly
that name will be exalted by all living on
earth and in heaven, for others simply will
not exist. Jehovah has prospered this work
and has given it his richest blessing. Is that
what you want? Then follow the same ex
ample and do likewise. Preach the name of
Jehovah as the only true God; honor him

N ovember 15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWEFl

697

and he will honor you; bless him and he fully and is still pro
will bless you. This also is a definite fulfill gressing and will do
ment of prophecy marking the end of this so until Armaged
don. All has been
wicked age.
done under the di
3 We are now at the end of this wicked
system of things when Jehovah purposes rection and gui<j*;
to destroy all unrighteousness. This will be ance of the faith*,!,
in the day of his wrath, the day of venge fu l and d i s c r e e j
ance. He will not destroy, however, with slave class,
out warning. God does not do anything in vahs protection
the dark, nor slyly, like a dagger thrust in over us as this peril
the back. So he commands: Proclaim the ous work is done.
year of Jehovahs favor, and the day of Salvation lies in obe
dience and confidence. His blessing is with
vengeance of our God. (Isa. 61:2,
Peter, speaking prophetically, said: By the Jehovah-fearing man. Do you also de
the same word the heavens and the earth sire his blessing? If so, come right onto
that are now are stored up for fire and Jehovahs side, leave the old world, shun
are being reserved to the day of judgment evil companions and join the happy slaves
and of destruction of the ungodly men. of Jehovah, who have faith in his works.
Trust in
(2 Pet. 3:7,
NW) Again it is written:
Ahim with all your heart. So shall
strong angel lifted up a stone like a great his blessing be yours. The world is con
millstone and hurled it into the sea, say demned to destruction. Take warning now
ing: Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon and flee from it. Remember Lots wife. Be
the great city be hurled down. (Rev. safe, relying on the promise that he that
dwelleth in the secret place of the Most
18:21,
NW) For declaring the day of Gods
vengeance Jehovahs witnesses are hated High shall abide under the shadow of the
of all nations, but they have valiantly and Almighty. Ps. 91:1, 2, AS.
fearlessly continued to speak all the words
* Jehovah God is the great Theocrat.
commanded. They have declared Gods Christ Jesus is next in power and author
judgment to the world at large and to all ity, then those spirit creatures who carry
its rulers on earth, and before the wicked out the will of the Most High God. Gods
spirits invisible to human sight and against will alone is performed in heaven. The
Gog the prince of devils, who is Satan the Theocrats rule is law there, therefore it is
great adversary.
a theocracy. Now on earth Jehovahs peo
ple are dedicated to do only his will; the
4 This work has been performed faithWord of God is their law. He directs his
3. Why^nust the day of vengeance be proclaimed, and
what results to the proclaimers?
will through his beloved Son operating
4. Has protection 1
it still promised?
through the holy angels by means of his
spirit, causing the faithful and discreet
slave class to carry out his purpose. With
the anointed remnant and their faithful
feompanions it is now a matter of doing
y the will of Jehovah God. No personal
purposes now, but only Gods! Let your
5. (a) How is the scripture at Matthew 6:10 being ful
filled? (b) How are we a pure theocracy?

698

STieWATCHTOWER.

will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon

earth. (Matt. 6:10, MW) This was the
prayer the Lord Jesus taught his disciples,
and today it is an accomplished fact with
Jehovahs chosen people. The rule of Scrip
ture is the rule in his organization. Also
the principles therein set forth are those
upon which we work. Jehovahs thoughts,
ways and purposes are those we follow and
not our own. It is a pure theocracy. There
fore there is peace in our ranks. Here again
is another fulfillment of prophecy. Jehovah
has blessed the wholehearted effort of his
people to bring everything into line with
the Scriptures. Therefore as you witness
this, and if you too desire peace, prosperity
and Jehovahs blessing, then bring your
life into obedience to the will of Jehovah
God and be in subjection to theocratic rule,
recognizing those who have the authority
over you in Jehovahs pure and happy or
ganization.
For thousands of years Jehovahs
prophets and the saints of God have prayed
for and looked forward to this very time
in which we are now living. Jehovah prom
ised it and declared it would come to pass.
His faithful ones rejoiced in its hope; some
desired to know more about it but could
not. The Lord Jesus was happy knowing
such a glorious time would come and the
apostles comforted the brothers in the
same sure promises of God. Now the King
dom is here. The satanic wicked old world
is about finished. Very shortly Jehovah
God will annihilate the wicked foes, and
then unrighteousness, sin and death will
be no more. Yes, Jehovah and Christ Jesus
have given to us the evidences of their
works, that they have worked with,
cleansed and blessed this people. Therefore
with grateful exultation Jehovahs people
should hear Gods word: Happy you are,
O Israel! Who is there like you, a people
6. (a) Have the faithful in times past looked for these
days? (b) What should this fact produce in us?

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

enjoying salvation in Jehovah? A shield

your helper is, and he who is a sword is
your eminent one. So your enemies will
cringe before you, and youupon their
high places you will tread. Deut. 33:29,
NW.
7 O happy people dwelling in the sun
shine of Jehovahs favor, working under
the protection of his love, rejoicing in the
bountiful provisions! O Jehovahs wit
nesses, the antitypical Israelites, who is
there like you in all the earth? None
among all the nations can be compared to
you. The blessings of Jehovah God are
upon you because of his loving-kindness to
his beloved anointed remnant. Jehovah
God dwells with you because his anointed
are his visible temple. Jehovah, he is your
God; Jehovah, he is your salvation. He
will go before us through his glorious King
Christ Jesus. None shall successfully op
pose us now, for Jehovah is with us. Even
as did Joshua and Caleb of old, so now
the faithful and discreet slave class bid
you to choose and serve Jehovah and gain
his blessings. Josh. 24:15,
BLESSINGS FOR SALVATION
8 What

will result from all these bless

ings? The simple answer is, greater glory
to the name of Jehovah, higher exaltation
and proclamation of the King, Christ Je
sus, and his kingdom; a more bountiful
gathering of the Lords other sheep,
holding up the truth like a burning torch
to show the way for those in the worlds
darkness to escape and find safety, as it
is written: Arise, shine; for thy light is
come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen
upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover
the earth, and gross darkness the peoples;
but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his
glory shall be seen upon thee. And nations
7. Can anyone be compared to Jehovahs people today,
and why do you answer as you do?
8. Why does Jehovah give these blessings, and what
should result?

N ovember 15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

699

shall come to thy light, and kings to the

Those escaped from the nations are
brightness of thy rising. (Isa. 60:1-3, AS) hastening with all speed, carrying from
Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, city to city the good news that Jehovah is
and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the blessing his people, that God is with them.
Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over They are entreating Gods favor. To take
unto thee, and they shall be thine: they hold of the skirt means to appeal for in
shall go after thee; in chains they shall struction and protection. The antitypical
come over; and they shall fall down unto Israelites, Jehovahs witnesses, hear the
thee, they shall make supplication unto appeal and rush to aid. There is great
thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and urgency today in this gathering and in
there is none else, there is no God. . . . struction work. These inhabitants of great
Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an cities are, not stragglers, but intelligent,
everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to inquisitive men of business. All move for
shame nor confounded world without end. ward with briskness, eager to obtain
Isa. 45:14-17,
AS.
knowledge of Jehovahs ways. All Jeho
9
Those out of the many nations see tovahs witnesses and companions should
day that Jehovah is with us and will hasten take to heart the words Let us go speed
to get to know more about Jehovahs ways ily ; yes, go continually to entreat the
and escape the coming wrath of Almighty favor of Jehovah. In an acceptable sea
God at Armageddon. Jehovahs people are son I heard you, and in the day for salva
in the limelight for this purpose, so that tion I came to your help. Look! Now is
those who escape from the nations will the especially acceptable season. Look! Now
know where to go. The prophetic word is the day for salvation. This speedy work
written for this time says: It shall yet is for our salvation and the salvation of
come to pass, that there shall come peoples, hundreds of thousands more. It is a matter
and the inhabitants of many cities; and the of great moment, and delay is dangerous.
inhabitants of one city shall go to another, 2 Cor. 6:2, NW.
11 But keep in mind that it is because of
saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the
the
blessing of Jehovah upon his favored
favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of
people that others in the nations came to
hosts: I will go also. Yea, many peoples
realize that here with Gods people is
and strong nations shall come to seek Jeho
where they can get tuition and safety.
vah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat Those out of the nations desire eagerly to
the favor of Jehovah. Thus saith Jehovah go with Gods people. Therefore all must
of hosts: In those days it shall come to know that to join yourselves to Jehovah
pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of God you must join yourselves to Jehovahs
all the languages of the nations, they shall people. You cannot have one without the
take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, other. So let us incite one another to love
saying, We will go with you [people], for and good works. Honor those whom Jeho
we have heard that God is with you. This vah has honored. Then you will learn the
does not mean the natural Jew, but the fear of Jehovah, the beginning of wisdom.
12 All drawing near to Jehovah and his
favored people of Jehovah today, the
spiritual Israelites and their companions.
Zech. 8:20-23,
AS.
9. What speedy move is required today, where to, and
with what objective?

10. Who are the ten men mentioned at Zechariah 8:20-23,

and how do they take hold of the skirt of the Jew?
11. How do the peoples of the nations recognize Jeho
vahs people?
12. What are the requirements for retaining theocratic
citizenship, and how do we learn of these?

700

SKeW A TC H TO W E ft

B rooklyn , N. Y .

organization must come into line with down before his majesty and awfulness.
theocratic instruction. It is written: And They tread before him gently and reverent
it must occur that, because you continue ly, for Jehovah is dwelling with his beloved
listening to these judicial decisions and ones. Nothing can stop the onrush of
you do keep them and do carry them out, truths, the manifestation of his judgments.
Jehovah your God must keep toward you The time has come at last for righteousness
the covenant and the loving-kindness about to be exalted and all the wicked to be de
which he swore to your forefathers. And throned. This glorious and happy day is
he will certainly love you and bless you. here. Rejoice, you witnesses of Jehovah,
forgive
truethanks
and lasting salvation is here in
(Deut. 7:12, 13,
NW ) I will
unto thee with uprightness of heart, when the power of earths new King.
I learn thy righteous judgments. (Ps.
14 Following the lead and example set by
119:7, AS) Jehovah has caused his right Jehovahs anointed
owall
n
, will be
eous judicial decisions to be published They are the remaining members of the
through the theocratic organization and in seed of Abraham. To Abraham God prom
it there is peace. I will seek thee earnest ised: I will bless those who bless you, and
ly: for when thy judgments are in the him that calls down evil upon you I shall
earth, the inhabitants of the world learn curse, and all the families of the ground
righteousness. Let favor be showed to the will certainly bless themselves by means of
wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; you. (Gen. 12:3,
NW) So those w
in the land of uprightness will he deal God and the anointed remnant will them
wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty selves be blessed, and this means riches
of Jehovah. (Isa. 26:9,10, AS) Therefore and prosperity. The faithful Jehovah-fearseek Jehovah earnestly, walk in his fear ing class have prayed for guidance and
and learn his judicial decisions; so shall their steps have been guided. From Jeho
you then be in the way of salvation.
vah are the steps of a man, they have been
13
The redemption of Jehovah belongs toprepared, and his way he desireth. (Ps.
those who fear him, for the Word of God 37:23, Young) The steps of this good
says: So shall they fear the name of Jeho man class have led Jehovahs people to his
vah from the west, and his glory from the holy hill and to the temple of God to dwell
rising of the sun; for he will come as a there forever in pure worship and true
rushing stream, which the breath of Jeho holiness.
vah driveth. And a Redeemer will come to
15 Now we dwell in his presence; his
Zion, and unto them that turn from trans glory is over us and fills the organization.
gression in Jacob, saith Jehovah. (Isa. Every one of Gods people must now rever
59:19, 20, AS) Those of the nations seek ence and fear Jehovah to remain in his
ing his favor must turn from idolatry and holy presence. There must be only pure
all forms of false religion. Jehovah will worship offered, for any idolatry will be
put all our enemies to flight. Through the
obnoxious to him and to his people. All
Angel of his presence he will come like a
must cleanse themselves from all impurity.
river pent up that the tempest of Jehovah
Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah?
drives along. His revealed judgments are
And who shall stand in his holy place? He
terrible and strike fear into the hearts of
14. How is the Abrahamic promise fulfilled today
all Gods enemies. Those who fear bow through
Jehovahs people?
13. To whom does Jehovah give his salvation, and why
especially now?

15. (a) What important reason is there for pure and

clean worship today? (b) How can one today stand in
Jehovahs holy place?

N ovember 15, 1956

3EeWATCHTOWEFL

701

that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; me. . . . So he [Jehovah] said: My own
who hath not lifted up his soul unto false person will go along and I shall certainly
hood, and hath not sworn deceitfully. He give you rest. At this he said to him: If
shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, and your own person is not going along, do not
righteousness from the God of his salva lead us up from here. Ex. 33:3, 12-15,
tion. This is the generation of them that NW.
seek after him. (Ps. 24:3-6, AS) If you
17 To have the presence of Jehovah with
desire with all your heart to come to his them meant everything to Moses and Is
temple to worship, which means recogniz rael. He would lead, feed, protect, deliver
ing the remnant of Gods anointed in their and bring them into the Promised Land.
privileged and honored position of service, So it is today. Jehovah God is with us and
then do these things. You will neither wor he is our guide even unto death. For this
ship here nor will you remain with Jeho God is our God for ever and ever: He will
vahs beloved ones unless you do have clean be our guide even unto death. (Ps. 48:14,
hands and pure hearts. Therefore learn AS) If Jehovah is with us we need have
Gods way now for pure worship, attend no fear, for God is our refuge and
all the arranged meetings of Jehovahs strength, a very present help in trouble.
witnesses so you can study Gods holy . . . though the earth do change, and though
Word with the aid of the Bible textbooks, the mountains be shaken into the heart of
appreciate the truth and escape this evil the seas; . . . The nations raged, the king
world. Then as you read, run, run speedily doms were moved: . . . Jehovah of hosts is
to your neighbor and tell him. Go to those with us; . . . God is in the midst of her
in your district and tell them. Yes, if [the holy place of the tabernacle of the
possible, go from city to city and show Most High]; she shall not be moved. Ps.
others how to escape and get to Jehovahs 46:1-11, AS.
house of prayer his temple.
18 Now Jehovahs witnesses know Jeho
Watch16
When Moses was leading the Israelitesvah is in his holy temple. (See
from the Red Sea to the Promised Land tower of November 15, 1955.) They are
there was always safety as long as they filled with awe, fear and dread, because
had with them the pillar of fire by night the Most High God dwells with his people.
and the cloud by day. Yes, Jehovahs pres Yet all are comforted and at peace, know
ence was with them and they were secure ing that he is here with his faithful ones
from their enemies. Fear held them fast and that his cloud of glory is over them.
whenever there was the slightest possibil This means continual guidance and protec
ity that Jehovah would not continue going tion. It also means salvation for the anoint
before them. On one occasion Jehovah ed and for all the other sheep, those who
stated he would not go: For I shall not have escaped from the nations. After the
go up in the midst of you, because you are cleansing work has proceeded with his
a stiff-necked people. When the people people then come his blessings, as is shown
got to hear this evil word they began to by the following promise: When the Lord
mourn, and while Moses was seeking Jeho shall have washed away the filth of the
vah he said: See, you are saying to me, daughters of Zion, and shall have purged
the blood of Jerusalem from the midst
Lead this people up, but you yourself have
thereof, by the spirit [blast] of justice,
not let me know whom you will send with
16. How important was Jehovahs presence to his typ
ical people?

17. As showing its importance, what are the effects of

his presence with his people today?
18. How does Isaiah 4:4-6 find fulfillment today?

702

3fteWATCHTOW ER

B r o o k lyn , N .Y .

. . . Jehovah will create over the whole known my name. Pss. 27:5; 31:20; 91:1,
habitation of mount Zion, and over her 2,14, AS.
assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and
20 Let all hurry to go up to the organiza
the shining of a flaming fire by night; for tion of Jehovah and abide there. Seek his
over all the glory shall be spread a cover blessing while it is obtainable. Do not hesi
ing. And there shall be a pavilion for a tate. Look to the faithful course of Gods
shade in the day-time from the heat, and anointed in these last days and know for a
for a refuge and for a covert from storm certainty that what Jehovah God has done
and from rain. Isa. 4:4-6, AS.
for them he will do for you. The mercies
19
Oh the joy and blessedness of thoseof God will not be given to you if you re
who are dwelling in the presence of Jehovah main in this evil world, neither will you be
God! They are in a holy place. The storms in the way to receive his goodness by
of opposition and the heat of persecution standing still. You must move forward in
will come, also the troubles on earth will faith bom of the abundant testimony now
increase with perplexity. But none of these before you. The promise is: I, Jehovah,
troubles will harm those in the pavilion of have called thee in righteousness, and will
Jehovah. You want to remain there for hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give
ever, do you not? Or, if you have not yet thee for a covenant of the people, for a
entered into association with Jehovahs light of the Gentiles. (Isa. 42:6, AS) Yes,
people, blessings await you. One of Gods Jehovahs people are a guarantee for your
promises states: For in the day of trou light and security.
ble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion:
21 All must be faithful, holding respon
. . . he will lift me up upon a rock. In sibility in the fear of Jehovah, guarding
the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide well this beautiful trust and giving a good
them from the plottings of man: thou
account of our stewardship. Thereby may
wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from
we gain his approval by increasing our
the strife of tongues. He that dwelleth in
the secret place of the Most High shall privileges, and finally hear: Well done,
abide under the shadow of the Almighty. good and faithful slave! You were faithful
I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and over a few things. I will appoint you over
my fortress; my God, in whom I trust. many things. Enter into the joy of your
. . . I will set him on high, because he hath master. Matt. 25:21, NW.
19. Why does world tribulation leave Jehovahs people
unshaken?

20. Jehovahs people are a guarantee of what, and why?

21. What blessed promise should it be our aim to obtain ?

U/ky (2hti5iQndom Starve* Spiritually

In Christianity and Crisis (edited by U.S. Protestantisms most renowned theolo
gian, Reinhold Niebuhr) Congregational Minister Clarence Kilde defends three W is
consin pastors who were tried for doubting some Lutheran dogma. Preacher Kilde
suggests that the three might not have got into trouble if they had been more
concerned with building financial and membership statistics. A fter all, a sister
synod of the Midwest, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, has reported establishing
a new parish every 18 days. . . . Go ahead and repeat the Apostles Creed, but be
sure to be oblivious to peoples inarticulate disturbance over the meaning of the
creed. A t denominational headquarters it is statistics that are important, not
spiritual sincerity or theological integrity. Time, January 2, 1956.

telling the time of Judah's restoration from

Babylonian captivity and a faithful remnant's
return to Jerusalem, he said: Let every val
ley be raised up, and every mountain and hill
brought low ; let the uneven ground become a
plain, and the rugged heights a valley. This
was the symbolical w ay of saying that barriers
to their return would be removed. Isa. 40:4, AT.
On one occasion Jesus cast a demon out of a
boy that his disciples had failed to cure, and
when the disciples later asked Jesus why they
could not expel the demon Jesus said: Because
of your little faith. For truly I say to you, If
you have faith the size of a mustard grain,
you will say to this mountain, T ra n sfer from
here to there/ and it will transfer, and nothing
will be impossible for you. (M att. 17:20, N W )
Can the use of a small amount of faith move a
literal mountain? Just what did Jesus m ean?
R. C., United States.
The Jews used a mustard grain to represent
something very small, and by using it here he
emphasized how little faith the disciples really
had manifested in their effort to heal the demonpossessed boy, although previously they had
healed the sick and had cast out demons. (Luke
9:1-6; 10:1, 17-20) So first Jesus stressed their
need for more faith. They had a little faith,
but they needed to expand that faith. Even the
tiny mustard seed had a great potential for
expansion, for Jesus said elsewhere that it is
the tiniest of all the seeds, but when it has
grown it is the largest of the vegetables and
becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven
come and find lodging among its branches.
Just as the mustard seed, when watered and
cultivated in good soil, would grow into a
vegetable so large as to be treelike; so a little
faith, when nourished by private study and
meeting attendance and service, would expand
and increase. Matt. 13:32, N W .
But the great power of faith, which is at first
the size of a mustard grain, is shown by its
ability to move a mountain. Does this mean a
literal mountain? Yes, doubtless the mount of
transfiguration, had it been God's will. The
term mountain m ay also be used to refer
to vast, imposing obstacles and difficulties
blocking progress in our service of Jehovah.
However, it would mean something as unsurmountable and irremovable as a great literal
mountain. W e have Bible examples of moun
tains used in this sense. W hen Isaiah was fore
703

Zechariah 4 :7 ( AT) says: W h at are you, O

great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, become a
plain! W h at was this mountain? A literal one?
No, it was opposition to the work of theocratic
reconstruction under governor Zerubbabel, who
had returned at the head of the thousands of
faithful Israelites after the Babylonian captiv
ity. Opposition to the rebuilding of the temple
arose from neighboring adversaries, and after
years of interference the Samaritans maneu
vered the imposing of an official ban on the
work by the Persian government. A ll of this
was like a great mountain blocking the path
of reconstruction, but before Zerubbabel and
the courageous Israelites this mountain was
moved or leveled to become a plain, because
in faith they kept on in the work, refusing to
be stopped. Finally the mountainous obstacle
of government ban was removed and the ene
mies subdued.
If we have faith today Jehovah will bless us
in his work, and our faith will show its live
liness by pushing ahead in service, trusting in
Jehovah for victory over all obstacles. A s we
work in faith, trusting in Jehovah, we should
increase our faith. The mustard seed of faith
in our hearts must be watered and cultivated
and encouraged in growth, so that it will ex
pand to maturity and strength and fruitfulness
in good works, able to do m ighty works be
cause of its growth, works it could not do while
remaining small and dormant and unfruitful
of right works. To persons who lack faith a
molehill looks like a mountain, but strong faith
shrinks mountains to molehills. So strive to in
crease faith by study and association with
Jehovahs people. And when the task is too big
for us we must look to Jehovah for help, ask
for his help, never doubt that he will give it,
but ask in confident faith, never doubting, as
James 1:5-8 states. To ask in faith means to ask
and then work toward making it come to pass,
for only such faith accompanied by work is
alive, only such faith has the conquering power
necessary for moving mountains.

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

December 16: Faithful Stewardship. Page 689.
December 23:
Blessings Through Service.
Page 696.

vV

CHECK YOUR MEMORY

v'V

After reading this issue of The Watchtower, do you remember

U * How what the Bible says might shock even
religious leaders? P. 676, Hi.
U * What facts Protestants will be surprised
to read in the Bible? P. 676, H6.
U * What confusion today s religions face re
garding the judgment day? P. 677, 111.
1^ What several judgment days the Bible
mentions? P. 678, Hi.
How to seek Jehovah now? P. 679, H6.
Whether the statement blessed are you
among women means special worship is due
Mary? P. 681, 114.
Where the worship of Mary originated?
P. 682, H6.
U * Why there has been misunderstanding

about what the ancient tabernacle looked

like? P. 685, 114.
What proves that the tabernacle is not
fiction, but really existed? P. 687, H5.
^
What a steward is? P. 689, Hi.
Why having Jehovah s blessing is so es
sential? P. 692, HlO.
^
How many organizations proclaim Jeho
vah s name today? P. 696, 1f2.
What causes men to recognize that with
Jehovah s people there is safety? P. 699, Hll.
l> What the people who want Jehovah s
favor must now do? P. 700, Hi3.
V * Whether faith literally will move a moun
tain? P. 703, H3.

JEHOVAHS
KINGDOM

DECEMBER 1, 1956
Semimonthly

JEHOVAH, G O D OF PRODUCTION
PRODUCTIVE WITNESSING

FREEDOM SUPPRESSED IN
SO LO M O N ISLANDS
WTB&TS

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES

SAYS JEHOVAH

Isa. 43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, G ods W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 - 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f the w orlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W a tc h tower stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is goinc* on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape. It announces Jehovahs kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G o d s W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* God admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

WATCH TOWER BIBLE

117 Adams Street
N . H. K norr, President

PUBLISHED BY THE
AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 1, N. Y.t U. S. A.
G rant S uiter, Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6:45; Isaiah 54:13

CONTENTS

P r i n t i n g t hi s issue: 2,800,000

Freedom Suppressed in Solomon Islands

707

W h y Did God Make M an?

709

Are You Bible-starved?

711

Pursuing M y Purpose in Life

712

Exalting Jehovahs Worship

Above the Mountains

720

Jehovah, God of Production

721

Productive Witnessing

728

Questions from Readers

735

Announcements

736

Check Your Memory

736

Abbreviations ased in The Watchtower for the following Bible versions

AS - American Standard Version
LXX - The Septuagint Version
AT - An American Translation
Mo - James Moffatt's version
Da - J. N. Darby's version
N \V
- New World Translation
D y - Catholic Douay version
Ro - J. B. Rotherhams version
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott
RS - Revised Standard Version
L e - Isaac Leesers version
Yg - Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise Indicated,

the

Bible

used Is the

King James Version

PUBLISHED IN THE
Semimonthly
Afrikaans
French
Japanese
A ruble
German
Norwegian
Cebu-Visayan Greek
Slovenian
Cinyanja
Hollandisb Spanish
Danish
Ilocuuo
Swedish
English
Indonesian Tagalog
Finnish
Italian
Twi

F i v e c ent s a c o p y

FOLLOWING LANGUAGES
Monthly
Armenian
Korean
Burmese
M&layalam
Chinese
Pangasinan
Cibemba
Polish
Cishona
Portuguese
Hiligaynon- Russian
Visayan Sesotho
Ibo
Siamese
Kunarese
Silozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

Watch Tower Society offices
fdr semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London VV. 2
!/
Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingstou
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0, Wellington, C. 1
7 /Sonth Africa, Private Bag. P.0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
" /Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions cost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

-p ^ r m o u T z c ir z a

J E H O V A H S
KIN G D O M

FREEDOM SUPPRESSED
in SOLOMON ISLANDS
N ANCIENT times a voice
was raised to proclaim lib
erty throughout all the land of
Israel. It was a welcome proc
lamation. Jehovah God was the
author of the historic words found in the
Bible at Leviticus chapter 25, verse 10:
Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and pro
claim liberty throughout all the land unto
all the inhabitants thereof. These words
were embodied in the Jubilee law. It prom
ised good things for the nation of Israel.
In these days voices are heard that op
pose the principle of freedom. While claim
ing it for themselves, they deny it to oth
ers. It is bad enough when outright dicta
tors try to stamp out freedom of worship.
But what can be said of professed advo
cates and upholders of traditional freedoms
who ban Bible literature, depriving others
of free access to religious publications es
sential for their spiritual welfare? Can we
excuse them because they are not so ruth
less in their methods? Since they loudly
assert that everyone has a right to be
lieve what he will, read what he chooses
and say what he thinks, in religious mat
ters particularly, are they not more rep
rehensible in making proclamations that
result in religious discrimination?
With these points in mind, consider this
recent example of suppressing freedom.

707

It was on March 23,1956, that a proclama

tion was given by John Gutch, High Com
missioner for the western Pacific, prohibit
ing the importation into the British Solo
mon Islands Protectorate of publications
printed by the Watch Tower Bible and
Tract Society, as set forth in an accom
panying schedule to that proclamation.
Practically all the Societys publications of
recent date appeared on the list, including
its official journal The Watchtower and the
magazine Awake!
For over seventy years Watch Tower
literature has been distributed far and wide.
Today the Society publishes various edi
tions and translations of the Bible, to
gether with Bible aids in the form of books,
booklets and magazines, all of which are
read and highly appreciated by millions of
people rich and poor, of all colors, rep
resenting scores of nationalities and in 160
different lands and islands of the sea.
Yet these publications are apparently
considered seditious in the Solomon Is
lands, although they have free circulation
in other British possessions!

708

SHeWATCHTOWEFL

To block the flow of Bible truth to

Melanesian inhabitants, recourse was tak
en to section 8 of the Sedition Regulation,
which reads: If the High Commissioner
is of the opinion that the importation of
any publication would be contrary to the
public interest, he may, in his absolute dis
cretion, by Proclamation prohibit the im
portation of such publication, and in the
case of a periodical publication, may, by
the same or subsequent Proclamation, pro
hibit the importation of any past or future
issue thereof.
Whatever ostensible reasons may be
offered for the High Commissioners ac
tion, it strongly appears to be a matter of
religious prejudice. It certainly has noth
ing to do with the security of the Solomon
Islands, nor can it be considered contrary
to public interest to receive and study the
Bible aids of the Watch Tower Society.
The application of such a regulation to
prohibit religious literature is an abuse of
administrative powers. It relegates reli
gious liberty to a rigid control dependent
on the discretion of one man. Individuals
or groups not to his liking may be denied
personal rights involving religious worship.
Left to the whim of an official exercising
such powers, freedom becomes a commod
ity to be doled out at will or withheld as
he thinks fit. By applying the above regu
lation to such an extreme, freedom was
suppressed in the Protectorate.
Not many days after the proclamation
was given, its mischievous intent became
manifest. An individuals freedom was de
nied. The victim was a British subject and
the only European witness of Jehovah in
the territory. Naturally, he had shared his
beliefs with others. As opportunity afford
ed he was able to leave Bibles and other
literature with interested persons. Not
knowing that an edict had listed the So
cietys literature as undesirable, he was

Brooklyn,

N. Y.

quite surprised when, on April 5, 1956,

the police served him with a summons.
The next morning he had to appear in
court. He was charged with having sedi
tious literature in his possession and sub
sequently fined. But that was not all. Next
his freedom of movement was curtailed, as
the police told him he would have to leave
the Protectorate on the first outgoing
plane. With periodic visits they hounded
him, fearing he might abscond.
Further encroachments on freedom of
worship were made about a month later. A
native Solomon Islander had his Watch
Tower study books seized. On being
brought to trial he too was fined. This per
son of good will keenly felt the loss he
suffered. Writing to the Societys Aus
tralian branch office he expressed a desire
for spiritual assistance and in his broken
English added: I want this great blessing.
Many people here hungry for Jehovahs
witnesses because they interested in the
truth about the right knowledge of the
only true God. It hurts when officials in
terfere with such conscientious worship.
Glaring violations of fundamental free
doms not only stir deep feelings, they pro
voke serious thought. Is it consistent for
such a prohibition to remain in force in
a British Protectorate where freedom of
worship ought to hold sway? Can one say
it accords with the purposes outlined in the
United Nations Charter dealing with hu
man rights and fundamental freedoms,
which are to be enjoyed by all people re
gardless of race, creed, color or social
standing? Does the High Commissioner
feel that the Solomon Islands are outside
the orbit of free nations and hence he is
not bound by the moral obligation to pre
serve freedom? Is it a Protectorate in name
only? These are some of the urgent ques
tions raised by this issue.
How will the officials face and answer
them?

fectly on earth the attributes of his Maker.

But certainly the reflections of todays man
are a far cry from what we know of an
all-wise, peace-loving Creator. What has
happened to man? Moses answers: They
have acted ruinously on their own
part; they are not his children, the
defect is their own. A generation
crooked and twisted! Deut. 32:5,
NW .

Moses does not say this of all

men, especially not of Christian
men. Christians know why they are
alive. They realize that as intelligent
creatures they must worship their
God and thus bring praise and pleas
ure to him. If they fail in this God can
cause them to go out of existence. There
fore, Paul counsels them to be blameless
Does life
and innocent, children of God without a
consist simply
blemish in among a crooked and twisted
selfish pursuits or
generation, among whom you are shining
is there o more noble and
as illuminators in the world, keeping a
loftier cause for living? The
tight grip on the word of life. Jesus called
Bible gives this
Christian disciples the light of the world,
and told them: Let your light shine be
O
KNOW why God made
man,
fore
mankind, that they may see your right
/
I y turn to the Bible, because therein works and give glory to your Father who
God gives the answer. Under in is in the heavens. Phil. 2:15, 16; Matt.
spiration the apostle Paul, writing to the 5:14-16,
NW.
Philippians, said: Keep working out your
To let ones light shine in this dark world
own salvation with fear and trembling, for is to be blameless and innocent in it by
God is the one that, for the sake of his good doing right works. Such ones are told:
pleasure, is acting within you in order for Fear God and give him glory, because the
you both to will and to act. Then, man, hour of the judgment by him has arrived,
according to Paul, was made for Gods and so worship the one that made the heav
good pleasure, to share the Creators en and the earth and sea and fountains of
attributes of love, wisdom, justice and waters. So for a man to discharge his
power. The angels of heaven in song gave responsibility as a man on earth he must
a like answer: You are worthy, Jehovah, be a true worshiper of Jehovah God. Rev.
even our God, to receive the glory and the 14:7,
NW.
honor and the power, because you created
The perfect man Jesus did do this, and
all things, and because of your will they of him it was said: Look! the man! He
existed and were created. Phil. 2:12,13; so perfectly reflected the image of the Fa
Rev. 4:11,
NW.
ther Jehovah that he could say of himself:
Perfect man, created in the image and He that has seen me has seen the Father.
likeness of his Creator, was to reflect per John, writing of Jesus life course, says:
709

710

SffieWATCHTOWEFL

We had a view of his glory, a glory such

as belongs to an only-begotten son from a
father, and he was full of undeserved kind
ness and truth. John 19:5; 14:9; 1:14,
NW.
By his perfect life pattern, Jesus taught
men how they too might mirror Jehovahs
glory. A pupil is not above his teacher,
he said, but everyone that is perfectly in
structed will be like his teacher. A good
man brings forth good out of the good
treasure of his heart, but a wicked man
brings forth what is wicked out of his
wicked treasure; for out of the hearts
abundance his mouth speaks. The great
truths vital to life and salvation that Jesus
learned of his Father he communicated to
his disciples. In turn his disciples were to
convey this precious message to others.
They were to be doers of the word and not
hearers only. They were to make other
disciples of people of all the nations and
instruct them to observe all the things that
Jesus commanded. Discharging this re
sponsibility faithfully would bring joy to
the creature and happiness to the Creator.
Luke 6:40, 45; Matt. 28:19, 20, NW.
The presence of Christianity in this
twentieth century is conclusive proof that
the disciples carried out Jesus command.
To the Romans Paul revealed how the
truth of Christianity was made known:
The word is near you, in your mouth and
in your heart ; that is, the word of faith
which we are preaching. For if you publicly
declare that word in your mouth, that
Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your
heart that God raised him up from the
dead, you will be saved. For with the heart
one exercises faith for righteousness, but
with the mouth one makes public declara
tion for salvation. Rom. 10:8-10, NW.
REASON FOR LIVING TODAY

So mans reason for living at this time

has much to do with the right use of his

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

tongue, because by that little member of

his body he sheds either glory or reproach,
honor or dishonor on his Maker. Isaiah
the prophet wrote: The Lord Jehovah
hath given me the tongue of them that
are taught, that I may know how to sustain
with words him that is weary. (Isa. 50:4,
AS) An American Translation of this text
reads: The Lord G od has given me a
tongue for teaching that I may know how
to succor the weary with a word.
The prophet Daniel shows that knowl
edge shall be increased at this end of the
world. Zephaniah the prophet declares that
Jehovah would turn to the peoples a pure
language, that they may all call upon the
name of Jehovah, to serve him with one
consent. Isaiah says that all believers
some day shall be taught of Jehovah; and
great shall be the peace of thy children.
The Proverbs state that the tongue of
the wise is health, that a gentle tongue
is a tree of life. Dan. 12:4; Zeph. 3:9;
Isa. 54:13; Prov. 12:18; 15:4, AS.
God has caused these prophecies to come
true today, because on earth now he has a
people bringing glory and honor to him.
These people are the light of the world by
letting the light of Bible truth shine
through them to the ends of the earth.
They are engaged in right works by wor
shiping Jehovah in spirit and truth, by
remaining blameless and innocent in this
crooked and twisted generation, by letting
others know of the way to life. This group
of God-fearing people are represented in
the New World society of Jehovahs wit
nesses. Of them a modem writer had this
to say:
As witnesses under divine constraint to
make known the imminence of the end of
the age and the coming of the Theocracy,
they seek by every conceivable means to
get their message to the people. One need
never be surprised at any new method they
may evolve. . . . Jehovahs Witnesses have

D ecem ber

1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER.

literally covered the earth with their wit

nessing. Then after giving a report on
the great quantity of literature distributed
the writer continues: It may truly be said
that no single religious group in the world
displayed more zeal and persistence in the
attempt to spread the good news of the
Kingdom than the Jehovahs Witnesses.
. . . No modem Christians make a more
constant use of scripture, or memorize it
in greater quantities than the Witnesses.
To argue successfully with them on scrip
tural grounds, one must know his scrip
tures better than most members of even
the fundamentalist churches do today.
Charles Samuel Braden, These Also Be
lieve, 1950, pages 370, 380.
It is very true Jehovahs witnesses do
know and talk the Bible. They must know
their Bibles if they are to bring glory to
God. With Bible knowledge they are over
turning strongly entrenched things, over-

711

turning reasonings and every lofty thing

raised up against the knowledge of God,
and with it they are bringing every thought
into captivity to make it obedient to the
Christ. 2 Cor. 10:4, 5, NW.
Nothing earthly is capable of influenc
ing the human mind to such an extent as
the spoken word, said Edwin G. Lawrence.
Therefore, it stands to reason that edu
cated speech is the grandest weapon pos
sessed by man. And the purpose of speech
is to convey thought from one mind to
another, and, in a broader sense, to influ
ence the person addressed.
That is precisely the purpose of Chris
tianity. With its right, hopeful speech it
will influence some toward righteousness
and life. To share knowledge of God and
his kingdom with men of good will is the
highest and most noble cause for living at
this time. May you share in this happiest
reason for living.

m
(_yke QJou QMe-stakved?
^ Alm ost all the world is. Some people never
wake up to this fact. Some do. In Scotland's
national newspaper, the Daily Record, for
September 17, 1955, Robert McMahon, in the
weekly feature A Faith for Saturday," asks
the question: W h y has the Book closed?"
He answers: A minister in Perth complains
bitterly that other ministers know as little
about church business procedure as they do
about the Bible. He throws out the second
part of his charge with the confidence of a
man who knows he cannot be contradicted.
And how right he no doubt is. A t the same
time as (a) the Church has grown progressive
ly weaker, (b) the Bible has become less and
less read in Scotland. And it occurs to me
that (a) may be more the consequence of
(b) than the other w ay about.
^ I can speak with authority on this, for I

must count m yself among the great Bible-less

multitude, in the sense that I find m yself
sear and yellow with hardly any grasp of the
Book's contents and to tell the truth, I've
only recently recognized the fact. . . . But
if ministers are themselves in alm ost as great
ignorance of the Bible as the rest, who is
going to lead the blind? . . . I look at the
titles of the books in the second half of the
Old Testament and realize that I've never
read more than snippets. And, of course, a
difficult New Testament book like Revelation
is best left alone ministers do that all right.
. . . W e are Bible-starved.
^ Jesus called the religious leaders of his
day blind guides." The Son of God then drew
the only logical conclusion: If, then, a blind
man guides a blind man, both will fall into
a pit." Matt. 15:14, NW .

with her to the meetings, and brothers who

visited the home were always ready to give
us a drilling on our knowledge of the fun
damental doctrines. How pleased I was
when I could give correct answers about
the fall, the ransom, the resurrection and
other Bible truths. Then, too, there was
the great day when I was first able to re
peat the names of all the books of the
Bible in their correct order without look
ing at the index. Looking back now I am
indeed grateful for that training as a child,
As toldby George R. Phillips
for it played a big part in helping me make
WAS bom in Glasgow, Scotland. My decisions in harmony with Gods Word
parents were good Presbyterians, my later in life.
father serving as a Sunday-school teacher The high lights in those days were the
for some years. In 1902, when I was four, visits to Glasgow of the Societys first pres
my father came to a knowledge of the ident, Pastor C. T. Russell. Always the citys
truth. The seed fell on good ground and biggest hall was engaged and the entire
he quickly became an active and zealous city of nearly one million population was
publisher. All his relatives, friends, busi notified of the meeting. By far the greater
ness associates and everyone with whom proportion of the people in Glasgow live
he came in contact were informed about in tenement buildings (apartments, three
The Divine Plan of the Ages and the won or four stories high, without elevators).
derful millennium soon to be ushered in. I spent many evenings and weekends
He became an appointed servant in the climbing up and down those stairs. I cer
Glasgow congregation, but his earthly tainly had all the exercise required to keep
me fit. And what a thrill it was to see the
ministry ended in the fall of 1904.
During the years my father enjoyed and hall crowded to the door, with people be
served the truth he did his best to train ing turned away, to hear the vast audience
join together in All hail, and, above all,
his children according to Gods Word.
to listen to the clear and logical presenta
Young as I was at the time I can still re
tion of the Bible message from Jehovahs
call the early-morning instruction from the servant on the platform. What a marvel
Scriptures. Late in 1902, or early in 1903, ous favor, I thought, to have a knowledge
I had my first experience of field service. of the truth, and to have a little share in
My father used to take me with him on making it known to others!
Sunday mornings to hand out Old Theology
Quarterly, the tracts used in those days.
SERVICE DURING THE YOUTHFUL YEARS
I used to wonder why it was necessary to
In July, 1912, at the age of fourteen, I
go out when the snow was on the ground, symbolized my dedication by water immer
or when it was raining, but was assured sion. Neither my mother nor anyone else
that the tracts would bring joy and com tried to force me to take that step, nor
fort to those in the right heart condition. did they try to discourage me or counsel
My mother continued the training work me to wait till I was older. I was glad of
that my father had begun. We were taken that. My mind was fully made up. I under-

712

D ecember 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER,

stood clearly that it was the priv

began
ilege of the creature to serve the
P IO N E ERIN G
Creator and Life-giver; that it was
the very least one could do to show
gratitude for all of lifes blessings and
the wonderful hope of life eternal set
forth in the Scriptures. And what a
privilege it was to know and under
stand these things while I was yet
young and thus be able to pursue my
purpose in life, to remember and to
serve the Creator in the days of my
youth with the best of my health and
energies, rather than to wait until I
had only the fag end of my life to offer.
I
was still at school then, and had
many opportunities of telling my
schoolmates about the end of the
world in 1914 and the new rule that
would begin when the Gentile Times
ended. At the same time, acting in
harmony with the counsel in the So
cietys literature, the friendships I
formed were all within the organiza
tion. Invitations to spend weekends
or go on holidays with schoolmates
were always politely declined. I found
true happiness in association with
other young people of like mind,
whether engaged in field service, at
the meetings or when we took recrea
tion together. How grateful I am to
day for that good counsel and that I
acted in harmony with it! How many
children of parents in the truth have
drifted right into the world as a re
sult of taking an opposite course!
Came the fall of 1913. One more
year to go and then the church would
finish its course and be taken to heav
en! But there seemed to be so much
still to be done. Surely it would be a
good thing, I reasoned, to spend at
least one year in the pioneer work,
spreading the message of the King
dom before the end of the Gentile

1914

713

Times and Armageddon. So early

in January, 1914, just after I had
turned sixteen, I left school and
entered the pioneer work. My teach
ers thought I had taken leave of my
senses when I told them what I was
going to do, but nothing they could
say made me alter my decision. How
Jehovah blessed that decision!
A.D. 1914! What a year it was for
me! After serving just a few months
as a regular pioneer and having a
share in the All of Scotland Class
(C o n g re g a tio n ) E x te n sio n Cam
paign, which had as its objective giv
ing the witness in all parts of Scot
land and establishing new congrega
tions following a series of public meet
ings, I was invited by the British
branch office to engage in follow-up
work after a series of public lectures
delivered throughout the British Isles
that summer by Brother Rutherford.
Up to that time I had never placed
more than one bound book at a time
in a placement. This invitation in
volved offering the entire set of six
volumes of Studies in the Scriptures
plus a years subscription for The
Watchtower. What was the London
office thinking about? How could I,
a boy of sixteen, with only a few
months experience in the pioneer
work, ever hope to do such a work?
But after a little reflection I realized
the invitation had come from the Lord
through his organization. Here am
I; send me, was the answer. My pio
neer partner, about one and a half
years older than myself, and I had
appointments in England, Scotland
and Wales and we had a wonderful
time. The sets went out and the
subs came in! Brother Ruther
ford was in his prime and his public
talks were so well delivered that on

714

SEeWATCHTOWER,

many occasions when we called on the peo

ple and made the offer for $2.50 they would
exclaim: Why, the talk itself was worth
that! The rest was easy. Did I have any
regrets that I had taken up pioneer work
instead of going to a university or enter
ing secular employment? Whatever the
Lord had in store for us in heaven must be
mighty good if the joy was going to sur
pass that which we were even then experi
encing in His service!
In August, 1914, we were doing this
follow-up work at Barrow-in-Furness in
northwest England when the news came
that war (World War I) had broken out.
That news made my spine tingle. This sure
ly was the beginning of the great time of
trouble a confirmation of what we had
been preaching for years. I thought of my
schoolmates and how some of them had
snickered when I had spoken to them about
the trouble that would break out in the
fall of 1914. What would they be thinking
now?
TRIALS OF THE WAR YEARS

War or no war my partner and I kept on

with our pioneering and had assignments
in Scotland and Ireland, operating in con
nection with the showing of the PhotoDrama of Creation advertising the mo
tion picture, helping to put it over and then
following up the interest. At the conclu
sion of each exhibition of the Drama two
public talks were given: Pastor Russells
Teachings Examined and Christs Sec
ond Coming. Names were handed in and
we followed through with the sets of
Studies in the Scriptures. The PhotoDrama drew full houses wherever it was
shown and we had many really joyful ex
periences. It was easy to make friends with
the people. Seldom, if ever, was there an
adverse criticism of the Drama and many
in those days came into the organization
after seeing it.

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

Toward the end of 1916 the pastoral

work was introducedthe loaning of The
Divine Plan of the Ages without contribu
tion, for a period of two weeks to those
willing to read it, particularly in the poorer
districts. Then return calls were made
with a view to effecting placements and in
creasing interest. This was really the be
ginning of what we know today as the
back-call work. I had a share in this work
too and enjoyed the taste of systematically
feeding the truth-hungry, many of whom
were really appreciative of our efforts to
help them.
In the summer of 1916 Britain passed its
military conscription act. A good deal of
discussion went on in the Glasgow congre
gation as to what was the correct Scrip
tural course to take. Some thought there
was nothing wrong in joining a noncom
batant unit; others thought it would be
O.K. to go into a munition factory and
make shells and so escape military service.
They argued that Gods judgments were
now being expressed against the nations
and that if one prayed to God to direct
the shells to accomplish his will such a
one would be co-operating with the Al
mighty and so could have a clear con
science. This course had the added attrac
tion to young men of making big money.
A third group firmly believed that the
Scriptures permitted no compromise on
this issue. I was in this last group. All in
groups one and two left the organization
within the next few years.
A year later, having meantime become
of military age, I was appearing before
local and appeal tribunals, giving a reason
for the hope within me. But although I
had been reared in the truth and my con
victions, rooted in the Scriptures, had al
ready been held for years before the out
break of war, I was informed by the ap
peal tribunal that I was not old enough
to have mature opinions about anything.

D ecem ber

1, 1956

fFEeWATCHTOWER.

In other words, I was old enough to fight

but not old enough to know whether it
was right or wrong to fight.
The law of God and the law of man were
in conflict. Whom should I obey? Should I
continue pursuing my purpose in life? I
followed the apostles example as set forth
at Acts 5:29. Soon I was arrested and sen
tenced by military court-martial to under
go imprisonment for one year with hard
labor. While awaiting trial I had many op
portunities to witness to boys who were
about to leave for the front-line trenches
in France. Almost without exception they
expressed the hope that what I had told
them was true, and then they would en
courage me to stick it. The first fourteen
days of my sentence were spent in solitary
confinement. A copy of the prison Bible
was the only literature permitted. Had I
taken the correct course of action? As I
read through the Scriptures I had no doubt
in my mind. Furthermore, many passages
with which I had previously been familiar
took on a fuller and deeper significance.
Now I could really understand and appre
ciate and enter more fully into the experi
ences of Jehovahs servants in former
times, many of whom were thrown in
prison for their faith in and adherence to
Gods Word.
Toward the end of 1917, while I was
serving my sentence, there was a food
shortage in the country, owing to the Ger
man submarine campaign then in full
swing. Prison rations were very meager.
I felt the pangs of hunger. At night I could
hear some of the other prisoners beating
their cell doors with their bare fists as
they lost their reason. Germanys Zeppelins
came over London frequently and dropped
their bombs. There was the continual bark
ing of antiaircraft guns while the raid was
in progress. Although these frequent air
raids brought death and destruction, yet

715

at the same time they gave me my only

opportunities of telling my fellow prison
ers about the Kingdom. On these occasions
three or four prisoners were always bun
dled into the same cell on the ground floor
and, while the raid lasted, good use was
made of the time to tell them of the good
things contained in Gods Word.
In September or October, 1917, news was
brought into prison by a new arrival that
The Finished Mystery had come out and
the church would be taken away in the
spring of 1918. Would I be counted worthy?
the folks back home in Glasgow? the
brothers everywhere? And just how would
I be taken away?
Before I completed my sentence I was
released and sent by the authorities to a
work camp, a chemical manure factory,
where I had to work ten hours a day with
pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. Every week
end I cycled seventy miles, in all kinds of
weather, to attend meetings and have asso
ciation with the brothers. I worked in that
camp for a year. At 11 a.m. on Novem
ber 11,1918,1 was still at this factory and,
as I helped with the aid of a shovel to
empty a freight car of coal, the sirens
announced the end of World War I. What
now? I hadnt gone to heaven in April. Was
there more work to be done on earth?
RELEASE, THEN SERVICE IN GLASGOW

The end of the war did not bring imme

diate release from governmental restric
tions. For the next year I was obliged to
work in a shipbuilding yard turning out
concrete ships, thirty miles from Glasgow.
Here, with overtime, it was an eighty-hour
week. But each Sunday found me in Glas
gow sharing in activities of the congrega
tion there. In September 1919 I was finally
released.
For the next four and a half years I had
many privileges of service with the Glas
gow congregation. The service work, as we

716

STkWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

know it today, got under way. Glasgow to go onto the platform, Brother Ruther
was divided into four districts. It was my ford said to me: You heard me make that
privilege to have supervision of one of announcement last night about sending a
these districts and to help the congrega brother to South Africa. Would you like to
tion publishers in that area to get down to go with him? Here am I; send me, was
regular and systematic field service. We the response. Think it over carefully and
had some wonderful times handling such let me know in the afternoon, was his re
ply. When
I confirmed my decision that
TheFinished
Mystery,
instruments as
Golden A ge No. 27 and later the booklet afternoon, among other things he said:
Millions Now Living Will Never Die! and George, it may be for a year, or it may
The Harp of God. It was certainly grand to be for a little longer. He had still great
have a small part too in caring for such faith that the princes would be back the
duties as literature servant, accounts serv following year, and that big changes would
ant and to serve on the congregation com quickly take place.
mittee.
There was no Gilead in those days and
The Glasgow congregation grew until we did not have the advantage of the won
there were upward of 1,200, with some derful training that missionaries now re
fifty scheduled meetings each week. Also, ceive before going to a foreign assignment.
there were weekend opportunities to serve True, we had our school of the prophets
smaller congregations in other parts of in Glasgow, where we got some training in
Scotland. For those who responded to the public speaking, but we had none of the
clarion call to Advertise the King and the wonderful courses such as are now given
Kingdom these were busy days, happy at Gilead. I was given two weeks to pack
days.
my bag and contemplate seriously for the
The high lights in these years were the first time how Abraham must have felt
visits of the Societys second president, and when he left his own land to go to a land
we always received a great stimulus from he knew not of.
the conventions held on those occasions.
AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN BRANCH
But these were years of testing too, and
A few weeks later I was in South Africa.
Glasgow was no exception to the general
rule. There were those who served the What a change from Scotland and earlier
Lord and those who served him not, and assignments in the British Isles! Condi
others who wanted things done in their tions were altogether different and every
own way. And so when the great shaking thing connected with the work was so
came (it hit Glasgow in 1922) many went much smaller. At that time there were
out from us because they were not of us. only six in the full-time service and not
Those who remained were strengthened by more than about forty doing a little service
these experiences and became more firmly work. Our territory embraced everything
knit together for the work still to be done. from the Cape to Kenya. How was it going
In May, 1924, during one of Brother to be covered and an effective witness
Rutherfords visits to Glasgow, he an given in one year? Why worry about that?
nounced at the assembly then in progress The thing to do was to get going, use the
that he was sending a brother from the instruments at hand, and leave the results
British branch office to South Africa to to Jehovah.
serve as branch servant. The following
One of these instruments was a small
morning, as we sat in an anteroom waiting hand-fed platen printing press, which came

D ecem ber

1, 1956

31kW AT CHTOW ER.

to hand from the Brooklyn office a few

weeks after our arrival. Fortunately there
was a brother in Cape Town at that time
who was a printer. Under his guidance we
served a five years apprenticeship in about
five months working, after our normal
days work was over, for three hours near
ly every evening in the week and on Satur
day afternoons. We discovered what it
means to watch your
and
and just
how unappetizing a printers pie can be.
Soon the little platen was turning out thou
sands of handbills for the public meetings,
tracts, stationery and service forms.
South Africa is a complex country with
many different races and languages. It was
a real joy getting to know these different
peoples, their manner of life, customs, etc.,
and then to make the necessary arrange
ments for literature in their respective lan
guages. The literature has been translated
and printed in South Africa in fifteen dif
ferent languages for use in this part of the
field. Getting the work organized in such
a vast field and laying the necessary foun
dations on which to build were no easy
tasks, especially with so few in the full-time
service. The very smallness of things was
a test and proved too much for my co
laborer, who left his assignment toward
the end of 1927, after being in the country
three and a half years. I battled on, pursu
ing my purpose in life, feeling sure that if
I stuck to the job Jehovahs blessing would
be with us and that he would give the in
crease in due course.
And so during the years of the great de
pression we carried on with our public
meeting campaigns and made good use of
the Rainbow Series (the jr volumes ).
The portable transcription machines (we
had some good laughs over the portable
nature of these as two brothers would stag
ger up the steps of a platform nearly col
lapsing under the weight of one) and their
long-playing records did a work, and we

717

had some really big days. I can recollect

putting over an hour speech, such as Gov
ernment and Peace, eight times in one
day in different parts of Cape Town. Pio
neers in sound cars traveled the country
and Judge Rutherfords name became as
well known as the prime ministers. Many
listened with appreciation, but, on the
whole, the majority of people told us they
didnt like canned speeches and would
prefer to listen to a speaker whom they
could see.
The phonographs with the short intro
ductory sermons enabled us to get into
many homes and paved the way for place
ments and back-calls. I certainly had many
interesting experiences in that feature of
the work and really enjoyed it. Eventually
the phonograph became so well known that
when we went to the doors it was not re
quired that we announce who we were.
The Kingdom booklet campaign is one
that remains ever green in my mind, when,
for the first time in many cases, we sought
interviews with the rulers and other prom
inent people to place the message of the
Kingdom in their hands and announce to
all and sundry our new name Jehovahs
witnesses. In the early thirties we were
able to fix up several contracts with the
African Broadcasting Corporation, and the
putting over of recorded talks each month
from their stations at Johannesburg, Cape
Town and Durban gave a wide witness to
the truth. These talks were remembered
for years afterward by many who heard
them.
COURT BATTLES AND WORLD WAR

Meanwhile the work was steadily grow

ing and the Africans, as well as the Euro
peans, were taking a hold on the message.
This was not to the liking of some. An
effort was made in the Rhodesias to put
a spoke in our wheel by having our litera
ture declared seditious. Court battles fol
lowed in the Rhodesias and in the Union,

718

WATCHTOWER

with victory for the Society, the courts

putting on record that our literature is
not seditious. It surely was a privilege to
help attorneys and advocates prepare for
these cases and, in court itself, to find the
relevant scriptures for them to read when
presenting our defense.
The year 1938 was a memorable one, for
in that year the organization became fully
theocratic and the instructions we received
then and applied accelerated increase in a
most remarkable way. Even with the ad
vent of World War II, and the restrictions
that followed, the work went ahead with
leaps and bounds.
During World War II there were more
court battles and again there was the priv
ilege of defending Kingdom interests and
the fight to keep the door open. The strug
gle lasted for the greater part of the war
but more than a year before the war ended
we had the satisfaction of seeing the lifting
of the ban that had been imposed on the im
portation of our literature. In the years
1941 to 1944, while the ban was on, we
had many exciting experiences and the
most marvelous evidences of Jehovahs
loving care for and protection over his
people. We never missed a single issue of
food convenient the Watchtower maga
zine. Many a time only one copy of an issue
would get through. Sometimes it was a
subscriber in one of the Rhodesias or in
Portuguese East Africa or on a lonely
farm in South Africa or a visitor from a
boat touching at Cape Town that would
supply what was needed, and we would all
enjoy our food at the proper time.
The provisions enjoyed at the assemblies
in the United States of America in those
years also found their way to us and gave
us strength and courage to keep right on
with the work. The efforts of our brothers
at Brooklyn to keep us supplied meant
much to us in those days and were greatly
appreciated.

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.

TO AMERICA AND GILEAD AND BACK

Came the end of World War II and an

invitation to attend the assembly at Cleve
land in 1946. Ever since I was a boy at
school and first read Convention Reports
I had entertained the hope that one day
I might have the privilege of attending one
of the big conventions in America. Gilead
had been operating for three years. I was
now over the normal age limit and yet how
I longed to have the training there! If only
I could have had it twenty-five years
earlier! The eighth or first international
class was to begin following the assembly
and to my great joy Brother Knorr gave
his consent for me to attend. The five and
a half months at Gilead will always remain
in my memory as one of the most blessed
and joyful experiences in my life. Brother
Knorr told me before going there: You
will get training and experience there that
you could get in no other way. I found
that to be true, and I am indeed grateful
to Jehovah for that wonderful provision
He has made for full-time ministers in
these last days of the old system of things,
so that the testimony concerning his name
and kingdom may be given more effec
tively.
What would my assignment be? Those
of us in the eighth class were given three
choices. My first choice was South Africa;
so was my second, and my third! Yes, I
had learned to love the assignment given
me by the Lords organization in 1924,
which was to be for a year or a little
longer. It turned out to be for a little
longer, but after nearly twenty-three
years on the job I was not only willing but
very desirous of going back for just as
much longer as Jehovah willed.
On my return from Gilead I was better
equipped to care for my former assign
ment as branch servant of the South Afri
can branch. Working two months at the

December 1, 1956

f&eWATCHTOWER.

Societys headquarters at Brooklyn and

then going to Gilead gave me a keener ap
preciation and better feel of the organiza
tion than I had ever enjoyed before. In the
nine years that have followed I have had
many opportunities of using the informa
tion and applying the counsel and training
that I received in that wonderful school of
highest learning. We have had two visits
from Brothers Knorr and Henschel. These
were memorable and joyous occasions. The
work in this part of the earth, as else
where, benefited much by the arrange
ments made by them for expansion. The
general tempo of the work has increased.
What a contrast in the streamlined condi
tion of the organization today as compared
with what it was fifty years ago! How much
more can be done in a shorter period of
time and so much more effectively! Now,
with the training program in full swing
and The New World Society in Action
film giving all who see it a greater appre
ciation of the theocratic organization at
work, many are being helped to add their
praise to the Creators name. What joy it
brings to be living at this time and to see the
great crowd streaming into the New World
society. What a privilege to be able to give
ones whole time and energies to magnify
ing Jehovahs name. One glorious experi
ence follows another. It is grand to have
plenty to do and always a little waiting for
tomorrow. From the handful interested in
the Kingdom message in this part of Africa
in 1924 the work has grown until today
there are now, in the original assignment,
four branches and upward of 63,000 pub
lishers. Jehovah has certainly given the
increase.

719

Could I turn the clock back forty-two

years and find myself at school again,
would I still make the pioneer work my
choice? Surely there is far, far stronger
reason to say yes today. Do you know
of anyone who has made a profession or
a trade ones career whose life has been
even one half as interesting as mine or that
of any other member of the New World
society who gets into the full-time service
on leaving school, puts his back into the
pioneer work, qualifies for Gilead, accepts
his missionary assignment wherever it
may be and then, pursuing his purpose in
life, sticks to his assignment? Be honest
with yourself when you answer. Down
through the years Jehovahs loving pro
vision for all my needs, his protection,
guidance and blessing have ever been abun
dantly manifest. I have learned that god
liness with contentment is great gain and
that if one would remain in the secret
place of the Most High one must stick
close to his organization and work hard at
doing his work in his way. The service of
the truth has kept me young in heart and
mind, and today, past fifty-eight, through
Jehovahs undeserved kindness, I can still
put in a good days work and keep up with
those less than half my age.
This very brief account of my fifty-four
years in Jehovahs active service would
not be complete without reference to my
dear wife, Stella. For twenty-six years,
since 1930, she has been a true help
meet, loyally co-operating in all the expe
riences we have shared together. She too
profited much by her Gilead training. Our
one desire now is to continue right on in
full-time service and to bless Jehovahs
name forever and ever.

Exalting Jehovah's Worship Above the Mountains

HERE was a time when Jehovahs
worship centered at Solomons tem
ple on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. That ma
terial temple, with its costly decorations of
gold and fine needle work, occupied an ex
alted position, more than 2,400 feet above
the Mediterranean Sea. It was therefore
high above the temples of pagan capitals.
Solomons temple or house of Jehovah
pictured the spiritual temple of Christs
followers begun at Pentecost. Today this
temple is represented by a small number, a
mere remnant, of Christian witnesses of
Jehovah who are taking the lead in the
pure worship of Jehovah. Fulfillment of
Bible prophecy shows that Jehovah God
and his Messenger of the covenant, Jesus
Christ, came to this remnant for judgment
in 1918. At that time a cleansing and re
fining work began, and as a result these
have since been worshiping in the apostolic
way, as in olden days and ancient years, to
the pleasing of Jehovah God. Mai. 3:1-4.*
The facts also show that since then the
prophecy is being fulfilled that the moun
tain of Jehovahs house shall be established
on the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills; and all nations
shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall
go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to
the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of
the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of
his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.
Isa. 2:2, 3,
AS.
How has Jehovahs worship been exalted
above the mountains or governments of
this old world? First of all, by Jehovah
himself putting his name upon his people
and sending them forth as his witnesses.
And, secondly, by their giving exclusive
devotion to Jehovah, by specializing upon

For details, see The Watchtower, November 15, 1955.

720

his pure worship as being of first impor

tance. Actually, no government has a right
to interfere with Jehovahs pure worship.
Still at times they do, and when this is the
case the witnesses of Jehovah remain firm
and insist on giving back first Gods
things to God. (Matt. 22:21, NW) They
refuse to quit preaching the good news of
the Kingdom, neither will they compro
mise in any way whatever.
Their faithfulness to Jehovahs worship
has exalted it before all nations. While
patriotic worldlings resent Jehovahs serv
ants putting his worship above all worldly
governments, allegiances and other reli
gions, Gods servants know that they must
follow the apostolic example and obey
God as ruler rather than men. (Acts 5:29,
NW) A great crowd of men of good will,
seeing this example of pure worship, have
come to Jehovahs mountain or house of
worship, they being the other sheep
mentioned at John 10:16 by Jesus. Both
of these classes now put Jehovahs worship
topmost in their lives, letting it dominate
even over all the mountainlike systems of
Satans world. Learning of Jehovahs ways
and paths, they no longer learn war any
more.Isa. 2:4, AS.
Exalting Jehovahs worship above the
mountains requires that we diligently
study Gods Word, regularly associate with
other worshipers of Jehovah, follow Chris
tian principles of conduct and, in spite of
all opposition, carry out the Christian com
mission to preach. Strong faith will make
us free from the fear of man and unselfish
love will make us zealous for pure worship.
There is no greater privilege nor more re
warding service extended to humans today
than to share in exalting Jehovahs wor
ship above the mountainlike governments
of this world.

J EHOVA

system similar to
that of which our
earth is a part.
At one time it
was thought all
stars were the
same distance

GOD OF

f rom the

MY FATHER HAS KEPT WORKING UNTIL

ANO I KEEP
WORKING." J
N:17.
H
O
5

is the
Producer of
universe. By
of Jehovah were
made, and all
the host of them by the
breath of his mouth. (Ps.
33:6, AS) Can we doubt?
Like Abraham of old, you too
scan now the heavens; count
the stars if you can. Jehovah
made all the billions of them. (Ps.
147:2-4, AS) Yes, when one views the
splendor of the heavens it is as though the
Creator had drawn across unmeasurable
space a gigantic curtain decked with bril
liant sparkling jewels. We cannot but be
impressed with the majesty, the creative
skill, the productive ability of the One who
is our Maker. The psalmist too was im
pressed, for he wrote: O Jehovah my God,
thou art very great; thou art clothed with
honor and majesty: . . . who stretchest out
the heavens like a curtain;. . . who laid the
foundations of the earth, that it should not
be moved for ever. Ps. 104:1, 2, 5, AS.
2
So vast is Jehovahs creation that
staggers the imagination to comprehend.
At night countless heavenly objects that,
to the unaided eye, appear as jewels are
stars like our sun, some larger, some small
er. Each may be the center of a planetary
1. By what do we know Jehovah to be the supreme
Producer of the universe?
2, 3. (a) What are some facts about the universe and
our great galaxy that heighten our appreciation of
Jehovahs creative ability? (b) To whom can we liken
him?

earth, but
now astrono
mers show
that space ex
tends on and
on; and with
power fu l tele
scopes distant
regions of the uni
verse are brought
into viewwhole
hosts of formerly un
known stars. What to
mans naked eye may appear
to be a single star, through a telescope is
seen to be a cluster of stars or galaxy. In
fact, so vast is the universe that astrono
mers have come to refer to these galaxies
as island universes. Mans most powerful
telescope has brought within his visions
range literally billions of galaxies.
3
Some local facts may further sharpen
your appreciation. We live in a huge island
universe of billions of stars. Most of it
we cannot see because of great dust clouds
in space, but now it is known to be of
wheellike shape, with spokes or spirals
gyrating out from a hublike center. All of
itit that we see men call the Milky Way
one of the spirals, made up of millions
of stars with our sun among them. Many
though the stars may be, there is plenty
of room; for our nearest star-neighbor is
said to be twenty-five trillion miles away.
Space distances are so great they are
measured in light years. The distance light
travels in a year (or six trillion miles) is
the unit. Using this measure we gain some

721

722

SEeWATCHTOWER.

Brooklyn, N . Y .

idea of the size of our home galaxy, for it tion of intelligent persons. Jehovahs mas
takes light from a star located on the outer terpiece was his first creation, a spirit
rim a hundred thousand years to reach the person like himself with his attributes of
outer rim on the other side; no small dis justice, love, power and wisdom. Of him
tance. Yet such a tremendous creative it is written: Jehovah possessed me in the
work is dwarfed by the fact that, to other beginning of his way, before his works of
galaxies, billions of light years distant, it old.. . . Before the earth was___ When he
all appears as a single star. Little wonder established the heavens, I was there.
that Jehovah inspired his prophet Isaiah (Prov. 8:22-27, AS) Jehovah made that
to write: To whom, then, would you mighty spirit his spokesman; he became
liken me, that I should be equal, says the the Word {Log'os) of God. (John 1:1, 2,
NW) Also, he became Jehovahs co-worker
Holy One. Isa. 40:25,
in
the production of all creative work that
* In the heavens we see a work of perfec
followed.
By means of him all other things
tion with order and harmony. Reflecting
were
created
in the heavens and upon the
the stately majesty of their Creator, the
earth,
the
things
visible and the things in
heavens are telling the glory of God, and
visible.
(Col.
1:16,
NWIn time h
the sky shows forth the work of his hands.
ed
a
host
of
spirit
persons,
angels;
also
a
(Ps. 19:1, AT) There men see no conflict,
vast
array
of
stars
beautifully
adorning
no creative work getting out of place, all
moving on and on according to the course the heavens all brought forth according
set by Jehovah. Men of science think the to the divine production program. These
universe is expanding. The Scriptures say two, Jehovah and his Son, always have
that God continues to work, to do good. seen and are now seeing in harmony. Their
(John 5:17, iVW) Dare we set limits to relationship always was and now is one of
Jehovahs range of activity, his power, his joy and productivity. Then I was by him,
productive ability? Behold, God is great, as a master workman; and I was daily his
and we know him not; the number of his delight, rejoicing always before him.
AS.
years is unsearchable. (Job 36:26, AS) Prov. 8:30,
6
In his production program not only has
If we find his creation awe-inspiring, more
so should God himself be to us, for the Jehovah provided quantity; he has always
Creator is greater than any or all of his had quality as well. In fact, perfection
creations. Lift up your eyes on high, and marks all that our Creator ever does. With
see! who created these? He who brought him nothing has to be done over. There
are no seconds or rejects. When he cre
forth their host by number, and called
ates, the result is a finished product upon
them all by name; through the greatness
which no improvement can be made. As
of his might, and the strength of his power, for The [true] God, perfect is his way.
not one is missing. (Isa. 40:26, AT) Yes, (2 Sam. 22:31, NW) Of Jehovah Moses
the so-called inanimate creation is in mo was inspired to write: The Rock, perfect
tion, a symphony in the skies, a product is his activity, for all his ways are justice.
of the great Jehovah.
A God of faithfulness, with whom there is
5
Be that creation billions of years old,no injustice; righteous and upright is he.
as some claim, it did not precede the crea- (Deut. 32:4, NW) Truly, there is no one
like Jehovah our God.
4. How does the inanimate creation reflect the glory
of its Creator?
5. (a) What was Gods first creation? (b) What was
the relationship this one held with Jehovah thereafter?

6. In Jehovahs creation what is even more outstanding

than quantity?

D ecember 1, 1956

MeWATCHTOWER.

723

EARTH
rect creation. Vegetation from within itself
7 Some scientists say our earth was began to reproduce its own species and be
formed six and a half billion years ago. come much. In the succeeding day-periods
Though possible, that still is just their other creations appeared, living souls:
guess; for respecting this the Scriptures first, those to live in the waters, next, fly
merely state: In the beginning God cre ing creatures for the air, then animals
ated the heavens and the earth. (Gen. to occupy land areas. These creatures could
1:1,
NW)For us now the date is imma
breathe, see, eat, move about and, from
terial. What should interest us today is within themselves, reproduce their kind.
earths role in Jehovahs great production As the sixth day drew to a close about
program, for he never wastes effort nor forty-two thousand years of creative work
creates in vain. Both this fact and his pur found the earth luxuriantly robed in vege
pose in making our earth are summed up tation, teeming with animal life. With it
at Isaiah 45:18 ( A S ) : For thus saith Je all Jehovah was well pleased. He said it
hovah that created the heavens, the God was good.
that formed the earth and made it, that
9
Complete as this might seem, God was
established it and created it not a waste not through producing on earth. Thus far
[in vain,
m
in,] that formed it to be inthe earthly creatures were of low intelli
rg
a
habited: I am Jehovah; and there is none gence. Jehovah held in store a real sur
else. To be inhabited then by material prise for his angelic hosts in heaven, who
creations, living ones, the earth could be were no doubt watching with interest the
used to further his productive purposes. developments on earth. To his Word or
Genesis chapter one unfolds this to us.
spokesman God spoke, saying: Let us
8 Here Jehovah tells of earths prepara make man in our image, according to our
tion, a process covering thousands of years likeness. (Gen. 1:26, NW) This meant
with the time divided into days, periods producing intelligent creatures, endowed
that the Bible shows to be of seven thou with Gods attributes to think, reason,
sand years each. The first two of these make decisions and express love for the
days dealt with allowing sunlight to shine Creator by serving, honoring and praising
on the earth and an atmosphere to be pro him. Created male and female, they were
duced under its water canopy. Water cov capable of reproducing their own kind.
ered earths face, but on the third day the This became their responsibility through a
water divided as land pushed its way up procreation mandate: Be fruitful and be
ward. Further, on this third day something come many and fill the earth and subdue
new occurred: And God went on to say: it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea
Let the earth cause grass to shoot forth, and the flying creatures of the heavens and
vegetation bearing seed, fruit trees yield every living creature that is creeping upon
ing fruit according to their kinds, the seed the earth. (Gen. 1:28, NW) Note that in
of which is in it, upon the earth. (Gen. addition to multiplying his own kind, mans
earthly home he was instructed to make
1:11,
NW) Note here the power of repro
beautiful and keep so, and he was to hold
duction, the first known evidence of pro
right supervision over all creatures lower
ductivity, save that resulting through dithan himself fish, birds, animals. Thus
7. What is Jehovahs purpose in producing the earth,
and where particularly is this revealed to us?
8. From the third to the sixth creative day what crea
tures did God bring forth on earth, and what ability
did these have in common?

9. (a) Why were angelic observers of earths happenings

not disappointed as Jehovah reached the height of earth
ly creation? (b) How were the two finally created en
dowed and greatly privileged?

B r o o k l y n , N . Y.
SEeWATCHTOWER
man would have a threefold part in Gods will be shown on the originally announced
date even though during the remaining
purpose for the earth.
time
stepped-up activity is necessary. On
10 Earths role in Jehovahs productive
a
far
grander scale it is that way with
program now could be seen. In time it must
Jehovah.
Troubles brought on by the allsupport an abundance of sea, air and land
time
greatest
angelic disrupter, Satan,
creatures and be peopled with perfect hu
have
afflicted
mankind
for six sevenths of
mans, who would maintain it forever in
the
time
Jehovah
allotted
for his procrea
parklike beauty. The seventh creative day
tion
mandate
to
be
carried
out by humans
God reserved for this to be done in full,
and
for
their
transforming
the
whole earth
as he himself rested or desisted from his
into
a
garden.
But
do
not
shortsightedly
work respecting the earth. At that days
end, seven thousand years later, the earth think such interruption will continue end
will be finished, a perfect jewel in the lessly. Corrective measures Jehovah has
heavens, reflecting the creative skill of in store will mean, for the remaining thou
sand years (now just ahead of us), in
Jehovah.
creased activity. His purpose will be ac
complished; nothing can cause its failure.
DISRUPTERS END FORETOLD
11By now, some six thousand years since He has set the date; production will be
mans creation, Jehovahs productive pro finished on time. Isa. 14:27; 60:22; Dan.
AS.
gram would be nearing completion except 2:21,
1
8
The
temporary disruption that Satan
for the fact that labor troubles set in at
caused
when
he induced Adam and Eve to
the start. One of Jehovahs angels, the first
abandon
God
resulted in Jehovahs purpos
rebel, sabotaged the work, set in motion a
ing
and
applying
countermeasures. He be
counterfeit program and induced the first
gan
by
making
the
prophecy recorded at
human pair, Adam and Eve, to abandon
Genesis
3:15
(NW).
Here he promised a
Jehovah and instead follow him. Higher

seed
that
would
bruise
Satan in death.
wages was his promise to them. (Gen. 3:
1-7, NW) Those wages actually were low, By means of Gods woman or wifely organ
not high, and paid death to Adam and Eve. ization (Isa. 54:5; Gal. 4:26-31; Rev. 12:
Death has been the result to all their off 1, 2, NW) this seed would be produced,
spring to this day, and now many humans who would crush Satan to death, wipe out
ignorantly label God a failure. Rom. 5: the effects of the Edenic rebellion, then
once again set in motion Jehovahs pro
12, NW.
ductive
program and direct it to successful
12 But Jehovah is no failure. Never has
completion.
Rom. 16:20, NW.
disaster been near for him. (Isa. 55:11,
1
4
Foreshadowing
this, Jehovah caused
AS) For example, on earth when labor
a
living
drama
to
be
enacted involving
troubles disrupt the assembly line of a
Noah
and
his
family.
Those
eight souls
modem auto plant it does not mean pro
alone survived the earth-wide flood when
duction will be indefinitely curtailed and
destruction by water came to all the un
the new model car fail to appear on time.
godly. Those eight, on descending from the
The troubles are overcome; the new car ark onto a cleansed earth, offered sacri

724

10. At this stage how might one have known the purpose
earth was to play in the universal production program?
11. What took place at the outset that sabotaged the
productive effort, and with what result?
12. 13. (a) Why are we sure Jehovah is no failure?
(b) At that time what countermeasure did Jehovah
purpose ?

fices of thanksgiving to Jehovah. He, in

turn, told them that they and the surviv14. Later, by means of a prophetic drama, how did
Jehovah show that he had not changed his original
purpose?

D ecem ber

1, 1956

SlkWATCHTOWER

725

ing animals with them should multiply and hovah out of all earths nations. (Isa. 54:
Christ
fill the earth. And God went on to bless 1-13; Gal. 3:26-29; 4:1-31,
Noah and his sons and to say to them: Be Jesus in his own Revelation identifies the
fruitful and become many and fill the number to be associated with him, namely,
earth. (Gen. 8:15; 9:1,
Since this 144,000. (Rev. 7:4; 14:1, NW) This chosen
procreation mandate to Noahs family was seed is the kingdom of Jehovahs new
pictorial, for its completion in reality man world, under which surviving peoples of all
must await the thousand-year reign of the nations will bless themselves ; for it is this
promised seed. Gal. 3:29; Rev. 1:5, 6; kingdom seed that will direct all pro
ductive effort in the new earth. Producing
14:1-5,
NW.
15
Promises respecting this seed Jehoof this kingdom seed has become the most
vah made to faithful Abraham. Imagine glorious part of all Jehovahs production,
Abrahams joy when he heard Jehovah a new creation. 2 Cor. 5:17, NW.
by his faithful angel say: I shall surely
THE PRODUCTIVE WITNESS
bless you and I shall surely multiply your
1
6
Never
has there been a man on earth
seed like the stars of the heavens and like
like
Jesus,
the
chief One of the promised
the grains of sand that are on the sea

seed.
John,
another
of Christs apostles,
shore, and your seed will take possession
identifies
Jesus
as
the
Word of God, Jeho
of the gate of his enemies. And by means
vahs
very
first
creation,
his only-begotten
of your seed all nations of the earth will
Son.
At
Jehovahs
request
Jesus had con
certainly bless themselves due to the fact
sented
to
become
a
man
upon
earth. So
that you have listened to my voice. (Gen.
the
Word
became
flesh
and
resided
among
22:17, 18, NW) In this prophetic drama
us,
and
we
had
a
view
of
his
glory,
a
glory
Abraham pictured Jehovah, and his wife
Sarah pictured Jehovahs organization, such as belongs to an only-begotten son
through which he accomplishes production. from a father, and he was full of unde
Though childless, aging Sarah was assured served kindness and truth. (John 1:14,
by Jehovahs angel that she would have a NW) For unknown ages the Word (Log'os)
child. In time this became so. Sarah gave had been working in full harmony with his
birth to Isaac, who pictured the seed of Father, Jehovah; and now, after becoming
promise. From Eden Jehovahs organiza the man Jesus, he continued thus to work.
tion had been barren of earthly offspring His was a productive life, productive of
to the time of Abraham, yes, and even be Kingdom fruitage, for the whole of his
yond in all, some four millenniums. earthly ministry was devoted to witnessing
Eleven hundred years after Abraham was about his Father and his Fathers kingdom.
given Jehovahs promise Isaiah prophet (John 17:4, 6-10; Luke 4:43, NW) It was
ically wrote of the time when this barren Gods will that he do so, and he delighted
Luke
condition would end in great productivity to do Jehovahs will. (Ps. 40:8,
amid rejoicing and thanksgiving. Later, 22:42, NW) Also, Jesus had a keen sense
Christs apostle Paul identified the fulfill for quality. What he did he did perfectly,
ment of the age-old promises and prophe for he was a perfect man. On earth his was
cies by pointing to the seed as being the most outstanding example of love, com
Jesus, together with others chosen by Je- passion and patience. At the same time he
was a bold, fearless proclaimer of Jeho15. (a) How were Abraham and his family used to pic
ture the producing of the seed ? (b) What is the
seed, and what part will it have in Jehovahs pro
duction program?

16. (a) Compare Jesus productive life before and after

his coming to earth, (b) How was Jesus profound ap
preciation for quality shown?

726

SEeWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N . Y .

FAITHFUL PRODUCER
vahs truth. He spoke with sincerity and
conviction like none before him. Of him it
18 Jesus short ministry, just three and a
was said: Never has another man spoken half years, was most productive. First in
like this. (John 7:46; 10:31-39,
He importance, he maintained his integrity,
understood people perfectly; he could read thus proving himself worthy to be the one
their hearts and minds. Therefore, the ones to vindicate his Fathers name by crushing
he chose to be his close companions and Satan to death. Next, he gave his life as a
fellow workers were those of right heart, purchase price for obedient humans. Note:
men he could train and did train to be pro Just as the Son of man came, not to be
ductive witnesses like himself. For qual ministered to, but to minister and to give
itys sake he did not choose many, only the his soul a ransom in exchange for many.
best. Jesus was humble. He always gave (Matt. 20:28, NW) In short, he did all that
Jehovah credit for all good things. (Mark Jehovah had outlined for him. In his prayer
10:18,
NW ) Concerning the good follow
to his Father he included: I have glorified
ers he had he said in prayer to his Father: you on the earth, having finished the work
I have made your name manifest to the you have given me to do. (John 17:4,
men you gave me out of the world . . . NW) In his ministry Jesus set a good ex
and I have kept them. John 17:6-19, NW. ample for his carefully chosen followers.
17
Had Jesus wanted quantity irrespecAdditionally, he spent much time teaching
tive of quality, gathering his disciples them about Jehovah, also about himself
would have been simple. Why, he could and about the Kingdom and about work
have had the whole nation of Jews at his they would need to do after he returned to
feet; yes, more than thatthe whole his Father. They hung on his every word,
world, with peoples of all nations recogniz but failed to understand clearly. Jesus fore
ing him as their sovereign. All he had to knew this. So he told them that after his
do was to submit himself to another pro departure his Father would send to them a
duction manager. That other manager, comforter, the holy spirit, to teach them
Satan, tried to persuade Jesus to do that, additional things and also bring to their
shortly after Jesus had dedicated himself remembrance the things he had told them.
to do his Fathers will, just prior to start (John 14:26, NW) When finally departing,
ing his ministry. Here is the report of he told them theirs must be a productive
what took place: Again the Devil took ministry. Go therefore and make disciples
him along to an unusually high mountain, of people of all the nations, baptizing them
and showed him all the kingdoms of the in the name of the Father and of the Son
world and their glory, and he said to him: and of the holy spirit, teaching them to
All these things I will give you if you fall observe all the things I have commanded
down and do an act of worship to me.
you. Matt. 28:18-20,
(Matt. 4:8, 9, NW) This was no temptation
19That Jesus witnessing was productive
to the Son of God. Had not Eve first, then
we
have but to look at what his followers
Adam, listened to similar proposals by the
did
early in the Christian era. They would
same invisible rascal? What did they gain?
need
Gods spirit and, faithful to his word,
Jesus knew only too well. No, his delight
Jesus
sent the holy spirit to them while
had been to work with his Creator, and
now his determination was to continue 18. (a) In what respect was Jesus witnessing produc
tive? (b) What did his parting words to his disciples
producing in that course.
bring to their attention?
17. What other course was opened to Jesus, by whom,
and how did he act?

19. How was Jesus productivity reflected in his disci

ples activity?

D ecem ber

1, 1956

5IieWAT CHTOWER

727

they were assembled together ten days prisoned, rejoiced because they had been
after his ascension to heaven. As the spirit counted worthy to be dishonored in be
of Jehovah fell upon them these began to half of his name. And every day in the tem
glorify and praise God in many languages ple and from house to house they continued
that the holy spirit enabled them to speak without letup teaching and declaring the
on that occasion. Also then present at good news about the Christ, Jesus. (Acts
Jerusalem were people of many national 5:17, 40-42, NW) Growth continued de
ities, and they heard God glorified by the spite persecution. After three and a half
spirit-baptized disciples in their native years of this preaching among the Jews in
tongues. The visiting crowds wondered Palestine the opportunity was extended by
greatly. Then Christs apostle Peter force Jehovah to people of all other nations to
fully testified, publicly, concerning Jesus become Christian ministers and to share in
and his messiahship, after which many be the productive witnessing. (Acts 10:44-48,
lieved and were baptized. The report of NW) The nucleus Jesus had formed with
the time says: On that day about three the twelve apostles quickly grew in the
thousand souls were added [to the Chris first century, spreading to far-flung reach
tian congregation]. (Acts 2:41,
) es of the Roman Empire and beyond. Jesus
These then began to study and train with had set a good example of productive wit
the apostles for a productive ministry, nessing. His apostles and disciples followed
which their dedication called for. And that example to the glory of God and their
they continued devoting themselves to the own eternal salvation. 1 Tim. 4:11-16;
teaching of the apostles and to association 2 Tim. 4:1-5, NW.
together, to taking of meals and to prayers.
21
After the death of Christs apostles
. . . At the same time Jehovah continued that productive witnessing all but died out.
to join to them daily those being saved.
(Acts 20:29-35; 2 Pet. 2:1-3, NW) But
(Acts 2:42-47, NW) Soon afterward five did that mean its total end? No; rather
thousand men alone were in the ministry. the words of Jesus, the writings of his
What a group of ministers to begin produc apostles and disciples, as well as the Goding in just the land of Palestine! Acts given prophecies written by faithful men
before them, all testify to a period of
4:4, NW.
20
Such prosperity as a result of producproductive witnessing on a global scale,
yet future from their time. (Rev. 14:6, 7,
tive witnessing must soon draw the fire of
NW ; Isa. 52:7, 8; Ezek. 9:3, 4, 11; Dan.
Satan, and it did. Persecution set in. Sa
12:3, AS) Jesus had said that at the end
tans aim was stoppage of the work. In
of the system of things ruled by Satan the
rapid succession came threats, imprison
good news of Jehovahs established king
ment, beatings, and then the dramatic
dom must be preached world-wide; and
death of a faithful disciple, Stephen. Such
that over the Kingdom issue the people of
persecution caused a scattering of the
all nations must become divided, separated,
Christian ministers but no curtailing of
as sheep and goats. (Matt. 24:14; 25:31their preaching. However, those who had
46; Mark 13:9-13, NW ) Further, these
been scattered went through the land de
sheep, gathered out of all nations and
claring the good news of the word. (Acts
tribes and peoples and tongues, must be8:4, NW) The apostles, beaten and im20. What twofold result came of these early days of
witnessing by Jesus apostles and disciples?

21. According to Bible prophecy, when would produc

tive witnessing attain earth-wide scope, and with what
result ?

728

fffkWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn,

N. Y.

come a great crowd, which no man can now these things and more are actually
number; yes, the little one will become a taking place. Ours is the indescribable priv
thousand, all amid boundless spiritual ilege of engaging in productive witnessing
prosperity. (Rev. 7:9,
Isa. 60:22; to the praise of the great God Jehovah,
the then
chieffuture
Producer of all. Psalm 149;
66:14; Mic. 5:2-9,
ASThat
time has now arrived, in our day. For us Isaiah 12, AS.

O PLEASE Jehovah today his

witnesses must be productive, even as
were his witnesses of old. To his disciples
Jesus, the perfect Example, said: If any
one wants to come after me, let him dis
own himself and pick up his torture stake
and follow me continually. (Matt. 16:24,
NW) Jesus apostle Peter did that; hence
he was able to write: In fact, to this
course you were called, because even
Christ suffered for you, leaving you a
model for you to follow his steps closely.
(1 Pet. 2:21, NW) Not only do we have
Jesus as a model but now he is invisibly
present, directing the work of productive
1. Why is it right and proper for Jehovahs witnesses to
be productive today?

witnessing. Therefore those

who are witnesses today
must show good results in
the ministry. John 4:36;
1 Cor. 3:8; Gal. 6:9,10,
-The fact that A.
the permanent kingdom of
Jehovah was established
with Christ Jesus on its
heavenly thr one is
good news indeed. This
good news carries with
it the factor of produc
tivity, for those who
hear are privileged and
obligated to pass on
what they hear to oth
ers. Notice how this
is stated at Revelations last
chapter: The spirit and the
bride keep on saying, Come! And let
anyone hearing say, Come! And let
anyone thirsting come; let anyone that
wishes take lifes water free. Rev. 22:17,
NW.
3Jesus likened our day to harvesttime,
when there is much work to be done but
not much time in which to do it. He said:
Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers
are few. Therefore, beg the Master of the
harvest to send out workers into his
harvest. (Matt. 9:37, 38,
Today Je
hovah, the Master of the harvest, has an
swered this prayer of his anointed wit
nesses, the ones commissioned by him to
2. Why may it be said that the good news carries
with it the factor of productivity?
3. What petition did Jesus say his followers should
make, and what has been the result?

D ecember 1, 1956

SfreWATCHTOWER-

729

preach the good news of his kingdom, by by Jesus with these words: The one whom
sending more than six hundred thousand people put in charge of much, they will de
workers earth-wide to aid in the ingather mand more than usual of him. (Luke
ing of those in the world who are of good 12:48, NW) The truth brings with it great
will toward God. In spite of this vast num responsibility, which, if we are to be faith
ber, the harvest still is great and help is ful and get life, must be performed in a
urgently needed. Shall we continue to peti right manner. Jesus said: I am the true
tion Jehovah to send more? Yes, for Jeho vine, and my Father is the cultivator.
vah has blessed the productive efforts of Every branch in me not bearing fruit he
his witnesses. That is how the number has takes away, and every one bearing fruit
risen to this amazing figure. That has been he cleans, that it may bear more fruit.
Jehovahs answer in the past. So it will (John 15:1, 2, A W ) As the Vine, Christ
Jesus directs the production of fruit to
be in the future.
* Jesus also referred to it as bearing Jehovahs praise, but the branches bear
fruit, Kingdom fruit. This is especially so the fruit. According to Jesus words, the
now, the establishing of the Kingdom in branches must bring forth Kingdom fruit
our day already having taken place. Like age, or else be pruned off as useless. Jeho
seed, said Jesus, the Kingdom message vah cleans and prunes his vinelike organi
when sown on good soil sprouts, matures zation for the producing of Kingdom fruit.
and produces fruit. As for that on the If we appreciate the illustration we shall
right soil, these are the ones that, after work for a productive ministry.
hearing the word with a right and good
8 Jehovahs great universal organization
heart, retain it and bear fruit with endur is a productive one, as all creation abun
ance. (Luke 8:15,
NIt dantly
is Jehovahs
testifies. Through his universal pro
law that fruit be borne after its kind; duction manager, Christ Jesus, Jehovah
therefore we should bear the same fruit has fashioned his earthly organization for
that is sown in us, namely, the fruit of the production too. It is a smooth-running
Kingdom, its message. (Gen. 1:11,
organization, earth-wide in scope, well
Jesus climaxed the counsel about being equipped, efficient, manned by hundreds of
fruitful when he said to his disciples: My thousands of willing workers. In it you will
Father is glorified in this, that you keep find none picketing, no sit-down strikers,
bearing much fruit. (John 15:8, NW) no labor trouble of any kind; for all have
Note he said much fruit. This forcefully an interest here. Love fills the heart of
draws to our attention that Jehovah re each one. Every one shows love for the
quires us to be productive witnesses, ac employer, Jehovah, love for the overseer,
complishing much through preaching, lo Christ Jesus; so peace prevails and all
cating persons of good will, feeding them unitedly get on with the production effort.
and bringing them to maturity so that
7
In this theocratic organization there
they likewise will see their privilege of
are key practices that contribute most to
bearing Kingdom fruit. Titus 3 :8 ; Heb. production; also there are supporting and
13:15, NW.
connecting activities that make for an
5 We have been given much in the way efficient, well organized way of work. For
of Kingdom truths and privileges of giving
How may productive witnessing today be illustrated,
them out to others. The rule was laid down 6.
and is the relationship among the witnesses a desirable
4, 5. In what other way did Jesus refer to the witness
today, and how did it show productivity?

one?
7. What are some essentials to full production within
the New World society?

730

Brooklyn, N . Y .
SfieWATCHTOWER
instance, workers have been furnished the truth, which was freely given to them
many study helps and divine instructions through Jehovahs undeserved kindness,
generously given. These they diligently they humbly labor on. Defining this right
study and apply. At the Kingdom Hall way of working, both Jeremiah and Paul
weekly meetings provide opportunities for wrote: He that boasts, let him boast in
2 Cor. 10:17,
workers to assemble together to gain Jehovah. (Jer. 9:24,
strength through association with those of NW) Remaining humble, giving praise to
like faith. (Heb. 10:24, 25, NW) Here, too, Jehovah and unitedly magnifying him be
they see service demonstrations and re fore others, the skillful workers prosper.
;Ps. 34:1-3; Jer. 17:7,
W
N
ceive counsel on preaching. Here, also, the John 4:36,
AS.
joyful workers attend theocratic ministry 8,
school, each learning to express the mes
WAY OF WORK
sage effectively. These sill are essential to
9To be efficient, productive ministers in
full production within the New World
door-to-door preaching members of the
society.
8
But the core of it all they do keep inNew World society realize the need for
mind: Their responsibility to communicate clear presentation. Three years ago the
the Kingdom message is the important Society introduced the three- to eightthing. Each producer is merely the vessel minute Bible sermon. The sermon stresses
containing the seeds of truth. Unitedly the an appropriate theme showing Gods pres
workers are used by the great Sower, ent purpose, by means of a few selected
Christ Jesus, to scatter the seeds. As in scriptures. Carefully reading aloud from
dividuals the workers are relatively unim the Bible each of those texts enables the
portant. Each one always keeps this in persons visited to see that a true minister
mind, seeking always to magnify the truth of Gods good news is backing up what he
and its great Giver, Jehovah. (1 Pet. 4:10, says with Gods Word. Sometimes an
earnest worker
11; Rev. 7:9, 10,
NW) Concluding
one of feels that nothing he says
will
gain
attentive interest in a particular
his simple illustrations, to his eager co
communitythat
the people have a deepworkers Jesus pointedly said: So you, also,
seated
prejudice
about
being visited on
when you have done all these things as
Bible
matters
because
they
are very reli
signed to you, say, We are good-for-noth
ing slaves. What we have done is what we gious. In part, this may probably be true,
ought to have done. (Luke 17:10, NW) but does the announcer of Jehovahs king
True, each faithful preachers contact with dom give up, saying: Nothing works
good-will persons is important. He will be here ? No. Does he patiently, tactfully keep
diligent to revisit the home of the inter on presenting a lively, interesting threeested, to water the seed of truth until it to eight-minute sermon? Yes, he opens his
sprouts; then after that he continues to Bible, or invites the householder to bring
cultivate the planting, that growth, prog out his own. Then, reading aloud scrip
ress to maturity, may result. Even so, the tures to support his description of the
zealous workers still are good-for-nothing established Kingdom, he stirs in the listen
slaves. To their Master, Jehovah, they can er a deeper respect for the Bible. Gently
bring nothing but love, praise and service. he helps the listener to replace false ideas
So having nothing to boast of, save having with accurate knowledge, so he can begin
8. What attitude should all servants of Jehovah have,
and how may one rightly boast?

9. What good results may be expected from use of the

Bible in a three- to eight-minute sermon?

1956

731
^eWATCHTOWEFL
to understand the minister as a true friend. opportunity to destroy it? For years in the
10 Do these friendly ministers find it past that often was the way many worked
difficult to know what to say in their short who felt that placing the message in peo
sermon? No, for they constantly exchange ples hands was sufficient. Increase came
helpful suggestions. First, they try one of slowly during those years. But recently the
the short sermons printed in their monthly Society has reminded all field workers that,
Kingdom Ministry. Those are excellent according to Scriptural counsel, they must
field-tested sermons. In fact, the Society not deprive the stranger of his right to
asked its traveling field representatives, learn the truth. (1 Ki. 8:41-43; Prov. 3:27;
NW) Indeed, it is imperati
who had been especially successful in ob John 10:16,
taining subscriptions, to describe the suc that willing listeners be promptly revisited,
cessful presentation they used. Almost all for watering the implanted seed and to
replied that they use those outlined in protect the tender young growth. The pro
Kingdom Ministry. Some, to get started, ductive minister expects fruitage. He per
memorize one of these sermons. Soon such forms his part for that result, knowing it
beginners speak right from the heart with is God who keeps making it grow. 1 Cor.
all the sincerity and conviction the truth 3:6, NW.
produces in one. The Society has urged
TRAINED PRODUCER HELPS BEGINNER
that, for variety, workers have several ser
12
In the theocratic organization this
mons to draw from, to fit the many differ
ent situations. Besides those already out back-calling link is basic. (Acts 15:36, NW)
lined in Kingdom Ministry, the Watchtow- And a strong link it is too. But just how
er and Awake! magazines abound with strong it is depends on how faithfully the
ideas for short, lively three- to eight- individual minister calls back after initial
minute sermons. Additionally, within the literature placements. To provide himself
covers of the book "Make Sure of All with opportunities for back-calls the pro
Things are many useful sermon points ductive minister spends many hours each
and classified Bible texts. Certainly Jeho month in introductory house-to-house serv
vah has abundantly provided constructive ice, using his short sermons. Many zealous
materials for each willing spokesman of his witnesses readily place literature but ex
to use in becoming a productive witness. perience little success in following it up.
11 As productive ministers go from house In your case, the trained producer asks his
to house they place certain literature. It youthful companion worker, Can it be that
may be booklets, magazines, a book or a when you do make a back-call you find it
Bible assuredly something. Each work hard to get to the subject of the truth?
ers number of placements will depend on Sometimes this is so. To illustrate, then,
his diligence and the amount of time he suppose you promise a family of friends
works. Who can say the three- to eight- to come for a picnic. It is agreed you are
minute sermon has not increased his liter to bring the food and they are to furnish
ature placements? But after placing one all the other things. Comes the date; you
or more helpful publications does the dili are on time and you have the food. It is in
gent worker let the implanted seed of truth the basket you brought along. Your friends
sprout of itself? Does he allow Satan the are hungry; they wonder why you do not
take the food out and place it before them.
D ecem ber

1,

10. Where may one find good sermons and source ma

terial for many others?
11. For witnessing to be productive what must follow
the placing of literature explaining the Bible?

12. (a) Why do some workers have less success than

others? (b) How can the trained worker help the be
ginner?

B r o o k l y n , N. Y.
3fteWATCHTOWER.
But you do not, and it stays in the basket. ticed it touched on the subject we discussed
Finally you leave, taking the food with last week, on living forever, remember?
you. How do your friends feel? Empty? Since you told me you would like to live
Beyond a doubt, and disappointed too. You forever I have gathered a few more scrip
have wasted your time and theirs also. You tures on this wonderful Bible truth. They
cannot say you have found joy, nor have will further strengthen your hope in living
they been refreshed. So it is with sharing and not dying. Let me read this one to you.
spiritual food: Why be timid about it?
14 Now the hard part getting started
They know you are a minister; you said so is over, and you are on your way toward a
on your initial call at their home. They very pleasant and productive back-call.
saw you use your Bible and they expect it Bear this in mind: It is very important
again. Yes, you do need proper tools to that we have our back-calls planned in ad
start work, so here is what you should do: vance, know what we are going to talk
13 Create the situation by going prepared about.
to talk further on the subject you dealt
15 Back-calls have a purpose, the eventu
with in your first short sermon, but this al starting of a home Bible study. Here the
time extend it to a ten- to fifteen-minute foundation is laid; then the building on it
talk. Here again the Society has provided begins. Here the newly interested one, a
for the productive minister. To talk at that prospective Kingdom-publisher, is begin
time on the same subject you used at the ning to grow in knowledge and understand
first call it will have been necessary to ing; and thereby he becomes eager to tell
make note of your theme on your house- others the good news. During this time,
to-house record. Also, when you make up be it weeks or months, he is introduced to
your three- to eight-minute sermons it is the organization when coming with you
good to have in mind the future need of to the local service center, the Kingdom
expanding the subject for use on your first Hall, and possibly to a circuit assembly.
back-call; therefore select several more He is encouraged to keep on telling of the
scriptures for that purpose. Knowing def Kingdom to his friends. You supply him
initely what you are to discuss on your re with extra copies of booklets and maga
turn call will enable you to work with con zines. In all this you are keeping in mind
fidence; and then, too, your good-will fam the purpose of your study at that home
ily will be genuinely benefited by your ad the producing of another praiser of Jeho
vance preparation. After you arrive it is vah. To that end he is invited to go with
essential that you get down to considering you in your witnessing from house to
the truth from Gods Word as soon as pos house and on back-calls. As a result your
sible. Only a few words will be necessary prospective companion witness soon is on
to get acquainted again and then you can his own and then he is living proof that you
tell the purpose of your call. Just be hu are a productive witness.
man, with consideration, warmth, friendli
MAGAZINES
ness. The family may have taken a book
1
8
Now
consider
another important fea
let. You can turn the conversation to the
truth somewhat like this: By now you ture in the New World society organizaprobably have read your booklet and no- 15. What has proved to be the most productive feature

732

13, 14. (a) How has the Society again come to our aid
with respect to back-call work? (b) What are some
points to keep in mind when arranging back-call ac
tivity ?

of witnessing, and how may each witness become pro

ductive in it?
16, 17. (a) How do people regard magazines today?
(b) How is this public attitude being taken advantage
of by The Watchtower and Awake!?

ecem ber

1, 1956

WATCHTOWER.

tion. First some questions: When you ap

proach a newsstand, what do you see?
Magazines. At a corner store what strikes
your eye? Magazines! What makes a post
man bend under the weight of his mailbag? M a g a z i n e s . And what do most people
read? MAGAZINES! Truly today's world
is magazine-conscious. But how to make it
Watchtower and Awake! conscious occu
pies the thoughts of Jehovahs servants.
With ever-widening circulation of these
two magazines the witness being given is
becoming immeasurable. That is thinking
ahead.
17 Now look back: In 1939 the first
world-wide Watchtower subscription cam
paign brought immediate increase. Maga
zine production doubled over that of the
previous year, more than 9,000,000 copies
being printed. With that beginning, rapid
increase followed year after year. In 1955
printing of both magazines exceeded
eighty-six and a half million copies. This is
a nineteen-hundred-percent increase over
the production in 1938. Today The Watchtower and Awake! regularly penetrate
millions of homes in many lands. Through
productive witnessing more and more of
earths inhabitants are becoming increas
ingly conscious of these two magazines.
18 But is that enough? Today every
where tension mounts. Perplexity and
anxiety about the future are arousing seri
ous, sober thinking. The Watchtower and
Awake! reliably tell what lies ahead. They
tell how the oncoming tempests fury may
be survived. Therefore unknown millions
of persons of good will can yet become ac
curately aware of the vitally valuable con
tents of these two magazines. Accordingly,
the Society continues to prepare to serve
those millions. At Brooklyn since 1938
factory space has been doubled twice. Two
high-speed magazine presses and other
18. Just how awake is the Society to this field of King
dom advertising, and what can reasonably be expected
of us as individual proclaimers of the good news ?

733

equipment were added. In the summer of

1956 the construction of the Societys new
13-story magazine building was finished.
Soon thereafter came delivery of two more
magazine presses. Also in its plants in
South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden and
West Germany magazine production is ex
panding. Thus the need for more maga
zines is being met in a practical way. At
the same time what are individual produc
tive ministers planning? In 1957 Jehovahs
witnesses will try regularly to reach more
persons of good will with these two maga
zines.
19 In the months ahead, as we confident
ly expect, all announcers of Jehovahs king
dom will become magazine publishers. A
sturdy congregation organization is essen
tial for attaining this goal. Definite times
should be set for magazine distribution on
the street, from store to store and house
to house. Service centers are especially
adapted to magazine work; and here too
the training program will help much, even
as in the regular house-to-house witness
ing. Have you not as yet shared in witness
ing with magazines? There is no time like
the present to start. With another you can
start, finding how effectively you serve.
Thus unitedly we can attain the goal:
Every productive minister a magazine pub
lisher. This naturally will mean expanding
magazine production by your fellow work
ers at the Brooklyn factory and at other
branches of the Society around the earth.
But this added work to those already busy
ones will bring increasing joy. They will
count it a privilege to serve with you for
providing to many needy ones these most
important of all magazines.
20 Generally speaking, Saturday is maga
zine day. For most people it is the busiest
19. To reach the high quota of magazine publishers
what will be necessary?
20. (a) As to magazine witnessing, what suggestion has
been made? (b) How may we find joy in magazine wit
nessing, and what may result from placement of a
single magazine?

734

3HeWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N.

Y.

The way I am directing my blows is so as

not to be striking the air. (1 Cor. 9:26,
NW) A production line yields results only
when work is being done, and so it is with
in the New World society. Service must
never lag. It must be well planned, well
organized, become efficient and be kept
moving on the part of all servants of
Jehovah.
22 In early Christian times Jehovahs
witnesses were productive. They bore
much Kingdom fruit. (Acts 10:44-47;
13:48, 49; 15:30-32; 28:30, 31,
Now
in the last days productive witnessing
has been revived. In 1919, for instance,
there were but a few thousand active in
preaching; but by 1945 the number active
had grown to 141,606 world-wide. This
marvelous growth caused much joy and en
couragement to Jehovahs witnesses in that
year; but observe their joy now, when in
1955 a peak of 642,000 reported service, an
increase of half a million in ten years! Pro
ductive witnessing has borne fruit! Why,
in ten weeks alone during the summer of
1955 series of Triumphant Kingdom assem
blies, thirteen thousand symbolized their
dedication to Jehovah. Obligation is urgent
upon those mature in the organization to
aid beginners to grow to maturity, that
their witnessing likewise may become pro
ductive. Dare we limit the number who
will yet join with us in declaring the good
news? To Jehovah we give thanks for the
increase of workers in this time of har
QUALITY PRODUCTION
vest. To his honor we direct all our pro
21
Not only does productive witnessingductive witnessing and pray for his con
mean much preaching activity, but it must tinual blessing.
be done with an eye for quality as well.
23 Therefore, in view of the productive
(Col. 3:23,
NW) There was a time when
ness of Jehovahs New World society, let
we gave little thought and planning to our
us ask ourselves a few practical questions:
service. But those days are gone. We must
What is our position in Jehovahs commube diligent, using precious time effectively.
(a) In modern times just how productive has wit
In this vein, to the Christians Paul wrote: 22.
nessing become? (b) What obligation is laid on those

day. Through experience of many it ap

pears that a short, to-the-point presenta
tion is best when offering magazines. The
object is to place many copies. They will
do their own talking. The Society sug
gests a half-minute to a minute presenta
tion, a well-worded statement of one point
discussed in the magazine being offered.
Many publishers find store-to-store work
with the magazines attractive. They have
been able to establish regular routes. If
you hesitate to approach store owners or
managers try something like this: No
doubt you are very busy, sir, but I shall
take only a moment of your time. I am
introducing to you the Watchtower and
Awake! magazines. They are for busy peo
ple. They say much in few words. These
two are yours for just ten cents. You will
enjoy them, I am sure. Some are meeting
with very good results in street work by
tactfully engaging passers-by (one at a
time) in conversation, walking along and
offering the two magazines. But most of
those sharing in magazine distribution find
best results in house-to-house work. In
whatever part o f the field you work you
will find joy in witnessing with magazines.
Now a word of caution: Make note of any
special interest on your house-to-house
record and later call back, as the truth
contained in the magazines may be planted
in good soil and with due care may
eventually bear fruit to Jehovahs praise.

21. How do Pauls words at 1 Corinthians 9:26 fit in with

productive witnessing?

who are productive witnesses?

23. What are some questions we must answer affirma
tively to be productive witnesses?

ecem ber

1, 1956

SfceW ATCHTOW ER

nicating organization? What evidence do

vve have to show that we are productive
witnesses? Do we work or just ride along?
Do we set right examples in personal study,
in faithful meeting attendance? Are we
regular in the service from house to house,
on back-calls, in the use of Bible sermons,
in conducting Bible studies and helping
others by supporting the training pro
gram? Do we share in and support all
witnessing campaigns? Good production
means doing all these things. As Jehovah

Isaiah 4 1 :6 reads: They help every one his

neighbor; and every one saith to his brother,
Be of good courage.
(A
this prophecy today? M ay it be used as an ex
ample for encouraging one another in giving
the witness to Jehovahs kingdom by Christ
today? F. F., United States.
Taken out o f its context this Bible verse m ay
seem to be a fine text for Christians to apply to
themselves in helping and encouraging one an
other to co-operate enthusiastically in the King
dom ministry. But in all its history the W atch
Tower Society has never in its bound books,
booklets and magazines applied Isaiah 41:6 in
this way, never, in fact, treating this verse in
detail. W h y not? Because it does not apply to
Jehovahs witnesses.
In verse 1 Jehovah bids the island commu
nities to keep silence before him and the peo
ples to enter into a legal argument with him.
Verse 5 tells that the islands see and fear what
Jehovah is doing and they come together to
oppose the one whom Jehovah raises up from
the east to execute his judgment. It is then they
start helping every one his neighbor and every

735

is productive, so must we be as we work

together in his New World society of
Kingdom-fruit bearers. This must be so if
we desire life in his New World. Jehovahs
most wonderful blessings are in store for
those who are productive witnesses and
every one who knows the truth can wit
ness. All one needs to do is talk to his
neighbor and discuss the Bible. Even all
you readers of The Watchtower can de
clare Jehovahs kingdom as the only hope
for mankind.

one says to his brother to be courageous. That

they help and encourage one another in opposi
tion to Jehovahs executioner is evident from
the next verse (7 ): So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with
the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying
of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth
it with nails, that it should not be moved.
That what should not be moved ? The idol,
the wooden fram e for which the carpenter
Wh o are fulfilling
made. He then encouraged the goldsmith to
plate it all over. The sculptor hammered every
thing out smooth and approved of the soldering.
A fter that the idol image is nailed down to a
flooring or pedestal that it m ay not fall over but
even be carried in a procession.
Verse 7 harks back to the preceding chapter,
verse 19. The fact is, M offatts translation and
An A m erican T ranslation transpose verses 6
and 7 to next to Isaiah 40:19. (See also the foot
note in Knoxs translation.) Thus they help and
encourage one another in a demonic work, ap
pealing to false gods to save them from exe
cution.
Certainly this foretold how faithless world
lings today construct their own idols of power
and appeal to these false gods to save them
from Jehovahs executioner, Jesus Christ, at the
universal war of Armageddon. Jehovahs wit
nesses today have no part in fulfilling Isaiah
41:6. Only by a careless slip, overlooking the
context, have any applied it to Jehovahs wit
nesses erroneously. W e regret this.

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

December 30:
Page 721.

Jehovah,

God

of

Production.

January 6: Productive Witnessing. Page 728.

vV

CHECK YOUR M EM O RY v V
/^

' ''

%%

After reading this issue of The W atchtower", do you remember

^
What facts heighten appreciation of the
Creator s astounding ability? P. 721, H3.

U * Where Bible literature has been banned by

a government that speaks of freedom? P. 707,

113.

Why God created the earth? P. 723, H7.

Why God made man? P. 709, Hi.

What has so weakened modern-day reli
gion? P. 711, H4.
What excellent family example, set over
fifty years ago, is followed today? P. 712, H2.
How many languages literature is pub
lished in at the Watch Tower s South African
branch? P. 717, Hi.

What Abraham and his family pictured?

P. 725, HlS.
^ Why Jehovah s witnesses are so concerned
about using the Bible at the doors? P. 730, H9.
What tremendous increase has occurred
in The Watchtower s circulation since
1938? P. 733, Hi7.

What Solomon s temple pictured? P. 720,

What questions will show whether we are

really productive Christians? P. 734, H23.

H2.

736

YOU ARE MY WITNESSES, SAYS JEHOVAH.-lsa.43:12

T H E PURPOSE O F T H E W A T C H T O W E R
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which
watchmen could observe happenings, w arn o f danger, or announce good
news. O u r magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is
founded on the very pinnacle o f wisdom, God's W o r d . T hat elevates it
above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from
selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advanc*
es as the light on G o d s purposes and works increases. Habakkuk 2 :1 * 3 .
It sees things Scripturally. W h e n it observes this generation afflicted
w ith greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, w ar, famine, pestilence, perplex*
ity and fear, and persecution o f unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the
old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in
these things the sign o f tne worlds time o f the end. But with bright hope it
also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals o f a new world.
Thus viewed, The W atch tow er stands as a watchman atop a tow er,
alert to w hat is going on, awake to note signs o f danger, faithful to point out
the w a y o f escape, it announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christs
enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint*heirs with spiritual food,
cheers men o f good w ill with glorious prospects o f eternal life in a paradise
earth, comforts us w ith the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based
on G od's W o r d . It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention
to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself h ow
w ell the tw o match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his ow n prophecy.
In the interests o f our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible
truth, and views religious news generally.
Be watchful in these perilous times,* G od admonishes. So keep on the
w atch by regularly reading The W atchtow er .

WATCH TOWER
117 Adams Street
N. H. K norr,

BIBLE

President

PUBLISHED BY THE
AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brooklyn 3, N. Y., U. S. A.
G rant S uiter,

Secretary

They will all be taught by Jehovah. John 6 :4 5 ; Isaiah 54:13

CONTENTS

P rin tin g th is issue: 2,800,000

Do You Fear Men or God?

739

W h a t W ould Jesus Say?

740

The Good News of Salvation by H im

744

Telling the Good News from D ay to Day

752

Guard Your Associations!

760

The Rebuttal of Some Nonsense

761

Questions from Readers

762

Only 19 Months A w ay!

763

Do N ot Fail to Call Back!

Scripture Index for Texts Explained, 1956
Subject Index for The Watchtower, 1956

765
765
767

Abbreviations ised in The Watchtower tor the following Bible versions

AS - American Standard Version
L X X - The Septuagint Version
AT - An American Translation
Mo
- James Moffatts version
Da - J. N. Darbys version
NW - New World Translation
Dy - Catholic Douay version
Ro
- J. B. Rotherham s version
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott
RS
- Revised Standard Version
Le - Isaac Leesers version
- Robert Young's version

Yg

Unless otherwise Indicated,

the Bible used is the

King James Version

F ive cen ts a copy

PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES

S e m im o n t h ly
M o n t h ly
Afrikaans
French
Japanese
Armenian
Korean
Burmese
Malayalam
Arabic
German
Norwegian
Cebu-Vlsayan Greek
Slovenian
Chinese
Pangasinan
Cibemba
Polish
Cinyanja
Hollandish Spanish
Danish
Ilocano
Swedish
Cishona
Portuguese
Hiligaynon- Russian
English
Indonesian Tagalog
Visayan
8esotho
Finnish
Italian
Twi
Ibo
Siamese
Kanarese
Silozi

Slovak
Tamil
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu

Yearly subscription rates

Watch Tower Society offices
for semimonthly editions
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
$1
Australia, 11 Beresford Bd., Strathfleld, N.S.W.
8 /Canada, 150 Bridgeland Ave., Park Road P.O., Toronto 10, Ontario
$1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London W. 2
7 /Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston
7 /New Zealand, G.P.0. Box 3 0 , Wellington, C. 1
7 /South Africa, Private Bag, P .0. Elandsfontein, Transvaal
7 /*
Trinidad, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain
$ 1 .7 5
Monthly editions cost half the above rates.
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with
regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted
at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international
money order only. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at
least two Issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent
to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old
as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N.Y.
Printed in U. S. A

- p ^ r m o u r ic ir ic r

J E H O V A H S
KIN G D O M
D e c e m b e r 15, 1956

N u m b e r 24

DO YOU
A N Y persons w orry about what
men will think. If they can do
something wrong without m ens seeing
them they do it. Jehovah God sees it, but
that is not seriously considered. They
worry if men find out, but are indifferent
about God. How tw isted this is! They want
to appear good in the eyes of men, yet are
unconcerned with their appearance in the
eyes of God. Men do not really count; God
does. W h y is it such a human failing to
fear men and forget God?
Perhaps they think God will be more
m erciful and understanding concerning
their weakness and will forgive, whereas
men would not be so lenient. More likely
in such cases it is the thought that if men
do not know they will not suffer punish
ment for their wrong. Ecclesiastes 8 :1 1 -1 3
(A T ) says: Because the sentence upon an
evil deed is not quickly executed, therefore
the minds of the sons of men are fully de
termined to do evil. Even though a sinner
does wrong a hundred tim es and still con
tinues living, yet I know that it shall be

In Jesus day the hypocritical scribes and

Pharisees concentrated on outward ap
pearances to look good to men, but did not
worry over their inward filth that God
saw. Jesus said to th em : You cleanse the
outside of the cup and of the dish, but in
side they are full o f plunder and immoder
ateness. In Ezekiels day the evil-doers
reasoned: Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah
hath forsaken the land. They were the
same a hundred and fifty years earlier, in
Isaiahs tim e: W oe unto them that hide
deep their counsel from Jehovah, and
whose works are in the dark, and that say,
W ho seeth us? and who knoweth u s?
M att. 2 3 :2 5 , N W ; Ezek. 8 :1 2 ; Isa. 2 9 :
15,
AS.
Jehovah sees our deeds, whether good or
bad, and rewards for them in his own tim e.
Hypocrites, while hiding their evil works
from men, trum pet abroad any good they
do to be sure men notice, that they m ay
be glorified by m en. They are having
their reward in fu ll, Jesus said. H e ad
vised his followers to m ake their gifts of
m ercy and to do their religious services
quietly and w ithout fanfare, and then

well with those who fear God, who are in

awe before him ; but it shall not be well
with the wicked, nor shall he prolong his

your Father who is looking on in secrecy

life like a shadow, since he is not awed in

the presence of G od. Men should be more
awed by the thought of Gods seeing their

will repay you. Men who fear men hide

their evil from men but m ake a show of

evil than by the fear of m ens seeing it.

their good deeds to be sure men will ob739

740

SFEeWATCHTOWER.

serve and applaud. M att. 6 :2 -4 , 16-18,

NW.
The fear of man bringeth a snare, but
the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of
knowledge. Som etim es even true Chris
tians, in their fleshly weakness, catch
themselves doing what is wrong because
they are unseen by men and hence free
from censure or punishment by men. If

B rooklyn, N . Y .

we shall not suffer for our acts right now

we sometimes are strongly tem pted to do
them, not always looking into the more
distant future when we shall be account
able to Jehovah for them . God, not m en, is
the one to fear, for that w ill m ark the be
ginning of the knowledge th at will guide
us right and gain us life. Prov. 2 9 :2 5 ;
1 :7 ,
AS.

W hose birthday is

WktwouM
J im

(JMA G IN E , if you will, Jesus walking down the gaily bedecked and
brightly lighted streets of one of Christen
dom s m ajor cities. It is Christm as time.
The town Christm as tree blazes in resplend
ent glory. Santa Clauses seem to be every
where. And so do the shoppers. They are
dashing in droves to department stores to
m ake last-m inute purchases. From loud
speakers blare Christm as carols inter
spersed with blatant com m ercials. Cash
registers add their financially satisfying
song to the din. A M erry Christm as
slides off active tongues. The Christmas
spirit has reached a high pitch. Am id all
the commotion Jesus inquires of a cele
brant about the meaning of all this unusual
bustle.
O h, comes the reply, this is Christ
m as, the greatest birthday party of the
year. B ut, asks Jesus, whose birthday
is it?

acw

? ^

it? A strange ques

tion? N ot really. A
newcomer to Chris
tendom would truly
wonder.

A fter

all,

does the furious ex

change of gifts iden
tify the one in whose honor the celebration
is being held? Do the m illions of dollars of
advertising tell whose birthday is being
celebrated? Do the lavish displays in store
windows, the decorated Christm as trees or
the colored lights strung in the streets tell
whose birthday it is? And Santa Claus,
the great centred figure in m illions of
homes, who symbolizes this celebration as
no other character does, fails to enlighten
the stranger as to whose birthday it is.
N ot strange, then, that Jesus would ask
the celebrant: W hose birthday is it?
Oh, comes the answer, its Decem
ber 25, Christs birthday. Now what would
Jesus say? That not only does the celebra
tion fail to honor the Son of God but the
date is all wrong. Referring to the Bible
record, Jesus could show that he was not
bom in Decem ber at all. How so? Because
the Bible shows he was born on or about
October 1, 2 B .C ., that he came as Messiah
A .D . 29 and was put to death three and a
half years later, or about April 1, A .D . 33.
The account of the seventy weeks proph
ecy at Daniel 9 :2 4 -2 7 and Luke 3 :1 , 23 and
other scriptures testify to this.

D e c e m b e r 15, 1956

3TieWATCHTOW ER

But Jesus could point out still m ore:

that there is a marked contrast in weather
in Palestine between October and Decem
ber. W hen Jesus was bom , the Scriptures
show, the shepherds were out at night:
There were also in that same country
shepherds living out o f doors and keeping
watches in the night over their flocks. And
this is a sign for you: you will find an in
fant bound in cloth bands and lying in a
m anger. (Luke 2 :8 ,1 2 , N W ) Shepherds
would not have their flocks out in the open
fields in Decem ber but they would in Octo
ber. The Decem ber date is all wrong.
TURNED ASIDE TO FALSE STORIES

Now what would Jesus say about Chris

tendoms religions taking part in a hoax
and leading people to believe he was born
on Decem ber 2 5? H e would point to the
prophecy made by one of his apostles:
There will be a period o f tim e when they
will not put up w ith the healthful teach
ing, but, in accord with their own desires,
they will accumulate teachers for them
selves to have their ears tickled, and they
will turn their ears away from the
truth, whereas they will be
turned aside to false sto
ries. 2 Tim . 4 :3 , 4,

NW.
Turned aside to
false stories. And
w hy? It is in accord
with their own desires.
W hat an apt scripture!
Though m any people know
Jesus was not born on Decem
ber 25, they prefer to have the holiday
in accord with their own desires. Yes,
despite the falseness of it, they prefer
it this w ay. N ot only that but, despite the
com m ercialization of the holiday, they still

741

The Am erican Christm as has become

commercialized to an extent that is shock
ing to m any foreigners and that almost
transform s it into a national orgy of senti
mental m aterialism . B ut there also re
mains the fact that it is not m erely the
m anufacturers and advertisers, but the
great part of the Am erican people, who
prefer to have it this w ay.
Like the Israelites who tolerated reli
gious falsehoods and abom inations for
what selfish gain they could derive from
false stories, so are the Christm as cele
brants who not only tolerate but prefer the
hoax of Christs birthday party. So well
m ight Jesus point to the words of Jehovah:
A n awful and appalling thing has hap
pened in the land: the prophets prophesy
by false gods, and the priests m ake profit
through them ; m y people love to have it
so. Jer. 5 :3 0 , 31,
AT.
There is more th at Jesus would say of
December 2 5 : nam ely, that it has a pro
found pagan significance. And history
clearly bears this out. The pagans cele
brated the birthday o f the Persian god
M ithras on Decem ber 25. And on or
about Decem ber 25 another big pagan
c e le b r a tio n took place.
This was the Saturnalia,
held in honor of Saturn, the
god of agriculture. A t this
celebration people paraded
through the streets sing
ing; candles were lit and
placed in the windows of
homes. People exchanged presents and
everyone feasted and visited with friends.
These pagan custom s, historians adm it, are
the real bases for the Decem ber 25 cele
bration.
NO COMMAND TO COMMEMORATE BIRTHDAYS

prefer it this w ay. That is why on New

W hat would Jesus say to those professed

Y ears D ay, 1953, the W ashington Post

Christians who try to ju stify Christm as in

said in its leading editorial:

spite of its false date and pagan back-

742

SEeWATCHTOWER,

B rooklyn, N .Y .

ground? H e would say that he never com

manded it, that his birthday was never
celebrated by any of his apostles or early
disciples, that it was only after the foretold
apostasy that the Christm as celebration
came into existence among professed Chris
tians. This apostasy was foretold by
C hrists apostle, who said that it would re
sult in twisted things. I know that after
m y going away oppressive wolves will enter
in am ong you and will not treat the flock
with tenderness, and from am ong you your
selves men will rise and speak twisted
things. (A cts 2 0 :2 9 , 30,
N ot until
the fourth century did the Christm as cele
bration gain headway among professed
Christians. B y then the apostasy had taken
place, a pagan holiday was clothed in a
Christian name and the Roman Catholic
Church gave the holiday its blessing all
to increase the number o f nominal adher
ents to Christianity.

toiled to no purpose respecting you.

Luke 2 2 :1 9 ,
;Eccl. 7 :8 ,
W
N
4 :9 -1 1 ,
NW.
And what would Jesus say o f all the
prominence given to three wise m en on
Christm as cards and decorations? He
would ask why all the honor is given them ,
for the wise men were astrologers or de
mon worshipers. Gods law em phatically
condemns astrologers. (D eut. 4 :1 9 ; 2 K i.
1 7 :1 6 ; Isa. 4 7 :1 3 , 14) Since the slaying of
the m any young boys was associated with
the trip of the astrologers, it is not logical
that God led them to Jesus. If not God,
then who did? It m ust have been Satan the
Devil, for no light in the sky of natural
origin could direct the astrologers. Satan
used the star to guide the astrologers in
his scheme to locate Jesus for destruction
by Herod.

N ot concerning the celebration of his

birthday did Jesus sa y : Keep doing this in
remembrance of m e. It was said concern
ing the m em orial of his death, an event far
m ore vital to mankind than Jesus birth.
Thus Jesus, commanding his followers to
keep the m em orial of his death instead of
his birth, followed the Scriptural principle:
B etter is the end of a thing than the be
ginning thereof. And so it is that in the
Bible birthdays are celebrated only by
pagans. Pharaohs birthday, mentioned at
Genesis 4 0 :2 0 , and H erods birthday, at
M atthew 1 4 :6 -1 0 , were both blackened by
murderous executions. Christians are not
commanded to observe any holiday: But
now that you have come to know God, or
rather now that you have come to be
known by God, how is it that you are turn
ing back again to the weak and inadequate
elem entary things and want to be slaves to
them over again? You are scrupulously ob
serving days and months and seasons and
years. I fear for you, that somehow I have

W hat would Jesus say of the endless por

trayal of him as an infant? He would say
that he no longer is an infant, so why cause
people to think of him as a babe? Viewing
Jesus only as a babe is dangerous. It di
verts one from the vital fact that he has
been empowered by his Father as K ing and
that he now reigns and will shortly smash
all nations with a rod of iron as he carries
on war in righteousness. Should a worldsmashing King, indeed, the King of kings
and Lord o f lords, be thought of as a
babe? Thus the focusing of the peoples at
tention on Jesus as an infant is a deception,
a deception perpetrated by that m aster D e
ceiver, Satan the D evil. Rev. 1 9 :1 1 -1 6 ,

CHRIST A KING, NOT A BABE

NW.
And what would Jesus say of the Christ
mas celebrants them selves? Does their con
duct honor Christ? In one sweeping state
ment Jesus could answer, quoting the
prophecy concerning the last days in
which there w ill be lovers of pleasures
rather than lovers of G od. Christm as

Gal

D ecem ber

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER.

tim e spawns an overabundance of these.

N ot only that but at Christm as tim e many
celebrants, like the ancient pagans, hurtle
into the sullied seas of overdrinking, over
eating and im m orality. Christs command
ments for a Christian allow no room at any
tim e for turning back to the ways of the
old world, much less at an occasion sup
posedly held to honor Christ. The time
that has passed by is sufficient for you to
have worked out the will of the nations
when you proceeded in deeds of loose con
duct, lusts, excesses with wine, revelries,
drinking m atches, and idolatries. 2 Tim .
3 :1 -4 ; 1 Pet. 4 :3 ,
NW.
Just what would Jesus say of the Christ
mas customs, the use of holly, m istletoe,
Yule logs and Christm as trees? He would
state the candid facts, just as the encyclo
pedias do: that such custom s are not Chris
tian practices but are of heathen origin.
W hat would Jesus say about giving pres
ents? Certainly Jesus would not condemn
giving; he commended it as a source of
happiness. Y et the exchanging of gifts, as
it is done at Christm as, would not receive
Jesus approval, for the giving is patterned
after the exchanging of gifts during the
pagan Saturnalia. A lso, m ost Christm as
giving is done on a reciprocal basis; Christ
said to give to those who cannot repay you.
And the Bible does not, as some think, set
the pattern for gift exchanging. W ho
brought gifts to Jesus? None other than
the demon-worshiping astrologers! Cer
tainly Christians are not to follow their ex
ample. N or need Christians await a pagan
holiday to display a benevolent kindness
that they should practice 365 days a year.

743

way to life and Christm as only m akes them

that much busier. So Jesus would say just
what he did at Luke 1 7 :2 6 , 27 (N W ):
Just as it occurred in the days o f Noah,
so it will be also in the days o f the Son of
m an: they were eating, they were drink
ing, men were m arrying, women were be
ing given in m arriage, until that day when
Noah entered into the ark, and the flood
arrived and destroyed them a ll. N othing
wrong with these pursuits, but the trouble
is people busy them selves so deeply in
them, especially at Christm as tim e, eat
ing, drinking and buying, that they have
no room in their lives for knowledge of
Gods purposes through his Son. And so
ignorance o f the oncoming war of A rm a
geddon and of the incoming new world re
mains widespread.
So what would Christ say o f Christm as?
That Christm as is a religious hoax, a com
m ercial trap, a pagan holiday, a dishonor
to him and a degrading of Christianity. H e
could never approve it; he could never
recognize it as a true Christian practice.
That means that those who celebrate it
come under Christs disapproval. That be
ing the case, w hy celebrate Christm as?
W hy not be free of this colossal commer
cial snare? N o need to celebrate because
other professed Christians do! Indeed,
there is no need to be am ong those teem
ing professed Christians whom , despite
their protests o f doing works in Christs
name, the King refuses to recognize:
M any will say to m e in that day: Mas
ter, M aster, did we not prophesy in your
name, and expel demons in your name, and
perform m any powerful works in your

And w hat would Jesus say of teeming

nam e? And yet then I w ill confess to

celebrants whose excitem ent does not con

ceal their ignorance, their lack of knowl

them : I never knew you at all. G et away

edge of the kingdom that Christ preached

that you never have to get away from

from me, you workers o f lawlessness. So

as the hope o f the w orld? He would say

Christ then, get away from

that the people are too busy to learn the

now. M att. 7 :2 2 , 23,

Christm as

 The GOOD NEWS

* 7w *

dayto day tall

IN C E the year 1914 we human crea

tures have gone through strange
things, things first in their kind,
things m aking news. That year the first
w ar o f truly world proportions broke out.
The sixteen nations and empires that took
part in that war saw the need o f mobilizing
their total populations for a united part in
the global struggle. For the first tim e fight
ing from the heavens by the airplane was
introduced. A s the fight waxed in ferocious
ness chemical gas w arfare was resorted to,
and the boys at the front had to wear the
hideous-looking gas m asks to breathe and
live through the chemical storm . Barrages
the rolling or creeping barrage of ad
vancing cannon fire and the barrage of air
balloons and of m ines at sea became new
features. The first m issile projectiles were
fired from immense German cannons into
Paris, from thirty m iles away. And then
in September, 1916, the first moving iron
clad fortresses, British armored tanks with
caterpillar treads, startled the whole world
as they lumbered sw iftly against the ene
m y over the roughest terrain, like un
earthly m onsters savagely spitting out
gunfire and heartlessly crushing every
thing in their path. Adding to the death
toll came great food shortages and famines,
death-dealing plagues and pestilences, dis
locations of populations, the infuriating of
intense hatreds and the persecution of
1. What strange things did we go through during World
W ar I, and what kind of news has it been for the world
ever since?

SALVATION % HIM"

theyood naufS of iahration by him

small groups faithful to their religious be

lief and principles and the establishm ent
of the first Com munist Bolshevik state.
Ever since then it has been bad news for
this old world.
2
This last statem ent goes without a chal
lenge. Men who were living in and before
1914 know that this world has never been
the same since. W ith reference to this
fact
TheEncyclopedia Americana dis
cusses the world war begun in 1914 and
says: The great conflict, brought to an
end in 1918, changed not only the bounda
ries of nations, but practically every inter
est and character o f human life. It created
a gigantic upheaval among the hitherto
accepted fundamental principles underly
ing government, law, international rela
tions, democracy, freedom, commerce, in
dustry, finance, labor, etc. Over a score of
thrones crumbled and their form er occu
pants sought security in exile. Revalua
tions and restatem ents have become neces-

The Encyclopedia Americana ,

2. As testified to by
has the world never been the same since?

how

D ecember 15, 1956

3freWATCHTOWER.

745

sary in all fields o f endeavor. The conflagra nel for such good news that can succeed
tion in 1918 involved 93 per cent of the in getting it through to us? There is! And
worlds population, the countries classed as through this channel that source releases
neutral had a combined population of only to us the good news o f a salvation from
130,000,000, whereas the countries which all these dreadful conditions and their con
participated in the war had a combined sequences. O f prime importance is the
population of over 1,700,000,000. Truly source of the news. And who or what is
a world war that, and m ankinds first one. that source? It is God! A h , but there are
It was bound to bring irreversible changes so m any, yes, hundreds o f m illions in India
to the world. In spite of the political, com alone, that are called G od. W hich God
mercial and religious efforts to better the among all these is the divine source of the
situation, the change since 1914 has been only good news? W h at is his nam e?
steadily for the worse and lately for the
4 W ere The Watchtower to answer this
worst. There is no need to quote here what vital question on its own authority it m ight
eminent men of this world have said about not carry the greatest w eight among peo
the worsening of the world situation. Read ple outside its three m illion readers. W e
ers of The Watchtower have already read shall therefore call upon a m an to speak
their gloom y statem ents quoted in these in answer, a m an whose name has been
columns or elsewhere.
known round the world for nineteen cen
3
Hum an hearts are sick because of conturies and whose life and m essage have
tinually bad news that keeps pouring in affected countless m ultitudes for everlast
upon them , offering no solid hope for the ing good, Jesus Christ. W e call upon him ,
future, their own future. The increase of and not upon so-called Christendom, to
suicides bears witness to th is; so does the give us the answer.
upsurge in the number o f m ental cases in
5 In the early days o f his preaching the
and outside hospitals, also the mad, wild, message of a kingdom of heaven this
senseless quest for distracting pleasures. Jesus Christ stood up in the Saturday reli
Y et, is there no good news today, not news gious meetinghouse o f his fellow towns
good just for an individual or a fam ily or men, among whom he had spent the m ost
a lim ited group of interested people, but of his thirty years of life till then. In his
news good fo r all m ankind? News that is hands he held the book of the 700-year-old
so im portant that it overshadows all the prophecy of Isaiah, and from it he read
mass of bad news put together? Is there no verses one and two of chapter sixty-one.
source having good news? Is there no chan- This is what he read: Jehovahs spirit is
3. The continually bad quality of world news makes us
ask what vital questions, and how may we answer them?

upon
clare
forth
and a

m e, because he anointed m e to de
good news to the poor, he sent me
to preach a release to the captives
recovery o f sight to the blind, to send

the crushed ones aw ay with a release, to

preach Jehovahs acceptable year. A fter
that Jesus said to his hearers: Today this
scripture that you ju st heard is fulfilled.
4. Upon whom do we call to answer the question about
Gods name? W hy?
5, 6. (a) How did that man answer the question?
(b) How do witnesses of Jehovah on earth get the truly
good news?

746

SEeWATCHTOWEFL

B rooklyn, N . Y.

NW
) A t the
Luke 4 :1 6 -2 1 ,
N W ; see also
Isaiah
6 1 :1end
, of his human life on earth
Jesus stood before the Rom an governor
2,
AS.
9
Thus Jesus said that Jehovah was thePontius Pilate, in his judgm ent hall at
source of the good news and that Jehovah Jerusalem. In answer to P ilates question,
A re you a K in g ? Jesus replied: It is for
anointed Jesus with holy spirit to preach
this good news to poor people, captive peo you to say that I am a king. F or this pur
ple, blind people and crushed people, meek, pose I have been born and for this purpose
brokenhearted and m ourning people. A re I have come into the world, that I should
you one of people like this? In backing up bear witness to the truth. Everyone that is
the preaching that he did Jesus constantly on the side of the truth listens to m y
quoted from the H oly Bible, for the Bible voice. (John 1 8 :3 7 , N W ) Hours later that
is the inspired W ord of Jehovah God. In day Jesus of Nazareth was hanging nailed
that book we find in written form the good to a torture stake, with the title posted
news from Jehovah the God and Father of above his head: Jesus the Nazarene the
Jesus Christ. H ad Jesus turned farther King of the Jews. (John 1 9 :1 9 , N W ) Only
back in the book to Isaiah 4 3 :1 0 ,1 2 , this four days before that Jesus had ridden into
is w hat he would have read: Y e are m y Jerusalem just as the ancient kings o f the
witnesses, saith Jehovah, and m y servant nation o f Israel had done at the tim e of
whom I have chosen; that ye m ay know their coronation, and the jubilant people
and believe m e, and understand that I am who wanted to be independent from Rom e
he: before me there was no God formed, and who wanted a king of the tribe of
neither shall there be after me. . . . there Judah and of the royal fam ily of David
fore ye are m y witnesses, saith Jehovah, broke out into various cries, such a s:
and I am G od. (AS) Jesus him self has Blessed is the One coming as the K ing
told us that he was and is the faithful and in Jehovahs nam e! Peace in heaven, and
true witness of Jehovah God, and it is glory in the heights above! Save, we
only from Jehovah him self that his wit pray! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovahs
nesses on earth get the truly good news. name! Blessed is the com ing kingdom of
They get it from him by going to his Book, our father D avid! Save, we pray, in the
the H oly Bible. This is the only Source- heights above! Save, we pray, the Son
Book of good news. Jehovah God does not of D avid! Blessed is he that comes in Jeho
underwrite or attach his name to any other vahs nam e! Save him , we pray, in the
book or religious w riting on earth. H is true heights above! Luke 1 9 :3 8 ; M ark 1 1 :9 ,
witnesses m ust do as the Chief W itness, 10 and M att. 2 1 :9 ,
NW
Jesus Christ, did: base their message upon
8
Jehovah God answered that prayerful
the H oly Bible, Gods W ord. Rev. 1 :5 ;
shout of the people. He did save his royal
3 :1 4 .
Son Jesus Christ, not from the disgrace
7
Specifically, just what was the goodand cruelty of the torture stake, but from
news that Jesus declared, and could it be the death that he suffered on the stake.
good news for us today? The Bibles his The third day after Jesus death Jehovah
tory of his life tells u s: H e went journey God raised him from the dead and within
ing from city to city and from village to fifty days after that Jehovah seated Jesus
village, preaching and declaring the good at his own right hand in heaven to w ait for
news o f the kingdom of G od. (Luke 8 :1 ,
Gods fixed tim e to set up the Kingdom
and to put all enemies in heaven and earth
7. W hat was the good news that Jesus declared, and
how, therefore, did the people shout during his ride into
Jerusalem?

8.

How did Jehovah answer their prayerful shout?

D ecember 15, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER

under the feet of his Son as K ing. A cts

2 :3 2 -3 6 ,
;N
W
Ps. 1 1 0 :1 , 2.
THE OLD NEWS MADE BETTER

747

10 Looking forward with the vision of an

inspired prophet, Jesus foresaw and fore
told the events o f our generation since
1914. He foretold the first world war with
ofits accompanying fam ines, pestilences and
earthquakes and religious persecution, all
of which together are visible earthly proof
that Gods kingdom has at last come into
power and is ruling toward the earth. Then
Jesus foretold the work o f his followers at
that tim e, which is our tim e. W as their
work to be that o f m ultiplying earths suf
ferings, sorrows and crim es by engaging in
world wars and in persecuting other reli
gious people? N o! Pointing ahead to a jo y
ful, com forting work for his followers,
Jesus said: And [after W orld W ar I]
this good news o f the kingdom w ill be
preached in all the inhabited earth for the
purpose of a witness to all the nations, and
then the accomplished end [o f this system
of things] will com e. (M att. 2 4 :7 -1 4 , N W )
This witness to Gods established kingdom
m ust be given before this war-crippled
system of things ends com pletely in an
Armageddon fight.

9
Nineteen centuries ago that message
the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus and his
followers was the best news ever pro
claimed. It was free news to the poor. It
uplifted the m eek. It bound up the broken
hearts. It gave sight to the religiously
blind. It released the ones crushed with
this worlds oppressions and enslavement,
and it com forted all that mourned because
of bad religious conditions. The passing of
nineteen hundred years has not lessened
the goodness o f that Kingdom m essage; it
is still good news. But the goodness of the
news is enlarged today. W h y ? Because the
long-awaited kingdom of God has been set
up in the hands o f his Son Jesus Christ. It
was set up at Gods throne in the heavens,
where his Son has been sitting nineteen
centuries at his right hand. It was set up
A .D . 1914, the same year that the world
changing first global war began. Jesus told
us to pray for that kingdom of God by his
Christ to extend its power to this earth to
CORONATION PSALM
break up the evil conditions here. He
1
1
The
setting
up of Gods heavenly king
taught us this prayer: Our Father in the
dom
over
this
rebellious
earth is deserving
heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let
of
a
coronation
song,
a
song
to glorify the
your kingdom come. L et your will come to
crowning
of
his
beloved
Son
Jesus Christ
pass, as in heaven, also upon earth. (M att.
as
his
appointed
K
ing
over
all
mankind.
6 :9 ,1 0 ,
N W ) Nineteen centuries ago Jeho
W
hen
Jesus
rode
in
royal
style
into the
vahs witnesses on earth, nam ely, Jesus and
city of Jerusalem in the year 33, the Jew
his followers, boldly declared the good
ish religious rulers at the temple missed
news of the com ing kingdom . Today, since
the opportunity of offering him a crown.
1914, what m ust Jesus true followers, who
They did not recognize him as the prom
are likewise Jehovahs witnesses, do? Do
ised Son of fam ous K ing David, who had
they have any God-given message, any
long ago sat on the throne o f Jehovah
good news, to tell to the people of all the
at Jerusalem. (1 Chron. 2 9 :2 3 , A S ) They
nations, tribes, fam ilies and languages?
were not in the spirit of the joyous crowd
Jesus Christ guaranteed that his followers
who accompanied Jesus into the royal city,
today would have such.
9. How has the goodness of the news been enlarged to
day, and what did Jesus guarantee that his followers
today would have?

10. In what connection did Jesus foretell the work of his

followers today, and how?
11. What does the setting up of God s kingdom deserve,
and why?

S&eWATCHTOWEFL

748

B rooklyn, N. Y.

tons of the usual explosives, although

shouting Save, we pray, the Son of D avid!
12
Ancient K ing David showed the fitnessamong the newest inventions of modern
o f a coronation song at such an event as science, are nothing new about which to
that of Jehovahs assuming power over all sing to Jehovah. Billions of years ago, as
the earth. D avid had the visible sign of the scientists themselves have pointed out,
Gods presence, the golden A rk of the Cove Jehovah God caused thermonuclear explo
nant, brought into the royal city of Jerusa sions of hydrogen to take place within the
lem and put in a tent near his royal palace. sun to supply light and heat to our earth
So D avid composed and sang a coronation
that mankind m ight keep alive on this
song, which reached its grand clim ax in planet. Bombs, long-range ballistic m issiles,
the them e: L et the heavens be glad, let atomic submarines, and other m ilitary in
the earth be joyful, and let them say among ventions and commercial products of twen
the nations, Jehovah him self has become tieth-century science are not the wonder
kin g! (1 Chron. 1 6 :2 3 -3 3 ,
Under ful works that Jehovah has guided and
the guidance of Jehovahs holy spirit King enlightened the scientists to perform , and
D avid adapted that same theme and com about which to sing in praise of him. The
posed a new psalm. This psalm showed that scientists scoff at Jehovah and prefer to
a coronation song m ust be sung on a grand misuse the brains with which he created
scale now in our day following the setting man by serving the vicious enemy of God
up of Gods kingdom and his placing his and man, Satan the D evil.
faithful, resurrected Son on the heavenly
14 N o, these m odem scientific inventions
throne in 1914. In the Book o f Psalms this and developments do not furnish us the
is Psalm 96, and it is known as one of the theme for a new song of gladness. Since
Coronation Psalm s. The great enthrone 1914 the one big, overwhelming thing that
m ent and the glorious coronation have tak supplies the people of Jehovah w ith the
en place in the resplendent courts of heav subject for a new song to his praise is
en, of which fact we have all the needed the birth of his royal government, which
evidence since 1914. So all the things he lays upon the shoulder of his longcommanded in this Coronation Psalm must waiting Son Jesus Christ. Though it was
be carried out. The witnesses of Jehovah
of today, with the eye of faith , are carry
ing out those things. W hat things?
A N E W SONG

18 Sing to Jehovah a new song, sing to

Jehovah, all [you people o f] the earth.
Sing to Jehovah, bless his name. From day
to day tell the good news of salvation by
him . Declare among the nations his glory,
among all the peoples his wonderful works.
(Ps. 9 6 :1 -3 ,
N W ) Hydrogen
the deadly explosive power of millions of
12. How did King David come to compose a coronation
song for us, and why must we sing it now?
13. What things does Psalm 96:1-3 mention, and what
newest inventions of science are not the new things
about which to sing to Jehovah?

promised about six thousand years ago in

mans first earthly home, in the paradise of
Eden, there has till A .D . 1914 been noth
ing in heaven or on earth like this king
dom of God by his promised Seed, Jesus
Christ. (Gen. 3 :1 5 ) N ever before 1914 has
there been a capital organization over the
entire living universe, with Christ as its
Head and with the M ost H igh God Jehovah
dwelling in it and operating through it to
have his will done throughout the universe.
(Phil. 2 :5 -1 1 ) This is indeed something
bombs with
new, som ething gloriously new, and it
means blessing to all men o f good w ill as
well as to holy angels. A realization of this
14. What thing does supply us the subject for a new
song, and why?

D e c e m b e r 15, 1956

SfieWATCHTOWER

moves one to burst out in singing. It calls

for a new song, with a theme entirely new,
entirely different! Jehovah by introducing
his kingdom has made this possible. To
him and in his honor the new song should
be sung.
15 A ll [you people of] the earth are
exhorted to sing to him and bless his name.
That is to say, you whom Jehovah has
made spiritual Israelites in his organiza
tion, to be his witnesses in all the nations.
You were the ones to whom your God first
revealed these truths and whom he first
taught to sing this new song. H e fore
ordained that there should be 144,000 of
you spiritual Israelites to be associated
with Jesus Christ in his heavenly kingdom,
not on earthly M ount Zion, where King
David used to reign, but on the heavenly
Mount Zion or seat of royal rule. For nine
teen centuries Jesus has been in heaven,
there glorified at his Fathers right hand.
But since the establishm ent of the Godruled kingdom the greater part of the
faithful Christian witnesses o f Jehovah,
the spiritual Israelites, has been glorified
with Christ enthroned on M ount Zion.
H ow? B y a resurrection o f them out of
death to life as im m ortal spirit creatures
in heaven, having the divine nature.
Only a small remnant o f the 144,000 heirs
of Gods heavenly kingdom are still on
earth. But all the 144,000, both the rem
nant yet on earth and the triumphant
resurrected Kingdom heirs, are singing to
Jehovahs praise, all co-operating together
visibly and invisibly in m aking known the
wondrous nqw facts of universal history.
The Revelation, in chapter fourteen, verses
1-4, unveils to our vision the m agnificent
sight.
16 There the apostle John, who first saw
the vision, w rites: And I saw, and look! the
15. Who are addressed as all [you people of] the
earth, and what are they doing in fulfillment of the
psalm?
16. What vision was John given of them doing this?

749

Lamb [the once-sacrificed Jesus Christ]

standing upon the m ount Zion, and with
him a hundred and forty-fou r thousand
having his name and the name of his Fa
ther written on their foreheads. And I
heard a sound out of heaven as the sound
of m any waters and as the sound of loud
thunder; and the sound that I heard w as as
of singers who accompany them selves on
the harp playing on their harps. And they
are singing as if a new song before the
throne [of God] and before the four living
creatures and the persons of advanced age;
and no one was able to m aster that song
but the hundred and forty-fou r thousand,
who have been purchased from the earth.
These are the ones that did not defile them
selves with wom en; in fact, they are vir
gins. These are the ones th at keep follow
ing the Lam b [Jesus Christ] no m atter
where he goes. These were purchased from
among mankind as a firstfruits to God and
to the Lam b. 1VW.
17
In obedience to the command of Psalm
9 6 :1 -3 the spiritual rem nant on earth, who
have learned the song, act like a faithful
and discreet slave class and sing forth the
new song. (M att. 2 4 :4 5 -4 7 , N W ) A ll
others on earth who want to join in must
learn this entirely new and different song
from them , because politicians and finan
cial and industrial men o f this world and
even the nom inally Christian clergy of
Christendom do not know the new song
and cannot teach it to anybody. Only Jesus
Christ and his 144,000 joint heirs have
been taught the new song by Jehovah God
and only they can lead in singing it. (Isa.
5 4 :1 3 ; John 6 :4 4 , 45, A S ) They are the
people whom God has for the past nineteen
hundred years been selecting, giving his
attention to the nations to take out of

them a people for his nam e, Jehovah.

(A cts 1 5 :1 4 ,
N W ) For centuries now t
17. From whom must people on earth learn this new
song, and why?

750

STaeWATCHTOWER

different religious system s of Christendom

have had their m issionaries active inside
Christendom and am ong all the nations
outside Christendom, and yet all you in
habitants of the globe know that it has
not been the religious clergy of Christen
dom or of Jewry that has informed you
regarding the name Jehovah or taught you
to bless his name, as Psalm 9 6 :2 (A S ) tells
true Christians to do.
T hirty years ago in the January 1,
1926, issue of the m agazine
Watch
Tower the first and principal article was
entitled W ho W ill Honor Jehovah? Since
that tim e in particular the faithful adher
ents of this magazine have shown their
worthiness of the name o f identification,
Jehovahs witnesses, which name they
jubilantly embraced in 1931. Since 1931 all
the peoples of the earth have known that
it has been the Christian remnant who bear
Jehovahs name that have brought his
name to their attention and shown the
grand reasons for honoring it and blessing
it. The clergy, Catholic, Protestant and
Jewish, however, do not im itate Jesus, who
said to Jehovah G od: I have made your
name m anifest to the men you gave me
out o f the w orld.

Instead, they have

scoffed at Jehovahs witnesses and have

tried in every w ay to prevent them from
bearing witness to Gods holy name. But
all in vain! Jehovahs witnesses have gone
straight ahead in im itation of Jesus Christ.
(John 1 7 :6 , N W ) They have made Jeho
vahs name m anifest, obeying the com
m and: Declare am ong the nations his
glory, am ong all the peoples his wonderful
works. (P s. 9 6 :3 , N W ) Even Communistruled countries have been unable to pre
vent Jehovahs witnesses from obeying this
divine command. Even in those lands they
have songfully spread the glad news that
18. W ho today have brought Jehovahs name to the
world's attention, and particularly since when?

B rooklyn, N .Y .

Jehovahs kingdom by Christ w as put in

operation in the heavens in 1914.
WHERE

HAS THERE BEEN ANY

SALVATION?

19 But if that divine governm ent has been

operating since the opening year of W orld
W ar I, where has there been any salvation
by it? W here has there been any good news
of salvation by Jehovah to tell? W h y are
the nations, even those of Christendom,
nearing the brink o f self-destruction and
trying to save them selves from the un
avoidable consequences o f their growing
divisiveness and o f their misuse of the in
ventions of modern science? W h y has not
Jehovah by his kingdom saved them from
this fear-exciting world condition? The
facts answer that it is because the nations
do not want Jehovahs kingdom by Christ.
Contrary to viewing it as the grandest
blessing that could come to all mankind,
they have no faith in it. In fact, they fear
it as if it would be the w orst thing that
could happen to hum anity. They feel selfconfidently independent of Gods heavenly
kingdom and want to be no part of it and
want no salvation by it. Their rejection
of the Kingdom message of Jehovahs w it
nesses and their persecution and obstruc
tion of these witnesses betray them as antiKingdom. Their world wars and their
League of Nations and their United N a
tions for world domination also prove it.
Consequently there has been no salvation
of them and their affairs go from bad to
worse.
20 But we who have been saved know
that there has been a salvation by him to
tell about from day to day as good news.
W e know that the god of this system of
things is Satan the D evil, Gods most
wicked adversary, and that the whole
world is lying in the power of the wicked
19. W hy has not Gods kingdom saved the nations from
getting into this fear-exciting world condition?
20. How did the heavenly angels experience a salvation
by the Kingdom?

D e c e m b e r 15, 1956

STkWATCHTOWER.

751

one. (1 John 5 :1 9 and 2 Cor. 4 :4 ,

We
know that in 1914 there was a war raging
greater than W orld W ar I on earth. It was
a war in heaven. N ot a war from Zeppelin
airships or by airplanes, not a war by
supermen, not a war by m ythical men
from M ars, but a war in the invisible
heavens by Christ, the newly enthroned
King, and his angels against the false god,
Satan the Devil, and his demonic angels.
The heavenly war established Gods new
born kingdom more firm ly in power, for all
the satanic hosts were whipped and hurled
down from those heavens to the neighbor
hood of our earth. How the heavenly hosts
appreciated this salvation by Gods power!
W ith loud voice they cried out: Now have
come to pass the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God and the au
thority o f his Christ, because the accuser
of our brothers has been hurled down,
. . . On this account be glad, you heavens
and you who reside in them ! W oe for the
earth and for the sea, because the Devil
has come down to you, having great anger,
knowing he has a short period of tim e.
(R ev. 1 2 :7 -1 2 ; 1 1 :1 5 -1 8 , N W ) Even apart
from world war am ong his nations, this de
feat in the heavenly w ar was a terrible
tribulation for Satan and his world or
ganization.

was not for his sake that those days of

tribulation were cut short. It was for the
sake of accomplishing a divine salvation of
the remnant of the 144,000 joint heirs of
Jesus Christ, the rem nant o f her seed,
which keep the com m andm ents of God,
and have the testim ony o f Jesus C hrist.
(Rev. 1 2 :1 7 ) During W orld W a r I the rem
nant were m aliciously abused in the United
States of Am erica and the other nations
at war, in an attem pt to disorganize them ,
stop their witness work, frighten them for
ever away from it and wreck their reputa
tion and good standing for all tim e to come.
N ot prim arily physical death, but spiritual
death was facing them if they continued
in their condition of bondage to this world
at war against Gods kingdom . Had A rm a
geddon then come upon the nations, the
remnant, being under divine disfavor for
falling short o f their duty to Jehovah,
m ight have perished with the worldly
nations.

21, 22. Who on earth first experienced a salvation by the

Kingdom, and how?

23. As revealed to them in 1920, why had the remnant

been saved on earth?

22 The serious situation of the remnant

of Gods chosen ones called for a m erciful
salvation. Only Jehovah could provide it
through his victorious Christ, and he did
so, by cutting short the tribulation upon
Satans organization and holding o ff A rm a
geddon until after a short period o f tim e.
Jesus foretold this in these w ords: Those
21
But Satan knew it was only the begindays will be days o f a tribulation such as
ning of the tribulation upon his organiza has not occurred from the beginning of
tion. H e knew that after a short period of the creation which God created until that
tim e would come a grand finale of that tim e and will not occur again. In fact, un
tribulation, and this would mean A rm a less Jehovah had cut short the days, no
geddon for him , his crushing defeat by flesh would be saved. But on account of the
the destruction o f all his organization in the chosen ones that he has chosen he has cut
short the days. M ark 1 3 :1 9 , 20,
war of the great day of God the A lm igh ty.
(R ev. 1 6 :1 3 -1 6 ; 1 9 :1 1 to 2 0 :3 , N W ) B y
23 Modern history records the fact that
this short period of tim e this tribulation in the spring o f 1919, or shortly after the
upon his organization by the newborn end of W orld W ar I, Jehovah God surprised
kingdom was shortened. It was as a breath even Christendom and freed the rem nant
ing spell for him and his demons. But it of his witnesses from their low bondage in

752

SEeWATCHTOWER,

this world. The very next year he opened

their eyes to see that they had been
saved and delivered and spared alive on
earth to fulfill their M asters prophetic
com m and: H e that has endured to the
finish is the one that will be saved. And
this good news of the kingdom will be
preached in all the inhabited earth for the
purpose of a witness to all the nations, and
then the accomplished end will com e.
(M att. 2 4 :1 3 ,1 4 , N W ) They alone had this
good news of the Kingdom that had been
established in the heavens at the close of
the appointed tim es of the nations in
1914. It was good news o f salvation. That
kingdom had fought in heaven for a salva
tion of the holy angels from the defiling,
m enacing activities of Satan and his de
mon angels. It had saved the remnant of
chosen ones on earth from their spiritual
peril and had freed and emboldened them
for the renewed service of Jehovah and
his kingdom.
24Today, years after that, the m ajority
of this generation has rejected the w it24. Who else on earth have since been saved, and so
what is it a privilege now to do?

Brooklyn, N . Y.

ness that the remnant has had to give be

fore the complete end of this system of
things comes at Arm ageddon. Y et the
preaching of this good news of the king
dom of salvation has already resulted in
the saving of a great crowd o f good-will
persons out of all nations and tribes and
peoples and tongues. That was certain
to happen, for it was foretold. (R ev. 7 :9 -1 7 ,
NW ) A t Armageddon the theocratic king
dom will triumph and will free the universe
of Satans organization and save this
great crowd o f good will through the de
structive tribulation of Arm ageddon and
into the new world, the righteous new sys
tem of things that will prevail over the
earth. A fter Armageddon that kingdom,
exercising its saving power still further,
will bring salvation to even the dead in the
memorial tombs by resurrecting them to
life on earth during the thousand years of
Christs reign. A ll these things being taken
into consideration, here, indeed, since 1919
is a salvation by him the good news about
which deserves to be told from day to
day. It is a thrilling privilege to join the
saved ones in telling it.

THE<$WA/&&4FROM DAY TO DAY

SH ORT period o f tim e remains
before the universal war of Arm a
geddon. During this period the opportu
nity offers itself to bring as m any people
of good will as possible into the saved con1. W e should put forth the greatest efforts to do what
during this short period of time ?

dition that Jehovah God now provides. W e

need to put forth the greatest efforts pos
sible before the period expires to inform
the people everywhere that their everlast
ing salvation can come only from Jehovah
the great Savior. It depends m ainly upon
him. W h y?

D e c e m b e r 15, 1956

SReWATCHTOWER.

1 For Jehovah is great and

very much to be praised. H e is
to be feared more than all other
gods. F or all the gods of the peo
ples are worthless gods. But as
for Jehovah, he has made the
very heavens. D ignity and splen
dor are before him , strength and beauty

753

praise Jehovah the God of the new world.

* Today everywhere on earth there ex

ists fear in the hearts of the people. But
this fear is not m ixed with the fear of
Jehovah. Besides fearing the things they
discern as about to come upon
the earth, they fear their visi

ble gods, the m ighty ones that

they
idolize in politics, in busi
3
A s in the apostle Pauls days, so to
ness, in m ilitarism and in popu
day: Jehovah is the unknown God to
lar religion. These deified ones
the vast m ajority of earths population.
instill fear of them selves into
(A cts 1 7 :2 3 ) But he deserves
the hearts o f the populace to
to be known by all. H e m ust be
keep themselves prom inent and in the
made known, if there is to be
power to control. To these the people
any salvation. He will be made
ascribe the power and works and adora
known to all alive. B y his very
tion that belong only to the one living
existence he swears to th is:
and true God, Jehovah. The fear that the
A s I live, all the earth will be
people have toward these earth
filled with the glory of Jeho
ly gods is m erely a fear o f awe
vah. (N um . 1 4 :2 0 , N W ) Those who re
some men, mere human crea
fuse to know him now in friendship will
tures who w ill die. But Jehovah
be obliged to know his destructive power
is to be feared more than all
at Arm ageddon. Speaking of that final
other gods. A s he once exe
war, he declares: I will m agnify m yself,
cuted judgm ent on all the false
and sanctify m yself, and I will
gods of E gypt, so he is now
make m yself known in the eyes
judging these earthly gods, to the point
of m any nations; and they shall
of exposing their utter inability and fal
know that I am Jehovah.
sity. God standeth in the congregation of
(Ezek. 3 8 :2 3 ,
A S )This will fill God; he judgeth am ong the gods. To the
out the knowledge o f him that
m ighty, adored ones in Christendom who
his witnesses on earth have
profess to be sons o f the God of
been trying hard to give to the
heaven he directs this m essage:
people during all this generation. More
I said, Y e are gods, and all of
and more these witnesses are learning to
you sons of the M ost H igh.
know how great Jehovah is. W ith their
Nevertheless ye shall die like
own growth in knowledge they appreciate
men, and fall like one of the
more that H e is very much to be praised.
princes. Ps. 8 2 :1 , 6, 7,
There is everything about him
John 1 0 :3 4 , 35.
to be praised. A s there is every
5 Jehovah is more to be feared than
reason to condemn Satan the
these m ortal gods on earth. These gods
Devil the god o f this system of
can violently kill only ones human body,
things, there is every reason to
but Jehovah is able to destroy ones soul
are in his sanctuary. Ps. 9 6 :4 -6 ,

2, 3. W hy must Jehovah be made known,

and who appreciate that he is very much
to be praised?

4, 5. (a) Whom on earth do the people fear? (b) Why

is it urgent to awaken the people to the fear of Je
hovah ?

754

f&eWATCHTOWER.

as well as body in everlasting death, from

which there is no resurrection of the dead.
(M att. 1 0 :2 8 ) How urgent it is to awaken
the fear of Jehovah among those who
want life!
6 But there are also creatures of im agi
nation whom the peoples of earth put into
the unseen world, the realm of invisibility,
and whom they fear with m ortal dread and
to whom they raise idol im ages. L ittle do
the people realize that they are worshiping
demons who take to themselves the worship
that the people blindly offer. The apostle
Paul, who identified the unknown God for
the pagan philosophers, said concerning
their idols: W hat, then, am I to say? That
what is sacrificed to an idol is anything,
or that an idol is anything? N o; but I say
that the things which the nations sacrifice
they sacrifice to demons, and not to God,
and I do not want you to become sharers
with the dem ons. (1 Cor. 1 0 :1 9 , 20,
These gods are worthless gods. Idol
im ages cannot save, neither can the de
mons that they represent do so. W ith Sa
tan their ruler these demons have great
anger against the true God and his people
on earth. Determ ined to let Jehovah God
save nothing on earth, they are leading all
the kings of this inhabited earth against
God at Arm ageddon, to their destruction.
It spells death, annihilation, therefore, to
listen to demon-inspired propaganda. (Rev.
1 6 :1 3 -1 6 ) Their m an-made idols cannot
rescue their worshipers from that annihi
lation. Instead of being o f real religious
benefit to strengthen m ans belief in what
is true, the idols do harm. They blind the
nations and peoples to Jehovah God and his
kingdom, the exclusive source of eternal
salvation. W orthless gods, indeed!
7 Testifying to the fact that Jehovah is
God are the heavens. H e made them by his
6. Who are the worthless gods of the people, and why
are they worthless ?
7. What visibly gives evidence that dignity and splendor
are before Jehovah, and strength and beauty in his
sanctuary ?

B rooklyn, N . Y .

power and in his wisdom. H is unsearchable

mind arranged for all the glory of the visi
ble heavens and their order and harmony.
Only one mind could organize all this
H is mind. Im m easurably far up above
those heavens the M ost H igh God exercises
his universal sovereignty. If those visible
heavens beneath are so impressive and
splendid and beautiful to us, what dignity
and splendor there m ust be all about Jeho
vah him self in the spiritual heavens! W h at
strength and beauty there m ust be in that
most holy place where he personally dwells!
This we can only weakly imagine on the
basis of the things visible, although we can
not actually know how glorious he him self
is, for no m an has seen God at any tim e,
no mem has seen his figure, and he him self
decrees: No man m ay see me and yet
live. (John 1 :1 8 ; 5 :3 7 and E x. 3 3 :2 0 ,
N W ) The artificial glory and stateliness of
earthly gods fade away in comparison.
How foolish, then, for one to demand to
see Jehovah actually before one would be
lieve in him ! Believe the testim ony of his
creative works. Believe the true witness
of his written W ord, the sacred Bible.
8
In the face of the truth and in the face
of the pressing need for salvation, men to
day ought to orient them selves to the One
Source of salvation by ceasing to blas
pheme and by beginning to ascribe to the
one true God the things that persuade us
that he is the Source of our salvation and
the One w orthy of our heartfelt worship.
For our guidance the inspired psalm ist
sings out: Ascribe to Jehovah, O you fam
ilies of the peoples, ascribe to Jehovah
glory and strength. Ascribe to Jehovah the
glory belonging to his name. Carry a gift
and come into his courtyards. Bow down to
Jehovah in holy adornment, be in severe
pains because o f him , all [you people of]
the earth. Ps. 9 6 :7 -9 ,

8.

In the face of the pressing need for salvation, what

should men do instead of blaspheme?

ecem ber

15, 1956

SHeWATCHTOWER.

9 In order for the fam ilies of the peo

ples to be able to m ake such ascriptions
to Jehovah there falls upon us his witnesses
the service o f m aking Jehovah and his pur
pose and his activities known to the people,
of telling them about his name and all that
it stands for, and o f explaining to them his
written W ord and showing them how to
worship this holy and strong and glorious
God Jehovah. Inhabiter o f the heavens and
Creator of man, Jehovah is too great to
dwell in earthly tem ples with courtyards
made by m ans hands. B y his spirit or in
visible active force he dwells with his dedi
cated people, especially the remnant of
Christs joint heirs, who form a living,
spiritual tem ple. Accordingly, the greatest
gift that a person can carry to Jehovah in
loving appreciation and worship is the
dedication of oneself to him through his
royal H igh Priest Jesus Christ. B y this
gift show him you bow down to him in full
submission as well as in adoration.
10 Such worship of Jehovah m ust be done
in holy adornment. H e cannot be worshiped
in moral uncleanness. H e cannot be wor
shiped by means of m aterial or visual idols,
to which a so-called relative worship is
claimed to be given but which use of
images m akes one an unclean idolater in
Jehovahs sight. (Isa. 4 2 :8 ,
He cannot
be worshiped in adornment that was bor
rowed from pagan worship, under the selfdeception that a religious system can ap
propriate and sanctify these appendages
of demon worship to a sacred and evangel
ical use before the true God. N o; but he
m ust be worshiped in a spiritual adorn
ment that testifies that one loves, worships
and serves Jehovah as the only true God;
also that one accepts his Son Jesus Christ

755

rifice to God to lift the divine condemna

tion from us and to free us from the power
of sin and its penalty death; and, further,
that one has accepted the privilege and re
sponsibility of being a witness o f Jehovah
just as his Chief Son Jesus was.
11 A ll o f those who refuse to worship
Jehovah thus in holy adornment will have
reason to be in severe pains because of him .
A t the start of the great tribulation upon
Satans organization in 1914 all such peo
ple felt m erely the beginning of pangs of
distress, the beginning o f birth-pangs,
because o f the world w ar accompanied by
the fam ines, the pestilences and the earth
quakes o f that tim e. (M att. 2 4 :8 , N W ;
Then all the peoples trembled and were in
severe pains, not because o f connecting
Jehovah God with those events, but be
cause of the terribleness o f the events
themselves. B ut at the approaching war
of the great day o f God the A lm igh ty all
the peoples of the earth not dedicated to
him but opposed to him will be in the sever
est of pains because o f Jehovah. F or they
will have it forced upon their consciousness
that the One whom they have defied is the
One who is bringing this world-destroying
tribulation upon them . H e has commanded
that then they m ust be in extrem e pains.
They will be.
THE RESCUE GOVERNMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED

12 A t m ans creation in the paradise gar

den of Eden Jehovah God was the one
Ruler o f this earth as well as heaven. The
rebellion that produced Satan the Devil
brought forth a rival god and a rival
claim ant to the rulership o f man and the
earth. The global flood o f N oahs day
proved that Jehovah is still the universal

as his now-reigning K ing and as the one

Sovereign and the earth is the footstool

H igh Priest who provided the ransom sac-

of his throne. Generations after the Flood

9. (a) For the people to make such ascriptions to Jeho

vah what service must first be rendered? (b) What is the
greatest gift we can carry to him?
10. In what holy adornment must Jehovah be worshiped?

11. How must the people be in severe pains because of

Jehovah?
12. Since Jehovah God was earths ruler in the time of
Eden, why was a kingdom of God established in 1914?

756

SEeWATCHTOWER.

B rooklyn, N. Y.

Satan the rival ruler produced the first

human kingdom at Babel or Babylon. But
Jehovah had his own representative king
on earth, Melchizedek. Long after this
priestly king passed o ff the scene Jehovah
God anointed David of Bethlehem to be
king over Israel and seated him upon the
throne o f Jehovah at Jerusalem and be
gan a long line of kings in Davids fam ily.
Before the last of that line of kings came
in the person of Jesus Christ, God emptied
the earthly throne of Jehovah of its
king and overturned the capital city Jeru
salem . There that typical visible kingdom
on earth ended and Jehovah ceased to reign
among men by an im perfect king of
Davids line. But Jesus Christ taught us to
pray for Gods kingdom to come to earth
again and for the heavenly Fathers will
to be done on earth the same as up in
heaven. Jesus preached the good news of
that com ing kingdom and died for it. By
resurrecting Jesus God restored him to life
and seated him at his own right hand in
heaven and commanded him to wait till the
appointed tim es of the nations ended in
1914, at which tim e Jehovah would bring
forth his kingdom and lay the executive
power of it upon the shoulder of Jesus
Christ.

the sea thunder and that which fills it. Let

the open field exult and all that is in it.
A t the same tim e let all the trees o f the
forest break out joyfully before Jehovah.
For he has com e; for he has come to judge
the earth. He will judge the productive
land with righteousness and the peoples
with his faithfulness. (Ps. 9 6 :1 0 -1 3 , 2VW)
How grandly this command that rings
from heaven by inspiration shows that the
thing of leading importance is Gods king
dom by Christ, for it will settle forever the
issue of universal sovereignty in Jehovahs
favor and will bring salvation to those who
loyally stand up for his sovereignty!

firm ly established so that it cannot be

of this wicked system of things salvation

made to totter. He will plead the cause of

by Jehovahs means is som ething m ost

14
Jehovahs established governm ent is
a cause for universal rejoicing. It is the
kingdom of salvation for both heaven and
earth. The salvation already begun by it
is the good news that the witnesses are
commanded to tell from day to day. W e
are instructed not to m iss a day in telling
it. W h y ? Because the days to tell it are
limited before Arm ageddon, in fact, are
getting fewer with each passing day. N ot
a single day dare we leave it out of mind,
for the kingdom of salvation is the thing
that Jesus said we should keep seeking
first, together with righteousness from
God. O f all tim es, why not seek it now
13
October 1, 1914, is now more thanwhen it is actually here? E very day brings
forty-tw o years ago and the Kingdom s opportunities to tell of the salvation that
fight at Arm ageddon is fast nearing. There it has brought and will bring, that others
are still unknown numbers of people of m ay be impelled to seek the Kingdom too.
good will to be brought into Jehovahs pro It being the only rightful governm ent of
vision of salvation. M ore than ever the heaven and earth, the only one that will
tim e is here for action, for the message of vindicate Jehovahs universal sovereignty
the hour to be pealed forth. Say among and save mankind, salvation by it is worth
the nations: Jehovah him self has become telling out to others who also need salva
king. The productive land also becomes tion. Owing to the oncoming destruction

the peoples in uprightness. L et the heav

tim ely to be told daily. It is the only good

ens rejoice and let the earth be joyful. Let

news today. If we rejoice daily in the K ing-

13. What is the reason that it must be said among the

nations: Jehovah himself has become king ?

14. W hy are we instructed not to miss a day in telling

the good news of salvation by Gods kingdom?

ecember

15, 1956

3TkWATCHT0WER_

dom, if we feel like shouting Hallelujah!

at the realization that it is ruling now in
the m idst of its enemies, we shall bubble
over into talking of the salvation it brings.
The telling of salvation by Jehovah is, in
fact, a part of our worship of him , and
we know we m ust render him worship
every day. Tell it, then, from day to day.
If we do not sing to Jehovah by telling it,
we do not have the jo y o f Jehovah. Shar
ing in his joy is a stronghold to us. Neh.
8 :1 0 , N W .
The good news o f salvation we m ust
tell not only individually but also collective
ly, together with all other saved ones, in
one grand unity. Gods love is so great
that his salvation embraces, not just one,
but m any. It is a collective salvation in
which m any have a share, even a great
crowd o f other sheep today whom no
man is yet able to number. W e can tell this
good news by our speaking m outh or by
the speaking printed page. For preaching
by the printed page the W atch Tower So
ciety supplies us with Bibles, books and
booklets explaining the Bible, the m aga
zines The Watchtower and Awake! free
tracts and public-lecture handbills. For
telling the good news we are not lim ited to
one place. W e can daily tell it in our own
homes to members o f our fam ily, in the
doorways of other people by going from
house to house, in public places aside from
on the platform , even underground in total
itarian lands or in prisons and concentra
tion and slave labor camps under dictator
ships. In isolated places we can tell the
good news, or as a m em ber o f a congre
gation large or sm all, that is, as a congre
gation publisher. Still better, one can tell
it as a full-tim e pioneer publisher, even
as a m issionary in foreign lands. One m ay
be privileged to tell it as a public speaker
of a congregation, or as a zone servant in
15. How must we tell this good news, and where and
in what capacities?

757

one of the ten zones into which the earth

has been divided with m any branch offices
o f the W atch Tower Bible & T ract Society
in each zone. The territory under each
branch is divided up into districts and then
subdivided into circuits, and each circuit
contains a number o f congregations of
Jehovahs witnesses. So some m ay be
favored with telling the good news as dis
trict servants or circuit servants. Thus in
m any capacities the telling of the good
news m ay be done, and each one should
be faithful in his capacity.
To be commissioned to tell the good
news in the field and to tell it from day
to day one does not need to be a publisher
devoting his full tim e. Each and every one
saved is commissioned by Jehovah to tell
his salvation from day to day according to
ones opportunities. W h at results in more
believers is not only to introduce the good
news to neighbors and total strangers but
also to offer to start Bible studies in the
homes o f the interested people, so as to
study the good news there at least once a
week. The thing to do is not only to tell it
yourself but also to get others to tell it
with force and effect. Our endeavor should
be to train others to join us in telling it.
17 W hat will happen if we tell the good
news of Jehovahs salvation the seven days
of each week during the year 1957? Surely
th is: m any more ears are going to be
reached with the joyfu l sound; m any ears,
long deaf for never having heard, are going
to be opened by the good news at last
reaching them . Com fort is going to be
brought to m any sad hearts that, for a
change, would like to hear a truly cheering
song with a happy them e to counterbalance
the mourning and the wailing today by all
the nations at seeing the sign o f the Son
16. (a) Is it necessary to be a full-time publisher to be
commissioned to tell the good news? (b) Must we limit
matters to telling it ourselves?
17. For what personal reason should we tell the good
news, and why so even if forbidden by enemies of
salvation ?

758

SfreWATCHTOWER-

of m an in the heavens. (M att. 2 4 :3 0 )

M ore persons o f good will m ay thus be
brought into the saved condition and more
will be given theocratic training to sing
and tell it out. A s a blessed result of sill
this taking place before Armageddon, Je
hovah God will become more widely known,
m ore appreciated, believed in, accepted,
worshiped, praised and served. Oh, how
w orthy he is of all this!
18 Tell out, then, the good news of salva
tion by him , because of what you know it
has done for you. Jehovah has done a
great thing in what he has done with us.
W e have become joyfu l. (Ps. 1 2 6 :3 , N W ;
M ark 5 :1 9 ) A lso, be willing, be prepared,
be glad to bear all the self-expenditure that
it takes to tell it out. W hat if the enemies
o f anybodys salvation prefer to perish
them selves and try to cause others to
perish by telling us to keep quiet? W e shall
pay no attention to them . W e are under a
command higher than theirs to tell it out
and we m ust and we will courageously obey
the superior command. N ot only are we,
but also all of Jehovahs creations in heaven
and earth are called upon to express their
irrepressible joy because he, the God of
salvation, has come into his capital govern
m ent as K ing and Judge. Therefore the
heavens should be glad, the earth should
be joyful, the sea should thunder with
every thing in it, the open field and all its
fullness should exult, and the trees of the
forest should joyfully break out before
Jehovah, now that he has come as K ing
and Judge. For oh! how much good his
coming promises!
19 Once we see that the great, fearinspiring, dignity-bearing, splendid, strong
and beautiful and glorious Jehovah has
come to his temple for judgment accom
panied by his m ajestic K ing Jesus Christ,
all things in earth, sea and sky take on a
18, 19. Instead of telling the things of earth, sea and
sky to disappear because of Jehovahs coming, what does
the psalmist tell them?

B rooklyn, N . Y .

hitherto undiscerned grandeur. For, under

the thousand years of Christs reign, para
dise is to be restored to earth and made
globe-encircling. So, instead of telling the
trees and the products of the field to shrivel
up and the broad-bosomed seas to evapo
rate in steam because Jehovah has come to
burn up the earth and the planets, suns
and stars in the heavens, the inspired ex
ulting psalm ist tells earth, sea and sky
and their fullness to take on the joyful
appearance of things expecting deliverance
and to break out in a soul-stirring harm ony
of sound.
20 And for good reason! For no longer
will the seas be marred by the ugly sight
of atomic warships or nuclear submarines
or be poisoned by fusion or fission bombs
spraying radioactive particles over their
waves or their charming islands and atolls.
(Isa. 3 3 :2 1 -2 3 , A S ) N o more will the
earths atmosphere be profaned by m ur
derous bombers and long-range guided m is
siles or be made noxious with injurious
fall-out o f burning ash from atom ic ex
plosions. N o more will the mountains be
used as hiding places for secret airplane
hangars or munitions factories or as the
sources of m inerals necessary for nuclear
warfare. No more will the moon be viewed
as a goal in space-travel, from which the
first arm am ents-racing nation to reach it
will be able to dominate all other nations.
No more will the primeval forests be cut
down to provide pulp for the newspapers
and magazines that spread lying propa
ganda, sordid news, defiling cartoons and
commercial m aterialism .
21 A h no! But all earthly creation will
benefit from Jehovahs coming to rule and
judge. For, as he him self has promised, all
those ruining the earth will them selves be
ruined in Arm ageddons destruction and
20. How will earth, sea and sky no longer be profaned
by men?
21. How will all earthly creation benefit from Jehovah s
coming to rule and judge?

ecem ber

15, 1956

2rikW AT CHTO W ER.

once again, as in the garden of God in

Eden, all nature will have full sweep to
express itself to the glory and praise of
its splendorous Creator. A s K ing and Judge
of earth he is interested in the things he
embedded in the earth and the things he
planted in it and form ed about it when he
created this earth for mems everlasting
paradise home. H e does not want all this
misused by the selfish servants of the
Devil. H e desires all o f it to serve his hon
orable, life-giving purpose. W hat wonder,
then, that even all unintelligent things in
earth and heaven should be addressed and
called upon to applaud, to roar, to thunder,
to look their m ost beauteous!
22 A ll such things have reason to be glad
and rejoice in that their own Creator has
become K ing and has come to his temple
for liberating judgm ent work. But how
about us? How much m ore should we
speech-endowed, Bible-reading, intelligent
living creatures sing to him , say that he
has become king and tell the good news of
his salvation!
23 A s the Bibles tim etable and the events
since 1914 in fulfillm ent o f prophecy prove,
Jehovah with his Angel of the Covenant,
Jesus Christ, has been at his spiritual tem
ple for this needed judgm ent since the
spring of 1918. The land or earthly condi
tion of his N ew W orld society of witnesses
has become a productive land that will
never be made to totter to destruction but
will ever bring forth the fruitage of right
eousness under his loving blessing. It has
been firm ly established as the basis for
the new earth o f the righteous new
world. This land Jehovah judges favor
ably. He vindicates it as the habitation of
his faithful witnesses and he condemns
Gog of M agog and all other attackers of
this theocratic land. The inhabitants of
22. If all such things should rejoice at his coming, how
about us?
23. How has the productive land been firmly established,
and how does Jehovah judge it and its people?

759

this land he judges with his faithfulness,

and he pleads the cause o f the rem nant of
his Kingdom heirs and the cause of their
good-will co-dwellers, the other sheep of
the K ing Jesus Christ.
24 Behold what he has already done from
his judgment throne for his name people
on earth! How faithful he has been to them
according to the term s of his irrevocable
covenant, the Abraham ic covenant for the
blessing of all the fam ilies and nations of
the earth! How true and faithful he has
been to his written W ord the Bible, to his
perfect laws and his irreproachable prin
ciples and, yes, to H im self! B y his A sso
ciate Judge, Jesus Christ, he is separating
the peoples of all the nations as antiKingdom goats and as pro-Kingdom sheep.
Judgment he will execute at the great war
of vindication and liberation. The trem en
dous flocks of goats w ill be consumed in the
fiery expression of his judgm ent, but the
peaceable, united flock o f sheep will be pro
nounced innocent and be ushered alive into
the earthly realm of the kingdom o f his
Son Jesus Christ. M att. 2 5 :3 1 -4 6 .
25 Beholding all this, how can we stay
m ute, when the divine command is to sing,
to sing to Jehovah? If the heavenly sons
of God and the celestial m orning stars had
a song at Gods laying o f the foundation of
his footstool the earth if the m ultitude of
the heavenly host had a song o f praise to
God at the birth of the Son o f God who was
to become earths everlasting K ing yes,
if anyone now has a song, if anyone ever
had a song, we witnesses of Jehovah today
have a song! Y es, we have a song, a new
song, the like o f which never before float
ed m elodiously throughout the inhabited
earth. Our song has the latest, the newest
theme. Our rhapsody of Bible m elody has
become the song hit am ong increasing
24. How does he judge the peoples with his faithfulness?
25. Who have a song to sing, and what should we do
because of the excellency of that song?

760

SEeWATCHTOWER.

thousands of people of good will regardless

of their nationality and language. Its com
poser is the happy God Jehovah, who in
spired it by his holy spirit. H is Song D i
rector for us is his royal Son, Jesus Christ.
Do not withhold your voice, then. Under

B rooklyn, N . Y .

him join the swelling chorus all over the

earth. Sing, sing for joy, in entrancing har
m ony with all the New W orld society.
Unitedly, unceasingly, tell out the good
news of salvation by Jehovah God from
day to day.

Guard Your Associations!

L L Gods commands bear testim ony
to his love, wisdom and justice.
W hat he commands is for our best, our
highest and our m ost enduring welfare. He
commands our doing certain things and
forbids us certain pleasures only because
he loves us and wants to see us happy. A s
he exclaimed regarding his ancient people
Israel: If only they would develop this
heart o f theirs to fear me and to keep all
m y commandments always, in order that
it m ight go well with them and their sons
to tim e indefinite! Deut. 5 :2 9 ,
Am ong the laws that God gave his an
cient people for their own good were those
relating to the guarding of their associa
tion. They were not to interm arry with
pagans nor even to interm ingle with them :
You m ust form no m arriage alliance with
them , for they will surely cause you to
serve other gods, and Jehovahs anger will
indeed blaze against you and he will certain
ly annihilate you in a hurry. And again,
They should not dwell in your land, that
they m ay not cause you to sin against m e.
Deut. 7 :3 , 4 ; E x. 2 3 :3 3 ,
But lacking faith in God and love for him
the nation of Israel tim e and again violated
these commands with disastrous results.
Even their wisest king came to grief on
this very score. In his old age he allowed
his pagan wives to turn his heart away
from his God Jehovah, so that he died un
faithful, an apostate.
The sam e holds true with Christians to
day. For our own good Jehovah commands

that we guard our association. W e are liv

ing in perilous tim es, likened unto the days
of Noah and Lot. Being im perfect, weak
and having an inherited bent toward sin,
we are prone to succumb to the worlds
flattery or to compromise because o f fear
of its opinion. That is why the apostle Paul
warns: Do not be misled. Bad associations
spoil useful habits. 1 Cor. 1 5 :3 3 , N W .
A s Christians we are counseled to renew
our minds and to put on a new, Christlike
personality. To the extent that we can we
must, therefore, avoid associating with
those who object to our having this change
take place in us. For the tim e that has
passed by is sufficient for you to have
worked out the will of the nations when
you proceeded in deeds of loose conduct.
And, because you do not continue running
with them in this course to the sam e low
sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and
go on speaking abusively of you ; behind
your back, if not in your presence. 1 Pet.
4 :3 , 4,
NW.
For our spiritual welfare Jehovah ex
plicitly commands us to m arry only in the
Lord, not to become unevenly yoked
with unbelievers. W h y ? For what part
nership do righteousness and lawlessness
have? Or what fellowship does light have
with darkness? . . . Or what portion does
a faithful person have with an unbeliever?
And what agreement does Gods temple
have with idols? Absolutely none what
ever! Loyalty to our God and his organi
zation will cause us to respect these com -

D ecem ber

15, 1956

SEeWATCHTOWER,

mands. 1 Cor. 7 :3 9 ; 2 Cor. 6 :1 4 -1 6 , NW .

W hile association is a basic need of
young and old, it not being good for the
man to continue by him self, we m ust be
careful as to the kind o f association we cul
tivate. W here shall we draw the line? No
hard and fa st rules can be given but, as
already intimated, Jesus counsel would
here apply: Prove yourselves cautious as
serpents. So when in doubt, do without!
Gen. 2 :1 8 ; M a tt 1 0 :1 6 ,
Pauls wise counsel at Ephesians 5 :1 0 -1 2
(NW) should therefore be taken to heart
especially by all C hristians: Keep on m ak
ing sure of w hat is acceptable to the Lord;
and quit sharing with them in the unfruit
ful works which belong to the darkness,
but, rather, even be reproving them , for

761

the things that take place in secret by them

it is sham eful even to relate. This reprov
ing can be done by words or m erely by
actions, by refusing to associate with them
in their wrong course.
It is for our own good that God warns
us to guard our association. Heeding his
warning we shall avoid pitfalls and, in
stead, shall be building up one another in
faith and love. Thereby we shall be helped
to keep integrity until the tim e we enter
the new world, a world now so near at
hand, in which we shall not need to guard
our association, for then everyone that
breathes will be praising Jehovah and that
ever more perfectly. B ut until then, do
not be m isled. Rem em ber, Bad associa
tions spoil useful habits.

0]ie Rebuttal! oj Some Nonsense

One day in 1529 Hugh Latimer, the English reformer, preached at Cambridge a ser
mon arguing in favor of translation and popular reading of the Bible. The clergy were
enraged, especially since copies of Tyndales English Bible were being smuggled into
England and the clergy could not burn them fast enough. Some infuriated friars select
ed their champion, Friar Buckingham, to demolish the arguments of Latimer. The next
Sunday the friars' champion sermonized. Thus," asked the friar with a triumphant
smile, where Scripture saith no man that layeth his hand to the plough and looketh back
is fit for the kingdom of God, will not the ploughman when he readeth these words be
apt forthwith to cease from his plough, and then where will be the sowing and the har
vest? Likewise also whereas the baker readeth, *A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,'
will he not be forthwith too sparing in the use of leaven, to the great injury of our
health? And so also when the simple man reads the words, T f thine eye offend thee
pluck it out and cast it from thee,' incontinent he will pluck out his eyes, and so the
whole realm will be full of blind men, to the great decay of the nation and the mani
fest loss of the K ings grace. And thus by reading of the H oly Scriptures will the
whole realm come into confusion." The following week Latim er replied to the friar's
sermon. Only children and fo o ls," said Latimer, fail to distinguish between the figura
tive and the real meanings of language between the image which is used and the thing
which that image is intended to represent. For exam ple," Latim er continued, casting
a penetrating glance at his opponent, who was sitting before the pulpit, if we paint
a fox preaching in a friar's hood, nobody imagines that a fox is meant, but that craft
and hypocrisy are described, which so often are found in that g arb."

 Because of information presented in the

July 1, 1956, Watchtower on baptism, a number
of persons have asked about the advisability
of being baptized again. They say that their
understanding of the matter is better now than
when they were immersed. Also, some were
told years ago that their immersion in water
by one of Christendom's religious systems was
sufficient to symbolize their dedication if they
understood at the time that they were dedicat
ing themselves to do Jehovah's will, but now
this article (page 406, paragraph 14) says that
baptisms in Christendom's religious systems to
day are not valid and that these individuals
should be baptized again by Jehovah's theo
cratic organization. They ask if they should
now be baptized again, and if so, what date
for their time of dedication should be shown
on their Publisher's Record card? Should it be
this latest baptism date, even though the per
son has been in the truth and actively witness
ing for ten or twenty years or m ore?
On the question of persons who were once
baptized by Jehovah's witnesses and who get
to feeling the need of being baptized again in
view o f the article referred to above, the
thought is raised, Did those who heard the bap
tism talk when they were immersed understand
it? Did they understand that water immersion
symbolized a dedication they were to have made
already in their hearts, a vow or decision al
ready made before God to do his w ill? W ere
not the questions specific that were propounded
to them at the time of their baptism? Did not
the talk and these questions point up with
clarity and force the requirements? If the bap
tism talk stated the case plainly and the ques
tions put to the candidates were plainly and
unmistakably worded, why should the one who
then said Yes to the questions now say he did
not know or understand what he was doing?
A ll of us have doubtless grown in an appre
ciation of dedication since we symbolized it by
water immersion. Certainly we did not appre
ciate it fully when we made it, or as fully as
we do now. But this does not mean we should
be rebaptized. This Watchtower article has not
762

said anything more than or different from what

previous articles on the subject have said, ex
cept the point of ones having been baptized in
Christendom's religious denominations not be
ing viewed as sufficient today, since A .D . 1918,
when Jehovah God accompanied by his Mes
senger of the Covenant came to the temple
and cast off Christendom.
So it is up to these uncertain persons to as
certain when they knowingly dedicated them
selves to God, which dedication they can now
distinctly remember with a satisfied conscience,
and if it has been since they were baptized
years ago, then they should be baptized again
in symbol of their real dedication and that
date should be the one used on their Publish
ers Record card.
Once a person has been baptized with under
standing in token of his dedication there is no
need or propriety for him to be rebaptized,
even if for a time he falls away or becomes
inactive, any more than a member of Christ's
body needs to be re-anointed. His baptism once
performed stands forever as a testimony of
his dedication to Jehovah and as an irremov
able sign of his obligations toward God.
As to the baptism or total immersion of per
sons while members of Christendom's religious
organization and before becoming associated
with Jehovah's witnesses: In 1918, because of
their conduct, the religious denominations of
Christendom were definitely cast off by the
judgment of Jehovah through His Messenger at
His temple. Prior to that many connected with
such denominations conscientiously studied
their Bibles and came to discern that they must
surrender or dedicate or consecrate" them
selves to God through Christ to be God's and
to do his will henceforth, trusting in His help
by His holy spirit. They correctly saw that wa
ter baptism by complete submersion was the
proper thing to have done to represent this
surrender of themselves to God through Christ.
So they had the clergyman or the authorized
official in the religious denomination immerse
them, doing so in the formula in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost [or, Spirit]," and they trusted in the
operation of God's spirit as described in the
Scriptures, which they had read and were fa
miliar with.
Let it be noted that such individuals made
a real dedication of themselves to God through
Christ and prayed for His holy spirit and they
felt themselves bound by it ever after. They
did not make this dedication through the clergy-

D e c e m b e r 15, 1956

3fteWATCHTOW ER ,

man or other official who baptized them. This

is corroborated by the fact that after they came
to know the truths as presented by Jehovahs
witnesses they saw their obligation, not to
rededicate themselves to God, but to come out
of her or come out of antitypical Babylon,
and so they severed their connections with the
religious denominations and became witnesses
of Jehovah and continued on doing His will
with better knowledge and clearer understand
ing. They were not rebaptized, but persisted in
fulfilling their previous dedication and Jehovah
manifested his acceptance of them by using
them in his service and by displaying through
them the operation of his spirit, while at the
same time they brought forth the fruitage of
His spirit. This indicates that the essential
thing to validate a dedication is, not what the
baptizer (be he a clergyman or otherwise) un
derstands or thinks, but what the immersed one
thinks, understands and does. The dedication
was correct and the water symbol was correct
and God indicated his acceptance, putting his
spirit upon the immersed one. W hy, then,
should there be a rebaptism after one has left
antitypical Babylon in fulfillment of his dedi
cation and has become one of Jehovahs wit
nesses?
Note specifically what the afore-mentioned
paragraph 14, page 406, of The Watchtower
says: Often the question is asked whether one
baptized previously in a ceremony performed
by some other religious group should again be
baptized when coming to an accurate knowl
edge of the truth and m aking a dedication to
Jehovah. Note those last six words: And
making a dedication to Jehovah. That is, m ak
ing a dedication after receiving the truths pre
sented by Jehovahs witnesses and after leav
ing antitypical Babylon. This means that such
person had not symbolized a dedication of him
self to God when baptized in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost
[or, Spirit] by an official of the religious de
nomination but had merely become a member
of that denomination. Hence that person saw
the need of making a dedication and symboliz
ing it after associating with Jehovahs wit
nesses. Such a person properly gets rebaptized.

763

In agreement with this, the twelve men who

were rebaptized in Acts 19:1-7 had been baptized
in the name of the Father but not in the name
of Jesus nor in the name of the holy spirit,
about which they had not heard, so that their
previous total immersion was not in the name
of all the factors involved, which was why they
could not receive the holy spirit before Paul
had them rebaptized.
Hence now when the call to come out of
Babylon is being clearly sounded out, if anyone
has heard of this call and yet remains in a
religious part of antitypical Babylon and gets
immersed in such a religious part, his immer
sion would not count. His decision could not
have been, a dedication to do Gods will, be
cause, to quote paragraph 14, the individual
would have separated him self from such God
dishonoring Babylonish systems even before
letting them baptize him. Such an individual
could only make an acceptable dedication after
he came out of Babylon and this dedication
he would have to symbolize by a rebaptism in
water, being totally submerged. The rebaptism
date of such one is the date that should be
shown on his Publishers Record card in the
congregation with which he associates. The
date of dedication is never shown, but is under
stood to have preceded the moment of baptism.
If a person attends a baptism feature but
does not sit among the baptismal candidates
and does not vocally answer the questions but
afterward decides to be baptized in symbol of
dedication and so joins in the procession of
candidates and actually gets baptized on the
same basis as they do, that person obligates
himself to Jehovah God through Christ. His
symbolized dedication must stand as an ever
lasting engagement on his part and he must
consider himself bound by it in Gods sight.
God read his heart and saw what he did and
therefore holds him to his public profession of
dedication. However, in future, it would be
better for a person like this to do the following
before submitting to baptism : go to the bap
tism speaker whose speech this person has
heard and then have him ask this person the
two questions privately for affirmative answers.

ONLY 19 M O N T H S A W A Y !
Yes, in a little more than a year and a half Jehovahs witnesses
plan on holding an international assembly. W h ere? New York city.
W h en ? July 27 to August 3,1958. Start saving now. Plan to be there!

 WATCHTOWER STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

January 13: The Good News of Salvation by

H im / 111-16. Page 744.
January 20: The Good News of Salvation by
Him , If 17-24, and Telling the Good News
from Day to Day, If 1-8. Page 749.
January 27: Telling the Good News from Day
to Day, If 9-25. Page 755.

vV

CHECK YOUR M EM O RY v V

After reading this issue of The Watchtower", do you remembei

^ Why it is foolish to fear only what men
will think? P. 739, Hi.

the world s present trouble?

What wrong
P. 753, If4.
^

What Jesus might say after viewing a busi

ness street this Christmas season? P. 740, US.
Why Christ would
Christmas? P. 743, If4.
^

never

approve

men

P. 7 50, If19.
fear

today?

Why idol gods are worthless? P. 754, 116.

of

Why Jehovah s witnesses daily tell the

good news of God s kingdom? P. 75 6, If14.

What The Encyclopedia Americana says

about the world changes since 1914? P. 744,

For what good reasons the earth should

rejoice at Jehovah s coming? P. 758, If20.

1f2.

Why the Christian must not marry an

unbeliever? P. 760, 1f6.

What the one source of really good news

is? P. 746, 116.
^

IM M U

things

I* Whether a person once baptized in a false

religious organization should now be baptized
again on coming into the Christian congrega
tion? P. 763, If2.

Who only bear and proclaim God s true

name? P. 750, 1fi8.
^

Why God s kingdom has not prevented

&0 ^ 0
764

DO NOT FAIL TO CALL BACK!

N English airman gained a knowledge
of the truth and took his stand. He had
to make three trips to court and on each
trip was escorted by the same military police
man. Of course he explained the reason for
the trial and gave a good witness. The escort
showed considerable interest and was prom
ised that his name would be sent to the con
gregation for the local brothers to contact.
*8? The policeman waited patiently for some
weeks for the next witness to call at his home,
during which period he succeeded in also in
teresting his wife, who fo r thirty years had
been a member of the Christadelphians. Time
passed, yet still no one called to contact the
couple. But these were to get the truth in spite
of this.
^ Some four months later the season known
as Christmas came around. A t the policemans
home the decorations of colored paper hang
ings and Christmas tree were on show and the
daughter brought in one of her playmates to
see it. On being asked what kind of decora
tions she had at home the little visitor bluntly
replied that at her house they did not have
such things, as these were pagan and not
from the Bible, and that they were Jehovah's
witnesses and went to the Kingdom Hall. The
mother, hearing this, immediately wrote a
note for the child to take to her mother, ask
ing if she would send the latest booklet of
Jehovahs witnesses and a songbook. When
the sister received this, thinking it a strange

*
*
h

*
m
h

*
m

*
m
h

*
m

request, she went to see what it was all about.

And so again the truth contacted them.
That very week I was visiting the local
congregation on the regular circuit visit. I
was told of the fam ily and arrangements had
been made for me to visit and see the husband, who was traveling back from his camp
deliberately to see these witnesses who had
been so long in coming. I had a wonderful
two hours and left having started a regular
study with the wife and leaving the husband
literature to take back to his camp, as well as
Make Sure of All Things, as he had already
tackled the forces padre. They were full of
the truth and regretted the lost time that
they had waited fo r the witnesses to call.
Four months later, when making the next
circuit visit, I found that the husband had left
the air force, both had started regular preach
ing and were awaiting the next assembly to
be baptized. A ll this might have been lost if
contact had not been made again through one
of our smaller witnesses. W h a t happened to
the interest slip we shall never know, but it
certainly stresses the essential need to report
on all interest we contact if we cannot care
for it ourselves, and that it is our responsibility until we are certain that other brothers
have contacted the new ones and are follow
ing up the interest. Report from London by
a traveling representative of the W atch Tower Society.

3
m

h
m

*
*
H
m

SCRIPTURE INDEX FOR TEXTS EXPLAINED, 1956

GENESIS
1:1
723
1:2
167
126
1:9-13
723
1:11
1:11-13
126
1:14-25
127
528, 723
1:26
1:26, 27
658
1:27
127
1:27, 28
530
1:28
31, 518.
723
430
1:31
2:5
127
2:5, 6
126
2:6
127
2:7
127
2:7, 8
529
2:10-14
127
2:15-17 529, 607
2:16, 17
534
2:17
159
2:18-20
530
529
2:19, 20
2:21-23
530
2:21-24
200

302
2:23
2:24
531
3:1-5
534
724
3:1-7
3:6
535
3:6, 7
159, 536
536
3:8-13
3:14, 15
537
3:15
255. 430,
748
3:16
537,, 604
3:17-24
537
3:23, 24
659
4:1
533
4:1-3
127
4:1-17
538
5:1, 2
530
6:5
133
6:9
494
8:15
725
9:1
31, 725
9:1-7
539
302
11:1, 5-9
11:4
611
12:3
700
12:10-20
78
15:2
319

18:22-33
20:1-18
22:17, 18
22:18
23:16
24:22
26:1-11
31:49
37:28
39:1-6
39:6-9
39:7-12
40:8
40:20
43:20, 21

435
79
725
430
650
650
80
593
651
691
691
499
460
742
649

EXODUS
2:16-22
350
350
3:1
86
5:1
86
7:16
86
8:1, 20
86
9:1, 13
498
9:15, 16
9:16
8
86
10:3

490
15:11
139
15:26
660
18:25, 26
361
19:10-13
362
19:16-19
20:2, 3
498
397
20:2-5
580
20:4. 5
20:5
9. 13
20:7
20,, 499
20
21:2-6
585
21:10, 11
21:32
651
565
22:16, 17
319
23:17
312
23:33
51
24:5-8
24:7, 8
50
26:1-6
686
687
26:7-14
26:15
685
26:16-18,
22, 26-29 686
26:17-21, 36 686
687
26:31-33
687
27:9-18
765

28:30
30:13, 24
33:3, 12-15
33:20
34:14
18,
34:23
37:1-9
37:9
38:25, 26
38:27

491
652
701
754
397
319
362
363
650
686

LEVITICU S
632
2:13
47
17:5-7
87
19:11, 12
432
19:18
113
20:27
72
23:2
651
27:25
NUMBERS
10:29
12:1-15
14:20
23:19
25:11
30:3, 6-8

350
348
753
86
397
535

DEUTERONOMY
742
4:19
4:24
398
14
5:7
398
5:9
398
6:5
6:6, 7
511
6:14, 15 14, 397
562
7:3, 4
7:12, 13
700
692
8:18
397
9:10
172
10:9
660
13:1-5
661
13:6-11
i q .io .1 S
661
17:7
661
17:8-13
661
114
18:10-15
114
18:18, 19
441
19:13
586
20:1-5, 7
565
22:23, 24
22:28, 29
565
586
24:5

25:5-10
25:13
30:19, 20
31:12
32:4
32:5
32:17
33:29

585
650
401
500
722
709
44
698

JOSHUA
1:8
148
2:1-24
81
6:17-23
81
7:1, 10-26
88
7:21
'6 50
24:14-16
15
24:15
401, 434
JUDGES
1:16
4:11
7:5-7
11:34-40
12:1-6
19:1-3, 10-28
21:25

350
350
282
601
277
79
436

fffceWATCHTOWER.

766
RUTH
3:1

607

1 SAM UEL
15:22
88, 243
15:29
86
17:4-7
651
19:9-17
81
20:17-42
81
21:1, 2
81
21:1-7
81
21:8 to 22:1 82
22:6-19
81
2 6:9
347
27:2 to 28:2
82
28:3-20
113
28:6
543
29:3-11
82
2 SAM UEL
15:31-34
82
16:16-19
82
17:18-23
82
22:31
722
1 KINGS
2:36-46
8:41-43
10:14
12:17
15:33
1 9 :1 3 ,1 4 ,1 8
20:35-42
22:1-28
22:29-38

89
731
480
486
191
630
84
84
85

2 KINGS
6:8-23
83
12:10
652
17:16
742
1 CHRONICLES
10:14
543
16:8, 9
174
16:23-33
748
17:12, 13
146
20:6
480
24:1-19
254
26:30
430
28:9
142
29:23
173
2 CHRONICLES
15:9
486
16:1
191
17:7-9
629
18:1-34
85
20:15
207
36:13
89
EZRA
1:4

652

NEHEMIAH
8:3, 8
629
8:10
757
ESTHER
3:9

651
JOB

1:6, 7
27:5
31:24, 28
36:26

201
492
338
722

PSALMS
2:1, 2
462
2:8, 9
639
7:8
497
14:1
209
19:1
722
21:1-3
254
24:3-6
701
26:11
494
27:4
173
27:5
702
27:11
273
31:5
82
31:20
702
31:24
143
33:6
721

34:12, 13
36:9
37:23
40:6-8
40:7, 8
40:8
41:12
41:13
48:14
50:5
68:32
81:16
82:1, 6, 7
90:2
91:1, 2, 14
P s. 96
96:1
96:1-3
96:2
744,
96:3
96:4-6
96:5
96:7-9
96:10-13
96:11, 13
99:1
104:1, 2, 5
106:37, 38
110:1, 2
112:7
119:7
119:113
126:3
136:3
139:17
144:1

81
527
700
49
399
408
493
526
701
694
319
693
753
526
702
748
421
748
750
750
753
47
754
756
678
363
721
44
747
248
700
248
758
319
170
368

PROVERBS
2:1-7
358, 627
3:5, 6
243, 273
3:5-7
346
3:13-18
636
3 :18
313
3:27
427
4:23
142
5:15-20
585
6:32
597
8:22-27
722
8:30
722
9:17, 18
535
10:7
20
10:12
594
10:14
548
10:18
86
10:22
692
1 1 :3 '
497
11:12
553
11:24
693
11:25
420
13:17
473
14:5
89
14:12
323
14:30
554
14:31
213
15:1
420
15:23
301
15:28
426, 627
15:29
543
16:7
692
16:18, 19
346
17:6
433
17:28
302
18:1
631
18:13
427, 636
19:18
307
20:10
650
22:6
305, 511
23:6, 7
483
23:6-8
426
25:11
301
25:13
473
25:28
142
26:28
86
27:4
554
27:11
493
28:9
543
29:15
307
29:25
249, 740
30:5, 6
88
ECCLESIASTES
1:2-9
446
1:9
446

3:1, 17
3:18-21
4:9-12
4:9, 12
5:4
5:4, 5
5:4-6
7:8
7:12
7:16, 17

460

200

630
436
180
492
406
742
243
344
89
8:2
376
8:8
739
8:11-13
249
9:11
548
10:14
308
10:18
420
11:1
12:1, 13, 14 309
633
12:10
358
12:11
447
12:13, 14
SONG OF SOLOMON
8:6
553

ISAIAH
1:9
440
1:24
319
2:2, 3
720
3:1
319
4:4-6
702
6:5, 8, 9, 11 466
6:8
178, 341
8:14
488
8:16, 19-22 111
9:6, 7
204,
328, 561
9:7
441
10:16, 33
319
10:22
440, 487
1 1:5-9
207
11:10
607
11:13
487
12:4
696
14:15
496
14:27
724
19:4
319
19:19, 20
299
22:13
9
25:5
383
25:6
279
26:1-4
164
26:9, 10
700
28:17, 18
366
28:21
246
29:13
627
29:15
739
31:1
299
33:14
694
33:17
694
33:21-23
758
34:1-4
365
40:4
703
40:25
722
40:26
229, 722
4 1:1-7
735
41:22, 23
103
42:6
702
42:8
755
42:12
41
43:10, 12
746
43:12
205
45:14-17
699
45:18
430, 723
46:9-11
429
47:13, 14
742
50:4
710
51:16
430
52:7
367
C h a p . 53
328
53:9
57
54:5
563, 588
54:5-8
80
54:5-13
525
55:1-3
388
55:7-11
357
55:11
724
56:10, 11
389
57:19-21
164
59:14, 15
259
59:19, 20
700
60:1-3
699
60:1-5, 14
343

60:17
60:22
61:1, 2
61:1-3
61:2
62:10
66:14
66:22-24

438
728
746
255
697
295
728
424

JEREMIAH
1:4-10,17-19
5:1
5:30, 31
6:13, 14
6:15
7:16-20
7:25, 26
7:27
16:1-4
20:9
23:25
25:30, 31,
33-35
25:36
27:15
32:10
44:21
51:57

466
440
741
364
365
683
173
173
599
246
88
465
318
88
649
141
20

EZEKIEL
319
2:4
503
3:17-19
739
8:12
636
9:4
89
16:59
17:13, 16-21 89
113
18:4, 20
18:20, 21
435
487
37:19, 22
C h a p . 38
372
C h a p s. 38, 39
461, 464
463
38:1-4
463
38:3-6
639
38:8-12
753
38:23
39:14, 15
465
465
39:17, 18
41:22
44
45:12
651
DANIEL
3:1
3:4-6, 16-18
3:19-25
6:7-10
C hap. 7
7:13, 14
8:3-8, 20, 21
12:1
12:3
12:4
276,

480
499
383
499
479
328
103
171
375
710

HOSE A
4:1, 2
4:6
7:8
10:4
14:2

489
20S
248
89
626
JOEL

3:9-14

464
AMOS

3:7, 8
473
8:11
388, 635
8:11, 12
693
MICAH
4:1-5
4:13

343
319

ZEPHANIAH
2:1, 2
278
2:3
69
3:9
303
2:7

HAGGAI
278, 515
ZECHARIAH

4:7
8:3, 16, 17

703
87

8:20-23
9:9

B
699
328

MALACHI
1:7, 12
53, 60
1:8, 9, 14
625
2:17
10
3:1
59, 319
3:1, 2, 5
587
3:5
88
3:10
28, 670
MATTHEW
1:18, 19
565
3:13-15
404
4:4
149
4:8, 9
726
4:10
116, 251
4:18-22
339
5:3 67, 214, 635
5:4
215, 636
5:5
210
5:6
212
22
5:8-12
5:11, 12
213
5:13
632, 663
5:14-16
219
5:16
439
5:27, 28
594
5:31, 32
594
5:43-48
419
6 :2-4,16-18 740
6:9, 10
747
6:10
613, 698
6:10, 33
582
6:21
175
6:24
341, 398
6:32-34
339
6:33
12, 248,
430, 634
7:12
311, 452
116
7:21-23
7:22, 23
743
7:24, 25
451
8:20
607
8:22
339
9:37
178
9:37, 38
728
10:8
388
10:16
76
10:22
249
10:32, 37, 38! 19
10:33, 37
373
10:28
754
21
11:28-30
116
12:22-28
12:25, 26
196
12:34
131
13:22
398
13:32
703
13:52
693
14:6-10
742
15:6, 14
389
15:7, 8
36
15:15
280
16:22, 23
251
16:24
728
17:20
703
18:15-17,
21, 22
595
18:20
151, 439,
628
19:3-9
588
19:4-6 126, 200,
531
19:4-9
433
19:10-12
599
19:21
491
19:26
492
19:27
340
254
19:28
20:1, 2
653
20:29
575
21:9
746
22:21
87, 437
22:37-39
204
454
22:37-40
22:46
426
23:5
35
23:27, 28
35
C h a p . 24
614
24:7-14
747

ro o klyn

24:8
755
24:12
245
752
24:13, 14
24:14
430
24:21, 22
119
24:22
440
24:30
758
24:31
694
24:37
120
24:38, 39
423
24:45
150, 628
24:45-47
692,
749
690
25:14-30
25:31
59
25:31-34
71
25:31-46
759
26:20-25
383
26:26-30
49
26:27. 28 50. 51
27:3
651
28:18-20
407
28:19, 20
16
MARK
3:29
148
5:19
758
10:3-9
126
10:10-12
588
10:11, 12
594
10:14-16
308
10:18
430,, 726
10:21
340
10:46
575
11:9, 10
746
12:30
398
C h a p . 13
614
13:9
222
13:19, 20
751
14:10-21
383
14:23, 24
50
LUKE
1:5-24. 57-67 254
1:16, 17
404
1:19, 20
347
1:28, 42
295
1:29
141
1:39-55
681
2:1-6
568
2:8, 12
741
3:38
530
4:16-21 629,, 746
5:22
143
6:40, 45
710
8:1
746
8:15
729
9:1-6
703
9:23
399
9:59, 60
375
9:62
375
10:1, 17-20 703
10:3
76
10:29-37
204
10:38-42
452
10:40-42
636
11:27, 28
682
11:44
36
12:15
556
12:32
12
12:48
729
12:51-53
373
14:26-33
401
14:27
405
16:8, 9
314
16:9
266
1 6 :1 0 ,1 1 ,1 3 265
16:18
589
17:10
730
17:20, 21
582
17:26, 27
743
18:8
342
18:35
575
19:12-17,
20, 21,
24-26
690
19:26
690
19:38
746
20:25
626
C h a p . 21
614
21:12
222
21:12, 13
22
22:15, 16
48

, N. Y.

22:19
49, 58
50
22:20
22:28-30 56, 254
31
23:43
JOHN
239, 415,
725
415
1:17
754
1:18
569
2:1-11
203
3:16
3:29
286, 561
18
4:23
434
4:23, 24
4:24
113, 145
171
4:34
722
5:17
5:28. 29 31, 207
170
5:30
754
5:37
646
6:15
439
6:44, 45
52
6:47-58, 68
280
6:68
726
7:46
692
8:28, 29
209
8:31, 32
434
10:14-16
12
10:16
5 27
10:30
726
10:31-39
10:34, 35
753
383
13:21-31
255
14:1-3
14:6, 7
19
14:26
151
116
14:30
729
15:1, 2
729
15:8
15
15:10
16:12, 13
150
17:4
7 26
17:6
7 50
437
17:15
17:16
646
746
18:37
19:8-11
89
20:30, 31
392
388
21:15-17
21:25
392
1:14

ACTS
2:32-36
2:36
2:41
2:42-47
4:4
5:1-10
5:29
7:51
8:3, 4
8:4
8:26-38
8:31
388,
13:1
15:14
15:28, 29
17:11
17:23
17:24-28
17:26
516,
18:24, 25
19:1-7 406,
19:23-41
20:28
20:28-31
20:29, 30
20:35
281,
21:8, 9
21:13
23:1-5
24:26, 27
26:7
26:17, 18
27:24, 37
28:3-6

747
487
727
727
727
88
217
147
217
727
628
451
664
749
95
141
753
200
611
406
763
287
502
86
742
359
601
340
347
564
487
461
440
286

ROMANS
1:12
1:19, 20
1:20
1:21

282
229
100
232

ecem ber

1:21-23, 28 275
1:26-32
591
3:4
88
5:1, 2, 9
56
5:3-5
375
5:12
293, 724
5:12-14
538
5:18
550
70
5:19
6:23
70, 203
7:2, 3
590
7:2-4
597
141
8:5
8:10
57
8:15-17
56
8:38, 39
249
9:17
8
9:22-24
498
10:2-4
275
12:1
57, 177
12:1, 2
399
12:2
141, 176,
346, 358
553
12:15
12:16
556
12:17
419
12:21
420, 502
13:1
203, 480
13:11
368
13:12. 13
554
1 CORINTHIANS
1:10
141. 276,
630
516
1:26-29
2:10
149
336
3:5-9
731
3:6
420
3:7
4:1, 2
689
4:9
286, 287
4:12, 13
419
440
5:1-4
596
5:1-13
441
5:5
589
5:11-13
5:11, 13
563
6:2
680
6:9-20
668
6:9, 13
317
6:13, 15,
57
19, 20
6:16
126, 531
341
6:19, 20
587
7:1-7
7:2-5
433
7:4
595
7:7-9
601
7:10,11 591,,593
592
7:12-16
7:23
19
7:24
573
7:28
538
602
7:29-35
316
7:32-34, 9
7:33
587
7:36, 37
603
603
7:38-40
7:39
316, 597
599
7:39, 40
95
8:1-13
8:1, 4, 10-12 45

SEeWATCHTOWER.

15, 1956
142
8:7
9:5
599
46
9:13
246
9:16
374
9:20-23
328
9:20, 22
9:22
634
9:24-27 250, 371
345
9:25
9:26
248, 734
48
10:16
10:16-21
53
56
10:17
46
10:18-21
754
10:19, 20
55
10:22
46
10:25-31
95
10:25-33
345
10:31
344
11:1
588
11:3
45
11:20
58
11:20-26
48
11:20, 23
49
11:23, 24
11:27-34
60
438
12:14-25
249
12:14-26
441
12:26
56
12:27, 28
13:4
554
117
13:8-11
490
14:33
15:32
9, 286,
287
15:33 250, 306,
562
15:44, 50
293
204
15:45
126
15:45, 47
676
15:50
181
15:58
2 CORINTHIANS
287
1:8-10
360
2:11
2:14
455
455
2:15, 16
606
3:1-3
662
3:2-6
3:6
58
3 :1 6 ,1 7 403 ,5 5 1
4:4
9, 360
126
4:6
57
4:10, 11
49
5:1
59
5:1-3, 6-9
348
5:16, 17
5:17
527, 725
6:2
699
6:14
562
6:14-16
55
10:3-5
639
10:3-6
503
10:4
365
10:4, 5 285, 359,
373, 711
10:17
730
11:2, 3
562
11:3
143
11:13-15
112
11:23-27
287

13:5

345, 349,
547 630

GALATIANS
1:4
423
1:8
619
2:2
242
2:11-14
88
3:28
612
4:9-11
742
4:21-31
80
4:25 to 5:1
526
5:1
403
5:19-21
114,
370 566
5:22, 23
600
5:25, 26
553
6:7, 9
420
6:9
181 630
6:16
87
6:17
57
EPHESIANS
2:2
109
2:4-7
256
2:11-19
204
57
2:14-18
2:22
694
3:2, 3
689
4:1-3
370
4:3-6
206
4:8
348
4:11-14
630
439
4:12
4:14
360
4:22, 23 276,358
4:24
276
4:25
87
4:29, 31
306
5:5
317
5:21-24
588
5:25, 33
587
5:26
360
5:27
567
592
5:28-31
5:31
126
5:33
503
6:1, 2
310
6:4
282
6:10-12
109
6:11
119
6:11, 12
372
6:12
120. 247,
365
6:14, 15
367
6:16, 17
367
368
6:17
332
6:17, 12
6:18
368
6:19, 20
368
P H IU P PIA N S
664
1:1
1:9, 10
278
1:27
311,, 370
1:27-29
371
2:3
556
434
2:4
142
2:5
238
2:5-7
2:5-11
748
2:8-11
203

2:12
2:12, 13
2:16
3:8
3:13, 14
3:19
4:5
4:7
4:8

433
709
243
175
247
143
344
634
657

COLOSSIANS
1:9, 10
547
1:15, 16
238
1:16
722
1:25
689
2:8
392
2:14, 15
371
3:9, 10 141, 276,
358
3:10
126
3:15
57
3:23
734
4:6
632
1 THESSALONIANS
2:11. 12
311
4:3, 7
57
4:11
435
5:1-3
206
5:12-27
669
5:15
419,, 503
5:21
547
5:22
566
2 THESSALONIANS
2:11
86
1 TIMOTHY
1:11
430
1:18-20
370
2:1-3
365
2:3, 4
278
2:13
534
2:14
535
3:1, 2, 12
585
3:2
281
3:2, 3, 11
345
3:10
664
3:16
239
4:1-3
676
4:6
135
4:7, 8
242
4:8
305
4:12, 13
282
4:13-15
415
4:16
315
5:6, 11-15
602
5:8
511
5:22
563
6:3, 4
164
6:5
36
6:5, 6
345
6:10
313
6:12
241
6:14
349
6:18
75
2 TIMOTHY
1:5
282,, 307
1:7
501
1:7, 8
400
1:12-14
164

767

1:13, 14
694
2:3
369
2:4
373
2:5
117, 242
2:13
420
2:15
285, 631
2:20, 21
491
2:24, 25
633
3:1-4
312, 743
3:1-5
39, 657
3:3
511
3:7 2 7 6 ,2 8 4 ,5 4 7
3:8
148
3:15
391
4:2-7
366
4:3, 4
741
502
4:5
4:8
254
4:10
373
TITU S
1:5-7
1:5-16
1:15
1:16
232,
.2:3-5
2:7
3:1
3:3

585
668
142
275,
658
588
491
141
554

HEBREWS
167
1:14
2:1
285
2:9
239
2:13
299
2:14
50
3:12
403
4:4, 10
126
5:12-14
243
5:13 to 6:1
277
6:4-8
60
6:17-20
209
9:9, 10
362
9:12
51
51
9:17-20
10:5-7
49
10:7
399, 430
10:10
53
10:10, 29
57
10:11, 12
676
10:19, 20
50
10:23-25
415,
629
10:24, 25
500,
730
60
10:26-31
10:29
53
10:39
148
11:4
494
11:6
403
11:17
494
495
11:24-27
12:1
245
12:1, 2
253
12:6, 11
310
13:4
317, 598
53
13:10-13
626
13:15
JAMES
1:1

487

1:5-8
703
1:7, 8
341
1:14, 15
535
1:18
56
1:26
132
1:27
645
2:25
81
3:16
554
4:3
543
4:4
593, 645
341
4:8-10
5:10, 11
173
5:19, 20
594
1 PETER
286
1:7, 8
1:13
245
2:1
554
2:9
56,254,,439
2:12, 13
310
2:21
390, 728
2:23, 21
419
3:5, 6
586
3:7
587
3:15
633
3:16, 17
502
3:16, 17, 21 371
3:19
278, 423
142
4:1
4:3
743
594
4:8
4:10
689
4:17
679
5:2, 3
281
5:4
254
5:6-11
503
5:8
247
2 PETER
1:5, 6
1:6
1:20, 21
2:4
2:19
3:3, 4
3:5
3:5-7
3:5-13
3:13
207,
3:15

600
566
460
118
550
423
422
424
421
424
498

1 JOHN
1:1
1:3, 6, 7
2:15
2:15-17 133,
2:17
3:2
3:16-18
4 :1-3
4:7, 8, 16
4:12
4:17, 18
5:3
5:4
5:16
5:19
5:21

286
55
647
397
648
286
264
111
202
239
501
501
502
415
201
312

JUDE
3
4-10

253
439

8-11
14, 15
16

347
494
17

REVELATION
1:3
280
1:5
746
1:17, 18
527
2:10
254
2:26-29
639
3:11
254
3:14
238, 527,
746
3:17
635
3:18
140
254
3:21
4:4
253
4:11
527, 709
255
5:5
254
5:6-10
255
5:13, 14
6:2
254
6:6
653
343
7:9
7:9, 10
255
752
7:9-17
255
7:11, 12
7:13
255
7:13-17
255
299
11:7, 8
11:15-18 255 ,7 5 1
12:1-12
372
12:7-12 70, 751
12:9
201
12:10-12
119
502
12:11
12:12
551
12:17
118, 751
479
C h a p . 13
13:1-14
256
479
13:18
254
14:1-3
253
14:1, 3
14:1-4
599, 749
14:4
120
14:14, 15
254
120,
16:13-16
751, 754
16:14
359, 671
16:16
430, 671
17:8
104
17:12-14
639
18:4
69, 435
19:4
255
254
19:7, 8
742
19:11-16
19:11 to
751
20:3
19:19-21
648
19:20
256
496
20:1-3
201
20:2
254
20:4
254
20:6
21:2, 9-23
561
21:1, 7, 8
400
424
21:4
249
21:8
21:14
254
22:14, 15
114
22:17
728
22:18
391

SUBJECT INDEX FOR THE WATCHTOWER, 1956

Accurate Knowledge to Please Jehovah ............
Activity and Life versus Inactivity and Death ...
Approaching the Presence of God ........................
Are You Bible-starved? ..............................................
Attaining Victory in Christian Warfare ............
Avoid Sicknesses of Mind and Heart ..................

273
241
361
711
132

Bible or Tradition Which Is Mans Guide? The

Bible Questions Stump Clergymen ........................
Blessings Through Service ......................................
Book of Books, The ....................................................
Bridle Your T on g u e......................................................

389
638
696
355
131

Careful Living Helps Avoid Life s P itfa lls ....

Cautious as Serpents Among Wolves ..............
Children Respond to Discipline ..........................
Choose Whom You W ill Serve ........................
Christian Worship and Preservation of Virtue
Church Leaders in a Dilemma ..........................
Clergy and the Book, The ....................................
Clergyman Says Serpent Told Eve the Truth
Communist Leaders Fear Bible Truth ..........
Communists Continue to Persecute
Jehovahs Witnesses .........................................
Community or Congregational Interests..........
Conscious of Your Spiritual Need? ..................

309
76
637
15
657
168
259
268
209
483
436
67

768

SFEeWATCHTOWER.

Declaring Our Hope Unwaveringly in Meetings .......

Delivering Satans Death Notice ...................................
Divine Interests, The ...........................................................
Divine Origin of Marriage, The .......................................
Does the Bible Agree with Your Church? ...................
Do You Believe Only What You Can See? .................
Do You Fear Men or God? ...............................................
Dusty Bible No Laughing Matter .................................

414
467
428
525
675
99
739
451

Early Church Fathers and the Trinity ....................... 504

Exalting Jehovah s Worship Above the Mountains .... 720
Exclusive Devotion .....................
8
Faithful Stewardship .........................
False Shepherds Wail .........................................................
Fighters for T r u th .................................................................
Finding Sheep in Death Row .......................................
Flags and Religion ...............................................................
Freedom Suppressed in Solomon Isla n d s.....................
From Catholic Seminary to Jehovah's Witnesses ....
From Gilead s Twenty-sixth Class to the President ..
Full-Time Service a Glorious Treasure .....................

689
318
369
510
579
707
557
90
169

Gaining the Prize of Life by Active Training Now .... 248

Getting and Giving the Thoughts of God ................... 357
Gilead Graduates Its Twenty-seventh Class ................ 559
Gilead s 26th Graduation a Happy Occasion ............... 240
Good News for Perplexed H um anity............................... 261
Good News of Salvation by Him, The ................... 744
Great Pyramid of Giza, The ........................................... 297
Hands in the Scriptures, The ...........................................
Has Gods Purpose for Mankind Failed? ...................
Hebrew Weights and Money ...........................................
Hell Offends and Heaven B o re s .......................................
He Made Out of One Man Every Nation ...............
He That Marries Not Does Better ...............................
Hospitals, Take Notice! .....................................................
How True Christians View Politics .............................
How W ill Gods Kingdom Come? ...................................

616
517
649
268
515
598
509
645
581

I Lived in Exile in Siberia ...............................................

Individual Human In terests...............................................
Is God a Segregationist? ...................................................
Israels Wonderful W ay in Worship .............................
Is Sincerity Enough? ...........................................................
Is the Golden Rule Enough? ...........................................
Is the Queenship of Mary Scriptural? ...........................
Is This Good Advice? ...........................................................
Is This Treasure for You? .................................................

233
431
611
685
323
452
293
425
176

Jehovah, God of Production...............................................

Jehovahs Judgment Days .................................................
Jehovahs Message Against Gog of Magog .................
Jesus and the Jews ...............................................................
Judge, O Jehovah! .............................................................

721
677
460
324
489

Keeping Up with the T r u th ............................................... 144

Keep Pace by Conforming to
Theocratic Requirements ........................................... 342
Keep Pace with the New World S ociety....................... 336
Language and Its Purpose .................................................
Learn How to Learn ...........................................................
Let Us Not Envy One Another .......................................
Loving in Deed as Well as in Word ...........................
Luther Fights Then Compromises ...............................

301
547
553
264
329

Maintaining In te grity.................................................
Making All Mankind One Under Their Creator .......
Making the Fragrance of the Knowledge
of God Perceptible .......................................................
Mans Rightful Role .......................
Marriage Ceremony and Requirements .......................
Marriage Obligations and Divorce ...............................
Marriage Under Imperfect Conditions .........................
Mary a Disciple, Not a Queen .......................................
Modern History of Jehovahs Witnesses
Part 25: Expansion in Europe and Africa
(1945-1955)
Part 26: Expansion in Asia and the Pacific Area"!.!
Part 27: The International Assembly of 1946 .........
Part 28: International Assemblies (1946-1950)
Part 29: International Assemblies (1951) ...............
Part 30: International Assembly (1953) ...................
Part 31: Ending the Fourth, Beginning the Fifth
Decade of Kingdom Operation ...............................
My Load Is Light ...............................

497
195
455
639
567
585
533
681
4
40
72
105
136
165
220
21

Necessary Arrangements for a Baptismal Service .... 408

Need for Solitude, The ....................................................... 643
1955 Service Year Report of Jehovahs Witnesses
World-Wide .....................
24

B r o o k lyn , N. Y.

Nobody
but Jehovahs
Witnesses....................................
................................ 605
360
Not
So Safe
to toBe Listen
a Christian
Not Too
Young
and Learn ......................... 300
OfferYour
to God
a Sacrifice
of Praise
........................... 625
Offer
Sacrifices
of Praise
Aright.........................
632
One
Body
of
Partakers
.............................................
55
Originally
No
Clergy-Laity
Distinction
.....................
Outstanding Assemblies in Korea and Alaska.......... 447
539
O Ye of Little Faith ...................................................... 619
Peace
of Mind
Through Letters
Accurate.........
Knowledge
.......... 163
Preaching
byVisit
Writing
..........................
Presidential
to
Australia
and
Indonesia
.......... 688
409
Presidential
Visit
to
Burma,
the
Philippines
and
Hong Kong ................................................................. 475
President
Serves
Taiwan, Okinawa
and Japan
Presidents
Visit
toin Translation
Singapore
and
Thailand,
The ....
.... 505
442
Problems
in
Bible
....................................
631
Productive
Witnessing
.....................................................
Proving Ourselves the Right Kind of Ministers ..... 728
135
Pursuing
My Purpose
in Life:
Arnott,
Harry
W.............................................................
333
Attwood,
C.................................................................
653
Dougaluk, A.Victoria
...................................................... 620
........................................................ 712
393
Dreyer,
Rosa
MayR.........................................................
Phillips,
George
Rydell,
Esther
M.............................................................
521
Steele,
............................................................ 269
Yeatts, Gertrude
Thomas R...........................................................
456
Rafter
in
Her
Own
Eye,
The
....................................
584
Real
BookBecomes
of Freedom,
................... ...................... 548
Religion
aOnly
FadThe
...............................................
36
Religion
in
Form
.................................................
35
Religion Only on Surface ............................................... 138
Rise Up to the Opportunities .................................... 387
Serving
withtheJehovahs
of Communication 28
Shining as
Light ofChannel
the World
......................... 218
Showing
a
Wealth
of
Good
Works
.............................
75
Stop
Evil,
Start
Good
...................................................
Supporting the Service at Jehovahs House Fully .... 419
670
Sylvester I, the Man Who Wasnt There .................. 617
Table
of Table
Demons,
The versus
Thethe
Jehovah
.......................................
44
Telling
GoodofNews
from Day
to D ay................. 752
Theocratic
Marriage
in
an
Alien
World
...................
560
They Worlds,
Are Without
Excuse ........................................ 229
Three
The ..........................................................
421
Too
Quick
to
Label
Some
as Goatsof? 1955,
.....................
287
Triumphant
Kingdom
Assemblies
The
Part
Dallas,York
Texas
.................................................
29
Part 4:5:3: New
CityEuropean
...............................................
61
Part
En
Route
to
Assemblies;
London, England ...................................................... 92
Part 6: Paris, France; Rome, Italy ......................... 121
Part
7: Nuremberg,
Germany;
Berlin,
Germany West
.....................................................
Part
8:
Stockholm,
Sweden;
The
Hague,.................... 152
The
Netherlands;
Helsinki,
Finland
Triumphing over Enemies by Kingdom Preaching .... 183
520
Triumphing
over
WickedFriends
Spirit ....................................
Forces ..................... 265
108
True
Riches
and
True
Turn to the New World Society ................................ 663
Visit to the Pacific .......................................................... 377
Waging
thea Right
Warfare
........................................... 237
364
Was Jesus
God-Man?
...................................................
Were
the
Ten
Tribes
Lost?
...........................................
485
What
Me ...................................... 396
What Dedication
Would
JesusMeans
Say?to...............................................
740
When
Will
Gods
Kingdom
Come? ............................. 613
Why
an
Agnostic
..............................................................
182
Why Are the Clergy Discouraged? .............................. 291
Why
Believe
in
God..........................................................
100
Why
Bother
...................................... 3
Why Did
GodAbout
MakeReligion?
Man? .............................................
709
Why Examine the Bible? ............................................... 227
Why One Must Be Baptized ......................................... 402
Why the Crisis of All Mankind? ................................ 68
Wielding
Spiritual
Sword
Against
WickedtheSpirit
Forces
.............................................
332
Writing the Human Recommendation Letter
with Gods Spirit .................................................... 606
Your Personal Study........................................................ 279
Youth in the New World Society ................................ 304
Zionism Has No Inalienable Right ............................ 575