The Watchtower — December 15, 1950

Jehovah’s Witnesses Again Endure Totalitarian Hate

Communism in East Germany relights the Nazi fires of persecution

COMMUNISTS may hate the Bible, but they prove its prophecies true. Their furious onslaughts against Jehovah’s witnesses are a part of the fulfillment of Jesus’ words to his followers: “Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matt. 24:9) In blazing forth against these followers of Christ, the Communists prove themselves footstep followers of the Nazis. The Reds relight the fires of persecution once stoked by Hitler’s hordes. And, like the Nazis, the Communists seek to cover their basic hate of true Christianity with a torrent of lies.

The Communist-dominated East Germany press continually spews out distortions against the Witnesses. It falsely accuses them of advocating immorality. It claimed that a Witness murdered his wife as a sacrifice to Jehovah, and that he was intending to kill his children to imitate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. It charges the Witnesses with anti-Semitism because they Scripturally teach that Jews no longer comprise a consecrated, holy nation, but are on an equal footing with all men before God. But the favorite distortion is that the Witnesses are spies for American imperialists. The evidence? Why, they get literature from America, distribute CARE packages from America, refuse to sign the Communist appeal to outlaw the atom bomb, and preach that the destructive war of Armageddon is inevitable. Communist propaganda argues that the Witnesses refuse to sign the appeal outlawing the atom bomb because through this bomb America will win the battle of Armageddon. How ridiculous!

Hiding hateful religious persecution behind false charges of subversion and sedition was not new with the Nazis, and is not new with the Communists. The same false charges of sedition and weakener of national morale were brought against Jehovah’s servants before Christ, against Christ, and against his followers. Note this for yourself by reading Ezra 4:15, Nehemiah 2:19, Esther 3:8, Jeremiah 37:13-15; 38:4, Luke 23:2 and Acts 24:5. Such faithful servants of God suffered torture and death in ancient times. They do today also. Read the following translation of a dispatch appearing in the newspaper Stockholms-Tidningen, September 18, 1950:

“JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES IN EASTERN ZONE SUFFERING TERRIBLE TORTURE

“HANNOVER, Sept. 17.—(ST) Having arrested nearly 1,000 of the more noted among Jehovah’s witnesses in the Eastern Zone, the People’s Police are now searching high and low for all members of this so strongly resistant sect in order to definitely liquidate the sect as such. Their leading preachers have been sentenced to 25 years of hard labor, and so have the members of their families, and one has to face the possibility that, so long as the Communist government is in power, all of Jehovah’s witnesses will disappear into prison.

“Academy students who have fled from the Eastern Zone are reporting about all that which the authorities have done, but hitherto without success, to break the open and fanatical opposition of the sect against the Communists. Jehovah’s witnesses have been ill-treated and tortured in the most horrible way without renouncing their faith, which is to the effect that Christ is to be acknowledged as the highest and only authority and that they do not want to submit to any human power.

“With the mass-arresting of Jehovah’s witnesses these people have now, for the second time within a couple of decades, donned the martyr’s crown—and they know what that means. Already during the Hitler regime about 1,000 Jehovah’s witnesses were executed as traitors, because they not only refused to serve in the war but openly opposed Hitler’s authority. Another 1,000 of Jehovah’s witnesses died in prisons and concentration camps, and all who have afterwards been describing life in those camps have in their books given Jehovah’s witnesses the very highest recognition.

“Jehovah’s witnesses have now been acting under the Communist Quisling regime just as they acted during the Hitler regime, and in the Eastern Zone the sect had of late been getting such a following, especially among the women and the youth, that it became too frightening to the regime. The preachers of the sect have never hesitated to openly state what they think of the Communist regime. They have branded the Eastern Zone elections as fraudulent and the Communist regime itself as ‘a Satanic rule’.

“Taking shelter behind the scripture, ‘All power in heaven and in earth is given unto me,’ Jehovah’s witnesses refuse to accept any kind of earthly authority. Normally they are fighting neither the state as such nor its laws, and the only thing which they have been considering themselves entitled to claim in ordinary, honest, democratic states is to be exempted from serving in war. But, exactly as in the Hitler Reich, in the Eastern Zone they have got into a mortal struggle with the regime only because of their publicly proclaiming their faith. As they, before 1945, used to refuse to salute Hitler’s swastika flag and to say ‘Heil Hitler’, so they are now refusing to salute the Red ensigns. And to the Eastern Zone movement of resistance against the Communist regime they have, because of their uncompromising attitude, become the factor around which to rally. To the masses of Germans in the Eastern Zone the unsophisticated witnesses of Jehovah, in their implicit faith, have become a great example, and hence very dangerous to the Communist regime.

“The Communists have an easy job in rounding up Jehovah’s witnesses, by reason of the new questionnaire: ‘Are you willing to sign or subscribe to the Stockholm Appeal against the atom bomb?’ . . . Hitherto they have refused to sign, all of them, and for this refusal they are now all going to prison. In view of Jehovah’s witnesses’ almost supernatural power of resistance, one may take it for granted that, should the Communist regime in the Eastern Zone stay in power much longer, they will never return from the prisons alive.”

To this revealing account is added the United Press dispatch of October 4, from Berlin: “Nine members of the Jehovah’s witnesses sect were sentenced to long prison terms today by the Supreme Court in Communist East Germany for spying in the Russian zone for the United States. Willi Heinicke and Friedric Adler received life terms. The others were sentenced to from eight to fifteen years. All were convicted of charges of sending military and other data to ‘an espionage center in Brooklyn’. They were charged also with sabotage in connection with the Communist campaign to outlaw the atomic bomb and ‘defamation of the people’s elections’ scheduled to be held in the Soviet zone October 15.”

Through all trials Jehovah’s witnesses today hold staunchly to the inspired conviction of the apostle Paul: “Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? To the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through him that loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:35, 37-39, NW) Communism cannot succeed where Nazism failed. Human ruling isms will end at the latest in Jehovah God’s battle of Armageddon. To those who endure the hate and persecution from all nations for Christ’s name’s sake the promise applies: “He that has endured to the finish is the one that will be saved.”—Matt. 24:13, NW.

This Masquerade Called Christmas

VISIT the Kelly family around the corner and the Joneses across the street on Christmas day and you will see that they celebrate the occasion about the same way thousands of other people do throughout the world. The Kellys are Catholics, have nine children, and are quite poor. The Joneses are Protestants, have three children, and are well-to-do. Circumstances like these make the annual December celebration in the two homes very different in many details.

For example, in the Kelly home is a tiny artificial Christmas tree left over from year before last. The Joneses have such a huge freshly-cut evergreen its top had to be removed to get it into the house. Nevertheless, in all purpose and intent, the spirit of the occasion in the two homes is essentially the same. Both houses are filled with an unusual atmosphere of mirth, and as they sit down to special Christmas dinners they momentarily forget their everyday sorrows and worries. Faithfully, they have attended their respective churches earlier in the day, where they heard the clergymen extol Christmas as a Christian celebration in honor of Jesus Christ.

But pause and think. What do such things as the Christmas tree with its trimmings and the holiday’s other accessories—mistletoe, holly, candles, yuletide logs, fruits and nuts, mince pies, and roast pig—have to do with the birth and life of Christ? Why the ever-increasing emphasis on the “Christmas spirit”: excessive wining and dining, drunkenness and licentiousness? Where did the “Santa Claus” myth originate? If December 25 is Christ’s birthday, then why do the Eastern and Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7?

WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?

The Bible, all will agree, is the only reliable history on the subject, and fortunately it does not leave us in doubt as to what time of the year Jesus was born. Zechariah, the priestly father of John the Baptist, was serving at the temple in the eighth course of the priesthood called that of “Abijah”. This was in the early part of June, and at that time the Lord’s angel informed him that Elizabeth his wife would shortly conceive a son who would be named John. (Luke 1:5, 8, 13, 23-28, AS) So when Jehovah’s angel visited Elizabeth’s cousin, Mary, during the sixth month of Elizabeth’s conception this would mark the time of year as December. The record, therefore, shows that it was at that time in December that this Mary, the mother-to-be of Jesus, became pregnant. Consequently, Jesus was not born in December, but rather, nine months later, around the latter part of September or the first of October.—Luke 1:26, 27, 30, 31, 36.

Furthermore, the Scriptures say that shepherds were in the open fields attending their flocks when Jesus was born. Hence it was autumn time before the rainy season, and not in December, when the flocks would be wintering in sheepfolds. (Luke 2:8-20; Ezra 10:9, 13) Moreover, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river about the time of his thirtieth birthday, and that was not in the chill of winter. (Luke 3:21-23) Let it also be called to mind that Jesus was nailed to the tree when thirty-three and a half years old, and since this occurred at passover time in the spring of the year, necessarily he was born thirty-three years and six months previous, that is, in the fall of the year and not in December. So all the scriptures are very definite in proving that Jesus was not born anywhere near December 25 or January 7. Hence it is wrong to celebrate either of these dates as Jesus’ birthday.

Then how does it come that these dates have been so universally accepted for the celebration of Christmas? A look at ancient paganism shows that people thousands of years before Christ was born worshiped the ever-rising, ever-setting, never-dying sun as the source of life and immortality. Yearly they watched the days grow shorter until the winter solstice, on December 21, was reached, and then in jubilation over its “return” they held a great feast in honor of the “reborn” sun. When the tower-building experiment at Babel became confused sun worshipers were scattered throughout the world, and so among the early Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons and Celts, as well as the Egyptians, Persians and others, riotous December feasting with drunken revelry and lewd rites were held. This feast among the pagan Romans was known as the “feast of Saturnalia”.

The obvious conclusion drawn from these facts is that the celebration of December 25 is purely of pagan and demonic origin. Says the Catholic Encyclopedia (vol. 3, page 727): “The well-known solar feast, however, of Natalis Invicti [‘Birthday of the Unconquered’], celebrated on 25 December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our December date.”

Early Christians had nothing to do with this pagan holiday. “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. Irenaeus and Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts,” says the Catholic Encyclopedia. However, as time went on and the Roman Catholic Church endeavored to win over more pagans, the clergy pinned a “Christian” label on the pagan Saturnalia on December 25 and sponsored it as the “mass of Christ” or “Christ-mass”.

Not only do the clergy admit this, they even try to justify it. James M. Gillis, C.S.P., editor of the Catholic World (Dec. 2, 1945), wrote: “It is a well-known fact that the popes and councils in the early Church deliberately placed a Christian festival on or near the day of a previously existing pagan carnival, with the purpose of ousting the heathenish and generally licentious celebration.” But how has the continued celebration of this pagan holiday with a Christian label on it ousted the heathenish celebration? Under clergy sponsorship and blessing the pagan customs have continued down until the present time.

ORIGIN AND MEANING OF XMAS CUSTOMS

Evergreens were used by the ancient sun worshipers as a symbol of immortality. In Egypt, where pine trees are not available, the green branches of palm trees were substituted. In India, oleander twigs were used, and the pagans of Rome decorated their homes for the grand Saturnalia feast with green boughs. Ivy and holly were likewise considered sacred by the ancient Greeks and others. The Druids held mistletoe especially sacred, and in their mystic rites on December 25 “the privilege of the mistletoe” allowed a youth to kiss a girl beneath it as long as the berries lasted, one for each kiss.

Lighted candles in the window hark back to the wax candles used by the Roman celebrators of the Saturnalia. The yule log was annually burned at the December festival by the Scandinavians. Long before so-called Christians in Italy took up the practice, the Chinese and Hindus used fireworks to make their worship of the demons as noisy as possible.

Even the special Christmas dishes of food and the use of potent alcoholic drinks originated with the pagans. Back in the days of Jeremiah, those that turned away from Jehovah’s pure worship baked special cakes for their goddess, “the queen of heaven,” and it is from that ancient practice that such things as “gingerbread men”, mince pies and the like originated. (Jer. 7:18) It was the Druids who roasted a boar’s head for their goddess Freya, and since then roast pig has been considered very appropriate for the Christmas dinner. The forerunner of the season’s punch bowl was the Anglo-Saxon wassail bowl with its intoxicating brew. Gluttony in both eating and drinking was as much a part of the celebration among the pagans as it is today among people of Christendom. The Bible, however, condemns such.—Prov. 23:21; Gal. 5:19-21; Phil. 3:19.

That red-cheeked, double-chinned, bewhiskered “jolly good fellow” called Santa Claus has had a much shorter association with the holiday than the other accessories. Some claim that a saintly bishop of Myre by the name of Nicholas, who lived in the fourth century after Christ, was the first “St. Nicholas”, and down through the dark Middle Ages he was considered the patron saint of pawnshops and beggars. He was depicted as a simple, pale and rather ascetic personage, until a cartoonist got hold of him in 1863 and dressed the “saint” up in gay togs. “St. Nick” in reality is a personification of the Devil, as The Century Dictionary points out.

The Devil has done everything possible to blaspheme and reproach the true and living God and to turn the people away from His pure worship. To accomplish both of these wicked purposes, as is done when so-called Christians celebrate Christmas, the Devil has employed every device of deception. Two major features of his scheme have been exposed, namely, the labeling of a pagan holiday as Christ’s birthday, and the continued use of pagan customs, symbols and practices in the name of Christ. In addition, Satan has so successfully bound the hearts and affections and emotions of the people to this God-dishonoring celebration that even when they are informed of the outright paganism of the whole affair many people are inclined to hold on to it as a cherished possession. “So what?” is their attitude. Overlook the bad features and look at the good that is accomplished, they say. Look at the spiritual uplift that is annually obtained—gifts to the poor, inspiring carol songs, Bible reading about ‘peace on earth, good will toward men’. A closer examination of these features, however, will also show them to be clever parts of the masquerade.

You may be surprised to learn that the giving of Christmas gifts is as pagan in its origin as the other customs. You object to this on the grounds that “wise men” brought gifts when Jesus was born? Well, that is just the point. Those “wise men” were devil-worshiping magi from the East, from Persia, and they came at the instance of the Devil and would have carried out his purpose of betraying Jesus to wicked Herod had God not intercepted the plan. On the other hand, God-fearing shepherds also came, but there is no record that they indulged in the pagan gift-giving practice. (Matt. 2:1-11; Luke 2:8-20) Tertullian and others tell how exchanging of gifts was a part of the Saturnalia celebration. And the hymns they sang at that feast were predecessors to the Christmas carols.

Let us be honest about the giving of food baskets to the poor at this season. What about the rest of the year? Will once-a-year giving by a nation that calls itself Christian appease God’s anger for its deliberate withholding necessities of life from the poor in order to keep prices high? Indeed not! No outward splurge of charity to Christmas funds will erase the wanton and sinful destruction of food and material—the killing off of pigs, the burning of coffee, the plowing under of cotton, the dumping of milk, eggs and potatoes. Surely God will hear the cry of the needy who are doled out a portion of food on Christmas and are neglected, forgotten and oppressed the rest of the year.—Ps. 9:16-18; Jer. 5:26-29; Amos 8:4-7.

Frankly, those that sing the loudest at Christmastime about “Peace on earth” are the very ones that are foremost in fighting against the only means of obtaining that lasting peace, namely, by and through God’s kingdom over which Christ Jesus rules. Hypocrites they are who honor God with their lips but with their hearts, minds and course of action oppose him. (Matt. 15:8) True Christianity, on the other hand, is not a once-a-year affair. It is a full-time, an all-the-time, way of life, a life filled full of singing Jehovah’s praise and the praise of his beloved Son, a life devoted to the doing of their will and the keeping of their commandments.—John 14:21, 23, 24; 15:9, 10; 1 John 2:3-6.

Let the Kellys and the Joneses and all the other sincere, honest and upright people who have slavishly celebrated the pagan holiday called Christmas now make a break for freedom. Let them come away into the pure worship of Jehovah God the Life-giver as that worship is set forth in the great Book of freedom and truth, the Bible. This will mean not only everlasting life to them, the following of such a Christian course, but also a happy life of eternity filled full of joy and gladness and pleasures forevermore.—John 17:3, NW.

Religious Charity versus Good Works

EVERY year hundreds of millions of dollars are contributed by the public to what are termed reputable, legitimate and worthy charities, many of which are sponsored by religious organizations. The question is, Should true Christians, who are under the godly commandments to do good, contribute to these supposedly humanitarian money-raising schemes?

Jehovah God is the best example of one that does good to others. He gave the first man a beautiful home with all the necessities of life. (Gen. 1:29-31) Thereafter, and in spite of the original man’s disobedience, condemnation and execution, the sinful offspring of the first pair have continued to enjoy many blessings from God’s merciful hand. All living creatures are completely dependent on Him for the sunshine, air, rain, soil, fertile seed and all other things essential for life.—Ps. 145:15-17, Yg.

Why, then, are there so many poor and needy people in the world, so many who are sick, diseased and suffering, and who are in need of the bare necessities of life? Satan the Devil is the one responsible for all this woe and trouble. God is in no wise to blame for such miserable conditions even though so falsely charged. The Devil, by and through his world organization, has ruled the people with the spirit of greed and selfishness. With cruelty and harshness the masses of common people have been oppressed and kept in subjection.

The state tells farmers what and how much they may plant, how many pigs to kill off and bury in the ground, how much cotton to plow under, how much coffee to burn—all this to keep prices excessively high. The government dumps potatoes and destroys other crops when prices are “too low”, and in this way the increase that God gives to the land and its animals is destroyed by selfish men.

Substituting communistic co-operatives for capitalistic governments does not remedy or correct conditions. Under one system of government or under another, the people continue to suffer. The poor we will always have with us, Jesus said, until this present evil world is swept away and God’s glorious new world is established.—Mark 14:7.

GOD COMMANDS US TO DO GOOD WORKS

To know that Jehovah is able to shield and protect the poor against the strong oppressor and the mighty rich is surely a great comfort. (Ps. 35:10) The Lord has always been interested in helping the poor. All true Christians likewise do good to the poor. “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.” “He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.” (Prov. 29:7; 14:31) The poor love life and its blessings the same as all other folks. So why should anyone who loves God make them suffer or rob them of what little they have? How foolish it is for the rich to hoard up possessions for themselves. They cannot take it with them when they die, and it will be of no help or protection during Armageddon. “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.”—Prov. 11:4.

The important thing, the Word of God says, is to be rich in good works. But can one wealthy in material possessions also be rich in good works? This question was in the mind of the rich young ruler in Jesus’ day who asked the Master what he must do in order to gain eternal life. You can read the account in Matthew 19:16-24.

Jesus did not speak evasively, but plainly for the young man’s own good. From all outward appearance this fellow was a respectable, law-abiding individual. There is nothing to indicate that he oppressed or robbed the poor. Apparently he had come by his money and holdings in a lawful manner. But the question was, What was he going to do with what he had? How was he to use his wealth? Said Jesus: ‘If you give to the poor you will have treasure in heaven, provided you come and follow me.’

Thus it becomes clear that donating to charitable causes as a philanthropist is of no value in God’s sight unless one goes farther and becomes a true footstep follower of Jesus. It also appears that the possession of wealth is in itself of no particular harm. The question is, How is that wealth used? If you are rich in this world’s goods will you do what Jesus said? Are you willing to give up your material wealth and follow the course Jesus did, work in the interests of the poor and with the Kingdom message comfort those who mourn? Or will you hang tightly on to what you have and turn aside grieved and peeved at what the Lord has said, as the young man did nineteen centuries ago? To do that is selfishness, greediness, covetousness. (1 Tim. 6:10) Yes, the right thing is the hard thing to do, and Jesus knew it: “Truly I say to you that it will be a difficult thing for a rich man to get into the kingdom of the heavens. Again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.”—Matt. 19:23, 24, NW.

The apostle Paul was one of those that followed the wise counsel of Jesus. He gave up his rich earthly position as a Pharisee and spent his time, energy and substance feeding those hungering after the truth. His counsel to Timothy was: “Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous, storing up a valuable treasure for themselves for the future, so as to grasp the life that is life indeed.”—1 Tim. 6:17-19, AT.

THE GOOD DEEDS OF JESUS AND APOSTLES

A blind beggar, sitting beside the road, cried out as Jesus passed by, “Have mercy on me.” Now, what did Jesus do, reach down and give the poor fellow a couple of Roman coins for a crust of bread? No, not at all. He gave him a far more valuable gift in restoring his eyesight! (Mark 10:46-52; Matt. 20:30-34; Luke 18:35-43) Jesus’ “charity” was not measured out in money to religious organizations for questionable distribution. Jesus’ loving-kindness, tender mercy and bountiful gifts consisted of restoring the sight to the blind, making the lame to walk, curing the horrible disease of leprosy, opening deafened ears, and even raising up the dead. To the poor and downtrodden he untiringly preached the good news about God’s kingdom.—Matt. 11:5; Luke 7:22; 4:18.

The apostles Peter and John followed a similar course when they came upon a poor cripple who requested a donation. “Peter said: ‘Silver and gold I do not possess, but what I do have is what I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ With that he took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up. Instantly the soles of his feet and his ankle bones were made firm, and, leaping up, he stood up and began walking, and he entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.”—Acts 3:1-8, NW.

GOOD WORKS, NOT ADVERTISED CHARITY

The gaudy practice today of bestowing honor and praise on heavy contributors to charity drives is directly opposed to Jesus’ counsel. “But take care not to do your good deeds in public for people to see, for, if you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you are going to give to charity, do not blow a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and the streets, to make people praise them. I tell you, that is all the reward they will get! But when you give to charity, your own left hand must not know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.”—Matt. 6:1-4, AT.

Judas Iscariot, one of those hypocrites that liked to make a show of his generosity, well represented those today that criticize Jehovah’s witnesses for not building hospitals, setting up food kitchens in slum areas. Such Judaslike ones announce with a blare of horns their personal gifts of mercy to the poor. Judas grumbled about Mary’s pouring costly perfumed oil on Jesus’ feet, saying that it should have been sold and the money given to the poor. “He said this, though, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief and had the money-box and used to carry off the monies put in it.” (John 12:3-6, NW) What the woman did, however, was more pleasing in the sight of God on that occasion than a mere donation to the poor. Lacking real love, any contribution Judas would have made would have no value.—1 Cor. 13:3.

The people have been robbed and beaten and left half-dead by the ruling elements of this world, just like the “certain man” that Jesus told about who fell among robbers on his way down to Jericho. The Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religionists have observed the spiritual condition of these poor people but have steered clear of them, held aloof and passed them by on the opposite side of the road. Jehovah’s witnesses, on the other hand, like good Samaritans, have searched out these spiritually sick, maimed and half-starved people and, when they were found, have bound up their wounds, have fed them and cared for their needs.—Luke 10:29-37.

It is no secret, many so-called “charity” organizations operate a fraud and racket. For example, the New York Times, September 6, 1950, carried an account of how certain “religious charitable organizations” operating in Brooklyn, New York, are giving the poor only 15 per cent of the money they beg from the public. The other 85 per cent goes for what they call “overhead” expense. God’s faithful people cannot afford to donate to such organizations. They must use what they have to preach this gospel of the established Kingdom for the benefit of the poor everywhere, as commanded.—Matt. 24:14.

It takes much time, energy and money to carry out this divine command, but Jehovah’s witnesses are happy to use their substance to do it. Investing their money in Bibles and other life-giving literature, they take these to the people at great personal expense. But this is really a sound investment on behalf of the poor, for by so doing Jehovah’s witnesses are storing up treasures in heaven and helping others to do the same thing. And just as the ancient brethren of Macedonia and Achaia contributed material things for their needy brethren at Jerusalem, so also do Jehovah’s witnesses. (Rom. 15:25, 26; Gal. 2:10) All of these things are good works done out of love for and to the honor of Jehovah God.

Praise to the New World’s Founder

“Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.”—Rev. 19:6, NW.

1. Because of what can we say Hallelujah! and what does it mean?

HALLELUJAH! Jehovah has taken his rightful power over our earth and has begun to rule as its king. That is a fact of which all peoples of the earth should take serious note during the year 1951. It signifies that a righteous new world is at the doors and is certain to come in by the power of Almighty God. It is something to shout about! A marvelous change is certain to follow all around this globe which will be a credit to God’s rule and which will mean tranquil, secure and prosperous living for all men of good will. No more will men think that God has forsaken the earth or ask why he has permitted wickedness to rule over the earth for these past six thousand years. His appointed time has come to clear up the great mystery and to settle the raging controversy over the sovereignty of the universe.

2. What does it now behoove every informed person to do?

² What a tiny part of the boundless universe is our earth! Yet it is now the one hot spot where this issue of universal sovereignty must be finally decided. And it will be decided, no, not in favor of the United Nations or other elements of this old world, but in favor of the right One, Jehovah. That is why he has begun to rule as king with a brand-new world government for this earth since his own fixed date A.D. 1914. That may be thirty-six years ago, but this is all the more reason why every informed person should examine his course in life and his future plans to see whether they are in harmony with the inevitable change that is rapidly nearing. Also it behooves every informed person to spread the cheering information to as many others as possible that they may prepare themselves for life in God’s new world.

3. What is it the opportune time for us to do?

³ We are living in the most wonderful time of all human history, when we are privileged to witness the transition from this death-dealing old world to the lifegiving new world of which inspired prophets have spoken in such rich terms. Now is the opportune time to swear our eternal allegiance to the Founder, Builder and Ruler of the new world, and to enlighten and urge others to do so, for that action results in our gaining life in the new world. All the radiant prophecies focus upon this highly important transition period to-show its great significance, that we may set our course aright. The last book of the Bible symbolically depicts the momentous events that have marked or are yet to mark this time, and it directs us what to do if we want to enjoy life in the world to come. It foretells what a great crowd of people will do toward that end. Now it is up to us to decide to be included in that great crowd which has part in fulfilling the prophecy. There, at Revelation 19:6, according to the Twentieth Century New Testament (1901 edition), we read: “Then I heard what seemed like the voices of a great throng, and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of loud peals of thunder, all saying—‘Praise the Lord! The Lord is King, our God, the Almighty.’” The New Testament in Basic English (1941 edition) reads: “And there came to my ears the voice of a great army, like the sound of waters, and the sound of loud thunders, saying, ‘Praise to the Lord: for the Lord our God, Ruler of all, is King.’”

4. What does “Hallelujah” here mean, and where is it best rendered?

⁴ In the original Greek text of the Bible the word “Hallelujah” occurs in the above verse. The general practice of translators is to transfer this word literally into the English, as, for instance, in the American Standard Version and the Revised Standard Version: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” However, you note above that the Twentieth Century New Testament and The New Testament in Basic English translate the word to read, “Praise the Lord,” and, “Praise to the Lord,” respectively. But “Hallelu-jah” is Hebrew and literally means “Praise Jah”, as a command to a number of persons. Therefore the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures makes the most direct translation when it renders Revelation 19:6 as follows: “And I heard what was as a voice of a great crowd and as a sound of many waters and as a sound of heavy thunders. They said: ‘Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.’” This translation also makes it clear, not only that Jehovah reigns or rules as king, but also that he began ruling as king at a certain point of time. This agrees with the rendering by Rotherham’s Emphasised Bible translation: “Hallelujah! Because the Lord [our] God the Almighty hath become king.” His reign begun is a cause for praising him.

5. Why is this call to praise him made, and in what series of calls?

⁵ The name “Jah” is an abbreviation for “Jehovah” or “Yahweh”. The call here to praise him is the last of a series of five calls to praise him because of the astounding events that he brings about, events which we see fulfilling today. That we may get the setting for this series of calls we quote the entire passage (Revelation 19:1-6) from the New World Translation: “After these things I heard what was as a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven. They said: ‘Praise Jah, you people [marginal reading: They said: ‘Hallelujah’]! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous. For he has executed judgment upon the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand.’ And right away for the second time they said: ‘Praise Jah, you people [Hallelujah]! And the smoke from her goes on ascending for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four persons of advanced age and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God seated upon the throne and said: ‘Amen! Praise Jah, you people [Hallelujah]!’ Also a voice issued forth from the throne and said: ‘Be praising our God, all you his slaves, who fear him, the small ones and the great.’ And I heard what was as a voice of a great crowd and as a sound of many waters and as a sound of heavy thunders. They said: ‘Praise Jah, you people [Hallelujah], because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.’”

6. In view of what is it certainly right to praise him now?

⁶ For thousands of years faithful men of old, from John the Baptist all the way back to Abel the first martyr, looked ahead to the establishment of God’s kingdom in the hands of his Seed, the Messiah or Christ. For nineteen centuries the Christian followers of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, have prayed the prayer he taught us: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matt. 6:9, 10, NW) And now that the heavenly Father has begun to rule as king in fulfillment of his ancient promise and in answer to Christian prayers, is it not right to praise him? Most certainly yes! For his royal rule means our deliverance from this oppressive world and unspeakable blessings in the free new world. But how is it that, in our first paragraph, we say he began ruling as king A.D. 1914? Here is how.

BIRTH OF OLD WORLD KINGDOMS

7. The overthrow of what is proclaimed in connection with his ruling as King? Whom does this astonish?

⁷ We note at Revelation, chapter 19, that the proclamation that Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king is made in connection with his overthrow of great mystic Babylon. Revelation 19:2 (NW) describes her as the “great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication”. The angel who brought the revelation to the apostle John speaks of Babylon as the “great harlot that sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, whereas those who inhabit the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication”. John tells us: “Upon her forehead was written a name, a mystery, ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.’” (Rev. 17:1, 2, 5, NW) This was over six hundred years after the literal city of Babylon on the Euphrates river was overthrown by Kings Darius and Cyrus in 539 B.C. according to the decree of Jehovah God. When that ancient Babylon was thrown down from its position as the third world power of Bible history, God thus showed his almighty power but did not then begin to reign over all the earth. Mystic Babylon, Satan’s world organization, still remained. It is when God has actually begun to rule as king that he does overturn and destroy great mystic Babylon of world-wide power and influence. This modern act of God when completed will astonish all the earth far more than his overturning of ancient Babylon did.

8. Why is it appropriate that at that event he should be announced as ruling as King?

⁸ How appropriate it is that, when Jehovah God overturns and destroys mystic Babylon of today, he should be announced as ruling as King! The first place at which an anti-Jehovah kingdom was set up after the flood of Noah’s day was Babylon or Babel. The first king of that city was Nimrod, the rebellious foe of the true God. Genesis 10:8-10 informs us: “Cush [the grandson of Noah] begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before [or, in opposition to] Jehovah: wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” (AS; McClintock & Strong’s Cyclopaedia) Nimrod’s kingdom at Babel or Babylon was never authorized by Jehovah but was set up in defiance of him and to belittle his name and universal sovereignty. Many centuries later, when Babylon became a world power mightier than Egypt and Assyria, it brazenly showed its hostility to Jehovah God by destroying Jerusalem and taking his people into exile.

9, 10. Who was the first human king Jehovah approved? Why?

⁹ The Most High God withheld his blessings from Babylon’s kings, but raised up and approved Melchizedek, the king of Salem which later became Jerusalem. His name discloses the reason, for it means “king of righteousness”, and the name of his city Salem means “peace”. Melchizedek did not inherit his kingship from his earthly father or through his mother, and he had no successor to his throne. Hence he was used in prophetic history to foreshadow the righteous King of the new world, Jehovah’s Son Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ Melchizedek met faithful Abraham after his victory over the king of Babylonish Shinar and his allies. Concerning this we read: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abraham] gave him a tenth of all.” (Gen. 14:18-20, AS) And as to why Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus Christ we read: “Jesus, who has become a high priest after the likeness of Melchizedek forever. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him and to whom Abraham apportioned a tenth of all things, is first of all, by translation, ‘King of righteousness,’ and is then also king of Salem, that is, ‘King of peace.’ In being fatherless, motherless, without genealogy, having neither a beginning of days nor an end of life, but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” (Heb. 6:20 to 7:3, NW) Melchizedek represented Jehovah as King.

11. Over what nation did Jehovah take up kingship? How is this attested to?

¹¹ Centuries later Jehovah God began reigning over a nation, that of Israel. The city of Jerusalem became its capital, and King David was first to reign there. But centuries before that, God had been their real King, though invisible. The prophet Moses testified to this fact at the Red sea, when God drowned the Egyptian armies hotly pursuing the escaping Israelites. Moses then sang: “Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever. For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Jehovah brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.” And when just across the borders from the Promised Land, speaking of Israel as “Jéshurun” or “Righteous One”, Moses sang: “And he was king in Jéshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.” (Ex. 15:18, 19 and Deut. 33:5, AS) Gideon, the deliverer of the Israelites from Midianite raiders, recognized that vital fact. So, when the people wanted to draft him to be their visible human king, Gideon said: “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah shall rule over you.”—Judg. 8:23, AS.

12. What shows it is wise now to recognize him as king?

¹² Is it wise now for us to recognize Jehovah our God as king? Yes. True, amid this world of human kings and princely rulers it takes faith to recognize that he is now the ruling King over his people and is to be obeyed as such. But the Israelites showed we are sure to suffer if we reject or fall away from that faith. In the days of the prophet Samuel they asked him to make a visible king over their nation to correspond with the kings of this world. In grief Samuel took the matter to God in prayer. “And Jehovah said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.” (1 Sam. 8:7, AS) The sum-up of their experience with human kings is tersely stated by Jehovah’s words to the Israelites: “Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.” (Hos. 13:10, 11, AS) Their last human king was taken away in divine wrath when Babylon’s armies destroyed Jerusalem in 607 B.C. Like him, the last kings and princely rulers of Christendom will be taken away in God’s wrath at the battle of Armageddon amid a tribulation foreshadowed by the destruction of Jerusalem.

13. How did Jerusalem come to be the “city of the great King”?

¹³ The second king whom Jehovah’s prophet anointed over Israel was a man agreeable to his own heart, David the shepherd of Bethlehem. It was King David who wrested Zion, Jerusalem’s citadel, from its pagan occupiers and made it the capital city of Israel. He brought into the capital city and near his palace the symbol of Jehovah’s presence with his people, the sacred ark of the covenant. He made preparations for the building of a glorious temple to house it. For such zeal toward worship of the living and true God Jehovah made a covenant for an everlasting kingdom with David, that one of David’s descendants should be a king forever. That descendant or “son of David” was to be Jesus Christ, born to a virgin tracing her descent from King David. The kings of David’s line ruled as visible representatives of the real King of Israel, Jehovah God, and were therefore said to sit upon His throne. As it is written of King David’s son and successor: “Then Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.” David, when abdicating the throne in favor of Solomon, prayed and acknowledged God as King, saying: “Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all.” (1 Chron. 29:23, 10-12, AS) In harmony with Psalm 48:1, 2, Jesus himself said of Jerusalem: “It is the city of the great King.” (Matt. 5:34, 35) Thus, through his reigning anointed king at Jerusalem, Jehovah God ruled as king over Israel’s domain.

KING OF THE WORLD SINCE WHEN?

14. What chastening did the Kingdom covenant promise? How was this finally inflicted?

¹⁴ In his covenant with David for an everlasting kingdom by which he promised never to remove the kingship from David’s line God said concerning David’s successors on the throne: “If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; but my loving-kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Sam. 7:14-16, AS) So from 621 to 607 B.C. God chastened David’s unfaithful successors, from Jehoiakim on to Zedekiah, with the rod of the Babylonian imperialists. Kings Jehoiachin and Zedekiah were obliged to vacate the throne and were taken captive to Babylon, and Jerusalem and its palaces and temple were destroyed.

15. How was God’s kingdom suspended, and what period then began?

¹⁵ In this way the prophecy to King Zedekiah was fulfilled: “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Remove the mitre, and take off the crown; this shall be no more the same; exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezek. 21:26, 27, AS) Thus, by his own decision, Jehovah ceased to rule as king over Israel and its domain. By the use of the Gentile armies, he overturned the visible representation of his kingdom on earth, in 607 B.C. In the fall of that year, at the complete desolation of Jerusalem and Judah, the Gentile times or “appointed times of the nations” began, to run for “seven times”, or 2,520 years. (Dan. 4:16, 23, 25, 32) God’s kingdom over any part of the earth was thus suspended.

16. What was Jesus’ attitude and course toward the “appointed times of the nations”?

¹⁶ When the Jewish clergy rejected Jesus before Pontius Pilate at Jerusalem A.D. 33 with the cry, “We have no king but Caesar,” the times of Gentile domination were bound to keep on running. Jesus refused to interfere with God’s allowance of “seven times” for Gentile domination. So he did not then “restore again the kingdom to Israel”. He prophesied that they would run their full length, which would be till the fall of A.D. 1914. (John 19:15; Acts 1:6; Luke 21:24) “But this man offered one sacrifice for sins perpetually and sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet.” (Heb. 10:12, 13, NW; Ps. 110:1, 2) That meant that Jesus at God’s right hand had to wait till 1914, because Jehovah God does not change but faithfully keeps to his appointed times and seasons. In 1914 was the time for God to give the kingdom to his faithful Son, “whose right it is,” and for the Son to come into the kingdom in fulfillment of the covenant with his forefather David. At that date was the time for him to act on his heavenly Father’s invitation: “Ask 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 potter’s vessel.” (Ps. 2:7-9, AS) Since he received the nations of earth in order to break and dash them to pieces like pottery smashed with an iron rod, it would indicate that the “appointed times of the nations” had ended.

17. Why was A.D. 1914 the proper time for Jehovah to begin reigning?

¹⁷ In 1914, at the end of those “appointed times”, Jehovah began to rule as king. How do we know that? Well, at the beginning of those times in 607 B.C. he ceased to reign, by overturning King Zedekiah’s rule at Jerusalem. He ousted him from the “throne of Jehovah” and let the Babylonian Gentiles smash Jerusalem to pieces and let it be trampled on by the nations. Hence the end of those times in 1914 meant just the reverse. There God Almighty took again to himself his great power. He began ruling as king, not at earthly Jerusalem or over the former promised land of Palestine, but over all the earth and all its nations inside and outside of Christendom. He did this in remembrance of his kingdom covenant with David and by installing the worthy Son of David, Jesus Christ, as King of the new world. Not as King on a material throne in an earthly Jerusalem, but on the “throne of Jehovah” which is in heaven and where Jesus had been sitting waiting for all his enemies to be made his footstool. “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool,” says Jehovah. (Acts 7:49, NW; Isa. 66:1, AS) So since 1914 is the time for the Gentile nations to be no longer on top but underfoot, to be trampled on by the heavenly Rulers till they are ground to powder and are blown away at the battle of Armageddon.

18. In heaven what announcement and thanksgiving were rendered? What birth there took place?

¹⁸ The angels in heaven were perfectly aware of those events in 1914: “And loud voices occurred in heaven saying: ‘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.’ And the twenty-four persons of advanced age who were seated before God upon their thrones fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We thank you, Jehovah God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king. But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time . . . to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.’” (Rev. 11:15-18, NW) Jehovah’s heavenly organization is spoken of as symbolic Jerusalem. It brought forth Jesus Christ as the one to be enthroned King of Jehovah’s new world. Hence chapter twelve of The Revelation pictures it as the birth of a male babe: “And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is destined to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was caught away to God and to his throne.”—Rev. 12:1-5, NW.

19. How have the nations reacted at the birth of the kingdom?

¹⁹ His iron rod meant wrath for the nations whose appointed “seven times” had run out. So 1914 was not a time for the Gentile nations to rejoice at Jehovah’s assuming of his ruling power over the earth and the birth of the kingdom of his Christ. They became wrathful. The events of history show they became so right at the crucial date of 1914. They engaged in world war between themselves for world domination instead of acting like Christians and yielding over their earthly power to Jehovah’s enthroned King. In the thirty-six years since that date their wrath has not lessened but has increased, this being proved by their increasing persecution of Jehovah’s witnesses who announce his kingdom by his Christ and represent it as ambassadors.

MYSTIC BABYLON TAKES A TUMBLE

20. How did modern Babylon take a tumble? What will yet be her fate?

²⁰ The Babylonian empire was used to destroy Jerusalem in 607 B.C. and to start off the “appointed times of the nations”. Quite fitting, then, that at the close of the appointed times in 1914 the modern Babylon, the Devil’s world organization, should take a tumble as a result of Jehovah’s judgment against her, and should be put underfoot. How did this occur? By casting the invisible king of mystic Babylon, Satan the Devil, and his demon organization out of the heavenly heights from association with the holy angels and down to God’s footstool, the earth. Action to bring this about began right after the Kingdom was born in 1914. “So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of 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! 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. 12:7-12, NW) At the battle of Armageddon, after this “short period of time”, modern Babylon or Satan’s world organization will be destroyed and the new world be completely brought in.

21-23. (a) Whose world prominence is indicative of that tumble? (b) What parable do they take up, against whom and in whose praise?

²¹ Indicative of the tumble of modern Babylon from the heavenly heights is the deliverance of Jehovah’s faithful consecrated remnant and their good-will companions from that world organization. That is why Jehovah’s witnesses have become so world-prominent since 1919. When ancient Babylon was herself destroyed as a world power in 539 B.C., the Israelite remnant was delivered from its power. They were let return to the site of Jerusalem and rebuild the holy temple by decree of Babylon’s conqueror, King Cyrus of Persia. And as then, so now the delivered remnant of spiritual Israelites and their good-will companions can take up and chant the parable against Satan, the god and king of mystic Babylon:

²² “It shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, . . . How art thou fallen from heaven, O daystar, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.” “And I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son, saith Jehovah. . . . I will sweep it with the besom of destruction.”—Isa. 14:3-23, AS.

²³ While this is a parable of reproach to the abased god of mystic Babylon, it is a song of praise to the Founder of the new world that follows the destruction of Babylon. It denotes that Jehovah God reigns, vindicated over his ancient enemies.

The Most Enjoyable Book

One of Jehovah’s witnesses employed as electrician at a department store in Dayton, Ohio, was asked by the editor of the store paper to write a brief report of about 100 words on the most enjoyable book he had read lately. He wrote the report, it was published, and favorable comment came from fellow workers. He placed many booklets on Bible topics. Several clergymen called to see the writer of the report, but lost interest and left when they learned from the editor that the writer was one of Jehovah’s witnesses. The report has been reprinted in other papers. One of his fellow workers said that they were having trouble with their church minister constantly preaching politics from the pulpit, that a special meeting was called at which he read this book report, and then to the preacher this fellow worker said: “Look what an electrician can tell us for nothing, yet we pay you a big salary and get nothing but politics!” The book report that the witness of Jehovah had written follows:

“I will never finish reading this book in my lifetime. It begins by having a beautiful home destroyed by rebellion. Tragedy, disaster, sorrow, murder and death follow. As the family multiplies, the plunge into despair and darkness accelerates. Centuries roll by, nations rise and fall, thousands of characters pass in review, every human emotion from stark, raw hate to a martyr’s love is encountered. Hope, beginning as a faint spark, grows to absolute assurance. A perfect government is to re-establish the beautiful home. Its ruler is the King, Christ Jesus. The government, the Kingdom of God. The family, the human race. The book is the Bible!”

The New World Crowd of Praisers

1. From whom is praise to Jehovah now swelling, and for what?

ANCIENT Babylon sat astride the river Euphrates and extended her imperialistic power over peoples, nations and tongues. So Satan’s woman, mystic Babylon, has wielded its oppressive power over all mankind. Only Jehovah our God the Almighty could effect their deliverance by taking to himself his great power and again beginning to rule as universal King and destroying Babylon at the coming battle of Armageddon. The praise to him for beginning his reign by Christ in 1914 and for already effecting a deliverance of those who call on his name is already swelling from a multitude that grows with each passing year.

2. What is it we now hear in fulfillment of Revelation 19:6?

² The wrathful nations, though resorting to totalitarian methods, are unable to drown out Jehovah’s praise. In fulfillment of Revelation 19:6 our ears can hear what is as the “voice of a great crowd and as a sound of many waters and as a sound of heavy thunders”. Yes, we can hear them saying: “Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.” (NW) Since the sound of their voices is so mighty that it is likened to the sound of many waters and to thunder peals, terrestrial and celestial sounds, it suggests that an earthly class and a heavenly class are producing the mighty proclamation. The facts agree with this. The remnant of spiritual Israelites who are in line for the heavenly kingdom have been openly praising Jah or Jehovah since A.D. 1919, when they were released from Babylon’s power. They have since been joined by hundreds of thousands of believers whose hope is for an earthly destiny in the new world.

3. How are they his slaves and why are they bound to praise him? How do they praise him?

³ By devoting themselves unreservedly to God through Christ Jesus our Ransomer they have become slaves of God and owe him their undivided service. The fact that the prophecy said that the great crowd whose voice is to be heard would be praising Jehovah makes it binding upon them to sound forth his praise. The prophecy must be fulfilled. In fact, the command to them to laud him comes from God on his throne and comes through his Son, the Lamb, who stands “in the midst of the throne”. So it is written: “Also a voice issued forth from the throne and said: ‘Be praising our God, all you his slaves, who fear him, the small ones and the great.’” (Rev. 5:6, 7; 19:5, NW) Jesus spoke of him as “my Father and your Father” and “my God and your God”; and Jesus and all the sheep who follow him fear God, rather than men or demons. Their fear of him is not a sickly dread created by Babylonish falsification of who and what Jehovah is, but their truthful knowledge of God discloses his praiseworthy qualities to them. They delight to commend him to all and to correct others’ misunderstanding of him. “Publicly and from house to house” they let their praise of him be heard. They have no encomiums for the “golden calf” set up by the commercial element of this world or for the political and military gods of the nations or for the religious gods and idols adored by Christendom and heathendom. They have turned their backs forever on Babylonish worship.

4, 5. What cry do they raise, and so for what are their praises?

⁴ “Praise Jah, you people!” is what they cry all over the earth. They know the exclusive name of the Most High God and they point out his identity to all who do not know him. They show all the glory, fame and good promise that attaches to his holy name. Since they have taken up this cry, the world politicians and statesmen backed up by the religious clergy have set up a symbol of world domination. Before World War II it had the form of the League of Nations, but now it has the form of the United Nations. Political and religious efforts are being made to have all peoples idolize it and hope in it for their salvation. Quite recently, on September 7, 1950, the chief executive of the United States said: “The United Nations is our one hope to which we may look for a peaceful world.”—INS dispatch.

⁵ However, the great crowd of slaves who fear God cannot be diverted from praising him. They know who their Deliverer, their Creator, their hope of everlasting life in the new world is. They have no misleading praises for the man-made political systems and rulerships of this world, no, for any part of modern Babylon. Their praise is of Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ. They have no heart for world politics. They do not sully themselves by meddling in human politics. In this respect they hold to the true definition of clean worship of God: “The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.” (Jas. 1:27, NW) As ambassadors for God’s kingdom, they offer praise of the theocratic government which they represent.—2 Cor. 5:20, NW.

WHY

6. What do they call upon the people to do now? Why specially now?

⁶ The reverent slaves of God are under command to call upon all the people to turn from the praise of the gods, idols and mighty ones of this world to the praise of the Creator, Founder and Builder of the enduring new world. The reason for this is most urgent now, and they explain it to the people in these words: “Because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.” (Rev. 19:6, NW) That explanation places before all the people and their earthly governments the paramount issue of all time, the universal sovereignty of the Most High God. That is to say, Who will rule the universe as rightful sovereign?

7. Why is it eminently improper now to continue every man doing what is right in his own eyes as in ancient Israel?

⁷ For 2,520 years, the length of the seven “appointed times of the nations”, the rightful universal Sovereign, Jehovah, was not ruling any part of this earth, not even the so-called Holy Land of Palestine. But this is not now the case since 1914. So now it is eminently improper for any nation or person to do what seems right to just the human mind, as in the days when there was no visible human king in the land of Israel but “every man did that which was right in his own eyes”. (Judg. 21:25) The mind unguided by God’s Word and spirit is certain to be influenced by the world and its god Satan the Devil and hence to go wrong. Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” The times of ignorance God once overlooked. But now ignorance cannot be pleaded as an excuse for wrong action according to the human mind, particularly so now that He has raised up his witnesses in all parts of the earth and sends them out with the message of his established kingdom. (Acts 17:30) This is the time of judgment of the nations. This world will never return to the conditions that existed before 1914. For God’s kingdom is here, and is here to stay!

8. (a) What cannot the nations ban, and hence what issue will be pressed to the finish? (b) Of what now should we take advantage?

⁸ All human governments, whether totalitarian or democratic or of any other political and social complexion, are being made to know that they can never ban Jehovah God from his decisive part in the future disposition of this earth. He may let them ban Jehovah’s witnesses and their legal servant, the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society and its scores of branches, but they cannot ban Jehovah. For that same reason they cannot destroy Jehovah’s Word, the Bible, nor stamp out his witnesses. Were they permitted by sheer force to silence the testimony of his witnesses, he would make the very stones cry out. (Luke 19:40; Hab. 2:11) Since God’s kingdom is now the rightful Challenger, the Kingdom issue must henceforth be pressed to a decisive finish, and Jehovah’s reigning King Jesus Christ will press it that far. Doing that will mean the end of all the kingdoms and human rulerships of this world at the universal conflict of Armageddon: “There is no peace to the wicked,” and there will be no peace between this world and God’s established kingdom. In this interim of years between Satan’s ousting from heaven and the coming battle of Armageddon, there has been no stabilizing of earthly conditions by man or by United Nations nor any restoring of “normalcy”, and there will be none. But in this interim now soon to terminate God is mercifully exercising patience in behalf of saving the people of good will. So the wise thing for the people to do is to take advantage of his patience and mercy and heed his Kingdom message, turn to him and his King as the only hope and then laud and magnify his worthy name.—2 Pet. 3:15.

HIS GOVERNMENT AN ABSOLUTE KINGDOM

9. What kind of government is it he sets up? Why is his almightiness fortunate for mankind?

⁹ From the proclamation God’s praisers must make, let all men note that the only government which He promised to set up and which he has set up is a kingdom. This follows from the covenant for the Kingdom which he made with King David of Jerusalem and which he has never revoked. Yes, it is in fulfillment of the covenant which he made with his Son Jesus Christ, to give him this everlasting kingdom of the new world, and into which Kingdom covenant Jesus takes his faithful followers as joint heirs. (Luke 22:29, 30, NW) It is a kingdom, in which Jehovah God is the absolute Ruler, and it is not a democracy. So it is a Theocracy, and not a people’s rule. Under this theocratic kingdom the people on earth must worship the Ruler as God, even as the King Christ Jesus and his joint heirs worship the Supreme Ruler as God. This is proper, because Jehovah is indeed the living and true God, and all mankind owe to him their existence and all of life’s blessings, and notably their redemption from sin, condemnation and death by the sacrifice of his Son. Jehovah our God is the Almighty, and happy it is for mankind that such an all-powerful one as he has taken the reins of government of the earth. It takes an almighty one like Him to deliver groaning mankind from the crushing weight of the Devil’s Babylonish organization.

10. What further shows this is a theocratic arrangement, and not a democratic one?

¹⁰ Glad we can be that the new world is the one God, and not the politicians, has promised and that its government is an absolute kingdom, and that men on earth have nothing to say about it, except to pray for it, advertise it and commend it to others, if they so choose. God is compassionate toward mankind and will vindicate his ability to make something to his praise out of fallen mankind despite the Devil. And so God has let the human family that descended from sinful Adam and Eve remain, but he determined to set up a new government over it. When the righteous world in the garden of Eden passed because of sin’s entry, he determined to bring back a world of righteousness, a new world. At his due time he founded that world or laid the foundation of it in the sacrificial death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ nineteen centuries ago. Now he has established the heavenly government for this new world, appointing his self-sacrificing Son to be its king. He has done this, although the most of earth’s people have not wanted Jesus Christ as King, a fact which proves that this is not a democratic arrangement but a theocratic one and that the people are lying under the power of God’s adversary.

11. What original action shows that popular self-rule is not the way to good government and life?

¹¹ The people, even the majority of them, are no safe guide in this “present wicked system of things”, because Satan is “god of this system of things” and is misleading the entire inhabited earth. Democracies had their origin in pagan Greece which adopted Babylon’s religion; and if democracies or people’s republics were the final ones to determine the future for all mankind, our earth would never have Jehovah as King nor the anointed Son Jesus Christ as his royal representative on the throne. Originally theocratic rule obtained in the garden of Eden. Then the move for popular self-rule was advocated and started. Adam and Eve asserted themselves against theocratic law and in accord with the Serpent, who became the “god of this system of things”. The asserting of popular self-rule brought sin and death into the earth. God’s rule by his Son Jesus Christ means eternal life in a sinless new world. To the Supreme King over all the universe everybody who wants life and perfect government must now tender his allegiance through Jesus Christ.

12. What is the sole hope for human relief, and what worship is entirely out of order now?

¹² Fallen mankind has proved itself incapable of self-rule. Yet every makeshift is being resorted to and applied by Christendom in order to oppose and avoid having Jehovah God as King by Christ Jesus. What is the result since 1914? Everywhere the people continue to suffer. They share the guilt in perpetuating their own sufferings. Their gods are failing to bring in relief. The sole hope for relief is in the divine government. Let the people stop calling upon their false gods and idols for relief. Since our God Jehovah the Almighty now rules as king, it is entirely out of order to worship other gods and creature-made idols. He will not tolerate any false worship in the new world. So why not praise and serve him as King without delay?—Ps. 135:1-5, 15-18.

13. Why is Jehovah, and not Satan, pre-eminently the one qualified to run the earth and its inhabitants?

¹³ How strange it is that earth’s inhabitants do not want as their King the Creator of the earth and of man upon it! Not the men of this atomic age, but God is the One who pre-eminently knows how to run the earth and can regulate it for mankind’s good, keeping a perfect balance between all forces in and about the earth. Satan the Devil has misused all these forces. He has exercised only the “means to cause death”. There is no life in him or through anything he has established. As “ruler of this world” and as “god of this system of things” he has failed. It has not meant life or good government for us, but the direct opposite. (Heb. 2:14 and John 12:31 and; 2 Cor. 4:4, NW) In Eden he had been anointed as the “covering cherub” and was then “perfect in [his] ways”. But when he set out to exercise world control independent of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty, then iniquity was found in him. By advocating human self-government apart from God he led Adam and Eve into rebellion and sin. Almighty God drove the rebels from Eden, but did not displace the unfaithful cherub (now Satan the Devil) from being an invisible power over mankind. God let him carry on in the false position into which he had deceitfully wormed his way over mankind.—Ezek. 28:13-19.

14. Despite his advantage, how has Satan failed?

¹⁴ Despite such advantageous position over mankind, Satan has failed to prove his right and worthiness to universal sovereignty or his ability to turn all men and women against Jehovah’s universal sovereignty. Satan has failed to prove himself able to offer something better than what Almighty God originally made and provided for mankind. After these six thousand years of satanic domination of earth what the wicked one promised in Eden through Adam and Eve’s rebellion against Jehovah’s universal sovereignty has not materialized. The type of human government that he started with Nimrod at Babylon, the birthplace of all worldly kings, has failed to give the people satisfactory administration of their affairs. The consequences of following the ways of the false god Satan and of defying and ignoring the true God Jehovah and his Christ have been heart-breaking trouble and death.

EXTOL THE UNIVERSAL KING

15. Why is it the wise course to seek Jehovah’s favor now, and upon what call by a great crowd should all hearers act?

¹⁵ Now a life-giving change is under way. The settling of the age-old issue of universal sovereignty will shortly take place at Armageddon. Jehovah our God the Almighty reigns now as King of earth and heaven. He is the Conqueror who has ousted the Devil from heaven and will shortly destroy that one’s world and create a new world of life and joy. So let all who long for life, peace and righteous government forsake this doomed world and declare themselves Jehovah’s subjects. It is only reasonable that all normal persons should want to seek the favor of the new King, especially if all must eventually submit to his rule or perish. Common sense dictates this as the wise course, because it is for one’s benefit and glorifies God. It upholds Jehovah’s universal sovereignty against the false charges and assaults of the Devil. As Jehovah’s witnesses keep on preaching the Kingdom gospel, more and more people hear the sound of the great crowd saying: “Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.” It is high time for every hearer today to act upon this call to praise him as King, their personal King whom they have chosen to worship and serve forever. Let all begin living and speaking as now being under his kingdom. Throughout the earth let them unitedly praise him as a society of people who give full allegiance to his everlasting kingdom.

16. What does Psalm 99:1-5 announce and call on people to do?

¹⁶ The prophecies pertaining to this awesome time are aglow with announcements of Jehovah’s reign begun and with divine decrees on what is now the right thing to do. In exalted strains Psalm 99:1-5 announces: “Yahweh [or, Jehovah] hath become king, let the peoples tremble, he is enthroned on the cherubim, let the earth shake. Yahweh in Zion is great, and high is he over all the peoples. Let them thank his Name—great and reverend, holy is he! Yea with the strength of a king justice he loveth, thou hast established equity, justice and righteousness in Jacob thou hast wrought. Exalt Yahweh our God and bow down at his footstool, holy is he!”—Ro.

17. Over whom is Jehovah enthroned? How has his becoming king affected the earth, and what is it time for people to do?

¹⁷ Jehovah is enthroned on the cherubim who uphold his sovereignty. Among those cherubim is not the one who was the “anointed cherub that covereth” in Eden. For transforming himself into Satan the Devil he has been ejected from heaven and is not now supporting the divine throne. No, but he has been made the footstool for the feet of Jehovah’s King Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s becoming king and enthroning his Son among the cherubim to be king of the new world is an event powerfully affecting our earth. No wonder it has been shaking, figuratively speaking, since 1914! The foundations upon which its human society has rested for six thousand years are tottering. Its nations God has put on judgment to make them show their attitude toward his King and his kingdom for which Christendom has hypocritically professed to pray. Now is no time for truly God-fearing people to follow the worldly political and religious leaders in ignoring and defying Jehovah’s rule as king. It is a time for the people to tremble.

18. What does Psalm 96 command us to say among the nations?

¹⁸ Let earthly society of Satan’s dominion go on writhing in anguish for stubbornly refusing divine rule. As for us who have hope of life in the new world, whether in the heavenly kingdom or in the new earth, we will rejoice and exult as loudly as peals of heavy thunder and as the roaring of many waters. For Jehovah has preserved unshaken the foundation of the new world and has now established the Theocratic Government for it in the mighty hands of Jesus Christ. Shortly the removal of the Devil’s old world will follow as a certain consequence at Armageddon’s war of vindication, and the new earth will be established on the foundations of everlasting righteousness. We delight now to obey the prophetic command for this glorious time: “Bow down to Yahweh [or, Jehovah] in the adornment of holiness, be in anguish at his presence all the earth! Say among the nations, Yahweh hath become King. Surely he hath fixed the world, it shall not be shaken, he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult, let the sea roar and the fulness thereof.”—Ps. 96:9-11, Ro.

19. What are we determined unchangeably to do, and despite what?

¹⁹ This prophetic command determines for us our message and states our commission of service. So, come what political, social, religious and other changes may in 1951, yes, come what persecutions and repressive measures may against Jehovah’s people and their message, our commission and our message remain unchangeable. Likewise our determination will remain unchanged. In behalf of the Theocracy’s increase we will continue by all God-given means to raise the Hallelujah cry: “Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.”

Questions From Readers

● Regarding the term “brethren” at Matthew 13:55, does it mean spiritual brethren, fleshly brothers, or cousins of Jesus?—J. P. T., Spain.

Jesus had entered his native territory and amazed his acquaintances with his wisdom and mighty works, and they asked in astonishment: “How came this man by this wisdom and miracles? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matt. 13:54-56, Dy) The very setting shows that these townsmen were speaking of a fleshly, family relationship. They had known Jesus for years, had known his mother, and his brothers and sisters; so how comes this big change in him all of a sudden? They even name his brothers. The circumstances rule out any possibility of their having spiritual brethren in mind. (Mark 6:1-4, Dy) The apostle John makes distinction between Jesus’ natural brothers and his disciples or spiritual brethren, saying: “He went down to Capharnaum, he and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples.” (John 2:12, Dy) John 7:3-5 also makes this distinction and goes further by saying, “Neither did his brethren believe him.” (Dy) Certainly such unbelievers could not be spiritual brethren; they must have been brethren after the flesh. However, after Jesus’ death and resurrection his natural brothers did become believers, as several scriptures show. (Acts 1:13, 14; Gal. 1:19; Jude 1) Adding more evidence, we read: “As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And one said to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee. But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21, Dy) Jesus was contrasting the natural relationship and spiritual relationship, showing that the spiritual was stronger and more important. If the brethren standing outside with his mother had not been his fleshly brothers his words would have been meaningless and without any point.

Also, this situation indicates that these brothers were not cousins. If they had been cousins it would mean that Jesus would have replied, “Who are my cousins?” And it would make him say, as he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, “Behold my cousins.” No, Jesus was not talking about cousins or any relationship other than brothers. It is well known that Jesus taught that he and his disciples were spiritual brothers, not cousins or some other more distant relatives. It is the Greek words adelphós and adelphé that are translated “brothers” and “sisters”, and are used for both natural and spiritual relationships. When the relationship is more distant, as in the case of cousins, the Greek word used is syngenés. It is the one used in the feminine gender at Luke 1:36, where the angel of God said to Mary: “Behold thy cousin Elizabeth.” (Dy) But this Greek word for cousin or kin or relative is never used in connection with Jesus’ brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Jude, but always the Greek word adelphós, meaning brothers. That Mary did have other children after Jesus’ birth is indicated by Luke 2:7 calling Jesus Mary’s “first-born son”, implying that there were others born later on. Also, Matthew 1:25 (Dy) says concerning Joseph and Mary: “And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” This clearly indicates that Joseph did “know” her afterward, and that he fathered her other children.

● Does Jeremiah 10:3-5 refer to the erection and trimming of Christmas trees?—C. M., Washington.

Jeremiah 10:3-5 reads: “The customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go.” This scripture cannot be properly applied to cutting down evergreens, building bases to hold them upright, and decorating them with gold and silver tinsel or other ornamentation. Jeremiah 10 is exposing the folly of worshiping idols. Men made such idols by felling a tree, lopping off the branches, and hewing and carving the remaining trunk into the shape of the desired image. This they would then plate or overlay with gold and silver. As the account states, “The core of their idols is but timber, overlaid with beaten silver brought from Tarshish and with gold from Ophir.” (Jer 10 Vss. 8, 9, AT) Being shaped in the form of some living creature or supposed god, they might be expected by their superstitious worshipers to have some power of expression or movement or ability to deliver in time of stress; but their utter failure to do anything draws derisive taunts: “Idols are like scarecrows in a field, they cannot say a word; they have to be carried, for they cannot move a step. Have no fear of them; they cannot hurt you—no, nor help you!” Next the account speaks of Jehovah’s great power, then continues: “It strikes man dumb and senseless; the goldsmith is ashamed of his carved image, his metal image is a futile thing. There is no breath of life in idols; they are a vain delusion, they break down when the test arrives.” (Jer 10 Vss. 5, 14, 15, Mo) Hence it is clear that Jeremiah 10:3-5 does not refer to decorated Christmas trees, when we view these verses with their context and with the historical background of that time in mind.

Anna, the Aged Prophetess, Sees Jesus

THE disciple of Jesus, Luke the physician, in writing to one Theophilus, states: “I resolved also, because I have traced all things from the start with accuracy, to write them in logical order to you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know fully the certainty of the things which you have been taught orally.”—Luke 1:3, 4, NW.

In giving us this logically arranged history of the life of Jesus we find that Luke not only follows a strict chronological order, but also gives us many bits of history of the life of Christ Jesus which are not recorded by the other gospel writers. Perhaps most important among these is his record of the later Judean and Perean ministries of our Lord. However, we are also appreciative of his care in giving details regarding the birth and early infancy of Jesus. For without his record we would not have the circumstances relative to the birth of John the Baptist, the sayings that Mary and the angels uttered, the record of the shepherds’ visit to the manger; and except for him we would not have the description of the temple scene, where among others Anna, the aged prophetess, saw the child Jesus.

According to Luke, Anna was the daughter of one Phanuel and of the tribe of Asher. Being a prophetess she had the gift of the holy spirit in a special sense. After living with her husband for seven years she became a widow and was now 84 years old. In spite of her advanced age she “was never missing from the temple, rendering sacred service night and day with fastings and supplications”. No question about it, Anna had a keen appreciation of the blessedness that came with service in the house of Jehovah. Her actions told all, that she, like David, had but one thing to ask of Jehovah, that she might dwell in his house all the days of her life, “to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire in his temple.”—Ps. 27:4, AS.

At the very hour that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the temple Anna “came near and began returning thanks to God and speaking about the child to all those waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance”. (Luke 2:36-38, NW) As the angels had done forty days before, Anna was bearing testimony to him who was to be the savior of the world. (Luke 2:8-15) Doubtless, like Simeon, she had been longing, praying and waiting for the One who was to deliver Israel, and the good news that this was the One was too good to keep.

How different Anna was from the practitioners of orthodox religion! How many of them would keep on rendering sacred service night and day at the age of 84? They would have asked for a pension long ago. Anna set a good example (even as did Paul the aged, some sixty or seventy years later) to all servants of Jehovah who are advanced in years. Regardless of how old one may be he is not too old to devote his life to the sacred service of Jehovah; nor is he ever too old, once in that service, to witness to the King and Kingdom as opportunity affords. Those rendering such service now can testify to Jehovah’s blessing upon them, even as Anna back there was specially blessed.

An “Exclusion Clause” Recommended

Dear Brethren:

The May 1st and 15th Watchtowers on blood transfusion move me to write of my recent experience while on duty as a special nurse in one of the large hospitals.

On the 13th post operative day, it was determined to subject this patient to blood washing, consisting of withdrawing two pints of blood and replacing it with two other pints. This operation was performed in the room by internes on laboratory service and repeated on the following day, when this amazing incident occurred.

Let those who think there is no danger to the donor take heed. At this second blood-stream flushing while withdrawing the second pint of blood, the flow from patient to vacuum bottle suddenly and unexplainably reversed itself, and when noticed a column of air was about to enter the vein. The doctor quickly disconnected the tube at the needle, and on reconnecting it behaved normally for a few minutes but then reversed again and the doctors abandoned the attempt to withdraw more, replacing rapidly with other blood. This patient who had previously received thirteen pints of blood, eight of which were on the day and first night of operation, died on the 16th post operative day in spite of or because of receiving a total of seventeen pints of strange blood. Many veins were occluded and riddled as a sieve by almost continuous puncturing for laboratory test and feedings of blood or glucose.

Be it known that it is becoming more prevalent to give blood transfusions during quite simple operations, and the only knowledge the patient may have of it is when asked to have friends and relatives replace it in the blood bank. To avoid this an exclusion clause should be inserted in the hospital release contract before signing for operation. I carry identification card in my wallet marked “No blood transfusion” in red ink and bearing my signature.

Theocratically yours,

Announcements

SHARING IN THE FINAL WITNESS

Shortly before he was impaled Jesus counseled his apostles, “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 come.” The time for the accomplished end of this wicked system of things is very near, and the servants of God are giving the final witness in every corner of the earth. What a privilege it is to have a share in this momentous work! Since you have now learned something of God’s gracious provisions for those who act in harmony with his will, wouldn’t you like to share in spreading this good news? For January Jehovah’s witnesses have as their service theme, Sharing in the Final Witness (Matt. 24:14, NW). During the next four months they will offer a year’s subscription for this Christian journal, The Watchtower, on a contribution of $1.00. Every new subscriber will also get a premium of three interesting booklets. Why not share in the final witness by calling the attention of your neighbors to the significance of the times in which we live and offer them a subscription for The Watchtower to aid them further to learn of God’s requirements? The local company of Jehovah’s witnesses will be glad to assist you; or write to us and we will furnish you with additional instructions and forms for reporting your activity.

NEW WORLD TRANSLATION

The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, first released to the public on Wednesday, August 2, 1950, during the international assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses in New York city, answers a long-felt need for an accurate and dependable translation of the Greek Scriptures. Done in modern speech, it is just as understandable to present-day readers as the original writings of Christ’s disciples were understandable to the simple, lowly readers of their day. It is not a revision of any previous work, but is a new rendering from the original Greek text, using primarily the standard text of Westcott and Hort. To insure accuracy the translation is as literal as modern English usage permits. One of its outstanding features is the use of God’s given name Jehovah throughout. There are copious marginal references, chain references, footnotes, an enlightening foreword, an appendix, maps and illustrations. This new translation presents the Greek Scriptures in all their purity and is worthy of the close study of even the most critical student. A copy will be sent you, postpaid, on a contribution of $1.50.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of January 21: Praise to the New World’s Founder, ¶1-19.

Week of January 28: Praise to the New World’s Founder, ¶20-23; and The New World Crowd of Praisers, ¶1-19.

Scripture Index for Leading Articles, 1950

GENESIS

1:11 480

1:14-19 147

1:26 3

1:29 3

2:4 147

2:8, 9 480

2:15 3

2:17 163

3:1-24 480

3:3-6 163

3:15 211, 481

3:17 3

3:21 3

4:10 181

4:25 417

6:3, 13, 18 19

6:5, 11 19

10:8-10 442, 510

12:3 246

14:18-20 511

18:20, 32 19

19:4-28 19

19:26 170

22:12-18 107

22:13 417

22:17, 18 246

29:20, 27, 28 27

46:34 116

EXODUS

101

3:1 121

3:13-15 319

4:10-12 25

4:10-14 121

5:1-9 164

5:2 211

6:2, 3 319

7:1-14:31 20

7:7 25

9:16 147

11:2 185

12:2 198

12:14 195

12:36 185

12:38 20, 182

12:48, 49 414

13:7, 8, 10 195

Chaps. 14, 15 36

14:1-15:22 212

15:18, 19 511

19:5, 6 195

19:6 197

20:2-6 437

20:8-10 414

20:8-11 51

20:17 4

23:14 195

23:16 198

24:17 89

28:1-4 25

28:6-14 185

31:18 24

33:20 19

35:5, 21-29 185

36:5-7 185

LEVITICUS

101

10:8-11 346

14:42 417

19:18 437

26:3-5 5

26:13-17 164

NUMBERS

101

10:9 180

11:4-6, 18-20 170

12:3 85, 122, 132

16:1-35 230

16:5 212

17:1-11 231

20:10-12 89

20:10, 12 132

21:4-9 349

21:9 185

27:15-17 117

29:12-34 199

DEUTERONOMY

101

4:2 310

4:21, 23, 24 89

4:24 89

6:5 437

7:16 164

9:3 89

10:17 89

12:5, 6 196

16:16, 17 195

17:18, 19 137

17:18-20 133

18:15 116

20:8 168, 180

21:17 181

28:58 89

29:1-9 342

30:19, 20 163

31:10-13 200

32:4 147

33:5 511

34:7 25

JOSHUA

1:7, 8 342

1:8 341

8:32 24

10:28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 39 389

11:11 389

24:15 163

JUDGES

2:1-23 164

6:1-5 164

6:8-10 164

6:11-24 166

6:11, 27 186

6:25, 26 163

6:25-27 166

6:28-30 167

6:31, 32 167

6:33 168

6:34-40 168

7:1 168

7:1, 15-20 180

7:2, 3 168

7:2-4 183

7:4-7 169

7:7 186

7:9-15 179

7:20, 21 179

7:20-22 180

7:23-25 182

8:1-3 182

8:4-9 184

8:10 168

8:10-12 184

8:13-21 184

8:22, 23 185

8:23 511

8:24-27 185

8:27 185

8:33 185

10:14 167

15:4, 5 27

18:1 351

19:1 351

21:25 351, 517

1 SAMUEL

2:11, 18 25

3:1-21 25

8:7 511

13:14 115, 232

14:6 170

15:23 150

16:7 139

2 SAMUEL

5:2 115

7:14-16 512

19:13 417

1 KINGS

3:5, 9-13 132

11:1-11 132

2 KINGS

101

18:4 185

1 CHRONICLES

11:2 115

16:25, 26 69

17:21, 22 195

29:23 115

29:23, 10-12 512

2 CHRONICLES

16:9 86, 108

36:22, 23 444

EZRA

1:1, 2 444

1:1-4 164

NEHEMIAH

8:7, 8 384

8:8-10 198

8:10 354

ESTHER

3:7-9 248

JOB

1:21 90

2:7, 8, 11 25

3:1 25

14:13-15 149

31:34 40

32:6-9 25

32:17-20 26, 170

32:21, 22 186

33:23 214

33:25 24

37:23 442

38:41 10

42:10, 12 40

PSALMS

101, 319

Ps. 2 168, 229

2:7, 8 227

2:7-9 513

2:11 90

Ps. 8 227

8:2 106

9:7, 8 67

11:4 86

16:11 235

19:1 51

19:9 91, 284

23:1-4 115

24:1, 2, 7-10 438

25:9 43

25:14 89

27:13, 14 91

30:5 69

31:23, 24 91

32:8, 9 342

33:4 147

34:7 91

35:10 4, 5

37:11, 29 149

37:23 42

37:25 136

39:1 43

45:16 40, 414, 415, 417

46:1, 2 83

46:1, 2, 11 91

47:1 181

47:5 180

48:1, 2 512

48:14 86

50:10-12 227

57:4 27

62:11 147, 258, 442

69:9 86, 154, 181

75:5-7 234

77:20 115

78:52 115

78:55-64 69

78:70-72 121

79:11 166

79:13 123

80:1 115

82:5 150

Ps. 83 168

83:18 148, 154

84:10 233

84:11, 12 91

89:15 86, 201

89:34-37 227

Ps. 91 91

91:5, 7, 9 91

91:11, 12 86

94:20 153

96:9-11 521

97:7 69

99:1-5 520

100:3 115

Ps. 104 233

104:10-30 147

105:8-10 413

106:3 41

109:30 70

110:1, 2 104, 229, 251, 513

111:9 149

111:10 89, 91, 103, 137

112:9 493

113:3 69

118:22 23

118:23-29 235

119:27 73

119:98-100 25

119:105 147, 181, 202

125:2 91

126:5, 6, 482

135:1-5, 15-18 519

144:1, 2 187

145:15, 16 3

146:1-4 70

147:7-9 10

Ps. 148 68

148:1-6 67

148:7-13 68

150:1-6 76

150:3 181

150:6 67, 186

PROVERBS

1:7 282

1:8 131, 345

1:20, 21 24, 100

2:6, 7 99, 147

3:1 38

3:5, 6 136

3:5-7 87

3:9 166

4:1-4, 7 131

4:3-5 139

4:5, 7 170

4:7 131, 137

4:14, 15, 13 39

4:23 491

6:6-11 25

6:10, 11 51

6:14, 16, 19 55

6:20, 23 345

8:1-3 24, 100

8:13 91

9:10 131, 137, 139

10:11, 21 123

10:27 40, 91

11:4 5

11:9 284

11:18 56

13:12 282

14:12 517

14:27 88, 91

14:28 418

14:31 4

15:1 183

15:20 346

15:28 71

16:18 186

18:9 53

19:2 42

19:14 346

19:15 51

22:4 91

23:7 43

24:5 287

25:14 23

26:17 42

27:1 8

27:11 151, 344

27:17 38, 101

28:1 40

28:24 346

29:15 347

29:25 25, 40, 169

29:25, 26 83, 88

30:5, 6 310

30:8 123

30:12 59

31:15 347

31:26 347

31:28 348

31:30, 20 347

ECCLESIASTES

1:4 149

1:14 37

2:1-11 37

3:1 35, 37

3:19 149

3:19, 20 149

5:3-5 23

5:15 6

7:12 179

8:5 36

9:5, 10 149

9:10 37, 42

9:11 88

9:14-16 179

9:18 179

12:1 151

12:12, 11 24

ISAIAH

101

3:8 20

5:13 20

6:5-7 170

6:9, 10 484

6:11 27

8:9-12 168

8:12, 13 89

8:13 84, 90

9:6 415

9:6, 7 244, 490

9:7 243

10:5, 11 20

10:12-16 21

Chap. 12 201, 232

12:1-3 201

12:3 169

12:4 231

12:6 87

Chaps. 13, 14, 47 21

14:3-23 515

14:12-14 163

14:17 163

21:2, 9 21

26:3 39

26:13 212

26:13, 14 182

28:10 38

28:17 150

28:17-20 171

28:21 199

28:21, 22 40

29:13, 14 69, 138, 181

29:14 100

30:20 101

35:3, 4 87

35:4 87

35:10 235

39:6, 7 20

40:10, 11 120

40:28, 29, 31 86

40:28-31 84

41:10 84

42:7 166

42:8 68, 147, 186, 319

43:10 147, 211

43:10, 11 231

43:10-12 148, 258, 286

43:12 168

44:24, 28 116

45:1-4 21

45:18 147

45:21 147

45:22, 23 69

46:10, 11 22

49:15 345

50:4 73

52:2 87

52:6-8 231

52:11 59, 61, 152

54:1 279

54:5 347

54:13 101, 279

54:17 83

55:1 100, 150, 202

55:8, 9 133

55:11 22, 147, 345

56:11 119

57:19 492

58:1 181

60:1, 2 139, 181

60:1-22 27, 187

60:2 83, 202

60:12 257

60:22 44

61:1 87

61:1-4 201

61:1-6 164

61:2 39

62:10 171

66:1 513

66:22 418

JEREMIAH

101

1:5, 6 25

1:6, 7 121

1:6-9, 17-19 25

1:10 171

2:13 99, 169

6:16 284

7:13, 25, 28 19

8:20 198

17:9 132

20:7-9 26

20:9 70

23:1-8 119

23:28, 29 171

25:8, 9, 11 20

25:12 21

25:31-33 68

25:33 103

25:34-36 120

25:36 27

27:5-13, 17 443

29:1 24

31:31-34 285, 410

34:20 103

36:1-32 24

50:6, 7 119

50:15 181

EZEKIEL

3:17, 18 231

7:19 5

8:12 20

9:1-11 231

9:6 106

12:22, 27 20

12:23-25, 28 20

18:4 167

18:4, 20 149

21:26, 27 512

28:13-19 520

33:7 19, 20

33:30 24

33:30-33 169

33:31-33 27

Chap. 34 119, 200

34:2, 3, 14 200

34:4 123

34:18, 19 185, 201

34:31 115

37:24 116

38:21-23 287

39:6-8 287

47:1-12 169

DANIEL

2:37, 38 443

2:44 227

2:44, 35 255

4:16, 23, 25, 32 513

4:25, 32 258

5:5, 25-28 24, 180

5:18, 19 443

5:25-31 21

7:1-24 443

7:13, 14 227

9:27 407

11:33 150

11:40 243

12:4 150, 243, 276

12:9, 10 138

HOSEA

4:1-9 275

4:6 200

5:5 20

6:4, 5 280

6:6, 7 280

6:8-11 20

7:1-11 20

8:7-9 20

11:5 20

13:10, 11 511

13:16 20

14:2 167

JOEL

2:1-11 27

2:32 397

AMOS

5:27 20

7:11 20

7:14, 15 121

8:11 169

8:11, 12 99

8:11-13 276

9:13 482

MICAH

1:6 20

3:10-12 20

4:10 20

5:2 448

5:6 21

NAHUM

Chaps. 1-3 21

1:9 27

HABAKKUK

1:5-9 21

2:8 21

2:11 518

ZEPHANIAH

1:12 20

1:14 35

2:1-3 231, 308

2:3 69, 256, 356

2:13-15 21

3:1-7 309

3:8 307

3:9 307, 350

3:9, 10 350

3:11 353

3:11, 12 351

3:13 351

3:14, 15 352

3:15 353

3:16 353

3:17 354

3:18, 19 355

3:20 356

HAGGAI

2:3 186

ZECHARIAH

3:1-5 170

4:6 27, 186, 245

4:10 213

8:16 73

10:3 119

13:7 117

13:8, 9 186

14:13 5

14:16, 17 202

MALACHI

Chaps. 1, 2 231

2:7 276

3:1-3 119

3:1-5 168

3:10 136

3:16, 17 85

4:5, 6 229

MATTHEW

313, 317, 318, 481

1:1 311

2:1-16 244

2:6 448

3:1-12 229

3:11, 12 287, 408

3:17 390

4:1-11 56, 133

4:4 61

4:8, 9 68

4:8-10 181

4:9 391

4:11 390

4:12-25 21

5:1 21

5:3-12 386

5:5 149

5:7 75

5:8 89

5:10-12 169

5:11 83, 395

5:14 202

5:14-16 171, 181

5:17 51

5:34, 35 512

5:44 390

6:4 86

6:7 386

6:9 319

6:9, 10 258, 510

6:19 5, 37

6:19, 20 72

6:19-21 181

6:27 39

6:33 55, 390, 396

6:34, 27 87

7:1 390

7:3, 4 43

7:6 43, 391

7:20 150

7:26, 27 27

7:29 101

8:20 108

8:20-22 134

8:22 182

9:10 52

9:12, 13 280

9:35 21, 52

9:35, 36 116

10:1-16 102, 118

10:5-10 135

10:7, 8 72

10:7, 11-14 151

10:7-15 24

10:8 102, 151

10:16 151

10:22 450

10:28 88, 154, 388, 391, 452

10:34-39 55

10:42 184

11:14 229

11:19 390, 392, 436

12:1-15 51

12:7 280

12:25 182

12:30 153

12:34, 35 491

12:34-37 71

12:37 392

13:1-9 482

13:7, 22 25

13:9 493

13:11-17 484

13:12 234

13:17 416

13:18, 19 483

13:18-22 489

13:19 482

13:20, 21 487

13:23 480, 491

13:37 482

13:39-42, 47-50 406

13:41, 42 121

13:41-43 229

13:43 203, 229

13:44 41, 134

13:45, 46 134, 395

13:51, 52 228

13:55 121

14:13-15 21

15:1-9 181

15:1-14 21

15:8, 9 149

15:14 150, 163, 276

15:32, 33 21

16:4 390

16:19 197, 391

16:25 41

16:25, 26 154

16:26 37, 341

18:9 388

18:10-14 123

18:14 341

18:15-17 42, 75

18:17 386

18:18 391

18:20 38, 85, 101

19:16-22 6, 9

19:23, 24 181, 490

19:28, 29 414

19:29 102

21:4 391

21:7-9 199

21:12, 13 181

21:16 106

21:18, 19, 43 408

21:42 23

21:43 150

22:15-22 436

22:21 245, 283, 435

22:34-40 437

22:37 133

Chap. 23 71

23:1-33 181

23:1-38 21

23:5 181

23:5-8 149

23:5-11 119

23:8 187

23:8, 10 280

23:9 149, 186

23:10 353

23:11 117

23:12 184

23:13 277

23:14 121

23:18-22 186

23:33 22, 277, 388

Chap. 24 11, 23, 35, 228

24:1, 2 21, 186

24:3, 14, 21 385

24:3-39 101

24:7, 8 243

24:9 54, 391, 405, 450

24:14 23, 37, 70, 140, 148, 151, 152, 200, 201, 231, 244, 386, 406

24:15 149

24:21 27

24:22 44

24:31 202, 256

24:34 35

24:36 27

24:37-39 36

24:42-51 119

24:44 228

24:45 387

24:45-47 203, 228, 448, 489

24:46 228

24:46, 47 227, 387

24:47 228

24:48-51 153, 186

24:48, 51 123

25:1 233

25:14-30 233

25:21 234

25:23 233

25:26 123

25:29 39

25:30 39

25:31, 32 184

25:31, 34 120

25:31-33 256

25:32-46 70

25:34 385

25:34, 40 450

25:41-46 26

25:42, 46 184

26:31 117

26:38 389

28:18 442

28:18-20 248

28:19 231, 386

28:19, 20, 52, 201, 311

MARK

313, 481

1:1-3 229

1:16-20 121

1:29 52

1:38 151

Chap. 2 52

3:2 51

3:4 389

4:1 21

4:14, 15 482

4:15 484

4:16 487

4:19 489

4:26-29 492

6:34 116

8:1-4 21

9:33-37 52

9:35 117

9:43-47 388

10:30 414, 489

10:42-45 117

12:13-17 436

12:32-34 138

12:33 88

12:38-40 149

12:40 121

12:41-44 41

Chap. 13 23, 35

13:10 24

14:27 117

14:34 389

LUKE

313, 481

1:32, 33 116

1:46-48 386

2:1-5 445

2:8-20 244

2:13, 14 67

2:42, 46, 47 25

4:5-8 437, 443

4:16-21 70

6:1-5 51

6:9 389

6:22,23 213

6:45 26

7:35 390, 392

8:1 21, 71, 102, 151

8:6 488

8:8 491

8:11 482

8:12 483

8:13 487

8:14 489

8:15 491

8:40 486

9:1, 2, 6 52

9:23 41

9:49 390

9:59, 60 136

9:62 54, 170

10:1 486

10:1-4 136

10:1-9 52

10:1-11, 17 102

10:1-17 118

10:2 44

10:38-42 24

11:7 390

11:13 312

11:52 163, 277

12:15 7

12:16-21 7

12:20 10

12:22-24 9

12:25 10

12:26 10

12:27, 28 14

12:29-34 14

12:32 83, 120, 348

12:42 387

12:43, 44 387

12:47 234

12:48 24, 123, 234

13:2, 4 396

13:6-9 408

13:10-17 51

13:26 24

13:31, 32 181

14:12-14 7

14:17-20 25

14:18-20 7

15:7 354

15:11-32 182

16:9 105, 139

16:10 233, 417

16:15 23

17:26-30 22

17:32 54

17:33 389

18:29, 30 413

19:11-27 171

19:22 180

19:40 37, 170, 183, 518

20:1 21

20:19-26 436

20:20 436

20:34-36 414

20:47 121

Chap. 21 23, 35

21:1-4 8, 139

21:9 83

21:17 391

21:24 216, 243, 258, 513

21:26 68, 202, 253

21:28-32 102

21:29 396

21:34-36 491

22:15 196

22:28, 29 489

22:29 227

22:29, 30 518

23:1, 2 245

23:2 436

23:42, 43 481

JOHN

313

1:9 395

3:3, 5 482

3:8 386

3:14, 15 349

3:14-17 311

3:19 150

3:19-21 187

3:31 396

3:35, 36 281

4:24 386

4:34 116

4:35-38 408

5:2-18 51

5:17 51, 390

5:26, 27, 30 442

5:28, 29 41

5:30 132

5:43 319

6:14, 15 443

6:27 58

6:38 116

6:44, 45 280

6:60-66 170

6:68 123

7:2-10 201

7:14-16 201

7:15 70, 181

7:22, 23 51

7:37 202

7:37, 38 104, 201

7:38 202

7:38, 39 104

8:12 202

8:23 412, 435

8:28 343, 349

8:31, 32 85

8:32 70, 87, 163

8:44 21, 181, 484

8:51 14

9:1-34 51

9:3, 4 52

9:4 54

10:3-5 122

10:10 121

10:11 123

10:11, 14, 16, 352

10:12, 13 123

10:14 116

10:14, 15 279

10:16 120, 150, 183, 197, 200, 257, 348, 405

11:7 486

11:11-14 388

11:25, 26 14

12:1-3 24

12:12-15 199

12:19 21

12:25 389

12:26 117

12:31 444, 520

12:32 395

12:42, 43 169

13:12-17 117

13:17 120, 138

14:6 343

14:24 148

14:28 167

14:30 23

15:1-8 26

15:2, 3, 8 103

15:6 390

15:8 493

15:15 131

15:16 211

15:18, 19 23

15:19 412

15:19, 20 254

15:20 117, 154

16:1-4 488

16:13 312

16:22 73

17:1, 2 442

17:1-3 279

17:3 69, 275, 288, 390

17:6, 14, 16 412

17:6, 26 318

17:9, 14, 16 23

17:14, 16 435

17:17 70

17:25 279

18:36 23, 181

18:37 148

19:10, 11 181

19:11 444

19:12 245

19:15 513

20:17 390

21:15-17 101

21:15-18 118

ACTS

317

1:6 513

1:8 53

Chap. 2 196

2:1-11 311

2:16-18 395

2:21 319

2:21, 24-36 397

2:27, 31 388

2:34 319

2:41 246

3:22 116

4:4 246

4:13 102, 181

4:19 181

4:19, 20 445

5:1-11 451

5:29 181, 256, 353

5:29-32 445

5:38, 39 213, 449

5:41 488

5:42 24, 100, 150

7:48 24, 186

7:49 513

7:60 388

8:4 246

9:4 392

9:7 392

Chap. 10 197, 247

10:1-48 408

10:34 187

11:19 246

11:25, 26 486

13:6-12 451

13:15, 16 52

13:22 115

13:36 388

13:39 393

15:14 285, 412

15:36 24

16:4, 5 73

16:20, 21 247

17:6 22

17:6, 7 247

17:11 53

17:17 24

17:22 395

17:24 186

17:30 518

17:32 24

18:3, 4 14

18:28 22

20:20 22, 24, 100, 150

20:20, 21 52

20:27 232

20:27-31 118

20:28 123

20:29 186

20:33 139

20:35 27, 102

22:7 392

22:9 392

24:5, 6 247

25:9-12 247

25:19 395

26:5 394

26:14 24

ROMANS

1:24-31 284

2:7 43

2:28, 29 408

3:4 392

3:19, 20 278

4:2, 3, 5 393

5:1-5 58

5:1, 9 393

5:3-5 85

5:18, 19 396

6:7, 8 393

6:23 69, 167

8:13 42

8:17 227

8:28 86

8:30, 33 393

8:31 170

8:35-39 489

Chap. 9 211

9:17-24 212

9:21-23 133

10:4 407

10:4, 8-11 393

10:9 397

10:9, 13 397

10:10 69, 491

10:13 397

10:14 37

10:17 71

11:13 247

12:2 23, 102, 163

12:4, 5 446

12:5 228

12:10 183

12:13 218

12:18 259

12:21 153

Chap. 13 166

13:1 106, 180, 181, 201, 243, 439, 441, 442, 446

13:1-4 68, 283

13:1-7 440, 441

13:2 449

13:3, 4 450

13:4 450

13:5 451

13:6 452

13:7 452

13:8 452

14:11 69

15:1-4 74

15:3 86, 154

15:4 84, 99, 197

15:12 450

16:1 122

16:20 481

1 CORINTHIANS

1:17-19, 30 132

1:17-29 100

1:19 69

1:21 40

1:25 40

1:26, 27 202

1:26-29 23, 121

1:27, 28 412

1:29 183

1:31 68

2:12 412

3:6 151

3:6, 7 186

3:7 13

3:9 483

3:10-14 56

3:19 100, 412

4:4 392

4:9-13 118

6:18 396

6:20 258

7:23 39, 258

7:29 35

7:39 388

8:1 170

9:12, 18 448

9:16 151

9:26 37

9:27 41, 152

10:6-11 55

10:11 22, 51, 69, 99, 154, 197, 406

10:12 41, 75, 88

10:31 74

11:1 118

11:10 447

12:12, 13, 18, 24, 25, 27, 28 447

12:26 396

12:28 448

12:31 56

13:5, 6 284

13:8 56

13:8-13 283

14:1, 39 56

14:8, 9 181

14:11 392

14:33-35 447

15:10 493

15:20 196

15:24-26 227

15:24-28 418, 451

15:28 395

15:36-38 491

15:45 389

15:58 58

16:1 73

16:2 139, 140

2 CORINTHIANS

1:3, 4 39

1:20-22 228

2:17 24

3:3-6 491

4:2 257

4:4 23, 163, 444, 520

4:4-6 286

4:6, 7 181

4:7 56

4:13 393

5:17, 18 410

5:20 437, 517

6:4-7 492

6:14-17 165

7:1 59, 60, 61

9:6-12 493

9:7 139

9:10 483

10:3-5 171

10:4 179

10:8 448

12:7 25

12:10 88

13:5 168

13:10 448

GALATIANS

1:4 179

3:7-9 247

3:8 412

3:8, 16 246

3:9, 26-29 246

3:24, 25 51

3:28 283

4:24-31 412

4:26 347

4:26-28, 31 280

5:1 164

5:16, 17 74

5:18 51

5:19 59

5:19-21 152

5:21 74

5:22 122

5:22, 23 75

6:1 75

6:1, 2 123, 153

6:3 122

6:4 74

6:5 74, 153

6:6 101

6:9 43, 151, 356

6:14 412

6:16 351, 444

EPHESIANS

1:18 101

1:19-23 447

1:20-23 227

2:1 182

2:2 150

2:7 412

2:15 51

2:15, 16 407

4:3, 12, 13, 31, 32 55

4:7 228

4:7-13 56

4:11 228

4:11, 12 215

4:12 228

4:26 42

5:3, 4 59

5:14-16 40

5:15-17 71

5:15-18 138

5:26 169

6:4 283

6:10 84, 170

6:10-17 27

6:11-14 85

6:11-18 154

6:15 61

6:17 171, 187

PHILIPPIANS

1:1 118

1:7 393, 394

1:11 72

1:12, 13 247

1:12-14 164

1:28 180

1:29 488

2:3 183

2:5-8 117

2:5-11 447

2:9 396

2:12 58

2:14, 15 153

2:15, 16 202, 203

3:10-14 227

4:7 102

4:8, 9 43, 56

4:9 120

4:19 84

4:23 386

COLOSSIANS

1:6-12 53

1:15-20 396

1:23 247

1:26, 27 408

2:2 384

2:8 149, 181

2:13, 14 407

2:14 196

2:14-17 181

2:16, 17 51, 407

2:17 196, 198

2:18 394

3:2 23

3:5 59

3:12, 13 55

3:14 355

3:16 490

3:23-25 74

4:14 121

1 THESSALONIANS

25

1:6 118

1:6-8 488

2:11, 12 227

3:2 25

4:13 388

5:21 168

2 THESSALONIANS

1:1 123

1:6-10 287

2:3, 7 309

3:1 390

3:6-13 53

3:7-9 123

3:9 448

1 TIMOTHY

1:11 386

2:1-4 396

2:3-6 285, 483

2:4 43

2:5, 6 199

2:6 213, 396

2:11-13 447

3:1 121

3:1-13 446

3:2-4 122

3:5-7 122

3:8-13 122

4:10 54, 200

4:12 25

4:12-16 123

4:13 37

4:14, 15 39

4:15, 16 348

4:16 51, 54, 58, 59

5:8 54, 105

5:22 446

5:23 25

6:5 36

6:6-10 9, 490

6:7, 8 3

6:8, 6 106

6:8-10 55

6:9, 10 36

6:10 7

6:12, 19 151

6:15 386

6:17-19 3, 8, 490

6:18, 19 7, 15

2 TIMOTHY

1:7 40

1:7-9 90

2:2 102

2:2-4 171

2:4 23

2:8, 9 354

2:11, 12 489

2:12 227

2:15 71, 102

2:19 212

2:20 211

2:21 211, 212

2:23 43

2:23-26 171

2:24, 25 123

2:26 163

3:1-5 23, 101

3:4 39

3:12 54, 169, 487

3:13 310

3:16, 17 214

4:2 24, 152, 201, 247

4:5 107

4:6-8 344

4:9, 10 55

4:13 24

4:17 118

4:22 386

TITUS

1:1 118

1:5-9 122

PHILEMON

vs 9 25

HEBREWS

1:1, 2 405, 407, 409, 414

1:6 449

2:1 39, 103

2:5-8 227

2:14 520

2:15 87

3:5 117, 233

4:12 171

5:7, 8 90

5:14 103

6:1 103

6:5 412

6:7, 8 490

6:11, 12 384

6:16 394

6:20-7:3 511

8:7-13 410

8:10, 12 197

9:25, 26 410

9:26 406

10:1 197, 203, 407

10:5-10 409

10:12, 13 407, 513

10:22, 23 384

10:24, 25 85, 101

10:25 38, 73, 151, 169, 344

10:26-30 57

10:28 197

10:32-39 489

10:35, 36 58

Chap. 11 154, 414

11:1 182, 282

11:2, 4, 5, 39, 40 387

11:2, 38 414

11:3 410

11:4 181

11:8-16 199

11:17 390

11:17-19 407

11:32 185

11:36-38 416

11:38 405

12:1 386, 387

12:2 134

12:2, 3 116

12:5-8 150

12:5-11 168

12:9, 10 88

12:28, 29 89

13:7, 17, 24 448

13:15 39, 167, 491

13:20 116

JAMES

1:1 118

1:2, 3 57

1:6-8 24

1:14, 15 55

1:17 19

1:18 197

1:21 85

1:22 59, 170, 344

1:22-25 23

1:26, 27 394

1:27 152, 259, 517

2:5-9 8

2:17, 18 150

2:19 451

2:26 182

3:11 43

3:17 99, 179

3:17, 18 102

4:4 23, 84, 248

4:7 40, 486

5:1 253

5:1-3 5

5:7 486

5:10, 11 488

1 PETER

1:12 37

1:17-19 58

1:19 213

2:4-8 23

2:11 55

2:17 452

2:19-21 259

2:21 37, 118, 133, 151

2:25 116

3:3 386

3:13-17 57

3:15 41, 71, 152

3:20 389

3:22 447

4:3-5 42, 102

4:13, 14 154

4:17 168, 183

5:1 120

5:1-3 121

5:2 115, 121

5:3 121

5:4 116

5:5,6 122

5:8 61

5:8, 9 54

2 PETER

1:1 118

1:5-9 152

2:1 186

2:4 388

2:5 19

2:12, 13 138

2:19 163

2:20-22 170

3:3, 4 101

3:3-7 26, 36

3:4 388

3:9-12 44

3:10-13 258

3:11 36

3:11-15 288

3:12, 13 413

3:15 518

1 JOHN

2:1 391

2:2 200

2:13, 14 391

2:15-17 23

2:16, 17 134

2:22, 23 281

3:6-8 391

3:8 480

4:1-3 386

4:8, 16 147

4:15 281

4:18 25, 40, 84, 169

5:7 167

5:7, 8 310

5:18 391

5:19 23, 68, 179, 444

JUDE

vs 1 118

vs 3 284, 309, 484

vs 12 119

vs 21 355

REVELATION

390

1:1 118

1:1, 5 148

1:4 73

1:5 278, 450

1:10 386

2:10 179

3:14 148, 211, 278

3:20 24

4:11 68, 396

5:6, 7 516

Chap. 7 203

7:9 150, 183

7:9, 10 199, 285, 405

7:9-17 70, 120, 182, 415, 416

7:17 150, 235

11:8 11, 22, 212

11:9-11 166

11:15-18 245, 514

11:15-12:10 258

11:17, 18 168

Chap. 12 54, 216

12:1-5 514

12:1-10 413

12:1-12 67

12:1-13 352

12:5 201, 229

12:7-12 514

12:7-13 44

12:10 449

12:12 27

12:17 168

Chap. 13 444

13:1-12 442, 444

13:2, 4, 11, 12 443

13:3 386

13:8 410

13:16, 17 256

14:1 228

14:3 413

14:18-20 183

16:12-16 232

16:13, 14 386

16:13-16 308

16:14-16 103, 258, 286, 413

17:1, 2, 5, 510

17:12-14 438

17:8 218

Chap. 18 22

18:4, 5 232

Chap. 19 510

19:1-6 509

19:2 510

19:5 516

19:6 508, 509, 516, 517

19:15 451

20:3 198

20:6 232

21:1-5 258

21:4 14

21:8 88

21:14 448

22:1 201

22:1, 17 169, 185

22:3, 4 353

22:12 59

22:17 13, 72, 100, 150, 151, 199, 202

22:18, 19 310

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. All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.—2 Tim. 3:15-17, NW.

Subject Index for “The Watchtower”, 1950

Ancient Patterns for the Present 321

Anna, the Aged Prophetess, Sees Jesus 523

“Announcing Messiah’s Presence” Testimony Period 66

Answer to The Baptist Record, An 453

Answering the Foes of His Government 249

“Be Fruitful, Multiply, Fill the Earth” 381

Beginning the New World Society 413

Be Rich in Good Works 3

Best-Seller Least Read? 264

“Blood Puddings” 397

Bringing Forth Fruit for Eternal Life 480

Brooklyn Bethel Vacation 178

Calendar, 1951 464

Call to Praise, A 67

Captives of Cyprus Learn of Liberty 332

Christian Use of Material Wealth, A 139

Clergy Voice Unwarranted Criticism 371

Clergyman Notes Faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses 288

Completely New World for This Globe, A 171

Dedication 221

District Assemblies of 1949 in Many Lands 44

Divine Education Bears Good Fruit 99

Divine Requirements Resting on Servants 120

Does Papal Encyclical Resist Compromise? 467

Doing the Work Assigned 403

Dominican Republic Persecutes Christians 428

“Droop Not Your Hands” 349

East Germany Bans Jehovah’s Witnesses 399

El Salvador and the Honduran Countries 92

Equipping the New World Organization 211

Esther Manifests Divine Wisdom 174

Evolution Contrary to Scientific Fact 420

“Exclusion Clause” Recommended, An 524

Execution of Judgment upon Opposers 449

Ezra, Zealous for Pure Worship 206

Fearless at the World’s End 83

Feasts to Jehovah 195

Fraudulent Religious Relics 460

From Netherlands West Indies to Bethel 140

From Nicaragua to Panama 109

Further Enrichment of Understanding 389

Gehenna, a Place of Eternal Punishment 477

Gilead Graduates More Qualified Missionaries 127

God of Warning, A 19

God’s Blessed Family 325

God’s Government 235

Good News from Greece 293

Haggai Exhorts the Temple Builders 15

Haman’s “Pride Goes Before Destruction” 189

How to Stick to It 55

International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses 187

Isolated Publishers in Hawaii 296

It Is Nearer than They Think 366

“It Is Nearer than They Think” Testimony Period 304

Jehovah’s Witnesses Again Endure Totalitarian Hate 499

Jesus, the Faithful Son of God 377

Joseph of Arimathea 360

Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus 301

Letters (In order of first or of principal word)

Absence of Prayer at Public Meetings! 95

“Attaining to That World” 240

Attending Funerals and Marriages 95

On “Blood Transfusion” 79, 143, 158, 524

On Converting Calendar Dates for the “Time of the End” 63

“On the Divine Mandate” 175

“Each Married Couple . . . ” 16

“Free . . . to Cheer His Wife” 32

“The Human Soul Mortal” 32

“Immortality in the Spirit Realm” 32

“On Jesus’ Rights” 208

“Let the Dead Bury the Dead” 191

“Like Lightning” 239

“On Torment Forever and Ever” 191

Living According to Superior Knowledge 282

Living Up to the Name 147

“Living Up to the Name” Testimony Period 130

Malachi Warns of Coming Judgment 329

Mary, the Mother of Jesus 265

Memorial for 1950 66

Mind Freed for Godly Combat, A 163

“Miserable Comforters” 380

Mobsters Break Up Assembly in Missouri 475

Moderation in the Enjoyment of Good Things 155

Mordecai Worships Only Jehovah 157

More and More Pioneers of Good News 103

Most Enjoyable Book, The 515

Name and Purpose of The Watchtower 260

Nehemiah Makes Most of Opportunities 237

New Systems of Things 405

New World Crowd of Praisers, The 516

New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures 312

Open Letter to the Catholic Monsignor, An 469

Organized for United Testimony 152

Organized Testimony to the New World 212

Parable of the Sower 481

Paying Back God’s Things to God 435

Physical Heavens Declare God’s Glory 373

Postwar Enlargement of the Theocratic Organization 216

Praise to the New World’s Founder 508

“Preach the Word” 494

Presidential Visit to Northern South America 123

Questions from Readers 271, 303, 335, 367, 399, 431, 463, 495, 522

Radio Station WBBR Preaches the Word 268

Real Feast of Ingathering Under Way, The 198

Religious Charity versus Good Works 505

Report of International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses 272

Report of Theocracy’s Increase Assembly 361

Resolution [Adopted at “Theocracy’s Increase” Assembly] 257

Resolution of First Canadian French Circuit Assembly 112

Reviewing the Past Year’s Work World-wide 10

Riches of the Full Assurance of Our Understanding 384

Scripture Index for Leading Articles, 1950 525

“Separating to the Right” Testimony Period 2

Servant’s Care of the Master’s Goods 231

Servants Feed the Flock 115

Serving with the Servant 227

Should Christians Worship Relics? 457

Simeon Realizes His Heart’s Desire 476

Sound Investment, A 8

Steps Toward Life 204

“Stick to Your Work” 51, 302

Subjection to the Higher Powers 439

Taking in Life-giving Knowledge 275

“The Increase of His Government” 243

Theocracy’s Expansion in South Korea 357

“Theocracy’s Increase” Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses 210

“Theocracy’s Increase” Testimony Period 194

“The Wisdom from Above” 339

This Masquerade Called Christmas 501

Turning the Remaining Time to Profit 41

Turning to the Peoples a Pure Language 307

United States District Assemblies of 1949 28

Uniting Our Praises Universally 70

Use the Remaining Time Wisely 419

Victory Dedicated to Jehovah’s Honor, A 179

Victory over Death 289

Visit to Central America, A 76

Visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses in China 388

Was Christ Hung on a Cross? 425

Way of Success, The 341

Way to Gain Understanding, The 137

Way to Remain Fearless to the Final end, The 85

What Do You Do with Your Time? 35

“Whatever Else You Get, Get Understanding” 131

Who Will Share in the Final Witness? 22

Why Christians Shun Tobacco 59

Writing Before the Flood 297

Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1951 464

Zechariah Urges God’s Service Despite Ban 61

Zerubbabel Rebuilds the Temple 47