The Watchtower — August 1, 1956

Dusty Bible No Laughing Matter

THERE is a touch of absurdity about dusty Bibles in Christian homes that borders on the humorous. Supposed Christians who do not read their basic textbook are a joke to some. They are about as funny as an engineer who never studied his engineering books, but it is no joke to cross one of his bridges. They are about as funny as a surgeon who never read his books on anatomy, but you would stop laughing if he came into the operating room and started a haphazard probing into your body with a knife in search of your appendix.

How can the Christian follow in the footsteps of Christ if he does not know the course Christ took? How could you do as Christ did and speak as he did without learning what he did and said? It is in the Bible that one learns his words and deeds. After his famous sermon on the mount Jesus said: “Everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them will be likened to a discreet man, who built his house upon the rock-mass. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded upon the rock-mass.” How can you build up a Christian way of living on a safe rock foundation without knowing and doing according to the sayings of Christ?—Matt. 7:24, 25, NW.

If Bibles collect dust instead of readers they are like mountains of gold that are never mined. If their possessors do not read them how can the sayings of Jesus become known? And how can his sayings be obeyed if they are never known? To many the Bible is a closed book because they never open it. To many who do open it it is still closed to their understanding. It was closed to the sincere Ethiopian officer who was reading the book of Isaiah, for when Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading he replied: “Really how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?” So Philip guided him and he understood and was baptized.—Acts 8:31, NW.

The needed guidance may be in the form of oral preaching, as it was in the case of the Ethiopian. Or it may be in printed form, as in the case of the Bible helps published by the Watch Tower Society. This magazine is one of those Bible helps. It is the official journal of Jehovah’s witnesses. It points our attention to the sayings of Jesus and to the urgency of obeying those sayings. If we open The Watchtower and read it, it will open the Bible to our understanding when we read the Bible.

Jehovah’s witnesses must not let their Watchtowers collect dust, as some persons do their Bibles. Jehovah’s witnesses do not take the Watchtower magazine just so it can be seen around the house, like some supposed Christians who have Bibles in their homes just for the sake of appearances. The witnesses read and study all the Watchtower magazine, not just parts of it, like some professed Christians who limit their Bible reading to the last one fourth of the Bible and brush aside as outdated the first three fourths of it.

To get the good out of a Bible help it must be opened and read. To get the good out of the Christian’s basic indispensable textbook, the Bible, it must be opened and read. To fail to do so is no joke. It is no joke to cross a weak bridge. It is not funny to be operated on by an incompetent surgeon. Still less is it a laughing matter to jeopardize our chance for eternal life by letting our Bibles grow dusty.

Is the Golden Rule Enough?

Many people lead what they call “a good life.” By this they mean that they do no harm to others and often do them good in a material way. Will this lead to everlasting life? Or is more required?

CHRIST Jesus stated the so-called golden rule: “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.” (Matt. 7:12, NW) Following this rule of neighbor love is necessary for gaining everlasting life in God’s new world. Some think, though, that keeping the “golden rule” is all that God requires. But have we really discharged our duty toward God by just doing good to others? Do the Scriptures show that the “golden rule” is enough?

Actually, when we turn to God’s Word, we find that one can lose out on everlasting life even though he be engaged in a program of constructive good works. This is a major point made by Christ Jesus himself. The Bible writer Luke tells us about a time when Jesus was invited to a home:

“A certain woman named Martha received him as guest into the house. This woman also had a sister called Mary, who, however, sat down at the feet of the Master and kept listening to his word. Martha, on the other hand, was distracted with attending to many duties. So, she came near and said: ‘Master, does it not matter to you that my sister has left me alone to attend to things? Tell her, therefore, to join in helping me.’ In answer the Master said to her: ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and disturbed about many things. A few things, though, are needed, or just one. For her part, Mary chose the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.’”—Luke 10:38-42, NW.

Engrossed, apparently, in preparing many dishes for a meal, Martha was “distracted with attending to many duties.” Her intentions were good; she wanted to do all the good she could for Jesus. Martha’s sister Mary, however, sat down at the feet of the Master “and kept listening to his word.” Mary sensed the importance of knowledge, the knowledge of God and his purposes. Martha, busy about so many household things, was irked, and she requested Jesus to instruct Mary “to join in helping me.” The Master then set Martha straight as to what really was important. He said that she was “anxious and disturbed about many things,” that there was only one thing that was really important and that Mary had chosen this good portion.

What, then, is the meaning for us? This: that service to others is not enough; that it is possible to be “distracted with attending to many duties” that, though kind and worthwhile in themselves, may cause us to lose out on everlasting life. A program of highly useful activity is not in itself enough.

“LISTENING TO HIS WORD”

Jesus told Martha that Mary ‘had chosen the good portion’ because Mary kept “listening to his word.” Mary had indeed chosen a good portion, for as Simon Peter once told Jesus: “You have sayings of everlasting life.” Since the taking in of this knowledge of “sayings of everlasting life” is placed by the Son of God on a higher level of importance than rendering service to others, we see Jesus’ point: that the doing of good to our neighbors must be in its proper relation to our regularly sitting down “at the feet of the Master” and “listening to his word.”—John 6:68, NW.

The true Christian, then, must be like Mary. By his course of action he must show that he really believes Jesus’ words: “Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”—Matt. 4:4, NW.

The words of Jehovah are found in the Bible. It is to that Book we must turn. From it we can acquire knowledge of Jehovah and his purposes. There is no substitute for this knowledge. It is vital. Salvation depends on it. Declared an apostle of Christ: “This is right and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, whose will is that all kinds of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3, 4, NW) Stressing the importance of accurate knowledge Jesus said in prayer to his heavenly Father: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3, NW.

Since knowledge means life, the converse must be true: lack of knowledge means death. This was true with the ancient nation of Israel. When they became stubborn and refused to take the teaching of Jehovah, God told them through his prophet: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.” (Hos. 4:6, AS) If we fail to put forth the effort to obtain accurate knowledge, God will also reject us; he will count us as not being “rightly disposed for everlasting life.”—Acts 13:48, NW.

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

When, through study of the Scriptures, we come to an accurate knowledge of the truth, we realize that there is a commandment grander in scope and importance than the “golden rule” of neighbor love. The Son of God gave us the right perspective on this matter when he explained: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.”—Matt. 22:37-40, NW.

How clear it is now! There are two commandments of life. Both are essential. We must live by both rules to be worthy of everlasting life. But one commandment is greater than the “golden rule” of neighbor love; that is the commandment to love Jehovah God “with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”

How do we show this kind of love for God? The Bible answers: “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3, NW) Though we may keep the “golden rule” as well as humanly possible, yet if we fail to observe God’s other commandments, we fall short in our love for God. That is serious.

Before one can observe God’s commandments, he needs to know what they are. This again brings us back to the vital need of obtaining an accurate knowledge of God’s Word. We can understand now why Jesus told golden-rule–minded Martha that Mary had chosen the good portion, because Mary chose to get knowledge. Without knowledge we cannot know what God’s commandments are; without knowledge of these commandments it is impossible to keep them, and unless we keep them we fall short of the greatest commandment of them all.

REQUIREMENTS FOR LIFE

The requirements of God are not one-day-a-week requirements; they extend into daily living. True Christianity really does something for a person; it changes him. His whole outlook on life is changed; he becomes a new personality. Notice how far-reaching God’s command is: “Strip off the old personality with its practices, and clothe yourselves with the new personality which through accurate knowledge is being renewed according to the image of the one who created it.” (Col. 3:9, 10, NW) To do this, one must really be humble; he must be a lover of righteousness. This God requires: “Before the day of Jehovah’s anger come upon you. Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”—Zeph. 2:2, 3, AS.

The new world will be completely righteous. This old wicked world must go. Soon now it will be destroyed at Armageddon. So God requires: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved and the elements being intensely hot will melt!”—2 Pet. 3:11, 12, NW.

We must constantly study God’s Word, and help others in a spiritual way. Others need to know of God’s new world and of the nearness of Armageddon. The way to show neighborly love and our love for God is to tell others about Jehovah’s purposes. This is what the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses is doing. You can share in the work Jesus commanded for these last days: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.”—Matt. 24:14, NW.

Spiritual giving is following the “golden rule.” But above all, coupled with “holy acts of conduct,” it shows that our love for God is complete. The “golden rule,” in its narrow sense of just doing physical good to others, is not enough.

Making the Fragrance of the Knowledge of God Perceptible

AMONG God’s many gifts to man is the sense of smell. It not only gives man much pleasure but at times also serves to warn of harm, from stuffy rooms to poisonous odors. And a beautiful odor not only is a pleasure to smell but also is refreshing, stimulating and invigorating. Incidentally, it has been well observed that the sense of smell, unlike that of sight or hearing, man has been unable to duplicate.

Because of the pleasure and benefit we receive from a delightful fragrance, God likens the knowledge of himself to such a fragrance. This knowledge of him certainly is beautiful, refreshing, stimulating and invigorating; yes, so much so that it brings happiness and everlasting life to all that keep taking in this fragrance. And this has been especially true since Christ gained the triumph over Satan and his demon horde and cast them down to earth.—John 17:3; Rev. 12:9, NW.

Aptly describing the part Christians play in spreading this fragrant knowledge Paul wrote: “Thanks be to God who always leads us in a triumphal procession in company with the Christ and makes the odor of the knowledge of him perceptible through us in every place!”—2 Cor. 2:14, NW.a

One might think that such a beautiful life-giving odor would be appreciated by all. But not so; for, as Paul goes on to show: “We are a sweet odor of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the latter ones an odor issuing from death to death, to the former ones an odor issuing from life to life.” Only to the few who sigh and cry because of the abominations they see in Christendom, who love righteousness and are conscious of their spiritual need, is this knowledge of God a beautiful, life-giving fragrance, which they inhale deeply to their benefit. Such may be said to have good noses.—2 Cor. 2:15, 16, NW.

But for the great majority of people today, those who are lovers of worldly pleasures rather than lovers of God and worshipers of creatures rather than worshipers of the Creator, the fragrant knowledge of God is a death-dealing plague. And no wonder, since they are in love with this wicked old world and this knowledge tells of its destruction. All such might be said to have bad noses and to them Jehovah’s servants stink!

But regardless of how the people react to our fragrant message, as dedicated ministerial servants of Jehovah we have the obligation to make the fragrance of the knowledge of God perceptible to all. Just as the stopper of a perfume bottle must be taken out and some of the perfume daubed upon the skin or clothes to make its fragrance perceptible to others, so with our fragrant knowledge of God. We must open up, we must speak out, we must identify ourselves as one of those having this fragrant knowledge so that it may be perceptible to all. If some are offended and hold their noses shut, as it were, we may not feel embarrassed or ashamed. We should prefer it to be otherwise; but the fault lies with their noses, not with our fragrant message!

So let us be generous with this fragrant knowledge of God, using it freely, even as we have received it freely. Let us give lovers of righteousness the full benefit of this fragrance so that they also can realize the joy of being in Jehovah’s triumphal procession, making the fragrance of the knowledge of God perceptible to still others.

[Footnotes]

Pursuing My Purpose in Life

As told by Thomas R. Yeatts

IN REVIEWING how I have been pursuing my purpose in life I find many shortcomings. On the other hand, due to the undeserved kindness of Jehovah God there is much more to be thankful for than to be sorry about. Even though I was brought up in the truth, I have not taken it for granted but have always been conscious of the fact that the truth is something very special, a gem of great price.

I am the oldest of a large family that was brought up on a farm quite isolated from any congregation of Jehovah’s people. Therefore, when we moved nearer to a city in 1931 I began to be active in the witness work at the age of 17. In those days there was no training program. A brother just gave me some books and said: “Go to that house.” I went, but I was very nervous. It just happened that the people of the house were of good will and they helped me considerably. By the end of the first day I felt like a veteran publisher. From 1931 to 1938 I was a busy congregation publisher. In 1938 I attended my first convention of any consequence at College Park, Maryland, and heard Brother Rutherford speak from London, England, on “Fill the Earth” and “Face the Facts.” At that convention I was immersed and also saw Brother Edward Keller for the first time, but seven years later became very well acquainted with him in the Spanish class at Gilead.

In 1939 I attended the convention in New York city and had a very exciting time riding the subway and seeing the big city for the first time, not to mention the riot at Madison Square Garden during the public talk on Sunday. I arrived in New York with $4 in my pocket and came home with $1 left.

In 1940 I attended the Detroit, Michigan, convention, where the book Religion was released. There I saw Brother Covington for the first time. Also by a friend I was introduced to my wife-to-be, a redheaded girl from Syracuse, New York, who signed up for the pioneer work at that convention and has been pioneering ever since.

In the spring of 1941 I was arrested (for the first time in my life) along with about forty others while doing magazine street work at a circuit assembly at Staunton, Virginia. We were held at police headquarters about an hour while Brother Macmillan went over and read the Supreme Court decision to the city attorney, who said he had no idea we had such a sweet victory. He called up the chief of police and said to let us go. We went back on the street and placed all the magazines we had. In the same year I attended the St. Louis convention. By this time I had become a congregation servant. In October of 1941 I received my questionnaire for the army, which was a whole year after I had registered for the draft. In November, about two weeks before Pearl Harbor, while still a congregation publisher, I received a 4-D classification as a minister exempt from military service, and that I kept throughout the war without once appearing before my draft board.

In the spring of 1942 a young pioneer brother passed through our town and, among other things, said that I should show more appreciation for my minister’s classification and enter the full-time pioneer ministerial service. By this time I had a new car and was making good wages in addition to doing my ministerial service. Some of the local congregation were holding me back (it was not hard) by saying I should let someone making less money go in the pioneer work. However, on July 4, 1942, I declared my independence and started pioneering. There was a booklet campaign on and I placed about 400 that month. I kept close account of my income and expenses and ended the month with $10 more than I had at the beginning. Since that time I have never been especially hard up for money and have certainly never “missed a meal.”

I had a car and no trailer; my fiancée had a trailer and no car; so we decided the best thing to do was to get married. After the Cleveland convention in September, 1942, I drove over to Syracuse against the advice of some of my Southern friends and got my Yankee wife and her trailer and we continued to pioneer in Virginia with success and happiness.

About a year before this I had filled out an application for Bethel service and had almost forgotten it. A week or so after we were married I received a letter from the Society saying that if I still was single I might report to Kingdom Farm at South Lansing, New York. I informed the Society that I was no longer single but if there was an opening for a married couple we should both be glad to come. Shortly we received a letter from Brother Knorr saying that there was no opening then but to continue on in the pioneer work and Jehovah would bless us. We did, and Jehovah has blessed us.

In June, 1944, I became a special pioneer. We were sent to Appalachia, Virginia, a coal-mining town just over Big Black Mountain from Kentucky’s Harlan County. There the people were a bit rough but very kindhearted and generous when they got to know you. We met and made friends that still are among our best. This was the first time I had ever been away from home for more than ten days at a time and it was really tough on me. I have never felt as far from home in my foreign assignment (2,000 miles from home) as I did in those mountains only 200 miles away. That training was just what we needed for Gilead and a foreign assignment. All male pioneers had been mobbed out of Harlan County but there were two faithful old sisters pioneering there and they had me over nearly every month for some duties. The first funeral service I ever conducted was in Harlan County with a mobster looking over my shoulder to see if I was reading from the King James Bible (I was). The first Memorial service I ever conducted and the first public talk I gave were there.

But on that assignment the outstanding experience was in Appalachia, Virginia. One morning, while going from house to house in the better section of town, I left a Kingdom News with a pleasant lady. Later I was coming out of a gate when a man came charging along the street like a mad bull, heaping abuse on me, saying that I should be run out of town, etc. He was a local doctor. A few months later I went up the mountain on a cold snowy night to have a study with a young man of good will and found him very ill. He asked me if I would go downtown and call this same doctor for him. I did. Over the phone the doctor said, “Do you have a car?” “Yes, sir.” “Well, you’ll have to take me up there because I’m not going to drive my car up that mountain tonight; pick me up at the hospital.” It was dark when the doctor came out, so he could not see me well. I kept quiet while he chatted along about progress of the war (that was about the time of the Battle of the Bulge). When we were about a mile up the mountain he said: “By the way, who are you?” He was really nonplused when I told him. I waited and took him back to town. That was a bucket of coals on his head. I never heard any more about being run out of town.

While we were on this special assignment we attended the convention in Buffalo, New York, in 1944; and there we filled out preliminary applications for Gilead. We had heard so much about how strenuous the course at Gilead was that my wife was against the idea. I told her that it would do no harm just to go and hear what Brother Knorr had to say to prospective Gileadites. We sat away in back and in the end did turn in our applications.

In December, 1944, we received our applications for Gilead. My wife suggested we send them back blank, but I said: ‘Let’s fill them out and tell them that you are not very well and we won’t be called anyway.’ We did that and in June, 1945, we received the call to report for the sixth class.

A few months before we went to Gilead we had a visit from a zealous circuit servant who walked with a slide rule and measured nearly everything he came to. When we arrived at Gilead the first person we met was our circuit servant. I said: “Don’t tell me you are going through school with us.” He: “No, they brought me here to teach.” I gave him a laugh but was really surprised when I found out he really was our mathematics teacher.

Gilead was a wonderful experience and, while it was a busy time, it was certainly not so hard as we had been led to believe. I led quite a normal life at Gilead, going in the service nearly every Saturday and Sunday, and reading my Watchtower and Awake! from cover to cover as I have always done since I could read. I also kept up a normal correspondence with my family and friends.

From Gilead we were assigned to work with the congregation in Bayonne, New Jersey. It was one of the nicest assignments we ever had and local friends treated us royally. We shall never forget them.

Our foreign assignment was the Netherlands West Indies and we arrived in Willemstad, Curaçao, N.W.I., on May 16, 1946. At a small gathering the first night the brother offering a prayer thanked Jehovah so fervently for our arrival that we could never think of abandoning them. At that time the housing situation was very bad in Willemstad and for six months we had it pretty tough until we finally got a decent house. The water was terrible and we had one spell of dysentery after another, but we did not get discouraged. The local friends very kindly brought several kinds of herbs to help.

It has been said that after one gets through Gilead and to his foreign assignment the excitement is over and the hard work begins. But for me the excitement has never stopped. What makes life interesting, especially for Jehovah’s ministers, is not conditions, not the scenery, not even the language, but people, and you have them in every assignment.

One thing that did make us feel sad was that after we had been here about a year and a half my father died suddenly. We had really expected to see him again, as he appeared to be in such good health when we left the States. He was a faithful witness that brought up a large family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

At the 1953 Yankee Stadium convention our whole family was together for the first time in eight years. This convention was not only a landmark in the history of the New World society but in the history of my family too.

In 1950 Brother Knorr visited the Netherlands West Indies for the first time and set up a branch office and I was assigned as branch servant and still hold that post by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness. Being a branch servant in a small place means that at times you also act as district servant and again as circuit servant, which is more excitement. I shall never forget the first time we went to the island of Bonaire. When we arrived for the public lecture there were more than a hundred people standing around. We said: “What a nice crowd!” When only about thirty came inside we thought the others were bashful, but we soon found out—rocks began to rain on the tin roof like hail in Egypt, firecrackers went off, the people beat on buckets and yelled. What a racket! I’m surprised until now that somebody did not get hurt that night. But most of the people have changed. When we showed The New World Society in Action film in the theater in Bonaire recently it was packed out and some present were those earlier troublemakers, and they liked the film.

In a foreign assignment one does not always have to learn another language, but usually you do; and that is something interesting. Even though you never learn to speak it perfectly you will learn to understand it, and that is a thrill. Here we learned Papiamento.

When I first came to Curaçao I was arrested for the second time in my life, for the same thing, street magazine work. I was taken to the police station but when I explained the nature of my work and that it was not commercial the desk sergeant told me to continue, much to the chagrin of the policeman. The very next day I was going from house to house and a Dutchman invited me in to explain my mission to his wife. When leaving I said to him: “You look familiar; where have I seen you before?” He laughed and said: “I’m the desk sergeant that let you go yesterday.” I did not recognize him without his uniform.

Jesus certainly knew what he was saying when he said that whoever gave up home and family for his sake and for the sake of the good news would find a hundred in this time and everlasting life in the world to come.

While letters and packages from home occasionally are not a necessity to a successful missionary career, they can be a source of extra pleasure. Every Watchtower and Awake! is like a letter from home, always full of surprises, always something new. Here are included only a few of the many experiences I have enjoyed. Volumes would be required to tell them all, such as, for instance, showing the film The New World Society in Action for the governor and his family in his back yard.

Many say: “Oh, if I could only live my life over again.” I say, If I could my goal would be the same, to pursue my purpose for a life of praise to Jehovah my Creator.

[Picture on page 457]

THOMAS R. YEATTS

The Widow’s Mite Unacceptable

● The Jersey Journal, March 26, 1956, said: “Msgr. P. B. O’Connor, pastor of Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church, North Arlington, startled his congregation yesterday. ‘To those of you who have not been here since last Palm Sunday,’ the pastor said, ‘I want to say that we do not accept silver in the collection basket. In fact, I am thinking of getting a basket which, if any coin is dropped into it it will automatically ring a bell and fire two shots in the air.’ It is reported that after this pastoral admonition, the collection baskets were as green as the palms.”

Jehovah’s Message Against Gog of Magog

“And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, . . . and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog.”—Ezek. 38:1-3, AS.

1. Is Jehovah God dependable?

JEHOVAH the God of systematic order has a due time and a fixed schedule for all his purposes. “For everything there is an appointed time; and there is a time for every purpose under the heavens: . . . ‘for [God] has set a time for every purpose and for every deed,’” (Eccl. 3:1, 17, AT) Man can depend upon it: there is a time for the sun to rise and a time for the sun to set; there is a time for the high tide and a time for the low tide. Time and tide, in fact, wait for no man, for they are not dependent upon man but are ordained by God. So it is with all that Jehovah does or purposes to do.

2. Explain how Jehovah is the Author, Fulfiller and Interpreter of Bible prophecy.

² God’s purpose declared ahead of the time of its occurrence is called divine prophecy. It is really history written in advance, for without fail the event comes to pass in due time just as its infallible Author says it will. “For you know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private release. For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.” “All Scripture is inspired of God.” (2 Pet. 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 3:16, NW) And since Almighty God assumes full responsibility for the carrying out of his purposes he is properly spoken of as the Fulfiller of prophecy. The Author and Fulfiller of prophecy is also the unerring Interpreter and Revealer of the same, for he alone knows the end from the beginning. “Do not interpretations belong to God?”—Gen. 40:8, NW.

3. In proof that only Jehovah God can foretell future events what did Daniel say?

³ God’s prophet Daniel recognized these basic truths, as he declared: “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; . . . he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” Furthermore, when Daniel was brought before the great king of the Babylonian empire to interpret a dream he confessed that only Jehovah God was able to reveal such prophetic secrets. Said Daniel: “The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. . . . But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, . . . the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” (Dan. 2:20-22, 27, 28, 30, 45, AS) Of a truth, Jehovah the God of purpose, the all-wise, all-powerful and eternal One, is fully capable of declaring ahead of time his majestic purposes and then, in his due time, interpreting such Bible prophecies as they are fulfilled or are about to be fulfilled.

4. Where are we on the stream of time, and why is this of great significance?

⁴ The historical events of the past forty years—global wars, earthquakes, food shortages, sickness and sorrow, crimes and calamities, hatred and persecution of gospel preachers, etc.—establish beyond any question of doubt that we are living in the “last days” of this old world under Satan’s rule, otherwise spoken of in Scripture as “the consummation of the system of things.” (Matt. 24:3, NW; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5) In this connection it is most significant to read in Bible prophecy that Jehovah God says that “after many days,” “in the latter years” and “in the latter days,” where we now find ourselves, he would have a special message delivered against Gog of Magog. This stated purpose of Jehovah was recorded more than 2,500 years ago in the book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, and is now in the course of fulfillment.a

GOG AND HIS ALLIES

5. What gives a clue to Gog’s identity?

⁵ Who is this Gog of Magog? Some lexicographers have thought the name “Gog” comes from a root word meaning “high, mountain,”b or “high or over-topping,” as the summit of a great mountain, and hence figuratively identifies one that is “gigantic, great of stature, powerful, warlike.”c The latest Biblical lexicographers think the name “Gog” is drawn from the Sumerian word gug, meaning “darkness.”d This opinion agrees well with Gog’s identity as Satan the Devil. Christ Jesus after his resurrection associated Satan’s authority with darkness when he said to Saul of Tarsus: “I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God.” This same Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle, likewise referred to Satan’s rule as “the authority of the darkness.”—Acts 26:17, 18; Col. 1:13, NW.

6. Why is Satan the Devil referred to as “Gog of Magog,” especially since A.D. 1919?

⁶ All related facts show that the cryptic name “Gog” refers to Jehovah God’s arch enemy, Satan the Devil, since his ouster from heaven after A.D. 1914. Concerning this we read: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 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.” Hence, “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. 12:7-9, 12, NW) From and after A.D. 1914 even to the present day ‘darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people.’ This is the period of time when the Devil, the god of darkness and despair, easily misleads earth’s inhabitants. The time since his being ousted from heaven is the “short period of time” just before the complete end of Satan’s system of things. Yes, this is the time referred to in Ezekiel’s prophecy as the “latter years” and “latter days” of the rule of darkness and oppression by “Gog, of the land of Magog.” In the prophecy the “land of Magog,” because of the uncertainty of its ancient location, well pictures the invisible, degraded region in the vicinity of the earth where Satan and his demons are now held under divine surveillance since their being thrown out of heaven.

7. What elements make up Gog’s organization?

⁷ Gog of Magog is the invisible god and wicked ruler of the present global system of things. (John 12:31; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2) As such he is the head of a monstrous organization composed of invisible wicked demons that were hurled down to earth’s vicinity as well as of many visible earthly associates and allies. It is therefore not at all surprising that the chieftains of the earth, the high and mighty, the visible rulers of the nations, give their full support and strength to the god of this world and his system.

8. How do the political and commercial powers identify themselves as allies of Gog of Magog?

⁸ Politicians and statesmen may be blind to these facts, nevertheless, by their international conferences, peace pacts, treaty agreements and by their oath-bound leagues and alliances, they demonstrate that they are on Gog’s side and against Jehovah and his Christ. Giants of commerce and industry, and the big investment and banking financiers of international power and intrigue, are also in this same satanic camp serving very well Gog of Magog and his organization. “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against Jehovah, and against his anointed [Jesus].”—Ps. 2:1, 2, AS; Acts 4:25-30.

9. What about the clergy of Christendom, are they also allied with Gog of Magog? Explain.

⁹ The rulers of this world are certainly “against Jehovah, and against his anointed,” for Christ emphatically declared: “My kingdom is no part of this world.” Christ’s true and faithful footstep followers, Jesus said, “are no part of the world just as I am no part of the world.” This is why true Christians are taught to pray for Jehovah God’s kingdom under Christ to come. They are not taught to pray for the continuation of this present devilish world that will soon pass away at Armageddon. (John 18:36; 17:16; Matt. 6:9, 10, NW) But do the clergy of Christendom pray as Christ said they should? No, not at all! As a class they form a strong religio-political brotherhood with the temporal powers and thus endorse and put their stamp of approval on the present system of things, which is in opposition to Christ’s kingdom. Furthermore, they are continually heard to pray for this world’s prosperity and success. From their pulpits and over the radio the clergy laud the leaders of this world and bless anti-Christ schemes for peace such as the organization of the United Nations. Whenever in such countries as the United States of America the legislative bodies open their sessions the official voice of a clergyman is heard calling down divine blessings upon the deliberations. Thus by the company they keep the religious leaders of this world show they are also adulterous ‘friends of this world,’ hence enemies of Jehovah God. Jesus told a similar class of religionists in his day: “You are from your father the Devil and you wish to do the desires of your father.”—Jas. 4:4; John 8:44, NW.

10, 11. Name some other elements of this world that show they are under Gog’s control and domination.

¹⁰ The strong-arm agencies and military strategists of the world, backed up as they are in almost every nation by practically unlimited financial support and regimented manpower, are unquestionably deployed by Gog of Magog. The same is true with most of the wizards of scientific discovery and invention, who, together with a host of research technologists and specialists, are feverishly laboring to improve and strengthen Gog’s offensive and defensive engines of war. News agencies and propaganda organs of this world, by the skill of their writers and orators and through the medium of public press, radio, cinema and television, continually praise and extol the virtues of this present system of things, this “present evil world,” and thus they too serve well as tools of Satan. Mention can also be made of the many ethical and cultural associations, as well as social, educational and judicial bodies, who, wittingly or unwittingly, give active aid and support to Gog’s world organization. In one way or another and with untiring effort they attempt to build up, improve and perpetuate the rule of the nations that are under Satan’s control, all in opposition to God’s kingdom by Christ. “He that is not on my side is against me,” said Jesus, “and he that does not gather with me scatters.”—Matt. 12:30, NW.

¹¹ Gog of Magog certainly has a great host of earthly allies, both willing and unwilling ones. As Ezekiel’s prophecy says Eze (38:3-6, AS), Gog’s forces and allies and armies are many and they are powerful. Besides “Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal: . . . [there are] horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords: Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer, and all his hordes; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes; even many peoples with thee.” To all of such in the ancient past Jehovah delivered his divine message, pictorial of how in these last days he would have a similar message delivered to all the hordes of Gog’s modern organization.

WHAT IS JEHOVAH’S MESSAGE?

12. Both in type and antitype who is credited with this message against Gog?

¹² This is no message of a mere man. It does not spring from human imagination or ingenuity. In the prophecy Ezekiel did not speak of his own initiative. Rather, he confessed over and over again that the message was of divine origin, from the great Almighty Jehovah God himself. “And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward Gog, . . . and prophesy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog.” (Ezek. 38:14, AS) In verses fourteen and seventeen of this same chapter the point is again emphasized, and still again in Eze chapter thirty-nine, verses one, five, ten and thirteen the prophet declares that this is truly Jehovah’s weighty message. Likewise today, full credit and responsibility for the message against Gog of Magog rightfully belong to Jehovah God. As Ezekiel was merely the spokesman used by God, so also are those today who are privileged to speak in the name of Jehovah as his message-bearing witnesses.

13. What is the substance of the warning Jehovah gives Gog and his allies?

¹³ The content of this message is one of warning and doom delivered to Gog and his allies; it is really a summons served on Satan to Armageddon’s impending destruction. Jehovah’s message in substance is this: ‘You, Gog, and the vast hordes under your command, pay attention to this—now is the time to muster all your forces and resources, for your violent end is very near. You have observed how my faithful witnesses have been gathered out of Babylonish captivity and now dwell securely in peace and unity, enjoying a full measure of spiritual prosperity, and, seeing all this, you meditate in your wicked and covetous heart to attack their seemingly defenseless congregations as if such were unwalled villages. But watch out! For when you descend as a cloud to destroy my faithful people then I will stop you cold in your attack and all the earth will know that I am Jehovah. I am now warning you, Gog, and those under your control, that my wrath will soon arise and the fire of my jealousy will shortly burst forth upon you in all its devastating fury. In fact, so great and terrible will that display of divine vengeance be that even the fish and the birds and the creeping things of the earth, yes, and all mankind, shall quiver and shake. Imagine! even great mountains shall be thrown down and every walled fortress will be leveled to the ground! Terror will fill the hearts of your allies and they will turn their own lethal weapons of destruction on one another. Indeed I will rain upon you and those supporting you an overflowing and devastating flood of hailstones and sulphurous fire. How foolish then to think that you will escape! The whole earth and all that dwell in the heavens above will know that I am Jehovah!’—Ezekiel 38, 39.

14. In giving this warning message how does Jehovah display his matchless power and supremacy?

¹⁴ It is not necessary for Jehovah to carry out a sneak attack to catch his adversary Gog off balance in order to gain the victory. Jehovah’s power and might are so great he arranges the time and place, invites the enemy to prepare for the showdown fight, and even foretells in detail and long in advance what the final results will be. “Proclaim this to the nations: ‘Let it be war! Rouse up your warriors, muster your fighting men, march! Hammer your ploughshares into swords, your pruning-hooks into lances. Let your weaklings think them warriors, let your cowards think them heroes!’ Let the nations rouse themselves and march to Judgment Valley, for I will sit in judgment there, on all the nations round. In with the sickle!—the harvest is ripe! Come, tread the winepress, tread it, it is full; the troughs are overflowing with their wickedness. What a din of hordes, what a din within the valley of the Verdict! For the Eternal’s day [the day of Jehovah, AS] is near, within the valley of the Verdict.”—Joel 3:9-14, Mo.

15. In the light of Bible prophecy is it reasonable to think that any of Gog’s allies will survive Armageddon?

¹⁵ So devastating that slaughter, the dead will cover the ground as manure spread over a field. “Prophesy all this against them; tell them: The Eternal [Jehovah, AS] will roar from on high, . . . The din resounds to the world’s end, for the Eternal arraigns the nations, he indicts all mankind, and puts the wicked to the sword. Then shall the victims of the Eternal lie all over earth, from end to end, like dung on the face of the ground, unwailed, ungathered, unburied. Howl and cry, you rulers, roll in the ashes, you lords of the flock! ’Tis high time you were slain, and slain you shall be, falling like choice lambs. No escape for the rulers, no way for the lords of the flock to flee!”—Jer. 25:30, 31, 33-35, Mo.

16. Jehovah’s message to Gog includes what special invitation?

¹⁶ In the wake of Armageddon’s carnage, disease and pestilence from the rot and decay would plague the survivors were it not for the fact that Jehovah sends forth an invitation to the birds and beasts to attend this great slaughter. “Speak unto the birds of every sort, and to every beast of the field,” Jehovah says, and say to them, “Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, . . . Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth.” This certainly shows the contempt in which Jehovah holds the proud and haughty of Gog’s system, letting the wild beasts and vultures feed upon them as worthless carrion!—Ezek. 39:17, 18, AS.

17. What happy work of the future awaits Armageddon’s survivors, but first, what must be done?

¹⁷ With such a glorious feast of victory concluded, only the bones, bones from one end of the earth to the other, will be left for burial. What a task that will be for the survivors, to cleanse the earth of every remaining evidence of Gog’s forces! Even with the work well organized it will take seven months, Jehovah says, just to bury the bones. Scouting corps will be sent out on a full-time basis to search the land thoroughly and, when bones are found, markers will be set up for those with the spades and shovels who follow. (Ezek. 39:14, 15) Those privileged to share in that cleanup work will not view it as a revolting and disgusting assignment but will rejoice to be alive when Gog’s long and oppressive rule has come to an end and when the wicked are no more. Survivors of Armageddon will be happy and will greatly rejoice to have a share in preparing the earth for a global paradise of beauty and perfection under the reign of the King Christ Jesus. But first, before that happy day, this message against Gog must be delivered in its completeness.

WHO DELIVER THE MESSAGE?

18. Who are privileged to deliver Jehovah’s message against Gog and his allies, and how was Ezekiel a good picture of these?

¹⁸ Though the message against Gog of Magog is of divine origin, yet Jehovah is pleased to use human creatures as his dedicated and ordained messengers to speak in his name and by his authority. These are therefore properly called “Jehovah’s witnesses.” The prophets of old were witness-bearing messengers and as such were prototypes of Jehovah’s witnesses today. Commissioning Ezekiel as his spokesman, Jehovah said: “Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. . . . All my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear [whether they will listen or refuse to listen, Mo.].”—Ezek. 3:4, 10, 11, AS.

19. (a) As one of Jehovah’s witnesses what authority was conferred upon Jeremiah? (b) To whom was he sent to deliver Jehovah’s message?

¹⁹ Concerning another one of God’s faithful witnesses, Jeremiah, we read: “Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, . . . I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child. But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah. Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth: see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, . . . therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.”—Jer. 1:4-10, 17-19, AS.

20. In what particular respect was Isaiah a fitting picture of Jehovah’s message-bearing witnesses today?

²⁰ Isaiah was another pictorial type of Jehovah’s witnesses in modern times. The prophet, when given a vision of the Lord Jehovah in his temple, cried out: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.” The remnant of God’s witnesses A.D. 1918, when the Lord Jehovah came to the antitypical temple for judgment, were in a similar undone and unclean condition because of inactivity, compromise and bondage in modern Babylon. But as in Isaiah’s case so also in modern times, Jehovah in his loving-kindness removed the iniquity of his people and forgave them their sins and then gave them even greater privileges of service. “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, . . . Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land become utterly waste.”—Isa. 6:5, 8, 9, 11, AS.

21. Are Jehovah’s witnesses today adequately qualified to deliver Jehovah’s message, and how so?

²¹ Jehovah’s witnesses today, like the Lord’s ancient witnesses, are under heavy responsibility before the Most High God. “We are therefore ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making entreaty through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20, NW) As true Christians substituting for Christ they follow the course and example he set. He was a messenger or witness for Jehovah, but not a self-appointed one. (Mal. 2:7; Job 33:23; Rev. 1:5; 3:14) His message was Jehovah’s message. He did not speak of his own initiative. (John 5:19, 30; 7:28; 8:28, 42) So likewise it has been with Jehovah’s witnesses in this twentieth century. They have not appointed themselves to be God’s witnesses. Jehovah has made the appointment. They did not so much as choose their name, “Jehovah’s witnesses.” God did. (Isa. 43:9-11; 44:8) To start with they were but “a child,” untrained and inexperienced, yet by applying themselves to a diligent study of Jehovah’s revealed Word and with God’s holy spirit and blessing upon their efforts they became adequately qualified for their divine assignment. “Not that we of ourselves are adequately qualified to reckon anything as issuing from ourselves, but our being adequately qualified issues from God, who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers.”—2 Cor. 3:5, 6, NW.

22. (a) To what extent have Jehovah’s witnesses accepted the assignment conferred upon them? (b) What are some of the interesting questions that will be answered in the following article?

²² So to the ends of the earth these qualified and authorized messengers of Jehovah have been hastening, national boundaries and linguistic barriers notwithstanding. Nothing seems to hinder their preaching activity. As with Jeremiah violent storms of persecution and hateful opposition have raged against them, but such things have not stopped Jehovah’s witnesses. Neither have they shrunk back out of fear or because of the edicts of kings, princes, dictators, popes or priests. How well they have prospered in their assignment, to what extent they have delivered Jehovah’s message against Gog of Magog, and what the results have been, will be considered in the next article.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 465]

. . . for I am a CHILD

Delivering Satan’s Death Notice

“How art thou fallen from heaven, . . . Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. Jehovah of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, . . . as I have purposed, so shall it stand.”—Isa. 14:12, 15, 24, Am. Stan. Ver.

1. Who have been chosen to deliver Jehovah’s message against Gog of Magog, and why these to the exclusion of others?

AS THE previous article stated, Jehovah’s witnesses, of all people, are the ones commissioned by God to deliver his special message just prior to this world’s end. The message is one of doom directed against Gog of Magog, that is, Satan the Devil, and against his allies. And there are very good reasons why Jehovah God in these “last days” passed over all others and chose what at the time was a small and obscure group of people to speak in his name and by his authority as his witnesses. Whom else can God trust to speak for him? Admittedly he cannot use agnostics and atheists, who say there is neither a Jehovah God nor a Satan the Devil. He cannot use the pagan-worshiping heathen, who have never heard of Him and who prefer to serve a multitude of false gods. Most certainly He will not use the self-seeking, proud and haughty rulers of this world who, like Pharaoh of old, sneeringly say: “Who is Jehovah?” Jehovah uses only those faithful and loyal to him, men and women of proved integrity, and for this reason he refuses to use the clergy of Christendom, since out of fear of men or for some other selfish reason they compromise with and are friends of God’s very enemies.a

2. (a) What high qualifications do Jehovah’s witnesses meet? (b) Name a few of those in the past that displayed similar characteristics, and describe the source of their strength.

² Jehovah’s witnesses, on the other hand, meet the exacting qualifications set by the Almighty Jehovah for those who are privileged to deliver his highly important message against Gog of Magog. These witnesses are fully obedient to Jehovah under all circumstances and especially under difficult situations when put to the test by the adversary. They are fearless of the Devil and his dupes. They are stouthearted and courageous, having implicit trust in and reliance on the Divine Power that backs them up. (Deut. 31:6, 7; Josh. 1:6, 9, 18; Ps. 27:14; 31:24; Hag. 2:4; Zech. 8:9, 13; 1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:10; 2 Tim. 1:7) They are not pusillanimous cowards, recreant “sissies,” or weak-kneed poltroons, for such types of craven individuals are an abomination in Jehovah’s sight. (Deut. 20:8; Judg. 7:3; Eph. 4:14; Jas. 1:6-8; Rev. 21:8) The qualities displayed by Jehovah’s faithful witnesses today are the same as those possessed by Jehovah’s representatives in the past—upright men and women of action like Gideon and Deborah, Barak and Jael, Jephthah and Rahab—“who through faith defeated kingdoms in conflict, . . . from a weak state were made powerful, became valiant in war, routed the armies of foreigners.” (Judg. 4:4-9; Heb. 11:31-34, NW) But not in their own strength or through their own craftiness and ability did they come off more than conquerors. It was not because of natural strength of mind or body but by Jehovah’s spirit that they were able to endure the trials and sufferings that came upon them.—Zech. 4:6.

3. How did David measure up to the requirements as a spokesman and witness for Jehovah?

³ David is another good example of one having the desirable qualities Jehovah approves in his witnesses. He was the youngest and apparently the most obscure one of the family, considered by his elders fit only to be a keeper of the sheep out in the wilderness, while his older brothers, wise and important in their own eyes, looked after what they considered the more honorable affairs. But “Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.” So Jehovah passed by these brothers that thought so highly of themselves and their personal qualifications. David, though but a youth, undeveloped and small of stature when measured alongside a mighty man of war like Saul, was nevertheless equipped with those essential qualities that make for success as one of Jehovah’s witnesses. (1 Sam. 16:3-13, AS) He loved righteousness and had a perfect hatred for those that blaspheme and reproach Jehovah God. When faced with overwhelming dangers his full confidence and trust was in the unlimited power of the Most High God. Note how this beloved witness of Jehovah delivered the death notice to that overtowering and frightening representative of the Devil, the giant Goliath. “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand.” With those challenging words David eagerly dashed forward, felled the monster with a well-aimed slingstone right between the eyes, and with Goliath’s own sword cut off his ugly head!—1 Sam. 17:45-47, AS.

4. Explain why Jehovah’s witnesses are the only ones capable of delivering Satan’s death notice.

⁴ The inspired apostle Paul wrote: “Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil; because we have a fight, not against blood and flesh, but against the [non-flesh-and-blood] governments, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. On this account take up the complete suit of armor from God.” (Eph. 6:10-13, NW) Search the world over and you will find no other group of people aside from Jehovah’s witnesses that have put on such “armor from God.” Thus equipped they are the only group of people that are capable of standing up against and battling the Devil and his demon forces. Jehovah’s witnesses, therefore, are fully qualified and are able and willing to deliver Jehovah God’s message against Gog of Magog and his hordes, and this the history of the past thirty-five years shows they have been doing.

LOOK AT THE RECORD!

5. What challenging proclamation was hurled into the face of Gog and his allies at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1922?

⁵ As long ago as September 10, 1922, more than 10,000 of Jehovah’s witnesses in convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, adopted a Resolution that said in part: “We as [God’s] witnesses hold and testify as follows, to wit: . . . That Satan, long the god of this world, has deceived the statesmen, financiers and the clergy, by inducing them to believe that by international agreement or other combined efforts they can bring the desire of all nations; That all the world’s present organization constitutes the visible part of Satan’s empire or organization, and that Satan’s empire must now fall before the forward march of the King of glory; That all international conferences and all agreements or treaties resulting therefrom, including the League of Nations compact and all like compacts, must fail, because God has decreed it thus; . . . We further hold and testify that this is the day of God’s vengeance against Satan’s empire visible and invisible.” More than 45,000,000 copies of this challenging proclamation were hurled into the face of Gog of Magog and his visible allies throughout the world. A stunning blow indeed, but only the beginning of a long series of such plaguing denunciations from Jehovah by the mouth of his witnesses.

6. The following year what “Warning” was served on Gog’s earthly allies?

⁶ The following year (1923) on August 25, in Los Angeles, California, another convention of Jehovah’s witnesses unanimously adopted another fiery resolution entitled “A Warning.” It was one of the strongest denunciations ever delivered against “those who pretend to be Christians, but do not believe in the Bible as God’s inspired Word of truth, who repudiate the doctrines of the fall of man and his redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, which class is made up of apostate clergymen and ‘the principal of their flocks’, who are worldly men of strong financial and political influence, which class exercises the controlling influence and power in the denominational organizations.” These are the ones under Gog’s influence and control who “have with selfish design,” the resolution declared, “invaded the schools, colleges, seminaries and universities with their God-dishonoring doctrines of higher criticism and evolution, [and] have led the people into gross error and destroyed the faith of multitudes in the inspired Word of God.” Millions of copies of this resolution, together with the supporting argument entitled “All Nations Marching to Armageddon,” were freely distributed throughout the earth.

7. What satanic conspiracy was specifically mentioned in the 1924 “Indictment”?

⁷ In July, 1924, at another international assembly of Jehovah’s people, in Columbus, Ohio, a resolution designated “Indictment” was adopted and later, in printed form, distributed to the ends of the earth. Among other things it said: “We believe and hold that it is God’s due time for his displeasure to be expressed against wicked systems that have blinded the people to the truth. . . . We present and charge that Satan formed a conspiracy for the purpose of keeping the peoples in ignorance of God’s provision for blessing them with life, liberty and happiness; and that others, to wit, unfaithful preachers, conscienceless profiteers, and unscrupulous politicians, have entered into said conspiracy, either willingly or unwillingly; That unfaithful preachers have . . . willingly made commercial giants and professional politicians the principal ones of their flocks. We present and charge that the clergy have yielded to the temptations presented to them by Satan and, contrary to God’s Word, have joined in said conspiracy.”

8. Again, in 1925, the responsibility for mankind’s deplorable conditions was fixed upon whom?

⁸ Again Jehovah’s witnesses, at a big convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 29, 1925, sent out a “Message of Hope” addressed “To All Peoples of Good Will,” which said in part: “For centuries man has been the victim of oppression, war, famine, sickness, sorrow and death. . . . The causes for this deplorable condition are that man by reason of original sin fell from perfection; and that Satan the enemy of God and all righteousness is the invisible ruler or god of this evil world and by his various agencies has turned the minds of many peoples away from God and from his truth. The greatest crisis of the ages is impending and about to fall, because the old world has ended and Satan’s lease of power is done. Knowing this, and that his time is short, the Devil is trying to overwhelm the peoples with a great flood of false and deceptive doctrines and to turn their minds completely away from Jehovah.”

9. What fearless warning was sent forth from London’s Royal Albert Hall as “A Testimony to the Rulers of the World” in 1926?

⁹ With these yearly denunciations of Gog of Magog coming in such close succession the Lord’s witnesses hardly had time to distribute one to earth’s far corners before another blast against Gog was sent forth. So it was, only ten months later, “A TESTIMONY TO THE RULERS OF THE WORLD” in the form of another resolution was adopted by Jehovah’s faithful witnesses assembled in Royal Albert Hall, London, England, in May, 1926. It read in part: “World powers are designated in the Scriptures under the symbol ‘beast’ for the evident reason that they are the result of the combined effort of the commercial, political and ecclesiastical leaders of men and are influenced and dominated by Satan, the god of this world, and have been, and are, military, harsh, cruel and oppressive, and manifest the spirit of Satan, their invisible ruler, or god; . . . divine prophecy now fulfilled, and in the course of fulfilment, bears testimony to the fact that Satan’s lease of power is done, and that the old world has ended, . . . by reason of the blinding influence of Satan the minds of the rulers and the ruled are turned away from the true God, and the evil forces are gathering the whole world unto the great battle of the Lord God Almighty; that there is now impending a time of trouble such as the world has never known, during which conflict Satan’s powerful organization shall fall never to rise again.”

SATAN’S DOOM BROADCAST AROUND THE WORLD

10. What historic event occurred in 1927 to give impetus to this message of doom being delivered against Gog of Magog?

¹⁰ The power of the printing press aided greatly in making known these divine pronouncements as millions upon millions of printed copies were widely circulated in many languages. Now, in 1927, a new force was added to this message against Gog of Magog, namely, the power of radio broadcasting. History was made in Toronto, Canada, in July of that year when an address entitled “Freedom for the Peoples” was broadcast over the largest hookup of radio stations up until then. Fifty-three stations from the Atlantic to the Pacific, plus shortwave facilities, were used. On that occasion another important resolution was broadcast that, to quote a portion, declared: “As Christians and witnesses to the name of Jehovah God we deem it our privilege and duty to call your attention to the following vital facts: . . . That the invisible ruler of the nations of ‘Christendom’ or ‘organized Christianity’, so called, is Satan the Devil, who has fathered the scheme of forming ‘organized Christianity’ to deceive the people and to keep them in subjection to himself and his agencies. . . . That the kings and rulers of the earth, to wit: those constituting the said unholy alliance, have been duly notified that God has set his King upon his throne and that his kingdom is at hand; but they refuse to understand or to take heed, and they walk on in darkness. Therefore God has decreed and declared that there shall come upon the world a time of tribulation such as never was known; and that during that trouble ‘Christendom’ or ‘organized Christianity’, so called, and all of Satan’s organization shall be destroyed.”

11. What was the occasion when the history-making “Declaration Against Satan and for Jehovah” was adopted in 1928?

¹¹ The following year another milestone in history was reached. “The most extensive and expensive radio hookup in history,” to quote the New York Times, in which 107 radio stations covering the United States and Canada, and shortwave channels carrying the message to foreign lands, was arranged for August 5, 1928. This sensational hookup used 33,500 miles of telephone lines and 91,400 miles of telegraph lines, with more than 500 telephone experts superintending the network. What was the occasion? The broadcasting once again of Jehovah’s message against Gog of Magog! It was in the form of a resolution entitled “Declaration Against Satan and for Jehovah.” Jehovah’s people assembled in international convention in Detroit, Michigan, the resolution said, “do declare themselves against Satan and wholly for Jehovah of hosts, and emphatically announce further these vital truths, to wit: . . . That Satan the Devil has caused strife amongst the nations and is responsible for all the cruel wars, wicked murders, all heinous crimes and other corrupt acts that have been committed; that until now Jehovah has not restrained Satan from the exercise of power and influence over man, . . . that for many centuries Satan has been the invisible ruler of the world, constantly defaming the name of Jehovah God and working great injury to men and nations; That Jehovah promised that in his due time he would restrain Satan and establish a righteous government in the earth that men might have an opportunity for life everlasting in happiness; . . . That because Satan will not surrender his wicked rule over the nations and peoples of the earth, Jehovah of hosts with his anointed executive officer Christ Jesus will press the conflict against Satan and all of his forces of evil, and henceforth our battle-cry shall be, THE SWORD OF JEHOVAH AND OF HIS ANOINTED; that the great battle of Armageddon soon to begin will result in the full restraint of Satan and the complete overthrow of his evil organization.” At the conclusion, the resolution was enthusiastically adopted by a vote not only by the visible audience of upward of 12,000, but also by the far-greater number in the unseen radio audience.

12. In 1931 what two great truths were called to the attention of “The Rulers” and “The People,” and how was this message further expanded throughout the earth?

¹² Again Columbus, Ohio, this time July 26, 1931, and again a warning was sounded, addressed “TO THE RULERS AND TO THE PEOPLE.” It said in part: “BE IT KNOWN: That there is but one true and Almighty God, whose name is Jehovah, the Most High; that there is but one Redeemer of man, whose name is Christ and whom God has anointed and installed as King of the world; and that his Kingdom is now come, and is the hope of the peoples of the world. That Satan, the Devil, is the great enemy of God and of man. For centuries he has been the invisible ruler of the world, and has brought great reproach upon the name of God and has led men into degradation; that the condition of suffering and distress now in the earth is due to the wickedness of Satan and his agents; that the time has come, as God declares, when Satan’s rule shall for ever end; that in 1914 Satan was cast out of heaven down to the earth; that within a short time from now Jehovah by Christ will destroy Satan’s power and organization in the earth; that before so doing, however, it is the expressed will and commandment of Jehovah God that his message of warning shall be delivered by his witnesses to the rulers and to the people.” Immediately following this convention 165 other conventions throughout the world echoed the same themes of the Columbus assembly and adopted similar resolutions.

THE URGENCY OF THESE FINAL YEARS

13. Has the delivering of Jehovah’s message against Gog of Magog slowed down or ceased since 1931?

¹³ The intervening years from and since 1931 have been filled with similar denunciations and exposé of Gog of Magog and his nefarious allies, and it is certain that this important work will not slow down or cease until it is finished at Armageddon. For example, when the “New World Society of Jehovah’s witnesses” gathered in Yankee Stadium in New York city for an eight-day assembly, July 19-26, 1953, the 112,700 at the evening session of the fifth day heard a talk entitled “New World Society Attacked from the Far North.” In that stirring forthright discourse not only were Gog and his allies identified but also the strategy they will use in their last all-out attack upon the Lord’s faithful people was revealed and described in detail. It was certainly another timely warning from Jehovah, for the whole world to hear; therefore it was later published in the October 1, 1953, issue of the Watchtower magazine, which issue had a circulation of 1,650,000 copies in thirty-nine languages. And now that message continues to go forth in the book You May Survive Armageddon into God’s New World, released in English in 1955, the first edition of which was one million copies, and the twentieth chapter of which is entitled “Awaiting the Attack by Gog of Magog.”

14. What effect has this warning message had upon Gog and his allies?

¹⁴ But over the years what has the delivering of this caustic message against Satan the Devil accomplished or what purpose has it served? First of all, never lose sight of the all-important fact that this is Jehovah’s message that he long ago purposed should be delivered against Gog of Magog in these closing years of Satan’s wicked rule. “Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except he reveal his secret unto his servants the prophets. . . . The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7, 8, AS) Of course Jehovah is under no obligation to warn the wicked of their error, but because of his long-suffering with these vessels of wrath that are only fit for destruction Jehovah warns such of their impending execution even though the message only hardens their already stony hearts. That is what happened in Pharaoh’s case, and he was a fitting picture or type of the Devil. This exposure of Gog’s global operation infuriates this wicked one and he schemes how to silence Jehovah’s witnesses for making these things known. This is why he causes his earthly agencies to heap so much persecution and suffering upon them in an effort to hinder and stop their preaching activity. We may confidently expect that Gog of Magog in his maddened desperation will in the future attempt to make even greater efforts to wipe out Jehovah’s faithful witnesses completely. That final desperate attack, however, will mark the beginning of Armageddon.

15. What effect has the opposition to this message had upon Jehovah’s witnesses, and what assurance is there that this message will continue to be preached until Armageddon?

¹⁵ So the proclaiming of this message under these adverse conditions serves a good purpose in that it puts the message-bearers to a test. Will they obey Jehovah God and continue to proclaim God’s ordained message or will they water it down, sugar-coat it with compromise, or will they quit altogether and run for cover? Will they stick to the organization Jehovah is now using in the earth or will they attempt to break away from the theocratic organization and set up one of their own design and making? Here and there an isolated individual who stops walking in the counsel of Jehovah may drop out and turn back, as Lot’s wife did, but the organization as a whole will not fail in its dedicated purpose, because Jehovah’s purposes never fail. Jehovah’s faithful witnesses will stand the enemy’s fire and will thus prove their integrity under the test. There is no doubt, then, the message of warning against the Devil and all those under his cruel rule will continue until the “cities” or organizations of this old system of things are no more to be found.

16. The serving of Satan’s death notice has had, and will yet have, what effect upon people of good will?

¹⁶ Many people of good will are deceived by Satan and are held by him as captives against their own will. So the sounding of this warning message serves another very good purpose. Its loud and continuous proclamation awakens these people of right heart condition, opens their blind eyes, and leads them out of the Devil’s captivity into the glorious freedom of the truth, thus enabling them to escape the execution of Jehovah’s judgment that will fall upon the Devil’s organization in the near future. More than a half million of such lovers of righteousness have already fled for safety in these comparatively few short years since this proclamation began. Here, then, is tangible evidence that the delivering of this message of warning has not been in vain, but rather has been attended by overwhelming prosperity and success. As the Proverb says, “a trustworthy envoy insures success.” And again it is written: “Like a draught of snow-cooled water in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.” (Prov. 13:17; 25:13, AT) The Master Jehovah has in turn smiled with approval upon his trustworthy witnesses and their work, and has indeed refreshed and sustained them over the years. No doubt a great multitude of other people of good will must yet hear and flee to safety as this proclamation continues a little longer.

17. Why is it necessary to emphasize the urgency of the times?

¹⁷ The urgency of the times cannot be emphasized too strongly. The time is short, much shorter than when this proclamation began, and there is no time to lose. Armageddon draws on apace. It is now almost forty years since Satan was cast out of heaven down to this earth. The climax of all ages is fast approaching. Jehovah’s Word and name are about to be completely vindicated. The one that challenged Jehovah’s universal sovereignty in the first place, he who boasted he would be “like the Most High,” is about to be brought down to the pit, the abyss. (Rev. 20:1-3, NW) Just think of it—the one responsible for this world’s ignorance, superstitions and fears, the one responsible for mankind’s fallen condition of sin, sickness, sorrow and death, the one responsible for all the wickedness in the earth, all the wars and famines, the delinquency and immorality, the crimes and calamities and woes, yes, man’s greatest enemy, Satan the Devil, will shortly be abyssed for a thousand years!

18. Do you count it a privilege to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses today? Why so?

¹⁸ What a privilege, then, you witnesses of Jehovah have! In the long line of witnesses extending from Abel’s day on down to now it is your privilege to be standing among those who are now delivering Satan’s death notice! Do not neglect so rare and so sweet a privilege! Do not delay and do not retard serving this weighty and urgent notice. Remember, Jehovah’s blessing and prosperity will continue upon all those who obey his will and serve his purpose and faithfully deliver this divine message, for ‘surely as Jehovah has purposed, so shall it stand.’—Isa. 14:24, AS.

[Footnotes]

Schoolteachers Accept the Truth

From the Watch Tower Society’s Nigerian branch

● I am writing to tell you that two out of four teachers at this school have now become Jehovah’s witnesses. They have joined us in the grand work of promoting true worship. All together, including myself, we are five in number. When I first started to preach to my fellow teachers they would joke about it and start arguing. But as time went on they began to listen intently and asked many reasonable questions. At our last circuit assembly these two teachers were baptized. It was a delight to see these two new brothers returning from the assembly full of joy, rejoicing in the truths set forth in The Watchtower and responding to the call by saying “Send me!”

● Because of their stand for the truth, the members of the Apostolic church tried their utmost to turn them away, but all to no avail. Finding their efforts failing, they began abusing us by calling us “bigots,” “intolerant,” etc. But these new brothers were not moved. They have all the latest publications and have obtained new Bibles. They are filled with love and enthusiasm and are continually studying. The more they go into the field the more and better are their experiences.

● Now the headmaster of the school and the other teacher are paying much attention. The headmaster even brings “Let God Be True” with him to school and is studying it very seriously.

● The fifth teacher, although not yet baptized, has already started preaching. One brother told me that he saw this teacher preaching near the court at the week end. Unable to answer a question he called the brother over for help. The three of us teachers who are brothers now give our students regular talks about Jehovah God and the new world after school is over.

Presidential Visit to Burma, the Philippines and Hong Kong

ARRIVING in Burma, Brother Knorr was greeted at the Rangoon airport by fifty of the brothers. It was enjoyable to see the missionaries there and to join with them in their assembly. They had arranged the convention in their own Kingdom Hall. On Saturday, April 7, five were baptized. By Sunday evening the number in attendance had increased to 115. Missionaries and others were in Rangoon from Mandalay, having come down by train. It was a dangerous trip and they had to have a troop train traveling right ahead of the passenger train to protect the passengers from bandits and revolutionists. It is not uncommon for the bandits to blow up bridges or put bombs on the tracks. Sometimes trains are delayed a whole day while bridges are being repaired. The government is trying to bring peace to the country, but there have been many years of violence in the northern part of Burma. In the big cities there is peace and general prosperity and business goes on as usual. It is amid these conditions that the missionaries and publishers of Jehovah’s kingdom are preaching good news.

The public meeting was held in the Town Hall. There were seven Buddhist priests who sat in the front row, attired in their yellow robes, while others were scattered throughout the audience, which numbered 268 in all. The audience was very much interested in what was being said about “Making All Mankind One Under Their Creator”; and 165 stayed to hear the closing remarks by the president and the concluding discourses of the convention that continued there at the Town Hall.

As soon as the meeting closed Brother Knorr was rushed off by car to Radio Burma, where he gave a fifteen-minute discourse over the only radio station to serve Rangoon. It was a real pleasure to talk with the men at the radio station and to present to them publications of the Society. Monday (April 9) was spent in the branch office and there were discussions with the missionaries about the work. It was emphasized that it is absolutely essential for the missionaries to take greater interest in the language. Where missionaries learn the language of a country greater progress is made. However, for the last two years Burma has been standing still as far as an increase in publishers is concerned; and it is believed that one of the principal reasons is that the missionaries have not put forth sufficient effort to speak the tongue of the country. While they may argue that the majority of the people speak English, still if that were true, why publish the Burmese Watchtower? Its first issue was released at the convention, and if we need magazines in Burmese it certainly indicates that those working in the country need the language. The very fact that one speaking at a convention must speak through an interpreter shows that Burmese is necessary to communicate with the people, and therefore those representing the Society should speak that tongue fluently. The missionaries were impressed with these points, and it is believed they now will study diligently. Maybe with greater effort on their part to reach the people in their own tongue progress will be made in that country. We can only pray and hope that Jehovah’s blessing will be upon the instructions given and that if there are other people of good will in that land they will be found and gathered into the New World society. Burma is a big field and there is much more work to be done, but to accomplish it greater effort must be put forth by the missionaries and congregation publishers. This good news of the established kingdom must be preached. It is their responsibility to do it.

Brother Knorr left at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, April 10. His plane went by way of Bangkok, Thailand, where at four o’clock that morning he was greeted by some of the publishers. Here Brother Adams rejoined him for the trip on to Manila. The plane made a stop at Hong Kong for a few hours, but by seven o’clock that evening Brothers Knorr and Adams were met at the Manila airport by a happy throng.

TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM ASSEMBLY AT MANILA

For months the brothers in the Philippines had been preparing for a national assembly. Many of the witnesses of Jehovah had to arrange to travel long distances to Manila. In order for them to make the trip some had to make special arrangements—raising pigs and other farm commodities, which had to be sold to provide transportation expenses. At Manila 1,800 brothers had attended a special meeting to handle the housing problem. It was estimated that 12,000 brothers would be traveling to Manila; so ample space had to be obtained. For six weeks the brothers covered the territory around the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, and 8,338 accommodations were listed. The majority of these were for free rooms, which shows the warm hospitality of the Filipino people toward Jehovah’s witnesses coming to this assembly. Weeks of work were necessary to prepare for a cafeteria and refreshment stands, but all of these were in readiness for the big gathering.

At the beginning of the assembly week the usual dry season for the Philippine Islands was rudely interrupted by a freak typhoon, which caused continual rain in Manila, but this did not dampen the zeal of the brothers in making preparations for the three-day assembly, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Two hundred brothers came by boat from far-off Davao, a city on the island of Mindanao. For six days they traveled, braving the stormy weather, and now were met in Manila by a crowd of happy brothers. As the delegates from Davao landed each one was given a neatly printed map of Manila and vicinity that showed the assembly place, convention headquarters, branch office of the Society, and addresses of the 26 Kingdom Halls in the Manila area.

On Wednesday morning many witnessed a spectacular sight: Lined up on both sides of the road that passes the Stadium were forty-five chartered buses, some carrying 200 brothers each, from faraway Cagayan, Northern Luzon. Brothers were pouring into the assembly city in small and large groups. By this time, too, the storm had passed and the usual hot, sunny weather returned to make the preassembly work easier. By Friday morning all was in readiness, even though a crew of 200 brothers had to work all night to get the football field fixed up with sound equipment and to arrange the platform. The speaker’s stand, covered by a colorful plastic canopy, was erected in the center of the playing field, and beautiful flowers and other decorations were arranged in a tasteful display.

The convention was opened by Brother Stewart, the branch servant and convention chairman. His talk and all that followed were given in English and simultaneously translated into Tagalog and Ilocano. The audience that sat to the north of the speaker’s stand heard the talk in Ilocano, while the center section directly in front of the platform heard it in English, and those to the south heard it in Tagalog. Each interpreter wore earphones so he would not be confused by hearing another dialect. In these islands eighty-six dialects are used, but the two main dialects were used during the assembly so the majority of the brothers in attendance could understand.

Many interesting experiences were given at the convention. One special pioneer who had been in her assignment for only four months reported that although there was no interest in the town when she arrived, twelve persons of good will had accompanied her to the assembly and two of them would be baptized. Many special pioneers going into isolated territory find good-will persons quickly and soon build up congregations.

The first day’s sessions concluded with a talk by the president, heard by 11,460. Immediately after conclusion of the evening session the brothers were invited to stay a little longer to hear an 8:30 broadcast over the radio. Brother Knorr was being interviewed by two noted radio personalities on a program called “News Scoop.” Normally this program is thirty minutes in length, but the interviewers became so interested in the subject matter that it ran for forty-five minutes. The brothers said that this interview in the Philippines gave a tremendous witness because it was over one of the most widely-listened-to programs. In the forty-five minutes the doctrines and the work of Jehovah’s witnesses were discussed, and Brother Knorr was able to tell of the expansion of the work of Jehovah’s witnesses.

The baptism was arranged for Saturday morning at eight o’clock, and at that time 10,000 of the brothers were in the Stadium. The witnesses were divided into nine groups, according to their dialects; and upon request they came forward to the running track in front of the platform to hear and respond to the two questions that were propounded at the end of the discourse. Although these candidates spoke many different languages, each one heard and answered these questions in his own dialect, because the questions were translated from English to Tagalog, Ilocano, Cebu-Visayan, Hiligaynon-Visayan, Benguet, Pampango, Ibanag and Pangasinan by competent brothers. It was a real thrill to see these 434 brothers of many tongues who had dedicated themselves to Jehovah, all speaking one pure language—the truth of God’s Word.

The visiting brothers gave the same talks at this convention in the Philippine Islands that they had given at other places. By Saturday night the attendance reached a peak of 11,567. The brothers who heard the stirring narrative by the president on the work in Russia were shocked by the story of brutality and persecution, but thrilled by the integrity of their fellow servants behind the iron curtain. The wonderful endurance, the unity and strength of the harassed brothers in Russia are stimulating to Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere.

Sunday’s program was a full one. Along with Brother Adams, Brother Barry, the Japanese branch servant, spoke in the morning. The day’s program was brought to a climax at five o’clock in the evening when the public lecture was delivered. As Brother Knorr began his talk the sun was low in the sky and there was plenty of cool shade for the crowd that packed the stadium and overflowed into the bleachers to the left and the right of the platform. There were 17,259 in attendance, which meant at least 5,000 persons of good will had been gathered to hear this message on “Making All Mankind One Under Their Creator.” As the tropical sun set on the final day of the Triumphant Kingdom assembly all who had gathered together felt strengthened and comforted and determined anew to carry on in the great work assigned to them by Jehovah to preach the good news of his kingdom everywhere.

In recent years tremendous strides have been made in the ingathering work in the Philippines. In 1945 there were 2,000 preaching the good news, but in only ten years this number increased to over 24,000. The brothers there are enthusiastic and they like to talk. Of course, when they do talk it is the truth that first comes to their mind, and so it has spread rapidly throughout the country. Many of the brothers are sincerely trying to put Kingdom interests first in their lives. In checking the pioneer records it was found that of the 500 pioneers and thirty-five circuit servants almost all these brothers and sisters were unmarried, so they could spend the good years of their youth in the full-time work before settling down to the obligations and responsibilities of married life. They were a very happy group, and it is clearly seen that Jehovah is blessing their efforts richly. Many of these brothers are enjoying great increases in their assignments as those of good will hear the truth and join with them in the service work.

ONWARD TO CHINA

Early the next morning Brothers Knorr, Adams and Barry boarded a plane for Hong Kong. They left behind them memories of the largest and happiest assembly ever held in the Philippines, and a strong determination on the part of the Filipino brothers to apply the counsel given and to do their share in bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse of Jehovah’s temple.—Mal. 3:10, AS.

Within a few hours the plane the three brothers were in was skimming low through the hills that very closely surround the Hong Kong airport. (This is one airport that travelers hope the pilot knows his way around in in order to land safely.) The missionaries and local brothers who were waiting for their arrival were happy to greet them. In Hong Kong there is much activity. Many big changes are under way. Even as the group left the airport they observed a crew of workmen busily cutting away at rock and dirt of a large hill, leveling it off to provide more space for this crowded city. This was being done in numerous places. Approximately 2,250,000 people are jammed into the small area of the free port of Hong Kong and adjacent Kowloon. Many of these are refugees from the mainland of China, who have come to Hong Kong in the past five years. Pouring into an already overcrowded city, and with no place to go, they were forced to get along the best they could in little wooden or corrugated-tin shacks. This situation has now been much improved, however. After the big fire in December had destroyed large sections of the squatter areas, the government quickly moved in and erected concrete apartments for the people. While these buildings provide just the bare essentials, still they have greatly improved the situation and the people now have a roof over their heads and do not have to live in the streets.

Because of Hong Kong’s political connection with the mainland of China it has been possible to keep in touch with the brothers in Shanghai. There they continue to do well in gathering together the “other sheep,” even though it is almost impossible to do house-to-house work without interference. Brother Knorr was very happy to receive a letter from the brothers in Shanghai while visiting Hong Kong, and excerpts follow:

“Greetings in the name of Jehovah to yourself and the brothers traveling with you from your brothers up here in Shanghai. The Shanghai congregation rejoice in the opportunity you now have to meet with their brothers in Hong Kong. How sorry we are that it will not be possible for you to come to us up here, or for any of us to come down and meet you there. This is because of circumstances entirely beyond our control, but we shall be thinking of you all the time and offering prayers to Jehovah for his blessing and spirit to be upon your visit to Hong Kong and other congregations here in Asia. We can but hope that the day is not too far away when we ourselves can enjoy the pleasure of your visit.

“We want to take this opportunity of sending you our heartfelt love, and to ask you to convey our love to all our brothers you will meet on the rest of the trip to the East and carry it back home with you to the Bethel family at Brooklyn.

“Be assured at all times of our sincere desire to press on in Jehovah’s kingdom service, spreading the Kingdom good news by any way we can find, sticking close to the New World society, living and acting the way it does, this by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness through Christ Jesus our reigning King. We are so very grateful for all the help we are getting through such mediums as the latest Bible literature released at last year’s summer gatherings, and the steady flow of truth that comes regularly to us through Jehovah’s present channel of communication. We pray we shall be allowed the continued freedom to put such spiritual food to good use in gathering yet more in this large city to the only place of safety, the New World society under the triumphant kingdom of our God Jehovah.”

All of Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the world appreciate the love and zeal of their brothers in Shanghai, China, and will delight to remember them in their prayers.

In Hong Kong the convention had gotten off to a good start on Sunday at the Social Club on Nathan Road in the heart of Kowloon and it gathered momentum now with arrival on Monday of the three brothers from Manila. Brother Barry gave a fine talk to the brothers in the afternoon while Brother Knorr spent the time at the branch, considering problems of the brothers in that territory with the branch servant. Every minute was put to use as the schedule called for only two full days in Hong Kong. In the evening Brothers Knorr and Adams spoke to the brothers. It was good to see their rapt attention and how they quickly made notes or looked up the scriptures mentioned, in their Chinese Bibles. There is a very fine congregation in Kowloon and also at Hong Kong. A large number of young people are associated with these congregations and many of them do well in the service as they enjoy studying and learning new things.

However, at the missionary meeting the next morning it was learned that in recent years many have associated with the organization for a time, learned the fundamental truths, only to drop by the wayside as victims either of the heat of opposition from their families or of apathy. What could be done? It was explained that just because a person begins to associate with the congregation and goes out in the service does not mean he is mature and able to stand up against opposition and continue in the faith. Accurate knowledge is needed and continued association, so the brothers were encouraged to show patience and love with the newer ones by continuing to study with them until they are thoroughly grounded in the truth and have achieved a measure of maturity.

In this connection it was observed that language was still a barrier for the missionaries, preventing them from best serving their Chinese-speaking brothers. Due to the fact that there are several dialects of Chinese spoken in this area and since many of the people speak English fluently, the brothers had not felt it necessary to work hard on learning the language. Yet at the meetings all the talks were being interpreted. The Watchtower was being translated into Chinese. So obviously there was a need to communicate with the people in the tongue they know the best. Arrangements have been made for the missionaries to concentrate on mastering the language now, and it is believed that this will greatly help them in serving the common people. Even the aid of the congregation was enlisted by Brother Knorr, as he advised the brothers never to speak to the missionaries in English, but only in Chinese until they learned to speak it fluently. After this talk one little Chinese girl came up to Brother Knorr and told him that she wanted him to learn Chinese too, so she was only going to talk to him in Chinese. It is hoped all the Chinese brothers and sisters will now become teachers and the missionaries their pupils in the Chinese language.

For most of the sessions there were between 80 and 100 in attendance, which made it possible to meet many of the brothers and hear of their experiences. Tuesday evening was the climax of the assembly. The public talk was scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Boy Scouts Hall in Kowloon. The publishers and missionaries were busy bringing their friends and gathering up those of good will to hear this important message and all were delighted to have 294 in attendance. Still this is just scratching the surface in this populous territory and much work is yet to be done. The brothers were encouraged to get in the pioneer work if at all possible, to help fill the need for mature workers in this territory. And as those of the New World society in Hong Kong continue to plant and water the seeds of truth, all will look to Jehovah to give the increase manyfold.

Questions From Readers

● Revelation 13:18 (NW) states: “Here is where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six.” What is meant by this number?—E. J., United States.

The suggestion that this number refers to the pope of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is not Scriptural. It could not apply to the office of pope. It is the number of a beast. The Bible uses beasts to symbolize beastly human governments, as is the case in Daniel, chapter 7. In Revelation chapter 13 “wild beast” is used to symbolize Satan’s visible organization, so it is this organization whose number is said to be 666.

From the first human political government at Babylon down to our day, governments by men have had three principal elements: religious, political and commercial. Now the number 666, three orders of six together, names or represents these three elements of Satan’s beastly visible organization. Why six? Because the Bible uses six to represent imperfection. Seven designates spiritual completeness or perfection, and six is short of that and therefore is incomplete or imperfect. The number 666 in the original language is denoted by three different alphabetic letters or symbols in the Greek text, namely, χ (600), ξ (60) and ς (6).

Six symbolizes imperfection, which is abominable in God’s sight, and therefore reprehensible. Six hundred would attach to the most reprehensible element, which is false religion. It is the false religions of the world that hypocritically pose as worshiping God but actually misrepresent him and either lead people away from God or turn them against him by their falsehoods and blasphemies. Rather than looking to God and Christ and the heavenly kingdom, these religions love money and extol political substitutes for that kingdom. Moreover, it is the religious clergy that bitterly oppose the preaching of the good news of Christ’s kingdom by Jehovah’s witnesses, and stir the other two elements of Satan’s visible system to oppose also.

The commercial element is more reprehensible than the political element, because it wields more power behind the scenes, whereas the political class are the willing, loud-talking tools in the public eye. Therefore the 60 well represents the commercial element and 6 the political element. All together the three elements make up Satan’s visible organization and the number 666 represents these combined elements that are imperfect and reprehensible in God’s sight.

The number suggests selfish gain because in olden times King Solomon’s annual revenue was 666 talents. Also, the dimensions of Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol-image, which the three faithful Hebrews refused to salute and adore, were sixty cubits high and six cubits broad. And wicked Goliath, who fought against God’s nation Israel, had a brother giant with six digits on each hand and on each foot, and pictured Satan’s visible dictatorial organization that claims to be the “higher powers” instead of acknowledging Jehovah and Christ as such. So six represents a completeness only in man’s sight and falls short of the completeness or perfection that God designates by the number seven.—1 Ki. 10:14; Dan. 3:1; 1 Chron. 20:6; Rom. 13:1.

Because six falls short of God’s perfect number seven, it is called a man’s number and attaches to the visible organization of men under Satan, the god of this world, and which organization is symbolized by the wild beast. So it is with this meaning in mind that this number of the wild beast is said to be “a man’s number.” It is not God’s perfect number of spiritual completeness.

Announcements

MAKING THE FRAGRANCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD PERCEPTIBLE—2 Cor. 2:14, NW.

Today as never before ‘the odor of the knowledge of God is made perceptible in every place.’ The 1956 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses reports the declaring of the truth in 158 lands and islands of the seas. And what is the effect upon people? Twofold! To one group it is “an odor issuing from life to life” and to the other “an odor issuing from death to death.” (2Co 2 Verse 16) Christians have the responsibility of making known the sweet odor of Christ, and then it is the responsibility of the hearer to receive it favorably or unfavorably. This month in regular congregation territory Jehovah’s witnesses will publish the truth by word of mouth and by printed page by offering, on a contribution of $1.50, three revealing Bible study books and three booklets. The unassigned territory offer will be made by all privileged to serve isolated sections.

KEEP YOURSELF INFORMED

Do you admire someone who always seems to be well informed, who generally has substantial facts to impart to almost any kind of discussion? Even in these days of intense activity and extreme specialization you can be that well equipped. Many educated people are lost outside their own field because their everyday reading is confined to a few highly specialized publications. Solve this problem for yourself by obtaining and regularly reading Awake! magazine. All topics of general or specific interest are within its range. Yet it is written in language that you can readily adapt to your own speech. But most important for our day, it clearly and unmistakably draws the true pattern of our times and identifies its significance. Like its companion magazine, the one you now hold in your hand, it is published with a purpose. It helps you to recognize that, in spite of discouraging world events, hope for the future can be real. Send one dollar and it will be mailed to you twice a month for one year.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 2: Jehovah’s Message Against Gog of Magog. Page 460.

September 9: Delivering Satan’s Death Notice. Page 467.

Check Your Memory

After reading this issue of “The Watchtower,” do you remember—

✔ What can really help you to understand the Bible? P. 451, ¶4.

✔ What shows that just doing constructive good works is not enough for the Christian? P. 453, ¶1.

✔ What is even more important than loving your neighbor? P. 453, ¶7.

✔ Where you can find history written in advance? P. 460, ¶2.

✔ Who “Gog” is and why it is appropriate that he is from “Magog”? P. 461, ¶6.

✔ Why Jehovah chose the obscure people that he did? P. 467, ¶1.

✔ What effect the serving of Satan’s death notice has had upon people of good will? P. 473, ¶16.

✔ What increase Jehovah’s witnesses have had in the Philippines since 1945? P. 477, ¶3.