The Watchtower — December 15, 1956

Do You Fear Men or God?

MANY persons worry about what men will think. If they can do something wrong without men’s seeing them they do it. Jehovah God sees it, but that is not seriously considered. They worry if men find out, but are indifferent about God. How twisted this is! They want to appear good in the eyes of men, yet are unconcerned with their appearance in the eyes of God. Men do not really count; God does. Why is it such a human failing to fear men and forget God?

Perhaps they think God will be more merciful and understanding concerning their weakness and will forgive, whereas men would not be so lenient. More likely in such cases it is the thought that if men do not know they will not suffer punishment for their wrong. Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 (AT) says: “Because the sentence upon an evil deed is not quickly executed, therefore the minds of the sons of men are fully determined to do evil. Even though a sinner does wrong a hundred times and still continues living, yet I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who are in awe before him; but it shall not be well with the wicked, nor shall he prolong his life like a shadow, since he is not awed in the presence of God.” Men should be more awed by the thought of God’s seeing their evil than by the fear of men’s seeing it.

In Jesus’ day the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees concentrated on outward appearances to look good to men, but did not worry over their inward filth that God saw. Jesus said to them: “You cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and immoderateness.” In Ezekiel’s day the evil-doers reasoned: “Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land.” They were the same a hundred and fifty years earlier, in Isaiah’s time: “Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”—Matt. 23:25, NW; Ezek. 8:12; Isa. 29:15, AS.

Jehovah sees our deeds, whether good or bad, and rewards for them in his own time. Hypocrites, while hiding their evil works from men, trumpet abroad any good they do to be sure men notice, “that they may be glorified by men.” “They are having their reward in full,” Jesus said. He advised his followers to make their gifts of mercy and to do their religious services quietly and without fanfare, and “then your Father who is looking on in secrecy will repay you.” Men who fear men hide their evil from men but make a show of their good deeds to be sure men will observe and applaud.—Matt. 6:2-4, 16-18, NW.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare,” but “the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.” Sometimes even true Christians, in their fleshly weakness, catch themselves doing what is wrong because they are unseen by men and hence free from censure or punishment by men. If we shall not suffer for our acts right now we sometimes are strongly tempted to do them, not always looking into the more distant future when we shall be accountable to Jehovah for them. God, not men, is the one to fear, for that will mark the beginning of the knowledge that will guide us right and gain us life.—Prov. 29:25; 1:7, AS.

What Would Jesus Say?

Christmas is said to be a birthday party for Jesus. So there could hardly be a better judge of Christmas than Christ. If he were here on earth, what would he say about Christendom’s biggest holiday?

IMAGINE, if you will, Jesus walking down the gaily bedecked and brightly lighted streets of one of Christendom’s major cities. It is Christmas time. The town Christmas tree blazes in resplendent glory. Santa Clauses seem to be everywhere. And so do the shoppers. They are dashing in droves to department stores to make last-minute purchases. From loudspeakers blare Christmas carols interspersed with blatant commercials. Cash registers add their financially satisfying song to the din. A “Merry Christmas” slides off active tongues. The Christmas spirit has reached a high pitch. Amid all the commotion Jesus inquires of a celebrant about the meaning of all this unusual bustle.

“Oh,” comes the reply, “this is Christmas, the greatest birthday party of the year.” “But,” asks Jesus, “whose birthday is it?”

Whose birthday is it? A strange question? Not really. A newcomer to Christendom would truly wonder. After all, does the furious exchange of gifts identify the one in whose honor the celebration is being held? Do the millions of dollars of advertising tell whose birthday is being celebrated? Do the lavish displays in store windows, the decorated Christmas trees or the colored lights strung in the streets tell whose birthday it is? And Santa Claus, the great central figure in millions of homes, who symbolizes this celebration as no other character does, fails to enlighten the stranger as to whose birthday it is.

Not strange, then, that Jesus would ask the celebrant: “Whose birthday is it?” “Oh,” comes the answer, “it’s December 25, Christ’s birthday.” Now what would Jesus say? That not only does the celebration fail to honor the Son of God but the date is all wrong. Referring to the Bible record, Jesus could show that he was not born in December at all. How so? Because the Bible shows he was born on or about October 1, 2 B.C., that he came as Messiah A.D. 29 and was put to death three and a half years later, or about April 1, A.D. 33. The account of the “seventy weeks’” prophecy at Daniel 9:24-27 and Luke 3:1, 23 and other scriptures testify to this.

But Jesus could point out still more: that there is a marked contrast in weather in Palestine between October and December. When Jesus was born, the Scriptures show, the shepherds were out at night: “There were also in that same country shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks. ‘And this is a sign for you: you will find an infant bound in cloth bands and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:8, 12, NW) Shepherds would not have their flocks out in the open fields in December but they would in October. The December date is all wrong.

TURNED ASIDE TO FALSE STORIES

Now what would Jesus say about Christendom’s religions’ taking part in a hoax and leading people to believe he was born on December 25? He would point to the prophecy made by one of his apostles: “There will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories.”—2 Tim. 4:3, 4, NW.

“Turned aside to false stories.” And why? It is “in accord with their own desires.” What an apt scripture! Though many people know Jesus was not born on December 25, they prefer to have the holiday “in accord with their own desires.” Yes, despite the falseness of it, they prefer it this way. Not only that but, despite the commercialization of the holiday, they still prefer it this way. That is why on New Year’s Day, 1953, the Washington Post said in its leading editorial:

“The American Christmas has become commercialized to an extent that is shocking to many foreigners and that almost transforms it into a national orgy of sentimental materialism. But there also remains the fact that it is not merely the manufacturers and advertisers, but the great part of the American people, who prefer to have it this way.”

Like the Israelites who tolerated religious falsehoods and abominations for what selfish gain they could derive from false stories, so are the Christmas celebrants who not only tolerate but prefer the hoax of Christ’s birthday party. So well might Jesus point to the words of Jehovah: “An awful and appalling thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy by false gods, and the priests make profit through them; my people love to have it so.”—Jer. 5:30, 31, AT.

There is more that Jesus would say of December 25: namely, that it has a profound pagan significance. And history clearly bears this out. The pagans celebrated the birthday of the Persian god Mithras on December 25. And on or about December 25 another big pagan celebration took place. This was the Saturnalia, held in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. At this celebration people paraded through the streets singing; candles were lit and placed in the windows of homes. People exchanged presents and everyone feasted and visited with friends. These pagan customs, historians admit, are the real bases for the December 25 celebration.

NO COMMAND TO COMMEMORATE BIRTHDAYS

What would Jesus say to those professed Christians who try to justify Christmas in spite of its false date and pagan background? He would say that he never commanded it, that his birthday was never celebrated by any of his apostles or early disciples, that it was only after the foretold apostasy that the Christmas celebration came into existence among professed Christians. This apostasy was foretold by Christ’s apostle, who said that it would result in “twisted things.” “I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things.” (Acts 20:29, 30, NW) Not until the fourth century did the Christmas celebration gain headway among professed Christians. By then the apostasy had taken place, a pagan holiday was clothed in a Christian name and the Roman Catholic Church gave the holiday its blessing—all to increase the number of nominal adherents to Christianity.

Not concerning the celebration of his birthday did Jesus say: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” It was said concerning the memorial of his death, an event far more vital to mankind than Jesus’ birth. Thus Jesus, commanding his followers to keep the memorial of his death instead of his birth, followed the Scriptural principle: “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.” And so it is that in the Bible birthdays are celebrated only by pagans. Pharaoh’s birthday, mentioned at Genesis 40:20, and Herod’s birthday, at Matthew 14:6-10, were both blackened by murderous executions. Christians are not commanded to observe any holiday: “But now that you have come to know God, or rather now that you have come to be known by God, how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and inadequate elementary things and want to be slaves to them over again? You are scrupulously observing days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that somehow I have toiled to no purpose respecting you.”—Luke 22:19, NW; Eccl. 7:8, AS; Gal. 4:9-11, NW.

And what would Jesus say of all the prominence given to “three” wise men on Christmas cards and decorations? He would ask why all the honor is given them, for the wise men were astrologers or demon worshipers. God’s law emphatically condemns astrologers. (Deut. 4:19; 2 Ki. 17:16; Isa. 47:13, 14) Since the slaying of the many young boys was associated with the trip of the astrologers, it is not logical that God led them to Jesus. If not God, then who did? It must have been Satan the Devil, for no light in the sky of natural origin could direct the astrologers. Satan used the “star” to guide the astrologers in his scheme to locate Jesus for destruction by Herod.

CHRIST A KING, NOT A BABE

What would Jesus say of the endless portrayal of him as an infant? He would say that he no longer is an infant, so why cause people to think of him as a babe? Viewing Jesus only as a babe is dangerous. It diverts one from the vital fact that he has been empowered by his Father as King and that he now reigns and will shortly smash all nations with a rod of iron as he “carries on war in righteousness.” Should a world-smashing King, indeed, the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” be thought of as a babe? Thus the focusing of the people’s attention on Jesus as an infant is a deception, a deception perpetrated by that master Deceiver, Satan the Devil.—Rev. 19:11-16, NW.

And what would Jesus say of the Christmas celebrants themselves? Does their conduct honor Christ? In one sweeping statement Jesus could answer, quoting the prophecy concerning the “last days” in which there will be “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” Christmas time spawns an overabundance of these. Not only that but at Christmas time many celebrants, like the ancient pagans, hurtle into the sullied seas of overdrinking, overeating and immorality. Christ’s commandments for a Christian allow no room at any time for turning back to the ways of the old world, much less at an occasion supposedly held to honor Christ. “The time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have worked out the will of the nations when you proceeded in deeds of loose conduct, lusts, excesses with wine, revelries, drinking matches, and idolatries.”—2 Tim. 3:1-4; 1 Pet. 4:3, NW.

Just what would Jesus say of the Christmas customs, the use of holly, mistletoe, Yule logs and Christmas trees? He would state the candid facts, just as the encyclopedias do: that such customs are not Christian practices but are of heathen origin.

What would Jesus say about giving presents? Certainly Jesus would not condemn giving; he commended it as a source of happiness. Yet the exchanging of gifts, as it is done at Christmas, would not receive Jesus’ approval, for the giving is patterned after the exchanging of gifts during the pagan Saturnalia. Also, most Christmas giving is done on a reciprocal basis; Christ said to give to those who cannot repay you. And the Bible does not, as some think, set the pattern for gift exchanging. Who brought gifts to Jesus? None other than the demon-worshiping astrologers! Certainly Christians are not to follow their example. Nor need Christians await a pagan holiday to display a benevolent kindness that they should practice 365 days a year.

And what would Jesus say of teeming celebrants whose excitement does not conceal their ignorance, their lack of knowledge of the kingdom that Christ preached as the hope of the world? He would say that the people are too busy to learn the way to life and Christmas only makes them that much busier. So Jesus would say just what he did at Luke 17:26, 27 (NW): “Just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man: they were eating, they were drinking, men were marrying, women were being given in marriage, until that day when Noah entered into the ark, and the flood arrived and destroyed them all.” Nothing wrong with these pursuits, but the trouble is people busy themselves so deeply in them, especially at Christmas time, eating, drinking and buying, that they have no room in their lives for knowledge of God’s purposes through his Son. And so ignorance of the oncoming war of Armageddon and of the incoming new world remains widespread.

So what would Christ say of Christmas? That Christmas is a religious hoax, a commercial trap, a pagan holiday, a dishonor to him and a degrading of Christianity. He could never approve it; he could never recognize it as a true Christian practice. That means that those who celebrate it come under Christ’s disapproval. That being the case, why celebrate Christmas? Why not be free of this colossal commercial snare? No need to celebrate because other professed Christians do! Indeed, there is no need to be among those teeming professed Christians whom, despite their protests of doing works in Christ’s name, the King refuses to recognize:

“Many will say to me in that day: ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you at all. Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.” So that you never have to get away from Christ then, get away from Christmas now.—Matt. 7:22, 23, NW.

“The Good News of Salvation by Him”

“From day to day tell the good news of salvation by him”—Ps. 96:2, NW.

1. What strange things did we go through during World War I, and what kind of news has it been for the world ever since?

SINCE the year 1914 we human creatures have gone through strange things, things first in their kind, things making news. That year the first war of truly “world” proportions broke out. The sixteen nations and empires that took part in that war saw the need of mobilizing their total populations for a united part in the global struggle. For the first time fighting from the heavens by the airplane was introduced. As the fight waxed in ferociousness chemical gas warfare was resorted to, and the boys at the front had to wear the hideous-looking gas masks to breathe and live through the chemical storm. Barrages—the rolling or creeping barrage of advancing cannon fire and the barrage of air balloons and of mines at sea—became new features. The first missile projectiles were fired from immense German cannons—into Paris, from thirty miles away. And then in September, 1916, the first moving ironclad fortresses, British armored tanks with caterpillar treads, startled the whole world as they lumbered swiftly against the enemy over the roughest terrain, like unearthly monsters savagely spitting out gunfire and heartlessly crushing everything in their path. Adding to the death toll came great food shortages and famines, death-dealing plagues and pestilences, dislocations of populations, the infuriating of intense hatreds and the persecution of small groups faithful to their religious belief and principles and the establishment of the first Communist Bolshevik state. Ever since then it has been bad news for this old world.

2. As testified to by The Encyclopedia Americana, how has the world never been the same since?

² This last statement goes without a challenge. Men who were living in and before 1914 know that this world has never been the same since. With reference to this fact The Encyclopedia Americana discusses the world war begun in 1914 and says: “The great conflict, brought to an end in 1918, changed not only the boundaries of nations, but practically every interest and character of human life. It created a gigantic upheaval among the hitherto accepted fundamental principles underlying government, law, international relations, democracy, freedom, commerce, industry, finance, labor, etc. Over a score of thrones crumbled and their former occupants sought security in exile. Revaluations and restatements have become necessary in all fields of endeavor. The conflagration in 1918 involved 93 per cent of the world’s population, the countries classed as neutral had a combined population of only 130,000,000, whereas the countries which participated in the war had a combined population of over 1,700,000,000.” Truly a world war that, and mankind’s first one. It was bound to bring irreversible changes to the world. In spite of the political, commercial and religious efforts to better the situation, the change since 1914 has been steadily for the worse and lately for the worst. There is no need to quote here what eminent men of this world have said about the worsening of the world situation. Readers of The Watchtower have already read their gloomy statements quoted in these columns or elsewhere.

3. The continually bad quality of world news makes us ask what vital questions, and how may we answer them?

³ Human hearts are sick because of continually bad news that keeps pouring in upon them, offering no solid hope for the future, their own future. The increase of suicides bears witness to this; so does the upsurge in the number of mental cases in and outside hospitals, also the mad, wild, senseless quest for distracting pleasures. Yet, is there no good news today, not news good just for an individual or a family or a limited group of interested people, but news good for all mankind? News that is so important that it overshadows all the mass of bad news put together? Is there no source having good news? Is there no channel for such good news that can succeed in getting it through to us? There is! And through this channel that source releases to us the good news of a salvation from all these dreadful conditions and their consequences. Of prime importance is the source of the news. And who or what is that source? It is God! Ah, but there are so many, yes, hundreds of millions in India alone, that are called “God.” Which God among all these is the divine source of the only good news? What is his name?

4. Upon whom do we call to answer the question about God’s name? Why?

⁴ Were The Watchtower to answer this vital question on its own authority it might not carry the greatest weight among people outside its three million readers. We shall therefore call upon a man to speak in answer, a man whose name has been known round the world for nineteen centuries and whose life and message have affected countless multitudes for everlasting good, Jesus Christ. We call upon him, and not upon so-called Christendom, to give us the answer.

5, 6. (a) How did that man answer the question? (b) How do witnesses of Jehovah on earth get the truly good news?

⁵ In the early days of his preaching the message of a “kingdom of heaven” this Jesus Christ stood up in the Saturday religious meetinghouse of his fellow townsmen, among whom he had spent the most of his thirty years of life till then. In his hands he held the book of the 700-year-old prophecy of Isaiah, and from it he read verses one and two of chapter sixty-one. This is what he read: “Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor, he sent me forth to preach a release to the captives and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send the crushed ones away with a release, to preach Jehovah’s acceptable year.” After that Jesus said to his hearers: “Today this scripture that you just heard is fulfilled.”—Luke 4:16-21, NW; see also Isaiah 61:1, 2, AS.

⁶ Thus Jesus said that Jehovah was the source of the good news and that Jehovah anointed Jesus with holy spirit to preach this good news to poor people, captive people, blind people and crushed people, meek, brokenhearted and mourning people. Are you one of people like this? In backing up the preaching that he did Jesus constantly quoted from the Holy Bible, for the Bible is the inspired Word of Jehovah God. In that book we find in written form the good news from Jehovah the God and Father of Jesus Christ. Had Jesus turned farther back in the book to Isaiah 43:10, 12, this is what he would have read: “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. . . . therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God.” (AS) Jesus himself has told us that he was and is the ‘ faithful and true witness” of Jehovah God, and it is only from Jehovah himself that his witnesses on earth get the truly good news. They get it from him by going to his Book, the Holy Bible. This is the only Source-Book of good news. Jehovah God does not underwrite or attach his name to any other book or religious writing on earth. His true witnesses must do as the Chief Witness, Jesus Christ, did: base their message upon the Holy Bible, God’s Word.—Rev. 1:5; 3:14.

7. What was the good news that Jesus declared, and how, therefore, did the people shout during his ride into Jerusalem?

⁷ Specifically, just what was the good news that Jesus declared, and could it be good news for us today? The Bible’s history of his life tells us: “He went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:1, NW) At the end of his human life on earth Jesus stood before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, in his judgment hall at Jerusalem. In answer to Pilate’s question, “Are you a King?” Jesus replied: “It is for you to say that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born and for this purpose I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone that is on the side of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37, NW) Hours later that day Jesus of Nazareth was hanging nailed to a torture stake, with the title posted above his head: “Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews.” (John 19:19, NW) Only four days before that Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem just as the ancient kings of the nation of Israel had done at the time of their coronation, and the jubilant people who wanted to be independent from Rome and who wanted a king of the tribe of Judah and of the royal family of David broke out into various cries, such as: “Blessed is the One coming as the King in Jehovah’s name! Peace in heaven, and glory in the heights above!” “Save, we pray! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Save, we pray, in the heights above!” “Save, we pray, the Son of David! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name! Save him, we pray, in the heights above!”—Luke 19:38; Mark 11:9, 10 and Matt. 21:9, NW.

8. How did Jehovah answer their prayerful shout?

⁸ Jehovah God answered that prayerful shout of the people. He did save his royal Son Jesus Christ, not from the disgrace and cruelty of the torture stake, but from the death that he suffered on the stake. The third day after Jesus’ death Jehovah God raised him from the dead and within fifty days after that Jehovah seated Jesus at his own right hand in heaven to wait for God’s fixed time to set up the Kingdom and to put all enemies in heaven and earth under the feet of his Son as King.—Acts 2:32-36, NW; Ps. 110:1, 2.

THE OLD NEWS MADE BETTER

9. How has the goodness of the news been enlarged today, and what did Jesus guarantee that his followers today would have?

⁹ Nineteen centuries ago that message of the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus and his followers was the best news ever proclaimed. It was free news to the poor. It uplifted the meek. It bound up the broken hearts. It gave sight to the religiously blind. It released the ones crushed with this world’s oppressions and enslavement, and it comforted all that mourned because of bad religious conditions. The passing of nineteen hundred years has not lessened the goodness of that Kingdom message; it is still good news. But the goodness of the news is enlarged today. Why? Because the long-awaited kingdom of God has been set up in the hands of his Son Jesus Christ. It was set up at God’s throne in the heavens, where his Son has been sitting nineteen centuries at his right hand. It was set up A.D. 1914, the same year that the world-changing first global war began. Jesus told us to pray for that kingdom of God by his Christ to extend its power to this earth to break up the evil conditions here. He taught us this prayer: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matt. 6:9, 10, NW) Nineteen centuries ago Jehovah’s witnesses on earth, namely, Jesus and his followers, boldly declared the good news of the coming kingdom. Today, since 1914, what must Jesus’ true followers, who are likewise Jehovah’s witnesses, do? Do they have any God-given message, any good news, to tell to the people of all the nations, tribes, families and languages? Jesus Christ guaranteed that his followers today would have such.

10. In what connection did Jesus foretell the work of his followers today, and how?

¹⁰ Looking forward with the vision of an inspired prophet, Jesus foresaw and foretold the events of our generation since 1914. He foretold the first world war with its accompanying famines, pestilences and earthquakes and religious persecution, all of which together are visible earthly proof that God’s kingdom has at last come into power and is ruling toward the earth. Then Jesus foretold the work of his followers at that time, which is our time. Was their work to be that of multiplying earth’s sufferings, sorrows and crimes by engaging in world wars and in persecuting other religious people? No! Pointing ahead to a joyful, comforting work for his followers, Jesus said: “And [after World War I] 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 [of this system of things] will come.” (Matt. 24:7-14, NW) This witness to God’s established kingdom must be given before this war-crippled system of things ends completely in an Armageddon fight.

CORONATION PSALM

11. What does the setting up of God’s kingdom deserve, and why?

¹¹ The setting up of God’s heavenly kingdom over this rebellious earth is deserving of a coronation song, a song to glorify the crowning of his beloved Son Jesus Christ as his appointed King over all mankind. When Jesus rode in royal style into the city of Jerusalem in the year 33, the Jewish religious rulers at the temple missed the opportunity of offering him a crown. They did not recognize him as the promised Son of famous King David, who had long ago sat on the ‘throne of Jehovah’ at Jerusalem. (1 Chron. 29:23, AS) They were not in the spirit of the joyous crowd who accompanied Jesus into the royal city, shouting “Save, we pray, the Son of David!”

12. How did King David come to compose a coronation song for us, and why must we sing it now?

¹² Ancient King David showed the fitness of a coronation song at such an event as that of Jehovah’s assuming power over all the earth. David had the visible sign of God’s presence, the golden Ark of the Covenant, brought into the royal city of Jerusalem and put in a tent near his royal palace. So David composed and sang a coronation song, which reached its grand climax in the theme: “Let the heavens be glad, let the earth be joyful, and let them say among the nations, ‘Jehovah himself has become king!’” (1 Chron. 16:23-33, NW) Under the guidance of Jehovah’s holy spirit King David adapted that same theme and composed a new psalm. This psalm showed that a coronation song must be sung on a grand scale now in our day following the setting up of God’s kingdom and his placing his faithful, resurrected Son on the heavenly throne in 1914. In the Book of Psalms this is Psalm 96, and it is known as one of the Coronation Psalms. The great enthronement and the glorious coronation have taken place in the resplendent courts of heaven, of which fact we have all the needed evidence since 1914. So all the things commanded in this Coronation Psalm must be carried out. The witnesses of Jehovah of today, with the eye of faith, are carrying out those things. What things?

A NEW SONG

13. What things does Psalm 96:1-3 mention, and what newest inventions of science are not the new things about which to sing to Jehovah?

¹³ “Sing to Jehovah a new song, sing to Jehovah, all [you people of] the earth. Sing to Jehovah, bless his name. From day to day tell the good news of salvation by him. Declare among the nations his glory, among all the peoples his wonderful works.” (Ps. 96:1-3, NW) Hydrogen bombs with the deadly explosive power of millions of tons of the usual explosives, although among the newest inventions of modern science, are nothing new about which to sing to Jehovah. Billions of years ago, as the scientists themselves have pointed out, Jehovah God caused thermonuclear explosions of hydrogen to take place within the sun to supply light and heat to our earth that mankind might keep alive on this planet. Bombs, long-range ballistic missiles, atomic submarines, and other military inventions and commercial products of twentieth-century science are not the “wonderful works” that Jehovah has guided and enlightened the scientists to perform, and about which to sing in praise of him. The scientists scoff at Jehovah and prefer to misuse the brains with which he created man by serving the vicious enemy of God and man, Satan the Devil.

14. What thing does supply us the subject for a “new song,” and why?

¹⁴ No, these modern scientific inventions and developments do not furnish us the theme for a new song of gladness. Since 1914 the one big, overwhelming thing that supplies the people of Jehovah with the subject for a “new song” to his praise is the birth of his royal government, which he lays upon the shoulder of his long-waiting Son Jesus Christ. Though it was promised about six thousand years ago in man’s first earthly home, in the paradise of Eden, there has till A.D. 1914 been nothing in heaven or on earth like this kingdom of God by his promised Seed, Jesus Christ. (Gen. 3:15) Never before 1914 has there been a capital organization over the entire living universe, with Christ as its Head and with the Most High God Jehovah dwelling in it and operating through it to have his will done throughout the universe. (Phil. 2:5-11) This is indeed something new, something gloriously new, and it means blessing to all men of good will as well as to holy angels. A realization of this moves one to burst out in singing. It calls for a new song, with a theme entirely new, entirely different! Jehovah by introducing his kingdom has made this possible. To him and in his honor the new song should be sung.

15. Who are addressed as “all [you people of] the earth, “ and what are they doing in fulfillment of the psalm?

¹⁵ “All [you people of] the earth” are exhorted to sing to him and bless his name. That is to say, you whom Jehovah has made spiritual Israelites in his organization, to be his witnesses in all the nations. You were the ones to whom your God first revealed these truths and whom he first taught to sing this new song. He foreordained that there should be 144,000 of you spiritual Israelites to be associated with Jesus Christ in his heavenly kingdom, not on earthly Mount Zion, where King David used to reign, but on the heavenly Mount Zion or seat of royal rule. For nineteen centuries Jesus has been in heaven, there glorified at his Father’s right hand. But since the establishment of the God-ruled kingdom the greater part of the faithful Christian witnesses of Jehovah, the spiritual Israelites, has been glorified with Christ enthroned on Mount Zion. How? By a resurrection of them out of death to life as immortal spirit creatures in heaven, having the “divine nature.” Only a small remnant of the 144,000 heirs of God’s heavenly kingdom are still on earth. But all the 144,000, both the remnant yet on earth and the triumphant resurrected Kingdom heirs, are singing to Jehovah’s praise, all co-operating together visibly and invisibly in making known the wondrous new facts of universal history. The Revelation, in Re chapter fourteen, verses 1-4, unveils to our vision the magnificent sight.

16. What vision was John given of them doing this?

¹⁶ There the apostle John, who first saw the vision, writes: “And I saw, and look! the Lamb [the once-sacrificed Jesus Christ] standing upon the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was as of singers who accompany themselves on the harp playing on their harps. And they are singing as if a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and the persons of advanced age; and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been purchased from the earth. These are the ones that did not defile themselves with women; in fact, they are virgins. These are the ones that keep following the Lamb [Jesus Christ] no matter where he goes. These were purchased from among mankind as a firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”—Re 14:1-4 NW.

17. From whom must people on earth learn this “new song,” and why?

¹⁷ In obedience to the command of Psalm 96:1-3 the spiritual remnant on earth, who have learned the song, act like a “faithful and discreet slave” class and sing forth the “new song.” (Matt. 24:45-47, NW) All others on earth who want to join in must learn this entirely new and different song from them, because politicians and financial and industrial men of this world and even the nominally Christian clergy of Christendom do not know the new song and cannot teach it to anybody. Only Jesus Christ and his 144,000 joint heirs have been taught the new song by Jehovah God and only they can lead in singing it. (Isa. 54:13; John 6:44, 45, AS) They are the people whom God has for the past nineteen hundred years been selecting, giving his attention to the nations “to take out of them a people for his name,” Jehovah. (Acts 15:14, NW) For centuries now the different religious systems of Christendom have had their missionaries active inside Christendom and among all the nations outside Christendom, and yet all you inhabitants of the globe know that it has not been the religious clergy of Christendom or of Jewry that has informed you regarding the name Jehovah or taught you to bless his name, as Psalm 96:2 (AS) tells true Christians to do.

18. Who today have brought Jehovah’s name to the world’s attention, and particularly since when?

¹⁸ Thirty years ago in the January 1, 1926, issue of the magazine The Watch Tower the first and principal article was entitled “Who Will Honor Jehovah?” Since that time in particular the faithful adherents of this magazine have shown their worthiness of the name of identification, Jehovah’s witnesses, which name they jubilantly embraced in 1931. Since 1931 all the peoples of the earth have known that it has been the Christian remnant who bear Jehovah’s name that have brought his name to their attention and shown the grand reasons for honoring it and blessing it. The clergy, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish, however, do not imitate Jesus, who said to Jehovah God: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world.” Instead, they have scoffed at Jehovah’s witnesses and have tried in every way to prevent them from bearing witness to God’s holy name. But all in vain! Jehovah’s witnesses have gone straight ahead in imitation of Jesus Christ. (John 17:6, NW) They have made Jehovah’s name manifest, obeying the command: “Declare among the nations his glory, among all the peoples his wonderful works.” (Ps. 96:3, NW) Even Communist-ruled countries have been unable to prevent Jehovah’s witnesses from obeying this divine command. Even in those lands they have songfully spread the glad news that Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ was put in operation in the heavens in 1914.

WHERE HAS THERE BEEN ANY SALVATION?

19. Why has not God’s kingdom saved the nations from getting into this fear-exciting world condition?

¹⁹ But if that divine government has been operating since the opening year of World War I, where has there been any salvation by it? Where has there been any good news of salvation by Jehovah to tell? Why are the nations, even those of Christendom, nearing the brink of self-destruction and trying to save themselves from the unavoidable consequences of their growing divisiveness and of their misuse of the inventions of modern science? Why has not Jehovah by his kingdom saved them from this fear-exciting world condition? The facts answer that it is because the nations do not want Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ. Contrary to viewing it as the grandest blessing that could come to all mankind, they have no faith in it. In fact, they fear it as if it would be the worst thing that could happen to humanity. They feel self-confidently independent of God’s heavenly kingdom and want to be no part of it and want no salvation by it. Their rejection of the Kingdom message of Jehovah’s witnesses and their persecution and obstruction of these witnesses betray them as anti-Kingdom. Their world wars and their League of Nations and their United Nations for world domination also prove it. Consequently there has been no salvation of them and their affairs go from bad to worse.

20. How did the heavenly angels experience a salvation by the Kingdom?

²⁰ But we who have been saved know that there has been a “salvation by him” to tell about from day to day as good news. We know that the “god of this system of things” is Satan the Devil, God’s most wicked adversary, and that “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19 and; 2 Cor. 4:4, NW) We know that in 1914 there was a war raging greater than World War I on earth. It was a war in heaven. Not a war from Zeppelin airships or by airplanes, not a war by supermen, not a war by mythical “men from Mars,” but a war in the invisible heavens by Christ, the newly enthroned King, and his angels against the false god, Satan the Devil, and his demonic angels. The heavenly war established God’s newborn kingdom more firmly in power, for all the satanic hosts were whipped and hurled down from those heavens to the neighborhood of our earth. How the heavenly hosts appreciated this salvation by God’s power! With loud voice they cried out: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, . . . On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Rev. 12:7-12; 11:15-18, NW) Even apart from world war among his nations, this defeat in the heavenly war was a terrible tribulation for Satan and his world organization.

21, 22. Who on earth first experienced a salvation by the Kingdom, and how?

²¹ But Satan knew it was only the beginning of the tribulation upon his organization. He knew that after a “short period of time” would come a grand finale of that tribulation, and this would mean Armageddon for him, his crushing defeat by the destruction of all his organization in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Rev. 16:13-16; 19:11 to 20:3, NW) By this “short period of time” this tribulation upon his organization by the newborn kingdom was shortened. It was as a breathing spell for him and his demons. But it was not for his sake that those days of tribulation were cut short. It was for the sake of accomplishing a divine salvation of the remnant of the 144,000 joint heirs of Jesus Christ, “the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17) During World War I the remnant were maliciously abused in the United States of America and the other nations at war, in an attempt to disorganize them, stop their witness work, frighten them forever away from it and wreck their reputation and good standing for all time to come. Not primarily physical death, but spiritual death was facing them if they continued in their condition of bondage to this world at war against God’s kingdom. Had Armageddon then come upon the nations, the remnant, being under divine disfavor for falling short of their duty to Jehovah, might have perished with the worldly nations.

²² The serious situation of the remnant of God’s chosen ones called for a merciful salvation. Only Jehovah could provide it through his victorious Christ, and he did so, by cutting short the tribulation upon Satan’s organization and holding off Armageddon until after a “short period of time.” Jesus foretold this in these words: “Those days will be days of a tribulation such as has not occurred from the beginning of the creation which God created until that time and will not occur again. In fact, unless Jehovah had cut short the days, no flesh would be saved. But on account of the chosen ones that he has chosen he has cut short the days.”—Mark 13:19, 20, NW.

23. As revealed to them in 1920, why had the remnant been saved on earth?

²³ Modern history records the fact that in the spring of 1919, or shortly after the end of World War I, Jehovah God surprised even Christendom and freed the remnant of his witnesses from their low bondage in this world. The very next year he opened their eyes to see that they had been “saved” and delivered and spared alive on earth to fulfill their Master’s prophetic command: “He that has endured to the finish is the one that will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.” (Matt. 24:13, 14, NW) They alone had this “good news” of the Kingdom that had been established in the heavens at the close of the “appointed times of the nations” in 1914. It was good news of salvation. That kingdom had fought in heaven for a salvation of the holy angels from the defiling, menacing activities of Satan and his demon angels. It had saved the remnant of chosen ones on earth from their spiritual peril and had freed and emboldened them for the renewed service of Jehovah and his kingdom.

24. Who else on earth have since been saved, and so what is it a privilege now to do?

²⁴ Today, years after that, the majority of this generation has rejected the witness that the remnant has had to give before the complete end of this system of things comes at Armageddon. Yet the preaching of “this good news” of the kingdom of salvation has already resulted in the saving of a “great crowd” of good-will persons “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues.” That was certain to happen, for it was foretold. (Rev. 7:9-17, NW) At Armageddon the theocratic kingdom will triumph and will free the universe of Satan’s organization and save this “great crowd” of good will through the destructive tribulation of Armageddon and into the new world, the righteous new system of things that will prevail over the earth. After Armageddon that kingdom, exercising its saving power still further, will bring salvation to even the dead in the memorial tombs by resurrecting them to life on earth during the thousand years of Christ’s reign. All these things being taken into consideration, here, indeed, since 1919 is a “salvation by him” the good news about which deserves to be told “from day to day.” It is a thrilling privilege to join the saved ones in telling it.

Telling the Good News from Day to Day

1. We should put forth the greatest efforts to do what during this “short period of time”?

A “SHORT period of time” remains before the universal war of Armageddon. During this period the opportunity offers itself to bring as many people of good will as possible into the saved condition that Jehovah God now provides. We need to put forth the greatest efforts possible before the period expires to inform the people everywhere that their everlasting salvation can come only from Jehovah the great Savior. It depends mainly upon him. Why?

2, 3. Why must Jehovah be made known and who appreciate that he is very much to be praised?

² “For Jehovah is great and very much to be praised. He is to be feared more than all other gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless gods. But as for Jehovah, he has made the very heavens. Dignity and splendor are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”—Ps. 96:4-6, NW.

³ As in the apostle Paul’s days, so today: Jehovah is “the unknown God” to the vast majority of earth’s population. (Acts 17:23) But he deserves to be known by all. He must be made known, if there is to be any salvation. He will be made known to all alive. By his very existence he swears to this: “As I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah.” (Num. 14:20, NW) Those who refuse to know him now in friendship will be obliged to know his destructive power at Armageddon. Speaking of that final war, he declares: “I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.” (Ezek. 38:23, AS) This will fill out the knowledge of him that his witnesses on earth have been trying hard to give to the people during all this generation. More and more these witnesses are learning to know how great Jehovah is. With their own growth in knowledge they appreciate more that He is very much to be praised. There is everything about him to be praised. As there is every reason to condemn Satan the Devil the god of this system of things, there is every reason to praise Jehovah the God of the new world.

4, 5. (a) Whom on earth do the people fear? (b) Why is it urgent to awaken the people to the fear of Jehovah?

⁴ Today everywhere on earth there exists fear in the hearts of the people. But this fear is not mixed with the fear of Jehovah. Besides fearing the things they discern as about to come upon the earth, they fear their visible gods, the mighty ones that they idolize in politics, in business, in militarism and in popular religion. These deified ones instill fear of themselves into the hearts of the populace to keep themselves prominent and in the power to control. To these the people ascribe the power and works and adoration that belong only to the one living and true God, Jehovah. The fear that the people have toward these earthly gods is merely a fear of awesome men, mere human creatures who will die. But Jehovah is to be “feared more than all other gods.” As he once executed judgment on all the false gods of Egypt, so he is now judging these earthly gods, to the point of exposing their utter inability and falsity. “God standeth in the congregation of God; he judgeth among the gods.” To the mighty, adored ones in Christendom who profess to be sons of the God of heaven he directs this message: “I said, Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High. Nevertheless ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”—Ps. 82:1, 6, 7, AS; John 10:34, 35.

⁵ Jehovah is more to be feared than these mortal gods on earth. These gods can violently kill only one’s human body, but Jehovah is able to destroy one’s soul as well as body in everlasting death, from which there is no resurrection of the dead. (Matt. 10:28) How urgent it is to awaken the fear of Jehovah among those who want life!

6. Who are the “worthless gods” of the people, and why are they “worthless”?

⁶ But there are also creatures of imagination whom the peoples of earth put into the unseen world, the realm of invisibility, and whom they fear with mortal dread and to whom they raise idol images. Little do the people realize that they are worshiping demons who take to themselves the worship that the people blindly offer. The apostle Paul, who identified the unknown God for the pagan philosophers, said concerning their idols: “What, then, am I to say? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No; but I say that the things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with the demons.” (1 Cor. 10:19, 20, NW) These gods are “worthless gods.” Idol images cannot save, neither can the demons that they represent do so. With Satan their ruler these demons have great anger against the true God and his people on earth. Determined to let Jehovah God save nothing on earth, they are leading all the kings of this inhabited earth against God at Armageddon, to their destruction. It spells death, annihilation, therefore, to listen to demon-inspired propaganda. (Rev. 16:13-16) Their man-made idols cannot rescue their worshipers from that annihilation. Instead of being of real religious benefit to strengthen man’s belief in what is true, the idols do harm. They blind the nations and peoples to Jehovah God and his kingdom, the exclusive source of eternal salvation. “Worthless gods,” indeed!

7. What visibly gives evidence that dignity and splendor are before Jehovah, and strength and beauty in his sanctuary?

⁷ Testifying to the fact that Jehovah is God are the heavens. He made them by his power and in his wisdom. His unsearchable mind arranged for all the glory of the visible heavens and their order and harmony. Only one mind could organize all this—His mind. Immeasurably far up above those heavens the Most High God exercises his universal sovereignty. If those visible heavens beneath are so impressive and splendid and beautiful to us, what dignity and splendor there must be all about Jehovah himself in the spiritual heavens! What strength and beauty there must be in that most holy place where he personally dwells! This we can only weakly imagine on the basis of the things visible, although we cannot actually know how glorious he himself is, for “no man has seen God at any time,” no man has seen his figure, and he himself decrees: “No man may see me and yet live.” (John 1:18; 5:37 and Ex. 33:20, NW) The artificial glory and stateliness of earthly gods fade away in comparison. How foolish, then, for one to demand to see Jehovah actually before one would believe in him! Believe the testimony of his creative works. Believe the true witness of his written Word, the sacred Bible.

8. In the face of the pressing need for salvation, what should men do instead of blaspheme?

⁸ In the face of the truth and in the face of the pressing need for salvation, men today ought to orient themselves to the One Source of salvation by ceasing to blaspheme and by beginning to ascribe to the one true God the things that persuade us that he is the Source of our salvation and the One worthy of our heartfelt worship. For our guidance the inspired psalmist sings out: “Ascribe to Jehovah, O you families of the peoples, ascribe to Jehovah glory and strength. Ascribe to Jehovah the glory belonging to his name. Carry a gift and come into his courtyards. Bow down to Jehovah in holy adornment, be in severe pains because of him, all [you people of] the earth.”—Ps. 96:7-9, NW.

9. (a) For the people to make such ascriptions to Jehovah what service must first be rendered? (b) What is the greatest gift we can carry to him?

⁹ In order for the “families of the peoples” to be able to make such ascriptions to Jehovah there falls upon us his witnesses the service of making Jehovah and his purpose and his activities known to the people, of telling them about his name and all that it stands for, and of explaining to them his written Word and showing them how to worship this holy and strong and glorious God Jehovah. Inhabiter of the heavens and Creator of man, Jehovah is too great to dwell in earthly temples with courtyards made by man’s hands. By his spirit or invisible active force he dwells with his dedicated people, especially the remnant of Christ’s joint heirs, who form a living, spiritual temple. Accordingly, the greatest gift that a person can carry to Jehovah in loving appreciation and worship is the dedication of oneself to him through his royal High Priest Jesus Christ. By this gift show him you bow down to him in full submission as well as in adoration.

10. In what holy adornment must Jehovah be worshiped?

¹⁰ Such worship of Jehovah must be done in holy adornment. He cannot be worshiped in moral uncleanness. He cannot be worshiped by means of material or visual idols, to which a so-called relative worship is claimed to be given but which use of images makes one an unclean idolater in Jehovah’s sight. (Isa. 42:8, AS) He cannot be worshiped in adornment that was borrowed from pagan worship, under the self-deception that a religious system can appropriate and sanctify these appendages of demon worship to a sacred and evangelical use before the true God. No; but he must be worshiped in a spiritual adornment that testifies that one loves, worships and serves Jehovah as the only true God; also that one accepts his Son Jesus Christ as his now-reigning King and as the one High Priest who provided the ransom sacrifice to God to lift the divine condemnation from us and to free us from the power of sin and its penalty death; and, further, that one has accepted the privilege and responsibility of being a witness of Jehovah just as his Chief Son Jesus was.

11. How must the people be in severe pains because of Jehovah?

¹¹ All of those who refuse to worship Jehovah thus in holy adornment will have reason to be in severe pains because of him. At the start of the great tribulation upon Satan’s organization in 1914 all such people felt merely the “beginning of pangs of distress,” the “beginning of birth-pangs,” because of the world war accompanied by the famines, the pestilences and the earthquakes of that time. (Matt. 24:8, NW; Ro) Then all the peoples trembled and were in severe pains, not because of connecting Jehovah God with those events, but because of the terribleness of the events themselves. But at the approaching “war of the great day of God the Almighty” all the peoples of the earth not dedicated to him but opposed to him will be in the severest of pains because of Jehovah. For they will have it forced upon their consciousness that the One whom they have defied is the One who is bringing this world-destroying tribulation upon them. He has commanded that then they must be in extreme pains. They will be.

THE RESCUE GOVERNMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED

12. Since Jehovah God was earth’s ruler in the time of Eden, why was a kingdom of God established in 1914?

¹² At man’s creation in the paradise garden of Eden Jehovah God was the one Ruler of this earth as well as heaven. The rebellion that produced Satan the Devil brought forth a rival god and a rival claimant to the rulership of man and the earth. The global flood of Noah’s day proved that Jehovah is still the universal Sovereign and the earth is the footstool of his throne. Generations after the Flood Satan the rival ruler produced the first human kingdom at Babel or Babylon. But Jehovah had his own representative king on earth, Melchizedek. Long after this priestly king passed off the scene Jehovah God anointed David of Bethlehem to be king over Israel and seated him upon the “throne of Jehovah” at Jerusalem and began a long line of kings in David’s family. Before the last of that line of kings came in the person of Jesus Christ, God emptied the earthly “throne of Jehovah” of its king and overturned the capital city Jerusalem. There that typical visible kingdom on earth ended and Jehovah ceased to reign among men by an imperfect king of David’s line. But Jesus Christ taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come to earth again and for the heavenly Father’s will to be done on earth the same as up in heaven. Jesus preached the good news of that coming kingdom and died for it. By resurrecting Jesus God restored him to life and seated him at his own right hand in heaven and commanded him to wait till the “appointed times of the nations” ended in 1914, at which time Jehovah would bring forth his kingdom and lay the executive power of it upon the shoulder of Jesus Christ.

13. What is the reason that it must be said among the nations: “Jehovah himself has become king”?

¹³ October 1, 1914, is now more than forty-two years ago and the Kingdom’s fight at Armageddon is fast nearing. There are still unknown numbers of people of good will to be brought into Jehovah’s provision of salvation. More than ever the time is here for action, for the message of the hour to be pealed forth. “Say among the nations: ‘Jehovah himself has become king. The productive land also becomes firmly established so that it cannot be made to totter. He will plead the cause of the peoples in uprightness.’ Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be joyful. Let the sea thunder and that which fills it. Let the open field exult and all that is in it. At the same time let all the trees of the forest break out joyfully before Jehovah. For he has come; for he has come to judge the earth. He will judge the productive land with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness.” (Ps. 96:10-13, NW) How grandly this command that rings from heaven by inspiration shows that the thing of leading importance is God’s kingdom by Christ, for it will settle forever the issue of universal sovereignty in Jehovah’s favor and will bring salvation to those who loyally stand up for his sovereignty!

14. Why are we instructed not to miss a day in telling the good news of salvation by God’s kingdom?

¹⁴ Jehovah’s established government is a cause for universal rejoicing. It is the kingdom of salvation for both heaven and earth. The salvation already begun by it is the good news that the witnesses are commanded to tell from day to day. We are instructed not to miss a day in telling it. Why? Because the days to tell it are limited before Armageddon, in fact, are getting fewer with each passing day. Not a single day dare we leave it out of mind, for the kingdom of salvation is the thing that Jesus said we should keep seeking first, together with righteousness from God. Of all times, why not seek it now when it is actually here? Every day brings opportunities to tell of the salvation that it has brought and will bring, that others may be impelled to seek the Kingdom too. It being the only rightful government of heaven and earth, the only one that will vindicate Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and save mankind, salvation by it is worth telling out to others who also need salvation. Owing to the oncoming destruction of this wicked system of things salvation by Jehovah’s means is something most timely to be told daily. It is the only “good news” today. If we rejoice daily in the Kingdom, if we feel like shouting Hallelujah! at the realization that it is ruling now in the midst of its enemies, we shall bubble over into talking of the salvation it brings. The telling of salvation by Jehovah is, in fact, a part of our worship of him, and we know we must render him worship every day. Tell it, then, from day to day. If we do not sing to Jehovah by telling it, we do not have the “joy of Jehovah.” Sharing in his joy is a stronghold to us.—Neh. 8:10, NW.

15. How must we tell this good news, and where and in what capacities?

¹⁵ The good news of salvation we must tell not only individually but also collectively, together with all other saved ones, in one grand unity. God’s love is so great that his salvation embraces, not just one, but many. It is a collective salvation in which many have a share, even a great crowd of “other sheep” today whom no man is yet able to number. We can tell this good news by our speaking mouth or by the speaking printed page. For preaching by the printed page the Watch Tower Society supplies us with Bibles, books and booklets explaining the Bible, the magazines The Watchtower and Awake! free tracts and public-lecture handbills. For telling the good news we are not limited to one place. We can daily tell it in our own homes to members of our family, in the doorways of other people by going from house to house, in public places aside from on the platform, even underground in totalitarian lands or in prisons and concentration and slave labor camps under dictatorships. In isolated places we can tell the good news, or as a member of a congregation large or small, that is, as a congregation publisher. Still better, one can tell it as a full-time pioneer publisher, even as a missionary in foreign lands. One may be privileged to tell it as a public speaker of a congregation, or as a zone servant in one of the ten zones into which the earth has been divided with many branch offices of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society in each zone. The territory under each branch is divided up into districts and then subdivided into circuits, and each circuit contains a number of congregations of Jehovah’s witnesses. So some may be favored with telling the good news as district servants or circuit servants. Thus in many capacities the telling of the good news may be done, and each one should be faithful in his capacity.

16. (a) Is it necessary to be a full-time publisher to be commissioned to tell the good news? (b) Must we limit matters to telling it ourselves?

¹⁶ To be commissioned to tell the good news in the field and to tell it from day to day one does not need to be a publisher devoting his full time. Each and every one saved is commissioned by Jehovah to tell his salvation from day to day according to one’s opportunities. What results in more believers is not only to introduce the good news to neighbors and total strangers but also to offer to start Bible studies in the homes of the interested people, so as to study the good news there at least once a week. The thing to do is not only to tell it yourself but also to get others to tell it with force and effect. Our endeavor should be to train others to join us in telling it.

17. For what personal reason should we tell the good news, and why so even if forbidden by enemies of salvation?

¹⁷ What will happen if we tell the good news of Jehovah’s salvation the seven days of each week during the year 1957? Surely this: many more ears are going to be reached with the joyful sound; many ears, long deaf for never having heard, are going to be opened by the good news’ at last reaching them. Comfort is going to be brought to many sad hearts that, for a change, would like to hear a truly cheering song with a happy theme to counterbalance the mourning and the wailing today by all the nations at seeing the “sign of the Son of man” in the heavens. (Matt. 24:30) More persons of good will may thus be brought into the saved condition and more will be given theocratic training to sing and tell it out. As a blessed result of all this taking place before Armageddon, Jehovah God will become more widely known, more appreciated, believed in, accepted, worshiped, praised and served. Oh, how worthy he is of all this!

18, 19. Instead of telling the things of earth, sea and sky to disappear because of Jehovah’s coming, what does the psalmist tell them?

¹⁸ Tell out, then, the good news of salvation by him, because of what you know it has done for you. “Jehovah has done a great thing in what he has done with us. We have become joyful.” (Ps. 126:3, NW; Mark 5:19) Also, be willing, be prepared, be glad to bear all the self-expenditure that it takes to tell it out. What if the enemies of anybody’s salvation prefer to perish themselves and try to cause others to perish by telling us to keep quiet? We shall pay no attention to them. We are under a command higher than theirs to tell it out and we must and we will courageously obey the superior command. Not only are we, but also all of Jehovah’s creations in heaven and earth are called upon to express their irrepressible joy because he, the God of salvation, has come into his capital government as King and Judge. Therefore the heavens should be glad, the earth should be joyful, the sea should thunder with every thing in it, the open field and all its fullness should exult, and the trees of the forest should joyfully break out before Jehovah, now that he has come as King and Judge. For oh! how much good his coming promises!

¹⁹ Once we see that the great, fear-inspiring, dignity-bearing, splendid, strong and beautiful and glorious Jehovah has come to his temple for judgment accompanied by his majestic King Jesus Christ, all things in earth, sea and sky take on a hitherto undiscerned grandeur. For, under the thousand years of Christ’s reign, paradise is to be restored to earth and made globe-encircling. So, instead of telling the trees and the products of the field to shrivel up and the broad-bosomed seas to evaporate in steam because Jehovah has come to burn up the earth and the planets, suns and stars in the heavens, the inspired exulting psalmist tells earth, sea and sky and their fullness to take on the joyful appearance of things expecting deliverance and to break out in a soul-stirring harmony of sound.

20. How will earth, sea and sky no longer be profaned by men?

²⁰ And for good reason! For no longer will the seas be marred by the ugly sight of atomic warships or nuclear submarines or be poisoned by fusion or fission bombs spraying radioactive particles over their waves or their charming islands and atolls. (Isa. 33:21-23, AS) No more will the earth’s atmosphere be profaned by murderous bombers and long-range guided missiles or be made noxious with injurious fallout of burning ash from atomic explosions. No more will the mountains be used as hiding places for secret airplane hangars or munitions factories or as the sources of minerals necessary for nuclear warfare. No more will the moon be viewed as a goal in space-travel, from which the first armaments-racing nation to reach it will be able to dominate all other nations. No more will the primeval forests be cut down to provide pulp for the newspapers and magazines that spread lying propaganda, sordid news, defiling cartoons and commercial materialism.

21. How will all earthly creation benefit from Jehovah’s coming to rule and judge?

²¹ Ah no! But all earthly creation will benefit from Jehovah’s coming to rule and judge. For, as he himself has promised, all those ruining the earth will themselves be ruined in Armageddon’s destruction and once again, as in the garden of God in Eden, all nature will have full sweep to express itself to the glory and praise of its splendorous Creator. As King and Judge of earth he is interested in the things he embedded in the earth and the things he planted in it and formed about it when he created this earth for man’s everlasting paradise home. He does not want all this misused by the selfish servants Or the Devil. He desires all of it to serve his honorable, life-giving purpose. What wonder, then, that even all unintelligent things in earth and heaven should be addressed and called upon to applaud, to roar, to thunder, to look their most beauteous!

22. If all such things should rejoice at his coming, how about us?

²² All such things have reason to be glad and rejoice in that their own Creator has become King and has come to his temple for liberating judgment work. But how about us? How much more should we speech-endowed, Bible-reading, intelligent living creatures sing to him, say that he has become king and tell the good news of his salvation!

23. How has the productive land been firmly established, and how does Jehovah judge it and its people?

²³ As the Bible’s timetable and the events since 1914 in fulfillment of prophecy prove, Jehovah with his Angel of the Covenant, Jesus Christ, has been at his spiritual temple for this needed judgment since the spring of 1918. The land or earthly condition of his New World society of witnesses has become a productive land that will never be made to totter to destruction but will ever bring forth the fruitage of righteousness under his loving blessing. It has been firmly established as the basis for the “new earth” of the righteous new world. This “land” Jehovah judges favorably. He vindicates it as the habitation of his faithful witnesses and he condemns Gog of Magog and all other attackers of this theocratic land. The inhabitants of this “land” he judges with his faithfulness, and he pleads the cause of the remnant of his Kingdom heirs and the cause of their good-will co-dwellers, the “other sheep” of the King Jesus Christ.

24. How does he judge the peoples with his faithfulness?

²⁴ Behold what he has already done from his judgment throne for his name people on earth! How faithful he has been to them according to the terms of his irrevocable covenant, the Abrahamic covenant for the blessing of all the families and nations of the earth! How true and faithful he has been to his written Word the Bible, to his perfect laws and his irreproachable principles and, yes, to Himself! By his Associate Judge, Jesus Christ, he is separating the peoples of all the nations as anti-Kingdom goats and as pro-Kingdom sheep. Judgment he will execute at the great war of vindication and liberation. The tremendous flocks of goats will be consumed in the fiery expression of his judgment, but the peaceable, united flock of sheep will be pronounced innocent and be ushered alive into the earthly realm of the kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ.—Matt. 25:31-46.

25. Who have a song to sing, and what should we do because of the excellency of that song?

²⁵ Beholding all this, how can we stay mute, when the divine command is to sing, to sing to Jehovah? If the heavenly sons of God and the celestial morning stars had a song at God’s laying of the foundation of his footstool the earth—if the multitude of the heavenly host had a song of praise to God at the birth of the Son of God who was to become earth’s everlasting King—yes, if anyone now has a song, if anyone ever had a song, we witnesses of Jehovah today have a song! Yes, we have a song, a “new song,” the like of which never before floated melodiously throughout the inhabited earth. Our song has the latest, the newest theme. Our rhapsody of Bible melody has become the song hit among increasing thousands of people of good will regardless of their nationality and language. Its composer is the happy God Jehovah, who inspired it by his holy spirit. His Song Director for us is his royal Son, Jesus Christ. Do not withhold your voice, then. Under him join the swelling chorus all over the earth. Sing, sing for joy, in entrancing harmony with all the New World society. Unitedly, unceasingly, tell out the good news of salvation by Jehovah God from day to day.

Guard Your Associations!

ALL God’s commands bear testimony to his love, wisdom and justice. What he commands is for our best, our highest and our most enduring welfare. He commands our doing certain things and forbids us certain pleasures only because he loves us and wants to see us happy. As he exclaimed regarding his ancient people Israel: “If only they would develop this heart of theirs to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, in order that it might go well with them and their sons to time indefinite!”—Deut. 5:29, NW.

Among the laws that God gave his ancient people for their own good were those relating to the guarding of their association. They were not to intermarry with pagans nor even to intermingle with them: “You must form no marriage alliance with them,” for they will surely cause you to “serve other gods, and Jehovah’s anger will indeed blaze against you and he will certainly annihilate you in a hurry.” And again, “They should not dwell in your land, that they may not cause you to sin against me.”—Deut. 7:3, 4; Ex. 23:33, NW.

But lacking faith in God and love for him the nation of Israel time and again violated these commands with disastrous results. Even their wisest king came to grief on this very score. In his old age he allowed his pagan wives to turn his heart away from his God Jehovah, so that he died unfaithful, an apostate.

The same holds true with Christians today. For our own good Jehovah commands that we guard our association. We are living in perilous times, likened unto the days of Noah and Lot. Being imperfect, weak and having an inherited bent toward sin, we are prone to succumb to the world’s flattery or to compromise because of fear of its opinion. That is why the apostle Paul warns: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.”—1 Cor. 15:33, NW.

As Christians we are counseled to renew our minds and to put on a new, Christlike personality. To the extent that we can we must, therefore, avoid associating with those who object to our having this change take place in us. “For the time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have worked out the will of the nations when you proceeded in deeds of loose conduct.” And, “because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you”; behind your back, if not in your presence.—1 Pet. 4:3, 4, NW.

For our spiritual welfare Jehovah explicitly commands us to marry “only in the Lord,” not to “become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.” Why? “For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? . . . Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols?” Absolutely none whatever! Loyalty to our God and his organization will cause us to respect these commands.—1 Cor. 7:39; 2 Cor. 6:14-16, NW.

While association is a basic need of young and old, it not being “good for the man to continue by himself,” we must be careful as to the kind of association we cultivate. Where shall we draw the line? No hard and fast rules can be given but, as already intimated, Jesus’ counsel would here apply: “Prove yourselves cautious as serpents.” So when in doubt, do without!—Gen. 2:18; Matt. 10:16, NW.

Paul’s wise counsel at Ephesians 5:10-12 (NW) should therefore be taken to heart especially by all Christians: “Keep or making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works which belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them, for the things that take place in secret by them it is shameful even to relate.” This reproving can be done by words or merely by actions, by refusing to associate with them in their wrong course.

It is for our own good that God warns us to guard our association. Heeding his warning we shall avoid pitfalls and, instead, shall be building up one another in faith and love. Thereby we shall be helped to keep integrity until the time we enter the new world, a world now so near at hand, in which we shall not need to guard our association, for then everyone that breathes will be praising Jehovah and that ever more perfectly. But until then, “do not be misled.” Remember, “Bad associations spoil useful habits.”

The Rebuttal of Some Nonsense

● One day in 1529 Hugh Latimer, the English reformer, preached at Cambridge a sermon arguing in favor of translation and popular reading of the Bible. The clergy were enraged, especially since copies of Tyndale’s English Bible were being smuggled into England and the clergy could not burn them fast enough. Some infuriated friars selected their champion, Friar Buckingham, to demolish the arguments of Latimer. The next Sunday the friars’ champion sermonized. “Thus,” asked the friar with a triumphant smile, “where Scripture saith no man that layeth his hand to the plough and looketh back is fit for the kingdom of God, will not the ploughman when he readeth these words be apt forthwith to cease from his plough, and then where will be the sowing and the harvest? Likewise also whereas the baker readeth, ‘A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,’ will he not be forthwith too sparing in the use of leaven, to the great injury of our health? And so also when the simple man reads the words, ‘If thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee,’ incontinent he will pluck out his eyes, and so the whole realm will be full of blind men, to the great decay of the nation and the manifest loss of the King’s grace. And thus by reading of the Holy Scriptures will the whole realm come into confusion.” The following week Latimer replied to the friar’s sermon. “Only children and fools,” said Latimer, “fail to distinguish between the figurative and the real meanings of language—between the image which is used and the thing which that image is intended to represent. For example,” Latimer continued, casting a penetrating glance at his opponent, who was sitting before the pulpit, “if we paint a fox preaching in a friar’s hood, nobody imagines that a fox is meant, but that craft and hypocrisy are described, which so often are found in that garb.”

Questions From Readers

● Because of information presented in the July 1, 1956, Watchtower on baptism, a number of persons have asked about the advisability of being baptized again. They say that their understanding of the matter is better now than when they were immersed. Also, some were told years ago that their immersion in water by one of Christendom’s religious systems was sufficient to symbolize their dedication if they understood at the time that they were dedicating themselves to do Jehovah’s will, but now this article (page 406, paragraph 14) says that baptisms in Christendom’s religious systems today are not valid and that these individuals should be baptized again by Jehovah’s theocratic organization. They ask if they should now be baptized again, and if so, what date for their time of dedication should be shown on their Publisher’s Record card? Should it be this latest baptism date, even though the person has been in the truth and actively witnessing for ten or twenty years or more?

On the question of persons who were once baptized by Jehovah’s witnesses and who get to feeling the need of being baptized again in view of the article referred to above, the thought is raised, Did those who heard the baptism talk when they were immersed understand it? Did they understand that water immersion symbolized a dedication they were to have made already in their hearts, a vow or decision already made before God to do his will? Were not the questions specific that were propounded to them at the time of their baptism? Did not the talk and these questions point up with clarity and force the requirements? If the baptism talk stated the case plainly and the questions put to the candidates were plainly and unmistakably worded, why should the one who then said Yes to the questions now say he did not know or understand what he was doing?

All of us have doubtless grown in an appreciation of dedication since we symbolized it by water immersion. Certainly we did not appreciate it fully when we made it, or as fully as we do now. But this does not mean we should be rebaptized. This Watchtower article has not said anything more than or different from what previous articles on the subject have said, except the point of one’s having been baptized in Christendom’s religious denominations not being viewed as sufficient today, since A.D. 1918, when Jehovah God accompanied by his Messenger of the Covenant came to the temple and cast off Christendom.

So it is up to these uncertain persons to ascertain when they knowingly dedicated themselves to God, which dedication they can now distinctly remember with a satisfied conscience, and if it has been since they were baptized years ago, then they should be baptized again in symbol of their real dedication and that date should be the one used on their Publisher’s Record card.

Once a person has been baptized with understanding in token of his dedication there is no need or propriety for him to be rebaptized, even if for a time he falls away or becomes inactive, any more than a member of Christ’s body needs to be re-anointed. His baptism once performed stands forever as a testimony of his dedication to Jehovah and as an irremovable sign of his obligations toward God.

As to the baptism or total immersion of persons while members of Christendom’s religious organization and before becoming associated with Jehovah’s witnesses: In 1918, because of their conduct, the religious denominations of Christendom were definitely cast off by the judgment of Jehovah through His Messenger at His temple. Prior to that many connected with such denominations conscientiously studied their Bibles and came to discern that they must surrender or dedicate or “consecrate” themselves to God through Christ to be God’s and to do his will henceforth, trusting in His help by His holy spirit. They correctly saw that water baptism by complete submersion was the proper thing to have done to represent this surrender of themselves to God through Christ. So they had the clergyman or the authorized official in the religious denomination immerse them, doing so in the formula “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost [or, Spirit],” and they trusted in the operation of God’s spirit as described in the Scriptures, which they had read and were familiar with.

Let it be noted that such individuals made a real dedication of themselves to God through Christ and prayed for His holy spirit and they felt themselves bound by it ever after. They did not make this dedication through the clergyman or other official who baptized them. This is corroborated by the fact that after they came to know the truths as presented by Jehovah’s witnesses they saw their obligation, not to rededicate themselves to God, but to “come out of her” or come out of antitypical Babylon, and so they severed their connections with the religious denominations and became witnesses of Jehovah and continued on doing His will with better knowledge and clearer understanding. They were not rebaptized, but persisted in fulfilling their previous dedication and Jehovah manifested his acceptance of them by using them in his service and by displaying through them the operation of his spirit, while at the same time they brought forth the fruitage of His spirit. This indicates that the essential thing to validate a dedication is, not what the baptizer (be he a clergyman or otherwise) understands or thinks, but what the immersed one thinks, understands and does. The dedication was correct and the water symbol was correct and God indicated his acceptance, putting his spirit upon the immersed one. Why, then, should there be a rebaptism after one has left antitypical Babylon in fulfillment of his dedication and has become one of Jehovah’s witnesses?

Note specifically what the afore-mentioned paragraph 14, page 406, of The Watchtower says: “Often the question is asked whether one baptized previously in a ceremony performed by some other religious group should again be baptized when coming to an accurate knowledge of the truth and making a dedication to Jehovah.” Note those last six words: “And making a dedication to Jehovah.” That is, making a dedication after receiving the truths presented by Jehovah’s witnesses and after leaving antitypical Babylon. This means that such person had not symbolized a dedication of himself to God when baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost [or, Spirit]” by an official of the religious denomination but had merely become a member of that denomination. Hence that person saw the need of making a dedication and symbolizing it after associating with Jehovah’s witnesses. Such a person properly gets rebaptized. In agreement with this, the twelve men who were rebaptized in Acts 19:1-7 had been baptized in the name of the Father but not in the name of Jesus nor in the name of the holy spirit, about which they had not heard, so that their previous total immersion was not in the name of all the factors involved, which was why they could not receive the holy spirit before Paul had them rebaptized.

Hence now when the call to come out of Babylon is being clearly sounded out, if anyone has heard of this call and yet remains in a religious part of antitypical Babylon and gets immersed in such a religious part, his immersion would not count. His decision could not have been a dedication to do God’s will, because, to quote paragraph 14, “the individual would have separated himself from such God-dishonoring Babylonish systems even before letting them baptize him.” Such an individual could only make an acceptable dedication after he ‘came out of Babylon’ and this dedication he would have to symbolize by a rebaptism in water, being totally submerged. The rebaptism date of such one is the date that should be shown on his Publisher’s Record card in the congregation with which he associates. The date of dedication is never shown, but is understood to have preceded the moment of baptism.

If a person attends a baptism feature but does not sit among the baptismal candidates and does not vocally answer the questions but afterward decides to be baptized in symbol of dedication and so joins in the procession of candidates and actually gets baptized on the same basis as they do, that person obligates himself to Jehovah God through Christ. His symbolized dedication must stand as an everlasting engagement on his part and he must consider himself bound by it in God’s sight. God read his heart and saw what he did and therefore holds him to his public profession of dedication. However, in future, it would be better for a person like this to do the following before submitting to baptism: go to the baptism speaker whose speech this person has heard and then have him ask this person the two questions privately for affirmative answers.

Only 19 Months Away!

Yes, in a little more than a year and a half Jehovah’s witnesses plan on holding an international assembly. Where? New York city. When? July 27 to August 3, 1958. Start saving now. Plan to be there!

Announcements

GIVING EXCLUSIVE DEVOTION TO THE CREATOR

Do you want to win the Creator’s approval and favor so as to enjoy unending life in his righteous new world now so near at hand? If so, now is the time to give him “exclusive devotion,” as the time is rapidly drawing near for Jehovah to bring righteous punishment upon all of those who hate him and do not give him proper devotion. (Ex. 20:5, NW) Throughout the world today there are many who have not yet had opportunity to learn of Jehovah’s kingdom and what is required of them to render exclusive devotion. No one realizes this more than Jehovah’s witnesses, who will continue to do all that they can to acquaint honest-hearted people with God’s requirements. During January they will offer good-will people a year’s subscription for the Watchtower magazine, exclusively devoted to announcing Jehovah’s kingdom, and the valuable 96-page booklet What Do the Scriptures Say About “Survival After Death”? for $1. Share in this joyful work and enjoy many blessings.

DAILY REMINDERS

Many persons receive daily God’s provisions without thinking of their source. Others thank God but do little in addition to show appreciation. However, throughout the year 1956 Jehovah’s witnesses have made a united effort to bring a full measure of their love and devotion into Jehovah’s spiritual temple of service. Their reward has been a year of blessed ministerial opportunities. How well the text chosen for the year 1956 has been fulfilled can best be determined by reading the thrilling 1957 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It details inspiring information about the expansion of praise during the months just completed and provides stimulating counsel for the months ahead through its section on “Daily Texts and Comments.” Highlighting this same theme of daily recognizing Jehovah’s provision, the 1957 calendar will daily remind you of your opportunities to serve God and your fellow men. Order the Yearbook at once. It is only 50c. Include your order for the calendar. It is 25c (or $1 for 5).

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

January 13: “The Good News of Salvation by Him,” ¶1-16. Page 744.

January 20: “The Good News of Salvation by Him,” ¶17-24, and Telling the Good News from Day to Day, ¶1-8. Page 749.

January 27: Telling the Good News from Day to Day, ¶9-25. Page 755.

Check Your Memory

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

✔ Why it is foolish to fear only what men will think? P. 739, ¶1.

✔ What Jesus might say after viewing a business street this Christmas season? P. 740, ¶5.

✔ Why Christ would never approve of Christmas? P. 743, ¶4.

✔ What “The Encyclopedia Americana” says about the world changes since 1914? P. 744, ¶2.

✔ What the one source of really good news is? P. 746, ¶6.

✔ Who only bear and proclaim God’s true name? P. 750, ¶18.

✔ Why God’s kingdom has not prevented the world’s present trouble? P. 750, ¶19.

✔ What wrong things men fear today? P. 753, ¶4.

✔ Why idol gods are worthless? P. 754, ¶6.

✔ Why Jehovah’s witnesses daily tell the good news of God’s kingdom? P. 756, ¶14.

✔ For what good reasons the earth should rejoice at Jehovah’s coming? P. 758, ¶20.

✔ Why the Christian must not marry an unbeliever? P. 760, ¶6.

✔ Whether a person once baptized in a false religious organization should now be baptized again on coming into the Christian congregation? P. 763, ¶2.

Do Not Fail to Call Back!

AN English airman gained a knowledge of the truth and took his stand. He had to make three trips to court and on each trip was escorted by the same military policeman. Of course he explained the reason for the trial and gave a good witness. The escort showed considerable interest and was promised that his name would be sent to the congregation for the local brothers to contact.

The policeman waited patiently for some weeks for the next witness to call at his home, during which period he succeeded in also interesting his wife, who for thirty years had been a member of the Christadelphians. Time passed, yet still no one called to contact the couple. But these were to get the truth in spite of this.

Some four months later the season known as Christmas came around. At the policeman’s home the decorations of colored paper hangings and Christmas tree were on show and the daughter brought in one of her playmates to see it. On being asked what kind of decorations she had at home the little visitor bluntly replied that at her house they did not have such things, as these were pagan and not from the Bible, and that they were Jehovah’s witnesses and went to the Kingdom Hall. The mother, hearing this, immediately wrote a note for the child to take to her mother asking if she would send the latest booklet of Jehovah’s witnesses and a songbook. When the sister received this, thinking it a strange request, she went to see what it was all about. And so again the truth contacted them.

That very week I was visiting the local congregation on the regular circuit visit. I was told of the family and arrangements had been made for me to visit and see the husband, who was traveling back from his camp deliberately to see these witnesses who had been so long in coming. I had a wonderful two hours and left having started a regular study with the wife and leaving the husband literature to take back to his camp, as well as “Make Sure of All Things”, as he had already tackled the forces’ padre. They were full of the truth and regretted the lost time that they had waited for the witnesses to call.

Four months later, when making the next circuit visit, I found that the husband had left the air force, both had started regular preaching and were awaiting the next assembly to be baptized. All this might have been lost if contact had not been made again through one of our smaller witnesses. What happened to the interest slip we shall never know, but it certainly stresses the essential need to report on all interest we contact if we cannot care for it ourselves, and that it is our responsibility until we are certain that other brothers have contacted the new ones and are following up the interest.—Report from London by a traveling representative of the Watch Tower Society.

Scripture Index for Texts Explained, 1956

GENESIS

1:1 723

1:2 167

1:9-13 126

1:11 723

1:11-13 126

1:14-25 127

1:26 528, 723

1:26, 27 658

1:27 127

1:27, 28 530

1:28 31, 518, 723

1:31 430

2:5 127

2:5, 6 126

2:6 127

2:7 127

2:7, 8 529

2:10-14 127

2:15-17 529, 607

2:16, 17 534

2:17 159

2:18-20 530

2:19, 20 529

2:21-23 530

2:21-24 200

2:23 302

2:24 531

3:1-5 534

3:1-7 724

3:6 535

3:6, 7 159, 536

3:8-13 536

3:14, 15 537

3:15 255, 430, 748

3:16 537, 604

3:17-24 537

3:23, 24 659

4:1 533

4:1-3 127

4:1-17 538

5:1, 2 530

6:5 133

6:9 494

8:15 725

9:1 31, 725

9:1-7 539

11:1, 5-9 302

11:4 611

12:3 700

12:10-20 78

15:2 319

18:22-33 435

20:1-18 79

22:17, 18 725

22:18 430

23:16 650

24:22 650

26:1-11 80

31:49 593

37:28 651

39:1-6 691

39:6-9 691

39:7-12 499

40:8 460

40:20 742

43:20, 21 649

EXODUS

2:16-22 350

3:1 350

5:1 86

7:16 86

8:1, 20 86

9:1, 13 86

9:15, 16 498

9:16 8

10:3 86

15:11 490

15:26 139

18:25, 26 660

19:10-13 361

19:16-19 362

20:2, 3 498

20:2-5 397

20:4, 5 580

20:5 9, 13

20:7 20, 499

21:2-6 20

21:10, 11 585

21:32 651

22:16, 17 565

23:17 319

23:33 312

24:5-8 51

24:7, 8 50

26:1-6 686

26:7-14 687

26:15 685

26:16-18, 22, 26-29 686

26:17-21, 36 686

26:31-33 687

27:9-18 687

28:30 491

30:13, 24 652

33:3, 12-15 701

33:20 754

34:14 18, 397

34:23 319

37:1-9 362

37:9 363

38:25, 26 650

38:27 686

LEVITICUS

2:13 632

17:5-7 47

19:11, 12 87

19:18 432

20:27 113

23:2 72

27:25 651

NUMBERS

10:29 350

12:1-15 348

14:20 753

23:19 86

25:11 397

30:3, 6-8 535

DEUTERONOMY

4:19 742

4:24 398

5:7 14

5:9 398

6:5 398

6:6, 7 511

6:14, 15 14, 397

7:3, 4 562

7:12, 13 700

8:18 692

9:10 397

10:9 172

13:1-5 660

13:6-11 661

13:12-18 661

17:7 661

17:8-13 661

18:10-15 114

18:18, 19 114

19:13 441

20:1-5, 7 586

22:23, 24 565

22:28, 29 565

24:5 586

25:5-10 585

25:13 650

30:19, 20 401

31:12 500

32:4 722

32:5 709

32:17 44

33:29 698

JOSHUA

1:8 148

2:1-24 81

6:17-23 81

7:1, 10-26 88

7:21 650

24:14-16 15

24:15 401, 434

JUDGES

1:16 350

4:11 350

7:5-7 282

11:34-40 601

12:1-6 277

19:1-3, 10-28 79

21:25 436

RUTH

3:1 607

1 SAMUEL

15:22 88, 243

15:29 86

17:4-7 651

19:9-17 81

20:17-42 81

21:1, 2 81

21:1-7 81

21:8 to 22:1 82

22:6-19 81

26:9 347

27:2 to 28:2 82

28:3-20 113

28:6 543

29:3-11 82

2 SAMUEL

15:31-34 82

16:16-19 82

17:18-23 82

22:31 722

1 KINGS

2:36-46 89

8:41-43 731

10:14 480

12:17 486

15:33 191

19:13, 14, 18 630

20:35-42 84

22:1-28 84

22:29-38 85

2 KINGS

6:8-23 83

12:10 652

17:16 742

1 CHRONICLES

10:14 543

16:8, 9 174

16:23-33 748

17:12, 13 146

20:6 480

24:1-19 254

26:30 430

28:9 142

29:23 173

2 CHRONICLES

15:9 486

16:1 191

17:7-9 629

18:1-34 85

20:15 207

36:13 89

EZRA

1:4 652

NEHEMIAH

8:3, 8 629

8:10 757

ESTHER

3:9 651

JOB

1:6, 7 201

27:5 492

31:24, 28 338

36:26 722

PSALMS

2:1, 2 462

2:8, 9 639

7:8 497

14:1 209

19:1 722

21:1-3 254

24:3-6 701

26:11 494

27:4 173

27:5 702

27:11 273

31:5 82

31:20 702

31:24 143

33:6 721

34:12, 13 81

36:9 527

37:23 700

40:6-8 49

40:7, 8 399

40:8 408

41:12 493

41:13 526

48:14 701

50:5 694

68:32 319

81:16 693

82:1, 6, 7 753

90:2 526

91:1, 2, 14 702

Ps. 96 748

96:1 421

96:1-3 748

96:2 744, 750

96:3 750

96:4-6 753

96:5 47

96:7-9 754

96:10-13 756

96:11, 13 678

99:1 363

104:1, 2, 5 721

106:37, 38 44

110:1, 2 747

112:7 248

119:7 700

119:113 248

126:3 758

136:3 319

139:17 170

144:1 368

PROVERBS

2:1-7 358, 627

3:5, 6 243, 273

3:5-7 346

3:13-18 636

3:18 313

3:27 427

4:23 142

5:15-20 585

6:32 597

8:22-27 722

8:30 722

9:17, 18 535

10:7 20

10:12 594

10:14 548

10:18 86

10:22 692

11:3 497

11:12 553

11:24 693

11:25 420

13:17 473

14:5 89

14:12 323

14:30 554

14:31 213

15:1 420

15:23 301

15:28 426, 627

15:29 543

16:7 692

16:18, 19 346

17:6 433

17:28 302

18:1 631

18:13 427, 636

19:18 307

20:10 650

22:6 305, 511

23:6, 7 483

23:6-8 426

25:11 301

25:13 473

25:28 142

26:28 86

27:4 554

27:11 493

28:9 543

29:15 307

29:25 249, 740

30:5, 6 88

ECCLESIASTES

1:2-9 446

1:9 446

3:1, 17 460

3:18-21 200

4:9-12 630

4:9, 12 436

5:4 180

5:4, 5 492

5:4-6 406

7:8 742

7:12 243

7:16, 17 344

8:2 89

8:8 376

8:11-13 739

9:11 249

10:14 548

10:18 308

11:1 420

12:1, 13, 14 309

12:10 633

12:11 358

12:13, 14 447

SONG OF SOLOMON

8:6 553

ISAIAH

1:9 440

1:24 319

2:2, 3 720

3:1 319

4:4-6 702

6:5, 8, 9, 11 466

6:8 178, 341

8:14 488

8:16, 19-22 111

9:6, 7 204, 328, 561

9:7 441

10:16, 33 319

10:22 440, 487

11:5-9 207

11:10 607

11:13 487

12:4 696

14:15 496

14:27 724

19:4 319

19:19, 20 299

22:13 9

25:5 383

25:6 279

26:1-4 164

26:9, 10 700

28:17, 18 366

28:21 246

29:13 627

29:15 739

31:1 299

33:14 694

33:17 694

33:21-23 758

34:1-4 365

40:4 703

40:25 722

40:26 229, 722

41:1-7 735

41:22, 23 103

42:6 702

42:8 755

42:12 41

43:10, 12 746

43:12 205

45:14-17 699

45:18 430, 723

46:9-11 429

47:13, 14 742

50:4 710

51:16 430

52:7 367

Chap. 53 328

53:9 57

54:5 563, 588

54:5-8 80

54:5-13 525

55:1-3 388

55:7-11 357

55:11 724

56:10, 11 389

57:19-21 164

59:14, 15 259

59:19, 20 700

60:1-3 699

60:1-5, 14 343

60:17 438

60:22 728

61:1, 2 746

61:1-3 255

61:2 697

62:10 295

66:14 728

66:22-24 424

JEREMIAH

1:4-10, 17-19 466

5:1 440

5:30, 31 741

6:13, 14 364

6:15 365

7:16-20 683

7:25, 26 173

7:27 173

16:1-4 599

20:9 246

23:25 88

25:30, 31, 33-35 465

25:36 318

27:15 88

32:10 649

44:21 141

51:57 20

EZEKIEL

2:4 319

3:17-19 503

8:12 739

9:4 636

16:59 89

17:13, 16-21 89

18:4, 20 113

18:20, 21 435

37:19, 22 487

Chap. 38 372

Chaps. 38, 39 461, 464

38:1-4 463

38:3-6 463

38:8-12 639

38:23 753

39:14, 15 465

39:17, 18 465

41:22 44

45:12 651

DANIEL

3:1 480

3:4-6, 16-18 499

3:19-25 383

6:7-10 499

Chap. 7 479

7:13, 14 328

8:3-8, 20, 21 103

12:1 171

12:3 375

12:4 276, 710

HOSEA

4:1, 2 489

4:6 208

7:8 248

10:4 89

14:2 626

JOEL

3:9-14 464

AMOS

3:7, 8 473

8:11 388, 635

8:11, 12 693

MICAH

4:1-5 343

4:13 319

ZEPHANIAH

2:1, 2 278

2:3 69

3:9 303

HAGGAI

2:7 278, 515

ZECHARIAH

4:7 703

8:3, 16, 17 87

8:20-23 699

9:9 328

MALACHI

1:7, 12 53, 60

1:8, 9, 14 625

2:17 10

3:1 59, 319

3:1, 2, 5 587

3:5 88

3:10 28, 670

MATTHEW

1:18, 19 565

3:13-15 404

4:4 149

4:8, 9 726

4:10 116, 251

4:18-22 339

5:3 67, 214, 635

5:4 215, 636

5:5 210

5:6 212

5:8-12 22

5:11, 12 213

5:13 632, 663

5:14-16 219

5:16 439

5:27, 28 594

5:31, 32 594

5:43-48 419

6:2-4, 16-18 740

6:9, 10 747

6:10 613, 698

6:10, 33 582

6:21 175

6:24 341, 398

6:32-34 339

6:33 12, 248, 430, 634

7:12 311, 452

7:21-23 116

7:22, 23 743

7:24, 25 451

8:20 607

8:22 339

9:37 178

9:37, 38 728

10:8 388

10:16 76

10:22 249

10:32, 37, 38 19

10:36, 37 373

10:28 754

11:28-30 21

12:22-28 116

12:25, 26 196

12:34 131

13:22 398

13:32 703

13:52 693

14:6-10 742

15:6, 14 389

15:7, 8 36

15:15 280

16:22, 23 251

16:24 728

17:20 703

18:15-17, 21, 22 595

18:20 151, 439, 628

19:3-9 588

19:4-6 126, 200, 531

19:4-9 433

19:10-12 599

19:21 491

19:26 492

19:27 340

19:28 254

20:1, 2 653

20:29 575

21:9 746

22:21 87, 437

22:37-39 204

22:37-40 454

22:46 426

23:5 35

23:27, 28 35

Chap. 24 614

24:7-14 747

24:8 755

24:12 245

24:13, 14 752

24:14 430

24:21, 22 119

24:22 440

24:30 758

24:31 694

24:37 120

24:38, 39 423

24:45 150, 628

24:45-47 692, 749

25:14-30 690

25:31 59

25:31-34 71

25:31-46 759

26:20-25 383

26:26-30 49

26:27, 28 50, 51

27:3 651

28:18-20 407

28:19, 20 16

MARK

3:29 148

5:19 758

10:3-9 126

10:10-12 588

10:11, 12 594

10:14-16 308

10:18 430, 726

10:21 340

10:46 575

11:9, 10 746

12:30 398

Chap. 13 614

13:9 222

13:19, 20 751

14:10-21 383

14:23, 24 50

LUKE

1:5-24, 57-67 254

1:16, 17 404

1:19, 20 347

1:28, 42 295

1:29 141

1:39-55 681

2:1-6 568

2:8, 12 741

3:38 530

4:16-21 629, 746

5:22 143

6:40, 45 710

8:1 746

8:15 729

9:1-6 703

9:23 399

9:59, 60 375

9:62 375

10:1, 17-20 703

10:3 76

10:29-37 204

10:38-42 452

10:40-42 636

11:27, 28 682

11:44 36

12:15 556

12:32 12

12:48 729

12:51-53 373

14:26-33 401

14:27 405

16:8, 9 314

16:9 266

16:10, 11, 13 265

16:18 589

17:10 730

17:20, 21 582

17:26, 27 743

18:8 342

18:35 575

19:12-17, 20, 21, 24-26 690

19:26 690

19:38 746

20:25 626

Chap. 21 614

21:12 222

21:12, 13 22

22:15, 16 48

22:19 49, 58

22:20 50

22:28-30 56, 254

23:43 31

JOHN

1:14 239, 415, 725

1:17 415

1:18 754

2:1-11 569

3:16 203

3:29 286, 561

4:23 18

4:23, 24 434

4:24 113, 145

4:34 171

5:17 722

5:28, 29, 31 207

5:30 170

5:37 754

6:15 646

6:44, 45 439

6:47-58, 68 52

6:68 280

7:46 726

8:28, 29 692

8:31, 32 209

10:14-16 434

10:16 12

10:30 527

10:31-39 726

10:34, 35 753

13:21-31 383

14:1-3 255

14:6, 7 19

14:26 151

14:30 116

15:1, 2 729

15:8 729

15:10 15

16:12, 13 150

17:4 726

17:6 750

17:15 437

17:16 646

18:37 746

19:8-11 89

20:30, 31 392

21:15-17 388

21:25 392

ACTS

2:32-36 747

2:36 487

2:41 727

2:42-47 727

4:4 727

5:1-10 88

5:29 217

7:51 147

8:3, 4 217

8:4 727

8:26-38 628

8:31 388, 451

13:1 664

15:14 749

15:28, 29 95

17:11 141

17:23 753

17:24-28 200

17:26 516, 611

18:24, 25 406

19:1-7 406, 763

19:23-41 287

20:28 502

20:28-31 86

20:29, 30 742

20:35 281, 359

21:8, 9 601

21:13 340

23:1-5 347

24:26, 27 564

26:7 487

26:17, 18 461

27:24, 37 440

28:3-6 286

ROMANS

1:12 282

1:19, 20 229

1:20 100

1:21 232

1:21-23, 28 275

1:26-32 591

3:4 88

5:1, 2, 9 56

5:3-5 375

5:12 293, 724

5:12-14 538

5:18 550

5:19 70

6:23 70, 203

7:2, 3 590

7:2-4 597

8:5 141

8:10 57

8:15-17 56

8:38, 39 249

9:17 8

9:22-24 498

10:2-4 275

12:1 57, 177

12:1, 2 399

12:2 141, 176, 346, 358

12:15 553

12:16 556

12:17 419

12:21 420, 502

13:1 203, 480

13:11 368

13:12, 13 554

1 CORINTHIANS

1:10 141, 276, 630

1:26-29 516

2:10 149

3:5-9 336

3:6 731

3:7 420

4:1, 2 689

4:9 286, 287

4:12, 13 419

5:1-4 440

5:1-13 596

5:5 441

5:11-13 589

5:11, 13 563

6:2 680

6:9-20 668

6:9, 13 317

6:13, 15, 19, 20 57

6:16 126, 531

6:19, 20 341

7:1-7 587

7:2-5 433

7:4 595

7:7-9 601

7:10, 11 591, 593

7:12-16 592

7:23 19

7:24 573

7:28 538

7:29-35 602

7:32-34, 9 316

7:33 587

7:36, 37 603

7:38-40 603

7:39 316, 593

7:39, 40 599

8:1-13 95

8:1, 4, 10-12 45

8:7 142

9:5 599

9:13 46

9:16 246

9:20-23 374

9:20, 22 328

9:22 634

9:24-27 250, 371

9:25 345

9:26 248, 734

10:16 48

10:16-21 53

10:17 56

10:18-21 46

10:19, 20 754

10:22 55

10:25-31 46

10:25-33 95

10:31 345

11:1 344

11:3 588

11:20 45

11:20-26 58

11:20, 23 48

11:23, 24 49

11:27-34 60

12:14-25 438

12:14-26 249

12:26 441

12:27, 28 56

13:4 554

13:8-11 117

14:33 490

15:32 9, 286, 287

15:33 250, 306, 562

15:44, 50 293

15:45 204

15:45, 47 126

15:50 676

15:58 181

2 CORINTHIANS

1:8-10 287

2:11 360

2:14 455

2:15, 16 455

3:1-3 606

3:2-6 662

3:6 58

3:16, 17 403, 551

4:4 9, 360

4:6 126

4:10, 11 57

5:1 49

5:1-3, 6-9 59

5:16, 17 348

5:17 527, 725

6:2 699

6:14 562

6:14-16 55

10:3-5 639

10:3-6 503

10:4 365

10:4, 5 285, 359, 373, 711

10:17 730

11:2, 3 562

11:3 143

11:13-15 112

11:23-27 287

13:5 245, 349, 547, 630

GALATIANS

1:4 423

1:8 619

2:2 242

2:11-14 88

3:28 612

4:9-11 742

4:21-31 80

4:25 to 5:1 526

5:1 403

5:19-21 114, 370, 566

5:22, 23 600

5:25, 26 553

6:9 181, 630

6:16 87

6:17 57

EPHESIANS

2:2 109

2:4-7 256

2:11-19 204

2:14-18 57

2:22 694

3:2, 3 689

4:1-3 370

4:3-6 206

4:8 348

4:11-14 630

4:12 439

4:14 360

4:22, 23 276, 358

4:24 276

4:25 87

4:29, 31 306

5:5 317

5:21-24 588

5:25, 33 587

5:26 360

5:27 567

5:28-31 592

5:31 126

5:33 503

6:1, 2 310

6:4 282

6:10-12 109

6:11 119

6:11, 12 372

6:12 120, 247, 365

6:14, 15 367

6:16, 17 367

6:17 368

6:17, 12 332

6:18 368

6:19, 20 368

PHILIPPIANS

1:1 664

1:9, 10 278

1:27 311, 370

1:27-29 371

2:3 556

2:4 434

2:5 142

2:5-7 238

2:5-11 748

2:8-11 203

2:12 433

2:12, 13 709

2:16 243

3:8 175

3:13, 14 247

3:19 143

4:5 344

4:7 634

4:8 657

COLOSSIANS

1:9, 10 547

1:15, 16 238

1:16 722

1:25 689

2:8 392

2:14, 15 371

3:9, 10 141, 276, 358

3:10 126

3:15 57

3:23 734

4:6 632

1 THESSALONIANS

2:11, 12 311

4:3, 7 57

4:11 435

5:1-3 206

5:12-27 669

5:15 419, 503

5:21 547

5:22 566

2 THESSALONIANS

2:11 86

1 TIMOTHY

1:11 430

1:18-20 370

2:1-3 365

2:3, 4 278

2:13 534

2:14 535

3:1, 2, 12 585

3:2 281

3:2, 3, 11 345

3:10 664

3:16 239

4:1-3 676

4:6 135

4:7, 8 242

4:8 305

4:12, 13 282

4:13-15 415

4:16 315

5:6, 11-15 602

5:8 511

5:22 563

6:3, 4 164

6:5 36

6:5, 6 345

6:10 313

6:12 241

6:14 349

6:18 75

2 TIMOTHY

1:5 282, 307

1:7 501

1:7, 8 400

1:12-14 164

1:13, 14 694

2:3 369

2:4 373

2:5 117, 242

2:13 420

2:15 285, 631

2:20, 21 491

2:24, 25 633

3:1-4 312, 743

3:1-5 39, 657

3:3 511

3:7 276, 284, 547

3:8 148

3:15 391

4:2-7 366

4:3, 4 741

4:5 502

4:8 254

4:10 373

TITUS

1:5-7 585

1:5-16 668

1:15 142

1:16 232, 275, 658

2:3-5 588

2:7 491

3:1 141

3:3 554

HEBREWS

1:14 167

2:1 285

2:9 239

2:13 299

2:14 50

3:12 403

4:4, 10 126

5:12-14 243

5:13 to 6:1 277

6:4-8 60

6:17-20 209

9:9, 10 362

9:12 51

9:17-20 51

10:5-7 49

10:7 399, 430

10:10 53

10:10, 29 57

10:11, 12 676

10:19, 20 50

10:23-25 415, 629

10:24, 25 500, 730

10:26-31 60

10:29 53

10:39 148

11:4 494

11:6 403

11:17 494

11:24-27 495

12:1 245

12:1, 2 253

12:6, 11 310

13:4 317, 598

13:10-13 53

13:15 626

JAMES

1:1 487

1:5-8 703

1:7, 8 341

1:14, 15 535

1:18 56

1:26 132

1:27 645

2:25 81

3:16 554

4:3 543

4:4 593, 645

4:8-10 341

5:10, 11 173

5:19, 20 594

1 PETER

1:7, 8 286

1:13 245

2:1 554

2:9 56, 254, 439

2:12, 13 310

2:21 390, 728

2:23, 21 419

3:5, 6 586

3:7 587

3:15 633

3:16, 17 502

3:16, 17, 21 371

3:19 278, 423

4:1 142

4:3 743

4:8 594

4:10 689

4:17 679

5:2, 3 281

5:4 254

5:6-11 503

5:8 247

2 PETER

1:5, 6 600

1:6 566

1:20, 21 460

2:4 118

2:19 550

3:3, 4 423

3:5 422

3:5-7 424

3:5-13 421

3:13 207, 424

3:15 498

1 JOHN

1:1 286

1:3, 6, 7 55

2:15 647

2:15-17 133, 397

2:17 648

3:2 286

3:16-18 264

4:1-3 111

4:7, 8, 16 202

4:12 239

4:17, 18 501

5:3 501

5:4 502

5:16 415

5:19 201

5:21 312

JUDE

vs 3 253

vs 4-10 439

vs 8-11 347

vs 14, 15 494

vs 16 17

REVELATION

1:3 280

1:5 746

1:17, 18 527

2:10 254

2:26-29 639

3:11 254

3:14 238, 527, 746

3:17 635

3:18 140

3:21 254

4:4 253

4:11 527, 709

5:5 255

5:6-10 254

5:13, 14 255

6:2 254

6:6 653

7:9 343

7:9, 10 255

7:9-17 752

7:11, 12 255

7:13 255

7:13-17 255

11:7, 8 299

11:15-18 255, 751

12:1-12 372

12:7-12 70, 751

12:9 201

12:10-12 119

12:11 502

12:12 551

12:17 118, 751

Chap. 13 479

13:1-14 256

13:18 479

14:1-3 254

14:1, 3 253

14:1-4 599, 749

14:4 120

14:14, 15 254

16:13-16 120, 751, 754

16:14 359, 671

16:16 430, 671

17:8 104

17:12-14 639

18:4 69, 435

19:4 255

19:7, 8 254

19:11-16 742

19:11 to 20:3 751

19:19-21 648

19:20 256

20:1-3 496

20:2 201

20:4 254

20:6 254

21:2, 9-23 561

21:1, 7, 8 400

21:4 424

21:8 249

21:14 254

22:14, 15 114

22:17 728

22:18 391

Subject Index for “The Watchtower,” 1956

Accurate Knowledge to Please Jehovah 273

Activity and Life versus Inactivity and Death 241

Approaching the Presence of God 361

Are You Bible-starved? 711

Attaining Victory in Christian Warfare 132

Avoid Sicknesses of Mind and Heart 139

Bible or Tradition—Which Is Man’s Guide? The 389

Bible Questions Stump Clergymen 638

Blessings Through Service 696

Book of Books, The 355

Bridle Your Tongue 131

Careful Living Helps Avoid Life’s Pitfalls 309

Cautious as Serpents Among Wolves 76

Children Respond to Discipline 637

‘Choose Whom You Will Serve’ 15

Christian Worship and Preservation of Virtue 657

Church Leaders in a Dilemma 168

Clergy and the Book, The 259

Clergyman Says Serpent Told Eve the Truth 268

Communist Leaders Fear Bible Truth 209

Communists Continue to Persecute Jehovah’s Witnesses 483

Community or Congregational Interests 436

Conscious of Your Spiritual Need? 67

Declaring Our Hope Unwaveringly in Meetings 414

Delivering Satan’s Death Notice 467

Divine Interests, The 428

Divine Origin of Marriage, The 525

Does the Bible Agree with Your Church? 675

Do You Believe Only What You Can See? 99

Do You Fear Men or God? 739

Dusty Bible No Laughing Matter 451

Early Church Fathers and the Trinity 504

Exalting Jehovah’s Worship Above the Mountains 720

Exclusive Devotion 8

Faithful Stewardship 689

False Shepherds Wail 318

Fighters for Truth 369

Finding Sheep in “Death Row” 510

Flags and Religion 579

Freedom Suppressed in Solomon Islands 707

From Catholic Seminary to Jehovah’s Witnesses 557

From Gilead’s Twenty-sixth Class to the President 90

Full-Time Service—a Glorious Treasure 169

Gaining the Prize of Life by Active Training Now 248

Getting and Giving the Thoughts of God 357

Gilead Graduates Its Twenty-seventh Class 559

Gilead’s 26th Graduation a Happy Occasion 240

Good News for Perplexed Humanity 261

“Good News of Salvation by Him, The” 744

Great Pyramid of Giza, The 297

Hands in the Scriptures, The 616

Has God’s Purpose for Mankind Failed? 517

Hebrew Weights and Money 649

Hell Offends and Heaven Bores 268

“He Made Out of One Man Every Nation” 515

‘He That Marries Not Does Better’ 598

Hospitals, Take Notice! 509

How True Christians View Politics 645

How Will God’s Kingdom Come? 581

I Lived in Exile in Siberia 233

Individual Human Interests 431

Is God a Segregationist? 611

Israel’s Wonderful Way in Worship 685

Is Sincerity Enough? 323

Is the Golden Rule Enough? 452

Is the Queenship of Mary Scriptural? 293

Is This Good Advice? 425

Is This Treasure for You? 176

Jehovah, God of Production 721

Jehovah’s Judgment Days 677

Jehovah’s Message Against Gog of Magog 460

Jesus and the Jews 324

‘Judge, O Jehovah!’ 489

Keeping Up with the Truth 144

Keep Pace by Conforming to Theocratic Requirements 342

Keep Pace with the New World Society 336

Language and Its Purpose 301

Learn How to Learn 547

‘Let Us Not Envy One Another’ 553

Loving in Deed as Well as in Word 264

Luther Fights Then Compromises 329

Maintaining Integrity 497

Making All Mankind One Under Their Creator 195

Making the Fragrance of the Knowledge of God Perceptible 455

Man’s Rightful Role 639

Marriage Ceremony and Requirements 567

Marriage Obligations and Divorce 585

Marriage Under Imperfect Conditions 533

Mary a Disciple, Not a Queen 681

Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Part 25: Expansion in Europe and Africa (1945-1955) 4

Part 26: Expansion in Asia and the Pacific Area 40

Part 27: The International Assembly of 1946 72

Part 28: International Assemblies (1946-1950) 105

Part 29: International Assemblies (1951) 136

Part 30: International Assembly (1953) 165

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

“My Load Is Light” 21

Necessary Arrangements for a Baptismal Service 408

Need for Solitude, The 643

1955 Service Year Report of Jehovah’s Witnesses World-wide 24

Nobody but Jehovah’s Witnesses 360

Not So Safe to Be a Christian 605

Not Too Young to ‘Listen and Learn’ 300

“Offer to God a Sacrifice of Praise” 625

Offer Your Sacrifices of Praise Aright 632

“One Body” of Partakers 55

‘Originally No Clergy-Laity Distinction’ 447

Outstanding Assemblies in Korea and Alaska 539

‘O Ye of Little Faith’ 619

Peace of Mind Through Accurate Knowledge 163

Preaching by Writing Letters 688

Presidential Visit to Australia and Indonesia 409

Presidential Visit to Burma, the Philippines and Hong Kong 475

President Serves in Taiwan, Okinawa and Japan 505

President’s Visit to Singapore and Thailand, The 442

Problems in Bible Translation 631

Productive Witnessing 728

Proving Ourselves the Right Kind of Ministers 135

Pursuing My Purpose in Life:

Arnott, Harry W. 333

Attwood, A. C. 653

Dougaluk, Victoria 620

Dreyer, Rosa May 393

Phillips, George R. 712

Rydell, Esther M. 521

Steele, Gertrude 269

Yeatts, Thomas R. 456

‘Rafter in Her Own Eye, The’ 584

Real Book of Freedom, The 548

Religion Becomes a Fad 36

Religion in Form Only 35

Religion Only on Surface 138

“Rise Up to the Opportunities” 387

Serving with Jehovah’s Channel of Communication 28

Shining as the “Light of the World” 218

Showing a Wealth of Good Works 75

Stop Evil, Start Good 419

Supporting the Service at Jehovah’s House Fully 670

Sylvester I, the Man Who Wasn’t There 617

“Table of Demons, The” versus “The Table of Jehovah” 44

Telling the Good News from Day to Day 752

Theocratic Marriage in an Alien World 560

“They Are Without Excuse” 229

Three Worlds, The 421

Too Quick to Label Some as “Goats”? 287

“Triumphant Kingdom” Assemblies of 1955, The

Part 3: Dallas, Texas 29

Part 4: New York City 61

Part 5: En Route to European Assemblies; London, England 92

Part 6: Paris, France; Rome, Italy 121

Part 7: Nuremberg, West Germany; Berlin, Germany 152

Part 8: Stockholm, Sweden; The Hague, The Netherlands; Helsinki, Finland 183

Triumphing over Enemies by Kingdom Preaching 520

Triumphing over Wicked Spirit Forces 108

True Riches and True Friends 265

Turn to the New World Society 663

Visit to the Pacific 377

Waging the Right Warfare 364

Was Jesus a God-Man 237

Were the Ten Tribes Lost? 485

What Dedication Means to Me 396

What Would Jesus Say? 740

When Will God’s Kingdom Come? 613

Why an Agnostic 182

Why Are the Clergy Discouraged? 291

Why Believe in God 100

Why Bother About Religion? 3

Why Did God Make Man? 709

Why Examine the Bible? 227

Why One Must Be Baptized 402

Why the Crisis of All Mankind? 68

Wielding the Spiritual Sword Against Wicked Spirit Forces 332

Writing the Human Recommendation Letter with God’s Spirit 606

Your Personal Study 279

Youth in the New World Society 304

Zionism Has No Inalienable Right 575