"They shall know that I am Jehovah!'

-Ezekiel 35:15.

CONTENTS

Hearing Ears .............................

Humility Needed to Hear ....

Itching Ears Tickled ...........

Listening to Shepherds ........

Hearing to Salvation..............

More Is Given to Hearers ....

Hearing Means Salvation ....

Hearkening to the Invitation to Preach 135 Where the Money Comes from

The Religion of This World a Snare 141

What Book Is Like It!

Field Experiences......... “Neighbor Love” Testimony Period .... 130

District Assemblies in North America 130

The WATCHTOWER

Published Semimonthly By

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street -   - Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.SA.

OFFICERS

N. H. Knorr, President               Grant Suiter, Secretary

“And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” - Iiaiah 54:13.

THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES

THAT JEHOVAH is the only true God, from everlasting to everlasting, and is the Maker of heaven and earth and Giver of life to his creatures; that the Word or Logos was the beginning of his creation and his active agent in creating all other things; and that the creature Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah and raised the issue of His universal sovereignty;

THAT GOD created the earth for man, made perfect man for the earth and placed him.upon it; that man yielded to unfaithful Lucifer, or Satan, and willfully disobeyed God’s law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam’s wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life; '

THAT THE LOGOS was made human as the man Jesus and suffered death in older to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient men; that God raised up Christ Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and clothed Him with all power and authority ns head of God’s new capital organization;

THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief Officer thereof and is the rightful King of the new world; that the faithful anointed followers of Christ Jesus are Zion’s children, members of Jehovah's organization, and are His witnesses whose duty and privilege it is to testily to Jehovah’s supremacy and declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible;

THAT THE OLD WORLD, or Satan’s uninterrupted rule, ended A.D. 1914, and Christ Jesus 1ms been placed by Jehovah upon the throne, has ousted Satan from heaven, and now proceeds to vindicate His name and establish the ‘‘new earth”;

THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples can come only by Jehovah's kingdom under Christ, which has begun; that His next great act is to destroy Satan’s organization and establish righteousness completely in the earth; and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will surviving Armageddon will entry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth" with righteous offspring, and that the human dead in the graves will be raised to opportunities of life on earth.

ITS MISSION

THIS journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and His purposes as expressed In the Bible. It publishes Bible Instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah’s witnesses and all people of good-will. It arranges systematic Bible study for Its readers and the Society supplies other literature to aid In such studies. It publishes suitable material for radio broadcasting and for other means of public instruction In the Scriptures.

It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority for its utterances. It is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It Is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but invites careful and critical examination of Its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not indulge in controversy, and its columns are not open to personalities.

Notice to Subscribers: Remittances should be sent to office In jour country fn compliance with regulations to guainntee safe delivery of money, Remittances are accepted at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international money order only. Subscription rates in different countries are staled below in local currency. Notice of cspnation (with renewal blank) Is sent nt least two issues beioie subscription expires. Change of address when sent to our office may be expei ted effective within one month. Send your old as well as new address.

Please address the Watch Tower Society in every case.

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Translations of this Journal appear in many languages.

ALL SINCERE STUDENTS OF TIIE BIBLE who by reason of In-flrniity, poverty or adversity are unable to pay the sttbsciiption price niny have The Il’aichtower free upon written application to the pmilidieis, made once each year, stating the reason for so requesting It We a'e glad to thus aid Ilie needy, but the written application once each year is requited by the postal regulations.

Printed in the United States of America

Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Bioollpn, N. I’., under the Act of March S. 1379.

“NEIGHBOR LOVE” TESTIMONY PERIOD

The June testimony period under the above title touches each professed worshiper of God on the question of whether he loves his neighbor as himself in respect to eternal life. During June, therefore, each one who possibiy can will, like the Good Samaritan, get out into the field to bring his neighbors God’s provided means for them to gait, eternal life. The special offer to aid them in studying the Bible will be two Watch Tower products, namely, the book "Let God Be True" and the booklet The Joy of All the People, on a contribution of 35c for the combination. Neighborloving Christians throughout the earth will all unite during June in special efforts to help others to eternal life. Will you be one? You can be, you who read this magazine. If necessary, write us to put you in touch with your neighbors who will be glad to have you lovingly work with them in the field. Arrange, also, to make a report at the end of June on what you accomplish.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of June 6: “Hearing Ears,” If 1-21 inclusive, The Watchtower May 1, 1948. Week of June 13: “Hearing to Salvation,” 1-20 inclusive, The Watchtower May 1, 1948.

DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES IN NORTH AMERICA

The splendid success of the first District Assembly, in Atlanta, this past March, heightens the interest of all in those next in the 1948 series. For the information of those in the areas embraced, we here announce completion of arrangements for the following assemblies:

Houston, Texas: May 7-9, Buffalo Stadium, St. Bernard St. and Coyle Ave.

Oakland, California: May 28-30, Exposition Building, 10th and Fallon Sts.

Vancouver, Canada: June 4-6, The Forum

Juneau, Alaska: June 11-13, Masonic Temple

Winnipeg, Canada: June 18-20, Amphitheatre Rink

Ottawa, Canada: June 25-27, Coliseum, Lansdowne Park

Halifax, Nova Scotia: July 2-4, The Forum

All persons of good-will are urged to attend these assemblies The president and other official brethren of the Watchtower Society will serve on the programs of these assemblies. (See April 15 issue of The Watchtower for more information.)

ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH'S KINGDOM

Vol. LXIX                              May 1, 1948                                   No. 9

HEARING EARS

"Who among you will give ear to this? ivho will hearken and hear for the time to come?"—Isa. 42: 23.

JEHOVAH is testing the ears of all nations today to find the ears that hear. He makes the test by means of the unusual message he sends out. As the Creator he made humankind with ears to hear, and now that he sends forth his message to all nations there is no excuse for their not hearing. Each and every one upon whose eardrums the sound of the message falls is allowed the liberty to listen to it and give it a favorable hearing or else to shut it out of his head. It is now the time of stupendous world-change. This is the “time to come” of which Jehovah’s prophet wrote thousands of years ago. It is mankind’s time of sore need for a righteous worldruler, and Jehovah God, as Sovereign of the universe, has raised up his Chief Official to be the royal ruler over all our earth and its peoples. The important question that thrusts itself upon each one who comes within range of the divine message about this is: “Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?” (Isa. 42:23, Am. Stan. Ver.) Who will take the good news seriously and act in harmony with it? Who will investigate further and piove the fact that God has actually put his appointed Ruler of a new world of righteousness in power? Who will believe his message of the good things that are certain to come under the rule of this perfect Ruler? The testing of ears by this grand message is on!

• ² In a bodily sense it is a true proverb: “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.” (Prov. 20:12, Am. Sian. Ver.) But hearing and seeing may also be exercised in a spiritual sense, and the same Creator makes both of these spiritual functions possible also. Today he is sending forth his message concerning his kingdom to lands and peoples outside of Christendom, into India, Pakistan, Burma, China, into lands Oriental and African and insular. As a result millions of ears that were deaf before for failure to hear the Kingdom message are tingling with its life-giving news. Their hearing is leading to life.

• ³ To have the hearing ear which Jehovah God pro-

• 1 How and why is Jehovah testing the ears of all nations today?

• 2 By reason of what are deaf ears now hearing?

• 3 What is needed to have a hearing ear? duces means to have an ear for the Word of God, written or proclaimed. It means to have a sense of hearing that is disposed to listen to what his Word says in order to get at its meaning and then to accept it for what it is worth. To give an ear requires us to have faith, to have a love of righteousness, and to be humble and sincere. The Israelites of old had God’s Word preached to them and written down for them, but that Word did not do the majority of them any good, even if their eardrums did vibrate with the sound of it. Why not? Because of lack of faith. Speaking to those who did hear the good news or gospel, the apostle Paul said: “Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest.” (Heb. 4: 2, 3) To accept the gospel and act upon it we must have faith in the Sender of it, Jehovah God, and in his Messiah, Jesus Christ his Son, whom he has appointed to be the Ruler of the new world of righteousness. We must believe in Jehovah’s loving purposes toward us and in his truthfulness. We must believe in his full ability to do everything he says in his Word. We must believe he will reward us if we accept his Word and act in accord with it. In this way we show faith. —Heb. 11:6.

• ⁴ Besides faith, to have an ear for God’s Word we must have a love of righteousness. His Word shows forth his righteousness. It tells us that Jehovah God is the Creator of all things, and the Preserver of all that is good and right, and the Destroyer of all that is wicked. He has full power over all that he has created. In his own love of goodness and righteousness he has set up perfect laws for his creatures. He gave simple laws and commands to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. He was only acting righteously when he sentenced them to death for their disobedience and when he declared that Satan the Devil and all his wicked seed should at last be destroyed by the Seed of God’s “woman”, his own Son Jesus Christ. Not only did he show love and mercy, but he showed also a love of justice, righteous-4, 5 To have an ear to hear, why must we also love righteousness?

ness, when he provided a ransom sacrifice for imperfect, dying mankind by means of his own beloved Son sent down from heaven. In expression of his rightful sovereignty over all the universe he appointed his faithful Son to be the King of the new world for the deliverance and blessing of all that obey him. In all this no one can honestly find any unrighteousness with God.

• ⁵ Hence it requires a love of righteousness to turn a favorable ear to these truths contained in God’s Word. Ordinarily the Oriental religionists find the teaching of a ransom sacrifice through Jesus Christ a “hard saying”, and they say: “Who can hear it?” But now many among them are developing the needed love of righteousness and are turning their ears away from demon religion and are saying to Jesus: “Lord, to whom [else] shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” —John 6: 60, 68, 69.

HUMILITY NEEDED TO HEAR

• ⁸ Besides faith and a love of righteousness, to have an ear for God’s Word we must be humble, and hence teachable and willing to be corrected and shown what is right and true. The most ignorant men can be proud, and persons that are proud depend upon themselves for salvation, or else they cling to the religious ideas that they were previously taught. Because they trust in demons or in human teachers they do not feel lowly enough to confess that these are wrong, and themselves as well. So they reject God’s message of salvation. They do this in pride, to their own destruction. To show the need of humility to receive his Word, God said to the Jews at Jerusalem when it was threatened with destruction: “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken.” (Jer. 13:15, Am. Sian. Ver.) To picture the right attitude, namely, humbleness, willingness to listen, the Bible speaks of inclining the ear toward God, not away from him. A person with only one good ear will generally turn that sensitive ear to anyone speaking to him. We must do likewise if we want to catch what God teaches us. To persons who would follow his King Jesus Christ and become his bridal company to sit with him in his heavenly throne, Jehovah God says: “Hearken, 0 daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty.” (Ps. 45:10,11) Likewise, to those who want to become his blessed people Jehovah says by his prophetic mouthpiece: “Give ear, 0 my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.” (Ps. 78:1,2) It takes humility to incline our ear thus.

• 6. What else Is required to have a hearing ear, and why?

⁷ A person who realizes he is helpless to save himself or to get salvation by some other man or woman today will not haughtily turn away from God’s message just because it tells of our redemption by means of Christ’s ransom sacrifice. Not one person in all the nations can sincerely deny God’s Word when it says: “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Eccl. 7:20) “Those who trust in their wealth, and boast of the abundance of their riches. But no man can at all ransom himself, or give a price for himself to God; since the ransom of his person forever and ever is too costly, that he should continue to live forever, without seeing the Pit.” (Ps. 49: 6-9, An Amer. Trans.) Hence all mankind are paying the wages of sin, which is death; and none can by his own means escape from the condemnation of death, because all are sinners. Their sinfulness is incurable by human means.

• ⁸ Hence mankind’s sinfulness is symbolized in the Bible by the plague of leprosy. There are tens of thousands of lepers in the Orient, but all mankind are from birth onward infected with the death-dealing leprosy of sin. To show that all men must lend a humble and believing ear to the message of redemption through Christ’s sacrificial blood Jehovah God’s law provided for the cleansing of an Israelite whom he cured of leprosy. As described at Leviticus, chapter 14, the cured leper showed faith in a sacrifice by providing a trespass offering to be offered by the priest at the temple. We read: “The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.” (Lev. 14: 14, 25) Thus, too, any man wanting salvation from sin and death must lend a hearing ear, his right ear, as it were, to the ransom message.

• ⁹ The great Ransomer, Jesus Christ, is the High Priest of God. When he was on earth as a man he cured many lepers. (Matt. 11:4,5; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 17:11-19) As a sacrificing priest Jesus was foreshadowed by God’s high priest for the Jewish nation, Aaron. On the day that Aaron was inaugurated as high priest and his four sons as underpriests a sacrifice was killed and offered up, called the “ram of consecration”. It pictured Jesus’ own human sacrifice. Its blood was touched to the right ear of these five priests. Concerning this, Jehovah God commanded Aaron’s brother, Moses: “Thou shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the

• 7. Why should we not turn from the inebs.ige of redemption ?

• 8. When a leper was cleansed, uhy was Ina ear touched with blotr’ 9, 10 Why was the ear of the high priest and of the undeipiicst' touched with blood? thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.” (Ex. 29:19,20; Lev. 8:22-24) In harmony with this prophetic picture Jesus, in order to become God’s High Priest, had to give a faithful and obedient hearing to God’s instructions and arrangements for him to offer his human life as the ransom sacrifice for all mankind.

• ¹⁰ Likewise with those who desire to become members of Christ’s royal priesthood by following in his steps till death. From the very beginning they must present a hearing ear to God’s message about the power of Christ’s shed blood to purify them from sin and to make them acceptable to God as his priests under the Chief Priest Jesus Christ. They must obey the words that Jesus, the Son of man, spoke two years before he was delivered over for the sacrificial death, saying: “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:44) We must hold such sayings for our reference always.

ITCHING EARS TICKLED

• ¹¹ In place of hearing ears today, the majority of people, even those inside of Christendom, have itching ears. This makes it certain that we are living in the perilous latter time of which God’s Word warns, saying: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.” The itch on their part is to hear teachers that tickle their selfish desires and that teach in harmony with the learning, political schemes and popular things of this world that do not call for true repentance and a change in one’s life according to the Bible. Such ears prefer to be tickled with fables like the “purgatory” doctrine, union of politics with religion, human immortality, etc., as against the pure truth of God’s Word. The truth is too much for their ears to endure, because it is unpopular. It is not in harmony with popular science and religion, and they do not wish to be made free from their pleasurable, sinful habits in this world. Hence, there is now a heap of teachers of fables, who fill Christendom and heathendom with their doctrines contrary to God’s Word of truth. To counteract this, God urged his servant to preach the truth continually, saying: “Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”—2 Tim. 4:2-4, Am. Stan. Ver.

• ¹² For more reasons today than ever before we need to obey the advice that our faithful Teacher, Jesus Christ, gave when he said: “If any man have

• 11. What kind of ears do most people have today, and why?

• 12. Why especially at this time must we take heed what we hear? ears to hear, let him hear. . . . Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (Mark 4: 23-25) We must take heed what we hear and give ear to, lest we be deceived and be misled to our destruction. On the basis of fulfilled Bible prophecy we can boldly say that we are living at the end of this selfish, oppressive, demon-ridden old world. What Jesus foretold concerning the end of this world we have seen, namely, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, together with famines, pestilences and earthquakes, and international distress accompanying. Concerning this same time and its further perils Jesus prophesied: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.” (Matt. 24: 7, 8, 23-25) Even so, it is now a day of great deceptions respecting the most controversial issue, God’s kingdom by his Christ, the King Jesus; and we must therefore watch out not to listen to the self-seeking, self-exalting deceivers.

¹⁵ True, no man today claims to be Jesus Christ in person. But, on the other hand, many men and organizations claim to be able to do the Kingdom work that God has assigned to his true Christ. They assume to take the place of Jesus Christ. They propose to make his ruling in person unnecessary, because they claim they can and will build a better and finer world. Yes, they will establish an enduring peace and make men live to the age of Methuselah and bind all peoples and nations together under one government, resulting in justice for all and in the brotherhood of all men. In effect, they say: ‘Here is your Christ! or, There is your Messiah! The United Nations or a Federated World or a Federal World Government will do Christ’s work for him.’ Reporting on the spread of Communism in Latin America, the Latin American News Letter, No. 26, of February 1948, says: “It is the Messianic character of Communism that gives it dynamic power to command allegiance. . . . It has filled the vacuum caused by the failure of established religion.” (Page 2, ¶ 3) However, the Vatican’s religious hierarchy continue to preach the pope as Christ’s vicar or vicegerent to whom all the peoples and nations must obediently gather in this ominous time in order for the blessings of Messiah’s reign to be realized. Speaking as “vicegerent of Christ”, the pope has repeatedly since the close of World War II exhorted the Catholic women toplunge

• 13. How have false Christa arisen to deceive? into politics and vote for politicians whom the pope and his hierarchy endorse.

“ This is the year 1948, and pope Pius XII is being forcibly reminded that this year is the hundredth anniversary of the year 1848, when great political revolutions swept Europe following the publication of Karl Marx’s “Manifesto of the Communists”. Finally insurrection broke out in Rome, and on November 24, 1848, pope Pius IX fled in disguise from Rome to Gaeta, near Naples, from where he issued protests against the acts of the provisional government of Rome. Today it is quite likely that the totalitarian Communist rulers hope to mark this centenary year of 1948 by similar revolutions or political coups, such as in Czechoslovakia. Doubtless in the heart of pope Pius XII there lurks the fear that history might repeat itself this year and he might have to skip out from Vatican City. In 1850, April, pope Pius IX returned to Rome surrounded by the bayonets of a French army, but in 1948 the effort is being made to have the United States army guarantee the safety and security of the pope.

¹⁵ In the 1948 spring elections in Italy the Vatican’s clergy in all that land openly engaged in the electioneering. Of course, they denied the actual fact that this was a meddling of their religious system in politics contrary to the concordat which the Vatican gained with that political government through Mussolini. According to dispatches to the New York Times, dated Rome, February 12, 1948, by a well-known correspondent, the Vatican’s clergy advised all Italian Catholics to be sure to vote and to give their vote to those political parties and men who may' be trusted to guarantee, or, at least, not to harm Roman Catholic interests. The Vatican’s view is that this is no political activity, because it is limited to defending its own religious interests, which are recognized by the Italian State itself; and that by doing this it does not violate the concordat with Italy which bans political activity by the clergy. In a dispatch by the same correspondent to the New York Times, dated Rome, February 16, the Hierarchy, with Vatican approval, issued a joint pastoral letter urging the clergy and laity to act to prevent a victory of their enemies at the national elections in April. Says the letter: “This is the hour of [Catholic] action. . .. We must strengthen ourselves and go out of the church to defend the church. ... If, however, this action and this presence are endangered and fought by violent means, we must be prepared to defend them with material force capable of safeguarding freedom.” The correspondent called this a “clear-cut order to fight political opponents physically”, to prevent their victory. Use violence!

¹⁸ Women, nuns and other “religious” with itching

14 15. How have the Vatican’s Hierarchy shown political fears? 16. As against the itching ears, what will the hearing ears do? ears will heed such papal orders to mix in the political fight for one of the governments of this world. They will thus take sides in the internal controversies of this world, of which the Bible says that Satan the Devil is the god and prince. (2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:31; 14: 30) But what about those who have ears to hear what Jesus Christ himself says? They will obey him and will take heed as to what they hear and accept. They hear the scripture say to them: “The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” (Job 34:3; 12:11) God so made the structure of the ear that it can distinguish a great variety of sounds and can detect the genuineness in the ring of sounds and voices. It must test words as to whether they have the ring of genuine truth coming from the reliable Source. It must listen for the voice of the true shepherds and must respond only to them.

LISTENING TO SHEPHERDS

• ¹⁷ The faithful sheep say: “Jehovah is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Ps. 95:3,7, Am. Stan. Ver.) They take heed to his Word, and not that of false religious shepherds. Their great Shepherd appointed Jesus his Son to be the Good Shepherd that should lay down his life for the sheep; and Jesus says: “He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. My sheep hear my voice, and 1 know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:3-5,27) The sheep of today recognize Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As if with a blood-marked ear, they confess he laid down his life for them and that Jehovah God anointed him to be the new world’s King to feed the people with everlasting life. As they turn their ears away from those fraudulent “strangers", those religious pastors, they hear the Good Shepherd state the true position for his sheep in this world when he said to the Roman politician Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. If my kingdom were a kingdom of this world, my men would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom has no such origin." (John 18:36, An Amer. Trans.) As Good Shepherd he said to his sheep, including Peter: “Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.”—John 15:19.

• ¹⁸ This explains why his sheep have in the past refused to take sides for political governments originating in this world. They do not follow Hierarchy pastors, but follow the Good Shepherd, who tells

• 17 What do the faithful sheep say and do?               _{t r}

• 18 , 19. What course of conduct do the sheep follow toward this world them not to meddle in polities. They remember the angel’s prophecy written down by Daniel concerning the “time of the end”. As foretold in that prophecy, they see the two great political combinations, designated as “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”, maneuvering for world domination the one over the other. They see also that Jehovah’s King has stood up in power, whom the prophecy calls “Michael ... the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people”. (Dan. 11:27 to 12:1) The sheep with hearing ears stay absolutely neutral toward the fight between “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”. The Good Shepherd has taught them that it is not their responsibility to save this world from Godless communism. Both such “kings” are of this world, Satan’s organization, and it is not the sheep’s Christian obligation to save one part of this world from the other part of it. To follow the Shepherd they must keep clean from this polluted political, commercial, religious world and must be entirely for God’s kingdom and its Prince who stands for the children of God’s people.

• ¹⁹ The sheep know that the true Christ will destroy both of those composite “kings” at the battle of Armageddon. So they try to increase the interests of Christ’s kingdom, and not those of any worldly religious-political party. By doing this they safeguard themselves against the false Christs and false religious-political prophets that have arisen and that hoax the people with wonders.

• ²⁹ Also, the sheep watch in these perilous times against all who seek to cause divisions within the Lord’s flock. They recall the apostle Paul’s words to certain overseers of God’s flock, warning them of what was to come, and which has come. Paul said: “After my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch.” (Acts 20: 28-31) Such would-be leaders and division-ists act hypocritically and use words of speech that sound pleasing to the ear. The same apostle tells the

• 20. Among the flock, against whom do the sheep watch, and why? sheep to turn away their ears from such sly disturbers of the peace and unity of God’s flock of sheep. He entreats us with these words: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.” (Rom. 16:17,18, Am. Stan. Ver.) In like manner the Serpent beguiled Eve in the garden of Eden, and there has been no peace on earth since. Those who open their ear to his beguiling as Eve did will accept another Christ, another spirit, another gospel, than the true. (2 Cor. 11:3,4) But the faithful sheep know they did not learn the truth by listening to men that oppose God’s work and that try to disrupt His visible organization and that at last get out of it and try to lead others after them. They learned the truth through the sheep that faithfully remained in the Good Shepherd’s flock and that seek to promote its peace and unity.

• ²¹ Rulers of this world, who listen to the Serpent’s lies regarding God and his purpose, should not be surprised at the prevalence of wickedness in their dominions. It is written: “If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.” (Prov. 29:12) If the rulers, kings and judges of this world were wise toward God and hearkened to the straight instruction from his Word, they would spare themselves divine wrath and destruction. But they choose to hearken to the religious clergy instead, and they will accordingly perish at Armageddon. (Ps. 2:8-12; Jer. 27:14-17) When these rulers and judges order Christ's sheep to do that which is contrary to the voice of the Great Shepherd, Jehovah God, they say in the words of the apostles: “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19,20) Regardless of what rulers and judges think, the sheep know to whose voice to hearken.

• 21. When do they refuse to hearken to world rulers?

HEARING TO

THE wise person looks ahead. He desires to escape from destruction at the battle of Armageddon and to enjoy eternal life in the righteous new world. So he opens his ears wide to knowledge, that is, to information that comes from the true Source, Jehovah God, through Jesus Christ. “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” (Prov. 18: 15) He is prudent and wise because the knowledge he gets

• 1. 2 How do we gain knowledge, and why do we accept reproof?

SALVATION

means protection and blessing now and life in the world to come. He knows that Satan the Devil has deceived this old world, and hence he does not rebel against knowledge from the Lord God just because it shows him where he is wrong and reproves him. He realizes that all this is necessary to guide him in the pathway to life. He does not despise his own life interests, but sincerely wants to live forever, and that to the glory of God. Hence he accepts with meekness what he hears, and stays wise. “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction [or, correction] despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” (Prov. 15: 31, 32) He gets a better understanding of what it requires to gain everlasting life.

• ² The person with understanding will not resent reproof, and will not take offense at his reprover and avoid him with ill-feeling. The reprover that administers the reproof from the Lord God and according to his Word is to be valued and viewed as an adornment to the person reproved. He is precious, and the obedient person will appreciate the reprover as an adornment to his.ear, as a beautiful earring. “As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.” (Prov. 25:12) So let us take God’s reproof through his Word and his organization.

• ³ For our ear to be really a hearing ear we must honestly try to put into effect that which we have heard. The obedient ear is the hearing ear. Hearing does not mean merely to catch the sound of what is said and thereafter to pay no attention to it. It means to keep or observe the sayings heard. Because the rulers and people refused to hear God’s Word obediently, destruction came upon the highly favored city of Jerusalem and her temple both in the seventh century B.C. and also in the year 70 (A.D.). Therefore her punishment was in part pictured as that of a woman having her ears cut off, because she did not use them toward God. (Jer. 25:3,4,17,18; 44:4-6; Neh. 9:30; Ezek. 23:25) Modern Christendom’s destruction likewise because of acting deaf to Jehovah’s message proclaimed by his witnesses comes on apace. Her fate in contrast with that of the sheep who obediently hear the Good Shepherd's voice is illustrated by Jesus at the climax of his sermon on the mount. He spoke of those who call him “Lord, Lord”, but do not do what he says. He said:

• ⁴ “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”—Matt. 7:21-27.

• ⁵ Men who hear but do not do the things taught them do not want to hear any more, because they do not care to hear that they must obey God and must keep the words of his Son. Christendom is just that

• 3, 4. (a) What does it really mean to have a hearing ear? (b) How did Jesus show the alternate rewards for having and for not having it?

• 5. Why do Christendom's prayers fall on deaf ears with God’ way. For this reason the battle of Armageddon will prove her to be built upon the sands of Babylon and of Rome, and not even her Roman Catholic religious system with its pope ■will be found to be built upon the unshakable rock of salvation. Christendom, with her hundreds of discordant religions, loudly professes to worship God and she fights the Godless communists, but, for all that, she does not hearken to God’s Kingdom message and line up obediently with His kingdom under Christ. She offers multitudes of religious sacrifices, including the multitudes of humans she regularly offers up upon the altars of carnal warfare between her so-called “Christian” nations, but God’s words to King Saul of Israel apply to her: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected, the word of the Lord [Jehovah], he hath also rejected thee from being king." (1 Sam. 15:22,23; Jer. 7:22-24) Christendom’s kingdom, or her predominant position on this earth, is shortlived now, ceasing at Armageddon. Because she gives no heed to Jehovah’s law, all her prayers for peace and prosperity fall upon deaf ears with God, and he will not change from his purpose to destroy her at Armageddon. His Word says not in vain: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”—Prov. 28: 9.

’ Different from Christendom and her religious systems, a person with the hearing ear will not turn away his ear after he hears from God what he must do, and then forsake God’s service and go the way of this world because it is more pleasing to the depraved flesh. He keeps his ear inclined toward God that he may receive more instruction, and may know better how to please the Lord God. He not only addresses Jehovah God as his Lord or Master, but he also obediently acts as Jehovah’s slave, and refuses to run away from His service to seek his own liberty. He is like that servant described in the law of Moses. Such servant loved his master to the extent that he refused to go free when the seventh year of legal release came around. What was to be done about this? The law said: “And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.” (Deut. 15:12-17; Ex. 21:1-6) Jehovah’s own Son, Jesus Christ, was a servant who loved his heavenly Father to such an extent that he refused to forsake His service, although Satan the Devil and the demons under him

• 6, 7. (a) How does the picture of boring the ear with an awl fit those with hearing oars? (b) How did this apply to Jesus?

tried all ways to force Jesus to do so. Even the offering up of himself in sacrifice in God’s service and for mankind’s ransom did not make Jesus quit his heavenly Master’s service. He continued to turn to his God and Father a blood-marked ear and let it be bored or digged to indicate he was Jehovah’s willing servant for evermore.

• ⁷ Hence the prophecy which the apostle Paul applied to Jesus foretold Jesus’ words as he approached his baptism in water as follows: “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened [or, digged; pierced]: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Ps. 40: 6-8; Heb. 10:5-9) For such obedience and unbreakable devotion to his God and Father, Jesus has been made Jehovah’s Chief Servant or Prime Minister, because he is absolutely dependable out of his love for God.

MORE IS GIVEN TO HEARERS

• ⁸ Those with ears to hear the divine message and instruction do not turn away when they learn the content of the message and the kind of instructions, but are anxious to hear more. They have a desire for more such information so as to improve their service by increased knowledge. They have the promise of indeed receiving more, to their heart’s desire. To show them the benefit of hearing with a desire to learn more and to obey, Jesus said: “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have,” (Luke 8:18) “Unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (Mark 4:24,25) Certainly, if they have the hearing ear, if they have appreciation and a desire to increase in knowledge and to serve Jehovah God better and further, they will always come to the source of information, and Jehovah will never fail to give them additional knowledge. They will study his Word, the Bible, privately; they will listen to the preaching of his Word; they will go to meetings and study and discuss his Word and service with brethren; they will go to his Theocratic organization under Jesus Christ as his channel and will take advantage of every means and provision for growing in knowledge, wisdom and understanding and in ability to serve God. True to his promise through Christ, Jehovah will give them more. With hearing ear they will go after more, and they will get more.

• ⁹ It is the heart that keeps the ear open to receive

• 8. Why and how do those with the hearing ear receive more?

• 9. Through the ear what receives information? and with what result? more. It is through the ear that the heart or mind receives much information, enlightenment and instruction. This was very much the case in Bible times when copies, of the Bible were long and hard to make and were not so plentiful, and when learning the Word of God depended greatly upon hearing it read aloud and preached upon. But even today hundreds of millions cannot read, and other millions who can read do not choose to do so, but prefer to listen. There is thus an intimate connection between the heart and the ear, for which reason the wise man says: “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” (Prov. 23:12; 18:15) Much information gains entry to the heart through the ear, and there must be a proper reception of this information in the heart, before there is good fruitage from it. Jesus illustrated this in the parable of a sower that sowed his seed and some of which fell upon good soil. In explaining the parable Jesus said: “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. . . . that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Take heed therefore how ye hear.” (Luke 8:11,15,18) Unless the good and honest condition of the heart keeps our powers of audition open and keenly sensitive to the divine Word, our ears will be as if heavy, dull of hearing. There will be no ready, interested reception of the divine message, and there will be no fruit from our heart.

HEARING MEANS SALVATION

• ¹⁰ Hearing, that is, not just hearing literally, but what hearing symbolizes for even a literally deaf person, means our salvation to life. Stating this rule of operation, God says to those to whom he sends his message: “Hear, and your soul shall live.” (Isa. 55:3) This, of course, means far more than just hearing the sound of the message. It means entertaining the message, accepting it, believing it, and obediently acting upon it. Those who thus hear will not have their souls blotted out by Jehovah God, who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. (Matt. 10:28, Am. Stan. Ver., margin) Their souls will be sustained forever in the new world.

• ¹¹ It follows, then, that all of humankind who will gain eternal salvation must hear the good news of God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus the Ransomer, and they must be given the opportunity to act in harmony with it. Their obedient hearing with faith or belief must, in all cases, precede salvation. As it is written: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and 10. What kind of hearing leads to life in the new world?

• 11. In all cases, therefore, what precedes salvation?

how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For [Isaiah] saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith coineth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:13-17) To all those finally saved the message of salvation must come, whether audibly by means of the auditory nerve or visually by means of printed page or sign language. All those who do the presenting of the message by word of mouth or by delivery of the printed page are “preachers”, or pToclaimers. After that it is up to the one to whom the message is presented to “hear” it, that is, accept it into a good and honest heart with humility, faith and obedience.

• ¹² So it becomes plain how important the work of preaching is. Preaching leads to hearing, and hearing to salvation. For this reason no other activity on earth is more important to humankind than preaching, regardless of how the worldly-wise may view the matter. The brainy ones of the world may call the preaching a waste of time that accomplishes nothing practical for bettering mankind and saving the world from a third world war, and hence foolishness. But such brainy ones will perish in their own ignorance of the truth. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. . . . hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching—to save them that believe. Because the foolishness [as men call it] of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Cor. 1:18, 20, 21, 25) In response to mankind’s need to hear the saving news, Jehovah God has ordered preachers into the field; and persons that have first heard, believed and obeyed are the ones that he commands and sends to do the preaching, themselves convinced of the news.

• ¹³ The good and honest heart that receives the message must bring forth fruit, and that fruitage can be attained only by preaching. The message of salvation that encounters a hearer must go from the ears to the heart and then to the lips. This circuit of movement is shown in the proverb that says: “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise [ones], and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.” (Prov. 22:17,18) Thus the words of the message of salvation must be established upon the lips of the hearer, that he may speak them repeatedly, upon every

• 12. Whom, therefore, does God send into the field, and why?

• 13. How is fruitage from the heart attained? proper occasion. Preach, preach, preach, says God’s Word to us hearers. Jesus said: “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house tops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.”—Matt. 10:27,28; Luke 12:3-5.

“ It is wise for the hearer to preach. Repeating deepens the impression within him of what he has heard, and in that manner the hearer does not let slip away the things he has heard and thereby come in for punishment as a disobedient person. (Heb. 2:1-5) Because it is wise to preach the saving Word of God, wisdom is pictured as a person preaching God’s message “without”, “in the streets,” “in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city.” And such personified wisdom says: “Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Prov. 1: 20-33) We must give the message in the language that the people understand, in their tongue and on their level of intelligence, in order for the sounds of the message to be understandable to them.

• ¹⁵ To use the apostle’s argument: “Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war? So also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and no kind is without signification. If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me.” (1 Cor. 14:7-11, Am. Stan. Ver.) So, if we do not want to sound like a barbarian to those to whom we preach, we must give the witness to them in their understood language and in terms they can grasp. Otherwise, the effect is no better than if we talked to blank space.

hearkening to the invitation to preach

^1# The situation in the world today invites us to preach, and blessed are we if we accept and act upon the invitation. When the apostle Paul had the vision by night over in Asia Minor, and “there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us,” Paul promptly responded to the invitation as from the Lord. But what if he had not acted on the invitation and gone over into Europe and helped the Europeans? The record of subsequent events in the book of Acts discloses the blessed privileges he would have willfully denied himself. (Acts 16:9,10; Prov. 21:13)

• 14 Why is It wise for the hearer to preach?

• 15 In what tongue and in what terms should we preach'’

• 16 , 17. (a) To what does the world situation today invites us'⁵ (b) I’or what other powerful reason also must we let the people hear’ Likewise with us now, if we do not accept today’s invitation and step out into the field of opportunity and preach to the people.

" The invitation to preach comes from countries, lands, states, counties, provinces and territories where there is a need for Kingdom publishers. But more than that, a command comes to us from God: “Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. ... let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah.” (Isa. 43:8-10, Am. Stan. Ver.) Aye, let the people hear, of all nations, kindreds, tribes, and tongues. Many, indeed, will refuse to hear. It is not to be expected otherwise, because neither did they hear Jesus the Son of God himself; and he said: “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:20) It is not the general unresponsiveness of people that determines what we are to do, but the divine command. And in this end of the world, when Christendom is to be destroyed as Jerusalem was in the seventh century B.C., God’s command comes to us as it did to Ezekiel: “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”—Ezek. 2: 4, 5, 7, Am. Stan. Ver.

'* The foolish persons will refuse to hear, and as to what further to do about them the proverb says: “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” (Prov. 23:9) So, when a person shows himself to be a fool or goat and willfully forbears to hear, we waste no time with him but pass on to find the sheep with hearing ears. Eventually those forbearing to hear must and will be made to know and realize that a prophet, Jehovah’s company of preachers with the true message of salvation, has been among them, so that they are without excuse and Jehovah God is vindicated as blameless and free from neglect.

¹⁹ By lovingly answering the invitation and obeying the divine command to go on out and preach, we 18. How do we deal with the foolish non-hearers, and why?

29. What accounts for it that deaf ears now hear, unstopped?

WHERE THE MONEY COMES

IF THE Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society were a commercial organization, people would not ask concerning it: “Where does all the money come from for this?” But because the Society does not follow the method of Christendom’s religious organizations of taking up money collections or tithes, the question is frequently asked.

The Society has a Godly purpose, which purpose was to cause many hitherto deaf ears to hear. It is Jehovah God that is really the opener of their deaf ears, because He is the One that sends us and He is the One that equips us with the message to preach. According to the facts, then, now is that day of the grand fulfillment of the prophecy: “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.” (Isa. 29: 18, 19 and 35:5,6, Am. Stan. Ver.) Hence tongues that till now were dumb and utterly silent respecting God’s praises are now obediently singing forth his praises, because the ears aforetime deaf have at last been opened to the message by His preachers.

²⁹ Blessed, indeed, are the hearing ears today! Blessed, indeed, are our ears because of hearing what God has made possible to hear today, things not perceived by human ears since the beginning of the world, things that kings and righteous men of ancient time did not hear. (Isa. 64: 4; 1 Cor. 2:9, 10; Matt. 13: 16,17) It is because He has now set up in the heavens the promised government of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Ransomer. When on earth the Son preached the Kingdom and let the people hear, and thus he unstopped many ears spiritually by putting the gospel into them, and not just by literally putting his fingers into them. (Mark 7:32-35) On one occasion as he preached, “a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:27,28, Am. Stan. Ver.) Yes, Mary's virgin privilege of being the human mother of the Son of God born as a man was blessed, indeed. But Jesus named a blessedness surpassing that of the motherhood of the human Son of God. It is the blessedness of all whose ears hear the word of Jehovah God and who wisely keep it and preach it out to other ears.

20 How are those with hearing ears surpassingly blessed today?

FROM FOR KINGDOM WORK

clearly stated in the charter granted it in 1884, to wit: “The purpose for which the corporation is formed is, the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and by the use of all other lawful means which its Board of Directors, duly constituted, shall deem expedient for the furtherance of the purpose stated.”

From the very formation of the Society, even before its legal incorporation in 1884 for the above-stated work, persons devoted to God recognized that, since this work is of Him, he will make regular provision for it to continue. To this year of 1948 Jehovah God has performed this miraculous provision. How? Through willing, unforced, unsolicited givers. Persons have been moved by love of God and his Word and by His spirit to contribute what they had of time, effort, ability and money to the spreading of the message of man’s salvation by God’s kingdom. The many privileges of supporting the world-wide witness to God’s kingdom have been grasped voluntarily and cheerfully, and only God’s spirit leads a person to do that. All along the Lord God has permitted men and women to contribute of their own free will money, or material wealth, to the support of His work on earth. If this were not so, the widow would not have dropped her two coins, her last mite, into the collection box, causing Jesus to say she donated more than all other contributors. (Luke 21:1-4) “God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7) Thus the money has come from thousands of men and women, in all stations of life and in all parts of the earth, who want to share in helping the Society as an organization to advance Bibleeducation among all peoples, with no financial profit to themselves and with no financial profit to the Society or anyone connected with it.

In doing this, such contributors act wisely, discreetly, looking beyond this present uncertain world to the approaching new world of eternal life, peace and plenty. With money and other material things, or, “mammon,” as Jesus called them, at Luke 16: 9, they are making friends with Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, and through these two they hope to gain eternal dwellings in the new world, there to serve Them forever.

It is the pleasure of The Watchtower to have many thousands of new readers. To all our readers, new and old, we delight to bring information concerning the present expansion of true worship of God on earth. The Watchtower itself is published in twenty-two languages, but the Society operates through more than sixty Branches and literature depots in over ninety different lands. In addition to this, it has sent abroad more than 500 missionaries graduated from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, whom it supports financially, besides maintaining other hundreds of home missionaries or special publishers and traveling representatives. Also, yearly millions of pieces of literature are distributed absolutely free of cost to those accepting. And the work is not by any means over now, but we look forward and are preparing for an even greater work of bringing the saving news of God’s kingdom by Christ to hundreds of millions in all lands.

Hence, in sincerity, persons often inquire as to how a work of such magnitude is maintained, it being obvious that there is no monetary gain to the field ministers for publishing the message and likewise no monetary gain to the Society. True, some money is contributed for the literature printed, but the money donations received at the time that the Society’s printed publications are placed with the people are applied toward printing and distributing more Bible-study helps; but such money-donations fall far, far short of sufficiency to carry on the Society’s global work. Money gifts, in addition to the gifts for the literature, are financing our work in all lands. All this is by the grace of Jehovah God. This fact is not a secret; for The Watchtower has repeatedly announced it, since the Society’s organization. Every year, the May 1 issue of this magazine, in an article such as this, has outlined the donation arrangement generally known as “Good Hopes”.

The Society, in harmony with its governing principle mentioned above, never solicits money, never ‘takes up a collection’, never indulges in the mark of worldly religion, begging. This article is not a solicitation for money, but is merely a reminder of the privilege open to its readers. Many persons, reading of what is done out in the field by the foreign and home missionaries, rejoice at it. They would like themselves to engage in foreign service and join in carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth; but, due to their physical condition or their obligations in their own home-country, they are unable to enjoy this privilege. Also, they want to see the expansion work suffer no lag or diminution, and hence they earnestly desire to help the work by monetary contributions to the Society. Contribution to the “Good Hopes Fund” offers them an opportunity to do this. Through this “Good Hopes Fund” the Society is greatly assisted by being informed in advance the amount the contributors hope to donate during the twelve months now beginning. Such information enables the Society to anticipate how much it can spend as a limit during the year ahead.

Planning in advance what we can arrange to give is in harmony with the advice regarding donations at 1 Corinthians 16:2. So it is suggested that, upon receiving this issue of The Watchtower, you address a postcard or letter to the Society and keep a copy as a reminder to yourself concerning the amount you hope to contribute. All you need to write is, in substance:

By the Lord's grace I hope to be able to contribute to the work of announcing the kingdom of Jehovah during the ensuing year the amount of $................................  which I will remit in

such amounts and at such time as I can find it convenient, as I am prospered.

[Signed] .................................................................

Address your card or letter to

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Treasurer’s Office 124 Columbia Heights Brooklyn 2, New York

Those residing outside of the United States, and who desire to contribute in the above way to the coming year’s expense, please address letters or cards to the Society’s office in the respective country in which you live. (See page 130 for a list.)

Some persons may not care to undertake any such voluntary arrangement as that above, feeling they are obligating themselves. They prefer to send in their contributions to the Society at any time, according to their prosperity or ability to do so. In such cases they should send all their contributions to the Society at the above Brooklyn address, even if they have not notified the Brooklyn office in .advance.

Your desire and ours is that God’s will may be accomplished through his organization. And so, in prayer, present to Him our need for His guidance, that all money contributions we receive may be used to the best advantage to announce the Kingdom, until the end comes and the new world enters.—Matt. 24:14.

IN HIS sacred Word, the Bible, God gives instruction to his people concerning the snares set for them by those crafty invisible spirits, the demons. At an early time he pointed out to his typical chosen people, the Israelites, what is the only means of escape from the Aviles of the demons to the place of safety. The inspired statement at Proverbs 29:25 is exactly to the point: “The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be safe.” (Am.Stan. Per.) For stronger reasons such warning and instruction from Jehovah God applies now to all those who have made a consecration of themselves to Him to do his will. Why so? Because all the demons have been cast out of heaven and down to the earth and they know that the time rapidly approaches when the final conflict takes place between Jehovah’s universal organization and the Devil’s organization of which they as demons are a part. Under the leadership of Satan the Devil, the chief demon, they are desperately working to entrap the consecrated ones and to plunge them into everlasting destruction with themselves. —Rev. 12: 7-12.

From Genesis to Revelation the Holy Scriptures abundantly give warning of the influence and power of the demons over men. The numerous subtle means employed to entrap men are disclosed by those Scriptures, which are given to the “man of God” that he may be thoroughly equipped to serve righteousness. Only those who love Jehovah God and who serve him through Christ in spirit and in truth will now give heed to such warning. Therefore these truths are published for the benefit of such ones.

The religion of this world in its many forms and varieties has long been the chief means of inducing men to yield to the influence of other men. The religious person fears the so-called “pastor” or clergyman or leader of his religious system, and hence he yields to the instruction of such men, and in this way the demons who promote such religion entrap the unsuspecting ones. A person fears that he will not receive men’s approval, particularly approval of religious leaders, and because of such fear he is led into the snare of the enemy. Upon all who want to be God’s people this great truth needs to be fully impressed: that the only place of safety is with the Lord God Jehovah and only those who trust him and are diligent to render themselves to him in obedience can be safe in these evil days. Every consecrated one must diligently avoid the seductive influence of creatures. Every one who desires to have God’s approval must see to it that he does not rely upon men, because men are imperfect and liable to demon influence. Follow men only as such men follow the Savior Jesus Christ. “Whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be safe”; or, as the marginal reading says: “Whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be set on high.” That means not only safety but also that the trusting one will be exalted. For example, the consecrated Christians, begotten of God’s spirit, will be set on high with Christ Jesus in the heavens only upon condition that they completely trust in Jehovah and obey His commandments. All Christians will receive Jehovah’s approval through Christ and will keep the way to life upon the same condition. Let Jehovah God be your fear; seek his approval, and not man’s.—Isa. 8:13.

Bible Christianity and the religion of this world are two separate and distinct things. The two are in complete opposition to each other. Those who practice world religion are numerous. Those who are truly Christian are few today. It will be found that the religionists are under the influence and power of the demons, whether they know it or not. The Devil and his host of associated demons are intensely fighting. against true Christians, and everyone attempting to follow Jehovah God must be fully awake and constantly vigilant and active in his devotion to Almighty God. Always have in mind that there is but one place of safety, and that is in or under the Theocratic organization of Jehovah God, over which Jehovah has placed Christ Jesus as the capital member or organizational head. This organization furnishes protection to those who flee to God at this time. All such must fully trust Jehovah God and must devote themselves to his great Theocracy, his capital organization Zion.

Here a brief reference to the facts of our day will show how completely the religionists of this world are in the dark. At Revelation 7:4-8 and 14:1, 3 the Bible makes it plain that there will be only 144,000 consecrated, spirit-begotten Christians that will be exalted with Christ Jesus and that others of good-will who are to be spared during the coming battle of Armageddon will be few compared with the great population now on the earth. The World Almanac for the year 1948, published at New York city, presents the following figures for the “Religious Population of the World”, namely: Totals for the whole earth, 329,775,663 Roman Catholics; 127,629,986 Orthodox Catholics; 137,945,530 Protestants; making a total of 592,406,542 so-called “Christians”. Then there are 15,753,638 Jews, and 220,978,848 Mohammedans; and 1,318,914,254 others; making a total of 1,555,546,740 not “Christians”. The grand total of world religionists is therefore 2,150,959,919, which is practically the earth’s population. Those figures given by that worldly publication would indicate that there are millions of “Christians”; which is, of course, unscriptural in import. According to the Bible such figures as to true Christians are not accurate. They are probably correct when applied to the religionists of Christendom. To say the least, of the millions who are rated as “Christians”, only a very small number are they who really trust God and Christ Jesus. The worldly religionists have fallen into the enemy’s snare and trust men.

Bible prophecy now in course of fulfillment overwhelmingly proves that within a very short time the genuineness of the claim of all such religionists will be put to the crucial test. The crucial time is now upon those who are consecrated and begotten of God’s spirit. The crucial test applied to Christendom will show that the great mass thereof are entirely without faith in God and are opposed to the great Theocratic Government of which Christ Jesus is the King and Head. The great mass of persons rated as Christians actually deny God and Christ by their works, if not by words, and hence in fear of man they bow down to the state, especially in its totalitarian form, and consequently they do the will of the “god of this world”, Satan the Devil, and the demons of which he is “the prince”. At the coming battle of Armageddon Jehovah God will perform “his strange act”, and by this act of strangeness the so-called “organized religion” of Christendom will be totally destroyed.

These are perilous times, as the Scriptures point out and as the facts support. The condition of Christendom just now preceding Armageddon is stated at 2 Timothy 3:1-5, namely: “In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” This prophecy applies specifically at the present time, beyond all contradiction; and concerning the climax the twelfth and thirteenth verses say: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”—2 Tim. 3: 12, 13.

Since the year 1918, when World War I closed, and more particularly since 1933 when Hitler came to power in Germany and fixed up a concordat with Pius XI, the persecution upon those devoted to Jehovah God and his kingdom has constantly increased and evil men, particularly the religionists of Christendom, have become more vicious. Being themselves deceived by the demons, they have deceived and continue to deceive multitudes of others. Despite the outcome of World War II, Nazism and Fascism are not dead, and Communism is spreading itself; and the religious leaders associated with these have made an unerasable record for themselves during the global war. It was not one of Christian deeds, but the masses of the people under the worldly religious leaders and political leaders persecuted the faithful supporters of Jehovah’s Theocratic Government. Today it continues to be necessary for God’s devoted people to have the foregoing scriptures and the facts of fulfillment clearly in mind in order that they may escape the snares of the wily demons.

All persons who think can clearly see that the conditions existing on the earth have grown worse in the past decade or more, so that today religious clergymen publicly declare that “Europe is no longer Christian and it will require at least two generations—if even then—of severe Christian effort to eradicate the anti-Christian forces extant there now”; in fact, some clergymen claim that the world is “irreligious”, more so now than at any other time in the Christian era. (Reported in the New York Times, 1947) The terrible condition existing was foreshadowed nineteen centuries ago when Jesus was actually present in the flesh. After he preached the truth constantly up and down the land for three and a half years, only a very small number of the Jewish people turned to him in faith. Now Christ Jesus is present in the Kingdom, having been enthroned in 1914; and few are they that are fully devoted to him as King and Leader. Concerning this very time Jesus said: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The present-day physical facts completely fit the prophetic utterances of Jesus. All persons having a desire for life should fully awaken to this situation and ascertain the cause of the present-day perils and what is the only means of escape to safety. Have faith in God.

THE CAUSE, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES

An honest and unbiased consideration of the Holy Scriptures and of the admitted facts will prove to the satisfaction of sincere persons that the influence and power of the demons over the people is the primary cause of these times of peril; and that Satan, “the prince of the demons,” is hastening the whole world like a swift-flowing river down to eternal death, as pictured by the river Jordan of Palestine flowing down into the Dead sea. The demons have employed their religion to bring about this frightful condition and by means of such false worship have deceived multitudes and are still deceiving them and turning them away from God. Under the influence of demons both the leaders and rulers in the religious institutions have been made to believe that the religion of Christendom and Bible Christianity are one and the same thing; whereas religion of Christendom is the open and violent adversary of all true Christians. It and its practices are the result of demon power and influence. Christianity stands for the truth and for full obedience to the law of Almighty God. World religion is demon worship. Christianity is the worship of Jehovah God in spirit and in truth. Sincere persons should give thoughtful consideration to His commandments against demonism, because these commandments apply more strongly to all who today seek the way of righteousness.

From Nimrod’s time onward all the heathen nations practiced demon-worship and offered sacrifices to devils. (1 Cor. 10:20) The Israelites, the only nation and people chosen by Jehovah God, were in great danger of falling away to the demon religion. Therefore he commanded the Israelites to avoid demonism in unmistakable terms. He commanded his typical people to offer certain animals to him in sacrifice, which sacrifices must be offered in the manner commanded by him. Those sacrifices constituted prophetic pictures which foretold the great sacrifice of Christ Jesus. In mockery of God and to cause the people to stumble and fall away from God the demon religion has required the practitioners thereof to offer animals in sacrifice to demons or devils. The people of Israel fell under the demon influence, at certain times The law that God gave them shows plainly that the sacrifice of animals to demons was fruitless and was in violation of “the everlasting covenant” concerning blood. (Gen. 9 : 5-17) It subjected the offerers thereof to the death penalty. Therefore Jehovah God gave specific command to the Israelites as follows

“They shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils. after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or saciifice, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord, even that man shall be cut off from among his people.”—Lev. 17: 7-9

Jehovah God plainly warned the Israelites that the religion practiced by the heathen would be a snare to them. The religionists served the demons, and such religionists constituted a menace to God’s covenant people. Therefore he commanded his people concerning the heathen or demonworshipers, as follows: “And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee. If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I, how can 1 dispossess them? thou shalt not be afraid of them : but shalt

well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; the great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid,”—Deut. 7:16-19.

The Israelites did not give heed to the warning of God concerning religion or devil-worship. God had chosen the Israelites for his own name’s sake, and because of their unfaithfulness in yielding to demon influence later on Jehovah God said to them: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”—Amos 3: 2.

The Bible makes it clear that what constituted the iniquities of the Israelites for which God punished them was idolatry or demon-worship, which the heathen peoples practiced. “All the gods of the people are idols.” (1 Chron. 16:26: Ps. 96:5; 97:7) To quote Psalm 106:35-41: “But [the Israelites] were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood [in violation of the everlasting covenant], Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.” And the apostle Paul writes: “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.” —1 Cor. 10: 20, 21.

The foregoing scriptures definitely show that the religion of this world is a snare against which God’s Word warns. They also show that a religionist cannot be a true Christian until he fully abandons the demon religion and devotes himself unconditionally to God and Christ Jesus and serves them obediently, keeping unspotted from the world.

WHAT BOOK

PEOPLE call it “The Holy Scriptures” or “The Holy Bible”, and it is usually bound up as one book; and the way most people read this “Book” is in the 1,068 different translations from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and common Greek in which it was first written, now dead languages. But it is in reality sixty-six books, written by about thirty-five men. The remarkable thing about this, too, is that all these men, with possibly the exception of Doctor Luke of Asia Minor, were members of the same nation. All sixty-six books hang together. Supposed “higher” critics have claimed to find contradictions in this Book, in small minor points, but no book of the sixty-six disagrees as a whole with any other of the books or with all of the other sixty-five together.

Further examined, the writership of this Book proves to be wonderful. Here are the words written by kings, by governors, by poets, by priests, by statesmen, by shepherds, fishermen, farmer, musician, tax-collector, physician, tentmaker, by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, or exiles educated in the schools of idolatrous Babylon, or repatriates trained up at the feet of rabbis in the land of Palestine. Rich man, poor man, statesman, preacher, army captain, legislator, judge, Levite and non-Levite, yes, men of every grade and class figure in the writing of this composite book of the centuries. No other book on earth is like it in its writership.

As for variety of content, what a book it indeed is! It is filled with law, rules of conduct, prophecy, poetry, history farther back than any other history, genealogy, sanitary science, public economy. It contains writings of various styles, and yet all is harmonious as a whole and each part plays its own function in connection with the whole. But suppose we were to get thirty-five men, say of the American nation, to write a book on the political economy or the destiny of America, men scattered over the less than two hundred years of national existence of this

IS LIKE IT?

nation, and men drawn from the various walks of life and grades of society to correspond with the writers of the Bible. Suppose, then, we took their sixty-six pieces of writing and bound them all together, and then undertook to introduce such a composite into a public school or college or university for the teaching of American political economy or the historical significance of America. What board of education or university faculty would adopt such a hodgepodge of writing as a textbook for the consistent teaching of this particular subject to the students? Not one would do so, because this composite book of uninspired human writership would not agree within itself.

Written from 1513 B.C. on down to A.D. 98, it took more than sixteen centuries to write all the Bible; and the onetime fisherman who wrote the closing books of the Bible had no personal communication with the one-time shepherd who commenced the writing of the Bible. Thirty-five men were spread over more than sixteen centuries of history and amid various changes of government of their nation and extreme opposites of national experience, and yet when you put all their writings together they make up one harmonious book, setting forth one unswerving, guiding purpose from the first page to the last. As a whole it is more than eighteen centuries old, but it is still the most popular book on earth. How did men, writing such a book quite independently of one another, produce such a literary work? Other books written by men of this world get out of date when they are some years old, or get buried under by the mass of other books that continue to be written; but the Bible has lived on through the centuries, and it ranks ahead of the mightiest thought and intellects of every century, and its predictions of things to come run ahead of all developments of dominant human history and prove to be unerring.

Suppose that thirty-five men should, one after another, walk into the administration building of radio station WBBR on Staten Island, New York, U.S.A. Men not in personal touch with one another for the most part, one man comes from Maine, another man comes from Washington state, another from Florida, another from California, and the others from the various states of the Union. Suppose, too, that each one came bringing an electrical part, of more or less intricate design. Suppose as each newcomer deposited his part alongside the others to be attached, joined or wired in with the others, it finally built up into an attractive radio transmitter set for broadcasting Bible truths to the people, with a power of 5,000 or more watts. You would ask, How did these thirty-five men from all these different states and who for the most part had not seen or personally known one another, how did they manage to produce such multiple-part, yet perfectly adjusted and effectively operating mechanism as this for radiocasting educational programs of the highest public interest, convenience and necessity? To your question of surprise the radio-set operator would answer: "That is easily explained. One engineer planned the whole transmitter-set, made the patterns, gave the directions, and distributed them around; and so each of the thirty-five men followed the pattern for his individual part, with the result that the products of their guided work fit accurately together when completed and assembled. There was one mind designing, directing and overseeing the whole operation, although there were many collaborators.”

Just so with the Bible. It came from various territories, written by men of various classes, scattered over sixteen centuries of time; nevertheless, their sixty-six pieces of writing match one another and produce a wondrous, harmonious whole for mankind’s education for eternal life. How was this miracle produced? One mind, God’s, inspired the entire Book by his spirit or active force. And so tentmaker Paul avers at 2 Timothy 3:15-17, and fisherman Peter asserts at 2 Peter 1:19-21.

FIELD EXPERIENCES

“THE WATCHTOWER” GIVES HOPE

A missionary telling the praises of Jehovah in the Caribbean island of Jamaica does not let even sickness interfere with such praising, but continues to proclaim His praises in the hospital, to the benefit of the other patients. She says:

“Having to take treatments in the Kingston Government Hospital, I decided to redeem the time. This I did by bringing a briefcase with forty copies of a recent issue of The Watchtower. After witnessing to my doctor, I asked permission to take the message to those in his ward. He said, ‘Go right ahead: it won’t do any harm and it may do much good.’ He accepted a copy of Awake! and I hurried on. I had a wonderful time, and ran out of magazines. I was then called to get my treatment, but even then kept busy talking about the Kingdom, as the nurse asked many questions.

“On returning, I called back on eight different persons, four of whom are really interested. One asked, ‘Don’t Jehovah’s witnesses believe we have souls?’ I sat on her bed, used her Bible, and explained. When I finished, I noticed we were surrounded by other patients, one of whom had been ordered not to leave her bed. A nurse came and said to her, ‘What are you doing up and out of your bed?’ The patient answered, 'The lady was explaining the Bible, and I couldn’t hear from my bed.’ The nurse smiled at me and said, 'You’re helping them to get well quick. May I have one of those magazines?’ The doctor came along and said, 'My patients all seem in better spirits since you visited. Everywhere I look throughout the ward, they are all reading The Watchtower.’ He then told me how he enjoyed the Awake! and asked if I had the latest copy for him. I explained his copy was the latest, but promised to take him one as soon as another issue arrived. He introduced the matron to me. I gave her a copy of The Watchtower, too. We talked together, and she gave me permission to cover other wards, and added, 'When you get it finished, I’ll get you a pass to go into the public part where both men and women are treated.’ I thanked her and went home, feeling very happy. Thanks to Jehovah, that I could be treated to regain my health, and at the same time be used to bring hope to these poor unfortunates. Jehovah provides for all those who love him.”

THE PRIEST WITHOUT A BIBLE

From Jaffa, Palestine, one of Jehovah’s witnesses reports:

“The Orthodox hierarchy in Jaffa is carrying on a campaign of hate against Jehovah’s witnesses, that these don’t believe in Jesus Christ and are Jewish propagandists. While on my short visit to Palestine I met the chief priest S---of the Orthodox Church hierarchy in my brother’s

place of business. In a vicious way he said to me: ‘What say you about Christ Jesus? Is he a man like me?’ I replied: ‘Where is your Gospel, Mr. Preacher?’ He resorted to a shout, saying: ‘Tell me in your own words!’ I replied: ‘Christ Jesus while on earth in the flesh was a perfect creature without guile.’ I quoted Hebrews 2:9, 14 and asked him to explain it to me, how Jesus was made like a babe and was made a little lower than the angels and that because of the suffering of death he was crowned with glory and honor and by the grace of God he tasted death for every man. The priest then quoted John 1:1, and I replied that the word god is not the Almighty God, the most high, for Jesus testified that ‘my Father is greater than I’. (John 14:28) The priest continued shouting: 'I will not lower myself or my dignity to discuss the Scriptures with you.’ A prominent businessman present told the priest to go and get his Bible and discuss the Scriptures in a Christian manner. The priest became more angry and replied: 'That’s why I didn’t come to visit your people; it was on account of your being there.’ I said: ‘Priest, where is your Bible? Are you coming to discuss the Scriptures with me without a Bible? I consider this a shameful course on your part. As a priest your duty is to teach the Bible and not to resort to shouting, thinking that you are going to win your objective.’ At this he departed. Many people of good-will, Orthodox and others, were impressed with this experience, and especially when they observed the conduct of this clergyman. Many good persons came inquiring for the life-sustaining food, and they were fed and departed praising Jehovah God.”