1950 YEARBOOK of Jehovah’s witnesses containing report for the service year of 1949 Also daily texts and comments

Corporate Publishers

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, INC. INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

124 Columbia Heights Brooklyn 2, N.Y., U.S.A.

Branch offices appear on last page

Copyright, 1949, by Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society

Made in the United States of America

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY

OFFICERS

N. H. KNORR President

F. W. FRANZ Vice-President

GRANT SUITER Secretary and Treasurer

WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, INC.

OFFICERS

N. H. KNORR President

F. W. FRANZ Vice-President

GRANT SUITER Secretary and Treasurer

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS

N. H. KNORR President

A. PRYCE HUGHES Vice-President

E. C. CHITTY Secretary

GRANT SUITER

Ass’t Secretary and Treasurer

Alaska .....................................

Argentina .................................

Australia ..................................

Austria ....................................

Bahamas ..................................

Basutoland ................................

Bechuanaland .............................

Belgian Congo .............................

Belgium....................................

Bermuda ...................................

Bolivia .....................................

Brazil .....................................

British Guiana ............................

British Honduras ..........................

British Isles ...............................

British West Indies .......................

Burma .....................................

Cameroon ..................................

Canada ....................................

Ceylon .....................................

Chile .......................................

China ......................................

Colombia ..................................

Costa Rica .................................

Cuba .......................................

Cyprus .....................................

Czechoslovakia .............................

Dahomey ..................................

Denmark ..................................

Dominican Republic .......................

Ecuador ...................................

Egypt ......................................

Eire ........................................

Eleuthera ..................................

El Salvador ................................

Faroe Islands ..............................

Fiji ........................................

Finland ....................................

Iran ........................................

Italy .......................................

Jamaica ...................................

Japan .....................................

Korea ......................................

Lebanon and Syria ........................

Liberia .....................................

Luxembourg ...............................

Malta ......................................

Mexico ....................................

Netherlands ..............................

Netherlands West Indies ..................

Newfoundland .............................

Sierra Leone ...............................

Singapore and Malaya ....................

South Africa ...............................

Southern Rhodesia .........................

Spain ......................................

Surinam ...................................

Swaziland ..................................

Sweden ....................................

Switzerland ...............................

Tanganyika ...............................

Thailand ...................................

Togo .......................................

Turkey .....................................

United States of America ..................

United States of Indonesia ................

Uruguay ...................................

Venezuela ..................................

Virgin Islands..............................

Yugoslavia .................................

1950

YEARBOOK

OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

JEHOVAH God is a wonderful provider. He has given humankind everything they need. From the very beginning when he created Adam and Eve and placed them in Eden he provided them with a beautiful home in a paradise. He did more than that. God did not make his first earthly intelligent creations hunt for food to keep them alive. No, that was all provided for, too. “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.” (Gen. 1: 29, A.S.V.) With all these provisions, they should have had sufficient. But even after the first pair sinned by eating the fruit of the only forbidden tree, which fruit was forbidden them in order to test their obedience, the Lord provided them with clothing. “And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them.”—Genesis 3:21, A.S.F.

Since that time nearly six thousand years ago, man has needed these three things—shelter, food and clothing—in order to carry on his normal existence in life. With these he should be content. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” (1 Tim. 6:7,8) David, a man after God’s own heart, expresses how generously Jehovah provides for every one of his creatures; not only for man, by supplying him with all his needs, but for every living thing: the birds, fish and beasts of the field. The Almighty God looks after and cares 5 for what he creates. “The eyes of all wait for thee; and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.”—Psalm 145:15,16, A.SLF.

In providing all these necessary things in abundance God was not making man an idler so that he would be able to say, “I don’t have anything to do.” No, God kept man busy from the time of his creation, when He put him in the garden “to dress it and to keep it”. (Gen. 2:15) So it will be with man in the new world. But when man went contrary to God’s law He declared, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.” (Gen. 3:17, A.S.V.) While God made man a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor, it was Jehovah who gave him the assignment to look after things upon the earth. He put all things under man’s feet: “All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (Ps. 8:5-8) Man has used beasts of burden in his toil to plant, cultivate, water, and eventually bring forth food. But still Jehovah is the original Provider of all our needs and our thanks must go to him for all things. We are dependent on him for the rain, sun, air, soil, fertile seed, for everything; and he gives it to us. When God made man ruler over these animals and charged him to keep the fields and forests in all their majesty, he never decreed that man was to be a tyrant over man. Man’s sovereign Ruler and everlasting Provider must be Jehovah. Man’s life is dependent on the only true God!

Man should know that all creation, including man himself, was made to set forth the splendor and the glory of Jehovah, the Supreme One of the universe. Man should feel his need of relying on God; for when one comes into the world he has nothing but the gift of life God gave him, and he can take nothing along when he leaves it. When one knows this, why should he crave to domineer over and control the lives and destinies of other human creatures? Why be greedy and selfish and have that condition of heart ? If, as we know, God supplies all things to sustain our life, why try to take away the substance that God has given other men for their existence? In this commercialized world most persons have very little and the giants of commerce do not want them to have more. Those who substitute communistic co-operatives do not succeed in overcoming that condition, and the people continue to suffer lack of the necessities of life. Under one system or another that men set up, selfishness and lust for control rise to dominate. It would be better to give our substance to the poor than to covet what little they have. What is our gain if we do rob the poor ?

HOW TO GAIN LIFE

It is so very evident that the accumulation of wealth does not bring peace, security or prosperity to the nations, nor does it bring real happiness to the individual who may have gathered it through evil means and covetousness. It is righteousness that counts! One who wants to live and really enjoy life must turn to the Lord’s Word for advice and then follow it. The poor as well as the rich must put their trust in Jehovah and do his bidding and preach the good news of the kingdom of God. Can the rich, those with much of this world’s goods, do that? Is there any hope at all for them to gain life in the new world ? If there is, what must they do?

The Word of God tells us that we should be rich in good works; but what are those good works ? The problem was put squarely before the Teacher, Christ Jesus, when he walked the earth. The interests of men in his time were the same as the interests of men now: they wanted life, -and that more abundantly. Death held nothing for them; so the question was propounded, How can one gain eternal life?

Let us listen in on the conversation. “And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why askest thou me concerning that which is good? One there is who is good: but if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which ? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I observed: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions.”—Matt. 19:16-22, A.S.V.

This rich man that Jesus spoke to got the answer on how to gain eternal life, but did he follow it ? No! As far as individuals are concerned, he probably had a splendid personality, and, from all outward appearances, he was living according to the law of God. One of his outstanding qualities as revealed in the conversation was that he loved his neighbor as he did himself. Very likely he was not an oppressor of the poor. His riches probably came to him through his own good, hard efforts and honest management of his great holdings. So it appears that if an individual happens to be rich or gains great wealth through his own labors there is no harm in that particular fact. The question before the rich man today is, How will he use his wealth? If you give to the poor, said Jesus, “thou shalt have treasure in heaven.” However, there is another requirement for eternal life, and that is “Come, follow me”. If one uses his wealth in the advancement of true worship of the Most High God, he is using his “great possessions” in the right way. Jesus gave this rich man the best advice so that he could have real joy in living. What the Teacher wanted him to have was riches in good works, treasures in heaven.

But, as is the case with most people, so it was with this rich man; his desire was to hold on to that which he believed belonged to him by right. He worked for it, and therefore it was his. No one else could touch it, and there was no reason for giving it away. Had he forgotten that “as he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand”? (Eccl. 5:15) His earthly possessions would not give him eternal life.

Let us assume the rich man wanted to follow Jesus but not sell all that he had and give to the poor. Could he follow the Lord and still look after all his earthly possessions? That would be an impossibility. Christ Jesus was a busy man; he was looking after Kingdom interests. He was moving about throughout the cities, villages, towns—throughout the whole countryside— preaching the good news of the Kingdom. His disciples followed him and were instructed by him. He could not be confined to some particular locality to take care of cattle or lands or possessions, nor could his disciples; not if they were to preach the gospel of the Kingdom throughout all the nation of Israel. Jesus did not even have a place to lay his head, much less a house to call home. No, the rich man could never have kept up with Jesus while still looking after his “great possessions”.

Jehovah provided for Jesus, the second Adam, just as He did for the first Adam. The Son of God had the necessary food, clothing and a place of shelter. He was a welcome guest in the homes of those who loved truth and righteousness. Jesus knew a laborer was worthy of his hire; for he worked in the interests of God’s kingdom. The necessary things of life were assured; so why should he try to accumulate great wealth? He had food and raiment, and with these he was content.

Jesus was looking for full-time disciples, those who would travel with him and do the same kind of work that he was doing, people whom he could send away for weeks and months into different territories to perform works like those he was performing so as to bring the people to repentance. He was looking for dependable persons, those who would learn and then preach “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Nothing must stand in their way of service to their God. They must not be like most people who are just too busy for the really important things in life. Remember the occasion when Jesus told of a certain man that prepared a great supper, and he asked many to come to that supper. It was a feast for rejoicing; so he sent out his servant to ask those whom he wanted to come. But the guests who were invited, because they had possessions and things that interested them more than the feast of this certain man, replied to the invitation: “I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” (Luke 14:18-20, A.S.V.) So it is today; people are so busy with their own obligations and work that they do not have time to look after the King’s interests. They do not have the time to enter into the joy of the Lord and celebrate with the Master the doing of the most important work on earth today. They have put a great hindrance in their way just because of the love of money.

It was very hard for the rich man to give up all that he had so that he might have treasures in heaven. It is just as hard today for many people to give up even little things and to work in the interests of the poor and comfort those who mourn with the Kingdom message. They are busy trying to hang on to and gain more earthly possessions. This is selfishness. It is greediness. It is covetousness. “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Tim. 6:10) Even when the rich plan a banquet they do it with the thought in mind of what profit it will be to them.

Jesus had been invited to an evening meal, and he told his host, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not wherewith to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14, A.S.V.) The principle pointed out by the Lord was that of giving to others without expecting a return. Why lavish your wealth on those who are wealthy ? They can repay you by doing similar things for you. But rather invite the poor; they will show real gratitude and the giver will be blessed. Yes, “Go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” You will be “rich in good works”.

LIFE MORE THAN MATERIAL WEALTH

Because man is born in sin and shapen in iniquity, he is prone to lean toward the evil side of life and love money. He is taught to get to the top so as to have security. He must be a self-made man, satisfied with his own greatness! How foolish! Isn’t there something worth much more than security and worldly possessions? Isn’t life itself more important? How did we get that? And those riches—are they not just a hoarding of God’s provisions for all? Jesus said, “Take care! You must be on your guard against any form of greed, for a man’s life does not belong to him, no matter how rich he is.” (Luke 12:15, An Amer. Trans.) Another translator of the Greek Scriptures, Mr. Rotherham, puts it this way: “Mind and be guarding yourselves from all covetousness; for not in one’s abundance doth his life spring out of his possessions.” Or, stated in other words, we can say on the basis of this truth, that every individual must be constantly on the alert and be on guard against every form of greediness and covetousness, because even when an individual has an abundance of this world’s goods his life is not due to the things which he possesses. Is not life, then, worth more than riches?

Paul was following this wise and sound counsel of Jesus when he wrote to Timothy and said, “Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous, storing up a valuable treasure for themselves for the future, so as to grasp the life that is life indeed.” (1 Tim. 6:18,19, An Amer. Trans.) What a man has gathered together as his possession in the way of riches, property or powerful influence —all these will not guarantee him life. Something else is needed. Pursuing Jesus’ argument that “a man’s life does not belong to him, no matter how rich he is”, he further said: “A certain rich man’s lands yielded heavily. And he said to himself, ‘What am I going to do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do; I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have great wealth stored up for years to come. Now take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you. Then who will have all you have prepared ?’ That is the way with the man who lays up money for himself, and is not rich with God.”—Luke 12:16-21, An Amer. Trans.

How true that is! The way of a man who lays up money for himself is not rich toward God. He thinks only of himself, of his own property, his own pleasure. When one becomes as self-centered as that it is no wonder Jesus said that “a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”. Consider for a moment the plans of this rich man. He was going to build greater barns in which to store his crops and then forget the rest of the world of mankind and just live on the wealth he had stored away. How selfish! How inconsiderate! How lazy! He could have given much of his wealth to the poor and still had plenty for himself. He could have planned for the cultivation of his lands for the next year and thus kept his hired help employed. By caring for the land year by year greater income would be his and greater quantities of food would be available for the poor. But no, not that! He said to himself, “Now take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” What a fool! He never got to enjoy the wealth himself, nor had he stored up riches in heaven by giving to the poor. “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” —Prov. 27 :1.

As an individual, what do you want ? Is it security in this world that will soon pass away, or is it life in the new world of righteousness? The Word of God sets out the pattern that all Christians must follow in order to attain eternal life, whether that life be with Christ Jesus as his bride in heavenly Kingdom glory, or whether it be life as a creature who will enjoy the blessings under the kingdom of heaven and the pleasures of life eternal upon a glorious new earth that God makes for man to inhabit. Both are attained through true riches; so store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.

All people have certain possessions, some greater than others; so the principle, “freely ye have received, freely give,” would apply to the rich, the middle class and the poor alike. The poor widow who came to the treasury and cast in her two mites “cast in all the living that she had” for use in God’s work, said Jesus; whereas the rich who came and made their deposit in the treasury of the temple gave “of their abundance”. (Luke 21:1-4) The rich did not miss the gift that they gave to the Lord. So the question might be asked, Who gave the most? Was it not the widow with the two little coins of small value? So, then, if you would be rich toward God, use your possessions and your knowledge of Jehovah God and his righteous government on behalf of the poor and comfort all that mourn, with the good news of God’s kingdom. Do not let yourself be tied down by your wealth and become a slave to your possessions, but make your possessions work for you in your preaching of the Word of God.

Paul knew of certain individuals among the church who had wealth and who were busy accumulating more, and in a letter that he wrote to Timothy he said this: “Charge the rich of this world not to be arrogant, nor to set their hopes on such an uncertain thing as riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous, storing up a valuable treasure for themselves for the future, so as to grasp the life that is life indeed.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19, An Amer. Trans.) Just because someone has a little or much of this world’s goods is no reason for that individual to take an arrogant position with his friends and his neighbors, nor with those in a Christian congregation, nor with those in the world. They should never set their hopes upon the uncertain riches such as gold and silver, all of which will be of no value in the very last days of this old world. The rich should realize just as much as the poor that it is God who richly provides everything for our enjoyment. Because one has more of the riches of this world than another is no reason for the wealthy one to look down with shame on the poor one. What all can and must be rich in is “good deeds”.

A SOUND INVESTMENT

It isn’t the accumulation of this world’s wealth that brings security. It is the accumulation of good works. That is what makes one rich toward God, and the “poor of this world” can accumulate this treasure more rapidly than the rich, because they are “rich in faith”. Furthermore, those who are poor in this world’s goods do not have to spend so much time caring for that which they possess. One who puts his trust in money has very little security, especially in these days. It seems that after every war money loses value. Shortly after the second World War most of the money in European countries was blocked in the banks by government order, and the people could not withdraw all their funds for many years. Even the rich were given only a small amount to use, and just recently those who were wealthy in pounds sterling found that overnight they lost thousands upon thousands of dollars, as the value of the pound on the foreign market exchange dropped from $4.03 to $2.80. Many other currencies lost much of their buying power in world markets at the same time. So the accumulation of money, wealth, or the uncertain riches of this world is of little value. Its value can vanish away overnight if governments so decree. How much better it would be for a man to make his wealth work to the benefit of others while it has some value than to hold it until it gathers moths and rust and becomes useless.

It is really a sound investment to make your money work on behalf of the poor and by so doing to store up treasures in heaven. Christ Jesus preached the Word, and you can make your riches help you preach the Word. His admonition to all of his followers was to go forth and preach this gospel of the Kingdom in all the world for a witness. This takes time, energy and money, and Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the world are giving time, energy and funds, building Kingdom Halls, renting places and fixing them up so that they will be attractive assembly places. Jehovah’s witnesses invest their money in Bibles, books and magazines and take these to the people so that they, too, may study the Word of God. They invest their money in traveling from place to place and give of their strength in going to the ends of the earth if need be with this good news. Jehovah’s witnesses are great travelers, glad to spend their money so as to get to circuit assemblies and district assemblies or national conventions, for they know they will thus become better equipped so as to “be rich in good works”. What a grand and glorious work a Christian today has in going forth to the nations of the world with this good news which brings comfort to the poor and in being privileged to spend that which he possesses in the interests of those who are captive to this old world! Using your time, energy and money in doing this work is actually storing up treasures in heaven. It is something that no nation, no organization, no neighbor or thief could come in and steal from you. You have already given the good news to the poor, and they have its blessings. You spent your money in helping them, but the blessing to the giver is even greater than to the receiver.

To do such work means that the individual will be content and happy and will always have something that is truly worth-while. Godliness is not just a matter of going to church on Sunday or going to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s witnesses, although that is the only way some people try to show their godliness. The only way that true godliness can be of great gain is if it is combined with contentment. Your heart and mind as well as your body must be used in preaching the Word. Those who go to the synagogues or churches of this old world, or even to a Kingdom Hall, if they are worried because of their great possessions like the rich man that Jesus spoke to, haven’t the contentment that brings great gain. Perhaps they attend church for show or for business reasons or because it gives them a better standing in the community; but instead of contentment, they have only worries and problems. Paul gave good admonition to Timothy many years ago, and it will, if followed, change the whole course of one’s life: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim. 6:6-10) Individuals may accumulate great material gain, prominence, popularity, position, money and influence. They may gain all these things by their own efforts or through inheritance, but the important thing for them to remember is that godliness with contentment is great gain. When they came into the world they brought nothing with them, and when they leave they cannot take anything away. So why be sorrowful the rest of your life because you have great possessions? Take the Master’s advice: ‘Give to the poor; store up treasures for yourself in heaven, and come, follow me!’ (Matt. 19:16-22) Is it not better to be contented in the house of the Lord than to be discontented in the Devil’s organization ?

DIVINE PROVISION FOR WORKERS

The certain rich man that Jesus spoke about who said he would eat, drink and be joyful, now that he had great wealth and had laid up great stores for himself, yet lacked contentment. He was trying to find it, but his wealth led him “into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts”. He wanted to live just for himself. Jesus, speaking to his disciples, said, “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about life, wondering what you will have to eat, or about your body, wondering what you will have to wear. Life is more important than food, and the body than clothes. Think of the crows! They do not sow or reap, and they have no storehouses or barns, and God feeds them. How much more you are worth than the birds!” (Luke 12:22-24, An Amer. Trans.) It is a matter of having faith in Jehovah God and of believing that when he placed man upon the earth there were ample provisions for all if the effort was put forth to use them.

Do not the squirrels gather nuts and store them away in holes dug in the ground or hide them in the trunks of trees? Do not the beavers make provision for themselves and the bees store up honey in their hives for the winter? The point is this: provision is made for all of the animals so that they can gather in the things necessary to their life. They work to gather what God supplies. Man can do the same. All that is necessary for man to do is to use the things God provides. Man should not be lazier than the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, or the animals of the earth. As good counsel to the lazy man, the wise one said, 'Consider the ant, thou sluggard? Yes, we have to work, but we do not have to become slaves to commerce or to this old world in order to live.

It is natural for man to want to live, and he would like to carry on his existence even in this present time of hardship and distress as long as he possibly can; but the hoarding up of earthly riches isn’t the thing that is going to guarantee life any more than it did for that certain rich man who stored all of his wealth away in barns only to die that night. For as the account says, “this very night your soul will be demanded of you. Then who will have all you have prepared?” (Luke 12:20, An Amer. Trans.) Then Jesus in his discussion with his disciples said, “And who from among you though anxious can unto his stature add a cubit?” (Luke 12:25, Roth.) If the body of an individual wears out and it is time for that body to return to the dust, there is not much that one can do in fixing up the organism. If the heart is exhausted or the nervous system worn out or the muscles become stiff and hard, there isn’t much that one can do to add another step to his life; he has reached the end of his way. So Jesus argues, “If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?” (Luke 12: 26, A.8.F.) In other words, if we cannot extend our life just a little, not even a cubit, why, then, should we be so anxious and

concerned about storing away great wealth, food, clothing, and in having many homes and properties? Why should we be anxious to store up that which we have collected during the past year into barns and then say: “From now on I will eat, drink and enjoy myself”? How much better it would be to give that which we have to the poor and store up for ourselves treasures in heaven!

What treasure do we have ? Those who have come to a knowledge of God’s Word have the truth. They have come to understand who Jehovah God is, the Great One of the universe; how He provided his Son, Christ Jesus, to redeem mankind through him that they might gain eternal life; how Christ Jesus has now come and taken to himself his power and begun to reign and that the kingdom that we have prayed for is established. These things we know; these things Christians possess in the way of knowledge because of their study of God’s Word, and they can give this good message to the poor who are sighing and crying because of the abominations that have come upon them in this world. True Christians will devote what they have of this world’s goods, whether little or much, to bringing this message to the poor and comforting those who mourn. They remember that a person’s life is not due to the things that he possesses, but his eternal existence depends on the treasure that he stores up in heaven. They consistently add to their heavenly treasure by preaching the good news of the Kingdom.

REVIEWING THE PAST YEAR’S WORK WORLD-WIDE

Jehovah’s witnesses are ministers of God, ordained to preach the Word. Let us then review what they have done and see if they are trying to store up treasures in heaven, or only treasures upon this earth. Are they giving to the poor and bringing to them the comfort and good news? The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, the governing body of Jehovah’s witnesses, has pointed out through its publications that the kingdom of heaven was established in 1914, and it has shown in its writings how the signs of the present day are fulfilling prophecy in proof of the establishment of that kingdom. The first World War was one of the first signs foretold by Jesus in the 24th chapter of Matthew as marking the end of the Gentile times and the beginning of Christ’s reign in heaven. The Watchtower magazine has proved this many times in its columns.

Were there many proclaimers or announcers of this established Kingdom then? Yes, there were quite a number scattered throughout the world; but when the world war broke forth in all its fury, many of the Branch offices of the Society were closed and Jehovah’s witnesses almost everywhere were cast into prison, many killed, and their organization considerably broken up. In fact, those at the headquarters offices at 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York, were taken away and put in Atlanta prison, but by following through with the slow court procedure and taking the case before the Supreme Court of the United States, the officers of the Society were acquitted. By the time the officials of the Society were freed from jail the clergy and the government officials felt that the Watch Tower Society and its representatives were pretty well knocked out and would remain inactive. They were as though dead in the streets.—Rev. 11: 8.

You cannot keep Jehovah’s witnesses silent. They must preach the Word! They were revived from the deathlike condition and began storing up more treasures in heaven. In 1918 there were only 3,868 persons announcing the King and the Kingdom in all the world. Being strengthened by the spirit of the Lord, and because of their determination to press on, maintaining their integrity, they were richly blessed. Never slacking their hand, they went forward, singing praises “yet more and more”, and as a result 10 years later there were 23,988 persons proclaiming this same good news of the Kingdom and comforting those who were mourning. Grateful to God who had given them time to revive, and grateful, too, that they had the opportunity of gathering together “other sheep”, this remnant of Jehovah’s organization moved on into greater activity. By the time 1938 rolled around, when the nations of the world were again preparing for another world war, there were 47,143 publishers preaching the Word. By this time Jehovah’s witnesses were established in 52 different nations of the world, declaring this same message that Jehovah reigns through his Son, Christ Jesus.

Then came years of greater strife, turmoil, distress and perplexity—a decade of war and of trying to establish peace among the nations. Jehovah’s witnesses were driven underground in most countries of the world; they were persecuted and their work banned, but, nevertheless, they continued preaching the Word. In 1948, after another 10 years had passed, there were 230,532 persons who had taken up this grand message of peace for the poor in God’s righteous new world. Not content unless they were witnessing, Jehovah’s witnesses moved into every corner of the earth that they could possibly reach with the good news, and as you consider the chart which appears on the following pages you will rejoice to find that in the year 1949 there has been an average of 279,421 publishers of the Kingdom engaged in field-service work every month in 104 different places throughout the world. The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society has established 63 Branches in the principal countries of the earth, and, by the Lord’s grace, will continue to preach the Word to the poor and rich alike, to all those who have an ear to hear.

Jehovah’s witnesses are not trying to get members for their organization, but they are trying to take to the people the truth as it is contained in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. They know, however, that as people study the Lord’s Word and receive comfort from it and learn how to gain life eternal by storing up treas-

1949 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF

	1918	1928	1938	1948	1949	% Inc.	Peak
	Av.	Av.	Av.	Av.	Av.	over	Pubs.
Country     Pubs.		Pubs.	Pubs.	Pubs.	Pubs,	1948	1949
U. S. of America	743	6,040	25,596	72,945	82,958	13	91,463
Alaska			5	30	32	6	43
Bahamas		7	10	33	52	57	68
Bermuda				6	8	33	15
Eleuthera					4 New		4
Fr. Equ. Atrlca				2	15	650	18
Gambia, B.W.A.					3 New		3
Guadeloupe				28	35	25	45
Iceland				3	4	33	4
Korea					13 New		16
Lebanon-Syria			51	109	123	12	192
Liberia				9	18	100	28
Neth. Antilles				36	73	102	96
Palestine				22	12		23
Portugal			2	10	30	200	42
Sierra Leone				24	22		33
Spain Virgin Islands				34 32	53 47	55 46	82 66
Argentina		34	128	927	1,135	22	1,265
Australia	130	305	1,720	3,503	3,774	7	4,124
Fiji				10	8		12
Singapore			13	10	20	100	43
U. 5. ot Ind.			21	9	13	44	20
Austria		261	471	1,286	1,615	25	1,886
Belgium			117	1,177	1,617	37	1,955
Luxembourg			22	47	53	12	66
Bolivia				36	37	3	48
Brazil		18	103	1,077	1,775	65	2,187
British Guiana		15	30	174	187	7	209
British Hond.				38	55	45	69
British Isles 2,784		3,066	4,959	14,676	17,239	17	18,692
Eire				52	73	40	85
Malta				3	1		1
British W. Ind.		189		980	1,057	7	1,167
Burma			28	36	57	58	77
Canada		998	3,113	12,603	14,305	13	15,492
Chile			26	191	211	10	261
China			10	25	86	344	279
Colombia				28	97	246	135
Costa Rica	73			637	943	48	1,069
Cuba				4,352	5,485	26	5,991
Cyprus		4	11	59	141	139	172
Czechoslovakia		106	903	1,581	1,290		1,642
Denmark	26	324	889	3,260	3,774	16	4,018
Dominican Rep.				128	216	69	274
Ecuador				29	56	93	82
Wvador			14	96 151	134 171	40 14	167 207
Finland		305	429	2,610	3,293	26	3,723
France		447	845	2,627	3,236	23	3,571

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLD-WIDE

No. of Comp’s	Total Literature	Total Hours	New Subs.	Individual Magazines Back-Calls 1		Av. Bible Studies
2,905	7,316,373	16,749,899	291,296	7,453,310	5.043,956	61,193
3	5,613	10,704	423	6,302	3,958	42
1	5,647	15,204	206	5,436	6,797	116
1	185	1,024	4	10,319	334	34
	3,278	2,042	41	657	564	12
7	370	2,215	82		1,680	39
	1,095	579	44	77	305	8
2	2,836	11,630	53	1,521	2,631	40
1	7,069	2,896	444	3,363	1,114	8
1	562	721		2	105	11
8	8,325	26,284	146	5,546	5,958	72
1	2,078	8,251	92	1,031	3,286	53
2	21,251	15,868	777	12,471	6,238	56
2	1,288	4,441		128	511	2
1	4,031	4,597	91	306	2,290	10
1	1,873	3,516	15	1,389	672	6
6	2,356	8,685	61	441	3,443	29
2	7,890	12,443	602	3,098	6,593	114
48	129,381	255,142	3,941	79,007	87,917	754
210	223,616	738,384	8,098	339,106	219,595	2,286
1	3,411	3,725	63	1,745	1,507	14
1	4,732	8,018	731	1,925	3,868	60
1	8,436	5,541	23	349	1,413	19
140	275,403	342,597	3,346	103,253	153,061	903
58	150,008	334,920	2,505	60,591	80,194	1,052
4	2,594	12,415	102	8,791	3,738	44
3	6,838	24,227	371	4,129	9,279	123
72	419,034	498,102	4,419	67,160	125,795	1,345
13	19,646	57,904	625	21,908	17,989	286
6	2,907	13,320	116	6,040	4,987	78
613	1,783,177	3,654,787	66,191	528,613	1,310,082	9,230
5	16,276	60,233	656	3,694	16,422	68
	4	39	2	75	22
45	47,673	254,161	1,488	64,422	85,460	1,348
4	15,409	20,284	565	5,269	8,389	111
605	628,297	2,361,346	33,569	882,042	537,903	6,136
11	37,275	67,526	885	17,201	24,093	328
4	13,020	16,972	233	1,818	4,947	52
5	24,879	28,199	329	4,410	10,931	127
28	23,542	176,007	1,023	25,901	48,561	862
153	132,016	912,376	3,108	106,059	215,231	3,090
8	7,587	26,530	206	3,521	6,631	93
237	74,969	161,489	448	7,737	63,066	745
170	265,892	611,958	6,796	313,211	157,527	1,402
4	26,102	72,539	645	12,420	28,009	450
2	11,565	27,833	86	6,272	11,865	122
8	7,399	32,340	396	8,179	8,967	82
3	6,551	27,860	383	6,961	9,713	129
415	333,516	651,555	8,063	150,578	155,991	1,643
127	359,810	597,677	6,272	96,256	142,075	1,441

Country	1918 Av. Pubs.	1928 Av. Pubs.	1938 Av. Pubs.	1948 Av. Pubs.	1949 Av. Pubs.	% Inc. over 1948	. Peak Pubs. 1949
Saar		60		252	326	29	376
Germany		9,755		29,172	38,897	33	43,828
Gold Coast			30	735	1,412	92	2,053
Greece	12	77	189	2,338	2,299		2,808
Turkey				12	30	250	41
Guatemala				121	188	55	218
Haiti				36	58	61	73
Hawaii			13	156	216	38	247
Honduras				119	256	115	305
Hungary				1,346	1,410	5	1,734
India	2	69	291	267	293	9	377
Ceylon				25	28	10	31
Iran				2	2		3
Pakistan				23	27	17	35
Italy				329	593	80	695
Jamaica	50	84	390	1,465	1,773	21	1,926
Japan		75	110		9		12
Mexico			309	4,711	5,547	18	6,733
Netherlands		57	234	4,190	4,691	12	5,130
Newfoundland	5		13	85	110	29	191
New Zealand		73		790	880	11	1,131
Nicaragua				72	136	89	166
Nigeria		7	427	5,511	6,711	21	8,103
Cameroun			4	60	114	90	210
Dahomey			12	140	155	10	240
Fr. Togoland					1 New		1
Northern Rhod.			939	9,873	12,857	30	14,650
Belgian Congo				14	22	57	48
Tanganyika				136	89		225
Norway	15	85	328	992	1,226	23	1,346
Nyasaland			1,065	4,918	6,833	39	7,744
Port. E. Afr.			14	398	318		575
Panama				224	375	67	490
Paraguay				47	67	43	91
Peru				40	67	68	95
Philippine Rep. Poland	20	430	669	3,589 9,048	5,763 12,162	60 34	6,601 14,510
Puerto Rico			1	160	213	33	253
Rumania				1,992	2,612	31	4,347
Russia		16		8,000	8,000		10,000
South Africa		58	378	4,440	5,506	25	6,288
Basutoland					8 New		8
Bechuanaland					29 New		46
St. Helena			3	10	10		12
Swaziland					33 New		42
Southern Rhod.			323	3,599	4,786	33	5,265
Surinam	8	7	6	78	74		90
Fr. Guiana				2	1		1
Sweden		253	982	3,231	3,702	14	4,074
Switzerland		763	813	1,660	1,933	16	2,133
Thailand			1	48	62	29	92
Uruguay			4	249	304	22	362
Venezuela				51	91	78	132
Yugoslavia			79		460		460

Grand Totals 3,868 23,988 47,143 230,532 279,421 21 317,877

Av.

No. ot	Total	Total	New	Individual		Bible
Comp’s Literature		: Hours	Subs.	Magazines Back-Calls Studies
12	39,403	67,069	819	8,051	30,601	141
1,608	451,474	7,865,383	59,475	479,524	3,963,449	20,742
65	90,166	334,108	1,348	34,296	34,153	569
216	41,118	219,346	2,797	43,201	67,370	539
2	2,703	5,444	34	669	1,721	10
4	17,692	47,356	756	8,792	17,676	311
4	8,675	20,783	217	3,479	7,456	110
11	32,651	67,498	2,919	21,092	24,585	374
6	6,306	35,828	288	4,000	11,576	160
205	89,586	277,878	119	3,342	118,875	1,701
29	20,879	80,573	1,143	15,791	21,009	271
1	6,373	13,499	151	5,318	4,716	51
	646	1,072	25	395	160	1
1	3,823	12,356	499	6,116	3,609	28
64	77,192	97,089	718	6,275	35,694	336
126	41,702	347,919	1,255	55,441	93,456	1,694
2	337	3,111	18	291	1,060	27
306	283,699	974,568	4,210	127,250	187,874	3,350
124	85,406	932,567	3,765	116,271	196,079	2,047
13	13,963	32,899	747	11,986	10,816	100
58	74,588	181,346	3,854	108,606	51,595	618
4	3,510	17,033	209	3,621	5,677	60
304	77,253	1,434,848	1,434	91,787	147,218	1,657
13	1,669	23,597	44	2,897	4,011	75
4	5,149	53,766	10	807	3,459	80
	273	360	7	47	117	12
248	35,187	2,661,611	196	103	320,854	5,469
2	293	5,289		4	962	14
11	470	27,127	1		7,592	175
102	177,439	189,638	3,518	111,301	63,722	413
580	56,849	1,795,674	143	2,072	372,132	6,655
21	1,562	72,091	3	126	21,606	220
11	26,787	85,835	1,543	35,309	37,765	648
6	7,232	14,453	140	3,499	4,443	40
2	25,324	34,061	507	4,613	14,931	213
315	265,315	905,489	4,344	42,442	116,709	1,197
790	219,245	1,607,028	16,072	140,235	302,716	4,380
7	34,484	59,348	1,370	14,368	23,752	323
389	7,156	221,161		4,079	93,640	4,978
276	277,711	1,586,123	11,012	212,161	296,413	4,284
1	156	3,090		5	939	12
1	376	5,618		59	1,038	15
1	130	1,082	2	23	171	3
3	382	13,490	7	69	1,761	43
147	90,247	1,249,030	1,384	34,348	161,861	3,688
2	11,119	20,906	132	4,165	7,425	135
	84	260	1	76	105	2
369	286,111	633,200	14,363	463,740	197,120	1,494
97	177,837	311,852	4,047	309,579	106,103	1,236
6	18,981	19,724	352	6,527	5,083	37
11	27,285	83,746	535	20,238	33,283	443
7	32,078	35,843	172	8,468	12,563	122
		14,477			3,181
12,535	15,709,161	53,741,547	596,766	13,020,994	15,897,544	167,571

ures in heaven, they, too, will proclaim this good news. They cannot do otherwise if they love true worship. It is the deep appreciation of the individuals who learn the truth and the righteous way of life that causes them to want to tell others about it. As a natural result, then, a great increase has come to the ranks of Jehovah’s witnesses. In fact, in 1949 as compared with 1948 there has been a 21-percent increase throughout the world in number of publishers proclaiming the Kingdom as the only hope for mankind. A peak number of 317,877 publishers who were out in the work preaching the Word was reached for the year. This is the highest number of ministers of the gospel ever to engage in the work in any one year according to our records, and we rejoice with all these persons of goodwill who are associating themselves with the Lord’s organization and are now working under the direction of the Society, all to the honor of Jehovah’s name.

Jehovah’s witnesses love to serve the King of the new world now. Their hope and faith is in the kingdom of God, for through it the blessings of eternal life will be gained. So they continue to work and pray “Your kingdom come! Your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven!” While being good citizens of the nation in which they live, paying their taxes (complying with the laws of the land as long as these laws are in full accord with God’s laws, still they move ahead, expanding their activity among the people, doing the will of the Lord and following out the principal command of Jehovah, to preach the Word. From one end of the earth to the other these persons of goodwill have organized themselves until now there are 12,535 companies of Jehovah’s witnesses where they assemble together regularly for study of God’s Word in order to prepare themselves to be better ministers.

But you ask, Don’t they get something out of this personally? Is there not something in it, something material they will gain by being Jehovah’s witnesses ? No, the only thing to gain, as far as being one of Jehovah’s witnesses is concerned, is treasure in heaven. They are trying to be rich in good works “so as to grasp the life that is life indeed”. How do they do this? By spending their time preaching the Word to the poor, the rich, the meek, the haughty, the farmer, the factory worker, the husband and the wife. They do it by calling at the homes, the apartments, the palatial residences, the bungalows, the farmhouses, the adobe huts. It makes no difference; wherever people live, there Jehovah’s witnesses will go to preach the Word. During the service year 1949, the 279,421 publishers, who engaged in the field service on an average every month, devoted 53,741,547 hours to preaching the Word of God to people who wanted to hear. Not only did they go from house to house in the first place, but they called baek on the people who were interested in the Kingdom message. These witnesses of God made 15,897,544 such calls on the people to answer their questions.

As a result of these millions of return calls, a number of persons were anxious to diligently study what Jehovah’s witnesses had to offer; and regularly throughout the year Jehovah’s witnesses have been conducting Bible studies in 167,571 homes. These one-hour studies are conducted weekly with groups of two to five or more persons. Sometimes there is only one person interested, but time will be spent each week in giving him lessons from the Bible. Is this a selfish work ? Are Jehovah’s witnesses getting something out of it for themselves by putting all these hours into preaching? or are they giving something to the poor in life-sustaining spiritual food ? The facts show they are giving the people words of life, in addition to their time, energy, money; and thus they are storing up treasures in heaven. For them there is more real satisfaction in that than in accumulating earthly riches.

It must be observed, too, that after a very successful year of gathering together the “other sheep” into the Lord’s organization Jehovah’s witnesses do not settle back and say, “Well, this is enough. We have gathered in great gains. We will make larger barns or churches in which to put these people and then hold them for ourselves.” No, Jehovah’s witnesses are not like the rich man who decided to quit working and to live off his gains and just eat, drink and be merry. Not at all! They want to plant more seed and cultivate the field again and again. So, as the Scriptures indicate, one will plant, another waters, but it is God who gives the increase. (1 Cor. 3:7) They sow in order that they may reap; and as the Lord prospers their efforts, more people come into His organization, seeking refuge and safety. Even those newly coming to the organization in time go out too to sow and water, looking to God to give the increase at harvest time.

What will Jehovah’s witnesses do during 1950 ? Just what they did in 1949; only, by God’s undeserved kindness, they will do even better in their work of preaching the Word in all the world. They will continue inviting everyone who has an ear to hear the truth to ‘come, and drink of the water of life freely⁵. (Rev. 22:17) Jehovah’s witnesses have placed much literature in the hands of the people, and this for one purpose, to help them to understand the Word of God. The small contributions they receive for such literature are used to print more, so that others too can read. During the 1949 service year, Bibles, books and booklets were placed throughout the world in the number of 15,709,161 copies. Many new subscriptions were obtained for the two magazines, The Watchtower and Awake! in many languages. In fact, 596,766 new subscriptions were taken, in all parts of the world. To accommodate the readers of these magazines it was necessary for the Society in Brooklyn, New York, and throughout its Branch offices to print 23,190,737 copies of the Watchtower magazine and 16,136,389 of the Awake! magazine. In addition to the 39 million magazines, the Society’s publishing plants printed more than 4 million books and over 17 million booklets.

Jehovah’s witnesses could not be satisfied with just serving the people they meet in homes; so they arrange for public meetings in fine auditoriums, in small halls, in their own Kingdom Halls, in public parks, out along the seashore, or in the wilderness. Wherever people will congregate to hear the message of the Kingdom, Jehovah’s witnesses will furnish a minister to preach the good news. During the year 1949 there were 174,404 such public meetings arranged for, all of which had good attendance. These meetings were well advertised, and handbills were distributed, placards printed, notices put in stores, letters sent out to interested persons—all requiring additional printing on the part of the Society. Along with letterheads and normal supplies for office use, the handbill and tract orders made it necessary for the Society to print 231 million pieces during 1949. This is over and above the printing of the magazines, books, Bibles and booklets.

Such work can be carried on because some people are giving what they have to the poor. Jehovah’s witnesses love to give to the people world-wide, regardless of nationality, color or creed. That is why they devote their time, physical strength and funds to the preaching of the gospel. Contributions were made by them during the past year to carry on the Society’s worldwide expansion program. One feature of its expansion program was in helping its missionaries and smaller Branch organizations financially to the extent of $591,358.96. At the present time there are 63 Branch offices of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society directing the work in different areas of the earth. There are also 107 missionary homes, in 77 different countries. The total number of missionaries who are now in foreign assignments outside the United States and Canada, except Quebec, is 652, all of whom are graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Five hundred of these are working out of the 107 missionary homes, while others of these trained missionaries are doing general pioneer work in different countries. Some are working in Bethel homes, and some are circuit or district servants or Branch servants.

Another great field for personal expansion activity is the pioneer work. During the 1949 service year there was an average of 1,451 special pioneers assigned to certain territories that needed special attention, and these have done excellent work. In this special pioneer group are included the missionaries who are scattered throughout all the world. Additionally there are the general pioneers, 10,973 in number, who have arranged their affairs so as to devote most of their time and energy to the preaching of the good news. All of these must have faith in Jehovah, the Great Provider. Jesus’ words are a comfort to them: “See how the lilies grow. They do not toil or spin, but, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendor was never dressed like one of them. But if God so dresses the wild grass, which is alive today, and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more surely will he clothe you, who have so little faith?” (Luke 12:27,28, An Amer. Trans.) It does take faith to make this forward step and go into the full-time service, becoming a pioneer or taking up a special assignment or going into the missionary work. Their faith and their works show they believe Jehovah will care for them. It is not a storing up of earthly treasures either, to become a member of the Bethel family or to take up work in a Branch home; but it does mean storing up treasures in heaven, “so as to grasp the life that is life indeed.”

One must trust in the Lord that the provisions which He makes for the birds and the animals of the fields were also promised to man and will be provided for him. You remember that when Paul was traveling from place to place he did not want to make himself a burden to any of the brethren, so at times he would stop and make tents. He earned sufficient money doing this that he could travel on to his next stop. Sometimes he accumulated enough that he would not have to go to making tents for quite a while. He knew it was necessary for an individual to work and earn some money to look after his earthly needs, but at the same time he could not neglect his preaching duties. Luke tells us in the book of Acts that Paul never failed to go to the synagogue on the sabbath to preach the Word of God to the Jews and he also mingled with the Greeks so that they too might hear. (Acts 18: 3,4) Eating and drinking and being clothed are not the all-essential things in life. They are necessary, yes, but the big thing is storing up treasures for oneself in heaven. “So you must not ask what you are to have to eat or drink, and you must not be anxious about it. For these are all things the nations of the world are in pursuit of, and your Father knows well that you need them. But you must strive to find his kingdom, and you will have these other things besides. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom. Sell what belongs to you, and give away the money! Get yourselves purses that will never wear out, inexhaustible riches in heaven, where thieves cannot get near nor moths destroy. For wherever your treasure is, your heart will be too.”—Luke 12: 29-34, An Amer. Trans.

Certainly there is nothing to be fearful about in going forward in preaching the Word of God. Not with such promises! There will be hardships, difficulties and problems to overcome; maybe some will be killed. Jesus told us to expect that kind of treatment. But life! This is the gift to those who love Jehovah. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” (John 8:51) But even though persons do see death now, there is a reward for those who love righteousness and who have been storing up treasures in heaven. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that be-lieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25,26) Furthermore, the time is coming, in the new world, when there will be no more death. (Rev. 21:4) Of course, most of the people of the world today do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ nor in the merit of his sacrifice. That is why Jehovah’s witnesses must preach the good news of God’s Word to the people, so that they may have the opportunity of believing.

At one of the most important meetings of the Lord’s people in the earth today, the celebration of the Memorial of Jesus’ death, there were 453,274 persons in attendance. Of this great number only 24,312 partook of the emblems, thus signifying that they believe they are of the remnant class that will be joint-heirs with Christ Jesus in heaven. The others, numbering considerably more than 425,000 now, are sincerely looking forward to the time when the new world will be established. Not all of these, however, have been preaching the gospel to the extent that they have been making reports to the Society of what they are doing in this respect; but we firmly believe that in time they will take their stand and preach, because they will soon believe with their hearts that the greatest work that must be done in these last days is to make known the salvation of our God. During 1949 there were 42,524 persons who consecrated their lives to God’s service, symbolizing that covenant with water immersion.

They accepted the charge, along with all others of Jehovah’s witnesses, to “preach the word”. By so doing, they will “be rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous, storing up a valuable treasure for themselves for the future, so as to grasp the life that is life indeed”. (1 Tim. 6:18,19, An Amer. Trans.) With joy and gladness Jehovah’s witnesses enter the 1950 service year, thankful for the honor of service under Christ the King. They are not worried about the persecutions, trials and difficulties. These they will face as they come day by day. The thing of greatest interest to them is the praising of Jehovah’s name and the vindication of His sovereign position in the universe. To prove it, Jehovah’s witnesses will “preach the word”.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE SOCIETY

Jehovah’s witnesses, being a world-wide organization, of necessity have a central headquarters. The Bethel home at 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York, is the location of the central office where the work of the many Branches and the activities of all of Jehovah’s witnesses are co-ordinated. The printing of literature in so many languages is no small task, and the efforts of everyone concerned with the production of a publication in a foreign tongue should be utilized to the best advantage. If each Branch office decided what publications it wanted to translate into the native language of the land in which it is located, it might happen that ten different Branches where the Spanish language is spoken would go ahead with the translation of the same book. This would tie up the effort of many individuals and would only be a duplication of work. So, by having a central headquarters, directing all activity, the greatest amount of good can be accomplished with the organization existing in every country.

Because of the great expansion of the work of Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the world, it became necessary to enlarge the Bethel home during the past year. As this Yearbook report for the 1949 sendee year shows, the work has greatly increased. This, of course, required more workers in the Brooklyn headquarters in proportion to the expansion of the work in the field, which is the world; so expansion was necessary also in the Brooklyn printing plant as well as in the Bethel home. All members of the Bethel family are very grateful to the Lord for the wonderful provisions He has made for them, but their greatest joy is in the work that God has given them to do at this blessed place, Bethel, the “House of God”.

It has been interesting to watch the construction of the new Bethel home as well as of the new factory, both of which are very near completion at the time this report is being compiled. These new structures, the Bethel home and factory, are both additions to the existing buildings now in use, and they will be a great aid to the Society in taking better care of the work in the United States and in making proper provision for literature for all the countries throughout the world.

The new ten-story Bethel home, with an additional two underground basement floors, will take good care of the ever-increasing Bethel family which now numbers 284. There is plenty of room for the growth of the family. One of the oustanding features of the new home is the large assembly hall, which will be used as a Kingdom Hall for the Bethel family and also as a large studio for WBBR. Two smaller studios on another floor adjoin the control room for the Society’s radio station in New York, and a very lovely observation deck has been arranged for visitors who wish to watch as well as hear the broadcasts. WBBR has done fine work during the past year in bringing the Kingdom message to the attention of the people in New York city and vicinity, and many people enjoy listening to the informative programs.

The dining room in the new home has been constructed large enough to take care of the entire family at one time. All can be seated at mealtime and enjoy again the discussion of the daily text and comments every morning. The top floors of the building are reserved for office use. The president’s offices, along with the offices of his secretaries, will occupy the entire tenth floor; and from here the work of the many Branches and missionary homes will be directed. The offices of the secretary and treasurer will be located in one wing of the ninth floor, and the legal department of the Society will be in another wing of the ninth floor.

The legal department not only handles the court cases and carries on the defense of the free worship of God in the United States, but it also assists the president’s office greatly in looking after many legal matters in Canada, Britain, Switzerland and other parts of the world. There are many problems that arise in connection with both the New York and Pennsylvania corporations of the Society that require the attention of attorneys; so this department is kept very busy on corporation matters as well as in assisting the brethren in preparing deeds, wills, etc., in handling property matters relating to the Society's business, and in fighting cases of persecution against Jehovah’s witnesses.

A good portion of the eighth floor is devoted to the editorial department, which constantly gathers material for the Awake! magazine and The Watchtower. Adjoining the editorial offices is a large library which will be stocked with good books pertaining to Bible research and other matters of interest to the readers of the Society’s literature. A portion of this library will be set aside for the use of the Bethel family in private study as well as for research work in connection with talks which the brethren are assigned to give weekly throughout the eastern part of the United States, addressing public meetings and serving the companies as they have opportunity. Other features in the home besides the lovely living quarters are a reception room, lounge, modern kitchen, laundry, tailor shop, shoe repair shop, linen room, and the many other departments which go to make up a well-organized home.

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Incorporated, the New York corporation which owns and operates the Bethel home as well as looks after all of the work in the United States, is very grateful for the hearty support that the brethren throughout the country have given, thus making it possible to construct this fine new building for the home, as well as the factory, so that the work here in the United States may expand together with the work in all other parts of the Lord’s organization. It is hoped that, by the grace of Jehovah, 1950 will be an outstanding year, especially in view of the fact that the Society is arranging for an international convention to be held in New York city. We extend an invitation to all convention visitors in 1950 to see the new Bethel home and the new factory building, which we hope will be ready for occupancy about March 1, 1950. The Bethel family rejoices along with all of you in the privilege of preaching this gospel of the Kingdom in all the world for a witness.

ORDINATION

All persons who serve Jehovah God must know his will. The way for one to ascertain the will of the Creator is to read what He has written. Jehovah has expressed his mind by setting forth in his Word, the Bible, his purposes pertaining to man. Jehovah’s witnesses appreciate the wonderful truths contained in this great Book, and so they express their appreciation for such by good works. Like Isaiah, Jehovah’s witnesses today will exclaim, “The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Isa. 61:1, A.S.V.) Jesus, and later his followers, accepted this charge; and so today the faithful followers of Christ Jesus prove their ordination by doing the works described in this text and many others.

Jesus was not satisfied with preaching the Word to only a few persons, nor was he satisfied with being confined to only one single congregation. Being ordained of God to preach, he wanted all persons of good-will to have the opportunity of hearing the message that he was given to preach to the nation of Israel. Jesus said, “ ‘Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring country towns, so that I may preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here.’ So he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out the demons.” (Mark 1: 38, 39, An Amer. Trans.) So it is today that one who consecrates his life to serve Jehovah God and to follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus will symbolize his consecration by water immersion, as Jesus did at the Jordan, and will preach wherever he can, never confining his activity just to a selected few. In like manner in these times thousands of ordained ministers go from house to house and from town to town for the purpose of preaching good tidings, binding up broken hearts, and proclaiming liberty to those bound in this old world. It is the truth that makes one free, and Jehovah God has given to his people his Word of truth to free the captives and to comfort all that mourn.

In the same way that Christ Jesus was ordained to do this wonderful work, so hundreds and thousands of ordained men and women go forth to preach the Word in all the world for a witness. The record according to Mark 3:14 (An Amer. Trans.) says that Jesus “appointed twelve ... to be with him and to be sent out to preach”; and later on, when he had finished his earthly career, he commanded his disciples to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation”.

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is a Society of ordained ministers; hence all of them are continually equipping themselves for the good work that they have to do, namely preaching. Special advanced training courses are held in all the large cities of the world, and a special study of Theocratic ministry is carried on by competent instructors so as to equip everyone for better service in carrying out his ordination privileges. All the Branch offices of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society give special instruction to the members of the Bethel homes and Branch offices. Missionaries in the different missionary centers of the Society constantly give special instruction and teaching to those desiring to equip them-

Abbuhl, David Abt, Harald Adach, Zygfryd Adams, Don Alden Adams, Elmer Polk Adams, Joel Cameron Adams, Karl Appleby Adamson, Eduardo Diego Adler, Friedrich Alras, Arvo

Akanbi, Emmanuel Adewole Akers, Albert Smith Akintounde. Nouru Akpabio, Asuquo Obot Alade, Joseph Oluwafeml Albu, Pamfll N. Allan, Joseph Allen, Paul Arthur Almona, Morris Oputa Alspach, Russell William Amaro, Armando Amaya, Crispin Amores, Victor Casas Andersen, Anders Christian Anderson, Fred August Anderson, John Henry Anderson, Marvin Ferrol

Anderson, Raymond Lee Andersson, Ivar Andersson, Onnl Andersson, Ove Andrews, Albert Frederick Andros, Thomas

Aoanan, Catallno Catandlg Araujo, Thomas A. C. Argentos, John S.

Arnold. Edward Atkinson, George Attwood, Anthony Cecil Atzemis, Demetrius C. Aura, Mikael

Avey, Arthur William Avoletta, Raymundo Babinski, Joseph E.

Backloupe, Emmett J. (Jr.) Bacsl, Jozsef

Baczlnski, Francois Baeuerlein, John Adam Bahner, Josfe

Baier, Sandor Baker, Alfred G. G. Baker, Glenn Seymour Baker, Paul Southgate Balamoncek, Jan

Bangle, Aleck

Banks, Thomas Edgar Barber, Carey Walter Barber, Norman H. Barlaan, Leodegario Barman, Mikael Barnett, Arthur Eugene Barney, Paul Joseph Barnhart, Keith M. Barr, John Edwin Barrett, George C. Barry, William Uoyd Bartha, Andras Bartlett, Milton Everett (Jr.) Bartrip, Trevor Gordon Bartzsch, Otto Baswel, Macario B. Bauer, Herschel Weert Baumgart, Hans Baur, Otto Bautista, JosG G. Baxevanis. John Baxter, Donald Edward Baxter, Wallace Hendrie Beck, Paul Boone Becker, Edward William Becker, Otto Becker, Wilhelm Beedle, Charles Joseph Behunick, Stephen Beier, Hans Belinger, Hans Bellotti, Norman David Belokon, Nicholas Belscher, Delbert Clayton Benesch, Howard Joseph Benfeld, Adolf Benjamins, Arend Benzing, Emil Berger, Johannes Bernard, John Russell Betley Samuel Bevington, George William Bible, Reginald Allen Bible, Richmond Loyd Bigler, Paul Bijl, Gisbertus N. van der Bilieter, Max Bittner, George Godfred Black, Harry Blackburn, Woodrow W. Blair, Mortel Isidor Blaner, Andrew (Jr.) Blaney, John Beech Biascheck, Emil Blumel, Richard Blumenstock, Calvin August Bogard, John Boone, James Otis Booth, John Charles Borja, Antero Sabandal Borys, Emil Fredy Botterill, Frank Bower, Arthur Noble

Bowers, Keith McKee Bown, Chesley A. M. Boyd, Donald Archie Bradbury, David Martin Brame, Earle Roy Brandt, Lee Roy Brannick, Joseph Benjamin Brazeal, Harley Dewey Brehmer, John Otto Brembach, Helmut Brener, Ivan Bridle, Peter Langford Britten, Eric Broad, Albert William Broad, Edward Stanford Broadwater, Lloyd Brodie, Ralph Bromeyer, Fred Kenneth Brooker, Cerald Bennett Brookes, Frank William Brooks, Norman Earl Brown, David Wallace Brown, Monte Cristo Brown, Peter Brown, Robert Mantell Brown, William Leslie Brown, William Roland Brumley, George Bruton, John Gist Buelow, Bruce Owen Buelow, Merle Robert Buenger, Philip Buisset. Alvar Henry Bumphrey. Floyd Ossian Burczyk, Benno Oskar Burkhart, Donald Wilson Burt, Donald Herbert Burtch, Lloyd Byron Bussanyi, Laszlo Call, William Eugene Calsbeck, Cornelius Campbell, Edward Akin Campbell, Merton Victor Canete, Nicolas Quinones Cantwell, Jesse Lee Card, George H. Carmichael, Hendry D. Carmichael, Leslie Albert Carnie, William Caron, Roger Rosaire Carter, Stanley John Carter, Walter Werbousky Casola, Peter A. Casson, Edward William Catanzaro, Angelo A. Chapman, Merrill Joseph Chapman, Percy Charles, Cyril William Charlwood, Edmund Chimal, Miguel Chimiklis, John Peter Chintubamba, Stephen Chinula, Joseph A. Chipeta, Pharoah M.

Chitty, Ewart Charles Chodara, Tadeusz Chongo, Yolam Chornenky, Theodore Chrupalla, Paul Chyke, Calvin Michael Clmwaza, Lester Clark, Donald Spencer Claus, Gerhardt Claus, Orville Bernard Claus, Theophlel Clay, Edgar Allan Clayton, Charles Milburn Clegg, William Robert Clemons. Charles Stephen Collier, Roland Edward Collins, Boyd W. Collins, Wallace Allen Commey, James B. Comstock, Eli Hall Conde, Paul Conley, Jerry James Conrad, Hector (Jr.) Conrad, Neil Emile Conte, Lawrence Alfred Cook, Fred Stanford Cook, Roy Lee Douglas Cooke, Eric Rushton Cooke, John Roy Cooper, Carleton Davis Copson, Sylvester William Cora, Albert Mann (Jr.) Cotterill, Richard Sheldon Couch, George M. Couch, William D. Coultrup, Charles Russell Coultrup, Eldon Lee Counts, Winfield Andrew Coup, Carmon LeRoy Coville, Allan Stanley Covington, Hayden Cooper Coysh, Eric George Craddock, John Alexander Crapp, Eric George Martin Crockett, Neil John Cross, Arthur Bright Crosswhite, Orville Almus Crowley, James Edmond Csoban, Jozsef Cumming, Albert Edward Cummings, Marshall Henry Cupp, Laylon Lavern (Jr.) Cutforth, John Ashlln Cygan, Mieczyslaw Dague, Harry Dandawa, John M. Daniels, Edwin Grant Danley, Albert Franklin Datisman, Donald Charles Davis, James Edward Davis, Robert Leonard Dawkins, George Carter DeAngelis, Joseph DeBoer, Adrian DeCecca, Giovanni

Decroly, Firmin DeFehr, John Frank DeJager, Petrus Johannes Dell’Ellce, Romolo Demorest, David Deninger, Orville Edwin Derderian, Dlckran Philibbos Dey, William Dickman, Heinrich Didur, Alex Mitchel Dienaar, Pieter A. H. Dietschl, Heinrich Dilling, Robert J. Dillon, Lee Edward Dingman, William Robert Dionisio, Adolfo F.

Dobis, Eddie Doering, Jeremiah Dolena, Silverio Sabas Dominke, Hermann Domres, Clarence P. Donaldson, Norman Dopking, Frank Dossmann, Paul Doulis, Athanasios Douras, George Downie, Malcolm MacPherson Drahos, Milan Droge, George Henry Duerdan, Harold Duffield, Harry Walter Dugan, Lester M. Duncan, Harold Billet Duncombe, Vernon Ryerse Duncombe, Yorke Michael Dunham, Alfred P. R.

Dunlap, Edward A. Dunnagan, James Henry (Jr.) Dunnagan, Joseph Lynn Dwenger, Heinrich Earle, Kenneth Perry Eaton, Andrew Kirk Ebel, LaVerne Junior Eckley, Fred Garfield Edman, Tauno Egede, Charlie Aliagu Eicher, Charles Emile Einschutz, Willi Eisenhower, Charles R.

Eklof, Valter Ekman, Daniel Valentin Elder, Donald J. Eldridge, Francis R. Els, Christoffel F.

Elvy, Charles E. Endres, Wallace Hurst Eneroth, Johan Henrik Engel, Wilhelm Engelcamp, Robert J. Engervik, Ernst Eriksson, Kurt Ernst, Gilbert Herbert Erusel, Andrew Miruwerene Estelinann, Otto Etefflah, Samuel

Fahle, Robert John Fairfax, Harry Carlyle Fallick, Ronald Clarence Farmer, Herbert James Feith, Alois Fekel, Charles John Feller, Jules Fellert, Ake Fellow, Donald Dean Ferdinand, Walter Timothy Ferrari, Charles Lucian Ferrari, David Ferrari, Joseph Ferrari. Salvino Feuz, Arnold Feuz, Gottfried Field, Thomas Kenneth Finch, Henry Finlay, Roy H. V.

Fisch, Wilbert Dominic Fitz, Emil Fodisch, Karl Forster, Johannes Forsyth, Thomas Franke, Konrad Franks, Frederick Newton Franks, Leslie Raymond Fransch, Daniel R. Franske, Franklin Julius Franz, Fred William Franz, Raymond Victor Fredette, Roland Harvey Fredianelli, George Fredriksen, Holger Friedrich, Jozef Friend, Maxwell Godward Friend, Samuel Benson Frobus, Richard Frost, Charles Edgar Frost, Hugo Erich Fuelo, Anthony Fulton, Paul T.

Galbreath, Douglas Milton Galczynski, Jan Gangas, George Demetrius Garal, Mihaly Garey, Max Raymond Garrard, Gerald Bayliss Garrett, Floyd Franklin Gatti, Piero Gawior, Jan Geiger, Henri Geremias, Bento Gertz, Arthur Georg Geyer, Benjamin Philip Gibb, George R. W.

Gibson, Anthony Halliday Gillatt, Clement Glandin, Oskar Glass, Russell Ellsworth Glass, Ulysses Vanell Gluske, Walter Gluyas, Harold John Gobitas, William Henry Gohl, Otto

Goings, Chester Golles, Peter Gonzales, Anastaclo Gonzales, Pilar G. Gonzalez, Raymond Manuel Gooch, Wilfred Goodman, Claude Stanley Gornik, Boleslaw Gorra, Joseph Tofy Goscinski, Mitchell Ben Goslin, Elijah W.

Goslln, Roland Gott, Fred Ansil (Jr.) Gott, John Gotthold, Frederick Albin Gough, Robert Goux, Arthur R. Graber, Dewaine F. Greenlees, Leo Kincaid Gretchen, William John Grigat, Ernst Grlica, Peter Groh, John Otto Grossmann, Paul Grover, Erwin Albert Gruber, Kurt Paul Grundmeier, Fritz Gulver, Ernest James Gunda, Grant Gunda, Pearson Gutowski, Piotr Gwedera, James R. Haapanen, Vilppu Urpo Hackenberg, Chalmers F. Haenni, Fritz Hagele, Karl Hagen, Walter Haigh, Joseph Horace Hakanen, Kalevi Hakansson, Oscar Hall, William J. Halstenberg, Heinrich Hamann, Otto Hamann, Walther Hammer, Paul Hananiya, Isaac Hancock, Ronald Frank Haney, Arthur Hanke, Emil Otto Hannan, George Edwin Hannan, William Trenchard Hare, Maurice Lane Harker, Claude Percival Harriman, Volney Allen Harrop, Stuart Atkin Harteva, Elon Harteva, Kaarlo Jalmari Hartman, Daniel David Hartmann, Wolfgang Hartstang, Frederic Harvey, Roy Wesley Haslett, Donald Hassel, Ernst Hatzfeld, Robert Henry Hau, Aage

Hau, Jorgen Haukedal, Asmund Hayes, Eart Heikorn, Fritz Heinicke, Willi Held, Douglas Ede Held, John Austin Held, John Jacob Helstrom, David J. Helton, William T. Hemery, Jesse Hemmaway, John Tom Hemstad, Hans Peter Hendrix, John Noel Henschel, Milton George Hensman, Clifford Henry Hepworth, Charles Herdtfelder, Kurt Hernandez, Amado Hernandez, Gustavo Hershey, Monsell Hibbard, Orin J. Hilbert, Heinz Hilborn, Howard Max Hilldring, Thurston Andrew Hille, Curt Hinkle, Dwight David Hirschberger, Paul Hoffman, Albert Manley Hoffman, Filip C. S. Hogberg, Paul Hoglin, Frank Hojniak, Jan Hollister, Frederick Stevens Hollister, George Stevens Holmes, Calvin Henry Holms, Robert Arthur Homer, David Homolka, Charles Peter Honey, Robert Reed Hopley, Alfred Hoppe, Kari Horton, Bert Hosmer, Franklin W. Houseman, Martin Brudette Houston, Joseph Milton How, William Glen Howlett, Matthew Arnold Howlett, Wilfred Arthur Huber, Emil Hughes, Alfred Pryce Hughes, Gwaenydd Hull, Floyd Eugene Humphrey, Tlilman Eugene Hunick, Hollister Alfred Hunt, Leonard Alfred Husby, Kjell Georg Hutri, Emil Idreos, Plato Ignacio, Fernando Camarillo Ihrig, Elmer Carl Ikeh, Nathaniel Mgbah Baguison, Lino Baloyo Bett, Ambrose Emmons Htanen, Talsto

Insberg, Ans Iszlaub, Percy Itty, V, C. Jack, Andrew Jackson, Harold K. Jackson, William Kirk Jacobs, Edward A. Jadner, Willi Jankovich. Steven Jankowiak, Bronislaw Jansen, Gerrit Januska, Adam Jaracz, Theodore Jason, John Jedzura, Wladyslaw Jensen, Henning A. L. Jensen, Ingvard Jensen, Klaus Monrad Jenssen, Finn Alesander R. Jesus, Fulgencio de Jobin, Charles Johansen, John Johansson, Elias Johansson, Erik V. Johansson, Gosta Johansson, Gustav Johansson, Hans Johansson, Karl Johansson, Sven John, Wilfred Henry Johnson, Curtis Knute Johnson, Gilbert Johnson, Harry Alfred Johnson, James Wilbur Johnson, Lennart A. 8. Johnson, William Everett Johnston, Elmer Johnston, Reginald Watson Johnston, Wallace Edson Jones, Roscoe Jones, Stanley Ernest Jones, Thomas Richard Jontes, Leopold Jorgensen, Svend Aage Joseph, Adavimannathu J. Judson, Henry George Juska, Stanislav Kabungo, Oliver Kaczmarek, Stanislaw Kalitera, Edwin Kalle, Rudolph Kallio, Leo Donatus Kaminaris, Michael E. Kandlona, John Kankaanpaa, Erkki Kanyimbiri, Paul Kapasuka, Lifeyu Kaplnus, Frantisek Kapteln, Maarten Karadlnos, Anthony Dennis Karanasslos, Athanasios L Karanassios, Petros A. Kardacz, Casimir Karkanis, Vasilios C.

Katamanda, Titus Katzmier, Leonard Kedziora, Josef Keen, Grant Street KeUaris. Alexander Nicholas Keller, Eduardo Francisco Kelly, Henry Douglas Keim, Herbert Kennedy, Edgar Claire Kern, Allan Lloyd Kettelarij. Evert J. Kettelarij, Willem Ketter, Rodney Verner King, Harold George Kirk, Robert William Kirkam, Hans-Gunter Kirkland, Powell Means Kirscht, Karl Kjellberg, Gustaf Klapproth, Karl Klebbe, Wilhelm Klein, Karl Frederick Klein, Theophilus Erhart Klenk, Johannes Klimaschewski, Heinrich Klimklewicz, Stanislaw Klintworth, Arthur Henry Klohe, Add! Klohe, Georg Klose, Erwin Klugel, Leopold Knecht, Rudolf Knight, Donald Gene Knight, Robert W. Knoller, Helmut Knorr, Nathan Homer Kocher, Paul Koelmel, Richard Charles Koivunen, Toivo Kolopo, Lackson F. Konrad, Janos Korat, Antoni Koskinen, Johannes Koskinen, Paavo Kovalak, Nicholas (Jr.) Krajci, Stefan Kraker, Simon Peter Joseph Krauss, Otto Krebs, Karl Krieger, Cecil Edward Kroschewski, Alois Krutzinski, Johann Kugler, Hubert Kuhn, Wenzel Kuhne, Erich Kunz, Gunter Kunz, Hans Kurkaa, Ilmari Kurtz, Paul Edward Kurzen, John Godfrey (Jr.) Kurzen, Russell Walter Kusiak, Michal Kwasniewski, Peter Kwazizirah, Gresham Kwiatosz, Edward

Ladesuyi, Samuel Laidlaw, Alexander Elliott Laier, John Gilbert Lako, Janos Lambs, Georges Landrum, Swepton James Lang. Julius LaPlaca, Vincent Larson, Max Harry Larsson, Sven Erik Larsson, Wamund Latch, Winfield Scott Latimer, William Latyn, Mike Laubenstein, Ernest Helmer Laufer, Karl Lauridsen, Soren Kristian Laurix, James Wells Lazenby, Robert Learned, Alvin Eugene Leathco, Charles Dillard Leeds-George, Lambert Cyril Leffler, Ralph Homer Legler, Paul Arthur Lehtinen, Viljo Felix Lehtola, Valto Antero Leistikow, Mervin H. Lemb, Frost Idskov Lemmons, Paul H. Lester, Cornelius Lewlnsson, Arnold Lewis, William Liebenberg, Vernon Liegl, Bruno Lin, Oldrich Lindal, G. F.

Linder, Emil Lindner, Helmut Lindsay, Ludwell Moses Lindwall, Franklin E. Lipenga, Saulos Lisle, Jack L. (Jr.) Livingstone, Lance George Liwag, Salvador Agustin Lochner, Hamilton Lopez, Fidel Lopuszynski, Tadeusz Lorek, Jan Lorentzen, Frank Mogens Lorenz, Paul Lovell, A. Leslie Lovgren, Harry Lubeck, Joseph Lucas, Reginald Ernest Luck, Frederick H. Luhrman, Anthonie Luka, James Lukuc, Fred Lukuc, Peter Harry Luna, Prudenclo Lund, Orrlen M. Lundgren, H. B.

Luning, George A. (Jr.) Lunstrum, David A. T. Lunstrum, Elwood

Luts, John Lutterbach, Heinrich MacAulay, Daniel Fred Macdonald, Oliver Arthur Maceda, Calixto Macedo, Olimpio Teixeira MacLean, Donald Howard Macmillan, Alexander Hugh MacNamara, Fred John MacPherson, Albert Maday, Caesar William Madomba, K. Eliya Madorski, Frank Maguddayao, Hilario Magyarosi, Martin Mahler, Bernard Paul Mals, Montague Makela, Otto Maki, Gust William Makumba, Stanley Manjarrez, Juan Mann, Albert Henry Mann, Charles Stewart Manthando, Justeen Marcussen, Gunnar Markert, Walter Markus, John Frederick (Jr.) Marsh, Joseph Harold Martikkala, Emil Alfred Martin, Douglas Martinsen, Martinius Mason, Benjamin Brock Matare, James Mathew, Kuzhypuraidam V. Matilainen, Eino Antero Mattaka, Bismark D. Mattischeck, Hubert Mattson, Robert Warren Matungwa, Ishmael Matwicio, Steve Mayhan, Clarence Matthews Maykut, Frank Mazur, Antoni McClanahan, Thomas F. McDonald, Donald McGrath, Henry Joseph McKay, Homer Kenneth McKee, George Lemuel McKenzie, Samuel McKnight, George Robert McLamb, Frank Algernon McLemore, Lester Loran McLenachan, John McLuckie, Donovan B. McLuckie, Robert A. McLuckie, William L, McLuhan, Roy G. McRoy, George Edward McWilliams, Robert Garland Mdema, John Young Mefful, Samuel Anthony Meier, Friedrich Melin, Alf Meng, Charles Joseph Merlau, Earl Frederick

Metcalfe, Geoffrey Russell Meyer, Johannes W. Mfundaula, Brighton Michalec, Edward Alexander Michalowskl, Marian Michalski, Marian Michel, Jacques Michetti, Roberto Mickey, Orville Weston Mickey, Piercie Lee Mikula, Andrew Miles, Thomas Garnet Millar, John Evans Miller, Alexander James Miller, Grant Dallas Miller, Harley Eugene Miller, Marion M. Miller, Robert Marion Miller, Stephen George Mills, Stuart Wilford Minet, Jos6 Nicolas Mlamleli, Bennett Mleczak, Stanislaw Mlynarski, Thade Mock, Clarence Curtis Mock, Russell Vincent Molande, Nelson Moller, Carsten Morales, Israel Moreton, Ernest Vernon Morgan, Robert Emil Morgan, Roger Lee Morrell, Clayton Ellis Morris, Harold Albert Morrison, Donald John Mortensen, Ejner Peder Mortlock, Albert Reginald Moyara, Goodson S. Moyle, Roy Leonard Muhaluk, Paul Mukaronda, Nason Mukiwa, Eliya Mukuswani, Jonathan Muller, Bohumil Muller, Christoffel F. Muller, Dawid A.

Mulota, Michael Muniz, Juan Munsterman, Donovan Roy Muntener, Christian Murasasu, Teodor Murdoch, Ernest Campbell Murphy, Henry Olliff Mushati, Joel Muzyka, Michael Mwambulah, Leffatt Mwamza, Ariel Myer, Richard Leonard Nabialczyk, Stanislaw Nagy, Istvan Nagy, Janos Nahalka, Vladimir Nakumwa, Duncan Nathan, John H. Ndumo, Solomon

Neave, William Negria, Nick Nel, Gert C. Nelson, James LeRoy Nelson. John Dee Nelson, Paul Floyd Nelson, Vernon Glenn Nemes, Elek Nervo, Toivo Israel Neubacher, Johannes Nevalalnen, Lauri Newcomb, Clarence Newell, Earl Edwin Newton, Robert David Ngobese, Timothy B. Nguluh, McCoflle P. Ngwaya, Albert Nielsen, George William Niemmi, Kauko Nlkklla, Tarmo Kalervo Nilsson, Verner Nironen, Eero Nisbet, George Nisbet, Robert Nkosi, Richard Nnabuko, James Norris, George A.

Noski, Karl Novak, Vaclav Nunes, Robert Irving Nunez, Orlando Nwachukwu, Anthony Frank Nyendwa, Harrison Oakley, Joseph Arthur Obrist, Paul Oertel, Henry Carl Ofosu, Martin Kwabena Ogbulle, Michael Ogunde, Seth Adebayo Ojemudia, Magnus Chukuma Okpukpan, Efiong Okpan Olander, Werner Olliff, John William Olson, Nels Willis Oltmanns, Gerhard Oman, Enok Orrell, Eugene Dallas Oshunloye, Simon Ashaolu Osorio, Jorge Osterloh. Albert Henry (Jr.) Ott, Carlos Outten, Ernest C.

Oyewole, Lapido Paine, Robert Edward Palxao, Agen or da Pajasalml, Esko Kalervo Pallari, Vaino Jaakko Palm, Gunnar Pantas, Pacifico Elechoza Papadem, George Drakos Papageorge, Demetrius Papargyropoulos, Aristotles P Papp, Laszlo Parcell, Lowell Leon Parker, John Nathan

Parkin, Ronald James Parr, Glynn Paschall, Arthur Lee Passavantis, Emmanouei Pate, Arden Paterakis, Emmanouei Paterson, Gabriel C. A. Paterson, Robert W. Pellechia, Pasqual Perez, Paul Peter Perez, Santos Perholtz, Michael Perry, John Alves Persson, Karl-Erik Peters, August Petersen, Henry Stefan Peterson, Charles Taze R. Peterson, William Petersson, Viktor Phillips, Frederick Edward Phillips, George Ross Phillips, Llewelyn Phillips, Wendell Photinos, Peter Pletzko, Ernst Pilet, Roger Pillars, Oscar Lawrence Pinda, James Pinder, Jack Pino, Rogelio del Platt, Frank Gordon Pletscher, Reinhard Plumhoff, Fred Henry Poggensee, Russell Taze Pohl, Willi Polos, Chris Sidney Polster, Erich Ponting, John Herbert Porsch, Otto Potzinger, Martin Poulsgaard, Jorgen Powers, Jack Daniel Pramberg, Jack Pratt, Orman Donald Prewitt, James Fred Price, William Frank Prighen, Matthew Prosser, Calvin Sheridan Prostka, Alex Przybysz, Wladyslaw Puckett, Joseph O. Pulgado, Pedro Pulver, Harold Merle Pysh, John Quackenbush, Colin Dale Quackenbush, Myron Neil Quansah, Joseph Galton Queyroi, Jean Quintanilla, Jos6 Rainold, Alfred Raiskio, Matti Nikolai Ramu, Donald Shepherd Ramu, Julio Shepherd Ranca, Petre Randall. Charles Alfred

Rann, George Alexander Rantanen, Sulho Antero Raper, Archie Vernon Rasmussen, Christian Rasmussen, Johannes Ejner F. Rauthe, Hans Rawls, John Wesley Reed, Homer Franklin Reed, Joshua James Reeder, Maurice Charles Rees, James Adolphus Reijntjes, Willem Cornelius Reimer, Russell A. Reingruber, Ernst Reiter, Ferdinand Rendell, Donald Rennalls, Julius Oliver Renoldner, Johannes Reusch, Lyle Elvern Reyes, Martin Reynolds, Stanley Edward Rhode, Samuel Rhyne, Robert Wyatte Richards, David John Richards, Moses Babatunde Richards, Robert Richardson, Francis N. Richardson, Noah S. (Jr.) Rieger, Charles Winfield Riemer, Hugo Henry Rieske, Hermann Rieske, Traugott Riff el, Julius

Robb, John Birrell Robbins, James Charles Roberts, Claude Rocha, Gregorio Gallegos Rockall, William Arthur Rockwell, Linley Rodriguez, Gonzalo Roe, Webster Lawson Rohde, Bruno Rohrer, Arnold Romano, Joseph Anthony Roos, John Ropellus, Kurt Roper, Lester Lee Rose, Edmund Joseph Rose, Raymond Ralph Ross, Andrew R. R. Rosser, Aubrey Arthur Ross-Jensen, William R. Rostkowskl, Stanislaw Rothe, Manfred

Rowe, Leonard Vincent Roy, Grenfel Thomas Rudolph, Richard Rusk, Fred (Jr.) Russell, George Mouat Ruth, Wilmer B. Rutlmann, Alfred Rutlshauser, Albrecht Ryan, Roy Ansii Sabuni, Leonard Sacchetti, Antonio

Saia, Joseph Salavaara, Kalle Salinas. Adulfo Saltmarsh, George Henry Salvatti, Aniello C. L. Sandall, Howard Lowell Sandner, Max Sarmiento, Florentino Cruz Sasso, Albert Saungweme, Daniel Schaliebaum, Paul Schamer, Josef Scheffel, Hermann Schelder, Wilhelm Schillinger, William M. Schimkat, Gunter Schindler, Johannes Schlomer, Hermann Schlumpf, Walter Schmidt, Alfred Schmidt, Edmund (Jr.) Schmidt, Ewald Schmidt, Niels Peter Schmidt, Waldemar Schnell, Wiktor Schrantz, Emile Schreibner, Erwin Schroeder, Albert Darger Schroeder, Robert Franklin Schutz, Hermann Schwafert, Erwin Schwarz, Paul Seal, Alfred Wayne Searle, Bruce Douglas Sebln, Jan Seek, August Secord, Arthur Henry Seelye, Alden Leroy Seliger, Ernst Semere, Andreya Shalkoski, Harry Eugene Shawver, Windell Gilbert Sibamba, Moifatt Sideris, Anthony Siebenlist, Theodore Hess Silva, Benedicto Maximo da Silva, Jos& Rufino Simpkins, William John Simpson. James Claude Singh, George P.

Sioras, John I’eter Sipavich, Hipolito Siverio, Cornelio Skaleskl, Antoine Skelparick, Nick Skinner, Francis Edwin Sklenak, Josef Skoda, Alfred

Slik, Henry Smart, Robert F. Smedley, Frederick Burgess Smedstad, Hubert A. Smerchek, Eugene Ray Smith, George W.

Smith, Graham Smith, Keith Neville Smith, Leonard Ernest Smith, Ronald Reginald Smith, Thomas Erskine Sonnenschein, Heinz Southworth, Charles Herbert Souto, Djalma Mendes Sperling, Gunter Sperling, Karl-Heinz Spicer, Wilfred Shields Spiropoulos, Panayotls C. Sprafke, Bernhard Springer, Walter Stallard. Leonard Kent Stauffer, George Cecil Steele, Charles Arthur Steele, Don LeRoy Steelman, Joshua Monroe Stein, John H.

Steinemann, Hugo Stenersen, Leiv Willy Stephen, Eliya Stewart, Earl Kitchener Stewart, Harold Lloyd Stigers, Edward William Stikel, Ludwig Stoermer, Clarence Adolph Stone, Roscoe A. Stover, George William Strege, William James Stromgren, Alvin Emanuel Stuber, Alfred Stuefloten, John W. Stuhlmiller, Alois Stull, Donald Edmund Suess, Oscar F. Suess, Robert Oscar Suiter, Grant Sullivan, Thomas James Sumen, Hemming Arthur Sumera, Franciszek Sun, Hutton H. Sundman, Valter Edmund Sunnari, Penttl Supera, Moises G. Suvak, Andrew Svennback, Alfred Georg Svensson, Allan Svensson, Curt Svensson, Hugo Swan, Edward Swebelele, Alfred S. Swingle, Leroy Junior Swingle, Lyman Alexander Sydlik, Daniel Sypien, Stanley B.

Szabo, Ferenc Sziel, Gottlieb Taavitsainen, Eial Salomo Talabi, Michael Olatunji Talarico, Ernest Alfred Talma, Gilbert Louis Tambala, Ogala Tangolis, John

Taylor, Barrie Gordon Taylor, Clarence Taylor, Edward Televiak, Michael James Tembo, James Teran, Rudolfo Pardo Terry, Roger Louis Teubner, Titus Thiele, Oskar Thieme, Paul Thomas, Fritz Hans Thompson, Adrian deLaunay Thompson, Mandala Thompson, Raybum Dale Thompson. Robert John Thorn, Walter John Thornton, Worth Leonard Tialnen, Matti Tiedemann, Peter Tilton, Thomas Timmons, Harold L. Tkachuk, William Tohara, Shinichi Toimela, Toivo Tollner, Wilhelm Toma, Shintaro Tomaszewski, Raymond Tomlanovich, Joseph R. Tornlund, Martin Toutjian, Shield H.

Tracy, Frederick Allison Tracy, Robert Nelson Tracy, William Amos Traub, Ricardo Trosko, John David (Jr.) Tseko, William Tubinl, Giuseppe Tucker, Cecil A. Turpin, James Lyle Tuttle, Donald Lester Udoh, Reuben Ugbebor, Alfred Ujenwa Ulrich, Clarence Umlauf, Jacob Ungululani, Bright Van Baalen, Sherman W. Van Daalen, Emil Henry Vanderhaegen, Peter John Van Horn, Frederic Vanice, Ernest Ray Van Sipma, Samuel Martin Van Zee, Fred Post Vergara, Alejandrino G. Vermeulen, Jan Gabriel Vieker, Heinrich Vlahakis, John George Vliet, Frans H. van Vocatura, Joseph Voigt, Walter Voigt, Walter Erdmann Volkoff, Alexis Voss, Adolfo Wallace, Francis Brady Wandres, Albert Wargo, John Michael

Wasllak, Stanislaw Wasitis, Frank William Watt, Alexander James Wauer, Ernst Weber, Jean Webster, James Oscar Weden, Erik Weigand, Georg Weigand, Konstantin Weiss, Oliver Adam Welborn, Jack McDonald Weller, Arthur F. Wenge, Erich Wengert, William Robert Werden, Claude Herbert West, Albert James Wetzler, Harold David (Jr.) Wheeler, William H. (Jr.) Wheelock, Richard Carl White, Victor Whitmer, Floyd Whitting, Geoffrey Gorham Wiberg, Carl Emil Wlcke, Alfred Emil Widle, Maurice Ugene Wiedenmann, David Wieland, Edward Walter Wiens, Benjamin John Wiesner, Ernst Wiesner, Rudolf Wiger, Samuel Wihlborg, Ingvar Wilda, Charles de Wildman, Lewis Allen Wilk, Bronislaw Wilkinson, Sidney Williams, Arnold Hubert Williams, Clive Henry Williams, George Alvin Williams, Harry R.

Williams, Noble Merritt Wilson, Ennis Robert Wilson, Frederick John Winkler, Robert Arthur Wisegarver, Vernon C. Wisniewski, Edwin Wojcicki, Walter John Wojciechowski, Stanley Wolf, Hans Woodard, Hermon Alexander Woodburn, James Hardy Woodburn, Sydney Woodworth, Clayton James Woodworth, W. Eldon Worsley, Arthur Albert Wosu, Amos Anucha Wozniak, Andre Wrobel, Herbert Wrobel, Paul Wulle, Otto Wynes, Emlyn Wynn, John Alfred Tacos, William Yeatts, Andrew Warren Yeatts, Hugh Macmillan Young, Charles W. O.

Young, Robert Gillespie (Jr.) Yount, Warren Yuchniewicz, Stanley Zahariadis, John Zakian, Arthur S. Zakrzowski, Teodor Zatko, Ondrej Zavitz, Gerald Zbinden, Kornelius Zennig, Gerhard Zilke, Otto Zook, Aquilla B. Zuercher, Franz Zullo, Mario Charles

WATCHTOWER BIBLE SCHOOL OF GILEAD

Taking full advantage of the prolonged period of God’s mercy at the end of this world, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Incorporated, continues to equip students at its school for missionary service. Ordained ministers who have, by their excellent work in previous years, already proved their worthiness to be called to this school, are here given special instruction so as to equip them for service in foreign lands. In such lands they open up missionary homes and start new companies of Jehovah’s witnesses, showing God’s mercy to the multitudes in these far-off places who yet desire to acquire the valid hope of New World security.

During the past year the twelfth and thirteenth classes were graduated. Since the school was founded, in 1943, 1,335 students, all consecrated ministers of Jehovah God, have registered; and of this number 1,276 completed the prescribed course. A few of this group were unable to reach the high standard required to get a diploma, but of the total number who have entered the school thus far 1,186 have received the award for meritorious study.

The twelfth class began school August 31, 1948, and 108 students were enrolled. Fifty-eight of these were men and 50 were women. After the first quarter of the school term the president of the school choose 27 persons from among many volunteers to undertake the study of Italian, having in mind preparing them for foreign service in Italy. The remainder of the student body studied French along with their other subjects. This class graduated on February 6, 1949, and soon began to be scattered to the ends of the earth with the good message that the kingdom of heaven Is at hand. Of those who started school 106 graduated, and of this number 101 received diplomas. Many of the ordained ministers in this class have already gone into foreign fields, and the results of their labors are included in the reports in this Yearbook.

GRADUATES OF THE TWELFTH CLASS, FEBRUARY 6, 1949

The thirteenth class of the Bible School of Gilead began their studies on February 22, 1949. This entire group was invited to study the Spanish language. The five months of study went by very quickly for this group, and toward the end of the school term all were happy to receive their assignments, the majority of them being sent to South American countries. Graduation day for the thirteenth class came in midsummer. July 31, 1949, and many of Jehovah’s witnesses from all parts of the United States and Canada came to the graduation exercises. There were 5,205 persons in attendance for the graduation, and practically all of them had arrived in motorcars, of which a total of 1,130 were parked on the farm property adjoining the school.

The principal address delivered that morning to the student body and those assembled there was “Preach the Word”. The president pointed out how important it is for all of the ordained ministers of God to make this their chief vocation. Not only have they accepted the responsibility of preaching the Word of God, but they accepted this responsibility in the presence of God and in the presence of his Son in these, the last days of the old world, when the kingdom of heaven has been established. Preaching the Word of God is not a secondary matter with Jehovah’s witnesses, but they have always held in mind what Jesus said: “Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven.” Of the 103 students who graduated, 89 received diplomas of merit.

Adams, Frederick Walter Arbuckle, Claire Belle Arnold, Olive Mae Arrington, Audrey Gertrude Arrington, Vance LeRoy Arrington, Freda (Mrs. V. R.) Barron, Edward Luke Barron, Charlotte Vivian

(Mrs. E. L.)

Barwig, Geraldine Marie Bickert, Robert Herman Booth, Edwin Lee Booth, Dolores Jean

(Mrs. E. L.) Bowman, Florence Ida Bradshaw, Albert Victor Burtnyk, Anne Violet Cain, Richard William Card, George Henry Card. Grace Jeanne

(Mrs. G. H.)

Carr, Jessie Carras, Ruth Coleman, James Francis Collins, Boyd William Conrow, Alfred David Conrow, Edward Harvey Conrow, Harvey Rockwell Conrow, Anne Louise

(Mrs. H. R.)

Corey, Charles Lindbergh Craig, Delta Isabel

Criss, Oscar Horace, Jr. Davidson, Daniel Frederick Davis, Betty Marie Donaldson, William Donaldson, Marjorie Ruth (Mrs. W.)

Eddlemon, Mary Bell Eriksson, John Gustaf Ervin, Hoyle Fahie, Robert John Flodin, Helen Alice Gonzales, Pilar Gomez Gotthold, Frederick Albin Gotthold, Eileen Margaret (Mrs. F. A.)

Graber, Dewalne Fulton Griffin, Vera Hall, William Jackson Hansler, Johan Diederick Hansler, Esther Helen (Mrs. J. D.)

Hayhurst. Frederick Nelson Hehnbrecht, Mary Berniece Helstrom, David Julmer Helstrom, Hazel Pauline

(Mrs. D. J.)

Hockey, Kathleen Margaret Holleman. Mildred Louise

The staff of instructors of

Hull, Floyd Eugene Hull, Lila Ione (Mrs. F. E.) Hyre, Kemper David Jackson, Harold Kenneth Jenkins, Ferd William Henry Jenkins, Dorothy Marie (Mrs. F. W. H.) Jones, Thomas Richard Jones, Flora MacDonald (Mrs. T. R.) Joselowitz, Abraham Klukowski, Jennie Irene Knight, Robert Wade Koett, George Anton Laidlaw, Alexander Elliot Laidlaw, Dorothy Naomi (Mrs. A. E.) Later, Jean Elnora (Mrs. J. E.) Latimer, William Allen Latimer, Florence Doreen (Mrs. W. A.) LeValley, George Albert MacFarlane, Evelyn Henrietta Major, John Edmond Matyanowski, Esther McDannel, Barbara Lucretia McLaughlin, Rosalie Jean Mierke, Albert Clifford Mierke, Caroline Lillian (Mrs. A. C.) Miller. Marion Merle Morgan, Avis Mary Pomber, Jean Patricia Sagen, Mary Florence Sekerak, Joseph Serenco, Ursula May Simmonlte, Sidney Burton Simon, Helen Marie Smith, Mary Elizabeth Somo, Gale JoAnn Stephens, Roy Wilbur Stewart, Rosie Lee Sumen, Miriam Esther Swan, Edward Quentin Thompson, Doris Pauline Timmons, Harold Lee Timmons, Evelyn Marie

(Mrs. H. L.)

Tubbs. Raymond Cecil Vanderhaegen, Peter John Vartanian. Elizabeth Wilkes, George Powell Williams, Harry Rodney Williams. John Henry Wilson, Frederick John Wilson, Grace Amelia

(Mrs. F. J.) Woellert, Horace Gustav

with their work and their association with the school. Situated as they are In some of the most beautiful scenery In New York state, they can fully appreciate Jehovah’s promises concerning summer and winter, cold and beat, seedtime and harvesttime. The grounds immediately around the school, and the farmlands, continually bespeak the glory of the Lord in all seasons of the year. Jehovah’s witnesses who enjoy the labor in the fields, orchards and buildings necessary to the operation of the farm and school do their daily work as unto the Lord because what they are doing relates directly to the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom. These brethren provide food not only for the students at school but also for the Bethel family in New York. When there are approximately 500 persons to feed three times a day, much food is required. Their love for the Lord and for their brethren is very much appreciated.

In addition to taking care of the farm duties these brethren carry on their ministerial work evenings and week-ends. Many of them serve congregations regularly on Saturdays and Sundays. All have the privilege of conducting Bible studies in the private homes of the interested people near by. There Is an excellent company of Jehovah’s witnesses associated with the members of the farm family, and all work together in unity to serve the territory around Ithaca with the Kingdom message. The Watchtower Bible School of Gilead and the Kingdom Farm associated with it are in themselves a witness to all the people in the area that Jehovah has a people on the earth who are willing and happy to serve him because of the sheer joy and pleasure of serving and worshiping the only true God. Surely because of this place a “heap of witness” has been piled up world-wide, all to the honor and glory of Jehovah’s name.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Over nineteen centuries ago Jesus in doing the will of his Father had primarily in mind getting the good news to the lost sheep of Israel. He said to his disciples, “And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ” (Matt. 10: 7, Rev. Stan. Ver.) However, later on he directed that his faithful followers should expand the work and preach to all the nations. Today one of the many nations to be reached by this good news that Jesus first brought into the world is the United States. This country needs the Word of God preached to it as much as any other in the world. Here approximately one half of the population have no church affiliations, and of the remaining half only about 50 percent go to church once in a while. The American people are not very regular in their Bible study, nor are their minds turned toward God. The things of this old world which is passing out hold an attraction and lure for them.

Jehovah’s witnesses, however, are proclaiming far and wide throughout the forty-eight states the good news which must be preached to them. When one reflects on the work in the United States over a period of the last thirty years, he can rejoice and be glad to see that the Lord has prospered the efforts of Jehovah’s witnesses. Back in 1918 there were only 746 publishers proclaiming this good news of the Kingdom. Ten years later there were 6,040 heralding the news that the Kingdom is the only hope for the world. By 1938 there were 25,596 persons preaching the Word. Through the years of the Second World War and great persecution these few did not slack their hand, but by 1948, there were 72,945 going from door to door and from town to town, telling the people of the only hope for mankind. To these witnesses thirty years did not seem a long time to preach after the Lord had come to his temple for judgment; but knowing of Jehovah’s patience in these last days, these brethren, too, showed their patience by continuing to preach. Now as we look back over the last service year we find an increase of another 10,000 publishers, preachers of the Kingdom—people who have forsaken the old world, consecrated their lives to God, and are now standing shoulder to shoulder with Jehovah’s witnesses, singing the praises of the Most High. It certainly makes our hearts glad to note that 82,958 publishers have been in the field regularly throughout the year, and in the last month of the year a peak of 91,463 was reached.

By the Lord’s grace, the American brethren are not stopping there, but they have their eyes set on the 100,000 mark, firmly believing that there are that many persons of good-will scattered throughout this land who will be anxious to take their stand for the Kingdom and join in preaching the Word by the time the 1950 assembly rolls around.

Another point worthy of note is that not only were these publishers of the Kingdom interested in preaching the Word in their own land, but by generous contributions to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society they have made it possible to send out hundreds of missionaries to foreign countries and have aided greatly in financing the Branch organizational work in many lands. Through their generosity they have contributed much to the expansion work in all fields, at the same time not neglecting their own neighbors. The Branch servant for the United States gives us a very interesting report, and portions of it are set out herewith.

I hope, Brother Knorr, that as you compile the worldwide preaching report of Jehovah’s witnesses it brings to your heart as much satisfaction and joy as I received in compiling the United States report. In an evil world as selfish and unstable as this, to see a group of people unselfishly unite in expanding praise to a God visible only by the eye of faith is truly gratifying. Not only has such effective expansion been accomplished in the field preaching work, as will be seen later in this report under the heading “Field Service”, but likewise it has been enjoyed at the Brooklyn printing factory. Excelling in the line of production were publications to be used by our brethren in countries other than America. It is truly interesting to note how this theme has been paramount throughout the year as it was the previous year. We are very grateful that we have the necessary facilities and are able to supply so much literature to our brethren in other lands. During the past year there were 1,108,076 more books shipped to countries outside the United States than were shipped to companies and pioneers within our borders. However, it was not predominantly English books being sent to English-speaking countries, either. By the Lord’s grace, we have been able to publish and ship books in large numbers in a variety of languages. In analyzing the production figures we find they reveal that we actually produced here in the publishing plant more foreign-language books than English, with the total foreign-book production of 2,147,253. In preparing these many publications during the past year so that the

Word of troth could be preached world-wide, we produced books and booklets in thirty different languages. It is very good to see this great demand on the part of the brethren throughout the world, motivated with the desire to praise God more and more and expand the preaching of the Word. Performing this world-wide ministerial work the Lord’s organization is strongly united in the belief that it is God's work and that he and his Word are true. This is emphatically confirmed in the unequaled acceptance and utilization of the book “Let God Be True?'. Just three years to the month from the time this book was released, the Brooklyn plant completed the publishing of 6,502,122 copies. Again remembering our privileged obligations toward our associated brethren overseas, this book at the close of this past service year was completed in ten languages other than English. However, from the time of the close of the service year to the writing of this report, we have completed the publishing of “Let God Be True” in the Siamese and Sesuto languages, making to date a total of twelve, with several other languages in the process of publication.

Appreciatively, we here at the publishing factory have served side by side with our brethren in the field, in the line of more and more production of praise to Jehovah’s supreme name.

PRODUCTION REPORT

Books and Bibles Booklets “The Watchtower** “Awake!”	1949 4,019,326 10,697,588 15,706,400 14,077,000	1948 3,802,920 14,592,450 14,701,250 12,439,900	1947 4,261,345 4,822,309 15,557,141 13,121,300
Total	44,500,314	45,536,520	37,762,095
Advertising leaflets Calendars Catalogues Miscellaneous supplies Magazine bags	78,876,025 118,657 264,546 20,933,300 8,081	85,284,612 102,377 556,265 19,032,776 11,219	73,208,000 103,000 None 22,860,486 43,031
Total mlsc. printing	100,200,609	104,987,249	96,214,517

Processed in the above production were 3,107 tons of paper, which surpasses the 1948 consumption by 230 tons.

Speaking relative to paper, it was published in the 1949 Yearbook; “With more paper available, we should be able to increase our production of The Watchtower and Awake! for 1949.” This statement was certainly not made amiss. Neither was the Lord’s directing and arranging for Magazine Day amiss. It rather seems that it was the Lord’s ■will that a very wide distribution be made of these two essential and instructive magazines. Stimulated with this thought, the ambassadors of Jehovah’s Theocratic Government willingly followed the instruction of their Senior Ambassador, Christ Jesus, and moved into united good-will action, the effective results being shown by the fact that company after company increased its order for distributors’ copies of The 'Watchtower and Awake! At the conclusion of the service year, upon tabulating these increases, we discern they amounted to a total of 3,255,039 more magazines being mailed out in 1949 than in the previous year. The rapid expansion In the production of these two magazines over past years speaks loud and undeniably in confirming our belief in the extreme value and essentiality of these publications. Turning back the records we find that twenty years ago. in 1929, there was a grand total of 3,306,440 magazines produced. Ten years later, 1939, there were 9,369,050 magazines published. And this year the exuberant number of 29,783,400 copies of The Watchtower and Awake! were printed. By the Lord’s grace, with these two very effective, timely instruments in our hand we will avail ourselves of every opportunity afforded by Magazine Day and any other time, to employ them in preaching the Word. Here again we have flashed to our minds the fact that this work is being done in all lands and in all languages. In observing the production of the magazines in the Spanish language for the past year, we find the distribution of The Watchtower in the Spanish language exceeded 1,000,000 copies.

The mailing of these millions of magazines from Brooklyn, in addition to the shipping out of millions of books, Bibles, and booklets, etc., involved spending the amount of $290,515.19 for total shipping and mailing costs.

Rolling steadily in the rapid line of production over a period of many years, it is natural that certain machinery eventually wears out and requires replacement. Among the machines obtained this year were two semi-automatic sewing machines for the sewing of books. Also added to the factory equipment was a new back-liner and casing-in machine, the purpose of which is to place the books into their covers. The old replaced back-liner and casing-in machine, it is good to report, completed over 30,000,000 bound books throughout their many years of operation. Thus they have successfully piled up a tremendous heap of witness along the advancing pathway of Jehovah’s witnesses.

I am sure I can speak for every one of the Bethel family when I say that it has been our sincere desire for some time to have more and better facilities to fulfill our cherished obligations to serve our brethren world-wide. Hence, in 1946, upon hearing of the prospect of the erecting of a new factory, needless to say we all greatly rejoiced. Laboriously we endeavored to acquire the necessary plot of land upon which to build this needed addition to our present publishing plant. In due time the way was provided. Immediately the buildings on the newly obtained lots were demolished and the day long looked for came, on December 6, 1948, as a massive power shovel began to eat away the earth to make way for the new factory. Promptly, as fast as enormous cavities were formed in the ground, they were filled with concrete reinforced with steel. Soon the plot of ground enveloped a mighty foundation consisting of over 1300 tons of concrete. Day by day each one of us eagerly watched this impressive concrete-and-steel structure rise skyward, until at the time of the writing of this report over 6,650 tons of concrete have been poured, reinforced with 258 tons of steel. The above comprises the first eight floors of the eventual 9-story building. As eagerly as we have watched and waited for its completion, just as eager are we to fill these welcome floors with a lay-out of machinery in order to more effectively and abundantly print the Word of truth. It is our hope that we can have this spacious new factory humming at full-speed to the glory of Jehovah when all our welcome guests come to Inspect and observe it during the 1950 International convention.

The urgency and necessity of this new factory is very obvious to you and to us who are privileged to work here. Nevertheless this need can be confirmed to all by recalling to our minds a little history. The main eight-story part of the present factory was built in 1927. The field in the United States which it was required to supply consisted of an average of only 3,710 publishers. Just ten years later, in 1937, the production facilities of the factory were becoming overtaxed, requiring the building of a four-story addition. At that time, the field force of ministers consisted on the average of 21,454 publishers. Now, in 1949, the factory has again become entirely too small to keep pace with the tremendous expansion in the field. Excelling all previous years, there was an average of 82,958 publishers each month of the 1949 service year busily performing their labors of love by preaching the Word. Thus we cun readily recognize the unquestionable need of the present addition’s being made to the factory. This new nine-story addition will provide 72,200 square feet of floor space, which is an area approximately 1,280 square feet more than that in the original eight-story building built in 1927.

Moved by a sincere desire to express our thankfulness and appreciation to Jehovah for all the facilities with which he has so graciously blessed us, we here of the United States Branch are determined, by the Lord’s grace, to stick to our work in the production line of praise. By faithfully doing so, we hope to show our love for our

brethren in every nation by better serving them, all to the honor of him whose Word we unitedly preach.

FIELD SERVICE

As the 1949 service year comes to a close the servants of Jehovah in this land have just cause to rejoice, for it has been a year of blessings. The concerted effort on the part of the publishers to reach the quotas and attain new peaks, as well as their determination to attend the many assemblies that marked this service year and to benefit from the instruction there imparted, undoubtedly contributed toward the gratifying increases which the reports reveal.

Expansion was early in evidence when a new all-time publisher peak was reached in October with 82,217 publishers reporting. This exceeded the previous peak by 3,551 publishers. March saw another new peak of 82,640. For April a goal of 87,000 publishers was suggested, based upon the combined previous peaks of both pioneers and company publishers as revealed by reports from the various circuits. To the joy of everyone this figure was exceeded, for 87,622 publishers reported field service. Spirited activity during the Memorial period undoubtedly played a large part In making this possible. For the Memorial celebration itself, 129,025 were in attendance and 10,050 partook of the emblems.

But even April’s outstanding peak of publishers was to fall behind before this blessed year of service came to a close. In July 89,669 publishers were in the field, and in August, the last month of the service year, still another all-time peak was recorded with 91,463 in the field. Five peaks in 12 months! These good increases brought the average number of publishers for the year to 82,958, comfortably over the quota of 80,239 publishers and an Increase of 13.7 percent over last year’s average of 72,945 publishers.

It was evident to all that the 1949 assemblies played a predominant part in bringing about this growth. During this 12-month period the three remaining district assemblies of the previous series were held in Des Moines, Iowa; Chicago, Illinois, and Providence, Rhode Island. Besides furnishing needed spiritual nourishment and refreshment similar to the assemblies which preceded, the final gathering at Providence set the stage for the activity of the year which was to follow. It was here that you, Brother Knorr, first announced the theme text for the year 1949, “I . . . will yet praise thee more and more.” (Ps. 71:14) This was closely followed by the announcement that during the summer of 1949 we would again be blessed by district assemblies, this time two for each district.

By early spring arrangements had been made for district assemblies at Fort Worth, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Raleigh, North Carolina; Sacramento California; Portland, Oregon; Springfield, Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Lincoln, Nebraska, and Baltimore, Maryland.

A separate district had been established the previous year for the colored brethren In the South, making seven districts in the United States. The two assemblies in that district, Jacksonville and New Orleans, were arranged solely for the colored brethren. This proved to be especially beneficial and was greatly appreciated by those in attendance inasmuch as meetings of mixed groups in that area are sure to arouse the ire of unprincipled and prejudiced persons who would not scruple to interfere with or prevent even a Christian gathering. As these two assemblies progressed, it was apparent to everyone that Jehovah's blessing was upon the arrangement. With minds free to enjoy the features of the assemblies, these brethren joyfully drank in the instruction given. Although smaller in size than some of the other district assemblies, they were by no means surpassed in enthusiasm and appreciation on the part of the brethren in attendance.

The program was substantially the same at all the assemblies except for the fact that five of the cities had four-day programs and hence additional features. From beginning to end the sessions presented thought-provoking, instructive counsel. No feature of the service was left untouched, and the discourses dealt with a great variety of important subjects. Christian conduct, company problems and remedies, the progress made by Jehovah’s people over past years, and the need for fearlessly sticking with the work left for us before Armageddon, were among the points discussed.

The public talk “It Is Later than You Think!” aroused much interest and was widely and effectively advertised by means of 2,600,000 handbills as well as thousands of placards, window signs and other advertising means in the various cities. Collectively, 85,441 persons heard the timely message relative to the lateness of the day in which we live. Furthermore, in recognition of the importance of the time, 1,644 symbolized their consecration by water immersion at the 14 assemblies.

The enthusiasm aroused by these assemblies, not only among the Lord’s people who attended, but also among the residents of the convention cities who came to know us and our message better, undoubtedly played a large part in the gathering momentum of service activity during the latter part of the service year.

Along with the district assemblies, circuit assemblies continued to play an important role in the progress of individual publishers and companies throughout the country. Particularly gratifying is the response of the public. During the latter half of the service year 106,509 individuals attended the circuit assembly public meeting, to compare with 59,172 attending the Saturday-night meeting. The majority of those making up the difference beween these two figures were undoubtedly persons of good-will.

There was a 99-percent Increase in the number immersed at circuit assemblies in the latter half of the service year over the same period of the previous year. During the entire year 7,349 new publishers were baptized, an Increase of 96.5 percent over last year’s figure of 3,739 immersed.

For the most part there was little opposition to our service activity in the United States this past year. Spasmodic outbursts, however, served to remind us that the adversary continues to seek out opportunities to hinder the true worship of God. However, the largest field of missionary evangelistic work, the door-to-door witnessing as it was introduced by Christ Jesus and the apostles, except for minor encroachments, remained open in the United States. A case involving the preaching of the gospel came up in Pittsburgh and another in Lagrange, Georgia. Attempts were made to stop the magazine work in Gulfport, Mississippi; and in New York city a little disturbance of the public witness work at Times Square was attempted, but when the matter was taken to court the magistrate sharply reprimanded the police because of their illegal action in attempting to restrain the ministry of Jehovah’s witnesses. From time to time difficulties arose because Of the use of sound equipment in various parts of the country, but all of these encounters with persons who tried to silence the truth only gave added stimulus to the work and Jehovah’s people continue in their forward march.

One of the outstanding attempts to suppress the work during the last year was when the ire of the enemy was precipitated to high pitch against a public meeting in Duncan, Oklahoma, held in connection with a circuit assembly. The brethren and many persons of good-will of that city were assembled on the afternoon of July 17, 1949, to listen to a talk by the district servant. Some forty minutes before time for the lecture to begin, between 200 and 300 men, most of them world-war veterans, goaded on by some pseudo-patriots, entered the school auditorium leased to the brethren for the circuit assembly. Two of the invaders, carrying enormous flags, marched to the front of the hall and mounted the platform. They endeavored to stop the orderly Christian assembly. They seized the microphone and yelled for everyone to stand and sing the national anthem and salute the flag. The audience decided to sing songs of praise to Jehovah and managed to drown out the discordant singing of the mobsters. The ringleader of the trespassers then tried to get everyone to leave the auditorium. The only reply was the singing of “Take Sides with Jehovah” and “Giving Jehovah the Praise”. This so infuriated the demonized intruders that one of them struck a young brother. This started a free-for-all that lasted for about half an hour. About twelve of our brethren were injured, but they were not idle. Many were the surprised and confused “bullies” that evening as they nursed their wounds, chagrined at the way these “sissies of Jehovah’s witnesses” protected themselves. Not a few later admitted to the brethren that they were ashamed of their participation. The lecture began on time and was victoriously completed. The surrounding countryside, as well as the law-abiding citizenry of Duncan, are incensed at the action taken by the lawless ones in their midst, and they are particularly incensed because such action was at the apparent direction of the city officials. The detailed report of this disgraceful happening has been reported in Awake! for November 8, 1949. Action in court is to be taken against those responsible for this outrageous assault against freedom of worship.

Pioneers were of great assistance during the year, not only In going to places where additional aid is needed, as in Duncan, but also during assemblies and especially in aiding the companies. The end of the service year saw 5,016 pioneers on the active list, 379 of whom were special pioneers. It must be noted that we were 2,279 below our goal of 7,295 pioneers, which goal was 10 percent more than the average number of pioneers for the previous service year.

The vacation-pioneer service continued to enjoy a healthy expansion in the United States, and another new peak, 832 vacation pioneers, was reached. The previous high figure was last year’s 796 vacation pioneers. Thirteen of these vacation pioneers found it possible to enter the fulltime pioneer service. Additionally, 1,753 new pioneers were enrolled during the course of the year.

The majority of the pioneers are now working in conjunction with companies and rendering valuable aid in strengthening these established groups. There were 138 new companies enrolled during the year, with a total of 2,905 companies reporting at the end of the service year.

The release of Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses on March 1, 1949, did much to enliven the service.

The Kingdom Hope of AU Mankind (English) was the only other new publication made available during the year. It was stressed extensively during several of the campaigns throughout the year, and, although there was a drop in the amount of literature placed during the year, more back-calls were made and studies conducted.

The average time in the field on the part of company publishers dropped from 13.2 to 11.1 hours per month, undoubtedly because of the change in manner of counting time. It is encouraging to note, however, that the average number of Bible studies for both publishers and pioneers remained the same, and increased slightly for special pioneers. This resulted in an Increase of 19.9 percent in Bible studies, to give a total of 61,193. Back-calls Increased in total number by 9.9 percent.

Due to the Magazine Day arrangement and also the two subscription campaigns during the service year, magazines played an Increasing role in the gospel-preaching work in the United States. The number of new subscriptions obtained went up from 230,278 to 291,296 and the individual magazines distributed went up from 6,486,766 to 7,453,310. A great flood of truth reached the people through the medium of the magazines, for during the year a total of 10,783,870 copies of The Watchtower and 9,670,298 copies of Awake! were sent out in the United States alone.

Having tasted the joy of exceeding the quota set for this past year by 2,719 publishers, Jehovah’s servants in this country hope to continually go unitedly forward preaching the Word in season and out of season. With Jehovah’s help we will each strive to do our part this coming year to meet or exceed our new quota of 91,254 publishers, to the end that Jehovah’s name may be magnified the more.

OTHER COUNTRIES UNDER THE UNITED STATES BRANCH

It is extremely interesting to watch the progress of the work of gospel-preaching throughout the islands of the sea and in territories that are more or less isolated or off the beaten path of travel. Many people live in these isolated places. They are acquainted with the happenings in the world, and wonder what it all means. By carrying the Kingdom message to them they have the opportunity to learn that we are now in the last days and that the time has come for the new world of righteousness to bring blessings to those who love Jehovah God and his kingdom. The Society feels its responsibility to reach out to the ends of the earth with this good news, and has accordingly sent persons to these scattered isles of the sea and many isolated places.

The brief reports that follow give some idea of just what the pioneer work is and of the struggle Jehovah’s witnesses have in getting established in some of these lands. Of the 17 places listed, seven reports deal with islands or groups of islands, while the other 10 places reported on are in connection with mainland territories. The president of the Society has arranged to send Gilead graduates into all of these places with the exception of one. Sometimes, of course, it is impossible for them to remain for a long period of time, but still seed is sown and local organizations have been started. At the present time there are 35 graduates of Gilead located in 12 of these outlying posts, and associated with them are other brethren who have taken up the pioneer work as well as many local company publishers. All together, 39 companies have been established in these territories, and the total number of publishers is 544, with a peak figure during the year of 778 individuals who engaged in preaching this gospel of the Kingdom. This was a good increase over 1948, when the average number of publishers was 378. Taking in this whole territory, there has been a 45-pereent increase in number of publishers over the 1948 service year. The 39 companies that are now organized in these 17 different places throughout the world are just a beginning for greater expansion. The publishers’ experiences, their trials and difficulties and their joys, are just the same as those of the brethren in countries where there are thousands of publishers associated together. Someday, in the New World, all these places, too, will be filled with people singing the praises of the Most High, for they will all have their place in the new world of righteousness. What is happening in the service in these different places is briefly set out below.

ALASKA

A small but determined group of publishers continue to push the Kingdom’s announcement in the vast territory of Alaska. Their efforts have borne some fruit, for the 32 publishers now reporting represent an increase of 6.6 percent over the previous service year's average. A peak of 43 publishers was reached in August.

The effects of the district assembly held in Juneau last year are still being felt. Those who have taken their stand for the truth are lively and the new interest is anxious to have part in all features of the work. Some of the sisters there help each other in the service by taking care of the children by turn. Following a recent visit from the special pioneer who serves part-time as circuit servant, another of the companies reports a steady gain in number of publishers as well as attendance at the meetings; so a further increase is anticipated.

The people of Alaska, generally, are fed up with orthodox religion, but it is difficult for them to discern the difference between false religion and the preaching work being done by our brethren there. However, there were 3,958 back-calls made, an increase of 9 percent, and the average of 42 Bible studies every month was an increase of 23.5 percent. Our Alaskan brethren have steadfastly held forth the Word of life, to their own benefit as well as to the everlasting good of the few who will pause and heed.

BAHAMAS

People of good-will in the Bahamas have continued to manifest themselves, not only by meeting attendance, but also by zealously taking part in field service. This growth was quite manifest at the Memorial celebration when 112 were in attendance, more than double last year’s figure of 54. Of these, 7 partook of the emblems. The average number of publishers in the Bahamas has grown from 33 to 52, a gain of 57.6 percent, and a new peak of 68 publishers was reached in April.

Although there was a decrease in other literature distributed by the company, more individual magazines were placed. In fact, the 5,436 copies distributed this year was an increase of 136 percent over the previous year. This, together with continued public meeting activity, has been distressing to the religious leaders. Unable to suffer in silence, a plea was published in The Parish News, a portion of which follows: “I am a little disturbed by people who have come to sow seeds of dissension in the parish. They are called Jehovah’s witnesses. Please be careful and firmly reject the doctrines of these people. They, no doubt, will tell you that what we are teaching you is wrong, yet good church people receive these people into their homes and let them try to explain their own book to them. Remember that the Church existed long before the Bible. Do not let these people dissuade you from your Catholic teaching and practice. I ask all the faithful to stand firm against these erroneous teachings. . . . Any time you want to know anything that you do not understand please consult your parish priest. He will put you right. Do not listen to people who know not what they are talking about. Please take all this to heart.”

But it seems that the good people were more inclined to take the truth to heart than the frightened cry of The Parish News. Quite a number of them expressed their displeasure that such an article had been published.

THE ISLAND OF ELEUTHERA

During most of the service year the Society’s 60-foot auxiliary schooner “Sibia”, manned by four special pioneers, has been working in the Bahamas, chiefly on islands not otherwise accessible. Considerable time was spent on the island of Eleuthera. The vast field which these brethren have to cover does not permit them to remain long enough to carry on extended Bible studies and organize companies, but seeds are being sown and an abundance of good-will is found. They also visited Andros, Abaca, Bimini, Grand Bahama, Cat Island, Long island, Harbour island, Exuma, Rum Cay, and Inagua, a few of the 20 Inhabited Islands In the Bahama group; and some of the 3,278 pieces of literature they placed found Its way into almost every home they went to, although there were many settlements that they were unable to reach.

It would be Impossible to Include all of their Interesting experiences, but a portion of the report of the missionary home servant in charge of the boat’s activities follows.

“Some people still had cherished copies of the Society’s literature dating back to The Harp of God. They were delighted to know that the books being presented were published by the same organization. Many proved by their conversation that they had digested much of the information they had read.

“Sometimes whole families would be out in the fields when we called, but, after coming home and seeing the Bibles and books of their friends, they would be waiting at the dock early next morning to get some for themselves. Some would come out to our boat and bring little gifts of fish, fruit or coconuts, for which we always gave them extra reading matter.

“The public meetings were difficult to arrange in some places and quite easy in others. In many instances it simply meant getting up and speaking. These talks were given in schools, churches, private homes, stores, barrooms, at docks, under trees and whenever there was an opportunity, often without benefit of lights or notes. It was quite often difficult to get the people to disperse after the talk, and many seemed never to have enough. We regretted that we could not spend more time with them.

“Frequently, while coming home from a long hard day in the service, we would have the pleasure of hearing people reading aloud to themselves as we passed by their small dwelling-places. Many of them would call to us and express their pleasure with the book and thank us again for calling on them. We could not help but remark at the wonderful patience of the Lord, which has made it possible for these fine people to hear the truth and rejoice at the presence of the King.

“As elsewhere, however, these ‘Isles of Paradise’, as they have been called, are cursed with clergy blight and it is really surprising how many religions are represented in a little town of 100 or less. The attitude of the majority of these religionists is summed up in the words of one of them to a member of our group: ‘I can’t prove you wrong but I will fight against you to the end.’

“One can but pity the spiritually starved people who, like the man on Exuma island, after remarking how little he knew of the Bible after many years of church-going, was asked, ‘Then why do you go?’ His pitiful answer should be a millstone of guilt around the necks of those responsible, ‘Well, dey don’t teach us de way de Bible says but God’s name is mentioned, so we goes t’ hear dat.’ ”

The work of these four missionaries has been hampered by all of the hazards and inconvenience that accompany travel by boat, as well as by lack of transportation after reaching some of the islands. During the seven months covered by their report they averaged 73.1 hours per month, made 564 back-calls and conducted an average of 12 home Bible studies monthly. At this time the boat is working in the Virgin Islands, with continued and abundant proof that Jehovah is blessing this arrangement.

BERMUDA

The action of officials of Bermuda in deporting the two Gilead graduates who were serving as ministers for the Hamilton, Bermuda, company of Jehovah’s witnesses is now familiar to all, having been thoroughly considered in a special article In the Awake! magazine. Up to the present time, efforts to undo the harm that resulted from this unjust move have not been successful; but opportunity has been afforded to many to take their stand for or against Jehovah and his kingdom.

The good people of Bermuda are, for the most part, sympathetic toward the cause of the witnesses. For their benefit, 10,000 copies of the Awake! magazine containing the Bermuda article were distributed among them. This distribution was a big job for the little band of witnesses in Bermuda. The two regular publishers were assisted at times by as many as 14 interested persons, but it took several months to accomplish it.

The prolonged distribution of magazines understandably cut into the time available for studies and back-calls, but the brethren are now endeavoring to care for the large amount of good-will that has been manifest.

They feel very keenly the need for assistance after having had the Gilead graduates with them for almost two years. The petition which was rejected previously by the House of Assembly Is to be put before the House again soon. Whether the austere rulers of that land will choose to deal with the Watchtower Society as with other religious bodies cannot be foreseen; but It Is certain that the controversy is in itself a witness to the people and many are learning of the true nature of sectarian religion and politics as a result.

FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA

The truth knows no boundaries, neither is it a respecter of persons. Separated by the great distances of intervening jungle, scorned by austere white missionaries who do all in their power to hamper the work, constant movement among the people, these things would discourage all but those moved by the zeal of Jehovah. Of such are these Frenchspeaking Africans who have progressed so remarkably during the past service year.

There are now seven organized groups reporting field service, with an average of 15 publishers. They averaged 10.2 back-calls and 2.0 Bible studies for the year, which is commendable for these new workers. To overcome the large amount of illiteracy among many of the interested, a brother has been appointed to give Instructions in reading, that they might advance more rapidly.

Although these native people are looked down upon by the Europeans and particularly by the religious missionaries, their skillful use of the Scriptures is too much for the clergy. Occasionally one will endeavor to discredit the truth as did the priest who Interrupted one of the meetings where the book Creation was being read aloud. He demanded to see the book, and straightway condemned it. When asked if he had a better one to offer, he proffered books on philosophy and theology, which were promptly rejected as being the wisdom of man. The priest then shifted his approach to boast that the Catholic church was the only true one; but the scriptures used cut through his argument so that by the time the discussion finished “he was all confused, and he sweat so much that he was ail wet, even to the bones”.

The Protestants, too, are quick to condemn the witnesses, lodging complaints with the municipal authorities and warning their flocks against listening to the message. Any of their people who are caught or noticed listening are immediately excluded from the congregation, and the baptismal card, considered a passport to heaven, Is withdrawn. But such man-made barriers are entirely ineffective. The people are remarkably honest and sincere and they readily recognize the failure of organized religion when it is called to their attention.

Letters are constantly being received from various Individuals who want literature or more information about the truth. Said one, “We Africans of the Equator are poor in spirit and cannot always understand what we read. It Is beyond our imagination. Brethren, come to our help and teach us . . . The only light we can get is through your Instructions, in your books.”

GAMBIA

In May, 1949, two graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead made their appearance in Gambia, the smallest and most northerly of the British West African dependencies.

The majority of the inhabitants of Gambia are Negroes, about 75 percent being followers of the Mohammedan religion. These thrifty, industrious people are for the most part illiterate, but there are, nevertheless, many well-educated Africans among them. When the missionaries began their work they found many people who still recalled a visit paid to the colony by one of the Society’s representatives some twenty years before. The public lectures given at that time had awakened interest that was still smoldering, and many expressed appreciation that representatives of the Society were again with them. An attentive audience of 115 heard the public talk “Peace on Earth—When?”— the first of two conducted by the missionaries. In a vain effort to counter this good work the clergy raised the false cry of “Communism”. But the people had heard too much about the Bible from these witnesses of God to be so easily fooled. So the tune was changed to “false prophets”, but with no greater success.

One priest, after observing some literature being placed with some salesladies, rudely Interrupted with, “That literature isn’t worth having. Why do you come here? We have our own religion.” It was pointed out that the Jews at the time of Christ had their own religion, too. Then the priest recalled that Jehovah’s witnesses did not take part in any wars, to which the publisher replied that members of the “father’s” religion attacked and killed one another in almost every war. This ended the conversation, with the priest beating a hasty retreat.

A company has not yet been formed, but one company publisher has joined the missionaries in the service and they are making the most of the time they have in the country. Notwithstanding all efforts of the clergy to the contrary, the people are eagerly grasping the truth.

GUADELOUPE

For many years there have been some of our brethren in Guadeloupe, preaching the gospel message to the best of their abilities. Hampered by internal strife and meager understanding of instructions, these brethren were overjoyed when they learned that two graduates from Gilead were to come to assist them. After considerable difficulty these two brethren finally arrived at Polnte-i-Pitre, where the majority of the brethren are located.

Progress was soon made as the two missionaries improved in their ability to speak French, and their presence began to be felt. The company activity increased; and the religionists began to get busy. But the religionists did not busy themselves with preaching the gospel. A notice came to the missionaries that they would have to leave on January 30, only a week’s notice! The British counsul investigated on request of the brethren, but it was found impossible to get extension of their visas beyond the 5th of March, notwithstanding a petition from the congregation they were serving. The consul, himself a Catholic, suggested that “it must be the hand of the Catholic Church”. Even this extension of their visas was soon canceled.

But the witness work did not stop when they left, much to the dissatisfaction of the religious opposers. One religious group used motion pictures in an endeavor to counteract the effects of the Kingdom message. Soon thereafter the priest of Salnte Anne passed the place where the studies were being held. He made bold to ask the landlord why he rented his house to the witnesses. The landlord told him: “I rent my house to anybody without exception.” Countered the priest: “Don’t you know that in doing this you give a knife to somebody who may kill another one?" His Implication that Jehovah’s witnesses were murderers fell on deaf ears. The honest landlord was already acquainted with the sword of the spirit which the witnesses wield to cut away religion’s refuge of lies and help the people to get life.

In working Sainte Anne one of the three pioneers in Guadeloupe reports: “In about 150 homes I always heard the same answer, ‘the priest or the preacher forbids us to read the books of the Watchtower.’ One woman told me that the preacher In the church said, ‘The authors of these books are now burning in hell-fire.’ ” But in spite of such falsehoods the literature is going out to the people. Back-calls almost doubled, growing from 1,373 to 2,631 as the brethren endeavored to “feed the sheep” as Jesus commanded.

There is much Interest scattered throughout the rural sections of the islands. With Jehovah’s help these will yet be gathered before the day of his patience is past.

ICELAND

Although there has been no change in the number of company publishers in Iceland, the prospects were advanced by the arrival of two more Gilead graduates on the 18th of December. Immediately they began the long and difficult struggle to learn the complex Icelandic language, meantime taking advantage of all opportunities that were afforded to preach the gospel. In the door-to-door work they gave a full witness to those who could understand a smattering of English, and to get the message to the Icelanders they memorized sentences and concentrated on pronunciation. They started studies by translating “The Bible Clearly Teaches” from the second page of The Watchtower into Icelandic and then furnishing proof texts from Icelandic Bibles.

From time to time the seeds planted begin to grow, however, as in the instance of an experience related by the Gilead brethren. A young Englishman, formerly a soldier but now married and living in Iceland, was short of reading matter. The brethren lent him some English newspapers among which copies of Awake! had been liberally scattered. When he was next seen on the street he expressed satisfaction at the material Awake! presented although he had shown little interest in the message before. His request for more to read was granted. He confessed that he was a Roman Catholic but that he was not satisfied with her actions and teachings. A study is being started and he is already witnessing to his associates.

KOREA

With the coming of Japan’s invading armies the witness work was halted in Korea. The brethren, scattered or imprisoned by the Japanese, lost contact with the Society. When release came, in 1945, they again preached the Kingdom message to their friends and neighbors the best they knew how. When, in 1947, contact was again established with the Society, the brethren were overjoyed. They desired to have a greater share in the feeding of the “other sheep”.

In May of 1948 a group of brethren assembled at Wha Dong and, with tears of joy, organized the Seoul, Korea, company. Afterward they had their first organized 'Watchtower study since 1939. In line with their previous experience they then gathered up all the literature they could find and in 13 days 8 publishers had placed it all; 80 bound books and 473 booklets in 339 hours. They did not yet understand how to make back-calls and conduct Bible studies, nor how to properly report time. Without literature it seemed that their work was finished. The translating of instructions from the Society into Korean by one of their number was slow, for he was already kept busy translating The Watchtower for their study. One can well imagine the joy of these brethren under such circumstances when two graduates of Gilead arrived in August, 1949.

Immediately the work took on new life. The many new and helpful Instructions were called to attention and a service meeting was organized. The publishers were shown how to conduct and report back-calls and studies and to take advantage of the small amount of available literature by lending it to different persons. Instead of doing practically no work in the field as in the months immediately preceding, the 14 publishers devoted 272 hours to the service and made 49 back-calls during the last three weeks of August alone. Four of the 13 Bible studies conducted during August were also handled by company publishers.

There yet remain difficulties to overcome, to be sure. Aside from poor transportation, scarcity of food, Inflation and the constant political unrest, shortage of literature and language problems hamper at present. The Gilead graduates are struggling valiantly with the complex language, but their witnessing has been confined primarily to the small business establishments which are found scattered throughout the different sections which make up the city of Seoul. Here they seek out those who can understand a little English, so as to be understood. In the cities perhaps half of the people can read and write to some extent, although in the rural sections the majority of the people are illiterate. Another handicap which the Orient offers is the fact that nearly every room in the house is used also as a sleeping room and the people are backward about Inviting the witnesses back to their homes. This has been overcome to some extent in Korea by having some of the interested persons come to the witnesses for studies.

The Koreans, although greatly underprivileged, seem anxious to learn and to better their conditions. The literature is readily accepted, and as more becomes available in the Korean tongue, as the native brethren become better organized and the Gilead graduates master the language, Korea may be expected to be among the many nations from which thousands are coming to worship at the throne of Jehovah.

LEBANON AND SYRIA

Although there are large cities, many of the Inhabitants of Lebanon and Syria live in little villages scattered across the countryside. Into these little hamlets the truth is spreading, often to a surprising degree. Frequently the witnesses will be telling someone of the truth and during the course of their testimony the hearer will let It be known that someone else In the village is preaching the same message. Sooner or later the “phantom publisher” is found and assisted to work with the organization. In one village just south of Tyre, housigg only refugees, 12 persons became publishers after one of their number had visited Tripoli, heard and accepted the truth and brought it back to them. These 12 were among the 54 baptized during the year.

There are many refugees in Lebanon, persons who lost all of their worldly goods during the Palestinian war. Many of these people accept the truth readily, whereas others are embittered and have turned against God. Some of our brethren are among the refugees and during the past year the Society sent them supplies of food and clothing to help ease their suffering. Some who lived in scattered villages were too poor to go to Tripoli to receive their share, so the brethren arranged to take this material aid to them by car. Along the way they had many interesting experiences and they took advantage of all opportunities to give a witness. At one point soldiers were searching all cars to insure the security of a political meeting at Beirut One officer requested a ride to the next police post, and he was so pleased with the message the brethren spoke that he joined in distributing literature to the people along the way. Although he was a Moslem he told the people and his fellow policemen, “I hope all Lebanon will join in promulgating this truth and good news of this Theocratic government.” The relief supplies were distributed to thankful brethren, who were also assisted to advance in their study of the Bible.

The average number of 123 publishers is 12.8 percent above last year’s average and an outstanding peak of 192 publishers was reached in August. Instrumental in bringing the truth to these new publishers were public meetings, 75 of which were held this year, many of them attended by hundreds of people. At the time of the visit of the circuit servant there were 250 persons present for the public talk in one company of only 10 publishers. The Memorial celebration was attended by 456 persons, 10 of whom partook of the emblems.

The two Gilead graduates now serving there are busy learning the Arabic language so that they may fully share with the native brethren in bringing this about.

LIBERIA

Monrovia, Liberia, is the home of a lively little company that enjoyed 100 percent increase in number of publishers during the past service year. Furthermore, the peak of 28 publishers reached in August is 10 above the average of 18 maintained for the year. This Increase becomes the more remarkable when one considers that unemployment has forced many of the native brethren to leave the com-pahy and to move into the interior to earn a livelihood.

The Kingdom Hall is located on one of the main highways out of Monrovia where it is passed by many people. In addition to the Kingdom Hall sign, the brethren have erected in the yard a large electric sign advertising the meetings. In the center is placed the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free". Many persons of good-will, having read the sign, come in to inquire about the work and literature and to stay for the meetings. At times, when the light is on, someone unable to read will stand and look at the sign trying to understand what it is about. He is Invited in and the Lord’s Word and purpose are explained to him. Quite often the person is from the “bush country”, and usually his parting words are: “This is good. I am going to tell my people.” Thus, it is not only the transient native brethren who are carrying the truth Into the African hinterland.

One man living in Grand Bassa county, about 155 miles in the interior of Liberia, visited Monrovia, came in contact with the witnesses and attended meetings. By the time he had to return he had accepted the truth and he has since been witnessing to the people in the territory where he lives. The Gilead graduates are also doing some work at Kakata, Liberia, as opportunity affords. A public meeting was held in a local church there with 67 in attendance. The pastor invited the speaker to return and give another talk.

The two Gilead graduates who were In Liberia last year have now been joined by two more. This will be a big help, as there are many problems with which we are not all confronted. For example, in Monrovia thievery is rampant. At times it is necessary for someone to be on watch duty day and night to prevent the windows from being broken out and the contents of the house stolen.

Monrovia had its first magazine witness in May. The main street of the town had a publisher on every corner, complete with magazine bag and broad Theocratic smiles. Magazine placements this year increased from 395 to 1,031 as a result of zealous service.

The activity in Liberia has also Included many back-calls and studies. Back-calls increased to 3,286 to compare with last year’s 1,935, and studies now average 53 instead of 17, an increase of over 200 percent. Because of the good foundation already laid 1950 should be another banner service year as liberation from religious bondage continues in Liberia.

NETHERLANDS WEST INDIES

The reaching of new peaks of publishers is not a new thing in the Netherlands West Indies. On both the islands of Aruba and Curacao the companies enjoyed steady expansion, so much so that present Kingdom Halls are taxed to capacity to hold the crowd. The highest peak was reached in July, with 96 publishers reporting, 53 above the peak of 43 of July a year ago. The average number of 73 publishers is 102.8 percent increase over the previous average.

Most of this new Interest is found among the humble, native people. An example is the colored man who entered with a torn Bible In hand while a witness was discussing one of the Society’s books with his wife. Yes, it was all right for his wife to have the books but he would read only the Bible even though he couldn’t understand parts of it. A study was arranged, a new Bible was brought for him, and this “sheep” has now been to company meetings and out into the service. Patiently instructing, the witnesses conducted 56 home Bible studies this year, to compare with 42 for the year previous.

Of much benefit to both new and old publishers was the visit of Brother Steelman, who served them as circuit servant. During his visit he gave a public talk on the nearby island of Bonaire, during the course of which a priest-inspired mob attempted to interrupt the meeting by pelting the house with stones, beating cans and acting generally in a disorderly fashion. It is reported, however, that some of the group stood close to the house and heard the talk, which was completed in spite of the interference. A man of good-will who attended wrote a protest which was printed in the local paper. He concluded by saying, “Give me the liberty to ask, where is the great work of the Catholic mission for so many years? Could such acts of vandalism come from perfect religious instruction? The pulpit is the place to teach love, even of your enemies, but of a truth we must say, ‘the nearer the church the farther from God.’ ” Such priestly interference serves only to advance the work rather than impede it.

The islands are small but literature placements jumped from 15,321 pieces to 21,251. The booklet The Joy o/ AU the People in Papiamento was enthusiastically received by those reading that language even though not by the priests. On the island of Curacao a study is held every Monday in Papiamento at the Kingdom Hall. It is a lively Study attended by an average of 18.

PALESTINE

The turmoil which inevitably follows civil war has greatly retarded gospel-preaching in Palestine. The economic situation is recovering very slowly and the brethren find it difficult to find work to provide themselves with the necessities of life. The Society endeavored to assist by sending a shipment of food and clothing. After being delayed for a long time by official red tape these supplies finally reached the brethren in June.

Due to poor communications and difficulty in traveling, most of the work is confined between Beit Jala and Bethlehem, with some also being done in Beit Sahur and Jerusalem. In Jerusalem a great deal of Interest has been manifest, some people of good-will even going to the homes of the publishers to learn more about the message of the Kingdom.

There are now two pioneers active in Palestine, one of whom was imprisoned by the Jews during the war. During his incarceration he was held in 4 different camps, in which he preached a total of 995 hours to fellow prisoners.

The clergy raised false accusations against this brother at the time of his release which caused him difficulty with the authorities. Military police searched his room while he was conferring with other government officials. They read some of the literature in his room and listened to the testimony of others living in the same house. One of the police, a Moslem, was moved to say, “I witness that these people have the truth and all others do not have any truth.”

The pioneer then was called before a military court where he was allowed to state the reason for the differences between Jehovah’s witnesses and other religions. The commander then instructed soldiers to call any two priests to the court to prove their accusations face to face and to answer the brother’s questions, but the soldiers returned without them. Each priest contacted had his excuse: one was ‘sick’, another had to remain in school to instruct his pupils, and a third explained that his Bible was locked in the church, he did not have a key and he would not want to face Jehovah’s witnesses without his Bible. When hearing this the commander said, “Therefore they are liars. This man does not seem to be a Jew [the brother Is of Russian descent], and as regards the other accusation, there is nothing to prove that he is a communist.” After a short consultation among themselves one of the officers shook the pioneer’s hand and said: “I am with you. Go and preach. You are on the truth’s side and they are on the false side. I am your brother.”

Reports have been received from only two of the six companies that were functioning before the Arab-Israel war. Reports from those who are publishing, however, Indicate a gradual improvement and further progress is expected.

PORTUGAL

For the past 12 months the tiny band of Kingdom publishers In Portugal has held aloft the Signal to the peoples amidst many difficulties. For a number of years now there have been quite a few people In Portugal who are interested in the work of the Society, and these have been gathered together into small groups. The majority of them appreciate the need for regular study and the privilege they have of calling on other persons of good-will to conduct home Bible studies with them. This feature of the work has progressed excellently during the year; In fact, back-calls have increased from 137 to 2,290, and Bible studies which are held regularly have increased from none a year ago to 10 now. This shows that those who have been studying the truth are anxious to help others learn the good news also.

Early in the year the Society printed a special leaflet for the benefit of the Portuguese field, with the title “O Novo Mundo” [The New World] containing a simple witness concerning the end of the old world and the setting up of the new. It has been widely distributed. The Portuguese people like something brief and understandable, and after arousing their interest with the leaflet they are happy to study with others who can give them Bible answers to their questions. Because of their appreciation for the truth thus learned, a number of persons have associated themselves with the organization now, and 110 persons attended the Memorial service of the Society. There was an average of 30 publishers in the field this year, to compare with 10 last year, which means a 200-percent increase in witnesses.

One of the publishers In Lisbon arranged to visit some of the smaller groups in different parts of the country, and one typical experience is related here. The minister, who was traveling to Louza, knew the visit would be difficult, as one young sister had written saying that the people were very ignorant and fanatical and that she was sometimes beaten by her parents on account of her study of the truth. Due to opposition the minister found it impossible to gather the interested people together; however, he spoke to them as he had opportunity and also went from house to house. Because of this activity the priest of the town denounced him publicly at the Sunday mass. This, of course, caused animosity, but it also aroused the curiosity of the young men of the town, and many of them later crowded the house where the minister was staying to obtain literature and copies of the tract “O Novo Mundo”. But the rumor was spread around that the people were going to burn the house in which the minister was living; so the next day the priest and the local mayor called to see this traveling minister and a public debate began in front of the home with the priest and the minister discussing Bible questions. The minister, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, used the Scriptures for proof while the priest defended himself with the usual sophistry and quotations from Catholic beliefs which he usually expressed in Latin so that he might impress the villagers. Theocratic tact helped to keep the discussion on friendly terms, and at the end the priest accepted a booklet while the missionary stayed to witness further to the crowd. All of this helped to break the tension and calmed the villagers, so the visit concluded peacefully.

Since then the young sister who used to be beaten by her parents has left home and joined the ranks of Jehovah’s witnesses in Lisbon and there enjoys more freedom in preaching the gospel.

The Azores Islands also belong to Portugal, and there Is some Interest located there which is being taken care of by a few proclaimers of the Kingdom. It is a grand privilege to share In this work being done in Portugal, and Jehovah’s witnesses In Lisbon rejoice that they are not being hindered in their preaching work now and trust that they may continue as they have been.

SIERRA LEONE

What the people of good-will In this country lack Is good leadership. The native brethren themselves are reluctant to accept responsibility, and they look to those whom the Society sends to take the lead in zeal and the proclamation of the Kingdom. If the shepherd of the flock does not take the proper course and lead the sheep into green pastures, then the sheep themselves get hungry and lack the spiritual nourishment they need. The Society is sending more Gilead graduates to Sierra Leone to aid in better organizing the brethren and to help in setting the proper example by meeting together and carrying on the public witness.

While this territory feels the heat of the tropical sun and the people suffer as a result of the poor sanitation of the cities and towns while fever saps their strength, actually in many respects it is no worse than other near-by countries where excellent progress is being made by brethren who are setting forth a good example in the proclamation of the Kingdom. Though the number’ of publishers is only two less than last year, the hours have decreased considerably, the number of back-calls made on interested persons are away down, and Bible studies also diminished. What the brethren in Sierra Leone need is someone who will give them a good example and stimulate them to greater works by appreciation of the glorious blessings that are theirs if they will seize them. It is a hard country to witness in, but we believe the physical hardships can be overcome by the Lord’s grace and the spirit of God. The Society is trying to help these brethren in every way it possibly can.

SPAIN

The Roman Catholic Hierarchy is still proud of its Fascist state of Spain. Franco continues perched in power and strongly buttressed by the church. There is freedom of worship for the Catholics only. Other people are allowed to live in Spain, but they are not allowed to preach the good news of the Kingdom nor to promote Bible study. This has made it very difficult for Jehovah’s witnesses, who are zealous and energetic in the proclamation of the Kingdom message. Feeling their responsibility before God, they cannot refrain from preaching the good news. This year the Spanish brethren have been without the help of a representative of the Society, but despite this there are still six strong companies organized and 53 publishers have engaged in the field regularly, to compare with 34 last year. This is a 56-percent increase in number of Kingdom pro-claimers. One sister in Spain has even entered the pioneer work and now is conducting from ten to twelve Bible studies every week.

There are restrictions on literature going into Spain, but by persistent effort some mail packages of books and booklets have been received in that country and have been used by the publishers in home Bible studies. However, much of the mall is seized, part of it confiscated, and some of it returned to Brooklyn; but by constantly trying to get literature Into the country, the Society has succeeded through the malls. It Is hard for people who have never lived under a state with Fascist rule to appreciate the oppression that comes upon one who is not in accord with the course taken by the majority. It takes real faith and courage to carry on the publishing of the good news of the Kingdom, but the needs of the people in Spain are great and the brethren know this, so they carry on faithfully in the work. Undoubtedly Jehovah God will open the way so that a greater witness will be given in Spain; for just as the peoples in other parts of the world are seeking the truth, so many men of good-will are seeking it in Spain. The fact that there was a peak of 82 publishers last January shows that the work Is really growing. Twenty-one persons symbolized their consecration by water immersion during the 1949 service year. We all rejoice In the splendid progress that is being made by our faithful co-workers In Spain.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

In the Virgin Islands the Society has two missionary homes, one on the island of St. Thomas and the other on St. Croix. The special pioneers who serve there are doing good work in assisting the meek and humble natives to progress in the truth, and, with the exception of literature placements, every feature of the service showed an increase.

For the most part the people are quite religious, and this tends to hamper them, so they do not get started in the service as soon as good-will persons do in some other places. But the patient work of the missionaries has had its effect. This year the average number of publishers in the island was 47, which is an increase of 46.9 percent over last year. A peak of 66 publishers was reached in April.

The clergy have used their influence to prevent the use of the schools for public meetings, but they failed to accomplish their purpose. One public meeting was held in the open in front of a local business establishment that graciously furnished 50 chairs for the occasion. Rain gave way to clear skies shortly before the talk, and a microphone which went bad minutes before the lecture was conveniently replaced by the local sound man who was located while on his way to deliver the only microphone he had. This made it possible for the 130 natives who gathered to hear the talk “Which Is the True Church?” Besides at the Kingdom Halls public talks have also been given in the Market Square with as many as 700 in attendance. At one of the talks on the island of St. Croix applause was frequent and some of the audience shouted out, “Talk on, man. We are with you.”

The Islands are very small and each person knows the other’s business. As soon as an individual takes his stand for the truth he usually meets with opposition. As one put it, “We sing in church ‘I want to be a witness for Jesus’, and then when you do, they find fault.” But these humble people would not find fault were they not encouraged in it by the clergy.

ARGENTINA

It must have been good news to John the Baptist when his disciples returned to him after talking to Jesus and reported that Jesus had said, “Go and report to John what you hear and see. The blind are regaining their sight and the lame can walk, the lepers are being cured and the deaf can hear, the dead are being raised and good news is being preached to the poor.” So it is today when our brethren in different parts of the world send in their yearly reports to the Society; we do rejoice in knowing that the good news is being preached to the poor. Looking back over the years we see very good progress in the work in Argentina. In 1928 there were only 34 publishers ; in 1938 only 128; while in 1948 they had advanced to 927 proclaimers of the Kingdom. Now there are 1,135 engaged in the blessed work of preaching the Word every month, a 22-percent increase over the previous year.

The preaching of the good news of the Kingdom was not done without difficulty in Argentina. Much opposition was brought against it because the country is strongly Catholic-dominated. However, the joy of the Lord comes to all of his servants regardless of where they are in the world. When one puts forth a zealous effort to magnify Jehovah’s name, the individual will receive his blessing. All of the brethren in Argentina have been very grateful for the six Gilead graduates who have been helping them in organization, and the Branch servant sent in this interesting report on the progress that has been made.

This reinforcement of our ranks by fully trained ministers has indeed proved to be a blessing, as the counsel they have given, the help they have extended to the various companies they have met with, and their boundless energy and zeal have been contagious and beneficial to all of us. These Gilead graduates have been working principally In the city of Buenos Aires, a city of more than three million inhabitants. The brethren In the two existing units have been in need of assistance to find and help the people of good-will who must surely be among the population. Shortly after these brethren from Gilead took up their work we received the wonderful news from the headquarters office In Brooklyn that you, Brother Knorr, were coming, together with Brother Henschel. Immediately we began making arrangements for the district assembly in Buenos Aires. There was much to be done in preparation for this wonderful event, but from the very beginning things seemed to go against us and every move seemed to be blocked, even to the obtaining of a suitable hall. Finally we did arrange to get the most luxurious of all halls in Buenos Aires, the one used by the governmental departments principally for banquets and meetings held by President Perdn. A contract was signed, but then trouble began with the printers’ strike, which delayed the production of the handbills and placards. By the Lord’s grace all obstacles were overcome until the days of the assembly.

The readers of the "Watchtower magazine and of Awake! know what happened at that assembly, but in this report I would like to record that we have ample Information that this assault was Catholic-directed in its use of the police force to interfere with the assembly and to stop the meetings. It was a harassing move by the hierarchy’s clergy, as they thought they could make it uncomfortable for those attending this large Christian meeting.

It is certainly good to report now that while the Devil tried to do harm to the work in Argentina, what he thought was working against us was really helping in the progress of the work. We were very unhappy that we never did hear the finish of your lecture “It Is Later than You Think!”; but as to discouraging the persons of good-will, this never did occur. Some who had attended the meeting were sorry that they were not also taken to the police station with the others, and those who were taken to the police station for attending this Christian assembly have become very firm in their determination to fight for righteousness and expose the cruelty of the hierarchy to their friends and neighbors. Many of them have associated themselves with the Lord’s organization since that day. So here in Argentina there is no feeling of depression, and the behavior of the great multitude of people who were taken In to the police court proved to be a witness even to the authorities.

When the time came for our circuit assembly we notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cults that our assembly would be held, and asked if there was anything more to be done as far as the government was concerned. However, time passed on and no communication was forthcoming from this particular department. When the time for the assembly drew near a call came through from the Buenos Aires police saying that they were sorry but they had nothing to do with the circuit assembly because it was not in their zone, so they had to return the papers which had come up to their department for inspection back to the department of cults. The police said that if it were for them to decide it would be quite all right to go ahead and hold the meeting. This caused us to think that a favorable comment would be given our petition for the assembly, but when final arrangements were being made we found that the police in the assembly city had received notice that no such gathering should be held.

The meetings, of course, are not legally banned, because the new constitution guarantees freedom of religion and freedom for meetings. But for one reason or another at the moment it seems advisable not to have the meetings. However, the brethren go joyfully on, serving the King and preaching the good news from house to house just as Jesus did when he was on the earth, and as a result there has been a marvelous increase in the number of back-calls made, from 64,000 last year to over 87,000 during this year. The same is true in the number of Bible studies held in the homes of the people, which increased from 551 to 754. Despite all the difficulties, the people are taking their stand for the Kingdom, and 263 were baptized as a public expression of their desire to sing the praises of the Lord along with Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide.

Another problem in connection with the work in Argentina is in regard to the publications and their distribution. Due to monetary difficulties, the Society finds some obstacles in the way of importing literature into the country; so the brethren have the use of only the magazines and what small supplies of literature are still on hand. It Is sincerely hoped that some arrangement can be worked out so that the government will allow the Argentine Society to bring in books, booklets and Bibles in order that the work may continue with regular home Bible studies. Notwithstanding all these drawbacks and inconveniences that the brethren have in Argentina, the progress of the work has been very satisfactory. The call for more pioneers has fallen on responsive ears and many have now diligently worked out their problems and have entered this privileged service. The Lord’s hand can be seen in the provisions made for this work in the lowering of the hour requirement, thus permitting some secular work.

We are glad, too, Brother Knorr, that you have arranged for some special pioneer publishers to be taken to Gilead during 1950. The brethren here also appreciate very much your arrangement of dividing the country into six circuits and appointing four circuit servants. This provides for better attention to all the companies, each one of them now being properly visited twice a year. The Magazine Day arrangements have been enthusiastically taken up by the brethren, and wonderful results have been seen everywhere. You will note from the report that instead of placing 44,000 magazines, 79,000 were distributed and many new subscriptions were obtained for the magazines. Though the situation of the work with relation to the government Is at present very cloudy and difficult, we are looking forward to the new service year with great anticipation. We know that a great privilege of service is before every one of us In Argentina, and we want to continue to preach the good news to the poor.

We hope to have some representatives at the 1950 assembly, and look forward to their return to bring us back some of the joys that the witnesses of the Lord will receive there. We continue to rejoice, praising Jehovah more and more.

AUSTRALIA

“Down under” in Australia Jehovah’s witnesses are praising Jehovah more and more. In this land of about 71/2 million people conditions exist similar to those found all over the world. The people are troubled with their dollar shortages, their strikes, and, as in other nations, some of the people devote all of their efforts to politics, others to commerce, and a large group to religion. A fourth group just likes to live and be contented with the wide open spaces. In all of these groups there are people who love truth and righteousness, and Jehovah’s witnesses make it their business to preach to them concerning the Word of God.

A slow but steady increase is noticeable in the work in Australia. The publishers there are making a good comeback after their difficulties, and it will bring great pleasure to all of the Lord’s people to observe that there are now 3,774 regular publishers in the field. There is no doubt about the interest in our work on the part of many individuals, for 5,182 attended the Memorial service. It is quite evident that greater stress must be laid on calling back on the interested people and conducting Bible studies in their homes. There was not much of an increase in this field of service over the previous year, even though there was a 7.7-pereent increase in number of workers. The report from the Branch servant reveals for us a few of the outstanding events of the year. The brethren in Australia, along with Jehovah’s witnesses in all parts of the world, are exceedingly joyful to be sharing in the great expansion work.

The district assemblies were the highlight of the year’s activity. Seven of these assemblies were held during the winter months of July and August in the capital cities of six states, namely, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and also Townsville, North Queensland. These assemblies seem to be just the thing the publishers need, for, just as last year, they have caused us to reach a new year’s peak of 4,124 publishers during the month of August. One company which had been reporting only 3 publishers prior to the assembly reported 15 in August! It was this same company from which only 3 persons attended the district assembly last year but was represented by no less than 20 this time.

The Introduction at these assemblies of the new booklet Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses was enthusiastically received by all. The talks delivered from sections of this booklet thrilled the publishers as they saw what a timely instrument this is to equip them for “more and more” praise.

One publisher’s remark sums up the general feeling among the brethren about the assemblies, for she said, “Although I have been assembling with Jehovah’s people for over fifteen years I have never before received such lasting spiritual benefits."

The number of home Bible studies being conducted has risen sharply since the district assemblies. The spirit of the Lord works wonders through these studies. For instance, one pioneer writes of holding a study with a mother and four children, ages 7, 13, 14 and 15. The children had been attending instruction classes in preparation for confirmation in the Church of England, but after only three or four studies decided between themselves not to carry on with the confirmation lessons. The minister noticed the absence of these children from his classes and inquired about them. He was told by their father that they preferred to study the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses. The next day while conducting the Scripture lessons at school the minister said to the class: “There are two women going around the town calling themselves Jehovah’s witnesses; they are servants of the Devil, so have nothing to do with them. These people are like cockroaches; once you get them in your house you’ll never get rid of them 1” In conclusion he said, “I’d rather go to hell, than go to heaven with Jehovah’s witnesses!”

No doubt this clergyman’s purpose was to discourage these four children who were having the Bible study. But his plan backfired. The very next Friday while some of the brethren were doing placard and handbill advertising on the street, two of the children came along and asked if they could help do the work. They stayed the full time, specially approaching their schoolmates and offering them handbills. This entire family is now taking their stand for the truth, thanks to the Lord’s guiding spirit and the timely incentive of the local “reverend”.

Circuit assemblies every six months continue to strengthen and aid the brethren no end. A remarkable result of these assemblies is the good effect they have upon the good-will persons who attend. One family, active in Salvation Army work, accommodated ten visiting brethren in their home during a circuit assembly. The whole family attended all sessions. Afterward one member, still in his Salvation Army uniform, said, “I think I’ll send this outfit to the dry cleaners and forget to collect it!”

The large attendances of good-will people at the circuit assembly and company public talks show that there is no lack of interested persons in this land. Multitudes desire the truth and want to serve the true God, Jehovah. But until recently the publishers have lacked the joy and efficiency of service It takes to find these “sheep” and feed them properly. Now that the vision of the brethren is increasing as a result of more private study of the Bible and The Watchtower, they are beginning to perceive that “the harvest truly is plenteous”.

The ranks of the pioneers have increased during the year. The reasonable quota of 100 hours per month which allows for some secular work continues to be an aid to the general pioneers. Part-time work is easy to obtain here, as there is no lack of employment and a great variety of jobs are available. Many pioneers, however, have found that they must improve their personal organization and advance to greater maturity through more private study, in order to keep up with the quota and remain full-time in the ministry.

Approximately fourteen pioneer brethren will be leaving Australia shortly to attend the 15th class at Gilead. They rejoice in anticipation of undertaking this advanced course in the ministry which will equip them to render “more and more” praise to Jehovah in foreign missionary fields.

The Commonwealth government has placed the majority of the country’s 50,000 native blacks on reserves. The officials have refused to co-operate with us when we have sought to enter these reserves to enlighten the natives about God’s purpose for their relief. There have been some exceptions to the foregoing, where the managers of reserves have cooperated in getting the message to the natives. The following is an experience from a pioneer brother working far out in isolated territory:

“On the 11th November last I visited the newly established C----aboriginal settlement. Arriving at dusk I first came to

the native hutments, and In a few moments was surrounded by a circle of inquiring and interested natives. These humble folk had never before been witnessed to and nearly all contributed for at least one bound book, one also taking a Bible. I was then escorted to the manager, a European. He received me very hospitably and he and his wife discussed with me the Kingdom truths and also their work at the settlement until 10:30 p.m. The manager told me of the work among the aborigines at the parent settlement of G----, and stated: ‘I wish you could go to G---- and help

the natives there. We are not satisfied with the work of some of the religions out there. They are just after all the money they can get and are not really interested In the natives’ spiritual welfare!’

“I then called on the superintendent of G---- settlement

and he advised that government regulations prohibited visits to the private homes of the native residents, but he said he would be pleased to extend facilities for holding a public meeting, Including a provision to display a placard advertising same. While calling upon the other officials at the settlement I encountered a native police constable equipped with a megaphone. He told me that under Instructions from the superintendent he was ‘telling them all to come to the meeting’.

“At the lecture, despite a great lack of sufficient seats, 302 persons listened with earnest and eager attention. At least 80 adults and many children stood almost motionless during the entire hour. The model behavior of these dear, humble folk, both children and adults, was indeed a sight to behold! Immediately following the meeting a total of 37 bound books was placed with the audience, in addition to the free booklet distribution.”

The Commonwealth government is bringing in thousands of migrants each month from all parts of Europe and the Baltic states. These are to become permanent settlers in Australia, so as to increase the comparatively small population of only 7% million. Many of these displaced persons are being met by the publishers and a goodly number accept the truth and quickly take their stand for it. Quite a few of these folk were present at the district assemblies this year.

At this time many of the brethren are thrilled at the prospect of attending the international convention of Jehovah’s witnesses to be held in New York city next year. Already, about 75 are planning to make the trip, in addition to the 14 pioneer brethren who will attend after finishing the next term at Gilead. The Lord’s spirit is surely operating upon the minds of the publishers, as they perceive what a grand privilege and a joy it would be to assemble In New York with their brethren from all nations.

THE FAR EAST

The Australian Branch office is looking after the interest found in the islands and territories in the Far East where Branches have as yet not been organized. When more missionaries can be sent into the Far East, we feel sure better progress will be made. Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere are keenly interested in what has been accomplished thus far, and we have reports for the Fiji islands, Singapore, Malaya and the United States of Indonesia.

FIJI

During the past two years much seed has been sown because of the amount of literature that has been placed among the people. Many from neighboring islands, inside and outside the Fiji group, have taken the good news of God’s kingdom with them when returning to their homelands. Thus the message has reached people far beyond the reach of the publishers in Suva. The ‘Macedonian call’ is now being heard from these islands where the message has reached. More Gilead missionaries are needed to go to these honest-hearted people that desire to drink more of the ‘waters of life’.

Faithful efforts have been made by the Society during the year to answer this call by assigning six more Gilead graduates to Fiji. But the authorities have rejected the applications of these Christian missionaries to enter the colony. Since these six persons are all Australians and New Zealand citizens and hence British subjects, one wonders what has happened to the traditional British freedom in Fiji. The Society has appealed to the authorities to reconsider their decision and permit the entry of these missionaries.

The one missionary now in the colony is from England, and just recently received his permit to remain in the colony after almost two years’ waiting. Even then, he had to deposit a heavy surety bond of £150 to get it. It is believed that this bond has made history among the people, but, still, Jehovah’s witnesses are continually making history all over the world because of opposition against their staunch stand for freedom of worship.

Because of the arbitrary action of the authorities in this case, much resentment is felt and voiced by the community. As there is now only one missionary in the colony many people ask as to when someone else is coming to join him. When told that other missionaries have been refused entry to the colony they generally remark, “But why the refusal, for you people have just as much right to come here and preach as have all these other missionaries?”

One European minister stated, “It is downright intolerance and discrimination against your organization, and a violation of democratic principles of freedom of worship.” A Fijian official stated, “I am a Methodist, yet from what I know of Jehovah’s witnesses they are the only people in the colony who know and teach the Bible. I am with you in protesting to the government against its present action.” One government official in defense of such undemocratic action said that six missionaries were too many to send to such a small colony. Yet how does this harmonize with the fact that there are well over fifty Catholic missionaries, priests and nuns residing in the colony?

These Fiji islands of the South Pacific may appear as dots upon the map of the world, yet the Lord’s people there are continually being reminded that they are not so isolated from their brethren on the mainland. These reminders come, not only through the Society’s publications, but also through the street magazine work. Two examples of this follow:

W’hile the missionary brother was engaging in this feature of the service an American, a commercial traveler, approached him. Standing with his hands upon his hips he exclaimed, “Well, well, well, will I ever shake you guys off?” The pioneer inquired as to where he had met the witnesses before. He replied, “Everywhere !” And he added, “I am off to Australia; will I meet more of you there?” “Plenty!” said the missionary. With that he remarked, “What an organization, what an organization!”

Knowing that the Lord’s hand is not shortened, Jehovah’s witnesses in Fiji look forward to the new service year with joy and anticipation. They are determined to praise Jehovah more than ever, and thus continue to hold high the banner of truth to the people.

SINGAPORE AND MALAYA

The highlight of the year was the arrival of six more graduates of Gilead to take up missionary work In the colony of Singapore. These are Australian brethren who went from here to Gilead school some time ago. This makes a total of seven missionaries serving in the colony. Because of the acute housing shortage It was not possible to house the group together, thus requiring them to split up Into three parties, dwelling in widely scattered parts of the city. This served one advantage in that outlying territory not previously worked was now thoroughly covered. Instructions came through from the president’s office to search for a suitable house for a missionary home. We are pleased to report at this writing that a home has recently been purchased. The missionaries are now comfortably established together and can thus more efficiently carry on the ministry.

Among Singapore's cosmopolitan population of nearly a million people are found many persons of good-will toward God. They desire to learn of his provisions for mankind. This is shown by the fact that during the last six months of the service year 669 subscriptions for the Watchtower and Awake I magazines were obtained by the seven missionaries. Additionally, 133 home Bible studies were started. The number of publishers in the Singapore company increased from 8 in March to 35 In August. The first Immersion service since the war was held in June, with seven brethren symbolizing their consecration by water baptism.

Because of the intensified activity by Jehovah’s witnesses in advancing true worship, the clergy have been feeling the fiery torment of the message and have been busy warning their “flocks” against the witnesses. The Roman Catholic cathedral in the center of town posted a notice announcing to Catholics the presence of Jehovah’s witnesses in town and cautioning them against taking, reading or discussing the Watch Tower literature. This all tends to awaken interest

In the Kingdom message on the part of honest persons who are not acquainted with the work.

The language presents a problem, as there are some four dialects of Chinese and three dialects of Indian, in addition to Malay and English. The missionaries are learning the Malay language, which is widely spoken by all nationalities, and even with their limited knowledge of it have been able to start studies with those who speak little English, as the following experience from a missionary shows:

“A Chinese man on whom I called had obtained a Bible through a friend only two days before and thought how marvelous that someone should straightway call on him to help him understand it. This man is well educated in Chinese but his knowledge of English is very limited. His friend had taken him to church a few times but it didn’t appeal to him; he considered the pastors hypocrites. At my first call, when he heard about the prospect of life on a perfect earth, it seemed to strike a responsive chord and he is now applying himself very diligently to study, even using his car to pick up brethren and bring them to the Watchtower study. He also expressed the desire, when he gains some knowledge, to help other Chinese people. Infinite patience is needed with such persons who know nothing of the Bible and very little English. But when they are eager to learn It Is a real joy to help them.”

Singapore has enjoyed a measure of tranquillity free from trouble during the past year, due to the emergency restrictions which call for capital punishment for anyone found carrying arms. But it has not been so in the Federation of Malaya. There, marauding jungle bands of terrorists have spread waves of violence throughout the various states. Travel Is unsafe because of constant ambushes of civilian busses, lorries and trains. A sister from India who is staying with her family in Port Dickson, and now visiting Tapah and Kuala Lumpur, has been faithfully ministering to the people in these places. She has done wonderful work, placing much literature and thus bringing the comforting message of the Kingdom to the perplexed people of good-will.

The brethren in Singapore are thankful that they have such a joyful part in the work of proclaiming the Kingdom gospel. They unite their voices with their brethren worldwide and are determined to praise Jehovah “more and more”.

UNITED STATES OF INDONESIA

The Kingdom work has progressed much in Indonesia the past year. In previous years there were publishers reporting only from Batavia in Java, but lately some publishers have come from Holland to live in various parts of the Islands and some of them are doing the publishing work. So now there are active publishers scattered here and there over the archipelago.

In Manado, a town in the Celebes islands, a brother who was a pioneer before the war wants to re-enter the fulltime service. At this time we are about to re-enroll him. He has been doing good work as a company publisher, placing much literature. From 1942 until about a year ago this brother and his wife, who is also a publisher, were out of touch with the Society. They were interned by the Japanese and ill-treated because of their stand for the truth. Though standing alone, they never lost faith, and were overjoyed to once again get in contact with the Lord’s organization.

Other publishers are now reporting from Malang and Surabaya in Java, and also from the small island of Billiton.

During the year the Society was able to send a large, much-needed supply of Chinese literature. This has greatly encouraged the publishers who speak Chinese, especially the two Chinese pioneers, and their activity since shows their joy. We also finished printing 10,000 copies of “Be Glad Ye Nations" in Indonesian (a local Malay), and shipped them to Batavia. This will be the first large supply of Malay literature the brethren have had since the war, and they have expressed their heartfelt appreciation of the Society’s help in this regard. A supply of Hollandish Bibles has also been sent from Australia, as these are in short supply in these Islands.

In the middle of the year six Gilead graduates, on their way to Singapore, enjoyed a brief visit with the Batavia company. This not only served as an encouragement to the publishers, but much practical help and advice was given to the company as to how to more efficiently carry on the work.

A study was started with a Chinese woman who was an elder in the Salvation Army. Her husband also sits In on the study and both are learning fast. The wife used to speak before the congregation in the church. Of late, however, she cannot help speaking of the truth at every opportunity and so she has not been asked to speak in the church again. Now she is gathering her neighbors and friends to attend the Bible study each time.

There is still much w’ork to be done in these islands. It is hoped that the Society will be able to soon send Gilead graduates to help organize the work in Batavia and also spread the message in other cities. In the meantime the brethren are doing commendable work as they look to the Lord to guide them.

AUSTRIA

Jehovah has blessed the steady and continuous efforts of the brethren in Austria. They have not kept the truth to themselves, but have remembered the words as recorded in Matthew 10:27: “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.” The brethren have not been at all backward in preaching the truth. As the proclamation of the truth swells in volume more people come and hear and take their stand. However, the work does not go ahead without opposition, and the Catholic hierarchy is making a strong bid to control the country and crush everything that has to do with freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Many people have been disillusioned since Austria’s delivery in 1945. The people have been hoping for a quick settlement of war problems, but after four years the country is still occupied and their hopes have not been realized. However, conditions are improving and gradually returning to a so-called normal state. The common people, and especially the poorer class, are still looking for something much better. For this reason the truth appeals to them and many have taken a stand for the Kingdom during the past year. Now there are 140 companies organized and they have had an increase of slightly more than 25 percent in number of publishers during the past twelve months.

The Austrian Branch made arrangements to print some booklets locally, and 364,000 were produced. These, along with the publications sent to Austria from Brooklyn, have aided the brethren in carrying on their back-call work and Bible-study activity in the homes of the people. The Branch servant gives us an idea of conditions there and how the brethren are faring, in his brief remarks which follow.

Thanks to your generous shipments of books, the brethren were able to place nearly 45,000 bound books. That also helped to Increase the number of back-calls and home Bible studies, and the brethren are now getting more and more back-call-minded. There is a sister who lives some distance from Vienna and she was quite alone for some time. We suggested that she should make back-calls and try to get Bible studies going. After she had overcome her shyness she started, and since then all her letters are full of joy and happiness. She has many home and now also group Bible studies. In one village she has a group Bible study where 6 attend and in another one where 12 to 16 persons of good-will are in attendance. Several of them came to the district assembly and enjoyed it very much.

The circuit servants have their whole heart in the work. In some places they are well cared for by the brethren, but In other places they have to put up with great hardships. It has happened that they found, even during chilly nights, no other place than a draughty barn in which to sleep or were even compelled to spend the night in a forest.

This year we had two district assemblies; one in Vienna, the other in Salzburg. They were very well attended and the brethren appreciated indeed being together and enjoying unitedly the rich spiritual food from the Lord’s table. The public talks were attended by 2,400 persons. Many of the Lord’s people in this country belong to the poor of this world, but this did not prevent them from coming to the district assemblies. A number came on bicycle some hundreds of kilometers. In both assemblies the street work was Introduced. It was something new for most of the brethren.

We rejoice that more and more brethren are arranging their affairs so that they are able to enter the full-time service. Many are reporting about their interesting experiences. Two young sisters, after having their first month of pioneer life behind them, told us they had a wonderful experience with a so-called servant of God. When they entered a farm to proclaim the glad tidings, there happened to be a crowd of people gathered. To their surprise, a priest was the first to speak up. Because the Word of God proved to the priest and all those present the falsehood of many doctrines in the light of the Bible, the people took side with the sisters and the clergyman went nearer and nearer to the door, through which he finally escaped. The people expressed their Indignation because he had not told them a word of the Bible, but had only come to gather the church taxes, and the sisters were invited to give more explanation of the truth.

Another pioneer report says: “Today we had our group Bible study in my apartment. There was a knock on the door ten minutes after It began. A lady of a well-known family whom I had contacted three months before in the door-to-door work, and who took ‘Let God Be True’, came in. She said she had no peace of mind since she read the book. Also her husband says that there is so much truth in this book. Joyfully she received a warm welcome from us all, and took part In the Bible study. All her questions were afterward answered to her satisfaction.”

A pioneer sister and another sister worked in a very Catholic district. They were both arrested because of the accusation of the clergy, and their literature was confiscated. Later they were taken from the police station to the Bezirks Haupt-mannschaft (County Counsel). They were received by the head. He was very kind and told the sisters that he had heard one of our lectures in Vienna, and he knew that many of our brethren had suffered in concentration camps and jails. He at once returned all the literature and told the sisters to carry on with the work, and that he would turn down every accusation that may be made against them again. Later on the police showed much interest in the truth, and took all the books and Bibles. They were ashamed that they had arrested the pioneers.

We are thankful that quite a good number of the Lord’s “other sheep” have joined us and taken their stand on Jehovah’s side. But we are convinced that there are still many more to be found in this country, and therefore we shall continue to look for them and praise Jehovah more and more.

BELGIUM

Something very interesting is taking place in Belgium at the present time: the Walloons, Flemings and foreigners are becoming united. For centuries there has been jealousy between the French-speaking and Flemish-speaking people in Belgium. Both classes of people have held to their own way of life. It is stated in the Lord’s Word that people shall come from every nation, kindred and tongue to sing the Lord’s praises; and that is what is happening in Belgium. As one travels through this country he finds the singers of truth on the streets, going from door to door, putting on public meetings—you will find small groups of Jehovah’s witnesses busy in all parts of the land. You will hear of their circuit assemblies; you will see their placards and magazines. All this activity is resulting in a great volume of praise to Jehovah and there is no jealousy among Jehovah’s witnesses, Walloons or Flemish. A year ago Jehovah’s witnesses in Belgium, along with all the other publishers in the world, said, “We will praise Jehovah more and more,” and this they certainly have done with excellent results. The number of publishers in Belgium now is 37 percent more than last year. There were 429 persons who symbolized their consecration this year and took up the work of proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. A great preaching work is going on in Belgium, as the people living there well know, and the report of the Branch servant clearly portrays the activity. You can sense the joy of our Belgian brethren as you read parts of the Branch servant’s report.

Public meeting activity has played a very important part in the expanding praise. During the year there was an increase of 49 percent in the number of public meetings organized. These public talks were given in halls, cafds, private homes, yards, parks, public places, squares and markets. Some towns even furnished the electric current free for the public-address systems used by the brethren. One company registered an increase of 15 percent in publishers after two months of public meeting activity in the open air. The interested persons have been well cared for by the organizing of Bible studies in the wake of the public meetings; and thus the number of Bible studies continues to increase, which prepare many new ministers to join the ranks of the ever-increasing throng.

Among the new ministers are found quite a few who have spent many years in false religion; but now that they have found the truth their joy is overflowing, as is shown by the following experience related by a Gilead graduate: “I placed a book with an elderly man 69 years of age, and a week later I called back. He had read the book through twice and he asked me if I could show him a Bible sometime. I replied that he could see mine, but that if he wanted one he could obtain it for 50 francs. The following day I took him a Bible and another bound book. Two weeks later I made another visit and he had read the books and almost all the Bible. He told me: ‘I left the Catholics behind twenty years ago, but I have always believed in the existence of God although I never had an idea that an organization such as yours existed.’ He subscribed for the two magazines and asked for three books to place with his friends. He said, ‘I am sorry that I never learned the truth when I was younger, because I could have done so much more? Now he is a publisher six weeks after seeing the Bible for the first time in his life. It is a great joy to visit him and to see that even though many of his friends reject and ridicule the message, he continues to speak the truth.”

Daily many experiences come to us showing that many persons are coming to a knowledge of the way that leads to endless life and happiness. A few months ago the Branch office made a request to the ministry of finances to have the taxes reduced on the Society’s property here in Brussels, and a few weeks later we received a letter from the ministry asking for a representative of the Society to come to its office with a plan of the Society’s buildings. When the brother arrived at the office, the employee took the plan and said: “Please excuse me If I have put you to extra trouble, but it is really not for the plan that I had you come to the office, you could have sent it by mail. But I wish to have from you some Information.” Then he pulled from his desk drawer a copy of La Tour de Garde treating the subject "Are You Saved?” and he began to ask some very Interesting questions about our work. “I am a Darbylst protestant,” he said, “but our pastors and the members of our church have so much cultivated austerity which they consider necessary for God’s ministers that they have become mournful. I have learned nothing at the temple that I have been attending for two years, but this magazine has opened up to me a glorious horizon. That which draws me to you people is to see your young men and your young women and your other members accomplish their work on the streets so courageously, and, while it is so difficult, they are always smiling. Their radiating joy proves much more than all the austerity of the Darbylsts that they are ministers of God.”

Jehovah’s witnesses continue to enjoy much freedom in Belgium. The Belgian people are quite jealous of their liberties, and they believe that Jehovah’s witnesses have the right to carry on their very important work. Of course, there are some religionists that are not of this same opinion, and so they try to have the witnesses stopped. During the year reports have come to the office of eleven publishers’ being wrongfully accused of selling without a permit and arrested. In each case we wrote a letter to the king’s attorney explaining the work and showing that the publishers had been wrongfully arrested, and asking that the cases be dismissed. Four cases were dismissed before coming to trial, two brethren were immediately acquitted upon coming to trial, and the other five brethren were fined, but their cases are being appealed.

The good conduct oi the brethren has made a very favorable impression upon those with whom they have come in contact. This, of course, is the way it should be, because Jehovah’s witnesses should show by their way of life that they are really living for the new world of righteousness. This by itself is a great witness, because certainly our preaching would be hypocritical and vain if we failed to practice it ourselves.

During the past year twelve more missionaries from Gilead have come to Belgium, making a total of 16 Gilead graduates for the country. Three missionary homes have been set up, at Antwerp, Liege and Brussels. They are all working hard to learn the languages of Belgium and are making good progress. So we are expecting some good results from their work during the new service year.

Our God has been exceedingly good to us and answered our prayer to lead us in the way of pleasantness and prosperity. And so we exclaim with the psalmist: “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” —Ps. 65 :11.

LUXEMBOURG

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the most prosperous countries in Europe. This is due to the rich vein of iron ore and the industrial steel works in connection with it, and the excellent farming country. When witnessing to the people one often hears these remarks: “I am a Catholic, and I am perfectly satisfied with my religion.” “We have everything we want. Why should we seek something better?” “A true Luxembourger never changes.” A witness of the Kingdom must have his sword of the spirit well sharpened and be kind and courteous in trying to open up interest in the minds of people with such contentment, but the people are listening and the publishers’ ranks have had a 10-percent increase in number of those proclaiming the good news. Some graduates from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead are now assisting in the work there, operating under the Belgian Branch office. The Branch servant makes the following report.

All the Grand Duchy constitutes one circuit, including four companies, which are served regularly by a circuit servant, who also serves in Belgium. Last January a circuit assembly was held in Esch and 185 persons attended the public meeting, which made it the best attended circuit assembly to date for this country. During July a district assembly was held at the city of Luxembourg, and it was really the most joyful assembly we have held in Luxembourg. The public talk “It Is Later than You Think!” was well advertised throughout the city by signs in windows, information walking, bicycle parades and handing out of printed invitations. The public meeting was attended by 142 persons, which was not as good as at Esch, but the people always turn out better at Esch than at Luxembourg.

While on the street announcing the public lecture a small boy was approached by a Catholic priest who asked him: “How much do you get for doing this work, five francs?” Quickly the young publisher replied: “No, but I will get something much more wonderful than that.” “And what is that?” asked the priest. “Eternal life in the new world,” was the prompt answer. At that the priest got in a big hurry to take the streetcar.

All four companies in the country are situated in the principal towns in the southern part of the Duchy. The rest of the country is made up of small towns, villages and farms, sixty percent of the population being engaged in farming. This territory has not been worked since before the last World War, and, of course, even then it was not worked thoroughly, following up all interest with back-calls and Bible studies. When will these people have an opportunity to receive an education for life in the new world? We hope in the near future.

Truly, “the harvest indeed is plenteous but the laborers are few”; so we pray ‘that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into his harvest’. And at the same time we will prove that our prayers are sincere by working to find these other laborers and to teach them how to serve in the Lord’s harvest field, so that the light of the glorious gospel may shine brighter and brighter, piercing through the gloomy traditions of the past to guide men of good-will toward the everlasting new world.

BOLIVIA

La Paz is the capital city of Bolivia and is the center of much political unrest. It is not uncommon for the government in this Andean country to have quick changes of the party in office. Many revolutions have kept the Bolivians in turmoil. The people know what it means to be living under martial law while the politicians fight to rule. Despite these conditions, Jehovah’s servants are pressing on with the Kingdom message and trying to bring comfort to those people who have an ear to hear.

Fourteen Gilead graduates are now in this country, not for the purpose of engaging in any political disturbances, but just to carry to the people the comforting message of the Bible. One of the physical obstacles they encounter is due to the high altitudes of the cities in which they work. It takes several months of working in altitudes of between twelve and thirteen thousand feet above sea level before new missionaries begin to get their wind and become used to the heights. We admire their zeal in working under these disadvantages. While there has been no great increase in number of publishers during the year, their report shows excellent activity in making back-calls and conducting home Bible studies. Because of their persistent efforts in preaching the gospel, we believe greater gains will be made during the coming service year. The following interesting items are set forth from reports from the Branch servant.

For quite some time we looked forward to a visit from Brother Knorr or someone from the Society’s office, and therefore many were the joys and blessings that we enjoyed when Brother Knorr and Brother Henschel did visit us in March. The brethren and people of good-will enjoyed very much the talks given by Brother Knorr and Brother Henschel in La Paz and Cochabamba. Some who desired “the best gifts”, and who heard Brother Knorr speak on 1 Corinthians 12: 31; 13:1-13, have since chosen the “more excellent way” to attain them by lovingly taking part in God’s service, telling their neighbors about God’s kingdom.

The Gilead graduates were all very glad indeed to have a few problems and questions ironed out about the homes and the Branch office. The change in literature rates and other provisions made for pioneers have been real help and blessing to them to continue in the full-time service and have their little needs provided.

The company in Oruro has made good progress since the missionary home was established there. The attendance at their meetings is good and the company has had a peak of 13 publishers this year. The home and Kingdom Hall are located almost in the heart of the city, and many people drop in to ask questions about the Bible and about the truths they find in the Society’s literature. The Gilead graduates have had various studies with university professors and schoolteachers, some of whom also attend the company meetings.

In Oruro an Arabic person of good-will, a dry goods store owner, became very much interested in the truth as a result of a study held with him in his store. It was not long until he was witnessing in his outspoken manner to all of his Arabic friends in Oruro, most of whom are businessmen. He placed numerous books and various subscriptions with them, both in Spanish and in Arabic. It is amusing to see how reluctantly he waits upon his customers in his store when some points on the truth are being discussed. This brother was baptized during the year and continues to go out in the service with others of the company.

In Cochabamba, a city steeped with Catholicism, the Gilead graduates increased their number of studies over the past year. It has been very difficult to get more new persons to really appreciate their privileges in proclaiming the glad tidings of the Kingdom there. We hope that when more Gilead graduates begin to work there more interest will be manifested. Four more graduates are assigned to Cochabamba and are now preparing to come from the States.

The public meetings held in one of the better hotels in Cochabamba during the visits of the circuit servant also had the best attendance thus far in Cochabamba.

In La Paz an electrician and his wife came to know and appreciate the truth through a Children study held in their home for some time. They then attended the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and the brother would go out in the service with one of the pioneers in a territory around his home in La Paz. Work became scarce and he was laid off his job in a big shop. So he took a job as electrician in a mine, high in the Andes, a number of miles from La Paz. Then every time he returned to La Paz to attend to business and personal matters he would come by to attend a meeting and take Bibles and literature back with him to place with the miners who worked in the same mine. He placed various books and Bibles in this manner and sent in reports of the results of his activity. Some of the workers have become much interested in the books far out in this isolated mining town. The last time he took literature with him he also took question booklets and said he was going to show the miners how to study the Bible.

For some time one of the Gilead graduates had studied the Spanish “The Truth Shall Make You Free” with a tailor at his shop in La Paz. This tailor and his wife attended the meetings held at the Kingdom Hall when Brother Knorr was here in March. They heard his talks through an interpreter and enjoyed them very much. Later, when invited to go into the service, during a visit of the circuit servant, he consented and took part in the handbill distribution ; and since that time he has gone out a number of times with a pioneer. Occasionally he and his wife, out of curiosity, attended Pentecostal Church meetings and, of course, the preacher became interested in “saving their souls” and visited them at their home. When the preacher learned that they continued to have studies at the tailor shop and attended our meetings too, he threatened that If they did not stop he would deliver them over to the Devil. So they wondered just what kind of covenant he had with the Devil, but they were not frightened by his threats. A pioneer sister recently began to study with the brother’s wife at their home, and now both man and wife go alone in their territory as happy witnesses, placing literature and making back-calls. On Magazine Day, and other days too, they place many magazines in door-to-door work and, more recently, the sister also takes part in street-corner witnessing.

With keen anticipation we look forward to even more extensive activity in the future as we endeavor to praise Jehovah’s name more and more in this South American republic. We are indeed thankful that we were and are able to proclaim the glad tidings of Jehovah’s kingdom to a people who have been kept in such utter darkness of his marvelous purposes.

BRAZIL

Well over thirty years ago a Brazilian cruiser came into New York harbor for remodeling. While it was docked there some of the sailors of that ship, the “Sao Paulo”, got acquainted with the truth and learned of Jehovah’s kingdom. When the cruiser returned to Rio de Janeiro they began talking about these things to their friends and neighbors and a few others became interested. Then these brethren traveled on down toward the coffee district of Brazil and talked some more. It was in this way that the declaration, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” reached Brazil for the first time.

Since then there has been a small organization gradually growing, and more and more people have been given the opportunity of learning the truth. In a great nation like Brazil, with approximately 50 million people inhabiting its vast territory, it takes many ministers to preach the Word. The Society has put forth much effort to aid these people, and during the past year 24 graduates of Gilead have been working there, aiding the brethren in organization, conducting Bible studies in the homes of the people, and helping in building up strong companies of Jehovah’s witnesses. In fact, in the past year there has been a 65-percent increase in number of publishers over the former year. Even so, there is much more to be done in Brazil, and the Society is planning to send many more missionaries there to add to the zealous group of Brazilians who want to see the Word of God preached in all parts of their country. They are grateful for the Lord’s patience, and because of this they are zealous to help their fellow men learn of the Kingdom. The enthusiastic report by the Branch servant in Brazil follows.

The Lord Jehovah is expanding the work in Brazil through the planning and provision of the Society. Since the opening of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead twenty-six missionary graduates have worked hard to forward Kingdom interests in many parts; prominently in the cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. What is the proof of their ministry? Proof is found in the brethren themselves. They have helped both the Brazilian brethren and many new people of good-will to an appreciation of Jehovah’s purposes and obligations toward his people. Proof is found in the expansion made in these places within the last year. For instance, instead of remaining at 223, the number of publishers in Silo Paulo easily came up to 480. Instead of standing still at 212 in Rio de Janeiro, there are now 520 publishers working. Salvador grew from 66 to 150 preachers.

Then too, there came Brothers Knorr and Henschel on a visit in our fair fall month of April. Brother Knorr made arrangements at one of the two district assemblies to increase our circuit and district servants from two to six. At this moment their organizational efforts are beginning to make their effects felt among the companies and isolated publishers visited regularly now at least once every six months.

Belo Horizonte (which name means beautiful horizon), an interior city of enchantment and beauty, well portrays the outlook lining Itself up before the Kingdom publisher on the Brazilian horizon. Take Belo Horizonte itself for an example, where, Incidentally, the publishers have increased threefold within the last service year. A special publisher was sent there. While hunting for a suitable public lecture hall he learned of a wealthy man who had separated from the Presbyterian church before his death and built a beautiful hall for “evangelical purposes”; but strangely, or possibly not so strangely, to be understood by us, he provided in his will that no religious denomination could use it. Two of the remaining partners recently came into the truth; the third man needed only an hour’s witness by the pioneer to clear away any prejudice. The result: he handed over the key to Jehovah's witnesses, the only ones who now have the right to use it. He gave us also the bank account of several hundred dollars to be used for its upkeep. Well equipped, the hall has been a means of uniting many of the “other sheep”.

Urged by the Society to follow up all placements, a pioneer revisited a home where little interest had been shown. This time he discovered a 74-year-old lady of good-will who took to the truth so eagerly that In a few weeks she began to publish. She could hardly walk after being confined to bed the last three years, so she would call up any number on the telephone and even made back-calls in this manner. But she wasn’t satisfied; she began to exercise daily until she had sufficient strength to visit the homes of her neighbors, leaning on a stripped umbrella as a cane. At the last circuit assembly in Rio, the pioneer told this experience and thereupon presented Sister Lauriana, who by now was regularly getting in 24 hours a month in the field. The audience was deeply moved by her genuine expressions of zeal and determination and by her exhortations for everyone to put his all into Kingdom service. After her baptism the next day, she stated her desire to maybe even pioneer a little before Armageddon, the Lord willing. By her steadfastness and love for Jehovah she has shamed some, Inspired all.

Gilead graduates traveling as circuit servants report many debates with religious pastors. One servant tells how he witnessed for two and a half hours on the train while an opposing Pentecostal preacher was completely silenced. Finally ending his testimony with a presentation of the “Truth" book, he was surprised when the preacher was the first to say “I’ll take one. Maybe I ought to study more.” His seven books were placed immediately. Several left their addresses for further visits in their respective Isolated cities. Another “pastor” who came to the rescue of his disappearing flock was roundly trounced In a debate before 15 members of his church. When he tried to make peace by offering to shake hands Inviting the brother to his home, but not to speak on the Bible, he received the following reply by the circuit servant, “You don’t have to lie to make a show before the people. I am not your friend and I cannot accept your invitation because servants of God follow the example of Christ and he never made a visit without talking about the Bible.” Four listeners came to the Bible study the next night and one who had been a Baptist for 23 years saw the truth. The next day he immensely enjoyed preaching it for the first time from house to house.

Another circuit servant was challenged to a debate in a Pentecostal church. The preacher had invited other congregations to attend and see their expose of Jehovah’s witnesses. Seventy-five were present as the brother explained the Kingdom message. On ending his testimony, he desired to know wherein Jehovah’s ministers erred. The preacher asked the others to show up errors while he promptly left the building. No one spoke up; all looked sheepishly at the other. After an uneasy silence the brother continued witnessing, this time showing flaws in their own religious doctrines. After three hours of proving who has the holy spirit and what it teaches many accepted the message and one man previously in doubt now decided that he was with the witnesses.

Sunday evenings in the interior of Brazil find everyone promenading on the main thoroughfares. At such opportune time the circuit servant addressed an audience well over 1,000 in the prosperous city of Marllia, Silo Paulo. The demand for booklets after the talk was surpassed only by the number who wished to know more about the work. The same loudspeaker service was to be used immediately following by Methodist preachers in black garb and reversed collars. But hardly anyone stayed around to listen after being put wise to religion. By such public reaction one can readily understand why the Marllia company that started last year with only 5 publishers now has over 90 publisher cards in the file, meets in a fine spacious Kingdom Hall, and is well on its way to meeting the pioneer quota with three local brethren on the pioneer list and more getting ready to follow.

We here in this land extend our love and greetings to our brethren all over the earth and desire to continue diligent in the years to come to express our gratitude for God’s patience toward us, knowing that that ‘patience is meant for our salvation’. We desire to continue with you in letting others know of God’s patience.

BRITISH GUIANA

The little country of British Guiana on the northern coast of South America is seldom in the news, but there are 70,000 people living in Georgetown, the small capital of that country, in addition to hundreds of thousands of others scattered within its boundaries. All these people need the message of the Kingdom. The brethren there are zealous to preach the Word of God, and while they did not have as great an increase this year as last year, when they had 30 percent over the former year, still the 71/^-percent increase this time shows that the organization there is steady and making progress. Forty-three symbolized their consecration to serve God. At their Memorial service during the year there were 370, which shows that there are many more really interested in the work than have taken up the preaching thus far. The peak in number of publishers was 209. Jehovah’s witnesses are not a desired group in the world, and no matter where one goes one will meet up with opposition. The Roman Catholic hierarchy in British Guiana as elsewhere certainly does not like to see the advance of truth in that land. The Branch servant’s report sets out some of the highlights of the year and the reaction of the hierarchy.

The year’s biggest event has been described already in The Watchtower: the visit of Brother Knorr and Brother Henschel. A 3-day convention in April featured our two American visitors, the local brethren seeing Brother Henschel for the first time and welcoming Brother Knorr back for his second visit in four years.

The Catholic owner of Georgetown’s leading theater offered the Astor Cinema free to us. On Sunday, April 24, the Astor was comfortably tilled with 1,277 in attendance to hear “It Is Later than You Think!” Repeatedly Brother Knorr told his attentive listeners to “read your Bible”, and three months later the Catholic Standard was echoing that phrase in their attacks upon us.

The success of Brother Knorr’s visit and the progress of the Lord’s work in the colony were clearly shown when the local Roman Catholic organization, spearheaded by more than 30 Jesuit priests, suddenly whipped up the apparently dormant Catholic Action. Their last-minute pulpit plea ‘not to go to hear Mr. Knorr!’ was followed up by weekly warnings not to read the Watch Tower publications, nor to attend our open-air lectures, nor to even engage us in any Scripture discussions. In June the Catholic Standard appeared with its first printed blast, “Jehovah’s Witnesses Versus The Apostles' Creed,” and for four issues this Jesuit monthly has been calling names, wildly quoting Roman Catholic versions of the Bible, mixing up statements from the book “Let Cod Be True”, and evading the points at issue in typical Pharisaic fashion.

Their August number began: “It may seem to some of our readers that we are wasting time in refuting such obviously untrue nonsense as that put about by the selfstyled ‘Witnesses of Jehovah’—nonsense, however, that has taken in many simple folk. But it is good for us to revise our own knowledge of the chief articles of our faith, and heresy may well serve to bring out the truth of the Catholic religion.”

One prominent Catholic gentleman stated that this is the first time in his memory that his church has taken such great pains to “run down” another belief. An ex-Catholic, friendly to the truth, added to the controversy by paying for a large newspaper advertisement that contained the entire chapter, “Is There a Trinity?” from “Let God Be True”. Georgetown residents stopped muttering “It is later than we think!” and began asking each other: “Is there a trinity, or isn’t there?”

The August and September issues of the Catholic Standard were calling upon the “faithful” to “read the Bible!” On the doors of the Brickdam cathedral and on the smaller churches were posters with the same words in bold type. Imagine! the organization that has such a bloody record of Bible-fighting for centuries and has never urged its people in this land to possess a Bible is now trying to cover its dirty tracks. But, alas, the astonished “faithful” with their brand-new copies of God’s Word must still run to these black-skirted males for explanations of Matthew 23:9, Revelation 20:13,14, and other embarrassing texts!

Before Brother Knorr departed in April, he announced the 1950 convention, and at least thirteen brethren are making plans to attend. He also interviewed two prospective entrants for Gilead. Twenty-nine of our forty-three candidates for the year were immersed during the assembly.

The 209 public lectures held during the year, Including at least 50 in the open air at Georgetown, and the 625 new subscriptions, as well as the religious opposition, are some of the factors helping many persons now to “awake” to the fact that the “Watch Tower” people do “let God be true” in proclaiming “the Kingdom is at hand” at this crucial time in man’s history, when only “the truth shall make you free” and one must be “equipped for every good work” in order to survive this world’s terrible end and receive everlasting life in “the new world”.

BRITISH HONDURAS

The city of Belize, where the Society has its Branch located in British Honduras, is a low-lying city. British Honduras is one of the Central American countries, and due to the intense heat the people move slowly and often think slowly. The Society sent some missionaries to British Honduras to aid those who already knew the truth in becoming better established and also to help the people of good-will in taking refuge in the Kingdom. It is truly a difficult country in which to work, especially for white brethren who have been reared in a country like the United States. But despite the physical hardships, our brethren have found great joy in preaching the gospel there. In 1948 the publishers had no increase over the previous year, but now, in 1949, they are bearing fruits from their labors of love, for during the past year there was a 45-percent increase in number of publishers in British Honduras. There are now four Gilead graduates working in this land, and, to their joy, a peak of 63 publishers was reached during the year.

We must admire the zeal of these brethren, and it is a pleasure to set out some of the report of the Branch servant in this Yearbook.

During the year we were able to do considerable public meeting work in the outlying districts of the colony. There are many interested persons scattered throughout British Honduras. We put on a series In a small city of about 4,000 population, which was 36 miles from Belize, and when we started the attendance was only 16. But as we continued to run the entire series the meetings aroused more and more interest every week and more people attended all the time until at the last meeting there were 41 present. The marked Interest on the part of the people caused real concern for those wearing the black robes of the religious organizations. It was reported that a Catholic priest commented on our meetings in his Sunday sessions, wanting to know who told Jehovah’s witnesses that “God’s purpose now Is reaching a climax”. It was interesting to note, too, that the children of the people who owned the building where the public lectures were being held were whipped in school the following week. The mother of the children went to the priest and gave him a rather warm scolding and pointed out to him how small he was for taking out his spite on the children who had nothing to do with the renting of the hall.

Sometimes in traveling from place to place the brethren did not have much time for the advertising of the public meetings; so in one village a notice was put on the bulletin board that in about two hours a talk would be given. A few handbills were distributed among the people on the streets and a little later the public talk began on the front porch of a small hall. All together, 50 people assembled to hear that talk.

Often it is very difficult to find a location in which to hold a public meeting, but in one instance a man who operated a club where the townfolk congregated to do their drinking and gambling was willing to turn over his place for a meeting on the subject “Peace on Earth, When?” Sixty-nine people turned out to hear that lecture.

On another occasion about 75 handbills were wisely distributed among the people in a very small settlement on the bank of a river. The announcement was made that on Sunday a talk was to be delivered, and when the time came 65 persons assembled from all parts of the countryside to hear it, coming on foot, by horseback and by dory. The little company in this village a short time ago had only five publishers, while now nine are reporting from there. All of this goes to show what can be done through the public meeting arrangement. The opportunity must be seized when it is available. It is not necessary to have large populations to draw from, but even where there are only a few persons it often pays to give a public talk. It certainly stirs the people up and gives a splendid opportunity for placing literature after the meeting. We sire now waiting for a public-address system to come to us from England, and we feel sure that when we have this to carry from place to place even more lectures can be given to larger audiences.

A number of the brethren in British Honduras are making plans to attend the International convention in New York city In 1950. We feel sure that this is just the thing that these brethren need, and we know they will return with greater zeal than ever. We continually look to Jehovah to prosper our work in preaching the good news of the Kingdom. We realize that our responsibility here is to continue praising him more and more, and we leave the Increase for the next year of service in his hands.

BRITISH ISLES

Jehovah’s witnesses in Britain went through great trials during the war. Since that time the government has been trying to come out of its financial difficulties, and, of course, this has affected the people greatly. The commercial wing of the Devil’s world-wide organization is suffering in most countries, and Britain is feeling the pinch. The political element in Britain is trying to maintain the economic stability of the nation, not only for the sake of Britain alone, but for the good of the Commonwealth of Nations. At the same time the orthodox religious element of the country is working along in close alliance with its commercial and political organization. It is quite evident that the study of the Bible has been neglected by these religious teachers. The Protestant organizations of Britain never used to be on friendly terms with the Catholics, but now the Catholics are making a great play for better relations, as this would mean more authority with the political organizations there. On the surface it appears they are making progress. But while the Protestants and Catholics make overtures to become very friendly with the political leaders they neglect giving the people their much-needed spiritual food. This fact is quite noticeable not only to Jehovah’s witnesses but also to the people generally. Those who still believe the Bible see the lack of faith on the part of their many friends and relatives and a general decline in the spiritual welfare of the nation. Many of the people no longer have any time for the church.

On the other hand we find Jehovah’s witnesses very zealous in these last days of the old world in preaching “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and in turning the minds of the people to the Bible. Even the newspapers notice this, and the year’s report from the Branch servant in Britain starts off with this note.

The cry Is going up over all the land, Who are Jehovah’s witnesses? One newspaper says in reply to this question: “Congregations in churches and chapels have dwindled to an alarming degree. Thousands of children are being brought up with little or no religious background, yet there is a creed which inspires its members with overwhelming fervour. The burning enthusiasm of the Jehovah’s witnesses is something to make clergymen and their depleted congregations think, and think hard. Why is this movement so powerful a magnet? Why are its members filled with such ardour? One answer is that Jehovah's witnesses believe in taking religion to the people. They believe in preaching from door to door. Their intense eagerness is a challenge to bishops and clergymen.”

And so evidence is before all that Jehovah’s witnesses in Britain are seeking to carry out their divinely given mission to preach the Kingdom gospel, to let their light shine. Humbly we acknowledge our gratitude to Jehovah for all the abundant provision which enables us to carry forward the work committed to our care. Not the least of these good things is the new booklet Counsel on Theocratic Organization tor Jehovah's witnesses. The maturity of thought and kindly help which this conveys to all who have a sincere desire to serve God “more and more” is of inestimable value, and for this we give thanks.

It is indeed gratifying to see the large number of young people entering into the privileges and responsibilities of Kingdom service. Their privileges are great, for with youth on their side and the field “white already to harvest” there are tremendous possibilities close at hand to be grasped. We hope too that many more will lay hold of full-time privileges, for we can do with many more and there is abundant room in the field for all. The population of the British Isles Is well over 40,000,000. We look ahead to the day when the number of Kingdom publishers will be in better proportion than it is today. True to the promise, “The Lord looseth the prisoners,” many that have been bound by religious chains are hearing the message, breaking loose, and finding peace and security in the organization of God. In all parts of the field there are cries for help and this requires time and effort which unfettered full-time service can give. We have not yet attained our pioneer 10 percent of the total number of publishers.

Public Meetings. The public meeting work has contributed much to the song of praise, for this feature of our activities has Increased tremendously during the year. In 1947 the total number of meetings held outdoors and indoors was 9,756, and for 1948 a total of 13,246; but during the year just completed we held 22,437 meetings. Nearly all of these were previously advertised by means of handbills with their timely message on the back. We have kept abreast of the progressive movement with the latest titles, and, too, we have had evidence of the practical help that the Theocratic ministry school has proved to be, equipping the brothers as able ministers holding forth the Word of life. Nearly 19,000,000 handbills have been printed at the London office In supporting this country-wide public meeting campaign. We have followed the example given by Christ Jesus and his disciples by holding these meetings in the open at street corners, on the many bombed sites, and in the parks as well as Indoors regularly each week. We have had good response too at the meetings held at group-study centers, for this has been a very practical means of aiding the good-will interest.

Subscription Campaigns. During October, the campaign with Awake! resulted in 21,000 new subscribers. The concentrated effort with the magazines from January to April brought in approximately 37,000 new subscriptions for the two magazines and many new contacts have opened the way for return calls and interesting studies. The circulation desk has handled 97,713 new and renewal subscriptions; this being 12,000 more than the total for 1948. The bulk supplies have been limited by reason of government import restrictions, but what we have had has been used to good effect in the street work.

The extension of the witness to the outer islands to the north and west of Scotland has called for unselfish service from the pioneers, for these are bleak territories for most parts of the year. Small companies have been formed In these out-of-the-way places. False religion is deeply entrenched in these areas and It requires much patient effort to break down the long-cherished traditions and get the truths of the Kingdom in. Added to this is the bitter opposition of the clergy, but gradually these outposts are hearing the message and embracing It. The same is true of Northern Ireland, where Protestantism manifests itself to the extent to which it can bellow out its bitter hatred to its opposite number in Eire represented by Roman Catholicism. Partition Is entrenched and between these two factions and meeting with opposition from both, the Kingdom work goes grandly on, and there is a greater percentage of increase in number of publishers In the six counties that constitute Northern Ireland than in any other part of the

British Isles. Splendid progress has been made, but there are more pioneers in the territory per population than anywhere else, which perhaps accounts for it. In this territory there has been much publicity due to the demand for a debate that was taken up by the district servant. The town hall at Portadown was engaged and there gathered together in the hall about 600 people and 400 on the outside who were unable to get in. A very fair chairman was in control, who kept good order. While it is felt that not much practical good comes out of such debates, the situation seemed to call for it, and so the truths of the Kingdom were presented for an hour, and it is evident that the logical presentation of these truths giving Bible support has awakened in the minds of many of the listeners a desire for more. So the Kingdom witness is pressed forward in the strongholds of religion and many are having their eyes opened.

Circuit Assemblies. The circuit assemblies and the accompanying service activities have done much to bind the brethren together and to keep the vision of the Kingdom bright in their minds. We are constantly receiving letters of appreciation, and one of recent date emphasizes the importance of using a kindly attitude when visiting the homes of the people. This man writes: “Some days ago your Society held a convention in this town. Before the meetings were due, some of your people called at our door and at other doors to tell the folks of the meeting. I was agreeably surprised to find the wonderful attitude they adopted by a nice gentle art of persuasion. This did not apply to only one or two; they all seemed to possess it, and they came from different towns. I believe you will go a long way with such an attitude.” Here then we see the application of the Theocratic ministry lessons by which all the publishers benefit and which finds its practical results on the doorstep and in the homes of the people. W’ith the opportunities for water immersion afforded at the district and circuit assemblies, we have a total of 2,283 who symbolized their consecration to the Lord by baptism during the year.

We confidently anticipate reaching 20,000 active pro-claimers of the Kingdom message before the winter sets in. This will be a demonstration of our love for the Lord in a practical way; and this is within our grasp, for we have more than that who have at one time or another taken a share in field service.

It seems appropriate that some reference be made to the international convention in New York in 1950. It was with joy that we first learned of this convention, and enthusiasm has increased with the months since. Already upward of 400 have signified their intention of going, and it may well be that eventually 500 will cross the Atlantic from Britain alone. We know the Lord has good things in reservation for his people, and we are doing all we can to help them get across. We earnestly pray the Lord to bless and direct all the efforts that will be made In preparation for this gathering of the consecrated people of God.

EIRE

Probably one of the most strongly fortified Catholic countries is Eire. For centuries efforts have been made to keep out Protestants and all others but the Catholic religion. For a number of years now Jehovah’s witnesses have been trying to reach some of the people in Eire and tell them what the Bible has to say about the only hope for the world. If ever the people of Eire are to learn the truth they must first hear it, for their faith will never be established in the Lord’s Word unless they can be shown what the Lord’s Word teaches.

Excellent progress has been made in the past year, for the report shows a 40-percent increase in the number of publishers. Even so, there are only 73 witnesses in this bedarkened, Catholic country. However, 120 attended the Memorial service; so we can see that there is interest there and people of good-will who want to know more. By the Lord’s grace, the brethren who have gone into Eire to preach are going to stay there, and the report on the work done by these brethren, as it was sent in by the British office, which looks after the pioneers and company organizations in Eire, shows this.

It was a great joy to us when we learned that Gilead graduates were being sent to Eire early in 1949. Now the two missionary homes are established at Dublin and Cork and the work carried on from these homes is bringing good results. Necessarily, the response is slower, but none the less certain. All the indications are that the groundwork is being laid for real development of the field in Eire. The fear that grips the people in all things religious means that much patient effort has to be put forth in explaining the Kingdom truths, but the pioneers tell us that the joys of service are correspondingly greater as one sees the shackles of religion being broken and the sincere ones made free. Time and again the Bible truths are made plain and recognized as such, but the people are fearful to let go of the traditions so long cherished, and so the progress is such that It needs much tact and patience. When it is appreciated that so many of these sincere people have never seen a Bible in their lives, it is truly an educational work and calls for kindly consideration on the part of the publisher. The Douay Bible is used and in most instances the initial approach is made with the Bible.

Bible studies are on the increase and these will surely bear fruit in due time. With an average of 32 pioneers in Eire during the year, and these ready to stay on the job in spite of hard conditions and mob action from time to time, the prospect for the future is good. The year of service just completed has seen splendid gains in all features of Kingdom activity, for every aspect of the report shows increase. The average increase in number of publishers was over 40 percent. The increase in number of home Bible studies is 58 percent. There are only five companies, and of the company publishers about 30 are in Dublin. The peak in number of publishers was reached in the last month of the service year, when 85 were in the field.

In Drogheda four pioneer sisters have sustained their hold despite every conceivable attempt to dislodge them. The local press backed up by the priests has said many things about them, but still they are there and all threats have failed to frighten them off. The latest outburst is: ‘‘Time and again we have drawn our readers’ attention to the activities in Drogheda of an anti-Catholic group, known as Jehovah’s witnesses. On a few occasions Archbishop Quinn had occasion to warn his congregation against the literature these people were distributing, and they have met with severe rebuffs, particularly in Green Lanes and Mell. The activities of these people have continued much longer than expected.”

But the pioneers made it their business to visit the archdeacon and the people of the press. Very much to their surprise they acquainted them with their mission in Eire and made it abundantly clear that they were not communists, and, furthermore, that they intend to stay and continue their work. They report to us that screaming women get after them and call out in the streets, but they say: “We are conscious of Jehovah’s protection daily, and, in spite of the ‘goats’, we do meet some meek though frightened ‘sheep’. May they soon be delivered I” One woman who enjoys her weekly study and testifies to others about what she learns every week, on learning something fresh, says with appreciation, “Well, its extraordinary we never heard that before!”

In Limerick, another four sisters are putting in some real hard work, and they too are meeting with threats of terrible consequences if they remain in the city. In many other towns the same conditions prevail, and the general practice is to put pressure upon the person with whom the pioneers are staying so that he will have to turn them out. This has happened so many times, but once in a while the person has gotten sufficient grip of the truth to hold out against the pressure of the priests. Then effort is made to deprive them of their jobs; and this is where the test is applied.

In the Irish press there has been considerable controversy over Jehovah’s witnesses, and this has not all been onesided. Letters appear from time to time and these clearly indicate that many sincere Catholics are getting awake. Recently the published Constitution of Ireland was quoted in support of the argument that there should be freedom for all to practice their own particular form of worship. This reads: “Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen.” Alongside the many letters the following also appeared under the heading “Hierarchy in Ireland to the Pope”. It reads in part: “In sympathetic union with your Holiness, our thoughts go back to that great event fifty years ago when you were made a minister of Christ and a dispenser of His Mysteries, receiving power over the real and mystical body of our Saviour and became a mediator between God and man—another Christ.”

Many sincere Catholics are beginning to doubt these blasphemous statements, as they raise questions which only the truth can satisfy. It is certainly good to know that the Kingdom truths are penetrating the darkness that has so long held sway in Eire. We have bright hopes of steady progress ahead and it is a joy to behold the steadfast purpose of the pioneers and company publishers in Eire as they direct the minds of others to the Signal for all nations. We give thanks to Jehovah for his direction and care over his servants during the past year and we look to 1950 and the further expansion that will surely be seen.

MALTA

This small island in the Mediterranean sea is another thoroughly controlled and religiously dominated spot in the world. How the Maltese people will ever get hold of the Bible and get the opportunity to study it and read it and learn of the grand and glorious kingdom that the Lord has in store for all is difficult to ascertain now. Jehovah’s witnesses have put forth the effort to reach them through missionaries, but when they were put out of the country the preaching work was curtailed. It is good to know, however, that there is one person there tenaciously holding on to the truth and doing what he can to tell others. The rulers of the people on this island are in for a great awakening at Armageddon. The religionists have failed in their work in Malta.

Throughout the past year, a limited amount of Kingdom work has been done. One faithful publisher has continued to carry the life-giving message of the Kingdom to the peoples of this Roman Catholic island-stronghold. True, the report is small, but it must be remembered that the work of the Society has been proscribed and it is illegal to visit the people with the Kingdom message. It was for this reason that the two Gilead brethren who were assigned to the island were forced to leave some months ago after being haled before the Court. In spite of this, however, the brother has regularly sent us his monthly report of service, and we are very glad to have it. It means that there is at least one voice proclaiming the glad news of the Kingdom, and we feel sure that it will be heard by those of good heart who will eventually be gathered into the fold of the Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus.

BRITISH WEST INDIES

On eleven different islands in the British West Indies the witnesses of Jehovah have established themselves and have organized 45 different companies throughout the territory held by this Branch. Good work has been done during the past year, and although the gains have not been as great as in the previous year, when there was a 40-percent increase in number of publishers, this year a 7.9-percent increase is seen and a splendid organization has been built up among the new ones who have come into the work. There is much training to be done among those who have but recently learned of the Lord and of the blessings of the new world. It would be very improper on the part of Jehovah’s witnesses to neglect the newly interested ones, for every person should be thoroughly grounded in the truth over a period of time, and it does take time to get the knowledge that is necessary. Even when one is grounded in the truth he must continue to study in order to keep up with the ‘light that shines more and more unto the perfect day’.

There is a great field for the work in the British West Indies, and the brethren there have had some very interesting experiences during the past year. A few of these which were taken from the Branch servant’s annual report are reported below.

The taking to heart of the suggestion to hold Informal public meetings at all book-study points brought the encouraging increase in this feature. This enabled them to report from 8 to 12 meetings held during the month Instead of 3 or 4 as formerly. More use of parks and street intersections as public meeting points also contributed to the increase, as, for example, in Port of Spain, where some outdoor talks average about 500 per night, and with as many as 1,000 on occasions. At the Memorial service in April the largest attendance ever yet assembled for the observance of the Lord's Supper in these islands was had, as a total of 1,817 came together in the various companies. The new arrangements for reporting Bible studies in the homes, even though in some cases only one visit a month was made, seems to have encouraged the making of more back-calls and holding more studies.

During the year 8 more companies were organized throughout the territory, which necessitated the forming of two circuits, one on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the other composed of the other islands under this Branch. In time past, travel difficulties cut deeply into the allotted time the circuit servant was to spend with the isolated companies on the northern Islands. Now, however, your arrangement to allow him to spend more than one week with each company on these islands has proved very beneficial. A full week of instruction, plus a week or ten days of pioneering with the local brethren, has helped tremendously in swelling the song of praise publicly as well as aiding the brethren to equip themselves.

It should be noted in this connection that witnessing on many of these islands is much more primitive than in the larger countries. Few of the brethren have any of the modern conveniences, such as cars or even bicycles, to enable them to cover their territory. They have to walk, oftentimes many miles over rough, mountainous country without shoes, carrying at the same time on their heads bundles of wares that they intend to sell at market when they reach town. Such resourcefulness on the part of these brethren shows their zeal and devotion in the service of God.

Outstanding during the year was the long-awaited visit of the president and the district assemblies held in connection therewith in Barbados and Port of Spain. The good effects of the assemblies are still being felt. One person of good-will attending the public lecture “It Is Later than You Think!” afterwards approached a publisher and inquired earnestly if he could get a recording of that talk so that he could play it for his friends and show them that ‘it was later than they thought’.

Following your visit and the special meeting held in connection with difficulties in one company, as reported in the August 1, 1949, Watchtower, we are glad to report that this company has responded admirably and has shown a new peak in publishers each month for the past five months. The two Gilead graduates assigned to work with this company have been diligent and their efforts are much appreciated, as shown by the increased activity. We trust the brethren will continue to follow the counsel from the Lord’s Word, showing love and mercy one to another, resulting in onward progress to the new world.

Following the district assembly in Port of Spain a reimposition of the ban on the Watch Tower publications coming into the colony was urged in the form of a motion before city council on the grounds that they offended the religious beliefs of the ‘great majority of the people’. Steps were taken locally to present our side of the case before some of the councilors, a brief being submitted to these men stating what the work of Jehovah’s witnesses is in order that they might have a clear picture in their minds to meet these objections. Many of the members of the council, including the mayor, assured us that they would oppose the motion. After weeks of much discussion on the subject in the local press, on the streets and at the homes of the people, it came before the council and was ruled out without even being discussed. In reporting it next day the Port of Spain Evening News, June 21, 1949, carried the following article, in part: “A flock of Jehovah’s witnesses trooped out of the city council chambers at the Princes building yesterday afternoon with heads held high. They had won a moral victory. Councilor Norman Alcantara’s motion seeking to reimpose a ban on the importation of the Watch Tower publications had been balked by action of Aiderman Aubrey Almandoz, the deputy mayor.”

We are grateful for the privilege of serving the people throughout the British West Indies and pray for the Lord’s blessing and direction that we may continue to serve with wisdom and faith.

BURMA

This country has now entered its second year of independence, but instead of the hoped-for prosperity the country is suffering from the birth pangs of a new nation. The government is faced with the task of subduing rebellions in various parts of the country. Such conditions, of course, disrupt everything and bring great distress to the inhabitants of the land. Jehovah’s witnesses in Burma, however, still realize that the Word must be preached; and they have been doing this more and more during the past year than even during the former year. There are not many publishers, but they did achieve a 58-percent increase, reaching a new all-time high for the country with 77 workers. The Branch servant gives us a very clear picture of what the brethren in Burma must go through in order to preach the gospel, and you will enjoy what he has to say. Probably you will agree that your task is not so hard after all.

The Branch office had notified a group of interested persons, 100 miles away, of the district assembly, and the group sent three persons to the assembly. After the assembly, the Branch servant and another Gilead graduate went to this town with these interested persons. It was necessary for them to begin their journey by bus. A short distance from town the bus stopped to join a convoy, as all highway traveling is done in this manner. Armed soldiers with rifles and machine guns were to be seen all along the road. About noon the travelers changed to a train. There were no seats in this train, and the brethren sat at the rear end of the guard’s van with their legs hanging over the sides. Soon they reached the Irrawaddy river. This was crossed by ferry and then they boarded another bus. Thereafter the journey was continued over the next five miles by trishaw (bicycle with a sidecar). Under the shadow of an image of the reclining Buddha, the brethren got down from the trishaws and climbed up to their seats of straw in bullock carts in order to finish the last lap of their journey across rice fields. They finally reached a small jungle village, and here they were met by 15 happy brethren who later expressed their desire to be organized into a company.

The days spent with these brethren were happy ones. These people had never seen one of Jehovah’s witnesses, but they had been studying the publications for many years and were very Theocratic. A company was formed on this visit and 12 brethren were Immersed and taken out in the service. Here was a city of 30,000 people and no witnessing being done. This is true of most other towns in Burma. The next month the Branch office received a report from this company with 12 publishers reporting service. Since then, due to Insurgent activities, we have been cut off from these brethren and there is no communication between them and the Branch office.

A circuit servant visit was made by airplane to Maymyo, a town near the old capital of Mandalay. At that company there is a group made up of two pioneers and five new publishers. The brethren there walk for miles over railroad tracks and fields and jungle to studies. One married sister, who is a pioneer, carries her baby with her for these long distances. Any Sunday groups of 12 to 15 persons can be seen walking in single file through thick jungle to company and public meetings. These groups are made up of the same nationalities as those of this country who are fighting against each other, yet these people are now all studying together and listening to talks which are translated Into Burmese. When these villagers return to the hills, they take the message back with them. Thus the truth is penetrating for the first time even to the hill tribes of Burma.

One sister writes: “When it was first announced in the Informant that traveling time could not be counted, I was a bit worried about how I would get my time in every day. As a result of group witnessing many of my studies are some distance from home and take 15 minutes to a half hour to reach by bus. Then our company started a public meeting series, and by giving out handbills in the bus and giving a short witness to the ones near me, I found I could rightly count the time. The other day, after reading through the back of the handbill, one lady asked me if I had the advertised book, and when I produced it she took it immediately. I obtained her address and arranged for a back-call. This gave me encouragement and I have since witnessed to passengers in the bus with the use of the handbills.”

Our prayer to Jehovah is that more workers may be raised up to help carry the Kingdom message to the many persons of good-will in this territory. So far the government has refused to issue visas for the other Gilead graduates assigned here. This can be understood because of the previous action of religious missionaries and the present strife in the country between those accepting the ‘Christian religion’ and the Buddhists. Because of this all missionaries have been banned except those working in hospitals, etc. We have not yet given up hope. We are still working to show that we are not like other religious organizations, and we are looking to Jehovah to bless our efforts and make it possible to get more workers here.

CANADA

True are the inspired words: “He that scattereth increaseth; and he that withholdeth tendeth to poverty.” Jehovah’s witnesses in Canada have not withheld the truth, but they have scattered it from one end of the country to the other. In doing so this meant expansion, and expansion meant joy for them. The result of this scattering work was an all-time high in publishers for this land, namely, 15,492 who reported on the average monthly, an increase of IB¹/? percent. Now how is the outlook for further expansion? Last year’s Memorial report disclosed that there were 22,522 attending this celebration of the Lord’s death, with only 1,443 partaking of the emblems. This means that there are thousands more people of good-will who need the training and education that will bring them to the point of fully appreciating that this scattering is the work that increases. It increases good to oneself and especially good to others. The Branch servant in Canada sent in a very interesting report, and excerpts of it are published here.

The Great Provider has nourished and sustained us with an abundance of food through the pages of The Watchtower. Its timely counsel has had a marvelous effect, molding the dispositions of devoted ministers. The spirit of love throughout the whole Theocratic organization, and so manifest in those of the governing body, has brought satisfaction, comfort and peace. The publication of Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses well reflects this spirit of love and toleration and keenness to assist all, and is playing a major part In expansion.

Our year opened with a two-month campaign obtaining signatures in support of a petition for a Bill of Rights. More than 15,000 ministers participated and also shared in the nation-wide publicity featuring the lecture “Fight for Freedom!” which Inaugurated the petition work. Six hundred and twenty-five thousand signatures were obtained, the largest petition ever presented to Parliament. The wheels of legislation grind slowly, but by reason of the publicity some politicians echoed the demand for a Bill of Rights. The prime minister in Quebec city said: “We must write into the law protection for the rights that now are guaranteed to us and others only through the good-will of the majority groups of the Canadian people.” However, our sole interest in this campaign has been to safeguard our liberty to preach the Kingdom and to help forward the public ministry in Quebec and elsewhere.

One third of the year was used in the annual Watchtower campaign. With determination to reach the quota set, careful preparations were made, and no effort was spared, nor opportunity overlooked to accomplish the result. Over 25,000 subscriptions were obtained, far in excess of the previous year’s results. We look forward to even greater distribution of the magazines in general as all publishers take advantage of Magazine Day.

Our September Informant contained an article on “Equal Distribution of Publishers” dealing with the urgent need for public ministry in Quebec and the Maritime provinces. The response was magnificent. Many pioneers traveled at their own expense from all parts of the west, some a distance of three to four thousand miles. There is still a need for many more brethren to preach In Quebec.

A number of brethren are now taking advantage of the lower hour requirement which permits them to take on part-time work and so sustain themselves in the ministry. Many expressed delight on entering the full-time ministry and wondered why they had not made the move at a much earlier date. The year’s enrollment of 301 new pioneers yielded a 45-percent increase in the monthly average. One hundred and fifty-five vacation pioneers helped to intensify the witness during the year. Then added privileges have come to diligent pioneers, such as Gilead training, missionary and special publisher work, and circuit servant activity.

The gratifying expansion In the Marltimes has resulted mainly from the Influx of pioneer ministers. Only two years ago there was one circuit covering this area; now there are two, and both are Increasing. A number of capable pioneer brethren were chosen to share in special activity for the development of rural areas. Working in pairs the aim was to quickly cover a given area, put on public meetings, place as much literature as possible, and before leaving each locality instruct good-will persons in the proper method of carrying on regular Bible study. There has been an increase of 15 companies in the Maritimes, with a 26.3-percent increase in company publishers. One company reporting 3 or 4 publishers three years ago has this year reached a peak of 38. A visiting servant at a small company found 11 ready for Immersion.

In Quebec our fight for freedom of worship continues. This is where the greatest concentration of our Gilead graduates is serving. Our brethren here are doing a good job of meeting Interested persons and studying the Bible with them in their homes.

Though very few new cases have developed before the courts in Quebec (we still have 1,200 by-law cases pending), yet there has been constant need for vigilance and fight in connection with the more important pending cases. One, known as Daviau v. Quebec was reported in the January 22 and April 8 issues of Awake! Another, a sedition case, Boucher v. The King, which arose out of the distribution of the leaflet "Quebec’s Burning Hate”, reached the Supreme Court of Canada; the argument in this case went on for four days and judgment is awaited.

In the past year a few of our ministers have penetrated new and far-flung fields. Several pioneers reached Fort Vermilion, 500 miles north of Edmonton where the people of the community, mostly m^tis, besides a colony of Mennonites, were very friendly and gladly accepted literature. Forty subscriptions were placed in six days, in addition to other literature. At Hay River, in the Northwest Territories, a settlement some 700 miles north of Edmonton, a small company has now been formed, which may well be a jumping-off place for future efforts to reach people in these northlands. Northward from Winnipeg, one pioneer journeyed about 1,000 miles to Churchill, in the Hudson Bay region. All along the way he preached and placed literature at the various scattered settlements. Another pioneer assigned in southwest New Brunswick reached out to work the island of Grand Manan, with excellent results. All of these special efforts taken in conjunction with expansion to remote localities in the province of Quebec open up further fields of service.

The circuit and district organization has accomplished marvels in the way of building up groups of Kingdom ministers on a good, solid foundation. The provision, too, of circuit and district assemblies has brought glad seasons of fellowship for all. District assemblies were held at Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Sydney. The total of attendances for Friday evening, 10,700; Saturday, 12,430; while the public meeting drew 23,065. Last year’s public meeting attendance was 17,917. It was most profitable for the circuit servants to meet with the Branch servant and discuss their problems. At Toronto the eastern circuit servants were specially privileged to meet Brother Knorr on the Monday. A high point of this series of assemblies was reached when a throng of over 9,000 listened most attentively to the president’s speech in Maple Leaf Gardens. Everything at these assemblies was wonderful and thoroughly enjoyed. The discussion of so many important matters, the demonstrations and experiences, the intensive advertising of the speech with the arresting title “It Is Later than You Think I” all combined to bring joy and gratitude to the hearts of thousands.

It has been a special pleasure for us to have two visits from the president during the year; one at the time of our district assembly, and the other at the beginning of December. At this time matters pertaining to the Society’s business were dealt with and decisions made concerning expansion of the Bethel property. This was to be accomplished by tearing down part of an old frame building in the rear and erecting a brick structure and a complete new story above our present office. In addition all were thrilled and most grateful to learn that the adjacent apartment building had been purchased. The preparation for and actual construction work is being cared for by our own brethren who have volunteered their services. As this report is written there is a hum of activity in and around the premises; bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, busily doing their best to see that our premises are completed before the winter sets in.

As a family it has been our pleasure to view firsthand the expanding activities throughout this land which spell more and more praise to the great Jehovah’s name. The general increase has stepped up the demand for publications, advertising material and still more printed forms, and it has been a joy to maintain the supply. To keep up with the pace in our printing department we greatly appreciate the consent given for purchase of a new Miehle Vertical press. This and other factors have made possible a 25-percent increase in our printing production. The Kingdom farm has continued to supply the Bethel home with a great variety of wholesome foods for which we are thankful.

All at this Branch esteem it a great favor to be associated with you and are delighted to serve. We give thanks to Jehovah for your tireless devotion, your continued kindly consideration, as well as your splendid lead In the worldwide expansion of praise. We now move forward confidently in the new service year, anticipating even greater heights of praise. Our eyes and hearts are eagerly set upon the great international convention at New York, where we look forward to the pleasure of seeing you and many of our brethren from all parts of the world, and of viewing with joy the great expansion and transformation which has taken place at the factory In Brooklyn and at the Bethel home.

CHILE

There is still a lot of work to be done in the long, thin strip of land on the west coast of South America called Chile. There are now 25 graduates from Gilead serving in various parts of the country, and it is hoped that quite a few more can be sent there. A new missionary home was opened at Antofagasta, in the northern part of Chile, and two Gilead graduates are working there now. It appears that progress is slow in Chile, but in checking the record we see that it is steady. In most of the South American countries excellent progress has been made in reaching the people with the truth, and the Branch servant sets out a few highlights for us on how this has been accomplished in Chile.

A good start was made early in the service year with a new peak of 239 publishers. The publishers were enduring well for their own and others’ salvation. The pioneers and others were giving assistance to the new and the weak ones that they too might be God’s ministers. But as months passed we proved to be weak. Measuring the service reports with such monthly texts as that for November, “Keeping Peace by United Praise,” showed shortcomings, thus indicating that the mark of “Gainful Godliness” was getting farther and farther away. What were we to do? It seemed as though the bottom would fall out, so to speak, when many publishers took the traditional Chilean vacation at the beaches; and, mind you, Chile is great for its summer resorts. As a result only 179 publishers reported in February. That was our situation at the beginning of the “Blameless Ministry” testimony period. Something had to be done.

Something was done. This was made possible through the Lord’s organization. New instructions and, above all, much-needed admonition came with your visit. Your talks, given at the district assembly in Santiago, showed us how to properly measure ourselves Individually, not self-rlghteously, but with the example of Christ Jesus. The advice given on bearing the burdens of others by helping them in the service work has resulted not only in new publishers but also in new servants’ being trained to take on responsibility that they too may help others. It is seen how organization lifts many burdens and brings about the distribution of others, that all may feel more closely united to the Lord’s organization

Your talk on “Amor” (Love) was much needed. The better way was shown. Instead of letting little things claim our attention and often permitting ourselves to take them too seriously, we see how love looks out for the better gift, that of being a good publisher. Your call for more pioneers has shown that some appreciate the better gift to the extent that they have become pioneers and have done well even through the winter weather in which they began their full-time ministry. As to the rest of the publishers, the reports show that they have maintained better activity through the wintertime than they had for the summer just before. No doubt this is due to a better appreciation of what love and desire for the better way really mean, as was pointed out using 1 Corinthians 13.

The Instruction and admonition given in the talk “Amor” was impressed upon the minds of not only the adults but the young as well, as observed in the following experience:

A brother and his wife had their 4 small children with them at the assembly during your talk on “Amor”. A few days afterward the brother sensed something unusual under way among these 4 children who had been playing In the next room. Peeping by the curtain, he saw that the older boy had the floor as speaker and the other 3 sat attentively as If in an assembly. The speaker was explaining that he was Brother Knorr and now that he had learned Spanish he was going to talk to them, In Spanish, on the subject of “Amor”. With papers as notes arranged In his hand and with gestures he held the attention of his audience of 3, carefully laying down one page after the other as the theme was developed. The brother quietly called his wife to witness it. The orderliness and exactness of the scene was so unusual that it held the attention of the brother and his wife for some time as they marveled at the amount of instruction these young minds had grasped during your talk. While mentioning children, it Is noticed by pictures taken after the public lecture, given by a local brother to an audience of 450, that the front row of the picture is filled by children. Surely, with such training, many of these will soon be good publishers.

With the assembly past, results were awaited. They came. The special pioneers have advanced, and it is expected summertime will see them past their quota of hours. As to their back-calls and studies, they have passed their quotas each month since your visit and therefore have played a good part in bringing out a new peak in publishers. The general pioneers are a great aid to the companies, and we hope that the better season ahead will witness many new faces in their ranks. It is true that some found the economic conditions too difficult to continue as pioneers now, but they still are a great help in the company organizations.

The company publishers are interesting. Many have received but little instruction in company organization and sometimes one may think that they are very slow to advance. But recent experiences show that really the pioneers and servants must give them instruction. For example, one company had some new servants assigned so that the responsibility might be distributed. In the meantime the magazine work was nearly at a standstill. The duties of the newly assigned advertising servant were explained to him, including the Magazine Day arrangement, and assistance was given him to carry it out He went to work on it. A number of old issues were put out in just a few days, and eacli week they ask for extra distributors’ copies. Other newly assigned servants are advancing, and that gives others a new outlook, because some local brethren have felt that only the missionaries and brethren from other countries had ability to go ahead with service arrangements. All this new life and interest now means much to the service. Many have noticed the advance made by the young students in the Theocratic ministry school and are really sorry when they miss some of their talks.

How to expand the ministry is our big question. With 1 publisher for every 20,000 persons in this long and narrow land, you can see that our first question is not, How near is Armageddon? Rather it is, How are we going to get the testimony to all the nations before the end comes? It is certain that Jehovah through his King Christ Jesus will make it possible. He has given the command and he will see that it is fulfilled. It is to these Higher Powers that we give thanks for our being able to report a new peak of 261 publishers as a climax for our 1949 service year.

CHINA

The commission given Jehovah’s witnesses is to preach the gospel in all the inhabited earth, and that would include the great nation of China. In these last days when there are wars and distress of nations, many people wonder how this commandment to preach the good news can be fulfilled. But today, despite the distress of nations, a greater witness is being given unto the ends of the earth than ever before. Why? Because it is God’s due time to have the Word preached. China is one of the nations where the truth is now penetrating, and good work is being done in three localities: in the great city of Shanghai with its teeming millions; in Tai Wan, which is better known to most people as Formosa; and in Hong Kong, the British colony on the east coast of China. It is all a part of the Chinese field, and the Branch servant gives us an interesting picture of what is going on.

One of the joyous events of the year was the arrival of five more Gilead graduates, bringing the total to seven. Only one stayed in Shanghai, two went on to Tai Wan and two to Hong Kong. The presence of these brethren while in Shanghai was especially enjoyed by the local brethren, many of whom had never met brethren from outside their own company. It was good that the Gilead brethren were able to spend a few weeks in Shanghai before moving on, as it not only benefited the local brethren but afforded the graduates an opportunity to accompany the local brethren in the field service and learn how witnessing is done in these oriental fields.

A Chinese lady doctor became interested in Jehovah’s witnesses following the visit of a publisher upon her sister. A study was arranged and rapid progress made. Upon getting the truth about the trinity, hell and the soul she remarked: “I never could really believe these religious doctrines.” Later when reading the experiences in The Watchtower, especially one from a newly interested person who had taken up the field service for the first time, she decided it was time for her, too, to preach from house to house. Unexpectedly she arrived at the point for group witnessing the next day, and since then she has been a regular publisher. Her sister has also made excellent progress and now publishes regularly. They attended the meetings and found the ministry school most enjoyable, and at the first written review both made 90 percent. Through the efforts of these two persons new studies have been started. One study held with a group of nurses has already produced one new publisher and much good interest among others.

With the arrival of the two Gilead graduates the Kingdom work in Tai Wan has made good progress. There is much work to be done here, especially to organize the work and establish organized companies among the many brethren and persons of good-will. However, the Gilead graduates are assisting the brethren in this and progress is being made. The greatest hindrance, though, has been the constant police interference preventing the brethren in many places from holding their regular meetings for the study of the Society’s publications and the Bible. This action has been taken despite the fact that a letter had previously been issued by the commissioner of civil affairs stating that we had full freedom to preach and hold meetings. But as the police were not directly informed of this by the government they insisted that the meetings were illegal. The Gilead brethren have spent much time with the police and with the government officials, giving them all a good witness as to the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. Eventually they were able to obtain another letter from the commissioner, and this time the local police were properly informed. This was good, but soon martial law was proclaimed in Tai Wan as the civil war in China drew nearer the island. All meetings in private homes were banned. Many of our meetings are held In private homes, as halls are not available In many of the villages. It has been necessary to again take the matter up with the government to get them to inform the local police that our meetings should be considered as church meetings and not subject to the ban. It is hoped the whole matter will be settled soon, so that the brethren can meet together without interference.

A new peak of 248 publishers was reached, as against the previous peak of 114. There is very much Interest in the truth in Tai Wan, and, with better organization and more freedom to preach and meet together, an Increase is certain to come.

It has always been hoped that someday It would be possible for missionaries to be sent to Hong Kong to open up the preaching of the gospel in this Crown colony. There were no publishers in the colony in the past and only a little preaching had been done by visiting brethren. Now two missionaries have been assigned to Hong Kong and they are having a most enjoyable time in the service there, getting good results. They now have more than 30 home Bible studies between them, and this after only six months’ work. Three company publishers are now reporting.

The two Gilead graduates who were sent to Hong Kong imbue one with a love for the Chinese people and a desire to do something to help them when one reads a portion of their letter written to Brother Knorr recently.

“Little did we think when we read in The Watchtower of July 1, 1947, a very interesting account of a visit to Hong Kong by the president of the Watch Tower Society that on a fine Sunday morning just twenty months later we would sail through Lyemun Pass into the beautiful harbor from which Hong Kong derives its name. The question had been asked, ‘Would the Lord show mercy to the millions of Asia by providing an opportunity to hear the message of the Kingdom?’ Fresh from Gilead School, we felt the weight of responsibility to be joyful bearers of the good news and we wondered what effect the message would have on these teeming masses. In the strength of Jehovah we must go ahead and find out.

“Looking back now after seven and a half months of wonderful experiences among the Chinese people, we feel deeply grateful to Jehovah for this assignment. Yes! There are many persons of good-will here. How often we have felt we were pioneers in the truest sense, for we have had to painstakingly explain who is the Almighty God, what his Word is, and the reason for studying it. Many persons who listened had never heard of Israel, Abraham or Moses. In their minds there is a great gap between the ‘Chinese way’ and the ‘Christian way’; and to be told that the so-called ‘Christians’ are far from being Jesus’ true followers is almost incomprehensible. It is a slow work maybe, but progress comes steadily.

“All the usual religious organizations are represented here in Hong Kong, but with all their century of efforts less than five percent of the Chinese have changed from their ancestral ways. Now comes the truth with the Kingdom message bearing the solution for China’s woeful problems. Will the refugees now fleeing into this colony for safety recognize the real ‘city of refuge’? There seems to be a tremendous work ahead.”

COLOMBIA

There has been much turmoil in this country in recent years, and this may be the reason why many people are now turning their ears toward the comforting message of truth. Certainly the Catholic organization has not brought peace, contentment and prosperity to the country. Jehovah’s witnesses, on the other hand, continue to press on with the same message as heretofore that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Our missionary forces have been reduced in Colombia because a number of the brethren left the country and it has been impossible to replace them up to this time, because of difficulty in securing visas for the entry of new missionaries. However, the Society has just received news that permission has been granted by the Colombian government for five additional Gilead graduates to enter the country and assist those still there who are continuing diligently in their service to the people. The brethren there have had a number of very interesting experiences during the year, all of which added great enthusiasm to the work, and probably helped the brethren in obtaining the average of 97 publishers during the year. There are wonderful prospects ahead for new increases during 1950, and we sincerely hope the good advances already made can be sustained and even improved. The Branch servant gives us some interesting news in his report, which follows.

Long overdue expansion struck Colombia during 1949. A definite upward trend in the work at the close of the 1948 service year broke away from a gradual increase to soar to encouraging heights, permitting the publishers to experience the joys and privileges that are being showered upon the Lord’s servants the world over in these days of advancing truth. Shortly after the opening of the service year Colombia played host to a special representative from Brooklyn who visited four of the companies and put his finger on the weak spot in the service organization—initiative in getting the persons of good-will to take the forward step into the field service.

Experiences during the year were plentiful, but only a few of these can be related. They will stand as examples of the blessings enjoyed by the brethren who have stayed with the work in this land and are now reaping bountiful spiritual happiness. In Barranqullla a lottery salesman obtained magazines and books from publishers in the street work. A sincere Catholic he was; but, desirous of knowing what the Bible had to say, he started attending meetings at Kingdom Hall, walking long distances to do so. He gave the brethren his home address, but before he could be visited by them he came upon a publisher working from door to door, and instead of continuing home for lunch he became busily engaged in gaining firsthand knowledge of the field service, not just observing but “aiding” the publisher to explain the message. The following Sunday and thereafter he kept Sunday morning reserved for group witnessing. Before his six months’ pre-pioneer publishing had terminated his application was in the Branch office; and the moment the report came through that he had been a good publisher for six months he was assigned to the pioneer service as the Society’s representative. This pioneer’s mother had warned him that if the Bible entered the home he would leave. Can you guess the result? Yes, the mother and also the man’s wife and brother are all Kingdom publishers.

At the year’s end a baptism service in Barranquilla brought out 12 candidates and 38 spectators. What a joy to see 50 publishers in a group, many for the first time, converging upon a near-by village to tell its inhabitants the good news of God’s kingdom!

One new publisher, bubbling over with enthusiasm, accompanied one of the Gilead graduates to a newly contacted good-will person. The new publisher could not help but ask the back-call when he was going to go into the service. It has been noted that natives are able to speak quite plainly to their fellow countrymen and “get away with it”. Zealous Colombian publishers have been a real factor in pushing the advance during the year.

“Six years in a Protestant church has not taught me as much as this one book [Spanish ‘The Truth Shall Make You Free’]," replied a good-will man to the publisher on the first back-call. “Come to our meetings at Kingdom Hall Sunday afternoon,” invited the missionary. He attended. When announcement was made concerning group witnessing he asked if he might go along. Why not? Since that time he has been a regular publisher and was baptized shortly thereafter.

About a year ago a book was placed with a businessman. A study was started and his four sisters also attended. Politics and the truth did not mix, and he soon dropped out of the study. However, the sisters continued on and three became publishers and were immersed. With so many witnesses in the family it wasn’t long before the brother began to study again, and this time he did not turn aside, but entered the field service and was baptized along with the fourth sister.

One of the missionaries spent his vacation with an Isolated publisher at his home 150 miles inland by water from the coast. Out of 58 homes in the small village all but two accepted literature. Later 152 assembled beside a partly-constructed Catholic church for a public lecture. Upon learning of the Christian activity in the village where they had been unable to rally support for a church, two black-robed imitation Christians along with their “sisters” returned to the village to counteract the truth as preached by Jehovah’s witnesses. Little success was encountered in their campaign to exchange Catholic tracts for those published by the Watch Tower Society. Neither did dally mass have effect upon the humble folk of El Mamon. They soon had backtracked to the territory from which they had proceeded forth and spit out their propaganda through a small monthly, La Cruz (The Cross). Two months later a company of three publishers was organized to aid the people of goodwill in that area.

It is truly marvelous to see how the Lord’s arm is with his people and how they recognize the Signal regardless of how isolated they may be. A cabinetmaker obtained a book in Bogota, but after a few studies was forced to leave the capital. After an absence of many months a letter arrived at the Branch from this “lost” sheep expressing his desire to obtain literature and Bibles in order to carry on the preaching in the city where he was located. For a year, without contact with the organization, he had studied by himself and equipped himself with knowledge, was convinced of the truth, and now was burning with the urge to tell others of the truth. Two subsequent visits by the Branch servant aided him to advance the service work in a city that has been considered the most fanatical religiously in that state. Only two years previous two evangelist women were stoned from the city. Now that another person has taken up the witness work along with this Isolated publisher it appears that Colombia’s next company is about to be formed.

COSTA RICA

Jehovah’s witnesses in the small Central American republic of Costa Rica have certainly been praising the Lord more and more during the past service year. Two years ago they had a 41-percent increase in number of publishers, and now during the 1949 service year they increased by 48 percent. In other words, they have on the average 307 more publishers taking an active part in Kingdom activities this year than they had a year ago. This marvelous increase did not come easily, but it was due to the constant effort put forth ,by the mature servants of the Lord—pioneers, Gilead graduates, circuit servants—all of whom took their share in the work. It was just six years ago when the first graduates from Gilead went into San Jose, Costa Rica, and began their missionary work. In this short period of time the Lord has richly blessed their zealous efforts, and now they have reached a peak of 1,069 publishers. There is no question that the people of the country, and especially the religionists, have noticed these increases, and those opposed to God’s kingdom have opened war against Jehovah’s witnesses and tried to stop their work. But the Lord knows his “sheep”, and these he will find and bring unto his fold. The report from the Branch servant of Costa Rica proves this point very well and relates many happy experiences that the brethren are enjoying there.

During the revolution in December, out in Liberia in Guanacaste province, the “shepherds” of the flock fled for their lives; however, the faithful special pioneers stationed there kept right on with their work of preaching, and as a result some of the flock found that they had been getting a fleecing instead of being fed. When these Evangelical preachers returned they found some of their “sheep” strayed. They immediately made a house-to-house campaign against the pioneers, and when they ran across one of the sisters they strictly forbade her to study with their members. In writing to the office about the matter the sister said: “They are visiting all of our studies and telling the people that we are the Devil’s witnesses and that they must not listen to our doctrines. But that is only to show up their colors with those that are really the Lord’s sheep.” And this has proved to be true, for when this all took place the new company at Liberia was reporting 15 publishers, and they closed the year with 20 reporting in August.

In San Isidro del General, they have been more vile in their attacks on the lone special pioneer sister working there. This place is not large enough for a group of pioneers, but after Brother and Sister Hardin from the San Jose missionary home, along with two other publishers from San Josd, worked there for several days in January, it was decided to send in Sister Joy Goodin to work with the good-will found by the others. It did not take long for Catholics and Evangelicals to get busy. The Catholics changed priests and the Evangelicals started their smear campaign. The local preacher said that the sister should be hanged and then have her body dragged through the streets of the town as an example. The new priests got busy with a bookcollecting campaign and some studies were lost. However, the work has gone right ahead and a peak of 8 publishers has been obtained. Among the interested there is a schoolteacher. She has been threatened with losing her job, but she is not concerned about it.

In San Josd the Catholics are on the air every week, attacking any and every thing that is not Boman, so the witnesses have come in for more than their share. Not all the people are in harmony with their campaign, and those who are of good-will are taking their stand on the side of The Theocracy. So their efforts to keep down the work have helped to spread it among those they would keep from hearing it.

In San Jos<5 the company was divided into two units last November. This after the company had made a peak of 266 publishers in September. Since then the two units have shown good progress. They have grown in back-calls and Bible studies and reported a peak of 338 publishers in July. Both units have been very active in public meeting series, not only in San Jose, but in helping some of the smaller companies near by. In August it was decided to put on some of the series in the Bible-study areas and at one time there were six different series going in the city, with results that were beyond all expectations. Even one series was put on at the Kingdom Hall of the Central unit the same nights as the others. The result was that several came that could not get out on Sunday afternoon. This too gave the opportunity to some of the brethren enrolled in the Theocratic ministry school to give their first hour talks.

Early In January, the circuit servant and three pioneers went to Sixaola, near the Panama border on the Atlantic side, to see what could be accomplished there. This is a section of the country farmed by the United Fruit Company and the settlements are scattered. To get from one place to another the brethren went on foot mostly and rode the cocoa train when it made the round to pick up what had been gathered. The brethren put on 5 public meetings, with a total of 174 attendance, in the open. Thereafter in about ten days’ work they were able to place 94 books, 85 booklets, 10 Bibles, 101 magazines, 51 new subscriptions, and made 25 back-calls. After the circuit servant’s report on the trip was received in San Jos<5, two special pioneer sisters were sent in to follow up the placements and to take care of the interest that had been manifested. A company was formed, and through the diligent efforts of these sisters a peak of 9 publishers was reached in June.

This is a hard assignment for two sisters, because it is frontier country and wild. They may not have the opposition that others are experiencing in other sections of the country, but one day they met face to face with a lion while In the work. However, they do not complain, but are glad to have a share in the work wherever it may be. The Lord has blessed their efforts, because the number of publishers that they have been able to report shows much diligence In a section where the people are constantly on the move, one farm to another, from the Costa Rican side over to Panama or back to the interior. They are placing a good amount of literature and are sowing the seed, and, since the work is spreading from border to border and from Atlantic to Pacific, someone else can do the watering even if they move away from Sixaola to seek work in another part of the country.

An example of good results from moving about is to be had in Heredia, a nest of fanaticism. This city lies to the northwest of San Jos£, just 12 kilometers. Pioneers had worked it and special groups during assemblies in San Josd have been sent there. About two years ago a man and his family from the Atlantic moved to San Rafael de Heredia, about a kilometer from the center of the city. The pioneers working there at the time got in touch with him and “watered” the seed that someone else had planted. The priest threatened to run the family out of town and had the local flock stone the publishers when they came. The pioneers left, but the brother took his stand, attended the meetings in San Jose with his family when he could and published continually. In June a company was formed there and they reported a total of 12 publishers in August.

Early this year Brother Blackburn was able to visit the Guatuso tribe of Indians in Guanacaste province. He made the trip into their territory while visiting the company at Argentina de Tilarfin. On his last trip out to Tilarin, 165 persons gathered from miles around to hear his public talk. Some spent as much as two days on the road getting there. On this visit the company servant gave a baptism talk and 15 symbolized their consecration in water baptism. The Indians had sent word in that they wanted Brother Blackburn to spend a day and a night with them, which he did, finding many of good-will among them.

One of our greatest drawbacks here Is the fact that many people live together but are not married, and when they come into the truth they have to get their affairs settled before going in the service. Many have done so and have reaped the Lord’s rich blessings for so doing. We have helped them all we can by getting birth certificates at the Registro Civil and in whatever way possible. A few would rather continue to lead the kind of life they have been accustomed to for generations in these Catholic countries, and soon leave the organization, but these are the exceptions.

So it is with joy in our hearts that we finish this great year of service, knowing that the efforts of Jehovah’s faithful servants in this land have had his blessings and approval We keenly look forward to what is in store for us in the new year already begun. Many are making definite plans to be in New York for the great assembly there In 1950.

CUBA

It is good for the Lord’s people to have the same feeling as the psalmist did when he said, “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, 0 Lord, thou knowest.” (Ps. 40: 9) It is because Jehovah’s witnesses in Cuba have not refrained from preaching the Word that more than 1,200 additional publishers have associated themselves with the Lord’s organization and are now praising Jehovah more and more. Month after month there has been an increase in the work, and at Memorial time there were 8,496 persons in attendance for the celebration, which shows how many of the Cuban people are interested in the good message. All these are prospective publishers for the Kingdom.

One of the outstanding features of the work accomplished in Cuba has been the progress in home Bible studies. A splendid organization has been built up throughout all of Cuba in the past few years, and the blessing of the Lord upon this organizational activity can be noted in the report of the Branch servant on the year’s progress.

In harmony with our year’s text of praising Jehovah God “yet more and more”, the publishers of this land, by the Lord’s grace, have had their greatest year of expansion to date! Starting with an increase of over 300 publishers in October the Lord’s servants here continued to expand month by month, reaching a total and new peak of 5,991 publishers In the field in August.

To keep up with this great expansion it was necessary to obtain larger quarters for the Branch home and office. To this end the Society purchased a large, fine and strong two-story building in the suburbs of Habana. We moved into this new Branch home and office during the latter part of July. Due to the expansion in the work, it has also been necessary to Increase the force at the Branch. There are now 10 brethren working at the Branch home and office.

One of the main factors In the expansion has been the work of the circuit servants. These hard-working and zealous servants have been of great aid to their brethren. A tremendous improvement in the efficiency of the publishers has taken place since the week-long visits of the circuit servants were inaugurated over two and a half years ago. During their visits they have also organized many new company book studies, thus spreading the work out, and opening up the way for the organization of new companies in the future. Practically all of the 32 new companies or* ganlzed during the year were organized by the circuit servants. As a result of this Increase in number of companies a new circuit was formed. We now have seven circuits.

During the year two more units were organized in the Habana area. This makes a total of eight units in Habana. Including the pioneers, there are now 1,090 publishers in the Habana area. Four of the cities in this country now have two or more units.

A great aid in the expansion were the three new publications in Spanish, “Let God Be True”, Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses and The Joy of All the People. Using the new book “Let God Be True", the number of our home Bible studies increased to a monthly average of 3,0901 The new instructions In the Counsel booklet are certainly the Lord’s provision in this time of expansion. The Institution of Magazine Day has brought about an expanded distribution of The Watchtower and Awake! and has brought these two important publications more prominently into public view. The Important changes affecting the back-call and Bible-study work, particularly the elimination of the back-call file, have really streamlined this feature of the work, and have concentrated the efforts of the publishers on those who are really interested in the truth.

The brethren here have always talked the truth to everyone, everywhere, at their work, traveling, etc., and the changes in the reporting of time are bringing about an increase in actual time spent in witnessing. One of the main reasons why the work has continued to greatly expand in this country year after year is that the publishers have let their “light shine before men” by talking the truth everywhere they go. They have not feared to present the message to everyone they meet. The Lord has richly blessed them.

The circuit assemblies have played a great part in the expansion of the work. These assemblies not only have greatly aided the publishers and servants in carrying out their work in a more organized and efficient manner, but they have also been a great aid in bringing about greater unity between the publishers. It has been a real joy to see the great strides the brethren have made in the organizing of these assemblies during the past two and a half years. Not only in the organizing of these assemblies, but also In the “cleaning up” after the assemblies. After the last talk is over, everyone, including the sisters, pitches in and helps with the chairs and the cleanup work. In one assembly they cleared the floor of over 1,200 chairs in five minutes flat, and fifteen minutes later, after sweeping the floor, they were going over it with mops! Our attendance figures in the two rounds of circuit assemblies showed a very good increase over previous assemblies.

We held two district assemblies this year. The assembly in Habana, which served the brethren living in the western part of the island, had an attendance of 2,218; and the other assembly, held in Camagiiey, which served those living in the eastern part, had an attendance of 1,200. A few days before the Habana assembly a Habana newspaper printed a picture of the assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses held in Berlin, Germany, where 30,000 people attended. This picture gave a great witness in Habana, because it mentioned the selfsame public talk that was then being advertised all over Habana with placards and handbills, “It Is Later than You Think!” Everyone asked us if we were from the same organization that held the assembly in Germany.

One of the most noted radio commentators In the country attended the Habana assembly, and later in his nationwide broadcast gave a very good report telling of the organization and order at the assembly, and that Jehovah’s witnesses set a very good example in order and organization for the Cuban people to follow.

The past service year has been a blessed one of expansion. To Jehovah God who “giveth the increase” we give thanks.

CYPRUS

Jehovah’s witnesses on this island in the Mediterranean sea have not been one whit behind their fellow publishers of the Kingdom. With their average of 141 publishers in the field every month, they had an increase of 139 percent over last year. This gathering of the “other sheep” on this island was not done without hard work, and the brethren have been putting forth a real effort. The report of the Branch servant shows us some of their problems. It reminds us of the time when Paul went to Paphos in Cyprus and met some opposition. Paul, being filled with the holy spirit, said to his adversary, “You monster of underhandedness and cunning! You son of the devil! You enemy of all that is right! Will you never stop trying to make the Lord’s straight paths crooked ?”—Acts 13:10, An Amer. Trans.

The public meetings have played an important part in the increase of the work. Public meetings were not confined to the six towns of the island. No; most of the inhabitants dwell In the hundreds of villages scattered among the vineclad mountains and the treeless sun-baked plains. Because of regular transport’s being confined mostly to the towns, it has been a great effort for the brethren to reach these isolated communities. The publisher must either walk or use his faithful friend, the bicycle. In this manner the brethren (with two and sometimes three brethren on one bicycle) have gone forth to the people of the villages inviting them to hear the glad tidings to be expounded in their local “auditorium”, the well-known village coffee shop. New territories have been opened up in this way, with the result that several groups of interested persons have been established and some are taking part in the field service. It is very difficult for a person to become one of Jehovah’s witnesses in these rural areas. Immediately after the inhabitants learn that a person is studying with Jehovah’s witnesses, they will boycott such person and eventually the person will be thrown out of work. This is too much for many, so they give up. One person, with whom a brother had a back-call, was severely beaten after the call by the inhabitants of the village, and was told that if Jehovah’s witnesses came to him again both he and the witness would be killed.

During the year three Gilead graduates and a general pioneer moved into a town in the south of the island where there were no publishers and not even a back-call name. Within six months a company of 15 publishers was organized. This was too much for the priests who saw some of their staunch members no longer attending service; so they stood on the streets giving out leaflets against us and made special visits to the homes of the newly interested persons In an effort to bring them “back to the fold”.

A room to be used as a Kingdom Hall was engaged, but the priests were soon intimidating the owner for him to turn the brethren out. Young boys attached to the Orthodox church began to disturb the meetings. On two occasions they tried to smoke the brethren out of the hall by lighting fires outside, and at one meeting when a Bible study was in progress stones and tin cans were hurled through the windows. Finally intervention by the police brought their acts of violence to an end. The people are easily incited to acts of violence under their religious instructors, hence stoning and beating of the brethren is not uncommon.

The circuit servant had an interesting experience while visiting the ancient town of Paphos. The company servant of the town informed the circuit servant that some interested persons several miles away desired to be visited. When the circuit servant arrived he arranged to give a public talk in the village. Despite threats of the priest, the talk was given. There are now three active publishers in the village. When the circuit servant desired to return to the town he had visited the priest put pressure upon the driver of the truck that was going to carry him, so that he was refused a seat. There was no other transport available. The only way to return to the town was to use a donkey, which was soon provided by a person of good-will along with a young boy to show the way over the mountain paths. For two hours the donkey plodded steadily along with the two on its back, and another hour on foot brought the circuit servant back to town. This opposition is not strange when we remember that Paul experienced the same things when he visited the same town of Paphos nineteen centuries ago.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

When Paul told Timothy to “preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season”, he did not mean that just Timothy should heed this wise counsel, but also all of Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere. (2 Tim. 4:2) Truly our brethren in Czechoslovakia have heeded this wise counsel. Despite the actions of the Czechoslovakian government in trying to keep the people from hearing anything except what they want them to hear, there were still 1,514 ministers of God proclaiming the message in the month of August 1949. In a country where Jehovah’s witnesses are forbidden to assemble for true worship of the Most High God, still 372 persons of good-will have shown their determination to worship God by being immersed before witnesses during the year. The report that comes out of Czechoslovakia is very encouraging to all of Jehovah’s witnesses and will make us all determined to hold our ground in season and out of season.

The beginning of the past service year was very encouraging for all the consecrated servants of Jehovah in this country, for from September 10 to 12, 1948, the district assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses was held in Prague, which was attended by more than 2,000 active publishers and persons of good-will. These were days of joy, and at the end of the assembly a resolution was unanimously adopted from which we quote the following: “We, Jehovah’s witnesses, who have assembled ourselves together . . . are determined to increase this blessed service still more, and, by the Lord’s grace, to persevere therein in season and in times of trial, and to publish the gospel of God’s kingdom with yet greater zeal.” Embued with the spirit of this resolution and filled with deep joy the participants returned to their separate homes in every part of the country.

Already when making preparations for this assembly it was noticeable that the authorities were not friendlily inclined toward Jehovah’s witnesses and that they were looking for an opportunity to interfere with their rapidly growing activity. And sueh interference came. Two and a half months later, at the end of November, 1948, the secret state police entered the Branch office of the Society in Suchdol near Prague and arrested all the co-workers, as well as a number of brothers at Prague, namely those who were members of the committees of the two Czechoslovakian associations. Machines, office equipment, files, records and literature at the Branch were all confiscated, and apart from this the co-workers lost a good deal of their private property, such as clothing, underclothing, etc. On the same day the state security police in conjunction with the state gendarmerie made domiciliary visits in the whole of Czechoslovakia at almost all the companies of Jehovah’s witnesses and also with isolated publishers. Much literature was confiscated thereby, as well as records and correspondence. In many places members of the state gendarmerie forbade the brethren to further assemble and preach the gospel, even though no written decision had till then been issued.

After a lengthy investigation the state security police delivered the Branch workers to the state court. However, this court was unable to produce any evidence of the things of which they were accusing them, and was therefore unable to draw up an act of indictment against them; so after waiting eight months they suspended the prosecution against them. Now certainly everyone will be astonished to learn that these blameless Christian men and women did not recover their freedom, but that the state security police laid their hands on them again and brought them before a special commission called “Labor Commission”, which sentenced them all to two years in a work camp with forced labor without producing any evidence to support the charge for which they were accused. The commission did not consider it necessary to prove guilt on the part of our brethren.

There is no doubt as to what enemy elements Intended to accomplish by this step against Jehovah’s witnesses in Czechoslovakia: liquidate the Branch office of the Society, do away with the members of the committees of the two associations, and thereby deprive God’s people in this country of its leadership. They thought that if they would succeed in this they would reach their goal of rendering Impossible our activity. However, very shortly after this intervention the connection between all the servants of the Most High was re-established.

As we view the work as a whole with joy we can see that during the past year Jehovah’s witnesses in Czechoslovakia have remembered well, and have put into practice, the words of the resolution which they adopted at the assembly In Prague, viz.: “We are determined to increase this blessed service still more, and, by the Lord’s grace, to persevere therein in season and in times of trial, and to publish the gospel of God’s kingdom with yet greater zeal.”

DENMARK

Jehovah’s witnesses must be strong and resolute in order to succeed in everything that they undertake. When one looks to the Lord and is careful to comply with what Jehovah directs, he will find that his life will prosper and that he will succeed. The Lord’s servants in Denmark are pressing on diligently, and even though they have approximately only four million people to witness to, the faithful ministers of God in that land believe there are many more who will yet come into the truth and join in carrying on true worship. This past year they had a 16-percent increase in number of publishers. Through diligent effort and by sticking to their work they have caused many people to give cognizance to what they have to say. The report of the Branch servant bears out this point.

This year saw the first district assembly with complete cafeteria arrangements. All the good things observed at the large assemblies in the United States were, as far as possible, put into practice and the friends much appreciated the opportunity of partaking of their meals in the same building as that in which the assembly was held. Additionally, the cafeteria arrangement gave many of the publishers an opportunity of making gifts of food of various kinds, and their generosity helped us to meet other convention expenses. There was no lack of willing workers for all the duties that were to be performed.

After the assembly there was a long piece In one of the local papers, where, among other things, it was said:

“They [Jehovah’s witnesses] say ‘the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ and he shall be King in the ages of the ages’. . . . The heavenly voices would inform us of the fact that there has been a change of government in connection with world rulership. One would think that this would be something the world would be interested in; troubled, fearful, plagued, Ill-treated and perplexed as it is . . . One can think what one will about Jehovah’s witnesses, but this is a mighty movement, a great trumpet . . . not a little man in a sidestreet blowing on his trumpet, but a world movement and it is heard in all parts of the old world, which, however, hardly understands it in its historical significance. But the world city’s, Babel’s, walls are cracking. Soon they will fall and Babel will be taken by the conqueror. Awake!”

A special effort to improve our street witnessing work with the magazines has also had its effects. This feature of the service, provided the publishers are careful as to their appearance and manners, is a wonderful witness. Many persons who may be difficult to contact in other ways have thus an opportunity to meet the witnesses and hear the message. One thus contacted recently was a Danish professor who wrote to us expressing his appreciation of one of the articles on “Evolution” in Awake! and wishing us success in a work he had unsuccessfully attempted twenty-five years ago.

Some of the publishers begin the street work before six in the morning, and thus meet workers on their way to workshops and factories. We know from reliable sources that this has resulted in many discussions concerning Jehovah’s witnesses’ Bible educational work, and in this way the minds of the people are constantly directed to Jehovah and the Kingdom, Instead of to the latest sensation in the newspapers.

Even those who do not agree with us are forced to recognize the zeal of Jehovah’s witnesses. The following extract from a letter which appeared in the Catholic Weekly is to the point:

“In the last few months one has often seen people on the streets selling a paper called ‘Awake'.’ Many of those selling this paper are quite young, some even as young as fourteen. When I see the zeal with which these people work for their idea and conviction, without fear or inferiority complexes, it stands as an accusation against us. You can call Jehovah’s witnesses idiots as much as you like, but they certainly have a zeal for their faith and those who go round are not old-fashioned maiden aunts or pensioners, but young men and women who in their conduct and dress are more like the representatives of our leading business houses. Now I would ask (not criticize), What is Denmark’s Catholic youth doing to gather the many seekers under the roof of the Catholic church?”

FAROE ISLANDS

A really good work has been done on these islands in the course of the year by a young Danish couple. Despite many difficulties, including the wrecking of their home in a storm, these brethren have faithfully pressed on in the battle and the foundation has been laid for the establishment of a company. Their new home will now be used as a Kingdom Hall and we are looking forward to the consolidation of the interest which has been found. In the course of the year over 4,000 books, booklets and magazines have been spread, and of these over 1,400 were bound books.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Less than five years ago the first witnesses entered the Dominican Republic. They went there to live, organizing the work and the persons of good-will. Today there are 22 graduates from Gilead who are carrying on missionary work in the land; and a peak of 274 publishers throughout the territory has been reached. Four companies have now been organized. The Catholic organization has a great influence over the people and has kept them illiterate and in darkness for years. As with the Catholics throughout the world, they work hand in hand with the local government. They have forgotten Jesus’ words that his followers should not be of this world, even as he was not of this world. The missionaries in Dominican Republic are having some very interesting experiences, and the Branch servant gives us this report.

We have stressed home Bible studies and the back-call work and have had blessed results. One sister was working in her territory in Santiago and came across a group of people offering prayers to an altar saint under a big almond tree. She let one of the group read the card. Then one of them said, “What do you think of the saints?” The reply from the publisher was, “We think well of the saints, understanding that each one without doubt has his proper and particular service to do. Understanding also that there is only one mediator between God and man, we do not pray to the saints, but to Jehovah God in the name of this mediator who is Christ Jesus. Jesus himself said, ‘I am the door’; therefore if we would enter into the favor of God, we must enter in by this door.” The result was that some took literature and in two weeks a study was started. One lady brings her washing and listens. Another sits on a big rock and cares for her baby. They can’t read. Now instead of the old almond tree’s making shade for idol-worshipers, it shelters those who are seeking the way to life.

One day one of the company publishers in the magazine work met a man from the country. He was invited to the hall because he showed interest in the work. He came to the hall. When the publishers began talking to him they could see that this man was truly a man without guile and full of sincerity. He had been well off at one time but had sold his farm and cattle and had been using this money traveling in the mountains visiting at least 200 families (he later turned in a list with 150 names of interested persons). He admonished them to study the Bible and live in conformity with it. They were even persecuted for their stand by religionists. They did not use tobacco In any form and had only one wife, which is not the popular custom here.

Arrangements were made to visit these people in the mountains. The publishers had to walk four miles to the meeting-place but their joy was great when they saw gathered 27 adults with smiling faces. Some had come 30 miles on horseback, others had walked 10 to 15 miles. Studies were started and the work was explained. All they needed was organizing for service, and the invitation. At the next meeting 78 were present; then at another place another group of 69 gathered. They are beginning to report their time in the field service and we hope to see companies formed near where they live to take care of their spiritual needs.

I’m sure the brethren in Greece didn’t have the least idea that they would be instrumental In giving a wide testimony here in the Dominican Republic when they endured the sufferings and reproaches last year, but that’s what happened. We were trying to find out who the Dominican representative to the U.N. was, and went to the newspaper office to find out. The editor, after we explained our purpose in wanting the name, gave it to us. Late that night a reporter from the Caribe called by the Branch office and wanted an interview about the protest that Jehovah’s witnesses were making to the governmental officials of Greece.

Arrangements were made for the next day’s interview. We covered the Awake! article and also the purpose of our work. Imagine our surprise when the next day on the front page the whole right-hand column was dedicated to this information about the persecution of our brethren in Greece and a good testimony was given I One comment, “I didn’t know you people were so big.”

We are relatively young here in this land but we have a good foundation, and now the work is spreading out to the smaller towns in the interior. A missionary home was opened in Puerto Plata in June. In the first month the four missionaries started 45 studies. In the second month 67 studies were going. In two months 603 books had been placed. There are many towns that have not even been visited with the Kingdom message and we are sure that we still have many blessings awaiting us in this new territory. Two sisters visited one such town, Barahona, during their vacation and placed 74 books in three days. They said many people expressed their joy at seeing them there and hoped something permanent could be established for their spiritual guidance.

At this opportunity all the Gilead graduates wish to express their appreciation to all the brethren who have made possible this work here. We appreciate the arrangements and will continue to use all the provisions that the Lord provides to advance the interests of the Kingdom in the Dominican Republic.

ECUADOR

The Spanish word “ecuador”, which is also the name of a country, means “equator”. The very beautiful country of Ecuador is situated right on the equator, and some parts of it have a very hot climate. However, sections of it rise to form a part of the beautiful Andean mountain range. During the past service year the Society organized a Branch office in Ecuador because good progress had been made there, and it was apparent that better attention could be given the interested people by handling the work through a Branch office rather than through the Brooklyn office. Two good companies have been organized in this country and there are now 13 graduates of Gilead there. As a result of the activity of the publishers who have been carrying on true worship in this land a 93-percent increase was reached. The Branch servant sets out some interesting highlights of what has happened in Ecuador.

During the last service year the witnesses of Jehovah have certainly enjoyed the Lord’s rich blessings, and as a result they have had an increase of 93 percent in number of publishers. The highlight of the year was the first visit to this country by Brother Knorr, which has already been reported in The 'Watchtower. His visit, together with the two public meetings conducted by him, one in Quito, the other in Guayaquil, contributed greatly to the increase, and this very evident interest on the part of the Ecuadorian people greatly encouraged the brethren to push forward in the work too. As a result, the following month of April saw a peak of 82 in the number of publishers for Ecuador.

The chief opposition to the witness work to date has come, not from the Roman Catholic hierarchy, who feels that she has things “all sewed up” with the people almost all directly “under her thumb”, but from one “Protestant” group who call themselves “The Evangelistas”. Only three months after the missionaries arrived in Guayaquil this group published a stinging article in their monthly magazine against Jehovah’s witnesses, with the usual slander, calling them “false witnesses” and otherwise warning the people against especially the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free". In this, of course, as always, Jehovah made “the wrath of men to praise him”, and the people began wishing to see this book. Many honest Evangelistas are now studying with Jehovah's witnesses and attending the meetings of the company. The only place where we may obtain Spanish Bibles in this country is through the American Bible Society’s agent, one of the leaders in the Evangelista group; and he, along with many more of them, realize, in spite of their calling us “booksellers” and “false witnesses”, that here Indeed are a people who go from house to house and help the people, not only placing with them our literature to help them understand the Bible but also circulating hundreds of Bibles such as their own people are not known to do. This is all a “witness against them”.

One of the local pioneers in Quito placed a copy of “The Truth Shall Make You Free” with a person from the border town of Tulcfin in January of 1949. A few weeks later this person wrote saying that he was very much interested and wanted more information. So it was arranged for two of the brethren to make the trip to this Colombian border town, Tulcdn, and aid him in the truth. Three days were spent with him and two meetings were held with him and his friends, of which there were 12. They were given instructions on how to carry on studies and how to help others also. They requested us to send someone up there to help them get organized and to carry on the work. So when Brother Knorr visited Quito in March arrangements were made to have one of the local pioneers go to Tulcan and aid these persons of good-will. In August of this year 6 publishers reported service activity.

Then there is the experience had with one young man of twenty years who started to study with Jehovah’s witnesses in March shortly after Brother Knorr’s visit to Guayaquil. From the beginning he likewise started attending all meetings and giving excellent comments; also participating in the field activity. His family, ardently Catholic, never participated in the study in the home. After three months’ association with us the time came when this young man was to go to the United States to study medicine. We regretted exceedingly having to lose so helpful a publisher, but we immediately contacted brethren in the city to which he would first fly, New Orleans, La., and they met his plane, took him to the home of one of Jehovah’s witnesses, where he resided during his brief stay there. He was taken to meetings, and wrote his family about the pleasure he was having in “being one” with the big family of Jehovah’s witnesses.

Next he was to fly to Detroit, Mich., where arrangements had likewise been made for him to be met by Jehovah’s witnesses there. In Ann Arbor he was to study more English, before entering medical college. Before his school opened he was introduced to “pre-convention activity” in Detroit, and he joined heartily in the locating of rooms, in the back-calling and Bible-study work with the brethren there, one brother who likewise spoke Spanish accompanying him much of the time. Again this young publisher wrote his family that he was muy contento with Jehovah’s witnesses. Then came the convention. He attended. He was baptized. He engaged In all the service features with the brethren. Likewise at the convention he had the opportunity of relating his experience of his coming into the truth in Ecuador and his joy of being with Jehovah’s people. As a result of his letters of joy to his family they likewise now study and attend meetings regularly. The family, the new brother, and we all, are indeed likewise muy contentos and praise Jehovah for this wonderful privilege we have had of helping to feed one of his “other sheep”; and that now in turn he is passing the living water of truth on to others for them likewise to say “Come” and engage in praising him “more and more”.

EGYPT

The witness work in the land of the Nile has not proceeded without interference. The greatest obstacle reared up against Jehovah’s witnesses is the opposition from the clergy. The Egyptian Coptic hierarchy wants to keep its people under its control and does everything possible to this end. The Greek Orthodox hierarchy has declared war against Jehovah’s witnesses and has formed the Young Men’s Christian Orthodox Association for that purpose. A definite campaign is carried on by these so-called “Christian” organizations to stop Jehovah’s witnesses. The Catholic organization, too, sends out its propaganda in this country of Moslem rulership. Space does not allow relating all the interesting things that have happened as they were set out in the Branch servant’s annual report, but some short excerpts will suffice to show the zeal of our few brethren.

Hallelujah ! Another year of service and praise to Jehovah is over, a year full of events and energy for service expansion in the Egyptian field.

This land, Egypt, famous in ancient history for its pride and its haughtiness but also for the abasement and grief it tasted from the almighty hand of Jehovah because of its resistance to him, is now stricken by poverty, disease and illiteracy. Many times the newspapers refer to this sorrowful state.

During a visit of the circuit servant, in Fayed, a well-known spot of the Suez canal zone, some experiences occurred which it would be interesting to cite. The public talk “From Scarcity to Plenty” was to be given in English with translation In Arabic in the home of a local brother; handbills for advertisement were distributed to Invite the people. The talk was translated in common Arabic so that all those in attendance, which included Arabic-, French-, Greek- and Italian-speaking people, could understand It. The priest of the village knew that a talk was to be given and that handbills were distributed among his flock, so he came to hear. He was very much excited because of what was said as to spiritual famine in Christendom, and almost all the other points displeased him. After the speech was over, the priest started asking questions just to snare the brother who was interpreting the talk in Arabic, but he was unsuccessful in his efforts.

The priest felt his dignity going lower and asked the brother why he called him “Ostaz”, meaning “Mister”, and not “Abuna", meaning “our Father”, or “H adret El Kahen”, meaning “Very Reverend Priest”. The brother rapidly answered by quoting to the priest Matthew 23: 8, 9. The priest then left, visibly angered and everyone else also went back to his home. The circuit servant, the Interpreter and another brother stayed In the home of the brother where the talk was delivered, being invited to dinner. As they were eating, somebody knocked at the door. The housewife, the sister, went and opened it and in a moment’s time the house was invaded by a small armed force of policemen led by an officer. All the doors inside were guarded by soldiers equipped with guns, and at the same time the house outside was surrounded by other armed soldiers. What was the purpose of this invasion? To search the house because, as we learned later, the priest had accused the brethren to the police as being communists. After one hour of search they found nothing of what they thought to find, or, more precisely, what they had been told to find. They remained until twelve o’clock in the night talking with the brethren and receiving the message of the truth. The policemen were looking at each other in astonishment, as this was not what they expected to hear from the brethren. At the end the officer, who is a Moslem, was very well satisfied and he even excused himself for having caused all these troubles.

The officer returned the next evening, but this time not in an aggressive way. He was friendly and he was not alone, but he brought with him all the notables of the village: the postmaster, the stationmaster, and some others, whom he introduced to the brethren. They manifested the desire to hear the speech again. Of course, this shows that the officer had spoken to them about it; so they all listened to the talk. After the talk, questions and answers started and really this looked like a small study group. The people outside, especially the opposers, were completely astonished to see that the same officer who came the night before to arrest the brethren was now sitting with his friends and listening to the truth about God and His purposes toward mankind.

Amid this situation, of course, we did not stay inactive. On the contrary. In spite of all the opposition and actions of the religious hierarchies the brethren carried out their ministry with ever-increased zeal and courage, going from house to house, making back-calls and engaging In all features of the work. The public meeting campaign reached Its climax this year with a total of 163 lectures given in many towns and villages In five languages. The brethren are much more qualified for public talks now, and this activity is one of the best means to enlighten the people about God’s purposes. A great many lectures have been delivered in private homes, where neighbors are invited to attend, with fine results. In places where no speakers are available for a particular language the talk is given in some other language with interpretation in that particular language, and so the obstacle is overcome. The benefit in such Instances is double, for the talk can be heard at the same time by persons speaking both languages, and with a greater number in attendance. Nothing can stop Jehovah’s witnesses from carrying out their work, “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor tilings present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature.” —Rom. 8: 38, 39.

EL SALVADOR

To reflect upon a year’s work brings joy to Jehovah’s witnesses. Those in the world who look back upon what has happened, with the strife, trouble and difficulty, can see little joy in looking to the future. However, for those who love the Lord and are anxious to do his will, the future is sure to bring comfort and pleasure in his service. Many good things have happened in El Salvador during the year. One thing of interest was the offer of free radio time to Jehovah’s witnesses every Sunday evening between six and seven o’clock. The Branch servant delivered the first talk and then introduced the “Lopez Family”. For 32 weeks the public could tune in to an imaginary radio family and hear the Kingdom message discussed through the home Bible study instruction that was given. In these broadcasts the Lopez family went to the local meetings at Kingdom Hall, finally accepted the truth and were baptized, and toward the end they went out in the Kingdom service. Much comment was made on the life of the Lopez family by the radio audience. This was one of the outstanding things of the year, but the Branch servant tells us of some other happenings that are of real interest.

The Lord’s people must have initiative and not be afraid to undertake things which perhaps they never did before. The brethren in El Salvador tackled the radio job and they are still broadcasting. With such spirit being manifest the Lord is sure to add the increase.

That the new year meant hard work was soon manifest. Sickness played havoc with our missionaries, and September began slowly with only 5 remaining Gilead graduates of the 17 of the year before. Since there would be no male Gilead help in the country for the first two months, a graduate was transferred by the Society to El Salvador, where he began work September first. Before October was under way two more graduates had left the country, and one of them probably to be gone permanently. We now had only four missionaries in the country and we keenly felt the loss of those who had left. This presented us with our most serious problem—how to get the country’s 201 publishers out into the service each month. Santa Ana felt the lack of Gilead help more acutely than did the capital. Only Sister Olson remained in the Santa Ana home to care for the company which had just shortly before set a new peak of 88 publishers, all of them new and needing help. It was a real test for this sister, but by the Lord’s help and by prayerfully applying her Gilead training she was able to well care for the many duties left in her charge.

The Hierarchy began to feel the pinch of the truth-telling work of Jehovah’s witnesses, and in July, still with the sting of the Awake! article on “The Pope and Morals” in their memory, they published some very pointed articles of their own directed principally against our work in Santa Ana. But as usual, instead of facts lies were offered, and the people of Santa Ana had a very unique opportunity of realizing that one month later. One of their articles said that only three poor, blind men had become Jehovah’s witnesses in Santa Ana; and they did so only because of the money and other support they received from Jehovah’s witnesses. The article ended with this confused admonition for the Catholic laity, “Remember that it is better to never learn English than to go to hell for having left the Church."

The climax of our year came in August, when we celebrated our second circuit assembly, and it was held in Santa Ana! We certainly kept our “three poor, blind men” busy in Santa Ana as they advertised the public talk “The Only Light”, with placards, handbills and from door to door. These “three blind men” had fifty visitors from San Salvador, too, for three days; and they and their visitors brought their friends to the public talk on Sunday, setting a new record for attendance at the home, namely 188. The

neighbors near the home thought it certainly strange that three blind men could have so much company; in fact, the whole town Is still talking about it. All sessions of this assembly were a blessing for the publishers. They learned much, and their spirits were very high. Before each evening session telegrams of best wishes and encouragement were read from other parts of the Republic. This greatly added to the joy of the conventioners. It was at the Saturday evening meeting that the new booklet Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, In Spanish, was released. The names of baptized publishers had been entered by the company servants beforehand, and the last fifteen minutes of the meeting was devoted to handing out this booklet and giving admonition as to its proper use. This was the zenith of enthusiasm on the part of all. Sunday morning 31 were baptized in the public swimming pool at the edge of town; and with this very effective testimony to the sure and steady advancement of Theocratic learning in El Salvador, the religionists had much to talk about for a long time. All left this assembly for their homes more determined than ever before to shoulder their own responsibilities in the field. We give thanks to Jehovah for the blessings of this wonderful circuit assembly in our country.

FINLAND

It is indeed encouraging to see the “other sheep” being gathered into the one fold. This is happening in Finland the same as in other parts of the world. Since the end of the war good progress has been made by the publishers, and now there are 3,723 associated together as proclaimers of the Word, a new peak for Finland which was reached during the year. They have had an excellent increase in the number of back-calls made as well as in Bible studies which were conducted regularly throughout the year. These features of the service contributed to the fine increase of 26 percent in the average number of publishers monthly.

The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, Inc., a Finnish Society, has been recognized by the government, so now the work there can be carried on in a better manner than heretofore when the Society was a proscribed organization, especially during the war. The brethren are very grateful for what they receive through the organization, and this is indicated in the Branch servant’s report.

The release of the book “Equipped for Every Good 'Work" was received with very great enthusiasm and the book greatly stimulated the Theocratic ministry school, which on the other hand has prepared many new speakers, so that at the end of the year we attained a new peak of public lectures, namely 904, in one month. Another remarkable release was that of Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, which took place at the end of March. It came into effect on the 1st of April, which was only one month later than in the U.S.A. We have also had the joy to release two new booklets, Permanent Governor of All Nations and The Kingdom Hope of All Mankind, which latter was released at the district assembly in Helsinki.

Although the increase in all parts of our country has been good, there are some companies where it has been really outstanding. In one city called Savonlinna, we have been attacking the stronghold of religion for many, many years, in vain as it seemed. Pioneers were sent there; they distributed some literature but did not get the work started. There were a couple of company publishers, too, yet they did not work regularly. But then things started moving. Some pioneers have been working there very diligently for two years, and when the service year 1948 came to an end 3 publishers were reporting regularly. Anyway, the most amazing results have appeared during this service year. From March onward the number of publishers has been over 20, and during the last month, August, 33 publishers were in the service. So it seems that the stronghold of religion in that city is now completely broken and the gathering of the Lord’s “other sheep” is progressing rapidly.

Especially appreciated among other things in our activity-are the district assemblies, of which we have had three, two Finnish ones and one for the Swedish-speaking brethren. First in order was the Swedish district assembly in Vaasa, North Finland, where about half of the Swedish brethren are living. During June 10-12 there were about 200 of them gathered together, mutually helping each other by talks and service and getting new advice and strength for continual work. Two hundred seventy-five listened to the public talk and 7 were immersed. The truth has aroused very much interest in the Swedish population of northern Finland.

The brethren from southern Finland came to Helsinki, where the assembly was held June 17-19. Many of the publishers came also from afar to enjoy the blessing of the Lord, and so about 2,900 brethren, glad and zealous men and women, boys and girls, had a very joyous time. Yes, as they said, a more joyous and blessed time than ever before. The public lecture was announced by all possible means, and when most of the publishers were going from door to door and standing at the street corners all Helsinki knew about it, so that 5,100 came to listen to the message. Many attended the last meeting, bringing the number present to 3,300, although a good lot of brethren had been compelled to travel to their homes before it.

The other Finnish assembly was held also this summer in Oulu, where it was a year ago. The truth has begun to penetrate now even to the remotest parts of our country, also in Lapland, among the Finnish population there. There have been many places from which we have received a call to come to help them with the gospel, as in ancient times the Macedonian man in vision prayed Paul to come over there and help them.

FRANCE

The 1949 service year found Jehovah’s witnesses in their second year of legal recognition by the government and moving ahead in the great expansion work. Excellent progress has been made. There are now 127 companies organized. During the year 13 circuit assemblies were conducted, the first time these were held in France. There were 6,114 persons in attendance for the Memorial service, and of these 3,571 engaged in the service in May to set a new all-time high for a peak number of publishers. We can rejoice with the French brethren in that they have had a 23-percent increase in number of publishers over the previous year. Their cry is the same as that of many other brethren : “We need more publishers in certain parts of our territory.” Their answer to their own cry has been in arranging for more back-calls and conducting more Bible studies, which they have done in a far greater measure than ever before. They know that by finding more people to engage in the field service there will be more pioneers to go into other territories where the witness must yet be given. The Branch servant’s report is very interesting in this regard and shows us what is being accomplished.

Only tenacious perseverance on the part of each and every publisher brings expansion, as is clearly shown from the following experience, joyfully recounted by a keen publisher : “A man who had taken some literature moved into another section of town without giving me his new address. I happened to meet him in the street, and arranged for a back-call, but I had to call ten times before meeting him again, because his work took him out at all hours. At this first back-call he called the neighbors in to hear, and the first study saw 4 persons in attendance; at the second the man had also invited his relatives, and 9 persons were present, and by the time of the fourth study the number had increased to 15. By this time the man was joyfully talking about the truth everywhere he went, and it wasn't long before he started engaging in the service from house to house.” This fine experience would have been missed had the publisher given up after the ninth endeavor to contact him!

Such perseverance showed itself also in connection with the public meeting campaign. The large Increase in the number of public meetings was possible only because the brethren enthusiastically shared in the Theocratic ministry school, and this in spite of the fact that they have no Theocratic Aid books to use, many companies typing out the lessons for the publishers. Nevertheless, through diligent effort many able speakers have developed, and talks were given in halls, in the open-air, on the seashore, wherever people could be gathered.

The situation in France is a unique one, inasmuch as the majority of the publishers are in the north, with the vast mass of land to the south of Paris practically void of publishers. So it is that in the Nord and Pas-de-Calals little villages of 2,000 Inhabitants have companies of 100 publishers, and a town with a population of 12,000 has two units, each with around 100 publishers I This, in comparison with the south of France, where huge cities have hardly heard of Jehovah’s witnesses. The only way to overcome this problem was for publishers in the north to become pioneers and go south.

So it is with special joy that I speak of our faithful and zealous pioneers, who have to overcome the high cost of living, shortage of rooms In overcrowded cities, and the difficulty to find part-time work. Due to Illness and other reasons, some pioneers have left the full-time work. On the other hand, there are many others who have met these difficulties with joy, and in the strength of Jehovah they have overcome them. They persevered, and went ahead with determination in all features of service. The Lord richly blessed their endeavors. People of good-will were found, were fed with the truth, encouraged to become publishers, and soon new companies were started in towns such as Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Orleans, etc., where previously the truth had hardly been heard of. Great has been the pioneers’ joy. Two of them write: “In sending you our reports we would like to express our gratitude toward the Great Theocrat, his reigning King, and the Theocratic organization. Truly it is not possible to find another more noble or precious occupation. Aside from this divine service all is vanity and emptiness. ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth’ is the admonition, and what satisfaction comes from a life devoted to praising Jehovah yet more and more!” So, in spite of all difficulties the pioneers in France form a joyful group of servants, devoting their entire lives to caring for the Kingdom interests.

In a large village in Lorraine there is a monastery. As Jehovah’s witnesses began to speak God’s Word of truth to the people, the abbot of this monastery lost all self-control, and screamed and raged so much that all the inhabitants came out to see what it was all about. Among other things, he cried: “In the name of Jesus, get out of this village; you do not have the right to preach that gospel.” Finally, he collected 30 men to run the 7 faithful witnesses out of town, in true-to-color Catholic Action manner. Undaunted, this little troop of publishers shook the dust of this village off their feet, and went on to a neighboring village, there to continue preaching the gladsome message. A new publisher with them, out in the service for the first time, was previously a Catholic, but now needed no more convincing as to where the Catholic Church stands relative to the truth.

Some good opportunities have arisen to give an effective witness to the police, particularly in cases where the clergy were the ones to cause these difficulties with the authorities. One instance of this was in a large town where two pioneers were working. The mayor of this town is a Catholic priest, and one night Catholic Actionists stuck bills all over town saying that the people of that city were irritated by these two witnesses, and asking the police to rid the town of this plague. The two brethren were called to the prefecture for a long cross-examination, after which the chief official gave the brethren an opportunity to defend themselves. Quietly and clearly they explained their position as consecrated servants of God, preachers of the gospel, and called attention to their lawful right and authorization to do this work. Finally, the official said: “Go ahead with your activity ; you are doing a good work.” Today a little company of publishers is functioning in that town.

SAARLAND

This country, formerly a part of Germany, is now an autonomous state, having its own government. A French high commissioner, however, is there to supervise governmental policy. The Catholic hierarchy has great influence in the affairs of the country and has put forth every effort to stop Jehovah’s witnesses. They finally succeeded in stopping the radio broadcasts and then later used pressure on the police to try to cause trouble. However, the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses is now recognized by the Saarland government and therefore Jehovah’s witnesses enjoy greater freedom than would otherwise be possible. The Branch servant of France gives us an interesting report.

The most joyful event of the year was undoubtedly the district assembly held in Saarbriicken. The public talk given was “It Is Later than You Think I” and, to the surprise of many people, they heard their radios announce the day before the lecture, “On the occasion of the three-day convention of Jehovah’s witnesses, who, as in all other civilized countries of the world, are a legally constituted association in Saarland, there will be a great public lecture entitled ‘It Is Later than You Think!’ Everyone who loves truth and justice is cordially invited to attend.” Imagine our joy when 800 persons assembled to hear this stirring lecture, more than double the total number of publishers in Saarland. So this district assembly proved to be the greatest testimony Saarland has received up to this time.

In this Catholic-dominated, bedarkened little country, the publishers of the Kingdom message go ahead with courage and zeal. There was a 29-percent increase in the average number of publishers this year, culminating in August with a new all-time peak of 376. Now there are 7 pioneers going ahead in the service, in spite of continual opposition from religious priests. In one village a priest set the alarm bell ringing as two pioneer brethren began to work from house to house. The whole village gathered, and witnessed the amusing scene of their “spiritual shepherd” raving like a maniac on the village green. One after the other the villagers went back to their homes, and left the priest shouting at himself, while the pioneers quietly went from home to home and worked the entire village, giving a good witness in every house.

In various places priests Incited mobs through sermons especially directed against Jehovah’s witnesses. Also they try to stir up the police against us. One police commissioner, who showed a greater respect for justice than for priestcraft, gathered his men together and told them to act fairly with Jehovah’s witnesses. He gave us assurance that at least In his district we will not have any difficulty with the police.

These Saarland publishers, therefore, are determined, in company with their brethren throughout the world, to ‘praise Jehovah yet more and more’.

GERMANY

When Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep,” he meant not only to gather them together into one fold, but, when they were gathered, to see that they were properly fed. This was one of the big problems of Jehovah’s witnesses in Germany during the past year. You may recall from reading last year’s Yearbook that they had an 83-percent increase in number of publishers. This meant there were thousands of newly interested persons in the organization that needed proper care and feeding. This was the big task the brethren in Germany took care of during the past service year. New circuits were organized and qualified brethren were appointed to serve these circuits. Great appreciation was expressed on the part of the brethren for Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, for this greatly helped the new publishers. The Branch servant’s report is very interesting and gives us a good picture of what is taking place in the witness work in the German field.

It is again a great joy to write this annual report. There were two means in particular by which great help was Imparted to the work in Germany this year: First the big supplies of books which were sent to us from the head office and then the printing of an adequate edition of The Watchtower, which became possible after having completed the establishment of our own printery.

What our brethren for years had fervently prayed for was given them, when in the course of the year about IVi million bound books arrived here, enabling us to improve the work of praise and establish ‘a pure and undeflled worship’, putting it on a broader foundation. Hundreds of thousands of these books have already been put into the hands of seeking men by the diligent work of faithful publishers. Due to this, new back-calls and home Bible studies have been started and the ranks of publishers are increasing month by month. Every one of the consecrated brethren is fully appreciating what the Lord has given us by these valuable instruments, and hardly one of the books was placed without having opened the way for back-calls or a joint study of the book with the interested person.

Through the Lord’s guidance, it was possible to enlarge our printing establishment, thus enabling it to produce large editions of The Watchtower and booklets shortly before the beginning of the Watchtower campaign of this year. Now eight presses are running in this home, of which two are working day and night. These two are engaged only in the production of The Watchtower. During the last months of 1948 we printed 20,000 copies of The Watchtower and started the campaign with 40,000 copies. At the end of May, when the campaign was coming to an end, we were printing 175,000 copies of each edition, and have kept this up till now. They are being used not only for subscriptions but also to a great extent for street witnessing, which work was taken up during the same months throughout the country. This feature, which is new to our brethren, has filled them with great joy and the number of those who report a share in this activity is Increasing monthly.

The brighter and stronger shining light of the Kingdom truth, and the constantly growing multitude of those who as the “other sheep” turn to the right of the royal Judge, cause great anger and wrath among the enemies of the Kingdom. The clergymen of the Hierarchy recognize that, in respect to this work, they are too late. The gathering of the people of good-will around the Signal erected by God could not be avoided and they are not able to do anything of Importance now. When they started blasphemous and hateful attacks and launched a malicious campaign of slander (commencing in Bavaria) against Jehovah’s witnesses in church papers and mass talks in community halls, we held a big public address in Munich, the capital city of Bavaria, on the subject “The Truth about Jehovah’s witnesses”. Under the coaching of notorious priests several rioting groups called from various Catholic organizations tried to break up the meeting of about 5,500 people. In spite of the typically Nazi riot scenes provoked by them, the talk was held to the end with the result that hundreds resigned from the church. After some time many hundreds of these honest Catholic people were baptized in the ranks of

Jehovah’s witnesses and many of them are already in the field service. That was a slap in the face to them. Will they ever get wise?

When the time for the district assemblies came, we did not have any idea of how important and interesting the close of this service year would be. This time we arranged for four such assemblies: two in the British zone, in Hannover and Dilsseldorf; one for the U. S. and French zones, in Munich ; and one for the whole East, which, as last year, took place in the lovely “Waldbiihne” of Berlin. This latter district assembly in Berlin which was prepared for all brethren in the Eastern zone was unexpectedly to become the most important and exciting.

Things had occurred in the Eastern zone that could not possibly be kept secret any longer. Hostile measures aimed at Jehovah’s witnesses by the Communistic party, which is holding there the absolute rule, have repeatedly led to prohibitions of our meeting activity and even of our field service, to local prohibitions sometimes in this place or in that place or even in a whole circuit. There anyone can give an order, because they do not pay due respect to the democratic law of the land or recognize its general validity. Both the lands Mecklenburg and Saxony have shown themselves especially hateful in declaring prohibitions. Thus it occurred that our circuit assembly at Dobeln was prohibited, which prohibition grew into physical attacks on our peace-loving attending brethren. When our brethren turned to the present East police for protection, they were arrested as the guilty ones and were beaten with police clubs.

When the Berlin district assembly drew near, all eight special trains which were ordered by about 8,000 to 9,000 brethren for the trip to Berlin, fares paid with the sum of about DM 100,000.-, were suddenly canceled by the president of the East German Railways just a few hours before the departure. Our brethren who were fully confused were told that the money for the returned tickets could not be repaid until 14 days had elapsed. But this was not the only thing. The SED police had blocked all approaches to Berlin and stopped all vehicles in order to find Jehovah’s witnesses and to arrest them for hours or for one day, confiscate their literature, or hinder them in any other manner in their efforts to come to Berlin. It was a well-prepared attack against our district assembly and its participants; and in the evening and during the night one message and call for help after the other arrived in Berlin. We prayed to the Lord, deeply moved. The assembly was opened according to the program and already in the first evening 16,000 and on the next evening more than 17,000 participants were assembled. Satan’s plot failed. He could not alter the fact that the greatest district assembly of this year took place.

Since these occurrences at this great assembly could not be kept secret, reporters of the very much Interested press soon appeared at the Waldbiihne (forest stage). A resolution of protest set up on Saturday night was transmitted in full extension over the American broadcasting system RIAS of Berlin. The delivery of the public talk “It Is Later than You Think!” took place on Sunday afternoon under the cross fire of press photographers and reporters, and in presence of 33,600 persons. For weeks after this Interesting assembly the press dealt with the theme “Jehovah’s witnesses” and this notable congress in the Waldbiihne.

Before leaving for home our brethren and friends received each a copy of the book The New World, which they did not yet have in their possession. When after the conclusion of this blessed assembly they traveled home with hearts filled with joy, they were again investigated in all streets and stations in the Eastern zone, and many a brother or sister had to surrender this beautiful book to the police, and thereby had to put up with all sorts of chicanery and spitefulness. Yet these mean Intrigues could not frighten the hearts and minds of the Eastern brethren any more. Strengthened, they returned home and continued to go into tile service from house to house preaching the King and his kingdom. The result of this wonderful assembly was an increase in number of publishers of the East zone in the month of August by 568! The announcement of these interesting occurrences about the district assembly at Berlin to the brethren and participants of the West German assemblies also kindled their zeal and the joyousness to the utmost, and the wonderful result is now visible: We reached the number of publishers totaling 43,828.

With many secret wishes and openly expressed plans Jehovah’s witnesses in Germany look forward to the big convention In New York next year. Will the conditions allow traveling by that time? What will the expenses be? Shall we be able to be happy participants in this world assembly? Our prayers are for the good prospering of this convention, and the Lord will give his powerful success.

GOLD COAST

The people living in the Gold Coast have gone through one of their most momentous years of the 105 years of British rule there. The big thing that is heard from one end of the country to the other is self-government now. Jehovah’s witnesses on the other hand are trying to point the people to the Kingdom, the only hope for the world, showing that that will be the only government that will bring peace and prosperity to the world. In these times of anxiety many persons are listening to the message from God’s Word, and we find that there has been a 92-percent increase in the number of publishers in the Gold Coast during the past service year. The peak number of publishers was 2,053. There is still much work to be done, and the Branch servant gives us a little idea in the following excerpts from his report of what they are doing.

Jehovah’s witnesses over here have had the right outlook as they cultivated gifts for the ministry. Their works prove their desire is to live in God’s new world. During the last twelve months the brethren have come to realize more fully the importance of assembling together and the benefit and blessings received in attending the circuit and district assemblies. Two district assemblies have been held, one at Kumasi, the other at Accra, with a total attendance of 2,719 strangers at the public talk “It Is Later than You Think!” Encouraging too was the symbolizing of their consecration to Jehovah of 404 Kingdom publishers at these two assemblies.

There are young Kingdom publishers in most countries. The Gold Coast is no exception, there being many of such from six years of age upward. With their parents they attend the circuit and district assemblies and want to be immersed. Do they understand what they are doing? Please let the answers to the following questions put to these young publishers supply the answer. (1) Q. Why do you want to be immersed? A. I want to live in God’s new world and I must first be immersed as Jesus was. Another answer: I want to be saved during the battle of Armageddon and live in the new world. (2) Q. What do you say when you go from door to door? A. In reply the young publisher speaks about the preaching work, dividing of the people, Armageddon and the new world. (3) Q. What are you going to do after you have been immersed? A. I will always witness to the people. True are Christ Jesus’ words: “Did you never read, ‘You [Jehovah] have drawn praise from the mouths of children and infants’?” This is so no matter what education they have received or color and nationality they may be.—Matthew 21:16, An Amer. Trans.

Good progress has been shown in the pioneer ranks, but the quota of 100 pioneers by August was not reached.

August witnessed 64 pioneers reporting, which is over twice the peak figure of last year. Many company publishers, chiefly brothers, have counted the cost as the Lord admonishes in Luke 14:28, rearranged their affairs and have become pioneers. Some are now their own masters by learning a trade as a shoe repairer, carpenter, barber, petty trader particularly in medical supplies or organizing small pig farms. Thus they are independent in arranging their hours of field service. As more company publishers expand their privileges of service into the pioneer ranks we should soon reach the figure of 100 pioneers.

The publishers very much appreciate having Gilead graduates sent over to assist them in the work. In all, as from September, there are seven male Gilead graduates here, three of these arriving just a few days ago. These three brothers were anxious to get preaching, and on the morning of the fourth day in Accra they started out calling on the people in their assigned territory. Two of the other missionaries, with seven months tropical experience to their credit, have been doing good work by visiting the weaker companies up and down the country.

In the past Bible-study work has been the weakest feature in the field service. Now that a study can be reported even when conducted with a Twl, Ga, Fanti, Ewe or English Bible only, real progress has been shown for four consecutive months, reaching to 1,000 home Bible studies for August. This calls for determination on the part of the publisher, because the native quickly makes appointments and promises and just as quickly forgets them.

Nevertheless the pioneers and company publishers have pushed ahead, having the expansion of praise outlook, and God has certainly blessed their efforts.

GREECE

Opposers to God’s Theocratic organization will try to prevent Jehovah’s witnesses from carrying on their true worship, but the facts show that God’s Word cannot be bound. Our fellow workers in Greece have gone through many trials and difficulties during the past year. The internal strife within the country itself is affecting our brethren considerably. Greece has not entered a so-called peaceful postwar period; she has had almost ten years of warfare, either with foreign powers or because of internal disturbances. But Jehovah’s witnesses have continued going right ahead with their important work of preaching this gospel of the Kingdom. Much to the joy of the brethren, many of them were able to get the book "Let God Be True” and two new booklets Permanent Governor of All Nations and The Kingdom Hope of All Mankind. The brethren in Greece have put their full trust in Jehovah, and the threats of exile, imprisonment, having meetings broken up because of their assembling together, persecution from the government and from the Greek Orthodox church—all of these have not slackened the zeal of the servants of God in Greece.

The Branch servant has sent in a very interesting report, and a few excerpts are reprinted here.

These details may be of utility to our brethren in the various countries where there are more favorable conditions. How much should they appreciate the privilege granted them by the Lord and try to miss no meetings of their companies and participate actively and diligently in every feature of Theocratic activity! But not few are also the blessings of serving God under these difficult conditions. Thus there is a continual motive for showing a spirit of endurance and keeping integrity to Jehovah on the part of the creature. It is really excellent to praise Jehovah more and more under such conditions. Though we have not reached the quota of publishers which we had set, yet we noticed with particular joy the new peak of 2,808 publishers which we readied in April, the month of the Memorial celebration. It is also satisfactory that, in spite of the many obstacles encountered, an average of 27 pioneers were continually in full-time service. The circuit servants have also worked hard lending with a prompt spirit the Theocratic organization’s assistance to all companies of God’s people. Each publisher will very shortly have his individual copy of Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, and thus with a daily application of the counsels therein mentioned we shall go forward to assisting good-will persons to learn of Jehovah’s name and of the Signal set up by him: his reigning King Christ Jesus.

The difficulties faced in our ministry have Increased this year. We might call this “a year of court trials”. Indeed, trials upon trials were being held both in civil and in military courts against Jehovah’s witnesses. The usual charge was that of “proselytism”—as they used to consider even the mere offer of our literature—or that of “unlawful gathering”, as they repeatedly considered our meetings for worship. Incalculable Is the material loss suffered by the brethren with these trials. Over 700 were brought to the courts, and 240 of them were sentenced to various penalties. But we realize that “the Increased privileges of service in the gospel-preaching will come with persecutions”.

At present some 25 peaceful family men from various villages in Thessaly are confined in a concentration camp at Trikkala, and are told that they are not to be set free if they don’t sign declarations stating that they will go to the Orthodox church. Again, other brethren are serving exile terms in various barren islands without having committed any punishable action. In all these cases, the only charge laid on those detained or exiled is that they are Jehovah’s witnesses I

Here are some characteristic experiences of brethren regarding the matter of how they praise Jehovah in whatever conditions they live: In an island where there are brethren exiled the witness to the gospel is the matter of the day. Many of the other exiled people became interested in learning of the truth. The brethren attract the attention of all by their moral and Christiau conduct. In one instance two of the persons confined who had heard a little about the truth expressed their regret because they would leave in a few days and they would thus miss the opportunity of learning more. The brethren told them: “Don’t be sorry for having to leave; if you are honest people, even before arriving at your village you will meet witnesses of Jehovah who will speak to you of God’s kingdom.” This experience Is now completed by another brother: “I was traveling to Peloponnesus by train. In a third-class car, two gentlemen were talking. I approached and spoke to them of the truth at the proper moment. I immediately heard them saying: ‘Correctly were we told by those witnesses of Jehovah in the island that before arriving at our village the Lord would send others of his witnesses to speak to us of the truth.’ ”

TURKEY

Back in the year 1930 a brother from Greece went to Turkey and there began to preach the gospel. By 1935 there were a few witnesses of Jehovah preaching the Kingdom, but doing it against great odds. There has been continuous opposition against the proclamation of the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, but little by little a few more have accepted the truth and stood their ground. Meager reports reached the president’s office from time to time from people in Turkey who were inquiring about the truth, and in 1947 Turkey was put under the direction of the Greek Branch office. Excellent progress has been made, especially since the entry of a Gilead graduate into Istanbul. Following is his report.

The Society had been trying for some time to send a Gilead graduate into Turkey; and finally, in December, 1948, one from near-by Cyprus was able to obtain a visa for entry. Fortunately he could speak Greek and thus converse with the brethren who had been anxiously waiting for someone to come and show them new methods and ways of advancing the true worship. When the Gilead brother arrived he was met not only by Greek publishers but also by Armenian and Jewish Christians who had heard of and accepted the truth during and after the war years.

“I . . . will yet praise thee more and more,” became their slogan as they renewed their zeal to advance the work. By this time the Society was able to send small parcels of literature to various addresses within Turkey, and thus the brethren had equipment with which to work in the field. It was deemed necessary, because of language difficulties, to form two units in the city so that the company meetings could be brought in line with organization instructions. Additional mature servants were appointed and service meetings were prepared to instruct the publishers to better present the gospel at the doors. The Theocratic school was also begun and written reviews were provided from the Greek Branch. With the printing of "Let God Be True" in Greek we had another provision to use in studying with persons of good-will. But our desire to ‘praise more and more’ was even greater when our first copy of The Joy of All the People In Turkish arrived for distribution among the Turkish-speaking people interested in learning the truth. For years the brethren had been waiting for this, and now a new field of virgin territory was opened up for preaching.

W’ith all these blessings from the Lord it was decided to make April a big month of praise. A new quota of publishers was set and at each service meeting during the month the results thus far were made known. Memorial proved a good occasion to announce to the 54 assembled their privileges of serving the Most High. Were they willing to join in telling the good news? Could a new peak be reached before the end of the month? Would the servants assist the weaker ones to get started? United effort and the spirit of the Lord would bring results. And when the final count was made at the end of April it was gratifying Indeed. We had reached a new peak of 41 publishers of The Theocracy!

And so Jehovah’s witnesses In Turkey were able, by the Lord’s grace, during 1949 to join their brethren world-wide in ‘praising him more and more’. They wish to convey their Christian love and greetings to you as well as all readers of the 1950 Yearbook.

GUATEMALA

In the very picturesque country of Guatemala the missionaries, pioneers and company publishers are pressing on to the perfection of their ministry. All of them have become proficient in praising the Lord more and more during the last service year. In fact, they had a 55-percent increase over the previous service year, when they were averaging 121 publishers. Now they have 188 publishers. One of the outstanding things in their report is the number of back-calls being made by the publishers as well as the number of Bible studies being conducted. This has helped the new interest greatly in becoming well-grounded in the truth. It has also enabled the Guatemala city company to relieve the sisters in the missionary service of the servants’ duties they had, because now there are sufficient mature, qualified local brethren to take over the positions as servants in the company. The “other sheep” are glad to take on new responsibilities. Some of the interesting experiences of the company are related by the Branch servant in his annual report.

One of the Gilead graduates reports having a home Bible study with a man who could hardly read well enough to understand, but who was eager and always ready to study. For over six months he did not attend a company meeting. When the April assembly came he helped put out handbills. Now he and his two boys are regular in the service and In attending meetings, even being enrolled in the Theocratic ministry school. Lack of education is no barrier to Jehovah’s mercy.

Aside from new publishers we were blessed with many new things during the year: “Let God Be True” and “Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses”, both in Spanish, and new headquarters in Guatemala city. Previously the Gilead graduates had been divided into two homes in the capital, each with a small Kingdom Hall. These were outgrown and a larger place was needed. After weeks and weeks of searching a very suitable house with a large patio was located. The patio was covered with a roof and makes an excellent “Saldn del Reino”. In addition, the new building houses the Branch office and the missionary home. This allows for one central meeting-place for the capital city. This material expansion acted as a stimulus for other increases: meeting attendance Improved and we reached our year’s peak of 218 publishers.

One young lad came to the home to study but then quit coming. Some time later he again appeared, relating that his father was bitterly opposed to his studying and had placed him under a guardian and employer in a town seven miles away. The father took his salary, so the lad walked the seven miles each way. When his guardian reported to his father that he continued studying anyway, the father disowned him, threw out all his belongings and had the boy brought before a local magistrate for bad conduct. Before the magistrate the boy stated that he worked from morning till night and asked his father to relate the nature of his bad conduct. The father could only say that he read the Bible and “those books”. Whereupon the judge ruled that Guatemala granted freedom of religion. The boy was found not guilty, and the judge reprimanded the father and his lawyer for bringing the case to court. Now the boy lives by himself and is free to continue his study of the Bible.

Another brother seizing a good opportunity had contacted the teacher of a large boys’ school and was invited to the school to talk to all the teachers. Taking another witness with him they spent two mornings and an afternoon going from classroom to classroom giving short talks and placing literature. The result was that more than sixty books were placed with the instructors and students.

As we analyze our reports we know we have much yet to do, much room for improvement and expansion, but we’re not going to get exhausted and quit. As long as Christ Jesus maintains a wide-open door of opportunity we will study and increase our knowledge and cultivate our gifts of the ministry, trying to please him who through mercy can, to the vindication of his name, reward us with endless life.

HAITI

The missionaries that the Society sent to Haiti are doing good work. Nothing spectacular has happened during the year, but the progress made has been steady. Travel from one place to another is poor, but the missionaries have had excellent experiences in going to different places to put on public meetings. They have held their ground with Baptist ministers, Seventh-Day Adventists and the representatives of the Roman Catholic hierarchy who have tried to belittle them before the people. Their encounters with these “shepherds of the flock” have in many cases started some members of their flocks to thinking. Public meetings are held wherever they can be arranged for throughout the land, and every other week a 15-minute lecture is broadcast on one of the radio stations in Haiti. A new peak of 73 publishers was reached, and the missionaries and company publishers are determined to continue to preach the Word and gather the “sheep”. The Branch servant gives us some little items of interest.

In 1945 this new territory started out with only two Gilead missionaries, but now the number has increased to eleven. All of these are stationed at Port-au-Prince, the capital. The need of their full activity in this town is quite clear when one considers the progress that has been made in the much smaller rural town of Vieux Bourg d’Aquin (of about 300 population), where they now have 21 publishers, to compare with last year’s handful. This small company had no pioneers to aid them except for some visits of the circuit servant.

So far we have not had any persecution in this country. A French Jesuit priest had often written articles against the witnesses with a view to stirring up trouble, but he got into hot water with the government and was deported to France.

Expansion in the north of Haiti is slowly beginning, with another new company (Ferrier) started by an isolated publisher. After a year’s zealous activity he lias started out two more publishers. Now they have rented a thatched house for meetings, with the desire to help natives become publishers.

In the south, at Vieux Bourg d’Aquin, the publishers are not a bit backward and have leased a house for eight years to be used as their Kingdom Hall. The rent is $24 a year. They can now give their public meetings indoors if necessary and prepare for further increases.

This country of four million people boasts of one local pioneer and he will be attending the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in 1950 and at the same time participate in the international convention of Jehovah’s witnesses.

Knowing the many rich blessings that are in store for him, we rejoice at his privilege.

Public meetings were the main activity for the service year because many more people who cannot read can be reached with the truth this way. We are glad for the public-address system that one of the colored Gilead graduates, who has just arrived, brought. It has two speakers and is operated from an “army surplus” battery. With it we hope to more than double our attendance at outdoor public meetings.

HAWAII

More and more praise to Jehovah’s name was given in the Hawaiian Islands during the past service year. Considering the many islands of the world makes one think of Jeremiah’s words, “Hear the word of Jehovah, 0 ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off.” (Jer. 31:10, A.S.V.) Here in the Pacific are a group of islands where Jehovah’s witnesses are serving, and they have really endeavored during the past 12 months to reach the people who speak so many tongues. The people of these islands are very friendly, but it really takes patience and a well-organized educational campaign to teach them the Bible. An excellent percentage of increase this year, which was 38 percent over last year, can be attributed to the tremendous increase in number of back-calls and of Bible studies conducted. Some of the interesting local color of the islands is reported by the Branch servant.

Great is the joy in conducting these studies, especially when the person has come out of the mysteries of Buddhism or some other cult. One of the special publishers in Honolulu experienced such joy. A young Japanese mother, who was a Buddhist worshiping her images sincerely, was contacted in the door-to-door work about a year and a half ago. It was then that she obtained the book “Let God Be True” and a Bible. Like many others in our territory, it was the first time that she had ever seen or read a Bible. At first it was hard for her to grasp the studies, but she continued sincerely to seek the truth, having her study regularly. After studying the chapter on “Image Worship”, exposing idols, she immediately disposed of those in her home and stopped burning incense and offering prayers to them. She has continued to progress and has now consecrated, going out in service each week and attending the company meetings, regularly, bringing her three children with her. She says she has found so much peace of mind and real contentment in her knowledge of the truth!

Another young Japanese woman who many times refused a study finally consented if someone would make the explanation in Japanese. She could read English but gained more understanding if explained in her native tongue. A young pioneer who knew some Japanese was given this study and has put forth great effort to explain the truth to this seeker. She is now really beginning to get an appreciation of the truth and, no doubt, will join the ranks of the many others who are now saying “Come”, after having been held in false religion’s darkness so long.

A major step forward in the expansion of Jehovah's praise in the islands was the forming of four new companies, and the opening of another missionary home at Hilo on the big island of Hawaii. Due to Satan’s sowing seeds of discord among the brethren and people of good-will the truth has had many setbacks here, but since the sending of two Gilead graduates to reorganize the work last November conditions are beginning to improve. In the words of the one in charge: “We came to Hilo last November, and, because of many unfortunate conditions in the company from time to time, the publishers had dwindled down to nine and were very low in spirit. So little by little we have gained the confidence of the publishers and rolled away some of the stumbling-stones until the company has reached a peak of thirty publishers with prospects of a better service year ahead. The attendance at meetings has more than doubled, particularly with respect to the service meeting; and, with the present prospects of continued expansion during the next service year, enlargement of our present Kingdom Hall will be necessary.

On the Kona side of the big Island there is a special pioneer working, and many are the experiences and joys which he reports . . . “The Kona and Kohala territories are as large as the islands of Oahu and Kauai combined. At present I am conducting 12 studies in Kohala, and 36 were conducted in Kona. One at Waikii is 40 miles from Kona and over 5,000 feet in elevation on Mauna Kea. This study starts at 7: 30 a.m. and it is necessary to leave Kona about 5 a.in. to get there. The cowboys at Kahua ranch at the summit of Kohala mountain want to study the next time I call. This is at about 4,000 feet elevation and it is quite cold up there in August. In the wintertime there is snow up there even in sunny Hawaii. The studies are conducted not only in English but also in Hawaiian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Iloeano, Cebu-Vlsayan, Pampango and Tagalog.

This is accomplished by marking the foreign-language Bibles in English so that the chapters and verses can be easily located.”

There are still some islands that have only barely been touched with the witness work. So, while there are substantial increases behind us in the past service year, we look ahead eagerly to the coming year as one of great opportunity to praise Jehovah ‘yet more and more’, pushing the expansion work into new fields that still others may know Jehovah’s purposes and take their refuge in him.

HONDURAS

As each service year terminates it means Armageddon is that much nearer. To all of Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere it means one year less of treasured opportunities for preaching the Word and redeeming the time for field service. As Jehovah’s witnesses enter each new year of service as commissioned ministers of the Most High, they do appreciate the great responsibilities and privileges of service that are theirs. Each one must pause and ask himself, “What did we do during the past year ? and what are we going to do in our territory in this year?” “Did we expand?” “Have we cultivated the gifts that we have in the ministry ?” These and other questions relative to our glorious treasure of service must come into everyone’s mind. Our brethren in Honduras have thought about these things and are planning for 1950. The Branch servant sent in a very interesting report, and all of us can rejoice with our fellow workers in Honduras.

For as much work as there is to do and for as much territory as there is to cover, every avenue of preaching must be sought out and utilized. At the outset of the year the brethren in the two missionary homes went to the various radio stations to inquire about time for Kingdom message programs. This was readily granted. Starting off in San Pedro Sula a 15-minute, weekly broadcast over a strictly Catholic radio station began filtering into the homes of many heretofore unreached people. Quick to follow, two stations in Tegucigalpa, the capital city, added to the broadcasting of Theocratic subject themes such as “Who Is Jehovah?” “Is There a Trinity?” “The New Earth,” “Times of the Gentiles,” etc.

As was to be expected, not all who listened liked what they heard. Shortly after the program in San Pedro Sula began, a Catholic priest in that town suddenly found it necessary to go on the air. His subject: Jehovah’s witnesses! Dally his time was used for nothing but slander against the Lord’s people. “They’re communists, people-haters, disbelievers In God,” he blared forth. Each week the program “Let God Be True” would, in a calm, dignified manner, answer such false charges, using the Catholic version of the Bible in refutation. People began to take notice. The brethren were pointed out on the streets as they walked to and from their territories. Catholic homes that before had been closed to Jehovah’s witnesses began opening their doors. Sincere Catholics expressed disgust at the vicious tirade against the Witnesses and requested literature to read up on their work. These programs have done much during the year toward spreading the truth to isolated spots. Natives from surrounding countries have commented on hearing and liking them.

Strangely enough our biggest opposition doesn’t come from the Catholics, but rather from the Protestant Evangelicals. They have printed many pamphlets attacking us, calling us Russellites and book salesmen. All over the country they have run us down in their meetings. As a result, twice now, persons coming in from places where Jehovah’s witnesses haven’t called as yet have come to the Kingdom Hall wanting to know just what we teach and why we are so dangerous. After a thorough witness and receiving literature to cover their answers they understand.

Recently the Evangelical pastor from Tegucigalpa went down to San Antonio de Flores, where one of our companies had been organized last year. He had in mind showing “his strayed flock” how wrong they were and that they should repent and “be saved”. He went to the Kingdom Hall. The assistant company servant’s wife had been the first and strongest Evangelical in the village; so she was his first stop, and consequently his last. He started in with the “trinity” doctrine. He got nowhere. He tried the “immortality of the soul” doctrine. That was worse. His former captive had him so tangled up his lips trembled and his hands shook as he tried to find scriptures to support what couldn’t be supported. Every time he read her a scripture, she would say, “Well, what about this scripture?” All tired out and nervous, he left after a while.

Like most of the towns on the north coast, Cortes is made up of English-speaking colored people as well as the Spanishspeaking natives. The Spanish publishers had left English literature with many of the good-will but were unable to follow the placements in conversation. During his visit the circuit servant rounded up the colored interest and gave them a public lecture as well as answered many questions about the organization.

This meeting was held underneath the house In the open air. Most of the houses here are of a two-story height with the first floor being nothing but a dirt or cement bottom. Pillars and beams hold the house part up in the air. This permits the family to enjoy the maximum of the cool sea breeze that punctuates an otherwise hot, sultry climate. The talk was given in the dark so as not to attract any more of the “dive-bomber variety” of mosquitoes that so infest this swampy town than was necessary. People strolling by would stop and listen, some staying, others passing on. Another visit or two with these meek people and an English unit will be a good possibility.

In the little more than three years that the Branch has been organized the successive yearly averages of publishers have been 45, 119, and 256. Six companies have been organized and three missionary homes established. Fourteen Gilead graduates are working full-time, aiding and establishing the “sheep” in the true worship. These figures to us are visible proof of the Lord’s rich blessing upon the work in Honduras. As the religionists would put it, “we are turning the world upside down.” Yes, and look what is coming out of it. Some of the fleeing “great multitude” of Honduras are hoping and planning to join a really great multitude of other nations, tribes and tongues at the international convention of Jehovah’s witnesses in 1950.

HUNGARY

Great have been the trials of our brethren in Hungary as they move forward praising the Lord yet more and more. Regardless of the opposition of the government and especially from the religious organizations, our brethren are determined that they cannot be stopped in preaching the good news to their neighbors in their country. At the beginning of the service year many public talks were being delivered without much interference, but as the year went on the opposition grew, until now the work of the brethren is really limited to house-to-house witnessing, back-calls and Bible studies. But despite their being behind the iron curtain for a number of years, we still find an increase in number of publishers. It really requires a love for God to come out and take a stand for the Kingdom under their present conditions. The Branch servant of Hungary gives us a vivid picture of what is really taking place.

The clergy continue In this postwar period to do all in their power to hinder the people of good-will from learning divine truth. In the past we were denounced to the competent authorities as being “dangerous communists”. Knowing well that they would have no success along this line now, they endeavor to brand us as “dangerous imperialist mercenaries” who are active against the existing People’s Democracy. Various persons still under clerical influence are employed in official capacities, and with their help the clergy spread the lies mentioned and do all in their power to incite the present authorities to persecute and hinder us. We give below the report of a pioneer to illustrate this point:

“A company near my assignment decided to hold a public lecture in a neighboring village, and as they had no speaker they invited me to give the lecture. These Roman Catholie villages were always under the control of the clergy, and that is why it has been impossible to work them with the message till now. The clergy-influenced officials co-operate to drive the brethren out. Now thinking that the authorities were democratically minded there too, the brethren gave notice of their intention to hold a public lecture as required by law. The registration was accepted without further ado. About sixty publishers worked the place and invited the people to the lecture, encountering a little difficulty in so doing. The place chosen for the meetings was the courtyard of an uninhabited castle, where banks were placed as seating accommodation for the public.

The people began to arrive. Just as the lecture was about to commence, a group of about 30 persons appeared on the scene and seated themselves at the back against the castle wall. They looked pretty suspicious to us, and so the brothers took up their positions around the audience in order to be ready to intercept any possible disturbance. Before the lecture began we sang a song, and then the chairman commenced to introduce the speaker with a few brief words. A shower of tiles and stones in a cloud of dust rained down upon the audience from the roof of the castle before he could finish his sentence. This unexpected attack evoked a panic among those present, and the mob grasped this moment to press forward and began to beat up all those present. Rotten eggs flew in all directions; the contents of our bags were strewn around, tossed in the air and burned; our bicycles were smashed and the leaders of the mob bawled aloud the titles coined by their priests: ‘Dirty Imperialists,

Chauvinists, Reactionaries’ and so on. Many left the scene of this outrageous attack bleeding and with torn clothing.

While this mob action was in progress one of our number hastened to the chief of police who had accepted our registration of the lecture, and after giving him a report of these happenings, he asked him to send up a few policemen. This request was not granted. Three police officials who were not on duty just then were eyewitnesses of this shameful action, but they smilingly watched and did not interfere. Afterwards we sought to find out from what quarter this attack had been launched. It was not difficult to ascertain this, and in fact the mobsters let out that the youth of the Builders’ Union had been incited against us by two Catholic priests.

It is evident from experiences that everything is being done to hinder Jehovah’s witnesses in their preaching work. Laws and ordinances are wrongfully applied against them, false witnesses are brought up against them if this can serve in reaching a desired goal. Our accusers frame their denunciations so cunningly that the authorities are often forced to make an investigation. Thus it often happens that the brethren are arrested and held in custody for days and freed only when it is proved that the accusation is false. A brother reported to us the trial of a sister so detained:

“Today the case of Sister A.G., who has been held in detention, came up before the People’s Court. I tried to be in good time for the trial. 1 was standing before the courthouse when the sister was brought to the trial in the prisoner’s van in charge of an armed jailer. She looked well and was quiet. About an hour later she was led into the courtroom, where I was also allowed to be seated. ‘You have preached the end of the world,’ said the judge. ‘I have spoken about the kingdom of God and of a joyous new world of freedom,’ replied the sister. ‘Is the present that democracy gives not a good world, then?’ asked the judge. ‘I have nothing against it, but if God has resolved to bring a new⁷ world into being, then we must tell the people about it,’ replied the sister. The judge: ‘You can leave the priests to do that.’ ‘We would be glad to let them do it, but they are so busy with politics and other things.’ The sister conducted herself very well throughout the trial, and one could see that she did not fear them. In answering many questions she even caused the judge much embarrassment. After the counsel for the defendant designated by the court had given his brief defense, the court retired and the decision was announced after about 10 minutes’ deliberation. The sister was acquitted and immediately set free, as she had not been found guilty of doing anything against democracy.”

Another case ts reported by a married pioneer couple: “We had just finished our back-calls and were about to ride home when we were accosted by the police official. He asked us to identify ourselves. We gave him our bicycle licenses, but he wanted a permit allowing us to distribute something. After we had given him our identity cards he took us to the nearest police office, where we were heard and our papers found in order. We then took advantage of this opportunity and gave a good witness, and the official told us that the local priest had denounced us and stated that we were peddling forbidden goods and we should be made to give legal evidence of our identity. As we took our leave from the officer, he said that we might continue our work and wished us God’s richest blessing and good success.”

We are now concentrating our efforts particularly upon back-calls and home Bible studies, but we are also continuing our regular preaching work from door to door, without literature, but with the aid of our Bibles. Just as we are unable to hold public lectures, so there is also no possibility of arranging circuit assemblies. During the summer, however, we have arranged immersion services in various sections of the country, which were attended by many neighboring companies. On these occasions we drew up the program in sucli a way as to compensate to some extent for the circuit assemblies. During the service year 256 men and 471 women, together totaling 727 persons of good-will, have symbolized their consecration by water immersion. In the course of the year 41 burials have been conducted, witli attendances ranging from 80 to 500 persons. Most of these burial services have been conducted on behalf of persons still members of a church but who for some reason or another are at variance with the clergy. The brothers gladly accede to these requests and grasp the opportunity of speaking of our hope on such occasions. A company servant reports the following experience in this connection:

“With great pleasure I report my experience in connection with a burial. A man died in the neighborhood who belonged to the Reformed church, but his parson did not want to bury him because he was behind in paying his church taxes. The clergyman asked the relatives to pay these arrears, until which time he was not willing to hold the burial for them. His family, who knew us well, were most Indignant and asked us to conduct the service for them. We naturally took this opportunity with pleasure and could give to 220 persons the comforting message as to the whereabouts of the dead. We afterward learned that the man was only Forint 2.50 ($0.22) tn arrears.

We are ready with you and all our brethren earth-wide to continue to unitedly wage the battle for true worship under the leadership of our great King, Christ Jesus, to its final end.

INDIA

The city of Bombay is the location of the Branch office. The brethren there have supervision over the Kingdom work in India, Pakistan, Ceylon and Iran. There has been a steady increase in the work throughout these countries, and, though small, it is encouraging. Some very difficult conditions must be met, and it is a steep uphill climb, just as Christian work is no matter where one is. The Society printed the booklet The Joy of All the People in the following languages : Sinhalese, Malayalam, Marathi, Kanarese, Urdu and Persian. We are now trying to get some bound books out for use in this territory, and we hope that all of these publications will aid the Indian mind to grasp the truth as set forth in the Lord’s Word. The report sent in by the Branch servant shows us some of the problems that must be overcome and how diligently the servants of the King are working in order to praise Jehovah yet more and more.

We in India have often felt a sense of frustration and be-spair when, after many years of toil, there has never been any response from the non-Christian communities. Remember that out of a total population of around 400,000,000 only about 6 million are classified as “Christian”, and almost all of these 349 publishers were professing Christians before they came to a knowledge of the truth. Much literature has been placed in the hands of the other communities in past years, but it has never resulted in any general acceptance of the Bible and its message of life.

This past year has witnessed some definite progress. It is yet small and scarcely discernible, but it is real. Some Hindus and others have taken their stand for the Kingdom, and a few are showing willingness to study. The efforts of the Gilead graduates are chiefly responsible for this, but others too are sharing in this expansion. There are now ten Gilead graduates working in India (plus another six in the other countries under this Branch). Four are in Calcutta, two are working as missionaries in Bombay, three in the Branch office and Bethel home, and one is on the road as circuit servant. The circuit servant’s work calls for special mention.

There are 29 companies organized, 13 composed of Malayalam-speaking brethren in Travancore, and 16 Englishspeaking companies scattered around the remainder of India. Because the companies are so scattered they were divided up into four circuits.

One of the Gilead graduates was selected to serve as circuit servant all the time, and to cover all the Englishspeaking companies and isolated publishers. He has also visited most of the Malayalam-speaking companies In Trav-ancore, taken one of their local pioneers around with him for training in circuit servant work, and has done an excellent job in helping to organize the work in that corner of this land.

In a tour of twelve companies and one isolated family he covered about 600 miles by motorbus, and walked 80. The 80 miles of walking took him through dense jungles. Frequently he had to cross streams by walking along a palmtree trunk thrown across them, and sometimes had to wade through the water. He says he never fell in! He learned to eat rice and curry with his fingers in the real native style, served up on banana leaf for plates. Indians rarely use cutlery or crockery. He was often up and away before five o’clock in the morning to catch a bus at some distant point, and finished up at night by walking through the jungle to some brother’s hut with the aid of palm-leaf torches. The natives of Travancore make torches three feet long of sun-dried palm fronds rolled up tightly which, when lit, glow a dull red. When a better light is required they simply make a sharp swish of the torch through the air and it bursts out into a flame and so lights up the way.

Brother Carmichael in this way held 13 public meetings in about four weeks, attended by 2,144 persons. He held service meetings with twelve companies, and took them out on service. He concluded his tour with a circuit assembly-attended by 140 brethren, and spoke to a crowd of 800 in a public meeting held right in the middle of the main road of the town where “the crowd gathered around, filling the center of the town and packing shops and standing on every conceivable ledge".

A prominent leader of the local Pentecostal mission had heard of the truth and wrote to the Society for some literature. He was puzzled over the “trinity” doctrine. Brother Carmichael and Brother Joseph found time to visit this man away out in some very scattered territory. They found he had already learned from The Watchtower which had been sent to him that Jesus was “a servant”, “has a God,” “is a priest,” “pleases God,” is a “sent One”, etc., and so could not possibly be Almighty God himself. He came to the circuit assembly and gave a stirring testimony of his experience and recognition of the truth which moved many of the brethren. The circuit work is now definitely on a much better basis, and will undoubtedly be a means of expanding the Kingdom work in this land “more and more”.

CEYLON

Ceylon is a Buddhist country. Those claiming to be Christian form a very small minority, and since political independence has been attained there is a definite tendency to bolster up Buddhism as a state religion, to the discomfiture of the nominal church organizations.

There is one company of Jehovah’s witnesses organized at the capital city of Colombo, assisted by four Gilead graduates who have labored excellently throughout the year. A few studies have been started with Buddhists, but it does not yet appear that any have taken their stand for Jehovah God and the Kingdom. As in India, their chief obstacle is that pagan philosophical mentality of the people plus a lack of literature in the common language of the people, which is Sinhalese. One of the Gilead graduates is making steady progress with the language. A few of the local brethren also have a rudimentary knowledge of the language, and it is to be hoped that they will cultivate these gifts for the ministry so as to be able to “shine forth” as ministers to educate the “wise” among the people who want the truth.

They now have the booklet The Joy of All the People in Sinhalese, and the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free” is translated and about ready for typesetting.

IRAN

The Kingdom work in the ancient land of Persia, now called Iran, cries out for more workers. One lone publisher has worked as a pioneer for ten months of the year, and done excellent work. He has aroused some interest, but it needs organizing and feeding. Two others joined him on one occasion for a few hours of field service, but there is evidently the need for more capable leadership and organizational ability. When the pioneer married he found himself unable to meet the pioneer requirements, and so continues now as a company publisher, though no company is organized. It is hoped that there may be some Gilead graduates available for Iran before long, and that the work may make substantial progress. The booklet The Joy of All the People has been translated into Persian and is now being printed at the Brooklyn factory. It will be a joy to the one lone publisher when he receives his first shipment of Persian booklets, for he himself is a Persian.

PAKISTAN

Here we find a Mohammedan (Moslem) population. Moslems are noted for having a religious fervor amounting almost to fanaticism, and it is with great difficulty that the Kingdom publishers in this land try to engage in thoughtful, unprejudiced study of God’s Word with Moslems. It is almost impossible for sisters to work alone, or for brothers to gain entrance into private residences for Bible study. The Moslem womenfolk conform to the purdah custom of wearing a veil in public. And woe betide the man who unwittingly approaches the zenana, or section of the house wherein the women live I The publishers have to be exceedingly cautious when entering an apartment building, for any door may be the zenana, and if the householder sees a male, especially if he is a Christian, knocking at the door of a room which happens to be the zenana there is likely to be an ugly scene. It makes the work difficult.

There is a company organized at Karachi, the capital city. They are assisted by two Gilead graduates who have devoted an average of 183 hours a month to field service throughout the year. It is an excellent record. They have relatively few studies running because of the enormous difficulty in gaining access to the people’s homes. Theirs really is an uphill task, and it is only by the spirit of the Lord that they are able to continue.

The local Christian population is very small. In the days of British occupancy there were two quite big and imposing church buildings owned by the Anglican and Methodist organizations. Now their congregations have so dwindled that they have joined forces and use only one of the buildings, and that, it is reported, is never anywhere nearly full. One or two from this small congregation have now turned from false religion to worship and serve Jehovah in spirit and in truth. The Roman organization, on the other hand, appears to be adopting a policy of compromise with the state religionists in order to keep and increase their adherents. When the founder of the new state, M. A. Jinnah, died last year some of the “Christian” religious organizations almost fell over themselves in their efforts to make a show of their support of the political rulers. Unlike India, whose new constitution is spoken of as making India a “secular state”, Pakistan is termed a “theocracy” because the name of Allah, and the ideals of Islam, are embodied in its constitution. Religion rules.

ITALY

Nineteen hundred years ago the apostle Paul was quite anxious to get to Rome to settle his case before Caesar. He it was who gave the admonition to preach the Word 'in season and out of season’. His life in Rome as recorded in the Scriptures shows he did this very thing. Jehovah’s witnesses have gone to Rome in this day for the purpose of carrying the good news of the Kingdom to that city, as well as throughout all of Italy. Not only have they gone into the city to preach, but the Society has set up its Branch office in Rome. It is much easier to direct the work throughout all the peninsula from that location. The work is well organized in Italy with the circuit arrangement, and, with the aid of missionaries and the many public meetings that have been held, a wonderful increase in the preaching of the gospel has been effected in the last twelve months. We let the Branch servant briefly tell the story of what has happened and what joys the brethren are having in preaching in Italy in the third year since the Branch was established by the Society.

We cannot help but mention first the excellent increase in number of publishers attained during the year. An increase of 80 percent over the previous year! The thousands of publications being distributed throughout the peninsula are beginning to bring results. Starting with October, 100,00(1 freshly printed copies of The Joy of All the People began to get into the hands of honest people who eagerly accepted and read them. How else could those who read its heart-cheering pages respond but favorably? Many are the good-will persons who, coming in contact with the truth for the first time through this publication, are today active publishers in Italy. Therefore, without hesitation we can say that our publisher increase in 1948-1949 has been largely due to Jehovah’s gracious provisions of spiritual food in the latest publications of the Society. This, coupled with the constant faithfulness of our brethren in delivering the message, has brought about one peak after another until finally a total of nine peak months was reached during the service year! Jehovah is really gathering his “other sheep”.

It was in the city of S—, in the region of Abruzzo, where the first circuit assembly for the year was held and where the publication of our new booklet was announced. In this central part of Italy is found the greatest number of brethren and companies, made up of people from small towns and villages. Here the gospel is spreading like wildfire from place to place. People new in the truth begin talking to friends, neighbors, fellow laborers, and before long many of these with hearing ears—simple, honest farmers—are attending meetings. So it was with great joy that we anticipated the circuit asembly held in this area at the end of September, 1948.

Close to 300 brethren attended the assembly and enjoyed immensely the good spiritual nourishment Jehovah provides for his people at such feasts. Sunday morning at 10:30 found more than 2,000 people swelling out the largest theater in the city, and the doors had to be closed minutes before the time set for the talk. Many had to be turned away, but not before having received a booklet; there simply was no more room left, even the aisles were occupied ! Inside, an extremely attentive audience showed its appreciation and approval of truth by applauding several times during the lecture and upon its conclusion.

However, before the meeting was closed, a young religionist who had been standing in the rear of the hall taking notes from two priests made his way to the platform, raised his hands and began shouting, demanding to be heard. The chairman calmly explained that questions of the public would be answered personally and privately after the close of the meeting. That this fanatic was bent on making trouble and using our public meeting to spread his religious propaganda was evident. No doubt he, like the clergy, was aware of the empty pews in the churches these days and was seeking other places to harangue the people. Goaded on by his sneaky, priestly advisors, lie scrambled to the top of the platform as soon as the assembly was dismissed, waved his arms like a madman and yelled at the top of his lungs for attention. The two priests in the rear, ducking their heads down to hide their reversed collars, shouted and whistled in approval, hoping thus to arouse a wave of enthusiasm for their hireling. It did not work. The audience turned down his uninvited attempt to do religious proselyting. Instead of applauding and permitting him to speak, those in the audience drowned out his protesting voice with cries of: “Fascistone!’’ “Vergoyna!” “How much are they paying you to do this?” Seeing things were not going so well, the would-be interloper soon leaped off the stage and quickly disappeared with his priestly companions. Then, orderly and quietly, the audience made its way out of the theater, accepting gladly the free booklet that was offered to them. The religionists’ plot failed, Haman-like, giving a more thorough witness among others in the city, for people talked about the underhanded tactics of those papal puppets with great disapproval and scorn. The tables had been turned on them and once more Jehovah gave the victory.

Probably the most important event of the year was the arrival in Italy of 28 trained ministers from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, young men and women who were established in five different cities along the peninsula from

the great industrial city of Milan in the north down past the toe of Italy right onto the island of Sicily, the seaport city of Palermo. Since their arrival in the spring of the year, a heaping testimony of Bible publications has been piled up in the cities where they are carrying on as special pioneers. These brethren had the privilege of taking Into the field with them the book “Let God Be True’’, recently published in Italian. What a wonderful way to start off their ministerial activity!

It came as a pleasant surprise to us when, in December, 1948, the ministry suddenly authorized our importing of fifteen tons of the new book. To meet the four-month deadline, the brethren in Brooklyn speeded up the publishing of the book so that by the second day of April more than fifty thousand beautiful bound books were safe in our stockroom in Rome. So it was that the newly arrived Gilead graduates started their first month of field service in Italy with this marvelous weapon against religious falsehood. Many more months of joyful praising have followed and the brethren are beginning to make the language their own, using it fluently, conducting Bible studies with the new book and making thousands of back-calls. Only by Jehovah’s grace were we able to witness in this year 1949 the arrival of 28 special pioneers from Gilead and fifty thousand “Let God Be True" books. A great work awaits being done in this land and Jehovah is preparing his people with the necessary equipment and help.

We are looking forward to another busy year of Theocratic activity and progress and are determined, by Jehovah’s grace, to raise the Signal, Christ Jesus, as the only hope for the Italian people of good-will. We are certain that 1950 is going to be an important year for the Lord’s people. So as the “Eternal City” begins to set its stage for 1950, Jehovah’s witnesses in Rome and in all Italy anticipate a full year of real blessings and Theocratic progress.

JAMAICA

The prophet Isaiah said, “Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.” Throughout the Caribbean sea there are many islands on which Jehovah’s witnesses are now preaching the gospel. One of the larger islands, Jamaica, is well served now by these ministers of the Lord. On this island of the Caribbean, where they talk of the perpetual sunshine, hundreds of people are coming to the truth every year; and the brethren there feel that “of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end”. They are still going forward, visiting the people of good-will, and gathering them into the fast-growing organization in that land. Read what the Branch servant has to say about the prosperity of the Lord’s organization there.

Even though the sun of God’s creation shines here brilliantly, there is a gross darkness over the island in a spiritual way which more and more people are beginning to discover. Headlines of newspapers often appear lately such as “Why Don’t People Go to Church?” Indeed the churches are becoming empty in many districts. Many are standing vacant and forlorn, making good housing for the birds. One is being used for a market-place. One newspaper article said, in part, “Not so long ago on Sunday evening it was a difficult task finding a seat in a church. The same was true of the morning service in some of them. Today during many of the services at these same churches a cannon may be fired into the congregation without injuring a single worshiper!” The clergy are supplying only husks of tradition and politics, etc., for the truth-hungry people.

In contrast with that, in five out of the past twelve fleeting months of the 1949 service year new peaks of Kingdom publishers have been reached. Instead of 1,4G5 average number of publishers as we had last year, we now have an increase of 308 more, bringing the new total average number of publishers for 1949, to 1,773, which is a 21-percent increase over last year. That makes one Kingdom publisher to care for 7G7 persons here in the Island! The new peak this year was again reached in August, an all-time high of 1,92G publishers! Regularity in service has been emphasized during the year at the circuit assemblies and by the six circuit servants, and Jehovah’s blessing has brought timely increase.

Again we were privileged to have Brother Steelman with us for a month during the early part of 1949 and during his visit we had three profitable assemblies in different parts of the island which took the place of the six circuit assemblies for the first part of 1949. These assemblies stressed more and more praise but with emphasis upon regularity in the field and increasing the number of pioneers. The number of pioneers does not reach the quota of 10 percent of the number of publishers, and Brother Steelman clearly showed how doubt, pride and fear were to be thrown aside if the pioneer ranks were to increase Advance was made, because the number gradually went up from 77 then, to 83 in August, but that is not nearly what it should be yet. We pray for Jehovah’s blessing to continue with this feature of Kingdom preaching so that many additional brethren will praise him ■‘more and more”.

Those who are in full-time service are having many blessed experiences in spite of the hard financial difficulties. One reports: “While going from house to house with the good news of the Kingdom I placed the book ‘The Truth Shall Make You Free’ and the Study Question booklet with a lady. She said she would be glad to know the truth. I called back a few weeks later, and found her very joyful. She said it was God who sent me with that book, because she discovered more than she could tell me. We started a study and her husband took part in it too. They both were members of the Baptist church and the ‘parson’ strictly told them not to have anything at all to do with Jehovah’s witnesses, not to admit them into their homes nor read the books, for ‘they are the worst deceivers’. But after reading and studying, these people of good-will find out that the clergy are the great deceivers.

“A little later on the leader came to find out why they were not coming to church. She told him that Revelation 18: 4 tells her to come out, so she was glad to do so. This lady was so glad for the truth, and seeing the danger of the people in these prison-houses, she invited four more of her church sisters to the Bible study the following Sunday evening. After the study she told her friends to put forth their hard questions. They put forth many questions which caused me to spend two hours after the study, resulting in each of them contributing for the book ‘Let God Be True’. They are rejoicing in the light, all looking on the clergy as big deceivers. This lady is now gladly telling the truth to her friends and seeking to be baptized at an early date.”

One circuit servant reports while serving a company of two publishers: “53 attended the Watchtower study In the afternoon and an audience of 300 paid rapt attention to 'From Scarcity to Plenty’. One hundred persons were disappointed in not getting one of the 200 booklets I had to give away there.” While with another company of 18 publishers he reports: “The company is doing its best to increase with the Kingdom message. Two new publishers have been out in the field this month, and one of them is a blind brother who already for this month has put in 13 hours and has made 6 back-calls. He is very zealous and willing. He goes from door to door alone. He knows the houses, because before he became blind he learned where the houses were, so he goes from place to place and talks about the King and the Kingdom. At the public lecture there were 184. This proves that their territory has many of good-will. The publishers were encouraged to work the territory where the lecture was held before waiting too long.”

JAPAN

The apostle Paul said when writing to the Hebrews, “For we have had good news preached to us, just as they did, but the message they heard did them no good because they did not agree through faith with what they heard.” (Heb. 4:2, An Amer. Trans.) That was the way it was with those who were formerly among the brethren in Japan. They did not have faith in the Word of God, even though the same Word was preached to them. The Society has sent some missionaries into Japan now with this same Word, but these brethren believe it and they are anxious to preach the good news of the Kingdom to those who have an ear to hear. Since the new Branch servant arrived at Tokyo in January, 1949, two companies have been formed and as many as 61 persons attend these two meetings. By the end of August, 12 publishers were out proclaiming the message of the Kingdom. As yet there is no literature in the Japanese language that the brethren can use to distribute from house to house, but they are putting forth splendid efforts to help all that they can in learning of God’s kingdom. The Branch servant’s report is very interesting and gives one a good idea of what the missionaries there must contend with in order to preach the Word.

Until March there was only one missionary here, securing a home and preparing for the other missionaries to come. By February a home was obtained and meetings started, and during March three additional missionaries arrived.

During January calls were made on those formerly members of the Branch office staff in Japan and two meetings were held with them. This was through Brother Robert Akashi, son of the former Branch servant, but who has remained faithful to the Lord through all the occurrences in Japan. Of the group of 12 persons all but 2 took a decided stand against the truth. These were a Brother and Sister Akamatsu who had been sent to prison in 1938 with many others charged with “advocating a Jehovah monotheism”. After their release from prison in 1940, having no contact with the truth, they had drifted away. Calls at their home resulted in starting a study which quickly grew in interest and attendance and branched out into several additional studies. And so in August a company was formed there with 7 pub-

Ushers and attendance of 18, with only 2 understanding English. This little company really manifests zeal and enthusiasm and it is a real joy to study and work with them. Now by the Lord’s grace a series of public lectures is being started there.

It is not at all customary to enter Japanese homes, so people are invited to study both individually and in groups at the missionary home, which includes a meeting hall. There are meetings almost every night, often with 6 different ones the same evening. A study, using mimeographed copies in Japanese of some of the chapters of “Let God Be True”, is held each Sunday with much interest manifested. Studies are held wherever possible, in churches, stores, shops, outdoors, and in an Increasing number of Japanese homes as people come to know more of the Kingdom message and become better acquainted with the missionaries. One opportunity of addressing a church Bible class led to the formation there of a Bible study with 20 attending, some of whom now also come to the meetings at the home.

Another group Bible study with about 15 students of journalism from a near-by university is held at the home each week.

A company has been formed now of those attending the home meetings, and the service meeting and Theocratic ministry school have been started. Lack of needed books in Japanese is an obstacle, but the difficult Japanese language Is the great handicap. Though the language here is different from that spoken by our two Japanese missionaries from Hawaii, yet by much study and the Lord’s blessing meetings are now conducted by them in Japanese. The other two missionaries are struggling away, endeavoring to learn Japanese, meanwhile having many meetings and studies througli interpreters of good-will and also with Japanese teachers, university students and others who speak some English.

With the two new companies, and the present arrival of three more Japanese-speaking missionaries from Hawaii, a more extended witness is hoped for and many persons of good-will found, by the Lord’s grace.

MEXICO

Jehovah’s power is so great and his spirit so plentiful that it makes no difference where his servants are in the earth, for he can shower them with blessings. The Lord always does his part if his servants are willing to do theirs. In Mexico the brethren have not taken it easy, but have been doing their part of the witness work, thus sharing the blessings too, and have been overcoming every difficulty as it has arisen. They have their share of problems, which are similar in most respects to those of other witnesses of Jehovah in different countries, although the problems differ in some respects because of the customs and manners of the people. One of the biggest difficulties is that the Mexican public in general has not had much of a basic education, and therefore when the people hear the truth and take up the preaching of the Kingdom it means extra training on the part of the Lord’s organization so as to equip them for every good work. However, through the patience of the brethren who serve their fellow workers, a marvelous work has been accomplished in Mexico, and the preaching of the Word continues on a greater scale than ever before. The Branch servant gives us a very interesting resume of what has been going on in Mexico during the past twelve months.

Our biggest undertaking of the year was the establishing of reading classes in the companies throughout the country. It will take a few years to see the full results of this work. It will be necessary in some companies to keep these classes going because of the illiterate persons who join the ranks of Jehovah’s service. In a number of companies the reading classes have been discontinued since all the illiterate publishers have learned to read and write. One company servant wrote that ‘when these brethren signed up in the class they knew little of reading and writing but with the help received in the class they are no longer illiterates’. Then he asks what to do since they have finished the study of their textbook of reading and writing and since there wasn’t a single illiterate publisher left in the company. They were answered to keep on learning, studying the Society’s publications and the Bible, and taking active part in the local company activities. It is a real joy to receive such letters from the companies showing their progress.

In another company the zone inspector of education was so impressed by the work of our Society in teaching reading and writing that he asked a special pioneer, who is also the company servant and teacher in the local company, if he would direct an educational center or school of the government in the same city. They offered to pay him for his work. These zone inspectors marvel that we teach people how to read and write and yet do not receive a single penny from the government for such work.

There Is a great deal of witness work yet to be done in this nation, especially In the southeastern part. In that area there are a state and a territory, Yucatdn and Quitana Roo, that haven’t a single publisher In them, as far as we know. In fact, according to our files the territory has never been worked by anyone. The Society has granted us permission to sign up six new special pioneers, and it is our hope that these pioneers will be able to carry the Kingdom message to these isolated places and establish companies in them.

Most of our trouble up to the present time is caused by local priests in small towns where they hold much influence over their congregations, and sometimes also with the authorities. They continually warn the people not to take our literature, and incite them to violence. They usually do their dirty work by inciting innocent persons to harm others, and the Catholic people, thinking that they are doing God a favor, blindly obey these fanatical priests, harming other people.

Such was the case last November when one of Jehovah’s witnesses was chopped to death with a machete by a fanatical Catholic under the influence of the local priest. This brother was out feeding his oxen when attacked. Next to his body were his “Kingdom" book and The Watchtower, which he probably had been reading when attacked. The officials didn’t do a thing. The local company servant, writing us of the matter, says: “The Roman priest of the town and parish of Epatlan incited a mob of his own town of Ayotla against our dead brother. Previously he had been imprisoned. There they took his literature and the same Roman priest burned his Bible. Now they have consumed their hatred of him on the 6th. Since the very start of his persecution his enemies have tried to take his life and at last they have murdered him.”

The Mexican publisher in general is not particularly bothered by difficult living conditions, lack of transportation and of other things people consider necessary. Recently at an assembly held in MinatitWn, Veracruz, a real example of this was seen. Says the district servant: “This circuit has companies in it which are over 300 miles away. Among these are those in the state of Tabasco, which, besides being distant, has brethren who are very poor, and because of that most of them never attend the assemblies. This time they surprised the brethren as well as the people of the world, when 20 of them, 18 men and 2 women, of different companies, started a difficult journey of over 200 miles on foot, covering that distance in 15 consecutive days!” All together, they spent about 35 days walking to and from and attending the assembly.

That is the spirit of Jehovah’s witnesses in Mexico, and nothing seems to quench it. We are determined to do our share of the preaching work and, by the Lord’s grace, our coming service year will be a better one yet.

NETHERLANDS

When Jehovah’s servants put forth an effort to expand true worship within the boundaries of any country, we find the statement to be true: “The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich.” During the past service year in the Netherlands the brethren have reached seven new peaks in publishers. The highest peak came in the month of August, when they had 5,130 servants preaching the Word. When one becomes a witness of God, his outlook as to the work that must be done changes, it broadens. No longer does he see just his own little company, but because of the circuit work, the Bible-study activity and the making of back-calls, he appreciates that the Lord’s organization takes in a wide scope. Jehovah’s witnesses in the Netherlands are interested not only in their local affairs, but in the entire circuit, in the entire country, in the entire earth. They are part of the one body of people who function harmoniously under their Head, Christ Jesus, all promoting the true worship of the Most High. The Branch servant in the Netherlands gives us a very interesting report of what the brethren there have been doing in the past twelve months and of their joy in the service.

The public meeting campaign serves a very good purpose in contacting many persons of good-will and it also helps the brethren to keep busy in the Lord’s service and assist now ones to become capable ministers. This branch of service was pushed very well by the brethren. The many hindrances in the way of shortage of funds and lack of halls because of prejudice or exorbitantly high prices were overcome with the Lord’s help. Besides, the office has encouraged the brethren to pay special attention to the open-air meetings, since these had been rather neglected in former years; and it was also pointed out that lectures could be advertised even without printed advertising material If there was lack of funds. Our very King preached that way nineteen centuries ago. Soon reports were coming in from different parts of the country telling of the blessings and joys tasted. Small companies in rural territory that had given public lectures from time to time with 1 or 2 and sometimes no public attending, now report attendances of around 100 persons in the villages. When we also take into consideration that many public lectures are now being delivered at company book study meeting-places, the increase of 58 percent in the total number of public lectures given is not difficult to explain.

The fact that there still are territories in all provinces of the country where the Kingdom message is not preached and companies that lack capable servants to care for the flock prompted the office to encourage company publishers and servants that could not become full-time ministers to hearken to the invitation to preach that came from these territories. How so? By moving to these isolated territories or undermanned companies and resuming their preaching work there. This would also open the way for pioneers to accept assignments for these territories and get accommodations with these brethren. Because of the housing shortage this is the only way to obtain a firm footing in these isolated sections and to found new companies.

Inspired by the example of faithful Abraham of old, who was not fettered to a certain place or special friends and who went to another country in obedience to the Lord’s command, some publishers and servants have heeded the call. Among them was a married pioneer with his family who went to a centuries-old Roman Catholic city. Its company servant, who was a pioneer and who had been doing good work in developing a well-founded company, was called for circuit servant work. One year ago this brother started to work in cooperation with the small company of about 20 publishers, and assisted by three of his children who are also pioneers. They gave a good example by zealous work and faithful endurance under hardships and when their reports came in they contained no complaints about difficulties but joyful experiences in connection with the expansion. At the end of the service year the company reported 56 publishers, this being an increase of about 180 percent in one year. Truly an encouragement for all who love the Lord and his work to spend their time wisely, to make plans for expanding their ministry and to be expansion-minded.

The district assembly in the Rotterdam “Feyenoord Stadlon” on July 1-3 was a landmark in the history of true worship in this country and it helped the Lord’s people to ‘yet praise Jehovah more and more’. All the brethren from the entire country could conveniently assemble at this one central place and unitedly they gave a great witness to the people of Rotterdam. More attention than ever before was paid to the advertising of the public lecture “It Is Later than You Think!” The convention itself was the best one yet, not only as to organization but also as to the program presented, and it brought us the release of the Kingdom Service Song Book in Hollandish. The brethren were very enthusiastic about the assembly, which was shown by two new peaks of more than 5,000 publishers.

The past year was not only a busy one In field service activities. Many times it was necessary to rise up in defense of the gospel and freedom of worship. This is not so much because the enemy is fighting harder but because the brethren are coming more into the open to make use of rights guaranteed by the democratic constitution of this country but denied by lower authorities. With the aid of God’s laws and these laws they fight their battle for freedom of worship, an honest open battle. True, the Nazis have gone, but as it is written in God’s holy Bible there are always persons that ‘frame mischief by law’. (Ps. 94 : 20) Such mischief is framed if and when those in power apply laws made for other purposes to Jehovah’s witnesses in order to hinder them in their preaching work.

An interesting case involves information walking with placards to advertise a public Bible lecture during a semiannual circuit assembly held at Eindhoven, also a city in the Roman Catholic province of Noord-Brabant. In this city, officials have continuously shown prejudice against the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. After surmounting many hindrances we finally succeeded in organizing a circuit assembly that was held in a tent placed on private ground. About 100 brethren went out to advertise the public lecture “The Only Light” with placards without having asked a license from the police. From about 80 brethren the placards were seized, and about 60 brethren were arrested. Since the police action in this city is a flagrant violation of the constitution, we made up a press communique and sent it to the General Netherlands Press Agency to be broadcast in its news service for the radio and to be forwarded to all newspapers in the country. In this way the entire country heard about our light for freedom of worship and the interest of many sincere persons was aroused. One paper that is distributed all over the country commented on the case, saying: “Again there will be a court case involving article 7 of the Constitution. In Eindhoven the police arrested witnesses of Jehovah who distributed handbills and carried around placards with slogans. . . . For this way of advertising they had not asked permission from the burgomaster as is required by local police regulations. However, our constitution states that nobody needs foregoing permission to express his views by means of the press. So, not only is everyone allowed to have printed whatever he desires but he may also distribute that which he has printed. In the interest of public order or traffic the municipality has the right to limit the distribution. . . . However, up to the present time any municipal ordinance that makes the distribution of printed matter entirely dependent on a permission from the burgomaster has always been declared to be contrary to the constitution and invalid by the Hoge Raad [Supreme Court], and we think this to be right” (Het Vrije Volk of August 29, 1949) With us there are many freedom-loving people that are anxiously waiting for the outcome of this case.

Of course, there are also court cases that are decided in our favor; but whatever may happen and whatever decisions will be taken by men of this world, Jehovah’s witnesses in this country, by the Lord’s grace, will not slacken their hands. When they have to suffer because of their obedience to the higher laws of Almighty God they will not suffer as thieves or evildoers, but as Christians who want to do good to their neighbors by bringing them the message of hope and life.

NEWFOUNDLAND

David said it about three thousand years ago—“I . . . will yet praise thee more and more.” He is not the only one who has made that solemn resolution in his heart, for from the lips of thousands of persons today this same statement is going forth. Even on the far-northern island of Newfoundland this resolve has been made by Jehovah’s witnesses. A new generation centuries later in the stream of time is now giving proof to God of its earnestness in this resolve. Our attention is drawn now to an island which juts its rocky shores out through the rough and stormy surf of the Atlantic ocean. As to size, it is the tenth-largest island in the world. This year, by the election of the people, the territory, which is located about CO miles east of Canada, became the tenth province in that dominion. The Branch office which was established in Newfoundland a few years ago still looks after the work generally, and the Branch servant gives us a good idea of what was done during the past year and of some of the difficulties encountered in the frozen northlands.

Would there be a new peak of publishers in Newfoundland this year? Our last year’s peak of 154 looked rather big and had not been reached since. Could we exceed It during 1949? Since April was the month for special Memorial week-end activity, it was our opportunity to answer that question. Each of the twelve companies In Newfoundland was encouraged to put forth a special effort to assist every person associated to take part in preaching in April. Fifteen full-time ministers were pledged to assist them. A new peak of 191 was the result. The circuit servant was serving two companies to the north at Memorial time, and of his activities in serving his brethren there he writes:

“The shroud of winter’s cold was rolled backward by early spring as Memorial season’s joy loosened our brethren in the north to a burst of new world activity. We could hardly contain ourselves as the reports came streaming in. A new all-time peak of publishers graced the efforts in the north. Forming a strong vanguard to this troop of Kingdom soldiers were the servants of the South company who shouldered literature and proper responsibility and, together with the circuit servant, made a publishing drive up the shore. The going was rough through bogs and beach rocks and sand, and the wind blew in from the sea where whited icebergs lillied the seascape, but our day was blessed. We covered three settlements, and in the night a man offered us his humble kitchen for a Bible lecture, to which 31 persons came. It was midnight when the five of us started back along the lonely shore, but we were happy as we trudged back through ankle-deep mud. We walked 18 miles that day over difficult coast, but the brethren were injected with a spur of spiritual uplifting after the winter’s isolation.

“On Memorial night our assembly was the best we have ever had; everyone understood what it means to celebrate this heavenly arranged event and it was pleasant to assemble here in the north while the ocean roared and the paschal moon hung in perfect eclipse.”

There are now thirteen companies in Newfoundland, one new one being organized during the year. However, the giving of more and more praise is not limited just to these thirteen places. Some have received the truth from just reading the books, and even though they are isolated they see their privilege of passing on the good things they have learned. One such publisher, who found work for a while in a pulpwood camp, wrote us, “I would work all week in the woods and then lecture from the Bible to the camp crowd on Sundays. I put in thirty hours last month in this way and nearly everybody was asking for books.”

In order to reach some of these good-will persons living in isolated settlements along the coast, the Society operates a floating missionary home. It is the beautiful motor vessel “Hope”, equipped with a good public-address system to aid in giving public lectures right from the water as was done in Jesus’ time. One of the Gilead brothers working with the boat writes thus of their experiences:

“While the ocean foams and the clergy fume the ‘Hope’ continues to push her aggressive warfare on the coast. She has become well known to the people now. Throughout the past season we discovered that the places where we had strongest opposition last season are the best places now for us to visit. In the town where last year the Protestant clergyman forced the people to return Bibles and books to us, we have the entire population of the town as our friends and studies have been started with many of them. It was reported to us that one worried religious shepherd told his congregation in church on a Sunday morning that he was never before so grieved in his heart as when he saw the ‘Hope’ arriving in port. ‘Bringing them to grief.’

“The results of the ‘Hope’s’ work are beginning to show now as dozens of persons begin to talk of these truths to others, not in an organized way, it is true, because the Newfoundlander is not given much to organization. When not working in the woods, at his fish or garden, he just sits with his pipe in his mouth on the edge of the wharf and yarns; and much of the yarning is about the ‘strange work’ of the ‘Hope’ on these coasts. Many studies are started now in the homes of the interested persons, and we have a schedule whereby we visit the same town about every ten days and carry on the studies in that town before moving on to the next. It is as though we had a big city and each little settlement were another street to work, so the ‘Hope’ gets around the city and there are no stop lights either. She goes ahead! Our God has been very near the ‘Hope’ to protect her and bless her, and we are thankful for his care and blessing.”

We here in Newfoundland are much concerned about our territory, and as we see the multitude of little settlements not yet reached with the message of the presence of Christ’s established kingdom, we realize our work of more and more praise is far from finished.

NEW ZEALAND

Christ Jesus told his disciples to 'go and make disciples of all the heathen and to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit’, and to teach them to observe all the commandments that he had taught to them. It is an interesting thing to note in the New Zealand report that on the average there were 90 more publishers in the field every month throughout the year, and their yearly report for baptism shows 88. It appears from this that those taking up service privileges also appreciate the necessity of meeting the other requirement of symbolizing their consecration to God. Jehovah’s witnesses in New Zealand were aiming at 1,000 publishers to join in singing the praises of the Most High, and they were successful in reaching this goal, with the splendid total of 1,131 publishers for the month of August. Undoubtedly these new ones will be well trained in service activity and will soon express their determination to consecrate their lives to God and symbolize it by public baptism. The Branch servant of New Zealand in his annual report gives us a very interesting account of the happenings in the country.

Increase in the pioneer ranks amounts to 38 percent, although we have not yet reached the desired total amounting to 10 percent of all publishers. Pioneers who have long been in the service would not change their status for anything. These love to praise Jehovah daily with their lips, knowing that his loving-kindness is better than life. New pioneers, too, enter into the service with zeal, and realize that to continue experiencing the joys of pioneering one must be diligent, enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. By the faithful pioneers a great work is being accomplished, not only in seeking out the “other sheep”, but also by aiding many companies to increase their activity. The joy of these pioneers is contagious, extending to all who are privileged to be associated with them in Kingdom service.

Writes a young pioneer sister: “I certainly would not like to miss today’s service privileges.” She tells of the blessings received in her new territory. While returning home on a crowded bus from street witnessing one day, she sat next to a Maori girl upon whose lap reposed a set of booklets, and which, it was learned, she had obtained from a friend. It did not take long to arrange a new study. Another lady, who already had some publications, was shown how to study, and a good Bible study soon developed. This lady feels that it was not an accident that brought Jehovah’s witnesses to her home to help her understand the Bible.

Much of the urban territory in New Zealand is receiving a very good witness. There are rurals, however, which have yet to receive a thorougli coverage with the Kingdom message. Some faithful publishers have worn out their cars traveling over wide areas, feeding the Lord’s “other sheep” in sparsely populated territory. This, in the face of rationed petrol, costing three times the amount you pay in America. New cars are expensive and difficult to obtain due to import controls enforced by the government. However, in spite of the many obstacles, we confidently look forward to the time, shortly, when the Kingdom message will be known in every remote corner of this land.

Of great benefit to the New Zealand field during the past two years has been the presence of four Gilead graduates among us. It is certain that if additional capable brethren with Gilead training were sent here to act as special pioneers, a further stimulus would be given to the work in New Zealand. We rejoice that already from this land some brethren have become Gilead graduates and are delighted that arrangement has been made for other New Zealanders to enter the school in the first 1950 class.

Since his arrival here from Gilead, one circuit servant has studied the Maori language and can now deliver extemporaneous talks in that tongue. He also has been of great assistance in speeding up the translation of “Let God Be True" into the Maori language. A pioneer sister, present at a lecture in Maori, though herself not understanding a word, tells of the thrill she experienced watching the appreciative Maori audience while our Gilead brother gestured and “spoke in tongues”.

The prospects are very good for a greater increase among the Maori race. These lovable people support the public meetings well, and our American-Maori circuit servant, Brother Hamuera Peteri, loses no opportunity to talk to them in their own tongue. During the year, twenty Maori public talks have been given, with a total attendance of 470, most of whom were strangers. Before the talk begins, and in accordance with Maori custom, one of the village elders first welcomes the speaker and visitors from other villages. At the conclusion the people do not leave immediately, but remain to discuss the talk. Perhaps one or two will give an impromptu speech, each expressing his view of the points raised by the speaker. One might be in full accord with what has been said. Another may express disapproval and raise questions. Then the speaker has the final say, clearing up the points requiring further explanation. Such discussions, all conducted in the Maori tongue, often last a long time after the conclusion of the public meeting, a circumstance which shows a more inquiring mind among the Maoris than is displayed by many Europeans.

Two public meetings were attended by a Maori Presbyterian minister. After the first talk he showed good interest and asked many questions. At the second talk he had no questions to ask, because ‘everything was proved from the Bible and he could not contradict that’.

The field in New Zealand is ripe, and it behooves all Jehovah’s people to work diligently in the witness work while it is yet day.

NICARAGUA

Jehovah’s witnesses in the warm, Central American country of Nicaragua are heralding forth the Kingdom tidings. They, together with all of their fellow workers throughout the world, want to be obedient to the psalmist’s exhortation, “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands.” The Catholic Church claims as her children 95 percent of all the inhabitants of Nicaragua. It may be that she sprinkled that many, but these grown children no longer believe the doctrines, nor could they ever begin to explain what the Catholic Church teaches. They are Catholics in name only. Just because their parents were Catholic, they say they too are Catholics. Now the day has come to open the eyes of these people, and Jehovah’s witnesses in Nicaragua are trying to do just this. Some eyes are being enlightened, because they have had an 89-per-cent increase in the number of preachers who are determined, by the Lord’s grace, to praise the Lord yet more and more. The Branch servant gives us some of the highlights of what is going on in that warm country in Central America.

Little open opposition to the message has been manifested, but the continual public meetings and increasing service work have put the religionists on their guard. Their parishioners are asking far too many questions. The “trinity” has become the open issue with all of the religious organizations, Protestant and Catholic, lined up in defense of their favorite doctrine. Jehovah’s witnesses, being the only ones who oppose the “trinity” and who can disprove it Biblically, have become the center of discussion in the religious pulpits. Our work is continually receiving mention and condemnation from the preachers, which, of course, only tends to awaken the people to the fact that they should start studying their Bibles for themselves. One Evangelical preacher Is monthly dedicating space in his magazine to a scathing denunciation of the “trinity” explanation published in "The Truth Shall Make You Free", trying to prove it false by arguments that are amusing and ridiculous. Up to a few months ago the religionist’s four pet Bible texts used in support of the doctrine provided them a good basis for argument; but since the release and circulation of "Let God Be True" their calling attention to these texts only opens the way for a placement of this excellent exposition in a form that is understandable and reasonable, so different from the long, complicated religious argument that ends up in the empty admission that “it is a mystery”.

Because of the unusual length of the capital city where the largest company is in operation, two units were made there during the year. The greatest problem confronting the company was the attendance at company meetings, which had fallen to 30 percent of the total monthly number of publishers. But immediately on organizing the new unit the attendance doubled and the number of publishers began to climb, as well as of Bible studies and other service features.

Public meetings have been greatly blessed. In spite of decreased personnel among the missionaries for many months, the number of public meetings increased 65 percent over that of last year. Whether conducted in private homes, open patios, backyards, parks, or in rented theaters, there were always a goodly number of new faces there to listen. Good-will persons opening their homes for meetings cannot always provide comfort and spacious halls for the attendants, but these meetings seemed to be the most successful. Neighbors send their chairs or boxes, and somehow everyone always finds a place to sit down. In many homes, and even in rented theaters, pigs run and squeal through the crowd, dogs growl and chickens crow, but these interruptions seem to offend no one, and the message goes out regardless.

The Catholic Church has discouraged reading and learning for so many centuries that illiteracy is very prevalent among the poor people, especially in outlying towns. One special pioneer in reporting her progress writes that many people are very much surprised when the suggestion Is made to them that they study. Many accept their illiteracy as an insurmountable obstacle in their lives and are content to let others do their thinking for them. However, others will sit In and listen when Bible studies are being conducted, and will make better comments than those who are searching out the written answer. She further writes: “About half the population in my assignment lives on small farms scattered over the hills and between the mountains on trails that can be traveled only by horse. I was much concerned about these people at first, wondering how they were going to receive the Kingdom message before Armageddon. Then when I began calling back on my placements near town, I found that nearly half of those that had received books were giving, lending or selling their books to their relatives and friends living in the country, who were in turn carrying them back into the hills and explaining what they knew of the truth to those isolated persons. One is even reported as showing them how I conduct my Bible studies. Many who are being used to carry Jehovah’s message are known only to him.”

An Adventist who was acquainted with much of the Bible began to study with one of the publishers. After studying for about two months he left his church and began to faithfully attend Kingdom Hall meetings. One by one his family, consisting of several grown sons and daughters and sons- and daughters-in-law, all became Interested and attendance at his study rose to 14. Now, several of these, after only a short time, are publishers of the Kingdom.

A very blessed year is behind us, and we look for many more blessings in the year that is ahead. There is no end to the possibilities of expansion, and with new missionary help, and more promised, we hope to explore many new fields.

NIGERIA

Jehovah’s people in tropical lands of West Africa are playing their part in rendering more and more praise to Jehovah, the Great God of the universe. A wonderful work has been accomplished among the young and old people alike in teaching them the truth. The young folks have taken their stand equally as well as the old, even in the schools of the country, where some persecution has come upon the children because of their being Jehovah’s witnesses. These experiences have not dampened the zeal of the parents nor of the children, so today the Branch office in Nigeria is serving well the thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses throughout that territory. The brethren there are now printing The Watchtower in the Yoruba and Ibo languages, and when time permits will branch out to print it in other languages. The Branch servant’s report gives some of the very unusual experiences that missionaries in Africa enjoy.

Politically, this extensive country is divided into three regions: the Northern provinces, largely Mohammedan and pagan, and steeped in ignorance and illiteracy; and the Western and the Eastern provinces, where the message has flourished and expanded in every direction. Three new circuits and 55 new companies have been added, making 20 circuits and 304 companies in all. Increased appreciation of Kingdom privileges brought a new pioneer peak of 268, to compare with 149 last year. Much of the increase may be attributed to the excellent work of the circuit servants.

The back-call and Bible-study work, for long outstanding weaknesses, have shown considerable improvement, as a result of the conscientious efforts of the circuit servants and repeated instructions and exhortations at assemblies and through the Informant. One outstanding experience shows the wonderful results that can come from faithful back-call effort: A pioneer contacted interest in a far-away district and was eventually able to make a back-call. On his first return visit he had three present. After a study he wrote a letter to the chief of the village outlining the nature and purpose of the work. The chief read this letter to the assembled villagers, and on the next back-call nine were present. After a second letter the attendance swelled to thirteen the following week. This time he stayed four days and took the interest into the field with him. After some little time nine were baptized, and up to the present no less than 43 persons have reported field service. All the result of one back-call!

Circuit assemblies have been held throughout the country, twice during the year wherever possible, but in most cases only once, because of the enormous distances that must be traveled, added to the fact that both district servants also work in the Branch office and have many duties to care for there. Three district assemblies were held, serving different language groups in the Western and the Eastern Provinces. Hall accommodation can never be obtained for such large assemblies; so to overcome the difficulty the brethren build giant booths of bamboo, palm leaves and native mats. Far better than halls they are, for they are cool and spacious and admirably suited for the purpose. In some parts the brethren have become really expert at booth-building.

In serving all these assemblies the two district servants traveled over 15,000 miles, mostly by car. Among many of their happy experiences, two in particular stand out. At one assembly a visit was made to the Oba or native king of the town, who attended the public lecture in state. He is an educated man and professes Christianity. After the lecture was finished he asked the district servant if he might say a few words to the audience, his subjects. He expressed his appreciation of the lecture and mentioned the desire of all people for freedom. Then, holding up the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free” which he had previously obtained, he publicly recommended it to his subjects. This caused some sensation and the assembly and lecture were the talk of the town the following day. Here was their own ruler recommending the truth to them.

In another case the assembly was held in a town where there is much idol-worship of all kinds, and till then no company of Jehovah’s witnesses. Some men of good-will expressed their desire to be baptized and also asked that a visit be made to their homes to clean out the idols. The operation was done the following morning, the idols being gathered into a heap, smashed to pieces and committed to the flames, amid the shouts of joy of their former worshipers. A meeting was started in that town and only two months afterward a company was formed which has thus far reported a peak of 21 publishers.

One of the greatest difliculties that must be contended with in this country is illiteracy. The population is becoming more education-conscious and there is much desire for learning, particularly among the younger people. Among the publishers there is some illiteracy and a campaign to eliminate this is being organized for the new year. Reading classes in English, Yoruba and Ibo will be held in the different Kingdom Halls for the benefit of the illiterate brethren, and lessons in these languages are being prepared and printed on our press. By applying themselves to the instruction these brethren will soon be found conducting studies, and thus their service privileges will be enlarged, instead of their being confined to oral witnessing.

There are few experiences that can give one greater satisfaction than to be able to impart to a person steeped in ignorance and superstition the ability to understand and grasp the truth of God’s Word and to watch his mind opening to a vision of the new world. Undoubtedly there are many more of the “other sheep” yet to be gathered from Nigeria’s millions, and, by Jehovah’s grace, we will continue to expand true worship “more and more” until every last one of such “other sheep” has been gathered Into the one great flock under the Good Shepherd.

DAHOMEY

The brethren in Dahomey have continued the Kingdom work throughout the year in the face of difficulties. Certain matters must be straightened out with the government before real freedom of worship can be carried on in this territory by Jehovah’s witnesses. Those who are now there continue to study the truth and to talk to those with whom they have the opportunity. There has been a remarkable increase in back-call activity, from 334 last year to 3,459 back-calls made during the service year of 1949. The same is true of home Bible studies. The increase was from 23 to 80. The work in Dahomey is directed by the Branch servant in Nigeria, and a few interesting items are set out here.

It was in May, 1948, that application was first made to the governor to have the work officially authorized and the Society registered in the country. Then followed a long delay, and, to try to expedite the matter, interviews were held in the early part of the present year. It was then learned that the whole matter had been referred to the high commissioner at Dakar and the decision rested with him. Finally a letter was received from the high commissioner's office refusing to grant the authorization applied for.

During the year it was possible to hold two circuit assemblies, oue in Porto Novo and one in Cotonou. These were held before this decision had come through and were allowed by the police authorities. The first, at Porto Novo, was held at the beginning of the year and did much to get the brethren organized on a solid footing.

The second assembly, at Cotonou, was also very successful and for this the police issued a letter of authority in which, while reminding us that the work was not yet authorized, they expressed their willingness to make an exception and allow the assembly. This proves that it is not the police or the government that Is against our work, but rather it is the Catholic Church that puts on pressure from behind. Here again the people showed their thirst for the truth and the literature went as fast as we could place it. The public lecture was to be held in the local cinema and a good advertisement was given.

Even before the high commissioner’s decision was handed down the government began to exert pressure against the brethren and some arrests took place in Porto Novo and Cotonou. The brethren were held In custody for some days and then released after a strong warning that they should not “teach or preach in that name”. Such opposition has afforded the brethren the opportunity to witness before “kings and rulers” and to give an account of the hope that is in them. In Porto Novo the government has tried to break up the company by transferring those brethren who are government employees to places away from the town; but, here again, this move has only backfired on them. We are reminded of the account concerning the apostles that “they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word”. Such a move, Instead of hindering the work, only extends its scope.

It is hoped that in due course something can be done to allow freedom of worship in this land.

CAMEROUN

The office at Lagos continues to care for the work in Cameroun until such time as we can have some brethren from Gilead enter the country to handle the interest there. There are 114 regular publishers in the land, and a peak was reached during the year of 210. There was a 54-percent increase over last year’s average. Some items of interest which were sent in by the Branch servant for Nigeria show the problems that confront our brethren.

The work in Cameroun is now well established and there are thirteen organized companies and between two and three hundred brethren at least. There is much interest in this land, and, as in other territories, the people of good-will are sick of the worthless provender which has been fed to them by the clergy.

At the beginning of the service year a visit was made to Douala from the Nigeria Branch for the purpose of holding a circuit assembly and interviewing the authorities with a view to having the work established on a proper basis with government authorization. The interview held with the director of sHrete showed that there were no real objections on the part of the government, but the matter was subject to the decision of the high commissioner at Yaoundd.

The circuit assembly held in Douala on that occasion was a great success and served to strengthen and encourage the brethren. Public meetings may not be held until authorization is obtained, but the assembly sessions were held, as these were considered to be private. A lecture was also given, and while this could not be advertised as a public lecture, individual invitations were extended to those of good-will. Approximately 200 brethren were present for this assembly.

The brethren have no difficulty in holding their own studies and do not appear to be interfered with. In Douala they have their own Kingdom Hall and there they regularly gather to study La Tour de Garde. Other necessary things are provided for them in order to assist them in their studies and service.

In February two Gilead brethren arrived in Lagos en route for their assignment in Douala. Their entering Cameroon depends upon the high commissioner’s decision, and they must remain In Nigeria pending the final outcome of negotiations. The brethren in Cameroun look forward to having these brethren with them, as their presence will be a great stimulus to the work.

TOGO

In the latter part of the service year one of the brethren from Dahomey, a pioneer, went to work in Lome. This is the capital city of French Togoland. He had very good success while there, placing 373 books and booklets. He made 117 back-calls and conducted 12 studies. He was able to remain in the country for only three months, and then it was necessary for him to leave until such time as the authorities will allow the work of Jehovah’s witnesses to be carried on. It is hoped that in the near future we shall be able to get the work started again, as there is good interest in the country.

NORTHERN RHODESIA

With firm individual resolve, our brethren in Northern Rhodesia have said, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee . . . that thy progress may be manifest unto all.” Those who have come to a knowledge of the truth are very anxious to preach the truth, and many have to be held back from doing so because of their lack of knowledge. The educational campaign that was started there a little while ago is progressing nicely. There are 1,497 brethren who are acting as teachers, and it was reported that during the year over 1,500 learned to read. So, good progress is being made in this regard. The government, however, has not seen fit to release much of the Society’s literature for general distribution. A ban was put on “Let God Be True”, but we were in hopes that this would be lifted. However, a decree came through that they would not lift the ban on that publication nor on the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free”. Just why, it is hard to understand. The governmental committee has lifted the ban, though, on the Watchtower magazine, a ban which had been on for 14 years. Despite the hindrances, excellent progress has been made among the people of Africa, and the Branch servant in Northern Rhodesia sends us some very interesting reports.

The outstanding feature of the year has been the success of the district assemblies, “Whither the tribes go up . . . to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.” To attend one is an unforgettable experience, particularly when held in the ‘bush’. The day begins almost before daybreak, with the musical voices of the men and women, laughing and singing and making the best of their very improvised accommodation and . . . cooking arrangements. The filing out for witnessing to the near-by villages or locations, and, in the evening, talks in front of a huge fire which is built up more and more until its brightness makes lights unnecessary ; and later, when the crisp coolness of the night comes on there is the cry of the birds and the occasional howl of a wild beast before the camp finally settles down with the dying embers warming the scantily clothed bodies of those who have, for the most part, come for miles with the loads carried by the women.

The district assembly was held at Nkana, the largest town in the territory, and almost 5,000 were present. The public lecture had an attendance of approximately 7,500 and was not in the least affected by the counter attraction of the apostolic prefect parading through the town under a canopy with the “host”, led by the mine band and followed by Catholic police, some Europeans and about 1,500 Africans. Some persons near the place of assembly were heard to say: “We have long mocked at these people, and still they come and increase. What a meeting they had this afternoon, and look at the number of cycles they have among them !” Yes, Jehovah’s witnesses need their cycles too because the distances between villages are great, and although the machine may take a year to buy, w'lth stringent saving, It helps in the ministry work.

The superintendent of the Methodist church and an Anglican priest edited a vitriolic attack on the Society in a pamphlet for Africans, “John Christian Looks at Watchtower.” We are told in it that Jehovah’s witnesses hold out no hope of heaven for women; that, in fact, the Society promises everlasting life to no one; that ours is a “religion of hate”, and that “not many intelligent men and women, either black or white, follow Watchtower”. When the superintendent was visited and shown that “not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” he had little to say on the point. His ignorance of our teachings was proverbial, but his motive in writing was clear. He said: “We (clergy) must do something to defend ourselves.” Yes; that type of defense is their further undoing. When asked why so many are leaving his church to be associated with Jehovah’s witnesses if we do not offer them everlasting life, he again had nothing to say. The “John Christian” they write about Is the man they hope to deceive; the fact is he is rapidly being undeceived.

For years the northeastern section of the territory has been predominantly Catholic, but now, within a few miles of the bishop’s seat there is an active flourishing company, hundreds strong, made up almost wholly of former Catholics and led by a local policeman and supported by government clerks. The White Fathers have now determined to move down toward the company to “struggle” with Jehovah’s witnesses (to use their own word). That struggle will continue, and we may be sure that every weapon in the foul armory of the Hierarchy will be employed to oppose the spreading of the Kingdom message, until the final issue is settled by God himself.

The district servant reports: At the Kawambwa district, after the public talk was delivered, attended by 2,581 persons, a number of deacons, elders and ministers including schoolteachers of the local mission attended the meeting and asked for the speaker to call at a deacon’s home at the mission station to have this lecture repeated for others to hear and to enable questions to be answered. The invitation was accepted and 43 interested persons, all church members, attended and were afterward given free literature. The questions were satisfactorily answered and the folks asked for a study to be conducted there weekly.

The European work has made steady if slow progress and the Gilead brethren have labored extremely diligently. The lack of opportunity to obtain halls for public lectures has forced them to use homes of the interested only, but the Lord has blessed their lecture work, and one brother reports: “After the first one or two, when little more than 10 attended, interested ones began to talk to their friends. More of those attending Bible studies, hearing how much others had appreciated the talks so far, decided to come, so that the last talk in the present series had 35 in attendance. After one of these talks a young couple, who had previously been at but three home Bible studies, decided this was the truth. They immediately began witnessing to their friends, unashamedly testifying that they too are now Jehovah’s witnesses.

BELGIAN CONGO

Preaching the Word of God is not an easy thing anywhere in the world. One would think that in Africa, especially the Belgian Congo, if a person talked about the Word of God, the rulers of the country would be glad. But not so. The Bible seems to be a forbidden book in that territory, because the powers behind the Belgian Congo government will not allow free-thinking people to read what they want to read, especially if it has to do with the Lord’s Word. The Branch servant in Northern Rhodesia gives us the following interesting report.

The past year has been the most difficult of any, and, for the brethren who have lived in the Congo Beige, that means a good deal. Early in the service year not all books and letters to the territory were received and means of communication almost closed down. Next, on the 12th of January, the governor-general interdicted the Society and imposed a sentence of two months’ imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 francs upon all who assembled with, supported in any way, or were members of the Society. This decision was hailed with delight by the Catholic press. Arrest after arrest followed. Lists taken a year before from a former company servant at Elisabethville were used as a means of tracing hundreds associated with the Society and they, with their wives, were arrested. After serving their sentences Northern Rhodesian Africans were deported, but the indigenous friends of Congo were, in many cases, sent to Kasaji, a concentration camp 280 miles from Elisabethville, where a proportion still are. Some of the deported brethren were given a minimum of food and compelled to walk the final 18 miles from Sakania to the Northern Rhodesia border.

Secret police have recently been multiplied and the presence of a Bible is sufficient to have a man suspected of being one of Jehovah’s witnesses.

News has just been received that two European sisters from the Elisabethville district have been sentenced to 45 days’ imprisonment, suspended for three years on condition of good conduct (which means, of course, no work for the Lord), for being in possession of The Watchtower and witnessing. They face daily the prospect of deportation. Others with less courage have halted in their spiritual progress. The Congo Beige government is not as particular in keeping the country safe for democracy as for Catholicism, and a newspaper editor who dared to criticize it was deported.

TANGANYIKA TERRITORY

This tremendous country with an area of 360,000 square miles comes under the supervision of the Branch in Northern Rhodesia. The Society gives the few brethren in this territory as much attention as it possibly can. It is hoped that during 1950 the brethren can become better organized, and, too, that we shall be able to supply them with a publication in their own language. The Branch servant reports the following.

The chief difficulty that has had tn be faced is one of language and literature. The Cibemba and Cinamanga of the borders of Northern Rhodesia are not understood, and we have no literature in Swahili, which is the lingua-franca of the whole territory. This is now being prepared and only the final checking is necessary before the first printed booklet is available. The yearly average of 24.1 hours per month gives evidence of the zeal of the publishers, who, for the most part, are very poor, though clean and diligent.

The government’s attitude, so far, has been friendly, and, apart from taking away one banned book, officials have let the witnesses go free and encouraged them to push the message In a good and proper manner.

The circuit servant divides his time between this territory and Northern Rhodesia, and he tells how when going out in the field one morning he found many people going to attend their Sunday morning’s service. The first drum had been beaten, but not the second, which would indicate the commencement of the service. The servant asked the householder where he had called to conduct the study to let him have time, before the service, to conduct the study, but he refused because the elder was present. But the elder said: “Let this man do what he has come for,” and he called all the members of his church to attend the Bible study from Children. When the study had ended the elder thanked the minister for the good message he had received and shouted loudly to his congregation to tell them that there would be no second drum for their service because he had nothing to add to what he had heard that morning! “Put back the drum into the room,” he said, “and let us each one go back to his home.”

NORWAY

In this country of fjords, rugged mountains, beautiful valleys and terrain that makes traveling difficult, the message of the Kingdom goes forward. Not only was the Word of God to be preached in the cities and in the towns, but, even as Jesus took time to speak to the Samaritan woman at the well and to people by the roadside and to hold studies in private homes, so Jehovah’s witnesses in Norway have sought to take the message of the Kingdom into the isolated corners of the valleys and mountains. Overcoming tremendous difficulties, the publishers have increased their ranks by 23.6 percent and now they have attained a peak in number of publishers of 1,346. You will enjoy the Branch servant’s report as he relates the experiences of brethren who have gone on to the end of the road—who have traveled to the last homes in the mountains and in the valleys, so as to preach the good news.

In one of our typically beautiful valleys the interest was centered on two of Jehovah’s witnesses, then traveling its length and breadth on bicycles and on foot. These men were visiting all the people of the valley with Bible literature. Some were interested and friendly, and others were antagonized over the visits of these men to their homes.

At one women’s club the conversation and discussion centered on the two witnesses, their work and literature. Someone made the remark, supported by the majority in attendance, that it was false prophesyings the literature of Jehovah’s witnesses contained. A schoolteacher taking a stand in support of the witnesses asked if these women had read any of the publications. No, they had not. Well, then, how could they know It contained false prophesyings if they had not read. The schoolteacher continued, that she had obtained the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free", and she had read it carefully and had not found one thing there out of harmony with the Bible. This point of argument was dropped to take up the argument that surely these men could not be morally proper in traveling around visiting the farmers’ wives, etc. Again the teacher protested, and this time others in attendance supported her. These things were related to one of the witnesses as he made a return visit to increase the Interest and understanding of the teacher in the publications she had obtained. How like the way our Lord was accused 1

During the summer months, when the weather was warm, these brethren would start out early in the morning and work steadily all day, going ever farther from the place where they originally started. Often would they spy farms lying far up the side of a mountain, to which they would have to climb on foot, leaving the bicycles alongside the road, as the hill was too steep to pedal. When they became hungry they would try to place literature for a meal. At night, if a bed was not available, as was often the case, they would stop along the road and roll out their bed, which in this case was a very large paper bag. In this they slept on pine boughs, keeping warm all night.

In a like valley farther to the north near the city of Trondheim, a pioneer reports many Interesting experiences. Calling at a farmhouse around mealtime or in the evening he usually finds the farmer, his family and hired hands sitting around the table, each one with a paper or book held in front of him. They take a brief look over the top of whatever they are reading, when he is invited to come In after his knock. Then, as he begins to tell them of the purpose of his call they just slide a little lower in the chair behind their reading matter, without saying a word. It is useless to continue to talk to them in their occupied frame of mind. So he stops talking to them and looks around the room, perhaps spying a cat, dog or the baby of the family on the floor. He then directs his attention to the cat, dog or baby. Scratching and petting the dog or cat he tells of a cat or dog he once had or knew about. If there is a baby, he picks it up and bounces it on his knee. In this way, sooner or later, he gets the attention of one member of the family after another, perhaps drawing them into the conversation about the dog, cat or baby. He thus gets them interested in what he is doing, and soon he is on friendly terms with them. After this brief impromptu introduction on his part he leads the conversation into the subject of the Bible and the literature. It would be useless to try to hurry them from what they were doing to what he had to tell them. He just had to take his time to make a proper introduction to his subject.

The land is mainly mountainous, with many narrow, long or short fjords and valleys extending inland. In these valleys and along the fjords are found small villages and scattered fishermen’s homes, with small farms. Hay, for the feeding of cows, and potatoes, are the only crops raised.

The brethren and the Interested are scattered through these valleys and fjords. It it often hard to meet together for regular meetings or to make regular back-calls, with a storm-raked fjord separating the parties concerned. But despite these many hardships and hindrances the work goes forward admirably. In the past year the number of publishers in these three northern sections has increased by 52 percent, this from an average of 75 publishers reporting in 1948 to 114 this year.

Just think how great the interest and at the same time the problem confronting publishers in finding sufficient territory to work, when, for example, in a little village with 25 families there are 9 publishers. When the circuit servant was there in the early spring 55 persons came to hear his public talk. After he left, many people of the village would ask the company servant when “that Jenssen” would be back again, for they liked to listen to what he had to say.

This village and its kingdom publishers are isolated from the nearest field territory by mountains and fjords. It requires more than an hour’s travel by boat, often over stormy waters, to reach people to whom the gospel can be preached. But in spite of the stormy seas in the dark winter the publishers spread forth the Kingdom message and find much interest. The making of regular back-calls is difficult, but they are made as often and regularly as can lie done.

The district assembly in Fredrikstad was the high point of the assemblies this year. Here we had a hall located on the top of a small hill in the center of town. There was a large open space on two sides of the hall. The sun shone warm in a cloudless sky for all three days. Loudspeakers were set up outside so that the brethren, as well as the people living near the hall (who were very friendly), could bear all talks inside or out.

At our assemblies we had releases of the question booklet for “The Truth Shall Make You Free”, the booklet The Joy of All the People, the Kingdom Service Sony Book, Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah's witnesses, and the Danish translation of “Equipped for Every Good Work”. All of these publications serve to help us further in our work of Kingdom service. The “Equipped” book we started to study in ail companies in July, and it has already been a great help in equipping us for better service to Jehovah’s praise. The brethren have shown a real interest in the written reviews also.

NYASALAND

The work is really moving forward in the country of Nyasaland, in the heart of Africa. Two graduates of Gilead arrived there during the year to help take care of the work in the office and to serve the European population as well as assist in the organization generally among the native brethren. As one looks back over the accomplishments of the year it can truly be said that Jehovah’s witnesses in Nyasaland followed the admonition of the year’s text, ‘‘I . . . will yet praise thee more and more.” A 39-percent increase brought the average number of publishers in this land up to 6,833, with an all-time peak of 7,744. The brethren have had some wonderful experiences, along with their hardships, but Jehovah has guided and directed everything to his praise. The Branch servant gives us the following interesting resume of what has happened there during the year.

A pioneer writes in telling of how certain parties attempted to keep him and other publishers out of Cidothe village: “We are telling you Society boys that we do not want to see you coming into the Cidothe village and publishing. If you continue to do so you shall be severely beaten.” The pioneer brought the village headman along and showed him the notice, but he was evidently afraid to probe into the matter. The brethren called on the big chief, who gathered the people of Cidothe village and the headman to his court. Jehovah’s witnesses were asked to give a statement ; which they did, much to the interest of the several hundreds of people who had gathered there. When the village headman was given an opportunity to have his say he at first denied ever having seen the notice and then declared that he did not want Jehovah’s witnesses working in his village, as he had “another school there”. Then an African minister got up howling that “these boys are very bad”, as whenever they enter the village they tell the people that “my church is a grocery shop”! (Laughter from the attendance) The brethren gave evidence that they do not know the minister and that he is speaking anything but the truth. The chief then addressed himself to the village headman and the people, explaining to them how Jehovah's witnesses carry forward their work and that he intends seeing them having the freedom they deserve to continue. He ended up by saying that he was going to keep the notice and that if one of Jehovah’s witnesses is beaten up he will at once arrest the village headman! This took the wind out of their sails, for they fully expected to see the chief siding with them against Jehovah’s witnesses.

The district assemblies served by the Branch servant, beginning the last week In May up in the Northern province, were well attended and proved really beneficial. For the brethren in the Northern and Central provinces it was the first visit by any European brother since 1941. Up in the far north the work is making progress, although it may be slow. There is at least a good foundation being laid, and if the brethren continue in patience, applying themselves to the job on hand, they will surely see a goodly increase coming in in due time.

Heathen beliefs mixed with the unpalatable concoctions of Christendom, and the almost idle habits of the menfolk, who leave their women to do most of the hard work, seem to bring about an attitude of indifference or apathy that takes plenty of patience on the part of the brethren to break down. The intense heat on the Lake Nyasa shores, which sometimes scorches the people’s crops, and then the flooding rains, that come pouring down to deluge the fields of growing grain and to make havoc of the one and only main road, all make conditions the more unpleasant for the unfortunate lake-dwellers.

Pioneers are now busy for the first time among the villages up north, and already their work is bearing good fruit. We hope to see a few more taking the field shortly. They help to fill up the gaps left in the companies by those brethren who leave the country in search of employment outside of the Protectorate. In quite a number of companies there are only two or three able brethren, with sisters making up the rest of the publishers, the majority of whom are illiterate. However, illiteracy is being dealt with and the publishers are equipping themselves the better for the task on hand. While up north we chased a few leopards along the roads and put to flight a few of the lesser fry, and we were then stalked by a lioness as we sped along the road in the middle of a forest late one evening I She broke the bush some 30 yards ahead of the car, padded to the opposite side of the road, turned her head toward the car and made for it at a crouching run without the slightest sign of fear or hesitation. Drama in the wilds of Africa! The thirty yards dwindled rapidly to a few feet, and, as the beast came out of the focus of the lights, she swerved to the car and was about two feet away with one paw raised when we flew past. We did not stop to ask her address! Along the same road last year some 25 Africans had been killed by lions which sometimes roam the bush in prides of up to fifteen.

Within the Central and Southern provinces the Kingdom message is more widely known and the work goes steadily forward. It Is from these two provinces that much of the increase for this year has come and where the message is being taken rapidly farther and farther afield into villages where very little witness work has been done. On one occasion a chief and his people were so pleased with the new world message that they gave the publishers a kid goat and asked them to come again to tell them more about the new world of Jehovah.

Our Branch quarters are a bit crowded and we shall have to move to larger premises as soon as possible in order to accommodate the ever-growing increase being given to the work in this country. It is our joy, and we are pleased to serve Jehovah in this part of the vineyard, working shoulder to shoulder with one another and looking forward to the climax at Armageddon.

PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA

The work has been retarded here because of the imprisonment by the government of the brethren who were taking the lead in preaching the gospel and in helping the companies of Jehovah’s witnesses to carry on the good work of proclaiming the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Despite this action on the part of the government in stopping a good work, there are still 318 publishers singing the praises of the Most High. We sincerely trust that something can be done to show the government that the work of Jehovah’s witnesses is not harmful nor political, but as long as the strong Catholic influence is there we must expect inquisitional treatment of Jehovah’s witnesses. The Branch servant of Nyasaland makes a report on what has happened in Portuguese East Africa.

The end of the last service year found us building up a group of full-time workers in this country to assist the hundreds of company publishers and persons of good-will In a knowledge of the truth and in overcoming illiteracy. Much progress was made by this small group of faithful brethren until Roman Catholic government officials seized first the circuit servant, and then two pioneers and one of the few really able company servants. This occurred in the early part of November, 1948, and, at the time of writing this report, these brethren are still under restraint without any charge having been brought against them. During this period of detention or imprisonment they have been beaten with sjamboks, cursed at, cuffed and left without food or water in prison in an attempt to cause them to renounce their faith in Jehovah and his kingdom.

The three full-time workers were serving some 30 companies ; so now the lack of this assistance has retarded, but not stopped, the Kipgdom witness work. The Lord has his faithful ones among the remaining brethren and they do not fear the foe even with native policemen stationed in the villages to stop public meetings. The time will surely come when the way will once again be opened up and the reward for faithfulness be the blessed lot of those who will endure to see that day dawn.

Elsewhere in Mozambique the work is slowly but steadily making headway and the people of good-will are rejoicing in having the light brought to them. Some of the brethren have left the territory to settle across the border in the Nyasaland Protectorate, where they find greater opportunity to share in the work. More and more people living in the villages bordering Nyasaland are coming into contact with the Nyasaland Kingdom publishers, resulting in a growing number of interested persons; but always there is the fear of man to discourage activity as Jehovah’s witnesses. However, as knowledge of Jehovah and his purposes increases so does confidence and assurance of his backing, enabling the willing to take the wise course in life with their faces turned to that everlasting Kingdom of Righteousness.

PANAMA

For the past several years a number of graduates from Gilead have been working in their foreign assignment in Panama and the Canal Zone. There are now 16 missionaries in the country, doing excellent work. Their activity, along with that of the company publishers and local pioneers, has effected a remarkable increase in number of witnesses for the Lord during the 1949 service year. The increase of 67 percent in number of witnesses has brought much joy to their hearts. Outstanding in their accomplishments are the back-calls and Bible studies held by all the publishers, and this, along with the other activity outlined in the booklet Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, has accomplished marvelous results. The publishers are reaching out now from the principal cities into the isolated territories, and some of their experiences are reported by the Branch servant.

We have an isolated publisher who lives down the coast from Colin on the Atlantic side, and early in the year the Branch servant and another brother went down to visit him and organize a company if possible. They had quite an adventurous trip. Here is their report: “We left Col<5n in a small launch which makes the run regularly, stopping at all of the settlements along the way. It was nearly dark when we reached Santa Isabel, which is composed of a few scattered bamboo huts. We had no idea where to find the brother we had come to see, but when we inquired of a young fellow he immediately asked if we were Witnesses, and when we told him we were he grabbed up our bags and told us to follow. He took us to the home of an old man who was delighted to meet some Witnesses. After talking for a few minutes, he dashed out and rounded up 17 of his neighbors who were interested. These listened for several hours as we discussed the work and its purpose and progress, and the blessings to be gained.

“The following day three of them went along with us to find the brother. We traveled along the coast in a native dugout called a cayuco. When we came to the end of its route we took to the coral reef that runs along the shoreline and walked for several miles. In due time we found the brother and spent considerable time with him discussing the work and the possibility of forming a company there. Then we headed back to Santa Isabel, where we had made plans for a public talk that night.

“We found a small boat that was going that way, so we took it. When we had gone about halfway the pilot decided he could not reach his destination before dark, so decided to tie up for the night. There was nothing left for us to do but get out and walk, which we did. But what a walk! The distance was only about three miles, but during the course of it we waded and bogged through four swamps. The first one was the worst. It was nothing more than a lot of bottomless mud and ooze interlaced with roots. Each time you put a foot down you wondered if you would hit a root or if you would keep on sinking; at times we sank hip-deep before our toes would hit a root. We would hook onto it and hold on for dear life while we pulled the other foot out of its mudhole and made another step. This lasted for about fifty yards. The other swamps were not so bad, and by pushing right along we managed to make it back into town in time for the lecture.

“We had an attendance of 25 that night, and, after the talk, time was spent discussing the need of study and of service, and we also instructed them in the proper method of conducting Bible studies.”

Our entire Atlantic coastline is badly in need of being worked. From the border of Costa Rica to the border of Colombia runs a string of native huts and settlements which can be reached only by boat. We hope that before long the Lord will bless our efforts to obtain a boat to work this section of our territory.

In the latter part of August four Gilead graduates and a native pioneer spent a week of their vacation in the Interior town of David, where a company was organized several years ago by a group of Gilead brothers who were assigned there. Two of the Gilead graduates who went up were sisters, and it was the first time any of the brethren or persons of good-will In David had ever had the opportunity to work with a sister in the truth. It helped to awaken their appreciation that this is not a “brother’s organization”. Also, they had never before met a native pioneer; so this brother’s presence helped them to realize that this is more than just an American institution. The results were gratifying.

During the week three women of good-will went into the service for the first time, accompanying the Gilead sisters in door-to-door work. They enjoyed it so much that that night after the service meeting they made arrangements among themselves to carry on after the Gilead graduates’ departure.

Recently the Branch servant and another brother took a trip out into the Interior and worked several small towns. They spent about ten days, during which they placed more than 250 bound books and hundreds of booklets. This field is really ripe for the harvest and we hope to be able to send some pioneers out there to work during the coming year.

PARAGUAY

Since the very founding of the country of Paraguay the people have put forth a fierce struggle to exist. The Jesuit priests who arrived there many years ago with their oppressive religious practices ruled the people with an iron hand. So cruel were the Jesuits that the people finally expelled them from the country by force. However, wars with neighboring countries, along with the woes and distress of the common man in Paraguay, have brought little comfort to the people generally. Revolutions have been quite frequent, because of the lust for power by a few and their desire to rule over many.

There is so much to be done in Paraguay in the way of preaching the Word of God and bringing the people the comfort they need, but a small group of Jehovah’s witnesses have started bringing this comfort to the people of this country. Good progress has been made during the past year, and the Branch servant, who lives in Asuncion with other graduates from Gilead, gives us an interesting report.

Many factors have contributed to these advances in Theocratic activity in the country, the most outstanding of which was the visit of the Society’s president, Brother Knorr, and his traveling companion and secretary, Brother Henschel. A few days before the scheduled visit of the Society’s president, a group of four more graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead arrived in the country to commence their missionary duties in Asuncion. The arrival of these four missionaries brought the total number of missionaries up to seven for the country. Brother Knorr’s counsel was very much appreciated by the brethren in Paraguay, and they knew that their work of gospel-preaching was just beginning. Brother Knorr clearly showed that people must be reached, preached to, taught the Bible and aided to associate with God’s visible organization as the only means of salvation and life.

Shortly after the assembly was over a circuit servant began to visit the few scattered companies and persons of good-will in the interior of the country, aiding them to become better organized for the work that was before them. His visit to the companies has resulted in a new company’s being organized and an elderly sister’s entering the pioneer service for the first time. This elderly sister, though past 60 years of age, puts in her time every month; and since she speaks her native tongue, Guarani, she Is a help to the Guarani-speaking people of her territory.

But the Kingdom work in Paraguay has not been without opposition. Jehovah’s witnesses are carrying on an extensive educational program on the Bible, and this is not to the liking of the Catholic Church in Paraguay. So, they are starting on a campaign of name-calling to vilify the work of Jehovah’s witnesses in the eyes of the people. The congregations of the Catholic priests have been told not to talk to los testigos de Jehova and not to read their literature. Recently one of the missionaries was making a back-call upon a person whose name he had received from the Branch office, and when the brother arrived at the home of the back-call a North American Catholic priest was there.

The priest spoke to the brother In English and a conversation resulted in which the doctrines of the Catholic Church were discussed. In the course of the conversation the priest told the brother that the reason the North American priests were in Paraguay was to frustrate the activity of Jehovah’s witnesses. Even from their own mouth they admit that they do not desire the people to learn the truth.

Another Incident which took place while the circuit servant was visiting a company in the Interior shows what methods the Hierarchy will stoop to In order to keep the people from hearing the truth. While the circuit servant was visiting a small company, in Yuty, arrangements were made to hold a public Bible lecture in a small park in the center of the village. This park was located across the street from the Catholic church. During the few days before the lecture the people of Yuty and vicinity were invited to attend the talk. But this was not to the liking of the local priest. He began to go through the surrounding territory calling upon the people to stop the Bible lecture that was to be held In the village. The people were told that the Witnesses were going to break up their church and take their religion away from them. So it was not strange, then, that a few minutes before the talk was to start, a large mob of about 2,000 persons gathered In front of the Catholic church. At the sight of the small group of eight brethren, the mob began to cry and shout “Away with the Protestants, away with the Protestants”, in typical demonized fashion. On the other side of the street about 300 persons had gathered who wanted to hear the talk but were afraid to cross over to the park because of the mob. The mob became more violent in their threats, and so finally It was necessary for the local police to Intervene. They placed a large machine gun In front of the mob and told the mob that If they crossed the line then they would fire the machine gun into the crowd. This held the mob back and the brethren were able to move safely out of the park.

But the brethren had been advertising a talk all week and they were determined to give a talk for the benefit of those who wanted to hear. They proceeded to the home of a local brother and the talk was given. When the brother finished his discourse, behold, another group of persons had gathered who also wanted to hear the talk, so the brother had to deliver his talk a second time to this new audience. As a result of the efforts of'the priest to stop the lecture a greater witness was given and now many more people in that small village have their eyes open as to who the real oppressors of the people are and they know that Jehovah’s witnesses are the friends of the people.

PERU

The small group of missionaries in Lima, Peru, have made themselves felt by the good work that they are doing in that land. Like Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere they make this exclamation at the end of the year, “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” For them it has been a good year of praising Jehovah more and more. In this land, with a population of seven million scattered over a large area, there is certainly a need for more fulltime publishers. At the moment three local brethren have entered the pioneer service, but, as in so many places, the call is heard, “Come over here and help us.” The Society is planning to send 21 more graduates of Gilead to Peru to help the brethren in the expansion work that they are anxious to do in 1950. The Branch servant sends in a very heart-cheering report, and the reader can easily ascertain that the brethren there want to quickly help everyone possible gain a knowledge of the truth.

As the service year began we looked forward to many blessings. We were not disappointed. We knew more Gilead graduates were to be with us, and they arrived in December. It was rumored the president of the Society would visit Peru. The day came when we received official word that the “grapevine” news was correct. The itinerary letter indicated the president and his companion would be with us during two week-ends. The delight of the missionary home family knew no bounds, and counting days became a habit at the meal table.

Meantime there was work to do, and as the months passed we became busier. As the 1948 service year ended we had 47 publishers. The first month of the new service year indicated 54 publishers. The month of the president’s visit saw a jump to 67, and, with the service year’s end, a grand total of 95 publishers taking some part in the door-to-door work. The highlight of the year was, of course, the month of March and the convention arranged for, during the visits of Brothers Knorr and Henschel. The public talks “It Is Later than You ThinkI” delivered in English by Brother Knorr and the day following in Spanish by one of the Gilead graduates, drew a combined attendance of 224. Then, too, there was the release of the booklet Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, in English.

The sessions of the convention were all held in the Saldn del Reino of the missionary home, which has a seating capacity of 250. The convention and the visit of the Society’s representatives caused a real stimulus to the work, as can be noted in the steady increase in number of publishers in the months that followed. The brethren heard outlined in the talks that Jehovah’s witnesses are the same everywhere, a hard-working people. The real purpose of the visit became known when Brother Knorr announced the forming of a Branch to care for the increasing work and that more Gilead graduates were to be assigned to other cities to keep pace with expanding Kingdom interests.

The work of the Lord’s servants has caused Jehovah’s name to become known and the literature of the Society to be carried all over this republic. One Sunday, shortly before the study of La Atalaya, a native from a pueblo well in the interior came to inquire more about the work of the Society. He had gotten hold of some of the literature and had done some distributing on his own. And so it was that quite unknown to us here a group had grown up in the truth. This group wanted more information. Explanation was given and arrangements made to send literature to these interested persons of good-will. The circuit servant will visit this village, which is about three days’ visit from Lima, lying between the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca. Surely we see here how the spirit of Jehovah cares for the “other sheep” even when their existence is quite unknown to us, causing them to be cared for by the visible part of the organization.

Letters coming to the office also indicate the desire for true knowledge that leads to life. One interested person writes as follows: “Some time ago I had a very pleasant visit from one of your workers, who left me the book ‘Sea Dios Veraz’. I have read the book in my spare moments and am greatly moved by the contents, so have decided to communicate with you so that I may be served with classes in the Bible in my home. I’d like to have all your literature. I take the liberty to write you in this way in response to your kind invitation in the book, having great confidence in the outcome.” Writes another: “Please inform me how I may obtain a copy of the book ‘La Verdad Os Hara Libres’. At the same time may I offer you my sincere congratulations for the success that the book ‘El Reino Se Ha Acercado’ has attained. Never have I read such interesting and instructive literature.” These persons have been contacted with fine results.

The Gilead graduates have made fine progress in adjusting themselves to the language and changed climate conditions. It takes persistence in the work in foreign countries and, as problems arise, we get together and Iron them out. One of the needs seen was that of starting up the public meeting campaign. With more than two years of manipulating the language, the brothers felt like attempting the hour talks especially after the half-hour talks during the convention. As the year ends two public talks have been held. The Peruvians like this feature of the work, as can be seen from the fact that in the ease of the Watchtower study we had not topped 80 in attendance, while for the public talks we had 120 attending. Mention was made that In September we would have a series of eight talks. We intend to make this a feature of our new service year. The attendance at these meetings, and, for that matter, all company meetings, has great possibilities when one considers that in the city of Lima alone more than 500 attend the home Bible studies each week.

PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

The territory of the Philippine Republic is made up of many islands, and the Branch office is trying to the best of its ability to push out into all of the islands eventually so that more and more praise may be offered to Jehovah in harmony with his command to “preach the word”. Excellent progress has been realized during the past year, and back-calls to the number of 116,709 have been made, as well as many Bible studies conducted regularly. There are now 315 companies scattered throughout these islands, and the territory is divided up into 14 circuits. The Branch servant gives us some very interesting experiences of the brethren where the Lord’s work is going forward peacefully in this democratic republic.

The publication of The Watchtower semimonthly In the leading dialects has contributed greatly to this increase in number of Bible studies in the homes of the people and the subsequent increase in the number of publishers. In addition to the three dialects reported last year we are now publishing The Watchtower in mimeographed form in Cebu-Visayan and in Pangasinan. Our dialect subscriptions for The Watchtower have increased from 1,258 to 3,334 during the year. In places where the Kingdom publishers have few publications in their own dialect they use the dialect Watchtower to good effect in their home Bible studies.

Ilocano translations of two more of the Society’s booklets have made their appearance during the year. These have been gratefully received by the Ilocano brethren, who are using them with good success in expanding the number of Bible studies in their territory.

Illiteracy and the multiplicity of dialects (87 of them) spoken in the Philippines present one of the major obstacles to be overcome in the expansion work. Some brethren have put forth a good effort to meet this challenge by using their education to teach others to read and write in the principal language, which is English. One pioneer has been teaching a group of nearly 200 illiterates for the past year. Eight of the students who learned quickly are now teaching smaller groups in eight different homes where Bible studies are being conducted. Many more brethren are qualified to teach reading and writing, and we hope that these will see their privilege during the coming year.

No matter whether they are illiterate or well-schooled, the brethren love to get together at assemblies. They endure many difficulties in order to attend, but difficulties do not dampen their enthusiasm in the least. Everybody takes part in the advertising, from the very young to the very aged. The results are very gratifying. The total public meeting attendance for the second series of circuit assemblies in the Philippines for the past year was 17,204. This means that for every publisher in attendance there was an average of two strangers in attendance. This is a fine average indeed and indicates that the prospects for further expansion are excellent.

One pioneer sister had an experience that is worth reporting. This sister loaned her Bible to a person of good-will in her territory in the province of Isabela. The local parish priest visited the person of good-will. Seeing the Bible in the house, he took it and burned it. When the sister learned about this she was indignant and reported the matter to the police. The police investigated and found the report to be true. As a result the priest was required to order a new Bible for the sister. He ordered the Bible from our office and paid for it. The Bible was mailed to him and he, in turn, delivered the Bible to the sister. Thus ended our first Bible-burning incident in the Philippines.

Another attempt to suppress the message of the Kingdom was made by the parish priest of Altavas, Capiz. The Branch servant was scheduled to deliver a public lecture there on May 22. The place for the lecture was the local social hall which is just a few meters from the Catholic church. On this church the priest had Installed a loudspeaker. A few minutes before the lecture began, the loudspeaker on the church began blaring out recordings of “Ave! Maria”, “Our Father” and other religious songs. This kept up for the entire lecture. The audience of 500 and a group of people in front of the church were unable to hear the lecture because of the noise from the loudspeaker. But some people wrote to the Philippines Free Press and to government officials about the matter, protesting against this invasion of their right to hear a public lecture. Much discussion was published in the Free Press, some protesting and some agreeing with the action of the priest. The whole nation heard about the matter. Much more interest was aroused in Altavas and the company there has increased.

Looking back over the past year’s activity we can say that there have been no spectacular incidents but a steady increase on all fronts and In all features of the Kingdom activity. The prospects for future expansion of the worship of Jehovah seem very bright and we enjoy serving here, working shoulder to shoulder with you and all the brethren throughout the earth.

POLAND

Jehovah’s witnesses will not relax until they have preached this gospel of the Kingdom in every city and town and village and until there is no one left to hear. That is the motto that they spread throughout all the land at the close of World War II. Today they are much nearer that fixed goal of theirs, but the accomplishment of that goal is not without trial and great distress and persecution of the Lord’s people. They have increased their peak number of publishers from 10,385 to 14,510 in one year’s time. Our brethren in Poland feel that “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord”, and they are trying to give all the people in Poland the opportunity of hearing the message before the final battle of Armageddon. The Branch servant gives us a report on their difficulties in accomplishing this work. One experience, which is typical of many, is set out here.

Our fight Is hard; God’s people here are beaten and mocked during their field-service activity. This occurs not only in our house-to-house witnessing, but also at our meetings and circuit assemblies. Despite all these hardships, our brethren continue to come to circuit assemblies and are greatly encouraged because of being there. Sometimes our meetings take on a very dramatic form. It was in the village of Alojzow, county of Chelm, near Lublin, in the eastern part of the country, that we were to have our assembly May 13-15, 1949. As usual, we notified the authorities of our assembly, and the first and most of the second day passed without incident. But on the evening of the second day two police appeared and stated that the convention was forbidden and demanded that the chairman dismiss all in attendance. The chairman pointed out that they had permission for the assembly and that they were going to continue. Poland is a democratic country, and people are allowed freedom of worship. The brethren began to sing then, though the policemen took away the orchestra leader. The program continued, but the policemen called their station and reported to their superior officers. Two hours later large trucks appeared with more policemen armed with automatic guns, having the intent of dispersing the meeting, but no reason was given for breaking up the meetings, since everything was orderly. The brethren told this large crowd of policemen that they were going to finish their program before they went home, and they did.

The militia called the fire brigade, hoping that they would get there in time to break up the meeting and assist them. When the brethren left to go home, the police threw a strong wall of armed men around the brethren and checked each one, trying to seek out the servants and those who had made the arrangements for the assembly. These were taken to prison. On Sunday the brethren assembled again without the servants, and from among their midst one stood up and gave the immersion talk. Many were baptized. Arrangements were made for many to go out in the field service, which amazed the public, for they had heard that the meeting was broken up and that Jehovah’s witnesses had all been sent home by the police. This aroused great interest, and in the afternoon more than 1,000 persons assembled, most of them Catholic, to hear the lecture. This certainly caused great disturbance among the police, and they came to arrest the speakers. One after another they took them away, but as fast as they would arrest one, another person would go to the platform and continue to talk. Finally the number grew to 27 of the brethren who gave talks and who acted as ushers, but this in no way discouraged those who came to the assembly. They received the things that they came to hear; so when the time came to go home on Sunday night they left peacefully, rejoicing in the Lord that they had had the opportunity of sharing in the witnessing and of attending the assembly. Later all of the brethren were released from prison.

It is quite evident that Catholic Action Is behind all of this disturbance against Jehovah’s witnesses, but Jehovah’s witnesses are trying peacefully to carry on the good news. Not satisfied with trying to break up assemblies of the Lord’s people, the Catholics have gone so far in their press as saying that 500 of Jehovah’s witnesses in Poland were turned back to the Catholic faith through the “Miracle of the Madonna” in one of the Catholic churches in Lublin. Their theory evidently is that if they can’t break up Jehovah’s witnesses by mob action and by the use of the local police in stopping the meetings, then the thing to do is to use their propaganda means in giving out false statements such as the one above. However, none of such statements are true, and not one of Jehovah’s witnesses has returned to the Catholic organization. Instead, the report shows that 4,000 more Polish people have associated themselves with the Lord’s organization and are praising him more and more.

PUERTO RICO

Throughout the whole of the service year, Jehovah’s witnesses in Puerto Rico have had their cup of blessing either brimful or else running over. It has been with real joy that they have watched their little band of publishers grow from 164 at the beginning of the year to 263 at the end. It was a real year for expansion in Puerto Rico, for the preaching activity spread out along the coast and into the hills, until now there are seven cities and towns with company organizations. The public meeting work was started in parks and in private homes. While it is pleasant for the brethren to look back and review the things accomplished by Jehovah’s spirit, we find the same is true in Puerto Rico as is true throughout all the world, namely, that the eyes and hearts of all the proclaimers of the Kingdom are looking forward to the 1950 service year. The Branch servant in Puerto Rico gives us some very interesting experiences, all indicating excellent progress.

From the first month on His goodness began to display itself. That month, September, brought a particular blessing to our capital company in San Juan. For over a year the company meeting-place had been a long room in the upstairs of the Branch property. Too small and therefore uncomfortably warm, we were sure it was one of the main reasons for slow progress and poor meeting attendance. But what to do? $100 and $150 were monthly rentals asked for suitable and centrally located places. When, after months of looking, we lost a chance to rent a place for $45 we dropped into the doldrums of despair. Then, a month later, this same place became vacant again. We beat a path to the owner’s door and renewed efforts. A disinterested attitude suddenly changed two days later and we found ourselves with a lease for a year with an option on another. The place, an old and very dirty storage room, soon experienced an almost magical change under the laboring hands of enthusiastic publishers and was transformed into a very attractive Saldn del Reino. Right in the very heart of the city, between the two main transportation lines, it is the ideal location. Was this a blessing of Jehovah? We say yes! and so do the results. Meeting attendance has doubled, the company has grown from 55 publishers in September, 1948, to 92 in August, 1949. Gratefulness to Jehovah was in our hearts when we saw it filled with 150 persons at Memorial; just 71 had attended the year before. Best of all, the owner now says we can stay there 10 years as far as he is concerned!

Your authorization to purchase a new sound equipment brought added joys. As eager as a young boy with a new penknife we began to put on more and more outdoor meetings in more and more places throughout the island. Sixty-six percent more than last year the figures show, for, instead of just 82 lectures as in 1948, we presented a total of 136 in the 1949 service year. A large percentage of those now publishing had their interest first awakened by these talks in the public plazas.

Later in the year the San Juan and Ponce companies began to try lectures in the homes and company book study meeting-places. Where 11 and 12 usually attended the studies, 48 and 50 frequently turned out to hear the talks. More and more of these home Bible lectures are a surety for the future.

During the course of the year, 13 new Gilead graduates disembarked on our shores, and since then fierce battles have been raging as the struggle for the Conquest of Castellano gets under way. “Castellano” is the name given the Spanish language, and 12 of these 13 new Gilead brethren had studied French. So here at the Branch, early morning sessions In Spanish have been a regular part of the day’s program for the last five months as the new ones begin the arduous task of learning a new language.

For a long time our general pioneer ranks had been very slim and we were wondering when they would begin to fatten up. Then at the close of the calendar year three young men who had learned the truth while serving in the army were released from military service and within a few weeks all three signed up as pioneers. One filled out his application just three days after being discharged, loaded up with literature at the Branch, and headed for his home town of Juncos, shaking a little in his boots at the prospect of “going it alone” and preaching the truth to the home-town folks. His timidity vanished quickly though, and when he finished the month 20 days later his report showed over 100 bound books placed. Three months later he reported 13 Bible studies and 7 new publishers associated with him in the work. Since then the number has increased to 10. Of the other two, one is now company servant of a company formed by Gilead graduates in the mountains and the other is doing good work in his home town on the south coast and has prospects of a company there. Their joyful service has been an incentive to others, and since their entry 7 more have signed up as pioneers. In the little company of Catafio, composed of about 18 publishers, a visit by the circuit servant resulted in 3 new pioneers, which, when added to the sister already pioneering there, gives them 1 pioneer for every 5 publishers.

So, from start to finish the 1949 service year has been one filled with blessings for the growing number of Kingdom publishers on this little green island in the Caribbean. And, needless to say, one of the best of these was your visit during the month of May. The publishers appreciated greatly your counsel and the way you and your companion mingled with them and made yourselves as one of them. Likewise the new book “Let God Be True” in Spanish has proved a splendid aid and we note that the number of Bible studies Increased from 222 to 497 during the course of the year.

RUMANIA

The few reports that came through from our brethren in Rumania can be summed up in the Lord’s words in the 24th chapter of Matthew, verses 8 and 9, which describe their condition: “All this is only the beginning of the sufferings. Then they will hand you over to persecution and they will put you to death, and you will be hated by all the heathen because you bear my name.” (An Amer. Trans.) Very little can be said through correspondence about the conditions in the country, but our brethren do face many serious difficulties. However, despite all this there has been a marked increase in the number of publishers serving Kingdom interests. They have moved ahead well in the back-call activity and in conducting Bible studies in the homes of the people. While there has been a slight drop in hours, this is due only to the fact that things are made so difficult for them by the government in getting from place to place. Literature placements have dropped very low, but that does not make any difference to Jehovah’s witnesses. Their purpose in life is to preach the Word, and this our brethren in Rumania are doing. From reports received from the Branch servant, the following is published.

Again and again the Bucharest office wishes to express its deep gratitude to Jehovah for constantly providing the spiritual food for the Lord’s people. Sometimes we do not receive certain numbers of The Watchtower, but we wait, and eventually they come through. Thereby the spiritual health of the Rumanian brethren is not only maintained but improved, and they receive the necessary strength to instruct the people of good-will and to carry on the great educational work in which we are now engaged. The splendid progress that we have made during the year called forth the Devil’s fury, and during the last month of the service year the god of this world, through his earthly agents, tried to disrupt the work by occupying the living quarters and office of the Branch In Bucharest, confiscating all the office equipment and the personal belongings of many of the brethren. Some of the office staff were Imprisoned. But as long as our brethren in Rumania have life and breath they will be fulfilling their commission from Jehovah God and working under their invisible leader, Christ Jesus, the King of kings.

RUSSIA

Very little news comes through from Russia as to the progress of the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. It can be reported, however, that there are 8,000 at least, and probably a few thousand more, who are devoting time to the preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom as the only hope for the world. These people who are seeking to comfort the Russian population find themselves in great difficulty when the government learns of their preaching. Everyone must hail the state as the savior of the world rather than Christ Jesus, the Redeemer, and his kingdom, which is the only hope for the world. A number of the brethren have been sent away to Siberia, where they are forced to work in labor camps under Russian rule. But regardless of where they are, they continue to preach the good news. All of Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere will offer prayers to the Lord to the end that he will bless and guide and direct these faithful brethren so that they, too, may have a share in the vindication of Jehovah’s name by maintaining their integrity despite the distressing times they endure. Their outstanding faith is a stimulus and inspiration to all of Jehovah’s witnesses, for they are faithfully continuing in the service of Jehovah.

SOUTH AFRICA

Throughout the past twelve months the words of the psalmist, “1 . . . will yet praise thee more and more,” have expressed very well the heart-felt desire and determination of Jehovah’s witnesses in South Africa. Many have been the blessings experienced in the field, and great has been the joy of the brethren on seeing the expansion of true worship which has been accomplished in this territory. The reports that follow deal with the Union of South Africa, Basutoland, Bechu-analand, Swaziland and Saint Helena. In reading the excerpts from the Branch servant’s report which are published here, you can appreciate the joys and the problems that the witnesses of Jehovah experience in the southern part of Africa.

The outstanding feature of the past service year was the district assemblies. These were held at five centers, namely, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. For the first time in the history of the work in this land it was found necessary to arrange for special trains. These were required to transport the African brethren living on the Witwatersrand to and from Pretoria. The “JW Special” had accommodation for 750, but it was jampacked with 1,000 passengers in each direction. And what a spectacle they presented! They were from at least a dozen different African tribes and yet they were all one happy family. Practically all the publishers were wearing their magazine bags; they had the public meeting leaflet pinned to their clothing and, of course, Kingdom smiles and joyous laughter were seen and heard on all sides. Long distances were just another obstacle to be overcome and the friends in all parts of the country made a good effort to attend their nearest assembly. A few, eager to get as much spiritual food and counsel as possible and to have a greater share in praising Jehovah yet more and more, were present at as many as three assemblies. The peak attendance of publishers at the five centers was 5,386. The topic “It Is Later than You Think!” made a strong appeal to the public and at each center the public meetings, whether held In theater, hall or outdoors were very well attended. The publishers worked hard and co-operated well in advertising these meetings. A total of 11,477 heard the talk.

Ten percent of the average number of publishers in 1948 was 444. The monthly average of pioneers in 1948 was 169 and the peak was 217. To increase our pioneer representation by 100 percent certainly seemed like ‘hitching our wagon to a star’. However, the end of the year finds us with 410 pioneers on the list, and that figure does not include 37 vacation pioneers who have just returned to school. Many have been the joyful experiences of these brethren and their letters continually remind us of how wonderfully Jehovah makes provision for all who exercise full faith in him and who, taking him at his word, become front-line fighters.

During the year a big advance has been made in the public meeting activity. Not only is the Theocratic ministry school turning out better-trained and more efficient speakers, thus enabling the company publishers to have a greater share in this spearhead of our attack, but the district and circuit servants frequently find opportunity to have more than one public meeting during their visit with the company. Openair meetings have been an outstanding success and many have shared therein for the first time. The attendances are usually much greater than in the halls. For example, at one small dorp in the Free State 16 heard the circuit servant speak in the Town Hall. At an open-air meeting in the same village 91 listened, and at a third meeting, also outdoors and in the rurals, there were 41 in attendance. A party of four publishers in the same company went with the circuit servant and his wife during the week to five small towns in the neighborhood and at outdoor meetings had attendances totaling 630 at the five meetings, whereas on a previous visit the attendances, all in halls, totaled 100. Much literature was placed and a number of subscriptions were obtained at these open-air meetings.

In January the first issue of The Watchtower in Zulu was published. This brought much joy to the hearts of many African brethren, who are now able to enjoy “food convenient” in their own language. Partaking each week of the same spiritual food as their brethren world-wide has increased their appreciation of the unity and oneness of the Theocratic organization. It aids them also to keep abreast of the light now shining from the temple and to reflect it more effectively to their fellows. Subscriptions for The Watchtower were obtained, in all, in 15 languages and for Awake! In 7. New subscriptions entered during the year numbered 11,041, to compare with 7,777 the previous year.

Once again we wish to put on record our sincere appreciation of the helpful counsel and Instruction received from you throughout the year and which has enabled us to keep in step with the Theocratic organization world-wide. Looking back on the past year we can see many evidences in this country that Zion is now flourishing like a fruitful field. The “sheep” do not always wait to be contacted. They are seeking us out. Newly interested ones are frequently in the field service after just a few weeks’ study. Six new publisher peaks during the year give clear proof that the “great multitude” is on the march! They with us desire to praise Jehovah “more and more”.

BASUTOLAND

Basutoland is a mountain stronghold. Although surrounded on all sides by the Union of South Africa, it is no part of the Union. It is a British protectorate and is governed directly by the British government through a high commissioner. There are no railways and no roads. It Is a native state.

Jehovah’s witnesses in that country are thus few in number. Handicapped by lack of communications and other difficulties they have, nevertheless, been active to the extent of their ability. There were six publishers at the beginning of the service year and now there are eight, but three of the company publishers, or nearly 50 percent of the total number of publishers, have become pioneers, with the result that, whereas in the first month of the service year they spent 72 hours in field service, during August, the final month, they had 522 hours to their credit. There was one home Bible study in operation in September, and a new peak of 27 in August. These studies should bring out more publishers in due season.

BECHUANALAND

Sandwiched between South West Africa on its west side and Rhodesia and the Transvaal on the east is the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. Bechuanaland covers a vast area of some 275,000 square miles. In all this vast country there are just over 2,000 Europeans and a native African population of 250,000. It is essentially a pastoral country, and cattle thrive throughout the territory. The rainfall is uncertain, and consequently the common native greeting “Pula”, meaning ‘more rain to you’, is most appropriate.

In this dry and thirsty land refreshing streams of truth have in recent years begun to flow and have brought refreshment and joy of heart to a few. A number of publishers who worked close to the Southern Rhodesia border for some months have now gone into that country and are submitting their reports to that Branch. However, during the year, there has been a monthly average of 29 publishers reporting to Cape Town.

A circuit servant from the Union visited the publishers in that country on two occasions during the year and gave them aid in the field work. His visits were much appreciated. None of the brethren in that land have yet managed to obtain leave from their secular work to attend the nearest circuit assembly in the Union, and that is something to which they are still looking forward.

SWAZILAND

Prior to World War H pioneers from the Union visited the country on several occasions and placed literature with the Europeans and the paramount chief. The paramount chief, who understands English well, enjoyed listening to the transcription records, took all the available literature, and subscribed for both magazines. He later expressed appreciation of what he had read of the Society’s publications. However, it was first in 1945 that we began to receive regular reports from several publishers who went there from the Union to engage in secular work. Progress was slow but steady, and by 1948 there was a monthly average of 14 company publishers. These were all native Africans.

To assist the local publishers and to Increase the witness two African pioneers were sent into the territory from the Union in February. They began operations in Mbabane, the capital, and had been in action only a few weeks when we received a telegram reading: “Jehovah’s witnesses are summoned appear before court because work not wanted Mbabane.” An urgent telegram was immediately sent to the police, inquiring for details of the complaint and requesting them to postpone proceedings to enable us to arrange defense. It then developed that early in 1941, when the book-banning craze was at its height, importation of all of the Society’s literature had been prohibited by proclamation, even though not a single witness was resident in the country at the time. Although similar restrictions have long since been removed in almost all countries of the world, the Swaziland ban remained. Representations were immediately made to government to have the proclamation rescinded. We were requested to submit copies of the literature we intended sending into Swaziland. The King James version of the Holy Bible, the American Standard Version, Wilson’s New Testament (Diaglott), Kindorn Service Song Book, and other literature printed and published by the Society, were sent along. There followed a considerable lapse of time while the literature apparently was being examined, and then, instead of hearing from government, we had a letter from the police advising that the case was going on and had been set down for hearing within a few days. Government’s letter came later and this “regretted that after due consideration it is not possible to withdraw the ban”. The proclamation still stood, but in view of the fact that the defendants had no knowledge of the ban they were dismissed with a caution.

Polite request from the Branch office for an Interview with the resident commissioner has been refused on the grounds that it “could serve no useful purpose”. The matter is not being left there, and an appeal is being made to the high commissioner who has supervision of all the protectorates in the vicinity of the Union. Meanwhile Jehovah’s witnesses have not stopped their preaching work even for a single day. Although it is illegal to import even the Holy Bible, if it happens to be printed and published by the Society, they have gone right ahead using their tongues. There has been a big increase in number of back-calls, home Bible studies and public meetings. The monthly average throughout the year was 33, with a new peak in August of 42.

ST. HELENA

The few publishers on the island of St. Helena are not so privileged as many of their brethren in other parts of the earth. They receive no visits of a circuit servant. They have no near-by circuit assemblies to attend. The mainland of South Africa is five days distant and they do not have the means to visit Africa either for instruction or to attend an assembly. However, they do receive The Watchtower, the Awake! magazine, the Informant, and other helps, and with these to strengthen and guide them they continue to let the light shine. The continual shining forth of Kingdom truth has aroused the ire of the false shepherds.

Recently the company servant was visiting a home where he had conducted a home Bible study for eleven months when the bishop appeared. The daughter of the home was seriously ill and the bishop had come to do some “confirming" in case the girl should die. When he saw the company servant he forgot about his errand and nearly exploded with rage. He refused to enter the home and demanded that the Witness leave or he could do nothing. The Witness replied that he would leave if the owner of the house requested it, but not on his instruction! This put a test on the people who had been learning the truth for so long and who had been shown the errors of religion. Alas! fear of man won the day. They are told that if they leave the church, there will be no burying place for them.

SOUTHERN RHODESIA

The publishers in this African country known as Southern Rhodesia have their difficulties just as the praisers of the King do in all parts of the world. One of the great obstacles, however, is in trying to get the message into territories that are under the control of mining companies and into the areas known as compounds. These places are often restricted as to Jehovah’s witnesses and it takes considerable time before someone of Jehovah’s witnesses can convince the manager to allow our brethren to work among the people during their idle time. However, the native publishers press ahead in towns, villages and compounds, preaching this good news, and we find an excellent increase during the year of 33 percent over the previous year. There are now 147 companies organized throughout this territory, and 6,267 people attended the Memorial meeting during the year. All of this makes the publishers rejoice and be glad for the privileges of service they have, and they are now pressing on diligently for further expansion. The Branch servant of this newly formed Branch office sends us a report on some of the interesting things that occurred during the year.

It has been a source of great joy to us in the office to see how the work has been expanding during the last year. Jehovah’s spirit has been working and his light been penetrating even in this small country Immersed in Darkest Africa. Many of the “other sheep” both with white skins and with black skins have been and will be found here and the Good Shepherd has seen to it that their gathering is not halted.

Although Southern Rhodesia has quite a high percentage of Europeans to African natives (there are 115,500 Europeans, comprising 6 percent of the population), yet at the beginning of the year we had only 33 European publishers, or one for every 3,500 Europeans! So, when the Society sent us four Gilead graduates from Canada to help with the European population we were very grateful. Their arrival in February was a high point of the year. We took them into our hearts and they have demonstrated true love for their new brethren by helping them to serve the Lord. Partly afe a result of their zeal and good works the local company In Bulawayo has Increased by 54 percent in half a year and realized its quota for pioneers.

Many Europeans do not yet understand the Society and its Christian work. This misunderstanding has caused us a few spots of bother over the country, but nothing serious has arisen over the year. Some officials are fair to us and live up to the British tradition of fair play and religious tolerance but others obstruct us when they can. This makes the holding of circuit assemblies a hazardous affair. Rarely do we have the use of a hall, but generally a camp is established after permission has been obtained, mostly with some difficulty, from the appropriate official. The brethren construct a shelter with sacking or grass and the Witnesses live on the spot for the three days. A cow or two and a few bags of maize flour supply the cafeteria. Wrapped in a few blankets around a dying fire the native brethren are quite happy and the accommodation problem is solved!

Here is an experience which further encourages us: “When we had our assembly at Chikangwe on April 7, 1949, the company asked the compound manager for a lorry to travel in. Many people did not expect him to allow us to use his lorry over a journey of 101 miles for a simple purpose like that. But surprisingly the privilege was extended to us by the Lord’s power and we were lent the lorry to go to the circuit assembly. When we got back we prepared for our Memorial gathering. We enjoyed the meeting with two European friends in attendance. Today one of these is in harmony with Jehovah’s witnesses. After that we asked permission to build a Kingdom Hall and it was granted. Moreover, the compound manager gave us bricks, a builder, and two laborers to help us build that hall. It was quite remarkable in the eyes of the public. For that we thanked the Lord Jehovah and learned that he can help when every one endeavors to perform his will wholeheartedly.”

Thus in so far as the native witnesses are concerned, a lot depends on the attitude of the white masters. Sometimes, of course, the native brethren bring trouble on themselves because they get hold of the wrong end of the stick. This is due to their illiteracy or, at best, imperfect education. So efforts have been made to encourage a reading and writing school in each company whereby the uneducated brethren can learn to use their own language. We are able to supply them with primers in Cinyanja and Chishona (the two most widely-used native languages). The government of the colony is not so keen on tackling the problem of illiteracy as are the governments of countries like Mexico. The problem is mostly taken care of by the religious missions which enjoy grants for this purpose from the government. So education is not compulsory and an incentive to self-education hardly exists. But the native brethren have a real incentive—a desire to render better service to God.

SURINAM

When there is peace and unity among the brethren, then we expect to see progress. When all of Jehovah’s servants see eye to eye in a community and have their hearts set on helping their neighbors, then the joy of the Lord is expressed through good works and is shown forth in increase. There has been no increase in the number of publishers in Surinam during the past service year, and this is attributable to the lack of unity among those who were looking after the interests of the Kingdom. Despite this internal confusion in the company organization and among the pioneers, a good witness has been given in the way of placing literature, making back-calls and in conducting Bible studies, but there was no peaceful company to which to bring the new interest in Paramaribo. It is hoped that this condition has changed and that 1950 will show better results as to peace and unity and in the expansion of the Lord’s work. Some items of interest as reported by the brother who is looking after the work in Surinam are set out here, and he also tells us a little about what is going on in French Guiana, where there is one company publisher.

In this country the singing of ‘more and more praises’ to Jehovah was also carried on during the past service year. By means of the public lectures many people have come to know the work of the servants of Jehovah better. As the service year moved on so did the public meeting campaign in this Dutch colony. During the last month of the service year the most lectures ever held in one month were given in three locations during each week. This made 17 in all in the month of August. This year the popular Takie-Takie language was used in the lectures held on plantations outside of the city. It is hoped that people like the Hindustani and the Javanese, who do not read Dutch, will be reached by this type of lecture.

An unforgettable joy on the minds of the Surinam brethren was the visit of Brothers Knorr and Henschel during the middle of the past April. A two-day assembly was arranged and the climax of the visit was a talk given by Brother Knorr attended by upward of 200 persons. During the last talk by the Society’s president an announcement was made that Surinam would be visited by a circuit servant from British Guiana, the neighboring colony to the west. Before we knew it a notice was received that August 3 to 20 the circuit servant would visit Surinam.

He relates the following experience on the way to serve the Nieuw Nickerie company. The forests of Surinam extend down to the edge of the ocean, and winding through the swampy jungles are the dark flowing rivers, often deep and wide. Many of these rivers are connected one with another by means of ditches or canals dug during the slave days. It is along such waterways, dear to the hearts of the Dutch, that passenger launches of about 50-person capacity provide the transportation between the capital and Nieuw Nickerie. The boats travel continuously for 30 hours or more, and here, on the goods and merchandise, live the passengers. At eventide as the chattering macaws flit in pairs to their favorite roost everyone seeks a place to sleep, mostly on the deck; and any who possesses a hammock has it slung abeam and so from side to side they sway with the slight roll of the moving boat. We had close contact with the different nationalities of Surinam. These friendly Javanese, Djukas, Chinese, Hindus and Creoles are very stimulating, and all that was lacking was the unifying spirit of the Kingdom.

Witnessing was limited, but some spoke a little of the common language (English) ; so the Kingdom gospel was passed around. Among the swinging hammocks the conversation grew, and as an East Indian woman listened to the truth there came from the darkness In the far end of the boat a question. Back goes the answer to her countryman. “The pundit susamachar from Georgetown,” meaning a ‘preacher of the good news’. The next day in the hot sunshine of the tropics we sit on top of the launch in wicker chairs that a Chinese merchant had brought as freight. While he is a very busy man in his shop, yet today he has all the time to ask and hear the answers to many questions that are preplexing the people of all nations. Beaching the destination the little boat ties up at the dock and away goes its living cargo. The next few days there is always a pleasant greeting to the visiting Witness as he goes from house to house and along the sandy streets.

During his stay in Surinam he gave Important spiritual Instructions and counsel and worked with the brethren to help them become more efficient in presenting the message.

FRENCH GUIANA

French Guiana is one of the lands where only recently the truth has entered. During previous years several pioneers have had the privilege of serving the persons of good-will there. Because of circumstances beyond their control these pioneers have returned to their respective countries and the work is being carried on by a young faithful brother who learned the truth from the pioneers when they were there. The brother that is now there is a native of St. Lucia. He learned of the message while residing in this French colony.

It is hoped that at least one pioneer brother from Surinam will be able to return to Cayenne and aid this brother in organizing the new interest that is to be developed. We are looking forward, by the Lord’s grace, for a greater expansion in the coming service year.

SWEDEN

The battle is being pushed to the gate by Jehovah’s witnesses in Sweden. They have encountered much opposition, particularly on the part of the clergy of the state church, but this has not retarded progress. A new peak in number of publishers was reached at the close of the year, namely, 4,074 who have gone forward preaching the Word. On the average there has been a 14.5-percent increase in the ranks of Jehovah’s witnesses. The report, as furnished by the Branch servant, shows what the people are thinking and saying about Jehovah’s witnesses.

“On the Main Street at Trosa, on the Kungsports Avenue at Gothenburg, in the workman’s homes in the industrial towns in SmSland,—everywhere they are pushing themselves, these ‘Witnesses of Jehovah’, and they offer a new world. When I arrived in London in 1945 and asked how conditions were after the war, I was told: ‘Many are tired, our clothes are worn out, and Jehovah’s witnesses are beginning to prosper.' When I came to Vienna this very summer and asked about the state of things there, they said: ‘Oh, things are starting to brighten up. If only the Russians would go back to their own country! And so we are wondering what will become of Jehovah’s witnesses who have begun to make much noise now.’ The question about these ‘witnesses’ begins to take on a world size.”

With these words one of the religious leaders in Sweden began his lecture on a Monday night in the past month of August in a town where we had had one of our district assemblies during the three previous days, which had made the local preachers sore afraid and caused them to call for help to “uncover” us.

The assembly got much publicity because of the clergy’s opposition (their meeting against us was advertised about one month ahead of our advertising the lecture “It Is Later than You Think!”) and the newspapers wrote freely about us, and, of course, mostly against us. In a lengthy letter to the editor of the biggest daily there one gentleman, however, wrote as follows: “ . . . And finally, why should we, as Christians, who have so capitally failed in our so-called Christianity, look down despitefully and laughingly upon and speak derogatorily of that group of people who are trying, to the best of their ability, to apply and live according to the example given by Christianity’s Founder and to His commandment of love? Why should we, In this beaten world, search high and low for the faults and shortcomings of those who did stand wholly away from the foolish fighting? They have not permitted themselves to become seduced into building up empires by taking part in war. Instead, they have been reading our Bible and trying to interpret world events in the light of prophecy. I remember when I was young, how people were eagerly discussing their books wherein they predicted, based upon the Bible, many years in advance that the war would break out In the fall of 1914 and how the difficulties would thereafter increase more and more upon peoples and nations. . . . Let us refrain from ridiculing these people who do not permit themselves to be pushed along roads that have been trodden in direct contradiction of the teachings of Christ.”

Although shortly after World War II most people were inclined to refuse our message, now that the difficulties in securing peace and prosperity have become more evident and disappointing to people in this country, where they had been more or less sailing in backwaters, so to speak, because of the nation’s keeping out of the war, there is an everincreasing change of attitude being noticed and people are beginning to get their eyes opened to what our message really is about.

From almost every company the circuit servants are reporting that there is more interest in the field than the local publishers can take care of, and especially so in the outlying and rural territories. In this country, with its long distances and sparsely populated areas, It is a constant problem to have this interest properly cared for, with back-calls and home Bible studies. Our pioneer ranks have increased from 118 (monthly average) last year to 170, but most of the newcomers have duties that call for their working in their home towns, and hence many, many calls for help have had to go unnoticed, as it were. We trust, however, and pray that Jehovah will raise up more “movable” wholetime publishers to aid in this respect.

That the priests are often very negligent of their duties when it comes to engaging questioners in conversation and defending their beliefs has been especially noticed in the cases where Jehovah’s witnesses have had to spend periods in jail because of the refusal to grant them exemption from military service as ministers. In one such case a circuit servant who was serving his sentence asked permission to put questions to the chaplain after he had delivered his sermon, which was granted. But as soon as the priest found out who our brother was he got ready to leave “on account of another appointment”. The boys, however, who had gathered around to listen continued to ask questions of our brother, and in the end permission was asked and granted to arrange for a lecture, which was attended by about 80 percent of the “inmates” and some of the guards also. Much interest was shown and when a second lecture was planned but could not be held in the general auditorium, the boys volunteered to arrange for benches, etc., in the gymnasium. After the lectures there were very interesting discussions and several took the side of the truth and defended it against gainsayers.

Speaking of the brethren’s being Imprisoned, I must also mention that there has lately begun to be worked up an opinion among the public against this way of treating boys who have really done no evil and who have shown their willingness to endure hardships because of their conscientious convictions. Some newspapers have come out with editorials in behalf of freedom of conscience, not only in the letter of the law but in fact, and some authors have expressed their admiration of the courage and endurance exhibited by these boys.

SWITZERLAND

The words spoken in Nehemiah’s day apply to God’s people in these last days, too: “The joy of Jehovah is your strength.” The great pleasure Jehovah’s witnesses have in serving the Most High God of the universe is certainly their strength, and this has been shown by the publishers of the Kingdom in Switzerland. They have had many trials and difficulties during the year, but they have fought valiantly for freedom of speech and freedom of worship of the Most High. In addition to looking after the field-service work, the Berne office has the second-largest printing establishment used by the Society. During the 1949 service year the Berne printing plant produced 2,714,428 books, booklets and magazines. This was an increase of 270,696 pieces of literature printed over the number for the previous year. Additionally, 3,062,563 pieces of advertising matter and miscellaneous supplies were produced at the plant. All of this has aided greatly in the preaching of the gospel in Switzerland and other near-by countries. The field service report, as submitted by the Branch servant, is very interesting, and all readers will enjoy it.

Expansion has been the theme of Jehovah’s true worshipers in this land as they determined to “praise more and more”. To Jehovah and his present reigning King belong our heartfelt thanks. By his spirit working through His organization, the publishers have received stimulus and instruction so essential to eternal welfare. We must express appreciation for the wonderful provision of Counsel on Theocratic Organization for Jehovah’s witnesses, which proves such a practical aid in daily service. Released in German in April, soon we shall have It in French. All this effective assistance has produced encouraging results in the field service and in the internal organization of the work.

The pioneers experience much joy in Kingdom service, as this letter from a married couple shows: “No life is more full of meaning than that of a pioneer; no one is richer than the one who can dispense the divine truths; and no work more satisfying than the ministry. Our great wish Is that all those who have consecrated themselves to the Lord might take him at his word, and taste of his goodness. How truly happy all would be!”

The increased publisher activity has brought growing opposition and kept the legal desk busy. We opened the year with 14 brethren still with cases pending for peddling, collecting money, disturbing the Sunday peace. During the year reports against 81 brethren were handled for similar offenses as well as ‘Communist propaganda’, ‘attacking Catholic religion,’ mob action and especially regarding gospel street witnessing. During the year actions against 74 brethren were disposed of either through our action In Interviewing public and police officials or by means of court decisions.

The two most serious questions have been street witnessing and ‘peddling without a license’. We had three court cases over four brethren, two of whom were accused of peddling and two of street magazine work. The first case was where a pioneer had been fined for peddling. In this land when a policeman reports a publisher, his superiors may

summarily inflict a fine. The case was heard by the Canton St. Gall court on March 23, 1949, when the judge acquitted the brother with $25 costs, saying:    . In any case the

intention of obtaining a profit, which intention is characteristic of peddling, is missing. . . . Viewing all the facts it can be seen that the accused, without intention of realizing a profit, much more with personal and financial sacrifice, has striven for the proclamation of the gospel, and that the placement of books and booklets serves solely to this ideal aim.” This decision was a helpful precedent.

The chief police opposition to the work has been in Canton Vaud in French Switzerland, where last year the Superior Cantonal court upheld the conviction of a pioneer for ‘peddling without a license’. In September, 1948, a directive from cantonal headquarters was issued to all police authorities referring to this adverse decision against Jehovah’s witnesses.

On the last day of the year, August 31, 1949, the court faced the question of whether or not it would have the courage to refuse to follow the precedent of its superior court which last year handed down a conviction under the same law and same charge. The Society’s lawyer, specially engaged for this case, gave a strong and spirited defense urging the court to disregard the former adverse decision and to give judgment in defense of freedom of worship and the Constitution rights. In pronouncing acquittal the court judgment in bold terms said: “. . . The activity of the accused does not seem to come under the provision of the (peddling) law. The law on commercial activity aims, in fact, as is indicated by its name, at the activities having a commercial form, l.e., the purpose of which is to bring to their author gain. The actual purpose of the accused was not to get money, but solely to spread his religious convictions by means of appropriate literature. For these reasons it is not possible to compare his activity with peddling without infringing on the freedom of faith and cults. The accused must be freed of penal prosecution.”

THAILAND

It is only ,by trying and by pressing forward that things can be accomplished. Jehovah’s witnesses in Thailand are putting forth the effort, and they are reaping good results. They have had a 29-percent increase in the number of publishers over that of the previous year. The peak for 1949 was reached in August, when 92 different individuals went forth singing the praises of the Most High. The Society is trying to help the organization in Thailand by continually sending Gilead students there. Some are on their way now to assist those already in the land. The Branch servant tells us in his brief report of the appreciation the brethren have for the truth and of the work they are doing.

We have gone right through the year untroubled by opposition or persecution, and under these peaceful conditions the work has made steady progress. Our gains are not as high as last year, but, on the other hand, we are more solidly organized and what we need now is increased Theocratic education of our publishers so as to make them more able to wield “the sword of the spirit”.

Worthy of mention is the fact that two new pioneers have entered the ranks. One, a young Chinese woman, formerly a nominal Christian, became acquainted with the truth several months ago and she recently commenced full-time service. Though she was robbed of her possessions at the railway station the day she began pioneering, she did not turn back, and now she is doing fine work among the Chinese people.

The other publisher, a young Siamese man, formerly Buddhist, entered the vacation pioneer ranks after studying the truth for about six months, and he is doing a much-needed work of nourishing the people, both by door-to-door witnessing and by home Bible studies. It is not easy and not usual for a Buddhist to come into the truth, and it is encouraging to see results coming in this direction.

Now in the company ranks is a former Catholic man who has had much opposition from the priests who, when they learned he had obtained the book "Let God Be True", feared he might get his eyes opened. He loaned the book to the priest, to give the priest an opportunity of proving what was wrong with the teachings therein contained. After three weeks the priest said he had no time; so he was given two more weeks. When the young man called to see the priest again, he said he had burned the book; so this former Catholic could clearly see his pastors were false shepherds and, despite family opposition also, he is now a publisher.

We begin our new year’s activity with anticipation of many joyful experiences. We are eagerly awaiting our first bound book, “Let God Be True" in Siamese, which, no doubt, will prove a mighty weapon in breaking through the religious superstition which one encounters on every hand in this land. Meantime we are carrying on home Bible studies In Hereafter and The Joy of All the People in Siamese, for which we have prepared study question booklets. Counsel on Theocratic Organization 1or Jehovah’s witnesses is being translated, and this will greatly Improve the organization and unity of the brethren. The Theocratic ministry school is proving very effective in training the publishers to be better ministers, and the number enrolled is Increasing.

Still, a vast amount remains to be done. Of the 71 major cities and towns in Thailand, there are 21 with a population of 300,000 to 500,000 and over, and in only two of these towns are there organized companies, and the other nineteen have not been witnessed for many years. So we are looking forward to all the assistance the four coming Gilead graduates can give.

What we have been able to accomplish was possible only through the constant co-operation and assistance of the Brooklyn office, for which we wish to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. We have also greatly appreciated the spiritual food coming through The Watchtoicer, which has been a constant encouragement to us. We look forward to the great event of 1950, the international assembly at New York, and we hope Thailand will be represented.

URUGUAY

The Gilead graduates who are now active in Uruguay keep in mind what Paul said, “For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God.” (1 Thess. 2:9, Rev. Stan. Ver.) Missionaries do not try to put a load on the common people as the clergy have in so many countries. No, they have gone forward to preach the Word of God and to comfort those who mourn, and they will do this day and night in behalf of the people of good-will. In this little country of South America, Uruguay, a number of Gilead missionaries are meeting many obstacles raised by the atheists, the Protestants and the Catholics, but they rejoice in their grand privilege. The Lord’s people everywhere rejoice, too, with Jehovah’s witnesses in Uruguay and are glad to learn of the 22-percent increase in that country. The Branch servant sets out some interesting items in his yearly report.

The Gilead graduates when going from door to door constantly hear, “I have never seen God, have you? I believe in what I see, I don’t see God, so I don't believe in him. Don’t you have anything new? God is old-fashioned.” Yes, there are plenty of atheists, but there are still plenty of Catholics also. The Jesuits still wield power and Instruct their flocks not even to converse with the Witnesses and not even to accept books free from Protestants. For that reason literature placements are low.

The few Protestants that there are here are also carefully guarded by their pastors, who do not at all like the idea of Gilead missionaries visiting Uruguay. One showed his thoughts, saying, “Why do you Witnesses come here to sow your tares? You destroy the little wheat that we have planted and watered.” For example, just recently four staunch pillars of one sect permitted a special pioneer to use his Bible to uncover such doctrines as hell, soul and trinity. When the pastor got wind of these back-calls he exploded and demanded that this family throw out the Witnesses and not hesitate to use a club on them. But the man of the house, now enlightened with Kingdom truth, responded differently. He did throw somebody out of his home; not the Witness, but the hell-fire preacher, and he withdrew from the sect together with the other three. The pillars gone, the whole sect fell through. Now the man’s house is a Kingdom Hall with 37 publishers.

In another small town the pastor was steaming when he learned that his members permitted Jehovah’s witnesses to use their meeting hall for a special week-end public meeting.

But even though the Protestants are the easiest to talk to, due to the common ground, the Bible, still the real increase In number of publishers comes from the Catholics. They take to the truth with more enthusiasm. For example, one, who less than a year ago was carrying images in Catholic processions, after studying a bit has broken up the images and thrown out his holy pictures. Now he and his wife, together with his three children, whom he recently took out of the Catholic school, are carrying sandwich signs announcing Jehovah’s kingdom.

An assembly in the interior furnishes a very picturesque setting with local color. Instead of waiting in cafeteria line at 7: 30 for breakfast, the brethren are up at 5: 30 squatting around a bonfire inside a large barn, drinking their mat& Only the outline of their features can be seen because of the thick smoke and early morning darkness that obscure the illumination, a glare from the blazing fire and faintly glowing old kerosene lamp.

Dinner is cooked and served inside the same dark barn. A big iron pot is over the bonfire, into which are tossed chunks of squash, sweet potatoes, rice and meat. All are satisfied with the food and are in a splendid humor.

For the night all of the men spread straw over the dirt floor in one house, and the women did the same in the other, with the children mixed In, thus saving time usually spent in looking for rooms. One has more free time at these assemblies, and with less burdens come increased service hours.

Working boats on the River Plate gives blessed experiences. Two Gilead graduates climbed up sides of a corn boat en route to Paraguay and left magazines with its cook. Imagine their joy one year later on hearing that five of the crew of eight are attending studies and two of their wives are publishers in Argentina, all from the magazines left with the cook. The work has progressed continuously since 1945 with the first visit of the Society’s president, and more so since the recent refreshing visit in March, 1949. The 22-percent Increase, although not as high as in some years, is marvelous in the sight of Gilead graduates assigned here, who know the problems.

VENEZUELA

“Te alabare mas y mas” means the same whether in Spanish, in English or in any other of the numerous languages and dialects of the world. To give more and more praise to Jehovah God is what is in the minds of Jehovah's witnesses in Venezuela. They do appreciate the rich blessing the Lord has bestowed upon them in their expansion activity. Venezuela, like her South American sister countries, has a revolution every few years and the style of government changes frequently. During this service year a revolution took place, but it did not affect the publishers of the Kingdom. They went right ahead preaching the Word of God, and they have enjoyed a 78-percent increase in number of publishers. One can very readily see the reason for this by reading some of the excerpts from the Branch servant’s report. The brethren are not afraid to get up early and work late.

Street work has shown good results in Maracaibo, and some of the publishers go on the street early in the morning when the market-place is alive with people shopping for their daily needs. Here are some experiences related by the Gilead graduates working in this hot place.

“The Roman Catholic Church invited 5,000 men to meet at the Plaza for communion on so-called Holy Tuesday before Easter. Two of us thought we should also be on hand, but for Kingdom street work, so we were out bright and early, at 6 a. m. Our efforts were greatly rewarded, for we placed 120 booklets in a short time. Because of our great activity in the market-place here, we also learned that early morning was the best time for street work; so we have made it a point to be on the corners not later than 7 a. m. Early one morning three of us placed 14 books and 50 booklets, besides all the magazines we had on hand. We have met scores of displaced persons from Europe, as well as other people from all over the world, who stop and ask about the message or tell us they are acquainted with it in their own country.

“One day while standing on the water front offering booklets, a dock foreman took a booklet, looked it over, and then said he would help me place them. He watched for a few minutes to see how I did it, then he went to work and offered the booklets to all the men as they passed by. He was so pleased to have placed several booklets for me.

“We also have much opposition on the street. As soon as we stand at one particular corner, a man pops out of one of the stores with a handful of leaflets addressed to Catholics warning them not to read our literature. This slip lists every piece of literature we have to offer. The man stands directly in front of us and hands out his fliers as fast as he can. One day a woman stopped, wrote her name on the back of this slip, and asked me to call on her, as she was interested in our work.”

Another experience from Maracaibo is as follows: “I started a Bible study the last of March with a sefiora and studied with her only three times and then I lost track of her through the entire month of April. She gave me no explanation that she would be out of town. I made three trips, but no one was home. I wondered whether to go back again. But I could not forget her; so I decided after a few weeks to go back again. This time she was home and very happy to see me and I resumed the study. After one month’s time I called for the usual study and said, ‘Good afternoon, my friend.’ She answered, ‘I’m now more than your friend. I’m your sister, because I want to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses. I would like to go out with you tomorrow, may I?’ You can imagine the surprise and delight I experienced. After the third time out she told me that she would love to have her own territory and books. She is now going strong. Thanks be to Jehovah God that I persisted In calling back at this door until I found her home.”

The Caracas company had a 132-percent increase in number of publishers as they expanded from 32 to 74. A tremendous increase was shown in all features of the Kingdom service as the hours rose from 400 a month to 911, while back-calls leaped from 100 a month to a peak of 370. Another point is that Bible studies grew from 10 to 45. The pioneers and publishers are conducting over 100 studies every week in Caracas. This means more publishers in a short time, as the Bible-study work is what equips the people of good-will so they will be able to praise the Lord more and more.

YUGOSLAVIA

It is truly amazing how the truth continues to spread and reach out to the ends of the earth. Readers of the Yearbook will recall that the one who had been Branch servant for Yugoslavia for a number of years was sentenced to death, and then later through the good action of the brethren throughout the world in telegraphing Yugoslavian officials the sentence was changed to a long term in prison. While men may be killed for their stand for the truth or imprisoned until death, still God’s word can never be bound. When seed is sown, it will sprout; when watered, it will bring forth and bear fruit. Jehovah God has given an increase in Yugoslavia.

From information received it is known that during the past year 460 of Jehovah’s witnesses have gone ahead in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. The report for the previous year, 1948, was also received, showing that there were 395 proclaimers of the good news, indicating a remarkable Increase during this year even under the stern rule of totalitarian government. These brethren have no literature to distribute, but they do have the message of truth in their minds and hearts, and they devoted 14,477 hours to preaching. They made many calls on the people In their homes, in the parks, or wherever it seemed advisable to talk to those who want to know something about the Bible. The Tito government should know by now that Jehovah’s witnesses are not interested in politics in any shape or form, but that their sole purpose in life is to bring comfort and the cheering message of the Bible to the people who love righteousness.

Last year’s Tearbook showed no publishers for 1948, as we had no report, but the brethren did work; and they worked during 1949, and, by the Lord’s grace, they will press on during 1950. While the Lord’s people yet have breath they will sing the praises of the Most High. Your fellow praisers in Yugoslavia are yet praising God more and more. In their fearless stand for righteousness, although they do suffer great trials, not only because of the truth but also because of shortages of food and clothing, with which we try to supply them from to time, still they are determined, by God’s grace, to preach the Word.

RICH IN GOOD WORKS

Are Jehovah’s witnesses rich in good works? All one has to do is to read the foregoing report and he will know that they have stored up valuable treasure for themselves. Is it a valuable treasure in the collection of money, property, jewels, gold or silver ? What will these things be worth in exchange for the necessities of life when the rulers of the world devalue money and property and the things people own? The Word of the Lord tells us that the time will come when “they shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord”. (Ezek. 7:19) What is it then that Jehovah’s witnesses and their companions have as a great treasure? It is their friendship with God and with man; it is their unselfish devotion to the poor of this world. They have made friends by preaching the Word and bringing comfort to those in need. What a valuable treasure this is to possess! Such a treasure can never be taken away from you.

As the report of Jehovah’s witnesses shows, they have walked up and down the continents and the islands of the seas; they have traversed the cities, the countrysides and the rural sections ; they have mingled with the poor and the rich; and in all instances they have brought comfort to a troubled humanity. Those who were glad to hear have studied the message. The majority throughout the world, however, have spurned the truth of God’s Word. But this has not been discouraging to the Lord’s ministers in the earth. They have continued to preach the Word, and have thus stored up for themselves riches in heaven, where moths and rust will not corrupt this treasure. These ministers of God have shown friendship by going to faraway places. They have shown they have love for their neighbors by teaching them how to study the Bible, by conducting reading classes so that they might learn more in their individual study. They have favored the poor by aiding them in their homes; they have shown them the way that leads to life eternal.

The world does not like this kind, unselfish activity on the part of Jehovah’s witnesses. The religionists have shown their resentment in many places by stirring up mobs and causing persecution to be brought to bear against them. The rulers were not favorable, and many of these ministers of the Lord have been thrown into jails and prisons so as to stop their preaching of the Word. Has this brought discouragement? Would Jehovah’s witnesses do it all over again if they had the opportunity? or would they do things differently? Would they fall more in line with governmental arrangements and totalitarian rule? Not at all! They know they are right in doing the Lord’s will, and they are trying to please God and build up a record with him. And to prove that they would do it all over again, they will do the same kind of work during the 1950 service year.

Having stored up for themselves treasures in heaven, they are not now going to slack their hand and do no more planting and watering or reaping. They are not like the rich man who said to himself, “Soul, you have great wealth stored up for years to come. Now take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” (Luke 12:19, An Amer. Trans.) But rather they will go back to the field and plant again and give that which they now have to the poor. Through study and service they have gathered much that they can give to others; so they are not going to let the land lie idle, but they will plant and water and reap again, all to the honor and glory of Jehovah. No, there is no selfishness in the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. There is no personal gain except that they do gain the great pleasure of serving the Most High God and the blessing of life in the new world. They are following the apostle’s advice wherein he says, “Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, open-handed and generous, storing up a valuable treasure for themselves for the future, so as to grasp the life that is life indeed.” —1 Tim. 6:18,19, An Amer. Trans.

The hundreds of thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses will keep on with the good work they have been doing and will enjoy themselves in doing it. They will preach the Word of God yet more and more in the new year and will continue to store up riches for themselves until the riches of this old world perish. They will help the “other sheep” who are now being gathered into the fold under the leadership of the Good Shepherd, and teach them, too, how to store up treasures in heaven. What greater treasure could anyone have than life in the new world? That is why Jehovah’s witnesses are so persistent in preaching the Word, that they may grasp the life that is life indeed.

Jehovah’s blessing has been manifest upon his people during the 1949 service year, and for this we give praise and thanks to our God in heaven. From every country of the earth the brethren have sent their love and greetings to their fellow workers in other parts of the world, and it is a pleasure to convey this message to all who love the Lord and are anxious to serve him. I wish, too, to extend my love and greetings to all my fellow workers and to tell you of the joy of service whereby we may together become rich in good works.

Your servant and co-worker in preaching the Word,

, President

Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society

ANNUAL MEETING

In accordance with the provisions of the charter and bylaws of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the regular annual meeting of members of said corporation was held at the registered office of the Society, situated in the Wabash Building, 410 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh 22, Pennsylvania, at ten o’clock in the forenoon of Saturday, October 1, 1949. Presiding was the president of the Society, N. H. Knorr, and he called upon C. H. Stewart, Sr., for prayer.

The secretary of the Society gave proof that there were 406 of the members of the corporation present, either in person or by proxy. The business in order was the election of two directors whose vacancies had resulted by reason of expiration of their terms of office. T. J. Sullivan and Grant Suiter were re-elected for a period of three years each.

Reports were made by Hugo Riemer, the assistant secretary and treasurer of the Society, and Grant Suiter, the secretary and treasurer of the Society, who followed him on the program in making a report. The president, N. H. Knorr, then spoke to the members present and to the visiting brethren who made up a total attendance of 573 persons. His subject was “Be Rich in Good Works”. The entire business meeting required two hours, and at the close a motion was made to adjourn.

On October 11, the board of directors met in the president’s office in New York city. The purpose of the meeting was for the election of officers for the ensuing year. The meeting was opened by prayer as L. A. Swingle asked the Lord’s blessing on the deliberations. By unanimous vote on the part of the members of the board of directors, the following officers were 257 elected: N. H. Knorr, president; F. W. Franz, vicepresident ; Grant Suiter, secretary and treasurer; H. H. Riemer, assistant secretary and treasurer. Other matters of business were also discussed and the president made a general report on the progress of the work throughout the earth during the year 1949. All the members of the board of directors are determined, by the Lord’s grace, to press on with the privileges of service they enjoy, and they rejoice to be associated with Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide in the great expansion work, praising Jehovah God yet more and more.

YEARTEXT FOR 1950

“Preach the word.”—2 Timothy 4:2.

Jehovah has decreed that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness”, and then the end will come. Preaching requires time and effort. It is not something that ought to be done at your convenience, when you have spare time, but the preaching of the word of God should become one’s vocation. We should specify time, make time, to “preach the word”. For a Christian, it must be his principal work. Paul, an energetic, zealous fighter for the Lord, was willing to die for this privilege of preaching the word. It was because of his preaching of the word that he was imprisoned. Paul had taken up the most important work in all the earth, and that was to “preach the word”, comforting the church and those who would hear.

While in prison he wrote to the young Christian Timothy. He loved his brethren and he wanted to see them carry forward in the same manner that he did. So, in order to impress upon the mind of the young man Timothy the great importance of preaching the word of God, he told Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season.” (2 Tim. 4:1, 2, R.S.V.) It was not just a matter of Paul’s saying to Timothy, “I would like you to take up the same work that I have been doing.” No; Paul was impressing on Timothy that he had made a consecration to do the Lord’s will; he had declared himself to be a Christian. Therefore Paul, in the presence of God and in the presence of Christ Jesus, charged him to preach the word. The charge could not have been made before greater witnesses. In other words, it was in the sight of God and in the sight of his Son, who was “to judge the living and the dead”, that this responsibility was placed upon Timothy.

Today these words strike us with even greater force, because not only do we as Christians accept the responsibility in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, but we are living in this day, the day when Christ Jesus makes his appearance and sets up his kingdom. The Kingdom is here; it has been born. Christ Jesus is present and directing affairs toward the final culmination, resulting in the vindication of Jehovah’s name and word. He is prepared to strike against the Devil and his whole organization in the battle of Armageddon as soon as the great witnessing work has been accomplished. For, as Jesus said to his disciples, ‘This gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness, and when that witnessing or preaching is done, then the end will come.’ Jehovah God knows when this time will be or when sufficient witnessing will have been given unto the ends of the earth for the final destructive blow to come against the Devil’s organization.

Jehovah’s witnesses are so thoroughly convinced that this work must be done that it makes no difference to them whether they are forced to become displaced persons or thrown into prisons or put into labor camps far off in Siberia or threatened with death itself before firing squads. They still have the charge before God and Christ Jesus; and now the charge is made in Christ’s presence since he has taken unto himself his power to reign. This is the time that they must “preach the word”! While great religious organizations of the world—Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and the Protestant powers—would have this message silenced and will work hand-in-hand with the political rulers to drive Jehovah’s witnesses out of a village, city or country, still all they are able to do is drive them underground. They will never stop them from preaching the word!

Young Timothy must have been impressed by these words from Paul, with whom he worked, for he was willing to preach the word in season and out of season. Like him, Jehovah’s witnesses in the 1949 service report show they too have been willing to preach the word in season and out of season; and they will keep doing this, by Jehovah’s grace. We should remember, too, that we are not receiving these words from Paul, a man who died 1900 years ago, but rather we should appreciate that these words were spoken under inspiration of God’s holy spirit. Again, in Acts, Peter shows how Jehovah gave the command to preach, for it is stated, “He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify.” (Acts 10:42) What a joy is ours to be Jehovah’s representatives in these last days! And what an added privilege it is, too, to be able to assist in the gathering and feeding of the “other sheep” so that the multitude may become greater and greater, year by year, and that this preaching of the word may be accomplished on a scale far surpassing that of any time heretofore! Our hearts are filled to overflowing and we give praise to the Most High God, Jehovah, for this blessed privilege. By his grace, and by the command of Jehovah through his Son Christ Jesus, we accept with gladness the honor accorded us to “preach the word”.

CDctlly Texts and Comments

The comments following the daily texts are taken from The Watchtower (W) as of the year 1949.

Sunday,

Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.—Ps. 103:21, A.S.V.

Jehovah, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, has always had ministers in the earth to uphold his cause. His good purpose must be proclaimed. His prophet Isaiah said: “Ye shall be named the priests of Jehovah; men, shall call you the ministers of our God.” (Isa. 61: G, A.S.V.) His ministers are his witnesses to the worldly nations and peoples. They uphold and keep alive the right answer to the paramount

Monday, Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him.—Isa.

40:10, A.S.V.

A.D. 1914 Jehovah came as a Mighty One and set up his kingdom toward our earth, "his own arm having won him the kingdom.” (40: 10, An Amer. Trans.) Christ Jesus his Son acts as an “arm” of strength for him. Because this Son showed himself faithful when on trial as a man and gave up everything for God’s kingdom, Jehovah installed him upon the throne at the

January 1

issue, Who is the Supreme One? and who will rule the universe? To all nations they have proclaimed that Jehovah is alone the true God of all the universe, the Great Spirit, that is, the almighty, intelligent, active Personage, invisible to man but made discernible to man by His wondrous visible works of creation. But very few on earth recognize and act in harmony with his supremacy and universal sovereignty. Little do they realize that “blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah”.—Ps. 33:12, A.S.V. W 1/1

January 2

end of the Gentile times in 1914. He must act as a royal “arm” of power for Jehovah. The first thing this Arm did was to hurl the Devil and his wicked angels out of heaven and down to our earth. In 1918 Jehovah sent his royal Son to the temple for judging work at the house of God. Through this Son as judge, Jehovah deals out his rewards to those who lovingly serve him, but his recompenses to the foes who fight agaiust his kingdom. By him God gathers his “sheep”. W 2/15

Tuesday, I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had. no light. . . . I beheld, and, lo, there was no man.—Jer.

4: 23-25.

The land of Judah was depopulated for seventy years, but this does not typify an unpeopled, chaotic, formless globe during the thousand years that Satan is bound. No ; but the total desolation of Judah for the unfaithfulness of the Jews prophetically pictured complete destruction due to be visited upon its modern

January 3

counterpart, the organization of Christendom. The end of this world will result in destruction not only of Christendom but of all the Devil’s visible organization of human society. Yet, this will not result in a total depopulated planet. Those now taking a position in support of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and his kingdom by Christ Jesus have the promise of surviving this world’s end, just as Noah and his household lived through the global flood. Earth’s glorious destiny is only beginning after this world’s end. TV 1/15

As soon as he has taken his seat on his royal throne, he must write for himself in a book a copy of this code as approved by the Levitical pnests; he must keep it with him, and peruse it all the days of his life.—Deut. 17:18,19, An Amer. Trans.

David gave every indication that he studied what there was of the Bible in his day according to God’s command. Just so, too, Jesus Christ after, being anointed with God’s spirit to be an everlasting King was under command and obligation to study the Bible. His own admissions and the facts about him show he did so. He learned how to read the Holy Scriptures in their original Hebrew text For studying the Holy Scriptures and openly teaching and obeying what they taught the religious Jews killed Jesus the Messianic King. On the third day Jehovah God his Father raised him up to life immortal. As risen king Jesus still showed loyalty to God’s written Word and encouraged his followers to study it. W 2/1

Thursday, January 5

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.—John 8: 36.

Are there no free people on earth today? Yes, there are. They are a small minority. Being free, they do not have the slavish spirit of this world which is in bondage. Though the world with its enslaving burdens is all around them, they do not share its mental darkness, its servile attitudes, and its selfish inclinations. The bonds of servitude to the “god of this world”, Satan the Devil, they have burst, and they follow and imitate the Messiah, the Son of God, who died as a martyr on a torture stake in devotion to the cause of freedom. His heavenly Father, Jehovah God, accepted his precious sacrifice as the price for freeing all those who accept him as the Son of God and who accordingly believe in the liberating power of his sacrifice. There is no other way to gain freedom than by this Son of God. W 8/15

Friday, January 6

Where a covenant is, the death of the covenant-victim to come in is necessary, for a covenant over dead victims is stedfast, since it is [of ] no force at all when the covenant-victim liv-eth.—Heb. 9:16,17, Young.

When Jesus was resurrected the third day after his death and forty days later ascended to the heavenly presence of Jehovah God he did appear there with the value of his precious lifeblood. He then presented it to God for the ratifying of the new covenant and the redemption of his followers from their sins and the penalty death. This presentation of the merit of his blood to God in heaven corresponded with Moses’ splashing the blood of the sacrificial victims upon the scroll of God’s law. When, therefore, did Jesus in heaven K’ kle the value of his shed toward those who were brought into the new covenant? Evidently on the day of Pentecost ten days after he ascended to heaven, for then the holy spirit was poured out upon his faithful followers as a help to them. W 3/1

He hath not dealt so with any nation; . . . Praise ye Jeho

vah.—Ps. 147:20, A.S.V.

When the Israelites agreed to the covenant, Jehovah gave them his written law. They belonged to God, for he delivered them from the Egyptian raceexterminators, and now they had his divine law. Thus Israel was a Theocratic nation. No Gentile nation, then existing or yet to come, could claim to be Theocratic and to have its governmental structure and its law from the great Theo-crat Jehovah. So when Israel obeyed the law of their Theocratic nation, even in regard to worship, it meant obedience to God. When they _ supported the national organization, it meant being Theocratic, for it meant supporting Jehovah God as Ruler. He was in reality their King, despite being invisible to them. He had a right to dictate how to worship, for he is the Most High God, the Source of all right worship, and he had delivered Israel from death to make them his own. He had the right to be intolerant toward false religion among them. W 4/1

Sunday, living engaged in this service by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.—2 Cor. 4:1.

Rev. Stan. Ver.

Our being ordinarily carpenters, painters, hodcarriers, ranchers, housewives, servant girls, etc., when the divine compassion and truth reach us, is no reason for us to say to God, ‘I can’t be a gospel preacher!’ The question is, not what your earthly occupation is, but, Did you experience His mercy? If yes, then it was that you might become the minister

January 8

of his truth, that by this ministry you might both save yourself and also save others. Do not grow faint-hearted because you are a plain human. In every case God has used earthen vessels like yourself to minister his Word to others. As in the case of other vessels, he can and will make you qualified, strong and intelligent enough to undertake it. Why, else, has he extended his kindness to you? Be of good heart. Believe he can make something of you. W 6/1

Monday,

Christ . . , made alive in the spirit.—1 Pct. 3:18, A.S.V.

At his resurrection Jesus Christ was not the same Jesus by having his flesh-and-blood body revivified and then spiritualized so that he could disappear and ascend to God’s presence in heaven. That would mean that human corruption would inherit incorruption. But 1 Corinthians 15: 50 strictly declares: “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”

January 9

Jehovah God knew and remembered his beloved Son better than anyone else. So, by his all-accomplishing power he resurrected him by reproducing him accurately, clothing him upon with immortality and incorruption in the spirit realm. In this way, “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” As such, he gives life, not to his church, “the body of Christ,” only, but also to all other believers of mankind. —1 Cor. 15:45, Am. Stan.

Ver. W 4/15

Adam was formed first, and then Eve.-l Tim. 2: IS, A.A.T.

Eve was taken from man’s side, and by man’s side she belonged as his helper. Being built up from a rib under his arm, she was a close helper for the stronger man to love, guide and care for as part of him. The man already had responsibility toward the lower animals, but when God gave him a wife, an additional responsibility came upon the man, this time toward a creature like him, a woman. He could not shift the burden of this responsibility which the Creator had put upon him as the man of the married couple. No, he must answer to God as to how he took care of this responsibility. He must honor the position in which God put h i m. Correspondingly, the woman was brought under an obligation when she was given to man. She could be a real assistant to him. As to how she met her obligation for which she had been created, she, too, must answer to God. W 5/1

Wednesday,

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory. —Alatt. 25:31, Am. Stan. Ver.

The Son of man’s dealing with the sheep and goats takes place before the wicked heavens and earth of this world flee into destruction, at the battle of Armageddon. The parable of the sheep and goats is fulfilled during his second presence or parousia. Its fulfillment is part of the sign to show his presence or parousia. It takes

January 11

place in this the long-foretold “day of Jehovah”, which began at the end of the “times of the Gentiles” in 1914 and closes at Armageddon. Since Jesus said the second coming of the Son of man was to be “in his glory”, it was to be an invisible coming, and his presence or parousia must be an invisible one, not in human flesh. His coming into his Kingdom power to rule from heaven over earth must be invisible, for neither sheep nor goats could see him in such glory and live. W 5/15

Look for new heavens and a new earth.—2 Pet. 3:13. Jehovah’s time has come for the creation of a new and righteous world. With this end in view he has taken his power to reign over the earth and has set up his Theocratic Government with the promised Messiah as King. For thousands of years the earth has been ruled by a succession of devilish, beastly, political governments. Now His own appointed time has come to make a change for the sake of his own

12

glory and the blessing of all men of good-will. This world can not escape its foretold destruction, but the situation is not entirely hopeless for the people. A new world of righteousness stands at the door for all people of good-will. The establishment of God’s kingdom of absolute power guarantees the early entry of that glorious new world. Since these things are so and can be proved, it denotes that the second presence of Messiah, Jesus Christ, is here. W 7/15 The one shall be taken, and the other left. . . . Where, Lord? . . . Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.—Luke 17:36, 37.

Because the ones taken have faith and heavenly wisdom they are sharp-sighted, swiftmoving ones, like eagles. Instead of executing them at Armageddon Jesus destroys their enemy, this world, and reduces it to a dead body, a carcass. So they feast upon this carcass by rejoicing in his victory over it at Armageddon, because it means his vindication of Jehovah. Even now he takes them into his work of vindicating Jehovah. He associates them with him in proclaiming the Kingdom and the coming destruction of all of Satan’s organization. By keeping their integrity through a faithful part in this witness work, they are given the satisfying privilege of seeing Christ the King gain victory at Armageddon and render the mighty enemy organization like a carcass unburied and left to bo devoured by carrion birds.—Rev. 19: 1618. W 8/1

Saturday, Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, . . . Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever after the order o f Melehizedek.—Ps. 110:1, 4, Am. Stan. Ver.

Speaking under divine inspiration, King David prophesied of his royal Son and Permanent Heir as being greater and higher than David, even as being heavenly and as combining more than the office of kingship in himself, namely, High Priesthood and Kingship. David’s “son” could be his

January 14

“Lord” only by being the Son of God from heaven and also by being exalted higher than to a throne on the literal Mount Zion in earthly Jerusalem to reign over just Israel’s twelve tribes. Jesus becomes David’s “Lord” by being exalted to the throne at God’s right hand to reign over all mankind. That includes David when he is resurrected from the grave. The Mount Zion where Jesus’ throne is placed is therefore a heavenly Mount Zion, the capital organization over all God’s universe. W 9/15

In these fateful days such strenuous efforts are being made by the ingenuity of brainy men to bolster up the world structure that it may seem impossible for it to be destroyed suddenly within this generation. Just as impossible as when twenty-five centuries ago it was thought impossible that the great world power, the empire of Babylon, should collapse in one night, in 539 B.O. But down from her lofty height Babylon did crash. Breath-taking was her fall, and the one that took the responsibility for her downfall was Jehovah, the God of a persecuted minority in Babylon, the Israelites. A century and a half before a small remnant of Israelites went captive to Babylon Jehovah by his prophet Isaiah forewarned them of their captivity to that world power. He also comforted them by the promise of their release from the oppressive power by Babylon’s overthrow. W 10/1

If 1 . . . know all myiteries and all knowledge; . . . but have not love, I am nothing.

—1 Cor. IS: 2, A.S.V.

Everyone should use a gift from God in the right way, that is, in love first of all to God and in love to his neighbor. Otherwise, its use will not profit the user, not even the gift of knowing all the sacred mysteries. To prevent brethren from having a wrong, worshipful attitude toward one, a gifted person should remind them that the mysteries are not of his own wisdom and insight, but he is merely entrusted with them by Christ. We are simply plain servants of Christ and are under obligation to distribute the knowledge of these mysteries to truthseekers. So the credit for getting this knowledge is due, not to us, but to Christ the Revealer of the sacred secrets. Christ is to be thanked and followed. If we love God and Christ and his brethren, we will use these mvsteries unselfishly, for no self-aggrandizement among men, but to magnify God, who reveals the sacred secrets through Christ. This will profit us. W 11/15

Tuesday, January 17

Love one another with brotherly affection.—Rom. 12:10, Rev. Stan. Ver.

Where real affection exists between family members they deal with one another gently, kindly, considerately. So we should deal with one another in a Christian congregation. We may be thrown into continual contact with one another, say, in a Bethel home of the Watch Tower Society, or in a missionary or pioneer home, in a Branch establishment, or in an organized congregation of Christians. But such close association and familiarity must not create contempt for one another. No; but we must treat one another with that affectionate considerateness if we want to get along and hold together in God’s service. If we are long-suffering, patient, gentle and kind, and not demanding and rough, we shall get along well with all around us. The others may have difficulty with themselves in getting along with us, but we will make an effort to get along with them. That course profits us, and makes things easier for us finally. W 12/1

Wednesday, I charge thee therefore before

God.—2 Tim. 4:1.

Why does Paul issue his charge to preachers “before God”? To make the charge as strong as possible. In the controversy over who wields the universal sovereignty and who must therefore be obeyed, Paul chose to vindicate the sovereignty of Jehovah God Supreme by obeying him and telling others to do the same. He is the One responsible for raising up his witnesses and commanding them to bear testi-

January 18

mony. When we obey God against men’s wishes we maintain that His sovereignty and power of command are above those of men and devils. So we have a part in vindicating his universal sovereignty. We acknowledge and prove that it applies to us here on earth, despite the Devil’s organization that now surrounds us. Jehovah himself started off the preaching. He is the One that commanded it to be taken up by us over the objections of men. This command he has never revoked. W 12/15

He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

—Heb. 8: 6.

In ancient Israel the high priest could not offer the sacrifice that had the power to validate the new covenant. But Jesus Christ, because he was a perfect man and led a life on earth sinless until his death, could yield himself up as the needed sacrifice to God. By offering himself in harmony with God’s will he became a high priest greater than the Levite high priest of ancient Israel. God swore to him also that he would be a priest like King Melchizedek. Having, therefore, a better sacrifice than the animal sacrifices Moses had when mediating the Law covenant, Jesus was able to be the Mediator of a better covenant than what Moses mediated, a covenant that secures durable benefits far greater than the Law covenant did, for those taken into the new covenant. W 3/1

Friday, January 20

The whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.—Gal. 5:14, A.S.V.

If we love one another as brethren, then we will not use our freedom as an opportunity to satisfy the selfish flesh, disregarding the rights and everlasting interests of our brethren. Our love will cause us to make ourselves the slaves of others in a spiritual way. Our freedom allows us the liberty to do so, and we do so willingly, that our brethren may remain in God’s favor, may serve him acceptably, and may gain eternal life in the new world. Our love will prevent us from doing the things the Mosaic law forbids. As for neighbors, no one is closer neighbor to us than our brethren within the Theocratic organization of Jehovah, and if we love them sincerely we will do in effect all that the Mosaic law required of the Israelites to do toward their neighbor. And if we love our close neighbors whom we have seen, we will love our God whom we have not seen. W 3/15

Saturday,

You search the scriptures, imagining you possess eternal life in their pages—and they do testify of me—but you refuse to come to me for life.

—John 5: 39, 40, Moffatt.

By this comment Jesus was not discouraging the Jews from searching the Holy Scriptures, but was showing up their insincerity or lack of consistency. They searched the Scriptures with the right idea that these would guide them to life. Now those very Scriptures bore witness about Messiah as the means of life. Yet for all

January 21

their study of such Messianic Scriptures which plainly pointed to Jesus, they refused to come to him to obtain the life they were seeking. Their Bible study did them no good. It was because they were not sincere, teachable, and free from religious prejudice. Paul says the Holy Scriptures “are able to make thee wise unto salvation”, but such Spriptur-ally gained wisdom must be exercised “through faith which is in Christ Jesus”, for Jesus is the Messiah of whom the Scriptures t e s t i f y.—2 Tim. 3:15. W 2/1

We are ambassadors for Christ.—2 Cor. 5: 20.

If Jehovah’s witnesses are ambassadors of God’s kingdom, they cannot serve another kingdom, any more than the representative of one of the nations in this world could stand up and speak in favor of another nation and against his own government. He would lose his citizenship and position. Jehovah’s witnesses nave entered into a covenant to represent the kingdom of heaven, and they know “covenantbreakers . . . are worthy of death”. (Rom. 1:31,32) But they love life ! Therefore they will defend, work for, support and preach God’s kingdom. “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. . . . for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel I” (1 Cor. 9:14-16) Because of taking such an unequivocal stand for God’s kingdom they are hated of all nations. Yes, they are looked upon as undesirables because they preach his kingdom, and because of this they are accused of all manner of evil. —John 15:19; Matt. 10:18. W 1/1

Monday,

He commanded them, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat: but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die.—Gen. 2:10,17, Douay.

The designation of this tree shows it was not necessary for man to indulge in sin in order to know what evil is. He did not have to enter into an experience of sin in order to appreciate what it and its effects are. Experience was not neces-

January 23

sary to be his teacher in regard to evil. Almighty God could teach him without his having to engage in what is wrong. God could impart the knowledge of what sin is in a pure way that did not degrade, and he could do it by letting man and woman eat of this tree in due time. Until God lifted the forbidding command from this tree man w’as not to eat of it. To do so before then would be evil; it would be sin, and it would bring the penalty of death upon the disobedient eater. W 6/15

Tuesday, The mystery of godliness: Which was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, appeared to angels.—1 Tim.

3:16, Cath. Confrat.

Jesus was manifested in the flesh, yes, as a man, and for that reason his countrymen were able to see him. But the Devil and religious leaders condemned him and had him put to death as a malefactor and blasphemer against God. But God saw to his justification. Note, though, that when God justified him, he was

January 24

“justified in the spirit”. This was done by making him alive again, not in the flesh, but in the spirit, as deserving of the reward of a life higher than human. Thus he was vindicated in the spirit. When Saul of Tarsus saw Jesus years after His resurrection, he did not see Jesus in the flesh, but in blinding heavenly glory. As Jesus had forever sacrificed the body in which he died, he was resurrected as a spirit more glorious than ever before. W 7/1

And the tongue is a fire, . . . and is set on fire by gehenna.

—Jas. 3:6, Rotherham.

This does not signify that our unruly tongues are a literal fire and are set aflame by the literal Gehenna that burned outside of Jerusalem in James’ day. The correct thought is that the tongue can do and start a lot of damaging talk as destructive as a conflagration and that such improper use of the tongue can bring on its user the everlasting destruction pictured by Gehenna. That is why James warned that it is a very responsible thing for a man to be a teacher in spiritual things, for he is responsible to God and he owes it to his listeners to teach the truth. Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees: “Serpents! brood of vipers I how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?” (Matt. 23 : 33, Young) Let us not fear such men who try to instill fear by base, God-dishonoring falsehoods. Let us fear the God of truth, learning to know him according to truth. W 9/1

They shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.—Zech. 8: 23, A.S.V.

Christ Jesus, the King now reigning upon the heavenly Mount Zion, is the great Jew or Praiser of Jehovah God. He and his consecrated followers, anointed with God’s spirit, are the true Israel of God. They are Jews inwardly having the circumcision of the heart, a spiritual thing. It is upon the remnant of this true Israel of God today that the above prophecy as well as all other prophecies concerning restoration find fulfillment. Unlike the Jews of the republic of Israel, this anointed remnant have been gathered away from this world. They are clean from friendship and contamination with this world, its politics, its selfish commerce and its religion. Therefore since their restoration in 1919 Jehovah has been pleased to use them as his witnesses. W 8/15

Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah for servants and for handmaids: and they shall take them captive whose captives they were.

—Isa. 14:2, A.S.V.

The “sojourners” are helping the remnant of spiritual Israelites in their educational work and are placing themselves at the disposal of the Theocratic organization under Christ the Head. That is how the spiritual “house of Israel” is possessing these helpful people in the land of Jehovah as servants and handmaids. Formerly many of these belonged to nations that took the remnant of spiritual Israel captive during World War I. But now the tables are turned. Those once captors of the remnant in this Babylonish worldorganization have surrendered themselves to the King Christ Jesus. Thus they have become captives of him and of his organization of spiritual Israel. No longer do they oppress the remnant, but gladly submit to the Theocratic rule of Christ, becoming the “other sheep” of him as their Good Shepherd. W 10/15

Caesar coined money and he did not accept Jewish coins as tax money; and so we must pay back Caesar his coins that he made and that he required in tax payment. Also through his governmental operations “Caesar” renders us various services and we must therefore pay our taxes. That way we pay him back for the services he renders and from which we get some material benefit, such as postal service, public service utilities and facilities, public schooling, fire prevention and protection, police service, etc. Pay him for the earthly services rendered; but none of such services require or are deserving of the Christian’s worshiping “Caesar”. “Caesar” cannot buy our worship with such things. None of such things provide or purchase for us eternal life, and none of them are worthy of our lives, so that we should lay down our lives for “Caesar” in any cause. Our lives are from God. W b/1

Sunday,

Here am I; send me.-Isa. 6: 8.

Whatever job Isaiah had been working at till then did not matter with God. It was not to be let stand in the way of accepting God’s invitation. God had shown him mercy in keeping him alive and cleaning him up. He was now acceptable for sending. All he needed now to accept the call and carry out the commission of service was a willing, obedient heart. So Isaiah offered to go. Divine mercy was not misspent upon him. Regardless of

nuary 29

what job he had before then or still had to carry on to support his family, Isaiah proved to be one of Jehovah’s greatest preachers. But Jesus himself was a carpenter before he became God’s greatest preacher at thirty years of age. In our day God has called other carpenters, yes, bricklayers, bakers, farmers, and common workmen, and housewives and maidservants, and made them his efficient witnesses and preachers, and all this without a religious theological-seminary training. W 6/1

Monday, It shall come to pass on that day that the root of J esse, who will be standing as a signal to the peoples—to him will the nations resort.—Isa. 11:10, A.A.T.

The King Christ Jesus was the son of David, son of Jesse. All who make Jehovah’s kingdom their choice must assemble to his royal Signal, his reigning King on the holy mountain of Zion. True Christians now see the prophetic role they must play as Jehovah’s witnesses in the midst

January 30

of modern Babylon. Christ Jesus the King enlightens their eyes to discern the setting up of the promised kingdom; and could they resist assembling to it in full support, in all-out allegiance? No; but they have declared themselves for Jehovah’s Ruler of the new world and uncompromisingly against antitypical Babylon, the Devil’s world. They are convinced of the Kingdom’s establishment and are gathered to it, and could they, dare they, now keep silent and not exalt it before men? No! W 10/1

Love . . . doth not behave itself unseemly.—1 Cor. IS: 4, 5, Am. Stan. Ver.

Love is not ill-mannered in any respect. When persons commit sexual abuses among themselves, they are working what is unseemly and are certain to get paid in the long run for all their violation of natural law. But to behave ourselves indecently toward our brethren or outsiders, we do not have to commit sexual abuses and immoralities. We could be rude, we could be insolent, coarse, vulgar, discourteous, and that would certainly not be loving toward others. We will not be rude or disrespectful to even the weakest or least attractive among us. We will be to one another as the members of our human bodies are to one another. No member intentionally treats the other abusively or shamefully. Treating one another this way, we will make everyone feel comfortable among us. We do want to walk honorably toward all as in broad daylight, with nothing to be ashamed of. W 12/1

Wednesday,

God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply.—Gen. 9:1.

When Noah and his household emerged from the ark the year following the forty-day rainfall, the repopulating of the dried earth began, in obedience to God's command. Like Noah’s sons and daughters-in-law, a numberless multitude of persons of good-will, consecrated to Jehovah God through Christ, will survive this world’s end. We are not to suppose that human marriage and childbearing will at once cease,

February 1

but the survivors will enjoy the same privilege of marriage and rearing children as Noah’s sons and daughters-in-law did. God’s utterance of a mandate to Noah’s household to multiply doubtless pictures He will issue a like mandate to the good-will survivors of this world’s end. The “new earth” will start then, and from its start the increasing of earth’s population in obedience to the divine mandate to multiply will go forward. The “new heavens” will then pour down blessings. W 1/15

Thursday, And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed.

—Matt. 25:33,34.

The work of separating the people of all the nations occupies the greater part of the period from 1914 to Armageddon. But finally the time arrives for the King to deal out each one’s deserts. This must be when each one affected by the test has made his decision and demonstrated where he

February 2

stands on the issue of God's kingdom by Christ. This is when the battle of Armageddon is due to start and each one must take the consequences of his stand. The King does not address the sheep as “My brethren”. No, for these become his children, for whom he laid down his life. He invites them to enter into an earthly destiny in the new world because they are the ones who have his Father’s blessing. All having his Father’s blessing the King will use his royal power to bless. W 5/15

As iron sharpens iron, a man sharpens the face of his friend.

—Prop. 27:17, A. A. T.

For sharpening up a person’s view and understanding of the truth there is nothing better than to join with other devoted students in examining and discussing our great textbook the Bible. Iron or steel can become rusty if not continually used and regularly sharpened. For like reasons the seekers of divine truth should meet together regularly and sharpen one another up by sharing with one another the knowledge gained from individual concentration upon God’s Word and by exchanging thoughts upon Scriptural questions. We should never relax this practice, if we want to keep bright in the truth. We should all the more avail ourselves of this great privilege for self-improvement because we are in the foretold “time of the end” when knowledge is to be increased. We should therefore spur one another on to love God and do his good work by meeting together. —Heb. 10: 24, 25. W 2/1

Saturday,

Comfort ye my people, saith your God.—Isa. 40:1.

In 1919, the first postwar year, the great comfort came. By his King Christ Jesus at the temple Jehovah God began releasing his repentant people from their Babylonish captivity. Then a voice was heard through his unfolding Word, bidding his captive people go forth from their captivity of fear and religious ignorance. Follow Jehovah’s King and Leader for you, Christ Jesus, over the highway through the wilderness of this world back

February 4

to the true, fearless worship and service of Jehovah God. As Establisher of the Kingdom, God raised up Christ Jesus as the great Signal on the heavenly Mount Zion. To this great royal Signal all peoples seeking peace and happiness under a perfect Government must now assemble. They must take their stand on his side and identify themselves with the Kingdom so as to gain eternal life and deliverance from this world. They must lift up this Signal on earth by making Christ known as rightful King. W 2/15

Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.—Col. 3:23.

Do not go out into the witness work, performing various kinds of activity, just because till now you have no record of work to show this month. You are a minister of the gospel for just one reason, namely, for your love of Jehovah God, and you want to share with Christ Jesus in the vindication of the heavenly Father. He it is whom you are serving and before whom you must stand approved or fall rejected. Follow the instructions for his Theocratic organization as you find these written in his spiritual Word. Let these be your guide, your measuring rod, your straightedge. If you do this, you will get satisfaction out of considering yourself, because you realize in yourself you have done God’s work. Do not compare yourself with another fellow servant on earth. Have better sense than to do this.—2 Cor. 10:12. W 3/15

Monday, February 6

Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah—Jer. 31: 31, A.S.V.

Jehovah produces a nation of perfect rulers for the righteous new world that he has promised to create. His wonderful arrangement for bringing forth these desirable rulers he foretold long ago, calling it his “new covenant”. It took the actual death of Jesus Christ and the spilling of his blood sacrificially for the new covenant to be made on earth and then be ratified up in heaven. It was inaugurated toward his disciples after he ascended to heaven and there presented the value of his human sacrifice. It fills us with a tingling sensation to think of the satisfactory, righteous rulers that could be produced for the new world by means of this divine arrangement. It gives us an ever greater sensation of delight to realize this new covenant is now attaining its final success and the new world is at hand. W 3/1

One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom.—Dan. 7:13,14.

Mark that coming of the Son of man into his kingdom. That denotes the time of bis second coming and so the beginning of his second presence or parousia. At the first coming of Christ Jesus, the Son of Davud, he came to prove his right to the kingdom that had been overturned at Jerusalem’s first destruction in 607 B.C. So when God bestows upon him the Kingdom power to which he has a right and he thus enters upon the Kingdom, this means his second coming and the start of his second presence. The conferment of the Kingdom upon him must be when the “seven times” of uninterrupted Gentile domination of the earth expire. They expired A.D. 1914. That date therefore marks the time of Christ’s second coming and the beginning of his second parousia or presence. W 7/15

A good wife is an honour to her husband: a shameless wife rots all his strength away.

—Prov. 12: 4, Moffatt.

In keeping with the Creator’s original purpose in providing woman, her effort should always be to help man. But noting her place in God’s arrangement and noting the influence she wields with man, Satan the Devil has made it his business to use her to influence man to depart from obeying Jehovah God. Many women with a fear of God and with faith in the wisdom of his arrangements have nobly resisted the crafty effort of the Serpent to use them wrongly to man’s hurt. These have gained respect of God-fearing men. God's Word mentions a number of them with honor. In his arrangement of human relations, woman’s may be a secondary place; hers may be a subordinate role, but as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, she has been privileged to wield a quiet, modest influence that has been powerful with man for good. W 5/1

It rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.—Luke n: 29, 30.

Many will be left to their self-chosen destiny of destruction at the battle of Armageddon. By comparing the days of his second presence with those of Lot, Jesus illustrated the suddenness with which his presence will be revealed and how some will be preserved through it into the righteous new world while others will

In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, . . . that the remnant of men, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek me.—Amos 9:11,12, Septuagint.

From Pentecost of A.D. 33 down to the beginning of Christ’s thousand-year reign, God occupies the time in gathering and preparing for the Kingdom the 144,000 fellow heirs of the great Son of David. Natural Jews since Moses’ day had Jehovah’s name called upon them. First

Teach all nations, . . . and, lo, 1 am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. —Matt. 28:19,20.

All during the time of Jesus’ absence in heaven he has been with his faithful followers on earth by the spirit or active force which he has sent them ; also by means of his ministering angels, and by his loving interest in them. But he promised to be with them in a special way in the “time of the end”. This meant he would be with them during the world’s be destroyed. There is safety in obedience to the Lord God. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” That is Peter’s comment upon this merciful deliverance of Lot. (2 Pet. 2:9) The experience of Lot furnishes an example for all people of good-will of today to follow at once. It behooves us to study the evidences of Christ’s presence and then take advantage of his merciful patience by seeking refuge on his side. W 8/1 from among them God nicked out a faithful remnant of some thousands of men and women who accepted Jesus as Messiah. After giving these Jews who bore Jehovah’s name an exclusive opportunity for seven years to be taken into the Kingdom covenant with Jesus, Jehovah began visiting the non-Jews or Gentiles who had not been called by His name. He opened to them the chance to fill up the rest of the number of fellow heirs of the royal covenant. Peter first declared the Kingdom opportunity to them. W 9/15 consummation (syntileia) by his presence or parousia. For he would come into his kingdom when the Gentile times expired and the “time of the end” started. Then a teaching of nations by his remnant of followers on earth would be carried on in a phenomenal way. Even so! They are now teaching the good news of the Kingdom and showing it was established in 1914. For this closing work of his disciples on earth Christ Jesus in Kingdom power is indeed present with them. W 11/1

Then shall the King say to those on his right, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, come into your inheritance in the realm prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”-Matt. 25: 34, Moffatt.

The prophet Daniel tells us of the setting up of the Kingdom in the hands of God’s Son and how it smashes the entire Devil’s organization at the battle of Armageddon. He likens that kingdom at first to a stone cut out of the mountain without human hands. After the royal stone smashed the image of the Devil's organization, it became a great mountain and filled all our earth. (Dan. 2:44,45,35) Just so, after Armageddon God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus will extend its realm over all the earth. The uttermost parts of the earth become the realm of the King, to be converted into a perfect paradise. These blessed “other sheep” enter into that earthly realm under the Kingdom at the King’s invitation. Thus they ‘inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the world’s foundation’. W 5/15

Mercy and truth are met together.—Ps. 85:10.

Despite the woe on earth, we should keep tender, always remembering God’s unspeakable mercy to us since 1918 and the divine purpose in it all. In imitation of Him we should be merciful to others that thus his loving-kindness may overflow from us and reach others. With this in view he has given us special revelations of truth since 1918. This enables us to preach to others, to enlighten them on what this woeful period of world history means and how amid it all divine goodness is being specially shown to mankind before the devastating battle of Armageddon blots out all of Satau’s organization. Truth has been bestowed upon the earthly part of God’s organization. So it is now our obligation to see that such truth springs forth from us in that we hold it out to others and let them, too, feed on the truth. Then they also can know of His mercy and come into righteous relationship with him and enjoy peace. W 6/1

The cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

—Isa. 14:8.

Satan still acts toward the best specimens of mankind as The king of Babylon did who wantonly cut down Lebanon’s trees for his building works at Babylon. Satan has succeeded in cutting down many who were “trees of righteousness” in the pure organization of Jehovah and has transported them from their proper place there to adorn the Devil’s organization and to serve his proud purposes. But Armageddon will lay him low by the blows of Jehovah’s battle-ax, Christ Jesus the Greater Cyrus. Then, during the millennial reign of Christ that follows, all who try to grow up as trees of righteousness in the new world will not be assaulted by Satan the Devil and his wicked woodmen before they have attained the full height of perfection. (Jer. 51: 20-24) All lovers of righteousness will then sing in relief. W 10/15

Yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.—1 Cor. 12: 31.

Centuries ago it was a good way to build up the Christian congregation by means of aweinspiring gifts of the spirit. But the remnant of the church today is following a more excellent way than that of using spiritual gifts. It is the way of love. This makes the Christian church the same today as in the first century. The true church today has that same quality of love as she had in apostolic days. By the way of love she is being built up and is performing all her works in obedience to God and in imitation of Jesus. It is this permanent all-important way in which she has sought to go all these nineteen centuries. It is a more excellent way than that of operating merely by gifts of the spirit. She has suffered no real loss, hindrance or hurt by the withholding of the gifts. She is just as full of the spirit as ever. Her faith and nope are as strong as ever, if not more so, now at the end of this world. W 11/15

On a bare hill, up with the signal! shout to them aloud, beckon them on.-—Isa. 13:2, Moffatt.

Boldly, unashamed, and with enthusiasm the faithful remnant of Christian Israelites are doing this, especially since 1919, by publicizing Jehovah’s kingdom far and wide, lifting it to the greatest height of prominence, bidding all people of good-will to assemble to the Kingdom by vowing it their eternal allegiance. They shout loud and urge on the Leaders of righteousness by praying unceasingly to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ his King that they will soon destroy the Devil’s entire organization. They also shout by calling out publicly and from house to house the prophecies of modern Babylon’s doom. Such prophecies obligate Jehovah God and Christ Jesus to “enter the gates of the proud” of the Babylonish world. These prophecies Jehovah inspired by his spirit and gave over his own name. He must fulfill them for the vindication of his word and name. He will do so.

W 10/1

He sent them to preach the kingdom.—Luke 9: 2.

Jehovah has made preaching the most important work any of us could do in this world. He has commanded it to be done for his own honor and for the lasting benefit it brings to men. That benefit includes the rescue of obedient people from the sad results of the first man’s fall. Hence the persons whom Jehovah God nas raised up to preach include the greatest man ever on earth, Jesus Christ. Except for this one, our rescue from all this world’s afflictions would be impossible. Why did Jesus leave his carpenter work at thirty years of age? To preach. He attracted quite a group of followers and he taught them. What did he try to make out of these men and women? He instructed and trained them to be preachers, like himself. After his death and resurrection Jesus showed his followers it was more important than ever to do the work for which he had trained them. W 12/15

Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled.

—Ps. 2:12, A.S.V.

This is one reason why Jehovah’s witnesses are so busy preaching the good tidings of God’s kingdom and directing the minds of the people to the study of God’s Word. There the people can find the truth and can plan a life for themselves based on the principles of truth and righteousness. They need have no part with this old, dying world, but should line up with the “new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness”. (2 Pet. 3: 13) The Supreme Ruler will settle the issue without any difficulty when the time comes for a settlement of the controversy as to who shall rule the world. He has not ordained man to rule, either through religious or through political or commercial organizations. He has appointed his glorified Son, Jesus Christ, to do that, and the Son shall reign until he has put all enemies under his feet, including death, the last enemy to be destroyed.—1 Cor. 15: 25,26. W 1/1

In love be slaves to one another. —Gal. 5:13, An Amer. Trans.

It takes just some secret ambition to shine or to have power, some jealousy of the popularity of another, some envy of the high position and authority of another, some fancied injury that an introverted mind can nurse and magnify. There follow unloving actions toward one another. But if we love one another, if in love we seek to be the slaves of our brethren, then we will not try to make ourselves selfish masters or superiors over them. As free creatures, we will lovingly and willingly take on burdens so as to be of service to our brethren. Truly a big boss is not the most vital member of a company of Christians, but that one is who is rendering the most service. That the most serviceable one is the most essential one is the rule to remember everywhere, in our Christian congregations, in missionary homes, and in any other institution for unitedly carrving on the proclamation of the Kingdom. W 3/15

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.—1 Thess.

5:21,22, Am. Stan. Ver.

The mere religious appearance of a publication should not of itself commend a thing to us, but, by our thorough test with God’s Word, it must be proved Theocratic before we hold it fast. If it is not Theocratic, it should be abstained from. As a guide and help it is not built upon the right foundation and cannot be straight teaching. God’s own Word shows he has a Theocratic organization composed of his fully devoted people, and that he has always provided the spiritual food and instruction through this organization. If we prove the provisions coming through his Theocratic organization by testing them against his established Word, it shows such provisions to be good, trustworthy and leading to a clearer understanding of the truth. Hence such Theocratic provisions may safely be held fast, and should be. W 2/1

Trust ... in God which rais-eth the dead.—2 Cor. 1: 9.

Jehovah God the Creator was the only One that could conceive of such a thing as the resurrection of the dead. He was the only One that could bring it about. For the purpose of testing our faith in him, he gave the promise of a resurrection, doing so at the time that “sin entered into the world, and death by sin”. (Rom. 5: 12) The resurrection of dead men had to be by a special arrangement. Something preliminary had to pro

Hell and destruction arc never full.—Prov. 27: 20.

Hell or Sheol began to exist when the first witness of Jehovah God, namely, Abel, was killed by his brother Cain and his blood cried to God from the ground. His corpse, in crumbling and returning to the dust of which mankind is made, would go to the Bible hell or Sheol. From then on all men and women who have died or been killed and who come under the provisions of Messiah’s ransom sacrifice have

Choose us out men, and go out, fight.—Hx. 17:9, A.S.V.

In Israel conscription of men for warfare was Theocratic, for it was at God’s command. The Levites, however, were exempted, for God set them aside for his sacred service at the temple. (Num. 1:1-3,45-54) The warfare that the Israelite conscripts fought was Theocratic warfare, for it was in obedience, not to man, but to Jehovah God their King. In a very real sense, then, they acted as the human executioners for God against all the Gentile nations that stood in vide grounds for it Hence the first resurrection that God foretold was, not that of a man dying for his sin. It was of a son of God who would die martyr-like for his absolute faithfulness to God. For this he would be worthy of being raised from death to life in a state more exalted than he had ever enjoyed before. At the same time the human life that he would thus sacrifice forever would be the basis for God to raise human sinners from the dead to avail themselves of the benefit of that sacrificed life. W 4/15 gone to the same place as Abel, to Sheol. Hell was not made by Jehovah God as a realm in which the Devil should preside, for even those faithful to the Most High God go there at death. This temporary abode of the dead has claimed billions. It will continue to claim many more of mankind until this old world of Satan is destroyed at Armageddon and God’s Son Jesus Christ begins his reign of a thousand years. Till then Sheol will be greedy and never be satisfied. W 9/1 the way of the divine purposes. They were the armies of Jehovah God. That explains why He fought and won their battles for them. Once they were not organized for war but were helpless fugitives from Egypt, with the mightily armed Egyptian hosts behind them and the Red sea as a watery barrier before them. They were then shown that a military establishment was no necessity among them. To quiet their fears of being militarily overwhelmed Moses said: “Jehovah will fight for you.” Jehovah did so. W 4/1

Even Lebanon is not fuel enough for him, nor its cattle a sufficient sacrifice. Before him all the nations are as nothing; to him they are but empty and inane.

—Isa. 40:16,17, Moffatt.

How this divine size-up of all nations and political governments ought to humble them. But does it? No! They pretend to be godly and claim to make great sacrifices and offerings to him at the cost of large sums of money and of countless human lives. But suppose they were to take as firewood all the vast forests that anciently covered the Lebanon mountains and were to offer all the beasts that roamed those mountains. Even then this tremendous holocaust would not be an adequate sacrifice to him. It would not be worth the value of Christ’s ransom sacrifice. As for successfully resisting his purposes, they might as well be nothing. He will literally reduce them to an empty waste at the battle of Armageddon. W 2/15

Saturday,

Love . . . hopeth all things. —1 Cor. 13: 7, Am. Stan. Ver.

Belief or faith is the substance or basis of things hoped for. These include all that God promises in his Word and that are in harmony with what he has promised. Hence our hopes are not false. In this respect our hope is a helmet to our head or minds. (1 Thess. 5:8) We are right in what we desire and expect, primarily God’s kingdom by Christ. So this hope will never disappoint us and leave us ashamed. It makes us confident, joyful.

February 25

It makes us wait patiently for fruit, while we keep at preaching the truth. It impels us to tell others the reason for our hope with meekness and reverence. It makes us hope the best for all sheeplike people we find and who listen to our message of truth. We fight against growing impatient with them, while we expect the best for any who are weak in faith. Thus our hopes do not move us to selfish action, for all the things we desire and await are what love lays hold of confidently. W 12/1

And he shall separate men one from another, as the shepherd doth separate the sheep from the goats.—Matt. 25: 32, W estminster.

By now the King’s “little flock” is about made up, and so now he is gathering a great flock of sheep, a flock without number, by separating them from the rest of the people. These are his “other sheep”. He laid down his human life for all these “other sheep”. (John 10 : 15,16) He issues a general call for these to gather, by sending forth the Kingdom message, the remnant of his brothers now preaching this on earth since 1918. People who are sheeplike recognize his “voice” in the message. They respond to it, his voice, and leave the side of the goats and come over on his side to follow him as their Shepherd-King. By this course of action they come into close touch with the remnant of the King’s brothers, and while these are yet on earth they form with them “one flock” under the “one shepherd”. W 5/15

God called his Son Jesus to be priest and gave an oath to the everlasting continuance of his priesthood. Therefore Jesus is a high priest far more effective than Aaron the Levite and is thereby the security of a better covenant, the new covenant. As his sacrifice is so effective and he now has the power of an endless life to be a High Priest forever, he does not have to repeat his human sacrifice. He never needs to become a man again. Having immortality as a spirit from the time of his resurrection, he cannot offer himself again, for he cannot die again. (Rom. 6:9) So there will never again be a covenant like the one he mediates, nor will there need to be. Its final success is guaranteed by its Mediator and his sacrifice. TV 3/1

Fill the earth and subdue it.

—Gen. 1:28, Rotherham.

Careful study of the Bible discloses that Jehovah’s purpose was that all our earth be a paradise by seven thousand years from the creation of Adam and Eve. That is to say, by the close of God’s great seventh creative-day, which is His rest day or sabbath. (2:1-3) His original purpose concerning our earth will be accomplished by that time. His purpose, though seemingly halted in its progress for six thousand years, will not be def e a t e d. The thousand-year kingdom of his King, Jesus Christ, will make up for all the six thousand years of interruption. By the time that Jehovah’s great sahbath-day ends the Kingdom will have an earth-wide garden of Eden full of perfect men and women. Restoration of paradise to earth was included among all the other things meant in his declaration of purpose to Eve’s deceiver, the Devil that old Serpent, at Genesis 3: 15. W 6/15

The book of the origin of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham.—Matt. 1:1, Cath. Confrat.

Jehovah called the faithful Hebrew named Abraham into the land of Palestine, saying to him: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Then promising Abraham a Seed or Offspring, he said: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3; 22:18) King David of Jerusalem was a descendant of Abraham, but he died and is still dead and so did not prove to be that promised Seed. But for David’s unbreakable attachment to the true worship, Jehovah made a covenant with him for an everlasting kingdom to continue in his offspring. (2 Sam. 7: 1214) For the Messiah to be that Abrahamic Seed for blessing all nations and that David-ic Seed for having an everlasting kingdom, he must be born in the flesh and in the line of descent from Abraham and through King David. That is why, before telling of the human birtb of Jesus the Son of God, Matthew opens up his gospel account as above. TP 7/1

Thursday, March 2

Happy the merciful; for they shall receive mercy.—Matt.

5:7, Rotherham.

That is the way we have to be, not only to people outside God’s organization who know not of his loving arrangements for their salvation, but also to fellow workers inside the organization. Some who claim to be Christians will be oh so kind and indulgent toward worldly people who commit some offense. But let it be that their brethren in the truth become guilty of the same misdeed against them and they will be cold and hard to these. To justify their lack of softness of heart toward Christian fellow workers, they will say these ought to know better, whereas we have to excuse and make allowances for people outside because they do not know any better. So they show them no mercifulness, to the point of cruelty and bitterness. But we cannot remain under God’s mercy unless we copy him and express that quality to others. W 6/1

They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation. —Isa. 13:5, Am. Stan. Ver.

His weapons to execute his indignation and wrath in the battle of Armageddon are his angelic hosts under his Greater Cyrus, Jesus Christ. Doubtless the weapons of Jehovah’s indignation against antitypical Babylon include the consecrated, anointed followers of Christ who proved their faithfulness to death and whom he has now resurrected from death to life as immortal spirits in the heavens, to reign with him in his kingdom up there. But Jesus’ faithful remnant of anointed followers who survive on earth down to the battle of Armageddon will have no part in any violent opposition to the political nations or in any destruction of these. They are the most peaceable people among all earthly nations. They obey Jehovah’s command and merely warn the people of the destruction coming upon the nations at Armageddon. W 10/1

Saturday,

Love suffereth long, and is kind.—l Cor. 13 :i, A.S.V.

Kindness or gentleness is part of the fruitage of God’s spirit. There is plenty of room for exercising this, for at times it must be shown to our Christian brethren as well as to outsiders. Else, why would an apostle write his brethren and say: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”? (Eph. 4:32) In such a heart-condition we take a

March 4

kindly view of our brethren. We remember they are still in imperfect, sin-inclined flesh the same as we and we cannot be more exacting of them than God is of us. Never mind if they may not appreciate our kindness at the time. God, too, is kind to the unthankful and even to the evil. If we are his children, we will show this trait like him. We cannot do perfect works to earn salvation for us. So he has to treat us mercifully. Otherwise justice destroys us. W 13/1

Sunday,

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek

ness.—Gal. 5: 22. 23.

How will it show itself that we are under the sway of God’s spirit and living by it? Why, by the fruitage that the spirit will produce in our lives. It will be a harvest of things in diametric opposition to sinful fleshly deeds. Those living by the spirit are free to bring forth as large a crop of these godly things as they can. Not even the law of Moses prohibited such things. We bring

March 5

forth the fruitage of the spirit. not that we are under Moses’ law forbidding the works of the flesh, but because we love God and his people and the spirit of God is an active force for righteousness in our lives. To cancel the Mosaic law with its curse, it was nailed to the tree upon which Jesus was nailed. Now, in turn, we whom he has purchased with his ransom sacrifice and who have God’s spirit impale our flesh likewise on a torture stake, so to speak, to deaden its lusts. W 3/15

They shall be priests of God and of Christ.—Rev. 20: 6.

On the yearly day of atonement High Priest Aaron offered up sacrifice first for his own sins and those of his house. Then he offered up sacrifice for sins of the rest of the Israelites. (Lev. 16:1117) This prefigures that the 144,000 members of Christ’s body are first in receiving the direct benefits of Christ’s ransom sacrifice, yes, now during this world. They are now justified by faith and granted the privilege of presenting themselves as living sacrifices to God through Christ, to suffer and die like him that they might also have a spiritual resurrection, the “first resurrection”, and reign with him in the heavenly throne. Just as High Priest Aaron with his priestly sons assisting offered up sacrifice for Israel in general, so Christ’s fellow priests will join him as High Priest in dispensing the benefits of his ransom sacrifice to mankind during his thousand-year reign. In no other way will men gain the gift of eternal life, being then fully justified to endless life. W 1/15

Jesus . . . gave himself a ransom for all.—1 Tim. 2: 5, 6.

The purpose of Jesus’ humiliation even to a terrible death as a man was twofold. First of all, it was to vindicate the supremacy of Jehovah God who sent him to earth, because this Son of man would exalt Jehovah and would keep faithful to His universal sovereignty in the face of death and would thus prove his right to the kingship in the coming kingdom of God. This kingdom for the vindication of Jehovah

God was the thing of greatest importance. Secondly, the coming of the Son of God and his dying was that he might furnish a ransom sacrifice for mankind, to relieve them of the condemnation of sin and to open up to them the opportunity for eternal life in the righteous new world. By thus dying sacrificially he ceased forever to live as a man, for he never took back the humanity he had sacrificed as a ransom. God exalted him by raising him a glorious spirit person. W 7/15

The day of Jehovah is at hand. —Isa. 13:6, Am. Stan. Ver.

Jehovah’s day is the time of mankind’s deliverance. It comes as a day of destruction to their enemies and oppressors. It is a time for these foes of God and of mankind to howl. But for all those who long for righteousness to triumph that day will be glorious, despite its fearfulness. For them it is a day much to be desired. Those who are now learning to understand the blessed significance of the day of Jehovah are fervently praying for it to come. All things good and desirable are to be gained by that day, chief of which is the vindication of Jehovah as God and Universal Sovereign by wiping out that powerful organization which has dominated this evil world and fought all of Jehovah’s good moves for blessing mankind. Because it means his taking of vengeance against that wicked organization and all unrighteousness, it is His day, the day of Jehovah. W 10/1

Thursday,

Peace and mercy be on all who will follow this rule, and on the true Israel of God.—Gal.

6:16, An Amer. Trans.

When only a remnant of the natural Jews recognized the fulfillment of the prophecy in Jesus Christ and accepted him as Jehovah’s Messiah, the good news of salvation was carried to the Gentiles to afford them a chance to show faith in God like Abraham’s and become children of Abraham. Many believed Jehovah and accepted his Messiah, the resurrected

March 9

Jesus at God’s right hand. These were justified for their faith and anointed with God’s spirit as his spiritual children. Thus they became part of his new nation, his Israel after the spirit. These believing'Gen-tiles were Jews or Judeans inwardly and they held fast to the Messiah of the tribe of Judah. They praised Jehovah, for the name Judah means praise. These believers in Jesus from both natural Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles make up the true Israel whom God now accepts. W 8/15

Friday,

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

—1 Cor. 11: 3.

Paul, the apostle who sounds out equality for womankind, at Galatians 3: 28, shows that on earth there are limitations to the service privileges of female Christians. It was no arbitrary masculine decision on his part. By inspiration he had Jehovah’s mind on the matter, and he showed the reason for the restrictions placed upon his Christian sisters. He

March 10

showed it was her privilege on earth to demonstrate subjection, submission, and to do this, not as a galling task, but in a Christlike spirit, and that the angels in heaven were watching. Because of Jehovah’s Theocracy, the principle of headship obtains throughout the universe, and correspondingly all creatures must learn subjection according to the divine or Theocratic will. This is not disparaging to the female sex, to man, or to Christ. Only Jehovah could be without a head over him, for he is the Most High. W 5/1

1 will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. Mg mercy will 1 keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast.

—Ps. 89:27, 28.

In constructing the spiritual temple of living stones Jesus as the Permanent Heir of the Kingdom covenant with David fulfills an important specification of that covenant. What a High Priest-King! He is Jehovah’s firstborn creation. In highly exalting him thus for his superb faithfulness Jehovah fulfilled the mercies of the covenant with David, as above promised. Being higher than any and all of the kings of earth, none of these can resist him and he will trounce them with sore defeat at the battle of Armageddon. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.” (Rev. 17:14) God will be faithful to his Kingdom covenant and will give him the victory over the league of enemy kings and nations. W 9/15

Sunday,

There shall be one fold, and one shepherd.—John 10:16.

Are you a sheep of Christ’s “little flock” of Kingdom heirs? Do not be prejudiced against the great multitude of “other sheep” that he is now gathering for eternal life on earth in the righteous new world. He died for these young sheep also. Be compassionate toward them. Actively show your interest in their gaining life. A shepherd does not idly wait around the sheepfold for the lost sheep to find its own way

larch 12

back to the fold. No; a loving shepherd goes out and hunts it up and brings it back to the fold. Show that same loving-kindness. Go out to the people with the Kingdom message. Do not sit around inactively enjoying the provisions of salvation for yourself and waiting for the “other sheep” to find their way to you. Leave the comfort and convenience of your own home and hunt for these “other sheep” of goodwill. Show the godlike quality of mercy to others. W 6/1

Monday, Wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah.—Gen. 10:9, A.S.V.

Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, tried to palm off a counterfeit theocracy upon the people of his dominion. He not only made himself king but lifted himself up as a god in whom the people should hope and trust for protection, instead of Jehovah. So Nimrod made the political ruler of the state a god and made a theocracy out of the state. This signified that, if his subjects

March 13

disobeyed the political head of the state, it meant disobeying god. Egypt’s Pharaohs likewise gave a theocratic appearance to the political state by representing themselves as gods and requiring the Egyptians to worship them as such. Then the Caesars of Rome gave a theocratic twist to the Imperial Government by being deified, not alone after death, but even during life. By declaring Caesar a god, the promoters of e m p e r o r-worship were making the government a god-rule or theocracy. W hH

1 have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.

—Isa. 13:3.

God Almighty can depend on these troops whom he has placed under the captaincy of his reigning King Jesus Christ, These arc doubtless the angels, or include the angels, that fought for the Kingdom in the war in heaven immediately after the Kingdom was born in 1914. (Kev. 12: 1-13) Come a third war or not, one thing is absolutely certain: the fight of the universe, Armageddon, “the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” is ahead of this world. In it His anger will be expressed in full against the Devil’s organization, invisible and visible. (Rev. 16:14-16) Almighty God has called his mighty angels under Jesus Christ to take part in expressing his anger. They rejoice in his universal sovereignty as exercised through his kingdom. They are his “proudly exulting ones”, proud to be on his side, exulting to serve in his heavenly army.—13 : 3, Am. Stan. Ver. W 10/1

Wednesday, March 15

Then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world [fcosmos]: but now once in the end [syntdleia] of the world [aiines; systems of things] hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice.

—Ucb. 9: 26.

When Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice to God, it did bring a combination end to the systems of things that had operated toward the Jewish nation till A.D. 33. It put an end to the acceptableness of further animal sacrifices in God’s sight. It ended the old law

Thursday,

Even if (to say what is boastful) I sacrifice my body, but am without Love, I am none the better.—1 Cor. 13:3,

Twentieth Century N. T.

A man could part with all his goods to feed it out to the poor, and yet be unwilling to give up himself in behalf of God’s service and the salvation of His creatures. Hence self-surrender could represent a greater self-sacrifice than mere parting with all one has for charity. But even here the absence of love can make the covenant which God made with Israel. It ended the system of prophetic types and shadows that had been enacted among the Israelites and their forefathers. Now a new covenant went into force between God and a new Israel, a spiritual Israel, upon which new nation the ancient types and shadows began fulfilling. That system of Jewish worship and relationship with God completely ended when Jerusalem was destroyed about forty years later. No more was there a material temple at the onetime holy city. W 11/1

March 16

self-surrender of no value in God’s sight. A self-centered person might court martyrdom. He might look ahead for memorializing himself in history. That course would be neither loving nor Christlike. Jesus Christ gave himself up willingly, unmurmuring, like a sheep, but we do not find him boasting over it. He did repeatedly call attention to his sacrifice, yet never in a boast. It was to show the people the only way by which to gain salvation. He loved God and delighted to do His will. IF 11/15

For Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will pet choose Israel, and set them in their own land.—Isa. Ij: 1, Am. Stan. Ver.

During- World War I the spiritual Israelites were displaced, being forcibly taken from Jehovah’s place of service for them and being held away from his worship and service under the hostile organization of this world. But look at Jehovah’s witnesses today ! Certainly he must have had mercy on spiritual Israel, spiritual Jacob, for since the end of World War I in November, 1918, this anointed remnant are freely and boldly serving him in the open, worldwide. They are back “in their own land” again, “in the land of Jehovah,” for they are again organized as his people, more strongly than ever before. They are active again in service as his witnesses and worshipers. They are the ones commanded to take up the tauntsong against Satan, king of antitypical Babylon. W 10/15

Saturday, March 18

Eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago and at the proper time manifested in his word through the

preaching.—Titus 1: 2, 3, Rev. Stan. Ver.

We who are acquainted with what is in the Bible by reading and studying it ourselves or through hearing it read must tell its contents out to others. The Word was committed to writing, not to lie silent on the printed page, but to be proclaimed and made understandable to the hearers. In this way it is that the hope of eternal life under God’s kingdom is carried to the hearts of the people. For this reason God does more than supply the written Word for reading and study. He also brings men and women in touch with it and causes them to be informed of what is in it. Then when they heed it and devote themselves to him through the good services of Jesus Christ, he puts his spirit upon them and sends them out to be preachers of his Word. W 12/15

Sunday, For I am no peddler of God’s message, like most men, but . . . in union with Christ I utter his message.—2 Cor.

2:17, An Amer. Trans.

Neither the Watch Tower Society nor Jehovah’s witnesses are “booksellers”. What the witnesses offer to the peoples in various languages are printed sermons, Bible information. After talking personally to people and arousing their interest in Bible study, they leave literature with them for private study. If the person so benefited wishes to make a eon-

March 19

tribution to cover the cost of printing and distribution, he may do so, and most persons do. However, millions of booklets are left each year with the people who want to read bnt who feel unable to make a small contribution at the time. None of the thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses going from door to door ever receive a salary for doing the work of preaching. They do their work because they are consecrated to promote true worship of God and to give witness of His kingdom. W 1/1

That the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, ... Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.—Rom.

15:9-13.

Take Paul’s argument at Romans 15: 7-13. In just the 7 verses he made 4 quotations, namely, from Deuteronomy 32 : 43 and Isaiah 11: 1,10 and Psalm 18: 49 and Psalm 117:1. Thus like Jesus he quoted from the Law, and the Prophets, and the Psalms. These 4 texts from 3 different sections of the Bible were all in agreement in predicting that the good news of God’s kingdom was to go to all the nations in His due time. Though from 3 sections of the Bible, all 4 quotations have a common key-word. It is Gentiles, meaning the non-Jewish nations. Then a few verses later, at Romans 15: 21 Paul makes another suitable quotation on the topic of Gentiles. Thus by his inspired topical method of study he showed us how to draw on Scripture and make quotations to establish, not our teachings nor man’s, but God’s. W 2/1

Tuesday, March 21

Love . . . seeketh not its own. —1 Cor. 13: 4, 5, A.S.V.

If love is unselfish, it is not always or only looking out for its own good, but also looking out for the welfare and edification of others. It desires others to gain the prize of life and to enjoy now the spiritual blessings as well as the material good things that God today bestows upon those who serve him. So love looks out, not for just personal advantage, but for its neighbor as well. If everyone applies this to himself, no matter where he is, works, or attends a Christian company, he will in this respect be showing love. He will be happy and will enjoy life better. That love which he displays will meet a response by others in their showing that same quality to him. He will not selfishly insist on his rights or on his own way. Love can push aside its rights under rules and regulations, so as to be kind or so as to make it easy for friendship to continue. IT 12/1

Wednesday,

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.—Heb. 8:13, A.S.V.

Abraham’s Seed, Christ Jesus, is the Greater Moses. He mediates the new covenant by means of his sacrifice of himself, to provide “my blood of the new covenant”. The new covenant takes the place of the old Law covenant. Thus the new covenant is not a continuation of the old, for the old completely vanished away with the death of Jesus, and it failed to be the means for

March 22

blessing all mankind, just as Hagar and her boy Ishmael failed to provide the true heir of Abraham. The new is not an attachment to the old. It is an altogether new arrangement. Hence it has a new Mediator, different from Moses, but foreshadowed by him. It has a new sacrificial victim to validate it. It has a new priesthood and arrangement for worshiping and serving God, and it has new and better promises. It is added to the Abrahamic covenant. W 3/1

“Comfort, O comfort my people," says your God; speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, that her time of service is ended.—Isa. 40:1,2, An Amer. Trans.

How was it possible to comfort God’s captive people with a return from Babylon to their homeland? How were they to get back to their beloved country and to the site of the holy royal city Jerusalem? Why, by the way which their miracle-working God would prepare, either direct through the wilderness or over a more roundabout way. The main thing was that be would go before them as their Leader. He would also act as their rearguard. That a whole people should be restored to the soil from which they had been uprooted seventy years previous, this would be the miracle of those times testifying to Jehovah’s saving power as the only living God. Impossible as it might seem, he would provide a way to get back, because he had foretold it. The reinstatement of his chosen people of old foreshadowed the restoration of his spiritual Israelites since A.D. 1918 to his organization. W 2/15

Friday, March 24

The reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me.—Ps. 69: 9, Am. Stan. Ver.

Jehovah God has willingly borne all the burdens that mankind, weakened by imperfection and sin, have made for him. Strongest of the strong, he is well able to bear them, but it has meant for him to exercise unparalleled patience, incomparable mercy and marvelous endurance of all kinds of false accusations, taunts, and reproaches, calling for the greatest amount of selfrestraint on his part. All these burdens not of his own making he has voluntarily borne for a loving reason, namely, for the lasting good of his human creatures. His Son, whom he promised to send as a Deliverer of mankind, was foretold as not pleasing himself but taking up the burden and sharing it with God his Father. Not wanting to add to the burden of reproach, but wanting to share in bearing it, he imitated Jehovah by bearing reproach. W 3/15

Saturday,

Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

—Zeph. 2: 3.

Today there is a “great multitude” of persons seeking Jehovah and meekness and righteousness. These consecrated persons of good-will may be hid during the day of his anger. Being hid, they may survive the battle of Armageddon in which this world will end. Passing thus alive from the old world into the righteous new world, they will continue to be of the original flesh

March 25

and blood that they inherited from Adam. But by the curative, reconstructive power of God’s kingdom these Armageddon survivors will be progressively relieved of the sinfulness, weaknesses and imperfections inherited from Adam and Eve. They will eventually be brought to human perfection, to serve God forever in their earthly paradise. They will be on hand here to welcome back the dead and to assist them materially and educationally when God by Jesus Christ resurrects the earthly dead. O joy! W 4/15

Witfc the merciful thou wilt

shew thyself merciful.

—2 Sam. 22:26.

If we are merciful to others in actively sharing with them the divine message of salvation, it will mean endless life to us. At the battle of Armageddon Jehovah God will destroy all those who are destroyers of the earth in their heartlessness toward their neighbors and mankind. But as he sees us displaying his own tender quality toward others he will say: “These servants of mine are not destroyers of life. They are lovingly interested in the lives of others for whom my Son Jesus Christ has died. They are like me and are the kind of people it will be to my glory and to the blessing of all others to let live in my new world.” Hence he will show us merciful ones his mercy and spare us from destruction at Armageddon. He will bring us joyfully into the new world of endless life. “Happy the merciful '.’’-Matt. 5: 7, Roth. W 6/1

And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.—Rev. 20:14, Am. Stan. Ver.

The casting of anything into the lake of fire means the death or destruction of such thing. Casting Hades into it accordingly means destroying Hades or hell. This is done by destroying what hell means, and that is, the grave. When all those who are in the graves hear the voice of the Son of man, Christ Jesus the King, and come forth in a resurrection, that miracle will empty all the graves. There will be no more grave, no hell, just the same as to remove the corpses from a cemetery and turn the ground to other uses would be to destroy the cemetery. Christ Jesus will accomplish this sometime before the end of his reign of a thousand years, because all those who are resurrected to an opportunity for eternal life on earth must have an opportunity for a trial and at last be judged at the end of the thousand years. W 9/1

Wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation.

—1 Pet. 3:1.

A woman who has to suffer at the hands of her unbelieving mate because of her devotion to God and his kingdom can return his evil with good and be truly a good wife by helping him to the truth. Certainly, then, a woman can be helpful to a believing husband all the more. Such a woman is a precious possession for a married man to have. King Lemuel gives a beautiful description of such a wife. He tells how she, in submission to God’s judgment that man should have the rule over the woman thereafter, fulfills the good purpose for which God gave woman to man. “A rare find is an able wife—she is worth far more than rubies!” (Prov. 31: 10, Moffatt) This fact should bestir the married women who today are Christians to be all the more such a kind of wife. W 5/1

, March 29

form of righteousness. They did it to render something to the King whom they favor. To have a clean appearance, they openly confess they owe their salvation to God and his King and admit there is no righteousness except through Jesus’ blood. Thus they “have washed their robes [of identity], and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. Thus identifying themselves with God’s righteous cause, they seek to serve Him day and night by performing various forms of temple service.—Rev. 7: 9-15. W 5/15

Jehovah your God who goeth before you, he will fight for you.—Deut. 1: 30, A.S.V.

God set the Israelites to rooting out the Gentiles occupying the land which he had covenanted with Abraham to give to his descendants. Hence this was no unjustified war of aggression, for God is not guilty of such aggression. The earth is his, to promise and to give it to whom he wants. It was Theocratic warfare that the Israelites waged. They were justified in carrying it on against the devil-worshiping inhabitants of the land, because God’s command to them justified the Israelite youth in fighting and executing his judgments upon those who did not worship him and who opposed his people. God’s own part in the warfare stamped it as Theocratic. Moses told the Israelites Jehovah God would fight for them. It turned out just that way, for as to Joshua’s military campaigns we read: “Jehovah fought for Israel.” W i/1

Friday,

After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, . . . that the residue of men might seek after the Lord.—Acts 15:16,17; Amos 9:11,12.

Jesus’ anointing and right to the Kingdom was denied and he was foully murdered. When God resurrected him and exalted him to his own right hand, thus laying him as tie precious Foundation Stone in Zion, Jehovah thereby raised up the fallen “tabernacle of David”. What must now follow? Why, the fulfillment of

March 31

the rest of Amos’ prophecy, namely, that the remnant of men and all the Gentiles upon whom God’s name is called must seek Jehovah. All these followers of Jesus must be picked out from Jews and Gentiles to become his joint-heirs in the Kingdom covenant. To his faithful apostles he said: “I covenant for you, even as my father has covenanted for me, a Kingdom.” Those faithful apostles were the main ones of a small remnant of Jews that then believed in Jesus as Christ the Heir of the Kingdom covenant. W 9/15

This cup is the new testament in my blood.—1 Cor. 11: 25.

The privilege of suffering with Christ and being baptized into his death is what is pictured by drinking the winccup at the Memorial, celebrated annually under the new covenant. The wine in the Memorial cup pictures Christ’s blood, hence pictures his death. So by drinking of this symbolic cup the ministers of the new covenant declare they are participating with Christ Jesus in his death for the vindication of the name and sovereignty of Jehovah God. That is why only the 144,000 ministers of the new covenant properly drink of the Memorial cup. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16, Am. Stan. Ver.) Under the old law covenant the drinking of any blood was punishable with death. Under the new covenant Christ’s disciples drink his blood by suffering and dying faithfully with him. Hence only those in the new covenant properly drink of the Memorial cup. W 3/1

Sunday,

For freedom did Christ set us free.—Gal. 5:1, A.S.V.

The freedom that Jehovah gives through Christ Jesus is not to be taken as a license to indulge in the deeds of the flesh. In so-called democratic lands there exists a freedom, but along with it there goes an indulgence in all kinds of selfish deeds of the flesh. For indulging in such a person is not punished by law. But in the Christian realm the indulgence in such selfish practices of the flesh is an abuse of

April 2

liberty. They are absolutely contrary to God’s spirit. Free the Christian is, but free to love God with all his mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love his neighbor as he does himself. Such love is the real purpose of freedom. Such love is the only safe expression of freedom. Love acts as a restraint against the abuse of liberty. It serves as a safe guide to freedom of action. This freedom with love differentiates the true Christians from Christendom. W 3/15

Monday, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.—John 8: 56.

Abraham did not see that day in any underground paradise in a section of hell by having Jesus die and come down there with the malefactor and then lie in Abraham’s bosom. But Abraham, to whom Jehovah gave the promise, “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,” looked forward in faith in harmony with that promise. While alive, he saw by faith that

April 3

Seed, Christ Jesus, reigning and blessing all the families and nations. (Gen. 12:1-3: 22: 18) One of the ways all families and nations will be blessed by Abraham’s Seed will be by a Paradise restored on earth under the Kingdom, after Armageddon. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the faithful prophets of old will also be there in Paradise, as “princes in all the earth”, and hence will be resurrected long in advance of the malefactor who died with Jesus. W 6/15

And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

—Rev. 20: 4-

No, they will not reign over a chaotic, shapeless charred earth with the Devil penned up alone in it. Kings must have subjects over whom to reign, and a depopulated earth would not provide them such subjects. So they will reign over mankind who need a perfect government, beginning with the good-will survivors of this world’s end. Under their reign with Christ all earth will be subdued for the good of its inhabitants and will become a paradise like the garden of Eden; and the goodwill survivors of this world’s end will have a part in that transformation work from its very beginning. How long this will take when all the destroyers of the earth are out of the way and all of Christ’s earthly subjects are his willing and devoted slaves, we do not now know. But such a global paradise will be one of the marvelous benefits to humankind of Christ’s kingdom. It will demonstrate the vast difference between his reign and that of the Devil. W 1/15

Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. This astonished the Jews. “How is it that this man can read?" they said, “when he has never gone to school?" So Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own." —John 1:14-16, An Am. Tr.

No one is too young to start studying the Bible or to be taught it. Timothy became an overseer in the congregation in his youth, because ‘‘from a child” he had known the sacred Scriptures. It is altogether proper for every Christian, if he has the Bible printed in full in his language, to read it through once at least, from Genesis to Revelation. If he does not know how to read, it would result in invaluable blessings for him to learn to read for the very purpose of studying the Bible for himself. Jesus learned to read the Hebrew text of the Bible, even though he did not go to school to learn it. Today Jehovah's witnesses are privately teaching thousands of illiterate people to read so as to study God’s Word. W 2/1

Thursday, So shall be also the presence of the Son of Man. Then two men shall be in the field, the one is received and the one is left.-^-Matt. 24:39, 40, Young.

Being taken along or received corresponds with Noah’s entering with his family into the ark and the angels’ taking Lot and his family out of Sodom to go to the mountain. It means salvation from the world and its fate and being received into the favor of Christ Jesus, for whose coming his followers were warned

April 6

to be on watch. On learning of his second coming and its purpose, they cultivate a love for it and watch for it with longing. Today they rejoice to know his second presence as King is in progress. Because these exercise faith in his presence and in his coming to victory and therefore forsake this doomed world, he takes them into the safe place under his protection, pictured by the ark Noah built or the mountain to which the angels directed Lot. W 8/1

Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.—Matt. 26:64.

Jesus here applied to himself Daniel’s prophecy (7 :13, 14). This was the same as saying he was Messiah, the Son of man that should in due time receive the universal kingdom from Jehovah God and come with its power. The generation of Jesus’ earthly days did not thus see him arriving in Kingdom power. But that generation was a prophetic illustration. It has its modern counterpart in our generation from A.D. 1914 forward. This generation is the one that sees the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven as foretold by Daniel. For in 1914, the year marking the end of the Gentile times, Jehovah gave the Kingdom to him whose right it is. From the Scriptures it is evident that Christ’s second coming coincides with his receiving the Kingdom and entering into its power and duties. It is then that his second parousla starts. W 7/15

Saturday,

On a bare hill raise a signal, call aloud to them.—Isa. 13: 2, An Amer. Trans.

Back in ancient time the command to assemble and attack Babylon was directed to the kings Darius and Cyrus, while in this twentieth century A.D. it is to the Greater Kings, Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, that the rousing command is directed. The signal for the assembly of the troops for assaulting Babylon must be set high up, high on a bare hill with nothing to obstruct its being seen from a

April 8

great distance. In this time of impending doom for modem Babylon, a signal has been set up. It is the kingdom of Jehovah God in the hands of his anointed King, Christ Jesus. Jehovah God alone could raise that signal, and he did so at his appointed date, A.D. 1914. At the end of the “times of the Gentiles” that year, he raised the royal Signal by establishing his kingdom, enthroning his King Jesus Christ on his heavenly height, symbolized by the holy mountain of Zion. W 10/1

This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of

God.—Hel>. 10:12.

Though he sat down at God’s right hand, Christ Jesus did not then begin his kingdom. His first advent, remember, was not primarily to ransom mankind by his sacrifice and provide blessings for his followers ; it was primarily to establish his heirship to the Kingdom, the Theocratic Government which will vindicate Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and bring in a new world. Since his first advent was not marked by the establishment of the Kingdom but was marked by merely proving his right to it, his second coming must serve the purpose of establishing that kingdom. When he came and died as a man he laid the foundation of a new world. But when he returns as King, he comes to introduce that new world, a righteous world which will be without end. That is why he comes in glory as a reigning King, in his kingdom. W 7/1

He hath appointed a dap, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness bg that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

—Acts 17:31.

God has fixed a day for judging the world justly. That day will not be forever coming, but will begin at his predetermined time. For this judgment day he has raised his beloved Son Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus having died as a man and as a sacrifice for sinful mankind, the work of judgment would properly be committed to him by God his Besurrector. “The Father passes judgment on no one, but he has committed the judgment entirely to the Son.” (John 5:22, An Amer. Trans.} The day for this judgment is the time of his rule as King in the kingdom of God. By all the world conditions fulfilling Bible prophecies since 1914, we have every reason to know and be assured that the Kingdom is at the door and the resurrection of the human dead to life on earth is near. W 4/15

Tuesday, Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee.—Isa. 14:9.

Satan the Devil, too, is to be brought down at last to the death-state, though not in our earthly hell, mankind’s grave. Because this taunt-song is a parable, in which symbols are sometimes used for realities, the dead kings of the nations are pictured as sitting on their thrones in their burial vaults and coming to life and saying to the newly arrived king of

Ipril 11

Babylon : “So you too have become weak as we are, have been made like us!” (14:10, An Amer. Trans.) The dead in the Bible hell are weak and cannot take their kingdoms with them. So, too, Satan will become weak in death and will not be able to take with him the power of his organization. To bring him at last to destruction Jesus suffered death as a man: “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”—Heb. 2: 14. W 10/15

Wednesday,

If I have the gift of prophecy, . . . but have not love, I am nothing.—1 Cor. 13:2, A.S.V.

We may have developed the power to give an excellent speech or testimony to the truth. Still, if we do not have abiding love, what good does it do us? It does someone else good, but it should also do us the most good. We are interested not only in others’ salvation but also in our own. We love life and want it eternally. But our life has to be one of love. It has to be ex-

April 12

pressive of friendship to others who seek life. And so our preaching has to be warm with love, with a feeling of real interest in the lasting welfare of those who hear us. In preaching we have to pour out our heart to our hearers, letting them know we are truly interested in their living forever by knowing and serving God and Christ. So doing, we shall have love behind the way we prophesy today. It will help others and benefit us most for eternal life. W 11/15

The root of Jesse, who will be standing as a signal to the peoples—to him will the nations resort.—Isa. 11:10, An Amer. Trans.

Jehovah’s King is the great Signal whom He has put on Mount Zion and to whom all seekers of life, truth and righteousness must assemble for protection and preservation through Armageddon. Christ’s remnant exalt the King as the divinely provided hope, that all people may see and gather to the great Signal. They do so in obedience to God’s command: “Raise a signal over the peoples.” (Isa. 62:10, A.A.T.) Let the distressed peoples look up above the collapsing nations to which the religious clergy are pointing and let them see Jehovah’s glorious Signal. Hence study God’s Word, believe and heed it. Assemble to his great Signal with all other people of good-will. Your hope will then never be disappointed. After all the great multitude of good-will have been gathered out from all nations, then destruction will sweep this old world away, but you will be safe. W h/1

In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever.—Ps. ii: 8.

While a person may not be puffed up over himself, he may be puffed up for one certain leader as against another. A loving person will not boast of human leaders whom others follow and idolize. (Ps. 97: 7) If we have self-confidence and sureness of ourselves, we will not talk boastfully of what WE are going to do tomorrow or in our new job. We will restrain ourselves, knowing we do not know what tomorrow will produce, and so we will say, “If God wills.” (Prov. 27:1; Luke 12 :19; Jas. 4:13-16) If we boast at all, we will boast in Jehovah God, who is the One that accomplishes his work through us by the power of his spirit. This will have the best effect on all humble persons hearing us: “My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah : the meek shall hear thereof, and be glad.”—Ps. 34 : 2, Am. Stan. Ver. W 12/1

I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ . . . by his appearing and his kingdom.

—2 Tim. 4:1, A.S.V.

This charge to preach has special force now, for the apostle gave it in the sight of Christ ‘‘by his appearing and his kingdom”. These are now facts. By the visible signs that he foretold he has made his appearing to our eyes of faith and understanding. By the revealing power of God’s Word we see now that His kingdom was born in 1914 and He seated his Son upon the royal throne then. In the light of “his appearing and his kingdom” we should take our charge to preach all the more seriously. We no longer preach in hope of these things. They are present-day realities that give greater vividness and urgency to our message. They prove that destruction is near for all those fighting against the work we do in obedience to God, and we should therefore be bold and never fear those whose doom is impending. Our very boldness will be an evidence to them of this. W 12/15

Therefore will I give praise unto thee among the nations, and sing unto thy name.

—Rom. 15: 9, A.S.V., margin.

Jehovah’s witnesses have accepted the responsibility of announcing Jehovah’s supremacy, and each and every one declares: “I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.” (Ps. 57:9, A.S.V.) They do not mean just joining some church and attending once in a while, either; they mean being real, active announcers of his kingdom, the only hope for the world. They have the same spirit about this preaching work as David had when he said: “I . . . will praise thee yet more and more.” (Ps. 71:14, A.S.V.) They mean just that, all of that, not less. They have rejected and will not represent this old world, proclaiming and supporting its schemes, but have chosen to be Jehovah’s witnesses, God’s ordained ministers. Therefore they fearlessly and joyfully announce the incoming new world of righteousness for which Christians have been taught to pray to God. This they will do uncompromisingly. W 1/1

Monday, 1 will make a new covenant.

—Heb. 8: 8, Am. Stan. Ver.

By the old Law arrangement God severed his chosen nation of Israel from the rest of the nations. That Law arrangement was made with a special, separated nation by means of a mediator. But where the old failed, the new covenant succeeds. Its purpose corresponds with that of the old arrangement, namely, to take out from among the nations a special people for God’s particular possession, to be

April 17

outstandingly a holy nation to him, and to compose a royal priesthood in his special service. It is with this new nation that the new covenant is made, namely, with spiritual Israel. No, the new covenant does not produce the original Seed of Abraham for blessing all mankind. Why not? Because before this new covenant began to exist the Abrahamic covenant had already produced the Mediator for it, namely, Christ Jesus, the true and original Seed of Abraham. W 8/1

Tuesday,

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

—Gal. 5:15.

How easy it is for a company of Christians to let some selfish thing divide them and set them to biting and snapping at one another, unmindful of the danger of at last devouring and destroying one another 1 The divisive thing becomes an obsession with them. They just cannot get their minds off it. It sours their disposition, it colors and

April 18

distorts every thought, it disturbs their individual calm and the peace of the company. By keeping on in this way such fellow Christians do one another more and more spiritual hurt, while the Devil gloats. Beware! They are working to the spiritual destruction of one another. Likeness to God begins disappearing. Resemblance of Christ begins vanishing. Finally onetime Christians become not different from selfish worldly people in their thoughts, actions and methods. W 8/15

To a high mountain get ye up, O heraldess of Zion, ... do not fear, say to the cities of Judah—Lo! your God!

—Isa. 40: 9, Roth., margin.

Now is the time for us to announce with joy the restoring of the free and fearless worship of the true God in the earth, and hence the time to say to all who hope in Jehovah’s kingdom promise: “Behold your God!” This is no time to hold back timidly or to hole up in some underground retreat. You members of God’s faithful remnant who are equipped with the message

Thursday, A charming woman wins respect.—Prov. 11:16, Moffatt. By showing proper modesty and submission our Christian sisters show real Theocratic charm and win respect of all the congregation and the blessing and approval of God. As mothers they are instructing the children in his Word. They are acting as missionaries to lands calling for spiritual help. They are offering the spiritual sacrifices of praise to God everywhere, together with their Christian brothers. More women are engaging in this serv-of restoration from Babylon, show yourselves openly as an organization upon a mountaintop. Get up higher than the housetops, where your voice of proclamation will carry far and wide. Lift up your voice powerfully, boldly. Let all mankind, all nations, know that Jehovah God lives and has restored you to his pure worship in his Theocratic organization. Encourage others to take advantage of the highway to liberty which God by his King Christ Jesus has caused to be prepared. He will welcome them. W 2/15

April 20

ice than men. Though subordinate according to God’s will, such women are most helpful to their brothers and are fighting shoulder to shoulder with them for the faith of the Kingdom gospel. We rejoice with them in their privileges. We admire them for their uncomplaining submissiveness and loyalty. We are glad they share equally with us in vindicating Jehovah’s name. We thank God they are heirs with us of the gift of life in the New World. In all purity we help them to gain it. W 5/1

All the living nations are gathered before the King in the sense that he now takes them all under survey, to give them his attention. How? After God’s kingdom was set up in 1914, and especially after World War I stopped in 1918, Christ Jesus as King sent forth Jehovah’s witnesses to all nations with the announcement of this kingdom. In such a way that part of the sign of his presence or parousia began to be fulfilled, as described at Matthew 24: 14 : “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” Jehovah’s King now has the nations before him as nations whose lease of uninterrupted power expired A.D. 1914. From then on he gives them all a witness by the preaching of the gospel of the established Kingdom. Thus the enthroned King causes a separation to occur. W 5/15

Sunday,

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.—Josh. 1: 8.

Wise in its own conceit, the world may tell you that Bible study is not practical. But if a man studies the divine Word and lets this be his guide both as to what to seek and how to get it, he will have a prosperous life and succeed in achieving his righteous desires.

Monday, Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.

—1 Pet. 2: 9.

Natural Israel was dropped from being Jehovah’s Theocratic nation. Together with Christ Jesus, the body of spirit-begotten Christians out of all nations has taken the place of natural Israel as Jehovah’s Theocratic nation. They are a spiritual nation, of whom God has made Christ Jesus the King and Head. Necessarily their earthly na-one of his visible princes in all the earth. At Armageddon the great Son of David will fight for the peace of the new world. Following the destruction of all his foes in that universal war, there will be no end of the increase of the peace of the “Prince of Peace”. Hail to Jehovah, whose zeal and faithfulness perform his royal covenant! Hail to Christ Jesus, who reigns in vindication of the covenant. “Glory in the highest unto God! And on earth peace, among men of good-will.” W 9/15

April 23

This is practical advice; for what succeeds is practical. No man could be more practical than Moses’ successor, Joshua, who was a military commander, an organizer, a governor and a father of a family. For Joshua to meditate in the book of the law day and night meant for him to study it. Not to let it depart out of his mouth meant not to quit preaching it to others. Joshua obeyed. The man who applies his mind to God’s Word with a view to getting knowledge and guidance is certain to be blessed. W 2/1

April 24

tionality is made subordinate to their Christian citizenship in heaven. No political nation of Christendom, nor even all Christendom, can claim to be a “Christian nation”. There is only one such nation, not many, and it is spiritual, heavenly, non-political, and so not divided within itself over the politics or political ideologies of the nations of this world. No political ruler and not even the highest judicial body of any worldly nation can pronounce or baptize it a “Christian nation”. W 4/1

Tuesday,

The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

—Rom. 2: 4.

We want to vindicate God for his exercise of mercy. We can do so by showing it has not failed of its loving, righteous purpose. God’s chief enemy, the Devil, does not want mankind to enjoy eternal life in harmony with the Creator. That is why he did not want divine mercy to come to them. He cannot give eternal life to anyone. He wants to rule our race until it dies out; better that it

April 25

perish than that mankind be brought into God’s favor and live happily forever under His kingdom by Christ. Hence the Devil does not want mankind to come in touch with the divine mercy. He knows that this is more powerful than he is and that it leads many of mankind to God. Some, like Pharaoh of Egypt, may harden their hearts and thus miss the object of God’s mercy. But it led Paul to repentance, who calls himself the “foremost of sinners”. It still does so with many others. W 6/1

Wednesday,

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.—Isa. 13: If, A.S.V.

Do not be embarrassed because a modern Babylonian tells you you cannot see those heavenly hosts of Jehovah being mustered for Armageddon. God’s Word serves as your spiritual eyes. With eyes and ears sharpened by the prophecy now made plain, let us be aware of what is going

April 26

on behind the scenes, in the mountainlike heights of God’s heavens. He is not asleep; he is not inactive. Never does he slumber or sleep; he is alert to all moves of his foes. The hosts he is mustering are likened to a “great people” and to “kingdoms of the nations”, because they were foreshadowed by the armies of Darius and Cyrus, in whose armies a number of kingdoms and nations were represented. If we have God’s kingdom on our side we have more for us than this world that is against us. W 10/1

In those days, the Lord of hosts declares, ten men from nations of every language shall seize the skirt of a single Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’—Zech. 8: 23, Moff.

It is the faithful remnant of Christ’s anointed followers who are the inward Jews today that are going up to the heavenly Jerusalem, where Christ Jesus thrones as King for Jehovah. Despite all their persecutions, the facts show God is with them as his approved name-people and witnesses. They are completely devoted to God’s kingdom, and not to the antagonistic United Nations. Hence it is upon the skirts of these inward Jews of spiritual Israel that all men of good-will, ‘ten men out of all languages of the nations,’ should now take hold, to go with them. That they may do so, the remnant of spiritual Israel will continue to ‘preach this gospel of the Kingdom in all the world for a witness to all nations’. W 8/15

Friday, But when I became a man,

I put away childish things. —1 Cor. 13:11.

A man is more developed mentally and physically. He has more experienced and trained mental powers and is more steady and not easily swayed. And so he abolishes the attitudes, the thought processes, the fears, the methods of childhood. He applies himself courageously to more serious things and more responsible tasks and larger usefulness. He has a better understanding and appreci-

Saturday, Jesus Christ. For heaven indeed must receive him until the times of the restoration of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old.—Acts 3:20,21, Cath. Confrat.

The restoration of God’s kingdom by Christ comes at the end of the Gentile times and puts an end to them. This restoration of the Kingdom is what Peter meant above. His words prove that the Kingdom was not restored when Jesus ascended to heaven and sat

April 29

down at God’s right hand. No; for Jerusalem was destroyed thirty-seven years after he ascended, thus causing Jerusalem to be trodden down still further until the Gentile times should be fulfilled. God had decreed that his kingdom arrangement with a Jewish ruler on the “throne of Jehovah” should be no more till Messiah comes who has a right to it, at which time God would give it to him. This means that Jehovah’s kingdom by his Christ was established just as soon as the Gentile times ended in 1914 (A.D.). W 11/1

Then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence.—2 Thess. 2: 8, Young.

This so-called “man of sin” and “son of destruction” has been revealed. This only adds to the evidence that the royal parousia of our Lord is upon us and that the “day of the Christ hath arrived”. The religious system of lawlessness was not destroyed at the beginning of Christ’s manifestation in 1918 but has been permitted to stay till the battle of Armageddon. This is in order to test the integrity and faithfulness of the remnant and his “other sheep”. When Armageddon begins, his manifestation will turn into a revelation of violent power against the “man of sin” system and it will be destroyed together with all others who refuse to line up with the glorious gospel of God’s established kingdom.—2 Thess.

1: 6-10. W 8/1

Monday

You shall raise this taunt-song against the king of Babylon, crying: How the tyrant is hushed!—Isa. If:}, Moffatt.

Jehovah has provided a song to be sung now against his arch-enemy, Satan the Devil. It taunts that foe of all righteousness. It is an advance notice of the humiliation and disgrace that is shortly to come upon him. He has had his day. He has passed the summit of his climb and is now on the descent. He has every reason to know it, but if he does not care to admit it and

In the case of the new covenant, its Mediator, Jesus Christ, actually died as the covenant-victim in order to put the new arrangement into effect. By his sacrificial death he became the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” and he was foreshadowed by the passover lamb

When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations.

—Rev. 20:7,8.

Consistently, if it is understood that the demons are abyssed with Satan, then they are likewise loosed with him from his prison. So as to settle the great issue, Christ Jesus as Jehovah’s great angel breaks the seal of the abyss and restores Satan and his demons to activity. Remember Pharaoh of Egypt, how God reserved him, wicked though in Egypt. He was also foreshadowed by the bulls and goats whose blood was shed at Mount Sinai for the formal initiation of the Mosaic Law arrangement. In Jesus’ case, God offset the effect of his human death by resurrecting him from the dead, not again as a man, but as an immortal spirit Son of God. Hence, when raised from death as an incorruptible spirit, he could ascend with the merit of his human sacrifice into God’s presence and could continue on with mediating the covenant. W 3/1 he was, as a dishonorable vessel fit for destruction after God had showed all his power over him. So, too, God has reserved Satan for this final use of him to test men at the end of the thousand-year reign. Releasing him upon mankind does not mean a restoring of the old wicked heavens, for Christ and his glorified followers still have Satan under their feet, and after they let him go far enough for a full test of mankind they squelch his attempt to restore his heaven over the new earth. W 1/15

But if ye be led of the spirit, ye are not under the law.

—Gal. 5:18.

The law of Moses had to be nailed as a canceled arrangement to Jesus’ torture stake and he had to be resurrected and to ascend to God to apply the value of his sacrifice for liberating his disciples from the condemnation of sin and its penalty, death. Then the spirit of God was poured out upon the remnant of believing Jews at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Hence the spirit of God came upon those who were free from the law of Moses and its curse and free from sin and its condemnation and the bondage to the world. Moses’ law was given to people who were disposed to selfish sinful cravings and passions due to their fallen flesh. For that reason the Law forbade such things by name. But God’s spirit works for freedom from the physical cravings and fleshly passions. It is given to the free, to help them keep free. W 3/15

Friday, Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.—Prop. 31: 30, A.S.V.

The woman who fears Jehovah is trustworthy. Her husband may depend upon her and never lose out by it. She is anxious to be of profit to him, materially, but especially spiritually. It is not just because she loves him but also because she fears Jehovah and wants to honor Him and serve his purpose. While trusting in

May 5

Jehovah, she is provident for the future; and rather than depend upon the charity of others, she seeks to be able to show generosity to the poor. Her husband gives her praise, as her just due and to encourage her, for, whether she is possessed with outward charms and natural beauty or not, to him she is better than any other woman he knows. She has brains and, best of all, loyalty and the fear of God. This is a worthy woman. W 5/1

And her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. And there was war in heaven.

—Rev. 12:5,7, A.S.V.

That meant that God’s kingdom by the Son of man had been born and that the end of Satan’s world was not far off. No question about it, for the result of that war in heaven was that Satan the Dragon and all his demon organization were forced out of heaven and down to the earth. At this the announcement pealed forth in heaven: “Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.” (12: 10, A.S.K) No sane person will deny that that means the full end of Satan’s world-organization with all its nations is but a short time off. However, the birth of the new Government and its victory offsets the woe that the defeated Satan brings upon earth and sea, for it means that a righteous new world of life, joy and peace is also not far off. We see the “great sign” in heaven proving this. W 7/15

Sunday,

The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah.—Isa.

40:3, Am. Stan. Ver.

It was not really for Jehovah himself that the way through the desert must be prepared. It was actually for the more than 49,000 Israelites that returned in one body from Babylon to Jerusalem. For these the highway through that wild country must be cast up in certain places, leveled off in other places, smoothed out like a plain elsewhere. As for Jehovah God personally, he would go invisibly before them

May 7

as a trusty Guide. All of his enemies had sought to destroy the chosen people upon whom his name was called. Now it would be to his eternal glory for him to deliver his helpless people from Babylon and restore them to his holy worship at his temple in their Godgiven land. By this the “glory of Jehovah” would be revealed before all Gentile nations, and flesh of all races, nations and peoples would see it. Jehovah’s miraculous fulfillment of this prophecy in 537 B.C. has had a grander fulfillment on us since A.D. 1918. W 2/15

Monday

There shall be a resurrection of the dead.—Acts 24:15.

The absolute basis of all earthly matter is a particle of electrical energy and all particles of energy are alike. One particle is as good as another and to create a person it would not require Almighty God to use exactly the same, identical particles that formed the person’s body at the time he died. What difference would it make, as the electronic building-blocks of all matter are alike? The creedal doctrine of

Tuesday, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and. his angels.

—Matt. 25:41.

When the King orders such “goats” into the “everlasting fire” prepared for their kind, it is time for Armageddon to begin. It corresponds with the King’s action in the parable of the pounds, when he says: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

May 9

(Luke 19:14,27) But before he destroys them utterly, he has them know who his brothers are, even the least of them, and he confesses these as his own and thus vindicates them. By this action he exposes and rejects all the hypocrites of Christendom, whom he foretold at Matthew 7: 22, 23. The “goats” will never survive the fires of Armageddon. With their destruction the wicked symbolic earth will flee away, to be followed into destruction by the wicked Satanic heavens.—Rev. 20: 11. W 5/15

Your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and pour agreement with hell shall not stand.

—Isa. 28:18.

By secret diplomacy, by international alliances, by dependence upon military pacts, all contrary to the truth of God’s kingdom, men think they are secured for the future, should the worst come. They think they have a league with death by this, so that death will not touch them, and think they have a covenant or agreement with hell so that hell will not open its gates for them and they go down into the grave. Jehovah shows they have figured wrong, because his battle of Armageddon will break up all arrangements for selfish, personal safety. When that scourge sweeps through the earth, all their arrangements for peace in this old world will be destroyed. Their supposed favorable terms made with death and with hell will prove like a scrap of paper. They will go down into death and destruction as opposers of God and his kingdom by Christ. They loved lies! W 9/1

Thursday,

Declare ye among the nations, . . . publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken.

—Jer. 50: 2.

When Jehovah sets up his kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ, it carries along with it the destruction of the Devil’s organization in heaven and earth and the restoration of Jehovah’s anointed remnant to full freedom, yes, too, the lasting liberation of all people of good-will of all nationalities. Isaiah was used by Jehovah to foretell ancient Babylon’s doom. (Isa. 13: 1) So Jesus, Isaiah’s counterpart, is used

May 11

to explain Isaiah’s prophecy. He shows in advance the doom of Babylon’s great counterpart, this wicked world which is specially marked by false religion. Since Jesus Christ now reigns in the invisible heavens, he causes the explanation of the prophecy to be declared to this world by means of his disciples, the modern witnesses of Jehovah. (Isa. 8: 18; lleb. 2: 13) Like Isaiah of old these are courageously making plain to all nations the prophecy which notifies the world of its early doom. 17 10/1

Love vaunteth not itself.

—1 Cor. 13:4, A.S.V.

Love does not seek to win the applause and admiration of creatures. It does not get up before others and prate about itself in a vainglorious way. The person having love does not give to others the high opinion he has of himself and try to push down other persons of whom he may be envious or for whom he may have contempt. He will not boast because another lost out and now he himself has come into the loser’s place of favor. Rather, he will be cautious and fearful lest he, too, might lose out. With boasting we may persuade others to think we are really as great as we claim to be, but if we have love wc will not boast of our merits. No matter how elated and effervescent we may be over our attainments or exploits, we will be careful to exercise that fruit of the spirit which is temperance or self-control. So we will repress tendencies to swagger and boast. W 12/1

Saturday, Preach ye upon the house tops.

—Matt. 10:27.

Today not only religious but also political systems order Jehovah’s witnesses not to preach. Whom are they to obey or to please in this matter? They do not have to ask the Watch Tower Society in order to know. They know directly from the Word of God, in whose sight they are charged to do their witness work. Those before whom they are charged to do it are the ones to please, not we. They

Sunday, Marvel not, my hrethi en, if the world hate you.—1 John 3:13.

You can turn to Hebrews 11 and there find a list of men who lived in olden times whom God used in promulgating true worship. They were witnesses of Jehovah, but they were not loved by the world. “They were . . . men of whom the world was not worthy.” (Heb. 11:37,38, An Amer. Trans.) So Jehovah’s witnesses of more than 2,000 years ago were looked upon as undesirables, too! Christ Jesus was one of

Monday,

If thou criest after knowledge, . . . and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of

the Lord.-—Prov. 2: 3-5.

The true knowledge of the living God is a most precious treasure. To get it requires searching, digging, persistent fixing of the mind at the right source of information and instruction, namely, the Creator’s revelation of himself, the Bible. The successful student must be urged on by a mental hunger and thirst, and must have the attitude of a son to a father. He must be have their orders what to do, not from the Watch Tower Society, but from “The Higher Powers”, Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. Let the Watch Tower Society be forbidden and its Branch offices in various lands be forcibly closed down by State interference I That does not nullify or lift the divine charge from the men and women who are consecrated to do God’s will and upon whom He has put his spirit. “Preach!” is written down plain in his Word. This order takes precedence. W 12/15

May 14

Jehovah’s witnesses. He is now and ever will be “the faithful and true witness”. (Rev. 3:14) Right down through the centuries since him Jehovah God has had witnesses to minister the message of the Kingdom despite all the opposition to make them quit such talk. Now as we draw nearer to the new world of righteousness Jehovah has raised up more witnesses and blessed them in carrying this good news to others, but they have never become popular. W 1/1

May 15 teachable, like an innocent, newborn babe. Peter stresses this necessary attitude when he says: “Like newly born ctdldren, thirst for the pure, spiritual milk to make you grow up to salvation.” (1 Pet. 2:2, Moffatt) We must have meekness, the frame of mind that does not stubbornly resist and fight back with unreasonable arguments. How to receive the Word and have it planted in us James tells us thus: “Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” —Jas. 1:21, A.S.V. W 2/1

Tuesday, God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.—2 Tim. 1: 7.

God gives us his grace in time of need. Therefore, if the privileges of Christian service come your way, accept them. Seek the assistance of God’s visible organization to help you. Co-operate with it. Believe that God’s active force, his spirit, will operate upon you, strengthening you, guiding you, activating you to fulfill his will just as much as

Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you today, You will be with me in Paradise.—Luke 23: 43, Lamsa; Rotherham.

On that dark tragic day, when everything appeared contrary to Jesus’ coming into a kingdom, he confidently declared to the malefactor: “With me thou shalt be in the Eden’s garden.” (Cureton trans.) This assured the malefactor he would have a resurrection from the dead when Jesus was King and had reestablished paradise on earth.

Thursday,

Some are strong through chariots and some through horses, but we, through the name of the LORD our God. They will bow down and fall.—Ps. 20: 7,

An Amer. Trans.

As the Promised Land was a God-given possession according to His covenant and as he was their King and righteous Military Commander, the Israelites of old had every reason to be patriotic. Theirs was a patriotism for the typical Theocratic government. The strength and security of that miniature Theocracy rested, when clay is molded into shape by a potter. The divine Potter can mold you. Just be pliable and willing to allow him to do so. ¥ou can, of course, be resisting, stubborn, and God can change his mind about you and cast you aside, because you do not turn out to be a good vessel for service. But you can be pleasing to God by being guided by his spirit and walking according to it, and in that way you will become a vessel for his honorable service, always to be used to his glory. W 3/15

This meant that the malefactor would not have a spiritual, heavenly resurrection. No; but he would come back from death to life on the paradise earth under Jesus’ heavenly kingdom. This life in the earthly paradise could be made eternal, in human perfection, if he proved himself to be a loyal subject of the King Jesus Christ, accepting forgiveness of all his sins through the ransom sacrifice which Jesus effected on the torture stake that dark day at Calvary. W 6/15

May 18

not on a military establishment which was the equal of all their combined enemies, but on Jehovah the invincible Theocratic Warrior. King David, who was said to have ‘fought the battles of Jehovah’, enunciated that truth for God’s true people above. Not one nation on earth since ancient Israel clear down through World War II has any record or proof that Jehovah God has fought for it and given it victory. But repeatedly Jehovah fought for his miniature Theocracy. We are strong only in Him today. W 4/1

He judged me faithful by appointing me to his service, though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy.

—1 Tim. 1:12,13, R.S.V.

Saul did not receive in vain the mercy displayed to him. He realized what the divine purpose was in showing him his wrong way and in sparing him alive and forgiving him his great sin. It was for him thereafter to serve God in this life. Such serving of him faithfully in an acceptable way would lead to his full

Though I deliver up my body that I may boast, ana have not love I am profited nothing.

—1 Cor. 13:8, Rotherham.

Christ’s brethren are exhorted to render up their human lives in God’s service. (Rom. 12:1) In doing this we do not need to do something spectacular so as to gain fame as a great martyr. To be faithful we need simply to learn what the good, acceptable and perfect will of God is and then quietly, regularly, and steadfastly do that to please and glorify him. Learning this salvation. Saul abased himself, repented and took advantage of the extreme mercy shown him. He thankfully took up the new work for which this loving-kindness was shown him. By doing so he became the apostle Paul. He says God “was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him”. Yes, here was the purpose of God’s mercy in revealing the glorified Jesus to Saul; it was that he might be made fit and able to preaeh about the glorified Son of God to the Gentile nations. —Gal. 1:15,16, R.S.V. W 6/1 will of His will transform our mind, and we will not try to conform ourselves to this world’s selfish way by seeking to pose as a martyr for selfglory. Onr faithful obedience to God’s will and commands is what will prove our full perfection in love to God. It is not the grandiose or martyrlike manner of our death that impresses God. The unaffected, loyal obedience to him is what counts. This is what proves our love to him and strengthens and perfects it within us. So love profits us. W 11/15

Sunday, How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn!—Isa. H: 12, Young.

With the ousting of Satan and his hosts from heaven the time came for the accused but victorious brethren of Christ on earth to take up this tauntsong against the king of Greater Babylon. From 1919 forward, after their release from Babylon’s power, they did so. Satan’s try at climbing still higher in heavenly power and dominion at the end of the “seven times” of Gentile do-

May 21

minion A.D. 1914 ended in failure. He had gotten as high up in the universe as he was permitted to go. His being forced down to earth was not the full limit of his fall. At this earth he is still very active in his invisible and visible organization. He has not yet been fully hewn down like a towering tree. He is still wanting to have the earthly nations ruined, crushed for one last suicidal try at realizing his heart’s ambition. Our song tells of the full depth of his fall yet to be reached. W 10/15

Monday, We love him, because he first loved us.—1 John 1/: 19.

Jehovah God is the source of love. Without implanting it perfect man would not have been created in God’s image and likeness. Satan the Devil has worked for thousands of years to try to pervert and blot out this Godlike quality from the human heart. He has tried to turn all men to hate God or love him with a hypocritical love. Only God the Source is the One that can rekindle or cultivate pure love in the human bosom. By his own demonstration of it he shows us what it is. He does not look for us to be won-drously wise; he does not look for us to be strong and powerful in a physical way; he does not expect of us in our imperfection to measure up exactly to the requirements of justice and never sin. But he does look for us to exercise love with a pure heart. This is of first importance, if we want to prove fit for everlasting life. W 12/1

Tuesday,

He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses, He cancelled the regulations that stood against us —all these obligations he set aside when he nailed them to the cross.—Col. 2:13,11/, Moff.

The Law was added to the Abrahamic covenant for the time being to disclose Israelites as well as Gentiles to be transgressors and hence dependent upon the coming Messiah for their righteousness by means of faith in the sacrifice he would provide. The removal of the Law covenant

May 23

and its condemnation and curse Jehovah God duly accomplished by Jesus Christ the promised Seed. In ancient times it was customary to cancel a document that represented a debt or obligation by driving a nail through it. So God nailed the Law covenant with its written code to the torture stake upon which his Son, the Messiah, died as the sacrificial victim of a new and better covenant. Though God took the Law out of the way by Christ’s death, it left the Abrahamic covenant standing. IF S/l

In Adam all die. —1 Cor. 15:22.

Responsibility for a desirable Edenie condition’s failing to be true on earth today God’s Word lays at the feet of the proper one. No; not at the feet of the woman. True, she was the first on earth to yield to the tempter and disobey God and thus sin. But sin could not pass to all humankind by Eve alone as a sinner. Why not? Because she could not of herself give life to children. God had not constructed woman that way. He made her to provide the fleshly body for offspring and to nurse them. But to the man it was that God gave the power to impart the sperm of life to offspring which he could have by woman. Only the man Adam could therefore cause sin and death to pass down to all his offspring. How? By choosing the way of sin before ever becoming their father. It was not the condition of the mother, but that of the father, which determined whether the offspring would be free from sin and condemnation to death. W 5/1

Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.—Ps. 110:2.

The very fact that he must rule in the midst of his enemies proves he must be present, that his parousia must be in effect among such enemies from the time he began ruling in 1914 until he destroys them at the battle of Armageddon, as verses 5, 6 foretell. Psalm Two also shows that, once enthroned on the government seat of Zion, Jehovah’s King must be present, reigning among raging nations, among peoples of vain imaginations, and among kings, rulers, and judges all combined in a world-wide conspiracy. But how is the presence of Zion’s King made manifest if he is a glorious divine spirit? Why, by his defending and maintaining the cause of his loyal subjects on earth; yes, by his having them preach this gospel of the established kingdom to all nations for a witness; and by his promoting on earth the true and pure worship of Jehovah. The King is Jehovah’s High Priest. W 7/15

Friday,

The Son of man came ... to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

—Matt. 20:28.

The many who were to be ransomed were human. Consequently the life he must give to be a ransom must be a human life. This obliged him to come in the flesh, mortal flesh. His human life was not to be forever. To return to heaven he must lay down his human life, not as a penalty for personal sin, but in perfect innocence for the vindication

May 26

of his Father and as a ransom sacrifice for mankind. Death once was all that was necessary for him, for by it he laid aside his perfect humanity. By dying at his first advent as Jehovah’s Vindicator and as a ransom sacrifice, he laid the foundation for a new world, for both a new heaven and a new earth. That is why he is spoken of as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. That foundation needs not to be laid again. So Jesus submitted to being slain only once.—Rev. 13:8, W 7/1

Saturday, To you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance.

—2 Thess. 1: 7, 8.

In the battle of Armageddon when the presence of the Son of man is revealed in that way, it will be as when fire and sulphur rained down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah after Lot had gotten out. The Lord’s “other sheep” will rejoice at this revelation of Christ’s parousia against

May 27

the wicked and will afterward enter into the real rest from trouble that the righteous new world brings. As for the remnant of his joint-heirs, his revelation means their entry into heavenly glory is near. Now their faith is being proved, but 1 Peter 1: 7 shows why, saying: “That the proof of your faith—much more precious than of gold that is perishing, and through fire being approved—may be found to praise, and honour, and glory, in the revelation of Jesus Christ.”—Young. W 8/1

Your kingdom come! Your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven!—Matt. 6:10, An Amer. Trans.

The heavens and the earth are Jehovah’s creation, and so our planet earth is a place over which his kingdom should rule and where his righteous will should be done among all his earthly subjects. He had a marvelous purpose in creating the earth, and his purpose will not be blocked and go unrealized. In his own appointed time he will have the earth fully inhabited by perfect men and women, every one of these a devoted subject lovingly doing the divine will. This purpose is indelibly recorded in these words: “For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste [or, not in vain], that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.” (Isa. 45: 18, A.S.V., margin) In keeping with his purpose he has now at last taken to himself his great power to rule and make the authority of his throne felt by all men. W 1/15

Monday,

God . . . hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

—Col. 1:10-13.

During all these centuries of selection and preparation the prospective heirs of the heavenly kingdom have given their allegiance to Christ Jesus as God’s anointed King, and with them as his subjects Jesus has reigned over them. They obey Peter’s admonition: “Love the brotherhood. Fear

Tuesday, I will punish the world for their evil, ... I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.—Isa. 13:11,13.

The coming battle which prophecy calls by the name of Armageddon will rage both in the visible earth and in the invisible heavens, for antitypical Babylon takes in an earthly part and a heavenly or spiritual part. The heavenly is, of course, the superior and more mighty part. It domi-

May 29

God. Honour the king.” (1 Pet. 2: 17) They will ever be subject to him, for he is their Head and King of kings. But these are not the only ones over whom Jesus is to reign. The time comes, and that shortly, when all the 144,000 will be with him, glorified in the heavenly kingdom, and they will “reign with him a thousand years”. But over whom? He must reign with them over all mankind and to the uttermost parts of the earth. W 9/15

May 30

nates the whole world organization. Only Jehovah God Almighty could free our earth and its peoples from the superhuman sway of this modern Babylon. His day is near for doing so. Those Satanic heavens are now atremble, awaiting destruction at Armageddon. The earth that is to be there shaken out of its place is the visible human part of Satan’s organization. Making the heavens tremble and shaking the earth out of its place means removing his world organization, visible and invisible. W 10/1

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall

arise.—Mie. 7:8. .

Persecution was permitted to rage against Jehovah’s witnesses to the point of killing their publie Kingdom proclamation in 1918. Not to show a further treading down of Jerusalem, but to prove to all the universe that all nations, including Christendom, rejected Christ as earth’s rightful King. How could they prove that fact after he became the acting heavenly Ruler except by rejecting his Kingdom message

The kingdom of God . . . shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

—Matt. 21: 48, A.S.V.

When any nation claims to be Christian, it is equal to saying it is a Theocracy. No nation of the world can prove it is such. God’s “holy nation”, of which Christ Jesus is Head and King, is his church. The nation is the “church”; the “church” is that nation. In a truly Christian nation all its citizens are the undivided congregation of God, and the national government upholds

Friday,

If ye will . . . keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.—Ex. 19: 5,6, A.8.V.

According to this the purpose of God was to take out from this world a people to be His own possession bearing his holy name, and to prepare them to be a kingdom of priests with benefits resulting to the rest of the earthly nations. The Law covenant indeed separated the Israelites from and his ambassadors, his faithful followers? If the end of the persecution were to decide the matter, then the ‘treading down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles’ has no end till the battle of Armageddon. But to show that the King of New Jerusalem still continued independent above all Gentile power and above their god, Satan, Jesus revived the public activities of his remnant of followers in 1919. Nothing during the thirty years since has been able to stop them. W 11/1

His law as given through his Son and it upholds and enforces the one true worship of God as exemplified by Christ Jesus. It does not tolerate within the “nation” the many conflicting religious and political ideologies of this world, but keeps complete unity of the faith toward God and obedience to him rather than men. It never was God’s purpose that the true Christian nation should be earthly. It is heavenly, spiritual and absolutely separate from any of the political governments of this world. W 4/1

June 2

the nations, but only their faithfully obeying the Law would lead to having a part in God’s purpose as his “holy nation”, enjoying his favors, blessings and protection. However, the Law covenant itself did not produce such a “holy nation” that was ready for the promised Messiah, Christ Jesus, when he came. A new eovenant was necessary to produce this, and through Jeremiah Jehovah declared that the reason for making a new covenant was that the Israelites broke the old one. W 8/1

God’s spirit within us does not reduce us to mere mechanical creatures, operated by an outside power contrary to our will and requiring no decision and effort on our part. To live by the spirit, we must make a positive decision, to produce what are its manifestations. God’s Word describes how his spirit manifests itself and what its fruitage in our lives is. His spirit inspired the writing of that Word, and if we walk according to that Word and imitate Christ through whom the spirit is poured out, then we are walking according to the spirit, directed by it. If we have resolutely crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts in order to restrain and deaden these selfish things, then we must live by the spirit. That means producing the things which show an indwelling of God’s active force, expressions of love. W 3/15

Sunday, Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

—Acts 11:10,11, A.S.V.

Our being like newly born children and receiving the milk of the Word with meekness does not mean we are to swallow all things without investigation, meditation and proof. (1 Pet. 2:2; Jas. 1:21) By no means! Those to whom Peter and James wrote already had the inspired Hebrew Scriptures. So for them to be childlike and meek

June 4

and receptive meant to be ready to accept what these Christian teachers taught them provided it agreed with the written Word of God. Even Paul, apostle though he was, did not demand that what he taught should be accepted without question and investigation. Paul did not feel offended over the course of the Berean Jews or rebuke them for it. Noble-minded is what the Bible calls those willing to listen and then to search God’s written Word to see if the things preached agree, before accepting them. W 2/1

Contrary to helping us to focus attention upon the real thing, an image takes the mind off God. Idolaters get to fearing the grotesque man-made representative of Deity more than they fear the real God. Since God is beyond our comprehension, how unbecoming it is for ns to compare anything within our imagination with him! How belittling, how undignifying it is to God to represent him as like any created thing we know! Since he does not worship the things he creates, then for us to be godlike we should not worship anything man makes. If it is disobedient to do honors to make-believe images of God, whom we have not seen, how much more insane and disobedient it is to render worship to an image of a creature we have seen! So let us not deify any visible creature. W 2/15

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.—Matt. 25 : 34.

What the “other sheep” inherit is not the kingdom of heaven which was predestined before the foundation of the new world. But it is styled a kingdom because to inherit it means for the sheep to become children of the King, his earthly children. He laid down his earthly life for them as his sheep. As he thus gives life to them he becomes their royal Father. Their faithful obedience to him as their King will make it everlasting life. The sheep will be the children of their invisible overlord, “The everlasting Father.” (Isa. 9:6) This will be a new relationship for earth’s inhabitants, for back in Eden Adam and Eve were not the children of the “covering cherub” whom God made their invisible overlord.—Ezek. 28:1316. W 5/15

Alive unto God and alive from the dead, yes, that we are, if we are conducting ourselves now by faith and in obedience to God. What if the world does hate us? Our true Christian brethren love us, and we love them. “We have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (1 John 3:14) If we thus live now as “new creatures” in relation to Christ we shall not come into a judgment against us, but shall have the “resurrection of life”, to union with him in the heavenly kingdom. Now, too, a “great multitude” of persons of good-will hear his voice, his life-giving message, and by reason of responding to it their feet have been turned into the way of life in the new world. Their continuing to heed it and tell it out to others guarantees that they too will not come into condemnation now or at the battle of Armageddon. They will be carried alive through it. W i/15

Let us not love in word, . . . but in deed.—1 John 3:18.

Possessing gifts of the spirit does us no lasting good if we have no love. Christianity is not just a heartless system of wonder-working that holds people in the organization by awe-inspiring miracles. It is life-changing, making us Godlike in that quality most distinguishing God in dealing with men. It does not love with mere lip-service, merely saying, “I love you,” and letting it go at that. If we really love someone, there will be an active expression of it. There is action to love, there is force, there is motion in it from the lover to the object loved. As we give in love there is unselfish feeling, there is friendliness, devotion, affectionate warmth. When we give of ourselves in love, there is more likelihood to be something given in response. This divine attribute is what makes living worth while. Developing it makes us something before God our Life-giver. W 12/1

Jehovah preserveth the faith-ful—Ps. 31: 23, A.S.V.

A real miracle is the preservation of Jehovah’s witnesses since the days of the first martyr Abel down to our day. That miracle receives emphasis in his preservation of the “true Israel of God” as his people and witnesses during these past nineteen centuries since Jesus. They, rather than the natural Jews who were blinded by the “god of this world”, are the main target of the Devil. By all the powers and oganizations of his wicked world he has tried to exterminate this spiritual Israel, these Christian witnesses of Jehovah the living and true God. By violence, force and intimidation his great organization, modern Babylon, took them into captivity and exile during World War I, but in 1919 Jehovah God acted for his own name’s sake and delivered and restored them as His name-people. He will preserve them through the battle of Armageddon. W 8/15

Saturday, June 10

He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy.—Jas. 2:13.

The Kingdom preaching is the work commanded to be done now while Satan and his demons are hurrying all nations to their end at Armageddon. Since that is so, why should we who have tasted God’s mercy look on any other work as now taking precedency over preaching the Kingdom gospel to all the nations for a witness? Many who want to escape destruction are yet to be found among all nations. If we give them the witness before the awful end arrives, they might act upon God’s mercy. Can we not see that he has compassionately spared us to this time for the express purpose of serving him by witnessing to his kingdom? Make no mistake about it: divine mercy was extended to us between the “beginning of sorrows” and Armageddon that we might live to serve him in fulfillment of his prophecies. If we now fail in this, we shall miss the purpose of his loving-kindness to us, and this would mean our destruction. W 6/1

Sunday, Let us not neglect meeting together as some do, hut let us encourage one another.—Hel>.

10:25, An Amer. Trans.

Jehovah’s witnesses have weekly study periods for the benefit of all desirous of taking up the ministry. There are three weekly meetings that every minister and every person preparing for the ministry should attend: the Watchtower study, the service meeting, and the Theocratic ministry school. There are other Bible studies with the help

June 11

of Watch Tower publications that can be attended, too, but the three mentioned are essential to proper training and advancement in knowledge and wisdom in God’s Word. Actually, during 1948, 49,161 more students prepared themselves to be lecturers, teachers and ministers and engaged in the preaching work every month so as to improve others mentally and morally by their Christian missionary work. A goodly number of this group have taken up full-time service, “pioneer service.” W 1/1

Let us not tie desirous of vain glory, provoking one another. —Gal. 5:26.

While we should seek to be used of God as his obedient servants, we should never be moved by a desire for empty praise, thus becoming vainglorious. We should not become excessively proud of how we perform or what we attain or accomplish, and get puffed up and try to enhance our importance in the eyes of fellow creatures. Tbis trying to excel others for the purpose of winning praise and admiration from men is provocative. It arouses competitions, either between individuals or between Christian companies and units. It thus stirs up rivalries, emulations, envies and other selfish emotions. When we challenge others because of our ambitions for mastery over them, it makes our fellow Christians to be our opponents, and we provoke them to engage in a showdown contest to prove we are their betters, their superiors. W 3/15

Tuesday, If a woman will not veil herself, she should cut off her hair as well. But she ought to veil herself; for it is disgraceful that a woman should have her hair cut off or he shaven.

—1 Cor. 11: 6, Moffatt.

In the apostle’s day it was disgraceful for a woman to have her hair clipped short, or worse still, all shaved off with a razor. Since it was the custom for a woman to appear veiled in public, the apostle Paul did not wish the Christian sisters to violate that accepted rule of respectability

June 13

by going to congregational meetings unveiled. Attending unveiled, they would build up the reputation that the women of the Corinthian congregation were low in morals. It was not a case of defying custom and giving womankind her entitled freedom to appear barefaced publicly. It was simply a case of being “all things to all”, denying ourselves, so as not to cause some to stumble and thus hinder the spread of the truth and the growth of the Christian congregation there. W 5/1

I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of

Ophir.—Isa. 13:12.

Jehovah’s destroying the people participating in Babylon’s sins will cut a wide swath through earth’s teeming population. To show the scarcity of man upon earth after Armageddon wipes out old “Babylon”, Jehovah God warns: “The arrogance of proud men I will still, and lay the haughtiness of tyrants low, till man becomes more rare than finest gold, men

Friday, God is love.—1 John t: Id.

Jehovah’s way is that of love. By it he has distinguished himself, and on the principle of love he operates the universe. It is an excellent way for him to govern all his intelligent creatures. This way he holds all his faithful creatures in an unbreakable attachment to him. He sets the pattern of love, and requires that all his intelligent creatures copy him. Only those who do will be let live forever. They must love him as de-

Obedience or disobedience to this charge to preach means life or death to us for eternity. Why? Because God has exalted Jesus to be Lord. This means he is the one having power and authority over the rest of God’s creatures. He has power and authority over not only the living but also the dead. None of the dead may live again except through him, for God has made him scarcer than gold ore from Ophir.” (13:11,12, Moffatt; An Amer. Trans.) The persons from antitypical Babylon will be rarer than the most precious ancient metal, yes, scarcer to be found than gold nuggets of Ophir. They will be the people who now believe God’s warning-message and who dissociate themselves from any part in Babylon’s wickedness, and whom Jehovah will spare alive at the battle of Armageddon, because they now seek his righteousness. They will survive into the New World. W 10/1

June 16

serving of their complete affection and devotion, thus giving him a proper response to his own great love to them. They must love their fellow creatures just as he does. In this way they are Godlike. “Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart,’’ and, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” For any of us to prove worthy of eternal life in any part of God’s universe we must keep these commands and follow this excellent way of love. W 11/15 the one ‘who shall judge the living and the dead’. This Judge has the power of life in himself. He can reverse the decision of human authorities which condemn and put us to death. He can do so by raising us to eternal life in the New World for our faithfulness to God. He can also sentence our condemners and executioners to eternal destruction in Gehenna. It is in the sight of this Judge, who determines our eternal destiny, that each and every consecrated Christian is now charged to preach. W 12/15

Sunday, God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

—Phil. 2:9,10.

Before his death and resurrection mankind had not prayed to God in the name of his Son Jesus Christ or bowed their knees in prayer to Him in His Son’s name or confessed this Son as their Lord or Master. But now, due to the Son’s exaltation above his previous heavenly position, all of humankind that want eternal life must do so. Despite this exaltation he still bears the title “the Son of man’’. Not that he still has his humanity in heaven (an impossibility !), but that he earned this title by his faithful, loving course. It serves to identify him as the One and Only One that took such a course. Divine prophecy gave him such a title long before his human birth, and in the fulfilling of all such prophecy the title applies to him. Rather than a humiliation, it shows how he won his exaltation. W 7/15

Monday,

I received merey for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.—l Tim. 1:16, R.S.V. Paul called himself the chief or foremost of human sinners. So in according such compassion God was making Paul the foremost example of mercy to human sinners. Taking this estimate of himself, Paul was willing to preach the gospel to any man or woman. If he himself had been the foremost of sinners, then no other sin-

June 19

ner was too low for Paul to reach out his hand to help him to know and take advantage of God’s mercy through Christ. And no sinner to whom the gospel message came had any reason to think he was too low down that the gospel could not embrace him in its provision. He just had to look at the apostle Paul, the selfstyled “foremost of sinners”. So how we ought to appreciate the divine mercy! Let us see to it that in our personal case this tender quality of God has not been exercised in vain. W 6/1

Tuesday, We which are alive and remain shall be caught up . . . io meet the Lord in the air.

—1 Thess. J,: 17.

From this doomed world the remnant are caught away by being completely separated from it. Because the days of tribulation on Satan’s organization were cut short for the sake of this remnant of the elect, they are snatched from destruction with it. Hence they were suddenly snatched from the enemy’s power and delivered from a deathlike captive condition in Satan’s

June 20

organization in the spring of 1919. They were set free for the Kingdom proclamation, the greatest of. all time. So Jehovah speaks of this delivered remnant as a “brand plucked out of the fire”. (Zech. 3:2) The revival of their witness work in 1919 was likened to their resurrection from the dead, after which they were invited higher to proclaim the Kingdom. So they are pictured as ascending to heaven in a cloud, showing they rise up to that privilege. W 8/1

I Have made a covenant with my chosen.—Ps. 89: 8.

Who is the one whose right it is to rule as son of David and as Permanent Heir of the Kingdom covenant? First of all, this important One must be the seed of David according to flesh relationship. He must also be the Son of God, for in the covenant Jehovah said: “I will be his father, and he shall be my son.” Besides that, since the covenant said, “He shall build a house for my name,” this One must build a temple for Jehovah’s name. This temple-building work is an essential part of the Kingdom covenant. The Kingdom Heir was promised to be interested in Jehovah’s worship and to build a glorious temple for His name, promoting the only true worship. So all these features we look for in the great Kingdom Heir to identify him. In this we are not left to our weak faculties, but God has made the identification appear plainly. It points to Christ Jesus as Heir. W 9/15

Thursday, June 22

Against the king of Babylon . . . say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!—Isa, I4-4-

By their course Jehovah’s witnesses show how far already the oppressor and the golden city have ceased for them. They no longer confess themselves captives of Greater Babylon. They boldly act the part of servants of Jehovah’s King on Mount Zion, Christ Jesus. No longer do they act on the Babylonish claim that the “golden city” stands as the “higher powers” ordained of God and to whom every soul must be subject without conscientious objection. No, but now they openly acknowledge Jehovah God and his King as “The Higher Powers” to whom to be subject. So for them the “golden city” has ceased to exist as the “higher powers”, and they refuse to bow in fear of her and to carry out her commands which conflict with God’s righteous laws. Now they fearlessly move forward in carrying out His commands. One of these is to “preach the day of vengeance of our God”. W 10/15

Friday,

Love . . . rejoiceth with the truth.—1 Cor. 13: 4, 6, A.S.V.

One of the fruits of the spirit is joy. Therefore love is joyful. Where does it find its joy? Why, with the truth, with right. It is eager to get at the truth of God’s Word and purpose. Anxious to have and hold the truth, it proves all things prophesied and preached to it but holds fast only what is good. It will not maliciously pick up a lie against another or frame a lie against another based upon circumstantial evi-

June 23

dence. But if the truth is detected and spoken and if it hurts somebody else and he is chastised for it, we will still be happy about that truth. We can not change God’s Word and purpose. We must bring ourselves around to full accord with his Word and purpose. We will be anxious to do so if we have love, which is from him. If we do this, then we are sure to enjoy living, because with life we have love and have the truth and are on the right side. W 12/1

Upon him shall nations hope.

—Rom. 15:12, Young.

The hope and refuge of the nations cannot be in a single kingdom or government of this world, nor in a league or union of them. They have not sprung from Jehovah’s power and authority. No, but he has consigned them to destruction shortly. God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus is the hope and refuge of all men of good-will. The “holy nation” of which Jesus is Head and King is now the only nation that God has created and authorized for his

But let God prove to he true.

—Rom. 3: If, Rotherham.

The scripture texts bearing upon any subject can be harmonized with one another because the Author of the whole Bible is the one Master Mind. He inspired its writing by his spirit upon the more than thirty men that wrote it all over sixteen centuries of time. He does not contradict himself, but sticks to his one theme and purpose. We should study the Christian Greek Scriptures at the same time with the old Hebrew Scrip

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.

—Rev. 20: If.

This could not mean they would be judged after sitting upon thrones to reign with Christ, for they have already overcome this Devil-ruled world and they are now accounted worthy to live and reign with Christ as they also suffered and died with him. So the giving of judgment to them means they are appointed to judge others. They “were empowered to act as judges”. (An Amer. Trans.) The aposgood purpose. The members of his “holy nation” are taken out from all worldly nations. They will sit with Christ . in his heavenly throne and reign with him a thousand years for the blessing of all the families of the earth. A faithful remnant of this “holy nation” are yet on earth. Though they are but an insignificant minority, they courageously exalt Jehovah’s King, Christ Jesus, as the one in whom all the people of all nations must hope if they want life under a perfect government. W If/ I tures, so as to compare them, inasmuch as the Greek prove the fulfillment of the preChristian Hebrew Scriptures. By investigating the Hebrew Scriptures and ascertaining their fulfillment we prove that God their Inspirer is true and reliable. Also by this hack reference we prove that the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures are in agreement with the foundation Hebrew teachings. Thus we prove the Greek Scriptures to be faithful teaching, acceptable doctrine. W 2/1 tle Paul pointed forward to this privilege of theirs. (1 Cor. 6:2,3) So when Christ Jesus judges men and angels in the new world of righteousness, these faithful overcomers seated upon the throne with him will act as associate judges with him. The good-will survivors of this world’s end become the first subjects of the millennial King. By beginning his reign over them Christ Jesus begins reigning for a thousand years over the cleansed earth. His faithful will rule with him from heaven. TV 1/15

The Mosaic Law showed all Israelites up as sinners and it pointed out to them their sins in detail. So the law which Moses delivered to them as mediator condemned them in God’s sight, and Moses’ ministration was a “ministry of condemnation”. God's purpose in this law was to show up Israel as being just as guilty of transgression in God’s sight as the rest of the sinful world.

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people—just as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.—Matt. 25:32,

Twentieth Century.

Not the nations as political bodies, but the people, the individuals in all these nations, are the ones that are separated into two classes. The political nations, being all in opposition to earth’s rightful King, arc all on his left side and are doomed to be smashed to pieces by his iron rod. On what basis, then, does the King The need of the Messiah, the promised “Seed of Abraham”, would therefore become more apparent by the Law. Also the need of a better covenant to be mediated by the Messianic Seed of Abraham would become more apparent. It being just a temporary addition to the Abrahamic covenant, the Law was taken out of the way when Abraham’s Seed came. Messiah’s coming and death annulled the Law covenant and made the Law no longer necessary as a means for gaining righteousness. W 3/1 separate the people today? On the basis of how they treat his brothers. Who these spiritual brothers of the heavenly King arc and what they represent is no secret. The Kingdom message that they preach; the neutral position that they take toward the political systems and controversies of the warring nations; the plain-spoken stand that they take for Jehovah’s King as earth’s new and rightful Ruler, all this makes it a test when people deal with them in all the nations. W 5/15

Thursday, Every man ought to test his own work, and then whatever satisfaction he has will be with reference to himself, and not in comparison with someone else.—Gal. 6:4, A.A.T.

Comparison of yourself with others may lead to wrong conclusions. Do not measure your goodness by any brother as a standard of comparison. Jesus Christ set down the pattern. There is your standard! There is your straightedge. There is your measuringrod : Christ Jesus. If you want any due satisfaction out of your active service to God, you

June 29

just stand right up there alongside Christ Jesus and say: “Well, how am I doing?” So, then, do not compare yourself with some other brethren in God’s visible organization. We arc not in competition with one another. We are not provoking anyone to a contest, challenging one another to a show of accomplishments. Whatever a person is as God’s servant, he has to be that in himself before the great Judge, and not in comparison with some fellow Christian. Then he has satisfaction in himself. W 3/15

Friday, Jehovah hath comforted Zion; . . . and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden [paradise, LXX] of Jehovah.—Isa. 51: 3, Am. Stan. Ver.

Jehovah God has done this in our day. The earthly state of Zion’s children is now in a paradise state spiritually, like the “garden of pleasure”. It was doubtless this paradise condition of Zion to which Paul was caught away in prophetic vision, hearing many secret things he was not allowed to disclose in detail. But our eyes today can discern the paradise development of _ Zion, God’s universal organization, especially since the Kingdom’s birth in 1914 and since the deliverance of Zion’s children on earth after 1918. As a result Jehovah’s pure worship expands more and more as His witnesses preach “this gospel of the Kingdom” for a witness to all nations. This is the immediate forerunner of the restoration of the earthly paradise for mankind. W 6/15

Pay the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and pay God what belongs to God!

—Matt. 22: 21, An A.T.

Since the Caesars were deified in apostolic times and down to Emperor Constantine, we ask: Was worship one of the things that belonged to Caesar and that ought to be paid to him just because the Imperial lawmaking body so ruled? If so, then who is God to whom we must pay the things belonging to God? Does our life belong to Caesar? Was it Caesar that laid down his life for Christians, so that all Christians belong to Caesar and his political government to dispose of by man-made laws of the land? Is Caesar the friend for whom we should show that unsurpassable love about which Jesus said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”? The answers of Christians recorded in history show they were willing to die for their peaceable faith, but not in Caesar’s imperial armies. W 4/1

Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in a desert a highway to our God.

—Isa. 40: 3, Yotmg.

After John the Baptist was thrown into prison Jesus went into Galilee and there began preaching the message of deliverance, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:12-17) Then Christ Jesus as Jehovah’s Representative began leading the repentant remnant of Israelites over the highway to freedom from the bondage to religious errors, sin and the Devil’s organization, into peaceful relations with Jehovah as heavenly Father and into blessed connection with the kingdom of heaven. They got free from the Jerusalem on earth, which was “in bondage with her children”, and they became the children of God’s woman, the “Jerusalem which is above”. (Gal. 4:25, 2G, 31) Here, indeed, was a deliverance from bondage in a situation out of God’s favor, just as much as Israel’s deliverance from Babylon more than five centuries earlier. A like deliverance has been performed for spiritual Israel since A.D. 1918. W 2/15

Monday, As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.—John 6:57.

The heavenly Father has the means or gift of life for his repentant creatures upon earth. The privilege of being the means of giving life to human sinners God bestows upon his Son. Hence as God raises those already dead in the graves, so his Son does also. (5:21) This giving of life to creatures by the Son is very different from the Son’s activity in heaven when he created all other creatures in the universe, including the perfect man and woman, Adam and Eve on earth. Such creatures had never existed before. When created, they were sinless creatures, in original perfection as God’s handiwork by his Son. But as for giving life to sinful, dying mankind Jesus could not do this lifegiving work until God authorized him to do so by his ransom sacrifice. W ^/15

Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.—Gal. 6:1, Am. Stan. Ver.

If we are of ill will, we will gloat over the fall of another against whom we have some grudge, or feel jealousy and envy. But if we are led by God’s spirit, if we have the spiritual qualifications of love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, selfcontrol, then we will be anxious to set the erring brother right and to help him up out of his fallen condition. Yes, he was tempted. Before he was aware of it, he was yielding to temptation without proper thought of what his doing so meant. Now he is sorry. Well, we are all subject to temptation, and we should not act as though we could never fall ourselves. (1 Cor. 10: 12) Hence those producing the fruitage of the spirit can exercise gentleness. They well look at their own weakness and being liable to fall and come into the same state needing mercy and help. W 3/15

Overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.—Ezek. 21:27.

In 1914 the time ended for Christ Jesus at God’s right hand to sit waiting to have his enemies made a footstool. This means the time for Jehovah God to take his universal power and begin his reign toward this earth had come. It was time for the birth of his kingdom by seating his Son upon the throne to act as King for him with full power.

There Daniel’s vision must be fulfilled, that the Son of man must come to the “Ancient of days” and be given “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him”. No more must the Theocratic Government be held in inaction, but the Kingdom must be restored and Jehovah God must give the power to him whose right it is to have it. There Jehovah must send the rod of his Son's, power out of Zion, with the command: “Rule thou.” He did. W 11/1

In this is lore.—l John 4:10, Rev. Stan. Ver.

Love must express itself and not hold back where good is to be done. While not seeking anything for itself, it must actively seek God’s glory and the lasting welfare of his other creatures. If not, then it comes short of perfect love. Hence love is that quality implanted in us which expresses itself in our unbreakable attachment to Jehovah God and his Theocratic organization and in our unselfish deeds to others and

Friday, Thai is why a woman ought to have a veil [margin: authority (the veil being a symbol of this)} on her head, because of the angels.—1 Cor. 11:10, Rev. Stan. Ver.

Just who the angels are, out of respect to whom our Christian sisters should cover themselves when praying or prophesying in a congregation, has been argued in a number of ways. But just taking what information the pure Scriptures give us, they appear to be the unseen spirit angels. These God uses as his mes-in our active interest in the eternal welfare of other creatures. We must cultivate this daily, continually, if we care to prove worthy for God to bestow upon us the gift of eternal life. Love is all-important to such life. Selfishness of any kind does not Contribute to life. It is selfishness that is at last wrecking the world and threatening to cause the death of all people. It was only bound to do this in the long run. God’s love alone will save. W 12/1

July 7

sengers and deputies and they have an interest in our congregational meetings. (Eccl. 5:5,6) God has chosen certain angels for special duties toward us as Christ’s disciples. (1 Tim. 5:21) Surely, then, our Christian sisters can uncomplainingly submit to something ordained by an Authority higher than man, out of respect for those angels. If man does not understand or appreciate, they do. The understanding and appreciation of these angels is something to value, especially as they report to God for us. W 5/1

. July 8

to give his life as a ransom that would benefit all who wanted to become subjects of God’s kingdom, relieving them of the condemnation of their sins and liberating them from sin’s penalty, which is death. Mankind needed the restoration of the Kingdom to deliver them from this oppressive world. Mankind needed to be ransomed from sin and death. So the Messiah came nineteen centuries ago as a perfect man, born by God’s miraculous intervention. Therefore his first presence was in human form. W 1/1

This gospel of the kingdom will he preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.

—Matt. 2J,: 14, R.S.V.

That end means destruction for those whose itching ears have turned away to human inventions and for those who have not heard the life-saving Word of God and not been enabled by it to call upon Jehovah’s name and be saved through his Christ. It is a critical hour for millions who need to hear. It is a critical decision you have to make. If you have God’s Word, if you are hearing it, then your responsibility cannot be sidestepped. You must now preach it as never before. Your doing so with glad and thankful obedience means your protection against all the pressure of the destructive worldly propaganda. Your obedience may also mean the saving of others who hear you, and, best of all, it means the vindication of Jehovah God, whose command you obey. W 12/15

Monday, Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding.—Prov.

3:5, Am. Stan. Ver. When one sees the truth, he will Want more of it and in time will become a real minister of Jehovah God. One can not straddle the fence. Individuals must take a stand for Jehovah’s new world or stick with the old one. The Scriptures clearly point out that you cannot serve God and the Devil. You must be either hot or cold; you must be either for or against the Lord.

July 10

Persons who are desirous of engaging in the political, commercial or religious affairs of the world, supporting them even as they support one another in opposition to the supremacy of Almighty God, will have to go down with that old world organization when it is destroyed at the battle of Armageddon. The decision must be made now in these last days of the old world. It pays to serve Jehovah. He alone can give you life, while the wages sin pays is death.—Rom. 6: 23. W 1/1

Tuesday,

The book shall remain beside him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that ho may learn to revere the Eternal his God, obediently keeping all the injunctions and rules of this code, so that his heart may not be lifted proudly.

—Deut. 17:19, Moffatt.

Jesus did not wait for Rome to pronounce what was the written Word of God so that Rome could say she made that Book. No; but he pointed his followers to what this Word was by quoting from it. By

July 11

his own study of it and by his unswerving obedience to it he was a faithful example for all his followers to pattern after. Especially so his 144,000 fellow overcomers, who are to live and reign with him in heaven, if they suffer and die with him on earth. If these 144,000 are also anointed with God’s spirit to be kings and priests with Jesus, then they, too, come under the divine command for kings to have a copy of God’s written Word and to study and obey it. W 2/1

Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.—Hei. 12: 24, A..S.V.

As the old Law arrangement did not annul the Abrahamic covenant, the new covenant does not annul it either. Instead, it carries forward the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant to certain ones taken out of all mankind, namely, the faithful footstep followers of Christ.. These become his joint-heirs in the heavenly kingdom. Again, the old Law arrangement did not produce the promised Seed of blessing any more than Hagar produced Abraham’s true heir. In itself

Render therefore unto Caesar the things which he Caesar’s, and unto God the things which he God’s.—Luke 20: 25.

When the priest-led mob yelled, “We have no king but Caesar,” and went along with Caesar’s agent in executing Jesus, they may have paid Caesar their king what Caesar demanded. But were they paying God what belonged to him and what should be paid to him? Jesus’ apostles answered No to this. (Acts 4:24-29) At the beginning of the fourth

Friday, Men and beasts thou wilt preserve, O Lord: O how hast thou multiplied thy mercy, O God!

—Ps. 35 : 7, 8, Douay.

Jehovah is the one whose mercy means everything to us. The mercifulness of some humans to others helps to relieve the suffering and distress of our trying times, but such relief is only temporary. Mercy from Jehovah God means never-ending life, peace, plenty, health and happiness to us, because he is the great Lifegiver. “With thee is the fountain of life.” (Ps. 36:9) The the Law was good, holy, and just, but it condemned the Israelites and thus condemned all men, because of our inborn sinfulness inherited from Adam. So eternal life did not and could not come through the Law. It did not produce the Abrahamic Seed. The original Abrahamic covenant did bring forth the original true Seed of Abraham. This Seed is the Mediator of the new covenant. Thus the new covenant did not produce the original Seed, but the Abrahamic covenant produces the Mediator between God and men. W 3/1 century, Caesar Constantine professed conversion to the Roman religious organization that claimed to be Christian. But that did not convert “Caesar” into a friend and minister of God. So, when Jesus said to pay to Caesar what belonged to Caesar, he did not have in mind any so-called “Christian” Caesar, for Jesus knew- that such a kind of Caesar could not exist and never would exist. The Caesars were deified down to Emperor Constantine. But worship belongs to God alone. W 4/1

July 14

human family would never have passed these thirty-two years since 1918 had it not been for His mercy. If the God of mercy had not cut short the days of tribulation upon Satan’s organization by what he did in 1918, no flesh would be alive on earth in 1950. He cut that tribulation short by not at once following up the casting of Satan out of heaven down to earth and forthwith destroying him and his organization visible and invisible. So he has allowed an interval of time between then and Armageddon. W 6/1

For just as the lightning goeth forth from the east and shineth unto the west, so shall be the presence of the Son of Man. —Matt. 24: 27, Rotherham.

Jesus does not confine the knowledge and spiritual vision of his presence to a lonely wilderness or to the inner chambers of some conspirators or some spiritistic seance. That would not be like lightning flashing with a roar from heaven. No man can confine the flashing light or lightning from heaven to a wilderness or to inner chambers or labo

Sunday, The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; . . . to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.—1 Tim. 6:15,16.

At the close of the Gentile times in 1914 Jehovah made Christ Jesus the only rightful potentate for rulership of our earth. He enthroned him as King on the heavenly Mount Zion, giving him glory and dominion that will not pass away and a kingdom that will not be destroyed. How happy is his position now in royal power! He is the best king and ratories. No; people from east to west, from horizon to horizon, see the lightning flash. Likewise Jesus would not let the light of his second presence be kept secret to a few in a wilderness or in inner chambers. The evidences of his parousia become dazzling bright to all mankind. True, the remnant of God’s elect read the Sign aright and first discern that the Son of man is here in Kingdom glory and power. But they may not keep that knowledge to themselves. W 7/15

July 16

best lord earth will ever have in its existence, “the King of kings, and Lord of lords.” As he rides to the revelation of his presence in this capacity at the battle of Armageddon, he is bound to win the battle, vindicate Jehovah's sovereignty and destroy all his enemies among whom he has been ruling during his parousia. (Rev. 19:16 and 17:14) Then it will be manifest beyond dispute by any persons left surviving on earth that He is the “happy and only Potentate”.—Rotherham. W 8/1

Monday, Lucifer, . . . thou hast said in thine heart, ... I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation.

—Isa. 14:12,13.

To fulfill his ambition completely, Satan must swallow up the kingdom of Jesus Christ “the bright and morning star” as soon as it was born. “Seven times” from when Satan’s king of Babylon desolated Jerusalem and Judea the time came for the birth of the Kingdom. In 1914 Jehovah enthroned Christ upon the heavenly Mount Zion, the heavenly

July 17 throne-place. By this King and High Priest on Mount Zion Jehovah will meet with mankind to restore them to his favor and to bless them during Christ’s thousand-year rule. At once the watchful Satan tried to scale this heavenly Mount Zion and, like a dragon, swallow up the newborn Government. By this he would exalt his own throne above the “stars of God” and match Jehovah God. Satan would thus maintain his sovereignty as the “god of this world”. But he failed! W 10/15

I have commanded my sanctified ones, , . . for mine anger.

—Isa. 13:3.

All the faithful creatures of the universe now align themselves on the side of the Kingdom, the great Signal that Jehovah has raised up. On earth only a comparatively small minority may gather round the Signal as Jehovah’s capital organization of the universe; but in heaven there are hosts upon hosts of holy angels that bow to the Kingdom and do obeisance to His enthroned King. All these volunteer for service under the King against that wicked organization which has been a blot on the universe for so long, antitypical Babylon. With these, God’s name properly becomes “Jehovah of hosts”. He is the Great Commander in Chief of all these hosts. He foretold the overthrow of antitypical Babylon. He has separated and prepared angelic hosts for the “battle of that great day of God Almighty” against Satan’s world. W 10/1

If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, hut have not love, I am nothing.

—1 Cor. 13:2, A.S.V.

To pray for removal of mountainlike hindrances calls for an extraordinary amount of faith, "all faith.” Would that not insure that its possessor would conquer all things in his way, even the world, and eventually gain the prize of eternal life? No, not unless he has love with faith. Peter said brotherly affection and love must be added to faith. Judas had faith at one time, but he lost out on love and turned traitor to Jesus. It takes love to stick, for through selfishness we can get offended at one in whom we have been exercising faith. Though we profess faith that God will provide, we will tender our needy brethren some works of relief. Otherwise, because we do not have true love, our faith does them uo good. We fail to be godlike toward our needy neighbors. We come short of the second of the great commandments and so prove to be nothing. W 11/15

But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.—Matt.

10:28, Spencer.

By killing the human body our enemies can cause us to go to Sheol, Hades or hell; but by this they cannot destroy our soul. Of course, by such an act they can cause the stoppage of our soul or conscious life for a time. But that is not destroying it forever. Why not? Because God has promised to resurrect from Sheol or Hades those who are faithful to him. He will do so under Christ's kingdom; and when he uses Jesus to resurrect his faithful followers, he will clothe them with immortality in the spirit realm. Why, then, fear the power of enemies to kill us by God’s permission to prove our faithfulness to him? Rather than fear them, we should fear him. Why? Because God can destroy both our soul and body in Gehenna, and Gehenna means the state of destruction from which there is no resurrection of the soul. W 9/1

Love . . . oovereth all things,

—1 Cor. 13:4,7, A.S.V., margin.

Because love is longsuffering one who cultivates it will be slow to expose to others someone who wrongs him. Love will excuse offenses. Not that it will cover over misdemeanors and violations that should rightly be reported to those in authority, who should know something about these and take action for the good of all in the organization. Concern for the good of the many will move us to report such things to the proper ones. But a person with love takes care not to bring an offender into public contempt if the matter can be straightened out in a quiet easier way that will not stir up division between those who could take sides on the matter. “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” (Prov. 10:12) If we forgive a repentant person, why air the offense to anybody? Love will show that its forgiveness is real, that it has completely covered the matter, as God has. W 12/1

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.—Matt. 13:46.

Jesus must keep all of God’s commands perfectly. By this he must show he recognized Jehovah and kept allegiance to Him as Supreme Universal Sovereign, the Source of all kingdom power. He must be willing even to die for faithfulness in this course, so as to vindicate his heavenly Father’s universal sovereignty. It was a costly price to pay, but the anointed Jesus paid it at Calvary. He thus established his right to the kingdom of heaven, which kingdom would include all that David’s kingdom had taken in. But Jesus must live, and live forever by the power of an endless life, in order to enjoy and exercise that heavenly kingdom forever. Hence the Almighty God fulfilled his Kingdom covenant with David by resurrecting Jesus out of death to life in the spirit. God clothed him with immortality. W 9/15

Sunday, To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal! saith the Holy One.—Isa. 40:25.

Is it not high time to quit resting our hope and trust in princes, religious and political, and in man-made national and international structures, and to render to God the faith, hope, trust, worship and service that are his due? These rightfully belong to him pre-eminently above all other things that belong to “Caesar”. Honor God by getting a proper conception of him according to his

July 23

Word, and then order your life according to that Scriptural conception. Lift up your eyes to the visible heavens and read the instruction they convey about him in the light of the written revelation he has given us in the Bible. He put each celestial body there. He knows each one is there, and he calls them all by names he has given. How can we liken their Creator to anything at all as his equal? Make no visible creature your god by rendering to it what is owing to Jehovah God only. W 2/15

And the boohs were opened: and another booh was opened, which is the booh of life: and the dead were fudged out of those things which were written in the boohs, according to

their works.—Rev. 20:12.

During Christ’s millennial reign the divine will for that time will be made known to all mankind. This making of the divine will plain, with no one to hinder or deceive men, is what is pictured by opening the books. The works which form the basis for mankind’s final judgment will be their future works after the books are opened. Only that way could they be judged out of the things written in them according to their works. Those conforming their lives to such things will get the Kingdom blessings. They will receive the priestly ministration of Christ’s ransom sacrifice and be healed from all the death-dealing effects of Adam’s sin. Thus death due to him will be wiped out. (Rev. 21: 4) This means that all obedient ones will attain to human perfection. W 1/15

As the Father has within him the gift of life, so he has granted to the Son that he too should have within him the gift of life.—John 5:26, R. Knox.

The heavenly Father’s having life in himself and the Son’s also having life in himself means having the power to give life to dying and dead sinners. Other scriptures agree with this, to show that God’s gift of life to sinners is by his Son Jesus Christ. Romans 6: 23 reads: “Sin’s wage is death, but God’s gift is life eternal in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Moffatt) To illustrate that the means of life was like life-sustaining bread and that the imparting of life to sinners included the resurrecting of the dead, Jesus compared himself to heavenly manna and said: “The bread of God is he which comcth down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. And this is the will of him that sent me. that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up.”—John 6: 33, 40. IF V15

If we are real Christians, then we have given ourselves to God in full consecration to do his will. So, if wc want to walk by his spirit, then we must be guided by what it caused to be written in His holy book, the Bible. We must let that same spirit of God open up our minds to understand the truths contained in the Bible and which he makes clear to us through his Theocratic organization. That spirit must guide us to gatherings of fellow Christians where God’s Word is studied and his service is discussed and arranged for. To be plain, that spirit must guide us into the Watchtower studies; it must take us to the regular service meetings for instructions as to how to proclaim the Kingdom message to the community in which we live. That spirit must energize us to attend the weekly Theocratic ministry school to help us to improve our manner of presenting the truth to others as opportunity affords. W 3/15

A gracious woman wins respect.—Prov. 11:16, A.A.T.

God’s written Word relegates womankind to the background and brings few of them individually to view. But those who have shown humble respect for His arrangements he, in his turn, has respected. Thus, by being submissive, trustful and anxious to do their part within the sphere that God prescribed for them, they have gained more of His favor and man’s wholesome respect than if they had tried

Friday, And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

—Matt. 25: 40.

These brothers of his are the spiritual Israelites, begotten by God’s spirit to become his spiritual sons. Here the King is not ashamed to confess to the “sheep” that the spiritual remnant to whom they directly rendered their deeds are his brothers, because all these have one paternal

Saturday,

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

—Rev. 2:1.

The members of Christ's church “seek for glory and honour and immortality”, and in their resurrection in spirit-tual bodies they will be clothed upon with immortality and incorruptibility. (Rom. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15 : 44, 51-54) Hence their eating of the tree of life means they are admitted to life immortal, incorruptible to assert themselves and to take the lead and force themselves into notice and the commanding position. They have realistically considered their sex and what God’s Word has to say about it. Without complaining at the inferior role they have been assigned to play, they have made the most of the situation to work with the male servants of God. Thus they have pleased God and not gotten in the way of his purpose. So he has been pleased to use them in an honorable way. W 5/1

July 28

origin, Jehovah God. (Heb. 2 : 11,12, 16,17) What is done to his brothers is as done to him the King. He warned against doing wrong to any of his believing brothers, even the youngest or the least important. (Matt. 10:4(M2; 18:6) They are God's ambassadors for Christ and in his stead, that is, in place of Christ. So the “sheep” would not do anything wrong to these ambassadors any more than they would do it to Christ himself. They try to be those whom he meant at Mark 9 : 41. W 5/15

July 29

in heaven, in intimate communion with God. This right is accorded to them because of laying hold upon heavenly wisdom and bringing forth righteous fruitage and fighting a victorious fight of faith, thus keeping their integrity toward God. By their resurrection to spirit life they are admitted to this symbolic tree of life, which only the incorruptible God could plant. In the symbolic paradise of God they will be immortals and will enjoy the pleasure of most intimate communion with him. W 6/15

Give tack to Caesar Caesar’s own; and to God what belongs to God.—Mark 12:17, Fenton.

To Jehovah God Psalm 36: 9 says: “ With thee is the fountain of life.” Psalm 3: 8 says: “Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah.” (Am. Stan. Ver.) Our lives present and future are from God. He is our God by his creation of us and by his provision through Christ for our redemption. And so our lives, our worship, and our righteous obedience we owe to him, and we must pay them back to him as owing to him, for Jesus his Son said: “Return . . . Caesar’s own to Caesar; and God’s due to God !” (Matt. 22 : 21, Fenton) Everything in the Scripture supports this command; nothing contradicts it. When 1 Peter 2:17 says to Christians, “Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king," we note it does not mention Caesar. It means honoring Jehovah’s anointed King, Christ Jesus. To this King we will pay honor as commanded. W 4/1

Monday,

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful.

—Ps. 18:25.

When a Christian hardheart-edly withholds mercy from his offending brothers, let him ask himself: Does God follow my example and also refuse to show this offending brother mercy any more? Under such circumstances who is it really to whom God will not show mercy, the unforgiving one or the offender who repents and asks forgiveness? The point to take into account is, not,

July 31

Should he have known better? but, Is he still weak and imperfect in flesh as we all are? By his very lack of compassion the hard-hearted person bars out God from showing him mercy, for only the merciful will have God be that way to them. Let us apply the same rule to ourselves and reason that God will henceforth not forgive us or be patient with us because we, too, should have known better, now that we have come into the truth. W 6/1

Tuesday, Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it.—Isa. 9: 7, Am. Stan. Ver.

Jehovah is thoroughly devoted to his covenant with David for the Kingdom. He will faithfully see to it that it is carried out to the limit. His government in the hands of the Permanent Heir of the covenant was born in 1914. Despite all the persecution and opposition heaped upon the anointed remnant of his fel-

August 1

low heirs, the Theocratic Government of God’s dear Son goes on increasing as this anointed remnant preach this gospel of the established Kingdom in all the world for a witness to all the nations. Proof of this lies in the fact that hundreds of thousands of men and women of good-will who have heard this good news of the Kingdom have accepted it as the truth. Increase of the Government of the great Son of David will be not only over those today living who obey but over the dead whom he will resurrect. W 9/15

And it shall be, when he sit-teth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life.—Deut. 17:18,19.

Jehovah charged his anointed king to study the Bible, in which He had concealed many things of highest importance. This charge to study was given long before the king was ever created and installed upon the throne. The king whom Jehovah God chose for his people must study the Bible and adhere to its teachings. He must do so if he wanted a dynasty to be established in his family and his sons to succeed him for a long time upon Israel’s throne. In thus studying the Bible and obeying it the king would be a good ruler to all his subjects and would be a good example to them also to study God’s Word. What better study could there be for a king when the main doctrine of the Bible is God’s kingdom by his royal Messiah? W 2/1

Friday,

One city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also.—Zech. 8:21, Am. Stan. Ver.

Let the people of good-will of all nations show faith in God like that of Abraham and let them go up with the spiritual remnant to His Theocratic organization. By manifesting such faith they show they are more Jewish inwardly than the natural Jews who are regathered to Palestine in unbelief. They show themselves

August 3

Faith is the basis of things hoped for, and certain features of our hope will pass away because we shall see and experience such hoped-for things. Love, however, will always remain in its fullness. Instead of diminishing, it is bound to deepen and increase through all eternity. Having, then, a right appreciation of the value of things, let us while setting our hearts on certain privileges and attainments aim principally at love, for this is our greatest and abiding quality. W 12/1

August 4

ahead of such fleshly Israelis in Abrahamic faith. Such faith in these consecrated people of good-will is more valid with God than the fleshly tie of natural Israelis to Abraham of old. So let them associate themselves with the spiritual Israel and speak also to other inhabitants of all the nations. This will bring them into harmony with the living God through his King Jesus Christ. It will lead to their preservation through the battle of Armageddon and to life eternal in the New World. W 8/15

Saturday, This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true

God, and Jesus Christ.

—John 11: 3.

Therefore Jehovah’s witnesses are very earnest in their endeavor to praise Jehovah yet “more and more”. They know one can learn the way to gain eternal life through a knowledge of God’s Word. A lover of life, not a destroyer of it, wants to see his fellow man live too; so, having been trained in Jehovah’s principles of truth and righteousness, he will want to “go . . . and disciple all nations”. This is the mission of Jehovah’s witnesses, and they are trying to do it well. They are not doing this grand work in their own strength. They are doing it by the spirit of God. It is not because of their own ability that they make progress and expand, but it is because God is with them. So. world-wide we can hear Jehovah’s witnesses determinedly saying in unison, “I . . . will yet praise thee more and more.” W Hl

This gospel of the kingdom shall he preached.

—Matt. 24:14.

This witness to the Kingdom in operation must take place during Jesus’ parousia, as Jesus prophesied, and his prophecy is in effect a command. It has been given and continues to be given by an increasing number of Jehovah’s witnesses particularly since 1920. All the fury of Nazism, Fascism, Communism and World War II has been unable to halt it or even decrease it. Why? Because Jesus' prophetic command must be obeyed. This increasing witness internationally to God’s established kingdom forms a telling part of the “sign” of his presence, and it is so mighty a part that it cannot be hid. This furnishes eloquent proof that the enthroned Son of man is now ruling amidst his enemies. Since 1914 the nations have raged over the issue of world domination. They have vainly imagined they could block the triumph of the Kingdom born that year. God’s wrath is upon them, for they do not heed the Kingdom witness but persecute us. W 1/15

There were only the twelve apostles of Christ to impart the gifts of the holy spirit. How, then, can the others of the 144,000 body-members of Christ also be “ministers of a new covenant”? By making this provision known to others. That means by reflecting the glorious light of the truth which shines from God the Maker of the covenant and which is reflected from the face of the greater Mediator of it. Christ Jesus the Prophet like Moses. By thus reflecting the light of the truth the ministers of the new covenant bring others to “know Jehovah”, “from the least of them to the greatest of them,” and others are thus helped into the covenant. And through this truth the spirit of God operates to write his law into their understandings and into the fleshly tablets of their hearts, to make them understand and love his law. In this way these ministers serve the new covenant W 3/1

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

—Gal. 6:2.

Restoring a brother imposes a burden upon us. It is a burden the trespassing one has created for us or laid upon us. He has made difficulties for himself as well as for us. Nevertheless, we are under the sway of the spirit and thus free to take that burden upon us willingly, in love, or we can leave the trespasser to bear his own burden and struggle through his own difficulty. What shall we do? The law that Christ Jesus laid down was to love our brethren, even if it meant our own death. If you love your brother and want to see’ him keep his consecration vow and win eternal life to Jehovah’s vindication, you will subdue your irked feelings and willingly take up the burden of restoration work, just to help restore the one whose life interests are endangered. You are free to do this. So do it of love, not of compulsion. Use your Christian strength to help the weak. W 3/15

Wednesday, August 9

The holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as

Sara obeyed Abraham.

—1 Pet. 3: 5, 6.

Peter is talking about the merit of suffering unjustly according to God’s will when he discusses women with unbelieving husbands to show the silent influence they can exercise, and then uses Sarah as an example of faithful and helpful submission. (2:21) Now, Sarah’s husband believed. But a woman who believes and who wants to help her unbelieving husband get the Kingdom truth is under a great handicap if she is forbidden to preach the truth to him or to discuss it with him. Yet she still has a way of influencing him and possibly winning him to the truth. How? By a proper subjection to him as her man and also by letting her faithful Christian conduct speak for itself. By submission, sometimes even under an injustice, she would not hinder or prejudice her husband against accepting the truth. W 5/1

Thursday,

As ye go, preach.—Matt. 10: 7.

So, “Preach I” said Christ’s apostle also. For this reason the Watch Tower Society not merely prints Bibles and Bible literature. It also trains and equips ministers of the gospel. Correspondingly, the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide is a Society of preachers of God’s Word, a Theocratic organization of consecrated ministers ordained by God through Christ. The apostle indicated the two general lines along which preaching

August 10

must be carried out, saying: “I did not shrink from . . . teaching you in public and from house to house.” (R.S.V.) In these two lines of activity Paul copied our great Exemplar, the greatest Preacher of all, Jesus Christ. He proclaimed the Kingdom message in public. He pushed the public meeting campaign. He kept up his public work through all the rest of his ministry on earth and he joined his disciples with him in this great publicity work. W 12/15

Friday, August 11

Howl ye, for near is the day of Jehovah, as destruction from the Mighty it cometh.—Isa.

13:6, Young.

The Devil, “the god of this world,” is the primary cause for the mounting woes of the people, for he is angry because the Kingdom was born in 1914 and he and his demon angels have since then been kicked out of heaven. He and his demons well know their time is short. Yet they try to get men to think that Jehovah’s day of destruction for this world is not as near as world events since 1914 cause men of faith to believe in the light of Bible prophecy. Consequently the day of Jehovah will come upon them with the suddenness of a thief in the night. Jehovah’s witnesses are not and will not be responsible for the sudden arrival of that day of destruction. Like Jehovah’s appointed watchmen who will be charged with the people’s blood for any failure to warn them of the coming world destruction, His witnesses go up to the housetops and shout out the warning. W 10/1

Saturday, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ.—Rev.

11:15, Am. Stan. Ver.

Centuries ago Jehovah marked A.D. 1914 as his appointed year for bringing his kingdom to birth. His purpose is to rid this earth of a corrupt, oppressive old world and to usher in a righteous new world in which obedient mankind will have the opportunity to live forever. The first thing required for bringing in a new world is to establish a new, righteous government for it.

August 12

The difference this government means for the people of goodwill is nicely stated at Proverbs 29: 2 : “When the righteous are in power, the people rejoice; but when the wicked bear rule, the people groan.” (An Amer. Trans.) Since the kingdom of the Lord Jehovah God is proclaimed to be “the kingdom of the world” and he is to reign forever, the setting up of the kingdom in the hands of his Christ means the promised new world is near and will last for all time. The end of this old world is near.

W 11/1

Sunday,

Have all the gifts?

—I Cor. 12:30.

The pure Christianity is today the same as it was in its infancy. It has suffered no setback, no crippling, no weakening by not having God’s spirit operate now with miraculous spiritual gifts. Lacking some or all such gifts would be no evidence of God’s displeasure, but it would show his different way of operation. We do not control the giving of such miraculous gifts nor the giving

August 13

of particular gifts. God does so, Theocratically. He endows the members of his church as he wills, from Jesus Christ on down. And his spirit can operate and does operate just as mightily today without those spiritual gifts as it did with them in the first century. In fact, the faithful remnant of the true Christian church today are, by Jehovah’s spirit, accomplishing a mightier witness for his name and kingdom than ever before in the Christian era. W 11/15

Monday, All flesh is grass, . . . The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our

Clod shall stand forever.

—Isa. 40:6-8, A.S.V.

Faced with that statement, who can deny that the vindication of God’s Word is of vaster importance than saving human flesh? That Word is the good news that God has provided about his coming kingdom. The apostle Peter makes this interpretation sure for us, saying: “This is the word which by the gospel hath been preached unto you.” (1 Pet. 1: 23-25, Douap) This is the gospel of salvation through God’s kingdom. In all past centuries humankind has grown up and died off like grass, but God’s written Word has survived all the Devil’s efforts to destroy it. It has lived on and today is coming true despite the most intense political and religious opposition. How foolish of the blades of human grass to think they can defeat God’s expressed purpose and word! W 2/15

Tuesday, And again Isaiah saith—There shall be the root of Jesse, and he that ariseth to rule nations, -—upon him shall nations hope.

—Rom. 15:12, Rotherham.

Israel has ceased to exist as the Theocratic nation for whom Jehovah fights. Their privilege of being such ceased to exist when they rejected the One whom He sent them to be their King. Only a remnant of the natural Israelites put their hope in Christ Jesus as the promised “root of Jesse”, the Messianic King. Therefore Jehovah sent the good news

August 15

about him to the Gentile nations. There the honest-hearted lovers of righteousness who were groping after the living and true God exercised faith in His message and accepted his Son Jesus Christ as the one upon whom the nations must hope as the King from God. Due to their faith those Gentile believers, together with the faithful Jewish remnant, were declared righteous in God’s sight. Thus all nations began to be blessed through Abraham's Seed, Christ Jesus. W 411

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears rich fruit.

—John 12:24, Moffatt. _

Jesus undertook a sacrificial course in order that a resurrection might come and the dead might live again. Unless he died an innocent death, he would remain alone as a perfect man, without imparting life eternal to others of mankind. But if he did not show selfish love for this earthly life in this world, but laid it down sacrificially in obedience to God’s will, what? Then he would be the means of imparting eternal life to all of mankind that would accept it. Those of men who now became his servants, following in his steps even till death, would be glorified in heaven with him, that where he is. they might also be. He should have many with him enjoying eternal life with him. This would be by virtue of the ransom sacrifice he provided as God’s High Priest, and, as a result, by the resurrection of the dead. W 4/15

Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers.—1 Tim. 5 : 1, 2, Rev. Stan. Ver.

If a young man is to deal with older men and women as fathers and mothers, then he will treat them as if he were fulfilling the Fifth Commandment, to honor one’s father and mother. Rather than speak sharply and ride roughshod over them, he respectfully appeals to their reason, selfrespectability and fear of God, and thus he helps them to a proper course again. He sees beauty in faithful old people and remembers the inspired proverbs: “The beauty of old men is the gray head. The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” (Prov. 20:29; 16: 31) If an older man fills his assigned service in the organization well, then, instead of being undervalued, he is to be rated as deserving twice as much as he is getting in support of his work.—1 Tim. 5 : 17. W 6/1

Then the King will say to those at his right hand, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’’—Matt. 25: 34, Rev. Stan. Ver.

These “other sheep” are now privileged to have a part with the remnant of the King’s brothers in proclaiming “this gospel of the kingdom”. They will be associated with this remnant also for as long after Armageddon as these continue on earth before joining the King in his throne above. They will also be associated with those earthly “children” whom the King will “make princes in all the earth” to act as his visible representatives. (Ps. 45: 16) This great flock of “other sheep” do not possess the heavenly kingdom, but, surviving the battle of Armageddon under his right hand of protection, they will enjoy the King’s favor from the very start of his reign of a thousand years. This will be their eternal inheritance on earth in the realm of the Kingdom. W 5/15

Saturday,

The Lord himself with a word of command, with a chiefmessenger’s voice, and with a trumpet of God shall descend from heaven.—1 Thess. 4'16,

Rotherham.

To accomplish this it is not necessary for the Lord Jesus Christ to descend literally in person from heaven to earth. Not when he has all the necessary power in heaven and in earth which he can send forth for the carrying out of the divine purpose. By merely directing his attention downward to this earth and sending forth

August 19

his power, or also sending down the angels that attend him, he can be present at earth. Installed as king in 1914, Christ Jesus on the heavenly throne asks his Father for the nations as his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth as his possession. Hence he turns his attention down to them and in this sense he descends. He issues a word of command for all nations on earth to yield their sovereignty over to him and for all peoples to swear allegiance to him as earth’s rightful King. W 8/1

If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.—John 6:51.

For Jesus to retain his flesh evermore would mean for him never to have given it in sacrifice. Now if Jesus never suffered loss of the flesh, never gave it up or renounced it, but has it forever since assuming it, how has he sacrificed it? Where is there a sacrifice for mankind to benefit from it? How can his followers eat his flesh unless he laid it down in death? How could they eat his flesh and yet Jesus have it at the same time? A person cannot eat his cake and have it, too, can he? So let us be sensible and take Jesus’ words for what they say and mean. Let us not be confused any longer with unreasonable traditions of religious clergymen. Jesus said he gave his flesh for the life of the world, and he gave it forever that they might have life forever. W T/l

Monday, Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. Let your pleasure be done, as in heaven, so on earth.—Matt. 6:9,10, Basic English.

Since the casting of Satan and his demons out of heaven after God’s kingdom was born in 1914, as pictured at Revelation 12, all sin and wickedness in the universe have been confined to our earth and its vicinity. God never again allows place for it in the heavens. So, at the end of Christ’s thousand-year reign, when all

August 21

the wicked, both demonic and human, are destroyed, it will result in not only a clean earth but also a clean universe. The new heavens over the new earth will rule forever, and God’s will is certain to be done on the paradise earth for all time, even as it is done up in heaven. God’s favor through Christ will evermore extend to the earth; its inhabitants will be justified to eternal life. By ever worshiping and faithfully serving him as Most High God they will never have their names expunged from the book of life. W 1/15

Tuesday, They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.—Gal. 5:24-

Christians consider the deeds of the flesh as things accursed and to be consigned to death. So they put it under control, in a position like a cursed criminal made fast to a stake of execution, that the fleshly emotions, passions and propensities may not be able to exert themselves and become our masters. We consider ourselves as dead to these selfish, sinful things and try to deaden

August 22

them in our lives. Hence, in place of being active in these condemned things, we use our bodies actively in God’s service and let his spirit be the controlling influence in our lives to move us according to his written Word. We cannot serve both the sinful flesh and Christ Jesus as Lord at the same time. He was never the servant of sin, but was Victor over it. Sin claimed us for death, but he bought us with his sacrifice for life. We belong to him. Since we do, we must serve him. W 3/15

I am the first and the last: . . . and have the keys of hell and of death.—Rev. 1:17,18.

Having the keys, Jesus can loose the dead not only from the death-state but also from hell or Hades. He was the First whom Jehovah God, by his own unassisted or direct power, resurrected from the dead. Jesus also is the Last whom God thus raises, because from now on Jehovah uses his Son Jesus Christ to resurrect all the others dead in the graves. On this account Jesus said: “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16: 18, Douay) Jesus did not tell Peter He was giving him the keys of hell. It was about thirty years after Peter had died that Jesus himself told the apostle John that He had the keys of death and of hell. With these in Jesus’ power, the “gates of hell” cannot prevail against his church. Why not? Because he can release them and does so at the due time. W 9/I

Love ... is not provoked. —1 Cor. 13: 4, 5, A.S.V.

Producing that fruit of the spirit, namely, temperance or self-control, love is not irritable and does not become angry. It is not moved with outbursts of wrath. Galatians 5:19, 20 says wrath is one of the works of the fallen flesh. Hence we will guard against punishing disobedient children in a rage or violent anger. When we are unbalanced by anger or irritation, we are hardly in a condition to act justly or mercifully and do

God’s will. We are more liable to be unlovely and to act so. Having a large measure of God’s spirit will help us to slow up in the matter of getting angry lest we be driven to do wrong. His spirit will help us to bring forth that pleasing fruit of meekness or a mild temper. It will help us to retain the respect and affection of others and not cause them to fear or dread us and choke off their free and easy expression. It will help to keep friendships and pleasant associations. W 12/1

Friday, August 25

I will . . . cut off from Babylon name and remnant, . . . I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith Jehovah of hosts.—Isa. H: 22,23,

Am. Stan. Ver.

Fulfillment of the tauntsong is certain. Jehovah’s witnesses may now sing it forth with full conviction. Almighty God, who inspired the song, guarantees its fulfillment to the minutest detail against Greater Babylon and its king and all his seed. With the broom of Armageddon’s destruction He will sweep the universe clean of Greater Babylon, the Devil’s organization invisible and visible. What a slaughter it will be! In the New World nothing will bear Babylonish names. Not even a remnant of her wicked seed will survive Armageddon into that world. None will produce her kind, nor will any be born of such kind. Utter extinction awaits her, and eternal desolation will be her destiny. Then the taunt-song will ring out in a grand finale at the song’s complete fulfillment to the glorious vindication of Jehovah God. W 10/15

Quietly wait for the salvation of the Lora.—Lam. 3:26.

Men of good-will have sighed under the proud worldly rulers and officials, arrogantly demanding everything. Often they have been denied human rights and the proper dignity of man by the haughtiness of political and religious tyrants. By remembering that there is a God of righteousness who has promised to straighten out all injustices and to do away with all sinners and oppressors it should comfort men of good-will and help them to be patient. There is no need or reason for them to give way to discontent and to rise up in violent rebellion against worldly authority. Wait a bit longer for Jehovah to fulfill his word against antitypical Babylon at the battle of Armageddon. Let Him punish Satan’s world for its wrongdoing, and the willfully wicked for their guilt. He alone is authorized to do it, and he will do it righteously by his King Jesus Christ. W 10/1

Sunday,

God gave the increase. —1 Cor. 3:6.

The glad tidings that the 230,532 ministers are carrying to the ends of the earth were so happily taken by thousands that by the end of 1948 even greater numbers were receiving special training to “go . . . make disciples of all the nations”. (Matt. 28:19, A.S.T⁷.) This new interest added to the average monthly number brought the total to 260,756 in a particular month, to compare with 1947’s all-time high peak of 207,552 ministers.

August 27

This was an increase of 53,204 more persons advertising the Kingdom than ever before. This is “marvelous in our eyes”, and we pray that all those who have taken their stand for the Kingdom and made a consecration to serve God will continue faithfully through 1949 and to the end, preaching this good news. This is the covenant all of them have made, to preach “publicly, and from house to house” these Bible truths to persons who are willing to listen. This we believe they will do. W 1/1

Monday,

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.—Horn. 11: 27.

The new covenant is made with the new nation, a spiritual nation that eventually becomes heavenly at God’s right hand. The old Law covenant was made with the fleshly seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but the new is made with the spiritual seed of the Greater Abraham, Jehovah God, because these are joined with the Son of God, the Greater Isaac, namely, Christ Jesus. This new covenant was added to

August 28

the Abrahamic Promise, but not in order to produce transgressions and to show up the spiritual Israelites as sinners, as was the case with the Law arrangement. No; but this new arrangement is to take away their sins. It represents the special blessing of the Abrahamic covenant for the taking away of the sins of the new nation, “the holy nation,” who, together with Christ Jesus, make up the complete seed of Abraham. Through them the believers of all nations are to be blessed. W 3/1

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: . . . and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power.—Matt. 24:30.

That sign is the birth of the Kingdom in the heavens, when Jehovah God brought forth the Son of man from his Theocratic organization (his woman) and enthroned him as the rightful King to rule for Jehovah God his Father. The birth of the Kingdom took place in 1914, followed by the rage of the nations. If we rejoice at the birth of God’s kingdom by Christ, we cannot also mourn for the nations and the disastrous end that is coming upon them. At the same time, as Jesus foretold, all the nations and tribes of the earth are mourning. They are not rejoicing with us now. Why is it? Do they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory? Certainly they are having their attention called to it. How? By God’s elect remnant yet on earth. W 1/15

Wednesday, The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.—Dan.

4:17, A.S.V.

Jehovah God obliged himself to produce a permanent righteous ruler for all mankind. He has already produced the Righteous Ruler and has now placed him in the throne of power. His enthronement guarantees many glorious things for the. immediate future which will delight the heart of all lovers of righteousness and truth and will more

August 30

than realize their fondest hopes. In this way Jehovah God proves he is rightfully the Supreme Ruler of all the universe, and so he vindicates his universal sovereignty against all rebels and opposers. In this way, too, he faithfully carries out his covenant for the Kingdom by which he long ago put himself nnder obligation to produce the permanent King through a certain human lineage or stock, King David’s. Since his King is the only authorized Ruler, then he is the Ruler we should want. W 9/15

Thursday,

Let your women keep silence in the churches.-l Cor. 14:34-

Paul was not commanding women to keep silent at congregational meetings even when the holy spirit moved them to utter some inspired prophesying. No ; but he meant they were not to question outspokenly what the male members said, so as to challenge the males, object to their sayings, wrangle with them publicly over doctrine, and try to dictate to men and force their opinion upon these. Certainly no Christian sister that was under the inspiration of the

August 31

holy spirit would do so. Neither should a sister do so when not under such direct influence of the spirit. To do so would dishonor her visible head, the man, who is the image and glory of God. (1 Cor. 11:7) It would not honor him in public nor make for harmony and unity in the congregation. If women wanted to raise questions against what male Christians said at meeting, they should wait till they got home and then discuss the matters privately with the adult male members of their families. W 5/1

Love suffereth long.—1 (lor. 13:4, Am. Stan. Ver.

We will be long-suffering, looking for improvement in others’ conduct as they learn and observe more. We put up with a lot from them, because we look for their final salvation and we want to help them to gain it. We do not forget how long-suffering and patient God has been with us, and we want to be like him to others. So we hold ourselves in restraint in order to wait on someone else. If he does not do things in the home where we live just as we want them done, we put up with it, biding the time when there will be a change for the better. We are not demanding; we are not forcing our will on him. If people do not grab hold of the truth as quickly as we urge them to; if they do not make progress as rapidly in learning it as we should like, we still keep serving them the truth as we can. Love makes us long-suffering, patient with them. It keeps us right in conduct. W 12/1

Act on the Word, instead of merely listening to it and deluding yourselves.—J as. 1: 22, Moffatt.

We are to remember that the purpose of our studying the Bible is, not for just our own information, comfort and salvation, but for us to be able to enlighten others that they too may learn to know Jehovah God and his Messianic King, Jesus Christ. It is His unob-structible purpose through Christ that furnished the reason for the Holy Bible. It is His purpose that runs through all the Bible books, from Genesis to Revelation. Hence it is His unchangeable purpose that makes all those 66 books harmonious and renders them understandable. When we have his spirit and discern his glorious purpose concerning his kingdom by Christ Jesus, we have the key to the successful study of the Bible. Happy we are to the fullest degree if we become doers of God’s Word and share with others the benefits of our study, that praise and thanksgiving may increase to Jehovah God through his Son Christ Jesus. W 2/1

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.—Isa. 40: 31.

In 1919, instead of continuing to lie prone in the dust of defeat, Jehovah’s people arose at his call to service. In his strength they mounted up as if on eagle wings to spiritual heights of blessing and service. The Almighty God assures us he will have on earth a people that can walk on in the way of his service and never faint and drop out. He has lived up to his promise and has renewed the strength of the aged remnant to carry on through these thirty-one years since 1919. Because they continue to wait upon him so trustfully, he will maintain their strength till the finish of the witness work. He. will also strengthen the “rising generation” of consecrated persons of good-will who join the remnant in the precious service of Jehovah God and his reigning King Christ Jesus. He will do so, because his purpose cannot fail. W 2/15

The. works of the flesh are manifest, . . . they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom.—Gal. 5:19-21.

So by all means you must dismiss and lock out the “works of the flesh” from your mind, if you want to live and serve together now as brethren and attain to life in the New World. There is no excuse for your being ignorant of what these works of the flesh are and the effect they have upon our Christian unity and our spiritual growth. We cannot afford to indulge in them, even if we do not have the

Mosaic law over us to name these works and to forbid them. If consecrated to God, we are no longer the slaves of these things, and we should have no willful inclination to do them. We have the spirit of God. This spirit does not teach, lead or motivate us to any of those fleshly works of selfishness. It works in the opposite direction. It is more potent in our lives than any law engraved on stone tablets. By his active force God inscribes his law on our hearts, our seat of affection, to cause us to love his law. W 3/15

Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men.—l Cor. 7:23, A.S.V.

Not just because the early Christians believed in peace among men did they refuse to take up carnal weapons for Caesar, but because of the more important fact stated above. They could well ask: ‘If I surrender my life in unquestioning obedience to Caesar and lay down my life for him, what life will I have left to pay to God who bought me with the ransom price of his dear Son’s blood? How, then, could I lead a life fully consecrated to God by following in Christ’s footsteps? The Bible tells me, “He laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16) How could laying down my life for my brethren for whom Christ died harmonize with using carnal weapons for Caesar and killing my brethren in lands against which Caesar makes war?’ The early Christians refused to do that. W h/1

Christ the same yesterday, and . . . for ever.—Ileb. 13: 8.

At his resurrection it is not necessary for a dead person to have identically the same body so as to be the same person. When Jesus was a man on earth and was anointed with God’s holy spirit, he did not have the same body he had when he was up in heaven. To become man, he “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men”. (Phil. 2:57, Am. Stan. Ver.) And yet he was the original only begotten Son of God. At his resurrection he was “made alive in the spirit”, not in the flesh which he gave in sacrifice for the life of mankind. (1 Pet. 3:18, Douay) This followed the rule stated at 1 Corinthians 15 : 44 : “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” All the same he was truly Jesus, because God had reproduced his matchless individuality and personality in the new spiritual body with which God glorified him. W 4/15

Be that heareth you heareth me.—Luke 10:16.

Despite the remnant’s being a hated, persecuted minority, the “other sheep” fearlessly choose to help and relieve them, because they know these belong to Christ and they too want to serve him as King and follow him as Shepherd. When Jehovah’s remnant of Christ’s brothers come to their doors with the Kingdom message, they listen and study it, because it is the King’s message. With appreciation they gladly render the needed service to the King’s brothers, because it counts as done to him personally. It is in this way that, though they never see the King himself in such straits, they do these things to him and the King counts it so. Like God, he does not unrighteously forget what they do. (Heb. 6:10) He rewards them. Hence his parable of the sheep and goats serves as a guide and counsel to the “sheep” to support the remnant of his brothers actively, materially, and morally in their Kingdom activities. W 5/15

But if your brother wrongs you, go to him and show him his fault while you are alone with him.—Matt. 18:15,

An Amer. Trans.

By this rule the brother sinned against must be the one to show kind consideration. How? Why, he should be the one to take the first steps to do away with his own hurt feelings and restore the offender to cordial relationship with him in the Christian congregation. He should not quietly nurse his hurt feelings and let bitterness grow up in his heart and refuse to speak to the offender, absolutely ignoring him without telling him why. Yes, try to settle your differences between yourselves privately. Do not disturb the whole congregation with such matters. Do not try to draw the world’s attention to the congregation and its difficulties and so bring reproach on the organization by dragging the matter ’into worldly courts. Show mercy by not gossiping first and revealing the offender as a sinner before all. W 6/1

Unblameable, till the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in Bis own times He shall shew—the blessed and only potentate, the King of the kings and Lord of the lords.—1 Tim. 6:14,15, Young.

When testifying as Jehovah’s witness before Pilate, Jesus did not then manifest himself as a potentate or mighty one with great authority, because the time for his kingdom had not yet come. But Jehovah raised him from the dead as an immortal spirit, “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” From Paul’s day till the time of Christ’s manifestation in 1918 and the resurrection of his sleeping joint-heirs he was the only creature having the gift of immortality from Jehovah. As he dwells in light unapproachable for man, no man has seen him in his heavenly glory and no man can see him now in his royal parousia. Happily for mankind it is invisible. But now, in his own due time, he manifests it. W 8/1

There is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in

Christ Jesus.—Gal. S: 28.

To the female equally with the male is allowed the privilege of accepting the true faith and of devoting oneself to God and being baptized for this into union with Christ Jesus. That means becoming a son of God, a part of Abraham’s seed and an heir of God’s promise. To the female believer as well as the male are opened up the same heavenly hopes and opportunities as “heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ”, to gain the “first resurrection” and to live and reign with Christ a thousand years and to be priests of God and of Christ They, equally with the male Christians, are “living stones” and are built up into the spiritual house in which God dwells by his spirit that they may offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Christ. So they, too, may serve God in this life, copying Jesus’ example, suffering reproach with him, and praising Jehovah God daily. W 5/1

Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger.—Isa. 13: 9, Am. Stan. Ver.

Jehovah used mighty Babylon as a symbol of this world. Once it awed most of mankind with its shining worldly glory, but now dark days are upon it, with darker ones still to come. It has been cruel to the common people, but has been designedly cruel toward the servants and witnesses of the living and true God. So, now that the time for repayment has come, Jehovah God will be righteously cruel to this antitypical Babylon. The vast majority of mankind fear this Babylon, and yet love, admire and support and fight for her. They will bear the penalty for sharing in her sins. Those who escape from her destruction will be very scarce in number, like the survivors of the flood that destroyed the antediluvian world. On all counts, now is the time to sound out in warning the prophecy that nears final fulfillment. IV 10/1

God brought forth of the ground . . . the tree of life also in the midst of paradise.

—Gen. 2:9, Dou ay.

This particular tree was spoken of separately from the trees that were fair to look on and pleastint to eat of. So the name of this tree argues it was not its fruit itself that provided a living forever. The mere eating of the tree was a symbol, and it meant eternal life. The privilege of eating of it, a person’s being permitted to approach and take its fruit, meant or symbolized that the eater must have or must be favored with the right to live forever. God cut sinner Adam off from all access to the tree of life. The death sentence meant one thing, the eating of the tree of life meant the opposite thing. The two could not be blended, for no sinner deserves the right to live forever anywhere. As all of Adam’s offspring were born in sin, hence under the condemnation of death, all approach to the tree of life amidst that Edenic paradise was cut off from them, too. W 6/15

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.

—Rev. 21:2.

The New Jerusalem is heavenly, not earthly. It is spiritual, not material or man-made. It comes down from heaven to rule the earth. Not by literally coming down, but by taking all the earth under its control and sending down its miraculous power from heaven to accomplish God’s will all over the earth. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords over that true Jerusalem. At the close of the Gentile times in 1914 he was enthroned as acting Ruler in the “city of the great King”, Jehovah. Thus, after an interruption of 2,520 years, Theocratic Government over earth rose again to power in the New Jerusalem, never to be trodden down by the Gentiles. To the contrary, the time came in 1914 for those Gentile enemies to be made the footstool of the king of the New Jerusalem, for him to rule amidst them.—Ps. 110: 2. W 11/1

Love . . . endureth all things. —1 Cor. 13:4,7, A.S.V.

Strengthened and upheld by joy, faith and hope, love endures all things. So love is required to keep our integrity to Jehovah God, for the test of integrity to him is endurance. Since it bears up under all things, then there is nothing the Devil can do to test the soundness of our devotion and faithfulness to God but what love will endure, in that way holding us true to God. Tribulation, a great fight of afflictions, crucifixion, the contradiction of sinners, chastening from God, temptation from the Devil, hardships and privations, wrongful suffering for conscience' sake, all these are things which the Bible mentions that love will endure. It is unconquerable. Gaining eternal life from God through Christ is possible only by it, for it meets all of God’s requirements. That we may express it forevermore, God will give us the power of eternal life. W 12/1

I will not refrain my lips, O Jehovah, thou hnowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness.-Ps. 40:9,10, Am. Stan. Ver.

God’s visible organization under Christ is an organization in which every faithful one is a publisher of the good news. Each one’s final salvation depends upon being such. For it is written: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:9,10) The righteousness which Christ’s followers gain through belief with the heart or mind must not be kept to itself. How righteousness was gained and how others may also gain it must be proclaimed to others. A public confession or proclamation must be made in witness to God and his Christ and for the enlightenment of others. Such confession is for salvation. W 12/15

If 1 speak with the tongues of men and of angels, hut have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.—1 Cor. 13:1, A.S.V.

Suppose one had some or all the gifts miraculously given by God's spirit. Yet if one lacked the cultivation of this vital quality, love, one would come to nothing. By “tongues of men” the apostle was not referring to oratory or eloquence, but meant miraculously imparted gifts of speaking in foreign languages of men.

If he talked in tongues without having an interpretation to accompany, it would certainly be unloving on his part. His hearers would get no benefit except a sign of the spirit’s operation upon him, and he would just be trying to show off his gift. This course would not build him up in love, and so would not permanently benefit him. He might as well be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal to others. He would be no more than that in God’s sight. W 11/15

For everyone will have to bear his own load of responsibility.

—Gal. 6: 5, Moffatt.

Outwardly you might be better than other brethren, but such comparison of creatures is not the basis for God in judging. The question is, How far did you measure up to your own peculiar opportunities? To what extent did you use the faculties and knowledge with which you are endowed? To what degree did you enter into your present privileges? Were pure love and sincere devotion to God and his kingdom by Christ the real motive for your active service to Jehovah rather than the ambition to make a somebody of yourself before others and to compete with others? Were you walking after the spirit and showing love by freely taking on willing burdens to help your fellow heirs of life? Not for how much was the other fellow responsible, but for how much were you directly responsible to God? On this basis you must answer to God, bearing your own load of responsibility. W 3/15

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: . . . And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.—Rev.

20 .• 12,13.

This occurs at Jehovah’s due time during the reign of Christ. The giving up of the dead does not mean that those whom the sea and death and hell discharge get at once the gift of everlasting life. Their future works determine whether they will prove worthy of the right to eternal life through Christ and will thus ‘live again’. Notice, please, that at the beginning of this judgment day of a thousand years the dead are spoken of as “small and great”, or high and low. This may mean that those brought back have a higher or lower place in God’s arrangement. Some great or high ones may be made “princes in all the earth” to act as visible representatives of Christ. Psalm 45:16 includes the faithful forefathers of Christ Jesus the King among such princely representatives. W 1/15

This is the covenant that 1 will make with them after those days, saith the Lord.

—Hei. 10:16.

The new covenant will shortly come to an end because it has successfully attained its purpose. But its ending will work for all mankind’s good, for this covenant has the ultimate benefit of all people of good-will on earth in view. It was meant to make acceptable ministers of God and to take out of the nations of this world a “kingdom of priests”, a Kingdom nation, for God. The new covenant will not be needed for the coming new world. There will then be no wicked world out of which to take a name people for God. That world and its political nations will have been destroyed at Armageddon. The modern-time “strangers in Israel”, or consecrated people of good-will, are not in this new covenant. Yet they do know and feel the blessed effects of it, due to their personal association with the remnant of spiritual Israel. W 3/1

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds.—Matt. 24: 31.

Just as you do not see the angels with your naked eyes, so you do not hear a literal trumpet sounding a loud blast. But you do hear what that trumpet symbolizes, namely, the Bible message about the end of the world, the setting up of the Kingdom, the parou-sia of the Son of man, and the approach of the battle of Armageddon for the vindication of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty. (Ps. 47:2-5) It is the message by which the remnant of the elect, and all their associates of good-will, are gathered to the great Signal, the Kingdom. (Isa. 18:3, An Amer. Trans.) The going forth of such an assembly message, and the resulting gathering and unifying of the remnant of God’s elect from all quarters of the globe, is a prominent part of the sign betokening the invisible presence of the Son of man with all his angels. W 7/15

What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death f shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?—Ps. 89:48.

But God can prevent his faithful ones from seeing death and can deliver them from going into hell, Sheol, Hades or the grave. He has promised to do so for people of good-will at the end of the world. At Armageddon there will be an unnumbered great multitude who will not be touched by death or descend into hell, Sheol or the grave. These people of good-will who heed “this gospel of the Kingdom” escape death and hell, but not by joining Christendom’s rulers in their league with death and covenant with hell. They could not escape such by manmade means and schemes. By abandoning the ungodly, deathdealing things of this world, they seek God’s righteousness and seek harmless meekness. Why? To have safe hiding under God’s protection at Armageddon so as to survive. They may then go on to live forever. —Zcph. 2 : 3. W 9/1

Upon this rock 1 will build my church; and the yates of hell shall not prevail against it.

—Matt. 16:18.

When a man dies the “gates of death” open to receive him, and when he is buried the gates of hell, Sheol or Hades open to receive him. But none of such gates prevailed against Jesus, because he was faithful to God till death and for this the Almighty God promised to resurrect him. Neither will the gates of hell and of death be able to prevail against the church of Jesus’ followers and hold them forever after they have proved faithful to death like Jesus. No; for the resurrected Jesus has all power in heaven and in earth and also has the keys of death and of hell. He can use the keys and unlock the gates and raise them from the death-state in the grave. He has promised to do so. He will deliver or resurrect their soul, not as creatures with human life, but as creatures with spirit life in heaven. W 9/1

O Lucifer, son of the morning! . . . thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

—Isa. 14:12,13.

When Babylon’s king, who symbolized his god Satan the Devil, captured the king of David’s line and destroyed the capital city Jerusalem, he felt he had ascended heaven in an assault against Jehovah. He felt he had elevated his throne above the stars of God. Israel’s kings. He felt he had foiled Jehovah’s purpose to bring forth Messiah, the real “Star out of Jacob”, and all his star associates. He had also overrun the temple-mount, Jehovah’s typical Mount of Assembly in the sides of the north. He had defied Jehovah God and shown himself a match for Him. By Satan’s using Babylon’s king to overturn Jerusalem and its king the Devil made himself the “god of this world”. Jesus also called him “the prince of this world”. How like a star he shines in his world! W 10/15

Do your utmost to let God see that you at least are a sound workman, with no need to be ashamed of the way you handle the word of the Truth.

■—2 Tim. 2:15, Moffatt.

That means study. We must all make our own individual examination of the Bible. All the scriptures warn us not to neglect personal effort by turning over the studying to some paid teaching body or “magis-terium”, so called, to do for us. Of course, the appointed servants in the congregations, namely, the overseers and their assistants, must try to excel in knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Overseers must be “apt to teach”. All Christian fathers must bring up their children “in the discipline and admonition of the Lord”. Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois were commended for instilling “unfeigned faith” in him and teaching him “from a child” to know the Holy Scriptures, and that despite Timothy’s heathen Greek father. Taken together, all these instructions and commendations indicate that all of God’s people are under command to study his Word personally and be doers of it. W 2/1

To Jehovah’s King we will pay honor as commanded, for Christ Jesus said: “The Father . . . hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.” (John 5 : 22,23, Am. Stan. Ver.} Therefore the authority of only this King originates with God. Hence Jehovah God the Father and Christ Jesus the King are “the higher powers” to whom every Christian soul should be subject. When Christian souls loyally subject themselves to Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, they pay back to God what belongs to God. Jesus never agreed with the pope that the Christian church and the political power of the nations are from the same source, Almighty God. He recognized these worldly political governments to be, not from God his Father, but from the tempter who once offered them to Jesus.—Luke 4: 5-8. W 4/1

We the living, who survive, will be caught up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall be with the Lord.—1 Thess. i:11, Moffatt.

Christ Jesus does not personally come into immediate contact with our earth as he did at his first advent in human form. Descending by merely turning his attention downward to the earth, he can still he “in the air”. Since the “war in heaven” has forced the Devil and his demon hosts

down from up there to this earth, Christ Jesus is now “in the air” and has its power as an immortal spirit. It is into unity with him in that exalted position that the remnant are caught away or taken along now. By being faithful till death, they will have a spiritual resurrection instantaneously at death in the flesh and they will be personally united with him “in the air”. They are the blessed ones who do

Wednesday,

His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

—Rom. 1: 3.

The promised Seed of Abraham and that of David are one. By having these flesh connections with those two men of God with whom Jehovah made covenants concerning his kingdom Jesus was able to meet the requirements as the Kingdom Heir. As David had to suffer much for the sake of the kingdom to which he was anointed with the holy anointing oil, so Jesus as the Son of

David had to suffer for the everlasting kingdom for which he was anointed with God’s spirit. Amid all these sufferings he had to prove himself faithful to Jehovah, His Superior who bestows the Kingdom according to the covenant. By faithfully enduring the sufferings without rebellion Jesus kept his integrity toward God. He repudiated Satan and vindicated Jehovah as the universal Sovereign. He proved his faithfulness to the death. So he established his right to the Kingdom. That is why he came in flesh. W 1/1

Keep at it in season and out of season.—2 Tim. If: 2, Moff.

We are not always to choose where and when to preach, all according to our ideas of what is suitable for us. Sometimes, despite unfavorable appearances, we must still feel our obligation and try to carry on our work. In this way we can surmount the unfavorable situation that has been created and we can defeat the purpose the adversaries may have had in making things inconvenient for us and our work. Once what was out of season for Jesus’ flesh was most opportune for the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:7) The doing of his Father’s will furnished Jesus with marvelous sustaining power to be at his commission out of season. When scattered abroad by Saul’s persecution it might have appeared out of season for the persecuted disciples to keep on witnessing to Jehovah and his Christ. Yet Acts 8:4 says they “went every where preaching the word”. W 12/15

Love never ends; as for prophecy, it will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. —1 Cor. 13; 8, Rev. Stan. Ver.

Love will no more fail or end than God can, for “God is love”. That we may be like God, this enduring quality is the thing to be cultivated. Since he is supreme and love will always be expressed by him, the universe will forever be governed by love. This will insure the welfare and happiness of all creation. Prophecy, tongues and knowledge as miraculous gifts of God’s spirit have passed away from the church. But his own prophetic power never passes away. In the way of prophecy we have all we now need in his written Word. Knowledge of salvation stands contained in that Word, and in it we have the benefit of his gift of Christ’s apostles. Miraculous gifts have passed, but not the spirit. God’s people are filled with it and producing its fruit. W 12/1

What is the sign of thy presence, and of the full end [syn-tilcia] of the age?—Matt. 24:3, Young.

Did the old world end in 1914? No! Its “times of the Gentiles” ended then, but something began then for the doomed old world. What? Its “time of the end”, its consummation (synteleiu) in which certain factors work together to a common end. So 1914 was a beginning of the end for this world. Its “time of the end” has a beginning and an ending. It had its beginning in 1914. with “war. in heaven”, and will have an ending, namely, at the battle of Armageddon, where this world, invisible and visible, will be obliterated. Christ’s presence corresponds with the consummation (syn-teleia) of this world, or its “time of the end”. That the world entered its “time of the end” in 1914 we know, for the sign Jesus foretold began appearing right on time, at the end of the Gentile times. That was no meaningless accident. W 11/1

The day 0/ Jehovah is near upon all the nations.—Ohad. 15, Am. Stan. Ver.

Persons who love and serve this wicked world stand to lose everything by the destructiveness of Jehovah’s day and do not want it to come and righteousness to be made supreme. When served notice of its coming, they either do not believe it or else postpone it far into the future beyond their day. But the facts since A.D. 1914 have plainly inscribed the handwriting of doom upon the wall of that organization. A prophet greater than Daniel is interpreting the meaning, and his reliable interpretation shows that Jehovah’s day is nearer than any of them think. We certainly could not expect such an imposing thing as the world organization to be removed and to be replaced with something perfect for mankind unless the God of infallible prophecy had foretold it. His practice is to notify mankind in advance of such events of world importance. He has foretold it. W 10/1

Monday, And the Word was made flesh. —John 1: H.

Jesus’ birth cannot be viewed as a resurrection of the dead, for he had not died when he left heaven in order to be born as a human. It was not a case of his dying, but the miraculous power of God his Father transplanted the life of his Son who laid aside all his heavenly glory, transplanting this life into the womb of the Jewish virgin, in order for him to be born in due time as any other humans are born. Thus

October 2

Jesus’ birth was not an incarnation of a spirit, as when the angels materialized fleshly bodies and appeared to men. His birth was a real production of a perfect human child, since his life forces from heaven were perfect. So his mind underwent the regular development of any other born child. He knew nothing about his miraculous birth and the circumstances except what Joseph and Mary his mother could tell him. From this he knew that God was his Father. W 4/15

Tuesday,

Ye are come ... to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling.

—II eh. 12:22,24.

Because God’s kingdom was set up in 1914 by placing Christ Jesus on the throne of the heavenly mount Zion this is true of the remnant in a special sense. When does the new covenant come to an end? At the end of this world. All down through the centuries since the perfect Mediator Christ Jesus provided the sacrifice, the people for Jehovah’s name who make up the “holy nation” for

October 3

his exclusive possession have gradually been taken out from the worldly nations according to the terms and provisions of the covenant. Now since A.D. 1914, when the seven times of the Gentile domination of the world expired and the Kingdom was established in the heavens, the final remnant is being taken out from the nations to complete the full membership of Jehovah’s “holy nation”, his “royal priesthood” under Christ Jesus. Shortly their ministry on earth will be completed. W 3/1

Wednesday,

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one.

—Gal. 6:1.

We want divine mercy extended to us. Then we must extend it to onr fallen brother. Every one of us is certain to make mistakes some time in our lives. Our brethren will not like what we have done in the way of wrong, yet, when we ask them to forgive us, they will. That does not mean, though, that we can deliberately go back and do that wrong all over again, just keeping on

October 4

getting their forgiveness time and time again and making no effort to control ourselves. No; we should show some improvement in conduct, even if our brethren are inclined to mercy. They show mercy so as to help us to recover, for us to grow stronger spiritually and show self-improvement. In this way we should endeavor to safeguard those whom we have in God’s organization and hold on to them as brethren. So, if a brother stumbles, we should show spiritual qualities and be there to help him. W 3/15

Any woman who prays or prophesies without a veil on her head dishonours her head; she is no better than a shaven woman.-l Cor. 11: 5, Moffatt.

The custom of veiling was observed by the Christian women of the first century because of what was considered chaste, so as not to offend public taste and thus hinder others’ accepting the Kingdom message. Since customs have changed, and since in many progressive lands it is not the custom for women to veil themselves in public to appear decent, moral and respectable, Christians in such lands are under no obligation to veil themselves in public or when attending congregational assemblies. The apostle’s argument does not require them to be veiled under such circumstances. Of course, if they want to pray or prophesy at a Christian assembly of mixed membership, then they should veil or cover their head as a symbol of subjection. W 5/1

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.—Rev. 20:11.

All political observers of today must agree that the wholesale destruction of the “kings of the earth” and their backers at the battle of Armageddon will mean the end of our present so-called “civilization”, the end of our present earthly organization and arrangement of things. And in this electronic age, with its atomic bomb, who is there to say the end of the present earthly arrangement of human society will not be in a very fiery time, both literally and figuratively? Such destruction of all present political, commercial and religious arrangements under God’s disapproval is what is symbolized by the fleeing of the earth from before his face. And if no place is to be found for it any more, then surely it will never again exist upon our planet earth, which is God’s footstool. W 1/15

Saturday, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

—Heb. 8:8.

After Jesus was raised from the dead he began the new covenant with a remnant of believing Israelites taken out from among “all the house of Israel”. (Acts 2:36; Rom. 11:5) He did not stop with that remnant, for, when natural Israel failed to produce sufficient to make up the entire “holy nation”, Jehovah God by his Mediator Christ Jesus took in the Gentiles that believed in his sacrifice and that consecrated themselves to God’s service. All these believing imitators of Christ constitute the “holy nation”, spiritual Israel, “the Israel of God.” This explains why Jehovah said he would make the new covenant “with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”, instead of with all nations. Revelation 7: 4-8 specifies that this holy nation of ‘Israel after the spirit’ will be 144,000 members under Jesus Christ. W 3/1

The truth shall make you free. —John 8: 32.

Those who know this hearken to God’s Word and study it. The Bible is the true guide. It will guide you to the right course of action, preaching the good news you learn. It is the truth that makes one free from worldly politics, religion and commerce. You should never be afraid of becoming involved in something that frees you from death and leads to life, namely, the ministry of Jehovah’s truth. “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Tim. 2:3,4) No, this freedom which the truth gives does not mean yon will be able to go through life now without any hardships or trials or difficulties. So Jehovah’s witnesses face these on every hand. Jesus warned that things would not be easy for his servants; as they persecuted him, they will also persecute you. W 1/1

Monday,

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm.—Isa.

40:11.

Jehovah’s Good Shepherd regathers and leads back the faithful remnant of his “little flock” of Kingdom joint-heirs. By his strong right “arm”, Christ Jesus, he gathers the weak and young believers and bears them up like lambs, carrying them along in the bosom of his loving favor and heartfelt compassion. Out of consideration of those with children whom they are bringing up in the “nurture and admonition

October 9

of the Lord”, Jehovah by his Good Shepherd does not overdrive his flock lest parents and children should die spiritually. Like ewes, the faithful remnant are spiritually nourishing the great multitude of sheeplike persons of good-will. The parable of the sheep and goats is now having its fulfillment, producing proof that the Good Shepherd is now gathering and leading these “other sheep” over the highway. (Matt. 25: 31-46) All his obedient followers are at present rewarded with a share in this gathering work. W 2/15

And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.—Matt. 1:16.

Joseph could adopt Mary’s son as his foster son. Thus all the interests in the Kingdom covenant with David that Joseph might possess he could legally transfer to his foster son, Jesus. In this way Jesus would become the legal heir to the covenant by means of his foster father, Joseph. Through Mary he was a direct son or descendant of King David and so he had a fleshly or natural claim on the covenant. Mary, being a woman, could not herself inherit the covenant, but she could as a mother transmit the right and heirship to it to the firstborn one of her sons. This she did. In this way the two lines of descent and heirship, from David, the one through Solomon and Zerub-babel and the other through Nathan and Zeruhbabel, converged upon Jesus and strengthened his natural right to heirship of the Kingdom covenant. W 9/15

Wednesday,

Then shall. he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.—Matt. 25: 45.

The “goats” do not see the King with their literal eyes during his presence or parousia in glory. But that is no excuse. They do see among them the remnant of the King’s brothers and hear these preaching the Kingdom and representing him as the now reigning King to whom Jehovah God commands full submission to be given by all.

October 11

They do see the needy condition into which the King’s brothers on earth come for their allegiance to him and their service to his kingdom. But give real relief to the remnant amid their hardships for serving the King? No! And why not? Because the “goats” are decidedly prejudiced against them, as these represent the only rightful King of earth, their Brother, whom Jehovah God has appointed Ruler of the new world. So the “goats” would no more help and relieve these than they would the King. W 5/15

Thursday, And they observed not until the flood came and took away all together, so will be the presence [parousia] of the Son of Man.—Matt. 24: 39, Roth.

Noah built the ark in the time of the end of that old world. This indicates that “the days of the Son of man” would run over a period of years at the end of this world. Not strange, then, that today we find ourselves thirty-six years from when he came into his kingdom at the end of the Gentile times in 1914. The ignorance in which people will

October 12

perish at Armageddon will be willful, because Christ Jesus, the Greater Noah, has raised up preachers of righteousness, and during all these years of his presence these have called attention to his parousia and the world’s end. Like the antediluvians, the mass of mankind go on with their eating, drinking, marrying, building and planting, not taking Jehovah’s witnesses and their message seriously. They attach no significance to all features of the sign that Messiah is here. W 1/15

Friday, October 13

Treat younger men like brothers, . . . younger women like sisters, in all purity.—1 Tim.

5:1, 2, R.S.V.

An overseer must treat the younger men in the congregation like brothers, that is, with a family affection. The younger women he must treat as if they were his fleshly sisters, with a family affection and regard, anxious for them to keep morally and spiritually pure and protecting them against immoral men. That is merciful treatment of young people. Then there are the handicapped ones, those who cannot read or write, those who are slow-witted, those in one way or another disabled. Show them mercy by being patient, not expecting and demanding of them to line up with all the many regulations and technical details, where they do not have any willful, intelligent intent to violate a request or a requirement, sacrifice a bit of your own convenience to make up for their lack. Do not condemn them right off. W 6/1

Saturday,

You are storing up wrath, for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. There will be tribulation and distress for . . . who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.

—Rom. 2:5,9, R.S.V.

The “sign of the Son of man in heaven” has appeared and it is for the benefit, not of one earthly nation, but of all nations, Jew and Gentile. This “sign” is the birth of God’s kingdom in 1914 with his Messiah on the heavenly throne. (Matt. 24:30; Rev.

October 14

12:1-5) To this has witness been given world-wide, but the mass of the natural Jews as well as of the Gentiles continue to ignore the testimony given to the “sign” by Jehovah’s witnesses. Now is the time for conversion. When this Kingdom witness has been preached to all nations, Jew and Gentile, then the time comes for the King’s power to be revealed by the universal war of Armageddon, and it will be too late for conversion, either by individuals or by nations. W 8/15

The overthrow of the wicked world organization is near. It is nearer than the modern Babylonians care to think as they scramble now for what they can selfishly seize in fear of otherwise losing all. This world’s days will not be many now, no, not now when God’s kingdom by Christ has been established as the vindicator of His universal sovereignty and the liberator of oppressed mankind. The decisive battle of the Kingdom against this Babylonish world will reduce her to ruin and rid the earth of her children. Never will she be rebuilt. But our terrestrial globe which she has misruled for millenniums will not lie desolate like ancient Babylon's site. No; but her destruction will clear the ground for establishing a visible organization of righteousness everywhere. W 10/1

Monday, If I . . . know ... all knowledge; . . . but have not love, I am nothing.—1 Cor. 13:2, Am. Stan. Ver.

Today we are helped to understand the sacred secrets of God’s Word and purpose, not by inspired gifts of knowledge, but by the illuminating power of his spirit. Once gained, our knowledge of such mysteries that provide the key to understanding the Bible could be used selfishly. With especial ability to explain them to others we could make a grand display of ourselves for praise and admiration. Or we might yield to likes and dislikes and not share them equally with any and all who inquire and want to know. Or, in fear of men, we might hold back from declaring those mysteries that lay bare the organization and activities of God’s enemies. Thus we would show we do not love God. For “there is no fear in love”. To profit ourselves as well as others we must use our knowledge of God’s secrets in a loving way. W 11/15

Tuesday, Do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not knoto that Cod’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?—Rom. 2: 4> R- S. V.

Roughness tends to make most persons hard and bitter. But kindness and gentleness, especially where cold iustice or returning like for like might call for other treatment, tends to soften the one to whom we show it. It warms and attracts, and this is what draws

October 17

us to God in repentance over our sins, desiring to be forgiven through his Son’s atoning sacrifice. If we hear of his kind arrangement and yet we carry on in worldliness and disobedience to him, we presume upon him. We might carry the matter too far and thus miss out on the purpose of his arrangement. Seeing that God’s love discloses itself to us in kindness, we are just copying him when we show kindness to others instead of impatient roughness. W 12/1

Dear friends, do not believe every inspired utterance, but test the utterances to see whether they come from God. —1 John 4:1, An Amer. Tr.

To go safely through this dark world and avoid being misled by false prophets and teachers we must study the true prophecies. The true prophets delivered their messages under inspiration of God’s spirit. Hence we must ask for God’s spirit to help us in understanding what they wrote. This spiritual force investigates all the concealed things of God’s Word, even the deep things. (1 Cor. 2:9,10) Thus the spirit is an essential aid to Bible study. It fathoms the deep things to bring forth their meaning. We must therefore accept as true teaching what has been written under the inspiration of this spirit. That includes the Hebrew as well as the Christian Greek Scriptures. Anything that contradicts the inspired Word must be rejected as false. By this method we test the “spirits” or inspired utterances to prove whether they are of demon inspiration or of God’s inspiration. W 2/1

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

—Matt. 25: 46.

The “other sheep” get, not immortality, but eternal life on earth which is dependent upon the everlasting Government of their immortal King. Hence the “goats” could never be punished with immortality in eternal torment. They get a death sentence, and this sentence is everlasting, resurrection-less, and hence is an everlasting punishment. They do not need to be brought back at the end of the King’s thousandyear reign to show their opposition to his Government. The King says they show their opposition right now, by their treatment of his brothers. So their destruction has no letup. Ah, but the righteous “sheep” enter life eternal, even passing alive under the shadow of the King’s right hand through Armageddon into the endless new world. So why not decide now to be one of his “sheep” at his right hand? ~W 5/15

Friday, October 20

They shall in no wise escape. —1 Thess. 5:3, A.S.V.

Shaken by the irresistible assaults of Jehovah’s fighting hosts under his King Jesus Christ, the Greater Cyrus, none of Satan’s Babylonish organization will be able to hold up. The parts composing it will be broken, and each scattered part will scurry off seeking its own safety. Panicky internecine strife will break out between them as God smites Satan’s forces with confusion. Any who escape the decimating effects of this anarchistic warfare will be picked off by Jehovah’s pursuit forces. We read: “O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, happy shall he be, that reward-eth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock.” (Ps. 137 : 8, 9, A.S.V.) Christ Jesus, the Greater Cyrus, is that happy one. He will leave none to raise up the wicked oppressive organization of all iniquity again. W 10/1

Saturday, October 21

The crown of the righteousness that the Lord—the Righteous Judge—shall give ... to all those loving his manifestation.

—2 Tim. 4-'8, Young.

The period of Messiah’s presence or parousia is what Paul spoke of as “that day”. It is the time of the appearing or manifestation of the present King, particularly so from 1918 onward when Christ Jesus, though rejected by Christendom, was shown to be God’s Chief Cornerstone. True Christians do not consider his manifestation with dread. They love it. They do not fear the judgment which he begins at this time of his manifestation, from 1918 onward. They know it is a time of reward for them because they have tried to be faithful to the interests of his kingdom. They expect to receive from this righteous Judge the crown of righteousness, the prize of being vindicated in the spirit as Christ Jesus was vindicated at his resurrection, to immortal life. W 8/1

Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.—Rom. 15: 4.

The writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures did not exhaust all the Scripture quotations that could be made from the inspired Hebrew writings. So we conclude that most of the quoting of those ancient writings was to be done by the Christians after the apostolic era, particularly those Christians living at the end of the world where the fulfillment of most of the Hebrew as well as

Greek Scriptures would be brought to pass. This privilege is ours today. Ours is the time foretold at Daniel 12: 4, when many should “run to and fro” through the Scriptures, and thus, by God’s blessing, “knowledge shall be increased.” Happy, then, is our privilege today to study all God’s Word written aforetime, for today his spirit is outpoured in abounding measure to fathom the deep things of God that are now due to be revealed for our nourishment and guidance. W 2/1

The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.—Rev. 20: 5.

The faithful members of Christ’s body are sown at death a “natural body”. When they share in the “first resurrection” after Christ Jesus comes into the kingdom power they are raised a “spiritual body”. (1 Cor. 15:44) When resurrected thus as perfect immortal spirit creatures they at once become alive and enter into life, just as Christ Jesus did at his resurrection. No effects of their being born in sin under death’s condemnation as

Adam’s offspring carry over with them, for they forever sacrifice the human nature as Christ Jesus did. The resurrection of the “rest of the dead” as humans does not make them alive in the complete sense that those sharing in the first resurrection are made alive. Many of the effects of being born from the sinful dying Adam will still continue with them on coming out of the graves. Hence their not living again does not mean they will not be raised from the grave till the thousand years are finished. W 1/15

And whosoever was not found written in the hook of life was cast into the lake of fire.

—Rev. 20:15.

Since the lake of fire symbolizes the second death, casting them there means that such unrecorded ones are destroyed, body and soul, in Gehenna, in everlasting destruction. Their death is the “second death”, and not the death they inherited from Adam. Adamic death will no longer fill Hades or Sheol but will have been wiped out, because the King will have canceled all inherited sin. He will have lifted all those gaining eternal life out of the sinful, dying condition they inherited from Adam. In that way death will also be “cast into the lake of fire” and cease to be. “For he must reign until He puts all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished is Death.” “And death shall be no more, nor shall grief nor wailing nor pain be any more; for the former things are passed away.”—Spencer. W 9/1

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

—Mark 12:17.

By these words Jesus was not trying to say that the emperor or Caesar and God were at agreement and that Caesar acted foi Jehovah God with the best of co-operation. Such was not the case. Caesar opposed the true God. That was the reason why the Herodians tested Jesus on this point. A few days after this test, Caesar’s agent, Pontius Pilate, acted as the executioner to put the Son of God to death. So Jesus’ words can in no way be interpreted to mean we can go the whole way with “Caesar” in his demands and yer not run into conflict with Jehovah God; and that “Caesar” will never demand anything contrary to God, but that to be obedient to him in all things Is to please God. On the contrary, to render “Caesar” unquestioning obedience means to put this human political ruler above God and it leads to fighting against God. W 4/1

Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God . . . with all confidence.

—Acts 28: 30, 31.

What is out of season for God’s servants in a physical way can be turned to advantage by faithfully keeping at the ministry. Paul himself was once a shut-in, for two solid years. All during the time that the conditions continued seemingly out of season for him he did what he later told Timothy to do: “Preach the word.” Instead of rotting away there as a prisoner under house custody idly waiting for his trial to come up and for release to be won from confinement, he had people come to him if he could not go to them. He turned his prison room and his confinement into an effective situation for witnessing. That it was for Christ he was imprisoned became known to many. So God blessed Paul’s efforts for keeping at it “out of season”. God blesses Paul’s imitators today. W 12/15

That night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.—Luke 17: 34.

Now is the time of division over the issue of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty by His kingdom. You may be members of the same family or human relationship, sleeping together in the same bed or grinding together at the household mill, but a division can take place over this most important issue, whether among men or among women. You may be fellow workmen, toiling in the same field as family members or as employer and employee, able to get along peaceably otherwise. But when it comes to this paramount issue there is a division and each one may choose a different destiny. In this time when the King’s presence is being manifested like the brilliance of a lightning flash which shines upon all from east to west, some rejoice in this light and are gathered to the King’s side, to preservation through Armageddon and to a feast of joy over his victory there. W 8/1

Let us not in our vanity challenge one another or envy one another.—Gal. 5: 26, An Amer. Trans.

We should never force the hand of our Christian brother bo as to embarrass him and show ourselves off as better and thus be able to grin at his predicament. We should avoid all things that create partyspirit, factions, and internal divisions, with envies, jealousies and competitions resulting. We cannot afford to be divided. We are not in the Theocratic organization as independent members, each one out for his own interests regardless of those of others. We are not trying to get ahead of our brethren. We should be pleased and not envious over the blessings God has bestowed upon another individual. If oiler brethren qualify and show ability to speak publicly, or to teach, or to conduct Bible studies at Kingdom Halls or in private homes, showing excellence in these things over us ourselves, we should thank God and want to learn from them. W 3/15

Expect and hasten the advent of the Day of God.—2 Pet.

3:12, Moffatt.

Making bold to challenge the popular wishful thinking that it is not near, Jehovah’s witnesses keen up the proclamation that His day of world destruction is near, nearer than they think. In this way the witnesses heed Peter’s admonition respecting the end of this world, to “await and hasten the coming of the Day of God, which will cause the heavens to burn up and dissolve and the heavenly bodies to blaze and melt”. (3:12, An Amer. Trans.) Now is no time to be fooling the people by letting them postpone that event in their minds. Now as never before is the time to bestir the people of good-will to life-saving action by showing them from the Bible and from world affairs the imminence of the day of Jehovah God. It is no message of optimism for this world, this message concerning the “day of vengeance of our God”. W 10/1

It shall bruise thy head. —Gen. 3:15.

Crushing of the Serpent’s head carries with it as one of its results the transforming of the earth into a beautiful global park after the battle of Armageddon. If God destroyed this earth because of man’s sin, he would frustrate his own original purpose. At Armageddon what he will destroy will be all those who “destroy the earth”. Then by the kingdom of his Seed he will make all earth the glorious perfected home for men of good-will who accept the gift of eternal life. Paradise will be replanted and be a delightful feature of the “new earth”. An unnumbered multitude of persons of goodwill today are proclaiming the kingdom of God with his Seed Jesus Christ as King. For their faith and righteous service these will be carried alive through the end of this “present evil world” at Armageddon and will have a part after that in making all the earth Eden’s garden, a park of perfect delight.—Rev. 7:9-17. W 6/15

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.—1 Cor. 13:9,10.

The miraculous gifts of the spirit were due to pass away because of their partial or incomplete nature. The prophecies given did not go into all the details, nor was prophecy given all through one prophet. So each prophet was partial in disclosing the future, not even knowing perfectly of what he prophesied. But now it is not the time for gifts of prophecy, but the time for its fulfillment. Gradually the complete understanding of the prophecy is being filled out by all the details of the actual fulfillment. By fulfilled prophecies we know we are in the “time of the end”, the time when, as God promised, “knowledge shall be increased.” (Dan. 12 : 4) Knowledge never stands still as prophecy goes on fulfilling. We are therefore coming to perfect knowledge. W 12/1

Wednesday,

Through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work.

—Seb. 13:20,21.

God succeeds in getting out from this world a “people for his name”. He will get out the last of them, as represented in today’s remnant, to form a faithful “people for God's own possession”. With this remnant Jehovah by his Greater Moses is now also getting out an unnumbered “great multitude” of people of good-will. These latter were pictured by the “mixed multitude” that marched out of Egypt with Is-

November 1

rael. (Ex. 12:38) So Jehovah’s blessed new covenant by his Mediator, Christ Jesus, will attain its glorious final success, producing a completed spiritual “holy nation” for the Most High God. The spiritual remnant of today will continue faithful in the use of the glorious treasure of His ministry. In due time they will finish their earthly course and be resurrected into their heavenly privilege with all those who will be priests of God and of Christ. The new covenant will thus end because it has attained its purpose. W 3/1

Thursday, As wise, redeeming the time. —Eph. 5:15,16.

May we appreciate that we are living in the “time of the end”. We are already more than thirty-six years through it. The telic end of the Devil’s system of things is steadily drawing closer. Let us not be thrown off guard because the days of tribulation have been shortened by an interlude and we do not at present know the day or the hour of that destructive end upon the system of things. The end will come.

November 2

It is not delayed. It is certain to come at God’s definitely fixed day and hour. When this Kingdom gospel has been preached in all the habitable earth for a witness, this “time of the end” which began with sorrows will finish with a complete end for the enemy system of things. Be it now our part to do our share in this educational campaign of Kingdom witness. Doing so, we shall prove worthy to enter the righteous new world under Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ. W 11/1

Yet thou shalt be brought dozen to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. They that see thee shall gaze at thee.

—Isa. U: 15,16, A.S.V.

Ancient Babylon’s king did not loose his Israelite prisoners to go home; King Cyrus the conqueror was the one that let them return to Jerusalem. Not Satan the king of Greater Babylon, but Christ Jesus the Greater Cyrus let the loyal remnant of spiritual Israel go free in 1919, but only after toppling Satan and his Babylonish organization down from heaven. But the force of the taunt-song at Isaiah 14: 12-20 is to show that Satan’s fall from his heaven-high place will not be complete till he has hit the depths of the condition corresponding to Sheol, namely, the death-state, weak, helpless impotence and inactivity. This corresponds with the “abyss” of Revelation 20: 3. Oh, what disgrace will be heaped upon him in that condition for his course in all past history! W 10/15

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

—Jas. 5:14.

A trespasser may realize he has been overtaken and needs the encouragement and guidance of others to approach God and obtain forgiveness and reinstatement in the divine favor through Christ. Then he may not wait for his brethren to find out about his low state of spiritual health. He may see he is spiritually sick and in urgent need of help. He may send for his faithful, spiritually qualified brethren to come and help him. To those you call in for help confess your sin, that they may know what is the matter with you and how you can be helped. Let them pour in the soothing oil of God’s spiritual Word to comfort you aud fortify your mind and build up your spirits. Let them help you to believe again that God is just to forgive us our sins if we confess them through Christ Jesus, the Advocate of the church. W 3/15

All nations will be gathered in his presence, where he will divide men one from the other, as the shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.—Matt.

25:32, Knox.

The treatment that men accord to the King’s brothers calls for them to decide either for or against the King whose ambassadors and brothers they are. When the Son of man was here on earth at his coming in humiliation in the flesh nineteen centuries ago, he did not unite the people and establish peace among them. No: he brought about a division of the people on the issue of his kingship as the promised Messiah. (Luke 12:51; Matt. 10:34) Much more is this so now, when he comes, not in fleshly humiliation, but in heavenly glory as the reigning King on his throne. We must expect a division of the people on the issue of Jehovah’s sovereignty of the new world by Christ Jesus. And, quite so, this division of the people has been taking place since A.D.

1914. W 5/15

To whom then will ye liken Godf or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

—Isa. 40:18.

Jehovah God can do things it is impossible for his creature man to do. No man can behold him and live. In fact, no men, either the Israelites when receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai or the personal disciples of Jesus Christ, ever saw the shape of Jehovah God. Why, then, should any man, rich or poor, make an idol image and say that it is God or pictures God? Almighty God does not worship any man or animal that He created. Why, therefore, should man worship any animal or even any fellow man or any thing that man can make? To turn intelligent man away from worshiping the true God, Satan the Devil induces man to worship the things God created, or even to worship things that man himself fabricates. In the second of the Ten Commandments Jehovah God commanded his people not to make any likeness of any creature and then to idolize it. So let us deify no visible thing. W 2/15

Tuesday, November 7

As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.—Heb. 2:14.

The chief reason why Christ Jesus came in the flesh was to prove his integrity and vindicate his Father’s universal sovereignty and so establish his right to the Kingdom. There was another and secondary reason why he became flesh and blood for a time. This was in order to provide the ransom sacrifice to free men from the effects of sin which they inherited from Adam. It was a humiliation for Jesus to become a man of flesh and blood, for this made him lower than the angels. But this humiliation proved his obedience. It is through him that his followers become the children of God, and he frees them from the power of the Devil. His followers are the first to receive the benefits of his death in the flesh as a sacrifice for sins. It was not God’s will that his Son should forever suffer humiliation in flesh, but God promised him eternal glorification for his faithfulness. W 7/1

Wednesday,

The fruit of the spirit is love. —Gal. 5:22.

Since love’s expressions correspond with the spirit’s fruitage, it follows that to love we must have God’s spirit. His invisible active force must operate upon us and work through us. (Rom. 5:5) But this quality is no miraculous gift of the spirit, such as tongues, translations, prophecy, healings, etc., are. We cannot therefore pray God to fill us suddenly with it and expect it to fill us in its full

November 8

perfection in an instant. It is a “fruit” of the spirit, which means that if we have his spirit we shall have that godlike quality. But we can lose it if we do not guard against inborn selfishness which Satan would rekindle in us. Hence we must cultivate love so as to have it abide in us and grow to perfection. We can certainly expect, without disappointment, to have more of it if we pray to have more of God’s spirit, desiring its fruitage in our lives. W 12/1

Call aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles!—Isa.

13:2, An Amer. Trans.

To take possession of the gates or commanding entrances of the enemies meant to take possession of the enemy organization and to subdue it. Now the time has come for the Greater Cyrus, the enthroned King at his Father’s right hand, to assault, invade and destroy the proud antitypical Babylon. On earth the remnant of Jehovah’s anointed witnesses and their companions of good-will now wave the hand and beckon to Them to enter Babylon’s proud gates, because the day of Jehovah has drawn near and Babylon as a world organization has been weighed in the balance and found wanting, in spite of all her organized religion. As if beckoning Babylon’s Conquerors to advance, the remnant and their companions earnestly lay their hand to the witness work of declaring the day of God’s vengeance against that proud, oppressive organization. There is no time to lose. Not now! W 10/1

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.—Matt. 18:35.

Let us fear, then, that, by being resentful and very exacting toward our offending brother, God will show us no pity, in turn, but will be merciful to the repentant offender who asks forgiveness. God has forgiven us a debt which calls for our death, whereas what any of our brethren could commit and ask forgiveness for could be nothing in comparison with what God forgives us through Christ. If, then, he forgives us so much, he is not asking too much when asking us to forgive our brethren for what could at most be only minor offenses against us. What God wants is for us to be like him, copying him. If we are pitiless, God has larger grounds for being that way to us. If we do not act toward others as he acts toward us, we harm ourselves, and that eternally. Eternal life for us is by his mercy. W 6/1

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

—1 Tim. 2:11,12.

In not trying to teach Christian men at congregational meetings and not dictating to them, our Christian sisters safely remember that the head of the man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God. Speaking as regards the whole church, Jesus said: “One is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.” But even if he is God’s appointed Head over the Theocratic organization Zion, yet he himself is taught of God. Isaiah 54 : 5,13 says to Zion: “Thy Maker is thy husband ; Jehovah of hosts is his name: . . . And all thy children shall be tanght of Jehovah.” (A.S.V.) So if man in the congregation represents the likeness and supremacy of Jehovah God, then the women should Theocratically respect what he represents. She should not try to rearrange the divine setup and try to teach the man of God. W 5/1

Live a life of self-mastery, . . . awaiting the blessed hope of the appearance of the Glory of the great God and of our Saviour Christ Jesus.—Titus 2:12,13, Moffatt.

Since we are living in the time of the manifestation of the presence of Jesus Christ as reigning King, what a spur we ought to get from this! It ought to spur us to flee from money-love and the desire to be materially rich, and, instead, to pursue enduring righteousness, and to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on the eternal life in the new world which is so near. Seeing that, by privilege, we are living in the time of his presence and that the full manifestation of it will take place shortly at Armageddon, to God’s eternal glory, let us watch that we conduct ourselves in this present evil world as those who have this blessed hope before us. May we faithfully keep what God has taught us about holding fast our integrity to him. We are helped to do so by hope. W 8/1

Appoint me a set time, and remember me!—Job 14:13.

Resurrection is dependent on God’s power through Christ and upon his memory of the dead. By the life eaeh individual has lived and by the thoughts he has thought, he has built up a living pattern which represents himself. It is what he is, regardless of the creative material of his body. When man sinned and died, the human living soul died. This requires God in the resurrection to re-create the soul.

He can do so easily. But what will make the souls he creates on resurrection day by Christ the souls that died and went to the grave ? This: Each one before death developed a lifepattern, resulting in certain habits, leanings, mental abilities, memories, and history. In view of the ransom sacrifice of Christ God remembers that life-pattern of each one in the grave, and he will reproduce it exactly in the soul he creates. Thus he will resurrect the dead. W 4/13

The exposition of thy words gives light, giving understanding to the open-hearted.—Ps.

119:130, An Amer. Trans.

Anyone loving the light of truth and wanting to understand the things most vital to his lasting peace and happiness will find in the written Word of God enough inducement to read and study the Bible. All normal creatures want to live in the knowledge and enjoyment of God and his works. If you want such kind of living, then God’s Word is what you must study. The disciple James speaks of it as “the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls”. (Jas. 1:21) The apostle Paul spoke of it to a Christian overseer as “the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”. (2 Tim. 3: 15) What greater spur to reading and studying the Bible could there be than gaining wisdom and being saved to everlasting life in a righteous new world? W 2/1

The dragon gave him his power, . . . And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast.-—Rev.

13:2, 4-

This shows positively where the political governments of this world derive their power. Christ Jesus and his apostles were not of that kind to worship and adore the political state. Jesus refused to accept earthly political power from the dragon, the Devil. Now if the Son of God would not accept the kingdoms of this

For just as the days of Noah, so will be the presence of the Son of Man.—Matt. 24:37, Rotherham.

The days of Noah’s presence at building the ark lasted for some years at least. Then there came one particular day, a D-day. That day the predicted flood came and it swept away all the people outside the ark. When Noah started bringing in all the animals a week before the flood, the people in general did not know the day or the hour that the

The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

■—2 Tim. 2: 2.

This Jehovah’s witnesses have very definitely done during the past service year, as their field service record shows. The report they publish is not one of members, for they do not have enrolled congregations. But it is of the heap of witness that was piled up by the workers in the congregations world-wide. This is world from the Devil as a gift in payment for recognizing the Devil as a god worthy of worship, certainly his Father, Jehovah God, would never accept those kingdoms either, even through the pope as intermediary for the dragon, the Devil. Jehovah’s decree of an end to this world shows he has never accepted those kingdoms and nations, including Christendom, despite all the pope’s spiritual harlotry with such political systems. The world’s end will witness the annihilation of all such systems. W 4H flood would break. But God was guiltless in the matter. He did not leave them without advance notice of the coming of the flood, but raised up Noah, “a preacher of righteousness.” (2 Pet. 2:5) They knew Noah was present building an ark. They heard his preaching of the end of their world. But they went on in their old-world course. Their not knowing at the time that the deluge poured in upon them was due to their own willful ignorance. Their blood was on their own pates. W 7/15 truly a Society of evangelists, missionaries and ministers who are located in 96 different parts of earth. There are now 230,532 ambassadors for God’s kingdom engaging in preaching the gospel every month, to compare with 181,071 for the service year of 1947. That means there are now 49,461 more ministers who have been instructed and properly taught through Bible study the truth from God’s Word so they, too, could be authorized and appointed as servants, teachers, and ministers to go forth and preach. W 1/1

It thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.—Matt. 18:15.

If a brother has wronged us, then instead of nursing a grudge and stubbornly waiting for him to come penitently to us, we can do as Jesus instructed and settle the matter privately, avoiding publicity that would hurt or embarrass the wrongdoer. We can go to him and point out his wrong, trying to stir up in him a sense of righteousness. If this fails to show him he ought to right the wrong, we can take along some spiritually mature brethren. With their aid we can try to help the offender, but in a spirit of gentleness. If this fails, we can lay the matter before representative members of our local congregation and have such spiritual servants use their special qualifications and the weight of their office to impress the offender. But these, too, must do so in a spirit of gentleness, because they themselves are liable to be tempted and need mercy thereafter. IF 3/15

I tell you truly, in so far as you did not do it to one of these, even the least of them, you did not do it to me.—Matt.

25:45, Moffatt.

The question is, Who will announce Jehovah's King, enthroned A.D. 1914? The remnant of his faithful brothers do so, and the great multitude of “other sheep” join in with them. But the “goats” do nothing favorable to the King ; they show indifference or violently oppose his ambassadors. Like the citizens in the parable of the pounds, they say: “We will not have this man to reign over us.” Granted that the King and the kingdom are the foremost issue of the day, yet they do not favor the proclamation of such by the King's brothers. To want to support, favor and welcome him it is not necessary for them to see the reigning King with natural eyes. By refusing and neglecting his ambassadors they are turning him down. It is serious now to ignore the King, not to speak of treating his brothers with violence. W 5/15

Gog and Magog, . . . And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city.—Rev. 20: 8,1).

In unnumbered multitude Satan’s hordes on earth, symbolized by Gog and Magog, advance to a fight against the thousand-year-old Government of the New World. Those of uplifted, perfected mankind who resist Satan’s seductions show they are God’s earthly people, his “saints” or “holy ones”. Their taking the field in support of his rightful sovereignty and in opposition to Satan’s final assault causes them to be compared to an encampment. The “beloved city” in support of which they muster is the New Jerusalem, God’s capital organization over all the universe. The assault upon it really means a rebellious movement against the principal representatives on earth of the invisible heavenly kingdom, namely, Christ’s “princes in all the earth”. Thus the final test of integrity will touch all people on earth, even the princes. W 1/15

This is my covenant unto them.—Rom. 11:27.

The new covenant is for the purpose of benefiting the members of the “body of Christ”, over whom Jesus the Mediator is the Head. It benefits the 144,000 faithful imitators of him, the ones called to be his joint-heirs in the Kingdom, to be “priests of God and of Christ”. (Rev. 20:4, 6) By becoming joined to Christ Jesus, these become the secondary part of the Seed of Abraham, to share with Jesus in blessing all men in general. To them it is written: “Ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. . . . ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29, A.S.7.) Thus by the new covenant which was added to it, the Abraham-ic covenant produces also Christ’s 144,000 joint-heirs, the nation of spiritual Israel. W 3/1

Wednesday, He shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he . . . shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne.—Zech. 6:12,13, Am. Stan. Ver.

Jesus went into heaven itself to appear in God’s actual presence to offer the value of his human sacrifice. This proves that the temple he builds must be greater and higher than the temple Solomon built, just as the heaven of God’s presence is higher than the Most Holy of Solo-

November 22

mon’s earthly temple. Correspondingly, just as the temple Christ Jesus builds is on a higher elevation than the mountain in Jerusalem where Solomon’s temple stood, so the royal mountain upon which the King Christ Jesus must reign is infinitely higher than the Mount Zion where David’s palace stood. It is the heavenly Mount Zion, the heavenly seat of Christ’s kingdom, of which the earthly Zion was merely a type. The temple he builds is his church or congregation of followers. W 9/15

Howl ye! for at hand is the day of Yahweh, as a veritable destruction.—Isa. 13:6, Roth.

Our message is one that shows the hopeless state of this world and the futility of all the desperate efforts to save it. For this the backers of this world howl in protest and insist that our message is seditious and weakens the confidence of the people in world rulers. If they howl and wail now at the mere prophecy, how they will howl when the day overtakes them like a thief and all their worldly hopes and institutions and remedial measures crash around them in embittering disillusionment! Unable to understand why nothing succeeds, why idols and gods do not and cannot answer prayers for help and relief, they will stare at one another in amazement, their faces aflame with frightened excitement. (13:7,8) This is no overdrawn description. It happened in a local way in Babylon twenty-five centuries a^o. It will occur in a world-wide way in the near future, at Armageddon. Jehovah foresaw it and he foretold it! W 16/1

Fear the One who, after killing, has power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, fear Him!—Luke 12:5, Spencer.

The extinction that men try to bring on us God Almighty can always nullify, raising us from the dead by Christ Jesus the King. That is why we should fear Jehovah God and not disobey him even when the orders and commandments of men conflict with His commands. Our human souls are not immortal. And his casting us into Gehenna after our body was killed and our soul died would mean his casting us into the condemned, state from which a resurrection of the soul in the new world is not approved. That would mean absolute destruction of the soul or creature existence, an everlasting cutting off from all life as a soul anywhere. That is the “everlasting punishment” of which Jesus spoke in his parable of the sheep and goats. He symbolized it as the “everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels”. W 9/1

Love . . . rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, hut rejoiceth with the truth.

—1 Cor. 13: 4, 6, A.S.V.

In the conflict between wrong and right love sides with the right always. It finds pleasure in no kind of injustice, even to enemies and persecutors. We sometimes might curl up our lips and say: ‘Oh, I hope that fellow gets it.’ True, he has done a wrong and deserves punishment. No question about it. But true love will not be happy over any abuse of justice toward the wrongdoer. We are not in God’s organization to fight people with injustice. That does not mean justice should not be followed out, and when God lets retribution come upon his enemies we will acknowledge his justice. But justice can be tempered with mercy. Seeing how this has been God’s way toward us who repent, we are not going to gloat over a chastising that comes as a punishment to others. We prefer that they see the fitness of it and reform. W 12/1

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.—1 Tim.

2:11.

This does not mean our Christian sisters dare not answer questions upon the printed material being studied, nor relate experiences they have in God’s service, nor demonstrate before others good ways of presenting his message to people. In the first century women did not keep silent in the church when his spirit moved them to prophesy. Today when answering questions, telling experiences and making demonstrations our consecrated sisters are not teaching or trying to teach and dictate to the men. If they are expressing themselves in accord with Watch Tower publications and in submission to counsel from the Watchtower Society on Theocratic order and procedure for Jehovah’s witnesses, then the women are not teaching. God through his organization is doing so. The women are merely using the spiritual provisions He makes for all his people and are repeating what they have been taught. W 5/1

Let no one despise pour youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct.

—1 Tim. 4:12, R.S.V.

Paul did not try to retard the advancement in service of the young man Timothy but advised against letting older men try to do so. Who could rightly despise a youthful overseer if he set a clean example? But while Timothy was not to allow the older men to limit him in carrying out his duties as if he were an upstart, this young man must be merciful to the older people. He must not get puffed-up with self-importance and consider the older people as “back numbers” that had had their day. Of course, old people may get in a bad way and need some straightening out in mind or in conduct. But a young man as an overseer must not be sharp-tongued and abuse his authority: "Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men like brothers.” —5: 1,2, Rev. Stan. Ver. W 6)1

Tuesday, November 28

Who has directed the spirit of the Lord!—Isa. 40:13.

The seven seas cover about three fourths of the earth’s surface, and yet to Jehovah they are like a bit of water in the hollow of one’s hand. To him the heavens that seem so broad when swept by the telescope from horizon to horizon are, for distance, like the few inches of measure from the end of man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when the hand is spread out. Scientists, by mathematical calculations, have tried to figure out the weight of our earthly globe, but Jehovah can scoop up all of earth’s dust as with a peck measure and can weigh the towering mountains and rolling hills in a small pair of scales. Worldly nations have produced brainy men, wise in the wisdom, philosophy, sciences and religions of this world. Yet where has there been one of these to interpret God’s Word or to advise him what to do under present conditions or to dictate to him what to do in the future?— 40: 12-15. W 2/15

Wednesday,

Bear one another’s burdens, . . . For each man will have to bear his own load.—Gal.

6:2,5, Rev. Stan. Ver.

No one else will be responsible for the judgment you get from God. No one else will share a part of your judgment as jointly responsible. You must bear your load of responsibility and the judgment alone. We want God’s judgment to be one in favor of our living eternally in the new world. May we have the good sense to walk humbly with God and lovingly serve him now.

November 29

May we be also ready and willing now to bear the burdens of our brethren, even if they do make such for themselves and us by faults, weaknesses and trespasses in which they are overtaken. We, too, make difficulties and burdens for others by our course of action. So it is in reality a case of ‘bearing one another’s burdens’ and doing so to fulfill the law of Christ Jesus. Doing thus, we shall all be helping one another lovingly to an approved final stand before the Supreme Judge for life. W 3J15

If I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, . , . but have not love, it profiteth me noth

ing.—1 Cor. 13: 3, A.S.V.

It is not the material or financial gift for which the heavenly Father rewards the giver, but it is the love behind the gift that He rewards. So it is love that profits the giver. We should never yield to some selfish pressure in making a gift. A campaign of relief may be under way, everybody about us contributing. So as not to be thought stingy, and to seem to be just as generous as others or to gain business advantage, we may feel constrained to give at least something. That would be a gift of personal interest and concern, and not a willing one by a cheerful giver. A really loving giver will not give a bare minimum, but give as much as he is able, even denying himself, because he wants to do so out of love for God and His creatures. That is the kind of person God appreciates. “God loveth a cheerful giver.”—2 Cor. 9 : 7. W 11/15

In every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus

Christ.—Acts 5: 42.

To prove oneself a preacher ordained with the spirit of God a Christian does not have to own a title and to have a pulpit assigned to him and a paying congregation of many listeners. He can prove his ministry by preaching to individuals and from door to door. The first preaching that Jesus himself did after his anointing with God’s spirit was to grivate individuals in a home, is private lodging-place, to which he invited the two men. This preaching there turned out successful. Jesus believed in home meetings for giving a witness to one individual or to several. The Scriptures record that weekdays Jesus had many home-m e c t i n g s where he preached. In carrying out our commission from God preaching can be done by bearing witness to large public audiences, in door-to-door witnessing, in group meetings at homes, and to individuals anywhere, under any circumstances. W 12/15

Love . . . taketh not account of evil.—l Cor. 13:4,5, A.S.V.

Had there been resentment between Paul and Barnabas after separating, the breach would not have been healed. But love came to their help during separation from each other, because it takes no account of evil. It does not consider itself to be injured and so lay up that injury as something to be settled in time, and until then no relations between injured and injurer can be carried on. It does not feel sore at a person and so take it out on him, straining relationship to the breaking point. For us to impute evil motives to another is so easy at times, but love will not do that on improper grounds. It inclines to make allowances for others and to accept reasonable excuses from them. It gives the other the benefit of the doubt. We may be deceived in cases, but in this experience we do not fail to cultivate love. W 12/1

Preach the word.—2 Tim. 4:2.

The very thing we must preach proves that our charge to do so issues from a higher than human authority. Consequently man-made authority or religious authority has no real power and right to forbid us. “The word!” That is what we are commanded to preach. This word comes by inspiration from God and is contained in the sacred writings of the Bible. A preacher who is a real “man of God” has no authority from God, whom he represents, to preach human philosophies, religious traditions of men, or anything but the divinely inspired Word. God does not anoint men with bis spirit to proclaim what is against him and his inspired message. He does not contradict himself and cannot deny himself. When a person consecrates himself to God through Christ and is endowed with His spirit and receives the divine charge to preach, he will spread abroad all the truths contained in His Word. W 12/15

And we have the word of prophecy, surer still, to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place. —2 Pet. 1:19, Cath. Confrat.

Emphasizing the need for Christians to study and keep in mind what the Hebrew prophets wrote under inspiration, Peter tells ns that the events in the life of Christ made those prophecies still more valuable, instead of less so. The old Hebrew Scriptures are more fully guaranteed by the fulfillments of prophecy in the case of Jesus as Messiah. We have, then, all the more reason, not less reason, for examining them, pondering over them and watching them for further proof of their inspiration and accuracy in predicting future events. They are a lamp to light our path through this world lying in the darkness of ignorance. So, ‘study them,’ says Peter, and he does not offer any indulgence of so many days off from ‘Purgatorial’ sufferings to induce us to do so. W 2/1

The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.

—Gal. 5:17.

As a force for righteousness the Christian has the invisible energy or spirit of God within him. God’s Word and his active force, these move the Christian, and they are both against the selfish physical cravings of our bodies. The passions of the fallen flesh are strong. No one on earth can escape these. As a result we have on our hands a conflict between the inclinations that

God’s Word and spirit cultivate in us and the inclinations of sinful flesh. At times we do the things we do not approve of ourselves’ doing, and the things we want to do we find ourselves failing to do. This makes us quite wretched at times. Being never free of our imperfect flesh and its passions, we can never do altogether as we should like. Hence, to maintain our Christian freedom, we must fight to let God’s spirit have the control of our lives. That spirit r rates by love.—Rom. 7:15-

W 3/15

Should not my house be so with GodT For he has decreed for me an eternal covenant. —2 Sam. 23: 5, An Amer. Tr.

Did David bargain with Jehovah God for this Kingdom covenant? No; it was framed and established by God’s own initiative. It was therefore a mercy to David or an expression of divine loving-kindness to him. The terms of the covenant were also merciful to David’s royal line, so that the whole arrangement stood for “mercies of David” or “the iovingkindness to David". (Isa. 55:3; Rotherham) For Solomon’s bad end did God break up the succession of rulers from David ? No; but God ret a i n e d David’s descendants through Solomon on the throne of the kingdom of Judah on Mount Zion. This was a great mercy to David. It was exercised, not for David’s sake, but for the vindication of Jehovah’s word and covenant He is reliable. The culmination of the “mercies of David” was that Messiah was born of his lineage. W 9/15

Lord God almighty, . . . thou hast taken thy great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but thy wrath came.—Rev. 11:17,18,

Rev. Stan. Ver.

The setting up of God’s kingdom in the hands of his Messiah imports that a new world is at hand. The establishment of a new universal government, God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus, is the prime requirement for bringing in a new world. That is why at the time it is established the cry rings out: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (11:15) The very fact that the rage of the nations breaks loose at the setting up of divine government for the earth constitutes part of the sign asked for. It occurred right at the end of the Gentile domination of all the earth, uninterrupted for the preceding 2,520 years. This fact shows that such rage is evidence that the end of the world has come and the presence of the Son of man in Kingdom power has begun. W 7/15

As the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, so the Son also giveth life.—John

5:21, Am, Stan. Ver.

In the resurrection of mankind God by Christ Jesus will not be creating any new human creatures, in violation of his great rest day since Adam’s creation. No; but he will be reproducing the souls that have died and for whom Christ provided a ransom. He will lift them out of the pit of death without violating his great 7,000-year-long Sabbath day, just as his law to the Jews made it perfectly proper to show mercy and lift out an animal that had fallen into a pit on the sabbath. (Matt. 12 :11,12) Since the dead are lifeless and unconscious, it follows that their dying thought or last conscious observation or utterance will connect up with the opening thought at awakening from death. So they will know themselves and recall their past living. They will come forth from the graves, memorial places whose occupants will be remembered by God and his Son. W 4/15

Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of hattie.—Zech. 14:3, A..S.V.

The ancient instances of Theocratic warfare when Jehovah “fought in the day of battle” were prophetic patterns of how he will fight the universal war of Armageddon against all the nations of this earth at this end of the world. He is not the hope of any of such nations, for they trust in their military might and political alliances and they turn these against Jehovah God and his kingdom. But those persons today who do know and trust in the name of the Most High God wait for him to fulfill the above prophecy concerning Armageddon. There Christ Jesus will be his trusty Warrior. Let all men of good-will now know that in this “atomic age”, in this the most militarized period of all human history, Jehovah with his warrior Son Christ Jesus is the only hope for real defense, victory, deliverance and freedom. W 4/1

Preach Christ . . . also of good will: ... of love.—Phil.

1:15-17.

The tremendous volume of work, preaching the gospel of God’s kingdom unto the ends of the earth, is not done with any political ambition in mind, nor are Jehovah’s witnesses trying to influence the policies of the governments. They have no lobby in the capitals of the different nations; they are not trying to establish some religious order, nor is there any pecuniary gain in it for any individuals. Anyone who observes Jehovah’s witnesses in any of the lands reported on in the Yearbook will know that they are not engaged in any of those endeavors. They have one thing to do, and that is to preach the message of God’s kingdom. Christ Jesus directed that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness” until the end comes; and that Jehovah’s witnesses are definitely trying to do as ambassadors in the 96 countries on which reports are given. W 1/1

Monday, December 11

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.—Isa. 13:17.

Rich persons and wealthy organizations of this Babylonish world need not think they will be able to bribe Jehovah’s hosts and buy their escape from annihilation at Armageddon. That battle will not be fought for the material and financial enrichment of Jehovah’s hosts. Universal sovereignty is the issue at stake.

For an unselfish reason, that is, for the vindication of His universal sovereignty and unblamable name, He and his King Jesus Christ will fight that battle. Not silver! Not gold! but to do away with that blasphemous world organization which has reproached Jehovah’s name and put itself in the way of His universal sovereignty, this is what moves Jehovah’s hosts, the antitypical Medes, to demolish that Babylonish organization. Only Jehovah’s people are spared. W 15/1

dise, and heard unspeakable words.—2 Cor. 12: 4-

What Paul saw was the heavenly Zion, God’s universal organization, in her glory, in an Edenic condition which had begun in Paul’s day. This Zion supplies the promised Seed of Abraham in whom all the nations are to be blessed. In 1914 Zion brought the Seed forth as the reigning King in active ruling power. (Rev. 12 : 1-5) In 1919 Jehovah God released Zion’s children on earth from their captive state. restoring them to his free and fearless service as His witnesses. He also revealed to them the marvelous truths concerning his kingdom established in 1914. As a result, the estate of these spiritual children of Zion has flourished more and more with the passing years. Jehovah’s Theocratic organization has thus come to a paradise condition as respects beauty and prosperity. A beauty and prosperity greater than what obtained with the church in the first century has come. W 6/15

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.—Rev. 20:10, A.S.V.

This means the utter destruction forever of Satan the Devil and his demons as well as of the “beast” and the “false prophet”, for the fiery sulphurous lake symbolizes the second death. It corresponds with Gehenna, in which Jesus said God Almighty is able to “destroy both soul and body”. (Matt. 10:28) In Bible times jailers were called “tormentors”. (Matt. 18:34) Satan’s being tormented with the “beast” and “false prophet” in the lake of fire and brimstone for ever and ever means the jailers will never release him from this state of destruction. He suffers the “second death” at the hands of Christ Jesus. (Heb. 2:14) Thus the final judgment of the wicked angels takes place, and Christ’s bodymembers share with him in that judgment work.—2 Cor. 6:3. W 1/15

Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.—Dan. 12: 4-

The ancient Greek version reads: “Daniel, close the words, and seal the book to the time of the end [syntd-leia] : until many are taught, and knowledge is increased.” (Bagster) If many are to be taught and their knowledge is to be increased, Daniel’s words and book must be opened and unsealed and this must take place in the period of the “end” or consummation (syn-t/leia), beginning A.D. 1914. The King Christ Jesus is present as Jehovah’s great Teacher, teaching the “children of thy people”, Daniel’s people being Jehovah’s people. As these obey the King’s command to preach the Kingdom gospel in all nations before the telic end comes upon this old system of things, both knowledge and understanding spread out and out to all people of good-will everywhere. W 11/1

Prepare pe slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.—Isa. H: 21,

Am. Stan. Ver.

In the garden of Eden God declared he would put enmity between His woman and the Serpent and between her Seed and the Serpent’s seed. (Gen. 3: 15) And no better end than that of the Serpent awaits his seed, the offspring that the king of Greater Babylon has spawned. With this seed and the “golden city” of Satan’s organization in mind, the inspired taunt-song ends with the above words. That “golden city” and its dependent organizations will never be restored on earth. Satan’s seed who maintained and operated such will be slaughtered and be unable to carry on the traditions and practices of Satan their father and their predecessors in his service. They will never be named with any honor in the righteous new world. W 10/15

Love . . . believeth all things.

—1 Cor. 13: J,, 7, A.S.V.'

Does love make us gullible, accepting everything everybody says? No, but it makes us accept the truth even if it sounds stranger than fiction or all the unbelieving world scoffs at it. To believe means to have faith, and faith is a fruit of God’s spirit. So it believes all God says in his Word, though we may not be able to grasp it and it sounds impossible because at present we do not know all the facts and have no scientific explanation for it. Love tests the spirits or inspired utterances, and those in harmony with God it believes because they are in harmony with his Word. If it did not believe all things in that Word, it would not use it as the final authority for determining what is truth. So today all that comes to us through Jehovah’s Theocratic organization and that is based upon his Word of truth we will lovingly believe, with readiness of mind. W 12/1

Preach the word, be urgent. —2 Tim. If: 2, Rev. Stan. Ver.

There is every need for God to raise up preachers. He has done so, by raising up his witnesses upon whom he has put his spirit. He is determined that the people shall hear, let pay attention whoever will. So his command rings out to his witnesses above the roar and din of the false leaders of this world: “Preach the word.” We have God’s revealed Word with which to do the preaching. Now it is up to us to

M

obey the divine command. Whether we are official servants like Timothy in a congregation or not, by the apostle we are given the charge to preach in the sight of God and Christ. We are appealed to in view of Christ’s appearing and his kingdom to carry out the charge. God’s kingdom by Christ is the most prominent doctrine of the Holy Word, and to preach this Word means now to proclaim the Kingdom. Let us be prompt in heeding the strong appeal now. W12/15

ceal a matter, but the glory of kings to fathom a matter. —Prop. 25:3, An Amer. Tr.

On earth Jesus unlocked to the understanding of his disciples many things that were concealed in the Bible to God’s glory. Thereby he faithfully fulfilled the glorious conduct of God’s approved King, as stated at Proverbs 25: 2 above. No other creature could fathom the deep things of God’s written Word better than Jesus Christ. None could quote scripture better than Jesus, or with greater accuracy in applying it. Notwithstanding that he was the Son of God and anointed to be King and so could speak with authority, yet he did not brush God’s written Word aside as Being of little importance or of indifferent value. In spite of who Jesus was, rather, because of who he was, he found it necessary to prove his points by God’s recorded Word. His disciples believed in that Word. Hence even Jesus had to harmonize with what was written. W 2/1

He sits over the round earth, so high that its inhabitants look like grasshoppers.

—Isa. 40: 22, Moffatt.

Without feeling any personal embarrassment Jehovah’s witnesses are boldly declaring who God is. The time is here for men and nations to take note of who he is. Man’s simple intelligence, upon beholding the visible wonders of nature, should instruct him that the supreme Creator of all these things is the true God, so high above all visible creation that nations are like swarms of grasshoppers and cannot view him. It is his scheduled time for his kingdom by Christ to rule the earth. He let the Gentile nations have “seven times” of domination over the earth from 607 B.C. to A.D. 1914. This was not as of their own right, but out of his permission and toleration of them until the time came for him to inaugurate his own rightful Theocratic Government. Only by the destruction of the nations at Armageddon will the issue of who is God and de jure Sovereign over all be settled. W 2/15

I will make of thee a great nation, . . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

—Gen. 12:2,3.

No nation not descended from Abraham in a fleshly sense or in a spiritual sense could be the nation through whom God, the Greater Abraham, blesses all families of the earth. That nation must come, not only from Abraham, but also through his son Isaac and through Isaac’s son Jacob. At Genesis 35: 10, 11 God pointed forward to a dynasty of kings to come from Jacob and to culminate in the

20

reat Messianic King, Jesus Jhrist. This was the King Jacob meant as he lay upon his deathbed in Egypt and blessed his twelve sons and said to Judah, his fourth son: “Judah is a lion’s whelp: . . . The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between Bis feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (49:9,10) Such a prediction about Shiloh to whom the royal scepter was to come indicated he must be the hope of the people of the nations. W h/1

When saw we thee an hungred, and fed theef—Matt. 25: 37.

In the parable the “sheep” merely ask this question to indicate they did not and could not see the King during this his glorious parousia and so they could not render their righteous deeds to him directly, personally. The fact is, if they had not known they were doing these things as to the King and because his kingdom was concerned ; if they had not known they were doing these things to his royal representatives and intended it so, their deeds would not count with him nor have his reward. So they give drink, food, clothing, shelter, and other forms of relief to the needy remnant because they know these are the King’s brothers. They want to do good as to the King and to show they give their allegiance to his kingdom and choose him to be their spiritual Shepherd and Leader. What counts with him is deeds deliberately done to those who represent him. W 5/15

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men.—Rom. 5:12.

If Adam joined his wife Eve in sinful disobedience to God and came under the death sentence and, after that, became father to our race, what? Why, he would cause sin and death to spread to all his offspring. Hence the state of the future race lay, not with the woman, but with the man. To the man, not to the woman, the Bible charges the responsibility. It was not because

Adam was deceived by the tempter, as his wife Eve had been. It was because of willful selfishness that Adam broke God’s law and took the way that bore sin to a world of people and consequently death. So if divine justice was to release Adam’s offspring from the condemnation and death they inherited, it must demand that another perfect man like the original Adam die for them to cancel the penalty. This Christ Jesus did, being born of an imperfect virgin, but with the perfect Life-giver, God, as his Father. W 5/1

If he refuses to listen to them, tell the congregation. And if he refuses to listen to it, treat him as a heathen or a tax-collector.—Matt. 18:11, An Amer. Trans.

As a last resort lay the matter before the congregation of which you are a member. Not by a church trial with all the congregation there. But submit the matter to the representative members of the congregation, to the overseers and their assistants that have been appointed, men “among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood,” as Paul says. If this fails to make the offender see himself as he is and to move him to the course that makes for unity in the congregation, then what? The offended person may treat him as a pagan who does not appreciate Christian conduct, also as an oppressor of his own brothers, like a taxcollector. This is not a mercilessness which God would repay by himself being merciless. Rather, God in this case does not forgive the unrepentant offender. W 6/1

Quench not the spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.-l Thess.5:19-22.

When writing this, Paul did not exclude his own prophesy-ings, whether by word of mouth or by letter. Christians were not to despise prophesying that gave evidence of the spirit of the Lord behind them, but were to give respectful attention to them. Yet they were not to accept them without first carefully examining them and testing them. “Prove all things,” that is, all things contained in these prophesyings, and hold fast what is found to be good in them, but avoid whatever has the form of being wrong or wicked. Still, by what standard of judging were they to prove all things set forth in such prophesyings? Why, by the inspired Hebrew Scriptures, which were all they then had. No, they could not set aside the study of the Hebrew Scriptures, and neither can we do so. W 2/1

He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, Kath _ eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.

—John 5:24, A.S.V.

Who are those dead who during this present evil world listen to the voice of God’s Son and now pass from death across to life? It is the Christians whom God begets with his spirit to be his spiritual sons. Believing in the message of God’s Son and accepting the benefits of his ransom sacrifice, they were justified by God’s grace and were brought out of their condemned and cursed condition. They were given His spirit as a counterforce to the sinful tendencies of their bodies. This corresponded to a spiritual resurrection in their case, and in this view Paul speaks of it to the Christians, at Ephesians 2:3-6. Christians who are now alive from the dead should show that this is so by leading a changed life, a life no longer like that of the nations dead in trespasses and sins. So 1 Peter 4:1-6 says. W 4/15

Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, 0 Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God?—Isa. 40:27, Am. Stan. Ver.

Our persecutors look and hope for the time when the mounting, spreading persecution will compel Jehovah’s witnesses to renounce the true God and his King and to forsake his worship and witness work. But there is no reason for his witnesses to begin to think that their experience of continual suffering and reproach is overlooked by him and that he does not care about protecting and vindicating our rights on earth. There is no reason for us to fear that if this permitting of world-wide opposition and persecution keeps up much longer human endurance will be put to the limit and we shall simply have to give up. Under earthly hardship and persecution, far be it from us to complain or take offense against God and his Theocratic organization and fall away. He can uphold us ever. W 2/15

I covenant for you, even as my Father has covenanted for me, a Kingdom.—Luke 22: 29, Emphatic Diaglott.

How did Jesus covenant for his 144,000 faithful disciples a kingdom together with him in heaven? He did so by preaching the kingdom of heaven during the three and a half years of his public activity on earth, thus informing them of it and inviting them to it. He then laid down his human life as a sacrifice for sins that they might be cleansed in his blood and be justified from all inherited sin and be righteous and acceptable in God’s sight. He acted as High Priest to offer these justified ones in sacrifice with him for the vindication of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and name. He also acted as Jehovah’s Prophet and High Priest to pour out the holy spirit upon them from Pentecost forward, in order to anoint them to Kingdom service and to a place in the heavenly Kingdom with him.—Acts 2: 32-36; Jer. 33 : 22. W 9/15

What ve hear in the ear, that preach ve upon the house tops.

—Matt. 10:27.

With all the powers and means at their command Jehovah’s witnesses have advertised that the Gentile times ended in 1914 and that then the Son of man became present in the Kingdom as royal Representative of the Supreme Sovereign, Jehovah God. From east to west people have been reached by this publicity work in many languages, and by this they have been enlightened about Jehovah’s Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus. They have had their eyes opened to his invisible presence or parousia in regal power. The reigning King is responsible for it. So the prophecy will continue to undergo fulfillment down to the battle of Armageddon that “as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven ; so shall also the Son of man be in his day”. —Luke 17: 24. W 7/15

If I . . . understand ... all knowledge, . . . but have not love, I gain nothing.—1 Cor.

13: 2, Rev. Stan. Ver.

If we know more than others it is liable to puff us up and so hurt us. With superior knowledge and the enlightened conscience that it gives a person could act selfishly. He could exercise his conscientious liberties without caring whether his free actions stumbled others who do not know so much and hence have conscientious fears. So knowledge should be balanced and governed by love. The knowing one should lovingly consider the ignorance of others. As his own conscience might not prick him due to his knowledge, he might think he is not hurting himself. But he is, for he is hindering his growth in love and God could hold him responsible for bringing about another’s spiritual destruction for the sake of selfishly acting on what he knows to be lawful. Knowledge should help us to express love in a more helpful way. W 11/15

Saturday, December SO

Love ... is not puffed up. —1 Cor. IS: 4> Am. Stan. Ver.

You will never see love putting on airs, showing off, parading itself, or acting arrogantly. The fault for all this wrong conduct lies in the mind. This is what is inflated. When it gets this way, it makes its owner feel selfimportant. Taking himself too seriously, he inclines to become arrogant and demand more of others than he ought. Such conduct betrays a fleshly mind, and not God’s spirit.

If a Christian tries to be a new sort of person and to show love, he will clothe himself with lowliness of mind. In this mental state he will wisely deflate himself, and will esteem others as better than he is. He will do this in the interest of the unity of God’s people. He will resist the tendency that any superior knowledge has to puff him up, but will seek to build others up. He knows God exalts no persons puffed up, but debases them and exalts the humble-minded. W 12/1

Preach the word; ... For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.

■—2 Tim. 4 •' 2, 3.

We are in the “time of the end” of this world. With thirty-six years of this period already gone and 1951 upon us, it is, indeed, later than they think! What, then, is the most important, wisest and most valuable thing to do now? Preach the word! That is God’s command through his Holy Word. The unsound teachings of today, the doctrines of demons, and the deceptions of seducers are all leading Christendom and heathendom on to early destruction at the war of Armageddon. But among the billions of ears tickled by such things there are numberless ears yearning to hear sound doctrine, the wholesome truth, the pure Word of God. How are those with such cars to hear unless we who have Jehovah’s Word preach it to them by word of mouth or by printed page? So keep on teaching and declaring always and only the straight doctrine. W 12/15

Chief Office and Official Address of

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, INC. INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION is

124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn 2, New York, U.S.A.

Addresses of factories and publishers:

America (U.S.), 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y. **Argentina, Calle Honduras 5646-48, Buenos Aires. ^’Australia, 11 Beresford Road, Strathfield, N.S.W. **Austria, Liechtensteinstr. 24, Vienna IX. **Belglum. 28 Ave. Gen. Eisenhower, Schaerbeek-Brussels. ♦♦Bolivia, Casilla No. 1440, La Paz. **Brazil, Rua Liclnio Cardoso 330, Rio de Janeiro. ♦♦British Guiana, 5 Croal Street, Georgetown, Demerara. **British Honduras, Box 257, Belize. ♦♦British West Indies, 21 Taylor St., Woodbrook, Port of Spain, Trinidad. **Burma, 39 Signal Pagoda Road, Rangoon. **Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario. **Chile, Moneda 2390, Santiago. **Chlna, P.O. Box 1903, Shanghai. **Colombia, Avenida 32, No. 18-24, Bogota. **Costa Rica, Apartado 2043, San Jos6. ♦♦Cuba, Calle D No. 206, Almendares, Marianao, Havana. ♦♦Cyprus, Box 400, Nicosia. **Denmark, Sondre Fasanvej 54, Copenhagen - Valby. **Dominican Republic, Calle Estrelleta No. 37, Ciudad Trujillo. ♦♦Ecuador, Casilla 4512, Guayaquil. **Egypt, Post Box 387, Cairo. **EI Salvador, Apartado 401, San Salvador. ♦♦England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2. **Finland, Vaina-moisenkatu 27, Helsinki. **France, 3 Villa Guibert, Paris 16®. ♦♦Germany (Soviet Zone), Wachtturmstrasse 17/19, Magdeburg. ♦♦Germany (U.S. Zone), Am Kohlheck, (16) Wiesbaden-Dotz-heim, Hesse. **Gold Coast, B.W.A., Box 760, Accra. **Greece, 16 Tenedou St., Athens. **Guatemala, 11 Avenida Norte No. 8, Guatemala. ♦♦Haiti, Post Box B-185, Port-au-Prince. **T. Hawaii, 1228 Pensacola St., Honolulu 14. ♦♦Honduras, Apartado 147, Tegucigalpa. **Hungary, Gvad&nyi-u 8, Budapest XIV. **lndia, 167 Love Lane, Bombay 27. ♦♦Israel, Post Box 1399, Jerusalem. ♦♦Italy, Via Monte Maloia 10, Monte Sacro, Rome. **Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston. **Japan, 1 Toyooka-Cho, Shiba-Mita, Minato-Ku, Tokyo. **Lebanon, P.O. Box 1122, Beirut. **Liberia, Monrovia. ♦♦Luxembourg, 95 Rue Eugene Welter, Luxembourg-Howald. **MSxico, Calzada Melchor Ocampo 71, Mexico, D.F. ♦♦Netherlands, Koningslaan 1, Amsterdam-Z. **Newfoundland, Post Box 521, St. John’s. **New Zealand, G.P.O. Box 30, Wellington, C. 1. **Nlcaragua, Apartado 183, Managua, D.N. **Nigerla, West Africa, P.O. Box 695, Lagos. **Northern Rhodesia, Box 5, Lusaka. **Norway, Inkognitogaton 28 B., Oslo. ♦♦Nyasaland, Box 83, Blantyre. **Panama, Box 274, Ancon, C.Z. **Paraguay, Rio de Janeiro y Esq Mary Lyons, Asuncion. **Peru, RamOn Danino 256, Lima. **Philipplne Republic, 104 Roosevelt Road, San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City. **Poland. UI Rzgowska 24, Lodz 7. **Puerto Rico, 704 Calle Lafayette, Pda. 21, Urb. Hip., Santurce 34. **Sierra Leone, Box 136. Freetown. **Slngapore, 33 Poole Road. **South Africa, 623 Boston House, Cape Town. *Southern Rhodesia, “Grafton,” P.O. Sauerstownship, Bulawayo. **Surinam, P.O. Box 49, Paramaribo. **Sweden, Luntmakaregatan 94, Stockholm. **Switzerland, Allmendstrasse 39, Berne. **Thailand, Box 67, Bangkok. **Uruguay, Joaquin de Salterain 1264, Montevideo. ♦♦Venezuela, Ave. Prin. del Pa-ralso 27, Quinta Savtepaul, Paraiso, Caracas.